some measure of strength to performe this command darkness is hatefull but light is lovely the darkness of sin causeth hatred but the light of grace love if the wild Beast of envy and malice range abroad in thy Conversation it is a plain argument that as yet it is might with thee For a close of this particular I have already told you that according to this sense these words true in you are to be read Affirmatively and so they are a commendation of those to whom our Apostle wrote and intimate that this command which he was to impose on them was already true in them and his designe hereby no doubt was to encourage them the more in the practice of this duty Since according to that of the Oratour Trabimur omnes laudis studio all men love to be commended and praise is a spurre to Virtue This is that policy which our blessed Saviouâ— himself is pleased to use in all his Epistles to the Asian Churches except that of Laodicea owning and praising those graces which he saw in them The like we may find practised by all the Apostles in their Epistles St Paul writing to the Corinthians Now I praise you Brethren to the Galathians you did run well St Peter Whereunto you do well that you take heed It were easie to instance in each and surely this practice is deservedly imitable by Ministers towards their People Superiours towards Inferiours Yea all men one towards another Render to all their dues honour to whom honour belongeth saith St Paul It is a breach of that justice which is due from man to man not to give due commendations Indeed flattery is abominable and therefore there must be Salt as well as Honey in our praises commendations are then commendable when they are done with fidelity and exceed not verity having just ground and ayming at a right end we may we ought to acknowledge and declare the good which we see in others as here St John doth But perhaps you will say if this were true in them already what need our Apostle write this Commandment to them is it not in vain to bid a man do that which he already doth I answer No and that upon a double account 1. That which was true must be still true and so a command may be given to enjoyn the continuance in as well as the entrance upon any duty As the Devill diverteth some from so he interrupteth others in the performance of what is good we had need to be called upon once and again least we faint in the race 2. That which was true ought to be more true in them we fulfill no command so exactly but we may complain of manifold defects nor do we ever so well but still we may do in all better the truth of Love and every grace is in whom the true light shineth and on whom regeneration is confer'd but the strength of grace may still be deficient and therefore there is continuall need of writing and Preaching this Commandment even to those who practice it To end all What remaineth but that this large and excellent Preface with which our Apostle ushereth in his discourse of love have an effectuall influence upon our hearts and lives to prepare us for the Doctrine and excite us to the practice of it It is a command and that not antiquated but still in force it was practised by Christ himself and all his holy Apostles it is most suitable to the Gospell Administration under which we live yea if we have the true light of grace in us this cannot but be in some measure exercised by us And therefore that we may obey this old and new Commandment which God hath given us that we may follow that choice and excellent pattern which Christ and his Apostles have set us that we may walk worthy of the Gospell which shineth among us Finally That we may declare our selves to be indeed what we profess brought from darkness to light let us attend to and set upon the performance of the following instruction which should now be handled but that the time prevents and therefore must be referred to another opportunity THE FIRST EPISTLE OF St JOHN CHAP. 2. VERS 9 10 11. He that saith he is in the light and hateth his Brother is in darkness even untill now He that loveth his Brother abideth in the light and there is none occasion of stumbling in him He that hateth his Brother is in darkness and walketh in darkness and knoweth not whither he goeth because the darkness hath blinded his eyes WHat humidum and calidum the naturall heat and radicall moisture are to the body that are repentance and love to the soul nor are those more necessary to the conservation of our temporall then these to the sustentation of our spirituall life Indeed the principall grace is Faith this brings as it were the copula that which knits Christ and the Christian together in Union with whom consists our life but the maintaining of this life is by the moysture of godly contrition for our sins and the warmth of holy affection towards God and Man no wonder if we find as Faith and Repentance so likewise Love frequently inculcated in holy writ upon all Christians Indeed this latter is one of the principall Subjects of this Epistle so that though our Apostle minds us of Repentance in confessing our sins and Faith in believing on the Name of Jesus Christ yet he chiefly insists on loving and that as God so our Brother which is the design of the Verses I have now read He that saith he is in the light c. Having dispatched the preamble inciting contained in the two former Verses I am now to procced to the Doctrine instructing laid down in these three for whereas before he had mentioned a Commandment concerning which he did now write to them and withall adorned it with very amiable Characters he now plainly and expresly declareth what this Commandment is Namely That of loving our Brother for so Interpreters well observe these Verses to be an Exposition of the generall commendation in those and having by his large praises endeavoured to inflame them with desires after the knowledg and practice of it he goeth on to informe them what it is and wherein it consists Nor would it be passed by that our Apostle in handling this Doctrine of Love pursueth that Metaphor which he made use of in the former Chapter where he layeth down the generall scope of his Epistle hereby no doubt intending to intimate to us that this duty of Brotherly Love is a primary step of that walking in the light which intituleth to fellowship with God and so on the contrary hatred of our Brother a chief step of that walking in darkness which depriveth us of that communion so that we are now come to the fourth step of that divine walk which St John designeth to chalke out in this Epistle The first whereof is Repentance
know him where the latter we know is that scientia knowledg which immediately looks on Christ and the former is that conscientia knowledg which immediately looks upon the act of knowing Indeed it is the choice priviledg of the rationall soul that it can reflect upon its own acts whereby it is that a man not only understandeth and willeth but knoweth that his soul doth exercise those functions this is that which accordingly a Christian improveth in respect of his spirituall actings so that he doth not only put forth the operations of his graces but is in some measure assured that he doth put them forth for as when I look in a glass I look upon my self looking in it when I touch my body I feel my feeling of it In like manner the soul by reflex knowledg apprehends her own apprehension judgeth of her own judgment and believes her beliefe Suitable to which is that of devout Anselm Qui fidei sensum in corde habet hic scit Christum Jesum in se esse A Christian having an experimentall sence of Faith in his soul knoweth himself to be in Christ. 3. This Knowledg of Knowing Christ and being in him is only i◠respect of our selves not others we know him saith the Apostle not that you know him or that you are in him but that we every one attaineth this knowledg in respect of himself Congruous to this purpose is that of St Austin Fides est in intimis nostris nec enim quisquam hominum videt in alio sed unus quisque in semitipso Faith is inwardly seated in the heart which one man cannot discern in another but only in himself Indeed Negatively we may conclude concerning those whom we see wallowing in prophanness living in wickedness that for the present they are not in Christ nor have any saving Knowledg of him Positively we cannot concerning any though never so holy in appearance that they are in Christ Since whereas men may give undoubted signs of their badness they cannot of their goodness Indeed this new name is such as no man knoweth but he who receiveth it and that only in himself who doth receive it and as to know it in our selves is very difficult so to know it in another is impossible True we must here distinguish of a double knowledg to wit of Charity and Certainty the former is only a probable opinion improperly called knowledge and is that which we may have of others being in Christ by their external conversation Thus the Author to the Hebrewes was perswaded better things of them to whom he wrote and St Peter calling Sylvanus a faithfull brother addeth as I suppose nor are we to understand any more by St Pauls phrase concerning the Thessalonians knowing your election of God since not the Apostles themselves except by special revelation could infallibly know any particular persons to be the chosen of God and members of Christ 4. Lastly This knowledge of our own interest in Christ on the one hand is not barely conjectural but infallible and yet on the other hand it is not perfect and compleat 1. This knowledge is not cannot be perfect for by the same reason that one and every grace may be perfect in this life whereas full perfection of grace is the priviledge of that other life Indeed one of the names by which this grace is called in Scripture is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 full assurance but that is onely in a comparative notion since none ever had an absolutely full assurance There are indeed several degrees and measures as of others so of this grace and the higher degree may be said to be full in comparison of the lower but the highest is not altogether perfect True it is sometimes and in some persons this knowledge may be so clear and firme that there may not be any sensible stirrings of infidelity the conclusion which such an one maketh of his union with Christ may be peremptory without actual haesitation but still there are some remainders of unbelief in the heart whence it is that their knowledge is not alwayes in an equal height but hath its ebbings as well as flowings 2. But though it be not perfect so as altogether to expell doubting yet it is infallible so as to exclude deceit it is not onely we thinke or we hope but we know It is true as all other graces so this hath its counterfeite there is a presumption which looketh like this perswasion whence it is that a man may be deceived about it but still the knowledge it self is such as doth not deceive To this purpose are those similitudes which the learned Davenant maketh use of a man that is drunk may think himself sober a man that is in a dream may imagine himself to be awake and both are cheated in their opinions yet this hindereth not but that a sober man may know that he is not drunk a man that is awake may know that he is not asleep and this knowledge of theirs is infallible Thus whilest Hypocrites have a deceitfull presumption of their union with it hindereth not but that regenerate persons may and do attain an infallible knowledge of their knowledge of and interest in Christ To apply this What remaineth but that every one of us labour to be among the number of this We to know that we do know and are in Christ Indeed they who take upon them the profession of Christianity may in this respect be fitly ranked into three sorts 1. Some there are who are in Christ but know it not like children who live in their mothers belly but are not themselves sensible of it As Jacob said of Bethel God was in this place and I knew it not so may it be said of many Christians Christ is in them and they in him and they are not aware of it of whom we may pronounce in Virgils words O fortunatos nimium bona si sua norint Agricolas How happy were they did they but know their happiness for want of which their jealous mindes pass unrighteous censures upon themselves as if they were miserable 2. Others there are who pretend to know and be assured of their interest in Christ when yet they have no tru◠right or title to him their self-flattery fils them with this vain self-conceit and their blind ignorance causeth them to presume that they know Christ and whereas the condition of the former sort is in their apprehension only the estate of this sort is really miserable Indeed as one saith excellently they are eo magis desperati quò minus desperantes their case is so much the more desperate because they are so farre from despairing that they presume since by this presumptuous opinion of having already attained they are hindered from labouring after an interest in Christ and as the Philosopher said of one who had been ill taught that his task was double both dedocere and docere to unteach and
then St Paul who admonisheth the Corinthians In malice be you Children And in this respect as Tertullians phrase is he would have the oldest men repuerascere grow young again and so in an excellent sense be twice Children Indeed as Clemens Alexandrinus observes concerning the prohibition of distrustfull care so may I concerning this of hatred and revenge he that indeavours to fulfill it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is a Childe both in Mens and Gods account the World thinketh him a Childe yea a fool to put up injuries and God esteemeth him as a Childe yea such a Childe of whom is the Kingdome of God 2. Little Children are not covetous nor ambitious nor luxurious they affect not variety of delicacies they are not greedy of gain nor puffed up with titles Si verberantur non afficiuntur odio nec si laudantur arrogantiâ if corrected they hate not if commended they swell not thus ought Christians to deny worldly lusts and to conquer all inordinate desires Holy David comparing himself to a Childe saith My soul was even as a weaned Child which is no more greedy of the dug so ought every good man to have his heart weaned from all the honours and pleasures and profits of this transitory world And surely well were it if even Parents would in this regard go to Schoole to their little Children and by their behaviour learn their own duty the truth is to a wise and understanding Christian every Creature is a Preacher and every day a Sabboath with the Bee he sucketh honey out of every flower above the Starrs beneath the fruits abroad the beasts at home the little Children are his instructors of whom he learneth these excellent lessons to contemn the world and to abborre malice which that our Apostle might the more strongly inculcate upon those to whom he wrote he cals them little Children and so much be spoken of the generall denomination in the twelfth Verse passe we on to the Particular Enumeration As it is set down in the thirteenth Verse Fathers young Men little Children I find among Expositors a double reference of these expressions by some to severall degrees of grace by others to severall ages of life according to the former construction the words are to be interpreted Metaphorically according to the latter literally Oecumenus upon the place asserts that our Apostle intends by these titles to express the different sorts of Christians who were to receive his Epistle 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 whose different progress in Christianity he sets down with allusion to the increase of naturall life Origen is express both in a Negative and Positive way Non corporales aetates sed animae perfectionem differentia ponit by this phrase the Apostle designeth to difference Christians not according to the ages of their bodies but the growth of their souls in grace and in another place he saith this is so evident a truth that he thinketh none ever doubted it Though I am so far from excluding with this allegoricall Father the literall construction that I conceive it is most congruous yet I shall not altogether wave the Metaphoricall sense And thus there is a threefold degree of grace which is shadowed by these three-ages of life 1. Incipieâ—tes They who are â—â—vices in Christianity incipients in grace are represented by little Children and if we look into the Metaphor we shall find the parallel fit and full 1. Little Children are weak in body they cannot go with strength rnu with swiftness act with vigour but what they do they do it weakely so is it with beginners in Religion they complaine of deadness dulness weakness in performing holy duties instead of running it is as much as they can do to go the way of Gods Commandments and in going they often slip nay fall though not through willfullness yet weakness 2. Little Children are low of stature so are beginners in Christianity dwarfs in piety To have our conversation in Heaven is a lesson long in learning we cannot presently nor easily mount up with the wings of an Eagle even they who loath sin know not how to part with the world and it is by many steps that they ascend to an Heavenly life 3. Little Children are fed with milk their stomacks being not fit to digest more solid food thus beginners in Religion are to be instructed in the rudiments of Christianity as being uncapable of higher mysteries Christs Disciples before the descensâ—on of the holy Ghost were but incipients and therefore out Saviour tels them I have many things to say to you but you cannot bear them yet St Paul speaking of those Christians among the Corinthians who were Babes in Christ I have fed you with milk and not with meat for hitherto you were not able to bear it neither yet now are you able Those little Children in the Text had some divine knowledg but it was very dimme and imperfect and as yet they had but suckt in the first principles of Christianity 4. Little Children are fickle and inconstant now this liketh them and by and by it distasteth them whatever you put into their hands they quickly let it fall takeing no fasthold of it thus are weake Christians carried to and fro with every winde of Doctrine now this opinion pleaseth them and anon it displeaseth them and though the verities of Christian religion are inculcated upon them they hold them not fast but suffer themselves easily to be spoyled of them 5. Finally Little Children are full of fears easily affrighted with any thing so are spirituall Babes their faith being little doubts arise fears prevaile Wicked sinners are presumpteous weak Christians are timorous and as the Devill luls those asleep in security so he dismaies these with anxiety 2. Proficients Those who have made some progress in Christianity are compared to young Men For 1. As youngmen have good stomacks whereby they both earnestly desire and easily digest solid meats so it is with growing Christians they receive the manna of the ordinances with attention retaine it by meditation and so turn it into good nutriment by practise they are able to chew and feed upon evangelicall verities to digest them in their understandings and memories in which respect our Apostle saith The word of God abideth in them 2. Young men are active and vigorous having strong bodies and nimble joynts whereby they fulfill their imployments without weariness thus are spirituall proficients ready to every good word and work divine commands are not grievous Christs yoake is easie to them and they do the will of God with alacrity for which reason our Apostle saith of them they are strong 3. Young men are fit by reason of their strength for military employments and upon all occasions are called forth to service so are strong Christians fit to encounter with temptations afflictions persecutions and through divine assistance to conquer them upon which account it is said of these young
