Lord thy Redeemer Esay 54.7 8. Psal 32.5 And what doth the Lord our God require for all this only that we shew like love unto our Brethren Eph. 4.32 and Eph. 5.1 as dear Children walk in love Colos 3.13 Be reconciled unto thy Brother Means indirect Remove occasions of offence Vultu laeditur amicitia Friendship may be lost by a look 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not speaking one to another unto a rent in friendship 2 Sam. 13.22 Absolon spake to his brother Amnon neither good nor bad for Absolon hated Amnon such reservedness breeds revenge as it did in Absolon v. 28 29. Positive means 1. Study to be quiet 2. Part with our right it 's a good argument in Christs School Why do ye not rather suffer wrong 3. Let the peace of God rule in your hearts 4. Be loving and kind that wins love ut ameris amabilis esto so that place is to be understood Col. 3.15 Be thankful 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 be loving be gracious These are all good means with the God of peace and his blessing on them When our wayes please him he makes our enemies at peace with us Prov. 16.7 And he it is who works our reconciliation one to another for thus he exerciseth loving kindness in the earth Jer. 9. Come offer thy gift When Reconciliation is now made with our Brother the want of which caused suspension of our Oblation Come and offer wherein there are two subordinate Divine Sentences 1. Offer thy gift 2. Come offer thy gift as in the former direction 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Go be reconciled Go seemed to some not to be worth taking notice of yet we found something in it not to be sleighted So 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Come here seems to one of the best Criticks 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to be superfluous and redundant But surely our Lord Jesus Christ the great Teacher and Author of the Gospel and Preacher of this Sermon in the Mount who would not that one jot or tittle of the Law should pass till all be fulfilled He would not teach such a Gospel that should have in it any thing redundant and altogether superfluous Come then is so far from having no signification here that it hath Two and both important 1. To come is to believe John 6.35 Heb. 11.6 2. It imports drawing near as Heb. 7.19 Hope whereby we draw nigh unto God and 10.22 with a true heart whence the gift it self is called Corban from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to come near The subordinate axioms therefore are contained in these words 1. Offer thy gift 2. Come offer thy gift 1. Offer thy gift What the gift is and why thy gift and what it is to offer it I shewed in part but as that offering was suspended so was our consideration of it Our Lord preached this Sermon of the Gospel under the Law and therefore he used legal and ceremonial expressions here and elsewhere It will therefore be our business to enquire what the gift here is which is to be offered and the offering of that gift This gift under the Law was figured by many Sacrifices and Oblations they may most what be reduced unto three sorts See Notes on Zeph. 1.7 unto these three add the meat-offering and drink-offering The meat-offering and drink-offering figured the body of Christ which is meat indeed and the blood of Christ which is drink indeed besides all these Incense was offered up which is Prayer Let my prayer ascend as the Incense and thanksgiving which the Lord prefers before all other Oblations And unto these two the Psalmist refers all Psal 50.14 15. Offer unto God thanksgiving and pay thy vowes and call upon me in the time of trouble Reason Why we ought to offer up our Gifts and Oblations may be considered in regard of God of our selves 1. Of God see Notes on Heb. 11.4 Obser 1. Our Lord bids his Disciples offer their gifts though Disciples holy men See Notes on Heb. 11.4 2. Take notice how Gods Command to the Jews and Promise to the Gentiles is performed See Notes on Psal 26. Repreh Those who offer their gift not at Gods Altar but their own confine their worship to some place or time 2. Come offer thy gift i. e. believe and offer thy gift Reason Why is faith required to our offering 1. From the Nature 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 2. Royalty 3. Consciousness See Notes on Heb. 11.4 What kind of faith Answer In the Father 2. In the Son Obser A lively example of a true living Christian Faith ibidem Consol Undone c. See Notes on Psal 26. Exhort Since outward works may be done by good and bad men Offer what Cain cannot 2. In regard of him who offers the gift 1. A Christian man a Disciple of Christ Now a Christian man is wholly led by the spirit of God who is love peace joy goodness how contrary is this to hatred discord enmity and frowardness 2. This same Spirit unites all the Members of Christ in one Body as one and the same Soul unites the members of the natural body So the Apostle 1 Cor. 12 13. By one spirit we are all baptized into one body and have been all made to drink into one spirit 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 we are drunk up or swallowed up by one spirit And therefore anger hatred envy rancor and all bitterness is as contrary to Christs mystical body as a mortal wound yea as a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a dismembring a division unto the natural body 3. The Christian life is the life of God the eternal life and nothing can hinder it from continuation with the divine life but only an old wall of earth that 's daily parieted daily supported with butteresses otherwise it would daily fall in regard of which the Apostle desired to be dissolved Now in the Divine Life there is no rancor malice bitterness anger hatred but all love mercy sweetness First be reconciled to thy Brother and then come and offer thy gift These words present unto us two great duties and the order of them and that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 strange and unexpected not first to God and then to thy Brother but first to thy Brother and then to thy God Reason In respect of God to whom thou offerest thy gift He respects and accepts rather love meekness gentleness Prov. 21.3 than any outward sacrifice thou canst possibly offer Shall we enquire somewhat into a reason of this Quicquid recipitur recipitur ad modum recipientis Whatsoever is received is received according to the mode and manner of the receiver Now sith God is Love 1 John 4. mercy goodness what he receives from us it must relish of love mercy goodness Obser It is not the outward performance that God esteems c. See Notes on Heb. 11.4 Obser 2. The Lord discovers quo animo with what mind we offer ibidem Obser 3. They who would win upon Gods favour and obtain friendship with him
How many were there of these all Luk. 14.25 There were great multitudes with him and he turned and said unto them If any man come to me and hate not his Father and Mother c. The business is of greatest weight and concern'd all and so when he was now to put an end unto the Legal Ceremonial services he calls all to him and tells them what that worship is wherewithal God is pleased and what that is which renders us unclean in the sight of God not a dead carcase of man or beast not eating with washed or unwashen hands not any thing without the man defiles the man but evil thoughts murders adulteries fornications thefts false witnessings and blasphemies these things come from within from the heart and these defile the man Of this sometime our Lord gives hints even in the Law and Prophets Deut. 10.16 Circumcise the foreskin of your hearts rent your hearts and not your garmentt The uncleanness of the Old Law was manifold and easily contracted as by leprosie an issue or by touching any of these these therefore the Jews oftentimes were tainted withal yet without sin Our Lord himself touched the Bier whereon the young man lay who was carried forth to be buried wherefore when David came to Abimelech the Priest 1 Sam. 21. and asked for something to eat he saith he hath nothing but the shew-bread which was lawful for none to eat but for the Priests yet Abimelech gives it to David and those who were with him only with this condition if the young men be clean especially from women Other pollutions defiled the body but Abimelech well knew they were only Ceremonial but wantonness lasciviousness youthful lusts defile the Spirit Soul and Body Obser 5. Hence we learn what the nature of sin is filthiness and uncleanness See Notes on Jam. 1.21 Obser 6. With this filthiness or defilement our whole nature is polluted Obser 7. What manner of people the Saints of God are See Notes as above Consol Alas I am unclean unclean evil thoughts murders adulteries fornications false witnessings proceed from my heart and what a world of wickedness have they left behind them Mine iniquity hath found me out When the Leper was all over white then the Priest must pronounce him clean Levit. 13.12 13. But if the raw flesh appear in him he is unclean If we judge our selves we shall not be judged of the Lord 1 Cor. 11.31 If we confess our sins he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all our unrighteousness 1 Joh. 1.9 But if any raw flesh Hebr. any living flesh appear if we seek for life in our sinful nature by the works of the Law we are then unclean Then the Priest Christ looking on us will pronounce us unclean then in thy sight saith holy David No flesh living shall be justified But the sinful soul complains alas who shall deliver me from this body of death surely where-ever there is such sense of the spiritual burden there must needs be life if a dead carcase of a beast fall into a fountain of water it makes not the fountain unclean no it may be clean saith the Law Levit. 11.36 And the reason in nature is because the living fountain works out the uncleanness There is a promise made to the house of David Zach. 13.1 if therefore that fountain of life be opened in thee it will work out all uncleanness O but alas my sins are as the Aethiopians skin and Leopards spots I am habituated unto them they are even natural unto me See Jer. 13.23 and v. last Exhort To lay aside all filthiness and superfluity of naughtiness it 's the Exhortation which ye read James 1. The word is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which though of general use yet more properly signifieth the putting off of Garments even the corrupt old Garment Eph. 4. Joshua was cloathed with filthy Garments Zach. 3.3 4. Esay 6. The Angel took away the Prophets uncleanness Exhort Put on the New Garment even the Lord Jesus Christ Take heed that we foul not our Garments when a man hath a new Garment he is very careful and wary lest he soyle it lest he lay it where it may take dust but if once it hath been stained and soiled men then become careless where they lay it O beloved here is the great danger if we are cleansed from our sin and have put on the robe of Righteousness let us then take heed Rev. 3.4 and 16.15 Heb. 10.27 28 29. As the uniting of the heart unto what is evil by consenting thereunto makes the heart common and one with that which is evil and unclean and contracts pollution from it Even so the uniting of the heart unto that which is good by consenting thereunto renders the heart one with that which is good and draws purity and vertue from it Exhort And therefore touch no unclean thing and I will receive you and ye shall be my Sons and Daughters saith the Lord Almighty NOTES AND OBSERVATIONS UPON MATTHEW XVI 17. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Blessed art thou Simon Bar-Jona for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee but my Father which is in Heaven THese words are part of the Gospel appointed by the Church to be read this day and the fittest I could chuse for the Celebration of this Feast wherein we give most high praise and hearty thanks unto the Almighty and Everlasting God for the wonderful Grace and Vertue and the many excellent gifts declared in St. Peter and pray unto God that he will mercifully grant us Grace to follow the Example of his stedfastness in Faith and keeping Gods holy Commandments whose memory we recount unto the glory of God who hath given such gifts unto men and congratulate his bliss and happiness according to the custom of the Ancient Church which hath been wont to solemnize the names and memories of the Saints grounded upon that of the Wise man which the Jews use proverbially The memory of the Righteous shall be blessed Thus Moses beloved of God and Men his memory is in high praise saith the Son of Syrach Thus the Jews blessed Mordecai and blessed Esther and the Mother of our Lord foretold That all Generations should call her blessed and generally the voice from heaven pronounceth all those blessed who die in the Lord. Thus might we bless the memory of St. Peter and be bold to make use of this Text by way of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Blessed art thou Simon Bar-jona But the words in reference to those immediately before the Text are a blessing in requital of a blessing a confession answering a confession and a promise to build his Church upon what St. Peter had confessed St. Peter had made a glorious confession of our Lord and our Lord in the Text vouchsafes a gracious confession of St. Peter St. Peter gave a testimony of his Faith touching Christs Divinity Thou art the Son of the Living God And Christ gives
Creatura saith the Schools the foot-steps and similitude of God is in the Creatures but also because the outward Creatures are given unto man of God to adorn his Image in him And therefore as the Soul with all the powers and faculties and actions of it and the Body with all the parts and members and actions of it are said to be Gods so also in this respect all other things are said to be Gods as Corn Wine Oyl Silver Gold Wooll Flax Vineyards Fig-trees Ear-rings and Jewels Hos 2. and the like Ezech. 16. confer Psal 50.10 11 12. All which he hath given unto man 1 Cor. 3.22 not as any part of his Image but as ornaments of his Image in him As Painters and Carvers ye know set out their Images and Statues by pictures of divers Creatures which are not any parts but ornaments only of the Statues and Images which they intend to make But what need we insist upon particulars 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Every good and every perfect gift descends from above and cometh down from the Father of Lights The whole world is his and all that therein is and all whatsoever that is it hath Gods mark upon it aut imaginem aut vestigium either Gods express Image upon it as the reasonable Creature or some other impression or mark of the Deity remembring us and sending us to the Author of it as when we see among the Creatures any thing that 's beautiful and fair or strong or any other way good it remembers us and sends our thoughts to that essential beauty strength or what ever other excellency is to be found in God In a word Gods mark in the Creature is in order unto Gods Image in man Gods Image in man in order to Gods Image which is Christ and Gods Image which is Christ in order unto God This order is excellently observed and set down by St. Paul 1 Cor. 3.22 23. All things are yours and you are Christs and Christ is Gods So that the things which are Gods marked with his Mark his Image and Superscription are found to be of as large extent as the things themselves since whatsoever is good is Gods and whatsoever can be said to be a thing is good Proportionable unto these things of God must be our act of giving or rendering them unto God as giving and rendering have reference unto the things of Caesar 't is a nice point to determine whether we should read of the two but in reference to the things of God as this act is free proceeding from within 't is giving as ruled by outward justice 't is rendering so the Greek properly signifieth which in respect of our selves is a yielding our selves in all obedience unto God Rom. 6.13 In regard of the Creatures using them according to his will giving him the thanks and praise for the use of them and honour and glory by them David spends Psal 148. beside others on this argument and St. Paul whether ye eat or drink or whatsoever ye do do all to the glory of God whose all honour and glory is 1 Cor. 10.11 Col. 3.17 1. The Reasons are forcible even natural equity requires no less Suum cuique tribuere to give to every one his due 't is the first rule of Justice that Nature teacheth to give unto God that which is Gods 2. 'T is true indeed nullus tenetur uti jure suo no creditor is bound to use or challenge his own right for quilibet potest remittere de suo jure every one may abate of his own right saith the Law But since the Lord of Heaven and Earth requires his own what right can we pretend why we should detain it 3. Yea besides the equity of paying God his own and his challenge of his own right we our selves have entred into Covenant with God and he hath our own bond against us we have made promise from day to day and taken the Sacrament as often upon it that we pay this debt All which are great reasons why we should give or render unto God the things that are Gods whence follows 1. That we are debtors unto God every one of us some more some less some ten talents others five others perhaps but one yet every man all he hath Suppose thou hast no goods of Fortune as they call them which some esteem so highly that they call them their Substance yet mayest thou have the true riches and be rich towards God Or perhaps thou hast not the true Treasure of saving Grace yet hast thou but common Graces they are such as make the abusers even of them unexcusable Rom. 2. Nay hast thou but Nature as who hath not doest thou but breath the common air Thou art a debtor for that thou owest that to God and thanks to God for that Let every thing that hath breath praise the Lord Psal 150. ult 2. How poor how miserable how naked are we since all we have yea all we are is Gods whether we respect our Divine Goods We have no power of our selves saith the Apostle 2 Cor. to do any thing as of our selves no not so much as to think a good thought or to deny an evil or 2. Whether we respect our goods of Fortune That message which Benhadad sent arrogantly to Ahab Thy silver and thy gold and all that thou hast is mine may be most truly and rightly spoken of God and he challengeth them all Ezech. 16. Hos 2. Or 3. Whether we respect our goods of Nature our Souls they are not our own All Souls are Gods Ezech. 18. so are all our Spirits yea and our Bodies also 1 Cor. 6.20 So are the members of our Bodies 1 Cor. 6.15 and the faculties of our Souls In God we live we move and have our being Act. 17. indeed what hast thou that thou hast not received and if thou hast received it why dost thou then glory as if thou hadst not received it 1 Cor. 4. What a ridiculous thing is it for a man to pride himself in another mans goods who if every one had their own as we say he were much worse than nothing Moveat Cornicula risum Furtivis nudata coloribus Why is earth and ashes proud saith the wise man Why sayest thou or thinkest with the Laodicean Church I am rich and encreased with goods and have need of nothing and knowest not that thou art wretched and miserable and poor and blind and naked Apoc. 3.18 So poor so naked that when the Prophet David thought of paying his debt unto God Quid retribuam Domino What shall I render unto the Lord for all his benefits unto me He answers his own question with Calicem salutaris accipiam I will take the Cup of Salvation Psal 116.12 13. we have not what to render unto God unless we take it first of God How well doth this agree with Davids own Confession 1 Chron. 29.11 Thine O Lord is the Greatness and the Power and the Glory and the Victory
this Text he reveils the will of God unto the people and doing this he thinks he is a friend of Jesus Christ so long as he speaks boldly the Word and fears not them that kill the body 2. The Hearer he understands what the will of the Lord is and so he thinks he hath done his duty he is a friend of Jesus Christ and one of his sheep my sheep hear my voice When yet happily both may be deceived nay de facto sure I am oftentimes both are deceived 1. The Preacher frequently urging the commands of Jesus Christ he thinks he doth the commands of Jesus Christ and so is his friend when yet he lives in open disobedience unto the same things he preacheth this was that which the Apostle feared of himself 1 Cor. 9. 2. The hearer likewise because he knows what his duty is and 't is often inculcated unto him although I could wish it more truly then it is he is deceived and thinks he doth it This is that which the Apostle feared and warned the people of Jam. 1. be ye doers of the word and not hearers only That we may perceive how far short we are of this friendship with Jesus Christ we shall know it by the latitude of what he commands The manifold particulars may be reduced unto these two heads 1. What the Lord commands us to believe 2. What he commands us to do 1. To believe in him as the Messiah the corner-stone c. 2. To do this ye read at large Mat. 5. If we be the real friends of the Lord Jesus Christ we shall really and truly do those things and whatsoever he commands us maugre the opposition both of the prophane and seeming holy world Axiom 3. They can do no more than kill the body So the Lepers reason 2 King 7.4 if they kill us we shall but dye For reason may be alledged the love and goodness of God all souls are Gods and as he is the preserver of men so especially of his own friends And 2. The wisdom and power of God for since all power is his he gives so much power to every Creature and limits the operations of it within such bounds as in his wisdom he thinks fit hither shalt thou come and no further Satan hath a most malicious will and aims at no less than the Soul but he hath no power at all though an whole Legion together no not so much as to touch a swine without leave thou couldest do nothing unless power were given thee from above They can do no more no! can they not dig up the bones of dead men out of their graves can they not burn them surely that they can Men opposing Religion have dealt so with those whom they have persecuted to the death and beyond the death and these have a fair pretence for so doing Josiah did so and therefore so may they deal with Hereticks Josias 2 King 23.16 He took the bones of the Idolatrous Priests out of the Sepulchers and burnt them I deny not but Josias did so he was a figure of Christ in the Spirit as his name signifieth the fire of the Lord. As therefore wickedness is compared to a man as the old man the man of sin which is reveiled by the light of Gods Law and bound by Christ the stronger man so he is consumed by the spirit of his mouth these are the bones the strength of sin So 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifieth bones it signifieth also strength Thus Psal 53.5 God hath scattered the strength of those who besieged thee for so it may be turned more properly than the bones But what is all this to the Papists burning of their bones whom they call Hereticks where the Text saith they have no more that they can do the meaning is they can do the friends of Christ no more harm they are not able to kill the Soul Mat. 10.29 Observ 1. Observe the poor vile and contemptible cruelty of Tyrants and Persecutors let it extend to the utmost it 's but to the death of the body their malice anger revenge power subtilty can reach no further They cannot hinder the salvation of the Soul their anger is at the Soul as he that cuts a tree cuts not the light that shines upon it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he implyed that his Soul was himself Anytus and Melitus may kill me saith the Stoick but they cannot hurt me Observ 2. Our seeming friends may hurt us more yea and indeed oftentimes do hurt us more than our known enemies this Text is directed especially to the preachers of the Word Jeremy was aware of this Jer. 20 7-10 Yea our real and true friends may endanger us Act. 21 10-13 yea miserable men that we are we our selves are so cruel to our selves that we our selves kill our own souls and therefore if thou fear any one fear thy self thou thy self art the most cruel enemy to thy self though whole hosts of men yea of Devils opposed thee they cannot hurt thee unless thou thy self hurt thy self And is it not a pleasing tune that the rich man sings to his soul that which the Lord help us many of us listen unto Soul take thine ease eat drink and be merry Luk. 12.19 But upon consent unto such suggestions commonly comes the judgement vers 19. See the history of Laish Dalilah did Sampson more mischief than all the Philistins and that pleasing flattering harlot in our own bosoms her house is the way to hell going down to the chambers of death Prov. 7. ult Repreh Their foolish hardiness and boldness who fear them that kill the body and have no more that they can do 2. This discovers the extreme malice or revenge of tyranical men who because they can do no more than kill they find out exquisite wayes of killing and tormenting and by Art lengthen that which in nature they say consists in indivisibili the separation of Soul and Body is naturlly in an instant hence is that horrid speech of Tiberius Sentiat se mori let him feel that he dies and when one had poysoned himself lest he should be tormented by him he said Evasit he hath escaped They who kill the body will do what they can further they act 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And why They who kill are acted by Abaddon whose property is to destroy Wicked men add to the Devils work in themselves who is the more a Devil because he hath so serviceable a tool to work by as a wicked man is 3. Their pretence is truth whereof because they want evidence they make up what they want in persecuting and saying all manner of evil saying 4. Because it is truth they believe it not Joh. 8. 5. Their endeavour is to mould Gods Laws and the laws of men God's Will and man's lusts together and so stablish their own worldly interest which can never be done They who are friends of Christ and are killed by them discover 1. The persecuters falseness
full or not peaceable as the word signifieth Gen. 15.16 But when it was peaceable then God sent Josuah to destroy them Thus the people of Laish were quiet Judg. 18.27 and secure and then came the Tribe of Dan and smote them with the edge of the sword When people are quiet and secure in their sins then comes Dan i. e. Judgement as the Scripture interprets it Gen. 38.6 and doubtless it is our security and peace in our sins that hath brought Gods judgements upon us Thus before the flood they ate they drank c. and our Saviour foretells it shall be so in the end of the world Luk. 17.26 30. They were as a ship exposed without a Pilot or Rudder unto the waves and winds and then drowned in destruction and perdition Thus we understand 1 Thess 5.3 When they shall say peace and safety then sudden destruction comes upon them as travel upon a woman with child and they shall not escape But alas may some man say I would live peaceably with all men but for this cause I am opposed by all men I was even Peace it self unto them but when I spake unto them thereof they made them ready for battel O happy art thou thou sidest with God himself he is the God of Love and Peace yet who suffers more so much as he The differences and disputes in the world reach not to him nor to thee Babel was intended for heaven but it came short of it the Moon keeps on her constant course though all the dogs bark at her and so do thou thou art one of them that dwells on high Isai 33.16 Thou beholdest the king of kings in his beauty where is the wise where is the scribe where is the disputer of this world as the Apostle renders the next words 1 Cor. 1.20 He who dwells on high looks on all such differences as things below him As he who sits on an high mountain may behold how the clouds below him are drawn this way and that way by contrary winds The trees are moved and the sea roars Ipse interim non movetur Judaeus contra Gentes Circumcision against uncircumcision one Sect against another but the peaceable Christian the Christian the Peace-maker fits as an impartial Umpire and Arbitrator above all Sects which are all manifest works of the flesh An ill office it is to foment a difference between Man and Wife 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 As the bird flyes hard against the window seeing light but observes not what hinders all desire union with the God of peace but few observe that their sins separate between them and their God Like curing of a wound skinning it it festers and breaks out again so doth the playster of many Ambassadors of Peace who run before they are sent They say peace peace where there is no peace Repreh The unpeaceable who fish in these troubled waters have nothing to lose but their lives and are like desperate Gamesters Let the sword-men take heed of shedding blood and let us all follow the things that make for peace and wherewith one may edifie another NOTES AND OBSERVATIONS UPON ROMANS XIII I 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Let every soul be subject unto the higher powers for there is no power but of God The powers that be are ordained of God IN the former Notes the ray and beam of that Star which shined at the Epiphany by the Ancients interpreted saving Faith directed the members of the body of Christ to union and agreement one with other and guided our feet into the way of peace Another ray or beam of the same Star directs the body so united and knit together under the subjection of an head as large a duty as the former 1. In that Peace was to be extended unto all men 2. In this all men are exhorted to subjection 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. Let every soul be subject to the higher powers which contains a Precept and the reason of it 1. The Precept Let every soul be subject to the higher powers 2. The Reason 1. Negative there is not any power but of God 2. Affirmative the powers that are are of God 1. The words seem to be Metaphorical and borrowed from the martialling ranking and ordering of an Army Wherein 1. some are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Superiour and in Authority 2. Others 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Inferiour and under Authority so spake the Centurion Luk. 7.8 nec discessit ab arte sua in a soldiers language I am a man 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ordered under the power of another both the words of the Text whereof the first the Higher Powers are Governours appointed by God for the welfare of the people committed to their charge that they may live together a quiet and a peaceable life under them in godliness and honesty 2. In the Precept the higher powers here called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the abstract put for the concrete for persons administring this power are generally according to the Province whereabout they are imployed of two sorts for whereas the whole Creature of God is bodily and spiritual and man is the compendium the brief and model of them both consisting of both body and spirit two sorts of Governours are needful in respect of both the Magistracy and Ministry and both are here meant by Potestatibus i. e. praelatis spiritualibus principibus terrenis saith the Gloss the Spiritual and Temporal Governours secularibus Ecclesiasticis so St. Anselm and Rhabanus read the Text thus Omnibus potestatibus sublimioribus subditi estote Be ye subject to all higher powers And these are either 1. simply the highest powers as the King or 2. subordinate unto the highest As the Roman Proconsuls and Presidents were under the Emperours of these St. Peter speaks 1 Pet. 2.13 Submit your selves to every Ordinance of man for the Lords sake whether it be to the King as Supreme or unto Governours as unto them that are sent by him as these Officers were To these we are commanded to be subject What that duty is we shall know the better if we further consider in these Higher Powers that especially whereunto we ought to be subject which is Supereminency and Goodness 1. The Supereminency whereby they are in order above others And 2. The Goodness whereby they are diffusive and communicative unto others These two were signified by that Oyl wherewith the Kings and Priests were anciently Anointed which was fragrant and precious as appears by the ingredients Exod. 30. and holy and so appropriate only unto holy uses that it was unlawful to employ it otherwise than in the Anointing of holy Persons and holy things that is the Eminency which also supplies the Body as the Nature of Oil is and renders it able and nimble to act and so to import an influence of it self to others and that is the goodness 1. This Eminency of the higher Powers in their high ranck and order being disproportioned unto Inferiours begets admiration
