h h h h h h De Bell. Sacr. lib. 10. cap. 31. VERS VIII 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. He will reprove the world of sin c. THE Holy Spirit had absented himself from that Nation now for the space of four hundred years or thereabout and therefore when he should be given and pour'd out in a way and in measures so very wonderful he could not but evince it to the world that Jesus was the true Messiah the Son of God who had so miraculously pour'd out the Holy Spirit amongst them and consequently could not but reprove and redargue the world of sin because they believed not in him VERS X. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. Of righteousness c. THAT this righteousness here mention'd is to be understood of the righteousness of Christ hardly any but will readily enough grant but the question is what sort of righteousness of his is here meant whether his personal and inherent or his communicated and justifying righteousness we may say that both may be meant here I. Because he went to the Father it abundantly argu'd him a just and righteous person held under no guilt at all however condemn'd by men as a malefactor II. Because he pour'd out the Spirit it argu'd the merit of his righteousness for otherwise he could not in that manner have given the Holy Spirit And indeed that what is chiefly meant here is that righteousness of his by which we are justify'd this may perswade us that so many and so great things are spoken concerning it in the Holy Scriptures Isai. LVI 1. My Salvation is near to come and my righteousness to be revealed Dan. IX 29. To bring in everlasting righteousness Jer. XXIII 6. This is his name by which he shall be called THE LORD OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS And in the Epistles of the Apostles especially those of St. Paul this righteousness is frequently and highly celebrated seeming indeed the main and principal subject of the Doctrines of the Gospel In the stead of many others let this serve for all Rom. I. 17. For therein viz. in the Gospel is the righteousness of God reveal'd 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from faith to faith which words may be a good Comment upon the foregoing Clause I. The Law teacheth faith that is that we believe in God But the Gospel directs us to proceed from faith to faith viz. from faith in God to faith in Christ for true and saving faith is not a meer naked recumbency immediately upon God which faith the Jews were wont to profess but faith in God by the mediation of faith in Christ. II. In the Law the righteousness of God was reveal'd condemning but in the Gospel it was reveal'd justifying the sinner And this is the great mystery of the Gospel that sinnes are justify'd not only through the grace and meer compassion and mercy of God but through Divine justice and righteousness too that is through the righteousness of Christ who is Jehovah the Lord our righteousness And the Spirit of Truth when he came he did reprove and instruct the world concerning these two great articles of faith wherein the Jews had so mischievously deceiv'd themselves that is concerning true saving faith faith in Christ and also concerning the manner or formal cause of Justification viz. the righteousness of Christ. But then how can we form the Argument I go unto the Father therefore the world shall be convinc'd of my justifying righteousness I. Let us consider that the expression I go unto the Father hath something more in it than I go to Heaven So that by this kind of phrase our Saviour seems to hint That work being now finisht for the doing of which my Father sent me into the world I am now returning to him again Now the work which Christ had to do for the Father was various The manifestation of the Father Preaching the Gospel vanquishing the enemies of God sin death and the Devil but the main and chief of all and upon which all the rest did depend was that he might perform a perfect obedience or obediential righteousness to God God had created man that he might obey his Maker which when he did not do but being led away by the Devil grew disobedient where was the Creator's glory The Devil triumphs that the whole humane race in Adam had kickt against God prov'd a rebel and warr'd under the banners of Satan It was necessary therefore that Christ clothing himself in the humane nature should come into the world and vindicate the glory of God by performing an intire obedience due from mankind and worthy of his Maker He did what weigh'd down for all the disobedience of all mankind I may say of the Devils too for his obedience was infinite He fulfilled a righteousness by which sinners might be justify'd which answer'd that justice that would have condemned them for the righteousness was infinite This was the great business he had to do in this world to pay such an obedience and to fulfill such a righteousness and this righteousness is the principal and noble theme and subject of the Evangelical Doctrine Rom. I. 17. of this the world must primarily and of necessity be convinc'd and instructed to the glory of him that justifieth and the declaration of the true Doctrine of Justification And this rightequsness of his was abundantly evidenced by his going to the Father because he could not have been receiv'd there if he had not fully accomplisht that work for which he had been sent II. It is added not without reason and ye see me no more i. e. Although you are my nearest and dearest friends yet you shall no more enjoy my presence on earth by which may be evinced that you shall partake of my merits especially when the world shall see you enricht so gloriously with the gifts of my Spirit VERS II. