Office not only in that he was an Apostle Perkins in Gal. 2.9 with others but also of great honour and respect among the Apostles and in the Church he being Act. 15. a principall member some say President in the Council of Jerusalem where he gave his advice in a great Controversie and it was highly esteemed and followed and in regard of his high esteem in the Church and usefulnesse he is with Cephas and John Gal. 2.9 called a Pillar for although all the Apostles were equall in degree of office yet there were some of them endowed with more eminent gifts and had greater esteem then the rest and therfore we read of Paul's comparing himself with the chiefest of the Apostles 2 Cor. 11.5 and 12.11 of which James was one And wheras Mark 15.40 he is called James the less 't is conceived it was not to distinguish him from the other James the son of Zebedee as if the Scripture hereby would denote our James lesse in respect of age calling to Apostleship or of stature much lesse of esteem but he may be called the lesse in comparison of his father Ista majoritas minoritas est inter patrem filium inter Jacobum Alphaeum Jacobum Alphaei filium Vid. Boulduc in ver 1. Jud. Videantur Epiphan Hieron Egesippus c. who as a learned man thinks was called James also as well as Alpheus which opinion of his he probably confirms in his Exposition upon this place 2. Ecclesiasticall History speaks of him also as a most worthy person both for the admirable and rare holiness of his life and his constancy in professing of Christ at his death 1. For his life Hierom in allusion to his name James or Jacob calls him the supplanter of sin and vice of those times wherein he lived preach'd and wrote And as many write most highly in commendation of him so particularly Eusebius in his second Book Chap. 1. 22. For his holinesse he was called the Just 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. Euseb lib. 2. c. 22. one that was much in fasting and prayer for the pardon of that sinfull people the Jews with his frequent and long praying his knees were hard The Jews were generally much convinced of his holines insomuch as the enemies of Christ hoped if they could procure him to deny Christ that most of those that professed would abandon the Faith of Christ 2. For his Death The Scribes and Pharisees earnestly besought him to disclaim Christ openly and to that end they set him upon the Temple that in the sight and audience of the people he might declare that Jesus was not Christ but he to admiration profess'd his own faith in Christ telling the multitudes that Christ was in heaven at the right hand of God and that in the clouds he should come again to judg the world with which profession his enemies being enraged cast him down from the Temple and afterwards murdered him he before his death praying that God would pardon their sin unto them the same Author as also Josephus lib. 20. Antiq. cap. 8. testifying that those who were of the wiser sort thought that this detestable fact was that which shortly after drew down the judgment of God to the utter destruction of that bloody City Jerusalem that had among others butchered so holy a man Thus far Eusebius This though I relate not as Canonicall yet neither do I look upon it as fabulous it being by many famous and godly Writers testified And this for the first particular to be explained Who this James was The second Branch of Explication was Why Jude stileth himself the brother of this James Of which I finde two reasons given both probable 1. That he might difference himself from others of that name especially Judas Iscariot of which also the Scripture seems to take especiall care Hence Joh. 14.22 he is spoken of with an addition of a not Iscariot this traytors name being grown detestable in which respect 't is generally conceived Mar. 3.18 Matt. 10.3 that he had the names of Thaddaeus and Lebbaeus put upon him as was before noted and thus he wisely preserves himself and Epistle from undue prejudice and by the clearnesse of his person prevents dislike of his performance 2. He expressed this neer relation between himself and James Act. 12.17 Gal. 2.9 in regard this Apostle James being better known then himself of high estimation and reputation in the Church Jacobi celebr is ob virtutem apud omnes fama effectura erat ut hujus Apostoli doctrina apud auditores majorem haberet authoritatem libentiús que admitteretur praesertim si is qui genere sanguine cognatus esset non alienus à cognati moribus sed sub uno Domino Christo degens idem servitut is jugum cum fratre c. commonly known by the title of the Lords brother respected by Peter famous for his sanctity of life accounted a Pillar in the Church President of the Council of Jerusalem Jude might hereby win attention and credit to himself and his Epistle from those to whom he wrote And this is the reason that Occumenius gives to this effect The fame of James for his vertue would put the greater authority upon Judes doctrine especially when it should be seen that Jude was as neer him in his practices and conversation as in blood and kindred Besides by the naming of James with so much respect it could not be imagined but that he consented with him in that wholsom doctrine for which James was famous in the Church and yet though our Apostle provides for the acceptation of his doctrine neither he nor his brother James ambitiously advance their own reputation both of them though the Lords brethren yet contenting themselves with that humble though indeed truly honourable title of the servant of Jesus Christ. 2. I come to the Observations flowing from his using this title of the brother of James 1. How needfull is it for a Minister to be of an unteinted reputation Obs 1. Jude provides for it both by making it known how far he was from Iscariot and how neer unto James 1 Tim. 3.7 A Bishop must be of good report saith Paul It s necessary for his own salvation that he should be good and for the salvation of others that he should be accounted so How great was Paul's care that the Gospel should not be blamed 2 Cor. 6.3 Sometime the people are occasioned to love the Word by the worth of the Minister though we should love the Minister for the Word A crack'd Bell is not good to call men together nor is a Minister of crack'd reputation fit to perswade others to holinesse To have all speak well of us is not more impossible then suspicious Antisthenes the Athenian when he heard some unworthy men did highly commend him said I fear I have done some evill that I know not of And another would frequently say Would we know
meet this ugly guest in any corner of the house but the heart riseth against it this hatred of evill Psal 97.10 is more then of hell it s a killing look that the soul doth cast upon every corruption He that hateth his brother is a man-slayer he that hateth his lust is a sin-slayer not he that hateth the sins or practices of his brother but the person of his brother so not he that hateth the effects and fruits of sin but the nature of sin not he that hateth sin for hell but as hell Every evill by how much the nearer 't is by so much the more it s hated An evill as it is so to our estate names children wife life soul as impendent adjacent incumbent inherent admits of severall degrees of hatred Sin is an inward a soul-foe Love turned into hatred becoms most bitter brethrens divisions are hardest to reconcile the souls old love is turned into new hatred the very ground sin treads upon is hated There 's a kinde of hatred of ones self for sin every act that sin hath a hand in is hated our very duties for sins intermixing with them and we are angry with our selves that we can hate it no more 3. This hatred puts forth it self in labouring the destruction of sin Love cannot be hid neither can this hatred The soul seeks the death of sin by these ways and helps 1. By lamentation to the Lord when going to him for strength with the Apostle Oh wretched man that I am was there ever a soul so sin-pestred Ah woe is me Lord that I am compell'd to be chain'd to this block Never did a slave in Egypt or Turkey so sigh under bondage as a mortifying soul doth under corruption The sorrows of others are outward shallow in the eye the look but these are in the bottom of the soul deep sorrows It s true a man may give a louder cry at the drawing of a tooth then ever he did pining under the deepest consumption but yet the consumption that is the harbinger of death doth afflict him much more and though outward worldly grief as for the death of a child c. may be more intense and expressive yet grief for sin is more deep close sticking oppressive to the soul then all other sorrows the soul of a saint like a sword may be melted when the outward man the scabbard is whole 2. The soul of a sin-subduer fights against sin with the Crosse of Christ and makes the death of Christ the death of sin Ephes 5.25 1. By depending on his death as the meritorious cause of sins subduing of sanctification and cleansing Christs purifying us being upon the condition of his suffering 1 Cor. 6.20 and so it urgeth God thus Lord hath not Christ laid down the price of the purchase why then is Satan in possession Is Satan bought out Lord let him be cast out 2. By taking a pattern from the death of Christ for the killing of sin we being planted into the similitude of his death Rom. 8.5 sin it self hanging upon the crosse as it were when Christ died Oh saith a gracious heart that my corruptions may drink Vinegar that they may be pierced and naild and never come down alive but though they die lingeringly yet certainly Oh that I might see their hands feet side and every limb of the body of death bored the head bowing and the whole laid in the grave the darknesse error and vanity of the understanding the sinfull quietnesse and unquietnesse of my conscience the rebellion of my will the disorder of my affections 3. And especially the soul makes use of the death of Christ as a motive or inducement to put it upon sin-killing Ah my sin is the knife saith the soul that is redded over in my Redeemer's blood Ah it pointed every thorn on his head and nail in his hands and feet Lord Art thou a friend to Christ and shall sin that kill'd him live Thus a sin-mortifying heart brings sin neer to a dead Christ whom faith seeth to fall a bleeding afresh upon the approach of sin and therfore it layes the death of Christ to the charge of sin The crosse of Christ is sins terror the souls armour The bloud of Christ is old sures-be as holy Bradford was wont to say to kill sin As he died for sin so must we to it as his flesh was dead so must ours be Our old man is crucified with him Rom. 6.6 It s not a Pope's hallowing a Crosse that can do it Mr. D. Rogers Pr. Cat. but the power of Christ by a promise which blesseth this Crosse to mortification 3. The soul labours to kill sin by fruitfull enjoyment of Ordinances It never goeth to pray but it desires sin may have some wound and points by prayer like the sick child to the place where its most pained How doth it bemoan it self with Ephraim and pour-forth the bloud of sin at the eys It thus also improves Baptism it looks upon it as a seal to Gods promise that sin shall die We being buried with Christ in baptism that the Egyptians shall be drowned in the sea It never heareth a Sermon but as Joab dealt with Vrijah it labours to set its strongest corruption in the fore-front of the battell that when Christ shoots his arrows and draws his sword in the preaching of the Word sin may be hit An unsanctified person is angry with such preaching and cannot endure the winde of a sermon should blow upon a lust 4. By a right improving all administrations of providence If God send any affliction the sanctified soul concludes that some corruption must go to the lions If there arise any storms presently it enquires for Jonah and labours to cast him over-board If God snatcheth away comforts as Joseph fled from his Mistris presently a sin-mortifying heart saith Lord thou art righteous my unclean heart was prone to be in love with them more then with Christ my true Husband If God at any time hedg up her way with thorns she reflects upon her own gadding after her impure Lovers If her two eys Profits Pleasures be put out and removed a sin-mortifier will desire to pull down the house upon the Philistims and beareth every chastisement cheerfully even death it self that sin may but die too 5. By consideration of the sweetnesse of spirituall life Life is sweet and therfore what cost are men at to be rid of diseases to drive an Enemy out of the Country The soul thinks how happy it should be could it walk with God and be upright and enjoy Christ be rid of a Tyrant and be governed by the laws of a Liege the Lord Jesus How heavie is Satans yoke to him who sees the beutie and tasts the liberty of holy obedience A sick man confined to bed how happy doth he think them that can walk abroad about their imployments Oh saith a gracious heart how sweetly doth such a Christian pray how strictly doth
into the eye it presently begins to cry The people of God while troubles are upon them are safe but when they are within them when sin sends away Christ then begins their woe Sin can never quite bereave a Saint of his jewel his grace but it may steal away the key of the cabinet his assurance he may not know where to finde his grace when he stands most it need of it Grieve not that holy Spirit which unites Chrisâ— to the soul and supplyes the soul with Christ Grieve not that Spirit in thy joyes which only can rejoyce thee in thy griefs The Spirit of Christ is a tender thing When Jâ—seph manifested himself to his brethren the Egyptians weâ— made to go forth and when the Spirit discovers the love oâ— Christ to us there must not be a lust allowed in us 5. Obs 5. I note The great happinesse by the second abovâ— what was enjoyed from the first Adam We were holy in the first but are preserved only in the second Adam in the former holinesse was perfect onely in the later it is permanent in Adam we had a power to stand if we would in Christ we have grace that makes us will Adam had life but lost it and derives death Christ hath life keeps it and communicates it Oh the goodnesse of God that he should take occasion by mans hurting himself to do him good and after his falling not onely to raise him up but to keep him up to keep him as the Apostle afterward from falling A mercy which as it requires thankfulnesse Felicior Job in sterquilinio quam Adamus in Paradiso Subjiciuntur miscriis non rejiciuntur cum miseris so it opposeth high-mindednesse Job on the dung-hill was more safe then Adam in that place which was the beauty of the earth Though the faithfull may be cast into miseries yet they perish not with the miserable But though wee stand longer then Adam stood yet by our selves we stand not at all we live in a continued dependence upon Christ if he with-draw his manu-tenency Rom. 11.18 20. the higher we are in grace the lower shall we be in sin We bear not the root but the root bears us let us not be high-minded but fear Who-ever is preserved in Christ must not arrogate his preservation to himself Christ must have the glory both of our setting out and holding out This for the second Priviledge from which the faithfull to whom Jude writes are described viz. Their Preservation in Christ The third and last follows viz. Their Vocation Last in the order of the Apostles writing though indeed first in the order of Gods working the Apostle hereby expressing the ground of their Sanctification and their perseverance therein viz. Their true and effectuall vocation from sin to God at the first Called Of this Vocation 1. By way of Explication 2. By way of Observation The word here used signifieth sundry sorts of Callings 1. Not to speak of calling personall 1 Cor. 7.24 Rom. 1.2 Gal. 1.1 or to a Function and Office whether oeconomicall Military Magistraticall or Ecclesiasticall Acts 1.26 immediate or mediate as not being here intended 2. Nor of that generall calling of all persons in the world by the works of creation Rom. 2.15 and 1.19 Psal 19.1 Acts 17.27 and the light of nature by which God speaks to heathens 3. But of that spirituall calling afforded only unto some Acts 14.17 which is to seek happinesse and blessednesse in Christ This is twofold 1. Only externall and ineffectuall 2. Internal also and effectuall 1. Only externall Ps 147.19 20. Acts 17.30 and by the ministry of the Gospel bestowed sometimes upon Cities Kingdoms Common-wealths A calling according to means common to the elect and reprobates Mat. 20.16 Many are called but few are chosen It s often inefficacious as to the saving good of the hearer Mat. 23.37 Heb. 4.3 Audiunt multi obaudiunt pauci Christ would have gathered Jerusalem's children and they would not The word preach'd profited not because not mixt with faith God by this external calling shewing what is mans duty and what was once his ability to perform the impairing of which later is no exemption from the former Joh. 15.22 24. and hereby rendring men inexcusable they knowing what they should do and not doing what they know And also by this meerly outward calling men are conteyned in externall order abstain from sundry great and heynous sins are profitable instruments in a Common-wealth observe civill Justice c. which God oft rewards with temporall blessings 2. The other sort of this spirituall Vocation is internal and effectual this bringing us into the invisible Church as the other into the visible this uniting us to Christ the head the other tying us to the members this bringing to illumination of faith the other to illumination of knowledge only this making us members the other professors of Christ this curing and changing the other only curbing us this being a calling according to purpose and flowing from election the other a calling according to means only The general way leading to the knowledge of God by the creatures and naturall light or the meer externall revelation of the will of God in the Scriptures sufficing not Totus Psalmus in tres partes distribui potest Prima agit de prima Schola quae est universalis seu omnium hominum communis Secunda de Schola particulari propria Ecclesiae penes quam Deus Oracula sua deposuit Tertia de Schola specialis gratiae internâ efficaci quae ad Unctionem Spiritus refertur quae docet vero salutari modo Riv. arg Ps 19. without the effectuall operation of the Spirit upon the heart in respect whereof as the learned Rivet well observes the Psalmist throughout the 19 Psalm sets down a three-fold School by which God teacheth us and calls us 1. That which is common to all men by the contemplation of the creatures 2. That which is proper to the Church standing in Gods committing his oracles unto it 3. That which is internall and of speciall grace efficacious and to be referr'd to the unction of the Spirit which teacheth and calleth after a saving manner And this is the calling here intended being that powerfull work of God calling persons to be what they are not of sinners to become Saints of enemies to become sons whereby grace is not only offered but conferr'd a work of Gods Spirit whereby the elect are not only morally invited but efficaciously incited to come to Christ For the explanation of which I shall briefly touch upon six Considerations which sweetly agree in three pairs or couples with the ordinary calls or invitations which are between man and man 1. The term from which we are called with 2. The term to which we are called 3. The Caller or who it is that calleth with 4. The persons called 5. The Voyce wherewith he calleth with 6.
