John 15.5 2 Resurrection to glory Rom. 8.11 hence he is called a quickning Spirit 1 Cor. 15.45 Vse 1. If Christ be a word of life then men out of Christ have no life in them they have neither the life of justification nor mortification nor vivification nor resurrection to glory but are stark dead men to grace and glory 2. If Christ be a word of life then we who professe our selves to be Christians to be Members of Christ are to live no life but this now for the better conceiving of this know that we live a threefold life 1. Naturall 2. Spirituall 3. Carnall whereby we live the life 1 Of Reason 2 Grace 3 Sin The two former we may live and are so to doe because we receive both these lives from Christ the word of life the last we are not to live for the Members can live no life but the life of their head the branches live no life but the life of the root Hence Paul lived not but Christ in him Gal. 2.20 Now that we may doe this we must esteem and carry our selves as dead men to all things else that we may wholly live and move and have our being to him and from hence arise three duties First We are not to live to our old sins at all but to be as dead men to them Rom. 6.11 and therefore to have no Member to stir at their command Rom. 6.13 old lusts when they now call upon us we are to lend the deaf Ear to them when we were dead to Righteousnesse we did not one living action but sinfull so now being dead to sin let us doe no liâ—ing action but righteous Secondly We are no longer to live unto friends to riches honours or pleasures but to the Lord we once were wedded to such things but now being dead we are free from them Rom. 7.1 2. if these call for any motion or action of a living man at our hands not agreeable to the Will of Christ we are dead hence Wives are to obey their Husbands in the Lord Col. 3.18 and Children their Parents Ephes 6.1 and Servants their Masters Ephes 6. so Psal 45.10 11. 3. We are to be as dead men to our own reason and will and all the affections of our hearts and to yeeld to them onely in the Lord Luke 9.23 He that would live to God when he is dead must die to himselfe while he is alive Vse 3. If Christ be a Word of Life a living and a quickning word then when we finde our hearts dead and dull and indisposed to good duties run we and seek unto him for life and quickning Psal 119.37 40. If we be afflicted in Conscience and esteem our selves as dead men in regard of the apprehension of Gods Wrath and the want of the life of Justification then let us seek to him Psal 119.107 28. If we fear that though we finde some life of grace yet we shall be unfruitfull and dead unto God except we be strengthened and quickned more then ordinary here againe let us seek unto this Word of Life Luke 17.5 Mark 9.24 In the midst of our entertainment of many of our acquaintance as Hezekiah did 2 Kings 20.13 who might have taken an excellent opportunity of sanctifying Gods name considering the occasion of their coming 2 Chron. 32.31 he might have wrought on them to have embraced the true worship of such a God Deut. 32.31 And so indeed did Moses upon Jethro Exod. 18.8 9 10 11 12. and in the liberall use of Gods Creatures an easie matter it is to forget God and to be dead and unfruitfull unto him here then seek to this Word of Life but alwayes seek we in humility and consciousnesse of our own weaknesse and then God will delight to quicken us 1 JOHN 1.2 For the life appeared and we have seen it and bear witnesse and shew unto you that eternall life which was with the Father and was manifested unto us THis Verse containeth nothing in a manner in it but what you have mentioned either in the verse before or else in the next after it In it consider 1. The dependance of it with the former the words come in by way of answer to an objection Obj. If Christ was from the beginning eternal God how then could he be seen and heard John 1.18 No man hath seen God at any time Answ Yes for that eternall Word of Life was in fulnesse of time made manifest in the flesh c. 2. The order of the words in themselves and in plain placing they stand thus For that Life that Eternall Life which was with the Father and which we have seen and thereof we bear witnesse and which we shew or declare unto you appeared appeared I say unto us 3. The meaning of the words which is best opened by handling distinctly five Propositions which are expresse in the Text Three concerning Christ Two concerning the Apostles First Three concerning Christ 1. Christ is Life Life eternall 2. This Eternall Life Christ was with the Father 3. This Eternall Life which was with the Father appeared to the Apostles Secondly Two concerning the Apostles 1. The Apostles and Disciples saw this eternall life 2. Thâ—â—postles and Disciples bare witnesse unto and declared this eternall life to the Church of God Proposit 1. Christ is life eternall Life Therefore called the word of Life v. 1. hence also John 14.6 though life there is not taken so largely as here There the meaning is I am the true and right way to eternall life as appeareth by that which goeth before from verse 2. to 6. and the reason following verse 6. Here it is taken for him who liveth in himselfe and is the Fountain and Author of all life to us whether of Nature or Grace or Glory Eternall life 1 John 5.20 and he is so called because 1. Himselfe liveth for ever Rev. 1.17 18. Prov. 8.23 2. To us he is the Author of eternall life Heb. 5.9 John 18.28 Vse 1. From hence the God head of Christ is argued and that 1. From his Simplicity comparing this place with John 5.26 see the like 1 Joh. 1.5 7. He is therefore free from all composition not onely of matter and form universall and particular but even of subject and adjunct Ergo He is God for these speeches are are no Hyperbolies 2. Fâ—om his Eternity for no Creature is eternal but all had their beginning in time Vse 2. Hence we see a reason 1. Of that speech in Prov. 8. ult All that hate me love death such are all they that will not be governed by him Luke 19.14 2. Of that speech Eph. 2.1 5. men out of Christ are dead 3. Why ungodly and wicked men die eternally they are out of Christ John 15.6 where is to be translated not Men but Angels Mat. 13.49 50. the Angels whomsoever they finde out of Christ they cast into Eternall death not so much because they have deserved it for so have the godly but because they are out of Christ 4. Why some for a time make a faire Profession yet hold not out their life of
that make us more sufficient but we above all things are to desire and strive with God for the annointment of his Spirit mentioned 1 John 2.27 And Again the Apostles being such simple men were fitted to deliver it so as might be most for Gods glory not in excellency of words but in evidence of the Spirit 1 Cor. 4.5 and therefore Paul though otherwise a learned man imitated their simplicity 1 Cor. 2.12 13. And here Chemnitius his modesty is to be commended who when he cometh to speak of some points of Divinity carved out by the School-men too curiously is wont to say Hac non sapiunt Piscatoriam sapientiam Vse 1. Behold then the great and fearfull unthankfulnesse of the World who put most of these men to death who did declare unto them Eternall Life Vse 2. If the Apostles shew unto us Eternall Life it is easie to discern how far they be from Eternall Life who doe not receive their Witnesse alas how many poor souls through the greatest part of the World Jewes Turks all the rest of the Pagans and Infidells are by this means cut off from all hope of Eternal Life how true alas is that speech of our Saviour Mat. 7.13 14. many there be who go in the broad way to destruction Vse 3. Then how much to blame are the Wolves rather than Shepheards of the Church of Rome who shut and lock up from the people in a strange Tongue the Writings of the Prophets and Apostles is not this one way to barre them from Eternall Life how truly upon them is that verified Luke 11.32 Vse 4. Then we all of us are to be exhorted diligently to be conversant in the Writings of the Apostles John 5.39 where what our Saviour spake of the Writings of the Prophets my Text speaketh the very same of the Writings of the Apostles they bear witnesse of Christ and shew unto us Eternall Life and as the Apostle spake unto our Saviour so may we to them John 6.68 Ministers most of all are to be conversant in their Writings because they succeed the Apostles in bearing witnesse unto Christ and declaring of him so little differing from that of theirs else we bring a curse upon our own heads Gal. 1.8 which if the Church of Rome had remembred they would never have thrust out the Apostles from the Chairs of their Professors and brought in the Sentences of Peter Lombard but we are to follow Timothies example 2 Tim. 3.15 16 17. and all Christians are to imitate the forwardnesse of Christians in Chrysostoms time Vse 5. Then we are to praise the Lords goodnesse unto us who hath granted unto us their Writings Consider the like example Psal 147.12 19 20. It was a great preferment to the Jewes to have the Writings of the Prophets Rom. 3.1 2. but their witnesse of Christ is much more dark and obscure than this of the Apostles without their Writings we should but have groped after God Acts 17.27 and as for Christ this Eternall Life we should never have dreamed of him the Lord make us more thankfull and more carefull to walk more worthy of them lest he take them from us 1 JOHN 1.3 4. That I say which we have seen and heard declare we unto you c. IN these two Verses we have of the Apostles Doctrine 1. The subject repeated That which we have seen and heard 2. And declared 3. The end 1 Subordinate fellowship with the Apostles 2 Supream fulnesse of joy The subject is repeated 1. For Explication or plainness sake for the Parenthesis of the second verse would otherwise by interrupting the course of speech have obscured the sentence 2. For confirmation of what he had said before he thrice repeateth that which we have seen and doubleth that which we have heard to shew that he doubted not of what he spake but was most confident and resolute therein Obs Observe hence the certainty and undoubted truth of the Doctrine of the Apostles Reas 1. The Apostles taught nothing but what was manifest to their senses See 2 Pet. 1.16 Compare with him his Successor who seeing great sums of Money brought in by Indulgences Pardons c. said to one of his Cardinalls O quantum fabula ista de Christo nobis proficit Again sense took away doubting even from unbelieving Thomas John 20.25 27 28. 2. The Apostle again and again ingeminates here that what they taught was manifest to their sense now ingeminations are for confirmations Gen. 41.32 Gal. 1.8 9. Ezek. 7.6 this therefore doth shew again how confident he was of it himselfe i. e. therefore no marvell of that speech John 21. penult We know c. For 3. The efficacy of that Doctrin or the power of it argueth the certainty of it for that Doctrine which giveth us union with God communion with the Saints of God fulnesse of joy in our selves must needs be a most certaine Doctrin of heavenly truth there is no perswasion to settle a mans own Conscience answerable to this 4. And for a fourth Reason consider another Branch of the power of this Doctrine the Apostles that declared it were for the most part poor and simple men and unlearned men the Doctrine taught was but of a Crucified Saviour harsh to carnall ears 1 Cor. 1.23 the times were such wherein it was not onely every where spoken against Acts 28.22 but also grievously persecuted throughout the Roman Empire and that with exquisite Torments and yet it did so powerfully work Plut in Apop Pris Regum that in Tertullians time which was the next Age after Christ there were more Christians every where than of all other Professions besides Cyrus indeed allured many to be his followers but he sent out great men to make another kinde of Proclamation Whosoever will come and follow after me if he be a Foot-man I will make him a Hors-man if he be a Hors-man I will make him a Rider in a Coach if a Farmer a Gentleman if he posesse a Cottage I will give him a Village if he have a Village I will give him a City and if he be Lord of a City I will make him Prince of a Region or Country and as for Gold I will pour it out to him by weight and heaps and not by number But Christs Proclamation is contrary Luke 9.23 14.26 and yet had he infinitely more followers All other Reasons as the testimony of the Church c. are but like the woman of Samaria preparing us to believe John 4.29 this convinceth us so strongly that in comparison we reject other Reasons moving us to believe as they did John 4.41 42. How true is that of Picus in his Conclusions as Faith which is but a bare credulity is in a degree of perfection inferior to science so that Faith which is wrought in us by the work of the Holy Ghost is greater and more certain than any science gotten by demonstration Vse 1 If the Apostles Doctrin were so certain that
extreame and deadly 3. It is new and rare because they have been wonted to no such thing Vse Let the world know that Gods people have more cause to think strange of the world then the world of them they give the world no cause to hate them Acts 17.6 Doct Gods children are not to marvell at the worlds hatred 1 Thess 3.3 Reas 1. God hath appointed you to it you must take notice of it God hath done it for many ends How else should you shew forth your patience how should you be kept off from bad company God will lay bitter pills to the breasts of the world that so you may be weaned from it Psalm 119.115 2. The world many times doth it out of ignorance The world knows it not therefore we may take it the better that we are ill dealt withall A King takes it not ill to be badly dealt withall at strangers hands 3. The world hated Christ therefore no marvell if it hate us 4. It is no new thing it hath continued from Cain 5 From the inclination of your own hearts if you were in the worlds case you would doe the like Therefore marvell not Tit. 3.2 3. Vse 1. Of instruction to such as live in places of Religion If we be hated wonder we not at it We shall condemne the generation of Gods people The cause is partly from the tempter partly from the wickednesse of the world Vse 2. Do not lay down Religion for fear of the worlds hatred This is not the way fear not the hatred of the world Some Subjects will not feare the body of a State so they may have the Kings favour Much lesse should Gods servants fear though the whole body of a Countrey should fall foule upon them 3. This should teach Gods servants to walk so much the more circumspectly humbly lovingly If a man were to walk amongst his friends he would care the lesse but if he live among his enemies he will looke to every step so soon as you trip you shall have mouthes enough open against you Therefore Daniels course was notable he so walked that they could not taxe him Daniel 6.1 to 7. 1 JOHN 3.14 We know that we have passed from death unto life because we love the Brethren he that loveth not his Brother abideth in death THe Apostle layes down this as a second reason why they should not marvell implying that they that know they have passed from death to life need not marvell though the world hate them Doct. Gods people have passed from death to life Gods people are opposed to the world they are translated out of the world John 5.24 They are redeemed out of the world by death he means a contrary state to life Death and Condemnation are Synonymaes By death is meant death for sin and death in sin the naturall estate in which a man lives whilest he is in this world which is called a state of death in a fivefold respect 1. All death presupposeth life to go before We do not say that a stone is dead Death is a privation of life A man that hath no life but what the world gives he is dead because he had a life at least in possibility in the loyns of Adam Ephesians 2.3 2. Death in the proper notion of it is a separation of the soul from the body We are said to be dead Gal. 2.20 because our souls and bodies which are capable of life are separated from the Lord Jesus the fountain of life Eph. 4.17 18 19. 2.12 3. From the definition of life which is a power to move it selfe in it's owne place When we see a thing to move it selfe in it's owne place we say it is quick and hath life A man may do many things yet not from an inward principle as Judas and Jehu Matth. 27.18 19. 2 Kings 10.15 16. is this life There are some motions from common grace but it is not spirituall life unlesse it aim at spirituall ends and upon spirituall grounds As if a man be humbled for sin because it is displeasing to God Judas was troubled in his conscience not for sinning against God for then he would not have grieved God by hanging himselfe It was not an inward motion and voluntary so Jehu he did it to establish his owne Kingdome he regarded not the commandements of the Lord 1 Kings 10.30 31. 4. In regard of the binding over to eternall death as a condemned man is counted a dead man John 3. ult 5. From the power required to make such a man alive 2 Cor. 5.17 There must be a new a breathing power The state of grace is called life 1. Because we have received fellowship with Christ he lives in us and we in him Gal. 2.20 John 15.1 2. We have an inbred power in our selves to move upon spiritual grounds and for spiritual ends Rom. 8.2 Mat. 5.3 to 10. Passed from death to life from the hatred of our Brethren to the love of them There are these steps of it from one to another 1. A man is a poor man and that 1. In debt 2. Hath nothing 3. An hard creditor 4. No surety 2. He begins to mourn bitterly for this his estate 3. He becomes meek 4. He hungers and thirsts and prayes for grace and cannot be satisfied without it 5. He begins to be mercifull he pities every soul that is in a state of nature and under a spirit of bondage 6. He is pure in heart abstains from sin doth Gods commandements 7. He is a peace-maker he is at peace with God and with his own conscience and now he labours to make others at peace 8. He will now suffer persecution for righteousnesse sake Vse 1. This convinceth all the works of the Heathens as dead works Some are famous for courage justice c. But all these are but dead works Gods pure Martyrs have suffered not for any glory of theirs but Gods glory 2. It refutes a main ground of Popery the doctrine of Free-will which gives a man power to be converted when he will If a dead man can rise from death to life then may a dead man in sin come to the life of grace 3. Gather hence how our estate stands We come to Church it may be repeat Sermons and do many good duties Would we know whether our life be a dead life or no Consider we upon what principles we do good duties if we do good duties because they are pleasing to God if we have respect to all Gods commandements if there be a change in our hearts which makes us willing this is a signe we are passed from death to life 4. To teach us not to rest in our naturall condition for then thou art but a dead man although thou hast all morall grace 1 Cor. 13.2 3. 5. This may be a comfort to every soul that hath passed from death to life God is his God and he shall never come into condemnation Math. 22.23 John 5.24 Doct. The love of our
gives a reason of this above all there is no surer argument then this A Christian may reason thus If I that have but a little sparke of grace can forgive injuries how shall not the Ocean of love much more forgive me Mat. 18. ult God will never have us to think that if we cannot forgive one injury he will forgive us a thousand Yet a man is not alwayes bound to expresse his forgivenesse unlesse a man come and say it repents him yet from his heart he must doe it Vse 1. Shewes the dangerous and fearfull estate of a man that dares live in envy and malice against his brethren A man thinks he hath cause he will not receive the Sacrament nor suffer them What a poor thing is this Thou hast not thy sins forgiven thou lovest not God nor any Christian soul in obedience to God A Christian dares not allow himselfe in hatred of any Brother but looks at it as an enemy to his soul 2. It exhorts every Christian to enlarge the bowels of his affection to every Brother Psal 119.63 I am a companion to all them that fear thee He doth not pick and choose Psal 66.16 Gal. 6.10 If to all men then especially to the houshold of faith 3. It is a ground of thankfullnesse to God that hath taken care for weakest Christians for want of love to such God will either discharge a man for an hypocrite or else his own corruption shall take him by the throat and make him beleeve that many sins are not forgiven and that he shall hardly get pardon of sins 1 JOHN 3.15 Whosoever hateth his Brother is a murtherer and ye know that no murtherer hath eternall life abiding in him THe Apostle having said in the former verse that he that loveth not his Brother abideth in death he proves it by a Syllogisme taken from a Murtherer Doct. He that hates his Brother is a Murtherer As he that looks upon a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery so he that hates his brother is a murtherer Reas 1 From the wrapping up and infolding this in the heart as the seed of a tree in the root though it breake not forth So sin hah its seed in the heart Mat. 15.19 No murther could spring from the heart if it were not there A fountaine could not flow over unlesse water were in it Prov. 4.23 2 From the foul murther hatred commits to give offence is a destroying of our Brother now who hates his Brother makes no scruple of giving offence Rom. 14.15 1 Cor. 8.11 3 It is a foul murther in regard of withdrawing many good offices A man shall be unwilling to doe any good office either for soul or body Ill will never speakes nor doth well Vse 1 Teacheth us the spiritualnesse of the Word of God It doth transcend the words of men they never reach farther then speeches and actions they make no Lawes for the hearts of men But the Word of God hath special regard to the heart 1 Sam. 16.7 As it is with wise parents they look not only to the guidance of their childrens speeches but that their countenance and carriage be well framed Gen. 4.6 So soon as God saw hatred in Cains heart and expressing it selfe in his countenance he reproves him for it he will not have so much as a wrinkle in the face 2 Hence we may see a just ground of Divines referring all sins and virtues to the ten Commandements Mat. 5.21 22. Before God unadvised anger is killing so of adultery verse 28. 3 See the wisdome of God in putting such foule names upon the beginnings of sin to make us afraid He that hateth his Brother is a Murtherer As if a Father should say Doe not hate your Brother you will be a murtherer He puts bad words upon the seeds of sin 4 This should be a means to cleanse us from all hatred of our Brother look at it as an ugly and loathsome vice If there be a spirit of envy in thy heart what though thou lift not up thy hand against thy Brother this is murther Doct. That it is a known truth amongst Gods children every murtherer is devoyd of eternall life Rev. 21.8 Reas 1 Because of the injury done to Gods image If a man deface the image of a Prince it deserves death then the defacing of Gods image much more eternall death Gen. 9.6 2 From the seed of all murtherers vers 12. he makes every murtherer to be of the posterity of Cain John 8.44 Now because a man kills his brother out of the seed of the Serpent a devillish and malignant spirit therefore he hath not eternal life abiding in him Vse 1 See the danger of such who in their drinkings quarrell even to murther Obj. If there be no possibility that a murtherer should be saved what say you to David and others in their carnall estate Answ David did indeed kill and God follows him with judgments and afflictions 2 Sam. 12.8 9 10. but yet upon repentance God forgave him his sin And as for such as have murthered in their carnal estate if God give them hearts to be humbled then the blood of Christ is of a lowder cry then the blood of Abel Heb. 12.24 Saint John speaks not of every murtherer for some doe it against their judgments and hearts but others if they repent not have not eternal life 1 Cor. 6.8 9. 2. To stir up every christian man that hath his hands in blood to have recourse to the blood of the covenant for the pardon of their sins and healing of them The sin on Levi held him longest under to bring him to repentance Gen. 49.7.28 Jacob blessed him in a curse God preserves us with curses that may put us in minde of our sins and makes us walk sensibly of them therefore renew we our mournings for our hatred 3 In respect of challenges let us take heed we take them not and that we stop them in the beginning It is not fit that fire should burn out of its place 4 Such as love their Brethren are not only not abiding in death but have everlasting life already abiding in them If you see any hatred spring in thee thou art taken with a dead Palsie You cannot bring out a good word or good countenance so much hatred so much death so much want of love so much want of life 1 JOHN 3.16 Hereby perceive we the Love of God because he laid down his life for us and we ought to lay down our lives for the Brethren THese words are part of the exhortation St. John useth to all christians to love one another He useth many arguments vers 14. He tells us It is a sign we are translated from death to life 2. From the danger of the hatred of our Brother 3 From the exemplary and strong love of Christ 4 From the emptinesse of such hearts of grace when there is no love of their Brethren These words are a notable motive to christians
The Sun is the life of many Vermine take away the Sun and they dye as flyes but when the Sun shines in its season they live let God take away the Sun-shine of his favour from us we can neither pray nor preach we live a life of grace of holinesse Prov. 16.14 15. Rom. 8.2 Ephes 2.4 5. there is life enougst in Christ to procure us life 2 There is a life of glory of which it is said John 10.27 28. That Christ gives to his sheep eternall life 1 Cor. 15.4 5. John 5.24 28 29. so many whose souls receive life by the Word of the Gospel their bodies shall rise to eternall life How did Christ procure us this life He procured this by his death Rom. 5.9 10. while we were yet enemies we were yet reconciled by the death of Christ We received life of grace and holinesse by his means I will pour out my Spirit of grace upon all flesh Reas 1. It was unpossible our corrupt nature should fulfill any law of God Rom. 8.4 Gal. 3.21 2 The glory of Christ requires that as the Father quickneth so he also John 5.21 Vse 1. This shewes us what our condition is without Christ if God send Christ that we might live through him then in Gods fight without Christ we are dead as dead flyes dead wormes in a cold frost we are utterly dead without true peace we are like thorns that give a blaze but we lye down in sorrow Isa 50.11 Christ is our life without him we can doe nothing we are not able to put forth any spirituall action 2 Let us try our estates Whether can we say that God sent his Son into the world and hereby manifested his love to us Doe you live in Gods sight without him we are but dry bones untill we can say we live in Christ we cannot say we have any sense of Gods favour 3 It teacheth such as have any evidence of life in Christ Joh. 10.10 to come into Gods presence as dry bones intreat God that he would so speake the word as that those dry bones may live 4 To teach all such as have received this manifest token of Gods love to acknowledge the Lord Christ to be their life Phil. 1.21 For me to live is Christ and to dye is gain now Paul is crucified with Christ Gal. 2.20 and now for him to live is Christ now every day he lives he doth the more expresse Christ 1 JOHN 4.10 Herein is love not that we loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins Doct. THe love of God to us was not procured by our love to him but his own good pleasure he therefore loved us because it pleased him So that in these words we have the freenesse of Christs love he loved us freely because he loved us when we loved not him we did not begin in love to him but he to us and this is set out by the effect and end of it the pardon of our sins What is that love God bare to us before we loved him Answ There is a threefold principle of love which God magnifies and manifests to his people before they love him 1 That love whereby he chose us to life and to redeem us by Christ 2 Tim. 1.9 and the choyce to life was not according to workes but free grace 2 Gods love in redeeming us by Christ was before any love of ours to God Joh. 3.16 3 His love prevented us by effectually calling us drawing implies unwillingnesse therefore it prevented all good affections in us he must draw us out of presumption then out of despair Reas From the difference between the care of Gods love and of our love self love is so â—iveted in our hearts that we cannot love any unlesse it be for some cause concerning us a natural man loves none any further then tends to profit or pleasure but a Christian is inlarged to all Gods children he loves them all and the ground of this is because we know such to be incorporated into the same body with us and so as we see them in some kind our own and so we should never have loved God unlesse we had found his love to us Object A christian comes off freely to many â—ffices of love to them that love not him Answ True but it is because he knows God can abundantly recompence it they sometimes may lay down their lives for their brethren and for the Truth but they know that Christ hath done it for them before 2 From the eternity of Gods love now Jer. 31.3 an everlasting love can have no cause the cause is alwayes before the effect no temporall thing can be the cause of an eternall love 3 From the end of Gods love that he might bring us to walke in love Ephes 1.4 Tit. 2.14 The love of God to his people of old is a fir president to all his children Deut. 7.8 9. compared with Deut. 9.4 5 6. Vse 1. Refutes a popish and Arminian conceit that God chooseth none to life but out of foreseen faith and good works else he had chosen none to life but this is a mercenary love let a servant labour never so hard yet he knows he shall be well paid at the years end and therefore it is servile love this is that love which they would put upon God 2 It exhorts all to begin betimes to love God begin never so soon God hath prevented us Rom. 11.35 it was an early love of Josiah at twelve years of age when he sought after God but Gods love was up before him you cannot be in your love before him though you begin as soon as you are warm in the womb John Baptist was very early when he leaped for joy in the womb yet Gods love was before him an Angel had appeared to his Father and had promised a blessing before John was begotten 3 To teach old people if God have prevented them with love long before how should this stir them up to love God and to be humbled for the want of love to God that hath loved them so long Shall we be to seek in our love to God and cleave to worldlinesse in our old times and let God stay till our children be provided for What an unworthy dealing is this with God This should exhort all Gods servants that have had experience of Gods love to acknowledge the freedome of Gods love Job by Gods testimony was a man that feared God and eschewed evill What saith the Devill Doth Job serve God for naught No but though God had stript him of all as he did yet he had shewed such marvellous love to his soul as that he had just cause to love God for ever if God should not have bestowed on him one dram of wealth 4 This should teach Gods children to be as observant in love to Gods children as God is to them to love them freely to doe kindnesse to them freely Psal 16.2 3.
