out the truth and accordingly determine for that which is good and against that which is evill a 1 Thes 5. 21. 22. And excellently by our Saviour in the seventh of John The Pharisees being much offended at his healing the man upon the Sabbath Joh. 5. 8. he having Joh. 7. â—4 in the 21 22 and 23. verses of this chapter justified his Act and strongly proved that howsoever it might looke like a breach of the Sabbath and was by the Jewish Prelates condemned as a breach of it that yet indeed it was not at last he addes this generall admonition yet with reference to his owne particular that they should not judge of his act by the shew and face of it and that they should not looke at his meannesse that stood for it nor the Pharisees greatnesse that condemned it but examine it by the rule Judge not according to appearance but judge righteous judgement First For the negative part of the rule 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the word signifies the face or countenance of a thing and his direction is negative for that not according to appearance Secondly For the affirmative judge righteous judgement 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 here translated righteous signifies according to Arist such an exact division of a thing that each part hath neither more nor lesse then its true proportion so that to judge righteous judgement is to give each thing its true estimate Arist Eth. l. 5. c. 7. and this is to judge according to truth as Saint Paul b Rom. 2. 2. and what is right as our Saviour speakss c Luk. 12. 57 Judgement is the determination that the understanding by discourse maketh of a thing Now indeed rash usurped or unjust judgement is condemned as sinfull 1 Joh. 4. 1. 1 Thes 5. 21. 1 Cor. 10. 15. but judgement it selfe allowed as lawfull yea commanded as necessary and not onely to enquire and examine this even the Papists allow to every man but also to determine and that not onely for publicke persons Magistrates in the State Ministers in the Church but even for private persons also indeed the judgement of supreame authority belongs to God and the judgement of B. Daven in praelect de Iud. controv ministeriall and subordinate power to publicke persons but the judgement of practicall discretion belongs unto every private Christian and that not onely concerning persons but things also alwayes for the manner observing this rule first to enquire and see and then to determine First in judging of persons and actions in reference to persons Rumours and probabilities are ground sufficient for a cautelous jealousie our Saviour would not trust the Jewes because he knew what was in them c Joh. 2. 24 25. though we cannot looke into the heart and see what particular projects and designes are there as Christ did yet we know there is corruption enough to warrant a cautelous jealousie where there is an appearance of evill and yet we must not peremptorily determine but upon cleare grounds of pregnant testimony or strong presumptions this the Lord teacheth by his owne example he would not proceed against the Sodomites upon the crye that came up but he would first goe downe and see d Gen. 18. 21. Deut. 13. 14. and wee have it given in precept in the 13. of Deuter. for publicke judicature and I conceive it holds as well in private censure that we diligently enquire before we determine Now because man cannot see as God doth for he lookes directly on the heart e 1 Sam. 16. 7 and so judgeth of it f Jer. 17. 10 but man cannot therfore he is to finde out the heart by words and actions as the naturalists judge of the forme of a thing by its qualities and operations so we of the habit of the heart by its constant and naturall productions as of a tree by its fruit g Mat. 7. 20. The Apostle tels us 1 Tim. 5. 24. some mens sinnes are open before-hand and goe before unto judgement and some mens follow after h 1 Tim. 5. 24. some conjecture that at the last Judgement such as are eminently good or notoriously bad shall not come into the judgement of disquisition or examination but onely come under sentence namely Aq. sup q. 89. the judgement of retribution and the like course may we observe in censuring as for such as are eminently good or notoriously bad the best of the good and the worst of the bad there needs no great inquiry concerning them before we censure but for the two middle sorts the best of the bad and the worst of the good here it is hard to discerne betweene the precious and the vile a Jer. 15. 