such a moderation of our affections and passions there is no true faith Thus wee must bring forth the fruits of repentance being changed in our minds laying aside the purpose of sinning resoluing by Gods grace to sinne no more and being heartily sory for offending so good a God and so for obedience to endeauour in the vse of all good meanes to performe it from all the powers and parts both of soule and body and where this is in trueth there will follow a change in the will thoughts and affections and all the actions of our life For they that are Christs haue crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts Galat. 5. 24. Thirdly They must all be entire and totall not partiall Thus wee must beleeue all that the Prophets haue spoken Luk. 24. 25. Repentance must bee of all sinne or else of none wee must not haue a dispensation for any one sinne and obedience must bee totall to the whole will of God in yeelding cheerefull obedience to euery commandement without partialitie For he that breaketh one Commandement is guilty of all Iam. 2. 10. Therefore Christ saith Yee are my friends if ye doe not some things but whatsoeuer I commaund you Iohn 15. 14. And as Paul saith This is our proofe whether wee be obedient in all things 2. Cor. 2. 9. Fourthly All must bee voluntary with a cheerefull and willing minde nothing violent will last long Thus Gods children are described to bee voluntaries Thy people O Lord shall come willingly at the time of assembly Psal 110. 3. Dauid gaue Salomon this counsell to serue GOD namely in the whole course of his seruice and in all the parts of his worship whereof Faith Repentance and New Obedience are chiefe with a willing minde 1. Chron. 28. 9. Thus did Dauid himselfe delight to doe Gods will Psalm 40. 8. and it was our Sauiours meate and drinke to doe his Fathers will Iohn 4. 34. Thus doe the Angels in heauen who are described to haue wings to shew their speede alacrity willingnes and cheerefulnesse in doing Gods will and wee must bee like them Some beleeue but it is onely for a time and in time of temptation fall away such a faith was neuer willingly so neuer sound Some repâ—â—t oâ— rather seeme to repent and to leaue sinne when sinne leaues them when in regard of opportunity or feare or age or some such like respect they cannot commit sinne yet they regard sinne in heart This is no sound repentance and so for obedience many performe a constrained obedience as the deuils wicked Church-Papists and the like and so no sound obedience and thus though grace bee imperfect and full of many infirmities as no grace can be perfect in this life yet if there bee in vs a willing minde it is accepted according to that a man hath 2. Cor. 8. 12. Thus with the Corinthians We must beleeue repent and obey and not onely beginne to doe but to be forward and to haue a readinesse as to will so to performe 2. Corinth 8. verses 10. 11. Fiftly All the former graces that they may be sound must bee accompanied with a good conscience without this all our Faith Repentance and Obedience are but counterfeit Thus wee must indeuour alwayes to haue a conscience void of offence toward God and men Acts 24. 16. that wee may truly say with Paul I haue liued in all good conscience before God vntill this day Acts 23. 1. Thus Saint Peter saith Wee must haue a good conscience 1. Pet. 3. 16. This good conscience is such as hath no manner of purpose to liue in any one sinne whatsoeuer but is resolued to please GOD in all the wayes of his Commaundements and that continually and it doth excuse not accuse On the contrary the bad conscience is when a man resolueth to cherish or purposeth to liue in any one sinne whatsoeuer Thus Paul counselleth to keepe faith and a good conscience from which good conscience some haue erred and as concerning faith for it was but a temporary and counterseit faith haue made shipwracke 1. Tim. 1. 19. Wee must hold the mystery of the faith in a pure conscience 1. Tim. 3. 9. Thus the end of the Commandement is loue out of a pure heart and a good conscience and faith vnfained c. 1. Tim. 1. 5. 6. in which place it is plain that a pure heart a good conscience and a sound faith are three inseparable companions neither is it possible one to bee without the other so for Repentance and Obedience yea the whole seruice of God must bee with a good conscience as Paul saith My God whom I serue from my forefathers with pure conscience 2. Timoth. 