men they had overcome the wicked one 4. Young men have their blood boyling in their veins their naturall heat is sprightly in them so is it with proficients in grace the supernaturall and spirituall heat of zeal is lively in their hearts whereby it is that they boyle as it were in love to God and rage against sin 5. Finally Young men are healthfull and lusty and though they fall into a disease their bodies are able to wrestle with it and nature gets the better so have spirituall proficients an healthfull frame of soul whereby it is that they seldome fall into great diseases I mean gross sins and if at any time they do fall grace struggleth with and prevaileth against corruption â— Perfecti They who are comparatively not only in respect of bad but good perfect Christians having attained large measures of grace are resembled to Fathers 1. Aged Fathers know much by their own experience so do perfect Christians they are experienced in the subtilties of Satan and dâ—ceits of their own hearts the workings of grace and stirrings of corruptions the assistances of Gods Spirit and manifestations of his Love 2. Aged Fathers know things that are done many years ago and perfect Christians according to our Apostles phrase have known him that is from the beginning converse with the Father of eternity and so far as God hath unbosomed himself in his word are acquainted with the thoughts he had from everlasting 3. Lastly Aged Fathers are usually Fathers of many Children so are perfect Christians they make it a great part of their buiâ—â—ness to admonish the negligent support the feeble reclaime the wandring comfort the drooping and by all meanes to convert and confirme their Brethren To summe it up Habent omnes virtutes suas conceptiones nativitates incunabvla aetatis incrementa saith an Ancient The virtues have their Conception Birth and Growth and that from one degree to another the seed of grace which fals upon good ground bringeth forth in some an hundred in some sixty and in some but thirty fold all the Israelites did not gather the like quantity of Manna some an Omer and some an Epha some much some little it is no less true of the spirituall Israelites in gathering grace Among the ungodly on Jacobs ladder some were above at the top and others below at the foot yet all upon the ladder the like difference there is among Christians in their spirituall ascents as in the Heavens there are stars of severall magnitudes in Schooles there are Schollars of severall so mes in Houses there are vessels of severall bigness so in the Church there are Christians of severall degrees for there are Fathers and young Men and little Children Let not then those who are Fathers grown up in Christianity disdaine the young Men who are growing nor either Fathers or young Men contemn the little Children The time was when thou who art a Father wast a young Man nay a little Childe and the time may be when they that are now little Children may come to be young Men nay Fathers he that hath mâ—st grace began with a little and those weâ—k striplings may prove strong Gyants in grace if thou hast much and others but little thankfully acknowledg thy Fathers mercy but do not proudly scorne thy Brothers infirmity Again Let not those who are as yet but little Children be discouraged at nor yet content with those small measures of grace they have attained Let them not on the one hand be too much dejected he that bids Peter feed his sheep bids him withall to feed his Lambes yea he who is himself the great Shepheard taketh care of the little Lambes as well as the grown sheep when Nicodemus came to Christ with some few sparks of desire after him our compassionate Redeemer non delebat sed alebat did not extinguish but cherish them Besides the covenant of grace is made with and the promises of mercy are made to faith not only in strength but truth A little Childe is as truly a man as a young man as an old man and a weake Christian is as truly a Christian as the most perfect Saint conclude not too harshly against thy self from the praemises of weak gracè Qui non potest volare ut aquila voleâ— ut passer if we cannot mount with the Eagle soare with the Larke let us flye with the Sparrow though we cannot with St Paul set our feet in the third Heaven yet let us lift up our hands and eyes thither In a word let us neither measure our goodness by anothers want of it nor our want of goodness by anothers abundance as if we had no grace because but little and not so great a measure as others Nor yet on the other hand let little Children or young Men be contented with what they have attained The stature which a Christian is to strive after is the stature of the fulness of Christ and therefore we must never come to our maximum quod sâ—c our full pitch There is an holy and amiable ambition in Christianity oh how good would a good heart be it looketh not only upon its sins but graces with grief and mourning as that it hath been so bad so that it is yet no better Peto ut acâ—ipiam cum acceperâ— rursus peto I aske to receive grace and when I have received I aske again Nec ille deficit in dando nec ego satior in accipiendo he is not weary of giving nor am I satisfied with receiving So St Jerome Is then the foundation of piety layed reare up the building every day higher then other till it reacheth to Heaven Is the light of grace risen in in thy soul Let it shine more and more to the perfect day Finally art thou a little Childe grow up to be a young Man yea never cease till thou comst to be a Father in Christ And so much for the Allegoricall Interpretation It is a received rule in interpreting Scripture that the litterall sence is to be adhered to as most genuine unless necessity inforce to recede from it For this cause I conceive it most congruous to embrace the plaine and proper meaning of the words as they note the ages of mens life though withall the other notion is here collaterally to be taken in those of these severall ages to whom St John writeth were converted to Christianity and proportionably no doubt as the little Children were but weak so as they grew up to be young Men and Fathers they grâ—w in grace For the better clearing of this construction you must know that Childhood Youth and old Age are the usuall distinctions of mans age I know some make as it were seaven stages of the life of man Infancy Childhood Youth Manhood midâ—le Age old Age decrepit Age others reduce the seaven to foure Childhood Youth Manhood old Age the â—â—rst whereof is reckoned to â—â—fteen the second to twenty five the thir 〈…〉
question their Faith you shall find them very strong in confidence of being saved by Christ and yet if you examine their knowledge you shall finde them ignorant of that Christ by whom they believe to be saved Solomon saith A poore wise Childe is bâ—tter then an old and foolish King will not many knowing Children rise up in judgement one day against ignorant Fathers whilest a Childe of ten years old shall give a better account of Christian Religion then some old men of sixty I know not whither I shall chide or weep declaime against the folly or bewaile the misery of such old Men when I consider the dismall threatning uttered by St Paul That God will come in flaming fire rendering vengeance to them that know him not and which will certainly render the account of these old men the greater and vengeance hotter who live within the Pale of the Church in that they have not only had time but meanes and opportunity of gaining this Heavenly knowledge but they neglect them Oh then you Fathers receive a word of admonition though whilest you were young men you were careless of divine things yet now surely it is time to look after them it is one of St Cyprians twelve horrid abuses Si sine religione senex esse inveâ—iatur for an old man to be irreligious and a stranger to Heavenly things you are almost at the end oâ— your daies on labour to know him which is from the begining your naturall life through Gods goodness is prolonged I but it must at length be ended let nothing content you without the knowledge of the true God and his Sonne Jesus Christ which is eternall life Why should you be as bad Apprentices that having served seaven years are still to learne their Trade heare so much and so long and yet know so little of Christ Assure your selves the only comforts of old age are Conscientia bene peractae vitae scientia Christi experimentalis the conscience of a well lead life when you are able to reckon not only daies and years but good workes done in those daies and filling up those years and chiefly the experimentall knowledge of Christ whereby as good old Simeon you embrace him in your armes This will be both your comfort and your honour An hoary head being a crown when it is found in a way of righteousness and knowledge As then God is pleased to adde to your daies do you adde to your knowledge And though old age cause your strength of body to cease yet strive that souls may more and more increase in this and all other graces of the holy Spirit 2. There is yet another fitness which would be considered in this Character and that is in reference to the matter about which he writeth especially the praecedent and subsequent Doctrines that thereby we may see what influence the right knowledg of Christ hath upon those excellent duties of contempt of the world and Love of the Brethren 1. Because you have known him which is from the begining love not the world It is that which may very well be urged upon a double account by an argument drawn 1. Ab Indecoro It is a very unbeseeming thing for you who have known him that is from the begining and have been so long Scholars in Christs Schoole to love the world That they who know no better should soare no higher it is no wâ—nder and therefore if Heathens Pagans Infidels should be earthly minded it is no more then what is to be expected but for them who know Christ and knowing him cannot but know what an excellency there is in him and what a vanity there is in the world to dote upon it is very incongruous A Bristol stone is very glorious in his eyes who never saw a Diamond but he would deservedly be accounted stupid who should prefer a Bristol stone before a Diamond all Christians especially Aged ones cannot but experimentally know Christs fulness and the worlds emptinesg and therefore it must needs be a very irrationall affection in them to Love the world 2. A Cantrario The knowledg of him that is from the begining and the Love of these things that have both begining and ending are contrary to and so inconsistent one with another and the reason is plain because as hath been already intimated the true knowledg of Christ is inseperably attended with Love to him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Loving is caused by seeing where the Object is amiable Christ is altogether Lovely so that it is impossible to see him and not to Love him The Orator saith of virtue that it is so desirable that if men could with bodily eyes behold it they would be ravished with it sure I am he that with spirituall eyes beholds Christ cannot but be enamoured with him Now the world must needs be vile to him to whom Christ is precious if the knowledg of Christ attract us to him it cannot but weane us from the world so that whosoever professeth to know Christ and loveth the world he giveth his profession the lye and plainly discovereth his knowledg to be such which though it have light hath no heat and is none of that knowledg which Christianity cals for 2. Because you have known him which is from the begining loue the Brethren and this likewise is that which may be strongly pressed by a double enforcement 1. Ab Objectâ— The knowledg of him who is from the begining carryeth with it a knowledg of that Love which he had from the begining toward us and did manifest in the fulness of time to us and no such obligation to Love as Love of our Love to the Brethren as Christs Love to us It is very observable how St Paul perswading to walk in this path of brotherly love doth not only direct but incite to it by Christs example But walk in Love as Christ hath loved us Indeed he that knoweth the Love of Christ cannot but be in some measure sensible how free and how full it is and surely that Love which is both sine merito and sine modo to use St Bernards phrase both undeserved and unmeasurable may well engage to a return of Love in whatsoever way he who hath so loved us should expect and direct iâ— 2. Ab Effecto Inasmuch as Brotherly Love is though not an immediate yet a genuine effect of the knowledg of Christ the account whereof take briefly thus Our Brethren to wit by grace are Christs Brethren and if we love Christ we cannot but love his relations All Christian Brethren have the Image of Christ stamped upon them and if we love Christ we cannot but love his Image where then there is a true and sincere affection to Christ there cannot but be a love of the Brethren and where there is a saving knowledge of Christ there as hath been already manifested cannot but be a sincere love to him That therefore it may appeare our knowledge of
monstrous Daughters with which the most of the Sons of men fall in love with At this time I shall only give you a view of 1. The Eldest Daughter which is the lust of the flesh for the better understanding whereof I shall discourse of it first in Generall then in Particular 1. In Generall be pleased to take notice 1. That this word flesh is used severall waies in Scripture as Cassian hath observed I shall not mention all its acceptions only know that it is taken in sensu optimo possimo medio in a good sense for a tender frame and soft disposition of the soul whereby it is capable of receiving the impression of grace and ready to yield obedience to Gods commands in this notion it is the matter of the promise I will give you an heart of flesh In a very bad sense for the native and inbred corruption which overspreads soul and body whereby we become averse to all good and prone to whatsoever is evill and of this St Paul speaketh when he saith in me that is in my flesh dwelleth no good In a middle sense for the inferiour part of man his body which chiefly consists of flesh and blood and thus we read of Cleansing our selves from all filthiness of flesh and spirit that is of body and soul and in this sense Calvin not unfitly here taketh it 2. That the lust of the flesh is used in Scripture two waies sometimes very largely as comprehending in it all vitious lusts whatsoever in which notion flesh is to be understood of originall corruption and is as the Fountain of lust and inasmuch as there is no evill to which our naturall pravity doth not incline us the lust of the flesh in this sense is as it were the genus whereof the severall evill desires which arise in our hearts are the species and in this notion is that of St Paul to be construed Walke in the spirit and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh And indeed for the most part where we read of the lust of the flesh it is to be construed in this large acception But in this place flesh being put for the body and the lust of the flesh being a contradistinct member to the other two it is doubtless to be restrained and as Estius well observeth signifieth Desiderium eorum quae pertinent ad carnem a desire of those things which belong to the flesh So that flesh here is rather to be construed Objectivè then Effectivè not as the principle from whence this lust flows but the Object whereabout it is conversant and thus all sinfull desires after bodily pleasures especially those which the two sences of tasting and touching are taken up with are they which our Apostle designeth to comprize under this head the lust of the flesh 3. That there is a double lusting after the flesh and those things which are gratefull to it namely naturall and sensuall there is an appetite which ariseth meerly from natures indigence and this though vehement as in hunger and thirst is not sinfull nature teacheth every living Creature earnestly to desire the conservation of the individuum by nourishment and of the species by propagation and therefore this kinde of desire had been in man even in the state of innocency But then there is an appetite which sensuall indulgence exciteth and this being alwaies immoderate beyond its due bounds is prohibited Indeed neither Religion nor reason do abridg us of all bodily pleasure but they forbid us to serve pleasure so as according to Seneca's phrase to be perplexed in the absence or strangled with the abundance of it in one word the desires which proceed from the want the delight which tends only to refresh the flesh is allowable but all desires and delights which proceed from and savour of wantonnes are culpable and comprized under this head the lust of the flesh 2. More particularly it will be needfull for the further discussing of this usefull truth to set before you the severall kindes of this fleshly lust for though she be a Daughter yet withall she is a Mother of many Brats and it is such an Arme of this tree of worldly love as hath many branches sprouting forth of it such as are incontinency intemperancy and idleness 1. The first and worst of these lusts is incontinency that which is called by St Paul the lust of concupisence and by St Peter the lust of uncleanness yea the same Apostle speaking of false teaches that they allure through the lust of the flesh and presently adding through much wantonness plainly intimates wantonness to be a lust of the flesh and inasmuch as he useth the Plurall number he insinuates that there are severall wanton and unclean lusts of the flesh For methods sake be pleased to know that this lust of the flesh is conversant either about a wrong or a right Object 1. The chiefe excursion of this carnall lust is after wrong Objects concerning all which I shall in generall premise That not only that wicked disposition of minde which by St Paul is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 whereby men burne with impetuous desires after libidinous acts resolving to lay hold of every opportunity of satisfying their lusts Nor yet only all those contemplative delights whereby men please themselves with inward fancies and imaginations of that wickedness which either for feare or shame they dare not out outwardly commit but also all kinde of desire though not plenarily consented to by the will nor fully resolved upon for the performance yea all those first motions which arise from the vitiated appetite though not at all consented to are within the compass of that which is called by St Paul 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 inordinate affection and here by St John 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the lust of the flesh In Particular The Object of this desire is irregular two waies 1. When the Object is such as doth privare ordineâ—â— natura transgress the order of nature and this either Simply and Absolutely and is most properly called unnaturall uncleanness whether it be with our selves the sin of Onan that secret pollution which though hid from mans is open to Gods eye or with the same Sex Men or Women Dishonouring their bodies between themselves the sin of Sodom and those Gentiles concerning whom St Paul writeth both which are unnaturall because contrary to natures end to wit generation or which is yet more unnaturall because it tends only to a monstrous generation that which is between rationall and meerly sensitive Creatures the bestiall sin of buggery things that are as horrenda factu so pudenda dictu abominable to be done yea shamefull to be named Or as limited and restrained after the multiplication of humane nature Of this sort are all incestuous lusts after those neare relations whether by affinity or consanguinity such as are between Brethren and Sisters Vnkles and Nâ—eâ—es Ants
〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to make choice of fit opportunities for recreation And thus with what perspicuous brevity these various serious subjects would affoard I have unfolded the latitude of this evil which is here called the lust of the flesh To winde up this discourse in few words How great a predominancy this lust of the flesh hath in the world the gluttonies drunkenness and uncleane practices of the most do sadly proclaime Seneca complained that the men of his time were Inter vinum oleum occupati altogether taken up with wine and oyle I would to God such were only to be found among Pagans but alas these swarme in the Christian world nay which is yet more sad in the Reformed Protestant Church of England Oh that Papists and Sectaries had not too just cause to say A great part of the English Protestants are uncleane adulterous gluttonous epicures quaffing drunkards riotous gamesters so that whilest they profess the purest faith they leade the most debauched lives For these Bastard Sons doth their Mother the Church mourne and suffer at this day and yet as if all her sufferings were not worth their pitty they still renew and multiply these sins to the dishonour of her profession and the prolongation of her miseries Indeed according to that known Proverb Venter non habet aures The belly hath not ears voluptuous persons are deafe to divine instructions and as St Hierome truly speaking of these sins Eò deponere est difficilus quò eis uti est dulcius they are therefore very difficult to leave because so sweet to enjoy so that as Solomon observeth of the Adulterer in particular it is too true of all those sorts of sinners they are hardly and therefore rarely reclaimed but yet I will not wholly despaire even of their conversion however for others prevention I shall propose these following considerations The lust of the flesh is defiling debasing destroying and consequently not only to be abandoned but abborred 1. It is defiling True it is as our Saviour saith That which goeth in at the mouth the Object of these lusts doth not defile a man but it is as true that which cometh from the heart the lust after these Objects doth defile Indeed all sin is of a polluting nature but especially these and therefore one of these lusts in a pecular manner is called impuriâ—y and uncleanness The gross acts of these sins defile the body and the very lust after them defileth the soul 2. It is debasing Indeed nothing is more naturall then a desirâ— after these Objects but yet nothing is more unnaturall then the inordinate lust after them and what a shame is it that the grace of God should not teach us to deny these lusts which the light of nature teacheth Heathens It is observed that of all living Creatures Man hath the narrowest Wombe and the straitest Throate as if nature would thereby teach us to be the most abstemious The truth is the lust of the flesh is not only unchristian because contrary to the precept and practice of our Lord and Master but inhumane because opposite to the dictates of â—eason so that we may truly affirme men by the fulfilling of this lust become like the beast that perisheth whilest gluttony transformeth them into Tygars drunknness into Swine uncleanness into Goats sloth into Dormouses and laziness into Asses nay shall I adde they are worse then the Beasts for whereas these Creatures cannot be made to eate or drinke more then their naturall appetite requireth and observe their usuall times of conjunction voluptuous men regard neither season nor measure in the satiating of their lusts Add to all this 3. It is destroying And here I might enlarge in severall respects this lust of the flesh being that which destroyeth the credit the state the body yea without sincere repentance the soul of him that indulgeth to it Solomon saith of the Adulterer and it is as true of the Glutton and Drunkard A wound and dishonour shall be get and his reproach shall not be wiped away sensuall lusts whilest they please the flesh blot the name and though the execution of them content the sinners taste and touch they make him to stinke in the nostrils of God and Man Again the Wiseman warning the young man not to lust after the whorish woman in his heart saith That by meanes of an whorish woman a man is brought to a piece of bread and elsewhere in one Verse he tels us That the Drunkard and the Glutton shall come to poverty and Drousiness shall cloath a man with rags The full cup makes an empty purse and the fat dish a lean bag a soft bed a thin shop and the costly Mistris a thredbare servant yet again Solomon saith of the Adulteress she hunts for the precious life it is no less true of banquâ—tings drinkings revellings and such like It is not seldome seen that men by satisfying these carnall lusts endanger their lives ruine their healths and hasten their ends Finally The Wiseman saith of the unclean sinner that he destroyeth his own soul and it is verified of the rest The Gluttons table is a snare as well to his soul as his body the Drunkards cup spoileth him of grace as well as wit the Gamester staketh his soul as well as his state and the Sluggard by consulting his bodies temporall ease hazardeth his souls eternall rest And now my Brethren if upon all these accounts you are at last willing to bid farewell to this lust of the flesh remember what is hinted in the begining of this discourse namely that it is a fire and therefore you will do well to take the same course in subduing this lust which men do in putting out a fire More particularly take notice of these foure directions 1. Extinguish it whilest but a sparke least when a flame it become too powerfull resist the very beginning since if you give the least way to you will be entangled by it Verecunda peccati initia sensuall desires at first are modest but if consented to and delighted in are more and more craving yea at last commanding Indeed Sensim sine sensu by little and little insensibly this lust gets ground of us therefore let us be watchfull betimes to espye and prevent it 2. Substract the fewell which feeds and increaseth it Sâ— Peters counsell is Abstaine from fleshly lusts which is best done by taking away that which foments them what St Paul saith of the legall Ceremonies touch not taste not handle not that I may fitly apply to sensuall lusts take heed of the occasions inducing to them Eradenda sunt pravae cupidinis alimenta if you would not have lust to fatten do not feed it Not to launch out into those many particulars which might be reckoned up in this kinde beware especially of evill company It is Solomons advice Be not amongst wine bibbers amongst riotous eateâ—s of flesh The way not to be of