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. Of judgment because the Prince c. IT is well known that the Prince of this world was judged when our Saviour overcame him by the obedience of his death Heb. II. 14. and the first instance of that judgment and victory was when he arose from the dead the next was when he loos'd the Gentiles out of the chains and bondage of Satan by the Gospel and bound him himself Revel XX. 1 2. which place will be a very good Comment upon this passage And both do plainly enough evince that Christ will be capable of judging the whole world viz. all those that believe not on him when he hath already judg'd the Prince of this world This may call to mind the Jewish opinion concerning the judgment that should be exercis'd under the Messiah that he should not judg Israel at all but the Gentiles only nay that the Jews were themselves rather to judg the Gentiles than that they were to be judg'd But he that hath judg'd the Prince of this world the author of all unbelief will also judg every unbeliever too VERS XII
oppressed to pull the unjust gotten prey from the jaws of the cruel to punish the evil to incourage the good and to cause Righteousness to run down like a stream and Judgment like a running brook If any desire further proof I must remit him to such Prophetick prediction as these Kings shall be thy nursing Fathers c. And I will give them Judges of themselves and Rulers of their own people And let them but compare the difference of the Jews condition when they were under the Government of Heathens in their own Land Persians Grecians Romans and when they were under the Government of those of their own Blood and Nation And it deserves more observation than most men bestow upon it that Paul appealed from the Bench of his own Nation to a Heathen tribunal a thing I believe hardly ever paralleld in that Nation but it shews what a wretched condition they were then come unto Now I call that a Gospel Mercy 1. That is for the benefit of those that profess the Gospel And that Christian Magistracy is so he knows not the meaning of Christianity and Christiâ—â— Magistracy that can deny it 2. That is a Gospel Mercy that is dispensed by Christ in a Gospel way of dispensation and that Christian Magistracy is so I shall evidence to you by this demonstration There is a Magistracy in Turkey China and Tartary as well as in England and there were a Senate at Rome as well as a Parliament in England and all disposed by Christ who is made Lord of all but there is as much difference betwixt the way of dispensation as there is betwixt Christs ruling over all the World as he was Creator and dispensing common bounty and his ruling in his Church as Mediator and dispensing peculiar mercy As much as betwixt his ruling in all Nations as the Conqueror of all Gods enemies and his ruling in his Church as the Saviour and Mediator of his people God hath made him Lord and Christ Act. II. 36. There is more distinction in the words than many are aware of He is Lord over all He is Christ to his own chosen 3. That is a Gospel Mercy that doth promote and advance the efficacy of the Gospel And that a Christian Magistracy doth so if it need any proof I shall shew it by this one instance There are great promises in the Prophets of mercy to be exhibited under the Gospel which seem incredible and which some look for still to be accomplished according to the letter and hence their expectation of such glorious times to come whereas they are accomplished long ago and accomplishing daily but never were nor ever shall be according to the letter Such are That in Esa. II. 4. They shall beat their swords into plough-shares And that in Esa. XI 6. The wolf shall dwell with the lamb And that in Esa. LXV 20. There shall be no more thence an Infant of days c. What shall we say to these things Were they ever fulfilled according to the letter No nor ever shall be And yet God is faithful and hath performed his promise he hath done his part of what was promised and his own people partake of the promise and why should we look for any further There will be warrings in the World whilst there are lusts in the World for warrings come from lusts Jam. IV. 1. And there will be lusts in the World while there are men in the World for every imagination of the thoughts of mens hearts are evil only evil and evil continually Gen. VI. 5. But God hath done his part he brought the Gospel of peace into the World that might have taught men and wrought men to better but it is their own faults and wretchedness that they are not better And though Saints of God have this promise accomplished in themselves and they are knit together in the unity of the Spirit and the bond of Peace and what accomplishment more can be expected And so there will be Woolvish and Serpentine affections and actions of men in the World where there is sin in the World and there will be ignorance in the World and men will be infants in understanding whilst there is Fleshliness and Worldliness in the World yet God hath done his part he hath brought the Gospel into the World that might tame mens brutish affections and curb their actions and the Saints of God have this effect wrought upon them but some men will be Wolves and Lions still He hath brought the light and knowledge of the Gospel into the World that men need not to be infants in understanding and the Saints