affected wisdome of the world without either miraculouâ— signes or scientifical demonstrations either of which would much perswade men Fourthly and lastly It 's the perpetual invariable means God hath appointed to the worlds end When the Ministery and Preaching shall cease then shall all this world with the things therein cease Thus Eph. 4. it 's there said to continue till Christs coming and Paul's direction about the Ministery must be kept till the coming of Christ The former dispensation is altered he hath taken away Priests and Levites the sacrifices and Altars but he will never take away Pastors and Teachers and Sacraments and these must abide as long as there is a Church on the world Vse of Examination It 's the Ministery this is the ordinary necessary appointed menans for faith and other graces Why then is it that it hath not been so to thee Oh it would be an heavy trouble to thee thou wouldst think God had some extraordinary jugement upon thee if thou couldst have no cloaths to warm no food to nourish thee no creature be that to thee for which it is appointed But behold a greater judgement then this no Ministery doth convert thee no Preaehing begets faith or repentance in thee In the Apostles times What multitudes were converted by the Word Yea in the first times of Reformation from Popery How many did not only receive the truth in their minds but grace in their hearts they were not only converted from Popery and superstition but from prophaness and impiety But now alas to whom is the power of God made known Certainly the Word is the same Gods arm is as strong as ever but men by their wilfull ignorance by their unthankfulness and rebelling against the light have sinned away the presence and power of God from the Ministery and then if God go not along with us Alas what can we do Oh that you who are hearers would deeply lay these things to heart God saith his Word is an enlightning Word a sanctifying cleansing Word Why is it not so to thee Why art thou no more reformed then where there is no Preaching no Ministery at all The same cursing swearing the same lusts pride covetousness and ignorance Is not all this because God doth not appear in his own Ordinances Oh men without hope How desperate is such mens condition for if the Ministery cure thee not what will cure thee Woe be to thee if the Word that is so effectual and operative to others be not also to thee Who is Paul and who is Apollo but Ministers by whom ye believed even as the Lord gave every man The third thing in order to be discust is the noble Effect whereof the Ministry is said to be an Instrumental Cause viz. Ye believed Faith is one of the most eminent Common-places in Divinity It 's the Sanctum Sanctorum in this spiritual building It s the fat in that spiritual Sacrifice we offer to God And because of the spiritual and most sublime nature of it it is least understood by the natural man I shall not at this time handle all the main particulars about it because the holy Ghost intends it not in this place Onely take notice that in stead of all the work of grace repenting reforming he nameth believing because this is Initial and Introductory to all the rest The word Faith or Believing is of a very large and fruitfull signification but it 's impertinent at this time to trouble you with it Observe That Faith is the great and eminent grace which God by the Ministry works in some hearers Thus upon Christ and the Apostles preaching still this is recorded And many believed Insomuch that Faith is said to come by hearing Rom. 10.17 The Scripture indeed sometimes speaks of faith as prerequisite to make the Word profitable Who hath believed our report And the Word profited them not because it was not mixed with faith Heb. 4.6 Here we see unbelief doth obstruct and hinder the savoury effect of the Gospel But that is finally in those that pâ—rish but in those that shall be saved God in his due time will by the Word preached work faith viz. enlighten their minds and open their hearts to entertain it To open this Doctrine Let us consider the Nature of Faith and that is usually said to consist in three acts whether they be all essential or some only I shall not here determine The first is Knowledge and understanding This is eternal life to know thee and Jesus Christ whom thou hast sent John 17.3 Yea it 's a strong and powerfull conviction of the mind Hence it 's called The substance and evidence of things Heb. 11.1 Believing in the soul is compared to the corporal seeing of the body To say a blind faith is as great a contradiction as to say a dark Sunne or a cold fire If it be faith it doth see the ground of its belief Indeed faith cannot comprehend the matter we believe the Doctrine of the Trinity the Incarnation of Christ are like the dazelling Sunne to our Bats-eyes but though faith cannot comprehend the matter believed yet it knoweth the ground why it doth believe in those places of Scripture and the testimony of Gods Word which saith It is thus and thus Oh then How farre are many from being believers For ignorance covers their souls as darknesse did the Chaos at the first The very principles of Religion the total ignorance whereof doth damn a man yet is like a veil upon most mens eyes Oh then consider that knowledge and understanding is the necessary way to let in faith or rather is a beginning and part of it If thou hadst lost thy eyes or wert smitten with corporal blindnesse How much would it affect thee But now thou hast unbelief and spiritual blindnesse yet it doth not break thy heart Say no more thou believest in Christ thou believest in God if thou knowest not what Christ and God is Though ignorant people are full of their devotion yet because it 's without knowledge and faith it 's as abominable as a Sacrifice without eyes Secondly But knowledge is not all How many Atheists are there that know much and understand the points of Religion yet believe not Therefore the second Act of Faith is to Assent to give credit to them as true and this indeed we mean and Scripture also means this most commonly when it speaks of believing the Word of God that is giving a firm and sure assent to it as true Hence that expression Faith is the substance Heb. 11.1 that is by faith we make those things that are future really subsist as it were in our souls as if present Thus Faith makes Heaven and Hell present The Apostle excellently describes it They behold not the things temporal or seen but the things eternal which are not seen 2 Cor. 4 18. Thus Moses is said to have an earnest eye of faith fixed upon the reward and that is an act
it sometimes again to pull it up Oh fear lest that curse fall upon you yea that sentence be already come out Cut that unprofitable tree down and cast it into the fire Appolo watered This is the second main particular of the ministerial imploiment of Church-Officers To water 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he doth a little alter the metaphor for that is properly to give beasts water yet as those that have plentifully drunken are said irrigari so to give to drink may be said to water The Metaphor is taken from plants to mans soul as the Garden is of a wildernesse planted with sweet and precious herbs but this is not enough it is afterwards to be watered else all will immediately decay So it is here Though we have received the principles of Christianity and are setled therein yet if there be not continual watering and pains taking the Church of God will presently become like a wildernesse No Church is like Paradise at first which being once planted needed not any water from Heaven but rivers came from the midst of it to water it and make it fruitfull So that to water is no more then to use all those ministerial helps that Christ hath appointed that the spiritual seed once sown may grow up to a plentifull crop God Isa 5. compared his Church to a Vineyard which when he had bestowed much cost on and for their unfruitfulnesse was resolved to destroy it then among other things he commanded That the clouds should not rain on it So that for God to deny spiritual watering to a people once planted is a sad forerunner of future desolation The Doctrine is That it is not enough for a people once to receive the true Faith and principles of Religion but they need a further watering and quickning them up to grow If the Husbandman should sow his seed and never have any rain to drop fatnesse his seed would rot under the ground And the Gardener who hath set his plants hath had his water-pot to cherish and refresh his dried plants Now as the Apostles they planted so there were Evangelists who did either accompany the Apostles or went where they had already planted and further instructed them Sometimes we read Paul himself watering where he had planted And it 's the constant imployment of Ministers in a Church already setled to water that is to endeavour the further growth of their knowledge and graces First Let us consider Wherein this spiritual watering consists and then the grounds First It lieth in a more explicite and distinct instruction about the principles of Religion already received For there is no vessel that receiveth all this heavenly liqour at first Apollo himself was an eloquent man and potent in the Scriptures yet he that watered others did once need watering himself Priscilla and Aquila did further instruct him in the wayes of God Act. 18 26. As the Sunne doth not come to the vertical point immediately but by degrees so neither do a Church or people presently arrive to the fullness of knowledge in the things of Christ but they still grow in more understanding Thus the Apostle prayeth Eph. 1. for the Ephesians already converted and enlightened that they might have the Spirit of revelation and wisdome and may be able still further to know the depth and breadth of Gods love in Christ And the Apostle Peter commends Believers that they did still give heed to the Scripture till the day-starre did arise in their hearts 2 Pet. 1.19 Oh then Who can bewail the imperfect and defective knowledge that is every where The eyes that should have grown clearer and clearer are become blinder and blinder You consider not that much more even about the very principles of Religion is yet to be understood then most do understand The Heathen even dying would still desire to learn and know more how much rather should Believers seeing the objects to be known are so heavenly spiritual and necessary The Philosopher thought a little natural knowledge about the Heavens better then a great deal of knowledge about the nature of sublunary things how much then is the supernatural knowledge of heavenly things in a practical way to be esteemed which will bring us to life everlasting Know then it 's your great duty to come up to more understanding in Religion Shall a David that had more knowledge then his Teachers pray yet to have his eies opened Psal 119. What fervent and earnest prayers should thou then have that thou die not and be damned in ignorance Secondly This watering lieth not only in advancing our knowledge but in giving further and clearer Arguments to confirm our faith and to make us unshaken and stedfast Oh we see for want of this particular how many reeds there are that be shaken with every wind They were indeed planted but not well rooted and what hath not a deep root will immediately wither Thus the Apostle exhorteth often to stand stedfast and immoveable in the work of tho Lord How can that be but by being strengthened more and more in believing We read of the Disciples that sometimes when any great miracle was wrought by our Saviour it 's said His Disciples believed Joh. 2.11 Why did they not believe before Yes but now they were more confirmned establishment and confirmation either in the truth or in godliness is a great matter yea it is all in all We read of a glorious likely building but because it was upon the sands therefore it fell down immediately and the fall was great Mat. 7.27 The third kind of ground miscarryed after all the hopes it gave because it had no deep root Mat. 13. So that a choice part of the Ministers work is to see that whatsoever faith whatsoever holiness there is this be so confirmed that it waver or wither not We read of the Apostle going even to those places that were already planted that they might confirme those that believed Alas the things of Christ meet with so much subtilty to undermine them and so much open violence to prostrate them that there needs daily confirmeing and following them We are subject to many strong winds and violent blasts that unless deeply rooted we cannot subsist Thirdly This watering containeth direction about the beauty and order of Churches in the government thereof when once planted As Rome so neither Jerusalem is not built on a day The Church at her Infancy is not a prepared subject for those many duties that are required of her especially the Church being a society of men orderly knit together there is need of governement without which men instead of being Saints and Christians would be wild beasts and this must come in by degrees it 's an essential Church before it can be a political one Thus the Apostle Paul after he had planted this Church yet had not setled all things concerning the order of it especially he bewailed that irreverent and prophane receiving of the Sacrament which was amongst
