these least commandements and â—hall teach men so he shall bee called the least in the Kingdome of heauen Aqu. Mr. Archippus as it is your duty k Tit. 1. 9. by sound doctrine not onely to exhort but also to conuince the gaine-sayers so we pray you bee not weary of this good worke in the full conuiction of the remnants they haue yet to say No doubt say they but yee are the people and wisedome shall dye with you wee also haue reading and learning as well as others yet cannot wee possibly comprehend what perfect direction the law containes for all humane affaires What must husband-men learne out of the Scripture how to plough a furrow well or huswiues how to grinde their meale and kneade their dough well Finally to what perplexed horrors and despaire will this driue all sorts of men to tye them in all their endeauours to such a direction the perfection whereof they cannot reach vnto Arch. As I looke to reape so I must not be weary of my worke though it make mee cry out by the way who is sufficient for these things Now concerning Deut 28. 66. 67. their last obiection first I answere that horrors and despaire are the proper concomitants of the l Esa 51. 20. wicked because they m Ioh. 12. 35 walk in darkenesse and know not whether they goe which must needes be ghastly and dreadfull Howsoeuer many of them being as the Apostle saith n 1 Thes 5 7 a-sleepe and drunken in the night are o Pro. 23. 34. as he that lyeth downe in the midst of the sea or vpon the top of a Mast hauing no more sence of their horrors till with Foelix and Iudas their consciences be awakened then drunken men of their dangers or men a-sleepe of broken bones But p Gal. 6. 16 as many as walke according to the rule of the word peace bee on them saith the Apostle and he that makes Gods q Psal 119. 24. testimonies his Councellors shall finde them his delight and the r Verse 11 1. reioycing of his heart For the Å¿ Pro. 3. 17. waies of wisedome are the waies of pleasantnesse and all her pathes are peace Secondly I answere that the t Esa 28. 24. 26. c. discretion and faculties of ploughing as of grinding and all other lawfull Trades Mysteries Arts and Sciences are naturall endowments which God bestoweth on the reasonable soule of man as he doth the sensible faculties â— Psal 94. 9. Pro. 1â— 12. Iam. 2. 19. of hearing seeing tasting c. on the body And as it is not the Scripture but the sence of seeing and tasting that teacheth men to iudge of colours which is white and which blacke and of sauours which is sauory and which tainted so it is the discretion and faculties of all manuary Trades and Arts and Sciences that teach men how to plough grinde write or speake well well I mean not according to w that good that acceptable and perfect will of God which it may-be they intend not nor vnderstand but well according to the rules and methode of each seuerall Trade Art or Science and so men may be said to doe well as S. Iames saith and be no better all while then children of the diuell Yet the Scriptures being not ordained to such ends are x 2 Tim. 3. 16 perfect vnto all such supernaturall ends for which they are ordained I grant therefore that the word doth not exclude the helpe and vse of naturall reason in the former instances yea I adde that in matters morall politique and domesticall there is such a worke of the law written in mens hearts that y Rom. 2. 14 Gentiles which had not the law haue done by nature that is by naturall light of reason the things contained in the law that is many things materially good which the law requires yea that in some of them and Trades Arts and Sciences many naturall men haue out-stript and excelled many children of light as z Gen. 4. 20. 21 22. cursed Caines posterity were the first great Trades-masters Arts-masters of the world What then may we hence conclude that naturall reason being now corrupt can without the word giue sufficient direction to doe any thing well and acceptable vnto God â—ccording to his perfect will Then was the Apostle farre wide in point of discretion to teach that a T it 1. 15 to the vncleane all things are vncleane and b Rom. 8. 8. they that are in the flesh cannot please God Indeed naturall reason as it is corrupt is of it selfe sufficient to c Rom. 1. 