admonition reject So that it is very clear That Church-power and Church-censures are to be inflicted on such as obstinately offend therein and certainly a boundless Toleration of all kinde of heresies seemeth to be so harsh and unsavoury a thing that even the Remonstrants who yet cried up a liberty of prophesying as their great Diana did disavow this professing their approbation of that known Rule It 's better living ubi nulla licent then where omnia and that with this liberty of opinions there ought to be wayes used for the extirpation of heresies This licentiousnes then doth not beget unity but increaseth breaches for it gives way to mens corruptions to vent themselves and is like the warm Summer to snakes and serpents which makes them come abroad when the cold winter kept them in These remedies then being laid aside Let us consider what are truly and properly so what is the fit oil to be poured into the Churches wounds seeing it is so often like that man of Jericho whereas then this breach of unity may be made three wayes Of the true Doctrine by heresie Of godly Order by schism and Of Christian love by wrath and contentions in outward matters Let us see what are the peculiar Remedies for what is proper to one is not to another and as for the way of unity in Doctrine these are uniting and closing principles 1. So farre as there is an agreement in judgement to close heartily and imbrace one another in that It 's a mercy that the difference is not in the very fundamentals and vitals of Religion seeing therefore there are common opinions and doctrines wherein the godly do agree let that unity be nourished this will be a means to produce further union This Rule the Apostle giveth Phil. 3.15 16. Whither we have attained let us walk by the same Rule and if any man be otherwise minded God shall reveal this to them It 's a great frowardness in the rigid Lutherans that they will not own the Calvinists as brethren though there may be a reconciliation in fundamentals as Pareus pleadeth So farre then as men do retain Christ and fundamental truth with an humble godly disposition desiring to be further informed Let not the want of what they should have make thee despise the good things they have 2. Let private Christians highly esteem and submit to those godly and faithfull Pastors God hath set over them For commonly there begins the breach when they begin to be offended at them It was some mistake about what Christ preached that made so many Disciples quite forsake him it was durus Sermo an hard speech they said and would not seek to be further informed when men will not own that publick office God hath appointed then they wander into by-paths Therefore Eph. 4.12 13 You see a two-fold end of the Ministers of Christ the one is To keep them from being carried about with every winde of Doctrine The other for a spiritual edification till we all come in the unity of faith So that a due and fit obedience and acknowledgement of them would in a special manner prevent divisions 3. Get a pitifull and compassionate spirit to those that go astray We are indeed to have zeal and an holy impatience in the things of God yet this is to be accompanied with pity Of some have compassion making a difference saith the Apostle Jude Certainly when we shall consider how prone it is for men to receive errour for truth How naturally blinde and opposite the minde of a man is to the revealed truths of God and how that it 's the Spirit of God that leads thee into truth That it's God only who keeps thee from the heresies and errours that others are carried aside with These things will greatly move thee to tender bowels SERMON CXVI Of Christian Vnity Setting forth some Rules for Vnity in Doctrine Church-Order and Affection for the preventing of Errour Schisme and Wrath. JOH 17.21 That they also may be one as thou Father art in me and I in thee c. TO prevent or heal any breach that may be made in doctrine by errour we have given some Remedies and there are more remaining As first Candidly and truly to lay down or report the opinions of others that do dissent from us There is nothing hath made the gap wider and more raked into the sores of the Church then such a malevolent and ill disposition to pervert the opinions of others to make them hold such monstrous things as they do with all their hearts detest It was thought that the Apostle James therefore was moved to write that Epistle for works as well as faith because some did misunderstand Pauls writings as if he had taught Faith onely was enough to save though it was not accompanied with an holy life How often was Christ and the Apostles traduced for preaching such things that they never taught and all this was done by their malicious enemies to make them more odious and to bring greater danger upon them And do not the Papists to this day represent the Protestants as if they were the most damnable and blasphemous heretâ—ques that ever were But if it be not lawful in civil matters to bear false witnesse against another much less in Religious and doctrinal matters whether therefore it be by writing preaching report or any other way Gods Word and Conscience requireth of us that we are to represent the Opinions of others truly and really not put a sence of our own upon them and then fight with that this is not the way to bring the straying Sheep back again this will never reduce to unity for the party dissenting will presently see that truth is not sought for but victory That the end of dissenters is not to bring him to the knowledge of truth but to disgrace and defame him and this will never convert Therefore that is necessary in all disputations to state the controversie aright for that is like the first concoction which if it miscarry is not mended afterwards men may write voluminous books and bring multitude of arguments to no purpose if the true state of the controversie be not laid down To know therefore the true and proper distance is the only way at last to unite as the best way to recover out of a disease is to be truly informed what it is A second Remedy uniting in matters of doctrine is not to impose such Conclusions and inferences upon the doctrine maintained by dissentients that are not the proper and genuine effect thereof To cast that upon them as their doctrine which is but our inference that we may make through ignorance or any other distemper is not fair especially when they do with their whole soul abhor such Conclusions There were some Spiders that would suck poison from those sweet herbs the Apostle had planted because he shewed that where sin had abounded grace did much more Therefore some forced this consequence upon the
are reduced to one Quest Seeing God hath promised one heart and way and Christ praied for it how comes it to passe there are so many breaches among the godly Answ 1. True unity is from Christ and terminated in him There is a wicked unity 2. A directed and ordered unity 3. It is consistent with such graces that yet have an outward appearance of dissolving unity Remedies for the preventing and healing divisions in the Church False wayes of unity 1. By Papists 2. By Socinians The true uniting principles As to true Doctrine II. Rules to keep up unity in Church-order and to prevent Schism III. Rules for Unity in respect of love to prevent wrath and quarrellings Observ The Father and Son are two distinct Persons yet one in Nature and Essence Consider 1. God considered absolutely and relatively 2. There is notwithstanding but one God 3. This Doctrine of the Trinity is an object of faith and cannot be demonstrated by reason The characteristical properties of the Persons in the Godhead Observ That all believers are united to Christ and in him to the Father I. Consider those Scripture-expressions to represent this Unity II. There must be an unition before there can be an union III. There is a naturall union with Christ and a supernatural IV. This union is wholly spiritual V. It 's also reall VI. The necessity of this union with Christ VII The excellecy of it VIII IX X. XI Observ That Unity among believers is a special means to inlarge the kingdom of Christ Consid I. That notwithstanding the Doctrine yet unity simply as such is not an infallible note of the true Church The Papist answered Unity without true Doctrine no note of a true Church The Papist no such cause to boast of Unity Why Unity is an attractive loadstone to bring others unto the faith What those proper sins are that divisions amongst the godly are apt to breed in the world Observ That the believing of Christ being sent unto the world is the foundation of our conversion unto God Of the nature of Faith as it is dogmaticall or historicall 1. It 's wrought by the grace of God By means of the Word 3. The heart of man is naturally not only unfit but contrary and opposite to the way of beleeving heavenly truths 4. This faith may be without sanctification of the inward man 5. Where this faith is there will be some kinde of pious disposition of heart 6. The motive of it is divine 7. It s grace though but common grace 8. It s the foundation of conversion The properties of it 1. It lifts a man above his natural reason 2. It contradicts not reason 3. It s the substance of things hoped for c. 4. It hath universality in its assenting Observ That the glory which Christ hath he communicates one way or other to his people Consider I. Christs personal glory is incommunicable II. What are those effects of that glory which Christ vouchsafeth to his III. None are made partakers of that glory of Christ but by union with him 1. No man till he be united unto Christ hath any true and solid glory In what respects humane and earthly glory comes short of heavenly Corollary II. That the meanest Christian surpasses Solomon in all his glory Corollary III. IV. It consumes all love and desire of vain-glory V. Let them faithfully do Christs work notwithstanding all reproaches wicked men load them with VI. Admire the bounty of his grace VII Doct. Christ though God had many things given him of his Father There is a twofold giving What things were given Christ of the Father Observ Unity among believers is part of that glory which Christ as Mediator hath obtained for them Consid I. Unity is the Churches glory Their glory actively and passively II. Christ purchased as Mediator this priviledge as well as others Christ said to be in believers several wayes 1. By communication of the same nature with us 2. Sacramentally 3. By his Spirit 4. By a gracious inhabitation and sanctifying presence Doct. How Christ lives in a believer The false ways of Christs being in his people How or in what manner Christ is in his people How Christ is in his people more particularly The fruits and effects of Christs being in us Doct. As Christ is in us so the Father being in Christ is also thereby in us How the Father is in Christ Quest How the Father and Son can be in believers and yet they have such great remainders of sinne in them Answ Doct. The Father and Christs being in believers is the cause of that perfect and consummaâ—e unity which they ought to have of themselves What is implied in their being made perfect in one The causes of this unity Doct. That faith is knowledge What knowledge faith is not 1. Not a knowledge by sense 2. Not a perfect comprehension and intuitive vision of the thing we believe 3. Nor like those imperfect acts of the soul which are called Suspicion opinion or doubting 4. Nor is it from the evidence of any internal principles What knowledge the knowledge of faith is Reasons why faith must be knowing or have knowledge accompanying of it Observ God the Father loveth believers even as he loveth Christ I. Wherein the love of God to Christ and believers is not alike II. Wherein Gods love to Christ and believers is alike 1. In loving Christ and them as one mystical person 2. In the properties of it 3. In regard of the effects of it Obj. Answ Doct. It 's of great consequence to the world to know how greatly believers are loved of God The usefulness of the worlds knowing how greatly the Saints are beloved of God will appear in these particulars How difficult it is for the world to be so perswaded Observ Without grace here there is no glory hereafter What we mean by grace Doct. 2. Glory is a gift Observ The greatest part of our happinesse that we shall have in heaven lies in this that then we shall be with Christ and have immediate communion with the Lord. Of immediate communion with Christ in heaven Consider these things The grounds why Gods presence in heaven is that which makes the happinesse of a glorified beleever Doct. It is a necessary duty in a Christian in his approaches to God to think on those attributes and relations in him which may excite and stirre up holy confindence and boldnesse Consid I. No wicked man is in a condition fit to pray or approach unto God upon these terms II. It s of great consequence for the humbled Christian in his prayer to improve this relation of a Father Doct. 2. Christs prayer for his people will certainly and infallibly prevail for them Doct. The great end of our being in heaven is to behold and enjoy the glory of Christ How much is comprehended in this expression of beholding Christs glory What is that glory which they shall behold shining in Christ Doct. Christ as Mediator had his glory given him Propositions aâ—out this point Christ as God cannot have any thing given him unless by way of manifestation and external celebration Obj. Answ Doubt Sol. Doubt Sol. Doubt Sol. Socinians Argument Answered How many wayes we may glorifie Christ Doct. 2. That it s no free-will or preparatory work in man that begins either his grace or glory but the sole gift of God Observ That God the Father loved Christ as Mediatour and thereby all believers in him from all Eternity How righteousness may be attributed unto God Observ God whether considered as a Judge of the world or a Father to beleevers is righteous in all his wayes I. God is just in all his administrations to devils and wicked men II. The righteousnes of God as a Father to his people in all their afflictions Observ The world is ignorant of God in a saving manner Demonstrations of the Point The causes of salvation Observ Christ is the original and fontal cause of all the knowledge that believers have Propositions about the point Doct. That it 's an indearing respect of believers to God that they do own him and cleave to hint when the whole world go quite contrary Propositions clearing the Point Doct. That Believers do not only at their first conversion but in the whole progress of their life need constant illumination and teaching from God I. In respect of the object II Observ That it is not enough for the people of God to be loved by him but they are to endeavour after the sence and apprehension of this in their own hearts Conside I. The love of God is taken two waies in Scripture II. God may love a man and he know it not III. The sence of Gods love to be laboured for IV. The sence of Gods love may be immediate or mediate V. The love of God to his is incomprehensible The advantage a believer hath by having the powerful feeling of Gods love Propositions to inform in this point I. II. It s possible for the sense of Gods favour to consist with some doubtings III. The sense of Gods love may consist with a feeling of a spiritual combate within us Helps to get and keep this favour of God
sorts of Joy and the Nature of Spirituall Joy shewing also how farre it transcends and differs from worldly joy SERM. LXXIX The excellent effects of Christian Joy SERM. LXXX John 17.14 I have given them thy Word and the world hath hated them because they are not of the world That the Word of God preached and received doth inrage the wicked world and Reasons thereof SERM. LXXXI Of suffering for Christs Cause and how it ingageth God for to take care of such as so suffer also the duty of Ministers about preaching Gods truth SERM. LXXXII Of wicked mens hating the Godly the Causes Effects and Properties of it SERM. LXXXIII The Application of the foregoing Observation both to the godly and the wicked tending to encourage and rejoyce the one under all their sufferings and deterre and reclaim the other from all oppositions SERM. LXXXIV Of Conformity to Christ in not being of the world and in his sufferings SERM. LXXXV John 17.15 I pray not that thou shouldst take them out of the world but that thou shouldst keep them from the evil Sheweth why God continueth his children in this world of sinne and sorrow and doth not take them immediatly to Heaven and also how farre 't is lawfull for a man to pray for or desire to be taken out of this world SERM. LXXXVI That 't is a greater mercy to be kept from sinne and all evil in our afflictions and troubles than from the afflictions themselves SERM. LXXXVII That God hath determined a precise time to every particular man in the world how long he shall live SERM. LXXXVIII JOHN 17.16 They are not of the world even as I am not of the world The Heavenly man much improved by much considering that he is not of this world SERM. LXXXIX JOHN 17.17 Sanctifie them through thy Truth thy Word is Truth Of Growth in Grace Shewing that and how many waies a Godly man may be sanctified SERM. XC The Contraries of Growth in Grace A Comfortable Advertisement to such as mourn under their sense of not Growing with Reasons of the Necessity of Growing in Grace SERM. XCI Of the Causes of Sanctification and in particular of God as the Instrumentall Cause SERM. XCII Of the Truth of the Scriptures SERM. XCIII The transcendent Properties of the Scripture SERM. XCIV JOHN 17.18 As thou hast sent me into the world even so have I sent them into the world How requisite a sound minde and a holy life are to a Minister of the Gospel and Christs peculiar love to and care of such SERM. XCV Of Christs Mission to the Office of a Mediatour SERM. XCVI Of the publick Office of the Ministry some distinctions concerning it and the Necessity of a lawfull Call thereunto Also shewing wherein private Christians should exercise their Gifts both ordinarily and in extraordinary Cases SERM. XCVII That the Scripture appoints a distinct Office of the Ministry Sheweth wherein the Call to the Ministry consists and that none may enter into that Office without an Authoritative Mission also what the Ministry of Preaching is and whether Reading be Preaching SERM. XCVIII JOHN 17.19 And for their sakes I sanctifie my self that they also might be sanctified through the Truth Of Christs sanctifying himself to be a Mediatour Shewing what is implied in it how pure willing and fit he was for that Great undertaking SERM. XCIX Sheweth further what is implied in that phrase of our Saviour I sanctifie my Self Handling chiefly the Priestly Office of Christ in opposition to the Socinians and for the Comfort and Direction of Penitent sinners SERM. C. Of Jesus Christ as Priest Sacrifice and Altar The Properties of that Sacrifice The way how men come to partake of the Benefit of it Its Efficacy as to Sanctification as well as Justification SERM. CI. Of Sanctification as the Effect of Christs death shewing that no man truly beleeveth in Christ for Justification that doth not also for Sanctification SERM. CII JOHN 17.20 Neither pray I for these alone but for them also that shall beleeve in me through their word Sheweth why Christ who could do all things yet puts up prayers What difference there is between his prayers and ours and the great advantage Beleevers have by Christs praying for them SERM. CIII In what respects the Benefits of Christs mediation extends to all Beleevers alike and in what not for the comfort of weak Christians and such of them as are most contemptible in the eyes of the world SERM. CIV That in some particulars the poor weak Christian hath more respect from Christ then the strong one SERM. CV Of Christs love and care of every one of his before they had a being SERM. CVI. Of both the moving causes and effects of Election and of Christs prayer and death Against Arminians and others SERM. CVII Of Faith the severall kindes of it and especially of Justifying Faith its object and seat c. SERM. CVIII Of Justifying Faith shewing what things are necessary thereunto and how or in what method the Spirit of God inableth the humble soul to Beleeve SERM. CIX Of Justifying Faith SERM. CX Of Justifying Faith that it is a fiduciall Recumbency in Christ SERM. CXI That a Gospel Ministry is to continue to the end of the world and for what ends SERM. CXII JOHN 17.21 That they all may be one as thou Father art in me and I in thee that they also may be one in us that the world may beleeve that thou hast sent me Of Unity among Gods people the Nature of it SERM. CXIII Of Unity among Christians the Benefits and Necessity of it and the mischief of Divisions SERM. CXIV Of Unity among the Godly More particulars setting forth the excellency of it and mischief of Division Answering this Objection viz. Seeing God hath promised one heart and way and Christ prayed for it How comes it to pass that there should be so many breaches amongst the Godly SERM. CXV Of Unity among Beleevers Cautions about it Also setting forth some good uniting Principles with a censure of some bad ones SERM. CXVI Of Christian Unity setting forth some Rules for Unity in Doctrine Church-order and Affection for the preventing of Errour Schism and Wrath. SERM. CXVII Of the distinction of Persons and Unity of Essence in the Deity against the Socinians SERM. CXVIII The Glorious mystery of the Saints Union with Christ and with the Father by him opened SERM. CXIX Sheweth what a speciall means Unity among Beleevers is to enlarge the Kingdom of Christ and yet notwithstanding that Unity without true Doctrine is no Infallible Mark of the true Church against the Papists SERM. CXX A Consideration of Faith in its Generall nature as Dogmaticall or Historicall carried out to Scripture-Truths because of Divine Authority SERM. CXXI Of Dogmaticall Faith the Properties of and Contraries to it SERM. CXXII JOHN 17.22 And the Glory which thou gavest me I gave them that they may be one even as we are one Of the Glory which Christ communicates
others that knew not what they did many of them were converted afterwards and did beleeve in him whom they had pierced so that we need not doubt of speeding when we bring Christ with us Hence Joh. 16.24 Whatsoever you shall ask the Father in my Name he will give it you If we were to draw nigh in our Name If we did appear in our own Name we might justly look for anger in stead of mercy but God is not angry with Christ he doth not frown upon Christ Fifthly The praier of Christ had all those internall qualifications that are requisite to acceptation For first There was holy faith and confidence the Preface is Father which is not a bare Title but an expression from inward affection indeed Christ was not capable of justifying faith he was too perfect a subject to need such a grace yet as the habit of faith doth include no imperfection in the subject but a full dependance and affiance on God so Christ did beleeve and in this sence he cried My God My God why hast thou forsaken me My God My God were acts of fiduciall dependance As for repentance and sorrow for sinne which is requisite in all our praiers such also Christ was not capable of but then for love and zeal to God for heavenly affections c. The Sea is not fuller of water then his soul was of such enlargements No distraction no deadnesse no imperfection did cleave to his praier but as he himself was without sinne so also was his praier Besides the extrinsecall dignity and worth of Christs praier there was an inherent perfection and fullnesse of all graces in him Oh then though the godly labour and groan under manifold weaknesses Their praiers are so imperfect that they need to be praied over again and confession is requisite for our imperfect confession yet remember the perfection of Christs praiers There was no spot no blemish in this Sacrifice of his lips At the end of thy praier when thy heart smiteth thee for thy roving thoughts thy dulnesse thy distractions comfort thy self with this there was no such defect in Christs praier Christs praier was like that curious confection and ointment which had so many precious ingredients in it Sixthly Consider this Praier of Christs had that generall nature in it which all our praiers have to be a condition and medium to bring about the good things we desire For some have disputed about praier What use is there of it seeing God knoweth all things before we ask and he is unchangeable our praiers cannot alter his purpose To this it 's answered That our praiers are not to acquaint God with that he knew not or to change his will only God who hath decreed to do such things he hath appointed praier as a condition or means for the accomplishment of them Even as God hath ordained the earth to bring forth fruit but it must be tilled and sown and as mankinde is to be multiplied but by marriage so good things are appointed for the godly but by praier Mat. 7.7 This is therefore called the golden chain reaching from earth to heaven Ascendit precatio descendit miseratio and for this end is both a command of praier and a gracious promise to it so that he who praieth not presumeth grosly if he expect the fullfilling of any good thing to him As it is thus with praier in the general so also with Christs praier whatsoever Christ was to purchase at Gods hand for his people the same he was to pray for Psa 2.8 Ask of me and I will give thee the Heathen for thine Inheritance And thus in this Chapter he praieth for that glory which yet was from the beginning appointed for him so that Christs Praier was a speciall means to bring about all those admirable mercies promised to his people Seventhly Take notice of this that this Praier of Christ sanctifieth all our Praiers They become accepted of through him He is the Altar upon which the incense of the Churches praiers is offeted Rev. 8.4 As our tears need washing in his bloud so our praiers need Christs praier he praied that our praiers may be received There is not any one Praier could ever ascend to heaven were it not for Christs Intercession The Popish doctrine therefore is very injurious to Christ which inventeth other treasures besides the treasures of Christ They tell us of a treasure or bank of praiers which may be applied to this or that necessitous person They tell us of other Mediators in heaven besides Christ Mediators not of expiation but intercession whereas you see it 's Christs expiation and intercession that go together to work our redemption But if Christs praier be thus all in all what need we pray are not our praiers superfluous Answ No for they are not to that end which Christs was not for merit or mediation Even as though Christ suffered for our sinnes yet we also are afflicted but not for that end so our praiers are for other ends to set up God to debase our selves to quicken up our graces to give us an holy Communion and fellowship with him to shew our obedience to his command who doth in so speciall a manner require this duty Vse Are the people of God under the benefit of Christs praier then how happy and blessed are they what can be denied them There is no fear of having their requests granted for God looks upon them and Christ as one mysticall person as the head and members Who is able to preach of this Subject It is too glorious Christ is in heaven making Intercession for thee Wo unto thee every day every hour Were it not for this Advocate wo to thy own praiers though never so laudable were they not put up in Christs Name Oh how little do the people of God run to this Fountain when their hearts are like a dry wildernesse This is indeed the Key of heaven that opens it for thee and thy duties if not for my sake yet for Christs sake Though I am unworthy yet Christ is worthy to be heard But oh the terrible estate of wicked men I pray not for the world They have no benefit in this Mediation SERMON III. Sheweth how prevalent the Praiers are that are poured out to God as a Father And what disposition and frame of heart this compellation Father may breed in every one that doth fervently pray to God JOH 17.1 These things spake Jesus and lift up his eyes to heaven and said Father c. THE next thing in order to be treated of is Christs Praier it self and that is first in reference to himself and therein we may consider 1. The matter of the Praier Glorifie thy Son 2. The Arguments to enforce this for that is the best praier which is most argumentative Many words without arguments is like a great body without nerves or sinews Now these arguments are several and strong 1. From the Relation he stands in to
