People 1 COR. 1. 14. That we are your rejoycing as ye also are ours THis is the Second particular in the Text and doth contain the Specification wherein this acknowledgment of the Corinthians did consist viz. That he was their Rejoycing However some false teachers had endeavoured to take off their affections from him yet they had acknowledged him to be their Father and Master by whom they were faithfully instructed in the wayes of Godliness and for this they did blesse God and rejoyce that they had such a Teacher which was so great a mercy that few did enjoy the like Now the Apostle addeth That this rejoycing was mutual he did as well rejoyce in such apt and obedient Schollars Chrysostome observeth this Addition to be a great Expression of Pauls Modesty and Humility for that the Corinthians should glory and rejoyce in such an eminent Teacher as Paul was It is no wonder but that he should rejoyce in them who were so inconstant and so uncertain in their affections to him yea who were to be blamed so much in Doctrinalls and practicalls This may make us admire But sayes Chrysostome This Paul doth for humility sake that he might not procure envy us if he thought two arrogantly of himself therefore he assumeth them into a co-partnership with his glory and rejoycing The Original word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 lieth already bear opened There is nothing difficult in the words onely when Paul and the Corinthians are thus said to be one anothers rejoycing we are to understand that the Act is here put for the Object of it as often in the Scripture Thus rejoycing is put for the Object Matter and Cause of our rejoycing and if you say We are to rejoyce in God onely in the Lord not in men that is true We are to rejoyce in God onely as the Author of all our good yet we may in men as they are instruments used by God to communicate his benefits to us Thus a people may rejoyce in a faithfull Minister not principally and originally but secondarily as the Instrument which God hath made very successfull to their souls The Observation then is That it is a most happy and blessed thing when Minister and people can upon just and holy grounds rejoyce mutually in each other When the people can bless God for the Ministerial gifts and graces bestowed upon their Pastor and he again can praise God that he hath a willing teachable and obedient people ready to receive the Ordinances of Christ in the power and purity of them This is a rare priviledg Oh there are but few Churches of which the Ministers may say as Paul to the Colossians Chap. 2. That he doth rejoyce in beholding their order and faith in Christ To meet with a people that are neither ignorant heretical nor prophane but willing to walk according to Christs rule and his order this is to see heaven upon earth The Apostle findeth such matter of joy not onely in those Corinthians but in many other Churches For as he had more Labours more Oppositions more Persecutions than others so also God gave him more joy and comefort in beholding the spiritual successe of his Labours for this was the onely comefort of his spiritual heart to see men imbrace Christ and to live worthy of the Gospel it was not his own Glory Honor and greatness that he aymed at which is an excellent example to us Ministers of the Gospel that our Matter of joy should not be any earthly riches or wealth any great fame or worldly esteem but that we are to win people to Christ alone not our selves Thus the Apostle calleth the Philipians his joy and crown Phil. 4. 1. and 1 Thes 2. 19 20. speaking of his ardent affections to see their face by way of interrogation the more emphatically to express himself he saith What is our hope or joy or crown of rejoycing Are not even ye And then addeth positively the same thing for or rather surely certainly ye are our rejoycing 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is not a note of reasoning for then the Apostle would prove Idem for Idem as they say but of Affirmation and asseveration Ye are our crown of rejoycing Grotius saith It is an allusion to Kings who on their solemn festival dayes have not an ordinary but extraordinary Crown to wear for the greater pomp and glory Such extraordinary honor would the Thessalonians be to Christ at the great day But let us consider this in the general and then amplifie it respectively to Minister and people And First The Relation of Pastor and people is by divine Institution Christ himself hath appointed the Office it self and the application of it to this or that man through the desire of the Church so that as Churches are of Gods gathering They are his creature in a more special manner than the world is so likewise are the Officers and spiritual Guides to teach them 1 Cor. 12. 28. God hath set in his Church Apostles and Teachers Thus Act 20. 28. The Holy Ghost is said to set them Overseers over their flock â—eeing therefore that this relation is built on a Divine Foundation no wonder if managed according to Divine Rules that it is the cause of exceeding great joy These Relations are respectively for supernatural and spiritual ends and effects The Minister is for illumination Conversion Edification for the destroying of the power and Kingdome of Satan as also the establishing and promoting the Kingdome of grace in the hearts of the people The people also they are to be matter of encouragement to him they are to be helpfull and assistant in their way that Godliness may flourish that the ends of the Ministry may not be frustrated The Apostle sometimes taketh notice of the great usefulness and serviceableness even of some women in that kinde For though Ministers be compared to Light to the Sun and Starrs yet in this there is a difference The Starrs give Light and Influence into these sublunary things but receive no benefit at all from them again but the Ministers of the Church even though as eminent as Paul yet they acknowledg the manifold benefits and that in a spiritual way which they may receive from their people again now then how happy is it when there is a reciprocal and circular helping of each other when spiritual guides do convert edifie and quicken up their people and again the people do assist help and quicken up their Officers certainly as spiritual delights are greater than any bodily ones because the objects are more excellent and usefull so should this mutual rejoycing in our spiritual joy surpass all the delight that we take in our natural and civil relation neither the delight of a Wife in her Husband or of a Childe in his Father should be equal to the joy of a people in Faithfull Officers And so è contra the Reason is evident because the effects of this Relation are spiritual heavenly and
behalf It is good to consider how earnestly Paul though so eminent and choice a man in holinesse doth desire the prayers of others and therefore when he had spoken of that confidence he had in God who as he had so also would for the future deliver him he addeth vers 11. You also helping together by prayer for us as if none of those great mercies Paul looked for could be brought forth but by the help of their prayers This then is that which maketh the godly desirous that others who fear God may know how it is with them what temptations they lie under what afflictions they grapple with that so they may have the effectual fervent prayers of a righteous man which availeth much Though the prophane deride and scoffe yet the prayer of any true godly man is greatly to be valued and much to be desired Secondly As such are thereby provoked to pray to God for them so when God shall mercifully deliver them and turn their afflictions for good then they will also be encouraged to blesse and praise God also in their behalf and thus more glory redoundeth still to God Thus also the Apostle vers 11. declareth That by the meanes of many persons thankes may be given to God on our behalf Thus you see no Christian is to live to himself but it is his duty to be praying to God for others and praising God in the behalf of others but how little are the people of God exercised in these communion duties How little zealous in prayer for others but farre more negligent in the praises of God for others When doest thou blesse God for the mercies deliverance vouchsafed to the afflicted Saints of God as if they were thy own This publick affection is greatly wanting in believers who do not consider they are of the body Thirdly By knowing the afflictions of others and their holy deportment under them thou mayest thereby learne patience zeal heavenly mindednesse and many other graces Afflictions are Gods schools and that whether on thy self or on others How much patience may we learn by the afflictions upon Job Thus James 5. 10 11. The Prophets who spake in the name of the Lord must be taken as an example of suffering affliction and of patience and ye have heard of the patience of Job How greatly did the waves of God passe over his head No Martyr as Chrysostome amplifieth it came near Job in all their sufferings and therefore the holy Ghost thought fit to have the History of Job recorded that all might know and learn by it Be not then a stranger to the sufferings of Gods people but inform thy self about them to imitate their graces to be encouraged to do the like when God shall call thee to fight his battels But you may say What use can be made from the preaching about such afflictions which Paul and the other primitive Christians suffered from Paganish and Heathenish enemies We have no Neroes or Diocletians neither are we called to prisons and Martyrdome To what purpose is it to preach of sufferings to those who live in all quietnesse and freedom What use or good improvement can we make of it Therefore it is necessary to answer this Objection And First By the same reason you may say To what purpose did the Spirit of God cause this Chapter to be written with many other passages of the like nature which treat of afflictions and that from Pagans Certainly though we be not for the present exercised as they are yet the record of this the Doctrine about this is of very great concernment Therefore Secondly Though thou art not called to be a Martyr or to suffer from such enemies yet there is none that will live godly but they shall meet with afflictions one way or other We read of no child of God without his tribulations None can come into Canaan but they must first go thorow a wildernesse They must first with Christ suffer and so enter into glory We told you that there are afflictions of divers sorts There are real and there are verbal afflictions Though thou doest not suffer in thy life and in thy liberty yet thou mayest in thy name and in thy outward comforts There is no man which liveth in a zealous lively manner for God and endeavouring to pull down the kingdom of Satan but the Devil and his instruments will raise opposition enough against him and therefore it is good to hear Sermons about sufferings for Christ For though thy troubles be not such great and bloody ones as the Martyrs have been yet thou art to drink part of this bitter cup The Lord he hath given thee a portion in these tribulations and truly there is not the least affliction befals us in the way of God but if God did not preserve us and keep us by his grace we should sinke under it The frowhe of a man the fear of a mock is enough to discourage us from our duty if God doth not corroborate us If therefore the world doth not hate us if that be not a professed enemy to us we may justly doubt whether we be the Womans seed or not rather the Serpents seed Seeing therefore thou hast thy tribulations more or lesse and that for righteousnesse thou mayest improve this truth for thy edification Secondly What though the Church of God meeteth not with persecutions and troubles from Pagans and Heathens yet those it suffereth from such who pretend to Christ and judge it special service of God so to afflict them have a sharper sting in them What miseries and bloudy cruelties have not many godly Protestants suffered from Papists who yet glory that they only are zealous for Christ that others are blasphemers and enemies to Christ and therefore ought to be punished with such severe censures Now may not such Martyrs and sufferers receive as much comfort as if they had been persecuted from Heathens Yea doubtless for in some respects their suffering is the greater and their constancy the more admirable When the holy Prophets were stoned to death by the people of the Jews that yet thought themselves to be the onely people of God this did not diminish but aggravate their glory The patience of Abel was more admirable in being slain by his brother Cain then if it had been by a stranger If therefore thy sufferings arise from such who highly pretend to the glory and truth of Christ Be not despondent for thy crown of glory will herein be greater than if it had been from open adversaries Hence it is observable how remarkably the Scripture speaketh of those who suffered by Antichrist Rev. 13. 10. Here is the patience and the faith of the Saints which is again mentioned Rev. 14. 12. A true Christian suffering from false Christians hath not the promises of God obscured or diminished hereby to him but rather enlarged for God considereth both from whom it is thou art troubled and the cause why and the
Prophets presence as if all had been well Oh then how vain is it to hide thy designs and intentions to men to make protestations and professions of thy integrity to men if the all-seeing eye of God behold other things in thee What greater obligation can there be to have all the motions and turnings of thy heart cordial and faithfull towards God seeing no man can more perfectly behold the outward gestures of thy body then he doth the inward motions of thy soul Oh say God knoweth what I think what my heart is upon what is the spring of every duty I do Secondly Sincerity respecteth God As he is the first cause and the last end The Alpha and Omega the beginning and the end of whom are all things and to whom are all things Rom. 11. 36. Now this two-fold property in God the sincere man doth greatly improve First As he is the Efficient cause so that he expects all-sufficiency and power from the grace of God alone The Scripture dot frequently affirm That it is by the grace of God alone that we are able to do any good thing therefore the sincere man dareth not sacrifice to his own nets dare not give any thing to his own power and free-will neither dare he rob Christ of his glory by setting up Angels and Saints as Mediators under any nice distinctions whatsoever he trembleth to dispute against the grace of God lest he want the blessed effects of it in the greatest necessities You may observe David and Paul who expresse such remarkable sincerity towards God that they go out of themselves depend on God alone and not onely do they acknowledge God the supream giver of all the good they enjoy but also they make him the ultimate end to whom they referre all things remembring the Apostles rule 1 Cor. 10 31. Whether ye eat or drink or whatsoever ye do do all to the glory of God This is a very hard lesson to do a very difficult duty to be performed but yet the sincere man he overlooketh all second causes and instruments with his Eagles-eye he gets up as it were into the mountain and leaveth all his carnal interests below as Abraham did his beasts and servants when he went to sacrifice Isaac This single and pure intention of Gods glory is not so easily accomplished as it is quickly and commonly pretended Oh how rare a thing is it to eat and drink to study and preach that hereby God may be glorified How closely doth some carnal respect or vain-glorious motive follow thee in the duty as Asahel did Joab which thou canst not make depart from thee till thou thrust it as it were thorow the fift rib till thou give it its mortal blow by mortification Thirdly The sincere heart relateth all to God In regard of his Sovereignty and dominion over him Because God is the supream Lord and Lawgiver who only can impose Laws upon the conscience therefore in his obedience he doth principally look to the will and authority of the Lawgiver This is a notable character of sinceâ—ity to obey because thus saith the Lord it is his will and as the supream orb doth carry along with it the inferiour orbs though against their particular inclination Thus doth the will of God because supream bring the creatures will into obedience when corrupt inclinations do propound a contrary way It is the matter of our prayer which we are constantly to pour forth unto God That his will may be done his will not our will Therefore if sincerity have a throne in thy heart thy sense will be as soft wax to receive any stamp or impression from God what God commands though against pleasures profits and all the inclinations of thy corrupt heart thou doest readily submit unto Thus thou offerest up thy self as an whole burnt-offering unto God Lastly This sincerity doth respect the wisdome of God in all those sharp and bitter providential temptations that a man may be exercised with for his faithfull service to God The Scripture doth frequently inform of this what cups of wormwood they must drink that will be Christs Disciples what crowns of thorns they must endure upon their heads who expect crowns of glory from him Now the heart that is sincere doth not cavil and murmur at Gods dispensations herein though so unpleasing to flesh and blood but doth wholly acquiesce in the wisdom of God filencing the impetuous motions of his Spirit God is wiser than I he knoweth this is better for me then I think it is For certainly all discontents do arise from this we think God might have shewed more love to us and more wisdome if he did not suffer such and such things to come upon us Therefore afflictions and persecutions are the special Touchstone to discover our sincerity This fire will manifest whether we be gold or drosse these winnowings whether chaffor wheat The hypocrite wanting root doth commonly begin to wither when the Sunnes scorching heat doth arise and if they are at any times afflicted for Christ it is against their wils so that with Simon they are compelled to carry the crosse of Christ but sincerity doth not only admire the wisdome of God in such dispensations but justifieth him and condemneth its self Thus you see what are those high and sublime things a sincere man looketh at in all his religious wayes That whereas in a bodily way the beast looketh to the ground when man hath an upright look towards Heaven So even every natural man hath a soul bowed down only to earthly respects while the sincere heart ascends up to God himself Therefore it is that he doth prudently escape all those ambushments that low inferiour ends are apt to lay in his way thereby to intercept him from arriving at God himself We cannot reckon all the inferiour and unworthy ends that are apt to interpose no more than the creeping things in the Sea onely some few we may instance in As 1. Vain-glory and Self-applause that many times clippeth the wings of our souls that while we are moving to Heaven this maketh us fall to the ground This made the Pharisees lose the heavenly reward of all their religious duties And how often have the holiest of men complained of this Dalilah this sweet poison this flattering enemy Is it not the worme that devoureth the sweetest flowers and the ripest fruit This maketh death in the pot even damnation in excellent duties therefore the sincere man doth constantly watch and ward keeping a strict search into his heart that no such thief enter in and steal away his treasure A second inferiour and base end which would corrupt us in the service of God is The external greatnesse of honour or the seeming profit of wealth This dust hath often blown into the eyes that they have not been able to look up What glorious things did Jehu do for God If you look upon the external actions only But his heart was not sincere
things promised as when any are said to inherit the promise Heb. 6. 12. and sometimes for the promise it self The Greek word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is used often in the New Testament whereas the Ancients did use the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 more frequently for a promise though the Apostle Peter useth that also twice 2 Pet. 1. 4. 2 Pet. 3. 13. The theme of it is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which cometh of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 say some and for better pronunciation 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 But Eustathius maketh it to come of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 From this root we have the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the singular number and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 applyed to the Gospel Whereas among humane Authours the word is for the most part in the plurall number signifying both glad tidings and also the reward given to those that brought them but the Gospel doth only deserve this name of glad tidings and therefore the word is now appropriated unto that though sometimes it signifieth besides the good thing preached the very preaching it self as 1 Cor. 4. 15. and therefore when the Apostle speaketh of one whose praise is in the Gospel 2 Cor. 8. 18. the meaning is one whose praise was in preaching the Gospel and labouring therein not of the Gospel written by Evangelists for Evangelium and Evangelist in that sence as it signifieth the Gospel written or a writer of the Gospel is not used in the Scripture but came in afterwards by Ecclesiasticall use The Greek word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifieth in the generall to declare to denounce sometimes to accuse hence is that phrase 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 spoken of by Budeus but in Scripture use it is often taken more particularly for to promise Hence Hesychius and out of him Varinus rendreth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but this is enough for the word the thing itself hath much comfort and treasure in it and so observe That God hath made promises to his people all the promises of God in Christ are Amen This doctrine deserveth to be opened theologically as being the foundation of all our hope for on Gods promise only we can pleade as we see the godly often in their prayers urging that Not any thing of ours O Lord but meerly thy promise we do pleade before thee And 1. take notice That God might only have dealt with man by his absolute Soveraignty and dominion imposing only upon him commands to do his duty without adjoyning any promise of a reward especially such a reward as eternall happinesse and truly this maketh much as for our comfort so also for our humiliation under all the holy works we do For it is of Gods meer goodnesse that he hath promised glory to thy repentance to thy obedience after thou hast done all God might have annihilated thee neither would he have done thee any wrong if he did not put a crown of glory upon thee after thy holy life so that its gods great condescention to deal by way of promise with us and not by way of dominion and command alone as he might do he being our Creator and we his creatures Secondly The promises that God maketh to us are truly and properly promises They are more then simple and bare assertions of what good he will do to us We know amongst men there is a great difference between a bare affirmation what he will do and a promise for that addeth a new bond and obligation to a man for fullfilling his word Now some have thought that those passages which we call promises are not so properly and truly promises as meer insinuations and significations of Gods will and purpose what he will do Thus Durand expresseth himself lib. 2. dist 27. quest 2. because happily it may be thought that we attribute imperfection to God when we say that he promiseth properly for then thereby would accrue justice on mans part and a right or claim in him to the things promised hereby also the liberty of God would seem to be infringed as if he could not bestow his gifts any other way then he promised but these are no cogent reasons And seeing the Scripture doth so often call them promises and doth so constantly say God doth promise there is no reason why we should go from the proper signification of the word to an improper especially there being no imperfection in the act of promising For meerly as so that denoteth a dominion and power in him that promiseth and certainly if the actuall giving and collation of any good thing doth not declare any imperfection in God why should the promising of it do For when God hath bestowed any thing upon us that is not so alienated as it were but that still it is his and at his disposing to continue or takeaway as he pleaseth we therefore conclude that God doth truly and properly not in a metaphoricall sence make promises to his people Yet In the third place the reason of Gods promising is not as if that were to adde more confirmation to his simple affirmation but for condescension to confirm us against our unbeleef and diffidence Hence there is a vast difference between mans promise and Gods promise For the promise of a man doth adde a new tye and obligation to his word and so his word is made surer in it self as well as to those whom he promiseth but when God doth barely declare his will to do such good things for a beleever this hath truth enough yea so much that nothing can be added to make it truer only because we are apt to conceive of God after the manner of men it doth greatly conduce to strengthen our faith as well as his affirming word yea sometimes to his promise God is also pleased to adde his oath all which is not in respect of himself as if his word could be made truer but only to antidote the more strongly against that diffidence and distrust which is apt to rise up in our hearts This the Apostle notably considereth Heb. 6. 7. when he saith That God to declare the immutability of his counsell confirmed the promise by an oath so that by two immutable things in which it was impossible for God to lye we might have a strong consolation It is not for his own sake that he promiseth yea that he sweareth but for our sakes that we might have not only consolation but strong consolation O beatos nos c. cryed Tertullian Oh happy us for whose sakes God doth thus swear but oh us wretched and miserable if we do not beleeve him thus confirming his promise so that the right understanding of Gods promise will make us see that it is not for his own sake but our sakes that he dealeth in a promise-way with us Hence in the 4th place The meer originall and rise of Gods promising any good to us is the bounty liberality and
not perfect grace yet thou hast not perfect holinesse yet but thou waitest upon the Lord till it be accomplished and so do here Oh but I am afraid I shall never have it I shall dye without it that is more than thou knowest how suddenly and graciously doth God use to rebuke these windes and waves when we little think of it yet know thy interest to heaven is not shaken Thou wilt indeed want much comfort but not thy title to heaven Thou art as sure to go to heaven as if thou wert assured of it And withall remember that the faith of dependance and recumbency upon Christ only is more noble than assurance in that thou givest God most glory In this thy own interest is satisfied And lastly know that heaven is coming to thee and thou going to it when not only sin but all fears shall be removed away Thou shalt then dispute thy condition no more thou shalt not then question thy graces or Gods grace to thee but shall put on the Crown of glory never to be molested and disquieted any more SERM. CXXXVIII Of Grace as it is the Earnest of Eternall Glory 2 COR. 1. 22. And given the earnest of the Spirit in our hearts THis is the third and last similitude by which that gracious confirmation of beleevers in Gods promises is declared and if we consider them relatively to the discourse precedent we shall easily see what great reason there is that the promises should not be only yea and Amen in themselves but in bs also Seeing we have this special work of Gods spirit anointing sealing and giving us an earnest of the things that are promised Now as you heard though the same prividedge be meant under this threefold similitude yet every one hath its proper notion and therefore the earnest here spoken of may differ from sealing thus That the sealing of Gods Spirit doth assure of us that which is already wrought in us as seals confirm contracts that are already made though hereby also is implyed a certain continuance and perseverance in that state which is sealed but the earnest spoken of in the text doth principally relate to the future So that whereas the childe of God might object what if I be sealed and assured for the present of my good condition yet who knoweth what may fall out thereafter I may apostatize I may provoke God to leave me and so this seal be as it were defaced But though the word sealing doth also imply continuance for it is till the day of redemption yet the word earnest doth more properly speak to that Objection Thou hast the earnest given thee of that inheritance which shall be hereafter So that in the words we may take notice of the mercy it self the efficient cause of it and the subject receiving it The mercy it self is said to be an earnest 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 It is used in two other places in the New Testament as is to be shewed It is properly an Hebrew word though from the Hebrews communicated to the Phenicians which being great Merchants brought it into Greece so that the Grecians adopted it for their ordinary wood yea some Latinists as Plautus and Terentius do use it as Grotius on the place affirmeth Varro speaketh of it lib. 4. de ling. latinà where he saith the same mony for divers respects may be called dos merces arrabo and corollarium and addeth the word arrabo is brought from the Grecians but Scaliger in his Notes upon the place correcteth him for that saying Ne graecum verbum quidem sed merum Syriacum The Hebrew root from whence it groweth is gnarub to mingle and so by a metaphor it signifieth to buy and sell to make contracts and to assure them by earnests because in this action the buyer and the seller are as it were mingled together Some have translated it pignus which the Grecians call 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a pledge pignus It is so called either à pugno say some because the pledge is delivered by the hand or else as Martinius Lexi pignus from pago or pango because in such covenants and contracts there is an agreement established But Hierom of old and others of late do no waies approve of rendring it a pledge but an earnest for there is this difference in the civil law between arra and pignus an earnest and a pledge an earnest is part of the price that is to be paid down and so goeth to make it up but a pledge is given for security by the debtor to the creditor and taken away again when the debt is paid Now this metaphor doth no waies hold in this case for God is not a debtor to us when he giveth us his grace he doth not borrow of us neither when the promise is fullfilled is this grace taken away for in heaven grace is not abolished but perfected Indeed Aquinas upon the place maketh this Observation That as a pledge must be saith he equivalently worth to the debt so it is here grace wrought in us especially the Spirit of God bestowed upon us is equivalent to glory But that is false that in our graces wrought by Gods Spirit there is an intrinsecall condignity and equality to everlasting glory It 's therefore more proper and suitable to call it an earnest which was commonly used two waies either in civill commerce or matrimoniall contracts called therefore in the latter subarrhatio The end and use of it was to secure the full payment of the debt or fullfilling of any promise made and in this sense it is true in the Text God knowing our pronenesse to doubt about his promises as also how uncertain and fearfull we are doth give us his grace here as a sure earnest of our eternal happinesse So that by this earnest we are not to understand extraordinary and miraculatous gifts of Gods Spirit for many had them who yet never could enter into glory but the special works of grace sanctifying These are fitly called an earnest though there be also some dissimilitudes as is to be shewed insomuch that he who findeth he hath grace here may certainly conclude he shall have glory hereafter for though there be some who hold that some may have true faith and yet totally fall off and that only the elected beleever shall persevere yet that is built upon a sandy foundation In the second place you have the efficient cause of this and that is the spirit of God Some indeed make this by way of apposition The earnest which is the spirit as if the spirit it self both in this and the other Text were the earnest which may be received provided that by the spirit we mean not only the person of the spirit but the gracious operations thereof for the people of God partake of both Eph. 1. 13. They are said to be sealed with that holy spirit of promise called so not because it is the spirit promised for that is too frigid though it be
What is implied in Gods being our Father 120 What in the expression Our Father 121 God is the Father of mercies 140 What is implyed in Gods being the Father of mercies 141 142 143 144 Fear of Death vid. Death Flesh Faith and Flesh passe different judgments upon afflictions 274 c. Of the phrase walking according to the Flesh 520 VValking by principles of Flesh makes men unconstant 521 VVhat are the principles of Flesh 521 522 523 Forme How the Forme of a thing may be a note or mark of it 61 G Glory of God 'T Is the duty of all Christians especially Ministers to lay out themselves for the Glory of God 500 501 Propositions clearing it 501 502 503 What is required to enable us to doe all things for Gods glory 504 Glorying vid. Rejoycing God Of the Names of God 117 God alone can give grace and peace to his people 118 119 God a Father especially to true believers 120 What it implies ib. He is a Father to the weakest as well as strongest believer 121 He is a true God 536 He is the Father of mercies V i de Father Godly Truly Godly though eminent yet humble 37 Godlinesse and a Godly life is very convincing and of great advantage 455 456 Why oft not convincing 456 457 Grace Four acceptions of the word Grace 66 Grace to be desired before all other things 100 Seven propositions discovering the nature of the Grace of God 100 101 102 What are the opposites of Grace 102 Who are fit subjects of the Grace of God 103 104 105 Many erre about the Grace of God and yet are extreamly opposite one to another 105 Four Scripture-characters of the Grace of God 106 107 What is requisite to a certain knowledge of our being in a state of Grace 395 396 What to an experimental discerning of our Graces 397 398 The godly ascribe all to Grace 433 Propositions clearing it 433 434 What is that Grace which the Apostle exalts above fleshly wisdome 434 435 436 What are the Graces which the Apostle acknowledgeth in his Ministay 434 435 436 437 c. Grace the earnest of glory Vid. Earnest Growing In what things believers are to be alwayes Growing 497 498 H Hope OF Paul's Hope concerning the Corinthians 245 Hope Divine and Moral 246 'T is great encouragement in a Minister to see good grounds of Hope in his people ibid. What things are they which made Paul have such an Hope of the Corinthians and other Ministers of their people 247 248 249 Humility Humility in the godly though eminent 37 Wherein it discovers it self 38 39 What are the grounds of it 39 40 I Jesus OF the name Jesus 24 How Christ is a Jesus a Saviour 25 565 What kind of Saviour he is 26 He is a Lord. 122 Four propositions clearing it 123 124 125 What is implyed in his being a Saviour 565 566 567 To whom he is a Saviour 567 568 Inconstancy Inconstancy a great sinne in all especially in Ministers 510 546 547 548 c. Of its sinfulnesse in civil respects 511 512 Its aggravations 513 514 Its sinfulesse in spiritual respects 515 516 Motives against it 517 518 The causes of it 553 Joy A two-fold Joy direct or reflex 175. 'T is either spiritual or corporeal 176 Judgement-day vid. Day K Knowledge CErtain Knowledge vid. Assurance L Learning LEarning an excellent qualification 7 Sometimes through the corruption of man 't is made use of for the promoting the Devils kingdom ibid. 'T is not from the nature of Learning 8 Learning not sufficient without the Spirit for the understanding of the Scriptures ib Lord. Christ our Lord vid. Christ Lying Lying not consistent with godlinesse 530 Propositions concerning the nature and kinds of Lying 531 532 533 Means against it 534 The causes of it 534 535 M Means MEans to be made use of notwithstanding our trusting in God 355 Two propositions clearing it 355 356 How we should make use of Means and yet rely wholly upon Christ 356 357 358 Meditation Meditation upon Gods mercies very usefull 133 Mercies Of the variety of Gods Mercies 144 145 146 The properties of Gods Mercies 146 Who are the fit object of Gods Mercies 147 'T is dangerous to conceive of Gods Mercies without Scripture-light 155 Mercies acknowledged by believers not only in general but with all their aggravations 330 331 VVherein they use to aggravate their Mercies 331 332 333 334 Mercies not only positive but privative and preventing to be accounted of 335 Propositions clearing it 335 336 c. Rules to affect our hearts concerning preventing Mercies 337 338 339 Mercies are not only bestowed but continued by God 340 Reasons of it 342 343 All Mercies come from God 369 God is the Father of Mercies vid. Father Minister It is a Ministers duty by all lawfull means to promote the Church he is related to 81 Ministers meet with much opposition from worldly professors 260 261 Mercies vouchsafed to Ministers are to be accounted as Church-mercies 378 Ministers ought not to use fleshly wisdome 423 Godlinesse in a Minister especially advantageous 454 455 456 'T is an happy thing for Minister and people to rejoyce in one another 468 Propositions clearing it 469 470 How a people ought to rejoyce in their Minister 470 471 VVherein a Minister hath cause to rejoyce over his people 473 474 475 c. VVhere a Minister hath hopes of doing good he is encouraged to abide 490 Propositions clearing it 490 491 492 A Ministers hope of doing good should be matter of joy to him 493 Ministers especially ought to lay out themselves for the glory of God 501 502 503 A Ministers changeablenesse makes his Ministry uselesse 546 Propositions clearing it 546 547 548 c. VVhere there is any fault in one Minister the people are apt to lay it upon all 572 'T is an happy thing when all Ministers agree to advance Christ 273 The effects of that agreement 573 574 The true Ministers of Gods truth always the same 575 Ministers have no dominion over their peoples faith 684 What is not implied in that truth 684 685 VVhat is 686 687 Ministers ought to comfort their people 689 Propositions clearing it 689 690 Reasons of it 691 'T is of great consequence that the young Ministers should have the guidance of the more experienced 49 Ministry What are the graces the Apostle acknowledged in his Ministry 435 436 437 438 c. Gods presence with the Ministry renders the people inexcusable 448 449 Propositions clearing it 450 451 Wherein the successe of a faithfull Ministry is seen 451 452 A constant Ministry necessary for every Church 495 For what ends 495 496 497 VVhere the Ministry hath wrought spiritually 't is esteemed highly 509 The failings of Ministers are oft cast upon the Ministry 541 Propositions illustrating it 541 542 543 VVhere the work of the Ministry is great the help of others is required 571 Ministerial power is to be managed with much prudence 678 The Ministerial
merits and dispositions in Paul At this very time Paul might have had a thunderbolt from Heaven fallen upon him which might have shaken him into Hell And behold a gracious arm stretched out to save him from thence And for this cause it is that none like Paul doth so amplifie the grace of God and is so frequently naming of Jesus Christ and therefore it's Paul's whole design in his Epistles to take off all from works and any thing in our selves and to give all to the grace of God And thus Austin a second Paul in some respect he in his former times had been a great sinner involved in unclean lusts and a cursed Maâ—…e but when converted what Ancient did so clearly fully and pregnantly maintain the true Doctrine of Grace as he did He had not only read Books but his own heart and experience to confirm this truth Therefore those opinions that Paul was predestinated because God fore-saw the good works he would do or that God by a Scientia media knew Paul would consent to Grace calling of him if put into such a condition and that thereupon God did ordain him to eternal happiness all these Doctrines and the like are meer Antipodes to Paul's discourse and expressions in his Epistles Thus you have the Reasons on Gods part now on mans part God may therefore take such rather than others Because hereby they may be alwayes kept humble in themselves Thus Paul findeth these old wounds now and then bleeding afresh he remembers what he hath been to his great sorrow and humiliation yea hereby a man is preserved from any dangerous fall afterward Peter and David after they had been converted unto God we read of their fals again breaking their bones and recovering with bitterness and much difficulty But concerning Paul after his conversion we never read of any scandal he fell into yea he saith He knew nothing by himself 1 Cor. 4. viz. in any gross miscarriage for the old bitterness would never out of his mind Lastly God may do this to provoke all Formalists and civil Justiciaries to an holy jealousie What shall such as lay wallowing in their mire that were like the impure Swine become Sheep to Christ shall get Crowns of Glory upon their heads and we who were never like any of such Publicans with our glistering goodness be thrown into hell SERM. II. Learning an excellent gift of God though through the corruption of man 't is often made an Engine to promote the Kingdome of the Devil yet by the Grace of God 't is very usefull in his Church 2 COR. 1. 1. Paul an Apostle c. VVE have considered Paul as a great sinner yet made an Apostle of dung made a pearl Let us now take notice of him as a learned man and so made use of by God for the Ministry of the Gospel That Paul was endowed with much learning was so evident to Festus that he told him Much learning had made him mad And the Lycaonians called him Mercury Acts 14. He was for a while educated at Tarsus where he was born and it is recorded by Strabo as Lapide citeth him That the Tarsenses were so wholly given to literature that they did excell Athens and Alexandria And that he had perused humane Authors appeareth in that three times he alledgeth Greek Poets Now besides this he went also to Jerusalem and there was brought up at Gamaliel's feet an eminent Doctor amongst the Jews And if there were nothing else but his Epistles he wrote this would abundantly declare the rare and admirable wisdome he was endowed with Insomuch that Chrysostom 3. Hom. upon 1 Corinth speaks of a Dispute between a Christian and a Grecian Whether Paul was not to be preferred before Plato though Chrysostom condemneth the Christians argument as ridiculous and absurd Indeed the Apostle speaketh 2 Cor. 11. 6. That though he was rude in speech yet not in knowledge Now it 's questioned by Interpreters In what sense Paul saith He was rude in speech Austin thought he said so only by concession and in the repute of the false Apostles who accounted him so But Chrysostom and others think Paul speaketh properly and that he was really so not but that he was full of learning only he did not use those affected wayes of humane eloquence as he speaks in another place He did not write as a Demosthenes whom Plato censured as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 an hunter of words and a curious Artificer therein yet he hath masculine and strong eloquence such as becomes the divine and admirable matter he propounds And certainly to paint a Jewel would take off the proper lustre of it The more naked and plain divine truths appear the more lovely they are and do more immediately insinuate into the heart And if he said of Tully's eloquence because it 's not so affected and fancifull That he had made great progresse in Rhetorick who could delight in his Latine We may more truly say he hath attained to some good sufficiency in Christs school who seeth more excellency in Paul's Epistles than in all humane Writers Paul therefore had true and solid wisdome and was also indowed with acquired abilities in humane learning So that whereas Christ chose fishermen that were unlearned here we see him making use of one that was skilfull and learned So that God can make use of all and as Austin said Qui dedit Petrum piscatorem dedit Cyprianum Rhetorem So that we may observe When men of great learning and parts are chosen by God and sanctified they become eminently usefull in their place To amplifie this Doctrine consider That though Christ at first did choose Fishermen and other illiterate persons yet that makes nothing at all to that Anabaptistical position That men abiding in their Trades and destitute of learning may take upon them to be publick Preachers of the Gospel For that instance doth rather make wholly against them For First Though our Saviour called them while illiterate yet after their call he took them into his fellowship So that they were like a Colledge living together whereof Christ was the Head and Master and thus he trained them up with himself for two years before he sent them abroad to preach And Secondly When he enlarged their Commission before they did execute it they are commanded to stay at Jerusalem where they received the holy Ghost in a wonderfull manner and were inabled to speak in all strange tongues and were also inabled to work miracles for the confirmation of their Doctrine Now let the Adversaries demonstrate such an extraordinary effusion of Gods Spirit on them and we shall not envy if all the Lords people can so prophesie And Lastly As soon as they were called at the very first they left their trades they gave themselves to attend upon their work they had undertaken whereas these plead for the retaining of their Calling still private Christians
