it Ours we shew how God gives it namely in the use of means For bread is ours not only in the right of the promise but by service and quiet working in an orderly calling II. Hebr. 6. 19. We have hope as an anchor of the soul We have no reason to hope for any thing which is not promised nor upon other conditions then as promised Wherefore hope is compared to an anchor sure and stedfast because it must have something of firmness and stability to fasten upon before it can secure the soul in any tempest To hope without a promise or otherwise then it stands is but to let an anchor hang in the water or catch in a wave and thereby to exspect safety to the Vessel III. 1 Joh. 4. 20. He that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen c. How can he abide the Sun of righteousness and the splendor of his holiness who cannot endure or delight in a ray of holiness in his Brother being of the same nature and passions with him B. I. 2 PEt. 1. 4. Partaker of the divine nature It notes two things 1. a participation of the divine Holiness which is communicated to us by our union with Christ 2. A participation of the divine Blessedness which is here begun and shall be compleat in the beatifical vision of God II. Ps 110. 3. The dew of thy birth is of the â—omb of the morning The prophet in passion of joy misplaceth his words The right order is Thy birth from the Womb is as the morning dew which watereth and refresheth the whole earth not Gideons flâ—ece alone not the Jewes only III. Col. 2. 3. In him are bid the treasures of Wisdome Not that they may not be found but that they may be sought Christ hath wisdom as a Kings Treasurer hath riches as a Dispenser of it to the friends and servants of his Father C. I. JOh. 1 16. Of his fulness have we all received and Grace for Grace Christ was full not as a Vessel but as a fountain and as a Sun to communicate unto us And as a child in generation receiveth from his Parents member for member so in regeneration Christ is fully formed in you and you receive in some measure and proportion Grace for Grace there is no Grace in Christ appertaining to general Sanctification which is not in some degree fashioned in you II. Joh. 3. 17. I came not to condemn the World This was no motive or impulsive cause of my Coming though it were an accidental event consequent and emergency thereupon So is Christ a rock of offence Rom. 9 33. Set for the fall of many Luk. 2. 14. III. Eph. 4. 4. One body and one Spirit The Spirit of Holines was Chists jure proprio and he was Full of Grace his members have the Spirit derived to them from their head the same Spirit in truth but not in the same measure of Grace The Thirteenth Meeting A. I. 1. COr 2. 14. The natural man percieveth not the things of the Spirit c. The word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 doth properly signifie animalis The animal man is such a one as gives himself up to the goverment of his inferior faculties a carnal sensual man so that he is so far from being a man of reason that he is most irrational Such a man recieveth not the things of God he being drowned in sensuality cannot relish such things i. e. while he remains so They are spiriâ—ually discerned i. e. by Virtue of a higher principle then that which is predominant in thiâ— man Men cannot receive the things of Gods Spirit till by the assistance thereof their reason hath regained its authority and be able to keep under their bruitish affections II. Deut. 13. 1. c. If there arise among you a Prophet c. From this passage these two things are plainly to be gathered 1. That we are to consider the doctrine it self before we believe it to be of God as well as the means of its confirmation 2. That God for certain reasons may suffer wonders to be wrought i. e. such things as no man can give account how they should be effected by natural means for the confirmation of a false doctrine III. Rom. 4. 9. Jam. â— 23. As S. Paul proved what he designed by shewing that Abraham was justified by Faitb without the works of the Law so S. James proveth his design by shewing that the Faith Abraham was justified by was such as discover'd it self by Obedience to Gods commands and instanceth in the highest act of obedience too viz. his offering Isaac upon the Altar B. I. PHil. 3. 9. Not having my own righteousness c. He means that which consisted in the observance of the Jewish Law which he calleth his own as being that which before his conversion he gloried in or which he obtain'd by his own natural power consisting in meerly external performances To which he opposeth the Righteousness which is of God by Faith i. e. the righteousness of the new creature wrought in him by Gods Holy Spirit and is an effect or fruit of believing Christ's Gospel II. Phil. 3. 10. That I may know him c. i. e. experimentally in raising me up to newness of life and in killing and mortifying all my corrupt affections III. Rom. 4. 5. God justifieth the ungodly i. e. those that were once so before not at the same time when they are justified For to say that God can pronounce a person just and righteous that is unjust and unrighteous is a contradiction to his own righteousness and makes him to pronounce a false sentence and to do that which himself hath declared an abomination Prov. 17. 5. C. I. ROm. 3. 28. A man is justified by Faith We shall find that justification or remission of sins is sometimes ascribed to other Vertues as well as to faith but then they are understood either in so general a sense as to include Faith or as supposing it As Act. 3. 