of God in the work of our Salvation are described our Apostle in his Discourse goes on the same way that God is said to do in his Decree lays the foundation of it as low and deep as possible begins with them as it were in Massa and though they were already Romans and Christians yet before he openeth Heaven Gates to them and either teaches or suffers them to be Saints he stays them a while in the contemplation of their impurity and damn'd neglected estate of the stock they come from looks upon them as polluted or troden down in their own blood as the phrase is Ezek. xvi 6 He plows and harrows and digs as deep as possible that the seed which he meant to Sow might be firm rooted that their Heaven might be founded in the Center of the Earth and their faith being secur'd by the depth of its foundation might encrease miraculously both in height and fruitfulness Thus in the latter part of this first Chapter doth he shew them the estate and rebellions and punishment of their Heathen Ancestors that the unregenerate man may in that Glass see his Picture at the length the regenerate humble himself in a thankful horrour over-joyed and wondring to observe himself delivered from such destruction And that all may be secured from the danger of the like miscarriage he sets the whole story of them distinctly before their Eyes 1. How the Law and light of nature was sufficient to have instructed them into the sight and acknowledgment of God and therefore that they could not pretend want of means to direct them to his worship 2. That they contemn'd and rejected all the helps and guidances that God and nature had afforded them and that therefore 3. God had deserted and given them up unto the pride and luxury and madness of their own hearts all vile affections for this is the force of the illation They abused those instructions which God had printed in the Creature to direct them and therefore he will bestow no more pains on them to so little purpose their own reason convinced them there was but one God and yet they could not hold from adoring many and therefore hee 'l not be troubled to rein them in any longer for all his ordinary restraints they will needs run riot And for this cause God gave them up to vile affections So that in the Text you may observe the whole state and history of a heathen natural unregenerate life which is a progress or travel from one stage of sinning to another beginning in a contempt of the light of nature and ending in the brink of Hell all vile affections For the discovery of which we shall survey 1. The Law or light of nature what it can do 2. The sin of contemning this law or light both noted in the first words for this cause that is because they did reject that which would have stood them in good stead 3. The effect or punishment of this contempt sottishness leading them stupidly into all vile affections And lastly the inflicter of this punishment and manner of inflicting of it God gave them up and first of the first the law and light of nature what it can do To suppose a man born at large left to the infinite liberty of a Creature without any terms or bounds or laws to circumscribe him were to bring a River into a Plain and bid it stand on end and yet allow it nothing to sustain it were to set a Babe of a day old into the World and bid him shift for a subsistence were to bestow a being on him only that he may lose it and perish before he can ever be said to live If an Infant be not bound in and squeez'd and swathed hee 'l never thrive in growth or Feature but as Hippocrates saith of the Scythians for want of Girdles run all out into bredth and ugliness And therefore it cannot agree either with the mercy or goodness of either God or nature to create men without laws or to bestow a being upon any one without a Guardian to guide and manage it Thus left any Creature for want of this law any one moment should immediately sin against it's Creation and no sooner move than be annihilated the same wisdom hath ordered that his very Soul should be his Law-giver and so the first minute of its essence should suppose it regular Whence it is that some Atheists in Theophilus ad Auto. which said that all things were made by chance and of their own accord yet affirm'd that when they were made they had a God within them to guide them their own conscience and in sum affirm'd 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that there was no other God in the World Aristotle observes that in the Creatures which have no reason phantasie supplies its place and does the Bee as much service to perform the business of its kind as reason doth in the man Thus farther in them whose birth in an uncivilized Countrey hath deprived of any laws to govern them reason supplies their room 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 saith Arius Didymus Reason is naturally a law and hath as soveraign dictates with it pronounceth Sentence every minute from the tribunal within as authoritatively as ever the most powerful Solon did in the Theatre There is not a thing in the World purely and absolutely good but God and nature within commends and prescribes to our practice and would we but obey their counsels and commands 't were a way to innocence and perfection that even the Pelagians never dreamt of To speak no farther than will be both profitable and beyond exception the perfectest Law in the World is not so perfect a rule for lives as this 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as Methodius calls it this law of nature born with us is for these things which are subject to its reach Shall I say Scripture it self is in some respect inferiour to it I think I shall not prejudice that blessed Volume for though it be as far from the least spot or suspicion of imperfection as falshood though it be true perfect and righteous altogether yet doth it not so evidence it self to my dull Soul it speaks not so clearly and irrefragably so beyond all contradiction and demur to my Atheistical understanding as that law which God hath written in my heart For there is a double certainty one of Adherence another of Evidence one of Faith the other of sence the former is that grounded on Gods Word more infallible because it rests on divine authority the latter more clear because I find it within me by experience The first is given to strengthen the weakness of the second and is therefore called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 2 Pet. i. 19 A more firm sure word the second given within us to explain the difficulties and obscurities of the first 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 verse 16. we saw it with our Eyes so that Scriptures being conceived into words
