adde cursed Swearers yea lesse then these c Reuel 22.15 Lyers What thinke you then of lying Swearers theirs sure is the blacknesse of Darknesse the deepest Dungeon in the lowest Hell The Persecutor and Troubler of the Saints of whom said our Sauiour Serpents generation of Vipers d Matt. 23.33 how can they escape the damnation of Hell These with many other their consorts haue their part in the Lake that burnes with fire and brimstone which is the second death which is the wrath to come Secondly Gods children haue herein matter enough to comfort them in all afflictions of this life which they are called to suffer If they haue receiued to beleeue in the Sonne of God and haue hearts to obey him GOD may visit thee with sicknesse in thy body losse in thy goods blemish in thy name crosses in thy children horror in thy conscience all these to humble thee But yet thou art deliuered from the wrath to come yea these very crosses tend to this end e Iob 33.16 18. to deliuer thy soule from the Pit we are chastened of the Lord f 1. Cor. 11.32 that we may not be damned with the world Thirdly the dueties it instructs vs vnto are many the mayne is thankefulnesse to the Authour of this deliuerance No great recompence for such a deliuerance yet all the Lord requires all that we are able to render him yet a duetie of that nature that if wee can heartily performe it wee need no better euidence that we are sharers in it That our dull hearts may the better be excited hereto reuiew the Arguments the Text affoords Where consider the greatnesse of the miserie from which we are freed the wrath to come the damnation of Hell torments easelesse endlesse and remedilesse the name of hell we iustly tremble at what thinke we should we doe in the sense of the torments The Lord the better to shew vs his rich Mercie in our deliuerance is pleased sometimes to cast a flash of this fire into our conscience the Worme wee sometimes feele gnawing and griping there that little flea-biting that short payne how intolerable is it O thinke then how rich the mercy of thy sweet Sauiour was in freeing thee from the extremitie and eternitie of that torment Is one houres griping of this Worme so intolerable what is a thousand yeeres what is eternitie from this eternall wrath Iesus hath deliuered thee and canst thou not affoord him thankes for so great a blessing Let the next consideration be of the persons Vs this terme is doubly considered First Absolutely Secondly respectiuely to others Vs that were by g Ephes 2.3 nature children of wrath that walked after the fashion of the world doing the will of the flesh Vs that by our sinnes crucified the Lord of Life Vs hath this Iesus deliuered Compare our selues with others How many millions of men and women hath the Lord Christ suffered to perish in the state of nature how many for birth more noble for policie more wise for riches excelling more In behauiour before calling perhaps more tolerable yet vs the least of all Saints the chiefe of all sinners hath the Lord deliuered mooues not this to thankfulnesse See then the meanes of thy deliuerance himselfe was made a curse for vs subiected to the wrath of God to the paynes of Hell all this to worke our deliuerance me thinks wee should now euery one say to our soules as DAVID h Psal 103.1 My soule prayse thou the Lord and all that is within me blesse his holy Name borne I was a child of wrath liued as a vessell of wrath being abominable disobedient to euery good worke as reprobate yet in the fulnesse of time came this Sonne of God to be borne vnder the Law to beare the curse of the Law to deliuer my soule from the wrath to come my soule from hell when he suffered thousands of others to perish euerlastingly vnder guilt of their sinnes Secondly it teacheth vs saith ZACHARIE to dedicate our selues i Luk. 1.74 75 to serue this Iesus cheerefully in holinesse and righteousnesse all the dayes of our life Monstrous is the abuse of this mercy of our Sauiour strange the turning this Grace of our God into wantonnesse what Argument so strong to perswade to liue to his glorie as this that when k 2. Cor. 5.14 15. we were all dead he dyed for vs what one thing more frequent occasion of profanenesse and dishonouring the Name of our God Tush what talke you precisely of holinesse Christ dyed for vs to saue vs from hell therefore belike they resolue to crucifie him afresh To whom I say as Moses to Israel l Deut. 32.6 Doe yee thus requite the Lord oh foolish people and vnwise oh hellish people and profane What because the Lord in riches of his mercie dyed for thy sinnes and freed thee from the wrath to come wilt thou therefore dishonour him in thy life and cause his Name to be blasphemed as Peter to Simon Magus I say also to thee Thou hast neither part nor fellowship in this blessed and comfortable deliuerance The end of the first Chapter THE SECOND CHAPTER OF THE FIRST EPISTLE TO THE THESSALONIANS VERS 1. For your selues Brethren know our entrance in vnto you