King so graced with mentall endowments a great Potentate and most Christian King if God had given us one though of obscure parentage it had beene a blessing but much obscured even by this circumstance So if that noble quality of the person ruling hath this force in earthly States what a thing is this that we have one annointed over us who is God over all Now as this increaseth our happinesse and is matter of thanksgiving So it must augment in us all reverence and dutie all holy confidence of obtaining good of getting aid and deliverance against and out of all evils We see the more excellent the gifts are as the strength wisdome of our King the more awfully they are respected the more obsequious we are to them the more confidently we promise our selves all things under their regiment Looke at Salomon one part of wisedome made feare fall on all Israel see their subjection though he taxed them heavily yet none durst quitch against him What shall we be to our God who in his abasement was greater than all Salomons This shall suffice to have observed out of the scope Now for the words themselves 1 For the opening of them 2 The deductions or use of them 1 He is said to be an Image but coessentiall with God the Father whose Image he is 2 He is that is Christ whole CHRIST God and man is said to be this Image of the invisible GOD and that not onely as invisible GOD with the Father but as man visible But this must bee warily understood not that CHRIST man hath qualities of other nature than wee have for more and lesse change not the kinde but because the man is taken into personall union with God the Son So that this man secundum Esse personale is God 3 It is to be marked of what he is the Image not of the personall difference in the Father but of the invisible God-head common to the Son with the Father as the childe is the image of his parent not in regard of the characteristicall property which his father and every one hath in singular to themselves but in respect of the same substance and nature derived by generation from the Father Look Heb. 1.3 Character Personae and that derived by generation from the Father We may learne to see the reason of that truth which our Saviour uttereth to Philip Vse 1 Philip Hee that seeth mee seeth the Father This teacheth us how wee must come into the knowledge of God invisible Vse 2 even by looking unto this visible Image of IESUS CHRIST our LORD Cast thy eyes to that nature of thine thou seest not onely where God is but that which personally is God if one had seene where the HOLY GHOST was and a figure with which Hee did extraordinarily and temporarily testifie His presence yet he should not have seene the HOLY GHOST because the Dove was not so taken in one Person with the HOLY GHOST but this humane nature is taken into fellowship of Person with GOD and so is become GOD. He that seeth this or that body hee seeth the man though he seeth not the spirituall nature in man because he seeth that visible nature which is a part and belongeth to the person of man So who so seeth this visible nature of God the Son may be said to see God though he see not the invisible Godhead because he seeth the nature which is joyned in unity of Person with God 2. By looking at the divine workes which this man wrought we come to conceive of the God-head in this Person as in His giving sight to the blinde raising the dead stilling the Sea I come to see that He is Almighty a quickening Spirit Setting before me that which He speaketh of Himselfe Vse 3 as in a glasse I see a reflected Image with the eye of my minde thus Moses by Faith saw the invisible God Considering such sentences who commeth downe from heaven but the Sonne of man which is in heaven Ioh. 3. I see an omnipotent nature I am the resurrection and the life When He knew their thoughts Lord thou knowest all things who can subdue all things to Himselfe In these and such like sentences let mee see the Image of an All-knowing Omnipotent Life-giving Nature Now thus seeing CHRIST in regard of both Natures I come to see the Father who hath the selfe-same Nature and the Spirit for in this Sonne is the Father and the Father in Him in the Sonne and Father is the Spirit and they in the Spirit This shewes us the grosse idolatry of the Papists Vse 2 who looke at Images of wood and stone at pictures of old men leaving this lively Coessentiall Image that is painted before us in the Gospell This is an introduction to us how wee may come to know the Father and Spirit get CHRIST Vse 3 know Him and thou knowest all The second Person onely is incarnate but the three Persons are all made manifest in that flesh with which the second Person is coupled For the selfe-same divine Nature of the second is the Nature of both the other also We say of a childe like his parent Doe you see this boy you see his father he resembles him up and downe But if thou seest this Sonne then thou feest the Father and Spirit for they are in Him as if wee could suppose three Persons all subsisting in one onely soule and body he that should see the one should see the other for the same soule and body which one hath the other two have also Now followeth his description in regard of that respect He hath to the Creature set downe in this Verse Hee is the first begotten of every creature Secondly Hee is proved both to be the Coessentiall Image of God and first begotten of the Creature by three arguments 1 His creating all Creatures 2 His antiquity and being before all Creatures 3 His susteining all Creatures But these words are doubtfull Two principall constructions are these the one that these words note Christs eternity begotten before all Creatures of the Father by eternall generation Secondly these words may signifie Him to be Heire of the Creatures the Lord of them by a metonymie of the subject for the adjunct the right of inheritance and dominion belonging by God's Law to the first begotten and this I take to be the true meaning for these reasons 1. CHRIST's eternall existence before all Creatures is laid downe in the next Verse save one in plaine words 2. The Holy Ghost construeth this being the first begotten as having this annexed the preeminence over other 3. Hebr. 1.2 Hee is said to be made heire of all things and this followeth For by Him all things were created as a reason both of His being the naturall Son of God with God and true Heire as here the same words are set downe to prove Him the Essentiall Image or naturall Sonne and the first begotten that He is Heire or Lord of all the
was in the name of us all and had in it a seed-like vertue to worke the resurrection of us all Hence it commeth that we no sooner come to be in Him but the power of His resurrection is felt of us making us rise to newnesse of life 2 Cor. 5.17 In Christ all things are new Whosoever have learned CHRIST as the truth is in Him have so learned Him as they are dead to sinne the life of the old man is killed and they are alive in the life of grace For looke as a member truly by inward ligaments knit with a living head hath life in it so wee when we come to bee in Christ raysed up and living to God in life glorious we cannot but live in Him Wherefore how woefull is the state of many that professe Christ yet live in ignorance Vse know not what a resurrection meaneth are dead while they live in all kinde of fin and wantonnesse these never were in Christ but like as glasse eyes are set in the body or wooden legges which being by outward meanes joyned to it doe not receive life and sense with other members Wee never knew communion with him who is the quickning spirit if we be dead in our sins 2 Observe What it is that maketh us rise to new life Doct. viz. faith on Christ We are sayd to live by faith because after some sort it is life but most properly it bringeth life into us He that believeth hath everlasting life fully in Christ his head inchoative or imperfectly in himselfe For as in bodily death the reuniting of the soule with it doth make it rise againe and become a living body so faith as a spirituall vinculum tying God who is the soule of our soules againe unto them they which before were dead are anew quickened Thus then as an instrumentall cause of our conjunction with God in Christ who is our life it may be sayd to quicken us or rayse us up though further faith it selfe may bee conceived as a part of this life For as the soule died in falling into ignorance of God estranged from the life of GOD through ignorance in them Ephes 4.18 so comming by faith to know God it beginneth to live Ioh. 17.3 hence to know God in Christ faith being an affianced knowledg is life everlasting This then is the first thing which God worketh in us as the beginning and instrumentall cause of our other following life even as in our waking from our naturall sleepe which is a shaddow of death first the eyes open and then our senses and motions doe come fully to us in their order So in awaking from this sleepe of sin first the eye of faith lookes up to GOD and that invisible world then our life returneth more fully the spirit of God from Christ working it in us Marke then hence Vse that all such beliefes as make not new creatures are not sound faith toward CHRIST the reason is playne a true faith bringeth Christ to live in us Now as a quickning soule cannot returne into the dead body of it but there will be new life So Christ that quickning spirit cannot returne to live in a dead soule but needs it must bee raysed up Wherefore if wee feele no life but that we brought from our mothers wombe let us cast downe our selves we have not yet truly believed and we see how our faith doth not shut out good life as the Papists slander us but bringeth it forth as an effect which cannot be severed Finally Vse hence men may assure themselves of the truth of their faith if they bee renewed in life The last thing here to be noted is Doctr. That the omnipotent action of God which raysed Christ from the dead is it that begetteth faith in us Eph. 1.19 It is called the exceeding greatnesse of His power toward us which believe according to the working of His mighty power Faith is the eye of the soule by which we looke upon CHRIST it is the hand by which we receive all good from Christ Now if a man be borne blind or borne without a hand an eye that seeth but these aspectable creatures and discerneth not distinctly but things at hand a hand that cannot reach an ell or two from us yet all the world cannot supply these nor no power but His onely that created the body how much lesse then shall any power bee able to give us that eye which looketh within the vayle that hand which claspeth Christ in heaven but only the Almighty power of God But what Object doth that power that raysed Christ rayse us up Yea that power though daily continued Answ as the Lord creating Adam and Eve with the law of propagating all the race of mankind did by that power which created and coupled them after a sort make all mankinde though the Father and Son and spirit doe still worke in continuing that first power put forth So here GOD raysing Christ up in whom we all were that he might be a roote and fountayne of supernaturall life to us all that power may be sayd fitly to rayse us all Wherefore let us learne to admire and give glory to GODS power which worketh our fayth Vse 1 if we saw a man raysed from the dead ô how would we speake of such a wonderous power but this is the same that raised Christ from the dead which raiseth us to believe If we creepe up from some deadly sicknesse we tell what a power of God it was to rayse us But when our soules creepe out of darknesse and death to believe on the living God it is as nothing with us This teacheth us whither we must fly for the strengthening and susteyning of our fayth even to this power Vse 2 the same power that made all things upholdeth all things He that knoweth how all the considence of his heart is set upon himselfe and the creature how his reason and senses and his own inclination which is not quieted but in outward meanes how Sathan and the course of this world resist us in believing he cannot but confesse it is the Lords power that first brought him to it and that must keepe his faith from fayling Lastly we see hence how wide they are Vse 3 who never felt any want of such a power who thinke of fayth as a thing they have alwayes had since they came to reason Yea Papists that if GOD offer hold it in the power of man to believe when God sheweth the promise and inlighteneth the mind VERSE 13. And yee which were dead in sinnes and in the uncircumcision of your flesh hath Hee quickened together with Him forgiving you all your trespasses NOw he commeth to repeate this benefit insisting more largely upon it and first he setteth downe the state of them before they were quickened Secondly the quickning of them Thirdly the manner of the action the order in which he quickened them which standeth in a threefold antecedent in nature before
us It followeth that are in Heaven and that are in earth visible and invisible by heavens He meaneth not onely these aspectable ones which our eyes see but those supreame ones where God His Angels and the spirits of the just abide Obs 3 Observe hence How that God hath His places Ministers attending about Him unseene and unknowne too many such things hath He which the eye of man hath not seen nor have not fully entered into mans heart We that live farre remooved from that heavenly Court we can know but little and that by hearesay onely Take some hamlet of poore subjects that live North-ward remote from the Court what doe they know of Kings Mannor houses of His Court at White-Hall of the furniture of his roomes the state of his attendance and service the solemnities of his Triumphs the manner of his going to the Parliament House we that creepe here below live in a remote place occupied in meane affaires we cannot imagine the glorious Majestie of that high Court where our God our Mediator with the Angels and spirits of the just display their glory True it is we that are truely faithfull we are come a little neerer for we are got into the Suburbs of this City we are come nigher to God in comparison of the world nigher to our Mediator we converse in heaven we are adjoyned to the innumerable multitude of Angels and spirits of the just But yet we have but the report and so a sight by faith without evident view of these things These things must teach us first Vse not to be like such who will beleeve no more then they see and are halfe Sadduces for Spirits and Angells they thinke them fancies O foole doest thou see the wind an elementary thing yet too subtle for the eye to behold doest thou see thy owne soule and yet thou feelest it yea when thou sleepest ere-while it wakeneth and is in action but the spirits of these men are incarnate the things we see are nothing to the things that are not as yet seene Wherefore in the second place this must stirre up our desire further and further to peepe into these things within the vaile and long for the sight of these things that yet are folded By nature we have a desire of knowledg which maketh us long after newes where the court is c. If one should open a piece of some rare workmanship we could not be quiet till we got the rest unfolded yea this maketh some of better abilities which dwell in the utmost parts that once in their lives they will goe up to London to see the City Court King c. How should this provoke us and checke us as sluggards who care not to see further off these most glorious workes of nature and grace which our God hath begunne to unfold that long not to see the City of GOD and our Prince His deare Sonne and with Him to make our glorious aboade To thinke of these invisible things about us must affect us with a sense of our blindnesse our God is looking with a broad eye upon us good Angels armies of them about our bed bad Angels the starres not so thicke in the firmament over our heads as they are hovering to spy their advantage ô shall not we grieve that we cannot see them should thy Father and all thy brethren stand by wouldest thou not mourne to have so sicke a sight as could not discerne them and art thou contented with such weake eyes as cannot behold thy heavenly Father thy brethren and fellow servants would it not grieve thee to be as Sampson with the Philistines thy enemies about thee and eyes out