is his fear Isa 8.12 13. Reason In regard of the imcompossibility and inconsistency of the fear of God and the fear of men or the world or whatever would stand in campetition with it the intire true fear of God swallows up all other fears in it as Moses's Serpent the Serpents of the Magicians The stream of our affections can be carried but one way if we truly fear we fear nothing else ye cannot serve God and Mammon where this fear of God is we must expect strong opposition from men and therefore they need strong Consolation against the fear of men Nehem. 4.14 encourageth all such the Lord who is great and terrible it is the consolation of the Lord as Nehemiah signifieth But alas I am a worm weak and subject to be trodden upon by every one They who believe even out of weakness they become strong Heb. 11. Among Tola's Sons 1 Chron. 7.2 are Vzzi and Jeriel what are they Tola is a worm weak but Vzzi is strength and courage and his brother is Jeriel that is the fear of God the wise man puts both these brethren together In the fear of God there is strong confidence Prov. 14.26 2. The Lord Jesus our best friend saith yea fear him this consideration brings great weight with it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 yea I say unto you fear him 1. It 's the authority of our Lord if I am a Lord 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 where is my fear 2. It 's the Doctrine of our only Master even Christ and who teacheth like him Job No man spake as he 3. It 's the counsel of our best friend and shall we not be counselled by our friend by our best friend Reproof This reproves all those who refuse the counsel of their best friend perswading to the fear of God he commands this he intreats this he forcibly urgeth this duty upon us See what the effect of this neglect was among his own ancient people Joh. 11.48 He had raised up Lazarus from the dead as a sign to the Jews that they who should believe in him fear God and work righteousness though they had long been dead in trespasses and sins yet the Lord would raise them if they believed in the operative power of God How reason the Jews Most foolishly and madly if we let him alone the Romans will come and take away our Place and Nation They fear the loss of the Earth and lose Heaven yea and their Land too like the Dog in the Fable he feared the loss of the shadow and lost the substance by crucifying of Christ they lost their Land and Nation Look now into thy self and search diligently whether thou refuse not the counsel of this thy best friend Our God is a God which hides himself by reason of transgression the truth is hid but so far forth as every man departs from iniquity so far forth he understands the truth no farther Hence it comes to pass that whereas few men depart from their sin yet all men pretend to Truth most men contend and strive for their own Tenents and Opinions which they imagine to be Truth And what they cannot prove and make good by Scripture or reason out of Scripture that they will enforce by Clamours by Authority bf the Civil Magistrate by false witness by fighting for it and for it kill and slay one another Thus they dealt with the Protomartyr Stephen Act. 6.9 Our Lord foresaw this well and warns his Disciples who have learned his Truth not to fear them that kill the body and after that can proceed no farther but fear him that is able to cast both body and soul into hell NOTES AND OBSERVATIONS UPON LUKE XXII 25 26. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And he said unto them The kings of the Gentiles exercise lordship over them and they that exercise authority upon them are called benefactors But ye shall not be so but he that is greatest among you let him be as the younger and he that is chief as he that doth serve THe occasion of these words ye read vers 24. There was a strife among them among the Disciples a sad occasion strife is a work of the flesh Gal. 5.20 and therefore unworthy the Disciples of Christ yet there was a strife among them But there is a strife excusable which we call emulation as when men contend which way they may best perform their duty such was that between Paul and Barnabas if well understood Act. 15.39 but this was no such contention but an ambition who should be the greatest a contention ill becoming them who should better have learned Christ and learned of Christ that only lesson he invites us to learn of him Matth. 11. lowliness and meekness Directly contrary to his Doctrine for this contention proceeds from pride only from pride comes contention Prov. 13.10 and tends unto pride 't was who should be accounted the greatest And as it was most unworthy and misbeseeming the Disciples of Christ so most unseasonable if ye consider the time when it was which Matth. 20. tells us was immediately after our Lord had foretold his passion vers 18 19. Then came the mother of Zebedees Children c. and as Luk. 22. relates it after the first institution and celebration of the Lords Supper and his discovery of the traytor Judas vers 21. and that his treason should take effect vers 22. And truly the Son of man goeth as it was determined At that time there was a strife who should be accounted the greatest every way a most unseasonable ambition every way a most sad occasion of the Text. The words contain Precepts of Love and Humility necessary for all but especially directed unto such as he should leave Elders and Rulers of his Church The Precepts are generally two 1. Negative in dissimilitude to the Gentile Kings and Rulers The Kings of the Gentiles exercise Lordship c. but ye shall not be so 2. Affirmative in similitude unto Ministers and Servants and all this is illustrated by the example of our Lord Christ himself He is the greatest among you We may resolve them both into these Divine Truths 1. The Kings of the Gentiles exercise Lordship over them 2. They that exercise authority upon them are called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 3. Ye Rulers ye Elders shall not be so 4. He that is greatest among the Rulers or Elders shall be as the younger 5. He that is chief shall be as he that doth serve 6. The Lord Christ is among us as he that serveth those that sit at meat 7. He appeals to them whether is greater he that sitteth at meat or he that serveth These are too many Quaere 1. What kings were these 2. What is it to exercise Lordship 1. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 here are called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Princes or Rulers of the Gentiles Matth. 20.25 The name 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Kings is sometimes more largely taken and extended unto inferiour Governours
the Spirit when there was nothing in him but the Deity And into such a Desart the good Spirit leads us when we renouncing all affection to worldly Honours Wealth and Pleasures or whatsoever delights Self for the entire love of our God and the Soul longs for nothing more nothing else Solus Deus cum sola anima God alone with the soul alone In this Wilderness was David Psal 73.25 It 's the treasure that 's hid in the desart of this world known to few by name O to how much fewer in the thing it self Into this Wilderness was our Lord led by the Spirit And why 2. He was led by the Spirit into the Wilderness to be tempted of the Devil To tempt is to prove assay make experiment of something which was unknown before The reason why Christ was led c. to be tempted c. may be considered in regard 1. of God 2. Christ and 3. Us. 3. This is needful for us for whereas to know much is accounted by us 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the principal objects of knowledge being God and our selves by temptation we come to know our selves and what of God is in us Non tentatus qualia scit Ecclus. 34.10 Who knows what he can do before he is tryed How good the Frankincense is ye perceive when it lies on the Coals and the Spices smell best when they are broken in the Mortar How precious the box of oyntment was appeared when it was poured out upon the head of Christ Then the whole house was filled with the savour of that oyntment The Mariners best skill is in a Tempest and the Souldiers valour in fight Militia est vita Christiana saith holy Job we know our selves in the fiery tryal that is to try us Nescit se homo nisi in tentatione se discat August Man knows not himself but in temptation 1. In regard of God it makes much for his honour that he hath men upon earth Satan as yet knew not Christ to be any more than a man who love him and serve him for himself quia bonus because he is good Psal He objected unto God that he gave Job good wages for his service protection and great increase of substance and doth Job serve God for nought Job 1.8 9. But here Satan hath met with one whom neither lusts of the flesh nor natural desires of necessary food nor lust of the eyes no not all the Kingdoms of the World nor pride of life ostentation and vain glory can separate from the love and service of God Obs Who can hope for exemption and freedom from temptation To be tempted is no sin Christ was tempted in all things like unto us yet without sin the Apostle tells us what the process of temptation is James 1.13 14 15. 2. There is reason also in respect of Christ 1. That his excellency might appear and be made known for therefore was Satan let loose upon him that he might know experimentally that there is one upon the earth to whom he hath no right on whom he hath no power at all the Prince of this World cometh and hath nothing in me Joh. The Devil tempted him and used all his arts to try him but he found nothing of his own Gen. 31.37 He found nothing else but God in the man 2. It was fit that he whom God had declared his High Priest Matth. 3. ult should be tempted in all things like unto us who might be touched with the feeling of our infirmities as Peter was tempted before he must feed the Sheep and the Lambs He who is merciless and cruel to those under his power he himself 't is likely never suffered hardship Therefore Exod. 23.9 And the Lord Jesus was made like unto us in all things that he might be a merciful and faithful High Priest in things pertaining to God Heb. 2.17 The Spirit leads not a man into a delightful Paradise if it did we might meet with the Tempter there and shew there is more danger of him than in a Wilderness 3. He learned obedience in that which he suffered Heb. 5.8 He who was to be the teacher of it unto us must learn it himself 3. This was also needful in regard of Us that Satans arrows of temptations might be broken that his fiery darts might be blunted and quenched Who otherwise could endure the fury and rage of Satans temptations let loose upon him Unless first their edge had been taken off having been darted against the rock Christ 1 Cor. 10. John 16.33 Deut. 33.27 2. Being tempted he is able to succour them that are tempted Heb. 2.28 That the great King of Babel who boasted that he could make the earth to tremble and shake the Kingdoms of the World might find himself foyled by a believing man who through the power of the Lord Jesus may triumph over Satan and all the power of the enemy and sing that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Rom. 8.38 Psal 4.13 Beloved it 's a pleasant and delightful thing to hear or read what Christ hath done or suffered for us and every one will say bonum est esse hîc yea at this day there are thousands who profess to go no further because Christ hath done all Yea I know not how it comes to pass but it 's certain that in our corrupt nature there is a correspondency and delight to see contention and strife though among the beasts or men like them I read in the Roman Story Tridnum stetit populus perdius pernox c. The people of Rome stood three dayes and three nights together beholding the sword-players such as made them that kind of sport ye read of when the young men played before Joab and Abner when they thrust their swords one into the others side 2 Sam. 2. But Beloved this Duel between the Lord Jesus and Satan nearly concerns us all See Notes on Matth. 4.4 3. Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the Wilderness c. When When he was baptized and had the testimony of the Father and Spirit upon him presently upon this the Spirit drives him into the Wilderness See Mark 1.12 Why The Spirit received in greater measure so acted him with ardor and vehemency that now he must wholly permit and yield himself to it Obs 1. Note here the method or way wherein the Lord Jesus walked to be an example unto us that we might follow his steps being baptized into the name of Jesus we receive the Spirit of Adoption c. Rom. 8.15 16. and then presently we are called to suffer with him Thus Gal. 3.2 by the hearing of Faith we become the Children of God v. 26. are baptized into Christ v. 27. and receive the Spirit v. 2. and suffer with him v. 4. Hebr. 10.32 33. 1. We read of many Wildernesses whereinto the Spirit of the Lord leads us to be tempted of the Devil There is the Desart of Arabia wherein is Mount Sinai Gal. 4.25 Hagar which gendreth to bondage Hence
water And hither we may refer the miraculous feeding of so many with so little food Matth. 15.16 2. The immediate Commandment is directed unto our selves to live upon it and that is the Law of God which was ordained unto life as the Apostle speaks Rom. 7. though the Law of it self cannot enliven us For if there had been a Law given which could have given life surely righteousness should have been by the Law but the Scripture hath concluded all under sin that the promise of faith by Jesus Christ might be given to them that believe Gal. 3.21 22. This points us to the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the essential word of God Jesus Christ himself according to his Divine Nature That Word which was in the beginning John 1.1 with God and was God which cannot be understood of the body and flesh of Christ which was not from the beginning Of this inward word the outward Word bears witness John 1. and 1 John 1.1 2 3. speaks experimentally of this Word That which was in the beginning c. The food of which the Saints of God have fed upon even from the beginning 1 Cor. 10. And that this is the word here meant especially as figured by the outward Manna Moses intimates Exod. 16.15 When the Children of Israel doubted what it should be he resolves them this is the bread which the Lord hath given you to eat and v. 16. This is the thing which the Lord hath commanded gather of it every man This is the thing in the Hebrew it is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifieth The Word the Vulg. Latine hath Sermo rather than the thing The word is ambiguous and 't was fit for those times for the concealing of so great a mystery which our Saviour opens John 6.33 to which our Translatours refer us in the Margent The bread of God is he saith that essential bread which cometh down from Heaven as the Manna figuratively did and giveth life unto the World Hence it is that we find Christ so often signified by bread both in the Old and the New Testament 1. In the Old Testament Odo the Abbot the most learned of his time hath observed this heavenly Harmony of Corn Wine and Oyl signifying the three Persons of the Blessed Trinity and he quotes a notable place for it Joel 2. whose latter part from v. 28. to the end is alledged by our Saviour Matth. 24. St. Peter Acts 2. and St. Paul Rom. 10. to be fulfilled in these last times v. 19. of that Chapter he promiseth to send them Corn and Wine and Oyl and v. 24. The floors shall be full of Wheat and the fats shall overflow with Wine and Oyl which he fitly applies to the several Persons thus The Son fills the floors with Corn and Wheat The Spirit fills the fats with Wine The Father fills the fats with Oyl 1. The Oyl of mercy which mitigates and asswageth pain well befits the Father of mercies 2. The Corn or Wheat fills the floors with plenty whereof it is an Emblem and strengthens the heart of man 3. The Wine makes glad the heart which is a principal fruit of the Spirit These three ye may find often joyned together by the Holy Ghost as Deut. 11.14 and 12.17 and 18.4 Psal 104.15 2. In the New Testament I am saith he the bread of life John 6.32 And this bread saith he is my body Matth. 26.26 And I would not have you ignorant brethren that all our Fathers did eat the same spiritual meat and drink of that spiritual rock which was Christ 1 Cor. 10.3 4. And the reason why this inward man is to live by this essential word that proceeds out of the mouth of God may be considered either 1. In regard of God who causeth even this word to grow out of the earth Psal 104.14 Aperietur terra germinet Salvatorem Esay 45.4 Let the Earth open and bring forth the Saviour and who rains from Heaven this spiritual Manna on us for Moses gave you not that bread from heaven but my Father giveth you this bread from heaven John 6.32 And in respect of the inward man and his spiritual life to be maintained this spiritual food is necessary Simile à simili nutritur is a known rule like is nourished by the like and we being to grow up and to become 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 like to the Angels whom God hath made Spirits God feeds our inward man with spiritual food which the Psalmist calls Angels food And that 's the third Reason in respect of the nourishment it self for whereas the Souls and Spirits of the Saints must live the life of God which is eternal this heavenly food is that which hath the essential life in it John 1.4 Yea that meat which endures unto everlasting life John 6.27 Yea the eternal life it self 1 John 5.20 Great reason therefore there is that man should not live by bread only but by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God 1. A Doctrine that is worthy all our observation which that we might know Moses said Exod. 16.32 This is the word or thing which the Lord commandeth fill an Omer of it to be kept for your Generations that they may see the bread wherewith I have fed you in the Wilderness And Deut. 8.2 3. The Lord thy God fed thee these forty years in the Wilderness to humble thee and prove thee to know what was in thine heart and I suffered thee to hunger and fed thee with Manna and that he might make thee know that man doth not live by bread only but c. For this end that we might know he continued this miracle forty years not that we might only contemplate this truth for verba cognitionis intelligenda sunt cum affectu But 2. That we might learn to withdraw all our Faith Hope Love Confidence Care Fear all our dependence from the Creature and repose it wholly and solely upon our God who gives all the power virtue and efficacy unto the Creature and without whose concourse the whole Creature is weak vain empty nothing The staff of bread is but like a broken reed or like the chaff or husks without power and vertue to sustain us Man lives by every word c. 3. As also that rich man whose servants have bread enough and to spare Luke 15. might learn not to pride themselves or lift themselves up above their poor brethren for why Man lives not by bread only nor doth a mans life consist in the abundance of the things which he possesseth 4. That we may learn a difference between God's providence and rich mens touching the feeding and sustaining of the poor for howsoever the poor man lives not by bread only yet a kind of life he lives by bread which the rich must give them And howsoever the poor man lives by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God yet he lives not by any word at all that proceeds out of the
been to Christ Nam cui facile fuisset lapides in panem ad naturae alterius confusionem convertere Luc Brug c. He that could have done this miraculous effect yet did it not teacheth thee to do nothing to please the Devil saith St. Ambrose 3. Though hungry yet wary he is lest Satan should entrap him in his meat The Devil takes all occasions and opportunities of advancing his own Kingdom He takes advantage of our natural necessary and lawful concupiscence thereby to hurt us Take heed he make not thy Table a snare unto thee by intemperance by drunkenness by luxury and sensuality 4. Learn from hence how to he have thy self when thou art tempted not presently to flie to humane helps nor to destroy our nature as we read of some who have made themselves Eunuchs for the Kingdom of God an unlawful way and of others who have pulled out their eyes c. Not to despair of God's help not to put God upon a miracle much less obey the Tempter but to make that wherewith we are tempted an object of vertue a vertue of necessity And thus doing thy pittance of outward bread how little soever shall bring thee to the inward bread the bread of life which is the essential word of God And this heavenly food is obtained by the outward Word whether Law or Gospel and Prayer Of the outward Word our Saviour speaks John 9.39 Ye search the Scriptures and therein ye think to have eternal life and they are they which bear witness of me This word must be highly esteemed as Job speaks Job 23.12 I have not departed from his Law I have esteemed the words of his mouth more than my necessary food This we must ruminate upon as the Israelites called it Man-hu that is What is it And then it will become Man-hu i. e. a portion as the Word also signifieth as ye have it in the Margent Exod. 16.15 The essential bread was in the midst of the Disciples when they were discoursing of it Luke 24.36 This must be done by faith Psal 37.3 By which therefore the Righteous man is said to live Habak 2.4 If thus we do Wisdom shall feed us with the bread of understanding Ecclus. 15.3 and give us the water of Wisdom to drink as the Wise man tells us Wisdom 16.25 That the Grace of God nourisheth all things according to the desire of them that pray for it NOTES AND OBSERVATIONS UPON MATTHEW V. 2 3. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And he opened his mouth and taught them saying Blessed are the Poor in Spirit for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven WHen the Old Law was to be given by Moses he must go up into a Mountain And when the Prophet was raised up who like unto Moses was to give the New Law the Law of the Spirit life that is in Christ Jesus our Lord. He must go up into a Mountain the Mountain of his Holiness the Mountain of Essential Bliss and Happiness whence descends every good and perfect gift as from Mount Gerizim the blessings were given Hither resorted unto him the Multitudes of his Disciples Deut. 33.2 3. And hitherto let us resort unto him I invite you not to Mount Sinai the Mountain of horrible terrour and dread But unto Mount Zion whence the Spiritual Law goes forth with all love gentleness and sweetness Glory to God in the highest in earth peace to men of good will It is not of any ordinary Argument our Lord now treats but of bliss and happiness of the Kingdom of Heavens Nor is he any ordinary Teacher but the great Rabboni whom we all ought to have for our only Master even Christ O with what humility and condescent sate the King of Kings in the midst of the multitude of his Disciples and taught them his heavenly Lessons And as he imitated Moses on the Mount in giving of the Law so he follows David in the Preface to his Psalms propounding the description of the blessed man And thus our Lord propounds the chief good as the end of all our endeavours whereat all ought to aime Blessed are the poor in Spirit for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven All the desires of men tend to bliss and happiness and end in it And therefore that is the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the last end whereat all men aime to be blessed and happy Insomuch that no man is so barbarous but he naturally desires it so that the desire of it seems to be naturally implanted in us Yea Adam in Paradise enjoying much happiness desired yet to be more happy and much more may the Sons of Adam who have every day sufficient evil for the day desire some refreshing Now though it be agreed by all that bliss and happiness is desired by all yet herein most men are at a loss wherein that bliss and happiness consists Now herein is the great goodness and wisdom of our Lord Jesus seeing that he discovers wherein the true bliss consists 1. The poor in Spirit are blessed 2. The Kingdom of Heaven is theirs 3. The poor in Spirit are therefore blessed because theirs is the Kingdom of Heavens 1. Blessed are the poor in Spirit What a Composition is this Bliss and Poverty Poverty is believed to be the greatest misery and can the poor than be blessed Before we proceed farther let us examine this whether the poor can be said to be blessed A man may be said to be poor either 1. Who hath few of those outward things which the world calls goods or else 2. He may be said to be poor who is of a lowly mind Some there are who conceive those here to be called blessed who are poor in the former sense And there is some Reason for it 1. Because 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 poor by it self and in it self considered doth not signifie such as are lowly without such addition made as here is So that our Lord may here call those poor blessed who abound not with outward wealth as v. 4. he pronounceth those blessed who mourn For there is no doubt but the aboundance of outward things brings with it much incumbrance and hinderance to the exercise of grace and virtue qui habet terras habet guerras yea it proves too often an incentive and nurse of vices And therefore the Apostle 1 Cor. 1.26 Not many mighty not many noble And St. James cap. 2.5 Hath not God chosen the poor of this world c. Yea St. Luke 6.20 relates our Lord's Words thus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Blessed are the poor without addition of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Answer It cannot be denied but that the aboundance of outward things may overcharge the heart Take heed that your heart be not overcharged Luke 21.34 But so on the contrary may the want of outward things distract the heart which our Lord supposeth when he warns his Disciples take no thought for your life Luke 12.22 And therefore Agur prayed against both extreams
Wife Gen. 2. and they two shall be one flesh Obser 3. How witty men are in misconstruing the Word of God The words of Moses will hardly afford any such collection as they made for putting away their Wives Deut. 24.1 2. where we say in our Translation vers 1. then let him write her a bill of divorce put her away out of his house The words do not necessarily bear any such construction yet hence they collected that for many causes a man might put away his Wife But if those four first verses be well looked into and the Law-givers scope considered we shall find that those verses make up one entire sentence and that the three first verses are but only the antecedent and the fourth is the consequent and makes the sentence entire for whereas v. 1. we render the words imparatively by way of Precept Let him write her a bill of devorcement the very same words meet us v. 3. which yet we render not imparatively as before nor indeed are they so to be rendred and therefore not the former since they are both in the very same tense and all makes but sententia pendula as it is called an imperfect sentence which is compleated by the fourth verse thus if a man take a wife and marry her c. if he write her a bill of divorcement and send her away c. In this case her former Husband who sent her away may not take her again to be his wife so that all the three first verses are but a supposition or condition of the antecedent part and so Tremellius renders the words and that this is the main scope of that Law that the former Husband may not take his wife again who hath been the wife of another man it 's clear by the Prophet Jeremiah's reference to that very Text Jer. 3.1 wherein we read no command that a man should put away his Wife only because upon supposition of divorcement he who put away his wife must give her a bill of divorcement hence they collected that a man might put away his wife Men are witty in construing the Law of God to make it sute with their corrupt wills 2. Axiom Who so puts away his wife must give her a bill of divorce What is a bill of Divorce The word here used is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which word for word properly signifieth a departing from that writing by which the wife was ejected and sent away out of her husband's house It answers to the Hebrew word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifieth a cutting off The form of this Bill is to this effect The Husband professeth that willingly and of his own accord without any compulsion he puts away and casts forth out of his house her who had hitherto been his wife and by that writing gives her license and power to go whither she will and to marry to any man nor must any one hinder this act of his in testimony of all which he gives her that bill of divorce The Reason why he that puts away his wife should give her a bill of divorce 1. The action was solemn and could not be without forma juris without some legal instrument and that necessary both in regard of the husband such an instrument was of force against him litera scripta manet that he might not receive his divorc'd wife against the Law hereby also the wife divorced had to shew that she was freed from her former husband and warranted hereby to marry another 2. Hereby also God in wisdom and goodness made provision for the wrathful and hasty husband that in writing the bill of divorce he might be whiled and stayed and brought to consider how great an evil it was to put away his wife that so as the Philosopher advised a man to do nothing in his anger till first he had said over his Alphabet so by the writing this bill of divorce the angry husband's wrath might cool and some space be given him for repentance and change of mind Obser Note hence the wisdom and goodness of the Law-giver he considers the condition of those to whom he gives his Law They were under the Law which is a state of weakness Rom. 8. Non eadem à summo minimoque he requires not the same strictness of all alike he permits something to some weak ones for a time till they become strong Repreh Those who in the married state are enemies to their own happiness what knowest thou O man whether thou mayest gain thy wife 1 Cor. 7. Repreh This is a just ground of reproof to those who cause divorcement and separation between Man and Wife Those I mean who make unequal marriages either between themselves or between their Children or other Relations these while they intend to lay a lasting foundation of Union and Friendship between Persons and Families even these utwittingly are the cause of the greatest breach dissention and disagreement what else shall we judge of those who make marriages only out of worldly respects as Wealth or Honour or high Place without consideration of that which ought first of all to be looked into the Fear and Love of God and Christian education advancing it as also that due sympathy and harmony of Nature mutually inclining and disposing and uniting the minds and hearts and making them in a sort one For whereas these Bonds are wanting though nothing else be wanting of worldly interest as Wealth Honour place of Dignity or what else can be wished yet contracts and unions of parties so unequal ordinarily incense kindle dissentions and differences between themselves and all in relation to them as the binding of Sampson's Foxes set all on fire This must needs be the very worst divorcement of all other when their minds and hearts are opposite and contrary and divorced one from the other yet by Laws of Matrimony they are obliged to maintain a bodily presence one with the other Let Covetous Proud and Ambitious Parents think well of this who engage their Children in perpetual Bonds of unequal marriages to begin a kind of hell upon earth which without God's great mercy will never have an end surely such marriages were never made in heaven They say that Marriage is a Civil Ordinance and therefore the power of contracting it is devolv'd from the Minister to the Civil Magistrate though St. Paul calls it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a great mystery Eph. 5. But such marriages as these are hardly civil and therefore indeed more fit for the market-place than that which according to the new reformation of words is called the Meeting-place 3. It was said If a man put away his wife c. It was said but by whom was it said or to whom in the two former instances we have 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 where the word is left doubtful whether to them of old time or by them of old time but that word we read not here no why this was not said to them nor by