in Oxford Anno Dom. MDCLXXXIV TO THE READER TO this Fourth and Last Volume properly belong 1. The Paraphrase and Annotations upon the Psalms 2. Vpon the Proverbs 3. The Sermons Of these the First and the Last as many as the Author published are as he left them with very small Addition or Alteration from his Hand The other Sermons Printed after his Death are carefully Corrected The Second on the Proverbs wherein Death permitted the Author to proceed no further than the Tenth Chapter is now Printed as it was then Transcribed for the Press and the greater part Corrected by his own Hand The rest belong to the Second Part of the Second Volume viz. The Dissertations concerning Episcopacy now inlarged with many Additions by the Authors own Hand To which is annexed the Tract De Confirmatione perfected by the Author though not Published till after his Death Which was thought fit to be intimated together with the several Times when the rest were first Published in the following Catalogue The Contents of this Volume A Paraphrase and Annotations upon the Books of the Psalms Lond. 1659. Fol. A Paraphrase and Annotations upon the Ten first Chapters of the Proverbs The Christians Obligations to Peace and Charity With IX Sermons more Lond. 1649. Quarto Some Profitable Directions both for Priests and People in Two Sermons Lond. 1657. Octavo XIX Sermons more Lond. 1664. Fol. Appendix to Vol. II. Dissertationes Quibus Episcopatus Jura adstruuntur Lond. 1651. Quarto De Confirmatione Commentarius Oxon. 1661. Octavo THE BOOK OF PSALMS BOOK of Psalms The Hebrew 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which in Piel signifies to praise or celebrate or depraedicate doth import no more than hymnes or lauds accordingly the singing them is Mat. xxvi 30 exprest by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 having sung an hymn But being as they generally were set to be Sung to Musical Instruments see Psal cl i. e. Sung and Plai'd together which is the notion of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 saith Hesychius and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a Psalterie was we know a Musical Instrument and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 are in the antient Glossaries rendred 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 gently to touch and move as the Musician touches the Lute or Harp therefore the lxxii have not unfitly rendred it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and thence the Latine and we Psalmi Psalms and the Syriack 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to modulate either with voice or instrument to Sing or Play and this Title is made use of by St. Luke in the New Testament Luke 20.42 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Book of Psalms The lxxii now read not the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Book but either simply 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Psalms or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Psalterie which yet properly signifies the Instrument to which the Psalms were Sung sometimes called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from whence the Latine nablium sometimes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a decachord or instrument of ten strings but the Syriack as well as the Hebrew reteining that title 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Book of Psalms and St. Luke citing in that style there is little reason to doubt but this was the antient Greek inscription of it But this without question prefixt here by Esdras or whosoever else it was that made this Collection of divine Hymns For it is sure that all these Psalms are not the fruit or product of one inspired brain David indeed was the Composer of many if not most of them who is therefore called the sweet Psalmist of Israel 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sweet in Psalms or the Composer of such sweet melodies by whom the Spirit of the Lord spake and his word was in his tongue 11 Sam. xxiii 1 2. that Man very highly valued and advanced by God a King and the source of the Jewish Monarchy as it was to spring from the Tribe of Judah and withall a Prophet by God inspired and accordingly as these Psalms contain many signal predictions of the Messias who was to spring from Davids loyns and so of Gods dealings under the Gospel both with his faithful servants and obstinate enemies so in the Syriack inscription of them to the Hebrew Title the Book of Psalms is added 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of David the King and Prophet Unto other his Titles St. Austin from the authority of 11 Sam. xxiii 2 adds Vir in Canticis eruditus qui harmoniam Musicam non vulgari voluptate sed fidei voluntate dilexerat that he was eminently skilled in Canticles as one that loved Musical Harmony with the will of Faith thereby to glorifie his Creator and Redeemer and not from any sensual pleasure such as Men vulgarly take in Musick So St. Hierome also David Simonides noster Pindarus Alcaeus Flaccus quoque Catullus Serenus Christum lyra personat decachordo Psalterio ab inferis suscitat resurgentem Simonides Pindar and Alcaeus among the Greeks and Horace and Catullus and Serenus among the Latines were famous for their Odes or Poetick Songs but David to us supplies abundantly the place of all them sounds Christ upon the Harp and with the ten-stringed Psaltery praiseth or celebrates his rising from Hades But the most illustrious title of this Psalmist is that he was the Father of that line from whence our Saviour Christ sprang and so was fitted above any other by being the first King of that Line to be in a signal manner a type of him But beside David some others there were who composed some of these Psalms of Moses there can be no question the title as well as matter of the ninetieth Psalm assuring us it was written by him For Asaph also there is some probability when of Hezekiah we read that he commanded the Levites to sing praise unto the Lord with the words of David and of Asaph the Seer 2 Chron. 29.30 where Asaph is set down to be as a Prophet so a Psalmist also and joyned with David as such and agreeably the fiftieth Psalm inscribed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to Asaph is by the Chaldee affirmed to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by the hand of Asaph and so some others also And although ◠being a note of the dative case may possibly signifie no more than that the Psalm was committed to him as to a singer or player on instruments as Psalms are frequently inscribed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to the Prefect of his Musick and then the Chaldee 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 may also refer to that according to that of 1 Chron. xvi 7 where David delivered the cv Psalm into the hand of Asaph and his Brethren and so 't is evident the thirty ninth Psalm which is exprest to be Davids is yet inscribed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to Jeduthun who as well