wilt thou not grieve to have innumerable evill spirits about thee not being able to perceive them pray to God to open thy eyes looke into the nature of thy owne soule that will be a good introduction if thou canst find thy owne soule at the rebound of it abstract thy selfe from sensible objects ponder things intellectuall Further it is to be marked Obs 4 That our Lord CHRIST is the Creator of all the Angels all these excellent creatures were created as the matter of heaven and earth the soule of man they were not begotten of GOD The Divell would by those Primitive monsters have broached to the disgrace of the only begotten Sonne of God though the Scripture calleth us begotten of God Iam. 1.18 in regard of our regeneration yea they were created by CHRIST who is therefore called the Lord of hoasts If He had created the inferiour things only it had not beene such an argument of His power and equality with His Father But when the most divine creatures are the workes of His hands O how glorious is He This doth greatly tend to the Majesty of our King into whose government we are translated O we admire and our eyes dazle at the lustre and pompous magnificence of earthly Kings who at their Coronations make Knights create Earles Marquesses Dukes how glorious doe we count them who can give such degrees But what are these All of them flesh What are we to these Thrones Dominions Principalities Powers Angels Archangels which our King hath created It might be asked when He made these Quest The day cannot certainly be defined Answ onely these two things are certaine 1 That they were not created before that beginning wherein GOD gave being to the whole systeme of the creature for before it nothing was that is made 2 It is certaine they were created before the second day was expired 3 By analogie of mans creation so soone as his seat was perfected it is probable that proportionably when these blesied invisible mansions were finished even on the first day that then likewise the hoasts of Angels were created The use of this here so plainly set downe Vse 1 doth let us see even in this one point the great increase of light over that which Moses affordeth in all the story of the Creation they are not expressely named their weake sights not able to endure discourse of such brightnesse but our Apostle who had beene wrapt up into the third heaven doth specifie things which under the Testament lay vailed This doth let us see with how good reason our King in regard of His humane Nature is Lord even of all the Angels Vse 2 with how good reason they are bid to adore Him they accordingly did minister to Him at His birth in His temptations at His refurrection and ascension And what a spurre should this adde to us in our obedience unto Him Shall Angels and Archangels adore Him and shall not wee bee obsequious to Him Dare poore Commons deny homage to that King to whom they see great Princes in their places doe all obeysance This giveth us security that we shall have sent us the helpe of good Angels in our necessities Vse 3 why because our King is the Creator and Lord of them He hath the command of them at His pleasure We see if the
men have their reward they doe their owne worke and they shall be paid their wages accordingly VERSE 29. Wereunto I also labour striving according to His working which worketh in mee mightily HItherto of that which the Apostle affirmeth of himselfe and Timothy or his fellow Apostles together Now followeth that which he affirmeth particularly of himselfe alone which is that he aimed at this marke labouring with hard and sore labour for so doth the word signifie using great endeavour and contention as they doe that strive for the best gaine Where besides that which hath beene before observed we learne That the worke of the ministery being rightly performed is a painefull and carefull worke full of hard labour and much striving Hence they are compared to harvest labourers to souldiers 2 Tim. 2.4 5. and to those that strive for masteries 1 Tim. 4. They are charged to preach to be instant in season and out of season Surely the sweat of the Ministery exceeds the sweat of other callings and with the sorest labourer the Minister eates his bread in the sweat of his browes 1 Thess 5.12 Now we beseech you brethren know them which labour among you Men ordinarily will not know them nor know their labour Yet GOD Himselfe takes notice of it for a labour Revel 2.2 I know thy workes and thy labour God acknowledges the Ephesian Angels labour The Elders that rule well 1 Tim. 5.17 let them be counted worthy of double honour especially they that labour in the Word and doctrine We shall finde 1 Thess 2.9 two sore words joyned together 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Yee remember our labour and our travell The pastorall toile in the cure of Soules is no lesse than was Iacob's in keeping of Labans sheepe Gen. 31.40 To stop the foulest mouthes of such persons Vse that cry downe the ministery for an idle calling and account Ministers of all other men to live the most easie lives It is to be confessed that of many Ministers it may be sayd as our Saviour speakes of lillyes Math. 6.28 They labour not But the point is not what is the labour of some persons but of the calling and office And yet indeed many may be sayd to labour hard enough and yet are guilty of idlenesse We laboured day and night viz. even with our hands So farre goe many with Saint Paul painefull and laborious in worldly affaires but remisse and most carelesse in the worke of their ministery to build up the Church of God and to edifie the people committed to their care and charge See then ye Pastors what the Lord requireth of you Vse 2 and be instructed in your duty to be painefull faithfull and carefull acquit ye like men and discharge the trust put upon you 1 Pet. 5.4 that When the Arch-Pastor shall appeare yee may of Him receive an incorruptible Crowne of glory And you people committed to their charge Vse 3 how carefull God is of your salvation who requireth such a deale of labour care striving c. in those that He appointeth ouer you And you that have such magnify the goodnesse of God in giving them and strengthen their hands and encourage their hearts unto the worke of their ministery And you that want them pray for such and for remooving of those that are unsufficient and scandalous Finally that no man might attribute any thing to himselfe to his owne vertue and power as if he had done all these things he attributes it wholly unto God saying it was according to his working which worketh in mee mightily Observe The love Doct. diligence and faithfulnesse of a Minister in the labour of his calling is from Gods gracious working in us and is to be ascribed wholly to Him Wherefore where these things are not Vse 1 let them be earnestly asked at his hand who giveth freely and upbraideth no man And let all men seeing that the guifts of the ministery Vse 2 and the paines taken in the worke of the ministery are of the free guift of GOD acknowledge that their whole salvation and all the meanes thereof are meerely of the grace of GOD in CHRIST IESUS FINIS THE DOCTRINES CONTAINED IN THE SECOND CHAPTER Verse 1. 1 VVE must warily prevent that which may bee misconstrued of us in speeches 2 In some case we must report our love and that we doe in love for others 3 We must not onely seeke the good of those we know as familiars but of those who have no outward acquaintance with us Verse 2. 1 MInisters must see what they must chiefly helpe forward even the spirituall rejoycing of their people 2 Beliefe of the Gospell may be where the consolation of it and rejoycing of it appeares not 3 The Spirit worketh in beleevers not a hollow but a hearty rejoycing 4 The Gospell of CHRIST must bee the matter of sound joy 5 Soundnesse of love and fulnesse of affiance and understanding bring us to harty rejoycing 6 True Christians may be much wanting in love confidence and Spirituall understanding Verse 3. 1 ON fit occasions we must publish the glorious properties of Christ 2 Ignorance of CHRIST maketh us listen to deceivers 3 Christ our Lord is the store-house of all wisedome and knowledge 4 It is not yet apparant to us that Christ is so full of wisedome Verse 4. 1 THe practice of false teachers is to bring us out of liking with the faithfull servants of Christ Iesus 2 We must be carefull to keepe our people out of the hands of deceivers 3 The force of seasonable speeches is such that it preserveth the people 4 False Teachers fight with deceit and shew of reason not sound reason 5 False Teachers use flattering and glozing language Verse 5. 1 THere is a presence whereby Saints are one with another though never so farre disioyned 2 The nature of love is to rejoyce in the truth in the worke of grace where it is discerned 3 All things in the Primitive Churches were most orderly constituted and carryed 4 It is a most joyfull sight to see soules cleave to Christ Verse 6. 1 TRue faiths property is to receive CHRIST 2 True beliefe on Christ hath with it perseverance and a life obedient unto Him 3 Our good beginnings must bee a band to us to make good proceedings Verse 7. 1 BY constant going on in Christ wee come to have firme conjunction with Him 2 Resolved perswasion in the Doctrine we professe and grace we believe groweth out of a constant course in faith and obedience 3 Constant walking in Christ will bring us to abound in perswasion Verse 8. 1 TO yeeld to erroneous Doctrines which corrupt reason teacheth doth take us from Christ 2 The wisedome renowned of the world hath beene an engine against the faith 3 Sathan by empty shewes of religion standing in vaine rites doth prevaile against many 4 All religious observancies contrary to the word of God are but deceitfull vanity 5 Error and false worship become infectious because they are carnall
of the former Chapter Now lest this report should seeme to drop from him unadvisedly for ordinarily another mouth must praise us not our owne lest it should thus be misconstrued he repeateth the strife he had with a more particular enumeration of the Persons for whom he thus contended v. 1. 2 The matter for which he laboured with GOD for them Verse 2 3. 3 The end why he telleth them these things or maketh such request V. 4. Namely that no Impostor might deceive them and draw them from that state wherein they were or perswade them as if the Apostle knew nothing of their matter nor yet tooke any care of them for the fourth Verse may be conceived as a reason of either of these you must know wee are in good cafe before you can wish us established in it But they might object Object thou never knewest us nor sawest us or you know not Paul how we stand how can you take care lest we be deceived Though my bodily presence is free from you Answ yet it is not out of sight and out of minde my Spirit is with you The first Verse then hath to be marked in it a deliberate asseveration of that he had in generall spoken I would have you know 2. A more particular repetition of this his strife applied in speciall to some certaine persons first definitely you and your neighbours about you those of Laodicea then indefinitely and all that have not seene mee in the flesh 1. Then wee learne this point of wisdome from the Apostle Doct. That we must warily prevent that which may be misconstrued of us in our speeches The Colossians might thinke him vaine-glorious in signifying such things as tended to his owne praise at least that his pen went too fast and he a little forgot himselfe in setting downe such personall matter the Apostle therefore goeth over again with it and sheweth a reason of it Vers 4. That he might wipe away the surmise of unadvisednesse and vaine-glorious humour To speake any thing either to the praise or dispraise of our selves is subject to imputation for it is a tickle theame hard to doe either without a spice of vanity in the one or dissimulation in the other the Apostle knowing this well had the hynt of their thoughts given him and therefore doth prevent them wisely There is great reason for this practice frequent with the Apostle For the just mainteyning of our owne honour with GOD in the fifth Commandement doth lay it on us Secondly the preventing of false witnesse-bearing by sinister surmises in my neighbour Reas 2 which if occasion offered I doe not so much as in me is hinder I become guilty of them Such therefore as give out speeches subject to misconstruction without any qualifying of them and salving such things as in probability are like amisse to be gathered by them Vse have not yet this wisedome which the example of the Apostle setteth before us being in this point for our imitation 2 Marke hence Doct. That in some case wee may report both our love and what we doe in love for others The Apostle telleth them now he out of his love to them strove in their behalfe There is reporting of kindnesse which out of proud displeasure upbraydeth those to whom we speake and this begetteth unthankfulnesse in them whom we have pleasured There is againe a reciting of that we doe out of religion love and wisdom which begetteth further love in those who heare it Out of religion I say for it is to Gods glory that we should tell such things as not we so much as His grace worketh in us especially when He doth so stand by us that we are called to contend and strive in prayer with him in prayer for the good of any Out of wisdom as when it breaketh the neast of such as labour to slander us behind our backs with others Out of love to God and my brother when I tell it that God may have glory from my brother knowing it that his confidence may be strengthened that his love to me may be further kindled thus Saint Paul reciteth that matter thus Rom. 9. He doth not simply protest his love to his Country men but doth bind it with an oath that he might mollify their displeasure and wind in with them Yea we read of the Saints who before God have orderly and holily made appeale how they have walked before Him Though therefore such as either proudly or out of unadvised levity or contumeliously sound out their owne praises are not to be justified yet neither on the other hand must we censure all speeches of this nature a mans neighbours may dwell so farre off or be so malignant that hee that would keepe silence in this kind should betray Gods glory the truth his owne honour and neighbours safety 3 Observe Doctr. That we must not onely seeke the good of those we know as familiars but of those who have no outward acquaintance with us Eph. 16.18 Pray for all Saints If our naturall Parents travailing to other places we being left behind should beget other children would we not upon the hearesay of it be affected to them as our brethren So when we heare that our heavenly Father hath begotten Himselfe other children here or there though we have not seene them yet we should in all love embrace them and seeke their well-fare yea there was great need why he on whom lay the care of all the Churches should pray fervently for these because these might even in this regard more easily be seduced as who had not knowne him and seen his conversation who was the great Doctor of the Gentiles for such as knew what kind of man he was that delivered these things were hence somewhat strengthened and encouraged in their way But how may we be rebuked who are farre from striving for those we know Vse Husbands that pray not for their Wives Parents that pray not for their children If we doe thus by them we see what doe we for such we never sawe Let us imitate this duty even of entreating for such we have not seene Which of us would not have benefit by the prayers of Gods people who know us not let us doe to others as we would have them doe to us He were a gracelesse child that would never pray for his Mother and we would thinke he would doe little for us that would not lend us a good word here or there So when we remember not the Church and will not open our mouthes one for another to God what love is there Let us therefore frequent this duty not in word or shew but in deed and truth From the practice of this duty it commeth to passe that a Christian is like a rich Merchant who hath his factors in divers Countryes So a Christian hath in all places of the world some that deale for him with God that never sawe his face who are petitioners for him unto God VERSE 2.