Christ liveth in me and the life I now live I live by faith in the Son of God live upon Christ daily fetch all your help and comfort and life from him and for eternall life seeing it is laid up in him let us lay claim to it in his Name and lay up the security of all our life in him that so though it be unsetled yet in him it may be sure 1 JOHN 5.12 He that hath the Son hath life and he that hath not the Son hath not life THis Verse contains the third record God hath given us of his Son and that is the subject of this eternall life to whom this life is given and that is onely to the true believers He that hath the Son hath life and he that hath not the Son hath not life Doct. Vpon our having or not having of Christ depends our having or not having life Prov. 8.35 36. He that findeth me findeth life but he that hateth me loveth death Eph. 2.11 12. Without Christ we are aliens from life and strangers from the Covenant Quest Why doth our life depend upon the having of Christ Reas 1. From the insufficiency of all the creature to give life Heb. 10.1 4. For it is impossible that the bloud of Bulls or Goats should take away sin Besides should we die for our sins our selves yet we could not satisfie for our sins because we could never overcome death neither can our obedience to the law give us life Gal. 3.21 23. David speaks it fully in the Name of Christ Psal 22.29 No man can keep his soul alive he cannot keep naturall life much lesse a spirituall yea Adam in innocency was taught to look for the preservation of his life out of himselfe and therefore he was to eat of the tree of life implying that the maintenance of that life he then lived could not have been in himselfe but he must eat of the tree of life a type of Christ How much lesse could Adam fallen keep this life in him Quest Why is the creature insufficient to give life Answ 1. From the preciousnesse of that price which was to be paid for our life the matter of our justification is the price paid for our redemption Psal 49.8 The redemption of souls is precious and it is beyond the power of the creature it was onely the obedience of Christ as suffering to the death that could give a sufficient price for us and none but Christ could doe it because he thereby declared himselfe mightily to be the Son of God 2. For our life of Sanctification and Consolation that proceeds from the Spirit of God within us springing up in us to everlasting life John 16.7 John 4.10 Now its onely Christ that can give us this life it s he that must ascend up to heaven and send down the Comforter it s he that sets open this living Fountain 3. For eternall life that can onely be given by Christ in regard of the difficulty of it above all humane reach no man is able to deliver his soul from the grave Psal 49.7 8. Death is the passage to eternall life now for a man to die and aftewards to raise up himselfe is above created power John 11.25 Reas 2. From the good pleasure of God that hath appointed That in Christ should all fulnesse dwell Col. 1.19 Col. 3.4 All the springs of life flow from him onely there is no deriving of life from any other fountain Vse 1. From hence we may have an evident ground of tryall whereby we may know whether we be alive or dead why if we have the Son we have life if we have not the Son we have not life For the understanding of this we are to consider 1. What it is to have Christ 2. What it is to have the Son 3. Shew some signes of life For the first we are said to have Christ four wayes 1. By way of service 2. By way of purchase 3. By way of Covenant 4. By way of acceptance 1. By way of service or worship a man is said to have God that worships God as some Princes are chosen by the peoples adoration so by our adoring of God we have God Exod. 20.3 Thou shalt have no other Gods but me that is Thou shalt worship no other Gods but me if thou worship me you have me Psal 45.11 12. For he is the Lord thy God and worship thou him we receive Christ to be our Lord by worshipping him This Moses sang at the red Sea Exod. 15.2 3. to exalt and worship God makes him our God the worship of God is performed in our minds in our wills in our liveâ— 1. In our mindes we then have Christ when we have him in high estimation Cant. 5.10 My Beloved is white and ruddy the chiefest of ten thousand who is like unto thee among the gods Psal 8.7 Exod. 15.10 11. when the soul prizeth Christ above all then we have him this is the difference between spirituall and earthly things a man may prize gold and silver and riches and yet not have them but we never prize spirituall things especially Christ but we have them and this is worship for all worship stands in exalting another and debasing my selfe now if I give Christ divine esteem its divine worship now when the soul thus esteems Christ as the highest and debaseth himselfe to the lowest it hath Christ John 1.27 John the Baptist he so advanceth Christ that in comparison of him he thinks himselfe unworthy to loose the lachet of his shoe no mortall man so great but another may be worthy to loose his shoe but Christ is so highly advanced that we are not worthy to doe him the meanest service when a mans heart thus advanceth Christ and thinks himselfe most unworthy of the meanest service about him much more of having Christ himselfe when once we have Christ in such high esteem we have him indeed and this high prizing of Christ may a poor soul have when it can expresse little else and this is an evident argument of our having Christ when we can think the worst thing in Christ honourable and precious this was Moses his faith that he lookt at the very reproaches and afflictions of Christ as greater riches then the treasures of Egypt Heb. 11.25 26. 2. We honour Christ in our minds when we esteem nothing more worthy knowing then Christ 2 Cor. 2.2 For I determined to know nothing among you save Jesus Christ and him crucified John 17.3 and to know Christ is to know the vertue and worth of Christ as Paul knew him Phil. 3.7 8 9. that is to esteem all his best outward priviledges as base and filthy in respect of the knowledge of Christ an evident sign that Paul had him In Nature we never have a thing but we desire to know the worth and use of it Phil. 3.10 so every one that hath Christ desires to know what the power of his death is and the vertue of his Resurrection and
your faith live dayly by faith and you shall not want life Vse 7. Of consolation to every soul that hath Christ If thou hast Christ thou hast life and shalt have it more abundantly he that findeth him findeth life and they that seek not Christ seek death 1 JOHN 5.13 These things have I written unto you that believe on the Name of the Son of God that ye may know that ye have eternal life and that you may believe on the Name of the Son of God WE are now come to the beginning of the conclusion of this whole Epistle wherein he sets down the persons to whom he writes These things have I written to you to you that believe 2 The end wherefore he writes these things to these the end is twofold 1 That ye may know that ye have eternal life 2 That ye may believe on the Name of the Son of God which he amplifies in the verses following These words afford three Notes Doct. 1. This Epistle of John was written and delivered to believers only This is evident not onely in the Text but sundry other places of the Epistle cap. 1.4 He wrote it to such as by reading this Epistle might attain to full joy This is evident likewise by recounting the several sorts of persons to whom he wrote cap. 1.12 13 14. Which were of three sorts Babes Young men and Fathers yet all believers so cap. 4.4 Ye are of God little children His second Epistle was written to the elect Lady and the third Epistle to his beloved Gaius vers 1 2. All his writings were directed to believers so were all the Epistles of the rest of the Apostles directed to believers to Saints to the chosen of God to their brethren as will appear in all their first greetings when our Saviour himself wrote he wrote to such in whom he acknowledged many special graces yea even in the worst of them in the Church of Sardis he acknowledged that she had a few names Now this gives us just occasion to enquire Why they were written to believers 2 Why to them only To Believers 1. In regard of the special help and benefit their writings afford the Church the benefits of their writing to the Church were 1 Teaching 2 Thess 2.2 2 Putting them in remembrance 2 Pet. 1.22 23. 3 Stirring them up to practice what they knew 2 Pet. 1.2 3. 4 To humble the spirits of them that were puft up 2 Cor. 7 8. 5 That they might be strengthned in their faith 1 John 5.13 6 That their hearts might be filled with joy 1 John 1.4 which was effected Acts 15.31 7 These writings have bin the foundation of the faith of all Christians to the end of the world because they have afforded matter of all the preaching of the Ministers for by them the men of God are fully furnished and made perfect to every good work 2 Tim. 4.16 17. 2 He writes to believers only the reason is taken from the little use or profit that unbelievers will make of these writings till they be brought on to believe which is so little that not one of the Apostles directs any of their writings to them but only for the believers sake amongst them it 's with the Apostles writings as with prophesies and not miracles Prophesies are not for them that believe not but for them that believe Miracles are not for them that believe but for them that believe not not but that Miracles may confirm believers but believers should chiefly attend to Prophesies Take a company of unbelievers it 's little good they get by reading their writings for no good is done without faith now faith comes not by reading but by hearing had God ordained that reading should be effectual to the conversion of men he would have confirmed it by Miracles as he did the preaching of the Apostles Again had their writings been sanctified for the conversion of men they would have sent them abroad to the most remoâ—e places of the world where they were never likely to come but we see they did not but rather took pains themselves to goe about the world Rom. 10.15 16 17 18. Object Sometimes God hath blessed the reading of the law to the conversion of men Deut. 31 10 11 12 13. He blessed it not only to them that knew the law before but to their little ones that knew nothing and why then should not the reading of the Gospel be as effectual now seeing of the two it 's fuller of power Answ You shall not read that God blessed the ordinary reading of the law to this end but the reading there spoken of Deut. 31. was a solemn reading of the law at the years of solemn release which was but once in seaven years and the reason of it was because that year of release was an acceptable year and typed out our redemption by Christ for in one of those years of release Christ was put to death therefore to denote that God could give an extraordinary blessing to the reading of the law even to little children and shew that those that are released by Christ they shall read with understanding and profit this solemne reading every seaventh year was instituted and blessed 2 He doth not speak of bare reading but of expounding and applying it likewise which ordinarily accompanyed their readingâ— of the law for so we read expressely that they did at that very feast Neh. 7. ult cap. 8.4 to 9. Ezra stood up and read and then gave the sense whereat they were so much affected that they all wept abundantly Vse 1. May shew us the reason why so many good books written by learned godly men have so little prevailed to bring on any of the Papists few or none converted by any of our writings and no wonder for the writings of the Apostles themselves were not sanctified to this end it 's true writings have ever been useful to the convincing of some to the establishment of others to the satisfaction of others but none have prevailed to the conversion of any Vse 2. The like may be said of our reading Ministers look at all the good that hath been done in such Congregations where they have only readings you shall find them as ignorant of Christ and empty of grace as if they had never heard of such things You will say this is an uncharitable saying But I would know whether is more uncharitablenesse to flatter you in your woeful condition to your destruction or to tell you of your danger 2 Chron. 15.2 3. Now for a long time Israel had been without the true God and without a teaching Priest it cannot be conceived but that they had the law read in their Synagogues for the very Judicial law of Moses was the form of the Government which they could not be ignorant in but yet they are said to be without God because they had not a Priest to teach Object Acts 15.21 For Moses of old time hath in every City them that
both sensible and experimentall knowledge of Gods favour and breeds certain knowledge of the hearing and having our petitions granted hearing that is of Gods accepting them Verba sensus cum affectu effectu sunt intelligenda and having that is of the performing and fulfilling of our desires chiefly of the ends and aims of our prayers Vse 1. Serves to take off our hearts from confidence in any worldly thing and incourages them to believe on the name of Jesus Christ why because hence you shall not only be assured of salvation which yet is more then all the travails and p lgrimages and devotions of our Fore-fathers could reach unto but by believing on the Name of Christ you shall have confidence that all your prayers are heard Vse 2. For them that doe believe in Christ here is a method whereby they may be assured of the granting their petitions 1. Make sure your adoption for that breeds much assurance in prayer 2. Meditate much on Christ that Christ is your Advocate and atonement for your sins 3. Labour for a Spirit of faith and hope and fear and obedience and so you shall grow up to confidence and knowledge that your prayers are granted Many a Christian falls short of this confidence because he considers not who helps him to make his prayers who makes intercession for him or else he is wanting in some of those graces and so his prayers are full of doubtings Vse 3. Of consolation to all that believe on Christ why This is our confidence that whatsoever we ask according to Gods will he heareth us How comfortable then is the condition of a beleever Be his estate never so miserable his wants never so great if he can but pray well he may goe on comfortably 1 JOHN 5.16 16. If any man see his Brother sin a sin which is not unto death he shall ask and he shall give him life for them that sin not unto death There is a sin unto death I do not say that he shall pray for it All unrighteousnesse is sin and there is a sin not unto death THese words contain a third motive to stir us up to believe on Christ and that is from another benefit we shall thereby be enabled to bestow on our Brethren and that is our prayer for him shall give him life Observe in them 1. A promise to such as shall pray for their Brother that sins a sin not unto death he shall give him life 2. An exception or restraining a mans prayer There is a sin unto death I do not say he shall pray for it 3. The prevention of an objection vers 17. All unrighteousnesse is sin and the wages of all sin is death Kom 6. ult And therefore this promise is of none efect for every sin is unto death Unto this St. John answers vers 17. 1. By granting all unrighteousnesse is sin yet there is a sin not unto death not but that every sin deserves death but every sin doth not cut off all hope of recovery but as Christ said of Lazarus his sicknesse Joh. 11.4 it was not unto death yet he dyed but he means it was not irrecoverable because he was raised to life again so every sin is unto death but every sin is not irrecoverable but that a man may be raised up out of it into life Doct. A beleeving Christian is not to hide his eyes from beholding and observing the sins of his Brethren If any man see his Brother sin he may see it and ought to see it Gal. 2.14 St. Paul did not turn away his eyes from seeing Peters dissembling but took notice of it and reproved him Heb. 3.12 13. Take heed lest there be in any of you an evill heart of unbeliefe He speaks not only of a mans selfe but of his Brother that ye have not an evill heart and therefore he propounds a means to help them and that is exhorting one another This the Apostle exhorts us to Heb. 10.24 Reas 1. From the love we owe to our Brethren God requires larger love towards our Brethren then towards our Oxe or Asse and yet God requires that if we see them lying under their burthen we should help them up Deut. 22.4 Now if God require so much help to their beast much more to our Brethrens souls that if we see them going astray or sinking under the burden of sin we should raise them up again 2. From the love we owe to our selves this benefit we shall reap by it we shall learn to keep better watch our selves when we see our Brethren fall Rom. 11.20 We must not by their falls grow high-minded and pride our selves that we are not so bad as they but their falls must be our fears Q. With what eyes should we look at the falls of our Brethren Answ 1. Look not at them wirh a partial or hypocriticall eye Mat. 7.3 4 5. But we must so look at the mote in their eye as to see a beam in our own we should see as great sins in our selves or greater if God did not restrain us for we all have the same root of evill and should break out into as bad distempers as any if God did not hold us back 2. We must not observe them with a curious and censorious eye for that is an imbred curiosity in us that we love to be prying into other mens sins not to heal them but to censure them This St. James reproves ch 3.1 2 3. Be not many M sters that is be not of a Master-like spirit be not busie in every mans matters and censorious of them 3 Look not at them with an envious malicious eye This Jeremiah complains of ch 20.10 All my familiars watched for my haltings That 's an envious eye when a man watches for an advantage to undermine his Brother 4. There is a wanton eye 1. When a man is not humbled at the sight of his Brothers sins but puft up by it like the proud Pharisee Luk. 18.9 10. he built his comfort on the falls of others This the Apostle reprehends in the Church of Corinth 1 Cor. 5.2 That there was fornication among them and yet they were not humbled but puft up they magnified themselves that they were honester men 2. A man sees his Brothers sin with a wanton eye when he thereby grows to imitate him if such a man venture into such a course I hope I need not stick at it This God gtievously complains of in the Church of Judah that though she saw what her treacherous Sister Israel had done and that God had therefore cast her off yet she feared not but went and played the Harlot also Jer. 3.7 8. Now all those heads of seeing our Brothers sins ought to be far from us Vse 1. Hence learn not to neglect the falls of our Brethren as if they belonged not to us and we would neither meddle nor make with them This was Cains spirit Am I my Brothers keeper Gen. 4.9 We should look at
10. The Disproportion between worldly lusts and Gods Children should wean us from the love of the world 2. 17. E The Easinesse of Gods Commands a sure note of our Love to God 5. 3. Easie is the yoake of obedience to them that overcome the world 5. 4. The Epistles were written to Believers only 5. 13. A permanent Estate is their portion who doe the will of God 2. 17. Eternall life is the gift of God 5. 11. Is laid up for us in Christ Ib. Good example an effectuall motive to purge sin 3. 6. A Believer must Eye the sins of his Brethren 5. 16. and with what Eye Ib. We must be wean'd from the lusts of the Eye 2. 16. wherein this stands Ib. F How Christ was with the Father 1. 2. Faith is the great Commandement 3. 23. Faith in Christs Divinity helps to overcome the World 5. 4 5. Faith in God and in the Son of God goe together 5. 10. Difference between the three acts of Faith namely learning in Christ rouling towards Christ and coming to Christ 5. 10. Why Fathers may be suspected 2. 7. The Feast of Christs Nativity no command but a custom 2. 5. Fellowship with God is inward and consists in love 4. 12. G The future Glory of Gods Children is hid at present 3. 2. Till Christ appear Ib. Christ is God 1. 1. God is the Author of no sin 2. 16. Gods accidental work about sin Ib. Gods Children must be the men of our Love 3. 2. God knows us better then we know our selves 3. 20. Growth in Faith and Love effectuall in order to audience 3. 23. Is one end of writing the Scripture 5. 13. H He that Hates his Brother is and ever was in Darknesse 2. 9. Hatred of the Brethren in any should effectually move us to love them 3. 12. The world is given to Hate Gods Children 3. 13. At which Gods people marvaile Ib. but should not Ib. Hatred is murder 3 15. and such are devoyd of eternall life Ib. Hatred of our Brethren argues our Love to God to be Hypocriticall 4. 20. As we hear God so he hears us 3. 22. Every childe of God Hopes to be like Christ 3. 3. Every Hoper is a self-purger Ib. I Idlenesse is a lust of the flesh 2. 16. It s danger Ib. Ignorance of Christ and reigning sin are inseperable companions 3. 6. Imitation must accompany profession of Christ 2. 6. In judging who are righteous be not deceived 3. 7. K Gods Children Know they shall be like Christ 3. 2. Saving Knowledge is able to wean old men from the love of the world 2. 14. yea though backt with Antiquity and Authority Ib. Not ignorance Knowledge occasioned the Apostles writings 2. 21. How Knowledge and faith differ 4. 16. L The days of the New-Testament are the Last times 2. 18. Life Signs and means thereof 5. 12. Why Christ is called Life eternall 1. 2. Life eternall is given by promise 2. 25. Gods people have past from death to Life 3. 14. this is evidenced by Love Ib. How God is called Light 1. 5. Light how taken 1. 7. By seeing Christ we shall be Like him 3. 2. Little children must be acknowledged as Brethren 2. 7. He that Loves walks constantly and inoffensively in the state of grace 2. 10. Our love must be wean'd from that which is not of the Father Love must be reall and not only verball 3. 18. The sincerity of our Love is the security of our Estate 3. 19. Love is a great Commandement 3. 23. The rule of brotherly Love under the Gospel is not self Love but Christs Love Ib. We must exhort to mutuall love and why 4. 7. As is our Love so is our knowledge of God 4. 8. God doth both Love his people and manifests his Love to them 4. 9. God Loved his people before he sent his Son to make reconciliation for them Ib. Gods Love to us is free 4. 10. 19. and a president of our Love to our Brethren 4. 11. Where Love dwells God dwells 4. 12. By mutuall Love we see and testifie that the Father hath sent his Son 4. 14. Loving Christians doe not only believe but also know Gods Love to them 4. 16. God is so Loving that he is love it self Ib. Constant Love is a sure evidence that God dwells in us and we in him Ib. Such as Love each other are in this world as God himselfe is 4. 17. Those who love perfectly may have boldnesse in the day of judgement Ib. True hearted Love casts out all fear of evill from the hand of God 4. 18. An heart possessed of Love is dispossessed of fear Ib. Gods preventing Love to us is the effectuall cause of our love to him 4.19 It s behovefull for our comfort that we know we Love Gods Children 5. 1. The Love of God and keeping his Commandements is an undoubted evidence of our Love to our Brethren Ib. What makes a Lye 2. 21. M Christ true Man 1. 1. 1. 2. How Christ was manifested Causes of Marvaile 3. 13. What requisite to Merit 5. 11. The Gospel is a Message 1. 5. The doctrine of mutuall love is an ancient Message 3. 11. â—ry Minister is carried away with one Spirit or other 4. 1. Ministers are discovered by their confession about Christ 4. 2. As also by their holding forth Christ veyled under humane infirmities 4. 3. According to the descent or extraction of Ministers such are their severall doctrines and severall hearers 4. 5 6. In what cases people may leave their Ministers 4. 4. Playing for Money how far forth lawfull 2. 16. N Two Natures in Christ 1. 1. Neglect of a Christian course a manifest sign of a Childe of the Devill 3. 10. Newnesse of doctrine in what case commendable 2. 7. In what sense the Commandement is New 7. 8. Novelty in faith and manners must be avoyded 2. 7. O Obedience keeps a good conscience and Gods favour together 3. 22. Preserves fellowship with Christ Ib. Sincere Obedience a clear evidence of our fellowship with Christ 2. 3. and of our perfect love to God 2. 5. and of our being in Christ 2. 6. Old men must be honoured as Fathers by all yea even by Ministers 2. 13. It s the honour of Old men to know him that was from the beginning Ib. Opinion of perfect holinesse is pernicious 1. 8. yea a blasphemous errour v. 10. Opinion no sure signe of Piety 1. 6. Opinion of knowledge without obedience a sure sign of a Lyar and Hypocrite 2. 4. P God Pardon 's for his Names sake 2. 12. Pardon is the portion of all Gods Children Ib. Pardon and cleansing goe together 1. 9. Perfection what 2. 5. and 4. 12. The love of God is Perfect in such as act Brotherly love 4. 12. There are three Persons yet but one God that witnesse the Divinity of Christ 5. 7. Perseverance in the Apostles doctrine a sure pledge of Perseverance in grace and of attaining glory 2. 24. The promise
