without punishment they may bring downe the judgements of God upon the place where they live Uses Which may serve for terrour to other offenders First the very sight of Magistrates should affright them considering that God sent those very Magistrates to punish them It importeth that though they escape the hands of men they shall not escape the hands of God Secondly it should teach men if they would live out of the danger of the Magistrates punishment to take heed they be not evill doers Quest. Now if you aske who are evill doers Ans. I answer Such as live in notorious offences such as are swearers drunkards whore-mongers railers theeves idle persons murtherers Sabbath-breakers sowers of discord and the like The originall word doth point at some speciall sort of offendours For naming evill doers such especially must not escape as 1. Invent evill where it is not 2. Or sinne not out of ignorance but wilfully 3. Or are leaders of other men to evill 4. Or make a trade of offending by custome in sinne 5. Or study how to doe mischief gathering together as things might further their evill courses All this may be included in the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 3. Thirdly there are from hence many to be blamed that speake evill of such as take any course to reforme abuses 4. Fourthly Magistrates must looke to their calling and Gods Commandement to see abuses amended or else they must account to God for it 3. The third doctrine which may be noted from hence is That all evill doers are to be punished without respect of persons they are to looke upon mens works and not on their persons great men must be punished if they be evill doers as well as poore men many men as well as one man yea if good men doe evill they must beare the punishment of their sinne Christians as well as Pagans 4. That evill doers are not accounted safe members of any society and therefore are distinguished from good subjects as not fit to be of that order 5. That such as transgresse the lawes of men are accounted by the Apostle evill doers as well as such as transgresse the Lawes of God for hee here speakes especially of such as are evill doers in respect of humane ordinances which may be a warning to such as securely live in the transgression of the commandements of Christian Magistrates and withall it may impaire the honour of their condition that live in the breach of the Lawes of God without repentance For if it be so hatefull a thing to bee a breaker of the lawes of men in what case are they in that have so grossely broken the Lawes of God 6. That punishment of evill doers is in the power of the Magistrate private men cannot reforme publike abuses they may pray for reformation they are not to execute it but by authority 7. That there are divers evils which men cannot punish for the Magistrate can onely punish evill doers that is such as offend in word or deed evill thinkers they cannot meddle withall Which may warne Magistrates to bee wary how they punish men onely upon suspition or presumption without proofe that they are evill doers and withall it shewes that God hath reserved th◠judgement of mens works also to himselfe For God hares the sinnes of the heart as well as the sinnes of life and therefore since for these evils men answer not to men they must provide to answer before God 8. That a Magistrate that punisheth sinnes doth but execute the commission he received from God hee was sent of God to that end and therefore may comfort himselfe in the Lord how ill soever his execution of justice bee spoken of among men Thus of the punishment of evill doers The second end of the sending of Magistrates is for the praise of them that doewell For the praise of them that doe well By such as doe well hee meanes such as in publike societies live without offence and carry themselves honestly in their places especially such as are profitable and doe good to others whether it be to the mindes of men by instructing or reproving or to the bodies or estates of men by works of mercie or righteousnesse and among these he meaneth especially such as 1. Are Inventers of good the first Authors of the publike good 2. That doe good daily and frequently 3. That study how they may doe all the good they can and doe imploy all the helps and furtherances of good they can Here may many things be noted from hence First that all that are members of publike societies are bound to be carefull to doe good to others and to live so that the Church and Common-wealth may be the better for them Which should much humble such Christians as live and doe little or no good and should quicken in all sorts of good Christians a desire to serve the publike wee are not set here to doe good to our selves onely but also to others Secondly that in this world it is not to be expected from men that all that doe well or deserve well should bee rewarded by them hee saith For the praise not For the reward as importing that many a man may deserve well that shall never have recompence from men And this ariseth partly from the corruption of Magistrates that are not carefull to dispose preferments or recompence to such as are worthy and partly from the insufficiencie of any earthly greatnesse to doe it For great men can reward all their servants or friends but no King can give the honour or preferment that is due to all his subjects that deserve well Which should teach us partly to doe good without hope of reward from men and partly to quicken our hearts to the admiration of the reward that God gives in heaven wee should provide to be his subjects and then wee are sure to have a full reward of well-doing in heaven Thirdly that to be praised or to have a good report among men is a great blessing of God and therefore in the Old Testament blessing and praise i◠expressed by one word Prov. 28.20 And this may appeare to be so 1. Because God himselfe seekes praise from his creatures and accounts himselfe honoured by it Psal. 50.23 Ephes. 1.6 12 14. 2. Because praise is a part of the glory of God shining upon a man 3. Because it is in Scripture preferred before things of great price as great riches Prov. 22.1 and pretious ointment Eccles. 7 c. 4. Because it so much refresheth a mans heart it makes his bones full Prov. 15.35 5. Because an ill name is noted as an extreme curse Iob 18.17 and in many other places Uses The use is first to comfort godly men and to make them thankful if God give them a good report here but especially it should comfort them to thinke of the praise they shall have at the last day For if it be a blessing to be praised of men what is it to
so Israel was Elect 2. There is an Election to salvation which is the eternall predestination of God appointing certaine men to be vessels of mercy and to enjoy the glory of heaven 3. There is an Election to sanctification which is performed in time by the power of the Gospell separating the fore-ordained from the masse of forlorne men unto holinesse of life This is nothing else but effectuall vocation 4. There is an Elâ—ction to the administration of some office as to the Apostleship Election imports a singling of a man from some thing that is vilâ— and miserable and so the godly are elect from the masse of condemned men in Adam and from under the power of Sathan and the kingdome of darknesse from the first death from the company of evill men from the tyranny of sinnes of all â—oâ—â—s from 〈◊〉 â—igoâ— an◠〈◊〉 oâ—â—he law and eternall â—ondemnation These Elect men are not to be knowne by their numbers wit wealth nobility beauty personage nor by their presence paines or priority in Gods vineyard but they are to be knowne both by their birth and by their life By their birth and so they may be knowne for they are borne of God borne by promise borne againe they are then called and converted of God Rom. 8.30 By their life they may be knowne for they depart from iniquity and call upon the name of the Lord. 2 Tim. 2.19 they are fruitfull in well-doing and their fruits remaine Iohn 15.16 they are holy and unrebâ—keable Ephes. 1.4 they beare the image of the Son of God both in holinesse and sufferings for holinesse Rom. 8.29 They abound in faith vertue godlinesse knowledge temperance patience brotherly love and kindnesse 2 Pet. 1.5.6.10 These Elect men have admirable felicities and priviledges aboue all the men in the world For 1. They have most deare acceptation with God in his beloved Eph. 1.5 they are his delight Psal. 132.13 his chiefe treasure Psal. 135.4 his peâ—uliar people Deut. 7.6 26.18 2. They are adopted to bee the children and heires of God in Christ Ephes. 1.4 3. They have the pleasures of Gods house Psal. 65.4 5. 4. In adversity they are sure of countenance Esa. 41.8 9. Protection v. 10. the avenging of their wrongs Esay 41.11 12. Luke 18.8 deliverance and victory Zach. 1.17.20.21 5. The non-suting of all actions and accusations in heaven against them Rom. 8.35 6. They are made the friends of God and from thence have audience in all suites and communication of the secrets of God Iohn 15.15 16. Deut. 4.7.37 7. They are assured of preservation to the end Mat. 24. 8. They shall obtaine glory in Iesus Christ being chosen to salvation â— Thess. 2.13 14 15. Hence we may informe our selves 1. That there is a choice God did not drive in whole Nations Cities Townes c. but a certaine number of them 2. That the doctrine of Election may be taught It is true that it is in some respects strong meate and hath in some things an Abyssus It should also inflame in every one of us both praises and prayers to God that he would above all things remember us with the favour of his people and comfort us with the joy of his chosen and above all care to care to make our calling and election sure 2 Pet. 1.10 What shall it profit a man to be sure of his house money lands c. and not to be sure of the salvation of his soul Know yee not that Christ Iesus is in you except you be reprobates 2 Cor. 13.5 Such as finde by the signes their Election should abound in all possible thankfulnesse to God 2 Thess. 2. 13. c. Further hath God choâ—en us and shall we not live like Gods Elect It should teach us to endeavour to shew by our workes that we are chosen of God separating our selves from the wicked and holding forth the light of the truth in all unrebukablenesse of holy conversation not being discouraged with ill entertainment in the world Deut. 10.12 to 18. 14.1 26.26 c. Ephes. 1.5 2.10 Iohn 15.18 19 20. c. Finally we should hence learne not to be ashamed of Gods Elect but choose unto us whom God hath chosen to him choose them I say both to honor them and to sort with them and to countenance them and defend them Ministers should acknowâ—edge there in their teaching and great men in conversing This also may be a doctrine of singular terror to wicked men that will not be gathered and called by the meanes of salvation Esay 66.4 5. If it be such a felicity to be chosen of God what misery is it then to be rejected of God for ever If such a vexation to be disgraced and scorned of great men what is it then to be rejected of the great God and this is the more wofull if the fore-runner of the full declaration of it be upon men I meane a spirit of slumber Rom. 11.7.10 And thus of Election This Election is first amplified by the ground of it which is the fore-knowledge of God According to fore-knowledge Praescience or fore-knowledge in God is considered more largely or more strictly more largely and so it notes the whole act of praeordination so in the 20. verse of this chapter it is rendred ordained more strictly and properly for the knowledge of God praeceding in order the appointment to the end and thus it is taken two wayes For there is a praescience they call in schooles absolute by which God from eternity doth know all things simply and absolutely so the word is used 2 Pet. 3.17 There is also a praescience they call speciall by which God not onely knoweth the Elect as hee knoweth other things but acknowledgeth them for his and loves them above all others and this is called the knowledge of approbation Rom. 8.27 11.2 In the first sense there is difference betweene Fore-knowledge Providence and Predestination Praescience reacheth to all things to bee done either by God or any other and so to sinnes Providence reacheth to all that God would doe Predestination onely to the counsell of God about reasonable creatures Quest. If any aske after what maner God viewes things or lookes upon them or knowes them Answ. I answer that we are not able to expresse the maner of divine knowledge unlesse it bee by way of negation that is by denying to God those wayes of knowledge which are in the creatures and note imperfection For God doth not know things 1. By sense as by hearing seeing tasting c. For these things are in God only by an Anthropopathy or Metaphore 2. By opinion or conjecture For that knowledge is neither certaine nor evident and therefore cannot be in God 3. By faith For God knowes nothing by relation or report of others Besides though faith bee a certaine knowledge yet it is not evident Heb. 11.1 4. By Art For
in Christ he tooke the true nature of his brethren true flesh and blood that he might serve and satisfie God in the same nature that had offended 2. This blood was shed If you aske who shed it I answer Iudas by selling it the Priests by advising it the people by consenting to it Pilate by decreeing it the soldiers by effecting it Christ himselfe by permitting it and after presenting it to God Heb. 9.14 our sinnes that chiefly caused it If any aske for whom it was shed I answer briefly for the Church Act. 20. not for himselfe nor for impenitent and obstinate sinners that dye in their sins 3. It is not enough that the blood of Christ bee shed to make us happy unlesse it be applyed also which the word sprinkling notes 4. This effusion of blood was solemnly prefigured or foretold by the sacraments and sacrifices of the Law For this word sprinkled is a Metaphor borowed from the legall sprinkling which shewes us two things 1. The great account that God and good men make of it in that it was so solemnely and anciently typed out 2. That the ceremonies of that Law are now abolished seeing we have here the true sprinkling of the blood fore-shadowed out 5. That our estate in Christ is better now than our estate in Adam was For God here in his eternall counsell is brought in over-looking that first estate in Adam and setting up his rest in this estate purchased in the blood of his Sonne If any man marvell at this he shall be thus satisfied Our estate in Christ is better than our estate was at the best in Adam even in this life and therefore much more in the world to come In this life it is better onely in two respects 1. That wee cannot fall from this happinesse 2. That Christs righteousnesse imputed to us is better then that righteousnesse was inherent in Adam Now for the world to come heaven is better then paradise 6. We can never discerne our comfort in the blood of Christ till we be sanctified in spirit and set upon the reducing of our lives into the obedience of Christ. Iustification and Sanctification are inseparable Thus much for the generall In particular concerning this sprinkling of the blood of Christ I consider two things 1. What benefits the Christian enjoyes by the blood of Christ which is here noted as the end of his sanctification 2. The mystery of this sprinkling or applying of the blood of Christ as it was shadowed out by the legall sprinklings The benefits which flow from the effusion of the blood of Christ are either generall or particular The generall are 1. The purchase of the Church Acts 20. 2. The ratification of the new Testament or covenant of grace Heb 9.18 3. The breaking downe of the partition wall betweene Jews and Gentiles and the adopting of the abject Gentiles the free denizing of the Gentiles and repealing of all statutes of aliens Ephes. 2.13 c. 4. The reconciliation of all things both in heaven and earth and the dissolving of that enmity which came in by sin Col. 1.20 The particular benefits which flow from the blood of Christ to every converted Christian are 1. Iustification which hath in it 1. the pacification of Gods anger Christs blood is the propitiatory like the cover of the Arke that hides the law from the sight of God Rom. 3.25 2. the pardon of all sinnes 1 Iohn 1. 7.9 Ephes. 1.7 3. prevention of Gods eternall wrath or the losse of heaven Rom. 5.9 4. the garment of imputed righteousnesse or putting on of robes made white in his blood Rev. 7.14 2. Sanctification and the cleansing the conscience from dead workes to serve the living God Heb. 9.13 14. 3. The sanctification of all the meanes of help to the beleever both spirituall and temporall the very booke of God is sprinkled with the blood of Christ that it may be opened and of use to the faithfull and so all meanes else in his generall and particular calling Heb. 9.19 20. 4. Intercession the blood of Christ speaking better things then the blood of Abel pleading daily for the godly and procuring the establishment of favour in God and acceptation Heb. 12.24 5. Victory over Sathan who is overcome by the blood of the Lambe and the word of the testimony Rev. 12.11 so as his molestations and temptations shall not prevaile 6. The destruction of him that had power over death so as now the beleever needs not feare death nor can he be hurt of it Heb. 2.14 7. Entrance into the most holy place even within the Vaile that is into heaven Heb. 10.19 20. you may see more Iohn 6.53 54 55 56 57 58 59 c. All this may serve for divers uses As 1. For singular consolation to all the godly Oh what an honor is it to be descended of the blood of Christ How doth a Christian mans new birth in this respect excell all the nobility of birth in the world Iohn 1.13 What reason have we of thankfulnesse for so happy a condition what should we complaine of what matters it what we lose or want if wee neither lose nor want the blood of Christ How incomparable are these benefits beyond all the glory of this world if we have eyes to see them and hearts large enough to conceive of the glory of them The Lord from eternity looking upon the blood of his Son sets up his reâ—t there as having provided a sufficient portion for all that shall be sanctified by his spirit 2. For instruction we should every one of us be incited to all possible care of assurance that Christ dyed for us and get it ratified to our hearts by all the testimonies we can There be three witnesses of a mans happinesse 1. the water 2. the blood 3. and the spirit 1 Iohn 5.6 The water of repentance the blood of expiation in the passion of Christ applyed by faith the spirit of sanctification testified by saving graces and new divine gifts 3. For terror to all wicked men that sin against the blood of Christ by despising and neglecting the grace of the covenant by swearing by unworthy receiving the sacrament and by their obstinate unbeleefe and impenitency Shall the blood of Abel cry for such vengeance and shall not the blood of Christ much more What a blood-guiltinesse doe these men draw upon themselves that sinne against the blood of Christ If Iudas burst his heart with despaire for betraying it how can their case be better for despising it Thus of the benefits which come by the blood of Christ Now it followeth that I should open the meaning of those ceremoniall legall sprinklings and shew how they did in their kinde fore-signifie the mystery of this sprinkling of the blood of Christ. There was a â—ourefold legall sprinkling 1. the first was of the blood of the red Cow and of a water made of the ashes of the red Cow Num. 19. 2. the second was of
carefull to prevent these it shewes that it is needfull mens objections should be answered and to that end if the Lord doe not answer otherwise men should not represse and smother them but propound them by seeking resolution These sparkes not quenched may breed a great flame these drops of poyson may infect the whole soule a little leaven may sower the whole lumpe Fiftly A question may be here demanded and that is why the Lord here and in many places of Scripture else doth expresse the answer and suppresse the objection For answer hereunto divers things may profitably be supposed 1. First the Lord hereby shews unto men in their owne experience what a divine light is in the Scpiptures that can thus discerne the hidden things of man 2. Secondly it may be the objections are suppressed lest men hearing the objections should learn to object 3. Thirdly the Lord hereby shews mans nature who usually will not say so much yet the Lord saith they doe thinkeso 4. Lastly I thinke for the most part the Lord doth it out of his compassion and tendernesse towards his people these things arising out of mens frailâ—y he is willing many times to lay to the plaister and yet not uncover the soare and for feare of discouraging them hee rather implies their weaknesses then expresseth them that they might be assured that he is inclined rather to pitty them than to hate them rather to succour them than to reprove them And thus of the generall Wherein yee greatly rejoyce The maine thing that I observe out of these words is that converted Christians though they have many afflictions yet they are greatly solaced and finde great joy even in this world Now because this point is not believed by the most who are loath to acknowledge so much gaine in godlinesse and because also many Christians are not wise either to discerne or to make use of their owne felicity herein I would before I come to the use of this doctrine for explication propound three things 1. How it can be made manifest out of Scripture that a Christian life is such a joyfull life 2. What are the particular waies whereby Christians can meet with such a joyfull life and comfort as by Scripture is proved they might have 3. And in the third place I answer an objection or two For the first The Scripture instanceth in nine things all which doe manifestly import that such as feare God may have exceeding much joy 1. For first God commandeth his servants to rejoyce yea hee commandeth his Embassadors to comfort them 2 God is bound by promise to give them joy For besides that the Gospell in generall is a doctrine of glad tidings there are particular promises for joy as the places in the margent shew 3. Thirdly joy is one of the expresse fruits of the Spirit 4. Fourthly it is a maine part of the Kingdome of God 5. Fiftly God threatneth his when he finds them without it as is manifest in Deut. 28. this was one cause of his displeasure that they did not serve him with joyfulnesse and a glad heart 6. The Scripture is plentifull in the examples of men that have found exceeding much joy in the waies of God some few places I instance in the margent 7. If a temporary faith finde such joy in the word how much more a justifying faith 8. The nature of God is such as hee is as willing to communicate joy as well as other graces 9. Lastly this is most apparant by this that the Scriptures shew that God hath provided joyes for his servants in such things as might seeme most to crosse them or their contentment as in tribulation yea and in affliction of conscience it selfe Now if we can beleeve it of them in such times then wee need never doubt of it but they either have or may have great joy But some one may say Which way can they finde such great joy what meanes is there for their consolation I answer They finde joy nine waies 1. They have in them the Spirit even him that is called a Comforter which no wicked man hath and this Spirit of God is an everlasting spring of joy 2. Gods ordinances are unto them as wells of joy the word is a well so is prayer reading the Sacraments and conference 3. They have their right to all Gods promises to comfort them and certainly the Gospell is a deepe well 4. They have the presence of God â—â—ke the sunne to refresh them 5. They finde secret joy in the communion of Saints both to hear of them absent and to have fellowship with them present and that both publike and private For if this be a great part of the joy of heaven then may it be some part of a Christians joy on earth 6. There is joy in the graces of the Spirit to see the buds of the Lord grow in the garden of their hearts and the weeds of sinne to be rooted out yea great is the content of grace and well-doing 7. There is joy in the meditation of the misery they are delivered from 8. They are not barred from the joy in outward things which is all the joy wicked men have and in these the worst Christian hath more right to rejoyce then the best carnall man 9. Lastly they find much joy even of the hope of the joy they shall have in heaven Ob. But might some ungodly person say Wee see no such matter in them Sol. The stranger shall not meddle with their joy Ob. But might some scorner say If any have found such joy in following the word and godlinesse it hath beene such as have had nothing else to rejoyce in Sol. That is false The Psalmist shewes by prophesying that even Kings that have abounded in outward things yet comming to taste the excellency of the comforts of godlinesse and to feele the power of Gods word should sing for joy of heart and greatly acknowledge the exceeding glory of God and godlinesse Ob. But might some others say Wee have beene hearers thus long and have followed godlinesse and yet can find no such comfort in it Sol. I answer it may well be so but then lay the blame where it is to be laid let men examine theÌ„selves concerning the cause For if thou find not much joy in godlinesse it is either because thou hast not sorrowed for thy sinnes or thou hast not seriously sought the pardon of thy sinnes or thou sowest not good seede thou art not conscionable in practice If men were more fruitfull in well-doing they would finde more ioy or thou livest not in peace or thou art not much in prayer or thou receivest not the law into thy heart or thou art intangled with some grosse sinne or thou art intemperate in thy earthly pleasures or thou art not in all things thankfull This
