against an evil VVork VVhy the Egyptians perish'd in the Sea the murmuring Israelites in the VVilderness the Samaritans by Lions Bethel's Children by Bears Because there is a Sentence against an evil VVork But where is this Sentence since Thousands and Thousands have abused the Holy Things of God a Thousand times whereas Belshazzar did but once and yet their Finger never aked for so doing Many and many a Thousand have told a Thousand and a Thousand Lies whereas Ananias told but one and yet have escaped in a whole Skin And there have been Thousands as proud in Heart as Herod could be and yet not met with his Fate It was these Men's hard Luck to speed as they did but Millions speed better that do the same Things Therefore where is this Sentence I answer There where it is sure enough And let God himself tell you where Deut. xxxii 34 Is not this laid up in store with me and sealed up among my Treasures And what is it Look before and it is Vengeance ver 23 c. and look at the very next Verse after it and it is Vengeance ver 35. To me belongeth Vengeance and Recompence their Feet shall slide in due time If you ask then where is the Sentence of God against evil Works when wicked VVorkers go on and flourish and prosper and no Hurt comes to them It is laid up in his Treasures He hath writ it out ready and laid it up in his Desk till he see Time to take it out and put it in Execution In Job Ch. xxxviii 22 there is mention of Treasures of Snow Hast thou entred into the Treasures of the Snow or hast thou seen the Treasures of the Hail And Chap. xxxvii 6 He saith to the Snow be thou on the Earth Now if one ask in the parching Heat of Summer and Harvest where is the Snow you say that God commands to be on Earth VVhere is any Figure or Token of Snow now But it is in his Treasures He hath it in his Shop and VVarehouse to fetch out when he sees his Time So is the Sentence against an evil VVork laid up with him If you will yet have a narrower Answer to the â—â—estion wherâ— is this Sentence whilst the wicked prospâ—â— It is in his VVord it is in his Will in his Book in his Bosom First It is written and laid up sure in his VVord Esay xxxiv from ver 8. forward speaking of the Desolations of the Cities and Habitations of the wicked Enemies of God and Zion it is said that the Corâ—â—rant and Bittern should possess them the Owl and the Raâ—en and Satyre c. at ver 16. he comes on thus Seek ye out of the Book of the Lord and read Not one of these shall â—ail none shall want her Mate for my Mouth hath commanded it Whilst these Habitations flourished and their wicked Inhâ—bitants prospered and jovialized in them they were ready to think in Heart I shall never be moved and this Prosperity shall never have end But Seek in the Book of the Lord and read and there you find a Sentence of Desolation and Destruction of the Habitations of Wickedness Is there not a Doom and Sentence in Scripture against every Transgression and Disobedience in Thought Word and Deed And unless you will make God a Lyar and false of his Word as Men are false the Sentence is sure It is said Tit. i. 2 In hope of Eternal Life which God that cannot lie promised Is it not true on the other Part about the Certainty of God's Threatnings that God that cannot lye Threatned God threatned Adam In the Day thou eatest thereof thou shalt die the Death But where was any sign of Death when God so threatned Adam was well and immortal then and no Sign of Death or Disease upon him But Death was in that Tree if he meddled with it and so it proved What that Tree was to Adam God's Commands are to us It might be wondered at what did that Tree in the Garden It was as a Rule of his Obedience a Tryal of his Obedience But if he made bold with it it would prove his Death God's Commands are the same to Men A Rule a Trial of their Obedience But if they make bold with God's Commandments and meddle with them otherwise than God alloweth there is nothing but Death and Judgment And the Apostle finds it Rom. vii 10 The Commandment which was ordained for Life I â—ound to be unto Death But many and many an evil Work is committed and no Sign of Judgment or Death And then where is the Sentence The Preacher saith that Sentence is not speedily executed But in so saying it tells us not that there is no Sentence but rather the contrary that there is a Sentence in time to be executed tho' not done speedily Men mistake and deceive themselves because they willingly will misjudge concerning God's Judgments and his Sentence of Judgment and construe it only of some Visible Bodily or Temporal Judgment And many a time the Wickedest meet with no such thing from the Womb to the Grave As Experience shews abundantly