will come to pass that the Devil the Captain of lusts will be put to flight and so the lusts fighting under him will be scattered Therefore fleshly lusts are to be restrained by us This is another remedy Vers. 8. Draw nigh to God and he will draw nigh to yâ—â— Cleanse your hands ye sinners and purifie your hearts ye double minded Argum. 9. Propounded by way of Exhortation If ye have repented and come unto God as it becometh believers imploring his help God will draw nigh to you and will help you in this fight against your lusts and in all other necessities Therefore ye ought to use this remedy against Carnal lusts which is the third remedy Purifie He prosecutes this Argument especially by exhorting them to acknowledge themselves sinners and to endeavour after the purity of their hands or actions and acknowledging themselves to be hypocrites by nature may endeavour after purity of heart Vers. 9. Be afflicted and mourn and weep let your laughter be turned to mourning and your joy to heaviness He further prosecuâ—es more especially the Exhortation to repentance by prescribing the external exercises of repentance fasting weeping and the rest which may demonstrate unfeigned repentance and really mortifie fleshly lusts Vers. 10. Humble your selves in the sight of the Lord and he shall lift you up Lastly That they rest not in external exercises he inâ—ulcates the Exhortation to humility adding the promise of a gracious Exaltation wherein they shall have victory over all their enemies and moreover glory and triumph The second Part. Vers. 11. Speak not evil one of another brethren he that speaketh evil of his brother and judgeth his brother speaketh evil of the Law and judgeth the law but if thou judge the Law thou art not a doer of the Law but a judge The special Exhortation touching restraining the lust of detracting from the reputation of the brethren follows There are five arguments of the Dehortation Speaketh ill Argum. 1. Whoso defames his brother judges him and condemns him because he doth it as if he was a Judge Therefore ye ought not to detract from the fame of your brethren Condemneth Argum. 2. He which detracts from the reputation of his brother and judgeth or condemneth him he also detracts from the Law and judges or condemneth the Law The reason is because the Law forbids and condemneth rash judging and evil reports but the backbiter on the contrary in the very act whilest he diminishes the fame of other men he allows that practice as if it were good and so speaketh and so doth contrary to the Law and pronounces the Law neither good nor worthy to be obeyed by any A doer Argum. 3. Because he that slanders his brother is not an obedient doer of the Law but a violator and condemnor of the Law as it appears before Therefore ye ought not to defame your brother Vers. 12. There is one Law-giver who is able to save and to destroy Who art thou that judgest another Argum. 4. It belongs to God alone to exercise the parts of a Judge Therefore what man is he that invades the office of God the Judge One Argum. 5. God alone as he is able to save if the slanderer shall repent so also he is able to destroy unless by repenting of this and other sins he obey the Admonitions of God Therefore ye ought not to indulge this sin The third part Vers. 13. Go to now ye that say To day or tomorrow we will go into such a City and continue there a year and buy and sell and get gain The third Admonition especially to buyers touching the correcting of their sloathful neglect of Divine Providence in undertaking businesses He convinces them of this sin from the words mimically propounded The Arguments of the Exhortation are six Argum. 1. It is contained in form of citation to Gods Tribunal Go to c. As if he should say this prophane and wicked manner of deliberation which doth not acknowledge the Providence of God can neither bear the tryal of God nor men judging aright For as if you were Lords of your lives and of your strength and success of your labours so ye speak ye dare not defend this carriage before God Therefore ye are held guilty of prophaneness for these forms of speaking used by you Vers. 14. Whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow for what is your life it is even a vapour that appeareth for a little time and then vanishes away Argum. 2. Ye foolishly determine touching the time to come when we are all ignorant what will be to morrow Therefore here you are accused of prophaneness For what Argum. 3. Ye forget your mortality and the frailty of your life which is like a vapour appearing for a little time by and by cast down by the wind it vanisheth away Therefore here ye are deservedly accused of prophaneness Vers. 15. For that ye ought to say if the Lord will we shall live and do this or that Argum. 4. Ye consider not that ye ought to depend upon the Divine will which is the fountain rule and measure of all things In which argument he prescribes also the remedy against this evil viz. that we do not always seriously acknowledge onely the commanding or revealed will of God which prescribes to us what and how we ought to act But also the secret will of God governing and efficaciously working in us and by us what and how much and as long as it seems good to him To which will we ought to submit our actions and the success of them and our life it self always considering in our hearts that we can do nothing without the efficacious will of God and that we accustom our selves to such like forms If God will If life and other things necessary to action be vouchsafed as to the glory of God it is sufficient For the Apostle doth not intend the Religion of outward words as if forms might never be omitted but requires continual acknowledgement of Divine Providence in the heart and such an outward profession in words which may distinguish us from prophane men Vers. 16. But now ye rejoyce in your boastings all such rejoycing is evil Argum. 5. Ye that are admonished defend this prophane manner of speaking as if ye rejoyced in your vain boasting by which ye openly publish the wicked stupidity of the heart Vers. 17. Therefore to him that knoweth to do good and doth it not to him it is sin Argum. 6. By preventing an objection If ye know that all your businesses is committed to Divine Providence and yet do not onely contrary but do not acknowledge Gods Providence in the holy forms of speaking as to outward expression do not ye by how much the more ye know your duty bring upon your selves so much the more heavy guilt and punishment CHAP. V. THis Chapter contains five Admonitions The first is directed to rich men touching the wrath of God that hangs over them to
contrary hee is condemned In the second verse a reason of this is subjoyned because the judgement of God is just and according to the merit of the deed condemns every sinner both him that judgeth and him that is judged Therefore hee which according to the judgement of God condemns another to death for sin condemns himself doing the like things Vers. 3. And thinkest thou this O man that judgest them which do such things and doest the same that thou shalt escape the judgement of God This Argument in the following part of the Chapter is confirmed removing the four pretended Objections whereby men may evade the force of the Argument Object 1. Hee securely contemns the judgement of God who because God hath hitherto spared him promiseth himself impunity or freedome from punishment when hee judgeth others I am not afraid saith hee of the judgement of God The Apostle refutes this Objection and proves it null by six Reasons Reas. 1. That such an imagination is vain and foolish for Thinkest thou c. which is the same as if hee had said In vain doest thou think to escape the judgement of God Vers. 4. Or despisest thou the riches of his goodness and forbearance and long-suffering not knowing that the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance Despisest Reas. 2. Such an imagination puts contempt and abuse upon the riches of the bounty forbearance and gentleness of God when any one because God hath spared hitherto goes on in sin and conceives hopes to go unpunished Bounty Reas. 3. That the bounty of God ought to invite and move to repentance not to go on in sin out of hopes to go unpunished Vers. 5. But after thy hardness and impenitent heart treasurest up unto thy self wrath against the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgement of God Hardness Reas. 4. That such a thought is the hardening of our hearts in sin and a sealing of them up that wee cannot repent Treasure Reas. 5. That hee who securely contemns the judgement of God heaps up unto himself a kinde of treasure of punishments from divine justice to the time of that last and terrible judgement wherein that whole treasure of punishments in the most righteous anger of God shall bee openly poured out upon him Vers. 6. Who will render to every man according to his deeds 7. To them who by patient continuance in well-doing seek for glory and honour and immortality eternal life 8. But unto them that are contentious and do not obey the truth but obey unrighteousness indignation and wrath 9. Tribulation and anguish upon every soul of man that doth evil of the Jew first and also of the Gentile 10. But glory honour and peace to every man that worketh good to the Jew first and also to the Gentile Reas. 6. God will give to every man in the day of Judgement according to his works good or evil his rewards of grace or punishments of his justice To wit eternal life to them that persevere in obedience to the truth hoping for a reward vers 6 7. And besides the signs of wrath in this life eternal death also after this life as it is just for an angry God to inflict upon the adversaries of the truth and the servants of unrighteousness verse 8. Hee confirms this reason in that God will have no respect to any Nation or outward Priviledges in the inflicting of his punishments But the