advantage that the enjoying them is to others as the Poet that begs two things of Mars Either valour for war or peace that he may not need that valour would be richly provided for which soever was granted him And this is in Christ's language being 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 equal to the very Angels It seems 't is the Angels special advantage above us men that they desire not the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the all these things which the luggage of flesh about us makes to us so necessary and no such Crane such Engine to elevate our nature to this 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to this so Angelical a state as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 this so liberal a Science of Contentment which not only makes Romances creditable finds mines in our Closets under every Cushion we kneel on rains down both the Indies into our Treasury satisfies all our needs fills all our vacuities but is withall the noblest act of wisdom of superiority of mind of prowess and conquest of our selves that any Book but that of Life any place but Heaven can give us story of and therefore sure a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a yoke a command of Christ but that a benign and gainful yoke in the third place A fourth instance I cannot omit though I suppose the most vulgar fancy hath prevented me in it because Aristotle hath a Note in his Rhetoricks that some kind of Auditors are most wrought upon by such and that is from the Catalogue of the blessing Graces in the Fifth of Matthew Blessed are the poor in spirit the meek c. In the present they are blessed yea and would be so though there were never a Heaven of blessedness behind for them Will you examine the truth of this in a few of them 1. Poverty of Spirit whether a preparation of spirit to be poor and then 't is blessed Contentment that just now we parted with or whether it be Humility blessed humility and then besides the advantages it hath toward another life grace to the humble to the humble more grace and at last heaven to the humble yea and more heaven as in the learned rules of Husbandry they are appointed to plough to sow and to reap too all naked humility pourtraied by that nakedness being the only auspicious posture the only catholick qualification for all seasons besides these advantages I say 't is over and above even in the eye of the world an amiable graceful quality hath a present secular blessedness in it a calm of Soul to it self a controlling loveliness in respect of others and a world of conveniences attending it 'T is that wherein heaven and earth are met as Rivals God himself a making court to it With him will I dwell and in the Oracle 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 there are two Residences Palaces Thrones for God Heaven and an humble Soul and for men a plain 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to them an Enchantment or Charm of respect and love whereever 't is met with whereas in the mean time Pride goes alone in state only with a train of menial scorns and curses after it 't is a kind of excommunicating sin drives away confidents counsellors servants graces the very credit and reputation which it courts all kind of company but devils and parasites that pessimum genus inimicorum that worse kind of devil of the two So true is that of Solomon Prov. 16.19 Better is it to be of an humble spirit with the lowly than to divide the spoil with the proud the comparison there is set as betwixt the lowly and proud so betwixt the humble spirit and dividing the spoil there is no need to mention any benefit of humility the humble spirit it seems is reward enough to it self and all the proud man's prizes are not comparable to it in this life So for Meekness 't is a lovely grace again The ornament of a meek and quiet spirit 1 Pet. 3. a more gallant embroidery more enamouring dress which hath more of the Agreeable in the look of it than all the other helps of beauty can afford that Sex which is there spoken of but especially that notion of meekness that consists in obedience to our lawful Superiours which beside the many other conveniences of it that thy days may be long in the land c. long life in a Canaan is a most advantageous gainful duty such as if it had applications made to it would infallibly leave the Prince the only uneasie person in the Kingdom because he only were assigned the task the painful thankless yet necessary task of commanding and deprived of the obsequii gloria that far more glorious I will add and pleasant way of obeying The glory of it is such as that Gerson having discerned in the Angels two habitudes one of waiting upon God the other in the ruling and managing of things below resolves that if that Angel were to set himself out in a lustre to triumph in a Magnificat it would be certainly in the Virgin Mary's style humilitatem famuli that he were a meek servant of God's rather than a Prince of so many Myriads of subjects And for pleasure I shall profess my sense so far from doting on that popular Idol Liberty that I hardly think it possible for any kind of obedience to be more painful than an unrestrained liberty Were there not some bounds of Magistrate of Laws of Piety of Reason in the heart every man would have a Fool they say I add a mad Tyrant to his Master that would multiply him more sorrows than the briars and thorns did Adam when he was freed from the bliss at once and the restraint of Paradise and was sure greater slave in the Wilderness than he was in the Enclosure Would but the Scripture permit me that kind of Idolatry the binding my faith and obedience to any one visible infallible Judge or Prince were it the Pope or the Mufti or the Grand Tartar might it be reconcileable with my Creed it would be certainly with mine interests to get presently into that posture of obedience I should learn so much of the Barbarian Ambassadors in Appian which came on purpose to the Romans to negotiate for leave to be their servants 'T would be my policy if not my piety and may now be my wish though not my faith that I might never have the trouble to deliberate to dispute to doubt to chuse those so many profitless uneasinesses but only the favour to receive commands and the meekness to obey them so demonstrably true is the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the very meekness is their blessedness and from thence this part of the gainfulness of this yoke I will detain you but with one more of that Catalogue that of Mercifulness the pleasurablest burthen in the world there 's no such kind of inward delight and sensuality as it were Liberality is a kind of tickling to the Soul 't is hard