19. to conversion and repentance to forgivness of Trespasses Matth. 6. 14. to shewing mercy Matth. 5. 7. to works or sincere Obedience Jam. 2. 24. But whereas Justification is mostly attributed to Faith the reason is because all other Graces are Virtually contained in it and that is the principle from whence they are derived II. Rom. 4. 22. It was imputed to him for Righteousness His Faith which we know was not idle but very operative was of the same account with God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it was reckoned as in two Verses of this Chapter it is translated or it was valued by God at as high a rate as if it were compleat righteousness Christ's imputed rightâ—oâ—sness or the imputation of Christs righteousness is not to be found in all the Bible It may be allowed in this notion That those which are sincerely righteous and from an inward living principle allow themselves in no known sin nor in the neglect of any known duty which is to be truely
expressâ— thy detestation against my suffâ—â—gs thou offerest to bring me into an horâ— and fear of Suffering and so in effect temptest me to sin But though Peter were an offence to Christ tempted him and said that which was to ensnare him yet Christ was not offended ensnared or overcome by the temptation II. Rom. 14. 3. Let not him that eateth despise him that eateth not Those who are in Judaical errors are appointed by S. Paul to be tenderly handled not to be Vilified or set at naught And yet Gal. 3. 1. they are by the Apostle reviled and chid out of their Judaical perswafions The reason of this difference is the different estates of the Romans from the Galatians These had been fully instructed by him in the nature of Christian liberty Those had not yet been sufficiently taught to put off the opinion of legal abstinences III. Rom. 4. 3. Abraham believed God and it was counted to him for righteousness Abraham was Justified by believing and depending on God for the performance of his promise and resigning himself up wholly to him to obey his precepts Or by that Faith which howsoever it was tryed whether by promises of incredible things or commands of very hard duties as killing his only Son did constantly approve it self to be a true Faith without unsinning Obedience or Obedience to the Mosaical law Abraham heing then uncircumcised v. 10. i. e. without Works B. I. GAl. 5. 2. If ye be circumcised Christ shall profit you nothing T is spoken of those who urge abolisht Ceremonies as still of force by divine precept upon this ground that Christ coming as the substance typified by those legal Institutions did consequently set a period to their obligingness Which if it should still be urged would be interpretative the denying of Christ and so most justly the forseiting of those Benefits which are to be expected from him II. 1 Tim. 4. 8. Bodily exercise profiteth little This place of bodily exercise doth belong to such kind of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 abstinence continence as are aforementioned Which though when they are taught as necessary to the defaming of marriage or meats as unlawful are then signes of departing from the Faith v. 1. yet considered in themselves as voluntary acts are here said to be profitable in an inferior degree being compared which piety a little profitable or for a little III. Col. 2. 23. In will worship and humiâ—y and neglecting of the body or not sparing That will worship is here taken in a good creditable sence appeareth by the joining of it with two not only lawful but laudable Christian Vertues humility which is Dei hominum reverentia Calv. and mortifying of the body which as an act of self denial cannot be unacceptable to Christ C. I. Col. 2. 23. not in any honour to the satisfying of the flesh Not administring to the Body things to the filling or satiating of the flesh 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 care in relieving of wants Matth. 15. 6. Or those abstinences from flesh are commendable for chastning the Body so that in the mean time it be not indulged otherwise as with wine and sweet-meats II. Luke 10. 27. Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart i. e. sincerely and above all other things Yet one man may love God in a more intense degree then another doth and the same person may constantly love God above all and yet have higher expressions of that love at one time then another Whence it followes that Free-will offerings are reconcilable with that command III. Gen. 44. 5. And whereby indeed he divineth The cup with which he receiveth presages for 't was it seems but a drinking cup wherein he used to drink in those Sacrifices by which he prepared to receive presages from God The Seventh Meeting A. I. EXod 7 13. And he hardned Pharaohs heart 'T is not to be understood as we réad it God hardn'd Pharoah's heart The words do not bear it nor had any such thing yet been in timated in the story Here is an act of Stubbornness in Pharaoh an obstinate resistance or refusal against Gods calls and miracles There was indeed a prediction of it 2. 19. and that grounded onely on Gods prescience which hath no more influence on the effect nor causality of it then your seeing of any object II. Matth. 16. 19. I will give thee the keyes of the kingdom of Heaven Here as in many other places the kingdome of Heaven signifies the Chruch of Christ militant So 23. 