captivity captive and gave gifts to men By this power the Church of God is like Solomons Queen richly attired in all curious needle-work It 's from this glory of Christs that he putteth such glory on the Church so that for all the Ordinances and dispensations thereof for all the successe and benefit to be reaped by them We are to look up to Christ hereupon we say that to bring any other doctrine any other Sacrament or worship then Christ hath appointed is a capitall crime It 's to invade the Jura regalia which Christ hath obtained of God and therefore to despise the Ordinances the gifts the Ministery that Christ hath appointed in his Church is to neglect and contemn a great part of that glory God put on Christ for this end Col. 3. You have the Apostle running out into such full and large expressions concerning Christ making him the head of the Church in whom God hath put all fulnesse that he is to have the preheminence in all things Let us not then despise but magnifie all the Ordinances Offices and gifts Christ hath appointed for when he ascended in his triumph to heaven he scattered these gifts as great Emperours do use to do large bounties to their people and they are for heavenly and spirituall advantages All power he hath is to blesse to convert to comfort to sanctifie every Ordinance about which we are emploied 2. Another particular of his glory is to make all things subject to him whatsoever dignities or principalities there are that all should acknowledge and bow to him This is the Sunne to which all the Stars do their obeisance This is the name that God gave him above all Names that every knee every creature should submit to him Phil. 2. By name is not meant bowing the knee at the name of it that was never heard of till many years after Christ in the Church but by name according to Scripture custome is meant Christ himself Even as the Name of God is God himself glorious manifested beleeved on and every way exalted Now this subjection all give to him as the King of Kings and Lord of Lords is twofold in some it is voluntary and willing Psa 110. Thy people shall be willing in the day of thy power Christ doth by his glorious power change and alter their natures whereby they are full of love and chearfulness in taking him to be their Lord and King They do readily obey his commands so that the glory of Christ is magnified by all his Children But then there is a necessitated and forced submission such whom he is said to rule with a rod of iron and the devils who are under the earth they by constraint submit unto him 3. This glory vouchsafed unto Christ is that all things should be done in his Name All Church-meetings all Church-censures all Church-duties should be wholly performed in and by him Thus for praier whatsoever ye shall ask in my name Joh. 14.13 For Church-meetings when two or three are gathered together in my Name Mat. 18.20 For Church-censures When you are met together in Christs Name to deliver such an one to Satan 1 Cor. 5. Thus the glory of Christ is wonderfully magnified in the Assembly of the Saints for every thing that is due is accepted of in Christs Name No praier is received but in Christs Name no performance hath its due effect but in Christs Name This heavenly and holy Court is kept in Christs Name only We are to preach in his Name we baptize in his Name all things have their successe and efficacy as they come out in his Name Thus beloved you see that all our thoughts and desires should be to glorifie Christ If it be the Fathers will to glorifie him it should be ours much more 4. This glory given to Christ will be wonderfully expressed in the day of judgement for 1. then he shall make known his power and majesty to all the world what glorious descriptions have we in the Scripture of Christ coming to judge with what terrour and trembling to all beholders what great alterations and changes will be upon the whole world What a glorious train of Angels accompanying him never was such a sight seen No words can expresse it Now all this is to be managed by the Sonne The Fathar hath given all judgement to him and he hath appointed to judge the world by that man Christ Jesus Act. 17.21 Howsoever then while he was in the flesh he was judged by others he was as a worm and no man yet then a great alteration will be made He that was a Lamb shall then be like a roaring Lion The day of Judgement is the greatest day that ever was or shall be called therefore the day and that day and the day of the Lord and the judgement of all things and persons in the world is given to Christ the Sonne of God and this tends to his exceeding great glory for then his friends and loyall Subjects shall receive their full and finall reward and then his stubborn and obstinate enemies shall receive their compleat punishments all the honour Ahashuerus could put on his favorites was nothing to this spiritual and heavenly glory which the Father will put on the Son for it is a spiritual glory that was a temporall in earthly things only There are those who would make the kingdom and glory of Christ to be in a great manner temporall and consisting in a Monarchy here on earth but as Christs Priesthood was wholly spiritual so also is his kingly glory for as he hath made the godly Kings and Priests only in a spiritual sence thus was he also Here then is work for the eyes of Faith Come with the Queen of Sheba to see all the glory Christ hath not with a bodily eye but an eye of faith and thy admiration will be greater then hers was 2. This glory is eternall not like the glory of the world which the devil shewed in a moment it quickly passed away but this will abide for ever not but that Christ shall at last give up this Kingdome into his Fathers hands again He shall no more discharge the acts of an Advocate or Intercessor for us in heaven only the glory of this shall alwaies continue It shall to all Eternity be recorded that he was the Mediatour That he is the Saviour who hath brought us to life and immortality Thus to all eternity the tongue of all the Saints shall be employed in celebrating this glory Vse of Instruction Is Christ thus glorified by the Father then take this as a sure pledge of thy glorification in time It cannot be that he should have glory alone himself No in this praier he saith Father I will that they be where I am Oh let this comfort and animate thee my glorified head is in heaven and will in time make a glorified member sutable to him 2. Is it Gods purpose to glorifie the Sonne then let us also glorifie him our hour
can grow out of this garden No gold sanctified that is not in this Temple 4. Though the true knowledge of God and Christ is to be had in the Church yet all true knowledge that is most plentiful and exact is not presently saving knowledge Therfore in the Text when eternal life is said to be in knowing of God and Christ that is with the due concomitants and genuine effects thereof when we so know as that it is an acknowledgement of the truth after godliness Tit. 1. This is good to be considered by those who have obtained some good measure of knowledge how apt are men to be puffed up by it They swell with this winde as those in antiquity that were called Gnosticks because of the knowledge they gloried in but this light may be and often is without any heat at all Their heads are better then their hearts or their hands so that they are a kinde of a spiritual Monster A mans head above but bruit beasts below look then that with thy knowledge there be also a good conscience and a godly life otherwise thy knowledge will serve but to make hell hotter for thee 5. Though all knowledge be not saving yet without knowledge there cannot be any salvation I speak not of Infants They come not within the ordinary way of Gods dispensation For the Apostle saith Faith cometh by hearing Rom. 10.17 Even as Aristotle saith Disciplina est ex auditu the Ear is the organ of Learning No knowledge no faith no faith no godlinesse and so no salvation Isa 23.11 They are a people of no understanding therefore he that made them will not save them As without this there cannot be any salvation so neither any true piety Psa 14.3 All the wickednesse of man is because he doth not understand or seek after God and Hos 4.1 The Land was full of swearing lying and killing because there was no knowledge of God in the Land Knowledge then is the eye of the soul the needle to draw in the thread and to neglect this is willfully to refuse the Salvation of God offered to them 6. Although this Knowledge be thus necessary yet how woful is the stupidity and ignorance of most people Who can take up Lamentations bitter enough Who hath bowels tender enough to pity those ignorant and sencelesse people that are every where who know nothing of God or Christ we use to pity poor blinde people that are not able to step one step without danger but oh the sad and miserable estate of those who have these blinde and darkened understandings Every step they take they stumble and fall If Paul Heb. 6. did so severely threaten those that were but in their first principles and were not carried on to perfection What danger remaineth for them who have not so much as attained to first principles who have not yet laid a Foundation yet this is the sad condition of many who though in the Land of Goshen have Egyptian darknesse upon their hearts Though baptized in the Name of Christ yet know nothing of God or Christ but are become like bruit beasts that perish 7. It 's not therefore enough for a man to beleeve as others beleeve or as the Church beleeveth without some personall or explicate knowledge of his own He doth not say It 's Eternal life to know that others know To beleeve that others beleeve but he that would have eternal life he himself must know the true God and Christ So that this doth palpably condemn that strange but politique doctrine maintained in the Church of Rome That the common people need no more faith then this to beleeve as the Church beleeveth Politique I call it for hereby they keep the people in a blinde obedience They receive any kinde of worship any kinde of doctrine without triall or comparing it by the Scripture and thus they commend darknesse because their deeds are evil But the Apostles Exhortation is to all private persons as well as others Prove all things 1 Thes 5.21 Beleeve not every spirit 1 Joh. 4.1 Let the Word of God dwell plentifully in you Col. 3.16 Indeed it cannot be denied but that God hath appointed Officers and Guides in the Church and the people are commanded to hear them and to submit to them but all this is to be understood as Paul saith Follow me even as I do Jesus Christ Phil. 3.17 We must take heed of extreme errours either to make the Ministry infallible or else to account of it as nothing at all No there is a peculiar promise of assistance and direction to thee in their work though not of infallibility but this by the way to commâ—nd ignorance to praise blinde obedience and devotion is to offer God a Sacrifice without eyes Do not then think I am a poor ignorant man I have no leisure to minde Religion to enquire after the principles thereof Let those that have learning minde such things What is this but to say It 's not for me to look to salvation It 's not for me to be saved It 's for Learned men and knowing men to goe to heaven not for such as I am certainly our voices are to sound like the Angels Trumpet at the day of judgement to awaken men out of their ignorance Men in the dark are usually afraid Oh then why shouldst not thou be afraid who art all over darknesse Eph. 5 8. as the Scripture cals thee There are too many whom this truth concerneth Now let us consider why some measure of knowledge about God and Christ is necessary to salvation And First In respect of the Object it self there are many duties God and Christ require of us which we are never able to perform without some knowledge of them I grant that as the Starres do differ in their glory and light so one man may farre exceed another in knowledge yea God doth not require so much of some as he doth of others such a degree of knowledge will God accept of in some which he will not in others so that according to the means and opportunities of knowledge more or lesse is required We grant also some may know more then they can expresse through some impediments or other but there is none can be saved who lay not in some measure a competent knowledge in Christianity because there are severall duties required which he that knoweth nothing of God cannot perform acceptably As 1. Every man that will be saved must worship the true God and not the false But without some knowledge this can never be Why is the first and second Commandement so plain to have no other God but him and to worship him in his way and that he is a jealous God in this matter like an Huâ—band whose jealousie is his rage against his adulterous Wife Why is all this but to shew that of all sinners an Idolater is sure to be excluded from the kingdom of heaven Now the ignorant man
Scripture otherwise we may take up Origens opinion and say how doth it stand with the goodnesse of God and his pity to let so many Angels and men be damned and not save them all at last But when the Word of God speaks man must be silent and hold his tongue 2. A right knowledge about one true God is not enough without the knowledge of Christ partly on Gods part and partly on our part On Gods part for so he is absolutely considered as a righteous and just God hating all sinne and punishing it where he findes it Now in this consideration he is a consuming fire there is a great gulf between him and us The devils and damned in hell may as well hope for mercy as we if there were no Christ The heathens therefore who hoped for pardon they ignorantly thought to satisfie God as if he could be satisfied by any finite thing as Luther said It 's not Deus absolutus but relativus not God considered absolutely but relatively as a Father in Covenant through Christ that is the ground of all our hope and comfort This knowledge would only terrifie and drive to despair as you see in Adam till he was comforted with the promise 2. On our part It 's necessary to know Christ as well as God because without Christ there is no foundation for any duty We cannot pray we cannot approach near to him As he is a consuming fire so we are combustible stubble Whatsoever ye shall ask in my Name saith Christ shall be given you It must be through that Name our duties are accepted Can two walk together unlesse they be agreed What concord or agreement can there be between a righteous God and a corrupted sinner For this cause it is that the most holy men have praied that God would not enter into strict judgement with them Psa 143.2 If men sanctified dare not appear at the Tribunal of God in their own persons much lesse may sinners It 's necessary then because of that contrariety between God and sinful man there should be a Mediatour an advocate one that should stand between justice and us the condemning power of the Law and us Who is not afraid of justice Who hath so much purity that the Law cannot finde any fault with him So that if we consider of these two particulars we shall see great reason that we have to know Christ and God also Thirdly Take notice That a Knowledge or belief that there is a Messias is not enough unlesse we beleeve that person called Iesus to be Christ For he doth not say This is Eternal Life to beleeve a Christ but that Jesus is Christ The Jews to this day beleeve there will be a Messias all their hope and expectation is for such an one but yet the Apostle saith they are cast off by God for the present that they are branches broken off from the Olive Rom. 11. and why because they erre in two particulars 1. They deny that Jesus born of the Virgin Mary to be the Messiah Therefore they will not beleeve the promises to be fullfilled in him And 2. They look for a temporall Messiah who shall restore them from bodily captivity not for a Saviour in a spiritual sence Indeed before Christ came into the flesh then a belief and expectation of a Messiah was enough as appears by Simeons Song Luk. 2.34 who was one of the expectants for Christ and when he saw him then desired to depart in peace but now since he is come it 's necessary to salvation to beleeve that Person born of the Virgin Mary and crucified by the Jews under Pilate was the true and promised Messias Therefore a great part of the Apostles Ministry was to prove that Jesus was the Christ Fourthly In that Christ makes Eternall Life to lie in these two necessary things therefore the Papists are horribly presumptuous who adde a third thing necessary to Eternal Life which is Subesse Romano Pontifici To acknowledge the Pope to be head of the Church and to submit to him This is de necessitate salutis saith Bellarmine But they have never yet been able to make this out that there is such an universal visible and infallible head of the Church Yea Gregory one of the Popes said Whosoever should arrogate to himself the Title of Vniversal Bishop he was the Forerunner of Antichrist For the great Antichristianism described by the Apostles lieth not so much in doctrines Though they be Antichrists also that deny Christ to be come in the flesh 1 Joh. 2.16 yet the great Antichrist is described by the Church-power and universal dominion he shall take to himself in the Church exalting himself above every thing that is called God 2 Thes 2.4 Therefore howsoever they pronounce such dreadful sentences upon all the Reformed Churches that have cast off the Popes power as if they were not in a way to Eternal Life yet this Scripture may abundantly encourage where there is a true knowledge of God and Christ there is a possibility of Eternal Life Fifthly To know Jesus Christ whom the Father hath sent implieth the knowledge of these particulars 1. That he is really and truly God for how can he be a spiritual Saviour if he be not God Is it not God only that can raise from the dead Could meer man satisfie the justice of God destroy the works of the devil It 's not my purpose here to confirm that main Article of Religion I only inform you that he who truly knoweth Christ must know him to be God the only begotten of the Father else he cannot know him as a Jesus as a Saviour Therefore howsoever Arians and Socinians talk much of Christ dispute much of him yea mention him in their praiers and Petitions yet they do not truly know Christ if the Apostle makes it so great a sinne to deny Christ to be come in the flesh to be man that he saith he is Antichrist that doth so 1 Joh. 2.18 then it must needs be a greater sinne to deny him to be God for as he doth a man a greater wrong that denieth him a rationall soul then that denieth a mortal body to him so he doth in a greater manner dishonour Christ that denieth him to be God then to be man Shall Christ himself Phil. 2. think it no robbery to be equal with God and will they make Christ guilty of such robbery for he assumed to himself both the Title and reality of God 2. To know Jesus Christ is to acknowledge him man as well as God for this was his name given him by the Angel when he was born so that he only knoweth Christ who acknowledgeth him both God and man as the Scripture sometimes cals him the only begotten Son of God so sometimes the Son of man and many places in Scripture speak of both his natures Rom. 9.5 who concerning the flesh was of the Seed of Abraham and yet he is God for evermore concerning the flesh that is
the like for us Heaven and eternal glory cannot be had without much working and suffering Rom. 8.17 If we suffer with him we shall also be glorified with him Hence are those commands and expressions Strive to enter in at the strait gate Mat. 7. Be in an agony The violent take the Kingdom of heaven That the righteous is scarcely saved Be not weary in well-doing because we shall have a recompence if we faint not Gal. 6.9 That implieth such labour and discouragements in the way to heaven that it is very hard not to faint not to be weary to give over all As the people of Israel in the wildernesse murmured and wished themselves in Egypt again because they found it so difficult to get into Canaan Hence Heaven is called a rest Heb. 4.9 There remains a rest What doth that imply but here in this world we are toiling and troubled and never have any rest but in heaven there is rest that also denoteth how sweet and excellent a place heaven is and how much we while in this world shold desire it and pray for it Whereas our desire to be in this world is as if a man should be willing to lie in a bed full of thorns pricking and gaâ—ling of him Thus hath God appointed a Fight before the Crown labour before our wages tempests and storms before the haven wearisomnesse before a rest Therefore in the 2d place Every Christian must up and be doing that doth expect Salvation Sluggishnesse and lazinesse will deprive of this glory Oh when such shall see themselves shut out of all happinesse and tormented for ever in those eternal flames then how will they cry out of their lukewarmnesse and unprofitablenesse what a terrible sentence is pronounced upon the unprofitable Servant Mat. 25.30 He is to be cast into utter darknesse where there is weeping and gnashing of teeth If Christ himself must first work and then look for a reward let not the Servant think to be above his Master We must not think to have heavenly glory as our Saviour saith Mat. 5. The Lillies of the Field have a greater glory then of Solomons yet they spin not they labour not No but the Scripture crieth out aloud to every one To work out his Salvation with fear and trembling Phil. 2.12 Oh then that the consideration that Christianity is a work No work no glory would make us shake off slothfulnesse and negligence Do not think God will provide heaven for thee as he did a Wife for Adam in a deep sleep he thought of nothing he took no care about any such thing They that say Let us eat and drink for to morrow we shall die little think of the way and the work God requireth before happinesse Those that like Dives fare deliciously every day that live in ease and security let them think this Calm will breed a great Storm as they say before Earthquakes there is a wonderful stilnesse and calmnesse So all their pleasure ease and delight is but the forerunner of unspeakable torments and misery 3. Hence we see That good works and an holy active life is not forbidden but commanded by the Scripture To preach Christ or faith or grace or the benefit of the Sacraments so as that a godly exact and diligent walking and working is excluded is to preach another Christ another Gospel then we have received Our Saviour by those Parables of divers talents as also of the foolish Virgins and of the unjust steward Mat. 25. of hiring Labourers into the Vineyard did hereby commend the necessity of working Paul fought a good fight and all the godly Worthies commended by him Heb. 11. had an active laborious faith and they are accounted blessed that die in the Lord Why because their works follow them Rev. 14.13 yea at the day of judgement that judicial processe will be according to the works we have done or we have not done for omission of duties though there be no commission of sinne the sentence of condemnation will be pronounced so that concerning this duty of working there have been errours on both sides sometimes Satan hath so prevailed as to perswade men against working to fancy a kinde of notional faith that will not purifie or clense the heart a painted fire that will not burn Sometimes again when he could not prevail that waies then he hath set up working to overthrow beleeving to make Christ and his grace ineffectuall Take we heed then that we split not our selves at either of these rocks but conform our selves to Christ who was never idle but like a careful Shepherd went up and down seeking the lost Sheep This is the devils great temptation to tempt thee not to work or if thou workest to puff thee up with confidence about it and so to make thee â—un in vain The Popish Doctrines they have so infected men about works teaching them to put confidence therein that it was an infinite mercy to the Church when the true doctrine about Christ and the grace of the Gospel beâ—aâ—e to be published and by reason of some expressions there arose up the Antinomians and others who cried down working as if that were to bring the Law in again for justification but both these misse the mark both the Pharisee with confidence in his works and the Publican without his works are excluded this place of glory 4. There is therefore a necessity for many considerations while we are in our journey to heaven that we should be working all which are good to be laid to heart that so we may avoid all unprofitablenesse and at last to be able to say and now my work is done O Father glorifie me The first is from the command and will of God Every Page in the Bible presseth doing Gods will yea we are to be stedfast immoveable alwaies abounding in the work of the Lord 1 Cor. 15. So that if there were no other motive to excite us the command of God might be greatly provoking He who hath a command and a Soveraignty over all That commands the very inanimate creatures and they obey how much rather should we yeeld obedience to his will and the rather because whatsoever work he commands as it is good in it self so it 's good to us It 's good in it self When the devil and sinne tempt to that which is evil thou presently givest up thy self and shall God require that which is good and thou refusest it Besides It 's good for thee as well as good in it self It 's a work thou wilt never repent of it will never be matter of grief to thee Whereas for all other works of the flesh and the devil they will prove thorns in thy side There will be a horrour upon thy Spirit for them making thee to cry out Oh that I had never done this or that sin is called dead works Heb. 6.1 because they argue a man dead and devoid of spirituall life and so they also carry to eternal
these two Fountains that must needs be dried up If repetitions then come for want of judgement they have not a good understanding to digest and order their matter this is not a seemly Sacrifice to offer to God It 's a strange position of some devout Papists that this is the best Praier When a man is so ravished that he knoweth not what he saith So when Repetition comes for want of an affectionate heart this is blameworthy affections make eloquent and copious and heavenly affections do wonderfully enlarge the heart in Praier This is the fire that makes the heart boil over Praier without the heart in it is like the body without the soul 2. When repetitions are out of affectation and ostentation thereby to lengthen and protract their praiers this is also vanity For although there is a necessity as occasion may serve of long praiers especially when we intend solemnly to humble our selves and we have examples of such in Scripture yet out of ostentation to affect length and thereby to come over with the same things in a tedious and empty manner This is not to perform the duty aright 3. When Repetitions are so often iterated thereby thinking for the work-sake to please God To think God esteemeth of the length and so much said rather then the affections and heart therein and this seemed to be the Heathens sinne our Saviour said they thought by their 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 their many words in that so much was said to have a good answer And thus it is in Popery The saying of so many Paternosters The mumbling over so many Ave-Maries this is enough to expiate sinne They regard the number and when the number is done all is well and thus most people amongst us put their confidence in a praier said and never at all consider with what heavenly affections and a spirituall heart they approach unto God Thus you have heard when a repetition in praier is lawful and when unlawful Vse of Instruction That to pray is such a solemn worship of God that it requireth the whole man the intellectual part all our judgement invention and memory is to be imploied therein as also the whole heart the will and affections yea and body also and besides this there is also required the Spirit of God to enlighten the minde and to sanctifie the heart for meer judgement and invention without Gods Spirit enlivening of them is like a Sacrifice without fire Oh then if all these things go together may we not cry out Who is sufficient to pray It 's a great work to be a Minister and it 's a great work to be a private Christian for every one is bound to be much in Praier and yet how many requisites go to this Oh therefore that we could awaken three sorts of men by this 1. The ignorant man that hath his praiers but without any understanding any affection and therefore praieth while he is doing other work or sluggishly in his bed yea he knoweth not whether it be a praier or not only he is told so and therefore they think the Creed and the Commandements a Praier Miserable blinde people what will become of them 2. Superstitious persons who lay their whole ground of acceptation upon such and such praiers or upon such a number but as for the spirituall discharge of the duty that they do not understand 3. All formall and customary people who dare not but pray publikely and sometimes privately yea and in Families also but no stone is colder then their hearts Oh what dead empty things are their duties with what anger doth God look upon them when all is done They rise up and say Now is all well Oh but God is provoked by such formall lukewarm duties You have a better heart and more lively affections and why then put you God off with the worst Doth not the Prophet say He is cursed that hath a Male in his Flock and yet offers the maimed Thou hast more masculine affections to other things though they be not seen in Praier SERMON XXV Of the Promises and of Prayer JOH 17.5 And now O Father Glorifie thou me with the glory I had before the world was WE are treating on the Petition it self and whereas we see our Saviour praying for that which was appointed and promised before the Petition for it we may observe That even those things God hath promised and decreed to give to his people must yet be accomplished to them praying for it Gods purposes and promises require our Supplications This is the order God hath appointed Ask and ye shall have seek and ye shall finde knock and it shall be opened to you Mat. 7. Thus when God had promised he would do such and such things for his Church by his Prophet he addeth Neverthelesse he would be sought unto by the House of Israel for those things Ezek. 33.33 There is much considerable matter in this Doctrine and therefore it needs the more diligent explication As 1. There have been two contrary errours about Praier Some have looked upon it as necessary and strictly commanded that they thought we might do nothing but pray That we were to cast off all other employments and betake our selves to that duty only They were called the Euchetae they were deluded from the mistaking of these places Pray alwaies and Pray without ceasing Others have runne into a contrary extremity making praier altogether uselesse and unnecessary and that because all things came about in an inevitable and fatal manner as they say and therefore praier doth no good at all but the severall commands of this duty do shew the impiety of that opinion The Socinians though they grant men did pray in the Old Testament yet they say there was no command for it till the Gospel-dispensation They say Christ required it as a new duty it not being a duty before but this also is false For doth not the Old Testament say Call upon me in the day of trouble I will hear thee and thou shalt glorifie me Psa 50.15 So that to pray is not an indifferent or arbitrary thing Neither may it be judged uselesse but of great power and prevalency 2. It cannot be denied but that if a man should pray with these thoughts that he should change Gods minde and make him alter his will such a man hath false and sinful thoughts of God and yet how many are plunged into such falshoods They conceive they have to do with God as with a man who is mutable and therefore by entreaties and importunities we make him change his resolutions and do those things he never purposed to do as we see in the importunate Widow with the unjust Judge If therefore thou in thy Praiers to God should go with these thoughts as if by thy praiers thou couldst provoke God to will that at the present which he did not will before from all Eternity or that when he had purposed one thing by thy praiers he should