much lesse canst thou divide the Divine Nature And this is to be marked against the Lutherans Vse who imagine a communion of the Divine properties with the humane nature in part onely for they give it an omnipotency the omniscience of the God-head but not the eternity and simplicity whereas the Scripture knoweth no union nor communion of the Divine Nature with the humane which is not of all the fulnesse of the God-head No it is so absurd that sound reason cannot imagine it without making the essence of GOD such as may bee divided one part being where another is not 3 That he faith the fulnesse of the God-head is in Christ hence it is to be noted That not created guifts Doct. or miraculous effects of the Divine Nature are united with Christ man but the deity it selfe the fulnesse of it yea the whole fulnesse which is to bee noted against Arrius and all such spirits Againe this sheweth that the same singular Nature is in all the three Persons for he speaketh of the God-head in the singular number as being but one and as it is in the Father without controversie so it is wholly in the Son also as but one Sun in the firmament in which the whole kind of the creature subsisteth So there is but one Divine Nature neither indeede can be for the Divine Nature is most perfect infinite omnipotent the most absolute thing that can bee imagined Now were there many Gods having every one a distinct deity none of them were most perfect powerfull for every one had but his owne wanting that which is with others as no man hath all the perfections of mankind for he wanteth all that which is out of himselfe in others This is to bee marked for hence we come to know that there is but one God though three persons because the same fulnesse of the Divine Nature that is in the Father is in the Son and the same that is in the Father and the Son is in the spirit for He is called Iehova and it may as well bee all the fulnesse of it in the spirit with them both as in the Son with the Father as well be the essence of three as two Now hence it is manifest that these three persons are but one God for as Iohn Richard and Thomal if they all had but one body and one soule should all bee but one man So these all having but one God-head can bee but one God To be three Gods there must be not onely three Persons but three distinct Natures differing the one in number from the other for so many men as you have so many soules and bodies must be multiplied in which standeth the nature of man But how can three persons be one in nature I answer we are content to know it is so though how it is so we know not aspici Deus potest introspici non debet Though why not three persons in one nature as well as three Natures in one Person which is in Christ A bodily a spirituall created as His soule a spirituall increate And as the same light is originally from no other in the Sunne and secondarily by communication in the ray or beame of it So what hindereth c. Dwelleth bodily Obs The manner of GOD's dwelling in this man Doct. He doth dwell personally in Him that is so as that GOD the SONNE is thereby become personally man as he was from all eternity personally God with the Father and Spirit the God-head so dwelleth in this man that with the man-hood it maketh but one Person even as the soule and body in man make one man So this divine Nature and humane are now joyntly but one Person of CHRIST He which was a compleat Person from everlasting in fulnesse of time creating within His owne Person a singular body and soule such as we have sin excepted as a substantiall part of His Person not a part which made up the Person of God as before imperfect but a part because a new thing substantially that is personally assumed to that which before was perfect thus much this word Bodily or personally teacheth For it putteth a difference 1 betweene God dwelling in every thing as an efficient and preserver of them 2 betweene His dwelling in the Saints and Prophets by His assistance and workes of grace in them 3 Betweene His dwelling in the Saints in heaven God shall be all in all by His presence of glory and this dwelling in CHRIST which is by being united personally with this humane Nature As the Arrians abuse the similitude in the first Chapter when CHRIST is said to be the Image of His Father they gathered that therefore Hee had not the same substance with Him for we see a mans image or picture is not of the very same substance with the man whose picture it is not distinguishing betwixt naturall things properly so called and these artificiall ones which are but respectively and abusively so termed So here Nestorius Loe saith he GOD dwelleth in CHRIST man therefore he is not personally united with man For a man is no part of person with the house he dwelleth in not distinguishing betwixt common inhabitation and that which is personall But we see here the Text is plaine that He so dwelleth in this Nature that it is essentially or substantially united to Him as a part of His Person Againe He so dwelleth or doth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in our Nature that He is made flesh the Word was made flesh which cannot be understood of a simple but bodily or personall inhabitation This therefore doth first serve to confute all erroneous opinions touching the union of Christ Vse 1 for first wee see all Arrius his opinions overturned who granted that there were most divine qualities in Christ and wonderfull effects wrought by God in the man Christ but would not yeeld Him true God Marke all the fulnesse of the Godhead 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the divine Nature as Saint Peter speaketh dwelleth in Him All Eutiches his schollars Vse 2 who grant that God Himselfe was man but they say that this Vnion stood in that the divine Nature did swallow up the humane for they could not else see how they could make up one Person The Monothelites granted two Natures but one action For they could not see how divers actions would not conclude that there were many Persons But marke the divine Nature dwelleth in Christ Now the inhabiting and the inhabited are not confounded therefore both the Natures and their actions are distinct and if there were such a swallowing up of the humane Nature then flesh were made God not God flesh by force of the Vnion As for diversity of Persons it doth not follow upon the diversity of actions for there may be as well three actions in one Person as there are three Persons all having but one action If the multiplicity of action did come from the number of Persons then there
dead in Christ from these why as if yee lived in the world No they cannot live in that which their head is dead to How can we that are dead to sinne live yet therein and therefore he saith as if you lived in the world for hee knew it was impossible for true believers to live unto the fashions of the world either in regard of civill duties or religious ordinances the children of God being set into Christ have presently wrought in them a death of their sinfull and sensuall life It is mortally wounded at the first though it liveth in us long after yea though the Lords children doe not often perceave it for many a man goeth awhile with his death and yet discerneth not till sometime after that he is deepely wounded Even as we our selves feele nothing lesse when we come into the world then that we are dead in our Father Adam and yet with our nativity entereth mortality which never resteth till we are utterly extinct by death The use is to reproove us who live in sinne after the fashion of the world Vse we have forgotten to what we dyed in Christ As if yee lived in the world Observe hence Doct. That Gods children live out of the world while they are in it this maketh CHRIST say they are not of the world for though they are in it for place yet their affection and conversation is in heaven and hence it is Phil 3 2â— that the Church is called by the name of heaven in some propheticall Scriptures and this is here taught while he saith as if yee lived in the world insinuating that it could not be that they lived in the world for they are called out of the world to a heavenly hope and to bee of another body even of that Corporation whereof CHRIST is the head So that as a Townsman in the Vniversity if he be taken to be a Scholars servant though he live in the towne he is no longer of it as who is gone from them and belongeth to another body So it is here Wherefore Conforme not your selves to the fashions of the world you are pilgrims forreyners Vse sojourners at the most here is not the place of your aboad And how farre they are from knowing CHRIST and the power of His death whose life is altogether carnall whose conversation doth not so much as smell of Heaven may hence be convinced to them VERSE 21. Touch not taste not handle not Now he commeth to lay downe more distinctly these rites enjoyned them from Pharisaicall seducers and he doth unfold it by a mimeticall expressing the charge that these false teachers gave Touch not taste not handle not O take heed you know all the old people were tyed from the eating and touching of many things as upon the touch whereof they were uncleane God out of His most wise pleasure annexing a legall uncleannesse unto them as the touching of a dead body of a garment spotted with leprosie of one troubled with a bloudy issue c. Now the Divell that soweth tares did by some pharisaicall spirits which so received Christ that they would still hold the Law he did set on foot by these amongst the Gentiles that unlesse they kept the Law they could not be saved this occasioned the first Councell about some eighteene yeares after CHRIST'S death and within some yeares after this occasioned the Apostle to write that Epistle to the Galathians the same kinde of men began to vent the same wares amongst the Colossians and gave them these caveats Touch not taste not handle not 1 Observe from this practice of theirs Doct. How exact and precise men are in their outward observancies who know not the power of godlinesse It is the Property of all pharisaicall spirits that care not for the great things of the Law and the true spirituall obedience of it they will tithe mint and cummine precisely wash hands and cups their hearts being all foule and full of lusts For looke as idle bodies which will not follow due labour they will go with their tales as a Pedler with his packe from one to another yea their fingers shall goe and their feet shall speake they will occupie themselves busily in that which is superfluous So here when men will not exercise themselves in the power of godlinesse it is strange how they will abound in c. This may be seene in the Church of Rome who not knowing the powerfull ordinances of God have turned all into such dumbe shewes as are the Masse their Precessions c. as full of superfluous observations as emptie of substance To teach us how to know these spirits Vse 1 he that stands precisely on every little trifle is at least halfe a Pharisie Wee must take occasion by them to be precise in the least points of spirituall obedience and not to stand so nicely on externall rites and empty shadowes those that doe diligently looke to themselves this way have no leasure and lesse affection to follow such bawbles Even as a man seriously occupied hath no fancie to dally and sport as others will who have little to doe So here Who more in heavenly labour than Saint Paul Hee laboured through the grace of GOD in Him more abundantly than they all who more despised those kinde of Iewish legall rites who cryeth them downe as beggarly things which profit nothing 2 Marke in this their enforcing these things Doctr. What a hard thing it is to forgoe such old rites to which we are accustomed these had beene brought up in them and had seene no other and loe they will not part with them no not when GOD will have them cease and CHRIST nailes them to the crosse Nay they are more fond on them than before for such is the malice of our wils that when GOD will not then commonly we will like those Israelites when they should have gone up to bid battell to the Canaanites discouraged with the Spies they murmured and refused when GOD would have them go backe into the wildernesse and not goe on against them then they would have no nay to battell they would to die for it Besides as in other things man taketh on like a god so in affecting a kinde of immutability which maketh him hee will not be beaten off that whereunto he hath beene accustomed thus it is in opinion likewise that one is bred up in is often maintained too too stiffely the first things make the deepest impressions Let a false tale get the start and come the first to us truth spoken in the second place is lesse beleeved Wherefore let us take heed Vse and not thinke therefore things must stand because they have beene so since our knowledge and long before but let us see how all customes agree with GOD's Word and will and so accordingly be affected to them If this had beene a good reason These Mosaicall rites have ever beene observed since we can remember any thing yea by all our ancestours these
this obedience is a growing up into more familiar acquaintance with or knowledge of GOD. Now as they were to endure many things he wisheth them a convenient grace in this regard 1 Setting downe the grace it selfe That they might be strengthened with all might 2 The fountaine GOD's glorious power 3 The End which is double as trials sometime are strong and long so against the one wee must have Patience against the other long sufferance accompanied with joyfulnesse Thus is the Prayer The thing that needeth explication most is in those words with wisdome and spirituall understanding This Greeke word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as cockmah in the Hebrew to which it answereth hath a double acception Sometime it noteth out the knowledge of hidden heavenly things thus it is expounded Prov. 30.3 one end of the verse doth interpret the other wisdome in the beginning is construed by the knowledge of holy things in the end So in 1 Cor. 2.6 We speake wisdome amongst the perfect that is points of hidden knowledge the great mystery of CHRIST and thus onely prophane Authors take it as Aristotle Tully 2 This word Wisdome is put for that practicall vertue which doth deliberate about and move us to doe things behoofefull commandeth and ordereth actions And the Septuagint use this word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for the same which the Philosophers signifie onely by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Now in this place it is thus to be taken for it cannot be put for the theory of GOD's will because it is annexed as a different thing from that which wee expressely asked in the words before Againe in the third Chapter Col. 3 1â— Wisdome seemeth to be that which maketh a man teach and admonish himselfe and so bring into act that which hee knoweth out of the Word Now if you ask what it differeth from understanding and how spiritual understanding differeth from knowledge To the first Wisdome maketh us put the thing in execution Spirituall understanding doth perceive and judge aright of that which Wisdome consulteth on and executeth And this differeth from knowledge because this as Wisdome is about matter of fact gotten by experience wheras Knowledge conceiveth onely things in themselves not considering of them as they are here and now performed Now for the doctrines from the ninth Verse First in generall the Apostles example doth teach That Ministers must not onely teach and admonish Observ but pray for their people 1 Sam. 12.23 GOD forbid that I should cease to pray for you Moses Aaron and Samuel were thus stiled such as called on His Name the Priest was as well to offer up incense and blesse in the Name of the Lord as to slay the sacrifice Againe all our watering and planting is nothing without GOD's increase which how can we looke for if we will not aske it Spare to speake and spare to speed Moses Prayer did more against the Amalekites than all Israels weapons Such therefore as bow not their knees to GOD in secret for their people Vse neglect their dutie yet some are so unacquainted with this exercise that out of their books they cannot say two lines it may be said of them The Priest hath