The agreement thereof with the delivery of faith or how faith may be said to be once delivered 3. Why the Apostle adds this expression Once to the delivery of faith amplifying it this way For the first The word Once is taken two wayes in Scripture and ordinary usage 1. As 't is opposed to inconstancy deficiency Nullâ reparabilis arte laesa pudicitia est deperit illa semel Ovid. cessation or uncertainty of continuance and so once is as much as firmly constantly irrevocably alwayes Thus God saith Psal 89.36 Once have I sworn by my holinesse that I will not lie unto David that is my oath is irrevocable nor is there any danger of inconstancy What I have sworn shall surely be accomplish'd 2. Once is taken as 't is opposed to reiteration repetition or frequency either of the being or doing of any thing and so once is as much as once and no more Once for all Once and not again Once and only once When a thing is done so fully and perfectly that it need not or should not or cannot be done again Thus Heb. 9.28 Christ was offered once to bear the sins of many And Heb. 10.10 we read of the offering of Christ once for all And Abishai 1 Sam. 26.8 desired to smite Saul once promising that he would not smite him the second time 2. For the second Both these significations agree most aptly and sutably to the delivery of the doctrine of faith For 1. The faith is once delivered as once is opposed to deficiency or cessation that is firmly and irrevocably delivered It shall ever be it shall never be quite taken away from the Church 1 Pet. 1.25 it endureth for ever As the habit of faith shall never cease in the soul so the doctrine of faith shall never cease in the world It 's a candle that all the winds of hell can never blow out a flame that all the waters of trouble can never extinguish Thus it 's called Rev. 14.6 the eternall Gospel never to be destroyed it shall ever be in the Scripture Ministry hearts and profession of a number of men My word saith God shall not depart out of thy mouth nor out of the mouth of thy seed nor out of the mouth of thy seeds seed from henceforth and for ever Isai 59.21 Christ promiseth to be with his Ministers to the end of the world Mat. 28.19 The servants of Christ shall trade in the spirituall Merchandise of faith till he come Luke 19.13 The people of God in the use of the Lords Supper shall set forth the Lords death till he come 1 Cor. 11.26 And the work of the Ministry with the edifying of the body thereby shall continue till we all meet c. Ephes 4.13 That the doctrine of faith shall ever continue in one place is not asserted but that it shall ever in some place is certain It 's not for the dignity of Christ the King of his Church ever to suffer his Scepter to be wrested out of his hands It 's not consistent with the safety integrity health life c. of the Church in this her condition of constant exigency to be deprived of the doctrine which is given her for armour a rule medicine food It 's as easie for enemies to pluck the Sun out of the Firmament as this faith out of the Church The whole power and policy of hell hath been imployed for that purpose sixteen hundred years Could it have been done it had been done long before now 2. The faith is once delivered as once is opposed to frequency or reiteration it is once and no more Once for all Once and not again to be delivered in respect it shall never be delivered again with any change or alteration which it is to receive It 's a work done so well Semel traditam doctrinam dicit quae nunquam sit posthac immutanda Beza in loc that it need not be done again because it cannot be done better And thus the doctrine of salvation may be said to be once or unalterably delivered both in respect of the matter of it and the present manner of administring it 1. In respect of the matter it never was nor ever shall be changed The same Saviour of man and Mediatour between God and man hath unalterably been afforded Christ Jesus the same yesterday and to day Heb. 13.8 Rev. 13.8 Acts 4.12 and for ever He was the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world There never was any other but his Name by which salvation at any time was bestowed All even those before and after Christ have drank of the same spirituall rock 1 Cor. 10.4 1 John 29. Ephes 5.23 Gal. 1.7 1 Cor. 3.11 Christ is the Lamb of God that taketh away the sin of the world not he the sin of some ages and another of other ages of the world He is the Saviour of the whole body No other Gospel can be preached but the glad tidings of life by Christ Other foundation can no man lay than that is laid which is Jesus Christ As Christ so the doctrine of life by Christ is the same yesterday to Adam the Patriarchs and Prophets To day to the Apostles and for ever to all following Saints It 's a testament wherein all the legacies of grace and glory are bequeathed and therefore as the Apostle argues it is unalterable Gal. 3.15 The rule of