farre surpasseth all their morality First then let us shew Wherein the faith of a Christian commanded by the Scripture doth farre surpasse all humane knowledge and science which men by nature do glory in And First Faith doth surpasse all humane sciences in the dignity of the subject The matter about which a Christians faith is exercised doth farre transcend all that about which humane knowledge doth exercise it self For the highest that they could reach unto is only to the knowledge of natural effects produced by natural causes And if any could prove these by the former this they called a demonstration Though some men say No man ever yet gave a demonstration à priori quoad se but quoad nos So then all the excellent wisdom of the world hath been only to consider the nature of sublunary things or to discourse about the nature of the heavenly bodies and their motions and if they did arise to consider of a God the Maker of these it was in a very uncertain doubtfull way Hence the Apostle speaks of them Acts 17.27 that they were as men in the dark feeling after a thing to find it as the Sodomites smote with blindnesse felt for the door This is all our humane wisdome can help us to but now by faith we have the supernatural mysteries of salvation revealed unto us The Scripture tels us Of a God in Christ reconciling man to himself of mans original misery of Christ the Mediator Alas how poor and contemptible are the highest notions even of Plato though called Divine when you come and read Paul There are such admirable and heavenly truths revealed in Gods word that all humane wisdome was no more able to find or apprehend such things then a dwarf could reach to the Heavens If we then consider the dignity and worth of that subject which the Scripture revealeth and faith is exercised about dirt is not more inferiour to precious pearls than humane knowledge to faith Secondly Faith differs from all their humane science in respect of the excellency of the end For the end of all Scripture wisdom is to bring us to eternal life The Scriptures are able to make us wise to salvation 2 Tim. 3.15 The things of Christ are said to be written That believing we might have eternal life John 20 31. There was never any humane knowledge could teach a man to be eternally happy Platoes Divinity and Aristotles Morality though they have the words of happinesse and have large discourses about it yet wanted the thing it self Oh then let us blesse God for Scripture-wisdome for the treasures of knowledge revealed there Learn of David How wonderfully was he affected with Gods word What light and wisdome did he attain unto thereby The Scriptures will teach thee such a blessednesse and such a way to blessednesse that could not enter into thy heart to conceive before the light thereof came into thee Thirdly Faith doth surpasse all humane knowledge in its certainty and infallibility A man that believeth the truths of God revealed in the Scripture hath more certain knowledge then all the more wise and learned men of the world For the object of faith being Gods testimony and his Divine Authority it 's as impossible for faith to be deceived as it is for God to lie Hence it 's called The full assurance of hope Heb. 10.22 And we believe therefore we speake 2 Cor. 4.13 How could the holy Martyrs witnesse those divine truths even to death had they not been possessed with full and sure knowledge of those things they died for whereas if we look into all humane knowledge there is very little certainty insomuch that some have expresly affirmed Nihil scitur yea that that also was not known and what little certainty they have appeareth by the contrary and different opinions in all their main points Fourthly Faith doth more establish settle and quiet the heart of men then all humane wisdome Solomon observeth a vanity and vexation of spirit even in all humane knowledge but now faith doth establish settle and satisfie the soul Heb. 11.1 It is the substance of things hoped for and the evidence of things not seen Those that want faith are said to be double-minded men Jam. 1. inconstant as the waves of the Sea Oh the anxiety and perplexities that meer humane knowledge hath cast men into And so those who have no other bottome than the Authority of Church or the power of men to believe These are reeds shaken up and down with every wind Their faith is upon ambulatory and moveable considerations wheras faith makes a man like Christ The same yesterday and to day and for ever Lastly The Christian faith is above all philosophical knowledge Because of the strong and mighty effects it hath to convert the heart and reform the life Acts 15 9. Purifying their hearts by faith How can ye believe when ye seek glory one of another said our Saviour John 5.44 Yet these humane Gnosticks did only aim at glory though Philosophers call them the Liberal Arts yet they could not set them free from their lusts whereas Christ John 8.32 said If my Word abide in you you shall be free indeed Never did humane knowledge make such wonderfull converts and work so great a reformation as the Christian saith hath done And although we have now too many who say they do believe and yet do such things as many of the Gentiles would be ashamed of yet these men have not faith indeed but the name and title of it for as much as faith though but like a grain of mustard-seed would bid such mountains of lusts be removed into the Sea In the next place The moral or practical wisdome of the world cometh farre short of Scripture-wisdome For First The most knowing men were ignorant of original sinne which yet is the fountain of our calamity The Heathens indeed bewailed the mortality and misery of man but they know not our natural pollution the ground of all Yea we see Paul himself though a Pharisee was not acquainted with that Law of sinne within him till inlightned by the Word Rom. 7. Now if men know not their disease or the cause of it they can never be cured So that whatsoever precepts about living well they delivered yet they built on a sandy foundation they did not dig deep enough Secondly All humane wisdome and prudence knoweth not how to mortifie and forsake sinne upon true grounds because they were ignorant of Gods Spirit Rom. 8.13 If ye through the Spirit do mortifie sinne They did not crucifie the body of sinne nor bewail it because it was sinne but for humane respects as it did hinder the publique or as it was prejudicial to their glory and fame but they overcame one lust by another Thirdly All earthly prudence cometh short of this wisdome because it 's circumscribed within the bounds of this world and this life It looketh out no further whereas the Scripture giveth directions for
expressed in two actions as a manifestation of it with the Reason and the Cause of it The Actions demonstrating his quiet spirit are 1. His lying down in peace 2. His sleeping His lying down that denoteth He would not be interrupted in his natural actions and ordinary course of life he would eat and drink and go to bed for all that But because many go to bed and though they put of their cloathes yet cannot lay aside their tormenting and vexing cares whereby though they ly down yet are restlesse and sleeplesse tosâ—â—ng from one side to another Therefore secondly he addeth I will take my sleep All that danger and trouble he was in should not break his sleep he would take his rest as sweetly as over he did in the midst of his Prosperity Now certainly if you do consider in what a temptation and danger David was in you will say it's impossible or rather that Faith which makes us depend on God in such streights with the effects of it are no lesse admirable then miraculous Faith It 's generally concluded on by the best Interpreters that this Psalm was made upon the same occasion which the immediate one going before was and that appeareth by the Inscription to be composed when David fled from Absolom So then David saith He will lye down and sleep Take his sweet rest when he was in that flight of his pursued by Absolom And if you would know how grievous that was consult 2 Sam. 15. the whole Chapter especially verse 30. there you will find that Absolom by fair pretences of Justice and Religion had stolen the hearts of all the people to himself against David his Father whereupon he makes Warre raiseth a great Army The conspiracy was carried on with great pride and policy insomuch that David is forced to fly from Jerusalem and to runne whitheâ— he can for his safety all the people did generally forsake him So that he with some few went up to Mount Olivet and as he went he wept and covered his face and went barefoot and all the people went with him and wept also What a sad sight was this to see David so Religious a King so potent who had conquered so many Enemies to be brought into this extreamity Yea his estate was so despicable that one man Shimei Chap. 16. came out and cursed him railed on him Come out thou bloody man Thou man of Beliall and threw stones and dust at him By all this you see his misery was great enough But adde to this That at this very time David knew God brought this evil upon him for his Adultery and Vriahs businesse the Prophet had threatned him thus So that both God and man seem against him he is forsaken of all and his conscience tels him for what this is He can easily tell the sinnes that make it thus with him Yet for all this see his admirable Faith in the powerfull effects of it I will lay me down and sleep Would you think that David could make such a Psalm as this and speak after this manner even when he went barefoot and weeping in that direfull manner This is so incredible that some have thought it could not be literally true of David and have made mystical applications of it to Christ but upon very weak grounds Yet lest you should think this came from some stupidity or fool-hardinesse or from Stoical Apathie for David doth in a high manner that which the Stoicks so highly commend but could never themselves practice he addeth the reason of it by which you may see it was not carnal security but holy confidence The Reason is taken from Gods Protection and care He doth not thus securely take his rest because though generally forsaken yet some mighty men of valour did cleave to him and he had old Souldiers whereas the Conspiratours were many of them inexpert Nor doth he think that he had out-witted them by sending his faithfull Friend Hushai into Absolom's Court to undermine him while he pretended to serve him but all is from God Thou alone makest me dwell in safety It was God and he only that could protect and defend him In the expression of David's security I will both lay me down and sleep the Hebrew word Juchdan hath troubled Interpreters The Septuagint translate it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Some Simul some Pariter Austin makes in id ipsum to be God He would rest in God who only is I am that I am But that is ignorance of the Hebrew Some relate it to David's enemies He would lye down with them though they were millions about him as Psalm 3. Others relate it to his own company that did faithfully adhere to him in this his temptation But they seem to take it most genuinely that relate it to the actions I will both lie down and sleep One as well as the other to demonstrate the fiducial frame of his spirit From this Explication Observe That Faith depending on God in a lively and vigorous manner doth so comfort and quiet the heart in the midst of great streights as if there were none at all Certainly David could not have spoken more securely and quietly at that time when all the people had made him King hâ—â— Enemies vanquished and he setled in his Kingdom Therefore to say this when he was in imminent danger of all and when he was so pursued that he could not tell where he should lie down or where he should sleep this is wonderfull Oh how may the very naming of this Doctrine shame the best and choicest of Gods Children For little afflictions that are not to be named to David's they disquiet thee they make thee tosse up and down and thou art restlesse in thy spirit Oh do thou shame thy self and thy troubled heart for ever by this President which David hath set thee And lest you should think this was but a suddain flash and lightning in David you may find that this fire did alwaies warm his breast For look to the third Psalm made by him while he was in his flight he saith there the same thing only in the Prterperfect-tense What he here saith he will do you may there see he had done Oh you would think David had little occasion to make Psalmes to be proclaiming his confidence in God! rather to have had his whole soul taken up with his military affaires but thus Faith doth put on spiritual Armory upon his soul And that you may not think only David could do this see the like secure and holy confidence in the Prophet Habbakuk Hab. 3.17 18. But let us explicate the Doctrine by severall Propositions As First What is meant by Faith depending and adhering to God To know this you must understand that the Scripture attributes three Acts to Faith and so Faith is described Synecdochically by one of them for its whole Nature Thus Faith is sometimes knowledge sometimes it 's assent to the Truths revealed and sometimes it 's a