It is many times an exercise to Faith to be commanded to believe what we see not but to see what we belive not is a great strengthning to a weak Faith Again a greater measure of knowledge is a notable means of a greater measure of Faith And if you object against this Heb. 11.2 I answer That the meaning of the place is this that though things be not seen yet Faith maketh them evident not that whatsoever we believe by Faith is not seen Stephan saw and believed the same Acts 7.55 There is a threefold light of Sense of Reason of Faith when a thing is obscure to both the former Faith will make it evident Thirdly Their Peace of Conscience also hereby was more setled and established Luke 2.29 30. for he saw now Christ was come to accomplish that work of reconciliation which before was promised and to make up our Peace with God In these regards the glory of the second Temple was greater than that of the former Hag. 2.10 the second Temple wanted five things of the former Aarons Rod the Pot of Manna Vrim and Thummim fire from Heaven and yet it was greater than the former because these three Knowledge Faith and Peace of Conscience were so much increased not to a few as it was before but generally even to the simple Vse 1. Hence we have just occasion to meditate of our blessednesse also above that of the old Church for all those grounds of the Apostles blessednesse by seeing and hearing Christ remaine to us as 1 Means of Knowledge clearer to us than to the old Church by the Apostles preachings and writings we even see Christ crucified Gal. 3. 2 Means of stronger Faith 1. Because of greater means of Knowledge 2. Because that is already accomplished to us which they hoped for 3. Means of setling greater Peace seeing Christ is not onely come to make our Peace as he was to Simeon but hath already done it And therefore a shame it were for us to be more Ignorant Faithlesse perplexed in conscience than they were and therefore for 1. Knowledge let us be no longer babes 1 Cor 14.20 the times require it Heb. 5.12 Isa 11.9 2 Faith let us strengthen it First For Promises past we have not now received them Secondly For Promises to come of the resurrection he so long foretold was at last seen and then belongs to us that 1. Blessings John 20.29 2 Joy 1 Pet. 1.8 3 Peace let that possesse and rule us Col. 3.15 in life and death as it did Simeon Vse 2. To Stir us up to pity the Estates of such poor people as sit still in darknesse and in the shadow of death having no means of Knowledge of Faith of Peace John 7.49 Vse 3. How great then is that blessednesse prepared for us in Heaven where we shall see Christ as he is and then 1. Our Knowledge shall be perfect 1 Cor. 13.12 2. Our Faith shall be joyned with Fruition yea we shall see what we believe 1 Cor. 12.12 3. Our Peace shall be passing understanding Phil. 4.7 unspeakable and glorious 1 Pet. 1.8 á fortiori It is good to feed on these spirituall joyes and then these carnall delights will soon grow out of tast and relish Doct. Christ in himselfe and to us is the word of life Here is to be shewed in what respects he is called 1 A word 2 A word of life 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Here is a metaphor and every metaphor is a short similitude and it must not be expected that any similitude should agree in all poynts But Christ is called the word of God in four respects as he is the wisdome image interpreter and promise of the Father First The wisedome of the Father as reason floweth from the soul or minde of man and is not any accident to it but of the same nature with it though there is an accidentall wisdome in us which is habituall yet there is also an essentiall wisdome in us namely our Reason which is naturall so Christ who is the reason and wisdome of the Father flowed from the Father was begotten of him and is of the same nature with him hence he is called the wisdome that dwelleth with God Prov. 8.1 22 24 25. 1 Cor. 1.24 and the Holy Ghost may seem to have reference to this place John 1.1 2 3 4 5. because the description which he maketh of the world it seemeth he took from that description of wisdome if you compare these places Prov. 8.1 with John 1.1 Prov. 8.3 with John 1.2 Prov. 24. to 30. with John 1.3 Pro. 8.34 with John 1.4 Prov. 8.35 with John 1.5 and chap. 1.22 24 c. Secondly As the words or speech of the man is a character of his minde for out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh a rotten heart begetteth and streameth forth unsavoury speeches an holy heart breatheth out gracious words so is Christ the character or engraven forme of the Fathers person Heb. 1.3 Thirdly As the speech or word of a man doth declare the will and meaning and Counsell of the speaker so doth Christ of the Father John 1.18 Mat. 11.27 Fourthly Christ may very well be called the word of God or the speech of God because he it was of whom the Lord spake from the beginning that is the word of promise which he made to Adam to Abraham to Isaac to Jacob to David c. hence Christ is called the Promise Heb. 11. hence he who is called a Servant 1 Chron. 17.19 is called the word 2 Sam. 7.21 that is a servant spoken of or promised Secondly Christ is called a word of life 1. Because he hath especiall life in himselfe John 1.4 John 5.6 2. Because he communicateth life and he communicates 1 Naturall life which to us men is the light of Reason Joh. 1.4 this former we have from him as an author these following as an head or root 2 He communicates spirituall life and that he doth 1. By dying for us for his death is our life as by his wounds we are healed Isa 53.5 so by his life we live now the life we live by Christs death is 1 Justification that is forgivenesse of sins Col. 1.14 Ephes 1.7 therefore he is called the justification of life Rom. 5.18 we without his death were dead meer Children of death as condemned persons and Christs death procuring us pardon procured us life 2 Mortification it is the first part of spirituall life inherent in us to die to sin and that was procured by Christs death Rom. 6.6 Gal. 2.19 2. He communicates spirituall life to us by rising for us for as we have been like him in dying to sin by his death so doe we live to God by his life Rom. 6.5 10 11. now the life we live by his Resurrection is 1 Vivification or newnesse of life Christ now living in us by his Spirit Gal. 2.20 1 Cor. 6.17 Hence as living trees of Righteousnesse we bring forth fruit unto God
3. Bloud is most mentioned because it is an evident Testimony of death because in bloud is life 2 because it accomplished all the legall types Heb. 9.22 Quest 2. Why is it called the blood of Jesus Christ his Son Ans Because that Christ that shed his bloud was the Son of God and that added efficacy to it Heb. 10.4 not the bloud of sinfull man Heb. 2.26 27. it must be therefore the bloud of an infinite power Acts 20.28 Quest 3. How is this blovd said to cleanse Ans 1 As it Justifies 2 As it Sanctifies 1. As it Justifies us by his bloud are we cleansed Rom. 5.9 Ephes 1.7 we are justified by it because it frees us from the guilt and punishment of sin 1 From the guilt of Sinne guilt is that whereby we are liable to the Curse 2 It frees us from the punishment of sin so that now there is no condemnation to us Rom. 8.1 Rom. 4. ult 1 Pet. 2.24 2. We are cleansed from Sin by a sactifying power in the death of Christ that is it whereby our Consciences being sprinkled we are freed from the stain and lust of sin Heb. 10.29 and are endued with supernaturall grace so that we are afraid to commit any sin Q. What is meant by all Sin A. That is from original and actual sins from sins of Omission and Commission it cleanseth us from the sins of our Birth and of our Life of Youth and of riper years Rom. 5.9 now we could not be justified if any sin were unpardoned Heb. 9.14 if it be a dead work or sin of Omission our Conscience is purged from it for if the bloud of Bulls and Goats cleansed from all sins of the flesh much more the bloud of Christ from all sin no sin but we are cleansed from by Christs bloud except the sin against the Holy Ghost Heb. 10.26 because v. 29. they tread under foot the bloud of the Covenant For the proof of this point see Rom. 8.1 2. Rom. 6.6 Reas 1. From the wonderfull efficacy of Christs bloud in respect of the Divinity of his Person the reason why it is so effectuall is because it is the bloud of the Son of God Heb. 9.14 Reas 2. Because he stood in our Persons on the Crosse through the acceptation of God God accepted him as a Surety for us Heb. 7.22 Isa 5. ult 1 Pet. 2.24 therefore it is as much as if we had done it in our own persons John 10.11 He had no need to shed his Blood for himselfe for he had never sinned Vse 1. To reprove the Papists who teach that the Masse being celebrated for the dead and living justifies from sin but if the bloud of Christ cleanse us from all sin there is no need of the Masse to cleanse us from any sin and they teach that the Masse is an unbloudy Sacrifice now it must be a bloudy Sacrifice that must cleanse Heb. 10.10 14. but if it be often offered it doth not exceed the Sacrifices of the Law Heb. 10.1 to 5. Vse 2. To refute the Popish Purgatory if Christs bloud cleanse us from all sin what need a Purgatory to expiate any sin This is a Blasphemy against Christs bloud Q. Do not Temptation and Affliction and Word and Sacraments and Faith and other Graces purge us from sin and purifie us It is said of Afflictions Heb. 12.11 A. It is true there are many means to purge us from sin but no efficacy in any of them except by virtue of Christs Blood therefore those in Hell have no benefit because Christs bloud reacheth not thither so that if any be bettered by Afflictions or Word or Sacraments it is from the virtue of Christs bloud and if Christs bloud be sprinkled on Purgatory we will not reject it Vse 3. Of refutation of the opinion of many godly Divines that hold we are purified from the sinne of our Birth by the purity of Christs Birth from Sinnes of Omission by his active obedience from Sinnes of Commission by his passive obedience but we must know there is thus much in the purity of his Birth in his Obedience in his Passion that it makes us fit to be cleansed but yet we must hold the Bloud of Christ cleanseth us from all sin that brings this fitnesse to perfection A Lamb defiled in the old Law was never accepted though it were slain for a Sacrifice and if it had been without spot and blemish yet if it had not been slain it would not have been accepted neither so had not Christ been a Lambe spotlesse and undefiled his death would not have cleansed us from our sins and though he were spotlesse and undefiled yet he must be slain or else we could not be cleansed neither the purity of Christs Nature doth not cleanse us from sin but we must take all joyntly together all his active obedience was passive and all his passive obedience was active Gal. 4.4 5. that he was obedient to the Law was part of his Passion and by the obedience of Christ to the death we are cleansed from all sin Vse 4. To refute some that say we are justified by faith as it is a work in us they say we are justified not by the works of the Law but by faith Rom. 11.5 6. but if we be justified by faith as it is a work in us how doth the bloud of Christ cleanse us from sin but it is faith as it lays hold on the bloud of Christ Vse 5. For comfort to all such as walk in the light let them not be discomforted you will say your hearts are full of impatience and coveteousness and uncleannesse these are great sins indeed but the bloud of Christ cleanseth from all sin there is no number nor measure limited Object He cleanseth not all men how shall I know whether my sinnes be cleansed A. Why do you walk in the light as God is in the light if you do then his Bloud cleanseth you from all sin therefore if a man would have comfort he must consider whether he live in any sin voluntarily and walk in darknesse if he doe he hath no part in Christs Bloud but if there be no sin but he is willing to avoyd it no duty but he desires to perform it and amend all it is a signe he walks in light if you see what is amisse and labour to mend it then you walk in the light and then assure your selves the bloud of Christ will cleanse you from all your sins Vse 6. For instruction if Christs bloud cleanseth from all sin then no sin is venial is that sin venial that cannot be cleansed but by Christs bloud Vse 7. To shew us the reason why the bloud of Christ is called precious 1 Pet. 1.19 it is more precious than the bloud of Bulls and Goats c. so all silver and gold in the world cannot remit one sin or save one soul from Hell Psal 49.6 7 8. Heb. 12.24 Vse 8. To teach Christians notwithstanding all
13.10 1 Tim. 1.5 and so hope 1 Joh. 3.3 patience is joyned with obedience and meeknesse springs from obedience and from the spiritual experience of a mans weaknesse and experience of Christs power in him springs humility so that all graces either spring from obedience or serve to it or accompany it so that even these very graces that are more in the understanding and speculation they either spring from obedience or help to obedience the Knowledge of a Christian is not unfruitful 2 Pet. 1.8 which shews that a Christians Knowledge brings forth fruits of obedience no gift a Christian hath but he considers what good he may do with it and if he see it not serviceable he regards it not so that if every grace do breed or nurse or accompany obedience then whosoever professes he knows God and doth not keep his Commandments there is no truth in such a man no true grace Vse 1 For tryal of the truth of our profession would you know the truth of your Grace of your Repentance of your Faith of your Humility You shall know it by your fruitfullnesse what use do you make of your Graces would you know whether your Repentance bee sound or your Love c. sound would you know this Why consider do they make you obedient and carefull to keep Gods Commandments as your Way your Treasure your Ornaments your Eye your Life if any grace bee fruitfull make you conscionable in the keeping of Gods Commandments that is a witnesse of the truth of that Grace a painted Tree bee it never so fair yet it bears no fruit but a living Tree brings forth fruit you have cause to suspect your Grace if it make you not fruitfull and carefull to please God if Grace make you obedient it is sincere but if a man hath never so many Gifts and Graces if they lead him not to obedience truly they are but counterfeit and there is no true Grace in him Isa 47.10 if they caused them to rebell there is no truth in them if any Grace leave you more corrupt or lesse fruitfull there is no truth in you Vse 2 It exhorts us to a conscionable diligent keeping of Gods Commandments hereby we shall keep our profession true our Consciences void of offence and shall have an evidence that we know Christ if a man say he knows God and yet keep not his Commandments his profession is not true but he that both saith so and doth so his profession is sincere 2 It will keep your Consciences in Peace when your Conscience checks you not but bears you witnesse that you desire to do Gods will in truth this brings great Peace 3 It keeps your Grace sound the more fruitfull and the more obedient the more doth Grace increase a Christian that lets his Grace lye at rest it grows rusty and hee may doubt of the truth of his Grace if any mettal lye up and rust we may suspect whether it be right or no but if it be kept with continual use we suspect it not take a Christian that doth not exercise himself in Grace he grows so rusty that he suspects the truth of his Grace but put thy grace to employment let it be in continual use and thou shalt easily see it is good metal and currant the employment of Graces proves the truth of them therefore as we desire to keep our profession true or our conscience clean or our graces sound keep in a daily course of obedience always be doing good and that from Gods Commandment Vse 3 Of Consolation to all such as take a good course and labour to keep Gods Commandments who may sometimes suspect all their grace is counterfeit and there is no sincerity in them why if there be no sincerity in you you do not keep Gods Commandments as your way but you cannot say but you would gladly finde your hearts keeping them as your way and you endeavour it and it is the grief of your souls when you go out of the way do you keep them as your treasure and ornament and apple of your eye and life Why then there is truth of grace in you truth of sincerity though not of Perfection you must not look to keep them without sin but if you desire to keep them as the most precious thing as your treasure your ornament your life the apple of your eye though a man may sometimes have a moat fall into his eye but in this case do not say your Graces are counterfeit for if they were counterfeit you would not keep Gods Commandments Psalm 36.1 Wickednesse saith to the wicked there is no fear of God before his eyes how doth that appear to David vers 4. he sets himself in no good way he is in a bad way and goes on therein and such a one it is plain he hath no fear of God before his eyes by their fruits he knows them if you set your selves in no good way your profession cannot be true but if the way you take be good and if not thou dost not take it up why if it be thus your profession is true and your grace sound it is a question whether Solomon fell finally or his graces were true or no you may know his repentance was true because he found his lust to women as bitter as death Eccles 7.6 7. well then if an Adulterous or Idolatrous Wife were as bitter as death to him then it is an evident sign if he looked at his transgression as death he looked at the Commandment as life and therefore his repentance was sincere so then if a man finde his sin as as bitter as death it is a sign his repentance is true But yet we must here distinguish between the horror of sin and sin it self the horror of sin may be as bitter to us as death but not the sin it self as Judas the horror of sin was so bitter to him that for it he hanged himself but had Judas been troubled with the sin of his conscience as he was with the horror of his conscience he would not have gone about to help one sin by another had he hated sin for it self he would have hated Murther as sin So would you know whether it be horror of sin or sin that troubles you If it be horror you will seek to drive it away by sin as some do by merry company and merry Books this is a plain signe that sin troubles them not for then they would not seek to help one sin by another but if a man look at the breach of the Law as the losse of his way it troubles him as much as the losing of his Treasure it is as a moat in his eye he had as lieve part with his life if it bee thus with thee thou mayest have comfort thy profession is true thy conscience clear thy profession sound and sincere 1 JOHN 2.5 6. But he that keepeth his Word in him is the love of God perfect indeed c. THe words
to look upon a Maid Job 31.1 so for drink Prov. 23.31 Prov. 4.15 it is a notable means of mortification to withhold the blood and spirits from flowing into that member thereby in a good measure they stupifie it Secondly Use some course to stupifie that part Thirdly Cut it off would you mortifie lust Beware of all occasions if such meats or drinks wilt make you Gluttons or Drunkards meddle not with them and so you shall hinder influence to these lusts apply the death of Christ the threatnings of God and so when it begins to stupifie cut it off better it is to want all the sinful pleasures of this life than having of them to be cast into Hell 2 Refrain from bringing forth fruit of these lusts the more fruitful a Tree grows the more sap and strength it draws and strikes deeper into thee earth so let sin once grow fruitful bring forth acts it will get deeper hold and grow so rooted that it will reign in you if you avoyd all occasions and yeeld not to satisfie the least of them it will soon be gone if a strange Dogg comes in if you feed him he stands waiting for one piece after another but if you beat him he is gone where he may finde better entertainment so if lusts find that they can have no entertainment they cannot get one morsell no yeilding to them but repulsing they will be gone from you where they may finde better welcome 3 When thou findest any lust of the flesh arising in thee turn the strength of it to a Spiritual end A man hath an affection to meat or drink what saith Christ I have meat and drink that ye know not of though he were very faint and hungry yet when he saw a company come he attended not to his meat and drink but there was Spiritual food and that comforted and refreshed him so art thou troubled with lust after Women and God calls thee not to Marriage why turn the strength of thy affection to another that is white and ruddy the fairest of ten thousand The more you set your heart to consider how amiable and beautiful and excellent he is you shall finde he will so satisfie your heart that you will finde little content in any other thing besides As the Sun if it shine hot on a fire it puts it out so the love of Christ if it once shine in your hearts and fill your souls with light and joy unspeakable and glorious you shall finde all base Kitching lusts were they never so vehement the Sun of Righteousnesse will soon eat them out so for love of idlenesse and rest let but a Soul consider what comforts he ever found in the favour of God when his left hand was under him and when God held him up in his everlasting Arms do but consider how sweet was one hour of that inward peace you found then above all outward comforts you shall easily see that though your body should never finde rest more yet this inward peace will so satisfie you that you will be ready to say with Paul I have enough I have learned in all these to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 self-sufficient that I need not more Phil. 4.11 12. 4 Walk faithfully and constantly in your general and particular Callings the reason why a Christian grows carnal and sensual is because either in Gods Ordinances or his particular Calling hee was not spiritually minded walk in the Spirit and you shall not fulfill the lusts of the flesh Gal. 5.16 be spiritual and heavenly in Prayer in hearing the Word in your Calling and you shall finde your lusts decay otherwise he that rusheth into occasions of sin needlesly he tempts the Devil to tempt him so that whereas the Devil might otherwise be much weakened and not so able to overcome if we invite occasions and rush into such places where Satan reigns we thrust Weapons into Satans hand and a man never ordinarily leads himself into temptation but he falls let Peter go into the High Priests Hall he shamefully denies his Master before he come out therefore take heed of running into occasions of sin 2 Refrain from the fruits of sin and grow Spiritually minded look after Spiritual objects when we are carried to Sensual objects when we are carried to delight in pleasures and pastimes why let us remember Blessed is the man that hath not walked c. Psal 1.1 2 3. but his delight is in the Law of the Lord he recreates himself his Soul in that such a man shall be as a tree planted by the rivers of water ever sucking sap and grace from the Ordinances that so he grows up but contrary such a one as runs into occasions and fullfills his â—â—sts he shall be as a barren Heath and parched Wildernesse his leaf and fruit blasted We come now to the second sort of lusts Doct. Young and old are to be weaned from any lusts of the eye By the lust of the Eye is meant Covetousnesse or inordinate desire of profit 1 Because the Eye makes us covet it as Achan Josh 7.21 2 Because the eye in some measure is glutted with the sight of it Obj. Why doth he not speak of lusts of the Ear for 2 Tim. 2.4 there is an itching Ear thus the Athenians Acts 17 21 and so some have a strong affection to Musick and never well without it this is a lust of the Ear and why is not this reckoned as well as the lust of the eye Aquinas makes this Objection and answers it thus That these lusts stand not so much on the bodily eye as the imagination but the man may as well desire curiosities by the Ear as the Eye make us covet what it sees Answ The answer therefore is the Eye is the seat of sundry Faculties 1 It may be referred to the Understanding and Imagination for that is in the Soul Psal 33.18 2 The hope of a man is translated to his Eye 2 Chron. 20.12 sometimes pity Thine eye shall not spare Deut. 13. sometimes disdain expresseth it self in the eye sometimes pride Prov. 30. in a lofty look and the eye is put oft for the desire of the heart when the eye looks long after it Matth. 5.28 there is a desire that reacheth to something Psal 54. Psal 92.1 Mine eye also shall see my desire upon mine enemies not onely hopes but desires are ever in the eye It is true therefore that the desire of Melody is a lust of the flesh desire of news to satisfie curiosity affection of vain preaching tends to satisfie the pride of life for the lust of all outward senses as far as they satisfie the Senses and Body they belong to the lusts of the flesh but a longing earnest desire after profit is Covetousnesse which is a lust of the eye Q. 1. Wherein stands the lust of the eye A. Either when it is set on wrong objects or in excessive measure or to a wrong end and these the Scripture aims at if the