flesh and spirit a body and a soul in a tree cortex succus the rind or barke and the sap or juyce so is there in Christian knowledg He whose knowledg is onely litterall hath but the flesh the body the barke the rinde of knowledge only he whose knowledg is spirituall hath the spirit the soul the sap the juyce of knowledg These two knowledges though they agree in the Object whereabout they are conversant yet are they very much different 1. In their efficient For whereas a speculative knowledg of Christ may be in a great measure acquired by industry in reading and is at most but a fruit of common illumination the active knowledg is only obtained by Prayer and is a fruit of speciall Sanctification 2. In their Subject For whereas that is only seated in the understanding this hath an impression upon the will and is sapida scientia a knowledg with a savour and relish of the sweetness of Christ that only floateth in the brain but this sinketh down into the heart that spins fine Cobwebs in the head this maketh the heart beat with a true pulse towards Heaven Finally in their effect that puffeth up with self-conceit this abaseth a man in his own apprehension that only sits upon the lip but this is to be felt at the fingers end that indeed may be nay many times is alone but this is ever attended with obedience Now of this Knowledg it is that St John here speaketh and he that saith he thus knoweth Christ not keeping his commandements is a liar The truth is whereas this knowledg is licet vera tamen imperfecta though true yet defective that is nec vera nec perfecta not perfect nor yet true according to a Theologicall notion it is only 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as the Apostles expression is a forme of knowledg not the power a shadow not the substance and is not the true because not the good knowledg of God since as the Psalmist saith A good understanding have they that do his Commandements Indeed as works without knowledg are no good works so knowledg without works is no good knowledg He that saith he believeth in Christ and liveth not accordingly believe him not he sheweth his Hypocrisie not his Faith who maketh shew of Faith without Obedience And as it is vain glory to boast of our keeping the Commandements so it is in vain to boast of knowledg without keeping the Commandements In which respect that of St Gregory is very apposite when there is time and place and ability of doing good Tantum quis operatur quantum Deum noverit tantum se nosse Deum indicat quantum pro Deo bona operatur Look how much knowledg so much doing and so much as a man doth for so much he knoweth of God and no more This will yet the more fully appear if we observe the Scripture Language which as it were defineth that knowledg of God by Obedience and denieth it to them who though they be not ignorant are disobedient That expression which the Prophet Jeremy bringeth in God speaking to Shallum concerning his Father is very observable to this purpose He judged the poor and the needy was not this to know me saith the Lord and why is righteous judgment a knowing the Lord but because it was a fulfilling of his command Upon this account it is that these words of the same Prophet they shall not teach one another saying know the Lord are read by the Caldee saying feare the Lord which the wise man joyneth with keeping his Commandements and those of the Prophet Hosea there is no knowledg of God in the land are rendred by the Caldee there is none that walketh in the feare of the Lord. Hence it is that the Sons of Eli though Priests are said to be sons of Belial which know not the Lord God where the one phrase is expounded by the other because Sons of Belial that would not stoop to the yoke of Obedience therefore branded as guilty of ignorance Yet more clearly God saith by his Prophet Jeremy they that handle the Law know me not And this is annexed as the reason because they transgress his Law a strange expression Handling the Law supposeth knowing it and yet not keeping they are said not to know even the Law which they handle and in the same prophesie God complaining of his people of Israel saith my people are foolish they have not known me they have no understanding and why thus but because to do good they have no knowledg Some know that they may know this is curiosity some know that they may be known this is vain glory but some know that they may do this is piety And because the Jews had not knowledg to do good they are said to have no knowledg by all which it appeareth an undeniable truth that for them who break this Commandement to say they know God and Christ is an odious lye To winde up this David acknowledgeth I said in mine haste all men are lyars but St John was not guilty of any such rashness in saying all Hypocrites are liars and therefore Credamus cedamus veritati nosque fateamu◠esse mendaces in a sence of our Hypocrisie let us assent to this verity acknowledging our selves to be liars nor let us any longer believe a lye and so cheat our selves into Hell Do not think a few barren notions drie sapless opinions airy frothy speculations to be a saving knowledg let not saith St Austin thy foolish heart deceive thee by imagining thy self to know God whilst thy Faith is a dead Faith without works Who would fraught his ship with such drossie Oare or stay for that gale which cannot waft him to Heaven Nay knowest thou not oh man that all such knowledg will only serve to make thy mittimus to Hell and aggravate as thy sin so thy torment in that day when all naked empty Knowledg shall vanish away Where will be the Scribes Where the Disputers Where the Wise Shalt thou not then have cause to cry out with the Poet Cur aliquid vidi or with Job Quare misero lux data est Woe is me that ever I knew any thing of God or Christ Oh that I had been born a Pagan an Ideot and never so much as heard the sound of the Gospell for then would my Condemnation have been less In a word what shame will at that day sit upon thy face when thou shalt be found before God Angels and Men a liar and he whom thou saist thou knowest shall say to thee I know thee not Be wise therefore in time and learn what it is to know Christ take heed there be not a worm of disobedience in the tree of thy Knowledg let it not suffice thee to have a great but labour for a good understanding ever remember that knowledg is as the means and Obedience as the end and therefore all knowledg is vain which
Martianus of whom Paulinus saith Caelestis hominis imaginem perfectâ Christi portavit imitatione he bare the Image of the Heavenly Man by a perfect that is sincere imitation of Christ Oh let it be so with us in every thing we go about let us consider with our selves what Christ did or what we have reason to believe he would do in the like case in case of injury Christ would forgive of contention Christ would be a Peacemaker of miseries Christ would shew mercy of reproaches persecutions Christ would suffer patiently let us do likewise Christ is the Sun and then only doth the Watches of our lives move right when they are set by the Diall of his motion Christ is the Book of life and then only is the Book of our Conscience faire when it is written according to that Coppy To this end learn we according to the counsell of the Author to the Hebrews to look unto Jesus We saith St Paul beholding the glory of the Lord are changed into the same Image and we beholding the graces of Christ are transformed into the Image of them Look as a Painter to use Macarius his similitude can draw a mans Picture to the life if he sit before him and stedfastly look upon him but if he turn away his face the Painter can do nothing So then doth Christ draw the Lineaments of his Virtâ—â—s upon our Souls when we diligently look upon him Indeed who can seriously view Christ and the waies wherein he walked and not be in love with them and desire to walk in them All his waies as Solomonâ—aith â—aith of Wisdome are waies of pleasantness and peace No cleanness or purity no safety or security no peace or tranquility no delight or pleasure like to that which is to be found in Christs waies True indeed they are narrow waies in regard of their difficulty to flesh and bloud they are slâ—bby waies in regard of the afflictions which accompany those that love godly in Christ Jesus but they are clean waies without the mine of filthiness for they are safe waies fenced with the hedg of divine Protection they are pleasant waies in which we have alwaies the Sun of Gods favour shining on us yea they are blessed waies for they lead to life and and glory who can behold them and not be allured to go in them Look we therefore with a serious and spirituall eye upon Christ and his waies and that so long till according to St Pauls advice the same mind be in us that was in Christ Jesus and then having the same mind we shall do the same works so easily is the life conâ—ormed where the heart is inclined In one word if our eye be fixed and our heart willing the foot will be ready to run the race that is sâ—t before us I shut up with that of Leo Imitamini quod operatus est diligite quod dilexit love what he loved so will you do what he did to which we should be so much the rather induced considering the necessity which our profession layeth upon us of so doing and that will appeare if you Joyn both parts of the Text together which is the other Consideration and cometh now to be handled He that saith ought it is not onely as Zanchy well observeth utile but debitum that which he may do or that which is best for him to do but that which he ought to do This will the better appear if you consider both the relations which they who are in Christ have to him and the influence they have from him 1. The Relations which they that are in Christ have to him are many and near all which oblige to walk as he walked He that saith he is in Christ saith he is the friend of Christ and friends go hand in hand have the same affections and inclinations he that saith he is in Christ saith he is so in that he is under him Christ is his Lord and he his servant and probum servum pro ingenio domini conversari videmus saith Tertullian we see good servants conforme themselves to their Masters will and frame themselves to their temper He that saith he is in Christ saith that Christ is his King and he his Subject and Regis ad exemplum all men love to imitate their Prince if Nero like musick all Rome will turn fidlers let the King be lame and his Subjects will halt for company nay more then all this in saying we are in Christ we say we are his Seed his off-spring and hominibus laetum gloriosum filios habere consimiles it is a joy to Parents when their Children are like them and the care of good Children to follow their Parents so that since in all these relations there is an Obligation He that saith he abideth in Christ ought 2. There is a singular influence which Christ hath upon all those who are in him enabling them to walk as he walked It is true our blessed Saviour speaketh of branches in him that beare not fruit but there he meaneth those who are in him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 onely in appearance not in reality who in respect of their Christian profession seem to be and in others perhaps their own opinion are in him not of those who are in him by a reall substantiall and spirituall Union with him since all that are so in him cannot but receive grace from him to become fruitfull in good Works They that are in Christ are his Members and as the Members whilst united to the head have sence and motion derived from it so is it with those who abide in Christ to whom he impartes that motion whereby they are able to walk as he walked They that are in Christ are his branches and as the living branches receive sap from the root yea the sap that is communicated to the branches is of the same nature with that in the root and the fruit according so doth every one that is in Christ partake of grace from Christ yea that grace which is in Christ is infused into the Christian Finally He that is joyned to the Lord is one Spirit if any man be in Christ he hath the Spirit of Christ and look as when the Spirit of Eliah came upon Elisha he was enabled to do the same miracles which he did So in whomsoever Christs Spirit dwelleth it strengthens them to do the Works of Christ and become like to him Very observable to this purpose is that phrase of sealing with the spirit of promise for as the Seal maketh the impression of its own stampe upon the Wax whereby it is that the Characters upon the Seale are to be discerned in the Wax so doth Christs Spirit stamp his own Image upon the soul whereby it is that the graces of Christ appear in the life of a Christian Hence it followes that whosoever saith he is in Christ ought to walk as he
the last Chapter of this Epistle plainly ascribeth this Office of bearing witness to the Spirit and yet it is no less true that these graces and qualifications do beare the same witness these two witnesses being the one subservient to the other whilst the spirit is the principall and these qualifications are the Spirits instrument in this work Whether there be an immediate Testimony given by the spirit to the Soul of a Believer assuring him oâ— his interest in Christ I will not now dispute That the spirit can thus testifie is not to be questioned and that at some times to some eminent Saints he hath been and may still be pleased to vouchsafe it will not be denied but doubtless the usuall way of the Spirits witnessing is by the grace of Sanctification imprinted on the heart and expressed in the life To this Testimony the Spirit concurreth especially two waies partly by implanting his graces in us in which respect they are called the fruits of the Spirit and partly by discovering them to us in which regard St Paul saith We have received the Spirit which is of God that we might know the things which are freely given us of God The truth is as we cannot have grace without the Spirits operation so neither can we discern it but by the Spirits irradiation and as the beauty of all colours is manifested by the light of the Sun so is the truth of all graces in the heart by the Spirits light By all which it appeareth that the Spirit is the chief in this work so that as if you ask how we know that we know Christ and are in him the answer is by keeping the Commandments and walking as Christ walked so if you ask how we are inabled to keep the Commandments and walk as Christ walked and how we are to know that we do thus walk and keep the Commandments the answer is by the Spirit To close up this with a double consectary 1. That assurance of an interest in Christ which many pretend to who walk contrary to him and his Precepts in their lives is not a Christian Knowledg but a vain confidence a carnall security a lying delusion and a damned presumption To all such therefore who hug sin in their Bosomes and yet suppose they are folded in Christs arms who sail with full speed to Hell and yet think to cast Anchor at Heaven Gates who live in Rebellion against and yet promise to themselves Salvation by Christ we say not rejoyce with trembling but tremble without rejoycing not work out your Salvation with fear but fear without any hope of Salvation in this condition And whereas such persons may perhaps plead an immediate Testimony of Gods spirit assuring them that they are in Christ we are bold to tell them it is an hissing of the old Serpent not a whispering of the good Spirit it is the voice of the Devill not of God Ah my Brethren we sometimes pity mad Persons whom we seelying in the straw clad in rags and yet heare them boasting themselves to be Kings and Queens Have we not as great nay far more reason to pitty our own madness in fancying to our selves we are in Christ washed by his Blood and made Kings and Priests to God when as we transgress his Laws and cast both his Precepts and Pattern behind our back Me thinketh when men who live in Adultery Fornication Covetousness Envy Rebellion or any work of the Flesh promise to themselves an interest in Christ their sins should presently look them in the face and tell them that they are none of Christs 2. It neerly concerneth us all to search our hearts and try our waies to enquire into the Obedience and Conformity of our Conversations that hereby we may know we are in Christ It is an excellent saying of St Bernard Quantum creseis in gratiam tantum dilataris in fiduciam according to the measure of our Obedience so is the measure of our Confidence if therefore we would strengthen the latter we must by due inquiry assure our selves of the former Ah my Brethren it is an easie matter for a man to say I know I am in Christ but it is no easie matter to say Hereby I know I am in him what is it for a man to brag that such and such Lands and Lordships are his unless he can shew his evidences These qualifications are the evidences of our title to Christ and what will it avail to lay a claime to Christ if we have not these to shew Oh then what need is there of a diligent search that we may find these qualifications in us and because in nihilo facilius periculosius erratur there is nothing wherein we may more easily and yet more dangerously be mistaken then in this enquiry Oh what need is there of a due care that there be no flaw in our evidence that our qualification be of a right stampe To this end Study carefully the directions of the word Pray fervently for the illumination of the Spirit consult not with flesh and blood hearken not to the suggestions of Satan but deal impartially with thy own Soul as knowing of how great concernment the right managing of this work is And now upon serious and deliberate search 1. On the one hand Canst thou not find these qualifications in thee Be not too hasty in passing a determinate sentence against thy self since though these graces be necessary effects yet they are noâ— necessary signs of Faith and therefore they may be in us and so we truly in Christ and yet not appear so as we to know either that they are in us or we in Christ Perhaps thou art at that time clouded with some violent passion assaulted with some virulent temptation under spirituall desertion and no wonder if in such a case thou be not able to see those graces which yet thou hast since though there be fire yet so long as it is hid in the Embers it cannot flame forth nor doth it appear to be there Besides the operating there must be as you have heard a discovering work of the spirit By the former Faith bringeth these graces forth as effects by the latter a Believer maketh use of them as signs and these two do not alwaies go together Indeed if thou manifestly find the contrary vices reigning in thee thou maist and oughtest to conclude thy self as yet to be without Christ but though thou canst not clearly apprehend the inbeing of these graces thou must not peremptorily conclude against thy being in Christ but rather hanging as it were between hope and fear wait and pray and search for further discovery 2. On the other hand dost thou find the truth of these qualifications in thee Bless thy God know thy bliss own thy priviledg and labour after greater measures of this apprehension since as he that only hopes he keepeth the Commandments can only hope that he knoweth Christ so he that knoweth and is