upon these clothes are onely thine the garment it self was anothers before it was thine Thou art beholding to mercy for any endowment of minde or body wisdom estate riches honours c. It s hard to be high in place and low in our own esteem Sacrifice not to thine own yarn or net let Mercy have the praise of all thou art and hast Pride is the moth of mercy nay Magnus dives est major divitiis suis qui non ideo magnum sc putat quia dives est Aug. the winde that dryes up the streams both of Gods bounty and thy gratitude That which by mercy was thine by thy pride may become anothers He is truly great in his riches that thinks not himself great by riches The greater our receipts the lesse room for pride the greater cause of thankefulnesse 2. In expecting of blessings only have an eye to mercy Idco Deus meus quia bonorum meorum non in diget Omne bonum nostrum aut ipse est 〈◊〉 ab ipso Aug. de Doc. Ch. l. 5. c. 31. In desires of pardon for sin acceptation of services obtaining of heaven renounce thine own worthinesse either in what thou art or dost How purely unprofitable to God is thy greatest goodnesse it is nothing unto him he is neither the better for thy goodness nor the worse for thy wickedness Is it any benefit to the fountain that thou drinkest of it or to the light that thou seest How full of mixtures of sin are thy holyest services in the sense whereof holy Augustine pray'd Regard O Lord in me not my work but thine own If thou regardest mine thou damnest me if thine own thou crownest me what-ever good I have is from thee and 't is rather thine then mine How full of pride is thy humility thy faith of distrustfulnesse Phil. 3.13 thy zeal of lukewarmnesse of self-seeking thy performances what darknesse is in thy light how unrighteous thy righteousnesse If God should contend with us Job 9.2 3 Qui de perfectione se â—rigit habere se bene vivendi neâ— initium indicat Gr. Mo. l. 9. c. 1. In sola Christi morte te totum contege huic morti te involve si Deus te voluerit judicare dic Do mine mortem Domini mei objicio inter me et te Ans de art Mor. Meritum meum miseratio Domini Bern. Serm. 61. in Cant. Prece post justitiam indiget ut quae succumbere discussa poterat ex sola Judicis pietate convalescat Gr. Mor. l. 9. cap. 14. Etsi ad opus virtutis excrevero ad vitam non ex meritis sed ex venia convalesco Id. Ib. Sordet in districtione Judicis quod in aestimatione fulget operantis Gr. Mor. l. 5. c. 7. James 2.13 2 Tim. 1.16 2 Tim. 4.8 we cannot answer for one of a thousand He that boasteth of the perfection wants the very beginning of holiness That which appears beautifull in thine eyes is foul in Gods The wisest counsell is to cover over thy self and winde up thy soul in Christs death to set that between God and thy soul to acknowledge his mercy thy onely merit Death is a stipend Life is a donative a free gift not a due debt God crowneth with mercy but a swoln head is not fit to have that crown put upon it Who can say he hath cleansed his heart We want a thousand times more grace than we have though sin be cast down in regard of its regency yet it is not cast out in regard of its inherency Thy rectitude compared to thy rule is crookedness 'T is not thy purity but thy pardon that must save thee If there shall be judgment without mercy to those that shewed no mercy then must it be with mercy even to those also which shew mercy It s mercy that must stand Onesiphorus in stead at that day The Crown of righteousnesse Paul speaks of is a crown of mercy too the bestowing it is of justice but the promising it was of mercy 2. Obs 2. The duty of contentation in our greatest wants or smallest receipts If one not engaged to us deny us a courtesie we have no cause of discontentment when God gives it is free mercy when he with-holds he useth his liberty Thy supplyes are without desert and thy wants must be without discontent Wonder not at the blessings thou dost not wonder more at those thou dost enjoy Thy condition is begging and thy part is not choyce Cum aspexeris quot te antecedant cogita quot sequantur Sen. Ep. 15. Repine not if thou canst not reach thy richest neighbour who hast nothing to say against God should the poorest overtake thee Murmur not for what is lost but be thankfull for what is left We must not controll God in the disposing of his alms as if he did not distribute with equality We should bring our hearts to his hand where he stayes his bounty there must we stint our desires 3. I note The impiety and folly of those that abuse mercy that spurn against Gods bowels Obs 3. Sins against mercy are double-dy'd This is the provocation Heb. 3.8 to see Gods works of love and care forty yeers and yet to sin this is to sin against the remedy other sinners may these who thus sin must die These sin at a higher rate than others These in sin cast not off God onely but even the very man Isa 1.3 nay are sham'd by the beasts If to requite good for evill is our duty in reference to man surely to requite evill for good and that to God must needs be impiety This sin renders inexcusable God appeals to the very consciences of mercy-despisers Isa 5.3 4 and offers themselves to judge of the righteousnesse of his proceedings in punishment nay the recollecting of abused mercy will be the most scalding ingredient in that fiery lake when the flaming sufferer remembers he that is now mocking at my calamity once wept over my unkind soul he who is now harder than flint and marble against me was once a tender-hearted God toward me he who now thunders in wrath formerly soundin bowels the way of mercy was once open and plain but now the bridge of mercy is drawn my possibilities are ended I am now in a gulf of woe that heretofore was unprofitably a gulf of mercy How many Kingdoms nay Worlds would I now give for but one drop of that love the sweet and swelling streams whereof I heretofore did but paddle in O Christian sin not against Mercy if that be thine enemy what shall Justice be when Love it self shall be inexorable who shall plead for thee Let mercy make thee blush that justice may not make thee bleed Trifle not away the day of grace The wine of mercy is to refresh the sorrowfull with hope not to intoxicate the sinner into presumption If mercy cannot thaw thee 't will burn thee O let the long-suffering of God be
than for which wee do live Onely such things must be loved much which cannot be loved too much 2. Riches must not be abused to Creature-confidence Job 31.24 1 Tim. 6.17 Gold must not be our hope we must not trust in uncertain riches lying vanities mammon of unrighteousnesse Non fallitur qui nullifidit Riches never deceive us but when we trust them The creature may be used as a staffe to walke with not to lean upon 3. Nor must they be abused to prodigality Abundance requires sobriety they who walk in slippery and dirty wayes had need to gird up their loynâ— 1 Pet. 1.13 Men should not feed upon but onely taste pleasures like Jonathan who did but dip the end of his rod in the hony comb 2. Honours must not be abused to pride Height in place requires lownesse in opinion There 's no advantage comes by having honour from men but only the having therby an opportunity of honouring God It 's sacriledge and Idolatry to accept of honour to Gods dishonour 2. Nor must the gifts of the body as strength and beuty be abused 1. Strength must not be abused to luxury It must not be given to * Pro. 7.26 wine and women 2. Nor to the wronging and oppressing of the weak nor be a weapon of any unrighteousnesse nor 3. be abused to †Jer. 9.23 boasting If God withdraw his manutenency the most strongly built body drops into the grave and he who cannot be overcome by others may by God be suffered to be his own executioner 2. Beuty must not be abused to the enticement of others to sin or the contempt of others who want it or to a sinfull * Manus Deo inferunt quando id quod ille formavit reformare contenduÌ„t nescientes quia opus Dei est omne quod nascitur diaboli quodcunquemutatur Cyp. lib. de discip hab virg §. 12 Bona domus malus hospes Vestite vos serico probitatis byssino sanctitatis purpur â pudicitiae Taliter pig mentatae Deum habebitis amatorem Tert. de cult Foeâ—â— Quaenam perfidia armari eloquentiâ ut contra suum do minum praelietur Camp Orat de Juv. Acad Jer. 4.22 Exod. 1.9 mending or rather marring of Gods wise handy worke by paintings and spottings as if the forme bestowed by God should be reformed by the divel Or to a neglect of that true beuty of the soul by being transformed from glory to glory by the spirit 2 Cor. 3.18 as if the house were more to be regarded than the inhabitant and the casket more to be prized than the pearl 3. We must not abuse the gifts of the mind Parts wit understanding must not be imployed against God to plotting against or opposing of Christ and his truth The edge of wit must not wound religion Men must not be wise to do evill or as Pharaoh deal wisely against Gods people Parts are never used aright but when they are Engines to set up a building of glory to Christ and when employed as once the Asse was to exalt their Master 2. But especially should we take heed of perverting spirituall favours 1. How pernitious is that abuse of the Decrees of God to a liberty in sin lâ— by concluding that if we be elected a wicked life shall not hurt and if we be reprobated godlinesse shall not help us Whereas he who hath elected to salvation Eph. 1.4 Rom. 8.30 hath likewise ordained those means whereby salvation shall be obtained and that we shall walk in the way which leads to the same But of this before 2. We should fear to pervert the patience and long suffering of God to a presumption and a delaying of repentance Eccles 8.11 Rom. 2.4 This being a despising that goodnesse which leads to repentance and a treasuring up wrath by Gods forbearance God intended mercy to be prized not despised and he who hath made a promise to repentance Heb 3.7 hath not made a promise of repentance when we please nay how justly may God punish the contempt of his grace with finall impenitency Repentance delaid till death is seldome unto life 3. Take heed oâ— perverting the Seriptures to countenance thy sin either in opinion or practice 2 Pet. 3.16 Wrest them not wrack them not to make them speak that which they never intended bring not the Scriptures to thy opinion but thy opinion to the Scripture and every doctrine that cannot endure to look upon that sun cast it down as spurious Take not occasion by Scripture to be sinfull in practice 1 Joh. 2.1 Scripture was written that we should not sin not that we should sin Let not the idle person be occasioned from Matthew 6.34 Take no thought for to morrow c. to neglect his calling nor the Covetous from 1 Tim. 5.8 if any man provide not for his own he is worse than an infidel to be immoderate in following it let him as well remember that as he is worse than an infidell who is defective in regarding his own so likewise that hee imitates the Gentiles Matt. 6.32 who seeks after all these things more then hee should Take not liberty from the recording of the infirmities of saints in Scripture to follow them in sin Rather let the falls of the stronger be the fear of the weaker and the punishments which Saints brought upon themselves by their sins be the terrours of those who have nothing of sanctity in them The fals of holy men set down in Scripture are like stakes fixed in a pond not to call us but to caution us 4. Tit. 2.12 Luk. 1.74 75. Let us be eminently carefull lest our deliverances obtained by Christ from the Curse be perverted to loosness of life Let that which was a pledg of his love be a spur to our duty Though some abuse this grace to a wrong end let us use it to a right end To this end 1. Admire and study the excellency of this grace 1. in its fulnesse and sufficiency abuse not that which is so able to help thee Who but a mad man would throw away a Cabinet fil'd with the richest pearls and purest gold But we were not redeemed with such corruptible things 1 Pet. 1.18 but with the precious blood of Christ The blood of God 2. In its freenesse Gods bestowing it upon thee when thou didst not deserve it when thou hadst no other merit but misery to call for it aggravates thy sinne in abusing and contemning it Thankfulnesse becomes the distressed rather then scornfulnesse 2. Get an experimentall taste of this Grace Grace hath no Enemy but the ignorant They who abuse it shew they never found benefit by it A notionall professour may be wrought to a contempt of that grace which an experimentall partaker will highly esteem Grace is never good in the souls valuation till it be possessed Those who love it they know not why wil soon disrespect it they know not how This for the
yet these froward children refused to suck and draw them by beleeving and in stead thereof struck and beat them away by unbeleef and rebellion Unbeleef as to the Israelites cut asunder the sinews of the promises so as they could not stir hand or foot to help them and turned the promises into fallacies Heb. 3. ult Num. 20.22 Only unbeleef concluded this people under the necessity of destruction Needs must they perish who cast away the means of recovery What shall be a remedy for him who rejecteth the remedy other sins are sores but unbeleef throwes away the plaister Every sin made Israel obnoxious to destruction but unbeleef made them opposite also to deliverance This sin stopt as it were the spouts and passages of grace Christ * Mark 6.5 Significatur hoc loquendi modo quod incapaces scipsos reddiderint indignósque divinis beneficiis et propensioni animi Christi beneficae impedimentum objecerint non permittunt ut virtutis divinae rivus se in ipsos diffundat Brugens in loc could do no mighty works because of their unbeleef They who beleeve not render themselves incapable of blessings and lay rubs in the way of mercy binding the hands of God lest he should help them Other sins lay persons as it were in the grave this of unbeleef lays the grave stone upon them and makes them rot therein Upon them wrath abides Joh. 3.18 OBSERVATIONS 1. Observat 1. Difficulties soon discover an unbeleeving heart Many seemingly beleeving Israelites upon the news of the Anakims and the walled Cities beleeved not Jorams profane pursuivant discovered his temper when he said This evill is of the Lord why then should I wait upon the Lord any longer 2 King 6.33 Saul appear'd to depend upon God and sought to him in his troubles but when God seemed to neglect him and gave him no answer then left he God and sought to a sorceresse Rotten fruit wil not hang upon the tree in a windy day A shallow a highway-plash of water will soon be dryed up in a scorching sunshine One who is only a beleever by a shallow outside profession will soon leave beleeving and professing 2 Chro. 32.31 Deut. 8.2 13.3 For a while he will beleeve but in time of persecution he falls away Wisely therefore doth God seem somtime to disregard and reject his own children to try the sincerity of their confidence in him and whether they will cease to depend upon him because he seemeth not to provide for them Nec iratumcolere destitit numen Virtus fidei credere quod non vides merces fidei videre quod credis Aug. in Ps 109. They who depend upon God continually depend upon him truly God makes it appear to all the world that his people serve not him to serve their own turn upon him and that they are neither hirelings nor changelings It is the efficacy of faith to beleeve what we see not and the reward of faith to see what we beleeve How improvident are those meer professours and appearing Israelites who please themselves with shews of beleeving and cleaving to God their paint will not endure the washing nor their refuge of lies keep out the storme when sufferings death or judgment approach their confidences will be rejected Christians labour for a faith unfained yea both true and strong there may come times that will require it 2. In vain do they who live in unbeleef Observat 2. pretend against their other sins So long as that lives no sin will dye notwithstanding instructions or corrections Sin may be brought to the place of Execution but it will not die so long as unbelief brings it a protection and while it is back'd by this it will but laugh at all the means used to mortifie it As faith quencheth the fiery darts of the divel so will unbeleef quench the holy darts of the Spirit The sin which is armed with it will not be wounded by the sword of the word but wil save its skin much more its heart till faith set it naked to the stroaks of that sword Our neglect of and coldnesse in holy duties comes from our not beleeving a benefit that will bear the charges of fervency and frequency in performing them Unbelief clips the wings of prayer that it cannot ascend and turns much praying into much speaking Whence is all our trouble and impacience in adversity but from want of that grace which comforts the heart in God and makes us quietly to rest and trust on and in him Whence are those base indirect courses to get a living by lying deceiving c. to be made rich by a worse than the king of Sodome but from the not beleeving God to be an alsufficient portion that he will never leave or forsake us c From what but unbelief proceed all the temporizings haltings and sinfull neutralities In tentations to all these faith is our victory and unbelief our defeat which makes men unworthily to render themselves prisoners to every promise and threat causing them either to have two hearts with the hypocrite or no heart with the coward They who have little faith have much fear and they who have no faith Jer. 17.5 will be all fear even slain and not by the sword Whence proceeds all our carnall confidence and trusting in an arme of flesh but from this sin which makes the heart depart from the Lord. Peccatum furti homicidii sunt peccata carnis et facilè intelliguntur in parte superiore animâ scilicet intellectu sed ipsa anima suum incomparabiliter majus vitium et trabem in oculo suo non sentit sed festucam corporis facilè videt Luth. Trabenses judicant festucenses Id. Whence come the unbrotherly breaches and divisions among brethren but from the distance which by unbeleef is between God and us Christians being like lines which come the nearer to one another as they come nearer to the Center Unbelief lies at the bottom of all these sins And all mortification of sin which comes not from a principle of affiance in God through Christ is imaginary How short sighted are they into their misery who are troubled for their scandalous sins of drunkennesse adultery murther c. but neither observe nor sorrow for their unbelief the mother sin the main sin the nursery of all sins The soul saith Luther is an hypocrite that sees a mote in the eye of the flesh but not a beame in its own eye namely infidelity which is incomparably greater than all sins committed by the body 3. Great is our forwardnesse to fall into the sin of unbeleef Observat 3. God seemed to study the prevention of this sin among the Israelites but it broke the barrs that he put in the way to stop it Covenants Oaths Miracles Plagues were all as easily snapt in sunder by this sin as were the Cords by Samson Even Christ himself marvelled at the strength thereof in opposing the
