Servant that he might behold Gods power 2 Kings 6.15 16 17. 4 Look on thine own weakness 2 Cor. 12.9 10. Col. 1. ult 5 Have recourse to experience when this power helped us in a fatherless and friendless condition Psal 27.10 When father and mother forsook us he took us up delivered us from a Bear and a Lion 1 Sam. 17.34 to 38. 6 Get into covenant with God When persons are so in covenant together then follows their power to be imployed for one another as in Ahab and Jehosaphat I am as thou art my people as thy people 7 If we would have Gods power improved for us we must serve him with all our power 1 Chron. 29.2 David saith I have prepared with all my might for the house of my God he improving his might and power for God God assisted him in all his Battels with his power and might 8 Consider the belief of the power of God is a means to stablish us in the belief of the promise if a man promise never so much to us if he have not power we regard not his promise hence when God would strengthen Sarahs faith he saith Is there any thing too hard for the Lord Gen. 18.14 Object But my case is like no mans I am in Prison and cannot come forth Answ 1 Thou art not yet in the Lions Den nor in the Whales Belly nor fiery Fornace others have been lower than thou 2 What is not that God able to do that 's able to make a World 3 Persons that have been at the point of despair have been helpt 2 Cor. 1.8 9 10. Some that have lost their Estate and Health and Friends and Children as Job cap. 6.9 10. others that have lost their credit as Joseph and David 1 Chron. 29.28 And the glory Here 's a third argument or motive for God to grant the things we pray for viz. because it makes for his own glory q. d. thou alone oughtest to be worshipped and called upon children should seek their fathers glory thy glory is perfect in it self but thou requirest that we hereby declare it by acknowledging thee the fountain of all our happiness We may see 1 To refer all things to Gods glory 1 Cor. 10.31 Rom. 11.31 Rev. 4.9 2 To stir up our Faith in prayer that God will grant what we ask because it is for his own glory 3 See that as it is the glory of God to hear the prayers of his people Psal 65.2 O thou that hearest Prayers so should we give him the glory hereof 4 To ascribe all glory to him as a God of such power and majesty and not to glory in our selves or any thing we have whether wisdome strength or wealth Jer. 9.23 1 Cor. 1.29 31. 2 Cor. 10.17 give him the glory of his faithfulness as Abraham did Rom. 4.20 and of his mercy and free grace which we behold in the glass of the Gospel 2 Cor. 3.18 and of our parts 1 Cor. 4.7 which we have received from him For ever and ever This showes 1 That God hath had and shall have all glory due unto him from everlasting to everlasting Psal 90.1 2 To distinguish the glory of God from the glory of earthly Princes that shines for a few years and then the light goes out and is removed to others and withers like a flower but this is everlasting Amen For this word see my observations on Matth. 5.22 It 's as it were a desire whereby we desire these things to be done and our selves to be heard It 's a profession of our confidence that God hears our prayer Also a wish that thus it may be what our tongues and heart hath requested The Septuagints on Psal 72. ult render this word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 let it be done as our desires were formerly exprest so here is our seal whereby we believe the grant of them in geneâ—â—â— and to each of them in particular we also set our seal Hence prayer should be in a language that we understand that all may say Amen 1 Cor. 14.16 Yea there ought to be care in him that is the mouth not to powr out any requests of his private spirit and principles but that to which all believers may say Amen and prayers being so powred out let us all say Amen with a loud voice and therefore none should pray in a Church but those that know how to powr out requests aright for matter V. 14. For if you forgive men their trespasses your heavenly Father will also forgive you V. 15. But if ye forgive not men their trespasses neither will your heavenly Father also forgive you Christ shows here that pardon of sin is given and continued unto us upon the condition of repentance and new obedience one branch whereof consists in gentleness in forgiving wrongs which men do against us and so much more because we are ready to aggravate other mens faults as slow to confess our own therefore that we may be pitifull herein Christ bids us set our own faults before our eys Christians ought greatly to endeavour after peace that they may not offend one another or if it fall out that they do offend one another that they be ready to forgive This command doth not destroy the discipline of families towards children and stubborn servants nor doth it hinder Magistrates from punishing Malefactors though in all execution of judgement gentleness should appear but the Lord herein would have our hearts free from revenge Deut. 19.13 so that we should never desire justice of the Magistrate nor of God to satisfie our revenge but rather do these enemies good and pray for them as Christ bids Matth. 