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A25478
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A supplement to The Morning-exercise at Cripple-Gate, or, Several more cases of conscience practically resolved by sundry ministers; Morning-exercise at Cripplegate. Supplement.
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Annesley, Samuel, 1620?-1696.
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1676
(1676)
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Wing A3240; ESTC R13100
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974,140
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814
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not the Christ but that I am sent before him He that hath the bride is the Bridegroom c. he must increase but I must decrease John would not suffer any envy or prejudice to remain in the hearts of his Disciples against Christ upon his account but seeks to check it presently But he being now not present with them the Pharisees more easily ingaged them in this opposition and objection against Christ about Fasting to join with them therein And the zeal that John's Disciples had for the reputation of their Master might somewhat incline them also to it for they saw the people following Christ which they thought might be some eclipse to it and consequently to their own as they were his Disciples And besides they knowing the austerity and abstinence that was practis'd by John his meat being locusts and wild honey such food as he found in the wilderness they might be more easily offended at that greater liberty that was taken by Christ and his Disciples about eating and drinking Especially at this time when their Master was in Prison they thought fasting might be more seasonable than going to a feast as Christ and his Disciples did at the house of Levi as Grotius observes upon the place Next we have Christ's reply to the Objection and he presents it in a parable as I said the parable of a Bridegroom who at his wedding hath his Bridemen and Bridemaids attending him in the wedding chamber who according to the Hebrew Dialect are here called the Children of the Bride-chamber And is it then a proper season for their fasting while they are in the wedding-chamber and the Bridegroom with them Wherein Christ doth represent himself as a Bridegroom and his Disciples as the Children of the Bride-chamber And he doth now represent himself thus the rather to put these Disciples of John in remembrance of their Masters speech when he call'd Christ the Bridegroom As we read John 3.29 He that hath the Bride is the Bridegroom And should then his Disciples fast and mourn while Christ the Bridegroom was with them And their Master John he profest that he was the friend of this Bridegroom and rejoyced greatly to hear his voice John 3.29 And therefore why should they be offended at his Disciples that they did not fast and mourn when their Master John rejoiced and had his joy fulfill'd in hearing his voice as we read John 3.29 And herein Christ doth intimate to them that if they were indeed his Disciples and the children of the Bride-chamber they would not fast neither for the children of the Bride-chamber cannot fast while the Bridegroom is with them But he adds The days will come when the Bridegroom shall be taken away from them and then shall they fast in those days And so I come to the Text. Wherein we may observe by the way 1. That Christ doth exempt his Disciples from observing those fasts that the Pharisees and John's Disciples were in the practice of Chemnitiu Harm in loco And the rather because they were observed especially on the Pharisees part Ex simulato pietatis studio out of ostentation of piety and for self-justification As he did exempt them from their other traditions so also from their fasts 2. That the Bridegroom was to be taken away which is to be understood of Christ's fleshly presence for his spiritual presence never was nor never will be taken away from his Church And this presence discontinues till his coming to judg the world and then the cry will be heard at Midnight Behold the Bridegroom cometh Mat. 25.6 The Bridegroom that was once visibly present on earth with his Disciples is so taken away that he will not be in that manner present with them again till his return from heaven And his taking away doth either respect the acts of men who by cruel hands took him from prison and from judgment and nail'd him upon the cross Isa 53 8. and took him out of the Land of the living Or else it respects the act of his Father who took him up into heaven after he had finisht his work here upon earth as it is said 1 Tim. 3. ult Received up into glory which is the more probable 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 though there is nothing in the original word to determine it to either sense 3. He also declares what the practice of his Disciples would be after his taking away Then shall they fast in those days so that he doth not deny the practice of Fasting to his Disciples but rather commends it only it was not at present seasonable as it afterwards would be Qu. But why should they fast after he was taken away Ans 1. Some say because till then the Holy Ghost was not given in such a degree as might fit them for such extraordinary duties Chrysost As Christ seems to intimate when upon this occasion he excuseth his Disciples as being not yet fit for such spiritual services No man putteth a piece of new Cloth into an old garment nor new wine into old bottles Mark 2.22 It 's true they might be able to keep fast days as the Pharisees did but Christ that values our duties by the frame of spirit exerted in them would not have them put upon extraordinary duties till they had a suitable measure of the spirit to enable them thereunto 2. Others and I think more properly understand the words of Christ with respect to the afflictions and persecutions that would come upon the Church after his ascension into heaven vvhich vvould give them great occasions of prayer and extraordinary supplications and vvhich vvould reduce them to such great sorrows and distresses vvhereby fasting vvould be not only seasonable but that principle of grace that vvould act them in other duties vvould also naturally lead them to it Not to take up again the practice of these Pharisaical Fasts as the Montanists would hence infer but the duty of Fasting as suited to Gospel times And these persecutions began early First by the Jews and then the Arrians and then the Heathen persecutions under the Dragon in the Roman Empire and then under the Beast with the seven heads and ten horns to whom the Dragon gave his seat and great power Rev. 13.2 And Christ foretold this to his Disciples before he vvas taken away That they that kil'd them would think they did God good service John 16.1 And that Nation should rise against Nation and Kingdom against Kingdom and there should be Famine Pestilence and Earthquakes Mat. 14.7 Now in these days should his Disciples fast Not that in these vvords Christ doth give an institution for fasting but declares what eventually would come to pass Neither doth he determine any particular days and times for fasting but only general during the absence of the Bridegroom they should fast in those days And indeed as soon as the Bridegroom was gone they began to have cause of mourning his absence it self was one great cause