of God that imbrace the Gospel come to be aged men in knowledge but men will be ignorant still Hath not God therefore performed his promise As Esa. V. 4. What could God have done more to this purpose than he hath done in affording the means for the effecting of this as much as could be afforded And here comes in the work and imployment of the Magistracy God is so fully a performer of his promise that he hath left the issue not only to the bare preaching of the Word but he hath ordained also the Sword and Authority of the Magistracy to restrain men from their fightings and brutishness and to force them out of their wilful ignorance when the only preaching of the Word will not perswade them As when the Priests with the sounding of their Trumpets will not serve the turn to subdue Jericho an host of men of arms must be ready to assist the work and to do it It is in mercy to mens Souls that God hath ordained Magistracy as well as it in mercy to their Estates and for the securing of their Persons It is a bond of love whereby he would draw men from their own ruine and the ruining of others a holy tender and loving violence whereby when the Ministry of the Gospel cannot perswade them to be good he would restrain them from being evil and would constrain them to be better than they are A holy violence that would make men good whether they will or no. Such a mercy is a Christian Magistracy An Ordinance stamped with Christs own Kingly picture and sent for a token to his Church of special love and mercy As Aaron in his brest-plate of Judgment carried Urim and Thummim Light and Perfection So Magistrates in the Brest-plate of Judgment they always carry about with them have written there as it were with Christs own finger Power and Mercy Power derived from Christ to them and mercy derived from Christ by them to the Church The Pagans and Infidels Magistracy that is among them it is true is an ordinance of Christ Rom. XIII 2. The powers that be are ordained of God But these are but crums that fall from his Table of common providence as he is the great Ruler of all the World But Christian Magistracy is a full furnisht Table of mercy from him as the Father and cherisher of his
of the Nation it self It is observable concerning that unhappy Nation that before their Captivity into Babylon they were all for Idolatry but after their return out of Captivity they abhorred Idolatry but were all for Traditions they changed naught for naught or rather naught for worse For indeed their Traditions one may justly say were more destructive than their Idolatry Their Traditions wrought them and brought them to murder the Lord of life and glory which their Idolatry would hardly ever have brought them to And the very principles of their Traditions were such that they had not been right Scholars in that School they had not been faithful to their principles if they had not destroied him So directly contrary to the tenor of the Gospel and to the quality and appearance of Christ were those cursed Traditions that if they sought not withal might and main to destroy them and root them out the beast did not work according to the nature of the beast but clean contrary to it It is very generally conceived that God rejected that Nation for the murther of the Lord of life And that was a very just cause and reason why they were rejected But if I should say God rejected the bulk and mass of that Nation long before the death of Christ for those cursed Traditions I believe I should not speak it without good proof and warrant And it is observable that John Baptist calls them a generation of Vipers which in plain English is The seed of the Serpent at his first preaching among them And it is observable that which we are upon that wickedness and villanies were grown so abounding and so predominant that they were past the Magistrates correcting before ever our Saviour comes to be arraigned And it is no wonder they were grown so abounding and predominant when their very Principles led them to make crimes of those that were but trifles and no crimes of those that were crimes indeed to omit the great things of the Law whereby they might have beaten down cruelty dishonesty and debauchery and to make all their business only about toys only for the promoting of formality and hypocrisie and seeming goodness And thus you see wickedness uncorrected till it grow incorrigible an unhappy Magistracy asleep till it wake like Sampson with the locks of his strength cut and overpowred by the Philistins and a miserable Nation bleeding to death and weltering in its own blood because the Physitian would not let blood when he should have done in due time and in the right vein And now do I need to say any thing by way of Application As the Apostle concerning Abel He being dead yet speaketh so I of Judea she is here dying and do you not hear her speak nay as he of old Loquere ut te videam Do you not see her speak The very looking on her may read a Lecture As the Lacedaemonians read a silent Lecture against drunkenness to their children only by shewing them their slaves Swine-drunk So t is a silent Lecture against neglecting of the execution of Justice and Judgment and against partiality in executing of Judgment and Justice only to look upon her and her undone condition It is well known to you all that pass by behold and see if there be any sorrow like unto my sorrow that is done unto me And who wrought it to thee O unhappy Nation Oh! I was wounded in this house of my friends Folly and fondness partiality and