141. Luxury 155. Lying 96. 146. M Magistrates 163. 148. Maintenance 114. Malice 116. Man 91. 94. 116. Manichees 116. Mahometans 138. Manna hidden 137. Marriage 142 Martyrs 124 Masteries 137 Means 91. 109 Meekness 12. 116 Mercy 12. 38 Meeting 135 Members 96. Metallists 11. Miracles 162. Moses 36. 40. 49. 115. 153. Mortality 92. Murmurers 37. Musick 104 Mysteries 62. 65. 66. N Name 1. 17. 58. 104. Natural man 45. Nazianzen 124. Newness 38. 47. O Obedience 23. 46. 92. 93. 97. 128. Object 108. Offertory 15. Offend offence 22. 156. 145. Offerings 90. Omnipotent 67. Omni-presence 134. 136. Order 89 Ordinances 18. P Pambo 144. Passion 69. Paul 114. 123. Parents 92. 100. Pastors 79. Partition wall 85. 117. Peace 32. 58. 117. 155. Peter 25. 160. Pentecost 81. Persecution 32. 96. Perfect 171. Pharaoh 26. 55. Pharisees 78. 158. Philosophy 49. Piety 126. Pillar 86. Pleasures 137. 140. Poor 35. 36. 121. Practice 167. 150. Presbytery 7. Provide 17. Providence 154. Prayer 21. Preaching 173. Prescience 26. 53. Prophecy 33. 45. Promises 101. Principles 41. 89. Praises 110. Prosperity 95. 112. Pride 94. 143. Power 62. Psalms 110. Pure 18. Purity 97. 140. Purposes 57. Q Quarrels 145. Questions 60. R Regenerate 7. 44. Reprobate 5. Reprobation 52. Receive 22. Resistance 29. Redemption 53. 7â— Resurrection 59. 77. 171. Repentance 85. 94. 95. 103. Religion 90. 93. 153. 144. Reward 101 102 103. 133. 179. Reason 108. 119. Reputation 103. Revelation 154. Rich 13. 67. 93. Riches 34. Righteous 34. 47. 49. Rituals 157. Rock 1. Romanism 160. 153. Righteousness 173. 173. S Salvation 3. 66. 68. 722. 44. Sanctity 10. Saviour 102. Sacrament 15. 101. Sacrifices 90. Salt 117. Saints 91. 161. Scripture 59. 108. 117. Scrupulous 158. Schisms 90. 163. Scandal 22. 35. 165. Self-denial 9. 96. 124. Sealed 39. Search 118. Seeing God 169. Severus 148. Sins 20. 30. 111. Sinners 118. Sinus Abrahami 181. Sincerity 25. Songs 180. Soul 16. 70. 114. Solomon 102. Sorrow 95. Spirit 8. 16. 44. 81. 115. 151. 152. Speculation 106. 126. Spiritual 96. Sufferings 31. 76. 176. Submission 34. Suspicion 159. T Temperance 125. Temple 30. Theology 108. Tongue 51. 96. 144. Tribute 156. Tribulation 5. 32. Trouble 112. Tree of knowledg 41. Tree of life 184. Treasures 43. 169. Trust 67. Truth 82. 84. 88. 116. 118. 128. V Vain glory 14. Vicars 83. Virgins 127. 139. 141. Victory 11. Voluntas signi 52. Ungodly 47. 112. Unity 80. 166. Unregenerate 70. Uriah 19. 111. Usury 15. W Warfare 197. War 95. Way 171. Wife 36. Will worship 24. Wicked 95. 112. Wit 96. Wisdom 121. Widow 124. Women 125. Words 130. 145. Works 46. 51. 131. World 16. 38. 39. 72. Wrath 29. 56. Y Yoke 23. 95. 167. Z Zelots 30 Zacharias 132. Greek Words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 27. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 35. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 14. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 16. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 24. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 63. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 93. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 105. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 35. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 5. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 149. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 3. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 15. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 15. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 33. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 28. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 30. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 29. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 14. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 102. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 16. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 94. 95. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 119. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 8. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 53. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 38. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 3. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 25. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 29. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 31. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 70. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 16. 119. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 45. 119. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 113. FINIS THREE MINISTERS Communicating their Collections and Notions touching Several Texts of Holy Scripture At their weekly Meetings The first Meeting A. I. Matth. 16. 