13. the Pharises shutting up the Kingdome of Heaven is the keeping men from entring the Church from becoming Christians Peter and in him the rest of the Apostles and Successors Governors of the Church had the Keyes of the Church given them i. e. clearly a power of shutting out or receiving into to the Visible militant Church of removing the cotumacious by censure of Excommunication and re-admitting them being humble penitents by Absolution III. Matth. 12. 32. It shall not be forgiven him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 impersonally he shall not receive absolution neither in this World i. e. in the Church from the Ecclesiastick Censure nor in the World to come i. e. at the day Judgment B. I. 2. THes 3. 14. Have no company with him that he may be ashamed The end of Excommunication is that the offender may be brought to a sense and shame of his own vileness the most necessary preparative to reformation a great act of mercy and charity though under the shew of Severity It followes v. 15. Count him not as an enemy but admonish him as a brother This binding and loosing is used as a means of exemplifying that great Truth that Christ came to save and reduce that which was lost Matth. 18. 11. II. Matth. 20. 22. Ye know not what ye ask Jesus represseth the Mothers demand by â—elling her she is mistaken in the kind of dignity that should be instated upon his disciples not such a one as in any worldly respects would prove desirable but as a place of great burden so subject to great persecutions and even death it self III. Matth. 20. 26. but it shall not be so among you Heathen princes use their power in order to their own profit and pleasure and praise 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 behaving themselves as Lords and Masters over so many Servants Your pre-eminence brings along with it no great secular felicity but an office of burden and pains and humility and doing of service The pre-eminence of Christ himself was such This excludes not disciples of Christ from power for he ownes the title of Lord and master Joh. 13. 13. but from Lording and governing by violence and in an imperious way seeking their own gain and honour C. I. ROm. 13. 2. They that resist shall receive to themselves damnation 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Some render it Judgment as that signifies some temporary punishment which the higher powers may inflict and nothing else But v. 5.
Evangelicall righteous shall be dealt with and rewarded in and through Christ as if they were perfectly so III. Phil. 2. 13. Work c. For it is God which worketh in you c. The Apostle here reconciles the doctrine of Gods Grace with and shewes the indispensableness of mens endeavours making Gods readiness to work in us to will by his preventing grace and to do by his assisting a motive to us to work out our own salvation The Fourteenth Meeting A. I. HEb 8. 10. I will put my Law into their hearts c. It cannot be I will do all for them they need do nothing at all This would make all the precepts of the Gospel insignificant Neither can this be the sense I will sanctifie their natures and so cause them to keep my Laws without their concurrence in that act But I will afford them my grace and spirit whereby they co-operating therewith and not being wilfully wanting to themselves shall be enabled so to do Or I will do all that reasonable Creatures can reasonably expect from me toward the writing of my Laws in their hearts II. Heb. 8. 11. And they shall not teach every man his neighbour c. i. e. There shall be no need of such pains in teaching men how they must obey the Lord and what they are to do as under the Law of Moses which consisted in Observations that were only good because commanded but the Precepts now given shall be found written in every mans heart so that none need be ignorant of what is enjoyned for the substance of it that will consult the dictates of their own nature III. Gal. 3. The law was added because of transgression c. The Jewish and Mosaical law in a strict sense was not given as any new condition whereby they were to attain to the promises but they should till they were fulfilled be restrained and kept under discipline backt on by temporal rewards and punishments B. I. ROm. 5. 1. Being justified by Faith Faith put for the doctrine of Faith Justifie as an instrument as the Law condemneth as it contains the Covenant of Grace and holdeth forth pardon to sinners Faith as it signifies the Vertue or duty of Faith justifies as it is the condition of the new Covenant wherein forgiveness of sin is offer'd God the Father is the principle efficient cause Jesus Christ the onely meritorious cause of justification II. Jam. 4. 8. Clense your hands ye sinners The Scripture seems one while to give all to God in the work of regeneration and conversion and another while to make it wholly mens wâ—â— act To reconcile the places Clense you I will Clense we must go in a middle way I mean that where God speaks as if he did all in this great work we are to judge that he supposeth mens endeavours and where he speaks as if men were to do all that he supposeth the concurrence and assistance of his own grace III. Jam. 1. 26. He that seemeth to be Religious and bridleth not his tongue that mans Religion is vain May we not justly fear upon the account of the reviling and censuring even their superiors too not a few of the Godly party so called are guilty of that they are no better than meere pretenders to Religion as great a profession as they make of it C. I. JAm 2. 