present to bring but one instance of a prudent alms-giver that hath yearly or weekly consecrated some considerable part of his revenue or increase to that use and can say that ever he found any real miss of that any more than of the blood let out in a pleurisie nay if he have done it constantly and sincerely from the one true principle compliance with the command and example of God let him speak his conscience if he do not think that all the rest hath thrived the better for that as Phlebotomy hath saved many mens lives letting out some ounces of blood been the securing of the whole mass that it hath had a secret blessing influence a vital anspicious infection upon the remainder by this art of consecrating our estates intitling God to the fence and safeguard of them as of his temples and altars that thieves and oppressors and devils conceive a reverence due to them and a kind of sacriledge to approach or purloin from them as they that put the crown into their intail do thereby secure it to the right heir that it can never be out off The poor widow of Sarepta what a strange trial made she of this truth When the last of her store was fetch'd out to make the funeral feast for her self and family that they might eat and dy that very last cake that all that was left she gives to Elijah in his distress and this is so far from ruining her that it brought a blessing on her barrel and her cruse that she and all hers were not able to exhaust I might add the poor widow in the Gospel that if we shall disbelieve Christ himself cast in all that she had into the Corban even her whole substance the Christians that sold all and laid it at the Apostles feet and yet we never read of any of these that brought himself to distress by this means But these are ex abundanti more than is required for the vouching of my present proposition and of a higher strain than what I design for your imitation 'T is time that I begin to retire and wind up with some application which you cannot imagine should be any other after all this preparation but a Go and do thou likewise And if you can but believe this one thing that I have brought many witnesses from heaven to restifie that your goodness shall not impair your plenty that your store shall never be lessened by so giving I doubt not but you will be as forward to go as any man to have you The only holdback is the affection and passionate love that we bear to our wealth that lust or sensuality of the eye as the Apostle calls it 'T is ordinarily observed of young men and dissolute that they have many times a great aptness and ingeniousness and withal patience to any speculative knowledge the Mathematicks or any such the abstrusest studies but for moral precepts rules of good life they will not be digested And my brethren give me leave to tell you in the spirit of meekness that the like in another respect is observed of this auditory any thing wherein their wealth is not concerned is most readily entertained none more attentive ingenious auditors but when their profit is intrench'd on their beloved golden Idol of which I may say with Moses O this people have committed a great sin made them Gods of gold when this I say begins to be in danger as the silver shrines at S. Pauls preaching Acts 19. then as it follows in that place the whole city is filled with confusion like that young man in the Gospel that would do any thing that Christ would require Good Master what shall I do to inherit eternal life So far as that Jesus loved him when he beheld him yet when Christ proceeds to the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 one thing is wanting to thee go sell give to the poor then follows the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he went away sad and sorrowful sighing and groaning as if he had been to part with blood and bowels And this is the ground of Christs most considerable observation 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 how hard and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 how impossible is it for a rich man to enter the Kingdom of heaven for a worldly-minded man to be a Christian Could you but reduce into order this one mighty exorbitant humour purge out this 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as S. Peter calls it this over-flowing of the gall this choler and bitterness that lies cak'd upon the soul that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as he goes on in the aggravating of covetousness we English it band of iniquity but it signifies a complication of wickedness bound up all in one volume mingled into one hypostasis this legion of earthly devils that come out of the tombes to enter into thee and there continue crying and cutting thee with stones I should then proceed with some heart and spirit and tell you that that every man knows but such demoniacks that alms-giving is in it self a thing that any man living if he have but the reliques of unregenerate nature and the notion of a Deity about him would take pleasure in it were he but satisfied of this one scruple that 't would not hinder his thriving in this world 'T is more blessed to give than to receive is the Apophthegme of S. Paul quoted from Christ though it be not rehearsed in the Gospel and Clemens hath turned it into a maxim 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 't is giving not possessing that signifies a man to be happy and this happiness the highest most divine sort of happiness 't is a blessed thing to give And of the same inclination in the worst of you I will no more doubt than I do of your being men of your having humane souls about you could you be but fortified against this one terror were but this one trembling spirit exorcised and cast out this apprehension of impairing your estates by that means Now of this an ordinary Jew makes so little doubt meerly upon authority of the places of the Old Test which I cited that he may read thee a lecture of faith in this particular Paulus Fagius assures me of the modern Jews who have not been observed to be over-liberal that they still observe the payment of the poor mans tithe meerly out of design to inrich themselves by that means and tells us of a Proverb of Rabbi Akiba 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 tithes are the hedges to our riches and on the contrary that there be seven kinds of judgments that come upon the world for seven prevarications and the first is famine upon not tithing and the second again another kind of famine upon another not tithing and that second plainly belongs to the poor mans tithing when as it follows some are full and others are famish'd and the third is a plague upon not obeying the Law concerning the fruits of