1. 3. Wee must haue a good conscience in all things Hebr. 13. 18. that wee may say in all these how I beleeue repent and obey my conscience beares mee witnesse Rom. 9. 1. Lastly All must be sound in Continuance It is no sound grace to beleeue for a time and in time of temptation to fall away It is not to seeme to repent to hang down the head like a bulrush for a day and to looke heauily and to doe some good things by fits and afterward to returne to the former vomit of our sinnes but wee must be faithful vnto the death Reu. 2. 10. by liuing continually to our liues end in Faith Repentance and new Obedience Wee must bee stedfast in the faith 1. Pet. 5. 9. Wee must stand fast in the faith 1. Cor. 16 13. Wee must continue in the faith grounded and setled c Coloss 1. 23. So for Repentance it must bee daily renewed increased and continued for this cause our Sauiour Christ so often vrgeth the duty of repentance vpon the Churches in the Reuelation Chapt. 2. and 3. signifying the continuance and daily renewing of it though they had repented before and great reason it should bee thus because so long as wee liue wee sinne daily For there is not a iust man that doth good and sinneth not Eccles 7. 20. therefore wee must repent daily so for Obedience we must with the Philippians alwayes obey and still worke out our saluation with feare and trembling Philipp 2. 12. passing the whole time of our soiourning here in feare 1. Pet. 1. 17. and finishing our sanctification in the feare of God 2. Cor. 7. 1. And herein let this bee well obserued that where any grace is begun if it bee in truth it is constant if it fades away it was neuer true Therefore this was Pauls perswasion Being confident of this very thing that God who hath begun a good worke in vs will performe or finish it vntill the day of Iesus Christ Philipp 1. 6. Thus haue I shewed plainly wherein the soundnesse of these graces consist and that I may vse Pauls words this is sound doctrine Tit. 1. 9. both to exhort and conuince the gainesayers Thus haue I spoken that which becomes sound doctrine Tit. 2. 1. where wee are exhorted to bee
know them Of these speakes the Psalme Hee made knowne his wayes vnto Moses his acts vnto the children of Israel Psal 103. 7. These wayes are the waies of Gods works and marueilous acts his signified will as reueâ—ling what kinde of God hee is in what hee delighteth what hee loueth what hee hateth the redeeming of mankinde by his Sonne the ordaining of him to bee a Mediatour and the like Of these wayes spâ—akes Dauid The Lord is righteous in all hâ—â— wayes and holy in all his workes Psal 145. 17. These wayes are distinguished from all other wayes by diuers Epithets giuen vnto them in the Word They are called Good wayes and right 1. Sam. 12. 23. Psalm 2. 12. 1. King 8. 36. Secondly an vndefiled way and perfect Psal 18 30. Thirdly a holy way Esa 35. 8. Fourthly a chosen way Psal 25. 12. Fiftly a straight way Matth. 7. 14. Luke 13. 24. Sixtly the way of life Psal 16. 11 Prou. 6. 23. Seuenthly the way of truth Psal 119. 3. Eightly the way of wisedome Prou 4. 11. Ninthly the way of righteousnes Prou. 8. 20. and 16. 31 2. Pet. 2. Tenthly the way of peace Rom. 3. 17. Luke 1. 79. Lastly Equall Ezech. 18. 25. with many such like stiles as are giuen to Gods wayes All and each of which should teach vs to bee rauished with these wayes to set our hearts vpon them to loue them aboue all things to learne them and know them to teach them others to search and enquire for them and so to walke in them that is to liue in them and to frame the whole course of our liues according to them which is the property of all Gods children as the Text hath it They walke in his wayes I proceede to the second Now the wayes of God which concerne vs which we must walke may be considered two wayes Generally Specially Generally this way is the way of Christianitie entring into the course of Christian Religion and professing the Gospel of Christ and the doctrine therof That this is called a way appeareth in these places Act. 19. 9. when Paul was instructing them concerning the Sacrament and the doctrine of Christian Religion disputing and perswading things concerning the kingdome of God it is said Diuers spake euill of that way Saul the persecuter desired to bring bound to Ierusalem all that hee should finde in this way Act. 9. 2. yea hee persecuted this way vnto the death Act. 22. 