especially in any large measure will enflame the natural heart with love and lustings towards the proper object thereof And therefore David that he might cover his great evil and iniquity made Uriah to eat and drink yea he made him drunk As knowing this was the way to cause him to go down to his Wife and lye with her and though David's policy herein failed him yet therein is signified that this was a proper means to bring to pass his evil and naughty intendment 2 Sam. 11. 11-13 So we may say this Spirit is by way of eminency Wine that wherewith being filled we shall be enflamed with heavenly and Divine Love Hence this Spirit is called the Spirit of Love 2 Tim. 1. 7 and the Love effected in the Believers is called their love in the Spirit Colos 1. 8 and to move the Believers to walk in the Spirit the Apostle tells them The fruit of the Spirit is love This is that which the Holy Spirit doth produce in them in whom it is and abides Gal. 5. 16-22 And so this Spirit doth enflame the heart with love to Jesus Christ and God in him It doth discover make known and shed abroad the love of God in the heart of the Believer even that love that while we were yet without strength in due time Christ died for the ungodly the Spirit causes to appear the kindness and love of God to man ward in sending his Son the Saviour of the world and of Christ in laying down his life for us and tasting death by the grace of God for every man That this love being seen known and believed by us we might love him who hath so testified love to us with all our hearts and hereby is their love made perfect who know and believe it and that God is love so as they love him because he first loved them Rom. 5. 5-8 Tit. 3. 4 5. 1 Joh. 4. 13-16 17-19 Hereby he makes them sick of love and helps them to cleave to him in love with full purpose of heart Cant. 2. 3 4 5. And in discovering of the excellency and comeliness of Christ of the plenteousness of Redemption in him by his blood even the forgiveness of our sins of the everlasting righteousness brought in by and treasured up in him of the treasures of wisdom and knowledg hid in him of that eternal life given us in him and all things pertaining to life and godliness of the favour of his good ointments wherewith he is anointed as the great Apostle and High-Priest yea of his compleat perfect and universal loveliness hereby the Spirit renders him as an object worthy to be delighted in by the Soul And therefore do the virgins love him He is the He whom their Souls love Cant. 1. 3 4. and 5. 8-16 And this Love is such as is clean and leads to the abhorring all that is evil even whatsoever is forbidden by the Lord and discovered by the light the Spirit in the Testimony to be displeasing and offensive to the beloved Hence whereas God in giving forth his Law at first saith Thou shalt have no other gods before me Thou shalt not make to thy self any graven Image c. Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain Remember the Sabbath-day to keep it holy c. all is summed up in this short saying elsewhere Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thine heart and soul and mind and strength Exod. 20. 3-11 with Deut. 6. 4 5. Matth. 22. 36 37. To signify that the love of the Spirit is such as is exercised in abstaining from and denying all ungodliness and in cleaving unto and following whatsoever is well-pleasing in the sight of the Lord and this Spirit is also purifying the heart from all unclean and filthy love in obeying the truth unto the unfeigned love of the Brethren that they might love one another with a pure heart fervently 1 Pet. 1. 22. 1 Joh. 3. 16-18 And this Love thus begotten even by the Spirit in commending Gods love in Christ worketh no ill to ones neighbour and so preserves from Murder Uncleanness Thest bearing False-witness Covetousness Rioting and Drunkenness or any other thing that is contrary to sound Doctrine Rom. 13. 8-13 And also this Spirit in discovering the greatness and extensiveness of the Love of Christ to wit that this One died for all constrains the Believers thereof to love all men even their enemies also Mat. 5. 44 45. 2 Cor. 5. 14 15. 8. Wine is proper to make men free to speak it causes them to be talkative to open their mouths freely in discoursing or speaking about any matter or business So Elihu saith Behold my belly is as Wine which hath no vent it is ready to burst like new bottles I will speak that I may be refreshed I will open my lips and answer And that which made him so free to speak was this Spiritual Wine we are speaking of He was full of matter and the Spirit within him did constrain him Job 32. 