20 make men without excuse and to d Rom. â— 6. leade them to death but that it should afford sufficient direction to doe any thing well and acceptably vnto God in ploughing grinding or any other voluntary action indifferent or morall is vtterly impossible because as e Rom. 8. 7. the carnall minde is enmity against God so f Heb. 11. 6. without faith it is impossible to please God and faith teacheth vs g 1 Pet. 4 2. to liue not to the lusts of men but to the will of God And therefore as Salomon saith that h Pro. 21. 4. the ploughing of the wicked is sinne so Christ saith i Mat. 24. 41. 〈…〉 o women shall be grinding at the Mill one shall be taken and the other shal be left Thirdly concerning that argument of theirs that they with all their reading and learning cannot conceiue what perfect direction the Law containeth for all humane affaires and therefore it doth not I answere what meane they Would they bee set to schoole with that Rusticall of whom the Roman Orator writes that hee could not possibly see how the Moone did containe greater quantity then his wiues Cheese-fat Must it therefore be so concluded Tell me O thou vaine man was Dauid a man of no reach nor learning hee that was wiser k Psal 119. 98. 99. 100. then his enemies and had more vnderstanding then the ancient and all his teachers To what end then saith hee I pray that the l Verse 129. testimonies of the Lord are wonderfull and that m Verse 96. he hath seene an end of all perfection but Gods commandement is exceeding broad if there were no more therin contained then our crazed vnderstanding can comprehend why prayeth hee n Verse 18. open thou mine eyes that I may see wondrous things out of thy law why complaineth hee o Psal 40. 12 of innumerable euils compassing him and his sinnes moe then the haires of his head why cryeth he out p Psal 19. 12 who can vnderstand his errors cleanse thou me from secret faults But that he espied in the law of God an height aboue his ken a depth beyond his reach a great inquest greater then his heart able to finde out more sins then his q 1 Cor. 4. 4. owne conscience could be priuy vnto and to r
18. babling or z 2 Cor. 10. 10. speach contemptible or idle addle talk against all which they caâ— set their a Zach. 7. 12 harts as adamanâ— stones and b Psa 58. 4. 5 stop theâ— eares like the deafe addeâ— which will not heare thâ— voice of the charmer charming neuer so wisely Finally through this beguiled hardened euill haâ— of vnbeleife they depaâ— from the liuing God anâ— that not as heires of saluation who may be c Iac. 1. 14. with drawne in part and d Ion. 1. 3. depart for a season but these e Heb. 10. 39 are of them that draw back vnto perdition euen by a f Ier. 8. 5. perpetuall backsliding with a g Ier. 5. 29. reuolting and rebellious heart and with a h Rom. 2. 5. heart that cannot repent For it is i Heb 6. 4. 5. 6 impossible for those who were once enlightned so as we shewed before if they fall away to renew them againe vnto repentance seeing they crucifie to themselues the Sonne of God afresh and put him to an open shame Now out of all the premises wee thus conclude that for as much as mutuall exhortation is prescribed in this text as a speciall remedy to preuent this fearefull finall apostacy therfore as those professors that make no conscience of giuing or receauing the word of exhortation wil surely depart from the liuing God and can not abide in the state of sauing grace so in departing from God they shew plainly that they neuer were in the true state of sauing grace that is they neuer k 1. Cor. 1. 30. were of God in Christ Iesus For saith S. Iohn l 1. Ioh. 2. 19 if they had bin of vs that is not in profession and shew only but indeede and in truth they would no doubt haue continued with vs but they went out that they might be made manifest that they were not all of vs. And this is as euidently to be proued out of Col. 3. where S. Paul saith m Col. 3 16 Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisedome teaching and admonishing one an other c. Heere the Apostle sheweth that they who haue the word dwelling in them in all wisedome that is they that heare and doe the word as n Mat. 7. 24. wise men in deed being o 2 Tim. 3. 