Divisions are ye not carnal 25 Envy its several acceptations ibid. Observ That envying wheresoever it is is a fruit of the Flesh and such a sinne that a godly man should especially watch against ibid. Envy It s Original Degrees Object Subject Aggravations Remedies 26 The difference between Envy and Zeal 32 For whereas there is among you strife 33 Observ That strifes and quarrelling contentions amongst Christians argue them to be so farre carnal ibid. Sinfull strife Its Cause Effects Aggravations 34 Whereas there is divisions among you p. 37 Observ That divisions and factions do quickly creep into the best and purest Churches 38 Divisions divided their Nature Causes 39 Are ye not carnal and walk as men 42 As man its several significations ibid. Observ That all those who are named Christians and would be accounted so should walk and live as those that are more than meer men ibid. What the phrase to live as men implieth 43 Verse 4. For whereas one saith I am of Paul and another I am of Apollo are ye not carnal 45 Observ That although it 's the duty of People to have a great and high esteem of the Ministers of the Gospel yet they are not sinfully and inordinately to admire or rest meerly upon any mens persons 46 Wherein the respect due to the Ministers of the Gospel doth consist ibid And when it may degenerate into sinfull admiration 48 For while one saith I am of Paul and another I am of Apollo are ye not carnal 49 Observ That it is not lawfull for Christians to call themselves by the Name of any men though never so Eminent so as to build on them 50 Of the Names that Christians have been called by in several Ages ibid. Observ That when the Devil cannot hurt the Church by a prophane and sinfull Ministry then he labours to destroy it by abusing the names and esteem of those who are truly holy and eminent 54 What are the common wayes of Satans doing hurt to the Church by the Ministers and Officers thereof ibid. And even by eminent godly men 56 1 COR. 1.12 And I of Christ 58 Observ That although Christ only is to be relied upon as the Head of his Church yet it is not his will that under this pretence we should despise or contemn his Ministry and the means of grace he hath appointed 59. Of sinfull setting up of Christ ibid. Of the causes of grace Efficient and Instrumental ibid. Verse 5. Who then is Paul and who is Apollo 62 Observ That faithfull Ministers seek not to win or gain a people to themselves but to Christ 63 A two-fold end of preaching the Word ibid. The Characters of that Ministry that seeks not the peoples applause but to bring them to Christ 64 Who then is Paul and who is Apollo but Ministers by whom ye believed 66 Observ That the Ministry in Gods Church is the Means and instrumental Cause he hath appointed to work Faith and all other Graces in the Hearers 67 How the Ministry is not an instrumental cause of grace and how it is ibid The properties of the Ministry as such a cause 69 Who is Paul and who is Apollo but Ministers by whom ye believed even as the Lord gave to every man 70 Observ That Faith is the great and eminent grace which God by the Ministry works in some Hearers ibid The Nature of Faith It s three Acts Knowledge Assent and a resting on Christ 71 The Effects of faith ad intra 72 Ad extra 73 Even as the Lord gave to every man 74 Observ That God hath given several Gifts and Abilities to the Ministers of the Church and thereby makes use of them all for his glorious ends ibid. Why all Ministers have not the same gifts 76 Rules or Helps to profit by the Ministry 77 Verse 6. I have planted Apollo watered but God gave the increase 78 Observ That it's Gods unspeakable goodness sometimes to send his Word and plant his Gospel among a people that never heard or knew any thing of it before 79 Apollo watered 82 Observ That it is not enough for a people once to receive the true Faith and principles of Religion but they need a further watering and quickning them up to grow ibid. Wherein this spiritual watering consists 83 And why there is such need of quickning means 84 But God gave the encrease 85 Observ That it's God only who can and will give encrease and spiritual successe to the Ministerial labours in the Church 86 How God works 90 Wherein God giveth the increase ibid. And why he only can 92 Verse 7. So then neither is he that planteth any thing neither he that watereth but God that giveth the increase 93 Observ That the best and most able Ministry is nothing without Gods power giving the increase 94 What the Apostle doth not mean and what he doth mean in saying The Ministry is nothing ibid. Directions how to hear the Word 96 Verse 8. Now he that planteth and he that watereth are one 97 Observ That although there is diversity and variety in the gifts of the Ministers yet they all ought to agree in one ibid. They should agree in Doctrine in their End and Scope and in Affection 98 The sad effects of dis-union in the Ministers 99 What people should do when Ministers and Professours are divided ibid. And every man shall receive his own reward according to his own labour 101 Of Reward and Merit 101 105 106 Observ That according to a mans labour and working for God he is sure to have a proportionable reward 102 All have work to do ibid. A two-fold doing of good works ibid. The requisites to such a work as God will accept 103 A lawfull self-seeking 105 Verse 9. For we are labourers together with God 109 Observ That the Ministers of the Gospel are workers with God for the conversion of mens souls So 2 Cor. 6.1 110 Why God will have co-workers ibid. Ye are Gods husbandry ye are Gods building 113 Observ That the people of God are his husbandry and building ibid. What our being Gods husbandry and building joyntly implies ibid. And then what they severally imply 114 Ye are Gods building 117 Doct. That particular Churches are or should be Gods house Gods building ibid Of Gods house or Church ibid. What Gods building and our being his house implieth 118 Verse 10. According to the grace of God which is given unto me c. 121 Observ That it 's the property of godly men in all the good they have or do to attribute all to Gods grace ibid. The Properties of praising Gods grace ibid. Why the godly are so sensible of Gods grace 123 How profitable that duty is ibid. What opinlons are coolers of this duty of giving thanks to free grace 124 As a wise master-builder I have laid the foundation ibid Observ It 's a special part of the wisdom and heavenly art of the Ministers of the Gospel to lay a good and sure
can be expected from a Church consisting of such Men speak of Houses where the Devils walk where spirits haunt men dare not dwell there I tell thee That a Family where ignorance and prophaneness is nourished is an house not only haunted but even possessed by Devils And how canst thou eat sleep and live in such a place Fourthly In the primitive times there were a rank of people that were called Catecumini as we said before Candidati or Competentes such who being converted from Paganism were not yet fully instructed in the matters of Religiâ—n and therefore they had time to get knowledg before ever they were admitted to Church-Communion And answerable to this there was a Catechist one whose work and office it was to instruct such before they were Baptized Thus you see how carefull in Antiquity they were that they might have no ignorant persons among them And certainly as in all Arts there are Principles which must be learned before they can come to Conclusions so it 's here in Religion And oh that we could see this Knowledge brought in amongst people To be a Christian is to be anointed and this Vnction teacheth us all things Joh. 2.20 viz. necessary to salvation Fifthly Principles of Religion largely so called are of two sorts either Corrupt Idolatrical and Heretical or true Sound and Consonant to the Scripture Now there are many in the world are too forward to infuse poysonous and dangerous Principles so great a matter is it to consider what men are seasoned with at first either privately or publiquely Thus many are infected with Popish and superstitious Principles many with erroneous and false Doctrines and these foundations being laid it 's very difficult ever to remove them As the vessel is first seasoned or the tree at first planted so it is likely to continue The Apostle cals those Jewish Ceremonies the beggerly elements Gal. 4.9 or Principles of the world Why so because the superstitious Teachers made them the first Elements the Principles the foundation of all and therefore they thought all Religion was taken away if they were removed And thus you have divers persons they have indeed some Principles of Religion but they are Popish and Superstitious such as put out the Knowledge of Christ and the Scriptures And It 's a two-fold labour as Socrates said to a perverted Disciple of his to teach them for they must first be untaught their erroneous Principles and then must be instructed in the truth Oh then look to this that thy Principles about Religion be not false ignorant and superstitious ones Sixthly The true Principles of Religion are reduced to severall heads and are both short and easie but necessary to be known The Doctrine about God and Christ and our selves which is the Credendum The Doctrine about Faith and Repentance which is the Agendum And about things to come which is the Sperandum About God we are to believe That he is and a rewarder of those that seek him About Christ This is eternal life to know Jesus Christ Joh. 17.2 and the holy Ghost for we are Baptized in his Name About our selves the desperate pollution of our natures the hainousness of sinne the aggravation of the curses of the Law The things to be done are Repentance which driveth out of our sins and Faith which driveth out of our own righteousness But because these are Divine Works therefore a man must be regenerated and born again And this Principle Christ insisted on to Nicodemus Joh 3. The things to come are The Resurrection of the Body The immortality of the Soul The Day of Judgment The Heâ—ven and Hell provided for the godly and the wicked These Principles are plain and easie not to flesh and blood but in respect of the manifestation of them They are laid down clearly in Scripture None without horrible impudency can deny them Indeed there are many sublime Disputes about the Trinity and about Christs Incarnation but these are not necessary to be believed by every one Oh then how great is thy ingratitude God hath made the necessary things easie and plain and yet thou art not acquainted with them If God had commanded some greater matter of thee If he had required all thy time all thy study thou wast obliged to have done it How much rather in things of so easie apprehension But now when we say These divine Principles are easie you must take heed of two mistakes 1. We do not mean that the divine Faith and Belief of them is easie to flesh and blood no but they are easie supposing the grace of God in respect of other particulars in Religion For otherwise To believe with a Divine Faith viz. by the Spirit of God inabling upon divine Authority which is only true Faith is the immediate work of Gods Spirit Therefore Faith though it be but Historicall and not saving is the gift of God When we desire a Knowledge and Faith of these Principles we mean not such a Faith as most men have a Faith of custom and humane education a Faith because they are brought up in such a Religion but upon Judgment and Knowledge grounded upon the Scripture That which is usually called the Colliars Faith To believe as the Church believes Is the Husbandmans and the Tradesmans and the rich mans and the poor mans Faith too much in the world So that as Christ saith His yoke is easie and yet also it is very hard Easie to the heart sanctified but grieveous to the unregenerate So it is here The Principles of Religion are easie and plain to the mind inlightned but they are either foolishness or absurdities to the greatest Scholar that is if hâ—s heart be not opened And thus Paul found himself derided and called a Babler amongst the Athenians 2. We do not mean that the bare saying of the Principles of Religian by heart and rote is the true believing and knowing of them As the Child is not said to be fed with milk unless it swallow it down and be nourished by it So neither can they be said to believe the Principles of Religion unless they do with understanding apply them and receive them into their hearts But this is all that most attain unto they can tell you God made them That Christ is their Saviour That they must repent of sinne But these things are by meer rote They learn them as formerly in Popery they learned their Prayers in Lattin they knew not what they prayed for so neither these what they do believe Now the Grounâ—s for Instruction in these Principles are First Because God accounts of no zeal nor devout affections if they be not the fruit of Knowledge Thus Christ told the woman that was so zealous for her Fathers worship Ye worship ye know not what Joh. 4 22. Though God once accepted bruit beasts as a Sâ—rifice to him Yet now saith the Apostle let 's offer up our selves a reasonable Sacrifice Rom. 12.1 The Jew had a zeal but