19 and therefore of such we are diligently to enquire before we censure As some persons like the Moone at the change seeme to have lesse light and worth in them then indeed they have little in the eye of the world much in the eye of heaven So others seeme better then they are like blazing Starres that make a great show and looke as gloriously as any starres in the heavens and yet no starres but stinking meteors Also there are aggravating and extenuating circumstances making the good or evill more or lesse in Gods account and therefore if we would make a true estimate of men and their actions we must diligently enquire before we censure In judging of things we ought to judge secundum quod sunt but in judging of persons or actions in reference to persons it is not alwayes so indeed in re comperta in a case that is evident it 's equally an abomination to the Lord to justifie the wicked person or action as to condemne the just But in re dubia it 's otherwise for here c Prov. 17. 15. Aq. 2. 2. q. 60. the rule holds dubia in meliorem partem sunt interpretanda charity to the person should sway the judgement though not absolutely to determine yet to thinke him good whom we doe not know to be bad d 1 Cor. 13. 7. Secondly in judging of things tenents or practises we ought not to take things upon trust but our selves to examine and determine of them First We must not judge according to appearances Now appearances are 1. personall 2. reall First A personall appearance is that estimate which the quality of the persons opposing or maintaining an opinion or practice hath brought upon it We are not to judge what kinde of creatures the Moone and Starres are by that luster and splendor that the Sun hath cast upon them for then we shall judge them far more glorious creatures then they are As we are not presently to imbrace and cry up an opinion or practice because good men stand for it and bad against it as if all were good which Nero persecutes so neither are we to cry downe a tenet or practice because good men are against it and bad
42. vers 7 9 10 11. whence it came and what the end of its comming if not to prejudice the State turne it and looke upon it every way in its causes nature concomitants effects and consequences yet warily distinguishing betweene proper and accidentall effects 2. That with much humility and selfe-deniall we seeke to the only wise God that he would present his truth and make it clearly Prov. 20. 27. shine before us that he would heale our understandings that we may see it and by his Spirit guide our thoughts and so lead us Joh. 16. 13. into all truth Vse This Doctrine first discovers unto us the cause that we have so many errours in the Church like Tares among the Wheat sown by that envious man like the Frogs of Egypt creeping into Matth. 13. 25. every house surely it is because men judge according to appearance this act lookes like idolatry this forme of government lookes like the Antichristian this opinion or that way such and such holy men are for thus whiles they judge according to personall or reall appearances they judge not righteous judgement 2. It discovers the cause whence it comes to passe that learned and godly men do often meet and dispute yet cannot agree upon a right determination they have light and no doubt look through the mist of appearances into the very nature of things yet perhaps there may be passion or prejudice to sway or else they may be too full of selfe selfe-ends looking at the credit of victory rather then the beating out of truth or perhaps selfe-conceit and selfe-dependance Prov. 3. 5. leaning too much to their owne understanding and then no wonder if they judge not righteous judgement 3. It discovers the reason why we have so many misconceits and evill censures of our Worthies in Parliament and in our Armies men shooting the arrowes of harsh censures out of the Bow of a proud heart even against these Starres Surely for the most part the reason is because they censure before they see and speake Jude v. 10. evill of what they doe not understand So I come to the third point the compellation this people The Lord was wont to looke upon Israel as his owne as Exod. 3. Exod. 3. 7. Exod. 7. 16. I have seene the affliction of my people and Exod. 7. Let my people go but now their idolatry hath caused a variation of title now he will not owne them but lookes upon them as strangers populus meus is now become populus iste Whence we may infer Doctr. 3 That Idolatry dissolves a Church unchurches a people and breakes that bond of relation betweene God and them For the clearing of this proposition I shall endeavour to shew two things 1. What it is that constitutes a visible Church 2. How and in what respect Idolatry dissolves it First the profession of Christ in the use of right ordinances doth constitute a visible Church and difference it from all other societies and so it did even before Christs Incarnation though more obscurely then since As the true mysticall union of the faithfull with Christ and among themselves is the forme that gives being to the invisible Church so an externall union by profession not publikly contradicted by their owne opinions and practices as in the Papacie gives being to the visible Church as may be collected from Mat. 16. 18. Matth. 16. 