severest punishing of offenders and not wound like murderers to destroy but like Chyrurgeons to cure and to prevent the spreading of sin yea punishment 8. Observ 8. It should be our great desire by all our own sufferings for sin to prevent the like sin in and sufferings of others We must not be like those that have the Plague who love to inffect others with it A gracious heart rather desires to hear of converts by his falls and woes then to have companions in either They who have been by sin examples of imitation should pray that by their sufferings they may become examples of Caution How rare is this heavenly temper in sufferers Most Christians when they are in troubles only desire the removall of them perhaps the sanctifying of them to themselves but who prayes for the sanctifying of them unto others It s ordinary for men under their sufferings to have thoughts of impatience against God and of revenge against the instrument of their troubles but unusuall for men to have aimes of benefiting beholders by their troubles If the Lord would throughly affect us with love to his glory and hatred to sin we should be willing to have the house pulled down upon our own heads so as sin may be destroyed in others and hereby we may do more good at our death then we have done throughout our whole lives The sinners of these laters times sin more heinously then they who lived in former ages Observ 9. The sins committed by those who have others for an example are greater then those committed formerly though they be the same for kind He who falls by stumbling at the same stone at which he dash'd who went before him falls without apology Wee in these times stand upon the shoulders of those who lived of old and therefore ought to see further we may behold by what meanes they stood where also and how they fell and how by either they sped More exactnesse in working and walking becomes us who have more light to guide us How happy were we if as we strive to excell our forefathers in other arts we did not come behind them in that heavenly art of a holy life though their helps were fewer then ours It is a common observation concerning our buildings that though they are of more curious contrivement yet lesse substantiall and durable then those of old time Non tulit nos sine exemplo◠ut inveniat sine delicto vel tollat sine patrocinio I fear this may be more truly said of our religion then of our buildings It will be more tolerable at the last day for those who lived in the times of Sodom then for sinners in these days upon whom the ends of the world are come Vnto whomsoever much is given of him shall be much required Surely as we pay dearer for our worldly commodities we must pay much dearer for our sinfull pleasures then our fore-fathers have done We had better never have heard of Sodoms ruin then not to mend our lives by the example 10. Observ 10 It s our duty to make an holy improvement of the worst things which fall out in the world Even Sodom and Gomorrha were our examples and we should make lye to cleanse us of their ashes A good man should sail as they say of skilfull Mariners with every wind and as Samson take honey out of the carcass of the Lion Vespasian raised gain out of an excrement the Estrich concocts iron Even the waters of jelousie which rotted the bellies and limbs of some made others healthfull and fruitfull The sins of the worst should and sometimes do teach the godly to walk more closely and humbly with God Were we not wanting to our selves the sin of Sodom might be to us felix culpa an happy fault But alas most men more imitate then shun the sins of others nay which is much worse they rather take occasion to oppose deride and so get hurt by seeing the holy strictnesse of the godly then to grow more watchfull and holy by observing the sinfull loosenesse of the wicked But here is the excellency of grace to make a man like David Therefore to love the Commandments of God Psal 119. i 27. because wicked men make void the Law 11. Observ ult It is our wisdome to learn how to behold the examples of caution which God hath set forth especially in Scripture with most advantage to our souls Against that which God shews we must not shut our eyes To this end 1. Let us give our assent to the truth of examples as delivered in Scripture which doth not only relate the judgments themselves but their causes also the supreme God the deserving sin Faith takes into its vast comprehension every part of Gods word It hath been the Divels policy to strike at the truths of Scripture-stories either by denying or adulterating them * Prophani quidam ex Schola Porphirii ut miraculū elevarent Confinxerunt Mosem peritissimum naturae observasse fluxum refluxum maris Erithraei refluente illo suos traduxisse Riv. in Exod. Porphiry to overturn the miraculousnesse of the Israelites passing through the Red sea saith that Moses took the advantage of a low ebbing water and so went through safely which the Egyptians not understanding were drowned by the flowing of the water Strabo likewise perverts the truth of this story of the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrha Graeci Scriptores Sodomam cum vicinis civitatibus eam ob causam incendio periisse sentiunt quod regio illa cavernosa esset sulphurea atque ita hujusmodi exitio obnoxia Muscul in 19. Gen. by attributing it to naturall causes and reporting that these cities were seated on a soyl sulphureous and full of holes from which fire breaking forth consumed them Examples of the dreadfullest aspect will never affright us from sin when we look upon them in the Divels dress Let us not sport at examples and make them our play-fellows Read not the example of Lots wife as the Poeticall fiction of turning Niobe into a stone What judgement thou readest beleeve though never so severe never so farre beyond thy apprehension 2. Look upon examples with deep and diligent observation They must sink into us we must set our hearts to them Steep our thoughts in them and ponder them in their certainty causes severity Posting passengers cannot be serious observers of any place How profitable is it sometime to dwel in our meditations upon these monuments of divine justice Assent must be followed with consideration Transient thoughts become not permanent examples 3. Look upon these examples with an impartiall examination Enquire within whether was such an one whom vengeance overtook a greater sinner then I am Ask thy conscience that question which the Prophet put to the Israelites are there not with me even with me the same sins against the Lord Ransack thy soul to find out the traytor hide not that in
c. as well as to our selves should make us love grace Thus much for the third and last particular in the description of the Authour of this Epistle the brother of James and so for the first part of the Title of the Epistle The description of the Penman of it The 2d part of the title or preface of the Epistle viz. The parties to whom the Apostle writes The second part of the Title followeth which is the Description of those persons to whom he wrote which persons are described from a threefold priviledge 1. They are sanctified by God the Father 2. Preserved in Jesus Christ 3. Called Of these in their order The first branch of this description 1. is They are sanctified by God the Father Wherein I consider two Particulars 1. The sort or kinde of the priviledge bestowed upon them viz. Sanctification To them that are sanctified 2. The Author therof or by whom it was bestowed By God the Father 1. Of the kind of Priviledg Sanctification Of which I shall speak 1. By way of Explication of it 1. By way of collecting Observations from it 1. Of the Priviledge Sanctification by way of exposition 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 To them that are sanctified Beza speaks of two Copies that read it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and from thence the Vulgar Translation renders it Dilectis This other reading mentioned also by Ro. Steph. and Gagnaeus To them that are beloved of God the Father which manner of speech as Beza well notes is unusuall in Scripture which speaketh of us being for and in Christ beloved of the Father And Estius though a Papist acknowledgeth that the former reading Estius in loc sanctified is not onely more pure but more sutable to the scope and drift of the Apostle who by calling them sanctified would deterr them from and make them take heed of those unholy and impure Seducers against whom he was now about to write The word here used by the Apostle admits of and signifieth in Scripture severall kinds of Sanctification as 1. Sanctification by way of destination or separation To this purpose the Greeks use the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Exod. 29.44 1 King 9.3 2 Chro. 7.16 Esa 13.3 i.e. when things are separated to an holy use so the Lord sanctified the Sabboth day by separating it from other dayes and appointing it for the duties of his own Service Thus also the Tabernacle the Temple the First-born were sanctified Exod. 13.2 God commandeth Moses to sanctifie all the First-born which he explains ver 12. Thou shalt set apart unto the Lord all that openeth the matrix 2. There is a sanctification by way of celebration acknowledging manifestation declaration of the goodness of a thing thus the creature sanctifieth the name of the Creator Isa 29.23 They shall sanctifie my name and sanctifie the holy One of Jacob. 3. Sanctification by way of fruition comfortable use and blessed enjoyment of the gifts of God so 1 Cor. 7.14 the unbeleeving husband is sanctified by the wife and 1 Tim. 4.5 Every creature of God is sanctified 4. Sanctification by way of application to apply a thing to such a holy use as God appointed so we sanctifie the Sabboth Exod. 20.8 i.e. imploy it to the holy use for which God ordained it 5. By exhibition introduction or bestowing actuall holinesse by putting holinesse really and properly into one This the Creator only can do to his creature this God doth by his Spirit which is called the holy Ghost and the Spirit of sanctification 2 Thess 2.13 And thus man particularly is sanctified or made holy three wayes 1. Of not holy negatively Ex non sancto negativè and so Christ as he was man was sanctified for there was a time when as Christ had not this holinesse in his humane nature when his humane nature was not 2. Of not holy privatively Ex non sancto privativè and so man that had lost totally his holinesse is made holy by regeneration or effectuall vocation 3. Of lesse holy and so Gods children are sanctified Ex minus sancto by being enabled to the exercise of an actuall mortifying of sin and living in holinesse with proceeding in both The sanctification here spoken of presupposeth the second afterward in the word Called more particularly to be handled and intendeth the third namely the actuall exercise of the abolition of our naturall corruption and the renovation of Gods image in us begun in grace here and perfected in glory hereafter So that this Sanctification stands 1. In an actuall putting off of corrupt qualities Ephes 4.22 23 24. Col. 2 9 10. Rom. 6.2 Gal. 2.20 Gal. 5.24 Rom. 6.8.5 Gal. 6.14 Col. 3.5 Eph. 2.1 2 a putting on the new and sanctified 1 A Buriall 2 a Resurrection 1 A mortification of the old 2 a vivification of the new man 1 One thing is destroy'd and pull'd down 2 Another set up 1 A taking away of what is redundant 2 an addition of what is wanting 1 The killing power of the Cross 2 the quickning power of the Resurrection of Christ 1. Mortification of the old man is the first part of sanctification wherby the strength power and tyranny of sin is weakened and more and more abolish'd like John Baptist it decreaseth like old folks in a house who are going out of the world and crowded out as it were by the younger the heirs The living of the old man is onely as a clog and eye-sore to the new This work of Mortification stands principally in these three acts or degrees of acting 1. An act of discerning 2. Detesting 3. Destroying sin the souls enemy Knowing causeth hatred and hatred puts us upon seeking the destruction of an enemy 1. An act of discerning Sin may hurt us when wee know it not but we not hate it unlesse we know it Sin had deformity always but we had not always eys to see it It was Leah that lay by Jacob all night but he discern'd her not till the morning Sin is now discovered as it is not as it is coloured over by Satan Sin is uncomly onely to a renewed understanding Nature never sets up a light to discover its own deformities Of others its often said They know not what they do In understanding they are children nay brutes they see with Satans spectacles But a renewed minde discerns between things that differ looks upon the old bosom favourite as a traytor there are new apprehensions of the old man The Apostle not without an emphasis speaks of those things wherof we are now ashamed now not formerly nay heretofore sin was gloryed in but now the soul sees its not onely unsafe and its own death but unsutable and the death of Christ It was striking at me saith a gracious heart but Christ step'd between me and the blow Herein standing sins great deformity as that of drunkennesse in a mans wounds 2. Detestation The eye increaseth loathing It cannot
he live how close is he in duty how fruitfull in conversing But I alass how feeble how dead how unable I am held under by a tyrant oh that I could be his death 6. By recollecting its former folly in loving of sin thinking thus Formerly I loved that which now I see would have murdered me What a deal of pains care cost time laid I out to satisfie my lusts oh that I could recall these follies as I recollect them but since I cannot make them never to have been I 'll labour to hinder them for time to come Oh that my hatred might be greater then ever my love was to them A soul that hath been mad upon sin afterward is as vehement against it This is the Apostles argument As ye have yeelded your members servants to uncleannesse Rom. 6.19 1 Pet. 4.3 so now to righteousnesse and The time past of our lives may suffice us to have wrought the will of the Gentiles 7. By with-drawing those things that have been as fuell and fodder to corruption Fire is put out as well by taking away wood as casting on of water A sin-mortifying heart forbears the using of that which it hath heretofore abused it knows that often Satan lieth in ambush behinde lawfull enjoyments He that hath taken Physick in wine afterward is ready to loath that very sort of wine in which his loathed medicine was given him he that hath been sin-sick dreads those tentations in which Satan was wont to wrap sin up he considers that he that alway goeth as far as he may sometime goeth farther then hee should he feeds not without fear Jude ver 12. but trembles in every enjoyment lest it may be an in-let to sin and his own corruption get advantage by it he fears a snare under his very trencher and poyson for his soul in every cup of wine especially if he hath been formerly bitten therby Whereas a carnall heart engulfs it self in occasions of sin if in themselves lawfull sees no enemy and therfore sets no watch he makes provision for the flesh Rom. 13. he cuts not off the food which relieveth his enemy whereas a Sin-mortifier as an enemy that besiegeth a City hinders all the supplyes and support of lusts that so he may make himself more yeeldable to holinesse 8. By re-inforcing the fight after a foyl by gaining ground after a stumble by doubling his guard after unwarinesse strengthening the battell after a blow praying more earnestly contending more strenuously laying on more strongly after sin hath been too hard thus Paul was the more earnest with God against sin he besought the Lord thrice after the messenger of Satan had buffetted him 2 Cor. 12.8 9. By a holy vexation with the constant company and troublesom presence of sin Thus was holy Paul put upon opposing of sin he complains sin was always present with him Rom. 7.21 even when he would do good And sin is call'd Heb. 12.1 encompassing easily besetting 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 It dwells in us It s a leprosie not ceasing till the wall be pull'd down the house of our mortality dissolved it s as neer as the skin upon the back bowels in the body it goeth along with a saint in every duty Sabboth Ordinances like Pharaoh's frogs into the Kings chambers pestering a Saint at every turn the apprehension hereof puts the soul upon endeavouring sins ruine The neerer an enemy is the more hatefull he is the closer the conflict is the quicker are the strokes the fiercer the fight To conclude A holy insulting and rejoycing in God follows if at any time he hath given the soul victory and any fore-skins and heads of these uncircumcised it blessing God as Panl Rom. 7.21 I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord going about duty more cheerfully and yet humbly A man may read the good news of a victory in a Saints countenance Doth he not say to Christ when some lust hath been smitten as Cushi to David I would that all the enemies of my Lord were as that one young man Lord When will there be a perfect riddance of these vermin Oh how sweet will heaven be when I shall trample upon every Goliah and see every Egyptian dead upon the shore when I shall have neither tear in my eye nor lust in my soul This for the first thing in the nature of Sanctification viz. Mortification 2. The second follows which is Vivification wherby we live a new and spirituall life The Scriptures proving it are abundant I live saith Paul Gal. 2.20 yet not I but Christ liveth in me If ye be risen with Christ seek those things that are above Col. 3.1 The life of Jesus is made manifest in our mortall flesh 2 Cor. 4.11 As the death of Christ is the death of corruption so the same power of God by which he raised Christ from the dead Eph. 1.20 doth frame us to the life of Christs holinesse Christ by the power of his Deity wherby he raised himself having derived spirituall life to all his members as life is derived from the head to the other members enableth them to manifest it accordingly As Christ was raised up from death by the glory of the Father even so we walk in newnesse of life Rom. 6.4 and ver 11. Reckon ye your selves alive unto God through Jesus Christ Eph. 2.10 We are his workmanship created in Christ Jesus to good works which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them Joh. 15.5 He that abideth in me and I in him the same bringeth forth much fruit These brief considerations may shew in what respects a sanctified person lives a new life a life of holinesse 1. A sanctified person liveth a holy life in moving and acting from a principle of holy life All vitall actions are from an inward principle A body without a soul lives not moves not naturally nor without an internall principle of spirituall life received from Christ doth any one live spiritually The body of every living creature hath a heart which is the forge of spirits and the fountain of heat Joh. 3.9 Jer. 32.40 Jer. 31.33 True holinesse proceeds from an implanted seed the fear of God in the heart the Law put into the inward man Sanctity unlesse Christ be in us is but a fable Gal. 2.20 Rom. 6.11 Joh. 15.5 Gal. 4.19 Col. 1.27 Christ liveth in me saith the Apostle and so he speaks of living to God by Christ Christ must abide in us he is formed and dwelleth in us The actions of a sanctified person are from a vitall principle the spirit within the holinesse of another is but from without beginneth at his fingers ends he is drawn by outward inducements his motions are not the motions of a living creature but like those of a clock Duceris ut nervis alienis mobile lignum Hor. Ser. l. 2. or some image that move not from within but from weights and plummets without when his weights are
