can be expected from a Church consisting of such Men speak of Houses where the Devils walk where spirits haunt men dare not dwell there I tell thee That a Family where ignorance and prophaneness is nourished is an house not only haunted but even possessed by Devils And how canst thou eat sleep and live in such a place Fourthly In the primitive times there were a rank of people that were called Catecumini as we said before Candidati or Competentes such who being converted from Paganism were not yet fully instructed in the matters of Religiâ—n and therefore they had time to get knowledg before ever they were admitted to Church-Communion And answerable to this there was a Catechist one whose work and office it was to instruct such before they were Baptized Thus you see how carefull in Antiquity they were that they might have no ignorant persons among them And certainly as in all Arts there are Principles which must be learned before they can come to Conclusions so it 's here in Religion And oh that we could see this Knowledge brought in amongst people To be a Christian is to be anointed and this Vnction teacheth us all things Joh. 2.20 viz. necessary to salvation Fifthly Principles of Religion largely so called are of two sorts either Corrupt Idolatrical and Heretical or true Sound and Consonant to the Scripture Now there are many in the world are too forward to infuse poysonous and dangerous Principles so great a matter is it to consider what men are seasoned with at first either privately or publiquely Thus many are infected with Popish and superstitious Principles many with erroneous and false Doctrines and these foundations being laid it 's very difficult ever to remove them As the vessel is first seasoned or the tree at first planted so it is likely to continue The Apostle cals those Jewish Ceremonies the beggerly elements Gal. 4.9 or Principles of the world Why so because the superstitious Teachers made them the first Elements the Principles the foundation of all and therefore they thought all Religion was taken away if they were removed And thus you have divers persons they have indeed some Principles of Religion but they are Popish and Superstitious such as put out the Knowledge of Christ and the Scriptures And It 's a two-fold labour as Socrates said to a perverted Disciple of his to teach them for they must first be untaught their erroneous Principles and then must be instructed in the truth Oh then look to this that thy Principles about Religion be not false ignorant and superstitious ones Sixthly The true Principles of Religion are reduced to severall heads and are both short and easie but necessary to be known The Doctrine about God and Christ and our selves which is the Credendum The Doctrine about Faith and Repentance which is the Agendum And about things to come which is the Sperandum About God we are to believe That he is and a rewarder of those that seek him About Christ This is eternal life to know Jesus Christ Joh. 17.2 and the holy Ghost for we are Baptized in his Name About our selves the desperate pollution of our natures the hainousness of sinne the aggravation of the curses of the Law The things to be done are Repentance which driveth out of our sins and Faith which driveth out of our own righteousness But because these are Divine Works therefore a man must be regenerated and born again And this Principle Christ insisted on to Nicodemus Joh 3. The things to come are The Resurrection of the Body The immortality of the Soul The Day of Judgment The Heâ—ven and Hell provided for the godly and the wicked These Principles are plain and easie not to flesh and blood but in respect of the manifestation of them They are laid down clearly in Scripture None without horrible impudency can deny them Indeed there are many sublime Disputes about the Trinity and about Christs Incarnation but these are not necessary to be believed by every one Oh then how great is thy ingratitude God hath made the necessary things easie and plain and yet thou art not acquainted with them If God had commanded some greater matter of thee If he had required all thy time all thy study thou wast obliged to have done it How much rather in things of so easie apprehension But now when we say These divine Principles are easie you must take heed of two mistakes 1. We do not mean that the divine Faith and Belief of them is easie to flesh and blood no but they are easie supposing the grace of God in respect of other particulars in Religion For otherwise To believe with a Divine Faith viz. by the Spirit of God inabling upon divine Authority which is only true Faith is the immediate work of Gods Spirit Therefore Faith though it be but Historicall and not saving is the gift of God When we desire a Knowledge and Faith of these Principles we mean not such a Faith as most men have a Faith of custom and humane education a Faith because they are brought up in such a Religion but upon Judgment and Knowledge grounded upon the Scripture That which is usually called the Colliars Faith To believe as the Church believes Is the Husbandmans and the Tradesmans and the rich mans and the poor mans Faith too much in the world So that as Christ saith His yoke is easie and yet also it is very hard Easie to the heart sanctified but grieveous to the unregenerate So it is here The Principles of Religion are easie and plain to the mind inlightned but they are either foolishness or absurdities to the greatest Scholar that is if hâ—s heart be not opened And thus Paul found himself derided and called a Babler amongst the Athenians 2. We do not mean that the bare saying of the Principles of Religian by heart and rote is the true believing and knowing of them As the Child is not said to be fed with milk unless it swallow it down and be nourished by it So neither can they be said to believe the Principles of Religion unless they do with understanding apply them and receive them into their hearts But this is all that most attain unto they can tell you God made them That Christ is their Saviour That they must repent of sinne But these things are by meer rote They learn them as formerly in Popery they learned their Prayers in Lattin they knew not what they prayed for so neither these what they do believe Now the Grounâ—s for Instruction in these Principles are First Because God accounts of no zeal nor devout affections if they be not the fruit of Knowledge Thus Christ told the woman that was so zealous for her Fathers worship Ye worship ye know not what Joh. 4 22. Though God once accepted bruit beasts as a Sâ—rifice to him Yet now saith the Apostle let 's offer up our selves a reasonable Sacrifice Rom. 12.1 The Jew had a zeal but
live according to the wayes ignorance folly and customes of the world They are to shine as lights amongst a froward and crooked generation Phil. 2.14 Pure Religion is said to keep it self unspotted from the world Jam. 1.27 All the wicked and ungodly wayes in it are not to defile and soil him As they speak of a River called Alpheus that emptieth it self in the Sea yet even in the very Sea it keepeth its sweetnesse and is not made salt and brackish as the waters of the Sea are They are in the world but not of it Hence Rom. 12. Be ye not conformed unto the fashion of the world but be transformed in your minds Here you may see who are men of the best fashion in a place not men of the greatest wealth honours or earthly dignity but who do not conforme to the fashion of the world that hath not the cursing swearing lying uncleannesse and all the works of darknesse that the world is said to lie in Let us improve this Doctrine and I know no truth a sharper sword to enter into your bowels than this For generally men think it a disgrace not to live as most men do what to grow so precise and strict as not to do as others do They are afraid to own such to be thought such Oh what Antipodes are such men to the Scripture Either lay down the name of a Christian or else live above what men of the world do As Alexander said to a souldier named Alexander Either lay aside his name or else do valiant acts Matth. 5. If ye love them that love you what singular thing do ye do not even the publicans the same Mark that there is a godly singularity and the people of God must be singular not do so or live so as most men in the world do The Apostle in this phrase To live as men or According to man may imply these things First Meer men have no divine faith in the matters of Religion wrought in them by the Spirit of God but walk according to the natural dictates of conscience and education and so are for that Religion which they have been brought up in and accustomed to whether it be right or wrong whether good or bad This our Saviour cleareth when Peter made that excellent Confession of Faith That Christ was the Sonne of God our Saviour graciously accepts of it and tels him Flesh and bloud hath not revealed this to him Mat. 16.17 So that then men walk as men in all matters of Religion when they have no more than custome or the countenance of the Laws of the Land where they live no more than flesh and blood hath made known to them Thus we see the Jews the Turks the Papists they all wilfully adhere to the Religion they have been used to and so many Christians believe in Christ upon no better grounds than they do in their falsehoods Be not then any longer such men and servants of men as the Apostle cals it that is to believe the truâ—hs of Religion upon humane authority humane motives That our Saviour meaneth when he bids us Call no man master on earth because Christ is the only Master Mat. 23.8 Not that the instruction and teaching of Church officers is to be rejected as some absurdly would inferre from those places for we are commanded to hear them and to enquire for the truth at their mouth only it 's not a divine faith till it be upon divine grounds Not as the word of men but as the word of God 1 Thess 2.13 It 's a sad thing to consider how many walk as men in this respect being in matter of Religion without any eyes of their own as if another mans faith were to justifie them and not their own Secondly To walk as a meer man is to propound some outward inferiour comforts as the ultimate end and chief felicity of our souls Take a man as a meer man and the utmost end for which he labours and strives in this world is some earthly advantages Oh but what saith the Apostle of true Christians We walk not by sense but by faith 2 Cor. 5.7 And we behold not the things that are seen but the things that are not seen What made Moses deny all that earthly greatnesse he might have had in Pharaohs Court Who would have made such a choise as he did To suffer reproaches for Christ rather than the pleasures of Aegypt Why is this Because he saw him that was invisible and had an eye to the recompence of reward Heb. 11. See then Moses more than a man he propounds to himself as the greatest happinesse the enjoyment of God and communion with him And as the Sunne puts out the lesser light of the starres so this good in God obscured that in all earthly things Then therefore men walk as men when they look no further than the good things of this life riches honours earthly pomp and greatnesse and as for the enjoyment of God which is indeed the true end that they come short of Oh do not then walk as men any longer placing all your affections thoughts and desires in inferiour comforts Is this to have your conversation in Heaven Is this to sit with Christ in heavenly places Is this to make God your portion Is not this rather to have the Serpents curse upon you to lick up the dust of the earth and to mind earthly-things Thirdly To walk as meer men is to put confidence and hope onely in second causes and visible instruments not trusting the promise of God or believing his power that he reigneth and ruleth in Heaven and earth doing what he pleaseth This is not only to walk as men but as the wise men and most admired men in the world The Scripture brings in the thoughts of the wise men as if God sate in Heaven and did not judge all things as he pleased The fool hath said in his heart and that fool is every meer man there is no God Psal 14.1 No Judge no Governour Therefore they look only to instruments to second causes and they puff up themselves and grow insolent when they have these bladders to swim with As on the other side they sink even as Pharaohs hoast into despair when such outward props are taken away Know then that all thy dedejections cares and doubtfull thoughts either about thy self or the publick they argue thee to walk as a meer man Our Saviour doth excellently shame his Disciples for this when using several Arguments to the Disciples against their distrust and carefulnesse he tels them Such things the Gentiles and Heathens seek after Mat. 6.7 So that to walk as men is to be affected in our own particular or in the publick good as if there were no promise no God as if men were Omnipotent as if men brought about all things When Melancthon was often dejected about the affairs of the Church being prone to distrust and fears Luther told him That God had bound
them I rather think the latter because it 's used as a Name of honour If any man suffer as a Christian saith Peter 1 Pet. 1.3 Now this title Christian is of great importance Many are apt to say As they are a Christian when there is no reall Christianity in them For to be a Christian is as much as to be one anointed For as Christ was so called because annointed with all Graces in an unlimited manner so every Member of Christ is called a Christian because anointed with Graces Oh then thou that gloriest in that thou art no Heathen no Infidel no Jew but a Christian consider whether this be not a vain boast For is thy prophaneness thy wickedness thy impieties the anointing of Gods Spirit So that to have the reall power of Christianity is a difficult and straight work In after times the title Christian still continued And although they were sometimes called Cornelians from Cornelius Cyrillians from Cyrillus and Joannitae from John Chrysostome Eustathiani from Eustathius yet they did not own these Names And as Heresies began to rise up in many places some teaching one thing some another the Christian that kept to the true Faith that was constantly and universally believed in all the ages of the Church beginning from Christ and the Apostles times was called Catholique or universall in which sense he said Christianus mihi nomen Catholicus cognomen So that to be a Catholique was to believe that Faith which had been universally taught first by Christ and the Apostles afterwards by faithfull men in all ages And for the Papist to call himself a Catholique when the Roman Church hath so manifestly degenerated from the Apostolical and Scripture Doctrine and for them to make the Roman and the Catholique Church all one is as absurd as if a man should call London or England all the world The Papist therefore is no Catholique in a true sense because he cannot prove his Faith by the Apostolical Doctrine in the Scripture yea accuseth the Scripture as insufficient And some of their learned men have confessed that if they should try thir cause by the Scripture meerly it was gone I shall instance in one famous Name given to such who truly own Christ and his Truths and that is Protestants They were called thus not many years since in Luther's time whereas the Orthodox had got some indulgence for the profession of their true Religion and pure worship The Popish party did importune the Emperour of Germany to make an Edict at Worms and afterwards at Spires That no Religion should be publickly professed and owned but the Roman The Lutheran Party both Noblemen and others made a Solemn Protestation against that unjust Decree and ever since all that reformed from Popery have been called Protestants So that all those who have a compliance with Popery that admire their way in their heart or act by their principles cannot truly be called Protestants Thus you have heard the chief names by which Christians are called And still after no mans name And whereas Papists call us Lutherans Calvinists c. we indeed own Luther and Calvin and such men for worthy and famous instruments of Gods glory in their time but it is their calumny to call us after their Names It is true a man by way of difference or distinction he may say a Lutheran and Calvinist to denote some peculiar opinion but to own any man as an Author of our Faith or the foundation of Religion is not consistent with true Christianity There are pregnant Reasons for this First Because as our faith in regard of the efficient cause is the gift of God so the object and motive of it must be Gods authoriâ—y because he speaks and revealeth such things Humane faith is because a man saâ—â—h such a thing divine faith because God saith so Now see how carefull the Apostle was that the Churches faith should not be in humane wisdome but in the mighty power of God And so the Thessalonians received it not as the word of man but as the word of God 1 Thess 2.13 The Apostle saith They had not dominion of their faith 2 Cor. 1.24 They were not able to make any Articles of Faith necessary to be believed You see then none may be called after men we are not their Disciples their believers for that which resteth on men is but an humane faith and we ought to have a divine faith Men indeed may be instruments to propound the things to be believed but the motive is a divine testimony because God saith so Solomon by his wisdome declared to which woman the childe belonged to but he did not cause the affections of the mother to the child So faithfull Officers of the Church may declare the truth of God but they cannot work faith in thee Secondly Therefore we may not be called after men to build on them because we are not baptized into any mans name and we are onely to professe those in whose name we are baptized into 1 Cor. 1.13 Paul doth powerfully urge this Argument why they might not say they were of Paul because they were not baptized into the name of Paul So then his Disciple thou art and his badge thou onely art to wear in whose name thou wert baptized and that is not into the name of a man but the Name of the Father Son and holy Ghost Thirdly The Apostle presseth another Argument Was Paul crucified for you Did Paul die for you 1 Cor. 1.13 His meaning is In him onely we are to believe who is able to make our reconciliation with God who hath wrought our Redemption for us And therefore it 's a very high sinne to build your faith on a man It 's to make him a Saviour it 's to put him in Christs room Fourthly Our Apostle urgeth a further Argument in the same Chapter He that glorieth let him glory in the Lord And Christ is made unto us Wisdome So all boasting in men is to be excluded as well as boasting in works Oh but what is the cause of so many errors of so many divisions It 's from boasting in men such a man and such a man and by this meanes the glory due to God is taken away Fifthly The Scripture makes it a great sinne in matters of Religion and the worship of God to be servants of men 1 Cor. 7.23 Now what is it to be a servant of men when as bruit beasts we are wholly led at the command of others believe what they bid us believe worship with such worship as they command yet this hath been an universal sinne in all ages of the Church Men nuzzled in ignorance and pleasing themselves in their folly have without any judgement or information from Gods Word taken such a Religion and followed such a Worship as hath been imposed upon them Hence they have been sometimes of one Religion and sometimes of another because they have been servants to men and not Disciples of Christ
doubt may be raised How Paul can say He layeth the foundation which is no other but Christ as appeareth at the eleventh verse seeing God appropriateth it to himself Isa 28.16 Behold I lay in Zion a foundation stone c But The answer is God layeth this foundation 1. By his Decree appointing Christ thereunto And 2. By his temporal mission of him into the world but Paul layed the foundation only ministerially and declaratively by publishing Christ to be the Saviour especially to those who never heard of him before It 's a special part of the wisdome and heavenly art of the Ministers of the Gospel to lay a good and sure foundation in the hearts of their hearers This Paul makes the principal part of his wisdome that he began with a good foundation If people are not rightly built upon this any tempest that ariseth will throw down all theâ—r Religion Our Saviour speaketh a Parable Luke 6.48 49 like to this of the wise builder and the foolish builder And although there it be meant of every particular Christian yet we may apply it to every Minister He that doth not build up his people upon sure and Scripture foundations they are like the chaff and straw that the wind doth drive to and fro There is no true faith no truâ— godlinesse no true hope of salvation where the right and sure foundation is not laid The point therefore in hand is of great consequence both to the Preacher and to the Auditor to consider what foundation his Religion and Godlinesse is fixed upon For the opening of this Consider that Divines do ordinarily make a two-fold foundation The one they call Fundamentum cognoscendi The foundation of our knowledge and faith in matters of Religion and this is the Scripture only We can lay no other foundation for matters of Faith but the word of God Non credo quia non lego said Tertullian of old And Secondly There is Fundamentum essendi The Foundation of the being or existence of all our glory and salvation and that is only Jesus Christ He is the foundation-stone and every one is to believe in him only for Salvation and Justification So that as God made two great lights for the world so he hath done for the Church the Scriptures and Christ This Doctrine is true yet Heb. 6.1 we there reade of more foundations than one for there are practical fundamentals as well as speculative I shall therefore not limit my self to this one foundation mentioned by the Apostle but enlarge my self to the necessary foundations in our Christian life and shew you the necessity of that wisdom which will build upon these fundamentals And although I am not ignorant That the Dispute about what are foundations or fundamentals in Religion and what not is very hard and difficult yet I shall instance in four unquestionable foundations which are the four main pillars that support our Christian building The necessary things of Religion are these four Either 1. The Matters to be believed 2. The Worship and necessary service of God 3. The spiritual Benefits and mercies Justification and Salvation 4. The things to be done by us in our way to Salvation All these are fundamental and necessary in their kind to salvation and therefore it behoveth every Minister of the Gospel to principle and settle his people in all these particulars For herein is the danger not of mens bodies or estates but their immortal souls We will begin with the first The foundation of our faith or divine assent in matters of Religion What is that which every man must build his faith upon What is the foundation he must lay there And that is the Word of God declared and written for our instruction in those Canonical Books of the Scripture When we come to believe the matters of our salvation the ultimate motive into which all is to be resolved is Thus saith the Lord 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The word of God hath spoken it It 's not antiquity universality or the laws of the Land or the tradition of our fathers that is the warrantable foundation but the Scripture only Thus Timothy is commended for attending to the Scriptures which are able to make him wise to salvation through faith 2 Tim. 3.17 18. So that although other things be required by way of helps and means as prayer interpretation of the Scripture Gods assistance the guidance of the Ministry yet by way of a Foundation or a Rule that is the Scripture only As God at first put all the light into the Sunne and the Starres shine by a borrowed light from it So God hath now put all supernatural light into the Scripture and all guides are to shine by that Hence it is so often compared to a light and a lamp unto our feet So that the Ministers of the Word do then lay a good foundation when in matters of Doctrine and truths to be believed they build them on the Scripture make them a Scripture-auditory a people that dare not that will not take any matter of faith but upon Scripture-grounds Thus those Bereans are commended for a noble and ingenuous people that compared what Paul preached with the Scriptures they then had whether it was consonant to them or no Act. 17 11. So that that people who know nothing of the Scripture are not instructed by the Word have not their faith their Religion from it all they offer to God is a Sacrifice without eyes they do believe they know not what Now that the written word of God is the only foundation of our Christian faith appeareth by these Reasons First A Christian faith ought to be a divine supernatural faith not a bare humane faith Now nothing can be the ground of a divine faith but a divine authority a divine Argument suggested by God himself Most men that call themselves Christians have no more than an humane faith in matters of Religion They believe thus because their parents did so because the Laws of the Land compell them to do so Thus they have no other grounds of faith then the Turks or Papists have for themselves but as copper is not gold so neither is this humane faith that holy and Christian perswasion which the Spirit of God through the Word works in man because revealed in the Word 1 Thess 1. They are commended That they did not receive the Word preached as the word of men but as indeed the word of God 1 Thess 1.13 So that whosoever hath an holy faith he must have a divine perswasion for this from the Authority of God that as an humane faith is because humane authority speaks it so a divine faith because God revealeth it in the Scripture But alas generally our people can no more look into these things then an Owl in the dazelling Sun How few are perswaded of the true Doctrine of Christ from this Divine Authority because God hath said thus God hath spoken thus Oh