24. A man is justified by works and not by Faith only As works signifie sincere Obedience to Christs Gospel we cannot account it any seandal to have it said of us that we hold Justification by works Why should any man be more shy of acknowledging this than St. James Nor need we so mince it as to say that Faith justifieth our person and works our Faith for understanding Works for a Working Faith our persons is ever they be must be justified by them We must not give the Papists occasion to think we have a slight opinion of good Works II. Ezeck 18. As I live saith the Lord. Altho God professeth kindness to all men and saith nay sweareth too that he willeth not the death of sinners but had rather they would turn from their wickedness and live yet according to the doctrines of some men this is but a declaration of his Voluntas signi The like to which should one assert concerning any honest man he would think himself not a little reproached III. Joh. 3. 17. God sent not his Son into the World to condemn the World If the doctrine of absolute Reprobation be true our Saviours coming was to aggravate the Condemnation of the generality of men which would be far more properly called the World then a very few for not believing in him who never dy'd for them so much as to put them into a possibility of being saved The fifteenth Meeting A. I. HE gave himself for a ransome for mâ—ny for the Vulgus or multitude of the people So the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is rendred many doth among the Greeks most commonly signifie And St. Paul saith He gave himself a ransome for all 1 Tim. 2. and did taste death for every man Heb. 2. 9. and that he is the Saviour of all men though especially of those that believe And he sadly bewailed mens not coming that they might have life and wept over Jerusalem for her obstinate persisting in unbelief and most pathetically with tears wished that she had known in that her day the things that beâ—onged to her peace II. 2 Tim. 3. 2. Men shall be lovers of themselves proud covetous c. In this and other places where mens sins are foretold instead of â—hall we may put will The shalls make those Places look as if they contain'd declarations of desires whereas wills would make them â—t first sight to appear that they contain onely â—redictions and expressions of Gods fâ—re-knowledge that men would commit such and such sins not of his Will and purpose that they should III. Rom. 9. 13. Jacob have I loved and Esau have I hated This is a quotation out of Malachy 1. 3. Where Esau's person was not spoken of but by Esau his posterity the Edomits are understood He meant no more thaâ— that he less loved them than the Israelites or was not so kind to them as he was to these Or we may conceive that by hating is to be understood very severely punishing which was after their wicked and most unnatural behaviour toward their brethren anâ— upon that account See Obad. 10. Notâ— what was said to Rebecca that two Nationâ— were in her Womb. And Esau in his owâ— person did never serve Jacob. B. I. ROm. 9. 15. I will have mercy on whoâ— I will have mercy i. e. I will bestoâ— my kindness where I please without givinâ— account to any one And therefore God maâ— justly accept Gentiles to his special favour â— idolatrous and wicked as generally they aâ— for he is not obliged to damn all that deferâ— it and cast off his antient people the Jewâ— at his pleasure
as strict observers as they are of one Law they being disobedient to another II. Rom. 9. 16. So then it is not of him that willeth c. i. e. From thence it is evident that this mercy and favour of God is not the desert and prerogative of those that with great Zeal aspire to it but in a wrong way i. e. by the Mosaical performances as the Jews do See v. 31. 32. but to be had from the Free-Grace and mercy of God by Jesus Christ III. Rom. 9. 17 For this same purpose have I raised thee up Heb. I have made thee stand Vulg. sustentavite Pharoah having hardn'd his own heart God at length saith concerning him that he would harden his heart in his just judgment i. e. doth at which he would be further hardn'd by and addes that he would presently cut him off but that he preserved him and raised him out of great dangers for no other end but to make him an example of his just indignation against obdurate rebells in the more signal and illustrious manner C. 1. ROm. 9. 18. Whom he will â—e hardneth We are not to understand any action of his whereby he putteth wickedness into men or intends and increaseth that which is already in them for then would he be the Author of sin which to assert is the highest blasphemy Neither Gods withdrawing all manner of necessary helps whereby sinners may be mollified but no more than his doing such things to wicked men which are not in their own nature but accidentally through their Wickedness the occasion of further hardning And so and no otherwise he did harden the Jews nay chiefly were they hardn'd by the divine forbearance II. V. 20. Who art thou that repliest against God As for his dealing in such a manner with you as that you become by that means more hardned and averse to obey his Gospel you may thank your selves for it and therefore have no cause to object against Gods justice 'T is long of your own wickedness that you become more hardened by any of his providences III. Rom. 9. 