4. There arose no small stirre about that way Act. 19. 23. So Acts 24. 22. In all these places is vnderstood the way of Christian Religion and the profession of the doctrine of the Gospel or some speciall point thereof as appeareth by the Context The General way of Christian Religion is necessary vnto saluation without it wee cannot come to heauen and yet this alone being but a bare profession cannot bring a man to heauen This is the way of a number euen of such as goe for professors that yet for all this shall neuer come in heauen Not euery one that saith vnto me Lord Lord shall enter into the kingdome of heauen Matth. 7. 21. that is Not euery one that beares the name of a Christian that professeth the Name of Christ and God to be his God shall bee saued not euery one that makes an outward shew of profession that can talke reason and discourse of Religion and points of doctrine though they may haue most excellent and rare gifts shall bee saued For many shall pleade for themselues at the day of iudgement saying Lord Lord haue wee not preached in thy Name and in thy Name cast out deuils and in thy Name done many marueilous workes and then hee will professe vnto them hee neuer knew them Depart from mee yee workers of iniquitie Matt. 7. 22. There are many hypocrites in the Church euen among professors who will make profession of God with their mouthes but denie him in the practise of their liues They professe they know God but by their workes they denie him being abominable and disobedient and to euery good worke reprobate Tit. 1. 16. Thus wee see that though this be Gods way which he commandeth Heb. 12. 1. a good way in it selfe yet not able to bring vs to heauen Specially The wayes of God wherein we must walke may properly bee reduced to one head for indeede there is but one way to heauen which is called the way of life the way of saluation which in a word consists in holinesse and righteousnesse holinesse towards God righteousnesse towards men But because their are many turnings and many windings in this way I meane many graces required and many dueties to bee performed therefore in the plurall number they are called Gods wayes They walke in his wayes I will reduce them all to three heads vnder which all the rest are comprehended The first way and the The first way chiefe is the way of Faith This way went all the Patriarchs Prophets and Apostles and all beleeuers both in the Old and New Testament A Catalogue of whom and of their faith is set downe at large in the whole Chapter Heb. 11. For as we beleeue to be saued through the grace of our Lord Iesus Christ so did they Act. 15. 11. By faith the Elders and all those beleeuers through faith obtained a good report Heb. 11. 2 and 39. That this sauing faith is our way to heauen the Scriptures make it plaine Saint Paul saith Wee walke by faith not by sight 2. Cor. 5. 7. To walke by faith is to liue by faith as the Apostle explanes it by alledging a place out of Habacuk The iust shall liue by faith Heb. 10. 38. Thus did Paul The life which I now liue in the flesh I liue by the faith of the Sonne of God Gal. 2. 20. The whole life of a Christian both Spirituall and Temporall in afflictions and temptations must be by faith and that for these reasons First because Whatsoeuer is not of faith is sinne Rom. 14. 23. that is whatsoeuer wee doe with a doubting conscience is sinne Faith must both put a beginning to the work and perswade vs that it is pleasing to God Secondly Without faith it is impossible to please God in any thing Heb. 11. 6. no not in the best things as preaching praying hearing and the like No true preaching without faith whether wee respect the person of the Minister who speaketh who must be faithfull as Christ exhorts the Minister of the Church of Smyrna to bee faithfull to the death Reuel 2. 10. or whether wee regard the doctrine which hee teacheth which must be the word of faith This is the word of faith which wee preach vnto you Ro. 10. 8. So saith Paul We beleeue therfore speak 2. Cor. 4. 13. Againe No true praying without faith For whatsoeuer wee aske beleeuing we shall obtaine Mar. 11. 24. But hee that asketh without faith is a wauering minded man and shall obtaine nothing of the Lord Iam. 1.