5.44 Luk. 23.34 and Stephen Acts 7.59 60. and Joseph to his brethren Now this remission of men their wrongs is not a cause or price or merit of our remission at Gods hand but a signe or testimony of our remission and in some sence an antecedent though in other sence a consequent of remission it 's a consequent or an effect because we cannot forgive any man his sins till we be warm'd with the sence of Gods love to us in forgiveness and it 's an antecedent to continued and renewed forgivenesses which we have daily through Christ his advocation in heaven Christ doth not receive us to pardon but on this condition that we forgive men their offences Men that will not forgive do what in them lies to make God implacable towards them Our forgiveness is not a cause but a condition That therefore we may lay aside our revenge Christ brings two reasons 1 From the profit If we forgive God will forgive v. 14. 2 From the danger or loss If we forgive not neither will God forgive To conclude our forgiveness of men is not a cause of Gods forgiveness of us but a condition hence the words in the text are not Because you forgive men their trespasses your father will forgive you but If you forgive men their trespasses Obj. But if forgiveness of
Husband for Idolatry Infidelity 1 Cor. 7.12 13. onely if the Idolater will depart and put the Believer away the Believer is free Nor for Errour in person as if a man think he mary a Virgin and doth not because she hath done nothing since his Wife nor for Errour of Estate as supposing to mary one rich but she is poor nor for Idolatry Ezra 10.2 3. Compare Rom. 7.1 2 3 4. nor Heresie 1 Cor. 7.12 no nor yet for poverty is a person to put away his Wife no nor for frigidity or coldness because not able to perform the duty of Mariage nor for some incurable Disease these may hinder a Mariage from being but not break it after it is solemnized 1 Cor. 7.10 11. Let not the Wife depart from her Husband and let not the Husband put away his Wife Quest But what if the Wife be of contrary Religion as a Papist and will not live with her Husband in such Countreys where the Husband may safely profess the Faith Answ It was the judgment of Calvin and the other Helvetian Preachers that there might be a Divorce whereof there were two Examples one of Pizarro who maried a Wife who would not live with him save in the Roman Territories where he must either deny the Faith or lose his life After Divorce he was maried as I remember for I have not the Book by me to one Magdalen Moor. The other is of Galeazeus Caracciolus whose Wife refusing to live with him save in Italy where he was either in danger of denial of Christ or loss of life he was divorced from her and maried to a Gentlewoman of Roan who fled for the Gospel sake 1 Cor. 7.15 But if the unbelieving depart let him depart a Brother or Sister is not in bondage in such a case but God hath called us to peace that is to peace of conscience herein as Martyr expounds it Now the reason is because such a person totally puts away such a yoke-fellow for doing his duty or if retained it is with an intention to murder him 4 Exhort To be wary in choice of yoke-fellows seeing the Bond of Mariage is an indissoluble Bond it cannot be broken save for Adultery beware how you chuse let Women beware how they consent if it were as common Bargains that a man might be rid of them losing his Earnest or if they were taken as some take Apprentices upon liking or as some buy Horses to lose so much if they dislike and return them but this is an eternal Bond therefore ought to be done with much deliberation as being onely once to be done Beware then how you chuse for Beauty Portion Many Women are soon won for person kindred riches because he that hath her is able to deck her in fine Apparel and Jewels never looking what ability such a man hath to instruct her and to bring up the Children they shall have in Gods fear And so much more ought we to be advised because Mariage is that point upon which depends in a great measure our eternal Estate for the Estate it self it is but for a few years but eternal things both of our selves and posterity much depend upon it How angry was God for his peoples matching themselves with Idolaters Nehem. 13.23 24 25 26 27. Ezra 9.2 3. such kinde of mariages are in danger of turning us from God Deut 7.3 4. 