sought not himself neither did he mind his own will or his own glory And certainly the higher the Office is the greater will thy account be and thy condemnation the heavier Oh the dreadfull account that is to be made at that day concerning this talent 2. Of laziness and idleness For the work is of great consequence The bloud of souls will speak more terribly than the blood of Abels body How severe was the master in that Parable of our 〈◊〉 to him who hid his talent in a napkin Luke 19. 20. he is called an unprofitable servant and must be cast into utter darkness Use 2. To you that are the people If we have our Commission from Christ then take heed how you reject the Word we speak from him The Apostle makes a comparison between him that refused Moses speaking and Christ speaking and saith How much forer punishment shall he be thought worthy of Heb. 10. 29. Every Sermon your condemnation will rise higher upon you Think not that our words will passe away No God saith by the Prophet They shall not return in vain for if it be not a saving and converting word it will be an hardning and condemning one No wonder if our Saviour spake one Parable to this very purpose and concludeth Take heed how you hear Mark 4. 24. The second thing observable from this relative consideration is That the Apostle intending to beget awe and esteem in the hearts of those he wrote unto he mentioneth his Office and from whom he had it An Apostle of Jesus Christ This was a greater glory saith Chrysostome then if he had styled himself any temporal Officer in the Civil State For he doth saith the same Father as if one next to the Emperour should write to a certain people giving himself that title of honour which was next to the Emperour Thus doth Paul The Apostle of Jesus Christ. This could not but astonish and startle all his opposers and enemies yet if you do consider with a worldly respect what Christ himself was and so any Officer under him you must judge it the most contemptible and despicable thing that can be that which a carnal man would have been ashamed to own for Christ himself was called The Carpenters sonne and bred up at Nazareth a most despicable place and his outward condition was so low that he saith He had not where to lay his head And as for his Apostles what repute they had in the world Paul himself telleth us when he saith They were accounted the off-scouring of all things 1 Cor. 4. 13. Yet see how the Apostle glorieth in this title as that which might justly awe the consciences of those to whom he wrote From this observe That those things are of high account and respect in the Church of God which in the world are very despicable and despised As That which is highly esteemed amongst men is abominable before God Luk. 18. So that which is abominable and loathsom before men is highly esteemed with God We might instance in many things First Christ who is the Head of the Church and the chief corner-stone yet he was rejected by those who by their Office was builders Yea Christ crucified was accounted foolishness to the Gentiles Insomuch that had not God promised Christ To give him the Nations of the Earth and had actually lifted him up above all principalities and powers We should have thought there would not have been one City much lesse one Nation especially not so many Nations adoring him as God We may truly say This is the Lords doing and it is marvellous in our eyes Christ is called by the Apostle The King of Kings and Lord of Lords which 2 Tim. 5. 16. Drusius saith was the Title and Style of the great Kings of Persia but who except the Christian would admire Christ more than the Persian King Therefore it was a wonderfull work upon those Wisemen of the East that they should come and bring such presents and worship Christ though an Infant whom they found in a mean place at Bethlehem and in the meanest place there but where God giveth spiritual eyes there is a spiritual excellency discovered where the world seeth nothing but contemptibleness Secondly For the Officers of Christ In worldly considerations how low and despised are they But to those who are spiritual and acknowledge the Order and Institutions of Christ they esteem them as the Stewards of God and the Ministers of Christ insomuch that it 's the cause of contemning Religion when their Office is despised Paul was so received by the Galatians as if he had been an Angel from Heaven Yea Christ himself They would have pulled out their eyes to have pleasured him And we see in the after ages of the Church how much the Ministers of Christ were had in esteem insomuch that it greew unto an excesse Now though the carnal worldly man beareth no such respect to them yet those who are led by Scripture doe highly esteeme them and that for their workes sake Thirdly The Duties prescribed by Christ they are such as the world condemneth either for folly or pusillanimity as Faith in Christ alone for salvation self-denial readiness to take up our Crosse To love our enemies to do good to those that hate us Are not these such things that the magnanimous and gallant spirits of the world do disdain Fourthly The priviledges and encouragements which Christ also inviteth with they are not such baits as will take in the world Psal 4. Who will shew us any good that is the vote of the world As for the light of Gods countenance justification and assurance of Gods grace these things they do no more esteem than the Swine doth Pearl Lastly The due execution of the Censure of the Church upon just grounds to cast out the impenitent sinner This the world contemneth but yet you see how powerfully it wrought upon the Incestuous person And Matth. 18. when our Saviour had said He that would not heare the Church must be like a Publican and Heathen lest they should despise this he saith Whatsoever ye bind on Earth shall be bound in Heaven Use of Exhortation To admire the power and wisdom of God who hath kept up Church-officers Church-ordinances in the world when there are no outward pompous motives to perswade thereunto SERM. VIII In what sense Paul saith of himself He was an Apostle by the will of God Shewing likewise how all Church-Offices and Priviledges come meerly from the will and good pleasure of God 2 COR. 1. 1. Paul an Apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God c. VVE are now to consider the last particular in this Inscription as it is divided to us and that is the impulsive Cause or rather the Manner how Paul obtaineth this Apostleship which is said to be by the will of God Here is much comprehended in this expression for hereby is declared That it was
it saith he You see then orthodoxy is sooner received than godly and holy order but we are to know that though we have many things to glory in that we are a true Church that we have excellent preaching and many learned Officers in it yet if there be not an endeavour to take away all offences and scandals there is great matter of humiliation The Apostle speaketh notably in this matter to the Corinthians 1 Cor. 5. 6. Your glorying is not good c. The Corinthians they gloried and boasted in many things but as long as they did not cast out the old leaven or the wicked man but this leaven was in danger to leaven the whole lump therefore he telleth them Their glorying was not good there was greater cause to be deeply humbled because of such disorders amongst them Let us not then though we can and may prove our Church to be the Church of God therefore sit down and take our rest as if therefore reformation of corruptions were needless No the Apostle doth farre otherwise to this Church of Corinth though he call it the Church of God yet his Epistle is full of sharp reproof to them he is very zealous and lively in putting of them upon this that they became a new lump that they be made as it were a new Church and a new Congregation Farre be it therefore from us to excuse or connive at our publick impieties because Corinth though so polluted is a Church No we are to tremble and humble our selves under such disorders they are great provocations of Gods anger You see God did begin to judge and chasten this Church of Corinth God takes notice and is very angry with all these disorders and great neglect Therefore if you observe those Epistles of Christ from Heaven to the seven Churches of Asia where their works were not perfect where there were any decayes yea if Christ had any thing against them though there were other things commendable yet he will take notice and rebuke them therein yea to some he threatens to take away their Candlesticks that is their Ordinances and to unchurch them Oh then let us humble our selves under Gods hand for all our Church-sins all our Assembly-iniquities lest the wrath of God break out upon us The second extream we are to take heed of is That because of the corruptions that are in a Church we are not so farre transported with misguided zeal as to take no notice of the truth of a Church Some are apt so to attend to a true Church that they never matter the corruptions of it Others again they do so eye the corruptions that they never regard the truth of it but it is good to avoid both these extreams Whence cometh that impatiency in us to bear any evil in a Church Whence is it that we uncharitably rend from it Is it not because we do not consider it may be a true Church and salvation is there to be had yea conversion and regeneration though there be many things to be reformed There is no Church so pure but that there are some imperfections in it no Church so reformed but in some things it needeth a reformation Thou mayest go from Church to Church and be like Noah's Dove not know where to set thy feet if thou look for absolute perfection in any Church whether thou goest As there is no constitution of the body which hath an exact temperament ad pondus but some humour or other doth predominate so there is no Church that is of such a perfect frame but it hath its several grievances and though it may be freed from those evils they separated from yet they may be assaulted with others that are as destructive of a Church in a contrary way though freed from tyranny yet not from divisions and daily subdivisions amongst themselves So that in these things we are diligently to make the Scripture our Rule Thirdly Though that Church be a true Church where we live yet if many corruptions do abound therein we must take heed That we do not pollute our selves thereby or become partakers of any sinne indulged amongst them As we may not sinfully separate upon this ground because they are no Church so neither may we continue so as to pollute and defile our selves with any known sin The Apostles exhortation to the Corinthians under these manifold pollutions is that every one in their proper place should endeavour their new moulding So that under Church-pollutions thou art to consider what God cals thee to do to rebuke exhort admonish and if this will not do to complain to Church-Officers who are to guide and watch over the flock and if yet this will not do then to be the more earnest with God in prayer to bring about Reformation notwithstanding all the gainsayings of wicked men To mourn and sigh unto God as a Lot in Sodom vexing thy righteous soul continually as a lamenting Jeremiah among the apostatizing Israelites And certainly God doth in a special manner take notice of such who do mourn for those abominations that they cannot remove or take away Ezek. 9. 4. when thou canst appeal to God saying O Lord these corruptions these disorders they grieve me to the very heart I cry out daily Wo be unto me because I dwell with men of polluted lips This will much ingage God to thee Likewise we read Revel 3. 4. in what a special manner God takes notice of a few names in Sardis which had not defiled their garments To be therefore in the midst of a defiled Church and yet to keep thy self unspotted this is admirable as they record of the river Alpheus which though it runne into the Sea yet it keeps its own natural sweetness though we have communion with the Church in those things that are commanded by God yet we are not to partake with them in any evil way as those seven thousand in Eliâ—ah's time though they did not depart from the Church of Israel yet they would not bow their knee to Baul In the next place Let us demonstrate this that a Church may be Gods Church though it be greatly corrupted And First It may be seen from the induction of several Churches as for example the Church of the Jews they were Gods people and God did own them as his yet as appeareth by the Prophets complaints and daily reproofs they were full of Idolatries and all moral impieties and for all this there were many repentings and turnings in Gods bowels to speak after the manner of men before he would call them Lo-ammi a people no more to him But you may say That was in the Old Testament when the Spirit of God was not poured out so effectually Consider then besides this Church of Corinth the Churches of Galatia were not they farre infected with doctrinal pollutions and vicious lusts of the flesh That the Apostle mentioneth not any where such zeal and sharpness as he doth to them threatning them with Apostasie
happily united together so that both in their several stations do promote the Kingdom of Christ There are extremities on both sides some exclude all civil Government from the matters of the Church or Religion as if the Magistrate and the civil power had nothing to do to appoint any thing in reference to these spiritual matters which if so then Kings and Queens could not be nursing Fathers and Mothers in the Church Then the Magistrate should not be the Custos utriusque tabulae then holy Magistrates should sinne in reforming abuses and corruptions which are crept into the Church of God which yet Hezekiah and Josiah did and so likewise Constantine did to his great praise saying to the Officers of the Church he was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 He had an external Episcopacie and Superintendency Then in the second place there is another extream errour which is to confound the State and the Church as if Christ had appointed no distinct Officers or work but that any man authorized by a commission from the civil power was hereby inabled to do any Office in the Church and that Christ had not set Pastors or Teachers in his Church but civil Governours Now how blessed and happy hath it been when these Societies have been friendly complying and furthering one another The Commonwealth helping and furthering defending and protecting the Church The Church also performing all Church-Ordinances in such a manner that God may bless that state and make it to be as Obed-Edoms house while he entertained the Ark Quamdiu respublicae manent hospitia Ecclesiae tamdiu suns duraturae Hence in the third place The Devil and his instruments have alwayes laboured the ruine of godliness by making divisions and using several stratagems to overthrow the harmonious Unity that ought to be in the Church of God and civil State In Popery we see abominable mischief came to Religion by the usurping of the name of the Church for they excluded the Magistrates and supream Governours from any Government therein and at last pleading exemption from all Obedience and Subjection to the chief powers though so expresly contrary to Paul Rom. 13. Thus they make a few only yea but one the Pope at last to be the Church and then attribute to him a power to dispose of Kingdoms and States where and to whom he pleaseth directly and immediately say some and those who do most mince it say indirectè and in ordine ad spiritualia On the other side sometimes the civil State hath been jealous yea and violently perscuting the Church of God as if that of Julian were true A Church and a civil Society could not stand together as if Christ had commanded such things of his Church that were inconsistent with and would utterly overthrow all civil Government Thus Pilate he was jealous because he heard of Christs Kingdom and although it be known that his Kingdom is not of this world that Church power is wholly spiritual in order to mens souls yet how often are the Governours suspicious about it But these particulars are of large consideration and handled by learned Authours I come therefore to shew That a peoples consideration of themselves as a Church should be preferred above all their civil Glory and Dignity It ought to be more as one Emperour said to be a Member of the Church then an Emperour of the whole world The Church of Rome in Pauls time while pure in the faith was more admirable then the City of Rome which was Queen over the whole world The Grounds why we are to give this preheminence to a Church-consideration are First Because a Church-constitution is supernatural all is of God in a more special manner then in civil Societies For although all civil Powers be of God and the making of civil Societies of making Nations and Kingdoms be in an extraordinary manner attributed to him in the Scripture yet still this is in the course of Nature but a Church is planted by the grace of God and it 's above the work of Nature either ordinary or extraordinary to be made such a Society Secondly As we are a Church we have the nearest relation and reference to God not as a City or a Corporation are but as a Church are we his House his Body his Vinyard Neither can we expect such presence of God in our civil Assemblies and Judicatories as in Church-meetings The power and grace of God is in a more powerfull and special manner discovering it self there Thirdly Hereby we have greater Titles and more noble Dignity Although it 's true in the account of the world nothing is more contemptible The Church is called the Kingdom of God we are hereby the children of God the Covenant of Grace is made with us So that all who are not of the Church be they never such glorious victorious and wise Nations yet they are without God and they are under the Kingdom of Satan whereas Gods Church is the Object of his love there he is said to delight to dwell Use of Instruction to Believers who are the Church of God to consider that title and relation they are in as such Though great though rich though honourable yet let it not be accounted equal to the being one of Gods Church If the Devil should shew thee the glory of all the world promising to bestow it on thee upon condition thou renouncest thy Church interest and Church membership with great indignation refuse it What high esteem was put upon the being a Roman Citizen Paul stood upon his Roman freedom in a particular case but this is nothing to be of that free City which is Jerusalem from above even in this Earth By meditating on this thou wilt be more thankfull to God that he hath made thee one of his Church than if he had given all the Turkish Empire to thee for that is but as Luther said Mica cani a crum to the dog in respect of the childrens bread Again The consideration of a Church-priviledge and interest will make thee most to attend to that in disposing and setling thy self when at liberty Most people look to live where the best trading is the greatest priviledges or best earthly accommodation But if thou art one free to settle thy self where thou mayest thou that fearest God will look upon Church advantages as the greatest glory and profit of all Lastly This will take off all those general thoughts which do almost reign every where to consider of men by their Cities and Townes not by their Churches It 's the Town at such a place the Corporation at such a place but no attending to that place as it is a Church of God Hence it is that we are wholly drowned in the thoughts of our selves as a Town as a Parish in civil respects but never considering the relation of a Church and what duties we are obliged unto thereby The two other Observations are to be dispatched in a little room as
commanded in the Old Testament We see by this Text that if Christ be the fountain of grace and peace as God the Father is then are we to pray to one as well as the other or to the Father in the Name of Christ The heretical exception against this place is That because the preposition 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is not in the original therefore he would have the word Father relate to Christ as well as to 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Our as if the sense were From God our Father and the Father of Jesus Christ Indeed our Saviour doth say I go to my Father and your Father John 20. 17. But then he saith my Father in the first place whereas here in the Text it 's said Our Father and afterwards in the heretical opinion should follow The Father of Christ but that Christ in these salutations is meant as a conjoyned cause is very evident John 2. 2. where the preposition 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is expressed from the Father and from the Lord Christ the Sonne of the Father A second cavil that needeth a vindication may be in that Christ is said to be Lord as distinguished from God Therefore it may be thought that Christ is not God To this it 's answered That it 's true in the New Testament though Christ be sometimes called God yet the more common title given to him is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 especially when God the Father and Christ are mentioned together but as when Christ is called Lord it doth not exclude God the Father from being the Lord also So neither when God the Father is called God doth it exclude Christ from being God But you may say Why doth the Scripture if Christ be God and the fountain of grace as well as God the Father alwayes put Christ after God The answer is That though absolutely as God there be an equality yet when personally considered so that divine order is attended unto whereby the Father is of himself alone but the Sonne of the Father especially if we consider Christ as Mediatour so although God yet because in that work he is God-man and in that office inferiour to the Father hence it is that the Scripture speaks of him as the fountain and Christ as the stream or rather second fountain That of God are all things and by Christ are all things It is good to understand these mysteries so farre as the Scripture is a guide to us that we be not involved in those damnable Socinian Doctrines which overthrow these fundamentals That which I shall observe is from the relation attributed to Christ Lord viz. That Jesus Christ is a Lord. Thus he is often called in the Scripture yea Revel 19. 16. he is said to have on his thigh this name King of kings and Lord of lords So 1 Tim. 6. 15. The blessed and only Potentate the King of kings and Lord of lords It 's observed that these titles were given to the Persian Monarchs because of their transcendent dominion but here it is applied to Christ transcendently even to them also for he is said to be the only Potentate as if none were Lord but him Hence it is noted of Augustus as a providential thing That the year Christ was born in he refused to be called Dominus and so some Christian great men would not be called Domini but Domini diminitively out of reverence to Christ but the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and so Lord may be attributed to men as well as King and head so that still it be acknowledged he is Lord of lords and that none is Lord like him But let us briefly open this Doctrine that thereby our hearts may be more raised up with this greatness of Christ for he is a Lord not only for his own great dominion and glory but for the believers good and benefit it is matter both of great comfort and encouragement to know that Christ is Lord. And. First We are to consider That Christ hath a two-fold Lordship Kingdom or Dominion The one Divines call Natural and Essential The other Dispensatory and Mediatory The former he hath as God and so is Lord in the same sense that the Father is Lord. The second he hath as he is Mediator God-man and therefore it is in some respects distinct from the former God the Father is not Lord in that peculiar and proper respect as Christ is For although that be true which Divines say That Christs natural or essential Kingdom doth virtually and eminently contain all that his Mediatory doth yet there is some formal respect to be made Now as Christs former Lordship and Dominion was natural and necessary so this may in some sense be said to be given him or as the Scripture saith Act. 2. 36. He was made by the Father both Lord and Christ appointed to be the Lord and the Head of his Church Not that this doth any wayes evacuate his Divine Nature as if because he were made Lord that therefore he was not so essentially for nothing was given Christ to perfect him what he received of his Father in time did only manifest that he was God for none can be Lord and Head of his Church but he who is truly God If therefore as he is Mediator it be said to be given him to be Lord and to have a Name above all Names yet this doth not deny but prove his Divine Nature because none but God can have such power and do such things Secondly This Official or Mediatory Kingdom hath its degrees it is militant and triumphant Militant and so the Lord Christ hath not as yet subdued all his enemies under his feet it doth not follow that Christ is not Lord because every thing is not wholly conquered because there is sinne and the Devil working still For as David was King although still there was a great part to be conquered by him he was King at Hebron when he was not made King over Israel yet he had a right to all before he was in actual possession So it is with our Lord Christ he is made Lord over all only there is time required to bring all things in subjection to him And as for his Triumphant and consummate Kingdom or Lordship that will be at the Day of Judgement when having saved all his people and overcome all their enemies then he shall take the triumph of all his victories And here we may take notice how to understand that difficult place 1 Cor. 15. 24 25. where Christ is said After all enemies are subdued to deliver up his Kingdom to the Father The Socinians urge that to shew that his Dominion and Kingdom will be but for a season whereas the Scripture in many other places maketh his Kingdom to be without end Luk. 1. 32 33. To reconcile this therefore you must know That the Apostle doth there speak of Christs Kingdom as it is militant and in respect of that Dominion and Government which now Christ
useth in his Church not in respect of the Lordship and Dominion it self Christ shall never cease to be the King and Lord of his people only that manner of Government which now Christ exerciseth shall cease all Ordinances and administrations the Ministry and Sacraments yea all Magistracy and Civil Power that God might be all in all fot then we shall not mediately by Christ approach unto God as we do here but immediately yet so as all glory and honour will redound to Christ Thirdly Christ was thus a Lord in the state of his humiliation even in his very Infancy as well as after his exaltation and resurrection And here again the Socinians blaspheme denying That Christ was thus a Lord till his resurrection But although indeed the Scripture doth often attribute this glory and great name to him after his sufferings and upon his resurrection yet that is not because he was not so before but partly because then there was a glorious manifestation of his Dominion The Sunne did not appear so admirable in his eclipse Christ in the state of his humiliation did not so fully and palpably discover this his greatness yet for all that he was endowed with it and Christ doth acknowledg himself to have a Kingdom to Pilate even before his sufferings Yea at his birth the Wisemen came to worship him as Lord and King and when he rode in triumph into Jerusalem that Prophecy was fulfilled Behold thy King cometh to thee And certainly if then he was a Saviour and the Messias he must needs be also Lord and King Yea in the greatest expressions of his humane weaknesses as in his birth and death there was also powerfull demonstrations of his Divine Majesty Neither is Vorstius his Objection of any value That because Christ in his Infancy had not that wisdom required to govern which afterwards he did grow up into therefore he could not be Lord For in Christ while an Infant were hidden the treasures of all wisdom though these were not actually to be put forth but when there was an occasion to do so There was no defect in Christ to be Head of his Church while a child because even then he could put forth whatsoever was required at that time to govern the Church with And indeed to argue that he was not Lordor King because he did not actually put forth himself in that way is absurd for kingly or lordly actions did not make him to be a King or Lord but because he was Lord and King therefore he did as he pleased put forth such actions Certainly the Apostle cals him the Lord of glory even while they crucified him 1 Cor. 2. 8. And the Socinians themselves acknowledge him upon his ascension to be Lord of glory when yet the greatest instance of his lordly power is still to be accomplished which is the judging of all mankind at that dreadfull Day of Judgment Christ then was always Lord both in his state of humiliation and also of his exaltation Fourthly This lordly power which Christ hath extends to all things in the world he is Lord over the whole world He is the universal Monarch for God hath given him all the kingdoms of the world Rev. 11. 15. The kingdoms of this world are there said to become the Lords and of his Christ Yea in some sense this great Dominion is given to every Saint Revel 2. 26. To have power over all Nations even as he hath received of the Father Hence it is said John 5. 22. That the Father judgeth no man but hath committed all judgement to the Sonne not that the Father hath wholly abdicated himself from the government of the world as the Socinians say but because Christ as Mediator is subordinate unto him in this administration Christ therefore hath an universal power over the whole world And whereas learned men say One man cannot be universal Governour over the whole world much lesse over the Church because no man can have those qualifications fit for to discharge that Government yet in Christ this doth not hold because he is God as well as man but this Dominion of Christ in respect of his Church is of another nature than that of the world for he rules the world with a rod of iron breaking every thing to pieces that shall prejudice his Church So that this power over them is wholly coactive as they do not willingly own or submit to him as a Lord so he doth by his omnipotent power keep them under and makes them servants and vassals for his work and to bring about such glorious ends which they never intended or shall have any benefit by as those that built Noah's Ark were not preserved in it But to his Church there he holdeth out a Scepter of grace For as they do willingly own him as their King submitting to his order and laws so he taketh special care over them and they may more safely lay themselves down under his protection than under the greatest Potentate in the world More might be said Doctrinally about this Dominion of Christ but let us consider what comfortable and usefull improvement is to be made of it And 1. Is Christ thus a Lord and that above all Lords Then what ground is here for our faith under all discouragements and affections How little doest thou posfess thy heart with this Lord of glory Doest thou doubt about the pardon of sinne conquering of corruptions preservation under temptations Is not all this because thou doest not remember Christ is Lord of Lords Will not he bear thee up Doth he want either knowledge or power Especially this should encourage us in any work for him Thou fearest the frowns of man the oppositions of man thou doubtest thy cause will sink and is not all this because thou lookest upon earthly power as greater than Christs power Was ever any temporal lord able to do such things as the Lord Christ Never than saint or be discouraged under his work Use 2. If he be our Lord then here is ground for duty as well as for comfort Joh. 13. 13. Ye call me Master and Lord ye do well saith Christ but from that consideration he puts them upon duty And certainly iâ— Christ be our Lord where then is our honour our obedience to him May not he impose what duties injoyn the Church what Laws and order to walk by he pleaseth Shall we be our own lords Our tongues our hearts are not our own but our Lords Take heed of being in the number of those who shall deny the Lord that bought them 2 Pet. 2. 1. for such as do so bring upon themselves swift destruction if he be not thy Lord in grace and favour he will be thy Lord in wrath and in thy confusion They that said Psal 12. 4. Who is Lord over us found that God would be above them SERM. XXIX Of the Duty of Thankefulness Blessing and Praising God for all his Mercies 2 COR. 1. 3. Blessed be God even the
our works and giving all to the grace of God who worketh according to his own purpose and will Oh what coals of fire will this be in thy bosome To think why doth God do this to me What moveth him Is God necessitated to it Can he not do otherwise Would he be unjust if he did it not And this further will be aggravated when we consider the mercy comparatively with others that want such if for spiritual mercies we compare them with the damned Angels that are utterly cut off from the least crum of any spiritual mercy though so noble and excellent creatures may not this astonish thee And if thou sayest These are not of the same nature with thee How many are there of the same flesh and bloud in the same vicinity where thou livest of the fame calling and profession yea of the same parentage and yet they are forsaken by God and left to their natural deserts whereas he hath pitched his favour upon thee to justifie sanctifie and at last to glorifie thee Certainly thou art a stock and a stone if such discriminating mercy as this doth not affectionately possess thee In the last place The universality of the mercies thou enjoyest will much heighten in the consideration of them All that thou seest thou hearest thou eatest thou feelest yea thou thinkest and apprehendest is a mercy There is nothing within thee without thee or about thee but it is a mercy To hear is a mercy to see is a mercy to think without madness and distraction is a mercy Every thing that is not hell is a mercy to thee All the creatures as Psal 8. the Sunne the Sturres the beasts of the field are wholly mercies if then a man set himself to meditation after this manner will he not find the goodness of God like Ezekiels waters To ascend higher and higher till they come over his head But to finish at last this Subject take notice of the encouragements to this duty of a thankful blessing and praising soul that so if thy heart at last be throughly raised up to this duty thou mayest praise God for this truth that provoketh thee to praise him And First The more thou blessest God the more wilt thou have cause to blesse him For to the thankfull heart God multiplieth his mercies as many times because thou doest not take notice of his goodness to thee or lookest upon his mercies as a debt to thee or thou takest the mercies God hath given thee and usest them as weapons against him therefore he taketh away thy mercies from thee to make thee prize them the more whereas to the soul that taketh every mercy as the hen every drop of water and immediately looks up to Heaven that will take up every fragment that nothing be lost As thou blessest God declaratively God will bless thee really Christ will bless thee as he did those few loaves by multiplying of them Secondly Consider this is all thou canst do to God for all his several mercies What doth God require of thee after all that he hath done for thy soul and body Is it any thing else but to magnifie his name to give him the glory of it And this doth not at all adde unto the greatness of God he is not made the more perfect and blessed in himself by all the glory thou givest to him So that indeed it is the greatest glory that thou art capable of that God will accept of blessing from thee that he will own praises out of thy mouth that he doth not rebuke thee as Christ did the Devils when they confessed He was the Son of the living God Thirdly This blessing and praising of God will keep thee in a joyfull active and fruitfull way Those that sing at their work dispatch it with greater facility And thus it is the soul filled with cordial thankfulness to God doth more for God then many others who are clogged with dejecting and discouraging thoughts See whether the cause of all thy heaviness yea the prevailing of lusts and passions upon thee be not want of chearfull blessing of God The joy of the Lord is our strength Lastly Consider the example of David how unwearied he is in this work never thinking that his soul doth enough herein and therefore because he cannot discharge this duty to his desire he calls upon all the creatures of the world almost to help him therein yea the very Ice and Snow and such inanimate creatures how much more Angels and men must joyn with him to praise God In Austin's time some were named Deo gratias certainly we should so abound in this duty that it may be truly said unto God as Psal 22. Thou inhabitest the praises of Israel SERM. XXXI How Christ is the Sonne of God And how the consideration thereof is the foundation of all a Christians comfort 2 COR. 1. 3. Blessed be God even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ THe Duty of Blessing with the Object of it being dispatched let us now come to that Amplification and Illustration which the Apostle ufeth in describing of it And The first is From a personal and relative respect The Father of our Lord Jesus Christ Even the Father 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 That particle is by way of interpretation and explication What he meaneth by God viz. That he doth not take the word as it is often absolutely for the essence of the Divine Nature as common to the three Persons but relatively and in the distinct personality of the first Person and therefore said to be The Father of our Lord Jesus Christ For the particle 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as Stephanus observeth may be rendred by Et sed tunc etiam c. as the subject matter requireth The Apostle doth in other places delight to use this expression Rom. 15. 6. 2 Cor. 11. 31. Ephes 3. 14. In which places the Apostle seemeth with much affection and cordial enlargement to make mention of this relative Title in God the Father for this is the treasure of our comfort herein are all our mercies contained that we and Christ have the same Father he by Nature and we by Grace So that we are not to consider of Gods paternal relation to Christ as a speculative doctrinal truth but as practical and the ground of all consolation to us Hence John 20. 17. Christ by way of comfort tells them He ascends to his Father and their Father And indeed without Christ we cannot behold him as a Father but as a severe and dreadfull Judge Only when we say this Doctrine of the Fathers relation to Christ a Sonne is so full of comfort you must not understand it absolutely and nakedly as the second Person in the Trinity but as assuming the humane Nature into a Personal Subsistency Therefore he saith The Father of Jesus Christ which is the description of his Person in both his Natures So that we must not look upon the Sonne as the second Person alone in
one way or other Every Abel will have a Cain every Isaac an Ismael What though you do not suffer from the Pagans or heretiques without yet how greatly do ye suffer from the prophane and ungodly within Every prophane man though he shrowd himself under the name of Christ yet he is of an Antichristian spirit if not doctrinally yet practically and in deed Bernard speaking of the bitter times by Paganish persecution and then of more bitter by hereticall maketh the third and most bitter of all to be in the evil and ungodly manners of those who are within the Church Heu domine saith he qui sunt in Ecclesiâ primi sunt in persecutione primi There is then a suffering for Christ though not to blood and if every godly man do not thus suffer let him fear whether he be not a man pleaser whether he fear not man more then God whether therefore he be not applauded as a wise man as a moderate man because he is not indeed a zealous godly man against sinne in his place The very Heathen could say How is he a good man who is not trouble some to and hated by an evil man Therefore saith our Saviour Wo be to you when all men speak well of you Luk. 6. 26. Some observe the connexion the Apostle useth 1 Pet. 4. 11 12. for having in the 11 verse exhorted to a faithfull and diligent discharge of those Offices we are betrusted with presently exhorts to patience about afflictions because one will necessarily cause the other So Mat. 10. when Christ giveth his Apostles Commission to preach he doth withall admonish them of the hatred they shall meet with Light will be offensive to sore eyes and salt will make wounds to smart Thirdly To suffer for Christs sake is very tedious and grievous to flesh and blood It 's because of those reproaches and many times dangers which accompany the way of Christ that it is such a stumbling block to many They like the Crown of Glory well but they like not the Crown of Thornes If Christs way was a broad way they might have Christ and their honours Christ and their lusts Christ and their advantages then they would be as forward to runne out and meet Christ as they did from Jerusalem crying Hosâ—nna to him Therefore howsoever men have thousands of pretences to keep off from the way of godlinesse and the faithfull owning of Christ they have many wide gates of distinction to go out at when danger is at hand yet it is fear of suffering that keepeth most off their duty They like Christ well till it cometh to be said as she did to Moses Thou art a bloody husband to me So Christ will have thy good name thy estate thy life this makes thee prove an Apostate and turn hypocrite Oh the gulf of misery yea sometimes of despair that this fear of suffering hath put men upon Therefore afflictions for Christs sake are so often called temptations because they will discover whether a man be â—ound for God or not whether they love Christ more then the creatures Oh then pray to God that he leave thee not to this snare to be afraid to suffer for doing what is good This will prove bitter at the latter end Do you not see among Officers how fearfull to punish the drunkard the Sabbath-breaker they shall loose their good word they will do them despite and malice afterwards Art not thou all this while afraid to suffer for Christ He that suffers for doing that which is righteous for punishing offenders he suffers for Christ as is to be shewed Remember then it 's better suffering for Christ which is our Crown and Glory then suffering in Hell for ever because thou wouldst not do the will of God SERM. XLVI The same Doctrine prosecuted shewing the Object for which Christians are to suffer if they would suffer for Christ 2 COR. 1. 5. For as the sufferings of Christ abound in us c. THe Doctrine that hath in part been treated on is That a true and faithfull owning of Christ is accompanied with sufferings and persecutions Some Particulars have been given in to clear this We proceed to adde more and the first in order shall be That although it is very difficult to flesh and blood to own Christ so farre as to suffer for him yet the Scripture represents it as a most blessed and glorious thing howsoever the world judge it reproachfull I shall not here enlarge my self about the encouragements to suffer when Christ calls for it it is enough at this time in the general to inform That God will not honour every one with persecutions for himself It is a great expression of his grace and favour Hence some Confessors have desired to be Martyrs but God by his providence preserved them they have been greatly humbled and dejected under this as if it were for some special sinne and unworthinesse in them that God would not in that manner dignify them These are not words and meer oratory the Scripture is clear in proclaiming this for a title of favour to be a sufferer for Christ Act. 5. 41. The Apostles rejoyced that they were accounted worthy to suffer shame for his Name That they might have shame and reproach for Christ this they rejoyced in as a great matter of honour Who were they that the Lord should so exhalt them So Phil. 1. 29. To you it 's given not only to believe but to suffer By this you see that every one to whom God doth give to believe he doth not also give to suffer for him It 's a gift then and where this is bestowed they ought to rejoyce and to be exceeding glad Yea 1 Pet. 3. 14. They are happy And 1 Pet. 4. 16. Thy are to goorifie God in that behalf If we could believe these Scripture truths so much sinfull fear and pusillanimity in the cause of Christ might not be charged upon us as too often it may be we would not run from a duty accompanied with sufferings as Moses did from the rod turned into a Serpent neither should we with Simon the Cyrenean be compelled to bear the crosse That is observeable 1 Pet. 2. 19. If a man suffer for conscience towards God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 We translate it this is thankworthy But happily that is not so proper for if a man should suffer all the Martyrdomes that have been in his own body yet God is not to thank him he hath not suffered more then he ought to do Neither do I know that the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is used in such a sense Therefore it 's better translated This is a favour this is grace if God bring us to suffer for a good conscience towards him If then thou art to suffer either verbally by mocks and slanders or really by miseries and persecutions set the Crown of Glory to the Crown of Thornes set the honey to the gall set the honour with God to