18. That the gates of Hell shall not prevail against the Church proves not the pretence of Infallibility Instead of Hell the word may be rendred Grave So the meaning is Death which is the mouth and gate through which we pass into the grave shall never prevail against the Church i. e. The Church shall never die II. Matth. 16. 18. On this rock Suppose the rock on which the Church was to be built were S. Peter himself that is not peculiar unto him since we are all built on the foundation of the Apostles and Prophets and on the twelve foundatiâ—ns of the new Jerusalem are written the names of the twelve Apostles of the Lamb. III. Mat. 16. 19. The keyes of the Kingdome of Heaven given to Peter saith no more but that he was to open the Gospel which is usually called the Kingdome of God or of Heaven in the new Testament Now the use of keyes being to open the door this was in peculiar S. Peters honour who did first publish the Gospel both to Jews and Gentiles and in particular did first receive the Gentiles into the new dispensation B. I. LUke 19. 26. Vnto every one that hath i. e. hath made use of the talent of Grace intrâ—â—â—ed to him as Heb. 12. 28. To have Grace signifies to make use of it to the end to which it is design'd shall be given and from him that hath not i. e. hath not made use of his talent even that he hath shall be taken from him II. Act. 2. 47. The Lord added daily to the Church such as should be saved 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the saved The word signifies peculiarly those who received that exhortation v. 41. that is those that repented of their sins and therefore the Syriac renders it the Lord added daily those that became safe in the Church i. e. recovered themselves from that danger in which they were involved among that wicked Generation and betook themselvs to the Church as to a Sanctuary III. Hebr. 2. 16. He taketh not hold of Angels but of the seed of Abraham he taketh hold So the words are rightly rendred in the margin Where 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies to catch any one who is either running away or falling on the ground or into a pit to fetch back or recover again Thus Christ did for men in being born and suffering in our Flesh but for Angels he did it not C. I. MAtth. 1. 23. They shall call his name Emmanuel i. e. He shall be God with us or God incarnate in our flesh For in the Hebrew tongue word and thing calling and being name and person are all one No word i. e. no thing shall be impossible with God And My house shall be called i. e. shall be the house of prayer to all People Gentiles as well as Jewes And so many names i. e. so many men II. Mark 1. 24. Art thou come to destroy us And in another place Art thou come to torment us before our time Matth.
expressâ— thy detestation against my suffâ—â—gs thou offerest to bring me into an horâ— and fear of Suffering and so in effect temptest me to sin But though Peter were an offence to Christ tempted him and said that which was to ensnare him yet Christ was not offended ensnared or overcome by the temptation II. Rom. 14. 3. Let not him that eateth despise him that eateth not Those who are in Judaical errors are appointed by S. Paul to be tenderly handled not to be Vilified or set at naught And yet Gal. 3. 1. they are by the Apostle reviled and chid out of their Judaical perswafions The reason of this difference is the different estates of the Romans from the Galatians These had been fully instructed by him in the nature of Christian liberty Those had not yet been sufficiently taught to put off the opinion of legal abstinences III. Rom. 4. 3. Abraham believed God and it was counted to him for righteousness Abraham was Justified by believing and depending on God for the performance of his promise and resigning himself up wholly to him to obey his precepts Or by that Faith which howsoever it was tryed whether by promises of incredible things or commands of very hard duties as killing his only Son did constantly approve it self to be a true Faith without unsinning Obedience or Obedience to the Mosaical law Abraham heing then uncircumcised v. 10. i. e. without Works B. I. GAl. 5. 2. If ye be circumcised Christ shall profit you nothing T is spoken of those who urge abolisht Ceremonies as still of force by divine precept upon this ground that Christ coming as the substance typified by those legal Institutions did consequently set a period to their obligingness Which if it should still be urged would be interpretative the denying of Christ and so most justly the forseiting of those Benefits which are to be expected from him II. 1 Tim. 4. 