his life 1. King 20. 42. Thus Ministers are accessary to the peoples sinnes either by not giuing them warning or not reprouing them of sinne or shewing a bad example and liuing a wicked life by which they doe more hurt than good by doctrine And thus are all Superiours accessary to the sinnes of Inferiours as Parents to their Children Masters to their Seruants some of those waies formerly named But thus much be said of the fourth Sermon THE FIFTH SERMON being the Second vpon these WORDS Text. Haue no fellowship with vnfruitfull workes of darkenesse Ephes 5. 11. HItherto out of these words I haue spoken only of the Dehortation it selfe in these words Haue no fellowship c. Now I am to handle the reasons of the Dehortation shewing why we must not communicate with the sinnes of others The reasons are two first because all sinnes are workes of darkenesse secondly because they are vnfruitfull But before I come to the particular handling of these Reasons sundrie questions or doubts are to be resolued and answered both for the more clearing of the Text and the better finishing of the Dehortation as followeth Quest 1 Whether wee may keepe company or haue any society with wicked and obstinate sinners or at all communicate and haue fellowship with their persons though not their sinnes Answ All company-keeping society and fellowship with wicked men themselues is not simply and absolutely forbidden but onely the priuate and speciall familiaritie with them and so must all places of Scripture forbidding fellowship with them be vnderstood of priuate and familiar conuersing I say it is not simply forbidden first because there is no such absolute precept against it extant in holy Scripture secondly Paul saith as leauing it free 1 Cor. 10. 27. If any man that belieues not bid you to a feast and you be disposed to goe whatsoeuer is set before you eate asking no question for conscience sake thirdly if we would shun the company and society of all wicked men then wee must goe out of this world 1 Cor. 5. 10. Againe If any brother hath a wife that belieueth not and shee be pleased to dwell with him let him not put her away And the woman which hath an husband that belieueth not if hee be pleased to dwell with her let her not leaue him 1 Cor. 7. 12. 13. Lot conuersed with the wicked Sodomites Christ with Publicans and sinners Therefore all society of wicked men themselues is not simply and absolutely forbidden but priuate and familiar fellowship 1 Corinth 5. 9. 10. 11. marke the place Quest 2 But may we any way keep company with them which wee know to be darkenesse and notoriously wicked Answ In foure cases we may not at all First if wee be infected by them and communicate with their workes Euill societies corrupt good manners 1 Cor. 15. and God forbad the Israelites to marry with the Gentiles or to haue any familiar commerce with them lest they should bee infected by them Secondly if the wicked by our keeping them company and seeing vs not to shunne them should be confirmed and more hardened in their sinnes Christ commandeth vs in this case that rather obstinate sinners should bee vnto vs as Heathen and Publicans Math. 18. 17. that is account him as an heretique or excommunicate or one not belonging to the Church Thirdly if the weake in faith are by our keeping them company offended We must not abuse our Christian libertie in the smallest things whereby our weake brother may be offended Take heed 1 Cor. 8. 9. 10. 11. lest by any meanes this libertie of yours become a stumbling blocke to them that are weake for if any man see thee which hast knowledge sit at meate in the idols Temple shall not the conscience of him which is weake be imboldened to eate those things which are offered to Idols c. much more then will a weake brother be offended to see vs conuerse with wicked men familiarly Fourthly if by our company keeping the Gospell be euill spoken of and the name of God blasphemed wee must altogether abstaine Paul saith All things must be done to Gods glory 1 Cor. 10. 31. But through such the name of God is blasphemed Rom. 2. 24. Quest 3 How farre forth may wee keepe company with wicked men or haue commerce with them or wee may not Answ Wicked men are to bee considered as first members of some Common-wealth and so we may conuerse with them in bargaining buying and selling c. Secondly as members of some ciuill society as City c. and thus we are to maintaine outward peace with them and shew outward courtesie vnto them so farre forth as it may stand with faith and a good conscience and with the honour of God and the good of Gods Church So must we vnderstand Rom. 12. 