the holy word of God no where forbids the people of God to swear by his Name But oftentimes the Scripture requires that the people of God do swear by his Name as I have shewn and commends those that do so Psal 63.11 That we may the better understand this we must know that the Pharisees that they might not seem to neglect the Commandment of God by taking his Name in vain and so break the third Commandment they found out certain modes and wayes of swearing which might be taking with the people yet thereby they might seem not to break the Commandment of God Of these forms and wayes of swearing our Lord recites and names four and adds to every one a particular and respective prohibition that we should not so swear and a reason why we should not so swear vers 34 35 36. 2. Having removed these particular forms and wayes of swearing found out by the Pharisees he supplyeth and layeth down the true Christian way and manner of communication and gives reason for it Let your communication c. Concerning these wayes of swearing two things must generally be premised 1. That though the name of God be not used but some Creature yet such a Creature as he who swears should not despise but esteem highly of as here of heaven and earth 2. Though God be not expresly named in those oaths and forms of swearing yet he who swears by naming these Creatures he implies some reverence and respect to the God of truth so that he tacitly wisheth some curse or wrath or vengeance from God upon himself in case he swear falsly or went about to deceive These necessarily premised come we to the Divine Truths considerable in these words 1. Our Lord saith swear not by heaven because it is the throne of God 2. Swear not by the earth because it is God's footstool 3. Swear not by Jerusalem because it is the City of the great King 4. Swear not by thy head because thou canst not make one hair white or black 5. Let your speech be yea yea nay nay 6. What is more than those is of the evil one But why doth the Lord make special mention of these Creatures heaven and earth and Jerusalem and the man's head Reason may be given from the ill custome grown among them of swearing by these Creatures and therefore our Lord opposeth his New Law to these old customary oaths Other Reason also may be given from this consideration the Lord Jesus hereby shews That although they who swear by these Creatures would seem not to swear by God because they name him not yet when they swear by Heaven Earth Jerusalem and their head they swear by those things whereunto the great God is nearly related and wherein he himself is in a more special manner as either 1. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Naturally according to his Omnipresence or 2. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 according to Ceremonial Institution or 3. Spiritually according to his gracious presence and residence Our Lord therefore forbids to swear by Heaven and Earth He is in them Naturally He fills heaven and earth Jer. 23. Heaven is my throne and the earth is my footstool Esay 66. He forbids to swear by Jerusalem and consequently by all things appertaining thereunto as the Temple the Altar the holy Vessels because God in a more special manner was Sacramentally present there 3. He forbids to swear by ones Head implying the person of his Disciple or Christian with whom he is graciously present The head of every man is Christ One common Reason why men are inclined to these oaths to swear by any of these Creatures before named or use any like forms of swearing may be this there is in all people though too many smother it an impression of a Deity and God-head in their minds so that at the serious naming of God some awe or fear is as it were darted into their minds Now because men generally would avoid fear grief or any such straitning affection they found out some wayes of making oath without the express naming of God by names known among them Other Reason also may be given in regard of those who swear deceitfully or for some unwarrantable end use some voluntary oath they conceive if they name not God though they swear falsly yet they offend not Obser 1. We ought not to swear by any Creature Swearing is a part of Divine Worship and therefore not to be given to any Creature Repreh Who use voluntary oaths to deceive others and think they do not amiss while they use not the name of God This was the fraud of the Jews living in Rome and elsewhere in the Roman Empire they were noted for it that if they used protestations and vows and such words and wayes of swearing as are expressed in the Text they were suspected that they intended to deceive whence the Epigrammatist Jura Verpe per Anchiolum It was conceived and observed that if the Jew that Verpus one that 's circumcised if he swear by any thing else than by Anchiolus he would deceive if he sware by Anchiolus he would not deceive And what was Anchiolus this speech of the Epigrammatist hath been very obscure till a learned Critick gave light to it Anchiolus is a word which the Romans thought the Jews sware by when they spake short and quick these words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is as God liveth Every one of these will require particular consideration of three things As to the first 1. Heaven is God's Throne 2. The Lord saith swear not by heaven 3. Swear not by heaven because it is God's throne Heaven is God's Throne the word we turn Throne 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is a Seat of Majesty and Judgment Psal 9.7 The Lord hath prepared his Throne for Judgment Some conceive that certain things in the Creatures are ascribed to God by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 See Notes on Heb. 1.10 Reason From the end for Judgement Obser 1. God hath this Throne Obser 2. See what is the highest Court whither all appeal See Notes as above Obser 3. This ought to strike awe into us our addresses are to the most high God See Notes ibidem Obser 4. What great boldness it is to sin against God the most high Repreh 1. Curiosity in them who pry into God's secrets scrutator Majestatis Repreh 2. Who judge others when the judgment belongs alone to God Consol To those who with David say How shall the Ark of the Lord come to me 2 Sam. 6.9 for though he be great yet is he gracious too See Esay 1. Swear not by heaven because it is God's Throne What is heaven See Notes on Heb. 1.10 Swear not by heaven wherein by heaven no doubt is here literally understood no other than that glorious body well known by that name for if our Lord had here understood heaven as it is taken for God himself Dan. It had been then a downright and direct oath by God himself
taught to pray for the bread of God that cometh down from Heaven and giveth life unto the World John 6.33 and because we consist as well of a Natural as of a Spiritual substance we are hereby taught to pray also for the natural food or bread of men and both these that the will of God may be done in Earth as it is done in Heaven and therefore we pray for the heavenly Bread or Christ who is the Power and Love of God who doth all the Fathers Will Acts 13. and is content to do it and enables us to do it Rom. 8. That the Righteousness of the Law may be fulfilled in us who walk not after the flesh but after the spirit Now because ab extremo ad extremum non pervenitur nisi per medium that the Heaven and the Earth may be knit together by the intervention of the Mediator Truth flourisheth out of the Earth and Righteousness looks down from Heaven and teacheth the fallen Humanity to pray for a Sacramental Vehicle a medium whereby the Bread of Life may be conveyed to strengthen mans heart And the heart of man may be lifted up sursum corda unto the Heavenly Bread the Bread of Life and thereby strengthned to do the Lords Will on Earth as it is done in Heaven Doubt 2. How can rich men who have wealth in abundance yet ask bread of God Sol. 1. It 's possible men may have wealth in abundance yet not bread witness the three grand Patriarchs Abraham Isaac and Jacob who were all rich in silver and gold yet for want of bread were forced to travel into other Countries 2. Men may have the Temporal food yet want the Spiritual they may be rich in this world yet not rich towards God Luke 12. 3. Yea they may have the Temporal food yet not the Blessing with it so the Lord threatens Hos 4.10 and there are wicked rich men Mich. 6.12 13 14. Obser 1. That we may Sanctifie and Glorifie the Name of our God the first Petition and the ultimate and last end of man that his Kingdom may come and we may do his Will it 's necessary that we live Shall the dead praise thee Psal 88.10 No the dead praise not the Lord nor they that go down to the silence Psal 115.17 Let my Soul live and it shall praise thee Esay 38.18 19. The Living the living He must first live the Life of Nature and then to the Life of Grace who can duly glorifie our Father which is in Heaven doing his Will on Earth as it is done in Heaven And thus David resolved I will bless thee 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in vitis meis in my lives in my Natural and in my Spiritual Life Psal 63.4 Obser 2. That man may live food is requisite for him therefore 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Life and Food have both the same name in the Greek victus and our word in English victuals is à vivendo Our bodies are weak and frail and have great need to be supported with the staff of bread as the Prophet calls it Esay 3. therefore Isaac saith that with Corn and Wine he had sustained Jacob it 's the prop and butteress of the Natural Life Bread under-props mans heart Psal 104. Comfort thy heart with a morsel of bread Judg. 19.4 Obser 3. How much more necessary to the support of our Spiritual Life is the Lord Jesus the Bread of Life which comes down from Heaven John 6. without which the heart faints and languisheth He who supports all things by the word of his power He who feeds the Angels in Heaven enabling them to do the will of God who feeds the Faithful Souls on Earth enabling them to do the Will of God on Earth as it is done in Heaven and therefore David Psal 73.25 26. Whom have I in Heaven but thee My flesh and my heart fainteth but God is the strength of my heart Obser 4. Note hence what that is which nourisheth the inward Man surely it is the inward and Spiritual Bread that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for as the substance of the body cannot be nourished otherwise than by a substantial nourishment so neither can the Soul be otherwise nourished than by a Real True and Spiritual nourishment the True and Living Bread which came down from Heaven that 's it which supports the languishing and fainting soul Obser 5. Both Natural and Spiritual Bread come from our Heavenly Father He gives Food to all flesh And Christ is called Bread expresly John 6. So likewise the gift of God Esay 9. Joh. 4. Eph. 4. Obser 6. Both kinds of Bread both Gifts are obtained by Prayer Obser 7. The daily Bread we ask for the day that is called bread and daily bread and for to day asked of God it implies a daily need of it a daily use of it See Notes on 1 Cor. 10. To day if ye will hear his voice Obser 8. When we come to the Sacrament yea as often as we pray to God we ought to be in Charity with our Neighbour Give us our daily bread Repreh 1. Who hinder the obtaining of our daily bread who cause the daily Sacrifice to cease 2. Who feed on that which is not bread but imagination the Natural Body of Christ 3. Who come unprepared who examine not themselves yet presume to eat Exhort 1. Let us pray for our daily bread 2. Hunger and thirst after it Psal 42.2 3. Feed on it Eccles 2.24 There is nothing better for a man then that he should eat and drink and that he should make his Soul enjoy good in his labour This also I saw that it was from the hand of God What this eating and drinking is see in vers 26. For God giveth to a man that is good in his sight Wisdom and Knowledge and Joy NOTES AND OBSERVATIONS UPON MATTHEW VIII 16 17. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 When the even was come they brought unto him many that were possessed with devils and he cast out the spirits with his word and healed all that were sick That it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Esaias the Prophet saying Himself took our infirmities and bare our sicknesses OUr Lord having finished his Divine Sermon on the Mount in the 5 6 and 7th Chapters of this Gospel He confirms his Doctrine in this 8th Chapter and others following by Miracles no less Divine whereof we have Two sorts in the Text. 1. Casting out Devils and 2. Healing Diseases 1. He cast out the Spirits with his Word 2. He healed all that were sick 3. All this he did That it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Esaias the Prophet saying Himself took our infirmities and bare our sicknesses 1. It is not my purpose to spend much time in the handling of the two former otherwise than as they are the accomplishment of the Prophet Esay's Prophesie Himself took our infirmities and bare our sicknesses 1. He cast out the Spirits with his
there are which we may ground upon namely 1. Because these or most of these words by reason of their manifold significations in the Original cannot so fully be expressed in other Languages but they must needs lose much of their force as ye know water or wine or any other liquor loseth the native taste and relish when t is emptied from one vessel to another As also 2. Because many mysteries there are contained in these words which therefore are left intire in all Translations as Latin Greek and other Languages among these is Hosannah which I told you is a prayer for Salvation and the Author of it and both these we pray for in admirable brevity in this one word Hosannah and withal desire the Lord to hear our prayer for this one word comprehends in it thus much without straining or forcing GIVE JESVS or SALVATION NOW or IBESEECH THEE Saviour and Salvation are both relative terms and therefore cannot well be sundred nor otherwise considered than with reference unto both extreams The Saviour saves us from Spiritual evils as Sin Wrath the power of Satan Condemnation Death Hell temporal Calamities as Pestilence Famine Sword Ezech. 14. That 's the term à quo The same Saviour saves and preserves us unto the Divine Nature Eternal Life and the Kingdom of Heaven gives Peace Health Wealth Prosperity Victory over Enemies So victory and deliverance the same 2 King 5.1 Marg. That 's the term ad quem In this respect he is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 quae vox Latine reddi non potest saith Tully Action 4. in Verrem Therefore the Ancient Fathers called him Salvator comprehending both extreams according to that of St. Paul 2 Tim. 4.18 The Lord the same Saviour shall deliver me from every evil work there 's Salvation from the term à quo and shall preserve me to his Heavenly Kingdom there 's Salvation or Preservation unto life the term ad quem This prayer is for Salvation in the latitude of it for deliverance from evils Spiritual Temporal for good Spiritual and Temporal The Angel for this reason gives him the name of Jesus and adds the notation or reason of the name for he shall save his people from their sins Mat. 1. which notation is not evident in our English no nor Latin nor the Greek but 't is plain in the Hebrew Matthew Thou shalt call his Name 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 As we may say in our Language altogether as properly Saviour because he shall save which name signifieth in the abstract Salvation Munster in Mat. 1. and so 't is ordinarily used in the Old Testament So 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Salutare Salvation are all one with that which we call Jesus I will rejoyce in Salutari tuo in thy Salvation Psal 9. i. e. saith Hugo in Domino Jesu Christo For howsoever Christ as he was man so he was Male yet as God neither Male nor Female and therefore Salvation is used in the New Testament for the Saviour Mine eyes saith old Simeon have seen thy Salvation i. e. Jesus the Saviour Luk. 2.30 And all flesh shall see the Salvation of God Luk. 3.5 i. e. the Saviour Nor ought it to seem strange since he is called in the abstract by other names as Strength Goodness Wisdom Righteousness and the like This is the Saviour this is the Salvation for whose Coming the Patriarchs the Prophets and Holy Men of old prayed for the Coming of this Saviour of this Salvation we also pray but with a difference for there are four Comings of Christ observed by holy Gerson and others 1. In the Flesh Joh. 1. 2. In the Spirit Joh. 14. 3. In the Death of every one Mat. 23. 4. To Judgment Luk. 21. In regard of which four Comings the Church hath appointed four Advent Sundayes whereof this is the first The Holy Men of old prayed for and expected them all All the Faithful since our Saviours coming in the flesh expect and pray for the three latter and we especially the second which is Descensus quotidianus in cordae fidelium per Spiritum Sanctum We will come unto him and make our abode with him saith our Saviour Joh. 14. And thus and in this sence the Ancients prayed and we pray with them I have waited for thy Salvation O Lord saith Jacob Gen. 49.18 And O that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Saviour the Salvation were given out of Sion Psal 14.7 And shew us thy Mercy O Lord and grant us thy Salvation And I have hoped for thy Salvation Psal 119. Drop down ye Heavens from above and let the skies pour down Righteousness and let the Earth open and let them bring forth SALVATION Esay 45. And O that thou wouldest rend the Heavens that thou wouldest come down Esay 64.1 I will look unto the Lord I will wait for the God of my Salvation my God will hear me Mich. 7.7 And many such Prayers and other Divine Testimonies there are scattered throughout the Old Testament concerning Jesus by Name by which we may understand what our Saviour speaks of himself Luk. 24.44 All things must be fulfilled which were written in the Law of Moses and in the Prophets and in the Psalms concerning me Thus the Ancients prayed and so do we and good reason there is we should so pray Whether we consider 1. Our own need of Salvation or 2. Salvation it self and the Author of it or 3. God who giveth the Saviour the God of our Salvation 1. The whole have no need of the Physician but the sick the whole head is sick and the whole heart is faint from the sole of the foot even unto the head there is no soundness in it but wounds and bruises and putrifying sores they have not been closed nor bound up nor mollified with oyntment Esay 1.5 6. So that he now who would know a reason why sinful men should desire Salvation let him ask the sick and wounded why he would be cured why he would be made whole Such is Salvation unto Soul and Body 2. For in hoc verbo salutis cuncta conclusit corporis valetudinem animae sospitatem Both health of body and safety of the soul are contained in salvation saith Cassiodore on Psal 27. And this word is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Jesus or the Saviour therefore when he had healed all that were sick that was fulfilled which was spoken by Isaiah the Prophet saith St. Matthew 8. He himself took away our infirmities and bare away our sicknesses 't is beside in the place quoted Esay 53. He bare away the sins of many And great reason there is that this Hosannah should be directed unto God the Father because he gives Salvation and the Saviour and therefore is called Saviour Titus 3.4 Whence observe the very best the greatest and the most principal nay the only object of all our Prayers Our Saviour our Salvation This is our Hosannah throughout our Liturgy and thus the Church our Mother hath taught
communion at all no agreement with ungodly men I answer be ye separate from them may receive a double interpretation importing a separation either from persons or things and those of our selves or others It 's not alwayes needful that we separate our selves from the persons of wicked men for then we should go out of the world saith the Apostle But we must separate our selves from their sins and therefore howsoever in the times of the Ceremonial Law God would have no communion of his people with the Heathen nor would have them eat of every beast or fowl Levit. 11. yet under the Gospel that Ceremonial wall of separation being now broken down and the shadows abolished by the presence of Christ their body God being now sending St. Peter to an heathen man shews him a Vision of four footed beasts and creeping things and bids him call nothing common or unclean Acts 10. only he commands him first to kill and then to eat first to abolish the life unclean of the unclean beasts or at lest as much as concerns us not to communicate with them in their uncleanness their wicked lives their sins and then Peter kill and eat But first kill the Evil Life in them and thy self and then eat then communicate first shed the blood upon the ground the blood thereof is the life thereof let the earthly life go to the earth then eat then communicate Such a separation as this is most necessary before we can partake of this heavenly food you know before we can be nourished in our bodies Nature makes a separation between the profitable and unprofitable or hurtful part as the serous or watery part of the chyle from the rest and after that the grosser part from the other and then Nature makes union and assimilation Beloved it is no therwise here have no communion with unfruitful works of darkness saith the Apostle and put away from you all 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the superfluity of naughtiness and cleanse your selves from all pollution of flesh and spirit and be ye separate saith the Lord and touch no unclean thing and I will receive you that is I will entertain you as my guests at my Heavenly Table Now then let us try our selves by this rule have we any fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness if so how then with the light if thou lean to thine own wisdom which is carnal sensual and devilish how canst thou think to partake of the wisdom of God If thou long after the Onions the Garlick and the flesh-pots of Aegypt how canst thou hope to eat of the food which comes from Heaven if thou be filled with wine wherein is excess how canst thou hope to be filled with the spirit intùs existens prohibet extraneum Such full souls as these must needs loath the honey comb let them draw as near to God as they will with their lips let them pretend to taste of this spiritual food their hearts are far from him He that hath hope to be partaker of the Lords Table he purifieth himself from these things even as God is pure ye cannot be partakers of the Lords Table and the Table of Devils this is the first sign whereby we may discover our selves whose guests we are But some one may take himself to be wronged that his name should be called in question whether he be a guest at the Lords Table or no since he hath been an hearer of the Word and a receiver of the Sacraments any time these many years Wherefore he shall give me lieve to make a second enquiry if thou be one of the Lords guests doubtless thou art well fed He keeps a bountiful Table Non homines alit verùm educit recreatque The Lord is my Shepherd I shall want nothing He fills all things living with plenteousness If therefore thou feedest at the Lords Table how comes it to pass that thou art so lean so meagre hast thou fed so long at it and art thou yet such a meagre such a starveling wretch like one of Pharaoh's lean kine after seven years feeding what a beast art thou to say that thou feedest at his Table thou disgracest thy Lord and Master in saying thou hast been so long one of his guests There is much boasting now a dayes of the Spirit and that very pretense must bear down before it all Laws But Beloved the Apostles advise is Try the Spirits and how shall they try them By their fruits ye shall know them now the fruits of the spirit are love c. Gal. 5. Without doubt either thou comest not there or there 's somewhat in it that thou thrivest not by thy meat and that thou art yet such a weakling and art no stronger against sin The young man who thrives by his meat is strong and hath overcome the evil one saith St. John 1 Joh. 2. If thou thrivest by thy meat how comes thine heart so weak that thou committest so many abominations saith the Lord Ezech. 16. This is a feast of Graces and how comest thou then so graceless 'T is much to be feared thou art overcharged with the superfluity of ill humours which take a-away thine appetite and make this spiritual food not digest with thee Dost thou not eat too much moderate is nourishment too much is a burden wherefore I will propound some means how thou mayest come and be welcome to the Heavenly Table and thrive by this spiritual food though every word of this sign is so fortified with Gods word that it 's impossible to overthrow it if they have the spirit let them shew their spirit by their love to friends and enemies Means 1. Some thing must be purged out of thee what is that most abounds is' t not an airy conceit a wind that fills thee is' t not some vain opinion thou hast of thine own knowledge that puffs thee up 1 Cor. 8. 't is much to be feared that 's it for this ventosity this windiness 't is a kind of Antichrist in us St. John tells us there are many that exalts it self above all that is called God 2 Thess 2. As meat of ill digestion riseth in the stomach above that is good and troubles the concoction of it That this tumour may fall thou mayest prick this bladder with this consideration that abundance of knowledge may be in an ungodly man and yet he notwithstanding remain ungodly Confer Obser 1. in Notes in Mat. 22.37 38 39. Even the false Prophets themselves have known much of the spiritual food and yet not tasted of it As Balaam prophesied of the great happiness of Israel but he himself had no share in it Numb 24. being branded for a wicked man And St. Paul intimates That a man may preach to others and as it were serve up the spiritual food and yet he himself become a cast-away Thus that Noble man 2 King 7.17 beheld the people partaking of great plenty yet he himself eat not of it but was trodden under