divers consolations 1. Christ our Ioseph whom our fathers sold into Aegypt hath provided for us before we came into the world 2. God hath promised to go down with us and to soiourn with us there Gen 45.4 3. Ever the more we are oppressed the more we may grow the godly lose nothing by their troubles Exod. 1.8 4. God is I am still ever the same howsoever the world use us Exo. 3.14 5. God can give us favour in the sight of the Aegyptians when and as often as he will Exod. 3.22 6. God hath promised covenanted yea sworne that he will bring us home and take us to himself be our God he will surely bring us up againe 7. God hath given us Moses and Aaron even his two witnesses daily to comfort us with the glad tidings of his Gospell even the good newes of our departure hence 8. The very time is appointed and at the very self-same time without faile we shall depart out of Aegypt Exod. 12. 9. God can and doth work many wonders for the proofe of the love of his people and his power to subdue the mightiest adversaries 10. Our part we have in this world is the best part of the world wee dwell in Goshen in comparison of the servile estate of the rest of the Aegyptians we are free from many a misery lights upon them And if Goshen bee so good what is Paradise If there be some comfort sometimes on earth oh how doth milke and hony flow in heaven 11. In all our distresses our cries are heard to heaven and God pities us with wonderfull compassion Exod. 2.23 3.7 Onely this is our misery in this world that many times if the very godly enjoy not the ministry of Moses and Aaron they grow very secure and are much infected with the manners of the world And againe if they have them and they tell the world Gods message if any trouble follow they are too often ready to murmure as if they had much hurt by the ministry of Gods servants Thus of the first point namely that we are sojourners The second followes namely that there is a time of our sojourning here Time Duration or the continuance of a thing is either infinite or finite The one is the continuance of God the other of the creatures â—he measure of the one is eternity absolutely considered the measure of the other is time Time may be considered in the meanes of it either the meanes of effecting or appointing which is the decree of God with all the meanes of execution of it or else the meanes of declaring or numbring which is the course of the Sun and Moone our continuance on earth is not disposed by the course of the heavens but by the decree and providence of God By time here is meant that space of continuance on earth which God in his counsell hath set us and is numbred by the motion of the Sun or Moone This time we may number as it is past but know it not as it is to come it being ordinarily hidden from the sonnes of men Neither may we reckon of the time of man upon earth as we doe of the continuance of heaven and earth for the time of man is wonderfull short in comparison of many other creatures This time also once set is unchangeable we cannot passe it Iob 14.5 The maine doctrine is that God hath unchangeably set us a time for our continuance here knowne unto him though unknowne unto us The Uses may be divers 1. It may comfort us against the inconveniences of our sojourning our time is set we shall not alwayes be from home we shall shortâ—y be gathered to our fathers and the afflictions of this present condition are not worthy the joy and glory we shall enjoy for ever Rom. 8.18 2. This should the rather make us willing to have little to doe with this world but use it as if we used it not 1 Cor. 7.29 3. This should order us to a care of our preparation for death and lessen in us the feare of dangers and adversaries and make us resolve never to use ill meanes to save or prolong or shorten our lives say with David My times are in Gods hands Psal. 31. and with Christ I will worke to day and to morrow and the third day I shall c. The third thing is that this time passeth it runneth out it is continually going away and therefore the use should be 1. To doe good while we have time Gal. 6.10 2. To redeeme the time past ill spent by providing by forecast for the more fruitfull employment of the time to come The more of this time past that hath been spent on sin or the world the more resolute we should be to be conscionable in the strict use of the time that yet we are to remaine in the flesh 1 Pet. 4.2 3. Col. 4.5 3. Especially we should be carefull that we discerne and use the opportunities of grace the accepted times the dayes of our salvation they may passe and never returne againe 2 Cor. 6.1 Mat. 16.3 4. Since the godly are sojourners here but for a time and this time passeth too let us entertaine them as the Princes of God and make all possible use of their fellowship in the best things for they will be gone they will not abide with us long In feare This word expresseth how we should spend the time of our sojourning viz. with all carefulnesse and due respect But that wee may reach the meaning of this feare we must know that there is a worldly feare a servile feare and a godly feare There is also a vaine feare as in the melancholy of thingâ— that are not The worldly feare is about things of the world as reproaches losses dangers adversaries c. this is a wicked feare and the godly are commanded not to feare the feare of the wicked Esay 8. A servile feare is chiefly in spirituall things called the spirit of bondage such was the immoderate feare of the law or justice of God such is also that feare of traâ—sgression where Gâ—d hath given no law The godâ—y feare iâ—â—ither restrained unto our respects of God only and so it is a part of his inward worship or elâ—e it is that feare which is required all parts of holy life and so it iâ— taken here It may not be denied but that this feare may be referred in part to wicked men the Apostle warning them to be afâ—â—aid lest this day come upon them before they have repenâ—ed of their sinneâ— and so they fall into Gods eternall wrath Wickâ—d men have goâ—d cause to â—eare for the threatnings of God are against them the wrath of God hangs over their heads sinne lyeth at the doore their owne conscieâ—ce will witnesse against them the devill is ready to devâ—ure them death may fall 〈◊〉 upon them and then they must beare the open and eternall shame and confusion of
all the meanes thereof we should labour to be affectionately perswaded that grace and the meanes thereof is better then all gold Psal. 37 16. to 23. Ier. 17 11 22. Prov. 19.1 22.1 Psal 19.14 grace 〈◊〉 called the unsearâ—â—able riches of Christ Eph. 3.9 yea grace with reproch is better then all treasures with honour Heb. 11.26 2. â—t may informe us concerning the wofull estate of rich men especially wicked rich men that have nothing to trust unto but their wealth Alas alas could they but think of death oh how should they tremble let them remember that at the day of Christ many a rich man shall howle and wish the very 〈◊〉 to cover 〈◊〉 and yet cannot escape Rev. 6. the very rust of their riches which proved their corruptiblenesse shall witnesse against them I â—â— 5.1 they should think often of that parable Luke 12.15 20 21. and that other Luke 16. of Dives in hell yea in this life thâ—u maist be in honor and yet be but like a beast that perisheth Psal. 49. especially they are to be bewailed if they trust in their riches and rejoyce in them and boast of them Iob 31.24 25. and will be as vaine as their auncestors Psal. 49.12 13. 3. If outward things in their lawfull use be so base what are they in their sinfull use either of getting or spending 4. How excellent then is the Lord Jesus that did redeeme us when all these could not and how worthy to be beloved 2. For instruction 1. To rich men therefore never to trust more in uncertain riches 1 Tim. 6.17 Psal. 62.10 2. Not to despise poore Christians and admire wicked rich men Iam. 2.5 4. 3. Let not the rich man glory in his riches though he be a godly man Ier. 9.24 4. Let us rather strive to be like greene olive trees in Gods house Psal. 52.7 8. Quest. But what shall we doe with riches are they good for nothing Answ. 1. Make friends with them Luke 16. 2. Buy the meanes of grace with them Prov. 17.16 3. Be rich in good works 1 Tim. 6.19 20. 4. Eate and drink and rejoyce Eccl. 2.24 5. It may teach the godly the willinger both to want gold and silver and to practice all the duties of abnegation and the contempt of them Thus of the first point The second is from what we are redeemed viz. From your vaine conversation received by tradition from your fathers The thing from which wee are redeemed is our owne conversation amplified by the quality it is vaine and by the cause of it viz. the tradition of our fathers First of redemption from our conversation in generall if any aske From what wee are redeemed in Christ if I answer fully I must say from sixe things 1. From the displeasure of God the passion of Christ being a full expiation for all our sins that angred God 1 Iob. 2.2 2. From condemnation unto which wee were justly sentenced this is a fruit of the former expiation also Rom. 8.1 3. From the power of Sathan who as a jaylor and executioner of vengeance had possession of us Heb. 2.14 4. From the rigour of the morall law For Christ having made redemption for the transgressions of the former Testament hee hath obtained for us new conditions by vertue of the New Testament ratified by his bloud Heb. 6.8 Rom. 6. 5. From the present evill world even from the judgements might have fallen upon us for our sinnes and from the bondage under the course of this world and from all the enchantments with which wee were bewitched Gal. 1. â— 6. Lastly we are redeemed from our vaine conversation even from the power of our owne corruption and the practice of a body of sins This last is here mentioned either by a synecdoche by one part meaning the whole or else to note that till we be freed from the power of sin in our conversation we can never actually attaine the comfort of any of the former as were easie to prove in the particulars Thus in generall In particular I consider of two things First of the vanity of our conversation from which we are redeemed Secondly of the cause of it here said to be the tradition of the fathers and in the explication of the first I consider of three things 1. What the vanity of our conversation is 2. I note divers doctrines to be thence observed 3. I resolve certaine questions and then make uses of all together For the first the conversation of unregenerate persons may be said to be vaine in divers respects 1. Because continuing in such an estate they faile of the happinesse unto which man was created and so they are as if they were created in vaine Psal. 89.48 2. Because in their sinfull courses they cannot attaine their owne ends but are alwaies deceived of their expectation Iob 33.27 Psal. 31.7 Psal. 127.1 3. Because of their transitory condition they are daily wearing away Psal. 144.4 4. Because unregenerate men seldome or never attaine that equall condition that might give them a sufficiency without extreames they are either too rich or too poore and this is vanity and lyes Prov. 30.8 5. Because all earthly things are vaine Ecclesiast every where 6. There are divers speciall sins in the life of man for which his conversation may be said to be vaine and this I think is here intended as 1. To worship images is a vanity 2 King 17.15 Zach. 10.2 Deut. 32. 21. Ier. 8.19 10.18 2. Lip-service is a vanity Mat. 15. In vaine doe ye worship me c. compared with Esay 18.13 3. Hypocrisie in carriage is vanity Iam. 1.26 4. To trust in man or vaine helps Psal. 62.9 Esay 30.7 5. The care of life Psal. 39.6 6. Conceitednesse and boasting is a vanity Iob 11.11 2 Pet. 2.18 7. Opposing of the godly or disgracing them is vaine Psal. 4.2 8. The multiplying of devises and projects in the mind is vanity Psal. 94.11 and such are the fruitlesse thoughts of the mind Eph 4.17 9. Flattering and double-dealing is vanity Psal. 12.2 41.7 10. The getting of treasures by a lying tongue is vanity tossed to and fro of them that seeke death Prov. 2â— 6 11. The service of the lusts of the flesh is vanity Eph. 2.3 hence debauched men are said to be vaine men 2 Chron. 13.7 12. The excesse in seeking the unprofitable pleasures of the world and delights of life Ion. 2.8 Psal. 119.37 Eccles. 11. ult Psal. 24.4 The observations are 1. That all men by nature are vaine men such is the depravation of nature in all mankind Psal. 39. 62.9 2. That there needs no more to make a man miserable on earth then to be guilty of a vaine conversation It is an extreame wretchednesse to spend our time in the vanity of conversation it is called a sore sicknesse in it selfe and besides so long as we continue in that condition wee have no part of the redemption by Christ. 3. It
that was himselfe the onely begotten Sonne and heire of God by 〈◊〉 that God and man might be one in covenant This one is made God and man in person 2. For instruction we may learne divers duties 1. To blesse God for our Saviour Christ as the foundation of all our happinesse Shall 〈…〉 talke of his righteousnesse all the day Shall not everlasting joy be upon our heads Psal. 103.1 2. 71.23 Esay 35.10 1 Cor. 30 31. Eph. 1.6 7. 2. To seeke redemption in him both from the guilt of our sins Rom. 3. 24 25 Esay 44.22 and from the power of them and from the punishment of them Psal. 1 30.7 Iob 19.25 Psal. 34.19 c. Esay 63.16 50.2 Psal. 31.7 55.18 Hos. 13.14 3. Therefore we must serve him in holinesse and righteousnesse all our daies Luke 1.68 74. Esay 59.20 Tit. 2.14 4. Let us follow the example of his humility and let him that would be great amongst us be the servant of all Mat. 20.28 Coherence 5. Honour the redeemed of Jesus Christ and ever say what one Nation is like to Christs people By his bloud Hitherto of the person by whom we were redeemed now followes the manner We were redeemed 1. by the passion of Christ 2. by the obedience of Christ and well are they joyned together for the justice of God required both and it hath ever been the nature of the Devill and the world to powre out flouds of tribulation after innocency especially in the eminent As it was with Christ so it is with all his members who are conformed unto him both in sufferings and obedience and as any are more innocent so is their passion the greater but let that passe The first point here intended is that the Holy Ghost would have us to know and knowing to be deeply affected with it that wee were ransomed by bloud yea by the bloud of Iesus Christ God and man For the explication of this point foure things briefly would be considered 1. That it is 2. What it is 3. Why it is 4. How it is 1. The first that our ransome was to be payed in bloud was foretold continually from the very fall by sacrifices in bloud and is proved by expresse Scriptures Heb. 9.13 14. Act. 20.28 2. For the second The bloud of Christ is diversly taken sometimes sacramentally and so the wine in the Sacrament is his bloud Mat. 26. sometimes mystically and so the bloud of the Martyrs is the bloud of Christ and so they are said to fulfill the rest of the passion of Christ sometimes imputatively and so the Saints have their robes made white in the bloud of the Lambe Revel 7.14 but most an end properly for his naturall bloud and so it is taken here For no Saints nor bloud of Martyrs can make atonement for our sinnes But by his bloud He syneâ—dâ—chically meanes all his passion even all that hee suffered of the malediction of the law as the surety for our sinnes 3. For the third If any aske why Christ in suffering endured this kinde of suffering I answer 1. Expiation for sinne was a way universally conceived of to be fittest done in bloud 2. Hereby he fulfilled both the Scriptures of the Prophets and the types went before of him 3. It was not onely for example but also for the sanctification of the like sufferings in the Martyrs of all ages 4. It was one of the curses of the law 5. It was his good pleasure hereby to shew his matchlesse love to us If we aske why this part of the passion of Christ is so much stood upon and so often remembred I answer 1. To shew the extremity of Christs humiliation 2. To shew the full accomplishment of all types 3. To confirme our faith in the assurance of the compleatnesse of our ransome 4. To settle our hearts with more affection to him 4. For the fourth Christ shed his blood for us many times As first in his Circumcision as the first fruits and pledge of the rest 2. In his sweate in the garden 3. When hee was crowned with thornes and whipped 4. When he was nailed on the Crosse. 5. When his side was pierced with a speare The last is chiefly intended The Use may be divers 1. It may informe us of our extreame misery by nature men must think upon it their native condition is most servile else there had not needed such a ransome by such blood 2. It may import the horrible misery of wicked impenitent sinners when they shall fall into Gods hands If Christ being but a surety for others suffered such extreame things oh what mercy can wicked men expect The very dolours of Christ should teach them how miserable their case shall bee 3. To consider that Christ hath bought us to himselfe by his blood should compell our affections to resolve more unchangeably and unfainedly to devote our selves to his service that paid so deare for us Shall we not live to him in all sincerity that was faine to shed his blood before he could redeeme us to himselfe as a peculiar people If any thing will doe it this should kindle the zeale of good workes in us 4. It may comfort us many wayes 1. It shewes that Christ wonderfully loves us 2. That the satisfaction of our debt is fully made 3. That his intercession daily for us must prevaile since his blood cryes in heaven for us and speakes better things then did the blood of Abel 4. That our nourishment to eternall life shall bee surely effected because he hath given himselfe as bread and his blood as drinke for us 5. It should teach us patience in all our afflictions or combats with sin seeing we have not resisted unto blood as the author and finisher of our faith did Heb. 12.3 4. Precious blood The blood of Christ is commended for the marvellous preciousnesse of it which may appeare besides the expresse affirmations of Scripture 1. By the continuall view of the slaine sacrifices 2. By the amasement of the creatures when it was shed The Sunne eclipsed the vaile of the Temple rent the rockstorne the earth trembling c. 3. By the admirable effects of it it appeased Gods anger Rom. 3.25 it purchased the Church Acts 20. 28. which all the gold and silver could not doe it ratified the covenant therefore called the blood of the covenant Luke 22.20 Heb. 9.18 it is our drinke indeed Iohn 6. it makes a holy consanguinity betweene Iew and Gentile they are all allyed in the blood of Christ Eph. 2.13 it overcomes the Devill Rev. 12. it saves us from the destroying Angels Heb. 11.18 it makes intercession for sins after calling continually in heaven Heb. 12.24 it purgeth the conscience from dead workes Heb. 9.14 and it opens the holy of holies and gives an entrance into the kingdome of heaven Heb. 10.19 Quest. But whence comes this preciousnesse into the blood of Christ Answ. I answer many wayes 1. Because it