18. Tit. 3. 2. 3. Thirdly consider them as dwellers in the Church and members of some particular Church by toleration and so wee may liue with them and not separate from the Church neither from the Word nor Sacraments Christ liued with them and communicated in their Sacraments and seruice of the Temple though many of them were notorious both for life and doctrine yet wee must bee grieued with Lot at their abhominations and haue no priuate and speciall familiaritie with them for this is a meanes to countenance them and incourage them in their sinnes Quest 4 But may wee not in some case haue priuate and familiar fellowship with such Answ Yes in two respects first if the law of nature requires it secondly or meere and true necessitie First if wee are bound by the law of nature as Parents and Children Husband and Wife Master and Seruant in this case wee may and ought to liue and dwell with them though they are euill as if he should be excommunicate the wife must performe the dutie of a wife the childe the dutie of a childe c. for such diuine ordinances abolish not but establish ciuill societies But if any of these being euill should goe about to draw vs away from Christ and to seduce vs then Parents Wife and Children are to be forsaken rather then Christ who saith Hee that loueth Father or Mother more than mee is not worthy of mee and hee that loueth Sonne or Daughter more then mee is not worthy of mee Math. 10. 37. Secondly if we are tied by meere necessitie as if hee that is wicked cannot liue without thee nor thou without him as suppose thy father or brother c. Iacob when hee could not conueniently liue else-where came with his Children into Egypt and liued among the Idolatrous people for necessitie but hee communicated not with the impieties of the Egyptians neither must we be drawne hereby to communicate with the workes of wicked men yea we should rather famish and starue and suffer any kinde of death than to deny Christ and communicate with vngodly workes Christ saith He that loueth his life more thaâ— mee is not worthy
better it may be omitted for the present Now if any think themselues too good or too great to be reproued and so will not yeeld their neckes to this yoke let them remember Gods iudgement vpon King Vzziah who resisting Gods ordinance in the ministery of the Prophet reproouing him was striken with a leprosie to his death 2. Chron. 26. And thus much of the threefold Steppe of the Christian mans Walke AN ADDITION of certaine places of holy Scripture setting forth the true Manner of this Christian Walke both Exhorting and Dehorting Exhortations THis Manner I finde in holy Scripture propounded to vs by the Apostles two wayes Generally Specially Generally It must bee according to the tenour of Gods Word First such as the Word teacheth Secondly such as beseemeth graceth and adorneth the Word Thirdly onely such as being the onely life Onely let your conuersation bee as becommeth the Gospoll of Christ Philip. 1. 27. What it teacheth the Apostle sheweth For the grace of God meaning the doctrine of the Gospell teacheth vs to denie vngodlinesse and worldly lusts and to liue godly righteously and soberly in this present world Tit. 2. 11 12. Godly in regard of God Righteously in regard of others Soberly in regard of our selues Specially This manner is propounded diuersly First We must walke Circumspectly that is warily exactly strictly with great carefulnes and watchfulnesse taking great heed to our wayes and looking narrowly to our cariage See that ye walke circumspectly not as fooles but as wise that is not in ignorance but indued with sauing knowledge redeeming the time that is vsing a double and treble diligence for time to come for that we haue spent formerly so idlely and vainely because the dayes are euill that is full of euill men Ephes 5. 15 16. And the more euill the times are the more circumspect must we be Secondly We must walke Vprightly that is voyd of all hypocrisie before God and guile and dissimulation among men simply sincerely in singlenesse of heart fearing God Walke before mee saith God to Abraham and be vpright Gen. 17. Who shall goe to heauen He that walketh vprightly Psal 15. 2. Qui vadit planè vadit sanè Hee that walketh vprightly walketh surely Pro. 10. 9. He that walketh vprightly shall be saued Pro. 28. 