then believe no longer as men Do not think or speak as men but as those who have God perswading you Secondly The Scriptures are only the foundation because they are the immediate verity or truth coming from God who is the first essential truth They have not only a Divine Authority but evident infallibility As God himself is Truth and is not like man that may lie So his Word is likewise Truth and cannot lie or deceive as the writings of men Therefore Psal 19. they are said to be purer than gold seven times refined And it 's said The Scripture that cannot lie or cannot be broken John 10.35 It 's an heavy judgement to be delivered up in matters of salvation to believe a lie It 's the spiritual curse that is threatned to those of the Antichristian apostasie 2 Thess 2.11 Now they must needs be thus punished that forsake the Scripture and build upon other foundations Seeing then the Scripture doth contain infallible truth onely and not one iota or tittle of that can fall to the ground and in all other foundations that may be laid there may be falsehood errour and grand Impostures Let then those hearers that are carefull to keep a good faith walk by this Rule Chrysostome said Never expect good from that man who is not searching of the Scriptures attending to the Scriptures It 's an heavy grievous sinne that in your family in your closets you do no more acquaint your selves with the Bible Take a Tree from the River side and plant it in a wildernesse what can you expect but a withering And thus it is if you take a man from the Scripture his seeming faith graces godlinesse will all presently vanish Thirdly The Scriptures onely are the foundation of faith because they are onely immutable and unmoveable They abide alwayes the same they are not subject to changes to perturbations of affections as men are Councils consisted of men carried by passions and interests Even in the Council of Nice and the four first Councils there were great sidings great animosities particular interests and parties and therefore unlesse we had an unchangeable foundation we must be mutable Camelions Now the word of God that is said To abide for ever whereas all flesh is grasse and the glory thereof fadeth away 1 Pet. 1.24 25. It 's called the eternal Gospel Revel 14.6 So then that which was three thousand yeares agoe is still true because the Scriptures are still the same There is no new Bible though there may be many new opinions and new Sects Aristotle commendeth the Government of a Nation by Lawes above the wils and arbitrary resolutions of men because Lawes are fixed and known And so it is in the Church of God that hath a known Law and Rule Therefore it is an hainous errour which the learned note in Cusanus though otherwise not a very bad man in affirming That the Scripture is to be interpreted Secundum currentem statum Ecclesiae according to the present course and exigency of the Church and therefore in some age those things are received which in another are rejected Lastly The Scripture is only to be laid for a foundation because this onely is strong enough to support and bear up in sad hours of temptation and dangerous times of persecutions Who would be cheated or distinguished out of the Truth by subtil Hereticks or scared and terrified by violent opposers Therefore we had need be built upon such a rock that can endure all waves How could the Martyrs have resisted to blood had not they had Scripture-assurance Luther had this temptation Tune solus sapis c. and nothing but the Scripture confirmed him Our Saviour quelled Satans temptations by arrows out of the Scripture quiver When a man comes to die may he not be assaulted about the truth of his faith whether he die not in heresie or damnable opinions and nothing but the Scripture can uphold him Now for the matter of Doctrine to be believed some men lay four rotten and weak foundations others may be reduced to this The first is that of the Papist The Authority of the Church and the Pope being wholly ignorant themselves but resting all on their Authority Bellarmine doth not blush to expound that place Behold I lay in Zion a foundation stone secondarily to the Pope Now although we grant That the Ministry of the true Church is very usefull and necessary as the instrument of our faith and the preservation of it In which sense it 's called The pillar and ground of the Truth 1 Tim. 3.15 yet it is onely a Ministry not a Magistry It 's a political Pillar upon which Edicts use to hang for Declaration of the Magistrates will not an Architectonical Pillar that beares up the house So that Austins speech is true I had not believed the Gospel had not the Authority of the Church moved me viz. by way of introduction and preparation As the woman of Samaria did to the Samaritans who at first believed because she told them but afterwards they believed for Christs own sake We do not believe in the Church as we doe in the matter revealed in the Scripture Therefore that ignorant implicit faith to believe what the Church saith is not a scripture-Scripture-faith faith of knowledge besides then every member must believe according to that Church he is of and seeing there are Churches against Churches there shall also be faith against faith The second foundation men lay is The Authority of the Civil Magistrate This is a meer political faith Many men have no other apprehension about Religion than the Laws of the Land wherein they live They matter not whether true or false whether acceptable to God or consonant to Scripture but this is commanded and this they do As Seneca said in his time He observed that Worship of their gods Non tanquam Diis grata but legibus jussa not as acceptable to the gods but commanded by the Lawes But the Apostles example is clean contrary for they preached a faith to be believed that was contradictory to that Religion which was established by humane authority and they resolve thus It 's better to obey God than man Act. 5 29. The third is Private Revelation and Enthusiasmes As the Papists on one side have cryed down the sufficiency and perfection of the Scripture so Illuminatists men fancying to themselves Revelations from God have also decried it making themselves above the Scripture A dangerous and damnable delusion Therefore the Apostle John bids us Try the spirits and that cannot be without the Rule of the Word 1 John 4.1 And Fourthly Another false foundation is Meer humane Reason There are many risen up that make Reason the Judge and foundation of all Doctrinal Points the Socinian especially hereupon they reject the Trinity the Divine Nature of Christ as being against Reason Now although rectified Reason be necessary as an instrument to revive the things of faith yet it
Let us not do at upon a meer feigned and invented holinesse of things and places but let us magnifie personal moral holinesse to this the promise is made This is the true and blessed glory This makes us like Angels and our Churches like Heaven Verse 18. Let no man deceive himself if any man seemeth to be wise in this world let him become a fool that he may be wise THe Apostle having sufficiently declared the sinfulnesse and punishment attendant of those who defile the Church of God by corrupt Doctrines he doth begin in this verse to remove those obstructions in the way that may hinder the good use of what he had said For though the food be never so good yet if the stomack be sick and undisposed we cannot look for good nourishment Now the first stone that was to be rolled out of the way there could be no sowing of this divine seed with hopefull successe till that was removed was the self-conceit of their own wisdome and the admiring of the worldly humane excellencies that they saw in their false teachers Till this Goliah be killed the Apostle doth not expect their obedience to what he had said Hence in this eighteenth verse he beginneth to dehort from all self-conceit and earthly wisdome and in the Text he declareth a two-fold pernicious and dangerous effect thereof First That it is a meer deceiving of a mans self Let no man deceive himself That which the proud wise men of the world applaud for gold will prove but drosse he will see it was a meer empty swelling not a man-child they travelled with Secondly The necessity of relinquishing and abdicating this wisdome as the great enemy to true and heavenly wisdome which is the other dangerous effect Let him become a fool that he may be wise So that this Text is an hammer to beat down all those high and lofty things that are in our carnal understandings and to lead all our thoughts and apprehensions captive into the obedience of faith Now this Dehortation doth belong both to the Teachers he had reproved and to the Auditors For if ye ask What made the Doctors defile the Temple with errours and heresies It was only humane wisdome and proud understandings And What made the Disciples so factiously preferre one above the other But still that doting upon humane and earthly wisdome Thus the Text is an excellent Antidote against the proud flesh or rather proud spirit that may be either in teacher or hearer For the first Effect A mans self-deceiving that is coincident with the other subject I am insisting upon therefore I wave it and come to the duty of Abdication and renouncing of this humane wisdome If any man seem to be wise let him become a fool This bunch upon the Camels back must be levelled ere it can go thorow the eye of a needle The first Doctrine which is implyed only shall be That humane and earthly wisdome is a great enemy to all the heavenly things of Christ The Kingdome of Heaven and the Ministry of the Gospel hath not a greater adversary in the world amongst mens corruptions then this This is the great mountain in our way Rom. 8 7. A carnal man is enmity against God A mind whose thoughts intentions and reasonings are wholly upon carnal motives it 's enmity in the very abstract it 's as bad as the Devil all that it hath and is is nothing but enmity and that against God the only wise the only great good the only God What hath thy earthy wisdome no other adversary to fall upon but the mighty wise God Yea it 's not only actually rebellious against Gods Law but it hath not the very power to be subject◠There is no actual or potential subjection it cannot be Therefore our Saviour to demonstrate how farre such wise men of the world were from being his Disciples he takes a little child and setting him in the midst of them saith Vnlesse a man become like this child he cannot enter into the Kingdome of Heaven Mat. 18.2 3. Now the holy and heavenly things of Christ may be reduced unto three heads 1. The supernatural Matter and Doctrine to be believed 2. The Manner of promulgation of this in the holy Scriptures 3. The holy and spiritual Duties that are required of us In all these you shall see a man with no more than natural humane wisdom to be the greatest adversary therunto yea and the more parts and the more wisdom he hath the more indisposed subject he is to receive or believe supernatural truths Insomuch that wise men thought no man that had wisdome could ever acknowledge the Christian faith So Tertullian said the Heathens would wonder that such a man a good and a wise man would ever turn Christian Thus what Tertullian said excellently concerning Christs Incarnation in regard of the humane wisdome of the world That a God should be made man be crucified c. Prorsus credibile quia impossibile non pudet quia pudendum It 's true of many others doctrinals and practicals in Christs kingdome yet truly Divinity doth require of us no more than all humane Arts Discentem credere oportet If a man doth not believe before he understands he can never attain to knowledge and so saith Austin in Religion Non intelligendum ut credatis sed credendum ut intelligatis We must not understand to believe but believe to understand Let us consider First What an enemy to the Doctrine believed the fleshly humane wisdome of a man is And First This humane wisdome puffeth a man up with pride that he will not entertain such divine mysteries And this swelling or puffing up is immediately contrary to an act of faith For faith hath an obediential assent namely because God saith it let my understanding cavil and argue never so plausibly yet faith makes it obedientially yeeld unto the testimony and authority of God Wonder not therefore if humane wisdome be such an enemy to Christianity because faith and that are at immediate contrariety faith bids the mind stoop and yeeld humane wisdome bids it lift it self up Hence the Scripture cals it The obedience of or to faith and it 's the captivating of the understanding the beating down the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 every high thing that exalteth it self 2 Cor. 10 5. So that faith is a kind of mental martyrdom it puts to death those high and lofty thoughts men naturally have Seeing then humane knowledge puffeth up and filleth a man with pride this putteth a man into an immediate contrariety unto believing which is the Christians knowledge Secondly Humane wisdome as it doth immediately oppose faith in its obediential assent so also humility which is the instrumental grace to receive all the mysteries of Christ Humility is not only a grace it self but a vessel to receive other graces The humble and meek he will teach his way Psal 25.9 I thank thee O Father that thou hast revealed these things
him Now a mans self is to be denied two wayes 1. There is his sinfull and unlawfull self in the pleasures and profits of sinne This must be totally renounced But how absurd this is appeareth in that it is Pulling out our right eye and cutting off our right hand But then 2. There is a lawfull self which is seen in our affections even to lawfull things Now here also a man must-moderate himself yea hate all when it cometh in competition with Christ If a man hate not father or mother for my sake he cannot be my Disciple Luke 14.26 Those that marry must be as if they married not 2 Corin. 7. If a Christian set himself to such a mortified crucified life and not bid his soul take its ease and be vainly merry with the world he is judged a simple foolish man for his labour 2. The duty of faith in relying upon Christ onely and renouncing our own righteousnesse is the great Gospel-command yet nothing is more foolish and absurd to humane Reason than this All the Philosophers thought of no other righteousnesse but that of workes The Pharisees yea all the Jews they looked onely for justification by the workes of the Law Paul till wholly new moulded by the Gospel could not judge all things dung and drosse for the righteousnesse of Christ This is the Rock at which many have splitted their comforts All Popery findes this a stumbling block and it 's so foolish a thing judged by them that they call it a putative imaginary righteousnesse as absurd a thing say they as if we should say a deformed Thersites was fair and beautifull by another mans beauty Therefore this way of faith is only by revelation 3. The duties of Humility and Meeknesse especially forbearing of one another and loving our enemies is esteemed high folly in worldly mens esteem The Heathens thought it a very justifiable thing to hate their enemies Yea the Pharisees traditional Doctrine was to hate their enemies Therefore when Christ came with his But I say unto you love your enemies doe good to those that hate you pray for them that despitefully use you Mat. 5.44 This seemed to make a man a fool in the world More particulars we might instance in But Let the Use be to remove every thing that exalteth it self against Christ and his wayes Thy carnal wisdome is the first enemy that must be destroyed Do not think thy self wiser than the Scriptures submit to the dictates thereof What that saith is to be believed without further dispute believe What that faith is to be done without further cavils immediately obey though it be thy right eye that it must be pulled out If you aske Why men doe not mortifie their sinnes and live more strictly It is carnal wisdome that judgeth another life more creditable Thus it is also concerning every Gospel-duty If any man among you seeme to be wise let him become a foole that he may be wise The Text perswadeth us to put out our right eyes as Nahash the Ammonite did Davids Embassadours onely that was for their hurt and reproach this for our great profit and honour Humane and earthly wisdome is the great enemy to all heavenly things That Doctrine hath been dispatched We come now to consider the Description of this humane wisdome and the Apostle hath two diminishing limitations First If any man seem to be wise he doth not say if any be indeed wise but if he seem to be either to himself through pride and vain-glory boasting of that which is not in him as the empty vessels make the most sound and the empty carts most ratling in the streets if so it 's like another expression of this Apostle If any man thinketh he knoweth something he knoweth nothing as he ought to know 1 Cor. 8.2 Or else if he seem to be wise in the opinion and repute of others and then this wisdome is like honour more â—n the imagination of those that repute him so then in the person himself Plus in hâ—â—orante quam honorato But either way you see it 's but a seeming 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it 's but a wisdome 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as the colours of the Rain-bow which are no colours indeed but a meer appearance by the Sunnes reflection as some say whereas the Scripture-wisdome is so indeed and in truth Let him become a foole that he may be wise he doth not say as before that he may also seem to be wise but wise in truth The second diminishing limitation is from the nature of it If any man seem to be wise in this world it doth not denote the place where this wisdome is for so the Apostles wisdome was in this world because they were men in the world but the Object and the Manner of tendency to it is worldly It 's about the world and rather a worldly manner therefore in the next verse he saith The wisdome of the world not in the world So that this is a very debasing restriction it 's the wisdome of the world it doth not at all further to Heaven or to eternal happinesse or to eternity it 's only about these fading things which live and die together almost Observe That all humane and earthly wisdome cometh farre short and is but a meer shadow and appearance in respect of Scripture wisdome Even the seven wise men of Greece were but seven fools if they be brought to the Scripture Aristotle with all his syllogistical arguments speaking of so many fallacies yet all his learning was but a fallacy Here was no true and solid wisdome which might make them happy Therefore the Apostle tels us of the oppositions of science falsly so called 1 Tim. 6. They were not Philosophi though Pythagoras out of humility assumed that name acknowledging God onely to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 lovers of wisdome but of vanity All that knowledge was a cloud a shadow and they were as if an hungry man should open his mouth wide thinking to feed himself with air and had no true food at all Now the wisdome of the world may be divided into two heads First Their speculative and contemplative wisdome which consisted in the Liberal Arts as they called them In this they had great renown and for this they were admired having many monuments and statues dedicated to them as Rome did to one great Rhetorician with this Inscription Regina urbs regi eloquentiae The Queen of Cities to the King of eloquence This they called Scientia Secondly Their Political and Civil Prudence or Moral whereby as men and societies they labour to make themselves happy and to lead a pleasant life Socrates is commended for this that he brought in moral Philosophy reducing all speculations to practice Now answerable to both these the Scripture teacheth us 1. A way of believing which farre exceedeth their contemplative science And 2. A right motive of doing whereby we may indeed be partakers of everlasting joy and this