now if sin have once dominion over grace it should be superiour which cannot be 2 As they never depart from Christ so they never depart from the Fellowship of the Church Q. What may be the ground of it A. 1. From the sweetnesse of that grace life and power they have felt in the society of the Saints sweeter than which they shall not find in any other company or in a solitary condition that sweetnesse which they have found in Christ and his Ordinances and his Members will make them cleave close to them and not depart from them Joh. 6.66 67. Whither shall we goe thou hast the words of eternal life where can we mend our selves this is the House of God and the Gate of Heaven so that they intend to dwell here for ever Psal 84.1 2 3 4. 8 9 10. they find such sweetness and fulnesse in Gods House that they had rather to be Door-keepers in Gods House than to dwell in the Courts of Princes without Heb. 11.26 27. he that hath once seen Gods face in his Church he regards not the wrath of men and for the pleasure of the World he accounts the very reproaches of the people of God to be sweeter and if they be better and sweeter what are the consolations and Promises and Hopes of Gods people the true Church of Christ that have found conjugal society with Christ what should move them to turne aside to other companions Cant. 1.6 7 8. therefore up to Jerusalem and rest there there you may find me Psal 16.3 My delight is in the Saints Q. If Christians cannot fall off what needs there so many exhortations and threatnings to back-sliders 1 Cor. 5.1 2. 1 Cor. 10. Rom. 8.13 A. These are not Arguments of Apostacy but means of perseverance they are as means to keep us from Apostacy for he that hath appointed the end hath appointed the means 2 Though true Members cannot fall off yet there are many Hypocrites that seem to have fellowship with the Church and they may fall away Obj. This Doctrine breeds security seeing they cannot fall off what need they care how they live A This is no doctrin of security but only to carnal men for we shall find that no Christian is more careful to please God and fearful to offend him than those that have got most assurance of Gods love and fellowship with Christ and his members 2 Cor. 5.4 Gen. 39.19 2 If Gods Children doe wax wanton yet he hath means to scourge them soundly though he doth not take away his loving kindnesse and we say though he cannot loose grace wholly yet he may loose the strength of his grace And Secondly Corruption may grow strong and Thirdly He may loose all the comfort of his grace Fourthly he can make them meet with such afflictions from men as David did though he cast him not out of Heaven yet out of his Kingdome after he had committed murther and Adultery he raised up his own Son to rebel against him so that David saw the bitternesse of his wantonness against Gods grace As if a Phisitian should give a man such a Drugg and say it will not only free you from your sicknesse but also preserve you that you shall never dye therefore should he say What need I care what enemies I meet with or what dyet I use no it implieth that he must have a care of such things so though God give us a Wel-spring of eternal life yet if you look not to your selves but rush into danger you may be so wounded and unsetled and so terrifie your Consciences that you shall feel the smart of your wantonnesse all your dayes Obj. Did not Lot depart from the fellowship of Abraham and pitch his Tents in Sodom Gen. 13.9 to 13. A. 1. This was dangerous to Lot 2 It was not without the consent of Abraham and there was some necessity of it for they could not well live together they had such great estates 3 The church was not then in Congregations but in Families c. Obj. But what say you to the Ten Tribes did not they renounce fellowship with the Church 2 King 12.16 A. Herein they did reject the Covenant of Grace and so had no fellowship with the church Obj. Were there no good people there A. The good people of the Land left their possessions and went to Jerusalem with the Priests and Levites 2 Chron. 11.13 to 17. so that rather then they would leave the Fellowship of the church they would sell all that they had to purchase such a Pearl Vse 1. To reprove the errour of the Pelagians and Papists that doe teach that the true Members of the church may fall away not onely for a time but finally and for ever contrary to this Doctrine for though they may be as ornaments or supports yet they are no true members for if they had been of us they would have continued with us Vse 2. May shew us the wonderfull eminency of that Grace and that Covenant that we have in Christ above that grace and Covenant that Adam had Adam had that Grace which he might keep and he might loose and that Covenant which he might breake or not breake but we have such grace as we cannot loose and such a Covenant as we cannot break so that true christians have no cause to complain of Adams fall for they have a more sure Covenant such a Covenant as we can no more hreak than we can Noahs Rain-bow and according to the state of the Covenant God hath given several Sacraments to confirme it he had a Sacrament of Death but we have no Sacrament of Death but both are for our confirmation in Life therefore had there been a possibility of Death he would have given us a Sacrament to put us in minde of it Vse 3. Be not offended because of all these Antichrists and Back-sliders there are thousands fallen away within these few years why understand this they were not of us but as noysome Humours and the body is better without them such as have true fellowship never depart such as doe depart never had true fellowship 2 Tim. 4.15 Demas forsook Paul an evident sign he was an Hypocrite if his heart had been right he would not have left Paul for the whole world Vse 4. Would you have good company as most men desire to have why as you desire company that may be for your perpetuall comfort then use this fellowship of the church there was never any that once got into true society of the Saints that would ever be puld from them Whither should we goe thou hast the words of eternall life what company so sweet as christian communion Moses that had trial of Princes courts yet he found the sourest bit of christian communion sweeter then the sweetest pleasures of Egypt you that delight in the company of Drunkards and Whoremongers and Harlots at length when you are consumed and your estate spent you must be glad to leave them
he is not to be excluded but he is not principally meant here Jhon 15.6 and it is true that they know Christ that have received this Unction John 6.69 But here by the truth is meant the Doctrin of the Gospel Ephes 4.21 which is called the truth in Jesus that truth which teacheth us to finde Christ to prize Christ and you know it in a special manner as it is in Jesus in a Crucified manner you know it as it is in Jesus which raiseth you from death to life it is sometimes called the word of truth Col. 1.5 Gal. 2.4 5. so then you that know the truth you know the worth of Christ the means to finde him yea you know him in a Crucified manner in his Death and Resurrection Q. 2. What is the knowledge of the truth A. Three things make up the knowledge of the truth 1 The understanding of it 2 Approving of it and consenting to it 3 Because a man may consent to it either as probable or as certain and evident knowledge therefore it is not only an understanding of the truth but a consenting to it and that not as a probable thing but as an undoubted certain truth Judicium contingentis axiomatis est opinio necessarii scientia if it be from the causes then it is scientia if by the effects cognitio And thus these Babes know the truth you understand it you consent to it you yeeld to it as a certain and undoubted truth and that all those concur to knowledge we may see by Scripture 1 For understanding see Luke 24.45 2 They approve and consent to it and follow it John 10.4 5 27. 3 They do not only understand it clearly and approve of it but receive it as a certain undoubted truth so John 6.69 We know and are assured that thou art the Christ There is as much difference between knowledge and faith as betwixt hearing and seeing if I hear a thing from an undoubted testimony I beleeve it but when I see it my self I know it more evidently Stephen beleeved that Christ sate at Gods right hand but when he saw it he knew it certainly so that these Babes by some sight and experience know those things that they beleeve Heb. 11.2 this knowledge is one of the chiefest things that perfects the mind of a man Isa 11.2 what spirit is a spirit of wisdome and understanding understanding apprehends it Wisdom judgeth of it and discerns of the truth hereof Knowledge sees that they are most certainly true and then he beleeves it John 6.69 we know and are sure for none can know a thing but those that are sure of it Q. What is the reason that by virtue of this Vnction babes come to know the truth Reas 1. Because this Spirit is an eye-salve to make them understand by nature we are flow and dull of understanding but as soon as God hath dropt in some of this Spiritual eye-salve we strongly see the deep things of God yea even those which were dull to understand before 2 He vouchsafes to them Wisdome whereby they imbrace and approve the truth as the very truth of Christ and they have a spirit of faith to believe it therefore have knowledge of it 3 He gives them experience that their hearts do as plainly feel as their understandings know nay these Babes they fetch their understanding from the feeling of their hearts they know the danger of sin and the worth of Christ and this puts them to reach after Christ and look at him as the most excellent of a thousand and so they come to finde true fellowship with Christ by puting into them a spirit of peace 1 Pet. 3.8 so that they know it not only by faith but by experience and so they know the truth as it is in Christ you may have men by hearing and study come to know very largely of the wayes of Grace the Doctrins and points of Divinity nay they may come to approve of them and may convince an adversary but yet this is not properly a knowledge of these things but an understanding of them a man that wants this Unction may say he understands these and beleeves them but he cannot say he knowes them by any sensible worke of God on his own soul Vse 1 May exhort all in the name of the Lord that intend to receive the Sacrament to a conscionable care and endeavour to get knowledge it is not a priviledge of Scholars but even of very Babes if they have received this Unction therefore let none excuse themselves for if the Apostle acknowledge it in Babes it may shame elder people if they be ignorant of the rudiments of Religion therefore labour to grow up to a knowledge of the truth there is no hope that you should either finde comfort in Gods Ordinances here or in the life to come if you be ignorant of the truth Isa 27.11 it is a fearfull judgement These people have no understanding therefore their Maker will shew them no favour that is no gnace in Christ they shall neither finde mercy nor favour and mark how he prevents an Objection He that made us will surely save us no if you be ignorant he that made you will not save you therefote if you would ever get any good to your souls above all gettings get understanding for without it look for no mercy and above all understanding get this wisdome which is infused by the Unction of the Spirit And so Parents and Masters as you desire to get favour of God for your Children and Servants be careful to instruct them in the ways of truth and for such as have got knowledge labour to grow up in this Spiritual knowledge Col. 2.2 3. Three things did Paul conflict for 1 That their hearts might be comforted nothing more useful for a Christian than comfort but when Christians have got comfort it is easie for Christians to fit loose one from another and not to regard one another therefore 2 His conflict was that they might be knit together in the bond of love 3 That they might grow up to fulness of knowledge c. so that we see it is matter of great Conflict to the Apostles with God that they might be brought to the riches of full assurance and shall Ministers thus Conflict for their people and shall not people themselves labour to grow up to fulnesse of knowledge and not be remiss and know some pieces and parts of the truth but to come to the riches and fulnesse of understanding It would be a great conflict to a faithful Minister to see people poor in knowledge to have only a few remnants and shreds of knowledge some superficial kinde of knowledge therefore let people labour for the riches of the full assurance of understanding which is properly true knowledge we see therefore how much Parents and Masters are to blame that are so far from having conflicts for the knowledge of their Children and Servants that they have no care
by Deceivers why calls he them so A. A Deceiver is such a one who upon pretence of that which is good and true puts us off with that which is counterfeit and naught So these false Teachers deceit is in their Doctrin and in their persons In their Persons 2 Cor. 11.13 In their Doctrin they make us beleeve it is the Doctrin of Christ in but in truth it is empty windy doctrin Ephes 4.14 Vse 1 May serve to stir us up so much the more to hate and detest them and to a more serious watchfulness against them a man hates a Deceiver worse than a Robber a man had rather lose his Purse by violence than be cunningly cheated of it the reason is because a man that takes your Purse only wrongs you of your Mony but the other deprives you of your Money and also befools you and makes a mock at it so these Deceivers do not only deprive us of the truth but through cunning delusions they over-reach us and laugh us to scorn 2 Pet. 2.14 Let us therefore try all things and hold fast that which is good 1 Thes 5.21 If we heard that there were counterfeit Money abroad and cunning Fellows that would undermine us we would look narrowly to our selves why there are cunning Deceivers abroad which will not only deceive you of your Purses and Goods but of your Faith and the Gospel and Salvation therefore how circumspect and careful ought we to be it is a wonderful sluggishness of spirit when we know there are so many false Teachers now in the Land and yet it is a wonder to see how raw we are in the Scriptures how unapt to answer any thing out of the Scripture if we were put to it therefore do not only receive the truth from the credit of Ministers or our own spirits but warranted from the Word that we may be ready to render a Reason of the hope that is in us Doct. 3. Sometimes in reproving and confuting of false Teachers it is seasonable to conceal their names Saint John doth not say These things I write unto you concerning Corinthus or Ebion but he passeth by their names and saith These things I write unto you concerning Deceivers 2 Cor. 11.13 2 Cor. 15.12 Gal. 1.7 Phil. 3.2 Jude 4. he doth not there describe them he names none yet sometimes we read he names them 1 Tim. 1.19 2 Tim. 2.18 2 Tim. 4.14 15. It is seasonable to conceal their names 1 When there may be any hope of their conversion we should not too much exasperate them because the contention is not so much against their persons as against their Doctrin and practice 2 When it were good that both they and their Doctrin should utterly perish and be forgot Gal. 5.12 It is seasonable to expresse their names 1 When they are excommunicate Hymeneus and Philetus 2 That others may beware of them 2 Tim. 4.14 15. Vse To teach us to forbear personall invectives in our writings a wound in a mans good name is a wound in the apple of his eye a man that hath his eye hurt he sees you not so if you strike a man on his good name it is hard if ever he hear any thing after from you He writes to them about them that seduce them yet they did not seduce them but only did endeavour it Doct. 4. The desire and indeavour to deceive is deceit Such as have a desire and purpose to deceive are indeed deceivers though they actually seduce not 2 Joh. 7. Rom. 16.17 18. 2 Cor. 11.13 as he that looks after a woman to lust after her commits Adultry Matth. 5.28 because in his heart he desires it so because a man hath a long look in his heart to deceive he is a Deceiver you read of some that trod under foot the bloud of Christ Heb. 10.29 now that is impossible for Christ is in Heaven yet if a man do what in him lies it is as if he did it Reas From Gods acceptance of the will for the deed whether in good or evil 2 Cor. 8.12 therefore it was provided in the Law if any man did bear false witnesse against his neighbour it should be death because he would have taken away his Neighbours life so if there be a will in a man to deceive it is as if he did deceive And as the poor Woman Luke 21.4 is said to cast more into the Treasury than they all because she had a will to do it and put forth her self to her utmost ability so if a man put forth himselfe in what he can to deceive though he never reach it yet he is a Deceiver for though it be impossible the Elect should be seduced Matth. 24.24 yet it is his desire and endeavour to do it for God hath communicated to men more will and desire many times then power to accomplish it therefore if there be will to it the hinderance is not on mans part but on Gods Vse 1. Must teach men to make as much conscience of their wills and desires as of their acts men are apt to excuse themselves in respect of the will if the act be not done but didst thou desire it and go about it if thou hadst a mind to it then it is done because God sees that which was in thine heart as done there was the desire of thy soul and the endeavour of thy hand but that it came not to passe is from Gods hand Vse 2. This may be a singular comfort to Gods servants that cannot do what good they would they have a minde to profit by the Word to read and pray as they ought but they cannot I say if there be a willing minde that the desire of thy soul is towards God if thy câ—re and endeavour be to do it it is certainly done though thou canst not reach it Gen. 22.12 Abraham did spare his Son why true but that was because God held his hand but because he went three dayes journey and came to the place God had appointed and built an Alter and bound him and would have slaine him though upon Gods calling from Heaven to him he spared him ye God accounts it as if he did it so had a man many corruptions in his heartt that were as his Isaac darling lusts if thou use all means to mortifie and crucifie them though thou canst not get the Victory over them as thou desirest yet God accounts it as if they were Mortified if God will have it rest there and say it is enough it is an acceptable sacrifice to God when David had a minde to build a Temple to God and prepared abundantly for it though God forbad him yet saith he it was well it was in thine heart and I will therefore build thee an house 2 Sam. 7. he accepted the will for the need so if thou set thy heart to build Gods House to be doing good to the Church and reforme the Town where you live if in authority though you fall short
but the spirit of the old Adam the spirit of pride and malice and covetousnesse truly this is not the Spirit of Christ that makes us like him this is not that Spirit that Christ purchased for us by his Death and Ascension but suppose we had some of the Spirit of God the spirit of Wisdom as Achitophel the spirit of joy as Herod the spirit of Zeal as Jehu the spirit of fear as Felix had yet we have not this Unction of the Spirit unlesse it dwell in us What is it to be wrapt with a spirit of a Balaam or a Saul it was only for a fit and what comfort was it to them it was a shuttle spirit by starts and did not abide in them therefore let us try whether we have received the Spirit if we have received a dwelling spirit it is a true spirit Obj. But some may say Alas what then will become of me it may be now I pray but ere night wholly unabld now inlarged then straightned I have now a spirit of zeal and courage soon after all cold and weak and dead wonderfull was the zeal and courage of Elias in slaying four hundred of Baals Prophets openly 1 Kings 18.40 he went through it with such zeal and speed as if he had been sent from Heaven yet Cap. 19.1 2. when Jezabel sent to him he fled for his life and was so weary of his life that he wished death now his Spirit was cold and discontent aad weary of his life So David Psal 119.24 David said he had made the word his delight yet ver 25. he saith his soul cleaves to the dust and prays to God for quicking A. This Spirit that is so to abide doth not always abide in the same measure nor in the same measure of expression but we must know though there be several garments yet the Soul is never naked a man hath not always his Holy-day garments sweetly perfumed but sometimes homely mean garments so Elias when he slew Baals Prophets was cloathed with zeal and Holy-day garments afterwards he remitted of it and yet had he the Spirit of God on him he was not naked though he was not cloathed with the Spirit in such a measure even so sometimes we have even poor ragged homely garments and much of our nakednesse appears and sometimes again may be when God hath greater businesse for us to do cloathes us with better richer garments a greater measure of the Spirit but yet consider though we have not the same measure yet always some garment of the Spirit rests on us be it but the spirit of love to our Brethren or grief for the want of it yet we are not left naked Vse 2 May exhort su if we have this Spirit dwelling in us then let us use him honourably and courteously as an in-dweller he is come from farre even from Heaven sent from our Father and he brings joy and comfort with him therefore let us give him honourable entertainment he is sent to guide us in all our ways to be a pledge of our eternall inheritance therefore let us not entertain him like some guest that we are weary of in two or three days you must know this guest came not for a day but to dwell with us for ever John 14.16 therefore take heed of grieving him Eph. 4.13 he comes for your good and benefit for your redemption When a man keeps a Ward and for keeping him keeps a great estate a Kingdome he would be very carefull so the Spirit is such a Guest that if you keep him you keep Life and Salvation you keep an eternall Kingdom by him therefore take part with Gods Spirit joyne with the Spirit of God quench it not what an heavie complaint made Stephen Acts 7.51 Isa 63.10 the Spirit may be so grieved and vexed by men that he will depart from them Q. How shall we keep our selves from grieving the Spirit A. As God hath given him to guide you so look that you be guided by him if you entertain him kindly he will comfort you if you grieve him he will grieve your spirits 2 Be carefull to nourish him do not strave this Guest neglect not the Word and Ordinances which are the food of the Spirit Quench not the Spirit despise not Prophecie 1 Thes 5. as if the despising of Prophecy were the quenching of the Spirit therefore feed the Spirit of God with-draw not food from it prefer not outward things before it it is a wonder how leane our souls will grow if we do not nourish the Spirit 3 Take heed especially of living in any known Sin for that damps and deads the Spirit therefore David wofully camplains Psal 51.8 to 12. Restore c. as if it were quite gone his very bones were broaken that is not of his body but his soul i. e. the strength and staff of his spirit the Spirit is like fire every grosse sin is like water cast on it it quencheth it Vse 3 A ground of much consolation to Gods servants you can never say you dwell alone and want company you cannot want good company if the holy Spirit dwell in you I am not alone saith Christ but the Father is with me so may a Christian say I am never alone the Spirit of God dwells in me he is an in-dwelling and abiding Spirit Doct. 3 The annoynting of the Spirit teacheth us all things of which you heard verse 20. It teacheth all things needfull to salvation needfull to life and godlinesse 2 Pet. 1.3 and not only so but needfull to our places and callings and ages Doct. 4. The anonytment of the Spirit is so plentifull and sufficient that we need not be taught better things nor in a better manner than the Spirit teacheth Jerem. 31.32 not that we need not Magistracy or Ministry but he speaks comparatively you shall not be so helped by any Instuctions without the Spirit as with the Spirit the Spirit shall declare the Truth in Jesus For Explication 1 The Holy Ghost teacheth fully 1 Cor. 3.9 10 11. the spirit of a Christian is inquisitive concerning all things now the Spirit helps him to search even into the deep things of God so that the Spirit is a full teacher 2 The instruction of the Spirit is plain and clear 1 Tim. 4.1 Joh. 16.25 Christ spake in parables but after his ascension the Spirit revealed things clearly Three things go to clear discerning the object must be clear the medium clear and the eye clear and then we may clearly discern now the Holy Ghost plainly reveals the Counsells of God and then opens our judgements to discern it and then cleares all the mediums so that a Christian may plainly discern so that the Tpirit is a clear Instructor no men need be taught more clearly 1 Cor. 2.4 5. 3 The Instruction of the Spirit is a certain Instruction scarce any truth but a Christian can tell it by experience as a woman that is breeding a Child feels such qualmes and