a picture that looks every way his religion leaves him not at the Church-doors he retains his purity where-ever he lives He hath a principle like a fountain in him that supplyes him in the time of drought not like a plash of water lick'd up with an hours heat of the Sun The musick allures him not the fournce affrights him not from God 3. As the actings of a sanctified person are from and according to a renewed principle of life so are they for it and that both in respect of preservation of life in himself and also the propagation of it to others 1. A sanctified person acts for his sanctified principle of spirituall life in respect of preserving it in himself which he expresseth 1. In shunning what-ever may prejudice and impair it much more then a man doth avoid that which would shorten a naturall life as sword poyson diseases c. that which parteth between God and the soul being more hurtfull then that which parteth 'twixt soul and body What shifts have some made to scramble from death throwing estates into the sea leaving them and sweetest relations running thorow rivers fire c. And have not holy men suffered more to keep from sin which tends to spirituall death have they not left goods lands children have they not run thorow fire water nay into them even embracing death rather then death temporall rather then spirituall A man would give all the world rather then lose one naturall life but a Christian would give a thousand lives rather then lose the life spirituall Lord saith he I desire but to live to keep Christ who is my life Psal 63.3 Col. 3.4 2. In a prizing his food that upholds life He loves what nourisheth him delights in the Law of God 1 Pet. 2.2 Psal 19.10 hungreth after the sincere milk of the word accounts it sweeter then the honey and the honey-comb hath a most ardent affection to uncorrupted Truths accounts a famine of the Word the sorest esteems the bread of life the staff of life When he was dead he had no hunger the Word was as food in a dead mans mouth found no savour or entertainment now though God give him never so much of other supplyes yet 't is a famine with him if he have not bread like an infant-King that preferrs the brest before his Crown though he be rich in grace yet he is poor in spirit he desireth grace having the grace to desire He never saith I have enough truth of grace ever puts him upon growth 3. A sanctified person labours to preserve his inward principle of life In using the means that may recover him Jer. 17.11 Psal 41.4 when his life is endangered by sicknesse desiring earnestly that God would heal him embracing the sharpest administrations the bitterest reproofs taking down the most loathed pill bearing the heaviest affliction being willing to be cut sawed seared so as to be saved His great request is that he may be whole walk holily that the pain and impotency of his disease the filthinesse and hurtfulnesse thereof were both removed 2. A sanctified person acts for his principle of spirituall life In labouring to communicate it to others as well as to preserve it in himself The life of a spiritually quickned soul is generative of it self All living creatures have a seminary for propagating of their kinde the spirit of life is fruitfull endeavouring to derive it self from one to another You never heard of a soul that loved to make a monopoly of Christ Grace may be imparted not impaired Samson when he had found honey gave his father and mother some with him John 4. The woman of Samaria calls others to Christ being called How diffusive of Christ was blessed Paul like the wall which reflects upon the passenger the Sun shining upon it How sutable was that wish of his to a sanctified soul I would to God that thou and all that hear me this day were almost and altogether such as I am except these my bonds Act. 26.29 Every Christian labours to raise up seed to his elder brother The great design of the soul is to set up Christ more in it self and others to leaven others with grace and this gaining of souls is a Christians greatest covetousnesse This for the explication of the sort or kinde of their first priviledge Sanctification The Observations follow in the second place 1. Obs 1. Grace whereby we are changed much excels grace whereby we are onely curb'd The Sanctification wherewith the faithfull were said to be adorned was such as cur'd sin as well as cover'd it not a sanctification that did abscondere but abscindere not onely represse but abolish corruption Psal 145. The former restraining grace is a fruit only of generall mercy over all Gods works common to good and bad binding the hand leaving the heart free withholding only from some one or few sins tying us now and loosing us by and by intended for the good of humane society doing no saving good to the receiver In a word onely inhibiting the exercise of corruption for a time without any reall diminution of it as the Lions that spared Daniel were Lions still and had their ravenous disposition still as appeared by their devouring others although God stop'd their mouthes for that time But this sanctifying grace with which the faithfull are here adorned as it springs from Gods speciall love in Christ so it is proper to the Elect worketh upon every part in some measure body soul spirit abhorrs every sin holdeth out to the end is intended for the salvation of the receiver it doth not only inhibit the exercise of corruption but mortifieth subdueth diminisheth it and works a reall change of a Lion making a Lamb altering the naturall disposition of the soul and making a new man in every part and faculty 2. From the nature of this Sanctification I note Obs 2. It changeth not the substance and faculties of soul and body but onely the corruption and disorder and sinfulnesse thereof it rectifies but destroyes not like the fire wherein the three children were it consumes the bonds not the garments it doth not slay Isaac but onely the ram it breaks not the string but tuneth it The fall of man took not away his essence but onely his holinesse so the raising of man destroyes not his being but his unholy ill-being Grace beautifieth not debaseth nature it repairs not ruins it It makes one a man indeed it tempereth and moderateth affections not abolisheth them it doth not extinguish the fire onely allay it that it may not burn the house It doth not overthrow but order thy love hatred sorrow joy both for measure and object Thou mayst be merry now thou art sanctified but not mad-merry thy rejoycing will now be in the Lord elevated not annihilated They are mistaken that think Sanctification unmans a man that he must now alway be sad and sowre solitary that as they said of Mary a Christian
Saints complaints of his wants and deficiences rather prove him covetous then poor his strong appetite rather speaks him healthfull then empty his desires of cloathing rather growing then naked he desires that the Dominions of Christ may be as large as ever were those of Sin even extending to the whole man He is not like an upstart Gallant who unable to furnish himself with new attire for every part is new and adorned in some parts and uncomely in all the rest he labours for furniture for every room to see whole Christ formed to have graces for every faculty There 's no grace he sees in another but he wisheth he had it too he never thinks he hath lived enough or done enough for God he never thinks his work done while he is on this side heaven Who ever was the man that so throughly mortified sin as to leave no life in it who ever had such a degree of spirituall life as not to want a further increase Thy sword must never be thrown away while so many enemies remain The means of preserving a holy life must never cease till grace be consummate in glory He that hath holiness enough never had any Sanctified persons are alwayes adding to grace and taking away from sin Sanctification is a progressive work The least Saint hath grace enough to be thankfull the greatest not enough to be idle To negelect the helps of sanctification never was a Scripture sign of sanctity to live above Ordinances is to live below a Saint Abstinence from spirituall food is so far from proving a strong Christian that it proves but a sick Christian at the best He who gives over never truly began he who goeth not forward goeth backward Till the flame be out we must never cease crying for water till sin be quite extinguish'd we must ply the blood of Christ How short do the best come of their duty of what God doth and they should desire 9. Out-side Obs 9. superstitious Mortification is but a shadow of the true Penance Fasts Starvings of the body Abstinence from Marriage are not blessed to kill sin they have no blood in them Sin and Satan fear no such holy-water It s the death of Christ that must be the death of sin the mortifying or macerating of the carcass is but the carcass of the duty there 's more labour required to let the blood out of our corruptions then out of our bodies A child of God takes more pains with his heart in a day then a Papist with his skin in a yeer the one indeed whips himself but the other denyes himself the one scratcheth his skin the other puls out his right eye the one afflicts the flesh the other the soul the one somthing without himself the other his very self 10. Obs 10. I note The Lord esteems of his people by the better part their bent and strain not their defects They are here called sanctified but alass how imperfect is their Sanctification Yet their Father looks upon them as they would be not as they are or do Not I saith the Apostle Rom. 7. but sin that dwelleth in me Corn full of weeds we call corn Christ loves what he seeth of himself in the midst of much more he sees of us he casteth not away the honey because of the honey-comb he spyeth a grain of grace in a heap of corruption he considers what we aim to be now and what we are to be hereafter more then what we are now The owner of an Ort-yard that knows the goodness of every tree in it although a tree which is of a good kinde hath fruit upon it which for the present is green and as hard as a stick yet he will say This is an excellent apple c. considering what it will be when ripe and what its kinde is to be 11. Obs 11. How causelesly doth the world complain of those that are truly sanctified The contentions of a Saint are most with himself the destructions he makes are bloodlesse if after any blood he thirsteth 't is that of a lust the tyrants he brings to punishment are those in the soul Were all his enemies in the world overthrown and those in the heart spared those Mordecaies still in the gate what would all avail him Men have little reason to blame sanctity for distracting of the times there 's more reason to blame the want of it If a good man carryeth himself turbulently 't is because hee is no better not because he is good He is or should be at peace with every thing but sin If he shuns any company 't is not for hatred of the person but the plague-sone if he reproves Duplici sub specie divinus Spiritus se mundo ostendit Columbinâ igneâ quia omnes quos im plet Columbae simplicitate mansuctos igne Zeli ardentes exhibet Greg. z. p. past cap. 11. Moses causam populi apud Deum precibus causam Dei apud populum gladiis allegavit Greg. Charitas piè solet saevire patienter novit irasci humiliter indignari Bern. Ep. 2. ad Fulc Molcstus est Medicus furenti phrenetico pater indisciplinato filio ille ligando iste caedendo sed ambo diligendo Aug. Ep. 1. ad Bon. he wounds not destructively but medicinally His greatest heats are pious God is in his flame his very anger is patient his indignation humble he participates of the Dove as well as of the fiery tongues as the Spirit that fils him had both shapes Doth he reprove sharply and openly he prayes for thee secretly A Saint when he acts like himself is alway doing good diffusive of holinesse a benefactor to the age wherein he lives a conduit-pipe of blessings to a whole Kingdom If his endeavouring to make thee holy make thee hate him he will be hated still This for the Explication of and Observations from the kinde of their first Priviledge Sanctification The handling of the Author thereof God the Father followeth And of this also 1. By way of Explication 2. By way of collecting Observations 1. I shall briefly explain two particulars 1. How they are said to be sanctified by God 2. How by God the Father 1. How by God 1. Not transferendo Essentiam 1. Eph. 2.10 Acts 5.31 1 Thess 5.23 Heb. 12.10 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by transferring his Essence unto them but operando gratiam by way of operation and working holinesse in them not by bestowing his Deity upon them but by setting up the divine nature in them 2 Pet. 1.4 as fire warms by its vertue and operation 2. God was the Author of their Sanctification not excludendo media as if he made not use of the Ministry of the Gospel for the accomplishing therof The Word cannot sanctifie without him and ordinarily he will not sanctifie without it he sanctifies by the Word Joh. 17.17 enlivening and actuating it making it his power to salvation bestowing upon it an enlightning power to
edge the soul the sting the malignity of every trouble is removed so that it hath little more then the notion of a misery Gods people are not delivered from evils as oppressive to nature but as satisfactory to Justice whatsoever they suffer though it be death it self they may say Christ hath laboured John 4. and we enter into his labours he hath born the heaviest end death lost its sting in his side There 's honey in the carcasse of this lion this Serpent is but a gentle rod being in his hand 2. This spirituall preservation of beleevers is from Sin and in the state of holinesse their grace being preserved and the image of God never totally obliterated in them God preserving the jewel oft when not the casket a mans self his soul though not his carcasse and from that which is the greatest enemy and evill sin so oft in Scripture call'd the evill John 17.15 Mat. 5.37 and that which makes the very Divel himself both to be and to be called the evil One he both having most and dispersing most of that evil the world to be call'd an evill world Luk. 6.45 1 Joh. 5.18 Gal. 1.4 and men evill men And so this priviledge of preservation from sin and in the state of holiness aptly follows Sanctification the elect being not onely made holy but kept holy Hence we read of him that is able to keep us from falling Jude 24. of Christ praying that his disciples should be though not taken out of the world yet kept from the evil Joh. 17.15 the world kept out of them though not they out of the world of the faithfull their being kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation 1 Pet. 1.5 Of the evill one's not touching him that is born of God 1 John 5.18 and of his not sinning of Gods delivering of Paul from every evill work 2 Tim. 4.18 of preserving blamelesse to the coming of Christ of finishing the good work begun unto the day of Christ Eph. 1.6 All which places intend this spirituall preservation mentioned by Jude which is that gift of God whereby the elect being united to Christ by his Spirit and faith continue in him and can never totally and finally fall from holinesse Sundry wayes doth God preserve from sin and in holinesse 1. Somtime by keeping his people from the very outward tentation to sin if he sees it would be too hard for them often dealing with his servants as the people did with David 2 Sam. 21.17 who would not let him go down to battell lest the light of Israel should have been put out as Gideon dealt with his souldiers suffering not the fearfull to go to fight Judg. 7.3 as we use to keep in a candle in a windy night putting it into a lanthorn 2. Sometime by making them conquerors even for the present over the tentation he strengthens them so with his Spirit as that they break the strongest cords with Samson bearing away the very gates of the City and overthrowing whole troops of tentations Gen. 39. Thus was Joseph preserved as Chrysostom expresseth it in a fiery fournace even when it was heated seven times hotter then ordinary the power of God being put forth therein more then in preserving the three children Thus were the blessed martyrs preserved from sin we read in that holy Martyrologie Heb. 11 35. they were tortured not accepting deliverance How many have overcome fire with fire the fiery flame with love to Christ hotter then fire their holy resolution rising the higher the more opposition they had as a flood that meets with an obstacle or as a ball the harder it is thrown against the ground the higher it mounts in the rebound 3. Alway God so preserves his Saints from sinning Luk. 22.32 that they sin not finally they sin not away all their holinesse their faith fails not ther 's somthing in them that sins not the seed of God a grain of mustard-seed a principle of holinesse which Gratia nec totaliter intermittitur nec finaliter amittitur as it opposeth so it will overcome their distempers as a fountain works out its muddinesse when dirt is thrown into it as life in a man his diseases A Saint is not delivered fully from the being of sin but from the totall prevalency of it from finall Apostacy so that his soul still continues in the state of grace and hath the life of holiness for the essence though not alway in the same degrees he may aliquo modo recedere non penitus excidere Grace may be abated not altogether abolish'd he may peccare Actus omittitur habitus non amittitur actio pervertitur fides non subvertitur concutitur non excutitur defluit fructus latet succus jus ad Regnum amittunt demeritoriè non effectivè Pr.l. Effectus justificationis suspenditur at status justificationis non dissolvitur Suffr Br. p. 187. Secundùm quasdam virtutes spiritus recessurus venit venturus recedit Gr. Mor. l. 2. c. 42. not perire sin but not to death intermit the actings of of grace not lose the habit Faith may be shaken in not out of the soul the fruit may fall off but the sap not totally dry up 'T is true Grace in it self considered as a creature might totally fail our permanency is not respectu rei but Dei not from our being holy but from our being kept holy We are kept by the power of God and if so it will be to salvation Notwithstanding the power of sin in us and the power of Satan without us the frowns and the smiles of the world the musick and the fournace the Winde and the Sun the tide of nature and the winde of example holinesse though in the least degree shall never be lost to be of no degree Satan doth soli perseverantiae insidiari he only aims to take away grace he would never care to take away gold or names or comforts c. if it were not to make us sin He that offers to give these things to make us sin would not snatch them from us but for that end God was not delighted that Job should be tormented but that his grace should be tryed nor Satan so much that Job should be tormented as that his grace should be destroyed But though he winnow never so violently Luk. 22.23 he shall winnow never out all our grace All the power of hell shall never prevail against the God of heaven The immutable eternall decree of God is the foundation of perseverance Isa 46.10 Now the counsel of God shall stand The elect cannot be deceived Matt. 24.24 The impossibility of seduction is grounded upon the stability of election the foundation of God abideth sure 2 Tim. 2.19 it can never be moved out of its place The purpose of God according to election must stand Rom. 9.11 Of all that God hath given Christ by election he will lose nothing John 6.39 And
salvation 4. 2 Pet. 3. Obs 4. Great is the hainousnesse of sin that can provoke a God of much mercy to expresse much severity That drop of gall must needs be bitter that can imbitter a sea of honey How offensive is sin that can provoke a God to whose ocean of pity the sea is but a drop Ephraim saith the Prophet provoked God to anger most bitterly Hos 12.14 or with bitternesses God afflicts not willingly he gives honey naturally but stings not til provoked Every sufferer coyns his own calamities There is no arrow of judgment which falls down upon us but was first in sinning shot upwards by us no showr of miseries that rains down but was caused by the ascent of the vapours of sin no print of calamity upon the earth but sin was the stamp that made it What a folly is it in our sufferings to be impatient against God and to be patient towards sin to be angry with the medicine and in love with the disease Let us justifie God in all our sufferings and condemn our selves God commands that if a man were found dead the City that by measure was found to be neerest to the place where he was found Deut. 21.2 should offer up a sacrifice In all our deaths and woes would we measure impartially we should finde sin neerest let us sacrifice it 5. Obs 5. It should be our care to obtain the best and choycest of mercies God hath mercies of all sorts wicked men are easily put off with the meanest their enquiry is Who will shew them any good But O Christian let nothing please thee but the light of Gods countenance so receive from God as that thou thy self mayst be received to God Desire not gifts but mercies from God not pibbles but pearls Labour for that which God alwayes gives in love There may be angry smiles in Gods face and wrathful gifts in his hand the best worldly gift may be given in anger Luther having a rich present sent him profess'd with a holy boldnesse to God That such things should not serve his turn A favourite of the King of heaven rather desires his favour than his preferment We use to say when we are buying for the body that the best is best cheap and is the worst good enough for the soul The body is a bold beggar and thou givest it much the soul is a modest beggar asketh but little and thou givest it less O desire from God that thy portion may not he in this life Psal 17.14 that what thou hast in the world may be a pledg of better hereafter that these things may not bewitch thee from but admonish thee what is in Christ The ground of Pauls thanks-giving was Ephes 1.3 that God had blessed the Ephesians with spirituall blessings in Christ. 6. Obs 6. How little should any that have this God of mercy for theirs be dismayd with any misery Blessed are those tears which so merciful a hand wipes off happy twigs that are guided by so indulgent a father Psal 25.10 All his severest wayes are mercy and truth to those in covenant if he smiles 't is in mercy if he smites 't is in mercy he wounds not to kill thee but sin in thee the wounds of mercy are betthan the embraces of anger if sicknesse poverty dishonour be in mercy why dost thou shrink at them Wrath in prosperity is dreadfull but Mercy makes adversity comfortable It s the anger of God which is the misery of every misery Peter at the first was not willing that Christ should wash his feet but when he saw Christs mercifull intent therein feet and hands and head are all offered to be wash'd A child of God when he sees the steps of a father should be willing to bear the stripes of a child God will not consume us but onely try us He afflicts not for his pleasure but for our profit Heb. 12.10 Psal 89. God visits with rods yet not with wrath He takes not away his loving-kindnesse Mercy makes the sufferings of Gods people but notions It would do one good to be in troubles and enjoy God in them to be sick and lye in his bosome God gives a thousand mercies to his people in every trouble and for every trouble He burdens us but it is according to our strength the strokes of his flail are proportioned to the hardnesse of the grain Is◠28.27 and merciful shall be the end of all our miseries There 's no wildernesse but shall end in Canaan no water but shall be turn'd into wine no lions carcass but shall be a hive of honey and produce a swarm of mercies The time we spend in labouring that miseries may not come would be spent more profitably in labouring to have them mixt with mercy nay turned into mercies when they come What a life-recalling cordial is the apprehension of this mercy of God to a fainting soul under the pressure of sin Mercy having provided a satisfaction and accepted it nay which is more it beseeching the sinner to beleeve and apply it That fountain of mercy which is in God having now found a conveyance for it self to the soul even Jesus Christ through whom such overflowing streams are derived unto us as are able to drown the mountains of our sins even as easily as the ocean can swallow up a pibble O fainting soul trust in this mercy Psal 33.18 and 147.11 If the Lord takes pleasure in those that hope in his mercy should not we take pleasure to hope in it Mercy is the onely thing in the world more large than sin It s easie to presume Exod. 34.7 Psal 77.7 but hard to lay hold upon mercy Oh beg that since there is an infinite fulnesse in the gift and a freenesse in the giver there be a forwardnesse in the receiver 7. Obs 7. It s our duty and dignity to imitate God in shewing mercy Obs 7. 1 Pet. 3.8 Matth. 5.45 Luke 6.36 Col. 3.12 Rom. 12.15 Plus est aliquando compati quà m dare nam qui exteriora largitur rem extra se positam tribuit qui compassionem aliquid sui-ipsius dat Gr. Mor. 20. A grace frequently commanded and encouraged in the Scripture Mercy we want and mercy we must impart As long as our fellow-members are pained we must never be at ease When we suffer not from the enemies of Christ by persecution we must suffer from the friends of Christ by compassion When two strings of an instrument are tuned one to the other if the one be struck upon and stirred the other will move and tremble also The people of God should be so harmonious that if one suffer and be struck the other should be moved and sympathize Jer. 9.1 Luke 19.41 2 Cor. 11.29 Holy men have every been tender-hearted Grace not drying up but diverting the streams of our affections Christ was mercy covered over with flesh and blood his words his works