forgot his Prayers We must be admonished of our duty The occasion was handled above And thus much from this that the Apostle saith We Pray From the time Observ marke wee must not delay going to GOD when occasion is offered that precept every where pray 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is thus fitly construed Pray in every opportunitie let it not slip thee It is good taking the season in every thing striking while the iron is hot for time and tide stay not from that day he heard he did take the occasion of devout remembring them to God Delay is here alwayes dangerous For at the first comming of occasions we are affected with them but if we work not with this motion like as fire not blowed nor fed with fewell it goeth out Againe wisdome biddeth us redeeme the opportunitie Eph. 5. â—5 â—6 Here therefore men are to be taxed Vse who put off and quench the spirit whose modò modò non habet modum who are ever in purpose never in performance who cry yet a little sleepe a little folding the hands sleep over their spirituall harvest We must from his example be exhorted for as hee followed CHRIST so farre forth wee must follow him Marke thirdly that he prayeth uncessantly Observ which teacheth us how we must persevere in Prayer not like them who a day or two will begin this duty and then lay it by all the quarter the Apostle biddeth every one of us persevere in prayer for the Saints Eph. 6.18 not that we must keepe houres stinted as if those houres passe us we must not pray that day or like the Euchites never cease pattering but we must daily at fittest seasons take up this duty This not ceasing speedeth with GOD giveth Him no rest out-wrastleth Him this CHRIST by a double Parable calleth us to one of the widdow Luke 18.3 4. Luke 11.5 the other of the friend in the night-time importuning his friend For GOD doth often delay to see if we will follow Him and not give Him over Those then who are set downe with fainting hands Vse letting fall their prayers must be stirred up to hold out uncessantly by this example Delayes should not hinder us from hoping well That seed that lyeth longest in the earth riseth higher than any other So that prayer groweth to the most glorious issue which GOD seemeth long to bury in forgetfulnesse From this that hee doth not pray howsoever Obs 4 but with an hearty desire Marke here That our prayers must bee fervent Hee doth not continue a forme of words without affection for it is not vox but votum that soundeth in GOD's eare Iâ—â— â— 16 The prayer of the righteous availeth much if it be fervent Our SAVIOUR doth reach that these onely speed these fervent prayers by that trebled phrase Aske Seeke Knocke all importing the same matter heartie calling on GOD. If one aske us a thing but being indifferent doth rather to prove us than that hee careth when we discerne it we hold our owne So GOD c. To rebuke luke-warme devotion Vse 1 nay our frozen prayers when the heart hath no desire in it after that the mouth speaketh To stirre us up in this dutie Vse 2 Now the mother of desire is spirituall Poverty from sight of our wants weaknesses perills c. From the Matter in generall he wisheth their proceeding in grace obedience and patience Observe hence Observ What things wee are to wish those that are called even these here named The Apostle knew how many begunne in the spirit but ended in the flesh hee knew that if they did not gather they would scatter He well perceived how busie Satan would bee to steale this grace out of their hearts For as theeves watch
it more that we are reconciled to GOD already than that we shall have full salvation in due time If we are reconciled to GOD by the death of His Sonne which is the greater Ro. 5 1â— much more shall we be saved by His life which is the lesser To pardon a traytour when he is enemy-like affected to us and take him to favour is more than when he is a friend to give him a preferment To beget and bring forth a son Vse is more than when now it is to nurse it to full stature Wee must stirre up our selves to praise GOD in our precious blessing we are ashamed to take common kindnesse from men but we will returne them a thousand thanks yet who almost heartily praiseth GOD for these spirituall blessings which passe understanding Our plough would speed the better though we should not beg so much if we were more in thanksgiving up goeth thanksgiving downe comes blessings That we by nature are unfit for GOD's Kingdome Obs 2 So our SAVIOUR saith Vnlesse we be borne anew Ioh. 3. â— we cannot enter into GOD's Kingdome What disposition can be in such as are the children and thralls of the Devill to be the sons and heires of GOD No there is nothing in us but enmity against God Rom. 8.7 The wisdome of the flesh is enmitie against God and in the one and twentieth Verse of this Chapter now who can make me owner of that which I am not nor cannot be willing with We see in outward affaires an out-landish man a forreiner cannot have inheritance in our Land untill he be naturalized the son of a traytour whose lands are confiscate cannot inherit them as before till his bloud be restored So it is with us wee are all strangers by nature to God and heaven where Hee dwelleth wee are a tainted bloud rebels from the wombe and therefore till God doe restore us and make us fit wee cannot have part in this heavenly inheritance we love our hell as well as if there were no other heaven Ezek. 16. we are such as have an Amorite to our father an Hittite to our mother such as lye weltering in our bloud It is the worke of God alone that must prepare and fit us for this blessed inheritance all our sufficiencie is of God 2 Cor. 3.5 we are not able to thinke a thought this day No man can beget himselfe and therefore what man can fit himselfe for the heavenly estate none but the Father of spirits can effect this matter he that only can draw us changing our wils who can purge us beautifie us adopt us c. he hath begotten us to this inheritance Which letteth us see Gods exceeding grace to us Vse if there had beene an aptnesse in us as in those children which were trained up to minister before the King his love had not beene so great but when there is nothing but indisposition and withall utter unwillingnesse ready to put His grace from us to set light by and scorne this heavenly birth-right as Esau did his earthly that then he should look lovingly toward us and allure our hearts to Himselfe make us sons and daughters who can sound the depth of this love Suppose a King should take some youth up by the high-way all in ragges ill-favoured ignorant of all liberall education ill mannered such a one as loved a rogueing humor more than a kingdome were it not strange love in him that should fit such a one win his good will and proclaime him heire apparant to the crown So stands the matter betwixt GOD and us This serveth to humble us and make us walke modestly Vse 2 with an holy blush seeking to please our GOD. Away with all kinde of merit as well of congruitie as of condignity What disposition hath darknesse to light that have we to grace and salvation 3 That you may further see His love and what cause we have to give thankes marke what it is Hee putteth upon us Verse 17. an inheritance Observe then Obs 3 That as GOD's manner of taking us up so the matter he taketh us unto must move us to blesse Him The Lawyers know that the title of inheritance is the greatest title to give a stocke of money to one is much to bestow an office to let to farme rich things upon easie rent all are beneficiall good estates but to make one my heire this is farre greater this made Saint Peter so breake forth Blessed be GOD the Father 1 Pet. 1.3 who hath begotten us to an inheritance immortall undefiled that fadeth not away From whence it may be further amplified for if one were made an heire of some three halfe peny possession the benefit were not much to be stood on but to such an inheritance as there is described who can utter this mercy Looke at men on earth can they doe greater displeasure that to dis-inherit their children Can they shew any further love than to write this or that man the heire of all their estates It is so with God what greater love than this can Hee shew than to make us heires unto Him The use of this is to stirre us up to al thankfulnesse Vse 1 dutie yea spirituall joy Looke at children whose parents have great matters to leave them if they be good children what duty will they shew how obsequious will they be how glad to serve their earthly parents yea how jocond will they be for though they be kept low now they know they shall have faire patrimonies Thus should we be affected toward GOD yea much more should we joy in these heavenly possessions We must labour to looke into this our inheritance Vse 2 for if a man have any matter of estate in the world he will be sure to prie into the worth of it to looke upon the severalls to improve it and make the most of it he will lose nothing for the knowing thus we should doe in the heavenly riches But alas it is as nothing to us because we are ignorant of these things and wil not beg the spirit of illumination which might teach us to know the things bestowed upon us And as men that know not the worth of their heavenly things do make cheape and eafie peny worths passing away rich things for matters of nothing So we do even through ignorance like Esau for a little sinfull delight forgoe our inheritance This comforteth the Saints Vse 3 who though they count themselves poore yet they are rich heires of a Kingdome It might be marked that he saith Obs 4 To take part it teacheth That every Saint hath but a childes part GOD giveth not as men all to one the rest have nothing but he giveth every one a severall part as Hee seeth meet Some have greater some have lesse though all shall be blessed not knowing lacke of any good thing in that they possesse nor envying any thing they see in others and have not in the principall all are equall
especially seeing God hath so disposed that the speech of the Minister reacheth to every one in the assembly being within compasse of hearing as sufficiently and effectually as if there were but one person standing before him so as every one may reape as much profit as if GOD and His Minister respected none but him The end of his Ministery was to fulfill the Word of God that is to accomplish the promise of God made concerning the exhibiting of CHRIST and the calling of the Gentiles which God fulfilled by sending the Apostles to preach CHRIST unto the Gentiles Looke Rom. 1.1 5. and Rom. 16.25 26. In regard hereof the Apostles are said to have entered upon the Prophets labours Ioh 4 37 38. and to have reaped that which they sowed because they were sent to performe and publish the performance of the things which God hath promised by the mouths of His Prophets Hereby then we learne That the Ministery especially of the Apostles and consequently of Pastors and Teachers in a proportion is appointed of God not onely to deliver and publish the promises of God but by their ministery to performe and fulfill them Which serveth greatly to commend our Ministery above the Ministery of the Prophets Vse 1 Which maketh the people more inexcusable if they profit not by it and secondly the Ministers more guilty if we strive not to adorne so excellent a ministery It may serve to confirme mens faith in the promises not yet performed which we preach and publish Vse 2 seeing we preach and by preaching fulfill many of Gods promises made by the Prophets in their times For who will not easily be induced to believe a second promise when his eyes doe see the former performed VERSE 26. Even the mystery which hath been hidde from ages and from generations but now is made manifest in His Saints THis Word of God that is the Gospell he commendeth by the quality of it calling it a Mystery as he doth also Rom. 16.25 Ephes 3.9 which is a word borrowed from the superstition of the heathen specially the Aegyptians whose religion was called a mystery and a secret because their religion was kept hidden from the people and was knowne only to themselves being expressed by pictures of birds and beasts so as the people might not understand it wherein the Papists agree well with them who would not have the people acquainted with their religion but to depend upon their Teachers Observe hence Obs The Gospell is a mystery that cannot bee attained to by any wit or learning of man All the Philosophers and wisest men of profoundest learning were never able to discover these mysteries of the Gospell they are such secrets as could never enter into the heart of any man to conceive 1 Tim. 3.16 Great is the mystery of godlinesse God manifested in the flesh To know the Fatherly nature good will and mercy of God in CHRIST to know the eternall purpose and counsell of God to save us and bring us to glory us I say that are by nature sinners rebels to His Majesty for us to be reconciled to God here was a mystery to the world beyond all apprehension of men and Angels that Christ should be borne of a Virgin that the eternall Sonne of God the Lord of life should suffer death and be raised up againe by His own infinite power that we should be justified by the righteousnesse of another that these bodies after a dissolution to dust should be raised up in their numericall parts and live againe with God in glory c. Well may we understand these glorious and transcendent mysteries but we cannot possibly comprehend nor conceive them but cry out ô the depth of the wisedome of God c. Now the Gospell may be called a mystery in three regards 1 Absolutely because it is a thing of it selfe within the will of God which no creature by it selfe is able to know if a thing within my mind be such that no creature can know it further then I make it knowne none knoweth the things in man but the spirit of men how great a deepe and secret is that which is within God Himselfe Thus it ceased to be a Mystery when GOD did first reveile it 2 But yet a Mystery still in regard of the spare revelation and small number of those to whom it is made manifest For a thing is not onely hid while I keepe it in my selfe but while I shew it only to some few persons more neere me it is a secret matter still If the King acquaint some two or three of his most neere favorites with a secret it remayneth hidde still and a secret in comparison of things commonly knowne Thus was the Gospell a mystery when it was made knowne to the people of the Iewes onely but continued no longer a mystery in this sense when now it was notoriously published to all nations 3 The Gospell is still a mystery when it is now divulged in regard of those whose eyes are not opened to see it and their eares boared to attend to it as newes so common every where that they are no newes are still secret to such who being deafe have never heard of them thus it is at this day a hidden riddle to many Christians by outward profession No mervaile then to see so many men Vse 1 yea so many wise and learned men ignorant and erring concerning the Doctrine of the Gospell it is not every mans case to understand a mystery untill the spirit of the Lord come there is a vayle over our eyes that we cannot possibly discerne the wisedome of God Saint Paul was quicke sighted no Cyclop that held the truth in unrighteousnesse but in all the learning of the Pharisees very exact yet he could not discerne these matters till the Lord pulled downe the scales from his eyes and shined to his heart with a glorious light from heaven We see what we must impute our not profitting unto Vse 2 even this that we have not gotten the eye-bright of the Spirit wherewith our eyes should be cleered we doe many like the Woman who going to bed seeing and in the night taken blind waking in the morning complained of the Curtaines So we not discerning of our spirituall blindnesse we complaine of the Curtaine strange manner of teaching obscure speaking perplexed sentences I know not what in the Teacher when in truth the fault is neerer home we are too much in our owne light not knowing our selves for the points of the Gospell are not darke in themselves but that they light into the hands of such darke expositors as we are in whom is nothing but darkenesse so that we had neede to pray with David Lord open mine eyes Psal 119. that I may see the wonders of thy Law We see what great cause we have to mervaile at the goodnesse of God towards us who hath vouchsafed to reveile this blessed mystery unto us Of this mystery hee saith that it