preserved and maintained and who though he could so easily destroy you and glorifie his justice hereby yet is both patient with you and willing also to be reconciled unto you and sends his Embassadors in his name to tell you that he entreats you that you would be reconciled and let these considerations affect you with ingenuous grief for sin Lastly Get conviction of the defilement of sin how your Souls are stained by it and hereby degenerated and debased into a lower degree of vileness than is in the beast that perisheth yea that hereby you are become without regeneration and until your Souls are washed more loathsom in the eyes of God than the most nasty thing in the World is in your eyes 2. Make confession of sin In some cases it is requisite you should confess some sins unto man but it is absolutely universally necessary in order to forgiveness that you should confess your sins unto God the promise of pardoning mercy is made to confession Prov. 28.13 He that covereth his sins shall not prosper but he that confesseth and forsaketh them shall have mercy David found by experience the evil of covering and keeping close his sins and the benefit of acknowledgment and confession Psal 32.3 4 5. When I kept silence my bones waxed old through my roaring all the day long for day and night thine hand was heavy upon me my moisture is turned into the drought of Summer Selah I acknowledged my sin unto thee and my iniquity have I not hid I said I will confess my transgressions unto the Lord and thou forgavest the iniquity of my sin Selah Sinners make a full confession of your sins that you may have a full pardon and discharge do not hide any sin as a sweet morsel under your tongue it is a vain thing to seek and endeavour the hiding of any sin from him who is omniscient God hath knowledg of all your Iniquities do you therefore acknowledg all unto him Make free confession of your sins Stay not till God force you by his Scourges and even drag you unto it by his cords of affliction but let it be your voluntary act and be ingenuous herein mingle not your confession with excuses and extenuations Say not though you are bad yet you are not so bad as others that your hearts are good though your lives have been naught that such and such gross sins were your slips and failings that you were overtaken overperswaded and drawn unto such wicked practices by your companions and so by transferring your guilt endeavour to make your selves as Innocent as you can this is abominable in the sight of God and a certain sign of sin's dominion which is inconsistent with the remission of it and will shut you out from pardoning Mercy but in confession of your sins acknowledg your selves to have been the chief of sinners Sinners take all the blame to your selves and set your sins out in the deepest Crimson and Scarlet colours and with all their hainous circumstances and aggravations tell God that your heart is the worst part and if there have been some abominations found in your lives there are a thousand-fold more abominations in your hearts Confess your sins with humility and self-loathing say with Agur Prov. 30.2 Surely I am more brutish than any man and have not the understanding of a man with David Psal 73.22 So foolish was I and ignorant I was as a Beast before thee with Job Chap. 42.6 I abhor my self and repent in dust and ashes Confess your sins with shame like Ezra Chap. 9.6 O my God I am ashamed and blush to lift my face unto thee for our iniquities are increased over our head and our trespass is grown up unto the Heavens Confess your sins with grief and godly sorrow like David Psal 39.18 I will declare mine iniquity I will be sorry for sin 3. Make Application of Christ by Faith that you may attain forgiveness There is no other Name given under Heaven amongst men whereby you can be pardoned and saved Acts 4.12 And he is able to save you and procure a pardon for you in the uttermost extent of your most hainous guilt Heb. 7.25 And the reason is given in the same Verse because he ever liveth to make Intercession for sinners it is his Office as High-Priest wherein he is most merciful and faithful to make Reconciliation for the sins of the People Heb. 2.17 Christ is near to the Father being at his right hand in Heaven and hath great interest in him being his dearly beloved Son and his Intercession for pardon is always accepted it being for no more than what himself hath purchased and what his Father hath promised and therefore you that are the worst of Sinners have great encouragement to come unto Christ and to make Application of him you have his promise that whosoever cometh unto him he will in no wise cast out Joh. 6.37 and if you apply your selves unto him and apply unto your selves his merits and Righteousness by believing you shall certainly attain the forgiveness of all your sins however numerous and hainous they have been Acts 10.43 To him give all the Prophets witness that through his Name whosoever believeth in him shall receive remission of sins And our Saviour himself telleth us Joh. 3.16 God so loved the World that he gave his only begotten Son that whosoever believeth in him should not perish but have everlasting life And the Apostle doth discourse at large in the former part of his Epistle to the Romans concerning Justification which he proveth by manifold Arguments that it cannot be works that it must be by Faith therefore by Faith make Application of Christ and his imputed Righteousness and rest therein only that you may be justified that you may be pardoned and saved 4. Forsake every sin that you may attain the forgiveness of it Prov. 28.13 He that confesseth and forsaketh his sins shall find mercy Isa 55.7 Let the wicked forsake his way and the unrighteous man his thoughts and return to the Lord for he will have mercy upon him and to our God for he will abundantly pardon him Isa 1.16 17 18. Wash ye make ye clean put away the evil of your doing from before mine eyes cease to do evil learn to do well seek judgment relieve the oppressed judg the fatherless plead for the widow Come now and let us reason together saith the Lord though your sins be as Scarlet they shall be as white as Snow though they be red like Crimson they shall be as Wool You must loath your sins that you may be pardoned and withal you must leave them you must cease from doing evil if you would have God cease from his displeasure and unless you do forsake your sins never expect that God should forgive them there must be a returning to God that you may be received unto favour and this cannot be without a turning from sin It would be a dishonour unto God to pardon you