of sight and troubles not his lusts or from some accidentall circumstantiall Ornaments which attend the Ministery and Truth as wit learning expression elocution or credit of visible conformity to them not from an inward apprehension of the proportionablenesse sutablenesse and fitnesse of Christ to all his desires and capacities Luke 7.47 1 Joh. 4.16.19 as being the fairest of ten thousand or from any reall interest and propriety in Christ which are the grounds of love when true and sincere 2. This love to God is superlattive it surpasseth all other loves the soule in which it abides seeing infinitely more lovelinesse in one God then in all the combined assembled excellencies of all worldly Objects loves him infinitely more than them all It often not only steps over them but kicks them away not only laying them down as sacrifices but hating them as snares when they would draw from Christ When Christ and the World meet as it were upon so narrow a bridge that both cannot passe by Christ shall go on and the World shall go back Christ in a Christian shall have no Corrivals as Christ bestowes himselfe wholly upon a Christian wholly upon every one as every line hath the whole indivisible point so a Christian gives himselfe wholly to Christ he shares not his heart betwixt him and the world all within him he sets on work to love Christ keeping nothing back from him for whom all is too little The greatest worth that it sees in any thing but Christ is this that it may be left for Christ ever rejoycing that it hath any thing to which it may prefer him To a soul in which is this love Christ is as oyle put into a viall with water in which though both be never so much shaken together the oyl will ever be uppermost or as one rising Sun which drowneth the light of a numberlesse number of Stars It loves the world as alwayes about to leave and loath it not as that for which it doth live but as that without which it cannot live The world hath not the top and strength of it's affection It loves nothing much but him whom it cannot love too much It lodgeth not the world in it's best room and admits not such a stranger into the closet of the heart but only into the hall of the senses 3. It 's a jealous or zealous love suspicious lest any thing should and burning in a holy heat of indignation against any thing that doth disturb the Souls beloved Love is a solicitous grace and makes the soul account it selfe never sufficiently trim'd for Christs imbracements never to think that any thing done is well enough done All the soul is and can is esteemed too little for him who is its optimus maximus its best and greatest the more brightly shining the beams of love to Christ are the more motes and imperfections doth the soule ever see in its services It s fear only is lest by sinne and unsutable carriage it stirs up Gal. 4.11.16 Act. 15.2 17.16 18.25 19.8 Jude 3. and awakes the beloved It cannot put up a disgrace expressed by the greatest against Christ It zealously contends for his Word Wayes Worship Worshippers Kingdome All it's anger is against those intercurrent impediments that would stop it in the advancing of Christ it labours to bear down those hinderances of Gods glory with a floud of tears if it cannot with a stream of power The meekest soule in love with God knowes how to be holily impatient and like Moses though when with God to pray for men yet when with men to contend for God Every sin by how much the nearer to it by so much is it more detested by it Of all sins therefore its own have the deepest share of hatred for what it cannot remove Rom. 7. Heb. 12. it mourns heartily crying out of the body of death the sin that doth so easily beset it as of the constant companie of a noysome carcasse endeavouring that every sin may be more bitter to remember then 't was ever sweet to commit looking upon the want of sorrow after sinne as a greater argument of want of love then was the sin it self 4. It 's a chast a loyall love not set upon what God hath so much as upon what God is not upon his but him not upon his rings but his person not his cloathes but his comelinesse upon a Christ though not adventitiously adorned his gifts are loved for him not he for them he is sweet without any thing though nothing is so without him Love desires no wages 't is wages enough to it selfe it payes it selfe in seeing and serving the Beloved A Nurse doth much for the child and so doth the Mother but the former for the love of wages the later for the wages of love Love carries meat in the mouth the very doing of Gods will is meat and drink to one who loves him A heart in love with Christ is willing with Mephibosheth that others should take all so it may behold the King Worldly Comforts shall not fallere but monere Nil dulcescit sine Jesu only they shall be used to admonish how much worth is in Christ not to bewitch the soul from Christ Si ista terrena diligitis ut subjecta diligite ut munera amici ut beneficia domini ut arrham Sponsi Aug. Med. as spectacles by which the soul may read him the better or as steps by which it may be raised up to him the nearer and no further shall they be delighted in then as they are pledges of or furtherances unto the injoyment of him Should God give all to one who loves him and not give himselfe he would say with Absalom What doth all availe me so long as I see not the Kings face Communion with God is the Heaven of him who loves God It 's heaven upon earth for God to be with him and the Heaven of Heaven for him to be with God 5. It 's an active John 14.24 Psal 119.68.140 Esay 45 19. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 say some 2 Cor. 5.14 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 stirring expressive love the fire of love cannot be held in 't will break out at lips hands feet by speaking working walking Love saith as Elijah to Obadiah as the Lord liveth I will shew my selfe the strength of love will have a vent The Love of Christ constraineth and as the word used by the Apostle signifieth hemmeth in shutteth up pinfolds the heart that it cannot winde out from service and cannot chuse but do for Christ Love is a mighty stream bearing all before it It cares not for shame or losse It carries away these as did Samson the other gates upon it's shoulders 'T is strong as death A man in love with God is as a man who is carried away in a crowd who cannot keep himselfe back but is hurried without his own labour with the throng Love
strange sight 10. Observ 10. Lastly The increase of grace as well as the beginnings of it is from God The Apostle here prayes even for multiplication of grace It 's grace that must make us multiply in grace the plantation and the accretion are from the same hand When God at first made all living Creatures Qui operatur ut accedamus idem operatur ne discedamus Aug. de bon pers c. 7. Phil. 1.6 Heb. 12.2 he bestowed on them their Crescite a Blessing as well as a Being He who makes us good must make us better He who makes us come to him must also keep us from going from him He who begins the good work in us must also perform it God is both the Authour and Finisher of our faith If our graces be only put into us by God and not kept in they will soon go out God it is that must not onely set us up but keep us up Grace is like a top or a bell if God do not continue the impressions of his strength upon us and keep us up as well as raise us up we shall soon go down The strongest child in Gods family cannot go alone He it is who enables us to take the first and every step we take toward heaven we live in a constant dependency upon him he is not only the term of our journey but our way our guide our keeper in it If God should give us a stock of grace and then leave us to our selves to trade we should never thrive Adam himselfe became a bank-rupt and so should we but blessed be God our happinesse is held by a better tenure even by Christ the supplies of whose Spirit alone continue and multiply our graces This for the second particular in the third part the Paryer of the title viz. the measure in which he desired those Blessings The third and last follows viz. the persons upon whom he prayeth that these blessings may be in this measure bestowed in these words Vnto you The Apostles desire of these Blessings Explicat and the multiplication of them agrees to the persons for whom they are desired in two respects 1. In respect of their for-mentioned Priviledges Sanctification Preservation in Christ Calling 2. In respect of their after-mentioned Dangers by Seducers who were crept in among them 1. In respect of their fore-mentioned Priviledges of Sanctification c. and so the Apostle desires this multiplication of grace for them 1. Though they be sanctified they were not so fully sanctified and had not been so long preserved and called but that they still wanted a further multiplication of grace they still stood more in need of the effects of mercy more inward peace and love they had not yet attained their full measure Phil. 3.13 2. To all that are sanctified preserved c. Though they were many he wisheth that every one might have a childs portion that blessings might be multiplyed to the whole multitude of Saints that there might not be one barren among them that as God had aful hand was rich in mercy so that his bounty might be dispersed to them all 3. To them only who are sanctified They only who had grace were capable of having grace multiplyed To these only who had the Apostle wisheth that more might be given There 's no growth where there is not a truth of grace nor can these distinguishing blessings of mercy love peace be desired at all for wicked men upon the supposition of their resolution to continue and proceed to be such 4. To them because they were sanctified preserved called How sutable was it for them who had formerly received these Priviledges to multiply and increase in holinesse for them to thrive who had a stock of sanctity for them who were preserved by Christ to be kept from hurt by sin for them who were called to be holy in all manner of holy conversation 1 Pet. 1.15 as he who called them was holy 2. This desire of the multiplication of these Blessings agrees to the persons to whom it is desired in respect of their after-mentioned danger by seducers who were crept in among them 'T is observable that both Jude and Peter salute the Christians to whom they wrote with this prayer for multiplication of these spirituall blessings that since these Christians had more enemies they might have more armour than others and that their graces might be multiplyed with their dangers 1. Observ 1. The sanctification of none is in this life so compleat but it admits of multiplication Mercy peace love even to you saith the Apostle be multiplyed There 's no plenary perfection on this side heaven The highest Saint in this life is not come to the fulnesse of his measure Ephes 4.13 Phil. 3.13 Blessed Paul thought not himselfe to have apprehended The perfectest Christian is perfectly imperfect when he begins imperfectly perfect when he ends when we have done all we are unprofitable servants The fullest vessell may have more wine poured into it without any fear of bursting none must bid God stay his hand They who think they have need of nothing have truely received nothing Till the Sabbath comes we must daily be gathering Manna Nihil praesumitur actum dum superest aliquid ad agendum he that resteth in the time of labour shall labour though in vain in the time of rest A Christian is not like a top that moves by going round and not by going forward not like the Sun in Hezekiah's time that stood still but like the Sun in its naturall course that goeth forward to the perfect day We must go from strength to strength Psal 84.7 till we appear before the Lord in Sion Where there 's no growing there is some decaying While we neglect to gain we spend upon the stock Sin is continually making breaches in our graces and we must be daily making them up our garment hath daily rents and therefore it wants constant mending the dust daily falls in our houses and therefore they want frequent cleansing our hearts are like to childrens faces after every washing they soon grow foul again Sanctification is nothing but a return to our first estate to which we cannot attain till death When the sting of sinne is gone the stain cleaves close and we had need wash seven times daily to get it out 2. God hath enough grace for every one of his children Observ 2. Grace is afforded and multiplyed indifferently to one as well as another though all have not grace equally yet all truely and according to their particular exigences As every good and perfect gift is from God so in a due proportion upon every Saint None so hath all grace as that every one hath not some Christ is a head that sendeth influence into every member Ephes 4.16 1 John 12. Of his fulnesse we have all received He is an over-flowing fountain of grace which though it may be imparted yet
principally means the Gospel with which God had instrusted him So Tit. 1.3 c. 2. But not excluding the former by the Saints to whom the Faith was delivered I understand All the people of God to whom it was delivered by the fore-mentioned servants of God And as some of these were Saints in regard only of visible profession and dedication and others were made Saints in respect of true and saving sanctity so the faith was delivered unto these differently to the former by way of outward administration and visible dispensation to the later who were made true Saints by way of saving and effectuall operation They who were and continued to be onely visible and externall Saints had the faith delivered unto them as the common sort of Israelites had to whom God wrote the great things of his Law and yet they were accounted a strange thing Hos 6.12 and to whom were committed the oracles of God Rom. 3.1 and yet they beleeved not Isai 53.1 contenting themselves in the retaining the letter of the Law declaring Gods Statutes and taking his covenant into their mouth in the mean time never regarding to have the law written in their hearts Psal 50.16.17 c. but hating instruction and casting the word of God behind them They who had the faith delivered unto them by way of efficacious and saving operation did not only hear but beleeve the report of Gods messengers and the arm of God was revealed to them Isai 53.1 To whom it was given to know the Mysteries of the Kingdom of God although to others it were not given Mat. 13.11 and for whose sake alone the faith is delivered to others who got no good at all thereby but onely an estimation for members of the visible Church 1. The Word is to be laid out and delivered to Observ 1. not to be laid up and kept from others The Saints are to be the better for it The Ministry is in Scripture compared to light what more diffusive to seed it must be scattered to bread it must be broken and distributed to every one according to their exigencies to salt it must not be laid up in the Salt-box but laid out in seasoning the flesh that it may be kept from putrefaction He who hides truth buries gold Ministers must rather be worn with using than rusting Paul did spend and was spent The sweat of a Minister as 't is reported of Alexander's casts a sweet savour His talents are not for the napkin but occupation How sinfull are they that stand idle in a time of labour how impious they who compell them to stand so 2. They who retain and keep the Faith are Saints Observ 2. Visibly those are Saints and that is a Church which keep it by profession and ministerially A Church that is which is the pillar and ground of truth 1 Tim. 3.15 Rom. 3.2 to whom the Oracles of God are committed as Paul speaks of the Jewes None are so to complain of the defects of our Church for what it wants as to deny it a Church considering what it hath It holds forth the truth of all Doctrines which serve both for the beginning and increase of faith It 's one of Christs golden Candlesticks wherein he hath set up the light of his Word and though Sectaries do not yet Christ walks in the midst of them I must be bold to fear that because our adversaries cannot rationally deny that while we hold forth the Truth we are a true Church they labour by their errours to extinguish the Truth that so we may be none 3. How much is the world beholding to Saints 3. Observ They have kept the Faith the Word of life for the ingratefull world ever since 't was first delivered Were it not for them we had lost our Truth nay lost our God These are they who have in all ages with their breath nay with their bloods preserved the Gospel kept the word of Christs patience Rev. 3.8.10 And rather then they would not keep the Faith they have lost their lives They profit the world against its will they are benefactors to their severall ages like indulgent Parents they have laid up the riches of faith for those who have desired their deaths It 's our duty though not to adore them yet to honour their memory Satan knows no mean between deifying and nullifying them Imitation of them is as unquestionably our duty as adoration of them would be our sin 4. 4 Observ Vnholiness is very unsutable to them to whom the Faith is delivered It 's delivered to Saints in profession and they should labour to be so in power They should adorn the Doctrine of God Tit. 2.10 How sad a sight is it to behold the unsanctified lives of those to whom this faith hath been long delivered How many live as if faith had banished all fidelity and honesty or as if God had delivered the faith not to furnish their souls with holiness but only their shelves with Bibles Books in the head not in the Study make a good Scholar and the word of faith not in the house or head but in the heart and life make a Christian Oh thou who art call'd a Saint either be not so much as call'd so or be more than call'd so otherwise thy externall priviledg will be but an eternall punishment If God have delivered his Faith to thee deliver up thy self to him 5. 5 Observ The Fewness of faiths entertainers is no derogation from faiths excellency They are a poor handfull of Saints by whom the faith is preserved and to whom it is delivered in the world The preatest number of men and nations have not the faith delivered unto them ministerially and of them the far greater part never had it delivered efficaciously It s better to love the faith with a few than to leave it with a multitude Numbers cannot prove a good cause nor oppose a Great God 6. Observ 6. The true reason of Satans peculiar rage against Saints they have that faith delivered to them which is the bane and battery of his kingdom that word which is an Antidote against his poison that doctrine which discovers his deeds of darknesse Satans policy is to dis-arm a place of the word when he would subdue it he peaceably suffers those to live who have not the weapons of holy doctrine he throws his cudgels against fruitfull trees he lays wait as a thief for those who travel with this treasure They who are empty of this treasure may sing be merry when they meet with him he never stops them Others who have the faith he sets upon annoyeth I have given them thy word saith Christ the world hath hated thē John 1.7 3. Jude saith in this amplification Explicat the faith was once delivered once 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Three things may be touched in the Explication 1. The meaning of the word once 2.