sure hope never was any man disappointed and yet hope though it be sure it is not without all doubting No true Christian but hath this hope Reas That Gods children might not be tossed and hurryed up and down the world A childe of God is never carryed far an anchor sticks in the foundation Heb. 6.18 19. While he hold on our hopes and they are fastned to Christ we have strong cansolation hereby are we kept from dashing against rocks and sands and shoars here is the difference between an anchor and hope an anchor is fastened in the earth and hope in heaven Vse 1. This may shew you the dignity and honour of a Christian He is a man of great hopes he will not give his hopes for the best mans estate in the world he hath a stedfast hope of being like Christ when he sees him though the cloathes he now wears be mean yet he hopes to be clad with Christs righteousnesse and though his house be mean yet he hopes for an house not made with hands this is his anchor and this will hold whithersoever we sail 2 This may be a ground of tryall What be the hopes you build upon There is a double difference between the hopes of a godly and wicked man 1. The wicked mans hopes are groundlesse he hath no grounds but hopes 2. It is fruitlesse Job 8 11. The hope of an hypocrite that is without ground is like a rush or flag without water or mire Grasse if it have got head will do well enough without much moysture or water Hope without a promise wants water to nourish it A spiders web looks like a curious work but it 's drawn out of its own bowels and is soone swept away so a hypocrite hath no hope but what he spins out of his own bowels he builds upon present or future duties his hope is fruitlesse it neither yeelds comfort nor selfe-purging A true Christian rejoyceth in tribulation but an hypocrite is overthrowne with it Rom. 5 2 3. The hope of an hypocrite makes him carelesse he takes no pains with his heart Prov. 14.23 Take an hypocrite while he is in prosperity and he hath great hopes takes away prosperity and perhaps it may hold still for he may hope that friends will do something when he is sick he hopes to recover when he fears death he hopes for another life but when death comes all his hopes are crusht But a godly man he hopes in death he hopes for Gods goodnesse his hope will never fail him nor make him ashamed 3. Hence learn that hope and knowledge of the same thing may well stand together In the former verse he saith We know here he hopes A mans hope ceaseth not in order to another world for do not the Saints beleeve that their bodies shall rise again and do not they hope for it They know the perperpetuity of their estates and they hope for it 2 Cor. 13.13 4. This should stir us up as we would have a comfortable death and safe not to goe to Sea without this anchor of hope The world is full of perplexities carry your anchor about with you see your hope well wrought and you shall be safe Mariners goe not to Sea without an anchor but perhaps sometimes though they have pitched their anchor in the bottome of the Sea yet the storms may be so great that they may be forced to cut the cable woman in childebed may be put to distresse but hope in heaven will carry her through Q. How may we get this hope Answ 1. We can never come to it till we be out of hope of any goodnesse in our selves 2 We must attend upon God in his ordinances that so he may work faith in us and where there is faith there will be strings of hope hope is built upon faith Q. How shall we carry it about with us Answ Look at it as a mercy that you have it stay your selves upon your anchor look afresh at the promises and believe them then thou shalt have hope enough That which makes unquiet is because we have not visited the promises many a day nor renewed our faith in them Doct. 2 That every Christian man that doth hope to be like Christ in glory hereafter doth purge himselfe to be like Christ in grace here The lively hope of a Christian here is set forth by the lively fruit of selfe-purging 2 Pet. 3.12 13 14. Titus 2.11 12 13 14. How doth this hope thus purifie us 1 By the holy meditations it doth suggest into the heart of every hopefull Christian 1. A Christian that knows he hath long been imprisoned in the fetters of corruption and knows he shall shortly be called to appear before God it makes him to put off all superfluity of uncleannesse and to put on the garments of holinesse Shall I come before Christ invested in pride and wantonnesse This makes him carefull to purifie himselfe Jer. 2.32 Can a Maid forget her ornaments when she is to be married and can a Christian forget such ornaments as may befit him for such a Kingdome 2. A second meditation which provokes a hoping Christian to purifie himselfe is this He considers the more he is purged and purified the more he is cleansed the greater shall his glory be 2 Pet. 3.10 11 12. 2. Hope purifies by setting some graces on work which doe cleanse and purifie As 1. Repentance is a grace that purgeth us from sin Psalm 130.1 2 3 2. Faith purifies our hearts Acts 15.9 If God stir but up our hearts to wait on him we may certainly know that he will do so as we have desired else our hope would make us ashamed Psalm 119. 49. Remember thou the word unto thy servant in which thou hast made me to trust 3 The meditation of the graces in Christ transform us into their image 2 Cor. 3.18 There is such a power in the promises of God that they fashion us like unto Christ 4. Hope cleanseth us by giving us hearts fastening on the Word and applying it and the Word applyed hath a strong power to cleanse even young men Psal 119.9 5. This hope hath a power to stir us up to faithfulnesse which hope perswades us our labour shall not be in vain in the Lord and this faithfulnesse sets God on work to purge us Joh. 15.2 that we may bring forth more fruits When God seeth us to stand at a stay and to wax bâ—rren then he is ready to cut us down that we cumber not the ground 3. Hope to be made like to Christ in glory hereafter makes us to abandon such impediments as hinder our purification 1 Cor. 5.6 When he saith that every one that hath this hope purifies himself it implyes it is a continued work he makes it a part of his daily work 2. He purgeth himselfe he doth not say from what from wantonnesse and leaves covetousnesse behinde he leaves it indefinitely he includes all and excludes none James 1.21 This hope purgeth
Spirit moves us Labour we to carry our selves not as idle hearers but as faithfull doers labour we to see our spots and deformities and strive to purge them labour we to practise new duties as they are renewed to us 1 JOHN 3.4 Whoso committeth sin transgresseth the Law IN the words and in the following to verse 7. he useth four motives to stir up to self-cleansing The 1. is from the danger of committing sin proved from the proper definition of sin Sin is the transgression of the Law 2. From the end of Christs coming and that was to take away sin 3. From the pattern of Christ who was without sin 4. From the practice of such as have any fellowship by union with Christ Whosoever abideth in Christ sinneth not Set out by the contrary He that committeth sin he hath neither seen Christ nor known him Doct. It is and ought to be a sufficient motive to every hopeful christian to abstain from sin because it is the transgression of the Law Numb 14.41 Why will ye goe up why will ye transgresse the Law The Rechabites were commended because they kept their fathers commandement And he hereby convinceth the Jewes of rebellion that the Sons of mortall men should make more conscience of obeying their dead fathers then his people of his Laws Dan. 9.11 Neh. 9.34 35. Rom. 2.22 23 24. Jam. 2.9 Reas 1 From the Law-giver he looks at every sin as an abrogation of his ordinances Deut. 27. ult He that walks in his Law confirmeth it sets his seal to it They who breake it would make it of no force This is one act of high rebellion against God 2 Sam. 12.7 8. 2 From the wrath and displeasure God pronounceth against every transgressor Jer. 7.19 44.4 3. God takes it as a dishonour to the power and efficacy of his word Jer. 5.22 23. God looks at it as a more boysterous and unruly passage in a man to break the bounds of his Law then for the Sea to breake its bounds 4. From the delight God takes in the keeping and keepers of his Law 1 Sam. 15.22 He more delights in obedience then in the cattle of an hundred hills Prov. 23.26 My Son give me thy heart That is more acceptable then all the Sacrifices Transgression is as rebellion and the sin of witchcraft Reas 2. Feom the Law it self 1 It 's holy just and good and therefore it is abominable to transgresse it For this is a sin against Holinessc Justice and Goodnesse 2. From the vigour and efficacy of this Law offering life to the obedient Psal 19.11 1 Tim. 4.8 Psal 119.16 death to the disobedient Gal. 3.10 Isa 59.1 2. 2 Chron. 16.11 Vse 1. To reprove such as are afraid to breake mens Laws for feare of penalty and are sensible of such dangers but are not afraid to violate and breake the holy and righteous Lawes of God This argues a most rebellious and revolting heart Such are not hopefull christians 2. To teach and exhort us to make conscience of all our wayes and to take heed to our paths lest we transgresse the Law and sin against God Prov. 28.9 If we turn away our ears from hearing Gods Law even our prayers are abominable The consideration of this should keep us from secret petty sins For though man seeth not yet God seeth and will punish 2 Sam. 12.11 12. If we think to get honour profit or pleasure by sin we deceive our selves Is it not as grievous a thing to have our soule wounded by our darling childe as our mortall enemy It is all one to be stabbed to the heart with a pen knife and with a sword Every sin wounds and rents our hearts Abstain we from all sin even the least sin is the transgression of the Law 3. This refutes such as think the Law is not given to the regenerate The Apostle here encourageth hopefull christians not to transgresse the Law Obj. But we are not under the Law but under grace Answ He means we are not under the covenant of works but of Grace Psal 119.105 Obj. As Christs passive obedience freeth from the curse so his active obedience freeth from the commanding power of the Law Answ 1. Christ hath done this and therefore those that are in Christ fear not death by their disobedience nor look for life by their obedience but we look at the Law as a rule of obedience that we may walke according to God and shew that we live by endeavouring to keep his commandements Take heed of Satans slights that would make the Gospel a Supersedeas to the Law in certain things pray not preach not but when the Spirit moveth Thus you shall set up a Spirit of delusion For sin is a transgression of the Law This is a perfect definition of sin transgression is the genus the Law the difference By Law in Scripture without addition is meant the Law of the ten commandements Jam. 4 11 12. 2.10 11. Obj. 1. What if a man sin against the Law of nature is not that a sin Answ Ir is in effect and substance the same Rom. 2.15 Though the Law of nature was more dimly and darkly known Moses law was but a new draught of the Law of nature in innocency Heathen Law-givers Philosophers and Poets have expressed the effect of all the commandements save the tenth Rom. 2 14.15 Obj. 2. Was it not a sin to transgresse the Ceremoniall and Judiciall Law Answ To the Jewes it was The ceremoniall Law was but an examplification of the second Commandement and the Judiciall Law doth but explain the second Table The Judiciall in regard of the equity is included in the morall Law the Ceremoniall stood in force till Christ dyed Obj. 3 Is it not a sin to transgresse the Gospel and is not unbeliefe a sin Joh. 16.9 Is not new obedience required in the Gospel Joh. 14.21 Ezek. 36.27 What say you to the commandements of the Gospel that we should walke as Christ walked Answ The commandements of the Gospel are all of them reduceable under the commandements of the Law God commanding perfect conformity and obedience to his whole will not only revealed but to be revealed If God command David to bring in musick into the Temple 2 Chron. 29.25 though Moses speake nothing of it yet this was expressed to heare and obey God in all things Deut. 18.18 God commanded to hearken to Christ Moses improperly and hiddenly delivered the substance of the Gospel partly in the ceremonial Law partly in the Sacrament of circumcision and the passover Christ was veyled under them Rom. 10.5.6 7 8. with Deut. 30.12 The word of faith spoken of by Moses Gal. 3.24 Transgression is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 want of Law and absence of it when a man speaks and doth without Law what we doe against it or beside the Law it is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Reas Taken from the end for which God gives the Law to be the means of perfection 2 Tim. 3.16 17.
not onely receive the Word but conceives of it and is framed to the will of God and being born of God he is alwayes his childe When a man is transformed into the image of God his judgement and heart stampt with the image of God he delights in God and his wayes and children his judgement and heart are carryed that way they are all for God repentance is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 his minde is then changed Prov. 23.26 My Son give me thy heart his heart is given to God The seed of Gods Word was not in Herod John 2.24 Psal 119.11 1 John 2.27 The seed of God remains in the children of God both Word and Spirit Reas 1. From the mighty power the Word hath had in his soule when he was first begotten and born of God It was such as did so affect and terrifie as no earthly comfort was able to satisfie his heart he hath been so overwhelmed with fears and doubts as that he will be afraid to sin as long as he lives 2. From the strong possession that the Word and Spirit have in the heart as they doe abide in the whole man so especially in the conscience and will I doe not allow what I doe but what I hate that doe I which shews that the Word hath taken such fast hold of his judgement and will that both are for God Jer. 32.40 Psal 119.161 3. From the great change this seed makes in the heart of a childe of God It makes him from a wilde olive to be a sweet olive A good tree Mat. 18 cannot bring forth evill fruit Every thing brings forth fruit according to the seed Obj. There is a seed of corruption cannot a man bring forth according to that Answ There is an old man but he is crucified if we sin we doe not trade in sin our judgements and hearts are against it When some lawlesse lusts have carryed us captive and we complain of them to God and desire that they were cast out God looks at them not as ours Rom. 6.14 Psal 110.28 Vse 1. To refute all such doctrines as teach the apostasie of Saints They say such as are born of God may come to sin totally and finally This errour fights against a double doctrine of the Apostle He saith Whosoever is born of God the seed remaineth in him If a man can shake out the Spirit how doth it remain 2. The Text saith there is no possibility of sinning they say he may sin Obj. They say Whilest he is a childe of God he cannot sin but he may cease to be a childe of God Answ 1. He cannot sin whereby he should be made no childe of God 2. There is a doctrine of the Papists and their Divines that teach liberty of will cannot be nisi ad opposita that a man may will a thing or not I ask whether a childe of God forbears a sin willingly or not We say willingly If a childe of God walk in innocency from sin he can doe no otherwise Whereas their doctrine is a mans will is not free unlesse a man may doe a thing or not to doe it What doe they think of Saints and Angells in Heaven or God himselfe whether have they free-will or no I hope none of them can sin yet doe they good most freely Wherein stands liberty Not onely that a man doth a thing without constraint but that he follows the counsell of his own will he follows his own judgement and reason 2. For tryall of our own hearts whether we be born of God or no. If we be our ordinary course is good we dare not sin know not how to go about it that seed which is in us sets our hearts and judgements aright Gen. 39.9 Other men may think it strange that we cannot doe as they doe This is a good evidence that thou art born of God 3. See what to judge of those that have made a profession and yet fall away They were never born of God for then they could not have sinned 4. This may be a ground of much comfort to every childe of God He will preserve us spotlesse and blamelesse Here is a double comfort 1. He looks not at thy course as sin if thou be humbled for it and he will take a course to mortifie it 2. You can never lose the favour of God because if you be once begotten you can never be unbegotten You are begotten of an immortall seed and therefore cannot die Obj. This may seem to be a doctrine of presumption for then a man may live as he list Answ Suppose a Physitian could give us the apple of the tree of life that so we should never die but yet bids us take heed to a diet for although we could not die yet we should have such pangs stone gout strangury as that we would wish death rather then life So God will make the best of his servants know what it is to wax wanton against him and make them curse all the occasions that lead them to sin 5. This should teach us that have received any seed of God to take heed that we sin not and therefore inform the judgement aright out of the Word of God 2 Tim. 1.3 that so you may come to sound judgement and wisdome One errour of judgement will shake you much in your way 1 John 5.18 1 JOHN 3.10 In this the children of God are manifest and the children of the Devill whosoever doth not righteousnesse is not of God neither he that loveth not his Brother HErein is a manifest difference between the children of God and the children of the Devill The signes of difference are twofold 1. Generall doe not righteousnesse 2. Particular doe not love the Brethren Doct. The children of God and the children of the Devill are not so alike one to another but that there may be found a manifest difference betwixt them even in this world Gal. 5.10 Mat. 7.20 Were there not a manifest difference it were not so necessary for God to charge his Ministers Jer. 15.19 to walk with a divided affection towards them Ezek. 13.22 If a difference had not been so manifest God had not so justly blamed them If you say this is peculiar to Ministers Levits they must judge who are clean who are not and not private Christians Answ That God makes it a badge of them that shall inherit Heaven and have fellowship with God there Psal 15.4 Jude v. 20 21 22 23. which shews we should put a signe of difference not onely between good and bad but even between bads Some sin ignorantly others more absolutely How doth this manifest difference apear A double signe of it 1 Cor. 12.10 It is a spirituall gift of discerning He speaks of discerning what gifts and what measures a man hath and wherein the strength of a mans gifts lies 1 Cor. 2 15. Although he cannot discern every mans speciall gifts what he is most fit for yet plain and manifest things he discerns and
Brethren is a known and undoubted evidence that we are passed from death to life What is it to love our Brethren Love is an affection whereby we desire communion one with another and communication of good one to another A man in nature prizeth his Brethren and will do more for them then any other So it is in grace Acts 4. ult 2.42 44. Phil 1.2 We must affect to be of one heart Eph. 3.3 4. There must be brotherly equality if we be Brethren You are of the same Father Gal. 6.26 one Mother one Seed 1 Pet. 1.23 one Inheritance 1 Pet. 1.4 We will desire to communicate brotherly offices to the inward man Rom. 2.11 12. and to the outward man if need be Acts 2 44. Reas 1. From the naturall pronenesse which is in our nature to strangenesse envy c. We doe not naturally seek any mans good but our own or so far forth as reacheth our own ends 2 From the affection of every mans heart to liberty Now a man delights onely in such company as are like himselfe because otherwise he is restrained If Gods people be the men of your delight and counsell you were never so well as wirh them Psal 115.115 16.3 This is a sign we are passed from death to life 3. From a mans backwardnesse of communication of brotherly offices Gal. 6.10 4 From the great distance that is between us and the love of our Brethren and how many steps there are before we come to it Matth. 5 3. to 9. Vse 1 Of tryall of our own estates whether we are in a state of death or life It is one of the plainest notes in Scripture and most evident Gal. 6.10 If our love run in an equall channell to all men if we know not Gods people we know not Christ 1 John 3.1 2. If you know them how doe you affect them Do you think it were good if the Town were cleansed of them Gen. 49.4 5 Psal 101 we are not as yet born of God Obj. Doe not many love Gods children and honour them and yet are not the children of God Gen. 27.29 Acts 5.13 That they did not joyn with them was a signe that they were not born of God Gen. 39.1 2 3. 2 To convince the doctrine of doubting Papists who say a man cannot know himselfe to be in a state of grace Eccl. 9.1 2. No man can know it by outward things They say here by knowledge is meant conjecturall knowledg not certain knowledge Answ This is a contradiction A man lyes if he saith he knowes a thing and is not certain of it There is no peace of conscience in this Religion 3 To exhort such as know not yet that they are passed from life to death to labour to love the Brethren Prov. 13.20 4 Of consolation to every soul that hath nothing in this world but this they love the Brethren This is such a thing as upon which thou mayest build a certain knowledge that thou art passed from death to life and therefore thou mayst take comfort He that loveth not his Brother abideth in death The Apostle in the former words did imply the world was in death for want of love And left any should think that he did but imply it and not directly expresse it he sets it down expresly Here is a description of a man that loves not his Brother 1 He is in death 2 Abides in death By death is meant the same that was meant in the former part of the verse Abiding implyes not only a being in that estate but continuance and residence in it Doct. The want of love to any of our Brethren is a sign of abidance in the state of damnation or in an unregenerate and carnall estate And he saith not he that hates but he that loves not and he saith not brethren but brother any or every brother Mat. 18.6 Offend not one of these little ones Christs little ones are such as have but little grace and great corruption Reas From the want of love that is found in such a one towards God and that is an argument of being in a state of death If a man love God in obedience to his commandements he should love his brother by the same commandement That commandement which requires me to love one Brother requires me to love all Jam. 2.10 11. Breake one commandement break all for who gave one gave all whoso neglects offices of love to one performes none to any nor to God It is a note of sincerity that a man hates all sin as well as one Psal 119.101 104 For it is an argument of love when there is no Brother or Sister but we enlarge our affections towards them Gal. 3.28 So much want of love so much hypocrisie 2. From the bitter or deadly root of want of love to this or that Brother It springs from two occasions 1. Either from his infirmities in himselfe Or 2. From spirituall injuries to our selves True a man will say such Christians I would away with but they have such unsavoury corruptions The first root of this is the condemnation of the generation of Gods people If a man may condemn this or that man for this or that corruption he may come to condemn the best of Gods servants because the best of Gods servants may be in the same failings for which thou hatest such a Brother Prov. 30.12 The greatest of Gods servants have shamefully faln David Peter Lot Noah The second root is from the enmity against Gods free justification of sinners Take away this and you take away all Christian religion If you love not a Brother because of some infirmities you doe overthrow the free justification of Gods grace of a sinner For God that hath justified the greatest hath justified as well the least as freely and as fully and wilt thou justifie some and condemn others God condemns none Rom. 8.1.33 34. If Christians doe beleeve the free justification of sinners then let us imitate our Father which is in heaven justifie whom he justifies The third bitter and deadly root If there be the least sparke of grace in his heart all his corruptions are his enemies and he but a shrimp in grace and hath many enemies What good nature is this when a man would love a man if he had no enemies but when he hath enemies and such as are ready ever and anon to beat him down he cannot love him The fourth want of a member like spirit for the more naked unseemly or deformed any member is the body is the more carefull of it if it may be it shall be healed if not it shall be covered 1 Cor. 12.23 24. If we want this it flowes from want of a member like spirit 2 Somtimes neglect of our Brother springs from some personall injury done to our selves We cannot love them This springs from this root want of forgivenesse of our own sins for we pray for forgivenesse upon this ground Mat. 6.12 15. Our Saviour
