more briefly ye may say this seal or mark is twofold inward to the Soul and conscience of the Believer bringing abundance of peace and joy and outward and apparent unto others whereby the Elect after calling are evidently to be discerned by others the fruits of the Spirit manifesting themselves to every observer For as the works of the Flesh so the fruits of the Spirit are manifest to every intelligent eye that real change that true conversion makes upon the heart so apparently breaks forth into the Life that we may even say of it as the Apostle of his Corinthians 2 Epist 3. 2 3. Their good works shining proclaim whose propriety they are and so cause glory to their Great Master and Owner Secondly Christ reckons his hath their number for preservation As Christ kept all that were delivered him by his Father Jo. 17. 12. On which text the learned De Dieu observes the Syriack Interpreter to have understood 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not to be exceptive as if Judas were excepted out of the number of those whom the Father had given to the Son but adversative by which he is opposed to them q. d. I have lost none of them which thou gavest me but Judas is lost because he was the Son of perdition So Jo. 10. 3. He calleth his own sheep by name he takes special and particular knowledge and care of his So that that discriminating priviledge of Moses Exod. 33. 17. that God knew him by name is in this sense common to all Christ's Sheep Not only their number but their very Persons and Names also The Lord knoweth who are his 2 Tim. 2. 19. not only how many are Elected but * Numerus certus nonsolum quoad numerum numerantem ut suggerunt Arminiani sed quoad numerum numeratum â—â—t Orthodoxi tenent who they are who be the very numerical Persons Hence their Names are said to be written in the book of Life Phil 4. 3. Rev. 20. 12. and 21. 27. Mordecai's name was register'd in the Chronicles of Persia Tamerlane had alwayes by him a Catalogue of his best Servants and their good deserts which he dayly perused Christ doth not only book his Sheep how many he hath but their particular names also taking cogniscance of them particularly assuring them that their h Hominum meminit ut significet distinctissimam Dei de singulis providentiam q. d. Singuli vestrûm nominatim Brug names are written in Heaven Luk. 10. 20. the Library in which this book of Life is laid up Hence the assembly of the first born written in Heaven Heb. 12. 23. and that they shall never be blotted out thence Rev. 3. 5. once enrolled in Christ's book and none shall blot him out Obj. Against this some object Moses's wish Ex. 32. 32 33. If thou wilt not forgive their sin blot me I pray thee out of thy book which thou hast written And Paul's Rom. 9. 3. I could wish my self accursed from Christ for my Brethren c. Ans The Answer to this may be of some use not only to oppose gainsayers but also to establish the consolation of the weak Let it be in the words of Dr. i Tact. Sacr. l. 3. c. 2. §. 10. Arrowsmith who distinguisheth of a threefold Life viz. Natural Spiritual and Eternal and suitably of a threefold book of Life viz. Physical Ecclesiastical and that of the Lamb. The Physical Book of Life is that in which is contained the Catalogue of them who enjoy a temporal Life and out of it are they blotted who are taken away or cut off by a violent or immature death Of this is mention Psal 139. 15 16. In thy book were all these written k In libro tuo haec omnia scribebantur Pisc The Ecclesiastical Book in which are written and register'd the members of the visible Church who live a spiritual Life either in reality or in appearance at least Of this the Prophets make mention Isa 4. 3. Ezek. 13. 9. Psal 69. 28. The Catalogue of them that profess faith in Christ saith the learned l De natur Dei C. 5. c. 3. col 583. Zanchy is called the book of Life and of the living because by the Church they are accounted in the number of them who are called and chosen unto Eternal Life Let them be blotted out c. i. e. saith he discover O Lord their Hypocrisies and cause them to be seen and known such as indeed they are and let them be blotted out of the roll of the Saints which are in the Church thus he The Third is the Book of Life of the Lamb mentioned Rev. 3. 5. and elsewhere after the manner of men given to God in which the names of his Elect are said to be written A book in allusion to the custom of registring or enrolling of those that are chosen to any dignity or office Hence the Roman Senatours were vulgarly called Patres conscripti and Souldiers are said to be enrolled A Book of Life it is called because 't is to this they are elected viz. Eternal Life to be enjoyed in Heaven and the book of Life of the Lamb because Christ is the Head of the Elect though he be not the Head of Election and the Elect are not brought to Life but by his Blood as of a Lamb without blemish or spot Hence then we answer the objection when any are said to be blotted out of the Book of Life understand it of the Book either Physical or Ecclesiastical never of the Lambs book of Life Judas Arius Julian others were blotted out of both the former out of the last never any was or shall be blotted As for the Instances in the objection Surely Moses's Wish never tended to this that he might be deprived of Eternal Life for the Salvation of that people but rather in the first sense that he might undergo the most bitter and untimely death than that they all might be cut off and destroyed And this the very context manifests The People of Israel Aaron himself too much furthering them had committed most grievous Idolatry this the Lord had avenged the day before Moses puts up this request to God by sending in the sword by which there died in one day three thousand men Ex. 32. 