though this be greatly controverted yet there are places very probable 2 Cor. 3. God was in Christ reconciling the world viz. of Elect Thus Christ cals himself the bread of the world and the Lamb that takes away the sinnes of the world The doubt then is in what sence the world is here used And 1. It cannot be the world of the Elect for they are expresly praied for because given of the Father to Christ Neither can it be the world of wicked men meerly as so for many wicked men that are so now yet afterwards are converted as v. 23. That the world may know thou hast sent me that is those who for the present are of the world but afterwards are converted to Faith and Repentance It remaineth therefore by the world must be understood those that are not Elected the world of Reprobates And that this is the genuine Interpretation is plain because the world is opposed to that number of men who are given by the Father to Christ as the opposition manifesteth Not for the world but those thou hast given me Neither can it be evaded as some would I pray not for the world is in the same sence and for the same things as I do for Beleevers viz. perseverance and preservation from sinne because where the Text doth not limit or distinguish we must not And besides he praieth for those Elected persons that were as yet actually of the world that they might know and beleeve in Christ which praier the Reprobates did most need and therefore if Christ had praied at all for them it would have been for that which was most necessary The sence then thus explained observe That Christs Mediatory praier and so his Death is not for all the world but only some certain persons who are given by the Father to Christ Christs praier and Death is not intended for all and every particular man but for some only The Doctrine stands upon this bottome Those that Christ would not pray for he died not for neither was he a Mediatour for but not for the world would he pray onely some Elected by the Father Therefore neither did he die for such This Point is controversall and I have no Inclination to lanch in such deeps partly because plain practical matter is more profitable for the greater part that hear It 's bread and not a stone fish and not a Serpent you ask for and then partly the Question is of so vast a comprehension that not one hour or many is sufficient to leade you into the very porch of it much lesse all the secret rooms of it and then partly it hath been agitated by the choicest men of Learning that the former or latter Ages of the Churches ever had and therefore should be handled in a Scholastical succinct manner not popular and humiletical as our Sermons are These things I say do discourage but because the doctrine of Universal grace and redemption is a gangreen every where spreading and an Idoll which flesh and bloud doth adore and many specious pretences of Scripture are brought for it Give me leave to say something and because the controversie like Moses his face shineth gloriously and is so sublime that the common eye cannot endure to look on it I will put a Vail upon it and condescend to the meanest capacity as much as the nature of the Truth will bear and shall make way to clear and state the Doctrine by several Notandum's or particular Considerations which will be to the main Truth as John Baptist was to Christ And first Consider there is a necessary connexion between Christs praier or Intercession and his Death They are of an equal latitude and extent whom he praieth for he dieth for whom he dieth for he praieth for Rom. 8.34 Christs Death Resurrection and Intercession are all in a Chain together and applied to the same Subjects And indeed it must needs be so because Christs praier is one part of his Priestly office The oblation of himself as a Sacrifice for sinne was the other Christ then as the great high-Priest did partly pray and partly offer up himself in a Mediatory way for his people We might well therefore put both these in the Doctrine praier and his Death Though the Text speak but of praier because the one is necessarily joyned to the other and this Praier therefore is made upon the oblation of himself being to leave the world As for that Praier of Christ on the Crosse Father forgive them for they know not what they do It 's to be considered that seeing the Scripture saith he was heard in what he praied for therefore all those whom he intended in that Praier had the forgivenesse of their sinnes and we may be the rather induced so to think because he names only those that did they knew not what in crucifying of him Wherefore it 's thought those three thousand Jews converted by Peters Sermon were most of those for whom Christ praied on the Crosse For the Apostle chargeth this upon them that they had crucified the Lord of glory ignorantly 2. Though Christ in his praier and death had special love and regard to some of mankinde and not all yet there is no man that is damned can lay the blame any where but upon himself That Rule is of perpetual Truth O Israel thy destruction is of thy self Hos 13.9 And thus the Scripture doth every where make death and hell the wages of sinne Therefore if any would from this doctrine inferre such Conclusions That then a man is not to be found fault with No blame is to be laid upon him but upon non-Election or the particularity of Christs death We abhorre such consequences and say with Paul to some who gathered poison out of that honey-doctrine he preached God forbid Let not then thy heart cavill prophanely in this Point for there is no eminent doctrine in Religion but if a man let loose his carnal heart he may wrest wicked Conclusions from the best premises The true cause and ground of every mans damnation is because of Impenitency and hardnesse of heart in sinne with unbelief Neither may we or can we conceive a man able to say thus O Lord I was ready and prepared to beleeve and repent There was nothing of any good desires wanting in me only the death of Christ that was too much restrained to others but not to me and therefore not for my sinne but meerly for want of a latitude in Christs death I must perish Such an Imagination as this is a meer Chimera There never was or can be any person able to pleade so so that if you take this along with you that no such absurdities and blasphemies follow from Christs speciall love in his death and Intercession you have taken away the Gorgons head that useth to make it so terrible 3. It 's good to take notice of that ordinary distinction The Sufficiency and worth of Christs death in
desperate That the door of heaven is not absolutely bolted upon him is of great consequence 2. We who are the Ministers of the Gospel by Christs death finde a way so opened for all Gentiles that now we may promiscuously preach the Gospel to all As we cannot so neither indeed are we to let any such thoughts enter our hearts as whether such be reprobated or no But we are so to preach and exhort as if every one that we publish the Gospel to were within the Sphear of Christs Death And certainly if the Apostle writing to Churches wherein many were corrupt both for doctrine and manners did yet give them the Title of a Church and Saints and Beleevers not excluding any from the benefit of Christ We may also do so in our preaching and therefore this is to be observed That the Epistles are written to Churches already planted and therefore it 's no wonder if he use such universal phrases for that comprehends those that are within the Church already and in the judgement of charity we may speak so especially it being their Obligation and duty as Christians to repent and receive Christ But when we say that the Ministers by Christs death have a Commission to offer Christ to all You must know that is in a due order and method We do not propound Christ as a Saviour to them in the first place But we are to do as Paul when he preached to Felix Act. 24.25 who desired to hear of Christ he began first with temperance and righteousnesse and the world to come Felix being guilty of Injustice and unchaste courses Paul preacheth about those sinnes and hell laying open the wrath of God insomuch that he made Felix to tremble so that Christ must have a way made for him The mountains must be laid low and the valleys exalted and all flesh must be convinced to be grasse Before Christ can be entertained this ought to be our Method To men plunged in sinne we are to discover unto them the wrath and anger of God all the curses that are due to him who breaks the Law in the least iota To make men see their poverty and misery and when men are thus prepared and humbled then we exalt the brazen Serpent so that by Christs death the Ministers Commission is greatly enlarged and made more ample then in the Jewish administration 3. Even Reprobates have this advantage by Christ that they enjoy all the mercies they have That they have health wealth and the comforts of this world For seeing that by Adams sinne all was forfeited and a curse come upon every thing now by Christ who is the heir of all things they come lawfully to enjoy the mercies they have Heb. 1. It is Christ that beareth up the world if he did withhold his arm the whole world would fall into rubbish It 's true indeed if we speak of a sanctified use so wicked men have none of the comforts they enjoy but being impure all things are impure to them so that the curse of the Law is not taken off from them because they are not yet in Christ otherwise they have a lawfull right before God and man to the comforts they enjoy for that is not to be received though many pious men have preached it that wicked men have no right to the goods they have but are as Theeves and Robbers and shall answer for every bitt of bread they eat as Usurpers This is against the Scripture which saith God hath given the Earth to the Inhabitants thereof Psal 115.8 And that command Thou shalt not steal doth make it evident that both by Gods Law and mans Law what wicked men have in Righteous waies they are true and lawfull Possessors of and this say Divines cometh by Christ who restored the Forfeit Adam made else the world would not have subsisted a moment Although it must be granted that some Learned men attribute the enjoyment of Comforts which the ungodly have not to Christ but to the patient Providence of God whereby he doth not take the present Forfeiture But may not this Patience of God be attributed to Christs death seeing he did not use any such to the Apostate Angels but they were immediately chained up in the close Prison of utter darknesse 4. It is by Christs Death That many unregenerated men are partakers of the common gifts of Gods Spirit There are many that live within the Church of God though not regenerated yet have great gifts and abilities They have many admirable endowments Now how come these but by Christ as Eph. 4. So 1 Cor. 14. It is the Spirit of Christ that giveth severall gifts to men Christ is the Vine and so not onely Grapes but the very Leaves come from his Sap and Juyce So that what temporary Faith Joy Enlargements in Praier and common gifts of the holy Ghost any in the Church have it comes by Christs death Yea Lastly Christ by his Death is made Lord of the whole world And hath conquered all the Inhabitants that are therein So that they are Christs as a Lord that bought them by his Death Thus that place is to be understood 2 Pet. 1.1 speaking of ungodly men whose damnation would swiftly come upon them for the damnable heresies they brought in It 's said They denied the Lord that bought them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Christ bought them in that by his Death which was an Atonement only for the godly yet he thereby was made Lord over all So that although it cannot be said he is the Saviour of all in the strict sence of a Saviour Yet we may say he is the Lord over wicked men they are his Vassals and Servants and he can order and dispose of them as he pleaseth for his Churches good The last Notandum to be propounded is to see how different they are amongst themselves who have maintained universal Redemption For some go so farre that they are rejected and cried out upon by others though Universalists also And 1. Some have said and endeavoured to prove That so universall is the grace of God obtained by Christs Death that it 's not only sufficient but efficacious in all men as they are men They think that by Christs death every man by his own natural Reason and power may be able to save himself Thus Puccius wrote a Book wherein he glorieth of an hundred and twenty Reasons to prove this but this is so monstrous that others cry out of it For by this means all unbeleevers and heathens should be partakers of the grace of Christ whenas Joh. 3.24 He that beleeveth not the anger of God abideth on him 2. There are another sort called Huberians from Samuell Huberus who thought that Christ by his Death procured actuall Reconciliation with God without any respect to Faith or Repentance So that he saith Christ did as actually and applicatively bring Gods Reconciliation to all mankinde as Adam did actually condemnation And that therefore none are damned
〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 they take for propter for it answereth the Hebrew ב Beth which is sometimes used so Gen. 18.28 Luke 22.20 And indeed here is a truth in this because whatsoever God doth about his Church he doth it for his own glory There is no merit or worth in us to move him It 's his own glory only as Joshua urged What wilt thou do for thy great Name Josh 7.9 Yet this Exposition seemeth not to be so pertinent Others by Gods Name understand his power his strength his might and thus it 's often used Prov. 18 10 c. and then the Preposition 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 answers per and so the Hebrew ב is often used called therefore 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 beth auxilii This seemeth very pertinent and is part of the meaning but last of all that which late Interpreters pitch most upon is that Name is here taken for the Truth Doctrine and Knowledge of God both for the Object the Doctrine that is known and the Grace is that Faith whereby we are enabled to know it being usuall in Scripture to call the Object of any affection by the affection it self That Name is here taken for the Truth and Doctrine manifested by Christ appeareth from ver 6. where it's so used where the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is expounded by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Those therefore that understand it of the true and pure Doctrine Christ hath delivered retain the proper sense of the Preposition 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Keep them in thy Name in thy true Doctrine So that they say Christ prayeth first for the purity of their Faith 2. their Unity of Love and Charity which are the two Pillars that bear up the Church of God Others take Name not for the Object but for our Knowledge and Faith of this Doctrine and so you have a notable use of the word Revel 2.13 and they make the Preposition instrumental Keep them through the knowledge and faith of thee as we have a like phrase 1 Pet. 1.5 They are said to be kept by the power of God through faith These three later Interpretations we take as one whole compleat sense for they are kept by the power of God in the true Doctrine and a true faith in Christ is the means whereby we are kept From the first Interpretation that God keeps us by his power Observe That it is not enough to be put into the state of Grace unless by Gods Power we are kept therein Or When a man is regenerated it 's not his own strength or ability but Gods power meerly that keeps him Let us take notice of that place again 1 Pet 1.5 Who are kept by the power of God through faith to salvation The Greek word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is observed to be very emphatical for it 's properly used of those who keep a place by a Garison of Souldiers it 's a military word here it 's applied to the Power of God that doth keep us as safely as strongly and as securely as if we had an whole Army about us So that the word denoteth two things 1. The Defence and Custody in a strong manner the people of God have 2. The great Danger we are in from Satan sinne and the world for what needeth such a defence if there were no danger It 's then God that keeps us and that to salvation Though God did never so much for us at the first yet should he not keep to the very last to salvation it self we should suffer shipwrack in the very Havens mouth To open this Doctrine Consider First That the power of God is necessary both to the beginnings of grace and the progress Christ must be not only the Author but the finisher of our faith Heb. 12 2. When the Apostle 1 Pet. 1.3 had shewed that God through his abundant mercy had begotten us again he sheweth this is not enough but we are kept afterwards by his power only the power of God in working grace in us at first findes us in a different estate then when it preserveth or keepeth us At first the power of God findes us dead in sinne and in respect of any holiness like that Chaos at first without form and void Therefore Ephes 2. it 's a quickning power which infuseth supernatural life and so maketh us of spiritually dead to live It 's an Omnipotent insuperable Power like that of Creation which was out of nothing and therefore we are said to be created and his new-creatures But in the progress of Grace the power of God findes us not dead but with spiritual life only there cannot be any further motions or actings of this life without power from above Acti agimus and moti movemus it 's God that inableth us to believe to hunger and thirst after the enjoyment of him Even as Conservation doth not finde the creature in the Womb of nothing as Creation did only it continueth that being already existent which otherwise would fall into nothing Thus did not the Lord bear up daily by his power that heavenly building raised up by him at first in thy soul it would become a very ruine and not a stone left upon a stone It 's this later kinde of power the godly need all the day long if his right hand bear them not up they immediately fall to the ground Secondly Although we say It 's the power of God onely that keeps the godly and not their own strength yet it cannot be denied but that the Scripture as in some places it affirmeth Gods keeping of us So it also speaketh of a godly mans keeping himself Thus 1 Tim. 5.22 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Keep thy self pure James 1.27 Pure Religion is to keep a mans self unspotted from the world 1 John 5.18 He that is begotten of God keepeth himself Sometimes they are put together Jude v. 21. Keep your self in the love of God and not long after he addeth To him that is able to keep you So 2 Tim. 1.14 Timothy is exhorted To keep the good thing committed to him by the holy Ghost By these places we see a godly man is said to keep himself and Gods power likewise Doth not this seem to attribute too much to man or at least divide the work of preservation between God and our selves I answer No. For first Our own keeping is wholly insufficient and unable without Gods keeping when man attends to the utmost with all watching and diligence yet if God come not in with his power all is in vain We like Gehezi may lay the staffe to the dead childe but it will not rise till the Prophet himself come Satan and his power is greater then ours if considered in our selves Therefore no wonder if we of our selves cannot combate with him he that is with us is stronger then the devil but not we our selves And 2. Though we keep our selves yet this is wholly from and by
several waies faith helpeth to keep us Vse of Exhortation to the godly above all keepings to keep faith up The Just is to live by faith and we are to walk by faith and all the while we do so we stand immovable upon a Rock If thou growest secure or revolting if thou beginnest to decay all is because thy faith weakens The streams must dry up when the Fountain doth If the branches wither there is some defect in the Root Vse 2. of Instruction That it 's no wonder if wicked men grow worse and worse if they stumble and fall and never rise more if they become like the Blackmore and Leopard that cannot change their skins for they have no true lively faith in God and so have not whereby to be staid up Till God make a wonderful change in them expect no other but he that is filthy will be more filthy still SERMON LVIII The Greatness of the Mercy of being kept sound in the Truth And the Damnableness of Errour demonstrated JOHN 17.11 Keep through thy own Name those whom thou hast given me WE are now come to the last Interpretation which is part of the compleat sense here intended in this phrase 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and that is to take Name for that pure and sound Doctrine whereby God in a saving manner is known Thus Name is used at the 6th verse I have manifested thy Name which is explained by the word they had kept And then the Preposition 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is taken properly Keep in thy Name in thy Truth and Word which I have manifested to them For there is a two-fold keeping of Gods Word Obedientially by conforming our lives to it and Doctrinally by preserving the truth of it In this sense Timothy is exhorted to keep 2 Tim. 1.14 the good thing committed to his trust gold he hath received he must look this be not debased by erroneous dross Observe That it 's a special mercy to be kept in the truth and pure faith we have received Faith and Unity our Saviour prayeth for agreement in errour is not true peace and faith without Unity will like a live-coal quickly die of it self alone In these times of Errours and Heresies this Doctrine hath more than ordinary usefulness in it and therefore diligently attend to the grounds why it 's a special mercy to be kept sound in the faith and that we are more to rejoyce that our souls are kept from deceitfull errours than our bodies from infectious diseases And First It 's a special mercy because of the frequent and diligent Exhortations given to all that they fall not from the truth that they make not shipwrack of their faith 2 Pet. 3.17 The Apostle having spoken before that some wrest the Scriptures to their own destruction he bids even the godly beware a word used in matter of great concernment and where there is great danger lest they also be lead aside Therefore errour is not the way to Heaven and the Errour of the wicked it is called Wickedness is shewed in corrupt Doctrines as well as in prophane lives so as to fall from their stedfastness if you begin to shake to doubt it 's a sinne we must not fall from our stedfastness There is a notable place also Jude vers 3. when the Apostle gave himself diligently to write of salvation what doth he pitch upon to strive for the true Faith and he doth not barely write but exhorts his affections as well as his judgement are set on work and it 's not simply to believe or keep the faith but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to be in an agony as they that are in a fight or race The faith should be as dear to us as our lives and the word implies a difficulty to keep it because of violent enemies to take away this live childe and put a dead one in the room Lastly you have the character of this faith it was once delivered so that new Revelations are not to be expected But we are to enquire What was once delivered Thus you see a Christian must not be cold and lukewarm in the truths of God but he must with all his soul imploy himself about it Secondly True Doctrine is a special mercy because one main end of the Scripture is to inform and keep us therein As God made the Sunne a fountain of all light and the Starres shine with a borrowed light from it so hath God put all spiritual light into the Scriptures and with this Sunne both Pastour and people are to be cloathed The Scripture is not only a rule of our life but of our faith principally 2 Tim. 3.16 The Apostle there reckoning up the admirable use and end of the Scriptures puts this in the first place That it is profitable for Doctrine How then dare a man say it 's no matter what Religion I am of all the doctrinal Disputes are but Scholastical Subtilties Is not this to blaspheme the perfection of the Scripture and is it not horrible ingratitude to God who giveth his Church the Scriptures as the most glorious Jewel it can enjoy This was the Jews priviledge to them were committed the Oracles of God Rom. 9. Thirdly It 's a special mercy to be kept in the truth because the Lord hath appointed Officers in the Church for this end among others to preserve and propagate the truth If it be then of such esteem with God ought it not to be also with us And wherein doth Gods regard to his truth more appear than in ordaining Officers in his Church whose main work and imployment should be to disseminate this pure seed wheresoever they come Ephes 4.14 There we have Offices given to the Church and one end is that believers be not tossed up and down with every winde of doctrine And though Timothy as some expound that place had prophesies concerning him what a glorious instrument he would be in the Church of God yet Paul doth again and again exhort him to keep the same doctrine he had delivered to him 1 Tim. 9.20 O Timothy keep that which is committed to thee That compellation is insinuating and argueth much affection in Paul and there is a reason even in the very expression of faith he cals it depositum as Aristotle observeth it 's a greater sinne to imbezil or alter that than any thing we have borrowed because this is committed to our Justice but a depositum to our faithfulness The Depositor doth rest upon us as trusty men So that by this all the Ministers of God are to be awakened Christian faith and doctrine is committed to you as the preservers of it The Priests lips are to preserve knowledge and the people are to require it at their hands The Apostle 2 Tim. 1.14 as if verbum sapienti sat est were not true in this matter doth again re-minde him to keep the good thing committed to him See with what esteem he speaks of the true Doctrine
Reformed Church by all which we see the necessity of Christs Praier for Unity There being such corruptions in our hearts and Satan so busie to make differences and dissentions That though Legions of Devils can agree to be in one man yet he will not suffer two Doctors to agree in one Church 2. The Unity that the Officers of Gods Church ought to have consists in these things 1. Vnity of Faith That they beleeve the same doctrine called therefore Eph. 4 5. One Faith And 1 Cor. 3. There is no other Foundation but one even the Lord Christ And indeed this must be the ground of all other Unity when the Papists would make Unity a note of the true Church We say Unity without true Doctrine is but a Faction a Conspiracy The Turks have Unity The Jews have Unity but yet because they have not the true Doctrine it 's not true peace and concord So that true Doctrine that is the Soul the fountain and the root of all 2. A second Unity is in the same Confession and acknowledgement of Faith and that in the samâ— words and truly this is very desirable not only to hold the same doctrinal Points but the same words also for new words bring in new Doctrines Hence the Apostle 1 Cor. 1.10 pressing for Unity doth not only exhort them to be of the same minde and judgement but to speak the same thing 2 Tim. 1.13 Timothy is exhorted to hold fast the form of sound words Though they be but words and a Form yet he must hold them fast and this made the ancient Church so tenacious of the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 because by that all heretical Opinions were excluded It 's a remarkable expression Luk. 1. God is said to speak by the month of all the holy Prophets Though they were many yet it 's mouth not mouths They had all but one mouth and spake the same thing Thus it ought to be but one mouth of all the Ministers of the Gospel to beleeve We are to know what all Teacheth by what one Teacheth 3. There must be Vnity of affection and hearts as Act. 1. In the beginning of the Churches encrease their Unity of affection is greatly commended ver 14. They continued 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 So also Act. 2.1.46 especially Act. 4.32 The multitude of Beleevers were of one heart and of one soul Though a multitude yet they had but one soul one heart Thus you see what kinde of Unity there ought to be among the Ministers of the Gospel In the next place let us Consider the Grounds why it 's such a mercy to have Unity amongst Church-Officers 1. Because fortitude and strength is in Vnity Vis unita fortior A Kingdom divided against it self cannot stand saith our Saviour When one peice of the Wall divides from the other it foretels ruine As that Heathen to his Sonnes giving them a Quiver of Arrows intimating thereby as long as they agreed they were invincible All the united power of the Church is little enough against their common enemies and shall they weaken themselves 2. As Unity strengthens so it opposeth the Enemy more successefully which is the devil and all his Instruments What is there that the Popish adversary doth more insult with then to upbraid with the divers Sects that are among the Protestants for although we can retort and tell them of their divisions and that in fundamental Points yet it is our shame and grief that such a charge is in some measure true though not in that height the Adversaries do revile for none of the Reformed differ in Fundamentals As for the Socinians though they do vehemently oppose Popery yet we take not them to be of the Reformed Church who overthrow the Foundations of our Christian Religion But this is certain The Protestant differences give advantage to the Papists thereby they gain upon unsetled persons Look you say they they have no certainty among themselves They know not where to stay The Lutheran spirit judgeth the Calvinisticall diabolicall And thus unconstant inconsiderate persons look upon this as a great Argument against the Truth whereas even in the Apostles times the Church of God had sad divisions amongst themselves as 1 Cor. 3. Oh then let us bewail the corruption of the best that they should be so far transported with passion as to neglect the Truths of God by giving advantage to the common adversary 3. Unity is of great consequence amongst the Ministers of the Gospel because their divisions breed divisions amongst the people The differences of Teachers breed irreconcilable distractions amongst people as if the Heavens should be confused in their motions it would distract and destroy sublunary things We see in the Church of Corinth when the Teachers were divided what divisions also were there amongst the people some for Paul and some for Apollo 4. Pray to God for Unity among Church-Officers because their Controversies bring a main neglect of the chief work of their Ministery which is to come out and to build up souls in heavens way This is the end why God hath called us now when we fall out with one another and set up Opinion against Opinion The work of the Ministry is much retarded Hence the Apostle enjoyneth Timothy to fly such disputations and quarellings as are unprofitable because they fret away godlinesse and are like thorns and nettles among the Corn hindring the growth thereof 5. Unity is to be desired because this agreeth with their office and call They preach the Gospel of peace and God is the God of peace Christ is the Prince of peace and Col. 3. he is our peace reconciling all things Why then should the Ministers tongue be a tongue of war as if they were Priests to Bellona rather then the Ministers of the Gospel So that if all these grounds be considered we may well pray with our Saviour Lord make the Ministers of the Gospel as one man for divâ—sions as Jerom said are amicorum dispendia inimicorum compendia and publica divinae irae incendia In the next place what are the Causes you may say that may make the Ministers of the Gospel thus to dissent And 1. In the general It 's corruption and sin which lurketh in the hearts of all So that it 's more to be wished for then expected for to have Jerusalem a City compact within it self Never expect in this world to see such a time wherein the Ministers of the Gospel shall have one Faith one heart one mouth This is reserved for Heaven where there will be no difference of Calvinists and Lutherans of several forms of Church-government The Church of God hath alwaies been on fire only as when an house is on fire some cry for water some for Ladders some to pull down the House so some have cried for more moderate means some for fierce and vehement 2. Corrupt affections of pride ambition and covetousness These things are charged upon the false Teachers