voluntary motion Reason 1. Whence come they and 2. why come they 1. Whence come they Rev. 16.13 14. Out of the mouth of the Dragon out of the mouth of the Beast and out of the mouth of the false Prophet Hence it is that like those Rev. 9.19 Their power is in their mouth and in their tayls and therefore the Prophet that speaketh lies he is the tayl of the Beast Esay 9.15 2. Why come they even to do their proper work Joh. 10.8 All that ever came against me all spirits of unbelief which came against the spirit of Christ are thieves and robbers and their proper work is as vers 10. to kill and to destroy and therefore they appear as Ephes 4.14 Observ 1. Note hence how wickedly officious and active the grand Impostor is he comes before he is sent for so ye find in his first appearing in the world Gen. 3.1 Thus ye read how the lying spirit offers himself to deceive Ahab 1 King 22.21 22. Job 1.6 and 2.1 Mat. 4.3 And as active as Satan himself is so active also are his Ministers and Messengers Jer. 14.14 15. and 29.9 Mat. 7.22 Many shall say we have prophesied in thy Name Acts 19.13 The coming of deceivers is secret and successive not all at once it shall come privily Men enquire when began the Apostacy of the Church it came in secretly and so much the more dangerous Semper magìs nocere solet malum quod irrepserit quà m quod inciderit therefore called a mystery 2 Thess 2. and said then to work and this inconvenience is worse than a mischief Consol To the Disciples of Christ though the Devil and his lying and deceiving spirits be ready to do mischief yet is the Lord also as ready by his teachings and warnings to do them good The Lord had said eat not lest ye die before the deceiver had said eat for ye shall not die Gen. 3.3 And though wicked Ahab had rejected the counsel of God by Elijah and yielded himself to be seduced by the lying spirit in the mouth of the Prophets yet the Lord warn'd him afterward by Michajah 1 King 22. and if he be so good unto Ahab an unfruitful branch that was cast out of the Vineyard how merciful will he be to his fruitful Vineyard Esay 27 3-6 though deceivers come yet he riseth early and sends his Prophets to undeceive Though open enemies come he is Mahershalalhazbaz He makes hast to the prey to deliver Esay 8. Repreh Those who uphold the world of iniquity in the wicked wayes and courses of it and will not suffer the evil world to have an end in themselves or others as wicked Magistrates wicked Ministers wicked People The wicked Magistrates who oppress the Poor the Fatherless and the Widows who protect not the simple harmless and innocent who do not discountenance nor quel and punish the world of the ungodly The wicked Minister who having opportunity inform not the Magistrates in their duty that they should Parcere subjectis debellare superbos Who mis-inform them that they must still have their failings their errours their infirmities under which names they understand their habitual sins and sow pillows under their elbows and flatter them dangerously into the ruine of their own souls and others who teach an impossibility of fulfilling the Law of God and living soberly in this present world by any power given by God unto men in this life although the Lord Jesus the power of God the wisdom and righteousness of God hath promised to be with us 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Mat. 28.20 the very words of the Text untill the end of the world Exhort Sith all these things must be dissolved what manner of men ought we to be 2 Pet. 3. whether the world end to us or we to the world it comes all to one when the end comes the world ends to us So much the Tragedian implyed when he said 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 When I dye let the earth be burned Nero added of his bloody mind 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 even while I live let me see it saith he and therefore having caused Rome to be set on fire he sang 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the taking and burning of Troy Men are wont to say when they go all the world goes Truly if Satans world have had an end in us according to the promise Dan. 9. It cannot be but the end of the world the end of our dayes in this world must be most desirable and most acceptable Doth not he that labours and toyles desire to know the end of his labour how earnestly doth the weary traveller desire his Inn and the hireling the end of the day Job 14.6 that he may rest It 's hard duty alwayes to stand upon our guard against the enemy alwayes to be alarm'd We are in jeopardy every hour 1 Cor. 15. Our adversary the Devil beleaguers us Sin is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it besets us in every circumstance How doth the Soldier desire the victory after all his dangers Redit agricolis labor actus in orbem How earnestly doth the husband-man after all his labour expect the harvest and the harvest is the end of the world Mat. 13. And victory crowns all the Soldiers hazzards and labours so saith the Soldier of Jesus Christ 2 Tim. 4.8 O that we could say so with him I have fought a good fight I have kept the faith henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of Life which the Lord the Righteous Judge shall give at that day As for the ungodly world far they are from believing that ever there will be an end unto the world for what they daily see and hear they believe not they hear and see and with their own hands carry out their dead yet believe not that they themselves are mortal Vers 4 5. And Jesus answered and said unto them Take heed that no man deceive you for many shall come in my Name saying I am Christ and shall deceive many These words contain our Lords answer to his Disciples questions wherein we have the narration 1. That he answered 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and Jesus answering said to them 2. What he answered 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 wherein we have his caution caveat or warning to beware of a danger imminent Take heed that no man deceive you 2. The cause or danger it self for many shall come in my name which we may resolve into these axioms 1. Jesus spake unto his Disciples in answer to their Queries 2. Jesus warns them to beware lest any man deceive them 3. Jesus foretells that many shall come in his Name saying I am Christ 4. Jesus foretells that they shall deceive many 1. Jesus spake unto his Disciples in answer to their Queries The Questions as ye perceive were concerning future things Observ 1. Wherein we may note the sufficiency and ability of our Master Jesus He is able to answer all Queries yea even before they are asked Joh. 16.20
to lay his head and this poverty was undertaken for our sakes for our sakes he became poor that we by his poverty poverty of spirit might become rich rich towards God 2 Cor. 8 9. 2. In Name See Notes on Gen. 5. 3. Another parallel is in their Death and Life or Resurrection for so divers of the Ancients have their mystical understandings of Noah's Ark See Notes on Gen. 6.14 This Ark therefore resembles a Coffin shaped to the proportion of a mans body lying flat upon his back ibidem Hitherto ye have heard the parallel of Noah and the Son of Man come we now to the second Noah had his dayes These words are somewhat obscurely propounded as the dayes of Noah so shall the coming of the Son of Man be St. Luke explains them Luk. 17.26 As it was in the dayes of Noah so shall it be in the dayes of the Son of Man wherein we shall consider the words apart 1. Noah had his dayes 2. The Son of Man had his dayes or coming 3. Those dayes were parallel 1. Noah had his dayes 1. Though he lived 950 years Gen. 9. ult yet they are called but dayes 2. The honour of Noah he gave a name to the time wherein he lived 4. The dayes of Noah and the dayes of the Son of Man are parallel both the good dayes of Noah and his houshold and of the Son of Man and his houshold and the evil dayes of both in the wicked world 1. The good dayes of Noah and of the Son of Man these are parallel they have one Father of Lights which maketh both But if we enquire whether of these dayes are better those of old Noah or of the New The old Poet will tell us Georg. libr. 2. Optima quaeque dies miseris mortalibus aevi Prima fugit subeunt morbi tristisque senectus Et labor durae rapit inclementia mortis The first dayes of men to mortals are the best After comes sickness toyle care death at last Thus he of the animal life wherein the first dayes are best the dayes will come when each man will say I have no pleasure in them But what then are the last dayes the worst surely no for they are the best dayes of our life which we live unto our God and wherein our God delights in us My delights saith Wisdom were with the Sons of men Prov. 8. These are the dayes of our Spiritual Life But if now we enquire of the good dayes of our Spiritual Life whether are the better those of the old Noah who was a just and perfect man and walked with God or of the new Noah the Son of Man whether of these good dayes were the better Some have conceived that the former dayes of old Noah and the holy Patriarcks before and after the flood have been the better According to which the Prophet Malachy speaks as in the ancient years But surely the dayes of the Son of Man even the last dayes of Christ in the spirit are of all other the best according to our known Rule in Nature Every perfect Agent works more perfectly in the end of his work than in the beginning of it Sith therefore God who made the greater and the less world is the most perfect Agent it must needs be that his work must be most perfect and excellent in the end than in the beginning of it and the latter dayes better and more happy than the former although the vain man thinks otherwise and therefore the wise Solomon Eccles 7.1 saith The day of death is better than the day of ones birth c. The great God puts forth his mighty power in the end of the world and works his great works The Spring and Seed-time is pleasant and such were the times of the Holy Patriarchs and Prophets when the Divine Seed was sown even the word of the beginning of Christ Heb. 6. put forth the blade the first fruits of the Spirit which is Life But the Harvest is the end of the world when we reap the fruits of the Patriarchs and Prophets even the full corn in the ear Marc. 4. Thus it was in the transfiguration of Christ when Moses the Lawgiver and Elias the principal Prophet appeared in the Holy Mount Moses who represented the Law and Elias who was instead of the Prophets disappeared and Christ remained alone The Son of Man hath his coming What is here meant by the coming of Christ the Son of Man See the Notes before on Mat. 1 and 2. This coming of the Son of Man is otherwise called his Kingdom his Day or Day of the Lord. This day Kingdom or coming of the Son of Man is declared by a greater measure and degree of light and power 2. In the explicate similitude we have these particular parallels 1. 1. There was a flood in the dayes of Noah for the destruction of the old world 2. There must be another flood of Calamities a new Deluge to put an end to the present evil world Esay 28. An overflowing scourge for behold the Lord will come with fire and judge all flesh Esay 66.15 16. which the Apostle intends 2 Pet. 3.7 The Heavens and Earth which are now are reserved unto fire 2. 1. There was an Ark prepared for the preservation of Noah and his household into which Noah entred 2. There was and is a Spiritual Ark of Regeneration prepared for the preservation of the Spiritual Noah's house Luk. 13. into which Christ leads his household 3. 1. In the dayes before the flood they were eating and drinking marrying and giving in marriage 2. And in these dayes before the second coming of Christ there is a like unbelief and unregarding a like security 4. 1. The flood came and took them all away 2. There shall be a like unlooked for surprisal of an heavy judgment which shall take away many ex improviso Before we proceed to the particular handling of these points I shall premise somewhat in general which may be as a common light unto them all viz. That what was done in the Letter and is recorded in the history of the Old Testament is and shall in many things be acted over again in the dayes of the Spirit I shall but name the story of the Creation which is wholly spiritualized by the Prophets and the Apostles In the beginning God Created the Heaven and the Earth The Targum of Jerusalem turns it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in Wisdom which is all one with what ye read Psal 104.24 and 136.5 6. which wisdom is the Son of God 1 Cor. 1.24 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the beginning of the Creation of God Rev. 3.14 The Earth was without form and void Gen. 1. The very same words are used importing Mans unregenerate estate Jer. 4.22 23. God said Let there be Light Gen. 1. God who commanded the light to shine out of darkness hath shined into our hearts 2 Cor. 4.6 Whence are the new Creatures the new Heaven and new Earth
and time to come while we praise the time past and promise glorious times to come we wholly neglect the present Soliciti de futuris presentibus angimur Solicitous of the future we are ensnared with the present things Whereas our Lord requires our present or instant duty and service See Notes on Rom. 6.19 Repreh 2. Who know not regard not the warnings of the Spiritual Noah and his Preachers of Righteousness do they know what words and whose words they neglect and regard not See Notes on Heb. 2.1 Repreh 1. Repreh 3 and 4. ibidem Exhort 1. Seek the Lord while he may be found Exhort 2. Take heed lest your hearts be overcharged with surfetting and drunkenness and the cares of this life These were excellent cautions for the men of the old world who spent their time either in eating or drinking and surfetting and drunkenness c. or else in coveting or pursuing after the things of this world and are not the same cautions as needful and seasonable for many of this present evil world who spend this precious time these dayes before the flood of Calamities before the overflowing Scourge in surfetting and drunkenness They sit down to eat and to drink and rise up to play either in that obscene sence or else spend their time in gaming Are there not many such as these at this day in this City who as conscientiously busie themselves in these pastimes as they name them as if they were their Calling Cautè si non castè they will enjoy what they have the good things that are present as the ungodly conclude Wisd 2. Others there are who as eagerly pursue the things of this world that if the flood come they may have somewhat against a rainy day Hence it is that their hearts are overcharged with the cares of this life and that day takes them unawares And while they will be rich they fall into temptation and the snare and many foolish and hurtful lusts which drown men in destruction and perdition 1 Tim. 6.9 O how seasonable therefore is our Lords caution and admonition to the men of this present evil world in these dayes before the overflowing Scourge Take heed lest your hearts c. Means They knew not i. e. they heeded not O let us heed the Preacher of Righteousness That the destroying Angel might pass over the houses of Gods People in Aegypt they must purge out the leven out of their houses which the Apostle interprets malice and wickedness 1 Cor. 5. whereas the Lord will sweep the earth with the beesom of destruction Esay 14.23 How necessary a means is it to prevent the judgement of the Lord by purging our selves and cleansing by sweeping our own spirits as the Psalmists practise was Scopavi animam meam Do we so beloved or do we rather dispute about it whether we need do it or not whether Christ hath not done it for us already and saved us our labour whether it be possible even by the power of Christ to do it or no and while we spend our time in this kind of jangling the Lord comes and finds the work undone The Mistris went abroad and bid her Maids sweep it 's an homely comparison one Maid saith to the other where 's the broom the other saith it is a beesom no saith the other it is a broom so the house remains unswept 2 Pet. 1.9 He that lacketh these things is blind and feels his wayes with a staff and hath forgotten that he was purged from his old sins O no we every one remember that well enough that Christ by himself hath wrought the purging of our sins we lay all upon him and our expiation wrought by him but we forget our own duty pro se quisque that every one of us ought to sweep our own doors that the whole street may be clean to purge our selves from all pollution we forget the purging of our old sins so the words signifie 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 He forgets the purging of his old sins NOTES AND OBSERVATIONS UPON MATTHEW XXV 1. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Then shall the kingdom of heaven be likened unto ten virgins which took their lamps and went forth to meet the bridegroom SInce our Lords second Coming is of so great moment as that on which and our due preparation thereunto depends our everlasting weal or woe An argument so necessary for us that our Lord spends the most part of the 24th and 25th Chapters of Matthew thereupon in giving us cautions and warnings to wait and again wait for it It will be very well worth our labour and time to enquire into the meaning of this and the following Parable whose general scope is vigilancy and care watchfulness and due diligence in our several Callings from the first verse to the thirtieth that we may be able to stand in the judgment which is described from the 31 verse to the end of this Chapter In the opening of the first I find that of the Wise Man to be most true That the finding out of Parables is a wearisom labour of the mind Ecclus. 13. vers 26. The summ of this Parable is That Christ at his Coming shall admit into his Kingdom those who have waited for him and exclude others who are unprepared even as a Bridegroom in like case was wont to deal with such as he had invited to his wedding It 's here then of necessity to be presupposed that our Lord makes use of a known rite custome and usage ordinary among men at least of that Age wherein he taught and that Virgins were wont to go forth to meet the Bridegroom Otherwise our Lord should declare Ignotum per ignotius That which is unknown by that which is more unknown for intending to shew upon what terms men and women either are admitted to enter or are excluded from the Kingdom of God compareâ—â—ere to a Marriage Feast That unless there were a custome for Virgins so to go forth to meet the Bridegroom c. the Protasis or first part of the similitude would be more obscure than the Apodosis or latter part of it which were very absurd and contrary to the nature of a similitude or parable and unworthy of such a Teacher who is the very Wisdom of God whose custome it was to teach by Parables Besides we find our Lord constant in that way of teaching that he propounds in the first part of his Parables such things as are known to all as when he compares the preaching of the Word to the sowing of Seed the growth of the Kingdom of God to the Mustard-seed growing up and becoming a Tree the man departing from his God and repenting to the prodigal Son forsaking his Fathers house and returning In these and all the rest of our Lords Parables he borrows the first part of them from things commonly known at least to the men of that place and Nation as what 's more ordinarily known than sowing Seed what 's more usual than
but the Lord is instant by Moses that the people go out of Aegypt into the wilderness till they came into the wilderness they knew not the Lords will and 't is our case till we have forsaken all that we have we cannot be Christs Disciples we cannot know his will or do it Luk. 14.33 and therefore the Apostle perswades the Romans to go into this wilderness to be unconformable to this present world Rom. 12.1 2. that they might prove and know what was that good that acceptable and perfect will of God and thus the Prophet Daniel confesseth Dan. 9.13 3. They had not the Manna till they came out of Aegypt into the wilderness nor then till the meal failed which they brought out of Aegypt Nor let any man hope that he should taste the heavenly consolation which makes us forget all our labours and sorrows untill he come out of Aegypt and have put off his affections to earthly things and is come to the retired wilderness of his own heart 4. We may put off this most necessary duty and deceive our selves but let us be assured that unless we pass through this wilderness it is impossible that ever we should come to the Land of Canaan Ab extremo ad extremum non pertransitur nisi per media That which most deterrs us is a solitary condition which we fear but indeed there is no such matter we are not alone for the Lord is with us and leads us through the wilderness Jer. 2.2 3. Mark here how lovingly the Lord takes that his people following him through the desarts he leaves it not unrequited All that devour Israel shall offend evil shall come upon them he that toucheth them toucheth the apple of his eye Beloved we are all prone enough to lay hold upon the promises but they belong only to those who follow the Lord into the wilderness they are alone who are without God Confer Judg. 16.7.20 5. To and through this wilderness all the Saints of God have gone Abraham and Moses and David All the Prophets both one Elias and the other Christ himself and his Apostles In this wilderness the Church hides her self in time of persecution Rev. 12.1 unto the 14. And truly for we have spent too much time in pursute of worldly things in the Devils City of which David speaks Psal 55.9 10 11. it is now high time that we hasten thither and therefore David wisheth himself wings to fly thither Psal 55.6 7. there we shall hear the Lord and the Lord will hear us 6. That we may the better be moved hereunto we must know that that term à quo that from whence we are exhorted to depart it 's the Devils Kingdom the Devils City 't is the Spiritual Babylon whence we are so often exhorted to go out consider her sins Psal 55.9 10 11. consider her plagues Let us not content our selves with confutation of the popish Eremitage calling them Babylon and pleasing our selves with the names of Sion and Jerusalem for while we call them Babylon and they call us Whore like two strumpets calling one another neither goes out of Babylon as we ought 2. Consider the term ad quem when we are departed out of this Aegypt this Babylon the Lord will receive us when we are empty of all things else then we shall be filled with him who is the fulness of all things when we are in the desolate and solitary wilderness he will dwell in us when we come into the desart where there is no way he will walk in us 2 Cor. 6.16 17 18. and 7.1 Having these precious promises Dearly Beloved let us cleanse our selves from all polution c. let us prepare the way of the Lord His judgements now in the earth should teach us to learn the way as the Prophet Isa 26. When thy judgements c. Amos 4.12 Prepare the way of the Lord. We must enquire 1. What is meant by the way of the Lord 2. What it is to prepare the way of the Lord 1. By a way we are to understand the manner of life or course of living The way of the Lord is that wherein he walks and lives and delights Gen. 18.19 that way is justice and judgement I know that he will teach his children after him and they shall obey the voice of the Lord to do justice and judgement That way wherein he commands us to walk and live and delight that way whereby he comes unto us that way whereby we come unto him the way of Gods Commandments the way of Righteousness these are all one and the same 2 Pet. 2.21 Christ himself is this way In this way of the Lord came John the Baptist Mat. 21.32 and this is the way we must prepare yet as in a way which leads to the same term and end there are divers stages or parts so in this way of the Lord there is 1. a beginning or entrance into the way 2. there is a progress and consummation of it John the Baptist here speaks of the beginning of Gods way so it is expresly called Mar. 11. This is the way of righteousness which goes before the Lord Psal 85. ult where the Psalmist having spoken of Christ and his coming vers 9.12 at vers 13. Righteousness saith he shall go before him i. e. before Christ and shall set us in the way of his steps i. e. in the perfect way of righteousness whereof Christ himself was a guide an example that we should follow his steps 1 Pet. 3. Observ 1. The Lord hath a way As there is a way of sinners a way of the ungodly Psal 1. so there is a way of God Gen. 18.19 wherein he and his Saints walk the way of humility the way of charity the way of peace they way of holiness and righteousness the way of everlasting life Observ 2. This way wants preparing like a way lying near the Sea the waters cast up mire and dirt upon it Isa 57.10 't is of it self a pure and undefiled way wherein we are invited to walk humbly with our God Mich. 6.8 this way is encumbered with pride and high-mindedness with swellings and tumults 2 Cor. 12.20 Gods way is a way of peace and holiness wherein he and his Saints walk but the same way is a way of holiness peace and holiness walk together in it Heb. 12.14 the Prophet Isa 35.4 5 6 7. having described the times of the Gospel he tells us what way men shall walk in it vers 8. An high way shall be there and a way and it shall be called the way of holiness The same way is unpassable and untravelable by means of unholy unpeaceable and wicked men and vers 9. that the unclean shall not pass over it therefore the Lord promiseth that no Lion shall be there nor any ravenous beast shall go up thereon it shall not be found there but the redeemed shall walk there This way of the Lord is hidden or unknown unto all those who walk in
curiosity in an others business and negligence in his own If I will that he tarry till I come what is that to thee follow thou me 't is every mans duty let every man prove his own work Castel Scarce any man will go about it unless he see others do it before him we are in our performance of duties extream modest and mannerly but in arrogating rewards and honours every man will step before other 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Thus some will not communicate with us at the Sacrament because others are not prepared pro se quisque if every one would sweep his own door the whole street all the way would be clean and prepared quickly Consol It is proper to comfort the dejected spirit as doth the Prophet Isa 40.1 Comfort ye comfort ye my people saith your God speak to the heart of Jerusalem c. why every valley shall be filled the dejections and consternations of spirit shall be raised up This is the only seasonable time the Lord doth but stay till we are empty Psal 79.8 make haste let thy tender mercies prevent us or let Christ the mercy of our God come unto us why for we are brought very low and Psal 142. David was in the Cave fled thither to hide himself from Saul as the Church flyes into the Wilderness to hide her self from the Dragon Rev. 12. there he finds himself as low in estate as in place in soul as he was in body vers 3. When my spirit was overwhelmed within me then thou knewest my path I looked on my right hand and saw and no man acknowledged me refuge perished from me no man cared for my soul I cryed unto the Lord attend unto my prayer for I am brought very low We find him in the like low condition Psal 116. The pangs of death compassed me about the pains of hell got hold upon me I found distress and sorrow Gracious is the Lord and righteous yea our God is merciful the Lord preserveth the simple I was brought very low and then he helped me And doubtless Beloved the Lord will take up his Tabernacle with us he will dwell with us when we are brought low enough we are yet too proud too haughty too strong too rich too presumptuous too high minded too wise when we are brought low when we are empty then the Lord will come and dwell with us mean time there is no room for him This you 'l find in Isa 30. The people there relied upon their own strength against Senacherib and were resolved so to do and would not hear any Prophet that disswaded them vers 9. This is a rebellious people lying children children that will not hear the Law of the Lord which say to the seers see not and to the Prophets prophesie not right things unto us speak unto us smooth things prophesie deceit please our humour get ye out of the way turn aside out of the path cause the holy one of Israel to cease from us wherefore thus saith the Lord because ye despise this word and trust in deceit and perversness and stay thereon vers 12.18 When the multitude were perished when he had scattered the people that delight in war the Lord speaks to his lowly ones his poor c. Therefore will the Lord wait that he may be gracious unto you and therefore will he be exalted that he may have mercy upon you for the Lord is a God of judgement blessed are they that wait for him Yea Beloved in the place before named Isa 57. The people then had such vain confidence as we now have we trust in our great forces our ammunition c. and so did they and therefore vers 10. The Lord said thus to them thou art wearied in the greatness of thy way yet saidst thou not there is no hope thou couldst not yet learn to despair and put no trust in these things why for thou hast found the life of thine hand therefore thou wast not grieved i. e. thou hadst means and money to maintain war vers 11. He reproves them of whom hast thou been afraid that thou hast lied c. When thou cryest let thy Companies i. e. thy Soldiers that thou hast gathered together let them deliver thee but the wind shall carry them all away But he that putteth his trust in me shall possess the Land and shall inherit my holy mountain then followeth the great promise unto such lowly ones vers 17 18. Mean time for the iniquity of his covetousness I was wroth and smote him I have seen his wayes and will heal him but when when we are brought low enough Zach. 14. Thus in the first place we find it Psal 3.2 Many rise against me many that say of my soul there is no help for him in his God David in his own person represents the Churches calamity under the four Monarchies signified by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The first letter noting the Romans 2. ב the Babylonians 3. י the Ionians or Grecians the 4. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Medes and Persians Under this pressure and tyranny in confidence in God the Church raiseth up her self many there are who say there is no help for him in his God Selah The lowest condition that can be but raised to the highest in the next verse But thou O Lord art a shield for me my glory and the lifter up of my head I cryed unto the Lord with my voice and he heard me out of his holy hill Selah There his soul is raised up again and vers 8. Salvation belongeth unto the Lord and thy blessing is upon thy people Selah The like we find Psal 7.5 If I have rewarded evil to him that is at peace with me let the enemy persecute my soul and take it yea let him tread down my life upon the earth and lay mine honour in the dust Selah A low estate whence he raiseth himself in the next verse Arise O Lord in thine anger lift up thy self c. The like may be said of all other places where Selah is used if well and advisedly considered it noting alwayes either 1. the depressing and abasing of the soul and spirit or 2. the elevation and exaltation of it which truly Beloved I conceive far more useful to us as I believe you do than to say as some do it 's a musical note or signifieth nothing at all for surely if not one jot or one tittle shall not pass from the Law till all be fulfilled as our Saviour speaks expresly viz. when the spirit should be given them to lead them into all truth and enable them to bear it Joh. 16.13 and if that be true which one of the most pious Ancients speaks that Nullus apex vacat mysterio not a tittle in Scripture without a mystery and if that be true that all Scripture was given by inspiration that the man of God may be made perfect I see no reason Selah should pass away as a non significat and of no
