but it hath by a kinde of excellency the common name of all other given it because it is the chiefe of other 2. This Gospell was published by Iesus Christ Himselfe immediately in His owne Person who is truth it selfe I am the truth 3. It is so called to prevent our unbeliefe who do with this as with other good newes we say it is too good to bee true who by nature count it to be foolishnesse the Holy Ghost therefore to take us by the hand doth style it a Word of truth This serveth to strengthen our faith in the particular promises Vse 1 that God assureth us they are truth it selfe if an honest man as he is telling me any thing that is somwhat strange shall interlace this asseveration I assure you that it is very true I speake no more then I know we doe the better beleeve him in it much more when GOD shall binde Himselfe by His Word and oath and seale to it It sheweth us the power of this Gospell Vse 2 it shall prevaile against all Popery and Heresies Mighty is Truth we can doe nothing against it but for it It doth convince the unbeliefe of GODS Children and the prophane scorne of the wicked Vse 3 who thinke that these things are but golden phancies to make fooles fond with VERSE 6. Which is come unto you as it is in all the World and bringeth forth fruit as it doth also in you since the day yee heard of it and knew the Grace of GOD in Truth HOw the Gospell by Gods providence doth visite us Obs 1 not looking after it it commeth to us wenot minding it all the things of the Gospell are not once in our thoughts by nature every one of us have this Word sent to us as the whole World had at the first publishing of it How was this they sate in darkenesse as our Saviour saith Mat. 4.16 The people which sate in darknesse saw great light and to them which sate in the region and shadow of death light is sprung up we all were estranged from the life of God through ignorance Eph. 4.18 Committing sin with greedinesse God looking on this their misery sent His Embassadours His Apostles Mat. 28. Goe teach all Nations c. God also did direct them and moove them in executing this His command sometime by fitnesse of circumstance sometime by brethrens information sometime by instinct of his spirit guiding them hither and thither and hindering them as Saint Paul from Bithynia from such places as stood not with his pleasure We cannot make the Sunne rise nor set that giveth light to our bodies God doth make it rise c. So much more doth it belong to Him to raise up this light of the Gospell and carry it by His Ministers the Vehicula of it whither He pleaseth and it is an argument hereof that it is sent by God not sought for of us because it commeth where it is gaine-said As God saith Rom. 16.21 All the day long have I stretched forth my hands unto a disobedient and gaine-saying people To shew us how it is with our selves Vse 1 for thus it came to us when the most and the greatest did not send for it We must acknowledge from hence the free grace of God Vse 2 which doth visite us and send us such blessed tydings who inquire not after them We must rejoyce in it Vse 3 and walke by the light of it we are glad of the light of the Sun yea of a candle how much more should we be glad that this glorious light of the Gospell is come amongst us The faithfulnesse of GOD in his promises Obs 2 and the piercing force of this heavenly Truth God hath promised long agoe to give Christ a light to the Gentiles and a witnesse to the end of the World accordingly we see it here made good the world is visited with the Word of truth And as it letteth us see that God keepeth touch so the force of this Word is commended by this Circumstance that this Doctrine should goe through the World in so short a space yea and be fruitfull this argueth a Divine power in it that like as the Sunne getteth up like a Gyant runneth from East to West in a short space So this Sun did scoure it apace through all the Coasts of the earth The light is a piercing Creature even bodily light much more this which is Spirituall This may be further opened by showing how this is to bee meant that it is come through the World 2. What reasons there were furthering it For the first We must not understand every hamlet Town-ship much lesse every Creature in the world but the most principall parts by a Synechdoche are put for the whole as we say all the world doe thus or thus when the most parts of it do the thing and thus it might bee prooved by the acts and story how the Gospell was preached in all the quarters of the earth yea in the most remote Northerne parts Crescens in France Thomas in Germany as Sophronius writeth Simon Zelotes in our Country as Nicephorus saith Ioseph of Arimathea as Gildas yea Paul himselfe as Theodoret and Sophronius witnesse The reasons of it may bee taken partly from the great aboundance of light which is in the Gospell above the old Scriptures they being as a Candle in a darke place which could not cast its light farre and therefore was bounded within one Nation This being like the Sunne for cleerenesse speading forth the beames of it more aboundantly but in vaine the Sunne shineth to blind men The principall cause therefore was in the abundance of the spirit powred forth upon the Resurrection of Christ The instrumentall causes 1. The fidelity of those primitive Pastors 2. The lively Communion of the primitive Christians who did not hide their Candle under a Bushell but did shine as lights to others and labour the Conversion one of another See what Paul saith 1 Thes 1.8 of that people From you sounded out the Word of the Lord not onely in Macedonia and Achaia but also in every place your faith toward God is spread abroad The promises fulfilled are seales to us that the rest shall be accomplished We may amplifie our unworthinesse Vse 2 that which subdueth the World standeth still and getteth no ground with us what with negligent Pastors Christians careles of all heavenly comfort chiefely that we have grieved the spirit so with our unfruitfulnesse that he doth not delight to joy in us That the Word of God is Effectuall Obs 3 it never wanteth His fruit where it commeth Wherever God doth send it Hee hath some fruit to gather to Himselfe some whom He will make heires of Salvation It was not the ordinance of God to send the Apostles onely to ring an empty sound of the Gospell Ioh. 15.16 but to gather fruite which might abide to everlasting life Eph. 4.8 God giveth Pastors and Teachers to gather the Saints
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
is made a cuppe of fine wine to carry to the heart more effectually a cuppe of deadly poyson whereas the faithfull ones they commend good things in us that they may more equally in their just reproofes be heard of us As a Physitian guildeth a pill that it may be taken the better or to encourage them and excite them to thankefullnesse or some such purpose To teach us godly wisedome Vse and by learning the cunning of these men to bee fore-armed against the hurt of them If the tongue of Angells should withdraw us from CHRIST or any part of his truth the Lord give us power to accurse them and turne from them as most dangerous Syrens that thus goe about to bewitch us VERSE 5. For though I bee absent in the flesh yet am I with you in Spirit rejoycing and beholding your order and your stedfast faith in Christ NOw hee commeth to prevent an objection Why Saint Paul might they say you know not us how we are in beliefe it may be these Ceremony-masters told them he was one that thought least of them to which S. Paul answers though I have not beene with you in body yet you are in my heart I in my mind by relation of others know how it is with you I am in mind with you rejoycing and fixing mine eye on your order and the solidity of your faith towards Christ Marke hence first Doctr. There is a presence whereby Saints are one with another though never so farre disjoyned Saint Paul absent in body with the Colossians present in spirit We believe the communion of all Saints Now were there no way for them by which they might bee each with other how could they communicate together but as we say where the minde is there is the man Now the minde may be in heaven in the utmost corner of the earth wheresoever the thought and affection is hither we are transported in spirit thus Eliah saith to Iehu was not my spirit with thee because God by vision showed him what his servant did For looke as a man may be corporally present without his mind there so he may be in mind here or there where his body commeth not By the mind is to be understood the operation of the mind namely the thought and affections This therefore doth shew us an excellent priviledge of Gods people Vse 1 that after some sort as Christ is with us all to the end of the world so we are with him and one with another For His bodily presence is not with us but the presence of spirit and power never forsaketh us Yea this must teach us one to be in the thought of another Vse 2 not to suffer it to be out of sight and out of mind as we speake in the proverbe It is to be bewailed that our hearts are no more with the Churches everywhere then they are If wee could sit still in our Chayres and goe hither and thither bodily whither would we not goe Rejoycing and seeing That is in spirit discerning as an absent thing but by the image of it made present to the mind for this is the difference of the Greeke words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and with joy seeing their order and faith Observe first Doct. The nature of love it rejoyceth as Saint Paul speaketh in the truth in the worke of grace where it is discerned Iohn 3.4 thus Saint Iohn what greater joy have I then that you walke in the truth How glad are loving Nurses and Parents of all comelinesse and lovely qualities in their Children Even so those who have Gods Nurceries and are Fathers in Him they joy in nothing more then in the externall