Christ and to carrie him into the presence of God and laying hands upon his head to plead their interest in his death who was offered up as a whole burnt sacrifice for their sinnes Wee are Christs and Christ is given unto us as our ransome we must every day then lay hold upon him and see him bleed to death for our sinnes and be consumed in the fire of Gods wrath for our sinnes Secondly A broken and contrite heart is a sacrifice God will not despise yea such hearts are the sacrifices God especially calls for from men He ever loved them better then all the outward sacrifices in the Law Psal. 51.17 It is the heart God calls for and yet not every heart but a heart wounded with the knife of mortification that is cut and bleedeth in it selfe with godly sorrow for sinne and is broken and contrite with the daily confession of sin This is required of all Christians and this very thing makes a great deale of difference betweene Christian and Christian. Thirdly Prayer and thanksgiving to God are Christian and holy Sacrifices as many Scriptures shew Psal. 141.2 Heb. 13.15 Hos. 14.4 Psal. 51.21 Fourthly We must offer our selves our soules and bodies as a living sacrifice to God Rom. 12.2 2 Cor. 8.5 and that First in respect of obedience devoting our selves unto God living to him and wholly resolved to be at his appointment Psal. 40.6 Loe I come to doe thy will this is instead of all burnt offerings Secondly in respect of willingnes to suffer affliction of what kind soever as resolving that through many afflictions as through so many flames wee must ascend up to heaven as the smoake of the incense or sacrifice on the Altar Acts 14.21 Hence are tryals called fiery tryals 1 Pet. 4.12 Thus of the kinds of sacrifices which remain unto Christians The lawes about those sacrifices follow For there bee many things to bee observed by Christians in their sacrifices if they would euer have them acceptable to God which the shadowes in the old law did evidently signifie as First the sacrifice must be without blemish Malach. 1.7 which the same Prophet expounds Malaâ—h 3.11 Our offrings must bee pure offrings wee must tender them in the sincerity of our hearts Our sacrifices are without fault when we judge our selves for the faultinesse of them and desire they might have no fault Secondly it must be presented before the Lord and consecrated to hâ—m which signified that we must walk in Gods presence and do all in the sight of God devoting all to his glory Gen. 17.1 Mic. 6.8 Thirdly our sacrifices must be daily some kindes of them There were Sacrifices every day in the Temple and it was an extreme desolâ—tion when the sacrifices ceased so it must be our every daies work to imploy ourselves in some of those spirituall sacrifices Heb. 13.15 Fourthly There must bee an Altar to consecrate the gifts Matth. 23.19 This Altar is Christ who is the onely Altar of Christians Heb. 13 1â— Rev. 8.3 No service can be acceptable to God but as the Apostle here faith by Jesus Christ We must doe all in the name of Christ Col. 3.17 Fiftly there must be fire to burne the sacrifice This fire is holy zeale and the power and fervencie of the spirit in doing good duties The fire on the Altar first came downe from heaven to signifie that true zeale is kindled in heaven and comes downe from above It is no ordinarie humor nor a rash fury It is no wilde fire And it was required about this fire that they should preserve it and never let it goe out but put fuell still to it and so it was kept for many yeares so must wee doe with our zeale wee must labour by all meanes to preserve the fervencie of our hearts that wee never want fire to burne our sacrifices Our zeale should be as the love mentioned Câ—â—t 7.10 that much water could not quench it Every sacrifice must have fire Mark 9. Sixtly the sacrifices must be salted with salt so must our Christian sacrifices as our Saviour Christ shewes Mark 9.49 50. And thus we must have the salt of mortification and the salt of discretion and we must looke to it that our salt lose no his faltnes but that it have a draining power in it to extract corruption out of our sacrifices our words to God and men must bee powdred with salt Col. 4.6 and so must all our actions Seventhly the Sacrifices must bee without leaven Levit. 2 1â— Leaven in wickednes or malice or sowrenes or deadnes of heart or worldly griefe even whatsoever leaveneth that is infecteth or maketh the meat offring to be heavie or sowâ—e 1 Cor. 5.8 Eighthly in the same place of Leviticus 2.12 Hony likewise is forbidden to be mingled with their sacrifices and by bony may be meant our beloved sinnes or particular corruptions wee should especially watch against them in the time of 〈◊〉 of holy duties that they miâ—gle not themselves with our sacrifices by infecting our â—â—gitations Ninthly the offring must be waved and shaken to and fro before the Lord Levit. 7.3 And this signified the waving of our lips in praier to God for his acceptation our sacrifices should be soundly tossed to and fro in praier before the Lord Iob praied before he sacrificed Iob 42. Tenthly on the Sabbath the sacrifices were to be doubled to signify that in a special manner wee should consecrate our selves to piety and mercy on the Sabbath day Eleventhly our sacrifices must be offred upwith all gladnes of heart and spirituall delight Thus Gods people were said to bee a free-hearted and willing people Psal. 47.9 110.3 And this was shadowed out partly by the oilâ— that was poured into the meat offrings which is expounded to be the oile of gladnes and partly by the feast they made at the end of their solemne sacrifices unto which they invited their friends to joine with them in rejoicing before the Lord and it is likely David alludes to this feast when hee faith hee would take the cup of salvation and praise the name of the Lord For as yet the Lords Supper was not instituted nor do we read of any use of a cup in the sacrifices or Sacraments themselves Ex. 18.12 1 Chron. 16.1 2 3 4. Psal. 116.13 Twelfthly if we be called to it we must not deny unto God thâ—fat of the kidneis and the inwards By the fat was meant the things which are dearest to us most beloved and that most delight us and if the service of God and the Church and the poore require it we must deny our selves and sacrifice what is most deare to us Thirteenthly the Apostle to the Hebrewes Chap. 13.13 addes that wee must not leave off well-doing for reproach sake but be contented to be like Christ who suffered without the gate as scorned of men and like the sacrifice was burnt without the campe Though all men hate us and speak evill of us and
or in particular it should note the sinnes of the stubborne Jewes who offended in word when they blasphemed Christ and denyed him But I rather take it as here it is translated and so it notes the causes why many men fall into scandall and from thence into despaire viz. because they bring ill hearts to the Word of God they have mindes that are rebellious and will not be subject to the Gospell but intertaine it with diseased and cavilling mindes Those persons are likely not to receive any good by Christ that quarrell at the word of Christ. Now that this may not be mistaken or neglected I will shew first what it is not to stumble at the Word leâ—t some weake ones should be dismayed then secondly how many waies wicked men stumble at the Word For the first To be grieved in heart for the reproofes of the Word is not an offence but a grace so wee are troubled not with dislike of the Word but of our owne sinnes Secondly to inquire of the truth and that which is delivered and to trie the doctrine by turning to the Scriptures as the Bereans did this is not condemned here nor is it a stumbling at the Word to put a difference betweene the teaching of Christ and the teaching of the Scribes and Pharisees Secondly but men are said to be offended at the Word when their hearts rise against it or they ensnare themselves through their owne corruption by occasion of the Word To speake distinctly wicked men are offended at the Word with a threefold offence First with the offence of anger when they rage and fret at the Word or the teachers thereof because their sinnes are reproved or their miseries foretold And this offence they shew either when they envie the successe of the Word Acts. 4.2 or raile and revile Gods Saints as Ahab did Michaiah for telling him the truth or when they mocke at the Word as the Pharisees did Luk. 16.14 Secondly with the offence of scandall when they take occasion from the doctrine they heare to fall off from hearing or from the true religion or from the company of the godly Thus they stumbled at those hard sayings of Christ that departed from him for that cause or reason Ioh. 6. Thirdly with the offence diabolicall when men pervert the good word of God to inflame themselves the more greedily to sinne making it a doctrine of liberty or taking occasion to commit sin from the Law that rebukes sinne Uses The use may be first for information and so two wayes For first we may hence see the reason why many hearers profit not by the Word It is not because the Word wants power but because they stumble at it They nourish cavils and objections against it they oppose reason to faith Secondly we may hence take notice of the difference of a regenerate and unregenerate heart To the one the Word is a savour of life to the other it is a deadly savour and full of offence to them And withall this may humble wicked men For this is a sure truth that so long as they are offended at the Word so long they have no part in Christ and withall it may comfort all those that love the Word and receive it with joy constantly For that is a meanes and signe of their interest in Christ. Being disobedient These words containe another cause why Christ was no better rellished by them and why they found such an ill taste in the word of Christ it was the wickednesse that was in them Sinne had marred their tastes Sweete meates have but an ill rellish with those who have corrupt and diseased stomackes and the cause is apparent the ill humors in their stomackes and nothing in the meates they eate But of their disobedience before and therefore this shall suffice in this place And thus of the cause in themselves The cause in God followes Whereunto they were appointed There is much difference of the reading of the originall words in the translations Some read thus They stumble at the Word and beleeve not in him in whom they are placed or set and expound it thus In whom they live move and have their being some read in stead of disobedient They beleeved not but for these words read them as here But then their meaning is that the Jewes beleeved not though they were thereunto appointed that is though they had the promise of salvation and were a people separate thereunto and so it is an aggravation of their unbeliefe This sense and reading is not to be despised But I take it as I find it in the translation and so the sense is That these men whether Jews or Gentiles that are here spoken of were appointed to this misery by the decree of God and so they are words that expresse the substance of this part of Gods decree which Divines call Reprobation And so it is to bee observed from hence That wicked men are appointed from everlasting to the enduring of the miseries which are inflicted upon them in this life or in hell This is a doctrine which is extreamly distasted by flesh and blood and proves many times more offensive to the common people and is alwayes to be reckoned as strong meat and therefore that I may fairely get off this point I offer two things to your considerations First the proofes that plainly avouch so much as is here observed Secondly I will set downe certaine infallible observations which tend to quiet mens minds and perswade them against the seeming difficulty or absurdity of this truth For the first the Apostle Iude saith that the wicked men he treateth of were of old ordained to this condemnation Iude 4. and the Apostle Peter saith that the ungodly were reserved unto the day of judgement to bee punished 2 Pet. 2.9 and vers 12. he saith that they are naturall brute beasts made to be taken and destroyed and it is manifestly implied 1 Thess. 5.8 that God hath ordained wicked men to wrath so Rom. 9.22 For the second though this doctrine seeme wonderfull hard yet to assure us there is no hard dealing at all in God there be many things may confirme us and ease our mindes though for the present we cannot understand how this should be and perhaps are much troubled about this point and therefore seriously consider First for thy selfe that if thou have truly repented and doe beleeve in Jesus Christ and hast in thee the signes of a child of God for thy part thou art free from this danger and out of all question art in safe estate and therefore oughtest not to grieve but rejoyce with singular praise to God Secondly seeing God hath comforted us with many doctrines and trusted us with many cleere points of knowledge can we not be contented that God should speake darkely to us in one point especially when wee are told beforehand that there is an Abyssus a depth yea many depths in this doctrine Shall we bee wayward because
one truth will not sinke yet into our heads Wee are told that this is a point unsearchable Rom. 11.32 33. and the rather because weake Christians are not tied to eate strong meat they may safely let this doctrine alone Thirdly that no man can know his owne reprobation nor ought to beleeve so of himselfe but is called upon to use the meanes by which he may be saved Fourthly we have this oath of God for it That he desires not the death of the sinner but would have all men to repent and be saved Fifthly that whereas Divines make two parts of the decree of reprobation Preterition and Predamnation all Divines are agreed for the latter that God did never determine to damne any man for his owne pleasure but the cause of his perdition was his owne sinne And here is reason for it for God may to shew his soveraignty annihilate his creature but to appoint a reasonable creature to an estate of endlesse paine without respect of his desert cannot agree to the unspotted justice of God And for the other part of passing over and forsaking a great part of men for the glory of his justice the exactest Divines doe not attribute that to the mere will of God but hold that God did first looke upon those men as sinners at least in the generall corruption brought in by the fall For all men have sinned in Adam and are guilty of high treason against God Sixthly that sinne is no effect of reprobation but onely a consequent Gods decree doth not force any man to sinne c. Seventhly that whatsoever God hath decreed yet all grant that God is no way any authour of sinne hee doth not cause sinne in any but onely permits it and endureth it and whereas the most that can be objected is that God hardneth whom he will Rom. 9. it is agreed upon in the answer of all sound Divines that God doth not infuse any wickednesse from without in mens hearts but whereas their hearts are in themselves by custome in sinne hardned as a just Judge he gives them over to Sathan and his power who is as it were the Jayler but doth never restraine them from good and the meanes of it Eighthly now may men say that sinne came upon men by reason of the rigour of Gods Law for it was impossible to be kept For this there is a cleere answer When God gave his Law at first man was able to keepe it and it came by his owne default that hee was not able to keepe it afterwards A man that sends his servant to the market and gives him charge to doe such and such businesse for him if that servant make himselfe drunken and so bee unfit to doe his masters businesse he is worthy to be punished because hee was fit to doe it when hee was first sent about it Ninthly it is plaine in this verse that those men of whom he here speakes are indited of grievous sinne against Christ and the Gospell Tenthly that things may be just though the reasons of them do not appear unto us if it bee true of some cases of justice among men much more in this case of God's justice Lastly it should much satisfie us that in the day of Jesus Christ those mysteries of Religion shall be broken open and all then shall bee made cleer unto us as cleer as the shining of the Sun at noon-day Thus of the punishment of unbeleevers and so also of the first argument taken from testimony of Scripture Verses 9 and 10. But yee are a chosen generation a royall Priesthood an holy Nation a peculiar people that ye should shew forth the vertues of him that hath called you out of darknesse into his marvellous light Which in times past were not a people yet are now the people of God which had not obtained mercy but now have obtained mercy THese words containe the second argument to perswade Christians to make their constant recourse unto Christ and from him to procure vertue to enable them for holinesse of conversation and it is taken from the consideration of the excellency of that estate unto which they were brought by Christ. For the description whereof the Apostle singles out two places of Scripture with which he makes up a compleat narration of their great prerogatives above all other people and above that they themselves were in former times The places of Scripture he makes use of are Exod. 9. and Hos. 1. But before I open the words two things may be here noted First the Apostles care to prove what he saith from the Scripture whether it bee against wicked men or for godly men which shewes that wee should much more take heed to Gods Word being lesse than Apostles especially such an Apostle Secondly wee may hence note that the promises or prayses given to the godly in the old Testament are not envied to Christians in the new Testament God is no respecter of persons but wee have free liberty to search the bookes of God and to chuse out of all the examples of the suites of godly men or the preferments what we will and if we make a suite of it to God he will not deny it but shew us their mercy Now for the particular opening of these words we must observe that it is the purpose of the Apostle to shew briefly the priviledges of the godly above all others or what themselves were before their conversion And the priviledge of their estate may be considered either positively in it self or comparatively It is described positively vers 9. comparatively vers 10. In the ninth verse there he reckons up a number of prerogatives belonging to the godly and withall shewes the use they should make of them or the end why they were conferred upon them The godly excell in divers respects if we consider First their election they are chosen of God Secondly their alliance or kinred they are a chosen kinred Thirdly their dignity above other men they are royall Kings Fourthly their function or private imployment before God Priests Fifthly their behaviour or outward conversation they are holy Sixthly their number they are a Nation Seventhly their acceptation with God they are a peculiar people First for Election The Apostle looking upon the words in Exodus 19.5 6 and seeing that they described the happinesse of Christians in this life doth in the Fore-front put to this priviledge of their election as the foundation of all the rest and would have Christians much affected with the consideration of this prerogative It is one of the chiefe and prime comforts of a Christian to consider that he is elect of God Psal. 106.4 5. 2 Pet. 1.9 elect I say both before time and in time Before time in Gods decree and in time when the godly are singled and called out of the word and picked out one of a city and two of a tribe in all the ages of the world and distinguished from other men by beleeving in Jesus
therefore no rebellious conversation can so exalt it selfe but it may be subdued The oyle of God is upon them and what can the greatest Rebels doe against the power of the King But secondly withall here is terror to wicked men For this is the priviledge onely of the godly and it is certaine that wicked men are in Gods account as base as the godly are honourable they are thrust besides these thrones And so are both sorts of wicked men for not only openly profane men are to be smitten with this terrour but also hypocrites It is true indeed that hypocrites act the parts of Kings but they are onely such Kings as Players are upon a stage they speake of the words or the words of Kings but are not so indeed For they are by the wiser and better sort accounted as Rogues and the scum of the people even so are wicked men in Gods account neither will their outward shewes helpe them For the Kingdome of God is tried not by words but by the power of it 1 Cor. 4.20 And withall unruly Christians may be hence checked such as will not be ruled by their teachers such were the Corinthians they reigned without Paul and their godly teachers But the Apostle wisheth they were indeed Kings or did indeed reigne Why bearest thou the name of a King and canst not rule thy passions Thirdly divers uses for instructions may be hence gathered for First we should hence learne to honour poore Christians they are spirituall Kings as well as the kings of the earth And we know what a stirre we would make to entertaine the Kings of this world Iam. 2.5 Secondly we should hence bee stirred up in desire after this Kingdome to pray for it that it may come and that God would count us worthy of such a Kingdome Matth. 6. 2 Thess. 1.5 And to this end we should looke to two things First that we seeke this Kingdome first above all other things Mat. 6. Secondly that we should refuse no paines nor hardship for the entertainment of true godlinesse This Kingdome of Heaven should suffer violence and the violent onely will take it by force Mat. 11.12 It is an easie thing for Iohn to be a partner in the patience of the brethren when hee is a partner with them in the Kingdome of Jesus Christ Revel 1.9 It is no great thing men can suffer if we consider it is for a Kingdome and the want of outward things should the lesse trouble us if God make us so rich in spirituall things Thirdly we should hence especially learne to live in this world like Kings and this Christians should shew First by declaring their conquest over the passions and desires of their own hearts It is a royall quality in a Christian to be able to shew all meeknesse of minde and temper and sobriety in being able to deny unto himselfe what may not be had without sinne or offence Hee that winnes the conquest over his owne heart is greater than he that winnes a City Secondly putting on the Lord Jesus The righteousnesse of Christ is the robe of a Christian and since all the life of a Christian is a high feast hee should alwaies put on his robe to distinguish him from all other men and this righteousnesse is both the impured righteousnesse of Christ as also the inherent vertues of Christ. Thirdly by serving the publike Kings are the common treasure of the subjects they are appointed for the good of many Christians and should shew that they remember that they are Kings by devoting themselves to all possible profitablenesse of conversation Fourthly by their contentation What should they feare or what should discontent them Hath noâ— God given them a Kingdome and great glory Fifthly by subduing carnall and servile feares of men Why should Christians feare the faces of great men on earth are they not spirituall Kings themselves and is not the breath in the nostrils of the greatest men on earth why art thou then afraid to come before them c. Priest-hood The fourth thing for which Christians are commended is their Priest-hood which notes the honour of their imployment in things that concerne God and his service Esâ— 61.6 Rev. 1.6 c. Now the Priest-hood of Christians is a singular priviledge if we first either consider the kindes of Priest-hood or secondly the specialties of their calling and imployment First for the kinde The Priest-hood of Christians is better than the Priest-hood of the Levites the sonnes of Aaron because it is a royall Priest-hood they are Priests after the order of Melchizedeck as Christ himselfe was in which order every Priest was a King so were none of the sonnes or house of Aaron Secondly and for the specialties of favour imported in the Priest-hood of Christians divers prerogatives are included in it For first the Priest-hood of a Christian imports separation and consecration to God The godly of all the people in the world are the only people that are devoted to God chosen out of all the world as his portion as the Levites were out of all Israel Secondly it imports neernesse constancie of communion with God The Priests lived in Gods house and stood alwaies before the Lord dwelt in his presence and did approach neerer to him than all the people else so do the godly spiritually They onely dwell in his sight and enjoy his speciall presence and see the glory of his presence and have their soules satiated with fatnesse arising from the comfort of Gods favourable presence Ier. 31.14 Uses Now the consideration of this excellent Priest-hood of Christians should serve first for consolation secondly for instruction and thirdly for great reproofe First it should much comfort godly and carefull Christians to consider how neere God hath placed them to himselfe even in his chamber of presence as it were and how meanly soever the world doth account of their service yet they hence know that their Priest-hood is a royall Priest-hood and the godly imployments of religious men are more honourable than the greatest imployments of the greatest Monarchs of the earth and withall it may specially comfort fearfull Christians against one scrupâ—e They sometimes are afraid to goe into Gods presence or they doubt their accesse they are so unworthy to come before the Lord. Why this word Priest-hood should satisfie them For it imports that they are priviledged by their calling to come before God The Priests might enter into the house of the Lord yea they must doe it it was required of them it was a sinne if they did it not and they did not sinne by doing it Secondly the Priest-hood of Christians should put them in mind of divers duties as First it should worke in them a care of knowledge the Priests should preserve knowledge and they should seeke the Law at his mouth A godly Christian should bee able to direct others and hold forth the light of the Word for the profit of others and as dumbe Ministers