28 29. That the whole People might not perish with a like destruction their General interposeth himself and offers himself rather to be slain to be devoted to death though an ignominious one saying blot me out of thy book viz. that Physical one of natural Life no saith God those that have sinned will I blot out and not thee who art free from the guilt of that Idolatry Compare Numb 11. 15. * Câ—nsâ—lat cui silet vacat Poli Synops in Ex. 32. 33. And thus was the Scripture understood by the Ancients by Hierom and Greg. lib. 10. Mor. c. 7. by Menoch too and Est c. which may further be evinced by this absurdity consequent to the other interpretation
and endeavour of other Saints too This will be much their honour as well as comfort that they bring any to Righteousness and so shall shine as Stars in the Firmament Thirdly By their prayers and intercessions for them Job 22. ult pureness of hands m Quia tu pro illo nempe noxio in precibus puras sustulisti manus Scult ut saepe justi consilio aut precibus etiam nocentibus prosunt Merc. the sign for the thing signified the gesture for what is done in that gesture The lifting up of hands is a gesture in prayer and the lifting up of pure hands notes the purity of prayer 1 Tim. 2. 8. this the sense in Job it shall be delivered by holy prayer or when thou prayest holily yet this must not be taken without a caution 'T is not the Priviledge of Saints alwaies to deliver those that are not innocent though often such dignity is afforded his people by the Lord and which none are afforded but Saints to be Saviours and Deliverers of a people among whom they dwel God gave Zoar to Lot and all the Souls in the Ship to Paul Act. 27. 23 24. God hath given thee n Tibi dat i. e. Tui causâ eos servat unus in t erdum navim perdit unus interdum navim servat Idem contingit in Republicâ Grot. c. they owe their safety to thee to thy prayers to thy Company So God gave the guilty Israelites to Moses But it is not Universally true the Lord hath given express exceptions to this rule Jer. 15. 1. Though Moses and Samuel stood before me yet my mind could not be toward this people Moses that Chancellour of Heaven who not only ruled with God but overruled Exod. 32. 11-14 Numb 14. 19 20. and Samuel mighty in prayer 1 Sam. 7. 9. called therefore Pethuel Joel 1. 1. saith R. Solomon that is a God-perswader See to Ezek 14. 14. Yet often Saints do thus Moses Psal 106. 23. for want of such an one God complains Ezek. 22. 30. To themselves chiefly are the Saints of the Most High profitable or serviceable Job 22. 2. He that is wise may be profitable to himself The Heb. word signifies to understand to be prudent and by a Metonymie to be happy or to prosper because usually affairs succeed well and prosper in the hands of wise men happiness usually follows true wisdom All wisdom is not profitable unto men for there is a wisdom of which the Scripture saith that God will destroy it 1 Cor. 1. 19. and there is a wisdom that is earthly sensual and devillish Ja. 3. 15. there are a sort of wise men whom the Lord will take in their craftiness 1 Cor. 3. 19 and there are wise men whose thoughts the Lord knoweth to be but vain vers 20. none of these can men profit themselves by but there is a spiritual Wisdom and that will bring in profit indeed He that is guided by Holy and Godly Wisdom shall reap the benefit and eat the Fruit of it This the Scripture attests largely and glad experience too evinces it See Pro. 9. 12. o Tibi aras tibi occas tibi seris tibi eidem metis Tibi denique iste pariet laetitiam labor Plaut in Mercat Men profit not God but themselves by their holiness they labour not in vain so false and injurious to God is the evil report of those worse men Mal. 3. 14. We read in Scripture of some good men as rich as yea more rich than many others though God will not have it alwaies so that holiness may be beloved for it self and that his may appear not to love him for gain Yet God had but a little before appealed to their own experience that he was not wanting to them for any thing they did for him Chap. 1. 10. And the Apostle assures us 1 Tim. 4. 8. that Godliness is profitable unto all things p Nunquam non nusquam non est utâ—lis Est haec sententia opposita dicto impiorum Job 34 9. Groâ— Whatsoever drops out of any promise of the Gospell falls into the lap of a Godly man The promises are his and therefore the good of the promise is his The truly Godly lay up a good foundation for themselves 1 Tim. 6. 