them both as to the magnifying of his Grace as also for our own sakes and Interest The Ephesians cryed out Acts xix 28 Great is Diana of the Ephesians and could not tell for what reason but we when we hear of this have known and solid cause to cry out Glorious is the Grace of God which brought such Slaves of Sin into the Glorious Liberty of the Children of God Let me say as it is 1 Cor. xii 2 Ye know that ye were Gentiles carried away unto these Dumb Idols Do you not And consult Stories and they will tell you of the abominable Blindness and Barbarousness of this our Britain No Nation under Heaven went beyond it in these things And now look upon our Britain as under the Gospel and find ye not Cause to Glorifie God upon the Promise in the Text now accomplisht The Creature it self shall be delivered from the Bondage of Corruption c Could you but read Tacitus Caesar and others to observe how this Nation lived as Brutes Worshipped Idols Sacrificed sometimes Men and Women went most Naked were Barbarous above the most Barbarous And look upon England now and we have much like Cause of wonder to that Luke viii 35 Where those who found the Man out of whom the Devils were departed clothed and in his Right Mind are said to be afraid How great a Mercy does the Apostle speak in the Words of the Text The Creature it self shall be delivered c. In it we have Night and Day Darkness and Light what the Gentiles were as Gentiles and what as Called Set the Contraries one against another Bondage Liberty Corruption Glory For so it is in the Greek 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Liberty of Glory which is not amiss rendred as we do The Glorious Liberty so some do that Ephes. i. 6 To the Praise of his Glorious Grace But it bears a greater Emphasis to take it as the Greek hath it Into the Liberty of the Glory of the Children of God And what is meant by Glory Learn this by the contrary term It is opposed to Corruption as Liberty is to Bondage And therefore as Corruption means Sinfulness so Glory means Holiness And that so it is taken in the Phrase of Scripture the next Discourse will shew IV. The Christian Holiness as well as his Future Happiness stiled GLORY A HOLY Christian hath a Glory here and a Glory hereafter So that may be taken 2 Cor. iii. ult We are changed into the Image of God from Glory to Glory That is from HOLINESS to HAPPINESS In 1 Pet. iv 14 Mention is there made of the Spirit of Glory and of God If ye be reproached for the Name of Christ happy are ye for the Spirit of GLORY and of God resteth on you We need not dispute what this Spirit of Glory is take it for the Spirit of Holiness and it gives it but its right Title Rom. viii 30 Whom he Called them he also Justified and whom he Justified them he also Glorified Where is Sanctified It is included in Glorified Those that he Justified he endued with the Glory of Holiness here and shall reward with Eternal Glory hereafter Lam. iv 2 The precious Sons of Zion comparable to fine Gold how are they esteemed as Earthen Pitchers Jeremiah was one of them He and the rest were now poor and contemptible in this sad Captivity but they carried a precious Glory about them a Value and Shining above the finest Gold Psal. cx 3 Thy People shall be willing in the Day of thy Power in the Beauties of Holiness Some take these Beauties of Holiness to mean the Temple But take it in the Propriety of the Word and 't is a most fit Title for Holiness And observe it is not Beauty only but Beauties 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which may well be rendred Glories Not one Beauty not one Glory but many joined together or all Beauties are in Holiness and none in any thing else Eph. v. 27 That he might present it to himself a GLORIOUS Church Alas It was a Poor Persecuted Church but this made it a GLORIOUS Church viz. The Glory of Holiness it was decked withal for so it follows That it should be Holy and without Blemish The Jews speak of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Cloaths of Glory that God made for Adam and that they descended to the First-Born This is the true Clothing of the Children of God that God makes for them as Jacob did for his Son Joseph that they appear by their GLORY the Sons of God A View and Proof of this Glory let us take by comparing it with all other Glories set before you as the Devil did before Christ Luke iv 5 6. All the Kingdoms of the World and the Glory of them and then set before you a Child of God in the Glory of Holiness and what say you to the Comparison 1. 