Jews which had the chiefest favours of God should bee first in their punishments and that hee would inflict upon the soul and body of the Heathens or Gentiles their deserved torments verse 9. And to the same manner in his rewards without difference of Nations hee will glorifie i. e. with all gifts that may externally accomplish a man such as Glory and Honour and inwardly which is signified by Peace and will heap upon the pious and honest Jew according to all the priviledges which hee hath vouchsafed to that Nation and will crown the pious and honest Gentile in his place with eternal life verse 10. from whence it follows that hee is deceived who indulges hopes of impunity because God hath hitherto spared him Vers. 11. For there is no respect of persons with God Hee confirms the former reason from the equity of God in that hee is no respecter of persons and hee meets with the second Objection propounded verse 2. against the severe judgement of God against sinners Some might object In the executing of Judgement respect is to bee had as well of the Heathen who lives out of the Church without the knowledge of the Law or the doctrine of God as also of the Jew which is a Disciple of God and an hearer of the Law God forbid that either of them should perish for both seems unjust although they are sinners Hee refutes this Objection and proves it just that every sinner should perish by five Reasons Reas. 1. Because there is no respect of persons with God that hee should exempt from condemnation those that persevere in sin whether Jews or Gentiles for any reason which appertains to the person not the cause And here it is to bee observed that God looks with an equal eye upon the Jew and Gentile out of Christ not in the degrees of punishment but in the guilt of eternal death which all sinners are worthy of although not in the like degree Vers. 12. For as many as have sinned without Law do by nature the things contained in the Law those having not the Law shall be judged by the Law Reas. 2. This confirms and unfolds the other because they that have sinned without the Law scil written Against the Law written upon their hearts by nature even by the same Law within them shall perish without the written Law by the sentence of Justice And whoever have sinned in the Law or in the knowledge of the Law written shall bee condemned even by the sentence of the written Law Vers. 13. For not the hearers of the Law are just before God but the doers of the Law shall be justified Reas. 3. Especially intended against the Jews who according to the rule of Righteousness cannot bee accounted for Righteous before God even they that are hearers of the Law unless they perform perfect obedidience to the Law which because neither Jew nor Gentile can do by consequence neither can they bee exempted from deserved condemnation but on the contrary especially the Jews which are hearers of the Law and do not keep it are most worthy of judgement Vers. 14. For when the Gentiles which have not the Law do by nature the things contained in the Law these having not the Law are a Law unto themselves 15. Which shew the work of the Law written in their hearts their conscience also bearing witness and their thoughts the mean while accusing or else excusing one another Reas. 4. Especially intended against the Gentiles which though they have not the written Law yet they have a Law within
her Husband liveth shee bee married to another man shee shall bee called an adulteress but if her Husband bee dead shee is free from that Law so that shee is no adulteress though shee bee married to another man As to the first part taking a comparison from Marriage hee shews that the Justified which are delivered from the conjugal Covenant of the Law and Espoused by a new Covenant of Grace to a new Husband Christ should bring forth the fruits of holiness in new obedience to the Law to the glory of our new Husband Christ. In the three first verses hee propounds the protasis of the comparison after this manner As no Law hath dominion over the dead as yee know but only over them that are alive ver 1. and particularly the Law of Marriage is dissolved the one being dead so that the Wife the Husband being dead without adultery may marry another ver 2 3. so you c. as it shall appear by and by Vers. 4. Wherefore my Brethren yee also are become dead to the Law by the Body of Christ that yee should bee married to another even to him who is raised from the dead that wee should bring forth fruit unto God The Apodosis of the comparison to this manner So you that were espoused formerly to the Law by a Covenant of Works Christ being dead for you that hee might satisfie the Law Justice and the Covenant of Works in our name you are judicially dead to the Law in the body of Christ for the Law or Covenant of Works hath slain Christ and you in him and by consequence you are delivered from the matrimonial Covenant of the Law so that without the breach of Justice you may enter into a new Covenant of Grace with Christ being raised from the dead To this end hee shews that the purpose of marriage being disannulled betwixt the Law of Works and us not that wee should live as wee list but being raised from a state of death by the Resurrection of Christ that wee should bee espoused to another Husband viz. to him which is raised from the dead i. e. to Christ who rose from the dead and hath raised us with himself to newness of life and hath espoused us to himself according to the Covenant of Grace that being married unto Christ wee might bring forth fruits of obedience to the glory of God There are five Arguments of consolation to the Justified who bewail the imperfection of their own obedience Become dead Argum. 1. You are freed from the Covenant of Works which admits no obedience besides what is perfect and every way compleat Therefore all you that are Justified have consolation which bewail the imperfection of your new obedience Of another Argum 2. You are now married to another Husband viz. to Christ who is raised from the dead who when hee could answer the imperfections of your obedience and according to the Covenant of Grace render your begun obedience acceptable unto God hee took it upon himself You have this consolation that mourn over the imperfections of your new obedience Fruit Argum. 3. Yeâ— are married unto Christ which is raised from the dead that you may not abide unfruitful but may bring forth fruit to the glory of God Therefore take yee comfort who bewail your imperfect obedience Vers. 5. For when wee were in the flesh the motions of sins which were by the Law did work in our members to bring forth fruit unto death Argum. 4. Confirming the former from the change of our condition while wee were unregenerate and by consequence under a Law-Covenant evil affections by the holy Law of God were stirred up and put forth themselves powerfully in our members and all our faculties both of soul and body to the production of the deadly fruit of actual sin Therefore it will follow when wee are now regenerated and under the Covenant of Grace holy desires stirred up by the New Covenant powerfully shew forth themselves in our members to the bringing forth the fruit of good works unto God that wee might not abide unfruitful Which is no small consolation for if wee by Faith would lay hold upon the Covenant of Grace and would stir up our souls by the promises thereof applyed unto us there is no doubt but wee should more plentifully bring forth good works That is it which Christ saith Joh. 15.5 I am the vine yee are the branches hee that abides in mee and I in him hee brings forth much fruit for without mee you can do nothing Vers. 6. But now wee are delivered from the Law that being dead wherein wee were held that wee should serve in newness of spirit and not in the oldness of the letter Argum. 5. Opening and confirming the former from the end of our changed condition Now to wit after Justification through the Grace of Christ wee are freed from the Law-Covenant that Covenant being dead in which wee were held or wee being dead in Christ in whom wee were contained judicially to that very end that wee should serve God by the power of the Holy Ghost bestowing new strength upon us by bringing forth new and spiritual fruit not superficial and hypocritical which the letter of the old legal Covenant now abolished at the most brought forth Therefore God will not fail of his end but will cause those that are justified bewailing their imperfect obedience to bring forth much fruit in the newness of the letter for the fruits which are brought forth by virtue of the Covenant of Grace are truly new and arise from the regenerating Spirit furnishing us with new strength forthwith to good works But the fruits which are brought forth by virtue of the Covenant of Works either are open rebellion of corrupt Nature against Gods Law or counterfeit obedience onely in the outward performance such as the fruits of the Pharisees are who in the letter that is the outward shew and formality obeyed without any renovation of the heart The second Part. Verse 7. What shall wee say then Is the Law sin God forbid Nay I had not known sin but by the Law For I had not known lust except the Law had said Thou shalt not covet The second part of the Chapter containing an Apology for the holiness of the Law in answering two Objections arising out of what was said before The first Objection seeing that evil and sinful motions are excited by the Law as was said the Law seems to bee sin or the cause of sin Hee answers by way of negation farre bee it from us to entertain any such thought hee gives three Reasons of his negation illustrated by his own experience wherein hee pleads for the Law The first Reason Because the Law discovers sin and manifests the evil that is in it which hee confirms by his own experience who had not known that lust which lurked in his heart to bee sin had hee not seen it forbidden by the Law Therefore the Law is holy Vers. 8. But