Whosoever and whatsoever teacheth Christ teacheth the mystery of the Gospell and whosoever teacheth not Christ teacheth not the Gospell Of Christ he saith that He is among us for so should the particle 〈◊〉 be here rendred as it is immediately before among the Gentiles For by the Gospell we have communion with God and with Christ His Sonne Observe hence Doct. That CHRIST dwelleth in His members in all true believers He lives in them He dyneth and suppeth and lodgeth with us we see and heare and feele we taste and eate Him How glorious then is the Gospell by which Iesus Christ is communicated with us and how glorious is the Church even the assembly of GODS people among whom CHRIST the Sonne of GOD dwelleth For better cleering of this point I will shew you what it is to have CHRIST dwelling in us viz. When He doth exist after another manner then He did before when there are other effects then there were before when He doth shew Himselfe kinde and favourable when He doth manifest His comfortable presence as he did in the Temple It is seene in foure particulars 1 When as He commeth into the heart to be there He is united unto it and made one with it 2 He continues in the heart where once he begins to dwell and that is the reason why we continue in the state of grace 3 He delighteth in us he delighteth to dwell in the place where He dwelleth For a man cannot properly be said to dwell in a place except he delight to dwell there A man may be in a prison all his life long yet cannot be said to dwell there because he hath no delight to be there he would not be there if he could choose 4 He is said to dwell in us because he is so operative there he worketh efficaciously in all the parts and faculties of the soule He dwells in the soule as fire in the iron He is in every part thereof If it be objected how can Christ so dwell in us Object seeing He is in heaven and we on earth He dwelleth in us as the Sunne in the house Answ by his influence of grace into our hearts so that though He be absent yet He dwells there By these effects Christ discovereth Himselfe to be in us But what doe the Saints get by His comming Quest Many speciall priviledges and benefits come thereby Answ as 1 Where CHRIST dwels He makes that person glorious He fills his heart with glory and this I take out of Psal 24.7 Be ye lift up ye everlasting deeres that the King of glory may come in Where CHRIST comes into the heart Hee comes as a King of glory Hee comes not as a man that is glorious who keepes his glory to himselfe but He communicates His glory to us And herein is the difference betwixt CHRIST and an earthly Prince When a Prince comes into a house the house is the same still he keepes his glory to himselfe But where Christ comes He changes the heart he alters the house He makes that glorious He beautifies and decks the soule with such excellencies as makes us seeme glorious to our selves and appeare so to others So Moses face did shine because God did communicate His glory to him now that outward glory was a type of this inward glory which Christ communicates to the soule of him in whom He dwells Where Christ comes in He ruleth and governeth the soule He guides the spirit where he dwells He keepes the heart in order He keepes the understanding will and affections in obedience and this I take also out of Psal 24. Be yee lift up yee everlasting doores speaking of the soule For Christ where He comes He comes like a King He ruleth as a King He brings His kingdome with Him As Sathan rules in the children of disobedience so CHRIST ruleth in the children of obedience He guides and orders the spirit the right way 3 Where Christ enters in and dwells He refresheth the heart He comforts the heart He brings a great deale of joy with Him So saith the Prophet Esay Chap. 57. Esay 57. â—â— Thus saith the High and lofty one that inhabiteth eternity whose Name is Holy I dwell in the high and holy place with him also that is of a contrite and humble spirit to revive the spirit of the humble and to revive the heart of contrite ones Here are two benefits layd downe To refresh To give life He doth refresh the spirit of the humble that is when the spirit is drooping and the heart is made sadde and dejected meditating upon nothing but feares and dangers then Christ comes into the heart and calmes all sets all at rest brings tranquillity and refresheth the soule even as a man that feareth death is refreshed when a pardon commeth He fills the heart with joy where He comes as the Sunne doth bring light where ere it is present and no more can a man have Christ in his heart without joy then he can have the Sunne without light For He brings matter of joy with Him He brings salvation with Him as when He came home to Zaccheus He said Luke 19. this day is salvation come to thy house and it Christ so say to any man He brings matter of great joy Again when he comes He brings the spirit of joy called the refore the joy of the Holy Ghost for where the Holy Ghost is He is full of joy Againe where He comes He brings His kingdome with Him and that conlists of joy Rom. 14.17 4 Where Christ dwells He gives life He makes them living men for He dwelleth in His Saints as the Vine in the 〈◊〉 and every man that is in Him is a branch in the Vine All the properties of life we have from Him our sense and motion is from Him in Him we live and moove and have our being from Him is our life derived He that hath the Son hath life 1 Ioh. 5 1â— For as the old Adam did communicate corruption to us to make us active in sinne So the second Adam doth communicate grace and life to all that are borne of Him and therefore is called the quickning spirit For as a man doth then live when his soule comes into his body So doth the soule then live when CHRIST comes into the soule and therefore He is sayd to be the Resurrection and the Life for where He is there is Life 5 The last benefit is Defence Hee defends those in whom He dwels He is a buckler to them He preserves them from all crosses at the least from the evill of them And herein is the difference betwixt CHRIST and other Inhabitants Other Inhabitants are defended by their houses but Hee the Inhabitant defends the house And good reason for though He dwell in our hearts yet Psal 90.1 He is our Habitation This is excellently expressed Esa 4.5 6. Vpon all the glory shall be defence that is upon all the people that are glorious
I will bee to them saith God a Covering and a shadow in the day from the heate and for a place of refuge and for a Covert from storm and raine That is You shall be as men within doores others shall be as men without doores And the Apostle sayth 1 Cor. 3.17 Him that destroyes the Temple him shall God destroy For it is His Temple and Christ will not suffer His house to bee pulled downe over His head for it is the place where Hee dwelleth He will protect and defend them If you would therfore have a greater measure of grace comforting and refreshing you Vse if you would be full of life and grace then fasten your eyes upon Christ the fountaine But it is your fault you desire grace remission of sinnes and the parts of Sanctification abstracted from Christ we goe to God and thinke not of Christ but get Christ into your hearts get Him knit to you and then you shall receive grace from Him Looke as it is with a Wife in marriage of her husband she must not thinke of the Titles wealth and honours that he brings separated from her husband if she doe it is an adulterous thought but she must first take her husband and then take those things that are derived from him So let us first get our selves united with Christ cleave to Him live to Him get our hearts moove to Him in holinesse and righteousnesse and then looke for remission of sinnes adoption and reconciliation and every particular grace from Him If a man will have the treasure he must first have the field he must not thinke to have the treasure abstracted from the field but first get the field and then digge for the treasure First get Christ in whom are hid all treasures and then receive them from Him Remember still that Christ must first dwell in your hearts for although the spirit doe immediately act all yet it is CHRIST Labour therefore to be knit to Christ more and more and as you are neerer in union with Him so He dwells more in your hearts As there are degrees of light from the Sunne as it is higher or lower So there are degrees of Christs Vnion and habitation and of all the effects of His cohabitation labour therefore to get Christ into your hearts more and more How shall we doe that 1 Labour for a contrite and humble spirit for there CHRIST dwels and delighteth in such a soule Esay 57.15 He hath but two places to dwell in the highest heavens and an humble heart 2 Againe the lesse you love your selves and the more you emptie your selves the more will Christ dwell in you the cleaner you keepe your hearts the more unspotted the more pleasure and delight will Hee take to dwell in you 3 The larger spirit any man hath the more rich in grace any man is the larger the house is the more Christ will delight to dwell there Which is Christ in you the hope of glory This Christ he describeth by His effect toward us calling Him the hope of glory that is He in whom and by whom wee hope and looke for glory Observe hence Doct. Christ is he in whom we hope for glory Hereupon He is called Our hope 1 Tim. 1.1 God that cannot lye hath promised to give us further assurance of of it He hath lift up Christ on high placed Him at His right hand farre above all Principalities and Powers and made Him partaker of His glory when He shal appeare then we shall appeare with Him in glory this wee wait and looke for this is our rest What then though shame and reproach befal us in this world Vse Let us beare it with patience and with joy look up to the glory prepared for us And what if armies of evils meet with us here below and troopes of miseries follow us at the heeles By the helpe of Christ wee shall overcome them all and be more than conquerours and in the end be crowned with a crowne of immortall glory There wanteth nothing but a little waiting Yet a little while and He that shall come will come and will not tarry Behold Hee commeth in the clouds and His reward is with Him In the meane time let us live as those that looke for His glory and not dishonour our selves with base actions of sinne who are appointed for such glory VERSE 28. Whom we preach admonishing every man and teaching every man in all wisdome that we may present every man perfect in Christ Iesus HAving thus by occasion of speaking of his ministery Verse 25. expressed the subject of it namely the mysterie of the Gospell He returneth now to speake of his ministery againe and of his faithfulnesse and diligence in the execution of it First that which was common to him with Timothy and other Apostles Verse 28. Then that which was proper to himselfe Verse 29. His faithfulnesse and diligence appeares almost in every word of these two Verses Where first observe generally that these two things Doctr. Faithfulnesse and diligence are required of every Minister in his place and calling they are required of every man in his calling but of a Minister in a speciall and singular measure For whether wee looke to the Lord that hath put him in trust or to the things committed to his trust not crownes nor kingdomes but the soules of men who should be faithfull if not he who diligent if not he To whom or wherein will he be faithfull that is not faithfull to God and in these things to whom or wherein will he be diligent for conscience sake that is not diligent in serving the Lord in these things And if he be cursed that doth the work of the Lord negligently withholding his sword from bloud how much more is hee accursed that doth the worke of the Lord in saving mens soules negligently Which our SAVIOUR would have done with such expedition that He forbade His Disciples going about that businesse to salute any man by the way Particularly their faithfulnesse appeareth both in the subject matter and in the manner of preaching For the matter it must bee in generall with all the Word of God concealing nothing that is convenient Act. 20.20 I kept backe nothing that was profitable unto you c. I will give you Pastors after mine owne heart Ier. 3.15 and they shall feed you with wisdome and understanding But Principally they must instruct them in the doctrine of repentance and remission of sinnes in the Name of Christ Secondly in the doctrine of Faith in Christ for Hee is the Bread of life Repentance is but the sowre salled it is the Lambe that makes the feast 1 Cor. 2.3 I cared to know nothing amongst you but Christ crucified Thirdly with the doctrine of good works 1 Tim. 15. Let them that have beleeved have care to shew good workes teach these things they are good and profitable This is for the matter The faithfulnesse of a Minister is seene also in
That their hearts might be comforted and they knit together in love and in all riches of the full assurance of understanding to know the mystery of God even the Father and of Christ THis Verse openeth the matter for which he strove with God by all meanes in it two points 1 The thing it selfe 2 The antecedents or meanes leading to it The thing is that their hearts might bee comforted at the knowledge of the mystery of God the Father and of Christ that is of the Gospell which told them that Iesus Christ God-man was made light and salvation to them as to other Gentiles for the incarnation of the Sonne of God and the calling them to be a people who before were none were hidden mysteries till God reveiled them Now to this end he prayeth that they might be knit together in love and a more full knowledge having with it fullnesse of perswasion The better to understand it we must remember that these Colossians were brought by Epaphras to know the Gospell in truth Secondly you must know that they had love yea true love Thirdly that they did not feele the joy of the Holy Ghost so plentifully as others first because through the Divels tares of dissension there was not that soundnesse of love which should make them fully of one heart Secondly because though they knew the Gospell yet they knew it not so plentifully being in part ignorant of their Christian liberty of the all sufficiency of Christs sole mediation as who looked and listened a little to the helpe of Angells this way Thirdly from hence it came that being weake in knowledge they somewhat staggered the Apostle therefore wisheth them the tast of heavenly joy more fully in that they knew and to this end wisheth that all impediments of heavenly joy as dissension doubting ignorance being remooved they might be one in love rich in knowledge and fully perswaded and resolved in the things they knew First then Doct. from Saint Pauls example Ministers must see what they must chiefely helpe forward even the spirituall rejoycing of their people It is a great matter of their office to serve Christians this way What are we saith S. Paul no Lords over your faith but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Co-workers with GOD furthering your joy this he prayed for Rom. 1.10.12 this he made the intent of his journeyes to give and take comfort in them To this end Eph. 6.21 22. hee dispatched messengers to comfort their hearts True it is that sometime they are forced to make sadde as Saint Paul did the Corinthians but this is not their principall intent for they doe this not for it selfe but that it may make way for rejoycing as a Physitian is forced to make his Patients sicke that thus he may restore him to health There is great reason for this We are bound every one by the Commandement that sayth we shall not kill Reas 1 to be no way wanting to the life of others even this bindeth us that we doe every way seeke to make the lives of others comfortable unto them 2 Againe Saint Paul knew how many things the Saints have to presse them downe through the malice of Sathan and keepe them from knowing the sweet fruit of the spirit 3 He knew that this was a friendly Sunne which maketh all graces thrive