and internall graces of his children On the contrary how was Saint Paul grieved when the Church of Corinth had such a blemish as that incestuous one uncast forth Alas we want spirituall love Vse let which end will goe forward keepe from being whore or theefe though there be no power of godlinesse no heavenly mindednesse no opennesse of heart love appearing we grieve not though the soules of men lye in a dead swoone for any vitall action of the life of God our spirits moove not if we perceive not forwardnesse of grace we like Iosephs brethren envy it rather then take comfort in it censure it as pride humor singularity nay Pulpits sometimes speake this english Your order Observe hence Doct. That all things in the Primitive Churches were most orderly constituted and carryed Looke at the government at the administrations at the conversations of Christians all you shall see were full of order First there was an order of government for where there is no government there is no order If all were one member there were no order in the body there were some governing some governed Governours such as laboured in word and Doctrine publiquely and ordinarily receiving calling thereto from Christ by his Church or else such as attended the inspection of manners not dealing ordinarily with the Word and Sacraments but as occasion required not by authority directly from Christ but as delegates from the Pastors There were Deacons ministring in carefull oversight of the poore Finally the assembly which was governed by their leaders For ministrations all were comely in their holy native simplicity which became all seemely circumstances of time and place observed in them As I have received of the Lord Iesus Christ so have I delivered unto you 1 Cor. 11.23 Let all be done decently For their conversation they went out and in about their own businesses keeping their owne rankes If one did walke inordinately but as an idle tattler he was noted and they severed from him 2 Thes 3.11 They did goe by rule as in an orderly march 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Gal. 6.16 they did 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1 Thes 4.12 walke honestly towards them that are without Hence we may learne to mourne at the disorder every where Vse the pompous tyranny the idle toyish ceremonies and fopperies in the Worship of GOD by Popish masse-Priests the most wicked and yet uncensured conversations which may be seene amongst Christians Lastly Doct. marke hence What a joyfull sight it is to see soules cleave to Christ and hold by him A true hearted subject cannot but joy to see the subject cleave fast in all allegiance to his soveraigne Lord the King So it feedeth the hearts of the true servants of Christ to see others stand fast to Him If you stand fast wee are alive It is a pleasant sight to see a valiant man being assaulted on every side stand his ground and quit himselfe bravely But for a souldier of Christ by faith on Christ to subdue all hostility of Sathan and not give backe a foote is much more goodly and glorious to behold Thus Saint Paul now he saw the Divell brave them with tearmes of learning the depth of philosophicall speculation and offering to make them ashamed of the simplicity of
supremum numen Yet the Councell of Laodicea condemned it in them and what did the King in Daniel require to be esteemed the highest GOD No but to have a divine worship more than humane which yet Daniel would rather dye than yeeld unto Religious worship is not capable of subdivisions as but one GOD so but one religious worship all other worship is Charitatis as Saint Augustine saith not Servitutis such as we worship one another with not religious Saint Augustine doth not distinguish religious worship into 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as two kindes of it but worship in generall into religious every degree whereof is Latria and into humane which he calleth Dulia Servitus corporis non animae such as subjects give their Prince servants their masters who are over them but according to the flesh therefore can have but an externall worship done to them In the second place Vse 2 let us not religiously adore any Creatures Revel 19.10 the most excellent are but our fellow servants If any subjects doe looke at some noble personage about the King with honour and acclamation a little more than usuall though farre lesse than that the King receiveth is it not derogatory to the highest Majesty Even so we cannot enter the least degree of honour above that which is civill due to fellow Citizens with us but so much as is above proveth detracted from the LORD's glory to whom all religious worship entirely belongeth Intruding into these things he hath not seene This hath the force of an argument Hee that voucheth matters hee hath no knowledge in you are not to passe for such a ones sentence But these doe so Obs then Doct. What is the property of a false deceiver to speake that he hath not certainely knowne The Apostles of Christ they often interlace this as a circumstance winning credit and testifying their fidelity The things wee have seene doe wee shew unto you Thus Saint Iohn in his first Epistle Chap. 1.1 So Saint Peter ◠Pet. 1.20 Yea our SAVIOUR telleth them that he spake nothing but what he had seene and heard from the Father So all the servants of GOD testifie nothing which they doe not by faith discerne in the Word of GOD. But false teachers will broach the speculation of their owne braines tell things as CHRIST speaketh in their owne name which they have not received and learned from GOD But as thus it is generally erred of false teachers So they then runne into this fault principally when through curiosity and metaphysicall speculation they will runne into descants of their owne imagination in nice points not contenting themselves to be wise within those bounds which God hath revealed in His Word To which vice the Popish schoole is exceedingly addicted for what hidden point of the divine Trinity have they not determined What things about offices gifts order of Angels have they expressed as if they had been amongst them as they are called Scraphicall and Angelicall What is in Heaven or Hell that they have not particularized I so farre as to set downe the smells the dinnes the nature of the fire as if they had come thence locally But you will say Object when may we know that a man speaketh things he hath not knowne nor seene When he voucheth any thing in GOD's truth or worship Answ any matter of beliefe or practice without the Word of GOD for then he is and needs must be in the darknesse of his owne naturall reason which discerneth not things spiritually perceived As these vouched a point of worship which GOD's Word had not taught As no man knoweth what is in another Countrey unlesse hee goe to it or have true information from it So no man can tell what is in Heaven till GOD take him thither or send word hither to informe us for here is no third Not to let ungrounded subtilties dazle our eyes Vse 1 seeing the truth is they have no being but in the phantasie of those who imagine them Let us be wise Vse 2 not so much to looke what is said by false teachers as to consider how they prove it Let us take heed of this arrogancie in God's matters Vse 3 and not speake that we have not seene by faith in His Word Not that we may not speake things which wee know but weakely but wee must not speake any thing which in some measure wee have not warrant for from the truth of God for Saint Iohn preached of CHRIST when he knew Him not so fully as afterward he did Passed up by his fleshly minde Obs What is the cause of vouching Doct. yea of diving into hid things viz. Pride Let none be high minded let none be wise above that which is written But one may aske in what standeth this Pride Answ In leaving the direction of GOD's Word and following the dictamen or suggestion of our owne reason How doth he condemne himselfe that taketh upon him being a novice to make conclusions of an art he never entered And what a Pride is it for some ignorant schollar to put by the direction of his Tutor or Schoole-master So for us in these things which are onely taught of God not to respect the Lectures read to us in His Word or by His Vshers in whom He teacheth for us who are borne altogether rude and ignorant of the Kingdome of heaven that is as ignorant of saving knowledge in heavenly matters as any beast is in civill affaires for us to set downe determinations beyond our element VERSE 19. And not holding the head from which all the bodie by joynts and bands having nourishment ministred and knit together encreaseth with the encrease of GOD. NOw he commeth to the third Argument Such as hold not CHRIST the Head you are not to stand upon their condemning of you These that teach you worship of Angels hold not Him who is sufficient for all the body of His Church Ergo. The verse containes two things 1 The state of these Sect-masters in as much as they did not hold CHRIST 2 The description of CHRIST our Head from His efficacie in all His members In which three things are set downe 1 What groweth in CHRIST the Head viz. the whole body 2 How it commeth to grow viz. being furnished and coupled by joynts and ligaments unto the Head 3 The growth it selfe groweth with the encrease of GOD. Before we enter the verse observe thus much That looking to the Creatures for helpe and grace Doctr. doth make us fall from CHRIST Such as are worshippers of Angells hold not CHRIST if saith Saint Paul ye will be justified by your owne working CHRIST will profit you nothing He is dead in vayne And this is most true in the Roman Church where amongst Saints and Angells CHRIST can have little roome little respect in comparison It is with faith and religious service so that they cannot be lent unto any other but they are made one with it and are
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