and to be emptied are phrases which some Philosophers appropriate unto bodies and unto places Upon what grounds I know not since even spirits and spiritual things have their bounds and limits at least of Essence Nature and Being if not of quantity and bulk also and their places too unless we should say they are no where or every where as surely that must be which is not in a place To say as they do that Spirits are in their Vbi is to speak the same thing in other words To say they are in their Vbi and not in a place is more subtilly to contradict themselves Indeed I deny not but that a body is somewhat otherwise and after another manner in a place than a Spirit or spiritual thing is but to conclude thence that a spirit is not at all in a place follows not Since here and elsewhere in Scripture as also in prophane Authors Spirits and Spiritual Things are said to fill those bodies wherein they are Hence is that of the Poet 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 But I will not trouble this Auditory with a Philosophical dispute Let us rather come to enquire how can Gods Spirit who fills the earth Wisd 1.7 Who fills heaven and earth Jer. 23.24 be said to fill his Saints and holy Ones as here the Apostles and Disciples Without doubt if we take filling as commonly we do for a fitting of the thing contained unto the thing containing it s not so proper a speech to say the holy Spirit filled the Apostles and Disciples as to say some finite Spirit filled them because Gods Vbi is Vbique he is every where and may be said as well to be without the thing wherein he is as within the same Wherefore when we say the holy Ghost filled the Apostles and Disciples or that the Apostles and Disciples were filled with the holy Ghost we understand the holy Ghost to be in them by way of more special more gracious and more powerful residence and habitation And thus we may conceive it two wayes 1. By way of extension when the holy Spirit informs the whole Soul as the Soul informs the Body or the Light the Air and wholly possesseth it as a Prince takes up all the Rooms in the house for his own use so the Spirit of Christ fills his whole body which is the Church his whole house which is also the Church Heb. 2. 2. Secondly by way of Intention when the Holy Spirit of God moulds and works every power and faculty of the whole Soul and every part and member of the body unto a likeness of it self as Elisha 1 King 17. applyed himself part to part unto the widows Child whence the man is renewed unto a spiritual life according to John's witness of our Saviour Joh. 1.16 Of his fulness we have all received even grace for grace every Grace in the Soul answering to every Grace in the Spirit as the wax imprinted by the seal answers to every dint and impression in the seal as Paul saith of the Ephesians Ephes 1.13 That they were sealed with the holy spirit of Promise And both these wayes I understand the Apostles here to have been filled with the Holy Ghost Which fulness although there were no other place of Holy Scripture to witness it besides this history of it it were enough yet for our better confirmation we may add consent of other Scriptures also to which purpose is vers 33. of this Chapter Tit. 3.6 both which are understood of them all In particular also Peter was full of the Holy Ghost Act. 4.8 and Stephen Act. 7.55 and Barnabas Act. 11.24 If we enquire into the reason of this why the Apostles and other holy and faithful men were filled with the Holy Ghost it will be in vain to seek it any where out of God for all dispositions and preparations in man for the receiving of the Spirit of God are wrought in him by the co-operation yea by the prevention also of the same spirit For as the Soul is sui domicilii Architecta saith Scaliger The builder of its own house in the body So also is the Holy Spirit the builder and preparer of its house in the Soul To which purpose these words of the Apostle are to be understood Act. 15.8 9. God who knoweth the hearts bare the Gentiles witness giving them the Holy Ghost even as he did unto us and put no difference between us and them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 having purified their hearts by faith The cause then of this fulness of the Spirit is God the Father giving and the Son receiving the promise of the Spirit and shedding it upon the Apostles and Disciples as is expresly said vers 33. of this Chapter If we inquire into the Principles or end which God might have of so doing he pours his spirit upon some that by them he may pour it forth upon others for therefore he makes the water-springs in a dry ground that they may run and water the earth and wherefore is the fountain of living water in men it shall be in him a well of water springing up unto everlasting life Joh. 4. out of his belly or heart c. Joh. 7. and therefore as soon as they are filled they began to speak with other tongues as the spirit gave them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 utterance i. e. to speak Apothegms or wise sayings befitting the spirit of wisdom for so the LXX turn the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifieth the springing forth and running of waters out of a fountain as out of the abundance of living waters in the heart the mouth speaks We must have our thoughts still bounded within himself for as all the fountains arise from the Sea and return thither again so from the Ocean of Gods Wisdom Goodness Faithfulness and Power issueth the Spirit of God and returns to the Glory of him But how can the Spirit of God be said now to be given the Apostles since before that time they could not but have the Spirit of God how else did they so often call Jesus the Lord which they could not do saith St. Paul but from the Holy Ghost 1 Cor. 12.3 Besides shall we not think that the Holy Ghost was given to the Fathers in the Old Testament how then can this seem a new dispensation of God when the Disciples were filled with the Holy Ghost I Answer indeed the Spirit of God was in some measure given the Apostles and more expresly after our Saviours Resurrection Joh. 20.22 for otherwise they could not have been Holy but by the Spirit of Holiness nor could they truly and throughly and from a sure principle and foundation have said that Jesus is the Lord but from the Holy Ghost when Peter confessed him he saith flesh and blood hath not reveiled this but my Father but a very scanty measure it was and therefore after the ascension of our Lord it might be said to be but even then given And that both 1.
Mark in your discourses whether they drive not still at their own praise and honour This I did or said c. But what must we do when men praise us Do as thou wouldest be done unto The praise is Gods give it unto him wouldst not thou be so dealt withal when men pay Money to thy Servant thou wouldst not have him put it up in his own Pocket but in thy Counter 4. Yet doth not our praising of God make any addition unto his glory no more than the grateful reflection of the Sun-beams from a Looking-glass gives light unto the Sun We pay unto him what we borrowed of him when we praise him we are but as Lanthorns at the best and when he bids us praise him he bids us shine forth thy light is come and the glory of the Lord is risen in thee Esay 60.1 For hence it follows that God is before hand with all the World 1. His preventing grace his mercy which the Gentiles must glorify vers 9. it hath indebted all the World unto God For what have we that we have not received and owe praise unto God for it What do we boast of If of any thing without us they are all his Creatures if of any thing within us he hath wrought all our works in us Esay 26. What then our selves God prevents us with our selves our very first beings we must rejoyce and praise God who hath made us Psal 149.1 2. He prevents not only our praises our Allelujahs but our prayers our Hosannaes also 2. How great a God is that God whom we worship No Topical God as all the Gods were of the Antient Heathenism but one God to whom all Gentiles all Nations all People owe praise yea all the Creatures 3. A duty which our Church enjoins us as largely as frequently as prayer Hosannah and Allelujah 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 prayer unto God and praises of God divide the whole Book of Psalms and they divide our Liturgie this is that which the Church admonisheth us of in the very Prologue and entrance of her Service That we assemble and meet together to render thanks for the great benefits that we have received at Gods hands to set forth his most worthy praise Then the Priest Praise ye the Lord Then the People The Lords Name be praised And this we do in all our Hymns as the VENITE O come let us sing unto the Lord let us heartily rejoyce in the strength of our Salvation c. O come let us worship and fall down and kneel before the Lord our Maker c. Words which we turn over our tongues as it were for fashion sake not considering that therein we acknowledge unto the Lord of Heaven and Earth our homage and fealty due unto him for our being not considering that hereby we equal our selves unto the very dust out of which we are taken not considering that we hereby resolve our selves again into our first Tohu and Bohu that we may be nothing at all and God may be All in All. This our Church commends unto us as in our TEDEVM We praise thee O God we acknowledge thee to be the Lord. This in our BENEDICTVS When we bless the Lord God of Israel for giving Christ because he hath visited and redeemed his People and raised up a mighty Salvation for us in the house of his Servant David Which as I told ye before is that which in the Text we properly praise God for the Comming of our Saviour Which also we do in the JVBILATE O be joyful in the Lord all ye Lands c. O go your way into his gates with thanksgiving and into his Courts with praise be thankful unto him and speak good of his Name So likewise the Virgins MAGNIFICAT My Soul doth magnify the Lord and my Spirit hath rejoyced in God my Saviour So in CANTATE DOMINO and the NVNC DIMITTIS DEVS MISEREATVR Let the People praise thee O God let all the People praise thee And again Let the People praise thee O God c. Whence 4. It is evident that very backward we are in the performance of this duty of praising and glorifying God as appears by the manifold Exhortations hereunto throughout the Liturgy and throughout the Scripture especially in the Book of Psalms And surely great need there is we should be so roused up unto it since many of us know what it is to praise God and that it is our duty so to do yet perform it not but hold the truth of God in unrighteousness and put our light the virtues and praises of God as it were under a Bushel and suffer them not to shine forth before men such are they whom the Apostle speaks of Rom. 1. Gentiles too as we are Who knew God yet glorified him not as God but their foolish heart was darkned a dark heart that the light of Gods praise could not shine out of it And St. John tells us That among the chief Rulers many believed on Christ but confessed him not Joh. 12.42 One Samaritane returned to give thanks the Meat-offering or Thanksgiving was to be eaten presently Others have an outward and verbal Confession of praise but the real and true praise they have not such as draw near unto God with their lips such as place all their praising of God in singing and chanting the verbal praise of God such as can chant by heart the Church Hymns containing much of the praise of God yet they remember not to sing St. Pauls Tune Ephes 5.19 Speaking to your selves in Psalms c. making melody to the Lord in your hearts Col. 3.16 Singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord. The Psalmist when in many Psalms he hath largely prescribed wayes for praising God at the last shuts up the whole Book with one without which all the rest are imperfect and insufficient Omnis Spiritus laudet Dominum The Chaldy Paraphrase turns it Let every mind praise the Lord. And then adds 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 we cannot praise him enough Laudate posteri Others add real praise to vocal such as praise God for some temporal blessing as for Liberty their Peace and other common blessings and for their special as their riches But this is not to praise God as he in Zach. 11.5 saith Blessed be God for I am rich This praise is only in reference to himself not to God so that if God took away their riches they would not praise God but rather follow Jobs Wifes counsel to Curse God and dye Follow thou Jobs Example The Lord hath given and the Lord hath taken away blessed be the Name of the Lord. He praiseth the Lord who praiseth him Quia bonus saith the Psalmist because he is good not only because he is good to us in this or that temporal respect Our Saviour commands us to let our light shine before Men Our light what is that The vertues the praises of God in our good works Hence
it is the wisdom of a man makes his face to shine like Moses God in him who is light 1 Joh. 1. and our praise Deut. 10.21 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifieth praise it signifieth light too And our Saviours reason makes it good Let your light so shine before Men that they may see your good works and glorify your Father which is in Heaven Matt. 5.16 The Saints of God having received this light of the Father of Lights like burning and shining lights shine it forth to others They shew forth the vertues and praises of him who hath called them out of darkness into his marvellous light Thus the Saints like the Heavens declare the glory of God Caelum est ubi culpa cessavit saith St. Austin The Saints are such For as he saith Chrysostom who looks upon the beauty of Heaven saith Glory be to thee O God so he that beholds these Heavens upon Earth the vertue of the Saints he praiseth God Thom. Aquinas Catena in Luke 11. They glorify God in us Gal. 1. ult Yea saith Chrysostom the virtue of the Saints more glorifieth God than the beauty of Heaven The business of the day deserves both our real and vocal praise and thanksgiving unto our God 'T is Peace 't is the great Mercy the great blessing of Peace in the Greek we call it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which according to the derivation of the word is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the knitting together of many in one A shadow of that great Union which we hope and pray for the gathering together of all Men unto Christ 2 Th. 2.1 The gathering of the People unto Shilo Gen. 49. That God may be All in All. And therefore Beloved this Peace being made between two Reformed Christian Nations it is presumed to be such as is orderly so it is defined tranquillitas Ordinis an orderly Peace such as God is the Author of such as is founded upon righteousness Righteousness and Peace kiss each other Psal So Rom. 14. Righteousness Peace and Joy or else with truth Peace and truth in my dayes or else with pureness Jam. 3. or holyness Follow Peace with all Men and holyness otherwise nihil boni est in unitate nisi unitas sit in bono if our sins continue our peace will hold but by a small thread if we maintain a Peace such as the World looks at a Peace only for promoting our temporal ends either removing evil or a gaining some temporal good as suppose an Enemy of State the Peace will last no longer than the ground of it as it is between Persons Vulgus Amicitias utilitate probat If the profit cease the friendship ceaseth too This I note the rather because peace and joy and love and mercy and many graces besides grow wild in the World as there is scarce any Herbe that grows in the Garden but it grows wild in the Field there is a kind of disorderly Peace a kind of brutish love a kind of sensual joy a joy of wild asses Now such as this Peace is such ought to be our praise and our thanksgiving for our Peace all orderly all as becomes Christians We must receive this Peace as Gods gift now God gives not his Peace to spend in Luxury in Idleness in Riot O Beloved I have long time mourned when others have feasted to see the extream disorder of our Festivals The Feast of Christ's Nativity wherein we Commemorate Christ born and given to us how do we praise God for him Observat If deliverance from suffering evil be praise worthy how much more is deliverance from doing evil an Argument of praise and thanksgiving The reason is this To do good and suffer evil is a Royal a Kingly condition Regium est nay Christianum est Who did more good who so much as our Lord He went about doing good c. and God was with him yet who suffered so much as he who so much as they who follow him in well doing So that to do good and suffer evil it is to be a Christian 1. Pet. 2.20.21 When ye do well and suffer for it and take it patiently this is acceptable with God for even hereunto are ye called c. It is praiseworthy and rewarded 1 Petr. 4.13.16 Let him glorify God in this behalf Blessed are they who suffer persecution Matth. 5.10 11 13. We account them happy who suffer Jam. It is a greater gift than Faith Phil 1.29 So that if deliverance from suffering evil be praise worthy it is because we might have suffered as evil doers yet God is merciful unto us or else because we are weak and should we suffer evil we should not be able to bear it but be in danger of doing evil Thus the Lord would not lead the People through the wilderness lest they should see war and return back to Egypt Exod. And therefore the rod of the wicked must not rest upon the lot of the righteous lest they put forth their hand unto wickedness Psal 125.3 The greater deliverance therefore of the righteous is from putting their hand unto wickedness that is the end why the rod of the wicked must not rest upon them lest as before Thus we find the Saints praising God for their deliverance from doing evil 1 Sam. 25.4.10 32 33 34. And thus even they who should have been Actors in design may keep Holy-day with us and praise our good God that so much bloodshed was prevented Observat 2. If it be Israels duty to praise God for their temporal deliverance how much more for their Spiritual Thou hast delivered my Soul from Hell saith David Observat 3. They who are to perform this duty are the Creatures of all kinds the Heavens and the Creatures in them Psal 148.1 2. Praise the Lord praise ye him all his Angels praise him all his Hosts Sun and Moon Stars of light Heaven of Heaven and Waters above the Heavens Descend we lower Fire and Hail Snow and Vapour stormy Wind fulfilling his word Yet lower Mountains and Hills fruitful Trees and all Cedars The brute Creatures Beasts and Cattle creeping things and flying Fowl The Reasonable Kings of the Earth and all People Princes and all Judges of the Land all degrees of Men all Ages young Men and Maidens old Men and Children 'T is the duty of all the Creatures but fitly and worthily performed by the Saints the Children of Israel the People that is near unto him Observat 4. Now as this Peace must be orderly so the Command and reason of our duty is his work of Creation Preservation and Government for he who exhorts us to love one another not in word but in deed he prevents and gives us Example of the like love he prevents us in our being continues our being by preservation O how many have been our preservations National and Personal this especially which we Commemorate this day you know it as well or better than my self it is no news to you or if it were I have
an Island made a dunghil by the wickedness of those who live in it Shame and bashfulness of old covered the walking graves they were afraid to discover their sins but sin through custom is grown bold and openeth the Sepulchre The Pharisees were Sepulchres but covered Yet will these men be accounted Christians and religious though he who bridleth not his tongue that mans religion is in vain Jam. Only men have learned to cover their Sepulchres with beautiful names as lascivious talk mirth rayling or slander zeal c. But if thou hear any belching out oaths lies slanders whatever he pretends doubt not to say of him his throat is an open sepulchre If the works be naught and the speech prophane no question but the heart is rotten That which comes out of the man desiles the man though Marshal saith Lasciva est nobis pagina vita proba est Our book is wanton but our life honest 'T is impossible Nothing comes out of the sack but was before in the sack saith the French Proverb and a more certain speech out of the mouth of truth it self Ex abundantia cordis os loquitur out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh Repreh 4. Those who crucifie Christ again and bury him again Truth is faln in the street and equity cannot enter mercy goodness love righteousness peaceableness long suffering c. where are they to be found above ground They are only names among us As for the things themselves they are dead and buried they are no otherwise than if an honest man were dead and buried he would leave a good name behind him and so do these For these things the Lord hath a controversie with the inhabitants of the land because there is no truth nor mercy nor knowledge of God in the land What no truth Veritas in profundo Truth lies hid as in a pit it lyes dead and buried saith Democritus 'T is buried under the gainful sin of lying Mercy is buried under oppression cruelty and blood-thirstiness The knowledge of our God that 's seen in doing judgement and justice judging the cause of the poor and needy in doing no violence to the stranger the fatherless and the widow Is not this to know me saith the Lord Jer. 22 Now if we make fartherless and make widows in the Land can we be said to have any knowledge of God in the Land O Beloved for these things the Lord hath a controversie with his people because there is no truth no mercy no knowledge of God in the land they are dead and buried By swearing and lying and killing and stealing and committing adultery they break out and blood toucheth blood c. Therefore shall the land mourn and every one that dwells therein shall languish Hos 4.12 13. Exhort Let us as Thomas saith to his fellow Disciples Let us go and dye with him so may I to you go and be buried with him 1 Sam. 22.1 2 3. We read that David went into the cave of Adullam and when his brethren and all his fathers house heard it they went down thither to him and every one that was in distress and every one that was in debt and every one that was disconsolated gathered themselves unto him and he became their Captain Thither the miserable men resort let us go to the true David into the Cave into the Sepulchre of the true David we are of his fathers house and he is not ashamed to call us brethren we are all qualified enough we are in distress we are in debt The Lord forgive us our debts and we are or may be bitter in soul O let us descend into our Saviours Grave and he 'l become our Captain the captain of our salvation By this means all our debts will be discharged and we shall be free-men being buried with him Our old man shall be crucified with him that the body of sin may be destroyed that henceforth we may not serve sin A Coffin taken up at Assos in Phrygia consumed the bodies of all put into it in forty days Plin. lib. 36. chap. 17. and such is our Lords grave if we be buried with him Consider what thy lusts are they are earthly they are carnal they are dust and to dust they must return they ought to be serpents food Esay And shall they be thy food wilt thou feed on carion or a dead carcase Thy meat and drink ought to be to do the will of thy father which is in heaven And dost thou prefer the swines husks before the plenty of thy fathers house Sign Art thou buried with Christ thou art not yet dead thou will say that Christ died for thee and gave himself for thee and the life that thou livest in the flesh thou livest by the faith of the Son of God who died for thee and gave himself for thee Gal. 2.20 Thou believest well if thou so believest as the Apostle did But Beloved we are all of a very easie belief and soon brought off to credit any thing that God hath promised or Christ hath done or suffered for us quae volumus facilè credimus but to believe that we must be obedient to his death die with him be crucified with him and be buried with him Indeed to believe we must do any thing but believe here here we stick here to be sure the believer will not make overmuch haste Thou hast not yet suffered unto blood striving against sin thou hast not let out the blood of the earthly life in the blood is the life thereof and poured it on the earth as dust thy sin must be first dead before thou bury it thou must not bury thy self alive or bury thy self by strong imagination Moses smote the Aegypitian and buried him in the sand Exod. 2. he smote not the Hebrew but only rebuked him it is not the killing or the burying of thy self but of thy sin that the Lord requires of thee If thou be dead and buried with Christ thou will bring forth fruit except a grain of wheat be cast into the earth and die it remaineth alone This was signified by the Hebrew 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that signifieth embalming and wheat lying dead and buried in the ground I doubt not but many there are and would be who would lay down their natural lives that they might be Christs Disciples But now the question is and I know not how they will answer it how can they be Christs Disciples when they are dead and have laid down their natural lives Luk. 14.26 Love covers the multitude of sins by it we cover other mens sins De mortuis non nisi bonum by it our own sins are covered Psal 32. and blessed are they whose sins are covered but then there they may be it 's presently added and in whose spirit there is no guile Many things are forgiven her for she loved much Christ was buried in a new Sepulchre The earnest desire of Jacob was bury me not in Aegypt Neither