16 made wise thereby vnto saluation they must approue themselues to bee such in teaching and admonishing one an other And therefore those professors that bee p Iam. 1. 22. hearers onely and not doers q Iam. 2. 10. offending in this one point of mutuall exhortation doe but deceiue themselues and will proue r Mat. 7. 26. foolish men in the end when all their high profession wil be the occasion of their Å¿ Verse 27. great downfall Likewise the same Apostle t 1 Thes 1. 5. c. to the end of Verse 11. tels the Thessalonians that as children of the light and of the day must watch and bee sober putting on the breast-plate of faith and loue and the hope of saluation for an helmet Goâ— appointing them not tâ— wrath but to obtaine saluation so by a word of relation including all the premises he inferreth that they must still acquit themselues to bee such by exhorting themselues and edifying one an other as they did To this purpose the sauing-graces of the spirit are set forth by such comparisons as shew this dispersing and communicating property in them as to v Ioh. 7. 38. Eze. 47. 8. riuers of water of life flowing and issuing out and going from place to place euen as all riuers are euer running in comming or returning as vv Eccl. 1. 7 Ecclesiastes sheweth So likewise to x â— Ioh. 2. 27 ointment which cannot bee hid from be wraying it selfe as y Pro. 27. 16 Salomon speaketh to z Mat. 3. 11. fire which being shut vp in a mans bones will make a man weary of forbearing as a Ier. 20. 9. Ieremy complained and to a b Mark 4. 21 candle on a candlesticke which as c Mat. 5. 15. our Sauiour saith giueth light to all that are in the house And finally as the d Pro. 10. 11. mouth of a righteous man is compared to a well of life and his e Verse 20. tongue to choise siluer to shew as well the current as the pretious vse of them so the righteous man himselfe is likened to a liberall house-keeper the dore of whose lips is open vpon all iust occasions to f Verse 21. feede many with his lips euen as many as in his g Eccl. 10. 4. place and h 1 Cor. 7. 17 20. calling he can i Gal. 6. 10. opportunely and k 1 Cor. 14. 40. orderly extend himselfe vnto Nay lest any should thinke womens tongues to bee tyed short from all lip-feeding Salomon brings in the l Pro. 31. 10. vertuous woman as clad with the honour of the same similitude saying m Verse 26. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Trem. Iâ—n Lex benignitatis she openeth her mouth with iudgment and in her lips is the law of kindenesse or bountifulnesse as the Hebrew word importeth And thus I hope it fully appeareth vnto you how necessary this duty is for all that will bee numbred among the righteous Arist O that the practise might be as full on our side as the proofe is on yours and for our better encouragement I pray adde some examples to your former arguments and similitudes Arch. The Scriptures are so full of them that I may say as the Apostle did in an other case n Heb. 11. 3â— time would faile me to tel them No sooner heare wee that Phillip had found Christ but wee heare withall that o Ioh. 1. 43. c. by his perswasion hee brought Nathaniel to Christ as Andrew likewise p Verse 41. c. brought Peter to Christ And the same Peter according to Christs q Luk. 22. 32 charge did no doubt strengthen his brethren when hee was conuerted euen as Dauâ—â— also professed for his part that when God should restore him to the ioy of hiâ— saluation he r Psal 51. 12 13. would teacâ— transgressors his waies anâ— sinners should bee conueâ—ted vnto him And lest any should thinke that this practise might be peculiar vnto them by vertue of their Propheticall and Apostolicall callings both Prophet and Apostles doe not onely propose this as a common duty of euery righteous man and good steward of the grace of God to Å¿ Psal 37. 30 talke of iudgement to t 1 Pet. 4. 10 speake as the oracles of God that their u Col 4. 6. speech be alwaies gracious seasoned with salt and vv Eph. 4. 29 good to the vse of edifying to minister grace to the hearers but accordingly they also record and recommend vnto vs their practise of the same As in that