1. Whither is not Neigbour to be taken in the same latitude when it is said Thou shalt love thy Neighbour as when it is said Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy Neighbour and again Thou shalt not covet thy Neighbours Wife nor his Ox nor his Ass nor any thing that is thy Neighbours If this be denied that will be enough to evince it that the particular commands of the second Table are but severall Explications of the generall command Thou shalt love thy Neighbour and therefore it is the same Neighbour to whom we must express our Love by not bearing false witness against him and the like and if it be granted then certainly Neighbour must include Stranger nay Enemy Since the Jews were not to bear false witness against their Enimies or to covet unjustly what belonged to them To this purpose is the note of a Rabbin upon these words of the Psalmist He that doth no evill to his Neighbour nor taketh up a reproach against his Neighbour understanding it of enemies as well as friends 2. When our blessed Saviour repeateth this Law of Moses whither did not Christ understand it in the same sense with Moses If he did noâ— then he affixed another sense to Moses his words then what he intended which is not to be imagined if he did then either Moses meant them universally or else Christ did not and so Christ hath added nothing in this particular to Moses As for that passage in our Saviours Sermon Thou shalt love thy neighhour and hate thine enemy it is doubtless to be understood as Abulensis hath well noted only as a Tradition of the Scribes and Pharisees Indeed St Austin and St Hilary seem to be of opinion that hatred was allowed in the Old Testament Yea Oecumenius in this place harpeth upon the same string but by the leave of those Reverend Fathers upon what ground it doth not appear since it is no where written in the whole Body of the Law Thou shalt hate thy Enemies and therefore it is well observed that our blessed Saviour doth not say You have heard that it hath been said by Moses or in the Law but You have heard that it hath been said to wit by the Scribes and Pharisees those corrupt Interpreters of the Law To all this for the further Confirmation I may add That Solomon expresly requireth in his Proverbs and St Paul from him enjoyneth in his Epistle If thine Enomy â—e hungry give him Bread to Eat And if he be thirsty give him water to drink so shalt thou heap coals of fire on his head and the Lord will reward thee That God in the Law gave strict charge concerning the beast even of our Enemy If thou meet thine Enemies Oxe or his Ass going astray thou shalt surely bring it back to him Again If thou see the Ass of him that hateth thee lying under his burden and wouldest forbear to help him thou shalt surely help him And certainly he that required them to assist their Enemy in rescuing his beast did not allow them hatred and malice to his Person Nay yet once more in the forementioned place where Moses saith Thou shalt love thy Neighbour is prefixed Thou shalt not avenge nor bear grudge which refers to an Enemie that hath done one an injury As for that lex talionis Law of retaliation though as appeareth by our Saviour it was otherwise construed by the Pharisees yet doubtless it was only intended by God as a rule for the publique Magistrate in his Administrations of justice and is no less in this sense allowable now And though they were to exercise acts of Hostility towards the Nations about them in making no peace with the Ammonites casting out the Cananites and cutting off the Amalekites yet this was by a speciall command from God which both then and now may dispence with a generall Precept and withall their being the Instruments of Gods vengance upon the Heathen did not hinder but that they might be free from any private revenge and so fulfill the generall Precept as well as any Headsman who notwithstanding he is the Executor of Justice may yet love that Person whom he doth execute 2. That Love which the Law requireth may very well in some cases be raised up to that heighth of suffering death Briefly to clear which know That laying down our life in reference to our neighbour is only required in one of these two cases the one when the publique the other when the spirtuall good of others necessitateth to it To lay down a mans life for the publique good is so far from being purely Christian that even Heathens have done it and therefore is no doubt included in the Mosaicall Precept which we may the rather believe because we find himself willing to be blotted out of the Book of Life for the preservation of the People and if it be said that this is to love our Neighbour more then our selves I answer It is not if we take Neighbour Distributively and if we take it Collectively for the Generality even nature teacheth us and surely then Moses his Law did require to prefer the puhlique before the private Wellfare a Generall before a Particular good 3. But that dying which is especially an act of Love is when we are willing to lose our own temporall life for the eternall good of others An example of this we have in the Old Testament What else meant Davids wish in regard of his Son Absalom when he said Would God I had died for thee Desiring no doubt to prevent that eternall death into which he had reason to think his Son dying in Rebellion against his King his Father was now plunged by the loss of his temporary life And in truth though this be to love our Neighbours Souls better then our Body yet it is not to love our Neighbour better then our selves and therefore exceeds not the Mosaicall Precept Caeâ—eris paribus let there be an equality every way and a Christian is as much bound now to prefer himself before his Neighbour as a Jew was and in way of inequality a Jew was bound to dammage himself for his Neghbours good as well as a Christian I am not to love my Neighbours Soul more then my own Soul nor his Body more then my Body nor his Estate more then my own Christian charity in this respect as well as Jewish begins at home only when it is my Estate or Body and my Neighbours Soul which come in Competicion this must be valued above those and this is required by Moses as well as Christ In one word That addition as thy self was certainly intended not as a Limitation or Restriction but rather as an Amplification and Inlargment of this duty of love that look how dear and entire and cordiall that love is which men bear to themselves the same they ought to have towards their Neighbours And therefore I shut up this
have the light to walk in it to walk worthy of it to walk as children of it by walking in this path of love And so much for that Exposition The other interpretation renders these words assertively is true in you and expounds the darkness and light of sinne and grace an Exposition which I incline to as most rational it being very probable that our Apostle as in the following verses he useth the same metaphors so here intends the same things and that there his primary scope is to describe by darkness and light mans corrupt and regenerate estate will appear in the handling For the better prosecution of these words in this sense be pleased to proceed with me by these steps and observe 1. What is the state of all men before conversion Namely a state of darkness darkness is in our minds the darkness of ignorance and infidelity we neither do nor can know aright either God or our selves The naturall man perceiveth not the things of the Spirit of God is St Pauls generall Doctrine asserting our ignorance of God and the particular charge against Laodicea That she knew not she was wretched and miserable poor blind and naked may justly be extended to all mankind in regard of self-ignorance Indeed there is so much light left in us as may render us inexcusable but not as can lead us to Heaven we neither of our selves can find out nor yet discern divine truths though they are set before us how quick sighted soever reason may be in naturals it is dimme yea blind in spirituals and as our blessed Saviour argueth If the eye be darkness the whole body must needs be darke the eyes of our understanding being darkned no marvell if our will and affections be clouded yea a darkness of sin overrun our whole man so that what St Paul saith to the Ephesians is true of all unregenerate persons they are not only in the concrete darke but abstract darkness it self 2. What the state of all regenerate persons is The darkness is past and the true light of saving knowledg and heavenly grace shineth in their hearts Regenerate Christians are called in the new Testament new Creatures and indeed not unfitly since as it was in the old so is it in this new Creation We read in the beginning of Genesis That darkness was upon the face of the deep and God said let there be light A fit Embleme of the Spirits work in a sinners Conversion Whereas darkness covereth the soul before a glorious light ariseth in and diffuseth it self through it To this no doubt the Apostle alludeth when he saith God who commanded the light to shine out of darkness hath shined in our hearts and for this reason it is that very often the turning of a sinner is set forth by this Metaphor so Pauls conversion of the Gentiles is called a turning them from darkness to light the converted Colossians are said to be delivered from the power of darkness and of the Ephesians it is said You who were sometimes darkness are now light in the Lord. Suitable to all which is this phrase in my Text The darkness is past and that true light now shineth Nor is it unworthy the observation how fitly these two clauses are ioyned together since the one cannot be without the other nay indeed one is the cause of the other In every convert there is not only a passing away of darkness but a shining of the true light yea the shining of the light is the cause of the passing away of the darkness in which respect Zanchy noteth that Conjunctio copulans pro causali posita videtur the Copulative Conjunction and is put for the Causall for This will the more appear if we consider what St Austin hath observed Namely That darkness is nothing else but the non residency of light and therefore that which expelleth darkness must needs be the presence of light thus the grace of the Spirit infused into the Soul is that which prevaileth to the expulsion of sin Look as the taking of an antidote driveth out the poyson the putting of a new Seal upon the Wax defaceth the old stampe and the return of the Sun causeth the darkness to vanish so is it the donation of the Spirit and his grace which dispossesseth Sin and Satan of the Soul Hence we may take notice what it is that maketh the difference between a Convert and a naturall Man namely the shining of the light of grace We that are converted were once involved in the same state of darkness with the rest of the world and as unable to deliver our selves from it had not Gods free grace caused the light to shine upon us which he denieth to others in which regard St Peter saith to the converted Christians to whom he wrote You are a chosen Generation a royall Priesthood an holy Nation a peculiar People that you should shew forth the praise of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light But yet it must withall be considered that the words in this sense are better read according to the Greek the darkness passeth away then that it is past since so long as we are here though our light be true yet it is not perfect but shineth more and more to the perfect day Now according to the increase of the light is the decrease of the darkness and therefore because it is not full noon perfect day whilst we are here the darkness cannot be said to be wholly past but rather is still passing if then we are sensible of the remainder of darkness in our hearts let it trouble but not too much dismay us light and darkness in remiss degrees may be together nor must we expect the darkness of sin to be wholly removed till we participate the light of Glory 3. In whomsoever the darkness passeth and the true light shineth this is true of which our Apostle here speaketh this grace and duty of love will shew it self in all regenerate persons it is a clear maxim where there is the cause there will be the effect such as is the root such will be the fruit now goodness which is a companion of love is called by the Apostle Paul A fruit of the Spirit or as some Greeke Copies read it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a fruit of light this light which here is said to shine which is no other then the grace of the Spirit no wonder if where this light shineth there this beam and fruit of it appear indeed glowe worm light and star light is such as hath no beat at all to accompany it but Sun light which is the true light expelling darkness wanteth not heat which is the Embleme of this grace of love whereby the soul is warmed yea enflamed Examine we then our selves by this Character if we be brought from darkness to light this is true in us who so experienceth this change will find
what the son of my Wombe and what the son of my vowes but her affectionate desire that he should hearken to her Indeed no marvel if the boyling spirit run over in words and the zeal of the affection double nay triple the expression Thus was it here as Bullinger well observeth with St John prae ardore suo such was the vehemency of his hatred of the sin of hatred that he can never enough declaim against it and therefore not only once but again he reproveth it 2. Those sacred writers by these ingeminations intimate alwayes that the things about which they write are of more then ordinary importance and necessary concernement to be known and believed in matters of faith to be avoided or performed in matters of life yea and sometimes that there is no less difficulty then necessity and whilest they are things which must and ought yet they are not easily believed avoided or practised Upon these grounds no doubt it was that Solomon iterated his doctrine of the worlds vanity and Christ inculcateth upon Peter the duty of feeding his sheep nor is it improbable that St John here had both these in his eie he well knew how much the very being of Christianity did depend upon avoiding this sin and exercising the contrary grace how hard it is to cast out this poison of hatred where it is once harboured and withall that as the usurper being ejected the right heir gets possession and the old form being corrupted the matter is easily susceptible of a new so if he could eradicate this weed of hatred he should with a greater facility plant the flower of love and therefore no wonder he doth ingeminate his discourse of the vileness of this sin 3. Those divine Scribes thought these repetitions very needfull for those to whom they wrote in regard of the dulness of their mindes and weakness of their memories and hardness of their hearts To write the same things to you saith the Apostle Paul to the Philippians for you it is safe to wit least at the first you should not rightly understand them or not remember them or not be sutably affected with them God speaketh once and twice saith Elihu and man perceiveth it not our memories are of weak retention and therefore need renewed incitation the heart of man is by the Prophet Ezekiel compared to an heart of stone and it is not one blow of the hammer will break it The words of the wise saith Solomon are as goads and nailes and truly we are so dull that these goads must be often thrust into our sides so obdurate that it is not one stroak will drive these nailes to the head Disciplinam praeceptorum inculcationibus densamus saith Tertullian appositely we thicken and so as it were we strengthen our instructions by inculcations which is no more then what the need of the people requireth The consideration hereof is that which should teach both the teachers and the people 1. Let it not be grievous to us Ministers to repeat and thereby inculcate our doctrines upon the Auditors If a Musâ—â—ian shall only strike one string it maketh no musick but it is â—itting for a Preacher to insist upon one and the same truth nor must we here stand upon our own credit when it comes in competition with the peoples profit If it were not grievous to that eminent Apostle Paul why should it be to any of us we are not only instructers but remembrancers So St Peter accounted himself where he saith I stir up your pure minds by way of remembrance and what is the office of a remembrancer but to repeat things formerly done or spoken that cannot be often enough taught which can never be well enough learned Nor yet do I hereby intend to patronize those illiterate or lazy ignorant or negligent Preachers who use iterations for want of premeditation and therefore say the same thing again because they know not what to say next far be it from me only I would mind my self and others how requisite it is we should sometimes upon some occasions reinforce by repetition some doctrines upon our hearers 2. Let it not be tedious to the Auditors to hear the same truths sometimes repeated by the Ministers we must not esteem it a dishonour nor should you account it a burden It is that indeed to which hearers are very prone aut nouum aut nihil some new thing or nothing is the cry of many if we come with a scitote something that they knew not before they listen but if with a mementote something formerly delivered they think their patience abused As they say of drinking wine the first is for necessity the second for pleasure the third for sleep so do Auditors with a little inversion account of a Sermon the first time they hear it with delight not the second except of necessity and if they meet with it the third time they fall asleep How sad is it that if we hear an excellent lesson on an instrument we call for it once and again nay decies repetita placebunt We are not easily weary of it and yet we care not to hear the songs of Zion rehearsed who ever complained of the renewed rising of the same Sun or loathed his daily bread why then are we so quickly cloyed in spirituals but especially repetitions most vex us when they are of reprehensions such as this is in my Text we love not to have our sores too often rubbed upon but tell me are you not willing that the Physitian should repeat his purging course though the potion be bitter for the health of your body and why so loath that we should repeat our reproofes for the health of your souls Divine and excellent to this purpose is that ratiocination of Seneca in his advice to Lucilius To them that say quousque eadem how long shall we hear the same admonitions Answer quousque eadem peccabitis how long will you commit the same faults Remedia ante vultis quam vitia desinere will you leave off the remedy before the disease is cured Ego vero eò magis dicam et quia recusatis perseveralo nay I will so much the rather reiterate and because you are troubled at it I will persevere in it The truth is whether you will hear or whether you will forbear whether it please or displease we must warn you of the same sins admonish of the same duties bespeak you with the same counsels again and again But it will be better for you if you are not only content but willing to hear the same instructions frequently urged Let it be true of vain pleasures commendat rarior usus That the less they are used the more they are commended far be such thoughts from us in reference to the sacred Oracles Those Gentiles when they had heard Paul besought him to preach 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the same words the next Sabbath day thus
see and know that hatred of the Brethren is a deadly sin and that whilst he continueth in it he goeth down to Hell how then is it said of him that he knoweth not whither he goeth To answer this briefly It is one thing to know that is to apprehend and another to know that is to consider a thing Indeed it is impossible but that such an one should know and yet as God saith of Israel in another case Israel doth not know my people doth not consider so may it be said of this person he doth not know that is he doth not consider whither he goeth to this purpose is Carthusians note Quantam damnationem meretur non pensat he doth not lay to heart what damnation he deserveth what a danger he encurreth His judgment dictateth to him in Thesi in generall that hatred is a sin and leadeth to Hell but when it is to passe sentence in Hypothesi in particular it either denieth the action which is done against his Brother to proceed from hatred or that though it be a sin yet it shall not prove deadly to him because he is in Christ already or because he intends to repent of it before he dyeth or else his judgement not at all taking notice of the obliquity of the work and misory of the wages dictateth what the will is about to do as expedient for the present satisfaction of that which it intendeth Sutable hereunto is that note of Estius upon my Text That no sin is committed but through a praevious errour of the practicall judgment about that particular Object which the will chooseth therefore doth the malicious yea every wicked man commit and persist in his sin because he noth dot weigh his actions in the ballance of right reason nor duely ponder either what he doth or whither he tendeth I cannot let this go without this usefull inference sinners consider seriously what you do and think sadly whither you go whilst you go on in your sins Respice finem look to the end is a lesson which whosoever learneth not will in the end prove a foole No better way to deale by this Serpent sin then as God commanded Moses in another case to take it by the taile The verb beginning of repentance is at St Peters Question 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 what is the end of a wicked course But further This phrase not knowing whither he goeth sets forth the miserable estate of this sinner Collaterally and by way of Allusion For 1. He that knoweth not whither he goeth is in an unquiet restless state full of fears and cares and his mind is never at quiet a fit embleme of a wicked man whose name in Hebrew 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifieth one that is unquiet and whom the Prophet compareth to the troubled Sea And especially is this true of the malicious hater who alwaies carrieth about him that which tortureth him Indeed what is envy and hatred to the soul but to use St Bafils comparison as the fretting rust to the iron and the consuming moath to the garment Nay to borrow Socrates his resemblance what is it but as a Saw continually cutting or to allude to that of our Saviour a worme still gnawing In one word to speak in the Poets language Vt Aetna seipsum Sic se non alios invidus igne coquit like to the mountain of Aetna the envious man hath a â—re alwaies burning within his breast and so is never at ease Upon this account it is that Gregory Nazianzen saith of this sin that it is both 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 most unjust to him that is hated and most just to him that hateth in that disquietment with which it perplexeth him 2. He that knoweth not whither he goeth is usually deceived in his opinion when he thinketh he is walking Eastward he walkest Westward and whilst he imagineth himself going forward he is going backward Thus he that saith he is in the light and hateth his Brother is deceived for whereas he supposeth himself in the way to Heaven he is posting on to Hell and truly in this respect he is so much the more miserable because he bringeth himself into a fools Paradise and dreameth that he shall be happy 3. Lastly He that knoweth not whither he goeth cannot see to avoid and so ofttimes sodainly falleth into bogs pits waters by which he is destroyed and perisheth Such is the case of wicked especially malicious men they bring upon thewselves swift and sodaine destruction and which is very considerable whilst they plot the ruine of others they accelerate their own and the very mischief which they designe for their brethren falls upon their own heads and now putting all this together tell me if he whose troubles are so distracting hopes deceaving and dangers destroying be not a miserable man 2. The proposition is dispatched He knoweth not whither he goeth The proofe felloweth Because the darkness hath blinded his eyes and now our Apostle carryeth on the Allegory to the outmost therefore He that is in darkness and walketh in it cannot know whither he goeth because he cannot see his way and therefore he cannot see his way because by reason of the darkness his eyes are blinded For the better opening of this clause I shall very briesly consider these particulars The part affected his eyes The disease blinded The cause darkness 1. His eyes that is the part affected by which no doubt is to be understood the understanding The eye in its proper notion is a part of the body but Metaphorically the soul hath its eyes as well as the body It is Olympiodorus his note The members of the outward man are aequivocally attributed to the inward As the excellencies of the greater world are after an higher manner in the less so the parts of the body are after a more noble way in the soul what the feet are in the one the affections are in the other what the stomach is in that the memory is in this what the heart is in the one the will is in the other Finally what the eye is in that the understanding is in this We need no better Expositor then St Paul who unfolds the meaning of this Metaphor when he saith The eyes of the understanding If you inquire after the Analogies they are both apt and obvious which I shall only mention The eye is situate in the upper part of the body the head and in the upper part of the head so is the understanding a faculty of the superiour soul the rationall and the superiour faculty in the rntionall soul The eye is the chiecest of the senses and the understanding is the choieest among the faculties without which the will would be but a brutish appetite The use of the eye is to see things visible 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 say the Greek Etymologists is quasi 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the chamber of