foolish tenderness sloth and sleepiness have been my undoing Discite justitiam moniti Take warning by my fate all Nations and Countries and set your selves to execute Judgment and do Justice lest wickedness grow that there be no curbing and so vengeance follow that there be no healing The Grandees of that Nation though so careless as to practise this will tell you that all the six hundred and thirteen precepts contained in the Law of Moses are couched and included within those two in Esay LVI 1. Keep judgment and do justice And indeed how much and how great things are included in those two keeping or observing Judgment in causes Controversal and doing just in causes Criminal The Greek Poet will tell you 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 That in Justice is comprehended all Vertues and the Scripture will tell you that under the name of righteousness is comprehended all piety by the use of the name a righteous man for one after Gods own heart I might speak how much piety is comprehended in doing Justice and how much charity how much service to God how much benefit to the Country But need I to illustrate these things that are so plain It is something strange and not to be passed by without observation that in the New Testament in several places the second Table is cited and taken for the whole Law without mention of the first Table at all In Matth. XIX 16. when a man comes and asks what he should do to have eternal life Christ bids him keep the Commandments When he demands which He refers him only to the second Table Thou shalt do no murder Thou shalt not commit adultery Thou shalt not steal Thou shalt not bear false witness Honour thy Father and thy Mother And Thou shall love thy neighbour as thy self You have the like reference to the second Table Rom. XIII 8. Ow nothing to any man but to love one another for he that loveth another hath fulfilled the Law And there going to reckon up the Commandments of the Law he mentions only those of the second Table And you may observe the Apostle S. James using the same style Jam 11. 8. If ye fulfil the Royal Law according to the Scripture Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thy self ye do well What then is the younger sister fairer than the Elder the second Table more lovely than the fiâ—â—â— that Jacob mâ—â—t serve his â—pprenticeship for Rachel the younger rather than for Iâ—â—ah the eldeâ— As Micah VI 8. He hath shewed thee O man what is good and what the Lord requires of thee to do justly and love mercy For these two are the Urim and Thummim of the second Table the very life of true Christian piety and of a true Christians acting And the Lord thus directs men to the duties of the second Table as the touchstone of Piety whereby to try whether we love God by our love to our neighbour whether he will do God right by doing right to his neighbour If time would permit I mâ—ght speak I. How great a duty Justice is of the second Table II. How great a charity to a place or Country III. How great a tye upon all not Judges and Magistrates only but Juries Witnesses all in their places to promote it IV. How great a misery and undoing of a Nation to have the current of it stopped A SERMON PREACHED AT ELY ASSISE Septemb. 12. 1671. JAMES V. 9. Behold the Iudge standeth before the door THE great Court of Judicature
to hinder him from the Love of God the Believer hath Sin the World the Flesh the Devil nay Deum Visum iratum God himself when he seems to be angry yet he loves God through all these Whereas Adam fell in the first opposition 3. A Believers obedience is more excellent than Adam did or could perform Adam had no hindrance nay he was not in a condition of passive obedience A Believer obeys through poverty sadness pains nay to death it self Thus Having the Spirit speaks not perfection yet at last brings to perfection in Heaven Adam begun in perfection and grew imperfect Holiness begins and sojourns in imperfection here and ends in perfection hereafter VII Having the Spirit speaks having it for ever XIII Joh. 1. Having loved his own which were in the World he loved them unto the end The falls of them that have the Spirit as for example of Peter of David speaks not the loss of the Spirit nor the weakness of the Spirit but only the Spirits disposing Every sickness is not loss of life so every fall is not the loss of the Spirit I might illustrate this from the Spirits acting in ruling and guiding the course of nature The Spirit as Creator preserves the Universe in its being and order How In that he hath set rules in the course of nature that there should be such seasons such productions such causes to produce such effects that warmth and nearness of the Sun should cause Spring and Summer and so contra And the Spirit sits above all and gives influence So when Nature is inverted that there happen winter-weather in Summer and contra Summer-weather in Winter the Spirit is not departed from his work nor is he become weak but so disposes and that after his own Rule viz. Northern cold winds and rain to breed cold though in Summer thick cloudy air and sky warmth even in Winter So though he fails of the Rule set in regard of the seasons yet not of the Rule set of such causes producing such effects So the Spirit hath set a Rule in Course in the work of Grace that such cause produce such effect that it should be Summer or Winter with the Christian as the Sun of Righteousness is near or far off And in Winter we have not lost the Sun though he be not so near Now when the Course of Grace