saith the word of â—â—omise m Mat. 25. 29 To euery one â—â—at hath to imploy for â—â—e Lords aduantage shall 〈◊〉 giuen and he shall haue â—â—undance but from him â—at hath not so to imâ—â—oy shall bee taken away â—â—en that which hee hath 〈◊〉 worldly treasure the riâ—â—er a couetous man is the â—ore vnwilling hee is to â—â—mmunicate and distriâ—â—te to others because the â—ore he giues the lesse hee â—inkes remaineth for him 〈◊〉 feede n Eccl. 5. 11. his eyes withall â—â—t in the true riches of â—race the Prouerbe is veriâ—â—d o Pro. 11. 24 There is that scatteâ—â—th and yet increaseth and there is that with-holdeâ— more then is meete but â— tendeth to pouerty Noâ— therefore hast thou hope tâ— stand when others fall anâ— to thriue in grace when others turne bâ—nkerupt â— make good then thy hopâ— by p Heb. 3. 6. holding fast the confâ—dence and the reioycing â— the hope firme vnto thâ— end Aske ye how The Apostle sheweth by q Verse 13. exhoâ—ting one an other daily whiles it s called to daâ— This is the way to hold faâ— the profession of our hopâ— as of our faith withoâ— wauering r Heb. 10. 23 24. when wee consider one another to prâ—uoke vnto loue to gooâ— workes by exhorting oâ— another Herein deuise â— the Prophet Å¿ Esa 3 â— â— saith of libâ—rall things like a liberall lip-feeder and by liberall things thou shalt stand yea the more thou winnest soules to God by imployment of thy talents the more shalt thou increase in thy owne stocke with t Mat. 25. 20. c. the good and faithfull seruants Looke on such as by reading praying catechising and singing in their families and by mutuall exhortations and conferences imploy their talents how are they as u Cant. â— 16 gardens whose spices flow out how is their vv Pro. 4 â—8 path as the shining light that shineth more and more vnto the perfect day â— how x Hos â—4 5 6 7. grow they as the Lilly and cast forth their rootes as Lebanon how spread their branches with beauty as the Oliue-tree with smell as Lebanon so that they that dwell vnder their shadow returne On the contrary take a view of Ministers and People that with the sloathfull seruant hide their talents How many of those that once began to shine as starres and dislilled doctrine as raine vpon the tender hearbs became afterwards as clouds without raine and starres without light yea some like snuffes in scokets whose wimpering light cannot be so comfortable as their stench is abhominable And how many others among the people that once flourished like greene bay-trees and yeelded refreshing like Ionas gourd to all about them ceasing afterwards from mutuall exhortation haue bin blasted as forward buds with vntimely frosts and withered as Ionas gourd smitten with the worme How is the knowledge of some ouercast with fogs of ignorance and vnresolued doubts as the light with clouds of darkenesse their â—ast looseth their sweet reâ—ish in the things of the spiâ—it as the Israelites in their Manna their memories that marble-like could â—â—st â—â—etaine the good things â—hey heard are now as leaâ—ing tubs or out-running â—â—eues and the dore of their â—ips that was wont to open â—ith the law of grace is â—ow lockt vp from good words or moues as doorâ— on rusty hinges with murmuring and complaning and words tending ratheâ— to the peruerting of the hearers then godly edifying They haue left their first loue with y Reu. 2. 4. Ephesus their zeale is cooled with z Reu. 3. 16. Laodocia and they haue a name that they liue but are dead with a Reu. 3. 1 Sardis Aâ— ye see these things so consider them I pray and look on them as Salomon did on b Pro. 24. 30 31 32 the field of the sloathfull and receaue instruction And if all this be not enough to rowze theâ— take heede left while a spirit of slumber fall on thee c Hos 7. 