contain a double exhortation for so I read in an Ancient English Gloss 1. That by Gentiles are here understood the unfaithful that believe not in God 2. By the People the faithful and believers And St. Jerom St. Anselm Rabanus and others seem to have been of Opinion that the first part of the Verse is an Exhortation to the Gentiles the latter to the Jews but St. Austin Euthymius Aquinas and others are indifferent whom I rather incline unto for this Reason because it is very ordinary in the Psalms and other parts of Scripture conceived to be written in Metre that the latter part of a Verse is the Exegesis or explication of the former Examples are obvious Psal 114.1.8 When Israel came out of Aegypt and the house of Jacob from among strange people he turned the hard rock into water and the flint-stone into a well And of this nature I conceive the Text to be Yet it cannot be denied but that in it there is some variation not in the words only but also in the sence the latter part of the Verse being not only an explication but also a kind of Auxesis and adding somewhat to the former for howsoever Gentiles and People be all one and God to be praised by them one and the same yet in the degree of praising the latter makes some addition in the first 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Praise in the latter 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 where 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 augments the praise of God And therefore in the Latin the first is Laudate the latter hath Magnificate Magnifie the Lord And St. Jerom in his Translation out of the Hebrew hath Collaudate praise the Lord together so I read the Text in an Ancient English Translation So that the Text will afford us these Two Divine Truths 1. That all Nations ought to praise the Lord. 2. That all Nations ought to magnifie him together In the first three things are to be enquired 1. Who the Lord is 2. What it is to praise him 3. Who these Gentiles are and how they may be said to praise the Lord 1. The Original word in Psal 117. whence St. Paul takes this Text is Jehovah which signifieth the Essence Nature and Being of God which the LXX turn ordinarily 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Lord a word of like Original in the Greek of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to be though some Criticks think otherwise That word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is here used which we turn Lord which in the New Testament most what signifieth Christ to whom all Dominion Lordship and Power is given and so some would have it to be understood here But because he and the father are one and he that seeth him seeth the father and the name here used rather signifieth the Divine Essence Nature and being of God than any of the persons we may rather understand by it the Deity with all the Attributes Virtues and Graces of God as Wisdom Power Goodness Patience Meekness Righteousness and Holiness but especially Mercy with the effects of it properly here meant vers 9. And who will deny but these are praise-worthy if he know the nature of praise and what praise is 2. That 's the second thing to be enquired Praise is defined 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 though Scaliger would have none of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and he is in the right we may turn it A declaration or manifestation of the greatness of Virtue or rather a declaration of Virtue which I borrow of the Philosopher and that the rather because it serves to set forth that definition of praise which St. Peter affords us proper to this purpose 1 Pet. 2.9 The shewing forth that Virtues of God I am not ignorant that to praise to honour and to glorifie are distinguished one from other by the School-men but this definition out of the Apostle may comprehend them all and if we consult wiâ—h the word of God we shall find them all confounded and taken for the same this is testified by a Choire of Angels A multitude of the heavenly host praised God saying Glory to God in the highest Thus much the great voice imports Apoc. 19.1 Hallelujah then followeth an expression of that praise SALVATION and GLORY and HONOVR and POWER be ascribed to the Lord our God Luk. 2.13 14. But I need go no further than the words before the Text vers 9. That the Gentiles might glorifie God for his Mercy how was that It followeth for this cause I will praise thee among the Gentiles and sing unto thy Name Psal 50. ult He that offereth praise glorifieth me This shewing forth of the Divine Virtues is either real and indeed or vocal and in words 1. The real shewing forth the Virtues of God is the manifesting of that which is Gods in them and this is the work as well of the meer natural and brutish Creature as of Man for so the heavens declare the glory of God and the firmament shews his handy-work the Sun the Moon the Stars That the Sea whose swelling waves reach up to heaven and threaten to regain their old place and cover the earth should be stopped with a little sand Yea that Creatures that seem most contemptible if duly considered in the nature vertues and regular operations and actions of them cannot but procure our admiration One instance of a thousand That a sensitive soul that life and senses and the motive faculty and the exercise of all these should be shut up in a body so little as we can hardly discern with our eye it commends the skill of the Maker like Homers Iliads in a nutshel These and every one of these Creatures in their several kinds shew forth the virtues of God both as the goodness of their Creator is relucent in them and as they are the object and matter of praise to Men and Angels pro voce aspectu utuntur saith Euthymius instead of speaking the praises of God they propound themselves to be spoken of by them that can Thus also the Saints and holy ones of God really praise God when they shew forth the virtues of God his patience his meekness his gentleness his long-suffering his humility c. in an holy life and in all manner of Godly Conversation for as ungodly men deny God in their works saith the Apostle Tit. 1.16 how plausibly soever they confess him in their words so godly men really confess and praise God in their works though they speak not much of him with their mouth and as that is the greatest denyal of God so is this the greatest praise for herein is my Father honoured saith our Saviour when ye bring forth much fruit Such are compared to sheep who tell not what they eat but bear wooll and give milk and say nothing This this is to praise God though we prate little of him and in this sence saith the Prophet David Psal 65.1 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which Hierom in his Translation out of the Hebrews turns Tibi
must not grosly conceive any corporal or bodily participation of the one or the other as the Jews did Joh. 6.52 How can this fellow give us that flesh of his to eat But we are to understand it according to that Analogie which earthly and bodily things have to heavenly and spiritual Edere est credere to believe is to receive the body and blood of the Lord Jesus Thus we call Communicating receiving when we believe receive and partake of that Mystical and heavenly food But here we must say as the Deacon did Sursum corda The Deity stoops low when it condescends to our ordinary natural actions We must here conceive a mystical partaking of Christ for the more distinct understanding of this we may consider the mystical eating the Body and drinking the Blood of Christ both 1. In similitude And 2. Dissimilitude unto the partaking of earthly and bodily food 1. To eat it is to partake of the nourishment 1 Cor. 10.17 18. As for the similitude unto the participation of bodily food the Bread Flesh or Meat you know is first masticated or ground with the teeth whence it 's conveyed into the stomach where by the heat partly of it and of the neighbour parts it looseth it self and is turned into Chyle and thence after discretion or separation made of the good from the bad it 's transmitted into every part as every part hath need 2. As for the Wine or whatsoever liquor else we drink it goes down as we say without chewing and after a like change and distinction made in the stomach it accompanieth the more solid meat throughout the body Even thus the heavenly Manna is to be received that is believed Joh. 1. Col. 2. Thus it is to be chewed and ruminated and meditated upon as the Isralites said of their Mannah What is it And so transmitted into the judgement the stomach as it were of the Soul which destributes to every part and faculty supply of the heavenly food For the enlivening and convenience of this food The Spirit accompanieth it For it is the Spirit that quickens Joh. 6. and helps our weakness of concoction Rom. 8. as Wine helps to digest solid meat Thus far they agree and many more resemblances might be found between them But the dissimilitude is greater For 1. Although our corporal food be turned into our bodies and receives a life from them yet Christ the Spiritual food is not so to be transformed into our Souls nor does he receive life from them But contrariwise this heavenly nourishment transforms our Souls and Assimilates them unto it self as the Cion or Graft suppose of an Apple or a Pear is not changed into the Nature of the stock which parhaps is a Thorn or a Crab but it turns the stock into its own Nature So saith St. James Chap. 1.21 Receive with meekness saith he the engrafted word which is able to save your souls To this purpose is that of the Apostle By one Spirit saith he we are all baptized into one body c. And we have been all made to drink into one Spirit 1 Cor. 12.13 2. Nor doth this nourishment receive life from us but gives life unto us for the case is different in this exceedingly Our bodies must first live before they can be nourished for a dead body cannot be nourished But except ye eat the flesh of the son of man and drink his blood ye have no life in you saith our Saviour Joh. 6.53 And the bread that I will give him is my flesh which I will give for the life of the world vers 51. And he that eateth me even he shall live by me vers 57. 3. A third dissimilitude is the Belly cleanseth Meats Mar. 7.19 But this Meat cleanseth us Bodies and Souls Joh. 13. 5. To shew forth the Lords death what is it but to be conformable thereunto as the Apostle speaks Phil. 3. It also seems to have respect unto that custom of the Jews in the Passover To reveil the Mysteries of it unto their Children which they called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Schindl in 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 But how by eating this Bread and drinking this Cup do we shew forth the Lords death The Analogie seems to be this The Bread we eat and Drink we drink looseth its own Nature and becomes of the same Nature with our Bodies to which they are adjoyned Even so by eating the Flesh of the Son of God and drinking his Blood we become one with him and he one with us and being thus joyned unto him we become conformable unto his death The cause of this why they who eat the Flesh of the Son of God and drink his Blood shew forth the Lords death till he come who can it be but God himself who as he alone can give the thing signified so also to him alone it belongeth to appoint the signs 1. Learn from hence who are the worthy Communicants The Text teacheth us who but they who shew forth the Lords death 2. What the Christian calling is which Christ invites us unto What else but the imitating of his death Joh. 12 23 24. Rom. 6.3 Phil. 3. 3. The Christian Profession is no easie Profession strait is the gate narrow is the way compared to the pangs of Child-bearing Joh. 16.21 4. Our Profession of Christ's death it must be made known shew forth the Lords death The like exhortation ye have elsewhere Let your light so shine before men Let your moderation be known unto all men By this shall all men know that ye are my Disciples if ye love one another Exhort Shew forth the Lords death The words may be read thus as others We may be moved thereunto by these Arguments 1. Argument It 's but Reason Rom. 12. 2. Argument It 's most necessary For if we suffer with him we shall be glorified with him 3. Argument It 's an Argument that we love God no greater love than to dye for another 2. Till he come This imports continuation without interruption and extent until Christ come 1. Of the first speak these places Matth. 16. Thou must take up thy cross daily 1 Cor. 15.31 Dye daily proper te mortificamur toto Die Rom. 8. 2. Thou must always bear about in thy body the dying of the Lord Jesus We who live are always delivered unto death for Jesus sake 2 Cor. 4.2 Phil. 1.6 Gal. 4.19 1 Tim. 6.14 2 Pet. 1.19 Repreh 1. It reproves those who have quickly done shewing forth the Lords death They must remember it was the task laid upon us Moriendo morieris and Crucifixion is a long lingering death Far easier it is to dye so than to dye and dye eternally as otherwise we must Repreh 2. It reproves those who will needs be shewing forth the vertues of him that hath called them before they have shewn forth the death of Christ NOTES on 1 ROR. XI 28. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 But let a man examine himself and so let him eat
stranger an enemy to our nature fighting against our soul 1 Pet. 1. that enemy which the Saints always complain of until it be overcome by Christ he is always fighting and troubling me saith David Psal 56.1 and St. Paul Wretched man that I am who shall deliver me from this body of death Rom. 7. 2. With consent of the will as vers 19. of this Chapter and this is man's addition unto Gods creation and this is that which for distinctions sake from the other the Apostle calls 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 evil concupiscence which is either 1. Compleat in the will only and this is always evil according to the Rule Omnis completa voluntas pro facto reputatur as the looking upon a woman to lust after her Matth. 9.28 2. Deed also as outward adultery vers 27. of that Chapter These lusts are here meant and called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 lusts of errour which is a misconceit or mistake and a false judgement thereupon arising from similitude or likeness of things As when we approve and allow that for true which is false and contrariwise disallow that for false which is true Whence in the will and affection proceeds the embracing of evil instead of good and the shunning of good instead of evil So that lusts are then erroneous and deceitful when being themselves infected they sway to their inclination the judgement of the understanding which concludes falshood for truth and propounds this false judgement to the will The word here used is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 seduction or leading out of the way and from the end at which we aim which answers to the Hebrew 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to err or swerve from the way and end of it which also signifieth to sin which is nothing else but a seducing and misleading out of this way of Gods Commandments and from him who is the chief good and end of the Law But because in every deceit some confidence is presupposed in the party deceiving proportionally thereunto we shall find that the deceitfulness of lusts is generally seen one of these two ways Either 1. By perswading to a false and erroneous judgement which is the promise of lust As when intemperance perswades us to an immoderate use of the creatures promising us security and ease Or 2. By rewarding those who were perswaded by them otherwise than they promised And that is lusts performance which is two fold Either 1. Depriving them of the good which they hoped for and which their lusts promised them Or 2. Paying them home with an evil which they feared not which their lusts made them secure of 1. The first of these is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 2. The latter 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And there is scarce any deceit wherein ye shall not meet with these Examples are obvious The first which presents its self unto us is the very first that was practised in the world Gen. 3. Where the woman being perswaded by her lusts of intemperance pride and ambition that they should be no less than Gods knowing good and evil and secured of God's threatning that if they eat of the tree they should dye She was both deceived and deprived of the Wisdom and Deity which she hoped for and became obnoxious unto death which she feared not And if we look a little further we shall find that Nimrod and his posterity being perswaded by their ambition to build a Tower and put in Hope that thereby they should get a great name and made secure even for the future of being dispersed they not only failed of their hoped honour but left Babel behind them a Monument as the name signifieth of their confusion and which they thought themselves far enough from they were scattered over the face of the whole earth And before we go out of the same Country of Chaldea we shall meet with a third example of Nebuchadonozor who was sick of the very same disease deceitful ambition as the Text imports Dan. 4.27 which promised him a durable Kingdom and Honour for so he vaunts himself Is not this great Babylon which I have built for the house of the kingdom by the might of my power and for the honour of my Majesty The promise of his deceitful lust which failed him foully in the end for while these were yet in the Kings mouth there fell a voice from heaven saying O King Nabucodonozor to thee be it spoken Thy kingdom is departed from thee and instead of thy hoped honour thou shalt become like the beasts that perish thou shalt be cast out of mens company and thy dwelling shall be with the beasts of the field nor are the lusts of covetousness and luxury less deceitful For observe I pray you what a large promise the rich Mans avarice and riotous lust made him Luk. 12.19 Soul thou hast much goods laid up in store for many years eat drink and be merry But God said unto him thou fool this night thy soul shall be required of thee and then whose shall these things be which thou hast provided Examples of this kind are infinite I would to God our own experience did not furnish us with too many See Prov. 31.30 favour is deceitful and covetousness Mar. 4.19 Let us enquire into the cause of this why lusts are thus deceitful the Apostle acquits God the universal cause of all good things from having any hand in this evil Let no man say when he is tempted that I am tempted of God saith St. Jam. 1.13 for he is intentator malorum so it is in the Latin he suggests not evil unto evil men neither tempteth he any man No no say not thou it is of the Lord that I fell away and say not thou that he hath caused me to err for he hath no need of the sinful man Ecclus. 15.12 Yet lest that God the essential truth and faithfulness who is purissimus actus might be conceived altogether idle we may in part demonstrate the deceitfulness of lusts from him either as occasioning or permitting or some such way wherein he hath no direct or positive action Thus the Lord is brought in consulting who should deceive Ahab and giving way to a lying spirit in the mouth of all his Prophets 1 King 22.20 yet we read that Ahab was deceived before by his lusts of covetousness and ambition vers 3. of that Chapter Thus because the Gentiles though they knew God yet they glorified him not as God but became vain and their foolish heart was darkned God gave them up to uncleanness through the lusts of their own hearts to dishonour their own bodies c. receiving in themselves the recompence of their own errour or deceit which was meet Rom. 1 21-27 And because they that perish in sin suffer themselves to be deluded with all deceivableness of unrighteousness and receive not the love of the truth that they may be saved For this cause God sends them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the strength of errour
respect of the most glorious Pattern is that eternal and unchangeable Idea in God unto which the conformity of the Creature either ratione vestigii or imaginis either in regard of common similitude or of the image it self is the perfection of it every thing being then perfect when 't is conformable unto the Idea and example according to which 't was made which of it self invites inclines commands imitation of it self So that 2. In respect of us 't is our duty and such a duty as we of all other creatures are most bound and best able to perform and that with effect man being of all other 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as Plato calls him a Creature best able to imitate his Maker Add to all this that which is the consummation of all 3. 'T is the end of mans Creation for whereas 't is said Gen. 1.27 That God made man in his own image it signifieth Gods ordination of man to be a resemblance of himself and for ever to bear the image of his Maker so saith the Wiseman That God created man to be immortal and to be an image of his own eternity Wisd 2.23 And since we have defaced this image by our fall God hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son who is the express image of his person Heb. 1. And propounded him for an example that we should follow his steps 1 Pet. 2.21 And predestinated us to be made conformable unto his Son Rom. 8.29 and made known unto us the mystery of his will according to his pleasure which he had purposed in himself that in the dispensation of the fulness of â—imes he might 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 gather up all things under one head in Christ Eph. 11.10 And this is his Image which he hath sent to teach us that we should be renewed in the spirit of our mind that we should put on the new man who is created after God in Righteousness and true Holiness that as we have born the image of the earthly So also we may bear the image of the heavenly 1 Cor. 15. And so become followers of him as dear children These are high causes Beloved and such as summarily contain in them the ground and foundation as of our imitation so also of the whole Christian life Behold then Beloved the most glorious Pattern that can be propounded unto our Imitation even the Deity it self even the holy and blessed God himself But can the Deity be imitated and followed by man I say not that we are invited here to create new worlds or to preserve them to make the Sun to rise or set to alter the course of Nature or to do any of these great works which God challengeth to himself Job 38. and 39. But that image of God which consists in wisdom in righteousness and true holiness which therefore we may call God himself this we may this we must imitate And this image was signified wholly or in part unto the Church of the Jews according to Gods dispensation and that peoples capacity in all the Figures Ceremonies and symbolical Signs of the Old Testament which were examples and shadows of heavenly things and made by Moses according to the pattern shewed him in the mount Heb. 8.5 For so the law had a shadow of good things to come but not the very image of those things that is the essential image of God who is the end of the law 'T is possible then to imitate and follow God in this image yea the duty of us all so to do To stop and silence for ever that foul-mouth which like a sink or rotten sepulchre exhales and belches out these and such like horrid blasphemies 1. That God hath created all men to sin and the greatest part of men unto destruction How then to the imitation of his own Image 2. That God doth Sanctè ad flagitia homines impellere Confer D. Vorsti ubi concilia plura invenies Episc drives men after an holy manner to commit sin O the holiness of the Devil How then doth he exhort them to be followes of God 3. That the most abominable wickedness that ever was committed is conformable unto Gods Nature and Will How then can we be invited to be followers of God in Righteousness and true Holiness O let these and such like pestilent blastings and damps of all holy endeavours these scandals to all progress in Piety and Devotion descend into the the bottomless pit from whence they came And learn we from hence who they are that are to be accounted the dear children of God not every one that fansieth God to be his Father or out of self-love calls God Father in his necessity as the Rich man called Abraham father when he was in hell torments one that can say Lord Lord c. The genuine and true sons of God are followers of God their Father They are like him in qualities and conditions they do as their Father doth They are holy as God is holy pure as God is pure light as God is light they are merciful as their father which is in heaven is merciful They are perfect as their Father which is in heaven is perfect As the Children of such a Father as obedient Children They fashion not themselves nor imitate their former lusts in their ignorance but as God who calleth them is holy so are they holy in all manner of conversation because it is written be ye holy for I am holy 1 Pet. 1.14 15. in love of enemies Matth. 5. in mercy all the power we have should be shown in this Numb 14.17 all our perfection is in this confer Matth. 5.38 with Luk. 6.36 And how is God holy He is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is unmixt and separate Levit. 11.44 there 't is written that he is holy he is separate in his Nature from all his Creatures yet so that he is in them all as the light is in the whole air yet it is not the air the soul in the body and every part of it Tanquam in adaequato perfectibili yet it is not the body In this sence we must be holy as God is holy Come out of them and be ye separate 2 Cor. 6. But the meaning is not that we should go out of the world as the same Apostle teacheth but that we should so keep our selves that the evil one touch us not as our Saviour prayes for his Disciples Joh. 17. That we keep our selves unspotted of the world which is the pure religion and undefiled before God and the father saith St. James 1.17 A Religion which if many of the world had known they would have saved themselves a long voyage and not gone out of the world to have planted a new Religion of their own in another world These these are the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The children of God without spot Phil. 2.15 Such as are holy as God is holy pure as God is pure the imitators and followers of God as his
〈◊〉 If pellis vulpina non valet assumet leoninam as now he hath done If Peters will not serve the turn then he draws Pauls sword If the Foxes skin will not do then he takes the Lions The Reason why the Devil hath his wiles and devises may be considered from the corruption of his Wisdom and Goodness wherein he was Created 1. His Wisdom degenerate into subtilty 1. In regard of the wiles themselves they are such as can proceed only from that subtle Spirit who is Simia Dei Gods Ape As therefore the Spirit of God passeth through all Spirits so Satan the subtle Spirit and more subtle than all the Beasts of the field he passeth through the thoughts and affections of men so far as the Lord will permit him and exerciseth his wiles and deceits in them He was an Angel of Light the Light in him is become darkness We may consider the Three Principles of the Angels Nature with Analogie to Body Soul and Spirit Body wind Soul fire Spirit light when by reflecting upon himself he saw his own excellency he grew proud and so lost his light then remained nothing but fire the fire of envy and wrath and that blown by the wind fecit Angelos ventos He was the most glorious Angel Corruptio optimi est pessima spiritual wickedness The Serpent was the most subtle of all the beasts of the field That which whets his subtilty seems to be his pride and envy at Mans future happiness Observ 2. Whither to refer the wily crafty and subtle disposition to do mischief whither else but to the Devil himself that Old Serpent called the Devil and Satan He hath his Name 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a Serpent in the Original from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to search to try to prove to tempt The Serpent hath deceived me saith our old Mother Gen. 3. 2. The Devil hath in him a fire of wrath and envy and this he kindles in ungodly men this he blows and longs as earnestly to kindle as the Lord was desirous to kindle the fire of his Spirit Observ 3. We learn hence whither we may refer the errours of our judgements and the deceitfulness of our lusts See Notes in Ephes 4.22 Observ 4. God is not the cause of our being misled and deceived Deus neque fallere potest neque falli He is the very Truth it self God is faithful it is impossible that God should lie It reproves us all that though we know all this that the Lord himself deceives us not but Satan through the yielding of our own deluded hearts yet we are content to be deceived What though thou knowest all the wiles of Satan all his stratagems all his methods and wayes of deceiving that he useth in the world if mean time thou knowest not his subtilty which he machinates and exerciseth in thine own heart he hath his Dalilah in thy own bosome Exhort Be not ignorant of the Devils devises Sanballat would seduce thee into the place of Ono. 2. Pray to the Lord who is the only wise God Wisdom alwayes over-reacheth subtilty 2. God hath a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a complete armour What is here meant by Armour and Gods Armour The Reason considerable in regard 1. Of God himself He is the Lord of Hosts and hath all power and strength and what ever is in parts in the Creature is whole and in solido in himself 2. In regard of his Saints who are one with him they are in themselves weak and feeble such are the doves among the fowls and the sheep among the cattle and therefore since their strength is not in themselves there 's great need it should be in God Observ 5. Gods Armour is Armour of Proof 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is Armour against which nothing can prevail so ye may observe it with the Criticks in the Holy Scripture both in the Old and New Testament That whatsoever hath the Name of God annexed unto it it is alwayes excellent in the kind as Gen. 32.2 Gods Host which is either by way of distinction added 1. Because Satan also hath his host of Angels or 2. Else for excellency sake as 1 Chron. 12.22 a great Host like the Host of God 2. The terrour of God was upon the Cities that were round about them Gen. 35.5 i. e. the greatest fear and terrour 3. Exod. 3.1 Horeb the Mount of God either 1. By Reason of Gods frequent apparitions in it to Moses and to Elias or 2. for the greatness of it so Psal 68.15 the hill of God is the hill of Basan presently it follows an high hill the hill of Basan 3. So Ezech. 28.16 Thus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the voices of God Exod. 9.28 which our Translators well render mighty thunderings The City of God Psal 46.4 and 48.1.8 So the Poet called Sparta 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Divine Sparta 4. Niniveh was an exceeding great City Jonah 3.3 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 our Translators put in the Margin of God word for word great of God or to God 5. As the Cedars of God i. e. tall Cedars Vatablus observes well that the Name of God added is a Particle of intention to increase the signification 6. Thus Moses is said to be exceeding fair 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Margin fair to God Act. 7.20 7. Thus the Minister is said to be a man of God implying what he ought to be an excellent man 8. Elias a man of God 9. Timothy thou man of God And thus people commonly look upon the Minister as he who ought to be such But I fear many look not so upon themselves who call themselves the people of God Whereas indeed there is the same reason for them they ought to be an excellent people The Saints that are in the earth they are excellent ones Psal 16.10 2 Cor. 10.4 Thus the weapons of our warfare are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 mighty to God or exceeding mighty and the complete Armour the exceeding strong Armour 't is Armour of proof nothing can prevail against it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 complete armour By this word the LXX render 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Judg. 14.19 Sampson slew thirty Philistines and took their spoil He took their arms Chald. 2 Sam. 2.21 Abner said to Asahel Turn aside to one of the young men and take his armour Hence is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Armour or Garments wherewith Josuah was cloathed by the Angel Zach. 3.4 I have taken from thee thy sins and cloathed thee with clean garments Chald. Paraph. with righteousness And we shall find that will prove the complete Armour the Armour in the Text if ye please to compare with these words Rom. 13.12 For what we here find called the whole armour of God we find there called the armour of light i. e. of God as God is light and Christ is light yea if ye look but vers 14. you will find the Apostle speaks home to our purpose where what he here calls the whole armour