farre surpasseth all their morality First then let us shew Wherein the faith of a Christian commanded by the Scripture doth farre surpasse all humane knowledge and science which men by nature do glory in And First Faith doth surpasse all humane sciences in the dignity of the subject The matter about which a Christians faith is exercised doth farre transcend all that about which humane knowledge doth exercise it self For the highest that they could reach unto is only to the knowledge of natural effects produced by natural causes And if any could prove these by the former this they called a demonstration Though some men say No man ever yet gave a demonstration à priori quoad se but quoad nos So then all the excellent wisdom of the world hath been only to consider the nature of sublunary things or to discourse about the nature of the heavenly bodies and their motions and if they did arise to consider of a God the Maker of these it was in a very uncertain doubtfull way Hence the Apostle speaks of them Acts 17.27 that they were as men in the dark feeling after a thing to find it as the Sodomites smote with blindnesse felt for the door This is all our humane wisdome can help us to but now by faith we have the supernatural mysteries of salvation revealed unto us The Scripture tels us Of a God in Christ reconciling man to himself of mans original misery of Christ the Mediator Alas how poor and contemptible are the highest notions even of Plato though called Divine when you come and read Paul There are such admirable and heavenly truths revealed in Gods word that all humane wisdome was no more able to find or apprehend such things then a dwarf could reach to the Heavens If we then consider the dignity and worth of that subject which the Scripture revealeth and faith is exercised about dirt is not more inferiour to precious pearls than humane knowledge to faith Secondly Faith differs from all their humane science in respect of the excellency of the end For the end of all Scripture wisdom is to bring us to eternal life The Scriptures are able to make us wise to salvation 2 Tim. 3.15 The things of Christ are said to be written That believing we might have eternal life John 20 31. There was never any humane knowledge could teach a man to be eternally happy Platoes Divinity and Aristotles Morality though they have the words of happinesse and have large discourses about it yet wanted the thing it self Oh then let us blesse God for Scripture-wisdome for the treasures of knowledge revealed there Learn of David How wonderfully was he affected with Gods word What light and wisdome did he attain unto thereby The Scriptures will teach thee such a blessednesse and such a way to blessednesse that could not enter into thy heart to conceive before the light thereof came into thee Thirdly Faith doth surpasse all humane knowledge in its certainty and infallibility A man that believeth the truths of God revealed in the Scripture hath more certain knowledge then all the more wise and learned men of the world For the object of faith being Gods testimony and his Divine Authority it 's as impossible for faith to be deceived as it is for God to lie Hence it 's called The full assurance of hope Heb. 10.22 And we believe therefore we speake 2 Cor. 4.13 How could the holy Martyrs witnesse those divine truths even to death had they not been possessed with full and sure knowledge of those things they died for whereas if we look into all humane knowledge there is very little certainty insomuch that some have expresly affirmed Nihil scitur yea that that also was not known and what little certainty they have appeareth by the contrary and different opinions in all their main points Fourthly Faith doth more establish settle and quiet the heart of men then all humane wisdome Solomon observeth a vanity and vexation of spirit even in all humane knowledge but now faith doth establish settle and satisfie the soul Heb. 11.1 It is the substance of things hoped for and the evidence of things not seen Those that want faith are said to be double-minded men Jam. 1. inconstant as the waves of the Sea Oh the anxiety and perplexities that meer humane knowledge hath cast men into And so those who have no other bottome than the Authority of Church or the power of men to believe These are reeds shaken up and down with every wind Their faith is upon ambulatory and moveable considerations wheras faith makes a man like Christ The same yesterday and to day and for ever Lastly The Christian faith is above all philosophical knowledge Because of the strong and mighty effects it hath to convert the heart and reform the life Acts 15 9. Purifying their hearts by faith How can ye believe when ye seek glory one of another said our Saviour John 5.44 Yet these humane Gnosticks did only aim at glory though Philosophers call them the Liberal Arts yet they could not set them free from their lusts whereas Christ John 8.32 said If my Word abide in you you shall be free indeed Never did humane knowledge make such wonderfull converts and work so great a reformation as the Christian saith hath done And although we have now too many who say they do believe and yet do such things as many of the Gentiles would be ashamed of yet these men have not faith indeed but the name and title of it for as much as faith though but like a grain of mustard-seed would bid such mountains of lusts be removed into the Sea In the next place The moral or practical wisdome of the world cometh farre short of Scripture-wisdome For First The most knowing men were ignorant of original sinne which yet is the fountain of our calamity The Heathens indeed bewailed the mortality and misery of man but they know not our natural pollution the ground of all Yea we see Paul himself though a Pharisee was not acquainted with that Law of sinne within him till inlightned by the Word Rom. 7. Now if men know not their disease or the cause of it they can never be cured So that whatsoever precepts about living well they delivered yet they built on a sandy foundation they did not dig deep enough Secondly All humane wisdome and prudence knoweth not how to mortifie and forsake sinne upon true grounds because they were ignorant of Gods Spirit Rom. 8.13 If ye through the Spirit do mortifie sinne They did not crucifie the body of sinne nor bewail it because it was sinne but for humane respects as it did hinder the publique or as it was prejudicial to their glory and fame but they overcame one lust by another Thirdly All earthly prudence cometh short of this wisdome because it 's circumscribed within the bounds of this world and this life It looketh out no further whereas the Scripture giveth directions for
Divisions are ye not carnal 25 Envy its several acceptations ibid. Observ That envying wheresoever it is is a fruit of the Flesh and such a sinne that a godly man should especially watch against ibid. Envy It s Original Degrees Object Subject Aggravations Remedies 26 The difference between Envy and Zeal 32 For whereas there is among you strife 33 Observ That strifes and quarrelling contentions amongst Christians argue them to be so farre carnal ibid. Sinfull strife Its Cause Effects Aggravations 34 Whereas there is divisions among you p. 37 Observ That divisions and factions do quickly creep into the best and purest Churches 38 Divisions divided their Nature Causes 39 Are ye not carnal and walk as men 42 As man its several significations ibid. Observ That all those who are named Christians and would be accounted so should walk and live as those that are more than meer men ibid. What the phrase to live as men implieth 43 Verse 4. For whereas one saith I am of Paul and another I am of Apollo are ye not carnal 45 Observ That although it 's the duty of People to have a great and high esteem of the Ministers of the Gospel yet they are not sinfully and inordinately to admire or rest meerly upon any mens persons 46 Wherein the respect due to the Ministers of the Gospel doth consist ibid And when it may degenerate into sinfull admiration 48 For while one saith I am of Paul and another I am of Apollo are ye not carnal 49 Observ That it is not lawfull for Christians to call themselves by the Name of any men though never so Eminent so as to build on them 50 Of the Names that Christians have been called by in several Ages ibid. Observ That when the Devil cannot hurt the Church by a prophane and sinfull Ministry then he labours to destroy it by abusing the names and esteem of those who are truly holy and eminent 54 What are the common wayes of Satans doing hurt to the Church by the Ministers and Officers thereof ibid. And even by eminent godly men 56 1 COR. 1.12 And I of Christ 58 Observ That although Christ only is to be relied upon as the Head of his Church yet it is not his will that under this pretence we should despise or contemn his Ministry and the means of grace he hath appointed 59. Of sinfull setting up of Christ ibid. Of the causes of grace Efficient and Instrumental ibid. Verse 5. Who then is Paul and who is Apollo 62 Observ That faithfull Ministers seek not to win or gain a people to themselves but to Christ 63 A two-fold end of preaching the Word ibid. The Characters of that Ministry that seeks not the peoples applause but to bring them to Christ 64 Who then is Paul and who is Apollo but Ministers by whom ye believed 66 Observ That the Ministry in Gods Church is the Means and instrumental Cause he hath appointed to work Faith and all other Graces in the Hearers 67 How the Ministry is not an instrumental cause of grace and how it is ibid The properties of the Ministry as such a cause 69 Who is Paul and who is Apollo but Ministers by whom ye believed even as the Lord gave to every man 70 Observ That Faith is the great and eminent grace which God by the Ministry works in some Hearers ibid The Nature of Faith It s three Acts Knowledge Assent and a resting on Christ 71 The Effects of faith ad intra 72 Ad extra 73 Even as the Lord gave to every man 74 Observ That God hath given several Gifts and Abilities to the Ministers of the Church and thereby makes use of them all for his glorious ends ibid. Why all Ministers have not the same gifts 76 Rules or Helps to profit by the Ministry 77 Verse 6. I have planted Apollo watered but God gave the increase 78 Observ That it's Gods unspeakable goodness sometimes to send his Word and plant his Gospel among a people that never heard or knew any thing of it before 79 Apollo watered 82 Observ That it is not enough for a people once to receive the true Faith and principles of Religion but they need a further watering and quickning them up to grow ibid. Wherein this spiritual watering consists 83 And why there is such need of quickning means 84 But God gave the encrease 85 Observ That it's God only who can and will give encrease and spiritual successe to the Ministerial labours in the Church 86 How God works 90 Wherein God giveth the increase ibid. And why he only can 92 Verse 7. So then neither is he that planteth any thing neither he that watereth but God that giveth the increase 93 Observ That the best and most able Ministry is nothing without Gods power giving the increase 94 What the Apostle doth not mean and what he doth mean in saying The Ministry is nothing ibid. Directions how to hear the Word 96 Verse 8. Now he that planteth and he that watereth are one 97 Observ That although there is diversity and variety in the gifts of the Ministers yet they all ought to agree in one ibid. They should agree in Doctrine in their End and Scope and in Affection 98 The sad effects of dis-union in the Ministers 99 What people should do when Ministers and Professours are divided ibid. And every man shall receive his own reward according to his own labour 101 Of Reward and Merit 101 105 106 Observ That according to a mans labour and working for God he is sure to have a proportionable reward 102 All have work to do ibid. A two-fold doing of good works ibid. The requisites to such a work as God will accept 103 A lawfull self-seeking 105 Verse 9. For we are labourers together with God 109 Observ That the Ministers of the Gospel are workers with God for the conversion of mens souls So 2 Cor. 6.1 110 Why God will have co-workers ibid. Ye are Gods husbandry ye are Gods building 113 Observ That the people of God are his husbandry and building ibid. What our being Gods husbandry and building joyntly implies ibid. And then what they severally imply 114 Ye are Gods building 117 Doct. That particular Churches are or should be Gods house Gods building ibid Of Gods house or Church ibid. What Gods building and our being his house implieth 118 Verse 10. According to the grace of God which is given unto me c. 121 Observ That it 's the property of godly men in all the good they have or do to attribute all to Gods grace ibid. The Properties of praising Gods grace ibid. Why the godly are so sensible of Gods grace 123 How profitable that duty is ibid. What opinlons are coolers of this duty of giving thanks to free grace 124 As a wise master-builder I have laid the foundation ibid Observ It 's a special part of the wisdom and heavenly art of the Ministers of the Gospel to lay a good and sure
as babes who are not yet begotten anew by the Word Can we expect any increase or fruit when men are not so much as plants planted by God Many Congregations being like Golgotha places not of dead skuls but of dead hearts Oh how short do our people come of the primitive Christians These very Corinthians see how Paul commends them 1 Cor. 1.5 7. Ye are inriched in all utterance and knowledge and yet he finds faults with them Alas the Ministers of God have farre higher and larger degrees of knowledge and grace to press you to if once the foundation were laid Thirdly There are many choise and excellent duties in the exercise whereof a Christian would have much joy and bring much glory to God but the ignorance of a people makes the Mixister not so frequently urge those because other things must be done first The duties are these Let the word of God dwell plentifully in you teaching and admonishing one another Col. 3 6. And again Exhort and provoke one another c Heb. 10.14 Thus the Father he is to make his family like the Church of God he is to instruct those that are under him in the knowledge of the Lord. Husbands they are to be such as can inform their wives if they doubt of any thing in Religion Let them ask their husbands at home saith Paul 1 Cor. 14.35 So families are to serve God as Joshua and Abraham resolved which is by praying to him and calling upon his Name How can these things be pressed by a Minister upon a people grosly ignorant How few Parents or Masters have you that know how to serve God in their family How few Husbands that know how to inform their wives in matter of Religion And how few Neighbours are able to teach and admonish one another out of the Word whereas the constant exercise of those duties would bring admirable glory to God would be infinite comfort to faithfull Ministers but ignorance and dulnesse hath covered the face of all people How many Families are there who eat and drink and swear and curse and go to bed and rise like so many bruit beasts and you can no more expect religious duties from them than understanding and discourse from the worm that crawleth on the ground Oh that we could once preach to our auditors as spiritual in this particular Fourthly The ignorance of a people restraineth the Ministers of God that they cannot so powerfully presse at first the pure and sincere worship of God and the leaving of all superstitious and traditional wayes of worship but they must by degrees here a little and there a little as they are able to bear it Thus our Saviour shewed in that fore-mentioned place Luke 5. No man putteth new wine in old bottles The people were offended that Christ and his Disciples did not follow that external worship which others did and he tels them it is with Auditors and Disciples as with bottles if old they are not able to bear new and spirituous wine Hence our Saviour told the Disciples at another time I have many ohings to tell you but you cannot hear them now therefore they were to stay at Jerusalem till they were indowed with the holy Ghost from above If we should at first press a people plunged into all ignorance and superstition to the highest and exact worship of God they would judge it madnesse Hence our Saviour by degrees instructs the woman of Samaria who worshipped she knew not what And Calvin commends that known counsel of Austin to a Bishop who desired his advise about Discipline where the sinne of drunkennesse had generally infected all which was That he should proceed wisely and mildly Monendo magis quam minando c. So Cyprian saith of himself In remittendis delictis penò ipse delinquo yet this must not be used for slothfulnesse and remisness in Church reformation For how greatly hath God blessed even the endeavours of a few against universal impiety Thus much for Ignorance Then the Sinfulness of people make them uncapable of many precious truths in Religion As First The Ministers labour is most spent in discovering the damnable nature of grosse sins taking them off from their bruitish beastly wayes and as for spiritual sins unbelief diffidence in the promises carnal confidence in themselves c. These they cannot so much presse against because such Auditors come farre short of civility and therefore much lesse reach to piety Hence though they can go along with Sermons that urge the leaving of grosse sinnes yet those about Regeneration and a New creature they cannot perceive Thus our Saviour If I have spoken to you earthly things and ye understand xot how can ye heavenly John 3.12 Secondly To a people living in grosse sins we cannot so frequently and gloriously preach Jesus Christ in the Offices of a Mediatour We cannot make it our work to set forth the promise of the Gospel in its glory We cannot preach of joy and peace in believing We cannot commend the resting and relying upon Christ for before this be done men must be convinced of the guilt of their particular sinnes Thus Paul did to Felix when desired to preach of faith in Christ Thus Peter indeavoured to prick the consciences of those that murdered Christ the life of glory Thirdly The performing of duties in a spiritual and gracious manner so as to have communion with God and to enjoy him This also is too high for sinfull wicked men Wisdome is too high for a fool saith Solomon and so the spiritual praying hearing enjoying of God in those Ordinances is a paradox and mystery to them What a glorious expression is that We beholding as in a glasse the glory of God are transformed into his image 2 Cor. 3.18 but the world hath not received the Spirit of God to know these things as the Apostle saith in 1 Cor. 2. Vse To arouse and awaken people out of their ignorance and sinfulnesse If Aristotle thought a young man no fit Auditor for his Morals because he was subject to unruly affections how fit can people blind in mind corrupt in affections be to receive the truths of God How great is the labour and grief of a Minister to preach to those that are not so much as babes in Christ The very Ox and Horse know the noise and command of the Driver and turn as he would have them onely man is more unruly and bruitish refusing to order his steps as he is commanded How much of the study labour parts and godlinesse of a Minister may be lost through the indociblenesse of hearers Though we preach not Latine yet the matter we preach may be so spiritual heavenly that it may be as untelligible as an unknown tongue We would go on to perfection were not your slownesse slothfulnesse an obstruction Is not Christ nor the glorious promise no more published thank we our selves for this To such are the wounds the blows and the threatnings of the
to grow in knowledge and mind the things of Religion but still we must be sensible of our own weaknesses If any man think he knoweth any thing he knoweth nothing yet as he ought to know 1 Cor. 8.2 Oh it 's a dangerous thing when a man that is weak doth not know his weaknesse but thinketh he doth know as much as others Thirdly The last efficient are for these will come in better in the after verses Worldly hopes and desires of carnal advantages What made Judas cause such a sad breach among the Disciples but earthly gain The Apostle chargeth this upon many false Apostles this made the shipwrack of their faith and a good conscience when men judge gain godlinesse judge gain Religion and measure all things by this it cannot but make great divisions Many of those Hereticks in former times were so discontent they missed that worldly greatnesse and pomp they expected which made Austin put this in the definition of an Heretick that he doth beget or follow new opinions Alicujus temporalis commodi gratiâ for the sake of some temporal advantage Lastly There is an occasional cause but not efficient and that hath been the tyranny and scandalous lives of Church-officers This hath many times made sad rents Church-officers by their loose lives and rigid cruelty have made schismes and then they cry out of them and punish them One cause of Tertullians Montanizing was the loose lives of the Roman Clergy We see by Christs Parable Luke 12.45 it 's no new thing for such Officers to rule in Christs house as shall drink and be drunk and beat their fellow-servants putting off the thoughts of their Masters coming Therefore the bloody cruelty or licentious prophane lives of those that have ruled in the Church have made a just cause of troubles and divisions neither are those that make the division then to be blamed if it be in that which is good and after a good manner but the actings and lives of such Church-officers I should speak of the final causes but they will come in afterwards Vse 1. Of Instruction That Vnity and Catholick consent is not a sure mark of a Chuâ—ch or divisions a note of a false oxe The Papists they think they strike us to the ground by this You Protestants are fallen into manifold Sects they will reckon up fourscore factions Now this indeed is a very plausible objection but it might have been cast upon the Church of Corinth and upon the primitive Churches As for the Protestants they that take themselves to be so indeed for Socinians and others we own them not they differ not in fundamentals In matter of Church-goverment or Rites of Religion there may be some discrepancy but in fundamental Articles they consent And as for Papists themselves their Writers have factions and bitter strifes one with another as might be shewed at large They have no such consent as the vulgar people are made to believe Do not therefore be scandalized to see diversity of factions and opinions What grief is it to hear people say one is of this way and another is of that way who can tell what is true and so they grow very Atheists If thy faith were sound this would not stagger thee God hath wise ends in suffering of these breaches Vse 2. Take heed whom you call factious and seditious for if men go no farther than to strive for the true Doctrine against errors or the power of godlinesse against prophanenesse and that in a prudent and orderly way this is no faction but zeal Christ himself made these divisions Father against sonne and son against father to disquiet Satans kingdome to bring sinne to a due punishment to make a cord as Christ did to cast out all prophanenesse and superstition out of the Church of God This is still no faction but true zeal and love to God Vse 3. Of Admonition to those that are or would be accounted godly be humble modest keep your places God hath put you in Oh think it had been better thou hadst never been born than to make any sinfull divisions in the Church I say sinfull For to divide from sinne and Idolatry is a necessary duty onely be sure hat be sinne and Idolatry which thou callest so All that reproach and scandal which comes to Religion and godlinesse by divisions will in a great measure fall on thee Take up Jonahs resolution when he saw the tempests and winds did rise because of him Take and throw me into the sea for I have sinned If godly men cannot be of one mind yet humility moderation pure ends and love to the Word and Ministry will much further it for the divisions of Reuben were great searchings of heart Cursed be their fury for in their anger they dug down a wall yea they tore the body of Christ Are ye not carnal and walk as men The Apostle had proved they were carnal and so incapable subjects for the sublimer Mysteries of Christ by an enumeration of severall sinnes that did necessarily demonstrate this upon which he makes a repetition or re-inforcement of the Conclusion to be proved Are ye not carnal Where the Interrogation doth put more quickness and sharpness into his words And for the further amplification and shame of them he addeth Do ye not walk as men As if he had said What a reproach and dishonour is it to you who are called of God who have put on Christ who are sanctified by his Name to be as other men of the world Passionate as they are Covetous earthly envious and quarrelsome as they are In the Scripture the word man or according to a man hath severall significations Sometimes it is put for love and mildness Thus God said in Hosea Hos 11.4 He drew them by the cords of a man that is love And so to chastise with the rod of man 2 Sam. 7.14 is to do it moderately and mercifully At other times the Phrase to speak after a man denotes to use any similitude or Comparison from matters used amongst men Gal. 3.15 But most frequently the word is used in a debasing way Either for frailty and misery As What is man And That they may know themselves to be but men Psal 9.20 Ye shall die like men Or else for that which is sinfull and wicked because man is wholly corrupted and plunged into all sin Rom. 6.19 Hos 6.9 So that to call one a man or to say a man you name all sinne and misery at the same time Oh how should this debase and vilifie the proudest and higest of men How should this make them look upon themselves as worse then Toades or Serpents in many respects And in this sense it is used here Walk ye not as men in opposition to God his Power and Holiness which he demonstrated in all Believers Doct. That all those who are named Christians and would be accounted so yet walke and live as those that are more than meer men They must not