9. strangers deuoure thy strength and thou know 〈◊〉 not as the strength of Gods spirit departed from d Iud. 16 19 c. Sampson whiles he slept on Dalilahs knees And then when thou art awakened to see what foule spiritual wickednesses are vpon thee thou mayst fondly imagine as Sampson to goe out as at other times shake thy self when thou wast wont to breake the bonds of iniquity as Sampson did the Philisâ—ines withes and ropes But alas the Lord being departed from thee the powers of darkenesse may so surprize thee that they may not onely put out the eyes of thy minde but binde thee with fetters worse then of brasse and make thee grinde in any base seruice and filthy drudgery of the vncleane spirit as the Philistines made Sampson grinde in the prison-house And how many may you see or heare of to be thus kept grinding at the Diuels pleasure some in play-houses whore-houses others in tauernes and lehouses and not a few in extortions vsuries abundance of idlenesse pride and new-fanglednesse and many other abhominations Yea but yet haue all these free liberty in the midst of all this bondage to come to the house of God and there to present themselues among the sonnes of God I answeare what can this auaile them when e Iob. 1. 6. Satan himselfe may be there aswell as they Nay vnlesse in better manner they make good their f 1 Ioh. 1. 3. hope by purging themselues as God is pure their presence there and all their praying hearing and receauing of the Sacraments whereto serue they but as g Iud. 16. 25 Sampson when out of his prison he was presented among the Philestines euen to make sport for the Diuell and all his children who hauing espied what a foundation of goodly hope these men began to lay and how ill they are able to finish it h Luk 14. 29 30. begin to mocke and say loe these men began to build and were not able to finish Wilt thou therefore be without feare of such â—ellish slauery and scorne let thy glory thy tongue then awake and bestirre it selfe to the glorifying of God and edifying of thy neighbours disperse the fruit of thy lips and giue to poore soules so shall thy i Psal 112. 9 righteousnesse endure for euer and thy horne shall be exalted with honour Yea though men and Deuils may grieue and gnash the teeth to see it and k Iude Vers 13 like raging waues of the sea foame out their owne shame against thee yet this thy l Heb. 6. 11. 19 diligence shall make to the full assurance of hope vnto the end which hope thou hast as an anchor of the soule both sure and stedfast and which entreth into that within the vayle to secure thee that as thy diligence shall be blest with perseuerance heere so it shall be crowned with glory hereafter Last of all this hope of the glory that shall be reuealed
â—â—th is that as b Iam â—â— the spirit 〈…〉 dwelleth in vs lusteth 〈…〉 enuy and all men naturally are full of enuy and malice within so it neuer breaketh forth and rageth c Acts â— 54. 57. geth more then when iâ— meeteth with the word oâ— rebuke as hot lime neueâ— smoaketh so much as wheâ— cold water is cast on it anâ— as filthy cold dung-hils nâ—uer euaporate so manâ— sticking vapours as wheâ— the Sunne-beames moâ—pierce into them Noâ— were not hee a wise maâ—trow you that should cry out and blame the cold water for the fume of the one or the warme sunne for thâ— stinch of the other Again as long as the diuell caâ— keepe men in the chaineâ— of darkenesse and bonds oâ— iniquity hee is wiser theâ— d Luk. 11. 21 to disturbe his owne possession as a mercilesse Iaylor is quiet among his prisoners as long as they suffer their giues and fetters 〈…〉 t about them but as hee â—estirreth himselfe and rai 〈…〉 h hue and crie all the â—â—untry ouer to recouer â—â—em if they breake prison â—o when Christ comes to â— loose the workes of Saman e 1 Ioh. 3. 8. by f Luk. 4. 18 Preaching deliuerance to the captiues and g Esa 61. 1 the opening of the prison â—o them that are bound â—en the diuell cryeth out as one tormented to loose h Luk. 8. 28 29. â—s prisoners And yet this is not all â—or where Christ comes â—ith the scepter of his â—outh to set vp the kingâ—ome of heauen on earth â—ere he is i Mal. 3. 2. like a Refiners â—re and Fullers sope and â—ill k Esa 4. 4. wash and purge men by the spirit of iudgement and by the spirit of burning and l Mat. 3. 11. baptize them with the holy Ghost and with fire And in respect oâ— this principally Chriâ—â— came as he saith to senâ— the sword and fire on earth not the fire of carnall contention and strife but oâ— heauenly zeale and feruency of spirit whereby in opposition of sinne Satan and the serpents seede meâ— should fight the good fighâ— of faith and m Hâ—b 12. 4 resist vntâ— bloud striuing against sin and n Iude 3. earnestly contend foâ— the faith and o Luk. 14. 