means I might attain unto the Resurrection of the dead and what enemy can now hurt us It s true the sin besiegeth us as the Assyrians did Jerusalem 2 Kings 18.17 The King of Assyria sent Tartan c. Vide Onomasticon on Eliakim That Faith which raiseth us from the death of sin is that which relies on the Spirit of God in us which is therefore called the Spirit of Faith 2 Cor. 4.13 4. Because ye are raised with Christ from the dead Seek the things that are above The Reason of this why the Colossians because they are raised with Christ must seek the things above is 1. In regard of the things above 2. In regard of Christ Or 3. In regard of the Colossians themselves 1. In regard of the things above they are lost by our descending and regained by our ascending 1. They are lost by our descending See this afterwards 2. In regard of Christs example He is that high and eminent example unto whom all who are Christs ought to be conformed Rom. 8.29 3. In regard of the Colossians themselves the Reason of this is the engagement of their Faith Hope and Love 1. They were already raised by Faith in the operative power of God and now they must proceed from Faith to Faith 2. The experience of their hope allures them to an higher measure of enjoying the Heavenly life 1 Pet. 2. If ye have tasted that the Lord is Gracious St. John was first invited Revel 4.1 Come up hither but yet Chapter 22. all that are a thirst c. 3. Their Love unto the Heavenly life constrains them He that loveth life c. let him refrain his tongue from evil Observ 1. We are by corrupt nature and the reliques of sin yet unmortified prone and declining downward towards the earth and things upon the earth This was prefigured unto us in the Canaanites who have their name from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifieth Incurvation and Depression being bowed down toward the earth vide 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Thus we may understand the woman bowed together so that she could not look up thus Satan binds the Daughter of Abraham thus the sinful world are the children of Belial 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 such as cannot ascend or will not ascend with Christ Observ 2. The great goodness of God unto mankind now lapsed fallen and not able to rise alone who hath raised up the Lord Jesus Christ and with him all Believers on him who is ascended up on high and by his spiritual attractive power causeth all Believers on him to ascend with him And to shew how possible and feasible this is he hath raised up holy men in all ages Enoch was translated and taken up and became an example unto all Generations Ecclus Such was Noah before and after the flood Such was Abraham whom the wise man calls a great Father or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 an High Father of many nations in Glory there was none like unto him he kept the Law of the most High c. To be raised together with Christ as the Colossians were is to be changed from the death of sin unto the life of righteousness Hence it is that death and sin are taken for the same Eph. 2.1 Ye were dead in trespasses and sins Rom. 5.17 By one man sin entered into the world and death by sin and so death passed upon all men for that all men have sinned So are life and righteousness the same also Rom. 5.17 They who receive abundance of Grace and of the gift of righteousness shall reign in life by one Jesus Christ and 6.13 Yield your selves unto God as those who are alive from the dead and your members as instruments of righteousness unto God Thus Life and Resurrection are all one John 11.25 I am the Resurrection and the life Mark how the Apostle reasons 1 Cor. 15.13 17. Christ which is our life being raised Faith is also raised and given with him Act. 17.31 and 26. If therefore Christ be not raised then Faith is vain and we are yet in our sins This Life and Resurrection was promised soon after Adam had died from that life of God and all in Adam In Adam all die 1 Cor. 15.22 so in Christ we are made alive This was the Gospel that was published by God himself from the beginning Gen. 3. That the Serpents head should be broken by the Holy Seed This Holy Seed he promised to Abraham to Isaac to Jacob to Judah to David By all the Prophets who testifie the renovation of the world by Justice and Judgement Isa 9.7 and 11.4 some few may excuse the rest Jer. 23.5 6. and 33.15 Mich. 4. This Promise God fulfilled when he raised up Jesus from the dead Act. 13.32 and 26 4-8 This Promise is called the promise of life 2 Tim. 1.1 Jam. 1.12 This life the Lord Jesus brings from the dead 2 Tim. 1.10 This is to be manifested in our mortal flesh 2 Cor. 4.10 All obedient ones have right to the Tree of Life and may take of the water of life freely Rev. 22. And the whole Gospel was written that we might believe that Jesus is the Son of God and that we might have life through his Name Joh. 20.31 For he who hath the Son hath life he who hath not the Son hath not life Observ 2. Note here the great Goodness and Mercy of the Most High God who when Mankind was fall'n and could not arise alone was pleased not only to look down from heaven upon the Children of Men but also send down the Lord Christ to humble himself unto our nature and stoop to take us up and raise us up by the power and example of his Resurrection and Ascension yea to manifest the same power in his eminent Saints and holy ones in all Ages yea and to communicate the same power unto us that we may not grovel upon the earth and earthly things but that we may ascend with Christ and those who are Christs unto the heavenly things the things above and have our Conversation in heaven Phil. 3. Observ 3. Hence we read of the glorious types of our Lords Ascension in the holy Patriarchs and Prophets especially Enoch and Elias Enoch's name signifieth dedicated or consecrated who was herein made like unto the Son of God who is consecrated for evermore Hebr. 7.28 Another type of our Lords Ascension was Elias whose Name sounds the Lord God or God the Lord. Of these two saith holy Bernard Foelices illi viri per quos divina ascensio legitur praesignata Enoch raptus translatus Elias Blessed men by whom our Lords Ascension is read foresignified Enoch translated and Elias taken up to heaven A like type of our Lords Ascension was Elihu i. e. as his name sounds God himself See 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Observ 4. It is not enough to be raised with Christ unless we also ascend with him Observ 5. An inferiour and lower degree of obedience layes an engagement upon
God bound to them yet be dissolute and loose themselves self-love would perswade men to think they had deserved somewhat at Gods hands by some supposed excellency in themselves and therefore God beats down such proud thoughts Deut. 9.4 5 6. Rom. 3.3 2. Observe the incomparable privilege of the Jews above all other nations that Christ was sent to speak and preach to them peculiarly for though the end of his coming was to redeem all yet he came in the flesh to teach none but Jews Matth. 5.24 I am not sent but to the lost Sheep of Israel Matth. 10.5 6. Go not into the way of the Gentiles but go rather to the lost Sheep of the house of Israel yea though Salvation be to be published unto all yet were the Jews to have the first offer of it Matth. 10.6 Go rather c. as a vessel runs over the full table casts crumbs Salvation is primarily of the Jews read Acts 3.26 Vnto you first Acts 11.19 To the Jews only it was necessary that the word of God should be first spoken to you Acts 13.46 A caution to the Gentiles Rom. 11.20 3. Observe a principal ground and incentive unto all Parents and such as may be Parents to love and fear God there is nothing so much takes up the thoughts and desires of Parents as what may befal their posterity O that Ishmael might live in thy sight yea this is common to good and bad Believers and Unbelievers Thus Cain boding well to his Son Enoch builded a City and called it after his Sons name Yea the Philosopher saith that if Parents have thoughts and memory after this life they are taken up with care for their posterity for this is the Law of Adam 2 Sam 7.19 Vt quilibet fit solicitus defiderans prosperitatem posteritatis suae No man hates himself or his own flesh every one desires to live for ever which because he cannot in his own person he desires 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Now there is no means so effectual for the accomplishment of this natural desire as to love and fear God this David acknowledgeth 2 Sam. 7. He sheweth mercy to thousands of them that love him and keep his Commandments Exod. 20.7 which discovers the great folly and want of providence even in those who would seem the most provident who hoard up wealth provide Houses and Lands for their children yet neither leave them the patrimony of good manners nor example of honest life in themselves The candle of the ungodly shall be put out Prov. O how much better was Timothy provided for 2 Tim. 1.5 Therefore God spake 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. to the Hebrews for their Parents sakes which makes for Consolation of such as have ungodly Parents Ezek. 18.20 their Parents ungodliness cannot prejudice them let them look higher than their Fathers upon earth unto their Father in heaven Be perfect c. followers of God as dear children 4. Observe the Christian Faith levels the high thoughts and makes all equal although God spake not to them but to the Apostles yet he exaggerates the matter and saith he spake to us Theoph. 2. He hath spoken to us by his Son We read in Scripture of diverse Sons of God some more largely and improperly so called as those who are such by Office or Representation only Thus Magistrates are Gods and the sons of the most high Psal 82.6 Some by Creation and that either upon Earth as Adam was the Son of God Luk. 3.38 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Act. 17.28 or in Heaven as the Angels Job 1.6 Some also are the Sons of God by Regeneration 1 Joh. 3.1 2. but by Eternal Generation out of himself God hath no Son except one Jesus Christ who is here described honorifically 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in this and the next verse By this Son God hath spoken to the Hebrews If we enquire into the reasons of this they will appear from the consideration of 1. God the Father who is he that spake 2. the Son by whom and 3. the Hebrews to whom he spake 1. For the disingagement and performance of Gods Truth and Mercy promised to that Nation under great variety of types and figures more properly Deut. 18. A Prophet will the Lord thy God raise up unto thee like unto me the reason of that promise is their Prayer 2. In regard of the Son by whom God spake he it is of whom all the Prophets witnessed the Wisdom Truth and Righteousness of God testified by the Law and the Prophets since therefore it pleased the Father to impart his Wisdom Truth and Righteousness unto men how could he do it fully and perfectly but by his own Son who is Essentially that Wisdom Truth and Righteousness how otherwise could the Divine Light be seen but by the Divine Light In thy light we shall see light Psal The Hebrews thought themselves forsaken of God in worse condition than their Fathers the Apostle shews the contrary that they had obtained greater Grace than their Fathers 1. An Argument of Gods unspeakable Love SO God loved the world that he gave his Son a Sic without a Sicut in him was no sin ut filium unigenitum daret ut omnis qui credit in illum non periret sed vitam aeternam haberet 1. He laid hold upon the Seed of Abraham Hebr. 2.16 he caught at it He was a Saviour from their sin Matth. 1. 2. Vt vitam habeant abundantius that they might have life and that more abundantly Joh. 10. The condition of the Hebrews under the Old Testament was but a state of servant-ship as being the Sons of the Law or Hagar which gendereth not to freedom but unto bondage Gal. 4.25 Hebr. 12.18 19. And therefore God spake to them by such Ministers and Instruments as were but Servants Such was Moses Mal. 4.4 Heb. 3.5 and by the Angels Act. 7.53 Rom. 15.8 Yea Christ himself was a Servant for this reason but the servile condition of the Jews and Gentiles being now to be advanced unto Son-ship God hath spoken unto us by his Son Gal. 4.1 2 3. Rom. 8.14 15. 2. An Argument of Gods wonderful dignation and condescent that he should not only seek reconciliation with his enemies but also for that purpose send his only Son to negotiate it 2 Cor. 5.19 20. Should a King send his Son how Mephibosheth wonders at David's condescent 2 Sam. 9.8 May not we much more we Gentiles who are Surrogatus Israel that David should look upon such dead dogs as we Gentiles are Dogs so our Saviour intimates Matth. 15.26 dead in trespasses and sins Were not God LOVE it self as David signifies and Christ the Son of his Love Col. 1. he would never condescend so low See how Abigal demean'd her self to him in a figure 1 Sam. 25.41 3. An Argument that God is at peace with us that he for his part is reconciled unto us so he loved us Enemies are
No whatsoever he made upon perusal of his works both in particular and in the general he pronounced that they were good and exceeding good if therefore we find a world wherein there is nothing but evil that 's the Devils world and whatsoever is in that world the lusts of the flesh the lusts of the eyes and the pride of life is not of the Father but is of the world 1 Joh. 2.16 Now hath God made many worlds and doest thou chuse rather to live in the Devils world Hath God made thee a Man and not a Beast one of the three things which one of the wisest Philosophers gave God thanks for yet doest thou chuse rather to live like a beast yea worse than a beast they do but according to their kind than like a man as God hath made thee Ingrateful man nay beast hath God given thee a reasonable Soul an immortal Soul yet wilt thou so abase thy self to live worse than the unreasonable beast worse than the beasts that perish Wherefore Holy Brethren as the Apostle speaks Hebr. 3.1 partakers of the Heavenly Calling consider I beseech ye hath God called us with an holy calling to obtain his world and to be followers of God as his dear children Eph. 5.1 and to be like the Angels Luke 22.30 And shall we rather obey Satans unholy calling be like him and inherit his world prepared for the Devil and his Angels Consider I beseech ye the Apostle and High Priest of our Profession Christ Jesus he hath given himself for our sins that he might deliver us from this present evil world into the glorious liberty of the Sons of God according to the will of God and our Father And shall we still contrary to our Profession continue in our sins and continue vassals and slaves unto this present evil world to the snares of the Devil and yield our selves to be taken captive by him at his will Hath God given unto us his spirit of truth to lead us into all truth and we shall we suffer our selves to be seduced and misled by the Spirit of error by the Spirit of the world by the Spirit of Devils as they are called Apoc. 16.15 Is the Son of God made manifest for this end that he might destroy the works of the Devil and shall we choose rather to live in this present evil world Shall we be so foolish as to continue in Satans evil world which passeth away and so perish with it rather than aspire unto Gods world by doing his will and so abide for ever 1 John 2.17 Let us rather hearken to S. Peters exhortation 2 Pet. 3.11 and 13. The earth and the works that are therein shall be burnt up Seeing then that all these things shall be dissolved what manner of persons ought we to be in all holy conversation and godliness Since according to his promise we look for new Heavens and a new earth wherein dwelleth righteousness Observ 6. A ground of Gods Sovereignty over all the world Esay 45.12 A ground of that right which God hath to prescribe a religion to mankind Nehem. 9.6 7. Psalm 86.9 All nations whom thou hast made shall come and worship before thee and shall glorifie thy name Acts 14.15 Esay 17.7 Psalm 95.6 The reason is he hath made us men reason so in regard of their creatures they expect all reverence and respect from their creatures from those they have made How much more may our Apostle Rom. 11.36 Of him and through him and to him are all things to him be Glory for ever Chapter 12.1 2. Observ 7. A ground of humility towards God Thou hast made me as the clay Job I am but dust and ashes saith Abraham towards men and all the creatures and Brethren and Sisters fellow Creatures To the worm thou art my Mother and my Sister Job 17.14 Hath not one God made us all Malach. 2.10 God made the worlds by his Son The truth of this we have in express terms Eph. 3.9 which yet more fully will appear if we distinguish the Divine nature of Christ from the Humane as ignorant men wedded to a sensible Christ and hood-winked with the veil of his flesh cannot easily do According to his Divine nature he is said to be the Beginning the Word the Power the Wisdom of God and according to all these God is said in Scripture to have made the worlds 1. He is the beginning thus that place otherwise in the Greek obscure may be understood John 8.25 They say unto him who art thou Jesus said unto them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which we turn not well Even the same that I said unto you from the beginning The Original will not bear it the vulgar Latine better principium quod loquor vobis Thus we may also understand S. John 1 John 2.24 Let that abide in you which ye have heard from the beginning ie from Christ And if that which ye have heard from the beginning remain in you ye also shall continue in the Son and in the Father What that is we read 1 John 3.11 This is the message that ye heard from the beginning i. e. from Christ that ye should love one another This message we hear from Christ John 13. Thus he calls himself Apoc. 1.8 and 21.6 and 22.13 Thus the Apostle calls him Col. 1. Where having said Verse 16. That by him were all things created c. Verse 18. he adds He is the head of the Body the Church who is the Beginning The Syriack useth one word for both Heb. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The head of the body the Church which is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the beginning the very same word and to the same sence as Moses speaks Gen. 1.1 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 In the beginning God created the Heaven and the earth Hence it is that the Gloss interprets In the beginning in Filio in the Son by whom the Father is said to have made all things howbeit by others both Jews and Christians In the beginning is rendred 2. In Wisdom so the Chaldee Paraphrast and there is express Scripture for it Psalm 104.24 In wisdom hast thou made them all And his Son Solomon The Lord by wisdom founded the earth Prov 3.19 Thus also Christ speaks of himself Prov. 8.27 30. 3. Christ is the Word so S. John calls him and so the Chaldee Paraphrast very often And by this Word God made the worlds Psalm 33.6 John 1.3 All things were made by him and without him was not any thing made that was made and Verse 10. He was in the world and the world was made by him Our Apostle comes home to it Hebr. 11.3 By faith we believe that the worlds were made by the word of God This word was with power And 4. That power is Christ himself 1 Cor. 1.24 We preach Christ the power of God and the time of Christ is called the day of his power Psalm 110.2 Now by this power God created the worlds
Pet. 4.14 The Lord shall be unto thee an everlasting light and thy God thy Glory Esay 60.19 2. The consideration of this should raise our highest thoughts concerning our God when ever we approach unto him in any of his Ordinances as Prayer Meditation hearing his word receiving the Sacrament he is the God of Glory with whom we have now to do And therefore we must then especially leave off all our worldly thoughts otherwise lawful as Abraham when he went up to Mount Moriah to offer Sacrifice he left his Servants and his Ass behind him Gen. 22.5 Much more must we then and always relinquish our sinful thoughts and actions As Jacob Gen. 35. Being to go up to Bethel and build an Altar and offer a Sacrifice there he purged his Houshold of their strange Gods and buried their Idols under an Oak never to rise up again Even thus must we do when we approach unto our God purge our selves from the pollution of Idols the Idols in our hearts Ezek. 14. and bury them in forgetfulness never to remember them again and raise our thoughts to a pitch worthy that action we are now about as in the receiving of the Lords Supper we are admonished to lift up our hearts Why We have to do with the great God the God of Glory 2. It discovers the nature of Christ He is Light Brightness and Clearness as the Sun among the Stars as Gold among the Metals Matth. 17.2 John 1.4 5. In him was life and the life was the light of men and the light shined in darkness Prov. 11.5 1 Tim. 6.16 He dwells in that light which no man can approach unto 1 John 1.3 4. If Christ be light we shall discern whether he be in us yea or no In thy light we shall see light Psalm 36.9 Matth. 24.26 27. The light of the day cannot be hid but manifests it self and all other things John 1.14 It is discovered by orderly walking if Christ be in you the body is dead Zach. 2.10 11. If our Gospel be hid 't is hid from them that perish He must needs discover all secret things even the hidden things of darkness 1 Cor. 4.5 He hath told me all that ever I did Is not this the Christ John 4.29 Whatsoever discovers is light as a light brought into a room discovers all things which were there before This is the right Judge It is a small thing to be judged of you or of mans day If he be the true light then he must needs destroy Antichrist 2 Thess 2.8 Esay 11.4 2. In a relative consideration this discovers the nature of God the Father He is a Father of Lights i. e. not only of understanding reason fancy and sense but the Father of the great Light Christ Eph. 1.17 And the Father of all his Saints who shine as Lights in the world Phil. This consideration may regulate all our actions for the end prescribes the measure to all the means in order thereunto and Gods Glory being the utmost and very last end of all our actions the consideration of it fits and squares all and every one of our actions and sets them all in due order and proportion thereunto and this indeed is the end of our Predestination and Election Eph. 1.4 5 6 and Verse 11. We are predestinated according to the purpose of him who worketh all things according to the counsel of his own will that we should be to the praise of his Glory So that all the actions that swerve from or are thwart or come short of this end they are truly and properly sinful for sin is properly a swerving from the due end so all the words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and pecco signifie Thus the Priest and the people ordained for this end and missing of it are good for nothing So that This is a ground of just reproof to many of us to the Minister if he aim at his own lucre or Praise ostentation of wit or Learning not the Salvation of his peoples Souls to the Glory of God ye have a notable place for this Malach. 2.1 9. Exhort To give God his Glory to acknowledge the eminency of his attributes and works in others in ourselves all Glory is his own and he will not part with it to another This we may do two ways Objectively or Formally 1. Objectively when whatsoever is excellent and eminent in the creature we acknowledge more eminent and excellent in God 2. Formally or efficienter when we set forth his Glory in our selves 1. Objectively Thus when we see either beauty or strength we raise from thence the Glory of God Thus O how much more beautiful is he who put this beauty upon the creature as he saith he did Ezech. 16. When we see any strength O how much more strength is in the God of power Thou art the Glory of their strength Psalm 89.17 When we see the wisdom of the creature or other excellency O how much more wise is the only wise God thus Abraham glorified Gods power The like we may say of Riches which many make their Glory their God Jerem 9.23 Amos 6.13 When the Ark of God was shaken 2 Sam. 6.6 Vzza put to his hand and dyed for it so many will try to bear up the Ark but not by might nor by power but by my Spirit saith the Lord God will have the Glory of it 2. This also may be done Formally or by way of efficiency when we order all our actions unto the Glory of God Whether ye eat or drink and whatsoever ye do do all to the Glory of God 1 Cor. 10.31 There are many promises of a Golden Age in the the Old Testament That all the people shall be righteous Esay 60.21 All the earth shall be filled with his glory Numb All taught of God Esay Heb. 8. They shall beat their swords into plough-shares and their spears into pruning hooks Matth. 4. Nation shall not rise up against nation and they shall learn war no more that they shall live every one under his own vine and under his own fig tree for the mouth of the Lord of hosts hath spoken it that the wolf shall dwell with the lamb Esay 11. And all these promises are to be fulfilled in these last days But he who shall hope they will be fulfilled he shall be accounted almost a mad man by the blind world Certainly God is as true in these promises as in any other he hath made or else these have been heretofore or else they shall be For all the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord. If any say these have been let him tell the time if he say in the Apostles time that continued not nor was it universal such as this must be for all the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord as the waters cover the sea Esay 11.9 Numb 14.21 If any say that it is performed in our time it will seem a strange peace when plough-shares are
broke into swords and pruning hooks into spears What 's the reason that most men conceive such a golden age to be impossible They do not give glory unto God For surely did they believe these promises and that the God of Glory is able to effect them They would find that power operative in themselves St. Paul did so Col. 1.27 28 29. So he prayes for the Ephesians Chap. 1.17 18. This want of glorifying Gods Power we find in the Jews Zach. 8.3 4 5. where the Lord hath promised a glorious restitution of that Church and finding few that believed it or gave glory unto God vers 8. If it be marvellous in the eyes of the remnant of this people in these days should it also be marvellous in mine eyes saith the Lord of Hosts vers 9.10 A contrary example we find in Abraham Rom. 4 18-21 And the Apostle S. Peter from consideration of the dissolution of all things and expectation of that new heaven and new earth argues what manner of men should we be Wherefore Beloved Sith ye look for such things be diligent that ye may be found of him in peace without spot and blameless 2 Pet. 3.13.2 3 4. Numb 14. The people refuse to believe and glorifie God whereupon God swears The earth shall be filled with his glory vers 21. Give him the Glory of his Omnisciency Achan had lyed and hid what he had stoln Josuah 7.19 Give him the Glory of his Eloquence Herod fell short of that and was eaten up with worms Act. 12. Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom nor the mighty man in his might nor the rich man in his riches Jer. 9.23.24 But let him that glorieth glory in this that he knoweth me that I am the Lord which exercise loving kindness judgement and righteousness in the earth for in these things I delight saith the Lord. We are herein very apt to deceive our selves Thus Phydias made the shield wherein Minerva was pictured yet he himself drew his own so artificially that the Goddesses picture must be as soon raced out of it as his own And so I fear many of us give glory unto God yet so that we 'l have a share in it our selves This is useful for Instruction Reproof Consolation and Exhortation 1. Instruction It discovers the Co-eternity of God the Son with God the Father For as if the Sun in the heavens were from all eternity as Aristotle held it was then must also the light that shines from the Sun be from all eternity also as coeternal with the Sun So God the Father being the Light and Father of Lights and eternal God the Son being 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a light of his light is also coeternal with him and from all eternity 2. Hence also follows the coexistence of God the Father and God the Son that Christ is in the Father and the Father in Christ as the Light is in the Sun and the Sun is in the Light Joh. 14.9 10. 3. As we consider Christ absolutely This discovers unto us the Nature of Christ He is brightness 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the shining from his Fathers glory All and every degree of light is not brightness that is the lustre and clearness of light and such a brightness is Christ Thus when Christ appeared to John Revel 1.16 his countenance was as the Sun But the Sun is not alike bright at all times or at least it appears not so bright to us in the morning as at high noon And therefore it 's added his countenance was like the Sun shining in his strength And St. Paul relating the story of his Conversion when Christ appeared unto him There shone saith he from heaven a great light round about me Act. 22.6 So great that I could not see for the glory of that light vers 11. But a man may look upon the Sun and that in his glory yet not be so blinded O but in his relation to King Agrippa Act. 26.13 he saith At mid-day O king I saw in the way a light from heaven above the brightness of the Sun Such is the splendor and brightness of the Sun of righteousness It far transcends all outward brightness 4. Further it discovers the pure and spiritual and holy Nature of Christ He is light and such a lustre and brightness of light as excludes all darkness Some degree of light may be mixt with some degree of darkness brightness hath none This is the message that we have heard of him that God is light and in him is no darkness at all 1 Joh. 1.5 5. Christ is not this Light only to himself but shines forth to all He is the light of the world so he calls himself and shines gloriously unto all men O that we were thus light of Christs light He is light without darkness Historians tell us that the ancient Britains had their name from Brith an old Britain word whence comes our English word Bright and Brightness it signifieth an Herb wherewithall they coloured themselves and made themselves shine bright and were a terrour to their enemies O that we would imitate our Progenitors a better way that we would be bright and shining lights unto all others All beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord with his open face that so we might be translated from glory into glory O how glorious examples we should be to others how terrible to our enemies terrible as an army with banners as it is Can. 6.4 6. Hence it appears that all men who live in the darkness of errour ignorance and sin they are inexcusable Christ is the Brightness it self the geat light that enlightneth every man that cometh into the world Joh. 1.9 And truly the Reason is evident from the nature of light which shines to every one who hath an eye to see it and prevents us yea awakens us when we think not of it So that unless we maliciously and willfully shut our eyes against it we cannot chuse but see it Hence appears the force of our Saviours argument Joh. 3.19 This is the condemnation that light is come into the world and men love darkness rather than light because their works are evil for if our Gospel be hid saith the Apostle it s hid to them that perish and are lost in whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them that believe not lest the light of the glorious Gospel of Christ who is the image of God should shine unto them 2 Cor. 4.4 Reproof 2. This is serviceable for Reproof for whatsoever is reproved is reproved by the light Now Beloved in the most of us there is a great deal of darkness mixt with our light So that we cannot judge perfectly either of things or persons 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And shall we now then while we are yet in our darkness presume to judge of things we know not Shall we define resolve judge and censure things we have no sight of like a company of blind