vision The understanding is that whereby we know and apprehend things intelligible it is as it were the souls window whereby it receiveth the light of knowledg 5. Finally The office of the eye is to guide the motion of the body to direct our hands in working and our feet in walking such is the office of the understanding to order the will and affections in their inclinations and aversations to teach us what to choose and what to refuse what to love and what to hate you see how fitly the understanding of the mind is compared to the eyes of the body 5. The Disease of this part here specified is blindness the worst evill that can befall the eye as rendring it altogether useless and the state of the person dangerous a dimme eye may do some service by preventing many fals but a blinde eye exposeth to continuall hazards well faith our blessed Saviour if the light meaning the eye that is in thee be darkness how great is that darkness Yet this is the state of every wicked malicious man especially his eyes are blinded his understanding darkned he knoweth nothing as he ought to know indeed his left eye is quick sighted but his right eye is starke blinde he is wise to do evill but to do good he hath no knowledg Quantum mortalia pectora caecae Noctis habent saith the Poet how darke a night of ignorance overshadoweth the minds of mortals It is not seldome that this name of foole is given in Scripture to an evill man and not without cause since he is altogether destitute of right reason the Prodigall repenting is said to come to himself whereby is intimated that whilst wandering he was besides himself thus is the sinner a foole a mad man a blinde man ignorant of the things which concern his everlasting peace And surely if blindness of the bodily eye be sad this of the spirituall is far more dolefull our bodily eye is common to us with beasts our intellectuall that where by we partake with Angels and by how much the eye of the minde is better then that of the body by so much the blindness of this is worse The bodies eye may be better spared then the souls yea the want of corporall sight may be a meanes of spirituall good but the want of spirituall sight can be no way helpfull but altogether hurtfull yea which is so much the more sad whereas the bodily blinde feeleth and acknowledgeth his want of light the spiritually blinde man thinketh that none hath clearer eyes then himself This Christ saith of the Laodicean Angell he knew not that he was blinde and this sinner in the Text saith he is in the light suam ignorans ignorantiam not knowing his want of knowledg oh learne we to be sensible of and affected with the misery of this condition to have our eyes blinded But lastly The cause of this pernicious disease would be searched into which we shall finde to arise principally from our selves it is true St Paul saith the God of this world who is the Prince of darkness blinds mens eyes but chiefly it is the darkness of wickedness within us that bringeth this evill upon us Wickedness saith the Wiseman doth alter the understanding and the bewitching of naughtiness doth obscure things that are honest to which agreeth that of St Chrysostome Sin doth so blinde the senses of the sinners that seeing not the waies of falshood they thrust themselves headlong therein The truth is as the Serpent first wrought upon the Woman and by her upon the Man so wickedness first worketh upon the affections and by that upon the understanding nor is it any wonder that when those are perverted this is blinded Who can see any thing in a troubled muddy water No more can the understanding discern aright when the affections are stirred and mudded what mists foggs are to the aire darkning it corrupt unruly passions are to the mind blinding it It were easie to instance in the severall sorts of those which the Schooles call deadly sins how raysing a commotion in the affections they obnubilate the judgment Olcot upon this account compareth the luxurious man to blind Sampson the gluttonous man to him that was born blind the sloathfull man to blind Tobias the covetous to the blind Beggars the angry to blinde Lamech the envious to blind Ely and the proud man to Senecaes blind servant who would not believe that shee was blind but the house darke certain it is all of these seating themselves in some one or other of our passions do not only reign in our mortall bodies but domineere in our immortall souls misleading its most noble faculty the judgment Oh what a slave is the minde of a covetuous luxurious malicious man to his affections it must think and plot and dictate and judge according as they please well might our Apostle say of him that hateth his Brother the darknesse blindeth his eyes Nor would it be passed by how the bad effect of this spirituall darkness exceeds that of naturall in this respect for whereas the eye of a man may be as good as strong as clear in the darke as in the light only the darkness hinders the exercise of the sight the malicious man by reason of his darkness hath the very sight of his understanding vitiated indeed whereas in naturals the sight is not blinded but the medium is darkned in spirituals the Medium which is Gods word is not at all darkned but the Organ is blinded whilst the depravation of the passion is the depravation of the understanding As therefore we desire to have our minds savingly enlightned endeavour we to have our lusts truly mortified if we would have our judgments even and upright let us not suffer them to be byased by any passion To end all What should this discription of a wicked malicious sinners misery but serve as a disswasive from this iniquity Let no violence be found in our hands nor hatred in our hearts especially considering that we say we are in the light 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 saith one of the Ancients it is unbeseeming those who sing the songs of Zion to barke in rage who are Gods Servants to be slaves to envious lusts I cannot expostulate better then in the words of St Cyprian Si homo lucis esse capisti quid in zeli tenebras ruis if thou art a Childe of light cast off as all so especially this work of darkeness walk no longer in this way of darkness in which if thou persist what ever thy deceitfull heart may prompt thee it will inevitably lead thee to utter darknss from which good Lord deliver us Amen THE FIRST EPISTLE OF St JOHN CHAP. 2. 12 13 14. VERS I write unto you little Children because your sins are forgiven you for his name sake I write unto you Fathers because ye have known him that is from the beginning I write unto you young Men because
sufficiently but abundantly and Sâ— Chrysostomes exhortation upon those words is very generall 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Hear all you that are employed in the things of this life get Bibles at least the New Testament nor are we to think that the Fathers zeal transported him so far as to press that as a duty which yet was not consonant to reason or to put the people upon doing what the Church forbad them Both these to wit the reading of the Scriptures to and by all sorts and ages of Christians being clear it will be needless to insist upon the necessity of translating them into the languages of several Countries since otherwise the reading of them to the unlearned would be in vain and by them impossible Indeed when the Church was confined to the nation of the Jewes in whose language the Old Testament was written there was no need of translating it but since the Christian Church spread over all the world there have been various translations of particular parcels yea the whole Bible into several languages that those writings which belong to may be in some measure understood by all Indeed when we seriously weigh those several metaphors to which the Word is compared especially those of a light and food and a sword we may easily discern of how necessary use it is for all Christians David cals it a lanthorn to his feet and a light to his paths and surely then there is no traveller to that celestial Canaan but hath need of this light to direct him in his journey and discover to him his way What food is to the body that is the Word to the soul yea it is such as affoards both meat for men and milk for babes according to Sâ— Pauls distinction Est in illis saith Saint Austin of these writings quod perfectus câ—medat est etiam quod parvulus sugat there is in them what the perfect Christian may eat and what the weakling may suck No wonder if that diviâ—e Poet saith of the Holy Scripture Nullis animis nullis non congruit annis it befits all minds and years Finally Sâ— Paul reckoning up the pieces of our spiritual armour calleth the Word of God the sword of the Spirit and of all weapons none more common then the sword no warriour from the Generall to the meanest Officer nay common Souldier goeth without his sword and since all of all ages are engaged to the Christian warfare there is great reason why this spiritual sword should be affoarded to them By what hath been said the practice of the Church of Rome in withholding the free use of the Scriptures from the common people appeareth very unjust and impious Look as it is Tyranny in the Commonwealth to use Chamier's comparison which causeth jealous Rulers to deprive the people of their Armor so is it superstition in the Church which denyeth ordinary Christians the reading of the Word which is their best piece of Armour Indeed what do they by this meanes but render the Bible useless whilest it is a fountain sealed or a Treasury locked up whence no benefâ—t can be expected The only plausible argument which the Papists urge in defence of this practice is that abuse which ignorant and prophane persons are apt to make of the Scriptures for the patronizing both of errours and vices whereby it is that they wrest them to their own perdition That thus it too often falls out is not to be denyed but that therefore the free use of the Scriptures is to be interdicted cannot be granted When Sâ— Peter tels us that unlearned and unstable souls did wrest many things in St Pauls Epistles and other Scriptures to their own perdition he plainly intimateth that there was then given a liberty to the unlearned of reading the Scriptures else how could they have wrested them nor doth he from the wresting infer a prohibition of reading but only an advice to those to whom he writes that they were not led away with the errour of the wicked To clear this further you may please to know that 1. This perverting is only an accidentall consequent not a necessary or naturall effect of reading the Scriptures St Paul saith expresly The whole Scripture is profitable for Doctrine for Reproofe for Correction and for instruction in righteousness for these ends it is intended by God to these it tends in its own nature and if any contrary use be made of these Books it is an eveut but not an effect and they only a occasion but no cause 2. That the accidentall evill of what is in it self good and by its proper efficacy produceth a good greater or as great as the evill is no just ground for the denegation of the good True it is evill must not be done that good may come of it but it is as true that good must not be left undone though evill come of it The practice of that King was no way commendable who cut down all the Vines in his country because some men were drunk with the wine It would be a mad edict which should forbid men their meat and drink because many surfeit through excess Hezechiahs destroying the brasen Serpent because some men idolized it had not been justified if there had been the like benefit by and use of it in his as in Moses his time It is an excellent rule of Tertullian Multum differt inter causam culpam statum excessum non institutio bonae rei sed exorbitatio reprobanda est to give you the sence of it in short English The evill abuse of a good thing is no sufficient cause for the totall dis-use especially where the use counter vaileth the abuse That so it is in this present case is evident the good which men generally reap by reading the Scriptures being far greater then the evill which some men occasionally draw from it If then this sword which is put into the hand of any Christiah for his defence against his spirituall adversaries be by some mad men turned upon their own and others breasts the guilt must lye upon the wicked abuser of this sacred weapon nor must the rest of Christs Souldiers be debarred of it Indeed This liberty which I have now pleaded for must be both given and taken with a restriction by putting a difference between the reading and interpreting of Scriptures every one may read the Bible and every one must labour to understand what they read but every one may not ought not to undertake the expounding of it none may be wise above what is written nor must weak novices think themselves so wise as to interpret what is written little Children and young Men must ask the Fathers private Christians must enquire of the Pastours and Doctors of the Church whom God hath appointed in a peculiar manner for that end Just therefore is that complaint which St Hierome made of his times and I would to God it did not fit this present
industriously seek after Of all the trees of the garden none more desirable then that of knowledge such is its magicall sweetness that we cannot but fall in love with it What made the Queen of Sheba come from far to hear the wisdome of Solomon but that she might gain knowledge Indeed what light is to the eye that is knowledge to the mind not only delightfull but necessary for as the eye cannot see without light so neither can the minde judge and discerne of things without knowledge Knowledg at large is very amiable but especially in reference to this Object in comparison of which all other knowledge is nothing worth I may here very well allude to that of the Wise man Many Daughters have done vertuously but thou surmountest them all There are severall kindes of knowledge and all of them delectable but this transcendeth them all No Logick like to the knowledge of him who is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the divine reason The science of the stars is pleasing but far short of the knowledg of this star of Jacob the Sun of Righteousness the skill of Lapidaryes is choice but the knowledge of this pearl of great price is far above it Finally To know antiquities is vety desireable but much more to know him that is from the begining Let then no knowledge content us without this and let us seek after this though we want other knowledg Indeed it is the excellency of this knowledg that whereas Ex quovis ligno no fit Mercurius every man is not fit to make a Schollar nor are some braines capable of all Arts and Sciences this knowledge is that to which every man may and ought attain in some measure and therefore wisdome inviteth the simple to turn into her Schoole Indeed which is though a riddle yet truth it is ofttimes seen that mean vulgar ignorant persons are better versed in the experimentall saving knowledge of Christ then great Rabbies and Learned Doctors Let then none despaire but all indeavour after this knowledge and whilest some are for the earthy knowledge of secular affairs others for the watry knowledge of humane Arts and others content themselves with an Airy speculation of divine things let us laboure for a fiery knowledg of Christ which may not only enlighten our mindes but warme our affections so as to make him who is from the begining the end of all our desires indeavours the whole and sole Object of our trust and love and service 2. By this time you have seen somewhat of the goodness of this Character proceed we now to consider the fitness of it and that in a double reference to the Subjects and the Objects of our Apostles writeing 1. To the persons to whom he writeth namely Fathers old Men. It is that which I shall here once for all take notice of that the Characters here specified are such as belong to Christians of all Ages Fathers as well as young Men must be strong and overcome the wicked one young Men as well as Fathers must know him that is from the begining Fathers and young Men as well as little Children must know the Father but yet withall there is a peculiar apitude in each of the Characters to the severall ages he mentioneth This is eminently observable in this which is here given to the Fathers For 1. Senibuâ— competit notitia the act of knowing here specified is such as in a speciall manner belongs to old Men with the ancient is wisdome and in length of daies understanding so Eliphas in which respect the ancient and the prudent are joyned together Tum denique animus scientiâ floret cum corpus temporis longinquitate marcessit saith Damascen in his parallels old Men have oâ—t-times flourishing mindes in withering bodies and to use the Phylosophers phrase the eye of their soul is quick sighted when their corporall eyes are dull for this reason it is that as Quintilian observeth Militem eligimus juvenem imperatorem senem a Souldier should be young but a Generall old and that City is said to be happy where there are consilia senum and hastae juveâ—um old Counsellers and young Warriours Knowledge though not alwaies yet for the most parâ— goeth on three legs and seeth with four eyes and it was a true saying of a Learned Divine A few gray hairs will do more worke then many young loakes and surely then St John could not give a fitter commendation of these Fathers then that they were endued Non vulgari prudentiâ with divine knowledge 2. Praecipuâ—m est aetate provectiori antiquiora nosse old Men are versed in the knowledge of ancient things and therefore it â—s they love to discourse of things done long-agoe and beyond the cognisance of those who are younger then themselves this then must needs highly commend these Fathers that their knowledge looked as farre as the begining Namely to him who is from the begining or if with some you will referre the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from the beginning to the Act that their knowledge of him was not of Yesterday but from the begining of their life they had been trained up in the knowledge of â—hrist And now I would to God there were no cause of turning this commendation into condemnation I said daies should speake and multitudes of yeares teach wisdome said Elihu of Jobs friends Indeed so it should be but how seldome is it so whilest many who have multitude of years instead of speaking and teaching have need to hear and learne divine wisdome 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he that is a Childe of understanding little differeth from a Childe in years saith Basil the great and alas how many Fathers are in that sense Children Turpis ridicula res est senex elementaris how ridiculous a sight is an old Man going to Schoole and yet how many old Men have need to learne the A. B. C. of Christianity How fitly may I apply to such that rebuke of the Author to the Hebrews For the time they have had they might have been teachers and yet they need to be taught the rudiments of Religion It was the complaint of St Bernard concerning many old Men in his time I wish it were not too sutable to ours Caput canum cor cavum facies rugosa linguâ— nâ—gosa notwithstanding their gray heads and wrinckle faces they have frothy tongues and empty hearts Oh how many are there who do senescere and yet both se Christum nescire are Ignoramuses knowing neither Christ nor themselves perhaps indeed they have attained some dexterous knowledge in the things of this life they are well skild to get and keep their gold heap up wealth but alas they have not yet learned what treasures of grace and wisdome are in Christ For one man that liveth to be old how many dye young and for one old Man that knoweth Christ savingly how many are altogether unacquainted with him Indeed if you