17-20 And thus it was with the Apostles and the residue of the Believers when the Holy Spirit was poured down from on high upon them They were all filled with the Holy Ghost and began to speak c. They did freely declare the wonderful works of God And though some foolish ones mocking said These men are full of new wine because they were so free in speaking yet as Peter saith These were not drunken with Wine as they supposed But this was that which was spoken by the Prophet Joel It shall come to pass in the last dayes saith God I will pour out of my Spirit c. Act. 2. 1-4-11-13-17 18. This Spirit will apt and enable us to speak not as men filled with Wine do to wit vain and unprofitable things But it will help us to speak unto God and to pray unto him in Christs name for what we want And to give thanks unto him alwayes for all things in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ Eph. 5. 18-20 The Spirit in opening the things of Christ unto us helpeth our Infirmities for we know not what we should pray for as we ought But the Spirit it self maketh intercession for us with groanings that cannot be uttered And he that searcheth the hearts knoweth what is the mind of the Spirit because he maketh intercession according to God Rom. 8. 26 27. And this Spirit will apt and incline us to be speaking unto our selves in Psalms and Hymns and Spiritual songs Eph. 5. 18 19. To be teaching and admonishing one another Col. 3. 16. And to speak unto others even all men or any man we have opportunity to converse with that will hear To speak unto them and make mention of the sufferings of Christ and what he hath thereby done and obtained into himself for every poor sinful creature of mankind And the love of God manifested in Christ to man-ward And in all to make mention of Gods righteousness even of his
loved us and gave himself for us we should be helped to believe and confidently expect that he who spared not his own Son but delivered him up for us all will also with him freely give us all things Luk. 12. 29-31-33 Rom. 8. 32. 3. But if the employment be such as you know not how to follow it and avoid the snares that are in it it is better to leave it though it be never so profitable and advantageous and though thereby you be reduced to the greatest poverty imaginable than to abide in it if you cannot therein abide with God 1 Cor. 7. 24 By faith Moses when he was come to years refused to be called the Son of Pharoah's daughter Chusing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God than to enjoy the pleasures of sin which are but for a season Heb. 11. 24 25. And if our hand or foot offend us any work or way of ours let us cut them off and cast them from us It is better for us to enter into life maimed or halt than having two hands or feet to be cast into Hell into the fire which shall never be quenched where their worm dieth not and their fire is not quenched As our Saviour saith Mark 9. 43-46 Obj. 2. Another may say Truly Intemperance is a thing I delight not in But when I meet with my friends or relations which are near to me I sometimes though seldom exceed in Wine or Strong drink And I do a little the more comply with them that I might be an instrument of good unto them and by that means bring them to hear and receive the Gospel And therefore I hope God will be merciful to me To such an one I may say many things 1. That it is good indeed for us to walk in love toward all men and to be courteous to them 1 Thes 3. 12. Luk. 6. 27-35 And especially he that hath friends or relations that are beloved in the flesh should shew himself friendly to such and be kind toward them Prov. 18. 24. Philem. 16. But 2. This is not Love indeed nor Friendship toward them when we have fellowship with them in any unfruitful work of darkness such as Intemperance but hatred to them For Love worketh no ill to his Neighbour or Brother Rom. 13. 9 10-13 When we keep Company with them in any thing that is evil we do as Job saith Dig a pit for our friend Job 6. 27. This may be indeed called the love of the flesh thus to testify kindness towards them proceeding from that Wisdom which descendeth not from above but which is earthly sensual and Devillish Jam. 3. 15. But it is not Love in the Spirit It is not loving-kindness but hating-kindness towards them And therefore while thou pretendest to testify Love to thy friend thou dost but pretend it for indeed in such compliance thou hatest him and strengthenest him in those wayes which lead to the everlasting destruction of his soul And as the Apostle saith in another case so may I in this If any man see thee which hast knowledg some understanding of the Grace of God sit in Taverns or Alehouses and drink to excess shall not the conscience of him that is weak be emboldned in his evil wayes And through thy knowledg shall thy weak Brother perish for whom Christ died 1 Cor. 8. 