8. Bodily exercise profiteth little This place of bodily exercise doth belong to such kind of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 abstinence continence as are aforementioned Which though when they are taught as necessary to the defaming of marriage or meats as unlawful are then signes of departing from the Faith v. 1. yet considered in themselves as voluntary acts are here said to be profitable in an inferior degree being compared which piety a little profitable or for a little III. Col. 2. 23. In will worship and humiâ—y and neglecting of the body or not sparing That will worship is here taken in a good creditable sence appeareth by the joining of it with two not only lawful but laudable Christian Vertues humility which is Dei hominum reverentia Calv. and mortifying of the body which as an act of self denial cannot be unacceptable to Christ C. I. Col. 2. 23. not in any honour to the satisfying of the flesh Not administring to the Body things to the filling or satiating of the flesh 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 care in relieving of wants Matth. 15. 6. Or those abstinences from flesh are commendable for chastning the Body so that in the mean time it be not indulged otherwise as with wine and sweet-meats II. Luke 10. 27. Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart i. e. sincerely and above all other things Yet one man may love God in a more intense degree then another doth and the same person may constantly love God above all and yet have higher expressions of that love at one time then another Whence it followes that Free-will offerings are reconcilable with that command III. Gen. 44. 5. And whereby indeed he divineth The cup with which he receiveth presages for 't was it seems but a drinking cup wherein he used to drink in those Sacrifices by which he prepared to receive presages from God The Seventh Meeting A. I. EXod 7 13. And he hardned Pharaohs heart 'T is not to be understood as we réad it God hardn'd Pharoah's heart The words do not bear it nor had any such thing yet been in timated in the story Here is an act of Stubbornness in Pharaoh an obstinate resistance or refusal against Gods calls and miracles There was indeed a prediction of it 2. 19. and that grounded onely on Gods prescience which hath no more influence on the effect nor causality of it then your seeing of any object II. Matth. 16. 19. I will give thee the keyes of the kingdom of Heaven Here as in many other places the kingdome of Heaven signifies the Chruch of Christ militant So 23. 13. the Pharises shutting up the Kingdome of Heaven is the keeping men from entring the Church from becoming Christians Peter and in him the rest of the Apostles and Successors Governors of the Church had the Keyes of the Church given them i. e. clearly a power of shutting out or receiving into to the Visible militant Church of removing the cotumacious by censure of Excommunication and re-admitting them being humble penitents by Absolution III. Matth. 12. 32. It shall not be forgiven him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 impersonally he shall not receive absolution neither in this World i. e. in the Church from the Ecclesiastick Censure nor in the World to come i. e. at the day Judgment B. I. 2. THes 3. 14. Have no company with him that he may be ashamed The end of Excommunication is that the offender may be brought to a sense and shame of his own vileness the most necessary preparative to reformation a great act of mercy and charity though under the shew of Severity It followes v. 15. Count him not as an enemy but admonish him as a brother This binding and loosing is used as a means of exemplifying that great Truth that Christ came to save and reduce that which was lost Matth. 18. 11. II. Matth. 20. 22. Ye know not what ye ask Jesus represseth the Mothers demand by â—elling her she is mistaken in the kind of dignity that should be instated upon his disciples not such a one as in any worldly respects would prove desirable but as a place of great burden so subject to great persecutions and even death it self III. Matth. 20. 26. but it shall not be so among you Heathen princes use their power in order to their own profit and pleasure and praise 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 behaving themselves as Lords and Masters over so many Servants Your pre-eminence brings along with it no great secular felicity but an office of burden and pains and humility and doing of service The pre-eminence of Christ himself was such This excludes not disciples of Christ from power for he ownes the title of Lord and master Joh. 13. 13. but from Lording and governing by violence and in an imperious way seeking their own gain and honour C. I. ROm. 13. 2. They that resist shall receive to themselves damnation 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Some render it Judgment as that signifies some temporary punishment which the higher powers may inflict and nothing else But v. 5.