the barren wildernesse and they are by God compared to drossie silver Jer. 6.28 which all the art and pains of the Silver-smith cannot refine and therefore called reprobate silver These seducers in Gods Ort-yard were trees without fruit twice dead pluck'd up by the roots Jude 12. 4. A fourth woe in this condemnation is Gods giving them up to strong delusion a delighting in errour and false doctrine with a believing it and thus seducers are said not only to deceive but to be deceived 2 Tim. 3.13 2 Thes 2.10 11. and those who received not the love of the truth had strong delusion sent them from God and upon them the deceivablenesse of unrighteousnesse takes hold and thus God suffered a lying spirit to deceive Ahab and his prophets 5. A fifth woe in this condemnation is a stumbling at and a quarrelling with the word of life 1 Pet. 2.8 and Christ the rock of salvation Thus Paul speaks of some who were contentious and obeyed not the truth Rom. 2.8 and of seducers who resist the truth 2 Tim. 3.8 Like these in Jude who contended so muth against the faith that all which Christians could do was little enough to contend for it against those who made the Gospel a plea for licenciousnesse 6. A sixth woe in this condemnation is progressiveness in sin 2 Tim. 3.13 and as the Apostle speaks of seducers a waxing worse and worse a walking so far into the sea of sin as at length to be over head and eares a descending to the bottom of the hill a daily treasuring up wrath a proficiency in Satans school a growing artificially wicked and even doctors of impiety 7. Which lastly will prove the great and heavy woe not to be contented to be wicked and to go to hell alone but to be leaders to sin 2 Tim. 3.13 and to leaven others with impiety and thus Paul saith that seducers were deceiving as well as deceived 2 Pet. 2.2 And Peter that many shall follow their pernicious wayes And certainly impiety propagated shall be condemnation heightned 2. Why is this punishment of seducers called Condemnation 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the cause for the effect I grant Condemnation is properly the sentence or censure condemning one to some punishment and though in this place it be taken for the very punishment it selfe yet fitly doth the Spirit of God set out this punishment of wicked men by a word that notes a sentencing them thereunto And that 1. Because a sentence of condemnation is even already denounced against them 2. Because it is such a punishment as by judiciary sentence is wont to be inflicted upon guilty offenders 1. It is really and truly denounced c. For besides Gods fore-appointing the wicked to this condemnation as it is the punishment of sin the execution of his justice wicked men are in this life sentenced to punishment 1. By the word of God which tels them that God will render to every man according to his deeds to them who do not obey the truth but obey unrighteousnesse indignation and wrath Rom. 2.8 c. And that he who believeth not is condemned already John 3.18 2. By their own conscience which accuseth and condemneth as Gods Deputy and here tels them what they deserve both here and hereafter If our hearts condemne us c. 1 John 3.20 c. 3. By the judgements of God manifested against those who have lived in the same sins the wrath of God being revealed against all unrighteousnesse Rom. 1.18 4. By the contrary courses of the godly The practices of Saints really proclaiming that because the wayes of the wicked are sinfull and destructive therefore they avoid them Mat. 12.41 42. and thus Noah sentenced the old world by being a practicall Preacher of righteousnesse 2 Pet. 2.5 And all these sentencings of wicked men do but make way for that last and great sentence to be pronounced at the day of judgment Mat. 7.23 Mat. 25.41 to the punishment both of eternall losse and pain 2. It is such a punishment as by judiciary sentence is wont to be executed upon guilty offenders and so it is in two respects 1. Because it is Righteous 2. Severe 1. Righteous These Seducers were not spiritually punished without precedent provocations Rom. 1.28 as they did not like to retaine God in their knowledge God gave them over to a reprobate mind 2 Thes 2.10 and God sends them justly strong delusions that they should beleeve and teach a lie because they received not the love of the truth and because they would not be Scholers of truth they justly become Masters of error 2. The punishment of wicked men is such as is wont to be inflicted upon offenders by a sentence because of its weight and severity It is not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not a paternall chastisement or a rebuke barely to convince of a fault but it 's 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Judges sentence condemning to a punishment the guilty Malefactor It is not medicinall but penall not the cutting of a Chirurgian but of a Destroyer the happinesse of correction stands in teaching us but this punishment is the giving of sinners up to unteachablenesse and what is it indeed but a hell on this side hell for God to withdraw his grace and to suffer men to be as wicked as they will to be daily damning themselves without controle to bee carried down to the gulf of perdition both by the wind of Satans tentation and which is worse the tide of sinfull inclination For God to say Be and do as bad as you will be filthy still Rev. 22.11 sleep on now and take your rest I le never jog nor disturb you in your sins How sore a judgment is it to be past feeling so as that nothing cooler than hel fire and lighter then the loyns of an infinite God can make us sensible though too late OBSERVATIONS 1. Observ 1. The condemnation of the wicked is begun in this life As heaven so hell is in the seed before it is in the fruit The wicked on this side hell are tunning and treasuring up that wrath Rom. 2.5 which hereafter shall be broached and revealed The wicked have even here hell in its causes The old bruises which their souls by sin have received in this life will be painfull when the change of weather comes when God alters their condition by death When thy lust asks How canst thou want the pleasure let thy faith answer by asking another question How can I bear the pain of such a sin Observ 2. Tristitia nostra quasi habet quia in somnis tranfit Qui somnium indicat addit quasi quasi sedebam quasi loquebar quasi equitabā quia cum evigelaverit non invenit quod videbat Quasi thesaurum inveneram dicit mendicus si quasi non esset mendicus non
fore-sight of sin Yet that the sight of sin was neither in order of nature or time before Reprobation nor after it but purely evenly and equally accompanying it That Gods decree to permit sin from whence comes prevision of sin and to condemn for sin were not the one subordinate to the other or of a diverse order as if the one were the end and the other the mean but co-ordinate and of one and the same order and means both accommodated to one and the same end God neither condemning that sin may be permitted nor permitting sin that he might condemn but permitting sin and condemning for sin that the glory of his justice might be manifested the glorious manifestation of his justice being not advanced only by permission of or only by condemning for sin but by both joyntly or together according to which apprehension sinne fore-seen could not bee the cause of Reprobation They conceive that God not depending upon any condition in the creature no other way fore-knew the futurition of sin than by his own decree to permit it And they further urge if consideration of sinne were before Gods decree of Reprobation then the decree of permission of sin should have been before the decree of Reprobation and so God should intend the permission of sin before he intended the damnation of man for it and then it would follow in regard that what is first in intention is last in execution that damnaton for sin should be in execution before the permission of sin for which men are damned And this is the Argument oft urged by D. Twiss to which he sometimes adds that whatsoever is first in intention hath the nature of an end in respect of that which followes it but the permission of sin cannot be considered as an end in respect of the damnation of men it being impossible that men should be damned to this end that sin should be permitted And they of this opinion assert that if because God decreed that condemnation shall onely be for sin it followes that sin is a cause of that decree it will also unavoidably follow because God hath decreed that salvation shall onely be in a way of good works that good works are a cause of that decree they conceiving that though good works do not go before salvation with the same efficacity wherein sin goeth before damnation good works being only dispositive causes of the one and sins meritorious causes of the other yet that they go before it Non eadem dispositionis eâ—icacitate sed tamen eodem necessitatis ordine with the same order of necessity And they adde that the Apostle removes both from the election of Jacob and the reprobation of Esau the consideration of all works either good or evill as well in respect of their prevision as actuall existence to the end that he might shew that the purpose of God according to election was not according to works but of him that calleth and so by the same reason that the decree of the reprobation of Esau was not of evill works but of him that cals and leaves whom he will 2. As to Reprobation in regard of the effect or rather consequent thereof the things decreed and willed or as God wills that one thing should be for another It is not doubted albeit Gods eternall volitions or decrees depend not upon any temporall object or causes as the prime motives therunto but that God by his eternall decree ordained that this or that event in the temporall execution shall not follow but upon this or that going before as that in those of years the actuall bestowing of eternall life shall depend upon beleeving repenting and persevering and that the actuall punishing with eternall death shall depend upon finall unbelief and impenitency This is not to make the eternall decrees of Election and Reprobation dependent upon the fore-seen contingent Acts of mans freewill but to make temporall events Acts or Things one to depend conditionally upon another for their being or not being in time And yet 1. The cause of Reprobation in respect of denying of grace external whether in regard of the outward means or internall either common or saving is the will and pleasure of God As it is the meer will and pleasure of God whereby in time men are reprobated from grace was from eternity for as God doth or doth not in time so it he purposeth to do or not to do from all eternity Now that in time the denyall of grace is from the will and pleasure of God is most evident from Scripture which teacheth that God calls to grace and gives the very means of salvation to whomsoever he will Act. 16.7 Mat. 11.24 25 Deut. 29.4 Nulla sunt tam detestanda facinora quae possunt gratiae arceredonum Prosp The Spirit suffered not Paul to preach at Bithynia To you it is given saith Christ to know the mysteries of the Kingdome of heaven and to them it is not given And because it seemed good in his Fathers sight he hid these things from the wise and prudent Tyre and Sidon would have made better use of the means of grace than the Jews yet God bestowed those means not upon the former but up on the later But 2. The cause of Reprobation in regard of Gods denyall of glory is not meerly from Gods will and pleasure but from the pravity and sin of men God in time denyes glory in regard of mens impiety and therefore he purposed to deny it for that Depart from me will Christ say only to the workers of iniquity Mat. 7.23 There shall enter into the new Jerusalem nothing that defileth The unrighteous shall not inherit the Kingdome of God And 3. The cause of Reprobation in regard of blindnesse and obduration in sin in this life and eternal damnation in the life to come is from mans impiety God decreed that Condemnation should not be but for sin nor hardning but for preceding rebellion nor that the wages of death should be paid without the work of sin No man is ordained to a just punishment but for some sin but the with-drawing of grace the blindnesse and obduration of sinners are the punishments of preceding sin as appears Rom. 1.27 God gave them up c that they might receive the recompence 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of their error which was meet To crown or to damn is an act of judiciary power and proceedeth according to the tenour of the revealed Gospel The eternall dedecree of the damnation of the very Devils was never determined to be executed otherwise than for their own misdeeds 2. This expression of old notes the immutability and unchangeableness of this Ordination the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 De rationâ— aeternitatis est immutabilitas Aug. Cons l. 12. c. 15. the immutability of his counsell that which is eternall is unalterable This Ordination is like such a booking and writing down of a thing as shall unfailingly be performed Nor can this book or
Sum ex reprobis Aug. Observ 5. Justus quis est nisi qui amanti se Deo vicem rependit amoris quod non fit nisi revelante spiritu per fidem homini aeternum Dei propositum super salute sua futura Bern. Ep. 107. Censure thou mayst their actions but not determine their end Many a Saint recollecting how far himselfe was suffered to go before he returned may truely say I le never despair of any for surely Lord there never will be a baser heart then mine for thee to deal with Sinners must have thy pity not thy despair That the end of their wayes will be death it 's thy duty to declare That the end of those who for the present walk in those wayes will be death it 's thy sin thy danger to determine Least of all despair of thine own salvation This conclusion I am one of the reprobates ought to be repelled as a tentation not more groundlesse than dangerous 5. Whosoever is exempted from this appointment to condemnation is engaged to be eminent and singular in his love to God No motive to love is so effectuall as to be prevented by love Gods love to the elect was early eternall They were chosen by God before they could chuse God How due a debt is love to him when we were who loved us without due debt before we were We ought to love him more than others who is incomparably more lovely and who loved us more than others when we were no more lovely than others Should not we single him out for our God who infinitely excels all and who singled us out for his people when we were no better than any What was it beside election that made Saints by grace of sinners by nature and as I may say white paper of the foulest dunghill rags what but this went between the holiest Saint and the most flagitious sinner both were cut off from the same piece and formed out of the same clay 6. Observ 6. Luk. 12.32 Rom. 8.33.35 c. An timendum est ne tunc de se homo desperet quando spes ejus ponenda demonstratur in Deo non autem desperaret si eam in scipso superbissimus infelicissimus poneret Aug. de bon pers l. 2. c. 22. The faithfull may be strongly armed against tentations to despair The decrees of God depend not upon the pleasure of mans but Gods will The Angels and Adam who fell from integrity plainly shew what would become of man who now hath the treachery of sin within him and the battery of tentation without him if divine predestination were removed Forbear then wretched Pelagian to make the supposed dependence of predestination upon mans will a ground of courage and the certain dependence of mans will upon predestination a ground of despair Proud potsheard expect not happinesse without more humility Lord how soon should I embezzel my happinesse and prove a beggerly prodigall shouldst thou give me my portion into mine own hands 7. Observ 7. incite the best to humility He who fares best hath no cause of insultation over him who speeds worst The least mercy deserves thankfulnesse the greatest allowes not pride The reading of what the worst are and shall be should instruct us what the best had been and should be without free-grace which alone makes the difference Col. 3.12 Humble tendernesse is the badge of election as the elect of God put on bowels Grace found the richest Saint but a beggerly sinner Mat. 5.3 1 Cor. 1.27 and grace makes the richest in possession to be poorest in spirit God hath chosen the weak to confound the mighty not the mighty to domineer over the weak Every receipt is an almes and the best furnished Christian doth but proclaim that he hath been oftenest at the door of mercy The taller thou art in grace the more need thou hast to stoop would'st thou enter into the meditation of thy present estate without danger 8. Observ 8. Forbearance of punishment is no argument to the finally impenitent of their totall immunity from punishment They are bill'd and book'd by God and at length God will call in his debts and the longer he stayes with the more interest The judgements of God are sure if they be late With God delay wears nothing out of memory nor is any thing gained by protraction All things to the Ancient of dayes are present How fruitlesse is a sinners league with hell The Lord laugheth at him for he seeth that his day is coming Mundi laetitia impunita nequitia Grudge not to see impenitency and prosperity go together What 's all a sinners mirth but a litle unpunish'd wickednesse The thunder-clap of wrath will soon make his wine of mirth soure He who now goes on so pertinaciously in sin must either undo or be undone His chear may seem excessive but there 's a reckoning coming which though it be the last yet is it as sure as any part of the entertainment 9. Observ 9. Ministers ought not to propound to the people a reprobation absolute from the means Reprobation is not so to be preached as though men were to be damned whatsoever they doe Nempe hoc verissimum est ita sanè sed improbissimum importunissimum incongruentissimum non falso eloquio sed non salubri ter valetudini humanae infirmitatis apposito Aug. de bo per. l. 2. c. 22. but so as that it may be manifested that destruction is the fruit of impiety It 's possible a Minister may preach what is true concerning Gods absolute decree to save and reprobate men and yet not in that due manner in which he ought to speak For example should a minister preach thus to his people Whatsoever you doe ye shall be such as God decreed ye should be c. This is indeed a true doctrine but it seeming to separate the end from the means it is so true that withall as Augustin saith it is most inconvenient and pernicious because it is not wholsomely applied to humane infirmity Now it is the part of an unskilfull Dolosi vel imperiti Medici est etiam utile medicameutum sic alligare ut aut non profit aut obsit Aug. de bo pers l. 2. cap. 21. or deceitfull Physician so to apply a good playster that either it shall do no good or do hurt Therefore Paul speaking of the reprobates whose end is destruction addeth whose God is their belly whose glory is their shame c. and here Jude having said that these seducers were ordayned to condemnation subjoyneth ungodly men who turn the grace of God into lasciviousness To the handling whereof I now proceed This for the first part of the first argument to move the Christians Earnestly to contend c. The Argument is the dangerousness of the company of these seducers The first part whereof was a description of their entrance The Second followes the description of their impiety they having got entrance Two wayes