Apostle Paul though he be an eloquent Apollo More spiritual matter this Text will also afford only I must first answer that Question Whether the Corinthians did indeed set up these eminent godly men as Heads of Parties or whether his meaning was that they set up many false Apostles and became factious Disciples to such only the Apostle spareth to name them thinking it wisdome to do so and instanceth in himself and other Pillars teaching them hereby that if such as were faithfull and godly ought not to be exalted how much less corrupt and false Teachers Some are for the Affirmative and some for the Negative but I think both Expositions may well be joyned together For the Corinthians some of them did too much glory in Paul and Apollo and set them up Otherwise Why should Paul bless God so much for that Providence that he had baptized so few For men were apt to set up those that baptized them as if they had been baptized into their name Therefore certainly the Corinthians did sinfully rest and glory in such as Paul Wherfore he takes them off and excellently concludes Let him that glorieth glory in the Lord 1 Cor. 1.13 Thus the first Exposition is true Then that the other also is true that although Paul instanceth in himself and others yet therby meaning other ambitious Teachers that affected Disciples appeareth also 1 Cor. 4.6 where he saith He had by a Figure transferred those things to himself and Apollo for their sakes That is for their Instruction to teach them that they must not think of Paul and Apollo above what they should as many of them did much less of false ambitious corrupt Teachers as many others also did This explained we may observe two more Doctrines 1. That it is not lawfull for Christians to call themselves by the Name of any men though never so Eminent so as to build on them Christ and his Truth are the foundation we must build upon The Apostles indeed are called the foundations Rev. 22.14 but they were immediately inspired and they were but secondary foundations fundamenta fundata not fundamemta fundantia as Divines say So that we are not Believers in Paul or Peter We are not the Apostles Believers much less the Fathers or any Doctors and Teachers in the world That is our Saviours meaning when he saith Call no man Master but Christ Mat 23 8. It is true this Doctrine is abused by some as is to be shewed when I come to speak of those who said they were of Christ viz. in a sinfull factious way They were not for Paul or Apollo or any Ministers they cryed down all the Ministry They are for Christ to teach them immediately But thus farre the Doctrine is true we may not be called after any mans name We are not to set up any Persons or Councils in Christs stead We are not to believe in them Homines non debent aedificari super homines said Austin For the opening of this let us Consider First The Names that Christians have had in the New Testament and afterwards in the Church For by wise Names we come to know the nature of things And First Christ did often call those that followed him his Disciples Thus He that would be his Disciple must hate Father and Mother for his sake And when the Apostles are sent out their Instruction is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 make Disciples Indeed there are the seventy Disciples who were in a Church-Office next the Apostles but every follower of Christ his Doctrine and way was called a Disciple but it is Christs Disciples They were never called the Apostles Disciples or any mans Disciples And certainly this doth excellently denote what Christians should do viz. Take that duty which God from Heaven commanded us concerning Christ Hear him Mat. 17.5 a Disciple is not to dispute but to believe A Disciple is wholly to learn and receive from his Master And oh how excellent would this be if every Christian would thus hearken to what Christ saith If thou art Christs Disciple learn of him how to live how to walk how to obey Lean not to thy own understanding Lean not to others for only Christ is Truth Another Name and that most frequent was Believers Christians are often called by this title None more frequent And this also doth difference Christians from all other sects in the world All the Philosophers they affected to be knowing men not believing Averroes by scorn called Christians credentes Believers For such as he affected to know the Causes of things and to inquire in the hidden secrets of Nature counting it a disgrace to believe upon meer Authority Thus Julian upbraided Christians with their 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 believe only Hence Rom. 1. The preaching of Christ was accounted foolishness to the Gentiles They sought for wisdome for strong demonstrations but the Apostles meerly declaring and preaching such Doctrines were accounted foolish bablers So that to be a Believer doth denote the captivating of our understandings unto the Word of God and every sublime thought or reasoning that doth exalt it selfe And certainly if a Christian would think how much he is to submit his understanding to believe the Doctrines of the Scripture it would much inable him also to believe the Promises for the Church in general or in particular for his own self Faith of assent would breed Faith of fideucial adherence Should it be so great a matter to believe that God will raise up the Church when it hath no help Or subdue thy corruptions when thou believest greater matters in Doctrine As the Trinity That God was made man the resurrection of the body This is an excellent point to be pressed though not so proper here Another Name often attributed to Christians is Saints The Saints at Corinth and in many places Oh the very Name of this title should strike blasting and confusion into man Art thou a Saint-lyer a Saint-drunkard a Saint-Blasphemer All that are Christians should be Saints and Holy And therefore the Scripture cals them by that Name Not that all will be holy in a Church no There will be tares as well as Wheat Nor that we are to depart from a Church where wicked men are not cast out Or that the Sacraments are to be administred to none but who are truly godly though they be free from gross sinnes These things cannot be inferred only Christians are called to be Saints and are Saints by Calling and so should be in their lives Oh consider this you who are prophane Beasts and tremble at it But the most famous and distinguishing Name of the people of God is Christians They were first called so at Antioch saith the Scripture Act. 11.26 Some have questioned whether others did not then put this Name upon them by scorn and reproach because Christ was crucified or whether they themselves did not voluntarily take upon them this Name as being a glory and honour to
Malunt credere quam judicare Thus they offer an Asse for a sacrifice Sixthly The Ministers of God though never so eminent have been afraid of this they have prohibited such restings upon them But of this in another Doctrine viz. That it 's the property of godly Ministers not to bring men to themselves but to Christ Several Uses may be made As First That a Papist as a Papist following the principles of Popery and going no further hath but an humane blind faith They are so of the Pope and bound to his Determinations that all their Religion is built upon his Decision One of their learnedst Rabbies Valentia brings in a private Man consulting what Religion he should chuse and he argueth That if he be a Protestant then he must reade the Bible and other Authours and saith he I have not time to do that Therefore I will be of the Popish Religion for it 's but believing as the Church and as the Pope believeth Now saith the Jesuite God will at the Day of Judgement crown this man with glory for believing so yea he merits by believing so Now how contrary is this to Scripture which bids us Search the Scriptures Try the Spirits Not think of man above what is meet So that their Faith is an humane Faith their Religion an humane Religion believed for mans sake And that is the reason why the people of the greatest ignorance are most taken with it for it commends ignorance and pleaseth the vulgar fancy with a gorgeous worship Vse 2. To bewaile the great ignorance and blindnesse that is even in most Protestants For how few are there that believe this Religion upon judgment and searching the Scriptures upon knowledge and faith of the Word but they were brought up in it and the Lawes of the Land command it Oh consider if God would not have a Sacrifice without eyes no more will he have a Faith and a Religion without eyes What Jeremiah can make Lamentations equal to this grosse ignorance that covers the face of all Congregations You have no more than an humane Faith and an humane Religion or Worship of God Vse 3. To blesse God for the Instruments of Faith and the Ministers of grace but still to rest in God for all benefit and fruit by their labours It may be the Ministry hath been no more efficacious no more lively and profitable to thee because thou hast not owned God in it as thou shouldest It is God that openeth the eyes it 's God that openeth the ears and the hearts of men Therefore look up to him For while one saith I am of Paul and another I am of Apollo are ye not carnal The divisions here reproved in the Text have afforded us profitable Observations and yet we have not finished all We come to a third Observe the devils subtilty and emnity to the good and glory of Gods Church how many engines he useth sometimes he stirres up false Apostles who by their venemous doctrine may impoison the fountaines where all should drink and if that will not do then he labours to overthrow the Church by the repute and names of eminent teachers if the wickedness and malice of ungodly teachers do not hurt then the affected admiration of those that are true and godly shall bring about his end Nero was a man that envied and hated other mens excellencies and therefore at his Court when any had a mind to undoe another they would praise him which made Tacitus say Pessimum genus inimicorum laudantium And thus the Devil stirring up Disciples fondly and sinfully to praise eminent persons wrought the same destruction as he would have done by open hostility and persecution If he cannot by such Heretiques as Hymeneus and Philetus by open doctrine draw off from Christ then he will by secret applause and admiration make them so rest upon Paul and Peter that Christ shall not be eied as the author of all faith and success by the Ministery And Austin's observation is remarkable Quamvis non per impiorum sed sanctorum nomina tamen impia agebant Schismata Although they did not advance the names and persons of wicked men but of holy and eminent men yet by these names of holy men they made unholy and wicked divisions Observe That when the Devil cannot hurt the Church by a prophane and sinfull Ministery then he labours to destroy it by abusing the names and esteem of those who are truly holy and eminent The Devil hath his methods Eph. 6.11 and he is the old Dragon for cruelty and craft sometimes he is compared to a Lion roaring and that is in times of persecution sometimes to a glittering and curious Serpent and that is in subtle pretences and colours Now Bernard said Timeo Serpentem magis quam leonem rugientem yea he is said to have his depths Rev. 2.24 his secrets and mysteries of his state of darkness and as they say of some witchery that it comes by praising Hence that phrase praefiscisne loquor when we are about to praise any so the Devil when he cannot destroy souls by stirring up wicked instruments he will endeavour that men should think of good instruments more then they ought To open this First take notice What is the common and most notorious way of Satans doing hurt to the Church of God by the Ministers and Officers in the Church And this way he would alwayes take if he could The first is by corrupting the lives and conversations of the Ministery making them prophane and scandalous by which means all Religion comes to be abhorred Thus Hophnes and Phinehas Elyes sonnes because of their tyrannical violence and uncleanness it 's said the people abhorred the sacrifice of the Lord 1 Sam. 2.14 So that a prophane Minister is like a poisoned fountain where all must drink he doth not only damne his own soul but draweth others to hell with him Thus in the Old Testament the corruption of the whole Church did in a great measure arise from the prophaness of the Priests Hence in the New Testament it 's so carefully required in a Minister that he be blameless a lover of good men not given to any grosse sinne so that the Devil cannot have more service done him nor destroy the kingdome of Christ more then by the scandalous and prophane lives of Ministers this hardens the people this makes them contemne exhortations whereas let a Minister walk holily though their love to lusts will make them hate them yet in their consciences they cannot but fear and reverence them as Herod did John Baptist because he was a just man Mark 6.20 Secondly If he cannot hurt the Church this way then by raising up Ministers full of superstition and doting upon unwritten traditions and bringing in a will-worship where there is no rule or warrant One man though learned is not able to maintain his new notion of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 will-worship as if it were in a
affected wisdome of the world without either miraculouâ— signes or scientifical demonstrations either of which would much perswade men Fourthly and lastly It 's the perpetual invariable means God hath appointed to the worlds end When the Ministery and Preaching shall cease then shall all this world with the things therein cease Thus Eph. 4. it 's there said to continue till Christs coming and Paul's direction about the Ministery must be kept till the coming of Christ The former dispensation is altered he hath taken away Priests and Levites the sacrifices and Altars but he will never take away Pastors and Teachers and Sacraments and these must abide as long as there is a Church on the world Vse of Examination It 's the Ministery this is the ordinary necessary appointed menans for faith and other graces Why then is it that it hath not been so to thee Oh it would be an heavy trouble to thee thou wouldst think God had some extraordinary jugement upon thee if thou couldst have no cloaths to warm no food to nourish thee no creature be that to thee for which it is appointed But behold a greater judgement then this no Ministery doth convert thee no Preaehing begets faith or repentance in thee In the Apostles times What multitudes were converted by the Word Yea in the first times of Reformation from Popery How many did not only receive the truth in their minds but grace in their hearts they were not only converted from Popery and superstition but from prophaness and impiety But now alas to whom is the power of God made known Certainly the Word is the same Gods arm is as strong as ever but men by their wilfull ignorance by their unthankfulness and rebelling against the light have sinned away the presence and power of God from the Ministery and then if God go not along with us Alas what can we do Oh that you who are hearers would deeply lay these things to heart God saith his Word is an enlightning Word a sanctifying cleansing Word Why is it not so to thee Why art thou no more reformed then where there is no Preaching no Ministery at all The same cursing swearing the same lusts pride covetousness and ignorance Is not all this because God doth not appear in his own Ordinances Oh men without hope How desperate is such mens condition for if the Ministery cure thee not what will cure thee Woe be to thee if the Word that is so effectual and operative to others be not also to thee Who is Paul and who is Apollo but Ministers by whom ye believed even as the Lord gave every man The third thing in order to be discust is the noble Effect whereof the Ministry is said to be an Instrumental Cause viz. Ye believed Faith is one of the most eminent Common-places in Divinity It 's the Sanctum Sanctorum in this spiritual building It s the fat in that spiritual Sacrifice we offer to God And because of the spiritual and most sublime nature of it it is least understood by the natural man I shall not at this time handle all the main particulars about it because the holy Ghost intends it not in this place Onely take notice that in stead of all the work of grace repenting reforming he nameth believing because this is Initial and Introductory to all the rest The word Faith or Believing is of a very large and fruitfull signification but it 's impertinent at this time to trouble you with it Observe That Faith is the great and eminent grace which God by the Ministry works in some hearers Thus upon Christ and the Apostles preaching still this is recorded And many believed Insomuch that Faith is said to come by hearing Rom. 10.17 The Scripture indeed sometimes speaks of faith as prerequisite to make the Word profitable Who hath believed our report And the Word profited them not because it was not mixed with faith Heb. 4.6 Here we see unbelief doth obstruct and hinder the savoury effect of the Gospel But that is finally in those that pâ—rish but in those that shall be saved God in his due time will by the Word preached work faith viz. enlighten their minds and open their hearts to entertain it To open this Doctrine Let us consider the Nature of Faith and that is usually said to consist in three acts whether they be all essential or some only I shall not here determine The first is Knowledge and understanding This is eternal life to know thee and Jesus Christ whom thou hast sent John 17.3 Yea it 's a strong and powerfull conviction of the mind Hence it 's called The substance and evidence of things Heb. 11.1 Believing in the soul is compared to the corporal seeing of the body To say a blind faith is as great a contradiction as to say a dark Sunne or a cold fire If it be faith it doth see the ground of its belief Indeed faith cannot comprehend the matter we believe the Doctrine of the Trinity the Incarnation of Christ are like the dazelling Sunne to our Bats-eyes but though faith cannot comprehend the matter believed yet it knoweth the ground why it doth believe in those places of Scripture and the testimony of Gods Word which saith It is thus and thus Oh then How farre are many from being believers For ignorance covers their souls as darknesse did the Chaos at the first The very principles of Religion the total ignorance whereof doth damn a man yet is like a veil upon most mens eyes Oh then consider that knowledge and understanding is the necessary way to let in faith or rather is a beginning and part of it If thou hadst lost thy eyes or wert smitten with corporal blindnesse How much would it affect thee But now thou hast unbelief and spiritual blindnesse yet it doth not break thy heart Say no more thou believest in Christ thou believest in God if thou knowest not what Christ and God is Though ignorant people are full of their devotion yet because it 's without knowledge and faith it 's as abominable as a Sacrifice without eyes Secondly But knowledge is not all How many Atheists are there that know much and understand the points of Religion yet believe not Therefore the second Act of Faith is to Assent to give credit to them as true and this indeed we mean and Scripture also means this most commonly when it speaks of believing the Word of God that is giving a firm and sure assent to it as true Hence that expression Faith is the substance Heb. 11.1 that is by faith we make those things that are future really subsist as it were in our souls as if present Thus Faith makes Heaven and Hell present The Apostle excellently describes it They behold not the things temporal or seen but the things eternal which are not seen 2 Cor. 4 18. Thus Moses is said to have an earnest eye of faith fixed upon the reward and that is an act