the reproach amongst men That which the carnal heart is so afraid of the Scripture makes matter of joy and of glorifying God for it Secondly It being therefore so glorious a thing it is good to inform you What it is to suffer for Christ For we may be the devils Martyrs suffer as offenders or as busybodies suffer for heresies and the works of the flesh yet perswade and flatter our selves that we suffer for Christ Now to clear this we must consider what is required ex parte objecti on the behalf of the matter we suffer for And 2. What is required ex parte subjecti what qualifications ought to be in him who doth suffer for Christ And for the Object matter the Scripture describeth it in these Particulars First That what a man suffereth for it must not be for any sinne that is justly punishable by the Law It must not be for our folly and busy medling in such things wherein we have no call The Apostle Peter 1 Pet. cap. 3. 15 16. speaketh notably to this for giving the people of God in that Chapter great encouragements to suffer he cometh in with a caution They must take heed for what they suffer which is laid down positively and then oppositly Positively as a Christian it must be for professing and doing such things as Christ requireth Let it not be strange fire but the fire from the Altar If thou wouldst have comfort it must be for doing that which as a Christian thou art bound to do And the opposite to this is to suffer as a murderer as a thief or which is more general as a busybody in other mens matters 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is one who busily spyeth into and medleth with those things that he hath no call to it 's not his Office to deal in Now this must not be understood as the world will judge a man a busybody If a Minister a Magistrate or any in Office be zealous against sin and see to the punishing of it the prophane ones of the world call this an an hot busy medling So if private Christians cannot bear the impieties they see committed in the places where they live but do faithfully and boldly admonish and reprove such offenders and if this doth no good then they will proceed further to the Magistrate and Officers to complain of such that sinne may be punished God honoured and publique judgments prevented If I say private Christians be thus stirring as they ought to be unlesse they will have other mens sins lie at their doors and they become thereby very guilty then what an out-cry is made these are factious troublesome disquieting follows So that to judge who is a busy-body and when a man is guilty of it you must have recourse to the Scripture and to sound casuistical Divinity applying the general rules of Scripture to particulars and not to the common voice and noise of people in the world That good zealous Prophet for God Elisah who because he burned with fire for God had a wonderfull reward thereof to be carried up in a fiery Charriot to Heaven yet because he would not endure the ungodlinesse of Ahab and Jezebell what is said to him Then art the troubler of Israel They condemn him for a busy-body whereas indeed Ahab by his wickednesse as the Prophet said was the troubler of the Land In suffering then for Christ we see much prudence as well as zeal is required yet so as not to regard the censure of the world For who ever suffered for Christ and their persecutors did not represent them so odiously as that they might seem to deserve it This is the first thing Secondly For the object matter The Scripture expresseth it another time for the Name of Christ Mat. 19. 29. Whosoever shall for sake houses lands c. for my Names sake Job 15. 21. All these things will they do to you for my Names sake What is Christs name not only the Person of Christ himself but as the Name of God is that whereby God is known so is the Name of Christ Yea under this is comprehended those Doctrines and that Faith which Christ had delivered to us The truths of Christ are to be dearer to us then ourlives Hence it was that Christianity hath amazed the world with those millions and millions of Martyrs that have been for the faith of Christ It was a wicked opinion of the Priscillianists of old That a man migh lye dissemble and forswear the truths of Christ bow to Idols and communicate with heathens in any bodily worship so as they kept the true faith in their hearts But this is directly opposite to Scripture Rom. 10. 16. With the heart man believeth and with the month confession is made to salvation To salvation So that a man cannot be saved though he doth in his heart believe if he do not when it is casus confessionis a case of confession confesse also with his mouth the same faith And Rom. 11. 4. The true worshippers of God in Eliahs time are described not only by their inward grace but externally also that they did not bow their knee to Baal It is true there is a difference between profession and confession strictly taken As Cyprian Maluit nos Dous confiteri fidem non profiteri To professe is to do it ultroneously of our own accord when we are not called to it as some of the Martyrs would do crying out Christianus sum I am a Christian for which they were put to death And this could not be excused in them unlesse we say an extraordinary heroical frame of spirit was at that time infused into them by the Holy Ghost This voluntary profession when danger is is not required Yea in lesser truths we are not to professe them so as to disturbe the faith of others So the Apostle Rom. 14. 22. Hast thou faith have it to thy self But then in case of confession when the glory of God the good of the Church and our own salvation requireth it then we are to confesse the truths of Christ though we loose all It is the great glory attributed by Paul to Christ that 1 Tim. 6. 13. before Pontius Pilate he witnessed a good confession To suffer then for Christ it is to loose all for his Truth for his Faith when he requireth Therefore though Heretiques may glory in their sufferings and they be canonized as Saints amongst their Disciples yet they will be sound to have lost their blood in vain and that they were not the Lord Christs but the devils Martyrs The Donatists of old yea those Circumcelliones that would kill themselves and like mad men would make others kill them did triumph in the name of Martyrs The Messaliani also because they were punished for their Idols called themselves Martyriani the Martyrians as if they only were the Martyrs How greatly are the Popish Calenders filled with their saints when yet some of them dyed of desperate and
high rebellions and treasons So that this alwaies falleth out as men are perswaded of their way so they judge it true persecution or false Hastia did truly call the Donatists persecutions Persecutiones steriles â—barren and fruitlesse as losing the crown of glory though they boasted of them On the other side the rigid Lutherans did condemn our Martyrs in Queen Maries daies because they dyed against that error That Christ was bodily present in the Sacrament yea and called them Martyres Diaboli The Devils Martyrs This I confesse is more grievous many times then all the persecutions of the adversaries when those who are of the same general profession yet for some particular differences shall so uncharitably censure one another But this is no new thing in the Church of God The Socinians though they blaspheme the Deity of Christ and their doctrine is not simply heresie but blasphemy also yet they will admire their sufferings as if for Christ also The Polonian Gentleman that writ Socinus his life would preferre him above Luther and Ignatius As for Ignatius the Father of Jesuites we have nothing to do with him but that he should preferre him above Luther for the greatnesse of his faith Because saith he Luthers Doctrine at the first had many to applaud it but Sociâ—ius had few or none to encourage him Though we might say Luthers was universally hated the whole world being then subject to the Pope yet that can be nothing with that writer who confesseth that pride and vain-glory may make all a mans sufferings to be fewel to it Thus you see how that all suffering parties in Religion will pretend to Christ and plead they suffer for him but as Christ is Christ though there have risen many false Christs so suffering and persecution for Christ is truly so and some there are and they only who can claim this honour though others do gloriously pretend to it It is a true rule of Austins Causa non paena facit Martyrem Not the punishment but the cause makes a Martyr Even as Causa non separatio facit schismaticum It must be indeed the Doctrine of Christ not our opinions and presumptions we suffer with Thirdly The Scripture expresseth this Suffering for righteousnesse sake He that suffereth for doing that which is righteous suffereth for Christ Mat. 5. 10. If ye be persecuted for righteousnesse sake blessed are ye This is made the same with suffering for Christs sake This is good to observe lest we should think that then we only suffer for Christ when the matter we are troubled for is either Christ himself or his truth and ordinances something that is immediately terminated upon Christ No this is to be extended farther For when a Magistrate is zealous to rebuke sinne and put it to shame if he be maligned for this he suffereth for Christ So if a private Christian set himself in a lawfull way against all the impieties that abound where he liveth and thereupon all his neighbours hate and oppose him he suffers for Christ And all because it 's for righteousnesse Insomuch that thou maiest take much comfort herein as one Martyr did That it is not for any wickednesse of thine any wrong or injury thou hast done them only because thou hast had a zeal for God and his glory therefore it is that they rise up with such malice against thee And let this encourage all such who desire to have all ungodlinesse and dishonour to God by sinne be wholly rooted out though in this labour they have many oppositions and much hatred yet remember it is for Christ It is true indeed that besides meer righteousnesse there must be also a knowledge of Christ For without faith it is impossible to please God Heb. 11. 3. And therefore though Aristides the just was banished for righteousnesse and Socrates put to death for maintaining there was but one God yet these cannot be said to suffer for Christ because they had no knowledge of him Seeing Christ is only in the Church therefore there cannot be any true suffering for him but in the Church Lastly In respect of the object matter Then we suffer for Christ when we are persecuted for keeping a good conscience and will not break the peace thereof for all the advantages in the world Thus the Apostle Peter 1 Pet. 3. 16. maketh the having of a good conscience to be equivalent to suffering for righteousnesse sake and also for the Name of Christ This good conscience consists in this That whereas the enemies and persecutors speak all evil of us as evil doers they may at last be ashamed for such false accusations Here you see none ever persecuted the Church of God but they laid foul things to their charge That as they did put the Christians sometimes in Bear-skins to make the dogs tear them with the greater rage so also they have turned their names into Heretiques Schismaticks and every odious title that so they might be the more justified in their cruel waies Now then to suffer with and for a good conscience is to be innocent from all these calumnies that we dare appeal to God as Christ said For which of the good works do ye stone me So for what good is it that I have done you reproach you revile and persecute me But when we say a good conscience we mean that which is truly so and informed out of Gods Word otherwise as Paul said he had a good conscience while he was a Pharisee and thought he was bound to do against Christ what he did So many deluded consciences may indure much misery yea death it self with a good conscience thus farre that they do not go against any light thereof They are not as some Heretiques 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 self-condemned as it is commonly expounded No they may think they are bound to suffer as they do Yea if they should recant their errors though never so damnable while their conscience is perswaded to the contrary they would sinne against God not because they renounce an error materially but because they do that which formally appeareth a truth to them and it may be bring much horror and teror upon their own consciences It is not enough therefore to make a man a sufferer for Christ if in a false way because he is perswaded so his conscience doth not tell him to the contrary he hath much comfort doing as he doth whereas if he should do otherwise he should have no peace For conscience is but an inferiour Judge and is no further to command then guided by the Word of God and when it is so then whosoever will not please men but indure all hardship rather then wound this conscience this man suffers for Christ Thus you see what it is to suffer for Christ in the Scripture expression and let it be thy earnest prayer to God to have a preparednesse of heart thus to suffer Oh consider how much Christ suffered for thee both from God and
are to take as if no other part of the spiritual armoury would do any good unlesse we had faith Ephes 6. 16. Hence when Peter was to undergo Satans winnowings which were chiefly by persecutions Christ saith He prayed that his faith might not fail him Luk. 22. 32. not his fortitude patience or zeal but his faith because this is the root the tree can never fail as long as the root is good It was want of faith made many in times of persecution sacrifice to Idols and deliver the Bible to be burnt It was want of faith made Spira fall into so great an Apostasie Thus faith is the chief grace that inableth to suffer for Christ This makes weak strong and Lambs Lions Secondly Another qualification to suffer for Christ is Love a grace not indeed to be exalted above saith but yet as necessary in its sphere where it hath to do as that is and as faith so this love required in every sufferer doth discover it self two wayes There must be hearty love to God and Christ for whom we suffer and there must be love to man yea to our enemies and persecutors or else we shall lose the advantage of all our sufferings The Apostle speaketh fully to this 1 Cor. 13. 3. Though I give my body to be burned and have not charity it profiteth me nothing And what charity is this Even two-fold First A love of God and Christ If thou sufferest because of force and necessity thou canst not avoid it this is not to suffer rightly It must be true love to Christ and his glory that thou preferrest his glory above all thy comforts even life it self And indeed this is the greatest expression of thy love to Christ when thou canst die for him as Christ discovered his great love in dying for us A man that doth not love Christ cannot suffer for Christ The second act of charity is To love our enemies our persecutours While they are railing we are to pray while they are persecuting we are to blesse and truly by this we are known to be Christs Disciples more than by enlargements or any miracles When one met with a Christian and falling upon him in a great rage beating and buffeting of him saying What great thing did Christ ever do The Christian replyed Even this that though you beat and abuse me yet Christ hath taught me to pray for you If therefore malice and a revengefull spirit be predominant in thee while thou sufferest Oh consider this is not to suffer as Christ did Thirdly There is required in him that suffereth for Christ Spiritual fortitude and courage No such enemy to this duty of suffering as worldly fears and pusillanimity of spirit Indeed there is a godly fear whereby we have an holy jealousie of our strength and therefore rest alone upon Gods power and this is an excellent preservative against Apostasie in the hour of temptation Many that have been exceeding fearfull have yet been more faithfull and stout in the hour of danger then those who have been more confident as many instances in the History of the Martyrs will evidence When Peter was so presumptuous as to say Though all men should forsake thee yet I will not He proved more cowardly than any So that there is a good humble fear whereby we renounce our own strength and this we are to preserve But then there is a carnal worldly natural and excessive fear this is to be mortified Now against this Christian courage is the proper help but this is the gift of Gods Spirit Therefore none can suffer for Christ but such who have the Spirit of God inabling them It 's a gift to suffer not only by way of honour but also by way of power Hence when Stephen and others were inabled to be bold against their adversaries they are said to be filled with the holy Ghost And thus Timothy is exhorted to be strong in the grace of God 2 Tim. 2. 1. and to endure hardnesse as a good souldier of Christ So Ephes 6. 10. Be strong in the Lord and in the power of his might It is true Aristotle speaketh of fortitude a moral vertue despising deaths and dangers but he was ignorant of God and so giveth us a Gloworm in stead of a Star Pray therefore for this holy courage in the way of God Fourthly To suffer for Christ there is required An holy Wisdome and prudence For it is not Christian fortitude unlesse regulated by Christian prudence Discretion is the salt to season all our Sacrifices for to Sacrifices there was salt required as well as fire When our Saviour gave that admirable counsel Be wise as Serpents and innocent as Doves Matth. 10. 16. he sheweth what an excellent temper even ad pondus a Christian should be of The Serpent must not eat up the Dove yet a Dove-like temper must be accompanied with wisdome Courage to suffer without wisdome is like Samson without eyes and many times did more dishonour God then all sufferings did honour him Austin disliked the zeal of some who demolished the Heathenish Idols of their own private accord having no Authority thereunto The indiscretion of one Andas a Bishop setting fire on a Persian Temple where they worshipped fire as a god brought a sad and sore persecution and when the Bishop was commanded to build it up again at his own charges for his resusal he was put to death Now saith an Ecclesiastical Primitive Writer I discommend him for his imprudence in demolishing the Temple but I admire his zeal that he would die rather than rebuild it He then suffereth for Christ that hath prudence and wisdome to order his zeal so that he suffer not for his own folly but meerly for Christ Only this is a very nice point to distinguish prudence from carnal policy but that is not my work now Fifthly We are alwayes to remember Patience as that which is a special qualifier of every one to suffer You have need of patience saith the Apostle Heb. 10. 36. Therefore Heb. 6. 12. Faith and Patience are put together as those two which made the godly inherit the promises Rom. 12. 12. Patient in tribulation This holy patience is that which doth quiet and compose all the waves and storms of the soul it commands all diffident and unbelieving thoughts all murmurings and repinings to be gone Therefore it 's said In patience possesse your souls And Jam. 13. Let patience have its perfect work If therefore thou art called any wayes to suffer for Christ take heed of fretting of repinings of unrulinesse of heart for impatience argueth a want both of faith in and love of Christ The Martyrs were admirable in the patience they discovered under the most provoking torments they suffered as if it had been in anothers body and not their own Sixthly To suffer there is required a mortified heavenly heart as to all earthly comforts and relations not to know father or mother or life it self
of Indulgences which was the occasion of that Reformation wherein Luther was so greatly instrumental For the Text it self you have Paul professing his rejoycing in his sufferings though so afflicted so reproached being made a spectacle to men and Angels Accounted the off-scouring of the world yet in all this he did rejoyce For God loveth a cheerfull sufferer as well as a cheerfull giver Si quid boni tristis feeris per te fit magis quam tu facis It is done in thee rather than by thee the good thou doest with grudging and reluctancy Yea admire the publick affection of Paul this was not so much because he should hereby have a greater crown of glory that he should hereby be more honoured but principally he rejoyced because he suffered for others that by his persecutions many others may be imboldened to profess the Gospel Now he sheweth in what manner he did suffer for them viz. By filling up that which is behind of the affliction of Christ in his flesh for the bodies sake which is the Church This seemeth strange how could Paul fill up the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the things behind of Christs sufferings Were Christs sufferings imperfect Could Paul make up that which was deficient in Christ This would be to make Paul copartner with Christ in the work of the mediation and then Paul might truly have said that which once by interrogation he so vehemently denied Paul was crucified for them Therefore you must know the sufferings of Christ are of two sorts 1. Those which he suffered in his own Person as Mediator and head of his Church And thus by once offering up of himself he for ever made perfect those that do believe in him and thus there are no 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 no remainders behind to be done 2. There are the sufferings of the members of Christ united to him their Head and these are called his sufferings because of that mystical conjunction between Christ and his members as also that sympathy that is in him with them in their sufferings Now as Christ was appointed to sufferings so is every member of his by way of conformity to their Head set apart also for their sufferings and these are the afflictions of Christ that are still behind All the members of Christ have not yet fully suffered In every age there are some still to be afflicted for his sake and as long as any one believer is to suffer so long something of Christs afflictions remaineth still behind Therefore the Apostle addeth He was to fulfill these afflictions in his flesh and the end is for the good of the Church They suffer for the Church but not as Christ suffereth as will appear by some Propositions to clear the Doctrine First therefore when we say That the afflictions of the godly especially of eminent officers in the Church are for the good of the Church you must still distinguish them from the sufferings of Christ for the Church also The Martyrs they died to witness the truth and hereby occasionally to procure salvation for others but Christs â—…ng for others was in a far more transcendent and efficacious way For 1. Christs death was not only a martyrdom but a propitiation and an atonement also Christ we grant did suffer as a Martyr he came into the world to bear witnesse to the truth And he is said 1 Tim. 6. 13. To have witnessed a good confession before Pontius Pilate But those wretched Socinians are therefore to be abhorred because they make this the only end of his death That he died by way of example not by way of propitiation for our sins Thus with them the sufferings of Christ and of Paul for the Church differ only gradually not in kind Christ died as a more eminent Martyr than Paul but both only by way of witness to the truth Take we heed then that we do not split our souls at this rock of blasphemy denying the atonement of Christs sufferings 2. They differ in the efficacy also For Paul's sufferings and so all the sufferings of the godly do only objectively or by way of example turn to the good of others They comfort convert or save others only ministerially but Christs sufferings did meritoriously and efficiently also procure all the benefits which the Church standeth in need of Hence remission of sinne justification renovation and glorification are attributed unto his blood which cannot be to the blood of the Martyrs So that Christs death did by way of merit and causality procure all the priviledges the Church enjoyeth Hence in the second place All the sufferings which any undergo for the Churches good they are not meritorious or satisfactory either for our selves or others As the Papists do most derogatively to the honour of Christ maintain for their Doctrine about the sufferings of Martyrs for Christs cause is very proud and pharisaical They dogmatize that by these he may merit and satisfie God yet through the merits of Christ Tincta sanguine Christi yea not only thus satisfie for his own sins but may supererogate So that they exceed the wise Virgins they will part with some of their oil because they have more than enough So that from the overplus of all their sufferings the Church hath a great stock and treasure to relieve those that have no merits of their own Now this is a meer political engine in Popery to make the Pope have indeed a great treasury for he communicateth and dispenseth out of this stock for money Insomuch that Albertus Magnus saith plainly That a rich man is in a farre better condition to be saved than a poor man because he hath money to buy his pardon and to redeem himself which the poor hath not Thus these like Judas make a sale and bargain of Christ but though the godly suffer yet their sufferings are not for that end as Christs was even as when they obey the Law of God they do it not for that end which Christ did For both in suffering and doing Christ was only meritorious because he was without sin and did more than he was bound to which cannot be said of any Martyr Thirdly When we say the sufferings of the godly turn to the good of others This is not to be understood as if of themselves they did so but by the mighty power and grace of God working by them For Paul cannot of himself cause comfort and courage in others for he acknowledgeth God only to be the fountain of all comfort and therefore he prayeth to God that God would do good by such afflictions And as Paul cannot of himself thus do good to others by his sufferings For it is with him as in his preaching He doth but plant and water it is God that giveth the increase So neither do these sufferings work good of themselves by any intrinsecal virtue and efficacy they have For how many by these persecutions are the rather terrified So that as
the Gospel is though to some a savour of life yet to others a savour of death Thus afflictions and troubles to some do discover their hypocrisie and guile as winnowing doth the chaâ—â— but to others they are blessed either to conversion or to edification So that in all the sufferings of the Church we are by prayer to importune God that by these means greater glory may come to Christ and that these waters of persecution may be like those to the Ark which could not drown it but exalted it nearer to Heaven Hence Fourthly We may admire the wisdome power and goodnesse of God that wherein the enemies of Gods Church deal craftily and cruelly in that very thing he is above them working the contrary to that which they are intending For how many persecutors hath the Church had who like Haman resolved to root out the very name of Christianity and their persecutions have increased the number of Christians Thus it must needs be madness and torment to the Churches enemies to see that the wayes they take to demolish is indeed to build up the Church of God Even as it was with Pharaoh when he called a counsel to deal craftily with the Israelites to oppress and diminish them then they were the more multiplied Thus Act. 12. 24. when Herod set himself to kill the eminent servants of the Lord and thereby weaken the Church of God for when the shepherds were dissipated what would become of the flock it is said But the word of God grew and multiplied See how the contrary fell out to Herods design These things premised Let us consider What is the general good promoted by the Churches sufferings And 1. Hereby the glory of God and Christ is the more exalted amongst all that fear him For when the Churches of God shall see the wisdome and goodness of God thus to his people turning all the cruelty and craft of their adversaries to their own good that what they could never do their enemies do for them What glory and praise doth this cause in all Congregations How is the Church indeared hereby to God to trust in him to continue faithfull to him in all exercises God hath been good and will be good God hath turned the greatest evil of men to the greatest advantage and he will do it As Christs death is called a glorifying of him Thus also are the sufferings for Christ the believers glory and not only so but the glory of Christ also What saith Paul Phil. 1. 20. Christ shall be magnified in my body whether by life or death But 2. The great good overflowing to the Church by its sufferings are the propagation and enlargement of the Gospel thereby Phil. 1. 13. Paul there sheweth how his troubles fell out to the furtherance of the Gospel for his bonds were made manifest in Caesars palace and in all other places That of Tertullian is known The blood of Martyrs is the seed of the Church When men did behold their faith the râ—patience their constancy and courage it made them enquire into the cause of their sufferings what it was that could make them so constantly endure all kind of torments Insomuch that this was in stead of the working of miracles to bring men to faith So that as the shaking of a ripe flower maketh many seeds fall to the ground and in stead of that one flower many come up in the room of it or as when the Vine hath its branches cut off there come farre more in stead thereof Thus it hath also been by all the troubles on the Church of God by afflictions and by patience under them How numerous did the Church of God grow even like the stars in Heaven Let the Use be To consider those examples of all such worthies who have suffered for Christ whether recorded in Scripture or in Ecclesiastical History read them for thy comfort and thy salvation The word of God and the lives of Martyrs bearing witness to it may much prevail over a stony heart It hath been a good blessing of God that the Names and Histories of most Martyrs have been preserved and recorded for the good of the Church of God to come The lives and sufferings of our Martyrs here in England what influence may they not make upon thee What patience what heavenly mindedness what courage should this put into thee As Abel though dead speaketh Thus do all the godly Martyrs the Bradfords the Ridleys the Latimers they all speak still and God suffereth such persecutions to be as perpetual Sermons to teach us SERM. LI. The Afflictions which others suffer for Christ make much for our Comfort and Salvation 2 COR. 1. 6. And whether we be afflicted it is for your consolation and salvation THe second particular in this Text as it stands divided is the Consequent or Effect of this tribulation which is set down in a particular and special manner above any other fruit of it and that is two-fold Consolation and Salvation Of the word Consolation enough hath already been said For the other viz. Salvation we shall remit it to the end of the verse where it is again specified So that our work is immediately to proceed to the Observation which is That sufferings for Christ should be so farre from disheartning and offending others that a true and right consideration of them may much provoke our comfort and salvation This truth is of great use For the afflictions accompanying the wayes of Christ have been an offence and a stumbling block to many Now when a curb shall be made a spur when an hinderance a furtherance and we shall be encouraged from those particulars which should drive back this consideration must be very profitable Before we come to amplifie in what manner in what respects persecutions are made thus serviceable to others Let us take notice First That the sufferings of others do work good only occasionally or by way of example We must not conceive any merit or causality as was declared before in Martyrs They are Examples not Mediators Their light did shine that we might thereby glorifie God So that we must take heed that the sufferings of the godly do not obscure the sufferings of Christ that they should not be accounted the only treasure of Christ But as Luther was afraid lest his books should take men off from meditating on the Bible Or as Paul was afraid men should judge of him as if he by his own power had done that miracle and therefore told them It was onely by the Name of Christ. So also it was with all the true Martyrs of Christ they were humble looking upon themselves as unworthy of the name of a Martyr neither would they have their blood derogate from the blood of Christ Hence Secondly We may greatly deplore and bewail the Apostasie of the Church concerning those that were Martyrs and sufferers for Christ in what superstition and sinfull devotion were they plunged in about
more when we see it is not one or two but multitudes yea millions which have given testimony to such truths and that by their bloud that so many should thus be willingly undone for that which is a falshood is very improbable And therefore our Divines do usually bring the constancy of Martyrs as an argument to prove the divine truths of the Scriptures Oh then shalt thou doubt Shalt thou question whether this or that be truth when thou hast such presidents of so many laying down their lives to confirm it Secondly From the sufferings of others for Christ and his way we may be greatly encouraged to trust in God and to depend on him to enable us also if he should call us thereunto How apt are the people of God to be despondent within themselves to be afraid of their own weaknesse and hypocrisie saying their hearts are so carnal so unmortified that they know not to part with any thing much lesse life it self for Christ He cannot will one say he dare not say with Peter Though all men forsake Christ yet he would not but rather if there be any that will deny Christ he should be the man This temptation is very incident to the gracious heart But if they look off from themselves to these champions before their eyes what hope and confidence may they attain unto in the Lord For what were those confessors of themselves Were they not men Were they not flesh and blood as well as thou art Were they not affected with wives children and life it self Were they marble and rocks No surely but they were subject to all such temptations as thou art and yet God was with them he raised them up above their own strength So that while thou art out of this fight thou canst not conceive what strength and what gracious influence God will vouchsafe unto thee As we read of one French Martyr in Fox his Martyrologie that was exceedingly possessed with fear about suffering insomuch that he disguised himself and took upon him to be a pedlar carrying ware up and down but being at last discovered and hiding himself in a bush no sooner was he apprehended but as he acknowledged afterwards as soon as ever the enemy had laid hold on him that spirit of fear and cowardlinesse left him being filled with undaunted courage If therefore we read the lives and deaths of those who have been persecuted for Christ and observe what wonderfull supports they have had and how God hath glorified himself in their infirmities so that with Paul they could say I could do all things through Christ that strengthens me they did partake of a kind of Omnipotency And at another time he saith When I am weak then am I strong This may make thee though a Lamb for meeknesse and innocency yet a Lion for courage and spiritual fortitude Hence the Apostle when Heb. 11. he had instanced in the great atchievements many worthies had accomplished by faith at the twelfth Chapter he beginneth Seeing we are compassed about with such a cloud of witnesses or Martyrs for so we may render it Let us runne the race that is set before us We have such a cloud of witnesses that as the cloud did direct and guide the people of Israel in the wildernesse so also should the lives and examples of so many called for that end likewise a cloud guide us and teach us Who then can be diffident unbelieving fearfull when he hath such encouragements before his eyes Thirdly From the consideration of such worthies suffering for Christ we may also take occasion to rejoyce and to be glad So farre should we be from shrinking and apostatizing from Christ there are several causes of rejoycing partly in God blessing and praising him who doth so much exalt himself in weak vessels As God hath alwayes delighted to bring about the greatest glory to himself by abject and contemptible means Thus also he doth by the sufferings of his people that which is most unlikely by that he magnifieth himself and that God is seen and made great in the world this should mightily rejoyce us partly Because we have the same God and the same promise that they had And therefore wee may look to rejoyce as well as they They have not a more mercifull or powerfull God than thou hast neither have they more excellent or better promises than thou hast So that as fire kindleth fire thus their joy may produce joy in thee Fourthly From the sufferings for Christs sake we may informe our selves much in this great lesson that they were in earnest and real for him It was not only words or a profession but a lively submission unto the wayes of Christ That which the Scripture complaineth of so much is the general sinne of the Christian world They follow Christ because of loaves They professe him while the scorching heat of the Sunne doth not arise but when once Christ and their earthly comforts cannot stand together then they discover their unsoundnesse and that they had no root at all But those that suffer for Christ they professe no more with their tongues then they manifest in their lives Non loquimur magna sed vivimus as Cyprian We do not so much speak great things as live them This was the great Objection to Seneca and such moral Philosophers that they had expressions about Virtue but in their practice were farre from it Seneca was forced to purge himself in this accusation But neither he nor Socrates nor Aristotle nor any of those Masters in Morality could acquit themselves Aristotle that maketh Temperance a vertue and that he only is temperate who doth it for virtues sake that a virtuous man will rather die than do an evil or dishonest action yet he kept a whore yea and sacrificed to her as the Heathens did to a goddesse He was moved to study Philosophy by the instinct of Pythias which is no more than by the command of the Devil He was ungratefull betrayed his Countrey and then afterwards had a great hand in poisoning Alexander which made Caracalla the Emperour expell all Philosophers of Aristotles Sect because of his mischief to Alexander He was also exceeding covetous for this end Lucian bringeth Alexander in hell upbraiding Aristotle that therefore he made riches part of the Summum bonum that under that pretext he might the rather heap up wealth insomuch that Lactantius said truly of him Aristoteles nee Deum coluit nec curavit So that these great Moralists were like some Painters who can draw excellent and beautifull pictures when they themselves are foul and deformed So that to adde action and suffering to our profession when we are called to it this is to shew we are Christians indeed Nunc incipio esse Christianus said Ignatius when he was going to his Martyrdom Lastly By those that suffer we may learn to crucifie our hearts to the world to be weaned from all comforts not to love them more
than Christ Oh say I find my heart so inordinate so glewed to these dear relations I have I find them so cleaving to my heart that much prayer faith and meditation cannot cast them out What a shame is this I look upon the Martyrs I see wives children estates goods were nothing Christ was all Heaven was all Oh how unworthy am I to be compared with such glorious servants of Christ I have not the Martyrdom of the heart and how then can I endure that of the body SERM. LII How Salvation is promoted and advanced by our Sufferings for Christ 2 COR. 1. 6. Which is effectual in enduring of the same sufferings which we also suffer WE are now come to the third particular in this Text which is the amplification of the end specified of the Apostles sufferings especially the latter viz. Salvation which Salvation is effectual Wherein we may take notice 1. What is attributed to Salvation 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 2. The manner how 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in enduring with the object of the same sufferings We also suffer I shall at this time only consider the Attribute or what is predicated of our Salvation it is effectual The Greek word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is contested about Some especially Estius is very industrious to prove that it should be rendred passively Thus which Salvation is wrought And it is true indeed among prophane Authors the word is used passively but in the New Testament in some places it must needs be rendred actively For whereas the word is used four times in the New Testament in all which places we translate it actively yet he contends for the passive sense as Gal. 5. 6. Faith which worketh by love he will have it which is wrought by love Whereas Vasquez granteth it may be rendred actively So Jam. 15. 16. the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 we translate The effectual prayer he would have the prayer wherein the Spirit of God doth so powerfully move us that we are acted rather than act Even as afterwards in the Church those who were possessed by the Devil were called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 But though in this place he may argue something probably yet in the two other places Ephes 3. 20. According to the power 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which worketh in us Col. 1. 29. Striving according to his working 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which worketh in me mightily Here he cannot with any colour understand it passively It is true there is another word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is in the active sense used so 1 Cor. 16. 9. Heb. 4. 15. but that doth not hinder but that this in the middle voice may be rendred actively Certainly though Greek Authours do not yet the Apostle useth the verb 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 actively as 2 Thess 2. 13. The Mystry of iniquity worketh For whereas the same Estius would have it passively It is wrought or is in agitation that is no wayes probable for 1 Thess 2. 13. the word of God is there said 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 It effectually worketh in them that believe So also the word is used actively 2 Cor 4. 12. and Rom. 7. 5. It is not then necessary that the word should be used passively Hence Erasmus and our Translators render it actively it is effectual yet I rather joyn with those that think it more genuine to understand it passively in this place Which salvation is wrought by patience in afflictions And this is consonant to other Texts of which I shall instance in one afterwards Certainly Chrysostome aggravateth the passive signification he did not say saith he 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 yet the active sense if it be retained cometh to the same purpose with the passive For the Apostle contends that by afflictions for Christs sake our salvation is advanced Salvation puts forth it self and thereby is more exalted by these sufferings which certainly must be of unspeakable comfort to think that by these I am the more prepared for Heaven and my glory will the more increase Only you must remember alwayes that these sufferings have no causality or meritoriousnesse in them it is onely the gift and grace of God hereby to increase our blessednesse for after all our sufferings we are unprofitable servants and might be thrown into hell Observe That the salvation of believers is promoted and advanced by their sufferings for Christ Let none with Simon the Cyrenean be compelled to bear Christs crosse let them not grudge and repine thinking they suffer more than Christ will ever make them amends for that they are losers by him for no lesse than eternal salvation is exalted hereby thou hast gold and precious stones for parting with this earth The Text I promised to confirm this truth and is a parallel with mine is 2 Cor. 4. 17. where the Apostle sheweth the unspeakable benefit that we have by our afflictions for God Our light affliction which is but for a moment worketh for us a farre more and eternal weight of glory It is but a light affliction light in comparison of hell torments Are thy sufferings like to the sufferings of the damned in hell yet thou hast deserved them And then light in comparison of the weight of glory There is no proportion between that everlasting blessednesse and thy afflictions If thou shouldst for millions of years endure such torments as the Martyrs did yet that was not equivalent to one hours being in Heaven Again he saith It is but for a moment All thy afflictions are not eternal afflictions Thou shalt not for ever and ever be thus in a suffering condition compare it with eternity It is but a moment Now these afflictions thus diminished by him do yet work for us an exceeding and eternal weight of glory Oh the goodnesse of God not the merit of man that blesseth such contemptible things with an everlasting reward It is true the Papists do most arrogantly from the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 inferre that afflictions have a causal and meritorious influence upon our salvation that we are to abhorre such thoughts as that we should have Heaven Per modum eleemosynae but coronae Not by way of alms but by way of a crown for our striving and conquering But let men presumptuously dispute this in their Books when they are to give up an account to God and to stand before his barre they will then plead mercy and not justice but the Word doth not signifie causality onely that order God hath appointed that by these sufferings we shall come to glory And indeed to inter any causality or merit from that Word would be plainly to derogate from the Apostles intention which is to shew the great disproportion that is between these light afflictions and that eternal glory there is no equality between them whereas if they had a meritorious causality there must be a condign proportion between them But let us pursue this comfortable Doctrine