to the Gentiles And Rom 11. shews at large how that the breaking off of the Jews was the ingraffing of the Gentiles And thus if we consider those famous places where the Word was at first planted we shall see them for their barrennesse and unfruitfulnesse turned into a dung hill The seven Churches of Asia Where are they This Corinth What is become of it Those that would not obey Christ whose yoke was easie are forced to endure the iron chains and bonds of Mahomâ—t Rome in this Apostles time had her faith published over the whole world but is so apostatized that her Idolatry and Heresie is as much proclaimed Insomuch that the Epistle ad Romanos is now in or contra Romanos The Epistle to the Romans is an Epistle against them because of the grosse corruption of those main points of Predestination and Justification and other material points Thus you see how Gods administration is very various and dreadfull he gives it to one Nation and takes it from another It 's the judgement of some men That the Gospel will be taken from all these western parts of the world and given to the East Indies and other parts but how certain this is none can tell In these later dayes we hear not of any Heathenish Nation converted some glimmering light the Natives in New-England have received that is the most that hath been done lately For as for the Jesuites boasting of their conversion of the Indians the bloudy cruelty and horrible violence they have used deplored even by some of their own parties makes that but a fable It 's the opinion of all That Heathens and Pagans are not to be compelled to the true Faith because they are without the Church and she hath nothing to do with those that are without the Church Though Hereticks and such as are within may be compelled to the means of truth and salvation Why then in these later dayes Heathenish Nations do not receive the faith as in former times who can divine Only the fervour and zeal of propagating the Gospel is far lesse than formerly Insomuch that it is bewailed by a learned man Hornbeck that that injunction and command to go and preach the Gospel to all Nations is not enough laid to heart Fifthly In planting of Churches commonly their infancy and beginning hath been more pure and godly than the successive ages Take Rome in her nascent condition and their faith was eminent but in her crescent or growing estate she presently degenerated All Churches have been at first planted either by the Apostles themselves or Apostolical persons and they had purity of Doctrine and godlinesse of order and life onely then they were but few and obnoxious to persecution all which made them heavenly and holy but when they began to be numerous and prosperous and the meaning of the first planters was worne out then the Church grew not like her self One of the ancientest Ecclesiastical Historians Egesippus saith of a pure Virgin she presently became a Strumpet because of all that false and superstitious worship that crept into her Lastly Because of that pronenesse to degenerate and from gold to become drosse Hence God hath in mercy raised up Reformers and stirred up men with invincible zeal being full of the holy Ghost who have laboured to bring Churches to their first plantations and institution Thus the Jews a people planted by God yet many times so grosly corrupted through Idolatry and prophanenesse that the Governours thereof are called Princes of Sodom and Gomorrah Isa 1. Now to purge this fountain How many zealous Prophets did God raise up in his time And thus after Christs time when the wine of Gods Word began to be mingled with the water of mens inventions and all Religion was turned into a meer Pageantry as in Popery God then raised up Luther Melancthon Calvin and others by whose means Christ became known again Now there is a great difference between a plantation and a Reformation A Reformation doth not pretend to make new Churches to bring a new faith in the world as a plantation doth but only to file off all the rust that hath been by long custome upon the Church of God Plantation is to make Heathens and Pagans Christians but Reformation is to make degenerate Christians who have degenerated in their knowledge worship and life to make such remember their first inâ—titution such ignorance and prophanenesse was not at the first Vse of Instruction How much God may justly expect of us in England who have not only had a plantation of the Gospel many hundred years ago but after a deep apostasie a gracious Reformation also What manner of persons should we be Angli quasi Angeli it was said of old Certainly we should be so in respect of knowledge worship and godlinesse The Christian Faith was by some received long before we were called English for in the eight hundredth year after Christ Egbertus King of the West-Saxons having got all the dominion into his own hands almost made an universal sanction that the whole Nation should be called the English Nation being named Brittans before It is not my intent to enter into that Dispute of the learned who planted the Gospel in England As for the Papists who would make one Augustine to be our Apostle is so ridiculous that it cannot be believed for there were godly Christians already in the Island that refused him because he was a superstitious proud person saying The Spirit of God was not in him because there was not humility in him The Gospel was brought in here long before those dayes Some say Joseph of Arimathea Some say that Pudeus and Linus whom the Apostle salutes were Britains For Martial in his Epigrams mentioneth them as Britains This is clear that in Tertullians time the Gospel was spread in this Island and though unknown to the whole world yet the word of God found it out but to see our degeneration it may make us astonished especially in ignorance superstitious worship and prophanenesse Oh were we thus planted at first or were we reformed to be thus Do not many among us live like bruit beasts rather than Christians Setting aside the name what is there either for knowledg or life more than is in a meer Pagan or Heathen Oh the patience of God that should continue the Gospel thus long amongst us Was there more unworthinesse in Jerusalem in Ephesus in other Churches which yet God hath made desolate places Certainly we might well conclude That God would remove our Candlestick were there not a remnant that love the Gospel delight in it and labour to walk worthy of it How can prophanenesse and beastly courses be found amongst us when the light of God hath shined round about us Bring therefore forth fruit meet and worthy of such an heavenly plantation lest the same God that planted us do at last pluck us up For God he sometimes speaks to a Land to build it up and plant
then believe no longer as men Do not think or speak as men but as those who have God perswading you Secondly The Scriptures are only the foundation because they are the immediate verity or truth coming from God who is the first essential truth They have not only a Divine Authority but evident infallibility As God himself is Truth and is not like man that may lie So his Word is likewise Truth and cannot lie or deceive as the writings of men Therefore Psal 19. they are said to be purer than gold seven times refined And it 's said The Scripture that cannot lie or cannot be broken John 10.35 It 's an heavy judgement to be delivered up in matters of salvation to believe a lie It 's the spiritual curse that is threatned to those of the Antichristian apostasie 2 Thess 2.11 Now they must needs be thus punished that forsake the Scripture and build upon other foundations Seeing then the Scripture doth contain infallible truth onely and not one iota or tittle of that can fall to the ground and in all other foundations that may be laid there may be falsehood errour and grand Impostures Let then those hearers that are carefull to keep a good faith walk by this Rule Chrysostome said Never expect good from that man who is not searching of the Scriptures attending to the Scriptures It 's an heavy grievous sinne that in your family in your closets you do no more acquaint your selves with the Bible Take a Tree from the River side and plant it in a wildernesse what can you expect but a withering And thus it is if you take a man from the Scripture his seeming faith graces godlinesse will all presently vanish Thirdly The Scriptures onely are the foundation of faith because they are onely immutable and unmoveable They abide alwayes the same they are not subject to changes to perturbations of affections as men are Councils consisted of men carried by passions and interests Even in the Council of Nice and the four first Councils there were great sidings great animosities particular interests and parties and therefore unlesse we had an unchangeable foundation we must be mutable Camelions Now the word of God that is said To abide for ever whereas all flesh is grasse and the glory thereof fadeth away 1 Pet. 1.24 25. It 's called the eternal Gospel Revel 14.6 So then that which was three thousand yeares agoe is still true because the Scriptures are still the same There is no new Bible though there may be many new opinions and new Sects Aristotle commendeth the Government of a Nation by Lawes above the wils and arbitrary resolutions of men because Lawes are fixed and known And so it is in the Church of God that hath a known Law and Rule Therefore it is an hainous errour which the learned note in Cusanus though otherwise not a very bad man in affirming That the Scripture is to be interpreted Secundum currentem statum Ecclesiae according to the present course and exigency of the Church and therefore in some age those things are received which in another are rejected Lastly The Scripture is only to be laid for a foundation because this onely is strong enough to support and bear up in sad hours of temptation and dangerous times of persecutions Who would be cheated or distinguished out of the Truth by subtil Hereticks or scared and terrified by violent opposers Therefore we had need be built upon such a rock that can endure all waves How could the Martyrs have resisted to blood had not they had Scripture-assurance Luther had this temptation Tune solus sapis c. and nothing but the Scripture confirmed him Our Saviour quelled Satans temptations by arrows out of the Scripture quiver When a man comes to die may he not be assaulted about the truth of his faith whether he die not in heresie or damnable opinions and nothing but the Scripture can uphold him Now for the matter of Doctrine to be believed some men lay four rotten and weak foundations others may be reduced to this The first is that of the Papist The Authority of the Church and the Pope being wholly ignorant themselves but resting all on their Authority Bellarmine doth not blush to expound that place Behold I lay in Zion a foundation stone secondarily to the Pope Now although we grant That the Ministry of the true Church is very usefull and necessary as the instrument of our faith and the preservation of it In which sense it 's called The pillar and ground of the Truth 1 Tim. 3.15 yet it is onely a Ministry not a Magistry It 's a political Pillar upon which Edicts use to hang for Declaration of the Magistrates will not an Architectonical Pillar that beares up the house So that Austins speech is true I had not believed the Gospel had not the Authority of the Church moved me viz. by way of introduction and preparation As the woman of Samaria did to the Samaritans who at first believed because she told them but afterwards they believed for Christs own sake We do not believe in the Church as we doe in the matter revealed in the Scripture Therefore that ignorant implicit faith to believe what the Church saith is not a scripture-Scripture-faith faith of knowledge besides then every member must believe according to that Church he is of and seeing there are Churches against Churches there shall also be faith against faith The second foundation men lay is The Authority of the Civil Magistrate This is a meer political faith Many men have no other apprehension about Religion than the Laws of the Land wherein they live They matter not whether true or false whether acceptable to God or consonant to Scripture but this is commanded and this they do As Seneca said in his time He observed that Worship of their gods Non tanquam Diis grata but legibus jussa not as acceptable to the gods but commanded by the Lawes But the Apostles example is clean contrary for they preached a faith to be believed that was contradictory to that Religion which was established by humane authority and they resolve thus It 's better to obey God than man Act. 5 29. The third is Private Revelation and Enthusiasmes As the Papists on one side have cryed down the sufficiency and perfection of the Scripture so Illuminatists men fancying to themselves Revelations from God have also decried it making themselves above the Scripture A dangerous and damnable delusion Therefore the Apostle John bids us Try the spirits and that cannot be without the Rule of the Word 1 John 4.1 And Fourthly Another false foundation is Meer humane Reason There are many risen up that make Reason the Judge and foundation of all Doctrinal Points the Socinian especially hereupon they reject the Trinity the Divine Nature of Christ as being against Reason Now although rectified Reason be necessary as an instrument to revive the things of faith yet it