of faith Heb. 11.26 And in this respect most fail They do not firmly assent to the Doctrine of Gods Omnisciency of a Day of Judgement of giving an account of every evil word Did they believe these things as the Word of God which cannot deceive which cannot be false how dared they live in such professed impieties But the fool hath said in his heart there is no God Psal 14.1 No Judgement no Heaven no Hell If an humane faith can set men so much on work when yet all men are lyars what shall not a divine faith do Thirdly That which is the compleat and formal act of faith is a resting on Christ a receiving of him a coming to him Hence are those emphatical expressions which are in no humane Authours 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 To believe in God in Christ and this act of faith is expressed by words of resting rolling the soul waiting and expecting by receiving imbracing A godly man is called a member of Christ and faith is the ligament and that which uniteth a branch in the Olive-tree faith is that whereby we receive fatnesse of it So that the power and life of faith lieth in this that it gives up the soul to Christ and receiveth Christ in the soul hereby it is said Christ dwels in our hearts by faith Ephes 3.17 And this act is only in the godly This is the difference from all hypocrites they are said to believe they know they give credit to many things and this works some slighty affections but they are not united to Christ they cleave not to him so as to to be made one with him They receive him not both as a Mediatour and as an Head to whom they will conform and live as Members answerable to such an Head This then is the marrow and the soul of faith when a man so knoweth so assents as thereby he is incorporated into Christ receiving of his virtue and influence so that all is Christ as it were I no longer live but Christ in me and the life I live is by faith in Christ saith Paul Gal. 2.20 Now this faith thus described hath glorious Effects and also many Properties we will select some of many As First The noble effect of Faith ad intra is to receive the righteousnesse of Christ and thereby to make it ours by which means faith is so often said to justifie and we are justified by faith And Paul did so exceedingly desire to be found not in his own righteousnesse but by that of faith in Christ Phil. 3.9 This is the hand to put on those glorious Robes to cover our nakednesse This is the eye by which we look upon that exalted Serpent to be healed It 's not repenting sorrowing reforming no nor martyrdom it self that hath this honour which faith hath neither is this for any dignity or worth of faith but because it 's an instrument to receive the righteousnesse of Christ which no other grace can be So that as the child new born presently moves it lips and mouth for the brest to be sucking there So the new born spiritual Infant immediately goeth out of its own works it 's own righteousnesse and desireth to be found in Christ onely This way of believing is very paradoxal and hidden to a guilty conscience Cain did not know it Judas was not acquainted with it and thereupon eternally perished A second Effect of Faith ad intra is to receive virtue and power from Christ to subdue our corruptions to conquer our sinnes so that faith is the instrument of Sanctification as well as Justification Thus we are Members and Christ is the Head branches and he the Vine and as these are nourished and enlivened bringing forth fruit by having sap and virtue from the head or tree so are we supplied with virtue and efficacy for all imperfections by faith from Christ In so much that the excellent ready way to conquer any sinne to subdue any passion or unruly affections is by Faith to apply Christ to the soul If the branch would flourish it must not depart from the tree but still be ingraffed closer to receive power and thus thy way to overcome any noisome temptation is not to keep off from Christ to be discouraged by unbelief but the more sensible thou art of thy weaknesse and infirmities to lay the faster hold on Christ But oh how hard is it ere many of the children of God come to learn this good way They lie discouraged in their combate and conflict with sinne they are ashamed of their hypocrisie their guile Oh they are so unworthy and so wretched that they dare not come neer Christ and this hinders them Even as Peter out of a preposterous humility would not let Christ wash his feet but saith Christ If I wash thee not thou shalt have no part in me John 13.8 And then Peter saith Not my feet but my whole body also Oh when thou comest to know how acceptable it is to God and how comfortable to thy own self In the midst of all weaknesses and failings still to catch hold on Christ then thou wilt be inamoured with it saying How foolish and ignorant have I been Even like a beast and an enemy to my own good Therefore if thou art at any time overtaken with a sinne cast not away thy faith also That is as if a souldier because he hath received a blow should throw away his weapon by which he might offend his enemy If by thy doubts and diffidence thou art kept off from Christ how canst thou ever get power against sinne But let us come to the Effects ad extra For all say they believe all are confident in Christ for their salvation there is no man though prophane and abominable but he saith he believeth in Christ with all his heart Therefore there are Effects of faith ad extra in the outward man from which this Faith can never be separated no more than heat from fire or light from the Sunne As First It purifieth a man inwardly and outwardly from all filthiness He that truly believeth he cleanseth himself from all filthiness of flesh and Spirit Having these promises let us cleanse our selves 2 Cor. 7.1 and we have not them to make use of but by saith especially that is to our purpose Act. 15.9 Purifying their hearts by Faith which is seen in a great manner by cleansing away that dross that mudde which is in every mans heart every mans heart is a filthy poisoned noisome fountain and faith cleanseth it purifieth it Thus John also He that hath this hope which is a necessary companion of faith purifieth himself even as God is pure 1 Joh. 3.3 Come then thou who speakest of thy faith What is thy heart thy life are they clean Thy heart men cannot enter into that may be a cage of unclean birds that may be a den of thieves their pride covetousness uncleanness may lodge and none in the world condemne thee for
it but Faith would quickly dispossess these and make it clean for Christ to dwell in And then thy life How pure is that Dost thou talk of believing in Christ when thou hatest purity makes a scoff and a taunt at it I tell thee if thou didst believe thou wouldst be pure and strict also As Saul that went with no good will to the Prophets when he came to them the Spirit of God sell on him and he prophesied also Thus thou that art a malicious enemy a prophane scoffer at purity and holiness should the Spirit of God once fall upon thee thou wouldst become pure and strict also Know then a man can no more carry faith in his heart and this not reforme his life then oyntment about him and that not discover it self Secondly Where there is a true lively Faith that will make a stout though wise confession of the truth when God doth require it Rom. 10.10 With the heart man believeth with the mouth confession is made to salvation and the Apostle We believe therefore we speak 2 Cor. 4.13 Indeed there is a faith about some disputable poinâ—s in Religion that are not essential to salvation that the Apostle bids a man have it to hâ—mself Rom. 14. but for the main points the owning or not owning whereof is the owning or not owning of Christ Our Saviour speaks terribly to the not confession herein He that shall not confesse me before men though before a croâ—ked and perverse generation him will not I confesse before my Father nor the holy Angels Mark 8.38 Thirdly Where faith is there it will carry a man out to the ready performance of all obedience justice temperance liberaâ—ity equity and every good worke The Apostle James Jam 2. doth at large shew That that man is but a vain man and an hypocrite one who cousens his own soul that thinketh by faith to be saved when this is not incarnated and manifested in all godly conversation Yea faith puts all graces on working as Heb. 11. That seemeth to be the great wheel that sets all others on going Lastly He that doth truly believe is not discouraged from his duty because of any trouble or persecution in the world Christ prayed for Peter That his faith might not fail him No danger no fears could have drawn him into sinne had faith been active It was faith made Moses chuse reproaches and persecutions rather than the glory of Aegypt A man that liveth by sense and by worldly advantages he cannot but with the Chamelion turn into every colour of that object which is by him because worldly fear reigneth and ruleth in his heart but Faith that overcomes the world If it conquer Devils and Hell much more the world Yea it makes a man rejoyce in tribulations Vse of Examination Hath the Ministry had this effect to make you believe Oh you will say Who doubts of that Are we Atheists Do you make Pagans and Infidels of us Consider there is a great difference between the Title Name and Profession of a Believer and the reall Efficacy of it It 's said Simon Magus believed because he outwardly professed so yet he was in the state of gall and bitterness It 's said John 2. ult That many believed but Christ would not commit himself to them because he knew what is in man Therefore Do you really believe all that the Scripture saith And if so How darest thou lie swear deal unjustly No you flatter your selves The Faith of these things would make you tremble yea roar out Oh! What shall I do to escape this great wrath Therefore set Faith more on work from day to day I am no Atheist I am a Christian I believe a Day of Judgment Why then live I thus But Ministers by whom ye belived even as the Lord gave to every man We are come to the last Particular observeable in this Verse and that is the Efficient Cause of this Ministry and Service in the Church with the variety of the Gifts of those that are employed therein Even as the Lord gave to every man This the Apostle addeth still to take off all from the Instruments and give it to God They are indeed Pipes to conveigh Gods grace but they can no longer runne then this Fountain fils them They are indeed spiritual Trumpets to give warning of Gods wrath approaching but they cannot breathe forth any sound but what the mouth of the Lord doth first breathe into them So that although the Church of God in respect of the several Gifts God bestoweth on her Officers be like the Queens Daughter cloathed all in needle and embroidered work Even as the Kings Daughters were wont to go in parti-coloured cloathes Yet all this Ornament and comeliness is put upon her by God alone So that every Minister hath a peculiar Gift yet so as all comes from above from God to him Doct. That God hath given several Gifts and Abilities to the Ministers of the Church and thereby makes use of them all for his glorious ends The Apostle doth in many places delight to compare the Church to a mans body where there are several parts and every part hath its peculiar Office There is the eye the hand the foot and though all are not equally eminent yet all are equally necessary But 1 Cor. 12.4 5. you may see this excellently described I here are diversities of Gifts and of Administrations but all from the same Spirit the same Lord and all is for the same end The manifestation of the Spirit is to profit withall Whatsoever Abilities and Gifts God hath given they are not for vain ostentation They are not for humane applause but for use to profit withall Insomuch that if any man should should use his parts his abilities to propagate errour or to strengthen men in wickedness they did greatly abuse the good Gifts of God and turn wholesome meat into poyson To open this Doctrine you may consider That the Gifts of God to the Church are as to our purpose of two sorts Sometimes the very Office and Function it self is called a Gift To be an Apostle to be a Pastour to be a Teacher is a Gift Thus Ephes 3. Yea Christs Ascension He gave Gifts to men As Kings at their Coronations distribute large and plentifull gifts And what are these Gifts Apostles Evangelists Pastours and Teachers Thus the very Office is a Gift and that a great one too More then all temporal mercies though the ungratefull world cannot think so Thus the Psalmist speaking of the Word of God and the Ministry given to the Jews he addeth He hath not done so to every Nation Psal 147.20 Alas for temporal mercies he had he gave them peace quietness and plenty all aboundance and filled them with good things but this was nothing to the Ministry of the Word And certainly no plenty no quietness no abundance is a mercy equall to the Gospel Therefore Amos threatned the famine of the Word as more terrible
in vain are taken up in the New Testament as well as the Old And experience teacheth us That where Christ is preached and the Gospel in a glorious manner promulged yet it 's but dead preaching to many This voice doth not make them come out of the grave of sinne onely herein the Law and the Gospel differ that the matter of the Law pressed will condemn us none being ever able to fulfill it Yea the godly cannot do all things the Law requireth and so the Law is a killing letter to him But the Gospel that comes with a moderation where the graces of Gods Spirit are though weak and imperfect there through Christ their weaknesse is forgiven So that the preaching of the Gospel to a soul oppressed for sinne is like the year of Jubilee to poor servants and indebted prisoners Howsoever then the preaching of the Gospel is said to be the ministration of life and of the Spirit 2 Cor. 3. yet that is not to be understood simply of it self but as accompanied with the power of God Hence the Gospel is said to be the power of God to salvation Rom. 1.16 the power of God not of man It 's not mans wisdome that our faith is grounded on Thus much for what the Apostle meaneth not What he positively meaneth or inferreth are First That it 's not in the power or choise of the Minister to make it effectual He cannot bid or command the Word to work as he pleaseth for then the guilt of all mens souls and the damnation of all would lie upon us As our Divines say to the Papists when they brag The Pope hath the Keyes of power above all things not only in earth but in purgatory Why then doth he suffer those souls to lie tormented there as he doth So it would be here Why are any damned Why do any lie in their sinnes if the Ministry by its own power could convert them No the Ministers of God they can only pray they can mourn and grieve in secret to see the miscarriage of the Word and the wilfull resolution in men to destroy their own souls they can mourn over the dead but they cannot recover them to life Secondly The Apostle by this intends that both the Ministers and the people should keep themselves in their due bounds The Ministers though never so eminent though never so much applauded by a numerous company of Disciples yet they cannot make one black hair white They cannot say of any people obeying the Gospel That we by our own power have made such believe It 's true they are said to be Fathers and to beget men to the truth but that is only instrumentally and metaphorically by external application of the Word not internal power for so we have onely one Father in Heaven Pride and ambition do easily breed in the most eminent parts as worms in the sweetest fruit but when they shall consider that they are nothing and God is all this is a good way to humble them and then the people hereby are also taught much moderation Some mens persons they are apt to admire Not such a man in the world Oh but what a great God is there in Heaven without whom this man is nothing This is spiritual Idolatry and that worship which is to be given to Christ only you give to instruments Lastly In making the Ministry nothing and God all The Apostle would have both Minister and people in their Ministry to have our hearts and eyes up to Heaven As the Bird after every drop of water it sips looks up presently to Heaven so shouldst thou Lord what the Minister hath spoken what he hath pressed oh set it home with a blessing Cause it to come like rain upon the new mowed grasse Oh the carelesse and prophane hearing that is every where This makes God give no increase you matter it not you believe not you tremble not under it you do not earnestly pray about it If a man have a leg or arm to be cut off oh you desire all you meet with to pray about it Why because it may cost him his life How much rather about every Sermon every Duty that is preached shouldst thou pray and again pray Oh it may be the damning of my immortal soul to miscarry therein Quest But how may we addresse our selves to hear and to the Ministry so that God may make them something to us Answ To be made something is when the Word doth greatly wound thy heart or comfort thee when it makes a noise and a pain at thy very bowels when it makes thee sick at the very heart when it makes thee cry out Oh me a wretched sinner what have I done Whither shall I go Ah wretch that I am In what a wofull condition am I plunged Sinne is on one side hell on the other the wrath of God above me and all the curses of the Law round about me Then it 's something then our words fall like hot burning coals upon your consciences you cannot sleep nor rove but tremble under it Now this will be done these wayes First Make it a real and conscientious matter to pray unto God to give increase As to the woman our Saviour said According to thy faith so be it unto thee So according to thy prepared prayer saith God this Sermon and this duty shall be blessed unto you As your cruise is fitted so will God pour in oil If we then complain that the Ministry works no more notable effects that it makes no more transcendent alterations judge whether the blame lie not on thy own self Prayer is that which moveth with God Prayer is that in which the Sermon rolled produceth sutable operations The Word of God is a two-edged sword but prayer maketh it penetrate that sets God on work and God sets his Word on work A man much in prayer is alwayes much in profiting As the Preacher is to pray Christ prayed much in the night as he taught much in the day so the hearer he also must pray much Secondly Exercise strong and divine acts of faith this will make the Ministry something to thee The Word profited not because it was not mingled with faith Heb. 4.2 or as some interpret because by faith they were not mixed as it were with the Word they were not incorporated into it and who hath believed our report Rom. 10. Faith is that which comes at first by hearing and then afterwards makes hearing profitable The Atheism and unbelief which is on mens hearts make the Word without efficacy such are prophane mockers As you see they despised the Prophets that often said The burden of the Lord the burden of the Lord. Men believe not the things preached to be Gods truth that they are Gods word that they will be made good whether they will or no they are living words and sure words and faith only layeth the first foundation of this spiritual building believe the threatning and thou darest
thy own self Those that at first believed Christ upon the woman of Samaria's report did afterwards believe Christ for his own sake The Ministry is that by which we do believe but we doe not believe in it Now that is the reason many do so stagger and know not what to say or do They are not stedfast and immoveable in faith The just shall live by his faith by his faith in particular And then though the whole world should turn Sceptick yet he would be as resolute as a Stoick in the matters of God 4. Humble your selves under these differences when they goe not the same way when they preach not the same things Let these things fear and wound thy heart as much as they do the Churches peace Say as he did Why do we fall out seeing we are Brethren Say Oh Lord it 's for our sins that are the hearers our unprofitablenesse our barrennesse and vanity that God hath raised up such a contentious spirit amongst us But because this is more necessary for us than you though necessary for both let us see what Use you ought to make of it And First Is the Ministry thus one Then when any doth set upon this maine worke they meddle not with other things they preach not about other thins How inexcusable will you be if you answer not God thus calling of you You cannot plead Lord we heard nothing but disputes nothing but controversies we were puzzled with one side and with another side Oh no! The plain and necessary things without which thou couldst not be saved have every day sounded in thy eares Preaching hath not distracted hath not filled you with troublesome Disputations but wholesome Exhortations It will therefore be thy greater wickednesse if thou refuse Oh then as all the Ministry are to be one in this way so that all that hear were one also that their thoughts affections study and utmost endeavours were for the main necessary things Oh consider you frustrate the Ministry of the proper end it hath your edifying your conversion For this God hath appointed us to labour in preaching to you and if you fail here all is lost Vse 2. Ought all ministerial abilities to be imployed in one way Then no wonder if the Devil when he cannot destroy preaching yet makes it uselesse and unprofitable and that is by raising divisions and enmity And thus he takes the old Rule Divide impera while he divides others he himself reigneth alone and his Kingdom is advanced Vse 3. Are they all to agree in one in the same ends in the same Doctrine Then take heed of itching after sinfull novelties Faith is but one faith and if thou art weary of it it is as if a man should be weary of the Sunne because it 's not a new Sunne Why do you not desire a new Scripture and a new Bible as well Oh it 's a grievous thing to be weary of old truths because thou knowest them already This is to despise Manna and God in judgement giveth thee up to an inconstant spirit to have Reubens curse Vnstable like water And every man shall receive his own reward according to his own labour The former part of the verse was an Argument against Divisions amongst Teachers and People When all are one there they ought not to be divided Now this later part is a kind of an anticipation or answer to an Objection thus How can they be one who are so different in their parts abilities and labour The Apostle therefore doth by way of explication adde this although they are one in their Office Institution and End yet there is a diversity of Gifts and Labour as also a diversity of Reward So that the words contain a Proposition wherein you have 1. The Subject with the Note of Universality Every man If you take it strictly in relation to what went before then the meaning is of Teachers and Officers Every Church Officer shall receive according to his labour But it is also a truth concerning every man in any way God hath appointed him to work 2. You have the Predicate or Attribute He shall receive a Reward 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Here the Popish Writers triumph pleading for the merit and causality of works it 's a reward but the Scripture speaks of a two-fold reward 1. Of Debt Rom. 4.8 To him that laboureth the reward is of debt and that is when a man by his own power doth those things which have an inward condignity and proportion with the reward as it is in the paiment of a day-labourer 2. There is a Reward of Grace and meer Promise When such a reward is a sure consequent of such an antecedent not that it was a Cause or Merit but God hath appointed such a necessary order and connexion as between grace and glory glory necessarily followeth not by causality of our works though from grace but by the fidelity of the promise Hence God is said to be Debitor sibi not nobis reddit debita nulli debens and therefore this eternal life which is called a reward is in other places called a gift and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 an Inheritance very frequently in allusion to the Land of Canaan where several Tribes had their several portions of Land by lot not according to any worth and that the Ancients did meane no more by Meritum our learned men shew at large 2. Consider the Appropriation and Distinction of this Reward He shall receive his reward implying by this that there are degrees of reward and glory in Heaven There are some learned men that think there are no degrees of glory in Heaven but all are alike And certainly there are many places which are usually brought to prove it which when throughly understood do not convince it yet I believe the different Degrees of glory to be a truth and this Text among others may confirm it where you have an excellent Appropriation 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is not here opposed to a contrary species as in other places He shall receive according to his works good or evil but to degrees in the same kind one labours in the good work of the Lord more and another lesse now according to this gradual diversity shall be gradual differences of glory Lastly There is the Measure and rule of this reward According to his labour he speaks it of the Minister he doth not say According to his successe according to the fruit of his Ministry If he labour and take pains God will reward him though no man hath believed the Word preached I shall consider this Proposition generally and not limited to the ministerial labour Observe That according to a mans labour and working for God he is sure to have a proportionable reward Although the Wiseman inscribes this Motto upon all the labour under the Sunne That it is vanity and wearisomnesse yet spiritual labour hath a sure recompence It 's not praying in vain