and more grace will have more glory In these trials and heavenly conflicts their faith their patience their crucified affections to the world are more inhanced As Grapes in the wine-presse send forth juice and sweetnesse As fragrant Herbes in the fire send forth a sweeter smell The Frankincense needeth fire to make it more refreshing In the race a man puts forth his swiftnesse In the fight fortitude and valour is more manifested Natural exercise increaseth the health of the body So also doth spiritual the health and graces of the soul Seeing then that these afflictions heat thy soul seven times hotter than they were before seeing they make thy five to gain ten No wonder if our salvation be exalted by them Lastly Our salvation is advanced by these sufferings Because of the glorious promises which are made to such Some indeed have doubted Whether there be Degrees of Glory or no in Heaven But that may be fully proved that those Starres in Heaven doe differ from one another in Glory And certainly those that suffer more shall have greater Glory Insomuch that some learned men have concluded from Revel 20. 4 5. That the Martyrs onely shall have a peculiar Glory bestowed on them to reign with Christ a thousand yeares here on Earth But that being not so clear we may firmly conclude That if a drop of cold water be given for Christs sake will be so greatly rewarded How much more many drops of their owne warme blood Doe not then repine under temporal losses for Christ it is abundantly made up spiritually here and will be eternally hereafter SERM. LIII Afflictions not in themselves but as improved by Patience conduce to our Salvation What goes to the producing of Patience 2 COR. 1. 6. Which is effectual in enduring of the same afflictions which we also suffer THe second part considerable in this amplification of the divine advantage and heavenly profit we have by afflictions for Gods cause is the manner how this salvation is promoted and that is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 In the enduring or in patience under sufferings It is not simply and barely sufferings for murderers suffer robbers suffer but it must be for God there must be a good cause And yet further a good cause is not enough there must be an humble patient and meek deportment in those that do suffer For if they suffer with grudging and repining thinking God is a severe Master who imposeth such hard tasks upon them then they lose their reward neither is salvation advanced hereby The Greek word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is translated sometimes tolerantia enduring and thus in the Text Even as the Verb 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is sometimes Matth. 10. 22. Heb. 12. 3. But for the most part it is rendred patientia patience Thus Luk. 21. 19. Rom. 5. 3. It is also taken by some for perseverance and constancy so that is explained Heb. 12. 1 Let us runne 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 with patience we render it or rather with perseverance and constancy that we faint not or be weary ere we come to the end of our race Although therefore many other graces are necessarily required to go through afflictions so that our salvation may be exalted thereby yet the Apostle here and in many other places instanceth impatience as that which is the most proper and genuine grace for the improving of our sufferings Therefore from hence observe That sufferings not barely of themselves but as improved by patience do conducē to our salvation Without patience our corruptions and our damnation is furthered by all the tribulations we groan under So that patience is like the salt to season this Sacrifice that it may be acceptable If we struggle and strive against God complain plain and murmur because we meet with such hardship this depriveth us of our glory We are not to be like the Sacrifice that did struggle and strive and therefore must be bound to the Altar but we are to deny ourselves to take up the crosse which argueth voluntariness and readiness and then we must follow him Holy obedience must accompany this bearing of the crosse Luk. 9. 23. yea it is added He must take it up daily implying that though this crosse be put upon thy shoulders every day though it be from week to week from year to year thou must not repine but take it up daily You must not carry the cross of Christ as the Philistims heifers did the Ark lowing as they went for their young ones where patience is there is also a quiet meek and ready resignation of our selves even as was in Christ Behold I come to do thy will O God which will of God was partly to suffer most dreadfull things to flesh and blood Contranitency then and contrapugnancy to the will of God bringing tribulations upon us doth deprive us of all that soul-saving benefit we might have by them It is true indeed there is a conditional will in every sufferer for Christ arising necessarily from nature within us which desireth to preserve it self and by this we would deprecate that cup which God is giving us to drink Even Christ himself in this conditional manner prayed Father if it be possible let this cup passe away from me but then with their absolute will they do submit and say Not our will but the will of God be done Thus we have a notable expression John 21. 18. where Christ speaking of the death and martyrdom Peter should suffer for his name he saith Another shall gird thee and carry thee whether thou wouldst not not that Peter suffered against his will absolutely not that he repined at it but rather rejoyced in it only it was against his conditional will nature of itself would have desired rather freedom from those torments But let us proceed to enquire into the Nature or Properties of this Patience and I shall not enlarge my self on this subject in this place because it will come in more expresly and explicitely some where else 1. Therefore take we notice That although humane Philosophers by their several Sects did greatly oppose one another yet they did agree in the commending of patience Indeed Aristotle doth not reckon patience nor humility amongst the moral virtues but the Stoicks especially they did so commend patience as that thereby they would have a man turned into a meer stone as it were and an unnatural dedolency but no Philosophical patience not that of Anaxarchus who cried out so stoutly to the Tyrant who caused him to be brayed and pounced to death Tunde tunde Anaxarchum non tundis or of others so greatly applauded by humane Writers is worthy of the name of Christian patience There is a vast difference in the principles in the end in the effects in the concomitants as might be shewed but I shall not dilate at this time This particular is brought in to make us examine What is the grace of patience and what may be Natural or
and profits than future glory then thou proclaimest thy exceeding great folly and madnesse If then thou love thy self thy soul thy salvation be patient in enduring all that God layeth upon thee Fifthly Be patient under such sufferings Because hereby thou promotest the good of others the salvation of others And certainly this should much prevail with us These sufferings of mine these patient endurings for the cause of Christ may provoke and encourage many others This did greatly induce Paul and animate him in all his reproaches and difficulties he met with for the Gospel because that hereby the Church was more propagated With what joy Phil. 1. 13. doth he speak of this That his bonds were made manifest every where and many of the brethren waxed more confident and bold than before As on the contrary we see the impatience worldly fears and Apostasie of some have done a world of hurt to others not only falling themselves but making others also to tumble down with them This is a sad thing to consider of If the Apostle Rom. 14. speaks so dreadfully about a strong Christian abusing his liberty that thereby he is a stumbling block and on his part destroyeth him for whom Christ died How much more will this hold true on him who shall perfidiously forsake Christ rather than suffer for him And although some of these have recover'd again and manifested as much faithfulnesse as they had formerly falshood yet those that did wholly fall off their fall was great making the adversary to rejoyce and animating others to do the like Therefore on the contrary if thou endure with constancy and patience under all opposions in nothing being dismayed this will imbolden others thou mayest prevent the backsliding of others Insomuch that to suffer for Christ is a great act of love not only to Christ but to the Church when with Paul we shall be willing to be sacrified for the good of other mens souls Now this duty of love we owe to the Body of Christ we are bound in conscience to suffer reproaches and all manner of trials for righteousnesse sake not only because Christ requireth it and with reference to him but also out of love to the souls and salvation of others When we suffer we do not only suffer as private Christians but as members of the body and therefore the concernment of the whole body is in the suffering of every member This then should greatly encourage us in all our afflictions for Christs sake It is not I alone it 's not my salvation only but the salvation of many others is carried on in this businesse Hence some have thought more implied in that expression then ordinarily is conceived 1 Cor. 4. 13. where the Apostle saith We are made as the filth and off-scouring of the world they say the words are not to be understood only of dishonour and reproach but because they were applied to such Sacrifices and devoted things in the offering whereof common judgements were removed piacula therefore they inferre That the Apostles sufferings did conduce to the whole Church of God Others come to obtain mercy by following them for an example I shall not plead for this interpretation onely this is a truth in the general That many have been converted and so saved by beholding the courage and patience of godly Confessors and Martyrs It 's then a duty we owe to the Church of God to suffer when Christ requireth And if we read of Heathens the Curtii and Decii who have devoted themselves to present death to remove some publick calamity what shame will this be to Christians if they shall not in a regular way shew such zeal for the Church of God We have a notable passage 1 John 3. 16. We ought to lay down our lives for the brethren What Christ did for us we are to do for the Church So that from this Text it is plain there are cases and instances wherein a man is bound to lose not only wealth and estate but even life it self for others Hence there is a distinction of Martyrium charitatis and Martyrium fidei A Jesuite Raynardus de Martyrio doth industriously endeavour to maintain That if a man having a call from God doth venture his life by visiting some infected with the plague doing this out of love to God and peoples souls such a man is as truly and properly a Martyr and that in a strict sense as one who dieth for witnessing the faith I shall not here examine this point only in the general we may conclude That he who layeth down his life for the brethren for the spiritual good of others having a call thereunto he he is a Martyr and may encourage himself with all those promises that those who died for the faith have done Yea such a suffering and Martyrdome may be called Martyrium fidei as well as charitatis or misericordiae Faith having imperate acts as well as elicite Hence the Apostle Heb. 11. attributeth divers worthy actions and atchievements unto Faith By this you see in any suffering whereby the Church of God is edified wherein we demonstrate our love to the salvation of others we may greatly encourage our selves Hence also it is observed by one of the Ancients That he who shall suffer to prevent schisms and breaches in the Church of God is more to be honoured than he who suffereth because he would not offer to an Idol because here is more love to the Church of God Let this then in all sufferings whether verbal or real mightily support thee that not my own salvation onely but the good and salvation of all those who shall come to hear or know this will also be furthered To be a meanes of conversion by suffering is in some respect greater than by preaching SERM. LV. All the Dispensations of God carry on and further the Salvation of his People 2 COR. 1. 6. Or whether we be comforted it is for your consolation and salvation THe first part or member of that distribution which the Apostle here useth hath been dispatched For as to the last particular observed in the illustration which the Apostle useth viz. The object matter of their patient enduring which is said to be the same sufferings which we also suffer If any new matter shall present it self it will be more fitly considered in the next verse I proceed therefore to the second part of the distribution used here by the Apostle In that we may observe The Condition supposed If we be comforted Here is light as well as darkness Summer as well as winter The godly are not alwayes afflicted but they have also their seasons of comfort It is not an impossible thing here supposed but what God doth ordinarily bring about for those that fear him So that in the time of adversity thou art to remember the time of thy consolations also whereas the people of God in their distress are apt with David to cry out Hath the Lord cast
universal and pursueth all that call on Christ That as with Christ there is no bond or free no Jew or Gentile all are one so it is also with the enemies of Gods Church in their persecutions all are one to them Look not then for an Ark when all the people of God shall be in the waters Though an Obadiah may live quietly in Ahabs Court when the Elijahs are sought for to be put to death yet this is not alwayes so and that man who will own Christ upon no other condition but that he may not suffer for him or be persecuted for him that man is unsound and rotten at the very heart Secondly Consider that it is no lesse glorious before men and acceptable unto God to be a companion and an associate with those who do suffer then if we did suffer our selves in our own person This hath been alwayes a very hard task for flesh and blood to own the godly while they are in a suffering condition The Disciples themselves proved cowards and unfaithfull in this temptation for when the Shepherd was smitten all the sheep were scattered When Christ was to be crucified all his Apostles fled from him they dared not own him and when Peter was charged to be one of Christs company He curseth and sweareth he did not know the man he was afraid to own so much as the very knowledge of Christ Indeed the godly women Mary the mother of Christ and others they shewed more grace and courage than the very Apostles that all honour and glory may be given to God alone but as for his Disciples they hid themselves and were afraid to be companions with him Hence the Apostle Heb. 10. 33. exhorting believers To call to mind their enduring of a great fight of afflictions he instanceth wherein partly Whilest ye were made a gazing stock both by reproaches and afflictions and partly whilest ye became companions of them that were so used Here you see to become a companion to those that suffer not to flie from them or forsake them is made a great expression of their love to God Paul also 2 Tim. 1. 16. remembers what Onesiphorus did to him while in bonds he mentioneth it as if he would never have it forgotten any more than that womans box of ointment poured on Christ The Lord give mercy to the house of Onesiphorus Why Because he answered his name indeed He oft refreshed me he sought me out very diligently and was not ashamed of my chain What a glorious character is here given to Onesiphorus He was not persecuted himself but he made himself a companion with those that were Paul complaineth of Demas 2 Tim. 4. 10. That he had forsaken him for he was now in hands and to answer before Nero who was known to be nothing but clay and blood mingled together whose cruelty would extend to all abettors and well-wishers If any did but sigh in his time it was a capital crime This fear made Demas as it did all his other friends vers 16. forsake Paul they had not faith and courage enough to venture for him and therefore it 's said He did love the present world he loved his life and liberty too much though some think this was but a temptation in Demas and that he did return to Paul again By this we see how hard a thing it is to own those that are godly in their extremities John 19. 38 39. It is noted both of Joseph of Arimathea and of Nicodemus both Disciples of Christ but secretly for fear of the Jewes yet when Christ was crucified they shewed their boldnesse and courage about Christs body when he was dead And Matth 25. at that terrible day of Judgement judicial processe against sinnes of omission will be for neglect in this I was in prison and ye visited me not When Christ and his cause are discountenanced in the world then unlesse a man have a sincere and upright heart he will curse with Peter and swear That he knoweth not the men These things laid as a foundation let us consider why such sympathizing with and partaking of others afflictions doth interest in eternal glory And First This Reason is evident Because hereby we plainly demonstrate that our Faith in Christ and acknowledging of him is upon divine and spiritual grounds that we do not know Christ and the Christian faith after the flesh Matth. 13. This discovered the thorny ground not to be true and right soil because in time of temptation when the scorching Sun did arise then all the hopefull fruit began to wither This apostatizing from Christ in time of such temptations is so great a matter that we are constantly to pray for the grace and assistance of God therein that we be not left to our selves For Peter being forsaken in some measure only how dreadfull was his fall And for this end it is that God suffereth persecutions and troubles to accompany the profession of his truth that so it may be known who are sound and who hypocrites If thou art but chaff this winnowing will drive thee away They are but a very few that acknowledge Christ upon spiritual and enduring grounds So that though the world rage though enemies be furious and bloudy yet they stand like Mount Sion that cannot be moved Many become Christians as some did Jewes in Mardochees time for fear and because the State favoured the Jewes Outward restraint maketh many take the title of Christians but they live the life of Heathens because the pleasures of sinne are present and affect the sense Orant quia timent peccant quia volunt They pray and performe outward religious duties because they are afraid but they sinne because their will and pleasure inclineth thereunto Now these drossie Christians when they are brought to the fire they presently melt away It cannot be denied but that men may suffer much for a while at least and yet at last deny Christ as we have sad instances in Ecclesiastical History but many times such with that famous Cranmer did prove the more couragious and took an holy revenge upon themselves This accompanying Christ in his dangers hath a notable promise Luke 22. 28. Ye are they which have continued with me in my temptations therefore I appoint unto you a Kingdome that ye may eat and drinke with me and sit on thrones judging Israel Even as Christ manifested his pure love to us that in the midst of all the agonies and miseries he grapled with from God and men yet he did not give over our cause but compleated our redemption for us If so be Solomon did so much favour Abiathar though he deserved death that he told him he would not put him to death though guilty because he had been afflicted in all wherein his father was afflicted 1 Kin. 2. 26. How much more will Christ say thus to such who have not been driven from him by great afflictions Secondly Such communion in afflictions must needs interest in
of death is thus sinfull when it putteth thee upon sinne so when it maketh thee omit any duty that God requireth thou darest not confess God and his truth in the midst of a perverse generation thou darest not be valiant for the truth nor plead for righteousness this fear is excessive Love to God love to his glory should cast out the fear of death Observe then thy self in dangers or temptations how thou findest thy fear to put thee upon sinfull compliances or omissions and presently as Jehoshaphat in the midst of a battel being in great danger cried out unto God for help so do thou to be delivered from this sinfull fear that is a deadly enemy encompassing thee about Secondly Thy fear about death is sinfull when it is immoderate and disquieting of thee so that thou doest not walk with a cheerfull quiet and calm spirit So that although it may not put thee upon any sinfull or unlawfull enterprize yet if it fill thee with anxieties with trepidations so that it depriveth thee of that Evangelical joy and peace in this excess it is a sinne All that are truly godly Being justified by faith they are to have peace in their hearts yea they are to rejoyce alwayes in the Lord but the inordinate fear of death causeth this Sunne to be in an eclipse and as men subject to swooning fits or convulsions cannot go with that courage and confidence up and down as those who are freed from such distempers Thus also the slavish and immoderate fear of death putteth millstones about our neck is a continual Ephialtes upon the soul filleth the spirit with heaviness whereby that Evangelical life and Gospel-conversation that we are called unto is seldome or never exercised Observe then thy self doth such fears of death make thy soul full of tumults and distractions Doth it oppose any Evangelical grace or retard the Spirit of Adoption upon thy soul Then humble thy self know thou sinnest against God and pray for the mortification of it and this thou art to do though it doth not make thee put out thy hand to any evil way though it doth not make thee omit any known duty For as worldly and distrustfull cares though lodging only in the heart are greatly displeasing to God though we do not thereby fall into covetous and unjust wayes yet the very cares and distractions of the heart are forbidden as appeareth by that reproof given to Martha by our Saviour himself Luke 10. 41. Martha Martha thou art troubled about many things but one thing is needfull Thus it is also in fears though thou art not instigated thereby to unlawfull wayes to preserve thy self yet the distractions and divisions of thy heart are offensive to God Therefore as the Apostle saith Phil. 4. 6. Be carefull in nothing but let your requests be made known to God Let prayer rebuke all storms and tempests of sinfull cares so in nothing be fearfull no not about death it self but commit thy self by prayer to God to whom the issues of life and death do belong Thirdly This fear of death is sinfull when it excludeth better and more profitable and seasonable fear The Scripture doth frequently command a fear of God and the serving of him with godly trembling Psal 2. 11. Yea the whole work of grace is expressed in this That God will put his fear in our hearts Jer. 32. 40. If then this fear of God did more prevail and rule in our hearts we should not fear diseases and death so much as we do The fear of God would put a due moderation upon all the powers of the soul This would regulate the fear of all other things so that we dare not fear otherwayes than God hath commanded then this natural fear is compatible with gracious fear For as our love to the creatures must be animated and regulated by our love to God so that we are never to love any thing that thereby our love to God may be abated or diminished Thus it must be in fear we are never to dread any thing further than it is consistent with the fear of God therefore it may fall out sometimes that the fear of God may justly put us upon the fear of death as when we walk negligently coldly and formally when we do not make up our daily accounts with God when we do not make our daily peace with God with renewed repentance and faith If we live in this manner then we have good cause to fear death because we are unprovided for it it seizeth on us before we are prepared and the fear of God may justly put us into this fear of death For we know how great holy and just God is how dreadfull his appearance will be at the day of judgement and all that we can do it must be done before death then the night is come and none can work To repent to bewail our unprofitableness our neglect of the seasons of grace in hell will then be as unprofitable as Esau's teares when he had lost his birth-right There is therefore a just and holy fear about death lest it should take us not doing the work of God lest it should come so unexpectedly that we be forced to cry out with him Inducias usque ad mane O spare me till to morrow Let one live another day to make peace with God and the fear of God will put us upon this fear as the Apostle said 2 Cor. 5. 11. Knowing the terrour of the Lord we perswade men Thus it is here Knowing the terrour of the Lord that he is greater than our hearts that if they condemn us then God will much more This will put a fear of death upon us because that is nothing but the presenting of our souls in his presence We read Judg. 6. 23. and in many other places when God made any glorious apparition the persons who beheld it were so amazed and stricken with the sense of their imbecillty that they thought they should die presently and shall not the thoughts about death that it 's the dislodging of the soul and bringing it immediately before God strike much terrour into us This holy and reverential fear about death is laudable and is the fruit of the fear of God but when this fear of death maketh thee fear God the less or hindereth thee in the service of him then cast this Hagar out of doors Fourthly The fear of death is sinfull when it doth proceed from a sinfull cause If the fountain be bitter then the stream is bitter Now there are these sinfull causes of the fear of death 1. When it proceedeth from an inordinate love of life An excessive love of life doth alwayes beget an immoderate fear of death So that we may judge of the sinfulness of fear by the sinfulness of love If thy heart be not mortified and crucified to the world if thy heart be not loosned and weaned from earthly comforts and this maketh thee afraid to die this is
God as that known expression of Luthers Fiat voluntas mea Domine In Savoâ—â—râ—la likewise even Machiavil did acknowledge a Divine Spirit in him Many things he fore-told which came to passe and had bold accesse to the throne of grace as if he had been another Moses speaking to God face to face In his Homilies upon Micah he hath wonderfull assertions about his predictions But extraordinary priviledges and that in some cases onely must not be extended to all When the glory of God and the good of his Church is concerned God doth come with more familiar discoveries of himthan at other times But though this be so yet the godly are many times deceived in themselves and about others and that because they judge according to outward appearance Fourthly Then are the people of God apt to be deceived about themselves When they yeeld too much or give too much credit to the strong affections and raised zeale as they thinke for the glory of God In such particulars they have many times failed as men yea so as they have sinned thereby and offended God Thus Peter did exceedingly fail Matth. 16. 23. when out of his great affection to his Master he said Master save thy self What a severe reproof did his humane affections meet with Get thee behind me Satan for thou savourest not the things of God but of man Little did Peter expect such words for that which he thought was his good will if not piety to Christ The like also we find in those Disciples Luke 9. 55. when they would have fire come from Heaven to be avenged on the Samaritans because they would not receive Christ for there Christ gave them a check saying Ye know not what spirit ye are of They thought that to be a Divine Spirit they thought the same heavenly breathing and motion to be upon them as was upon Elias but alas they did not know what spirit it was We find also Paul deceived or at least forbidden in some passages which he thought greatly promoting the glory of God Act. 16. 6. Paul was forbidden to preach the Word in Asia which implieth a desire and an attempt in him to do it And vers 7. Paul essayed to go into Bythinia but the Spirit suffered him not And often he purposed to come to the Churches he had planted And although he saith in one place 1 Thess 2. 18. I Paul would have come to you once and again but Satan hindered yet Satan could not have hindered had not God permitted him So that though Satan hindered Paul sinfully yet God did hinder him justly and for wise ends Which instances shew what vehement affections the godly may have and that as they think for Gods glory when yet God disposeth farre otherwise So that as God may sometimes for just and holy ends let false prophets speak truth as Deut. 13. 1. a false prophet or dreamer may tell a thing which may come to passe and the Lord suffer this to tempt and try his people Thus Balaam though a wicked man and a Sorcerer did prophesie of the happy things that were long after to come upon Israel Yea the Philistims Priests and Diviners did by Gods special permission 1 Sam. 6. direct to such means about the Ark and order strange wayes about the milch Kine to discover whether their evil was of God or not and all this proved successefull As I say God may for wise and just ends suffer the Devils instruments to foretell that which is true and speak aforehrnd of things that shall and will come to passe so on the other side God may sometimes hide things from his own people yea his own Prophets so that they may not know them As Elijah told Gehezi The Lord had hid from him what the Shunamites grief was The people of God then are to walk in all humility and as they are not to believe every spirit but try the spirit of others so also they are not to believe their own spirit but to try that Fifthly The people of God are apt to be deceived about themselves thinking otherwise than indeed it is and that about the frames of their heart in respect of the workings of grace As Paul received a sentence of death upon himself so sometimes the children of God a more terrible sentence upon themselves even that they are damned that they are cast-awayes that God hath forsaken them that they have no true grace that all their Religion is but hypocrisie Even these sad decrees the godly in their temptations do receive in themselves but God doth not passe this sentence upon them neither doth the word of God it is their deceived and tempted heart Thus also it is for grace they many times are deceived thinking they can do those things for God which when put upon the trial they cannot As Peter thought Though all men should for sake him yet he would not Oh how little do the godly know of their hearts how mutable how contradictory to themselves And all because they think that is not in them which indeed is As there are dangerous Rocks in the Sea when you would think by the waters that cover them all were safe and harmlesse It was this made David so affectionately cry out Psal 19. Who can understand his errours Cleanse me from secret sins and thereupon prayeth Keep back thy servant from presumptuous sinnes Remember that in thy heart there are secret concavities and windings that it will put on many shapes and forms seeming an humble heart when it is proud an heavenly heart when it is earthly SERM. LXVII The People of God often pass false judgement upon the dispensations of God towards them The Reasons from whence this false judgement proceeds with Rules to prevent it 2 COR. 1. 9. But we had the sentence of death in our selves that we might not trust in our selves WE have observed from the first part in this Verse That even the godly themselves are apt to be deceived about Gods dispensation towards them They make false conclusions because they erre in some premisses It remaineth that after some generall and remote instances we come to insist on that which the Text affordeth viz. That then the People of God are deceived when they judge of Gods dealings according to sense and humane helps not according to Gods power and his promise And with this deceit the Children of God are frequently overtaken How often do we find David in many of his Psalmes thus deluded what false conclusions doth he many times make about himself and his affaires and all this did arise because he limiteth God to his own thoughts and expectations if God remove not such impediments if his helps come not in before such a time then they conclude all is hopeless It is said of the people of Israel that they limited the holy one of Israel Isa 78. 41. And wherein did this appeare The Psalmist spake of it before viz. Can God furnish a Table in the
their rust cleansing out their spots they would quickly become very loath some and unclean Now in the pursuing of this Doctrine because I have already opened the nature of this self-trusting I shall only aggravate the evil of it that because the godly are so prone to it they may the more bewail it and watch against it And certainly the people of God doe not thinke and meditate upon the evil of this sinne enough you heare them complaining often of other sinnes they lie heavy upon their hearts but very little of this whereas this is like sweet poison it destroyeth and you feele it not And First It must nneds be a sinne highly displeasing God Because he doth so severely chastise his own people to prevent this sinne The sharper physick is given the greater danger of the disease God would not have exercised Paul thus above his strength but that he might see his own feebleness and infirmity and might accordingly trust in God onely Lighter and lesser afflictions do not drive thee out of all humane props thou hast some creature-consideration or other that doth make thee bear up thy heart but when God cuts every rope and drives the ship into the midst of the Sea among waves and tempests then thou art provoked to look up unto God Let then the children of God lay to heart this sinne more and examine themselves in every affliction that doth befall them Thou many times sayest Oh that I could find out the sinne the Jonah that hath raised this tempest Oh that I knew what was the peculiar corruption God would bring me in mind of by this trouble upon me Why try and search whether thou hast not secretly trusted in thy own self or in some earthly hopes Whether thy heart hath been weaned from all things It may be there is this or that creature thou doest inordinately lean upon and therefore because thou doest not yet trust in God with all thy heart he doth thus imbitter thy condition to thee Insomuch that were the children of God in no danger of self-dependance or creature-dependance they should seldome meet with the rod of God upon their backs Who was a man of greater afflictions and exercises than David was And who speaketh more of trusting in God than he doth This he learned by all his temptations Secondly This sinne is to be aggravated Because it is such a secret close imbred sinne it is the last sinne that will be mortified There is a difficulty of finding it out and a difficulty of overcoming it when it is discovered and both these make it the more dangerous and damnable sinne It is difficult to find it out This sinne like Saul hideth it self behind the stuff you may search and search as they did for the Spies in Rahab's house but because something or other covereth this sinne therefore you passe it by undiscerned How apt are we to say I do not trust in my graces I do not trust in my gifts Would you not have me to take notice of them How can I then be thankfull to God How can I bless God for them And for my graces Do not all Divines say though they may not trust in them yet they may take them as comfortable signs of Gods favour and thereupon rejoyce before God yea and plead them against the accusation of Satan or as an argument to God not by way of merit but because of the gracious promise made by God to our graces after this manner Hezekiah under the sentence of death prayed Remember O Lord how I have walked before thee in truth and with an upright heart 2 King 20. 3. Thus also Paul did I have fought a good fight henceforth is laid up for me a crown of glory 2 Tim. 4. 7. All this is true godly men are allowed to take comfort from their graces and thankfully to receive the evidences of Gods love thereby but how hard a matter is it to stay there and go no further How difficultly are consolations from them and confidence in them separated one from another Even as to have riches and not to trust in riches so to have grace and not trust in grace and the rather by how much grace is accounted a more excellent thing then wealth As it is hard to find it out so no lesse difficult to overcome it Caesar had some enemies of whom he said it was Difficilius invenire quam vincere but it is not so with this corruption Paul himself cannot so quickly shake off this viper that sticketh not to his hand but close to the heart For as faith is therefore the most difficult grace because it carrieth us out of our selves out of the creatures out of all things and fixeth the heart upon God alone So on the contrary this is the sinne that is most easie and where unto we are most propense with the worme we crawl upon the ground our feeblenesse and infirmity is such that we must have churches to rest upon and till faith be made perfect we cannot but catch hold upon some reed or other though never so weak Thirdly It being an heart-sinne It may be frequently committed in a day in an hour Thy heart is alwayes in motion it never lieth still now every time it moveth it may put forth some carnal dependance or other upon the creature Thus whereas many sins cannot be often committed there are many things concurrent ere they can be accomplished This may be committed as often as there is the twinkling of the eye The air then may not be fuller of Atomes or the sea of water than thy heart of carnal confidences And certainly every time God is not made thy refuge every time thou doest not rest under his shadow so often doest thou put trust in something else than God onely Take heed then of that sinne which like the Poets Hydra as often as thou cuttest off their Heads new ones arise again in the room thereof That the emptying of thy heart is like emptying of a lively and quick spring the more water is cast out the more new cometh in immediately Fourthly This trusting in any thing but God is a very great sinne Because it is a making of the creature a God and so a breach of that first Commandment wherein we are forbidden to have any other gods but the true one Now how great a sinne Idolatry is the Scripture doth every where speak Thou therefore that abhorrest to worship a stock or a stone who darest not fall down before an Idol to doe reverence thereunto How often doest thou as bad in thy heart to the creatures Yea many times some Idolaters did worship the true God they did not erre in the object onely they formed sinfull representations of God to themselves As the Israelites in that Calf which they made crying out These are thy gods O Israel And this Idolatry is not so bad as when that which is not the true God is set up for him