the workes of supererogation or those workes they call Counsels fall to the ground And yet we confesse there were some works good which were not commanded in Scripture as Phineâ—â— his worke in slaying the fornicators and Maries work in annointing Christ unto the buriall for so it is called a good worke Mat. 26.10 and Abrahams worke in sacrificing his son and the like these were good workes and had noâ— warrant from Scripture but were warranted by extraordinary calling thereto and so they differ from the workes of superstitious persons done without warrant ordinary or extraordinary For the third The time of doing some works adds much to the consideration of their goodnesse as for instance The charitable religious workes done by men before their conversion are not to be reckoned good workes because the person that doth them is not reconciled to God and lives polluted in his sins Likewise the works of our calling done in the week-daies are good works but done on the Sabbath day are evill workes So workes done too late are not good as their prayers that would not answer when God called them Prov. 1. For the fourth If the uses of workes be respected the outward workes of wicked men that for the matter of them are required in the Word may be said to be good workes becaâ—e they are good for men unto whom they are done as the almes of a Pharisee is a good worke in that it is good for the reliefe of the poore though it be not good in the sight of God as failing of the right end which is Gods glory Thus of the acceptation of the termes The good works here mentioned are such as are good in Gods sight as being done in obedience to Gods will and by persons that are godly Now concerning those good workes I propound divers things profitable to be considered of First the rules of good workes which do tell us what must be had before a worke can be a good worke Secondly the kindes of good workes or what workes wee may account in the nature of good workes how many sorts of good workes there are Thirdly I would answer a question or two needfull to be considered of about good workes and in the last place the uses of all For the first of those There are many rules to be observed before we can do workes that God will account good And those rules are absolutely necessary and they are these First the person must bee reconciled unto God in Jesus Christ or else all hee doth will be abominable in Gods sight Hee must be turned in Jesus Christ Eph. 2.10 He must be pure or else his worke is not right but polluted Tit. 1. ult Prov. 21.8 The people that do good workes must be purified unto God being redeemed by Jesus Christ so made a peculiar people Tit. 2.14 He must be purged and sanctified and so prepared to good works 2 Tim. 2.21 Secondly his workes must be warranted and required and prescribed in the Word of God he must walke by rule his patterne must be found in the Scripture Gal. 6.14 he must come to the light of the Word that his workes may be manifest that they are wrought in God Ioh. 3.21 The Scripture is given by inspiration of God to this end that the man of God might be perfectly directed unto every worke that is good 1 Tim. 3.16 17. Thirdly he must propound a right end in doing his workes or else though the matter be good yet the worke is polluted as was shewed before in the instance of the almes of the Pharisees and this right end is not the praise of men onely or to merit thereby but the glory of God chiefly in the discharge of our obedience to God and the edification of our neighbour Fourthly the workes must be done in the name of Jesus Christ. Wee must relie upon the merits and intercession of Christ Jesus as that which can cause our workes to be pleasing to God Col. 3.17 Whatsoever it is we do in word or in deed all must be done in the name of Christ or it is done in vaine Without faith it is impossible to please God Heb. 11.6 Now our workes are done in faith first when wee beleeve and know they are warranted by the Word Ioh. 3.21 Secondly when we beleeve Gods promises concerning the reward of well-doing Heb. 11.6 Thirdly when we flie to Jesus Christ to cover the imperfection of our workes from the sight of God and so in that place Col. 3.17 and fourthly when our beliefe of Gods goodnesse to us makes us carefull to doe all the good we can Fifthly his workes must be done with repentance for his sins and the judging of himselfe for the evill of his best workes By repentance I meane not the first worke of a sincere turning to God for that is comprehended in the first rule but the preservation of himselfe in his uprightnesse and the daily judging of himselfe for his frailties For if a godly man after his calling fall into presumptuous sins his workes done all the time hee liveth in beloved sins without the renewing of his repentance are polluted Esa. 1. Sixthly his workes must be done willingly not grudgingly or of constraint or onely to avoid shame or punishment God loves a cheerefull giver That almes that is given with an ill will or forced from men by the lawes or otherwise is not accounted a worke of mercy in Gods sight to do mercy is not enough to make it a good worke pleasing to God but to love mercy Mic. 6.8 and to come into Gods presence to do his service is not pleasing unlesse we humble our selves to walke with our God Seventhly his workes must be finished to intend it or promise it or begin it will not serve turne as in the case of mercy to promise to contribute or to begin for a day or a weeke is not sufficient unlesse we do it constantly 2 Cor. 8. and 9. So it is in repentance it is then a good worke when it is finished not when a man hath had some remorse or uttered a word or two of confession or prayed for a day or two but when a man having repented repents still till he have soundly humbled himselfe for his sins and reformed his waies Ier. 31.19 20. So it is in generall in any worke God sets us to do Ioh. 4.3 4. Eighthly his workes must be his owne fruit such as belong to him in his place and calling As in the calling of the Ministrie his good work is to preach the Gospel with all frequencie and diligence and power c. So in the Magistrate to do the workes of justice so in other callings every man must looke to the duties of his owne place and so it is in our generall callings as Christians we must do those which are meet for repentance which not only concern a penitent life but such as have a due respect unto the performing the things we are called to
appointed so Num. 16.29 But it is not the common visitation is here meant Gods speciall visitation of some men is when in a speciall providence he takes notice of certain men and comes among them to work the redresse of sin and that is here meant And this visitation must be considered either according to the kinds of it or according to the time of it here called The day of visitation For the kindes God doth visit men either with the visitation of justice or with the visitation of mercy in wrath or in grace and the former words of this Text are true of either of these kindes For if God visit wicked men by his speciall judgements they will then give glory to God and commend godly Christians whom before against their consciences they spake evill of which they will also doe much more if God visit them with his grace and convert them First then of the visitation of justice and so the point to be here observed is That though God may spare wicked men long and seem to wink at their faults yet hee will find a day to visit them for their sins he will hold a visitation for their sakes he will discover their wickednesse and avenge himselfe on them Psal. 50.20 Eccl. 8. Ps. 37.13 Iob 18.20 As they have had their daies of sinning so will he have his day of visiting and that not onely at that day of the universall visitation in the end of the world but even in this life also Use. And this doctrine should especially humble wicked men and awake them out of their security and the rather if they consider seriously of divers things about this day of their visitation First that it shall certainly come upon them Rom. 2.5 Secondly that when it doth come it will bee a marvellous fearfull time with them for 1 God will then discover their sins and make their wickednesse manifest in the hatefulnesse of it Lam. 4.22 2 God will inflict sore punishments upon them hee will be avenged on them The day of their visitation will be the day of their calamity Ier. 46.21 3 The punishments determined cannot be resisted there will be no helpe Esa. 10.3 and 29.6 and 26.14 4 God will not then respect their strength but their sinne He will recompence them according to all that they have done Ier. 50.29 31. 5 If they escape one judgement another will light upon them Ier. 48.44 6 God will give them the repulse in all they do even in his service he will not accept them Ier. 14.10 7 It will be a time of great perplexitie and counsell will perish from the prudent Mic. 7.3 4. Ier. 49.7 8. 8 God will declare himselfe to be in a speciall manner against them Ier. 50.29 31. Hos. 9.7 Quest. But what sort of men are in danger of such a fearfull visitation Answ. All men that live in any grosse sinne against their knowledge such as are the sinnes of blood whoredome deceit swearing profanation of the Lords day reproaching of Gods people and the like Ier. 5.9.29 and 9.9 especially where all or any of these things be found in them First extreame security in sinning God will surely visit such as are settled in their lees Zeph. 1.12 Secondly such as place their felicity in offending such as love to wander Ier. 14.10 such as do evill with both hands earnestly as the Prophets phrase is Mic. 7.3 4. Thirdly such as continue and persist in wicked courses such as cast out wickednesse as a fountaine casts out water as the Prophet speaketh Ier. 6.6 Fourthly especially when men are shamelesse and impudent in offending Ier. 6.15 and 8.12 Use 2. And therefore men should be instructed and take notice of their condition and danger and foresee this day and use all means to prevent it for if men would turn unto God speedily repent with sound sorrows for their sins the Lord would perhaps be intreated and forgive the punishment of their sins Ier. 6.6 Thus of the visitation of justice The visitation of mercy followes The visitation of mercy is when God comes amongst men to shew some speciall mercy and so hee visits either about temporall or about spirituall things In temporall things hee visits either in the case of blessings or afflictions In respect of temporall blessings he visited Sarah Gen. 21.1 when hee gave her a sonne In respect of afflictions God visits first when he sends such crosses as do trie the innocencie and sinceritie of his servants so Psal. 17.3 Secondly when he lets his people know that hee takes speciall notice of their distresses and sorrowes so Exod. 4.3 Thirdly when he sends his servants speciall deliverances and so to visit is to deliver Thus of the visitation in temporall things which is not here meant The visitation in spirituall things is the gracious providence of God revealing his marvellous and everlasting mercies unto his Elect and so he visits man either by Christ or by the Gospel He visited his people when hee sent his Sonne to redeeme them Luk. 1.68 78. and 7.16 And so he doth when he sends his Gospel by his servants to this end to reconcile the world to himselfe in Christ and thus God visited the world when he sent his Apostles unto all Nations preaching the Gospel And thus he doth visit a Nation when he sends the Gospel thither or a Congregation when by the preaching of the Gospel he gathereth a people to himselfe There is also a personall and particular visitation when God singles out this or that man from the rest and converts him And so in this place to visit the Gentiles is to gather out of the Gentiles a people to his Name as in the case of this Apostle is said Act. 15.14 Which place may well expound this So that the day of visitation if we respect whole congregations is the time when God sends them the powerfull preaching of the Gospel and doth thereby muster and presse a people to himselfe And if we respect particular persons it is the day when God effectually calls them and converts them Six things may be observed here concerning this visitation of grace Doct. 1. First that till God do visit wicked men with his grace from heaven there will bee no sound reformation in them Their naturall conscience the shame and punishment of men with the Laws of Princes or Churches may restraine somewhat of the excesse of sinne but it is Gods visitation only that can worke a sound and thorow reformation There is little hope these Gentiles which speake evill of Christians will ever cease till the day of this visitation and the reason is plaine because the lawes and punishments of men cannot give a new nature to the offenders which God in his visitation doth Use. The use is therefore to confirme the patience of the Saints They have endured and must endure the evill words of wicked men and if any be weary of their injuries they must pray
in particular concerning the sinne of speaking evill of the godly and the point is That Gods gracious visitation doth cure that disease exactly Hee will never raile any more that is truly gathered unto God in his day of visitation It is possible Christians may speake evill one of another in particular and it is lamentable when they doe so but that is upon supposall of particular faults in those of whom they speake evill But that a man should speake evill of godly men in generall because they are godly with desire hee might finde them evill doers is a vice not found in such as are truly called And therefore let such as are guilty of that sin of speaking evill of good Christians because they follow goodnesse know That their day of visitation is not yet come Verse 13. Submit your selves to every ordinance of man for the Lords sake whether to the King as superior FRom the thirteenth Verse of the first Chapter to the ninth Verse of the third Chapter is contained matter of exhortation and the exhortation is either generall or speciall The generall exhortation concernes all Christians and hath beene set downe from the thirteenth Verse of the first Chapter to the end of the eleventh Verse of this second Chapter Now those words and those that follow to the ninth Verse of the next Chapter containe speciall exhortations which concerne some Christians onely namely subjects servants wives and husbands Of the duty of subjects hee entreats from Verse 13. to Verse 18. Of the duty of servants from Verse 18. to the end of this Chapter of the duty of wives in the seven first Verses of the third Chapter and of the duty of husbands in the eighth Verse of that Chapter So that the Apostle having taught all Christians before how to behave themselves in their generall calling hee now undertakes to teach some sorts of Christians in particular how to order themselves in their particular callings and so hee teacheth them in some things that concerne the Politickes and in some things that concerne the Oeconomickes Unto order in a Common wealth belongs the duty of Subjects and unto houshold government belongs the duty of Servants Wives and Husbands From the coherence and the generall consideration of the whole exhortation divers things may bee noted before I breake open the particulars of the Text. 1 The Word of God must bee the warrant of all the actions of our life it not onely gives order about the businesses of Religion but it prescribes matter of obedience in all our conversation it tells us what to doe in our houses and in the Common wealth as well as what to doe at Church which shewes us the perfection of the Scripture Theologie is the Mistresse of all Sciences it perfects the sound knowledge of the Ethicks Politickes or Oeconomickes and it should teach therefore in our callings whether generall or particular to seeke warrant from the Word which warrant wee may finde either expressed particularly or else implyed in generall directions and withall wee should take heed that wee make not more sinnes in any estate of life than are made in Scripture and so not affright or disquiet our selves with vaine fears that way 2 The Apostle would have Christians in a speciall manner carefull that they offend not the lawes of the Princes of this world this appeares in that hee enjoines them the duties of subjects first and in that they doe teach them the duty of submission both in this and other Scriptures with great force and violence as it were of arguments which shewes that they were wonderfull desirous to charge and instruct the Christians so that if it were possible they might not offend that way and the reasons are divers and many why Christians should bee above all men carefull to keepe the lawes of Princes first because by breaking the lawes of men they sinne against God Secondly because evill minded men have in all ages watched godly Christians to see whether they could finde any fault by them in the matters of the kingdome Thirdly because if earthly Princes be provoked it may cause a generall trouble of the Churches the offendors many times suffer not alone but many others upon displeasure raised by them Fourthly because if earthly Princes bee good the carefull obedience of their Subjects may incourage them to be great helpes to Religion even to be Nursing-fathers and Nursing-mothers to the Churches 1 Tim. 2.2 Fiftly because perversnesse and contempt and carelesse neglect of the lawes of Princes many times proves scandalous and Wee must not offend them that are without 1 Cor. 10.2 Col. 4.5 Many that were somewhat enclined to embrace the sincerity of the Gospell have beene cast backe and professe that therefore they abhorre such people because they observe their disobedience against humane government either through indiscretion or nice scruples or perverse wilfulnesse The use may be to reprove the carelesnesse of many Christians this way and that for divers offences as first for sluggishnesse in not studying the Lawes of the Countries where they live Some Christians have a secret jealousie against the Lawes of men and doe in heart thinke meanly of them and unlesse the equity of the Law stare them in the face they doe without any further consideration securely cast aside the care of it and rush into the breach of it Secondly divers Christians doe much sin against the holy desire and direction of the Apostles in the intemperancy of their words when in ordinary discourse they speake with much scorne of the observation of the Lawes of men which they understand not A Christian that will not study to be quiet in respect of the Lawes of men is a singular plague to the Church where he lives Doct. 3. We may hence note that it is necessary for Ministers often to teach their hearers their duty to Magistrates to shew the power that Princes have to make Lawes to governe them by And this is fit to be noted because of the strange weakenesse and perversnesse of some Christians that are much offended with their Teachers if they fall upon doctrine of this nature with any application to the times they mistrust them or censure them to be temporizers and to speake out of flattery or wilfulnesse or the like corruption of conscience I speake not now of such Ministers as pleade the rights of Princes onely for their owne ends or in such a manner as they discover an apparent hatred of godlinesse it selfe for these are worthy to bee blamed but even of such Ministers as prove the rights of Christian Princes with compassion and love and meeknesse without provoking or reviling tearmes even these I say are mistrusted and censured though we heare and see in other Scriptures that they are bound to prove and defend the authority of the Magistrate in any thing wherein it is unjustly questioned Doct. 4. It is necessary wee should first bee taught our duty to God and those
