but this is the way to health It 's good to be troublesome to the sins of men and better be a man of strifes in this sense then preach peace to sinners Vse of Admonition To lay aside all those malicious revengefull actions one towards another These times of warre have especially wrought such bitter enmity against one another that this generation will not quiet it unlesse grace overcome Take the Apostles Rule Let nothing be done through contention and pride and covetousnesse or impatience and then what calmnesse and quietnesse will there be As he said of Physicians Quot funera tot opprobria so many funerals so many reproaches to them And certainly so many branglings so many Law suits so many reproaches to the Gospel of peace to Christ the Prince of peace to the Officers in the Church the Ministers of peace I speak not of necessary defensive Law-suits to which men are unwillingly haled having used all other means before but that pronenesse and impatiency that is in men Oh be not thus Tygers and Savages one to another Thou that dealest in anger how doest thou expect Gods love Thou that wilt not be pacified but breathest revenge how shall God spare thee Whereas there is divisions amongst you We are now upon the third and last sinne enumerated as an argument of their carnal estate The worst wine or rather vinegar is left to the last Divisions Some render it factions it addeth to the wickednesse of the former that by this envying and strife men are divided into several parties They imbody themselves in several factions to the destruction of the whole The Greek word is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The same word Gal. 5. is translated Seditions There are three Greek words in the Scripture which expresse Factions or Divisions That in the Text when men divide themselves into parties in a sinfull and inordinate way otherwise to divide from wickednesse and from the general impieties and errours of the world is no faction though the world be apt to call godly men factious so that not the meer division but the cause and the ground is to be considered For as all punishment and constant sufferings for a point in Religion doth not make a Martyr so neither division or opposing in a lawfull way of a multitude when erring is a faction The Christians were charged by the Heathens for making factions To this Tertullian answered Apolog. Quandò boni coeunt non est factio sed curia dicenda The other word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is 1 Cor. 11. a metaphor from cloath or the body when one part is rent from the other As Austin thought it a very difficult thing to define what heresie was so it is also what Schism is This is certain it 's a breach of that love and union which ought to be among Christians 3. There is Heresie or a Sect which is more than a Schism especially as Ecclesiastical use hath made it And although it was at first used for a meer opinion or way without any evil sense as when Tully said Cato in ea fuit haeresi and some say it is so used in the Acts of the Apostles but in the Epistles it is alwayes used in a bad sense I shall not trouble you with what learned men say in the Explication of these words This is enough That the Scripture condemneth them as great sinnes They come from a bitter root Christ nor his Church do not own such things Observe That Divisions and Factions do quickly creep into the best and purest Churches This Church of Corinth was a Garden planted by Paul and notwithstanding all his care his constant inspection yet these weeds grow up in it In the Parable when the good seed was sown the Devil came and sowed his tares while men slept Matth. 13. But here while the Officers were awake and diligent yet these tares grow up To open this point I shall but give you drops out of the Ocean of this matter It 's a subject to be handled with tears onely the Scripture gives cordials that the godly should not sink under it First Let us divide for Logical divisions are good to teach and instruct though Church divisions are not and then shew wherein the Nature of a division or faction lieth Then the Reasons why such things will be Divisions or Factions may be either 1. Civil or Ecclesiastical Civil are all those rents and ruptures that are made by the lusts of men in a Commonwealth Thus Jeroboam made a division he rent ten Tribes from the other two and made a distinct Kingdom and which would make one wonder but that God had foretold it those ten Tribes never re-united again that breach was never made up These Civil seditions are sad Prognosticks of the destruction of those places where they are as the renting of the Temple was a Prognostick of the abolition of all the Jewish worship Aristotle giving several differences between Monarchy and Tyranny reckons this for one That tyranny makes and foments factions nourisheth divisions that so while people haue a mutual hatred against and diffidence one in another that reigneth the more securely according to that Rule Divide impera But this is wicked policy Our Saviour cals those blessed that are peace-makers and they who indeavour to make all the godly as one man do instrumentally accomplish Christs prayer for this thing It was horrible wickednesse in Ahitophel to perswade Absolom to go into his fathers Concubines thinking thereby to make a perpetual irreconcilablenesse These are not the Scripture-rules of State government The other Divisions are in the Church and they are o◠two sorts either when different Doctrines and Opinions are maintained and these are called Heresies Or when there is a soundnesse of Doctrine yet men break the bonds of love and live in malice frowardnesse and uncharitablenesse and this is called Schism Now all these kinds of divisions are very sad and dangerous things And when God speaks of the destruction of a people Zech. 10.11 13. it's excellently described of breaking two staffs the one called beauty the other bonds that is as some expound it their unity and their order 2. Factions or Divisions are either Personal between godly men particularly or more publick between Societies and Societies Churches and Churches Between Persons Thus Paul and Barnabas they were in a bitter dissention one with another 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Acts 15.39 and that about the companion they should take So Paul and Peter Paul reproved Peter and withstood him to the face Gal. 1. Or more publick Thus many Jews that believed raised great dissentions about Circumcision and the retaining of the customs of the Law What sad divisions did that dispute make In Antiquity the like might be shewed Epiphanius and Chrysostom were at extream variance one with another and both orthodox Several dayes before the famous Council of Nice was gathered those many hundred Bishops that were assembled
foundation in the hearts of their hearers 125 Of a two-fold foundation Fundamentum cognoscendi the foundation of our knowledge and faith in matters of Religion viz. the Scripture And fundamentum essendi or the foundation of the being or existence of all our glory and salvation viz. Jesus Christ ibid Four unquestionable Scripture-foundations ibid. With a discovery of rotten foundations 127 Why it is such a sinne to worship God many wayes as man pleaseth 132 As a wise master-builder 137 Observ That it 's not vanity but a duty in some cases for the Ministers of the Gospel to magnifie and set up their Work and Office ibid In what cases a Minister may magnifie his work and office ibid. And another buildeth thereon 139 Observ That people are not to expect that Ministers should bring any other Doctrine than what is laid by Christ and the Apostles already ibid. The use of preaching notwithstanding the fulnesse of the Scripture 140 But let every man take heed how he buildeth thereupon 141 Observ The Ministers of God are greatly to take heed that they preach no other thing than what is already contained in the Scripture Or It 's a dangerous thing to put that sense and meaning on the word of God which is not the true genuine sense of it ibid. A two-fold building upon the foundation ibid Why Ministers must take heed how they build upon the foundation 142 Verse 11. For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid which is Jesus Christ 145 Observ That the Ministers of God ought to lay no other Foundation than Christ ibid. How many wayes Christ is to be preached as a foundation ibid. Reasons why he must be preached as the foundation 150 Objections and Doubts answered 153 How Duties are to be done and preached with relation to Christ 154 The great Advantages those have that are built on Christ 155 Verse 12. Now if any man build on this foundation gold silver precious stones wood hay stubble c. 157 Observ That the Doctrine and Truths of Christ are very precious and excellent ibid What the comparing them to Gold c. implieth ibid. If any man build hay and stubble 161 Observ That all errours and falshoods in Religion though not fundamental are no better than hay and stubble ibid Some Propositions about errour ibid. Why errours are called hay and stubble 162 Verse 13. Every mans work shall be made manifest 165 Observ That all the wayes and works of wickednesse though acted in never so hidden and secret a manner shall be made manifest ibid. What kind of hidden wickednesse shall be made manifest ibid. The Aggravation of those sins that are secret and hidden 168 Observ That all the hidden and secret wayes of false Doctrines God will one day make manifest 169 The Causes Nature the cunning subtilty in divulging them shall be made manifest ibid. For the day shall declare it 173 Observ That God hath his time when he will discover the errours and falshoods of mens Doctrines ibid. Errours are spiritual judgements the removal in mercy at Gods time 174 Why God will have a day to discover false Doctrine 176 Because it shall be revealed by fire and the fire shall declare every mans work of what sort it is 177 The interpretation of fire 178 Observ That God useth to bring people out of errours and false wayes by his Word and Afflictions ibid. Though the Word and afflictions are both helpfull yet differently 179 How wandring sheep are reduced by the Word ibid. How by afflictions 181 Verse 14. If any mans work abide which he hath built thereupon he shall receive a reward 181 Observ That Gods Truths are of a firm and durable Nature notwithstanding any tryal or opposition whatsoever 182 Truth two-fold Increated and Created ibid Scripture-truths reduced to four heads 183 Verse 15. If any mans work shall be burnt he shall suffer losse but he himself shall be saved yet so as by fire 185 Observ That every man will be altogether a loser in any errour or false way that he hath maintained he shall suffer loss 186 Wherein they shall be losers ibid. He shall be saved yet so as by fire 189 Observ That even errours of judgement may endanger a mans salvation as well as ungodlinesse in practice ibid. The several kinds of corruptions of the understanding that indangers a mans salvation ibid. The Difference between errour and heresie with the grounds of the Doctrine 190 Observ That every godly man though never so eminent yet is very difficultly saved 192 Verse 16. Know ye not that ye are the Temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you 193 Observ That the consideration of those Priviledges and Relations which all the People that professe God are put into would be a great Argument against all kind of Pollution ibid Some of the chief Titles or Relations which the people of God have 194 Know ye not that ye are the Temple of God 197 Of the word Temple ibid. Observ That the people of God met together to worship him according to his way are the spiritual Temple of God 197 What there is in the Church allusively to the Temple 198 Of Gods presence with his Church 200 And that the Spirit of God dwels in you 201 Observ That the Spirit of God is God 202 The signification of the word Spirit when attributed to God ibid. That the holy Ghost is God and a person ibid. Why the holy Ghost is called Spirit 204 Observ That the Spirit of God dwels in his Church 205 What to have the Spirit dwell in us implieth in that phrase ibid. How many wayes the Spirit may be said to dwell in Gods people 207 The special works and effects of the holy Spirit in his Chruch 209 I. Gifts ibid. How farre the gifts and abilities of Ministers that are acquired by humane study and industry are to be ascribed unto the holy Ghost ibid. II. Sanctifying graces 209 Of the saving inhabitation of the Spirit 212 Verse 17. If any man defile the Temple of God him shall God destroy 216 Observ That those men who defile the Church of God with corrupt Doctrines do highly provoke God to punish them ibid Why errours are said to defile Gods Church 217 How God will punish Heretiques 219 A godly man may fall into a damnable Heresies 220 How a godly man erring differeth from a wicked man ibid. Errours are erroneous persons distinguished 221 Why God is so provoked with corruptions in Doctrine and worship ibid Him shall God destroy 222 Observ That eternal Damnation is the destruction of a man ibid. Of the punishment of losse sense 224 With the Aggravations of this punishment 225 For the Temple of God is holy which Temple ye are 226 Observ The holy Temple of God under the Gospel is not any place though never so adorned or glorious but persons believing and worshipping of him according to his will ibid Verse 18. Let no man
into the Temple The Greek words are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 an elegant allusion The sinne and the punishment shall be both alike some have rendered it corrupt some vitiate others destroy This of our Translators is very good For seeing the truths of God and his Ordinances are pure then it followeth all errours and false Doctrines are a pollution as if you should put drosse to gold or cast mud into a pleasant spring Some Interpreters think the Apostle doth intend to an higher sinne then he named before For say they vers 15. he speaks of such false Doctrines that did not overthrow the foundation now such a man may be saved though difficultly but vers 17. he nameth such as strike at the very root and destroy the very Temple it self So that they make this the meaning If any man bring such corruptions of Doctrine as destroy the Temple of God overthrow Religion and make it no Church he shall not be saved at all There is no fire to cleanse him but to consume him Thus some But it 's more consonant to take the words more general and so they do better cohere And this destruction spoken of is to be understood unlesse he repent or pro subjectâ materiâ if it be onely hay and stubble then the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is no more than 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 before a destruction partial not total but if they be damnable heresies than they meet with a total destruction Observe That those men who defile the Church of God with corrupt Doctrines do highly provoke God to punish them The Text is an Argument à minori ad majus If the defilers of the material Temple did not escape Gods punishments as Athaliah for prophaning the Temple and Belshazzar the holy vessels of the Temple then much lesse shall they escape who pollute the Church of God by any such falshoods And we reade that our Saviour did in this shew his anger and wrought a miracle by way of indignation and another particular namely cursing the fig-tree In these two cases did Christs miracles tend to destruction or punishment all the other were full of mercy and healing For when they had defiled the Temple and made it a den of thieves twice our Saviour made a whip and scourged them out which Hierom doth admire as a greater miracle than any other our Saviour did that a man unarmed and contemptible should chase away such a multitude of men and in that matter of their profit making no resistance but barely asking By what power he did these things No doubt the City of Jerusalem was then guilty of many horrible and grievous crimes of injustice adulteries but Christ takes no notice of that but goeth presently to the Temple to reforme there and this is attributed to the godly zeal that was in him which did even eat him up John 2.17 For the opening of the Doctrine let us consider Why false Doctrines are a defiling why they are called corruptions For so in the Old Testament Idolatry is often called men are said to have corrupted their wayes by false worship and this will be good to take off that lovely painting and alluring dresse which some would put upon their errors and superstitions Now they are called defilings and corruptions First From the pure nature of Gods truth and his worship which falshoods do staine and take away the glory of You see the Apostle compareth them to gold and precious stone Now to take these and to throw them into the dirt is a debasing of them Gods word is said to be more pure than gold seven times refined yea more to be desired than fine gold Psal 19.10 Christ commends his Doctrine under the notion of living water John 4.10 the pure running streams of the brook Now all false Teachers they throw in mud and dirt to these as the Philistims did earth into those Wells that Isaac digged for his cattel Every pure thing is made impure when mingled with any thing of a more sordid and inferiour nature as gold with leade wine with water water with mud So then though men give glorious Titles and Names to their falshoods as excellent Truths glorious Lights yet indeed they are no more than defilements and pollutions Oh then how humble tender and carefull ought men to be Are the Truths and Ordinances of God by institution and in their original so pure Come not then with thy soul hands to handle such precious things Secondly They are called defilements and pollutions Because the truths and Church of God are not only pure but dedicated and appropriated to him as the only object So that they are holy as well as pure and in this notion the Apostle considers them So that it 's a sacrilegious defilement to take the Truths and Ordinances or worship of God and by thy carnal and sinfull imaginations to pervert them And here we may say in another sense Thou that abhorrest Idols doest thou commit sacriledge Thou that art against Popery against the Idolatry of the Masse and other abominable things Doest thou sacrilegiously pervert the holy Truths and Ordinances of God by sinfull and corrupt opinions Certainly if this were believed men would not so prophanely dispute and dally in the holy things of God Thirdly Errours and heresies may well be called defilements Because they are a disease and so spread over the Church The Scripture compareth them not to every kind of disease but that which is most mortal and dangerous even a Cancer Thus Paul of Hymenaeus and Philetus Whose word eateth like a canker 3 Tim. 2.17 The Leprosie in the Old Testament of which Levit. 13. there is so much spoken is acknowledged by Divines to typifie heresie and errours and as that did infect and make the very garments unclean that they were to be washed or burnt so the Apostle alludes to this Jude vers 23. Hating even the garment that is spotted by the flesh See what thoughts we are to have of all errours and heresies we are no to touch the garment of the flesh that is we are not to come near such as it 's said Come out of Babylon because of her Church-corruptions and touch no unclean thing 2 Cor. 6.17 Thus you see that you are not only to take heed of defâ—â—ng your selves with errours but because they are a Leprosie a spreading filthinesse you are not to come near the temptations be as much afraid of such an one as of one with a plague sore running upon him That very phrase Whose word eats like a canker should much terrifie women who by seeming pretences are apt to be mis-led What a dangerous thing is a canker in thy brest But as soon as thou hast received any errour thou hast got a canker in thy heart So that if it were onely a pollution it was not so terrible but here is a killing disease with this pollution If therefore thou lovest thy soul flee from
when in the Battell was taken by his enemies and they ready to kill him yet he cryed unto the Lord and God moved their heart to depart from him 2 Chron. 18.31 So in the thievings and robberies in the world it 's God that diverts men from designing and doing mischief to such Families While the people of Israel wenâ— up to keep their Feast at Jerusalem he ordered mens hearts so That none should desire their Land Exo 34.24 Vse of Thankfulnesse to God in all these common Preservations Every day every morning and evening thou hast cause to wonder at his Power and Goodnesse under all thy temptations What befalls another God tells thee what might come to thee Oh therefore do not take thy life and health God giveth thee and spend it upon the Devils service Remember Thou livest upon Gods mercy if he withdraw for a moment any suddain evil may fall upon thee â‚ FINIS An ALPHABETICAL TABLE A Admiration OF Admiration of Ministers Persons when sinfull p. 48 Afflictions How Afflictions effect good in a man p. 179 181 Agreement The Motive of Agreement is Godlinesse p. 33 Agreement among the wicked easily broken doth not alwaies denote a true Church p. 41 Protestants Agree in Fundamentals p. 41 B Babes BAbes in Christ p. 5 Babes directed p. 8 Backbyting Of Backbyting p. 35 Building Gods people are his Building p. 118 The Scripture is the foundation of this Building p. 141 Of a two-fold Building upon the foundation p. ibid. How a Minister must take heed how he builds on the foundation p. 142 Of their Building Gold Silver Precious Stones p. 157 Boasting Of Boasting in men p. 265 See Glorying C Carnall CArnall its several significations p. 5 In what sense a godly man may be said to be Carnall p. 21 Ceremonies Of Ceremonies p. 11 Causes Causes of Grace Principal and Subordinate p. 59 Principal the Ministry p. 68 Efficient the Spirit of God ibid. Church The Churches Duties p. 20 Of Church-Government p. 84 Of the Holinesse of Churches p. 118 The matter of a Church ibid. The Church of God is his Temple p. 193 The Churches Priviledges Relations and Titles should be a spur to duty ibid. The Churches Riches enumerated p. 270 Christ Christ justly exalted p. 30 As the Foundation p. 21 145 Christ may be sinfully set up and how p. 58 What it is to preach Christ p. 145 153 The Godly and all they can do are Christs p. 294 Christians Christians should â—â—ve as those that are more then meer men p. 42 Contention Contentions argue men to be so farre carnal p. 33 Contentions are two-fold Good â—vil p. 34 36 37 The cause of sinfull strife p. 34 The Effects of it in Civil Religious Matters p. 35 36 The Aggravations of this sinne p. 36 D Damnation OF Damnation p. 222 Death Death the godly mans advantage p. 282 Deacon Deacon the word used diversly p. 66 Defile Defilers of Gods Temple with corrupt Doctrine p. 216 Difference Difference between Christian and Christian in respect of their Knowledge and Graces p 5.22 Discipline Discipline how severe in the Primitive times p. 7 Divisions The sad Effects of Divisions p. 99 Direction for Times of Division ibid. Difficulty The difficulty of the salvation of those that are most godly p. 192 Divinity Divinity contains a two-fold Matter 1. Fundamentals and 2. Conclusions from them E Encrease THe Encrease and successe of preaching from God p. 86 Ends. Of corrupt Ends in a Minister and good Ends p. 63 64 Envy Envy the word used in a good sense and in a bad sense p. 25 It 's a fruit of the flesh p 25 Its Degrees p 26 Its Object p. 27 It s Subject p. 28 Its Aggravations p. 29 Its Remedies p. 32 How differenced from zeal p. 32 Errour Errour Considerations about it p. 142 c. Errours are Hay and Stubble though not Fundamentall p. 161 Men may be erroneous and not know it 161 Errours Greater Lesser p. 121 161 Why called Hay and Stubble Its secret waies shall be made manifest p. 169 May indanger salvation p. 189 Its Causes p. 169 Defile Gods Church p. 217 Erroneous times sad times p. 174 How God will punish the erroneous p. 186 219 How farre a godly man may erre and how a godly man erring differeth from a wicked man p. 220 The Difference between Errour and Heresie p. 190 See Doctrines Eternal Of Eternal Damnation F Family OF Family-Duties p. 3 See Relations Wickdnesse p. 3 4 13 Such as they are such is the Common-wealth p. 14 Faith Faith Its eminency p. 70 Nature and Acts p. 71 Its Foundation viz. the Scripture p. 126 Effects p. 72 Knoweth its ground why though it comprehend not the matter believed p. 71 Is the Instrument of Sanctification as well as of Justification p. 72 Fundamental Of Fundamentals p. 2 The ignorance of them lamentable p. 2 Reduced to several Heads p 14 Are easie p. 15 Knowledge of them necessary ibid. Foundations Foundations in Religion carefully to be laid p. 125 Four unquestionable Scripture Foundations I. The Matters to be believed viz. The Scripture is the only Foundation of our Faith p. 125 126. How carefull Ministers should be to build truth upon that Foundation p. 141 Four rotten Foundations The Authority of the Church Magistrate Enthusiasme Meer humane Reason p. 127 II. The Worship and necessary Service of God p. 129 How necessary it is ibid. It must have a Divine Command p. 131 Three rotten Foundations in Worship ibid. III. The things to be done by us p. 125 This Foundation of Practice consists in 1. It 's Directory Gods Word 2. The Justification of our Persons 3. A receiving power from Christ 4. A renewed and sanctified Nature p. 133 The necessity of this Foundation p. 134 Four rotten Foundations that men build upon in reference to practice p. 135 How Christ is the Foundation p. 145 c. How the Apostles the Foundation p. 145 c. Fool. Wise men after the flesh are fools p. 229 G Glory THe Degrees of Glory p. 101 105 Of Glorying in men The sinfulnesse of this sinne p. 261 And how many waies that is done ibid. See Boasting Godly Their Characteristical Priviledges p. 155 265 Of Godlinesse in the power of it p. 42 105 Grace Free Grace to be exalted and praised and how p. 121 Why the godly are so sensible of free Grace p. 123 Impediments of this duty p. 124 Gospel Gospel how great a mercy to a people p. 79 Government Of Government in the Church p. 120 Growth in Grace Growth in Grace and Knowledg pressed p. 1â— 91 Intensive Extensive ibid. Grounds of Religion See Principles and Fundamentals H Hay OF building Hay and Stubble p. 161 Hell Of Hell p. 222 Heresie Heretiques How God will punish Heretiques p. 220 Hide How vain and sinfull to Hide our sinnes p. 166 c. Holy Ghost The Holy Ghost is God and a Person p. 201 c. Why called a Spirit ibid. Heaven Heavens