8 29. The Devils acknowledge that Christ was to destroy them they understood so much in the Sacred predictions but withal hope it was not yet the time for that execution and in the mean while counted it a kind of destruction and torment to them to be cast out or retrenched of any of their power which they had over the bodies or souls of men III. Rom. 4. 22. It was imputed or counted to him for Righteousness i. e. God took this for such an expression of Abrahams faithfulness and sincerity and true piety that he accepted him as a righteous person tho no doubt he had many infirmities and sins which he was or had been guilty of in his life unreconcilable which perfect righteousness The second Meeting A. I. 2. COr 13. 5. Know ye not that Christ Jesus is in you among you as Ex. 17. 7. except you be reprobates The words may be best resolved into a question and an answer Know you not discern you not your selves by the miracles and preaching the demonstration of the Spirit and of power that Christ Jesus that is the power of the Gospel is come amongst you this by the context appears to be the meaning And then the Answer except ye be reprobates i. e. ye are obdurate insensate creatures unless you do know it II. Rom. 5 3 4 5. Tribulation worketh patience and patience experience and experience hope and hope maketh not a shamed Here the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which we render experience Signifies being approved upon a tryal and the sense runs thus Tribulation is a season and a means to work patience and that patience to produce approbation as of one that is tryed in the fire and hath past the test and this a means to work an hope or expectation of reward and that hope will keep from being ashamed of those sufferings and make us rather rejoyce in them as in benign auspicious signes that in another world there is a reward for the righteous So Rom. 12. 12. rejoycing in hope and patient in tribulation are joyn'd togeher III. 1 Joh. 3. 3. Every man that hath this hope in him on him relying on his mercy purifieth himself By this you shall know a Christian hope from all other The Hypocrite or Carnal man hopes and is the wickeder for hoping he fears nothing and so discerns not the necessity of mending The best way to reform such a one is to rob him of his ungrounded hope But this hope of seeing God being grounded on the Conditional promises and the conditions being purity and holiness 2 Cor. 7. 1. sets presently to the performance of the conditions B. I. MAtth. 22. 37. Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart with all thy Soul with all thy mind and with all thy strength The heart seemeth to signifie the affections the Soul the will or elective faculty the mind the understanding or rational faculty and the strength the powers of the body for action All four together make up the whole man and the word all is affixt to each not to exclude all other things from any inferior part of your love but only from an equal or superior love to exclude a partial or a half-love II. Jam. 5. 16. Confess your faults one to another The context seems very probably to mean the presbyters for they are to be called v. 14. And for the cure of sin it will sure be very profitable to advise with the Physicians of the Soul to which end alone the disclosing of the particular estate is more then profitable And this may tend much to your comfort when the Minister of God upon a strict survey of your former life and your present repentance passes judgment on you better than you can do on your self III. 1. John 3. 9. Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin i. e. doth not live in sin as in a trade or course for his seed remaineth in him there is in the regenerate a new principle or seed of life a cognation with God which whilst it continues keeps out sin and he cannot sin in such manner because he is born of God or if he do sin thus he is no longer a child of God or a regenerate person So we say An honest man cannot do this not affirming an impossibility but that his principles of honesty will not suffer him to do it or if he do it he is no longer to be counted an honest man C. I. GAl. 5. 17. The flesh lusteth against the spirit c. By the spirit it meant the seed of Grace planted in the heart by God as a principle of new life or the mind and upper Soul elevated yet higher by that supernatural principle By the flesh is meant the carnal appetite still remaining in the most regenerate during this life The lusting of one against the other is their contrariety that whatsoever one likes the other dislikes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 So that you do not the things ye would this contrariety gives you trouble that whatsoever ye do on either side you do it not quietly but with resistance In this opposition we must be sure that the flesh do not carry it against the Spirit i. e. do not get the consent of the will to it For he that fulfils the lust's of the flesh walkes not in the Spirit and consequently is not in a regenerate estate II. Matth. 