and the Holy Ghost tells us Psal. lxxiii 5 6. They are not in Trouble as other Men neither are they plagued as other Men. Therefore Pride compasseth them about as a Chain Violence covereth them aâ— a Garment And they think that Bravery and Joviality shall never be changed Whereas the Sentence of God against their Evil Works standeth if they would but observe it Many things are wont here to be urged That that I shall observe shall be only this that sinning it self is a Judgment The Sinners sinning is their present Punishment And so the Word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the Hebrew Tongue signifies both Sin and Punishment For indeed sinning is no less than a Penalty What else means that Passage Ps. lxxxi 11 12. My People would not hearken to my Voice and Israel would none of me So I gave them up to their own Hearts Lusts and they walked in their own Councils What is the plain English of this but this because they would not hearken unto my Voice therefore I punish'd them by giving them up to Sin according to their own Lusts and Wills to sin and spare not God is the only Choice Excellent Infinite Good VVhat shall we set opposite for the only desperate deep-dy'd Evil VVhat is the direct contrary to God as Black is to VVhite as Darkness to Light Nothing but Sin The Devil indeed is desperately contrary to God as he is his Enemy and the Devil is most deeply dyed Evil. But it is Sin that makes him so and that made him a Devil Hell is a dreadful horrible deep Evil but it is Sin that hath made it so For if there had been no 〈◊〉 there had been no Hell Now if Sin be so great 〈◊〉 Evil so deep so desperate as that it caused the Devil to be a Devil Hell to be Hell then certainly Sin it self is
to be for some expert sober Persons of the Laity But our Divine proved at large that none in the Synagogue read the Law and the Prophets but publick Officers and of the Levitical Order And that by these Arguments First By their multitude of Universities for the Education of the Levites for such Purposes viz. Fourty Eight Secondly By their Curiosity that not a Tittle of the Law should be mistaken by those that Read it But Mr. Reyner urged that the Levites were not Types of the Pastors but the Priests were To this he answered that the Levites in the Temple were one thing and in the Synagogues another For that though these at the Temple were Servants to the Priests yet in their Synagogues they were their Pastors 3. He seemed not to allow of the Ordination by Presbyters only disputing about that Place that was urged chiefly in behalf of it viz. 1 Tim. iv 14 With the laying on of the Hands of the Presbytery For after some had spoken dubiously of the Place as Mr. Herrick who questioned whether it spake of Ordination and whether these Presbyters were Preaching Presbyters or Presbyters or Elders of the Laity and Mr. Sympson who said that laying on of Hands was used in other things Lightfoot 1. Declared himself to be of Selden's Mind saying his Interpretation must needs be right and that it means 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. Admission to be an Elder 2. That it would be hard to find a Presbytery that might lay their Hands upon Timothy This Text cost a great deal of Debate but at last being put to the Question it was voted to pass But our Divine and some others with him gave their Negative Yet 4. To shew his Judgment in extraordinary Cases When the Bishops whose Office was to Ordain were voted out of the House and their Jurisdiction laid aside the Assembly brought in this Position concerning Ordination That in extraordinary Cases some things extraordinary may be done until a settled order may be had Divers spake largely upon this Pro and Con. Lightfoot was of this mind shewing that even some Posiâ—ive Laws of God gave place not only to Necessity but even to Convenience As the steps to Solomon's Altar and many Candlesticks and Tables in the Temple But when as a proof of it that place was produced 2 Chron. xxix 34 The Priests were too few that they could not slay all the Burnt-Offerings wherefore their Brethren the Levites did help them And Bathurst spake to this place to prove it pregnant and likewise out of Numb xviii 4 5 6. and Levit. i. would prove that the Levites had nothing to do to slay the Sacrifices Lightfoot gave Answer to him and so did Coleman and Selden two others well skilled in Jewish Learning who shewed the contrary But being put to the Vote it was carried for a pregnant place But Lightfoot here gave his Negative 5. Some in the Assembly called in Question Matthias his Equality with the rest of the Apostles and that he was rather a Degree below them because chosen by Lot and not