are one body in Christ Therefore all ought to concurre modestly every one for his part to maintain the unity of the body In particular Reason 4. As in the natural body so in the Ecclesiastical body each of the members are not onely of the whole body but of one another or every member is intended to promote the benefit of another Therefore all ought to serve each other mutually promoting the benefit of each other and not proudly and imprudently hinder one another Vers. 6. Having then gifts differing according to the Grace that is given to us whether prophesy let us prophesy according to the proportion of faith Reas. 5. Those divers gifts which wee have are communcated through the Grace and good pleasure of God who hath bestowed them Therefore let us not grow proud but modestly demean our selves Whether Prophesie Hee descends to particular ordinary publick gifts and to each hee prescribes their operations and bounds Hee makes two kinds of functions The first is Prophesie The second of a Deacon Prophesie comprehends the handling of the Word Hee saith having Prophesie let us prophesie according to the proportion of Faith i. e. Let us onely teach that which God hath propounded to be beleeved in the Scripture and that which wee solidly know or beleeve to bee the sense of Scripture Vers. 7. Or Ministery let us wait on our Ministring or hee that teacheth on teaching The second kind of Ecclesiastical functions is that of Deacon which contains all the gifts subservient to the Ministry of the Word as afterward hee declares Concerning which hee prescribes that hee which is imployed in that office would contain himself in it and would not aspire higher unless orderly called Hee that teacheth Hee subdivides Prophesie into the office of Teachers and Pastors By Teachers hee understands those who teach by office and labour in informing of our minds in the knowledge of the Truth and these hee commands that they diligently use their ability in teaching and wholly give themselves to it Vers. 8. Or hee that exhorteth on Exhortation hee that giveth let him do it with simplicity hee that ruleth with diligence hee that sheweth mercy with chearfulness By Pastors hee understands those who exhort and labour in moving the affections and have ability not onely for interpreting the sense of the Scripture but prudently to apply the Word for the present benefit of hearers with stirring up the affections These hee commands to attend to Exhortation Hee that distributes Hee reckons up three kinds as it were of Deacons subservient to the Ministery of the Word The first is of those that distribute i. e. by way of Office they are set over the treasurie of the Church the goods of the Church and the collections of the Saints they dispence to the publick uses of the Church hee commands these that they distribute with simplicity that is with good fidelity without acception of persons and respect to private advantage Hee that Rules The second kind is of those which are otherwise called 1 Cor. 12.28 Ruling Presbyters and by office were set to over-see the manners of the people that scandals might bee avoided and removed from the Church These hee commands that they diligently and carefully attend to their duty Hee that shews mercy The third kind of Deacons is of those who by office were to shew pitty and were set to over-see the poor the sick those that were banished and others that were afflicted in the Church These hee commands that they attend to their duty with chearfulness lest with their frowardness they more afflict those whom a disease or poverty or banishment hath already afflicted In all these Precepts hee distinguishes betwixt themselves divers functions by divers gifts and divers subjects setting several kinds of Officers over divers imployments using the like way of commanding in all of them The third Part. Vers. 9. Let love bee without dissimulation abhorre that which is evil cleave to that which is good The third part of the Chapter wherein hee changes the form of command and delivers Precepts touching Christian virtues in number about sixteen Love The first Precept That the signs whereby wee express our love should come from a sincere heart without dissimulation Abhorring Precept 2. That wee so abhorre evil or sin that wee suffer not our selves to bee drawn into fellowship with it And that wee so embrace goodness or virtue that wee suffer not our selves to bee drawn away from it Vers. 10. Bee kindly affectioned one to another with brotherly love in honour preferring one another Precept 3. That the love of Christians among themselves which is founded by the bond of Grace should bee as the love of Brethren which is founded by the bond of nature viz. constant and earnest In honour Precept 4. That in the testifying our opinion by outward signs concerning the virtue or worth of any one wee do not expect what is due to our selves but that wee go before others giving them the honour which belongs to them Vers. 11. Not slothful in business fervent in spirit serving the Lord Precept 5. Concerning diligence in the duties which by our Calling are due to God and our neighbour That wee bee not slothful dull and cold as if wee had no mind to the doing of the things but that wee undergo those offices with fervency of spirit and intenseness of zeal taking the occasion of doing well in the just opportunity consecrating this ferventness of spirit to God not to our own private affections Vers. 12. Rejoycing in Hope patient in Tribulation continuing instant in Prayer Precept 6. Concerning remedies to bee used in our afflictions 1. That wee glory in the hope of deliverance 2. If evils increase that wee behave our selves patiently 3. If help seem to bee delayed that wee continue in prayers and give not way to evil Vers. 13. Distributing to the necessity of Saints given to hospitality Precept 7. That wee communicate of our goods to the necessities and want of the Saints especially of those that live amongst us and that wee by our hospitality freely tendered to them succour strangers and those that are banished which come unto us Vers. 14. Bless them which persecute you bless and curse not Precept 8. That wee do not recompence slanders and reproaches the ordinary persecution of the world with revilings again but that wee dissolve them by patience and blessing And because this is very contrary to flesh hee twice commands it and the third time forbids the contrary Vers. 15. Rejoyce with them that do rejoyce and weep with them that do weep Precept 9. Hee commends to us a brotherly sympathy or fellow-feeling as well in the adversities as prosperitie of our neighbour as it becomes the members of the same body Vers. 16. Bee of the same mind one towards another Minde not high things but condescend to men of low estate Bee not wise in your own conceits Precept 10. That wee promote mutual concord and bear
is the Spirit because hee quickens those that believe to new obedience and life everlasting and hee delivereth those from sin and misery for when it is said Where the Spirit of Christ the Lord is or where Christ is there is liberty the liberty is to bee understood not from the obedience of the Commandments but from the ceremonial yoke from the bondage of sin and yoke of the Legal Covenant and all evils which do follow from its violation Liberty I say was given to the Faithful by the Spirit of the Gospel at leastwise that which belongeth to them of right although not alwayes according to sense nor ever before the end of life as to a full possession For although the Spirit with a loud voice proclaimeth that there is a gate opened unto us that wee may go out of prison yet wee by reason of the weakness of Faith do go slowly forth And this is the Explication of the first part of the Comparison concerning the Ministery of the Law Vers. 18. But wee all with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord are changed into the same image from glory to glory even as by the Spirit of the Lord. Here followeth another branch of the Comparison concerning the Ministery of the Gospel in those that believe which is propounded in this sense But wee that by the Ministery of the Gospel believe in Christ the veil of ceremonies and ignorance the veil of infidelity and hardness of heart also being removed are freely admitted to the clear beholding of Christ and the glory of the grace of God shining in the Gospel as in a glass and beholding Christ by Faith wee are sanctified and more and more made happy in conformity with Christ encreased daily by degrees from one measure of glory and sanctity to another and that by the powerful working of the Holy Ghost Sanctification is called glory because Sanctification is the beginning of Glorification for by that the Image of God is repaired in us which is our glory CHAP. IV. HEE goes on to defend his Ministery There are two parts of this Chapter in the first hee proveth his faithfulness or sincerity in the Ministery by seven Arguments to the sixth verse In the second hee confirms the seventh Argument by answering the objections concerning the scandal of the Cross lying upon him to the end Vers. 1. Therefore seâ—ing wee have this Ministery as wee have received mercy wee faint not Argum. 1. The inward testimony of so glorious a Ministery committed unto mee by the mercy of God is effectual to sustain mee lest I bee overcome in the doing of my duty with the hurthen of evils and that by the measure of grace given to mee I go forward valiantly From hence therefore it appeareth that I am sincere and faithful For modesty sake hee joyneth others but hee himself in the conflict was especially aimed at by his Adversaries Vers. 2. But having renounced the hidden things of dishonesty not walking in craftiness nor handling the Word of God deceitfully but by manifestation of the truth commending our selves to every mans conscience in the sight of God Argum. 