rejoyce in other mens gifts and abilities with that success accompanying them as if they were our own As we see John did John's Disciples came with an envious spirit against Christ and said All men runne after him This was enough to leaven and sour John's heart but see his excellent temper I must decrease and he must increase John 3.30 he was willing that Christs light and glory should be exalted though it darkned and obscured his This is a good Reconciler and the latter is a tender forbearing of one another and suffering of one anothers weaknesses and a proneness to forgive others rashness if the stones of Jerusalem were thus polished and smoothed they would lie even and firm together A third Rule is Love to the publique good of the Church if this did reign in our hearts it would compose all differences The true mothers bowels would not suffer her to have the childe divided It must be selfish revenge that shall make two enemies desire to see the ship sink in which they are rather then they will agree to preserve it What self-denial was that in Jonah to give himself up to destruction rather then have the whole ship endangered Every one ought to say If I be the Jonah cast me out Among the Romans they had a Temple dedicated Jovi depositorio because there they would go and lay aside their mutual contentions before they entred into the Senate-house What a shame is it when many Heathens have laid aside their mutual quarrels for the common good and shall not the Ministers of the Gospel much more for the Churches safety A fourth Rule is Not to charge such consequences upon one anothers doctrine that are not natural and which they do abhorre This in doctrinal disputes hath been oil to the flame The Lutherans charge upon the Calvinists Doctrines about Predestination That they make God the autheur of sinne that they make him cruel and unjust worse then Pharaoh that commanded brick but gave no straw yea cruel like Nero who having a minde to put a vestal Virgin to death caused her to be ravished and then put her to death because she was ravished But the Calvinists detest and abhorre all such consequences and if they did see such conclusions did follow necessarily from their Doctrines they would publickly abjure them some gathered from Paul's preaching of free-grace that therefore men might sinne that grace might abound but Paul crieth God forbid at this and saith The damnation of such Logicians is just Rom. 3.18 Lastly So farre as men do agree with us in the fundamentals let them retain peace and concord The Apostle thus exhorts Phil. 3.16 Whereto we have already attained let us walk by the same rule It hath been Gods mercy that the Protestant Churches though differing in many opinions yet do not dissent in fundamentals For as for the Socinians I do not reckon them among the Protestants yea some place them not amongst Christians but as for other they keep the same foundation though some are purer Churches then others Now it 's a special preservative of charity to imbrace one another with hearty affections So farre therefore it 's an uncharitable and peevish thing in some Lutherans that will not call the Calvinists brethren or admit of reconciliation but professe they will rather do it with the Pope whom yet they maintain to be Antichrist Vse of Exhortation to run to the God of peace for to settle peace and truth The greater the mercy is and the more the devil doth oppose it the more do thou strive for it How many Unities doth the Apostle mention Ephes 4 And why then should we be many Blessed are peace-makers for they shall be called the Sons of God Mat. 5.9 SERMON LXI The great changes that even a Godly man is subject unto in respect of the having and losing those Sensible supports both outward and inward which God at some times vouchsafeth to them Also what those sensible Enjoyments are and why God doth so change the conditions of his People JOH 17.12 While I was with them in the world I kept them in thy Name WE have dispatched the prayer Christ put up for his Disciples We are now to consider other reasons and arguments he useth for his Petition Our Saviour expressed many before the Petition and some also after the Petition The words of the Text are brought in as a reason why he prayed for them now so solemnly and not before because formerly he had kept them in a visible manner by his corporall presence with them but now the manner of his presence being shortly to be changed he therefore commends them to God as if he should have said Holy Father ever since they became my Disciples I took a special charge of them the world was against them they could not keep themselves and I came as a Mediator appointed by thee to preserve them to eternal life which trust I have faithfully discharged and therefore seeing they have hitherto been kept let them not perish at last In this reason we may take notice 1. Of the Disciples mercy vouchsafed to them they were kept this implieth their own insufficiency and inability 2. The efficient cause of this I have kept them wherein also is implied his fidelity and diligence in that trust he took upon him as a Mediatour 3. The manner how In thy Name which mercy is illustrated from the circumstance of time While I was with â—â—em 2. Of place while I was with them in the world First of the circumstance of time and place While I was with them in the world he speaks as if for the present he were not with them but that is because his departure was immediatly at hand Now when our Saviour speaks in this manner while I was with them I kept them 1. You must not think as if Christ by his bodily leaving of them did also spiritually leave them No this would contradict that promise Mat. 28. where Christ said he would be with them to the end of the world he did not change his presence but the manner of his presence it was before corporall and visible now spirituall and invisible 2. In that Christ said While I was with them it 's necessarily inferred that Christ is not corporally present every where that his body is not every where though Christ be every where That is true of Christ in the concrete which cannot be verified of each nature As his Divine nature did not suffer so neither can his humane be every where 3. By this expression saith Austin upon the place we must not understand as if there were a vicissitude in the Fathers and Sons keeping of us as if the Son had kept them a while excluding the Father and now the Father was to keep them excluding the Sonne but the Father kept them even while Christ kept them and Christ will keep them after his departure while the Father keeps them but not in the same manner before there
so much for they are fully set to be destroied Oh pity and pray for such that do neither for themselves if peradventure they may escape out of the devils snares SERMON LXX Of the Sonne of Perdition Sheweth from the Example of Judas That Men may be Eminent for a while in the Church of God and yet afterward prove dreadfull Apostates JOHN 17.12 But the Sonne of Perdition WE come to observe a second Doctrine from this remarkable instance and certainly if we consider who it is that is here called a sonne of perdition it may be matter of astonishment to us It is Judas one of the twelve Apostles It is he that for a long time continued with Christ working miracles and prophesying in Christs name yet even this glorious starre is become a clod of earth This Apostle an Apostate he that in all mens judgements was once a sonne of the Kingdom he that was the light and salt of the earth is in himself darkness and is become like unsavoury salt fit for nothing but to be thrown away Observe That men may be eminent for a while in the Church of God and yet afterwards prove dreadful Apostates The beginnings of many men in Religion may be very hopefull and admirable but their finals may be tragical and very scandalous Thus Judas his beginnings were excellent At first none more forward more self-denying then him but afterwards we see this rod that scourged others for sinne by his preaching to become a Serpent and see the wonderfull dispensation of God Paul that began carnally and wickedly ended spiritually he that was an opposer became a friend and Judas that was a friend became an opposer So that will we nill we we must acknowledge Gods grace is all in all It 's that which makes a difference only Bad beginnings may have good endings and good beginnings bad endings There are many meteors in the Church that make a lustre and a blaze but afterwards end in noisomness To improve this Doctrine Let us consider what peculiar eminency Judas had and this will make it the greater wonder that he should be a Son of perdition And first Which was the first rise and step to all other his excellencies he was taken from his former conversation into an inward more close fellowship with Christ We reade of three sorts recorded by the Evangelists that related to Christ Even as David had three sorts of Worthies There were those that did believe in Christ acknowledging him yet continued still in their relations and former external conditions they were in such were many of the holy women we reade of in the Gospels 2. There were some selected from the common sort of Disciples and believers that did more immediately depend on Christ and were imployed in special service for him Luke 10.1 There were Seventy chosen by Christ to be in an Office of Ministration and service to him But then there were a third sort and they were more intimate with Christ then the Seventy and all the rest and they were twelve in number called Apostles and these were as it were a Colledge and Christ the Master these were domestick to him they were of his houshold they were never asunder they did eat and drink and live and converse together they were maintained out of one common stock and treasury Now Judas he was one of the twelve he was received into the most inward communion together he was one of Christs family So that it must needs be a great honour and prerogative to Judas who would have other thoughts of him then a sincere eminent man for Christ chose him to be in the first place Christ made as much of him as of the rest Who would not say This must needs be a good man Christ is so familiar with him and whereas John 2. it 's said Many did believe yet Christ would not commit himself to them for he knew what was in man yet here though Judas did not truly believe and though Christ knew what was in him yet he committed himself to him This familiarity of Judas with Christ was of old prophesied of and that to the aggravation of his sinne Psal 41.9 It was thou my familiar friend my acquaintance we took sweet councel together Meditate then on this particular The sonne of perdition is he that was constantly with Christ one of his intimate friends of dear relation together and this will aggravate it more if you consider Christ and his Apostles not as a civil society but a religious one Though Christ did not in his life time on the earth set up a distinct Church from that of the Jews but communicated with the Jews in all their Church-Ordinances yet his family was a religious and heavenly society He was preaching praying and performing all heavenly duties now Judas was as much in all these holy meetings as the other Apostles Therefore it 's said Psal 41 9. They took sweet counsel yea it 's said in whom I trusted so that Judas was admitted into all the secrets Christ had yet the man thus in prayer often in duties often in heavenly conferences often he becomes a Sonne of perdition his heart was not right within him all that while As for those disputes Why Christ would chuse such an one whom he knew to be an hypocrite and especially advance him to be an Apostle seeing that the Scripture commends such strict care about the promoting fit and worthy men to that Office we can but give conjectures no solid reasons as the Ancients do Secondly This is but the beginning of honour Christ put upon him for after they had a while continued thus with him then he instituted a new Office of Apostleship and gave some men this divine Commission and Office the chiefest place in the Church For you must observe as a good Antidote against the Anabaptists who because Christ chose Fishermen and illiterate persons to preach the Gospel conclude such persons may still preach that there cannot be a stronger Argument against them then this instance of our Saviour for when Christ chose his Apostles they left their trades they did not continue in their civil vocations but they followed Christ whereas these men would that persons should follow their trades and yet preach alwayes whereas Paul bids Timothy though of extraordinary gifts To give himself wholly to study and reading 1 Tim 4.13 But secondly Our Saviour after he had called them from their ordinary vocations he did not presently make them Churchâ—Officers but as diligent Interpreters and Harmonists shew They were two years with Christ under his Discipline and information ere they were appointed â—o this Office and then at last when they were to exercise their Apostolical-Office to the whole Church they were endowed with admirable abilities from above so that they could speak in all tongues and were filled with the Spirit of God and infallibly assisted by him to interpret the Scripture of the Old Testament But this by the way
We see by degrees men were prepared to this Apostolical Office in the Church and Judas was one of these Now this was the highest pinacle of the Temple There was not a greater place of honour and trust then to be an Apostle they are called the pillars and the foundations Hence Paul begins his Epistle with this Title Paul an Apostle of Jesus Christ which is as great a glory saith Chrysostome as when any Officer under the Emperour writes himself next in place to the Emperour It would be impertinent at this time â—o expatiate in the dignity and excellency of the Apostolical-Office The Ancients said they were Pedes Christi oculi Dei and Ecclesiae mammae Christs feet Gods eyes and the Churches breasts These had infallibility in Doctrine had power to work miracles to expell devils to open and shut heaven as it were and yet the son of perdition is one of these Apostles Thirdly He had not only the Apostolical-Office but the gifts and qualifications of an Apostle He was one of those that returned with joy saying The very devils were subject to them He prophesied he wrought miracles he confessed and published the name of Christ he prayed he performed all the heavenly duties that others did neither do we reade of any neglect in his Apostolical-Office nor is he blamed for defects in any religious duty and certainly if he had been guilty of any such omissions the Apostles would have suspected him but we see when Christ said One should betray him they did no more suspect Judas then themselves Fourthly Christs carriage was as full of sweetness love and respect to him as full of comfort and encouragement to him as to the rest in an external dispensation When they returned from their spiritual circuit Rejoycing as you heard because the devils were subject to them our Saviour speaks indefinitely to them all Rejoyce not in this but because your names are written in heaven Luke 10.20 he speaks here as if Judas his name were written in heaven and Luke 22.30 Christ tels his twelve Apostles They should sit upon twelve Tribes judging Israel Little did men think that Judas would be cast out and one put in his room Now lay all these together and thereby will appear his eminency and esteem in Religion yet for all that he was a sonne of perdition for whereas Chrysostom and others from the fore-mentioned Texts would conclude that Judas was once a true godly man but afterwards fell from his grace that is contradictory to the Scripture as you have heard And when our Saviour condescended to that low humiliation of washing the Disciples feet mentioned onely by John so that the same Evangelist who doth relate in most perspicuous manner the sublimest things of Christ as appeareth Cap. 1. so he mentioneth this action which was of the lowest debasement now in washing of their feet Judas is not excepted Those hands of Christ which wrought so many miracles cured so many diseases bestowed so many blessings yet even these wash not the face or the hands but the feet the meanest part and that of Judas who was immediately to betray him But no wonder he layeth aside his garments and girded himself with a towel and poured water in a bason seeing he formerly laid aside the manifestation of his Divine Nature being in the form of a man and poured out his bloud for us yea it 's thought by many and those learned both by ancient and learned Writers though opposed also by many learned men that Christ gave Judas the Sacrament also Neither say they will this prove that scandalous men may be admitted to the Lords Supper because his sinne was as yet secret and not publick and although Christ as God knew him to be such a secret sinner yet Christ did not in his outward Office of the Ministry act according to the knowledge of God but as a Minister under God in his Office Whether Judas received or no the Lords Supper Those that affirm are many Those that deny are also many Raynardus the Jesuite Lib. cui Titulus vitae optimae finis pessimus at large quoteth the Authors of both sides Some make it a probleme and therefore condemn Prateolus as too rigid who noteth those with heresie that deny his communicating with the other Apostles in this Sacrament In the next place Though thus eminent yet consider these things to debase him 1. In all this eminency and profession of Christ he was an hypocrite he had no true love to Christ nor saving faith as John 6. where at the beginning of all Christ said One is a devil the present tense is not to be neglected and the text saith Even then he did not believe viz. in a saving manner Oh what cause of fear and trembling is this Who can hear of Judas that preacheth that worketh miracles that is often in duties with Christ yet he is not sincere and therefore you may observe that our Saviour in all his Sermons and Parables did press this as the summe of all to look we build upon a Rock to see that we dig deep in our building that we be good ground receiving the seed in a deep and honest heart No subject did our Saviour so much insist on as this when yet we would think in those dayes when Christs teaching and miracles were so visible and outward encouragements to profess him wholly wanting that none should follow him but upon sincere and upright grounds 2. In this time of his profession and communion with Christ he liveth in a secret sinne though the Apostles knew it not yet his own consceence could not but condemn him He was a thief saith the text Christ had many contributers to his sustenance and that was put in a common bag for the maintenance of himself and his Apostles Now Judas he carried the bag how this came about it 's disputed Whether he desired it or no or Whether it was put upon him as judged a fit and faithfull man the Scripture tels not Howsoever we see by this as is to be shewed That it 's a terrible thing to be in such a condition of life as is sutable to draw out the sinnes we are given unto but of that afterward Judas having this great opportunity he stealeth part of the treasury and keepeth part of it for himself What made him to do this whether because he was married and had a charge of children as some conjecture or whether because he had a covetous worldly heart as the Scripture seemeth to encline is controverted So that now Judas becomes a gross hypocrite for the very light of nature taught him not to impropriate that which was common to others he knew it was Christs goods not his own yea many learned Authors say This was not simple theft but sacriledge for what was given to Christ and his Ministry was to an holy use and therefore Judas was guilty of both and the grosseness of his hypocrisie is the more aggravated if
tense into the present and what God saith he will do to take as done already Lastly There is the comminatory or threatning part Here is Mount Ebal as well as Mount Gerizim The Scripture hath it's sting as well as honey In this Ark there is the Rod as well as Manna Christ hath not only a Scepter of grace but a Rod of iron and those threatnings are farre above the terrors of the most cruell men that ever lived for it 's not onely a threatning of bodily miseries but of hell of eternal wrath and vengeance on the soul as well as the body which no earthly man can do Therefore whatsoever the word of God hath said against an evil man let him look for it as if he were already under that doom Is not Judas here called a son of perdition yea is he not said to be perished in the present tense because of the certainty of it Doth not the Scripture say He that believeth not is condemned even already Joh. 3.8 As when God at first threatned Adam In the day thou eatest thereof thou shalt die This was made good though Adam did not actually die at that time because he was put into a state of death and every moment that sentence might be inflicted on him Thus it is with every wicked man whatsoever curse whatsoever vengeance is denounced against thee this night this day this moment it may be fulfilled on thee The ground why the Scripture must be fulfilled is plain Because it is Gods word and therefore it is immortal like himself it will stand as he stands for what should hinder it There was no defect of knowledge or wisdom in God nor of power and strength and therefore the word being out of his mouth who can contradict it Vse of Encouragement to the godly The Scripture hath as many promises for thee as thou canst desire It 's full of glad tidings to thee that fearest God There is not a Chapter but it speaks some good or other to thee Oh do not think these things are spoken in vain and not to be good to be true What shall the holy Spirit of God become false to deceive and delude thee Farre be such blasphemous thoughts from thee Go then and rejoyce say I have enough I have all things the Scripture abounds with all consolations and not one drop of this precious wine shall be lost or spilt to the ground but on the contrary it speaks woe and trembling to wicked men Oh how well were it for you if the Scripture were a book of fables and lies Then thou mightst eat and drink and rise up to play and sport but at the last thou wilt finde every word of it to be true Why then can thy bold heart endure any longer Is there not terrour enough in the Scripture to break it in peeces though it were of iron Thou wilt finde at last God only true but man and the world and thy own heart a liar SERMON LXXV Of the Truth of Scripture-Prophesies And against Judiciall Astrologie and Witchcraft Shewing the Vanity and Wickednesse thereof and of Seeking to them JOH 17.12 That the Scripture might be fullfilled I shall at this time conclude this Text which hath been so fruitful in spiritual matter but before I come to make the last Observation let us Consider In how many sences the Scripture may be said to be fulfilled For there are divers waies of understanding this and indeed there is scarce any thing more difficult in Religion then to make an happy reconciliation of the places quoted in the New Testament with the Old At the first view of many of those allegations you would think there were violent deflections of the Scripture to another sence then was intended but we Christians beleeve that the same Spirit which breathed on the Prophets did also inspire the holy Apostles for the right interpretation of them Though therefore the Solution of every difficulty surpasse the ability of the most Learned Interpreter yet we are to captivate our understandings to the Truth of the Scripture and not the Scripture to our Understandings and nothing will better facilitate a right Understanding of Scripture-allegations then to know that the Scripture may be said to be fullfilled two waies 1. Properly 2. Improperly and by way of accomodation Properly and that two waies Either in a literall sence or a mysticall sence A literall sence either is simply so when it 's a meer prediction of what is to come and hath no Type for the present to be verified in of this kinde or sort are many Examples especially Isa 7.14 Behold a Virgin shall conceive and bear a Son Matth. 1.22 applied to Christ This was onely true of Christ and his Mother not applicable to any else for as for Musculus and Grotius who conceive that this was done in a Type and that same Virgin in those daies did marry and bear a Son which was a Type of Christ is wholly improbable and diminisheth this glorious Mystery of Christs Incarnation As for the second kinde of fulfilling which is a compounded sence of the Type and Antitype that is often Thus these things which were fulfilled about the Paschal Lamb the brasen Serpent about Jonah Solomon and David were also applied to Christ as the Antitype As also Hos 11. that of bringing the people of Israel out of Egypt unto Christ Though these places also may be said to be fullfilled in a mystical sence and in this manner the Scripture speaking of Judas his perdition Psa 41. and Psa 109. is to be understood for David in those Psalms literally speaks of his present enemies but typically and mystically this was to be applied to Judas An improper or accomodatitious application is when the Scripture is said to be fulfilled because there falleth out something like that So Christ Mat. 15.7 8. repeateth that to the hypocrites of his time which the Prophet Isa 29 13. applieth to those that lived in his time viz. that they drew nigh him with their lips but their hearts were farre from him This explained observe Obs That it 's a sure Argument and Demonstration of the Divinity of the Scripture That it doth foretell things which long after do come to passe Judas his perdition in the Text was prophesied of many hundred years before As God endowed men with such illumination that they could tell what was done many years before they lived as appeareth in Moses his writing of the History of the Creation so it doth no lesse wonderfully appear in a prediction of such things as shall come hereafter and therefore both the Old Testament and the New have two Books that are wonderfully prophetick of what shall befal the Church in after Ages Daniel prophesied so in his time and John did the like in his Revelations To open this Doctrine Consider First That it is only Gods property to foreknow things to come We matter not those wretched Socinians who