that it was not vaine THis Chapter propounds new Arguments of perseuerance in number two First from the graciousnesse of the instrument by which they were brought to the Faith ad Vers 13. Secondly from the experience themselues had had of the power and efficacie of the Doctrine of Faith inde ad finem The Context stands thus he had said Chap. 1.9 that the Churches of God euerywhere tooke notice of and declared the issue and fruit of Pauls first Ministerie amongst this people q. d. and not without cause for you know that our entrance to you was not vaine The chiefe Conclusion is PAVLS entrance was not vaine And it is amplified by certayne helping causes auayling to make his Ministerie effectuall First in Paul first his boldnesse Secondly his sinceritie Thirdly his meeknesse and amiable demeanour towards them Secondly in the People their reuerent and respectfull behauiour in hearing Vers 13. Sense our entrance that is first Preaching was not vaine say some in the matter not vaine but substantiall and sound Rather in the fruit not vaine GOD so blessing his paynes that thereby they were conuerted and brought to the Faith Chap. 19. Obser And what Paul speaks of himselfe is generally true of all others dealing sincerely in the worke of the Ministerie Their preaching seldome or neuer wants fruit seldome this fruit conuersion of Gods people a Ioh. 15.16 I haue sent you and ordayned you that you should goe and bring forth fruit b Ier. 23.22 If they had stood in my counsell they should haue turned the people from their euill way Though Esay his Ministerie wrought nothing in the multitude but blindnesse and obstinacie c Isai 6.13 yet was
propertie of speech is that act of vncleannesse committed betwixt persons vnmarried Largely taken it compriseth all whatsoeuer breaches of Chastitie First whither in the b Matt. 5.28 heart by inordinate desire Secondly or in the c 2. Pet. 2.14 eye by wanton and lasciuious lookes Thirdly or in the d Ephe. 4.29 5.3 tongue by filthy and rotten speech Fourthly or in the act by doing e Gen. 39.9 that great wickednesse See Annot. ad Rom. 1. A sinne which the Lord hath seuerely threatned grieuously punished from Heauen cursed to the pit of Hell yet reckoned generally amongst leuiora delicta and as Papists call them veniall sinnes A tricke of youth say our Youths of that which brought in the f Gen. 6. floud vpon the world of the vngodly fire and brimstone g 19. vpon Sodome h Num. 25. pestilence vpon Israel c. Our wisedome shall be to notice the odious foulnesse thereof that if it be possible Conscience of the sinners may be more remorcefull and a sinne of so foule nature not so sleighted First the Apostle makes it eminent aboue all sinnes in this respect that it alone is i 1. Cor. 6.18 against the body depriuing it of that great honour whereto God hath aduanced it to be a member of Christ a Temple for his Spirit to dwell in Secondly vsually they are counted greatest sinnes that imply breach of most Commandements Adulterie is k Vers 15.19 Sacrilege Profanenesse Dismembring the body of Christ drawes with it Thefts Murthers what not Thirdly they say also sinnes are most pernicious that are most delightsome because the affections are most taken and streightest detayned by them therefore perhaps Salomon said of the Harlot her l Eccles 7.26 heart is snares and nets her hands as bands so easily are men taken so hardly rescued being once bewitched with the bestiall pleasure of that luxurie Fourthly varietie of Iudgements threatned shewes it haynous aboue the ordinarie Waste of m Iob 31.12 goods blemish of n Pro. 6.33 Name rottennesse of bones o Hos 4.11 hardnesse of heart c. plagues of all sorts threatned to deterre vs. Fiftly executions haue beene grieuous on Sodomites old World Israelites of whom said the Apostle there fell in one day for this sinne p 1. Cor. 10.8 three and twentie thousand I say then as PAVL Fly Fornication VERS 4. That euery of you should knew c. WHether in these words Paul would prescribe remedie against lust and meanes of abstayning from the sinne or intends only to explicate the Commandement in the positiue part is no matter of curious inquirie In the words are First the persons to whom he prescribes Secondly the duetie prescribed Euery one of you In morall dueties no man hath exemption q Reuel 20.12 Great and small stand to be iudged euery man is countable for his sinnes r 2. Cor. 5.10 rewarded according to his deeds whether they be good or euill For the particular in the Text. The ſ Deut. 17.17 King may not multiply wiues no not to continue succession much lesse Strumpets to glut vnsatiable lust t Ephes 5.5 No Whoremonger or vncleane person hath any inheritance in the Kingdome of Christ and of God Obiect Yet Patriarchs they say without checke multiplyed Wiues and Concubines Answ August First Some are of opinion they had their speciall dispensation to this end that they might multiply the holy Seed Secondly The rule of * Ber. de praecep dispensat Bernard