own salvation and for honour therefore how much more for God and for the honour of Religion In what cases is a man to lay down his life Answ The Apostle meanes we should be ready to doe it for the service of the Church if it cannot be otherwise 1. In heat of persecution to confirme the faith of the people of God who would be ready to think much if he shouâ—d withdraw himselfe though he might escape yet a minister or eminent person is bound to goe before in sufferings So Paul if he be poured out as a dr nke offering every drop of blood in his body poured out if it be for the strengthning of the faith of weak christians he rejoyceth Phil. 2.17 The stronger must lay down their lives for the confirmation of the faith of the weaker 2. There may be a case wherein the weaker are to lay down their lives for the stronger Aquila and Priscilla were ready to lay down their lives for Pauls life they thought it better to expose themselves to the utmost extremity then that Paul should be hurt I must not spare my own life if it may be serviceable to God and the Church Rom. 16 4 5. 2 Sam. 21.16 17. 18.3 3. When we perceive it would much advantage the glory of God that we should rather perish then our brethren Rom. 9.2 3. He could wish himselfe accursed for the Jewes even his soul for a sacrifice Thus Moses Exod. 32.33 4. When a man doth see that the wrath of God is kindled against others for his sin he must rather offer himselfe to death then that that evill should be upon them that converse with him Jonah 1.22 2 Sam. 24. in David Vse 1. Learn we from hence to justifie our selves and others If we should be called to lay down our lives to suffer for our Brethren here is a direction how to suffer Phil. 2.5 God hath given us a commandement to love our Brethren as our selves Also God hath subordinated the members of his Church to the body of it 2. To teach us that though it be lawfull to fly in time of persecution yet if it cannot be without weakning the Church wherein we live we must in heart live and dye together 3. To teach ministers when they are called by God for the service of any Congregation not to dispense with themselves for air or health fearing the cutting short of his dayes You must not live from your meanes Either never take such a charge or make account you must hazzard your lives for the people of God unlesse upon tryall it appears you may doe more good in some other place 4. It reproves such as are so far from laying down their lives as that they will not lay down their estates nor the superfluities of their estates for their Brethrens necessities 1 Sam. 25.11 How shall such ever perswade themselves that Christ dyed for them 5. A ground of such thankfulnesse that God should not only give Christ to dye for us but also would have christians to be fitted to lay down their lives for their Brethren 1 JOHN 3.17 But whoso hath this worlds good and seeth his Brother hath need and shutteth up his bowels of pitty and compassion from him how dwelleth the love of God in him Doct. THere dwells no love of God in such a mans heart as having this worlds goods stretcheth not out his hand to help the necessity of his Brother What is it to have the worlds good In the Originall it is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the life of this world this worlds living whereof to live whereof to maintain his life Bowels of compassion Because compassion is an affection of griefe and love stirred up in us by the sight and sence of one anothers misery as if we suffered with them our compassion is stirred up as well as theirs Heb. 13 3. To shut up bowels is to withdraw the affections and the stirring of the entrails A man many times hath little means to help but if he have not bowels to worke for him how dwells the love of God in such a man This is a peremptory question utterly denying all Reas 1 From the nature of love Such is love that God dwells in it 1 Joh. 4.26 There is no affection wherein God reveales himselfe more then in love 1 Cor. 13.4 Love is bountifull ready to be doing good succouring others in their need 2 Consider the nature of Brethren 1 They are more worthy then our estate one of their souls cost more then all our estates yea more then all the world How dwels the love of God in us if we love the world more then our Brother 2 Look at our Brother as a member of Christ hungry thirsty naked harbourlesse We could not but love Christ wheresoever we did see him Mat. 25.40 and they are members of our own body 1 Cor. 12.25 26. Vse 1. Of instruction and rules to order our lives aright or any work of mercy 1 Who shall relieve his Brother Answ He that hath this worlds goods that can live he must open his heart and hand This therefore will reach not onely to mens superfluities but if we can but live if we have but what we labour and sweat for Ephes 4.28 We must not only labour for our selves but give to him that hath need 2 Cor. 8.3 4 5. Luke 21.34 8.3 Joh. 13.28 29 12.6 2. To whom must we be helpfull Answ He must 1 Be a Brother 2 Have need 3 Every Brother Gal. 6.10 Beggars that are unable to labour and would gladly labour they must be relieved Luke 16.20 21. or such as though they doe labour yet cannot get a living 2 Thess 3.10 2 A brother that hath need Eph. 8.18 1 Tim. 5.4 5 Such are poor indeed as have neither hands friends nor maintenance A man is said to be in need not onely when he is utterly cast downe but when he is falling 3 Every Brother one as well as another Eccl. 10.2 Job 31.19 4 Consider the matter out of which we must give out of this worlds good Eccl. 10.1 When we have unjustly gotten we must restore Prov. 5.16 17 5 The time when we must give when we see our Brother hath need that we may see it our s elves bestowed It is a vanity to leave almes after our death to be bestowed by others 1 Sam. 20.15 2 Sam. 16.4 19. If we give almes while we are alive we shall have the benefit of them the loynes of the poor shall blesse us and though they have no heart to pray for us yet the warmth of their loyns will blesse us When we are dead their prayers will do us no good Luke 16.8 9. 6 Give alms with compassion give from within as well as from without Isa 58.10 2 Cor. 9.7 Give heartily let your bowels work 7 Give almes out of love to God fetch your love deep even from the love of God who hath given thee a hand to give and him to receive
in the throne of a mans heart Conscience is our companion God much more Psal 139. Reas 2. God is our witnesse therefore when we speak soberly we call God to witnesse He is a Judge Heb. 10.3 an Executioner and therefore if Conscience sees cause to condemn us God much more if Conscience see cause to acquit us God much more Psal 139.2 3. Vse 1. A signe of our present estate and what God will doe concerning us if we live and die thus What saith thy Conscience if thy heart assure thee thou lovest thy Brother 2 Cor. 1.12 That thou savourest not sin that thete is no good duty but thou wouldst doe thou hast been humbled for thy sins Conscience hath been an Executioner and yet hath come with pardon sealed to thee with the broad seal of Heaven If thou seest one spark of sincerity in thee God sees more Obj. May not a mans conscience be deceived Rom. 3.17 Luke 18.9 to 14 May not a man say I have no guilty conscience Answ Conscience sometimes bears false witnesse Tit. 1.15 16. If a man have a defiled conscience it will deal falsly A mans conscience through ignorance and partiality doth bring a false verdict As it is many times with a Jury ignorance of law and false evidence makes them bring a false verdict but then send them back again and shew them better evidence and the law c. So Conscience doth oft-times bring a false verdict but its thorough ignorance of the Law of God or partiality Doth thy conscience speak bitter things Consider what the grounds are If such as doe argue thee dead in trespasses and sins then know that God doth call thee from heaven to repentance If it tell thee thou art an hypocrite consider what grounds it hath Conscience may be muzled by ignorance and partiality the Devill puts false glasses before our eyes 2. A ground of serious humiliation to every mans heart whose conscience upon due examination doth accuse him 3. To teach every Christian which hath found that he hath passed from death to life to be afraid to commit any sin And comfort thy soul if Conscience do acquit thee then will God much more 4. Labour we always to be doing some good for we have a companion that hears and sees all and a register that notes every good word or work The Apostle in stead of telling us If our hearts condemn us God will condemn us much more He gives a reason of it describing God 1 From his greatnesse 2 Knowledge Doct. God is better acquainted with our hearts and wayes then our selves Psal 19.12 He means sins not onely secret and hidden from others but from our selves Psal 139.12 Thou Lord knowest my thoughts afar off they are ever before thee 2 Kings 8.11 12 13. Reas 1. From Gods omnisciency his all-sufficient knowledge Heb. 4.13 They are anatomized before him as if every vein and sinew were laid open he divides between the marrow and the bone John 21.12 Rom. 15.11 Job 26.6 Though hell and destruction be both covered yet before the Lord they be both open Whether Hell be in the waters or on the earth they cover not from God Hell and destruction are before the Lord how much more the hearts of the children of men 2. From the creation God made our hearts gave us power to affect think purpose He knoweth what is in us Job 38.36 If God give understanding to the heart he knows much more what is in the heart Psal 33.13 God hath fashioned our hearts therefore he knows them Psal 99 10. 3. From the providence of God We have our motion in God A Mill moves from the Miller because he hath caused it so to doe but the motion of the Mill is not in the Miller it can move without him We move in God as a supportant conservant cause as a Mill moved by the breath of the winde so we by the breath of the Lord as there is not a turning in the Mill but from the winde so not a turning of our hearts without him Our hearts are in the hands of the Lord Prov. 21.1 4. From the unsearchable depth of the deceitfulnesse of mans heart Jer. 17.9 10. Prov. 3.17 Our hearts make us believe we are rich and have need of nothing when indeed we are wretched and miserable poor blinde and naked Prov. 30.2 3. Sometimes that we are more foolish than any man and have not the understanding of a man while we walk in a sinfull way they make us believe we are in Gods favour Luke 18.9 When we are in a good estate and God would have us walk chearfully in him our hearts will cast a thousand discouragements upon us we cannot pray or profit by the Word of God or doe any good duty our hearts will few pillows under our elbowes that so we may sleep quietly but when we go to try our hearts by the Word of God then they will fall out with us indeed 2 Sam. 15. the beginning Vse 1. Take heed of all secret sins Not onely such as may be hid from men but of such roots of sin as are hid from thy selfe yet cannot be hid from God Take heed of such sins as are so subtle that thou knowest not whether they be sins or no sins which our own soules know not of If a man would be kept from presumptuous sins he must cleanse the inward and hidden frame of his heart Q. How shall we cleanse our hearts A. 1. Pray to God with David Psal 19. to cleanse us from such sins which we know not We have confessed such sins as we know by our selves and those which the world knows by us but we must make a new reckoning for such sins as we know not 2. Not to trust our own hearts but the Word of God Psal 119.9 The Word of God saith there are such sins in every age therefore we must pray to God to help us against them 3. Keep our hearts with all diligence observe every winding and turning and take heed of occasions that provoke our hearts any way to sin Prov. 4.23 2. This shews the impossibility of their good estates that look to be justified by habits and works It is the happinesse of Gods servants in that they look not to be justified by the perfection of their hearts 3. Ground of tryall If we finde that our hearts doe not condemn us let us trust our hearts no farther then we prove them by the rule of Gods Word If God hath helped you to look up to Christ for the pardon of your sins and you now sit loose from sin it is an argument that your sins are pardoned because we could not else hate sin Psal 119.6 But on the contrary if we finde our hearts condemning us our hearts are full of selfe-love Parents are full of partiality as that they can scarce see any evill in their children If they see cause of death in them much more God the righteous Judge If they see cause of
when other mens hearts shall quail and tremble for fear and shake like the leafs of a tree Isa 7.2 then a loving Christian may lift up his head with joy because then he knows his love shall be consummate and when others are ashamed of their riches learning and honors he is not ashamed of his love a loving Christian is safe and bold both in life and death look at all the straights of a Christian if they be upon any ground it s for want of love he that neglects this duty of love God and his conscience will take him by the throat and exact the due debt because he walked with a private spirit in the publique world whereas if we doe but walk in a spirit of love and helpfulnesse to our brethren and learn to walk with a publique spirit neglecting private respects the Devill and thy conscience shall find nothing to accuse thee of but thou shalt meet death and judgement in the face without fear or shame 1 JOHN 4.18 There is no fear in love but perfect love casteth out fear because fear hath torment he that feareth is not made perfect in love VErse 17. he â—roved that such as love one another may have boldnesse in the day of judgement this he proved 1. From the likenesse to God v. 17. 2. He proves it from the contrariety that is betwixt fear and love There is no fear in love which he proves by an effect of love perfect love casteth out fear and therefore perfect love and fear cannot stand together this he proves by a double argument 〈◊〉 fear 1. Fear hath â—â—â—ments therefore love a peaceable grace casts out fear 2. Because he that feareth is not perfect in love therefore he that is perfect in love fears not In this 18. verse 1. Observe the estate of a soul troubled with fear and that is a state of torment 2. The unsound and uncomfortable condition of such a soul he is not perfect in love 3. The remedy of this estate perfect love casts out fear 4. The exemption of perfect love from all fear or the comfortable condition of a soul so healed by love There is no fear in love Doct. A fearfull conscience lies in torment Fear hath torment and he speaks of the fear of death but specially of judgement where that fear is there is torment the word translated torment 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is elsewhere so translated Mat. 25. ult The torment here spoken of is such a kinde of torments as hell is not for measure but for kind For the handling of this we may see what the Scripture speaks of this torment in the severall descriptions and metaphors First This torment is sometimes called pricking of conscience Acts 2.37 they were pricked at their hearts with fear and shame for sin though but a little before they scoft at the Apostle v. 13. yet now they were struck with such torments as they knew not what to doe Secondly It s called a wounding of the spirit Prov. 18.14 which wounding is a larger gash then pricking and so implyes more anguish fear and shame Thirdly It is compared to the sting of a Scorpion Rev. 9.5 the Jesuites doe so sting men with torments of hell and horrour of conscience and God gave them not power to heal themselves again hence they thought every thing little enough to satisfie their conscience and so they suck out their estates in building Hospitalls and bestowing on their Cloysters Fourthly The wrath of God in the soul is compared to venomed arrows Job 6.4 Fifthly This torment is called the rending of the heart Joel 2.13 Rend your hearts and not your garments the heart and thoughts are so rent and distracted that one thing will not hang by another David calls this melting of spirit Psal 119.28 as if the heart were like wax and Gods wrath like burning fire therefore a man in this case is in a bitter estate Job 13.26 Thou writest bitter things against me Isa 38.15 I shall goe mourning in the bitternesse of my soul for this the soul is troubled Psal 77. and sorely vexed Psal 6.3 Why doth a soul lying in fear lye in torment Reas 1. Consider this fear in the effects of it this fear sometimes brings men into trembling of body so that all the spirits flie inward 2. If it continue it leads oft times to inward Consumptions of body or burning Agues Hab. 3.16 Psal 30.4 5. 3. Sometimes it causeth terrible dreams which doe amaze and affright us Job 13.14 4. It causeth wearinesse of life so that a soule long exercised with this kind of fear cryes out in bitternesse and heartily wisheth for death Job 7.15 My soul chooseth strangling rather then life if he might have his choyce he would rather choose strangling then life there are worse effects then those proceeding from this fear when Satan sets on withall against us 1. Sometimes Satan so follows us with fears and horrours that though a man be oâ— a large measure of patience yet he is able to bear no longer but breaks out in impatience Cursed be the day that ever I was born Job 3.1 2 3. and this is a sinfull effect 2. It breeds in some a flying from the presence of 〈◊〉 that they dare not read or pray they are afraid the earth should swallow 〈◊〉 up and God suddenly consume them so Cain when he was pursued witâ—â—orror of conscience he fled from the presence of God from Adams family from the Church 3. This fear sometimes brings destruction when the soule is so wearied with sence of horrours with cares and watchings that the brain growes frenzy so that you can be able to doe them no good till God puts in his help Psal 88.15 16. This was Hemans case through the terrours of God he was distracted yet when God healed his spirit he grows one of the wisest men upon the earth except Solomon 4. Sometimes upon this fear follows despaire the soul is perswaded it shall never see the light of Gods countenance again but that its utterly cast off Psal 3.6 7. Psal 77. but this was but for a time but sometimes this despair is finall as Judas his was 5. From hence followes sometimes selfe-murther as in Judas Mat. 27. Reas 2. From the properties of this fear its incomprehensible when Job would expresse it he could not tell how to set it forth but O that my afflictions were laid in the ballance Job 6.2 3. Lam. 1.12 13. Is there any sorrow like my sorrow 2. It s insupportable A wounded spirit who can bear Prov. 18.14 the stoutest heart is not able to stand under it 3. It s immoveable nothing in the world is able to remove it no balm can cure the conscience but the bloud of Christ Reas 3. From the causes of this fear which are two 1. The sence of Gods wrath here and the expectation of greater hereafter Psal 90.11 Who knows the power of thy wrath 2. A terrible expectation of violent fire to consume
Father loves all his children because they are his brethren of the same bloud of the same womb 2. If we look at God as our Father and love him accordingly then we look at his children as those that have the image of God stampt upon them and therefore we look at them as of the same temper with our selves as partakers of the divine nature with our selves 2 Pet. 1.4 3. If we look at God as our Father and so at every believer as the son of God then we cannot but conceive that they are beloved of God and that God pities them as a father doth his children Psal 103.13 Why then we cannot love God the Father but we must love his children for the loves sake that God bears them It 〈…〉 for 2 Chron. 19.2 Shouldest thou love 〈…〉 those whom the Lord loves 〈…〉 20 21. so 〈…〉 those 〈◊〉 loveâ—â—â— Lord 〈…〉 〈…〉 God 〈…〉 then 〈…〉 for 〈…〉 wâ—â—ked in 〈…〉 Lord spare◠〈◊〉 for David 〈…〉 1 Kings 〈…〉 of Abija◠〈…〉 God yet for David 〈◊〉 Fathers 〈…〉 â—hough God see the children o◠〈…〉 yet 〈◊〉 their â—thers sake 〈…〉 Israel So 〈◊〉 â—e if God thâ—â—â—ther â—e holy aâ—◠〈…〉 and 〈◊〉 though his children soâ—â—times walk 〈…〉 for their fathers like vnto mâ—st â—ave them a 〈…〉 â—amp 〈…〉 helpfull and loving to them for their â—ood fa◠〈◊〉 What 〈…〉 spoâ—â— be not the spâ—â—â— Gods childâ—â—â— Deâ—â— â— 5 〈…〉 â—not see those badges of holinesse and righteousnesse 〈◊〉 yet because God is holy and just we are to respect them 〈…〉 God beaâ—â— them and us It was observâ—â—e that speech 〈…〉 of God wheâ—â— came to Jezabel and commanâ—â—◠〈…〉 down out of a window and slain 〈◊〉 â—â—â—ds forth his 〈…〉 that cursed woman for she is a Kings dange◠〈…〉 34. What Kings â—â—ghter but an Idolatrous King and yet becauâ—◠〈…〉 daughter bury her Now if this speech of 〈…〉 by Go◠〈◊〉 it should thâ—â— the children of Kings and Princes 〈…〉 â—atiou◠〈◊〉 must be respected for their â—â—â—ds sake Why how much 〈…〉 â—ill God look you should put 〈◊〉 the 〈◊〉 and 〈…〉 any of his children be so far foâ—â—◠〈…〉 blaspheme 〈◊〉 them be respected no◠〈…〉 but becaâ—â—e the sons and daughters o◠〈◊〉 King 〈…〉 they 〈…〉 and sinfull passages 〈…〉 offices 〈…〉 sons and 〈…〉 of God they have 〈…〉 of theâ— Father in them though 〈…〉 degenerate and that 's greâ—â— then to be born of any earthly 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1. Exâ—luâ—â— all such from the loveâ—â— God as their Father whoâ—e 〈◊〉 are 〈◊〉 up frâ—◠〈◊〉 as their brethren i◠〈◊〉 they come 〈◊〉 the stamp of Goâ—â—â—ildren upon them his 〈◊〉 stampt upon them 〈◊〉 they begin to sit 〈◊〉 â—trange themselves from them though formerly they loved them 〈◊〉 What a poor case is his blinde world 〈◊〉 that the more any 〈…〉 the nature of God the moâ—â—â—ey hate the◠〈◊〉 such know 〈…〉 â—ever look up to God as their Father and 〈…〉 and neglect their brethren weâ—â— the 〈◊〉 Prinâ—â— you wouâ—â—â—â—our and respect them for their Fathers 〈◊〉 why 〈…〉 God 's sake But know that if you estrangeâ— you 〈◊〉 from theâ— you plainâ—â— shew that for want of love to them that 〈◊〉 gotten you wâ—◠〈◊〉 to their father that begat them Vse 2. To exhort at all 〈◊〉 his brotherly love for if God use so many Exhortations and Arguments to stir us up to this duty â—t shewes that we are very backward 〈◊〉 and that our Spirit lusts to envy James 5.5 â— And to help us to this duty of love this is an especiall good means by looking at them as born of God and so partakers of the same faith partakers of the same divine nature by looking at them as our Brethren as the beloved of God 〈…〉 great King and though they walk in many â—â—ose 〈…〉 children of good parents and doth not easily break out 〈…〉 how much more ought we to love the children of 〈…〉 and Jehu could respect the Daughter 〈…〉 and enemy to the State 〈◊〉 though 〈…〉 â—od on theâ—◠〈…〉 love and 〈…〉 their â—â—nities they are King 〈◊〉 We use to say so to some 〈◊〉 I lov'd your 〈…〉 my good friend and as honest man the◠〈◊〉 I cannot 〈◊〉 love you 〈◊〉 your Fathers â—ake and therefore I am soâ—â—â—ou take course◠〈◊〉 your good Father 〈…〉 and desire you to break off 〈◊〉 such bad company Thus we dea◠〈…〉 whom we love and shall we not doe so much 〈◊〉 for 〈…〉 children that we see degenerate from him and 〈…〉 you should take such courses as no way beseech the children of such a good Father I beseech you carry your selfe like h◠〈◊〉 be holy as he is holy and this is a true act of love 1 JOHN 5.2 By this we know that we love thâ— children of God when we love God and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 â—â—mmandements IN the fourth Chapter the Apostle had exhorted us to the unfained love of our Brethren now he proceeds to a word of direction ho◠〈◊〉 now whether we love them or no. Hereby we know c. It was the scope of this holy Apostle 〈◊〉 such things as by the knowledge whereof their joy might be full and with his exhortations he mingles divers marks and signes that so knowing the estate they might have fulnesse of â—y Now therefore because love of 〈◊〉 Brethren was a course of full Joy yet if we knew not whether we loved them 〈◊〉 no it would â—e mattâ—â—â—f little 〈◊〉 therefore he tells us how we 〈…〉 to satiâ—fie some weak Christians thâ—â— might be doubtfull 〈…〉 â—â—ny we knâ—w that 〈◊〉 love the children of 〈◊〉 when we love 〈…〉 his commandemeâ—â—s A right Preachers 〈◊〉 First he sayes down instructions and duties and then layes down 〈…〉 In the words two 〈◊〉 First The expediency of our knowledge of our love to our Brethren which is here implyed else he would not have laid down marks to know 〈◊〉 by Secondly The marks of discerning our love which are two 1. Love of God 2. Obedience to the commandements of God Doct. It is a behovefull point to a Christian â—â—s comfort not onely to love Gods children but to know that he loves The scope of his writing was to fulfill 〈…〉 was a means of thâ—â—â—e teacheth us this main duty to love our Brethâ—◠〈…〉 onely so but 〈◊〉 how to know it Isa 48.17 I am the Lord thy God the holy 〈…〉 teacheth thee to profit Why then surely if God teach us such a point 〈◊〉 â—his it s a way of profiting and therefore to walk in the knowledge of our love to Gods â—aints is a profitable way Reas 1. From the assurance it will give us of our good estate before God and of Gods protection of us in such an estate 〈◊〉 therefore if we know this we know we are in a good estate The love of our Brethren is an undoubted argument of our passage from death to life 1 John 3.14 Therefore the knowing of this must needs give us much comfort nay it not