is so useful must not be laid aside But then that joy in the Creatures which at another time would be lawfull is in such a season sinful It 's not lawful then to joy in Wives in Children in outward comforts but to mourn before God as those who by their sins have deserved the losse of all So then there may be a time when this outward worldly though lawful joy is to be denied and in this sence Solomon saith It 's better to go to the house of mourning then of laughter because such sad objects may be sanctified to spiritual meditations 2. Consider this That spiritual Joy may then most abound when that soul-humiliation and godly mourning is put in practise No grace of Gods Spirit is contrary to one another The same spirit that worketh joy doth also prove the spirit of Supplication and mourning on his people Now as joy and trembling may stand together Psa 2. and joy and fear Act. 9.31 So may godly sorrow and joy consist together so that it is never unlawful to rejoyce in God no more then to love or to beleeve in him Vse of Instruction To inform us of the great concernment of spiritual Joy We may say it 's the life and marrow of Religion It 's the Spurre and goad to all holinesse Therefore how deceived is the world that looketh for joy and consolation some other way Honours Wealth and Greatnesse will afford thee no true solid joy yea all these things will turn to gravell and wormwood in thy belly As the Manna that was preserved for the Sabbath day did onely last If any kept that which fell in one of the six daies above the Command it turned to pollution immediatly and thus it is here Whatsoever Joy is treasured up in reference to heaven that will alwaies abide it will never forsake thee but what is only in reference to these earthly things it will vanish Oh then say thy Beloved is the chiefest of ten thousand above all other worldly Comforts whatsoever SERMON LXXX That the Word of God preached and received doth inrage the wicked world And Reasons thereof JOHN 17.14 I have given them thy Word and the world hath hated them because they are not of the world IN this 14th verse our Saviour urgeth a special and powerfull reason why God the Father should in a peculiar manner keep them which was hinted vers 11. and that is the worlds hatred of them So that this Petition hath a great deal of equity and righteousnesse in it They will be exposed to the malice of the world and that for thy cause because they have believed in thy Word The world will be no preserver or conservator of them therefore do thou keep them In the words therefore we have 1. The Argument of the Petition The world hateth them 2 The Causes of this which are two-fold 1. Their Receiving of and Obedience unto Gods Word 2. Their Segregation or Separation from the world the life and manners of it which is amplified by the patern or example thereof Even as I am not of the world I shall take the Heads in their order And First The Cause of their hatred in the world in those words I have given them thy Word where by the antecedent is necessarily meant the consequent for Christs giving or preaching the Word of God unlesse they received and obeyed it was not enough to procure hatred Therefore they are both expressed vers 8. Christs giving them and their receiving of the Word For the Pharisees and many enemies to Christ who were of the world and the greatest part of those that did oppose did yet hear The Gospel was tendered to them though they made themselves unworthy thereof And thus when the Orthodox say That the pure preaching of the Word is a note of the Church By that they understand also a visible external accepting of it otherwise the Word may be preached to Barbarians and Heathen who may hear but scorn and reject the Gospel and therefore cannot be a Church This then being supposed we see the cause of the Apostles miseries and oppositions in the world not because they were thieves robbers or seditious persons But because they did imbrace the Doctrine of Christ all the words of this reason are emphatical 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I have delivered them so that Christ herein doth faithfully discharge his duty he did not neglect it And 2. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Given or delivered them which implieth that the Apostles themselves could never by their own strength have found out this heavenly Doctrine There must be a revelation of â—t from above Christ must come from the bosome of the Father to give it unto them They themselves could not have invented it No though in stead of illiterate Fishermen they had been the Grandees of knowledge the Platoes and Aristotles of the world 3. I have given them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 He that is the true 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Word of God doth deliver Gods Word and he saith not mine but thine partly because Christ in his mediatory administration referreth all to God to the Father My Doctrine is not mine but his that sent me and I come to do my Fathers will and partly hereby to engage God the Father more for being it was because of his Word and in reference to him the more was he to preserve them From the words explained observe That the Word preached and received by people doth greatly enrage the wicked of the world No other reason is here mentioned of the worlds hatred but this Who would think that the men preaching of so holy a Doctrine and such glad tidings of salvation and men obeying it not wronging injuring or troubling others yet should meet with so much opposition But thus it hath been and thus it will be In Tertullian's time To be a Christian was to be a Publicus hostis and though as that acute Father pleaded The Christians were no Albinians or Barutians such as embroyled the Civil Estate with warres yet because they were Christians this was enough The very name was a crime and this made so many Fathers make such excellent Apologies in their behalf Of this opposition from the world our Saviour informeth them when he first gave them their Commission to preach They should be hated of all men Never any went about such an unwelcome and unthankfull peece of service as they did Therefore they were as sheep amongst wolves and whereas it might be thought That the Apostles being men though greatly assisted by God might miscarry through ignorance inconsiderate passion c. We shall finde it befell even Christ himself that he in his Ministry though he wrought such wonderfull miracles that might astonish them yea though those miracles were usefull and profitable not for curiosity yet what reproaches what slanders did they cast on him calling him a wine-bibber a friend to sinners yea an Imposture one that had a devil and never ceased
at this time to prove the Verity of the Scriptures I am only to shew in what sence and wherein it is true and the nature of this Truth We take it for a principle granted by Christians that the Word of God is true and although Learned men have by unanswerable Arguments demonstrated the Truth of the Scriptures yet that was to Heathens and Pagans or that were not Beleevers of it It is true the work is necessary also to those that are Christians to make their faith more solid certain and clear and the rather because there are some wretched men rose up of late that cry down the Scriptures and that pretend to be above them yea that bid us prove the Scriptures to be Gods Word but I am not to deal with such at this time Certainly every good Christian having received this principle into him doth finde such authority and Divine Majesty coming from the Word that he doth no more desire Arguments to prove the Scripture to be the Word of God then he would have another Sunne to see this Sunne-shine Austin long agoe speaks of such a disposition with great Indignation O Lord Thou hast taught me to abhorre all such who say Vnde scis hos Libros esse Canonicos This then being laid down as a sure Foundation Let us proceed to shew in how many particulars Gods Word is true And First It 's Truth in regard of the Efficient Cause God and Christ who are the Authour of it so that the Scripture can no more lye then God or Christ could The Scriptures then are the Truth of him who is the Supream Truth So that as Truth it self cannot be false so neither can Gods Word Humane Truth is Truth but yet because every man may erre Therefore we cannot have such a Faith in it Cui non potest subesse falsum but when we come unto Gods Word and his Truth it is impossible that there should he any Errour Secondly It is the Rule of all Truth That as God is the primum principium essendi of giving being to all Truth so the Scripture is the primum principium cognoscendi the first principle to teach and inform us The Scripture then is true because all Divine Truth floweth from that and every thing is true so farre as it is commensurated according to that Rule Whatsoever men say whatsoever Reason saith whatsoever Traditions and Customes say yet if against Scripture away with all This is the Standard of all Truth all Truth I say necessary to Salvation It is the Christians Metaphysicks Ethicks and Politiques the Rule of all Speculative and Practicall Truth To the Law and to the Testimony if they speak not according to this it is because there is no light in them Isaiah 8.20 Therefore it is so often called a Light unto our Feet If this principle were kept too Neither Superstitious Traditions on the one hand nor subtle Delusions of pretended Revelations on the other hand could ever have molested or troubled the Church Thirdly It 's true materially that is all the matter contained therein is true The Historical part The Dogmatical part The morall part The predicting part all contain un-erring Truth in them Whatsoever Doctrine is there revealed it is to be received without any further disputing or asking How can it be so The first Truth hath said it therefore the Understanding must submit If it be made clear Thus saith the Lord then all must yeeld and so for the Threatnings of it whatsoever God saith against the wicked man all the evil that is there said to come upon him doubt not of the Truth of it though for the while a wicked man may live in all ease and jollity It is not so much a Threatning as the Truth of it that makes it so dreadfull what were the Names of Hell and Damnation of a Day of Judgement if there were not Truth in them and thus the promissory part is full of Truth Though a Godly man be cast down with many Temptations weaknesses and Discouragements yet the Truth of Gods Promises should be a Pillar of Marble to him and a brazen wall He may sooner fear the falling of the Heavens and the removing of the Earth out of its place then doubt in the least of the Truth thereof Hence Gods Word is said to be like Silver seven times refined So that there is no errour no drosse or falshood mixed with it It it true in the matter of the Scripture in the Historicall part especially there are some appearing Contradictions and to some Learned men they have been insoluble but this ariseth from the weaknesse of our Understanding not from the Scripture it self As there is no defect in the Sunne because the Owles Eye cannot stedfastly look upon it yea as God himself So the Scriptures because they have most Truth in them so are most intelligible if there were capacious Subjects as the Sunne is Maximè visibilis if there were a fit Eye to behold it Fourthly It is true in respect of the Adjunct or quality of it Truth is an affection cleaving to a Proposition and thus the Word of God is true qualitatively yea the Truth of the Scripture is affirmed by all to be more firm and strong though not so evident then any thing in the world Those things we receive by Reason or by Sence are nothing so true and firm as those that we receive by Faith It is said indeed that all Truth consists in indivisibili and so nothing can be truer then another This is graeted in respect of Truth it self But then if you do regard the Foundation or the Cause of Truth so is one more certain then another Thus all the Truths of Faith are transcendant to those of Reason and Sence We are more securely to rest in what God saith then in what we know or feel and the reason is because the Truth of these latter things is founded only upon a Creature but of the former upon a Creator upon God himself Oh that we did thus beleeve Gods word what manner of persons should we be who could terrifie the Godly who could trouble their Spirits if this were received And for the wicked with what Fear and Trembling would he go up and down Oh the Scripture is true that speaks against such sins that discovers my wickedness it is so true I cannot deny it Fifthly It is true Instrumentally Because the Spirit of God directs us into all Truth and this is chiefly the intendment here The Scripture is in Gods hand and by the Spirits working leadeth us into all Truth we are all in darknesse till the Scripture like the Sunne doth arise Man liveth in Errours he is nothing but a Lye till the Scripture inform but though the Scripture doth shine yet as the Sunne cannot make a blinde man to see so neither doth the Scripture of it self till God give a Seeing Eye The Scripture works onely Objectively but the
of those who are in Church-Office according to his rule and way Such as are sent by him are under his proper care and protection he doth not only pray for the Apostles as beleevers but as in that office To open this Consider in what particulars his care is shewn to his Ministers And 1. It is to guide and leade them into the Truth instructing them with wisedom and ability to that work Christ cals none to his work but he giveth them answerable abilities Though the Apostles were at first ignorant and illiteraâ—â— yet how gloriously did he furnish them with gifts and power to do Miracles before he sent them to preach unto the world Now though the Officers of Christ in their Succession have not the promise of such infallibility yet because of their office and call they discharging their duty and using the means God hath appointed God will more peculiarly go along with them and blesse them then private Christians else why should the Scripture give them the name of Guides and Light Why should he command the people to submit themselves to them and that he who despiseth them despiseth God for though these places prove not infallibility yet they do that God hath appointed this orderly way and that he who would expect Gods blessing must make use of their guidance and Ministry 2. Christs peculiar Love is seen in cloathing them with inward strength and corroborating of them so by zeal and heavenly fortitude that they will discharge their Duty though men rage and oppose The Apostle speaks excellently to this purpose 2 Tim. 1.7 God hath not given us the spirit of fear but of powar love and a sound minde Therefore he must not be ashamed of the Testimony of our Lord Paul he desires the Philippians to pray for him that he may preach the Word boldly God promiseth Jeremiah to make his forehead like brasse and not to be afraid of wicked men And thus Micah cried out I am full of the power of God to tell Jacob his transgressions Mic. 3.8 3. God is wonderful in protecting and defending them in the midst of their wicked Enemies Hence Christ is said to hold these Stars in his right hand Rev. 1.17 and the praier of Christ must needs be heard which he instanceth in in this Chater They are not of the world and the world hateth them therefore he praieth God would keep them and it 's wonderful to see how God hath preserved his faithfull Ministers in all ages though some have died for the Truth Lastly He is with them in blessing their labours and giving encrease to their planting and watering as Christ promised I will be with you to the end of the world By their labours he puls down the Kingdom of Satan As soon as the Apostles preached Satan began to fall like Lightning from Heaven Now the Grounds of this peculiar love are 1. Because they have the same generall call and Office as Christ himself hath As thou hast sent me I have sent them Though there be many particular differences yet in the general they agree Christ was sent to publish the Word of God to bear witnesse to the Truth and because of this the world opposed him reviled him and he endured great contradiction of sinners It was therefore Christs own case and then he will pity such as are tempted like him 2. It 's his work and emploiment they are about They go out in his Authority They act in his Name They preach him as the Messias They endeavour to bring all into Obedience to him and therefore he wil have a tender special care over them 3. Their work is a difficult and dangerous work The Office is if faithfully discharged contrary to the lusts and waies of all men No wicked man can love a true and godly Ministry no more then soar eyes can endure the Sun Vse of Encouragement to the godly Minister to go on with his work maugre all the opposition and contempt of wicked men It 's not their work but Christs They are not their own but Christs Let them not fear while he is at their right hand Vse 2. How grievous a sin it is to oppose and set against the Ministry of God and that when faithfully discharging their duty because they preach the Truth and presse to a godly life this enrageth thee To such they are commanded to shake off the dust of their feet SERMON XCV Of Christs Mission to the Office of a Mediatour JOHN 17.18 As thou hast sent me into the world so also have I sent them into the world HAving considered of the Coherence of this Text with the preceding We come now to the Argument or Matter itself and that is taken from the peculiar Relation and Office that they are put in Now this their Office is described 1. From the Nature and Quality of it It 's a sending They did not of themselves intrude into it or goe without a Call but they were sent 2. There is the Efficient Cause or the Person sending I sent them saith Christ 3. There is the Subject who were sent and that is the Disciples 4. The Term to which of their sending and that is into the world Lastly Here is the Example and Patern Even as the Father sent me into the world Not that there is the same likenesse in every particular but in the generall they both agree in this that they have a Call from God I shall treat in order and first begin with Christs mission which is made the Patern of the Apostles and do observe That Christ was sent of the Father and did not of himself undertake that Office he was imployed in while on earth Christ himself would not be the Prophet Priest or King of his Church without a Call or Commission from the Father thereunto Hence in John's Gospel he doth so exceeding often mention this That his Father sent him still resolving his Doctrine his Authority his Will and Works into him that sent him Therefore not only the twelve Apostles are called so but Christ himself is called an Apostle Heb. 3.1 Consider the Apostle and High-priest of our profession Christ Jesus An Apostle is as much as one that is sent and thus Christ is there called an Apostle and therefore some make a mystery in that John 9.7 when Christ cured the blinde man he bids him Goe and wash in the pool of Siloam which is by interpretation sent saith the Evangelist as if hereby our Saviour would teach that he was the Messias that was to be sent into the world That our Saviour did expect a sending or a Call appeareth notably Heb. 5 4. No man taketh this honour upon himself but he that is called speaking of the Priesthood and so also Christ glorified not himself to be made an High-priest But let us explain this for this truth is profitable unto us seeing it was for us that he was sent And First Consider that though the three Persons
preterperfect tense I have sent them seeing they were not yet sent to publish the Gospel to the whole world for that was not done till his Ascension But it 's answered that it 's ordinary with the Scripture to put one tense for another and besides Christ had begun already to send them though not into the whole world yet into Judea and Luk 6. he had already given them the name of Apostles which is as much as those that are sent yet because after his Ascension he then enlarges their Commission To preach to all Nations beside Judea Hence Joh. 20.21 Christ there speaks in the present tense As my Father hath sent me even so I send you So then the Apostles did not undertake their ministeriall Office before they were sent and for this end are called Apostles Salmasius thinketh he gave them this Name from the Captain of the Jews at that time for in their Synagogues the Governours thereof have their proper Messengers belonging to them who were called Apostles From this Observe That none may undertake the publike Office of the Ministry without a sending or authoritative Call thereunto If Christ did it not as ye heard and the Apostle Heb. 5. is diligent in observing of that much lesse may any men do it for the very word sending doth imply a superiour who hath power to send and also the inferiority and passivenesse of those that are sent Therefore Rom. 10.13 14 15. You have there a Ladder like Jacobs reaching from earth to Heaven where calling on God requires beleeving beleeving requireth hearing hearing requireth preaching and preaching requireth sending See here the golden Chain of our Salvation in an ordinary way No calling no faith no faith no hearing no hearing no preaching no preaching no sending They are all required in their peculiar way with the same necessity and therefore take heed of endangering your souls by despising the lawful Ministry of Christ How shall they beleeve saith the Apostle without this But to inform your judgements in this Point because it 's a necessary Truth and many errours are about it for your good not for our own self-advancement as some are apt to think we shall take this Method 1. Give some Distinctions to clear the Point 2. Shew you the distinct office of the Ministry from other callings and the necessity of a lawful Call thereunto Not that my purpose is to handle all those things which belong to that Famous Common-place in Divinity De ministerio Ecclesiastico but to touch on those things that most relate to this Text And first Consider That there is a two-fold sending a mediate and immediate sending an immediate sending is when God or Christ doth in an extraordinary and peculiar manner give some a Call to this office Thus the Prophets of the Old Testament they were immediatly sent of God and this immediate inspiration and extraordinary gifting of them was enough to authorise them though they had no Call in an ordinary manner from men when they said Thus saith the Lord then they shewed their Commission and thus the Apostles they were likewise immediatly called by Christ and they were gifted in an extraordinary manner thereunto They had no such gifts at first but Christ bestowed them on them In ordinary sendings or missions there men must first try and examine gifts and see them before they confirm any in their office but Christ that can make Children of Abraham out of stones can also make Apostles out of illiterate and rude Fishermen This immediate and extraordinary sending is now wholly ceased even as the gifts of Miracles and therefore though our Divines do sometimes say Luther Calvin and those first Reformers had an extraordinary Call their meaning is not as if they were put into their Church-office by an immediate call of God only there were extraordinary qualifications of them by stirring them up to such zeal and corroborating of them to go through such a work as they did In the next place there is an ordinary mission or authorizing and that is to be perpetual in the Church according to such Rules as Paul laieth down in his Epistles to Timothy and Titus which are a directory concerning the Churches Government to the ends of the world This ordinary sending we are now to have though the Apostles had an extraordinary Secondly Consider that though the Apostles had many personall and extraordinary priviledges yet the essence and substance of their Ministerial office is the same with that which every Minister of the Gospel hath For Matth. 28. there the substance of their office is to preach and administer the Sacraments which is the duty of every Pastor in the Church We may not then argue from the extraordinaries of the Apostles to every Minister but from their substantials as thus The Apostolical priviledges were to behold Christ with their eyes and thereby to witnesse the truth To be infallible in their doctrine to be illimited not bound to one place more then another to work miracles c. Now these were necessary for the infancy and first plantation of the Church Signes being for those that do not beleeve and so it 's not necessary ordinary Pastours should have them but then there are the substantials of their Apostolical Office which was to preach the Word to be authorized thereunto these are belonging to every Pastor and in this they are Successors to the Apostles Mat. 28. ult I will be with you to the end of the world and 2 Tim. 6.14 where in one place God promiseth and in another place Paul is required to keep those Church-Ordinances till the end of the world how can this be otherwise but in the Pastor of the Church who are in this though not in their extraordinaries the Apostles Successors Thirdly There is a great difference to be made between a publike and potestative preaching by way of office and a private wise and humble charitative emploiment of our gifts one Christian to another When we say that only men may by way of office preach We do not thereby prohibit or exclude Those Christian duties and improvements of gifts in pâ—rier and admonition either in Families or one towards another so that there is no Christian though he hath never so good gifts but he hath opportunities enough to improve them in a private way for Gods glory without usurping that office There are many Texts of Scripture that shew how fruitfull and active private Christians should be in their way to do good one to another Col. 3.16 Let the Word of God dwell in you richly with all wisedom teaching and admonishing one another It is your duty to be exercised in the Word of God and to admonish one another out of it so Heb. 10.24 25. There they are to provoke and exhort one another to do good We should in a brotherly way all take care of one anothers soul and this is that Christian Communion so much commended in the Church of God
so 1 Thes 5.11 Comfort and edifie one another even as ye do he commended them for doing so only in this necessary duty consider how the Scripture hints and directs you You must eat of this manna according to Gods appointment 1. You are in the use of your gifts privately to carry your selves so as not thereby to neglect the publike Ordinances To think that such private Admonitions or Exhortations or seekings to God are enough we see how the Apostle joyneth them together Heb. 10.24 25. when he exhorted them to provoke one another to do good he addeth not forsaking the Assembly as the manner of some was Even in the Apostles daies when there was such purity of Church Ordinances and admirably gifted Officers and Gods presence with them yet they were not to forsake the Assemblies and observe how the Apostle bringeth them in upon the improving of their gifts in a private way as if it were a great Temptation when we employ them respectively to others thereby to neglect the publike Ordinances 2. Though private improvement of Gifts be lawfull to Parents Masters and one Christian to another yet take heed that thereby you do not justle out the Office of the Ministers or because of your gifts to neglect the publike Office Christ hath appointed for the devil is busie both waies either by prophane sottishness and ignorance to make men despise the Ministry or by self-conceit and pride of their own abilities This the Apostle also provides against 1 Thes 5.14 when he had commanded them to edifie one another lest it might be thought what need we any Ministers then See how affectionately he addeth and we beseech you to know them that labour among you and are over you in the Lord They must not for all their Gifts and improvements neglect that So in the same Chapter 19 20 21. verses where private Christians are commanded to prove all things and not to Quench the Spirit They must stir up the gifts and graces of Gods Spirit in them yet so as not to despise Prophesyings that is the ministeriall Interpretation of Scripture as the word to prophesie is commonly used Lastly That I may not be too long Though it be a necessary Point the private use of their gifts must be in such duties and in such matters as are not above them They may pray together humble themselves exhort one another out of the Word of God in profitable things of Edification but to determine the most controverted Points in Religion is farre above their strength Therefore let every one imitate Davids Humility to walk humbly and not to exercise himself in things that are too high for him The Apostle doth often antidote against pride and conceit as if we did know things when we did not and as the matter must not be above them so it must be in that which is necessary and profitable How many trouble themselves about Universal Redemption which is not only a Doctrine above their capacities but they might do better to finde their own interest in Christs Death Certainly if Christians would meet as of old they were wont not to dispute in high unprofitable Points but how to be more holy more mortified to walk more godlily in their Relations then their meeting together would be for the better and not for the worse But now Christs Sheep do run into many briâ—rs of Disputations that they almost lose all their wool Therefore the Apostle speaketh excellently to this purpose 1 Tim. 6.3 4. he had pressed to godlinesse in Relations and then saith Let no man teach otherwise then the Doctrine which is according to godlinesse If they do there comes no good of such Disputes but envyings strifes and carnal dissentions amongst one another I was willing to adde thus much because it 's thought that we would monopolize the Spirit of God as that we envied the gifts and graces of God in others No God forbid this only we would direct them so as their liberty may not be turned to licentiousnesse Even by the Canonists who were no waies much favourable to private Christians yet they did allow them charitativam though not potestativam admonition There is therefore no private Christian no nor woman but they may be instrumental to the converting of Husbands and Children yea with the Woman of Samaria be a means to bring the knowledge of Christ to others Yea several women Phebe Synticke Evadias and others are mentioned in the Gospel for their great instrumentall service in the propagating of Christs Kingdom yet who will conclude from their improvement of gifts they might lawfully take the office of Preaching 4. There is also great difference to be made between a Church under Persecutions or not constituted and a Church constituted That may be done in times of Persecution which may not in setled times of the Church We see in case of extreme danger every man is a Magistrate and may kill when assaulted rather then be killed but it doth not therefore follow that every man may lawfully take upon him ordinarily the office of a Magistrate The Sabbath might be broken in regard of necessity and our Saviour from this excuseth David for eating the Shew bread which was lawfull only for the Priests to eat Thus we reade of two private persons that were a means to convert the Persian King and others once to the Christian Faith Though these when they had opportunity sought to have their office confirmed and so if that Instance so much pressed Act. 16.8 of the Disciples preaching the Gospel upon the Persecution could be manifested to be understood of private Disciples and men out of office the contrary whereof there are strong presumptions for yet it would prove no more but that in case of Persecution when beleevers are scattered up and down it 's lawfull for them to declare and make known Christ and his Truth But what is this to a Church constituted and walking in an orderly way 5. This doctrine of the necessity of a lawful Call and authority in those that preach is very necessary and profitable and that partly in respect of the Ministers themselves and partly in respect of the people On the Ministers part 1. He can with the more quietnesse and comfort satisfie himself in his work You see the Pharisees they questioned Christ upon this very Point By what authority he did these things Mat. 21.23 Now our Saviour he supposeth that to be necessary he doth not say What matter for a Call or Authority I have Gifts but he goeth to prove that he had authority from God Certainly to live in such a way wherein the Conscience of a Minister is not satisfied that it 's a lawful office must needs be disquieting of him especially when there are so many that say they have no Call or that their Call is Antichristian Is it not necessary to a Minister to be informed that by the Scripture he can justifie his Call and office 2. It 's