's no Judge no foundation because our natural Reason is corrupt and therefore the understanding must be captivated Many things are above our understanding though not contrary to Reason to which we must yeeld the obedience of faith Vse of Admonition In matters of faith lay this foundation in times of disputes of varieties of opinions such as these are be as a people that have had a good and sure foundation laid among you Runne not on one side into a Popish bruitish and blind obedience of faith Nor on the other side be not carried away as empty straws with every wind of Doctrine Oh it 's a blessed thing to have the full assurance and perswasion of truths necessary to salvation not to have Reubens curse to be unstable like water Especially you that are ignorant and earthy who never make any matter about the principles of Religion do you rouse up your selves Why hath God given you reason and understanding Why are those many Texts To search the Scripture To prove all things if you sit down and regard not these things As a wise master builder I have laid the foundation It hath been observed That it 's a great part of the wisdom and heavenly skill of the Ministers of the Gospel to lay a right and good foundation in the hearts of the Hearers What principles are in any Art or Science the same is a foundation in matters of Religion Now if the principles be false all the Conclusions likewise are false so it is in matters of Religion If we lay rotten and unsound foundations all the building will prove no better You have heard of a fourfold foundation upon which this spiritual building is fixed A foundation of Faith or Doctrine to be Believed and that is The written Word of God only This hath been dispatched The next in order is no lesse necessary and that is The foundation of Gods Worship For as their are heresies and false doctrines which over throw the sound Faith so there is idolatry and superstition which destroyes the true worship of God We shall at this time therefore shew you how necessary it is for the Ministers of the Gospel to lay a sure and right foundation about the worship of God And 1. We shall shew the necessity 2. What is the foundation and the Reasons of it It 's necessary to lay good Principles here First Because there is no sinne doth ordinarily more provoke God then the corrupting of his worship The glorious eyes of God have not sparkled more with vengeance against any persons then those that have defiled themselves in sinfull worship Now three waies God may be provoked about his worship 1. When we adore and worship a false god instead of him Thus all the Heathens that worshipped the Sun or the Starres and other creatures they were guilty of gross idolatry So the Jews when they worshipped Baal-Berith Baal-Phegor and Dagon and Ashtaroth they did point blanck thwart the first Commandement Thou shalt have no other gods before me 2. Gods worship is corrupted when we do indeed worship the true God but not by such means and wayes of worship as he hath appointed but in such a manner as we in our immaginations think best This God often doth caution against that they should not go after the the imaginations of their own heart Thus they set up groves and high places Thus Jeroboam made a golden calf They intended the solemn worship of the true God but only they forsook the true manner of worship he had commanded 3. Then is Gods worship corrupted when though we worship the true God after the true manner yet we adde something to what is commanded We rest not in his simple institution but as Eve added to the Commandement of God so do these Thus the Pharisees they retained the substantial worship of God but then they added a thousand of superstitious observations more to it Now the corrupting of Gods worship any of these waies is a grievous sinne for though the first be a greater sinne then the second and the second then the third yet all of them are such as are immediately committed against God and for which the Prophets do chiefly pronounce those Judgments threatned by them For this sinne Jerusalem was brought low and the Temple had no more a stone left upon a stone The Jews to this day are so sensible of it that of all sins they take heed of this idolatry Secondly It 's necessary to lay a good foundation in this Because this sin doth either immediately break the spiritual Vnion between the Church and God or else much dispose thereunto The Prophet Ezekiel and the â—est do frequently delight to express the sinne of idolatry by adultery and going a whoring after our imaginations And when the Apostle was carefull to lay a good foundation here among the Corinthians in this matter of worship see what he saith His care was to present them a pure Virgin to Christ 2 Cor. 11.1 2. He was afraid they should be corrupted from the simplicity of the Gospel So then Idolatry and Superstition they are Adulteries and Fornications Now as Adultery doth dissolve the marriage bond and may justly provoke the Husband to be no more an Husband so it is in matter of worship It 's true all superstitious worship doth not presently rise to such an height Many sound Churches have retained some superstitious worship yet as wanton Dalliances and meretricious behaviour in a Wise though they do not break the conjugall knot yet dispose thereunto and raise much jealousie and anger in the Husband so it doth in matters of Gods worship Oh then how carefull should people be to see they go upon right grounds in the worship of God Thirdly We had need be carefull because God is so farre from accepting of that worship which he hath not commanded that he accounts it as done to Devils and not to him Though those that worship so thought they honoured God and had a good intention yet God judgeth it as done to Devils not to him So was Jeroboams worship he did not forsake the true God he set up that worship only out of politique designes and certainly the people that went in the ignorance of their spirit little thought to give worship to the Devils thereby yet saith the Text Jeroboam set up this worship to the Devils 2 Chron. 11.6 So these very Corinthians 1 Cor. 10.21 Who would go to the heathen Corinthians Feasts and communicate with them in that worship though they thought they might lawfully do it and it was an act of charity and good society yet the Apostle saith They did drink of the cup of Devils Oh then how shouldst thou be like Ezekiels living creature full of eyes behind and before of heavenly wisdom lest thou worship Devils instead of God Fourthly There is a necessity of laying a good foundation Because our hearts do in nothing more presumptuously work then in the
same necessary soul-saving things for the affections are slow to receive though the understanding be quick You are not weary of the same sun though it rise every day We proceed to the next particular in the Text viz. the Event or consequent of Paul's foundation Another buildeth thereon So then Paul and the other Apostles laid the foundation in that they planted Churches at first and all that are to come after are only to build on that They must not divulge any new necessary Articles of Faith we must rest content with what is done by them already Observe That people are not to expect that Ministers should bring any other Doctrine them what is laid by Christ and the Apostles already Religion is matter of Doctrine which we receive from the Scriptures not matter of invention that we make of our own head Thus even Timothy is commanded only to build upon not to lay any foundation O Timothy keep that which is committed to thy charge 1 Tim. 6.20 That good thing comitted to thy trust The necessary truths of salvation are deposited in the Scripture and committed to faithfull men Now they must look they deliver the same Aurum accepisti aurum redde as Lyriuensâ—s To open this consider That the Apostles sent by Christ made it their business to inform in all things necessary to be believed and done They declared the whole counsel of God by a lively voice preaching to those that lived in those daies It is true they likewise informed of many other truths and duties in Religion that were not fundamental but still wheresoever they came they preached Faith in Christ and Rpentance Faith in Christ that required the knowledg of things to be believed and Repentance that was about things to be done And indeed if the Apostles had not laid down all things necessary their Commission would have been very imperfect and it would have redounded to Gods dishonour to send such foolish builders that could not lay a sound foundation So that it is horrible presumption for any to think that God hath revealed more to them then the Apostles What the Apostles had not revealed to them as necessary we are not to think it necessary Therefore 2. When the Apostles were to leave the earth and could no longer by a living voice commend those necessary things to them it pleased God that what they had delivered by mouth should be commended to writing These things are written saith John that believing we might have eternal life So then the believing of things written is enough to bring eternal life Joh. 20 31. And Timothy is commended that from the youth up he was acquainted with the Scriptures which were able to make him wise to salvation 1 Tim. 3. Since therefore the Apostles were taken into Heaven the foundations that we have to build on are the Scriptures only Hence though Christ be here called the foundation yet the Apostles and Prophets also are called the foundation Eph. 2.20 upon which Believers are built viz. secondary foundations So that to expect necessary things beyond the Scripture is as vain as to look for another Messiah with the Jews He that cannot see with one sun would not see with an hundred 3. Although the necessary foundations be thus laid yet our preaching and your hearing is not in vain for there is this further work to be done First Those necessary things we are to explain more distinctly and confirm more plainly that so Faith may be the more setled Necessary Principles of Religion have many excellent conclusions latent in them as fire lyeth in a stone which doth not appear but by striking out The Ministry therefore is to explain and distinctly to interprete these things As the candle though of it self it hath light enough yet unless put on a candlestick it cannot enlighten the whole room so the Word of God though it be full of light yet there must be the interpretation and application of it Therefore they are commanded to divide the Word aright 2 Tim. 2.15 The bread must be broken and digested else it cannot nourish So that this building lyeth in the further explication of what is believed We do not preach nova but novè not new things but in a new manner Secondly Though we are only to build on this foundation and no new thing be expected yet matters of Religion may be said to be new in themselves or unto us In themselves and so certainly there can be no new thing preached for as there cannot be a new Christ or a new Scripture so neither any new Faith Yea the Apostles and Christ himself did not bring any new necessary matter of salvation to what the Patriarchs and Prophets had before The Old Testament and the New are the same for the substance of Salvation though there be new Rites and new Sacraments and a clear explication But in the second place things may be new to us As in Popery when the reformed Divines first preached Justification by Faith denyed the merit of works as also the Pope to be head of the Church These were said to bring a new Gospel but it was a slander it was new only to men corrupted with errors and living in ignorance as the sun is new to a man that was blind but hath received his sight Thirdly This building upon the foundation lyeth in the powerfull application of necessary truths to the hearts and consciencies of men For the Scripture that speaks generally the Ministry that is to come particularly that doth as Elisha laid himself upon the Child mouth to mouth and body to body that so life might be procured To do by particular application of what is spoken generally in the Word this is the Ministry Vse of Instruction That it is a fundamental miscarriage in Religion to affect any thing further then the Scripture and the Apostles have left to us To expect such new things as cannot be built on this foundation Oh take heed of being weary of any point in Religion because thou knowest it already There is a sinfull itching both in Preachers and Hearers many times in these things As they were weary of the Manna because used to it We are indeed to grow in knowledg and in light both Persons and Churches are to grow in a reformation yet they must grow within the same kind as a Child groweth in the parts of man-kind he doth not degenerate into another nature But let every man take heed how he buildeth thereon We are now come to the later part of this verse which is Exhortatory Let every man take heed c. By this he sheweth that it 's a matter full of danger his losse may be exceeding great And then withall a man had need use much diligence and circumspection otherwise he may think â—he buildeth gold and silver when indeed it is nothing but drosse or lead And when he saith Every man his meaning is onely of Officers and Teachers he doth not speak
of the tongues observation of the peculiar phrases For whereas the matter is sometimes wholly new and supernatural so the words are not alwayes used in the same sense as humane Authours do Comparing also the Context is very usefull and parallel places consulting also with the gifts and abilities of others When Philip asked the Ethiopian Vnderstandest thou what thou readest How can I said he unless I have a guide Act. 8.31 Vse of Admonition to all who take upon them to give the sense and meaning of the word of God let this Text be as a pillar of salt to season thee it 's a dangerous thing to wrest Scripture Thou that puttest it upon the rack God will put thy conscience upon the rack Why dost thou so proudly so arrogantly so boldly meddle in this matter The people of God are not to be kept in ignorance that is a Popish principle but yet they must learn with humility and self-denial with the use of all means necessary He must not be his own master he that is so â—ath a fool to his scholar say the Rabbins and yet this must not be so interpreted but that he who brings truth may resist the whole world as one Paphnutius did an whole Council Vse 2. That it 's not enough to bring Scripture to name many Texts unless we find out also the true and proper sense This makes for the honour and dignity of the Scripture that all would fain authorize their tenents by that It 's no derogation to the Scripture neither may it be called a nose of wax therefore but it exalteth the Scripture the more Vse 3. Of Exhortation to you people as we are to take heed what we deliver so also what you receive what you believe It 's a very hard thing to reconcile these two things To give all the respect and obedience that is due and called for by God to your spiritual guides and teachers and yet to exercise your own faith and judgment likewise He that doth not run into one of these extreams either to neglect the Ministry and to use his own eyes only or else to put out them and rest only upon the eye of his guide is a wise and a solid man Be thou carefull to split upon neither of these rocks but be waâ—y what you receive and how you believe Verse 11. For other foundation can no man lay then that is laid which is Jesus Christ THis Text is a Reason of that Caution delivered in the verse before Every man must take heed how he builâ—eth Why Because there is no other foundation but Christ To set up any thing in Christs stead or to deliver any thing contrary unto Christ this is here reproved So that in the words Christ is described secondly the Ministers duty about him declared Christ is described 1. By his proper Name Jesus a Saviour of his people 2. By his Office Christ the Messiah the anointed one 3. Metaphorically the foundation sometimes Christ is called the foundation and sometimes the corner stone and all is to one sense to shew that he only supports the spiritual building whether we mean the Church in general or every soul in particular Now it 's true the Apostles Ephes 2. and Rev. 21. are called the foundation also but theirs is Fundamentum fundamâ—ntorum as Austin or fundamentum fundans and fundamentum fundatum The Apostles are only foundations that are built upon another foundation viz. Christ Or else the Apostles might be called a foundation because of their Doctrine in which sense Peter is called a rock And Christ saith he would build his Church on him viz. upon that Doctrine confessed by him Mat. 16.18 Though Cameron understandeth it of the person of Peter yet not in the Popish sense but because Peter was to be used as the first Person who should preach the Gospel to the Gentiles so that he is the rock of the Church because on his preaching first was built the declaration of the Gospel to the Gentiles But this I affirm not For you see here he is not only the foundation but the solitary foundation No other Secondly Their is the duty of the Minister Any other can no man lay Can none that is none ought Illud possumus quod jure possumus Observe That the Ministers of God ought to lay no other Foundation then Christ They are to build their people upon no other rock All is to referre to Christ All Threatnings all Promises all Commands all Duties they are to bring to Christ As every thing in the Temple was covered with gold so Christ is to cover all things To be in all things But how is this to be unnderstood We shall shew how many waies Christ is to be preached as a Foundation and you the Hearers are to make use of him in that sense First therefore He is to be laid down as the only foundation in respect of knowledge and instruction We are to preach and set up him as the great Prophet and Teacher of his Church He cals himself the light that came into the world Joh. 8.12 The Ministers they are light but as the Starres do lucere luce alienâ with a borrowed light from the Sunne so neither do the Ministers of the Gospel enlighten any other way but by light from Christ Hence he was prophesied of betimes as the great Prophet whom God would raise up for his Church and for this end he is so often called the Word because he doth reveal unto us Gods will and God from Heaven commanded all to hear him Mat. 17.5 All the Prophets were the Prophets of Christ all the Officers in the new Testament are the Officers of Christ So that we are to declare that all people who expect Instruction Reformation and any profit by the Ministry must not build on man but Christ And this is the chief scope here No man may lay any other foundation No man may set up any other Doctor or Teacher viz. principal but him as is to be seen in the former Chapter And that is the reason say some why Paul doth so often name Jesus Christ in that Chapter And no marvell if he be the foundation for none Teacheth as he both objectively and subjectively We all reveal the Object and propound the Doctrine to your ears though none did so objectively as he did but subjectively none can teach as he He giveth the understanding heart he opens the eyes to see and the ears to hear Never therefore expect the powerfull effect of the Ministry unless thou build on Christ more then the parts of a man The abilities of the man these are but like Gehazi with the Prophets staff they will not raise the dead Child unless Christ come himself It 's true we must not set up a teaching of Christ in opposition to the Ministry as some did They would have no Ministry at all but expect to be taught by him yet as we must necessarily use it so it
He that would come to God must believe that he is and a rewarder of those that seek him So that this foundation must be laid as well as about Christ And it 's made eternal life to know God the Father the only true God as well as Christ John 17.12 Where the object of our faith that is fundamental is divided into that of God and of Christ the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Thus also the Doctrine of the Trinity That there are three and these one God is a foundation because we are baptized into the Name of these three and the knowledge of them must needs be fundamental To answer this When we say Christ is to be laid as the only foundation that is exclusive of all humane foundations it doth not exclude God the Father or God the holy Ghost but incluâ—es them rather So then we are not to preach Jesus Christ as the foundation of all our comfort peace and salvation as that God the Father and the holy Ghost are to be shut out of this No they had all their appropriated working in this great Redemption of mankind And therefore as in those places where God the Father is said to be the only God and one God that is not exclusive of the other persons but of made and feigned gods of Idols made gods by men So it 's here Christ Jesus is preached as the foundation yet God the Father and the holy Ghost have their peculiar workings also though only the second Person is the Mediator And therefore secondly Christ Jesus cannot be preached as the foundation unless the Doctrine of God the Father and the holy Ghost be also made known Hence are those expressions He that knoweth the Sonne knoweth the Father also And He that denieth the Sonne denieth the Father And he that honoureth the Sonne honoureth the Father John 8.19 John 5.23 The Doctrine of Christ as Mediatour cannot be laid down without the Doctrine of God the Father giving his Sonne to be thus a Mediatour for us and the Spirit of God as applying working and sealing all those benefits that Christ hath purchased Hence Christ doth often acknowledge the Father in that work he came to do for mankind So that Christ Jesus is the foundation but there may be a more explicite revealing of what is necessarily implied in this foundation A second Objection is Is Christ only to be preached as the foundation And are people to be built upon him Then what need Ministers preach of any thing else but Christ What need they preach of faith and repentance Especially Why should they preach of the threatnings and the curse of the Law of the torments of Hell Doth it become the Ministers of the Gospel to be sonnes of thunder Have they any work to do but to offer Christ to every one Every Sermon should it not be an Ho to every one that is thirsty naked or miserable that is burdened and laden to come to Christ Thus indeed some have runne into extremity and thought Christ was not preached because he is not alwayes proffered as a Saviour to sinners but the Law and Duties and Hell torments are preached Now to this we say many things First When the Ministers of God preach duties the work of repentance or mortification they preach them not as foundations They do not lay them in Christs room and therefore they do not crosse this Text. Doth not this Paul who is so carefull to lay no other foundation but Christ diligently exhort in other places to avoid sinne to live in the fervent practice of holy duties Who is more zealous in this way than Paul Paul to these very Corinthians hath many severe admonitions to make them humble and sorrowfull for their sinnes yet he did not lay another foundation because these are preached only as the way whereby Christ may be obtained We do not then transgresse this Text when we preach repentance to the sinner humility to the proud man heavenly-mindedness to the earthly man righteousnnesse to the unjust man chastity to the unclean man We do not forget our Office we do not runne from our Text because we preach them not as a foundation Indeed if any preach them so as to rest on them to put confidence in them this man layeth another foundation but so do not the Orthodox we preach Christ the meritorious cause duties are the way not the cause And although Christ be said to be in a different sense the way yet duties are the way Christ is the way effectively and meritorious but so are not duties Secondly Though the Ministers are to lay no other foundation yet they are to build upon this they must enlarge themselves in the explication of this foundation They must not build hay or stubble but gold and precious stone So that we are not only to lay the foundation but to adde all other things that may make us a comely building upon Christ Thirdly To preach Christ is not only to preach Christ as the Object matter but all the things Christ would have us to preach That is to be observed we preach Christ when we preach all those things he hath commanded as well as when he is the subject matter of our Sermons When Paul about the Lords Supper said I delivered unto you that also which I received of the Lord Christ Here he preached Christ as well as when he said This is a faithfull saying Christ came into the world to save sinners So that here may be a great mistake thou thinkest Christ is never preached but when he is named when he is the matter of the Doctrine and Use Yet when we preach the whole counsel of God and deliver what ever he hath commanded us to reveal to our people then we preach Christ Thus the Apostles in their voyages and journeys where they went are said to preach Christ and in those Sermons they did not onely preach Jesus to be the Messias but also commanded all other duties of faith repentance love as the Auditories did require Fourthly We are to preach duties but in reference to Christ Take any particular grace that the Ministers of the Gospel provoke men to this cannot be done without bringing the soul to Christ and therefore though the Ministers of the Gospel do not in every Sermon name it yet it is to be supposed As for example take repentance we say every ungodly sinner unlesse he repent unlesse sinne be a burden an heavy bitternesse to him and he fully forsake it he must necessarily perish Now many wayes Christ is concerned in this For 1. He cannot repent and be humbled for sinne unlesse Christ give him strength Without me ye can do nothing The branch separated from the tree hath no moisture no juyce in it John 15. Thus a man without Christ hath 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 an hard heart a withered heart an heart without any moisture any softnesse so then Christ is here