the better in the heart where it is 4 That if GOD should not refresh them this way by letting them feele this power of that life which is to come they were in danger to shrinke from Christ in the midst of such discouragements with which this world aboundeth For as we say without this vita is not vitalis no man liveth or can live without a delight and joy As we see kind men when they tast a thing that pleaseth them more then ordinary will invite others to tast it with them So the Communicative love of this Apostle was such that finding in his own experience what a soveraigne thing this was he could not but wish it unto others 5 Lastly S. Paul knew that this was forcible to draw others to the profession when men should marke this in it that it filled those that imbraced it with gladnesse of heart and that in the midst of the greatest evils by seeing the joyfulnesse of such who were converted Wherefore it is a slander of sinfull men that thinke a Preacher of the Gospell killeth all good company Vse 1 cryeth down all rejoycing so that none can be merry that live under them indeed we kill that mirth that is nothing but madnesse that we may bring men to sound rejoycing even joy unspeakable and glorious Ministers must set an edge upon this grace and stirre up their people to it Vse the drooping and uncomfortable lives of Christians maketh many affrayd to looke this way For there are some men when God hath touched them a little they are affraid of progresse they thinke they are brought into bondage because they meete with discouragement and turne againe to sinne because they find more sorrow in goodnesse then they did in ill So there be others that are affrayd to enter into Gods way least they should come out of Gods comforts these are like the spies that brought an ill report of the good land it was a good land and fruitfull but there were Gyants Anakims Num. 14. c. and for this they never entered into the land of Canaan save only two faithfull Caleb and Ioshua So these people speake ill of the way to heaven even of heaven upon earth Oh say they the land is good the Kingdome of heaven is a glorious place but the way thither is by a sadde life so full of troubles that a man were as good be dead as live so But marke because they said they could not enter the Lord sware they shall not enter Secondly marke here That beliefe of the Gospell may bee Doctr. where the consolation of it and rejoycing of it appeare not Saint Paul need not to pray for this on their behalfe but that he doth intimate that many of them wanted it We reade indeed of first conversions of Christians accompanyed with the grace of spirituall joy as the City of Samaria very glad and full of joy Mat. 13.46 So the Merchant in the Gospell finding the Pearle in the field went away rejoycing But this is a fruite that lasteth all the yeare yea a babe in CHRIST may be borne crying as we say of teares Esau may have them that wanteth true repentance and another truely repenting may want them So it is true of joy a false Convert may have it Luk. 8.13 as the stony ground received the Word with joy Herod heard the Word gladly when a true Christian ere-while is without the fruite of it The fruite I say for he hath in him the seede of rejoycing which will budde forth blossome and show the fruite in due season Light is sowen for the righteous and joy for the upright in
heart but the harvest of it lasteth not all the yeare without interruption CHRIST telleth His Disciples that after His departure they should be heavy though afterward their heavinesse should be turned into joy Sometimes chastisements which lie heavy upon us doe over-cast our comfort Heb. 12.11 for the present they are not joyous Sometime inward lawes of evill with which we conflict make us cry o miserable Ro. 7.24 Sometime grievous falls whereby we have wounded our consciences Psa 51.12 Lord restore me to the joy of thy salvation In a word as civill rejoycings are upon many occasions damped though life continue so is spirituall joy though faith and grace faile not in us The use is to strengthen and support by this consideration such weake ones as doe call in question the truth of their faith through want of this comfortable taking which the Scripture much speaketh of and they see others enjoy One complayned to me that sure if his faith were right and living he should have more joy So I asked him what he would say to this reason living men are merry and goe cheerefully about their businesse but you are sadde and full of griefe and heavinesse surely you are not alive you could not be thus mournfull sadd and heavy if you were even as naturall life and naturall joy are not alwayes coupled so spirituall life and spirituall joy till we come to heaven are not joyned together inseparably There is a wonder in Spaine of a river that runneth fifty miles under ground this river though it be sometimes unseene yet it is continuall and it breakes out againe So the consolations of GOD are sometimes unseen not onely of others that goe away sadde when they see us want the comforts of GOD but also to our selves the Lord hiding the sweet Sunshine of his countenance from us which is yet in the skie and giveth some measure of light to us like as the Sunne though sometimes it be darkened yet there will be a time of reviving againe Thirdly observe Doct. What kind of joy the spirit worketh in believers viz. not a hollow but a hearty rejoycing he maketh our hearts glad and spirits rejoyce in God our Saviour As the groanes Gods spirit helpeth us with are inward such as cannot be uttered So is the joy hearty which in believers it worketh 1 Pet. 1.8 yea a joy unspeakeable and glorious Why glorious partly in respect of the principall object of it which is the glory of the life to come and partly in respect of the quality and kind of it as it is opposite to that contemptible beggarly base and filthy rejoycing of beggarly base and filthy persons There is a joy that men are ashamed of such is the joy of sinners that have overgrowen the controle of Nature it selfe Otherwise take them in their meriment let there come in a man of gravity or civill honesty and you see what a dampe he casts upon the joy of carnal and wicked men as if he had taken all their tongues from them some goe one way and some slinke another way they are afraid he hath overheard some words that they have spoken What a base joy is this that men are ashamed of Such is the joy of all naturall men compared with the joy and rejoycing of a sanctifyed man it is base and contemptible joy He can goe no higher then to rejoyce in his riches because he is rich in his ease and that he hath a good house he feeles no evill money comes in apace trading lasts well and the like a poore base joy What are these things to the things of eternity what is thy house thy plate thy furniture what are these riches and these houses of clay to the house whose builder and maker is God what are these riches which the moath shall eate or the canker corrupt to those riches which are eternall and glorious The joy of worldlings yea of temporizers reacheth not beyond the teeth it is but the joy of a deluded dreame which a man waking findeth nothing so Hence Salomon compareth carnall laughter to the cracking of thorns under a pot it is a widdowes blaze assoone almost extinct as kindled and this is it that causeth the wickeds joy soone to come to an end His joy is like seede that hath no depth of ground it deweth not his heart and therefore wanting this deepe rooting it fodainly fadeth away Wherefore if ever any would bee glad at heart indeede Vse let him know that it is God through His Spirit who must worke this in him he cannot till the Lord give it him through the knowledge of Christ be truly joyfull True it is Object you may say who merry to wicked men they spend their dayes in merriments laugh their hearts fat But alas Answ have you not seene mad men whose phrensie lyeth in bloud have you not marked them notably addicted to laughter frequent in it till they tickle at conceits which within themselves they apprehend there is nothing more common yet we count not this mirth but pitty it as a woefull fruite of a crazed braine and deluded senses Such is thy joy till thou commest to GOD it commeth from the absence of all heavenly understanding with which thou shouldest descry the misery of thy estare Finally from the thing intreated in the end of the verse joyned with the beginning that their hearts might be comforted in their comming out of the darkenesse of sinfull ignorance for that is the force of the Word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to know the mystery of God in Christ Observe hence Doct. What must be the matter of sound joy the Gospell of CHRIST The Gospell is called glad tydings because it maketh glad no wonder good newes as Salomon saith from a farre Country is very delightfull What then is newes from heaven of Gods mercy to a sinfull soule in the pardon of his sinne in giving him a Title to a Crowne of everlasting glory A carnall man joyeth when his bags are full when Corne and Wine and earthly commodities abound with him but the Saints have another joy set upon matters so high that in comparison of them they count all drosse and dung But one may say Object may not wicked men rejoyce in the Gospell Yes in the novelty of it Answ as a matter they have not before thought of Iohn was a burning Candle and yee would for a while rejoyce in his light or from a licke and taste which they may get of sweetnesse in it Hebr. 6. They may have a taste of the powers of the life to come they may have a flashing and momentany lightning of joy in them Or finally from an ungrounded overtly perswasion that they shall have pardon of sinne and salvation by CHRIST they may shew forth for a time great gladnesse but soundly to take joy in these things is only proper to true believers who humbled in sight of their unworthinesse and guilt rejoyce in Christ as the onely
GOD's promises we fight not against doubtings we cry not for eye-salve which might heale our fight that all scales done away we might see clearely to our comfort the things of our peace Let us Vse 2 as ever we would taste these heavenly joyes on earth labour to grow up in sound hearty love to Christ and all that are His in full perswasion and to get ripe understanding As love to CHRIST increaseth so joy encreaseth If any woman had the greatest Potentate on earth to her husband if she love him not what pleasure hath she in him If she love him but little she taketh but small joy but the more fervently shee loveth him the more abundantly she rejoyceth in enjoying of him So with us the more we get up to love CHRIST and His the more shall we rejoyce in our Vnion and communion one with another Hence it is that when knowledge shall be perfected in fight and when love shal be absolute lacking nothing then our joy shall be full in the highest degree of it Secondly observe when he prayeth for these things Doctr. In what things true Christians may be much wanting viz. in love confidence and spirituall understanding Had there not beene a defect this way henceded not to have laboured them in their behalfe We see how it was in Corinth schismes tooke place rents divisions and uncharitable contentions ever amongst beleevers even as brethren together agree not often So it is in the body of Christ the members are often jarring So for assurance it is weake in Christians even as babes so hold this or that that they may bee easily brought to bee of another minde So a weake Christian hath a levity and unsetlednesse dwelling in great measure with the perswasion which hee hath in the points of his faith Thus the Galathians for this cause who before had gladly received Paul's truth were quickly turned to a new Gospell Galath 1. Thus Israel wanting this fulnesse of perswasion quickly corrupted themselves and made a molten calfe Finally we see what doubtings and scruples are frequently found with true beleevers In the third place for understanding how ignorant a great while were the Apostles after the beginnings of grace in them As the understanding in civill things it commeth not all at once but is little in child-hood and so getteth up as yeares ripen So it is in the babes of GOD Yea our want of giving assent and confident resting upon that GOD revealeth doth keepe us from understanding for beleeving things upon God's Word which I am not able to understand at length I come understandingly to know those things which above that I could conceive I religiously beleeved Wherefore we must not be dismaid to see these things in Christians Vse nor yet to finde them in our selves all is in part and the reliques of the flesh are every where lusting against the frame of grace which GOD hath begun in us Neither must we be out with all whose hearts are a little bitter towards their brethren who sometimes through weaknesse cannot tell what to thinke of their religion who make scruple and doubt of many most plaine things not knowing their liberties who are much wanting in understanding all these may be in true Saints of GOD. Lastly Doct. marke hence what we must all labour for viz. soundnesse of love fulnesse of perswasion and understanding That which any asketh for us or we aske for our selves that we must strive for to pray for things we endeavour not to is to mocke GOD. Seeing then the Apostle doth strive with GOD for these things it doth shew that these are things wee must labour after things which faithfull ones shall in their time come unto Strive to perfection I forget that which is behinde and strive to that which is before for the price of the high calling of God in CHRIST Looke at little ones were it not a shame for them still to continue falling out comming with complaints for every trifle as they will while they are young ones to be afraid of bug-beggars and made beleeve every thing to bee ignorant alwayes as in child-hood So it were a shame for us to have no more love no more settlednesse in our perswasion no more understanding than when we first beleeved Which meeteth with Papists and carnall Gospellers Vse their religion teacheth doubting they count it presumption to perswade our selves firmely and infallibly that our sinnes are forgiven Yea in matter of faith they take away certainty of knowledge for they will not have us know the doctrines are true we receive but because the Church telleth us so which is to hang all upon the word of man who may deceive and be deceived unlesse he hath a speciall priviledge to shew for all men are lyars I know not but the Church telleth me so I cannot say certainly but I hope well here is their certainty of doctrine and salvation So we have many that are halfe Papists in this point they thinke this particular application but a tricke they construe the Creed all in generall termes for the Church further than uncertaine hope will say nothing of themselves for riches of knowledge they thinke to be able to repeat the Creed Lords Prayer and Commandements are enough to know they are baptised and serve God at home and at Church deeper knowledge than this belongeth to Doctors and teachers in the Church men of corrupt mindes who would have God's people lye in darknesse of ignorance lest their owne darknesse should be discerned Yea how many of the people that not being willing to obey the wayes of God care not for knowing them they are willing to keepe without light that they may sleepe more quietly Such finally who are babes in knowledge though for time they might be teachers who are ready to wagge at every wind of doctrine who upon every crosse and temptation are ready to call into question God's love forgivenesse of sin must hence be rebuked In the second place Vse 2 wee must seeing it is our duties labour to grow up from one degree of love to another from assurance to assurance from knowledge to knowledge I Object but how may we out-grow our doubting 1 Labour to know that experimentally which thou knowest Answ when thou hearest a thing at Church labour comming home to get God by His Spirit to witnesse to thy spirit the truth of it to make thee in His light to see light and to feele the power of it working in thee and thy affections moved as the nature of the word requireth that which a man thus knoweth you cannot beat him out of it with all the shew of reason that can be pretended 2 We must acknowledge the corruption of our mind which will not yeeld assent further than wee see reason and deny our reason becomming fooles that God may make us wise Nay we must know such is the vanity of our mindes that wee can sooner perswade our selves of any fabulous matter than of