a note upon those persons that they are naught themselves For hee saith that they that breake the Law praise the wicked Prov. 28.4 and 24.25 Psal. 10.3 Fifthly they are yet worse that glory in their shame that seeke praise for the excesse of wickednesse committed by them either against God or men as they doe that would be commended for their cost bestowed on Idols or for their worshipping of Saints or Angels or for their revenges and wrongs done to men or for their mightinesse to hold out in drinking wine or for their filthy acts of any kinde or for their excesses in strange apparell or for the raising of themselves by unlawfull meanes or for their deliciousnesse in their fare or the like As those glory in their shame so their end is damnation Phil. 3.18 Lastly this doctrine should beget in men a great desire to live profitably and to doe good and in a speciall maner to apply themselves to such works as are most praise-worthy Quest. Here then ariseth a question What things in particular do most advantage a mans just praises Answ. The answer is that there are divers things will make a man to bee much praised as First to honour God he hath promised to honour those that honour him Prov. 8.17 Now to honour God is to seeke his Kingdome first and to confesse his name before men though it be in evill times Secondly humility and a lowly carriage with meeknesse For the humble shall be exalted and the proud brought low Luk. 1.14 20. Thirdly mercie to the poore This made the Macedonians famous in the Churches especially to shew it liberally and readily 2 Cor. 8. Fourthly diligence and exact carefulnesse to discharge the labours of our particular calling with all faithfulnesse this made the good woman famous mentioned Prov. 31.27 28 29 30 31. especially if wisdome and providence be joyned with diligence Fifthly to live in peace and study to be quiet and meddle with our owne businesse and to be a peace-maker wins a great deale of praise 1 Thess. 4.11 Matth. 5.9 Sixthly to be exactly just in mens dealings and true in his words and contracts this will make men abound with blessings The word is praises as it is in other places translated Prov. 28.20 Seventhly to bee courtous is to bee amiable so as it bee done without affectation and not directed for thy owne ends and not done with dissimulation Eighthly to doe good to our enemies to bee not onely ready to forgive but to pray for them and forbeare to wrong when it might be executed and to shew all willingnesse to overcome their evill with goodnesse Rom. 12. 20 21. Ninthly a care in all things strictly to submit our selves to the just Lawes of men avoiding transgression for conscience sake as the coherence in this place shewes And thus of the sixth Doctrine Doct. 7. It may yet further bee observed from hence that God doth require Magistrates in a speciall manner to looke unto it that they doe all they can to praise and incourage godly men and such as doe good in the countries where they live Rom. 13.5 This is the end of their calling Iob 29.25 This will prove heavie one day for those profane Magistrates that in the places of their abode disgrace none more than such as are godly and countenance none more than such as are most dissolute and lewd of life The judgements of the Lord will be terrible against these unrighteous men Lastly the Antithesis is here to be noted For when hee saith that such as doe well should bee praised hee doth not say that such as doe evill should be dispraised and this may be considered of either in the case of private persons or in the case of Magistrates For private persons they are bound to the good behaviour in respect of the evill of others many wayes First till their evils are knowne not to mistrust or condemne others Secondly when their evils are knowne if they be secret they must not bee revealed if they be open and the persons be good men they must doe what they can to cover them and if they bee evill men they must not speake of their dispraises without a great respect of glorifying God by it and besides they must not venture so far to judge of the finall estate of any man for any evils till the end come In the case of superiours it is true they may use dispraise but it must be as a medicine which must bee applied with many cautions and the ingredients must be Gods word and not their owne Verse 15. For so is the will of God that with well-doing you may put to silence the ignorance of foolish men IN these words is contained the second argument taken from the will of God God is specially desirous that Christians should doe all the good they can and in particular should be carefull to obey the Magistrates because by that meanes they may confute such ill-minded men as are apt to speake evill of religion so that the words containe a choyce rule prescribed unto Christians to be carefully observed In which rule consider First the authority of it So is the will of God! Secondly the matter of it well-doing Thirdly the end which is the silencing of wicked men For. This word For seemes to give a reason not of what went next before in the former verse but of the exhortation to Christians as they are subjects shewing the happy effect of well-doing in generall and in particular of their submission to Magistrates and how orderly and profitably their life should be as they are good subjects and serviceable to the Common-wealth For so is the will of God The will of God is diversly accepted in Scriptures for though God's will indeed bee but one yet for our infirmities sake it is considered of with distinction and so it is either personall or essentiall There is a will of God that is personall restrained to some of the persons so the Father wils the obedience and death of the Sonne and Christ obeyes that will of his Father Ioh. 6.38 39 40. Mat. 26.39 42. But it is the essentiall will of God here meant the former is the will of God ad intra and this the will of God ad extra as they say in schooles The essentiall will of God is taken sometimes for the facultie of willing sometimes for the act of willing sometimes for the thing willed and sometimes for the signe by which that will is declared as his Word is his will So here by his essentiall will God wils both good and evill Good is the object of God's will properly and of it selfe Evill is the object of the will of God but onely under some respect of good Evill is either of punishment or of sinne Evill of punishment God wils and is the Author of Psal. 115.3 as the just Judge of the world and punishment of it selfe is a good thing as it is a worke of justice Evill of
this formality and outward shew and serving God for fashion how deeply is it seated in mens manners It is likely the most of you that heare this doctrine will say it is good and perhaps some one or two of you will be a little toucht with a kinde of consultation in your selves which way you might doe well but alas alas out and alas Oh that I could get words to gore your very Soules with smarting paine that this Doctrine might bee written in your very flesh for a thousand to one you will goe the most of you away and not redresse your wayes Religion shall not bee honoured by you more than before cursed be that worldly drosse or spirituall security that will thus rob and spoyle your soules and keepe Religion without her true glosse and beaâ—ty and shining glory I might here also note that submission to the ordinances of men is one part of a Christian mans well doing and a speciall ornament of the sincere profession of religion because it is the discharge of the duty enjoyned us by God and so is a part of the obedience due to God himselfe to keep their ordinances is to obey Gods commandement Secondly because such a conscionable submission to mans Lawes makes the religious works of Christians to be the more unrebukable in the eyes of wicked men and therefore they are to be warned of their rashnesse that say that conformity to mens lawes is evill doing when God sayes it is well doing they say it is a sinne God sayes it is a good worke It is neerer to the truth and safer to say that not conforming is a sin because it is a breach of Gods expresse commandement in the former verse and therefore also godly Christians whether Ministers or private persons that obey the lawes of men simply out of conscience of Gods Commandements and not for corrupt ends may comfort themselves that the good God doth like of what they doe because it is his will that so they should doe and he sayes they doe well though some good men are contrary-minded out of weaknesse censure them as evill doers Then it is implyed here that the conscionable conformity of godly Christians shall be rewarded in Heaven for all well-doing shall be rewarded in Heaven but submission to humane Ordinances is well-doing and therefore shall be rewarded in Heaven Paul is crowned in Heaven for his holding to the Jewish ceremonies to win the Jewes and further the liberty of his Ministery Thus of the matter required The end followes That you may put to silence the ignorance of foolish men The word here rendred To put to silence is diversly accepted or the force of it is shewed by diverse tearmes in severall Scriptures Sometimes it is translated to still a thing that is tumultuous and raging and so the sea was silenced or made still Mark 4.39 Sometimes it is translated To make speechlesse or dumb so Mat. 22.12 Sometimes To confute so as they have not a word to answer so Mat. 22.34 Sometimes To muzzle or tye up the mouth so 1 Cor. 9.9 1 Tim. 5.18 and so it signifies properly and so well-doing is intended here as a meanes to muzzle the mouths of wicked men The word here rendred Foolish men signifies properly men without a minde or men that have not use of their understanding and so are either naturall fooles or mad men The Doctrines that may be gathered from hence are many For it may be evidently collected from hence Doct. 1. That wicked men doe usually in all places speake evill of godly men they are prone to it they doe it usually The holy Ghost here supposeth it to be done as the usuall course in all ages and conditions of the Christian Church and no marvell For it hath been in all ages past the condition of godly men to be evill spoken of and slandered God children were as signes and wonders Esay 8. And whosoever refraineth himselfe from evill maketh himselfe a prey Esay 59.15 The throats of wicked men are the ordinary burying places for the names of the Righteous Rom. 3. And this is the more to be heeded if we mark in Scriptures either persons reproaching or the persons reproached or the matter of the reproach or the manner For the persons reproaching we shall read sometimes that men are reproached by such as are of the same Religion with them Psal. 50.16 Esay 8.18 Cant. 1.6 Yea sometimes that godly men are reproached by such as are of their owne house and kindred as Isaak was by Ismael and Ioseph by his brethren the parents are against the children and the children are against the parents and a mans enemies are those of his owne house And for the persons reproached we shall finde them to be the most eminent and godly persons as Iob cap. 30.1 Moses Heb. 11.26 David Psal. 35.15 Ieremiah c. 18.18 the Apostles 1 Cor. 4.9 10 13. yea the Lord Jesus Christ himselfe Heb. 12.3 And for the matter objected wee shall finde the godly men have beene reproached with the most vile slanders that almost might be I may spare other testimonies now seeing Christ himselfe was charged with gluttony blasphemie sedition deceit diabolicall working and to have a divell in him and he supposeth it to be the case of Christians to be spoken against with all manner of evill-saying Mat. 5.12 And for the manner two things may be noted First that many times wicked men set themselves to study and invent without all colour of occasion mischievous things to reproach godly men withall thus they devised devices against Ieremiah Secondly that when they have evill reports afoot they pursue them and divulge them with all possible forwardnesse and malice thus the abjects tare Davids name and ceased not Psal. 35.15 and ill-minded men cease not till that good men may be every where evill spoken of Acts 28. The reason of this strange kinde of ill humour in wicked men is twofold First there is their naturall hatred of goodnesse it is not because of the sin of godly men but simply because they follow goodnesse There is a naturall antipathy betweene a good life and a bad man 1 Iob. 3.13.14.1 Pet. 4.5 Psal. 38.20 Secondly the other is because it is one of the rules of the divell To be an accuser of the brethren and good livers and the works of their father the divell they will doe Iob. 8.44 The use is diverse for Uses First it should informe men not to thinke it strange when they see such things come to passe for no other triall in this point of reproach befals godly men but what hath accompanied the condition of all godly men almost in all ages Secondly godly men should be the more stirred up to prepare apologies and in all places where they come to contend for the truth and strive together to preserve the reputation of one another Prov. 12.18 Thirdly godly men should arme themselves and prepare for reproaches and accordingly stirre up their
evill of godly men as a dog or an oxe is when he is muzzled Doct. 9. That the good life of godly men may silence wicked men and yet not make them leave their wickednesse He doth not say that by well-doing they may win ignorant and foolish men It is true that sometimes a good conversation may win them as 1 Pet. 3.1 2. and before verse â—2 yet ordinarily they will doe wickedly even in the land of uprightnesse Esay 26.10 Verse 16. As free and not using your liberty for a cloake of maliciousnesse but as the servants of God IN the two former verses hee confirmes the exhortation by reasons in this he answers an objection The objection seemes to bee that Christians are made free by Christ and therefore are not to bee tied with the bonds of humane ordinances or subjection to men The Apostle answereth that it is true that Christians are made free-men but so as they must not use their freedome as a cloake of maliciousnesse and the liberty of sinning either against God or men for they are still Gods servants and bound to doe what hee would have them to doe and so consequently to obey Magistrates since God requires them so to doe So that in this verse he intreats of Christian liberty And so first he grants the use of it or the right of it in these words As free Secondly â—ee removes the abuse of it in these words Not using your liberty as a cloake of maliciousnesse And thirdly he gives a reason of his removall Because they are the servants of God still In the first part you must consider what hee granteth viz. that they are free Secondly how far he grants it viz. that they are as free Free Freedome is either civill or spirituall Civill freedome is when a servant is manumitted or made free that was an apprentice or bond-slave before so when a stranger is admitted to the right of a City or a Common-wealth or the like The spirituall freedome is that estate which Christians doe enjoy by Gods favour in Christ after their calling It is a spirituall manumission or freedome that is here meant and this is called Christian liberty partly because it is a freedome that wee have onely by Christ and partly because it is a freedome now onely enjoyed by Christians and no other men in the world Christian liberty is one of the great gifts or endowments bestowed upon the Church by Christ. It is not amisse to reckon up all the gifts in order that the relation which this gift hath to the rest may appeare The gifts then that Christ hath bestowed upon Christians are these First their ransome paid unto God for their redemption Secondly their vocation by the Gospell calling them out of the world into the Church Thirdly the holy Ghost which he sends into their hearts Fourthly their justification imputing his owne righteousnesse and procuring forgivenesse of all their sins Fifthly their sanctification by which he gives them new natures Sixthly their adoption by which they are made the sons of God Seventhly their Christian liberty by which they are freed from all former bondage and enjoy great priviledges this is a fruit of their adoption Eighthly consolation refreshing their hearts in all estates especially by the comforts of his Word Ninthly the gift of perseverance by which they are kept from falling away Lastly an immortall and undefiled inheritance in heaven after they are dead Christian liberty is either the liberty of grace in this life or the liberty of glory after this life The liberty of glory concernes either the soule or the body The glory or liberty of the soule is the freeing of it from all sinne and misery and the setting of it in the possession of that blessed immortality in heaven The liberty of the body is the freeing of it from the bonds of death and bowels of the earth by enduing it with a glorious resurrection part of which freedome they enjoy even in the grave For though they bee buried yet they are not damned to hell there but rest in hope of their finall deliverance and with this liberty of glory both soule and body are made heires of heaven Rom. 8.21 It is the liberty of grace is here meant And that this part of the Christian happinesse may the better appeare I will consider first what he is freed from and secondly what he is freed to For the first there are divers things he is freed from as First from the rigour of the morall Law hee is delivered from the most rigid and severe execution of absolute and perfect obedience so as being now under grace he is not bound to fulfill the Law perfectly but may be accepted of God if he obey it in the uprightnesse and sincerity of his heart though he have many frailties and infirmities God hath now tempered that rigour of exaction which he justly stood upon in his first agreement with man in Paradise and did with terrour againe proclaime in giving his Law in Sinai so as now in Christ our yoke is easie and our burden light Matth. 11.29 Rom. 6.14 Christ our surety hath fulfilled that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or exact righteousnesse of the Law for us Rom. 8.3 Gal. 4.24 26. Heb. 12.18 Rom. 7.6 c. Secondly for the execution and condemnation into which the Law for our sinnes hath cast us our expiation being made in the bloud of Christ who was made 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a curse for us that wee might be justified from these things from which by the Law of Moses wee could never bee absolved Rom. 8.1 Gal. 3.13 Thirdly from the tyranny and damnation of sin that dwels in us the force of it being mortified by the spirit of Christ and so weakened that though it may rebell yet it cannot rage and rule as it did before Rom. 6.14 Ioh. 8.34 2 Cor. 3.17 Rom. 6.6 18. Fourthly from bondage under divels those spirituall wickednesses that had their strong holds in the hearts of every man by nature and ruled effectually in all the children of disobedience who had possession in our hearts and kept us in their power as most cruell Jaylers Ephes. 2.2 4. by Christ they are throwne out of possession they may tempt still but the gates of hell shall never prevaile againe over the godly Col. 2.15 Fifthly from the Lawes of Moses The ceremoniall and judiciall Lawes which Lawes were a yoke that neither the Jewes nor their fathers were ever able to beare Acts 15.10 The ceremoniall Lawes were a very seale of our condemnation a hand-writing against us wherein men many wayes acknowledge their guiltinesse besides they were extremely burthensome in respect of the rules of them and the strict observation required from them Our deliverance from these lawes these places prove Acts 15.1 Cor. 9.1 19. 2 Cor. 3.17 Heb. 9.10 Col. 2.17 There were foure respects which the ceremoniall Law had or foure uses First these ceremonies as I said
before did signifie our sin-guiltinesse and were as an obligation and hand-writing against us Col. 2.14 Secondly they were a badge to distinguish the Jewes from all other nations Gen. 17.13 14. Thirdly they were shadowes and typicall adumbrations of Christ and his benefits Heb. 9.9 10. and 10.1 4. Fourthly they were as a Tutor or Schoole-master to instruct and keepe them under in the minority of the Church Gal. 4.1 2. Now all these uses are abolished by Christ For our condemnation is taken away by Christ and so the hand-writing is cancelled Col. 2.14 and the Gentiles and Jewes are made all one people Ephes. 2.14 15. and Christ the substance and body is come and therefore the shadowes must vanish Col. 2.17 and the heire is as it were now at age and therefore needs not Tutors and Governors Gal. 4.1 2 3. As for the freedome of Christians from the Judiciall Lawes that must bee understood with a distinction for so many of the Judiciall Lawes as did agree with the common politicall law of Nature are in force only so much of the Judiciall Law as did onely concerne the singular and particular policy of the Jewes is abolished Where the reason of the Law is universall the Law bindes all where the respect and reason of the Law is fitted onely to the condition of that people there the Law isâ—abolished Sixthly from servile feare unto which we are and were in bondage by Nature and so we are freed from the servile feares of the grave of men of death there was a spirit of bondage in us by nature wee durst not come into Gods presence and legall terrours did lye at the doore of our hearts to drive us to despaire of mercy or acceptation But when Faith came then the spirit of bondage went away and the hearts of Christians are emboldened with spirituall liberty and firme confidence taking delight in the Law of God in the inner man Rom. 8.15 Luke 1.74 And there was likewise in us by Nature a feare of the reproach and rage of men and the oppositions and scornes of the world from which Gods children are so delivered that many times they have contemned the uttermost fury of Tyrants as Daniel and his companions and the Martyrs and the Patriarchs and Moses c. and from the feare of death We were all in bondage to it all our life but now Christ hath delivered us by destroying him that had the power of death Heb. 2.14 15. This of the first point what we are forced from Now for the second what we are free to and therein are divers comfortable considerations First we are free to the favour and fellowship of God the Father and of the Sonne and of the holy Ghost 1 Ioh. 1.3 7. 1 Cor. 1.9 Ioh. 17 21. 2 Pet. 1.4 1 Ioh. 5.24 Secondly we are free to the Communion of Saints wee are fellow Citizens with the Saints we are written in the writing of the house of Israel and acknowledged as members of the Congregation of the first-borne This is an Article of our Faith Ephes. 2.20 and 3.6 and 4.4 5. Heb. 12.18 c. Thirdly we are free to all the promises of Grace those rich and precious promises we may safely imply they are ours 2 Pet. 1.4 Ephes. 3.6 Fourthly we are free of Gods chamber of Presence we may goe in when we will and aske what we will and it shall be done unto us wee are free to put up as many petitions and suits as we will wee are free to the Throne of Grace Heb. 4.16 Ephes. â— 12 and so in generall wee are free in the whole House of God even to the use of all his ordinances Ioh. 6.36 Fiftly we are free in respect of things indifferent and all things are indifferent that are neither commanded nor forbidden in the Word of God all the restraints that in the time of the old Testament lay upon any creature are now taken off so as all the creatures of God are good and lawfull All things are pure to the pure Titus 1.15 1. Tim. 4.4 Rom. 14. so are dayes meats garments c. So as now Christians may use them or omit them freely Note what I say use as well as omit For some are so singular or simple as to thinke Christian liberty doth only make reference to omit but not to use meats garments dayes or indifferent ceremonies whereas they restraine Christian liberty that forbid the use of those indifferent things as well as they that dislike the omitting only in using men must take heed as hath been shewed before of the opinion of merit worship or necessity to holinesse or salvation which is that which is condemned by the Apostles Uses The Use may be first for humiliation to wicked men for hereby is implyed that they are in great bondage and not free for howsoever it is true that every wicked man in Christian Churches is freed from that yoke of Moses lawes yet in all the rest they are in danger still and bondage They stand bound by the covenant of works to the absolute keeping of the Law because none have the benefit of the new covenant till they be in the same and so all their saylings of the perfect fulfilling of the Law are imputed to them and they are under the execration and all the curses of the Law They are iâ— bondage to the tyrannie of their owne sinnes and have the divell intrenched in strong holdes in their soules They would bee troubled to know that the divell did possesse their bodies and yet doe not consider that the divell doth certainely possesse their soules every wicked man is possessed Besides they are in bondage by these servile feares they dare not set their hearts in Gods sight It is a death to them nor dare they for Religions sake displease men and the feare of death is like a continuall death to them and for all this they are never helped till their hearts be turned to God Secondly we may hence gather the difference between the liberty of the New Testament and that in the Old In the old Testament godly men were free from the rigour and curse of the Law and from the dominion of sinne and power of the divels and from servile fearest onely in the new Testament there are these three things added 1. That the doctrine of liberty in the former things is more cleere and more generally revealed 2. That we are freed from the Mosaicall Lawes 3. That we have liberty in things indifferent A third Use may bee for instruction to teach men to trie their interest to this freedome For such men onely are made free that beleeve in Christ Ioh. 1.12 and resolve to continue in the Word Ioh. 8.31 and are weary and heavie loaden Mat. 11.29 and are throughly turned to God 2. Cor. 3.16 17. Lastly our Christian liberty may be a great comfort to our hearts if wee consider seriously the great miseries we are freed from and the great priviledges we are