Tit. 2.14 Now consider how great an obligation lyeth upon such as are Gods people They draw nigh to God in all duties of Communion and God draweth nigh to them in all dispensations of grace But how much holinesse faith and purity is required of such Did Ahasueros command those Virgins to be so many daies persuming and preparing themselves to come into his presence what preparation then ought to be in us when we draw nigh to such an excellent Majesty If you ask what are the duties of Communion with God Prayer and other religious approaches are And if we did know what these things were we would throw away all our rags and every thing that may offend his pure eyes Now herein people not diligently meditate Whose servants do we professe our selves to be Into whose presence are we going when we come to pray and humble our souls May we not say to every prophane and formal man Know ye not that Prayer is a Communion with the most high God Know ye not that the Word you hear is the Word of the great and living God And if so Why doest thou taâ—e no more heed Why dost thou not prepare thy self with fear and trembling So that if people would consider what it is to come and stand before God how the Angels cover their faces this would make them diligently throw away all their unseemlinesse upon them Remember him in the Parable that came without a wedding garment Mat. 22.12 So then think of this more how great that God is how precious and choice those duties are which you go about Thirdly If we did consider That the Word of God is the Rule all ought to walk by when once they give in their names to Christ This also would be a special antidote against all sinne You that are Christians are not to live as you list to make your covetous ambitious or malicious lusts your laws but you must take Gods Word to be your guidance Thus David professed of himself that he made the Word a light and lanthorn to his feet and thereby he was forewarned from sinne Psal 19. So a young man though unruly and masterfull yet he may cleanse his way by attending unto Gods Word Psal 119. This is the spiritual Bath that may wash away all our filth Now where is the man that attends to this Doth the Bible allow me to be thus and thus prophane Doth the Word of God suffer me to be thus licentious Oh ye know not what you do Should ye not know that when you are Baptized that thereby you do professe a submission to Christ and his Laws to walk in an orderly conformity thereunto What the Word saith do you will do what that forbids you will abstain from Yet how few do order their conversation hereunto Oh that we might prevail with you in this particular Take the Bible to be your Guide to be your Rule write after that Copy Let it be that heavenly Glasse according to which thou wilt dresse thy self Know ye not that this is the Law you must walk by you must think and speak by Fourthly The very name and title of a Christian if men did consider how much were in that what great alterations and changes would it make Thou gloriest in the title of a Christian Thou wouldst judge it the greatest reproach that could be to be accounted no Christian But what is a Christian not a meer title a meer idle name it is as much as one anointed with all the graces of Gods Spirit As Christ was therefore called Christ because he was annoinned by God with all abilities and sufficiency for that work of Redemptâ—on so we are called Christians because we as Members from that Head are anointed with fit graces for our particular places and Relations So that this spiritual and precious oyntment is poured upon every one that is a Christian indeed But as God complaineth of some Rev. 3.9 who said they were Jews but were not but of the Synagogue of Satan so God will in time judge all those that say they are Christians and are not but are of Satan doing his work Now if you look into many a mans life you may call that no more Christianity then a noisome dunghill a bed of Spices What is Christianity said Nazianzen and he giveth this definition 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a likenesse or resemblance of God according to mans ability As if a man should say Thou wert a rich man and thou findest thy self in extreme poverty That thou art an healthfull strong man but thou findest thy pains and infirmities What Wouldst thou regard the titles and names of things if thou find the clear contrary So it should be here I am called a Christian but I have not the humility of Christ the meeknesse of Christ the zeal of Gods glory which Christ had What will this name avail me when the reality is wanting I intreat you think of this more Fifthly The consideration of a Believer hath much efficacy likewise in it and should be like fire in our bowels Doest thou believe Art thou no Atheist no mocker and scorner no scepticall or disputer in matters of Religion but a serious stedfast and constant Believer this is enough to make all within and without thee consonant to Gods will For take but two or three particular Objects of thy Faith which thou saiest thou doest with thy whole heart believe thou canst not thou darest not deny them As First Thou believest there is a God who is omniscient and omnipotent who judgeth the world whose eyes are alwaies upon thee David was much affected with this That God knew his siting down and rising up and that he could not go from his presence but God was every where present with him Psal 139. Now if you do believe this indeed how darest thou do those things in secret which thou wouldst not have the world know Is not God in thy Chamber in the Closet with thee And so How darest thou have heart-sinnes saying All is well because the world doth not behold it Thou hast proud thoughts malicious thoughts How darest thou do this if thou doest believe the eye of God is upon thee Oh then when thou art solicited to any evil way say Oh my soul knowest thou not that God is here Am I afraid of a mans eye and yet he cannot damn me he cannot throw me into Hell and do I not tremble at Gods eye Secondly To instance no more Thou believest a Day of Judgment appointed when all men must appear to give an account of what they have done in this world when Christ shall come as a Judge in flaming fire to take vengeance upon all that obey not the Gospel Those Lamps that the foolish Virgins had as well as the wise are that outward profession of Christs coming and an outward preparation to meet him Now to believe such a day coming of so impartiall a Judge in such a terrible manner might it not take
rejected Tit. 3.10 Those then are nearest to perdition who after Admonition and Information do still continue refractory Lastly Of all those who defile the Temple and are marked out for perdition Antichrist it is and his party that are the great defilers of Gods Temple He is alled The man of Perdition 2 Thes 2.3 both actively and passively Actively because he is a means to destroy so many thousand souls and passively because he is appointed by God to remarkable destruction Take heed therefore thou art not found in the number of that Antichristian society which is marked out by God for destruction Come out of Babylon least you be partakers of her plague Rev. 18.4 If you ask why God should be thus provoked by corruptions in truth or worship the Reason is plain Because his Glory is more immediately interrested in these things Practical godlinesse and obedience are acceptable but his truth and his worship are that which immediately relate to him Herein his jealousie is said to be drawn out Vse of Admonition Pray and take heed you fall not from your stedfastnesse and be led aside with the errours of the wicked You see here is no dallyance no wantonnesse allowed in this matter God will destroy Art thou not afraid of Gods wrath of Gods vengeance If it were but the anger of a man or the persecution of a man it might be endured but God who is a consuming fire he will never bear this He will not endure this This Text would be like a flaming sword to keep men from false and erroneous waies if duly considered This is that which undoeth us people are either very sottish and stupid not regarding any thing of Religion at all or if they do they do not with that sobriety that humility that fear and trembling addresse themselves to know Gods truths as they ought to do There is a prophane proud unmortified frame of heart upon us and then then no wonder we defile his Temple Him shall God destroy This is the punishment threatned to the Temple-defilers and though but two words God destroy yet both have their weight There are many evils and calamities that yet are not a destruction that is the utmost of all paenall evils and then it 's a destruction from God whose wrath is like himself Incomprehensible It 's not man but God shall destroy Now what this destruction is we have told you not an annihilation of soul and body as Socinians would have it not a Physical destruction but moral viz. depriving the wicked man of all happinesse and comfort We have handled this relatively already as it is the Portion of the Temple-defilers I shall now consider it absolutely Eternal wrath and damnation is described here under the name of destruction which is the reward of every wicked impenitent man whether his sinnes be intellectual or bodily And the Doctrine I shall raise is That Eeternal Damnation is the Destruction of a man It 's the undoing of a man for ever This Doctrine or Truth hath a sting in it and because men are generally so bruitish and feared in their evil waies I do the rather pitch upon it because truths that are of a more sublime nature do not so easily penetrate Let us then improve this Eternal Damnation is the Destruction of a man It 's the eternal undoing of a man To clear this consider First That it is the Scriptures way to represent Hell and Damnation under all those evils that are most terrible to sense as on the contrary Heaven is described by such nams as do usually delight most men Hence it 's called a Kingdom and a Crown of Glory and a City paved with precious stones These are condescending expressions to us who are apt to apprehend nothing great and admirable but what is so to sense and were not our natural corruption so greatly prevailing over us such Scripture baites would soon take us As it is thus for Heaven so for the contrary Hell and eternal damnation is described by all such terrible Objects that the very naming of them should fill us with great horrour and do not think these are vain scare-crows no these expressions do no more represent to the full the torment and pain of the damned indeed then a painted fire doth a reall burning fire Whatsoever the Scripture saith of this destruction of wicked men doth not arise up in the least manner to the torment indeed Therefore that the meditation and preaching of this subject may be profitable set Faith on work believe there is such a state of destruction coming upon impenitent men that all the undoing we can have in this life is nothing to that eternal undoing Let Faith warm and heat thy heart with this and it will work wonderfully to thy reformation If to die be a thing of terrour what is eternal death What is eternal destruction If skin for skin and all that a man hath he will give for his life how much rather for this eternal life Secondly This destruction consists in two things The good it 's privative of And The evil it 's positive of Schoolmen call it the punishment of losse and the punishment of sense The Scripture brings in God inflicting both in that terrible sentence at the Day of Judgment Depart from me into eternal fire Mat. 25.41 Depart from me there is the privation of all good Into eternal fire there is the position of all evil and misery Divines have disputed which is the greatest evil of these two but Chrysostome answers The privation of Gods face is farre worse then all the torments in Hell That Depart from me is more terrible then eternal fire Certainly seeing such a destruction is coming how much doth it concern all to watch and pray about it Descendamus in infernum viventes ne descendamus morientes said Bernard Let us descend into Hell while alive by meditation lest we really descend thither when we die But singularia sunt quae pungunt Let us therefore consider What losse it is First that this destruction doth consist in And First It 's the losse of God in whom only is all happinesse Depart from me At his right hand are pleasures for evermore Psal 16.11 To be with God and to enjoy him is that happinesse which eye hath not seen nor can the heart of a man conceive For such as God himself is such is the enjoying of him He is the bonum in quae omnia bona bonum quo nihil melius cogitari potest The Jehova The beings of all created comforts that are scattered up and down and parcelled in creatures with their several imperfections are united and conjoyned in him in transcendent perfection only To represent what God is and the enjoyment of him would be to empty the Ocean with a shell Then do we best esteem of him when we judge him inestimable Now our destruction lyeth in being deprived of all that good which God would have been to us Oh
folly of wicked men that will drink swear and walk in all their bruitish lusts What hast thou not heard of this destruction from God What dost thou not believe that after all these pleasures of sinne God will destroy thee We would wonder what a senslesse bruitish and irrational a creature a wicked man is that should be no more afraid of this destruction Tell him of a temporal undoing he shall be undone in his estate in his life and you make his heart as cold as a stone within him but tell him soul and body shall be undone in fire and brimstone and that for ever he makes no matter of it And why is all this Either First Because of the Atheism and unbelief that is in men Though Christ hath again and again threatned such a place of torment yet they will not believe it O if we had but faith as a grain of mustard-seed it would remove these mountains of sinne Or Secondly If men do believe it yet because it 's apprehended as a farre off it 's not present and imminent upon us as many times temporal destruction is and therefore like bruit beasts they regard only the present Give me to day say they though to morrow I be damned for ever Thirdly Men are either plunged in besotting lusts or in the seducing temptations of the world Many men are become like beasts through sinne A beast will as soon understand things of reason as they of faith and salvation or else swallowed up in earthly cares and desires Now when thus lusts are within they forbid any outward good counsel to enter the heart For the Temple of God is holy which Temple ye are We now come to the Reason Why God is so exceedingly provoked against Temple defilers The ground is Because Gods temple is holy Holy things are not to be violated they are to be handled in an holy manner Sancta sanctè sanctis Holy things belong to holy men and are to be used in an holy manner by such 2. There is the Explication and application of this Temple If they object We have no such Temple as was at Jerusalem there is now no such thing under the Gospel as Gods temple He interprets his meaning This Temple is not wood or stone but ye believers who worship and serve God after his appointment Ye are his Temple In the Greek when he had said The Temple of God is holy then he addeth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the plural number because it relates to the subsequent matter not Antecedent which is usuall among Relatives Observe The holy Temple of God under the Gospel is not any place though never so adorned or glorious but persons believing and worshipping of him according to his will This Doctrine hath its great use For once in Gods Church while Popery and her principles reigned all the holinesse spoken of preached for pleaded for principally was holinesse of things not persons holy Temples holy Altars holy Images but reall personal holinesse which God commands was despised and opposed The Kingdome of God doth not come by observation that is we are not to look for external sensible pomp and glory but it is within you saith our Saviour Luke 17.10 The Temple the Church of God are Persons believing The Image of God is righteousnesse and holinesse in our lives To open this consider First That God while the people of Israel were unsettled and their enemies were not fully conquered appointed an ambulatory Tabernacle for his worship This was the place to worship him in and the Ark in it was carried up and down likewise and none might carry it but men even the Levites So that when it was put on a Cart and so carried God was greatly displeased The reason say some why men onely were enjoyned to carry it was that it might not at any time fall For being a token of Gods presence and power if that had fallen it would have been a reproach to the God of Israel But when God came to settle the people of Israel and they had fully subdued their enemies and the Government of the Land was established then God would have a Temple setled And though David had a desire to build it yet because he had shed much bloud not innocent bloud though he did Vriahs but because he had fought many battels God would not have him do it but Salomon whose name signifieth Peace No hammer nor any noise might be heard in making the Temple Thus Christ was born in Augustus his time when Janus his Temple was shut and the world at peace though indeed in the second Temple there they did build with their tools in one hand and their swords in the other because of the opposition they had Secondly This Temple that was built it was very magnificent and glorious and was accounted equal to the seven great wonderous buildings of the world It was a great building and yet Solomon at the dedication of it removeth all carnal and low conceits from God as if he were circumscribed within that place For saith he The Heaven of Heavens do not contain thee much lesse this place 1 King 8 20. It was not therefore that God needed such an house or because he was contained in it but because he was a great God full of Majesty as Solomon saiâ—h and therefore according to the Jewish Pedagogie which consisted in external and sensible Rites and Administrations it was made so glorious Thirdly This Temple had a proper and peculiar holinesse a relative holinesse being dedicated by Gods command unto his worship and a typical holinesse It was typically holy because a type of Christs body Destroy this Temple said our Saviour and I will raise it up in thrâ—e dayes John 2 19. Now when Christ the fulnesse came this Temple was to be destroyed as the Altars and Sacrifices with the Levitical Priesthood even as the flower fals to the ground when the fruit comes in stead thereof It was relatively holy from two grounds 1. Gods Institution He commanded the building of it for his worship and every thing though never so little yet had it Gods command for it as also the Tabernacle had They were to do nothing of their own heads but according to the patern in the Mount And then 2. It was relatively holy Because of Gods special promise to be present there Hence because it was a prayer in that very place there was more acceptance of it with God therefore they did use to pray even their private prayers in this place as the Prophetesse Anna that departed not from the Temple but served God with fastings and prayers day and night Luke 2.37 Yea when they could not be bodily present they did direct themselves towards the Temple as we reade Daniel did and though it was in danger of his life yet he would open his window when he prayed and look that way Dan. 6.10 though in the Text it be said onely towards Jerusalem and therefore it