immediately called by Christ So one Gibson To this our Divine gave this Answer That the Lot did argue his immediate Call Because the Apostles could not ordain him for an Apostle by Imposition of their Hands but sought to the immediate Imposition of Christ's Hands by a Lot 6. When the Assembly came to examine whether there were anciently in the Church Ruling Elders and they as it seems of the Laity which some had laboured for the confirming of by certain Places of Scripture one of the Assembly named Baily began to speak professing seriously that till the last year he had lived convinced by Bishop Bilson of the Jus Divinum of Bishops till confering with a Gentlewoman who said to him that it was a wonder he could not see ground for Presbyterial Government which all the Reformed Churches have it struck him so that he fell to study the Reformed Writers Calvin Beza c. and by them was convinced And then after this Preface as though he had been throughly studied in this matter he fell upon the places of Scripture and that with some vehemiency and smartness and would prove a Ruling Elder And Mr. Rutherford one of the Scotch Commissioners backed him to make way to bring in the Scotch Discipline into the English Church Gillaspe another Scotch Commissioner said in behalf of his Ruling Elder that this Practice of the Reformed Churches arose from a sure Light But this found considerable Opposition in the Assembly and that by the Learnedest Men as Vines Gataker and our Divine who began first and after Rutherford had done spake to this import 1. That as for that place in 1 Timothy v. 17 Let the Elders that Rule well be counted worthy of double Honour especially those who labour in the Word c. The Apostle 't is true meant hereby two sorts of Officers but that those were Pastor and Deacon which he had spoken of before as sufficient for the Church in 1 Tim iii. 2. That 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the word in another place urged for Ruling Elders both in the LXX Translators and in the Syriac are Praesidentes and Praecedentes though not in Government 3. That 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Helps and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Governments 1 Cor. xii 28 would enforce Deaconry and Ruling Elders Which Words when it was Debated whether they signified Officers or Gifts and Ny and Newcomen averred that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signified only the Act of Government Lightfoot stood up and shewed how the Word was taken by the LXX Who used it in Prov. i. 5 and xi 14 and divers other Places in that Book to translate 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which imported not the Act but the Ability and Gifts fit to Govern And that the other Word Helps meant nothing else but Helps to interpret the Language and Sense of those that spake with Tongues As he shewed might be collected by Ballancing the two Verses in the Place in Hand together viz the 28 th and 29 th Then spake Mr. Vines upon the said Place viz. 1 Cor. xii 28 Where he shewed that the Apostle spake there of several things and that those things were for the Benefit of the Church and that they related to Persons for he had before spoke of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Gifts That it spake of several Gifts in several Persons That 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 differed from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 That 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signified without doubt a Prefecture Yet grant all this it was very questionable whether this Place proved a Ruling Elder For that he conceived the Government was in the Hands of the Preaching Elder And then he fell to the backing of Lightfoot's Interpretation which he did fully Another Day they fell again upon the same Debate about Ruling Elders when Mr. Lightfoot was again concerned Wilkinson began thus If the Place alledged hold out so clear a ground
these two Marks ¶ and †at pag. 7. the former referrs to p. 47. the latter to p 87. THE CONTENTS OF THE Rules for a Student of the Holy Scriptures SECTION I. THE Language of Scripture one help for the explaining of it pag. 3 To lay the Books and Chapters in their due Order another 4 The Way to come to this Skill is to cast the Bible into a continued Chronicle Ib. The Benefit of it Ib. Eight Literal Observations for this Purpose 5 SECT II. The Number of the Canonical Books 11 The Apocrypha the Work of some Jews Ib. Some Observations thereon 12 SECT III. The Old Testament The Method of reading the whole Book of GENESIS with Explanations and Cursory Observations upon each Chapter beginning at p. 12 The Order of