life the holy Law of God is a standing and unalterable rule Whatsoever is a sin against the morrall Law now was a sin alwayes duties required now by it were duties alwayes Peace is the portion now and it was ever the portion of them that walked according to it The ransom from death and standing rule of life were ever one and the same 2. The doctrine of salvation is once i. e. unalterably delivered now in respect of the present manner of administration namely by Ministers preaching and Sacraments c. No other form or manner of exhibiting the benefits by Christ can be introduced In respect of this manner of administration and exhibition of the benefits of the Gospel without legall types shadows and sacrifices it 's called the New Testament And it 's called new because it 's to be alway new Novum quia semper novum and never grow old as the former did Should there ever be another manner of administration admitted it must be called The new Testament and so either this must be called Old and then there must be two Old Testaments the former and this 〈◊〉 this must still be called new and so there should be granted two New Testaments Besides this last way of administration of the benefits of the Gospel being instituted by Christ himself it should much derogate from the dignity of Christ if another way should afterward be thought more excellent and perfect Heb. 1.2 God in these last times hath spoken saith the Apostle by his Son and therfore delivered his will more excellently and
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
hurt few Let all means be tryed before the last be used A Magistrate must not be bloody when he sheds blood the Master Bee alone is they say without a sting If a Butcher may not be of the Jury much lesse may he be a Judge In a doubtfull case it is better to spare many nocent then to punish one innocent nor must vehement suspicion but clear evidence satisfie a Judge Punishment delayed Potest poena delata exigi non potest exacta revocari may afterward be executed but being once executed cannot be recalled and even when the Malefactor is condemned the man should be comiserated though as an offender his blood be debased yet as a man it is precious This for the Explication of the first thing considerable in this part Dominion In the second wee are to enquire What is to be understood by Despising of Dominion The word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 saith Beza properly signifies to remove something out of the place as unworthy any longer to abide and remain therein Propriè signicat aeliquid suo loco ut indignum amovere Bez. in 6 Mar. 26 and it is in Scripture either spoken of Persons or Things when of Persons it is declared saith he most fitly by disdain or contemn as Mar. 6.26 Luk. 10.16 1 Thes 4 8. and it is spoken of Things properly which being removed from their place are accounted of no value effect or force and thus it is declared by rejecting Luk. 7.30 Disannulling Gal. 3 15. Casting off 1 Tim. 5.12 and here because we reject that which we despise it s rendred despise Now these Seducers did not reject disanull cast off governing so as to make it cease to be that was not in their power but in their judgement desires insinuations and as much as in them was they laboured to make it accounted void abrogated and of no value or force And their pretence for this practice was the liberty which was by Jesus Christ purchased for them with which they taught that obedience to Magistrates was inconsistent This seems to be plain by that more generall sin which the Apostle layes to their charge ver 4. Of turning the grace of our God into wantonnesse Of this more hath been said upon that place i.e. the goodnesse of God in bestowing liberty by Christ into Libertinism And hence it was that these Seducers 2 Pet. 2.19 allured their poor seduced followers under the pretence of liberty obtained by Christ 2 Pet. 2.19 to all manner or wickednesse and licenciousnesse of life bearing them in hand that as they were not now bound to any holinesse of life so particularly that Christ having redeemed them they were free from all subjection and obedience to others A Doctrine which as its very taking with flesh and blood so is it frequently by the Apostles Paul and Peter opposed who grant indeed a liberty wherewith Christ hath made a Christian free Gal. 5.13 1 Pet. 2.16 but yet withall they add that this liberty is spirituall a liberty from the law sin death and hell not an immunity from civill obedience and therefore not to be used for an occasion to the flesh or for a cloak of maliciousnesse Nor indeed is any thing further from truth then that because of Spirituall liberty Christians should be free from civill subjection For as this liberty exempts us not from obedience to the commands of God for as the Apostle saith Rom. 6.18 Being made free from sin we became the servants of Righteousnesse and ver 22. servants to God so neither