and yet he needs no informer but knows what every servant doth in his absence and will manifest every ones work to all the world His eyes are as a flame of fire and clearer then ten thousand Sunnes Heb. 4.12 all things are naked and open before him Exod. 3.7 Nor doth he lesse observe the wants and troubles than the wayes and workes of his servants He hath an eye therefore as pittying as it is piercing For 2. He is the most gracious Lord and Master No Lord ever bought servants so dear he having bought them from slavery by laying down his dearest and most precious blood for them never such a price He hath given not his mony but himself for them 2. No Lord ever fed his servants so highly and so plentifully The servants of Christ have various and sumptuous dishes First the word after that the Sacrament The table of the Lord is furnish'd with the body and blood of the Lord to nourish the servants not only to labour but also to eternall life 3. No Lord ever clothed servants so sumptuously their garments are made of that web which was woven out of his own bowels they put on the scarlet of his righteousnesse and the merit of his death The fine linnen of holinesse and sanctification yea the beautifull robes of glory and immortality which they shall change for the filthy raggs of sinne and mortality 4. No Lord ever used his servants so gently and mercifully He puts them only upon honourable safe comfortable imployments He puts no more upon them than they can go through He is not only their Lord and Master but their helper and fellow worker when they grow faint and weary Phil. 4.13 Psal 25.4 5.9 Hab. 1.12 he strengthens them when doubtfull he teacheth them when slothfull sometimes indeed he corrects them yet not to kill but quicken them and not to destroy them but their slothfulnesse when they are sick he pitties and spares them when old he turns them not out of his service but the longer they live in it the more they love it yea the more able they are to perform it In a word when they die he neither suffers them to lie still nor sends them to seek another master for then they change not their master for another but their work for a better or rather for their wages For 5. No Master ever rewarded his servants so bountifully As Christ gives more for so more to his servants than any master That happinesse which Christ gives his servants in this life is unspeakable their work seems to have more of wages than work but in the next life their joy will be so great as that it cannot so well be said to enter into them as they to enter into it Mat. 25.21 For why it is the joy of their Lord whose bosome is the hive and center of all goodnesse and that in which all the scattered parcels of blessednesse are bundled up Study but yet expect not to understand either the comfort or condescension of that promise made Luke 12.37 to the faithfull servants of Christ He shall gird himselfe and make them sit down to meat and come forth and serve them Lord did I not think that the chear and the attendance were both one I should say the attendance were infinitely better then the chear Think what it is for Christ himself to serve at the table What is it but infinite delight for the guests to have him set himselfe to sollace them who is infinite as in sweetnesse so in knowledg to make his sweetnesse please them Nor will the dignity of those servants be lesse then their delight who have majesty it self to serve them Certainly in heaven there shall be as many kings as subjects 6. He is the only Lord for the duration of his dominion Of his government there shall be no end Luke 1.33 He is the King immortall 1 Tim. 1.17 He only hath immortality 1 Tim. 6.16 To other Potentates though they be called Gods yet he who is the true God saith that they shall die like men Psal 82.7 Of our twenty five Monarchs since the conquest thirteen taking in three who are thought to be poisoned are said to have had violent and untimely deaths Few earthly Monarchs there are whose lives are not tyrannicall and their deaths untimely Who ruling by the sword commonly die by it And should they escape the ponyards the poysons the powder-plots bullets axes which have swept away the most one disease or other will lay all their glory in the dust In an evening a mid-day yea perhaps a more early cloud shall be the sun-set both of their lives and raigns But Jesus Christ is the same yesterday to day and for ever his throne is for ever and ever Death it self the King of terrours and the terrour of kings is subdued by Jesus Christ and that not only so as it shall never touch him but also never hurt any of his servants OBSERVATIONS 1. Observ 1. All our obedience to earthly Lords must bee only such as this only Lord allowes and only in the Lord. We must take heed of the sinne of the Israelites Hos 5.11 Regula regulans Regula regulata willingly to walk after the Commandment and of that of the Papists blind obedience to any superiour The greatest Lords in the world are but rules ruled Jesus Christ is the only rule ruling 2. Observ 2. Mat. Rom. 12.11 The greatest diligence and servency of spirit is requisite in the service of this only Lord. Wee must not do the work of this great Lord negligently nor offer him a female in stead of a male This only Lord must have as it were our only service Wee must not serve him as if we served him not Though the best servant of this Lord be but an unprofitable yet the least must not be an idle servant Wee must not offer to this Lord that which cost us nothing The blind and the maimed are too bad for our ordinary Lords Our Only Lord must have our best our hearts our all even the whole of our created abilities This great Lord hath much more businesse than all the time and strength of his servants can bring about If every hair of the head were an hand we might have our hands full of work Our Lord requires the service of thoughts 2 Cor. 10.5 of words Ephes 4.29 of works 1 Cor. 10.31 Of body and spirit 1 Thes 5.23 A vast deal of diligence is requisite about the honouring of God the attending of our own heart and wayes the helping and edifying of others 3. Observ 3. How warily and conscionably should all other Lords govern They are Lords but not only Lords they are but servants to this only Lord and must as well be accountable to him for their commanding as others must be responsible to them for their obeying They must remember they have a master in heaven with whom there is no respect of
our owne phrensie 9. No difficulties can hinder Israels deliverance Observ 9. God can command yea create deliverances for his people Psal 25.22 Psal 34.7 Psal 71.20 Isai 43.13 Gen. 18.14 When there is none left and shut up when there is no force and might to relieve he can deliver them alone When there are mountaines of opposition he can levell them and make them become a plain Jesus Christ comes skipping and leaping over them all The wisdom power malice of his enemies do but make his strength tiumphant yea the unworthiness and unkindness of Israel cannot stop the course of delivering mercy So unexpectedly can he scatter difficulties that his people have been like them that dreamed when mercy came they thinking it too good to be true Yea their enemies have been amazed and been compell'd to profess that God hath done great things for his Church How strong must the forces of Gods decree power love wisdome faithfulnesse the prayers and tears of his people needs be when they are all united And hence it is that as the enemies of Israel have cause to fear though they are high So the true Israelites have cause to hope 1 King 2.15 Fides in periculis secura est in securis periclitatur though they are low There 's no defeat so great but faith hath a retreating place Means can do nothing without much lesse against God but God can do all things without yea against means A Saint abhorres indirectly to wind himselfe out of any trouble Why he hath a God who can help in every strait when as a sinner who wants God shiftingly betakes himselfe to any unworthy practice Oh Christian shame thy selfe that every slight trouble should so dismay thee having such a deliverer That the mountain should be full of horses and chariots and thou shouldest not have thy eyes open to see and beleeve them Psal 126.4 What 's a Pharaoh an house of bondage a puissant army a red sea delivering mercy makes way through them all and is a mighty stream that bears all before it It s infinitely stronger than the strongest blast of gun-powder to blow up all opposition Oh Christian fear not thy danger but beleeve in thy deliverer 10. God loves not to give deliverance Observ 10. Deus ad suorum liberationem manum admovet cum omnia videntur desperata Riv. in Exod. p. 70. Psal 12.5 till it be welcome When the bricks are doubled then and not till then Moses comes When Israel is parch'd with the heat of persecution then come the showrs of deliverance God is an help in the needfull time of trouble Then is it Gods time to deliver when there are no visible helps or hopes of deliverance For the oppression of the poor and sighing of the needy now will I arise saith the Lord. In such a case it was that God said to Moses Now shalt thou see what I will do to Pharaoh Times of extreme oppression Exod. 6.1 are times of earnest supplication and God loves to bestow mercies when they are by prayer desired The cry of Israel must come up to God before mercy from God comes down upon Israel Further Judg. 6.10 where deliverance comes in a time of extremity it will be entertained upon its own termes Israel will part with any thing that offends their deliverer they will submit to strict reformation which before they would not hear of and say with Saul Act. 6.9 Lord what wilt thou have us to do and with the Egyptians who were pinched with the famine Gen. 47.19 Buy us and our land for bread and we and our land will be servants to Pharaoh Lastly when deliverance is afforded in the Churches extremity the glory of Gods power wisdome and free goodnesse is most clearly discovered God loves so to work for his people as to gaine most by them he will have the tribute of praise out of every salvation And this discovers the true reason why mercy is delaid why God only as it were shews a mercy and then pulls it in again we are not yet so pinchâ—d by the want thereof as to stoop to Gods conditions to accept of an exact universall reformation to be willing that God should do with us what he pleaseth and to those whom God hath so fitted mercy shall not long be delayed nay God hath given to them the best of mercies in bestowing a heart meet to enjoy them 11. Observ 11. God often proportions the sin to the punishment The Egyptians encompasse poor Israel with affliction neither suffering them to go from or remain in Egypt and now they themselves can neither go backward or forward in the sea The bloody rivers and their destruction in the red sea tell them their cruelty in drowning the Israelitish children Sodom was inflamed with the fire of lust and God consumes them with the fire of wrath Joseph's brethren sell Joseph for a slave and they themselves are detained as bond-men Adonibezek cuts off the thumbs and great toes of seventy Kings Judg. 1.7 and as he did to them so did God requite him Haman was hanged upon his own gibbet David's murder and adultery were followed with the death of his children and the ravishment of Thamar It 's thy duty to trace sinne by the foot-prints of punishment and observe what sin thou hast lived in which beares most proportion to thy punishment Art thou sick consider whether thou hast not abus'd thy strength to sin Doth God take away thy sight thy hearing thy tongue thy estate ask thy conscience whether these have not been imploy'd against God And if this direction seem to put thee upon an uncertain course of finding out thy beloved sin imitate the example of Herod who that he might make sure work to kill our Saviour slew all the children in Bethlehem In like manner let us impartially destroy all our sins If we know not which was the thorn that prick'd us cut down the whole hedg If we know not which was the Bee that stung us let us throw down the whole hive 12. Observ 12. When the enemies of God labour most to oppose and frustrate they accomplish and fulfill the will of God Pharaoh studies to destroy Israel but even then Pharaoh by his own daughter preserves and nourisheth him who was to be Israels deliverer Pharaoh resolves to detain Israel in bondage but even he shall shortly not only send them away but compell them to go yea in that very night which God had four hundred and thirty yeers before set down and prefixed Josephs brethren sell him that his dreame might prove false and that they might not be brought to bow before him but so did God order it Ideo veneratus quia venditus that therefore they came to do obeysance to him because they sold him The Jews kild Christ to extinguish his fame and glory but by his death was his glory and fame advanced Oh the folly of Gods
nemo videbit in judicio quia filius hominis est ut possit ab impiis videri August lib. 1. de trin cap. 13. Talis apparebit judex qualis possit videri ab iis quos coronaturus ab iis quos damnaturus est Prosp The Father judgeth no man but hath committed all judgement to the Son he hath given him authority to execute judgment Joh. 5.22.27 And all power is given him in heaven and in earth 3. By his former estate of humiliation As he emptyed and humbled himself according to his humane nature so in that hee is to be exalted He humbled himselfe and became obedient to death c wherefore God hath highly exalted him Phil. 2.9 And as Christ in his humane nature was unjustly judged so in that nature shall he justly judge Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many and he shall appear the second time without sin Heb. 9.28 4. By reason of the necessity of the visibility of the Judge and judiciall proceedings at the last day He executes judgement because he is the Son of man Joh 5.27 and every eye shall see him The Judge is to be beheld and heard by the Judged God will judge the world by that man c. In respect of the judiciall process a man must be our Judge for God is invisible and the Judge shall so appear as to be seen both of those whom he shall crown and of those whom he shall condemn Nor can it be but that God will be the more justified and men without all excuse having one who is bone of their bone and flesh of their flesh to be judge between God and them Notwithstanding all which immediate audible visible administration of the last judgement by the second Person this judgement belongs to the other Persons in Trinity 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in respect of Authority Dominion and judiciary power though to the Son only 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in respect of dispensation and office and externall exercise 2. For the second viz. Wherein the Judge makes the day of Judgement great 1. He makes it a great day 1. As he is considered in himselfe 2. As he is attended and accompanied by others 1. As we consider him in himselfe and that either 1. as God or 2. man 1. As God He who shall be the Judge is the mighty God It is Jehovah to whom every knee shall 〈◊〉 Isai 45. Hence the Apostle cals the appearance of this Judg who is God glorious in those words Tit. 2.13 The glorious appearing of the great God If the great God be Judge the day of Judgement must needs be a great day How great is the day of an earthly Judges appearance a man a worme dust and ashes one who though hee can give yet cannot avoid the sentence of death and one who hath scarce a faint reflection of that majesty with which this King of glory is adorned think then and yet thoughts can never reach it what it is for God before whom the whole world though full of Judges is as nothing and less then nothing and vanity to come to judge the word God is a judge Omnipotent and therefore one whose voice as the living who are distanced so many thousands of miles shall hear and obey so even the dead shall hear being quickned and shall at his beck come and stand before his judgment seat He shall come with great power 2 Thes 7.9 and the wicked shall be punish'd with everlasting destruction from the glory of his power Nor shall he use the ministry of Angels for necessity but Majesty God is an omniscient Judg infinitely onely wise his eyes are clearer then ten thousand suns one who will in the day wherein the brightnesse of his omniscience shall shine in its full lustre bring every hidden work to light and tell to all as the woman of Samaria said all that ever they did one who doth not as earthly Judges onely know what to ask but what every one will answer who wants no witnesses nor needs he that any should testifie of man for he knows what is in man God is a true and a just Judge The Apostle 2 Tim 4.8 cals him The Lord the righteous Judge hee will render to every one according to his works The Apostle proves the righteousnesse of God from his judging the world Rom. 3.6 and Abrahams question asserts it strongly Shall not the Judge of all the earth do right Other Judges may do righteously but God cannot do otherwise The wils of other Judges must be regulated by righteousnesse but so righteous is God that righteousnesse it selfe is regulated by his will which is the root and rule of all righteousnesse 2. This Judge shall make the day great as he is Man greatly amazing and dismaying must his appearance as Judge in mans nature needs be to sinners who have denyed him persecuted crucifyed and put him to an open shame all whose designes have been to crush and keep him under With what horror shall the Jews then see their delusion who would not heretofore beleive him to be the Messiah Needs must they and others who would not have this man to reign over them to whom he was a stumbling stone when low and small contemptible in his former discoveries upon earth now find and feel him a rock to fall upon them from heaven and crush them to powder Greatly comforting and refreshing must the appearance of this man be to beleevers who shall not onely behold him to be the great Judge of the whole world who hath taken upon him their nature but who hath also given to them his spirit whereby through faith they are mystically united unto him as their head their husband and upon whom they have fixed all their hopes and expectations of happinesse for and with whom they have so long suffered from the world whom they look upon as their treasure their portion and for whose coming they have so long'd and sigh'd and groan'd In a word How greatly glorious shall his appearance in our nature be both to good and bad when in it he shall be deck'd and adorn'd with Majesty and clothed with unspeakeable glory above all the Angels he being to come in the glory of his father Mat. 16.27 with power and great glory Mat. 24.30 The glory of a thousand Suns made into one will be but as sack cloth to that wherein Christ shall appear in mans nature that great day The glory of the Sun scatters the clouds but from the glory of Christs face the very earth and heaven shall flie away Rev. 20.11 The beames of his glory shall dazzel the eyes of sinners and delight the eyes of Saints The wicked shall be punish'd with everlasting destruction from his presence and the glory of his power 2 Thes 1.9 and when his glory shall he revealed the Saints shall be glad with exceeding joy 1 Pet. 4.13 2. The Judge shall make this day of judgement great considering him not
out judgements What is the greatnesse of Sodom though the mother city compared with the greatnesse of the Lord of Hosts The lands of Alcibiades in the Map of the whole world could not be espied The Nations are as the drop of a bucket as the small dust of the balance Isai 40.15 He taketh up the Isles as a very little thing An nations before him are as nothing and lesse then nothing and vanity Jerusalem was the perfection of beauty and the joy of the whole earth yet how were her gates sunk into the ground Lam. 2.15 her bars broken Sion was so desolate that the Foxes ran upon it Her strength was such before Lam. 5.18 that the inhabitants of the world would never have beleeved that the enemy would have entred Jerusalem Lam. 4.12 Greatnesse of sin will shake the foundations of the greatest Cities upon earth If their heads stood among the stars iniquity will bring them down into the dust Even of Babylon the great that Spirituall Sodome shall it be said Rev. 18.2 It is fallen Vrbs aeterna Ammianus Marcellinus call'd Rome the everlasting City but even she shall see the day when the eternity of her name and the immortality of her soul wherewith she is quickned which saith a Learned man is the supremacy of her Prelates above Emperours and Princes shall be taken from her and as Babylon hath left her the inheritance of her name so shall it leave her the inheritance of her destruction In vaine do we build unlesse the Lord lay the first stone or plant unlesse he say Let it grow Blessed is the City whose gates God barreth up with his power and openeth with his mercy Otherwise Sodoms plenty and power cannot secure it's inhabitants It 's said of Tyrus that Her Merchants were Princes and her Traffickers the Honourable men of the earth yet how doth God deride her greatnesse at the time of her overthrow Is this that glorious City Isai 23.7 her own feet shall carry her far off to sojourne The Lord of Hosts hath purposed it to stain the pride of all glory and to bring to contempt all the honourable of the earth Sodome Babylon Jerusalem Constantinople c. have felt the weight of Gods power and their own impieties God once ask'd Nah. 3.10 Niniveh whether she was greater then No Let me ask London whether she be greater then those cities which for sin God hath made small yea brought to nothing He who in former great plagues hath made grasse to grow in the streets of London for want of passengers is able again to stretch out upon it the line of consusion the stones of emptinesse Isai 34.11 and to turn the glory of our dwellings into plowed fields The fear of God is the strongest refuge and righteousness a stronger bulwark then walls of brasse Prov. 10.25 How great is the folly of the greatest City to be at the same time sinfull and secure There 's no fortification against no evasion from the Lord. There 's no way to fly from him but by flying to him by making him in Christ our friend by becoming enemies to sin and by reforming 6. Observ 6. Gen. 19.35 Sin brings a curse upon every thing that belongs to man The sin of Sodomites overthrew them their houses their cities their children yea their plaine and all that grew upon the earth The curse of Thorns and Bryers grew out of the soyle of sin The punishment of Amalek reached even the Infant and Suckling yea the Ox and Sheep the Camel and Asse 1 Sam. 15.3 That which was made and bestowed for mans comfort may justly be destroyed for mans wickednesse Who wonders to see the children the followers the palaces and gardens of a Traytor to droop and decay and the armes of his house and the Badge of his Nobility to be defac'd and revers'd That which is abused by man to the dishâ—or of God may justly be destroyed by God to the detriment of man How deservedly may God demolish and dismantle those fortifications and break in pieces those engines in and by which rebellious man fights against his Supreme Lord and Soveraign How profitably may we improve all the miseries which we behold disperst upon the whole creation How fruitfull a Meditation may we raise from the barrennesse of the earth Psal 107.34 A fruitfull land turneth he into barrennesse for the wickednesse of them that dwell therein All the Monnuments of ruine the demolish'd Monasteries and overthrown Abbies and subverted Cels of Sodomiticall and lazy Fryers full fed and unclean inhabitants are but the scratches that sin hath made upon the fair faces of Nations Oh that England would look with Scripture spectacles upon all its fired Towns and razed mansions and say and beleeve If sin had not been these had not lien here Vestigia peccati and that these demolitions are but the foot-prints of sin that so having found out sin we may voice it and deal with it as the Philistins did with Samson Judg. 16.24 Who said they was the destroyer of their country Certainly that which wants reason is by God ruin'd that we who have reason may thereby be reformed We should say in the destruction of the creatures as David in the death of his subjects I and my Fathers house have sinned These sheep what have they done and we should look upon Gods taking away of abused comforts as stoppages in our way of sin and the withdrawings of the fuel of lust God as it were firing our ships and breaking down our bridges lest by these we should depart from him 7. Observ 7. Great is the difference between Gods chastising of his people and his punishing of Sodomites The universality of Sodoms ruine followed the community of its sin The Church of God is never destroyed utterly but in it he alwayes leaves a number Except the Lord had left us a seed saith Paul we should have been as Sodom Rom. 9.29 and like unto Gomorrha Though an housholder spend and sel the greatest part of the corn of the Harvest Crop yet he will be sure to reserve a little seed corn to sow his ground for a new corp Though Sodom be utterly consumed by fire yet Jerusalem is as a brand pluck'd out of the fire God makes a light account of whole cities full of sinners Psal 119.119 he takes away the ungodly of the earth like drosse which is put into the fire to be consum'd his own people being like gold only put in to be purged A man when his house is on fire more regards a small box full of Jewels then a great room full of ordinary Lumber God having intimated to his people Hos 11.6 that they deserved to be made as Admah and Zeboim the two Cities that were destroyed with Sodom and Gomorrha he subjoyns ver 9. I will not returne to destroy Ephraim Vid. Rivetum in loc by not returning to destroy