10 11-13 3. Consider Though he be a Friend or Brother to whom thou wouldest thus testify Love which is in truth hatred yet there is a Friend that sticketh closer than a Brother Prov. 18. 24. And one who hath infinitely exceeded all Friends in expression of Love and affection to us even our Lord Jesus who when we were become dead died for us and rose again and gave himself a ransom for us And while we were dead in sins caused his goodness to pass before us and is become our rightful Lord. Now then if we should testify love to a friend should we not first alwayes do it to this our lover who hath so greatly loved us and still continues his goodness to us Whether ought we to love him or others principally judg ye now our love to him is expressed and evidenced herein that we keep his Commandments Amongst which this is one That we be not drunk with Wine wherein is excess no not at any one time Joh. 14. 21. with Rom. 13. 13. Luk. 21. 34. And this our Friend saith to us If any man come unto me ard hate not his Father and Mother and Wife and Children and Brethren c. he cannot be my disciple Luk. 14. 26. Matth. 10. 37. Deut. 33. 9. Oh therefore If thou wouldest be loving to thy Friend shew thy love to this Lover in observing his Commands so shalt thou be preserved from every path of the destroyer and rightly walk in and testify love towards such as are near to thee or related to thee in the flesh And in loving pureness of heart the King shall be thy friend Prov. 22. 11. 4. If by thy compliance with thy Brother or Friend thou couldest gain him to hear the Gospel yet thou shouldest not walk in this way to such an end For 1 Thou mayest see it's displeasing to God and forbidden by him who hath so loved the World as to give his only begotten Son to be the Saviour of it that thou shouldest do any evil that good may come Rom. 3. 8. He who is the Lord hates robbery for Burnt-offerings and will direct the way and work of his people in truth Isa 61. 8. Deut. 23. 18. 2. If by this means thou shouldest gain in thy Brother to hear and receive the Gospel after a sort yet it cannot be expected that thou shouldest as the direct consequent of such actings be any instrument of good to him But at best be a means of his hearing and receiving in vain as thou thy self also dost And like thy self he may become a sinner in Zion and an Hypocrite amongst Gods people and that in conclusion will aggravate his condemnation Do men gather Grapes of throns or figs of thissles Even so a corrupt tree brings forth evil fruit Matth. 7. 16 17. That which is born of the flesh is flesh Joh. 3. 6. 3. If by occasion of thee and of thy compliance with him thy Friend or Brother come to hear the Gospel And the Lord who is not willing that any man should perish but that all should come to repentance open his heart and he heartily receive the grace of God and his Iniquities be pardoned and he be graciously received Do not thou upon this account sacrifice to thine own net nor burn Incense to thine own Dragge for it shall never be for thine honour He will say to thee as he did to the House of Israel Not for thy sake do I thus be it known unto thee Be ashamed and confounded for thine evil wayes Ezek. 36. 32. He will indeed be with his own Ordinances and people and where-ever he records his name
he will come and bless them Exod. 20. 24. But shall the workers of Iniquity have fellowship with him no surely Psal 49. 20. and Psal 5. 4 5. 5. The way to testify love to thy Friend or brother is to withdraw from him in any thing that is evil and shew thy dislike thereof both in word and action and if thou so dost not thou art an hater and murderer of thy Brother however thou pretendest thy self to be a Friend and to shew friendship to him Thou shalt not hate thy Brother in thine heart Thou shalt in any wise rebuke thy Neighbour and not suffer sin upon him Or that thou bear not sin for him Levit. 19. 17. with 1 Joh. 3. 15. And therefore as the Lord said in former times concerning open Idolatry so we may in part of this Idolatry If thy Brother the Son of thy Mother or thy Son or thy Daughter or the Wife of thy bosom or thy Friend which is as thine own Soul entice thee secretly saying Let us go and serve other gods let us make our belly our god and serve it thou shalt not consent unto him nor hearken unto him Deut. 13. 6-8 with Philip. 3. 19. and Rom. 16. 18. Oh! Withdraw your selves from every Brother that walks disorderly and not after the Apostles tradition that they may be ashamed 2 Thes 3. 6 14. And rebuke such an one And though at present he takes it grievously yet he that rebuketh a man afterward shall find more favour than he that flatters with the tongue Prov. 28. 23. with Job 17. 