2. I have renounced ambition covetousness and the other shameful lusts which some secretly indulging do cover this their disgrace in corners under other or the like veils and pretences Therefore I am faithful Not with Argum. 3. I have not walked in craftiness deceitfully handling the Word of God or bending and fitting that to the dispositions of men as the false Apostles do Therefore I am faithful By manifestation Argum. 4. I have carried my self so mildly in the cleaâ— preaching of the Word of God that the consciences of all men are compelled to acknowledge my integrity of which thing also I have God to my witness Therefore I am faithful Vers. 3. But if our Gospel bee hid it is hid to them that are lost 4. In whom the God of this world hath blinded the minds of them that believe not leâ—t the light of the glorious Gospel of Christ who is the Image of God should shine unto them Object But how comes it to pass that thy Doctrine is not understood by so many wise and potent men if it bee so clearly taught Hee answers that the ignorance of the Gospel so plainly unfolded to them was no argument of the obscurity of the Doctrine but of the incredulity of the hearer and his future perdition from the blindness of unbelievers blinded by the Devil whom the world serves For the Devil further blindeth the blind Infidels lest they should see God offering himself in Christ lest they should behold Christ to their Salvation shining in the Gospel who hath brought forth the invisible God as to our view by his Doctrine and Power manifested in the flesh that wee may behold God in Christ the true Image of God the Father Vers. 5. For wee preach not our selves but Christ Iesus the Lord and our selves your servants for Iesus sake Argum. 5. Of the Apostles fidelity I saith hee seek the glory of Christ alone and acknowledge Christ only Lord in the Church Truly I declare my self and other Teachers not only Ministers of Christ but also of his people that Christ alone may bee exalted Therefore I shew my self faithful Vers. 6. For God who commanded the light to shine out of darkness hath shined into our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Iesus Christ. Argum. 6. Confirming the former wherein hee compares his Conversion from Pharisaism to the creation of light out of darkness God who by his Omnipotent Word hath produced light out of darkness by no less efficacy hath hee brought mee lost sinner out of the darkness of Pharisaism and sin and hath so powerfully enlarged my heart illuminated by the light of Christ his glorious Son that I cannot but communicate to others this glorious knowledge of the grace of God given to mee manifestly shining in Christ Therefore it behoveth mee to bee faithful Vers. 7. But wee have these treasures in earthen vessels that the excellency of the power may bee of God and not of us Argum. 7. God by shewing my infirmity in all exercises and also by maintaining his strength in mee under frequent afflictions and by keeping mee constant hitherto hath rendred my faithfulness commendable with all men Therefore I can affirm my self faithful The Second Part. Hee so handles this argument that in the mean while hee solves two objections that hee might take away the scandal of the Cross. Earthen Object 1. In the mean while thy condition of life is miserable and contemptible as a certain earthen vessel Hee answers four manner of wayes 1. That it is true that hee is an earthen vessel frail and contemptible but not withstanding hee contains the Treasure of Grace and the knowledge of the Gospel May bee of God Furthermore hee answers that that happened by the Wisdome of God lest the glory of the
Or Reject not God speaking or Refuse not to subject your selves to his word Therefore the Profession of the Christian Faith is to bee held fast As in Argum. 9. From Exod. 17. You ought to attend to the evil example of your Fathers who out of unbeleef tempted God in the desert who in their sight had made proof of his power and goodness as his works testified for forty years Therefore you ought to hold fast the Profession of your Faith Vers. 10. Wherefore I was grieved with that generation and said they do alway erre in their hearts and they have not known my waies Argum. 10. From Psal. 95. Except you continue stedfast in the Faith yee will bee Heirs of the wrath of God denounced against an unbeleeving Nation and you will fall under the same condemnation with your Fathers who affected errour in their hearts noâ— would they learn the waies of God Therefore c. Vers. 11. So I sware in my wrath they shall not enter into my rest Argum. 11. Our of the same Psalm unless you continue stedfast in the Faith yee are in danger to bee shut out of the Kingdome of Heaven or from Gods rest by his oath being provoked to anger Therefore c. Vers. 12. Take heed Brethren lest there bee in any of you an evil heart of unbeleef in departing from the Living God Argum. 12. From the application of the fore-mentioned example propounded by way of Exhortation unless every one of you take heed to your selves diligently of that inbred wickedness and incredulity of heart yee will without doubt fall from the Living God Therefore yee ought with all watchfulness to hold fast the Faith Vers. 13. But exhort one another daily while it is called to day leâ—t any of you bee hardened through the deceitfulness of sin Argum. 13. It lyes upon every one of you not onely to take heed to your selves lest yee faint but also by mutual Exhortations while yee have opportunity to do your indeavour that none of you harden his heart by the deceitfulness of sin in any wickedness lest a defection in the business of Religion insue upon a corrupt conversation Therefore yee ought to endeavour that all and every one of you bee stedfast in the Faith Vers. 14. For wee are made partakers of Christ if wee hold the beginning of our confidence stedfast unto the end Argum. 14. No man is truly a partaker of Christ for the present who holds not fast to the end that principle by which wee are supported i. e. Faith by which wee subsist in our spiritual life Therefore ought c. Vers. 15. While it is said To day if yee will hear his voice harden not your hearts as in the provocation 16. For some when they had heard did provoke howbeit not all that came out of Egypt by Moses 17. But with whom was hee grieved forty years was it not with them that had sinned whose carkasses fell in the wilderness 18. And to whom sware hee that they should not enter into his rest but to them that beleeved not 19. So wee see that they could not enter in because of unbeleef Argum. 15. Upon consideration of the circumstances of the Text in the fore-cited Psalm to this purpose From the words of the fore-quoted Psalm vers 15. wee may gather that not all but some provoked God for some persevered in the Faith of the Promises vers 16. but they who provoked God were onely those who from their comming out of Egypt continued in their unbeleef to their lives end and they which thus provoked God hee flew them in his wrath in the wilderness vers 17. And being now condemned of unbeleef hee shut them out from his rest with an oath vers 18. Who seeing from the history wee understand they could not enter into his rest because of unbeleef vers 19. It necessarily follows that you as many of you who are exempted from the wrath of God and exclusion from his rest as desire to bee saved with those that beleeve and would not bee driven from Gods rest with unbeleevers that are excluded it behoves you to hold fast the Profession of your Faith CHAP. IV. Vers. 1. LEt us therefore fear lest a Promise being left us of entring into his rest any of you should seem to come short of it Insisting upon the exposition and application of the place cited out of Psal. 95. hee exhorts them to hasten their entrance into the Rest of God by Faith in Christ By the Rest of God hee means that spiritual and heavenly Rest wherein wee cease from sin and enjoy tranquillity of conscience from peace towards God and safely dwell under his shadow the beginning whereof is in this life and the perfection of it in the life to come Wee enter into this rest more and more by faith till at length wee obtain a full refreshment at the coming of our Lord. The Arguments of the Exhortation are Eleven Being left Arg. 1. In the midst of the threatning Psal. 95. vers ult There is a promise left to us beleevers of entring into Gods rest Therefore you ought to make haste that by faith yee may enter into that Rest. Let us fear Arg. 2. Unless you make haste in the race of your faith to enter into the promised rest there is danger lest by your delay you bee shut out or bee found excluded For a sloathful and idle faith is justly suspected Therefore with fear which whets on diligence you ought to hasten that you may enter into Rest. Vers. 2. For unto us was the Gospel preached as well as unto them but the word preached did not profit them not being mixed with faith in them that heard it Argum. 3. Confirming both the former seeing the same Evangelical promise upon the same condition is preached as well to us as them and the word heard did not profit them who received it not mixed with faith but onely those that imbraced it by faith It will follow that this promise of entring into rest will neither profit us unless by faith imbracing the promises wee endeavour to enter into rest and on the other side it will follow that the promise will advantage us if wee bee careful to enter in by faith Therefore wee must endeavour to enter in Vers. 3. For wee which have beleeved do enter into rest as hee said as I have sworn in my wrath if they shall enter into my rest although the works were finished from the foundation of the world 4. For he spake in a certain place of the seventh day on this wife and God did rest the seventh day from all his works 5. And in this place again if they shall enter into my rest Arg. 4. Wee that beleeve in Christ have an entrance into rest opened to us by faith Therefore let us hasten to persevere by faith till wee obtain a full rest I have sworn Arg. 5. Confirming the former The Lord swearing in his wrath that unbeleevers shall