16. 24. If any man will come after me let him deny himself Self denial is to renounce whatsoever comes at any time in competition with Christ namely all opinion of my own abilities towards the attaining of any supernatural end not depending upon any righteousness of my own for Salvation but only the free mercy of God in Christ not imputing unto me sin All unlawful desires of the flesh and even lawful liberty my reputation my estate and life if selfe when either Christ must be parted with or these By taking up the Cross in the following words is meant bearing of Affliction patiently and chearfully III. Phil. 1 29. To you it is given i. e. It is granted as a grace and Vouchsafement of Gods special favour to suffer far Christ and that grace is designed to reform what is amiss and to punish here that there may be nothing of evil left for another world Wherefore we are bound not only to patience but thankfulness also in our Afflictions The third Meeting A. I. 1. COr 2. 9. Eye haâ—h not seen nor ear heard neither have entred into the heart of man the things which God haâ—h prepared for tbem that love him The true superlative delights even to flesh and blood that are in Sanctity and the practice of Christian Virtues beyond all that any sensual pleasure affords are so great that when they are exprest by the Apostle in these words they are ordinarily mistaken for the description of Heaven II Rom. 7. 23. I see another law in my members warring against the law of my mind
vaunteth not it self and so 't is Modesty It is not puffed up and so 't is Humility It is not easiâ—y provokt and so 't is Lenity It thinketh no evil and so 't is Simplicity It rejoyceth in the truth and so 't is Verity It beareth all things and so 't is Fortitude It believeth all things and so 't is Faith It hopeth all things and so 't is Confidence It endureth all things and so 't is Patience It never faileth and so 't is Perseverance II. Joh. 9. 34. that they which see might be made blind Not as if Christ did imprint or inflict blindness upon any man but onely occasionally i. e. those which walk in darkness and love it when the light comes upon them and discovers their wandring they hate it and turn their eyes from it and become perversly and obstinately blind In the same sense that S. Paul saith Rom. 7. Sin taking occasion by the Law becomes more sinsul whilst sin is not oppos'd it goes on in its course quietly but when the Commandment comes and discovers and rebukes it it becomes furious and much more raging and violent III. Luk. 14. 26. He that hateth not father and mother c. This speech doth not bind me to hate persecute and destroy all the kindred I have no but rather to love and honour them yet if those persons or if it be possible for ought else to be more dear and precious than they stand in my way to hinder me from coming to Christ I must trample them under my feet And a man is no more bound to sell his goods i. e. to throw them away and renounce them than to hate his Parents Onely neither of them may by any means offend us or weary us in our journey to Christ The nine and Twentieth Meeting A. I. JAM â— 19. The Devils believe and tremble They do assent unto the truth of all the mysteries of our salvation But these things are to them occasion of horrour that there should be such glorious things which do nothing concern them and of malice to those who have an interest therein II. Heb 11. 1. Our Faith is the substance of things hoped for Of things which concern us we do not only acknowledge that the precepts of God are good but also necessary to be performed by us and that the promises of God are not only desirable in themselves but also that being such they are destined to us when we shall have performed such conditions as may by the assistance of God be executed by us even with ease and pleasure Where thâ—se perswasions are there will accompany them earnest and serious endeavours III. Psal 60. 16. What art thou that takest my word c. And if that be so great a crime for a man only to talk of God to make mention of his Name when the heart is unclean and unreformed with how much greater reason may Christ say what art thou that takest Me into thy mouth darest come to the Heavenly feast with spotted and unclean affections B. 1. ROm 8. 18. The Apostle who had been traduc'd reviâ—'d buffeted scourg'd imprison'd shipwrack'd and ston'd for his zeal to propagate the Gospel after he had once had a glimse of that great Recompence of reward that is reserv'd for us in heaven scruples not to pronounce that he finds upon casting up the account for he uses the Arithmetical term 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the Glory that is to be revealed in us II. 1 Kings 3. 