necessary because then he may expect Gods blessing and protection When Christ saith I will be with you to the end of the world and he that despiseth you despiseth me this is to be understood of such as are in Christs office Joh. 10. Doth not our Saviour severely reprove such as come not in by the door calling them Theeves and Robbers Gods protection and defence will go along with his Ministers only 2. On the Auditors part for when they are convinced that such are the Ministers of Christ They will 1. Hear with the more reverence and respect even as Christ himself saith A stranger Christs Sheep will not hear 2. They may justly expect spiritual successe in their Labours that God will blesse the Ministry with such spirituall issues God hath promised That it may be a Ministry of Life to them and they may feel an experiment of Christ speaking in them 5. They will account of them as Paul saith as the Stewards of God They will have them in high account for their office and works sake Lastly They will tremble at their unthankfulnesse and unfruitfulnesse under their Ministry for certainly if those officers whom Christ himself hath appointed for thy conversion and reformation can do no good on thee never think that otherwise will help thee No though men should arise from the dead to preach to thee what greater symptome can there be of thy eternal damnation then to be unprofitable and unreformed under Christs own officers such ground is nigh to cursing If their Gospel be hid it is hid to such as perish and Joh. 8. therefore ye are not of God because ye hear not his Word SERMON XCVII That the Scripture appoints a Distinct Office of the Ministry Sheweth wherein the Call to the Ministry consists And that none may enter into that Office without an Authoritative Mission Also what the Ministry of Preaching is and whether Reading be Preaching JOHN 17.18 Even so have I sent them into the World THere remain some further Distinctions to be propounded before we proceed to the proof of the Doctrine And First The word Preaching may be taken either largely or strictly largely for any declaration of the truths of God as occasion and opportunity shall serve or strictly for a Ministerial Preaching by way of Office The Greek word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 though it be most commonly used of such who preach by way of Office and among the Heathens 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is an Officer yet in the Scripture it is sometimes taken more largely as Revel 5.2 An Angel is there described 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 crying with a great voice but more particularly I observe it once and but once used of a private Christian manifesting Christ and his actions Luk. 8.39 The man out of whom Christ had cast devils is said 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to publish throughout the whole City what Christ had done for him It was a great controversie not long since Whether reading was preaching Many to excuse their ignorance and laziness did maintain reading of the Scripture was preaching Now to this it is answered That if Preaching be taken largely for any declaration or publishing of the Word of God no doubt but it is preaching but yet it is not that ministerial preaching which is enjoyned the Officers of the Church To preach in season and out of season to divide the word of God and that with such faithfulness and ability that the Apostle crieth out Who is sufficient for these things This was more then to reade the Scripture If therefore preaching be taken largely for a publishing of Christ occasionally to others no doubt many ought to preach in that sense Thus the woman of Samaria published Christ to her neighbours and Andrew called his brother Philip before they were put into the Apostolical Office So many private men have writ learned Tractates for the defence of the Christian Religion and some of great learning have made Annotations upon the Scriptures though some of them have delivered much corruption Yea amongst those that are private not invested with the publick Office we are to make a great distinction Some are meerly private some are by education and abilities in order to the publique Now such may publickly preach either by way of trial or else by the approbation of those that can judge and ought so to do Act. 13.15 we reade there The Rulers of the Synagogue called unto Paul if they had a word of Exhortation to speak to them Suppose they did not look upon Paul and his company as Officers yet this proveth no more then that private men by the approbation of those that rule in the Church may occasionally preach And this we reade in Antiquity That Pantenus and Origen did catechetically preach the Doctrine of our Christian faith before ordained into the Office of the Ministry The Question is not about such no nor of private men if doctrinally and practically qualified by Church Officers would submit themselves to trial and so be authorized to do what they do That is another matter to the Question in hand 2. That which we call the Vocation or Authorizing of one to the Office of the Ministry consists in these things 1. An inward Qualification of the person with such gifts as God requireth and they are reduced by Paul to two heads they are Doctrinal for his learning that he be apt to teach that he can divide the word of God aright c. as a workman that needeth not to be ashamed that he be able to convince gain-sayers These gifts require Learning and Knowledge So that a gift to pray well or to speak about plain doctrinal things in Religion though with much affection and zeal is not the whole Ministerial gift for the Apostle requireth more viz. such sound knowledge in matters controverted that he may be able to convince gain-sayers And The second Qualification is for his life that it be holy and unblameable Therefore the sinne of a Minister is greater then another mans by reason of his Office Hence the same Sacrifice was appointed for the Priests sinne as was for the sinne of the whole Congregation Levit. 4. To this qualification some had an inward promptitude and readiness of heart with an holy zeal being moved by God to this work Now although this may be granted in some yet the Apostle requireth it not as a necessary qualification yea it 's the duty of some to be called to the Ministry who through their modesty or fear flie from it as much as they can Thus Moses refused the Office he was called unto insomuch that the anger of God is said to be kindled against him Exod. 4.14 And Jeremy out of the sensible apprehension of his weaknesse Jer. 1.6 did refuse that prophetical Office till God did encourage him and in Antiquity there was a Canon made against those that should any wayes mutilate themselves by deforming their noses or ears that
were not to intrude themselves but were to be set apart by Titus Fourthly Yea if there were not such a duty upon Church-officers in confirming of others why should the Apostle likewise to Timothy use that severe and dreadfull adjuration 1 Tim 5.21 where Timothy is charged before God in reference to this matter of laying on of hands as well as other things and Christ and the holy Angels that he do nothing with partiality nor be too hasty herein lest we partake of other mens sinnes How could this be but that men are not of themselves to intrude thereunto otherwise their sins would be upon their own heads who go without a Call Fifthly When the Apostle saith Lay hands suddenly on no man In that negative command is contained an affirmative as Walleus well observeth viz. with deliberation and good advice to lay hands on those that are sufficiently qualified so that there is not only an example but a command and that laying on of hands is not a meer accidental Ceremony appeareth in that by this action he describeth the whole confirmation in that Office which Synecdoche could not be unlesse it were either an essential part or a proper and inseparable adjunct Certainly these Arguments may satisfie any that are not contentious This hath been ever both in the Apostles dayes and since their time a constant custom judged to be grounded upon the Scripture Neither may we look for such cogent and clear demonstrations in matter of Church order as in Fundamentall Doctrines If any desire further insight he may peruse those several learned Tractates that have lately come out to confirme this Truth Object But you will say If a man have Gifts and Abilities why is not that enough Answ I answer first Christ had Gifts and yet he would have a Calling In the primitive times private Christians did abound with Gifts yet they were to be set apart for that Office 2. Gifts in civil offices and relations do not give Power and Authority to do a thing A private Lawyer may have as good or better gifts then the Judge Shall he therefore take upon him to condemne men A man would not willingly have such Divinity in his own Family It may be thy servant hath as good or better Gifts to manage thy houshold affairs might be a better husband doth not spend as thou wilt Shall he take upon him to be thy Master There is many a poor man hath a better gift to husband thy estate then thou doest Shall he therefore seize upon thy revenues There must be a Call besides these Gifts 3. By this means every private man yea woman and childe may administer the Sacraments Cannot a woman sprinkle water on the childe and baptize it There are none so simple scarce but have Gifts for this In the Old Testament others could have killed a beast for the Sacrifice as well as the Priest Might they therefore lawfully do it So that Gifts must have a Call Vse How blessed and happy a thing it is when the publick Ministry and private Christians abilities are orderly improved for the Glory of God when one doth not contradict or encroach upon another but the upper orbes and lower orbes doe all turne about for the publique good when Christians edifie one another and yet have those in high esteeme that labour over them in the Lord. Certainly while this Harmony and Union is kept up the Devil cannot disturb the Church We have a notable Prophecy by Zechary what shall be done in the times of the Gospel Zech. 13.5 where men that had no call to preach being convinced of their errour and that by their dearest friends he shall disclaime that way saying I am no Prophet I am an Husbandman for man taught me to keep cattel from my youth SERMON XCVIII Of Christs Sanctifying himself to be a Mediatour Shewing what is implied in it How pure willing and fit he was for that great Vndertaking JOH 17.19 And for their sakes I sanctifie my self that they also might be Sanctified through the Truth OUR Saviour had praied for the Sanctification of his Disciples and one Reason is from the office they were placed in which hath been dispatched The other is in this Verse From Christs Mediation manifested in his Death for them He had merited and purchased this at Gods hand by making himself an atonement for them Christ you heard was the High-Priest of his Church and two things did belong to them 1. To pray for the people 2. To make a Sacrifice for them Now our Saviour in this Chapter doth both he praieth and offereth up himself a Sacrifice for his people So that in the words we are to consider The Person The Action The object matter The Finis cui and the Finis cujus The Person I sanctifie my self I By this we see partly the Deity of Christ for none but God can say he sanctifieth himself that others may be sanctified and then this denoteth his willingnesse and readinesse Christ did readily offer up himself to all that misery and shame for our sakes Secondly There is the Action 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Sanctifie This among many other significations hath these three especially 1. To set apart and solemnly to fit for any duty 2. To dedicate and consecrate in a peculiar manner to the Lord Thus the Priests were sanctified and the Sacrifices were sanctified 3. To make holy by inherent purity and in all these respects Christ did sanctifie himself For 1. He as God did fill the humane Nature with all habituall and actuall Righteousnesse 2. He did set and sanctifie himself to be an oblation and therefore it is that the Apostle doth so often call him the High-Priest in his Epistle to the Hebrews Thirdly There is the object matter and that is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 my self The Priests of the Old Testament did consecrate the Beasts that were slain but here Christ sanctifieth himself So that he is both the Priest and the Sacrifice also It is himself and that is the greater love Further There is the End for whom for them and this doth evidently prove Christ to be a Sacrifice of Atonement For whereas the Apostle Ephes 5.2 there saith Christ gave himself an offering and a Sacrifice to God for a sweet smelling savour The Socinian would thereby understand no more then the acceptablenesse of it not that is was propitiatory for us and they compare it with the liberality of the Philippians Phil. 4.18 where the Apostle cals their Gift an Odour of a sweet smell acceptable to Ged yet this is only part of the meaning and the phrase is not wholly alike for in that place of Phil. it is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for us as in Eph. 5.2 So that Christ gave himself for a Sacrifice not metaphorically as Praier and Alms are sometimes called Sacrifices but by way of Atonement to satisfie God So that by this means we also are an Odour of sweet smell unto him The Finis cujus
the grace of God No Christ doth not call to men that sin yet laugh and make merry but that are weary and loaden to come unto him and then he will ease them Answ 2 But 2. This Doctrine of special and particular Faith doth not encourage to presumption because it cals not upon sinnâ—rs abiding and wickedly persevering so to rest on him but mourning over and abhorring their sins Therefore no man is commanded to believe this first that Christ died for him but to believe the word of God threatning and discovering the horrid pollution that is upon us as also the generall contagion in every part the insufficiency and inability to help himself the necessity of hungring thirsting and seeking out after a Saviour So that in this order and method he must by Faith lay hold on Christ Answ 3 3. This special Faith cannot be presumption or encourage thereunto because the object of it is whole Christ a Lord and Soveraign as well as a Saviour The presumer he divides Christ looketh upon him as a Saviour not as a Lord and Law-giver and therefore takes Christ but upon his own terms not in the Scripture-way and so indeed he takes not Christ but an Idol of his own making and by this it is discovered that he doth not truly believe but presume It 's true Christ as the Object of our justifying faith is to be considered as our Surety and Mediatour as a Gift of the Father to us yet he cannot truly be received as a Saviour but as a Lord and King also So that God having inseparably joyned these two together Faith dare not Faith will not divide So that this will prove Jealousie-water to the Hypocrite he professeth a belief on Christ but it is Christ divided or a part of Christ he looks upon the Atonement he made as a Saviour but not on the Obedience he owes to Christ as a King Christ doth not only promise but command he doth not only offer precious Gifts but enjoyneth strict and exact duties and faith taketh in all these Answ 4 4. Faith cannot be presumption because it doth not only receive Christ but this particular doth also cleanse and purifie the heart Act. 15. When Peters Faith was kept up then all his other graces were enlivened therefore Heb. 11. all those notable acts of high Righteousnesse and Obedience are attributed to faith so that the same Faith hath two hands one inward whereby it receiveth and embraceth Christ the other outward whereby it stirreth up and quickeneth to other Graces Justifying faith though it only justifyeth as it embraceth Christ yet at the same time also it worketh by love by patience by zeal by heavenly-mindednesse So that the exercise of all other graces is imperately from Faith though not elicitely It 's true there is a dead Faith and as Luther called it an incarnate faith a dead faith The Apostle James speaketh against c. 2. which is a bare assent and profession without any lively operation and such a kinde of believer is placed by Sebastian Franco in the Catalogue of Heretiques a luke-warm believer but that faith which doth justifie carrieth a man not only to Christ but is a general exciter and promoter to all holy duties and obedience 5. Faith special cannot comply with presumption because it doth not only believe in Christ as the special object but includeth an assent to the whole Word so that it 's as general as the Word is if therefore the Word of God doth not beget security and carnal encouragements to sin neither can Faith For presumption properly consisteth in this to divide the means from the end to think of obtaining one without the performance of the other can never be admitted by faith which in the special application of Christ is guided by the universal direction of the Scripture Vse of Instruction to humbled sinners Be well informed in this that you are not to stand in generals which are accompanied with great fears and dejections of spirit but in a particular manner to lay hold on Christ Oh let thy necessities drive thee that easelesse and restlesse condition thou art in be like a stone from the center like a bone out of joint till thou art fully united to the Lord Christ Know it is a duty That thou sinnest in an high manner while thou dost thus frowardly keep off from him Vse 2. There is the happiness of believers They receive Christ and so in him all things He that hath the Sun hath all the Stars He that hath the Fountain hath the streams if he hath given us Christ with him he will give all things Now God looks on thee in Christ The devil that seeks to devour thee must devour Christ first And O what a poor weak thing is it to doubt about earthly provision when thou hast received Christ for all things SERMON CXI That a Gospel-Ministry is to continue to the end of the world And for what ends JOHN 17.20 That shall believe through their word I Shall now finish this fruitfull Text. The last thing considerable in it is the instrumental cause of faith and that is the Apostles Ministry This faith is wrought by their word To open this Consider 1. That the word which begets faith is called Gods word vers 6. and here the Apostles word in a different sense It 's Gods word originally and efficiently because revealed by him It 's the Apostles word ministerially because they are the Embassadours to publish it Thus Paul cals it his Gospel as in other places it 's the Gospel of God because the Ministers of God are Stewards to whom is concredited the dispensation of the Word therefore it is called their word 2. Whereas Christ prayeth for all that shall believe even to the end of the world and yet they are said to believe by the Apostles word when yet thousands and thousands have believed since the Apostles death and departure It s necessary that by the Apostles we do not understand only their persons but the succeeding Ministry unto them which is to be perpetual in the Church all that now or hereafter shall beleeve though by the present Ministers that lived many hundred years after the Apostles yet may be said to obtain faith by the Apostles word because they sit in the Apostles chair they deliver the Doctrin which they delivered and succeed the Apostles though not in personal and extraordinaries yet in ordinaries in which sense Christ promiseth to be with them to the end of the world The words thus explained we may observe That God hath appointed a perpetual Ministry even to continue as long as there shall be a Church in the world All that shall beleeve are brought thereunto by the Apostles word now they being long since dead it necessarily followeth either that none can now beleeve or else that there is a Ministry to be perpetually succeeding them for this spiritual effect That the Ministry and Word preached is the means of faith
variety and difference in gifts in graces in offices in outward conditionr yet they must all be one 3. You have the patern of this unity As thou Father in me and I in thee 4. The nature and quality of this unity That they may be one in us 5. The benefit and fruit of this union That the world may believe thuu hast sent me I shall first consider the benefit praied for That they may be one and observe That union rmongst the godly is of so great necessity and consequence that Christ doth in their behalf principally and chiefly pray for this Though in this Unity be included grace and sanctification yet that which is expresly mentioned is their agreement I have handled this Union as it related to Officers in the Church from v. 11. I shall pursue from this Text union amongst believers themselves and because our Saviour doth enlarge himself about it I shall also insist upon it To Open this Truth Consider 1. That the is a two-fold unity or union among the gtdly Invisible and Visible Invisible Unity is that whereby they being united to Christ their head by the Spirit on Gods part and faith on our part do receive spiritual life and encrease in which some Beleevers are compared to the several members of the body and Christ to the head because of that spiritual life and motion they receive from him This is the foundation of our visible union and without this though we may be outwardly of the Church yet we do indeed receive no saving advantage by Christ Of this union the Text speaks not because it 's such an Union that the world seeing it may thereby be induced to believe Therefore 2. there is a visible Vnion whereby Believers do outwardly and visibly expresse their compacted nearnesse to one another and so those particular Churches of Corinth and Ephesus are called Christs body in respect of their external union as well as internal for not only by faith but also by the Ordinances we have fellowship with Christ and with one another Of this visible Unity the Text speaks and this is made a special means to bring the world to believe Whereas on the contrary differences of Opinion and sad rents and sects in Religion is the only way to confirm men in their impiety and to think there is no truth and no religion at all In the second place This visible Union doth diffuse it self in many Branches As 1. There is an unity of Faith and profession when they all believe and speak the same thing This must be laid as the foundation of unity for unity in errour and idolatry or false waies is not peace but a faction or Conspiracy This unity of faith is reckoned among the many unities the Apostle mentioneth Eph. 4.5 Phil. 2.2 They are exhorted to be of one minde and the Apostle notably presseth this 1 Cor. 1.10 that they speak the same thing being perfectly joyned together in the same minde and the same judgement What a sad breach then hath the devil made upon Gods people when there are so few of the same minde and do judge the same things but as you heard it must be a samenesse and unity in the true Faith for the Jews they are one amongst themselves the Mahumetans are one the Papists are so one that they boast of it and make it a note of the true Church Now though this should be granted though they have a thousand divisions amongst themselves yet unless it be unity in the faith unity in the sound doctrine it is nothing at all 2. There is an unity of affection and love in the heart and outwardly one to another Love is called the affection of union and makes a man to be the object he loveth as much as his own and we see the praier of Christ abundantly fulfilled in this respect concerning the Primitive Christians for Act. 4 32. it 's said they were of one heart and of one soul Those thousands of believers were as if they had but one heart and soul among them and thus in Tertullians time the heathens did admire at the love Christians had to one another our Saviour makes it a surer sign of discipleship then if they wrought miracles Joh. 3.35 3. This union is seen in the publike worship and Ordinances which God hath appointed as God said of man at first it was not good he should be alone So it 's true of every believer he is not to serve God alone to think that a private Religion is enough Therefore you have the examples of the primitive Christians Act. 2.1 Act. 5.12 how they met with one accord in one place and that to have the enjoyment of publike Ordinances they praied together the Word was preached to them they received the Sacraments together and the Apostle 1 Cor. 10.16 17. sheweth how the Sacrament of the Lords Supper did declare their union and communion one with another Hence Heb. 10.25 The Apostle reproveth those whose manner it was not to assemble themselves together This vâ—sible union of believers in Church-Ordinances is their highest beauty and their chiefest advantage Hence David professeth his ravishment herein How beautiful are thy Tabernacles O Lord of hosts and Psa 110. it 's called the beauties of Holinesse and Hag. 2. this temple is said to be more glorious then ever the former was and that because of Christs presence therein preaching and reforming all abuses and corruptions When the Ark was taken Phinehas his daughter cried The glory is departed from Israel Hence the Ordinances even in this life are called the Kingdom of heaven because of Gods glorious presence therein David when banished Psa 63.2 longed to see the glory of God as he had seen it in the Sanctuary And then it s our greatest profit and advantage for Gods presence is promised to these So that the Christian Ordinances are the life of the Church There is a larger dispensation of Gods gifts and graces here then otherwise 4. This unity is seen in that publike order and government which Christ hath appointed in his Church as God hath appointed some to be Shepherds and to govern so others to hear and obey he hath commanded admonition and in some cases sharp reproof and where obstinacy is to cast out Now it 's very hard to have unity in this respect for as 1 Cor 14. it appeareth private Christians do difficultly keep within their sphere every member would be an eye as the Apostle there chargeth so it 's hard to meet with an obedient ear though to a wise and godly reproof It 's therefore a blessed thing as to have unity of faith so also of order That is to see every member of the Church with its relation in an harmonious way as it 's in the body though they be heterogeneal parts yet they all harmoniously consociate in their operations This unity of order is like the nerves and ligaments to this spiritual society 5. This
is true our Saviour saith Joh. 14.2 In his Fathers house are many mansion places There is room enough for all yet it 's but one house if one Church cannot now contain us how shall we think one heaven will It followeth there is one Lord that is Christ who is to be worshiped and served by us Indeed if there were many Lords as the Papists set up many Saints in heaven to have their peculiar worship then no wonder if there were several faiths and worships also but the Lord Christ is one This the Apostle urged the Corinthians with to compose their divisions Is Christ divided 1 Corin. 1.13 unlesse there were many Christs or Christ be divided into many parts there ought not to be many divisions in the Church how absurd would it be to say I have one Christ and another he hath another a third a third Christ There is one faith one systeme of doctrine to be believed Though there may be many particulars yet they make up one intire Truth So that although there be many Religions and many faiths in the world yet indeed there is but one Even as the Apostle saith There are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 called gods nuncupative gods but to us there is one only God So there are many called Religions many called Churches but indeed there is one only The next argument is there is one Baptism that is one profession of the doctrine of faith Though there is not one baptism in number yet there is one in kinde Christ hath appointed but one way for the profession of his name and being called upon by us The Sacrament of the Lords Supper is also made an argument of unity 1 Cor 10.17 So that the Sacraments in their signification denote unity They manifest one body one spirit how sad then is it that so many â—ents and divisions should be made in the Church about Sacraments which yet are the bodies and seals of unity and communion Lastly there is one God and Father of all Because there is one God only therefore we ought to be at unity God being One cannot be divided in himself he cannot command things to be believed or done contrary to himself Therefore let all these unities make us serious in endeavouring after unity yea we might adde that in hell there is unity all the devils agree against the Church There could be a Legion of devils in one man Shall there then be unity against us and not we at unity among our selves These things thus urged let us answer that Objection Seeing God hath promised one heart and one way and Christ hath also thus earnestly praied for it who is not denied any thing by the Father how is it there are so many breaches amongst the godly That we may cry out contrarily to the Psalmist Behold how sad and destructive a thing it is for brethren to be at discord one with another how comes it about that the godly do no more remember of what spirit they are That they consider not the Spirit of God descended in the shape of a Dove That Babel was to be built by confusion of tongues but Jerusalem without any noise of the hammer and therefore Solomon must build the Temple not David because he had been a man of war That this may not scandalize any Consider these things 1. Though unity among the godly be thus necessary yet that inferreth necessarily divisions and oppositions to the world and therefore we are not to wonder if the Gospel and powerful dispensing of Christs waies makes fractions and troubles in the world for the godly cannot have peace with themselves but they must be in open opposition to the world Therefore in this Chapter and in other places our Saviour informs them that the world will hate them So that we are not to say That the Gospel of Christ is in it self of a turbulent dividing nature as carnal Politicians suggest and that therefore the best peace and unity is where Atheism doth abound for if by the Gospel there be sad distractions and concussions of Kingdoms and States it 's not from the genius of the Gospel but from the opposition and corruption of mens hearts Therefore when our Saviour said he came to send fire and sword in the earth Luk. 12.49 that Father should be against Son and mother against daughter That a mans Enemies should be those of his own house This was not from the nature of Christs doctrine but the corrupt indisposition of the subject as when the Sun doth offend soar eyes or the medicine and potions taken disturb the humours and makes a man the sicker in these cases not the Sun or the Physician is to be blamed So if the Introduction of Christs Kingdom and his Ordinances make great divisions in a place It 's not Christs way but wicked mens sins that are to be blamed This then is to be concluded upon that the godly and the wicked can have no unity The godly may not come off to the worlds principles and the world will not come off to the godly mans principles and therefore there must be a perpetual enmity which made the Wise man say That the Righteous was an abomination to the wicked and the wicked to the Righteous Pro. 29.27 2. Seeing there cannot be unity between Sheep and Wolves the godly and the wicked hence it is that even in the Church of God there being so many still that retain their beastly nature and though they have the title of Christians yet are really of the devil hence it is that in Christs Church there is many times such deadly opposition Wonder not then if among those that yet pretend highly to Christ there be sad divisions for many are in the flesh still many savour not experimentally the things of God There shall arise among you men that shall speak perverse things saith the Apostle Act. 20.30 So there shall be false Prophets who will bring in damnable heresies 2 Pet. 2. and why because they are men of corrupt mindes If then all that pretend to Christ to his Spirit had indeed Christs Spirit there would be no such divisions but saith the Apostle 1 Joh. 2. They went from us because they were not of us and 1 Co. 11. there must be heresies that the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 such as are sound may be esteemed Therefore though Christ hath thus praied and God thus promised yet in the Church there will be grievous rents because these are not of the Church though in the Church and therefore were not included in Gods promise or Christs praier Hence it is that the Scripture is full of such predictions that there shall arise false Prophets that there shall be wolves in sheeps clothes that Satan will transform himself into an Angel of light by which if it were possible the very Elect would be seduced Therefore you are not thus to argue when you see raging divisions amongst those that professe faith in Christ and holiness