18. Better is the poore that walketh in his vprightnesse then he that is peruerse in his wayes though he be rich Pro. 28. 6. The iust man walketh in his integrity his children are blessed after him Pro. 20. 7. Thirdly We must walke Innocently that is without offence not that we can so liue as neuer sinne or neuer offend for that is impossible for there is no righteous man that doth good and sinneth not Eccles 7. 20. But we must so walke as that we giue no iust occasion of offence or scandall vnto any whereby they may iustly blame vs this is to walke inoffensiuely Thus Zacharias and Elizabeth walked in all the commandements and ordinances of the Lord blamelesse Luke 1. 6. God hath chosen vs before the foundation of the world that we should bee holy and blamelesse before him Ephes 1. 4. Fourthly We must walke Honestly There is a twofold honesty Ciuill Religious Ciuill honesty is necessary but will not serue the turne to bring vs to saluation as many will pleade I liue in an honest calling taking paines in that calling I giue euery man his due I doe no man harme I wrong no man I defraud no man I keepe the Church c. All this is commendable but thus Caine might haue pleaded and many a wicked man Religious honesty is that which is ioyned with godlinesse when a man hath a good and honest heart hauing care to keepe faith and a good conscience purposing and resoluing to liue in no one sinne whatsoeuer but to please God in all his commandements continually as on the contrary that is a dishonest and wicked heart which resolueth to cherish any one sinne whatsoeuer Let vs therefore walke honestly as in the day not in rioting and drunkennesse not in chambring and wantonnesse not in strife and enuying Rom. 13. 13. Hauing our conuersation honest among the Gentiles c. 1. Pet. 2. 12. For the time past of our life may suffice vs to haue wrought the will of the Gentiles when wee walked in lasciuiousnesse lusts excesse of wine c. 1. Pet. 4. 3. Wee must pray for Kings and all in authority that we may leade a quiet and peaceable life in all godlinesse and honestly 1 Tim. 2. 2. where we see godlinesse and honesty ioyned together as inseparable Fifthly wee must walke chastly abstaining from fleshly lusts auoiding vncleanenesse abstaining from fornication and knowing how to possesse our bodies in sanctification and honour not in the lusts of concupiscence as the Gentiles which know not God 1 Thessalonians 4. 3. 4. 5. and that wee may keepe our selues chaste wee must alwaies haue the feare of God before our eyes as Ioseph did Gen. 39. for by the feare of God men depart from euill Prou. 16. 6. Wiues must haue chast conuersations coupled with feare c. 1 Pet. 3. 1. 2. Sixthly wee must walke wisely not in the wisedome of the world which is enmity against God There is a wisedome which is earthly sensuall diuellish But the wisedome that is from aboue is first pure then peaceable gentle easie to be intreated full of mercy and good fruits without partiality and without hypocrisie Iam. 3. 15. 16. Who is a wise man among you and endued with knowledge let him shew out of a good conuersation his workes with meekenesse of wisedome Iam. 3. 13. walke wisely towards those which are without that is not onely towards beleeuers but towards such as are not yet come to the faith and the true knowledge of Christ Colos 4. 5. and for an helpe hereunto let vs walke with the best who are the godly wise For he that walketh with the wise shall be wise Prou. 13. 20. Seauenthly we must walke louingly in loue to God and man our whole conuersation must be in loue Walke in loue as Christ hath loued vs in conformity not equality Ephes 5. 2. I beseech thee Lady not as though I wrote a new commandement vnto thee but that which we had from the beginning that we should loue one another And this is loue that wee walke after Gods commandements This is the commandement that as yee haue heard from the beginning yee should walke in it 2 Epist Iohn 5. 6. Eightly wee must walke fruitfully Our life must bee full of good workes of piety mercy and charity Wee must therefore learne to maintaine good workes that wee be not vnfruitfull Tit. 3. 14. Paul prayeth for the Colossians that they might walke worthy of the Lord vnto all pleasing being fruitfull in euery good worke and increasing in the knowledge of God Colos 1. 9. 10. For we are Gods workeman-ship created in Christ Iesus vnto good workes which God hath ordained that wee should walke in