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
us should quicken us to all duty 2 Our riches of glory are kept for us in the heavens 3 The hearing of the Gospell bringeth us to be possessed of our hopes 4 The promises of the Gospell are infallible and certaine Verse 6. 1 THe Gospell doth visit us not looking after it 2 The faithfulnesse of God in His promises and the piercing force of His heavenly truth 3 The Word of God is effectuall it never wanteth His fruit where it commeth 4 It is good dealing with men to come home to their own experience 5 Before wee can have the fruit of the Word wee must heare the Word 6 Not all hearing no nor all knowing but the true inner powerfull affectionate knowledge is it which is fruitfull Verse 7. 1 ALbeit men are not graced with great titles yet their worke is not in vaine in the Lord. 2 We must speake the best of all but especially of Ministers though not outwardly glorious Verse 8. 1 WE are to speake such things of man to man as may tye them in love more neerely one to another 2 The best intelligence and newes fittest for Ministers to speake and heare of is how it fareth with the soules of the faithfull 3 We are to tell what good things God worketh in our people 4 Our love must be hearty and unfeigned Verse 9. 1 MInisters must not onely teach and admonish but pray for their people 2 We must not delay going to God when occasion is offered 3 We must persevere in Prayer 4 Our Prayers must be fervent 5 We must wish those that are called a blessed proceeding in grace Verse 10. 1 OVr pleasing of God must be in all things 2 We must be fruitfull in good workes 3 We must encrease in the knowledge of God Verse 11. 1 CHristians have need of spirituall strength to walk with God in their spirituall conditions 2 We have not need of strength only but great strength 3 All our strength commeth from the strong God 4 Long-suffering is an argument of great spirituall strength 5 We have need of patience and long-suffering Verse 12. VVE must as well give thankes for the things given us as begge for that we want 2 By nature we are unfit for God's Kingdome 3 That matter God calleth us unto viz an heavenly inheritance must move us to blesse Him 4 Onely Saints shall inherit the glorious inheritance 5 Our inheritance in heaven for substance and nature is light Verse 13. 1 NOne living in the state of darknesse can be inheritours of God's Kingdome 2 Wee are all by nature under the power of the Divell the prince of darknesse and are in all kinde of darknesse 3 It is speciall matter of praise that God hath put us under the government of Christ Verse 14. 1 THe singular love of Christ our King that Hee hath bought us with His bloud 2 The greatest blessing we have by Christ our King is that He doth procure us pardon of our sinne 3 Before we can have any blessing from Christ we must be partakers of Christ Verse 15. 1 IT is matter of praise that we have such an one to be our King and Saviour who is God with the Father 2 It is a wonderfull benefit to us that we are made subjects to such a King as is the Lord lesus Christ Verse 16. 1 THese creatures which we see doe give testimony to the invisible God whom we see not 2 Christ hath just title to the Lordship and inheritance of all the creatures 3 Christ our King is the Creator of all things 4 God hath His places and ministers attending about Him unseene and unknowne to us 5 Our Lord Iesus Christ is the Creator of Angels 6 As by Him so to His honour all the creature was made Verse 17. 1 OVr King is ancienter than all creatures 2 All things are preserved in their being moving and order by Christ Verse 18. 1 CHrist hath not Lordship over the creatures onely but also over the Church 2 We have such a Head given us of God who is God with the Father 3 Christ hath a most neere compassionate and beneficiall superiority over His Church 4 Onely the Church and people of God have Christ so neere and so beneficiall to them 5 All the Church is the body of Christ 6 The dignity of the faithfull in having so neere conjunction with Christ 7 Christ's Resurrection hath speciall priviledge above all others Verse 19. 1 VVHatsoever the man-hood of Christ is advanced unto it is the meere grace of God not the merit of the creature 2 It is an admirable glory to which our nature is exalted that God should dwell personally in our nature and take it to Himselfe so as to be of the substance of His person Verse 20. 1 THat which gave occasion to the incarnation of the Son of God was our enemy-like estrangement from God 2 God followeth froward man 3 Christ must first have the God head dwell personally in Him before Hee can take up the matter betwixt God and us 4 The deare Sonne of God is the worker of our reconciliation with God 5 All our peace is grounded in the bloud-shed of Christ Iesus 6 The Fathers of old were reconciled to God by the bloud of Christ 7 The Fathers were in heaven before Christs Ascension Verse 21. 1 VVE must not only teach in generall but apply in particular the things of the Gospell 2 We must not forget our miserable condition by nature 3 A most miserable condition not to be a member of the visible Church 4 We by nature are enemy-like affected to God and His people 5 Our naughty actions discover our enemy-like affections Verse 22. 1 AS we must looke with one eye downe to our unworthinesse so wee must cast the other up on God's mercies to us 2 The grace of God is most free and large 3 Every one who findes his sinne forgiven in Christ shall one day be made glorious before Him Verse 23. 1 VVHosoever is partaker of the benefit of reconciliation by Christ must persevere founded and established in Christ 2 Wee must bee well grounded and lay a good foundation 3 Hee loseth his hope that is removed from his profession 4 The Gospell hath beene preached thorow the world 5 Paul was a speciall instrument thereof Verse 24. 1 IT is no new thing for the Ministers of Christ to be afflicted for the Gospell 2 The Church loseth nothing but gaineth much by the sufferings of the godly 3 The Church is the body of Christ Verse 25. 1 TThe Ministers of CHRIST are the Ministers of the Church 2 Their ministery is committed to them by the most wise and holy government whereby God governeth the Church His house 3 A Minister must have a care of every part of his charge Verse 26. 1 THe Gospell is a mysterie not to be attained by any wit or learning 2 It is the priviledge onely of the Saints to know the mysteries of the Gospell Verse 27. 1 THe Gospell
which faith layeth hold on onely CHRIST IESUS this is the only matter that Faith claspeth for righteousnesse before God and life everlasting So God loved the world Ioh. 3.16 that he gave His only begotten Son that whosoever beleeveth in Him should not perish but have life everlasting He is lifted up as the brazen Serpent that eying Him crucified we might be healed Rom. 3.25 Him hath GOD set forth for a reconciliation through faith in his bloud True it is the same saving faith beleeveth all that is set downe of GOD in the Scripture all particular promises for the passing of this life for these distinct offices doe not make three distinct faiths in us as the reasonable sensitive and naturall functions doe not make three soules in man but one whose effects are three-fold Neverthelesse Faith though it lay hold of all truth as it is taught yet so farre forth as it justifieth it buildeth and leaneth it selfe on Christ onely like as the Israelites they with their eyes did see divers things and looke on sundry objects as occasion served but so farre as they got themselves healed of the stings of firy serpents they looked with their eyes at nothing but the serpent lifted up To rebuke the worldlings faith Vse 1 which is grounded not on CHRIST crucified but such a mercy in GOD as is generally so good that it will save all The Papists their faith is grounded on their good workes with CHRIST and on the treasury of merits and satisfaction but the Arke and Dagon wil not stand together CHRIST and this stubble will not agree Wee may trie the truth of our faith this way Vse 2 it layeth hold on CHRIST Eph. 3 17. Phil. 3.3.7 bringeth Him to dwell in the heart rejoyceth in Him counteth all things drosse in comparison of Him Toward whom our love especially must be shewed Obs 2 to Saints Gal. 6.10 Rom. 12.13 Doe good to all especially to the houshold of Faith Distribute to the necessities of the Saints My good reacheth to the Saints Psal 16. all my delight is in them All in their order are to have the fruits of our love but those most who are nearest us as in nature every one is next himselfe then next to such as are of his bloud in neerest degree or otherwise made one body with him as the wife with the husband Thus in grace after GOD and our owne soules the Saints are neerest us as who are by faith and love fellow-members knit to CHRIST the Head of us all Againe a wise man will sow his seed in the best ground which will returne it with most increase So a Christian will sow the fruits of his love chiefly on the Saints for GOD taketh that which is done to them as done to Himselfe Againe this love of the brethren the Saints is a token we are translated from death to life for as this is a token the world doth not know GOD and so have not life everlasting in them because they know not His children So it is an evidence when we acknowledge such as are begotten of GOD that God hath brought us to know him who is the begetter of them To stirre us up to our duties Vse 1 our eyes should be to them that are faithfull our affections with them Birds of a feather will fly together good fellowes love one another And shall not the fellowship of grace in those that are members of one body whereof CHRIST is the Head knit the Saints together in the strongest band of love This rebuketh the weaknesse of some Vse 2 they are afraid to give any countenance to a Saint though like Nicodemus they have some