19. Reflections What cause of moan fear and shame For the selfish unprofitable Christian have such as live unprofitably in the World who call themselves Christians and yet mind nothing save themselves seek themselves and serve themselves in all their own profits Pleasures interests yea humours too and will not let go any of these for the profit of others no nor for the credit of the Gospel it self How contrary may such say do I walk unto the Apostle of our Lord both in his advice Rom. 15. 1. to bear as Porters do their burdens as Pillars do the poise of the house or rather as Parents do their Children in their arms vers 2. to please his neighbour though he cross himself this is indeed true Christian love but is driven almost out of the World by sinful self-love which causeth men to dislike those things in others that they favour and flatter in themselves And in his example also 1 Cor. 10. ult who pleased all men in all things lawful and laudable not seeking his own profit c. It should shame Christians for their contrary walking even to their great pattern the Lord Jesus Rom. 15. 3. Ah where is the Christian when the man is contentious quarrelsome self-pleasing and self-seeking I bring up an evil report upon the Gospel and the Profession thereof may such say and will the Lord take it well at my hands How few Christians are so convictive by their usefulness and serviceableness to others to make men say as Laban to Jacob Gen. 30. 27. The Lord hath blessed me for thy sake 'T is the excellency of Christianity to cast abroad good wherever men coâ—e to credit the Gospel by a being as generally useful as may be Their discourses should be savoury â—phes 4. 29. Col. 4. 6. their all useful q Of a 〈…〉 ain Scotch Divine it is said that he did eat and drink and sleep the Kingdom of Heaven May ungodly Sinners haters of goodness and good men say within For the Foolish and ungrateful World themselves what folly and madness is this of ours that can hardly afford them a good word by and from whom we receive so much good or scarcely think them worthy of a room to live in the World for whose sakes it is that we our selves live How often do we wish and seek their destruction for whose sakes it is that our selves are not destroyed How oft accuse we the Godly as troublers of States and Nations who are indeed the * 1 King 18. 17. 2 King 2. 12. Chariots and Horsemen of them their protection and defence their Salvation and deliverance The breaches we make by sinning they make up by praying and
me one day that I have had a name in the house of God a name to live and yet have been found dead and my conversation deadly It is indeed a great priviledge to a be a Christian not only to seem to be so An empty Title will yield but an empty comfort at last What though I seem to be something before men fishing for esteem and credit that way shall I not be accounted by the Lord an empty vine if I bring forth fruit only to my self Up therefore O my Soul and bring forth to the Lord. How unlike Christ's Sheep am I whose morose and froward carriage For the peevish passionate Professor even frightens others from converse with me Am I probable to allure and draw others over to Christ Esse Christianum grande est non videri Hieron who rather scare them away by my sullen and dogged carriage Men formerly took knowledge of Christs disciples that they had been with Jesus doth any such thing appear in me was not he meek and lowly Calls not he upon his followers to learn of him and shall I still be froward and of a passionate hasty Spirit What though this be my natural constitution that sin unto which my natural temper most inclines me Is this an excuse Shall Socrates say that Philosophy had made him who was most cholerick by nature patient and sweet temper'd And shall my professing the Christian Philosophy do nothing with me Ah how amiable would meekness and kindness render me to men Remember said Mr. Tindal to Mr. Frith that as lowliness of mind shall make you high with God even so meekness shall make you sink into the hearts of men Nothing is more overcoming and constraining than a sweet patient pleasant conversation it attracts and draws others to us as the load-stone doth iron Is it not a shame O my Soul that after so many years professing Christ I should lay such a stumbling block in the way of others by my unconquered lust that any should have cause to say of me as Nabal's young men of him 1 Sam. 25. 17. he is such a Son of Belial that a man cannot speak to him so extreme froward that there is no talking to him That I should be such an one as Caelius the Roman Oratour who was said to be the b Mortalium ille iracundissimus most passionate of men the most froppish of any living If nothing else will cure thy pettish and froward Spirit yet try for the Gospel's credit Earl Eleazar told his wife that though passionate naturally yet when he found wrath boyling up in him he never left meditating on what Christ suffered till he had thereby wrought his heart into such a frame that if his Servants had pluckt him by the beard he could not be provoked The study of the Scriptures should do some thing this way Pro. 16. 