same necessary soul-saving things for the affections are slow to receive though the understanding be quick You are not weary of the same sun though it rise every day We proceed to the next particular in the Text viz. the Event or consequent of Paul's foundation Another buildeth thereon So then Paul and the other Apostles laid the foundation in that they planted Churches at first and all that are to come after are only to build on that They must not divulge any new necessary Articles of Faith we must rest content with what is done by them already Observe That people are not to expect that Ministers should bring any other Doctrine them what is laid by Christ and the Apostles already Religion is matter of Doctrine which we receive from the Scriptures not matter of invention that we make of our own head Thus even Timothy is commanded only to build upon not to lay any foundation O Timothy keep that which is committed to thy charge 1 Tim. 6.20 That good thing comitted to thy trust The necessary truths of salvation are deposited in the Scripture and committed to faithfull men Now they must look they deliver the same Aurum accepisti aurum redde as Lyriuensâ—s To open this consider That the Apostles sent by Christ made it their business to inform in all things necessary to be believed and done They declared the whole counsel of God by a lively voice preaching to those that lived in those daies It is true they likewise informed of many other truths and duties in Religion that were not fundamental but still wheresoever they came they preached Faith in Christ and Rpentance Faith in Christ that required the knowledg of things to be believed and Repentance that was about things to be done And indeed if the Apostles had not laid down all things necessary their Commission would have been very imperfect and it would have redounded to Gods dishonour to send such foolish builders that could not lay a sound foundation So that it is horrible presumption for any to think that God hath revealed more to them then the Apostles What the Apostles had not revealed to them as necessary we are not to think it necessary Therefore 2. When the Apostles were to leave the earth and could no longer by a living voice commend those necessary things to them it pleased God that what they had delivered by mouth should be commended to writing These things are written saith John that believing we might have eternal life So then the believing of things written is enough to bring eternal life Joh. 20 31. And Timothy is commended that from the youth up he was acquainted with the Scriptures which were able to make him wise to salvation 1 Tim. 3. Since therefore the Apostles were taken into Heaven the foundations that we have to build on are the Scriptures only Hence though Christ be here called the foundation yet the Apostles and Prophets also are called the foundation Eph. 2.20 upon which Believers are built viz. secondary foundations So that to expect necessary things beyond the Scripture is as vain as to look for another Messiah with the Jews He that cannot see with one sun would not see with an hundred 3. Although the necessary foundations be thus laid yet our preaching and your hearing is not in vain for there is this further work to be done First Those necessary things we are to explain more distinctly and confirm more plainly that so Faith may be the more setled Necessary Principles of Religion have many excellent conclusions latent in them as fire lyeth in a stone which doth not appear but by striking out The Ministry therefore is to explain and distinctly to interprete these things As the candle though of it self it hath light enough yet unless put on a candlestick it cannot enlighten the whole room so the Word of God though it be full of light yet there must be the interpretation and application of it Therefore they are commanded to divide the Word aright 2 Tim. 2.15 The bread must be broken and digested else it cannot nourish So that this building lyeth in the further explication of what is believed We do not preach nova but novè not new things but in a new manner Secondly Though we are only to build on this foundation and no new thing be expected yet matters of Religion may be said to be new in themselves or unto us In themselves and so certainly there can be no new thing preached for as there cannot be a new Christ or a new Scripture so neither any new Faith Yea the Apostles and Christ himself did not bring any new necessary matter of salvation to what the Patriarchs and Prophets had before The Old Testament and the New are the same for the substance of Salvation though there be new Rites and new Sacraments and a clear explication But in the second place things may be new to us As in Popery when the reformed Divines first preached Justification by Faith denyed the merit of works as also the Pope to be head of the Church These were said to bring a new Gospel but it was a slander it was new only to men corrupted with errors and living in ignorance as the sun is new to a man that was blind but hath received his sight Thirdly This building upon the foundation lyeth in the powerfull application of necessary truths to the hearts and consciencies of men For the Scripture that speaks generally the Ministry that is to come particularly that doth as Elisha laid himself upon the Child mouth to mouth and body to body that so life might be procured To do by particular application of what is spoken generally in the Word this is the Ministry Vse of Instruction That it is a fundamental miscarriage in Religion to affect any thing further then the Scripture and the Apostles have left to us To expect such new things as cannot be built on this foundation Oh take heed of being weary of any point in Religion because thou knowest it already There is a sinfull itching both in Preachers and Hearers many times in these things As they were weary of the Manna because used to it We are indeed to grow in knowledg and in light both Persons and Churches are to grow in a reformation yet they must grow within the same kind as a Child groweth in the parts of man-kind he doth not degenerate into another nature But let every man take heed how he buildeth thereon We are now come to the later part of this verse which is Exhortatory Let every man take heed c. By this he sheweth that it 's a matter full of danger his losse may be exceeding great And then withall a man had need use much diligence and circumspection otherwise he may think â—he buildeth gold and silver when indeed it is nothing but drosse or lead And when he saith Every man his meaning is onely of Officers and Teachers he doth not speak
his nakednesse And 2. It shall be manifest to others to the whole world that they shall see a difference between truth and errour Even as you see the Magicians did such things as Moses and for a while there seemed to be no difference but at last there was a plain discovery which was of God and which was not Observe That all the hidden and secret wayes of false Doctrines God will one day make manifest God will raise a fire to consume hay and stubble it will be put to a touchstone whether gold or counterfeit This certainly should make us tremble about what we teach or preach it will all be examined again God will discover all the Errata's and that by a sharp fiâ—e if we build hay we shall suffer losse All that time labour and study will be wholly lost To open this let us consider What concerning errours will be made manifest And 1. The Causes and Ends of them 2. The Nature of them 3. The cunning Artifiâ—e in divulging of them And First God will manifest all those hidden causes and ends of thy false Doctrines Now the Scripture gives these causes 1. Pride and self-conceit or overweening of thy own abilities and sufficiency such a man is in the high way to all errours For the humble and meek God will teach Psal 25. The valleys are fruitfull when the high mountains are barren Therefore the Apostle in this Epistle and in many others beateth down pride and vain-glory Hâ— that thinketh he knoweth any thing knoweth nothing yet as he ought to know 1 Cor. 8.2 Oh this is a golden truth A man must have that modestie that humility as to think himself a Disciple rather than a Teacher Paul that had such extraordinary Revelations God gave him a thorn in the flesh some extraordinary heavy tempâ—ation to humble him that he might not be lifted up 2 Cor. 12. Consider that God will make manifest all those secret works of thy heart Thou thinkest it zeal thou thinkest thou hast received greater abilities than others but God wil make it known whether it be noâ— thy self-confidence thy self-conceit or no. As in the Apostles times they had miracles to confirm their Doctrine and that they were of God they did heal the sick and raise the dead So I may now say humility is that miracle which may confirm our Doctrine If thou art of God if thy wayes are of God thou hast no glory no boasting in thy self above others Christs symbol was a Lamb and the Spirit of God appeared in the form of a Dove If thou hast the Spirit of God and Christ thou wilt be of a Lamb-like Dove-like disposition Take heed then of heart-pride and pride of gifts it 's worse than pride in cloaths or wealth This carrieth thee to the pinacle of a Temple sets thee on high and throweth thee headlong Vnlesse a man become as a little child he cannot be my Disciple Matth. 18 4. Here is a copy of humility and modesty to write after Many Heretiques have bâ—en bold self-conceited men the first that ever were almost in the Church called themselves Gâ—ostici The knowing men as if none had knowledge or understanding but they but God will raise a tempest that shall discover this root under ground 2. Ignorance and weaknesse of judgement And truly this is the most innocent cause of errours when men through ignorance and weaknesse go in a false way yet this doth not excuse For Peter saith Even ignorant men wrest the Scripture to their own destruction 2 Pet. 3.16 Though ignorant or unlearned men yet that will not excuse them Thus the Disciples through weaknesse of â—heir faith and knowledge manifested very grosse errours about Christ and his Office till they were endowed with the Spirit of God from above And where there is a cordial and plain desire to know the truth they sâ—udy they reade they pray they do conscientiously make use of all means God hath appointed for tâ—at is a great matter to make use of all means what one opinion saith as well as another what one Texâ— saith as well as another such I say as those are to be tenderly handled Rom. 15. Him that is weak 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 receive him lovingly In this case Saeviant illi qui nesciunt quantis gemitibus vel tantillum datur intelligere de vero as Austin of old When it 's not obstinacy perversnesse but meer ignorance and thou doest instantly day and night pray to God using all means this doth greatly extenuate though not totally excuse thy blindnesse may make thee fall in the ditch and God will have all this ignorance manifested to thee sometime or other it may be 3. Hypocrisie The Scripture brandeth that for a heavy cause sometimes of the errours and falshoods in Religion This indeed is a work that God only can manifest who knoweth the hearts and trieth the reins yet that this is the bitter root of many bitter errours the Scripture giveth pregnant instances The Pharisees were famous for building hay and stubble What trash and trumpery superstition and false worship did they introduce And now Christ who knew their hearts tels them it was nothing but hypocrisie It was not God nor a love to his truth or glory but their own credit and glory They do all things to be seen of men Woe be to you hypocrites said he often Maâ—th 23.14 And Paul tels of men that taught lies in hypocrisie 1 Tim 4.2 Oh it 's a matter to be trembled at that such hypocrisie should ever fill a mans heart that we should scatter errours propagate falshoods to get our selves a name As they went to build Babel that they might have a name Search thy heart what moveth thee to hold any opinion if it be this hypocrisie God will bring hidden things to light and to have our portion with hypocrites is the highest condemnation Mat. 24 51. 4. Ambition and affectation of high places in the Church of God and to be above others This hath made men build hay and stubble This indeed is a daughter of pride and so is of the same nature yet it 's a distinct head for more bitter fruit hath grown on this root than upon most sinnes which made the Apostle James give that excellent Antidote Not to be many Masters James 3.1 Do not ambitiously affect places of trust and rule in the Church of God and thereupon he makes a large digression to shew the several wicked wayes of the tongue that is the unruly member that setteth all on fire If thou once hast a pronenesse to offend there look to it set a watch before thy mouth nature hath hedged it in by teeth and lips The Scripture also hath put many muzzles on thy mouth especially that My Brethren be swift to hear and slow to speak Jam. 1.13 You ought to be farre more desirous to hear than to speak If ambition and affectation to be above others provoke