'T is a Glory and Beauty that all the World cannot give As Solon said to Craesus in all his Glory that every Peacock was braver Every Lilly of the Field is finer than Solomon in all his Glory But this is a Beauty above Art and Nature when God Decks and Dresseth a Saint and that with his own Divine Image Ephes. iv 24. There you Read of putting on a New Man after God's Image A New Creature Clothed in Righteousness and Holiness after God's own Image 'T is but a poor Glory that Satan can give as that in Luke iv the Kingdoms of the World 'T is but a poor Beauty that Art can give as Jezebel's Face 'T is but a poor Lustre that Nature can give as Skin-deep Beauty That is the Glory that God alone can give that is found no where but in his Treasury Jewels in his Cabinet the Dressings of his VVardrobe 2. 'T is a Glory and Beauty that all the VVorld cannot take away A Treasure that neither Moth nor Rust doth corrupt nor Thieves break through and Steal The pitiful Bravery of the World that is blasted in a Moment either fading by its own Nature and Frailty or by Thieves or Fire or some other Occurrence or by an immediate Hand of God Ah! Glorious Holiness that nothing can undo Luke x. 42 Mary hath chosen that good part that shall not be taken away from her This is a Treasure that all the Devils in Hell cannot Plunder from the Owner He could Plunder indeed Job's Estate but he could not his Holiness It is Gold that the Fire of Persecution cannot Consume but Refine A Shining of the Beauty and Image of God in the Soul that cannot be defaced An everlasting Glory that never changeth but to a greater Glory 3. 'T is a Beauty and Glory that God himself is in Love withal Ezek. xvi There Judah is said to be Lovely not in the Eyes of Man but of God Holiness is a Dress that only pleaseth God V. An Elucidation of Heb. x. 26 27. If we Sin wilfully after we have received the Knowledge of the Truth there remaineth
sake 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 He had a Remnant according to Election among them Rom. xi 5 It was then for the sake of their Fathers and for his own Name 's sake too Ezek. xxxvi And that is the second Reason Secondly He spared them for his own Name 's sake Consider we a little God's Covenant with Abraham Gen. xii 1 2. Now the Lord had said unto Abram get thee out of thy Country and from thy Kindred and from thy Father's House and I wilt bless thee and make thy Name great and thou shalt be a Blessing 1. Messiah must take Flesh of Abraham God appointed it that the Messiah should be of this Seed Heb. ii 16 He took not on him the Nature of Angels but he took on him the Seed of Abraham and the rest of the Seed of Abraham God chose for the visible Church 2. Having chosen it tho' perverse yet it had two Tyes upon him to shew Mercy First His Covenant and Secondly the Glory of his Name This Moses pleads in Behalf of Israel Upon this it is that God wisht Psal. lxxxi 13 O! that my People had hearkened unto me and Israel had walked in my Ways And Deut. v. 29. O! that there were such a Heart in them c. That is that his Covenanted People for the Honour of his Name would walk in his Ways and be obedient that he might not destroy them From hence we make two Observations First What a Canker stuck to this People in the beginning and yet they lasted a long time after This Sin and God's Doom laid on them and yet they remained a People Now wherein lyes the proper Cause of a sinful Peoples prospering enjoying of the Gospel and all good things Let England be the Example How many profane People in it How many that mind not God What Sins are among us And yet England lives Wherein lyes the Cause God's Covenant With whom VVith a peculiar People that fear him How God's Covenant God's Covenant is God's VVord of Promise and the Conditions thereof that be brought to a People And why does this Covenant procure us this Good from God Because there are some that do embrace it For their sakes God doth well to a Nation and yet they are commonly despised and persecuted So Lot was in Sodom VVhy does the VVorld stand That the Elect may be gathered Secondly A Generation may sin to that height as to bring a Guilt and Punishment upon succeeding Generations God threatens I will visit the Sins of the Fathers upon the Children This oft proves true in whole Nations As the Jews Idolatry with the Golden Calf had a sad Influence upon their Posterity And so also had that Saying of theirs long after His Blood be on us and on our Children VI. The Case of Widows marrying again considered CERTAIN VVidows were shrewdly taxed by S. Paul for marrying again in 1 Tim. v. 11 12. But the younger Widows refuse for when they have begun to wax wanton against Christ they will marry Having Damnation because they have cast off their first Faith And the Rhemists hereupon make second Matriages a Fault little less if any thing at all than Adultery I shall speak something of such a VVoman's Case The Matter here at first Sight is obscure VVe will therefore take up first the general Scope of the Apostle at this Place and then particularly unfold the several Clauses of these Verses Writing to Timothy Minister of the Church at Ephesus he gives Rules for ordering the Church there as