pure Worship because 1. God is greatly provoked by the contrary God may be provoked by sinfull worship three waies 2. Corrupt worship â—ends to the breach of Union between God and his Church 3. God looks upon corrupt worship as done to Devils 4. Men are prone to invent new worship Reasons to prove that all acceptable worship must have a Divine Command Quest Answ Of the foundation of practice The parts are 1. It 's directory Gods Word 2. The justifion of our persons 3. A receiving power from Christ 4. A renewed and sanctified nature Why we should be carefull of laying these foundations for every good action The â—oâ—ten foundations that men build upon in regard of practice Observ Of Ministers praising themselves In what cases Ministers may magnifie their Work and Office Observ Ministers are not to preach any new Doctrine The use of Preaching notwithstanding the fulness of the Scripture Observ Of Ministers building upon the foundation of Scripture by their preaching Gal. 3.15 A two-fold building upon the foundation Both the words of Scripture and the sense of Scripture must be attended unto Why Ministers must take heed how they build upon the true foundation 1. On Gods part 2. On the peoples part 3. On the Ministers part Directions to Ministers and people how to build aright upon the foundation Observ Of preaching Jesus Christ as the foundation How many waies Christ is to be preached as a foundation Reasons why Ministers are to lay no other foundation but Christ Object Answ Object Answ The great advantages which those people have who are built on Christ Observ What is implied by comparing the truths of Christ to gold and precious stones 1. In respect of the matter 2. In respect of the way and manner of preaching them Observ Errors not fundamental are hay and stubble Propositions to amplifie this point Why errors are called hay and stubble Wickedness in practice the fruit of errour in judgement Observ What secret sins shall be brought to light The aggravation of secret hidden sins Observ Hidden and secret wayes of false doctrine shall be made manifest What concerning errours shall be made manifest 1. The causes of errour shall be manifest 1. Pride 2. Ignorance 3. Hypocrisie 4. Ambition and affectation of high places 5. Discontent and imparience 6. Envy 7. Contemplative delight in a mans own notions II. The nature of errour shall be manifested III. The cunning subtilty in divulging them shall be manifested Observ That God hath his time for the discovering of errour Errors are spiritual judgements What is meant by fire The way God takes to bring people out of errour By the word and afflictions Which are both helpfull but differently in these respects How wandering sheep are reduced by the Word Object Answ How afflictions may help to reduce men from errour Observ Of the durable nature of Gods Truths Truth two-fold Increated and Created Created truths of two sorts Scripture truths reduced to four heads Truth willing to be tryed They grow more illustrious by the fiery Tryal The effects of truth also upon the heart will abide this tryal Object Qu. Whether any Ministers or Churches are quite free from building hay or stubble Observ Every man shal be a loser by what error soever he maintaineth Wherein they shall be losers Observ Errours in judgment may damn a man as well as a wicked life The several corruptions of the understanding that endanger a mans salvation The difference between errour and heresie The grounds of the Doctrin Observ The difficulty of salvation even to a godly man The Church is Gods Temple Observ Church Priviledges and Relations are great Obligations to Holinesse How the word Temple is used in Scripture What it doth signifie Of Gods spiritual Temple What there is in the Church alusively to the Temple Of Gods presence with his Church The significa of the word Spirit when attributed to God That the Holy Ghost is God and a Person That he is a Person That he is God Arguments Why the holy Ghost is called Spirit Of the Spirits dwelling in us What to have the Spirit dwell in us implieth The special works and effects of the holy Spirit in his Church Doubt Resolution Observ Of defiling Gods Church with errours Why errors are said to defile Gods Church How God will punish Heretiques A godly maâ—n may fall into a damnable heresie How a godly man erring differeth from a wicked man Errour and erroneous persons distinguished Why God is so provoked with corruptions in Doctrine and Worship Observ Of Eternal Damnation The punishment of losse The pain of sense The aggravations of this destruction Eternal Universal Inevitable Observ Of the Temple of God Of the Jewish Tabernacle and Temple Believers joyned in a Church way according to Scripture are Gods temple Observ Of humane wisdome what an hinderance it is to the things of Christ Carnal wisdom an enemy to the Scripture Carnal wisdom an enemy to Christian duties Observ Humane wisdome nothing to Scripture-wisdome Scripture-wisdome excels speculative wisdome Scripture wisdome excels the moral or practical wisdome of the world Observ True wisdome is but folly in the worlds account The things to be believed have these seeming follies The hope of a Christian foolish in the judgment of the world The duties of Christians foolish in the judgement of the world Observ That true wisdom is only in the Church of God demonstrated Observ All worldly wisdom is folly before God And that whether considered actively or passively I. Active foolishnesse How worldly wisdome is foolishnesse in a passive sense God turning all their wisdome into folly A two-fold humane wisdome viz. good evil Observ How God takes the wise men of the world in their own craft Object Answ Observ Of vain thoughts In what sense the Scripture useth the word vain Observ Of glorying in men How many wayes we may be said to glory in men in the general How many wayes we may be said to glory in Doctors and Teachers Observ All things are the Saints In what respects all things may be said to be the godly mans Why God made all things for the godly Object Answ Object Answ Doubt Answ Object Answ Observ All Offices are for the Church In what sense the Ministers are not servants to the Church against Brownists In what sense they are the Churches The end for which they are the Churches Observ In what sense the world is said to be a godly mans Object Answ Observ Godly men only live In what respects it is true that the wicked do not live Observ The generation of death In how many particulars death is a godly mans Observ Observ Observ In what respects a godly man is Christs Characters of such as are Christs In what sense Christ can be said to be Gods Observ Of the Natures and Person of Christ and of the hypostatical Union How Christ as a man and as a Mediatour is Gods The general Character of the godly and the wicked All good the creature affords should lead us to God the universal good All naturally desire felicity The perswasiâ— of what is the best good and which is chiefly to be desired is wonderfully diversifyed according to the several inclinations humours and conditions of men How hardly this sin is discerned untill a man be enlightned by Gods Spirit All have lost the Image of God which alone did elevate the soul And Original corruption is come in the room of it If the godly man is yet conflicting with this sinne then it must needs reign in an unregenerate man The common gifts and graces of Gods Spirit never cures this evil The point is proved from the nature of Conversion And from the restlesse and unquiet heart of every natural man Their very approaches to God demonstrate that they prefer something before him The creature is unable to help us in our greatest exigencies Immoderate love of the creature is inconsistent with the love of God Is's a wofull snare and temptation The Word is unprofitable to a man while he preferres the creature It is a tormenting sinne All the things thus affected are vanities It 's direct Idolatry It 's a debasing of a man Such as prefer the world before God cannot Pray The heart is too noble for the creature Consider that all that have over-loved the creature have experienced the vanity of it Consider the reâ—sâ—â— why God mingles gall with the Honey of every creature Consider how insufficient they are of themselves to help and comfort us Heaven and glory cannot be obtained without a preement and transcendent affection to all other things Consider how â— some Heathens and superstitious persons have trampled upon earthly things to attain a notable end What this phrase to lift up the light of Gods countenance upon a man implyeth I. Riches II. An untroubled Conscience is no Argument of Gods countenance 1. An untroubled Conscience may be a stupid seared Conscience 2. And may be accompanied with grosse sinnes 3. And without taking Gods way for the obtaining and preserving of it Causes of the eclipse of Gods face to the godly The nature of this joy How it exceeds all worldly Joy The wonderfull Effects of Faith in quieting the soul in Afflictions The Doctrine xplain ed. The Arguments by which Faith quieteth the Soul The Stoical Security The Mirth and jollity of most wicked men under Gods Judgements How it differs from a gratious Confidence God alone preserveth in safety I. II. God preserveth principally And by creatures instrumentally 1. Irrational 2. Rational men Angels III IIII. The several waies by which God preserveth his people in safety
THE Scripture Directory FOR CHURCH-OFFICERS AND PEOPLE OR A Practical Commentary UPON THE Whole third Chapter of the first Epistle of St Paul TO THE CORINTHIANS To which is annexed the Godly and the Natural Mans Choice upon Psal 4. vers 6 7 8. By Anthony Burgesse Pastour of the Church of Sutton Coldfield in Warwickshire LONDON Printed by Abraham Miller for T.U. and are to be Sold by Thomas Underhill George Calvert and Henry Fletcher in Pauls Church-yard 1659. TO THE READER THe sound Interpretation and Practical Application of Scripture for the Advancement of Holiness as it is the most profitable and pleasant part of our Ministerial Employment so it should be the Readers wisdome and diligence to Exercise himself most in the perusall of such Spiritual Helps As for Controversies to look on them like the Bryars and Thornes on the Ground even the Effect of original corruption So that to leave the Practical and Affectionate part of Religion for the Speculative and Disputative is to part with our sweetness and fatness to become a bryar Yet Experience doth too much confirm how great a depravation is herein upon the mindes of men naturally doting upon Questions Strifes of wordes wherein is no Edifying It is reported of a Philosopher That he would not be resolved in the doubts he had upon his mind that so he might not be deprived of that pleasure and delight which he found in seeking and searching out of truth Which is as if a feavourish man would not be cured of the drought or thirst upon him that so he might still enjoy the pleasure he findeth in drinking But Scepticism and inconstancy and such inordinate affectation of Opinions and Controversies is contrary to the sound constitution of Christianity which inclineth to a solid mind in Matters of Faith and to an holy mortified heart in respect of our conversation Now to bring such an holy and heavenly Establishment upon the soul the only way is to make a constant and diligent Improvement of Gods Word in all the happy and blessed Effects it causeth upon the soul He that doth thus is like the tree planted by the Rivers side that will not wither but bring forth its fruit in due season Among other Portions of Scripture I have selected this third Chapter of the first Epistle to the Corinthians for the peculiar subserviency and particular conduceableness it may have to heal such distempers which at this time infect many The Church of Corinth though immediately planted as a pleasant Eden by Paul himself yet quickly degenerated the envious one sowing tares amongst the good wheat For not only Godly Discipline was collapsed and Prophaneness in mens lives much increased but such factions and divisions were crept in amongst them that like the renting of the veil of the Temple their destruction was praesaged hereby did they not in time prevent it by having one heart and one way The sky being thus red did signifie the foul weather that was to ensue For as Aristotle observeth That the perpetual duration of things is to be attributed to the simple and quotidian course of the Sun from the East to the West but the generation and corruption of things to the Oblique motion of the Sun and Planets in the Zodiack So the preservation and continuance of Faith and Holiness in the Churches of God is under Christ to be attributed to the uniform motion of the Guides and Officers therein but all corruption of Doctrine and Discipline all generation of errors and vices to their oblique and different courses This Chapter then may be called The Directory of the Holy Ghost both to Officers and People in their respective deportments that so there may be a mutual edification It may be looked upon as a Pillar of Salt to season all other Churches It seemeth to have that Inscription of Senacharibs Tomb upon it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 By beholding of me take heed of pride in Gifts and Parts take heed of schismes and divisions set not up a Ministry against Christ nor yet oppose Christ to a Ministry These are to be composed with one another and not opposed Besides this general Matter there are also several Truths of great concernment contained in the Chapter especially the best VVine you meet with at last where is described the rich Treasure of every godly man There is an Inventory given in of all his Goods There is his Magna Charta confirmed Yea as the Devil once shewed the Glory of the world for a temptation so doth the Spirit of God here discover both the Glory of Heaven and Earth for the encouragement of the true Believer I shall not detain thee any longer with Prefacing but conclude Come and see Thine Anthony Burgesse March 18. 1658. THE CONTENTS OF THIS Practical Exposition ON THE Third Chapter of the first Epistle of St Paul TO THE CORINTHIANS Verse 1. ANd I brethren could not speak unto you as unto spiritual but as unto carnal even as unto babes in Christ Observ That the ignorance and sinfulnesse of a people are a just cause why faithfull and wise Ministers of the Word doe not sometimes preach of the more sublime and excellent points in Christianity p. 2 In what respects the peoples Ignorance is an impediment to the Ministers preaching p 3 In what respects the peoples Sinfulnesse is an impediment to the Ministers preaching p 3 Carnal It s several significations Observ That even among those who are truly and indeed of the visible Church of God there is a vast difference some are spiritual some are carnal some are men some are babes p. 5 What it is to be a spiritual man 7 What to be carnal or babes 8 Verse 2. I have fed you with milk and not with meat Observ 1. It must be the Prudence and Wisdome of the Minister to preach such matter and in such a way as the Hearers may receive good thereby p. 9 Observ 2. It 's necessary to acquaint People with the Principles of Religion before they go higher in Christianity 13 Considerations about the principles of Religion and the knowledge and ignorance of them 13 For hither to ye were not able to bear it neither yet now are ye able Observ That it 's a great sinne and just reproach to a people that have lived long under the means of grace if they have not got the due profit by it 17 The due profits and effects of the Ministry Intellectual and Practical ib. Verse 3. For ye are yet carnal 21 Qu. Why those that are godly for the main are called carnal ibid. Observ That the reliques of corruption which do abide in the godly ought to be an heavy burden to them against which they are daily to strive and combate ib. Considerations about the Saints infirmities and corruptions 22 And whence it is that they do not fully conquer sinne 23 And why God doth not cure his people at once 24 For whereas there is among you Envying and Strife and
Apostle Paul though he be an eloquent Apollo More spiritual matter this Text will also afford only I must first answer that Question Whether the Corinthians did indeed set up these eminent godly men as Heads of Parties or whether his meaning was that they set up many false Apostles and became factious Disciples to such only the Apostle spareth to name them thinking it wisdome to do so and instanceth in himself and other Pillars teaching them hereby that if such as were faithfull and godly ought not to be exalted how much less corrupt and false Teachers Some are for the Affirmative and some for the Negative but I think both Expositions may well be joyned together For the Corinthians some of them did too much glory in Paul and Apollo and set them up Otherwise Why should Paul bless God so much for that Providence that he had baptized so few For men were apt to set up those that baptized them as if they had been baptized into their name Therefore certainly the Corinthians did sinfully rest and glory in such as Paul Wherfore he takes them off and excellently concludes Let him that glorieth glory in the Lord 1 Cor. 1.13 Thus the first Exposition is true Then that the other also is true that although Paul instanceth in himself and others yet therby meaning other ambitious Teachers that affected Disciples appeareth also 1 Cor. 4.6 where he saith He had by a Figure transferred those things to himself and Apollo for their sakes That is for their Instruction to teach them that they must not think of Paul and Apollo above what they should as many of them did much less of false ambitious corrupt Teachers as many others also did This explained we may observe two more Doctrines 1. That it is not lawfull for Christians to call themselves by the Name of any men though never so Eminent so as to build on them Christ and his Truth are the foundation we must build upon The Apostles indeed are called the foundations Rev. 22.14 but they were immediately inspired and they were but secondary foundations fundamenta fundata not fundamemta fundantia as Divines say So that we are not Believers in Paul or Peter We are not the Apostles Believers much less the Fathers or any Doctors and Teachers in the world That is our Saviours meaning when he saith Call no man Master but Christ Mat 23 8. It is true this Doctrine is abused by some as is to be shewed when I come to speak of those who said they were of Christ viz. in a sinfull factious way They were not for Paul or Apollo or any Ministers they cryed down all the Ministry They are for Christ to teach them immediately But thus farre the Doctrine is true we may not be called after any mans name We are not to set up any Persons or Councils in Christs stead We are not to believe in them Homines non debent aedificari super homines said Austin For the opening of this let us Consider First The Names that Christians have had in the New Testament and afterwards in the Church For by wise Names we come to know the nature of things And First Christ did often call those that followed him his Disciples Thus He that would be his Disciple must hate Father and Mother for his sake And when the Apostles are sent out their Instruction is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 make Disciples Indeed there are the seventy Disciples who were in a Church-Office next the Apostles but every follower of Christ his Doctrine and way was called a Disciple but it is Christs Disciples They were never called the Apostles Disciples or any mans Disciples And certainly this doth excellently denote what Christians should do viz. Take that duty which God from Heaven commanded us concerning Christ Hear him Mat. 17.5 a Disciple is not to dispute but to believe A Disciple is wholly to learn and receive from his Master And oh how excellent would this be if every Christian would thus hearken to what Christ saith If thou art Christs Disciple learn of him how to live how to walk how to obey Lean not to thy own understanding Lean not to others for only Christ is Truth Another Name and that most frequent was Believers Christians are often called by this title None more frequent And this also doth difference Christians from all other sects in the world All the Philosophers they affected to be knowing men not believing Averroes by scorn called Christians credentes Believers For such as he affected to know the Causes of things and to inquire in the hidden secrets of Nature counting it a disgrace to believe upon meer Authority Thus Julian upbraided Christians with their 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 believe only Hence Rom. 1. The preaching of Christ was accounted foolishness to the Gentiles They sought for wisdome for strong demonstrations but the Apostles meerly declaring and preaching such Doctrines were accounted foolish bablers So that to be a Believer doth denote the captivating of our understandings unto the Word of God and every sublime thought or reasoning that doth exalt it selfe And certainly if a Christian would think how much he is to submit his understanding to believe the Doctrines of the Scripture it would much inable him also to believe the Promises for the Church in general or in particular for his own self Faith of assent would breed Faith of fideucial adherence Should it be so great a matter to believe that God will raise up the Church when it hath no help Or subdue thy corruptions when thou believest greater matters in Doctrine As the Trinity That God was made man the resurrection of the body This is an excellent point to be pressed though not so proper here Another Name often attributed to Christians is Saints The Saints at Corinth and in many places Oh the very Name of this title should strike blasting and confusion into man Art thou a Saint-lyer a Saint-drunkard a Saint-Blasphemer All that are Christians should be Saints and Holy And therefore the Scripture cals them by that Name Not that all will be holy in a Church no There will be tares as well as Wheat Nor that we are to depart from a Church where wicked men are not cast out Or that the Sacraments are to be administred to none but who are truly godly though they be free from gross sinnes These things cannot be inferred only Christians are called to be Saints and are Saints by Calling and so should be in their lives Oh consider this you who are prophane Beasts and tremble at it But the most famous and distinguishing Name of the people of God is Christians They were first called so at Antioch saith the Scripture Act. 11.26 Some have questioned whether others did not then put this Name upon them by scorn and reproach because Christ was crucified or whether they themselves did not voluntarily take upon them this Name as being a glory and honour to
them I rather think the latter because it 's used as a Name of honour If any man suffer as a Christian saith Peter 1 Pet. 1.3 Now this title Christian is of great importance Many are apt to say As they are a Christian when there is no reall Christianity in them For to be a Christian is as much as to be one anointed For as Christ was so called because annointed with all Graces in an unlimited manner so every Member of Christ is called a Christian because anointed with Graces Oh then thou that gloriest in that thou art no Heathen no Infidel no Jew but a Christian consider whether this be not a vain boast For is thy prophaneness thy wickedness thy impieties the anointing of Gods Spirit So that to have the reall power of Christianity is a difficult and straight work In after times the title Christian still continued And although they were sometimes called Cornelians from Cornelius Cyrillians from Cyrillus and Joannitae from John Chrysostome Eustathiani from Eustathius yet they did not own these Names And as Heresies began to rise up in many places some teaching one thing some another the Christian that kept to the true Faith that was constantly and universally believed in all the ages of the Church beginning from Christ and the Apostles times was called Catholique or universall in which sense he said Christianus mihi nomen Catholicus cognomen So that to be a Catholique was to believe that Faith which had been universally taught first by Christ and the Apostles afterwards by faithfull men in all ages And for the Papist to call himself a Catholique when the Roman Church hath so manifestly degenerated from the Apostolical and Scripture Doctrine and for them to make the Roman and the Catholique Church all one is as absurd as if a man should call London or England all the world The Papist therefore is no Catholique in a true sense because he cannot prove his Faith by the Apostolical Doctrine in the Scripture yea accuseth the Scripture as insufficient And some of their learned men have confessed that if they should try thir cause by the Scripture meerly it was gone I shall instance in one famous Name given to such who truly own Christ and his Truths and that is Protestants They were called thus not many years since in Luther's time whereas the Orthodox had got some indulgence for the profession of their true Religion and pure worship The Popish party did importune the Emperour of Germany to make an Edict at Worms and afterwards at Spires That no Religion should be publickly professed and owned but the Roman The Lutheran Party both Noblemen and others made a Solemn Protestation against that unjust Decree and ever since all that reformed from Popery have been called Protestants So that all those who have a compliance with Popery that admire their way in their heart or act by their principles cannot truly be called Protestants Thus you have heard the chief names by which Christians are called And still after no mans name And whereas Papists call us Lutherans Calvinists c. we indeed own Luther and Calvin and such men for worthy and famous instruments of Gods glory in their time but it is their calumny to call us after their Names It is true a man by way of difference or distinction he may say a Lutheran and Calvinist to denote some peculiar opinion but to own any man as an Author of our Faith or the foundation of Religion is not consistent with true Christianity There are pregnant Reasons for this First Because as our faith in regard of the efficient cause is the gift of God so the object and motive of it must be Gods authoriâ—y because he speaks and revealeth such things Humane faith is because a man saâ—â—h such a thing divine faith because God saith so Now see how carefull the Apostle was that the Churches faith should not be in humane wisdome but in the mighty power of God And so the Thessalonians received it not as the word of man but as the word of God 1 Thess 2.13 The Apostle saith They had not dominion of their faith 2 Cor. 1.24 They were not able to make any Articles of Faith necessary to be believed You see then none may be called after men we are not their Disciples their believers for that which resteth on men is but an humane faith and we ought to have a divine faith Men indeed may be instruments to propound the things to be believed but the motive is a divine testimony because God saith so Solomon by his wisdome declared to which woman the childe belonged to but he did not cause the affections of the mother to the child So faithfull Officers of the Church may declare the truth of God but they cannot work faith in thee Secondly Therefore we may not be called after men to build on them because we are not baptized into any mans name and we are onely to professe those in whose name we are baptized into 1 Cor. 1.13 Paul doth powerfully urge this Argument why they might not say they were of Paul because they were not baptized into the name of Paul So then his Disciple thou art and his badge thou onely art to wear in whose name thou wert baptized and that is not into the name of a man but the Name of the Father Son and holy Ghost Thirdly The Apostle presseth another Argument Was Paul crucified for you Did Paul die for you 1 Cor. 1.13 His meaning is In him onely we are to believe who is able to make our reconciliation with God who hath wrought our Redemption for us And therefore it 's a very high sinne to build your faith on a man It 's to make him a Saviour it 's to put him in Christs room Fourthly Our Apostle urgeth a further Argument in the same Chapter He that glorieth let him glory in the Lord And Christ is made unto us Wisdome So all boasting in men is to be excluded as well as boasting in works Oh but what is the cause of so many errors of so many divisions It 's from boasting in men such a man and such a man and by this meanes the glory due to God is taken away Fifthly The Scripture makes it a great sinne in matters of Religion and the worship of God to be servants of men 1 Cor. 7.23 Now what is it to be a servant of men when as bruit beasts we are wholly led at the command of others believe what they bid us believe worship with such worship as they command yet this hath been an universal sinne in all ages of the Church Men nuzzled in ignorance and pleasing themselves in their folly have without any judgement or information from Gods Word taken such a Religion and followed such a Worship as hath been imposed upon them Hence they have been sometimes of one Religion and sometimes of another because they have been servants to men and not Disciples of Christ
Malunt credere quam judicare Thus they offer an Asse for a sacrifice Sixthly The Ministers of God though never so eminent have been afraid of this they have prohibited such restings upon them But of this in another Doctrine viz. That it 's the property of godly Ministers not to bring men to themselves but to Christ Several Uses may be made As First That a Papist as a Papist following the principles of Popery and going no further hath but an humane blind faith They are so of the Pope and bound to his Determinations that all their Religion is built upon his Decision One of their learnedst Rabbies Valentia brings in a private Man consulting what Religion he should chuse and he argueth That if he be a Protestant then he must reade the Bible and other Authours and saith he I have not time to do that Therefore I will be of the Popish Religion for it 's but believing as the Church and as the Pope believeth Now saith the Jesuite God will at the Day of Judgement crown this man with glory for believing so yea he merits by believing so Now how contrary is this to Scripture which bids us Search the Scriptures Try the Spirits Not think of man above what is meet So that their Faith is an humane Faith their Religion an humane Religion believed for mans sake And that is the reason why the people of the greatest ignorance are most taken with it for it commends ignorance and pleaseth the vulgar fancy with a gorgeous worship Vse 2. To bewaile the great ignorance and blindnesse that is even in most Protestants For how few are there that believe this Religion upon judgment and searching the Scriptures upon knowledge and faith of the Word but they were brought up in it and the Lawes of the Land command it Oh consider if God would not have a Sacrifice without eyes no more will he have a Faith and a Religion without eyes What Jeremiah can make Lamentations equal to this grosse ignorance that covers the face of all Congregations You have no more than an humane Faith and an humane Religion or Worship of God Vse 3. To blesse God for the Instruments of Faith and the Ministers of grace but still to rest in God for all benefit and fruit by their labours It may be the Ministry hath been no more efficacious no more lively and profitable to thee because thou hast not owned God in it as thou shouldest It is God that openeth the eyes it 's God that openeth the ears and the hearts of men Therefore look up to him For while one saith I am of Paul and another I am of Apollo are ye not carnal The divisions here reproved in the Text have afforded us profitable Observations and yet we have not finished all We come to a third Observe the devils subtilty and emnity to the good and glory of Gods Church how many engines he useth sometimes he stirres up false Apostles who by their venemous doctrine may impoison the fountaines where all should drink and if that will not do then he labours to overthrow the Church by the repute and names of eminent teachers if the wickedness and malice of ungodly teachers do not hurt then the affected admiration of those that are true and godly shall bring about his end Nero was a man that envied and hated other mens excellencies and therefore at his Court when any had a mind to undoe another they would praise him which made Tacitus say Pessimum genus inimicorum laudantium And thus the Devil stirring up Disciples fondly and sinfully to praise eminent persons wrought the same destruction as he would have done by open hostility and persecution If he cannot by such Heretiques as Hymeneus and Philetus by open doctrine draw off from Christ then he will by secret applause and admiration make them so rest upon Paul and Peter that Christ shall not be eied as the author of all faith and success by the Ministery And Austin's observation is remarkable Quamvis non per impiorum sed sanctorum nomina tamen impia agebant Schismata Although they did not advance the names and persons of wicked men but of holy and eminent men yet by these names of holy men they made unholy and wicked divisions Observe That when the Devil cannot hurt the Church by a prophane and sinfull Ministery then he labours to destroy it by abusing the names and esteem of those who are truly holy and eminent The Devil hath his methods Eph. 6.11 and he is the old Dragon for cruelty and craft sometimes he is compared to a Lion roaring and that is in times of persecution sometimes to a glittering and curious Serpent and that is in subtle pretences and colours Now Bernard said Timeo Serpentem magis quam leonem rugientem yea he is said to have his depths Rev. 2.24 his secrets and mysteries of his state of darkness and as they say of some witchery that it comes by praising Hence that phrase praefiscisne loquor when we are about to praise any so the Devil when he cannot destroy souls by stirring up wicked instruments he will endeavour that men should think of good instruments more then they ought To open this First take notice What is the common and most notorious way of Satans doing hurt to the Church of God by the Ministers and Officers in the Church And this way he would alwayes take if he could The first is by corrupting the lives and conversations of the Ministery making them prophane and scandalous by which means all Religion comes to be abhorred Thus Hophnes and Phinehas Elyes sonnes because of their tyrannical violence and uncleanness it 's said the people abhorred the sacrifice of the Lord 1 Sam. 2.14 So that a prophane Minister is like a poisoned fountain where all must drink he doth not only damne his own soul but draweth others to hell with him Thus in the Old Testament the corruption of the whole Church did in a great measure arise from the prophaness of the Priests Hence in the New Testament it 's so carefully required in a Minister that he be blameless a lover of good men not given to any grosse sinne so that the Devil cannot have more service done him nor destroy the kingdome of Christ more then by the scandalous and prophane lives of Ministers this hardens the people this makes them contemne exhortations whereas let a Minister walk holily though their love to lusts will make them hate them yet in their consciences they cannot but fear and reverence them as Herod did John Baptist because he was a just man Mark 6.20 Secondly If he cannot hurt the Church this way then by raising up Ministers full of superstition and doting upon unwritten traditions and bringing in a will-worship where there is no rule or warrant One man though learned is not able to maintain his new notion of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 will-worship as if it were in a