22. The Vessels of wrath fitted to destruction They are such as the Apostle saith God endured with much long suffering and therefore they were not made so by any absolute decree of his but made themselves so by their wilful and free-sinning For what long-suffering can it be to bear with the sins of those that could never have possibly been avoided The Apostle here asserts not any other reprobation of the Jews then that which wilful reprobation of the Messias was the cause of Gods purpose to cast them off so far as that they should be no more a distinct nation or body politick was unchangeable not that none of them should come to eternal salvation The sixteenth Meeting A. I. JEr 10. 23. The way of man is not in himself Our purposes sink and fail almost as soon as they are up In matters of indifferency and sometimes in those of the greatest Concernment we think we resolve when we do but think And what strength hath such a thought against a friend and importunity II. Jam. 1. 16. Err not Men are prone to error Hence it is that God is made more cruel then man and yet more merciful than he is That men are Saints and yet the Law impossible That imputed righteousness is all when we have none of our own That our Election may be sure tho we do not make it so That Christian liberty is let loose against Christ himself That God is brought in to do himself what he doth command That Grace is miraculous and irresistible c. III. Act. 4. 12. Tolle Augustinum de causa Take away the names of Augustin of Luther of Calvin and Arminius for they are but names not arguments There is but one name by which we must be saved and his name alone must have authority and prevail with us who is the Author and finisher of our Faith We may honour others and give unto them that which is theirs but we must not deifie them nor pull Christ out of his throne to place them in his room B. I. MAtth. 5 9. Blessed are the peace-makers It was as wise counsel as could have been given to those who sate to solve knotty doubts and to determine controversies in Religion in the Council at Dort and it was given by a King and it would have made good his motto stiled him a peace-maker tho there had been nothing else to contribute to that title Paucissima defimienda quia paucissima necessaria That they should not be too busie and earnest in defining and determining many things because so few were necessary Questions in Divinity are like meats in this The more delicate and subtil they are the sooner they putrifie II. 1 Cor. 15. 43. I do not enquire how the body that shall rise can be the same numerical body with that which did walk upon the earth it is enough for me to know that it is sown in dishonour and shall be raised in Glory And my business is to rise with Christ here and make good my part in this first resurrection for then I am secure and need not to extend my thoughts to the end of the world to survey and comprehend the second III. Jude 3. It were to be wisht that men would in Scripture-phrase speak of the acts of God as in Justification and not seek out divers inventions which do not edifie but many times shake and rend the Church in pieces and lay the truth it self open to reproach which had triumphed Gloriously over error had men contended not for their own inferences and deductions for that Common Faith which was once delivered to the Saints C. I. GAl. 5. 6. What profit is it busily to enquire whether the nature of Faith by which we are justified consisteth in an obsequious assent or in a more fiducial apprehension of the merits of Christ whether it be an instrument or condition when I may seek and rest upon this which every eye must needs see That it must not be a dead but a Faith working by Charity Which is the language of Faith and demonstrateth her to be alive My sheep hear my voice saith Christ 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 saith Basil They hear and Obey and never dispute or ask questions they taste and not trouble and mud that clear water of life Men talk of Faith and the power of it and are worse than infidels of Justification and please themselves in unrighteousness of Christs active Obedience and are to every good work reprobate of his passive Obedience and deny him when they should suffer for him of the inconsistency of Faith and good works in their Justification and set them at as great a distance in their lives and conversations II. Gal. 5. 24. Certainly it would be more safe for us and more worthy our calling to be diligent and sincere in that which is plainly revealed to believe and in the strength and
to the whole world II. Eph. 4. 13. To the measure of the Stature of the fulness of Christ Which is the explication of to a perfect man i. e. to that perfection of Faith and knowledge which becomes the Christian Church III. John 18. 6. I am the way the truth and the life i. e. I declare the true and onely way to life and happiness and no man can throughly understand the will of God nor consequently be a true worshipper of him without learning of me C. I. IOh. 11. 26. I am the resurrection and the life c. i. e. He hath power to raise the dead and will actually raise all those who are his sincere â—ollowers and reward them with immortality II. Joh. 5. 25. Tbe dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God c. i. e. He first raises those who are dead in sin to a new spiritual life and then hath authority to raise them to an immortal life III. Col. 3. 3. You are dead and your life is hid with Christ in God You profess your selves to be dead to this World in Conformity to the death of Christ and that immortal life which you expect to enjoy with Christ is at present concealed from your view The Fiftieth Meeting A. I. 1 COr 1. 