Chap. iii. 14 15. These things I write unto thee â—â—ping to come unto thee shortly But if I tarry long that thou mightest know how thou oughtest to behave thy self in the House of God And First in the Third Chapter Rules for ordaining of Ministers and appointing Deacons and what Persons they ought to be And in this Chapter Rules concerning poor Widows to be taken to the Charge and Maintenance of the Church and to be in some Office and Employment in it They had their Xenedocheion i. e. Hospital and Widows in it to look to the Poor to get Strangers Meat to take Care of their Lodging c. Rom. xvi 1 will illustrate this I commend unto you Phoebe our Sister which is a Servant of the Church which is at Cenchrea In ver 9. they are not to be taken in under Threescore Years old So that the Apostle allows Maintainance for Widows poor Widows and Aged Widows because they had not Familes to care for as the Married had Poor that they might be relieved by the Church and do the Church some Service And Aged because such would be grave prudent and sober But the younger Widows refuse for when they have begun to wax wanton against Christ they will marry c. The Rhemists brag here for the Vow of single Life such as of Priests and Nuns Because the Apostle saith not They wax wanton and play the Whore but wax wanton and Marry Therefore they conclude it means the Vow of Chastity and single Life and they extol that Vow and cry out of the Marriage of such who have made such rash Vows First Observe that Rev. ix 8 The Locusts have the Hair of Women that is long Hair as Nazarites pretending Vows Secondly We may say Wo to them that call Evil Good and Good Evil. What is their Doom that call Vowing single Life so great a Piece of Religion which is in it self evil Chastity is good and single Life good in some Respects 1 Cor. vii 34 but to vow either is Evil because it is to vow what is not in our own Power Jer. iv 2 we are to vow in Judgment as well as in Righteousness Not only to vow that which is lawful but what is in our own Power to do For a Man to vow he will fly in the Air walk on the Sea c. is a sinful Vow because impossible so to vow a single Life is for ought he knows as impossible for him and to live chastly And God hath evidenced his Curse upon this their wretched Vowing by giving them up to horrid Uncleanness and to the Murther of their Children But we will not insist on this we are taught that Marriage is Honourable and that all cannot attain to live single and that it is better to marry than to burn But in the Case before us there is no Vow at all but another Matter A poor young Widow if taken in to be sustained by the Stock of the Church and do some Service in it as tending the Sick c. will be ready to hearken after being married and so will be careless of the Charge committed to her will be ready to be wanton and so be a Scandal Nay may be ready to be wanton against the Religion of Christ and marry to an Infidel and so cast off her first Faith The Apostle makes Supposal what young Widows may be incident to Their Age may incline them to marry their Inclination to marry
Dead shall hear c. and he speaks distinctly of the General Resurrection at ver 28. But the raising of the Dead that he means here is the raising of the Heathen from the Death of Sin to the Life of Righteousness The Heathen that had lyen 2200 Years in Darkness and the Shadow of Death that had been dead in Trespasses and Sins Eph. ii 1 Buried in all Idolatry Ignorance Darkness Wickedness and Abhomination from the Confusion at Babel When Christ came and sent his Voice among them by the Gospel these dead Souls lived as it were come out of Death and the Graves to the Life of Grace Holiness and the Obedience of the Gospel And this is that first Resurrection mentioned Rev. xx 5 when the old Serpent the Devil was bound up by the Chain of the Gospel So that he could no more deceive the Nations as ver 3. That he should no more delude the poor Heathen with Idols and Oracles and Miracles and such Delusions as he had done This is the first Resurrection Here is a Resurrection the great Work of Christ and a great End of his Coming But it is a Resurrection of Souls vile Souls to make them Glorious like his Soul Souls changed with a great and blessed Change from Death to Life This is the mighty Work of a Resurrection Observe how the Apostle sets it out Eph. i. 19 What is the exceeding Greatness of his Power to usward that believe according to the working of his mighty Power which he wrought in Christ when he raised him from the Dead God's bringing Men to believe his changing them from the State of Nature and Unbelief into the State of Grace and Faith is the great exceeding great Work of God's Power Such a mighty Working as that was when God raised Christ from the Dead A first Resurrection And take that withal Rev. xx 6 Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the