good sense against the general sense of many others and this doth exceedingly please ignorant people What opposition did Paul find by such that taught tast not touch not that brought in worshipping of Angels and left Christ the Head and all this was done under a colour of wisdome and humility Col. 2.23 Even as in Popery still they urge we must have the Saints and Angels Mediators to God for us for is it fit say they an inferiour person should go into the presence of a great King without the favourite Thus the Heathens argued of old and thus the Papists now these things carry a shew of humility and so those thousands of superstitious ceremonies and wayes of worship that have been brought into the Church they come under the name of zeal and devotion but observe the Scripture you shall see Baptisme the Lords Supper when purely administred although in a grave and holy way yet in such simplicity and plainness that there is not the least mention of the least ceremony or traditional worship that afterwards was introduced and this the Apostle meant when he said He was afraid lest the Serpent should beguile them from the simplicity of the Gospel of Christ 1 Cor. 11.3 Oh that is a worthy place there is a simplicity in the Doctrine Worship and life of the Gospel and your minds are easily corrupted from this Thirdly If the Devil cannot yet scatter this little flock of Christ then he raiseth up all the power civil and ecclesiastical against it that he can Thus they were the builders Church-officers that refused Christ Mat. 21.42 Observe and you shall see the greatest persecutors of Christ and the Apostles were the Priests a Councel of them was called they were alwayes combining to put them to death so that a corrupt superstitious Ministery hath alwayes been the greatest enemies to Reformation and godâ—iness Heu Domine qui sunt in Ecclesiâ primi sunt impersecutione primi And therefore at our first Reformation the Protestants dâ—d truly affirm there could never be any Reformation unless they first began with the Court of Rome and the corrupt Clergy Sigysmund the Emperour said to one counselling to begin the Reformation à Minoritis yea saith he à Majoritis The Sunne in an Eclipse makes great corruptive alterations in sublunary things was the tradition and so a corrupted Ministery cannot but oppose and set against all those that discover and reprove their abominations and thereby are destructive to the souls of their followers Now with these venomed arrowes hath the Devil for the most part shot into the bowels of the Church But if he cannot do thus yet there will be a godly faithfull Ministery maugre all his malice Fourthly Then he steereth the clean contrary He will see how he can destroy mens soules by causing men to give them too much honour Even as Nehemiah's enemies that did oppose and do all they could to hinder the building of the Temple when they could no longer prevail by open violence then they proffered to build with them You have a notable History Act. 19.13 14. of vagabond Jewes that were conjurers who took upon them to adjure by the name of Jesus Thus you see the Devil when he could no longer work in his own name he works in Christs name And therefore Paul saith He transformeth himself into an Angel of light 2 Cor. 11.14 Now he cannot do that better then by abusing the repute of those that are eminent godly Teachers Let us consider How many wayes even by godly eminent men he may hurt the Church And First When he doth tempt and draw them away into any errour or falshood than their example draweth many after them The godlinesse and learning they have makes a way for an universal reviving of their falshoods We see this in Peter when he out of fear complied too much with the Jews confirming them in their superstition it 's said He compelled others to live as Jews Gal. 2.14 How did he compell them He did not threaten and use violence as Paul compelled Christians to blaspheme but his example meerly was so potent none dared do otherwise than Peter a Pillar of the Church yea Insomuch that Barnabas also was led aside by this dissimulation So that the Devil if he can no longer by the Chief-priest indanger the Church he will by the errours of one of the chief Apostles We might clear this in after ages by several instances especially Origen a man so famous for godlinesse learning and suffering for the faith of Christ that men thought it safer to erre with Origen than be in the truth with others What a great temptation did he prove to the Church as Lyrinensis doth excellently amplifie it He could do more hurt by one Origen than by many Marcionites or Manichees Secondly If he cannot corrupt their minds then he tempts eminent instruments in the Church to some failing in their lives to some unjustifiable practices that so their whole Doctrine may be condemned How circumspectly and warily did Paul walk that the enemies of the Gospel might not have wherewith to blaspheme Therefore our Saviour said The Devil had desired to winnow the Apostles Luke 22.31 In winnowing there is the purging of the wheat and the driving away of the chaff Now the Devil hoped for the later to find them but chaff as he thought by his temptations to make it appear Job was but an hypocrite and served God only for carnal ends And thus the Devil he labours to stirre up flesh and bloud in them as it was wofull in Peter to deny his Master whereby prophane persons might say who would care what Peter saith he in danger will lie and forswear his own Master Especially Judas was a fit instrument for him he used him to bring about the death of Christ so that Judas did as much hurt as all the Priests for he was one of Christs followers knew his way and for him to become Satans instrument this made much for the kingdome of Satan Not that Judas was once truly godly as some plead alate thereby proving the Apostasie of the Saints but in esteem and appearance he was for a while at least reputed of as a Saint Thirdly If he can neither corrupt their judgements or practices then he sets them up too high he maketh men in Christs room And this the Apostle doth so much argue against They have nothing but what they receive they are but instruments so as Paul spake in another case viz. of miracles asking the people Why do ye look upon us as if we by our own power had done this wonder The same may be applied to all ministerial successe It 's not Paul or Apollo doth enlighten the mind doth convert the heart See how much hurt the Devil doth the Church by the name of these instanced in One saith I am of Cephas that is of Peter Now the name and repute of Peter is that upon which all Popery is
built They are the Successours of Peter It 's the Patrimony of Peter They made him an Universal Head superiour to all other Apostles For the Fathers also it 's true many of them were of eminent parts and gifts yet all of them had their errours But how much hurt hath been done to the Church by setting them up as a Rule or infallible Judgers and Interpreters Therefore Austin good man as it were fore-seeing this disclaimeth it and saith He would have none read his or other mens books so as the Canonical Scriptures Soli Scripturae fides caeteris judicium Luther was afraid to leave any of his Works behind him lest they should draw men off from Scripture Thus the godly have been afraid with Paul lest any should idolize them We reade of a Dispute that the Arch-angel and the Devil had about Moses his body Some think it was this though other Interpretations are given God we know did wonderfully hide Moses his body when he was dead from the Israelites and the Devil would have it known and buried that so it might have been adored afterwards as in Popery What adoration what invocation and divine worship is given unto some Saints and to some that were no Saints but canonized by the Pope 2. The Devil worketh mischief to the Church even by the repute of good men when such opinions and doctrines are attributed to them as they never owned For as the Devil hath brought in his superstitions by pretended places of Scripture hence he wreâ—â—ed Scripture when he tempted Christ so also he useth the names of eminent instruments of God to countenance falshoods Thus Paul writing to the Thessalonians 2 Thess 2.3 bids them Not be troubled as by letter or epistle from him as if the day of judgement were at hand It seemeth there were some that taught in those dayes that the day of judgement was immediately approaching and this did much trouble the godly for they believed it and why did they believe it Some pretended it was Pauls judgement they had a letter and an epistle from him to this purpose Here you see even in those dayes men to propagaâ—â— or countenance their falshoods would abuse eminent men and so most of the Ancients have many spurious and counterfeit Tractates go under their name as Ignatius and Clemens and why so but that under this pretence many superstitious customes might be pleaded for Yea there is a Book called Enochs Prophecie and Barnabas his Gospel and many such pretended to be written by those that had divine inspirations and all are this grand Impostors Lastly The Devil brings hurt by good mens name when he sâ—weth discord and dissentions among them This makes the common enemy triumph Oh say the Papists if you Protestants have the Spirit why are there so many Sects Why doth the Lutherans spirit and Calvinists disagree Now although we might better retort on them Why have there been several Popes who have all said they determined infallibly and yet have condemned one anothers Canons And could this be by the same spirit Yet the answer is plain in the Parable when it was asked How came those tares seeing the Master had sown good seed The answer was The envious one hath sowed them Mat. 13. I might give Reasons for this As First The insatiable malice of the Devil against the Church of God He alwayes envieth the peace the good order and Ordinances of the Church and therefore when he could no longer raise up bloudy persecutions against the Church for Constantine was turned Christian then it was divided and miserably rent with heresies So that the Church hath alwayes been like Noahs Ark on the waters floating up and down Secondly The very name of Religion and piety hath such authority upon mens consciences that the greatest enemies of godlinesse have alwayes pretended to it If the Pharisees persecute Christ Oh they say it 's for his blasphemies he will not keep the Sabbath and because he said he was the Sonne of God This doth mightily justifie Piety and Religion that all men are fain to use the name of this for what they do Vse of Exhortation Take heed of two extreams either a prophane delight in wicked dissolute Ministers such who will never trouble thy conscience reprove thy sins Or the other extream of minding godly instruments so is not to look up to God The former is a general sinne For what people are there that would not have Ministers like themselves loose dissolute as they are Thus God of old complained of the wickednesse of Priests and the people love to have it so Oh that is too much Give them one that is not so strict that will do as they do Oh wretched men that think it not enough to be ungodly themselves but they would those also who are to be guides to them in the same manner people will be deceived and who can help it They will have those that shall speak peace to them give them comfort when yet the Lord hath commanded them to make the hearts of such sad 1 COR. 1.12 And I of Christ THat I may finish Pauls reproof from that Text 1 Cor. 3.4 concerning the Factionâ— and Divisions at Corinth I am necessitated to take in this Text for here is a larger enumeration than in that place for here is an addition of two persons more I am of Cephas I am of Christ By Cephas is meant Peter and because he was the Apostle of the Circumcision as Paul of the Gentiles Happily some of the believers who did too much cleave to those legal Ceremonies might advance him And if that opinion of some be true That in most Cities converted to the Faith there were two Churches the Gentile Christian Church and the Jewish Christian Church then this might foment the division more howsoever the Popish Interpreter laboureth under this difficulty how they could be guilty of sinfull factions who advanced Peter but they build upon a rotten foundation But I shall not consider any further this division that did exalt Instruments and Ministers too high I come therefore to those that did offend on the contrary way and that is such Who did so set up Christ as to neglect Paul Apollo and the Instruments of their faith For here two contrary factions are forbidden which are very frequent in the Church and oh that this age were not infected with this disease Some did glory in their teachers boasting of them in a contentious way to the contempt of others Others again they ranne into the clean contrary and contemned all Teachers all the Prophets and pretended to be taught by Christ onely And I of Christ To open the word we must acquaint you that many of the Ancients thought they that said thus I am of Christ were not to be reproved but are instanced in as an example that they all should follow Yea Chrysostom thinketh this to be Pauls words others said I am of Paul I am of Apollo but saith Paul
up any Teachers as the principal Head but in all the parts and abilities of the Ministery still to look up to Christ And the Argument is to this effect Those that are instruments only they must not be made principal agents But even the most eminent Ministers such as Paul and Apollo are instruments onely Therefore So that for opening the words Consider the condition and the state of the Ministery It 's an instrument They are Ministers therefore of necessity to be used God that might work conversion without it hath yet appointed this instrument the Ministery And yet 2. It 's but a Ministery not a principal Secondly There is the effect attributed to this instrumental cause viz. Faith The Ministers by which we believe Thirdly Here is the diversity of the gifts in the instruments with the efficient cause Even as the Lord gave to every man Lastly Consider the manner of Paul's expression Who is Paul and who is Apollo This Rhetorical interrogation is spoken to take them off from instruments and to look up to Christ Now in this observe the modesty and godly uprightness of Paul though he himself be one of the men that is thus admired yet he takes them off from himself as well as others he doth not take advantage of them by this their praise and admiration of him Observe That faithfull Ministers seek not to win or gain a people to themselves but to Christ They preach not that their gifts and abilities may be exalted but that the people might be brought out of their sinnes to Christ Admire their preaching praise their Doctrine never so much yet if thou art in thy lusts still if thy life be not reformed from thy impieties they have no true joy concerning thee See how excellently Paul expresseth this 2 Cor. 11.2 I have espoused you to one husband that I may present you a chast Virgin to Christ He doth not espouse the people to himself but to Christ he wooeth and entreateth them for Christ it is not your good to us but your obedience unto Christ that we aime at Thus John Baptist calls himself the friend of the Bridegroom Joh. 3.29 which is the duty of every Minister the friend of the Bridegroom which standeth and heareth rejoyceth greatly because of the Bridegrooms voice It 's an allusion to the custome in those dayes the Bridegroom he had his friend and spokesman to bring him into the Brides presence and he heard their conference if there were a willing agreement between them concluded then the friend rejoyced greatly Thus it was with John and also with every Minister We are Christs spokesmen we wooe you we entreat you we bring you and Christ together every Sabbath day Now if any soul will receive him and be married to him forsaking his former lusts and all by-past sinnes then is the friend of the Bridegrooms joy greatly fullfilled it would therefore be horrible unfaithfullness in us if we should do as Sampson's friend did to him who got Sampson's wife for himself To open this Doctrine Consider in the general There may be a twofold end of preaching the Word of God Either a corrupt sinfull end or a gracious godly plain and upright end The Apostle speaks of many false Teachers that did corrupt the Word to please men 2 Cor. 2.17 and they sought their own glory their own advantages they did not desire to make them Christs Disciples but their own they intended their own greatness their own profit by them Gal. 6.13 Some false teachers they perswaded men to be circumcised that they might glory in their Disciples flesh id est That they might boast we have such and such followers that will presently embrace our doctrine receive our commands and such a Ministery hath alwayes crept in the Church for either they have aimed at external greatness or else to propagate some false doctrines and either of these wayes the people were not taught to come to Christ they were not brought to receive him as their Lord but to rest on them as Teachers Now see how Paul doth wonderfully disclaim all such corrupt preaching 1 Thes 2.3 Our exhortation was not of deceit nor of uncleanness or guil We did not please men we sought not flattering words we did not use the cloak of covetousness he did not under fair pretences rob them of their estates as the Pharisees under pretence devoured widows houses made of long prayers O what a pure and excellent frame of heart was this to disclaim all such base and corrupt ends and see how Paul to these Corinthians 2 Cor. 1.12 comforts himself with this testimony That in simplicity and godly sincerity not with fleshly wisdome he had behaved himself Oh this is a precious cordial when under all the censures reproaches and uncharitableness of the world to the Ministery Ministers can upon good grounds comfort themselves that they have walked in all godly sincerity endeavouring the salvation of mens soules and with tender bowels mourning for those that go astray rejoycing to see any person or families owning Christ setting up his wayes and Ordinances Now this point will be profitable for you the hearers as well as the Preachers in the discovery of it And we will first give you sure Characters of that Ministery which would bring you not to applaud them but to give up your selves to Christ First They that are so do rejoyce in the grace and progress thereof in their people though they should not esteem nor highly prize them Oh this is a good sign Though thou dost not applaud or admire them yet if they see thee walk in the wayes of godliness and mortifie sinne they are glad of it and praise God for it this proveth plainly it 's not themselves they aime at Thus Paul 2 Cor. 13.7 I pray God that ye do no evil not that we should appear approved but that ye should do that which is honest Paul earnestly prayeth that they might not do any evil especially such grosse evils as should deserve his censure not that he might be approved he cared not for that let them think what they will and say what they will if they keep from evil he shall heartily be glad of it To these very Corinthians also see what he saith 1 Cor. 4.8 9 10. We are fooles for Christs sake but ye are wise Ye are honourable but we are despised Ye have reigned as Kings without us and I would to God ye did reign The Apostles meaning is That they thought themselves strong and rich in all grace they despised Paul for his afflictions and contempt the world poured upon him Oh saith Paul this troubleth not me I would ye did reign I wish it were indeed so well with you as you think and then for my part I could be content with all the scorn and reproach I have in the world Oh then when a Ministery is still praying for desiring and pressing men to the reformation of their lives and
then that of Bread Amos 8.11 But when will swine prize a Pearl or carnal men the things that are spiritual But then Secondly The several Abilities and various Parts that Officers in the Church have while they discharge this Office This we commonly call such a mans gifts He hath a special gift in such or such a way The Apostle speaks of the Word of Doctrine some men hath viz. doctrinally to open the sense of the Scripture and solidly to confirm it And another man hath the Word of exhortation Rom. 12.8 His Ability is in applying throughly and powerfully the Doctrine confirmed to the Conscience of the Hearers And both these are admirably necessary This is to be a shining and burning light Shining by Doctrine and burning by Application Thus some have more Eloquent Gifts others more plain and solid Esay is full of Eloquence and Amos is more plain Austin said Qui dedit Petrum piscaâ—â—rem dedit Cyprianum Rhetorem God hath called plain men yet inabled by Gifts to preach his Word and he hath also called eloquent men The Hen though with an hoarse voice can cluck her Chickens together as well as the Nightingale her young ones with a sweet voice In the next place This latter sort of Gifts are of two sorts Either Extraordinary such as the Spirit of God gave immediately without any humane industry or labour And thus in the Primitive Times of the Church their Gifts were extraordinary For though the Apostles were at first Tradesmen and illiterate yet ere they had a publique Commission to preach to all the world they had the Spirit of God extraordinarily descending on them in cloven Tongues That as diversity of Tongues did once destroy Babel so this variety of Tongues would destroy the Devils Kingdom So that the gifts of Tongues the gift of Interpretation and many of those things we read of 1 Cor. 12. they were extraordinary According to the Prophesie of Joel Act. 2. That God would pour his Spirit on them and their old men and young men should see Visions and dream Dreames These were extraordinary But because such extraordinary gifts were in the nature of Miracles to confirm the Apostles Doctrine and their Mission from God they now cease Therefore in the second place there are Ordinary gifts and they are such which by labour and study and praying we obtain at Gods hand For even these ordinary abilities of learning Parts and gift of Doctrine of Exhortation they come by the blessing of God And therefore when God is angry he blasts men and takes away their gifts from them Now these ordinary gifts the Appostle supposeth would be in Churches constituted after his departure Therefore it 's required of every Elder he should be apt to teach 1 Tim. 3.2 Yea those that had extraordinary gifts did make use of study and labour and diligent paines Thus Paul exhorts Timothy to give himself to reading that his profiting may appear to all men 1 Tim. 4.13 15. Yea Paul himself made use of his Parchments So that those Lamps which were inlighted by God himself did yet need the continuall oyl of their labour and paines And if this was true of those extrordinary gifted persons how much more of ordinary The Nurse that feeds not cannot long give milk so neither the Miinster that studieth not Now in the next place Consider the Ends Why all have not the same Gifts but some one way some another And First Hereby God doth declare his Wisdome His honour is magnified by these varieties It argueth there is plenty and fulness of the Spirit with him When God made the world how many several Species and kinds of Creatures did he make which no man can reckon up And then every individual in that Species different by some individual Properties from one another Every man hath a different face from another Which variety of the creatures doth wonderfully extoll the treasure of his wisdome The Musician sheweth his skill by his variety of Notes When the Tabernacle was to be built there was Aholiab and Bezaliel endowed with excellent wisdome for that purpose So that in this diversity of Administrations we may behold the wisdome of God and praise him much more in the Church Assemblies then in beholding the creatures Secondly God gives several Gifts that so the meanest may not be despised nor the greatest puffed up Because they did not only all come from God but they are in their harmony necessary The foot is a necessary member as well as an eye but the eye is more noble So that where the meanest gifts are if gifts when faithfully and conscionably imployed for the publique good they are not to be contemned because Gods Gifts And in this sense He that reproacheth the poor reproacheth his Maker Even as the least creature in the world is not without its proper use and office And then the greatest gifts they are but gifts and therefore we must not arrogantly be puffed up with them We must not take this wedge of gold and make an Idol of it and worship it Great parts and gifts have many times been great temptations and brought great misery As Matthew Paris speaks of one that having spent his time in his Lectures to prove that Christ was God and being greatly applauded for it he cried out and said O Jesus thou art beholding to me for thy Divinity this day Or to that effect Whereupon immediately this great Doctor was stricken with such ignorance and forgetfulness that for ever after he could not so much as say the Lords Prayer but as a little Child said it to him Let those then that have Parts take heed they do not promote the Devils Kingdom thereby and so at last be cursed by God Ornari à te Diabolus quaerit said Austin to an Heathen a great Scholar whose Conversion he endeavoured But Thirdly Gods main end of giving diversity of Gifts is that so if possible men may be converted and healed To one God gives Doctrine to another the Word of Exhortation and all is that if one prevail not the other may Thus there are some who are Sonnes of Thunder others that are Sonnes of Consolation that so both the way of terrour and the way of mildness may prosper So that the diversity of Gifts is a great demonstration of Gods willingness that men should repent and be healed Our Saviour comparing John's Ministry and his together Mat. 11.16 17 18. which seemed to differ exceedingly makes this use of it John came unto you in a strict extraordinary way he kept in the wilderness he went in rough garments And all this ridged way was to bring to repentance The Sonne of man he came eating and drinking viz. in a more familiar and conversing way And therefore he saith it was like the Childrens play We have piped to you and you have not danced mourned to you and you have not wept We have several waies treated with you But behold the wickedness