flowers It 's as absurd saith Aristotle to expect moral discourses from a Mathematician as mathematical demonstrations from a Moralist So then some men are presently conquered by acute metaphysical argumentations This the Scripture hath not for that dictateth not argueth which is indeed most sutable to the divine Scripture Bradwardine who is called The profound Doctor professed of himself while he was a Christian yet not throughly sanctified by grace that he was weary of hearing Pauls Epistles read in the Church And why Because Paul had not metaphysicum ixgenium Some then look for learned demonstrations Others are ravished with the sweet musick of humane Rhetoâ—â—que And Austin confesseth this great vanity in himself That he could not delight in the Scripture because of the want of that as he thought He looked for Tully's flowers there and the Scripture simplicity he disdained It was the saying of an Atheistical Critick That he esteemed one of Pindar 's Odâ—s before all David 's Psalms Thus you see as it was with Christ himself many looked for an outward stately pompous Messias and because he came in that outward way he was a slumbling block to many Christ crucified was foolishnesse to the learned Gentiles In the like manner it is with the Scripture because it hath not the Aristotâ—lical demonstrations or the Ciceronian perswasions Therefore the Scripture is to them as Jobs white of the egge without any taste But to remove this carnal prejudice First For learned men who expect demonstrations consider That it being the Word of the most High God it is most decent and gracefull that there should no other Argument be used but Authority And therefore if you doe rightly consider Moses his relation of the Creation of all things is of greater force than all rational demonstrations Kings use to say Teste meipso and thus it is most becoming the Majesty of God to have his Pen-men say no more but God said it God did it Therefore howsoever one Heathen said of Moses Bexè dicit sed nihil probat He speaketh well but proveth nothing yet another Heathen when he heard the relation of the Creation by Moses said I like this saith he he speaketh like a God All scientifical demonstrations are farre inferiour to divine Authority Therefore you see the greatest men of reason have been wonderfully perplexed about the Creation It 's said Aristotle thought the world was from eternity Besides that seemeth reason to one man which is not to another And this seemeth to be a good reason till a man of strong parts cometh to shew the weaknesse of it In that the Scripture then is only assertory and that in the main principles of our Religion it therefore is most consonant to Gods Majesty and that holy confident relation by Moses without so much as any attendance to go about to prove it doth evince the Divine Authority of it Secondly While learned men seek for such rational demonstrations Let them take heed lest while they seek for Reason they lose Faith Christians are believers not Artists Now what is faith A captivating of the understanding to Gods testimony 2 Cor. 10. It 's the evidence or conviction of things not seen Heb. 11.1 By faith we understand the world was made by faith we believe there is a God and that he is a rewarder of those that come to him Faith is not an argumentative Discourse but an obediential Assent Thou therefore that judgest Arguments from Authority though Divine to be farre inferiour to demonstrations thou forgettest thy profession is to be a believer yea it 's the greatest reason in the world to believe Gods testimony So that we may say Religio est summa ratio There is greater reason to believe the Scripture then to assent to any demonstration So that though Faith be not Reason yet there is the greatest Reason for Faith And for those who look for Rhetorical flourishes and fanciefull expressions let them consider First Some places of Scripture have strong and masculine eloquence not indeed that light and meretricious habit of humane Oratory but a grave Mâ—tronlike cloathing such is the Prophecy of Isaiah and other places Yea even all those parts of the Scripture where there is least of humane Rhetorique yet there is a grave and decent expression fit for such heavenly matter therâ— revealed and this is indeed the best and most genuine Rhetorique when the matter is so expressed that not the words but the matter doth appear that the leaves do not hinder the fruit It pleased God by the foolishnesse of preaching to save those that believe 1 Co. 1.21 If we have a jewel or precious pearl it 's own native lustre is better than any painting of it So divine matter the more plain and clear it is the more admirable it is It 's the matter not the words that do convince and convert Words may please the fancy but it is matter that woundeth the heart Savanarola a man of great piety and acknowledged even to be a Prophet by Machiavel himself relateth this of himself remarkably that being Preacher at Florencâ— he thought to do good by following the rule of Rhetorique and industriously attempting humane eloquence but still his people they were as wicked as ever then he tried to preach in an high scholastical way thinking by such sublime discourses to work on them but still his preaching wrought no good At last he betook himself to a powerfull plain preaching according to the style and manner of the Scripture then his Net was presently full of Fâ—sh Then he made a very earthquake or rather an heart-quake among them thereby so overturning Satans Kingdome that the Devil was never quiet till he had stirred up the pharisaical and ungodly Monkes and Friars to put him to death Though plainnesse of preaching be thus the readiest way to change the heart and is most becoming divine matter yet we deny not but Eloquence and Oratory and all other parts of Learning are the good gifts of God and may in a subservient way be very usefull This is to borrow gold of the Aegyptians as the Ancient said and to help the Israelites with it Qui dedit Petrum piscatorem dedit Cyprianum Rhetorem Thus Reason also to Faith is like the Dew that fell before the Manna to preserve and keep it safely Thus have we dispatched the second The third remaineth and that is Earthly wisdome is a great enemy to those spiritual and practical duties that God requireth of us And indeed if ever any man be to become like a little child it is in this respect Hence we are commanded to be Children in malice to expresse such innocency and harmlesnesse and humility as they use to do Practical godlinesse hath a great deal of seeming foolishnesse in the eyes of the world As First The whole Doctrine of self-denial is a very foolish thing to carnal wisdome Our Saviour requireth this as the foundation in all those who are to come to
fiducial and confident resting upon God or Christ and this is indeed the most noble and excellent Act of Faith Even as reason and understand are the chiefest acts of man though he can also sentire Faith as it doth thus rely on Christ it Justifieth But not only in matter of Justification doth it thus depend on God but also in all outward calamities and streights it in ableth the soul to rest and leane on the Lord. This is that trusting which David doth so often exhort to in the Psalmes For as a man cannot walk without legs or a Bird fly without wings so the soul of a man being wholly unable and impotent cannot subsist of it self but it must have something to lean upon It 's like Ivy that cannot grow of it self Now if the heart of man be corrupt his trust is wholly carnal he beareth up his heart and supports himself with some bladders or stilts that the world affords him But if his heart be sanctified then he doth solely depend upon the Power and Promise of God Now this trusting in God is a special duty and David many times useth this Argument why God should help him because he trusted in him We cannot in an higher manner glorifie God then by trusting in him For hereby we acknowledge God to be the Jehovah that he alone doth all things Insomuch that this is one of the chiefest duties required in the first Commandement The grace then of Faith hath this peculiar effect upon a man that it lifteth up the soul to God and maketh it rest and solely depend on him It 's true even in natural men there seemeth to be a trust in God but that doth as much differ from this holy confidence as light from darknesse For no natural man can put his trust in God there being as much grace required to put forth this as any other holy duty Secondly This trusting in God hath Its general Object And It s more special and adaequate Object The general Object is Any good thing that we stand in need of So that whatsoever the soul wants or the body wants Whatsoever thy necessities are thou art to depend on God for the supply This our Saviour insinuateth Mat. 6. to his Disciples when he tels them they should not be doubtfull and distrustfull what they should eat or drink but rest satisfied wholly in Gods provision who is an heavenly Father And therefore there is not any grace hath such a peculiar property to allay the tempests and rebuke the stormes of the soul as this hath This is David's Harp to chase away the evil spirit Whence are all those soul dividing and tormenting cares but from want of trust in God It were not possible thy heart should be so disquieted and tossed up and down if thou didst thus rest on him For this trusting in God it is a Catholocum it 's a general Remedy to all Exercises to all Dejections And hence when the Prophet Habbakuk saith The Just shall live by Faith the great Act of Faith in that place is dependance on God But then Faith as it's trusting and relying on God hath a more special and noble Object and that is Christ our Mediatour In the sense of all our guilt and unworthinesse we are to throw our selves on him And this is like the looking on the Brazen Serpent by which we are healed It 's not working or labouring but resting of our souls on Christ that justifieth And indeed if we can trust on him for our Justification for our salvation what a shame is it we cannot depend on him for supply of all outward necessities Doth not the Apostle argue with the highest reason that can be Rom. 8. If he hath given us Christ how shall he not with him give all things else Will not this shame all thy distrustfull and dividing thoughts when thou shalt say I believe in God for the salvation of my soul yet I cannot trust him with my Children my health or any other streight I am in Thirdly The Motives to trust in God in the midst of all Exercises are two-fold Gods Promise And Gods Power For as our Saviour said concerning those who did not believe the Scripture They erred because they did not know the Scriptures nor the power of God Thus it 's here All thy dejected and repining thoughts arise within thee because thou art ignorant of his Truth his power First There must be Gods Promise otherwise it 's not trust in God but carnal presumption If a man should neither work nor eat or drink yet say He trusts in God for his life this would be desperate presumption for there is no Promise made to such Therefore whatsoever thy heart is born up with be sure thou hast a Promise for it And if there be a Promise then know Heaven and Earth will sooner fail then that Promise It 's true in the Old-Testament dispensation there were particular Promises made for many mercies so that they might the more boldly confide in God As David in this very particular he had a peculiar Promise that the Kingdom should be established to him and therefore he was assured that this Conspiracy of Absolom should not prevail Now although we have not such peculiar Promises made to us that God will remove such a calamity take away such an affliction yet we have a general Promise for every good thing and that all things shall turn to our good Which may make every Believer say I know either God will take this affliction away or it will be for my good That it is better for me to have it then to be without it And is not here ground of quietnesse enough within thee This makes the Apostle James give such a Proviso to all our Petitions Let him ask in Faith nothing doubting Chap. 1. for if he doubteth let him be assured he shall have nothing Now how must a Christian in every Prayer about temporal things pray without doubting I shall not say as some do That even in all temporal mercies we are to pray with the same assurance as for spiritual That temporal things are as absolutely promised as spiritual And therefore if any temporal mercy be not vouchsafed to us it 's wholly for want of Faith and Confidence But I rather joyn with those that say He must not doubt of Gods Truth and Goodnesse to help neither must he doubt whether he shall not have that or the equivalent This he must assure himself of And truly if a Christian would proceed thus farre he would find a world of ease and quietnesse in his mind And as Gods Promise so his Power also that is a second Motive for this trust in God For if we do not believe God is able to raise up the dead to call things as are not as if they were If we think the temptation too great the affliction too desperate then we cannot put any assurance in God Fourthly We adde in the Doctrine that Faith depending upon God
tryumphs over all imaginable adversaries but why is he thus confident Because there is no condemnation to such as are in Christ Jesus If then the Sunne arise the dark night will be quickly dispelled and so if the light of Gods favour doth arise the feares and troubles which arise from outward exercises are quickly dissipated If then thou complainest thy strength is so small every temptation is ready to blow thee down as certainly the least puff will hurl a man down if faith be not lively the Damsels charging of Peter to be of Christs company made him curse and swear and fearfully apostatize here was no such great cause he was not arraigned imprisoned sentenced to die but this temptation blew down a strong Oak which teacheth us that a little calamity may throw us to the ground if faith be not lively and a great one cannot if faith be vigorous If I say thou complainest of thy weakness thy feares Let faith in Christ as a Mediatour be more powerfully put forth Secondly Faith doth quiet and compose the spirit by impetration or obtaining of God such a spirit For as you heard seeing it lyeth not in the power of man to give himself such a sweet blessed frame No he would give a world for it if it lay in his power it can only be obtained by application unto God Now that which most prevaileth with God is faith Whatsoever you ask believing you shall have it It 's faith only that makes the omnipotent God work for thee and in thee so that when we say faith makes the heart thus still and quiet you must not think it comes from faith as a natural cause as the fire burneth but morally by prevailing with God This is the grace that God doth so honour if we trust on him if we rest on him then God promiseth to give rest and peace to our soules Insomuch that it 's a Christians duty above all things to keep up the grace of faith to attend to that lest the whole kingdome be lost when that is lost for God is to us as we believe so God works for us as we trust in him so that our distrust makes God to be as no God or as an Idol-god having eies not to see us or hands not to help us Gods power will not communicate it self but upon believing as Christ told Mary Said I not unto thee if thou wouldst believe thou shouldst see the glory of the Lord That glory was to make Lazarus dead your dayes and stinking in the grave to live again Now no less glorious alterations and changes will God work upon thee if thou trust in him for hereby Gods fidelity goodness and power is engaged and he will never deceive those that wholly rely upon him You see then why faith put forth in a lively manner can thus quiet the soul Because it 's the condition to which God doth make glorious promises Thirdly Faith doth instrumentally compose the soul because by it other graces are also set a work and so the more purified and cleansed the soul is from all corruption the clearer the heart is As the clearer the spring is then though it be moved and stirred yet for all that the streames will be pure Thus it is with a godly man when his heart is sanctified cleansed and adorned with grace then though he is plunged into tribulations instead of discontent impatience grudgings and murmurings instead of dejections and disquietness there is joy thankfulness and heavenly mindedness as if Juniper or sweet herbs be thrown into the fire the fiâ—e draweth out their sweet smel or as the wind blowing upon the sweet flower makes it smell more fragrantly Thus also when afflictions fall upon the godly faith having purified their hearts there do runne forth admirable and sweet breathings of the soul That faith exciteth other graces appeareth Heb. 11. Where all those glorious acts of grace which those Worthies abounded in are attributed unto their faith Lastly Faith lively exercised must thus serene the heart of a man because it doth suggest many noble and excellent arguments which do abundantly quiet and establish the soul Faith is argumentative it is very ingenious to find out all those Considerations which the Scripture affoards Now the Scripture is like the Apothecaries shop that can furnish with all cordials As First Faith argueth from Gods giving of Christ every thing else that is as necessary for us as Christ is Thus the Apostle Rom. 8. If he hath given us Christ how shall he not with him give all things else He doth not say some things but all things and then the expression how shall he not implyeth that it is a most absurd and irrational thing to think otherwise Now then faith doth thus quiet the soul Be not afraid or troubled the God that afflicts thee is he that hath given Christ to thee Now if ever God would have refused thee it would have been in this Know then that these afflictions these troubles they are good for thee they are necessary to humble thee to make sinne bitter they are as necessary in their kind as Christ was in his kind It cannot be want of love that these exercises are upon thee for is not Christ the great pledge of Gods love to thee Therefore faith turneth the heart of a man from that which is grievous and vexing to that which is pleasing and comfortable Though God giveth not this or that outward mercy yet he giveth Christ the fountain and original of all Secondly Faith represents God out of his word in some Attributes chiefly above others insomuch that the heart of a man being thereby lifted up to heaven to God himself it cannot be disturbed by things below As the Bird while soaring aloft in the heavens is not skared with this fear and that noise so while faith beareth up the heart to God and makes abode with him it 's not disquieted It 's the looking upon the waters that make giddy if we look up to the heavens they cannot disturb the brain Now these things in God doth faith powerfully improve First The wisdome of God that whatsoever the Lord doth it cannot be done wiser Therefore he is called the only wise God Now what wonderfull comfort may be suggested from hence That there is no affliction no temptation though never so heavy but it cometh and is ordered by infinite wisdome If thou hadst the disposing and ordering of all things it could not be done more wisely then it is nay thy own love to thy self if wise would order this affliction to come upon thee For do not you see a man whose parts of body are gangreend yet because he is wise though he loveth his ease yet willingly resigning himself to have those parts cut off for the good of the whole So that is one of the most comfortable considerations which faith supplies the heart with that whatsoever temptation is fallen upon thee the wise God hath ordered it so
when in the Battell was taken by his enemies and they ready to kill him yet he cryed unto the Lord and God moved their heart to depart from him 2 Chron. 18.31 So in the thievings and robberies in the world it 's God that diverts men from designing and doing mischief to such Families While the people of Israel wenâ— up to keep their Feast at Jerusalem he ordered mens hearts so That none should desire their Land Exo 34.24 Vse of Thankfulnesse to God in all these common Preservations Every day every morning and evening thou hast cause to wonder at his Power and Goodnesse under all thy temptations What befalls another God tells thee what might come to thee Oh therefore do not take thy life and health God giveth thee and spend it upon the Devils service Remember Thou livest upon Gods mercy if he withdraw for a moment any suddain evil may fall upon thee â‚ FINIS An ALPHABETICAL TABLE A Admiration OF Admiration of Ministers Persons when sinfull p. 48 Afflictions How Afflictions effect good in a man p. 179 181 Agreement The Motive of Agreement is Godlinesse p. 33 Agreement among the wicked easily broken doth not alwaies denote a true Church p. 41 Protestants Agree in Fundamentals p. 41 B Babes BAbes in Christ p. 5 Babes directed p. 8 Backbyting Of Backbyting p. 35 Building Gods people are his Building p. 118 The Scripture is the foundation of this Building p. 141 Of a two-fold Building upon the foundation p. ibid. How a Minister must take heed how he builds on the foundation p. 142 Of their Building Gold Silver Precious Stones p. 157 Boasting Of Boasting in men p. 265 See Glorying C Carnall CArnall its several significations p. 5 In what sense a godly man may be said to be Carnall p. 21 Ceremonies Of Ceremonies p. 11 Causes Causes of Grace Principal and Subordinate p. 59 Principal the Ministry p. 68 Efficient the Spirit of God ibid. Church The Churches Duties p. 20 Of Church-Government p. 84 Of the Holinesse of Churches p. 118 The matter of a Church ibid. The Church of God is his Temple p. 193 The Churches Priviledges Relations and Titles should be a spur to duty ibid. The Churches Riches enumerated p. 270 Christ Christ justly exalted p. 30 As the Foundation p. 21 145 Christ may be sinfully set up and how p. 58 What it is to preach Christ p. 145 153 The Godly and all they can do are Christs p. 294 Christians Christians should â—â—ve as those that are more then meer men p. 42 Contention Contentions argue men to be so farre carnal p. 33 Contentions are two-fold Good â—vil p. 34 36 37 The cause of sinfull strife p. 34 The Effects of it in Civil Religious Matters p. 35 36 The Aggravations of this sinne p. 36 D Damnation OF Damnation p. 222 Death Death the godly mans advantage p. 282 Deacon Deacon the word used diversly p. 66 Defile Defilers of Gods Temple with corrupt Doctrine p. 216 Difference Difference between Christian and Christian in respect of their Knowledge and Graces p 5.22 Discipline Discipline how severe in the Primitive times p. 7 Divisions The sad Effects of Divisions p. 99 Direction for Times of Division ibid. Difficulty The difficulty of the salvation of those that are most godly p. 192 Divinity Divinity contains a two-fold Matter 1. Fundamentals and 2. Conclusions from them E Encrease THe Encrease and successe of preaching from God p. 86 Ends. Of corrupt Ends in a Minister and good Ends p. 63 64 Envy Envy the word used in a good sense and in a bad sense p. 25 It 's a fruit of the flesh p 25 Its Degrees p 26 Its Object p. 27 It s Subject p. 28 Its Aggravations p. 29 Its Remedies p. 32 How differenced from zeal p. 32 Errour Errour Considerations about it p. 142 c. Errours are Hay and Stubble though not Fundamentall p. 161 Men may be erroneous and not know it 161 Errours Greater Lesser p. 121 161 Why called Hay and Stubble Its secret waies shall be made manifest p. 169 May indanger salvation p. 189 Its Causes p. 169 Defile Gods Church p. 217 Erroneous times sad times p. 174 How God will punish the erroneous p. 186 219 How farre a godly man may erre and how a godly man erring differeth from a wicked man p. 220 The Difference between Errour and Heresie p. 190 See Doctrines Eternal Of Eternal Damnation F Family OF Family-Duties p. 3 See Relations Wickdnesse p. 3 4 13 Such as they are such is the Common-wealth p. 14 Faith Faith Its eminency p. 70 Nature and Acts p. 71 Its Foundation viz. the Scripture p. 126 Effects p. 72 Knoweth its ground why though it comprehend not the matter believed p. 71 Is the Instrument of Sanctification as well as of Justification p. 72 Fundamental Of Fundamentals p. 2 The ignorance of them lamentable p. 2 Reduced to several Heads p 14 Are easie p. 15 Knowledge of them necessary ibid. Foundations Foundations in Religion carefully to be laid p. 125 Four unquestionable Scripture Foundations I. The Matters to be believed viz. The Scripture is the only Foundation of our Faith p. 125 126. How carefull Ministers should be to build truth upon that Foundation p. 141 Four rotten Foundations The Authority of the Church Magistrate Enthusiasme Meer humane Reason p. 127 II. The Worship and necessary Service of God p. 129 How necessary it is ibid. It must have a Divine Command p. 131 Three rotten Foundations in Worship ibid. III. The things to be done by us p. 125 This Foundation of Practice consists in 1. It 's Directory Gods Word 2. The Justification of our Persons 3. A receiving power from Christ 4. A renewed and sanctified Nature p. 133 The necessity of this Foundation p. 134 Four rotten Foundations that men build upon in reference to practice p. 135 How Christ is the Foundation p. 145 c. How the Apostles the Foundation p. 145 c. Fool. Wise men after the flesh are fools p. 229 G Glory THe Degrees of Glory p. 101 105 Of Glorying in men The sinfulnesse of this sinne p. 261 And how many waies that is done ibid. See Boasting Godly Their Characteristical Priviledges p. 155 265 Of Godlinesse in the power of it p. 42 105 Grace Free Grace to be exalted and praised and how p. 121 Why the godly are so sensible of free Grace p. 123 Impediments of this duty p. 124 Gospel Gospel how great a mercy to a people p. 79 Government Of Government in the Church p. 120 Growth in Grace Growth in Grace and Knowledg pressed p. 1â— 91 Intensive Extensive ibid. Grounds of Religion See Principles and Fundamentals H Hay OF building Hay and Stubble p. 161 Hell Of Hell p. 222 Heresie Heretiques How God will punish Heretiques p. 220 Hide How vain and sinfull to Hide our sinnes p. 166 c. Holy Ghost The Holy Ghost is God and a Person p. 201 c. Why called a Spirit ibid. Heaven Heavens