First Resurrection On such the Second Death hath no Power Either we must have a Part in the First Resurrection the raising of the Soul from the Death of Sin and Unbelief or never Blessed never Holy never escape the Power of the Second Death VII An Examination into the Reason of that Eruption of the Apostle O! the Depth of the Riches both of the Wisdom and Knowledge of God! Rom. xi 33 THE Cause of which Admiration lyes in the Verse before For God hath concluded them all in Unbelief that he might have Mercy upon all A strange Conclusion Doth it not almost speak to this Sense they all became Unbelievers that they might become Believers He hath concluded all under Darkness that he might bring them to Light Like Elias pouring Water where he meant to fetch out Fire The 25th Verse of that Chapter will help to clear this Matter very pregnantly Brethren I would not that ye should be ignorant of this Mystery that Blindness in part is happened unto Israel until the Fulness of the Gentiles be come in Blindness 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 In Parts is happened unto Israel for that is his meaning And for the Observation of it take notice of these two Things I. That the Apostle throughout the whole Chapter never names the Jews but Israel Because he is treating of the whole Seed of Israel Not the Jews only of the two Tribes but the Israelites of the ten Tribes also II. The Seed of Israel then considered in general had Blindness happened to them In Parts First The ten Tribes were blinded by Jeroboam's Idolatry and that was their Ruin and Casting off Then the two Tribes were blinded by their Traditions And that was their Ruin also and Casting off Now this is the Mystery which he would not have them ignorant of that whereas the Gentiles were blinded also as well as Israel and before and longer than Israel and that there were many Prophesies and Predictions that they should be at last unblinded and come to the Light it pleased God to conclude Israel under Blindness too first the ten Tribes and then the two till the Gentiles should be unblinded by the coming in of the Light of the Gospel and then Israel is unblinded also Viz. That Remnant of them that belonged to the Election of Grace as he speaks ver 5. Thus God concluded all under Blindness all under Unbelief that he might have Mercy upon all the Gentiles under Unbelief the ten Tribes under Unbelief and the two Tribes under Unbelief that at length he might as he did at the bringing in of the Gospel shew Mercy unto all in bringing Jew Gentile and Israelite to believe And observe what he saith in the next Verses before As ye O Romans who are Gentiles in time past have not believed yet now have obtained Mercy through their Unbelief So these Israelites also now have not believed that through your Mercy they might obtain Mercy Their Unbelief hath caused God to hearken unto you O Gentiles for his Church and to bring you to believe hereby was great Mercy to you And through this Mercy to you the Gospel rising and shining to you thus bringing you to believe Mercy also ariseth to them in the same shining of the Gospel that they also may believe Here is Mercy to Gentile Mercy to Jew Mercy to Israelite God hath concluded all under Unbelief that he might have Mercy upon all And therefore O! the Depth of the Riches of the Wisdom and Knowledge of God VIII Asa's perfect Heart how reconcileable with his Sufferance of the High Places IT is said concerning Asa King of Judah Nevertheless Asa his Heart was perfect with the Lord all his Days 1 Kin. xv 14 A Humane Chronicler is not able to say Such an one's HEART was perfect 〈…〉 because he is not able to discern what the Heart 〈◊〉 He writes the Story of a Man's Actions he cannot write the Story of his Heart because he cannot know it But he that held the Pen and wrote these sacred Chronicles the Holy Ghost saw the Carriage of all Actions saw the secret Frame and Temper of all Hearts and he was able to give Judgment of them whether they were good or evil and he could not but give right Judgment How happy then is this good Man of whom he gives this true and most noble Testimony Asa his Heart was perfect with the Lord all his Days A more renowned Memorial than what all your Chroniclers can say concerning Alexander the Great Julius Cesar Tamerlane or the great Conquerors of the World Their Story is like that Appearance of Elias at Mount Horeb a dreadful Earthquake a tearing Wind a devouring Fire In their Story nothing but blustering in the World and blundering of Nations Sword and Blood and Fire and Plunder This is all the Noise and Sound of their Fame But happy is he that comes off with such a soft sweet still Voice as this Nevertheless Asa 's Heart c. The first Word Nevertheless doth bring in an Excuse or Pleading for Asa in
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