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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A87095	The first general epistle of St. John the Apostle, unfolded & applied. The second part, in thirty and seven lectures on the second chapter, from the third to the last verse. Delivered in St. Dionys. Back-Church, by Nath: Hardy minister of the gospel, and preacher to that parish.; First general epistle of St. John the Apostle. Part 2.	Hardy, Nathaniel, 1618-1670.	1659 (1659)	Wing H723; Thomason E981_1; ESTC R207731	535,986	795

forgiven for his names sake Indeed it is that which this argument presseth in three severall waies 1. In a way of imitation the Brethren are Gods Darlings he loveth all men so far as to forbear them but he loveth them so as to forgive them and surely fit it i● that where God forgiveth we should and whom he loveth we should Besides God loveth us so as to forgive us and forgiving to give all blessings to us and shall not we be mercifull and kind and loving to one another after his pattern 2. In a way of Gratulation Thus Na●gorgeus urgeth it So great a benefit as forgiveness Facilè persuadet ut e● benefaciamus strongly perswadeth that we should returne somewhat to him who and for whose sake we are forgiven Non Christo quidem sed membris this we cannot to him in himself but in his Members Quibus ille jussit To whom he hath commanded us to shew our affections Indeed the good Christian cannot but thus reason with himself If God hath at my request forgiven me pounds and given me Talents shall not I at his command forgive my Brother pence and give him Mites That love he hath shewed to me is infinitely surpassing that love which he expected I should shew to my Brother So that it is impossible for him who is truly affected with his Fathers goodness not to be inflamed with Brotherly kindness as therefore the cold stone or iron being warmed by the ●ire casts forth and reflects that heat which it hath received upon that which is adjacent to it So doth the sincere Christian reflect the heat of Gods Love which is shed abroad in his heart and sheds it abroad in Love to his Brethren 3. In a way of Impetration The comfort of this benefit of forgiveness lieth in the knowledg of it Indeed whosoever hath his sins forgiven is Really but he only who is assured that they are forgiven is sensibly blessed A well grounded assurance cannot be obtained but by finding those graces wrought in us which accompany Remission amongst which this of Brotherly Love is not the least If I can justly say That I Love my Brother for his names sake then and not till then I can comfortably say My sins are forgiven for his names sake When therefore we finde these passions of hatred envy ●●lice and uncharitableness to boyle in our hearts against others for tho●e injuries which either they have or at least we concei●e they have offered to us What better Antidote can we use then a serious meditation of Gods free and full underserved and unmeasutable Love towards us notwithstanding our manifold sins against him Which that we may duly imitate for which that we may be truly thankfull and of which that we may be comfortably assured it concerneth us and accordingly St John writeth to us to Love the Brethren THE FIRST EPISTLE OF St JOHN CHAP. 2. 13 14. VERS I write unto you Fathers because ye have known him that is from the beginning I write unto you young Men because ye have overcome the wicked one I write unto you little Children because ye have known the Father I have written unto you Fathers because you have known him that is from the beginning I have written unto you young Men because ye are strong and the Word of God abideth in you and ye have over come the wicked one PHilosophy not unfitly distinguisheth of a threefold naturall Life Vegetative Sensitive Rationall The first discovereth it self by growth and Augmentation The second by Motion and Sensation The third by Discourse and Ratiocination The first is only in Plants the first and second in Beasts all three in Man nor would it be passed by how Man doth as it were gradually put forth these severall Lives living in the Wombe the life of growth so soon as he cometh into the World the life of sense and after the expiration of some years beginning to live the life of reason And as thus there are three Lives so there are three Ages of Mans life which are to be reckoned from that time he begins to act as a man and make use of his reason Namely Childehood Youth old Age Our life is a day whereof Childehood is the Morning Youth the Noon and old Age the Evening After which succeedeth the night of death our life is a journey which consisteth of three Stages Childehood wherein we go up hill Youth in which we run forward and old Age in which we run down hill to the Grave Finally Our Childehood is as a budding Spring our Youth as a flourishing Summer our old Age as a withering Autumn after which followeth the Winter of death With all these our Apostle hath here to do and as every one of them is capable of instruction he directeth his writing to them not only joyntly bu● severally in the words now read I write to you Fathers because ye have known c. The particular Reasons why our Apostle wrote to every one of these Ages do yet remain to be discussed and before I enter upon them in particular there are two things I will briefly premise 