commendation of these Children that they know the Father To winde up this 1. It is that which should be in the first place an item to Parents that they be carefull to traine up their Children in the knowledge of the Father Oh Parents you are industrious to provide wealth and riches for your Children but why are you not more solicitous to obtain grace and knowledge for them You take a great deale of care to enrich their bodies but why so little for the adorning of their souls what is this but to use Plutarchs comparison as if one should be very curious about the shooe and neglect the foote or exact id triming the glove whilst the hand is foule perhaps you endeavour that your Children may attaine some kinde of knowledge to wit in the tongues or arts and sciences in a trade and calling and herein you do well learning being a far better portion then riches without which the wealthiest heire is but an Ass laden with gold but oh Parents why stay you here there is one thing more needfull then either of the other and that is the knowledge of the Father what difference is there between a Pagan and a Christian Parent if your only care be to acquaint Children with secular affairs or educate them in Philosophicall studies oh let it not suffice that your Children are instructed in humane whilst they are ignorant of divine learning Tell me I beseech you is it not a sad thing and yet I would to God it were not too common that little Children through your negligent education should swear so soon as they ean speak and learn to blaspheme that God whom yet they have not been taught to know such Parents saith Sâ— Chrysostome are worse then Homicides nay then Parricides for these take away only the bodily life of their Parents but those do what in them lyeth to cast the souls and bodies of their Children into Hell and whilst by generation they were the instruments of their temporall life through neglect of good education they become at least the occasion of their eternall death It is a dolefull story which is reported by Gregory the great to this purpose of a Childe of five years old which being carelesly or rather wickedly brought up was given to blaspheming Gods holy name and being a little after smitten with death the poore Childe cryeth to the Father Help help the Moors are come to take me away and so blaspheming God it died no doubt to the horrour and perplexity of the wicked Father It is a sad thing when Children in their old age shall have cause to complaine that their Parents had no care to bring them up in learning but is it not far more sad that Children in Hell shall cry out against their Parents because they had no regard to instruct them in the knowledg of God Let then all Parents be admonished of this necessary duty which they owe to their Children Children are sometimes called pignora pledges so they are of Gods love to us in bestowing them on us so they ought to be of our love to God in consecrating them to him They are compared to Arrows as they are at first directed so afterwards they flyâ— Oh let it be your endeavour that they may be directed upwards towards Heaven by divine knowledg It much conduced to Alexanders prowess and victory in his wars that his Father Philip caused him to be brought up as it is were from his radle in Military discipline Oh let it be the prudent piety of all Parents to teach their Children betimes the knowledge of the Christian warfare and to that end to begin with the knowledg of the Father 2. But secondly Let me turn my counsell from the Parents to the Children whom I cannot better bespeake then in Davids words Come ye Children hearken unto me and I will teach you the knowledg and fear of the Lord. You know your earthly Parents I but labour to know your Heavenly you know the Fathers of your Flesh ey but strive to know the Father of your Spirits you are expert it may be in Homers Odes Virgils Eclâ—gs Cicero's Orations oh but strive to get understanding in Davids Psalms Solomons Proverbs and the other plaine Books of holy writ Manna was to be gathered in the morning the Orient pearl is generated of the morning dew Aurora musis amica the morning is a friend to the muses Oh remember thy Creator know him in the morning of thy Childehood When God had created the Heavens and the Earth the first thing he did was to adorne the world with light and seperate it from the darkness happy is that Childe on whom the light of saving knowledg begins to dawn early God in the Law required the first born and the first fruits so he doth still our first daies to be offered up to him They are Wisdomes own words They that seek me early shall finde me Where a Rabbin observeth a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is added to the Verb more then usuall which in numbring goeth for fifty with this note that early seeking hath not only twenty or thirty but fifty nay indeed an hundred sold recompence attending on it He that is long before he seeketh God I will not say he shall not at all but it may be long ere he finde him oh begin early whilst yet you are Children to seek the knowledge of God The better to enduâ—e you hereunto consider my good Children 1. You were in your very Infancy almost as soon as born dedicated to the Father being baptized in the name of the blessed Trinity Father Son and holy Ghost and will you not now that you begin to have the use of your understanding endeavour to know the Father you are already his sworne servants and souldiers will you be ignorant of him to whom you are sworne 2. If you do not now begin to know the Father you will be less docible hereafter alas how hard is it to instill knowledg into old years Can it be imagined that that tree which doth not bud nor blossome in the spring should bring forth fruit in Autumn or should flourish in Winter Now in your Childhood your wits are fresh your apprehension quick oh imploy them in studying and gaining the divine knowledg so much the rather because hereby you shall put to shame those ignorant old ones who have lived long and yet with the Ninivites know not the right hand from the left 3. Your Parents may prove unnaturall and forsake you however they are mortall and when death comes must leave you but your Father in Heaven liveth for ever and if you know and serve him he will love you and take care for you he will never leave you nor forsake you The Hen is not more tender of her Chickens nor the Sheapheard of his Lambes then this universall Father as Clemens Alexandrinus cals him is of his little ones towardly and hopefull Children You may
humane before divine and in divine speculative before practicall knowledg it is justly blameable They who are diligent searchers into natures secrets undervaluing the mysteries of Religion They who content themselves with the knowledge of Creatures but are not by that led to know the Creator They who are desirous rather to breake their teeth against the bones of difficulty then feed their souls with necessary truths who are inquisitive after the manner of the â—reatures groaning but little desirous of experiencing those groanes of the spirit in their own hearts which cannot be uttered who are more solicitous where the soul of Lazarus was whilest his body lay in the Grave then where their own souls shall be when their bodies must dwell in the dust when and where the last judgement shall be then how they shall appear in that day with boldness are most deservedly charged with curiosity Indeed as Eagles when they rest and Lions when they walke pull in the one his tallons the other his claws to keep them sharpe against such time as they meet with a prey so it would be our wisdome to reserve our wits and studies for things of most weight and not busie them in matters of less concernement 4. Lastly When we desire to know what is without our spheare and above our reach For illiterate Mechanicks to busie themselves in expounding the darke places of Scripture in fathoming the depth of Theologicall Controversies For the most learned Doctors to be wise above what is written to endeavour to make windows in Gods Closet and unclaspe his secret Books and so seek after the knowledg of what God hath concealed it is no other then a lust of curiosity And therefore St Austins counsell is very prudent Compescenda est humana Temeritas id quod non est non quaerat ne quod est non inveniat we must bridle our temerity and check our curiosity least whilest we pursue what is not revealed we finde not that which is Take we heed of soaring too high least we be scorched and wading too deep least we be drowned there are some things we may Nescire sine crimine not know without blame which we cannot Scire sine discrimine know without danger and in respect of these a learned ignorance is to be preferred before an ignorant learning 2. There is a lust of the eyes after sensitive knowledg and thus we may extend it to all the senses curiosity studying to please them all in their severall waies and so the eyes being the most noble sense the lust of the eyes may Synecdochically comprehend the rest We read concerning the sinners in Sion that they did lye upon beds or Bedsteds of Ivory by which their eyes were delighted stretch themselves upon their Couches for the pleasing of their touch eate the Lambes out of the flocks and the Calves out of the midst of the stall and drinke wine in bowles to the satiating of their taste chant to the sound of the Viall and invent to themselves instruments of Musick for the ravishing of their Eares and annoint themselves with the chief Oyntment that their smell might have its sweet savour so curious are sensuall men in giving content to all their senses But seeing according to this notion the lust of the eyes will in some sort comprehend the lust of the flesh I conceive it will be better confined to that particular sense and so denoteth a curiosity of seeing In reference to this notion it is that this lust of the eyes is phrased Nugacitas spectaculorum the vanity of seeing showes the affection of delectable sights This seemeth to have been the curiosity of Eve in looking on the forbidden fruit of Lots wife in looking back on flaming Sodom and of Dinah in going forth to see the Daughters in the Land Not that all desire of seeing rare and pleasant Objects whither of nature or art is unlawfull but when our desire and consequently our delight is too passionate even to admiration and that joyned with forgetfullness of the great Artificer when it is not carried ad aliquid utile imò ad aliquid noxium as the Schooles determine it to such sights as may occasion good yea rather inâ—ite to evill in any kinde it is no other then a lust of the eyes upon which account Seneca said truly Nothing proveâ—h more prejudiall to good manners then vain and foolish sights by which vices steale into the minde As an Appendix to this is that curiosity of trying to see being as much sometimes as to make tryall whereby men will needlesly put themselves or others upon such experiments as may probably prove prejudiciall in any kinde which is no less then a tempting of God to this the Devill tempted our Saviour when he bad him cast himself down from the pinacle which is referred by St Austin as hath been already observed to this head the lust of the eyes 2. But the other branch of the Interpretation seemeth to me most probable and therefore upon that I shall insist which by the lust of the eyes understandeth covetousness that is The inordinate desire of gold silver goods lands houses and all possessions which denominate men rich in this world And now for the better discovery of this it will be needfull to resolve two Queries Why this lust is called the lust of the eyes When our desires of these things becometh the lust of the eyes 1. It may not be unfitly inquired why our Apostle calleth covetousness the lust of the eyes To which a double answer may be returned because the eyes are both the inlets and the outlets of this lust by the eyes as a doore this lust gets into and by the eyes as a window it looketh out of the soul That expression of Solomon Whatsoever mine eyes desired I kept not from them may at first sight seem strange the heart being the seat of desire and yet it will appear very rationall if we consider that the eye is the instrument of desire by which it is first excited and then cherished 1. This lust enters in at the eyes It is that indeed which is true of other desires as well as this The â—â—e is the souls burning glass in which the beames of visible Objects being as it were contracted the fire of lust in several kindes is kindled in the soul in which respect the eyes are well called by Seneca Irritamenta malorum ducesque scelerum The ringleaders of evill and incentives to wickedness When the Wiseman forbids To looke upon the wine when it is red when it giveth its colour in the cup He thereby intimateth saith Cassiodorus that not only dulcedo but pulchritudo its sweetness to the taste but pleasantness to the eye is apt to allure to excess This Job was aware of in regard of the lust of uncleanness and therefore he saith I made a Covenant with my eyes that I might not looke upon a maide And yet more particularly
men deceive themselves Indeed the false Mother of the Childe would have it parted between them but the true Mother would have all or none The world is content to have a corner in thy heart but God will have thy whole heart The Arke and Dagon cannot stand together in one Temple and therefore when the Arke is brought in Dagon falls down no more can God and the world in one soule and therefore if we will set up God in the throne the world must be cast down nay out The Spouse in the Canticles is said to wound Christ with one eye Quia alterum non habebat because she had no other Christ calls upon us in the Gospell to cut off one foot one hand and to pluck out one eye the heart in all languages is a Monasyllable unum uni the one heart must be dedicated to the one God In the meat offering God required all the Frankincense and in the sacrifices all the fat to teach us that the intention of our minde and affection of our heart must be wholly carryed towards God Among the Pythagoreans the Duall number was infamous sure I am the double minded man is odious to God so odious that he threatneth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to cut him asunder a punishment very sutable to his fault like that which the King of the Albines inflicted on the King of the Romans when he caused him to be tied to two horses who by drawing contrary waies tore his body in two pieces 3. Lastly How just and necessary it is to cast the love of the world out of the hearts in order to the entertaining of the love of the Father Indeed as St Gregory and Leo have both well observed The reasonable soul cannot be all together without delight and void of love Aut infimis delectatur aut summis so the one Aut Dei amator est aut mundi so the other Our delight must either ascend or descend our love must either be set upon God or the world How impossible it is for these two to dwell together you have already heard so that either we must hate the one or love the other or hold to the one and despise the other as our Saviour tells us And now as Eliah said to the Israelites If the Lord be God follow him but if Baal be God follow him so let me beseech you If the Lord be God love him if the world love it If the world have as much excellency in it as God hath if the world have as much right to you as God hath if the world can do as much for you as God can and will then love it But alas whatever good is in the world is but a ray of that Sun a drop of that Fountaine derived from and infinitely inferiour to the goodness of God in which respect saith St Austin excellently Pulcher est mundus sed pulchrior à quo factus est mundus The world is beautifull surely then he that made it so is farre more beautifull Besides The world was made for us and therefore only to be used whereas God is our Creator Master Father and therefore to be feared and honoured and loved Methinketh the Father saith to us concerning the world as Saul to his Servants concerning David Will the Son of Jesse give every one of you fields and vineyards will or can the world do that for you which I will do give you grace and glory felicity and immortality Nay let me adde a word more The world would infect and infest us instead of doing us good bring us into temptations and snares and tell me then whither the Father be not to be preferred in our estimation and affection before the world Infine that God should have our love we cannot but acknowledge most reasonable and therefore what remaineth but that every one of us take up firme resolutions of rejecting the world love both we cannot one we will God we ought and to that end we must leave the world that we may cleave to God No doubt the world is and will be a very earnest and importunate suiter to us for our love and too often she so far prevaileth that we consent but remember I beseech you our Father forbids the banes and shall we match against our Fathers consent nay let me tell you if we marry the world the Father will disclaime and disown us as none of his Children and therefore if we call on the Father let us renounce the world Believe it an ill match is better broken then carried on and so much the rather because whatever promise we make to the world it is a breach of the first vow we made to God in our Baptism and therefore to be disannulled as inconsistent with our former obligation To end all I cannot better press this then in St Austins language who calls these words Verba extirpantia words of extirpation if you finde a weed you grub it up that you may sow good corn so must we pluck up worldly that we plant Heavenly love Vas es saith that Father si plenum effunde quod habes effunde amorem saeculi ut implearis amore Dei Thy soul is a vessell if it be full as indeed whose is not empty it poure out the love of the world that thou maist be filled with the love of God which otherwise is impossible For if any man love the world the love of the Father is not in him THE FIRST EPISTLE OF St JOHN CHAP. 2. VERS 16 17. For all that is in the world the lust of the flesh the lust of the eyes and the pride of life is not of the Father but is of the world And the world passeth away and the lust thereof but he that doth the will of God abideth forever A Naked command from God is a sufficient ground of obedience from man no doubt St Paul so accounted it and therefore exhorting the Thessalonians to abstaine from fornication useth this as a strong inducement for this is the will of God The truth is obedience is most ingenious when least discreet it being very reasonable that we should obey God without asking a reason of his Precept It was the praise of Caesars Souldiers Quod imperium potius quam consilium sequebantur that they executed their Generalls injunctions without inquiring into his consultations It is the Character of a good Christian to believe because God asserteth and obey because he requireth But see the condescention of our mercifull God who is pleased not only to command by his authority but teach by his grace so St Paul saith The grace of God teacheth us to deny worldly lusts not only to require but to intreat so St Peter Dearly beloved I beseech you abstain from fleshly lusts Finally Not only to prescribe but perswade and therefore as he enjoyneth a duty so he adjoyneth a Motive and that drawn from the necessity equity and utility of observing the
the most part end in a shamefull sadness those in a gladsome success God many times is pleased to blast the hopes cross the desires and evacuate the hopes and endeavours of wicked men in their sinfull waies according to that threat in the Psalmes The desire of the wicked shall perish Hence it is that their desires create a great deale of sorrow and perplexity to them and who would give way to such lusts which prove so often suecessless and being disappointed end in grief and impatiency 2. They pass away that is being fulfilled they are soon glutted in this sense worldly men like Children are soon weary when they have what they desire It is an excellent saying of St Austine Laetitia seculi cum magnâ expectatione speratur ut veniat praeterit cum venerit men are big with hopes of a great deale of content and joy in the accomplishment of their desires and alas delight is no sooner come but it is gone and to the same purpose Seneca saith of worldly pleasures Fluit transit paenè antequam veniat aufertur it is of a Fluid transient nature and is taken away almost as soon as enjoyed The truth is many times whilst the things themselves stay with us our lust to love of and delight in them ceaseth in which respect the world may fitly be compared to the grass and our lust to the flower of the grass for as the flower fadeth away before the grass so our lust passeth away whilst yet the worldly Object continueth yea ofttimes our longing is turned into loathing and our love into hatred witness the story of Amnon and Thamar That observation of St Gregory is very apt to this purpose concerning the difference between corporall and spirituall delights these Cum non habentur in fastidio cum habentur in desiderio whilst we want them they are loathed when we have them they are loved but those Cum non habentur in desiderio cum habentur in fastidio whilst we want them are desired when we have them they are loathed Hence it is that as weake stomachs must have choice of diet so worldly desires call for change of Objects Why did Solomon study such variety of pleasures but because they soon satiate and the wanton appetite is still calling for a new Object Nothing more easie then to surfeit of earthly enjoyments and for those things which being absent were our earnest desire by their continued presence to become an heavy burden Oh let us learn to abhorre these lusts which will of themselves at last end in abhorring 2. Once more Whatever enjoyment we may have of or contentments in these lusts whilst we live they shall all cease when we dye When death cometh the covetous man shall graspe no more wealth the ambitious shall gape no more after honour nor the luxurious neigh after his Dalilah As there is no wisedome nor counsell so there is no desire or delight in the Grave whither we are going These lusts will leave thee when thou dyest how much better is it for thee to leave them whilst thou livest 3. There remaineth yet one branch more of the position and that is though not exprest yet implyed concerning the worldly lover himself For in the other clause the person who doth Gods will is said to abide for ever and so by way of analogie this passing away must be understood not only of the things and the lust but the person who lusts after these things Indeed we are all in this world as in a ship not only the ship it selfe moves but the passengers are carried away in it yea which is the Riddle The Passengers go faster then the ship since even whilst the world continues the inhabitants pass away Paulinus desired St Austin to write somewhat de statu humanae vitae of the state of humane life he presently corrects him telling him he should have said de cursu humanae â—itae of the course of humane life our life being a swift race to the Goale of death And well were it if we would still joyne in our meditations our own and the worlds passing away together If these things do not leave us yet we must leave them and as Esau said I dye and what good will my birthright do me so let us often thinke I must be gone and what good will my honours riches pleasures do me It is the Question and Answer of St James What is your life it is even a vapour which appeareth for a little while and then vanisheth away some Expositors observe an emphasis in the your you that are so much in love with this life and the things of it how brittle fraile and transitory are they and it Nor yet is this all that is here implyed since not only that which is common to worldlings with other men is here asserted to wit the passing away by death but such a passing away as is peculiar to him in opposition to the happy estate of them that love God and then the meaning is this he passeth away not only by a first but a second death he loseth this life so as never to enjoy another he so passeth away as to perish not by annihilation but by condemnation he passeth from the worlds joyes to Hells torments Oh the dismall change which a worldling maketh when he dyeth all his good things are taken from him and horrour anxiety despaire and everlasting misery seize upon him So true is that of an Ancient Amor mundi non solum peritorius sed peremptorius Worldly love is not only vain but deadly killing not only the body but soul of the sinner to all eternity To bring this home in a brief Applecation 1. Oh that every one of us would be convinced of the worlds instability Indeed in this as well as in many others the world is a juggler that though it be so inconstant yet it promiseth continuance Fully to this purpose St Gregory The vaine joyes of this present life Quasi manendo blandiuntur sed amatores suos citò transeundo decipiunt flatter us as if they would stay with us and on a sodain by passing away they cheat us Looke as the Sun Moon and Stars to borrow that similitude of Philo the Jew though they move with a most swift and rapid motion seem to the vulgar eye to stand still at least move slowly so do these sublunary things in a worldlings eye That rich man in the Gospell who said to himself Soul thou hast much goods laid up for many years take thine ease eate drinke and be merry is called a fool for so saying a foole he was in many respects in that he thought his soul could take any concent in his barnes in that he expected to finde ease in the things of this world which are as thornes in that he supposed those things were only given him to eate drinke and be merry with but the worst foole of all in that