to the Gentiles And Rom 11. shews at large how that the breaking off of the Jews was the ingraffing of the Gentiles And thus if we consider those famous places where the Word was at first planted we shall see them for their barrennesse and unfruitfulnesse turned into a dung hill The seven Churches of Asia Where are they This Corinth What is become of it Those that would not obey Christ whose yoke was easie are forced to endure the iron chains and bonds of Mahomâ—t Rome in this Apostles time had her faith published over the whole world but is so apostatized that her Idolatry and Heresie is as much proclaimed Insomuch that the Epistle ad Romanos is now in or contra Romanos The Epistle to the Romans is an Epistle against them because of the grosse corruption of those main points of Predestination and Justification and other material points Thus you see how Gods administration is very various and dreadfull he gives it to one Nation and takes it from another It 's the judgement of some men That the Gospel will be taken from all these western parts of the world and given to the East Indies and other parts but how certain this is none can tell In these later dayes we hear not of any Heathenish Nation converted some glimmering light the Natives in New-England have received that is the most that hath been done lately For as for the Jesuites boasting of their conversion of the Indians the bloudy cruelty and horrible violence they have used deplored even by some of their own parties makes that but a fable It 's the opinion of all That Heathens and Pagans are not to be compelled to the true Faith because they are without the Church and she hath nothing to do with those that are without the Church Though Hereticks and such as are within may be compelled to the means of truth and salvation Why then in these later dayes Heathenish Nations do not receive the faith as in former times who can divine Only the fervour and zeal of propagating the Gospel is far lesse than formerly Insomuch that it is bewailed by a learned man Hornbeck that that injunction and command to go and preach the Gospel to all Nations is not enough laid to heart Fifthly In planting of Churches commonly their infancy and beginning hath been more pure and godly than the successive ages Take Rome in her nascent condition and their faith was eminent but in her crescent or growing estate she presently degenerated All Churches have been at first planted either by the Apostles themselves or Apostolical persons and they had purity of Doctrine and godlinesse of order and life onely then they were but few and obnoxious to persecution all which made them heavenly and holy but when they began to be numerous and prosperous and the meaning of the first planters was worne out then the Church grew not like her self One of the ancientest Ecclesiastical Historians Egesippus saith of a pure Virgin she presently became a Strumpet because of all that false and superstitious worship that crept into her Lastly Because of that pronenesse to degenerate and from gold to become drosse Hence God hath in mercy raised up Reformers and stirred up men with invincible zeal being full of the holy Ghost who have laboured to bring Churches to their first plantations and institution Thus the Jews a people planted by God yet many times so grosly corrupted through Idolatry and prophanenesse that the Governours thereof are called Princes of Sodom and Gomorrah Isa 1. Now to purge this fountain How many zealous Prophets did God raise up in his time And thus after Christs time when the wine of Gods Word began to be mingled with the water of mens inventions and all Religion was turned into a meer Pageantry as in Popery God then raised up Luther Melancthon Calvin and others by whose means Christ became known again Now there is a great difference between a plantation and a Reformation A Reformation doth not pretend to make new Churches to bring a new faith in the world as a plantation doth but only to file off all the rust that hath been by long custome upon the Church of God Plantation is to make Heathens and Pagans Christians but Reformation is to make degenerate Christians who have degenerated in their knowledge worship and life to make such remember their first inâ—titution such ignorance and prophanenesse was not at the first Vse of Instruction How much God may justly expect of us in England who have not only had a plantation of the Gospel many hundred years ago but after a deep apostasie a gracious Reformation also What manner of persons should we be Angli quasi Angeli it was said of old Certainly we should be so in respect of knowledge worship and godlinesse The Christian Faith was by some received long before we were called English for in the eight hundredth year after Christ Egbertus King of the West-Saxons having got all the dominion into his own hands almost made an universal sanction that the whole Nation should be called the English Nation being named Brittans before It is not my intent to enter into that Dispute of the learned who planted the Gospel in England As for the Papists who would make one Augustine to be our Apostle is so ridiculous that it cannot be believed for there were godly Christians already in the Island that refused him because he was a superstitious proud person saying The Spirit of God was not in him because there was not humility in him The Gospel was brought in here long before those dayes Some say Joseph of Arimathea Some say that Pudeus and Linus whom the Apostle salutes were Britains For Martial in his Epigrams mentioneth them as Britains This is clear that in Tertullians time the Gospel was spread in this Island and though unknown to the whole world yet the word of God found it out but to see our degeneration it may make us astonished especially in ignorance superstitious worship and prophanenesse Oh were we thus planted at first or were we reformed to be thus Do not many among us live like bruit beasts rather than Christians Setting aside the name what is there either for knowledg or life more than is in a meer Pagan or Heathen Oh the patience of God that should continue the Gospel thus long amongst us Was there more unworthinesse in Jerusalem in Ephesus in other Churches which yet God hath made desolate places Certainly we might well conclude That God would remove our Candlestick were there not a remnant that love the Gospel delight in it and labour to walk worthy of it How can prophanenesse and beastly courses be found amongst us when the light of God hath shined round about us Bring therefore forth fruit meet and worthy of such an heavenly plantation lest the same God that planted us do at last pluck us up For God he sometimes speaks to a Land to build it up and plant
Christ in their Congregations Ambition pride self-seeking this hath alwayes made divisions for this hath made men set up themselves and not Christ Oh what a comfort and glorious sight would it be to see the Ministery not gratifying parties not making interests but affectionately advancing the glory of God though they be accounted as the off scouring of the world Paul he gave us this example and we are to follow him The second end in which they are to agree is the conversion of men and edifying of them up in faith and godliness If this be our end that will quickly dispell all other things that obtrude thmselves the salvation of mens souls and tender bowels herein would quickly make all one but when men do not agree in the end it 's no wonder if they are contrary also in the meanes when we desire to preach our own notions and our own opinions more then to procure your salvation it 's no marvel if there be as many opinions as there are Ministers So then these two things would wonderfully unite Gods glory and the salvation of mens souls and all our preaching studying and labouring ought to be for this Thirdly There should be unity in affections to love one another to bless God for the abilities and gifts of one another Envy and pride is apt to get even amongst the best You see Christs own Disciples they were striving who should be greatest and one ambitiously affected to be over another and even in those pure Apostolical times you may read of a Diotrephes that loved preheminence above his brethren he was not according to his name for he was not nourished and taught by Christ to do so Our Saviour fore-seeing what mischief this would bring to his Church doth again and again press love among those that were to labour in his Church It was a gracious expression of Calvin concerning Luther who was an hot man and apt to break out in violent expressions Oh saith Calvin I honour Luther as an eminent servant and instrument of God though he should call me a Devil a thousand times over When our Saviour had compared his Disciples to salt to shew it was not his meaning they should be salt to one another he saith Have salt in your selves and peace one with another Mar 9.50 there must be salt and peace Oh but as it is said of Reuben so may we say for the divisions of the Ministers and the divisions of the people are great thoughts of heart Now to amplifie this we shall shew how sad a temptation it is upon the Church of God when the Ministery is not one either in doctrine ends or affections And then what people should do in such cases First When the Ministery is not one this is apt in the first place to beget atheism and irreligion in the people They begin to think that Religion is nothing but a matter of imagination or invention or else that there is no such thing and therefore they will regard it no more they will look after it no more Oh wo be to the world because of offences in this kind He that makes a division from the true doctrine or true ends of the Ministry he had better never have been born he that is a firebrand here may fear to be a firebrand in hell How many Atheists and prophane scoffers maiest thou make by this division of thine Secondly Where there is not this unity it doth much grieve and unsetle the hearts of the godly They know not what to do they cannot tell what to take to such godly men say it 's a sinne others as godly say it 's not a sinne Now to those that are tender and would not sinne for an whole world this is a very racking and torturing of their consciences Oh what shall they do Thirdly When there is not this unity prophaneness and ungodliness doth the more encrease godliness doth exceedingly decay in the power of it For while the Ministers should all as one man labour to destroy the kingdom of Satan to discourage impiety to make the heart of the wicked sad that he may return from his evil way They commonly leâ—ve this and all their preaching is to maintain those particular opinions and to set up that particular way which they walk in Now we shall see the Apostle takes off much from such controversal disputes in which the essence of godliness doth not consist As the kingdom of heaven is not in meats and drinks but in joy and peace and righteousness Rom. 14.17 so it 's good to have the heart established with grace and not with meats Heb. 14 9 and in other places the Apostle calls those things vain which do not edifie Not that the least truths of God are to be neglected yea all things are to be tryed but this should not be the main the one thing necessary is to seek the kingdome of heaven and the righteousness thereof Lastly These divisions do wonderfully harden and confirme the Papists in their way They say how doth the Lutheran and Calvinists spirit agree that which one saith the other contradicts Now although the same may be retorted on them the manifold differences in Popery and that about a necessary point of faith viz. Whether the Pope be above a Councel or the Councel above the Pope yea several Popes have at the same time pretended and in arms fought to be head of the Church Though I say these may be retorted on them and stop their mouths yet it cannot be denied but that such differences do wonderfully scandalize and harden people especially those that consult not with Scripture and seek to be antidoted against such temptations And for that take these prescripts 1. Do not thou by thy pragmatical mâ—dling widen the difference and raise more dust In this Chapter you have the Apostle laying down Arguments against divisions and sometimes they belong to the Teachers and sometimes to the Hearers The indiscretion and hot busie carriages of the Disciples doe sometimes make a greater distance among the Teachers You see Johns Disciples out of emulation and envy did what they could to stirre up Johns spirit against Christ but how graciously did he quench those sparks by that humility of his I must decrease but he must increase John 3.30 2. Consider this That those that are godly doe agree in the main fundamental point So that whatsoever is necessary to salvation that they doe not faile in They agree in the soul and life of Religion for other things we cannot expect unity in this life as long as some have more knowledge than others and more grace and self-denial than others so long there will be differences You see Paul and Barnabas had a sharpe contest with one another And the Apostle speakes of the corrupt censurings that the strong and weake Christians had of one another Romans 1.4 3. Doe thou labour to be informed with a true and divine faith out of the Word
〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and the building 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 So then take off your thoughts from all superstitious conceâ—â—s about holiness in places Gods House Gods Church are the persons and men that do outwardly profess his way and live accordingly Whose House we are Heb. 3 6. With those God is present Indeed 1 Chron. 7. we read of a Temple a great stately House dedicated to God with a relative holiness with Prayers that God would be present there his eyes and his heart would be in that place But to argue from that Temple to our material Churches it 's very unsafe It is true Mr Made whose opinion about the relative holiness of Churches in Gospel times is publiquely known doth endeavour to answer this Argument thus viz. That though we have not such a command as the Jews had about the Temple for our Churches yet by Analogy such a Jewish command will bind c. But through this wâ—de gate the whole Jewish administration may croude in upon us c. For the Temple was typical of Christs body and therefore was destroyed with all the other significative Ceremonies So then they erre on one hand too rigidly who think we may not call this material building a Church for we may call it so by a figure which is ordinary about such things And they on the other hand who take of their thoughts from minding the true Church indeed and House of God by holiness and purity of life addicting themselves to curious building goodly Images and external worship But this occasionally only We see here the Apostle speaks of persons and not of places and he saith They are Gods building All our particular Societies should be of such men for knowledge and godliness that we may say they are Gods House not the Devils den Now this comparison of building supposeth these things First That a people of themselves are nothing but so much rubbish and sit fuel for Hell fire and that it's God who makes them this glorious building That as you see the Temple was built by excellent art The trees in the forrest and the stones in the quarrey could never have prepar'd themselves nor put themselves into so goodly a structure So it is here Men by their own power their own ability and strength could never become a fit habitation for the Lord to rest in We are not born but made the house and building of God so that although by our birth and education we may have many Church-priveledges being born of Christian Parents yet we have no saving priviledges till God hath wrought something upon every mans soul in particular that it may be his faith his godliness his patience and so indeed the Temple of the Holy Ghost Secondly It implyeth that the matter of this building should be sound precious and substantial The material Temple was built of the choicest stone and most excellent timber and the Apostle in this Chapter supposeth this house to be built of gold and stone and that the building of hay and stubble is very absurd and dangerous which although it be chiefly to be understood of the Doctrine yet it hath some relation also to the persons constituting a Church It 's the great Question in this age What is the matter of a Church What persons ought to be taken in to constitute a Church I shall not touch on that now It is one thing to say What should be and another thing What the Scripture fore-tels will be It 's true all that are of this building should be really and truly sound both in Doctrine and life and where any of heretical Doctrines or prophane lives have got into this house the Scripture commands such to be cast out as being a dishonour and a burden to the house but yet it also fore-tels that there will be tares among the wheat That in this house there will be vessels of honour and of dishonour But more of this anon This is certain we cannot sufficiently lament to see the ruines of Gods house in this spiritual sense As they wept to see Jerusalem the second time built because it came so short of the lustre and glory the former Temple had So may we mourn exceedingly to see what our particular Congregations are comparatively to primitive Institutions and the patern upon the Mount Indeed this Church had some weeds but how restlesse is Paul to pull them out Oh how desirous as he saith 2 Cor. 11.2 to present them a pure Virgin to Christ free from all false worship and all foul transgressions Oh that you would think of this what ye ought to be Holinesse to the Lord should be writ on your hands fore-heads and whole conversation Thirdly It implieth the gracious presence and power of God among his people An house is the place where a man dwels and continually resides and this is one great reason why God useth this Metaphor to shew with what reâ—t and delight he will take up his habitation in his Church Thus the Covenant of grace runnes from this when the Apostle 2 Cor. 6. had shewed That there ought to be no agreement between the Temple of God and Idols he addeth They are the Temple of the living God and therefore what he inferreth I will dwell in them and walk in them and I will be their God and they shall be my people 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 As the Apostle to describe the innate power of original sinne said It dwelled in him So it is here God to describe how intimate familiar and gracious his presence is saith He will dwell in them This particular then sheweth there are many in this house that are not of this house for how is Gods presence and power manifested in them Nay doth not the Devil and sinne discover themselves dwelling in them Do they manifest any thing but the blacknesse of darknesse in their words and works Glory not then of being in the house of God if you find not the powerfull presence of God in you which is two wayes by sanctification and consolation In these two wayes God doth discover himself he fils with grace and consolation he sanctifieth and comforts They are in Christ and Christ in them Fourthly This house or building doth imply God to be the Master therein that he only may prescribe the Laws and orders what shall be done and what not he appoints every one his work and his labour All the Officers in the Church are but servants None may take upon them to appoint what is to be believed How God must be worshipped This is of great consideration Christ is said to be more faithfull in this house than Moses in the former Heb. 3. Hence came the neglect of all true Worship and piety because the orders and laws of the Master are not followed Come then and be afraid thou that livest in prophanenesse and impiety what Law what order hath God for this in his house His House is
an House of Prayer Ye are to be a praying people but thou art a cursing and blaspheming wretch In his House every vessel was holy but thou art a loathsome vessel of all impiety and filthinesse Fifthly Here is this further in this building It 's not an ordinary building but a sacred and an holy one Therefore as you heard they are called The Temple of the living God Now then what an astonishing consideration is this Those that are of this House must be separated unto God from all prophane and common things even as the Temple might not be polluted by any common action And hence is that phrase They are sanctified that is they are made holy by a peculiar dedication unto God Therefore in that 2 Cor. 6.16 17. when the Apostle had said they were the Temple of the living God he addeth this Exhortation Therefore come out from among them and touch no unclean thing Oh then if you would be thought the House and Temple of the Lord consider what Communion hath light with darkness What agreement is there between Christ and Belial Be not then forgetfull of this when thou art tempted unto any grosse impiety Sixthly It being an house all within are servants and so they are to do their Masters worke to live to him Whatsoever you do do all to the glory of God 1 Cor. 10 31. All those servants in the Parable called for by the Master and bid to merchandize till he came Luke 19 12. And those who have been eminent in Gods work they have this title in a peculiar manner Thus Moses the servant of God and Paul the servant of Christ Now alas who thinketh of these things Every man lives to himself to his own ease gain and advantage We walk not as servants who though they have gained never so much yet say this is none of ours we may not do with it what we please Servus non est persona sedres saith the Civil Law Thus this health this wealth these parts this time is none of mâ—ne I must improve it for my Master Oh what a good consideration would this be for every one to think I am set in this place I am in this relation I have these helpes to serve God with This is my chiefe end Seventhly It supposeth Order and Government The Church of God is an House now that hath domestical Laws There are Oeconomicks as well as Politicks it doth not deserve the name of an house where there is no body to command nor none to obey but all do as they list And must not this be much more in the spiritual house of God Paul did rejoyce to see the Churches Order and her faith Col. 2.5 her Faith for Doctrine her Order for Government Hence the Scripture speaks of those that govern and those that are to obey and God who is not a God of confusion hath not left every man to believe and think and maintain what he lift Hence are those spiritual censures of reproving admonishing and casting out a man Some walk disorderly 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 2 Thes 3.11 it 's an excellent word it signifieth such an exact order as in an army none may break his rank Thus God hath set a spiritual order in his Church some are eyes some hands some to preach some to hear some to rule some to obey and it 's a monster and not a body when every member would be an eye every private man a publick Officer in the Church This would be a Babel and not Gods house Eighthly Vnity love and concord among those that are in the same house Oh let this shame all animosities fractions and quarrellings Are we not of the same house How comely a thing is it to see brethren dwell together in unity Psal 133.1 2. It 's compared to that precious ointment poured on Aaron We reade in one Parable of some wicked servants that were drunken and did beat their fellow servants but how severe will their Master be against such How much respect have Laws given to the material building that none might quarrel or fight in the Church or Church-yard Now it 's a farre greater matter to have those brawlings and contentions in the spiritual house of God The primitive Christians were remarkable for all this when they all had one heart and one mind If it be a body and Christs body then one member must not fight with another Vse Of Direction to our particular Congregations Oh consider what titles and names the Scripture useth to give to such societies To be Gods house Is not this enough to confound us when we have by our lusts made them the sty of swine or as Jerusalem was in her desolation made for Owls and Satyrs to dance in so we chase away the presence of God from our Congregations and the Devil and lusts reigne over us Oh how unworthy are we of such names Know then that of all places Gods judgement will first begin with his own people Then judgement must begin at the house of God Your condemnation will be greater than those who never were dignified with such titles Study Reformation every one in his particular lest Christ take up a rod and whip to cleanse his Temple Certainly all our particular Congregations need much building much reforming this hath made so many sad questions Whether they may be called Churches because so many ignorant and prophane abound every where Let us labour to take away these blemishes woe be to those that give these offences you go on from one lust to another and never think what order God hath left to guide you by What purity zeal mortification ought to be every where To be like an heavenly orb full of glorious stars What doth the prophane man the liar the proud man the beastly drunkard in Gods house A master of a family that loveth God and hath care of his own soul will not let such a person dwell in his own house and do you think God will suffer it So then look not only to your own sins as private persons but as servants in so many houses Pray for godly order comely society Verse 10. According to the grace of God which is given to me c. THe Apostle having used those excellent similitudes of a field and an house in which relation particular Congregations are or should be unto God In this tenth verse he declareth what he had done among them as the house of God persisting in the same similitude So that the words are partly declaratory partly exhortatory Declaratory and in that there is the person set forth by a two-fold property a Master builder and a wise builder 2. Their is his action I have laid the foundation 3. There is the efficient cause of this According to the grace of God given unto me The latter part is Exhortatory but of that afterwards I shall at this time consider the ground and rise of all Pauls strength to lay this foundation viz. The
doubt may be raised How Paul can say He layeth the foundation which is no other but Christ as appeareth at the eleventh verse seeing God appropriateth it to himself Isa 28.16 Behold I lay in Zion a foundation stone c But The answer is God layeth this foundation 1. By his Decree appointing Christ thereunto And 2. By his temporal mission of him into the world but Paul layed the foundation only ministerially and declaratively by publishing Christ to be the Saviour especially to those who never heard of him before It 's a special part of the wisdome and heavenly art of the Ministers of the Gospel to lay a good and sure foundation in the hearts of their hearers This Paul makes the principal part of his wisdome that he began with a good foundation If people are not rightly built upon this any tempest that ariseth will throw down all theâ—r Religion Our Saviour speaketh a Parable Luke 6.48 49 like to this of the wise builder and the foolish builder And although there it be meant of every particular Christian yet we may apply it to every Minister He that doth not build up his people upon sure and Scripture foundations they are like the chaff and straw that the wind doth drive to and fro There is no true faith no truâ— godlinesse no true hope of salvation where the right and sure foundation is not laid The point therefore in hand is of great consequence both to the Preacher and to the Auditor to consider what foundation his Religion and Godlinesse is fixed upon For the opening of this Consider that Divines do ordinarily make a two-fold foundation The one they call Fundamentum cognoscendi The foundation of our knowledge and faith in matters of Religion and this is the Scripture only We can lay no other foundation for matters of Faith but the word of God Non credo quia non lego said Tertullian of old And Secondly There is Fundamentum essendi The Foundation of the being or existence of all our glory and salvation and that is only Jesus Christ He is the foundation-stone and every one is to believe in him only for Salvation and Justification So that as God made two great lights for the world so he hath done for the Church the Scriptures and Christ This Doctrine is true yet Heb. 6.1 we there reade of more foundations than one for there are practical fundamentals as well as speculative I shall therefore not limit my self to this one foundation mentioned by the Apostle but enlarge my self to the necessary foundations in our Christian life and shew you the necessity of that wisdom which will build upon these fundamentals And although I am not ignorant That the Dispute about what are foundations or fundamentals in Religion and what not is very hard and difficult yet I shall instance in four unquestionable foundations which are the four main pillars that support our Christian building The necessary things of Religion are these four Either 1. The Matters to be believed 2. The Worship and necessary service of God 3. The spiritual Benefits and mercies Justification and Salvation 4. The things to be done by us in our way to Salvation All these are fundamental and necessary in their kind to salvation and therefore it behoveth every Minister of the Gospel to principle and settle his people in all these particulars For herein is the danger not of mens bodies or estates but their immortal souls We will begin with the first The foundation of our faith or divine assent in matters of Religion What is that which every man must build his faith upon What is the foundation he must lay there And that is the Word of God declared and written for our instruction in those Canonical Books of the Scripture When we come to believe the matters of our salvation the ultimate motive into which all is to be resolved is Thus saith the Lord 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The word of God hath spoken it It 's not antiquity universality or the laws of the Land or the tradition of our fathers that is the warrantable foundation but the Scripture only Thus Timothy is commended for attending to the Scriptures which are able to make him wise to salvation through faith 2 Tim. 3.17 18. So that although other things be required by way of helps and means as prayer interpretation of the Scripture Gods assistance the guidance of the Ministry yet by way of a Foundation or a Rule that is the Scripture only As God at first put all the light into the Sunne and the Starres shine by a borrowed light from it So God hath now put all supernatural light into the Scripture and all guides are to shine by that Hence it is so often compared to a light and a lamp unto our feet So that the Ministers of the Word do then lay a good foundation when in matters of Doctrine and truths to be believed they build them on the Scripture make them a Scripture-auditory a people that dare not that will not take any matter of faith but upon Scripture-grounds Thus those Bereans are commended for a noble and ingenuous people that compared what Paul preached with the Scriptures they then had whether it was consonant to them or no Act. 17 11. So that that people who know nothing of the Scripture are not instructed by the Word have not their faith their Religion from it all they offer to God is a Sacrifice without eyes they do believe they know not what Now that the written word of God is the only foundation of our Christian faith appeareth by these Reasons First A Christian faith ought to be a divine supernatural faith not a bare humane faith Now nothing can be the ground of a divine faith but a divine authority a divine Argument suggested by God himself Most men that call themselves Christians have no more than an humane faith in matters of Religion They believe thus because their parents did so because the Laws of the Land compell them to do so Thus they have no other grounds of faith then the Turks or Papists have for themselves but as copper is not gold so neither is this humane faith that holy and Christian perswasion which the Spirit of God through the Word works in man because revealed in the Word 1 Thess 1. They are commended That they did not receive the Word preached as the word of men but as indeed the word of God 1 Thess 1.13 So that whosoever hath an holy faith he must have a divine perswasion for this from the Authority of God that as an humane faith is because humane authority speaks it so a divine faith because God revealeth it in the Scripture But alas generally our people can no more look into these things then an Owl in the dazelling Sun How few are perswaded of the true Doctrine of Christ from this Divine Authority because God hath said thus God hath spoken thus Oh