1. That two of them are repeated namely that which respects Fathers and young Men whereas that to little Children is only once mentioned and if we well view it we shall finde there might be good cause for the Iteration of them and so no need to blame the Scribe as if the fourteenth Verse were beedlesly added Besides that one namely that which concerneth young Men is not a naked Repetition but withall an Amplification there is a double reason maybe assigned why he writeth to Fathers and young Men twice and but once to Children 1. Because his discourse was principally intended for Fathers young Men look as in our Preachings though sometimes occasionally we instruct little Children yet we must frequently direct our discourse to those who are drawn up to years of discretion so no doubt our Apostle designed this Epistle for and therefore directeth his writing to the young and old Christians 2. Because the things about which our Apostle writeth are such which young Men and Fathers have more need to be minded of then little Children There is not so great danger of little Childrens being infected with the world because they know not what belongs to it whereas young Men having so much imployments in are apt to be entangled with the world and old Men having been so long acquainted with cannot easily weane their affections from it Little Children are not so sensible of injuries and therefore not so apt to be enraged with hatred as young Men and Fathers are No marvell if he write again and again inculcating the argument by which he would perswade them to Love their Brother and disswade them from the Love of the World 2. That all of them are laudatory Characters commending that good which he observed in them the Fathers for their knowledg of Christ the young Men for their victory and spirituall

exhortation Begin betimes to acquaint yourselves with Gods word and ingage in the war with this wicked one To this end ponder a while on these ensuing considerations 1. Possibly nay probably you may not live to be old old age is that which none can assure himself of and comparatively few do partake of it if the first death overcome us before we overcome the Devil we must needs be hurt of the second death and if we overcome not whilest we are young death may prevent our being old and so cut us off while we are in the Devils jawes Oh who would run so desperate an hazard considering to how many diseases casualties the young are subject 2. If you do live to be old yet consider 1. The conquest over this wicked one will be the more difficult by how much the longer it is delayed the Proverb saith a young Saint an old Devil but I am sure it is hard for a young Devil to become an old Saint Dost thou think it will be so easie to cast out this strong man when he hath had so much time to fortifie himself Wilt not thou every day become weaker and the enemy stronger and must not then the victory be harder It was much saith St Chrysostome that Jonah after three dayes imprisonment escaped out of the Whales belly but it is much more to see an habituated sinner extricate himself out of the Devils snare Sin and Satan are not like Tenants at will to be gone at a Quarters warning the best wisdome is to crush the ●ockatrice in the egge Oh take heed of accustoming thy self to the Devils yoak since then it will not be a facile work to throw it off Nay further 2. God may hereafter deny that grace to thee which now thou● denyest to thy self and then it will not be only difficult but impossible to overcome him It is a sad doom which God uttereth concerning Ephraim He is joyned to Idols let him alone what if God say so of thee He is addicted to the Devils service let him alone it is but just when men give themselves over voluntarily God should give them over judicially to Satans power and then there is no possibility of escaping out of his hands Me thinks it is very observable that only he who first stepped into the po●l after the moving of the waters by the Angel was cured Post est occasio calva time must be taken by the fore-lock Oh then make hast to list thy self a souldier under Christs command least if now thou maiest thou wilt not when perhaps thou wouldst thou shalt not 3. If through divine grace thou shalt hereafter prevaile against this wicked one yet oh what grief and anguish of heart will it be then to thee that thou wast so long bewitched with the Devils temptations How bitterly doth David deprecate Allmighty God Remember not against me the sins of my youth No doubt out of the deep sense he had of and sorrow for them Quae fuerunt inania Juventutis gaudia haec sunt acerba senectutis gravamina the vanities of youth will be the vexation of old age and if the one be a comedy all upon pleasure the other will prove a tragedy of sorrow 4. Finally The only ●●t and most acceptable time for this spirituall conflict and conquest is the time of youth It is good for a man that he bear the yoke in his youth saith the Church Indeed then he is most able to bear it This yoke as St Hilary excellently Non expectat frigescentis senectatis annos nec emortuam jam aetatem pro vitiorum cousuetudin● is not for the weake shoulders of old men who are so much the weaker because sin through custome is become stronger yea as St Ambrose truly Quid potest habere laudis what thanks is it if when our body is enervated