5 To stablish the consciences of competent Judges in granting divorces when one of the persons is a fornicator it is of the light of nature that he that keeps not the conditions of a contract or bargain should lose the benefit of it and the contract be made void that whoredome was a just cause of divorce in Moses time was in respect of gentle husbands who would not have their wives put to death such an husband was Joseph to Mary or in respect of such husbands who though they believed their wives were strumpets and perhaps found them so yet they were not able to prove it in judgement the proper punishment thereof was death either burning Gen. 38.24 or stoning Levit. 20.10 Joh. 8.5 but now Christ warrants any Judge to proceed to divorce in this case of adultery But for other cases as for a woman against her husbands will to go to the banquers of strangers or without just cause to lye out all night or to go into the Baths with men these are no sufficient grounds of divorce though they may be grounds of suspicion 6 To rest contented in the state of marriage wherein God hath placed us and hate putting away Mal. 2.16 as God hates it so should we And so much more because God joyns persons in mariage Matth. 19.6 What God hath joyned together let no man put asunder Besides they are one flesh V. 33. Again ye have heard that it hath been said by them of old time Thou shalt not forswear thy self but shalt perform unto the Lord thine oaths V. 34. But I say unto you Swear not at all neither by heaven for it is Gods throne nor by the earth for it is his footstool c. In the words are two propositions 1 Thou shalt not forswear thy self Levit. 19.12 Ye shall not swear by my name falsely 2 Thou shalt perform to the Lord thine oaths Numb 30.2 If a man swear an oath to binde his soul with a bond he shall not break his word he shall do according to all that proceedeth out of his mouth Out of these two places are the words of this text taken in the bare words there appears no corruption but in Christs answer the depravement appears in three particulars 1 Thou shalt not forswear thy self that is swearing by the name of God but if thou forswears by creatures thou mayest 2 For the latter but shalt keep or perform thy oaths that is oaths made by the name of God but to break oaths made by the creatures is no perjury 3 They taught that rash and needless swearing was no prophanation of the name of God so that they swore truly In opposition to these corruptions Christ saith Thou shalt not forswear thy self that is thou shalt perform that thou hast sworn to the Lord or by the Lord that thou wilt do Thou shalt perform thy oaths as all other oaths so in particular vows confirmed by an oath Besides to perform to the Lord thine oaths signifies that if we will swear we must swear by the true God not by idols From this thus explained observe Obs Perjury is an heynous sin before God There 's a flying rowl of curses that goes out against false swearers Zach. 5.2 3. It 's called a rowl because the Jews books were not distinct by leaves as we have but one piece of parchment wrapt upon a stick like a map which was called a rowl because rowled together In this was writ their perjuries and the punishments of them it 's said to be flying to signifie the swift vengeance that hangs over impenitent persons it hangs as
man no such duty and therefore owing him nothing I may take something of him 4 From gratitude we ought to be thankfull where we receive now where 's thankfulness if you pay back onely the principal 5 From Charity which teaches every man to have a care of his own 1 Tim. 5.8 Now if rich men have my money and grow richer by it and I have nothing from it where is my care Onely if thou hast store of money beware that thou dost not so lend out thy money to rich men for profit that thou hast not to supply the poor where duty calls for it Lev. 25.35 36 37. If thy Brother be waxen poor thou shalt not give him thy money upon usury Quest But what is usury Answ The taking of any thing from a poor Brother for the duty of lending or from a person to whom we are bound to lend freely To these we are to lend freely because they borrow for the sustentation of the life of them and theirs whereas rich men borrow to get gain thereby hence rich Christians ought to lend freely to the poor even though sometimes the principal may be in hazzard See for this more in my Treatise of Repentance and Restitution V. 43. Ye have heard that it hath been said Thou shalt love thy Neighbour and hate thine Enemy V. 44. But I say unto you Love your Enemies bless them that curse you do good to them that hate you and pray for them which despitefully use you and persecute you Christ reproves another depravation of the Pharisees which had three Branches 1 that they expounded Neighbour to be onely Friend or Kinsman whereas the Lord means all men who have a common nature with us Luke 10.32 2 That they left out of the Text these words thy self Levit. 