intercessions unto God for his people and every one of us for himself O Lord thou art a most powerful God Thou bearest all things by the word of thy power O magnifie thy power in shewing mercy as thou hast said The Lord is long-suffering and of much mercy c. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ruling or governing all things by the word of his power The fulness of the Original will afford this sence for as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the word in Munster's Hebrew Copy signifieth bearing or upholding which is the first act of Divine Providence which is called conservation of the creatures So 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a word of the same original signifieth a King a Prince which implies the second act of Divine Providence which we call Gubernation or governing all things by the word of his power as Erasmus turns the word So 't is also in the Spanish and our old English Translation Both these acts of Providence were signified to Ezechiel by that Vision in his first Chapter of a Chariot with Cherubims which as the Prophet there saith Verse 28. was a resemblance of Gods Glory so Christ is called for all the worlds which the Son of God hath made they are his Chariot which he supports and upholds by the Spirit of life in the wheels Verse 20. He bears up all by the word of his power according to his own will And as Eliah 2 Kings 2.12 is called by Elisha and Elisha by King Joash 2 Kings 13.14 The chariot of Israel and the Horsemen thereof so is the Lord God as Eliah signifieth and so is God the Saviour as Elisha signifieth the chariot and horsemen of Israel the Chariot wherein be bears and upholds Israel and the Christian Church and so called the Chariot and the Horsemen thereof which guides rules and governs the Chariot according to his own will and moving it unto all good by the word of his power Shall the wicked be removed Let God govern the world The proof of this we have both in express terms 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1 Tim. 1.17 King of the world So the Latine and Syriack and Revel 1.5 He is called The Prince of the Kings of the earth As also foretold in Dan. 7.14 There was given to him Dominion and Glory and a Kingdom that all people nations and languages should serve him c. This also was foreshadowed by Gods promise unto David in behalf of Solomon Psalm 89.24 28 29. but never verified but in Christ Ezechiel 21.25 26.27 Jeremiah 22.30 1. The Reason in respect of the Objects or Subjects to be ruled or governed which otherwise without his Government would fall into ruine and confusion The reason of the Idolatry of Micah Judge 17. and of the Danites 18. the whoredom of the Benjamites Chapter 19. and all other enormities of the Jews state is given There was no King in Israel These 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1 Kings 22.18 Have no Master no Governour to bear them They are as Sheep scattered upon the Hills such as have no Shepherd 2. In regard of God the Father imposing and Christ the Son undertaking the Government of all the Creatures especially men and of them his Church This was figured Num. 27.15 18. In Christ the endowments befitting his Government his Wisdom Power and Goodness for if these three be requisite in every rational agent for the effecting of what befits him how much more eminently are these in him who governs all things by the word of his power Wisdom hath two more special acts considerable in a Governour Ordinare judicare sapientis est To order the world otherwise it would fall into confusion and therefore he is called the God of order and not of confusion he judgeth all things being the Judge of all the world Gen. 18. 2. Power is necessary such as we read Numb 14.17 3. As also authority for as God the Father hath spoken unto his Son all wisdom power and goodness and whatsoever he himself was and is so in the Creation the Son spake a word of power into all the creatures and by the same powerful word yet upholds them Psalm 93.1 The Lord reigneth and then followeth the world also is established so that it cannot be moved 4. So likewise is goodness whereby he becomes our Saviour Thus Hosea 3.5 Instead of the Lord your God and David your King is the Lord and his goodness According to his wisdom power and goodness he upholds and rules us and all things which he hath made and so we stile him Creator Preserver and Governour of all things in Heaven and in earth these three ye read Nehemiah 9.6 7. this may seem the reason why S. John calls him by the name of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 John 1.1 Observ 1. Observe the Supereminent Authority and Soveraignty of the Son of God over all his Creatures for whereas there are Two wayes of effecting any thing 1. either by putting to our own hand or 2. by our Command and Authority such is the Soveraignty so absolute the Authority of the Son of God that he governs all things by his meer Word All the Creatures are his hosts under the Law of him so that they all stand ready prest and wait for his word of command So much the Psalmist intimates by a brief enumeration of all the heavenly and earthly and rational Creatures Psal 148.14 18. He commanded and they were Created he established them for ever and ever he gave them a statute and it shall not pass vers 5 6. by which every Creature is bound to observe the set time and place appointed for it Job 14 5-13 and 26.10 So we read of the Statutes and Ordinances of Heaven and Earth of the Moon and Stars Statutes that shall not be repealed which the Son of God hath given into the Creatures Jer. 33.25 Hence it is that fire and hail and snow and vapour and the stormy winds perform his word and vers 8. the word of command which the Lord of Hosts had given they yet obey Observ 2. See then a pattern of all Christian Governours in the Son of God who rules all things who bears all things by the word of his power to bear all things and to rule all things they are not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 we wead of the kingdom and patience of Jesus Christ Jesus Christ is a King yet patient Apoc. 1.9 And such as he is such he would his Servants should be Whosoever will be greatest among you let him be your Minister c. Matth. 20.26 27 28. See Notes on Matth. 13.11 from the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifieth to bear is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a Prince or Governour and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a King is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the foundation that bears the people and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the word in the Text is our Foundation our Vpholder and our Governour Observ 3. It is very useful for us to know this in regard
hath been the strong delusion of many who have dreamed themselves into a Paradise while mean time they have lived an ungodly life Esay 29.8 Thus Ravliac who murdered Henry the Fourth of France was perswaded he had a place in heaven provided for him And I am perswaded many there are among us who make themselves as sure of heaven as that wretch did and upon grounds weak enough But that we may the better understand how the Saints are set in heavenly places in Christ ye must know that there 's no word for places in the original neither here nor Eph. 1.3 nor vers 20. nor 2.6 nor 3.10 nor 6.12 in all which notwithstanding places are added in our Translation In the ancient English more truly we have things Luther in his translation in high Dutch turns it nature and thus we must understand it here God hath set us in heavenly things in the heavenly nature by Christ Jesus and with Christ Jesus as where he is there we also might be So we read of the heavenly kingdom 2 Tim. 4.18 the heavenly country it is the heavenly Jerusalem Heb. 12.22 the heavenly â—â—ft Heb. 7.4 the heavenly things 1 Joh. 3.12 the heavenly wisdom Joh. 3. the heavenly calling Heb. 3.1 These are the heavenly things wherein the Lord hath set believers as our Apostle speaks expresly Heb. 12.22 23 24. In these highest things Christ sits and in these through him God the Father sets us O Beloved we make our selves sure of these heavenly things when yet our thoughts are abased and busied only about earthly things like that foolish Stage-player that when he named heaven he pointed to the earth or like Hawks or Kites or other like birds we sore high talk of high matters of heaven and heavenly things when mean time we eye and aim at a prey at some advantage here below Motive Did we set a true estimate upon these highest things we should not be held back from them by any difficulties The kingdom of heaven suffers violence Matth. 11.12 The people were forbid 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to break through Exod. 19.24 But to the highest mountain of the Lords house they brake in Joshuah was commanded to be valiant to invade the land Jos 1.6 7 8 9. If I be lifted up I shall draw all men unto me Joh. 12.32 Si virtus corporeis oculis videri potuit omnes ipsam amare vellent Cleâ—mbrotus The mountain of the Lords house on the top of the mountains being erect all nations shall flow unto it Esay 2.2 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Where dwellest thou come and see Joh. 1.39 Can any good thing come out of Galilee come and see vers 46. John was invited Apoc. 4.1 heaven cannot be seen but by the light of heaven Means Would we enjoy these high things then must we attain unto them the same way that Christ himself did Christ's exaltation followed his Humiliation and so must ours Humble your selves under the mighty hand of God and he will exalt you in due time 1 Pet. 5.6 Eph. 4.9 10. He that ascended descended Phil. 2.4 10. So must ours Phil. 2. Prov. 15.33 The fear of the Lord is the instruction of wisdom and before honour is humility and 18.12 1 Pet. 3. last Confer with Chapter 4.1 Christ sat on the right hand of the Majesty on high after his death burial resurrection therefore mortifie your earthly members Col. 3. So Eph. 2. after we were raised from the dead he made us sit 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The great consolation of the people of God of the true followers and servants of Christ Jesus where their Lord is there are they Joh. 12.26 Their conversation is in heaven Phil. 3.20 Christianity is the profession of an heavenly life Empedocles vixit ut aspiceret coelum veri 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 contra caput sursum cor deorsum What though they be neglected and despised here below among earthly men carnal men c. They are strangers among men So was their Lord The world knew him not Joh. 1.10 Nor does it know them 1 Joh. 3. What manner of love is this that we should be called the sons of God Therefore the world knows us not As Enoch walked with God and was not why for God took him Gen. 5.24 Such an one is no body in the world God takes these into more intimacy with himself Their mind is about heavenly things And therefore they are not so curious about earthly Rom. 14.3 Let not him that eateth not despise him that eateth Deus eum assumpsit See Psal 65.5 Blessed is the man whom thou takest unto thee These are men of another Common-wealth and they are travelling homewards they confess themselves strangers and pilgrimes upon the earth And they who say such things declare plainly that they seek a better country i. e. an heavenly They are fellow Citizens with the Saints and of the houshold of God Eph. 2.19 The world knows not these high things Master where dwellest thou Come and see Come up hither As he that is upon an high Mountain may see the Clouds moving this way and that way below him So the Saints they dwell on high Esay 33.16 and can see the turnings and motions and changes of the world below poverty riches honour disgrace they affect ease who love or hate they are below the Saints They mean time dwell on high and become like him with whom they dwell unchangeable Whereas before they admired honours pleasures profit high place and authority and beheld them as things above them being now fixt in the highest they look down upon these as poor despicable things below them These high things then let us be exhorted to aspire unto They are either 1. The high things themselves Or 2. Things tending upwards 1. God himself who is above Job 31.28 and Christ who is from above Joh. 80.23 and he John the Baptist bears witness of Joh. 3.31 or the holy Spirit which is poured out from above from the right hand of God Act. 2. In these is our objective happiness our formal happiness is in communion with God the Father God the Son and God the holy Spirit and with the Saints Jerusalem above the mother of us all Gal. 4.26 Whence it is that the Church is figured by Mount Sion and Jerusalem situate among the Mountains Psal 125. Observe then the highest mark of the Christian ambition See Notes on Col. 3.1 This reproves those who contend for other things but for these not at all 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 We will be many Masters Every one will be great But in pursuit of these true highest things we are extreme modest To be great high honourable every man will endeavour with the ruine of others with the ruine of Justice 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 But ought not the best the highest things to be best beloved and most high in our estimation Josh 18.3 why are ye so slack to possess the land which the Lord hath given you We need
Prophet doth that Jerusalem is ruined and Judah is faln Esay 3. and that the God of Order is highly displeased with us 2. That the Orders and Degrees of Ministers in the Old Testament was not only of Divine Institution but also a lively resemblance of spiritual and heavenly things as Moses had a command from God to ordain all things according to the Pattern shewn to him in the mount Heb. 8.5 3. That the Orders and Degrees of Ministers in the New Testament mentioned and recommended by the Apostles seem both to represent the Divine Orders and Degrees among the Angels and to be of no inferiour Institution to that in the Law We read of three sorts of Ministers distinct in degrees one from another 1. There were inferiour Elders and Ministers to whom Timothy and Titus gave power to ordain set up reprove restrain These were ministerial Levites of the lowest form 2. There were superintendent Bishops such as Timothy himself was at Ephesus and Titus in Creet These answer the Priests in the Old Testament and the Angels called Principalities and Powers 3. And there were higher than these superintendent Bishops who had power to ordain and set up the Bishops of the second Classis or Order and such were the Apostles themselves for an 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is expresly attributed to the Apostles 1 Tim. 3.1 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And Act. 1.20 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 was spoken of Judas fallen from his Apostleship let another take his Bishoprick In this sence Paul called Peter James and John those who were of the chief reputation and pillars Gal. 2.1 9. So that the name of Ecclesiastical Hierarchy is both memorable for Antiquity and wants not its basis and foundation in the heavenly Hierarchy I speak not of persons who may nay who sometimes have unworthily intruded themselves or have been by men by undue means advanced thereunto and arrogated honours to themselves I speak of the Orders and Degrees themselves found both in the Old and New Testament Those Orders themselves may be piously retained and maintained if the persons admitted thereunto be called of God and worthy of such honour 1 Cor. 12.28 Eph. 4.11 12. We read of divers Orders whereof the first three Apostles Prophets and Evangelists are by some godly and judicions Divines made all one for whosoever is an Apostle or hath seen Jesus Christ in the Spirit by which then Paul asserts and approves his own Apostleship he must needs be a right Prophet and a true Evangelist The other two may be reduced to the other two subordinate sorts of Ministers Whereof our Lord said He that is great among you let him be your minister Matth. 20.26 Greatest among you shall be your servant Matth. 23.11 Great therefore and greatest there are among Christian Ministers but he that is greater and greatest hath the greatest burden What a speech was that of Paul 2 Cor. 12.15 I seek not yours but you and I will gladly spend and be spent for your souls Observ 4. That God doth use to speak unto the Angels as 2 Sam. 24.16 The Lord saith to the Angel that destroyed the people it is enough stay now thine hand The Lord hath his Spirits created for vengeance Ecclus 39.28 O that he would command his Angel to cease from punishing our Jerusalem He hath his slaughtering Angels one Angel slew 185000 Assyrians All the first born of Egypt by the way of the North Idolatry entred Ezechiel 8.5 by the same way the judgement came chap. 9.2 Ezechiel 9 1-4 before the destroying Angels go forth to make slaughter he gives command to one cloathed in Linnen to go through the midst of the City to set a mark upon the foreheads of the men that sigh and cry for all the abominations done in the midst thereof Rom. 5.12 Gen. 4.7 few of them vers 11. soon done Dan. 8.16 I heard a mans voice between the banks of Ulai which called and said Gabriel make this man understand the vision Revel 1. God sent and signified things that must shortly come to pass by his Angels unto his servant John Observ 5. Though Paul and other Prophets and Apostles are but of yesterday in comparison of the Angels and though with their bodies they live upon the earth yet they in many things know what God hath said or not said unto the Angels before their time 1. Because many of these things are written 2. Because God and the Angels themselves by the appointment of God oftentimes reveal such things unto them Thus Moses wrote of the Creation and all things recorded in the Pentateuch above 2000 years before he was born Act. 23.9 the Pharisees said of Paul If a Spirit or an Angel hath spoken unto him 3. There are some things which God could not speak to the Angels at any time as this in the Text Thou art my Son c. because these are not true of any but of Jesus Christ And he is God that cannot lye and therefore could not speak them to any created Angel that 's an honour peculiar unto the Son of God the great Angel of the Covenant Consol Are there so many kinds so many degrees of Angels what is that to me if I have but only one deputed unto me Though some be of that judgement that every man hath his own personal assisting Angel yet that hinders not but that an Army of Angels watch over thee if thou be one that makest the Lord thy refuge and habitation Psal 91.10 11 12. How many kinds how many degrees or orders soever there are yet they are all for the guard and preservation of the Saints For as there are certain Ministers deputed unto certain Churches as the Angel of the Church of Ephesus of Smyrna of Pergamus c. Revel 2. and 3. yet all are yours saith the Apostle 1 Cor. 3.2 So though there be divers kinds and degrees of Angels yet they are all ministring Spirits sent forth to minister for them who shall be heirs of Salvation Heb. 1.14 Psal 68.18 The chariots of God are twenty thousand even thousands of angels and the Lord is in the midst of them as in the holy place of Sinai The Lord open our eyes as he opened the Prophets servants and we shall then see that there are more for us than there are against us Let it be ground of Exhortation unto us how many soever they are they are all ministring Spirits unto God ye angels of his that do his pleasure Psal 103.20 21. How much more ought we to be ministers and serviceable unto our God who pray Thy will be done in earth as it is in heaven 2. The honour of eternal Sonship is denyed unto the Angels In this first Testimony the Lord 1. Owns his Son Thou art my Son 2. The Lord gives a reason of this owning him This day have I begotten thee The Testimony is taken out of Psal 2. This Psalm was a Prophecie of Christ and principally if not solely meant of him
the Angel in whom the name and nature of God is 2. He is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Lord of all the world 3. Ratione influentiae in Creaturam Revel 4.11 Thou art worthy to receive glory and honour and power for thou hast created all things and for thy pleasure they are and were created So we may read the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as the Author and begetter of all the creatures Col. 1.15 Revel 5.11 12 13. it's the homage due unto the Creator 4. Or if we read the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 first born or born before all the creatures all the Privileges and Royalties of the first born accrue to him Vide ante in 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 So that in all things he hath the preheminence Hence is a fourfold ground of worship due from all the Angels unto Christ 1. Superiority 2. As their Lord and judge of all the worlds 3. As their Creator it 's the homage of the Creature 4. As the Sons of God so the Angels owe this homage unto the first born 5. Add the command He saith let all the Angels worship him If the Angels must worship him then how much more men If all yea the greatest of the Angels Cherubims Seraphims Thrones Dominions c. How much more the greatest of men as Kings and Judges of the earth Psalm The Angels of God Whether is this added for distinction of the good Angels from the bad We read of good and evil Angels the good Angels may be said to be the Angels of God the evil Angels the Angels of the Devil So we read of the Devil and his Angels Matth. Revel Yet even the Devil and his Angels are at the command of Christ and under his power as appears by his frequent ejection and dispossessing of them yea the same power he gave to his Apostles and Disciples But the Angels of God may be here understood the mightiest and highest Angels for the name of God being added unto any creature imports the greatest eminency of it so we read of the mountain of God i. e. a very great mountain Cedars of God weapons mighty 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 through God Moses was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 fair to God Why is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 here added And let all the Angels of God worship him This is not extant Psalm 97.7 but word for word Deut. 32.43 The like we shall observe elsewhere Et in semine tuo benedicentur omnes gentes Rom. 3. Et Episcopatum ejus accipiat alter Acts 1. Et cum iniquis reputatus est Mark 15. Et contra omnes docibiles Dei John 6. Et qui sitit veniat Revel 22. All the tacks were made against the loops Exod. 26. One for the other one Tabernacle so one word and Scripture fitted to another one will of God Vide quinque impedimenta Reprehend Those who take Scripture without Coherence fundamentum Dei stat firmum c. Hence we may negatively collect the superlative greatness and eminency of Christ the greatest of men is inferiour to the least Angel for it is said of our Saviour that he was made a little lower than the Angels but the greatest is inferiour to Christ Eph. 1.21 far above all principality and power and might and dominion and every name that is named not only in this world but also in that which is to come an argument of the greatest engagement we have to him This eminency of Christ was shadowed out in Jacob who obtained the Birth-right Gen. 27.29 Let people serve thee and nations worship thee 't is the word in the Text where the LXX have 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which sometime signifies Angels Be Lord over thy Brethren and let thy mothers sons bow down to thee This was more notably figured in Jacob's eldest son Joseph for so Jacob made him his first born the only son of his age 1 Chron. 5.12 Gen. 37.7 This is the harvest which is the end of the world Matth. 13.39 Psalm 126.5 6. Revel 14.15 When that which was foretold and shadowed in the beginning begins to be fulfilled they who think this was fulfilled when Joseph's Brethren bowed down to him Gen. 42. come far short of the Type Joseph is a Type of him who is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the first born of many brethren Rom. 8.29 as will appear if ye please to compare Gen. 41.38 46. The spirit of God in him without measure Verse 38. He openeth the Mysteries Revel 5.5.9 12. Over the house of God Verse 40. All thy mothers children all my people kiss i. e. worship and adore him or be ruled and obey as the Chaldee only in the Throne i. e. according to the dispensation of three persons my Father is greater than I thus he rode in the second Chariot Abrec Verse 43. Father and Prince as Rec in the Syriac according to Rex in Latine everlasting father Esay 9. King of Kings and Lord of Lords or else as we turn it bow the knee Phil. 2. Verse 44. Without thee c. Without me ye can do nothing John 15. Verse 45. Zapnath Phaneah which as Jerom turns the word is the Saviour of the world Verse 46. At that age the Levites likewise Numb 4.2 our Saviour began his Administration Luke 3.23 and David his Reign 2 Sam. 5.4 Observ Christs works of Redemption renewing and quickning us c. are so glorious in themselves and so honourable unto Christ that not only men but Angels yea all the Angels of God are called upon to worship and adore him for them Such things as even the Angels desire to look into 1 Pet. 1.12 and therefore Dan. 12.6 One cries to the man cloathed in linnen how long shall it be to the end of these wonders Reprov Reprove those who honour not Christ him whom all the Angels think worthy of their honour and worship Do we consider whom we dishonour What is he but the wisdom righteousness power holiness of God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Eay 37.22 23. Even the holy one of Israel This is that which we worship without us what is that which aws us that we dare not sin when a child is present Maxima debetur puero reverentia the child hath yet the innocency and simplicity of Jesus Christ in him which strikes a fear and reverence in us Herod feared John the reason because he was a just man the presence of some eminent Saint strikes the swearer dumb silenceth the vain prater O Beloved there is one in us whom we know not even he whom all the Angels of God worship he requires of us all worship and service kiss the Son him we have neglected he hath called for our worship and we put him off with a few outward Ordinances The Lord requires such a worship of us as 't is impossible wicked men and hypocrites should counterfeit Consol Unto the weak Spirit in these perilous times thou worship'st him whom all the Angels worship and serve look not upon thine