so were unclean by the Law of God Thirdly This trusting it is an act of faith by that grace we are able to depend upon God alone Indeed the Papists they make trusting to be an act of Hope And it may not be denied but that faith hath some such proportionable act flowing from it but the trusting that the Scripture speaks so much of is plainly an act of faith For what the Old Testament calleth Trusting in God so often in the New it is Believing on God and on Christ 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is no more than fiducial recumbency or resting of the soule upon Christ Though hope therefore hath its trust yet faith likewise hath its trust Onely hopes object is apprehended as suture and in expectation but faiths trusting maketh the object present as to apprehension And therefore Heb. 11. 1. it is called The substance of things hoped for By trusting then on God we mean not that act of faith whereby it knoweth God nor that whereby it giveth assent that there is a God but whereby the whole heart is drawne out to depend on God and rest upon him for whatsoever good thing he standeth in need of And therefore this trusting in God is necessarily accompanied with a love of God and endeared thoughts about him as a gracious Father who will mercifully provide for all our wants As Austin of old Credere in Deum was Credendo amare So that here is a great difference between that Historical and Dogmatical faith which many Christians have whereby they acknowledge the truths of Christ and this fiducial trusting on God for this is necessarily accompanied with an hearty love of and delight in God and cannot be separated from it Hence the Devil that he may tempt to despair which is a sinne opposite to trust in God he labours to keep the distressed sinner in hard thoughts of God as one who is a provoked Judge and will not shew mercy So that as long as the heart is by these sad temptations kept at a distance and is estranged from God it cannot so fully trust in him Fourthly It 's not God absolutely considered that is the object of our trusting in him For the Devils and damned in hell though none need mercy and help more than they doe yet they cannot trust in him Therefore God relatively considered as revealing himself to his people is the object of their hope and these Attributes or Properties do especially sustain our trusting in him 1. That he is the infinite true and ever living God Upon this ground to trust in Idols to trust in riches to trust in men though never so great is forbidden not only as a sin but as a vain thing uncertain riches they are Idols are vanities they are nothing Man hath his breath in his nostrils and therefore it is foolish to trust in such things but God being the Jehovah and Eternal even the Everlasting God the same for ever therefore it is that he onely must be trusted in Are thy creatures a Jehovah Have they an infinite being Are they from everlasting to everlasting No certainly then it is Idolatry to put trust in them 2. God is the Adequate Object of our hope Because of his Immutability on his Promises as well as in his Being Here are two particulars included in this 1. A Promise For if God had not revealed to us what he would doe for us there could not be any trusting in him Hence Gods promise and mans trusting they must alwayes go together To trust for such things he hath never promised is presumption and a temptation of God and not to trust for such things as he hath promised though they seem never so improbable or impossible to us is to limit God and to measure him according to our apprehensions This is to make trusting an act of sense or of reason not of faith The Rule then of our trusting is Gods promise It is not Gods Infinitenesse and Eternity as such but we must also have a promise Therefore though God be so full of Goodnesse and Mercy yet the damned cannot trust in him because they have no promise from God that he will doe good to them But though we have a promise yet if it were the promise of a man who is a liar who is inconstant and mutable ready to repent of what he hath promised then our trusting would be weak and uncomfortable but God is unchangeable in his promise Heaven and Earth shall sooner passe away than this gracious word of God James 1. 17. With him there is no variablenesse nor shadow of change God then being the supreame verity and it being impossible for him to lie as Hebr. 6. 18 19. No wonder that our hope and trusting in God under all waves of temptations be a sure and stedfast Anchor as the Apostle calleth it Why then is it that you see even the people of God tossed up and downe with such uncertain thoughts and workings of heart Why is it they have not a serene and quiet frame of heart all the day long It is because they let goe this Anchor They intermit this trusting in God otherwise because God is the same and his promise is the same they also would be the same You see then why God is the Adequate Object of our trust because he hath promised and because he is unchangeable in his promise What folly is it to trust in any earthly greatnesse and power It is but as the shadow that passeth away The Apostle calleth it The fashion of the world 1 Corinth 7. because it is so transitory Therefore our name we customarily use to expresse things by is most absurd and improper if we regard Scripture-expression For we use to say A Kingly State A Christian State and so Statu◠Magnatum Status is à stando and denoteth what is stable whereas all these are but a Fashion a Shew that passeth away Thus when we would expresse the glory of a man we say he appeared in Great State Now no word is so improper as that it is as if you should call a shadow a substance or say the substance of a shadow or as if running should be called standing still The Scripture expresseth it more fully when Act. 25. 23. Agrippa and Bernice are said to appear 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 With great pomp we translate in the original it is With a great phantasie or apparition The word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is applied in Scripture to apparitions of Spirits which quickly vanish away Now how contradictory is it to call a phantasie a State as if we should call a feather which flieth up and down a mountain that abideth and cannot be removed Seeing therefore all earthly greatnesse is thus fluid and ambulatory how can we put any trust therein Lastly Therefore is God the ground of our trusting Because he is onely Almighty and Omnipotent able to doe of himself whatsoever he hath promised For though we had
continuing his Mercies to us as well as his conferring Mercies upon us 2 COR. 1. 10. And doth deliver THe Apostle having thankfully acknowledged the goodness of God to him in what was past he cometh to celebrate what was for the present for we see in this Verse the goodness of God extending it self to all differences of times If God should but once help us but once deliver us we should immediately fall into utter destruction Therefore the Apostle observeth that the mercies of God are chained together God doth not only begin to do good but he continueth it Hence he addeth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and doth deliver Indeed Beza speaketh of the Syriack Interpreter as not reading this passage and also some Coppies and therefore addeth Fortassis hoc redundat it may be this is superfluous Chrysostome also taketh no notice of it but it being so generally received in most Copies and the Apostle nameing the past and future time it is likely he would also celebrate the goodness of God which he did injoy for the present for if the Lord did not continually deliver all our former deliverances would do us no good The Greek word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is observed by Varinus to be customarily used in Homer for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to keep keeping being a kind of deliverance Hesychius renders it by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but the most eminent and principall is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to save and hence in the Scripture Christ who is the Sauiour is called Rom. 11. 26. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 out of Sion shall come the deliverer Now when Paul speaketh thus in the present tense he doth deliver it supposeth that that as he was as yet in troubles as he saith We suffer even to this present hour 1 Cor. 4. 11. Paul needeth deliverance continually because he is in troubles continually though happily for the present they were not so great as those he formerly conflicted with Again In nameing the present tense he implyeth That if God did not daily keep him the same or the like decumane waves would overwhelme him But lastly With which sense I close this signifieth that it is not enough for God to vouchsafe mercies once to his people unless he continue to do so all the day long From whence observe That Gods continuing of his mercies is as necessary as his first bestowing of them If the Lord should deliver us from any evill and afterwards leave us to our own strength and wisedome to preserve our selves how inevitable would our ruine be Therefore we must turne this Text into Prayer O Lord thou who hast delivered still deliver go on and continue thy helping hand To illustrate this let us consider 1. In what particulars this word in the Text is used in the holy Scriptures for we are apt to look only to bodily deliverances to externall mercies Whereas we shall find a soul deliverance and spirituall deliverance principally spoken of in Gods word and for which Christ is called the deliverer so that the consideration of this should raise us up into spirituall and heavenly Meditations And 1. For a bodily deliverance This Paul speaketh off 2 Tim. 4. 17. I was delivered 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from the mouth of the Lion a Lion and the mouth of the Lion he was in the very mouth little hope of salvation When the danger is so extreame whether he meant it particularly of Nero or whether by that he would allegorically express some eminent danger to be sure he meaneth Gods helping hand and that in bodily misery Thus also Paul 2 Tim. 3. 11 enumerating severall persecutions he concludeth but out of them all God delivered me Although therefore spirituall evils are judged by the godly the greatest evills and spirituall deliverances the greatest deliverances yet the godly being men consisting of flesh and blood they also are sensible of externall evils and thereupon do greatly need Gods mercies towards them in their outward deliverances Davids Psalmes do for the most part glorifie and praise God in respect of temporall deliverances and therefore such Psalmes have the most powerfull influence and do most affect the heart when we come to be in the same dangers and feares with him so that in all our outward deliverances we are to acknowledg God only not our own wisedome or our own power Not unto us Lord but unto thy name be all glory given 2. There is also a spirituall deliverance the Scripture mentioneth and this ought diligently to be headed by us 1. There is Christs sperituall deliverance of us 1 Thess 1. 10. in respect of the wrath and vengeance to come we are there said to wait for Jesus which deliuered us from the wrath to come What is that wrath to come even the day of judgement wherein God will be avenged upon all impenitent wicked men adjudging them to those externall torments prepared for the Devill and his Angels Oh how little do men think of the wrath to come so they may enjoy their present pleasures their present lusts and advantages they never remember what wrath is to come for all this Oh let the prophane man say to his soul in the midst of all jollities well for all this there is wrath to come put not this out of your mind day and night but to the godly the Apostle saith he hath delivered us from this wrath to come We may truly say with Agag The bitterness of death is over yea the bitterness of Hell and damnation is over Oh what an unspeakeable deliverance is this who art thou that God should deliver thee from that wrath which consumeth so many thousands how can the believing soul ever let this mercy slip out of his mind When others shall hear that dreadfull sentence depart ye cursed into everlasting fire then shall they be called to inherit everlasting glory Though now for the present for want of saith those future things are not realized to us Yet at that great day when we shall see all these terrible things transacted before our eyes Oh the thoughts of heart that then will work in us what outrages to Mountains and Hils if possible to save them from this wrath The godly are said to be already delivered from it because Christ hath purchased their deliverance and they have right thereunto by the promise of God so that they are as firmely to conclude of it as if it were already done Even as we are said to sit already in heavenly places with Christ 2. There is a spirituall deliverance from the Bower of sinne and Satan We are by nature captives and slaves unto him we are in bondage to every lust and we greedily fullfill the desires of our own corrupt hearts But by Christ we obtain a deliverance we are set free faom the power our former sinnes had over us Col. 1. 13. Who hath delivered us from the power of darknesse and translated us into the kingdome of
You may read how happily the Apostle conjoyneth them together Phil. 2. 12 13. Work out your own salvation with fear and trembling for it is God that worketh in you both to will and to do It is true the enemies of Gods grace who detract from it in whole or in part do gladly imbrace this truth and compel it to go two miles further than it would They force it so much that blood cometh out in stead of milk As Austin while he writeth against Manichees Pelagians did take some expressions of his commending them exceedingly as that all sinne must be voluntary else it could not be a sinne c. as if he had been on their party Then on the other side when he did valiantly write against the Pelagians they branded him for a Manichee So hard a matter is it to defend truth which lieth between two extreams but while we set against one we are thought to draw nigh to another And thus it is in the Doctrine now observed while we maintain the necessity of our duty as well as Gods grace we are thought to go into the Papists quarters Again while against them we set up the grace and power of God excluding though not the duties and means God hath appointed yet the merit and causality of them we are thought to joyn with the Antinomians whereas indeed we have no affinity with either Let us therefore labour after that spiritual skill and discerning whereby we may be able to know what God doth and what we are to do yet so as not to take off in the least manner from the glory of God First Therefore consider That all the great spiritual mercies which God doth vouchsafe in time to his people have many things concurrent before they be accomplished It is not the presence of one thing alone can effect that mercy unless all be present I say it is thus with these spiritual priviledges God vouchsafeth in time For as for predestination which is an immanent act and the purpose of God from eternity to prepare for glory There is nothing at all concurrent to that but the meer good pleasure of his will The Scripture alwayes resolveth it into that alone but it is otherwayes with justification and glorification For to justification many things are required there is the grace of God as the efficient cause the blood of Christ as the meritorious cause and faith as the instrument the hysop to sprinkle this blood upon the soul Now till all these meet together a man is not justified God indeed hath decreed to justifie thee from all eternity but the actual justification of thy person is in this order and method So for glorification the kingdom of glory is said to be prepared for the godly viz. from eternity they were before the foundations of the world were laid elected to this everlasting happiness but an holy life and a godly conversation is the way thereunto No unclean thing can enter there This being so Hence in the second place It hath alwayes bred much confusion and errour in Doctrine to oppose these requisites one against another To argue from the inclusion of some to the exclusion of others if duty then no Christ if Christ then no duty The Antinomian he argueth If Christ by his blood made atonement for our sinnes if our iniquities were laid upon him then we are justified from that time in the sight of God before we do believe or repent Now whence ariseth this errour Because they consider not that as Christ is required in a meritorious way so also faith in an instrumental way And though Christ do more principally concurre to our justification yet faith is required by necessity of precept and means also Christ without faith doth not justifie no more than faith without Christ Hence they are put together Rom. 3. 25. Whom God hath sit out to be a propitiation through faith in his blood The Papist on the other side though the Scripture mentioneth not the word merit and satisfaction yet by their forced consequences they would establish such a Doctrine Now in the sense they and others plead for works notwithstanding all their subtil distinctions The Apostle argueth infallibly Rom. 11. If of grace then not of works and if of works then grace is no longer grace Though therefore some do more grosly then others set up works against Christ yet they become guilty of dishonouring him who give him not the sole glory of our redemption But you will say If Gods grace and our duty must go together if we must look to Christ for salvation and yet to holiness to prayer and repentance as the means conducing thereunto How may we be directed so to live as that we shall give all to the glory of Gods grace and his power and yet to act in the duties God hath commanded without any negligence therein For seeing that Satan is very busie in his temptations on both sides either to be careless of prayer and other ordinances because we are to give all to Christ or because they are necessarily required to put our trust and confidence in the performance of them it is good to be informed wherein the way is clear for a believers avoiding all dangers To answer this which will indeed explicate the whole nature of the Doctrine consider these particulars First Then thou mayest relie on Christ and yet be diligent in the use of all Ordinances when thou doest acknowledge all the power thou hast both in whole or in part to the very beginning of godliness to come alone from him When whatsoever thou art able to do thou doest confess it is his gift thou hast received it from him so that it is not thou that doest it not thy power thy strength but the gift of God alone Thus Phil. 4. 12 13. when he had mentioned that excellent frame of heart That he knew how to abound and how to want yea that he could do all things he mollifieth this presently by adding Christ He could do all things through Christ that strengthned him Here Paul doth put forth the life of grace but the fountain of it is Christ So again 1 Cor. 15. 10. I laboured more abundantly then they all yet not I but the grace of God which was with me or in me exciting of me and giving me strength to do it The trumpet of grace is often in these acknowledgements 2 Cor. 3. 5. We are not sufficient of our selves to think any thing as of our selves He doth not say to do but not so much as to think And he doth not say great things or high things but any thing Not the least good thing in his ministerial way but our sufficiency is of God Therefore to curb the insolency of such proud thoughts as if we cou'd do any thing of our selves see with what authority he speaketh 1 Cor. 4. 7. Who maketh thee to differ from another And what hast thou that thou diast not receive
Therefore the Pelagians and Semi-pelagians of old these did so set up duty and their own power therein that they did take off from Christ and his grace The former they held not grace necessary unless it were for the more easie working ad facilius operandum but if this were so then Christ was in vain in respect of any absolute necessity The latter they held our endeavours our desires and groans did go before and then grace was bestowed upon us to put them into effectual operations But all this is derogatory to the grace and power of God who of spiritually dead makes us to live a supernatural life being made new creatures and so act from that principle of life infused into us Secondly We do exercise our selves in prayer and other Ordinances without any dishonour to the grace and power of Christ when we attribute no merit or causality to them And this is a step higher than the former For in Popery besides Christ they press the necessity of holy works as merits but they acknowledge the grace of God to be the foundation thereof They say our faith our love our repentance must be the fruits of the Spirit and the effects of Gods grace but then they destructively adde That these do merit eternal life and by such duties we make compensation to the justice of God Now you must know that they plead not for merit in a rude and grosse manner as if the works flowing from us did deserve a crown of glory but as we are enabled to them by grace and thereupon they say to call the graces we are enabled unto by Christ menstruous cloaths or dung and drosse they think to be a manifest injury to God himself But certainly when Paul would not be found in the righteousnesse he had And Abraham and David were not justified by the works they did though regenerated persons This doth fully overthrow all merit under any distinction whatsoever Look then thou distinguish between the necessity of the duty and the merit thereof See thy self bound to the use of all Ordinances but attribute no condignity to them to make thee worthy of Gods favour Thirdly Then we derogate not from Christ when in the constant exercise of these we rest onely upon him for our justification Though we pray for our selves and others though we diligently attend to the whole course of godliness yet in regard of reconciliation with God and acceptance of our persons we go out of all to Christ alone It hath pleased the Father that in Christ all fullnesse should dwell Col. 1. 14. Fullness is not to dwell in thy duties or graces but in Christ Hence also Ephes 1. 6. We are accepted of in the beloved It is not then in our own performances nor in any thing that we can do that we are to look for acceptance David though living under the Old Testament dispensations yet saw so much of Gospel-light and Gospel-grace That if God entered into judgement with his servant no flesh could be justified in his sight Psalm 143. 2. Doe not then confound sanctification and justification together which is the continual errour in Popery Be diligent in active righteousness but rest in passive viz. that righteousness of Christ imputed to the believer Fourthly We performe duties and Ordinances without derogation to Christ when we put no trust or secret confidence in them but look upon them onely as the signes and evidences of Christs dwelling in us We may indeed be much comforted and rejoyce in the discovering of graces in our hearts but to put any confidence in them to rest upon them as if in them we might stand before God This is to mistake and to give to our graces what belongs to Christ and that Christian must have a discerning spirit even an Eagles eye that can difference between comfort from duties and resting in duties Then also we put no trust in them when we are by them lifted up to draw nigh to Christ when they are to us what the tree was to Zacheus to raise us up higher that we may have communion with Christ If then we look upon our graces as the restimonies of Gods love and exercise our selves in duties as those whereby we draw nigh to Christ himself then Christ is glorified not dishonoured by them Fifthly Then we use spiritual duties oppositely to the honour of God when we thinke to profit him or advantage him thereby When we have done all we are to judge our selves unprofitable servants as to God God needeth not any of our service He hath millions of Angels and thousands of the spirits of just men made perfect which offer him praise and honour without the least spot and defilement So that it is his gracious condescension to accept of our duties It is his mercy that he will regard our prayers They are liker to noisome vapours than to frankincense and yet God is pleased to receive them as such If therefore thou art after all duties exceedingly debased and humbled saying Who am I Lord And what am I that I should be received into thy presence and so going from duties not as giving to God but receiving from him not as if thou hadst honoured him but he had honoured thee then Christ and duties are well accorded together Use of Instruction What subtil and secret refined wayes of sinning the heart of man is guilty of For whereas all will conclude that not to pray not to be diligent in duties is to oppose Christ and withstand him there is a more mystical and undiscerned way of opposing Christ and God which is by religious duties and Ordinances when we make them more than means when we give merit to them and put any confidence in them How heavy an aggravation is this while we pray to God to provoke God while we call on Christ to dishonour Christ Search out therefore for thy sins not onely in the open wayes of impiety but in the paths of holiness In thy prayers in the ordinances look to find out sinnes there as well as temptations of more dissoluteness The works of the Law kept men off from Christ as well as the works of the flesh SERM. LXXX The highest in Gifts and Graces should desire the Prayers of the Meanest And People ought to Pray for their Ministers as well as Ministers for their People 2 COR. 1. 11. You also helping together by Prayer for us THis Text you heard is declarative of the meanes which were to be used by the Corinthians that the mercy Paul trusted in God for might be accomplished The meanes that is Prayer but a labouring Prayer and with accord and agreement yea such an helping in Prayer as is a debt of service and ministration to their spirituall guides The word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 when taken strictly and distinctly to other words that are also rendred prayers and supplications as some would expound that place 1 Tim. 2. 1. doth signifie prayer only in
of his love this riches of his grace should exceedingly melt thee it should be like fire that assimilateth every thing into its self now when this love like so many coales of fire is in thy breast it cannot be but that it will open thy heart and thy mouth wide to praise the Lord. This is our corruption we love the mercy it self but not God that giveth it we delight in the comforts that are bestowed upon us but do not rejoyce in God from whence they come If therefore thou findest thy heart frozen and dull thou canst not raise it up to bless God meditate much upon the love of God to thee so vile and unworthy 4. An heavenly heart is necessary to bless and praise God The praising of God is Angels works and the imployment of the glorified Saints to all eternity Praise is comely but it is from clean hearts and clean mouths We need the Spirit of God to inable us to thanksgiving as well as to prayer Psal 119. 7. I 'le praise thee with uprightness An hypocrite who giveth God glory by his mouth but reproacheth him by his life not only his prayer but his praises are abominable Hence Psal 50. ult it is said Who so offereth praise glorifieth God But lest you should extend this to every man See what is added And who so ordereth his conversation aright c. If a man praise God in never so melodious a tune but then there is no harmony nor order in his life this is a reproach to God We may benedicere linguâ when we do maledicere vitâ There is a real praising of God by exercised holiness as well as verbal by the tongue In the Sacrifices of thanksgiving Levit. 7. 10. Whosoever did eat thereof that had uncleanness upon him he was to be cut off By this is typified how unpleasing the praises of such are who live in their sins it is as uncomely as a pearl in the Swines mouth It is true God doth greatly condescend to accept of our praises for he hath millions and millions of Angels continually praising of him who have not the least blemish or spot upon them but yet he is pleased to take this Sacrifice at our hands In the Sacrifice of thanksgiving Levit. 7. 13. there was leaven allowed Junius observeth That whereas God allowed leaven in no other Sacrifice though Bonfrerius thinketh otherwise and that leaven only was forbidden so farre as to be offered but the common opinion is otherwise why then was leaven allowed only in this Sacrifice Hereby to teach us saith Junius that there is corruption and sinfulness in our best actions and that we need the righteousness of Christ that they be accepted of Even then in our praises there is matter of humiliation there is some bitterness yet through Christ we are accepted of But though all pollution cannot be purged out yet he that liveth in a wilfull way of sinning cannot give glory to God acceptably 5. He that praiseth God must do it voluntarily readily chearfully otherwise it is not worthy the name of praise As God loveth a cheerfull giver so especially a thanksgiver To praise God with an heavy lumpish unwilling heart is a contradiction to the duty in thy hand it is as if we should say a black Sun or a cold fire Lev. 22. 29 30. The Law about a Sacrifice of thanksgiving is that when they offer it it must be at their own will which argueth the readiness and willingness that ought to be in us at that time and then on the same day it was to be offered they were to eat it all up to leave none till the morrow whereas in other Sacrifices they might And this was to shew that he who would give thanks to God he must do it speedily he must not delay or put off So that by this you see a praising frame of heart requireth a most curious exact temperature It 's that Apothecaries ointment which belonged to the Highpriest onely made up of choice ingredients A sinfull heart cannot praise God and a worldly heart cannot praise God that wants wheels to its chariots wings to flie up with The Lark lifteth her self off from the earth ere she begins to sing And then a sorrowfull dejected heart that cannot praise God no more than a string in the instrument too much wetted can cause a melodious sound In the next place Let us consider the encouragements thereunto And 1. The excellency of this duty is apparent in that the heart is naturally so froward and opposite to it It may cause some wonder why the soul of a man should be slow to this work and commonly all are more in petitions then in thanksgivings Hence David Psal 103. though a man more exercised in this service than any one called therefore the sweet singer of Israel and who is not contented himself to praise God but cals upon all the creatures in Heaven and earth yea the most inconsiderable ones to praise God yet he finds some listlesness and slothfulness in himself see therefore how he prepareth and stirreth up himself as the Cock doth before his crow Bless the Lord O my soul and let all within thee praise his holy name His heart doth need calling upon his soul must be moved and quicknnd ere it doth his duty Conclude then certainly this duty is most excellent it is very pleasing to God because I am so backward I am never scarce in a praising temper one clog or other is upon me 2. Consider That the Scripture vouchsafeth it the name of a Sacrifice Heb. 13. 15. Where you have the duty commanded the time when and the manner how Let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God and that continually As David said Seven times a day will I praise thee Ps 119. 164. It is a sacrifice and every sacrifice must have fire there must be zeal and fervency but by whom must we offer it it is by Christ so that he is the Altar upon which the incense of prayers and praises are to be offered to God By him we have both power and acceptance to praise God and in this sense all the people of God are called Priests and they have the sacrifices of praise continually to offer up unto God Hence to praise God is expressed Hos 14. 2. by rendring the calves of our lips 3. It is a debt that is due to God He that hath commanded thee to pray to him hath also enjoyned thee to praise him Yea this is all that God looketh for Thou canst not satisfie God for thy sins committed thou art not able to repair his honour and glory shouldst thou be damned a thousand times over yet it could not recompence to God according to what thou hast dishonoured him Therefore seeing this is the only debt God obligeth unto why should we not be more diligent in it If he had required some greater service of us and more terrible to flesh and blood ought
grace of God and his favour to thee work thankfulness in thy life It is Gods gift do not then use it for sinne and the devil SERM. LXXXIII Of the Necessity and Usefulnesse of publick Ordinances And of the Churches Interest in its Ministers Mercies 2 COR. 1. 11. That for the gift bestowed upon us by the means of many persons thanks may be given by many on our behalf THere remain three particulars in this Text which are at this time to be dispatched The two former because of their affinity shall be joyned together For they contain the persons by whose prayers Paul's gift was bestowed upon him and whose praises are to be returned to God in his behalf Those by whose means this gift was bestowed are said to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which expression hath caused very many conjectures amongst the learned I shall not be large about the word for we shall meet with the word often in this second Epistle Musculus observing the diversity of interpretations doth offer his conjecture to the learned that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 was at first written which by mistake was afterwards turned to 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Now if this were so viz. By many prayers then the coherence would be very evident But it is very dangerous to give way to the expunging of words in the original and to substitute others in the room Though humane Authors may endure such critical hands yet the Scripture being divinely inspired both in respect of the matter and also the very words it behoveth us to be the more fearfull herein Chrysostome readeth the word in the singular number 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 though afterwards he applieth it to many Retaining then the word the question is about the sense Some by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 understand the face especially the mouth as if the meaning were by many mouths Others observe that the Greek word with the Septuagint is put for panim which primarily signifieth the face and countenance and from thence the respect and manner of a thing So that the sense should be That thanks should be given to God for many respects There were many considerations in this one mercy for which they were to bless God Others read 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 In the face or presence of many that is in the publick Congregation as 2 Corinth 8. 24. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Before the Churches And certainly though we will not contend for the reading of the words so yet the meaning of Paul is That in their Church-societies and publick meetings they should both pray unto God and praise God But we shall pitch upon the ordinary use of the word and understand it for as much as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 By many persons or by many men The second thing is By whom thanks are to be given and that is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 By many Some do adde the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 That several wayes or for many things praises may be given to God because they think it very redundant to have persons again expressed Some render it great thankes and eminent praises but it is most consonant to interpret it of persons That the same many who did pray for this mercy were also to praise God for it Therefore from both these joyned together we may take notice That Paul doth not simply look at prayers and praises from others singly and distributively but as conjoyned and collectively The prayers of many met together the praises of many assembled together are more acceptable then of one alone From whence observe That not onely personal prayers and praises but publick and solemn ones performed by many are very acceptable together Chrysostome doth from this enlarge himself concerning the great power that a multitude hath if met in an holy manner to prevail with God They do as it were put God to shame that is his expression he knoweth not how to gain-say many when they knock and importune whereupon he takes occasion to speak of the publick Church-prayers that were then made for the Catechumenoi and doth in particular explicate every petition But we shall keep to the Apostle who doth desire their publick prayers and praises thereby commending the profit and efficacy of them To amplifie this consider this Caution First That though God delights in the assembling of many yet they must be such as are qualified according to Gods will It is not simply a multitude that God regardeth We read of the Israelites that in their distresses they would make their approaches to God in great troops yet the Lord abhorred their Sacrifices because they did not wash themselves nor make them clean so as to put away their iniquities and transgressions farre from them If so be the Wiseman saith That one sinner destroyeth much good then how much good do many destroy If one dead flie spoil a box of ointment what will many dead flies do So that the more assembled together in this manner the more is God provoked For Matth. 18. our meeting must be in Christs name not onely by his appointment but also in that manner he hath required Therefore you must take the Doctrine thus Many godly persons met together doe more prevaile than some few or one onely Otherwise one Job one Daniel may obtaine more at Gods hand then many thousands of wicked men for they have crying sinnes which doe out-cry their prayers This being premised let us consider Why publick duties are to be preferred before private And First Because hereby the glory and honour of God is more promoted If the multitude of Subjects be the glory of a King then also is the multitude of true and spiritual worshippers the glory of God Hence David doth professe That he will blesse God in the great Congregation Psal 22. 25. and Psal 26. 12. Psal 40. 9 10. The greater the Congregation is if duly qualified the more honour cometh to God Hence it is that in the Old Testament God commanded set dayes for all the people to meet together and worship God And in the New Testament we have frequent instances of the Churches meeting together to worship God Insomuch that it is a very sinfull reasoning which some have What should they goe to Church for They can stay at home and read of a good book and so get as much good Oh but know ô vain man Though that should be granted which yet is not that thou couldst profit as much yet thou owest honour and glory and worship to God and that in the Congregation Do not the Angels in multitudes praise God together Why is it called a Church but because many are to have communion together So that unlesse God doth dispense with thee that he will have no honour or glory from thee it is thy sinne if not otherwise necessarily detained voluntarily to absent from these publick Ordinances The Apostle Heb. 10. 25. doth reprove the manner of some in those dayes who did not
that is not probable It is then for that deliverance vouchsafed to Paul that they are to be thankfull and the reason is clear because mercies vouchsafed to Paul were their mercies also From whence observe That the mercies vouchsafed to the pastors and guides of the Church are to be accounted the Churches mercies What advantage comes to the shepherd it redounds to the sheep The rain that fals upon the mountains descendeth to the benefit of the valleys Your life your comfort is bound up in theirs Paul indeed said We live if you stand fast It was his comfort his life to see them preserved from Apostasie by persecution 1 Thess 3. 8. And on the contrary the Church may say of her guides We stand fast if you live As mercies to the publick Magistrates are to be accounted the peoples mercies so the mercies of Church-officers are to be reckoned the Churches If the Pilotes be in danger it can never be well with the ship When Elijah was taken away the cry was The chariots of Israel and the horsemen thereof So great a mercy was one Prophet accounted to be We have a notable instance of the holy care of the Philippians about their Pastor Epaphroditus Phil. 2. 26 27. when he was sick unto death how heavily did they lay it to heart Insomuch that Epaphroditus was exceedingly grieved that they had heard of his being sick he knew it would so greatly afflict them Yea Paul accounted it a mercy to him also that God did heal him For though Paul did recover many out of their diseases yet this gift was not when they pleased and it was least of all extended to those that were of their intimate acquaintance but rather to such as were brought to them that so the truth of their miracles might be more manifested Use of Instruction How happy and blessed a thing it is when people are able to do their duty herein To look upon all the favours and good providences of God to the Ministers of the Gospel as their own mercies their health encouragements preservations as their owne but how bitterly doth Satan fill the hearts of some men who out of love to their lusts and their errours look upon their godly guides as the greatest burthens and would heartily rejoyce in any evil that should befall them This is clean contrary to those gracious loving and indeared affections which ought to be in people to their spiritual shepherds SERM. LXXXIV Of our Glorying and Rejoycing in our Gifts and Graces Why and how it is lawfull and how not 2 COR. 1. 12. For our rejoycing is this the testimony of our conscience that in simplicity and godly sincerity not with fleshly wisdome but by the grace of God we have had our conversation in the world and more abundantly to you-wards THis verse as appeareth by the raciocinative particular or note of inference For is brought in as a reason of something which went before But Interpreters do differ about the coherence thereof Some make this to be a reason of that hope and trust he formerly spake of which he had in God Though he did trust in Gods mercies yet not in them alone but in his own endeavours also Hence Aquinas from this saith That hope doth arise from the mercy of God and mans merits But this doth not consist with Scripture Others do make it part of his Apologetical Narration defending himself as against that crime of inconstancy and levity which was cast upon him because of his promise to come to them which yet he did not and therefore they think these words look backward and not forward Calvin and others which is most probable referre it to the words immediately preceding viz. their prayers and praises to God in his behalf This is given as a reason why they should be thus tender about him because he had obtained grace to be faithfull he had not sought himself or his own glory he had not walked in hypocrisie and fraud but had been kept by the grace of God in all sincerity in his conversation in the world not only at Corinth but every where else Now it is a great motive and encouragement to pray for such The Apostle useth this argument Heb. 13. 18. Pray for us for we trust we have a good conscience in all things The connexion then being thus discovered we come to the Text absolutely considered and therein we may consider 1. The ground and reason it self 2. That which is affirmed and predicated of it And this is set down in the fore-part of the verse and therefore we shall begin with it The words are This is our rejoycing 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it is rendred by most our glory or our boasting The Apostle doth very often use the words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it seemeth to come of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the neck and so is a metaphore signifying for the most part pride and loftinesse taken from horses whose pride will be discovered by their neck and therefore called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or as Homer 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 So that for the most part it is taken in an ill sense Hence Hesychius 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and with Budaeus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is a proud boaster and bragger but with Paul it is used sometimes in a good sense as here For the word is used in a three-fold sense gradual to one another 1. To rest and relie upon a thing 2. From thence to rejoyce and to be glad in it 3. From thence to declare and publish this with boasting Now though Paul did not put confidence and trust in his good and sincere conscience yet from the perceiving of that he did rejoyce Whereas then we see Paul rejoycing and glorying from the testimony and evidence of that grace he had in him We may observe That an holy glorying and rejoycing in the graces of God we perceive in us is allowed and lawfull I say an holy glorying for the heart may quickly degenerate into a proud sinfull boasting Therefore this truth must be warily bounded So that the dejected and tempted soul may be quickned to its duty of comfort and not to deny the work of grace that it may feel and the proud pharisaical spirit may be debased The valley must be exalted and the mountain made low It is true indeed we have the Scripture saying Let him that glorieth glory in the Lord. Let not the wise man glory in his wisdome 1 Cor. 1. 31 And if Abraham had not wherewith to glory who can have Yea the Apostle saith expresly Rom. 3. 27. That glorying is excluded by the law of faith But in what sense this is to be understood will appear when we come to manifest how many wayes it is not lawfull to glory or to rejoyce no not in our gifts and graces Only this Text maketh it plain that in some sense our graces may be matter