must in such cases be remembred where wee finde in Scripture any practice of Saints swaruing from the general rule Aut eos peceasse fatendum est sicut homines aut certe sicut Prophetas familiare Dei consilium accepisse For vs wee are sure the rule holds generall euery man is bound by this precept of Chastity There were in Austins dayes men that pleaded immunity by their sexe thinking women onely bound by the precept of Chastity and a great disparagement they thought it to the dignity of their sexe if their adulteries must receiue like punishment with those of women An verè sexus nostri dignitas hanc sustinebit iniuriam vt cum alijs socminis praeter vxores siquid admittimus in luendis poenis mulieribus comparemur Why not saith Austine Yea why not rather sith by strength of their sexe they seeme more able to master their lusts and of dutie should guide their Wiues by example That saying of u Iam. 4.4 IAMES Yee Adulterers and Adulteresses stops the mouthes of all such idle and impious Distinguishers Our times haue also forged Dispensations What mens iudgement is I know not but seldome haue I seene it penanced in the Greater as if it were sinne only in the meaner people Generally the sentence of the prophane Poet is applauded by the multitude Non est scelus scortari Adolescentem It is no such haynous matter for yong men to bee giuen to whoring But if x Psal 119.9 yong men bee bound to reforme their wayes by the Law of God if they y Lament 3.27 must beare the yoke in youth if the iollity of that Age shall bee z Eccl. 11.9 brought to Iudgement let such tremble to hearten themselues in such sinnes as exclude from Heauen and giue a Reuel 21.8 portion with Hypocrites in the Lake that burnes for euer Should know that is haue skill The Apostle seemes to imply that there is a kinde of art of Chastity and great skill required to possesse our vessell in holinesse c. Truth is Christianitie is an Art or Science and no small skill is required to Regular exercise of Christian vertues GREGORY NAZIANZENE said once the cure of Soules was the Science of Sciences generally it is true of Christianity It is the Art of Arts the art of liuing well To this end Saint Peter aduiseth to ioyne to our vertue b 2. Pet. 1.5 knowledge as I conceiue him skill in the exercise of Christian Vertues Paul in a particular makes it a point of c Phil. 4.12 mysticall knowledge to carry himselfe equally and with euen hand in all Estates In Prayer hee would intimate wonderfull skill required and not learnt but of an d Rom. 8.26 heauenly Schoolemaster That knew the Disciples well and therefore it is their Petition e Luke 11.1 Lord teach vs to pray To say in a word what one Christian Vertue or Dutie is it that askes not skill to the right vse and performance of it take instance in that of Faith How to vphold it when it wauers to restraine it when it degenerates towardes presumption how to turne the eye of it from the Law to the Gospell from Gods Iustice to his Mercie Here sure is the wisdome of beleeuing How many see wee for lacke of this skill if not vtterly mis-carry yet dangerously hazarding their soules to ship-wracke the Presumer thinkes of the rich mercy of God the
1. Tim. 5.6 are dead while they are aliue and as our Sauiour They z Ioh. 3.18 are condemned alreadie For such if for any is that a Isai 30.33 Tophet prepared the burning whereof is fire and much wood which the breath of the Lord as a streame of brimstone kindleth and for euer keepes burning Secondly To these are added those that as Stephen speaks of Iewes alwayes b Act. 7.51 resist the holy Ghost and labour to suppresse the holy motions suggested by him How oft doe I perswade my selfe the worst men vnder our Ministerie heare that voice behind them This is the way walke yee in it and as Agrippa are c Act. 26.28 almost perswaded to become Christians But see the cursed vnthankfulnesse of men wilfully setting themselues to repell such motions those sweet inspirements of Gods holy Spirit they call I would I might say ignorantly fits of melancholy I am sure profanely qualmes of deuotion And then haste to their cursed companie and no lesse then abominable courses to chase away those qualmes of conscience Oh wonderfull mercy of God offered to such mens soules had they grace to consider and accept it How iustly may the Lord say to them as he speaks to Israel d Hosh 13.9 Your destruction is of your selues and as to Ierusalem e Isai 5.4 What should he haue done more that he hath not done Teaching them by his Word wakening them by his Rod inuiting them by his bountie offering himselfe to them by his Spirit whiles they desperately forsake their owne mercy The issues vsuall of such men are First that their hearts grow thereby more obdurate Secondly the life more brutish and abominable Thirdly else fall they into agonies of conscience such as wherin they perish through euerlasting despaire Thirdly A third sort there are and they are much amongst vs men that vnder pretence of