judgement of men and their ill thoughts of Jesus Christ All the Angels of God worship him yet men think low and base thoughts of him as one that had a Devil and was mad They thought they said well when they so said Joh. 8. but this was the errour of that Age we have higher opinions and more worthy thoughts of God and Christ would God we had but do we not entertain as hard thoughts As when any thing is foretold except he be a man of our Opinion and Sect what ever that is we are ready to impute it to the Devil though he be as Isa 41.24 I will say that ye are Gods So when any thing is done that we wonder at men are wont to impute it to the Devil as unguentum Hopliatricum though Psal 72.18 Qui facit mirabilia solus Exhort To receive Christ when his Father brings him into the world Zach. 9.9 His coming in his kingdom of Grace is described unto us he comes Just the Just One and who makes all those Righteous and Just who receive him i. e. believe on him Joh. 1.12 He hath Salvation to save them from their sins he brings his reward with him He comes lowly and meek sitting upon an Ass and that borrowed He comes poor and without all worldy pomp and ostentation he makes choise of the base things of the world and things that are not All this is to discover unto us how we should entertain him not with our wisdom He comes on an Ass the most foolish of serviceable beasts even such nay worse hath the Man made himself by his Fall like the beasts worse than the beasts that perish Isaac going to be sacrificed rode on the Ass Dominus opus habet summa nostra stultitia But who alas who thus receives the first begotten brought into the world who bears contempt with the Wisdom crying and lying in the street when men shake their heads at him and cry fie upon him fie upon him Who takes pleasure in Christ when he seems so ugly and deformed in the eye of carnal wisdom Isa 53. who forsakes himself to go with Christ See Epist 2. Chap. 1. He comes among his own and his own receive him not c. Contend for Christ yea fight for him yet receive him not when we may have him for taking up in the streets Michal despised David naked and became childless We know not that he gives us our Wooll and our Flax c. When will he come Luk. 24.49 It is not for you to know the Times and Seasons They who wait for him Isa 25.9 Lo this is our God we have waited for him Isa 30.18 Blessed are they that wait for him Wait at Jerusalem I will wait upon thee in Righteousness Psal 63.2 That I may behold thy Power and Glory Follow peace with all men and holiness without which no man shall see the Lord The birds will return to their like so will truth to them that practice her Ecclus. 27.9 Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many and unto them that look for him he shall appear the second time without sin unto salvation Means I am in the midst of them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Matth. 18.20 When two or three are gathered together in my name c. Mal. 3.16 They that feared the Lord spake one to another and the Lord heard c. Luk. 24. so to the travellers to Emaus then he will cast out the Prince of this world Because of the Angels Christ is in the Congregation of the Righteous NOTES AND OBSERVATIONS UPON HEBREWS I. 7. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And of the Angels he saith Who maketh his angels spirits HItherto the Apostle hath proved the Conclusion vers 5. by three Testimonies in regard of Christ he now proceeds to prove it in regard of the Angels The words are taken out of Psal 104.4 which Psalm is a glorious description of Gods Majesty Creation and Providence and are taken by the Apostle word for word out of the LXX Translation There is some difficulty in the words which I shall first endeavour to clear then observe what is generally observable in them then lay out the several truths contained in them In clearing the words let us 1. Examine whether they be placed in order or no Then 2. Whether there be a repetition of them of or no 3. What is meant by making his Angels Spirits c. 1. As for the disposition or placing of these words some would have them transposed and put in a diverse order thus Who makes those who by nature are Spirits his Angels or Messengers c. but howsoever this be a truth yet some Paraphrasts read the words without transposition as we find them laid down in the Text Besides the Fathers who were more learned in the Greek tongue than the other read the Text as we do and we are enforced by the Article in the Greek which is added to Angels and Ministers for when there is a doubt of two words whether should be the Subject which is the principal we look unto which the Article is added and that is the Subject 2. Whether there is a repetition in these words or no as when Israel came out of Aegypt c. See Notes in Rom. 15. There may be yet somewhat in the one which is not in the other By 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Jews understand the winds so the Vulg. Lat. turns the word Ventos and so the meaning should be that the Lord makes the winds his messengers so the next words makes thunders and lightnings his Ministers But this fits not our Apostles purpose howsoever the speech be true for the Apostle here speaks not of the winds but of Angelical Spirits such as in the Verse before These words contain the Principles of the Angels whereof their nature consists whereby the Apostle shews the inferiority of the Angels unto Christ whatever is Created and not God is as meer and sound Reason teacheth compounded of Principles quid est quò est But this is all one as to confess they knew not whereof their Nature consists that therefore which Metaphysick ignorantly in general teacheth that the Word of God declares distinctly As Man and many other Creatures consist of three Principles Body Soul and Spirit so do the Angels 1. They have somewhat Analogical and proportionable to a body that 's wind so Vulg. Lat. facit Angelos suos ventos 2. To the Soul that 's fire ministros flammam ignis 3. To the Spirit that 's light This is manifest by their Creation on the first day when God made the light and those spirits of light hence it is that their appearing is accompanied with light Luk. 2.9 The Angel of the Lord came upon the Shepherds and the Glory of the Lord shone round about them there shined a light in the prison And hence it is that the Apostle saith that Satan is transformed into an Angel of light 2 Cor. 11.14 whence Damascene
thine Isaac thy joy thy delight upon the Altar upon the patience O how seasonable an exhortation is this in this perilous time when the Lord comes to take vengeance on those who are disobedient unto the Gospel of Jesus Christ O how little is that thought upon which ye read Act. 3.22 23. Mich. 6 6-14 Ezech. 21.10 Marg. Offer up thine Isaac I speak not here only of that exorbitant mirth that joy of wild asses Esay 32.14 Doubtless the true and spiritual joy must be offered up upon the Altar the patience of Jesus Christ There is a true joy which yet is not permanent with us at continues not 1 Cor. 7.30 O thou son of Abraham to thee be it spoken arise early as Abraham did let it be thy business we rise early about what nearly concerns us and is there any business more nearly so nearly concerns us as our souls God saith to Abraham go into the land of Moriah And he saith to thee Chald. Paraph. Go in terram divini cultûs where God is worshipped even into thine own heart and spirit Joh. 4. Go and offer up thine Isaac there if it be a vain hope such as Abraham hoped against Rom. 4.18 if it be worldly fear such as we must not fear 1 Pet. 3.14 't will vanish if good 't will remain if a worldly sorrow such as causeth death 't will perish if godly sorrow 't will abide 2 Cor. 7.10 If a carnal joy 't will be consumed like the Ram on the Altar if a spiritual joy 't will continue if it be a good hope fear sorrow if it be joy in the spirit if the true Isaac it will come off alive 4. Abraham our father was justified by works when he offered up Isaac his son upon the altar The words are in the form of a question was not Abraham c which form affirms more vehemently I appeal to thee was it so or no 1. What works are these 2. What justification c 3. How was Abraham justified by works when he offered up Isaac c 1. What works Works are either 1. Such as are elicited and drawn from us by the command of the Law and works of righteousness which we have done Or 2. Works which proceed from faith intrinsecally which are here to be understood Abrahams works of faith and not only the aggregata opera the many several works comprized in that one the offering up his son But also all Abrahams other works of Faith his humility his peaceableness generally his obedience 2. Justification is properly making righteous and therefore as Universal Righteousness is either 1. the ceasing from Evil or else 2. the doing of Good Isai 1.16 17. So Justification is either 1. the removing of sin and evil and not imputing of it or 2. Positive making righteous as light removes darkness and enlightens the air Because this latter consists not in indivisibili nor is wrought all at once therefore there are in it divers degrees to which a man may be said to be more just and righteous than he was before 1. Of the first of these removing sin Justification cannot here be understood as if then Abraham should be justified and acquitted of his sin when he offered up his Son for that is rather to be understood when he departed out of his own Country which is a figure of departing from sin Psal 45. forsake thine own people and thy fathers house 2. Nor first and simply can it be understood of the second way of Justification as if God then began to make him Righteous when he offered up his Son for we read that his Faith was before counted to him for Righteousness when he believed the promises of God Gen. 15.6 3. Abraham therefore is understood to be here justified by works when he offered up his Son in that now he made a further progress in Righteousness he was now more Just more Righteous than he was before Qui justificatur justificetur adhuc Rev. 22.11 3. How was Abraham justified by works when he offered up his Son Some conceive that Abraham was justified by works because his works justified and declared his Faith This is not true for to whom did Abraham declare his Faith but to God by this act and then Abraham should not be said to be justified but his Faith which is no where said to be The works whereby Abraham is said to be justified proceed intrinsecally from Faith I say intrinsecally not only as Faith is an inward principle from whence works proceed but as the works of Faith are as it were coessential and connatural with it so that Faith cannot be without them and therefore it is called the obedience of Faith Rom. 1.5 and 16.26 And thus Abraham by Faith obeyed Heb. 11.8 Yea hence it is that Faith and Obedience are taken for the same as I shewed by many Examples before There is a great deal of dispute about these words whereas if we consider them well our Apostle here divides the controversie for having said that Abraham was justified by works c. He confirms what he had said by saying Abraham was justified by Faith and so he interprets the Scripture herein to be fulfilled vers 23. Gal. 3.5 6. So that according to the Scripture to be justified by Works in sano sensu and by Faith are all one and the same Psal 106.30 31. And this will appear yet more evident and plain if ye consider what the same Apostle saith concerning the works of Faith how intrinsecal inward and intimate they are with the nature of it vers 26. even as near and inward as the form soul spirit and life are unto the body which nor lives nor breaths nor can be said to be such without the form soul spirit and life but rather a carcase of Faith than true justifying Faith for as the body without the spirit is dead so faith without works is dead also God is said to justifie the ungodly i. e. to make him who is ungodly a righteous man by taking away his ungodliness from him 1. The Reason on Gods part is that great design of erecting and setting up his Righteousness again in the earth and renewing man according to his own Image in Righteousness which is not in habitual only but also in practical and actual Righteousness in all Graces in all Virtues and virtuous actions 2. In regard of Abraham by whom God would erect his Righteousness He was to be not only a Righteous and a Faithful man but a pattern also of Righteousness by Faith unto all Generations and so a Father of the Faithful and therefore God was pleased in him to declare what kind of Faith what kind of Righteousness by Faith what kind of Justification he required of all Abraham's Children not by a dead and unprofitable Faith but by a living vigorous and operative Faith a Faith working by Love for was not our Father Abraham justified by works Thus a man is justified by words Matt. 12.37 By thy words
be multiplied in infinitum everlastingly And 2. In regard of use this Grain nourishing and sustaining the Tabernacle of man's Soul Gold and Jewels and precious Stones only adorning and beautifying the outside of it And therefore God saith not to Israel thou shalt partake of the riches of the Land but thou shalt eat the bread of the â—â—nd Numb 15.19 And Psal 104.15 the Psalmist commends it unto us for strengthening of man's heart And the Reason is considerable in regard of God who makes bread to grow out of the Earth Psal 104. and feeds all flesh 2. And in regard of man's body which is like a ruinous building alwayes decaying and mouldring away and therefore alwayes hath need of reparation which the Holy Ghost implies in the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifieth to eat and to underpropa building as with a shore or buttress which the LXX turn 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Judg. 19.5 Comfort or sustain and support thine heart with a morsel of bread 3. That 's a ground of a third reason in respect of the nourishment it self which is fit to support the natural life by recreating and repairing the decayes of blood the vital and animal Spirits which it doth by the aiery parts of it mixt with the quintessence or common Spirit which fills all the World Wisdom 1. whence it is called the stay of bread Esay 3.1 and the staff of bread Ezech. 4.16 and 5.16 But this discourse is fitter for a Physician especially if we add that other excellency that it 's fit for Medicine and the cure of mans body as well as the nourishment of it Nor doth my Text allow me to dwell long upon this Argument but implies only that a man lives a kind of life by bread though not by bread only And that will appear whether we consider bread in it self or in the effect of it enlivening or giving life 1. As for bread in it self it 's a mixt body compounded of the elements and howsoever it hath a kind of life in it self yet it cannot nourish the body of man unless first that life be corrupted and dye in it And how comes that quickned again but through the Spirit of life that gives life to all things that live Much more how comes it to enliven or give life and that not only vegetative but sensitive also as 1 Sam. 30.12 This proceeds not from the essential principles of bread nor is it in the power of bread or any corporal food alone But as that Spirit which fills the World of all the Creatures animal or such as have sense hath taken up man for his Temple 1 Cor. 3.17 as the most excellent of them all And as among all the mineral Creatures or those that want life he manifests his glory most in Gold so among all the vegetable Natures or Creatures that have life and want sense that Spirit hath seated it self in that Grain that 's fittest for bread especially that of Wheat which is concluded by the Physicians to be the most convenient and best fitted unto the temperament of man's body which therefore doth praesentem referre Deum Whence we may well conclude that bread alone enlivens not It is thy grace O Lord that nourisheth all things and not the growing of fruits that nourisheth man c. Wisd 10.25 26. An evident Argument that man lives not by bread alone no not the natural life Wherein we must necessarily distinguish between the Elementary body of bread and that heavenly blessing in it imperted unto it by the Spirit of life as the Scripture intimates Esay 65.8 Mal. 3.10 Which is a forcible reason to perswade us to pray for our dayly bread although we have our dayly bread to bless our Table and pray for our meat although we have our meat and it stand ready for us upon the Table since there is so broad a difference between the bread and the blessing in it Our late experience proves this to be true when God for our sins sent a dreadful Famine in the neck of a devouring Plague 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 when he took the staffe of bread and took the blessing from it unless our health and plenty have made us forget our God grow fat and kick if so fear and tremble lest if we forget his Mercies he remember us again with Judgments An Argument to convince Idolaters yea Atheists St. Paul makes use of it Acts 14.15 The living God which made the Heaven and the Earth and the Sea and all things that are therein Who in times past suffered all Nations to walk in their own wayes left not himself without witness in that he did good and gave us rain from heaven and fruitful seasons filling our hearts with food and gladness Add hereunto Acts 17.25 He giveth unto all life and breath and all things v. 27. That they might seek the Lord if happily they might feel after him and find him for this is the end why he gives us his outward bread for how heinously does the Lord our God take it at those Atheists and wicked mens hands who eat the bread of God and call not upon God ye may read Psal 14. and 53. Whereas he expects that this riches of his goodness should lead to repentance Rom. 2. That this corporal food should point us to the spiritual that the outward bread should guide us to the inward Since man lives not by the outward bread only but by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God That 's the second Point Man liveth by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God Whether this word be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Whether the outward word of Commandment 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and promise or the essential word of God 'T is true in both sences that man lives by every such word c. If we understand the word of commandment 't is either Mediate or Immediate 1. The mediate Commandment is a direction and injunction unto the Creature to feed man which Commandment in Scripture we find to be directed 1. Sometimes to the feeder And that either 1. Extraordinary as when God commanded the Ravens a Bird of Prey and fitter to feed upon our bodies than to feed them to bring bread and flesh to Eliah 1 Kings 17.4 5 6. or 2. More ordinary v. 9. When God commanded the Widow of Sarepta to sustain him 2. Sometimes this Commandment is directed to the nourishment it self as v. 14 15 16. Where thus saith the Lord God of Israel the Barrel of Meal shall not waste nor the Cruise of Oyle fail c. The like command no doubt the God of life gave unto that second meat which the same Prophet eat Chap. 19.6 7 8. For he went in the strength of that meat forty dayes and forty nights Such bread was Moses fed withall who stayed the same time in the Mount Sinai and neither eat outward bread or drank
water And hither we may refer the miraculous feeding of so many with so little food Matth. 15.16 2. The immediate Commandment is directed unto our selves to live upon it and that is the Law of God which was ordained unto life as the Apostle speaks Rom. 7. though the Law of it self cannot enliven us For if there had been a Law given which could have given life surely righteousness should have been by the Law but the Scripture hath concluded all under sin that the promise of faith by Jesus Christ might be given to them that believe Gal. 3.21 22. This points us to the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the essential word of God Jesus Christ himself according to his Divine Nature That Word which was in the beginning John 1.1 with God and was God which cannot be understood of the body and flesh of Christ which was not from the beginning Of this inward word the outward Word bears witness John 1. and 1 John 1.1 2 3. speaks experimentally of this Word That which was in the beginning c. The food of which the Saints of God have fed upon even from the beginning 1 Cor. 10. And that this is the word here meant especially as figured by the outward Manna Moses intimates Exod. 16.15 When the Children of Israel doubted what it should be he resolves them this is the bread which the Lord hath given you to eat and v. 16. This is the thing which the Lord hath commanded gather of it every man This is the thing in the Hebrew it is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifieth The Word the Vulg. Latine hath Sermo rather than the thing The word is ambiguous and 't was fit for those times for the concealing of so great a mystery which our Saviour opens John 6.33 to which our Translatours refer us in the Margent The bread of God is he saith that essential bread which cometh down from Heaven as the Manna figuratively did and giveth life unto the World Hence it is that we find Christ so often signified by bread both in the Old and the New Testament 1. In the Old Testament Odo the Abbot the most learned of his time hath observed this heavenly Harmony of Corn Wine and Oyl signifying the three Persons of the Blessed Trinity and he quotes a notable place for it Joel 2. whose latter part from v. 28. to the end is alledged by our Saviour Matth. 24. St. Peter Acts 2. and St. Paul Rom. 10. to be fulfilled in these last times v. 19. of that Chapter he promiseth to send them Corn and Wine and Oyl and v. 24. The floors shall be full of Wheat and the fats shall overflow with Wine and Oyl which he fitly applies to the several Persons thus The Son fills the floors with Corn and Wheat The Spirit fills the fats with Wine The Father fills the fats with Oyl 1. The Oyl of mercy which mitigates and asswageth pain well befits the Father of mercies 2. The Corn or Wheat fills the floors with plenty whereof it is an Emblem and strengthens the heart of man 3. The Wine makes glad the heart which is a principal fruit of the Spirit These three ye may find often joyned together by the Holy Ghost as Deut. 11.14 and 12.17 and 18.4 Psal 104.15 2. In the New Testament I am saith he the bread of life John 6.32 And this bread saith he is my body Matth. 26.26 And I would not have you ignorant brethren that all our Fathers did eat the same spiritual meat and drink of that spiritual rock which was Christ 1 Cor. 10.3 4. And the reason why this inward man is to live by this essential word that proceeds out of the mouth of God may be considered either 1. In regard of God who causeth even this word to grow out of the earth Psal 104.14 Aperietur terra germinet Salvatorem Esay 45.4 Let the Earth open and bring forth the Saviour and who rains from Heaven this spiritual Manna on us for Moses gave you not that bread from heaven but my Father giveth you this bread from heaven John 6.32 And in respect of the inward man and his spiritual life to be maintained this spiritual food is necessary Simile à simili nutritur is a known rule like is nourished by the like and we being to grow up and to become 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 like to the Angels whom God hath made Spirits God feeds our inward man with spiritual food which the Psalmist calls Angels food And that 's the third Reason in respect of the nourishment it self for whereas the Souls and Spirits of the Saints must live the life of God which is eternal this heavenly food is that which hath the essential life in it John 1.4 Yea that meat which endures unto everlasting life John 6.27 Yea the eternal life it self 1 John 5.20 Great reason therefore there is that man should not live by bread only but by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God 1. A Doctrine that is worthy all our observation which that we might know Moses said Exod. 16.32 This is the word or thing which the Lord commandeth fill an Omer of it to be kept for your Generations that they may see the bread wherewith I have fed you in the Wilderness And Deut. 8.2 3. The Lord thy God fed thee these forty years in the Wilderness to humble thee and prove thee to know what was in thine heart and I suffered thee to hunger and fed thee with Manna and that he might make thee know that man doth not live by bread only but c. For this end that we might know he continued this miracle forty years not that we might only contemplate this truth for verba cognitionis intelligenda sunt cum affectu But 2. That we might learn to withdraw all our Faith Hope Love Confidence Care Fear all our dependence from the Creature and repose it wholly and solely upon our God who gives all the power virtue and efficacy unto the Creature and without whose concourse the whole Creature is weak vain empty nothing The staff of bread is but like a broken reed or like the chaff or husks without power and vertue to sustain us Man lives by every word c. 3. As also that rich man whose servants have bread enough and to spare Luke 15. might learn not to pride themselves or lift themselves up above their poor brethren for why Man lives not by bread only nor doth a mans life consist in the abundance of the things which he possesseth 4. That we may learn a difference between God's providence and rich mens touching the feeding and sustaining of the poor for howsoever the poor man lives not by bread only yet a kind of life he lives by bread which the rich must give them And howsoever the poor man lives by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God yet he lives not by any word at all that proceeds out of the