is when they pray not that they may perfect holiness that they may be holy in spirit soul and body 1 Thess 5.23 they thank God for their justification that 's compleat and absolute but they thank God for their Sanctification in part it seems they are afraid to be too holy But if they be justified by Faith is not that Faith a most holy faith Jude vers 20. and does not that faith purifie the heart Act. 15.9 But what if Justification and Sanctification be one and the same thing Heb. 12.10 11. 1 Cor. 6. However they are so closely joyned together in themselves and in their effect that the justified man shall not see God unless he be sanctified Heb. 12.14 and that throughout for no unclean thing shall enter into the new Jerusalem Revel 22. Repreh 2. Nor doth their hypocrisie excuse the prophane world who are wont to use this compellation and name of holy brethren Ironically prophanely and in derision of all religious persons This is the practice of Satan and his instruments to discountenance and discourage the younger Saints of God by slanders and calumnies and reproaches cast upon the way of truth c. See Notes on Heb. 12.14 Repreh 3. Nor can we but take notice of the vanity of too many at this day who can allow the name and title of holy brethren and Saints unto those who abstain from evil and do good especially if there be any such of their own judgement and opinion yet the same men will not allow the same title of Saints or holy unto those who have perfected holiness in the fear of the Lord and have now obtained their consummation and bliss Such must not be called Saints O no it must be Matthew Mark Luke John Peter Paul not St. Mathew or St. Mark c. What unreasonable and unjust dealing is here But of all other they are most abominable who wallow in all uncleanness and filthiness yet account themselves holy such they say there are multitudes of if these be holy they are such as the Romans called Sacri quivis homo malus atque improbus sacer appellari solet saith Festus or as the Scripture calls most wicked persons by the name of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Saints they say there are herds of such swine Consol To the weak brethren travellers in the way of holiness See Notes on Heb. 12.14 Exhort Let him that is holy be holy still Revel Let him persevere and increase in holiness The people travelling to the Land or Land of holiness 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Jos 5. Moses sent to enquire and search the land upon the false report of the spies the greatest number of the people became unbelieving and disobedient and so perished in Cadeshbarnea Deut. O let us think sadly of it it 's the condition of thousands we are taught by many that we are come to our journeys end while we are yet only in Cadeshbarnea Rom. 7. which we are taught is the height of the Christian holiness Let us take heed that we perish not by the like example of unbelief 3. The Hebrewsware partakers of the heavenly calling 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The compellation increaseth 1. Brethren that joyns them among themselves 2. Holy brethren that separates them from the uncleanness of the earth 3. Partakers of the heavenly calling that unites them to the God of heaven Quaere 1. What 's meant 1. By Calling 2. Heavenly Calling 3. Partakers of the heavenly Calling Calling is threefold Either 1. Humane as 1 Cor. 7. Or 2. Divine Or 3. Diabolical Our Lord in the Gospel takes upon him the name of an Housholder or Master of a Family who hath many servants whom according to the different employments in his great house the world he calls forth and diversly sets a work 1 Cor. 7.20 24. For because the necessities of men in this outward life are many the callings of men are also many whereunto the Lord calls them yet how many callings soever they be they must be all serviceable 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 they must be useful to some good end or other in this life And whatever callings are such they are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 befitting God and the people of God to be employed in them Therefore the Apostle 1 Cor. 7.20 having said c. to shew that every calling whereunto God calls men must be lawful and beseeming God and his people he repeats the same sentence and adds vers 24. Brethren let every man wherein he is called therein abide with God All these are callings 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of the animalish or natural man The Wise man having reckoned up many of these Ecclus. 38. he tells us verse 32. that without these a City cannot be inhabited and vers 34. that these maintain the state of the world These therefore are earthly callings which yet are first primum quod ante 1 Cor. 15. if men minded no better no higher thing 2. The Divine Calling is here meant which may be understood either 1. For that state of happiness and glory whereunto the holy brethren are called Or 2. For the Calling it self thereunto 1. In the former sence we read it Ephes 4.4 Phil. 3.14 2. In the latter sence this calling is taken either 1. For Gods gracious act in inviting men to repentance to this the Divine Wisdom calls Prov. 1. Or 2. For a Calling of the penitent and converted souls unto the participation of Grace in Christ 1 Cor. 7.15 1 Thess 4.7 The Divine Calling is here called an heavenly calling which is here meant which I call Divine or Heavenly because God himself in Scripture is signified by heaven Dan. 4.26.27 See Notes on Matth. 13.11 This heavenly Calling may be considered as 1. Absolute 2. Distinct 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 opposite unto the earthly calling 1. Absolute 1. Because of God and from heaven Phil. 3.14 Eph. 2.17 Heb. 12.25 2. Because the calling is unto God and unto heaven Rev. 4.1 11 12. Rev. 22.17 2. The heavenly calling is distinct and opposite unto the earthly calling 3. That which I call Diabolical is an avocation or calling away from the duties of our lawful earthly and heavenly calling for so as there is a Divine and heavenly Wisdom a wisdom from above which calls and invites Prov. 1.20 21 22 23. and Chap. 9.3 4. So is there a wisdom from beneath which is earthly sensual and devilish which calls and cryes Prov. 9.13 The Divine and Heavenly Calling is here meant 3. The Hebrews were partakers of the heavenly calling These words contain the holy Brethrens spiritual Prerogative of partnership in which we have 1. The Dignity wherein the holy brethren share 2. The participation or sharing in that dignity 1. The Dignity is not only 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And all and every of these ways the believing Hebrews were partakers of the Heavenly Calling though in their different degrees The word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉
to many blind guides that they had not a true sight of God which they undertook to shew unto others he must perhaps fare no better than Michaiah did when he told Ahab That the Lord had put a lying spirit in the mouth of all his Prophets 1 King 22.24 A false light makes men extreme bold Men in this case are like to those who are in a mist they see the Air all light about them as they think and see darkness only about other men none about themselves But the true Light makes men bold too you 'l say and how shall we then discern them They are discernable many ways I 'l name no other than those which are perhaps to our purpose 1. If it be a true sight of God it proceeds from a loving and peaceable spirit St. John exhorting us to try the spirits 1 Joh. 4.7 8. Every one that loveth is born of God and knoweth God he that loveth not knoweth not God for God is Love And therefore Paul while he was in the darkness he was contentious and a persecutor But when he saw the true light from heaven and that just One he was ever afterwards loving and peaceable that contention between him and Barnabas it was not lis but jurgium it brake no charity between them The Prophets of Baal Hananiah and Shemaiah were contentious Michaiah and Jeremiah were not contentious but loving and peaceable men 2. If it be a true sight of God it proceeds from an holy life for the life is the light of men Joh. 1.4 and 7.17 If any man will do his will he shall know of the doctrine Prov. 11.5 The righteousness of the perfect shall direct his way So much for peace and holiness so much for light and sight of God So I have done with these words as considered absolutely in themselves I come now very briefly to speak of them as they are a motive to the exhortation in the Text and so I shall conclude the Text. Exhort To follow peace and holiness because without it no man shall see the Lord. This is the peace which all the holy ones of God pursue and follow after a peace with holiness a peace with truth a peace with righteousness and judgement for the pursuit of such a peace the most holy God and God of peace hath given us a long outward and worldly peace longer than ever he gave his ancient people the Jews which we have abused to security and ease in the flesh to the prosecuting our pleasure and sensuality Hence it is that Righteousness and Holiness are fled from us and Holiness being fled and gone from us Peace which loves and desires to be an inseparable companion of Holiness would not stay behind her So they are both fled from us and therefore let us let us I beseech ye eagerly pursue after them if we can recover Holiness Peace will follow her the God of Peace will give her to us for he speaks peace to his Saints Psal 85.8 Then his Salvation will come nearer to them that fear him that glory may dwell in our Land Then mercy and truth shall kiss each other We are or may be easily perswaded to seek such a Peace The Saints of God have been disturbed and molested even for righteousness sake a long time it was much safer to have lived loosely than holily their very shepherds were Wolves Act. 20. Ezech. 34. Means Let us wage the Lords war against his enemies in us unholy thoughts inclinations motions c. And then the holy God will be our strength First let us wage the Lord's war and then we shall have his peace first make use of the sword which he came to send upon the earth Matth. 10.34 and then he will give the peace which he left upon the earth Joh. 14.27 For he came not to send peace with sin but the sword of the Spirit to cut down sin with it we may destroy the Cananites which remain in us otherwise they will be pricks in our eyes and thorns in our sides Numb 33.55 such a man shall have no rest 'T was in vain for Gorgias to perswade all Greece to peace when he himself his wife and his maid could not agree together at home When peace is made with our consciences then make peace abroad Holiness is that which principally makes for peace The holy way wherein no unclean thing can pass which is also the way of peace Luk. 7.79 which the wicked know not Rom. 3.17 2. Pray for the peace of Jerusalem as St. Paul for the Romans Rom. 15.5 6. Now the God of peace himself give ye peace always by all means 2 Thess 3.16 whatever things are pure c. and the God of peace c. Confer Margin Arise this is not your Rest The sight of the Lord being the happiness it self which all men naturally desire if men were throughly perswaded that Holiness is so necessary a means that without it they could not attain it they would presently go about the pursuit of it Had any one of us a business beyond the Seas of such importance and speed that it concerned our life since there is no passage but by Ship a Ship being the only necessary means we would presently take Ship and away with the first wind Or had any one of us his hand or foot gangren'd so that unless it were cut off presently the whole body and so our life were in imminent danger I suppose we could presently cut it off why there is no other remedy our life is concerned and this is the only means to preserve life Who is there but desires to be blessed to enjoy the presence of God the beatifical vision In his presence there is life Psal The desire of happiness is natural and so common to all men yet may this happiness be attained unto upon easier terms for the essential word is not so far off from thee that thou needest to go beyond the Seas for it Deut. 30.13 for the Lord who is the essential word of life Is in thy mouth and in thine heart Rom. 10.8 only thou seest not for want of a most holy faith Jude It is thy sin that separates between thee and him Remove that veil and thou shalt see the Lord holiness is the separation from sin so that without it thou canst not see him O wert thou but throughly convinced of this and thine own mortality thou wouldst presently go about it thou wouldst presently cut off thine offensive hand of evil doing thine offensive foot of pride as the Psalmist calls it Psal thou wouldst presently pluck out thine offensive eye of sinister and false intention why It concerns thy life thy inward life otherwise Thou shalt not enter into life Matth. 5.29 30. and 2 Pet. 1.11 so and not otherwise but by the Graces vers 5 6 7. An entrance shall be administred unto you abundantly into the everlasting Kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ and he that lacks these things is
for God must first be known which is an act of wisdom and being known be worshipped which is a duty of Religion therefore 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 being taken for the first of these is defined by Mercurius Trismegistus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by the Stoicks 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or to use the Apostles words the doctrine which is according to Godliness because it doth instruct us how to think of God aright and how to live according to his Law in holiness But being taken for the second this knowledge is reduced to practice for thus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is the doing of the work which in the sight of God is acceptable Thus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 are in sence though not in sound the same for pure and undefiled Religion before God and the Father doth consist in doing good and in eschewing evil 1 Pet. 3.11 in works of Charity and to use the School-mens phrase in works of innocency for to visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction is reduced to the one and to keep himself unspotted of the world is referred to the other 1. The first thing in which pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father doth consist is this to visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction for religion saith Alexander de Hales makes us conformable unto him to whom our religion tends now to visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction is in the Father and the Son to whom we do direct our service a work most eminent for God is pleased to stile himself a Father of the fatherless and a judge of the widow Psal 68.5 for as a Father he provideth for their relief and maintenance Psal 146.9 And as a Righteous Judge he doth protect the Widow and defend the Orphan Deut. 10.18 For ye shall not afflict any widow nor any fatherless Child saith the Lord for if ye afflict them in any wise and they cry unto me I will surely hear their cry and my wrath shall wax hot against you And ye shall perish with the sword and your wives shall be widows and your children fatherless Exod. 22.24 The Prophet Baruch proves that the Gentiles Gods are Idols because they can shew no mercy to the widow nor do good to the fatherless But there are three which bear record in heaven the Father the Word and the Holy Ghost and these three are one Be as a father unto the fatherless and as an husband unto their mother so shalt thou be as the Son of the most high and he shall love thee more than thy mother doth Ecclus. 4.10 The fatherless and widows are the fittest objects of compassion for such are most exposed to misery and in their tribulation to shew mercy and do good to such God doth both command and recompence And seeing Love unfeigned is pure and undefiled Religion before God and the Father St. James doth instance in this particular work of Mercy as in a singular act of Charity which doth include the other duties which brotherly Love requires for by visiting the fatherless and widows in their affliction the bodily and spiritual works of Mercy yea the doing of good to all that are in want yea our whole duty to our neighbour saith the Gloss is signified all which is fulfilled in this saying Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thy self Gal. 5.14 But some having swerved from this are turned aside unto vain jangling and think that faith can make them pure and undefiled though Charity which is the life thereof be wanting But though I have all Faith saith St. Paul so that I could remove mountains if I have not Charity I am nothing 1 Cor. 13.2 For as the body without the spirit is dead so faith is dead if Love which is the life of faith be absent For if a man have no works what doth it profit him to say he hath faith can faith save him Jam. 2. Our hearts I do confess by faith are purified according to the Apostles Doctrine Act. 15.9 but this is not a dead but a living faith this is not faith alone but faith which works by Charity Gal. 5. For ye have purified your souls saith St. Peter in obeying the truth through the spirit unto unfeigned love of the brethren 1 Pet. 1.22 Therefore if a brother or sister have need being naked or destitute of daily food and he which hath this worlds goods shutteth up his bowels of compassion from them how hath he the faith which maketh the conscience pure how dwelleth the love of God in him how can he conceive himself Religious who hath no Charity in which Religion stands therefore farre litet qui thure non potest let every one stretch forth his hand unto the needy and according to his power exercise himself in works of mercy Let every one when he hath opportunity do good to all but especially to the Saints which are upon earth even unto such as do excell in virtue For as there is a curse denounced to such as do devour widows houses and for a pretence make long prayers to such as exercise themselves in oppression wrong and violence under a pretence of Religion Zeal or Sanctity so unto such as are merciful as their heavenly father is merciful there is pronounced a blessing For unto such the Truth will say Come ye blessed children of my Father receive the Kingdom prepared for you from the beginning of the world for I was hungry and ye gave me meat I was thirsty and ye gave me drink I was a stranger and ye took me in naked and ye cloathed me I was sick and ye visited me I was in prison and ye came unto me Then shall the Righteous answer him saying Lord when saw we thee an hungred and fed thee or thirsty and gave thee drink when saw we thee a stranger and took thee in or naked and cloathed thee or when saw we thee sick or in prison and came unto thee And the King shall answer and say unto them Verily I say unto you inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren ye have done it unto me Matt. 25. 2. Secondly the second thing wherein consists the upright service performed to the God of Truth is innocency The pure and undefiled Religion before God and the Father is this To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction and to keep himself unspotted of the world It is not that which is without but that which is within which doth defile the man Therefore not the outward world but the inward world 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is the world of which the Apostle in the Text doth speak For all that is in this world is the lust of the flesh the lust of the eyes and the pride of life 1 Joh. 2.16 That is luxury covetousness and pride for this world is wholly set in wickedness 1 Joh. 5.19 Now the end why Christ our
Pharisees impose upon themselves 2. The other was an Edomite as Herod an earthly sensual and voluptuous man such as the Sadduces were such as the Sodomites were therefore our Lord is said to be crucified in that City which spiritually is called Sodom and Egypt Revel 11.8 If we look well into this yea every age we shall find mostly but Pharisees and Sadduces in it and that most men in it are leavened either with the leaven of the Scribes and Pharisees or with the leaven of the Sadduces and Herodians Confer Notes in Hebr. 2.1 Shall we apply these to our present age The works of the flesh are so manifest among us I need not instance in any see a large and foul catalogue of them Gal. 5.19 when did these more abound This is the Reformation in these days this is the righteousness of the Sadduces of these times who have their names from Sadoc which signifieth righteous But if we enquire among the Pharisees shall we find our age exceed these in righteousness Are we any whit better than these We account our selves righteous when we fancy our sins covered and remember not that it is added in the Psalm and in whose spirit there is no guile Psal 32. We imagine our selves righteous by faith but consider not that Faith purifieth the heart Act. 15.9 whereby we declare our selves to be the Generation of which the wise man speaks That we are pure in our own eyes and yet are not washed from our filthiness Prov. 30.12 Eat swines flesh and broth of abominable things yet say stand by thy self come not near to me I am holier than thou Esay 65.4 5. We confess our sins and pray for remission and pardon of sin and say that God is faithfull and just to forgive us our sins but we desire not that God should cleanse us from all our unrighteousness though that be added 1 Joh. 1.9 We love that too well to part with it and say it is impossible to be cleansed from it We flatter and please our selves in the righteousness of Faith but mean time forget that universal righteousness of God testified by the Law and the Prophets accompanying the obedience of Faith Rom. 3.21 We magnifie exceedingly the righteousness of Christ and the Justice of God in Christ Vide Notes in Jerem. 23.5 and indeed who can sufficiently magnifie it But mean time we regard not common justice and equity between man and man we have so much Religion such as it is that it hath devoured all honesty truth justice faithfulness we have so much of the imagined righteousness of Christ that it pays our debts for us it feeds the hungry for us it cloaths the naked for us it relieves the oppressed visits the sick In a word we are so righteous by the imagined righteousness of Christ that we can neither live sober nor chast nor just nor honest nor merciful nor true nor faithful yet righteous all this while by the imputed righteousness of Christ We have so tenter'd the righteousness of Christ that it serves to hide all our unrighteousness our drunkenness our whoredom our lying our cheating our couzening our oppressing our unmercifulness in a word it is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 A mantle of Religion to cover all our knavery These are the old filthy garments wherewith Joshua is clad Zach. 3.3 So that we may truly say of this present age of the world as the Prophet speaks of the Church in his time Esay 64.6 All our righteousness is as filthy rags O Beloved is this our reformation of life we have covenanted for Is this the new man we have professed to put on created after God in righteousness and true holiness If this be our righteousness what is our unrighteousness If this be our Holiness what is our prophaneness And shall not the Lord visit for these things Shall not his Soul be avenged of such a nation as this Jer. Shall he not draw his sword and cut off the righteous and the wicked Ezech. 21.3 The open wicked and prophane and the pretending righteous God spared not the old unrighteous world and shall he spare this Repreh 4. Those who are embarqued in the common danger yet quarrel Exhort To hear the eighth preacher of righteousness O Beloved Let not us refuse him that speaketh Hebr. 12.25 Let not us be like the old world when the Lord call'd for Obedience and expected it Vulg. Lat. Expectabat Deus paenitentiam they said God is merciful and so delayed their repentance their returning from sin and turning unto God and so the flood came and took them all away O Beloved take heed that the overflowing scourge surprise not us the Lord is merciful but he is just also and severe against impenitent and unrighteous ones O Beloved let us not be like those Sons of Epimetheus and never fear destruction till it be upon us when it will be too late to fear Like the foolish Bird called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or Fulica whence some derive the English word Fool that is so improvident that it will take a bait out of the Fowlers hand and so is taken by him O let us now at the length when God's judgments are in the earth and now upon us let us now at the length while it is called to day even in this our day lean righteousness Esay 26. The best Verse in Virgil Discite justitiam This is the only means to obtain the most safe and best grounded and most lasting everlasting peace which is the effect of Righteousness Esay 32.17 First righteousness and then peace the cause must go before the effect Being justified or made righteous by faith we have peace with God c. And Melchisedech is first King of righteousness and then King of peace Hebr. 7.2 The old Poet in his 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 tells us that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 That peace is the Daughter of Righteousness And the best Poet the Psalmist tells us that in these last days Mercy and Truth shall meet together righteousness and peace shall kiss each other that truth shall flourish out of the earth and righteousness shall look down from Heaven Let us therefore hear the Apostle Phil. 4.8 What ever things c. and the God of peace be with you God saved Noah the eighth Preacher of righteousness Quaere What 's meant by saving What means he used to save him The word here used is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is used as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to keep to deliver to save to tender and have a care of this answers to 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Deut. 32.10 He lead him about he instructed him he kept him as the apple of ones eye whence 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a young tender plant that stands in need of keeping 2. To 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Gen. 28.15 To Jacob I am with thee and will keep thee in all places whither thou goest The word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 answers to 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉
scourge supposeth the over-flowing and abundance of iniquity the word is here 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifieth to bring upon or add punishment unto the world of the ungodly it was an ungodly world first God the Judge fore-seeing the deluge of sin the abundance of iniquity threatned and brought upon the world of ungodly a deluge and floud a sin-floud as it 's called in Dutch Whence appears the vain assertion of Berosus and Ammius that God had from the beginning determined a floud which might be and was fore-seen in the Stars and Constellations of Heaven if that were so yet never was it without the fore-sight of sin Praescientia Dei non imponit rebus necessitatem And can we marvel at any outward evil that befals us Let us look back at our old sins our intemperancy unchastity luxury c. Our injustice unmercifulness fraudulent dealings our impiety c. a form of godliness without truth or power covering all these The Apostle fore-warns us of these as perillous Times 2 Tim. 3. The Lord is patiens Redditor he hath forborn long Mysticé The Lord brings in a spiritual floud upon the world of the ungodly 1. Ungodliness is compared to waters 2. The punishment of it is the perfection and accomplishment of it from the hands of the Lord. 1. That ungodliness is compared to waters The waters are come unto my soul Psal 69.1 2 3. Flouds of ungodliness made me afraid Psal Such waters are the great deep And the wicked are like the raging sea c. Esay 2. That God permits the ungodly world unto their own lusts and the accomplishment of their iniquity appears Psal 69.27 Add iniquity to their iniquity and let them not come into thy righteousness Rom. 1.27 They received in themselves the recompence of their errours Esay 24.20 The transgression of the earth shall be heavy upon it Hence the same word which signifieth iniquity signifieth also the punishment of it Gen. 4. Mine iniquity is greater c. When the patience of God is wearied and casts the iniquities he bare upon the Authors of them The Lord lays hold on men while his patience is not over-born He lets them fall from one wickedness unto another for as the righteousness it self is added unto righteous men Psal 24.5 as the crown of Righteousness 2 Tim. 4.8 So unrighteousness and iniquity in the fulness it is added unto those who love it and practise it Rom. 6.19 Mysticé Observ 1. There is a world of ungodliness wherein the wicked and ungodly of the world lie Joh. Observ 2. The Lord brings in the floud upon this world Esay 26.5 6. Exhort 1. Let us build our selves an Ark. Exhort 2. Let us strive to save our selves Motive The Grace of God is sufficient to save many yea to save all Titus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 All the kingdom shall be the kingdoms of the Lamb. 2. De facto howsoever the Grace of God be sufficient to save all though the spiritual Ark of the Church be capable and large enough to receive all yet only a few shall be saved Observ 1. The righteous shall be saved though all the world beside perish Observ 2. The Salvation is in Noah's house when all the world is drowned Esay 30.15 Observ 3. The Lord will save his Preachers of Righteousness in the time of the over-flowing scourge Dan. 12. Observ 4 There shall never be an utter 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 an universal destruction of man-kind Though the Lord bring in a floud upon the world yet he will save his Noah's Shearjashub Esay 7.3 See Notes on Jer. 31.7 Observ 5. A few righteous men yea one righteous Noah is of more value with God than a whole world of ungodly men Ecclus 44.17 And there is great reason for it for God being by nature most righteous c. See Notes an Matth. 8.25 Whereas in the ungodly world the reason is different in respect of both For the image of God their Maker which consists in Righteousness that 's absent And iniquity is present which intervenes and hinders the mercy of God Esay 27.11 it is a people c. Exhort Let us save our selves from the crooked and perverse generation that we may be thought worthy to escape in this time of the over-flowing scourge How justly may we fear that which our Lord expresly denounceth unto this Generation 'T is true we have the word and they had the word and eight preachers of Righteousness succeeding one another but how many did the eight preachers win unto God How many did the eighth preacher Noah gain A few even eight souls were saved 1 Pet. 3.20 He saved his own soul by his righteousness Ezech. 14.14 and he saved his own house Heb. 11.7 He preached one hundred and twenty years And we have had the word God hath given the word and great hath been the company of the preachers And what do we but as they did eat and drink How many do the many Preachers win unto God by their Righteousness Sign Are not the very tokens of those times upon us Matth. 24.37 They ate they drank i. e. were toti in his Observ 1. The direful increase of ungodliness and ungodly men in comparison of the righteous The Serpents seed multiplyed it self into a world of ungodly men The holy Seed was all contained in one family If we look from the beginning we shall find that the children of Cain were more numerous than the children of Seth. For Lot and his two daughters and they none of the best we have all Sodom and Gomorrah with the other Cities of the plain For two true spies ten false Numb 13. For one Prophet of God Eliah four hundred and fifty Prophets of Baal and four hundred Prophets of the Groves 1 King 18.19 And for one Michaiah four hundred false Prophets who prophesied lyes The Prophet Esay compares the Church to the shaking of an olive tree and a few grapes left on the vine after the vintage is ended Esay 17.6 and 24.13 And they who enter into Sion are one of a City and two of a tribe Jer. 3.14 Amos 3.12 The Shepherds save only the two legs and the piece of the ear Those who walk as Noah did with God in the ways of God's Commandments who hear and obey him when the whole body besides is devoured by the adversary the roaring Lyon There was only one thankful leper for nine ungrateful Luk. 17.17 Matth. 7.13 Wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads us to destruction c. If we believe this we will every one strive to be of those few A few names were found in Sardis who had not defiled their garments Revel 3.4 And a few that is eight souls were saved by water 1 Pet 3.20 When the Lord brought the floud upon the world of the ungodly Repreh This is the rather to be taken notice of for the conviction of their madness and folly who think they may and