18. Now this profession of Christ and of a people to be his followers must not onely be verball but reall and consisteth in the setting up of his ordinances either by a Law or by generall submission unto them and attending upon him in the constant use of them I say in the use of all the ordinances habitually and in the actuall use of such of them as they are capable of I doe not meane those inferiour ordinances of magistracie marriage c. But those sacred ordinances of preaching the Word celebration of the Sacraments and prayer which the Lord hath ordained and instituted as to be part of his worship so also to be the proper mediate ordinary meanes of conveying the beginnings and encrease of all saving grace unto the soules of men Indeed the right manner of using these ordinances with those helps of discipline government c. requisite to make the ordinances the more to put forth their strength and so the more efficacious to us these I grant to be necessary to the well-being of a visible Church but the ordinances themselves I conceive to be of the very essence and being of it no visible Church without them and that a true visible Church which hath them as afore specified And hence it is that the Prophet cals the whole Nation of the Jewes professing themselves to be his in the use of his ordinances the Lords flock in reference to those that were truly so the denomination Jer. 13. 17. there following the better part and the Lord cals the people of Israel his sonne and such they were though not by spirituall Exod 4. 22. Hos 11. 1. yet by externall adoption and so they are called his spouse as being married unto him by an externall covenant and stipulation Ezek. 16. 8. And as by effectuall calling there is a reall dedication of the soule to Christ and so an actuall admission into the invisible Church so by Baptisme we are given up to Christ by an externall dedication and so admitted into the universall visible Church and thereby are united to Christ and one to another by mutuall covenant if not actuall and formall yet vertuall and interpretative and thereby also made members of particular visible Churches nationall and congregationall Now secondly as the profession of Christ in the use of right ordinances as aforesaid doth constitute a visible Church so idolatry in setting up by a Law or by generall consent and submission a creature to be worshipped terminatively in stead of God or relatively intending or pretending to worship God by worshipping that creature this dissolves a Church An instance of this we have in my text this people having set up an Idol to worship though they intended not to terminate their worship in the Idol but to worship the Lord by it as vers 5. yet for this the Lord speakes of them as a people cast off Exod. 32. 5. and at present would not seeme to owne them And howsoever that Nation untill Christs incarnation had a peculiar priviledge which no other Nation could challenge in respect of Gods absolute covenant made with them and so were not de facto at least on Gods part unchurched he having not pronounced the sentence of divorce upon them yet their sinne both in respect of their demerit dishonouring God in so high a degree and also in respect of the intrinsecall nature thereof as having thereby forsaken the Lord and taken a strange God This sinne I say on their part did by breach of covenant actually unchurch them and on Gods part
be darkenesse unto them and should rather increase then abate their misery Now at the ver 15. 16. he exhorts them to repentance as the most proper remedy to prevent all doe not proudly despise d Vers 15. 16 the Lords threatning but humble your selves and by repentance give God the glory of his truth justice and power which by your sinnes you have impeached But ver 17. e Vers 17. if ye will not heare this but proudly despise this admonition and stand out under the meanes of grace surely though ye be the Lords owne people 2 Chro. 36. 17. yet ye shall be carryed away captives and he speakes in the present-tence to note unto them the certainty of the event that it was as sure to come to passe as if done already the particulars of the judgement is more largely set downe 2 Chro. 36. 17. First the sword of the Chaldeans shou'd come and wast their countrey and not onely so but they that escape the Sword shall lose their liberties which they did enjoy and be made captives and slaves to a strange King and which was worst of all with their liberties they should lose their Religion too and be carried into Babylon Another example we have in the 11. of Matthew Capernaum had Matth. 11. 