good affection and liking to the godly yet they dare not be seene to hold any neere communion and familiar converse with such lest they should be thought Puritanes and favourers of men in disgrace with the State Blessed is he that is not offended at CHRIST in His poore members This rebuketh the prophanenesse of othersome Vse 3 who as the Philistims brought out Sampson when they would be merry So out must some Saint come and beare their flouts and derision when they are more pleasantly disposed Ismaeliush mockers of Isaak Yea others worse than the former hate the Saints wish there were not one in a towne of them like Cain who hated his brother to death because his workes were better than his It is an evidence of a godly heart to cleave more affectionately to those who are more godly than other And it savours of a carnall heart in a great measure when any one doth equally impart his favour If any have points of service and can apply themselves to their humour though they have small acquaintance with GOD they shall be countenanced this maketh their religion linsey-woolsey this confirmeth the hands of such in their carnall course this maketh those that are good more remisse than they should be should they finde from Christians better incouragement Davids delight was in the Saints Psal 16.3 Ps 101.6 he did purge his family of such as were unprofitable and gracelesse he set his heart on such as did set their hearts to please GOD in all things not such as could get the length of his foot were precious in his eyes Can a loyall wife take pleasure in such men who are observant and officious about her but devoid of all respect to her husband Are your soules betrothed to GOD in CHRIST and can you abide their service about you who are carelesse in dutie toward your LORD with whom you are by faith contracted this shewes there is but a forme of godlinesse or that it is much decayed when wee can like of men not as wee see them sincerely serve GOD but as their behaviour is more or lesse pleasing and contentful to our selves VERSE 5. For the hope which is laid up for you in heaven whereof ye heard before in the Word of truth the Gospell FOr the hope Hope is put for the quality of hope or the thing hoped for we are to take it here in the latter sense Observe hence Obs 1 What is a spurre quickning us to all duty the recompence which our GOD hath in store for us Heb. 11.25 26. Moses chose rather to suffer affliction with the people of GOD then to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season esteeming the reproach of CHRIST greater riches then the treasures of Aegypt for he had respect unto the recompence of reward We faint not knowing that our labour is not in vaine in the Lord. If the Lord kept nothing in store for us we might thinke as good play for nothing as worke for nothing but no office of love no not a Cup of cold water shall goe unrequited How doth this provoke to obedience but we must not hence thinke wee merit and grow mercenary minded serving for our Penny not of love to our Father for we looke not at these hopes this recompence of reward as
at a thing wee are able to deserve by our working but as at a free gift of inheritance which GOD will give us out of his Fatherly mercy to looke at it as deserved wages maketh a mercenary servant to eye it as a Patrimony given of grace maketh a Child-like and free obedience Though therefore we have not the thought of merit yet we have this benefit by our heavenly inheritance that it is a motive to us inviting to all duty We see hence what maketh such cold working and cold devotion amongst men even this Vse 1 we see not the rich recompence which GOD will give those things of Grace did wee see that GOD will for earthly things give us heavenly wee would part with them and count that dearely sold that were so given did we see the harvest of Glory how would we willingly abide the sweate all the day long No men thinke though they will not say so that it is in vaine to serve the Almighty what profit is there We see how we may provoke our selves to suffer and doe the Lords pleasure Vse 2 looke at this gracious reward It is not a dead work to serve God we are al for what wil you give me as Peter said Lord what shall we have that have left all to follow thee If thou beest all for what shalt thou have see these hopes of eternall Glory which GOD will give thee None payeth better wages none like to thy GOD. I know worldly men thinke a bird in hand better then many in the wood that they may have in hand they onely care for like prophane Esau esteeming a messe of pottage forth with better then a Birthright but the wise hearted will looke at the time to come and esteeme a good thing though in reversion better then of a present trifle Layd up for you in heaven Obser Where our riches of glory are kept for us in the heavens Obs 2 Not in the region of the ayre where birds fly called the heaven sometimes nor in the starry firmament but in a place above all these aspectable heavens called the highest heavens Ephes 4. Hebt 11. whither CHRIST ascended Our substance our best and most enduring wealth is in heaven 1 Pet. 1.4 Our inheritance we hope for is rest in the heavens for us and that fitly for where should our house and land and treasure our whole patrimony be but where our Country is where our Father dwelleth now GOD is our Father and he dwelleth in heaven which is our owne Country who are here but Pilgrims for a season Againe what is this hope but the glorious life we looke for Now where should the life of the branches of a Tree be kept but where the roote is So where should our glorious life be hidde but where CHRIST the roote of us all is with him yea this is most meet and behoofefull for us If an English man should sojourne in France a while and had great treasure to receive would he not choose rather to have it payd him at the Exchange in his owne Country then to have it there farre from his home and stand to the hazard of transporting of it So it fareth with us it is safer that our wealth should be paid us in heaven our own Country then here where we are but strangers wayfaring for a season To make us see how safe our heavenly treasure is Vse 1 it is where the Divell cannot come as you have it in the parable of Dives and Lazarus if we have worldly wealth we count it a great benefit to have sure custody for it where the rust cannot eate it nor thiefe digge through and steale it now there is no feare of that being safe which is kept in heaven This must make us heauenly minded Vse 2 rich mens mindes are all on their Coffers and Counting houses where the treasure is there will the heart be also So if we have wealth in heaven let us Converse in heaven Our conversation is in heaven This is a comfort against all present necessities which the Saints know Vse 3 though an heire know much hardship yet this doth stay him up well thinkes he I shall come to my lands one day Children will weare homely cloathes more contentedly when they thinke they have better layed up in their Mothers Chests Whereof you have heard Obser What bringeth us to be possessed of those hopes Obs 3 hearing of them by the Gospell that is by the glad tydings of them which GOD doth send us by his messengers our Saviour Iesus Christ hath brought life and immortality by the Gospell 2 Tim. 1.10 For looke as we cannot know what is done in France till some come over thence and tell us the newes there So we cannot know what is done in heaven till GOD send down the newes of it unto us for the Gospell is nothing but newes from heaven touching righteousnesse and life eternall through faith in Christ Iesus And as when things are lost we cannot come by them till we have word from the Crier or others that they are found So our life which we have all quite lost by nature we cannot get it againe 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 till GOD by his * Cryers Preachers send us word of it To stirre up our attention to this word which discovereth such wealth Vse 1 if one can tell us of some rich purchase at a cheape rate of some gainefull bargaine how readily will we heare on that side The Gospell telleth us of all blessednesse in this life and that to come through faith the unsearchable riches of Christ to which all the wealth in India is but drosse and dunge Eph. 3.8 all this is reveiled in the Gospell It sheweth us how we should love the Gospell if a man tell us tydings of a horse strayed we thinke our selves beholding to him But this telleth us newes of such heavenly things as never eye saw nor eart hath heard nor never entred into the heart of man to conceive In the word of truth Obser lastly from this verse Obs 4 How infallible and certaine all the promises of the Gospell are they are a true word The Gospell is called sometimes by generall names as Law Testimony Doctrine c. Sometimes from the efficient the Gospell of GOD Sometime from the property a wholesome word a word of truth The thinges we speake of are not yea and nay but Amen constant and true This is a true saying and worthy of all acceptation 1 Tim. 1 For the Gospell is His Word who cannot lie whose Knowledge Workes and Words are all true Qu. But why is this called the Word of truth when all the Word of God is true purer then silver seven times refined Answ Because this is the most principall part of Gods Word and therefore the common property of the Word is given it by a kinde of excellency as we call the plague the sicknesse not that a headache is not a sicknesse