discretion and seeing more into the state of Religion then at first entrance they could see abate of their feruour and as they now terme it violence of gracious affections seeming to conceit there may be a nimium of deuotion men may be ouer-forward and zealous A Sermon now and then doth well euery weeks hearing is not so necessarie studie of Scriptures is good at leisure times as it were for recreation we be not Angels but Men and there is a reason in all things euen in religiousnesse if men could hit on it I confesse there is a kind of deuotion wherein men may be too feruent but that deuotion is superstition a kind of zeale whereof may be a nimium but that is f Rom. 10.2 zeale not according to knowledge yet beware I beseech you you giue not the Lord the least occasion to complaine of you as of the Angell of Ephesus that you haue left your first loue and take heede this temperatenesse and discretion as it is called degenerate not into g Reuel 3.16 luke-warmenesse the worst temper that can be of our Religious affections Feare to bee noted of backe-sliding Tremble to lose the least measure of Gods gracious gifts to abate any thing of the heat and feruour of sanctified affections It is a step towards quenching but to slake the fire of Gods Spirit in our hearts Meanes of cherishing and keeping in life our spirituall gifts First exercise and imployment Secondly h 1. Tim. 1.19 Good Conscience and holy obedience which while some neglect they make shipwracke of faith Thirdly humilitie in Bernards iudgement is conseruatrix virtutum Fourthly i Heb. 10.25 Forsake not assemblies of Saints neglect no meanes sanctified to worke establishment How may the motions of Gods Spirit be distinguished from Diabolicall delusions Satanicall suggestions are oft subtilly contriued cunningly coloured that lying spirit sometimes dares counterfeit the Spirit of truth Scarce euer was heretique so phantasticall or impudent but pretended guidance by the Spirit of God Anabaptists teaching to despise Authoritie to vilifie all other ordinances of God pretend I know not what instincts and reuelations from the Spirit of God Montanus tells of a strange Paraclete that inspired him and guided to publish his damned errors Meanes of discerning First Isai his watch-word let it be our rule k Isai 8.20 Deut. 13.2 3. To the Law and to the Testimonie if they speake not according to this word it is euidence that there is no light in them Secondly The gift of Prophecie as of miracles is now ceased in the Church God deales not now as in former times by extraordinary instinct or inspiratiō His charge is To l Reuel 22.11 adde nothing to the words of IOHNS Prophecie vnder paine of addition to be made to our plagues Thirdly If the matter of the suggestion be euill either in the whole kind or by circumstance it is no Diuine motion but either a m Iam. 1.14 concupiscentiall phantasie or a n Iob. 13 2. Diabolicall delusion Fourthly Euer be iealous of all motions leading thee beyond thy calling or measure of gifts The rules are o Rom. 12.6 Sapere ad sobrietatem and p Psal 131.1 not to meddle with things too high It is glorious to exercise the Ministerie but examine thy gifts Excitements to enter that function without gifts thou mayest well thinke are but suggestions of pride VERS 20. Despise not Prophecyings THe duetie he prescribed tends in the holy practice of it to preserue the life and vigour of Gods Spirit in vs. The sense conceiue thus Of Prophecie we find two sorts First Extraordinary that stood partly in foretelling things to come by immediate reuelatiō partly in interpreting Scriptures with vnerring spirit In regard of which function those whom the Lord extraordinarily stirred vp in the old Testament some also in the New were called Prophets Of which sort if now were any they ought to haue their extraordinary respect There are I know that arrogate such a lumen Propheticum and reckon it amongst the markes of their Church But if q Reue. 22.18 nothing may be added to the Prophecie of Iohns Booke it should seeme the Lord hath therein fully reueiled whatsoeuer is necessarie to be knowne touching state of the Church to the end of the world and then what needs a new light of Prophecie Secondly Another ordinary intimated by the Apostle with whom to Prophecie in this kind is r 1. Cor. 14.2 to speake vnto men to Edification Exhortation Comfort In our vsuall language we call it Preaching Therefore termed by PAVL Prophecying perhaps because the matter of preaching in those dayes was the Scriptures in MOSES and Prophets in opening and applying whereof the seruants of God were then conuersant And of such prophecyings would Paul be vnderstood His prescript in respect of preaching is not to despise it That 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 implies highest reuerence and esteeme most conscionable attendance due to this ordinance of God In pressing that duetie I haue beene forestalled by the paines of my reuerend Symmysta whom I