26 hate Fatheâ— and Mother Wife Children Brethren and Sisters yea and their owne life also rather then they shoulâ— hinder them from p Luk. 16. 16 pressing into the Kingdome oâ— God when it is Preached Now if any in wilfull hudâ—inke will not see when the hand of the Lord is thus â—â—fted vp to q T it 2. 14. purifie vnto â—â—mselfe a peculiar people â—ealous of good workes out enuy and grudge that this fire of heauen should taâ—e and kindle amongst men they shall be ashamed saith the Prophet for r Esa 26. 11. â—heir enuy at the people yea the fire of Gods enemies shall deuoure them â—et men therefore refraine â—â—emselues lest while they seeke to quench this fire which Å¿ Luk. 12. 29 Christ would haue â—o be kindled and to reâ—â—te the sword of the spirit which hee will haue t Heb. 4. 12. to pierce to the diuiding asunder of soule and spirit they be v Act 5. 39. sound fighters against GOD and w Luk. 19 27. enemies oâ— Christ that will not haue him to raign ouer them what then can be their end but to x Iob 36. 12 perish by the sword and by that y Heb. 10. 27 fiery indignation and fury powred out like fire that z Nah. 1. 6. shall deuoure the aduersaries For as wee haue heard so haue wee seene that Christ a Psal 110. 1. ruleth and hath ruled in the midst of his enemies yea and b 1 Cor. 15. â—5 he must raigne till hee hath put all his enemies vnder his feete Arist But say men you bring strange things to our eares you will haue vs win soules to God and yet you will haue vs fright them with terrour of Gods Law Is not this to catch Hares with rattle bags Can wee â—ooke to haue theeues and â—ebels come in whiles wee follow the one with hue â—nd cry and the other with 〈…〉 t s of rebellion But a proclamation of pardon is â—â—at which easily brings â—â—em in both Arch. Indeed were men â—â—â—ensible of spirituall as of â—â—dily dangers and as reaâ—y naturally to receiue reâ—â—sion of sinnes for their â—â—les as pardon for their â—mporall liues men might â—â—ll glory in such discreet â—â—asonings whereby we are â—â—ged as fooles But why â—en doth the Euangelist 〈…〉 nesse that Christ c Ioh. 1. 11. came â—â—o his owne and his own â—â—ceiued him not And â—â—y did himselfe complaine saying d Ioh. â—â—â— Yee 〈◊〉 not come to mee that yee might haue life And againe e Maâ— â—â— â—7 O Hierusalem how often would I haue gathered thy children together as an Henne gâ—â—herâ—th her Chickens vnder her wings and yee would not Nay let themselues iudge â—â— these very theeues and rebels they talke of should be so bewitched that they should verily thinke themselues to be true and loyalâ— subiects would they not thinke scorne in that case to haue pardons offered them Euen f Ioh. 〈…〉 an those bewitched bond slauâ—s of sin when they heard of the truth to make them free answered Iesus Wee be Abrahams seede and were neuer in boâ—dage to any man â—ow sayest thou yee shall be made free This is â—ust the case of all men vnregenerate except that sometimes they are as sea-sicke with â—aging stormes of â—â—eir consciences they are g Zac. 1. 1â— all at rest and with h Luk. 12. 19 the â—iâ—h foole sâ—â—g a Requiem â—o their soules crying i 1 Thes 5. 3â— peace and safety As S. Paul witnesseth of himselfe that â— whiles he was without the k Gal. 3. 22 23. Law that is the knowâ—edge and sence of the law â—ee wâ—s aliue that is hee â—om 3. 19. thought himselfe in a happy case yea so was he bewitched that when he l Actâ— 26. â— was exceedingly madde against the Christians and did the worst he could doe against the name of Iesus he verily thought with himselfe that he did but as hee ought to doe And the like sencelesnesse doth Christ discouer in others saying m Ioh. 16. 2. the time commeth that whosoeuer will kill you will thinke hee doth God seruice And therefore when as Salomon saith n Pro. 27. 7. the full soule loatheth an hony combe and o 〈◊〉 9. 12. they that bee whole neede not a Physitian but they that are sicke we had need by the terrors of the Law to prepare such soules for receipt of the promises of the Gospell vnlesse we would prostitute the Gospell to scorn and contempt like importunate Phisitians and Surgâ—ons that will presse the receipt of physicke on healthy persons and lay plaiâ—ters on whole skins where there is neither soare nor ache My meaning