the thing it self As for the name Hell it represents unto us 1. The common condition and state of the dead Gen. 37.35 Job 14.13 Act 2.31 2. The mortified ones dead to Sin Psal 116.3 1 Sam. 2.3 The dead in trespasses and sins Psal 9.17 The latter is here meant which is called by divers names in Scripture as 1. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Psal 6.5 2. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Psal 69.15 3. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Psal 115.17 4. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Psal 6.5 5. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 2 King 23. 6. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Psal 107.14 7. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Rev. 9. This number 7 c. See Notes on Luk. 12.4 5. 2. What is here meant by Hell Fire The word is Gehenna let us enquire into the name and reason of the name and nature of the thing Hell hath various names The story is well known which may discover the meaning of this word The Jews were wont to burn their Children unto Moloch See Notes on Luke 12.4 5. Gihinnom being now polluted by Josias who caused dead bodies to be brought thither and burned 2 Kings 23. according to the prophecie of Jerem. 32. This place being now become horrible and odious unto the Jews our Lord threatens them an inward judgement proportionable hereunto and here it's first called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in imitation of the word Gihinnom as for the thing it self which we call Hell c. See Notes on Luke 12. The truth of this appeareth by many Scriptures but such as generally warrant this truth The wicked shall be turned into Hell and the people that forget God Psal 9.17 and more especially such as speak home to this sin of reproach What reward shall be given or done to thee thou false tongue even mighty and sharp arrows with hot burning coals Psal 120.3 Reason from consideration of the demerit and sin it self which leads to hell or to the day of wrath The Devil who is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a Slanderer he kindles his fire in the reproachful tongue whence Jam. 3.6 the evil speaking tongue is set on fire of Hell Iniquity it self is a fire whereby the wrath of God is kindled which burns to the nethermost Hell Deut. 32. when the wrath of God is kindled See Notes on Luke 12.4 5. Great reason there is from Divine Justice which the Lord hath ordained should take place in case of false witness Deut. 19.16 20. Now whereas he who saith to his Brother Thou Fool puts him by his testimony into an estate worthy of hell fire he himself putting his Brother in such an estate is judged by the Lord the just Judge worthy of the same condemnation which is due to such an estate This is the Law of God against perjured and false witnesses which Law condemns the partial and defective Laws of men or their undue executions When false witnesses and perjured persons are detected and found to be so what comes of it they are set upon a Pillory to shame them whereas indeed they are without shame or perhaps sentenced to lose their ears whereas perhaps they have lost them long before Their false witnessing takes away sometime the whole estate credit yea the life of innocent men The Law of the Lord is that the Judges should do to the false witness as he had thought to have done unto his Brother Would God that they who have power to make new Laws would take this into their serious consideration Doubt 1. But here it will be doubted whether such a penalty were due to such reproachful speeches as we have heard as Racha and Fool since we find that St. James useth the former 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is all one with Racha vain man empty man James 2.20 And St. Paul calls the Galatians 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which we turn foolish Galatians Gal. 3.1 Yea our Lord himself who giveth this Law in the Text. He calls the Scribes and Pharisees Fools and Blind Mat. 23. See Notes on Gal. 3. Doubt 2. But it seems a very severe judgement of God that a man for a word should be cast into Hell and why doth it seem so severe do we not consider that the most sins have their rise and beginning from words such are Blasphemy Cursings Revilings Swearing Forswearings Lyings false Witnessing c. And are these small sins which are expressed in words Is not the Supreme Divine Majesty offended by these Yea doth not that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the revengeful eye of God see through reproachful words into the heart full fraught with wrath and revenge whence proceed Murders Blood-shed Overthrows of Cities Nations and Kingdoms Behold how much wood a little fire kindleth Jam. 3.5 It is neither for the credit nor safety of this City that Children and Fools are permitted so frequently to play with it as they do and say they are in sport We might all be minded of this by our many late dreadful fires Iniquity burns like a fire but devours sinners the thorns and thistles of the Forrest Esay 9.18 Observ 1. An account must be made of words even of idle words of every idle word that men shall speak Mat. 12. By thy words thou shalt be justified and by thy words thou shalt be condemned we must stand or fall by them in the judgement of God how much more must an account be made of Lying Reviling and reproachful words These are reckoned up among the crimes which the Lord will judge Psal 50. Thou satest and spakest against thy Brother c. Observ 2. Incorrigible wicked and ungodly men are liable and in danger to be cast into Hell they are in danger to be cast-awayes See Notes on Luk. 12.4 5. 3. Incorrigible wicked men are liable or in danger of hell fire though they do not finally perish yet all are in danger of perishing Salvation is of pure Grace When man perisheth it 's imputed to the sin or the sinner himself The turning away of the simple slayes them 4. Natural death is not the last evil ibid. 5. There is yet some hope left even for profligate wicked men if they be not wanting to themselves our Lord saith that he that saith to his Brother Thou Fool is in danger is obnoxious or liable unto hell fire He saith not that he is already damned or lost and Luke the 12. our Lord saith not that God will certainly cast men into Hell but when he hath killed he is able to cast into hell and the reproachful person is in danger of hell fire Wherefore hath the Lord left these Acts in fieri and undetermined Is it not that every wicked man may lay hold of the opportunity be raised to hope of Grace and Mercy whereas danger by the nearness of an evil stirs 1. Fear 2. Hope 1. fear of the evil 2. hope of escaping the evil We find divers like Scriptures It may be the Lord thy God will hear the words of Rabshakah Esay 37.4 The Prophet Joel
Word What Spirits these were is evident by the former words even those wherewithal those were possessed whom they brought unto him which are elsewhere called Devils Mat. 10.17 and evil spirits and unclean spirits Acts 5.16 and 8.7 We read of diverse evil spirits in the Old Testament 1. The Seducer of our first Parents the Old Serpent called the Devil and Satan 2. The evil spirit that troubled Saul 1 Sam. 3. That which deceived Ahab 1 Kings 22. 4. That which tempted David to number the people 5. That which stood at the right hand of Joshua the Son of Josedec to resist him Zach. 3. 6. That which exercised the Patience of Job 1.2 And so we read of one or other in an Age throughout the Old Testament But in those few years wherein our Lord executed his Prophetical Office ye read of one that had a dumb Devil another a deaf Devil another blind yea a Legion of Devils in one man As if those contrariae fortitudines as the Antients call them those contrary Powers had been reserved as objects whereon the power of God should exercise it self Therefore if there be in them subtilty Christ and we in him knows and discovers their subtilty so that we are not ignorant of their wiles Col. 2.15 He spoiled Principalities and Powers as in Simon Magus Elymas c. Thus Satan fell and falls like lightning from Heaven If there be in the Name and Nature of them a mischievous will in Christ is manifest the love and good will of God to us if strength Christ is the stronger one Luke 11.21 Esay 40.10 Behold the Lord God comes upon the strong so in the Marg. Obser 1. The word is Catholicon an Universal Medicine Obser 2. God reserves a Power beyond Satan Repreh The pride of foolish men who boast of Christ's victories over evil spirits Col. 2.15 that he hath spoiled Principalities and Powers while mean time poor men the Principalities and Powers the Evil Spirits triumph over them The Reason of this is apparent from consideration of Christ's authority and strength his strength is seen in his powerful Word and Spirit for his Word is with Power Luke 4.32 Vide Notes in Hebr. 1. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And it must be a more powerful spirit that casts out the evil spirits even the spirit of God by which the Son of God cast out Devils Mat. 12.28 For it must be a Spirit that can remove a Spirit as in Nature when applicantur activa passivis when things active are applied for the removal of what is Spiritual howsoever it be a body that is made use of that 's but a Vehicle it is a spirit only that does the work Obser 1. Note here the miseries whereunto our Humane Nature is obnoxious and liable by reason of sin to be possessed with evil spirits and to be the receptacle of all manner of diseases The name of Man as God made him is Adam Earth and Earthly but as man hath made himself Enosh i. e. weak sickly miserable and is become the common name of all men Obser 2. Here then is an object for the Merciful God He hath not left man-kind miserable and without remedy Obser 3. The most High God reserves a Power to master and subdue all contrary Powers 2. He healed all that were sick Had our Lord Jesus greater love to the Bodies of men and to their Natural Life than to their Souls and to their Spiritual Life Surely no but the Reason of this we shall find in the following point The Greek words are He healed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 male habentes those who were ill And whether is the greater disease that of the Body or of the Soul Obser 2. Col. 2. What ever he did it was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 He sent his word and healed them 3. All this he did That it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the Prophet wherein two things must be inquired into 1. How Christ himself took our infirmities and bare our sicknesses 2. How by casting out the Spirits with his Word and healing all that were sick that was fulfilled which was spoken by the Prophet Esay In the former we must enquire what is meant by Infirmities by Sicknesses and how Christ took our infirmities and bare our sicknesses 1. The Word in Esay 53.4 which we turn our infirmities is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which the LXX render expresly 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 our sins yea and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The other word also in the LXX 2 Chron. 9.29 was rendred 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 yea and Peter referring to the same place of the Prophecy of Esay 53.4 1 Pet. 2.24 saith who himself bare our sins in his body on the Tree The former word signifieth the less sins and the latter the greater As there are also degrees of bodily diseases some more easie to be born and cured others less and therefore bodily diseases are not here excluded The Reason why by diseases and infirmities sins and iniquities must here be understood is 1. Because they are the punishments of sins and for the most part they proceed from the diseases of the mind And threfore our Lord being about to cure the man sick of the Palsie He first removes his sin and then heals his disease Mat. 9.2 And he warns him whom he had healed of a spirit of infirmity John 5.14 Sin no more 2. Also because they are preventitious of sin Job 33. These infirmities and sicknesses Christ took and bare But how could this be for neither was the Lord Jesus ever possessed with a Devil nor was he ever sick It is true the Jews spake to him most unworthily Say we not well that thou art a Samaritan and hast a Devil But he answered most mildly to that most bitter provocation I have not a Devil but I honour my Father and you do dishonour me John 8.48 49. He had not a Devil nor was he ever sick in all his life upon the Earth in the dayes of his flesh And therefore both the Righteous on the right hand and the Wicked on the left ask this question When saw we thee sick He was never sick Mat. 25. Nor indeed was it reasonable that He should be sick because he took the Nature of Man in general not the special diseases of every man it 's true it behooved him in all things to be like unto his Brethren and so he took upon him that which is the most incident unto Mankind as Hunger Thirst Weariness c. but as for diseases they are not incident unto all men and if they were what kind It 's evident therefore that the words here used in the Text 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to take our infirmities and bear our sicknesses must not be understood so as if Christ in his own person had taken or born one or other But when Christ is said here 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to take our infirmities and bear our sicknesses
we must by both these words understand not only the simple taking and bearing of them but also the taking them away and bearing them away for so he is said expresly to take away the sins of the world And the Hebrew words here 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 will signifie as much otherwise that which was spoken by the Prophet Esay would not be fulfilled in St. Matthew for here he is said to cast out the spirits with his word and to heal all that were sick If therefore the Lord Jesus should only take the Spirits and bear the Diseases He should not be said to cast out the Spirits and heal those that were diseased Thus St. Peter 1 Pet. 2.24 Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on Marg. the Cross The Reason is 1. From a great necessity none but he could do it would do it 2. Perituros adigunt ad Christum They drive those that are ready to perish to Christ Vide Notes in Mat. 8.18 Job 33.19 20 21. 3. Order of Nature requires it if the body be sick at the Head let blood at the Arm Christ is both the Head and Arm. If the Lord hath borne and taken away our Spiritual maladies and sicknesses how do they remain The Lord will not take them away from us while we love them but when we are weary of them Mat. 11.28 Obser 1. Note here a difference between the former Times under the Law and Prophets and under the Gospel The whole tract of Time Vide Notes on Hebr. 1.1 2. The former was a time of Prophecy the latter of fulfilling Prophecies The former a time of Types the latter of fulfilling Types Obser 2. Christ takes and takes away bears and bears away our sicknesses Vide Essay in Exod. 34.7 Obser 3. He 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 hath taken Aliquid divinitatis est in illa particula There is something divine in that particle Heb. 1. Object If the Lord hath fulfilled all this then the business is done See Acts 26.17 18. Vide Essay Jesus Christ fulfilled the Prophecie by taking away our sins not the judgement punishment wrath of God only but the sin it self Mat. 1.23 But how by casting out the Spirits with his Word and healing those who were sick was that fulfilled which was spoken by the Prophet Esay 53. Obser 1. Here then are Two several works of Christ his great Grace and Mercy 1. Bearing and suffering our sins and punishments for our sins 2. The taking of them away from us And both these are represented unto us by way of Cure and Healing in one and the same place whereof these Cures were types and figures Yea it is remarkable that since taking away infirmities and healing sicknesses was an effect of taking away their sins Jesus had made spiritual expiation of their sins whom he now cured for as yet he had not suffered on the Cross There is therefore a spiritual expiation Obser 3. Hence it is clear that the drift and intention of the Holy Spirit is to signifie Spiritual inward and invisible things by visible outward and bodily for if the taking away of sins and infirmities by the Lord Jesus was fulfilled in his casting out of Evil Spirits and healing those who were sick what else can be meant by these bodily outward and visible Cures but his healing and curing of our Spiritual Diseases his healing of our back-slidings And what can be understood by his casting out of Spirits but his casting out of Spiritual wickednesses out of our Souls and Spirits His destroying or rather dissolving the works of the Devil so that they who blame men for opening the Scripture spiritually declare plainly that they understand not the Scripture nor the intention of the Holy Spirit in them Obser 4. The Lord Christ is and ever hath been the Physician of Souls and Bodies The words in Esay 53.4 whereby these works of Christ are said to be fulfilled they are in the Preter Tense and speak of things past yea all those Acts of Christ in that Chapter which are commonly understood as Future and to come they are recorded as things already done for so the Prophet Esay speaks of Christ's works already done He hath born our griefs and carried our sorrows He speaks of that part of the Church which then was and of that part of it which was then past and according to the Evangelist's Application he spake of that part of the Church in his Time and the same words reach our Time also He sent his Word and healed them This Healing hath ever been in the wings of the Son of Righteousness which hath arisen in all Ages upon those who fear the Name of God Mal. 4. which was represented by the Heathen in their Apollo who was their God of Wisdom and the great Physician which in their Mythologie signified the visible Sun the Fountain of Natural Life Accordingly the Wise Man makes a Commemoration of some works of Christ the Wisdom of God Wisd 10. She restored the first Man and brought him out of his Fall she preserved Noah Abraham Lot Jacob Joseph Moses and all the Israelites as appears in that Tenth Chapter of that excellent Book The want of this Universal Understanding of Christ hath exceedingly obscured the Knowledge of his Deity insomuch that some in former Ages have entertained poor carnal and unworthy conceits of the Lord Jesus as if he had been 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a meer man And the like carnal conceit of the Lord Jesus hath been received by some in these Licentious Times The Roman Conquerours in their Triumphs lest they should be transported with Worldly Glory had a Monitor that rode with them in their Triumphal Charriots and bad them remember that they were Mortal O Beloved in the Pride of our Worldly Glory we are apt to be transported and carried away Diseases and sicknesses are our Monitors such as these were who mind us that we are mortal and must dye that the Lease of our Earthly house is almost expired that the Term of it is not long hence that therefore we must look out for another even for our House that is from Heaven Now that upon good grounds we may hope for that House Tit. 2.11 We must look to the Grace of God that bringeth salvation It is a short Lesson but is that which comprehends in it The Whole Duty of Man O Beloved Let us think seriously and sadly of these things our Lusts are deceitful the Evil one is a deceiver our own hearts are deceitful and all lye in wait to deceive us and put us by the serious consideration of these things That the iniquity of our heels may overtake us It is no perfunctory no overly or sleight endeavour that God requires 2 Chron. 7.14 He requires the seeking of him with our whole heart Jer. 29.13 otherwise see and read Levit. 26.21 Essay Therefore it is required that with purpose of heart we should cleave unto the
〈◊〉 Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart and with all thy soul and with all thy mind This is the first and great Commandment And the second is like unto it Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thy self THis Text is of so large a comprehension whether we respect 1. The vast latitude and extension of the object God and our Neighbour or 2. The vehement intention of the Act and manner of it loving of God with all our heart with all our soul and with all our mind c. That I may well despair of handling it so fully as I ought yet because the whole duty of man is contained in it and whatsoever hath been heretofore delivered and can be said hereafter it s all virtually contained in this and must be built upon this foundation let us crowd at least as much as we can into the compass of the time allotted and what we shall now fall short of The like Text hereafter may give occasion to supply It 's our Saviours answer to the Pharisee's question touching the great Commandment containing the Two precepts of Charity and Love to God and to our Neighbour 2. The order of these Two precepts First and Second In the first of these there is contained The Precept it self Thou shalt love the Lord thy God The eminency of it This is the great Commandment In the Precept it self there is the Object to be loved Act commanded to be exercised about that object 1. The object to be loved The Lord thy God 2. The Act commanded to be exercised about it which is adorned by the extension of parts the heart the soul the mind by the intension of degrees all the heart all the soul all the mind It is not my purpose to deal with this or any other Text in this topical method nor to extract all Divine Truths out of it which it would afford us but for our more expedite proceeding to handle it in this order 1. We ought to love the Lord our God with all our heart with all our soul and with all our mind 2. This is the first and great Commandment 3. We ought to love our Neighbour as our selves 4. This is the Second Commandment like unto the First 1. We ought to love the Lord our God c. Because there are that are called Gods many and Lords many 1 Cor. 8. and so God may seem a Name Appellative we must know as the Apostle goes on That to us there is but one God And therefore Macrobius saith That the name of the Syrians he meant the Jews God was Achad that is one only as our Saviour speaks more fully in the parallel Evangelist Mar. 12.29 30. As a Preface to this Commandment Hear O Israel the Lord thy God is one Lord and that God is that one Spiritual Simple Infinite Eternal Immutable essence which is here called by his proper Name the Lord For that which is here turned the Lord as if it were an Appellative or common Name is in the Original Deut. 6.5 whence our Saviour quotes it Jehovah which the LXX whose words St. Matthew here useth turns almost every where 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a word of the like Original in the Greek signifying to be So that Jehovah and Jah is used often in the Psalms and El Jah in the third of Exodus and here 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 all signifie the essence nature or being of God From participation of this essence we must not exclude the Son of God and the Holy Spirit to whom the Name Jehovah also belongs Esay 6.10 with Joh. 12.40 and Act. 28.26 as Faith in God the Son Joh. 14.1 So Love vers 15. who is here in particular reference unto thee and called thy God Not to name all the interest that God hath in his People this right he hath to thee who ever thou art the right of Creation Preservation and Covenant and therefore thine This thy God thou art commanded here to love what 's that It may be considered Affectu and Effectu 1. In Affectu 't is complacentia in bono and appetitus unionis cum bono adhaesio ad bonum as here a pleasing our selves in God a desire of union with God a cleaving unto God which fire once truly kindled never wants effect 2. Which is an unweariable meditation and earnest longing after God which sets all the powers and faculties of the Soul and parts of the body a work to assimilate conform and unite the whole man unto God to dislike all other things comparatively to suffer any thing for the party loved to prefer him and the doing of his will before our selves and all the world coming in competition with him For to love the Lord our God is no remiss no 〈◊〉 thing or perfunctory act but to be performed without all measure or if it have a measure 't is modus sine modo saith St. Bernard a measure beyond all measure with all the heart with all the soul with all the mind To distinguish these Three accurately I conceive to be very difficult for in Scripture the properties and acts of the one are sometimes given to the other and both are common with the third So the heart is taken for the Soul St. Jam. 4.8 purifie your hearts ye 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ye men of a double soul and the LXX very often turn 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Heart by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Soul And in the sence of the Text Hezekiah sought the Lord 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 with all his heart the Greek hath it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 with all his soul 2 Chron. 31.21 The heart is also taken for the mind God is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 wise in heart The LXX turn it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 wise in mind Job 9.4 So also 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the word in the Original used to signifie the Soul is sometimes turned 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the heart Prov. 2.10 When wisdom enters into thine heart and knowledge is pleasant to thy Soul So also is the mind for what 's more ordinary than to read those Acts which we account proper to the mind to be given to the heart as to think reason and understand for so we find 1. Thoughts given to the heart Luk. 2.35 That the thoughts of many hearts may be reveiled And 2. Reason Mar. 2.6 The Scribes reasoning in their hearts And 3. Understanding Mat. 13.15 This Peoples heart is waxed gross lest they should understand with their heart So that it is no marvel though the Fathers differ among themselves touching the acurate distinction of these words since the Scripture it self useth them promiscuously But if we will needs have somewhat a more particular and distinct knowledge of them which I confess is most satisfactory The Scripture gives Wisdom and Understanding most what unto the heart according to the forenamed places and 1 King 3.9 12. Give thy Servant
inculcated and taught but the Love of our neighbour is more sparingly delivered by Moses and the Prophets and the reason seems to be because the Lord himself who is the LOVE it self hath made deep impression of brotherly and neighbourly Love in the hearts of men whence the Philosophers have delivered many excellent rules concerning mutual Love of mankind as we may find in Aristotle's Ethicks and in Seneca and others so that it seemed needless to teach it as the Apostle implyes 1 Thess 4.9 Whence we may see how foully that deep character of neighbourly Love was blurr'd blotted and worn out especially among Pharisaical men That our Lord saw a necessity of teaching this doctrine even to the learned Scribes 2. The Love of our Neighbour as well commanded as the Love of God which though not so often explicitely taught as meeting us rarely in Moses and the Prophets I remember but one express place Levit. 19.18 yet very frequently this doctrine is tacitely hinted both in plain words and in mystical speeches 1. In plain words Deut. 27.24 Cursed is he that smites his neighbour secretly i. e. detracts from him or hates him which is to murder him Prov. 3.27 28 29. 2. In mystical words we have these two objects God and our Neighbour very often contrived into one name or other sometimes conveyed unto us in Histories and Ceremonial Services yea the same doctrine is dictated even by the still voice of Nature 1. These two objects are contrived into names such is Shechaniah 1 Chron. 3.21 i. e. Vicinus Dominus a Neighbour and the Lord not only implying that the Lord himself is our true Neighbour as I formerly shewed but also because including both objects of Love in one word Sechaniah God and our Neighbour Thus we read of Hobab Numb 10.29 the Father of Raguel Hobab is the LOVE it self whom Moses intreats to guide them through the wilderness An excellent guide no doubt when we are wildered and know not what to do nor what way to take follow Hobab let us then do as we would be done unto and there is no doubt but such a life will be our light This Hobab is the Father of Raguel i. e. our Neighbour and God This was implyed by Machpelah spelunca duplex the double cave or hole where Sarah the Faith as the Apostle interprets it Gal. 4. was buried and afterward Abraham Isaac and Jacob with their Wives desired there to rest for when the Love of God and our Neighbour is perfected Faith ceaseth dieth and is buried This is said to be in Hebron that is Society and fellowship which Love makes with God and Man The same may be signified by divers Duals as Jerusalajim the two-fold Love and Peace with God and Men Shemajim the Heavens from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the two-fold Name and Being Chajim which we turn Life is Dual signifying the Heavenly Life proceeding from the Love of God and Men. The same two objects of Love God and our Neighbour were mystically signified by the two Tables which first the Lord himself framed then Moses These two we understand by Jachin and Boaz the two Pillars of the Temple if strong in Boaz the Love of God he will establish the other that 's Jachin The same two were meant by the two folding-doors of the Holy of Holies and of the Temple of God 1 King 6.31 32 33 34. For hereby an entrance is administred into the Everlasting Kingdom whereby he speaks of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 2 Pet. 1. The same were meant by the two Sons of Rachel Joseph and Benjamin Joseph would not manifest himself nor be reconciled to his Brethren unless they brought Benjamin with them No Love of God without the Love of our Neighbour He that loveth not his Brother whom he hath seen how can he love God whom he hath not seen therefore Mat. 5. When thou bringest thy Gift unto the Altar and there remembrest that thy Brother hath ought against thee leave there thy Gift and first be reconciled to thy Brother The woman that was to be cleansed must bring two Turtles such is the nature of the Turtle that if one die the other mourns and dies with it And such is the Love of God and our Neighbour if the one fade and wax cold the other fails with it These were meant by the two Eagles wings whereby we fly to the dead body These were the two Women who carried away the Epha Zach. 5. They had wings of a Stork that is Love so 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifieth and the Hebrew 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that signifieth a Stork it signifieth also Mercy and Love And these women with the wings of Love carry away the iniquity for so by Mercy and Love iniquity is purged and done away as Daniel adviseth Nebuchadnezzar do away thy sins by Righteousness and thy Transgressions by shewing mercy to the poor Dan. 4.27 Thus every one of Christ's sheep beareth twins the love of God and the love of their Neighbour Cant. 4.2 and there is none barren among them We read of two good Samaritans Man and Woman the good Samaritan man a figure of the Love of God Luk. 10. and the good Samaritan woman a figure of the Love of our Neighbour she brought her neighbours to Christ Joh. 4. The same objects God and our Neighbour and the love of them are dictated unto us by the still voice of Nature in the many twins which mans body represents unto us both outwardly and inwardly As the two eyes Hobab Love was instead of eyes to the travellers in the wilderness Numb 10. The two ears imply the hearing and obedience of love towards God and our Neighbour The two hands figure the work and labour of love to God and Man the two feet figure the same affectionate walking in that most excellent way of Love to God and our Neighbour All these outward expressions proceed from the heart and that inward fleshly member in the figure and fashion of it hath two leaves open above implying sincere love and open-heartedness unto God and Man and closed beneath in the centre figuring love entire to both But the Second is like unto it The Pharisee had not been obedient unto the less Commandments yet he enquires after the greatest The fruit of the Tree of Knowledge was ripe in him he would know all things and the greatest and chiefest of things but obeyed not the least Exhort Learn of our Lord Jesus Christ He is our only Teacher one is your Master even Christ He is the great Rab Esay 19.20 He shall send them a Saviour 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and a Prince according to Act. 5.31 or a Saviour and a Teacher He teacheth the two great Doctrines the two great Lessons the first and second Lesson the Love of God and the Love of our Neighbour Means Hearken to the Law which is our School-master unto Christ Gal. 3. Plagosus Orbilius it 's given to put