breed a dangerous habite of hypocrisie 3. Their naturall corruptions fâ—ll hang upon them and then this shew of liberty is but a cloake to hide them Fourthly when men take liberty to sinne under pretence of their Christian liberty God hath freed us in Christianity from the ceremoniall Law not from the morall for though hee hath delivered us from the malediction and raigne of the morall Law yet hee never freed us from the obedience of the same Rom. 6.15 Iude 3. And it is manifest that Christian liberty can give no toleration to sinne for Christ died to free us from sinne and not to let us loose to sinne more freely wee were freed from sinne that we might be servants to righteousnesse Rom. 6.18 Besides God hares sinne by nature and not by precept onely and therefore God himselfe can give no liberty to sinne God himselfe cannot dispensewith the breach of the Lawes that bee morall in themselves and such Lawes as bee morall in themselves I account to bee all the ten Commandements but the fourth The fourth Commandement is morall by precept not by nature and so the Lord of the Sabbath may dispense with the literall breach of the Sabbath but the other nine are simply indispensable That Abraham was commanded to kill his sonne was but a Commandement of triall And when God willed the Israelites to take the jewels of the Egyptians he did not will them to 〈◊〉 for God himselfe was chiefe Lord of all the earth and all things therein the Aegyptians were but his stewards Fifthly when men use Religion and their liberty in Christ of purpose to hide and cloake themselves in the practice of knowne sinnes as when Simeon and Levi pretended the necessity of circumcision to hide their murdrous intents and Herod pretends his comming to Christ to worship him and yet intends to kill him and the Pharisees use and make long prayers for a pretence to cover their devouring of widowes houses Luke 20.47 And so under pretence of giving to the Priest they free children from releeving their parents Matth. 35. And so when men preach Christ onely to get living 1 Thess. 2.5 And so when men enter into profession of Religion onely to advantage themselves in wicked purposes as to satisfie their lusts or further their owne carnall desires Thus liberty is abused as a cloake of wickednesse Now more particularly liberty is abused many times as a cloake of maliciâ—usnesse when Christian liberty especially in things indifferent is pretended and made a cloake to cover vile malice or ill affections toward their brethren Now Christian liberty may be made a cloak of malice in things indifferent which lye under the commandement of the Magistrate and that two wayes First when the authority of the Magistrate is pretended urged and used as a meanes to empty mens malice upon their brethren when they hate them not because they breake mens lawes but because they keepe Gods Lawes Secondly and so also on the other hand Christian liberty is abused as a cloake of maliciousnesse when under pretence of liberty by Christ men refuse to obey the Christian Magistrate in things indifferent and this is the maine thing intended by the Apostle in the words of this verse For having exhorted them to submit themselves to the Ordinances of men he brings in these words as was shewed before to answer their objection that might pretend that they were freed by Christ from all ceremonies or ordinances in things indifferent The Apostle answers that that were to make their liberty in Christ to be a cloake for their maliciousnesse that is for their ill-affectednesse toward the Magistrate Where note by the way that upon all pretences to withdraw obedience from the lawes of Magistrates in things indifferent is in Gods account a sinne of malice partly because God reckons it as hatefull as malice and partly because it slowes usually from a heart that is not well-affected unto the Magistrate but some way is wanting in that hearty respect ought to be borne to the Magistrate Secondly in things indifferent that are left free to use or not to use and so Christian liberty is abused when it is urged to defend such things as are scandalous or offend such as are weake and this is that which the Apostles in other Scripture so much urge when they write of offending the weake brother Thirdly in things indifferent whether free or under the Ordinances of men There be cases wherein Christian liberty may be vilely abused As 1. When things indifferent are urged as matters of necessity and with opinion of holinesse and merit Gal 5.1 2. 2. When Christians doe bite and devoure one another by quarrelling censuring back-biting one another and make divisions about these things this is a reciprocall abuse about these things of Christian liberty and zeale ill spent seeing brotherly love is the fulfilling of the Law c. Gal. 5.13 14 15. and the Kingdome of God stands not in garments gestures meat and drink but in righteousnesse power and joy in the holy Ghost Rom. 14.17 As the servants of God These words are the reason why Christians must not neglect their obedience unto the Magistrate nor abuse their liberty to licentiousnesse or maliciousnesse For though they be free by Jesus Christ yet they are entertained by God still in the nature of servants and so are bound to doe what hee commands and he doth command them to submit themselves to the ordinances of the Magistrate For matter of Doctrine two things may be here noted Doct. 1. God entertaines none by Jesus Christ but he takes them bound to be his servants All Gods people are Gods servants And thus it is with men not onely in the New Testament but was so alwayes before Thus Abraham Iob Moses and David are called Gods servants Use. The use should be for instruction diversly First seeing we are Gods servants wee should make conscience of it to doe his worke hee hath by the Gospell hired us to that end to employ our selves in the works of righteousnesse mercy and piety Tit. 2.12 Secondly since we belong to God who is so great a Master we should not onely doe his worke but doe it in such a manner as becomes the servants of the King of all kings Gods servants should serve him 1. Reverently and with feare and trembling wee must humble our selves to walke with God Psal. 2.11 Mic. 6.7 2. Zealously wee should bee zealous about this worke and so wee should doe it readily It is a shame for us to be dull and carelesse and prone to shifts and excuses the Centurions servants goe when hee bids them and come when he cals for them and doe this when he requires it and our zeale should be shewne by our cheerefulnesse willingnesse Gods people should be a willing people and our hearts should bee full of desires above all things to approve our selves to God wee should make it appeare that we not only are his servants but
restlesnesse by the grievous distempers of the body or failing of their senses being for the time as Iob saith brought under the king of terrours Iob 18.14 What a wofull case Belshazzar was in you may reade Dan. 5.9 These terrours are the fansies the Gentiles so much dreamed of The fourth is desperation An evill Conscience in sinne many times brings them to hellish despaire of all mercy and pardon thus Cain rageth and blasphemeth like a frantick man And these effects of an evill Conscience are so muâ—h the more great 1. Because the Conscience can lash a man without noise it can secretly inflict torments when no eyes shall pity him 2. Because there is no escape from Conscience a man can neither drive it away nor run from it it cleaves to the offender inseparably From a tyrant or ill master some men run away but from an ill Conscience there is no flying 3. Because Conscience it selfe is a thousand witnesses to prove the fault though never so secret and the offender is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 condemned of himselfe and goes up and downe with a heavie sentence upon him in his bosome though all the world should account him innocent 4. Because an evill Conscience is such a damnable disease and the griefe raised by Conscience is such and so lasting that the grieved dies before the griefe can be removed yea so violent is the confusion which despaire bringeth into the thoughts that out of the grievous mistaking and impatience many times the offender makes away himselfe as Saul Achitophel and Iudas did and many in our times doe 5. Because death it selfe doth not abate the torments of an evill Conscience but the living worme gnawes them even in hell for ever and with so much strength and power there that one said wittily Hell were not hell if it were not for the gnawing of this never-dying and never-ceasing worme 6. Because unto the making up of the compleat misery of the impenitent sinner the sentence of Conscience and the testimony of it shall be heard and admitted at the last day before the Tribunall of Christ. For though an evill conscience shall never disgrace for some effects as for that of working despaire of mercy yet for the maine body of the proceedings of Conscience it shall be not only allowed but justified by the voice of Christ to the eternall shame and confusion of the offender And though it be true that the worst of the effects before mentioned arise from a stirring Conscience yet is not the man safe that hath a still Conscience if it bee evill For first hee is in continuall danger of the awaking of that conscience of his that now is asleep What ease can that mans heart be at if he had all pleasures round about him if he were tied to a Beare or Lion or mad Dog though he were then asleep for hee may awake every moment and then where is hee The stilnesse of an ill conscience is but like the sleep of a frantick man Secondly there can be no true peace unto the man that lieth in sinne without repentance Isa. 57. There is no peace to the wicked saith my God Though hee bee friends with himselfe for a time yet God is not friends with him nor is sinne and Satan at peace with him though there be an uncertaine truce for a time Thirdly the danger of a still conscience is the greater for the terrours of a troubled conscience may prepare a man for Christ and compell a man to seeke helpe from Christ but in the case of a still conscience there are these two usuall miseries the one that men take a still conscience to be a good conscience and the other is that a man runnes onely blindefolded so long till death and hell may seaze upon him Thus of the effects of an evill conscience the meanes how conscience may be made good follow That an evill conscience may be made good two things must bee looked into first that wee get a right medicine to heale it secondly that we take a right course in application of the medicine First the medicine for the curing of an ill conscience is onely the bloud of Christ the disease of conscience is of so high a nature as all the medicines in the world are insufficient nothing but sprinkling it with bloud will serve the turne and it must be no other bloud than the bloud of the immaculate Lambe of God as the Apostle shews Heb. 9.14 The reason of this is because conscience will never be quiet till it see a way how Gods anger may be pacified and sinne abolished which cannot be done any way but by the bloud of Christ which was powred out as a sacrifice for sinne Now unto the right application of this medicine foure things are requisite First the light of knowledge Secondly the washing of regeneration Thirdly the assurance of faith Fourthly the warmth of love First knowledge a man must have both Legall and Evangelicall for they must know by the law what sinnes lie upon the conscience and trouble it and they must know by the Gospel what a propitiation is made by Christ for sinnes And for the second an evill conscience will never bee gotten off unlesse our hearts be sprinkled and washed from the filth and power of the sinnes which did lie upon the conscience Heb. 10.22 1 Tim. 1.5 Now unto such removing of such sinnes from the heart two things are requisite First that by particular confession wee doe as it were scratch off the filth of those sinnes that soule the heart and trouble the conscience Secondly and then that wee wash our hearts and daily rinse them with the teares of true repentance and humiliation before God for those sinnes Thirdly assurance of faith is necessary to the cure of an ill conscience because faith is the hand that layes on the medicine A man must apply the sufferings of Christ to himselfe and beleeve that Christ did satisfie for those sinnes that lie upon the conscience and must accordingly all to besprinkle the conscience with that bloud of Christ and then of an evill conscience it will presently become good but men must looke to one thing and that is that their faith be unfained For conscience will not be satisfied with the profession of faith they must beleeve indeed and with their hearts and with sound application of the promises of the Gospel concerning the bloud of Christ or else conscience will not be answered Heb. 10.22 1 Tim 1.5 Fourthly the heat of love must be added a man must so apply the bloud of Christ as that his owne bloud be heated in him affection with both towards God and Christ and Christians Christian love doth put as it were naturall heat into the conscience and makes it now receiving life by faith to bestirre it selfe in all the workes either of service to God or duty to men 1 Tim. 1.5 Heb. 9.24 knowledge bringing it light mortification making it cleane faith
curing it and putting life into it by sprinkling it with the bloud of Christ and love infusing or rather inflaming it with the heat of life All these things are requisite though I stand not upon the precise order of the working of every one of these Thus how conscience may bee made good Now I might adde a direction or two how conscience may doe her worke aright that is a good conscience and not doe ill offices in the soule Two things I say are of great use for the guiding of a good conscience First that in all her proceedings she must follow the warrant of Gods word Secondly that she doe not mistake in judging of particular actions she must bee sufficiently informed about our Christian liberty for unlesse the conscience discerne that wee are freed from the malediction of the law and from the rigorous perfection of obedience and have restored unto us a free use of all things indifferent and the like shee may be over-busie and troublesome disquieting the heart and restraining the joyes should refresh and support a man Thus of the meanes how conscience may be made good the signes of a good conscience follow First by the opposition it makes against the remainders of sinne in the godly It maintaines a constant combating against the law of the members having at command the law of the minde It doth not only resist grosse evils but even the most secret corruptions in the heart of man This Paul discerned in himselfe Rom. 7. of doing God service Secondly by the manner of exacting of obedience for a good conscience First doth incline a man to doe good duties not by compulsion but a man shall find that he doth them by force of an internall principle in himself Secondly it cannot abide dead works a good conscience abhors all cold and carelesse or luke-warm or counterfeit serving of God it puts life into all good dutes it exacteth attendance upon God in doing them Heb. 9.14 Thirdly it more respecteth God than all the world or the man himselfe and therefore will compell a man to obey against profit and pleasure and liking of the world 2 Cor. 1.12 Fourthly it requires an universall obedience it would have all Gods commandements respected and therefore Paul saith I desired in all things to live honestly Heb. 13.18 The allowing of one sin shewes the depravation of the conscience if it bee a knowne sinne and still tolerated As one dead flie will spoyle a boxe of pretious oyntment I say one dead flie though many living flies may light upon a boxe of oyntment and do it no great hurt so a godly man may have many infirmities and yet his conscience be sound but if there be one corruption that lives and dies there that is such a corruption as is knowne and allowed and doth by custome continue there it will destroy the soundnesse of the best conscience of the world and doth usually argue a conscience that is not good Fiftly a good conscience doth require obedience alwaies thus Paul pleads I have served God till this day It doth not command for God by fits but constantly Acts 23.1 A third signe is that a good conscience is alwayes toward God it still desires to bee before God it seekes Gods presence it reckons that day to be lost and that it did not live as it were when it found not the Lord or had no fellowship or conversation with God A good conscience is like a good Angell it is alwayes looking into the face of God Acts 23.1 Thus of the signes The benefits of a good conscience are many and great for First it is the best companion a man hath all the daies of his life it is ever with him and speakes good unto him and comforts him A man that hath no company needs not to be alone for he may converse with much delight with his owne conscience and it is the surest friend a man can have for it will neither hurt him by flattery nor forsake him for any carnall respects and being an internall agent is out of the watch of all outward hinderances and is alwaies a messenger of good things to a man and fits him and fills him with peace that passeth all the understanding of all men that want a good conscience Secondly it gives a man assurance of the best treasures it makes a man certaine of his salvation for a good conscience will not be quiet till it know the love of God and the promises of grace in Christ and the assurance that conscience gives is a better assurance than any man can have for his lands or any estate on earth because it is so highly honoured that Gods owne Spirit doth not disdaine at any time to witnesse with it and to it Rom. 8.15 16. Thirdly by reason of that new acquaintance and affinity it hath with the holy Ghost it brings us into a familiar friendship with God as being an immediat Agent with the holy Ghost in all things that concerne us for Gods Spirit treates with the conscience and the conscience treates with the Soule Fourthly it is a continuall bulwarke against the divell and all his fiery darts whether he tempt us to sinne or to feare and doubting for so soone as the temptation is cast in a good-conscience by her reasoning presently throwes it out reserving principles both of precept and promise alwaies in a readinesse to that end so as by contrarious reasoning within us it both hinders us from yeelding to sin and supports us against all doubts and feares Prov. 28.1 Fiftly against all afflictions and disgraces and reproches of the world a good conscience still comforts a man and makes him rejoyce by the force of the testimony thereof 2 Cor. 1.14 So as it is most true that a good conscience is a continuall feast he never fares ill that hath a good conscience Psal. 7.8 Acts 24.16 Rom. 9.10 Sixtly and the greater is the comfort of a good conscience because it will comfort us and stand by us and for us when all other comforts faile It will never leave us in sicknesse or in death and so is better than a thousand friends or wives or children yea it will goe with us to the Judgement feat of Christ with this assurance that as a good conscience speakes to us now so will Christ speake to us at that day Rom. 2.16 Thus of the sorts or kindes of consciences The last point is about the bond of conscience what it is that can binde a mans conscience and the doubt ariseth from this and other Texts because here a servant is bound in conscience to submit himselfe to a froward master both to his command and to his punishments and other Scriptures speake of his obedience to superiours for conscience sake For answer hereunto we must know that God and his law have power simply and absolutely to binde conscience that is to urge it to require obedience of a man or to accuse