is inverted and man falls the Spirit is not lost but this is according to the Rule set of causes and effects care of mens ways to produce growth and comfort neglect thereof to produce failings But yet the Spirit is not quite gone from his work VIII Having the Spirit speaks not having the gift of Prophesie As some did not distinguish before concerning the Indowments of the Spirit so do others not distinguish here or at least confound Hence some will say I believe therefore I have the Spirit of prophesie Of all men I believe least they have the Spirit that boast of it But to this I shall only say two things First Did the very holiness of Christs person necessarily indue him with the Spirit of Prophesie If so then what need had he of the gift of the Spirit It is said of John Luke I. 15. That he should be filled with the Holy Ghost even from his mothers womb But it is not said so of Christ. Nor was John Baptist filled with the Holy Ghost in that sense Secondly These are of so different natures that one is not the cause of the other 1. The Spirit of Sanctification is only to help our infirmities c. the Spirit of Prophesie not 2. The Spirit of Sanctification is beneficial to the person in order to his Salvation the other not 3. The Spirit of Sanctification only proves good the other may be the occasion of evil S. Pauls revelations were in danger to puff him up 2 Cor. XII 7. Lest I should be exalted above measure through the abundance of the Revelations there was given unto me a thorn in the flesh the messenger of Satan to buffet me 4. The Spirit of Sanctification changeth the heart the other not 5. It goeth through the whole soul the other not And thus I have done with the eight Observations I named which may serve as good directions for our understanding what it is to have the Spirit and what is the nature of his operations I might add more As First One may have the Spirit and not know it Secondly One may have a great measure of the Spirit and yet doubt whether he have it at all Thirdly The Spirit is not had upon courtesie of mans will but by the over-powering of Gods grace Fourthly The chief way of the working of the Spirit is to work Faith and Love and to build up Christians by Faith and Love A SERMON PREACHED AT S. MARIES Cambridge June 24. 1660. 1 COR. XIV 26. How is it then Brethren When ye come together every one of you hath a Psalm hath a Doctrine hath a Tongue hath a Revelation hath an Interpretation let all things be done to edifying THE last time I spoke of one abuse in the Publick Assembly of this Church of Corinth and that was misjudging and misreceiving the Holy Sacrament Here in the Text is another disorder and confusedness in the exercise of the Publick Ministry from what arising uncertain but certainly ending in non-edification as the Apostle intimates by the conclusion of the verse Such confusion indeed in their business that we know not where to find them and indeed the Chapter is very hard very hard either to find out what it was they did or what it is the Apostle would have them do or whence proceeded that enormity that he doth correct We will inquire after it the best we can and keep as near as we can to the words of the Text. In it are three parts I. What to do in a certain case How is it then Brethren II. The case propounded When ye come together every one of you hath a Psalm hath a Doctrine a Tongue hath a Revelation hath an Interpretation III. The Determination given Let all things be done to edifying I. What to do in a certain case 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a School-phrase and if I be not much deceived the same with 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a word used infinitely in the Talmud and in Tanchum of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the word occurs a thousand times It means most commonly What is to be done in this case or May such a thing be done Either will serve here Every one hath a Psalm hath a Doctrine hath a Tongue c. What is to be done in this case Or may we do thus and keep to this Custom The Apostle resolves the case in the end of the Verse Let all things be done to edifying And so vers 15. compared with vers 14. If I pray in an unknown Tongue my spirit prayeth but my understanding is unfruitful And then comes on 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 What is
contabescere morbo corrodi to languish to pine away to be eaten up with some malady and if I miscount not you have it but three times in the Bible and those in the Psalms Psal. VI. 7. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 rendred by our English Mine eye is consumed because of grief by the Interlineary Latine Erosus est prae indignatione oculus meus And the very same words you have Psal. XXXI 9. where our English renders after the same manner and that Latine Contabuit and in the very next verse after 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 My bones are consumed Now the third person future of that word if you would write it in Greek letters you can hardly do it more properly than in the word Jesus that is before us And to this Hebrew word I cannot but conceive that the Syriack Translator had an Eye when he writes not Bar Jesus but Bar Shuma by which he means not Filius Nominis a man of Name or renown as some would have it and as indeed it might signifie but a man of sores swellings or breakings out for so 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is taken in Levit. XII 2. in the Targum of Jerusalem and Jonathan upon the Law