and to build His body Though God doth send some as Esay speakes for further hardning of a people yet to some it is a sweete savour to God Some in whom His Word shall bee fruitfull to salvation whom He chiefely regardeth by it The Word is compared to Snow and showers which never fall in vaine Esay 55.10 11. As the raine commeth downe and the snow from heaven and returneth not thither but watereth the earth and maketh it bring forth and bud that it may give seed to the sower and bread to the Eater So shall my Word be that goeth forth of my mouth it shall not returne to Me voyd but it shall accomplish that which I please and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it Que. Now if it be asked what was this fruit Answ It was the reclaiming men from Idolatry ignorance all sensuall lusts of ignorance and bringing them to the living God to saving knowledge to the endeavour of true Holinesse This Word is the Lords net to catch soules the immortall seede that begetteth us to God the arme of God to Salvation To comfort those that have the dispensation of the Word Vse 1 it cannot be in vaine To make us all enter into our selves and see what the Word workes in us for if not to life it will bee effectuall to death 2 Cor. 2.15.16 For we are to God a sweete savour of Christ in them that are saved and in them that perish For to the one we are the savour of death unto death and to the other the savour of life unto life Examine what power the Word hath had upon you for the killing the unfruitfull works of darkenesse and the bringing forth the fruites of the spirit in you As it doth also in you Marke how he doth apply and confirme the generall from their particular case Obser hence Obs 4 That it is good dealing with men to come home to their owne experience Saint Paul frequently doth appeale to the knowledge judgement and experience of those hee dealeth with know you not judge you c. Men doe fruitfully apprehend and easily condescend to things thus convinced Thus to instance in these points Gods preventing us with His Word the power of GOD's Word what Christian in his owne experience may not subscribe to the truth of them This closing with our audit ours is a thing too much neglected Since the day ye heard of it Observe hence Obs 5 That before we can have the fruit of the Word we must heare the Word A diligent care is no small blessing no man can feele the strength of meat without taking downe none shall finde the fruit of the Word without hearing it Harvest without seed sowen shall assoone bee seene as true grace without the Word heard This therefore Prov. 2.3 is made a condition without which wee cannot come to wisdome viz. to hearken with our eares unto her True it is that many that lend the eare of the body are not fruitfull because though this be something yet it is not all but though giving the eare is not enough to make us fruitfull yet denying it it shall alwayes be able to hold us under unfruitfulnesse This convinceth such as through pride thinke they can doe well enough without hearing Vse 1 they can reade what can the Preacher say that wee know not To stirre us up to heare As a plant Vse 2 if the roote should not sucke in moisture could not be fruitfull So if the soule doe not by the eare for this is the passage sucke in that heavenly dew it will never be fruitfull Lastly That not all hearing no nor all knowing Observ but the true that is the inner powerfull affectionate knowledge is it which is fruitfull in us The greatest Clerks are not alwayes men of greatest conscience knowledge and conscience are often divorced the Divell knoweth more than we all There is a double knowledge the one literal when one conceiveth of things but hath no feeling of them in himselfe nor is not affected with them now this knowledge doth not alter a man There is another knowledge which is spirituall lively affecting the soule this breedeth the fruits of true obedience true desire of encrease c. To reade of the nature of Honey in a booke leadeth a man into some conceit of it but nothing affecteth him but to taste an honey-combe this maketh him know more freelingly and desire to taste further So it is in knowledge Sapientia is sapida scientia true knowledge is savoury knowledge that relisheth in the soule It letteth us see our misery for the present Vse 1 who have not the fruit of sanctification for this is an infallible evidence that wee never knew in truth the things of the Gospell those that knew in truth were fruitfull Thou therefore who hast not these spirituall fruits it is a sure signe that thou didst never know any thing truly nay it is fearfull for the time to come for it is a shrewd token GOD will never give thee true knowledge If our Gospell be hid it is hid to those that perish 2 Cor. 4.3 If a Physitian commeth to a man sicke and with all his art can doe him no good it is a token the patient is desperate even a dead man So when the spirituall Physitian hath beene long with thee and thou mend not it is fearefull I know men thinke they know as well as the best and can say as farre in a matter as another But if thy knowledge move thee not to obedience it shall helpe thee to so many more stroakes and prove thee a worse foole than the idiot that knoweth nothing VERSE 7. As yee also learned of Epaphras our deare fellow servant who is for you a faithfull Minister of CHRIST MArke hee bringeth in Epaphras as through whom they had beene fruitfull which teacheth us That such as are not graced with great titles Obs 1 their worke is not in vaine in the LORD Epaphras was neither Apostle nor Evangelist nor yet the chiefe teacher of them the Lord doth often choose such as are for outward circumstance foolish and weake ones that whatsoever is wrought may be apparantly perceived not to be theirs but the worke of GOD in them Hee knowes wee will easily dwell more in the man that speaketh than on Him who fendeth and the matter spoken like as many gaze more on the casket when it is curious than on the jewels within it and men looke at Cuppes rarely wrought admiring and commending them so that they delay to drinke the liquor in them We must not be offended at want of carnall circumstances in those who teach us Vse 1 the foolishnesse of GOD is wiser than men We must not be dismayed Vse 2 who are conscious to ourselves of such wants not an armie nor an host it is the Spirit of our GOD which must worke every thing From the fact of the Apostle commending Epaphras That we must speake the
our spirituall life 3 The manner by death 4 The end of this our reconcilement that Hee may present you holy c. that is Pure for holinesse is nothing but an universall godly purenesse then negatively by denying any remainder of spot or corruption inherent which dwelleth in us From the end marke thus much Obs That every one who is come to finde sinne forgiven in Christ shall one day be made glorious before Him This is thus gathered Christ doth reconcile us to God to this end that Hee may present us glorious before Himselfe Now either Christ must be frustrate of His purpose for which He spendeth no lesse than His bloud or else all true beleevers reconciled to God through Christ His bloud for this purpose shall obtaine this end in due season Which is so certaine that Saint Paul doubteth not to affirme according to the propheticall manner Such whom He hath justified He hath glorified because hee hath begun it in the worke of grace and will not leave till He have set them with Christ glorious in the Heavens See Ephes 5.26 27. Christ gave Himselfe for His Church that He might sanctifie and cleanse it with the washing of water by the Word that Hee might present it to Himselfe a glorious Church not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing but that it should be holy and without blemish If we buy a thing at a deare rate for this or that purpose will wee when the thing is bought and paid for not use it to that end it must bee because wee were not provident enough to see the best use our after-thoughts proving wiser or because some difficulty commeth betwixt us which we cannot overcome or that we are inconstant or that we did purpose it not absolutely but conditionally which condition was out of our hand in the power of another But for inconstancie impotencie or improvidence who dare ascribe them to the only wise eternall and unchangeable God Would a man with all his substance procure himselfe contracted with purpose of mariage and when he had brought it hither thus dearely leave her then and not take her to house Shall God with His bloud bring us to be contracted to Him by faith get His Fathers liking through Him and shall Hee not when the Father and all is pleased take us home to dwell with Him where He is This shall suffice to shew the truth of it Now for the manner of it Thou must know then that for good purpose it is an ancient custome that Contracts goe before mariages both to trie the constancie of the couple to encrease their mutuall desires after a certaine time thus passed they are publikely presented one before the other and the man taketh the woman home to house Thus it is with the Lord Iesus He is contracted to us but yet to trie us how we will hold to Him and because our wedding garments are but in making He stayeth till He come to Iudgement and then all being finished we shall bee presented before Him and bee taken to house even those heavenly mansions with Him for ever VERSE 23. If ye continue grounded and stablished in the faith and be not moved away from the hope of the Gospell whereof yee have heard and which hath beene preached to every creature which is under heaven whereof I Paul am a Minister THere followeth now an exhortation to perseverance delivered conditionally If yee continue c. Where first it may be demanded whether we be not reconciled to God absolutely and freely without any condition of persevering Whereunto I answer that if you looke to the cause of our reconciliation we are reconciled freely and absolutely by the bloud of Christ not by any thing in us past present or to come and our reconciliation hath alwayes perseverance joyned with it But if you looke to the proofe and triall of it whereby we know who is reconciled and who is not then reconciliation hath with it a condition of persevering and continuing that is no man is reconciled but he continueth So that perseverance is a condition not causing reconciliation but proving it Observe hence Obs Whosoever is partaker of the benefit of reconciliation by Christ must persevere founded and established c. and whosoever continueth not but is removed from the hope of the Gospell hath no portion in this reconciliation by Christ Mat. 24.13 He that continueth to the end shall be saved To him that overcommeth I will give a crowne of life Rev. 1.10 As the Israelites that desired to turne backe into Aegypt though they came out of it with joy and gladnesse never entered into the Land of Canaan yea Gen. 15.17 Lot's wife that did but looke back with a minde set upon the riches and pleasures of Sodom is left as a fearefull example unto all revolters Let us therefore cast our accounts before-hand and beware that wee bee not removed from our profession But what need we to be admonished or exhorted hereunto Object when it is certaine all that are truly reconciled shall continue for whom He loveth He loveth to the end and it is not possible that the Elect should be seduced Matth. 