reading JOB 28 SECT IV. The Method of reading the Book of EXODUS with Explanations and Cursory Observations throughout the whole Book beginning at p. 29 The Departure of Israel out of Egypt laid Kalendar-wise 31 c. The Tabernacle and Types of it 37 c. The giving of the Law 40 SECT V. The Method of reading the Book of LEVITICUS with some useful Instructions concerning the Ceremonies enjoyned therein The Laws of Leprosie what they imported 48 49 SECT VI. Notes and Explanations upon each Chapter of the Book of NUMBERS 49 A Summary of the Book of DEUTERONOMY 52 SECT VIII A Declaration of the Matters contained in the Book of JOSHUA Chapter by Chapter 53 54 The Story of Caleb's taking of KiriÌ„ath Sepher Chap. xv why rehearsed in Judg. i. 54 SECT IX The true Order for reading of the Book of JUDGES with Explanations 55 c. The Book of RUTH to be read near the beginning of this Book 58 SECT X. Directions for the Methodical reading of the Books of SAMUEL KINGS and CHRONICLES with Cursory Obâ—â—â—vations Instructions where the PSALMS PROVERBS CANTICLES ECCLESIASTES and JONAH fall in to be read Some special Notes concerning the Book of PSALMS 59 c. SECT XI The Prophetical Books A Rule where and how to lay them as to Order of Time And as to the Precedency of the Prophets living under the same Reign How to read the Prophets unto the Captivity The Captivity-Books to be cast into a Chronicle Scripture Chronology will direct to find what is not possible to express And particularly the beginning of the Seventy Years Captivity 65 66 SECT XII The New Testament The Spirit and Glory of the Old Testament light upon the New 66 Two things of singular Vse in reading of the New Testament 1. In the Evangelists to search out the true and exact Order 2. In reading the New Testament never to take the Eye off the Old 67 SECT XIII Evangelium Mosaico-Propheticum The Gospel and History of Christ to be traced in Moses and the Prophets 68 SECT XIV The Order of the Evangelists The Four Evangelists laid in an intire continued Story till within a Twelvemonth of Christ's Death A Note concerning the Supper in the Nineteenth Chapter of S. John 72 73 The rest of the Tract in Forty-four Sections shew orderly and distinctly how each Evangelist is to be read according to the Order of Time together with Notes and Observations to prove the Order RULES FOR A STUDENT OF THE Holy Scriptures With Directions how to read the History of the Bible Methodically according to the true Order of Time and consequently for the better Understanding and more Profit RULES FOR A STUDENT OF THE Holy Scriptures SECT I. THAT the Scripture is the best Expositor of its self none ever deny'd but they that would not have the Scriptures expounded The helps that it affords for explaining of its self are various The first to be lookt after is the Language The Spirit of God upon the same Occasions using the same Words in the Original This observed which in Translations cannot be so well expressed giveth Light to Things which otherwise were obscure The Groundwork of the Two Testaments is Hebrew and Greek but upon Occasion flourisht with Chaldee Arabic Syrian Latine c. The Holy Spirit seldom or never using these but intimating something of Note if our Eyes be but serious So in Hos. V. 5. speaking of Israel's seeking God in Affliction he useth the Chaldee Form to teach where that Affliction and Seeking must be So Psal. cxvi 12 the Benefits of God there spoken of are in Chaldee Form for the same reason To spare more the very Language wherein the Doom of Babel is written on the Wall Mene Tekel Upharsin the fullest Piece that ever the World saw in so few Words imports a great deal of Divine Wisdom But every one that desires to read the Bible with Profit cannot see this The first thing then for them that only read Translations to be looked after in reading the Scriptures is to lay the Books and Chapters in their true Order The Holy Spirit hath in divers Places purposely and divinely laid Stories and Passages out of their proper Places for special Ends The Evangelists especially witness this Here the Skill of the Reader is first to reduce each thing to his own Place And secondly to seek the Divine Reason why it is misplaced The only way to come to this Skill is by casting the Story of the Bible into a continued Chronicle Which as the Spirit hath given undoubted Helps to draw so being drawn it is the most Satisfactory Delightsome and Confirmative of the Understanding Mind and Memory that may be This settles Histories in your Mind This brings the things as iâ— done before your Eyes This makes you mark what else you would not and this suffers you not to slip over the least Tittle of a Word And