admitted unto the Marriage Supper it is the wisdom of the Lord to oppose unto these other five who for their defects and demerits were excluded for so good is set against evil and life against death so is the godly against the sinner Ecclus. 33.14 15. Here may arise a second doubt If the name of Virginity be so honourable how comes it to pass that it 's common both to them who are admitted to the Marriage Feast and also to them who are excluded from it To which I answer That we may understand this the better we must know that the Creator hath given unto Man the use of the five Operations or operative powers of the Lord as the Wise Man calls the five Senses Ecclus. 17.5 These five operative Powers or Senses have their respective delightful objects which Solomon calls the delights of the Sons of Men Eccles 2.8 after these the heart commonly runs out and runs riot Numb 15.39 Seek not after your own heart and your own eyes after which ye use to go a whoring And therefore the virtue of abstaining and continency is taken up and busied about the moderating and restraining our Senses from the pleasures and delights of the flesh from voluptuousness and sensuality This continence and abstinence is either real and true and for the best end that thereby we may please God and save our souls 1 Cor. 9.27 But I keep under my body and bring it into subjection lest that by any means when I have preached to others I my self should become a cast-away or it may be pretended and professed only and for some by-ends thus the hypocrites fasted to be seen of men Mat. 6.16 Hence it is that the name of Virgins is common to both kinds as well to them who restrain their appetites in some measure and do what is in its own nature good only As also to those who keep under their bodies and bring them into subjection and let their light shine before men that they may see their good works but for a further and more glorious end and glorifie their Father which is in Heaven Mat. 5.16 Observ 1. We learn hence that the visible Church as we call it in this time when the Lord is coming to judgemet is one half foolish that as a great part of those who were the most forward professors were the Pharisees and did all their works to be seen of men Mat. 23.5 so it may be feared of a like race of men at this day Observ 2. Hence take notice that the Church of Christ in this world taken at large is mixt of wise and foolish when the Israelites went out of Aegypt a mixt multitude went up also with them Exod. 12.38 All Christians true and false 1. Profess that they expect the Lord Jesus Christ 2. All call him their Bridegroom 3. All go out of themselves in some measure to meet him 4. All are baptized some sooner some later 5. All are Virgins 6. All have Lamps c. Homo homini quid praestat What difference is there among Christians The Seal of Gods foundation is The Lord knows who are his and who so names the Lord Jesus Christ let him depart from iniquity When the Lord comes it will then appear who are sincere who not who are prepared who not who shall be admitted unto the Supper who excluded whom the Lord will acknowledge for his whom he will reject mean time they are all accounted Virgins though five of them be wise and five foolish NOTES and OBSERVATIONS on MAT. 25.3 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 They that were foolish took their Lamps and took no oyl with them THe foolish Virgins took their Lamps but wherein consists the wisdom and prudence of the one and folly of the other The foolish Virgins took their Lamps but took no oyl with them And what is the oyl Some hereby understand Faith so Pisc others Repentance so Arius Mont. but neither name any Scripture for warrant of their Assertions though it be true that the Living Faith or Life of Faith which is not without a change of mind yea a change of the whole man which is Repentance not to be repented off these are here necessarily understood but neither of them are properly that oyl which is here meant What is that oyl but the Spirit of Love for so the Spirit is called oyl Esay 61.1 The Spirit of the Lord is upon me therefore hath the Lord anointed me He hath sent me to preach good tidings which our Lord again citeth in Luk. 4.18 This Spirit or love of God is shed abroad in the hearts of believers Rom. 5.5 And this hope maketh not ashamed because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us where we have both together 't is the Spirit of Love and Meekness that the true Virgin Souls receive 2 Tim. 1 7. God hath not given unto us the spirit of Fear but of Power and of Love and of a sound mind and therefore it 's called the Love of the Spirit Rom. 15.30 Brethren I beseech you for the Lord Jesus Christs sake and for the love of the spirit that you would strive with me by prayers to God for me Hence proceeds the obedience of Love whereunto Mercy is promised Exod. 20.6 I am the Lord God shewing Mercy to thousands and ten thousands of them that love me and keep my Commandments This is understood in the Vul. Lat. Castificantes animas vestras sub obedientia charitatis 1 Pet. 1.21 Chastening your souls under the obedience of love Seeing your souls are purified in obeying the Truth through the spirit to love one another with a pure heart fervently The oyl then in the Lamp is the Living Faith that works by Love works of Mercy works of Righteousness of Holiness and of all Virtues c. whence proceeds the joy in the Holy Ghost Rom. 14.17 18. For the Kingdom of God is not meat and drink but Righteousness Peace and Joy in the Holy Ghost He that in these things serveth Christ is acceptable to God and approved of men herewith the Bridegroom is anointed Psal 45. Even with the oyl of gladness The taking of the oyl is the believing of the Spirit and Life and Love some there are who believe not that they shall receive the Spirit although the promises be made thereof c. Act. 2. and 5. and Luk. 11. Observ 1. Here we may observe the Virgins even the foolish Virgins had their Lamps of Faith and Knowledge 2. Inert and dead Faith Faith without works Knowledge though of the Law of God and of the Gospel of Jesus Christ Knowledge without Obedience without Love will not make a man wise to salvation 1 Cor. 13.2 Though I have the gift of Prophesie and understood all Mysteries and all Knowledge and though I have all Faith so that I could remove Mountains and have no Charity I am nothing 3. Defect and want of Oyl want of the
I flee who is there that being as I am would go into the Temple to save his life Wherefore he concludes I will not go in In that great persecution against the Church Act. 8.1 The weak and young friends of Jesus Christ were all scattered abroad throughout the regions of Judea and Samaria except the Apostles Observ 1. The Lord hath put fear and other passions and affections in his friends power He tells them where they shall place it and where not These are especially the beasts which the Lord commands the man to rule over and then is the man in the upright estate when the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the word and mind of Christ is supreme and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the soul under it and under both 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the brutish passions and affections Observ 2. Death is not the most terrible thing or most of all to be feared Which is directly opposite unto that of Aristotle 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 death is most terrible and he gives his reason 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ethic. 3. chap. 9. Whereby we may sadly consider how dangerous a thing it is to take the tenents of Philosophers for truth without examination by the Word of God What is more ordinary than that of the Philosopher used by Divines and approved by them and swallowed down by the credulous people who will believe such men what ever they say but not others which bring the express Word of God for their warrant which yet you see directly opposite unto the truth it self Thus the subtilty and cunning of the Serpent spoils us of Divine Truth as the Serpent dealt with our first Parents made them naked to their shame Gen. 3.7 And therefore the Apostle gives us sovereign counsel Col. 2.8 Beware lest any one spoil you through Philosophy and vain deceit after the tradition of men after the rudiments of the world and not after Christ 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the word is properly plunder you and 't is the worst plunder to rob us of Divine Truth such a plunder is this The true Philosophy according to Christ teacheth us not to fear them that kill the body Philosophy and vain deceit tells us that we cannot chuse but we must fear them because 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Against this I oppose 3. Death it self is not to be feared by the friends of Jesus Christ Feared yea what friends of Jesus Christ who knows the evil world would desire to live in it except only to do the Lord Jesus all friendly offices and to help to deliver their neighbour out of the world He is afraid to dye who hath no hope afterwards to live saith Chrysostom Observ 3. What is the true Martyrdom what else but that the friends of Jesus Christ lay down their lives for his sake This is verum Martyrium i. e. a true and real witness unto the truth of God which is not to be given by words only for so they who are the enemies of Jesus Christ can give a verbal testimony The real testimony or martyrdome is with the voice of the life and death Such witnesses such worthies were the Apostles of Jesus Christ Act. 2.32 God hath raised Jesus from the dead whereof we are witnesses and with great power gave the Apostles testimony witnessing to the hazzard of their lives 5.30 31 32. We are wont to say we must lay down our lives if need require Nay our Saviour saith we cannot be his Disciples unless we lay down our lives our evil lives and that is the true Martyrdom See how the Apostle triumphs over all the enemies which might hinder him and the other friends of Christ from union with him Rom. 8.34 It is Christ that dyed yea rather that is risen again who shall separate us from the love of Christ c. Observ 4. The Disciples of Jesus Christ have enemies and such enemies as hate them even to death See Notes on 1 Thess 4.1 I dare appeal to the consciences of many who hate and oppose others by whom they know no evil whether that be not the very true reason why they hate them The will of the Lord is that his friends who do whatsoever he commands them should not fear the imminent perils of death it self yea that the daughters of Abraham his friend should not be afraid of any amazement 1 Pet. 3. Observ 5. See then who are the only truly valiant men who but the friends the Lovers of Jesus Christ Rom. 8. This admonition is directed as to all the Friends and Disciples of Jesus Christ so especially as appears by the context with the former words unto the Minsters of the Word it 's a notable ground of their boldness and resolution to preach the Truth of God and bear witness thereunto even to the death as Jesus Christ Isai 50.6 Christ speaks it of himself and all his friends Job 3.11 Verily verily I say unto thee we speak what we know and testifie what we have seen And so must the Ministers of God do they must testifie and witness the Truth of God which they know 'T is great rashness in men to testifie what they know not yea and cast away their lives and all in testimony of what they know not Our Lord commands his friends to preach and testifie of him even to the death but how canst thou whoever thou art confess Christ whom thou knowest not 'T is true indeed thou hast read much of Christ in the Scripture But hast thou ever seen his shape So saith our Saviour to the Pharisee Joh. 5.37 thou hast never seen him he is not formed in thee in death and in life thou art not a partaker of Christ Heb. 3.14 and 12. 2 Pet. 1. and how canst thou bear witness to him and confess him and that to the death They who bear witness of Christ they must know him Mark what our Lord saith to his Father Joh. 17.22 23. The glory which thou givest me I have given them that they may be one even as we are one c. Now consider with thy self hast thou received this glory of Jesus Christ Art thou one with him Is he one with thee and with the Father If so it be then thou knowest who he is and mayst give testimony if thus thou knowest Jesus Christ that confession of the Apostles may be thine 1 Joh. 1.1 That which we have seen c. Let every one consider well whether he know Christ thus yea or no before he confess him Otherwise to prate and talk of him before thou art conformable to his death and not partaker of his Divine Nature thou speakest what thou knowest not and bearest false witness of Christ Repreh 1. Those who out of pretence of friendship to Jesus Christ neglect their bodies Col. 2.21 22 23. Such as they who use their bodies rigorously kill that which ought to live and cherish and nourish that which ought to dye No man ever hated his own
and Love and Obedience as here it must be as it is evident from the following words but he that obeys not c. And so he that believeth in the Son hath the eternal life for although Faith Hope and Charity may be abstractly and distinctly considered and apart one from other and so the Apostle saith they are three 1 Cor. 13. this is to be understood only in regard of contemplation as we consider their proper natures as such But if Faith be considered in Action Exercise or Operation of it it cannot act but with the company of Hope Charity and other Graces Thus in Anatomy the eye may be considered alone and distinct from all other parts of the body but the eye cannot see alone unless it be in the rest of the body Nor can Faith which is our Spiritual eye see Life or God otherwise than as it is concrete and joyned with the body of other Graces 4. But the Apostle seems to intimate that we have hope only while we live here but the life of our hope the everlasting life hereafter 1 Cor. 15.19 If in this life only we have hope in Christ we are of all men most miserable The order of the words extant in the Greek Text is here inverted which runs thus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. where 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is not joyned to 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in this life as our Translators turn the words but to 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and the sence is made this If we only hoped for the blessings of this life and not for the blessings of the life to come we were all of men most miserable But the situation of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 only after 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 clearly holds forth unto us another sence which is this If we Christians have hope only in this life in Christ and not the fruition or thing hoped for we are of all men the most miserable For men who desire pleasure and hope for that they injoy some pleasure in this life which is that kind of life which the Philosopher calls 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And if men desire wealth and make it their end to be rich in this world which the same Philosopher calls 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 surely some wealth they will get together And the like may be said of those who hope and endeavour after honour they will get some credit in this life But if Christians who make the life of God the eternal life their end and hope and endeavour after it if these I say have hope of this only and not the eternal Life in some measure they shall be of all men most miserable for other men have somewhat of that which they hope for but Christians hope only So that should be true of them which the Saducees said of the Pharisees That they were miserable in this life without any hope in the life to come Here may arise an objection If it be true that believers in the Son of God have the everlasting life what happiness remains to be injoyed hereafter I answer that by the everlasting life in the Text we are not to understand the fulness and accomplishment of it although I dare not speak generally and distinctly of it in respect of all But by the everlasting life we understand a good measure and degree of it which is all of one and the same nature as homogeneal things are Believers in the Son have many degrees of glory they are translated from glory to glory 2 Cor. 3. but the consummation of glory is the Crown of glory The life of God is the everlasting life which life of God true Believers have in good measure even in this life But the life to come is the fulness of that life when believers receive the Crown of life The righteous life or life of righteousness is the everlasting life which believers in the Son have here but the full accomplishment of life and righteousness shall be enjoyed hereafter when we shall receive the crown of righteousness of which St. Paul speaks in 2 Tim. 4.8 5. Note hence what manner of men the true believers in the Son of God are or ought to be the most virtuous the most holy loving meek patient humble c. and most notable in all these in all the world Why they have the everlasting life in them which shines forth before all men As the Prophet foretold Isa 61.9 Their seed shall be known among the Gentiles and their Off-spring among the people all that see them shall acknowledge them that they are a Seed which the Lord hath blessed i. e. with all spiritual blessings in heavenly things Ephes 1.3 herein consists the mans true happiness Psal 94.12 Blessed is the man whom thou chastenest O Lord and teachest him out of thy Law that thou mayest give him patience in the time of adversity 6. This discovers the imaginary faith of thousands at this day who believe in Christ the Son that he hath done all things for them and thence conclude they shall have the everlasting life Such an imaginary faith proceeds out of self-love and a strong fancy not out of the power of God for the true faith in the Son is the victory that overcomes the world 1 Joh. 5.4 A man cannot conquer his enemy by a dream or by an imagination yet it 's strange what assurance is builded hereupon like him who took notice of all vessels that came in and went out to Sea as if all had been his own but you 'l say this fellow was mad and little better are those men who build one imagination upon another upon a fantastick faith to assure themselves of eternal life which is not only future but present to true believers 7. The Christian Faith belief in the Son of God is not a fancy not an empty imagination whereby men feign to themselves a state of bliss to be possessed hereafter The true Faith in the Son of God enstates believers in the present possession of the everlasting life For as in conveyance of estates the confirmation is by interchangeably putting to seals and writings of it He that believeth his testimony hath set to his seal that God is true Joh. 3.33 And believers having believed and sealed to him the holy spirit confirms them Ephes 1.13 In whom after ye believed ye were sealed with the holy spirit of promise and he who so believes hath the witness in himself 1 Joh. 5.10 whence we may learn a ground for the distinction of Faith in the Father Son and Spirit Vse 1. This discovers the notorious folly of mortal men who employ all their thoughts and cares and labours about the things of a fleeting uncertain temporary life whereas there is an eternal life to be enjoyed and that within the compass of this temporary life how much to blame is this present generation this knowing age whence is it that there is so much talk of the spiritual waters and spiritual food
evil one sinner destroyeth much good Observ 5. The great necessity of a strong Saviour and Redeemer Vide Notes in Rom. 7. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The commadment came Observ 6. Sin is come into the world The Philosopher himself could say from his observation and experience of disorder and confusion in the world that certainly things formerly had been otherwise than now they are And Tully Hominem dicit non ut à matre sed tanquam à noverca natura editum in vitam c. That man was brought forth unto life by nature not so much a mother as indeed a stepdame How Corpore nudo fragili infirmo born naked with a frail and weak body with a mind anxious in regard of troubles and molestations cowardly in regard of fears remiss and idle in regard of labours prone and propense to sloath and lust Rem vidit causam nescivit saith one of the Ancients He saw the matter but not the cause Repreh 1. This reproves their great inadvertency to say no worse of many whereof some Learned men who are engaged in that opinion that there is no original sin but what we call so is contracted by every one in his own person by the example and imitation of others For certainly That there is an inbred propension and inclination unto sin they themselves deny not when they say it is in most men but they will not yield it in all Nor do we say That Original sin is in like measure in all though we say with the Apostle That it is entred into the world and passed over all men which yet is evident in some haply more in some less as I shall shew anon In which respect Alexander Hales said of Bonaventure by reason of his mildness and sweetness of disposition Quod Adamus in Domino Bonaventura non peccavit that Adam had not sinned in Bonaventure what is added that that sin which we call Original proceeds from example and imitation may be disproved by manifold experience of Infants and Children who never had any such example before them for their imitation ye do they declare the fruits of this poisonous plant growing in them as self-will frowardness and disobedience And when they grow a little elder we may discover self grow up in them self-love self-honour self-praise c. and when they grow yet elder lying and excusing and covering sin like Adam Job 31.33 And manifold the like iniquity which Sathan hath bound up in the heart of a child Prov. 22.15 But truly since it appears to all men that the nature of most men say they of all men say we is infected with sin and the whole lump levened It 's better not to dispute whence it became so poluted but rather to enquire into some means how we may be cleansed It 's to little purpose when we see a fire to enquire how it came unless we put to our helping hand to quench it in our selves and others Iniquity burns like a fire saith the Prophet Isai 9.18 and unless it be timely quenched it will burn to the neither most Hell Deut. 32.22 It is said probably that there is no malady without a remedy fire may be quenched the diseased cured what is crooked may be made straight fiery concupiscence concupiscence inflamed may be slaked yea quenched The whole head sick and the whole heart faint yet is not man so desperately sick but he may be recovered The crooked generation may be made straight God made it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 straight or up-right in the beginning and it may be made straight again by him Thus 't is true By one man sin entred into the world The Apodosis or redition unto this first point is as true vers 15. The gift by grace which is by one man Jesus Christ hath abounded unto many And vers 19. As by one mans disobedience many were made sinners so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous Here then Adam is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the type or figure of him that was to come i. e. of Christ I reserve the special explication of those words till I come to the press handling of them Mean time we here find a similitude grounded on a dissimilitude As by one man sin entred into the world so by one man grace and righteousness entred into the world What the one destroys the other repairs and restores Luk. 10.30 A certain man went down from Jerusalem to Jericho c. It might be res gesta a true story 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Jericho by all the Ancients is understood the world They spoiled him of his raiment his robe of original righteousness and wounded him leaving him half dead Supernaturalia sunt ablata naturalia sunt vulnerata The things supernatural are taken away the natural wounded Exhort Unto those who convey the nature of Adam unto Posterity that they endeavour to mortifie and kill the old Adam quench the fomes It is observed that they who have so done have left behind them a more blessed issue for though the old Adam be still propagated yet the more he is mortified the less he is transmitted unto posterity as we may see in the Example of Sampson Samuel Joseph Timothy Thy mother Eunice and thy grand-mother Lois It is the law of Adam 2. Death entred in by sin What death is this I shall not trouble you with all the significations of it but only name such as are most pertinent unto the matter in hand and Death is either 1. Natural and of the body Or 2. Spiritual and inward as the death of the life of God in the Soul Or 3. The whole curse of God that followeth upon this 1. As for the first 't is well yea best known by the name of death but whether that be the death here meant it may be doubted For 1. Whereas Gen. 1.28 Man before his fall was to procreate Children they who are immortal have no such faculty of procreation as our Lord speaks Luk. 20.35 36. 2. Beside man had a natural body before the Fall and therefore a mortal So the Apostle calls man's body a natural body 1 Cor. 15.44 which before he calls vile and corruptible opposeth it to a spiritual and immortal body Thus when our Apostle here saith That death came into the world by sin he saith not that mortality then came into the world or a power to dye but death and a necessity of dying for no doubt man if he had not sinned though by nature he were mortal yet by the grace and goodness of God he might have been preserved from death or if he had been dead he might by the grace of the same God have been recalled to life and made immortal But this grace he lost for himself and his posterity Sin therefore was not a cause of natural mortality but rather of necessary death and so 't is true of death also that by sin death entred into the world 2. Death entred
condition while yet in our sins and get out of this corruption wherein we are liable to death natural spiritual infernal 2. To confess our sins and forsake them Lev. 13.13 1 Joh. 1.9 All shall be made Righteous Ye may remember I told you before that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the first is made ours by Faith the latter by conformity unto the death of Christ the point is both wayes true The truth of this we find in so many words Isa 60.21 Thy people shall be all righteous Before I enter upon these and the following points I must premise this difference between the Protasis and Apodosis the Proposition and Reddition thereunto That the Protasis or Proposition speaks what is past yea present As all have sinned and death passed upon all men c. But the Reddition speaks of a future estate All shall be made righteous Reason Thou art not a God that hast pleasure in wickedness Psal 5.4 No For the righteous Lord loveth righteousness Psal 11.7 It is his Image it is himself He loved the world also his own Creature and had he not loved it extreme well he had not given his Only begotten Son upon those terms That whosoever believes in him should not perish in sin and death c. Joh. 3.16 Rom. 8.32 So the Father loved the world that he spared not his own Son but delivered him up for us all And so 2. The Son of God loved the world that he spared not himself but Passus est quia voluit none but Christ could he must overcome the Devil Hebr. 2.14 He must be clean Hebr. 9.14 He offered himself without spot unto God 1 Joh. 3.5 He was manifest to take away sin and in him was no sin 3. The order of Nature requires it that the body being sick Physick should be taken by the head See Notes in Hebr. 1. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 4. All this sutes with the Love of God our Saviour who would not that any should perish but that all should come unto the knowledge of the Truth and be saved 2 Pet. 3.9 5. It sutes also with his propitiation which is not only for our sins saith St. John 1 Joh. 2.2 but also for the sins of the whole world This was meant by that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Exod. 25.17 the Mercy-seat it hath the name from covering 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and so blessed is the man whose iniquities are covered but the word also signifieth purging And so our Translators Psal 65.3 Christ is that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Heb. 9.5 Rom. 3.35 Gods propitiatory through faith in his blood Christ is the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Such a Redeemer the Lord Jesus is and what is wanting but Repentance and Faith to lay hold upon him All this tends to the Glory of God that end and mark whereof we miss by our Fall and aim at anew in our recovery from our Fall for whereas the Apostle speaking of our fallen estate All saith he have sinned and come short of the glory of God Rom. 3.21 Numb 14.21 The Prophet Isai 60.21 speaking of our Restitution All thy people shall be righteous that I may be glorified Here is then the free Grace of God toward Mankind dead in trespasses and sins the great love of Christ See Notes in Heb. 1. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Life shall pass over all men This is the Reddition which we have in terms equipollent though sometimes called Many as vers 17 19. sometimes All vers 18. and in express terms 1 Cor. 15.22 In Christ shall all be made alive proportionable to the passage of death over all life also passeth over all for so in regard of the term à quo The LXX renders 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to grow up as the Tree of Life doth from the Root of Jesse i. e. Christ the Life from the Being of his Father as Jesse signifieth who gives life unto the world Joh. 6. 2. As a Child out of the womb and so unto us a Child is born Isai 9.6 even the Prince of Life 3. As the Sun goeth forth even the light of Life Joh. 8.12 4. As a word goeth forth out of the mouth and so we read of the Word of Life Phil. 2.16 Christ the Life is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Joh. 1.1 5. As one goeth forth to battel so the Spirit of Christ against the flesh 2. In regard of the motion or passage it self it signifieth to descend so life descends as an inheritance to the Children of the Everlasting Father Isa 9.6 of which they are heirs together of the Grace of Life 1 Pet. 3.7 Judgement runs down like water and righteousness as a mighty stream Amos 5.24 3. In regard of the term ad quem the LXX render it by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is to take up a Tent or Tabernacle and so Christ the Life 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Joh. 1.14 Reason Why must life pass over all God the Father is the Living God and hath life in himself and he hath given to the Son to have life in himself Joh. 5.26 And he gives life unto the world Joh. 6.33 And proportion there must be between the Malady and the Remedy the sore and the plaster for the sore Death passed upon all men And all men saith the Apostle shall be made alive 1 Cor. 15.22 Let any man read the following part of this Chapter he shall find that whatsoever the first Adam failed in the second makes abundantly supply Reason also there is from consideration of the heavenly Eve taken out of the heavenly Adam for as the first and natural Eve was the mother of all the living who lived the sinful life So the Lamb's wife the Spouse of the second Adam who is taken out of him is the Mother of all the living who live unto God Reason also there is from the nature of goodness which is diffusive of it self Observ 1. This discovers a great and dangerous errour in some who though there be so great a difference between the lapsed and faln estate of man and his restitution by Christ yet misapply the Scriptures proper to the one unto the other Isai 64.6 7. We are all as an unclean thing c. Spoken of those who live and continue in the lusts of the old man and provoke the Lord unto wrath by them not of those who are renewed and work righteousness of which estate vers 5. So Rom. 3.10 11. spoken expresly of those under sin and under the law vers 9.19 not of those under grace vers 21. Thus some will be God's people and the people of the new man when yet they walk according to the lusts of the old man yet apply unto themselves the names and titles of God's Israel Saints Holy Called as the Jews Jer. 7.6 They called themselves the people of the Lord The Temple of the Lord c. yet stole committed Adultery c. The Apostle tells us there shall be such 2 Tim.