24. This doctrine of the certainty of our continuing Answ and this exhortation thereunto have good agreement among themselves for He that hath ordained we shall not fall away hath also appointed the meanes whereby we are kept from it whereof this exhortation is a Principall Our dayes are numbered shall we not therefore seeke to prolong our life by food and rayment or shall we therefore cast our selves into the fire or water because we cannot dye before our time God hath promised never to destroy the world againe by water but that there shall be seed-time and harvest to the end of the world shall we not therefore sow nor reape our corne When Saint Paul was in danger of shipwracke the Lord promised by an Angell Act. 27.31 That not a man among them should be lost yet when the marriners would have left the ship hee cried out except these men stay yee cannot be safe Now two things are requisite to make us continue viz. 1 A stedfast purpose of heart to cleave to God Act. 11.23 2 A diligent constant and religious use of the meanes Who so observeth these two things shall never fall contrariwise who so faileth in either of these can have little hope to persevere For first what likelihood he shall continue who hath not so much as resolved with himselfe so to doe And secondly how little worth such a resolution is without a carefull use of the meanes may appeare by the example of S. Peter who having a strong resolution not to deny CHRIST yet fell into it for want of using the meanes in a very grosse and shamefull manner And this resolution and use of the meanes is that in effect which the Apostle teacheth and requireth in the two words following where he shewes the cause and meanes
the manner We have a rule 2 Tim. 2.15 Studie to shew thy selfe a workman that needeth not to be ashamed dividing the Word of truth aright Now this standeth in teaching the truth above-named with respect of due circumstance considering what is fit for weake what for strong for young for old therefore there must be a Word of wisdome as Well as of knowledge 1 Cor. 12.8 Wisdome which must enable a steward of God's House so to distribute food that every one may have his due portion 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Thirdly for the Time we must feed often be instant in season and out of season not onely when all things are fit but out wrastling difficulties which would hinder a Minister is bidden to continue in doctrine and Saint Paul was night and day occupied in his dutie Acts 20. Now as a Minister must teach by word so also by example five times in the Epistles to Timothy and Titus there is charge given That they shew themselves presidents of all vertue For a sheepe of all other is a plaine creature they will follow one the other to die for it So our sheepe they feed as much at the eye as at the eare which made so many halt for company when Saint Peter halted Galath 1. Now if Christ who is the riches of that glorious mysterie Vse and the hope of glory be the matter and subject of our ministery with what diligence and faithfulnesse with what care and conscience ought we to preach and you to heare of so excellent so high and so holy a subject Oh that this were considered of those that prophane the Word and make it serve their purposes many times against God and godlinesse and biting most the most godly and religious and in the Pulpit maintaining bad persons and causes Or that the people would seriously consider this who either heare seldome or heare unreverently or are not effectually moved with that they heare Their faithfulnesse and diligence appeareth in the persons to whom they preached every man that is men of all Nations Iewes and Gentiles of all sorts of all ages and sexes Where note The goodnesse of God Doct. who would have everie man taught that hee might bee saved who will have all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth 1 Tim. 2.4 and therefore offereth salvation to all men Tit. 2.11 So that no man is exempted no man excluded but he that exempteth and excludeth himselfe and refuseth the grace of God so freely offered and intended to him Which is a ground of great comfort to poore sinners of all sorts that no sin Vse 1 nor no unworthinesse in us doth exclude us from the free offer of grace and salvation by the Gospell God lookes for nothing nor requires nothing at our hands but only to be humbled to repent and come in and receive a pardon It leaveth all impenitent and unbeleeving wretches such as refuse and contemne the Gospel altogether without excuse What can they say for themselves why sentence of condemnation should not passe upon them mercie hath beene proclaimed grace offered but they slighted the opportunity and therefore justly condemned 2 Hence observe Doctr. That it is the duty of the Minister not once to teach and admonish his whole flocke in grosse and generall but also every one in particular as he may have any good opportunitie or occasion offered How farre are they from this that doe it not so much as in generall Or how can they performe this that come at their flocks but now and then and that to milke and fleece them principally for though they feed them now and then when they come among them it is evident wherefore they come by the time when they come viz. at shearing time at Easter and harvest 3 Their faithfulnesse and diligence appeares in their manner and kinde of preaching both teaching and admonishing which is the duty of every Pastor for it is a small thing to informe the understanding with doctrine except also the heart be reformed by exhortation whereof admonition is one kinde and here put for all and it goeth well with us when we can be reformed by both The manner also of performing these things declareth their diligence and faithfulnesse namely in all wisdome for as the Word of CHRIST should dwell amongst us richly in all wisdome Col. 3.16 So the Minister should minister it in all wisdome wisely considering each ones capacity age sex condition applying the Word unto them accordingly for to the Pastor the Word of wisdome is committed 1 Cor. 12.8 The shepherd may not feed or drive the young lambes and the strong ones of the flock alike neither may the Minister deale alike with the weak and strong Those that have little knowledge must be gently taught babes must be fed with milke those that have knowledge but want conscience must be sharply rebuked that they may be sound in the faith they that are cast downe must be supported and raised up the bold and presumptuous must be beaten downe upon some we must have compassion putting difference others we must save with feare plucking them out of the fire Iude verse 22. Publike sinnes must be rebuked openly that others may feare Sinnes lesse knowne are to be censured more privately An elder man or woman is not to be rebuked but exhorted as a father and mother the younger men are to be dealt with more freely but as brethren 1 Tim. 5.1 2. Publike persons are to be so dealt with that their authority be not brought into contempt Private persons may without hazard be more roundly dealt withall The want of this wisdome in the Minister oftentimes brings his ministery into contempt and his person into hatred danger or both Let every Minister therefore pray and by all good meanes labour for this wisedome Finally the end which they propounded to themselves in all their labours proveth both their diligence and faithfulnesse for it was That they might present every man perfect in CHRIST IESUS that is That they might be filled with knowledge faith and holinesse which the Apostle Ephes 4.13 calleth a perfect man and one that is come to a ripe age and full growth and stature in CHRIST This then ought to be the scope of every mans ministery to beget men to CHRIST by the immortall seed of the Word and to nourish and feed them more and more till they come to a perfect growth to initiate and to enter men into CHRIST and by little and little to perfect them that so they may present them perfect unto GOD in CHRIST IESUS Esteeming that they have never done their duty till they had presented them perfect men in CHRIST Now how great labour and care diligence and assiduity is to be had to worke so great a worke Doe they propound this scope unto themselves that preach not Secondly That preach seldome Thirdly That preach carelessely Fourthly That preach corruptly vainely and ambitiously But these
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