doth it exempt from obedience to the Magistrate ordained by God Yea so far are the godly commands of a Magistrate from opposing spirituall liberty that they rather advance it for true liberty stands in the chusing of good and the rejecting of evill and this is furthered by the righteous commands of superiors Licenciousnesse is not liberty but slavery and makes inners to affect their owne insensible bondage 3. Quamvis in acquisitione usu potestatis potest esse deordinatio tamen in ipso ordine superioritatis in quo consistit Dominium non potest esse deordinatio sicut ordo non potest esse deordinatus Vid. Durandum de Origine jurisdictionum Aug. de C. D. l. 5. c. 21. Et. qu. ex vet Test c. 35. Aug. Tr. 116. in Joh. Gerh. in 2 Pe. 2 Pareum in Rom. 1 King 15.27 1 Kin. 16.2.7 1 Kin. 14.14 Dan. 4.17 25. Pro. 8.15 Lastly by way of Explication we shall enquire upon what ground the Apostle condemns them for this Despising of Dominion Of this briefly 1 This was a sin against an Ordinance of God By me Kings reign Prov. 8.15 There is no power saith the Apostle but of God The Powers that be are ordained of God And though Magistracy be an Ordinance of man in regard of the subject it being born by man the object it being imployed about men the end also the good of men the kinde or sort thereof left unto the choice of severall Nations yet not in regard of the Invention or Institution thereof which is onely from God In it are considerable also The Power it self The Acquisition thereof and the Execution of it The acquisition may be from the Divell by bribery fraud cruelty intrusion invasion The execution or manner of using this power may be from him likewise as when Superstition is set up in stead of Religion and cruelty for equity by those who govern But Authority it selfe Dominion Principality are from God though not Tyranny Riches gotten by Usury Extortion c. cease not to be good in themselves yea and the gifts of God And as the owner of these unjustly procured riches may be said to be a rich man and he who hath Learning though procured by unlawfull means may be said to be a learned man so the possessor of a most unjustly obtained Authority may be said to be a Magistrate and in Authority 2. This sin of the Seducers was a sin against the welfare and happinesse of the Publick They being weary of Magistracy were weary of all the comforts and blessings of Peace and in being desirous to throw down the pillars they endeavoured to pull down the building upon their own and others heads What would Nations be without Government but the dens of wild beasts Judah and Israel dwelt safely every one under his vine and fig-tree all the dayes of Solomon 1 Kin. 4.25 Even Nebuchadnezzar was a tree under which beasts of the field had shadow in whose boughs the fowls of the heaven dwelt and of which all flesh was fed Dan. 4.12 The funerals of a Political Parent millions of Children wil celebrate with tears Over Saul who was wicked and tyrannical doth David bid the daughters of Israel to weep who clothed them in scarlet 2 Sam. 1.24 Nor was it according to some any of the best of Kings who is called the breath of our nostrils Lam. 4 22. And it 's observable when God
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
and holinesse 1 John 3.9 putteth into us a seed that shall never die and infuseth an habit of holinesse never to be lost or overcome Phil. 1.19 Ephes 3.16 Ephes 6.10 2. In the latter it affordeth those continued supplies of grace whereby we are more and more strengthened with might to resist all tentations go through all conflicts to find preservation and direction in every danger and doubt to walk in daily detestation of every sinfull way to call and cry for grace which is wanting and in a word Phil. 4.13 enabled to do all things through him who strengtheneth us 2. On our parts he enables our faith by his Spirit to receive from him the supplies of his strength This he doth by giving a power to faith 1. To unite us unto and to incorporate us into him as the branches are in the tree the member in the body or the house upon the foundation We laying hold upon him for ours by our faith as he layeth hold upon us for his by his Spirit wherby the union is compleat and reciprocall 2. To improve this union for our assistance by drawing daily influences of grace and strength from Christ who is a fountain of fulnesse John 1.16 John 15.1.5 Gal. 2.20 as the root doth from the soyl or the branches from the root or the pipe from the fountain Hence it is that we live by faith it being the instrument that fetcheth vertue from Christ to sustain us in all our wants and weaknesses it being not only in but drinking of the fountain it not only uniting us as members to the head but supplying us as members from the head with all vertue necessary to the preservation of grace both from the filth of sin within us and the force of tentations without us and hence it is that faith makes use of