Lord is upon me because the Lord hath annoynted me to wit with his Spirit more plainly the Apostle Peter God annoynted Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost and St. Paul sufficiently intimateth it when hee saith concerning Christians God hath annoynted and sealed us and given us the earnest of his Spirit in our hearts the Spirit being as the earnest so the seal and the oyntment and accordingly the generality of Expositors doe here interpret the Spirit of God with his gifts and graces to be this Unction St. Austine among many others is expresse Unctio spiritualis ipse spiritus sanctus the Spirit of God is the spiritual unction And accordingly this is one of the titles which are given to the Holy Ghost in that Divine Hymn The Fountain and the lively Spring of joy celestial The Fire so bright the Love so clear and Unction spiritual That the fragrancy of this Metaphor may the better appear give me leave to break the Box and let you see how fitly it is applicable to the blessed Spirit to this end it will not be amisse to confider the Properties and the Uses of oyl and oyntment 1 There are three eminent properties of oyl which fully agree to the Holy Ghost Purity Permanency and Excellency 1 Oyl is of such a nature as that it will hardly mingle with other Liquors and whatsoever liquor you mixe it with it still is uppermost In this a fit embleme of the Spirit especially in respect of its sanctifying grace which will not mixe it self with any sin and where-ever it is keepeth corruption under Indeed wine and water will easily incorporate but oyl will not natural and acquired habits may consist with the predominancy of some lust and therefore it is that acutenesse of wit strength of memory depth of judgement readinesse of elocution skill in Arts and Sciences and such like excellencies are to be found in wicked men but those Spiritual infused habits of grace will not admit the dominion of any sin so that though sin still remain yet it doth not cannot rule in the regenerate 2 Oyl is of a lasting durance it is not as the water evaporated by the scorching heat or congealed by the freezing cold whereby is shadowed the perpetuity of the Spirits renewing grace notwithstanding the heat of persecution and the cold of temptation The hypocrites fruit withereth when the Sun scorcheth like the standing Pool he is dry in the heat of Summer his courage faileth grace decayeth whereas the true Christian retaineth his integrity in the worst adversity when the Northern wind of Diabolical temptation bloweth upon an Hypocrite his zeal cooleth his grace freezeth whereas sanctifying grace in the heart of the regenerate keepeth its vertue 3 Oyl is of great worth it is reckoned up as one of those choise blessings which God confer'd upon Israel I gave her Corn and Wine and Oyl and multiplied her silver and gold it was one of the precious things in Hezekiahs Treasury which he shewed to the King of Babylons messenger The Silver the Gold the Spices and the precious Oyntment where it is observable that besides it is numbred among the precious things it hath also the Epithite of precious in particular annexed to it as also by Salomon where he saith A good name is better than precious oyntment But surely as there the Wise man preferres a good name so much more is the Spirit and his grace to be preferred before it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 saith the Greek Father In very deed the holy Spirit is a precious thing this Oyl is invaluable this Jewel incomparable and if the Soul which dwelleth in our bodies be more worth than an whole world this Spirit which dwelleth in our souls must needs be of an infinite and transcendent value 2 Besides these properties there is a double use of oyl to wit for eating and annointing and the operation of oyl in both these uses aptly sets forth the Spirits efficacy 1 Oyle being eaten is sweet to the palate and therefore manna for its pleasant taste is compared to it wholesome and nourishing to the body and therefore joyned with fine flour and honey it was by meal and oyle that the widow was preserved alive in famine besides it helpeth digestion of other meats and therefore it is eaten with raw herbs and such like cool things nay more than so though a man have swallowed poyson being taken into the stomack it will expell it and preserve the body from death All which are true of the Spirits graces by which wee are enabled to digest the word of God not only its promises but threatnings the poyson of sin is expelled out of the heart so far as it shall not hurt us our spiritual taste is delighted yea our soul is nourished to eternal life 2 But I must remember the Word in my text is unction and therefore it is most suitable to consider Oyl as it is of use in annointing and thus the Parallel will hold in several respects some whereof are more general and others more special both very significant to our present purpose 1 The more general uses of annointing with Oyle are these six 1 Annointing wounds with Oyle healeth them upon which account the Samaritan poured in as wine for cleansing so Oyle for healing the wounded man nothing more frequently used by Apothecaries and Chirurgions than oyles and oyntments This is the Spirits efficacy who is therefore called the comforter viz. against all those disquietments which unsettle the minde and wound the Conscience The Prophet Isaiah speaking in the person of Christ saith The Spirit of the Lord was upon him to heal the broken-hearted indeed in regard of the wicked hee is a reprover to wound but in regard of the weak hee is a comforter to heal 2 Annointing tumours with Oyle softeneth them to this the Prophet alludeth where speaking of the diseases of Israels Common-wealth hee saith They have not been mollified with oyntment This is the Spirits operation to soften the obdurate and proud sinner and therefore when Almighty God promiseth to take away the stony-heart and give an heart of flesh he presently addeth I will put my Spirit within you 3 Annointing the joynts with oile suppleth them whereby they are nimble and active for which cause it is that Runners and Wrastlers were used to annoint themselves before hand Thus doth the Spirit by his graces strengthen us with all might to run the way of Gods Commandements and to wrastle with our Corruptions It is the prayer of David Establish mee with thy free Spirit whom hee calls by that Epithite no doubt for this reason because it is the Spirits work to set us free from the setters of sin Upon the same account hee is called by the Prophet the Spirit of strength and by the Apostle the Spirit of Life in as much as hee strengthens us in our Christian race and quickens us to spiritual
incouraging commendations It was one of St. Jeromes counsels to Laeta about the bringing up of her daughter Laudibus excitandum est ingenium that shee should excite her by praises When the School-master by commending his Scholar for doing well le ts him see that hee hath a good opinion of him it is a notable spur to put him upon preserving and increasing that good opinion by doing better what the blowing of the horn is to the hounds in their chase and the sounding of the Trumpet to the Horse in the battel that is praise to men in their prosecution of vertue and opposition against vice And therefore let all Ministers learn to take notice of and incourage the forwardnesse of their people and let them be no lesse careful to extoll their virtues than to reprove their vices when the people do what is commendable it is but just wee should commend what they do and if they finde matter let not us want words in giving them their deserved praises according to the pattern which here St. John sets us 2 In special take a view of the commendation here given which is first by way of remotion acquitting them from ignorance they were not like St. Pauls silly women which were ever learning and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth not like those Hebrews who whereas for the time they ought to have been Teachers they had need that one teach them again which bee the first Principles of the Oracles of God they were not such as did not know the truth And then by way of attribution asserting that they were such who did know the truth yea that they had a distinct knowledge of it whereby they were able to distinguish between truth and falshood for that you know is very fitly by interpreters supplyed in the last clause you know that no Lye is of the truth Our blessed Saviour speaking of his sheep saith they know his voice and that so as to distinguish it from the voice of strangers for so it followeth and a stranger will they not follow thus doth S. John here commend these Christians not only for a true but a clear knowledge whereby they were able to judge aright and discern between things that differ Indeed according to that known maxim rectum est index sui et obliqui that which is true discovers not only it self but that which is false and therefore he that knoweth the truth knows that no lye is of it That it may the better appear how high a commendation this is it will bee needful to discusse a little on the one hand the evil of ignorance and on the other the good of knowledge 1 Not to know the truth is a sin sadly to bee bemoaned and such as contracts not onely guilt but shame upon the person Indeed this is not true of all kinde of Ignorance There is an Ignorance which is commendable not to know what God hath kept secret because hee would not have us know it s no shame for a man not to know that which is not in his possibility and such are all those things which God hath not been pleased to reveal There is an Ignorance which is excusable to wit 1 when it is of such truths which are without our sphere and therefore have no need to know them 2 when it is of such truths as are polemical problematical which partly by reason of the difficulty of the matter and partly by reason of the imbecillity of our understanding wee cannot attain to a full knowledge of 3 when though it be of the Evangelical Truth yet it is either through a defect of Revelation which is the onely means whereby wee can know it as in Pagans who never heard of the Gospel and therefore shall not bee condemned for not knowing and beleeving it or through a natural incapacity as in infants and fools and mad-men who being not able to make use of their reason cannot attain to this knowledge But not to know in some measure the necessary truths of the Gospel notwithstanding the opportunities and means of knowledge afforded to us is an ignorance deservedly blameable Indeed it is negligentia non impotentia incuria non incapacitas not an impotent incapacity but a retchlesse negligence it is not an invincible but a vincible not a negative but a Privative not an involuntary but a wilfull ignorance not of one who would but cannot but of one who may but will not know the truth And now to bee thus ignorant is our sin our shame our ruine what a travellor is without his feet a workman without his hands a Painter without his eies that is a Christian without knowledge unable to do the will of God What danger a ship is in that wants a Rudder Ballasse Anchors Cables Sails the like is hee in who wants knowledge How easily is hee tossed up and down with every winde of Doctrin how unable is hee to stear a right course towards heaven how quickly is hee overturned into a gulf of errors and vices no wonder if God complain by the Prophet Hoseah My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge Our proverb saith The blinde man swalloweth many a flye and catcheth many a fall it is no lesse true of an Ignorant Christian hee swalloweth many an errour and falls into many a sin this jaw bone of an Asse I mean Ignorance hath slain its thousands laying heaps upon heaps In a word Almighty God is so far provoked with affected ignorance that hee threatneth by his Prophet It is a people of no understanding therefore hee that made them will not have mercy on them and hee that formed them will shew them no favour and by his Apostle that the Lord Jesus shall beerevealed from heaven in flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God 2 To know the Truth and that no Lye is of it is a virtue highly to bee commended Indeed there is an excellency in all kinde of knowledge it is a pearl despised of none but fools Knowledge having no enemy but the Ignorant Alexander was wont to say hee had rather excell in knowledge than bee great in Power Indeed what the eie is in the body that is knowledge in the minde that the choycest member of the one this the noblest ornament of the other but surely this knowledge whereof my Text speaks is far more excellent than all other knowledge whatsoever for wheras by knowledge it is that a man differeth from a beast by this knowledge it is that a Christian differeth from other men nullus omnino cibus suavior quam cognitio veritatis saith Lactantius no sweeter food to the minde than the knowledge of truth and especially of this truth What the foundation is to the building the root to the tree that is this knowledge to the Soul the beginning of all grace and goodnesse what the Sun is to the world that is this knowledge to the minde to
inlighten inliven and rejoyce it if that Philosopher when hee had gained a new notion in Astronomy was so ravished that he cryed out 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I have found it I have found it how much greater joy hath the Christian knowing supernatural truths In a word this knowledge is not onely that which leads to grace and joy but glory S. Paul hath put them together when he saith God would have all men come to the knowledge of the truth that they may bee saved no wonder if St. John account those Christians praise-worthy for this that they did know the truth And now I would to God that wee could say the same of all our hearers but I fear in regard of too many wee may instead of commending condemn of praising complain that they are not such as do know the truth but do not know it Our Language may not be this of S. Johns but that of S. Paul Some have not the knowledge of God I speak this to your shame indeed a shame it is that any among us should bee ignorant for to allude to the Apostles phrase Have they not heard yea the sound is gone throughout all the Land All means of knowledge Preaching Catechising writing are plentifully afforded God may say to us as he did to his People of Old Have I been a Wildernesse to the house of Israel a land of darknesse and yet how many remain destitute of saving knowledge It might have been said of this Land for these many years in regard of the Gospel what is said of Rhodes in regard of the Sun Semper in sole sita est Rhodos it is alwaies in the Sun-shine The light of truth hath shone gloriously among us And yet how many Owls fly up and down in this bright-firmament how many Beetles in this Goshen Land of Light Lactantius observeth that there was never lesse Wisdome in Greece than in the time of the seven wise men and they say of the Indians among whom all the Gold is that none are more meanly clad than they Oh that even in this Land which hath equallized if not excelled all other parts of the Christian world for perspicuous instruction there were not to bee found many grosly ignorant The truth is 1 Some though they bee strangely ignorant are highly conceited of than which no greater enemy to their knowledge The opinion of having attained knowledge as it is an argument that a man hath not attained and therefore saith St. Paul He that thinketh hee knoweth any thing knoweth nothing as hee ought to know so it keepeth a man from endeavouring to attain and therefore saith Solomon Seest thou a man wise in his own conceit there is more hope of a fool than of him 2 Some who are sensible of their ignorance are yet ashamed to discover it and therefore they seek it not at the Priests lips hence it is that whilest you frequently consult with the Lawyer to know the certainty of your evidences and with the Physician to be informed in the state of your body yet you seldome or never repair to the Minister to inquire of and be informed by him in the things that concern your souls 3 Too many look upon divine knowledge as a thing to which onely the Divine is obliged they need not trouble themselves about it If the Merchant can but know how to keep his accounts how to import and export his wares if the Trades-man can but skill how to buy and sell and get gain If the Husbandman can but learn how to mannure his ground it matters not for the mystery of godliness and knowledge of the truth 4 Nay I would to God there were not some who do not only neglect but reject this knowledge saying with those Prophane Atheists to God wee desire not the knowledge of thy waiss and that they may continue in their ignorance they either content themselves without any or with some blinde guide who instead of teaching others had need himself to be a catechumenist Suffer I beseech you the Word of Exhortation to answer the means with some measure of knowledge Philip rejoyced that Alexander was born in the daies of Aristotle Let us blesse God that wee are born in the times of light and since God is not awanting to us let not us bee awanting to our selves wait at the Posts of Wisdomes house sit at the feet of your Teachers and inquire what you know not from their mouths diligently peruse the holy Scriptures the rich cabinet in which this jewel the knowledge of the truth is to be found purge your hearts of arrogant self-conceit taste the sweetnesse of divine truths obediently practise what you know so shall you more and more know what to practise above all according to Solomons advice Cry after knowledge and lift up your voice for understanding what St. Paul praies for the Ephesians beg of God for thy self that the eies of thy understanding may be inlightened And when thou hast attained the knowledge of the truth bee not proud but humble still acknowledging thy need of further helps by the tongues and pens of Gods ministers as St. John here intimateth in that hee saith I have written unto you because you know which leads to the Anticipation of an objection which might arise in their mindes from that which is asserted in the preceding verse If wee have an Unction by which wee know all things to what end might they say or at least think is your writing which objection hee prevents by adding I have not written to you because you do not know the truth but because you know it Some Expositors conceive these words to bee an Apology for his writing so little alioqui largiore vobiscum usus sum sermone so Grotius If you had not known the truth I would have written more largely to you but verbum sapienti sat est a word is enough to the wise and doubtlesse it is a peece of prudence in a Minister to make a distinction between Auditories when they speak to the simple and ignorant to use more plain large and loose expressions but when to intelligent Christians more concise pithy and exact The Generality of Interpreters conceive this an Apology for his writing at all which might seem supervacaneous to those who by vertue of a Divine Unction knew so much already wherein our Apostle lets them know that notwithstanding the knowledge they had attained it was still needful to write to them and that because they had attained this knowledge In particular there might bee a threefold reason of St. Johns writing to those knowing Christians 1 In memoriam revocare to bring that truth to their memory which had been already imprinted in their understanding upon this account as St. John here so elsewhere the other Apostles expresly Apologize for themselves I will therefore put you in remembrance though you once knew this So St. Jude I will not
of God than that which wee are here put in minde of And This is the Promise which he hath promised us Even eternal life In which words wee have four particulars worthy our observation An excellent benefit eternal life A sure conveyance hath promised An Eminent Author Hee The peculiar persons us All which when I have severally unfolded I shall joyntly apply and that especially with reference to that which our Apostle here intends the duty of perseverance 1 The excellency of the benefit though it bee last in the verse would first be considered as it is delineated in those words eternal life If wee here examine the Grammer of the Greek Text wee shall finde it incongruous the accusative 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 put for the Nominative 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but that which is called in Rhetorick 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the putting of one case for another is not unusual and withall it is very frequent to put the Antecedent in the case of the Relative as appeareth by those two Instances among many others the one Virgils Urbem quam statuo vestra est and the other Terences Populo ut placeâ—ent quas fecissent fabulas so here 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Emphasis of the Article prefixed before both the Substantive and the Adjective 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 would not bee passed by since as one well magnum pondus addit orationi it addeth a great deal of weight to the expression intimating that it is not an ordinary kinde of life but that which is most transcendent whereof the Apostle speaketh and withall that the eternity is that which addeth much to its excellency That which is especially to bee inquired into is what is the benefit which is represented under these Characters and why it is so represented 1 That happy and glorious estate which shall hereafter be enjoyed is without all doubt that which is here and else where intended by this phrase eternal life It may perhaps bee here objected that eternal life in a strict and proper notion may bee affirmed of the miserable condition of the wicked as well as the blisseful state of the godly for the Resurrection shall bee general and the term of that Resurrection shall bee an union of soul and body and that union shall bee inseparable which denominateth it eternal in which respect St. Austin saith expresly of the damned In eternum cruciari non poterint nisi vixerint in eternum they could not be for ever tormented if they did not live eternally But to this it is well answered that this word life is not alwaies taken pronudâ existentiâ a bare existing in but foelici conditione an happy condition of life non magnum est din vivere aut semper vivere sed magnum est beaté vivere saith St. Austin It is no great matter to live long or alwaies but to live happily That Loyal prayer Let the King live in every Language imports a prosperous estate when the Psalmist saith Who is the man that would see life hee explaineth himself presently after by good daies vivere among the Latines is sometime as much as valere to live is as much as to be well and upon this account it is that as on the one hand the Scripture calls the state of the damned an eternal death because their life is onely a continuance in misery so on the other the state of the blessed an eternal life because it is a perpetual abode in felicity 2 Having found out what is the benefit intended I shall now go on to inlarge in the description of it Indeed eternal life is a subject so sweet and pleasant that you cannot want patience to hear of it though withall it is so sublime and transcendent that I want a tongue to speak of it acquiri potest exprimi non potest it is our comfort wee may attain it but our defect that wee cannot conceive much lesse expresse it when wee come to the fruition of this life wee shall not say with those in the Psalm as wee have heard so wee have seen but with the Queen of Sheba the one half was not told us all that can bee said of that joyful eternity being but as Stilla Mari a drop to the Ocean or scintilla igni a spark to the flame But though a perfect discovery of this blisse bee impossible at such a distance as earth is from heaven yet in the Scripture lineaments we may behold it and that so much of it if wee seriously view it as that wee cannot choose but bee enamoured with it nor shall I go further than my Text wherein wee finde a description consisting of two words A word of quality and praelation life A word of quantity and duration eternal Because men love to live promissa est illis vita saith St. Austin life is promised to them and because they most fear death promissa est illis aterna eternal life is promised What doest thou love To live this thou shalt have what doest thou fear to dye this thou shalt not suffer it is life eternal of each a word 1 That future state is described by life and if you please to examine it you shall finde two things shadowed forth by it namely Wherein that blisse consists and how far it surpasseth all other injoyments 1 Inasmuch as it is called Life it intimateth wherein that happinesse consists to wit in the Beatifical vision To clear which you must know that 1 Natâ—ral life is the union of the soul with the body and accordingly supernatural life is the union of the soul with God and look as the body being united to the soul liveth because the soul is the principle of life so the soul â—nited to God must needs live much more because God is the living God the fountain and Original of life 2 This union of the soul with God is double and accordingly with St. Austin wee distinguish of a double supernatural life â—na fide altera specie una in tempore peregrinationis altera in eternitate mansionis there is a mediate union wee have with God in this Pilgrimage by faith and there is an immediate union wee have with him in that mansion by sight that is the life of grace this the life of glory when S. Paul saith wee Walk by faith and not by sight hee expresseth the former and withall intimateth the latter life when wee shall walk by Sight and not by faith Thus whereas God himself told Moses No man can see mee and live it may in this respect bee inverted no man can live without seeing God since by seeing it is the Saints have an union with and fruition of God and so live to which those words of the Psalmist are fitly applicable Thou wilt shew mee the path of life in thy presence is fulness of joy 2 In that it is called life it inferreth its surpassing worth and value To illustrate