rather than confirme it 2 Marke when he saith Walke on in Christ confirmed in faith growing to be setled in â—ull perswasion of the doctrine and grace brought unto you Observe hence Doctr. That resolved perswasion in the doctrine we professe and grace wee beleeve groweth out of a constant course in faith and obedience To be fully perswaded is not attained the first day Lord I beleeve helpe my unbeleefe Faith is mixed with doubting at the first but in progresse of time we come to out-grace this wavering of which all beleeving hearts complaine at times justly This was Abrahams prerogative he was fully perswaded of that GOD had promised him without once making question of it There is no man learneth any Art who at first can see how every thing is true which others skilfull therein tell him but oportet discentem credere beleeving that which his master saith and going on with it he commeth in the end most fully to discerne and be perswaded of all things So it is in this Art of arts and so much the more by how much it is the more divine and surpassing all naturall capacity than others When a man recovereth some long sicknesse and beginneth to walke he walketh with great feeblenesse and faintnesse but going on in exercise and diet nature overcomming the remainders of sicke matter which were left he goeth strongly and feeleth not his former imbecillity So when God healeth an unbeleeving heart there are at first such reliques of unbeleefe as make him full of doubting but going on in CHRIST the Author and Finisher of his faith GOD doth so assist his faith that it subdueth this contrary forme so that the man walketh confirmed in those things which he beleeved sometime very waveringly The use of this is Vse first to encourage those weake ones which are at a stand know not what to think of any thing almost yet mourne under this as a burthen and hold their LORD CHRIST be not dismayed goe on thy judgement shall be strengthened yea while thou walkest thus thou art in growing to it though thou canst not discerne it Who that saw a linke beaten against a wall would not thinke it would be put out yea this tendeth to make it burne more clearely So thy faith thus knocked with these doubtings shall when it getteth up be so much more confident Here we are given to understand Vse 2 whence it is that men are neither flesh nor fish prophanely not mourningly will say in faith he were a wise man that knew what hee might beleeve they know not for their parts one saith one thing another the contrary What is the cause of this O thou hast not yet walked obediently after the rule of CHRIST therefore GOD giveth thee up to darknesse As yee have beene taught viz. As you have beene taught by Epaphras Note hence a point of wisdome in Saint Paul and mutuall honour confirming and countenancing Epaphras a faithfull labourer Which is our Patterne for imitation the honour we owe our brethren requireth it the love we beare the truth doth require wee testifie for it yea the care of others salvation doth move us every way to make God's wholesome truth gratefull to them For men of note having heard some of lesse reputation preaching after them it is not amisse to have recourse to their matter and sayings and mention them with honour Againe it seemeth insinuated hence that the Divell did a little move them to unbeleefe even from this circumstance though they doubted not of the Gospell yet whether as he taught it or no it was true that might be questioned which if it be wee may see that continuing in faith and obedience will make us out-grow such carnall exceptions at which sometimes we stumbled If the Divell cannot bring us to say the meat is naught yet he will make us to thinke it is not aright handled the Cooke is not as he should Thus many thinke though they cannot gain-say the matter why the man is no great schollar no Doctor in schooles he preacheth plainly not a testimony of Fathers nor sentence of any Author Well if thou hast an honest heart goe on in CHRIST and these things shall vanish This by the way 3 Marke he saith abounding in it whence we learne What constant walking in CHRIST will bring us to Doct. and what we must endevour to not only to be well confirmed but to abound in perswasion Let every man abound in this sense If we doe any thing of things indifferent or beleeve any thing it is good to abound in the perswasion of it A man cannot trust God too much a man cannot goe too farre in this which doth glorifie God and put to His seale that He is true and good in all He speaketh to us We must therefore endeavour it Beside as waters a while dammed downe that they could not have course when once they breake thorow they over-flow all farre and wide even so doth Faith borne downe a while with doubting so much the more abundantly breake out and drowne all scruples in us Or as fire long smoothered and smoaking at length breaketh out with flames that touch the skie and like another Sunne enlighten the ayre So doth true faith when it swimmeth from under these waves of doubting which sometime over-whelme it The same uses which before may serve for this point Especially this confuteth Papists Oh say they Vse take heed of too much confidence lest you presume but God speaketh of true faith as if this were the onely measure to keepe no measure Indeed carnall presumptions as faith on our owne worthinesse workes c. wee cannot too much abandon but beleefe grounded on God's truth is not this while they hang it upon the Churches yea and nay But Saint Paul speaketh of the Gospell and this faith he calleth for which did root them in Christ But who can be sure of repentance and faith Object many have beene deceived judging wrong He that hath them may know them Answ and shall in time when infancie is over and temptation doth not intoxicate For those that have bin deceived though one in a dreame thinketh he eateth and doth not this hindereth not but a waking man who truely eateth may know the same infallibly Lastly marke What walking in CHRIST hath at length going with it hearty thanksgiving while we know not through weaknesse the things bestowed there is little thankfulnesse that can come from us but as we grow up to see what is given us thankfulnesse getteth up also You see in babes though their parents doe hang never such rich jewels and bracelets upon them alas they cannot thanke them for they know not how they are adorned but let them come to some knowledge and give them a thing then they will a little thanke you but let them grow to ripenesse of understanding and give them some great pretious things they will be much affected Two things breed thankfulnesse the one knowing that the benefit is of
this word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of meere grace and free favour 3 The Persons Vs which is to be marked for He had said Who quickened you Now he returneth The Person speaking in the first Person 4 The things forgiven all sinnes past present to come originall and actuall of each a little We see who it is that forgiveth our sinnes Doct. 1 properly God the Father Son and Spirit We pray to God therefore for forgivenesse and we see that the Scribes and Pharisies kept this perswasion that GOD only can forgive sinnes Concerning forgiving here thus much 1 We must know that forgivenesse of sinne properly is an act of God's will whereby Hee no longer holdeth our guilt and keepeth wrath against us but returneth into favour with us 2 That God forgiveth all penitent beleeving sinners holding the impenitent and unbeleever guilty 3 That God useth in an eminent manner His Ministers for applying this forgivenesse The question is how farre God useth them whether to testifie unto them what GOD doth or hath done to them repenting and so to raise up their faith toward Him with whom is forgivenesse or whether God useth them judicially that is as Iudges with power to forgive Himselfe onely executing what they determine ratifying that they pronounce suspending all His action till the Priest passe his sentence so that as the Iudges sentence doth make one innocent the King who giveth the power doing it by Him yea God Himselfe whose judgement was after a fingular manner in the Common-wealth of Israel not otherwise absolving and condemning thus by them So here God should forgive by His Priests whom He hath delegated with power in these courses Now this cannot stand For 1 The Priest should more properly forgive than God though he doe it as a Minister from God As the King doth not judge causes in triall formally but by his Iudges in Courts who have the power from Him though hee doth it in some sort because he giveth the authority ratifieth it and upholdeth the execution of it 2 If God gave power to Priests as Iudges to absolve that they had authority within themselves to doe this then they could not fitly be said to pray to God to forgive those they absolve as for example The King giveth his Iudges power to heare causes of this or that nature and to sentence them now what a folly were it for a Iudge who hath per demandationem power from the King to order this or that to petition to the King to order it would not the King say though of your selves you have no power yet is not the Law in your hands have I not given you power within your selves and am I not ready to ratifie what you determine But a good Priests chiefe efficacie in pardoning standeth in his intreating God to pardon therefore he hath no power judicially to doe it no this power is not delegable to creatures First because it is a personall royalty which God cannot give to others unlesse He would make Himselfe an underling to others and so suspend Himselfe upon man that His pleasure should sway Him For the forgiving of sinnes is the power of pardoning treason against His person Yea no inferiour can determine and sentence the matter of a superiour till his superiour have put himselfe in that cause under his inferiour Secondly this is such an act wherein no man can be a competent Iudge as man may be in causes betwixt man and man which are civill because a man cannot know certainly the truth of faith and repentance in any according to which the sentence must be pronounced if truely All the Ministers can doe is to certifie what God doth not as a private Christian doth but as a publike