uncharitable to charge this ignorance still upon Disciples after so many solemn Embassies of the Holy Ghost unto us to teach us and remember us of this Duty Nay I wish that now after he hath varied the way of appearing after he hath sat upon us in somewhat a more direful shape not of a Dove but Vultur tearing even the flesh from us on purpose that when we have less of that carnal Principle left there might be some heed taken to this Gospel-Spirit there were yet some proficiency observable among us some heavings of the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that hath so long been a working in the World I am confident there were no such way of designing a prosperous flourishing durable Kingdom as to found its policy upon Gospel-Principles and maintain it by the Gospel-Spirit I have authority to think that was the meaning of that Prophecy of Christs turning swords into plough-shares not that he should actually bring peace he tells you that it would prove quite contrary but because the fabrick of the Gospel is such that would all men live by it all wars and disquiets would be banished out of the World It was a madness in Machiavel to think otherwise and yet the unhappiness of the World that Sir Thomas Moor's Book that designed it thus should be then called Vtopia and that title to this hour remain perfect Prophecy no place to be found where this Dove may rest her foot where this Gospel-Spirit can find reception No not among Disciples themselves those that profess to adventure their lives to set up Christs Kingdom in its purity none so void of this knowledg as they Whether we mean a speculative or practical knowledg of it few arrived to that height or vacancy of considering whether there be such a Spirit or no. Some so in love with nature that old Pelagian Idol resolve that sufficient to bring them to Heaven if they but allow their brethren what they can claim by that grand Character love of Friends those of the same perswasion those that have obliged them they have Natures leave and so are resolved to have Christs to hate pursue to death whom they can phansie their Enemies And I wish some were but thus of Agrippa's Religion 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 so near being Christians as nature it self would advance them that gratitude honour to Parents natural affection were not become malignant qualities disclaim'd as conscientiously as obedience and justice and honouring of betters Others again so devouted to Moses's Law the Old Testament Spirit that whatever they find practised there they have sufficient authority to transcribe And 't is observable that they which think themselves little concerned in Old Testament Duties which have a long time past for unregenerate morality that faith hath perfectly out-dated are yet zealous Assertors of the Old Testament Spirit all their pleas for the present resistance fetch'd from them yea and confest by some that this liberty was hidden by God in the first ages of the Christian Church but now revealed we cannot hear where yet but in the Old Testament and from thence a whole CIX Psalm full of Curses against God's Enemies and theirs and generally those pass for synonymous terms the special devotion they are exercised in and if ever they come within their reach no more mercy for them than for so many of the seven nations in rooting out of which a great part of their Religion consists I wish there were not another Prodigy also abroad under the name of the Old Testament Spirit the opinion of the necessity of Sacrifice real bloody Sacrifice even such as was but seldom heard of among Indians and Scythians themselves such Sacrifices of which the Canibal Cyclops Feasts may seem to have been but attendants furnished with the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that come from such savage Altars sacrificing of Men of Christians of Protestants as good as any in the World to expiate for the blood shed by Papists in Queen Mary's days and some Prophets ready to avow that without such Sacrifice there is no remission no averting of judgments from the Land What is this but like the Pharisees To build and garnish the Sepulchres of the Prophets and say That if they had lived in their Fathers days they would never have partaken of the blood of the Prophets and yet go on to fill up the measure of their Fathers the very men to whom Christ directs thee O Jerusalem Jerusalem thou that killest in the present tense a happy turn if but the Progeny of those Murtherers and what can then remain but the Behold your house is left unto you desolate irreversible destruction upon the Land A third sort there is again that have so confined the Gospel to Promises and a fourth so perswaded that the Vnum necessarium is to be of right perswasions in Religion i. e. of those that every such man is of for he that did not think his own the truest would sure be of them no longer that betwixt those two popular deceits that of the Fiduciary and this of the Solisidian the Gospel-spirit is not conceived to consist in doing any thing and so still those practical Graces Humility Meekness Mercifulness Peaceableness and Christian Patience are very handsomly superseded that one Moses's Rod called Faith is turned Serpent and hath devoured all these for rods of the Magicians and so still you see men sufficiently armed and fortified against the Gospel-spirit All that is now left us is not to exhort but weep in secret not to dispute but pray for it that God will at last give us eyes to discern this treasure put into our hands by Christ which would yet like a whole Navy and Fleet of Plate be able to recover the fortune and reputation of this bankrupt Island fix this floating Delos to restore this broken shipwrakt Vessel to harbour and safety this whole Kingdom to peace again Peace seasonable instant peace the only remedy on earth to keep this whole Land from being perfect Vastation perfect Africk of nothing but wild and Monster and the Gospel-spirit that Christ came to preach and exemplifie and plant among men the only way imaginable to restore that peace Lord that it might at length break forth among us the want of it is certainly the Authour of all the miseries we suffer under and that brings me to the third and last particular That this ignorance of the Gospel-spirit is apt to betray Christians to unsafe unjustifiable enterprizes You that would have fire from Heaven do it upon this one ignorance You know not c. It were too sad and too long a task to trace every of our evils home to the original every of the fiends amongst us to the mansion in the place of darkness peculiar to it If I should it would be found too true what Du Plesse is affirmed to have said to Languet as the reason why he would not write the story of the Civil