23. He that is slow to anger is better than the mighty and he that ruleth his Spirit than he that taketh a City It were well if the Character which Tertullian gives of the Christians in his daies might be my characteristick c Nec aliund◠noscibiles quam de emendatione vitiorum pristinorum to be most known by emending former evils that others might be allured and drawn over to the Lord by seeing what energie the Gospel hath upon my heart and life How unserviceable am I unto my great and good God through the For the dumpish melancholy disconsolate Christian disconsolation of my Spirit How many are prejudiced against all the waies of strict Religion when they behold me walking heavily and disconsolately all the day long Say not men Is this to be Religious Is this the wages God gives his most careful Servants must a man bid adieu to all joy peace comfort when he gives up himself to profess Religion Is God good only to those that defy him day by day that they can sing and be merry And have none cause of disconsolation and walking heavily but those that give themselves to be serious in matters of Religion It is true Godliness shews the vanity and emptiness of all terrene pleasures and delights the madness of worldly mirth but is there no joy of the Holy Ghost no consolation in Christ no comfort of love Phil. 2. 1 Is there no pleasantness in wisdoms waies no peace in her paths O my Soul how much hast thou to answer before the Lord for thine obstructing the way of Life to many by beholding thy disquiet and dis-rest Hearest thou not men say that when people grow bookish they grow blockish When they turn Religious they must look for no more merry daies whereas didst thou lift up thine head and walk cheerfully would it not let the word see that the breasts of Christs consolation afford more refreshings than the worlds botches Away therefore with those false conclusions which thou art wont to make to thy disquiet with Manoah Judg. 13. 22. never think you shall dy before you see the Lord rather conclude God would never have shewen thee such things if he would have destroyed thee Rouze up thy Soul as the Psalmist Psal 42. ult chide thy self out of thine unseasonable discouragements and dumps lift up thine head let the World know thou hast meat to eat which it knows not of that thou hast such delights as it can neither give nor take away Shall a Philosopher say that a good man keeps holy day every day and wilt thou O my Soul walk drooping as if all thy feasts were turned into fasts The advice that Tertullian gave Scapula may conclude this to thee d Si nobis no◠parcis tibi parce si non tibi Carthagini If thou hast no pity on us said he yet have some on thy self and if not on thy self yet on the City So would I say to thee if not for thine own sake yet for Sions sake for Christs sake whom thou dost profess yea for poor sinners sakes that they may not be prejudiced against the waies of God stir up thy self and walk more cheerfully CHAP. XV. The Sheep 's for holy use in every part Saints holy are to God in Head Life Heart Observation THE Sheep is all holy saith Rab. Solomon Every part of it used for something or other about the Worship of God Whereas the Dog and Hog were both abhor'd and nothing of them had any place in Divine Worship Hence both declared as the most abominable things Isa 66. 3. a Dog e Canis pro re execrabili foedâ Sanct. used to express any thing most filthy and abominable See Deut. 23. 18. which Text though some interpret Metaphorically of impudent Cynicks or of Sodomites buggerers that have cast off all manhood and are become Dogs worse than Dogs yet the Hebrews understand it literally and so Bochart and others And as the Dog so the Hog also whose use civil as well as sacred was forbidden it might not be eaten by them nor touched
Persecutor seeks to joyn himself to the fellowship of the Christians Act. 9. 26. though through their fear of him he was some time a probationer e're he was admitted He commends this also in his Philippians chap. 1. 5. No sooner had these received the Gospel but they were in fellowship to a day The Communion of Saints was with them a point of practice as well as an Article of belief The Creed is called Symbolum as a sign or badge to difference Christians from Infidels and wicked people and therefore was there little reason to leave out the communion of Saints as some say it sometimes was not in the Creed this being a main distinctive character there being no such fellowship as among the Saints Cant. 6. 9. is but one she is the only one of her Mother c. x Una Ecclesia quia ex unâ â—ide per unum spiritum nascitur Epiphan one Church because from one Faith by one Spirit The Primitive Christians were famous for their fellowship animo animâque inter se miscebantur Tertul. The very Heathens acknowledged that no people in the World did hold together and love one another so as Christians did As the Curtains of the Tabernacle were joyned by loops so were they by love The more is our sin and shame in these daies that following the devices of our own hearts We are cut in minutula frustula as Augustine said of the Donatists into little pieces and sucking Congregations Great is the advantage of fellowship and communion For our more easie remembring and improving what appertains hereto we may reduce all to that of the Preacher Eccles 4. 