mans salvation as well as ungodlinesse in practice An unsound mind as well as unsound life may undo a man Austin once made a Question and knew not well how to resolve it viz. Which was worst an Heretique living with an unblameable life or an Orthodox man with a vicious and corrupt life Non audeo dicere saith I dare not determine it Though Austin could not determine it yet Salvian a religious and zealous Ancient he seemeth to preferre an Heretique if unblameable in his life before a wicked liver Now the truth is in some respects one is worse than another only herein there can be lesse said to excuse a prophane wicked Christian than an Heretique because moral duties such as not to lie swear or to be drunk or unclean are more easily known than many points in Religion especially those which are of a sublime consideration But yet if we speak in the general they both do endanger a mans salvation Thus the Apostle Peter saith That ignorant men wrâ—st the Scripture to their own destruction 2 Pet. 3.16 So that you see a man may destroy his soul not only by a prophane life but by a presumptuous abusing and wresting of the Scripture from the true sense And the Apostle James speaketh of it as a great matter To convert one that erreth from the truth he hath saved a soul and covered a multitude of sins Jam. 5.20 To open this Doctrine consider That the understanding of a man hath sâ—veral kinds of corruption whâ—ch do more or lesse endanger a mans salvation First There is ignorance in a mans understanding whereby he doth not know or believe the truth and this indangers a mans salvation This is eternal life to know thee the only true God and Jesus Christ whom thou hast sent John 17.2 Therefore not 〈…〉 these is eternal death God would have all men to be saved and to come to thâ— kâ—â—wledge of the truth 2 Tim. 3 7. Thus as the true knowledg of God and Christ is the way to salvation This is the starre to lead to Christ so ignorance of these things is the way to damnation Hence wicked men are often said Not to know God and yet how universal is this sinne Few have any knowledge or understanding in the matters of Religion They have Eagles eyes to worldly things but very blinde Owles they are in heavenly things A second Corruption of the understanding is Errour Ignorance is in the first act of the understanding which they call simple and bare apprehension but Error is in the second Act which they call Judgement So that to erre is to mis-judge in matters of Religion as those that denied the Resurrection are said to erre because they did not know the Scriptures Mat. 22.29 Indeed sometimes the wicked wayes of a mans life are called errours They have alwayes erred in their hearts saith the Scripture of the Israelites in reference to their ungodly actions Heb. 3.10 because every sinne is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 an errour or missing of the mark so that in this sence we may say thy ungodly actions are errours Thou dost well to complain of errours in doctrine but why dost thou not complain of thy errours in thy life Omnis peccans est ignorans every sinner as so is ignorant and erroneous but we speak not of this but of those errours in judgement whereby it judgeth false things true or true false And there is no man in the world but he hath some errour in his mind As there is not in any constitution Temperamentum ad pondus an exact temperament So neither in any mans understanding an exact and right judging of all things in matters of Religion We know in paâ—t saith the Apostle 1 Cor 13. Yea we are ignorant of farre more things than we know Thirdly There is a further corruption of the mind and that is heresie Which word though in the first rise of it was innocent in its signification and is so used twice or thrice in the Acts of the Apostles as some affirm yet in the Epâ—stles it is alwayes used in an ill sense and by ecclesiastical use it 's different from errour two wayes 1. Errour is in matters of lesse consâ—quence that are not of necessity but heresie they make to be of things fundamentall therefore the Apostle speaks of some Who shall bring in damnable Heresies 2 Pet 2.1 2. They make it differ in the affection of the person He that is an Heretique hath pertinacy and obstinacy An Heretique after the first and second admonition reject Tit. 3.10 But errours are with willingnesse to learn and to be informed as Austin Errare possum haereticus esse nolo Thus Ecclesiastical custome hath used the word Heresie though I cannot say the Scripture doth make that the adequate notion of the word Thus you see in these three wayes the minds of men may be corrupted and through every one of them more or lesse a man may be brought to the very brink of hell This is a truth little thought of yea some have thought Heresie to be innocency yea there are some who have maintained a man may be saved in any Religion or in any sect which if so then there could be no damnable Heresies Let us consider the Grounds of the Doctrine And First Therefore errours as well as ungodlinesse in life will damne Because they are a sinfull corruption of the best and noble faculty in a man The understanding is wounded with sinne as well as the will and affections insomuch that if it were possible for a man to have a right will and well ordered affections yet the sinfulnesse of his understanding is enough to damn him Grant then that ignorance errours or heresies are sinnes and you say enough to make any godly man afraid of them Therefore think of this you who make it no matter to hold this or that opinion in Religion If not to know the truth be a sinne know that is an infinite evil that will divide between God and thee and then it 's a sinne of the best and most noble part the understanding and reason whereby we are differenced from beasts A disease in the eye is a dangerous thing because so choice a part and if our eyes be so dear to us as that it 's a Proverb How dear should your minds and understandings be Nature hath provided a covering for them and hair to defend them and thus we should be carefull to keep our minds from all infections Secondly It must needs be damnable Because it 's opposite to saving grace and that is a true faith and knowledge of God in his Word Now this is a Rule We judge of the illnesse of every privation by the excellency of the habit it is contrary unto Now ignorance and errour they are contrary to a sound faith to a true knowledge and deprive the soul of those divine truths which are so instrumental to all holinesse Therefore to say to
Let us not do at upon a meer feigned and invented holinesse of things and places but let us magnifie personal moral holinesse to this the promise is made This is the true and blessed glory This makes us like Angels and our Churches like Heaven Verse 18. Let no man deceive himself if any man seemeth to be wise in this world let him become a fool that he may be wise THe Apostle having sufficiently declared the sinfulnesse and punishment attendant of those who defile the Church of God by corrupt Doctrines he doth begin in this verse to remove those obstructions in the way that may hinder the good use of what he had said For though the food be never so good yet if the stomack be sick and undisposed we cannot look for good nourishment Now the first stone that was to be rolled out of the way there could be no sowing of this divine seed with hopefull successe till that was removed was the self-conceit of their own wisdome and the admiring of the worldly humane excellencies that they saw in their false teachers Till this Goliah be killed the Apostle doth not expect their obedience to what he had said Hence in this eighteenth verse he beginneth to dehort from all self-conceit and earthly wisdome and in the Text he declareth a two-fold pernicious and dangerous effect thereof First That it is a meer deceiving of a mans self Let no man deceive himself That which the proud wise men of the world applaud for gold will prove but drosse he will see it was a meer empty swelling not a man-child they travelled with Secondly The necessity of relinquishing and abdicating this wisdome as the great enemy to true and heavenly wisdome which is the other dangerous effect Let him become a fool that he may be wise So that this Text is an hammer to beat down all those high and lofty things that are in our carnal understandings and to lead all our thoughts and apprehensions captive into the obedience of faith Now this Dehortation doth belong both to the Teachers he had reproved and to the Auditors For if ye ask What made the Doctors defile the Temple with errours and heresies It was only humane wisdome and proud understandings And What made the Disciples so factiously preferre one above the other But still that doting upon humane and earthly wisdome Thus the Text is an excellent Antidote against the proud flesh or rather proud spirit that may be either in teacher or hearer For the first Effect A mans self-deceiving that is coincident with the other subject I am insisting upon therefore I wave it and come to the duty of Abdication and renouncing of this humane wisdome If any man seem to be wise let him become a fool This bunch upon the Camels back must be levelled ere it can go thorow the eye of a needle The first Doctrine which is implyed only shall be That humane and earthly wisdome is a great enemy to all the heavenly things of Christ The Kingdome of Heaven and the Ministry of the Gospel hath not a greater adversary in the world amongst mens corruptions then this This is the great mountain in our way Rom. 8 7. A carnal man is enmity against God A mind whose thoughts intentions and reasonings are wholly upon carnal motives it 's enmity in the very abstract it 's as bad as the Devil all that it hath and is is nothing but enmity and that against God the only wise the only great good the only God What hath thy earthy wisdome no other adversary to fall upon but the mighty wise God Yea it 's not only actually rebellious against Gods Law but it hath not the very power to be subject◠There is no actual or potential subjection it cannot be Therefore our Saviour to demonstrate how farre such wise men of the world were from being his Disciples he takes a little child and setting him in the midst of them saith Vnlesse a man become like this child he cannot enter into the Kingdome of Heaven Mat. 18.2 3. Now the holy and heavenly things of Christ may be reduced unto three heads 1. The supernatural Matter and Doctrine to be believed 2. The Manner of promulgation of this in the holy Scriptures 3. The holy and spiritual Duties that are required of us In all these you shall see a man with no more than natural humane wisdom to be the greatest adversary therunto yea and the more parts and the more wisdom he hath the more indisposed subject he is to receive or believe supernatural truths Insomuch that wise men thought no man that had wisdome could ever acknowledge the Christian faith So Tertullian said the Heathens would wonder that such a man a good and a wise man would ever turn Christian Thus what Tertullian said excellently concerning Christs Incarnation in regard of the humane wisdome of the world That a God should be made man be crucified c. Prorsus credibile quia impossibile non pudet quia pudendum It 's true of many others doctrinals and practicals in Christs kingdome yet truly Divinity doth require of us no more than all humane Arts Discentem credere oportet If a man doth not believe before he understands he can never attain to knowledge and so saith Austin in Religion Non intelligendum ut credatis sed credendum ut intelligatis We must not understand to believe but believe to understand Let us consider First What an enemy to the Doctrine believed the fleshly humane wisdome of a man is And First This humane wisdome puffeth a man up with pride that he will not entertain such divine mysteries And this swelling or puffing up is immediately contrary to an act of faith For faith hath an obediential assent namely because God saith it let my understanding cavil and argue never so plausibly yet faith makes it obedientially yeeld unto the testimony and authority of God Wonder not therefore if humane wisdome be such an enemy to Christianity because faith and that are at immediate contrariety faith bids the mind stoop and yeeld humane wisdome bids it lift it self up Hence the Scripture cals it The obedience of or to faith and it 's the captivating of the understanding the beating down the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 every high thing that exalteth it self 2 Cor. 10 5. So that faith is a kind of mental martyrdom it puts to death those high and lofty thoughts men naturally have Seeing then humane knowledge puffeth up and filleth a man with pride this putteth a man into an immediate contrariety unto believing which is the Christians knowledge Secondly Humane wisdome as it doth immediately oppose faith in its obediential assent so also humility which is the instrumental grace to receive all the mysteries of Christ Humility is not only a grace it self but a vessel to receive other graces The humble and meek he will teach his way Psal 25.9 I thank thee O Father that thou hast revealed these things