represent to you your own Consciences if they be but called to cannot choose but reflect them to your sight Your outward profession and frequency in it for the general is acknowledged your Custom of the place requires it of you and the example of Piety that rules in your Eyes cannot but extort it Only let your lives witness the sincerity of your professions let not a dead Carcass walk under a living head and a nimble active Christian brain be supported with bed-rid mentionless Heathen â—imbs Let me see you move and walk as well as breath that I may hope to see you Saints as well as Christians And this shall be the summ not only of my advice to you but for you of my Prayers That the Spirit would sanctifie all our hearts as well as brains that he will subdue not only the pride and natural Atheism of our understandings but the rebellions and infidelity and heathenism of our lusts that being purged from any reliques or tincture or suspicion of irreligion in either power of our Souls we may live by Faith and move by Love and die in Hope and both in Life and Death glorifie God here and be glorified with him hereafter SERMON VIII LUKE XVIII 11 God I thank thee that I am not as other men extortioners c. or even as this Publican THAT we may set out at our best advantage and yet not go too far back to take our rise 't is but retiring to the end of the 8. Verse of this Chapter and there we shall meet with an abrupt speech hanging like one of Solomon's Proverbs without any seeming dependance on any thing before or after it which yet upon enquiry will appear 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 faln down from Heaven in the posture it stands in In the beginning of the Eight verse he concludes the former Parable I tell you that he will avenge them speedily and then abruptly Nevertheless when the Son of man comes shall he find faith upon the earth And then immediately Verse 9. he spake another parable to certain that trusted in themselves where this speech in the midst when the Son of man comes c. stands there by it self like the Pharisee in my Text seorsim apart as an 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or intercalary day between two months which neither of them will own or more truly like one of Democritus his atomes the casual concurrence of which he accounted the principle and cause of all things That we may not think so vulgarly of Scripture as to dream that any title of it came by resultance or casually into the world that any speech dropt from his mouth unobserved that spake as man never spake both in respect of the matter of his speeches and the weight and secret energie of all accidents attending them it will appear on consideration that this speech of his which seems an 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a supernumerary superfluous one is indeed the head of the corner and ground of the whole Parable or at least a fair hint or occasion of delivering it at that time Not to trouble you with its influence on the Parable going before concerning perseverance in prayer to which it is as an Isthmus or fibula to joyn it to what follows but to bring our eyes home to my present subject After the consideration of the prodigious defect of faith in this decrepit last age of the world in persons who made the greatest pretences to it and had arriv'd unto assurance and security in themselves he presently arraigns the Pharisee the highest instance of this confidence and brings his righteousness to the bar sub hac formâ There is like to be toward the second coming of Christ his particular visitation of the Jews and then its parallel his final coming to judgment such a specious pompous shew and yet such a small pittance of true faith in the world that as it is grown much less than a grain of mustard-seed it shall not be found when it is sought there will be such giantly shadows and pigmy substances so much and yet so little faith that no Hieroglyphick can sufficiently express it but an Egyptian temple gorgeously over-laid inhabited within by Crocodiles and Cats and carcasses instead of gods or an apple of Sodom that shews well till it be handled a painted Sepulchre or a specious nothing or which is the contraction and Tachygraphy of all these a Pharisee at his prayers And thereupon Christ spake the parable verse 9. there were two men went up into the temple to pray the one a Pharisee c. verse 10. Concerning the true nature of faith mistaken extreamly now adays by those which pretend most to it expuls'd almost out of mens brains as well as hearts so that now it is scarce to be found upon earth either in our lives or almost in our books there might be framed a seasonable complaint in this place were I not already otherwise imbarked By some prepossessions and prejudices infus'd into us as soon as we can conn a Catechism of that making it comes to pass that many men live and die resolv'd that faith is nothing but the assurance of the merits of Christ applied to every man particularly and consequently of his salvation that I must first be sure of Heaven or else I am not capable of it confident of my salvation or else necessarily damned Cornelius Agrippa being initiated in natural magick Paracelsus in mineral extractions Plato full of his Idea's will let nothing be done without the Pythagoreans brought up with numbers perpetually in their ears and the Physicians poring daily upon the temperaments of the body the one will define the soul an harmony the other a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 saith Philoponus And so are many amongst us that take up fancies upon trust for truths never laying any contrary proposals to heart come at last to account this assurance as a principle without which they can do nothing the very soul that must animate all their obedience which is otherwise but a carcass or heathen vertue in a word the only thing by which we are justified or saved The confutation of this popular error I leave to some grave learned tongue that may enforce it on you with some authority for I conceive not any greater hindrance of Christian obedience and godly practice amongst us than this for as long as we are content with this assurance as sufficient stock to set up for Heaven there is like to be but little faith upon the earth Faith if it be truly so is like Christ himself when he was Emmanuel God upon the earth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 an incarnate faith cut out and squared into limbs and lineaments not only a spiritual invisible faith but even flesh and bloud to be seen and felt organiz'd for action 't is to speak and breath and walk and run the ways of God's Commandments An assent not only