their profession sometime foysting Iewish ceremonies of the Law that so hee might adulterate the sincerity of their profession sometime by advancing the dignity of Angells offering to withdraw them sometime from the meanenes of their Teacher who was no Apostle nor pillar of account labouring to beate off this hand of faith from holding the Lord Iesus yet by the strength of Christ they standing against all But you will say Object you have said hee insinuates their wavering True Answ their faith might bee solid and stand and yet bee shaken a little too A house that standeth and will stand firmly shaketh when the winds blow about it So faith is firme when true and never shall faile though it tremble when the gusts of temptation beate against it Besides this solidity doth rather note the soundnesse as opposed to hypocrisie then the undoubted perswasion of it Let us therefore bee glad that GOD hath kept this Church that all the Popes malice Vse and the Iesuites monstrous attempts could never prevaile against it So let us who have beene often by Sathan assailed and yet stand by faith in that grace which Christ Iesus hath brought us yea when we see others whom the Divell doth many wayes annoy still keeping their innocency let us I say joy in it this is worthy our joy On the contrary how is the case of some to be bewayled who turne Catholiques daily halting betwixt God and Baal it is a heavy sight the Lord stay such apostasie yea all revolting which the world that three headed monster causeth in many VERSE 6. As yee have therefore received Christ Iesus the Lord so walke yee in Him THus farre you have heard the Doctrinall part of this Epistle with the digression annexed to it from the foure and twentieth verse of the first Chapter to the sixth verse of this Chapter Now followeth the Second part of this Epistle which is exhortatory and it reacheth from this sixth verse of the second Chapter to the seventh verse of the fourth Chapter The exhortations are of two sorts Some generall that is conteyning matter which all sorts and sexes and conditions are to obey which beginning in this verse reacheth to the eighteenth verse of the third Chapter Some particular that is which doe not concerne all men and women in this or that particular calling of life as Wives Husbands Masters servants to the seventh verse of the third Chapter Where the conclusion beginneth To returne unto our generall exhortations they are Principall Or Secondarie serving to the principall The Principall mayne one in the sixth and seventh verses the other following First you have the duty it selfe walke in Christ Secondly the manner or consequents following on this their walking described by two Cardinall vertues 1 Confirmed faith 2 Thankefulnesse The first hee doth not simply propose but premiseth their good beginning which hath the force of an argument thus Those who have received Christ Iesus the Lord as their onely Saviour Priest Prophet King they must in their whole course onely acknowledge Him But yee have received Him that is believed on Him as your Lord and Saviour Therefore as you have received Him so walke in Him Marke first What is the property of true faith Doct. it receiveth Christ even as the hand doth take a thing from another reached unto it So doth Faith take Christ offered unto us and given us by GOD the Father in the ministery of the Word and Sacraments thus Galath 3.14 CHRIST was made a curse that we by Faith might receive the blessing of Abraham the spirit promised marke receive by Faith not into knowledge for the Saints doe not know onely that the spirit is given of GOD to His children but that it is poured on them in their measure and received to dwell in them Iohn 1.11 12. The Iewes received Him not that is they believed not in Him but so many as received Him Hee made them the Sonnes of GOD even so many as believed on His Name the latter words expound the former yea faith so receiveth Christ that He commeth to dwell in the heart Ephes 3.17 Hence it is that faith is said to put on Christ Rom. 13. to engraft us into Him to unite us with Him as the members and head are coupled For faith doth not onely know and assent unto but it hath a hearty affiance in it which maketh us rest upon Christ as made of God every thing unto us 1 Co. 1.30 Wisedome righteousnesse sanctification and redemption It condemnes the Papists Vse 1 for faith by their doctrine as faith hath no affiance in it it is only a knowledg of Christ as a Saviour without any confidence resting upon him as a Saviour whence their Schoolmen dispute that a man may be sound in faith and in a damnable despayre at the same instant Now this faith leaveth Christ in the ayre doth not at all apply him unto us For as if one hold out a thing unto me and say it is thus and thus my sight and conceiving what it is without reaching my hand to it doth not at all receive it So while faith with the eye of it looketh on and conceiveth what GOD offereth but doth not by trust and confidence reach that which God offereth into the soule we receive nothing and therefore have no benefit by CHRIST For as medicine meate cloathes seene onely and conceived on but not taken in and put on profit nothing So in Christ our medicine our meate our apparell to heale us nourish us and cover us in the sight of GOD. Wherefore labour for this effectuall justifying faith let the confidence of your hearts be toward Christ that having Him within you spiritually all his benefits may be yours likewise This may serve to informe us something in the Doctrine of faith Vse 2 it letteth us see what is the ground of believing surely the free offer of GOD. That which is the ground and warrant of receiving the same is the ground and warrant of believing it is the free offer of God The offer of an almes from a rich man is a warrant sufficient for a poore man to receive it The free offer of Christ to a sinner is warrant sufficient unto a sinner for to receive Christ It is not then for a poore soule when he would settle the first ground of his faith to looke for something in himselfe that should make him worthy of Christ but in this businesse there is nothing to be done but for a man to goe out of himselfe and to take Christ with an empty hand as He is offered that is to save sinners to seeke the lost to heale the wounded to feede the poore The sense of nakednesse and poverty is warrant enough for a man to receive Christ This being well understood will be very avayleable to settle the faith of Christians to keepe them from wavering in believing whereunto they are exposed by Sathans malice they cannot thinke Christ will save them GOD will
in them as if supernaturall divinity stood in neede of philosophy as the understanding doth of inferiour senses whereas it is nothing so for the supernaturall guifts of the spirit inlightning by the word of God that makes a divine not any humane literature and therefore we reade of few wise of the world converted when babes and the foolish ones in comparison were inlightned this way Besides the Apostles themselves were this way not trayned as Ambrose saith Credimus piscatoribus non dialecticis this is an extreame as well as the other Yea often the Lords children may too much stand upon it for our understandings being more naturall then spirituall are ready too too much to incline to that which is connaturall unto them I meane an object proportioned to their naturall forces Hence in the primitive Churches the Christians were too much dejected in the want of it and too little prized their owne knowledge for the simplicity which to carnall judgement seemeth to be in it Even as Christians in poore bodily rayments are not so much comforted in the clothing of their soules as dejected in the meane attyre of the outward man withall too much esteeming the pompous rich apparell in which others ruffle So in the mind for the soule is cladde with light of knowledge as the body with bodily rayment When it wanteth this secular glorious rayment of Philosophicall sciences it is more often cast downe then it should and too much esteemeth the presence of it in others Yea hence sometime they grew to bee weakened in faith when they could not answer those difficulties which the wisedome of the naturall man objecteth whereas they should have counted the voyce of Angells if opposite to the Gospell utterly accursed True it is that grace turneth this complementall knowledge to the further confirming of us but it is as true that the same spirit doth make the want of it an occasion also of greater affiance even as all earthly meanes of working this or that helpe a heart sanctified in beliefe so the absence of all meanes occasion faith to be more intensively set on God from whom commeth our helpe And vaine deceit Observe hence Doct. That Sathan by empty showes of religion standing in vaine rites doth prevayle against many For this vaine deceit is nothing but the empty and deceiveable practice of religion whereby he drew many from the simplicity of the Gospell How did he ensnare those primitive Churches but with obtruding upon them beggarly elementall services and bodily austerities which profited nothing And how hath he brought the Papists to this passe in which they are but by foysting in all kind of empty toyish rites that either Iudaisme or Paganisme could affoord and by magnifying such canonicall austerities to which their Monks and Anachorets were addicted There is nothing to be seene but such empty deceitfull toyes in all their service of GOD their masse their precessions Palme branches ashes sprinkled their whippings hayre clothes holy water censings pilgrimages adoration of reliques c. For look as children will be quickly woone with fine puppets and babies and joy in these things more then in substantiall matters So these who are without all heavenly wisedome or have but infantlike understanding such ware as this is very saleable in their eyes and doth easily ensnare them Wherefore let us Vse knowing our owne weakenesse and the Divells malicious subtlties knowing likewise the nets he layeth let us be wise and not bite at such vayne baytes as these are which he casteth in for us 2 Observe hence Doctr. All religious observances contrary to the word of GOD are but deceitfull vanity vaine deceite In vayne doe you worship Mat. 15.9 framing religion after the precepts of men saith Christ For first they have not any grace accompanying of them as enlightning the mind confirming the faith stirring up devotion for these things accompany outward services by force of Gods spirit working in them not of themselves now Gods spirit doth not worke in any other then the Lords Ordinances 2 They goe for religion but are not so indeed for true religion the soule of it is not simply to doe this act but to doe it with relation to GOD commanding now this cannot bee in things God requireth not 3 They misse the end which is pretended in them for they please not GOD wherefore as we say of wares deceitfull which looke well but want the substance such are al things intrinsecus defectuosae as they are called as for example counterfeit mony which hath the colour stampe and touch sometime yet is inwardly no such thing we may say such things are vayne deceite for they are but showes that mocke such as they are put upon So in this matter even as the Papists confesse it of their false reliques which are not such as they are affirmed So wee may truely say of all their religious practice in a manner The use is therefore to make us wary that we be not cheated and beguiled this way Vse We would be loath in any commodity or if we received mony to take a slippe amongst it but how wary should wee be not to bee beguiled in matters of so great consequence as these are According to the tradition of men Observe hence That the authority of man in matter of doctrine and religious observance is not to be respected against the Word of GOD. Doct. Men of estimation have alwayes beene of some regard so farre that their opinions have beene entertayned because they were theirs This made the Iewes so erroneous the authority of their great Rabbines and traditionary divinity was so imbraced by them as CHRIST sayth It was said of old but I say So likewise concerning matters of rites their washing hands with signification they call it a constitution of their fathers this was in the Primitive Church continued that many were so addicted to some men that they would receive the things fathered upon them though discrepant from the Evangelicall doctrine So that in Tertullians time many did defend that the Apostles did not write all truth for us to know but that there was a more perfect divinity which was traditionary Lib. 1. cap. 23 24. yea in Ireneus time before Tertullian For this is the property of Heretiques to calumniate the perfection of the Scripture neither doe they ever fly to it but onely to the barke of the outward syllables that they may so avoyd the substance and matter of it which is most manifest And so Arrius did fly from the wholesome phrases and manner of speaking in the fathers to the expresse syllables of Scripture in which he would have 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 shewed him quoad 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and the authority of antique tradition is so forcible that it beguiled some of the Fathers drawing them to use some ceremonies utterly ungrounded in the word as milke and honey in baptism giving the Eucharist to children not kneeling from Easter to Whitsunday But how
they should never meete till they yeelded a little Thus many now a dayes thinke it wisedome to retaine some things though altered common with the Papists that we might gaine them more commodiously But though there be place for some indulgence this way and therefore for a while tolleration and practice of some thing more indifferent yea and so far as edification and avoyding offence a law made for such things yet this must be in indifferent things onely and that for a time onely least they plead themselves as perpetuall by a kind of prescription which was the ground of the Nazarites heresie as S. Augustine thinketh Wherefore when we would heale men Vse let us not be ficke with them for this is folly But remember that safe maxime contraria contrarijs curantur Let us recover them with giving them an example of spirituall worship least admitting a little poyson we hurt our selves more then with all our good beside we can helpe them You that will walke in CHRIST be not deceived with things after this world Lastly marke by the opposition Doct. That what is meerely grounded on tradition and what is carnall and sensuall in Gods service is contrary to CHRIST In CHRIST all things are new the old carnall worship is changed into a spirituall according to that Iohn 4. and for all pure humane traditions in GODS matters they are accursed Gal. 1 9. Which is to be marked against the Papists Vse who reconcile humane traditions and make them according to Christ who will also have all their carnall rites agreeing with Christ. VERSE 9. For in Him dwelleth all the fulnesse of the godhead bodily NOw he setteth downe the reasons why these things not being after Christ must bee avoyded the first taken from the alsufficiency which he hath in himselfe the second from his alsufficiency to us You must not listen to others besides him who is not man onely but very GOD in one Person But such is CHRIST or in CHRIST dwelleth the fullnesse of the GOD head Corporally these are all one in sense To open the words before wee come to the Doctrine In Him That is in Christ-man or in that person whom we know to have had a body and soule like us is the same divine Nature which the Father and the Spirit have Or it may be constred thus in Christ that is the humane Nature of Christ dwelleth all the fulnesse of the God-head that is God the Son with His infinite deitie which commeth to no more then this God the Word was made flesh But the former is better because