through pleasures and the cold frost of old age hath seased on it we should then offer it to God as a Sacrifice It is St Basils note that whereas 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is an inscription prefixed before many Psalms it is omitted before the fifteenth which is a breviary of morall Precepts the practise whereof must not be defer'd till the end of our lives Indeed Mane as one wittily observeth is the Devils Verb who tempts us to continue still in his service but Gods Verb who expects the morning of our youth to be devoted to him What the fat was in the sacrifice that is the strength of youth in Gods service very acceptable to him oh let it be offered by us The truth is a young Christian Souldier is both most terrible in the Devils and amiable in Gods eyes The figtree putteth forth her green figs and the vines with the tender grapes give a good smell they are Christs words to his Church Indeed no smell so sweet in his nostrils as that which comes from the tender grapes and withall as St Bernard observeth Hic odor serpentes fugat venimous Creatures cannot endure the sent but so soon as the vines put forth they remove Quod volo attendant novitij nostri a comfort to young Saints who pertake of that spirit whose first fruits the Devils abhorre In one word as it is Gods honour and the Devils terror so it will be our comfort Assure thy self oh young man it will be no grief of heart to thee in thy old age that thou didst begin in youth to engage thy self in this sacred war against the wicked one Temporis preteriti bene impensi suavis est memoria Oh how sweet is the remembrance of youth well spent What a joyfull Harvest doth the old man reap from the seedtime of a Religious youth and with what abundant contentment doth he gather those ripe fruits of virtue which budded forth in his youthfull daies Oh then be wise you young m●n and instructed you that are of tender years for Gods sake nay for your own sake for his glory and for your own comfort and sa●ety give no place to the Devill resist him speedily resolutely so shall you overcome him gloriously And now if you be such young Men as my Text describeth the instructions here given cannot but be welcome to you no wonder that our Apostle by these qu●lifications as by so many arguments inciteth to the practice both of the precedent precept and the subsequent prohibition 1. Love not the world because you are strong and the word of God abideth in you and you have overcome the wicked one He that is given up to the world is wicked and he that is entangled with it is weake a strong Saint is so far from loving that he contemneth it having his conversation in Heaven they that by waiting on the Lord renew their strength Mount up with wings as Eagles and so are free from deaths snares Worldly love will not suffer the word of God to abide in us This diverts us from hearing and reading the

of God than that which wee are here put in minde of And This is the Promise which he hath promised us Even eternal life In which words wee have four particulars worthy our observation An excellent benefit eternal life A sure conveyance hath promised An Eminent Author Hee The peculiar persons us All which when I have severally unfolded I shall joyntly apply and that especially with reference to that which our Apostle here intends the duty of perseverance 1 The excellency of the benefit though it bee last in the verse would first be considered as it is delineated in those words eternal life If wee here examine the Grammer of the Greek Text wee shall finde it incongruous the accusative 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 put for the Nominative 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but that which is called in Rhetorick 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the putting of one case for another is not unusual and withall it is very frequent to put the Antecedent in the case of the Relative as appeareth by those two Instances among many others the one Virgils Urbem quam statuo vestra est and the other Terences Populo ut place●ent quas fecissent fabulas so here 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Emphasis of the Article prefixed before both the Substantive and the Adjective 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 would not bee passed by since as one well magnum pondus addit orationi it addeth a great deal of weight to the expression intimating that it is not an ordinary kinde of life but that which is most transcendent whereof the Apostle speaketh and withall that the eternity is that which addeth much to its excellency That which is especially to bee inquired into is what is the benefit which is represented under these Characters and why it is so represented 1 That happy and glorious estate which shall hereafter be enjoyed is without all doubt that which is here and else where intended by this phrase eternal life It may perhaps bee here objected that eternal life in a strict and proper notion may bee affirmed of the miserable condition of the wicked as well as the blisseful state of the godly for the Resurrection shall bee general and the term of that Resurrection shall bee an union of soul and body and that union shall bee inseparable which denominateth it eternal in which respect St. Austin saith expresly of the damned In eternum cruciari non poterint