all ordinances but as the conduit pipes or water-courses to convey from Christ that grace and strength it wants it esteeming ordinances without Christ but as a viall without a cordiall or a pipe without water Faith also having united us to Christ helps us to expect through him that abundant reward which will infinitely more than countervail for all the combats and contentions for him against his enemies Moses saw him that was invisible Heb. 11.26.27 he had an eye to the recompence of reward We faint not c. saith the Apostle while we look not at the things which are seen but at the things which are not seen 2 Cor. 4.16.18 And herein consisteth principally the strength of Christians in this earnest fight and contention 4. This earnest contention by which the faith is maintained implyeth a putting out forth of this strength against the enemy with whom we contend for the faith He who hath strength contends not if he stands still and acts not Sundry wayes is strength to be put forth in contending for this faith 1. Magistrates must put forth their strength 1. By commanding their subjects to submit to the faith Their edicts and injunctions should be like those of Asa and Hezekiah who commanded Judah to seek the Lord. 2 Chro. 14.4 2 Chro. 29.5.30 2 Chro. 34.33 They must engage men to be true and faithfull to God by precept and example their commands must not so savour of state policy as to be regardless of Scripture purity 'T is not reason of State but ruin of States to be remiss in enjoyning piety The lawes of man should be a guard to the Law of God They who reign by God should reign for him Neh. 13.19 How unreasonable is it that people should be lawless only in Religion Shall it not be indifferent whether men will pay a tax And shall it be indifferent whether they will ever hear a Sermon It was a commendable decree of Artaxerxes though aheathen and that for which the faithfull servant of God blessed God That whosoever would not do the law of God judgment should be executed upon him to death to banishment Ezra 7.26.27 to confiscation of goods or imprisonment and of Darius Dan. 6.26 who decreed that in every dominion of his Kingdom men tremble and fear before the God of Daniel 2. By repressing the perveters of the faith Restraining hereticks and Seducers removing the impediments of Religion whether persons or things Nebuchadnezzar a heathen made a decree that none should speak any thing amiss against God 1 Kin. 15.12.13 2 Kin. 18.5 2 Kin. 23.8 2 Chro. 17.6 2 Chro. 31.1 Asa took away the Sodomits Idols and removed Maachah an idolatresse from being queen Hezekiah removed the high places and brake the images and cut down the groves So Josiah defiled the high places and brake them down Thus likewise Jehoshaphat took away the high places and groves out of Judah Thus also Manasseh took away the strange gods and the idol out of the house of the Lord and all the idols that he had built c. To these may be added zealous Nehemiah in repressing Sabboth-breakers Neh. 13.21 And the Apostle saith Rulers are a terrour to wicked works Rom. 13.3 3. By providing and maintaining a faithfull Ministry to dispense the doctrine of faith Thus did Jehoshaphat and Hezekiah 2 Chro. 17.8.9 2 Chro. 31.4 That Magistrate cannot contend for the faith which contends against the Ministers thereof Satan knowes no mean between the pampering and famishing of the Ministry double labour must not be requited with scarce a single maintenance Ministers should not labour for and yet not without a comfortable recompence They ought not to be left to the courtesie of those who though they account enough for themselves but a little yet they account a little for the Ministry too much It 's not enough for faithfull Ministers to be kept from being battered and storm'd by cruel persecuters unless also from being starved by the common protestants 2. Ministers must contend for the faith principally two wayes 1. 1 Tim. 6.3 Tit. 2.1 By preaching the word of faith they must preserve the pattern of wholsome words and speak the things which become sound doctrine They must take heed of their own mixtures and not adulterate the doctrine of faith to please men The beauty of heavenly truths wants not the paint either of humane or hereticall additions The babes of Christ must be fed with sincere milk and the sorenes of mens eyes must not hinder the lights of the Church from shining 2. By confuting gainsaiers and hereticks The Apostle commands Titus by sound doctrine to convince gainsayers Tit. 1.9.11 Ministers must not only have a voice to call their sheep but to drive away wolves one to establish truth 2 Cor. 13.8 another to oppose errour one of his hands must work and the other hold a weapon Christ confuted the corrupt glosses of the Pharisees and Paul confounded the Jewes by proving that this is the very Christ Act. 9.22 and Apollos mightily convinced the Jewes and that publikely shewing by the Scriptures