homage to it as Servants always to attend and confirm its Proposals never to contradict it as Aristotle hath it Met. 2.2 3. Though Faith depend not upon reason though it subsist entirely upon its own bottom and is then most purely Faith when it relies not on reason and adheres wholly to the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of Gods word yet doth the concurrence and agreement and evidence of reason add much to the clearness and beauty and splendor of it takes away all fears and jealousies and suspicious surmisings out of the understanding and bestows a resolution and constancy on it For Faith though in respect of its ground Gods word it be most infallible yet in its own nature is as the Philosopher defines it a kind of opinion and in our humane frailty subject to demurs and doubts and panick terrors for fear it be false grounded and therefore Aristotle saith of it that it differs from knowledge 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as a sickly man from a strong 't is very weak and aguish subject to sweats and colds and hourly distempers whereas the evidence and assurance of sense and reason added to it bestows a full health and strength upon it an 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a perfect state that it shall never be forced or frighted out of In brief where reason gives its suffrage it unvails Faith and to adherence super-adds evidence and teaches us to feel and touch and handle what before we did believe to gripe and hold and even possess what before we apprehended and these are believers in a manner elevated above an Earthly condition initiated to the state which is all Vision where every thing is beheld 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 naked and display'd as the entrals of a Creature cut down the back or with open face beholding as in a glass 2 Cor. iii. 28 4. There be some difficulties in Religion at which an illiterate understanding will be struck in a maze some depths of mystery where an Elephant can scarce tread Water a Lamb must not hope to wade Many above the apprehensions of the most capacious brain where reason being not able to express must be content to shadow and describe in some rude lines what it cannot perform in pourtraicture and here I say learning though it cannot reach yet can heave up and point at profit though not perfect us help us to some images and resemblances to conceive that which we cannot fully comprehend so saith Philoponus will Mathematical abstractions facilitate the simplicity of Gods Essence to our understandings the lucid nature of the Sun express the brightness of his glory and the mysterious numbers of the Pythagoreans represent the Trinity to our phansies And thus doth Zoroastes in Patricius Philosophari de Deo subdue as it were divinity to reason and raise up reason to join issue with divinity and by his 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that paternal depth made of three threes comprise all the secrets of the Godhead But besides these secrets of the upper Cabinet these supernatural depths there are others secundae altitudinis and as Halicar calls those which are above the reach of all but Philosophers 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and Aristotle 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 natural miracles which none but Scholars can attain to And these I hope shall never be discust upon a Shop-board or enter into any brain that is not before well ballast with weight and substance at the bottom I need not name them to you you may know them by this that when they come into an empty brain they breed Winds and turn all into vertigoes and dizziness There be yet farther lights of a third magnitude which yet every one hath not Eyes to gaze on and of this condition are almost all the speculations in divinity nay the ordinariest truth in a Catechism can scarce be forced into a vulgar understanding his brain is not set that way and many of our subtilest Worldlings have mistaken the Virgin Mary for an Angel and the Apostles Creed where only they find mention of her for a prayer and then you cannot imagine what stead a little learning would stand these men in what even Miracles 't would work upon them 5. 'T is but necessity and exigence of nature that those which are the weak should apply themselves for help and directions to those that are stronger the Child in a Cradle must be put to a Nurse which may give it suck till it be able to eat and for a while bear it in her arms that it may be taught to go There be in nature saith Aristotle in his Mechan many wants she performs not all our needs and therefore Engines were invented to supply defects Thus is Art a Machina or invention 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to furnish us with those abilities which nature was a niggard in and therefore to deprive our selves of this guidance when it is offered is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to put out an eye of his that hath but one in all which was of old a great aggravation to the injury in the Rhetor. indeed to leave our selves desperately blind 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in Iambl In matters of Religion we must not so much as speak nay not think without a Candle we shall want the guidance of some Teacher to direct every such word out of our mouths or thought into our hearts An ignorant man must not have leave so much as to meditate on God without a guide for he is mad say the Philosophers and then every thought of his will be a kind of delirium or phrenzy 'T is the law of nature saith the Historian 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that superiours should have a kind of sovereignty over all that are inferiour to them a magisterium and command over them to rule and order them and this superiority and sovereignty hath the learned Pastor or generally the Scholar over all ignorant men be they never so rich or potent and whosoever denies or scorns thus to obey I say not is to be slain as the Law was in the ancient Wars 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 without an assizes but to be condemned of much peevishness and more stupidity and his punishment is Let him fall into his own hands i. e. be ruled by a fool or mad man 6. Much of the speculative part of Religion may be had from a Pharisee as well as a Disciple Christ himself bears witness of him that he was Orthodox in matters concerning the Law They sit in Moses Chair and therefore whatsoever they bid you that observe and do Mat. xxiii 3 They err indeed in prescribing their additions to duty as divine command but the chief obliquity was in their lives they were Hereticks nay Apostates from their Doctrine and therefore do not after their works for they say and do not verse 4. If I am resolved of such a mans abilities in learning but see him a scandalous Liver I will borrow of his gifts and