nisi vixerint in eternum they could not be for ever tormented if they did not live eternally But to this it is well answered that this word life is not alwaies taken pronudâ existentiâ a bare existing in but foelici conditione an happy condition of life non magnum est din vivere aut semper vivere sed magnum est beaté vivere saith St. Austin It is no great matter to live long or alwaies but to live happily That Loyal prayer Let the King live in every Language imports a prosperous estate when the Psalmist saith Who is the man that would see life hee explaineth himself presently after by good daies vivere among the Latines is sometime as much as valere to live is as much as to be well and upon this account it is that as on the one hand the Scripture calls the state of the damned an eternal death because their life is onely a continuance in misery so on the other the state of the blessed an eternal life because it is a perpetual abode in felicity 2 Having found out what is the benefit intended I shall now go on to inlarge in the description of it Indeed eternal life is a subject so sweet and pleasant that you cannot want patience to hear of it though withall it is so sublime and transcendent that I want a tongue to speak of it acquiri potest exprimi non potest it is our comfort wee may attain it but our defect that wee cannot conceive much lesse expresse it when wee come to the fruition of this life wee shall not say with those in the Psalm as wee have heard so wee have seen but with the Queen of Sheba the one half was not told us all that can bee said of that joyful eternity being but as Stilla Mari a drop to the Ocean or scintilla igni a spark to the flame But though a perfect discovery of this blisse bee impossible at such a distance as earth is from heaven yet in the Scripture lineaments we may behold it and that so much of it if wee seriously view it as that wee cannot choose but bee enamoured with it nor shall I go further than my Text wherein wee finde a description consisting of two words A word of quality and praelation life A word of quantity and duration eternal Because men love to live promissa est illis vita saith St. Austin life is promised to them and because they most fear death promissa est illis aterna eternal life is promised What doest thou love To live this thou shalt have what doest thou fear to dye this thou shalt not suffer it is life eternal of each a word 1 That future state is described by life and if you please to examine it you shall finde two things shadowed forth by it namely Wherein that blisse consists and how far it surpasseth all other injoyments 1 Inasmuch as it is called Life it intimateth wherein that happinesse consists to wit in the Beatifical vision To clear which you must know that 1 Nat●ral life is the union of the soul with the body and accordingly supernatural life is the union of the soul with God and look as the body being united to the soul liveth because the soul is the principle of life so the soul ●nited to God must needs live much more because God is the living God the fountain and Original of life 2 This union of the soul with God is double and accordingly with St. Austin wee distinguish of a double supernatural life ●na fide altera specie una in tempore peregrinationis altera in eternitate mansionis there is a mediate union wee have with God in this Pilgrimage by faith and there is an immediate union wee have with him in that mansion by sight that is the life of grace this the life of glory when S. Paul saith wee Walk by faith and not by sight hee expresseth the former and withall intimateth the latter life when wee shall walk by Sight and not by faith Thus whereas God himself told Moses No man can see mee and live it may in this respect bee inverted no man can live without seeing God since by seeing it is the Saints have an union with and fruition of God and so live to which those words of the Psalmist are fitly applicable Thou wilt shew mee the path of life in thy presence is fulness of joy 2 In that it is called life it inferreth its surpassing worth and value To illustrate

hid though with the fall of heavy mountaines upon them but hid they shall not cannot bee Every one shall then appear and that in his own colours the Hypocrite shall appear not as hee seemed to bee but as hee is his vizard shall bee plucked off and his paint melt away and hee shall bee stripped of his sheeps cloathing According to what really wee have been and done so shall we in that day appear and so shall wee bee judged for hee shall reward every man according to his works Oh then my Brethren since these things shall bee both that Christ will appear and then wee must appear How holy ought wee to bee in all manner of Conversation It will bee a sad day with us if at once it shall bee latere impossible and apparere intolerabile impossible to bee concealed and yet intollerable to appear if as wee shall not bee able to hide so neither to hold up our heads in a word if as wee shall have no opportunity of running away so wee shall have no courage to stand Oh then let it bee our wisdome before hand to make account of and preparation for that appearance And if you would know how it shall bee with you then often examine how it is with you now Erect a Court of Judicature in thine own soul summon thy self before thy self if thou beest not