this phrase the fulnesse of the deitie doth note the divine Nature without any personall relation of it whereas the second sense doth necessarily take it to signifie the Person of God the Son with His Nature Secondly Christ man is fitly called God and therefore in Christ-man the God-head is sayd to dwell properly But CHRIST His humane Nature may not be sayd God and therefore the God-head is not so fitly sayd to dwell in the humane Nature as in the person denominated after it that is in Christ-man All the fulnesse That is the whole infinite indivisible Nature of GOD. bodily that is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Essentially or Personally the Greekes call body as we in our vulgar tongue here is no body that is no person so we say bodily perill for such danger as toucheth ones person The summe For in that man Christ Iesus the whole infinite Nature of God dwelleth not as in all believers who are His habitation nor as in His beloved Prophets in whom hee spake and gave His Oracles nor as in a materiall Temple which is different from the substance of him that inhabiteth but bodily that is so that this Divine Nature with the humane maketh one Person For the Doctrines 1 We see in generall What must make nerest in Christ onely as alsufficient even this that we know Him God blessed forever Shall not God allsufficient in Himselfe to Himselfe to all the creatures shall not He undertaking to be our King Priest and Prophet be allsufficient for it We fitly leave men seeking supply at God but to turne from God to men is to dig puddles and leave the spring of living waters Hence then first gather to thy selfe Vse how absurd those Papists are and how far from considring that which they know that Christ is God would they did they weigh this be so bold as to adde to His institutions to take away as in the Supper the Cuppe would they leave this Sunne of righteousnesse to follow the blind starre of their traditions let them say what they will they doe not truly consider this Let us likewise confirme our selves in our resting onely on Christ even from hence that He is God Vse 2 let us say with Saint Peter Whither shall wee goe thou hast the words of eternall life thou art the naturall Son of God thou art allsufficient In particular marke three branches of this Text 1 In whom this dwelling is sayd to be 2 What is sayd to dwell 3 In whom 1 Note That we must not looke at Christ as meere man Doct. but life up our mindes to that invisible nature which is in him Those that saw Him on earth whose eyes God opened not they saw nothing but man and therefore not knowing any thing else they crucified the Lord of glory And thus we al naturally are ready to know him after the fresh but when God giveth us that eagles eye of beliefe the evidence of things not seene then we see that God is with this man as being now substantially united to Him and made a part of His person This maketh Christ say when Saint Peter told Him Thou art the Sonne of God Flesh and blond hath not reveiled this to thee Peter And what doth make the Apostle often inculcate such descriptions but that we are slow of heart in considering this point For as many see a house or a tent that see not the inhabitant and as the body is hidde when the apparell is discerned So this humane nature unles we get the better eyes may be seene when the deity which dwelleth in it is not perceived 2 Marke Doct. That all the fulnesse of the God-head is communicated with Christ as man the whole entyre nature of God I understand by communicated as much as is united dwelleth bodily that is in unity of person w th Christ-man or in the same person with the humane nature For the divine Nature is a thing most simple not having bodily quantity one part out of another nor yet any composition in it Now that which is not compounded of parts cannot be divided If a man have house and land he may give to one Son one part to the Wife another but when the divine Nature is communicated it is all of it given or none at all Thy soule cannot bee divided one part from another thou canst not cut the light how
are nothing but the stinch which commeth from the dead corps I meane the body of sin dwelling within us For as heavie savours come from a putrified body so doe these motions from a corrupt soule And as a childe if he doe swarve from morality and civill vertue following whores and abominable courses be a royoter a theefe when thou seest an absence of civill vertue thou sayest he is even a lost childe what then shall wee thinke of our selves being without all heavenly vertue of faith hope joy in the Spirit godlinesse temperance c. The use is Vse that we would consider of sinne and our estate through it that we who have not thought of it may yet set our hearts to the way of life that we may be thankfull who have escaped from it that we may take heed of it and labour to be healed more and more of it Should some learned Physitian tell you such or such a deadly thing were growing on your body how would you thank him and make use of it Oh it is well with thee if God make thee wise that thou hearest this day how thou art dead in spirit and for us we are glad when we escape some great bodily sicknesse and if there dwell reliques of sicke matter wee keepe rules desanitate tuenda how much more should we be wise for our soules 3 That he saith they were dead in trespasses Observe What is the life of a naturall man even a death in trespasse Doct. tota infidelium vita peccatum like tree like fruit now the very conscience of them is polluted Tit. 1.15 without faith it is impossible to GOD. True it is that outwardly they doe many things that are laudable but still they walke in the flesh the Divell hath conjured them so into that circle that they cannot stirre forth of it Looke as in the flesh of a beast there is some part of greatuse bought up at great price some that is cast to the pudding pits yet all is flesh so in the life of the naturall man some workes are of good use and in commendation with man some are abominabl but all are of the flesh As a livelesse image hath the resemblance of a man but is nothing lesse So the vertuous actions of naturall men have that appearance of good but want the soule and life of it in which it consisteth This is to be marked against the Papists Vse as it teacheth us not to rest in this that we are neither theefe nor whore for be our life never so civill it is death in sinne till grace quicken There is a double madnesse as Hippocrates observeth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the one very light and toying the other more sober and solemne in which men sit still musing deepely upon some fancies Such a difference we have in spirituall phrensies some are very sober over other some as we see the lives of some naturall men gravely ordered and morally in comparison of others but yet all is deluded phrensie before GOD. 2 Marke hence Doct. 2 That our course in actuall sinne doth sinke us deeper and deeper in death when you were dead in sinne intimating thus much that the custome of their trespasses did hold them under death Even as the more the body putrifies it goeth further into death So here the more the soule doth exercise it selfe in evill the deeper it sinketh into the death of it It is fitly likened to the stone of the sepulchre this custome of actuall sinning for it doth seale us up and keepe us downe more strongly under it Vpon this ground the Prophet asketh How shall the Leopard change his spots no more can those that are accustomed to evill learne to doe well Which must make us take heed how wee goe on in a sinfull course Vse for it maketh us rot in this spirituall death and maketh it more difficult for us to returne Many that procrastinate repentance they thinke not on this You hath He quickened with CHRIST that is both perfectly in CHRIST with whom your life is hid and initially in your selves being joyned with CHRIST Vos cum Christo convivificavit conjunctos Christo Observe hence Doct. How farre we are from being prepared to receive the grace shewed us by GOD when we are quickened to beleeve Even as well disposed as Lazarus was for his resurrection to this present life of whom it was said that he now stanke in the grave No there was as much disposition in that Tohu and Bohu that inanity and deformity which was before the world to the being yea the ordinate being of all the Creature as there is in our soules to the worke of grace We are as farre from this heavenly forme of supernaturall life as the deformed Chaos of the Creature was from this beautifull figure before the LORD did bring it forth There is nothing in Nature can so dispose a man to grace as that it should necessarily follow for onely the principal agent which bringeth in the forme it selfe is able to worke the immediate disposition upon which the forme ensueth As nothing but fire can bring combustible matter to be so sparke as that whereupon it presently burneth for such a disposition is the first point of bringing in he forme it selfe In this therefore many of the Papists are wide yea Vse erre from sound reason it selfe let us therefore by confessing our owne utter untowardnesse and repugnancie to GOD's worke glorifie His Name 2 That hee doth mention their estate before to illustrate GOD's mercy Observe Doctr. What is the way to bring men to thankfull acknowledgement of GOD's grace to teach them to see what they were when GOD shewed it Thus Moses thorow the Booke of Deuteronomie often calleth on them to think what they were in Aegypt yea from their comming forth of Aegypt to that day wherein he spake being now not many dayes from his death So Ezek. 16.30 Saint Paul every-where The Papists doe most wickedly derogate from GOD's glory Vse 1 while they teach something in us which is a partiall agent with God so good preparations and dispositions to this and that But Moses otherwise Not for the goodnesse of thy heart not that yee were more in number though He cast off others for their sinnes He tooke not thee for thy deservings We may hence strengthen our selves Vse 2 not to doubt in receiving God's particular promises though we finde our selves unworthy nothing so fitted as we should be Not unto us O Lord but unto thy Name c. For my Name-sake not for your sake O yee House of Israel As at the first so after GOD doth dispense His favours that we have still cause to confesse our unworthinesse to His Name to CHRIST our Mediatour to His Truth all is to be attributed and from them all is to be expected Hath He quickened together with Him Observe then That all believers have a new life in and through Christ Doct. To understand it wee must note that CHRIST in
fasteth Quest and refrayneth some things and the other doe the same There is great difference in the antecedents Answ and manner of doing it and effect A Papist and naturall man conceiveth of lustings as rebelling to reason and hindering morall vertue and the free contemplation of mind not as sins but a thing indifferent capable of vertue or vice as obeyed or otherwise thus the Papists also after a manner But Gods children resist them as sinfull inclinations and whoorish lustings which hinder them in loving their God yea are enmity to him and fight against their soules They differ also in the ends which moove the one and the other to refraine Naturall men they doe it to vaunt themselves of more perfection then others have attayned to purchase themselves a naturall liberty of mind in such considerations as by Nature it reacheth Sometime for politique respects because hee is not counted fit for government who is subject to sensuall passion The Papist he doth it as a part of perfection as a thing in it selfe pleasing God as a point of merit with God But a good Christian hee doth refraine for the kingdome of heaven how not to deserve it by such course but that by this course done in faith he may subdue his lusts and kill them for it is their death not to be obeyed and that hee may have more freedome in Gods service For the manner of doing it the one doth it out of Nature sometime for as Christ saith of Eunuchs some are by nature so the same may be said of abstinence Some by Nature are averse from that liberty in dyet which others affect But all besides true Christians doe it out of their owne strength whereas a true believer he doth it by the spirit of GOD bewayling his weakenesse seeking to Christ for his strength to crucify these things to him and him to them 2 A Christian doth not absteyne for the thing simply prophaning that but from lust simply that he resisteth the thing so farre forth as his lust taketh occasion by that which is in it selfe good Now unbelievers looke not to inward lusts so much nor cry not downe them as they vilifie the things themselves desired Hence is a third difference the faithfull doe not make a set exercise upon stinted times onely to refraine or totally at once renounce the touching them but daily as they feele themselves tempted they resist eating with thankesgiving when they feele themselves not indangered by them Lastly they so refraine that they know their refraining it selfe doth not commend them to GOD for if not eating and drinking were in it selfe more holy than eating and drinking Iohn Baptist should have been more holy than CHRIST but as through the working of GOD's Spirit it is to them being weake a meane of their more firme cleaving to GOD. Now all other extoll the thing it selfe and rest in it as a matter of great perfection In the effect following they may be distinguished for the one have by their exercise greater confirmation of an externall morall habit the other true sanctification viz. death of sinne and life of grace promoted in them To teach us that we bee not beguiled Vse 1 nor yet have these externall exercises in admiration which such as know not the power of godlinesse abound in often yea we must be wise to distinguish things that differ for the Divell in his will play the Ape and imitate what GOD doth worke soundly in the hearts of His chosen This must provoke us to fight in right order against sensuall lusts Vse 2 Shall naturall men and others led in error be thus abstinent and in their fashion subdue their sensuall appetites and shall wee who have CHRIST with us our sanctifier lye downe as conquered of them Plato superstitious Popish wretches will condemne many Christians who feed their hearts in whatsoever they desire And so much for these words Now if you take the end of it sounding to the first sense Obs 1. That exercises much regarded with men Doct. are of no esteeme with GOD Circumcision nor uncircumcision are nothing much lesse meat eating or not eating commend not to GOD but a new creature many things great and glorious in the eyes of man are abominable before GOD which if the Papists considered they would not extol the rules of their Monkish orders the life of Anachorets nor yet cry downe with such base termes those that use their liberty in CHRIST as CHRIST and Abraham the Father of the faithfull have given them example 2 From the reason why they are in no price with GOD because they are occupied about the body the filling of it Doct. Observe therefore in generall that Bodily externall things are not of worth with GOD He is a Spirit worship in spirit and truth is His delight for a Synecdoche must here be marked one kinde put for the generall seeing there is the same disproportion in them to God the same in one that is in another even as in Nature like joyeth that which is like it So here GOD being a Spirit doth delight in that which is spirituall like Himselfe And as to a creature which liveth a pure sensible life reasonable delights are as nothing to it tell a horse a story never so pleasant it affects him not So to a pure spirituall nature sensible matters give no contentment In which the Papists had need to consider who follow GOD too too much with sensible things and thinke they take Him because they affect us FINIS LECTVRES PREACHED VPON THESE TEXTS OF SCRIPTVRE By Mr. PAUL BAYNE Esay Chap. 5. v. 12. Psal 50. v. 21 22 23. 1 Pet. Chap. 1. v. 17. Psal 119. v. 1. to v. 32. Luke Chap. 13. v. 24. 1 Pet. Chap. 4. v. 18. 2 Cor. Chap. 7. v. 1. Luke Chap. 2. v. 14. Philip. Chap. 2. v. 12 13. Hebr. Chap. 3. v. 13. 1 Tim. Chap. 2. v. 2. 2 Tim. Chap. 1. v. 9. 2 Tim. Chap. 1. v. 12 13 15 16.