then I might condemne the generation of the righteous for it may easily fall out that sometimes the servants of God are so filled with the world that they have much ado to take pains about edifying themselves or keeping peace with God But yet though a true Christian be led captive by the world so as he hath little skill in any thing else but worldly matters full of dexterity in the world and but a bungler in grace yet if a man be born of God the Spirit of God at length will let him see his error and then be will mourn for it and oppose and resist to the death As a childe getting into a boat at length the wind riseth and carryeth the boat from the shoar and tosses him in the deep he is not able to use the oares to bring him to the shoar but after much toyling he is drowned and a puffe of wind or the return of the floud casts him on the shoar dead So many times a Christian falls a tampering with the world and it pleaseth him well till at length the world heaves and carries him up untill he be carryed into the main plunged so deep in the world that he sees he hath lost his love to God and then he strives to recover himselfe and labours and goes mourning to his grave but at his death he is cast up safely on the shoar the seed of God hath kept some life of grace in him Vse 1. Shews the hypocrisie of such as are carryed wholly captive with the world such were never truly born of God Stella cadens nunquam stella cometa fuit Some illumination may make them blaze a while but they vanish away at length Vse 2. Shews us the marvellous danger of the world We think it an happy thing to lade our selves with thick clay to have our treasuries full and our houses well furnished Why would a man think himselfe rich if his house were full of enemies Why truly such is the world it carries us into the deep and drowns us with many sinfull lusts Therefore the more we have of the world the more wary grow we of keeping the world shackled that it may not hinder us but help us to more freedome as a man the more Sea-room the better he sails So let Christians that have much of the world learn to be more free for God Doct. 2. It 's the faith of a Christian that helps him to overcome the world Moses his example is full Heb. 11.24 to 28. We see here 1 Honor might have tempted him He might have been called the Son of Pharoahs daughter this he refused by faith 2 There was much treasure to be got in the Court but by faith he esteemed the reproach of Christ greater riches then the treasures of Aegypt 3 He might have had many pleasures in the Court but by faith he esteemed the affliction of Gods people before the pleasures of sin 4 He might have incurred the Kings wrath but by faith he feared not the Kings wrath So that let the world flatter or threaten faith overcomes it Reas 1. Because faith inlightens the minde to see things in another manner then the world seeth them Faith lets us see things as they are Faith lets Moses see that to be called Gods Son is far greater honour then to be called the Son of Pharoah's daughter Faith lets him see that the afflictions of Gods servants are better then worldly pleasure Faith lets him see that Gods wrath is more to be feared then the Kings Faith is of a discerning nature Heb. 11.1 Faith makes that evident to a Christian which others see not 2 Faith estates us into Christ Now Christ dwelling in us by faith inables us to overcome the world 3 Faith hath a power to purifie our hearts Acts 15.9 2 Pet. 1.14 from the lusts of the world Faith looks at God as our portion and therefore regards not the profits of the world 2 Faith cleanseth us from voluptuousnesse Faith lets us see more joy and pleasure in Gods favour then in all the contents of the world 3 Faith establisheth our hearts in Gods fear Prov. 29.25 and therefore makes us not to be afraid of the wrath of men so that faith fenceth us on every side against the world 4. Faith layes hold on the promises 2 Pet. 1.5 Now Gods promises have a power to take off our minds from the world Faith beleeves the promises of Gods protection and provision and goodnesse and therefore makes us not to regard the world Vse 1. To teach a Christian never to go without the continual exercise of his faith The worâ—d will be still drawing us away either after pleasure or profit or else will discourage you with fears and dangers Why faith alone is able to overcome them therefore live continually by faith depend upon Christ look up to the promises and you shall be too hard for the world Vse 2. Of comfort to every faithfull believer in order to their perseverance If faith overcomes the world then it will overcome Satan and your owne lusts Doct. 3. To them that have overcome the world the yoke of Gods commandements is easie By the world we heard is not to be understood the creatures but there be somethings in the world that have a snare in them 2 There be many comforts in the world that are apt to draw our mindes from God Again there are many discomforts and dangers which are enemies to grace Now to him that hath overcome these the yoke of Gods commandements is easie Paul to whom the world was crucified Gal. 6.14 when he hears that bonds and afflictions attend him he cares for none of these things he can fulfill his course with joy for all these then surely his task is not a grievous yoke but joyfull Reas 1. From the weapons that the world lends Satan in every temptation Whatsoever temptation comes from Sotan or from our own corruptions they finde no argument to perswade us but only taken from the world so that if once you have overcome the world no temptation will lay hold on you There have been many that have been willing to partake of Christ but when Christ hath bid them part with all they went away sorrowful Mat. 10.22 Here was a losse of profit kept him off Some are kept off by profits some by pleasures Luke 14.18 19 20. The profits of the world made Ananias dissemble the love of the world made Demas forsake Paul What made Achitophel hang himself but disgrace of the world For ease sake Judas hanged himselfe So some mens credit and honors keep them off John 5.44 How can ye believe that receive honour one of another The seeking of worldly honour and glory hinders them from seeking Gods glory John 12.42 43. All the discouragements that hinder in our Christian course are either from the profits pleasures or honors of the world If therefore we have got victory over the world then no temptation shall make us think Gods
And how dare any appear that dare claime grace and glory of merit In the continuance of his faithfull obedience who dare claim the least mercy ex condigno how much lesse eternall life Whereas è contra Gods servants doe not think God beholding to them for their service but they never think themselves more engaged and beholding to God then when he inables them to most service they say with David Who are we that we should be able to offer thus willingly 1 Chron. 29.14 they know every jo◠of mercy is free grace every sin pardoned is free grace No Malefactor on earth but if the King send him a pardon he acknowledgeth it to be of the Kings free grace and Royall compassion but yet the Synagogue of Rome will not acknowledge Gods pardon to be of free grace but Gods people acknowledge they are 〈◊〉 but as dead dogs before God and were at not for the free grace of God they had never seen life Vse 2. Of exhortation to all the sons of men that never look after Christ why as ever you desire to see me and that life for ever look up to God for it to derive it from him it is his free gift Every man is a friend to him that giveth gifts Prov. 19.6 Shall we respect Princes so that have but earthly honours and profits to giue that we think it our happinesse to doe them any service and shall we neglect God that hath such great gifts to give even eternall life and a Kingdome of glory it is God that gives us these naturall lives and that gives us power to get wealth Deut. 8.18 nay it s he that gives life of comfort and the life of justification and holinesse and also the life of glory and shall we neglect this great gift and more respect the poor comforts of the world then him in whose hands is our breath and life Skin for skin and all that a man hath will he give for his life he means for his naturall life and shall eternall life lie by like a refuse thing that no man looks after Vse 3. Of tryall whether God hath given us this life or no and this we may discern for the eternity of the gift consider whether there be any eternall life shed abroad in thy heart or not hast thou found any pardon of sins that whereas thou sawest thy soul as a dead dog for want of this life now God hath justified thee from thy sins Why the life of justification is eternall life if he hath once pardoned thy sins he will remember them no more Jer. 31.33 Secondly Hast thou found a spirit of life in thee to obey and serve the Lord Rom. 8.2 Why this is eternall life that will never decay John 17.3 hath God shed abroad the comfort of his Spirit and the joy of the holy Ghost into thy heart which is better then life Psal 63.3 this is eternall life which though it may be sometimes overwhelmed yet it shall spring up again as trees after winter if thou finde none of these works in thee then thou hast no life Vse 4. Of consolation to all those that have received this life if we have found the life of justification in the pardon of our sins the life of holinesse in our Christian obedience if we have found the lively comforts of Gods Spirit Why know this is a life that will never decay this is the record of God himself that the life which he hath given us is eternall life it was given us before we were born and will he take it away when we are born that which he gave us before there was a world he will not take away when the world shall be no more it comes from everlasting principles 3rd therefore it cannot decay if therefore we finde this life in us we may be assured that God hath given us this life will preserve it to eternity if it be eternall how can it decay Therefore let us walk worthy of this eternall life and pray with David Consider me Lord if there be any way of wickednesse in me and lead me in the way everlasting Psal 139. ult Sinfull lusts are dead lusts and what hath eternall life to doe with dead lusts keep your hands off from a sinfull carnall life but lay fast hold on eternall life 1 Tim. 6.12 get sure possession of it and let neither Satan not the world wrest it out of your hands 1 JOHN 5 11. the latter part And this life is in his Son Doct. THe Eternall life that God hath given us is laid up for us in Jesus Christ John 11.25 26. Col. 3.3 John 14.6 This life is fourfold of Justification Sanctification Consolation and Glorification All these are laid up in Christ Jer. 23.6 He is the Lord our righteousnesse Psal 4.1 2. For them altogether see 1 Cor. 1.30 He is made our Wisdome Righteousnesse Sanctification and Redemption Our Redemption not onely from the guilt eternall and punishment of sin but from all the afflictions both inward and outward that Gods servants he exposed unto as for inward temptation in sicknesse and griefs c. Col. 3.3 Your life is hid with Christ in God It s sometimes under a veil of corruptions sometimes of affliction but yet laid up in Christ Quest How is our life said to be laid up in him Answ 1. Because he hath received it for us from God the Father to give unto us John 5.21 26. 1 Thes 5.9 10. He hath appointed us to salvation through Jesus Christ that so whether we remain alive or die yet we may live in Christ 2. Christ hath purchased this life for us 1 Thes 5.9 10. the Father hath not onely appointed us life but he hath appointed it through the death of Christ John 10.10 I am come that my sheep may have life and that they may have it in abundance and this is by giving his life for us 3. It s laid up in Christ as one that prepares it for us and us for it Col. 1.12 it s he that makes us meet to be made partakers of the Inheritance of the Saints in light that whereas before we were unfit now he hath adorned us and made us fit Spouses for himselfe which he doth by turning us from darknesse to light by giving us of his Spirit by dispensing himselfe to us in his Sacraments and Christian communion wherein all the members receive nourishment from the head Eph. 4.16 and as he thus prepares us for eternall life so likewise he prepares a place for us John 14.2 3. 4. It s reserved for us principally in himselfe notwithstanding the communication of it dayly to us Jude 1. we are said to be preserved in Jesus Christ to life all our life of grace here and of glory hereafter is preserved in Christ First Because all the claim of eternall life is laid up onely in him we neither desire nor beg any pardon of sin or any grace or comfort or glory but through Jesus Christ
the claim of eternall life is wholly in him for though God hath promised all those kindes of life its onely in Christ Secondly As he reserves the claim of it in his own hands so he reserves the security of it in his own hand even as a Father doubting how his son will spend his estate he puts not into his hands the writings or evidences but he keeps them in his own hands so God saw the life he communicated to our first parents they prodigally wasted it away and therefore never since would he put it into our own hands but reserved it in the hands of Christ Rom. 4.16 Therefore it is faith that the promise might be sure If our salvation had stood upon our own works the promise had been sure onely so long as we kept our obedience but we are unsetled sometimes inlarged and sometimes straightned so that we should have been at a stand oftentimes not knowing whether we had life or no therefore he hath laid it up in Christ that it might be sure Thirdly The possession of this life is reserved for us in Christ our justification is complete in Christ here never increased though the sence of it may the first day we are regenerate we are fully justified the justification of all Christians is equall though their sanctification be not alike our life of justification is compleat but yet our life of holinesse is but imperfect We know but in part and believe but in part but it s fully laid up in Christ so for the life of consolation we have some beginnings of it here Phil. 4.7 1 Pet. 1.8 But sometimes all our comforts are lost and where then lies it but in Christ as the sap doth in the root in winter time so that in him we rejoyce alwayes Phil. 4.4 and so our eternall life is reserved in him John 14.2 3. Eph. 2.5 Fourthly In regard of the glorious manifestation of this life at the last day 2 Thes 1.10 when he shall come to be admired of all his Saints this life is now laid up for his Saints which at that day he will dispense to his servants to the admiration of all men Quest Why hath God laid up this life in his Son Reas From the impossibility of laying up life for us in the law or in the first Adam Gal. 3.21 If the Law could have given us life verily righteousnesse had been given us by the law No the law that Adam had given him in Paradise could not have secured our life but that we might forfeit it by our own fall nor could Adam himselfe give us this life for in Adam all dyed 1 Cor. 15.22 and therefore its Christ alone that hath restored as to life and glory Vse 1. Hence learn the order of all that life and grace and salvation that is derived to us God did not first give us life and then provide Christ to maintain it in us but he first appointed Christ that in him we might have life Eph. 1.3 4. He hath chosen us in Christ Christ is the first fruites of all that life that we enjoy he loved Christ and in him loved us he first gave him eternall life that he might give it to whom he would John 5.26 he poured this life first on his head and from him this life runs down to the lowest skirt of his garment to the meanest member that belongs to him he poured on him the oyl of grace and from him it drops down upon us he first crowned him with glory that he might glorifie us Vse 2. It teacheth us the dead estate of all men by nature if all our life be laid up in Christ then such as want this life they want pardon of sins and want holinesse and want comfort and want eternall life Eph. 2.11 12. Eph. 4.19 We by nature are aliens from the life of God strangers from the Covenant that as strangers neither meddle nor make with that which is none of theirs so we have nothing to doe with the promises of life till we be in Christ let naturall men goe look at themselves as dead men all their best comforts are but as the crackling of thorns they may warm themselves a while with the sparkles of their own fire but this they shall have at length They shall lie down in sorrow Isa 50.11 Nay by nature we have no hopes of eternall life we must be regenerate to this hope 1 Pet. 1.3 4. Vse 3. May teach all such as live in a dead estate to look out where they may have life look into your own hearts there you shall not find life look into the world that is not able to give you life but get Christ and then you get life as Jacob said to his sons Why stand ye gazing one upon another have ye not heard there is corn in Egypt why go up go and buy it that we may live Gen. 42.2 3. So the Spirit saith to us when we find our hearts ready to starve for want of this life for want of pardon of sin of grace of comfort why stand ye gazing upon the profits and pleasures and contents of this world none whereof can give you life doe you not hear that there is life laid up in Christ goe and buy of him it s the speech of Wisdome even of Christ the wisdome of his Father Prov. 3.85 Who so findeth me findeth life and all that hate me love death Vse 4. Of consolation to all those that have found their parts in the Lord Christ if you have found him you have found life pardon of sin peace of conscience and life eternall Rom. 5.1 If you have found him your sins are done away and no Saint under heaven is justified more then you 2. Having found him thou hast a life of holinesse said up in him so that though we want zeal wisdome patience we may fetch it from him and though we find our hearts sometimes drooping under heavy discouragements and afflictions yet in him thou mayst rejoyce alwayes and what though our life here be poor and base yet there is an eternall life said up for us in him and when he appears we shall appear with him in glory Col. 3.3 4. And the more we may comfort our selves in that our life is not laid up in Satans hands for then we should never finger any of it nor in our own hands for we should lose it at every hand but this is our comfort that our life is laid up in Christ and reserved safely for us in him and therefore it may teach Gods people that if our life be laid up in Christ we must be dayly spinning out life from him what ever we doe let us doe all in the Name and power of Christ 1 Thes 5.9 10. all the peace and comfort we find in our selves or families let us derive it from him live not upon the stock of your own graces but fetch your dayly supply from him Gal. 1.20 I live yet not I but
of those whether thou cleavest not to some lusts for so Christ shall tell such at the last day Depart from me ye workers of iniquities if thou beest a worker of iniquity all thy good gifts and parts will deceive thee in the end but if in the midst of such gifts and graces thou hast a care to keep thy heart clean and doest favour no lust and dost not place any confidence in these but in Christ thy case is safe for this is a true rule hypocrites though they have many good common gifts and graces yet they are given up to some sinfull way by which the world shall know what they are by their fruits shall you know them 3. We must part with all confidence even in the saving graces of God Spirit trust not to them for justification look not to be justified by them if you think to be justified by your own works or graces Christ shall profit you nothing only by faith in Christ stands our justification Rom. 4.5 8. 1 Cor. 4.4 I know nothing by my selfe that is wherein I have failed yet am I not thereby justified and this is the errour of the Romish Church if God give them any common graces they look to be justified by them 2 Trust not on them for the life of your sanctification for though they be true parts of sanctification and we may look at them as precious talents yet if you shall trust your graces and goe about your performances in the strength of grace received you will want Christ the life and power of Sanctification you may have Christ and he lye like a dead Christ in your hearts though you have saving graces yet know that the life of a Christian is not a life of graces but a life of faith in Christ Gal. 2.20 If you would have Christ live in you you must live by your faith fetch all your grace and strength from him Isa 40.30 3â— If we goe about any duty in our own strength we shall utterly saint but if we wait dayly upon Christ we shall renew our strength as Eagles we shall mount above all straights and difficulties our graces are too weake to carry us through in our Christian course and therefore live upon Christ dayly 3. We are said to have Christ by way of Covenant Isa 49.8 Psal 50.5.7 Gather my Saints together to me those that have made a Covenant with me by Sacrifice and then vers 7. I am God even thy God and so the tenure of the Covenant runs Gen. 17.17 Deut. 29.10 to 13. Deut. 26.17 18. This day thou hast avouched God to be thy God Sponsionem stipulatus es Junius reads it When Gods people give up themselves to the Lord and yeeld themselves to what God requires the God is their God and they his people 2 Cor. 6.17 18. This Covenant is made by Sacrifice Psal 50.5 and he means that solemn Sacrifice then offered before the Lord Exod. 24.7 8. wherein they promised before the Lord to be obedient to all the Lord would command them and on the other side Moses sprinkled the people and said Behold the bloud of the Covenant which the Lord hath made with you which implyes when we come to make a Covenant with God we confesse before God that death is our just portion and therefore we look up to Christ that his bloud being sprinkled on us he might impart life to us this is to make a Covenant with God for burnt offerings typed out Christ the meat offerings typed out the people giving up themselves to God and when we doe thus God for his part promiseth to be our God Gen. 17.7 I will be thy God that is not only a good Father a good Mother a good King a good friend but whatsoever is good in the creature that he promiseth to be to us he will be a good Father and Ruler and Friend and Husband to us partly in his own person that if all those fail he will be all these unto us or else he will dispense himself so in those instruments that we shall see Gods goodnesse in every creature when therefore we desire God to be our God we desire him to doe all that good for us that our estate in this life or another world requires 2 We on our parts offer our selves to be obedient to every command and to expect from him all that goodnesse that he hath promised and as we offer up our selves to God so must we offer up all our children and servants and friends all that are under our reach we promise before God that as much as in us lyes we and our household will serve the Lord. Josh 24.15 and when we give up our selves and ours to the Lord God promiseth that he will be a God to us and ours There is a threefold Covenant that passeth between men in civil society in this world 1 There is a Covenant between Prince and people 2 Chron. 23.16 2. Between man and wife Matth. 2.14 3 Between friend and friend thus David and Jonathan made a Covenant together 1 Sam. 20.16 Now in all these respects God makes a covenant with his people 1. He makes the covenant of a Kingdome with them that as a King he will rule us and defend us and we for our part promise to be at his command and to be obedient subjects to him 2. There is a covenant of marriage between God and his people Jer. 3.14 Turn O back sliding children for I am marryed to you that as a wife promiseth to be for her husband alone and he for her only so doth the church promise that she will be for Christ alone and he for her Hos 3.3 3. There is a covenant of friendship betwixt God and his people 2 Chron 13.5 Ought you not to know that the Lord gave the Kingdome to David and his sons for ever by a Covenant of salt that is a covenant of friendship such a covenant as friends that eat salt together make and its a perpetuaâ—l covenant 2 Chron. 34.31 32. and this covenant implyes not only subjection and affection but communication of secrets and counsells one to another and to doe all things out of friendship and love heartily and readily thus God said of Abraham I know that Abraham wil command his family to keep the way of the Lord therefore saith God shall I hide from Abraham what I am about to doe If God be our friend he will communicate many secrets to us which the world shall not know of Psal 25.14 And 2. he will counsel us for the best Psal 25.22 so that in a doubtfull case he will still tell us what way to take he will guid us by his eye Psal 32.8 2. We on our parts shall communicate all our counsells to him that we shall doe nothing but we shall acquaint him with it we shall acknowledge Lord we know not what to doe but our eyes are towards thee and withall we are ready to doe whatsoever God commands us