and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in Esa. I. 6. and elsewhere in the Targum of the other Jonathan upon the Prophets And how Bar Shuma a man of sores agrees with Bar Jesus a man wasting and languishing I need not tell you But how doth Elymas agree with both vers 8. Elymas the Sorcerer for so is his name by interpretation But there is some scruple which name is meant whether his name Bar Jesus or his title Magus And that that hath been the currentest rendring hath been by the Arabick word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ain inchoante which signifies a knowing a wise man and so may be bowed to the sense of Magus But both the Syriack and Arabick Translators begin the word Elymas with another Letter I learn from that incomparable work for pains and learning the Heptaglot Lexicon that Alima or Elima Eliph inchoant in the Arabian Tongue signifies Dolere or cruciari to be in pain or anguish And I think I need to look no further how Elymas doth interpret Bar Jesus when the one signifies contabescere and the other dolere the one morbo corrodi and the other cruciari the words being so near a kin It were worth inquiring why his Hebrew name is rendred into Arabick and not into Greek as is generally done all along the New Testament with other names But that discussion is not so proper for this time and occasion The mans sickly names therefore Bar Jesus or Contabescens and Elymas or dolens may justly make us to look upon him as some pitiful pining langushing diseased body Which whether that were so or no is not much material but certainly the titles that the sacred Historian and blessed Apostle do give him put it out of all question that he carried a very sad sickly and diseased soul. The Jewish Writers when they would speak out a very wicked man indeed they say that he brake out 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to the superfluity of naughtiness as our English renders the phrase turned into Greek 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Jam. I. 21. Now read this mans Epithites and guess whether he could have broken out further than he did The holy Pen-man calls him a Jew a false prophet a Sorcerer vers 6. The holy Apostle calls him full of all subtilty full of all mischief the child of the Devil and enemy of all righteousness in the verse before us Titles or Epistles or Stigmata or call them what you will so foul that an hours discourse can speak but little to them of what might be or what were requisite to be spoken to give every of them their due Therefore to confine my self to the time I shall confine my discourse only to his present action upon which the Apostles Eye is more peculiarly intent viz. that he perverted and ceased not to pervert the right ways of the Lord. Into which sink of his as into a common sewer flowed all the rest of his puddles here mentioned some as causes of his so acting and some as instruments Hither flowed as causes his being a Jew a false prophet a Sorcerer these set him on work And hither flowed as instruments his subtilty his mischievousness his Devilishness his enmity against all righteousness these helped him in his work And what his work was or what is meant by his perverting the right ways of the Lord we need not go far to learn the eighth verse resolves it fully he withstood the Apostles Barnabss and Paul and he sought to turn away the Deputy Sergius Paulus from the faith He opposed the preaching of the Gospel and he opposed the conversion of the Gentile And such Emissaries some will tell you the Jews had abroad in the World for such a purpose subtil and mischievous men sent abroad purposely to oppose and contradict and vilifie the Gospel and to hinder as much as possibly the conversion of any Heathen It were too bold to say this man was sent by the Sanhedrin upon such an employment If he were not they could hardly have fitted themselves better for such a business than with him so accomplished and accoutred for so cursed a design The very mildest title that he carries viz. as he was a Jew speaks him capacitated and principled sufficiently for such an Employment had he been neither false prophet nor Sorcerer Accordingly I shall only take up that Epistle and relation of his and let all the rest alone and consider him as a Jew and so acting as a Jew in this his cursed employment Not ceasing to pervert the right ways of the Lord or to oppose the Gospel If you scan and observe the demeanor of the Devil in the two different ages of the World under Heathenism and under the Gospel you will find this to have been his method and his shifting policy viz. That under Heathenism he foisted upon the World the greatest lie that could be forged in Hell to make the Heathen believe that the Devils that they served were Gods And under the Gospel when that lie would not do he set men to oppose and contradict that greatest truth that could be revealed from Heaven the truth and tenor of the Gospel And the first Agents that he employed in this business was the Nation of the unbelieving Jews A generation by the very principles of their Religion fermented into a sowrness and contrariety to the Gospel and the right ways of the Lord in it Our Apostle in Rom. XI 8. tells us They were under the spirit of slumber And 1 Thes. II. 15. he intimates how they were under a spirit of contradiction They are contrary to all men Under the spirit of slumber so that all their Religion was but ◠dream of men that slumbred And under the spirit of contradiction so that all their acting was