this unity of order is preserved the Church it self and godlinesse is preserved Thirdly This unity is consistent with such graces that yet have an outward appearance of dissolving unity as zeal for the glory of God sharp and severe reproof of such as go astray to suffer no heresies or prophanenesse after admonition in such who are of the Church And certainly this is much to be observed As there is a sinfull and foolish pity when men would not have justice done against notorious offenders which pity to the wicked is truly called cruelty to the good for he that is pitifull to the wolf is cruell to the sheep So there is a counterfeit disguised unity and love and that is when because of this peace and agreement no damnable heresie no corrupt or evil way is to be severely dealt with and a Scripture-way taken to stop the progresse of it If this were true then Ahab did upon good grounds call Elijah a troubler of Israel because his zeal would not bear the Idolatries then practised If this were true then all the godly Prophets were justly discouraged because they reproved the sinfull wayes of the times they lived in Yea then Christ himself and his Apostles were justly condemned for the zeal of God did so eat them up that they reproved not only the grosse Idolatries but almost every petty superstitious way What shall we think the Apostle Paul who doth so often commend the spirit of love and meekness That there be no hatred or strife amongst them yet when he saith I would they were cut off that trouble you Gal. 5.12 and their mouths must be stopt Tit. 2.11 that speak perverse things that he forgets his own rule and becomes an incendiary in the Church or shall we think the Apostle John who presseth love in every verse and sheweth He that hateth his brother is like Cain a murderer and of the devil yet when he saith If any one bring any other Doctrine then you have received 2 epist John 10 receive not that man into your house or bid him God speed that now he hath forgot his own spirit that his honey is turned into gall Be then fully perswaded that the unity and love Christ prayeth for doth not oppose Scripture-zeal and courage against any prophane and erroneous wayes It doth not bring in a compliance and symbolizing with all heresies and prophanenesse It doth not erect a Temple as the Romans did to all gods Nor make the Church like the Ark wherein all beasts clean and unclean were received No such remisness breaketh unity as the strings not well-wound up cannot make any melodious sound and the paralytical members of the body for want of the due firmnesse cause many feeble operations There is a Sect called the Family of Love as if they only had peace and unity amongst them but they would have all things even wives common and so their unity is a fomenter of sinne and confounds those relations God hath distinguished These Cautions premised Let us consider what remedies are fit to heal these wounds As in the natural bâ—dy a wound is Solutio continui so in this spiritual body of the Church and as to wounds unless there be wisdome and skill they are made worse by Empericks Thus unless there be proportionable and fit remedies applied with wisdom and compassion the breach is made greater And First There are two remedies and they are in extreams The one suggested by the Popish party the other by the Socinian The first is A rigid imperious and tyrannical commanding of an uniformity and approbation in every punctilio and minute particular So that no dissent or liberty shall be allowed to a man though humble and peaceable earnestly desiring to finde out the truth This tyranny came into the Church betimes What a large breach did Victor Bishop of Rome make in the Church about the determinate time of keeping of Easter whom Irenaeus did gravely oppose Certainly the Apostle Rom. 14. in matters of lesse concernment where men may erre salvâ fide or when men build only hay and stubble not laying other foundations doth there command a charitable carriage between the strong Christian and the weak It 's true the least truth of Christ is precious and we are not to deny it but yet it is not violently to be obtruded unlesse where there is eternal damnation inevitable if that truth be not received Our Saviour speaks excellently to that Matth. 9.17 If new wine be put into old bottles the bottles break while men impose opinions or practices of less consequence upon a people not prepared in stead of unity they make many fractions yet this way of unity hath much infested the Church and especially when men have been in power They have pressed unity not so much out of love to Christ as thereby to keep up their interest As Musculus observeth of the souldiers that would not have Christs coat divided every one hoping thereby to have it all Thus when Luther reformed nothing was more ordinarily preached by the Papists then the inconsutilis tunica the seamless coat of Christ which made Luther call them Inconsutilistae and Tunicastri Now all this endeavour to have such an uniformity was not out of love to Christs Church but their own power and therefore they were afraid of divisions lest they should overthrow their kingdom Certainly to such austere and severe imposers That of Austin is often to be re-minded Saeviunt illi qui nesciunt c. let them rage and persecute who know not with what prayers and tears it is given to understand but a little of Gods truth yet this political way of unity hath been long in the Church Aut subscribe aut discede was a speech of old in the Church 2. There is another false way of unity extreamly opposite to this strenuously propugned by the Socinian and that is A licentious and unbounded Toleration of damnable heresies and Idolatries which Julian also studiously promoted thereby to overthrow the Christian Religion Now as the former way of unity hath been propugned by those who had power in the Church so this latter by those who have been the oppressed party for the Scripture decides a middle way between these two principles Hence Rev. 2. Chap. 3. The Angels of the Church are commended when they did not suffer or could not bear such as published unsound Doctrine and therefore those who did suffer such are reproved I say the Angels of the Church for we are treating of Church-peace and liberty not political and external which is not comprehended in this Petition Certainly the Apostles in their Epistles doe as much if not more set against false Doctrines and false Teachers as they do against corrupt practices Hence 1 Tim. 1.20 Hymeneus and Alexander for their blasphemies and false doctrines are by Paul delivered up to Satan and Tit. 3.10 we have an universall Rule given An heretique after the first and second
Apostles doctrine Let us sin that grace may abound Rom. 6.1 And thus the Papists deal with us and Lutherans also how often do they charge this hideous calumny and consequence upon the Protestants doctrine as if we made God the authour of sin whereas we use but the Scripture words and such expressions no nor such harsh ones neither as some of their own Popish Writers do only it's truth in them but blasphemy in us Indeed what is the evident and plain Consequence of a Doctrine that is to be accounted of as the doctrine it self As whatsoever is a clear genuine consequence from Scripture is Scripture but not every consequence We are apt to deduce Thus it is here what is evidently a consequence from any Doctrine we may charge it upon the doctrine but then we must be sure it 's the proper and natural childe not a bastard that it is the true issue not suppositions 3. Whatsoever truth God may have indeed made known to us or if in our perswasion only we are to be very careful how we publish it This hath been constant fire in the Church of God when men either have or in perswasion only some doctrine different from the current way of the Church at that time Now it 's a very hard thing thus to be with childe as it were and not to be full of pain till we have delivered it to the world Why is an obstinate broacher of damnable doctrines called an heretitk but because he chooseth his own way He invents and excogitates a doctrine of his own therefore compared to theeves and robbers that go not in by the door but climbe up some other way Now such qualifications as these are necessary 1. To question and examine thy own spirit not presently to believe thy own heart This is a firebrand in the Church when men have no modest doubtings and questionings of their own ignorance and pronesse to erre even in that thing they are so confident of how modestly doth the Apostle Paul speak 1 Cor. 7. when he determined the case about marriage I think also I have the Spirit of God and he distinguisheth between that which he had as an expresse command from the Lord and what he was inwardly directed unto wheresoever the Spirit of God leadeth into all truth there he doth likewise into all humility Thus Luthers Tunè solus sapis es is famously known though the Papists charge him falsly with contempt of all others 2. Before we publish it to the world to communicate our thoughts to those that are able wise and learned in the Church of God who have the Spirit of God and his Vnction as well as we Paul though called immediately by Christ yet went up to Jerusalem to confer with the chief pillars there and though he was thus miraculously converted yet he must go to Ananias to be further directed 1 Cor. 14.14 those that had extraordinary gifts yet were to submit themselves to others The Spirit of the Prophets is subject to the Prophets which is interpreted two waies and both pertinently to my matter 1. If the meaning be The spirit of the Prophets is subject to other Prophets they have power to judge the doctrine we publish then it will much more follow that what we have in an ordinary way is exposed to the examen of others 2. If by it we understand it thus there is no Prophet having the Spirit of God moving in them that is so extraordinarily wrought upon but he may retain those motions and vent them in an orderly way not to speak while others are speaking which seemeth to be the scope of the Apostle in that place This is very pertinent to my matter that no man can have such revelations and impulses from Gods Spirit but that he is in a divine method and good order to declare them for the unseasonable publishing of some things is like good Physick but not administred in its fit season Lastly To keep up the unity of faith this is a special means when we do highly prize and delight in the known plain truths of Christ Paul that was snatched up in the third Heavens yet desired to know nothing but Christ crucified Peter thought it not inconvenient to write the same things they knew already Certainly nothing hath more rent and torn the Church of God then affectation of singular high things To bring in some unheard and unknown Truths Oh this is the pride of mens hearts to have it said Such a man was the first that brought that nation into the world as the Jesuite of his scientia media Ego primus inveni But to be weary of the known truth is in effect to be weary of the same God the same Christ Why do we not desire a new Sun a new Earth a new world as well In the second place What will keep up unity in the Churches order and prevent Schism there For although the Scripture use the word schism in a large sence yet Ecclesiastically it is restrained to the breach of order in the Church and that hath often been when they have kept the unity of the Doctrine They did not divide from the doctrine but communion in Church-ordinances Now to keep up an intire body in this Consider 1. That if such be the corruption of the Church that thou canst not keep fellowship with her but by partaking of her sins Then before thou leavest that place take the way the Scripture commands Be sure that it be not for some lesse corruption but that which doth eat up the very vitals of Religion Do not thou leave it till God leaveth it Do not thou unchurch it till God doth 2. Let thy endeavours be in thy place to inform and heal before thou dost depart Pleade and strive with thy mother as Hos 2. because she hath committed whoredomes And then Lastly Let thy secession be unwillingly Thou art compelled to make this departure because the Enemies of all godlinesse will not suffer thee or endure thee under their power These things observed then thou art not guilty of any schism or breach but those that gave the occasion to it When those of the people of Israel would not joyn with Jeroboam in his Idolatry but separated themselves and went to Jerusalem where the pure worship was They did not make a schism but Jeroboam 2 Chro. 11.13 14 15. Thus it is with the reformed Churches The Papist cals the Protestant a thousand times over a Schismatick because he withdraweth himself from Obedience to the Pope as Head of the Church but we say ours was not a schism but a secession They were Schismaticks in falling from the primitive order and institutions in the Church insomuch that the Pope is the grandest Schismatick that ever was in the Church and further we departed not from Rome because of petty corruptions no she was a Babylon ere we left her and then we left her unwillingly They drave us out persecuting with fire and fagot so
others but for a season onely The summe then of this speech amounts to this Christ therefore prayeth that believers may be united amongst themselves because hereby a wide door is opened for the progresse of the Gospel Hereby the world may be perswaded that Christ was the true Messias because he had brought such true peace amongst his Disciples From whence observe That Vnity amongst believers is a special means to enlarge the Kingdome of Christ There is no such obstruction to the Gospel and scandal to the world keeping it off from faith in Christ as to see those who professe Christ divided and subdivided into many Sects and opinions Is it not imbred in all to think that truth cannot be contrary to it self That Christ cannot be divided That the Spirit of God is the same Spirit and therefore men do very speciously conclude certainly these men are not of Christ have not his Spirit they are so contrary to one another No wonder therefore if Christ thus earnestly pray for believers unity as being the most effectual means to propagate and preserve the Gospel which made the Apostle Rom. 16.17 when he had spent the Chapter chiefly in saluting of the Saints an expression of dear love he doth in a most fervent manner break out thus I beseech you Brethren mark them which cause divisions and offences and avoid them We are in a special manner to take heed of such turbulent and dividing persons The Apostle gives this general character of all such They serve not Jesus Christ but their own lusts and ends But to open this Consider First That though our Saviour presse Vnity of believers as a sign of his Disciples and a means to winne others to the Faith yet Vnity simply as so is not an inseparable note of the true Church The Papists indeed they professedly maintain this That where we see a Church in it's members all united together and that under one visible Head and Pastour there we are to conclude is the true Church and on the contrary when we see divisions and multiplicities of Sects and Opinions as they say there are almost an hundred amongst the Protestants there cannot be any true Church And indeed they have no fairer way to intangle men and to fill the hearts of people with prejudices against the truth then because of the many opinions that are amongst us But to this we answer these things First Vnity as Vnity without true Doctrine cannot be any distinctive Note of a true Church A whole Church as that of Israel may be universally corrupted so that neither the Worship or Truths of God were in any visible way received and yet in this universall corruption they were all as one man Thus the Jewes and Turks they have wonderfull unity amongst themselves yet who will conclude the Truth is amongst them Although the Heathens had multiplicity of Gods and religious wayes yet the Jewes are at great consent in the main things amongst themselves It is necessary therefore that to Unity there must be joyned true and sound Doctrine In the second place We say There is no such cause for Papists to boast of Vnity amongst themselves For our Divines doe abundantly shew That these Philistims doe not onely fight against the Israelites but even one with another Their Swords are often set one against another witnesse the Jesuites and Dominicans and that in great controversal points so also between Thomists and Scotists Now to this Bellarmine hath these answers First That their differences are not in substantial things they are only in secondary points But First So we say The Protestants truly so called for we cannot tell how to call the Socinians Christians do agree in Fundamentals so that although there be great disputes in their circa fundamentalia yet the foundation it self they fall not upon Secondly We say They have dissented in Fundamentals for is not that a principle of Religion with them Whether the Pope be above the Councell And yet there have been hot differences amongst them in this point And therefore some have asserted The Pope may be deposed by the Councel and deputed for an Heretique Now certainly with them either the Pope or a Councell is the generall Head of the Church and it 's of the necessity of salvation to be in obedience to such an Head yet they cannot agree who that is In the next place Bellarmine hath this evasion If saith he our Church have any divisions they arise from the meer malice of the Devil not for want of a remedy to keep the unity for we have a visible Judge to determine all controversies whereas saith he among Protestants their differences do arise from the very Genius of their Doctrine because they hold no visible efficacious remedy to such contentions But to this also it s answered easily That all the differences amongst the people of God come from the Devil without and corruptions within The Devil is not wholly conquered nor are our corruptions altogether vanquished and therefore it cannot be but that breaches and wounds will sometimes be made Yet in the second place We have a more sure and efficacious remedy to compose all differences then they have for they indeed alledge the Pope or a Councell as a visible Judge to end all controversies but these being men are subject to ignorance and passions and so cannot perform the Office of an infallible visible Church because not sufficiently qualified thereunto Again They have not de facto silenced all those debates that are amongst them Some of the fore-mentioned Disputes are as fervent as ever Neither hath the Pope yet interposed to decide Whether those Doctrines about scientia media and absolute predefinitions with the dependent controversies thereon be true on the Dominicans side or their adversaries Therefore thirdly We hold The Scriptures to be the infallible and unerring Rule and therefore have a proper and sufficient means to end all controversies And although it be said That many differences arise about the sense of the Scripture therefore that cannot be a Judge but the Church We reply That many controversies also may arise about the Church the Authority of it and it's infallibility and therefore they who acknowledge the Scripture the only adequate Rule of faith do thereby confesse a powerfull remedy to remove all differences Further That Vnity is not de facto alwayes a note of the Church appeareth from the opposition of Satan against the peace and quietnesse of it And therefore as it is in matter of practice peace and quietnesse is not alwayes a signe of a good conscience for our Saviour saith The Devil keepeth all things quiet while he ruleth Luke 11.21 Thus it is also in respect of Churches many times a false superstitious Church hath more plenty and ease then a true one because the Devil will not disturb his own but where the Kingdome of Christ is there the Devil doth also desire to erect his Throne Thus when the good
respect of the stability of their assent to divine truths when yet they had great temptations to assault them and we read sometimes of the Disciples that upon the working of some great miracles by our Saviour they are said then to believe not but that they beleived before only they did grow and encrease in this more Oh then in times of great disputes when learned and godly men differ in many things it behoveth the godly Christian to fly to this manifestation of Christ Oh say declare it Lord and still declare it to me more and more And certainly it appeareth by Mat. 24. That those who are false Prophets have so many fair pretences and deceivable wayes that if it were possible they would deceive the very elect so that it 's a very great mercy to be of a sound mind and established in the truth That as Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and to day and for ever so also believers are to be 3. We need Christs daily declaration in respect of the efficacy and practical operation of our knowledge So that although we know all mysteries yet if the power of Christ doth not make us to acknowledge these things in a godly manner We are but as tinkling cymbals you see Paul made knowledge a meer puff a nothing without charity 1 Cor. 13. and our Saviour puts happiness upon the doing not knowing of these things John 14.17 A Christian may grow two wayes in the extension of knowledge or in the efficacy of knowledge and this is greatly to be lamented many desire to know more opinions and more notions many are still propounding more questions after questions but the Apostle Ephes 4. tels us of the knowing of the truth as it is in Jesus which makes a Christian put off the oldman and put on the new as also an acknowledgment of the truth after godliness Tit. 1. Oh therefore pray that Christ would declare his truths to thee so as they may not only be in thy head but sink down into thy heart and be there like fire inflaming thy bowels It 's not growing in knowledg at it is knowledge but growing in it as it is saving and operative which makes a man fitted for everlasting glory As it is not the knowing of what is excellent food that doth nourish a man but the eating of it and this only doth the Scripture vouchsafe to call knowledge indeed Oh then examine thy self Dost thou so know God as to live on him by faith to love and fear him Dost thou so know Christ as to make him a Mediatour to thee in an appropriated manner Doest thou so know the promises as to relie on them and to make them thy cordial in all temptations This is to know in the Scripture language So that the Christians knowledge is wholly in tendency to operation as all motion is for rest if it be barren it increaseth our condemnation and not further our consolation In the next place Let us consider what are the reasons why Christ must continually teach his people And 1. It is because all heavenly things are revealed from God only Even as it is said of the Creation John 1. All things were made by him and without him was nothing made that was made Thus all knowledge in a supernatural manner comes from him and without him we know nothing Now all those things which require a supernatural power for to give the first existence to them require such a power to continue them therein Hence as Christ made all things Heb. 1. he is still said to bear up all things by his power and thus likewise it is in regard of all saving knowledge that same Spirit of Christ which did at first teach us must in the whole progress of our lives teach us As a man cannot beleive of himself so neither increase in faith or know more firmly and evidently of himself All saving knowledge is part of that work of grace which God is the author of in the soul Now in all the course of grace and progress therein it 's plain we need the auxiliary power of God continually Thus the Apostle speaking even to those that did believe already yet he saith It 's God that worketh in us to will and do and as it 's God that beginneth so it is he that finisheth every good work Hence Christ is said to be the author and finisher of our Faith Heb. 12.2 As it is thus in grace if God did not keep every godly man he would fall into the dirt and all noisome lusts from which he was once converted So if God did not keep us firmly and constantly in his truth there is no damnable heresie or blasphemy that is fetched out of hel it self which a godly man would not fal into So that it 's the Covenant and promise of God which keepeth a man equally from erroneous opinions and sinfull practices 3. There is a necessity of Christs constant teaching his people because of the imperfection and weakness which is in their best knowledge That as he pray'd about his faith I believe help my unbelief so I know Lord help my ignorance and therefore it is that he will have a Ministry alwayes in the Church which as that is to grow constantly in knowledge so ought the people much more Oh then be affected with the true and right apprehensions of the sins of thy minde and thou wilt quickly see that unless Christ be thy teacher thou shalt die in thy ignorance 4. There is a necessity of Christs further teaching because of the great advantage in a grown knowledge As 1. A man is thereby more able to discern between things that differ he can separate the dross from the gold 2. He will be more evangelical in the frame of his Spirit Heb. 6. The babe is unskilfull in the word of righteousness Ignorance causeth many scruples and fears which do hinder those spiritual consolations that should abound in the heart of the godly 3 Hereby they may be guides to others The Apostle Rom 14. sheweth the many duties of a strong Christian in respect of a weak It 's a blessed thing to be a means of edification of others or the reducing of such as have gone astray for want of this growth many parents many husbands though godly for the main cannot do their duties Vse 1. Of humiliation to the best persons and the best Churches they still need more light It 's not enough Christ hath declared to them but he must still declare not indeed new substantials and essentials to salvation but in regard of the superstructures of holiness and truth That Doctrine in Popery The Church cannot erre makes her incurable and is also grosly arrogant In particular persons this would also breed self-emptiness an high esteem of the Ordinances it would prevent heresies and errours men being commonly confident of themselves therein as also any severe and uncharitable censuring of others knowing as it is said Phil. 3.15 God may in