there are which have nothing to shew for themselves but age because they have been so time out of mind But those who retain these old customs consider not that Christ hath redeemed us from our 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 our vain conversation received by tradition from our fathers 1 Pet. 1.18 But much more are they to blame who have no other warrant for their Religion than these 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 tradition from their fathers who take their Faith upon trust their fathers did so before them They worshipped Images therefore so will they do We condemn the Papists for this and very justly too yet let us examine our own hearts whether many of us have any more solid foundation for our Religion than our Education and our 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 But in regard of old ill principles and customs the Scripure speaks otherwise Ezech. 20.18 19 20. Walk ye not in the statutes of your fathers neither observe their judgements Zach. 1.4 5. Be you not as your fathers your fathers where are they But to come to an use of Consolation Alas may some man say I desire to put off the old man but he lies heavy upon me A weight that presseth down sin that easily besets me A burden too heavy for me to bear Alas who shall deliver me from the body of this death Alas poor soul who shall deliver thee The grace of God through Jesus Christ So 't is in the Vulgar Latin Rom. 7. ult But I have lien long under this burden prayed long and often to be eased of it Alas poor soul It seems thou hast been accustomed to it and then indeed 't is a burden very troublesome and a weight very hardly cast off Mark 9.14 29. But comfort thy self 't is but the old things whereunto we are accustomed and they do not suddenly pass away The old man dies not a sudden death He must be crucified and that 's a lingering death But if thou dye daily if thou bear about in thy body the dying of the Lord Jesus the old man will pine away and dye Heb. 8.13 And the life of Jesus will appear in thy mortal flesh But I have endeavoured long to mortifie them and they seem old and passing away yet indeed they are still in me like the Gibeonites that pretended they came from far shewed all they had old and vanishing away Deal with these as Josuah did with Gibeonites makes them servants to draw water Make them serviceable to draw tears of contrition from thee yet so that the servant abideth not always in the house for surely iniquity shall have an end and thine expectation shall not fail I shall conclude all with a brief Exhortation that we should let these old things pass way The Motives may be very many I shall name but a few of many There are three things which generally move all men to embrace and love what they do love either the honestum or the utile or the jucundum These old things have not one of these three conditions in them For 1. What beauty or comeliness is there in an old Garment yet such are these old things Ephes 4. Nay what dishonour is it unto the Master whom we would be thought to serve Is this old rotten moth-eaten garment his Livery No his Livery is Charity Servants are known by their Liveries to what Masters they belong By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples if ye love one another Joh. 13. Love is a large garment it covers a multitude of sins 'T is an upper garment above all these things put on Love Col. 3. The old hatred is the Philistins garment Ezech. 25.15 There 's no comliness no beauty no honour unto God in these old things 2. No nor profit unto men that old Serpent hath his name Belial from unprofitableness These old things are unprofitable and vain and be it granted that some profit were in them yet they will not profit in the latter end The Apostle dares appeal to any that hath made tryal of them what profit had ye c. 3. No nor is there pleasure in them or if there be it is exceeding short it was Moses's consideration The pleasures of sin for a season Heb. 11. And it must needs be short for the world it self passeth away and therefore must all the pleasures and lusts of it But be it granted that the world should continue if our life continue not with it to what purpose is the world with all the lusts of it unto us As he said in the Emblem when he was now drowning after a storm when the Sun shined Quid tu si peream What good doest thou to me if I must perish And what doth all the Sun-shine of the world profit us if we have not life to enjoy it And what is your life what is that foundation upon which all that structure of honours pleasures and profits and hopes of all these is reared What is that upon which we build all our negotiation all our trading all our bartering all our buying and selling all our carking and caring all our provision for our childrens children to the third and fourth generation is' t not our life Go too now ye that say to day or to moroow we will go into such a city and continue there a year and buy and sell and get gain whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow for what is your life 'T is a vapour or the breathing of a man So 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Syriack word there signifieth and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to which man's life is compared Psal 144. an emptiness a vanity a nothing at all such a vapour such a breath such a nothing is our life and that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it appears it doth but appear it is not said to be and how long appears it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 very little while and then it vanisheth away as if it did but appear that it might disappear that it might vanish away A goodly thing to swear by as some use to do As I live which is properly the Oath of God Now if our natural life be such a vapour such a breath such an emptiness such a nothing upon which depends the whole fruition of all our lusts of all moral old things Let us give them fair passage let them pass away from us lest we pass away from them More NOTES on II CORINTH V. 17. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Therefore if a man be in Christ he is a new creature THese words according to their divers reading in the Text and Margin may be diversly considered 1. As a Doctrine as here is expressed in the Text. 2. As an Use as in the Margin whosoever is in Christ let him be a new creature 1. He is a Creature A Creature is so called from the reference it hath to God the Creator which is either 1. Largely Or 2. Strictly taken 1. Largely so the World the Heavens and the
Earth and Whatsoever is in them is God's Creature 2. Strictly By a Creature we understand 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that little world as we call it in Philosophy that abridgement of all the Creatures Man Thus when we read the command given Marc. 16.15 and obeyed Col. 1.23 We understand man Man is called a Creature Both 1. Because the summ of all the Creatures 2. Because the most excellent of them all 1. The summ because whatsoever is in the World of Creatures without man is by Analogie and in a sort in man as some say of the land of Judea that it is a compendium and abridgement of all the Earth besides So that whatsoever kinds of Earth are in all the World may be found in it So we may say of man in regard of the creatures he is the summary and abridgement of them all And therefore as in our accounts after all the particulars we set down the summa totalis the total summ which contains them all So God our Creator after he had made all other creatures made man the brief and total summ and model of them all Gen. 1. 2. Man is called a creature because the best of all the creatures 1. Because of all the rest the first intended and last produced as the most excellent of them all 2. Beside he is the vinculum or bond of all corporeal and incorporeal visible and invisible natures So that whatsoever is excellent in them is excellent also in him 3. Again he was made with more deliberation than all the rest All the rest with a fiat as fiat lux c. Man with a faciamus Gen. 1. Let us make man 4. Lastly For the reasons precedent he was set over all the creatures as the most excellent of them all Psal 8.7 But when we speak of the new man we understand the man within the man the inward man the man of the heart So and so the Scripture speaks Thus the Philosopher could say that animus cujusque est quisque and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifieth the Soul is often taken for the whole person And thus by the New Creature we understand the new man so called 1. In reference to the Old Creation 2. In similitude to the New Man 1. In reference to the Old Creation For 1. As in the beginning God created the heaven and the earth So in the beginning i. e. in his Son God creates new heavens and a new earth Esay 65.17 2. And as darkness was in the face of the deep So in the New Creation God finds the subject matter no otherwise disposed Jerem. 4.22 23. My people are foolish they have not known me they have no understanding they are wise to do evil but to do good they have no knowledge they are sottish children I beheld the earth and lo◠it was without form and void 3. And then as God said or commanded let there be light Gen. 1.3 So the Apostle saith of God in the New Creation 2 Cor. 4.6 God who commanded the light to shine out of darkness hath shined in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ 4. The Spirit of God it said to have moved upon the face of the waters Gen. 1.2 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 properly fluttered So in the new and spiritual Creation The holy Spirit as in form of a dove rested on the new man and the Father gave testimony unto him The whole Trinity is engaged in the New Creation Matth. 3.2 In similitude to the New Man Christ Who is the first-born of every creature Coloss 1. Thus when we are made new creatures we are said to put on the new man Col. 3.10 Ephes 4.24 And such an one is called a new creature because he never waxeth old but is renewed continually more and more Cajetan And these are the resemblances between the old Creation and the new And between Christ the new man and the new creature conformable unto him Let us now enquire into the reason and demonstration from the causes of this new Creation Our Apostle ascribes it unto God the Father who indeed truely and properly can create vers 18. The Syriack hath it thus Every new thing is of God who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ Jam. 1.18 The Son also saith of the Father My Father worketh hitherto and of himself I also work Joh. 5.17 For the Son perfects in those the work which his Father gave him to do Joh. 17.4 And this is the third point and the reason of this second because he is in Christ he is a new creature For so being the new man he makes all new that are joyned unto him Behold saith he I make all things new Revel 21.5 This new Creature the Father and the Son effect by the operation of the holy Spirit Joh. 3.5 2 Cor. 3.18 So that every Person of the holy and blessed Trinity hath a work in this new Creation Whence it is that the Scripture calls them all Creators in the plural which we render in the singular Eccles 12.1 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Esay 54.5 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Job 35.10 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Psal 149.2 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Yet may a doubt be made whether any thing may be said to be new or no And whether there be any new Creatures The School-men resolve the doubt thus That which is said to be New is either 1. That which swerves from the wonted course of Nature Or 2. That which hath neither seed out of which nor pattern according to which it is produced Lomb. lib. 2. dict 15. Et in locum Bonavent 1. And according to the first of these ways he that is in Christ may be said to be a new Creature for so after the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of the six days work The Son speaks of this new Creation My Father saith he worketh hitherto and I also work Joh. 5.17 2. As for the latter kind of novelty the Wiseman is to be understood of it When he saith That there is no new thing under the sun For surely the new Creature hath both seed out of which and pattern according to which it is created The Seed is the holy Word of God Being born again not of corruptible seed but of incorruptible by the word of God which liveth and abideth for ever 1 Pet. 1.23 and of the same seed St. John speaks 1 Joh. 3.9 He that is born of God that 's the New Creature doth not commit sin for his seed remaineth in him he is one of the trees of Righteousness Isai 61.3 figured by those trees Gen. 1.12 whose Seed was in it self an holy and incorruptible Seed 2. And as they have a Seed out of which so a pattern according to which they are Created for as Christ the new Man is Created according to God in righteousness and true holiness so the new Creatures are created according to the New Man Ephes 4.22
John tells us This is the love of God that we keep his commandments and more that his commandments are not grievous for they find it otherwise and therefore you must pardon them Such a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a proverbial Comfort as it were is that known speech of the Psalmist and after of the Apostle Blessed is the man to whom the Lord imputeth no sin O 't is a sweet saying But this is but one part of the sentence according to the usual manner of quoting Scripture in the New Testament the other part is and in whose spirit there is no guil but that is too hard a saying they cannot away with it Such another is this The grace of God which bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men So they read the words and they please them well But that which this Grace appeared requires of us in the same sentence teaching to deny ungodliness and worldly lusts and to walk soberly righteously and godlily in this present world too and not to post it off till the world to come O that is but to admonish us of our weakness and that we can do it I 'l name but one place more but 't is a principal one The foundation of God standeth sure having this seal The Lord knoweth who are his and there they make a full point What bold Traitors are these against the King of kings that they dare counterfeit his Seal This is but a part of the Seal the whole Seal is The Lord knoweth who are his and let him that nameth the Lord Jesus Christ depart from iniquity But this latter part of the Seal makes not for their infirmities and therefore they 'l none of it Thus who observes not how boldly they mangle and curtail the Word of God as boldly and familiarly as if they were the only Saints They enervate and weaken the power and strength of God in themselves How they frustrate the counsel of God concerning their own Salvation How they make a shew of godliness but deny the power of it How they tye God unto themselves by his Word by his Promises by his Seal by his Oath by all Obligations the Reason they will have God firmly and surely bound unto them that they may be dissolute and loose enough themselves for under a colour of weakness and want of strength in Christ they become strong enough to bear the yoke of Belial who will permit them to bear no other yoke but his own as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifieth whence they become so headstrong that they will bear neither the yoke of Christ nor yoke of Government either of Church or State For hence proceeds the variance the hatred the heady undiscreet zeal their strife their sedition their despising of Dominion their presumptuousness their self-will their speaking evil of dignities their bitter invectives against Authority their scribling of seditious Pamphlets to disturb the common Peace Yet these are the Giants in Religion the world so much talks of These are the great supporters of the Truth strong men in Christ But as the Lord saith by the Prophet Ezechiel 16. to such as these how weak is their heart But this may be the complaint of a weak conscience of one heavy laden with the burden of his sins whose iniquities are gone over his head and become a heavy burden too heavy for him to bear who is troubled or wryed as the word imports and bowed down under his burden and goes mourning all the day long Psal 38. If the case be so with the poor disconsolate soul then know that we are not exhorted to be strong against our enemies by our own strength No no it is not our own arm that can help us but in the strength of the Lord and in the might of his power even in Christ who is the power of God in us unto our Salvation 1 Cor. 1. Thou art as yet but weak in Christ 2 Cor. 13.4 Strengthen thy self in this power So of weak thou shalt become strong with him and grow from strength to strength until thou overcome the evil one 1 Joh. 2. Thy case is the same with that of the Prophets servant 2 King 6. Thou lookest upon thy own weakness and thy powerful enemies and lookest not on thy strong helper and the might of his power wherefore as the Prophet there The Lord open thine eyes that thou mayst see that there are more with us than are against us that greater and stronger is he that is in us than he that is in the world Wherefore lift up the hands that hang down and strengthen the feeble knees And let us all with patience with meekness and godly fear hearken unto the Apostles exhortation in the Text To be strong in the Lord c. And for our better quickning hereunto remember I beseech you that the Lord hath engaged his Truth and Faithfulness to employ all his Wisdom Goodness and Almighty power for the defence and enabling of all those who are strong in him I will be with thee saith he to Josuah Chap. 1. And 't is enlarged by St. Paul Heb. 13. unto every one that strengthens himself in his God I will be with thee 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 It is such a pack of negatives as our English cannot express emphatically enough I will not leave thee no by no means I will not forsake thee only be strong saith the Lord there and of a good courage So that it is our duty and that a most just most reasonable and most easie duty And were it not a duty our necessity would compel us thereunto For consider I beseech you the enemies we have to encounter withall their numberless numbers their long experienced subtilty their inveterate rancour and irreconcileable malice against us their spirituality of wickedness even wickedness it self Esay 37.36 and all these armed with power next to Omnipotency So that unless the Lord Almighty stirr up his strength and come unto us and with great might succour us and shew himself strong in us unless we stirr up our strength even the strength of our confidence and become strong in him What shall become of poor 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the poor silly weak feeble man But if neither the gracious invitation of the Lord our God allure us nor the reasonable just easie bond of our own duty perswade us nor so urgent necessity compel us hereunto what remains then but that we be then 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 strong even against God and fight against God himself for he that is not with him is against him We must confess our selves weaker than Satan and can we think that we are stronger than God O remember remember I beseech you what vow we have all made in our Baptism according to the form of the Ancient Church 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to renounce yea to fight against the Devil and to enroul our selves amongst the Soldiers of Christ And let us fear and tremble to consider how long and with
what impudency moldering clay hath striven with his Maker How long presumptuous earth hath dared to fight against heaven fool hardy dust and ashes against the Lord Almighty Yea let us be astonished ashamed and blush at our unthankfulness that we have so long abused the strength and power of our God whose all our power and our strength is even against our God that we have unfaithfully revolted from our God and let us again engage our hearts to return unto the Lord our Strength Jer. 30.21 But perhaps there is no need for we are strong in the Lord and in the might of his power Would God we were if we be the power of Satan is weakned in us for it is impossible we should be strong in both together But either Satan is so strong in us that we are treading under foot the Son of God Heb. 10.29 or the Son of God is so strong in us that he is treading Satan under our feet Rom. 16.20 Either the Devil that strong man of sin armed keepeth his palace or Christ the stronger man comes upon him overcomes him and takes away his armour from him Luk. 11.21 If therefore we be strong in the Lord Satan cannot be strong in us Wherefore I write unto you young men saith St. John that ye are strong and the word of God abideth in you and ye have overcome the evil one 1 Joh. 2.14 Such a strong young man was Joseph when he was in the Kings Court For the Lord was with him or the word of the Lord was his strength saith the Chaldy Paraphrast Whence it came to pass that the power of Satan was weakned in him nay he had no strength to commit sin No though otherwise all the most inveigling opportunites offered themselves of their own accord unto him such as many Amoretto's would purchase with hazard of their dearst blood yet saith he Quomodo possum c. How can I commit this great wickedness and sin against God Gen. 39.9 Vertues are about things difficult saith Lanctantius Tendit in ardua virtus but that is to him in whom sin is strong Here sin is difficult Difficilem culpae supicor esse viam to him who is strong in the Lord. I would to God that all that hear me this day were almost yea altogether such as Joseph was I cannot suspect that they have so great temptations but sure I am they have or may have no less strength since God hath promised that he that is weakest among us shall be as David Zach. 12.8 For this is the day of Christ's power Psal 110. When the people shall be willing Power then there is enough if the people be but willing it is the strength of our concupiscence the forcible perswasions of wicked men and the strong delusions of the Devil which weakens this Power and Strength of our God in us I 'l but briefly name some helps against these our spiritual enemies and so commend you to our strong Helper for a blessing on them Herein we must proceed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 negatively and positively 1. Negatively by disclaiming all power of our own for as the way to be wise saith St. Paul is to become a fool in this world that we may be wise So the way to be strong is to be weak in our selves that we may be strong in God For the strength of God is perfect in weakness And therefore saith our Apostle when I am weak then am I strong 2 Cor. 12. As in that friendly contention between God and Jacob the Patriarchs thigh bone was put out of joynt and then God named him Israel his thigh bone 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the word is of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 strength the word in the Text because upon the two thigh bones as upon two main pillars all the house of mans body resteth And this once put out of joynt then God calls him Israel a prevailer 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as the LXX render it because thou hast power with God and man and hast prevailed Even so must we acknowledge our own 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 our own 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the might of our own natural power wherein our main strength lieth To be feeble enervate and as it were put quite out of joynt we must have a spiritual Sciatica of our own a weakness and a weak opinion of that weakness And then to us who have no might Isaiah God who is the strength of Israel 1 Sam. 15.29 he will increase our strength and name us Israel even the Israel of God as he hath named the Church Galat. 6. Which strength we also obtain by positive helps and they are Two 1. The Word of God And 2. Prayer unto God 1. The Word of God for as the natural strength is maintained by bread so also is the spiritual strength maintained by the Word of God that bread which came down from Heaven which strengthens mans heart This is either 1. The word of the patience of Christ Apoc. 3.10 which assists our passive Fortitude or Patience whereby we grow strong in Grace and able to endure the assaults of evil 2 Tim. 2.1 3. as good soldiers of Jesus Christ the Captain of our Salvation Or 2. The word of Faith in Christ which assists our active fortitude not that idle dead nay devilish Faith Jam. 2. which too many glory of in these evil dayes But that Divine Lively working Faith described by St. Peter 2 Pet. 1. unto which Vertue or prowess so the word signifieth or fortitude is added a powerful fighting and overcoming Faith a Faith whereby all the Worthies obtained the victory over all their enemies The time would fail me to tell of Gideon and Barach and Sampson and Jephtah of David and Samuel and the Prophets who through this faith of weakness it self became strong and so strong that they waxed valiant in sight By this strong Faith Israel overcame as all other enemies so Amaleck but while the hand was lifted up The lifting up of pure hands prayer unto God must be added unto an operative and working Faith And these joyned together make the soldier of Jesus Christ exceeding strong in the Lord and in the might of his power so saith St. James who compriseth in few words all together 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The operative or working prayer of a righteous man avails much or maketh very strong Let us make use of it Lord raise up we beseech thee thy power and come amongst us and with great might succour us and because the weakness of our mortal nature can do no good thing without thee Grant us the help of thy Grace that in keeping thy Commandments we may please thee in will and deed through Jesus Christ our Lord. An Addition to the former Text EPHES. 6.10 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 be strong in the Lord in the power of his might THe whole Epistle consists of two parts Doctrinal in the three first Chapters Practical in the three latter In the