if he obey not or to excuse if he obey As for the authority of masters or other superiours it cannot reach to the conscience properly for they have no power to command or punish conscience but that which ties conscience to submit unto them is the commandement of God in his Word in this and such like places And therefore hence wee may learne the difference between the power of mens lawes and the power of Gods Word which difference will further appeare distinctly in many things First men may make many lawes either ecclesiasticall or civill which bind not at all yea which we are bound not to keep as if they command a thing contrary to the Word of God and in that case it is better to obey God than men and conscience is first bound to God Acts 5. Dan. 3. Now all Gods laws binde Secondly if such as are next above us in authority command us any things contrary to the lawes of the supreme Magistrate to whom they and we are bound we are not tied to obey Thirdly mens lawes can only binde us to outward working or suffering they cannot make lawes or inflict punishment upon the hearts or mindes of men whereas Gods lawes enjoyne obedience upon the inward man as well as the outward and eternall punishment as well as temporary Fourthly the best lawes of men where they binde most binde not by any immediate power of their owne but by feare of Gods Word that enjoynes us to obey their lawfull authority Fiftly mens lawes ever binde with limitation that is with respect of the end of the law and the person of the law-maker and the offence of others and hereupon Divines say if mens laws be omitted so as the end of the laws bee not hindred that is that the Common-wealth be not damnified or other particular ends crossed or offence be not given as much as in us lieth or the law-giver be not despised or contemned the conscience may not accuse a man of sinne Sixtly some lawes of men are meerly penall note that I say meerly penall that is they are made about matters of lesse importance and not uttered precisely in commanding tearmes or so uttered that the Common-wealth is accounted by the law-giver to be sufficiently provided for if the penalty be inflicted Now he that is ready to pay the fine or the penalty and doth not transgresse but in some case of necessary respect he is not to be charged with sinne before God And thus of conscience and of the laying downe of the first reason The avouching of it followes in verse 20. Verse 20. For what glory is it if when you be buffeted for your faults you shall take it patiently But if when you doe well and suffer for it you take it patiently this is acceptable with God WHere the Apostle makes it good that the best praise is to suffer wrongfully First by affirming that it is no true glory for a man to suffer for his faults and endure it Secondly by shewing that to suffer patiently for well doing is a thing very acceptable to God That it is no true glory for a man to suffer for his faults that he endure it patiently he expresseth in these words What glory is it if when yee be buffeted for your faults you take it patiently Out of which words divers doctrines may be briefly noted Doct. 1. First that men of all sorts doe naturally affect glory 〈…〉 or reputation and are guided by it in their actions or sufferings even the meanest sort of men set before themselves something which they glory in and according to which they order themselves as here servants even of the worst sort too yea such as are faulty and so disliked and corrected yet will not be without something to glory in and that is as is here supposed to bee their patience in abiding blowes And this ariseth in man partly out of corruption of nature and pride that seekes to cover their faults with some thing they account to bee of praise and partly out of the force of some remainder of goodnesse in their natures that are not destitute of all desire of vertuous actions Which may serve for Use to all men in their carriage one towards another to avoide as much as may be the dishonouring and disgracing one of another for no person is so meane but he finds himselfe stung by disgrace And it may teach superiours to use praise and glory as a meanes to provoke and excite inferiours to obedience and care as being a motive that will work universally upon all natures Doct. 2. Usually men account that to be glory which is not vain-glory is taken for true glory by most men thus men mistake that place Their glory In Idols and Pictures Hos. 10.5 In Epicurisme and shamefull lusts Phil. 3.19 In the increase of meanes and power to sinne Hos. 4.6 7. In the gifts and power of other men 1 Cor. 3.21 In Russian-like pride or vain and strange apparell 1 Cor. 11.14.1 Pet. 3.5 1 Tim. 2.9 10. In mischief and malicious practices against the godly Psal. 52.1 94.4 In fraudulent bargaines Pro. 20.23 In a mans owne gifts of nature as wit strength memory c. Ier. 9.23 In the common graces of Religion as knowledge zeale c. Rom. 2.27 1 Cor. 4.7 In the praise sought and given by himself Ioh. 7.10 and 8.54 2 Cor. 10.18 In the merit of his owne workes Rom. 4.2 In the praise of men more then of God In strife contention and provocation of others Iames 3.14 Gal. 5.26 Phil. 2.3 In the falls of other men that are divided from them in judgement 1 Cor. 5.6 In earthly things as houses riches beauty honour pleasures c. 1 Pet. 1. 24. Isa. 48.16 So here some men account it their glory to suffer patiently though they be guilty and have deserved all they suffer And therefore we should be warned and directed in studying that which is true glory And if any aske what were indeed glorious I answer that spirituall riches are the best glory and therefore our soules are called our glory by an excellency Psal. 3.4 The best glory is within Psal. 45.14 And in particular it is true glory To be righteous and mercifull Prov. 21.21 To be humble and feare God Prov. 22.4 To know God Ier. 9.23 To live so sincerely as we may have the testimony of a good conscience 2 Cor. 1.12 To be exalted of God to the priviledges hope of his children Iam. 1.9 To have interest in the crosse of Christ Gal. 6.14 To be abased and truly humbled for our sins Iames 1.9 To abound in labours and sufferings for the Gospel 2 Cor. 11. and 22.12 To defer anger and passe by a trespasse Prov. 19.11 To suffer without fainting for Religion Ephes. 3.13 So here to doe well and suffer for it and endure it patiently this is a glory with God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Sinning Doct. 3. The words may be rendred thus What
visible mortall and immortall passible and impassible passible on earth and impassible in heaven But we have learned from the Prophets and Apostles to beleeve three Persons and so to acknowledge that the second Person suffered onely and that in his humane nature Secondly we may hence learne that Christ was subject to the Law after a peculiar manner so as no other man was subject for he did not onely fulfill the Law by a most perfect obedience but he suffered the malediction and curse of the Law also Some men are subject to the malediction of the Law onely and so are all the wicked reprobates that obey it not Some men are subject to the Commandements of the Law and not to the malediction and so our first parents were while they continued in their innocency because God did not require them to suffer so long as they obeyed the Law and so all godly men in Christ are under the Law in respect of obedience but not in respect of malediction only Christ is subject to the malediction and obedience of the Law as our surety Thirdly hence we learne a plain demonstration of the truth of the humane nature of Christ He had not a fantasticall body but a true body because he did verily suffer in the flesh as followes afterwards Fourthly hence we may be informed of the excessively vile disposition of the world in that it is so set on wickednesse that the very Saviour of the world if he come into the world shall suffer from the world Fiftly we may hence learne that Christ suffered willingly and of his own accord For in that he that is God suffered it shewes he had power to preserve himselfe so as all the world could not have forced him to suffer and therefore we have cause so much the more to admire his love to us that suffered for our sakes as the next point will shew Sixtly we may hence learne to know how abominable sinne is that makes the Son of God suffer miserable things if he become a surety for sinne Seventhly we may hence learne to know the inevitable destruction and fearfull perdition of impenitent sinners For if God spared not his owne Sonne that was but a suretie for sinne and did none himselfe will hee ever spare them that are principals and monstrous offenders Eightly did even Christ suffer then we should evermore arme our selves with the same mind and provide to suffer in the flesh 1 Pet. 4.1 It is a shame for us to expect or desire a life of ease and prosperity seeing the Prince of our salvation was consecrated through afflictions Heb. 2.10 and 12.3 And the more should we be confirmed to suffer in willingnesse in this life because God hath predestinated us to be conformed to the image of his Sonne in sufferings Rom. 8.29 Lastly in that it was Christ that suffered we may hence gather comfort to our selves in his passion all the dayes of our life because his sufferings must needs be of infinite merit being the sufferings of him that is God as well as man Thus of the Person suffering The persons for whom he suffered follow For us The sufferings of Christ were not casuall such as befell him for no use nor were they deserved by himselfe For he never offended God nor did hee seeke his own peculiar good in them but he suffered all he did for our sakes Isa. 53.5 He was wounded for our transgressions the chastisement of our peace was laid upon him and verse 8. Hee was plagued for the transgression of Gods people and as the Apostle saith he was delivered to death for our sinnes and rose againe for our justification Rom. 4.25 Hee was sacrificed for us 1 Cor. 5.7 He gave himselfe for us Ephes. 5.2 Now he suffered for us in divers respects as First to make satisfaction unto the justice of God for our sinnes and to appease the wrath of God toward us as the former places shew His sufferings were a sacrifice for sinne He bare the curses of the Law which were due to us Gal. 3.10 And thus he paid our ransome and pacified God especially in his death and buriall He nayled the hand-writing that was against us to his crosse Col. 2.15 And as Ionas was cast into the bowels of the sea to still the raging of it so was Christ cast into the bowels of the earth to make the seas of Gods wrath quiet for us Secondly he suffered as to make satisfaction for our sinnes so together with that satisfaction to remove from us the many miseries might have falne upon us for our sinnes Thus he was judged and condemned at the barre of Pilate that we might be acquirted at the barre of God He endured all sorts of paines and torments in soule and body that wee might be delivered from eternall torments in hell He died that hee might deliver us from death and the feare of it and from him which had the power of death which is the divell Heb. 2.13 He was crucified that he might abolish the power of sinne in us Rom. 6.10 Thirdly he suffered for us that so by his sufferings he might merit the supply of our wants and the possession of happinesse Hee suffered to make us blessed Thus he died to ratifie the eternall counsell Heb. 9.15.16.17 He was poore to make us rich 2 Cor. 8.9 He was bound to make us free Hee was unclothed to cover our nakednesse He was forsaken of God for a time that we might be received to everlasting mercy Hee was crowned with a crowne of thornes that he might merit for us a crowne of glory Hee found no mercy from the Priests and Jewes that we might finde sure mercy with God He was cast out of the earthly Jerusalem and suffered without the gates that he might provide a place for us in the heavenly Jerusalem Fourthly he suffered for us in this that he suffered that so he might have a sympathy of our sufferings and have a feeiing of our miseries He suffered being tempted that he might be able to secure us being tempted Heb. 2.17 18. and 4.15 The consideration hereof may serve for divers uses Uses First it should breed in us an admiration of the love of Christ to us that could ever be willing to become surety for us and suffer for us especially considering what we were viz. unjust men 1 Pet. 3.18 wicked men Rom. 5.6 enemies to him Rom. 5.8 10. That one should die for a good or righteous man or for one that is a common good for or to other men is very rare But it might be Ionathan might die for David or a subject be willing to die for a good Prince about no man would die for his enemies as Christ died for us Secondly it should worke in us sorrow and hearty griefe for our sins wee should now mourne as heartily for piercing Christ by our sinnes as if we had lost an only childe c. We complaine of the Jewes and Iudas and Pilate for
and preached hee received the Sacrament in a private chamber at night and gave it onely to Clergy-men and used unleavened bread c. Quest. But what rules are then left to ground our practice upon and how far are our consciences bound by examples and so by the example of Christ Answ. Examples and so the example of Christ binde us in the things hee did which were required by the morall Law or the Word of God For an example is but the illustration of a precept it is but like the seale to a blank if there be no precept Secondly in other things which Christ did not required by the Law we are so farre forth tied to follow his practice as hee hath for those specialties given himselfe a precept as here we are bound to suffer from others and for others if need require by the force of Christs example but so as it is specified that his example bindes in this and other things But where the Scripture doth not make use of his example there we are not boâ—nd in things indifferent iâ— their owne nature to follow any example out of necessity Verse 22.23 Who did no sinne neither was there guile found in his mouth Who when he was reviled reviled not againe when be suffered bee threatned not but committed it to him that judgeth righteously HItherto of the end of Christs suffering the manner followes set down both negatively and affirmatively Negatively Hee suffered without sinne in this verse and without reviling in the next verse Affirmatively He committed himselfe and his cause to him that judgeth righteously He did no sinne 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The words of this verse doe commend the innocency of this our Saviour which doth much increase the price and value of his sufferings He suffered for the sinnes of others that never committed any sinne himself in thought word or deed and as he was innocent in all the course of his life so did hee beare his sufferings without fault and carried himselfe so as no man could finde any just occasion against him The first thing affirmed of Christ to shew his innocency is that hee did no sinne In the Originall it is expressed by a word of great force which signifies to make or frame or fashion with art or to make sinne and it may be rendâ—ed as I conceive more fitly He 〈◊〉 sinne To make sinne being a phrase somewhat unusuall the sense is to be 〈◊〉 red into Now a man may be said to make sinne many waies First when a man 〈◊〉 and commits a sinne never heard of before Thus Onan made that sin of filthinesse Thus the Sodomites and Gentilish men and women made sinnes of lust Thus drunkards make strange kindes of drinkings Thus the 〈…〉 of our times 〈◊〉 the sinnes of strange apparell And thus the Papists make that horrible sin of murthering of 〈…〉 And thus swearers now make their monstruous oaths Secondly when a man sinnes having not so much as temptation to sinne in himselfe or pronenesse of nature to sinne and so he sinnes that sinnes wilfully and not by infirmitie or weaknesse of nature Thus Adam made the first sinne for he had no corruption of nature to intice him or incline him nor could any temptation from without compell him but he sinned wilfully Thus those men of bloud make sin that kill their brethren in cold bloud And so many whoremongers and drunkards make sinne when they are not inticed but intice themselves and strive by all meanes to fire and force themselves to wickednesse And thus swearers and usurers and such like make sinne Thirdly when a man commits such a sinne as other men condemne by the very light of nature though he doe it by corrupt inclination or though it bee sinne which others commit so to make sinne is to be a malefactor or one that is guilty of any grosse sinne Fourthly when a man studies mischiefe and sinnes not suddenly but imagines and deviseth and forecasts and plots how to compasse his sinne and thus all wicked men make sinne because they sinne not suddenly or by meere frailty but doe study iniquitie every wicked man is a great student Psal. 36.4 Fiftly when a man causeth others to sinne by evill counsell or example or compulsion Thus Tyrants made sinne that forced men to deny the faith and thus they make sinne that make their neighbours drunke and thus Stage-plaiers and Minstrels make sinne that call and provoke others to licentiousnesse and wantonnesse and thus superiours make sinne when by their evill example or negligence in not punishing offences they tempt others to sinne Sixtly when a man makes a trade of sinning and thus men are said in Scripture to bee workers of iniquity which is a Periphrasis of wicked men Now he that is said to make a trade of sinne or to bee a worker of iniquity first is one that makes it his daily custome to follow his sinfull course of life or that followes sinne as the trades-man doth his trade Secondly that cannot live without his sinne that accounts his sinne the life of his life that had as liefe be dead as restrained of his sinne as the trades-man accounts himselfe undone if his trade be destroyed Seventhly when a man calls good evill and evill good when a man makes that to bee a sinne which is no sinne Thus they make sinne that call those things sinne which God by his Law never called sinne and thus men make sinne both out of superstition on the left hand and out of rash zeale on the right hand thus also profane persons make godlinesse and a body conversation to be Schismes and truth to be Heresie thus the Jewes called Pauls religious course Heresie when he by that way which they called Heresie worshipped the God of his fathers and the Professors of Christian Religion they called a Sect Acts. 2â— Isa. 5.20 Thus Lawyers many times make sinnes when they make a good cause bad and a bad cause good Eightly when a man by slander casts foule aspersions upon other men that are innocent speaking evill with any manner of evill report of such as live religiously And this art of making sinne the slanderer learned of the divell that accuser of the brethren Thus many godly persons are many 〈◊〉 by wicked reports made grosse offenders in the common acceptation of the world and in the rumours speed abroad of them in many places Thus they made Christ and the Apostles grievous sinners and a spectacle to men and Angels Ninthly when a man in adversity deviseth 〈…〉 to get out of trouble or deliver himselfe from the crosse is laid upon him And this sense may in some sort be applyed to the case of our Saviour who never used ill meanes to deliver himselfe though he suffered extreme things Lastly in a generall sense every man that is guilty of sinne may be said to make sinne And so it is commonly by way of removall said of Christ that he made no sinne that is