understand yet they can produce only an absolute simple general will that is an assent and approbation of the absolute goodness of the thing proposed not a resolute will to abandon all other Worldly purposes to perform that which I will Knowledge and right apprehension of things may convince me first of the History that all that is spoken of or by Christ is true and then of the expedience to apply all his merits to my Soul but when I see all this cannot be done without paying a price without undoing my self without pawning all that I have my learning my wealth my delights my whole worldly being without self-denial then the general assent that absolute will is grown chill and dead we are still whatever we believe but Infidels all the Articles of the Creed thus assented to are not enough to make us â—hristians So that the issue of all is all knowledge in the World cannot make us deny our selves and therefore all knowledge in the World is not able to produce belief only the spirit must breath this power into us of breathing out our selves he must press our Breasts and stifle and strangle us we must give up the natural ghost he must force out our Earthly Breath out of our Earthly Bodies or else we shall not be enlivened by his spiritual Thus have you reasons of the common divorce betwixt knowledge and faith i. e. the no manner of dependence betwixt them in nature Secondly the open resistence in some points betwixt reason and Scripture Thirdly the more secret reluctancies betwixt the pride and contents of learning and the spirit And lastly the insufficiency of all natural knowledge and transcendency of spiritual so that he cannot know them because they are spiritually discernâ—d I should now in very charity release you but that there is one word behind of most important necessity to a Sermon and that is of Application That laying to our hearts the important documents of the Text our righteousness and faith may exceed that oâ— the Pharisees Mat. v. 20 our preaching and walking may be like that of Christs in power and as having authority and not as the Scribes Mat. vii 29 and we not content with a floating knowledge in the Brain do press and sink it down into our inferiour faculties our senses and affections till it arise in a full Harvest of fruitful diligently working Faith It was Zenophanes his phansy 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and that God was all Eyes and all Ears but breathed not there was no use of that in him and so is it with us who are always exercising our knowledge powers to see and hear what e're is possible but for any breath of life in us any motion of the spirit we have no use of it it is not worth valuing or taking notice of nothing so vulgar and contemptible in them that have it nothing of which we examine our selves so slightly of which we are so easily mistaken so willingly deceived and nothing that we will be content to have so small a measure of A little of it soon tires as out 't is too thin aery diet for us to live upon we cannot hold out long on it like the Israelites soon satiated with their bread from Heaven nothing comparable to their old food that Nilus yielded them Numb xi 5 We remember the fish that we did eat in Egypt but now our Soul is dryed away there is nothing but this Manna before our Eyes as if that were not worth the gathering Pythagoras could say that if any one were to be chosen to pray for the people to be made a Priest he must be a vertuous man 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in Iamblichus because the Gods would take more heed to his words and again that many things might be permitted the people which should be interdicted preachers It was thâ— confirmation of his precepts by his life and practice 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that made Italy 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 all the Country his School and all that ever heard him his Disciples Nothing will give such authority to our Doctrine or set such a value on our calling as a religious Conversation He that takes such a Journey as that into Holy Orders must go on 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 according to his 15 Symâ—olum must not return to his former sins as well as trade saith Iamblichus the falling into one of our youthful Vices is truly a disordering of our selves and a kind of plucking our hands from the Plow A Physician saith Hippocrates must have colour and be in flesh 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of a good promising healthy complexion and then men will guess him a man of skill otherwise the patient will bid the Physician heal himself and having by his ill look a prejudice against his Physick his phansy will much hinder its working You need no application He again will tell you that the profession suffers not so much by any thing as by rash censures and unworthy Professors In brief our very knowledge will be set at nought and our gifts scoffed at if our lives do not demonstrate that we are Christians as well as Scholars No man will be much more godly for hearing Seneca talk of Providence nor be affected with bare words unless he see them armed and backt with power of him that utters them Consider but this one thing and withal that my Doctrine is become a Proverb and he is a proud man that can first draw it upon a Scholar his learning and his clergy make him never the more religious O let our whole care and carriage and the dearest of our endeavours strive and prevail to cross the Proverb and stop the mouth of the rashest declamer That Comedy of Aristophanes took best which was all spent in laughing at Socrates and in him involved and abused the whole condition of learning though through Alcibiades his Faction it miscarried and mist its applause once or twice yet when men were left to their humour 't was admired and cried up extremely Learning hath still some honourable Favourers which keep others in awe with their Countenance but otherwise nothing more agreeable to the people than Comedies or Satyrs or Sarcasms dealt out against the Vniversities let us be sure that we act no parts in them our selves nor perform them before they are acted Let us endeavour that theirs may be only pronunciations a story of our faults as presented in a Scene but never truly grounded in any of our actions One wo we are secure and safe from Wo be to you when all men shall speak well of you we have many good Friends that will not let this Curse light on us O let us deliver our selves from that Catalogue of woes which were all denounced against the Pharisees for many Vices all contained in this accomplisht piece 〈◊〉 say but do not Mat. xxiii 4 And seeing all our intellectual excellencies cannot assure or bribe or woo Gods spirit to overshadow