same necessary soul-saving things for the affections are slow to receive though the understanding be quick You are not weary of the same sun though it rise every day We proceed to the next particular in the Text viz. the Event or consequent of Paul's foundation Another buildeth thereon So then Paul and the other Apostles laid the foundation in that they planted Churches at first and all that are to come after are only to build on that They must not divulge any new necessary Articles of Faith we must rest content with what is done by them already Observe That people are not to expect that Ministers should bring any other Doctrine them what is laid by Christ and the Apostles already Religion is matter of Doctrine which we receive from the Scriptures not matter of invention that we make of our own head Thus even Timothy is commanded only to build upon not to lay any foundation O Timothy keep that which is committed to thy charge 1 Tim. 6.20 That good thing comitted to thy trust The necessary truths of salvation are deposited in the Scripture and committed to faithfull men Now they must look they deliver the same Aurum accepisti aurum redde as Lyriuensâ—s To open this consider That the Apostles sent by Christ made it their business to inform in all things necessary to be believed and done They declared the whole counsel of God by a lively voice preaching to those that lived in those daies It is true they likewise informed of many other truths and duties in Religion that were not fundamental but still wheresoever they came they preached Faith in Christ and Rpentance Faith in Christ that required the knowledg of things to be believed and Repentance that was about things to be done And indeed if the Apostles had not laid down all things necessary their Commission would have been very imperfect and it would have redounded to Gods dishonour to send such foolish builders that could not lay a sound foundation So that it is horrible presumption for any to think that God hath revealed more to them then the Apostles What the Apostles had not revealed to them as necessary we are not to think it necessary Therefore 2. When the Apostles were to leave the earth and could no longer by a living voice commend those necessary things to them it pleased God that what they had delivered by mouth should be commended to writing These things are written saith John that believing we might have eternal life So then the believing of things written is enough to bring eternal life Joh. 20 31. And Timothy is commended that from the youth up he was acquainted with the Scriptures which were able to make him wise to salvation 1 Tim. 3. Since therefore the Apostles were taken into Heaven the foundations that we have to build on are the Scriptures only Hence though Christ be here called the foundation yet the Apostles and Prophets also are called the foundation Eph. 2.20 upon which Believers are built viz. secondary foundations So that to expect necessary things beyond the Scripture is as vain as to look for another Messiah with the Jews He that cannot see with one sun would not see with an hundred 3. Although the necessary foundations be thus laid yet our preaching and your hearing is not in vain for there is this further work to be done First Those necessary things we are to explain more distinctly and confirm more plainly that so Faith may be the more setled Necessary Principles of Religion have many excellent conclusions latent in them as fire lyeth in a stone which doth not appear but by striking out The Ministry therefore is to explain and distinctly to interprete these things As the candle though of it self it hath light enough yet unless put on a candlestick it cannot enlighten the whole room so the Word of God though it be full of light yet there must be the interpretation and application of it Therefore they are commanded to divide the Word aright 2 Tim. 2.15 The bread must be broken and digested else it cannot nourish So that this building lyeth in the further explication of what is believed We do not preach nova but novè not new things but in a new manner Secondly Though we are only to build on this foundation and no new thing be expected yet matters of Religion may be said to be new in themselves or unto us In themselves and so certainly there can be no new thing preached for as there cannot be a new Christ or a new Scripture so neither any new Faith Yea the Apostles and Christ himself did not bring any new necessary matter of salvation to what the Patriarchs and Prophets had before The Old Testament and the New are the same for the substance of Salvation though there be new Rites and new Sacraments and a clear explication But in the second place things may be new to us As in Popery when the reformed Divines first preached Justification by Faith denyed the merit of works as also the Pope to be head of the Church These were said to bring a new Gospel but it was a slander it was new only to men corrupted with errors and living in ignorance as the sun is new to a man that was blind but hath received his sight Thirdly This building upon the foundation lyeth in the powerfull application of necessary truths to the hearts and consciencies of men For the Scripture that speaks generally the Ministry that is to come particularly that doth as Elisha laid himself upon the Child mouth to mouth and body to body that so life might be procured To do by particular application of what is spoken generally in the Word this is the Ministry Vse of Instruction That it is a fundamental miscarriage in Religion to affect any thing further then the Scripture and the Apostles have left to us To expect such new things as cannot be built on this foundation Oh take heed of being weary of any point in Religion because thou knowest it already There is a sinfull itching both in Preachers and Hearers many times in these things As they were weary of the Manna because used to it We are indeed to grow in knowledg and in light both Persons and Churches are to grow in a reformation yet they must grow within the same kind as a Child groweth in the parts of man-kind he doth not degenerate into another nature But let every man take heed how he buildeth thereon We are now come to the later part of this verse which is Exhortatory Let every man take heed c. By this he sheweth that it 's a matter full of danger his losse may be exceeding great And then withall a man had need use much diligence and circumspection otherwise he may think â—he buildeth gold and silver when indeed it is nothing but drosse or lead And when he saith Every man his meaning is onely of Officers and Teachers he doth not speak
of the tongues observation of the peculiar phrases For whereas the matter is sometimes wholly new and supernatural so the words are not alwayes used in the same sense as humane Authours do Comparing also the Context is very usefull and parallel places consulting also with the gifts and abilities of others When Philip asked the Ethiopian Vnderstandest thou what thou readest How can I said he unless I have a guide Act. 8.31 Vse of Admonition to all who take upon them to give the sense and meaning of the word of God let this Text be as a pillar of salt to season thee it 's a dangerous thing to wrest Scripture Thou that puttest it upon the rack God will put thy conscience upon the rack Why dost thou so proudly so arrogantly so boldly meddle in this matter The people of God are not to be kept in ignorance that is a Popish principle but yet they must learn with humility and self-denial with the use of all means necessary He must not be his own master he that is so â—ath a fool to his scholar say the Rabbins and yet this must not be so interpreted but that he who brings truth may resist the whole world as one Paphnutius did an whole Council Vse 2. That it 's not enough to bring Scripture to name many Texts unless we find out also the true and proper sense This makes for the honour and dignity of the Scripture that all would fain authorize their tenents by that It 's no derogation to the Scripture neither may it be called a nose of wax therefore but it exalteth the Scripture the more Vse 3. Of Exhortation to you people as we are to take heed what we deliver so also what you receive what you believe It 's a very hard thing to reconcile these two things To give all the respect and obedience that is due and called for by God to your spiritual guides and teachers and yet to exercise your own faith and judgment likewise He that doth not run into one of these extreams either to neglect the Ministry and to use his own eyes only or else to put out them and rest only upon the eye of his guide is a wise and a solid man Be thou carefull to split upon neither of these rocks but be waâ—y what you receive and how you believe Verse 11. For other foundation can no man lay then that is laid which is Jesus Christ THis Text is a Reason of that Caution delivered in the verse before Every man must take heed how he builâ—eth Why Because there is no other foundation but Christ To set up any thing in Christs stead or to deliver any thing contrary unto Christ this is here reproved So that in the words Christ is described secondly the Ministers duty about him declared Christ is described 1. By his proper Name Jesus a Saviour of his people 2. By his Office Christ the Messiah the anointed one 3. Metaphorically the foundation sometimes Christ is called the foundation and sometimes the corner stone and all is to one sense to shew that he only supports the spiritual building whether we mean the Church in general or every soul in particular Now it 's true the Apostles Ephes 2. and Rev. 21. are called the foundation also but theirs is Fundamentum fundamâ—ntorum as Austin or fundamentum fundans and fundamentum fundatum The Apostles are only foundations that are built upon another foundation viz. Christ Or else the Apostles might be called a foundation because of their Doctrine in which sense Peter is called a rock And Christ saith he would build his Church on him viz. upon that Doctrine confessed by him Mat. 16.18 Though Cameron understandeth it of the person of Peter yet not in the Popish sense but because Peter was to be used as the first Person who should preach the Gospel to the Gentiles so that he is the rock of the Church because on his preaching first was built the declaration of the Gospel to the Gentiles But this I affirm not For you see here he is not only the foundation but the solitary foundation No other Secondly Their is the duty of the Minister Any other can no man lay Can none that is none ought Illud possumus quod jure possumus Observe That the Ministers of God ought to lay no other Foundation then Christ They are to build their people upon no other rock All is to referre to Christ All Threatnings all Promises all Commands all Duties they are to bring to Christ As every thing in the Temple was covered with gold so Christ is to cover all things To be in all things But how is this to be unnderstood We shall shew how many waies Christ is to be preached as a Foundation and you the Hearers are to make use of him in that sense First therefore He is to be laid down as the only foundation in respect of knowledge and instruction We are to preach and set up him as the great Prophet and Teacher of his Church He cals himself the light that came into the world Joh. 8.12 The Ministers they are light but as the Starres do lucere luce alienâ with a borrowed light from the Sunne so neither do the Ministers of the Gospel enlighten any other way but by light from Christ Hence he was prophesied of betimes as the great Prophet whom God would raise up for his Church and for this end he is so often called the Word because he doth reveal unto us Gods will and God from Heaven commanded all to hear him Mat. 17.5 All the Prophets were the Prophets of Christ all the Officers in the new Testament are the Officers of Christ So that we are to declare that all people who expect Instruction Reformation and any profit by the Ministry must not build on man but Christ And this is the chief scope here No man may lay any other foundation No man may set up any other Doctor or Teacher viz. principal but him as is to be seen in the former Chapter And that is the reason say some why Paul doth so often name Jesus Christ in that Chapter And no marvell if he be the foundation for none Teacheth as he both objectively and subjectively We all reveal the Object and propound the Doctrine to your ears though none did so objectively as he did but subjectively none can teach as he He giveth the understanding heart he opens the eyes to see and the ears to hear Never therefore expect the powerfull effect of the Ministry unless thou build on Christ more then the parts of a man The abilities of the man these are but like Gehazi with the Prophets staff they will not raise the dead Child unless Christ come himself It 's true we must not set up a teaching of Christ in opposition to the Ministry as some did They would have no Ministry at all but expect to be taught by him yet as we must necessarily use it so it
must be subordinate to Christ Secondly We must preach Christ the foundation of all strength and power from whom we receive all ability to do any thing that is good To lay free-will for a foundation to preach up mans power for Christs power will be found stâ—ustble and hay if not worse when the fiery tryal shall come Thus Joh. 15. Without me ye can do nothing O there he doth excellently shew As the branch unless it be in the Vine must wither and can bring forth no fruit so unless a man be in Christ and abide in him he is not able spiritually to live or move And this is a necessary and excellent way of preaching Christ when he is set up as the only fountain of all our spiritual abilities when the humane strength of man is debased and contemned yea discovered to be not only impotent but abhominable and contrary unto God Hence Christ is compared to the Olive-tree from whence we have all our fatness Rom. 11. And he cals himself the life and the way Joh. 11.25 The way that is a Prophet The life that is a foundation of all spiritual strength Now in Popery when there was so much advancing of free-will and magnâ—fying the merit and worth of the good works we did Christ was much obsâ—ured Therefore â—e are not only to exhort you to pray to repent to reform but to preach Christ as him by whom you must have power to do those things People generally make little or no use of Christ in this respect when yet thou needest him all the day long I can do all things through Christ that strengthens me Phil. 4.13 Thirdly Christ is preached as a foundation when he is exalted in our Miâ—istry to be the head of the Church and he that governeth all things The head is for direction and government and also for lively influence and nourishment And thus Christ is 1 Col. 1. to the 15. What divine and admirable exaltations are there of Christ setting him up above all things and making him the head of the Church which is his body Oh the preaching of Christs Head-ship and supremacy is of great consequence There had never been such bold presumption to be an universal head in the Church never such tyranical government therein never such Angel-worship and invocation of Saints and a thousand of those derrogatory Doctrines had Christ been exalted as Head Paul saith They brought in worship of Angels because they held not the Head Col. 3.19 And that blasphemous Doctrine of making the Pope an head of the Church though they would extenuate it by calling him a ministerial head is a gross invasion of Christs right Though Christ thought it no robbery to be equall with God yet the Pope ought to think it robbery to be equall with Christ Who then can excuse Bellarmine from blasphemy who is not afraid to apply that promse of Esay Behold I lay in Zion a foundation stone to the Pope though secondarily Look we then that are Ministers and you that are people To keep this Doctrine pure Christ is the head of the Church All direction and government must be from him All vivificall influence into the Churches is by his spirit So that as the body cannot live or move without the soul so neither can the Churches of Christ spiritually move without life received from him The Scripture doth often delight to use this similitude Fourthly Christ is to be set up the only foundation in respect of mediation and intercession with God We can have no approach to God without him because of the great gulf sin hath raised between him and us He is a consuming fire and we are stubble without Christ Concerning Deus Absolutus as Luther would say The soul of a man may not think of him without horrour or despair but as he is Deus relatus related to us in Christ And this is indeed the primary and the most noble setting up of Christ as the foundation when we again and again instruct you of what distance and contrariety there is between God and a sinner and that only by his mediation there can be an agreement There is one Mediator saith the Apostle 1 Tim. 2.5 No man may can dare to draw nigh to God or think of him without this Mediatour Oh but how practically ignorant are people of Christ herein They do not go to God in Christs Name They do not desire by Faith to bring Christ as it were into Gods presence that he may behold us in him that we may be Jacobs in our eldest Brothers cloaths As Joah bid the Messenger tell David when his anger should rise because they had the worse in battell that Vriah is slain and this quieted David So it 's here When the wrath of God shall be ready to arise against thee Why hast thou bâ—oken this Command Why hast thou trasgressed this Law Then say Christ was killed Christ was the Lamb slain And this will appease the wrath of God Rev. 10.1 Christ is there described with a rainbow upon his head very fitly As God said He would not drown the world any more but look upon the rainbow and remember that Covenant of mercy So it 's here God will not damn the poor sinner repenting and believing but he will remember this rainbow he will look on Christ Now this preaching of Christ hath been wonderfully obscured in setting up other Mediatours other Intercessours so that Christ was seldom spoken of but the Virgin Mary St Francis and others And this very point was the first occasion of coming out of Popery The obscuring of Christs Mediatourship They equalized St Francis to Christ They indeed said the way to Heaven was by Christ but it was easier by St Francis So that if you look upon the Doctrine of other Mediatours about the Virgin Mary about their Canonized Saints about Images about Indulgences Oh the black clouds that were drawn over that glorious Sunne of righteousness Let then Ministers and people keep to this look to this For without it all the marrow of Religion is lost Only by Christ his mediation with God God is an enemy to me and I to God And for this end were all those Sacrifices appointed in the old administration to shew that by Christ was all reconcilement and atonement Do not thou then think thy teares must do that which belongs to Christs blood Thy teares thy humiliation thy broken heart for sinne is indeed necessary but to think by these to have a mediation with God is to build another foundation then what the Apostles laid And truly if sinne be rightly considered in the infinite aggravation of it we we must quickly yeeld none but who is an infinite person can be our Mediatour Fifthly From this floweth another necessary way of preaching Christ a foundation viz. Of acceptation of our persons and duties Our Justification is built only on him and all the sweet savour that our duties have is through him Thus Paul doth frequently make
have us honour Thirdly We must preach Christ the foundation because in him there is such a Treasure of the riches of Gods Grace and Gods Love that the Angels they were never satisfied with this point How greatly the Angels were affected when Christ came into the world there Hymne signifieth As also how speedy they were to be Evangelists to bring glad tydings of a Christ Glory be to God on high in earth peace and good will to men Luke 2.14 This Song is the foundation of all Religion and Comfort Yea The Angels saith Peter 1 Pet. 1.12 desire to search into this Mystery 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to stoop down as they did to look into the Sepulchre or as men do to behold themselves in a Glass If therefore the Angels such pure and heavenly substances be so affected with this way and Doctrine of Christ how much more we For we need him more then they Some Divines indeed say The Angels needed Christ to confirm them And in this sense he is their Head but a Mediatour of an atonement he was not unto them as he is to us Consider that place Ephes 3.10 By the Church and the Ministery thereof the manifold wisdome and riches of Gods grace in Christ are made known So that the very Angels are glad to hear and know this Doctrine about Christ Fourthly Therefore are we to exalt Christ in our Ministry to lay him the foundation because in Heaven though Christ will then lay down the exercise of his Mediatory Kingdom yet the glory and honour must be given unto him for ever The Saints in Heaven will for ever acknowledge the glory the happiness the blessednesse they have to be by Christ Is it not necessary therefore to instruct you in that work which we are to do to all eternity Christ is not to be laid aside in Heaven His blood his sufferings his atonement will never be forgotten For only by Christ is their such a place as an Heaven only by him is salvation possible Why then should not that truth fill our mouths and our hearts here which will possesse our souls to all eternity Fifthly The necessity of preaching Christ the foundation ariseth from the ignorance of people who do grossely erre about Christ both Doctrinally and Practically Doctrinally For though Christ be in every mans mouth yet few have knowledge of his Person and his Offices Though they be called Christians from Christ yet they can give no good account of their knowledge of him And if this be eternal life to know Jesus Christ John 17.2 certainly the grosse and notorious ignorance in many proclaimeth them farre off from the Kingdom of Heaven How canst thou hope in Christ and believe in Christ who knowest not what Christ was and for what end he came into the world And then Practically many are ignorant of him They feel not the necessity of him as a Physician as a Mediatour They perceive not at what a distance sinne hath cast them from all hopes They feel not the arrows of the Almighty darted into them They feel no lâ—ad or burden of sinne upon them and therefore the Name and Office of Christ is not welcome to them Sixthly The necessity appeareth because of the subtilty and emnity of Satan who hath continually set himself against Christ and his Church I hat as at the first ingresse into Christs Ministry he violently assaulted him and never left opposing his person so ever since he hath laboured to obscure Christ and traduce his way In the first age of the Church then he set against the Person of Christ Hence came up those many Heretiques some denying he was God saying He was only man Others Only God and not a man but in the appearance of a man Some confounded his Natures some multiplied his Personality so that all the subtile power of the Devil was to overthrow the Person of Christ But in this latter age he set against the Offices of Christ And thus in Popery though Socinians revive those old blasphemies his Priestly Office his Prophetical his Kingly all those were quite darkned by their Masse and Indulgences and many such abhominable derogations from Christ Seventhly We have the more need to exalt Christ because there is proâ—enesse in every man to trust in his own works To rest upon his own righteousness To advance and set up nature Now so much as these are exalted so much is Christ debased We see our own natures in the Jews though it was in those glorious times wherein Christ and the Apostles manifested themselves yet men did still seek to be justified by the works they had done Their endeavour was to establish their own righteousnesse though that like Dagon before the Ark did fall to the ground before Christ and truly such were greater enemies to Christ more then prophane Publicans and sinners So that the Scripture preaching of Christ will drive men out of their civil righteousness out of their formality and confidence in themselves which is the strongest hold that the Ministry hath to batter We may sooner dissolve those grosse acts of wickednesse then remove this mountain of self-righteousnesse Yet if Christs Righteousnesse his worth be all why wilt thou be a Christ to thy self Vse of Instruction What matter of wo and lamentation it is to see so few build upon this foundation Some put their trust in riches in charriots and horses some in the works they do and thus Christ whom God designed to be all over glorious is not glorified by us Examine your selves in this one thing among others Is Christ the bottom and foundation of all thy love joy and delight Art thou affected with him in a spiritual manner as the Church is Is he the chiefest of ten thousands Do men of the world come and ask thee What is thy beloved more then others What is there in Christ more then any thing else Canst thou say as Aristotle to him who asked why such colours refresh sight It was a blind mans question So this is a natural mans an earthly mans question It 's a sign thou never didst taste of his goodnesse of his power It 's a sign thou hast not eaten of his Honey-combes or wert fed on his spiritual dainties that doest make such questions Never lay claim to Christ if Father Mother Riches Honours and thy own life be dearer to thee then Christ is For no other foundation can any man lay but Christ Jesus In how many particulars Christ is to be preached as a foundation and the reasons thereof you have heard I shall now remove some Objections that so the truth may be more cleared and then give you the Properties and Incouragements or Priviledges those people have who are built on Christ this foundation And First It may be objected How can Christ only be preached as a foundation For is not the Doctrine about a God that there is a God and but one God Is not this a foundation Doth not the Apostle say