22. The Jewes require a sign and the Greeks c. The Jewes were all for signes and miracles the Greeks were for curious Philosophical speculations which might gratifie their inquisitive minds and therefore neither of them could relish the plain simple Doctrine of a Crucified Christ II. 1 Cor. 1. 24. This crucified Saviour is the power of God and the wisdome of God i. e. the most powerful method which was ever used by God for the reforming the World and the contrivance and effect of excellent wisdome And thus the Gospel of Christ is called the power of God to salvation to them that believe Rom. 1. 16. And by this foolishness of preaching i. e. by preaching this foolish doctrine as it was accounted by the wise men of the World of a crucified Christ it pleased God to save them that believe III. Jer. 23. 6. Christ is expresly call'd The Lord our Righteousness â—s it that the onely Righteousness wherâ— with we must appear before God is the â—ightenousness of Christ imputed to us Or rather Righteousness here signifies no more than Mercy kindness and beneficence And so the Lord our Righteousness is the Lord who does good to us who is our Saviour and deliverer Which is very agreeable to the reason of this name that in his days Judah shall be saved and Israel shall dwell safely B. I. ISai. 54. 17. Their Righteousness is of me saith the Lord. Which is a parallel expression to The Lord our Righteousness and signifies no more than that God will avenge their cause and deliver them from all their enemies II. Isa 61. 10. The Garments of Salvation and the robe of Righteousness do not signifie an imputed righteousness but those great deliverances God promised to Israel in the former verses which should make them as glorious in the eyes of men as a splendid garment would III. Matth. 5. 19 20. Our Saviour in his Sermons to the peoplemakes â—o mention at all of imputed righteousness but severely injoyns them the practice of of an universal righteousness and threatens those who break the least commandment that they shall not enter into the Kingdom of Heaven C I. PHil. 3. 9. Is it not worth observing that in all the New Testiment there is no such expression as the Righteousness of Christ imputed We find there the Righteousness of God that which he commands and rewards and the Righteousness of Faith and â—he Righteousness of God which is by Faith in Jesus Christ Is iâ— not strange that neither Christ nor his Apostlâ—s should once tell us of the Imputation of Christs Righteousness did the mystery of the Gospel consist in it II. Rom. 3. and 4. The great Dispute in the Epistle to the Romans is whether we must be justified by the Law of Moses or by the Faith of Christ That is whether the observation of all the external Rites Ceremoniâ—s of the Law an external conformity of our actions to the moral precepts of it will justifie a man before God or that sincere and universal obedience which the Gospel of Christ râ—quires which transforms our minds into the likeness of God and makes us new creatures III. Rom. 4. 3. Abraham believed God and it was counted to him for Righteousness And this while he was uncircumcised Which is a convincing argument against the Jewes that circumcision and the observance of the Law of Moses is not necessary to justification Because Abraham who was the Father of the Faithful and is set forth for a pattern of our justification was justified without it The one and Fiftieth Meeting A I. HEb 2. 10. God sent sent his Son into the world to take upon him our nature and him being the Captain of our Salvation he would perfect through sufferings that no man might think it much to suffer when God spared not his own Son and every man might submit to the necessity when the Christ of God was not exempt And yet no man could fear the event which was to follow sad beginnings when it behoved even Christ to suffer and so to enter into glory II. Eccles 12. 7. God did not onely by Revelation and the Sermons of the Prophets to his Church but even to all mankind competently teach and effectively perswade that the soul of man does not die but that altho things were ill here yet they should be well hereafter that the evils of this life were short and tollerable and that to the good who usually feel most of them they should end in honour and advantages III. 2 Thes 1. 5. We must through much tribulation c. Christ himself and his Apostles and his whole army of Martyrs dyed under the violence of evil men When Vertue made good men poor and free speaking of brave truths made the wise to lose their liberty when an excellent life hastened an opprobrious death and the obeying God destroyed our selves it was but time to look about for another state of things where justice should rule and Virtue find her own portion where the men that were like to God in justice and mercy should also partake of his felicity B. I. 1. COr 15. 19. If in this life onely c. We are sick and we are afflicted we do well and we are disgraced we tell truths and few believe us speak well and we are derided but the proud are exalted and the wicked are delivered and evil men reign over us and the covetous snatch our little bundles of mony from us and every where the wisest and the best men are oppressed but therefore because it is thus and thus it is not well we hope for some great good thing hereafter For if in this life only we had hope then we Christians