divided from them the Children of God our common Father it is impossible they should be divided from him yea to have any Being since the whole Creature and Man the abridgement of the Creatures more depends on God than of it self from whom every Creature receives his whole Being so that if he take away his hand the whole Creature falls into its own nothing and hath the perpetual effluence of him as the Sun-beams of the Sun according to that of the Apostle Acts 17.28 In whom we live and move and have our being But there must be Analogie and resemblance between the Father and the Son and if so how can Adam be the Son of God for a Spirit and a Body are opposite one to another Now God is a Spirit and the father of Spirits Adam is a bodily substance I answer that supereminency and excellency of Essence and Life which is in God the Father of all exempts him from that too particular kind of Generation which is below his manner of working Observ 1. Which withall discovers unto us that fulness and redundancy of all Essences Natures Lives Powers and Operations that are in God according to his eminent manner of working He is a Spirit and the father of Spirits yet is he the father of bodies also the father of flesh and blood the father of the rain Job 38.28 The father of the mountains Psal 90.2 yea the mother that brings them forth The Father of Adam who was the Son of God Observ 2. This discovers unto us our Great and Common Father the Great God and Father of all Ephes 4.6 who is the fountain of Being Life and Motion even he in whom we live move and have our being even he whom the Heathen worshipped though they knew him not but meant him under the name of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Act. 17. Oecumenius reports That when the Persians invaded Greece and the Athenians had sent Ambassadors to Sparta to desire their help the Ambassadors met with the God Pan who accused and upbraided the Athenians that they worshipped other Gods and neglected him and he promised them aid when therefore they had obtained the victory they erected an Altar unto him with the Inscription of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 To the unknown God Others relate that when there was a great plague at Athens from which none of their Gods could deliver them they thinking that there might be some God yet whom they knew not erected an Altar unto him the whole Inscription was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 To the Gods of Asia and Europe and Lybia to the unknown and strange God What they report of Pan that hereby they meant Christ is not improbable for Plutarch relates a story in his Treatise concerning the failing of Oracles that a voice came to one Thamus an Aegyptian Pilot sayling into Italy 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Great Pan is dead which he was commanded to relate at Pelodes which he did accordingly and there was heard a great sighing mixt with admiration By this Pan 't is probable may be understood the great shepherd of our souls for not only because this was done in Tiberius his time but the Apostle himself applyes that Inscription unto God and Christ Observ 3. Behold O man thy highest descent whence thou art and of how noble Lineage Adam is the Son of God not that we are so remote from God as that we should count our Genealogy up to Adam the first man The first man was so the Son of God that every one of us also is as neer unto him 1 Cor. 15.48 as is the earthy such are they also that are earthly and Act. 17.28 in him we live c. as also certain of your own Poets have haid 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 We are his off-spring whose even Gods where it is worth our noting that whereas Aratus spake this of Jupiter 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Apostle applyes the speech unto the true God who is the very same whom the Greeks understood by their 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 saith Origen and Irenaeus An dubium est habitare Deum sub pectore nostro In Coelumque redire animas coeloque venire saith Manilius And Virgil concerning the Souls of men Aen. libr. 6. Igneus est omnis vigor Coelestis origo Observ 4. This declares the natural and genuine love of the great God unto mankind How dear is a Child unto his Father Even so God loved the world with a fatherly love Mark his fatherly advice to his Son Adam Of every Tree thou mayest eat but of the Tree of Knowledge It was a fair warning of what would follow not a threatning of punishment but a consequence in Nature Charior est superis homo quà m sibi Man is dearer to God than to himself He would not provoke his Child to wrath according to his own Precept to his Children Ephes 6.4 and though Cham and Canaan were graceless Children God the Father gave them his blessing Gen. 9.1 God blessed Noah and his Sons c. And though Ismael was a bad man yet I have blessed him and made him fruitful saith his Father Gen. 17.20 Yea though Esau were a profane person and the type of Reprobâ—â—â—s yet his Father Isaac is said to have loved him and blessed him from the Lord yea whereas the good man leaves an inheritance to his Childrens children the good God leaves an inheritance unto his Eâ—au and his Children Deut. 2.4 5. yea though Moab and Ammon were Children of an incestuous bed yet the tender-hearted Father leaves not them without their inheritance vers 9.17 and will not have them be disturbed How should this endear us unto our dearest Brother the Lord Jesus Christ He is not ashamed to call us brethren See how he claims kindred of the Jews Joh. 8. Observ 5. Here then is some hope left for profligate sinners and prodigal Sons if they return Luk. 15.17 He desired to be only a servant and that not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a Minister to his Father but a mercenary and hired servant and his Father restores him to favour and makes him his Son What were the Athenians to whom St. Paul spake Act. 17. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 they were Idolaters so good so patient so long-suffering is our good Father toward his prodigal degenerate rebellious Children But if any of our brethren Sons of the same Father differ from us though but in Opinion and alas who is master of his own mind who can command himself to think what he lists yet if any one differ from us in our own chosen Principles out upon him he is a wretch he is a cast-away he is any thing that 's naught But blessed be our God and Father of all we may be his Elect though such mens Reprobates Observ 6. Here is a ground of all honour to be given unto God He is our Father A Son honoureth his Father and if he be a Father where is his honour
them off c. if thine eye pluck it out which we understand not of the outward but the inward members The members of the outward man are well known to all But because Animus or anima cujusque est quisque every mans Soul is himself So the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifieth the Soul is ordinarily turned a man's self by the Chaldy Paraphrast the Seventy and our English translation Hence it is because few men thus know themselves 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is a point of great wisdom the members of the inward man of the heart the soul and spirit are more used and abused than known They are our thoughts our intentions our appetites our passions our affections out of the heart proceed evil thoughts murders fornication these defile a man Matth. 15.8 9. which are as it were the members of our Souls The members of the inward man inform actuate and give life unto the outward the inward hand that stretcheth forth the outward the inward foot that sets forward the outward and the inward members being polluted derive their uncleanness unto the outward For a man may kill steal commit Adultery in his heart Matth. 5. For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts murders adulteries fornications these are the things which defile the man within and without also when we lend an hand a foot or eye or other member to an unclean cruel or covetous thought The word here used to signifie uncleanness is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 whereby the LXX express 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 such words in the original as signifie not only ceremonial pollution not only such as come by touching of a carcase one that had an issue or an unclean woman Levit. 15.2 Nor only that moral uncleanness of the flesh contracted by Adultery which we turn lewdness Hos 2.10 by which is mystically meant Idolatry Then will I sprinkle clean water upon you and ye shall be clean from all your filthiness and from all your idols will I cleanse you Ezech. 36.25 For so Idolatry is reckoned among the sins of the flesh Gal. 5.19 20. But all manner of sin was signified by uncleanness Ezr. 6 21. where sin in general is called the filthiness of the heathen As also in the New Testament 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 especially signifieth peccatum corporale corporal pollution Some sin or other of the body and so is ranked among them 2 Cor. 12.21 Gal. 5.19 Ephes 5.3 and therefore was typified by leprosie Levit. 11. yet is it of larger extent For as there is an uncleanness acted by the outward members of our bodies so likewise an uncleanness there is which is acted by the inward members of our souls And therefore the Apostle 2 Cor. 7.1 distinguisheth it into the filthiness of the flesh and of the spirit proportionable to the two sorts of members those of the inward and those of the outward man so that sin in general hath this name Either 1. From the want of and opposition unto that purity and cleanness of the Divine nature 1 Joh. 3.3 which was originally in us Or else 2. From want of the fear of God which is clean as the Psalmist speaks Psal 19. by which fear men depart from uncleanness and evil Prov. 16.6 Or 3. From that positive spot and stain which sin leaves upon the Soul Deut. 32.5 Or 4. And lastly from conformity to the Devil that unclean spirit This uncleanness because it 's irregular and swerves from the rule of righteousness and thwarts the law of God it 's called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 iniquity or lawlesness which also may signifie that wrong injury and injustice that 's done unto our neighbour This is of as large extent as the former for as the Law is the rule of righteousness testified by us Rom. 3.21 So is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a lawlesness the rule of iniquity and unrighteousness And therefore it contains in it the genius or common nature of sin for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1 Joh. 3.4 3. Unto which uncleanness and lawlesness the members then are servants when they become subject and obedient unto the command of sin when the body is subject unto sin Wisd 1.4 when sin reigns in our mortal body and we obey it in the lusts thereof Rom. 6.12 And that our members have thus been servants to uncleanness and to iniquity I suppose our own consciences may bear us witness and prevent all further proof if not God and Christ himself which is greater than our conscience brings in this strong evidence and firm demonstration against us Verily verily I say unto you he that committeth sin is the servant of sin Joh. 8.34 But all have sinned and come short of the glory of God Rom. 3.23 And therefore all of us have been servants unto sin and yielded our members servants to uncleanness and to iniquity Which involves in it self the cause of this service Our own propense and voluntary yielding of our members servants thereunto the word is exhibere that is è penu rerum suarum quod habet depromere to bring forth either good or evil out of the good or evil nature of the heart So it fits the inward members and it fits the outward as well for it is presentiam corporis proehere to set the body in a readiness they are all the Lawyers expositions of the words As a servant submits himself wholly and with full consent and without reservation or reluctancy to his Masters will I say to my servant do this and he doth it or as a well managed horse stands ready for the Rider to get up upon for so the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in propriety of language is used not only in prophane Authors but in the holy Scripture also As Act. 23. vers 24. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to make ready beasts to set Paul on for even so doth sin ride the affections of the soul and the members of the body as a merciless ruffian worries and tyres the poor beast so saith the prophet Jeremy that the sinner turns to his course as the horse to the battle Jer. 8.6 quo iste velit said he who was mastered by his passion St. James refers sin to the same original Let no man saith he when he is tempted say I am tempted of God for God cannot be tempted with evil neither tempteth he any man But every man is tempted when he is drawn away of his own lusts and enticed then when lust hath conceived it bringeth forth sin Jam. 1.13 14 15. But because an irregularity in the will supposeth somewhat amiss in the understanding Let us enquire what the fail is there The defect of understanding is ignorance or errour Ignorance is either 1. Meerly privative as that of Abimelech Gen. 20. and that of Paul 1 Tim. 1.13 I did it ignorantly Or 2. Pravae dispositionis of evil disposition as that of the Gentiles Rom. 1.21 Ephes 4.18 19. They became vain in their imaginations and their
they are rather passive than active Such are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Jam. 3.2 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 together Gal. 6.1 labi errare to stumble to slip to err which no man in his wits doth but against his will for he wills that and only that which his master wills such is the servant of righteousness if such servants we be happy thrice happy are we Whether we be such servants or no the Apostles character will try us vers 20. When ye were the servants of sin ye were free from righteousness St. Jerome makes the reddition which is plain out of the former part of the Chapter Ità nunc liberi estote ab omni peccato and St. Austin seconds him Ad justè faciendum liber non erit nisi à peccato liberatus esse coeperit justitiae servus So the Apostle We that are dead unto sin how can we live any longer in it vers 2. He who is dead unto sin is freed from sin vers 7. But alas this is an hard saying how can we chuse but yield our members servants unto sin while we wear the mortal garment while we bear about us a body of clay But I beseech ye consider did the Apostle who makes this exhortation suppose that we have an immortal body doth he exhort us as if we were in statu separato and had glorified bodies doth not our God know of what mould we are made doth not our Church teach us to pray twice every day though to our shame we omit it Grant that this day we fall into no sin and vouchsafe O Lord to keep us this day without sin Nay St. Paul as if he intended on purpose to prevent that frivolous objection shews what the profession of a Christian man is to bear about in his body the dying of the Lord Jesus that the life also of Jesus might be represented in his body for we which live are alwayes delivered unto death for Jesus sake that the life of Jesus might be represented in our mortal bodies 2 Cor. 4. yea in this very Chapter Let not sin reign saith he in your mortal body v. 12. Oh but he speaks of peccatum regnans of reigning sin it followeth in the Text that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof then we obey it when we yield our inward or outward members servants thereunto But that we need not at all yield unto sin but may yield our members servants unto righteousness it sufficiently appears both from the nature of this and all other exhortations which suppose a power and ability given us of God to yield unto him and close with the duty exhorted unto Liberam excitat voluntatem saith the Canonist and from the wisdom righteousness and goodness of our God who neither would nor could exhort men to do that which he knows man neither hath nor may have an ability to perform and therefore this exhortation to yield our members servants unto righteousness is directed even to those who are supposed to have yielded or yet to yield their members servants to uncleanness and to iniquity unto iniquity But alas how can we yield our members servants unto righteousness how can we but yield them servants unto uncleanness and to iniquity How deny thine ungodliness and worldly lusts But they are So importunate how can I deny them Thou hast power enough to put off thy poor brother who would borrow of thee in his need How wouldest thou answer an importunate and unmannerly Sutor that should press to lend or give him that which is not thine own but another mans Is' t not reason is' t not a satisfactory answer that which thou desirest of me it 's none of mine own Iniquity desires thy members to lend it an hand a foot an eye hast thou not a sufficient answer for it my body is not mine own what have I to do with it further than to use it for my Masters honour Should I use my Tongue that was to bless and glorifie my God to blaspheme swear curse flatter lye c. God forbid Should I put forth my foot lent me to walk in the ways of my God to shed my Neighbours blood Should I put out my hand lent me to work the works of God to pilfer steal rob do violence unto my Neighbour Should I use mine eyes to gaze upon strange beauty to enflame my lust Should I take the members of Christ they are none of mine and make them the members of an harlot 1 Cor. 6.13 God forbid Yes yes Thus we may reason but who does so where 's the strength and power to do so More do so than thou knowest of or 't is fit thou shouldst know But 't is easie to convince any man that God hath given him strength enough I 'l name but one instance there 's the same reason of it and all Thou sittest perhaps at a well-furnish'd Table thou hast eaten and drunken sufficiently already to refresh nature Caetera vide in notes in Epist in 1 Joh. 5. But the pretence of a mortal body is so far from excusing sin committed in it that our blessed foundress reasoned thus to the contrary Surely he lightly falleth into sin that thinketh not himself mortal c. for to say the truth if men knew themselves to be mortal they should not so offend God by sin They are the words of our blessed Foundress in a Treatise of hers for such a faithful servant of righteousness was the renowned Lady The Lady Margaret Countess of Richmond and Darby that she served it with all her heart with all her soul and with all her mind and with all her strength with an holy exemplary life with her pen with her purse She was the magnificent Foundress of this Colledge which she builded upon the foundation of Gods house erected by another servant of righteousness King Henry the sixth of blessed Memory who endowed it with competent maintenance for a Master three fellows and a proportionable number of schollars which number of fellows our pious foundress encreased to twelve and the schollars to forty three adding liberal maintenance for all Dedicating her Colledge to the name of Christ who is Melchisedeck the King of righteousness To whose bounty and magnificence a third servant of God and his righteousness that hopeful prince King Edward the sixth added the thirteenth fellowship and the three schollarships These though Domini Dominantium though free from all yet after the Lords example made themselves servants unto all As St. Luke saith of David Act. 13. That he served his generation and so did these serve their own generation and ours too Whose Royal Examples many since have followed As 1. Sr. Walter Mildmay founder of the Greek Lecture who gave a yearly exhibition to two Fellows and six to as many Schollars 2. Mr. Wentworth founder of the Hebrew Lecture 3. Mr. Bunting founder of three Schollarships and gave a yearly summ toward the maintenance of fire in the Hall 4. Mr. Rawlings a fellowship
Prophet acts the part of an Herald by sound of trumpet vers 1. denouncing judgement from the King of kings against two kingdoms Israel vers 1. 13. Judah vers 14. In the words ye have these two parts 1. The Lords grace towards his people I wrote 2. The peoples gracelesness and ingratitude towards their God they accounted them a strange thing Both which resolves into these three 1. There are great things or great multitudes of Gods Law 2. The Lord hath written doth write and will write unto his people the great c. 3. His people account them as a strange thing 1. What the Law is and what Gods Law is hath been already declared The only word in this point which wants explication is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which we turn great things Quantity is either continued according to which a thing is said to be great or discrete and divided according to which a thing may be said to be manifold 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the original word signifieth both 1. Great as we have it great things Now things may be said to be great either in bulk or quantity quantitas molis or else in vertue and esteem answerable quantitas virtutis 2. Manifold as that which consists of many parts And truly I see no reason why we should so embrace one of these sences that we should reject the other since they are both true and may afford us these two Divine truths 1. There are great things of Gods Law 2. There are multitudes or many parts of Gods Law which I shall explain apart I shall then briefly handle them both together 1. There are great things of Gods Law These great things are such as David calls 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1 Chron. 17.19 which the Septuagint turns 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 great things as Act. 2.11 wonderful things 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Psal 40.5 and 78.4 the wonderful works that thou hast done he gave a testimony and established a Law Honorabilia so Vatablus Amplitudines so Drusius excellent things Prov. 8.6 and 22.20 Such great such wonderful such honourable such noble such excellent things there are in the Law of God 2. There are multitudes or many parts of Gods Law They who have accurately summed up the numbers of the written Laws divide them into Affirmative and Negative The affirmative precepts are two hundred forty eight which the Ancients find correspondent to the same number of bones in a mans body which as they are the strength of the outward body so the spiritual Commandments are the strength of the inward man which perfect him for his obedience thereunto Hence it is observed when the Lord was now changing Abrahams name he commanded him walk before me and be perfect and then called him Abraham which name contains the same number in it whence the Lord testifies of Abraham that he had kept his Charge his Commandments his Statutes and his Laws Gen. 26.5 which cannot be understood of the Laws in the Letter which were not yet given 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ×” ר ב × 40 5 200 2 1   248   The Negative Precepts are three hundred sixty five answerable to the number of nerves and ligatures in the mans body as the Anatomists have observed by these are united the strengths and powers of the inward and spiritual man which must be knit together that the Spirit may come and dwell in it So the sinews joyned the bone to his bone and then the Spirit entred into the whole body Ezech. 37 1-16 Obedience to these must be perpetual figured by the dayes of the year three hundred sixty five Of all these ten only were written in the Tables which God gave to Moses as being the Radical and Principal Commandments to which all the other may be reduced and as fitted to the number of our fingers the instruments of our work and hence all Nations reckon by the number of ten as the most determinate and full number and then begin again So great so many are the Laws of our God But why so great and so many let us now enquire into the reason of both joyntly The reason why there are great things and multitudes of Gods Law is considerable either in respect of man his great and manifold misery or in respect of God his greatness and infiniteness his manifold wisdom grace and goodness Mans misery is great and manifold Amos 5.12 Manifold transgressions and mighty sins a great and a grievous fall he hath gotten as far as from heaven to earth from an heavenly mind and affection to earthly from wisdom to folly ignorance and errour yea his fall is manifold from rectitude and uprightness to obliquity and crookedness FROM ONE TO MANY from the Creator to the Creatures the Creator is one only the Creatures many and manifold when therefore the man hath lost his happiness in the One and Only God he seeks and hunts for it among the many Creatures 2. In regard of God his greatness yea infiniteness wisdom righteousness holiness c. and therefore he imparts unto the fallen man 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the great things of his Law 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Matth. 23.23 But should the Lord deal with man according to his own greatness and infiniteness who could hear him therefore he deals with the man according to his manifold grace and goodness proportions his help unto him according to the mans manifold sin and misery imparts unto him a manifold Law Learn then O man what thy first condition was and what thy present condition is thy first condition was Oneness and Sameness in wisdom and understanding and will in mind and heart with the only God God made the Man according to his own Image God made Man upright Eccles 7.29 Man i. e. Thee and Him and Mee and every man The word is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it 's therefore appellative and not proper God made every Man upright in the first Man The Man had not but one mind one will one heart one spirit as one right line is conformable and one with another so much 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifieth The Man had one life with the one and only God This must needs have been the mans primitive estate as appears by every mans doleful experience in his fallen estate for then he is said to have found out many inventions many thoughts reasonings discourses questions curiosities so much 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifieth according to the Septuagint and therefore in his rectitude he had but one He is said to have forsaken the fountain of living waters and digged himself cysterns c. If he have forsaken God the fountain c. therefore he was one with him He is said to be alienated from the life of God and therefore he was united with that life of God Fallen therefore the man is from his Original rectitude to obliquity and crookedness and become averse from his God from unity and uniformity to multiplicity division partiality
That we ought to suffer with him 1. Christ is the Lamb slain from the beginning Rev. 13. It is evident we are not able before Regeneration to think speak do any thing that is good when therefore we crucifie good thoughts purposes intentions before Regeneration what else do we but crucifie Christ himself in us 2. Frangendum corpus peccati The body of sin is to be broken Effundendus sanguis vitae pristinae The blood of our former life is to be poured out Mourn for the affliction of Joseph Amos 6.6 Consider 1 Sam. 22.1 2 3. What is the meaning of the Cave and who went into it after him but miserable men and men in debt and whom doth he invite else Matth. 11. There are two questions of great moment 1. What have I done the Prophet complains of this Jer. 8.6 2. What shall I do of this Paul Act. 9. the Jaylor Act. 16.30 the multitude Act. 2.37 Means Pray to the Lord to light our candle and set it on our head Job 29.3 Psal 18.28 2. To try us himself Psal 139.23 24. But let a man examine himself and so let him eat c. I have spoken heretofore of these words which as then I might have told you had a double consideration 1. Absolute Let a man examine himself 2. With a note of distinction or diversity in respect of the words before But let a man examine himself In the Verse before the Apostle had told the Corinthians the danger of unworthy Receiving which that it might not seem a discouragement in the words of the Text he prescribes a means for the due and worthy Receiving of it He that eats But let a man c. Observ 1. The nature of sin is here compared to dross that it 's incorporate with metals as elsewhere the Holy Ghost compares it to dust to stubble Psal 119.119 Prov. 25.4 See Notes on Jam. 1. Jer. 6.28 Ezech. 22.18 Observ 2. As there is dross in us to be consumed so is there something as precious yea more precious than Gold that is tryed 1 Pet. 6.7 See Notes in verba supra Therefore is Christ called the Remnant which is left after all unless the Lord of hosts had left us a Remnant a Seed Rom. 9. the Balsamum Naturale when all the chaff and husk is consumed that brings all to life again as Isai 1.25 26 27. that is thus is Jesus Christ our hope spes in ima pixidis hope in the bottom of the box Observ 3. Because the Sacrament is compared to meat and drink it 's often to be Received See Notes on 1 Cor. 10. Repreh 1. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 so who quarrel about the way of trying some conceive that unless others try us we are not fit guests for the Lords Table The Mistriss of the house bid her Maids sweep the house Wisdom hath her maids Prov. 9. she knows that will not dwell in a body that is subject unto sin Repreh 2. Who measure and try themselves by themselves the Scripture saith such are not wise Repreh 3. Who try themselves by the Opinions of others it 's possible to deceive all Examiners Repreh 4. Who try themselves by Scripture but wrested to their own sense who examine themselves by the end of the Sacrament remembrance of Christ's death not the imitation of it Means of tryal the fire of the Spirit that which hath been tryed by the fire is approved 1. Such is the fire of the Spirit 2. The Word Psal 119.140 Let him eat of that bread Bread is either Natural Food 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or Spiritual and that either 1. Good and wholesom such as strengthens the inward man Prov. 9.5 Or 2. Hurtful and destructive unto it Prov. 4.17 The outward and natural food is not here understood as all agree for since it is a Sacrament what is visible is representative and significative of some thing invisible as the outward and natural both bread and wine signifie something inward answering to both what those are all agree to be the body and blood of Christ Now what body that is which we eat what blood that is which we drink is a very great question in the Church of Christ and not determined only the most agree that the natural body of Christ which suffered on the Cross and the blood then shed is that which is here understood But how we eat that body and how we drink that blood the great Disputers of the world fall asunder into Three Parties according to their several Opinions 1. Some say that the outward Elements of Bread and Wine are really changed into the body and blood of Christ which we must believe to be so though we see the colours smell the scent taste the relish of the outward elements this they call Transubstantiation 2. Others say that in under with or together with the outward elements of Bread and Wine the body and blood of Christ is eaten and drunk and this is called Consubstantiation But this if well considered overthroweth the nature of a Sacrament 3. A third sort are they who understand as both the former do the natural body and blood of Christ but received both by Faith But the Question is not de Modo but de Objecto not touching the manner how the body and blood of Christ is received but concerning the body and blood it self whether natural or spiritual and mystical and such as is truly called spiritual meat and spiritual drink When our Lord Jesus had treated at large of his body and flesh and blood the eating of the one and drinking of the other and some said how can this man give us his flesh to eat Joh. 6.52 These three divided Parties answer that question 1. The first by Transubstantiation 2. The second by Consubstantiation 3. The other by Faith If the Natural Body of Christ Crucified be here understood then surely the Capernabites were in the right it was to be eaten bodily and his blood bodily drunk As spiritual things are spiritually received and not otherwise if therefore the Natural Body of Christ were here understood it must be received according to its nature bodily Therefore our Lord perceived the gross mistake of the Capernahites as elsewhere they understood him Joh. 2.19 and 3.4 that which all these three take for granted our Saviour expresly denies all these suppose the natural body to be that which is fed upon Our Lord tells them and us if we will believe him that the flesh profiteth nothing he speaks of his own flesh of which they made mention The words saith he which I speak they are Spirit and they are Life Doth the flesh profit nothing did not Christ suffer for us in the flesh did he not by his death pay an inestimable price for our Redemption from the Curse of the Law Gal. 3.13 Hebr. 9.27 28. Did he not by his holy Life in the flesh as also by his death leave us an example Is not the death of Christ necessary for the