infirmities 529 That such is Christs care to Believers that they are remembered in his prayer and death before they had a being 532 This truth is full of consolations ib. The aggravation of the love of Christ to Believers 535 God the Father loveth Believers even as he loveth Christ Vide Loveth 642 It is an indearing respect of Believers to God that they do own him and cleave to him when the whole world goeth quite contrary 685 Propositions clearing the point 686 Believing The Believing of Christ being sent into the world is the foundation of our conversion to God 595 Distinctions premised about Believing 596 Blessed It 's a Blessed thing truly to say at death I have glorified God and finished the work I was to do 103 Introductory particulars about Blessednesse 103 104 The Grounds of this Blessednesse 105 Bloud Christs Bloud washeth away not only the guilt of sin but the filth of it 512 C Call A Lawfull Call in those that preach is necessary and profitable both in respect of Minister and people 494 Children Children of God are of two sorts 226 Christ How Christ being God could pray 8 All the godly are under Christs Mediatory prayer 8 The matter of Christs prayer in four things 9 The nature of Christs praier by way of Mediation 10 The dignity of Christs person praying ib. His relation to God the Father ib. Q. Whether Christ was heard in every thing he prayed for or no 11 Qualifications of Christs prayer ib. The condition of Christs prayer ib. Christs prayer sanctifieth our prayers 12 How Christ who is God can be glorified 24 Christ hath power over all men 36 Six particulars to clear the nature of Christs prayer ib. The dominion of Christ appears in nine particulars 38 c. Christ compar'd to many things 45 Six practical inferences from Christs power 47 48 Three Consolations thence 49 Christ had that glory he pray'd for with the Father before the world was 149 Christ had an eternal being proved by three Arguments 150 151 Whence it is that any deny Christ to be eternal 152 Christ hath all things the Father hath 262 This appeareth in seven particulars 262 263 How all Christ hath is the Fathers 264 Christs protection and preservation to eternal life is to be improved 344 This Doctrine is opened in a fourfold principle ibid The effects of this preservation 346 Christ though God yet as man did pray unto the Father 519 Vpon what grounds Christ who was God as well as man did pray 520 The difference between Christs prayer and ours 521 What advantages believers have by Christs prayers 521 Christ is said to be in believers several waies 620 That Christ is in believers and believers are in him ibid. How Christ lives in believers 621 How Christ is in his people more particularly 624 The fruits and effects of Christs being in his people 626 As Christ is in us so the Father being in Christ is also thereby in us ib. How the Father is in Christ ib. How the Father and Christ can be in believers and yet they have such great remainders of sin in them 630 Christs prayer for his people will certainly and infallibly prevail for them 660 Christ is the original and fontal cause of all the knowledge that believers have 681 Propositions about the point 682 Church Christ is the head of his Church 45 Four things implied therein 46 c. There is a great difference between a Church under persecution and not constituted and a Church constituted 495 Church-office Christ hath a peculiar love of those that are in Church-office according to his rule and way 485 In what particulars this love is shew'd ib. The Grounds of this particular love 486 Comfort The Comfort of being like Christ in suffering 438 Condition Reasons why God sometimes changes his peoples Condition from better to worse 332 It is a very sad thing to fall into such a Condition that draws out our peculiar corruptions we are most prone unto 383 This is opened in several considerations 383 c. Try your Conditions 384 Conformity There is a two-fold Conformity to Christ 437 Conscience Often rebelling against the light of Conscience 368 Conversion Conversion is a greater wonder then a miracle 41 Corporal There is no Corporal improvement of Christ 334 Wherein mens proneness appeareth to know Christ after a Corporal manner 335 D Damn THat there are some men that are wilfull set to destroy and Damn themselves c. 364 The inward Causes that move men to Damn themselves 365 The outward Causes 371 Damnation The everlasting Damnation of men is determined 51 Dangers The greater the Dangers are Christs people are in the greater is Christs care of them 272 This is opened in four particulars 272 273 The godly mans life is full of spiritual Dangers 277 This is explained in eight particulars 278 c. Day Day of grace is to be improved 24 Day of Judgement The Day of Judgement is the greatest day that ever was or shall be ib Death Christs Death is in it self sufficient for all yet he gave himself a ransome for some only 241 Four grounds for it 242 Christ by Death went to his Father 289 The particulars implied in the point 290 Whether it be lawfull to pray for Death 442 Vide Blessed Delusions vid. Sins Depend Depend on Gods gracious power only in the way to heaven 313 Devils Devils are in subjection to Christ 3â— The Devil may foretell some things to come 395 Divisions Divisions are the fruit of the flesh 570 Remedies for preventing and healing Divisions in the Church 575 What those proper sins are that Divisions among the godly are apt to breed in the world 393 Doctrines Free-will and merit are dangerous Doctrines 125 Dying Why the expressions of Christ Dying for All is to be taken indefinitely and not universally 235 236 E Elected THat none of those that are Elected shall perish 349 Introductory Propositions to clear the same ibid. Election Election is the gift of God 250 Four Reasons of it 251 End What things do diminish the comforts of the gody at the End of their day 109 c. The End Christ propounded in his doing and suffering 116 Errours Men are prone to be lead aside to Errors 318 Errors of judgement are damnable 318 Eternal Death Eternal Death 65 Wherein it consisteth 65 66 The difference between Eternal Death and eternal life 66 It is Eternal Death not to know God 77 Eternal Life Christ gives it to those that are his 56 What it is 57 It consists in three things 57 58 It hath six properties 57 60 Eternal Life compared with this present life 63 Conclusions upon this subject 67 68 Helps to be affected with Eternal Life 70 Examples We are not to live by Examples but by precept 379 F Faith FAith in Christ as Mediator is acceptable to God 211 Why Faith is called the work of God ibid. Five Grounds why Faith in a Mediatour should be pressed 223
implied in our being Sanctified by Christ 515 Wherein the truth of Sanctification consisteth 516 Sanctifying What Christ Sanctifying himself implieth 502 The benefits of Christs Sanctifying himself 505 Saved All that are to be Saved are committed to Christs care 338 Schism How to prevent Schism 580 Vide Unity Scripture The Scripture is Gods voice 387 So many contrary things to a believers expectation may fall out in matters of Religion that did not the Scriptures fore-tell them we should be greatly offended 388 Some particulars that are hardly concocted 388 That whatsoever the Scripture saith is sure to be made good 389 The Spirit and Scripture are to be reconciled 390 The Scripture we now have is a full and perfect Canon for our Salvation 390 The parts of Scripture ibid. The Ground why Scripture must be fulfilled 393 In how many senses the Scripture may be said to be fulfilled 394 The truth of Scripture-Prophesies 395 The Scripture is oppositely true to all the Opinions Doctrine and Religions that men set up by their own fancy Sence It is not enough for the people of God to be beloved by him but they are to endeavour after the Sence and apprehension of it in their own hearts 694 Considerations to open this Point 695 The advantage they have thereby 696 Propositions to inform in this Point 698 Helps to get and keep the favour of God 698 Sending There is a two fold Sending mediate and immediate 493 Sent. Christ was Sent of the Father c. 487 How Christ was commissionated and Sent for us 487 The Necessity of Christs being Sent. 490 Sermon Prayer sanctifieth every Sermon 5 Vide Prayer Sins What Sins do chiefly provoke God to give men up to strong delusions 152 What Sins do chiefly provoke God to leave his people not totally yet gradually 351 Socinians Socinians confuted 73 Socinians no Christians 591 Socinians answered 666 Sonship Sonship is purchased by Christ 14 Soul The Soul of man hath an infinite appetite 57 God is the center of the Soul ib. Spirit of God How many wayes the Spirit is a comforter to believers 404 Suffer Suffering When the people of God Suffer not for any fault of their own but because they own God and professe his truth this is a great obliging of God to take care of them 421 This Doctrine is opened in several considerations ibid. Supports Though God may afford his people many comfortable Supports yet they must not look to enjoy them alwayes 330 What are those visible Supports God may for a while vouchsafe to his people 330 Reasons why God sometimes changes his peoples condition from better to worse 332 T Talents THe meanest persons have Talents to improve as well as the greatest 104 Tautology Repetition of the same matter in prayer is not alwayes sinfull Tautology 131 Vide Repetitions This is opened in three particulars 132 Teaching That believers do not onely at their first conversion but in the whole progresse of their life need constant Teaching from God 690 This appeareth in several particulars ibid. The Reasons why Christ must constantly Teach his people 692 Testament They that lived under the Old Testament dispensation not excluded from Salvation 100 Time A Time is set for the Reformation of the Church 21 Wicked men have their set Time ib. A set Time for Judgement 22 The Time of every mans death is set ibid A set Time of grace ib. A set Time of the Churches troubles 23 Trinity This Doctrine of the Trinity is an object of Faith and cannot be demonstrated by reason 583 Trouble Several wayes whereby a godly man fals into Trouble in this world 284 c. Reasons why they are subject to Trouble 287 Trusting Trusting to our own righteousnesse is a dangerous sinne 219 220 Truth It 's a special mercy to be kept in the Truth 316 Ten Grounds proving it to be such a special mercy 316 c. There is a three-fold Truth we cannot attain unto without the Scripture 476 The excellent properties of the Truth of Scripture 478 Truth and Godlinesse are requisite in Ministers of the Gospel 482 The grounds why it is requisite 483 Vide Ministers V. Union UNion among the godly is of great necessity 561 There must be a Vnition before there can be a Union 587 There is a natural Union with Christ and a supernatural 587 The excellency of this Union 589 Unity The Unity that Church-Officers ought to have 321 Grounds why it is such a mercy 322 The Unity between the Father and the Sonne is a spiritual Vnion 325 Vide Ministers Means to be used to get and keep Unity 327 There is a two-fold Unity between the godly 561 The excellency of Unity among Christians in several particulars 561 True Unity is from Christ 574 False wayes of Unity by Papists and Socinians 575 Rules to keep up Unity in Church-order and how to prevent Schism 580 Vide Schism Rules for Unity in respect of love to prevent wrath and quarrellings 581 Unity among believers is a special means to enlarge the kingdom of Christ 591 This is opened in several considerations 591 The Reasons why Unity brings others to the Faith 593 Unity among believers is part of the glory which Christ as Mediator hath obtained for them 616 In this Doctrine three Propositions are to be observed ibid. The Father and Christ being in believers is the cause of that perfect and consummate Unity which they ought to have of themselves 632 What is implied in their being made perfect in One ibid. The Causes of this Unity 634 United That all believers are United to Christ and in him to the Father 586 Scripture-expressions to represent this Unity ib. Uniting True Uniting principles as to true Doctrine 577 Universal How the maintainers of Universal Redemption differ among themselves 241 Universally Reasons why the Scripture speaketh thus Universally about Christs death 237 Vocation Vocation is of grace 252 Two Reasons of it 252 Vocation to the Office of the Ministry consisteth in these things 497 W Witches IT 's a great sin to seek to Witches 95 Witchcraft Witchcraft is pardonable upon true Repentance 95 Word of God Word of God How it doth not convert 4 How it doth convert ibid What is implied by keeping the Word 182 184 The Parts of the Word 183 The Word preached and received by people doth greatly enrage the wicked of the world 427 Considerations to open this ibid Why preaching and receiving of the Word doe enrage wicked men 429 The Word of God is truth 474 In how many particulars Gods Word is true ibid. Work Who have not finished the Work God gave them to do 107 c. None may look for glory untill they have finished their Work 125 It is true in reference to Câ—rist ibid. In reference unto our selves 126 The Necessity of continual Working in four respects 127 128 It's lawfull for the people of God in all their Work they doe for God to encourage themselves with this That there is an
15 16 463 Acts. 17 23 91 17 27 585 20 27 424 26 22 388 Romans 1 21 92 1 17 174 6 19 206 9 5 99 10 2 77 12 1 456 12 10 431 1 Corinthians 1 14 115 1 2 516 2 17 424 3 8 563 6 20 257 6 7 587 8 4 5 90 8 2 94 11 19 389 15 22 44 15 47 435 2 Corinthians 2 15 348 4 6 606 5 16 334 11 20 17 Galatians 1 4 175 3 28 524 4 16 430 6 17 126 Ephesians 2 2 189 2 3 363 4 1 3 4 571 5 2 502 Philippians 2 10 28 2 2 407 2 15 514 3 1 401 3 20 454 3 9 549 4 18 502 Colossians 1 16 150 2 20 45 2 20 171 2 5 596 2 9 629 2 19 635 3 1 454 1 Thessalonians 2 13 478 2 Thessalonians 1 3 189 3 2 254 1 Timothy 1 16 532 4 16 484 5 10 424 6 20 424 6 2 526 2 Timothy 1 9 149 1 9 533 3 16 390 3 15 479 Hebrews 2 7 46 4 9 126 5 14 633 10 29 464 11 26 32 11 24 18 11 3 155 13 18 151 James 2 11 201 4 3 7 4 6 153 5 16 141 1 Peter 1 3 146 1 5 307 1 23 24 479 2 20 554 2 7 686 4 18 355 4 12 389 4 14 15   16. 421 2 Peter 1 6 273 3 17 316 3 12 456 1 John 2 20 513 2 2 278 2 19 360 3 8 344 3 19 552 5 16 230 3 John  2 460 Jude  3 316 Revelation 3 4 364 21 27 364 22 12 464 FINIS * Of the reason why Christ imposed on some new names see Casauâ— ad Annal. Exerc. 13. In his Apology pag. 8. To all Instructions and Consolations Praier is necessary for their good effect Reasons I. On Gods part 1. God is the sole fountain and authour of all grace 2. That all the praise may redound to him 3. Because God in anger many times doth blast the Word to men for their sins II. From the nature of Preaching and what kinde of cause the Word is of conversion 1. The Word converts not necessarily 2. Nor as a natural cause 3. It s efficacy is only by Gods Institution according to his command and good pleasure III. Because of mans inability to what is good Vse Doct. That all our praiers should come from a spiritual and heavenly heart The requisites to spiritual praier 1. The Spirits enabling and moving the soul to this duty 2. An heavenly heart 3. When the heart and affections are purified and made fit for the enjoyment of God 4. Heavenly praier moveth the heart to more love and delight in heavenly things Vse Why we should pray with the tongue In vocal praier there must be a threefold attention How Christ being God could pray Doct. That all the godly are under the benefit of Christs Mediatory praier I. The matter of Christs praier for his Children 1. All grace 2. Pardon of sin 3. 4. Glorification II. The nature of his praier by way of Mediation III. The dignity of the Person praying IV. His relation to God the Father Whether Christ was heard in every thing he praied for or no. V. Christs praier had all the qualifications requisite to acceptation VI. A condition or medium of good things Why Praier is needfull notwithstanding Gods knowledge and unchangeableness VII Christs praier sanctifieth our praiers Doct. Those praiers successefull that are put up to God as a Father To open this Consider 1. All by nature are in a state of enmity against God 2. The state of Sonship is purchased by Christ 3. We cannot call God Father but by the Spirit of Adoption What frame of heart this compellation Father may breed in every childe of God Why the Title Father so much prevails with God Vse Doct. That God doth appoint times and seasons for his great works I. In relation to Christ II. Gods other dispensations 1. A time is set for the Reformation of his Church 2. God lets wicked men have their time 3. A set time for judgement 4. The hour of every mans death is set 5. There is a remarkable set time of grace wherein God may be found 6. The times of the Churches troubles and deliverances are set Vse How Christ who is God can be glorified Whether Christ did merit glory for himself Doct. It was the holy and wise will of God to glorifie Christ Christs being invested with glory redounds to the advantage of his members 1. It 's a demonstration of his conquest over all our enemies 2. Because of rhat near relation that is between us 3. His glorification a cause of ours 4. In his glorified estaâ—e he is pleading for us 5. It encourageth us to lift up our hearts to heaven The nature of this glory which Christ praied for There were three degrees to it Wherein this glory of Christ doth consist Doct. We should desire comforts and advantages chiefly that God may be glorified I. Christ did so 1. In his humiliation 2. In his exaltation II. Much more should all men be affected more with Gods glory then their own good The goods of a godly man 1. Heavenly 2. Earthly The principles constituent of such a gracious disposition 1. He must be born again that can do it 2. He must have great love to God 3. And be mortified to the world Reasons 1. God doth all things for his own glory 2. From the nature of Gods glory and all earthly comforts respectively 3. Because of the greatnesse of Gods glory and the value of it 4. Else we are guilty of spirituall Idolatry Vse The Text vindicated against 1. The Arians 2. The Ubiquitarian Lutherans 3. Papists Doct. Observe these particulars to clear the nature of Christs power I. Christs dominion universal II. The administration of Christs power is by his Spirit III. Of Christs dominion over the consciences of men IV. The chief effects of Christs power are spirituall V. It is infinite power VI. It is arbitrary in the use of it In what particulars Christs dominion appears 1. In appointing a Ministry for the conversion of souls 2. In giving successe to the means of grace III. Enlightning the Understanding IV. V. The Fountain of Grace VI. The giver of glory VII Forgive and pardon sin VII The great Law-giver IX And supporter and comforter of his people X. The Judge of the world XI And the subduer of his and his Churches enemies Vse 2. Vse 3. Vse 4. Vse 5. Vse 6. Vse of Consolation Doct. That not all but some of mankinde are given by God the Father to Christ to be redeemed by him How warily the doctrine of predestination should be preached The Doctrine repeated Corollaries from hence I. From the Father giving 1. The Father is the original Fountain of all good 2. That the Father expects the salvation of those he hath given to Christ 3. No cause to doubt of Gods accepting of Christs Mediation 4. All that the Father gives to Christ shall
that History many things are remarkable For 1. In the raising of Lazarus though he could have done it by an immediate Word yet he wept and was sorely troubled yea he groaned twice which were not simply groans of his Body in a natural way but such as were accompanied with Praier Therefore he addeth I know that thou hearest me alwaies Though we do not reade of any Praier of Christs at that same time yet the groans and the desires of his Heart they were Praier 2. It is Observable how thankfull Christ was for having his Prayer heard The same Person who is obliged to give thanks is also bound to pray Thus John 6. Christ gave Thanks about that Refreshment though it was by Barley and some small Fish Christ himself giveth God thanks for that poor and course Diet Oh what Thankfullnesse should this teach us and stirre us up to expresse And so in this History though the good he praied for did not immediately redound to him but to Lazarus and his Sisters yet Christ giveth thanks for it so that Christ who prayeth for the good of Beleevers as his own good So he giveth thanks likewise to God for Mercies and Blessings bestowed on them as though they were his own mercies If thou canst not give God Thanks large and hearty enough for his discriminating Mercy in opening of thy Eyes and passing by and leaving the Eyes of more prudent and honoured in the world blinde and shut up Know that Christ hath also thanked the Father for this Luke 10.21 Christ that praieth for all thy spiritual blessings doth also praise the Father for them But 3. That for which I brought this place is That Christ doth not only say That the Father heard him but I know demonstrating the Assurance of this and that he heareth him alwaies This supposeth Christ is alwaies praying for he that is alwaies heard is supposed to be alwaies powring forth his Petitions And further If you say that Christ praied That the Cup might passe away yet he was not heard in that prayer it is easily answered That was not Christs Absolute but his Conditionall prayer It was an Expression of his Will ut natura not ut ratio Therefore he addeth Not my Will but thy Will be done Hence Hebrews 5.7 it is said He offered up Prayers with strong Cryes to him that was able to save him from Death and was heard in what he feared Though he dyed yet was heard in that Prayer because Death had not any Dominion over him Now Christ must needs be heard alwaies 1. Because he is the Mediatour and High Priest and so powreth out his praiers in his own Name If Christ should not be heard for himself then he would need another Mediatour for himself and he must also pray in anothers Name which is highly derogatory unto his honour to imagine or think of 2. His Prayer is meritorious as well as his death and so in justice nothing can be denied him 3. He is infinitely beloved of the Father and so when he appeareth nothing can be denied him Lastly He doth not absolutely pray for any thing but what is conformable to his Fathers Will and if so be we who are the Sonnes of God by Adoption only are sure to speed and to prevail when we keep close unto that Rule how much more then shall the Naturall Sonne of God! Vse 1. To reprove those who either through pride think themselves above praier or else through prophanesse neglect it Christ praied alone and with his Disciples and thou hast neither Family-Praier or private prayer Christ gave thanks though for barley bread and thou constantly eatest thy Food without acknowledging God to be the Authour of that mercy Vse 2. of Direction To the Godly Make up the Defects and Insufficiency of thy own prayers with the Fullnesse Excellency and infinite worth that is in Christs Prayer Christ prayed not with such defects and failings as thou dost they are thy prayers for thy good farre better then if thou hadst offered them up for thy self SERMON CIII In what respects the Benefits of Christs Mediation extend to all Believers alike and in what not For the Comfort of weak Christians and such of them as are most contemptible in the eyes of the World JOHN 17.20 But for them also which shall believe in me through their word FRom the Negative Limitation we come to the Positive Explication and Description of such as are the Object of Christs prayer And in this Description we may take notice First Of the adversative particle But also Not onely the Apostles such as were eminent and pillars but even for all the rest though never so mean and inconsiderable Secondly There is the Description of the persons 1. By their inherent properties that shall believe 2. By the Circumstance of the future time That shall believe though not yet born and so could not think or desire good for themselves yet Christ doth here pray for them 3. There is the Object of this belief Who shall believe in me 4. The instrumental Cause Their word All these particulars have their respective usefulnesse And First Let us consider the adversative particle not onely the Apostles but every believer also Obs That Christ in his Mediatory-Office had respect to the meanest and weakest believer as well as to the choisest and most eminent Even as the High-priest was to pray for all the people the poorest as well as the greatest so doth Christ regard the soul of the most contemptible believer as well as of such who are more conspicuous This might be represented in that custom amongst the Jews when the soul of every man whether rich or poor did pay the same ransome Exod. 30.12 Though among men there be poor and rich learned and unlearned yet in respect of Christ and grace there is no such difference To this purpose notably the Apostle Gal. 3.28 There is neither Jew or Greek bâ—nd or free but all are one in Christ Jesus Christ in his Mediatory works looks upon all as one Even as it is with Gods providence in this universe It 's fully intent upon every one creature There is not the lest worm or flie but Gods providence preserveth it as well as it doth the most glorious Angel and as it is said usually Gods providence is so intent upon all the whole Word universis as if he did not attend singulis to every particular and yet on the other side it 's so incumbent on singulis as if it were not to the universis Even thus it is with Christ his care and love is so indulged to any one beleever that you would think there were no other believers you would think his thoughts were not upon the Church in general but on this particular and yet at the same time Christs inspection â—nd watchfulnesse is so over the whole Church that one would think that he had not time or leisure to minde the condition of every private Christian To
open this Doctrine it 's good to consider these things First That Christ being God as well as man and so a Mediatour in both Natures did know all those who were given unto him by the Father he knew the charge and trust that was committed unto him Even all that have been or shall be and therefore as the High-priest had the names of the twelve Tribes on his breast-plate Thus our Mediatour resembleth him for he hath the name of every one he is the good Shepherd who as he did lay down his life for so also he must necessarily know every one of them This then is to be taken notice of that the Father gave such a number of persons neither more nor lesse unto Christ to purchase their salvation and every one of these he did exactly know for to him as God all things past and to come are as present And therefore though these in the Text are to believe in the future and so have no present being yet they are here comprehended in Christs prayer But of this truth more in the second Description which is of the circumstance of time Secondly As Christ in a Mediatory way did thus receive equally every one to his charge and trust so in the discharge of it he had an equal respect to all Christ did not will the salvation of one beleever more than another he did not intend his blood in the efficacy of it more for Paul or Peter then he did for Mary Magdalen a great sinner if then we speak quoad affectum and intentionem not quoad efficaciam and fructum So Christ was equally a Mediatour to all that are given him by the Father Though we judge that a most unsavoury and unthankfull Doctrine that holds Christ did intentionally and equally die for all for Judas as well as Peter That Christ had no more love in his death to one then another yet if we speak of those who are interessed in him spiritually so it 's true Christ died equally for all that are his he made no difference in his Mediatory acts his eye and love with all that he did was to one as well as another None can say he is my Christ more then anothers he intended me in his death more then another This you heard proved by the Apostle when he said in Christ Jesus there was no respect of persons relations or other differences Hence thirdly Even in respect of the effects and fruits of his Mediatory love in some particulars all are alike There is no difference between one and the other As for instance in Justification all beleevers stand alike justified through the blood of Christ all are accepted of and beloved in Christ alike This we truly maintain when against Papists we affirm That any poor weak woman yea one that hath been a grievous sinner yet if beleeving in Christ is equally justified with the Virgin Mary and the ground is because the reason of our Justification is without us in respect of Christ not in our selves so that as Christ is every where the same thus must our Justification be every where the same It 's true one is more justified then another extensively but not intensively that is one hath more sin forgiven then another Mary Magdalen had more forgiven her then the Virgin Mary but intensively as our Justâ—fication doth consist in Gods favour and acceptation so they were both equal Again if we speak of the application of Christs righteousness so indeed there is a great difference for though Christs righteousnesse be the same yet because some receive this with a stronger faith then others and because the application of this righteousnesse is in us not according to the latitude and worth that it is in Christ but according to our necessity and indigency Therefore we may say Some partake of it more then another Though Christs righteousnesse be in it self the same to all Even as the light of the Sun is the same to every Starre though one Starre partaketh more of it then another This then must needs encourage every believer for he hath the same Christ the same righteousnesse to offer unto God for satisfaction as any Paul or Abraham though the father of the faithfull had If we were to come in our graces and duties to be accepted of then we might truely say I am not comparable to such worthies I cannot speed so well as those that have more eminency but though I have not the same grace with Paul yet I have the same Christ with Paul the same righteousnesse he would be found in the same also I desire to be found in Thus our righteousnesse is alike in Christ Fourthly In the application of Christs benefits there is no regard to external temporal differences Christ doth not communicate himself to a Christian for any external consideration nor are his favours dispensed with such references but according to their spiritual capacities Hence it comes about that some poor weak Christian may enjoy far more of God and Christ then the richest man or the learnedst man that is in the world because Christ dispenseth himself in a spiritual way because they are his members and believe in him not for accidental respects Thus Christ saith I stand at the door and knock Rev. 3.20 if any man open I will come in and sup with him Christ will come to a poor mans house and knock there and will sup with him The meaning is he will manifest himself in a gracious comfortable way to such an one let him be never so contemptible Know then to partake of Christ and to have intimate fellowship with him is not according to the manners of great Kings and Potentates in the earth It 's not here as with Ahashuerus none might come into his presence but such as were perfumed and gloriously prepared for his presence a long while together Every believer may come boldly to the throne of grace and call God Father and never be discouraged for external respects God may make the poor mans cottage an heaven whereas the rich mans palace or hall is many times an hell Christ regards not great men but good men yet this must not be wrested to an Anabaptistical errour that because in spiritual dispensations Christ makes no such difference therefore the publique civil order that is between rich and poor honourable and base is to be confounded No Christs Gospel doth not abolish humane policies and civil differences but doth with great diligence command the renewing of them Take an instance about a believing servant 1 Tim. 6.2 They that have believing masters let them not despise them because they are brethren Servants might think that by Christ all difference is taken away why should he be a servant he hath as much of Christ and is equally beloved of him with his Master Oh saith the Apostle take heed of such corruption grace doth not confound and abolish relations and order but rather confirmeth them and commands to discharge