sometimes in things of Doubt and Scruple this Strikes all out of Question The great Doubts in the Primitive Church about Methuselah's living in the Year of the Flood and of Sem's being Melchisedek as they grew from this Course so from this Course had it been truly followed they had been soon resolved I will not anticipate your Study else could I shew in Hab. iii. 2 Joh. xiii and other Places Doubts to be raised not to be answered but bâ— Skill in Scripture Chronicle and being so answered of great Weight and Sweetness Two or Three Hours Oral Instructions from one that hath gone this way would give more Readiness in Scripture-text than whole Days before For the present take these literal Observations with you which may something ease and further you in your Entry upon this Course I. Observe That the Scripture of the Old Testament hath in gross Sums chained the Times together from the beginning of the World to the Death of Christ. These are easie to find and upon the finding it is no hard Task to find out the several or special manner of reckoning of every Link As between the Creation and Flood the Years are reckoned compleat In the paralleling of Judah's and Israel's Kingdom most commonly current but sometimes otherwise II. The Jewish
Augustine or Hierom say but what the Scriptures say is Truth And Non creditur quia non scribitur It is not believed because it is not written And Non quid Hieronymus sed quid Moses quid Paulus Not that which Hierom saith but what Moses what Paul say Let us determine the thing by the Determination of this Question Is any Man to be damned if he believe not what the Church Councils Fathers have spoken A Papist may chance say so but will either Reason or Conscience say so with him Let any Religious Conscience say Can he think himself damned because he believes not every thing that the Council of Nice hath decreed or what Hierom or Augustine have spoken They have confest themselves Men subject to Error I know they were so and must I be bound upon Pain of Damnation to believe what it may be in time they believed not themselves And let Râ—ason speak Must I be bound to believe every Tradition that a Monk Friar or a whole Church of such hold out fetched no one knows whence Here is the Advantage of your Protestant Religion here the Benefit of the Ministry we refuse not nay we beg that you try the Scriptures whether we speak true or no. If not spit in our Faces Do you think the Apostle took it ill Acts xvii 11 that the Bereans tried his Doctrine by the Scriptures Luke hath honoured them for it with the Title of More honourable than those of Thessalonica And it speaks the Mind of Paul with whom he travailed that he took it well too Our Ministery begs this of you that you consult their Bibles whether we speak true or no and we have but one Request more that if you find it true you would believe embrace and follow it A Popish Preacher would tell you you must believe it whether you understand it or no VVhether it be agreeable to Scripture or no. For the Church such a Council or Father hath said it and they know better than you I may say as it is 1 Cor. xv 19 If in this Life only we have Hope in Christ we are of all Men most miserable So we are in a miserable Condition if upon the Penalty of Salvation we are to believe every Tradition and Trash that foolish or ungodly Men would put upon us But we have a sure VVord of Prophecy and make much of Scriptures and bless God for them that we have what to rely on Miserable Faith to believe as the Church believes we know not What or if we do we know not Why. But we know what we believe viz. The VVord of God and we know why we believe it viz. because it is the VVord of God Object But how do we believe that they are the Scriptures but that the Church hath told us so How do we believe that such and such Books were written by such and such Men but by the Authority of the Church And the Scriptures had never come to you if it were not for the Church of Rome Thus they plead Answer I. If the Church of Rome could have hindred we must never have had the Scriptures as we have Some of the Learned'st of them have called the Scripture a Book of Heresies and wish'd that there were none at all And they keep them from their own People have put not a few to Death for reading them for having Bibles And would they let us have them if they could chuse They are sensible that we by Scripture have discovered their Errors and that we are thereupon withdrawn from them and would they have convey'd them to us No it was the VVork of the Lord and the Mercy of the Lord and it is marvellous in our Eyes that all their Policy and the Slight of Satan could not hinder them from us Like to