here we have something supposed and something proposed that which is supposed is his presence The annoynting which you have received of him that which is proposed is his residence Abideth in you 1 That which is here supposed concerning this unction cometh first to be considered and shall be dispatched in three Propositions 1 That this annoynting is not in us of our selves but received by us from another It is St. Pauls Question and though it be occasioned by a discourse of those extraordinary gifts yet it holds true in reference to all What hast thou that thou hast not received the sins which wee commit are our own but the grace to subdue them is received though wee are sometimes subdue into errour yet wee are apt to fall into them our selves but the unction which armeth us against those errours is received It is a meditation which should keep the best Christians lowly in their own eyes Hast thou this annoynting whilest others want it or hast thou it in a greater measure than others be not proud but humble for though it be in thee subjectively yet it is not from thee effectively and therefore no just cause of Self-exaltation it is St. Pauls inference upon the fore-mentioned question If thou doest receive it why doest thou glory as if thou hadst not received it Where the manner of proposal by way of question intimateth as Musculus well glosseth the impudence of this arrogance Ridiculum planè est de alienis bonis superbire It is a ridiculous thing with Aesops Crow to bee proud of borrowed feathers in one word as to boast our selves of what wee have not is abominable so it it little less odious to boast of what wee have as if it were our own when as it is only received 2 That this annoynting is received of him that is Christ it was at first received by Christ himself to wit as man in his Human nature but he received it not so much for himself as us Voluit accipere ut potuit tribuere he would as Man receive that as Mediator hee might convey it to us Indeed it hath pleased the Father saith St. Paul that in him should all fulnesse dwell to wit as water in the Fountain light in the Sun Wine in the Grape and oyl in the Olive and accordingly saith St. John of his fulnesse wee all receive and that grace for grace What the Head is to the Body that is Christ to the Church and as the members receive sense and motion from the Head so doth the Church this unction from Christ Learn hence 1 How greatly we are beholding to Christ of whom it is that we receive whatsoever measure wee have of this Spiritual unction the truth is whatsoever Spiritual benefit we receive it is only in and through Christ The Remission of sins and Adoption of Sons the Justification of our persons and Sanctification of our natures the Donation of his Spirit and acceptation of our services the Redemption of our bodies and Salvation of our Souls are all received through Christ so justly doth St. Paul say He hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ Jesus 2 What need wee have to bee ingrafted into Christ since as wee can receive nothing but of him so neither can we unlesse we first receive him To as many as received him saith the Evangelist to them he gave power to become the Sons of God and to as many as receive him it is that hee giveth his Spirit no wonder that St. Paul praying for the Ephesians that they might be strengthened with the spirit of Christ prayeth also that he might dwell in their hearts by faith since it is by our faith in Christ that wee receive him and consequently his Spirit which is this annoynting 3 Lastly This receiving of the unction from him is by way of gift Indeed receiving in its largest extent is the correlative both of debitum and donum a debt and a gift what is duly paid and what is freely given both are said to bee received But when it is used in reference to God and Christ it cannot relate but onely to a gift since whatever wee receive of him and much more the annointing of the Spirit is given of his meer mercy Indeed in respect of himself it may bee called a debt hee having pleased by his Promise to make himself a debtor and accordingly it is that the Spirit is called the Spirit of Promise because promised both by the Father and the Son for so wee finde the expressions varyed the Comforter whom my Father will send and I will give you But still in respect of us it is a free gift it was love moved him at first to promise this unction to and since to confer it on us in which respect it is called the gift of the holy Ghost True it is this annointing was received by Christ from his Father as purchased by his pretious blood but it is received by us from Christ as bestowed by his free grace It is a consideration which should so much the more oblige us to thankfulnesse for this unction it being but reason that when wee receive wee should acknowledge the Donor and that what is received freely should bee acknowledged the more gratefully wee have received the Spirit of God saith the Apostle that wee may know the things which are freely given us of God among which the Spirit himself is not the least and who so knoweth them to bee freely given cannot but bee greatly thankful Holy Jesus wee could do nothing that is good nor avoid what is evil did wee not receive this Unction from thee nor do we receive this Unction as a reward of our merit but a fruit of thy bounty Wee are unworthy to receive the annointing from thee but thou art worthy to receive from us glory and honour and praise now and for ever 2 That which is next in order to be discussed and is more directly expressed is the Residency of this Schoolmaster the abiding of this Unctioâ— Things that are â—â—id in Oil are most lasting this sacred annointing is prmanent It is that which is true in respect of the Church in general and each Christian in particular 1 This Annointing abideth in the Church That Holy Spirit who is here set forth under the notion of a Teacher is by our Saviour described as a Comforter concerning whom hee tells his Disciples that hee shall abide with them for ever which Promise was made to them as the then representatives of and so in them to the whole Church accordingly it is that the Spirit hath been resident in all Ages with the Christian Church to teach and comfort and perform all other Offices whereof shee stands in need Christs presence with his Disciples was temporary in which respect St. Johns word is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 hee dwelt among us so our Translation reads it but as in a Tabernacle
things are not taught simultaneously but successively fully but gradually the Disciples themselves were taught by degrees and did not know all things at first nay indeed not exactly at the last it is but a partial knowledge the best have of these all things but yet all those things which conduce to the strengthening us against error and the guiding us in the way of truth are in some though not the same measure taught by this Unction 2 The chief thing here to be discussed is the quality of the act what kind of teaching it is that is here attributed to the Spirit whereof all Christians participate For the better understanding hereof take notice of a double distinction 1 The teaching of this unction is either extraordinary or ordinary that peculiar to some this common to all Christians in reference to the extraordinary teaching it is that St. Gregory saith excellently Ungit Spiritus iste sanctus Citharaedum Psalmistam facit ungit pastorem Prophetam facit ungit Piscatorem praedicatorem facit ungit persecutorem doctorem gentium facit ungit publicanum facit Evangelistam the annoynting of this holy Spirit maketh an Harper so was David a Psalmist a Shepherd so was Amos a Prophet a Fisher-man so was St. Peter a Fisher of men by preaching a Publican so was St. Matthew an Evangelist finally a Persecutor so was St. Paul a Teacher of the Gentiles But it is the ordinary not that peculiar and extraordinary way of teaching which is here intended 2 The ordinary teaching of the Spirit is either external or internal and both these are no doubt included 1 The outward teaching of the Spirit is by the Ministry of the Word and preaching of the Gospel which is contained in the holy Scriptures look as the holy Writings were at first inspired by the Holy Ghost so by them he still teacheth his Church Accordingly it is that all saving truths were dictated by the Spirit to the Pen-men and are fully faithfully delineated in sacred Writ It is a form of sound words every way compleat explicating as Gregory the great saith all the Divine mysteries of Religion and delivering all precepts for Moral practice Quibus quidem duabus partibus omnis nostrae salutis faelicitatis ratio continetur in which two consists the whole doctrine of attaining true happinesse and therefore in this respect this of the Apostle is verified The annoynting teacheth us of all things to wit in the external ministration of the Word 2 Besides this outward there is an inward teaching which the Spirit vouchsafeth to the Church and every true member of it and is here principally aymed at This is that teaching which being the secret work of Gods Spirit is not so visibly discernable the more things are abstracted from sense the more mysterious they are no wonder if it be difficult to apprehend what this teaching is which according to St. Gregory is Allocutio intimae inspirationis an inward inspiration or Spiritual allocution It is a Question much controverted in the Schools how the Angels being Spiritual substances impart their conceptions to one another and surely it is much more hard to know how the Spirit imparts his Divine learning to the soul even they who are thus taught are sure of the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that so it is but are not able to unfold the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 how it is so And yet that wee may in some measure apprehend what we cannot fully conceive I shall in a few words acquaint you with that notion of this teaching which the Scripture is pleased to give us and accordingly if you ask what this inward teaching is whereof the Apostle speaketh I shall return the answer in the words of the Prophet Jeremy or rather God by the Prophet It is the putting his Law in our inward parts and writing it in our hearts Indeed as we say in general the Scripture is the best interpreter of it self so in this particular the Prophet is the best Commentator on the Apostle and therefore that wee may more clearly understand the one it will bee needful more particularly to comment on the other and let you see what this putting this Law in our inward parts and writing it in our hearts meaneth by which wee shall the better perceive what this teaching is in reference to which I shall lay down a double conclusion 1 That which the Spirit teacheth inwardly is the same with that hee teacheth outwardly and therefore that which he is said to write in the heart of man is no other than that Law which is written in the Book of God As the minde of the Spirit in one parcel agreeth with the minde of the Spirit in another parcel of Holy Writ so the impressions of the Spirit on the soul answer to the dictates of the Spirit in the Scriptures It is very observable that Christ tells his Disciples the Spirit should bring all things to their remembrance as if the chief end of the miraculous descension of the Holy Ghost upon them were not to teach them any new doctrine but to bring to remembrance what Christ had before taught them surely then the inward teaching of this Vnction whereof all Christians participate doth not reveal any new mysteries which are not already delivered in the Word Among other resemblances the Spirits working upon the Soul is said to be a sealing and among other reasons for this because as the seal maketh no stamp upon the wax but what is answerable to that which is upon the seal so whatsoever the Spirit teacheth the heart is answerable to what it teacheth in the Word 2 The inward teaching or writing of the Spirit is the imprinting of Scripture-truths upon the soul Conceive then the soul as the paper the truths revealed in Gods Word as the Letters the Spirit of God as the Scribe and the ayl of his grace as the Inke by which there is an impression made of the letters upon the paper truths upon the soul For the more particular opening hereof know 1 That this teaching is not a naked motion but a real impression not a superficial wetting but a deep soaking Many there are to whom the Spirit vouchsafeth some taste yet never drink a full draught who have some gliding aspects but no direct beams of the Sun of righteousnesse shining on them it is one thing to hear the voyce of the Spirit speaking another to find the Pen of the Spirit writing that teaching which is here meant is such as confirmeth against error and therefore doth not glide off like water but abide like oyl slightly move but strongly work upon the soul 2 That this impression of the Spirits teaching is upon the whole soul more especially the two chief faculties of the soul the Understanding and the Will so much seemeth to be intimated by that double character of the subject the inward parts and the heart which wee finde in the Prophet as of
Judge now appeareth in Heaven as an Advocate for all beleevers Finally Hee that shall bee the Judge is a Friend a Brother an Husband they that abide in him are the children of God and so hee and they brethren are beloved of him and so hee is their friend married to him and so he is their Husband well may they with confidence appear before him Being thus married to and abiding in Christ their sins are washed away in his bloud their persons are invested with his merits And thus through him it is that abiding in him they have confidence before him 2 On the other hand they who doe not abide in him shall be ashamed before him at his coming I find among Expositors a three-fold glosse upon this 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ashamed before him 1 Erasmus conceiveth the sense may bee Ut illum non pudeat nostri that he may not be ashamed of us This is that which himself threatneth by way of retaliation to all them who are ashamed of him and his words and consequently doe not abide in him that when he shall come in the glory of his Father hee will bee ashamed of them They who now will not own Christ at that time would gladly bee owned by him but hee shall dismisse them to their place with a Nâ—scio vos I know you not But though this be true in it self yet the phrase of the text will not well bear it 2 The Syriac and vulgar Latine read it as if the preposition were 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and so the sense is Ne nos aeternae infamiae damnet that we may not bee doomed to eternal infamy with that Ite maledicti goe yee cursed All impenitent sinners and especially Apostates shall in that day by Christ bee put to and cloathed with shame Thus what they seek to avoyd falls upon them and that in a worse kind Apostates deny Christ to prevent shame and because of their Apostacy they suffer perpetual shame 3 The most genuine notion of the phrase is rendred by Grotius Ne pudeat noâ— ab illo conspici that wee may not be ashamed to be seen by him The wicked especially Apostates shall bee ashamed at that day before the godly whom here they despised so the Author of the Book of Wisdome brings them in saying within themselves This was hee whom wee had sometimes in derision and a Proverb of reproach we fools accounted his life madnesse and his end to be without honour how is he numbred among the children of God and his lot is among the Saints But which is farre worse they shall be ashamed before Christ whom here they deserted and not bee able to look him in the face Thus shall all that for sake Christ bee ashamed before him in respect of their 1 Odiouâ— nakednesse Time was when bodily nakedness was our honour but now it is so shameful that wee need garments to cover us and surely if the nakednesse of the body be shameful that of the soul is farre worse How can the Apostate choose then but bee ashamed before Christ whilst by câ—sting him off hee hath thrown away that whiteraiment which should cover him and his shameful nakednesse must needs appear 2 Grosse Hypocrisie The cheating Impostor when discovered and brought before the Judge is ashamed the Apostate proclaimeth to all the world that his profession was but a Cheat his devotion a Lye and must hee not needs be ashamed when he shall appear before Christ 3 Vile unfaithfulnesse Hee that hath broke his word is ashamed to look him in the face to whom hee made the promise the Servant that hath not discharged his trust is ashamed to come before his Master with what face can that woman look upon her Husband which hath been unfaithful to his bed Apostates are Spiritual Adulterers forsaking Christ for other Lovers false Servants not keeping that good thing which is committed to them yea perfidious in their promises renouncing their baptismal vow Sure they cannot but be ashamed before Christ 4 Great unthankfulnesse Hee that having received kindnesse returneth injury may well blush to look his Benefactor in the face Non referre gratias de beneficio turpe est saith Seneca It is a filthy and consequently shameful thing not to render thanks for benefits conferred much more to repay them with injuries No wonder then if the Apostate be ashamed before Christ whom hee hath most ungratefully forsaken renouncing allegiance to this King of glory not only notwithstanding his own oath but many and great favours conferred by this King upon him 5 Manifest folly All acts of inconsiderate folly are grounds of shame that language of the fool Non putaram I did not think may well be uttered with blushing what blushing shall then sit upon the faces of Apostates at that day when they shall too late see how they were cheated by the Sophistries of the Devil enchantments of the world and fallacies of their own corrupt hearts so as to forsake the fountain of living waters for a broken cistern and to chuse death rather than life Oh that all back-sliding Apostates would think they heard this Judge upbraiding them at that day with this or the like language What didst thou mean oh thou naked hypocritical perfidious ingrateful foolish sinner to goe from me Did not I offer my self my merits my righteousnesse to cloath thee but thou hast cast away my righteousnesse wouldest have none of mee and now thou art shamefully naked Didst thou not for a time make a large profession of my name and truth but without any just reason thou hast relinquished it whereby it appeareth thou wert no other than a whited Sepulchre Didst thou not by thy Sureties promise at thy Baptism and afterwards at my table engage thy self to my service but none of those oathes have been cords strong enough to hold thee Could I doe more for thee than that I did in laying down my life for thee and is this thy requital to deny me and by that denial to crucifie me afresh Doest thou not see what thou hast done by leaving me to embrace this present world made a cursed exchange of gold for drosse pearls for pebbles thy pleasures are vanished thy hopes disappointed and thy self shamefully deceived And now oh that we would all lay to heart Quae tunc erit fidei gloria quae poena perfidiae cum Judicii dies venerit to use St. Cyprians language what shall bee the glory of the faithful and the ignominy of the perfidious the honour of constancy and the reproach of Apostacy in that day What a dark gloomy dreadful day it shall bee to them that forsake Christ what a bright splendid joyful day it shall be to them that abide in him and which is better Judge you It is before Christ himself and that as sitting on his Throne of glory we must then appear and what a sad thing will it be to have shame and confusion