29. so many outward and spirituall priviledges that it was said to be lift up to heaven for riches and honour it was the chiefe citie in that Province and for spirituall priviledges there was the seat of the Messiah the place of his habitation there he wrought many wonderfull miracles and preached many excellent Sermons such effectuall meanes that might have moved even the stony hearted Sodomites if they had beene alive yet such was Capernaums obstinacy that all these Sermons mercies miracles wrought not upon this Citie and therefore saith our Saviour this Citie that by pride and prosperitie is so lifted up shall be brought full low and so as Histories report it was overthrowne of this great Citie nothing there remayning but two or three poore Fishermens Cottages Reas 1 The reasons are two First because obstinacy is the full height of sinne and its full measure First as obstinacy is the greatest aggravation of sinne and maketh our sinnes great in Gods account and most provoking as carrying with it great unthankfulnesse to God contempt of the meanes of grace and of God and of all the good offered to us in the meanes So secondly it causeth a reall increase of sinne the heart like a Castle resisting the Spirits assault upon it in the ordinances corruption within gathers strength the flame of sin if not blowne quite out by the Spirit in the ordinances increaseth accidentally by the blowing of it backe Now all sinne like poyson is of a destructive nature though it not alwayes actually kils through want of measure now when it is growne to the full then it usually destroyes So when the Amorites wickednesse was full the Lord cast them out Gen. 15. 15 Reas 2. A second reason is because it makes a people incorrigible and so brings them into a remedilesse condition the Lord for a time at the entreaty of the dressers did forbeare the Jewish state that barren Figtree but it was to try if the digging or dunging of an evangelicall ministery would produce a reformation but when it continued unfruitfull it was by Titus and Vespasian hewen downe and Solomon saith b Prov. 29. 1 that such as harden their hearts under frequent reproofes under effectuall meanes shall be destroyed broken to pieces as a stone with an hammer as the word signifies because they are in themselves remedilesse although indeed there is a remedy in it selfe namely Gods mercy in Christ upon their repentance yet none to the obstinate because he wilfully rejecteth the remedy indeed the prayers of Gods people may keepe off a temporall judgement for a time as anon we shall shew but the Lords forbearance will but make way for a heavier judgement in the end if they continue obstinate For application If obstinacie in sinne provoketh the wrath of God against a people and hastens its ruine then certainly repentance is the proper remedy to appease the wrath of God and save from ruine But this dutie having beene often taught and pressed in this honourable Auditory I shall passe over and proceed to another observation In the first place therefore observe the exception of Moses out of this threatning here implyed with this gracious promise here expressed I will make of thee a mighty Nation Efficiam ut ex te gens oriatur magna vel praeficiam te genti multo majori so the Chaldee Paraphrase hath it that either the Lord would raise him up a people out of the loynes of Moses or else give him the Princedome over some other nation How ever it be the Lord here promiseth not onely to save his person but to raise his house and the like promise upon the like occasion the Lord made unto him Numb 14. 12. Whence wee inferre Numb 14. 12. this proposition In all the combustions and devastations wherewith the kingdomes of the earth are shaken as it is the Lords care to keep his Church on foot so also to preserve every of his servants persons and to recompence their outward losses This generall falleth into three particulars First The Lord will certainly keepe his Church on foot so long as the world endures No sooner had the Lord a thought of destroying this people but he presently resolves upon another for the Lord loves the gates of Sion more then all the dwellings of Jacob a Psal 87. 2. hee delighteth more in his Church then in all other societies and he upholds the world keepes off judgements bestowes many blessings for the Churches sake b Isa 19. 24. if his Church should faile the world would fall to ruine Indeed it is not tied to any certaineplace but is in the world like a ship in the Sea driven from place to place but stil in the Sea Neither doth it at all times continue the same degree of outward splendours but like the Moone not alwayes alike visible yea sometimes scarse discernible yet still in the heavens and therefore howsoever Satan and his instruments by crueltie and subtiltie endeavour the Churches ruine yet all the power and policie of hell shall never so farre prevaile as utterly to destroy it d Matth. 16. 18. sooner may they pull the Sunne out of the Firmament then the Church out of the world and when the Lord destroyes the rebellious multitude he will not utterly destroy the house of Jacob e Amos 9. 8. Secondly When the Lord destroyes a sinfull nation he will preserve his owne people he will not destroy the righteous with the wicked f Gen. 18. 23 though hee tosseth the people and sifteth them as Wheate in a Sieve though he scattereth the wicked and like dust they are blowne away by the winde of his wrath yet not a