19.18 The Command was Thou shalt love thy Neighbour as thy self 3 That their Enemies were to be hated whereas the contrary appears Prov. 25.21 If thine Enemy hunger feed him Exod. 23.4.5 If the Ox or Ass of an Enemy were wandring they were to bring him home Now the Scribes gathered 1 That as the Jews lived in opposition to the foreign Enemies Moabites and Ammonites and Amalekites they might also hate their private and personal Enemies 2 That the Scribes drew this principle of hatred of Enemies from the Rule of Contraries which was we must love our Friends therefore we must hate our Enemies now a right Consequent will not follow from Contraries unless they be equal From all this Christ clears the Law But I say unto you Love your Enemies Christ sets down 1 The Command 1 Generally Love your Enemies 2 Particularly in three Branches 1 Bless them that curse you 2 Do good to them that hate you 3 Pray for them that despitefully use you and persecute you 2 The Reasons of it 1 That you may be like God as children to their father v. 45. 2 From the Lords own Example who makes his Sun to shine and Rain to fall on the just and on the unjust 3 From the difference betwixt Publicans or civil men or sinners and betwixt Christians Sinners love those that love them and salute those that salute them but Christians must love them that do not love them and salute those that do not resalute them or do it very slightingly But before I come to handle the point concerning Love to Enemies I dare not condemn Tertullian and others who hold Christ his Command to be a supplement to Moses Law while he saith The old Law teacheth us love to Neighbours the new Law to love Strangers Also Tertullian further So long as the Sacrament was among Israel he worthily did command mercy to brethren alone but when he gave the ends of the earth for an inheritance and possession to Christ and the Nation began to be blotted out as it was spoken by Hosea They that were not my people are my people and she that had not obtained mercy hath obtained mercy From thence Christ extends the Law of fatherly goodness to all excluding no man in mercy more than in vocation Many think saith Grotius from these words Thou shalt hate thine Enemy that they have a firm Argument to prove that all things which Christ saith were said of old or by the Ancients are not to be referred to the Law of Moses but to the Interpretations of the Expounders of the Law but he thinks respect is had to Moses words The Jews were commanded to do some common benefits to their Enemies Exod. 23.4 But if we look Deut. 22.1 2 3 4. The Enemy here mentioned was one of their Brethren he who in Exodus is called an Enemy in Deuteronomy is called a Brother Besides these there were other Enemies they were commanded to shew no mercy unto as the Hittites Gargashites Amorites c. Deut. 7.1 2. Deut. 5.19 Thou shalt blot out the remembrance of Amalek from under Heaven thou shalt not forget it Yet were conditions of peace to be offered to them that if they would they might redeem their destruction with servitude but if they refused the offered conditions they were to be kild without mercy Now there being no cause in Christs time that the Jews should alledge or pretend for their hatred of other nations the Laws which they had against the seven nations those exceptions being taken away which God for certain causes had prescribed unto them the Law of nature remained whole that every man is to love one another I must confess I do much incline to this in regard there were so many prayers in the Old Testament against enemies So that the meaning then is the precept of Moses concerning the kinde dealing of the Jews with other men extended not universally to all but particularly to their countrymen or fellow Jews called the sons of thy people see Deut. 22.1 to others who were aliens and also enemies they were not bound to be kinde but against some that is the seven nations they were commanded to proceed hostilely but I say unto you let your kindness be extended to your enemies Why both these interpretations may not be embraced I see no reason That there were falsifications by the Interpreters of the Law is without doubt in that they so limited neighbour to a son of Abraham and left out part of the command belonging to love And also the latter from those two places Exod. 22.4 compared with Deut. 22.1 Deut. 7.2 And it is also safe to interpret Scripture in the most extended sense Though this scruple of this side remains that the Canaanites were commanded to be kill'd but not to be hated as a Judge commands a guilty person to be slain yet doth not hate him The words being thus expounded we will consider the words generally and gather Obs It 's the duty of Christians to love their enemies 1 From Christs example Rom. 5.10 When we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his son For all the Samaritans would not give him harbour