nothing remains but the subduing of enemies and the application of the benefits procured by that Oblation for the good of the Elect. Vers. 15. Whereof the Holy Ghost also is a witness to us for after that hee had said before 16. This is the Covenant that I will make with them after those daies saith the Lord I will put my Laws into their hearts and in their minds will I write them 17. And their sins and iniquities will I remember us more Argum. 11. The New Covenant founded on the Sacrifice of Christ absolutely without any condition promises to all the Elect full Sanctification I will put my Law c. and remission of sins I will remember them no more as the Holy Ghost testifies Ier. 31.31 c. Therefore the Sacrifice of Christ c. Vers. 18 Now where remission of these is there is no more offering for sin Argum. 12. That one Sacrifice of Christ obtains from God full pardon of sins to the faithful under the New Covenant that hee neither leaves any place for the repetition of it nor to any other offering for sin Therefore the Sacrifice of Christ is more excellent than the Levitical The Second Part of the Chapter Vers. 19. Having therefore Brethren boldness to enter into the Holiest by the Blood of Iesus The second paâ—â— follows wherein hee brings the precedent Doctrine into use by way of exhortation consisting of divers branches That with confidence in God to ver 23. promoting the work of Holiness in themselves particularly and in all the members of the Church in general to ver 26. they patiently and confidently persevere in the Faith unto the end And briefly this whole exhortation may bee gathered into this Proposition Yee ought with confidence patiently to persevere in your endeavours after holiness The Arguments of this exhortation which prove and inforce this Proposition are nineteen whereof some alluding to types so hee lays them down that withall hee may raise the minds of the Hebrews to the excellency of the thing signified Having Argum. 1. Yee have together with us boldness by Faith in your prayers in this life of entring into Heaven and full possession after this life by approaching unto God himself Therefore ought yee with boldness to persevere in the Faith By the blood Argum. 2. By the blood or death of Jesus Christ as by a full price of our Redemption and Reconciliation this priviledge is procured for you that in all your necessities yee may freely open your minds to God Therefore ought yee boldly to persevere Vers. 20. By a new and living way which hee hath consecrated for us through the veil that is to say his flesh Argum. 3. Christ being made man and uniting himself with us in our common nature hath dedicated his flesh or his humanity to this use that yee with us being advantaged with this communion of nature by his Mediation as by a new way plain safe and living which quickens those that walk in it and refreshes the weary yee may come unto God as the Levitical High Priest entred by the veil into the Sanctuary Therefore ought yee to persevere with confidence in God Vers. 21. And having an High Priest over the house of God Argum. 4. Wee have Christ our High Priest who goes before us in the way bearing the iniquity of the inferiour Priests lest the things which are done amiss by us in our imperfect services might hinder our access to God Therefore c. Over the Argum. 5. Wee have Christ very tender towards us over the house of God who hath power to admit into Heaven whom hee will and of assigning a place to them that are entered as he please and out of the treasury of his grace to bestow upon them as much as can be desired Therefore c. Vers. 22. Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of Faith having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water 23. Let us hold fast the Profession of our Faith without wavering for hee is faithful that promised Argum. 6. The priviledge of a new and sincere heart is given to Beleevers to a full assurance of Faith and a peaceable conscience in Christ and to holiness of life which were signified by the Legal washings yee therefore by Faith apprehending your priviledge with us and applying to your selves the virtue of Christs blood by Faith being assured yee ought together with us in Sanctification of life to approach nearer unto God and to cleave unto him that yee may the more boldly persevere Faithful Arg. 7. God who hath promised all grace to them that hope in him that they may perseveâ—e to salvation is faithful Therefore c. Vers. 24. And let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works 25. Not forsaking the assembling of our selves together as the manner of some is but exhorting one another and so much the more as yee see the day approaching Argum. 8. Unless yee diligently take heed that by all waies and means which make for your particular or the Churches perseverance in general viz. by considering one another and exciting one another to love and to good works by attending publick meetings and preserving the unity of the Church c. there is danger leâ—t a separation or Schism follow and at length Apostacy from the Faith as experience testifies in the persons of some Therefore c. So much the more Argum. 9. The day of judgement approacheth wherein to those that persevere in and apostatize from the Faith a reward shall bee given according to their works Vers. 26. For if wee sin wilfully after that wee have received the knowledge of the truth there remaineth no more sacrifice for sins Argum. 10. Unless yee persevere in the Faith or if after the acknowledgement of the truth of the Gospel wilfully or on set purpose yee fall back from the Gospel which is to sin against the Holy Ghost there remains no more Sacrifice for sin nor by consequence remission of sin if so be yee rejecting Christ and his Sacrifice maliciously there is no more Sacrifice for sin left Therefore lest yee fall into this abysse yee ought carefully to persevere Vers. 27. But a certain fearful looking for of judgement and fiery indignation which shall devoure the adversaries Argum. 11. There abides for Apostates who knowingly and willfully reject Christ and maliciously betake themselves to the adversaries side a fear of the dreadful judgement of God and of eternal fire which shall devoure all the enemies of Christ and chiefly Apostates Therefore ought yee to persevere in the Faith Vers. 28. Hee that despised Moses Law died without mercy under two or three witnesses 29. Of how much sorer punishment suppose yee shall hee bee thought worthy who hath trodden under foot the Son of God and hath counted the blood of the Covenant wherewith hee was sanctified an unholy thing and hath done despite unto the spirit of grace
his eternal Generation of the Father hee hath this Prerogative 3. The Church is Christs own House and hee may dispose of it and of the service thereof as pleaseth him Men who are but servants must change none of the Ordinances of Gods worship in it But Christ â—ay change the Ordinances of his own worship and therefore alter the Ordinances of Levi and appoint a more simple form of external worship in place thereof 2. Hee expoundeth this House to be the company of true Beleevers Then 1. The Church of God under the Law and under the Gospel are one Church one house of God in substance and all the faithfull then and now lively stones of this house 2. The Church have God dwelling and conversing and familiarly manifesting himself amongst them 3. Hee addeth to a condition If wee hold fast the confidence and the rejoycing of the hope firm unto the end That is If wee continue stedfast in the Faith inwardly griping the promised glory by hope and outwardly avowing by confession Christs truth whereby hee neither importeth the possibility of final Apostacy of the Saints nor yet mindeth hee to weaken the confidence of Beleevers more than hee doubteth of his own perseverance or mindeth to weaken his own Faith for hee joyneth himself with them saying If wee hold fast But writing to the number of the visible Church of whom some not being sound might fall away and by their example make some weak ones though sound stumble for a time to the dishonour of the Gospel hee putteth a difference betwixt true Beleevers who do indeed persevere and time-servers who do not persevere to whom hee doth not grant for the present the Priviledge of being Gods House This conditional speech then importeth 1. That some Professors in the visible Church may make defection and not persevere to the end 2. That such as shall make final defection hereafter are not a part of Gods house for the present howsoever they be esteemed 3. That true Beleevers must take warning from the possibility of some Professors Apostacy to look the better to themselves and to take a better gripe of Christ who is able to keep them 4. That true Beleevers both may and should hold fast their confidence unto the end yea and must aim to do so if they would persevere 5. That true Beleevers have ground and warrant in the promises of the Gospel both to hope for salvation and to rejoyce and glory in that hope as if it were present possession 6. That the more a man aimeth at this solid confidence and gloriation of hope the more evidence hee giveth that hee is of the true house of God Vers. 7. Wherefore as the Holy Ghost saith To day if yee will hear his voice 1. In the words of the Psalm 95. vers 9. hee exhorteth them to beware of hardening their hearts in unbelief The words of the Psalm are called here The saying of the holy Ghost and of the God of Israel 2 Sam. 23. 