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.
ye be baptized c. It is not absolutely necessary to be baptiz'd but it is necessary to cleanse our selves from sin S. Augustin thought not to be baptized was to be damned and therefore was forced to create a new hell and to find out mitem damnationem more fit as he thought for the tenderness of Infants II. Matth. 12. 34. The moral man that keepeth the Commandments is not far from the kingdome of God and he that is a Christian and buildeth up his morality and justice and mercy upon his Faith in Christ shall enter in and have a mansion there when speculative and Seraphic Hypocrites shall be shut out doors III. Luk. 16. 25. Thou bast received thy good things Saith Abraham to Dives good things but thine such as thy lusts esteemed so thy good things and such good things as have helpt to hurry thee to this place of torment The five and Twentieth Meeting A. I. PSal 24. 1. The World is the Lords and the world is the Souls and all that therein is And to behold the â—reature and in the world as in a book to study and find out the Creator to contemplate his Majesty his goodness his wisdome and to discover that happiness which is prepared for it this is the proper act of the soul for which it was made this this alone was proportion'd to it II. 2 Tim. 1. 13. The form of Sound words Erasmus Praef ad Hieron will tell us that Religion was never more sincere and incorrupt than when they used but one Creed and that a short one III. Isai 13. 3. Let us not seek our peace in false and deceitful but in true and real goods such as fill and satisfie here let us let down our pitchers and draw Waters out of this well of Salvation even those waters which wil sweeten our miseries and give a pleasant tast to bitterness it self B. I. EPh. 5. 14. Awake thou that sleepest in Sloth and idleness thou that sleepest in a tempest in the midst of thy unruly and turbulent passions arise from thy grave and sepulcher wherein thy sloth hath intombed thee where so many vitious habits have shut thee up Christ shall give thee light if not to know the uncertain yet certain ways of Gods providence yet to know the certain and infallible way to bliss II. Psal 100. 3. It is he that hath made us not we our selves And he made us to this end to his glory to be united to himsef to bow under his power to be conformed to his will and so to gain a title to that happiness which is ready to meet them that run unto it by doing what he requireth at their hands III. Psal 139. 14. I am fearfully and wonderfully made saith David marvellously made excellently made set a part selected from all the other Creatures My members were curiously wrought drawn as with a needle so the word signifies embroidered with all variety as with divers Colours every part fitted for its use C. I. ROm. 3. 13. He doth not say All must sin but All have sinned For both the Gentiles might have kept the Law of nature and were punisht because they did not as it is plain Rom. 1. and the Jews might have kept that law which was given to them as far as God requir'd it David Asa Josias kept the Law so far as that God was pleas'd to accept it as a full payment Augustin It is in our power to do what God requireth cum Dei adjutorio by the help of Grace II. Matth. 11. 30. My yoke is easie saith our Saviour and my burden is light For it is fitted to our necks and shoulders and it is so far from taking from our nature or pressing it with violence that it exalteth and perfecteth it There is love and hope to sweeten them and make them easie and pleasant III. 1 Cor. 2. 15. Wicked men if an eye of flesh may judge are the greatest favourits of God But the spiritual man judgeth all things and to his eye they are but a sad and ruful spectacle as condemned men led with musick to execution The six and Twentieth Meeting A. I. GAl. 6. 12. We are as so many looking glasses which present the actions of men in power back upon themselves doing in all as they do and all to gain our peace or lest we should suffer persecution for the Cross of Christ The denial of our own will is not a thing of such difficulty as it is thought We may do that for Gods cause which we do for our own II. Eph. 4. 25. Wherefore cast off lying c. The reason follows For we are members one of another Thou art a part of him and he is a part of thee being both hewn out of the same rock formed and shaped of the same mold Therefore by lying to thy be other thou puttest a cheat upon thy self and as far as in thee lyeth upon that God that made you both gave you tongues not to ly but to instruct and wits not to decieve but counsel and help one another III. Matth. 10. 3. Beware of men A strange caution it is from him who so loved men that he dyed for them Beware of men transformed and Brutified That smiling friend may be a tempter he that calleth himself a Saint may be a seducer his oyly tongue may wound thee and his embrace crush thee to pieces B. I. MAtth. 7. 12. This is the Law and the Prophets Upon this Law of Nature depend the Law and the Prophets Or this is the sum of all which the Law and the Prophets have taught to wit concerning justice and honesty and those mutual offices and duties of men to men II. Heb. 11. 1. Faith is the substance and expectation of a future and better condition but we do not use to expect a thing and have no eye upon the means of attaining it Can we expect to fly without wings or go a journey without feet No more can we hope ever to enter those heavens wherein dwelleth righteousness without righteousness III. Mar. 7. 11. The Pharisees taught Children to say to their Eather and Mother Corban which is not a Curse as some have imagined but their craâ—t and policy to teach children which were offended with their parents to consecrate their wealth to the Treasury that so they might avoid that other Law which bound them to supply their parents in want and distress C. I. ROm. 13. 13. Let us walk honestly as in the day and not after those blind Guides the Love of our selves and the glory of the World which will lead us on pleasantly for a while and at last slip from us and leave us in the dark there to lament and curse the folly of our ways II. 1 Joh. 2. 11. He that hateth his brother walketh in darkness that he cannot see a man in a man nor a brother in a brother a man in the same shape and built up of the same materials a man of the