that Picture where you have a Candle burning and Pope and Friars and the Devil blowing and cannot blow it out This Divine Light is the Sun in the VVorld that cannot be so totally clouded but that God makes it break out here and there VVhat would the Pope give that there were not a Bible in all the Protestant Churches For then should we be led blindfold by them as they would have it But blessed be God who hath shewed us Light that Light is in Goshen VVhich if at the Courtesie of Rome we must never have had it II. As far as we owe our receiving of Scripture to Men we are least beholden to the Romish Church They put us off with a Latin Translation barbarous and wild But we have a surer VVord the Sacred Hebrew and Divine Greek And the Hebrew we owe to the Jews and the Greek to the Greek Church rather than the Roman Rom. iii. 2 Unto them the Jews were committed the Oracles of God And from them we received the Old Testament And not from them neither for could they have prevented we had not had it Consider how many Copies were abroad in the VVorld The Old Testament was in every Synagogue And how many Copies would Men take of the New So that it is impossible but still Scripture must be conveyed Could all the Policy of Satan have hindred he had done it For the VVord of God is his Overthrow So that it was owing to a Divine Hand And our Faith stands not on the Church to believe the Scriptures but God hath carried the Authority of them from Age to Age. I receive not Testimony from Men saith Christ. No more does his VVord But the Scriptures themselves have overpowered the Belief of Men. As to the Comparison commonly made from John iv 42. They said unto the Woman Now we believe not because of thy saying for we have heard him our selves and know that this is indeed the Christ They first believed the VVoman but then they believed not for her VVords but for Christ's sake So first say some Men believe the Scriptures are Scriptures for the Churches sake but after for their own But it is not proper to say we believe Scriptures are Scriptures because of the Church without distinguishing upon believing As Augustin's Non credidissem Scripturis c. I had not believed the Scriptures had not the Church told me That is while he was unconverted But we may satisfie this by an easie Distinction betwixt believing that Scripture is Scripture and believing that the Church all along hath taken them for Scripture To make this plain by a Comparison Canones Apostolorum and Donatio Constantini are believed by the Church of Rome to be from the very Apostles and Constantine I believe that that Church believed them so and yet I believe not a VVord of them to be so My Belief the Church held them so is from the Church but my Belief they are not so is from themselves A good Soul desires to build up its self by the Rule of Faith and Life He finds that the Church hath counted Scripture so and that he believes But as yet he believes not they are
Scriptures upon that Account But he reads studies meditates on them finds the Divine Excellency Sweetness Power of them And then he believes they are the VVord of God And that now is not for the Churches sake but for themselves The Church of England in the Thirty-nine Articles hath determined such Books Canonical VVhy Because the Church hath ever held them so That is some Furtherance to their Belief but not the cause of it They first believed the Church held them so but they saw Cause and Reason in the Books themselves to believe they were so As the Samaritans believed not at first that Christ was Christ for the VVoman's Relation but they believed she thought so and believed he might be so but that he was so they believed upon his own Words So we believe the Church owns the Scriptures but he is but a poor Christian that believes the Scriptures are the Scriptures upon no other Account He may believe the Canons of the Council of Trent about Scripture upon such an Account But he is a right Christian that believes the Scripture is the Word of God upon Proof and Trial. II. The Communion of Saints THIS Article harps upon the String of that before I believe the Holy Catholick Church and I believe that Church is in a Communion It is a Church of Saints for it is a Holy Church and tho' it be Catholick dispersed in divers Nations yet there is a Communion of those Saints But to what is this Article material What is it to me whether there be a Communion of Saints or no It is material in it self and if thou beest a true Christian it is material to thee And there is no true Saint but he blesseth God that there is such a Communion and he rejoyceth to be of that Communion as in the opening of the thing you will see the Cause