2 3. Then 1. The authority of the Scripture is not of man but of the Holy Ghost 2. The Scriptures are no dumb letter but the voice of the holy Ghost who by them speaketh 3. The Holy Ghost is God the inspirer of the Prophets that wrote the Scripture 4. The Holy Ghost is a distinct person of the God-head from the Father and the Son exercising the proper actions of a person inspiring the Prophets inditing the Scriptures and speaking to the Church 2. In the words of the Exhortation To day if yee will hear his voice harden not your hearts Observe 1. That while men have the offer of salvation and the word preached unto them it is their day 2. That by the outward hearing God requireth the heart to be brought down and mollified 3. That hee requireth presenâ— yeelding To day while hee calleth without delay because wee cannot be sure how long God will spare or continue his offer beyond this present 4. Hee that studieth not to yeeld his heart to beleeve and obey Gods word sounding in his ears hardeneth his heart For what is it else not to harden their heart but heartily to beleeve and give obedience Vers. 8. Harden not your hearts as in the provocation in the day of temptation in the wilderness 9. When your Fathers tempted mee proved mee and saw my works forty years Hee proveth the danger of this sin in the example of their Fathers As in the day of provocation when your Fathers tempted mee Exod. 17.7 whence wee learn 1. That the evil of sin is not seen till the consequences thereof be seen what provocation it giveth to God and what wrath it draweth down on the sinner 2. It is safest to take a view of our danger by any sin in the person of others who have fallen in the like and have been punished 3. The sins that our Predecessors have been given unto wee should most carefully watch against 4. That Gods Bounty Patience and Means of Grace the longer they be abused aggravateth sin the more Vers. 10. Wherefore I was grieved with that Generation and said They do alway erre in their hearts and they have not known My Waies God pronounceth the Offenders guilty and then giveth Sentence of Doom upon them for their guiltiness They erre in heart saith the Lord. Then 1. Mis-beleeving and disobeying of the Word preached is not reckoned with God for simple ignorance of the mind but for a wilful ignorance and erring of the heart which is worse For the ignorance of the mind simply is I know not but the errour of the heart is I will not know I care not I desire not I love not to know nor obey And such is the ignorance of those who have the Means of Knowledge and Reformation and yet remain in their sins 2. Such obstinate ignorance and wilful disobedience provoketh God to cast away the Sinner and not to deal any more with him Vers. 11. So I sware in My Wrath They shall not enter into My Rest. For their Doom God debarreth them from His Rest That is from all the Comforts of His Fellowship and giveth them Torment in stead of Rest. Then 1. Obstinate Disobedients of the Voice of the Gospel lye near hand final off-cutting 2. If God give over a man to such hardness of heart as still to work contrary to the light of Gods Word Hee hath apparently denounced and sworn to condemn and seclude from Heaven such a Soul 3. It is onely such obstinate ones as go on hardening their heart against Admonitions of the Word that God hath sworn to debar If a man bee found mourning for his former obstinacy the Decree is not gone forth against him Vers. 12. Take heed Brethren lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbeleef in departing from the Living God 1. From the former Example hee warneth them to beware of an evil heart of unbeleef and so to eschew Apostacy Then 1. Mis-beleef is the main Root of Apostacy
Mind or Spirit and those closest affections of the Heart or Soul towards any forbidden evil this word will finde out yea it can divide asunder the Soul and the Spirit the Heart and the Mind and tell the man how his Soul or Heart cleaveth to the sin and how his Mind plotteth pretences to hide the evil of it from himself and others even in those sins which have not broken forth but lye as deep in the mind as the marrow in the bones And it can put difference betwixt the purposes of the heart and the thoughts how to compass the design and how to hide the convoy Or those waies how the sinner doth beguile himself and seeketh to blind the eyes of others the Word doth decypher and distinguish all these things which self-deceiving Sophistry confoundeth Then 1. Secret purposes fall under the Judicatory of the Word as well as practices accomplished 2. Pretences and excuses will not put off the challenge of it 3. Nothing remaineth but that wee give up our selves to the Words government flying what it dischargeth and following what it commandeth Vers. 13. Neither is there any Creature that is not manifest in his sight but all things are naked and opened unto the eyes of him with whom wee have to do To clear the power of the Word hee bringeth in the property of God whose word it is and setteth up the sinners secret thought in the sight of the All-seeing God with whom hee hath to do Then 1. God is the Party with whom the hearer of the Word hath to do and hath his reckoning to make and not the Preacher 2. God joyneth with his Word and giveth it that searching and discovering and peircing virtue 3. Gods omniscience and all-seeing sight should make us look to our inward disposition so shall this and other like Exhortations and Threatnings have better effect and fruit in us Vers. 14. Seeing then that wee have a great High Priest that is passed into the Heavens Iesus the Son of God let us hold fast our Profession 1. Hee giveth them a direction for entring into their rest To hold fast their Profession that is in faith and love to avow the Doctrine of Christ. Then Hee that would enter into rest must bee stedfast in maintaining and avowing the true Religion of Christ. 2. Hee who quitteth the profession of the Truth of Christ taketh courses to cut off himself from Gods rest For if wee deny Christ hee will deny us 2. Hee commandeth To hold fast our Profession Then 1. God will not be pleased with backsliding or coldness or indifferency in matters of Religion because this is not to hold it fast but to take a loose hold which is the ready way to defection 2. There is danger lest our adversaries pull the Truth from us 3. The more danger wee fore-see the more strongly must wee hold the Truth 3. The encouragement which hee giveth to hold fast is Wee have Christ a great High Priest c. Then 1. As wee have need of threatning to drive us to enter into Gods Rest So have wee need of incouragements to draw us thereunto 2. All our encouragement is from the help which wee shall have in Christ and that is sufficient 3. Christ is alwaies for us in his Office albeit wee do not alwaies feel him sensibly in us 4. Hee calleth Christ A great High Priest to put difference betwixt the typical High Priest and him in whom the Truth of the Priesthood is found Then What the typical High Priest did in shew for the people that the great High Priest doth in substance for us That is reconcileth us to God perfectly blesseth us with all blessings solidly and intercedeth for us perpetually 5. Hee affirmeth of Christ that hee is passed into the Heavens to wit in regard of his Manheâ—d to take possession thereof in our name Then 1. Christs corporal presence is in Heaven onely and not on Earth from whence hee is passed 2. Christs corporal presence in Heaven and absence from us in that respect hindereth not our right unto him and spiritual having or possessing of him 3. Yea it is our encouragement to seek entry into Heaven that hee is there before us 6. Hee calleth him Iesus the Son of God to lead us through his humanity unto his Godhead Then no rest on the Mediator till wee go to the rock of his Godhead where is strength and satisfaction to faith Vers. 15. For wee have not an High Priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities But was in all points tempted like as wee are yet without sin 1. Another encouragement is from the merciful and compassionate disposition of our High Priest whose nature and office and experience maketh him that hee cannot be but touched with our infirmities both sinful and sinless infirmities of body estate or mind Then 1. Hee presupposeth that the faithful are subject to infirmities both of sin and misery and by reason thereof to discouragements and dashing of their spirit 2. Christ doth pitty the infirmities of the faithfull their poverty banishment sickness grief yea their sinful passions and perturbations and short comming in holy duties hee is compassionate in all these Therefore may our Faith gather strength from his pitty to bear these the better and strive against our sinfulness with the greater courage And in the sense of our infirmities wee should not stand back from Christ but go to him the rather as to a compassionate physician who can and will help us 2. To give us assurance of his compassion hee sheweth us that hee was in all points tempted like as wee are yet without sin Then 1. Christ hath experience of all tryals wherein any of his servants can fall of poverty contempt of the world of being forsaken by friends of exile imprisonment hunger nakedness watching weariness pain of body dashing of mind heaviness of hearts dolour anguish and perplexity of Spirit yea of desertion to sense yea of the wrath and curse of God the feeling whereof may justly bee called A descending to Hell Christ in his own experience knoweth what all such exercises are 2. These his experiences and sufferings are pawns to us of his compassion on us in such cases so that wee may as certainly beleeve the compassion as the passion 3. Hee maketh exception of sin whereof hee was free but not of his being tempted to sin Then 1. Albeit our Lord was free from committing sin yet hee was not free from being tempted to sin and so can pitty our weakness when wee are overcome of it 2. His being free of sin is our comfort against sin For if our Mediatour had been defiled with sin hee could not have washed us But now hee is able to justifie us and set us free of sin also Vers. 16. Let us therefore come boldly unto the Throne of Grace that wee may obtain Mercy and finde Grace to help in time of need 1. From these encouragements hee draweth another direction