able to answer thy Conscience thou wilt bee less able to appear before this Judge according as this Apostle tells us in the next Chapter If our heart condemn us God is greater than our heart and knoweth all things Oh then keep a good Conscience and lead a good life Order thy steps according to Gods word and gain by faith an interest in Christs merits having begun continue in the faith and obedience to the death and being in Christ abide in him to the end so shalt thou appear with joy and not with sorrow with boldness and not with shame before him and so I am fallen upon the 3 Last particular which is expressed namely The confident appearing before Christ of those who abide in him that wee may have confidence and not bee ashamed before him at his comming wherein wee shall more particularly take notice of the excellency of the Benefit in those words Have confidence and not bee ashamed and the extent of the persons to whom this benefit redounds in the Pronoun we 1 The Benefit which cometh by abiding in Christ is set down according to our Apostles usual way of speaking both Affirmatively and Negatively nor was it without a special reason namely that hee might at once set before us both the advantage of perseverance and the danger of Apostacy inasmuch as here are two plain assertions The one that they who abide in Christ shall hav econfidence The other that They who abide not in him shall be ashamed before him at his comming 1 On the one hand The Persevering Christian shall have 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Confidence before Christ at his comming I shall not here trouble you with the various significations of this word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 especially since it is so fully done to my hand by the late Critical Annotatour Here it is not unfitly rendered confidence or boldnesse It is by our Saviour expressed in those two phrases of lifting up the head and standing before the Son of man shame causeth a man to hang down his head but confidence lifts it up fear maketh a man run away but boldness encourageth him to stand this confident boldnesse shall they then have who now abide in him It may perhaps bee here demanded How can any yea the best Christian have confidence before Christ at his comming St. Basil weighing the severity of that day saith That even Abraham the Father of the Faithful should then tremble and indeed considering the exact inspection of the Judge and the manifold infirmities of the strongest Christians it may very well be wondered how any of the Sons of men should be able to appear then with boldnesse but beloved notwithstanding this there are three things which shall make the persevering Christian confident at that day namely 1 The Testimony which his own Conscience shall give him of his sincerity In die judicii qualem unusquisque habet conscientiam talem judicem habebit saith St. Bernard truely One of the Books which shall at that day bee opened and according to which wee shall bee judged is that of conscience and as our Apostle saith in the next Chapter If our heart condemn us not then have wee confidence towards God There is no surer Argument of sincerity than constancy these two are joyned together Their heart was not right with him neither were they stedfast in Covenant their unstedfastnesse argued their unsoundnesse surely then the conscience of a persevering Christian cannot but bear witness to him of his uprightness with what confidence doth the Church go to God when shee is bold to appeal to him in her affliction and say all this is come upon us yet wee have not forgotten thee neither have wee dealt falsely in thy Covenant our heart is not turned back neither have our steps declined from thy way Thus can the Faithful Christian plead for himself Blessed Jesus though the World hath flattered and affrighted mee the Devil tempted and solicited mee yet have I not forgotten nor forsaken thee I have had many failings in my course nor can I acquit my self from infirmities but through thy grace my heart hath not been turned back nor have my steps declined from thy waies This is our rejoycing saith St. Paul yea this shall bee our rejoycing at that day the Testimony of a good conscience But yet let mee tell you this is the weakest prop of a Christians confidence and therefore 2 That which in the next place will embolden him is The right hee hath to the Promise even that Promise which is mentioned a little before of eternal life Fidelis est qui promisit non te fallet tantum tu noli deficere sed expecta promissorem Hee is Faithful that hath promised and cannot will not deceive thee do not thou faint and hee will not fail thee good reason then hath he who in some measure fulfilleth the condition by abiding in Christ now with confidence to expect the Promise then Though it is far from him to say in the Language of that proud Fryer Da Domine quod ego merui Lord give me what I have deserved yet he will say with an humble boldnesse Da Domine quod tu promisisti Lord give mee what thou hast promised having confidence not in the merit of his own works but the fidelity of Christs word 3 Adde to this in the last place The interest which he hath in the Judge Hee that is to come to Judge the World is the Head of his Church and consequently all who abide in him are his members Hee that then shall appear as the