expiation of the guilt and punishment of sin Hebr. 10.14 If all this be true as certainly it is how saith our Lord that his flesh profiteth nothing The flesh profiteth nothing i. e. either to the quickning and giving life to the Soul dead in trespasses and sins it profits nothing to the feeding and nourishing of the Soul unto eternal life these are the works of the Spirit for it is the Spirit that quickens The bread which is here propounded to be eaten and consequently the wine it comes down from heaven vers 58. but the natural flesh of Christ came not down from heaven The bread to be fed upon is sometime called his body sometime his flesh sometime meat the Manna This is not Natural but Spiritual 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 See Notes on Gen. 25. and such must be the partaking and receiving of them What then is the Bread but the Word of God as often in Scripture Deut. 8.3 Matth. 4.4 and speaking of the Manna see Exod. 16.16 Job 23.12 Jer. 3.15 and 15.16 Amos 8.11 As for the Cup 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it 's Metonymically taken for the wine in it which signifieth the blood of Christ i. e. his Life and Power his Spirit of Life Rom. 8. the Spirit that is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that quickneth and giveth life Of this blood ye read Hebr. 9.14 and 10.29 and 13.20 21. cum Rom. 1.4 1 Pet. 1.18 19. Revel 7.14 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 non 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1 Joh. 5.8 This bread our Lord had broken unto them and given them his blood to drink Joh. 14.17 1 Cor. 12.13 This Cup signifieth his passion Lord if it be possible let this Cup pass by me and our imitation of it by enduring the like inward and outward sufferings Matth. 20.21 23. Doubt Why doth the Lord propound these Mysteries under these outward Elements Love is defined affectus unionis an affection of union oneness and sameness with another Now because he who saves another cannot really be one and the same with him Disparata non possunt fieri unum he imparts something to him wherewith he may be in a sort one and the same with him such is that which enters into us as meat and drink and such as is neerest to us as our garments and what else is needful for the preservation of our being Thus Jonathan when he loved David 1 Sam. 18.1 3 4. their souls were in a sort one But how did Jonathan express that He stript himself Does the Scripture think we intend only to express humane passions Jonathan figures the holy Spirit so his Name signifieth the gift of the Lord and he cloaths David as when Judg. 6.34 the Spirit of the Lord is said to come upon Gideon the Hebrew Text saith the Spirit cloathed Gideon Marg. Put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ 1 Thess 2.8 There is no Love without Communication of something from the party loving to the party loved thus Joh. 3.16 Gal. 2.20 He loved me and gave himself for me Ephes 5.2.25 And thus the Lord Jesus Christ to testifie his intimate love unto us He Communicates himself unto us by the Sacrament of his body and blood which is called therefore Sacramentum Vnionis whereby he affectionately imparts himself unto us Joh. 6.55 56 57. Observ 1. Terms of Art are as weights wherewith we weigh silver and gold such are the Sacraments and Virtues in them Observ 2. Take notice that he who examines himself hath a command to receive the Holy Sacrament 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Observ 3. Hence also it followeth that they who dispense and Administer the Sacrament they virtually from hence have a Command to give the Sacrament unto those who have examined themselves for if they who have examined themselves must eat and drink then must the Minister give them to eat and drink Observ 4. The mans greatest business is about himself This was the first Precept that God gave to Abraham See Notes on Gen. 6. Observ 5. There is a warrantable Self-love Exhort Examine our selves and so let us eat of that Bread and drink of that Cup When we have so examined our selves so purged out the dross we shall then become a vessel fit for our Masters use fit to bear his Name in as Paul was That we may bear God in our bodies 1 Cor. 6. Vulg. Lat. So let him eat and so let him drink so i. e. having examined proved tryed searched and approved himself so let him eat so i. e. rectè answers to 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 See Notes on Psal 90.12 The Believer hath in him his Judicatory his Examination-office his fire is in Sion and his furnace in Jerusalem Isai 31.9 Exhort Let us examine our selves and so let us eat How industrious is the Evil One to examine search sift us and all that 's good and of God out of us See Notes on Zeph. 2.1 2. It 's impossible otherwise to partake of the Lord Jesus the Lord will examine us and search us with candles appeal to the Lord and desire him to do it Psal 139. NOTES AND OBSERVATIONS UPON I CORINTHIANS XIII 2. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Though I have the gift of prophecy and understand all mysteries and all knowledge and though I have all faith so that I could remove mountains and have no Charity I am nothing I Will not derogate from the due praise of the Ancients touching the division of the Scripture into Chapters it was a laudable attempt and succeeds very happily in the most yet it had been to be wished among other oversights that this 13th Chapter being the Epistle for this day had not been so violently rent from the 12th the last words of the 12th Chap. being in nature a part of this 13th and that a principal one as the head is in respect of the body deriving an influence into the whole body of this Chapter and therefore being taken from it it 's as if the head were cut off from the body 't will appear no less to you if ye consider That the Apostle having discoursed at large in the former Chapter of those Graces which they call Gratiae gratis datae as the gift of Tongues Prophecy Wisdom Knowledge c. lest they should stint their desires in these which are not desirable for themselves in the end of that Chapter Covet earnestly saith he the best gifts or rather according to Photius Oecol in locum Theodoret and others of the Greek Fathers because they desired greater gifts than these were they read the words interrogatively Do ye covet greater gifts than these if so 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I shall shew ye moreover the most excellent way by far and what is that way but Charity which is one of those Graces which they call Gratiae gratum facientes And that this way of Charity is of all other the most excellent the Apostle proves in this Chapter by three general Arguments both 1. From the necessity because without it all
signs For properly to speak the Cup of Blessing is a sign or testimony and signifieth the commemoration of the blood of Christ and the bread which we break is a sign symbolum or testimony of the body of Christ And where our Saviour saith This is my body and this is my blood 't is evident he means the signs of his body and blood As in like Sacramental phrases when the Scripture calls Circumcision the Covenant and the Lamb a Passover and many the like Which had men been willing to understand the Controversie about the Sacrament of the Lords Supper had not produced such bitter zeal and so many Volumes of Disputations as it hath done in the Christian Church Observ 3. Observe then what use yet remains of the Ceremonial Law unto Christian Men All these things befell the Jews for Examples or Types and they are written for our admonition upon whom the ends of the world are come 1 Cor. 10.11 Rom. 15.4 Whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning that we through patience and comfort of the Scriptures might have hope 2 Tim. 3.16 All Scripture is given by inspiration of God and is profitable for doctrine for reproof for correction for instruction in Righteousness that the Man of God may be made perfect throughly furnished to all good works And if all Scripture if whatsoever was written then surely the Ceremonial Law though not in the oldness of the Letter yet in the newness of the Spirit There are no wasts in the Word of God but those places that seemed to be barren and desart are under the Gospel fruitful in all a new and spiritual meaning unto the new people of God Observ 4. This makes exceedingly for the increase of Spiritual understanding Observ 5. And consequently for the great consolation of many poor Souls who read and hear the Scriptures daily and understand little hunger and thirst after the knowledge of Gods Word and meditate in Gods Law day and night to such the Lord speaks Isa 50.10 Who is there among you that feareth the Lord that obeyeth the voice of his servant that walketh in darkness and hath no light Let him trust in the Name of the Lord and stay upon his God Such an one was the Eunuch Act. 8. who read Isa 53. yet professed to Philip he knew not of whom that Scripture was to be understood And if with humility obedience and teachable hearts and fervent prayer unto God we be exercised therein surely God in his due time if he see it needful for us that we should understand those hidden things will Either 1. Immediately reveal his Truth unto us Or 2. Direct unto us one Scribe or other taught unto the kingdom of God who shall bring out of his treasury things new and old i. e. the figurative and true meaning as Basil explains that place Matth. 13.52 All things are new that is all things are holy just and good I have spoken of this kind of newness heretofore I shall not make Repetition of any thing of that but only add something as the Text requires All things are new i. e. holy just and good inwardly and outwardly 1. Inwardly for as when Nature begins her work in making the body of Man she first forms the three principal inward parts the Brain the Heart and the Liver and then proceeds to form the outward members even so the God and Author of Nature first forms and fashions the inward Man in his Mind Will and Affections and then fashions the outward man in a sutable Christian Life and Godly Conversation 1. Then there is a renovation of the mind Rom. 12.2 Be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind And Ephes 4.23 Be ye renewed in the spirit of your mind And therefore Col. 3.10 The New Man is renewed in Knowledge For as in the beginning Deus praefecit lumen operibus suis God who commanded the light to shine out of darkness he hath shined in your hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ 2 Cor. 4.6 2. God fashioneth all his new peoples Hearts by rectifying their perverse and crooked Wills and by ordering and disposing their inordinate Affections 1. Their Will is rectified and renewed according to Gods promise made to the new Man That his people should be willing in the day of his power Psal 110.3 And what shall they be willing to What else but to Gods Commandments Psal 112.1 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he is very willing and hath great delight in Gods Commandments and so ye may remember the parallel places that what is in 1 Cor. 7.19 keeping the Commandments of God is Gal. 6.15 a new Creature 2. Their Affections are ordered and disposed toward heavenly things they have new affections new dispositions of Soul Col. 3.1 2. Nor have this new people a new mind and affections in vain but they have power to do also what they ought to will They that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength Isai 40.31 and 41.7 Let the people renew their strength Confer Psal 110.3 This new day is the day of Christs power But from whom have this new people their new mind will and affections and strength but from him who makes all things new from God himself David humbly acknowledgeth as much Who am I and what is my people that we should be able and should obtain strength to offer so willingly after this sort for all things come of thee and of thine own have we given thee 1 Chron. 29.14 And thus all things are new within 2. All things are new without in the outward life and conversation and as there is a new inward Man so likewise is there a new outward Man and both from him who makes all things new for as God made every Plant before it was in the earth and every herb of the field before it grew Gen. 2.5 and every year he commands that the earth bring forth grass the herb yielding seed and the fruit tree yielding fruit after his kind which yearly cloaths and adorns the earth with flowers and herbs and fruits even so it is in this acceptable year of the Lord as the Evangelist out of the Prophet Isaiah calls this time of the Gospel Luk. 4.19 so saith the Psalmist Psal 104.30 That God sends forth his Spirit and they are Created and he reneweth the face of the earth Very fitly to this purpose speaks the Prophet Isai 61.2 of the same new and acceptable year of the Lord and vers 10 11. I will greatly rejoyce in the Lord my soul shall be joyful in my God for he hath cloathed me with the garments of salvation and hath covered me with a robe of Righteousness as a Bridegroom decketh himself with ornaments and as a Bride adorneth her self with her jewels for as the earth bringeth forth her bud and as the garden causeth the things that are sown in it to spring forth so the Lord
already Would God they were but that will soon be tryed Do not the old vain thoughts yet lodge in thee Jerem 4.14 Hast thou purged out the old leaven the leaven of the false Doctrine and the leaven of hypocrisie of malice of wickedness Do not thy old words remain yet sweet to thy mouth Doest thou not yet use rotten talk 1 Sam. 2.3 Recedunt vetera ex ore vestro Doest thou not yet retain the old hatred Ezech. 25.15 Is the old serpent cast out of heaven Apoc. 12.9 and 20. Spiritual wickedness in high places Ephes 6.12 counterfeit shews of holiness If the old things be passed away then fornication uncleanness inordinate affection evil concupiscence and covetousness which is idolatry these are all passed away for these are the members of the old man Col. 3.5 And are none of these left remaining with us no fornication no uncleanness c. If any of these members of the old man remain in us How is the old man passed away Is he passed away and gone and hath he left his members behind him That 's a strange passage indeed 2. If these old things be passed away from us then are they crucified then are they mortified then are they killed and destroyed that 's to pass away as I proved before and then are we dead unto sin as sin is dead unto us If sin yet lives in us and we yet live in sin how is sin how is this old man yet dead Doth he live when he is dead If we yet walk after the flesh if yet we walk in lasciviousness excess of wine revellings if yet we walk in covetousness in inordinate affection in anger wrath malice blasphemy c. how are we dead unto these Do men walk when they are dead Certainly we have forgotten to purge our old sin 2 Pet. 1.9 The English that he was purged true by Christ's Righteousness imputed But the words sound thus in the Greek He hath forgotten the purging of his old sins and so they are to be understoood of sanctification so the reformed Churches understand the place without holiness no man shall see the Lord Heb. 13. and because I purged thee and thou wast not purged thou shall not be purged from thy filthiness any more until I have caused my fury to rest upon thee 3. O Beloved let us not deceive our selves in a matter of so great moment Most certain it is these old things are not yet passed away from us I shall therefore propound some means to procure their passage from us 1. The true consideration of what they are how deformed how ugly how abominable and to look upon them not according to the opinion of the world but through the glass of Gods word that will most truly discover their nature and their violence to us We hide spots in our Garments this old Garment is one great spot over the whole body 2. That will teach us to hate loath and abominate them For indeed there is nothing in the whole world truly hateful and abominable except only these old things And that we may truly hate them let us look upon them on their worst side and take them by their worst handle Every thing hath two handles 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 good and evil mixt together These are truly ill and have but an appearance Some pictures are made which if ye look upon them one way they present you with some beautiful portraiture if another way they shew you the resemblance of some ugly Monster or other Look so upon thy sin it hath an handle of profit on one side it represents pleasure c. leave that look on it as it is hated and prohibited of God deformed in his sight and in the sight of all godly men c. 3. Entertain the fear of God into thine heart By the fear of God men depart from evil Prov. 16.6 and so evil will depart from thee 4. Propound Christ before thine eyes for thy pattern and example Enter into that narrow way and crowd through that strait gate of mortification As the serpent when she shifts her skin she draws her body through a narrow hole and so leaves her 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 so the Greek calls her skin her old age behind her O let us in this especally be as wise as serpents enter in at the strait gate of mortification and so put off the old man 5. Let us remember the solemn Prayers made for us at our Baptism that the old Adam might be buried in us that all carnal affections might dye in us that we might have power and strength to have victory and to triumph against the Devil the World and the Flesh 6. Let us remember that solemn Vow Promise and Profession which we made at our Baptism to follow the example of our Saviour Christ and to be made like unto him That as he dyed so should we dye unto sin and crucifie the old man and utterly abolish the whole body of sin 7. And lastly for this end let us pray unto God that he would vouchsafe unto us his Spirit That so by his spirit we may mortifie the deeds of the flesh Rom. 8.13 And if thus we be buried with Christ by Baptism into his death we shall then also walk in newness of life And if old things be so done away All things then will become new More NOTES on II CORINTH V. 17. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Behold all things are become new LEt it not seem tedious to you Beloved in our Lord and Saviour to have the same Text mentioned to you so often it brings with it always variety of matter always something new So that every several point might be a new and a several Text. I may make use of the Apostles words Phil. 3.1 To write the same things to you 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it is not on my part out of laziness or idleness So it were better turned than to me it is not grievous but for you it is safe For easier it is as your selves know to speak a little upon a large Theme as I do on the week days then largely upon so little an argument as this seems to be For indeed though it be little in words yet it 's great in weight and according to the proverb 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 there 's a great deal in a little as the richest Commodities gold and silver and precious stones take up but a little room And such is the Text as vertually containing the accomplishment of all the old ceremonial Laws the fulfilling of all the Prophesies and Histories of the Old Testament and all the manifest Truths and excellencies of the New And therefore every point in it every word hath its weight and so not lightly to be passed over Behold all things are become new There is in this point only one word which wants explication and that 's 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Behold it 's a word of most frequent use and meets us every where in Scripture
beloved In the Exhortation we must enquire 1. What this garment of Mercy is 2. What the bowels of it are and 3. What it is to put it on 1. The garment is Mercy 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the word is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 saith the Etymologist grief properly for the death of another and that 's truly a mourning-garment but that signification is too strait for this place we must therefore widen it and enlarge it with Aquinas and call it a grief conceived for the evil which befalls another so much the Latin word imports Misericors saith Isidore à compatiendo alienae miseriae vocabulum est sortitus hinc appellata est misericordia quòd miserum cor faciat alienâ miseriâ We pity another when our heart is affected with the misery of another So 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the word in the Text is often used by profane Authors to signifie the heart which is the principal seat of Mercy and all other affections But the plural is here used which the Latins turn Viscera which signifieth not the guts or entrals as some fancy but it is a part within the flesh as well in the middle region of the body as the lowest as the lungs the heart the liver or any of the rest which word is here used in imitation of the Hebrew 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifying in one word both the words of this Text together bowels of mercy and a very significant Hebraism it is founded in Nature whereof every one is sensible so often as he commiserates the calamity of another for the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifieth to Love whence 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifieth the mothers womb and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that mercy and pitty which the mother shews unto the Son of her womb Such was that 1 King 3.26 of the true mother of the child her bowels saith the Text were rowled within her And in this sence St. Paul the Spiritual Father of Onesimus whom he had begotten in his bonds he calls Onesimus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 his bowels that is his Son Phil. 10 12 20. Nor is it uncouth to read Viscera in this sence such is that speech of a mother touching her Child Viscera montanus ferret edenda Lupus So that bowels of mercy signifie the most intimate intense and largest affection of all others the Mother being commonly the most tender and indulgent unto the child of her womb In this sence the Syriack hath instead of bowels inward affections and such inward affection as the bird hath toward her young ones which the Naturalists say is the greatest of all other when she spreads over her wings whence God expresseth his love toward his people Dan. 32. and our Saviour toward Jerusalem thus St. Paul is to be understood 2 Cor. 6.11 12 13. Our mouth is opened unto you O Corinthians our heart is enlarged or spread abroad ye are not straitned in us but ye are straitned in your own bowels Now for a recompence in the same I speak as unto my children Be ye also enlarged So tender is the mercy which is here required of us in the Text. Whence we learn the general nature of mercy from the body it it self for as the bowels are contracted by grief the first part of mercy so they are opened and enlarged by joy in the relieving the evils of others which is the second part of mercy which is considerable either 1. As a passion of the sensitive appetite or else 2. As an habit or virtue of the intellective appetite Or 3. Will ruled by right reason according to which the inferiour sensitive appetite is governed The former though a natural affection yet is not like most others indifferent and uncapable of it self either of praise or dispraise but hath this Prerogative of the most that it 's a laudable affection so that according to it especially men are accounted of a good nature Not but that this natural affection is defective all passions of the Soul sing a wild note and are to be corrected and directed by Grace so must the natural affection of mercy how good soever it is by the habit and virtue of mercy As the Cloth or Stuff of a Garment you know how good how costly soever it is deforms him that wears it if it be not well made The virtue therefore of Mercy directs us what the measure the length and breadth of it must be For the better understanding whereof we must yet further enquire 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as the Philosopher speaks 1. What these evils are which move our Mercy And 2. Who they are to whom we ought to shew it 1. The evils which move our Mercy are either 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Corruptiva or Contristantia such as are corrupting or deadly evils or only tedious and troublesom which because they may befall the soul as well as the body they are either Corporal or Spiritual 1. The bodily evils are hunger thirst nakedness exile captivity sickness which our Saviour speaks of Mat. 25. under which are to be understood also 2. Spiritual evils as a famine of the Word nakedness by sin captivity and thraldom under it c. To which we may add ignorance errour doubtfulness of mind terrours of conscience for it is an unreasonable thing to imagine That Christ who came to save mens souls should enjoyn us to shew mercy only to their bodies These evils especially the former sort are to be considered rather in their danger than in their effect for if they prove effectual they move not mercy properly but remediless grief for it is too late to pity a sick man when he is dead Sorrow then there may be as David sorrowed for Absolom but not mercy To him that is afflicted pity should be shewed Job 6.14 That 's the second thing to be enquired who are the miserable who are afflicted with these evils to whom we must shew mercy They are generally such as one way or other partake with us of our Nature They are either Man who is Created unto the Divine Nature yet hath a nature common to the beasts or the meer beasts themselves 1. Man is wholly of our nature and therefore if Man be miserable we must pity him as such yet with a difference we must be good and merciful especially to the houshold of Faith yet must we also enlarge the bowels of our mercy unto all men Gal. 6.10 Yea even 2. To the beasts also Prov. 10.12 The righteous man regardeth the life of his beast Such is the measure the breadth length and depth of the garment of mercy to be cut out and proportion'd according to these degrees of miseries and those who are miserable What remains now but that we shew what it is to put it on The putting of it or any such spiritual garment on is an usual Metaphor applyed to signifie our spiritual cloathing with the Holy Ghost
render thanks for all the Creatures and all their excellencies which God hath given them and for himself and all the excellencies in himself so that what worth there is in all the world and every Creature in it Man is a debtor unto God for it and what worth there is in himself and every part in him Man is a debtor unto God for it yea he hath one part in him better worth than all the world as our Saviour speaks As if a City had received great privileges from a Prince and there were in it but one wise Man who knew those privileges and their worth this man were bound to thankfulness more than all thus much the dumb Creatures witness 1. The Sun cryes unto thee that it shines not for it self but for thee that it gives thee light to watch and labour and retiring it self it gives thee darkness to rest and sleep It makes variety in the year for thy delight temperature of the Spring heat of Summer fulness of Autumn cold of Winter 2. The earth bears thee nourisheth thee strengthens thee with bread makes thy heart glad with wine 3. The water gives thee drink and purgeth away thy filth 4. The air gives thee free breathing 5. Earth air and water breed and bring thee up fish fowl and cattel for thy necessity thine use thy help thy delight thy comfort thy learning thine example Go to the pismire thou sluggard and learn her wayes and be wise Go to the Oxe and Ass and learn their wayes the Oxe knows his owner c. Go to the Stork and Turtle and Crane and Swallow and learn their wayes they know their time and teach thee thine Yea all the world the mute and brute Creatures though they know not their Creator yet shew him unto thee as an arrow shot at a mark sees not the mark 't is shot at yet directs and points unto it Now what doth the Lord thy God require of thee O man for all his outward worlds What else but that thou remember thy Creatour and be thankful for want of this and holding the knowledge of this truth in unrighteousness see what a deluge of sin and punishment for sin breaks in upon us Rom. 1.18 What doth the Lord require of thee for his inward worlds but that thou remember thy God the Son thy Creatour and that thou approve thy self his Workmanship his Creature created by Christ unto good works that thou mayest walk and live in them what else but that thou shew forth his virtues and praises who hath called thee out of darkness into his marvellous light NOTES AND OBSERVATIONS UPON HEBREWS I. 3. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Who being the brightness of his glory THese words contain our Saviours Eternal Generation wherein Two things are to be explained 1. What 's meant by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which we turn glory 2. What 's meant by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the brightness of glory 1. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the glory of God is the excellency and eminency of all the attributes and works of God wrought either 1. Immediately by himself or 2. Mediately by his Creatures in regard of which God is said to be glorious Thus God is glorious in power Exod. 15.6 and vers 11. glorious in holiness and his Name i. e. his Nature is said to be glorious Deut. 28.58 The glory of God appears also in his works which he manifests both on the bodies of men as Matth. 15.30 31. Great multitudes came unto him having with them those who were lame blind dumb maimed and many others and cast them down at Jesus feet and he healed them insomuch that the multitude wondered when they saw the dumb to speak and they glorified the God of Israel And on the souls and spirits of men Thus the Disciples glorified God for his Grace vouchsafed to the Gentiles Act. 11.18 Thus they glorified God in Paul Gal. 1.24 This glory by reason of the lustre and manifestation of it is called light Thus Luk. 2. The glory of the Lord shined round about them And in the transfiguration when Christ manifested his glory his face shined as the Sun of which St. Peter speaking saith That they heard a voice from the excellent glory Thus 1 Cor. 15.41 There is one glory of the Sun another of the Moon and one Star differs from another in glory 2. Of this glory Christ is the brightness i. e. Such Christ is unto God the Father as light is unto the Sun light of his light brightness of his brightness clearness and lustre of his lustre and clearness For this lustre and brightness he himself prays unto his Father that it may be made manifest Joh. 17.5 for whereas especially are considerable in the Sun 1. The Planet which is as it were the body of the light 2. The brightness and clearness issuing from that body 3. An enlivening and quickning heat That body or fountain of light resembles God the Father the brightness and clearness thence issuing answers to God the Son who is here called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 resplendescentia or the shining from the Father the enlivening or quickning heat descends from both and answers to the holy Spirit the spirit of life The same word is used by the Wise Man speaking of wisdom which is Christ Wisd 7.26 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The house was filled with a cloud and the Court which was the Gentiles was filled with the brightness of the Lords glory Ezeck 10.4 more fitly Mich. 5.2 Thou Bethlem Ephrata c. out of thee shall go forth HE who shall rule Israel 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and his shinings forth are from the beginning the word is proper to the shining of the Sun and applyed to Christs Eternal Generation Of this there can be given no Reason à priori as they speak God the Father and God the Son being the first and the beginning it self and therefore no Reason can be alledged to demonstrate as before either See Notes on Hebr. 1.5 wherein is seen the great difference between the filiation or sonship of Christ and Christians Christ being a Son by natural Generation and ab eterno Christians being Sons by Adoption and born in time Christ born by Nature as the light from the Sun Christians by Grace and the good will and pleasure of God Of his own will be begat us James This may be of use unto us divers ways which that ye may the better understand I shall first name such uses as flow from the absolute consideration of God and his Glory and Christ the brightness of his Glory Secondly Such as follow from the relative consideration of them 1. This acquaints us with the nature of God he is a Glorious God a God who dwells in light and there is no darkness in him a God whose eminency and excellency transcends all his creatures The God of Glory Acts 7. yea God and his Glory are taken one for the other The spirit of Glory and of God 1