for ever to help them all to Heaven who seek unto God through him onely 2. Because life is here in Christ as in the fountain that hee may give life to whomsoever hee will that is unto all that come unto him 3. Because it giveth life and refreshment to the weary passenger and quickneth his dead and dumpish heart when hee considereth that his Saviour is a man indeed so earnest to have us saved that hee hath yoaked himself in communion of nature with us thereby to save us It is meat indeed to his soul that the Word is made flesh It is drink indeed to consider that hee hath suffered for our sins As Elias Chariot so is Christs Man-head and sufferings Get up here by Faith in him and thou shalt go up to God This way is that of Eagles wings Lay first hold upon Jesus Christ God manifested in the flesh and hee will mount up with thee and carry thee through the wilderness to Canaan from the natural misery and sins which thou lyest in unto Heaven 6. This Way leadeth through the Veil to teach us That wee comming to Christs Man-head must not subsist there but by this mean seeking to God who dwelleth in him that our Faith and Hope may be in God Wee enter by the Man Christ and do rest on God in Christ on the fulness of the God-head which dwelleth bodily in Christ. This is to distinguish the Natures of Christ and to keep the unity of his Person rightly Vers. 21. And having an High Priest over the House of GOD. For our further satisfaction he giveth us Christ over again to make yet more use of him to direct guide and convoy us in the way to lead us to the Father in Heaven through the Courts of his Dwelling and to bring us in to him and make us welcome there 1. We have Christ for a Priest to us whose lips do always preserve knowledge in whom are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge who will inform our mindes and perswade our hearts to believe and obey who will reconcile by his once offered sacrifice the Believer will intercede for the reconciled to keep him still in grace will bless us with all spiritual blessings will take our prayers thanksgiving and the spiritual sacrifice of all the good works of our hands and wash the pollutions from them will offer them in our name with the incense and perfume of his own merits and lead our selves in where our Lamps shall be furnished and our Table filled till we go into Heaven and there he will welcome us in a Mansion prepared for us 2. He is a High Priest adorned with all Authority and all Perfections having all in substance which the types did signifie who beareth our names yea our selves on the shoulders of his power and in the breast of his hearty love who beareth the iniquity of the holy things and holiness in his forehead for us In whom the Father is well pleased with us and hath made us acceptable as in his well-beloved 3. He is over the House of God He hath authority and power to bring in whom he pleaseth and to give forth of the Treasure as much as he will All the Mansions in his Fathers dwelling Hoâ—se are his and all at his disposing to open so as none shall shut To him belongeth to give forth the sentence of Admission to Heaven and to say Come you blessed of the Father Yea to make this his authority manifest he will come again and take us unto himself that where he is we may be there also 4. We have this High Priest that is he is ours because 1. Taken out from amongst us one of our number albeit not of our conditions of our nature but separate from our sinful manners holy and harmless 2. Because he is for us in things appertaining to God to imploy his means and power for our behoof towards God 3. Because bound in all bands with us of nature of grace and good will of the Fathers gift and appointment and his own Covenant and special Contract with us So that albeit an uncouth man may possible leave a stranger in his journey alone yet Christ cannot chuse to do so to us but for the Bands betwixt him and us he will never leave us nor forsake us Vers. 22. Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water From these Priviledges he presseth an exhortation To draw near to God and prescribeth the disposition required of us in our drawing near 1. This exhortation sheweth 1. That true Christians are oftentimes so sensible of their own unworthiness that under that sense they are inclined of themselves to stand afar off and have need of encouragement and invitation to draw near 2. That such as are most sensible of their own unworthiness are most called to come forwards unto GOD for he giveth grace to the humble 2. He layeth down the Priviledges in the former verses and in this draweth on the Exhortation To teach us 1. That such priviledges as are granted unto us in Christ must be received and believed as truth 2. That we must study to make use of our priviledges and challenge them for our own 3. That the weakest of true believers in Christ may thrust in themselves at the doors of grace amongst the holy Apostles For the Apostle putteth the Hebrews with himself in the exhortation for this end 3. For our disposition and sitting to draw near he requireth first That we have a true heart He saith not a sensless heart but a true heart that is such a heart as in the matter of believing mindeth no confidence but in Gods grace through Christ onely And in the matter of Gods service mindeth onely his will in its aim and alloweth onely that which is his will in its câ—nsure Then an honest heart which honestly acknowledgeth its own sins and flyeth to Christs blood for sprinkling whose aim is upright endeavours upright and censure of it self upright allowing in itself nothing but what God alloweth and displeased with that which displeaseth God albeit many ways weak and imperfect yet hath liberty to draw near unto God 4. The next thing he requireth is full assurance of faith That is a settled and full perswasion to be accepted even through Jesus Christ. Then albeit the Lord will not despise the weakest measure of faith and will not quench the smoaking flax yet it pleaseth him better yea it is his commandment that men study unto the full assurance of faith for the more thou restest on Gods Covenant with thee in Jesus Christ the more thou sealest his truth glorifiest him becomest the more like unto faithful Abraham and gettest the deeper rooting in Christ. 5. The third is That the heart be sprinkled from an evil conscience The heart is sprinkled when a sinner sensible of sin maketh hearty application to himself
of the blood of Iesus for remission of sins after this hearty application of Christs blood the conscience is furnished with a good answer unto all challenges and so is made good a comfortable conscience absolving the man through faith in Jesus whom it tormented with challenges before it ran to the blood of Jesus for sprinkling Then whensoever the conscience is evil accuseth and vexeth let the vexed heart run to Christs blood and then shall it be free from an evil conscience for the blood of Jesus cleanseth us from all sin Let the heart be sprinkled and the conscience will be good 6. The fourth thing required in him that draweth near as he should is That his body be washed with pure water That is That according to the signification of that Legal Rite their outward conversation be blameless and holy sin being so curbed within that it reign not in their mortal body so foughten against within as it break not forth in scandalous works of Darkness in the actions of the body Then 1. With a sprinkled conscience within men must joyn an holy and blameless conversation without 2. The washing of the conversation without must proceed from an heart sensibly acquainted with the power of the blood of Jesus 3. And this outward holiness of the body must be wrought with pure water that is by the Spirit of Sanctification to distinguish the reformation of a believer from a counterfeit who without may look like a righteous man but within be as a whited Tomb full of rottenness Verse 23. Let us hold fast the Profession of our Faith without wavering for he is faithful that promised Another Exhortation to avow the faith of Christ that is the doctrine of Christ the truth received from Christ and believed and not to quit it in the time of tryal upon any condition 1. The requiring to hold fast the confession of our Faith or Hope as the word importeth teacheth 1. That a true Christian must not onely hold the truth of Christ secretly but must confess it profess and avow it openly where Gods glory and others good requireth the same 2. That he must look for adversary powers and temptations to take that truth or at least the confession of it from him 3. That in these tryals and essays he must hold the faster gripe and avow it so much the more stedfastly as he is tempted to quit it 4. That when he is put to the tryal of this Confession of any point of his Faith hee is also put to the tryal of the confession of his hope whether his hopes of the promised salvation in Jesus be stronger to keep him stedfast or the terror and allurement from men stronger to make him quit the point of truth converted 5. That nothing but this hope is able to make a man stand out in tryal if hee be hardly urged 2. Hee will have the avowing of the truth of Christ to be without wavering Then 1. Men must so learn the Truth that they need not to change again that is must study to know the Truth soundly and solidly 2. And having learned it must not say and unsay one day avow it and another day quit it For so God getteth not his due glory Beholders are not edified the mans testimony wanteth weight with the adversary But hee must be invincible in the truth who will neither alter nor change or diminish any thing of it for fear or favour 3. Hee giveth this for a ground of constancy For hee is faithful who hath promised That is the promises