5 Solomon had an opportunity of satisfying his desires whether of Fame or any other thing that he could wish Ask what I shall give thee was the proffer made him by him that could give all things worth receiving and yet his Choice approv'd by God himself consisted indeclining the most ambition'd things of this life for those things that might the better qualifie him to serve and please God II. Heb. 12. 2. He who by leaving heaven did to dwell on earth quit more than any Inhabitant of the Earth can to gain heaven and denyed more to become capable of being tempted than he did when he was tempted with an offer of all the Kingdoms of the World and the glory of them This Saviour of ours is said to have for the joy that was set before him endured the Cross and despised the shame as if Heaven had been a sufficient Recompence for even his renouncing honours and imbracing torments C. I. ROm. 2. 7. That immarcescible Crown as S. Peter calls it which the Gospel promises to them who by patient continuance in well doing seek for glory and honour will make a rich amends for a fading wreath here upon Earth where Reputation is often times as undeservedly acquir'd as lost whereas in Heaven the very having coelestial honours argues a Title to them II. Math. 5. 12. Since 't is our Saviour's reasoning that his Disciples ought to rejoyce when their Reputation is pursued by Calumny as well as their lives by persecution because their Reward is great in heaven we may justly infer That the grounded Expectation of so illustrious a Condition may bring us more content even when t is not attended with a present applause than this applause can give those who want that Comfortable Expectation III. 2 Chron. 25. 9. In all deliberations wherein any thing is propos'd to be quitted or declin'd to obey or please God we may fitly apply that brisk but rational Answer of the Prophet to the Jewish King The Lord is able to give thee far more than this The Thirtieth Meeting A. I. AMos 6. 5. David became no less Skilful in musick than chose that were addicted to it onely to please themselves in it tho we may reasonably suppose that so pious an Author of Psalms and Instruments aspired to an excellency in that delightful science that he might apply and prefer it to the service of the Temple and promote the celebration of God's praises with it II. Gen. 27. 3. Tho Esau did at length miss of his aim yet while he was hunting Venison for the good Patriarch that desir'd it of him besides the pleasure he was us'd to take in pursuing the Deer he chas'd he took a great one in considering that now he hunted to please his Father and in order to obtain of him an inestimable Blessing III. Gen. 2. 20. They say Adams knowledg before the fall was such that he was able at first sight of them to give each of the beasts a name expressive of its nature But I could never find that the Hebrew names of Animals mention'd in the beginning of Genesis argued a much clearer in sight into their natures than did the the names of the same or some other Animals in Greek or other languages B. I. PSal 145. 3. The Scripture saith of God that his greatness is incomprehensible and his wisdom is inscrutable c. And the heathen Philosopher who
the Exercise of his Power but Redemption the expence of his blood II. Tit. 2. 12. Teaching us that denying ungodliness c. Christ's great design was to reform the debaucht manners of the World to reduce mankind to the Obedience of God to Teach men how to live as well as â—alk and to restore the practice of Piety and Justice of Meekness and Humility and an Universal Good Will and so to restore them to that Honour and Happiness and immortality they had lost III. Rom. 8. 9. If any man have not the Spirit of Christ he is none of his i. e. Unless he have the same temper and disposition of mind which Christ had which is called having the Spirit of Christ by an ordinary figure of the cause for the effect for all those Virtues and Graces wherein our conformity to Christ consists are called the Fruits of the Spirit Eph. 5. 9. C. I. GAl. 4. 19. Christ is formed in us when we are throughly instructed in the doctrine and Religion of Christ and are thereby molded into his likeness and Image When we love God and men as our Saviour did when we are Meek and humble and patient and contented as he was II Joh. 3. 5. To he born again of Water is to be made the Disciples of Christ and Subjects of his Spiritual Kingdome by making a publick profession of our Faith in Christ and of Obedience to him in our Baptism and we are born of the Spirit too when our minds become subject to Christ and our Faith is sincere and hearty and governs all the Motions and Desires of our Soules and makes us really such as we pretend to be for all Christian Graces and Vertues are in Scripture attributed to the Spirit of God as the Author of them III. Luk. 10. 