9 10 11 12. Two are better than one more happy have a better condition 't is better for two to live together united than one alone The Jews refer this to marriage but it is more general as appears vers 12. a threefold cord It is a famous saying among the Hebrews aut societas aut mors either society or death Man is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a sociable Creature he is natures good fellow and holds this for a rule optimum solatium sodalitium that Company is the great comfort of life God said of old it is not good for man to be alone Gen. 2. 18. neither for his profit nor comfort And he that loves to be alone is either a Beast or a God saith the Philosopher * Arist poâ—â—t 1. Much more is it thus in Christianity Next to communion with God is the communion of Saints Christ sent out his Disciples by two and two Mar. 6. 7. The evil Spirit is for solitariness God and good men for society God dwells in the Assemblie of his Saints yea there he hath a delight to dwell calling his Church Chephsiba Isa 62. 4. and the Saints were David's Chephsibam Psal 16. 2. 'T is an observation of Origen on Genesis that God made most things double as Heaven and Earth Sun and Moon Male and Female c. to teach man to delight in society Thus in general this general is particulariz'd wherein the good of society doth consist Eccles 4. 9. As First if they fall that is one of them a plural for a singular partitive as Jonah 1. 5. the sides of the ship i. e. one of the sides Mat. 21. 7. set him on them i. e. one of them If one falls the other shall lift him up whether the fall be into sin or suffering q. d. if a Traveller goeth alone and fall into a ditch where there is none to draw him out he must perish but if he hath one with him he that is the stronger shoreth up the weaker While Latimer and Ridley lived they kept up Cranmer by entercourse of letters and otherwise from entertaining counsels of revolt Ridly being Prisoner had the Liberty of the Tower to prove likely whether he would go to Mass or no which once he did but Bradford being there prisoner also and hearing of it wrote such an effectual letter to disswade him that did him much good for never after could he be perswaded thereto The same Bradford also was instrumental to keep Bishop Farrar from receiving the Sacrament at Easter in one kind which he had promised to do Dr. Taylor for like cause rejoyced that ever he came into Prison there to be acquainted with that Angel of God John Bradford so he called him for the good he received from him O the mighty advantage that Christian society well imployed and improved brings in this way 'T is dangerous ye know to let a bone broken be long ere splinter'd or out of joynt e're set right So in Soul matters to be without Soulmonitors Gal. 6. 1. Satan is readiest to assault when none is nigh to assist Solitariness therefore is not to be affected because it is the hour of temptation Secondly If two lye together they have heat The letter of this we have accomplished 2 King 1. 1 2. and the Metaphorical sense is as plainly evident conference warmes Luk. 24. 32. a certain divine efficacy warmed their hearts whilst he spake to them Like unto which Senardaeus speaks something concerning the Martyr y Ego vero illius oratione sic incendebar ut cum eum disserentem audirem spiritûs Sancti verba me audire evistimarem that he heard his words as the words of the Holy Ghost Hence the exhortation of the Apostle Heb. 10. 24. to consider one another to provoke unto love and good works to whet one the other Deut. 6. 7. to sharpen and extimulate Pro. 27. 17. to rouze and raise up their dead Spirits 2 Pet. 2. 13. to set an edge on one another as Boars whet their tusks one against another saith Nazianzen Heat and Zeal and good affections proceed from mutual knitting together When Silas and Timothy came from Macedonia Paul was pressed in Spirit Act. 18. 5. z Intus apud se aestuabat prae zeli ardore Bez. warm he was before but now all of a light fire as it were Those dull Daughters of Jerusalem by hearing the Spouse describe her beloved as she doth from top to toe Cant. 5. were fired up with desire to joyn with her in seeking Him whom her Soul loved The lying together of the dead body of one with the bones of Elisha gave life to it so doth good Company give life to those that are dead c. Strike two cold flints together and fire will come from them So let two dull Christians confer and communicate their Soul-secrets and experiences and it shall not repent them they shall find the benefit of it Job 38. 31. Canst thou bind the sweet influences of Pleiades Those Pleiades be the seven Stars that have all one name because they help one another in their work viz. to bring in the Spring like seven Sisters as the Poets have feigned them joyned together in one constellation and one Company We see God will have the sweetest works in nature to be performed with mutual help