If I should say there is a Communion of Devils or a Communion of ungodly Wretches Devils incarnate I doubt it would prove too true and it might not be unprofitable to observe such a fearful Communion to avoid it But when I say there is a Communion of Saints it is not only a Truth in Divinity but it is a Comfort in Religion and a Perswasive in Reason that Men would strive to be of that Communion if they did but understand what it meant It is not only I believe there is a Company of Saints for the Article before speaks that but I believe there is a Sacred Union Communion common Interest among that Company what is advantageous to every Member and to the whole What this Communion is and wherein it consists we must find out by these Considerations I. That Saints are very thin in the World Here one of Christ's little Flock there another but very rare Jer. iii. 14 And I will take you one of a City and two of a Family and I will bring you to Zion There were many Thousands in the City and but One of so many and many Cities in a Tribe and but Two of all these the Lord 's picked ones to bring to Zion Take the Character of a true Saint of God as David pictures him Psal. xv and how rarely is such an one to be found Day was when in all Jerusalem among Thousands of Persons such a Person was not to be found Jer. v. 1 Run ye to and fro through the Streets of Jerusalem and see now and know and seek in the broad Places thereof if ye can find a Man if there be any that executeth Judgment and seeketh the Truth and I will pardon it Cast out the Chaff and Refuse that is in the World and how very little Wheat is to be found Openly prophane and close Hypocrites carnal Gospellers and lukewarm Christians covetous Worldings and voluptuous Epicures set these aside by themselves and look at those that truly fear God and eschew Evil that deny themselves and dare not break any Command of God and how small is that Number But Three Hundred in Gideon's Army fit to do the Work of God of Thirty-two Thousand If there be Three Hundred of Three Hundred Thousand that prove true Saints it is well if there be so many as it is sad there be no more Let me pose any one or let every one pose their own Heart Dost thou think thou art a true Saint of God Every one will be ready to assume the Title but sift thy Heart to the Bran and what saith it Is there no Love of the World No Malice Pride Self-seeking Coldness in Religion Carelesness of Duty there I tell thee a Saint's Heart is a rare Jewel we may go a great way before we find one Oh! that all the Lord's People were Prophets as Moses said so I say Oh! that they were Saints But it proves not so A Saint is a rare Creature and they grow very thin in the World here and there a Berry in the Top of a Bough here and there a Plant of the Lord 's planting but very rare Therefore when the Creed speaks of the Catholick Church meaning true Saints that serve God in Truth it speaks not Multitude tho' it mean Universal But it speaks that such are scattered up and down the World here some in one Nation there some in another here One in One City there another in another II. Therefore Communion of Saints cannot mean Personal or Local Union or Communion Saints in one Place or in one Lump together Not a College of all Saints in one Place but a Communion 'twixt them as scattered here and there all the World over As there is a Communion 'twixt two Friends one in Turky another in England one in New England another in Old The Jews little understand the Communion of Saints when they construe Hos. i. 11 Then shall the Children of Judah and the Children of Israel be gathered together and they shall appoint themselves one Head c. and such other Places Literally of their Meeting together and going to Canaan together and dwelling there together Whereas the Words mean their gathering into Communion of another Nature How would you understand that Mat. xxiv 31 And he shall send his Angels with a great Sound of a Trumpet and they shall gather together his Elect from the four Winds from one end of Heaven to the other By the Angels he means his Messengers the Ministers by the Sound of a Trumpet he means the Gospel by the whole he means that after the Destruction of Jerusalem of which the Speech is in the Verses before God by the preaching of the Gospel would fetch in his Elect among all Nations or call home the Gentiles But how gather them together What Into any one Place or Country or City No but into such a Communion as we are speaking of in the several Nations or Countries where they lived One Saint in Judea another in Assyria another in Greece All staying in the Place where they receive the Gospel and yet all gathered together into one