other helps no more than he will make you understand Greek and Hebrew Know then it is a very sad and almost incurable condition when the holy Scriptures do become a snare to us when we suck poison out of these sweet herbs Although indeed we cannot from the Scripture get any hurt but our own corruptions procure it to us because we bring the Scripture to our ends and affections not them to the Scripture Thirdly To the having of a well-ordered conscience There is greatly required pure aims and intentions For although a good intention cannot sanctifile an unlawfull action yet corrupt intentions will blast and defile the best actions Insomuch that if we had the gifts and parts of the ablest men yea of Angels themselves yet sinfull aims would be like Locusts and Caterpillars to devour this hopefull fruit But oh the unsearchable hypocrisie and deceitfulness of mans heart even in this very respect How ready is every Pharisee every Heretick and Papist to appropriate this to themselves How often do we find them professing to the whole world that it is not any outward advantage any temporal emolument that they look at or regard but the glory of God and that therefore they have much rejoycing because of this But if the counterfeit will bring such peace what will the real and sincere intentions of a man do And certainly though a man be cloathed with never so much glory in the Church of God so that we are ready to say not only a greater than Austin or Chrysostome but even than Paul or Peter For some have cried up the heads of their parties as having greater gifts than the Apostles themselves Yet without sincere intentions they are but as a tinkling cymbal This therefore is the life soul and the all in a good conscience But that will come in more seasonably afterwards Fourthly To a right ordered conscience whose witness may be received and comfort taken thereby That there is required the inward sanctification and effectual renovation thereof So that till this be every mans conscience is like a man himself a meer liar There is no believing of it no trusting of it When it is said Jer. 17. That the heart of a man is deceitfully wicked or crafty and supplanting a man This comprehends conscience as well as any part else For you have heard that original sinne is in this as well as in other powers of the soul So that in these two respects the natural conscience doth alwayes fail For either it doth not witness that which is right or not to a right end Insomuch that though a natural man is not to gainsay or contradict his conscience yet nothing lieth upon him more than to have his conscience rightly informed or regulated by Gods word What is the reason you see every civil man every formal man so applauding himself in his good condition It is because his conscience is not a spiritual conscience a Scripture-conscience for that would make him abhor himself and flie out of the Sodome he was in For in most things the conscience doth not witness the truth at all but it doth flâ—tter and deceive thee How seldom doth it tell thee thou art the drunkard the hypocrite the neglecter of private duties c Or if it doth then it is to a false end either to drive to despair and to flie from Christ whose blood only can cleanse the conscience or else to quiet it again by some superstitious usages and non-instituted remedies And this is the reason why so few are brought out of the troubles of their conscience into an Evangelical and Gospel way Know then here is the root of all thy misery thy conscience being unsanctified lulleth thee asleep whereby thou rejoycest in thy condition when thou hast cause to fear and tremble SERM. LXXXVI Further Discoveries of what is required to a well-regulated Conscience with Distinctions concerning it 2 COR. 1. 12. For our rejoycing is this the testimony of our conscience THere remain more particulars to be insisted upon which are requisite to make a well-regulated conscience whose testimony you heard is the cause of such unspeakable comfort And First There is in a peculiar manner necessary the witnessing and sealing power of the holy Ghost to and with our consciences The illumination and sanctification of Gods Spirit is not enough to make our consciences speak fully and clearly so as to have rejoycing thereby unlesse the Spirit of God doth also bear witnesse with it Hence we have them both put together Rom. 8. 16. The Spirit it self beareth witnesse with our spirit that we are the children of God And therefore you heard that Bernard understood this testimony of conscience in the Text of a Testimonium percipientis not Perhibentis but they are both included For our conscience cannot give any evidenâ—e and sure testimony of the grace inus unlesse inabled thereunto by the Spirit of God and this is called The work of Gods Spirit sealing and witnessing with our spirits The Text is very famous and greatly agitated in the controversie about the assurance of our sanctification and salvation Grotius and some others neglect the Preposition 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and would have it no more than simply 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 But the word is not any where so used the instances of Grotius are against him Rom. 2. 15. For Conscience there is said to bear witnesse 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in respect of God and so doth relate to his testimony We therefore conclude That the Spirit of God is here said to bear witnesse with our spirit only the difficulty is How this is done And 1. It is not done by any external voice and sound made in the air as Christ had when it was said This is my beloved Sonne Neither may we apprehend any immediate testimony by an extraordinary revelation as some have pleaded for but in a mediate way partly by exciting and inabling of our spirits to call God Father against that slavishness and servility which is apt to bear us down and partly by working in us those heavenly and holy qualifications by which we do certainly gather that we are the children of God Indeed the Papists make the testimony of Gods Spirit to be no more as applied to particular subjects though in it self they say it is infallible then a moral certainty by probable conjectures and signs But this is derogatory to the Spirit of God and taketh away all that Evangelical joy and holy boldness which we are allowed to have at the throue of grace This witnessing then of Gods Spirit is two wayes 1. Effectivè When it doth enable the conscience of man to cast off all legal terrors and tormenting fears and so in serenity of spirit to believe God is our Father And for this end it is called The Spirit of Adoption For alas take the conscience of the most holy man without this Spirit of Adoption How legal and timorated
inflicted on the offenders Secondly This simplicity of spirit in reference to man is accompanied with ingenuity candour and truth His heart and his words his promises and his hands go along together And therefore 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is made the same with 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a man of a transparent breast that doth abhor all lying cosening and a double tongue How carefull is the Apostle towards the end of this Chapter and something this Text is relating to that to clear himself from inconstancy and falshood as if he were yea and nay So that simplicity is accompanied with verity in affections and veracity in promises There is a conformity between the mind and words The Iesuite by his principles of equivocation calling it prudens defentio is farre from this simplicity the Apostle here doth rejoyce in Aristotle lib. 4. Ethic. cap. 17. maketh this verity to be a moral virtue though he saith the Greeks have no name for it he placeth it in the middle between two extreams the one is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 when a man doth boast and brag of such things in him which are not indeed Thus the Pharisee and the civil man yea Aristotle himself for all his moral Philosophy were guilty of this arrogancy attributing that to themselves which was not in them Simplicity giveth all to God nothing to his own power The other extream is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 when men do dissemble the good things that are in them will not own them Aristotle maketh Socrates guilty of this Now it 's true there may be much hypocrisie in dispraising our selves and we may affect humility when thereby we exalt our pride So that the child of God which hath this simplicity is bound to acknowledge the good things God hath done for him and in him it is not pride but thankfulnesse to do so Paul did not arrogantly boast when he professeth his simplicity it was not pride to own his sincerity And this is necessary for the godly to be informed in for they are so jealous and suspicious of themselves that they dare not say they feel what they do feel If Christ should ask them as Peter Lovest thou me They would stand amazed not knowing what to say when yet at the same time all their trouble is because they love Christ no more and because they do not arrive at such a pitch of holines as they desire Know then as Aristotle by the light of nature so much more a Christian by the light of grace may conclude that it is a sin contrary to that simplicity that should be in us not to acknowledg what God hath done for us Thus Hezekiah pleaded the truth of his soul and Paul here and also in many other places professeth his uprightnesse of heart and abundant labouring for the propagation of the Gospel neither could they be charged with pride and arrogancy herein By which we see that as a man in the simplicity of his heart is carried out to the whole service of God so he doth herein take notice of and acknowledge the grace of God towards him Therefore it is our duty to observe and thankfully acknowledge the graces of God in us provided alwayes we avoid those particulars which Carthusian mentioneth Lib. 2d. dist in a verse that do alwayes pollute or puff up Ex se pro meritis falsò plus omnibus inflat 1. That we do not think we have these good things by our own power and ability 2. That it is not for any merit or desert of ours that God giveth us grace and passeth others by 3. That we do not falsly boast of such things as are not indeed in us 4. That we do not Pharisaically preferre our selves above others These four things do overthrow the very foundation of many popish principles From these things thus declared there is first an Use of Instruction by way of Corollary viz. That godly simplicity is not natural simplicity or meer childishnesse God for many ends causeth some to be born natural fools and ideots such are not excluded from salvation God may have his wayes unknown to us of reaching home to their hearts and infusing grace into them But this simplicity is that which doth consist in subduing the guile and hypocrisie that is in mans heart whereby we are prone to do the things of God for sinister respects and thereby lose our spiritual reward Again Much more doth this Christian simplicity differ from sinfull and affected simplicity when men by their lazinesse and negligence attain not to any sound knowledge in Religion How many simple old persons are there that have lived many years in this world and yet know no more than a child about the principles of Religion Yea every wicked man is often by Solomon called the simple one and therefore wisdome doth earnestly invite them to forsake this folly Thou that art apt to censure the generation of such as fear God as so many weak simple persons they are very contemptible in thy eyes Oh remember that all impiety is grosse simplicity You are the Devils fools for his bables you lose a crown of glory In Hell when it is too late you will then rage and rave to see what fools you have been when you shall see these despised ones received into glory and you cast into eternal torments Use 2. Of Admonition to all such who seem to walk in the wayes to Heaven who are often in hearing in praying often in the religious duties God requireth above all things look to the singlenesse of thy heart in these things thou wilt else have no glory from God nor true comfort in thy own conscience As Solomon said Whatsoever thou doest do with all thy might so whatsoever thou doest do it in plainnesse of heart looking up to God onely and remember though men see not thy carnal motives nor the crooked windings of thy heart yet the all-seeing eye of God beholds the very atomes as it were within thee How great will thy confusion be if at the day of judgement God shall reject all thy glistering holinesse saying you did it not to me in all these duties you served not me Even as God complaineth of those hypocritical Jews Zech. 7. 5. When ye fasted and mourned in those moneths did ye it to me even to me This want of singlenesse of heart respecting God only was that which made all their Religion abominable unto God SERM. XCI Of the true Nature of Godly Sincerity 2 COR. 1. 12. And godly sincerity THis is the second word wherein is positively expressed the manner of Paul's conversation in the world Although both the words tend to the same purpose yet simplicity doth more respect the frame and inward constitution of the heart and sincerity doth more denote the purity and integrity of our aims and ends in holy things In the expression we may take notice 1. Of the grace it self viz. Sincerity 2. The limitation or qualification of it
putting on the new man Austin wrote much against this way of lying And certainly seeing that words are appointed to signifie our mind to another if we pervert them to the contrary end to deceive them we doe overthrow the foundation of spiritual and civil societies It is one thing indeed not to reveale all the truth when not required or commanded this may sometimes be done but to deny the truth or equivocate this doth no wayes become those who with sincerity and not with fleshly wisdome are to propagate the Gospel If you say for all the Church of Rome hath used such carnal policy yet she continueth in her externall prosperity she is not blasted and crossed in her designes and therefore Bellarmine would take advantages of the Protestants by this If saith he the Church of Rome be so vile and impure as you say she is if she use all those unlawfull and ungodly wayes to keep up her glory then it 's the greater argument that her constitution is of God that all her craft and wickednesse hath not yet ruined her But to this doubt it is easily answered That by the Scripture we know it is foretold that he must prevaile for a long time in the Church and therefore their successe notwithstanding all their cruelty and craft is not to be any stumbling block to such who believe the Scriptures The third instance of fleshly wisdome to propagate Religion by is To indulge men in their lusts and sinnes that so the party which followeth them may be the more numerous This is fleshly wisdome in an high degree of impiety and yet in this also the Church of Rome hath beene notorious when other Churches have by their good Discipline cast out some offenders for scandalous impieties They have appealed to the Church of Rome in that case and she craftily laying hold on the opportunity hoping thereby to establish her Supremacy would like Absolom say to every one that came that his cause was good and by this policy in indulging and encouraging such licentious offenders whom other Churches would not endure as members At last with other politick devises she arrived to that amplitude of power she now glorieth in We might instance in other subtil forgeries as the corrupting or denying some Canons made in the Council of Nice thereby to translate the chief Patriarchship to her self a famous cheat and discovered most palpably to the shame of the Romane party of which there is much in Ecclesiastical Authours as also the pretence of Constantines donation a forged he like the rest This I shall insist upon as greatly considerable The indulging of people in prophanenesse as also in horrible ignorance that so they may rule without controll And how well were it if this fleshly wisdome were inclosed in the Romane Conclave Are there not too many in the Protestant Churches that out of a desire either to please men or increase their earthly advantages promote a promiscuous admission of all to the Lords Table making no difference betweene the clean and unclean This I confesse is the way to be applauded by the most This is that which will give best content to all This is accounted wisdome and moderation but Wisdome is justified of her children and the holy institution of Christs will be owned by those who worship God in Spirit and truth But this fleshly wisoome whereby we please all and indulge men in their lusts is seldome successefull but fire will come out of the Bramble when it doth not out of the Fig-tree to consume I meane even prophane and wicked spirits are many times stirred up by God to oppose such corrupt Teachers when the godly meddle not at all For God doth many times make use of the wickednesse of one ungodly man to torment another Yea Luther's first stirrings against the abuses of Popery were not so pure and sincere as afterwards when the light and grace of God came more upon him It is therefore a great duty incumbent upon the Ministers of the Gospel to walk sincerely by Christs rule in their pastoral exercises avoiding this fleshly wisdome which though it may seeme sometimes to prevent a mischiefe yet as it did to David doth afterwards plunge in a greater calamity And indeed going to carnal policy in Church-administrations is but like going to witches and wizards forsaking Gods way which never bringeth a perfect cure Fourthly Then is carnal wisdome used to propagate Religion When by it we propound carnal and selfish ends to our selves not the glory of God and advancing the power and purity of his Ordinances This is that which Paul doth principally disclaim I seek not you but yours saith he in this Epistle 2 Cor. 12. 14. And that they might be perswaded hereof he would take no maintenance of them but made use of other Churches that he might spare them yea sometimes working with his own hands How farre this is imitable by the Ministers of the Gospel now as many do upbraid them with this example of Paul will be clearly and fully evidenced God assisting in its time for we shall meet with this part of Paul expresly mentioned and insisted on by him in this Epistle But it is worth the observation that Paul by no way he took could escape the slander of a self-seeker For if in that case he had burdened the Church of Corinth the false Apostles would have calumniated him as using a cloak of covetousness and seeking himself But now because he will not do so see how this is interpreted as a carnal designe also for so he bringeth in their objection vers 16 Be it so I did not burden you but being crafty I tooke you with guile This was suggested against Paul they made this construction of Paul's not burdening them that he did this out of craft that they should think themselves the more ingaged unto him and so by this means he get the more dominion over them Thus what shall Paul do if he doth not take maintenance it is his craft and if he doth it is his craft By this instance we see how much we are to avoid all fleshly wisdome for do what we will it shall be charged upon us Only when we have this sincerity of conscience within to comfort and support us this will be a means to make us bear the slanders of enemies with greater alacrity Now as we said then we may certainly conclude we are guided by fleshly wisdome when our aimes in our ministerial way is either glory and applause which was the poison of the Pharisees duties or earthly wealth and external pomp which motives do easily creep in unlesse grace be the porter to keep the door of the soul We see even the Disciples themselves and that twice contending about superiority and once this was done when our Saviour was fore-telling them of his sad sufferings and how they should be scattered And truly this should much prevail with us to walk by sincere rules because nothing doth
when thou shalt see what that Heaven what that glory and happiness is which at that day godliness will give thee full possession of how quickly will thy thoughts alter Then thou wilt cry out Oh it is a mans riches to be godly it is a mans wisdome to be godly a mans profit to be godly though he did there by lose all this present world Again We are prejudiced against Godlinesse because it is not in honour and repute None of the great men of the wise men do much regard it Men of great estates and birth think godliness below their greatness that it is a dishonour a stain to their reputation to walk precisely and singularly to the wicked course of the world But in this also that day will make a mighty change when you shall see that then godliness is only enquired after Then the Question will be How hast thou lived How hast thou kept thy self unspotted from sinne Then thou wouldst give thousands of worlds for godlinesse That holiness and purity thou now laughest at it will at that day be only in request At that day there is no difference between Kings and peasants between the noble and base between the rich and poor but either wicked or godly sheep or goats that maketh all the distinction If Alexander plead he conquered the world If Craesui plead the multitude of riches If one saith he is an Emperour another he is a Nobleman a Gentleman these are absurd pleas at that day Art thou a godly an holy man This only will carry it Oh then remember you will have other thoughts of godlinesse than now you have It will be more in request and honourable esteem than now it is Whosoever he be that doth evil though the great Potentates of the world the Judge will then say Depart I know you not Lastly We are prejudiced against Godlinesse because we think it is too strict it requireth too much of us It will not allow us those pleasures and delights we might have Oh but at that day such a thought will presently vanish all the labour of my life thou wilt say is not worthy to one minute of this glory could I have been a Martyr every day it would not have been equivalent to this present happiness SERM CV A further Discovery of the great Changes that will be wrought at the Day of Christ's second coming 2 COR. 1. 14. In the day of the Lord Jesus AT this great day you heard there would be a wonderfull change upon the thoughts and perswasions of men to what they are now It is not so much what thy affections and apprehensions are for the present but what they be at that day Especially in three things this Change will be seen 1. About Godlinesse which hath been dispatched 2. About Good men 3. About Christ We come therefore to the second and that is the wonderfull change that wicked men shall then have in reference to those who live godly and dare not conforme themselves to the course of this world As First Such who separate themselves from the evil wayes of the world They are matter of reproach and scorne They are judged the fooles and the simple ones by all that live near them But at that day you will have other thoughts you will then admire their happinesse call your selves the fools and deluded ones wishing that it might fare so with you as it doth with them It is said of those noble Worthies Heb. 11. 38. That they had tryal of cruel mockings Yea David though a King Psal 69. 12. complaineth He was the song of the drunkards Thus you see what thoughts men of the world have of such who fear God as Michal did David They despise them in their heart But oh the wonderfull alteration that day will cause when thou shalt see those who were despised by thee honoured by God Those whom thou didst reproach to be blessed by God What a confusion will this be to thee Then you will cry out We fools and mad men judged their wayes folly and matter of scorn but with what unspeakable glory doth God honour them Secondly Another false perswasion they have about godly men is That they are Hypocrites that all they do is not out of love to God but for ostentation sake That it is not the glory of God but their own glory and advantage that they seek after Paul was so often charged with corrupt ends in his Ministry that he is compelled to make his Apologetical Defence to clear himself Yea Christ himself was judged by the Pharisees to be an Impostor and that he came of himself doing his own will and seeking his own glory which made him so earnestly deny it Iohn 6. 38. Iohn 8. 50. This is a sore evil upon the sonnes of men that because they have an enmity and hatred against the godly yet they cannot put this forth upon godlinesse as godlinesse therefore they represent the godly in such colours and lay such things to their charge that they may seeme to have just cause to vent their malice against them But at that day their sincerity and integrity will appear then all the world shall see that their hearts were upright their aimes and intentions sincere that what reproofe what holy endeavours they used for the recovering of men out from their sinnes was not out of hatred or any other ill principle as wicked men are now apt to judge but out of pure love and desire for their soules good Let not then evil and ungodly men take upon them to judge the hearts of others that is the prerogative of God alone neither doe thou judge before the great day of judgement Take heed of calling such Hypocrites and dissemblers of calling such Pharisaical and conceited whom it may be God will own at that day for his jewels for his faithfull ones If there be any Judas who followeth Christ because of the Bagge If there be any who believe in Christ yet love the glory of men more than of God they shall beare their burden The portion of Hypocrites in Hell is a double portion But let not all the Apostles be censured for a Judas Let not all be judged Hypocrites because he was so Remember that this day is a revelation of all things all the hidden purposes and counsels of mens hearts shall then be made manifest The Apostle giveth this exhortation to such as judged him 1 Corinth 4. 5. he sheweth them how little he regarded mans judgement for it is the Lord that judgeth Therefore they are not to judge any thing before the time untill the Lord come who will bring to light the hidden things of darknesse and will make manifest the counsels of mens hearts and then shall every man have praise of God Is not this a full place to make thee afraid of all censures and hard speeches against such who professe godlinesse Let them alone to the Lord there is a day when all the thoughts
of their hearts all the purposes and intentions of the soule in holy duties shall be made manifest it shall then be discovered who was faithfull and who was insincere and wilt thou anticipate this day Little doest thou thinke how much such as feare God in truth doe bewaile that partial hypocrisie and insincerity which is within them how greatly they feare lest they should deceive themselves and doe holy duties for false ends and not out of pure respect to God himselfe Such then shall have praise of God and their integrity manifested before Angels and men Thirdly There will be a change of mens thoughts as to the godly In respect of their external estate and condition They have for the most part the evil things of the world when the wicked enjoy the glorious things thereof Are not afflictions troubles and miseries as inseparably following the people of God as the shadow doth the body Doth not our Saviour fore-warn his Disciples of the great trouble that they shall meet with in the world Doth not Paul himself say 1 Corinth 15. 19. If we have hope in this life onely we are of all men most miserable Of all men Because other men will follow the pleasures and profits of the world Other men will suck out the honey that is to be had in the creatures They will escape all misery and persecution by becoming any thing in Religion and thereby save themselves out of danger but as for the godly they are as sheep appointed for the slaughter all the day long Their tender conscience and feare to sinne against God putteth them into many losses and disadvantages which the men of the world can imbrace Now it being thus with them this doth exceedingly prejudice men against godly men Their outward condition is many times dangerous they seeme to be cast off even by God himselfe as if he did not love them or owne them for his and this keepeth off many from walking in the pathes of holinesse If the applause honour and great things of the world did accompany the power of godlinesse then all would strive to enter in at such a broad gate but because it is with them as with Christ they appeare with no external glory and lovelinesse upon them Hence it is that of all men they will not owne such or joyne to such But this great day will make you have other thoughts of their condition when you shall see their sackcloth taken off and robes of honour put upon them when you shall see these Lazarusses with no more sores on them or desiring crummes from the Table but placed in Abraham's bosome This will make you then to wish Oh that we had endured the same hardship gone through the same wildernesse seeing they have now arrived at such a blessed Land as they are In the third and last place The thoughts and apprehensions of men about Christ will be greatly changed at that day from what they have at present in two particulars especially First When Christ is offered now to us and we may be made partakers of him yet we refuse him we will not receive him we had rather have our lusts than Christ we love father mother and life it selfe more than Christ Such low thoughts have we of him now But oh the time is coming when Christ and onely Christ will be in request At that day he is happy who shall have an interest in Christ Those Gadarens that intreated Christ to depart out of their coasts regarding their hoggs more than he with what confusion will they behold him at that day We shall then see there is good reason for that Doctrine He that loveth father more than me or he that loveth life it self more than me is not worthy of me Matth. 10. 37. For happily flesh and blood may for the present say This is an hard saying who can beare it To love Christ more than father that begat me and maintaineth me from whom happily I may expect great and large gifts Or better than life which is above all earthly mercies Will Christ be as good as these to me Shall I not lose by loving him more than these But if a man consider what Christ is How he will appeare at that day How happy are they who can claime an interest in him Then they will see reason why Christ should be preferred above all Now we are for Barabbas rather than Christ Now Christ knocketh at the door to come in and we will not open to him But who is there then that would not cry out Oh let Christ justifie me let him sanctifie me let him save me Thus the stone that is now refused will be the head corner-stone Secondly Many deceive themselves in their thoughts about Christ apprehending onely love and willingnesse in him to save They never thinke of Christ but as a Saviour Though never so polluted by sinne yet they call him their good Saviour their blessed Saviour but at this day thou wilt then have other thoughts Thou wilt then see he can damne as well save he can be a Lion as well as a Lambe This mercifull Saviour will be a severe and just Judge Thus Revelat. 6. 16 17. you have the great men and rich men of the earth hiding themselves in Dens and calling to the Mountaines and Rockes to fall upon them and hide them from the wrath of the Lambe for the great day of his wrath is come and who shall be able to stand Thus you see that your thoughts about Christ at that day will be wholly changed You that thinke onely of mercy that speak onely of mercy that look onely upon Christ as a Saviour What trembling will this be to you when you shall see him come as a Judge with ten thousand of Angels when you shall heare him pronounce his terrible sentence upon ungodly men then how will your hearts melt within you Then you will beginne to say within your selves Oh that we had not made an Idol-Christ that we had not fancied a Christ to our selves This is not such a Christ as we looked for This is not such a Christ as we expected Even as the Jewes looked for another Messiah then was indeed to come which proved their destruction So also many doe fancy to themselves such a Saviour made up onely of mercy at that great day And therefore whereas they promise to themselves peace they will meet with horrour and desolation And thus much for those particulars The next general Proposition is That there will be a wonderfull change upon mens thoughts in reference to Gods dispensations and his providence in this world Gods proceedings here below have beene the subject of many Heathens disputes Yea David and Jeremiah were ready to stagger and fall with the consideration of Gods various dealings in this world especially that particular went deep into them why God should let the wicked live in all prosperity and at hearts ease and in the meane while the
found unprofitable and is adjudged unto a terrible doom that had but one talent and was negligent therin Would not Christ teach us by this that none should slight their mean and low estate thinking that such are poor and inconsiderable creatures as they are alas they can do nothing for God It is for Magistrates and Ministers for rich men or men in place and of interest to lay out themselves but God doth not look they should do any thing Oh take heed of this temptation If thou doest but set thy self to consider in this matter thou mayest find thy self in capacity to promote the glory of God and to further the Gospel of Christ in many particulars that thou art now negligent in This is our great sinne that none are contented with the several relations and conditions they are in One thinketh if he were in such a mans estate he could serve God better than he doth The private Christian thinketh a Minister can do it better A Minister thinketh a private Christian hath not the temptations and sad eares that he hath As Luther speaketh Comment in Gen. cap. 17. of himself how he thought other mens callings happier than his who endured so much envy and hatred for the Gospel They live without vexations their labour is sweet but I am exercised saith he with great dangers But we must take heed of impatiency and know we may all serve God and so be at last saved in our respective lawfull callings We would think the hands or feet were in a worse condition than the tongue for they are worn out with labour whereas the tongue doth taste of sweet and pleasant things and is not wâ—aried with pain and yet these partake of the same happiness with the body as the eyes or tongue do Secondly This you also are to understand that all the lawfull actions in your several callings may be improved for Gods honour as well as those that are in their nature religious and immediately applied to himself Our plowing and sowing our marrying and bringing up of children if done according to Scripture-rules please God in their way as well as religious duties It may be holy plowing holy sowing holy buying and selling as well as holy praying and holy preaching It is the Apostles command 1 Cor. 10. 31. Whether ye eat or drinke or whatsoever ye do do all to the glory of God In Popery there was an horrible mistake about this which was the cause of bringing in much superstition which made Luther as appeareth in his Comments on Genesis so often speak of the good pleasure that God taketh in the civil actions of our calling when done out of obedience to Gods command And indeed men are hardly perswaded that the doing of such things in our relations are serving of God whereas all such things done from good principles and to right ends are holiness as well as other duties Holinesse to the Lord is to be written upon all thy natural civil and moral actions as well as religious It is true here lieth the difficulty to do these ordinary actions of our calling upon holy grounds to eat to drink to labour that God may be exalted and not to make riches gain and outward blessedness the utmost end of all doings in this kind So that till a man be regenerated he is but a worm crawling upon the ground he cannot do any thing but upon humane motives And it is no wonder for such men in all their religious duties are but carnal and earthly whether they pray or heare it is not for the glory of God Custome formality and self-respects are the Locusts and Caterpillars that do devour our hopefull buds Therefore In the third place It behoveth every Christian often to meditate about the ultimate end of all his actions As the Heathen would have a man say to himself Cui bono for what good is this I do So much more should believers propound this to themselves I labour I take pains I rise early I go to bed late but to what end is all this What is it that my soul doth principally aim at in all these things If we had asked Paul saying Paul Why will you go to Macedonia He would have said to promote Christs Kingdom to have been beneficial to mens souls And then again Why to Corinth It was to carry on the work of the Gospel there Many did begin to fall off so that it was necessary there should be information and admonition And further Why do you go to Jerusalem It is to refresh the bowels of the poor Saints there By which you see that as the Heliotropium that flower of the Sunne doth follow the Sunne and openeth and shutteth according to the presence of the Sun and its absence Thus doth the heart of Paul wholly move after God divine considerations are the Loadstone that drew out his heart And indeed in all moral actions the end is first to be concluded Hence Aristotle in his Ethicks beginneth with the end of humane actions What is the white that all men are to shoot at What is the mark they are to levell at Whereupon some Divines likewise concluding that Divinity is practical and not speculative meerly that therefore the most approved and genuine method in all Systems of Divinity is first to begin with that end which all men ought to aim at in their whole life and that is known to be the glory of God and the salvation of our souls Now when a man hath fixed his end and resolveth upon that he doth all things proportionably and sutably thereunto Hence when a man acteth according to a Divine Rule If you ask him Why do you take such pains Why do you ride up and down and travail so much Why do you study and devour books His answer will be It is for Gods glory and the salvation of my soul Till therefore a man hath centered his soul upon the right end till his heart be constantly upon that he either propounds cursed and wicked ends to himself or at the best he maketh intermedious ends ultimate that which is the secondary to be the principal For it 's lawfull to take pains to be diligent in our calling that our family may be provided for our children be brought up it were an unnatural and great sinne to be negligent herein but then you must remember to make this a comma not a colon This must be your Inne not your home you must look beyond all these even to God and your souls This truth is so necessary that though we should preach six hundred Sermons about it to quicken you up in the meditation thereof it would not be useless But I am not now to insist upon it The sum is this He that would both in soul and body in health wealth parts and all he hath be imployed for God must often make this Question to his soul Oh my soul what is thy end in all these things What moveth thee to
of the flesh and the principle of the Spirit and such as your principles are such are ye If thy principle be to be godly to live by the Word to save thy soul then thou art daily in these things thy heart is there thy life is there But if it be flesh that ruleth in thee then this maketh thee like a worm and a moal alwayes in the earth You cannot repent you cannot believe you cannot be saved while these principles abide in you for they make you prejudiced against godlinesse they make you neglect repentance Oh but when thou shalt lie howling and roaring in hell how wilt thou curse and bewail such principles These have damned me these have brought me to this place of torment I would not entertain other principles SERM. CXIV Of the kinds and sinfulnesse of Lying 2 COR. 1. 17. That with me there should be yea yea and nay nay IN these words is the sinne specified that would flow from those two evil causes named before viz. Inconstancy and corrupt principles They that are led aside by these must needs be liars and perfidious persons frothy and vain to whom no credit is to be given The Apostle therefore doth here remove the sinne of lying or saying one thing and doing another thing for such an unfaithfull false man can never be serviceable unto God by that uneven carriage of his he maketh himself uncapable of bringing glory to God and of edifying others Concerning the Greek expression and the interpretation of it there is great diversity amongst the learned That which troubleth most is the gemination of those particulars yea yea nay nay For we read it as a command and a duty Matth. 5. 37. James 5. 12. That our communication ought to be yea yea nay nay whereas the Apostle doth here speak of it as a sinne Some therefore do think that the gemination of the particle crept into the Text by the errour of the Scribes who finding it used in other places thought it should be here also and they are the rather induced to this because in the verse following the Apostle doth not use the gemination onely affirming Yea and nay Others they think that the Greek particle 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is a note of negation should be supplied making it to runne negatively as if with me were not yea yea and nay nay But there is no necessity of running unto these harsh remedies for we may keep the gemination of the particles well enough as intending thereby a vehement affirmation and a vehement negation For so the Hebrews use to affirm vehemently by doubling the word And our Saviour often useth Amen Amen which custome also Heinsius saith is among the prophane Greek Authours And thus the sense will be very coherent I doe not inconstantly and carnally purpose things as if I should with great vehemency affirme one thing at one time and then with as great a vehemency deny it again at another time But then we must acknowledge that this differeth from those places above-mentioned Matth. 5. and James 5. for there the latter Yea and latter Nay is the predicate in the Preposition here it is the subject and Nay nay the predicate In those places also there is a respect had to our speech as opposite unto oaths but here is denoted only truth and constancy in our affirmations Chrysostome doth not read the words interrogatively and thereupon hath a peculiar interpretation implying the clean contrary to what we have said For he maketh the meaning to be as if Paul did deny he was constant or ought to be unchangeable he was not to have Yea yea nay nay but to be yea and nay as occasion served because he was not at his own disposing to go whither he would but was wholly guided by the Spirit of God and therefore when he attempted to preach in some places the Spirit of God suffered him not So that with this Authour Paul's intention should be to remove from himself such a constancy as if he were to dispose of himself and to hold to his own resolutions whereas he was wholly to follow the guide and motions of Gods Spirit But this seemeth not so proper The Apostle rather defends himself against the charge of lying and unfaithfull dealing he was not Yea and nay Hence some make the Latine word Naucus that signifieth a vain empty trifling fellow to come from the Greek words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but of this more in the following verse Seeing then that Paul doth in this expression free himself from the crime of lying and saying one thing but doing the contrary We may observe That lying or contrariety between our words and words or words and actions are not beseeming a Christian neither are they consistent with godlinesse A godly man can be no more godly and a liar than godly and a drunkard than godly and a prophane person This sinne the Apostle maketh as a stream to flow from those two poisoned fountains of levity of mind and a corrupt carnal heart Now how inconsistent this is with the new man and the work of grace you have heard from Colos 3. 9 Lie not one to another seeing you have put off the old man with his deeds To be yea and nay is to be a lyar and sometimes as the Apostle supposeth here we may be very vehement and earnest in our yea's and nayes and then we are bold vehement lyars I shall not enlarge my self concerning the whole Theological matter that may be delivered about a lie but speak so much as will be for our practical improvement of this truth And First We are to take notice of this That there may be a lie materialiter and formaliter That is a material lie when we speak that which is untruth but yet we think it to be a truth or else we would not speake it But then that is formally a lie when we affirm that to be true which we know to be false and this is directly and properly a lie Some say the former is Mendacium dicere the other is Mentiri Now this latter way of speaking untruths is that which properly is called a lie and men do then formally lie when they speak that which their consciences doe tell them to be false yet in some cases when we speake those things that are untrue though we thinke them to be so we are not presently excused from sinne For in many things it behoveth us to have knowledge and a right information before we speak about them Hence the false Prophets are often called lyars who it may be thought they spake what was true being delivered up by the just judgement of God to believe a lie and therefore we must take heed of rashnesse and suddennesse in our words that we may alwayes speak that which is consonant to the truth both materially as well as formally Secondly We may distinguish of lies as they doe of oaths There are Assertory lies whereby we