erroneous person therefore is not presently convinced in his own conscience of his false way he may as the Antichristian party is be delivered up to believe a lie To call light darknesse and darknesse light Even as the distempered palate may call sweet things bitter So then though errours in Doctrine be stubble and trash yet they are not thought so by the Authors of them The Manichees called Manes Manicheus because he did 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 they commonly commend their falshoods as the precious rare and unheard of truths of Christ Secondly When the Apostle cals these errours hay and stubble he doth not speak of fundamental errours neither but such as are consistent with and built on the true foundation They do not damne the Authour of them but they make his salvation difficult He shall be saved but by fire For as for those Doctrines that race up the foundations Peter cals them damnable heresies 2 Pet. 2.1 Paul reckons them with Idolatries Witchcrafts and all the grosse sinnes that palpably exclude from the Kingdome of Heaven Gal. 5.21 Yea if an Angel from Heaven should bring such a Doctrine we were to hold him accursed Gal. 1.8 9. And all the faithfull are commanded Not to bid such an one God speed John 2. Epist As John the Apostle would not wash himself in that Bath where Cerinthus the Heretique had been So that these expressions of hay and stubble are onely for lesser errours But those that are in Folio as it were they are poison They are the venome of the red Dragon They are like the Plague that strikes dead into Hell quickly without a speedy recovery So that as all sinnes are not alike so neither are all errours And we are to make a difference between those that are fundamental Circa-fundamental and Super-fundamental as a man may so say As in sicknesses some are mortal and deprive of life immediately others are not so In the second place Let us consider why the Apostle cals errours by such names wood hay and stubble First Because of the vilenesse and contemptiblenesse of them Men if they did understand the Scripture and walk by that Rule would no more regard them than the straw under their feet as we say For as the true Doctrines of Christ were compared to gold because of their precious and excellent nature so errours are called stubble because of their base and vile nature In the Old Testament the names of Idols were names of contempt and scorn Baal-Phegor and Baal-zebub and thus here the sinfull opinions that men deliver are straw and stubble Secondly The Apostle describeth the Idolatry of the Heathens under this aggravation Rom. 1. That they turned the Image of God into an Oxe that eateth hay and truly all that love and delight in errours doe so They who should be after the Image of God delighting in precious and heavenly truths make themselves like the beast that eats hay Vitiated and corrupted stomacks will eat trash and so distempered minds and corrupted will receive falshoods Secondly It 's compared to hay and stubble for the levity and uncertainty of it What solidity hath a straw that is blown up and down with every winde Now the lightnesse and uncertainty appeareth in three things 1. It cannot abide the touchstone it cannot endure to be tried Straw cannot endure the fire The thief or he that doth evil hateth the light saith our Saviour John 3.20 Counterfeit and base coin cannot abide the touchstone whereas the Apostles when they preached they were willing to have their Doctrines tried by the Scripture and the Bereans are commended for making such an enquiry Acts 17.11 The Owls and the Bats cannot endure the day As soon as errour is detected it is confuted whereas the precious truths of God they grow more excellent and glorious by the trial of them The wheat loseth nothing by winnowing the iron by filing By all the errours and heresies that ever have been truth hath gotten the advantage As the ark was the more lifted up to Heaven by the waters 2. It 's uncertainty is seen in the divers shapes and moulds it hath denying and affirming As Tertullian of the Peacock Multicolor versicolor nunquam idem tamen semper idem Thus erroneous Doctrines are alwayes in new dresses in a new garb as they are necessitated by truth How often was Pelagianism interpoluted Therefore the Apostle cals the dealing of such persons who use to sow these tares 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ephes 4.14 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a slight jugling yea and bewitching Gal. 3.1 making such things to appear to the sense that have no subsistence Thus among the Arians both the Eusebiusses were in crafty and divers dresses sometimes for the Orthodox sometimes against them And Pelagius did four times change his opinion about Grace or rather his expressions At first he denied grace then he made nature grace then the outward preaching of the Word grace then granted the grace of remission of sinne Thus he did gratiae voâ—abulo uti ad frangeâ—dum invidiam So that herein the levity and uncertainty of falshoods doth appear that they are divers and strange Doctrines strange to the Word and divers and disagreeing among themselves 3. It 's uncertainty is seen that it doth never stay till God in mercy to his Church put a period to it Therefore false Doctrines are compared to a Gâ—ngrene 2 Tim. 2.17 you know that spreads and spreads till it hath even consumed the body And thus it is with errour it spreads from one to another and not only so but this young Serpent will grow up to a Dragon in time Arius una scintilla fuit was but one spark and yet he-set the whole world on fire Wicked men shall grow worse and worse one errour draweth on another When a man begins to tumble down the hill it 's hard staying ere he come to the bottom And therefore when thou once beginnest to wander from the truth fear thy self thou wilt presently be in a wildernesse yea thou wilt be like an Hazael in time Those opinions and blasphemies thou wouldst once have trembled and quaked at thou wilt excuse and defend Experience hath â—â—en too true but very sad of this in all ages of the Church Thirdly Errours are compared to hay and stubble For the uselesnesse and unprofitablenesse of them They are but fig leaves to cover our nakednesse and that will appear in these particulars 1. They do not truly inform and enlighten the mind Truth is light and doth inform and instruct the mind but all errours do bring more darknesse so that while they think they know more then they did they know lesse Hence they are said to be men of corrupt minds 1 Tim. 6 5. and deluded or deceived Oh what a dreadfull thing may this be for thee to think thou hast more light than ever when it may be thou art in more darknesse than ever To thinke thou art in a nearer way to
more A poor man thinketh a little summe of money great treasures For the day shall declare it c. This Text you heard containeth the proportionable Effects or successe which builders wise or foolish have in Gods house And the Apostle first layeth down a general Proposition Every mans work shall be made manifest which hath already been dispatched We therefore now proceed and for this manifestation the Apostle informeth us of the time first and then the manner how The time first in these words For the day shall declare it and of this at this present All the doubt is What the Apostle doth mean by the Day There are some understand it of the Day of death when every man receiveth his particular judgement he shall then know whether his building will abide or no. Others understand it of the Day of Judgement which is called the day of the Lord and that day by an emphasis Bellarmine indeed is positive in this because 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is used with an Article which signifieth the Day of Judgment but that is false For the time of the Gospel is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Rom. 13.12 The night is past the day is at hand c. So that we cannot close with this interpretation because the Apostle carrieth it all the way for this life while we are in this world as will be shewed when we come to explain what is meant by the fire We take therefore Day for no more than Time such a day hath God in his wisdome appointed for the blowing away all this chaff As we see a covering of thatch doth not ordinarily hold long but fire or winde ariseth and cosumeth all Thus the Septuagint sometimes render 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Time So that the meaning is Howsoever these errours and false Doctrines may continue yet time at last will discover the vanity and weaknesse of them The Grecian said 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Time was the Touchstone the trial of all things And the Latines say Veritas est temporis filia Truth is the daughter of Time The day will declare it that is time will make them manifest onely the Article 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that Day doth denote the appointed and set time which God hath for the taking of all such disguises whereas it is the clean contrary with truth The longer that lasts the more it is believed the sufficiency and evidence of it is the more entertained Now although we thus understand it of time in this world yet it cannot be denied but at the Day of Judgement there will be a full discovery of all the works and Doctrines of men Observe That God hath his time when he will discover the errours and falshoods of mens Doctrines A day shall declare it You have a parallel expression Their folly shall be made manifest and they shall proceed no further 2 Tim 3.9 he compareth false teachers to Jannes and Jambres as they did miracles like Moses for a while but at last their folly and sorcery were discovered So it 's here God will put a stop to the torrent of errours he will shew a great difference between his truth and mens inventions the one shall be received and the other rejected This Gangrene that spiritual Physician can stop from further contagion God that could stop the infection of the plague on a sudden that the arrow should kill no more at mid-day hath done this also wonderfully in his Church The day did declare Arianism Pelagianism Nestorianism and the like To enlarge this Doctrine consider these things First In that the Scripture cals the time of manifestation a Day wherein is light and the Sunne beams it doth excellently imply That all the while there are corruptions in Doctrine and Worship that time is a time of darknesse Let men never so much rejoyce in them and count them happy times yet the Scripture cals them dark times So that to take away the truths of God the pure worship of God is indeed Solem è mundo tollere to take the Sunne out of the firmament All the while the Church of the Jews was without the Law and the Prophet without true teaching of the Word of God they were in a worse condition than the Egyptians in their Egyptian darknesse for that hindred them onely in their bodily motions and outward accommodations but this tends to the destruction and damnation of soul and body The true Ministers of Gods word are compared to light and to salt Matth. 5 13. Nihil Sole sale utilius both are necessary and usefull They are called the Starres and it must needs be a dark night when no starres shine Since the Apostles times the Church of God hath many times come under such dark times that it hath been like the old Chaos when darknesse covered the deep Take we heed then of calling darknesse light there is a woe to those that do so Isa 5.20 as some do the times of Reformation the times of Deformation If these corrupt Doctrines which come from the prince of darknesse thou callest light as coming from the Father of lights Thou intitlest God to the Devils work and that is no mean â—in This should teach the godly what to think under the overflowing of errours to account them dark and sad times Secondly There are no foolish builders that thus deform Gods Temple but they are by Gods permission in his wrath and anger because men have abused his truth and waxed wanton under it therefore hath he sent the spirit of delusion and errours amongst men 2 Thess 2.10 For this you must know though God be not the Authour of any evil and it were blasphemy to ascribe sinne to him as the cause of it yet as a just Judge he doth not onely suffer but also order that heresies and corruptions shall be in the Church They are of the Lord by permission and ordination though not efficiency and approbation Thus in Deut. 13.3 If there arise a false Prophet I the Lord do it to try you And in Ahabs time you may reade of many lying spirits in the false Prophets yet they could not goe to delude such or such till God gave them leave 2 Chron. 18.21 Thus 1 Cor. 11. There must be heresies Why must there be so God to punish mens corruptions their pride their ignorance their wilfull abuse of his knowledge will suffer such things to be Though he hath a gracious end That the approved may be made manifest That as all the persecutions which have been in the Church were from God as a just Judge to exercise the patience of it So all the heresies and errours which have been were to exercise the wisdome and true faith of the Church So that howsoever times of overflowing of errours be dark and uncomfortable times yet to consider the cause is farre more uncomfortable for these came from mens corruptions and Satans instigations as also from a provoked God in Heaven who punisheth our former
was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a Martyrdome Christ died a Martyr as well as a Mediatour because by his blood he witnessed Gods truth You see then how deare his truths are to him And the Psalmist among other arguments useth this It 's time for thee Lord to work for men have made void thy Law Psal 119.126 And though it be but the least Commandment yet if any man shall teach men to breake it he shall be called the least in the Kingdome of Heaven that is he shall be none at all in the Church here as some expound and of Heaven hereafter Matth. 5.19 Know then that not only prophane lives but corrupt Doctrines do provoke God Secondly It 's necessary there should be a time because of the people who belong to Gods grace that they may see their errours and bewail them That they may redeem the time by pulling down their hay and stubble and building gold and silver Thus Luther and all the first Reformers alas they had a long time built hay and stubble till God opened their eyes and then they were as much for truth as once against it How could the people of God come out of Babylon if this day were not And if there be so much joy for reducing one straying Sheep how much more of wandering Shepherds Lastly In respect of men hardened in their errours that their obstinacy may appear the more That when they will not see though the day appear who then can justifie them Thus the Pharisees the proper builders of hay and stubble yet Christ tels them He came into the world that they might not see Their blindnesse was the more increased by his light Vse of Admonition To embrace those daies of light and Revelation which God brings into the world Do not dote upon thy own Opinions thy old corrupt Doctrines and Worship It 's no longer night the day appeareth It 's true such a day is very terrible to men who are wholly corrupted with their errours As Mal. 3. The Prophet speaking of his coming to purify the sons of Levi cryeth out Who may abide the day of his coming It 's as terrible you heard as the Day of Judgment to them Certainly to superstitious and idololatrical persons the day of Reformation is a terrible day They cannot abide the purity and holinesse of it Do not dispute but wisely observe when God causeth such daies to arise upon thee thy blindnesse will be the more inexcuseable Because it shall be revealed by fire and the fire shall try every mans work of what sort it is We now proceed to the manner or Instrument by which the Day of God shall declare it and that is by fire This is the place that hath raised much fire of contention while Expositours differ about the interpretation of fire Austin as you have heard thought it one of Paul's hard places to be understood and is so modest that he professeth he had rather learn from others then dictate any thing himself This Text the Papists make the chief place for Purgatory therefore Bellermine lib. 1. de Purga cap. 5. is very large in the explication of this place calling it as difficillimum for tilissimum c. one of the most difficult places of the whole Scripture and yet most profitable because the Catholiques build their Ecclesiastical Doctrines on this place viz That there are venial sins and that there is Purgatory Indeed he doth in part Orthodoxly expound the fire in this verse saying Herein we do not dissent from Calvin and Martyr but he would establish it on verse 15. Of which in its time But it 's well that if there be such a fire it 's only of hay and stubble and will not last long By Purgatory fire they mean a severe punishment though not altogether so terrible as Hell in which place they go that are good for the main but yet have many sinnes cleaving to them from which they were not purged in this life If you ask for a text of Scripture some say It cannot be proved by Scripture but only it 's a Church tradition Others as Bellarmine labour to prove it by Scripture but by very obscure texts such as these are Now necessary things to Faith or Salvation are some where or other laid down plainly in Scripture But that this is only a probatory fire and not a a purgatory as they hold appeareth by this clear Argument They hold that only wicked actions shall come into the purgatory fire but the Apostle makes all actions good or bad to come under this fire The fire shall try every mans work If it be gold or precious stones it must be tried by fire as well as hay or stubble whereas purgatory fire is only for hay and stubble And this sufficiently clears the place from any such corrupt glosse which would build hay and stubble even from that very text that threatens fire to such Doctrine But it 's not enough to confute a false interpretation unlesse we give a true What then is meant by fire And First We will take it for granted though some think otherwise that fire is used in the same sense by the Apostle in these verses It 's revealed by fire The fire shall try Yet â—o as by fire Three times the Apostle nameth fire and it 's not likely that in so short a space he should use it in different senses Taking it therefore for one and the same fire let us consider how the Scripture useth the word fire and I shall not reckon up all the significations but what respects to this in my Text And 1. Fire signifieth the wrath and anger of God Why is thy anger kindled like fire And God is a consuming fire Heb. 12.29 2. For the Effect of Gods anger tribulations and punishment When thou walkest through the fire Isa 43 2. 3. It 's used for any thing that will try and examine That as the fire tryeth the gold but consumeth the drosse so whatsoever way God takes to examine that is fire Thus Psal 66.10 Thou hast tryed us as silver is tryed And Gods Word is said to be like gold seven times tryed in the furnace Psal 12 6. Especially Zechar. 13.9 4 More particularly it 's used for Gods Word because that doth try and discover all false waies Jer. 5.14 I will make my â—ords in thy mouth fire saith God to Jeremiah For fire hath light and heat in it both these try First Light Every thing that is manifested is manifested by the light Ephes 5.13 Secondly Heat Calor separat heterogenea Heat separateth the drosse from gold Now the Word of God is light and heat 5. Fire is used for temptations afflections The precious tryal of your faith by fire 1 Pet. 1.7 Count not the firey tryal a strange thing 1 Pet. 4.12 Mark 9.29 Every Sacrifice shall be sâ—ltâ—â—â—ith fire That is as some expound it Every man that would be acceptable to God he must have salt to season him and this
Thus Jude vers 23. speaking to this purpose of many people led aside with errours saith Save them with fear pulling them out of the fire They were in as great danger as a child fallen in the fire whom the father pulleth out with great fear and amazement Thus Joshua Zech. 3.2 is said to be a fire-brand pulled out of the fire that is delivered from great and imminent dangers The same expression is Amos 4.11 Ye were as a fire-brand pluckt out of the fire he speaketh of such who had escaped the pubâ—ick judgements oâ— God upon them This proverb the Latines and Gâ—ecians also have e slammâ cibum petere This being so clear we would wonder what should make the Popish Interpreters dream of a Purgatory fire for they hold Purgatory a real fire even as that of Hell but the Apostles expression is As it were by fire which denoteth a meer similitude and comparison Gods examination and judgement as also the Word and heavy afflictions these are the fire which he must go thorow Besides many of them hold That the Apostle speaks of the Day of Judgement when all mens works shall be examined and judged so that this fire must not be till the Day of Judgement whereas they hold Purgatory fire presently upon a mans death and so necessarily before the Day of Judgement So that Austin long ago farre more probably interpreted it of afflictions in this life Even as a Merchant in a dangerous tempest throweth away all his goods and â—oseth all that he loved to escape with his own life So shall it be with any man that builds unsound and false opinions when God shall awaken him by tâ—â—bulations he will be content to throw all away to lose all He will forsake all those Doctrines he was so dearly inamoured with that he himself may escape Now here may be a very profitable Question raised Whether there be any Doctor or Teacher in the Church of God yea or Church though never so reformed that doth onely build gold and silver and not some hay or stubble Answ To this onely in the general we say That setting aside the Apostles who were infallibly inspired and directed There is ignorance and sinfull affections cleaving to every man in part and so to every Church and therefore even the most excellent men and Churches have had their straw and stubble whereby even every mans salvation though never so eminent even on his Doctrines part not attending to his life is very difficult All the Fathers had their Navi their hay and stubble And this is true of all though never so eminent in after ages But from the first observe That every man will be altogether a loser in any errour or false way that he hath maintained He shall suffer losse Sometimes by false wayes men propound base carnal ends wealth riches honours and applause in the world sometimes they think of spiritual ends more comfort and peace of heart more enjoyment of God but what Doctrine or wayes are not of God a man is sure to be frustrated of his expectations if they have them for a while they will quickly vanish away as the crackling of thorns make a blaze but continue not In the first place we shall shew Wherein they shall be losers First If they thought by erroneous wayes to better themselves in an outward condition in this world in this they are sure to lose How many have turned from truth when persecuted to errours and false wayes only to have their lives and liberties and external comforts but in the issue have been deceived of all When the Turk so prosperously prevailed many Christians imbraced the Turkish Religion In Popery and times of bloody persecution men through fear and love of the world denied the truth asserted and maintained false Doctrines But what got they many of them Did not our Saviours Rule prove true He that will save his life shall lose it and he that will lose it shall save it Mat. 16.25 And doth not the Prophet Jonah tell us a good lesson They that observe lying vanities forsake their own mercy Joâ— 2.8 They that would worship Idols or go into superstitious wayes they forsake that very mercy God hath provided for them otherwise Oh that this were well thought of by those who think to better themselves by those wayes that are not of God! Secondly If they looked for honour and outward dignity to be applauded and esteemed this also they shall be losers in For by the judgement of those Churches or persons that are orthodox they shall fall from all that repute and esteem they had The Church of Rome was set up like an high Mountain Did not all the people of the Christian world when there were breaches in Religion look upon her like a brazen Serpent thinking to be heard presently The repute and authority she had in all mens consciences made the politick Popes triumph over all the great ones of the world thereby and enlarge both Civil and spiritual jurisdiction But when her Idolatries and errours were discovered How odious and abominable is her very memory Now it 's the Sodom the Babylon the Aegypt John speaks of So that howsoever errours may have great applause and glory for a while yet God in time will make them vile as dung As of those corrupt Priests in thâ— worship of God God said He would spread dung upon their faces Mal. 2 3. The Phâ—risees by their superstruction of hay and stubble they intended glory and honor of the people They did all things as men acting upon a Theaâ—re but when Christ came and preached the pure word of God and discovered all theâ—r vanity and hypocrisie then their esteem and honour fell immediately inâ—o the dust Mat. 5.19 Our Saviour speaking against false teachers saâ—th If any teach the breaking of the least commandment he shall be called the leâ—st in the kingdom of Heaven The kingdom of Heaven is the Church in this life as some expound And he shall be called the lâ—ast that is He shall be of no repute and esteem Thus the names of all the Heretiques that have lived are they not of unsavoury memory And though some had excellent parts and held many truths yet this dead flie falling into their ointment marred all Thirdly They lose all their ministerial labour and study they used in building such stubble And truly this losse should much affect every man whether Minister or private Christian Some opinions thou hast thinking them truths but they being errours all thy preaching for them writing for them all thy indeavour to proselyte others to thee thy going farre and near to make others of thy mind all this is lost labour It will not have so much reward as a cup of cold water given â—n Christs name will have A Wasp is busie and flieth up and down as well as a Bee but a Bees businesse brings honey a Wasps doth nothing but a sting Thus it may be thou art
erre or be of this or that opinion is no great matter is as much as to say faith is no great matter the truths of the Scripture are no great matter It was well said of Austin Veritas Christianorum est incomparabiliter pulchrior Helenâ Graecorum The Christians truth is more lovely than the Grecians Helena for whom there was much strife Hence the Apostle commands us To strive earnestly for the faith once dâ—livered to the Saints Jude v 3. Thirdly They endanger salvation Because all errours come from a damnable cause Gal. 5.20 Heresies are said to come from the flesh as opposite to the Spirit and therefore are reckoned in the same Catalogue with grosse sinnes So that if you go to the first fountain you shâ—ll find errours in Doctrine and loosnesse in practice boâ—h came from the same ground they are both fruits of the flesh though they be different streams yet they are united in one â—pâ—ing Though they may struggle one with another yet both are twins in the same womb Oh what an antidote would this be against these soul-infections that are abroad to think that errours and ungodly practices come both from the same fountain They are all fruits of the flesh and therefore have a damnable cause Fourthly Errours in judgement endanger salvation Because they lead into sinfull and dangerous practices In Philosophy we are â—old of the great connexion that is between the understanding will and affâ—ctions Now the understanding that is the Sunne in this firmament and if that be in an Eclipse you know that evils are portended thereby The understanding is the counsellour and if that be corrupt the will and affections must be very sinfull and unruly Vse of Admonition To take heed we be not led aside with any errour or corrupt Doctrines You see death is in these things as well as in lusts yea if the mind be corrupt all else will be corrupt If the eye be dark the whole body will be dark Errours will breed loosnesse and prophanenesse of life They are a disease in the choisest part of a man and know it is not thy wisdome thy care can preserve thee It 's the Spirit of God through his Word that leadeth us into truth Christ is the truth the way and the life John 14.6 The greatest learning and knowledge will not keep a man learned men have been Heretiques but two things will especially keep us 1. Humility and lowlinesse of mind To such God giveth grace To babes and sucklings he revealeth himself And 2. An holy conformity to Gods will so farre as we know When we do not detain truth as a prisoner in our lives Doct. 2. Whereas you see an eminent Officer in the Church building but hay and stubble is yet hardly saved We may hint this Doctrine though not insist on it That every godly man though never so eminent yet is very difficultly saved If hay and stubble will put us to such danger what then will evident poison If these errours of the mind which are so hardly prevented what will the constant lusts and daily infiâ—mities even of all men Which makes the Apostle Peter say The righteous man is scarcely saved 1 Pet. 4.18 Which although some understand of a temporal salvation he is very hardly delivered from those temporal afflictions that fall out in this life yet by consequence it reacheth to eternal salvation Hence is that command To work out our salvation with fear and trembling Phil. 2.12 Yea Paul who had one foot in Heaven yet he said He kept under his body lest while he preached to others he himself should be a reprobate 1 Cor. 9. ult Now the Grounds of these truths are First From the exactnesse and strictnesse that is in the way to Heaven Godlinesse is on the high hill as he placed virtue Strive to enter in at the strait gate Luke 13.24 Be in an agony yea how strait is it as in Matth 7 14 by exclamation few do enter therein To lay out the nature of a godly man or godlinesse from Scripture-rules would be almost like Tullies description of a perfect Orator or Plato of a Commonwealth Our Saviour speaking of the difficulty of a rich man to be saved that is one who trusteth in them as one Evangelist saith Mar. 10.24 The Disciples cry out Who then can be saved They do not say What rich man but who can be saved because every man hath something or other be trusteth in as well as the rich man in his riches Secondly The difficulty doth appear from that remainder and relique or corruption that is in every man which is in danger to break out Our Saviour bid hiâ— Dâ—sciples Beware of drunkennesse and surfeting though they seemed to be â—arre from it Luke 21.34 Paul how doth he mourn under the powerfull vigor of sinne still abiding in him Rom. 7. Yea the Apostle speaking of a combate in all The Flesh lusteth after the Spirit and the Spirit against the Flesh Gal. 5. So that by this means he is in constant danger of being undone There is heart against heart affections against affections c. Thirdly There are many afflictions and tribulations which God brings on his people and they do much endanger Did not God break out upon Aaron Eli David and Moses very dangerously as if he would have cast them quite off and therefore the Apostle brings in the difficulty of the righteous mans salvation upon that Judgement must begin at the house of God 1 Pet. 4.17 So that if we consider the tempests and rocks in the sea of this world it 's a wonder any can come to the haven Vse of Exhortation Be quickned up to more exact strict and diligent walking If Paul that knew how to abound and want and to do all things who was like a gyant running his race and yet hardly gets to Heaven Where wilt thou appear Hear what he saith I presse forward I forget what is behinde if I may attain to the prize of the high calling Oh then how inexcusable is thy negligence thy dissolutenesse Is thy life a striving an agony Art thou like one in a combate and conflict By this we may see the number of men that shall be saved is very few there are so few that strive that pray that work with fear and trembling that are violent for the Kingdom of Heaven and get it by force Verse 16. Know ye not that ye are the Temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you THe Apostle though he alter his Metaphor yet continueth in the same matter In the verses before he compared the Church of Corinth to a building here he sheweth what kind of building it is even a sacred holy building The Temple of God So that as in the Temple of old which was consecrated to God whosoever did bring in any unclean and unconsecrated things to the Temple he did pollute it and was to be punished thus all corruptions in Doctrine Worship or