16. He that heareth you heareth me and He that despiseth c. When nothing is made the condition of our Communion which is expresly forbidden by the Laws of our supreme Lord we acknowledge his Authority in our subjection to our spiritual Guides and we disown his Authority in disowning and affronting theirs The four and Fortieth Meeting A. I. MAtth. 5. 44. I say unto you Love your enemies c. He that shall compare these precepts with the practices of most men will be ready to say with Linacer Aâ—t hoe non est Evangelium aut nos non sumus Evangelici Such is the palpable contradiction of the lives of the generality of Christian men now to the Rules of the Religion II. Heb. 10. 25. Forsake not the assembling c. The confluence to the publick worship was in his dayes so Great and consent of heart and voice so universal that S. Hieromâ— said The Hallelujahs of the Church was like the noise of many waters and the Amen like thunder III. Rom. 1. 8. The Roman Church whose Faith was Famous and spoken of through all the World is now as infamous for usurpation superstition and cruelty and so deformed with Pagan rites that Christianity is the least part of her B. I. GEn. 50. 20. God disposed it for Good It is the usual method of Almighty God to bring about his own designs by making the sinister intensions of men co-operate towards them He made use of the unnatural cruelty of Josephs brethren to the preservation of the whole family of Jacob sending Joseph as a harbinger and nurse to provide for them in a famine The obstinacy and incredulity of the Jewes proved to be the riches of the Gentiles The persecution of the Apostles at Jerusalem made way for the spreading of the Gospel into all other Countries Instances of this kind are innumerable II. Gal. 1. 8. If an Angel from heaven c. If we admit of new revelations we lose the old and our Religion together we accuse our Saviour and his Apostles as if they had not sufficiently revealed Gods mind to the World and we incur S. Paul's Anathema which he denounces against him whosoever he shall be If an Angel from heaven that shall preach any other doctrine than what had been recieved And S. Jude hath told us the Faith was once that is at once or once for all delivered to or by the Saints III. 1 Cor. â— 4. The Church of Corinth first needed the severe check of an Apostle for their wantonness and divisions that one was of Paul another of Cephas c. And who can give a more probable account of this their luxuriancy than from the riches ease plenty and liberty of that City C. I. 11. ROm. 12. 18. When he so passionately exhorts If it be possible and so far as in you lies have peâ—â—â— with all men surely he did not mean that we should onely accept of peace when t is offer'd us for nothing or be quiet till we can pick a quarrâ—l but that we should be at some cost to purchase it and part with something for it and deny our selves something which but upon that account we might â—â—lly have enjoyed II. 1. Cor. 1. 20. I became things to all men He was no longer a starcht inflexible Pharisee but a complaisant Christian as some perhaps would have call'd him a Latidudinarian He that will sacrifice nothing to publick tranquility must live in perpetual flames here whatsoever become of him hereafter III. Act 15. 29. When a Council of the Apostles at Jerusalem decreed that the Gentiles should abstain from things strangled and from blood they depriv'd them of a part of their Christian liberty meerly to conciliate the Jews to them and required that to be done for peace which no Law of God required at their hands The five and Fortieth Meeting A. I. MAtth. 17. 27. Our Saviour himself when he came into the world complied with the laws and customs which he found when a certain tribute was demanded of him he first proves that he was not obliged to pay it yet least he should offend them determins to pay it and works a miracle to inable Peter to do it II. Jer. 6. 16. Stand upon the way and enquire c. i. e. Inquire for a better way but stand upon the old wayes till you have discover'd it And its reasonable before we leave the present Church-way to produce a better model least instead of having a new Church we have no Church III. Rom. 16. 16. The holy kiss the feasts of love the order of Deaconesses are no where now observed several things instituted by the Apostles were intended and so construed to be obliging only so long as circumstances should stand as then they did and no longer T was no design of the Apostles to bind the Church for ever to a certain form of rituals B. I. EPhes 2. 14. The Jewsh Rituals were contriv'd on purpose to distinguish them from all other people in the world and therefore is call'd the middle wall of partition But the Christian Religion was to throw down all inclosures and make of all nations one people and therefore must be left with that