's call'd luxury and he who sets himselfe after it a Whoremonger Nor is it impossible but that uncleanesse may be between marryed couples when the use of the marriage bed is in a season prohibited or in a measure not moderated or in a manner not ordained or to an end not warranted To all which may be added the sin called Lenocinium when a Female is prostituted to the lusts of another either for gaine or favour forbidden Levit. 19.29 with which some joyn the toleration of uncleannesse either in private families or in publick states as in Rome that Spirituall Sodom As also all those things which incite dispose or provoke to actuall uncleannesse as immodest kisses embraces glances filthy speeches impure books amorous songs mixt dancings lascivious attire c. And lastly the concupiscence boyling or burning lustfulnesse of the heart out of which proceed evill thoughts murders adulteries fornications Mat. 15.19 called 1 Cor. 7.9 burning and Col. 3.5 Evill concupiscence It 's most probable that these impure Sodomites at first began at some of the lower and lesse heinous of the forementioned sorts of uncleannesse and that they went through most if not all of them before they came to be such hellish proficients and practicioners in their villanies Nausea fastidium muliebris commercii in Sodomitis Musc in Gen. p. 464. Vid. Mr. D. Rogers in his excellent Treatise called Matrimoniall Honour Liber amorque denique cum mentes bominum furiarit uterque pu dor et probitas metus omnis abest as to abuse themselves with mankind the heinousnesse of which abomination either swallowes up the mention of the rest or if from them they did abstain it was neither for feat or shame but because they accounted them as Musculus speaks to be ranks too inconsiderable and ordinary for them who left the naturall use of the woman and burnt in lust towards one another and as Jude saith followed after strange flesh Breifly now though sutably to this branch of Explication I shall add to the discovery of the sorts of uncleanness a touch of the peculiar odiousnesse of this sin to defer the consideration of the wrath of God against it till we come to the next part 1. It 's a close and cleaving sin much cherish'd by corrupt nature It bears as a Reverend Divine notes the name of it's mother which is called in generall lust or concupiscence it hath the name of it is kind and therefore it is lust eminently it lies near the heart and sleeps in the bosome 2. It 's an Infatuating sin Hos 4.11 taking away the heart even David was led with a stupor of spirit for a whole year together after his uncleannesse How did this sin besot Samson It blunts the edge not of grace only but even of reason also even Solomon himselfe could not keep his wisdome and women at once 3. It s an Injurious sin to others It loves not to go to hell without company An Adulterer cannot say as some other sinners may that he is his own greatest enemy How many doth it besides those whom it kils in soul wound in body name at one shoot and for this wound there can be no salve of restitution or recompence 4. It s an attended sin not only inducing others to sin but it brings on other sins with it it 's like the needle which draws the thread after it idolatry perjuries murders riot defrauding even of nearest relations The Apostle joyns fornication and wickednesse 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 together Rom. 1.29 An unclean person runs downe the hill and cannot stop his course in sin 5. It 's a Dishonourable sin to be the body and 1 Cor. 6.18 peculiarly said to be against the body The unclean person makes himself a stigmatick he brands his body and leaves upon it a loathsome staine Other sins comparatively are without the body by it not in it this both it being a more bodily sin and requiring more of the body for the perfecting of it 6. It 's a Sacrilegious sin It takes away from God that which is his own he made our bodies Psal 139.15 and curioufly wrought them like a piece of tapestry and he will not have them to be spotted 1 Cor. 6.15 16 18 19. Our bodies are the members of Christ our mysticall head united strongly though Spiritually If it were heinous for David to cut off the skirt of Sauls garment what is it for any to divide between Christ and his members and that by making them the members of an Harlot Our bodies are the temples of the Holy Ghost therefore not to be the Styes for Swine dedicated therefore not to to be prophaned 7. It s an Heathenish sin Gentiles walk 1 Thes 4.5 in the lust of concupiscence and a sin before conversion 1 Cor. 6.9 Such were some of you A sin of night and darknesse wherein men care not how much their apparel be spotted or torn A sin not to be named amongst Christians In a word a sin not of Saints but of Sodomites Who 2. Are specially taxed with the breach of chastity in pollutions by strange flesh Quidam censent per 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 per verecundam se synecdochen carnis nomine intelligi membrum genetale vel potius nefarium illius membri in illicito coitu abusum Gerard. in 2 Pet. 2.10 Rom. 1.27 The words in the Originall are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 properly signifying another flesh Whereby the Apostle intends such a flesh as was another or different from that which was afforded to their naturall use by the law of nature or a flesh that was made by God to another use and end than that unto which they abused it Or as Oecumenius thinks that flesh which they followed may be called another or strange because God never appointed that Male and Male but only that Male and Female should be one flesh in which respect as to a male the flesh of a Male must alwayes be another flesh And Chrysostome well observes on Rom. 1.27 that whereas by Gods ordinance in lawfull copulation by marriage two became one flesh both sexes were joyned together in one by Sondomiticall uncleannesse the same flesh is divided into two Men with men working uncleannesse as with women of one sex making as it were two Of this sin of pollution with strange or another flesh in Scripture two sorts are mentioned The one carnall joyning with a beast which is of another kind prohibited Levit 18.23 and punished with death Levit. 20.15 wherein it's observable that the very Beast is also appointed to be slain as in another case the Ox that goared one to death was to be killed Exod. 21.28 by which was manifested the detestablenesse of that sin in that it polluted the very beasts Ad ipsum innoxium annimal poena transit Calv. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Nefas de quo ne fari licet of which it is not lawfull to
speak or as Varro deriveth it as though they vvho committed it vvere ne farre digni not vvorthy to eat bred Vid. Willet in Lev. p. 504. and makes even the unclean creatures more unclean and the beast below a beast and not worthy of living the very life of a beast but especially as Calvin notes the Lord would shew how much this sin displeath him when he commands that even the harmless beast neither capable of nor provoking to thesin was punish'd with death 2. The other sort of pollution by strange flesh was that which is properly termed Sodomy committed when persons defile themselvs with their own sex The sin which the Gentiles committed when God gave them up to vile affections or affections of dishonor and ignominie where by men with men wrought that which was unseemly Rom. 1.27 whereby as they had left the authour they were also suffered to leave the order of nature A sin called an abomination Lev. 20.13 sending an abominable favour unto the Lord. Incest with the daughter in law is called confusion with the mother and daughter wickedness This sin of Sodom is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Abomination And when the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Abominable are unmbred among the fearfull unbeleevers c. who shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone by Abominable many learned men understand those who are given to this sin against nature as if abomination were properly belonging to it In adultery violence is offered to marriage in Incest to affinity but in this sin as Tostatus observes infamy is offered to the whole humane nature And †Ex eo quod relatione ad Deum sub nomine tetragrammaton dicuntur valde mali peccatores significatur eos contra jus naturae valde peccasse Erant enim mali homines declinabant à recto naturali ut eorum venerea contra naturam testantur Per. in Gen. 13. Infamia irrogatur toti bumanae naturae Sulphure significatus punitus fuit Peccatorum foetor igne libidinis ardor Ger. l. 4. Mor. c. 10. Pererius notes because it 's said these Sodomites were sinners before the Lord the word being Jehovah that it signified they sinned against the right and light of nature And it s called as Gerard notes Sap. 14.26 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a changing of birth The unsavoury sulphur that was mixt with the flames of Sodome and if travellers may be beleeved the still continuing stink of that sulphureous lake where Sodom once stood seem to be comments upon the abhorred unsavouriness of this sin By the law of Theodosius and Arâ—â—dius Sodomites were adjudged to the fire Among the Athenians he who defiled the male was put to death and the party abus'd was barred from all office In the Councell of Vienna the templers who were found guilty of this sin were decreed to be burnt Among the Romans it was lawfull for him who was attempted to that abuse to kill him who made the assault Probus adoleseens facere periculosè quam turpiter perpeti maluit Orat pâ—o Milon Quâ indignati one tantuÌ„ nefas prosequar Vincit officium lenguae sceleris magnitudo Piget dicere Lact. l. 6. c. 23. de vero cultu Sexum nec foemineum mutat Christianus Christianus uxori suae soli masculus nascitur Non deli cta sed monstra Tertull. de pud 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 quasi 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 quia vacat pudore Justinian in 1 Cor. 6.9 and thus C. Lucius did who as Tully saith of him had rather do dangerously than suffer shamefully In short against this sin of Sodomy no indignation as Lact antius speaks is enough The greatnesse of the sin overcomes the office of the tongue Tertullian brings in Christianity triumphing over Paganism because this sin was peculiar to heathens and that Christians neither changed the sex nor accompanied with any but their own wives This and such like as Tertullian speaks being not so much to be called offences as monsters and not to be named without holy detestation by Saints though they be committed without shame by Sodomites Thus having in the second place spoken of the fornication of these Sodomites and their pollution by strange flesh it remains that briefly in the third place wee should enquire what was their giving themselves over to the former and their going after the later both these are contained in a double expression in the originall the first is the Preposition 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Vulgata barbare ex fornicarae Bez. in loc being in Composition in the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by the addition whereof the signification of the word saith Gerard is dilated inlarged increased as also are the significations of other words by the same Preposition The second is in the words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. going after c. whereby is intended more then the accepting or embracing even the prosecuting the motions of their unnaturall uncleanness In sum I conceive by these expressions of their giving over themselves and following after strange c. here is noted besides the Originall root and fountain both of uncleanness and all other lusts I mean that fomes innatus that imbred occasion of sin as also besides the arising of unclean motions in the heart the delighting in such motions the consent to those motions so delighted in the actuall performance and execution of those motions so consented to I say besides all these which are supposed in these expressions of the Apostle there is intended the more hideous hight and prodigious eminency of this Sodomiticall uncleannesse and that in sundry respects As 1. Of their making Provision and in projecting for their lusts and that both by spending their time pains cost in fetching in and laying on its fuel the constant providing and pouring on of oyl to keep in and increase the flame by fulnesse of bread and excessive eating and drinking and also by listning after relating of and laying out for such objects as seemed to promise most satisfaction to their unsatiable lusts which appeared by the sudden notice and shamefull resentment of the arrivall of Lots beautifull guests 2. Their excessivenesse and exuberancy in pouring out themselves upon their lust even to the consuming wearing and wearying themselves by uncleannesse the boyling over of their strength and lusts together though with difference the former being hereby impaired the later increased and in a word their becoming hereby their own destroyers and the Divels Martyrs And this the Apostle Peter intends clearly in that word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 2 Pet. 2.7 where he speaks of the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the filthy conversation of the Sodomites the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 comprehending not only all kinds of lust and obscenity but also a monstrous profusion a violent spending ones selfe without measure in all lasciviousnesse 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1 Pet. 4.4 even the greatest excess of riot 3. Their
ours be relieving or refreshing they who are in it shall never say Aha I have seen the fire but Oh I am tormented in this flame Hell fire is blowne not as ours Isai 44.16 Luk. 16.24 by the breath of man or any other created blast but by God himself whose breath is both the fire and a stream of brimstone Isai 30.33 and the bellowes A powerfull God powerfully punisheth as is he so is his strength How unsupportable must needs be the pains inflicted by angry omnipotency Hell fire cannot be extinguished Mat. 25.41 46. Hell fire cannot be extinguished nor tears nor time can put it out The many thousands of yeers that the effect of Sodoms fire lasteth here upon earth are but a faint resemblance of the true everlastingnesse of hell fire Nor yet is God unjust in punishing those eternally who have sinned but a little time He measures the punishment by the greatnesse of the offence not by the time of the doing the crime Treason or Murder may be committed in an instant but the punishment may last for scores of yeers nay when men punish by death there is a removing of the Malefactor from the society of men for ever and if the offence committed against God be infinitely heinous why may not the punishment be infinitely lasting besides how ordinarily do men sell away their possessions by bargaine or refuse an offered gift in a moment which thereby they part with for ever and how justly are sinners deprived of true blessednesse and that is not less then eternall which in a short time they refused and sold away for the satisfying of their lusts Nor can it be unjust with God to punish those in his eternity who have sinned against him in theirs who if they had to eternity been allowed to live would have improved it altogether in sin yea and who dispositively and in respect of their inclination did so OBSERVATIONS 1. The sin of uncleannesse is remarkably followed with vengeance As pleasure is that which the unclean mainly expect and which this lust principally promiseth so woes and pains are afterward by God constantly inflicted fornication and vengeance are by Jude joyned together 1. Spirituall vengeance attends upon this sin 1. It ensnares and captivates the soul God oft justly saith to the lovers thereof He that is filthy let him be filthy still It is both an inlet to all impiety in the world a lustfull man bogling at no sin that may bring him to enjoy his impure pleasure and also a lust which so binds down a sinner ingulphs him in and engageth him so deeply to the love of it self that notwithstanding the longer he lives in it the more he is afflicted and weakned by it yet the more unable and unwilling he is to leave it it lyes down with sinners in the dust Seldome is this sin found in the way of repentance a whore is a deep ditch Few are the foot-prints of returners from this den Prov. 23.27 and they too have escaped very narrowly In steed of repentance it labours concealment and men rather study to hide it then to turn it out of doors to cover it with a rag of secrecy then to cure with the plaister of repentance Nor doth this sin less disquiet then captivate It wasteth both the strength of the body and the peace of the conscience It 's pleasures are short It 's terrors are lasting By how much the sweeter Satan makes it in the mouth by so much the bitterer God makes it in the stomack The fall into this sin brake Davids bones Psal 51.8 The deep impression of its stain and the communicativenesse of its guilt and defilement to others are standing troubles to the conscience when once it is awakened 2. This sin is pursued with Externall vengeance 1. Upon the name a dishonour is gotten and a reproach that shall not be wiped away Prov. 6.33 Though the sore may be heald yet the scar abides although repentance should be the plaister Though Samson and Solomon were pardoned as to their own execution yet were they burnt in the hand and branded in the fore head for a warning to others Such was the hatred of God against this sin that God hath not left it a blank but a blemish in Davids story Nay so deep was the spot of dishonour which cleaved to this sin that the bastard issue of the adulterer was shut out from the congregation to the tenth generation 2. Upon the body It makes a man the Divels martyr Deut. 23.2 this sin is the seed of diseases and though it loves to lie hid in the shop yet the distempers bewray it that are laid in open view upon the stall The noysome breath the unclean botches the inflamed blood the consumed flesh the speedy age the short life Prov. 5.11 Lev. 20.10 Deut. 22.22 of many are some of the favourablest productions of carnall uncleannesse The penalty inflicted by the law of God upon adultery was death by stoning as it is generally thought and for some other excesses in this sin death by burning The woman suspected of adultery Mumb. 5.27 drinking those waters of jelousie which if she were guilty plagued her with the rotting of her belly and thigh was a cleer testimony of the heinousnesse of this sin and if these instances suffice not remember the death of 24000 Israelites at Peor 3. Upon the estate Lust is a flame that hath burnt down whole families cities it spoyled David's posterity of the greatest part of his kingdome It gives raggs for its livery and though it be furthered by the fulnesse Prov. 5.10.6.26 Job 31.12 yet it s followed with a morsell of bread It is a fire saith Job that consumeth to destruction and roots up all increase It is a secret canker and moth in the substance of the wealthiest Witnesse the destruction of many Noble Families and irreligious houses in England 3. Eternall vengeance followes this sin Whoremongers and adulterers God himself will judg Heb. 13.4 God returns flames for flames and revengeth the hell of this fire in the heart with the fire of hell The strange woman lodgeth her guests in the dephs of hell Prov. 9.18 Nor shall dogs be admitted into the new Jerusalem Rev. 21.15 nor the unholy see the face of God How great then is their sin who account this carnall uncleanness no sin who drink down this pleasant poyson of stoln waters and never think of its certain operation and throwing this fire brand into their beds their bodies families revenues say they are in sport What prodigious heaven-daring impudence is it to glory in this both sin and shame What are those bold enticers to it by paint speeches naked-breasts fire and brimstone shall one day cover them but the Divels dequoyes the emissaries and factors of hell the stratagems of Satan the increasers of transgressours Prov. 23.28 Let it be too much for Rome to suffer it to set open shop by