messenger who bringeth from God's Majesty the word of Pardon as Saint Paul saith the Word of reconciliation that thus he may excite the faith of the penitent beleever to behold God pardoning him and feele the pardon of God as it were sealed within him My Lord Chancellour doth not give the Kings pardon which he giveth to those that come to take it forth at his first entrance he doth not as a Iudge give them forth as his pardons but delivers them as the Kings sole deed out of his Princely clemencie Thus the Priest in the Law did not make a Leper cleane but did manifest him to himselfe and to all Israel to be that he was The Minister of God hath no power to pardon but ministerially he doth co-operate with God that God's pardon may be applied and sealed within the consciences of them that beleeve Wherefore Vse 1 let us hate those most arrogant wretches who would justle God out and as it is with the Pope himselfe so would every one thrust himselfe into the roome of God This is a fruit of their monarchicall ambition they will in all their doings not be content with an Oecumenicall steward-like power but challenge a regall authority over the LORD's heritage Let us seeke to the Lord who saith Vse 2 I am He that blot out your transgressions and forgive iniquity Yet seeing that He maketh Ministers His Messengers in whom Hee putteth this word of Pardon yea such as co-operate with Him in applying this His only Pardon unto us let us likewise looke to them as men of GOD who can testifie to us what he doth in His Name Further observe hence Doct. That GOD's pardon is of meere grace to us we are justified freely by His grace through the redemption in CHRIST IESUS that is we come to have pardon of sinne and to bee taken to favour freely CHRIST indeed bought it deare we have it freely Which is to be marked against satisfactions which are satisfactory to the Iustice of GOD the revenging Iustice of GOD. Satisfactions were indeed anciently used in reconciling penitent ones but they were to the Church offended not unto GOD whom none but CHRIST can satisfie And though GOD is said to have rested as satisfied in some punishment taken at the hands of His children yet this is the quieting of a fatherlike and temporary displeasure not of a revenging justice with which wee have to deale in answering the guilt of the least sinne Let us therefore hate this popish arrogancie Vse which will teach men to deserve their pardon no no it must be begged of free gift at God onely of grace or it is buying our selves out not seeking pardon 3 That He changeth the Person You hath Hee quickened Doct. having forgiven us Observe hence That wee must remember what God hath done for us while we shew to others the things bestowed on them The holy Apostle could not stand out from the thankfull acknowledgement of God's favours to him when he telleth others what GOD had done for them There are some like such schollars that can learne their fellows lessons but cannot say their owne parts they can tell what God hath done for others as if they had kept a catalogue for them and yet in the
principall end to which the grace of GOD used them was to shadow out CHRIST as followeth but nakedly considered as apart from this grace of the Gospell they did acknowledge our debt what we should pay they did make confession that we did it not they did also acknowledge the mystery which belonged to us in this regard for it is to be noted that nothing can be fitly conceived here but the Iewish rites not our agreement and covenanting with GOD in Paradise or Mount Sinay all these things will we doe this is the debt it selfe not Syngrapha or Chyrographum which doth testifie the debt Now the Ceremonies some did testifie their debt Galath 5. If a man be circumcised say as seeking righteousnesse in the Law he is a debter to the whole Law Marke that as a man by the bill of his hand so the old people by the Circumcision did testifie that they owed GOD obedience in all the Law 2. Some testified their guilt as all their legall uncleannesses and washings their sacrificings both sinne offerings and burnt offerings the one shewed their guilt the other that they were by nature altogether corrupted and must be killed as they were themselves that so they might come to live to GOD such were their humbling their soules annually In conclusion their whole worship did testifie that the perfect offering with which GOD's wrath was to be appeased was not yet come 2. That Heaven was not yet opened that they were all in desert of death through sinne this was all they could doe as purely legall as they are considered a part of the ministery of the Law so farre as it is opposed to the Gospell thus they were a ministery of condemnation beggarly elements a Chyrographum against us Yet the principall end to which GOD used them was to signifie the sacrifices to come this was the principall I say because the Law it selfe is made a servant to grace yea justice in God doth put it selfe forth that the grace of God may be more manifested and it may be therefore the Apostle here saith they were a Chyrographum 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 subcontrary in respect that they had another end more maine which was with us though they wanted not this testification also Now how this testification doth extend to us guiltlesse is above shewed The use of this may be first to admonish us whence it came Vse that the spirit of bondage did so abound in the people of the Iewes ever since CHRIST Answ They were still occupied in one rite or other which did testifie uncleannesse their services were hand-writings against them they proclaimed their guilt aloud but shewed the grace of God very obscurely Againe we see what cause we have to be glad of our LORD IESUS who hath freed us of these lamentable services If wee have called in a bond or bill which we had abroad it joyeth us but we know not our happinesse who have these bonds in statute reversed for us And wee must take heed of this levin of Iewish ceremony from which we were redeemed so dearely A little levin worketh thorow the whole lumpe Ill weeds grow apace What an abundance are these rites growen to in the Church of Rome from beginnings farre smaller But some may say Object Our Ceremonies witnesse nothing against us we grant CHRIST is ascended The Ceremonies not onely as Shadowes of Christ Answ but as they are a more carnall kinde of instructing doe witnesse against us that the time of faith is not come that the Spirit promised is not given that the times wherein wee must worship in spirit and truth that is a spirituall manner not carnall that these times are not yet approached Lastly marke Doct. That Christ hath by suffering on the Crosse abolished these things So you have it Eph. 2.15 1 Pet. 1.20 He hath delivered you from your vaine conversation received by the tradition of your fathers Where it is to be noted that though the whole ceremoniall Law might in some regard be called Vaine for it was but a shadow of heavenly things it brought not things to perfection yet he doth especially note there the traditionary depravations of doctrines yea and their Ceremonies significant which they used by the institution of men to admonish them of inward holinesse as washing of hands Matt. 15. to put them in mind of inward cleannesse of which Christ saith In vaine doe they worship me teaching for doctrine mens precepts as also their corrupt conversation for Christ suffering did crucifie the vaine carnall and sinfull life of our old man that we might be even for the externall manner spirituall and holy to God through Him This then as it sheweth us the love of CHRIST Vse so it teacheth us how wee must much prize and warily maintaine this liberty Such things as we buy at a deare rate we lay them up carefully use them charily we say it standeth us in thus much But alas this benefit not silver nor gold but the bloud of CHRIST hath purchased for us it hath redeemed us as well from such vaine externall rites which men devise as from those typicall Ceremonies of the Law which respected CHRIST to come VERSE 15. And hath spoiled the Principalities and Powers and hath made a shew of them openly and hath triumphed over them in the same Crosse NOw followeth the third thing which went before our quickening that is the freeing us from him who was GOD's fearfull doomes-man having power of executing death upon us by reason of our sinne Principalities and Powers doe signifie all those superiour and inferiour powers of darknesse with which Christ combated on His Crosse The thing is set downe by a gradation 1 He did spoile them which what it is shall be opened more 2 He did make a shew of them that is expose them to ignominy and reproach for so this word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifieth Matth. 1.19 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 3 He triumphes over them within Himselfe or on His Crosse 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 supple 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The summe is God in Christ hath quickened us when He had given us an acquittance from all our sinnes abolished all things which shewed any thing against us when He had on the Crosse of His Son disarmed made a scorne and triumphed over all spirituall powers who had us as executioners to His justice before in their custody In the Verse three things may be considered 1 The Victory it selfe 2 The Persons vanquished 3 The Manner First in generall we are to marke Doct. That God doth set us free from the power of Satan before we are made alive throughly in IESUS CHRIST He quickened us in Christ in what order having subdued all Principalities and Powers that held us even as in Christ our Head so in us this worke proceedeth First He died and by death conquered the Prince of this world Then when his power was broken Hee raised Himselfe up againe In the same order are we