which Iesus hath made to such as constantly beleeve in him shall be surely performed that no constant professor of his Truth shall be ashamed Then 1. Where wee have a promise of any thing made unto us in Scripture wee may be confident to obtain it and bold to avow our hope thereof against such as would teach us the Doctrine of Doubting whereunto wee are of our selves prone and inclined and against such as shake the assurance of the Saints perseverance 2. The ground of our confidence is not in our selves but in the faithfulness of Jesus Christ who hath promised such graces to his children 3. Our bold avowing of our hope is not a bragging of our own strength but a magnifying of Christs faithfulness Vers. 24. And let us consider one another to provoke unto love and unto good works Hee strengtheneth his former Exhortation by giving of directions to further their obedience thereunto And first for mutual up-stirring one of another Whereof wee learn 1. That mutual edification of Christians amongst themselves and sharpening one of another is a special help to constancy in true Religion and a preservative against Apostacy 2. Prudence is required hereunto that mutually wee observe one anothers disposition Gifts Experience Virtues and Faults that wee may the better fit our selves to do good each one of us unto another and to receive good each one of another in our Christian conversing together 3. A godly striving one with another who shall be first in love and well-doing is better than the ordinary strife who shall exceed others in vanity and superfluity of apparel and fare Vers. 25. Not forsaking the assembling of our selves together as the manner of some is but exhorting one another and so much the more as yee see the day approaching Another mean to this same end is the frequenting of Christian Assemblies and Meetings which may further this purpose of mutual edification And therefore 1. Church-Assemblies must be well kept by such as do minde to prove constant in the true Religion 2. Christian Meetings also of private Christians for mutual conference and exhorting one of another is not to be neglected nor forsaken but to be used for keeping unity in the Church and not to foster Schism or hinder the publick Assemblies 2. Hee taxeth the fault of some amongst them who in Schism or purpose of Apostasie withdrew themselves from all Church-Assemblies and Christian-Meetings and fell back again or were in the way of falling back to the denial of Christ openly Then 1. Separation from the true Church and Christian society of the faithful is a remarkable evil 2. The Schism or Apostasie of others should not weaken us in following any good mean of edification but rather stir us up unto more diligence lest by negligence wee fall peece and peece back after their example 3. Hee maketh the approaching of the day to wit of Gods Iudgement a special motive to use the means diligently and make us constant in the Faith Then 1. The day of Gods Judgement should still be looked unto as a thing near hand even at the doors because it is but a very little and our day shall come yea and but a little time till our Lord shall come to judgement 2. The consideration of the day of judgement is a fit mean to sharpen us unto all good Duties which may make our reckoning to be furthered at that day and to make us boldly
seven Arguments Vers. 3. Knowing this that the tryal of your Faith worketh patience Arg. 1. Those temptations are the tryal of your Faith the polishing of it and bringing it into open view Therefore yee ought to esteem it matter of great joy when yee fall into divers ttmptations Worketh Argum. 2. Because this exercise will bring forth patience in you which is of greater price than that your affliction may be compared with it Therefore c. Vers. 4. But let patience have her perfect work that yee may be perfect and enâ—ire wanting nothing Argum. 3. Joyned with an exhortation There is need of divers afflictions and that they stay upon you viz. so long as God shall see fit that the work of patience may be perfected and that yee that have other endowments may also have the gift of patience and so the image of Christ may be compleated in you that nothing may be wanting to you for perfection of the parts of holiness Therefore yee ought to count it all joy when yee fall into afflictions Vers. 5. If any of you lack wisdome let him ask it of God that giveth to all men liberally and upbraideth not and it shall be given him Argum. 4. Propounded by way of answer to an objection Wisdome is at hand which may effectually administer to all that are afflicted that ask this gift of God reasons both of joy and patience in these tryals Therefore wee ought to rejoyce in afflictions Who gives Hee confirms this Argument from the abundant Grace of God who gives to all that ask freely abundantly and without upbraiding their unworthiness or ingratitude in praying and gives to the penitent person whatsoever spiritual gift is asked as much as is sufficient to salvation Vers. 6. But let him ask in Faith nothing wavering for hee that wavereth is like a wave of the Sea driven with the wind and tossed Hee explains the same Argument from the praying party requiring that he ask in Faith or confidence grounded in the promise of God concerning giving the gift not doubting whether God will grant that necessary gift promised to him Of which confidence required and wavering prohibited hee gives three Reasons For hee Reas. 1. Because hee that wavereth being tossed hither and thither in his prayers doubtful whether hee shall finde God true and merciful is like to waves of the Sea which are by the wind driven hither and thither and vanish without profit Vers. 7. For let not that man think that hee shall receive anything of the Lord. Reas. 2. Because that wavering which ends not in the conclusion of Faith makes prayers of none effect which God doth not grant Vers. 8. A double-minded man is unstable in all his waies Reas. 3. Because such an unfaithful doubter or uncertain what to determine is unstable and unconstant in his counsels and actions and no less ready to depart from God than to remain with him holding nothing firmly in the present business of Religion which is before him Vers. 9. Let the Brother of low degree rejoyce in that hee is exalted Hee returns to his purpose and adds the fifth Argument to prove that in the exercise of the cross there may be matter of joy Hee that through afflictions or the cross is humbled by the Lord can glory in his tryals as in the mark of his adoption and exaltation to the dignity of being an adopted Son of God and to the priviledges of the Saints which preferment doth far surpâ—ss the Riches of the Rich and the Thrones of Kings Therefore yee ought to glory in the tryals which the Cross makes Vers. 10. But the Rich in that hee is made low because as the flower of the grass hee shall pass away 11. For the Sun is no sooner risen with a burning heat but it withereth the grass and the flower thereof falleth and the grace of the fashion of it perisheth so also shall the rich man fade away in his waies Argum. 6. Hee that is rich and yet untouched by persecutours and afflictions hath no matter of joy in his prosperity but in the abasement of his mind or in his preparation to bear the cross or afflictions with others that are afflicted Because The reason is given Because hee that is not so wise but trusteth in his riches is vain and shall come to nothing as the flower of the grass shall wither and perish with all his counsels Vers. 12. Blessed is the man that endureth temptation for when hee is tryed hee shall receive the Crown of life which the Lord hath promised to them that love him Argum. 7. Hee that patiently bears afflictions and is found approved in the Faith is already blessed and shall at length obtain the promised Crown of eternal life whereunto hee is now prepared by the exercise of the cross Therefore this exercise by the cross is to be esteemed matter of joy Vers. 13. Let no man say when hee is tempted I am tempted of God for God cannot be tempted with evil neither tempteth hee any man Admon 2. Touching a right judgement of inward temptations lest any one violate the sanctity of God even in their thoughts as if God solicited any one to sin which is a familiar thing with the Sons of Adam to cast the blame upon God as the Author There are eight Arguments of the Admonition or Dehortation all which prove that temptations to evil are not to be ascribed to God For God Argum. 1. God cannot be solicited or moved to sin Therefore neither can hee solicit any other to sin and consequently temptation to sin is not to be ascribed to God Vers. 14. But every man is tempted when hee is drawn away of his own last and enticed Argum. 2. Every mans proper lust is the true cause of temptation Therefore it is not to be ascribed to God Hee proves the Antecedent by unfolding the method of temptation to sin in its five degrees For first Man is drawn by his depraved lust from the true good that hee may not rest quiet in it Furthermore hee is enticed by a false appearance of good to follow that which is evil Vers. 15. Then when lust hath conceived it bringeth forth sin and sin when it is finished bringeth forth death Thirdly Hee conceives in his will and heart the purpose of sinning actually Fourthly Hee actually sins And fifthly Sin committed by its desert bringeth forth as it were and procureth death And so original wickedness bringeth forth actual sin and by degrees carries it on to further encrease Vers. 16. Do not erre my beloved Brethren Argum. 3. Yee will mistake and hold a false and blasphemous opinion if yee ascribe the cause of your impulse to sin unto God Vers. 17. Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above and cometh down from the Father of lights with whom is no variableness neither shadow of turning Argum. 4. God is the fountain and author of all good which is in us or that which is given to