saved come to a Nay There is sometimes a necessity of changing and that is when people and Ministers have been carried away with errours and false wayes Though such things may plead antiquity though you may urge prescription for many hundred years yet upon conviction and illumination we are to change from yea we are to bewail such errours as we once lived in Was it not thus with Paul Though Paul was not now Yea and Nay since he was an Apostle yet he was once so neither was that to his dispraise but his honour in the Church of God Did not Paul once violently persecute that way which afterwards he preached for Those traditions and pharisaical superstitions which once he maintained even to the killing of all the opposers thereof Doth not he in time with as much zeal renounce them as ever once he did plead for them This change of Paul was so wonderfull that Act. 9. 21. Many who heard him preach Christ were amazed saying Is not this he that destroyed them who called on this Name in Jerusalem You see then that there may be a just occasion to change our opinions our practices in Religion There is a just occasion for a Jew a Turke to leave his Religion and become a Christian There is a just occasion for Papists and Hereticks to forsake that way of worship they have followed with so much zeal and devotion Neither may they fear the shame and reproach of being accounted weather-cocks and turn-coats but rather they have cause to blesse God who hath opened their eyes and not suffered them to perish in the Aegypt and Sodome they were in It is true naturally it is accounted an hainous sinne to change that Religion which a man is born and bred up in Therefore we have an History of our King John Fuller Histor of the Church who being in great Stateextremities sent to the King of the Moors for aid and assistance promising him his Kingdom if he would and that the Nation should receive the Turkish Religion But the Morocco King refused the offer saying That he had lately read Paul ' s Epistles and did like the matter well so that he found no fault with Paul but because he changed the Religion he was born in I bring this instance to shew what a great influence that Religion hath let it be false or true upon a man in which he hath been educated Yet there is a necessity if men will be saved sometimes of forsaking that Religion our Fathers and Ancestours have lived in For seeing that is directly against Scripture that any man in any Religion may be saved and also that seeing there are so many contrary Religions in the world it followeth inevitably that there are some in such damnable wayes and that of Religion that without repentance and coming out of those former impieties they shall never escape the eternal flames of hell and such a change is not matter of reproach but it is the wonderfull conversion of Gods grace upon our hearts Hence the Apostle doth so often admire the riches of Gods grace to those Heathens who were delivered out of that ignorance and darknesse with the abominable impieties they once lived in As it is in Philosophy they distinguish of alteration or change it is either destructiva or perfectiva Thus when a man of a fool is made wise of a vicious person virtuous here is a perfective alteration so it is also in the matters of Religion we may change the best errour for truth darknesse for light It is not then enough to say Thou wilt not change thy principles thy way of Religion thou hast been born in them and thy Ancestours have lived in the same way for this every Jew every Turke may plead as well as thou The Heathens pleaded this against the Christian Religion Sequendi sunt patres qui foeliciter sunt suos sequuti contumeliosa est emendatio senectutis If this be true why art thou not a Papist still Why doest thou not call for the Masse and Church-duties to be done in Latine For this was the way thy Ancestours were brought up in Hence in the second place It is not simply the Yea and Nay that is to be blamed but when it is in the truth when we ought to be constant and immoveable therein As every party doth brand another with Heretick Schismatick Apostate so also with inconstancy but it is not the meer names but the reality that maketh such persons If then a man holds Gods truth he is no Heretick though the whole world should condemn him He that hath a Scripture-ground to depart from the Idolatries of the Church is no Schismatick though others charge him with it for Causa non separatio facit Schismaticum Thus if a man forsake his former errours his former superstitions if he leave his corrupt Doctrines this mans change is a duty he is not to be blamed for it but if a man leave the truth if he forsake the way of God then his Yea and Nay is to be reproved If then you see a man leaving one opinion after another one practice after another so that all this while it is a progresse in the truths of Christ this man is the more to be encouraged For such is the pertinacy of man and love to his owne credit and glory that it must be some great cause which shall make him retract and recant that which he did once zealously professe so that it is in Doctrinals as in morals if you see a man that hath for many years wallowed in his lusts that hath been glewed to them so that he appeared Non tam peccator quam ipsum peccatum if this man through the grace of God be converted do contrary to all that once he did shall this man be derided because he will not be the same prophane person that once he hath been No God rather is to be glorified who made the prodigal that was lost to be found that was dead to live again Thirdly Although thus to increase in knowledge and light whereby we leave off doing the things we once did be thus a duty yet even such a change supposeth an imperfection in a man For were our understandings fully illuminated we should be able to see the truths of God at the very first light would not come in successively upon us and by degrees dispelling darknesse as we see the Sunne doth in the morning but it would be in its vertical point immediately Even as Photius reporteth out of an Historian Agatharcides that there are a people to whom the Sunne doth not appear by degrees as to us but it cometh suddenly and perfectly upon them out of the depth of darknesse It is true therefore our weaknesse and imperfection not that we come to know things better than we did or that we are changed but because we needed such an alteration We know but in part saith the Apostle 1 Corinth 13. putting himself into the number Hence
man but a damned man that desireth this oyl to be poured into his wounds 3. As it is a spiritual Salvation so it is an efficacious full salvation Hence he is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the abstract Salvation it self and we have an excellent Expression He is able to save those to the uttermost that come unto him Heb. 7. 25. He is not an half saviour he doth not save in part It is true this salvation is not in one instant perfected it is done by degrees the Lord doth not perfectly save us from the spot and blemish of our sinnes There is the guilt of sin the power of sin the filth of sin Now even in this life Christ doth save us perfectly from the guilt of sin so that Rom. 8. 1. There is no condemnation to those that are in Christ Jesus as also from the power of sin he delivereth us so that Sin shall not have dominion over us because we are under grace only for the presence of sin and the lusts thereof exciting and tempting these are left as the Jebusites in the land Christ could perfect his Salvation in one instant but for wise ends he doth it by degrees With him it is easie to save there is no difficulty in it Indeed this salvation is purchased upon hard termes he was willing to be in those Agonies and conflicts he was willing to dy that ignominous death that we might be saved so that he himself seemed to be lost a while that he might save us otherwise by his death he hath obtained a plentifull Salvation There are no sinnes too many or too great from which he cannot save It is true we meet with an expression 1 Pet. 4. 18. That the righteous are scarcely saved which some indeed apply to a temporal deliverance that they do hardly escape outward afflictions for the Apostle had formerly spoken that Judgment must begin at the house of God But if we apply it to the spiritual Salvation of a godly man then it is true even a godly man is scarcely saved Not that there is want or any defect in Christ not that his blood can difficulty do it but because the way to Salvation is so straight a way so contrary to flesh and blood and the Oppositions are so many to retard and divert that therefore he is hardly saved Were it not for the preserving Grace of God keeping of us when we do not keep our selves it is impossible that the most holy man should be saved Yet if we consider Christ himself the Saviour the godly soul may take so much encouragement from his Fulness and see more in him to save then can be with his sinnes yea if all the sinnes of the world were likewise upon his score to condemn and destroy him In the next place let us consider Who they are to whom he is a saviour For though he be a saviour yet it is not of all men the greater part not only of mankinde in the general but of such as are within the Church will be damned Therefore the Apostle distinguisheth mankinde into two sorts of persons 2 Cor. 3. 15. the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 such as are to be saved and such as are to perish not that this doth redound to the blame of any Decrees of God about the salvation of some men only or to the particularity of Christs death as if some had a desire and would have been saved but Christ would not save them but because in the men to perish their own sinnes do indispose them for salvation and they do wilfully and obstinately thrust it away far from them And then the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 they are such who by the meer grace of God are saved from Hell that would have been damned as well as others only the Grace of God did from the first to the last preserve them for this Blessedness In this sense it is Act. 2. 47. The Lord added to the Church such as should be saved Not that this word denoteth a present Disposition where by a man doth escape the sinnes of the world though all that are saved shall do that but the mercifull Grace of God pulling them out as he did Lot from Sodom for there it s said When he lingred the Lord being mercifull to him So it is here we are unwilling to come out of this Sodom unwilling to be delivered from our lusts and so are unwilling to be saved But God being mercifull to us by his omnipotent power he changeth our hearts and maketh us of refractory and unwilling ready and obedient Well then who are these saved ones A great Question and necessary For would it not be more than all the world to finde thy self one in the number of these saved ones when thousands and thousands shall perish in everlasting flames I shall not enlarge in this but give some brief Descriptions of them First It 's some of mankinde that he cometh to save not any of the Apostate Angels which doth infinitely commend the love of this Saviour to lost man The Apostle taketh notice of this aggravation Heb. 2. 16. For verily he took not upon him the nature of Angels Who would not have thought Christ would come rather to save lost Angels than lost men Angels are of more noble and excellent natures than men Angels if saved would have done God more service and brought him more glory than men We see if a learned if a great man in place and power be converted how much he may do for God beyond an inferiour man and then much more would a saved Angel have done than the most able men Yet such was the love of God that his only Son must come from his bosome to save lost man But Secondly It is not all lost men that he cometh to save but the humbled sinner the repenting and believing sinner He must be a sinner for if he were not so he needed not a Saviour hence he saith Matth. 9. 13. He came not to call the righteous but sinners to Repentance that is either such as thought themselves righteous that were presumptuously confident thereof or else as others those that are indeed righteous if any such could be Christ came not to them Hence this consideration of being a sinner is not to discourage thee is not to keep thee off from a saviour for if thou wert not a sinner thou didst not need a Saviour Who should come to a saviour but a sinner to the Physician but the sick Hence Paul comforted himself under this when he had been such a Persecutor and Blasphemer that Christ came to save sinners whereof he was chief 1 Tim. 1. 15. But I add it must be the humbled sinner the wounded sinner that feeleth himself perishing as the Disciples in the waters feeling themselves ready to sink cryed out Master save us we perish Matth. 8. 25. So it must be
free mercy of God The Apostate Angels have not the least promise of any good to them so that being without a promise they are in that respect altogether miserable but the Lord having a love to mankinde did freely and graciously make his promise of Christ and in him all blessednesse to those that are his Insomuch that the spring of all our happiness is Gods promise We cannot pleade any worthiness only thy promises Lord that we put thee in minde of which is like the rainbow when God beholdeth that he will not drown the world more and when God remembreth his covenant then he worketh all good for his people Thus when God would delay his help no longer but deliver his people groaning under their oppressions It is said God remembred his Covenant with Abraham Isaac and Jacob Exod. 2. 24. there was no natural necessity nor no morall necessity that could induce God to make these promises to us No naturall necessity for God is a free agent and so doth not as the Bee that necessarily maketh his honey God doth not necessarily communicate his goodnesse to us As God is a free agent so he is alsufficient he is perfect and blessed in himself he needeth not man he wanteth not his service and therefore he did not upon this account make any promise but it was his meer voluntary goodnesse Again there was no morall necessity that is there was no supposed worth or dignity in us for which it behoved God to make such promises He found nothing in us but matter of his displeasure and wrath to us all the threatnings in the Law did belong and not one promise Insomuch as the damned in hell have not any promise made to them they have not the least ground for any hope no not for a drop of water to releeve them in those scorching flames so it might be with every man if Gods grace did not interpose not any promise might have been made for thee to have the least dependance upon Thus you see Gods mercy alone to be the ground of all promises Fifthly Because God doth this out of his meer bounty make a promise of good things to us the fullfilling of them is not of debt to us but from his grace and verity And thus it differeth from the promises between man and man that are made in contracts or otherwise there a promise is made but upon some consideration or work done which is equivalent to the thing promised but it is otherwise with God he promiseth out of grace and fullfilleth it likewise out of grace Thus when God hath promised pardon to the humbled sinner and beleeving not only the promise but the actuall pardoning is of grace neither is God by his promise become a debtor to us as if God would be unjust if he did not bestow such a priviledge upon us but because as the Scripture saith he cannot lye or he cannot deny himself So that the reason why he maketh good his promises is not because we have any condignity in our selves to claim those things but because he is immutable and unchangeable so that upon this account he maketh good his promises even because he is God and cannot lye or change his minde Therefore Divines speak well of a twofold debitum about Gods promises debitum fidelitatis and debitum justitiae a debt of fidelity and a debt of justice When God maketh a promise of eternall life to a godly man he may urge God with his promise and there is a debt of fidelity whereby God hath engaged himself to do this but we cannot say God is a debtor to man hereby no he is a debtor as it were to himself he cannot go against his own word his truth will not suffer him to change but in no respect must we say he is a debtor to man reddis debita nulli debens it was said of old This is necessarily to be understood that so under all the promises of God made to us we may not look upon our selves but Gods promise only But then there is a debt of justice and righteousnesse and herein many Papists are proud and arrogant for they distinguish of Gods promises those that are for the first grace and those that are for the second and after grace They grant the promise of the first grace to be only from a debt of fidelity but then for the second grace they maintain a debt of justice Hence it is that they conclude that heaven and salvation though we have it by the promise of God yet it is by debt of justice and not meer grace Hence we reade of a dying Monk who blasphemously uttered these words Redde mihi Domine vitam aeternam quam debes sive velis sive nolis but a gracious heart cannot but tremble at such arrogancies It is true Paul calleth God a righteous Judge who will give him a crown of glory and he telleth the Hebrews that God is not unrighteous to forget their labour of love Heb. 6. 10. but righteousnesse is not here taken strictly for proper justice but for fidelity and faithfulnesse If God should not give heaven to his people who endure persecution for his Name sake he would go against his own nature he would deny his truth and so even cease to be God not that he would be unjust properly to man as if man by doing or suffering any thing for his sake did that which was equivalent to eternall glory We see the Apostle defying this 2 Cor. 4. 17. calling it but a light affliction and for a moment in respect of that eternall weight of glory And Aristotle observed that there cannot be justice or righteousnesse between us and the gods and our Parents for their is no equality and we owe all to them And as Durand well argueth it is so far from justice or righteousnesse that we may claim glory that the more grace God hath given us to prepare thereunto the more we are beholding to him and can the lesse pleade for our selves by how much the more we receive of his grace so that the more gracious acts we do we are so far from meriting that we are the more obliged to God Yet Sixthly Lest because all the promises of God are said to be fullfilled of his grace only and because all works of ours are rejected as causall and meritorious we should fall into Antinomianisin and fancy to our selves such absolute and irrespective promises that though abiding and wallowing in our sins yet we might think it lawfull to run to them as to a city of refuge and there to be delivered from the guilt of our sins we must know that the promises of God are of two sorts absolute and conditionall Absolute and such are the promises of God for the working of our first grace in us of conversion and taking away the heart of stone from us of which promise the Prophets Jeremiah and Ezechiet speak Though some will not allow those to be promises
without the promises He is the heir and therefore contrary to those in the Parable Let us not kill him but obey him and receive him for our Lord and then the inheritance will be ours Canst thou upon good grounds say Christ is mine then thou maist also say all the promises are mine but know Christ cannot be thine upon any other terms than by forsaking all thy sins though never so pleasant and profitable Christ cannot be thine unlesse you leave every thing else for him This is the pearl that we must sell all to make ours and truly no tongue is able to expresse or heart to conceive the desperate condition of those to whom no promise of grace doth belong they are herein like the damned in hell It is true in your extremities in your terrours you will call for mercy cry out for pardon but where is the Christ in whose name this is to be obtained Certainly if Christ be yours the spirit of Christ also subduing your lusts and sins for you SERM. CXXVIII The Promises give glory to God both as they are made by him and beleeved by us 2 COR. 1. 20. And in him amen unto the glory of God by us WE are now arrived at the finall cause or end of Gods promises and their confirmation in Christ which is said to be Gods glory and that by us The Ministers of the Gospel are the instruments who do offer these promises and so God is glorified by their ministerial labours Some copies indeed reade our glory 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 expounding it in this sence that it is the glory of the Ministers of the Gospel to proclaim the year of Jubilee the acceptable time of Gods promises but that is not so probable Some also as we have formerly hinted reade it thus and therefore in him is Amen to the glory of God Thus the Vulgar Latine and one Manuscript Greek copy which Calvin doth commend calling that connexion we have frigida a frigid and cold one whereas this doth notably discover the duty of all beleevers that they are to set to their Amen as a Seal to Gods Promises and certainly it is a blessed thing for the people of God to be nourished up in the Evangelicall Amen We do with more ease use the word Amen optatively Let it be so then confirmatively So it is For if we did give our Amen in this latter sence to the promises our hearts would have full quietnesse and serenity after our prayers when we had cast our burthen upon the Lord then we should no more disquiet our selves with doubting thoughts whether the Lord will fullfill his promises or no. So that this Amen would exclude all ergo's all arguings and doubtful disputations we are apt to molest our selves with Now although we shall not follow those copies that reade it so yet that sence must necessarily be included for then are promises to Gods glory when they are beleeved and received by us Let us then seriously consider the end of Gods promises why hath he taken such a full and sure way for beleevers The Text telleth us it is for the glory of God we would think the promises had this rather for their end to bring salvation to us and so indeed that is a subordinate end but the Apostle he instanceth in the principall and chiefest end of all which is Gods glory And therefore Chrysostome doth well observe upon this Text that this is a sure argument to prevail with God in our Petitions for the accomplishment of Gods promises for though he might neglect our salvation yet he will not his own glory saith he though thy happinesse be no argument yet his own honour will be a motive to prevail so that the words then afford this Observation That the promises of God are made on his part and are to be beleeved on our part to the glory of God When we beleeve Promises we do not only advantage our selves but we also glorifie God This is not sufficiently thought of for we are apt to look upon faith in a Promise as that which is for our comfort our profit only and do not attend that hereby also we do exceedingly glorifie God Hence Abraham is said Rom. 4. 20. to be strong in faith giving glory unto God That the usefulnesse of this doctrine may appear we will consider the Promises first on Gods part who promiseth them and shew how this maketh to the great glory of God and then on the beleevers part while he giveth his Amen to them And for the first Gods glory is exceedingly manifested in promises by these particularly First Hereby his bounty and goodnesse is made known The Lord as you heard formerly was infinitely sufficient in his own self Nothing can adde to the blessednesse of God no more than a feather can to the weight of a mountain Had God created no world or creatures therein he had been altogether happy in himself when he made the creatures It was not for that end that Eve was to Adam to be a meet help to him No it was his plentifull goodness for bonum quo melius eo magis diffusivum God is said indeed to make all things for himself he is the end of all but as Lessius the Jesuite expresseth it he is not finis indigentiae but assimilationis not an end of indigency as if he wanted any thing by us but an end of assimilation and perfection whereby he would reduce the rationall creatures to his own likenesse we may then with enlarged hearts admire the goodnesse of God in all his promises Hath the Lord promised to be gracious to pardon sin to sanctifie and subdue corruptions give glory to God in all these things Be like a David a sweet singer of the praises of God thou maist reade in every promise the glorious attribute of Gods goodnesse and bounty Secondly As we may see the glory of his goodnesse in promises so also the glory of his love We may there reade how great his affections are to us he layeth aside as it were his absolute Majesty his terrible greatnesse and condescendeth to deal with us in a way of promise he giveth us leave by this to have confident and familiar converse with him so that as it was the unspeakable love of God to become man for our sakes thus also it is to become in promise to us so that whereas the Majesty of God might affright us his commands and threatnings might amaze us Now his promises they give us encouragement and we are with Moses admitted as it were to speak to God face to face as one familiar friend to another he giveth us the key when he maketh a promise to come into his chamber of presence when we will or to go in his wine-cellar for all spirituall refreshments when you come with a promise you have a mandamus as it were for every door to open to you and to receive you in These promises
of God like Peters Angel doth break up all the strong bars of any prison we are in any difficulty we are afflicted with As Dalilah gathered Sampson loved her when he would manifest where his strength was so may we assure our selves of Gods love to us by revealing his promises oh if you bring the promises you binde the hands as it were of the Almighty he can do nothing against his promises when therefore any thoughts of Gods Majesty of Gods purity and holinesse may affright thee run to his promise and as the people of Israel when amazed under the terrible lightnings and thundrings at Gods presence in giving the Law cried out Let not God speak any more to us but Moses so do thou let not thy Majesty speak thy Justice speak thy Holinesse speak but thy Promise let that speak and we will hear Lastly The freenesse of Gods grace is made very glorious and resplendent in the promises of grace Free-grace is more than love or goodnesse and bounty for Adam while in the state of integrity had those but free-grace is only where a miserable and hopelesse sinner is Now to such an one belong only curses and threatnings when therefore in stead of a threatning like a roaring lion to devour thee thou meetest with a gracious promise to embrace thee this must needs rejoyce thy heart Go to the spring head of every promise and thou wilt finde it to be alone free-grace The Scripture useth these Arguments as equivalent to have a thing by grace to have it by a promise and to have it by faith for grace is the originall and fountain Promises are on Gods part the active and communicative means faith on our part is the receptive and applicative so that when we enjoy any mercy by Gods promise thereby is excluded all works and all boasting and thus God is altogether exalted and man debased Again if we come to the second particular there we shall see how that our Amen subscribed to the promises or our firm beleeving in them doth give glory to God and this is the more to be pressed because we are apt to have low thoughts of faith as we see in Popery where Charity is far preferred before it and withall to beleeve is accounted an easie thing Thus also the Papists charge us as if we made the way to heaven a broad way because we say they must beleeve that is the soul and life of all And further it is good to presse this because the people of God look upon faith as was hinted before only as their ease not as bringing any glory to God Hence though they never doubt whether they should repent of sinne or love God yet they do very much doubt about their duty of beleeving Now all this preposterousnesse ariseth from the want of consideration in this particular that Faith giveth glory to God as well as procureth mercies to our selves yea to beleeve in the promise is the great and signall eminent way of giving glory to God First because by beleeving in Gods promises we thereby proclaim our dependance upon him in all things that we live both spiritually and corporally upon him only so that faith in this consideration is the great duty of the first commandment That requireth us we should have no other Gods besides him Thus faith doth it taketh off from all supports of sence of second causes of all humane advancements and setleth us upon the promise of God alone Now must not this needs give glory to God when God alone is set up no creature no other help is looked upon This is that which maketh faith in the promises so difficult because it is so hard to be weaned from the breasts of the creature we know not how to swimme without these bladders Though we have ten thousand promises to support us yet one crosse providence doth more to unsettle us then all these promises to confirm and quiet us Some have observed that all the letters in the Name Jehovah are literae quiefcentes teaching us thereby to rest our souls alone upon him it may be that is too curious howsoever faith may be called the acquiescent or quietative grace therefore to beleeve in the promises is to give glory to God Secondly By beleeving in the promises we glorifie God because hereby we manifest him to be truth it self the supream and infallible truth Therefore the Scripture maketh the contrary to this a very hainous sinne highly dishonouring God as when it is said John 3. 33. He that receiveth the testimony of Christ which is by faith hath set to his seal that God is true Then on the contrary he that doth not receive it he setteth to his seal that God is a lyar Oh execrable blasphemy so much unbeleef is so much giving the lye to God and if this be so hainous a sinne then beleeving doth God as much honour And truly it must be unpardonable if we who do upon a mans promise rest our selves contented and never doubt of the performance especially when a just and honest man that we should not much rather rely upon God of whom the Scripture saith It is impossible he should lye Thirdly Herein doth beleeving in Gods promise so exceedingly glorifie God because it exalteth that Evangelicall way of our justification and salvation which God above all things purposed for his own glory The works of Creation are for the demonstration of Gods glory Whether we eat or drink we are to do all for the glory of God But the way of mans salvation is in a more signall and eminent manner ordered for Gods glory This is the mystery that hath astonished all the world This is that glorious truth which the Angels desire to search into more and more Now by faith this glory of God is published and acknowledged Take the despairing sinner look upon the damned in hell do they give God the glory of his grace and of his wisedom and mercy Do they with cordiall ravishments speak of the unsearchable riches of Gods grace in Christ No they cannot do it therefore the Beleever only is he who giveth God the glory due to him for all Gospel-wayes and all Evangelicall Priviledges Therefore hath God exalted Faith above all its fellow-graces because that above all graces doth give God the glory due to him Indeed in the state of Integrity their love of God had the preheminence as it shall also have in Heaven but in the state of grace there Faith hath the Excellency God hath taken off the royal Crown from that Vasthi and put it upon this Esther this despicable grace as it were and which hath no Pomp at all in it Only as it is said of Christ who being poor made many rich So this poor grace doth not onely enrich us but every way advanceth the Glory of God Insomuch that from the unbeleever God hath no more glory than if he had never sent his Sonne into the world No more
glory than if there were no promise no grace no mercy and pardon Let not then the People of God have low thoughts of Faith No thou dost more in beleeving and bâ—ingest more glory to God thereby than thou couldest do by all thy other obedience Shouldest thou mortifie sinne to thy desire Shouldest thou dye a Martyr for the Cause of God thou wouldest not so glorifie God as thou dost by beleeving I know this seemeth very Paradoxall to the humbled sinner I know he is difficultly perswaded that by trusting in God he doth thus glorifie God but if thou understandest the Scripture-way then thou wilt quickly see as to beleeve is the most difficult duty so it is the most consequentiall for Gods glory And indeed what have other Duties admirable in them that Faith it self in the Promise hath not in beleeving the understanding is mortified in beleeving the will is crucified in beleeving the Heart and Affections are martyred So that faith maketh a man to be offered up as an whole burnt-offering unto God Use of Instruction That the onely way to make a man live a joyfull life in himself and a glorifying life of God is by faith in the Promises This is that Faith by which a just man is said to live so that thy doubts thy fears thy unbeleeving thoughts these bring a dishonour to God these reproach the Gospel-way these obscure the honour of Christ Let then the godly soul take heed how it giveth way unto such temptations if your own consolation if the glory of God be dear unto you then bolt out unbeleef No wonder if the devil that is so great an enemy to the glory of God doth assault your souls most in this if he have broken down this part of the wall what legions of other sinnes may not he bring with them For this reason many Divines say Sola infidelit as damnat which is not to be understood as if other sinnes were not meritorious of damnation yea and did actually damn only that opposeth the Physician that would heal us that refuseth the atonement that is made for us Secondly As the Promises are thus to be improved for Gods glory by beleeving so also attend to another effect which the Scripture doth inferre from them and that is to cleanse our selves to be every day perfecting holinesse For so the Apostle notably exhorts us 2 Cor. 7. 1. Having these Promises let us cleanse our selves from all filthinesse of flesh and spirit Promises are no waies incentives to sinne or encouragements to evil works No but a strong antidote against them Neither is faith in them a light superficiall assent swimming upon the heart as a fowl in the water said Luther but as water calefied doth no more manifest its own coldnesse but the heat of the water so doth faith fermentate and leaven the whole soul of a man that humane things do not so much appear as divine things in him As the Apostle expresseth the energy of it when he said I no longer live but Christ in me and that life is by faith in the Son of God Gal. 2. 20. Thou then that sayest all thy trust is in the Promises thou hopest in them for mercy and pardon Are they cleansing Promises purifying Promises Do they perfect holinesse every day in thee through the fear of God SERM. CXXIX Our Settlement and establishment in the faith of the Promises is the gracious work of God alone 2 COR. 1. 21. Now he which establisheth us with you in Christ and hath anointed us is God THe Apostle having formerly spoken of his constancy and unchangeableness in the preaching of the Gospel lest this should be attributed to his own power he informeth them who is the fountain of this strength even God himself For the Apostle doth upon all occasions delight to exalt grace having experimentally found the mighty work of it upon his own soul Or we may make the coherence this The Apostle in the verse preceding spake of the certainty of Gods Promises in themselves they were in themselves Yea and Amen which is called certitudo objecti though some learned men think that it is not a proper expression Now in this Verse he cometh to the certitudo subjecti or to show whence it is that the children of God have this assured perswasion in their own hearts that they are true and constant whence it is that we are able to give our Amen as a note of confirmation to them and therefore in the words we may take notice of The blessed and happy Effect it self and that is 1. Confirmation he which stablisheth 2. The Subject of this us with you 3. The Object in whom in Christ 4. The efficient Cause of this is God 5. The Illustration of this Establishment by a threefold Similitude of anointing sealing and giving the earnest 6. By whom God doth this and that is by his Spirit as it followeth in the next verse So that in these two Verses is the proper seat of that excellent and precious Doctrine Which is The assuring and sealing of the Spirit of God that is given unto Believers But I begin with the First It is God that establisheth us 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 though we render it now yet some make it causal for he that stablisheth us c. and that seemeth more probable The Greek word is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which Varinus maketh the same with 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as if the Adjective 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 used by the Apostle 2 Pet. 1. 10. is made the same by Hesychius with 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that which cannot be shaken or altered this word is sometimes used of the Doctrine of Christ when that was confirmed and made sure by miracles or otherwise Mark 16. 20. Thus an oath is said to be the confirmation of the end of a strife Heb. 6. 16. or else of persons as here in the Text and Col. 2. 7. stablished in the Faith which being used passively denoteth that this strength and power we have cometh from God only That we of our selves are like reeds shaken with every winde It is the grace of God that maketh us pillars in his Church So that from the Text we may observe That our establishing and confirming in the faith of the promises is alone the gracious work of God Though the Promises be never so lovely and precious though never so profitable and necessary for us yet we are not able to rest our selves upon them but by the power of God strengthening us Our hearts do so quake and tremble with the consideration of our own sinnes and unworthiness that unless the Lord make it stedfast and immoveable we are tossed up and down like the leaves of a tree That it is God alone who doth thus preserve and confirm us is plain by that notable place 1 Pet. 5. 10. where the Apostle prayeth that God who had called them would make
exhorteth all that hope in God Psal 31. 24. To be of good courage and God shall strengthen their hearts Of all temptations none are so grievous to be born as those which arise from Gods withdrawing of himself and hiding of his face from us then we apprehend no promises do belong unto us then we question very principles and so are like a ship tossed in the Sea without Pilot or Anchor Therefore spiritual fortitude to withstand these strong assaults is above all required How many have sunk irrecoverably into this pit of destruction So that unlesse Gods power settle us unlesse that compose our hearts we can as well remove mountains as this sad and sainting spirit of ours Lay then fast hold on Christ thou canst not sink in these waters if his arm doth uphold thee Thus Timothy is exhorted To be strong in the grace that is in Jesus Christ 2 Tim. 2. 1. there is his duty to be strong but how must he come to have this strength It is by Jesus Christ you would think the exhortation were superfluous for why must I be strong if it be the grace of Christ that must enable me But the exhortation is usefull howsoever for hereby we are taught our duty as also to go out of our selves renouncing our own strength and laying the faster hold upon Christ himself To this purpose we have the like exhortation Ephes 6. 10. Finally my brethren be strong in the Lord and in the power of his might when he had before laid down several precepts then knowing how impotent and unable we are he saith Be strong in the Lord. Here you see what we are commanded but it is the power of his might that is his mighty power that must confirm us and where this is present then we wonder how we are carried through such temptations led through such wildernesses as we have been we stand and admire to see what red Seas we have gone thorow and how the waters have yeelded unto us Thus Paul I can doe all things through Christ that strengthens me Phil. 4. 13. Fourthly Divine hope doth exceedingly conduce to stablish the soul upon the promises as you heard from those admonitions of David to his soul Hope thou still in God Faith is carried out to the truth of God and hope to the mercy and power of God and therefore he that hopeth in God is got into the Ark while others float in the waters Heb. 6. 19. it is compared to the Anchor of the soul both sure and stedfast and which entereth within the vail By this we see that hope doth notably settle the soul Faith indeed and hope are two sisters and twins and look so like one another that we can hardly make the difference yet faith establisheth the soul upon the promises by apprehending them as present so that the soul is in as holy a manner secure as if it were already in Heaven But hope doth settle the soul on Gods promises as the things promised are future and to come For seeing between Gods promises and the accomplishment of them there happen so many crosse providences in appearance yea so many difficulties and seeming impossibilities are in the way we need some divine grace to overcome all these and that is hope compared excellently to an Anchor for as that doth fasten the ship which otherwise would be tossed up and down and in danger of splitting upon every Rock so the soul of the most godly man is tossed up and down with such sad temptations that did not this hope bear up the heart all would fail within us But this spiritual anchor exceedeth all material ones for this is sure and stedfast Sure so that no outward violence of storms can break it and stedfast in respect from within there is nothing without or within that can disanuâ—l this But then whereas other anchors are fastened into the earth this is in Heaven in God and invisible things A godly mans hope cannot be seen by the bodily eye Take heed then of weakning this grace of hope it 's an excellent corroborater of the soul staying it up with that glory which will be revealed hereafter Lastly Another habitual principle whereby God doth exceedingly establish the heart on the promises is Spiritual joy and heavenly consolations This is one great reason say Divines why Angels and Saints in Heaven are so confirmed in that estate that nothing can tempt them off from God they never will be weary of the presence of God even because they are filled with so much infinite delight and joy that they cannot desire any better thing than God Now the godly they have the beginnings of these consolations here upon earth for by the spirit of adoption they are so filled with joy and delight that all the world is no more than an husk unto them they look upon the world as a wildernesse and Heaven as the Canaan So that spiritual consolations when wrought in the soul are like a mighty pillar to bear up the heart Hence the Apostle prayeth 2 Thes 2. 17. That God would comfort their hearts and stablish them First Comfort and then establish How hardly is the heart dejected and full of despondent thoughts established But comfort and joy is oil to the wheels Thus Nehemiah spake Neh. 8. 10. Be not ye sorry for the joy of the Lord is your strength So much sinfull grief as thou lettest in it is like the letting in of waters at some leak in the ship it may sink the ship at last Blesse God therefore for any gladnesse of heart for any consolations of soul through the Spirit of God these support the soul these make it rejoyce in the midst of all afflictions It is true sometimes the people of God for wise and holy ends are deprived of them but when they are vouchsafed they come like pleasant gales of winde to carry the ship to its Haven In the next place As God doth positively establish by these habitual principles so also by the actual motions of his Spirit upon us There is not only habitual grace but efficacious grace whereby the Lord worketh in us both to will and to do How many times do the principles of grace like Christ in the ship lie asleep in us insomuch that till they be awakened we are in danger of shipwrack Therefore when the Apostle exhorteth us To work out our salvation with fear and trembling Phil. 2. 13. he giveth a wonderfull reason for it 's God that worketh in you to will and to do and that of his good pleasure So that the confirming power of God lieth chiefly in this in actuating those habitual principles within us whereby we depend upon God continually as the beams of the Sun do upon the Sun This Doctrine Pelagians and Papists cannot relish but certainly if God come not with efficacious actual help as well as habitual the instances of the fals of Gods people in all ages will palpably declare they are undone