sinnes in two respects chiefely First because he did undergoe the imputation of all our sinnes our faults were charged upon him as our surety He was made sin for us 2 Cor. 5.21 He stood before Gods justice in our roome Secondly because hee suffered the malediction due to our sinnes by the Law Hee bare our sinnes in being made a sacrifice for sinne He became indebted unto the justice of God as our surety to beare the curses of the Law which our sinnes deserved Esay 53.5 8. Gaâ— 3.10 And as this is true in generall of all the wrath of God and the fearfull things due to our sinnes so if we marke the story of Christs sufferings wee may observe how the sinnes of our first parents and our owne light heavily upon his backe God suffering our sinnes to be charged upon him in a speciall fitnesse of the judgement to our sinnes and that wee may note both in the circumstances of our sinning and in the sorts of sinnes For the circumstances The first Adam sinnes in a garden the second Adam suffers fearfully for sinne in a garden The second Adam suffers on a tree and so beares the sinne of the first Adam eating the forbidden fruit of a tree For the sorts of sinne Why was Christ betrayed by Iudas denyed by Peter forsaken by all his Disciples refused by the Priests and people but because wee had betrayed denied forsaken and refused God in Paradise And many of us are now guilty of the same or the like sinnes in the course of our lives He was charged to bee a seducer to satisfie for our being seduced for our evill words and sinfull excuses he was silent because wee and our first Parents have preferred the Divell before God therefore was a malefactor preferred before him Why was he mocked buffered and spit upon but to beare the shame was due unto us for our filthinesse and vile conversation Why drank he gall but to pay for our sinfull pleasures Why suffered he reviling and scoffing but to satisfie for our sinfull words Many other things might be observed The consideration whereof should serve for many Uses and so it should teach us divers duties as Uses First since he hath borne our sinnes in the imputation of them and the malediction due unto them wee should bee most ready and willing to beare his crosse as accounting it a great shame to bee unwilling to suffer a little and for a little while for his sake that hath borne such strange things for us we should be content to forsake all for his sake Secondly it should grieve us at the heart for our sinnes considering the fearfull imputation of our faults charged upon him and the bitter things hee suffered to make amends to Gods justice for our wickednesse Zach. 12.10 Thirdly hath Christ borne our sinnes and can wee finde in our hearts to sinne any more shall he againe be charged with our faults shall we againe crucifie him Rom. 6.6 Heb. 10.24 c. and as followeth in the next words of this Text. Fourthly Oh how should we love the Lord Jesus that holy One that bare the imputation of such base crimes and endured such grievous things for us before wee ever knew him or cared for him even for us that were enemies to him Deserve they not to bee accursed that love not the Lord Jesus 1 Pet. 1.9 â— Cor. 16.22 Fiftly we should therefore eat the Passeover with sowre hearbs we should remember his grievous sufferings with hearty affection and melting of soule before the Lord when we come before him to celebrate the memory of his Passion in the Sacrament Sixtly we should no more stagger or waver in faith but with all peace and joy in beleeving rest upon the propiriation made by Christ for our sins wee should therefore confidently beleeve the pardon of all our sinnes because he hath borne ouâ— iniquities If any man sin we have an Advocate with the Father Jesus Christ the righteous and he is the propitiation for our sinnes Seventhly we should never more bee afraid of death and hell for our debt being paied by the surety the hand-writing that was against us is now cancelled Col. 2.15 and there is no condemnation to them that are in Christ Jesus Rom. 8.1 Heb. 2.14 Eighthly we should not be so much troubled to be unjustly traduced seeing Christ beyond all example suffered most unspeakable ignominie bearing the iâ—putation of the sinnes of all the Elect. Ninthly seeing he hath beene made in the similitude of sinfull flesh and suffered for sinne in the flesh wee should strive to bee made the righteousnesse of God in him and as he hath borne our sins so should we strive to beare his vertues Who his owne selfe It is emphaticall that the Apostle saith He bare our sinnes his owne selfe for there be two things which are here imported First that he had no partners there were none with him He bare all himselfe Esay 59.16 He trod the wine-presse alone Esay 63.3 5. And therefore it is a vile dishonour to Christ to ascribe any part of satisfaction to our selves or to any Saint or Angel Secondly it imports that therefore his suffering is of infinite value in that he bare all his owne selfe in person who was God and man Then it will follow that he hath made a sufficient propitiation for all the world 2 Iohn 2.1 2. In his body Quest. Why did he not suffer in his soule Answ. Yes for so saith the Scripture He made his soule a sacrifice for sin Esay 53.10 and the Son of man came to give his soule a ransome for many Mat. 20.28 Markâ— 10.45 This was shadowed out by the Holocaust or whole burnt-offering for it noted that the whole man should suffer So in the Sacrament the breaking of the bread is not referred so properly to his body for there was not a bone broken of him saith the holy text but fitly to his soule which was broken with sorrowes and heavinesse for our sakes So that by the body he meanes synechdochically whole Christ but yet the body is named because that was the outward sacrifice that was offered for our sins on the tree Christ then bare our sinnes in his body What may wee learne from thence First we see a manifest difference betwixt Christs Priesthood and theirs in the Law For they offered the bodies of beasts or fowles but Christ offered his owne body Secondly we may take comfort in the assurance that he is the Saviour of our bodies as well as our soules Thirdly seeing such grievous things befell the body of Christ why seeke we so much ease for our bodies why pamper we our flesh so and why are we so impatient in the paines of our bodies and remember not what Christ suffered in his body Fourthly we should therefore esteeme his body to be a precious body above all bodies seeing it was laid downe as a price for our sinnes yea we should long to see that glorious body
of his that we might admire it and adore it and embrace it and in the meane time love and delight in the Lords Supper that exhibiteth the body of Christ spiritually unto us rejoycing in such meetings above the joy of all carnall people before any other things Fiftly we should therefore take heed of sinning against our bodies bâ—â— make conscience to serve God both in body and Spirit and say with David and Christ Lord a body thou hast given me for I come to doe thy will Sixtly what cursed monsters are swearers that reare the body of our Lord with their cursed oathes and rake their nailes in his wounds with their blasphemies On the tree The originall word signifies sometimes a staffe Mat. 26.47 sometimes a paire of stockes Acts 16.24 sometimes a tree growing Rev. 2.11 usually wood â— Cor. 3.12 here a Gallowes made of wood Christ bare our sins on the tree because he did in a speciall manner suffer bitter extremities on the tree which he suffered as our Suretie and for our sins for First to die on a tree was by a speciall Law of God made a curse and so is every one that hangs on a tree Gal. 3.13 Secondly he was debarred of the benefit of ordinary naturall comforts for he lived in paine three houres in the dâ—rke and had not the light of the Sunne Thirdly in that darknesse he was put to the most fearfull conflict with the Divels which at that time did with their utmost fury assault him and sight against him Col. 3.25 Fourthly he endured most grievous paines and torments of body and the effusion of his most precious bloud Fiftly he was reckoned amongst the wicked in his death and therefore hanged betweene two malefactors Esay 53.9 Sixtly he was reviled by the base multitude and mocked and derided by the chiefe Priests and Scribes Mat. 27.39 to 45. Seventhly God his Father poured out upon him the fearfull vials of his wrath in with-drawing for a time the sense of his favour Mat. 27.46 Eighthly his whole body was offered up on the tree as a Sacrifice for the sinnes of the world and the substance of all the Sacrifices in the Law Uses We have therefore cause to rejoyce in the crosse of Christ above all things for on the tree he freed us from the curses of the Law and purchased for us the blessings promised to Abraham as the father of the faithfull Gal. 3.13 14. and besides by suffering so shamefull a death he hath sanctified all sorts of wayes of inflicting death upon the godly so as now they may with comfort in a good cause or after repentance for their faults even suffer that death on a tree with joy And we should the more praise God for his favour if he suffer any of us to die of any other more easie or more honourable death And then we may againe see the hatefulnesse of sin in that God punishing our sins in the person of his owne Sonne doth not omit the very circumstances of abasement his justice exacting not onely death but that painfull and ignominious death on the tree Lastly hence we may see how little cause there is for Christians to plead merit if they think how fearfully sinne hath angred God and withall how senselesse the best of us are when wee heare reade or thinke of these sufferings of Christ they may rather see cause for ever to abhorre the doctrine of merit seeing hereby we proclaime our selves to be worthy of the very merits of Christ that can be so little affected with the thought of his sufferings Thus of the matter of Christs sufferings The effects follow and the effects in respect of us are named to be three first the death of sin secondly the life of grace thirdly the healing of our natures That we being dead to sin Men may be said to die divers wayes First in respect of nature when the Frame of nature is dissolved by the pâ—â—ting of the soule from the body Secondly in respect of God when God is departed from men with his grace and righteousnesse and favour thus wicked men are spiritually dead Eph. 2.1 and 4.17 1 Tim. 5.6 〈◊〉 in respect of the world when a man is overwhelmed with crosses 〈…〉 as are 〈◊〉 wit◠〈◊〉 in his reputation he is said to be dead and his life to be hid under 〈…〉 being despised and 〈◊〉 as 〈◊〉 mâ—n oâ—t of â—inde Col. â— 3 Esay 26.19 Fourthly in respect of sinne and so men either are dead for sin as malefactors or dead in sinne as all wicked men or dead to sinne as the godly here To take the soule from the body is the death of all men To take God from the soule is the death of all wicked men To take sinne from the soule is the death of all godly men To be dead to sinne then is to be mortified in respect of sin Sin is said to be dead either in appearance or in deed In appearance only it is dead in such as have their sins only restrained for a time eâ—â—her by Gods owne strong hand or else by themselves kept downe for certaine hypocriticall ends or else for want of occasion or temptation to stir the sinne thus sinne was dead in Paul when he was unregenerate and revived when the Law came Rom. 7.9 Sin is dead indeed in godly men but with a difference for though in this life they be wholly rid of many sins yet some corruptions are not wholly removed yet are they dead to them in the inchoation of it their sins lie a dying but in the life to come they shall be wholly and fully delivered from all sin Thus of the sense There be many Doctrines may be hence observed as Doct. 1. First it is evidently here implied that all men by nature and out of Christ are alive to sin or live to sin and in sinning they may be said to live or be alive or live to it in divers respects 1. Because all the parts of their life are full of sin sin infecteth their persons and their workes 2. Because they are in bondage to sin so as all their life they are at the command of sin they are servants of sin Rom. 6. 3. Because they account sin to be the life of their lives they could not esteeme life but for the hope of liberty and power of sinning It were a death to them to live restrained of sin as appeares when either by punishment or for other ends they are found to cease sinning 4. Because they doe not destroy sin in letting it live they are guilty of the life of sin in them because they will not use the means to subdue and mortifie sin that dwels in them but let it alone unresisted 5. Because they have most life or are most lively when they have most liberty to sin 6. Because they continue in sinne they spend not an houre but it is in sinne yea they so sinne now that they desire to spend everlasting
husbandman that his land beare no thornes not briers not weeds if it beare him not good graine It is not enough for a servant that he do his Master no hurt but he must â—ee to it that he do his Masters worke For first obedience and good fruits are required at our hands in the Law of God besides the prohibition of sinne Secondly Christ dyed to this end that we might live righteously as well as die to sinne Thirdly because all the gifts of the Spirit bestowed on us in our regeneration are given to profit withall not to lay them up in a napkin 1 Cor. 12. Fourthly because we shall be judged at the last day according to our works Rom. 2.6 Use. And therefore this shewes the dangerous folly of such carnall people as think if they come to Church and live civilly and doe nobody no wrong they are out of all question in a right course And besides it should awake carelesse and sluggish Christians to look to their gifts and remember what accounts they will give to God for their unprofitablenesse and unfruitfulnesse 2 Pet. 1.8 Doct. 3. It is from hence evident that the only living is to live righteously He is worthy to be sayd to live that lives to righteousnesse a religious life is the best life And these are the reasons First because it is the most honorable life For to live to righteousnesse makes a man highly in the favour of God Psa. 11.7 Prov. 15.9 and it shewes that a man is borne of God 1 Ioh. 2.29 and besides it helps a man to the best and most blessed memoriall Prov. 10.7 and the fruits of righteousnesse are the best means of glorifying God Phil. 1.11 And therefore Salomon sayd well that the righteous is more excellent than his neighbour Pro. 12.26 And David saith They are the only excellent Ones Ps. 16. whereas every wicked man is lothsome and a sinfull life is a shamefull life Prov. 1â— 5 c. 14.34 Secondly because it is the most profitable life and the most gainfull for blessings are upon the head of the righteous Pro. 10.6 The wicked worketh a deceitâ—ull work but to him that â—oweth righteousnes shall be a sure reward Pro. 11.18 And righteousnesse is both the best riches and the most durable Pro. 8.18 19 20. And it hath the promise of this life as well as the life to come 1 Tim. 6. Iob 8 6. And the profit of righteousnesse will help a man when he is to die when the treasures of the wicked will profit nothing Pro. 10.2 Yea a good man lacketh not an inheritance for his childrens children and the wealth of the sinner is many times layd up for the juit Thi rely because it is the safest and quietest life Hee that walketh uprightly walketh surely Prov. 10.19 and the fruit of righteousnesse is peace Iam. 3.18 For Gods promise is that no evill shall happen to the just whereas the wicked shall be filled with mischiefe Pro. 12.21 And Gods blessing makes them rich and he mingles no sorrow with it Pro. 10.21 and 15.6 And righteousnesse is reckoned as an impenetrable aâ—mour 2 Cor. â— 7 And God doth marke every one that doth righteousnesse and solaceth his heart Esay 64.5 And the very doing of good is sweetnesse to the â—ouâ—e Pro. 13.19 And whereas there is no peace to the wicked the righteous is at peace with God with Angels with the creatures and with all godly men Fourthly because it is the most durable life for the feare of the Lord prolongeth the dayes but the yeeres of the wicked shall be shortned Pro. 10. 27.30 The way of righteousnesse is life and in the path-way thereof is no death Pro. 12.28 As a whirl-winde so is the wicked seene no more but the righteous is an everlasting foundation Prov. 10.25 Fiftly because it is a life that ends the best of all mens lives for the wicked is driven away in his wickednesse but the righteous hath hope in his death and great hope too having the promises of a better life and so much glory as the eye of mortall man never saw nor eare of man heard nor came into the heart of a naturall man Pro. 14.32 1 Tim. 6. 1 Cor. 2.9 Sixtly because righteousnesse is more proper to the soule What is riches or honour or any outward thing to the soule of man or what shall it profit a man to provide the whole world to be his estate if hee provide not grace for his soule Riches profit but the outward estates of a man whereas righteousnesse profits the man himselfe And therefore Adams losse was greater in losing his innocency than in losing of Paradise What can it profit a man to have all other things good about him if he be not good himselfe Use. The Use should be first for triall Men should throughly search themselves whether they be indeed righteous men and the more carefully should they search because the most righteous on earth have their many ignorances and frailties There is no man but sinneth daily and in many things And besides a man may attaine to some kinde of righteousnesse and yet not enter into the Kingdome of heaven as there is a generation that are pure in their owne eyes and yet are not cleansed from their sins And the Pharisees had a righteousnesse that had many praises they gave almes and fasted and prayed long prayers and did that which was warrantable in respect of the Law outwardly and yet if our righteousnesse exceed not the righteousnesse of the Scribes and Pharisees we cannot enter into the Kingdome of heaven Quest. But how may a man know all his infirmities notwithstanding he be truely righteous and have such a righteousnesse as doth exceed the righteousnesse of the Scribes and Pharisees Ans. For answer hereunto I will cast the signes of a righteous man into two rankes First such as describe him in himselfe secondly such as describe him in the difference from Pharisaicall righteousnesse The signes that describe him in himselfe either appeare upon him in his infancy or in his ripe age In the very infancy of the just man even when God first changeth his heart and cleanseth him and raiseth him up to live righteously there be divers things by which he may discerne the truth of his sanctification as First by the dissolving of the stoninesse of his heart When God comes effectually to cleanse a man he takes away the stony heart out of the body and gives him a heart of flesh he may feele his heart melt within him especially when he stands before the Lord when the Lord is fashioning of him for himselfe by his Ordinances Ezek. 36.25 26. He hath a new heart that hath not a stony heart Secondly by the rising of the day-starre in his heart The Father of lights when he renueth the heart of a man causeth a sudden and heavenly light as it were a starre to shine in the understanding by vertue of which men see more into
3.9 Phil. 2.2 3. 5. Men miserably neglect thankfulnesse to God for the good they receive daily from his mercies Col. 3.17 6. Many faile publikely and shamefully in want of care to come time enough to Gods service Zech. 8.21 Esay 60.8 In these things Christians should be admonished to mind their wayes and their workes and to strive to walke as becommeth the Gospel and the death of Christ that they may hold fast the light of the truth and shew out better the glory of a Christian life And thus of living to righteousnesse Now followes the third forme of speech By whose stripes we are healed The healing of our sicknesses is reckoned as another fruit of the Passion of Christ or else it is the same with the former exprest in other words These words then are borrowed from the Prophet Esay ch 53.5 who doth chiefely understand the spirituall healing of our soules of our sins as the coherence shewes in the Prophet but yet the Evangelist saith Mat. 8.17 and understands of the healing of our bodies also And therefore I consider of the death of Christ both in respect of soule and body And first as this healing is referred to the soule divers Doctrines may be observed Doct. 1. The soules of all men are diseased by nature even the very soules of the Elect are so till they be healed by Christ. The soule is diseased divers wayes especially by sorrowes and sins it is the disease by sin is here meant Quest. It would be inquired how the soule comes to be sick of these diseases and why sin is called sicknesse in the soule Ans. This spirituall sicknesse comes into the soule by propagation Adam hath infected all his posterity and every man hath increased the diseases of his nature by his owne wilfull transgressions Now sin is called sicknesse because it doth worke that upon the soule which sicknesse doth upon the body for sin hath weakned the strength of the soule in all the faculties of it which all men may discerne and observe in themselves by nature Besides it causeth spottednesse and deformity in the soule as sicknesse doth in the body and therefore sin was likened to the leprosie in the Law Further it often causeth pain and torment in the soule as wounds and diseases do in the body for there is no peace to the wicked especially when God fighteth against them with his terrours Besides it will cause the death of the soule as sicknesse will of the body if it be not helped and so men are said to be dead in sins Use. The Use may be to shew the fearfull negligence of worlds of people that are exceeding carefull to help their bodies to health but never think of the poore soule that lieth lamentably full of diseases And withall it shewes that all wicked men are men of ill natures because their dispositions are all diseased though there be degrees of ill nature or of this evill in men natures as there is difference of sicknesses in mens bodies And godly men should be compassionate when they see the grievous diseases in the natures and lives of other men remembering that they also were by nature subject to the same diseases as well as they Doct. 2. The diseases in the soules of men by nature are very grievous which is here also implied in that God was faine to send his owne Son to help and heale us Now that the diseases of mens soules are so grievous may appeare many wayes First because such a multitude of men are infected not some one person in the whole world in the body of mankind not on some part but from the crowne of the head to the soale of the foot all full of sores and diseases There is no man that sinneth not and so no man that is not sick and that is the reason why men feare the pestilence because it makes so many sicke Secondly because the soule of man by nature is sicke of a multitude of diseases at once for even sin is a sicknesse and so our sicknesses are innumerable because our sins are so And hence it is that in Scripture so many metaphors are used to expresse the sicknesse of the soule as leprosie wounds plagues poyson gall c. Thirdly because the disease lieth in the soule it selfe Of diseases those are most mortall that get into the spirits and doe most enfeeble man how much more when it is in the soule Fourthly because in respect of our selves our sins or our diseases are incurable we can give our selves no remedy that can help us Ier. 30. Fiftly because in the Colledge of spirituall Physicians there is scarce one of a thousand that can help the poore soule out of these diseases Iob 33. Sixtly because there be but certaine seasons onely in which men can be healed as it was with the lame man at the poole of Bethesda and if men misse these seasons they are in danger to dye of these sicknesses There be seasons of grace and dayes of salvation and men must not harden their hearts while it is called To day Use. The Use should be to awaken wicked men to a serious consideration of their danger and at length to thinke of helpe for their soules being thus diseased as they would doe for their bodies if they were desperately sicke Ob. We feele no such diseases in our soules Sol. First wicked men have a kinde of spirituall lethargie upon them and so are in grievous danger but by reason of their spirituall sleepinesse they feele it not Secondly though they feele not their diseases now they shall doe hereafter and then thinke what a paine it will be unto them when God awakens them whether they will or no. It may be it will be in this life as it was with Cain and Iudas and then a wounded spirit will ake so who can beare it Thirdly the matter is not altogether so easie with wicked men as they pretend fâ—r they doe feele so much as may shew they are very sicke Sometimes they feele their consciences galling and paining them at the very heart for the time and what are the passions and perturbations of their soules but as so many fits ofâ—a Feaver And that they are grievously sicke may appeare by the want of their spirituall senses they can hardly see or heare any thing Besides they may know they are sicke by the potions of afflictions which God gives them who doth nothing in vaine Doct. 3. That in Christ the diseases of our soules may be healed Esay 53.5 Mal. 4.2 Luke 4.18 He is a sure Physician for our soules God hath undertaken it that he will cure and heale us he challengeth it as a glory to himselfe which he executes by Christ Iob 5.17 18. Deut. 32.39 Now in as much as our diseases may be healed by Christ and that he is our Physician appointed by God we may gather many arguments of great comfort even from hence that he is the Physician First because