Lord bears his own Creatures with ease Isai 40.15 but Amos 2.13 I am pressed under you as a cart is pressed with sheaves and Luk. 13. why cumbers it the ground Thus the Lord useth large patience toward ungodly men who burden him with their wilfull transgressions and tread under foot the Son of God and when they will not by any means suffer with him nor be grieved for the affliction of Joseph Amos 6.6 what remains but that the Lord should make them sensible of their burden and make them a burden unto themselves O consider this ye that forget God and go lightly away with your sins Alas how soon may he cast the burden of thy sins upon thee that thou mayest bear thine iniquity Consol He is strong in bearing our sins O but alas I feel their burden too heavy for me to bear is it so indeed Then he will bear it for thee The Lord hath laid upon him the iniquity of us all Esay 53. But wouldst thou be freed from thy burden Wouldst thou be dead unto sin They that are dead are freed from sin Rom. 6. Freed from it O that I would wouldst thou Then know That he is the Lamb of God that not only bears but also takes away the sins of the world John 1. He himself bare our sins in his body on the Tree that we being dead unto sin should live unto righteousness 1 Pet. 2.24 Zach. 5.5 He so beareth them that he knits and unites them altogether so 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 so the Syriack word here used signifieth to contain compose knit and unite together it 's one of the names of God as Deut. 6.4 Hear O Israel the Lord thy God is Jehovah 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 one Lord and uniting his creatures in one so as the Foundation unites the building and the corner stone contains in one the parts of the building so our Lord is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1 Pet. 2.6 The corner-stone or head-stone of the building in whom the Father gathers together all things in one even in Christ 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Eph. 1.10 As to their Head both which are in Heaven and in the earth even in him He is as it were the binding cord in Musick which reconciles all jarring differences and makes the sweetest harmony the cement which unites and knits all the parts of the world together for howsoever there be infinite differences of natures the most eminent and transcendent nature of Christ agrees them all and upholds them all by the word of his power He reconciles God and man together and men with men so that there is neither Jew nor Greek neither bond nor free neither Male nor Female for ye are all one in Christ Jesus What is said of the Magistrate is most true of the great God he doth continere hominum multitudines he is the Love it self 1 John 4.8 16. which bears all things and unites all things in one But doth our Lord so bear all things that he hath left us nothing to bear Surely no We must bear his Cross and follow him Thus thou shalt not bear the name of the Lord thy God in vain thus the Lord Christ tells Ananias that S. Paul was a chosen vessel unto him to bear his name before the Gentiles and Kings and the children of Israel Acts 9.15 Was this peculiar and proper to S. Paul to bear the name of Christ Yes before the Gentiles c. otherwise he tells his Corinthians as I may tell you 2 Cor. 4.7 That we have the same treasure in earthen Vessels and Verse 10.11 We always bear about in our body the dying of the Lord Jesus c. Thus as to bear God and yield obedience unto God in our body and Spirit is to glorifie God and to bear all things because God is all things saith the wise man So to bear Christ i. e. the dying of the Lord Jesus in hope that his life will appear in us is to bear the Lord Jesus Christ who also is all things Col. 3.11 Exhort If Christ bears all things let us be exhorted to be followers of Christ herein to bear all things Those who love him do so 1 Cor. 13.7 and that both in regard of God and in regard of our Neighbour The wise man speaking of the Praise of the Lord saith Eccles 43.27 He is all things he is what ever things are lovely c. Phil. 4. And in this sence 1 Cor. 6.20 where we say Glorifie God in your bodies and in your Spirits in the vulgar Latine it is Portate Deum in corpore vestro Bear God in your bodies and in your Spirit for these are Gods they are his Temples For so we bear God in our Body and Spirit when we bear obedience unto God Thus that which ye read Rom. 6.13 Yield your selves unto God in the sixteenth we read Yield your selves servants of obedience unto righteousness so the eighteenth Being made free from sin ye become the servants of righteousness and the nineteenth Yield your members servants to righteousness unto Holiness the two and twentieth Now being made free from sin and become the servants of God So that to be the servants of obedience and righteousness is to be the servants of God and so to bear God in our body and in our Spirit In regard of our Neighbour we may be here exhorted to bear all things i. e. to be patient towards all men 1 Thess 5.14 Vide Notes in Heb. 12.14 But alas alas This want of patience and long-suffering towards all men 't is the great fail and defect of all men we cannot endure any man should think otherwise than we do or speak c. If they do then they are of such and such a Sect than we divide from them This is the original of all the bloody differences which now for many years have troubled the Christian world Our blessed Lord he bare and bears all things we will bear just nothing Why do ye not rather suffer wrong why do ye not suffer your selves to be defrauded c. These and such as these are very hard sayings heavy Commandments who can bear them John 6. But if we receive the powerful word of Christ if we believe it if we add unto our Faith Virtue that we serve our God we shall be able to bear them Such he will make Pillars Rev. 8.12 Christ bears all things by the word of his power Observ 1 Christs absolute Dominion Authority and strength he is called the power of God and the day of Christ is the day of Gods power Gabriel he brings the good tydings of his Birth and surely a mighty arm he must have that supports at once all the worlds that he has made it requires strength and power equal to the making of them so much the Psalmist implyes Psalm 33.9 He spake and it was done there 's Creation he commanded and it stood fast there 's preservation and support of all his creatures Christ beareth
never so little crookedness 2. Doth thy flesh return as the flesh of an Infant dost thou return to the childish simplicity 3. Doest thou walk in the light 1 Joh. 1.7 If we walk in light as he is in the light we have fellowship with him Means 1. On Gods part Mercy and Truth Prov. 16.6 The Law makes nothing perfect Hebr. 7. It is the Lord that strikes and heals Deut. 32.39 Nor doth the Law send the Leper to the Physitian The Jews held this disease and the cure of it to be the finger of God only they said that the cure was wrought by the hand of that High Priest who makes atonement and who is that but the great High Priest Means 2. On mans part faith and 2. the prayer of faith 1. Faith so saith our Lord to the Leper who returned to give thanks Luk. 17.19 thy faith hath made thee whole 2. Prayer Jam. 5.15 The prayer of faith shall save the sick both in body and soul for if he have committed sins they shall be forgiven him O let us then in humility of Spirit as the Lepers did Luk. 17.12 13. cry Jesus Master have mercy on us Let us in Obedience and full assurance of Faith draw near unto him and shew our selves unto the High Priest and say as that Leper doth Mar. 1. Lord if thou wilt thou canst make me whole Doth not he heal for we have not an High Priest that cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities Hebr. 4.15 but such an one as is moved with compassion towards us and will send forth his word and heal us and deliver us from our corruptions Psal 107.20 Yea he will touch us with the finger of his spirit and say unto us I will be thou clean O that this were fulfilled in every one of our souls that immediately our Leprosie might depart from us that we might be cleansed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 this contains two of the greatest evidences of Christ's love towards us 1. That he wrought the purging of our sins 2. This gift becomes yet greater in that he wrought and yet works this purging of our sins by himself in opposition unto 1. Copartners he did tread the wine-press alone Isai 63.3 1 Pet. 2.24 who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree 2. Unto types and figures Hebr. 9.7 12 26. Reason from a double necessity 1. Modi 2. Finis Hebr. 9.14 1 Pet. 2.24 1. None but he could do it He who should do this must overcome the Devil Hebr. 2.14 That by suffering death he might destroy him who had the power of death Purgation is by Fire Water Combate It was impossible that any one else should do it He who would purge others must be clean himself so was Christ only Hebr. 9.14 He offered himself without spot unto God ye know that he was manifested to take away sin and in him was no sin 1 Joh. 3.5 2. None but he would for a righteous man one will scarcely dye yet peradventure for a good man some would even dare to die But God commendeth his love towards us in that while we were yet sinners Christ died for the ungodly Justus est qui voluit 3. The order of Nature requires it that the body being sick Physick should be taken by the head for the benefit of all the members wherefore the whole body of mankind being sick and Christ the head he by himself must take the physick for us all though it was so bitter a cup that it did torquere caput Pater si possibile est transeat calix à me The arm ye know is let blood for the safety of the whole body and the whole body of mankind being now diseased Christ who is the arm Isai 53.1 and 63.5 it was necessary he should bleed for it Observ 1. The clearness of the Gospel far transcending yea abolishing the dark shadows of the Law Under the Law the purging of sin was signified by divers washings sometimes in water sometimes in blood as by the daily sacrifice of the Lamb and by the blood of Bulls and Goats but under the Gospel behold the Lamb of God that takes away all sin the sins of the world Joh. 1. and Psal 37.20 for it was not possible that the blood of Bulls and Goats should take away sins c. Hebr. 10.4 7. Observ 2. Behold the exceeding great Love of our Lord Jesus Christ he became 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that we may the better understand this the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 were such malefactors of old which were of all other the most notable who were made spoile of to expiate and purge the sins of City Nation or Kingdom the more wicked the more fit for such a purpose they hoping that by the destruction of such an one the wrath of God would be turned away from them Upon such an one they laid all their sins and heaped upon him all the curses and execrations of the people and cast him headlong down some deep precipice One man must die for the people worse than Barabbas 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the sink of the City If such an one could not be found bad enough they used the most unclean of beasts the Swine Such an one became the spotless innocent sinless Son of God For whom became he 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Christ died for the ungodly Rom. 5.6 the just for the unjust rare and singular Love for scarcely for a righteous man will one die yet peradventure for a good man some would even dare to die vers 7. Why what difference between a Righteous Man and a Good Man A Righteous Man is so called from Righteousness and from Righteousness men are called Good a Righteous man therefore and a good man are all one But the Apostle renders a reason why he said scarce for a Righteous Man as if he should have said when I say scarce for a Righteous Man will one die I deny not but that it 's possible that for a Righteous Man some man may die but surely 't is a rare thing to find such a man yet peradventure perhaps 't is possible such a one may be found but for a sinful man for sinners no man will dare to die that is Christs property For God commends his love towards us in that while we were yet sinners Christ died for us But Godrus King of Athens exposed himself to a certain death for the Citizens of Athens for whereas the Peloponesians had an Oracle that they should conquer the Athenians if they did not kill their King Godrus disguised himself in the form of a beggar and provoked the enemies to kill him and so delivered his Country It is storied also of Curtius that he for his Countries sake devoted himself to death the like is reported of the two Decii These are rare Examples of most heroick spirits in the Greek and Latin Stories and I doubt not but many there are who at this day for the safety
Whatever they find not in their great Master they cry down as Superstitious or Popish or Pelagianism or Arminianism or some sin or other which they understand not Nor do I speak this any way in favour of the present pretended Festival whatever reports I have gone thorough Sure I am since I have known God and his ways in some measure I never was a zealot for those or any such holy-days as they call them by Antiphrasis The Lord knows and some good men have also known that these Festivals especially have been my days of mourning Who so ignorant that he hath not known how this Feast of Christmas hath been that I say not how it is kept throughout this Nation What masking what mumming what carding what dicing what gluttony what drunkenness what chambering what wontonness what turning nights into days and days into nights This Feast was occasioned by those most licentious Saturnalians and they have indeed for many years become very like them only worse and that not only by connivance of Authority but I speak knowingly and experimently by the countenance and command of Authority So that it was held a greater crime to oppose than to commit these outrages All these things have been held lawful under the name of Christmas Whereas an indifferent man who knew any thing of God and Christ might rightly judge that the keeping of this Festival might seem to be the memorial not of Christ Incarnate but of the Devil incarnate What marvel then if that of the Prophet be fulfilled I will turn their feasts into mourning c. Amos 8.10 Yet what the Apostle speaks of the Sabbath there remaineth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the keeping of a Sabbath for the people of God So no doubt there remaineth a Christmas and a keeping of a Christmas for the Children of God Luk. 1.14 Many shall rejoyce at his birth i. e. John the Baptists who is the true Elijah Matt. 17.12 13. and when that shall be fulfilled Psal 22.27 That all the ends of the earth remember themselves they who have forgotten their God and now remember themselves of God that 's Zachariah and now turn to the Lord that 's Elijahs the Tishbites John the turners work Then when this John this grace of the Lord for conversion of sinners and turning them to the Lord is born in us When the grace of the Lord that bringeth salvation to all men appears in us and heals us c. Then will there be great joy at such a birth Therefore I told you that in the Eastern part of the holy Land where Elias appeared was the River Arnon a son of exultation joy and jubilation How much more joy shall be at the birth of Christ whose forerunner John is He who is the desire of all nations Hag. 2.7 How can he not be the joy of all Nations and people Luk. 2. when he cometh when the desire cometh it is a tree of life Prov. 13.11 19. joy unspeakable and full of glory 1 Pet. 1.8 what else mean those words Joh. 1. The word was made flesh and dwelt in us This is the opening of that great Mystery See Notes on Gal. 1.19 The joyful message 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the glad tydings of Christ come in the flesh So the word properly signifieth for what benefit is it unto me that Christ was partaker of others flesh so many hundred years ago if he take not part of my flesh also Whence St. John hath left it for a sign and token of a good Spirit which is of God to confess that Christ is come in the flesh 1 Joh. 4.2 An argument of great joy not such as runs over at the lips a joy of will asses No the joy is spiritual and they only who are spiritually-minded can truly so rejoyce Exhort As Christ is partaker of our flesh and blood so be we exhorted to be partakers of Christs flesh and blood to become members of his body of his flesh and of his bones Eph. 5.30 So great and precious promises are made unto us 2 Pet. 1. if we shall be partakers of the divine nature having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lusts that 's a principle means We are partakers of Christ if we hold the beginning of our confidence stedfast unto the end Heb. 3.14 The end is death not the death of the body unto which some ascribe more than to the death of Christ it is the death of the sinful wicked life He who continueth to the end shall be saved Matth. 24. Ye have heard what end the Lord gave Job Job 5.11 Job 19.26 Believed that he should see God in his flesh in his faith he persevered unto the death of the sinful life and he did see God in his flesh Job 42.5 But now mine eyes see thee Be followers of them who through faith and patience inherit the promises Heb. 6.12 and 10.36 Note hence the wonderful condescent of the Lord Jesus who though he were the I am Jehovah the Lord So he who in the old Testament is called Jehovah he is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Lord in the New Though he were in the form of God and thought it no robbery to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 equal things or equalities with God he humbled himself c. Phil. 2. A wonderful dignation such as astonished the Lycaonians Act. 14.11 12. though they were mistaken The Gods are come down to us in the likeness of men yea David one of Gods Seers or Prophets who had a a clearer sight of these things admired at so gracious a condescent Psal 83.4 5. The heavens the sun moon and stars those excellent works of God are wonderful What is man c. This the Apostle understands to be spoken of Christ Heb. 2.6 Observ 2. The great love of the Son of God c. See Notes on Joh. 1.12 Observ 3. Christ taking part of flesh and blood God is no accepter of persons Ibidem Tros Tyriusque mihi nullo discrimine habetur It is not said that he took part of Noble Royal Wise Learned Flesh and Blood but generally he took part of flesh and blood and to manifest the community of this participation he was born in a common Inn whence it is that we read of a common faith Tit. 1.4 and a common Salvation Jude Verse 3. Observ 4. Christ was true man so much the Holy Ghost expresseth where he is said to take part of flesh and blood Thus we understand the Apostle Phil. 2.8 when he saith Christ was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as notes the reality verity and truth of a thing when therefore he is said to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which we render as a man it 's meant he was truly a man Thus much is understood by those common effects and accidents of humane nature as when he is said to be hungry and thirsty to eat drink sleep to be weary to watch and other like because these befal all mankind but other
to be like unto these his brethren Who are brethren how are the children of God Christs brethren 1. See Notes on Gen. 26.1 they who are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 2. And do the will of the Father Matth. 12. ult Act. 2.37 2. The Spiritual Seed of Abraham are born of the same Father even of God so Hebr. 2.11 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of one Confut. Those who hence infer an equality contrary to vers 11. hujus capitis 2. It became him to be like unto his brethren in all things wherein we have 1. Christ's similitude and likeness to his brethren 2. the extent of it 3. the reason of both 1. Similitude and likeness is not here to be understood in regard of quality but in regard of essence and nature that 's the main drift of the Apostle here to shew that because he took not on him the Angels or layeth not hold on the Angels but the Seed of Abraham therefore he must be like unto the Seed of Abraham which he took on him or layeth hold upon 2. The extent of this similitude and likeness is in all things i. e. in all things which were expedient for our Redemption and no way impeached or hindered his perfection He was therefore born like unto his brethren and like unto them brought up Esay 7.15 He was subject unto his Parents Luk. 2. He was like unto his brethren in all things which are incident unto their nature He was weary Joh. 4. he was hungry he eat he was thirsty he drank he wept Joh. 11. he dyed he is not said any where to have been sick for that is not universally incident unto the whole nature of man Many there have been who have dyed without precedent sickness Besides since all diseases proceed either from an imperfect forming of the body or from some fault in the seed or from intemperancy or ignorance whereby we know not how to distinguish what is wholesome for food The Body of our Lord Jesus was perfectly formed by the holy Ghost he himself was not intemperate and knew and avoided whatever was hurtful to the body He was without sin as Chap. 4. Our Apostle expresly limits the similitude For 1. That was not expedient for our redemption 2. Besides it would have hindered his perfection 1. It was not expedient for our redemption but opposite thereunto for therefore he was made manifest that he might take away our sins and in him was no sin 1 Joh. 3.5 Had there been sin in him he might have been disabled from taking away our sins yea he had had need of one to have taken away that sin 2. Sin would have hindered and diminished his perfection for whosoever committeth sin transgresseth also the law 1 Joh. 3.4 which directly opposeth his perfection who was to fulfil the law and so take away the sins of the world For like reason we read not that he was liable to errour ignorance or folly for these were no way expedient unto our Redemption but hinderances unto his perfection because they are defects and deprivations We read our Lord wept Joh. 11. but we read no where that our Lord laughed and the reason may be because he was given unto us as an example of mortification and so his weeping was expedient to our Redemption and no way hindered our Lords perfection But that he laughed not it was not that it was unlawful so to do for to what purpose did the Creator implant the power of laughing in our nature if it were utterly unlawful ever to exercise it But though the Lord Jesus be not reported any where to have laughed yet we find that Abraham and Sarah laughed and Isaac had his name from it And Elias derided Baals Priests yea among the times appointed for several actions The Wise man tells us there is a time to laugh Eccles 3. And good reason for nature at mea◠and after it requires a chearfulness and ungirding of the mind because all spiritual exercises even joy it self calls the mind inward and in a sort oppresseth the body for the refreshing and recreating of which we receive meat and drink But this is understood always to be done in measure and moderation which is as it were the reign and bridle of the mind Otherwise Solomon saith rightly of laughter thou art mad and the Apostle reckons up 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 jeasting among the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the things that are unseemly and not convenient Eph. 5. Reason That 's implyed in the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it became him The word here used is of like extent with 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it notes a decency comliness and fitness See Notes on verse above 2. It implys an hypothetical debt So that if the Lord would redeem man he ought to be like unto the man whom he would redeem for that nature that was to be redeemed and delivered that was to be taken on and laid hold upon and the Lord was to be made like unto that nature in all things since therefore he determined for the reasons named before to redeem and deliver man he ought or it became him in all things to be made like unto man whence Phil. 2.7 Other reasons there are 1. God hath said In the day thou eatest thereof thou shalt dye the death Either Christ or the Children must suffer 2. He must be an example of suffering from the following words Object If he were like unto his brethren in all things then he was like unto them in their sins Respon That 's it wherein he was not like unto his brethren which is by name excepted Heb. 4.15 But it seems he was even herein like unto his brethren Rom. 8.3 God sent his Son in the similitude of sinful flesh Therefore he is like unto his brethren even in their sin This followeth not The Scripture it 's evident by the context is thus to be understood that God sent his Son to supply the defect and impotency of the Law and our flesh that he might take upon him mans flesh that which is like unto the sinful flesh of other men as that which was mortal and suffered the miseries and death its self due to sinful flesh Our Lord therefore is compared to the Brazen Serpent Numb 21.8 9. Joh. 3.14 as like unto it which seemed to have the venome and poyson of a Serpent in it but indeed had none And thus our Lord was like unto the sinful flesh but indeed had no sin 2. The old Hereticks abused this Scripture to confirm their opinion who said that our Lord had no true flesh but only a fantastick body But one of the pious Ancients hath long since answered them that it is not said that our Lord was made in the similitude of mans flesh but in the similitude of sinful flesh 3. But it 's further said that Christ was made in the likeness of man Phil. 2.7 Therefore he was only like to man not truly man
two or three are gathered together in his Name Matt. 18.20 Contra Ezech. 12.22 Jesus Christ is the subject or object of all Divinity about which all the Articles of the Christian Faith are conversant For 1. Belief in God the Father hath necessary reference unto the Son And the Maker of Heaven and Earth made all things by his Son Hebr. 1.2 2. Then followeth belief in Jesus Christ c. 3. Belief in the Holy Ghost refers also to the Son for the Holy Spirit breathes from the Father and the Son 4. The Holy Catholick Church and communion of Saints and remission of sins all belong to that mystical body whereof Christ is the Head nor can they be obtained or had without Christ his Spirit gathers the Catholick Church for to him the gathering together of the people is Gen. 49. 5. His Grace of Love and Life unites the members of his body the communion of Saints Eph. 4.16 6. His merit hath obtained remission of sins for he gave himself for our sins Gal. 4.4 7. The Resurrection of the body cannot be without the Resurrection of Christ the head who is the first fruits of them that sleep 8. And life everlasting is the gift of Christ who himself saith I give unto them eternal life Joh. 10.28 Observ If Jesus Christ be the same to day then is he present with this present generation even that wisdom and righteousness and life and power of God Emmanuel God with us Matth. 1. Repreh 1. How unjustly then do we complain I speak not of Children but such as pretend to be grown Christians that we are ignorant of God and Christ Is not he the wisdom and that present with us to day in thy mouth and in thy heart Rom. 10. Christ the unction teacheth all things 1 Joh. 2. Repreh 2. Why complain we of weakness and infirmity Is not Christ the power of God and is he not present with us Is not this the day of his power Psal 104. Psal 110.3 And therefore Gabriel that is the power of God he brings the first news of him who breaks the serpent's head the plots and power and strength of the tempter in us and dissolves his works in us and casts him out Joh. 12.31 Now is the judgement c. now this day 3. Why are we so unrighteous and unholy in our lives Is not Jesus Christ the righteousness of God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Lord our righteousness Emmanuel God with us Hath not Jesus Christ given himself for our sins that he might deliver us from this present evil world according to the will of God and our Father Gal. 1.4 If God be with us who can be against us we say this in regard of outward enemies and is it not as true of inward Jesus Christ is the same to day Where O where shall we find him The foxes have holes and the fowls of the air have nests but the son of man hath not where to lay his head He is the Love of God Col. 1. Where is that Love to be found if any where As the members being many c. So also is Christ Where shall we find that heroical love of enemies which he commanded and exemplified in himself Yea where is that member-like Love Do not men love one another only for the mutual promoting of temporal advantages Consol To the true Christians Jesus Christ is present with them Hence it is that he is called Emmanuel Matth. 1. and he promiseth his Disciples that he will be with them to the end of the world Matth. 28. Even to the end of time till time be no more and to the end of the evil world that they might overcome it 1 Joh. 5.4 O but if the Lord be with us why is all this evil befaln us c. Judg. 6.13 Jacob was in this strait Gen. 32.9 Thou saidst unto me return unto thy land and to thy kindred and I will do thee good Where doth the Lord make this promise unto Jacob Gen. 31.3 Return and I will be with thee for the Lord to be with us it 's all one with this the Lord will do thee good What then if Esau the earthly man arise against thee with an army of earthly thoughts and lusts if the Lord be with us who can be against us But alas I find it otherwise Esau prevails 2 Chron. 15.2 When Asa had now smitten Zerah the Ethiopian Azariah meets Asa and tells him The Lord is with you while ye be with him while ye fear him believe on him trust in him love him and obey him if thus thou be with him he will be with thee and the man of the earth shall be no more exalted against thee Psal 10.18 Observ 2. See then a necessary duty requisite in the Minister of Jesus Christ which should preach Jesus Christ unto men If Jesus Christ be yesterday and to day then he who shall preach Jesus Christ must in reason know him both yesterday and to day he must know him hidden in the Ceremonies of the Law know him shadowed in the figurative speeches and similitudes of the Prophets in manibus prophetarum assimilatus sum know him reveiled yet veiled and hidden too in the parables of the Gospel But above all he must know him and find him in himself He must know him and find him as a treasure hidden in the field Matth. 13.44 A treasure and greater and more rich than all the riches of the world In comparison of which gold is as a little sand and silver as a little white earth because all good things come with it Wisdom 7. And there it is not said to be a treasure of Gold and Silver or such as Jeremy speaks of Jer. 33. A treasure of Corn Barley and Honey c. But it 's an universal treasure for as the heavenly bodies contain in them virtually say the Naturalists the powers and perfections of all bodies and the Sun and Sun-beams contain virtually all the powers of plants and seeds so a Kingdom contains all wealth for what wealth is there but it 's contained in a Kingdom And the Kingdom of the Heavens all the Heavens which are all one with the Kingdom of God what treasure contain they not And what is all this treasure but the Power of God and the Wisdom of God And what that is ye read Hab. 3.4 1 Cor. 1.24 even Jesus Christ even God himself the Saviour Esay 45.15 A treasure hidden from the wise and prudent Matth. 11. hidden from them who are so wise in their own eyes that they think they know all things yet who stumble and take offence at whatsoever is not already in their own heart Prov. 18. and 't is hidden in the field And why in the field He who will find it must go out of his house out of himself our Lord lead him whose eyes he would open and shewed this treasure out of the crowd 't is to be had in the field in solitude and retiredness not