5. Obj. 3. Another may say I may be born with a little for my Intemperance for I entertain such as declare the Gospel and lay out my self and spend my estate in receiving the Brethren and adventure all for the Gospel sake Answ 1. If thou dost well shalt thou not be accepted and rewarded Who is there even among you that shut the doors for nought neither do ye kindle a fire on Gods altar for nought faith the Lord of hosts Mal. 1. 10. God is not unrighteous to forget your work and labour of love which ye have shewed towards his name in that ye have ministred to the Saints and do minister And we desire that every one of you do shew the same diligence unto the end Heb. 6. 10 11. Answ 2. But this should be no plea in your hearts or mouths for your Intemperance and Prodigality But rather ye should be clean who in this sense bear the vessels of the Lord Isa 52. 11 or else by means of you the name of God will be blasphemed amongst the Gentiles And still your sin is the greater if you walk disorderly because by receiving the Brethren you have greater and more frequent advantage by their company conference and conversation to abstain and flee from all that is evil Oh! therefore defile not the house of God for If any man defile the temple of God him will God destroy 1 Cor. 3. 16 17. Answ 3. It is to be feared that you who are so forward to proclaim your own goodness in laying out your selves for the Gospel are more large in laying out and consuming upon your lusts what God is betrusting you with for the honouring of him his name and Gospel If you would but at the years end faithfully cast up what you have laid out for the gratifying your own or others lusts on the one hand and what you have expended towards the service of Christ and entertaining his messengers on the other and lay both in the balance the former may so greatly over-weigh the latter as that this is nothing in comparison of that And it may possibly too truly be said to you in this case as he said in another Is not the gleaning of the grapes of your prodigality and intemperance more and better than the Vintage of your liberality towards Christ and his Gospel and people Judg. 8. 2. 4. The more kind you have been toward his people the more kind should they be to you And in love to your Souls beg and be seech you that you would take heed lest at any time your heart be overcharged with Surfeiting and Drunkenness or the cares of this life Oh! refrain your feet from every crooked path and from bibbing and bibbers particularly that you lose not all your reward in conclusion And the Lord in mercy guide us all by his counsel and help us to be guided thereby that hereafter he may receive us to Glory So he desireth to pray who is Your most unworthy Friend and Brother Charles Phelpes Errata PAge 17 line 15 for them read men p. 21 l. 13 r. Drunkards p. 22 l. 14 r. excluded p. 23 l. 16 dele and put it in l. 17 after daily p. 25 l. 4 for is r. in p. 36 l. 7 r. Mal. 2. p. 48. l. 30 for Isa 45. r. Isa 59. p. 51 l. 14 r you may p. 52 l. 2 r. sottish children l. 16 r. joyning p. 58 l. 27 r. belong p. 61 l. 20 del first Comma l. 23 r. Nahum p. 63 l. 24 r. dehort p. 65. l. 14 for sensually r. sententially p. 70 l. 4 r Rom. 8 3. p. 79 l. 6 r. testified l. ll del first and. p. 93 l. 32 r. fulfilled his p. 94 l. 3 r. tasted p. 96 l. 29 for at r. as p. 106 l. 11 for own r. one As also in p. 121 l. 11. p. 140 l. 23 r. Sun l. 24 for Matth. r. Mal. p. 142 l. 18 r. might p. 144 l. 5 r. deprivations p. 148 l. 7 r. right l. 19 r. Drink p. 155 l. 20 dele it p. 156 for the first there r. they p. 158 l. 26 r. as are There are some other literal escapes and mispointings which the Reader is desired to correct as he finds them A CAVEAT Against DRUNKENNESS Ephes V. 18. And be not drunk with Wine wherein is excess but be filled with the spirit THese words are a further Admonition and Instruction which the Apostle gives to these Believers to whom he writes unto whom after his salutation of them chap. 1. v. 1 2 he had been magnifying the Apostles Office in chap. 1. v. 3-12 and blessing God for his great mercy to them in causing the Gospel to be preached to them and helping them to receive it so as it wrought effectually in them chap. 1. v. 13-15 Who sometimes were dead in sins and trespasses in a sad and miserable condition chap. 2. v. 1 2-5 11 12 and yet then Christ made peace for them and preached it to them and they were saved by Grace out of that sad condition and made fellow-Citizens with the Saints the Apostles Gospel being received by them not as the word of Men but as it is in truth the Word of God chap. 2. v. 13-22 minding them how that now the Mystery is opened and revealed as it was not in former times In which is contained That the Gentiles should have the unsearchable riches of Christ preached among