Manners are a pollution of this spiritual Temple So that in the words you have a strong Argument against all Church pollutions whether doctrinal or practical from a similitude or comparison the Apostle useth Those that are the Temple of God must be dedicated to him and not polluted with any unclean thing but the Church of Corinth is the Temple of God And that this Argument might pierce the more he puts the sting of a sharp Interrogation upon his words Know ye not that ye are the Temple of God Know ye not as if he would have said This is a confessed Principle a truth acknowledged by all none can or ought to be ignorant of it Now for the explication of the word Temple and the Reason to prove they were the Temple as followeth in the words I referre it till we come at it For truly this Text is a Mine of gold every word hath precious matter in it Only consider at this time the interrogative Introduction Know ye not One great cause why they admitted such prophanensse and corruption in the Church was the ignorance of or the not attending to those Priviledges and Relations they were called unto If they had duely considered they were Gods Temple they would not have suffered strange Doctrines or strange manners to come in amongst them as no strange uncircumcised might enter into the Temple Observe That the consideration of those Priviledges and Relations which all the People that professe God are put into would be a great Argument against all kind of Pollutions In the 1 Cor. 6.19 the Apostle argueth against all libidinous and unclean waies because their bodies were the Temple of the Holy Ghost now here the Apostle doth not so much speak of every man as their Assembly united together as they were a spiritual Society joyned together As is more largely to be shewed The Apostle argueth chiefly though not excluding sinnes of practice against corruptions in Doctrine and the Ordinances instituted in the Church by which we may see the Scripture puts corruptions in Doctrine through errours and in our lives through ungodlinesse in the same guilt both are unclean and so may not be admitted into the Temple even as the Apostle in the first Chapter verse 5 6. and Gal. 59 useth a Proverbial speech A little leaven leaveneth the whole lump against corruptions in life and in Doctrine but of this more afterwards That which at this time I insist on is To shew what a goade and spurre to all purity and holinesse in Doctrine and Manners the consideration of Church-Priviledges Church-Titles and Relations aâ—e Thus Rom. 6.3 Know ye not that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death Ignorance of the extent of their baptism what it did signifie and oblige to made them live in sinne I know nothing more to be complained of then that people generally rest in this They are the Church of God They are Christians They are baptized but they do not understand what these things mean nor what they oblige them unto It would make us all tremble to consider the vast disproportion between our Names our Relations and our lives This hath occasioned many to runne into an extremity to say We have no true Churches no true members of a Church amongst us because the ignorance corruption and prophaneness is so great amongst us though therein they go beyond bounds For this Church of Corinth was not unchurched by the disorders and corruptions amongst it To enforce this Doctrine upon us consider some of the chief and notable Titles or Relations the people of God have and see if rightly considered they would not work like fire to consume all our drosse As First The very word Ecclesia Church This is given to all the spiritual Societies and Assemblies that we read of in the Scripture converted to the true Faith Thus the Church of Corinth the Churches in Asia Now how great a matter is this very word Church For a people to be a Church the word signifieth as much as a company of people called out of the ignorance idolatry and prophanenesse of the world to worship and serve God in his way and to obey his Laws So that when men come to be of this body they are to renounce all their former prophanenesse and wickednesse and live a life conformable to the Word which is the Churches Charter and by which it walketh Thus all our Congregations should be men called out of the ignorance and prophanenesse of the world to live according to Gods Rule But where are the persons or the Societies that do this Are not many of our Assemblies in the world and of the world still in respect of conversation There will be scandals and offences in the Churches of God too often but woe be to such who by their prophanenesse idolatry and wickednesse give so many scandals as to make us accounted a Babylon a Sodome or as the world Indeed they who do thus charge us go beyond their line for we have a true Church and a true Ministry and true Ordinances only the lives of men are generally so corrupt and wicked so ignorant and beastly that they are spots in our Assemblies and a grievous reproach to that holy Profession which we have taken upon us So then if we would have our Congregations and persons freed from all these defilements remember what the word Church is a company called out of the world And as for ignorant and prophane men the orders of Christ are to endeavour their reformation but if they continue obstinate then they are to be cast out As the Clouds that are exhaled from the earth which though terrestrial in nature yet follow the motions of the Heavens so though in our original we be of the world and are dust and ashes yet by this heavenly call we are wholly to live a heavenly conversation Is it for Starres to be like the dung of the earth Is it for a Church to be a prophane ignorant and worldly people Oh this very title should raise up your hearts Are we not a Church persons called out of wickednesse Why then are we such Apostates as to degenerate from our Titles and Names If Christ complained of those that had made the material Temple a den of thieves Mat. 21.13 will he not also of such who shall make his Church a stew a dunghill a place of wickednesse and ungodlinesse I beseech you know these things and consider them better If you would have the Name of a Church have the nature Life and operations of a Church Secondly The consideration that we are the people of God in a more peculiar manner then all the Nations of the world that do not know God This also should affect us This is that Covenant of Grace God enters into I will be their God and they shall be my people Jer. 7.23 2 Cor. 6.16 Yea a peculiar people Gods Jewels Gods Treasure Deut. 26.18 Psal 135.4
off every man from his dearest sinnes The Apostle speaking 2 Pet. 3.11 of this expectation and how the whole world shall be then on fire he cryeth out What manner of persons ought we to be For Heathens and Atheists that believe not this Day it 's no marvell if they eat and drink and take no care but how is it that thou a Believer of these things art not in Prayer often in fasting and humiliation in reference hereunto Vse of Instruction The reason of the deluge of all errours and prophanenesse is for want of good logick They do not inferre good conclusions from good Premises For to be a Church to be Christians to be Believers of such sure and certain things do not those inferre to all What manner of persons should we be in all godlinesse and holinesse of Conversation Do you not know these things Are not these things acknowledged by all How then can wickednesse and sinne be found in any mans life Oh men be either desperate Atheists or mad fools Atheists if we believe not these things fools if we believe yet our lives not answerable thereunto What wilt thou plead at the day of Judgment What will thy own conscience say for thee Wilt thou not become immediately speechlesse not able to open thy mouth when God shall command to take such a sinner such a wicked man and bind him hand and foot and throw him into Hell If these things be not true deny them if you cannot you dare not deny them then go home and mourn in secret and meditate in secret on these things Know ye not that ye are the Temple of God The Introductive Preface hath been dispatched we come to the Assertion it self and therein we are to consider the Subject who are compared And 2. To what they be compared And Lastly The ground or Reason of the comparison The Subject compared is Ye Ye are the Temple of God This Ye may be taken both Collectively as a Church a Community a Society as the Temple was not one stone but a multitude of stones artificially built together And Secondly Distributively Ye that is every man is the Temple of the Holy Ghost As 1 Cor. 6.17 Your bodies are the Temple of the Holy Ghost But the first sense is here chiefly to be retained he speaketh to them as a Church 2. Here is the Matter we are compared to The Temple of God I shall speak more of this in verse 17 Only the word Temple is used sometimes for that magnificent and glorious building of Jerusalem where God had appointed all his worship Sometimes it is used for Heaven as being that glorious Palace wherein the Majesty of God doth effectualy demonstrate it self The Hebrew word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifieth any large Palace or Tower any Kingly House and is attributed to the Tabernacle 1 Sam. 1.9 It 's used for Heaven as Gods House Mich. 1.2 and Psal 11.4 From Templum comes that word Contemplâ—r because all behold the glory of the Heavens as also some say Considere from sidus But metaphorically the word signifieth First The Body of Christ Destroy this Temple said Christ and in three daies I will build it up Joh. 2.19 And if the Temple were holy because of the Schechinah the habitation of Gods presence there how much rather doth Christs body deserve to be called the Temple because the Godhead dwelled in it so fully for the company of Believers assembled and joyned together in the service and worship of God So that as God promised to commune with the people of Israel from between the Mercy-Seat and did there graciously exhibite himself so it is here Thus then as the Temple was a peculiar place dedicated to God wherein God promised his gracious presence so it is with a company of Believers joyned together in a Church way Concerning the holinesse of the Temple more in verse 17. Doct. That the People of God met together to worship him according to his way are the Spiritual Temple of God The ancient Temple was not more glorious and admirable to the humane eye then such Societies should be to the eye of Faith Thus Antichrist is said to fit in the Temple of God 2 Thes 2.4 that is in the Church of God where the true Church was And learned men think that latter part of Exekiel's prophesie though very obscure concerning the measuring of the Temple is nothing but the Promise of the building of the Church in the new Testament in an heavenly and glorious manner The Scripture delights to allude to those ancient usages in the Old Testament So that Evangelical Duties are sometimes called Sacrifices thus the people of God a Temple in this place To open this Doctrine let us consider what is in the Church allusively to the Temple And First The Materials for the Temple were to be polished and fitted by art ere they could be made part of the building The trees and timber of themselves the stones of themselves were not fit for that goodly structure but they had Instruments of art going over them to prepare them and thus it is ere a people come in to be made Members of a Church indeed there must be a Divine efficacy and power passing over them We of our selves have not Faith have not preparednesse for such Church duties till God doth enable us Look we therefore how we come into the Church of God How is it brought about that we are so If there be nothing but nature and custome or because we are born in such places if we have no more for our being Christians then Jews have for being Jews Turkes for being Turkes this is not to be Gods Temple indeed No that must be said to thee which was to Peter Flesh and blood hath not revealed this to thee Mat. 16.17 Hence the Church of God is compared to a Vineyard to a Garden all which are not naturally so but by art and industry are made such Thus it is here whatsoever our Societies and Meetings are in reference to God it is wholly of his making Secondly The Materials of the Temple were very excellent and precious of gold and silver c. not hay and stubble The best stone the best wood that would not putrifie and all things were covered over with gold and the gold was to be pure gold even the very snuffers were to be of gold Now what did this represent but to shew what kind of people those should be who were of the Church of God even as much differing from the others as gold and precious stones from pibble stones as precious wood from bryers So then if we be the Temple of God we ought to be a people of more noble and heavenly Conversation then the world can reach unto There ought to be no sinfull debasing waies amongst us As Michall though falsly said to David dancing before the Ark Thou hast made thy self like one of the vile fellowes of the Land it is
thus truly with thee if thou runnest into any excesse of ryot that the world greedily pursueth Thou hast made thy self like a Dunghill not Gods Temple Thirdly The Temple was full of external glory A magnificent place admired by Heathens And we see what weeping there was of the old men that the glory of the latter Temple was not like that of the former Ezra 3.10 Now the glory of Christians is likewise great but in a spiritual and heavenly way The Church is all glorious within Psalms 45 13. The Gospel that is preached is stiled a glorious Gospel 1 Tim. 1.11 And the Spirit of God The Spirit of glory 1 Peter 4.14 It 's promised That the glory of the second Temple should farre exceed that of the first Hag. 2.9 Now how was that made good not in any outward glory but because Christ in a spiritual manner did reform all those corrupt Doctrines and did sit as a refiner to purifie the Sonnes of Levi. This was glory to have the spiritual worship of God It 's true this is not the glory of the world which the Devil sheweth and so many do fall down and worship it but to a spiritual eye that judgeth spiritually these things are the greatest glory Who would think that the Preaching of of the Gospel deserved such a Title as a Kingdom and a Kingdom of Heaven The most sublime and transcendent perfection that can be Yet What is more ordinary in Scripture then to dignifie it by that Name Do not then account the glory of the Church to lye in goodly Edifices in glorious Ornaments in stately Images but in pure Doctrine Godly Government and an Holy life Such times are glorious times such Administrations use to ravish a godly heart David cryed out How amiable were the Tabernacles of the Lord of Hosts Psalmes 84.1.10 And one day there was better then many any where else And all because of the Spiritual enjoying of God in them It 's the excellency of a Pearl to be in its native lustre to paint that would disgrace it so it 's the excellency of all spiritual Ordinances and Institutions to be in their pure native appointment and to adde to them by goodly Inventions is but to disparage them Jesus Christ had no external glory yet to the Spiritual Believer Christ is precious as Peter saith 1 Peter 2.7 Fourthly The Temple was in a peculiar manner holy in respect of other buildings as the Apostle saith in the next verse Now when we say it was Holy we do not mean an holinesse inherent as Angels and men are holy but of Dedication and Consecration a relative holinesse being set apart by Gods special Command to such an use And therefore the Synagogues of the Jews neither our material Churches have such an holinesse as is to be shewed when we come to the 18 verse For that is a necessary point to handle to take of men from superstitious thoughts about holy places Among the Jews there was a relative or typicall Holinesse The Temple was an Holy Temple Jerusalem is called the Holy City yea every Jew is called an Holy person Mat. 4.5 and Gentiles are unclean as appeareth by that Vision to Peter Call no man unholy or unclean Acts 10.38 But of this more This is enough to shew that the Temple was peculiarly dedicated to God and had a relative Holinesse Thus all Believers they are in a spiritual manner Dedicated to God They are separated from the world and sinne They are not to live in the same wickednesse and impiety as men of the world do Oh Beloved What a strong Obligation is this to us all to live holily We are separated from the world We are not to have such thoughts such lives such affections as the world hath Procul O Procul esse prophani they would cry in respect of their heathenish Temples and this is much more true of the Church of God Moses was commanded to pull off the shooes of his feet because the place was holy Exodus 3.5 Oh much rather must thou pluck off thy sinfull lusts thy carnal pleasures For God is holy and the Ordinances are holy about which thou art conversant Fifthy Because of this relative Holinesse it was a Capitall crime to defile this Temple There were Porters set at the Gate to keep out all unclean things 2 Chron. 23.19 No unclean thing might be brought therein and so it is here because the people of God are a company joyned in such an holy manner for such holy ends Therefore they are commanded to cast out all unclean persons 1 Cor. 5. ult Here comes in the Necessity of godly Discipline and Excommunication which is meerly medicinal not vindicative for edification not destruction Thus the incestuous person an unclean vessel in this Temple he was to be cast out Cast out from among you that wicked person 1 Corinth 5. The Church should be like an excellent disciplin'd Army Therefore if any man walk 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 disorderly note such a man and withdraw from him that he may be ashamed 2 Thessalonians 3.11 14. 1 Corinth 5.7 the Apostle commands them to purge out the old leaven the wicked person that they might be a new lump a choice and holy company worshipping God in Spirit and Truth This spiritual Sword is in the Church as the temporal one in the Common-wealth Neither is this power given in vain but that men who do ill might be afraid In the Primitive times this godly Discipline was admirably executed as appeares by Tertullian and Cyprian but when this weeding-hook was laid aside or abused Gods Garden was runne over with weeds Lastly That which was the glory of the Temple and the life of it was Gods gracious presence From thence he did hear prayer there he accepted Sacrifices thence he commanded blessings His promise was that he would put his Name there and this still continued in Gods Church When two or three are gathered together in my Name I will be there in the midst of them Mat. 18.20 Though God be every where in the world yet his gracious presence is only in his Church This is the Closet or Privy-Chamber this is the Garden wherein he walks Now Gods gracious presence in his Church is discovered these waies First Here only are the Priviledges of grace Here only is Justification Adoption Sanctification This is the Pool of Bethesda wherein the Angel comes down Through all the world be Gods yet his Church is the place of his gracious favoures This is the Ark in which salvation only may be had There is no pardon of sinnes among Heathens God indeed doth many times differ his temporal judgments upon Heathens and he heareth their prayers and groanes as their natural desires even as he doth the young Ravens but their is no gracious answer of any Prayer nor any pardon of the least sinne Thus they are as some places of the earth where they say it is alwaies night Ice and cold alwaies
represâ—nt this though many learned men ancient and later have used similitudes because there is no such thing as a God besides the true God And therefore Basil said well to the Heâ—etique desiring a similitude to represent the Trinity Da mihi alium Deum aliam trinitatem tibi ostendam Thus we have laboured to establish your faith in this necessary point Now I shall shew Why the holy Ghost is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Spirit The word at first did signifie wind Why then doth the Spirit of God assume this comparative expression of wind Or rather Why is he called a Spirit Even for these Reasons First Essentially For the simplicity and purity of his Essence and this is common to every other Person for God is a Spirit Secondly Hypostatically For his personal propriety because he proceeds from the Father and the Sonne by way of spiration the manner whereof we cannot comprehend no more than the generation of the Sonne Thirdly Effectively Many wayes 1. For the Incomprehensibility of the actions of the Spirit John 3. The wind bloweth where it lists and no man knoweth from whence it comes so is the Spirit 2. The Diversity of his operations As the breathings of the winde is from several corners the Spirits dispensations have not been alwayes alike 3. For the Efficacity moving the hearts of men to love good to hate evil 4. For the Impossibility of resisting this 5. For the Necessity of it to every good worke as the winde is to the ship Vse Is the holy Spirit God Then take heed of that blasphemous scoffing which many carnal and wicked people are guilty of which is to mock at the very name of the Spirit If a sinne against the holy Ghost be unpardonable and doing despite unto the Spirit of grace leaveth a man in an impossibility of recovering How darest thou let thy heart and tongue be thus set on hell fire Thy body and soul is to be the temple of the Spirit Thy duties are to come from this Spirit and doest thou deride it Vse of Admonition Take heed of entituling thy own fancies and delusions to the Spirit of God For seeing the holy Ghost is God it must be a capital crime to make such sinfull fancies and thoughts that come from thy corrupt heart to flow from the holy Spirit of God If to counterfeit the publick Seal or Coin of a Land be a capital crime How great a sinne is it to â—ake thy sinfull and carnal affections as if they were the workings of Gods Spirit And that the Spirit of God dwels in you Two Propositions you heard were contained in these words First That the Spirit of God is God which hath been demonstrated Secondly That the Spirit of God dwels in his Church We therefore proceed to this second Doctrine And now to open this let us consider First What the phrase to dwell in the Church implieth Secondly How he dwels there As the Spirit of God is said to dwell in us so in other places God promiseth to dwell in his people 2 Cor. 6 16. And Christ is said To dwell in our hearts by faith Ephes 3.17 All which are not to be understood of any visible or local habitation much lesse comprehensive that we cold comprehend God for he is as he said one whose circumference is every where and center no where The Heaven of Heavens cannot contain him but it is meant in a mystical and spiritual manner Now this phrase To have the Spirit dwell in us denoteth First The propriety that it hath to us that we are his possession as an house is a mans own where he is Lord and Master And this is worthy of consideration That we who once were the Devils he dwelt in us He ruleth in the hearts of the disobedient Ephes 2. have now him expelled from us and the Spirit of God taking us for his possession We pity persons bodily possessed that they foame and rore and are throwne sometimes into the fire and sometimes in the water but he who is a wicked man the Devil possesseth his soul more dreadfully he puts him upon anger malice upon unclean lusts and noisome filthy wayes and though many be of the Church visibly yet in regard of their own particular they are thus possessed by the Devil who hath their heart their eyes their tongues their whole body so that they seem to be a walking Hell So that herein is a wonderfull change when the Spirit of God comes and takes possession of a people who before were captives to Satan and led aside according to his will 2 Tim. 2.26 Secondly When it 's said The Spirit of God dwels in a people it supposeth That he doth fashion and prepare them for himself For every lodging is not fit for so noble a guest but as great men carry their rich furniture with them to have convenient lodgings so also doth the Spirit of God raise up a people by illumination and sanctification to be a fit habitation for him As they say Anima fabricat sibi domicilium The soulâ— makes the body so curiously organized and diversified for it's self to be in So much more doth the Spirit of God put spiritual life and quicken up our dead hearts that we may be prepared for the enjoyment of him It 's said The Spirit of God moved upon those waters Genes 1. that covered the deep when the earth was without forme or void Thus the Spirit of God doth take us out of our natural confusion and horrible darknesse and makes us comely with those ornaments he puts upon us So that as it is impossible to have the Sunne but withall we must enjoy glorious light So we cannot have the Spirit of God but withall many precious and heavenly gifts will be bestowed upon us Oh then how few persons how few Congregations can endure the lustre of this Doctrine What heavenly or precious jewels have they of Gods Spirit Thirdly When it 's said The Spirit of God dwels in us it denoteth The familiarity and condescending Communion that God vouchsafeth unto his children To dwell with one is an act of communion Hence 1 Peter 3.17 Husbands are commanded to dwell with their wives Our Savior expresseth this familiarity by John I will come in and sup with him and he with me Revel 3.20 So that what was spoken of Moses as so rare a priviledge He spake to God face to face as one friend speaketh to another in some kinde of sense though not after the same manner is true of every godly person Hence the Spirit of God is said to enable us to cry Abba Father Galat. 4 6. which though it suppose a filial reverential frame in us yet also godly boldnesse and confidence Hence he is also said To witnesse with our spirit that we are the children of God Rom. 8. So that children being admitted to sit at their Fathers Table have that bread which dogs may not eat of They have