to babes and hid them from the wise men of the world said our Saviour with much hearty affection Matth. 11.25 The valleys they receive the drops of heaven and are more fruitfull than the mountains though high but barren So that humane wisdome is as great an hinderance as humility is a furtherance Lay down then all high and conceited thoughts when thou comest into Christs school yea unteach thy self all thy former opinions and arguments and be like an rasa tabula as Aristotle said the soul was for the Spirit of God to write divine truths upon thy heart Doth not the Wiseman tell us That he who is wise in his own eyes there is more hopes of a fool than him Prov. 26.12 Therefore saith he Leane not unto thy own understanding Prov. 3.5 Oh this humility would preserve against all heresies all dangerous opinions An humble man is like the Tree planted by the waters side God hath two places as it were to dwell in Heaven is one and the humble heart is another Isa 57.15 God by the Prophet in that place accounts of such an heart like as unto his glorious Throne in Heaven Thirdly Humane conceited wisdome must needs hinder the entertainment of Christs truth Because it sets it self on the Throne to be Judge and to determine truth or falshood according to her own principles It makes weights and a standard of its own and will weigh even what God and the Scripture saith by its own self yea humane wisdome doth not only thus intrude into the throne but hath her instruments the Socinians who plead to have her the Judge and the Determiner of all religious controversies What from Scripture hath by the Orthodox been asserted to be that these will put upon reason making it the rule of faith Hence there is no Trinity with them not three Persons and one God because it 's against their reason Christ is not truly and essentially God because against reason say they Christ was not a Mediatour by his bloud as a Sacrifice to expiate our sinnes because against their reason Thus you see what a direct adversary the reason of man as of it self is against divine truths whereas what the Apostle speaks of the woman He did not permit her to usurp Authority over her husband or to speake in the Church 1 Tim. 2.12 The same ought to be applied to humane wisdome not to usurp over faith or to speak authoritatively in the Church It 's true a mans reason or wisdome may be considered two wayes 1. As corrupt and darkened through original sinne And in this respect onely we speake of it as such an adversary to the mysteries of Religion 2. As enlightned and sanctified by the Word and the Spirit of God Now in this later respect though it be not a Judge but is to be judged yet it 's an excellent instrument to faith When faith hath first laid its foundation then reason and learning succeeding and building upon it is wonderfull serviceable for the explication and confirmation of divine truths I speake as unto wise men saith Paul Judge ye what I say 1 Cor. 10.15 Thus civil prudence and all humane literature while it 's a servant not a Mistresse is of wonderfull use but when with Hagar it will pride over Sarah then cast it out of doores That which some adversaries to learning object That learning is never sanctified is contrary to the instance of Moses who was skilfull in the Aegyptians learning which was the fountain and seminary of all learning to the world And thus the Apostle Paul as he sanctified some verses out of Heathen Poets as Tertullian expresseth it So God had also sanctified all his humane abilities But herein earthly wisdome is so repugnant because it 's apt to make it self judge And although nothing in Religion be against sound reason yet many things are above it such as it cannot reach unto Fourthly Humane wisdome is such an opposite to heavenly truths Because of its subtilty to finde out cavils and excogitate Arguments against the Truth Insomuch that the more learned and knowing men are the greater difficulty it is to believe men who have lesse parts and learning know not all those subtil and specious Arguments which Heretiques especially if learned and subtil do bring forth They know not what the Socinians have to say against the Trinity against the Deity of Christ What Arminians for Free-will What the Papists for many of their superstitious wayes and it 's well they doe not not but that the truth is evident against them onely it might shake and stagger their faith who are weak whereas men of knowledge exercising themselves in their Bookes that they may be able to confute them meet sometimes with specious colours yea even some seeming Anakims in the way Mans wisdome is farre more able Destruere falsa then probare vera we can better object against truth then by faith assent to it and then no wonder it be so apt to miscarry Lastly The more wisdome and knowledge men have the more busie the Devil is to make them on his side Because the Serpent was more subtil than other beasts of the field therefore the Devil used him Ornari à te Diabolus quaerit said Austin to a great Scholar whom he would gladly have converted Most Heretiques have been men of great parts of admirable eloquence to perswade and winne men Good Elocution and Rhetorique is so apt to beare all downe before it that Hercules was made the God of Eloquence by some Heathens as if it had as much strength as he Vse Then how much are men of parts and understanding to bewaile themselves God chooseth babes and simple ones rather than such Study humility renounce thy understanding become a little childe Oh it may be that which thou art so proud of so confident of will be the means to damn thee as Absolom's hair was his death If any man thinke himselfe wise let him become a foole that he may be wise The Doctrine observed is That humane and earthly wisdome is a great enemy to the things of God In the matter of Doctrine to be believed we have demonstrated it already The next thing in order is The manner of Declaration and Publication of it in the Scripture And here we shall find worldly wisdome to be a great adversary But I shall instance in one thing only about that and that is The simplicity and plainnesse of the style That whereas there are two things that are exceeding apt to take with the world The one with Rational men The other with Affectionate men The Scripture seemeth to be furnished with neither For with rational men strong demonstrations and scientifical probations prevail exceedingly they lay they are slaves to reason bring a rational argument and this is such a cord that the strongest Samson cannot break Now many times men of strong reason are no wayes Rhetorical As the earth where mines of gold are is barren of grasse and
or The Agreement of the Associated Ministers of Worcestershire with Mr Baxters Explication of it A Defence of the Worcestershire Petition for the Ministry and Maintenance The Quakers Catechism An Apology against Mr Blake Dr Kendal Mr Lodovicus Molineus Mr Aires and Mr Crandon His Confession of Faith The Saints Everlasting rest The safe Religion a piece against Popery His present Thoughts about Perseverance Mr Lukin The Practice of Godliness Mr Langly His Catechism A Treatise of Suspension Dr Teate His Sermon at the Funeral of Sr Charles Coote Mr Dury The desires of forrain Divines of a Body of Divinity from English Divines with an Essay of a Modell Lib. 2. de Gener. cap. 10 Observ In what respects Ignorance is an impediment to the Ministers preaching What precious truths in Divinity the sinfulnesse of a people make them uncapable of Carnal The several significations it hath in Scripture Primitive Christians distinguished What it is to be a spiritual man Carnal or babes described and counselled The Ministers two-fold Work What wisdome is required in a Minister to choose out sound matter 1. For Information 2. For Consolation 3. For Reproof Reas 1. Reas 2. Reas 3. Observ Considerations abouâ— the principles of Religion and the knowledge and ignorance of them How necessary the Knowledge of the Principles of Religion is Observ What are those effects of the Ministry for the defect whereof a people may be severely blamed 1. Intellectual effects 2. Practical Effects Observ The imperfections and sins of the godly Whence it is that the godly do not fully conquer sin Envy its several acceptians Of sinfull Envy It s Original The Degrees of it What that is in others which is the Object of Envy The subject of Envy Who are prone to it The Aggravations of Envy Remedies aginst Envy A Case resolved The difference between Envy and zeal Observ Of strife and contention Godlinesse the only motive of love and agreement The agreement among the ungodly A two-fold striving I. Good II. Ungodly and that about a two-fold object 1. Civil The cause of sinfull strife and contention The effects of sinful strife and contention about worldly things The effects of sinfull strife about religious matters The aggravations of this sin Of Schisms and Divisions Observ Divisions divided 1. Civil 2. Ecclesiastical What it is that goes to the making of division or faction The causes of Divisions 1 Tim. 6.5 A Christian life must exceed a humane life What is implied in this phrase To live as men Observ Wherein the spiritual respect due to the Ministers of the Gospel doth consist Wherein our respect to the Ministers of the Gospel may run out into sinfull admiration Motives to give spiritual respect to the Ministery Quest Answ Observ Of being called by the Names of eminent men in the Church The Names that Christians have been called by Disciples Believers Whence the name Protestant came What great use the Devil makes of the names and esteem of men What is the common and most notorious way of Satans doing hurt to the Church of God 1. By corrupting the lives and conversations of the Ministry Tit. 1.7 2. By raising up Ministers full of superstition and doting upon traditions 3. By raising up all the power civil and ecclesiastical against the Church 4. By causing men to give them too much honour How the devil hurts the Church by godly men 1. When he tempts them away into any errour 2. Evil practicâ—â— 3. Setting them up too high 1 John 4.1 Observ Of a sinfull setting up of Christ There are principal and efficient Causes of grace and subordinate and instrumental The cheif instituted instrumental causes of Grace The end of faithfull Ministers is not to win people to themselves but to Christ A twofold end of Preaching the Word A corrupt end A good end Characters of that Ministry that seeks not you to applaud them but to bring you to Christ Reasons why a faithfull Ministry doth thus The Ministry is the appointed means to work Faith and all other Graces in the Hearers How it is not an Instrumental Cause How it is a Cause The Properties of this instrumental Cause Observ Of Faith The nature of faith It consists in three Acts. 1. Knowledge 2. Assent 3. A resting on Christ The Effects of faith ad intra Ad extra Of diversity of Gifts in Ministry 1. The Office it self is a Gift to the Church 2. Their severall Abilities and various Parts that Officers in the Church have while they discharge their Office 2. And these are of two sorts 1. Extraordinary Why all have not the same Gifts Rules or Helps to profit by the Ministry Observ Of Gods planting his Gospel among a people Observ Wherein this spiritual watering or further quickning of Christians doth consist 1 Cor. 15. ult Why there is such daily need of these quickening graces God only gives success to the Gospel God works in and by the Ministery God works on whom and when he will Why God only gives the encrease What we must do that God may give the increase Wherein God giveth the Increase Why God only can give the increase John 11. Qu. What means must we use that God may give this increase Observa What the Apostle doth not mean in saying The Ministry is nothing Rom. 10.16.21 Directions how to hear the Word Observ Ministers should agre in one They should agree in Doctrine 2. In their end and scope 3. In Affection The sad effects of dis union in the Church What people shâ—uld do when Ministers and Professors are divided Of Reward and Merit Observ Of Degrees of Glory All persons have work to do for God There is a two-fold doing of good works What it is to do a good work which God will accept and reward A lawfull self-seeking Mat. 6. The reward of godliness two-fold Wherein lieâ—h the reward of working for God 1. In this life 2. In the life to come The greatness of the heavenly reward The vast disproportion that is between the work and the reward Observ Of the Ministers being workers with God Why God wiâ—l work by the Ministry of men Observ The people of God are his husbandry and building What our being Gods husbandry and building joyntly considered implies What to be Gods Husbandry implies 1. On Gods part 2. On oâ—â— part Of Gods house What Gods building and our being his house implieth Observ Of exalting free grace The Properties of praising Gods grace Why the godly are so sensible of Gods grace What Opinions are Coâ—â—ers of this duty of giving thanks to free-grace Observ Of laying a good and sure foundation in Religion A two-fold foundation The Scripture and Christ Four unquestionable Scripture foundations The Scripture is the only foundation of our faith Reas 1. Reas 2. Four rotten weak and false foundations 1. The Authority of the Church 2. The Authority of the Civil Magistrate 3. Enthusiasm 4. Meer humane Reason The foundation of Gods Worship The necessity of