if you ask Have all the sanctified persons of God this sealing Have none the sanctification of the Spirit but they must also have the witnessing of the Spirit I answer this Question because of great practical importance shall God assisting be handled by it self after the description hath been explained That which I shall here take notice of is That sanctification is necessarily presupposed to this sealing A great Prince will not set his seal to dung to make an impression there neither will God to an heart unsanctified For as in matter of Doctrine God will not vouchsafe miracles to confirm that which is a lie neither in practicals will the Spirit of God witnesse to that heart which is not made holy For indeed it should witnesse a lie in such a case informing such they are the sonnes of God when indeed they are the children of the Devil This order of Gods Spirits first sanctifying and then sealing is clear Ephes 1. 13. In whom after ye believed ye were sealed Those eminent Divines who defined faith to be assurance making it the same with the sealing of Gods spirit are gravelled at this Text and therefore make this Objection If faith be assurance be the sealing how doth the Text say After we believed we were sealed To this therefore Piscator answereth not yeelding that the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 should be rendred Having beleeved as of a thing past but beleeving as in the present but there is too much forcing in this interpretation Others they consider of faith as it hath two parts Illumination of minde and fiducial assurance Now say they the Apostle meaneth by faith the former work of faith and so the meaning is After you were enlightned to know the truth you were confirmed and assured but that opinion making faith justifying to be an assurance that Christ is mine is justly refused It is plain then that when the Spirit of God hath in order of nature for in time they may be both together sanctified a man throughout whereby he is made a new creature then the Spirit of God maketh this glorious stamp upon him then he giveth him this seal as an honourable priviledge whereby he may know himself to be the Lords Even as in antiquity none might have seals but persons of honour and dignity So that the natural and unregenerate person is to stand aloof off thou hast nothing to do in this priviledge thou art not the man whom the great King of Heaven and earth doth purpose thus to honour We proceed in the Description and there we meet with the formal Nature of it wherein it doth essentially consist with the object thereof The Nature of it is In confirming and establishing the heart of a man For this is the chief and usual end of seals to ratifie a thing and to make it no longer uncertain and doubtfull And to this property doth the Scripture chiefly attend For whereas the soul though sanctified is apt to be in daily fears and doubts about Gods favour and grace towards it it fluctuateth up and down having no subsistency the Spirit of God cometh and consolidateth the soul inabling it to rest satisfied in this that God is his God that his sinnes are pardoned that he is become a reconciled Father in Christ And if you say Why do we not need the Spirit of God to do this Cannot we by our graces by our repentance and holy life sufficiently establish our own souls in peace No by no means we need the Spirit of God to comfort as you heard as well as to sanctifie and that for these Reasons First It is very hard for a man whose guilty conscience doth presse him and condemn him daily telling him that he hath deserved at Gods hands to be eternally tormented in hell not to thinke because God may doe thus that therefore he will do so In such terrours and affrights we look more to what we have deserved we look more to what God may do then what he will we are naturally suspicious and think the worst of God even as we doe to man If we have offended a man greatly and it lieth in his power to undo us we are never quiet we cannot but think when ever the opportunity is he will be avenged and therefore we dare not trust him Yea though we have given no just cause if others have taken up an unkind spirit towards us we expect nothing else from them but our ruine when it is in their power Therefore for all Saul's tears and good works to David yet he would never trust him Now although there be no cause for us to have such suspicious thoughts about God for he hath graciously promised that he will receive us insomuch as not to believe him herein is to give more credit to a man whose words many times satisfie us than to God who is truth it self yet the heart being guilty and full of fears doth work in this doubtfull manner about God How hard is it to bring the afflicted sinner to good perswasions about God and that though by promises and other wayes God hath so abundantly provided against such distrust Here then is the reason why we need the sealing of Gods Spirit we cannot perswade our selves but God will doe what he may do and what we have deserved And A second Reason followeth upon the former We can hardly be perswaded that the great and good things which we stand in need of God will ever bestow upon us who are so unworthy of them Can a beggars daughter be perswaded that a great King will marry her But here is a farre greater disproportion What will the great God of Heaven so holy so full of majesty look graciously upon me and not only forgive me my sinnes but advance me to eternal glory These things are very improbable Shall Joseph be freed not only from the prison but promoted to the greatest honour in the Land next to the King Who would have believed it And thus it is here the soul having low and humble thoughts of it self cannot be perswaded that the great God of Heaven will look upon such despicable wretches as they are 3. The way of evangelical confidence with the comfortable effects thereof are wholly supernatural And therefore no wonder if we need the Spirit of God to help us therein Not only holinesse and grace is supernatural but assurance and joy are likewise supernatural As we cannot pray without the Spirit helping our infirmities so neither are we able to call God Father If faith in Christ by which we are justified be supernatural then also is the comfort and peace flowing from the knowledge thereof As the Doctrine of the Gospel is by divine revelation flesh and blood hath not revealed this unto us that Christ is the Sonne of God so neither can flesh and blood enable us to the perswasion of this Mediator as loving me and giving himself for me Certainly if it be the gift of
true but because it is the spirit that doth apply the promises to the soul and make us assured of them as he is called the holy spirit because he is the authour of holinesse But then Eph. 4. 30. there we are said to be sealed by the spirit denoting the spirit of God to be the efficient cause of it So that it is a blasphemous wresting of the Scripture by a Socinian when by the holy Ghost thus sealing unto us is saith he Smal. disp de promisso spiritus sancti meant no more than a sure hope of eternal life He denieth the holy Ghost to be God and a Person it is only saith he a sure hope within us but this is to confound this effect with the cause faith and love and hope are the effects of Gods Spirit they are not the spirit it self So that from hence viz. because the spirit of God doth seal us we may gather a sure argument that he is truly God for the spirit is said to confirm us and God is said to confirm us whereby it is implyed that to confirm our hearts is a divine operation as well as to sanctifie it It is true how the spirit of God is God and how it proceedeth from the Father and Sonne cannot be comprehended by reason It is enough that by faith we are to beleeve so for no wonder the doctrine of the Trinity is inexplicable seeing the nature of God is ineffable To this purpose Austin having discoursed about the Trinity concludeth that he perceived only he had spoken something of God Si autem dixi non est hoc quod dicere volui hoc unde scio nisi quia Deus ineffabilis est Quod autem a me dictum est si ineffabile esset non esset dictum ac per hoc ne ineffabilis quidem dicendus est Deus quia hoc cum dicitur aliquid dicitur fit nescio quae pugna verborum quoniam si illud est ineffabile quod dici non potest non est ineffabile quod velut ineffabile dici potest De Doctrinâ Christianâ lib. 1. But that by the way Lastly Here is the subject wherein and that is said to be in our hearts So that as God doth write his Law in our hearts Thus he doth also infuse his comfort and assurance which doth demonstrate the soveraign power of God over our hearts he can make them holy when he pleaseth he can comfort them when he pleaseth No Potentate in the world can do thus That heart of thine which is not in thy own power which no man can tame the grace of God can tame it that heart which thou desirest may be filled with holinesse and consolation God alone can do it The Observation is That grace wrought in the heart is a sure earnest of glory hereafter He that is holy here must needs be happy hereafter If thou canst finde grace in thy soul thou hast found the Pearl thou maist rejoyce not doubting but heaven will be thine hereafter The people of God are not only to look upon grace as grace but as it is an earnest of a greater happinesse yet how often do the children of God consider it without thiis respect what courage joy and holy boldnesse would it work in thee to think thou hast within thee that which assureth of eternal glory as if thou wert already in heaven This is a reviving truth that grace is an earnest of glory thou mindest grace as it subdueth thy corruptions as it maketh thy heart to be carried out more holily and delightsomely to God but then thou dost not attend to it as an earnest There is a great deal of difference between a shilling as a single peece of money and as an earnest it may be of twenty pound more to come Thus it is very much rejoycing to finde grace at all in thy soul as it is grace but it doth much more rejoyce as it is an earnest of more fulnesse Adam had grace the angels had grace but grace was not given them as part of an inheritance for they fell from it Let us consider two Texts of Scriptures where we have this earnest spoken of The first is by our Apostle in this Epistle cap. 5. 5. Now he that hath wrought us for the self same thing is God who also hath given unto us the earnest of his spirit What is that self same thing he speaketh of it is a groaning and an earnest desire after immortality we would gladly be out of this burden here and in heaven yea as we groan and desire so we are assured and know that when we shall dye we shall go to heaven But now because these are things far above the power of nature we naturally are afraid of death we are unwilling to be taken from our relations we have not such assurance of heaven Therefore saith the Apostle He that doth work us frame and polish us for this great thing it is God We could never do it without his supernatural assistance But then how doth God work this admirable frame of heart it is by the earnest of his spirit we have the beginnings of heaven already So that as the Israelites by the bunches of raisons had some foretast of Canaan so have beleevers some taste of heaven by what they feel already and as Moses from Mount Pisgah could behold Canaan though he did not enter into it thus thou hast a sight of heaven and an entrance into it by the grace begun in thee The other Text is Eph. 1. 14. where the Apostle having said That we were sealed by the spirit of promise he addeth which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession We are not yet brought into heaven into Canaan We are yet in the wildernesse we meet with many dangers and temptations threatning us that we shall never come there but only this earnest doth assure us and satisfie us So that as among the Israelites an inheritance was not to be alienated from the Tribe in the year of Jubilee it would return again to the true owner Thus this inheritance of heaven will never be taken from thee Thou maist be in some dangers and fears of losing of it by thy unwise carriage but shalt not be deprived of it Before we enlarge on this subject it is good to take notice of the dissimilitude as well as the similitude for though grace wrought in us be compared to an earnest in this respect as it doth assure us of future glory yet in other respects it greatly differeth from earnest among men As in the first place An earnest in bargains is to assure the buyer that giveth it as well as the seller they mutually hereby are confirmed so that the buyer cannot honestly fly off any more than the seller But now when the spirit of God worketh this earnest in us it is only for our good it is that we may be assured and
confirmed As for God he doth it not to assure himself of us but that we may be assured of him Indeed by consequent this assureth us to God for having this earnest we are preserved from Apostacy but the chief end is to confirm our faith in God that we may be able with Paul to triumph because nothing shall separate us from the love of God in Christ It is then Gods gracious goodnesse to condescend to us he knoweth our temper and our temptations he seeth how one doubt ariseth up after another he taketh notice how apt we are to perplex our selves about the future and therefore he giveth us this earnest not for his own security but ours This is more than his meer promise therefore the Civilians define an earnest to be a reall security in opposition to that which is verball or conventionall only Gods promise is enough to secure us but because we walk much according to sense therefore he doth indulge thus farre as to work in us while in this valley of tears the beginnings of eternall glory hereafter In which respect we are already said to sit down with Christ in heavenly places Eph. 2. 6. and certainly if to a godly mans sence and experience the foretasting of heaven be so great and refreshing what is heaven it self If an earnest be so wonderfull a matter what is the possession and inheritance it self Secondly This heavenly earnest differeth from a worldly one because amongst men this is done in a commutative way of justice There is a strict equality between the payment to be made of which the earnest is part and the thing purchased thereby So that in humane contracts an earnest is given as part of that payment which is equivalent to the thing purchased thereby So that this whole way of commerce belongs to the common place of justice Thus those who write de Jure and justitia do under that treat De pignoribus hypothesis but alas in this earnest God giveth us here is no bargain here is no justice all is of free-grace God doth bestow both the earnest and the whole sum as it were hereafter upon us freely Both grace here and glory hereafter do alone proceed from the sole bounty and free-love of God Insomuch that the childe of God is both begotten nourished and perfected by free-grace alone Thirdly There is another dissimilitude flowing from the former for he who giveth an earnest intending thereby a full payment for something he would have doth thereby purpose to advantage himself He would not give an earnest but because he needeth the thing he buyeth and thereupon would profit himself but it is farre otherwise with God and us in this respect God giveth us not this earnest this grace no nor glory hereafter because he needeth us but it is only for our good and consolation It is true that Christ gave no lesse than his own blood as a price to purchase us for a people to himself But why was this Was this to advantage himself Was it such purchasings as when men buy houses and lands to inrich themselves and their posterity No but only to do us good thereby So that herein is the goodnesse of God exceedingly commended unto us that both the purchasing of us and giving us an earnest to secure us of future glory all is from his own munificence In all this we are unprofitable and uselesse as to him Lastly Here is this dissimilitude and that is a great one Amongst men when the earnest is given yet there is sometimes upon a just cause and more often upon unjust grounds a breaking of the bargain They will lose the earnest rather than pay the whole sum So that the Casuists dispute to whom the earnest in conscience belongs if the covenant be not made good Thus because man is a lyar and deceitfull an earnest is not such security that we may absolutely depend upon it Men are mutable and are apt to break their engagements but it is farre otherwise in this particular God that hath given the earnest is not as man to repent and to change his minde No this is given us on purpose to assure us that he will never alter and if it be said though God doth not alter yet we may We may abuse this earnest yea we may lose it all which the Arminians pleade It is more fully to be cleared that this earnest is to assure not only God to us but us to God whereby he will so preserve us that nothing shall deprive us of eternal glory SERM. CXXXIX What is implyed in Gods giving us the earnest of his Spirit 2 COR. 1. 22. Who hath also given the earnest of the Spirit in our hearts THe Spirit of God with the graces thereof as we have heard received and perceived by a beleever are a sure earnest of future glory In the handling of which hitherto we have only treated of the dissimilitude that is between this heavenly earnest and an earnest amongst men our work is now to shew positively wherein the resemblance doth consist or what is comprehended in this metaphorical expression And First Hereby is declared Gods will and infallible purpose to bring us unto eternal glory of which this grace received is an earnest For as you heard it is not grace as grace but grace as an earnest that doth deserve an accent as it were upon it The emphasis lieth in this So that by these beginnings of Gods Spirit upon me I may unquestionably conclude my future glory And this Chrysostome upon the place doth well observe He doth not saith he singly and barely call it the spirit but an earnest 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that from this thou maist have boldnesse and confidence upon the whole for if he did not intend to give thee all saith he he would not have given thee this earnest in vain and so as to lose it Thus Macarius also an holy Writer from this similitude gathereth that such who have this earnest may rejoyce and be as confident as if they were already crowned with glory and reigning in heaven Homil. 17. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 oh then the unspeakable happinesse of such who do finde this earnest in their hearts God would be found unfaithful and to break his promise if as he hath begun so he should not also finish this work of grace in thee So that the Arminian exception is very frivolous and absurd saying It is true this is an earnest but we may lose it We may fall into such sinnes as shall wholly cast us out of the favour of God for this earnest is given us on purpose to assure us that God will so preserve us and by his grace so guide us that we shall never fall out of this ark into the waters What comfort and encouragement were in this expression if it did denote no more then a conditional security No it is a positive and absolute security Therefore that learned Vossius was
some by election also and that there are persevering sons and apostatizing wherein election maketh the difference which opinion some attribute to Austin is wholly inconsistent with Scripture and Austin himself in other places if that were his opinion The godly then are to look upon the grace of God wrought in them as the effect of Gods immutable and unchangeable love which will certainly obtain its end Secondly Their certainty of salvation and so of perseverance therein is built upon the many promises of God which are made to this very end as that famous one Jer. 32. 40. I will make an everlasting covenant with them that I will not turn away from them to do them good but will put my fear in their hearts that they shall not depart from me What can be more pregnant than this God covenants he will not turn from them and withall to put such fear in their hearts that they shall not turn from him So also Phil. 1. 6. being confident of this very thing that he who hath begun a good work in you will also finish it His confidence was not in them for alas we should prove the prodigals and lose all but it is in Gods grace and that because he had begun for none shall say of him he began to build and could not finish So that the wisedom mercy and glory of God is interested in our perseverance and indeed if our sinnes should hinder him from continuance of his grace why did they not from the beginning at first were we not then objects of his displeasure So that in our conversion the greatest work was done then we had as Chrysostome saith upon the place the beginning and root of what was to come Lastly The union that is between Christ and a beleever being indissoluble doth necessarily infer the certainty of his salvation a member of Christs body shall not be taken from him and thrown into hell for from this union as their bodies shall necessarily rise to glory so their souls also shall be prepared for the same SERM. CXL Of Swearing 2 COR. 1. 23. Moreover I call God to record upon my soul that to spare you I came not as yet to Corinth THe Apostle having made a short but happy and admirable digression occasioned from his discourse vers 17. about the calumny of levity and carnal reasonings and motives concerning his promise to come to them doth in this verse return to that matter again plainly informing of them that it was not any inconstancy or carnal respect in himself that made him delay his coming but the fault was wholly in themselves they were not yet prepared for his coming which for the greater confirmation and authority he doth attest with a solemn and sacred Oath It is true Chrysostome doth beginne the second Chapter at this Text and so the Syriack Yea Beza saith We ought to beginne the second Chapter here In which respect Calvin and Musculus comment upon it accordingly but the matter is not worth a contest In the words you may observe 1. An Oath And 2. The Matter of an Oath 1. The Oath is a very compleat and perfect one I call God to witnesse upon my soul Of the Oath first As for Pelagians and others who affirm an Oath to be unlawfull under the Gospel at least and that in these or the like expressions Paul doth not swear because he doth not use the Preposition per or by or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the Greek it 's an absurdity afterwards to be refelled The Oath in the Text is an Assertory Oath wherein God is expresly called upon as a witnesse and withall an Execration is added Upon my soul that is Let God damn my soul if it be not true he doth not mention his soul as part of the Oath as if that were a witnesse as well as God but he mentioneth it as a pawn or pledge and so it is lawfull to name some creatures that we love or are dear to us in an oath not that we may swear by them but as pledges So that this Oath is both Assertory and Execratory not that these make two distinct kindes of Oaths for one doth necessarily imply the other He that calleth upon God as a Witnesse doth thereby imply him a Judge and an Avenger if he swear falsly Onely I call it an Execratory Oath as well as an Assertory because the Execration is mentioned whereas for the most part in Oaths it is not expressed If you say What reason or urgent necessity was here for Paul thus to make such a deliberate and solemn Oath I answer Very great The adversaries of Paul did accuse him and traduce him for a vain and inconstant person which hereby did redound to the dishonour of the Ministry the hinderance of the Gospel the destruction of Christs Church therefore it was necessary for him to take this Oath That no carnal motive made him delay his promise but a wise and spiritual consideration of their good Thus at another time speaking of his earnest affections to his brethren after the flesh Rom. 9. 1. he sweareth after this manner I speake the truth in Christ I lie not my conscience also bearing witnesse in the Holy Ghost So in this Epistle again 2 Corinth 11. 20. As the truth of Christ is in me Rom. 1. 9. For God is my witnesse that I make mention of you alwayes in my prayers Gal. 1. 20. The things that I write unto you behold before God I lie not Thus you see by many instances the holy Apostle making use of an Oath but alwayes upon necessary occasions for Gods glory and the edification of others From whence observe That it is lawfull even under the Gospel to swear after a right and godly manner upon necessary and urgent occasions I say under the Gospel for some have granted it lawfull under the Old Testament as they say to circumcise to sacrifice was but under the Gospel they hold it absolutely forbidden So that the handling of this truth about swearing or a lawfull oath is of great importance both for doctrinal information against Pelagians Socinians some Anabaptists who hold it unlawfull under the Gospel As also of direction to know wherein an Oath doth consist and whether many formes used commonly by people are oaths or no. And then withall it is of great practical use if possible to remove that ungodly and wicked custome of ordinary swearing without any due consideration of the nature of an oath For how general and epidemical is this sinne Old and young yea little children can swear as soon as speake rich and poore yea men glory in their oaths and deride at the strictnesse of such who will be so precise as to abstaine from them They looke upon oathes as the glory of their speech and becoming a Gentleman But Solomon's description of a godly man will abide good when such prophane miscreants shall lie for ever roaring in hell
to be known ibid. All are not of equal necessity ibid. A latitude to be granted in the application of them 60 Of the twofold form of the Church internal and external ib. The marks of the visible not to be confounded with the properties of the invisible Church 61 Why Paul writeth to the Church and not to the Churches of Corinth 63 A Church is Gods people in a more peculiar manner 64 Seven things implied in the Churches being said to be of God 64 65 66 67 A Church sometimes gathered amongst the most prophane people 69 A Church may be a true one though defiled with many corruptions 70 Three propositions clearing it 73 Three reasons demonstrating it 76 What corruptions were in the Church of Corinth 71 72 The soundnesse and purity of a Church admits of degrees 73 The Church of God as 't is a Church doth farre surpasse all civil societies and temporal dignities 77 Three propositions clearing it 78 79 The grounds of it 79 80 'T is hard for Churches to keep within their proper bounds about Church administrations 80 'T is a Ministers duty by all lawfull means to promote the Church he is related to 81 All that are in the Church are Saints by profession 83 What is comprehended under Church-Saintship 84 85 All Saints ought to joyn themselves to Church communion 91 Yet some causes may excuse them 91 92 What are those sinfull grounds why many do not joyn themselves to Church communion 93 94 The best Churches changeable in their affections to their guides 464 Propositions clearing it 464 465 The causes of it 466 467 The Church esteems many things which the world despises 31 32 Church-officers Church-officers appointed by Christ as the head 28 Propositions clearing it 29 30 Two things Church-officers are to take heed of pride and idlenesse 30 31 How it concerns Church-officers to agree in matters of Religion 46 Three propositions clearing it 46 47 Three things conducing to that happy agreement 47 48 Comfort God a God of all Comfort to his 148 What is implied in that expression 149 What in the word Comfort 150 151 Propositions about the Comforts of God 152 It is so to be managed as to be made an antidote against despair and yet a curb to presumption ib. Comfort not to be judged of without Scripture-light 153 God actually Comforts his people 157 How God comforts his people 158 159 160 God a God of Comfort only to believers 161 Six propositions clearing the truth 162 163 164 165 God Comforts his people in all afflictions 166 167 No Philosophers ever had the true art or grounds of Comfort 169 God Comforts onely by the Scriptures 170 What are the grounds of Comfort in Scripture 171 172 173 How God is said to Comfort his people in all their afflictions notwithstanding they are oft disconsolate 174 175 176 177 Comfort not absolutely necessary to salvation 175 These only are fit to Comfort others who have the experimental work of Gods grace upon their own hearts 182 Four propositions clearing it 182 183 184 Four reasons confirming it 184 185 186 It is a special duty to Comfort the afflicted 187 Propositions clearing it 187 188 189 190 Two things required to the Comforting others in a right manner 190 191 The same grounds of Comforts which revive one may revive another also 191 What are the general grounds of Comfort in afflictions 192 193 Reasons of it 193 194 195 Our Comforts are and abound by Christ 209 210 How Christ makes our Comforts to abound in our sufferings for his sake 210 211 212 God commonly proportions our comforts to our sufferings 214 And sometimes makes them to exceed 215 The reasons of it 216 217 Why God often denies Comfort in trouble 217 218 Our Comfort is promoted by others suffering for Christ 223 224 225 226 227 'T is universal holiness that is the ground of Comfort 443 Communion Two sorts of Communion 251 Communion with the sufferers for Christ a good way to interest us in their glory ibid. Confidence self-confidence Self confidence a great sin 302 Propositions clearing the nature of Self confidence 302 303 304 A godly man sometimes guilty of it 309 310 Of the sinfulnesse of it 313 314 315 Confirme vide Establish Conscience Of the Conscience 384 The witness of a good Conscience a great ground of comfort 385 What is required to a good Conscience 385 386 387 388 389 How the Spirit witnesses with our Consciences 389 What are those effects of the Spirit by which our Consciences are rightly guided in witnessing to us 390 391 Distinctions concerning Conscience and its testimonies 392 393 Consolation vide Comfort Conversation Of a twofold Conversation 443 What is required to a good Conversation 445 446 Conversion A great deal of difference in the persons the Converted 42 And in the manner of their Conversion 43 The reasons of both 44 Corinth Of the City Corinth 68 D Day CHrist hath a solemn Day wherein great changes will be made 479 Wherein these great changes will be 479 480 481 482 c. Dead Of Gods raising the Dead 326 What it implies 328 329 Death The natural fear of Death not removed by grace 284 Propositions clearing it 285 286 Of what use the natural fear of Death is 286 There is a natural fear of Death in all though in some more in some lesse 288 When the fear of Death is sinfull 289 290 291 Deliverance Deliverance both temporal and spiritual from God 341 342 Despair Whence Despair arises 352 Dispensation All Gods Dispensations further the salvation of his people 242 c. Two sorts of Dispensations which conduce to that end 244 Vide Administrations E Earnest GRace the Earnest of glory 651 How grace and an Earnest differ 652 653 What is implied in the Earnest of Gods Spirit 654 655 656 They who have the Earnest of the Spirit cannot fall away 657 658 Education Education not to be rested upon 44 45 Ends. What are these inferiour Ends interposing betwixt God and us which we are apt to look upon 416 417 Enjoyments Temporal Enjoyments as well as spiritual mercies are the gift of God 369 Propositions clearing it 370 371 372 Reasons for it 373 Establish Wherein the Establishing worke of Gods grace lieth 607 608 609 610 611 612 Arguments proving all Establishing to be from God 613 The most eminent need Establishment as well as the weâ—kest 614 Demonstrations of it 615 616 617 'T is in Christ alone that we are Established 617 618 Reasons why we cannot Establish our selves 636 637 Experience Experience in former should encourage to trust in God for future mercies 345 Propositions clearing it 346 347 F Faith OF the different judgements which Faith and flesh put upon afflictions 274 c. The division of Faith as to the object 638 Whether in Faith and by Faith be oaths 665 Ministers have no power over a Christians Faith 684 A Christians Faith relates onely to God 694 Propositions clearing it 696 697 Father
Because perhaps by our sins we have deserved it 3. God often denies comforts for the that they may be the more welcome when they come 4. And often to try whether my obedience be pure 5. To teach us how we are beholding to Christ 6. Whensoever it is necessary we are sure to have it The afflictions we suffer for Christ are not only for our own but for the Churches good The sufferings of Christ of two sorts 1. In his Person 2. In his members Propositions clearing the truth 1. The sufferings of Saints for the good of the Church are still to be distinguished from Christs sufferings How Christian Martyrs sufferings differ 1. His death was not only a Martyrdom but a propitiation 2. In the efficacy 2. Our sufferings for the Churches good are not meritorious either for our selves or others 3. That our sufferings turn to others good is not from themselves but from the power and grace of God 4. Hence we may admire the wisdom power and goodness of God turning our enemies wicked intentions unto our good What is the general good promoted by the Churches sufferings 1. The glory of God Christ and believers 2. The propagation and enlargement of the Gospel Sufferings for Christ help much our comfort and salvation 1. The sufferings of others work good only occasionally not efficiently or meritoriously 2. Hence we may bewail the superstiâ—ion of the Church about the Martyrs 3. The sufferers for Christ may encourage us but we are to be sure they are indeed the sufferers for Christ How the afflictions of others for Christ work our comfort and salvation 1. Hereby we shall have greater assurance of these divine truths for which they suffer 2. Hence we may be encouraged to trust in God and depend upon him to enable us also if he should call us thereunto 3. Hereby we may take occasion to rejoyce in God as enabling them and as having promised to do so to us 4. Hence we may inform our selves they were in earnest and real for Christ 5. Hence we may learn to mortifie our hearts to the world The salvation of believers is promoted by their sufferings for Christ How sufferings advance our salvation 1. They help to make us mourn for sin and turn to God 2. They inform us more of God and Christ of his grace and power then we knew before 3. These afflictsons quicken us to more grace 4. Because of the glorious promises which are made to such Sufferings not barely in themselves but as improved by patience conduce to our salvation Humane Philosophers agreed in the commending of patience What goeth to the producing of patience 1. The efficient cause is God 2. The word of God is the instrumental cause 3. Afflictions they also work patience 4. God and Christ are the exemplary cause Motives to patience 1. We should consider and be affected with what we have deserved 2. Consider Gods great goodness in changing the nature of thy afflictions 3. Consider that God will be with thee 4. Consider what good will redound to thee by thy afflictions 1. What spiritual good 2. Eternal 5. Consider by patience thou maist promote the good of others A two-sold salvation temporal and spiritual Spiritual salvation is either inchoate or consummate God doth by all his dispensations carry on and further the salvation of his people What this salvation doth imply 1. It is Negative 2. Positive Two sorts of dispensations from God which further the salvation of a believer 1. The direct means appointed by God for this end 2. The occasional means as 1. Their sins 2. Their afflictions What is that hope and perswasion which Paul had of other men A two-fold hope Divine and Moral What is the Divine hope What Moral hope is 'T is a great encouragement to the Ministers of God to have good grounds for the hope of grace and stedfastnesse in their people What things they were which made Paul hope so well of the Corinthians 1. Their amendment and repentance by his former Epistle 2. Their setting up that good and holy order which was thrown down 3. Because they did communicate with Paul in a patient suffering for Christ A double communion 1. In what is evil 2. In what is good The communion with those who suffer for Christ is a fair way to their joy and glory 1. A two-fold communion with the afflicted 1. When a man living in peace and quietness himself yet is affected with their sufferings 2. When a man is cast into the same outward condition 2. It is as glorious and acceptable to be a companion to sufferers as to suffer Reasons why partaking with the Saints afflictions doth interest us in their glory 1. This demonstrates our faith in Christ to be upon spiritual grounds 2. Because this is suffering for Christ Of the compellation which Paul useth brethren Of the expression I would not have you ignorant 'T is of great use to know the afflictions of those who suffer for Christs sake Reasons 1. Hereby we shall be more provoked to pray for them 2. Hereby they will be more encouraged to bless God when they are delivered 3. Hereby we may learn patience zeal and heavenly mindedness and other graces Qu. What use is to be made of preaching about such afflictions which Paul and other Christians suffered from Heathens Answ 1. Answ 2. Answ 3. Answ 4. Answ 5. The faithfull Ministers of the Gospel are sure to meet with opposition from the world Two sorts which oppose the truth and wayes of Christ 1. Such as take the true Religion to be blasphemy and idolatry or superstition the true service of God 2. Such who professe religion meerly because it suits with their carnal interests Hence the Ministers of the Gospel are not only opposed to those who are without but by some within the Church Who are they which profess Religion meerly for carnal ends 1. Such as live in their lusts 2. Such as intend to advance themselves by it More characters of such who professe Religion only upon worldly respects 1. Such who in time of temptations prove adversaries to the Gospel and Ministry of it 2. Such as maintain doctrines which overthrow the foundation of Religion 3. Such as make parties and factions in the Church 4. Such who make use of the Doctrine of the Gospel only to shew their parts and learning 5. Such as do not own Religion upon divine principles and holy motives How the afflictions of the godly may be called heavy and yet light Godly men judge otherwise of their afflictions from sense and flesh then from grace and reason Propositions clearing the truth There are two selves in every regenerate man 2. These two selfs oppose one another 3. Hence 't is good to observe from which of those principles our actions proceed How we may know when faith and when flesh speaketh in our afflictions 1. Flesh argues from afflictions that God hath forsaken us 2. Flesh saith afflictions will undo us
3. Flesh saith our afflictions will never end 4. Flesh would put us upon any means to get out of trouble 5. Flesh only attends to what is troublesome and grievous in afflictions Why a man should so much study to discern betwixt the flesh and spirit within him 1. Because otherwise he will be apt to passe a false sentence upon himself 2. Hereby he may prevent the Devils end in troubling us It is not the natural strength of any man that can carry him through all afflictions 1. No man can bear all afflictions aright in his own strength 2. All opinion's that hold the contrary are injurious to the glory of God 3. There is a great difference betwixt a natural and spiritual bearing of troubles 4. There is a difference likewise betwixt moral and spiritual bearing of afflictions No grace removeth the natural fear of death The difference betwixt a natural and an elicite desire Propositions clearing the truth 1. Man was not made mortal 2. T is sin that maketh death so terrible 3. Christ came into the world to remove this sting of death sinne 4. Yet howsoever nature cannot but tremble at the thoughts of it Of what use the natural fear of death is 1. Hence men do more patiently endure afflictions 2. It keeps men out of many sins 3. It makes a man more thankfull for the mercies of life 4. The natural fear of death is very hardly kept from being sinfull There is a natural fear of death in all but in some more in some lesse When the fear of death is sinfull 1 When it becomes a snare 2. When it is immoderate and disquieting 3. When it excludeth much profitable and seasonable fear 4. When it proceeds from a sinfull cause as from 1. An inordinate love of life 2. The want of love to God 3. A sinfull life 4. Want of faith in Christ The godly are sometimes deceived about Gods dispensations towards them 1. A godly man may sometimes be deceived in his advise to others which he may think is of God when it is not 2. They are deceived when they thinâ— Gods dispensations are to abet some errours which they may be fallen into 3. When they judge of God after outward appearance 4. When they give too much credit to their zeal and affections 5. They may be deceived in the frame of their own hearts Gods people are deceived when they judge according to sense not saith Reasons 1. Because the godly are too hasty in their judgings 2. Because of their feare and anger wherewith they are too passionately transported 3. From the want of spirituall wisdome Rules for the preventing of false judgements concerning Gods dealings with us Two sorts of trust humane and divine Selfe-confidence a great sinne Propositions clearing the nature of self-confidence 1. All Creatures necessitated to trust in something 2. Our trust is corrupted by originall sin 3. Hence our trust is placed upon many false objects 1. Some trust in their wickednesse 2. Humane power and strength 3. Wealth What are those inward things which a man is apt to trust in 1. In his own heart 2. Self-righteousnesse 3. Church-priviledges How even a godly man may be guilty of self-confidence by trusting 1. In his spiritual gifts 2. In his graces Whether Paul speaketh these words in his own person Of the sinfulness of self-confidence which appears 1. From Gods chastising his children so much to prevent it 2. It is a secret sinne 3. 'T is a sinne soon committed 4. 'T is a making the creature a God 5. 'T is a foolish and unprofitable sin God alone is the proper object of our trust Propositions concerning our trusting in God 1. It is wrought by the Spirit of God 2. None but the regenerate can act this grace 3. It is an act of faith 4. It is not God as absolutely but relatively considered that is the object of our trust 1. As he is an infinite true and everlasting God 2. As immutable in his promises 3. As he is omnipotent 2. The matter for which we trust in God is the good thing we want either spiritual or temporal What is required to our trusting in the Lord. 1. A powerfull apprehension of our own and the creatures inability to help us 2. A practicall consideration of Gods greatness and goodness 3. A particular appropriation of God as our God 4. An experimentall knowledge of Gods promises and providences 5. An use of meanes 6. A sound judgement Of the excellency of this grace of trusting in God 1. It is many times put for the whole worship of God 2. The Lord delighteth to put us upon the daily practice of it 3. It indeareth God to us and engageth him for us 4. T is difficult to flesh and blood 5. One of Gods ends in afflicting us is to work this grace 6. It giveth all glory to God 7. It calmes and quiets the spirit God both can and will help his people in their extremitics 1. God raiseth up the naturally dead 2. God raiseth the metaphorically dead and such who are in any trouble either externall or internall Of Gods raising from internall extremities What is implyed in the expression God raiseth from the dead 1. That Gods own Children may be brought into helpless and hopeless conditions 2. That God hath power over all estates whatsoever 3. That our extremities are Gods opportunities The children of God do not only take notice of Gods mercies but their aggravations likewise 1. From their own low condition 2. From their own sinfulness 3. From the times and seasons of Gods mercies 4. Fromothers miseries We should account of privative and preventing mercies as of positive 1. Some mercies suppose evil inflicted others do not 2. Two sorts of evils spiritual and temporal which the mercy of God prevents 3. The godly are oâ—â— forgetfull about these preventing mercies 4. It is therefore their duty to go further in praise and thankfulness for these mercies then usually they do 1 Whatsoever evil is not inflicted that we have deserved is to be acknowledged a preventing mercy 2. Whatsoever evil fals upon others and not upon us 't is a preventing mercy 3. Whatsoever evil God justly may and yet doth not inflict 't is a preventing mercy 4. What evils God brings upon others in a providential way and not upon thee it is of his preventing mercy 5. Whatsoever mans own weakness would cast him into and yet God keeps it off is a preventing mercy Gods continuing his mercies is as necessary to us as his first bestowing them What deliverances God workes for us 1. Temporall 2. Spirituall 1. From wrath to come 2. From the power of sin and Satan 3. From temptations to sin and apostacy Why 't is necessary God should continue his mercies as well as give them to us 1. Because we cannot continue them our selves 2. Because of our unworthiness 3. Because our dangers and temptations continue The experience of former mercies should encourage us to trust in God