for the most part is spiritual and supernatural and partly because as the Prophets and Pen-men spake or wrote as they were moved by the holy Ghost even to every syllable and word so the same Spirit of God is required though not in such a measure to the understanding of it Hence the Spirit of God is promised To lead us into all truth John 16.13 Alas the greatest men of parts and learning have many times been the greatest Heretiques and most ignorant of the Scripture because destitute of the Spirit Yet on the other side you must not runne into another extremity as if the Spirit alone without those helps God hath required would lead us into truth for that were to tempt God and to expect a miracle For give a Bible in Hebrew or Greek to a man though enjoying Gods Spirit yet he is not able to understand this or that Text without the interpretation of the language I have been more large on this because it 's necessary to shew with how much prayer and earnest application to the throne of grace the Ministers of God should addresse themselves to their work without the Spirit of God guiding and leading of them they are the ship that wants a winde yea though they have many excellent gifts and much humane learning They are but as a swift horse without a rider while they want Gods Spirit and the faster they runne the more they are out of the way So then put the Spirit of God and other helpes appointed by him together and then you will never split at any Rock Secondly As the gifts of the Ministry are thus efficiently from God So directively also they are from his Spirit The guidance and ordering of the whole Ministry is from the Spirit of God When Paul was resolved to go to some place to preach the Gospel he was sometimes forbidden by the Spirit and directed to go to others Acts 16.6 9. Thus in the word of God preached by the Apostles the Spirit of God did demonstrate it self because the Jews are said to resist it Acts 7.51 therefore though it was first dispensed to the Jews yet upon their neglect it was transplanted to the Gentiles And thus truly every Congregation every particular person may wonderfully observe the divine guidance of the Ministry that it should come to such a people and not to such that those who are unworthy and trample upon it as swine do the pearl should have it and many a poor hungring and thirsting people can never enjoy have or such a Ministry especially every godly hearer may observe a divine guidance of the Word in the matter preached how near and seasonably it comes to him The unbeliever that came to the Church ordinances saw his heart and thoughts so judged and discovered that he cried out Verily God is among you 1 Cor. 14.25 Thou sittest and wonderest how the Minister should fall on such a point how he should be directed to such a particular that doth so nearly concern thee this makes thee say Verily God is here Thirdly Which is the last and greatest The efficacy and spiritual benefit of the Ordinances and gifts of Officers is wholly from the Spirit of God Hence it is called the holy Spirit not only essentially as the other Persons are or by way of opposition to the unclean spirit the Devil but effectively because by way of title and Office as it were it belongs to him to sanctifie the gifts of the Minister and to make them powerfull in the hearts of the hearers So that although parts and abilities should be in the Officers choice and power yet the successe and benefit is not When Paul hath planted Apollo watered it 's God that giveth the increase 1 Cor. 3. And certainly if the Physician cannot give health the Gardener cannot make any fruit only disposeth and prepareth in these things much lesse can spiritual Officers in the Church cause the Word to open the eyes of the blinde or soften the heart of those that are hardened Thus we have seen how the Spirit of God dwels in the Church by reason of gifts only and to be more affected with this though that of Graces be more excellent consider First That the end of all these gifts thus vouchsafed by the Spirit is only to profit withall as the Apostle argueth 1 Cor. 12.7 They are not for vain oftentation neither are we to seek our selves by them but they are to be improved for edification Now that cannot be called profit which is onely to please the ear to tickle the fancy but what is to convince the conscience and change the heart and lives of men Oh that this were considered both by Minister and all people It 's spiritual profit that is to be looked at Hence the Word is compared to food which is not for the eye but the stomack The more usefull and profitable the gifts of any are either for instruction or reformation the nearer they come to their due end Secondly Consider the plenty of these gifts under the New Testament The Spirit of God inabled to all those gifts and graces in the Old Testament but because they were in a little pittance or measure therefore the Gospel is said to be The time of the manifestation of the Spirit So that it 's a great shame and sinne if both Ministers and people partake not more of the gifts of Gods Spirit than in the Old Testament and that so much grosse ignorance and beastly prophanenesse doth overflow is a great reproach unto the times of the Gospel Thirdly The variety of them is also very admirable The Apostle reckons up the diversity of them So that as it was an argument of Jacob's love to give Joseph a party-coloured coat Thus it is of Gods favour to bestow such diversity of gifts This makes the Church indeed to be in imbroidered garments Fourthly The wisdome of the Spirit is seen in that no one man hath all As all men have not the same face but some difference there is which makes Gods providence admirable in this particular So all have not the same gifts some are for the word of Doctrine some for the word of Exhortation and all this is that there being a mutual excelling of one another there might be no envy or schisme in the body Vse of Instruction What cause we Ministers and you people have to pray for this Spirit of God without which we preach in vain and you hear in vain As Moses said to God Vnlesse thou go along with us we will not go up O Lord if the presence of thy Spirit be not with us we cannot discharge those duties who is sufficient to preach Who is sufficient to hear Oh it should be like a sword in our bowels to think we feel no more of him in our Assemblies Arise O North winde and blow O South saith the Church that the spices may send forth their smell Cantic 4.16 Oh that the Spirit of God would thus arise
errours and the more difficult it is to know when it is an errour the more art thou to be afraid In Levit. 13. you see it was a very hard matter to discern between the Leprosie and any other distemper some had not the Leprosie it was only a scab so some do not runne into grosse and damnable heresies but yet they have a scab a loathsome distemper upon them These things being the truths of Scripture and not the words of men pleading for their own interest and reputation should much prevail with you Fourthly They are defilements Because they pollute the conscience minde heart and whole life of a man Hence you have that phrase Men of corrupt minds 1 Tim. 6.5 2 Tim. 3.8 Destitute of the truth Thus mens consciences also are said to be defiled Tit. 1.15 So that the corruption of a man by errours is a Metaphore from the body which through sicknesse or death is corrupted Thou wilt not suffer thy holy one to see corruption Act 2.17 That as from the dead body worms and putrid vermine grow and live So from minds corrupted and destitute of truth do flow these erroneous Doctrines Thus not only wickednesse may denominate men to be dead Let the dead bury the dead Mat. 8.22 And the wanton widow is dead while she liveth 1 Tim. 5.6 but even the erroneous and heretical minde is dead while it seemeth to have much 〈◊〉 And truly bodily corruptions in some sense are not so great as the corruptions of minde and conscience The Apostle in the second Epistle makes lustfull and libidinous waies to defile the body of a man which is Gods Temple but here you see errours and corrupt opinions defile the soul that is the more noble Temple of the Holy Ghost So that these mind-defilements make thy disease the more â—â—câ—rable This putteth out the eye this kils the spy and monitor of all thy actions Lastly Corrupt Doctrines are called defilements to shew how loathsome and abhominable they should be to us To hear the Scripture say That by false Doctrines the Church is polluted and defiled should make a man presently abhorre such waies Thou canst not abide dirt or vomit upon thy garments and canst thou endure these deformities upon thy soul Thou canst not endure to see a drunkard wallowing like a swine in the mire but to see men stagger and reel and even be drunk with giddy and vile opinions this should be a more loathsome sight Labour then for a Scripture judgment in these things and do not thou have more indulging thoughts towards errours then the Scripture alloweth I do not forbid thy charity to some persons erring but to errours If a godly man should be overtaken with drunkennesse or uncleannesse thou wouldst say the sinnes were abhominable though thou wouldst pitty the man and pray for him so it is here Vse of Instruction Wherein lyeth the purity of Churches Even in pure and sound Doctrine as well as in pure lives Some they cry out against purity in lives they love not such Puritans they cannot endure such strictnesse Others they love not this purity of Doctrine The Remonstrants deride the word Orthodox as if it were a spell used by some Writers Now in both waies we overthrow the purity of Churches To have pure Doctrine pure Ordinances and yet men to be impure in lives is a very dolefull sight Again to have men appearing with pure lives yet impure Doctrines is also very grievous to him who is endowed with a sound Faith If any man defile the Temple of God him shall God destroy We have dispatched the sinne supposed we come to the punishment proposed Him shall God destroy A terrible sentence and that which may make all those who grow wanton in the matters of Religion like Belshazer to quake and tremble In the Greek it is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the same word with defiling the Temple They defile Gods Temple and God will defile them This is the same with 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in other places God will destroy Now this is meant of eternal destruction without repentance The Scripture cals eternal punishment destruction not in the sense of the Socinians heresie as if both body and soul were totally annihilated for that cannot be called a torment but rather a freedom from torment but because both body and soul are deprived of all comfort and happiness and so are exposed to all the curses and the tormenting wrath of God without ceasing So that this Text doth represent corruptions in the Doctrine and Worship of God under as terrible a consideration as any great sinnes committed For look upon the threatnings against the vilest monsters of sinners they can be no more then this Those will God destroy And so it is here of such as defile the Truths of God with errours even as Nadab and Abihu were wonderfully and terribly destroyed for offering strange fire upon Gods Altar though men may suffer them Though the parties themselves may blesse their condition yet God will destroy them if they do not recover out of these snares of the Devil Now that God will destory eternally such as defile this Temple without reformation will most fully appear by 2 Pet. 2.3 4. which Chapter should be an Allarum to these times For First Her fore-tels that as in the Old Testament there were false Prophets so in the New Testament notwithstanding all the light of the Gospel and the Truths of God revealed in his Word there should be false Teachers here you see it 's expressely fore-told that it should be no stumbling block to us we should not be offended at the truth nor at reformation out of Popery and superstitions because of such events Now these are described by their Actions They shall bring in damnable heresies Connder that expression All heresie is not innocent It 's not excusable as the Remonstrants plead for here are damnable heresies 2. The Manner how they shall privily bring in There is great craft and subtilty there is underworking as Moles do under-ground Then you have the consequent evil of this They bring upon themselves swift destruction Here is more then in my text not only destruction but swift destruction That is two waies swift First Because God will not delay He is so provoked that he cannot bear them long And then Secondly Swift in regard of their thoughts It comes before they thought of or expected any such thing And whereas it may be said They prosper they meet with no such visible wrath of God see verse 4. Whose judgment lingereth not and whose damnation sleepeth not All the while they are secure their judgment doth but watch the time the fittest time to make their destruction more dreadfull Now that still people may be afraid of errours and heresies he instanceth in three the most horride Examples of Gods vengeance and argueth thus that if God were so severe against them let not such as bring in damnable heresies expect better The
Let us not do at upon a meer feigned and invented holinesse of things and places but let us magnifie personal moral holinesse to this the promise is made This is the true and blessed glory This makes us like Angels and our Churches like Heaven Verse 18. Let no man deceive himself if any man seemeth to be wise in this world let him become a fool that he may be wise THe Apostle having sufficiently declared the sinfulnesse and punishment attendant of those who defile the Church of God by corrupt Doctrines he doth begin in this verse to remove those obstructions in the way that may hinder the good use of what he had said For though the food be never so good yet if the stomack be sick and undisposed we cannot look for good nourishment Now the first stone that was to be rolled out of the way there could be no sowing of this divine seed with hopefull successe till that was removed was the self-conceit of their own wisdome and the admiring of the worldly humane excellencies that they saw in their false teachers Till this Goliah be killed the Apostle doth not expect their obedience to what he had said Hence in this eighteenth verse he beginneth to dehort from all self-conceit and earthly wisdome and in the Text he declareth a two-fold pernicious and dangerous effect thereof First That it is a meer deceiving of a mans self Let no man deceive himself That which the proud wise men of the world applaud for gold will prove but drosse he will see it was a meer empty swelling not a man-child they travelled with Secondly The necessity of relinquishing and abdicating this wisdome as the great enemy to true and heavenly wisdome which is the other dangerous effect Let him become a fool that he may be wise So that this Text is an hammer to beat down all those high and lofty things that are in our carnal understandings and to lead all our thoughts and apprehensions captive into the obedience of faith Now this Dehortation doth belong both to the Teachers he had reproved and to the Auditors For if ye ask What made the Doctors defile the Temple with errours and heresies It was only humane wisdome and proud understandings And What made the Disciples so factiously preferre one above the other But still that doting upon humane and earthly wisdome Thus the Text is an excellent Antidote against the proud flesh or rather proud spirit that may be either in teacher or hearer For the first Effect A mans self-deceiving that is coincident with the other subject I am insisting upon therefore I wave it and come to the duty of Abdication and renouncing of this humane wisdome If any man seem to be wise let him become a fool This bunch upon the Camels back must be levelled ere it can go thorow the eye of a needle The first Doctrine which is implyed only shall be That humane and earthly wisdome is a great enemy to all the heavenly things of Christ The Kingdome of Heaven and the Ministry of the Gospel hath not a greater adversary in the world amongst mens corruptions then this This is the great mountain in our way Rom. 8 7. A carnal man is enmity against God A mind whose thoughts intentions and reasonings are wholly upon carnal motives it 's enmity in the very abstract it 's as bad as the Devil all that it hath and is is nothing but enmity and that against God the only wise the only great good the only God What hath thy earthy wisdome no other adversary to fall upon but the mighty wise God Yea it 's not only actually rebellious against Gods Law but it hath not the very power to be subject◠There is no actual or potential subjection it cannot be Therefore our Saviour to demonstrate how farre such wise men of the world were from being his Disciples he takes a little child and setting him in the midst of them saith Vnlesse a man become like this child he cannot enter into the Kingdome of Heaven Mat. 18.2 3. Now the holy and heavenly things of Christ may be reduced unto three heads 1. The supernatural Matter and Doctrine to be believed 2. The Manner of promulgation of this in the holy Scriptures 3. The holy and spiritual Duties that are required of us In all these you shall see a man with no more than natural humane wisdom to be the greatest adversary therunto yea and the more parts and the more wisdom he hath the more indisposed subject he is to receive or believe supernatural truths Insomuch that wise men thought no man that had wisdome could ever acknowledge the Christian faith So Tertullian said the Heathens would wonder that such a man a good and a wise man would ever turn Christian Thus what Tertullian said excellently concerning Christs Incarnation in regard of the humane wisdome of the world That a God should be made man be crucified c. Prorsus credibile quia impossibile non pudet quia pudendum It 's true of many others doctrinals and practicals in Christs kingdome yet truly Divinity doth require of us no more than all humane Arts Discentem credere oportet If a man doth not believe before he understands he can never attain to knowledge and so saith Austin in Religion Non intelligendum ut credatis sed credendum ut intelligatis We must not understand to believe but believe to understand Let us consider First What an enemy to the Doctrine believed the fleshly humane wisdome of a man is And First This humane wisdome puffeth a man up with pride that he will not entertain such divine mysteries And this swelling or puffing up is immediately contrary to an act of faith For faith hath an obediential assent namely because God saith it let my understanding cavil and argue never so plausibly yet faith makes it obedientially yeeld unto the testimony and authority of God Wonder not therefore if humane wisdome be such an enemy to Christianity because faith and that are at immediate contrariety faith bids the mind stoop and yeeld humane wisdome bids it lift it self up Hence the Scripture cals it The obedience of or to faith and it 's the captivating of the understanding the beating down the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 every high thing that exalteth it self 2 Cor. 10 5. So that faith is a kind of mental martyrdom it puts to death those high and lofty thoughts men naturally have Seeing then humane knowledge puffeth up and filleth a man with pride this putteth a man into an immediate contrariety unto believing which is the Christians knowledge Secondly Humane wisdome as it doth immediately oppose faith in its obediential assent so also humility which is the instrumental grace to receive all the mysteries of Christ Humility is not only a grace it self but a vessel to receive other graces The humble and meek he will teach his way Psal 25.9 I thank thee O Father that thou hast revealed these things
Happinesse p. 108 Houshold-Duties See Family House Gods People are his House p. 113 Of the Material House of God p. 117 See Churches Husbandry Gods People are his Husbandry p. 113 What that Implieth ibid. I Ignorance HOw the ignorance of people hinders the Ministry p. 2 Ignorance lamented and reproved p. 4 5 13 16 17 71 83 90 151 The Effects of Ignorance 16 Illumination Of the Illumination of the Spirit p. 90 Inconstancy Inconstancy in Religion reproved p. 18 Inducements Inducements to Holinesse p. 193 Infirmities Of the Infirmities of the Saints p 22 23 And why they are not quite freed from them p. 23 24 K Key OF the Key of Knowledge p. 9 10. Knowledge Knowledge of Principles necessary p. 15 Knowledge of the meaning of Scripture a gift of the Spirit p. 210 The duty of Growth in Knowledge p. 83 L Love LOVE praised p. 30 The only Motive of Love and Agreement is Godlinesse p. 33 Its Cause and End ibid. Live Godly men do only live p. 279 Wicked men do not live p. 281 M Ministers MInisters hindered by the incapacity of the People from Preaching many excellent sublime Truths p. 2 3 Wickednesse how hurtfull to the Church p. 54 What Prudence is requisite in their Preaching p. 9 10 In reference to the capacity of the Hearers p. 2 3 4. Work is two-fold viz. Teach Govern p. 9 10 Must divide the Word aright p. 9 Are not sinfully to be admired and how that is done p. 48 What hurt Satan doth by bad ones p. 54 In what cases they may praise themselves p. 137 Must preach no new Doctrine p. 139 Must preach Christ the Foundation p. 145 How Servants to the Church and how not p. 271 Faithfull seek not to win people to themselves but to Christ p. 63 May preach from a corrupt end or a good end ibid. And what those ends are ibid. Must not only plant but water p. 83 Cannot work grace p. 86 94 That is faithfull hath grounds of comfort under successelesse labours p. 89 Co-workers with God p. 109 How carefull they should be to lay a good foundation in the hearts of their hearers p. 125 How they should build upon the foundation p. 126 to 161 Ministry Ministry The ends and use of it p. 3 17 18 140 The great respect due unto it p. 46 Its successe from God p. 86 c. 94 Sufficient in its kind to effect its end ibid. The appointed Instrumental cause of Faith p. 67 How it is such a Cause p. 68 How not p. 67 The Properties of it as such a cause p. 69 How all are obliged to attend it ibid. How to profit by it p. 77 How blessed with increase by God p. 86 Is to continue to the end of the world p. 69 Why God will make use of it ibid. Ministerial Gifts Ministerial Gifts Why all not gifted alike p. 76 Though diversity of gifts yet all should agree in one p. 97 Whether from the Holy Ghost or no p. 209 The end of them p. 211 Merrit See Reward Members Members of the visible Church who p. 6. Distinguished ibid. Man Man according to man several significations of that phrase p. 42 To live as men what that implies p. 43 Meanes Meanes of Grace alwaies needfull to all p. 84 Manifest Manifest All sinne though never so secret shall be made manifest p. 165 N Name NAme Of peoples being called by the Names of eminent men in the Church p. 50 The Names that Christians have been called by in several Ages 50 c. What hurt the Devil doeth the Church by the Names and esteem of men p. 54 New New No New Doctrine to be expected O Order See Government Ordinances ORdinances The sinne of neglecting them p. 61 Officers See Ministers P Papists PApists as such have but a humane blind Faith p. 53 Perfection Perfectionists Confuted p. 8 22 Prayer Prayer for Gods Directing Ministers p. 12 Praise Praise In what cases Ministers or others may praise themselves p. 137 Preaching Preaching One manner of preaching censured and another commended p. 10 Presence Presence Of Gods presence with his Church p. 200 Pride Pride Of pride p. 34 Principles Principles of Religion first to be laid p. 13 Reduced to several heads p. 14 Are easie p. 15 17 Necessary p. 15 Priviledges Priviledges of the Church and every Believer p. 265 Are Obligations to duty 193 Profit Profit Rules or helpes to profit by the Ministry p. 77 88 93 96 112 Protestant Protestants agree in Fundamentals p. 41 Whence so called p. 51 Providence Providences All Providences for the good of the godly p. 286 Prudence Prudence requisite in a Minister in preaching such matter and in such a manner as is for the peoples good p. 9 Planting Planting the Gospel p. 80 Punishment Punishment of Losse and of Sense p. 223 224 Purgatory Purgatory An Argument against it from the great Text brought for it p. 177 Q QUarreling See Contention R Reformation REformation of the Church p. 81 175 Reigning-sinne Reigning-sinne That word explicated p. 23 Right Right or Title two-fold p. 264 Relation Relation-Duties p. 3 Reproof Reproof How to be performed p. 11 Riches Riches The Churches Riches ennumerated p. 265 Reward Reward two-fold of Debt and Promise p. 101 Of works p. 102 Essential and Accidental p. 105 Lawfull to encourage our selves in good Works from the promise of the Reward p. 150 Reward of Godlidesse in this life p. 106 In the life to come p. 107 The greatnesse of the Heavenly Reward and the vast disproportion that is between the Reward and the work p. 108 Respect Respect Of Respect to the Ministry p. 46 47 48 And how it may degenerate into sinfull Admiration p. 48 S Saints SAints How all things are theirs p 265 Secret Secret The most secret sinnes shall be brought to light p. 165 The Aggravation of secret sinnes p. 168 Self Self-seekers A lawfull self-seeking p. 105 Self-seeking in a Minister what p. 64 65 Sinne. Sinne Of the sinnes of the godly p. 12 Schisme Of Schisme and Division Civil Ecclesiastical p. 38 Its Nature and Ingredients p. 39 Its Causes p. 40 Slothfullness Of Slothfullness in Religion p. 13 Spirit Spirit How it works by and with the Word and the Ministry thereof p 86 The signification of the word when attributed to God p. 201 Its dwelling in the Saints p. 205 212 Its Effects in the Church p. 209 212 See Holy Ghost Spiritual Of a spiritual man p. 7 Strife Strife See Contention Strictness Strictness in Conversation how despised by the wise men of the world p. 241 Vindicated p. 241 Scripture Scripture A plea for its simplicity p. 233 Its sufficiency p. 139 The only Foundation of our Faith p. 126 Stedfastness Stedfastness in the Faith p. 83 T Temple TEmple The use of the word and its signification p. 197 Of Gods spiritual Temple p. 197 226 Compared to the material one p. 198 Believers joyned in a Scripture way are Gods Temple p 228
Of the Holinesse of the Material Temple p. 199 226 See Church Thoughts Thoughts not free p. 166 Evil thoughts shall be brought to light p. 166 Truth Truth of Christ precious p. 157 Compared to Gold c. ibid. Truth two-fold Increated and Created p. 182 The Effects of Divine Truths p. 183 V Vanity VAnity How the word used in Scripture p. 158 Unity Union Disunion Unity not a sure mark of a Church p. 41 In Ministers pressed in Doctrine fections p 98 The sad Effects of the contrary in Ministers p. 99 What people should do when Ministers are divided ibid W Watering WAtering by the Word what p. 82 Wisdome Wisdome Humane an enemy to the things of Christ p. 230 But a shadow compared with Scripture Wisdome p. 247 Contemptible folly before God ibid. True Wisdome but folly in the worlds account p. 239 Things to be believed hoped for and to be done are foolish to humane Wisdome p. 239 True Wisdome only in the Church or Christianity p. 243 Wise men Wise men How God delights to take wise men of the world in their own craft p. 254 The best of their thoughts vain p. 257 Wicked Wicked people spoken to p. 8 19 20 46 47 70 77 104 166 167. Wicked works though never so secret shall be brought to light p. 165 Workes All should do good workes p. 102 Doing good workes two-fold ibid. What to do a good work that God will accept and reward p. 103 Workers How Ministers are Workers with God p. 110 Why God will make use of them ibid. Worship Of the Worship of God p. 129 Word Word of God how that reclaims from sinne and errour p. 179 Of a durable nature p. 182 World World How it is the godly mans p. 275 Z Zeal FAlse Zeal p. 15 FINIS A CATALOGUE Of the Chiefest of those Books as are Printed FOR THOMAS VNDERHILL By Col. Edw. Leigh Esquire A Treatise of the Divine Promises in Five Books The Saints Encouragement in Evil Times Critica Sacra or Observations on all the Radices or Primitive Hebrew words of the old Testament in order Alphabetical Critica Sacra or Philological and Theological Observations upon all Greek words of the New-Testament in order Alphabetical By Samuel Gott Esquire Novae Solymae Libri sex Sive Institutio Christiani 1. De Pueritia 2. De Creatione Mundi 3. De Juventute 4. De Peccato 5. De Virili Aetate 6. De Redemptione Hominis Essayes concerning mans true Happiness Parabolae Evangelicae Latinè redditae Carmine Paraphrastico varii generis Morton His Touchstone of Conversion Mr Hezekiah Woodward Of Education of Youth or The Childs Patrimony The Lives and Acts of the good and bad Kings of Judah A Treatise of Fear A Thank-offering Mr Samuel Fisher A Love-Token for Mourners being two Funeral Sermons with Meditations preparatory to his own expected Death in a time and place of great Mortality Mr Herbert Palmer and Mr Daniel Cawdry A Treatise of the Sabbath in 4 parts Memorials of Godliness and Christianity in seaven Treatises 1. Of making Religion ones Business With an Appendix applied to the Calling of a Minister 2. The Character of a Christian in Paradoxes 3. The Character of visible Godliness 4. Considerations to excite to Watchfullness and to shake of spiritual Drowsiness 5. Remedies against Carelesness 6. The Soul of Fasting 7. Brief Rules for daily Conversation and particular Directions for the Lords-day His Sermon entituled The Glass of Gods Providence toward his faithfull ones His Sermon entituled The duty and Honours of Church-Rest Mr William Barton His Psalms His Catalogue of Sins and Duties implied in each Commandement in verse Mr Vicars Chronicle in four parts Mr Samuel Clark A general Martyrology or A History of all the great Persecutions that have been in the world to this time Together with the Lives of many eminent Modern Divines His Sermon as the Warwickshire mens Feast entituled Christian Good Fellowship Mr Kings Marriage of the Lamb. Mr Shorts Theological Poems The French Alphabet Jus Divinum Ministerii by the Provincial Assembly of London Mr Thomas Blake His Answer to Blackwood of Baptism Birth-Priviledge Mr Cook His Font uncovered Dr John Wallis His Explanation of the Assemblies Catechism Mr Austin's Catechism Mr Vicar's Catechism Mr Pagit's Defence of Church-Government by Presbyterial Classical and Synodal Assemblies Mr Tho. Pagit A Demonstration of Family-Duties Mr Anthony Burgess Vindiciae Legis or A Vindication of the Law and Covenants from the Errors of Papists Socinians and Antinomians A Treatise of Justification in two Parts Spiritual Refining Part 1. or A Treatise of Grace and Assurance Handling the Doctrine of Assurance the Use of Signs in Self-examination how true Graces may be distinguished from counterfeit several true Signs of Grace and many false ones The Nature of Grace under divers Scripture Notions viz. Regeneration the New Creature the heart of Flesh Vocation Sanctification c. Spiritual Refining the Second Part or A Treatise of sinne with its Causes Differences Mitigations and Aggravations specially of the Deceitfulness of the heart of Presumptions and Reigning Sinnes and of Hypocrisie and Formality in Religion All tending to unmask Counterfeit Christians Terrifie the ungodly Comfort doubting Saints Humble man and Exalt the Grace of God His CXLV Sermons upon the whole 17th Chapter of St John being Christs Prayer before his Passion The difficulty of and Encouragements to Reformation a Sermon upon Mark. 1. verse 2 4. before the House of Commons A Sermon before the Court Marshal Psal 106.30 31. The Magistrates Commission upon Rom. 13.4 at the Election of a Lord Maior Remes Cruelty and Apostasie upon Revel 19.2 preached before the House of Commons on the 5th of November The Reformation of the Church to be endeavoured more then the Common-wealth upon Judg. 6.27 28 29. preached before the House of Lords Publique Affections pressed upon Numb 11.12 before the House of Commons Self-judging in order to the Sacrament with a Sermon of the Day of Judgment A Treatise of Original Sinne. An Exposition with Practical Observations on the third Chapter of the first Epistle of St. Paul to the Corinthians The Godly mans Choice compared with the Natural mans and found to be transcendently the best and both being Characterized by their Desires and Delights this is clearly evinced That the Godly man is the only happy man even in this world Held forth in XIII Sermons upon Psal 4. vers 6 7 8. Mr Richard Baexter Plain Scripture-proof of Infant Baptism The Right Method for getting and keeping Spiritual Peace and Comfort The unreasonableness of Infidelity in four Parts 1. The Spirits Intrinsick witness to the truth of Christianity with a Determination of this Question Whether the Miracles of Christ and his Apostles do oblige those to believe who never saw them 2. The Spirits Internal witness of the truth of Christianity 3. A Treatise of the Sinne against the holy Ghost 4. The Arrogancy of Reason against Divine Revelation repressed The Christian Concord