tryumphs over all imaginable adversaries but why is he thus confident Because there is no condemnation to such as are in Christ Jesus If then the Sunne arise the dark night will be quickly dispelled and so if the light of Gods favour doth arise the feares and troubles which arise from outward exercises are quickly dissipated If then thou complainest thy strength is so small every temptation is ready to blow thee down as certainly the least puff will hurl a man down if faith be not lively the Damsels charging of Peter to be of Christs company made him curse and swear and fearfully apostatize here was no such great cause he was not arraigned imprisoned sentenced to die but this temptation blew down a strong Oak which teacheth us that a little calamity may throw us to the ground if faith be not lively and a great one cannot if faith be vigorous If I say thou complainest of thy weakness thy feares Let faith in Christ as a Mediatour be more powerfully put forth Secondly Faith doth quiet and compose the spirit by impetration or obtaining of God such a spirit For as you heard seeing it lyeth not in the power of man to give himself such a sweet blessed frame No he would give a world for it if it lay in his power it can only be obtained by application unto God Now that which most prevaileth with God is faith Whatsoever you ask believing you shall have it It 's faith only that makes the omnipotent God work for thee and in thee so that when we say faith makes the heart thus still and quiet you must not think it comes from faith as a natural cause as the fire burneth but morally by prevailing with God This is the grace that God doth so honour if we trust on him if we rest on him then God promiseth to give rest and peace to our soules Insomuch that it 's a Christians duty above all things to keep up the grace of faith to attend to that lest the whole kingdome be lost when that is lost for God is to us as we believe so God works for us as we trust in him so that our distrust makes God to be as no God or as an Idol-god having eies not to see us or hands not to help us Gods power will not communicate it self but upon believing as Christ told Mary Said I not unto thee if thou wouldst believe thou shouldst see the glory of the Lord That glory was to make Lazarus dead your dayes and stinking in the grave to live again Now no less glorious alterations and changes will God work upon thee if thou trust in him for hereby Gods fidelity goodness and power is engaged and he will never deceive those that wholly rely upon him You see then why faith put forth in a lively manner can thus quiet the soul Because it 's the condition to which God doth make glorious promises Thirdly Faith doth instrumentally compose the soul because by it other graces are also set a work and so the more purified and cleansed the soul is from all corruption the clearer the heart is As the clearer the spring is then though it be moved and stirred yet for all that the streames will be pure Thus it is with a godly man when his heart is sanctified cleansed and adorned with grace then though he is plunged into tribulations instead of discontent impatience grudgings and murmurings instead of dejections and disquietness there is joy thankfulness and heavenly mindedness as if Juniper or sweet herbs be thrown into the fire the fiâ—e draweth out their sweet smel or as the wind blowing upon the sweet flower makes it smell more fragrantly Thus also when afflictions fall upon the godly faith having purified their hearts there do runne forth admirable and sweet breathings of the soul That faith exciteth other graces appeareth Heb. 11. Where all those glorious acts of grace which those Worthies abounded in are attributed unto their faith Lastly Faith lively exercised must thus serene the heart of a man because it doth suggest many noble and excellent arguments which do abundantly quiet and establish the soul Faith is argumentative it is very ingenious to find out all those Considerations which the Scripture affoards Now the Scripture is like the Apothecaries shop that can furnish with all cordials As First Faith argueth from Gods giving of Christ every thing else that is as necessary for us as Christ is Thus the Apostle Rom. 8. If he hath given us Christ how shall he not with him give all things else He doth not say some things but all things and then the expression how shall he not implyeth that it is a most absurd and irrational thing to think otherwise Now then faith doth thus quiet the soul Be not afraid or troubled the God that afflicts thee is he that hath given Christ to thee Now if ever God would have refused thee it would have been in this Know then that these afflictions these troubles they are good for thee they are necessary to humble thee to make sinne bitter they are as necessary in their kind as Christ was in his kind It cannot be want of love that these exercises are upon thee for is not Christ the great pledge of Gods love to thee Therefore faith turneth the heart of a man from that which is grievous and vexing to that which is pleasing and comfortable Though God giveth not this or that outward mercy yet he giveth Christ the fountain and original of all Secondly Faith represents God out of his word in some Attributes chiefly above others insomuch that the heart of a man being thereby lifted up to heaven to God himself it cannot be disturbed by things below As the Bird while soaring aloft in the heavens is not skared with this fear and that noise so while faith beareth up the heart to God and makes abode with him it 's not disquieted It 's the looking upon the waters that make giddy if we look up to the heavens they cannot disturb the brain Now these things in God doth faith powerfully improve First The wisdome of God that whatsoever the Lord doth it cannot be done wiser Therefore he is called the only wise God Now what wonderfull comfort may be suggested from hence That there is no affliction no temptation though never so heavy but it cometh and is ordered by infinite wisdome If thou hadst the disposing and ordering of all things it could not be done more wisely then it is nay thy own love to thy self if wise would order this affliction to come upon thee For do not you see a man whose parts of body are gangreend yet because he is wise though he loveth his ease yet willingly resigning himself to have those parts cut off for the good of the whole So that is one of the most comfortable considerations which faith supplies the heart with that whatsoever temptation is fallen upon thee the wise God hath ordered it so
that to repine or to be discouraged is to say in effect Why is not God wiser Why doth he not order things with more perfect knowledge Oh but as long as faith worketh as long as that puts forth it self so long it beholds matter of wisdome and admiration in all Gods proceedings Secondly It represents the tender love and bowels of God as a Father so that all those strokes they come from love It 's his very pity for a while to break and bruise them that they may be healed more effectually Is the Artificer angry with his plate when he breakes it and throweth it into the fire No it 's for to make it more compleat If so be that we were wholly without corruption if we could walk without sinne then God would no more afflict us here on earth then he doth the glorified Saints and Angels in heaven but our corruption is such that God did not love us or regard us if he did not chastise us Thirdly Faith represents the soveraignty and supream dominion which God hath over the hearts of his children therefore he is called the Father of Spirits Now neither man himself nor all the Angels of heaven are able to give such a composed frame As God only knoweth the hearts of men so he only fashioneth and frameth them If you ask How is it possible that David should be thus immoveable What could keep in his corruption and flesh from repining and disturbing I answer it 's God with whom all things are possible It is this that faith suggests though thy heart be impatient though thou canst not command the waves thereof to be still yet God in heaven can Oh it 's easily confessed that it is not flesh and blood that can make such quiet calmness of soul No it must be an omnipotent work of the great God Did not God put terrour into Cain's heart that though he had built Cities though he did all he could to allay his spirit yet still he trembleth and cannot but tremble Thus on thâ— contrary God he puts joy into the heart of a believer he bids it lye down and be content and although never so many Hornets come buzzing to sting him yet faith keepeth them off â—o that that very frame of heart which even a godly man thinketh it impossible for himself ever to have that he finds sometimes and wonders how it should be so it's God that either layes load on or takes burdens off from the spirit So that the very same sinnes and temptations which formerly they could not apprehend without even faintings and swoundings of the soul now they can remember and bless God with joy for the pardoning of them Vse 1. of Instruction to distinguish between carnal security and godly confidence You have many a prophane man will say the words in my Text I will lye down and sleep it may be at the very Sermon time howsoever under the apprehension of their pleasures and profits they will with Dives bid their soul take its ease But can they say for the Lord taketh care of thee No but it may be this night the Devils will fetch thy soul It may be this night thou must be arraigned at Gods Tribunal Oh how many are sick of this spiritual lethargy How many men lye down securely to sleep that may awake in hell But the godly mans confidence ariseth from spiritual Motives insomuch that though death and the day of Judgement appear yet he may and ought to be thus affected The Difference between Carnal and Gratious Confidence We have heard that it is the property of faith depending on God in a vigorous manner to compose and quiet the heart in the midst of all calamities as if there were none aâ— all Now because even in wicked men there is a carnal senseless spirit that though the anger of God be upon them though their sinnes have found them out yet they can take their ease and pleasures and lay nothing to heart and this is an Epidemical disease It is good therefore to search into the bottome and difference of a gracious confidence from a carnal Now there are two sorts of these carnally confident and secure men under their troubles First There is the Stoical man of whom Senecae and others of that sect do much boast They speak great and swelling words about that man who shall fully have received their principles and confirme himself therein They commend in such a man an indolency and an impassibility that let him be dashed upon by never so many decumane waves yet for all that he stands immoveable like a rock and is not troubled Hence is that speech of theires so famous that their wise man if he were burning in Phalaris his Bull he would cry out Dulce est ad me nihil pertinet Thus the Stoical Philosophy would serve to set forth as admirable and composed a spirit under tribulations as the Christian Religion But Let us discover the sinfulness of such a Stoical stupid spirit And First Although the Stoicks did thus Thrasonically boast in their Books and Seneca speakes high and transcendent speeches in this matter yet when they came to practise they were feeble and effeminate So that they were nothing but words and empty expressions witness that Stoick who in his health had maintained that pain was nothing it was but a fancy when he was grievously tormented with the Gout cryed out of his errour acknowledging when he said so he did not know what pain meant But now if we look upon the godly in the midst of their exercises we shall find they did really put forth such calm and joyfull spirits under the heaviest pressures David you heard said he had done thus as well as he would do so and the Apostles went out rejoycing from the Councel where they had been persecuted because they were accounted worthy to suffer for the name of Christ Act. 5.41 And thus the many thousands of Martyrs they did though not in Phalaris his Bull yet in as great torments cry out Oh how sweet and comfortable is this So that no sect in Philosophy the Stoicks nor none else are able to bring such a multitude of Martyrs as the Christian Religion hath Therefore it 's only Gods Word and the Spirit of God that can enable us to rejoyce and take our rest under sad afflictions Secondly The Stoical discipline did teach a brutish stupidity and senslesness under miseries They would destroy the very passions of grief and fear from a man Thus they make a man to be no better then a stock or a stone that is sinking under the hammer and axe that comes upon it but Christian Religion doth not take away affections but it moderateth and ordereth them David you see though thus calme in his spirit yet he is affected with his calamity he goeth bare foot covereth his head and weepeth as he goeth and Christ himself wept at Lazarus his death It 's the Scriptures rule neither to despise