fear Luke 1.74 75. Such a man is not afraid what flesh can doe unto him Psal 3.5 6. I will not be afraid though ten thousand shall compasse me about I will ly me down and sleep quietly the fear of men shall not break his sleep so Psal 56.3.10 11. this holy tranquility frees us from all fears and this liberty is proper to a Son he fears not others so he may please his father he knows his Father will give him protection and provision Rom. 8.37 2. He hath a liberty from the dominion of sin sin hath not that power to carry him captive Rom. 6.4 Rom. 8.2 The Law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the Law of sin and death that is the Spirit of grace that commands and rules me like a law hath freed me from the law of sin and of death that a Christian is now but a beginner of sin sin hath not that power over him that formerly it had time was when I could not break off from evil company but now the Law of the Spirit of life hath set me free from them many a valiant spirit fears not death many a souldier venters upon a Canons mouth but yet I presume he is captivate to many a base lust but a Christian is not only freed from the fear but the bondage of sin 3. He hath liberty from being servant unto men 1 Cor. 7.23 Ye are bought with a price be not servants of men he doth not mean that they should shake off all obedience and subjection but though they should be subject to their Masters ye now they should not serve them in a slavish manner but with freedom of Spirit in obedience to Christ heartily and readily 1 Cor. 7.22 he that is called in the Lord being a servant is the Lords freeman he doth his Masters work with a free spirit and withall he doth the work of Gods service with much more freedom and when they come to their own liberty they will be inclined to good duties strive to gain opportunity for prayer and reading and hearing whereas others though they have much more outward liberty yet they have far lesse inward 4 The Spirit of God that sets me free from the service of men makes me free to every duty of God to have free access to him the Spirit that set me at liberty from Satan will make me run the wayes of Gods Commandements with an inlarged heart Psal 119.32 Ps 110.3 Gods people are a willing people and as he is free from the bondage of men so he is Lord over them he can make them all serve him Gen. 25.23 God told Rebecca there were Nations in her womb and the elder should serve the yonger how was that fulfilled seeing Jacob cals Esau Lord and himself his servant Gen. 33. Why as some say that must be understood of the Nations not of the persons but it may be Esau's Lordship and roughnesse did Jacob more real service then ever Jacob did him whence was it that he went out of his Fathers house met with so glorious a vision the first night whence was it that he made such a vow to God that if the Lord would be with him and blesse him in that countrey then the Lord should be his God whence was it that he returned with such a blessing whence was it that he so wrestled with God and obtained a blessing was not this from Esaus bitternesse and for fear of him which shews that every fury and persecution of wicked men do Christians the truest service as it was with the Tyrants in Syria and Egypt all the tyranny did but purifie the people of God and make them white Dan. 11.35.46 they are but as scullions to scour and rinse Gods people they are but as servants or like house-wives they lay them in soap and dung and sharp lee but it is but to make them white Try therefore whether you have the spirits of sons Doe you find in you the nature of Christ do you find your selves invested with a Kingly Royall spirit doe you find in you the spirit of prophesie doe you find in you the state of Christ that in the meanest condition you have a mighty power of Christ breathing in you why then it is evident you have the Spirit of God but if we find we are not like him in his nature we cannot pray or prophesie then we have none of Gods Spirit Do we finde our selves still in bondage to sin lying under the fear and dominion of it then we have not Gods Spirit in us Gods Spirit would set us free from all bondage 3 We are said to have the Son when we have Christ not onely for our Saviour but for our Prince Acts 5.31 Him hath God exalted to be a Prince and Saviour To whom he is a Saviour to them he is a Prince It were dishonour to God to save those whom he cannot rule to deliver them from sin and Satan and yet leave them in their sins God hath sent his Son not only to save but to rule us Two things here are to be opened 1 That he that hath Christ hath him for his Saviour 2 That he that hath him for his Saviour must have him for his Prince likewise We are ready commonly to conceive that every one would have Christ for his Saviour but indeed they are but rare that would have a Saviour indeed To have Christ for our Saviour implyes two things 1 He that hath Christ for his Saviour looks up to him for salvation in all his distresses Isa 45.22 Look unto me and be saved all ye ends of the earth He that looks for any other Saviour denyes Christ He that hath Christ for his Saviour in what coasts soever of the world he lives he must look up to him for salvation as they that look'd towards the Temple had their petitions heard So wheresoever we are in what condition soever we must look towards Christ and long after him for salvation not onely from Gods wrath and hell but even from whatever distresses we are in torment of conscience sicknesse imprisonment we must wait upon him for deliverance Isa 8.17 I will wait upon the Lord that hideth his face from the house of Jacob and I will look for him The Church was then in grievous distresse both in regard of sin and calamity there were none for her to look unto either Princes or Priests to redresse the matter all had been in vain but there was no hope in them yet I will look unto the Lord and wait on him that hideth his face Isa 17.7 Speaking of such times wherein only a few gleaning grapes should be left In that day shall a man look to his Maker and his eyes shall have respect to the holy one of Israel We cast respect or disrespect upon one with our eye whilest our eyes are upon the creature and turned away from God we disrespect God but when our eyes are toward him set on
after another pitch one sin upon another till he be burthened with our sins and what parts and gifts and liberties God gives them they abuse to Gods dishonour And is not this monstrous rebellion for poor creatures to make God serve a wearisome service Wonder not therefore if he say Rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft 1 Sam. 15.26 As a Witch gives her soul to the devil to have her own liberty for a while so rebellious sinners are at league with the devil and hel to serve their lusts whilst they live 2 As a witch makes the devil serve her all her life but at death she serves the devill So God shall serve them all their life time but at death they would serve God and then they will do him the best service they can Why do you think God will accept our service when we dye when we have made him serve us all our life time 2 To have Christ for our Prince is not onely to serve him but we must give him Princely service such service as becomes so royall a Prince Mal. 1.8 Serve not him with blinde and lame sacrifices but with the best and fattest crucifie your fattest and dearest lusts to him let him have your best parts and best affections righteous Abel brought to God the firstlings of his flock and of the fat thereof Gen. 4.4 So let God have our first years and the strength of your affections give not him your old decrepit age 2 Sam. 24.24 I will not offer to God saith David that which cost me nothing Araunah indeed gave them all freely to the King like a King If a man give to a King he must give as to a King he must give as a King Nay saith David if you as a King give those things to me must not I then who am a King give as a King to that King of Kings Let God have all you have give up your selves and all your families to him For application Would you know then whether you have life Why if you have Christ you have life and if you would know whether you have Christ or no you must consider God hath exalted him to be both Saviour and Prince Dost thou finde thy heart looking up to him for help in all thy miseries Then thou hast him as a Saviour If in cases when thou knowest not what to doe yet thy eyes are towards him Why this very looking towards him is of an healing nature as was the looking towards the brazen Serpent Numb 21.9 The Conies are but a feeble folk and yet they make their nests in a rock so it 's good for us in our distresses to have recourse to the rock that is higher then we Again consider are there any lusts in us that we desire to be spared in and would not be saved from Why then we have not Christ for our Saviour So consider Have we Christ for our Prince Do we subject every thought unto him Dost thou not entertain an evill thought if they rush in upon thee dost thou strive to thrust them out Then thou hast Christ for thy Prince But if thou findest evil thoughts in thy heart and sufferest them to rest in thee Dost thou make God to serve a wearisome service from moneth to moneth and year to year and over burthen his patience and mercy Then Christi not thine If thou lookest at him as thy Prince he should have the best service thou couldst afford him A third head of signes whereby we may know whether we have Christ or no is exprest in the text He that hath the Son hath life For we may as well argue from having of life that we have the Son as from the having of the Son that we have use they are reciprocall he that hath the Son hath life and he that hath life hath the Son This Life is fourfold Of Justification Of Sanctification Of Consolation and Of Glorification If we have good evidences of the three former we may have assurance of the latter The signes of life are of three sorts our spirituall life may be discerned three wayes By the causes By the effects By the properties For the causes the holy Ghost gives us three causes of our spirituall life which if we finde we may assure our selves that we have life and so consequently we have the Son 1 Cause of our spirituall life is Gods own good pleasure Of his owne will hath he begot us Jam. 1.18 This St. John proves by denying all other causes of our begetting to life John 13 Not of bloud that is not of parentage for godly parents may have wicked children though Gods commandement do much yet it is not from their good parentagâ— but from Gods pleasure in the covenant Nor of flesh that is not of corrupt nature nor of the will of men that is not of the will of our best friends that desire it and pray for it unlesse God set in with all those of his good pleasure he shall not have life Ezek. 16.6 It was od that said to us when we were in our bloud Live This is an evidenâ— signe of the life of grace Such a mans heart acknowledgeth all the grace he hath to be of Gods good pleasure Take a naturall man he thinks well of him elf that he hath alwayes had a good nature and towardly and hopefull and all his friends could say no lesse But now a regenerate Christian acknowlâ—dgâ—th that he had no heart to goodnesse by nature onely some outward correspondency towards his friends to please them but he acknowledgeth what Paul doth Gal. 1.15 16. When it pleased God to call me by his grace and to reveale Christ in me then I lived but not before A living soul never attributes any thing to his good nature or towardlinesse but when it pleaseth God to call him to his grace A second cause of life is a word of promise for all that are of Abraham are not the Children of Abraham onely the seed of promise such as are begot of a word of promise as Isaac was and least you should think it belongeth to Isaac onely he makes it common to all the elect that they are all children of promise Gal. 4.28 But yet Isaac had the peculiar in that even his birth was by promise to Abraham and Sarah But the Apostle would thereby inferre that all our spirituall birth is by a word of promise Here therefore try thy life thou sayst thou livest but what word of promise wert thou begot of Faith comes by hearing Rom 10 17. Gal. 3.5 There is some word of promise dispearsâ—d in the word preached which the soul layes hold of and is thereby knit to Christ by faith Indeed many a good soul cannot tell what word of promise he was first begot of yet sure it was by a word of promise and though thou dost not know this promise yet there is no Christian but he sustains himself by some promise which shews plainly that he was bred
of a promise which is fed by a promise Many times a word of grace and wise admonition sinks so deep into the heart as that it makes many a one amend his wicked wayes and take better courses and reform his life but this is no evident signe of spirituall life So an hypocrite may be so far convinced as to turn the stream of his life and yet without all power of godlinesse and the ground is we cannot receive life from the words or works of the Law it 's altogether impossible Gal. 3.21 All true spirituall life is from some word of promise that hath been dispenâ—ed to us in the Word The word of the Law may reclaim us from giving outward offence but yet without all respect or obedience to God But when we are quickened by a word of promise then the love of God constraineth us Obj. Is it not ordinary for the word of the Law to cast down and humble us before we can lay hold on a promise Answ True Yet this is not that which makes a man a new man this may reach to the reformation of many outward sins but yet it gives not spirituall life till we begin to think of and long after Christ and meditate and talk of him till at length the sight of Christ doth so work on us that we do not only long after him but we so receive him and imbrace him that we are inlightned by him A third cause of life is the Spirit of God John 3.6 There is a shedding abroad of the Spirit into the heart of every regenerate man that he hath not the same spirit he had before Now a mans spirit is the bent and inclination of the soul Eph. 4.23 Be ye renewed in the spirits of your minds The soul and the body is the same But there is another spirit they see other things they never saw before judge otherwise then they did before now they have new thoughts and judgements and affections so that their heart is far off from earthly things and let on spirituall things All things are become new A new heart new conference new imployment new company the whole man hath another frame of spirit in him He that finds it thus hath life For application Consider therefore how you finde your hearts speaking concerning your estates Do you finde indeed that sometimes you have had good motions cast in but before God was pleased to call you to his grace nothing did you good Doe you finde your life wrought by a spirit of promise Do you finde that you are renewed to a new inclination and frame of spirit then you have life Your life springs from true causes if not you have not life A second sort of signes of life is from the effects of spirituall life And 1 Justification or pardon of sins is a principall part of our spirituall life Psal 32.2 3. And this is called justification to life Rom. 5.18 Even as a condemned mans pardon is the life of the man so is the pardon of our sins the life of our souls Now the first effect flowing from the pardon of our sin is 1 Some inward peace of conscience some inward satisfaction that he never found before My sin is not pardoned at least not manifested so to be till I finde some measure of inward peace Rom. 5.1 What was it that burthened thy conscience but guilt of sin If therefore God say to my soul Son thy sins be forgiven thee upon this follows the tranquility of the mind and sometimes in that unspeakable manner that passeth all understanding Phil. 4.7 Though this be not so ordinary yet they alwayes finde a secret peace and ease as if you had cast off milstones from the heart Isa 32.17 The effect of righteousnesse is quietnesse and assurance for ever if sin be pardoned peace and everlasting assurance follows A 2. effect of this life of Justification is that look as you see in a morall life no man hath received life but he strives to maintain it so that all that he hath will he give for his life So if thou hast received the life of the pardon of thy sins thou shalt finde a serious and constant care of preserving that life and peace so that you will let all go rather then the peace of your conscience Thy loving kindnesse is better then life Psal 63.4 And therefore if I finde a tender care in me to maintain my peace it 's a signe I have received life seeing I am so carefull to maintain it A man that hath been in a great debt and lately paid it he is carefull to run on the score no more so when God hath blotted out the score of our sins a Christian is very sollioitous to sin no more but that he may live an holy and spotlesse life all his dayes Notable is the example of Joseph Gen. 39. How shall I commit this great wickednesse and sin against God How shall I break my peace of conscience and run on a new score Sometimes indeed Gods children have received pardon of sins and yet afterwards turned Gods grace into wantonnesse but withall observe if they have been overtaken with some grievous lusts the losse of their peace and favour of God hath been more bitter to them then death it self and if the Lord give us hearts follicitous to maintain our peace it is a sign that he hath given us peace those sins are pardoned which we abhor it 's the nature of life to preserve it self and to expell what may be an enemy to life And this is a signe our peace is not counterfeit but sound if we be carefull to preserve it A 3. effect of our life of Justification is that which our Saviour gives Luke 7.47 Her sins which are many are forgiven her because she loves much He that loves much hath much forgiven him The love of God in some measure proportionable to the sin pardoned is a good evidence of the pardon of our sins Gods pardons are lively pardons they leave not a man as he was but whom he pardons them he heals This woman was a notorious Harlot her loving much shewed that her many sins were forgiven her according to the multitude and measure of sins pardoned such is the measure of our love to God and his Saints And indeed there is none hath so little forgiven him but he thinks it a great deal as indeed well he may and thinks himselfe bound to love God abundantly For application Consider therefore what peace thou hast Perhaps thou wilt say I have had peace all my life long but such peace is ill rooted it springs not from a word of God And 2 It 's fruitlesse Thou sayst thou hast peace but what care hast thou to maintain it and to expell thy sins which hinder thy peace And again if thou hast such peace where is thy love If that be wanting pardon of sin is wanting If thou wouldst have good ground of the pardon of thy sins try thy self
his sins Felix when Pauls words made him to tremble he would hear him no more at that time Acts 24.25 As Paul complains of the Jewes Acts 13.46 And Stephen Acts 7.52 Ye stiffe-necked and uncircumcised in heart ye have alwayes resisted the holy Ghost They are not well till they have cast out all such thoughts we are not well till we are alive to run from God wise are we to doe evill but to doe good we have no knowledge Jer. 4.22 5 A fifth act of life was begetting men to grace but we è contra endeavour to beget them to the devil and make them seven times more the children of the devill then before Mat. 23.15 Though we understand that chiefly of corrupt Teachers yet Jeremy speaketh it of all men by nature Jer. 6.28 They are all corrupters not onely bad themselves but corrupters of others none that comes amongst them but is made worse by them kept off farther from God they would not have their friends look towards matters of Religion All flesh have corrupted their wayes Gen. 6.11 Vse 3. It may teach us to bemoan all those our friends that yet lye in the state of nature Hast thou any childe or wife or friends that lye in the state of nature look at them as thy dead children and dead friends and if our friends lye dead how bitterly doe we mourn for them Zach. 12.10 They so mourn that they will not be comforted Matth. 2.18 All was full of mourning and lamentation because all the children were dead and have not many parents many children lying in their natural condition and is not the spirituall death far worse then the bodily if they be alive in grace Blessed are the dead that dye in the Lord Rev. 14.17 Therefore mourn not so 〈◊〉 for their naturall death but if they be spiritually dead without God without Christ without the life of grace why weep then for this childe and that friend that lyes dead before you It may be thy whole house is full of dead carkases not one childe or servant alive Oh! then weep over them mourn for them â—e earnest to God for them and never leave till thou hast got life propagated to them And if thou dost thâ—â— he 〈◊〉 hath given thee children will give them life some of them at 〈◊〉 that promise is full 1 John 5.16 If any man see his Brother sin a sin which is 〈◊〉 unto death he shall â—â—k and he shall gâ—ve him life You may therefore so handle the matter that as you have given them natural life so you may give them spiritual life You know what a sore and bitter cry there was in Aegypt so that they arose at midnight why what was the matter there was not one house wherein one was not dead what would they have done then if there had been but one alive in every house Such is the case of many families that a man may rise up in the â—â—â—ing and not finde one alive in his family beside himselfe it is a just occasion of bitter mourning if there were but one dead how much more then when there is hardly one alive Therefore pray heartily for them that their soulâ— may live in Gods sight If you have the bowels of parents be earnest with God till you have procured life for them Vse 4. To condemne the Church of Rome that think by nature men have free will to lay hold on Christ but I would ask them when they lay hold on Christ whether they have Christ or no before why before they have received him they have him not and if they have him not they are but dead men and how shall dead men lay hold on Christ If they do lay 〈◊〉 it 's an act of life if we be either able or willing to do any good it proceeds from the grace of Christ Phil. 1.12 13. Vse 5 Let it teach us all if we yet be without Christ let us not give rest to our eyes nor slumber to our eye-lids till we have procured Christ to our selves and ours What if a man have wealth and honour and beauty if he hath not Christ he hath not life Therefore labour for Christ that having him thou mayst have life Motives 1 From the sweetnesse of life Skin for skin and all that a man hath will he give for his life and he means natural life but truly our spirituall life is worth the laying down our natural life What shall a man gain if he win the whole world and lose his own soul If a man live and dye without Christ we may say of him as Christ did of Judas It had been good for that man if he had never have been born Mat. 26.24 2 Consider if we have Christ we have life and that in abundance If you have all the promises for in him they are yea and a men 2 Gâ—â— 1.20 All the blessings of God are yours both spirituall Ephes 1.3 and temporal 1 Tim. 4.8 1 Cor. 3.2 last vers If you have Christ the world is yours all the dealings and carriages shall be serviceable to you whatever you want peace or comforts or outward things if you have Christ you have all things Rom. 8.32 Q. But what shall we do to get Christ Are we not by nature unable and unwilling to receive Christ To what end then is this your exhortation Answ Though this be our sinfull distemper yet our exhortations be not in vain for God by his Word oft-times conveys a power whereby we are enabled to lay hold on Christ Peter spake to a lame man to walk Acts 3.6 7. Would you not think it was a vain word No because he conveyed strength withall whereby he was enabled to rise up and walk Means to help us to get life iâ— Christ. 1 Consider how deâ—d and lost thou are by nature Christ came to call such as feel themselves lost Luke 19.10 Mat. 9.12 13. 2 If thou knowest any finâ—lly thy self â—id thy hands of it cast them such thee Many a man lives in sin which if he would but renounces God would receive him to mercy 2 Cor. 6.17 18. Isa 1.16 17 〈…〉 â—f the Passover except they put away â—â—â—en Exod 12.19 So if 〈…〉 the old leaveâ— we shall become a new 〈◊〉 1 Cor. 5.7 8. Isâ— 55.6 7. 3 Seek the Lord whilest he may be found Isa 55.6 Do but seen him and he will be found And how is this done 1 By longing and thirsting after him 2 Seek him in all the means Heare diligently and your souls shall 〈◊〉 Isa 55.13 It 's a notable promise Prov. 8.35 36. Therefore men should be willing to straighted themselves a little in their worldly businesseâ— to loyâ— and hear Gods Word 3 Seek him in prayer Isa 55.6 Vse 6. To teach every soul that hath Christ and yet complaiâ—s of the deadnesse and dulnesse of his heart if thou findest a decay of life seek Christ again get faster hold of him and thou shalt increase thy life exercise
every mans sin as belonging unto us and strive to heal them Vse 2. To teach us to have a due regard to the falls of our Brethren not to see them and take no notice of them but God requires we should observe them and help them and make use of them What use should we make of our Brethrens falls 1. Let their falls affect us with a holy fear and jealousie of our own hearts in that we have a deceitfull heart subject to the like This use Paul would have the Church of the Romanes to make of the fall of the Church of Israel Rom. 11.20 2. Look at them with such an eye as may move thee to pity thy Brother if he be gone astray bring him back if he lye under the burthen of sin help him up and if thou canst not have opportunity to speake to him yet pray heartily for him that is the frame of heart of every loving Christian to be compassionate of his Brothers misery Object Doth not the Holy Ghost say love covereth a multitude of sins 1 Pet. 4. v. 8. Answ True it covers them but how 1. With a mantle of wisdome not so cover them as to skinne over their wounds but so cover them as that they may be covered before God and men Jam. 5.19 20. This is a right covering when a man takes such a course as that his Brothers sins may be covered from Gods eyes and from the conscience of the sinner that it may not be overwhelmed with them Psal 32.1 2. God would have us cover them not with a mantle of flattery but with a healing plaister that may cure them 2. We must cover these sins with a mantle of faithfulnesse that is not to blaze them abroad to their defaming but as if our Brothers beast lay under his burden and we were notable to help him up alone we get the help of others this is faithfulnesse no further to reveale their infirmities then to such as may help them Prov. 11.13 And yet we may so â—eveile them in this kind to others as may be sinfull if it be done in as insulting sootâ—â— manner Gen. 9.22 23. C ham told his Brethren of their Fathers nakednesse but he did it in a scornfull manner beside he might have covered him himself and never told them and therefore Noah made him a curse This God requires of us if we be able to heal an infirmity our selves then to let it goe no further if not then to get the help of others but not in a scornfull manner but in a spirit of grief and holy fear 3. Cover them with a mantle of compassion that if they shall turn again and say It repents them be ready to forgive them even as God for Christs sake forgave you Luk. 17.13 14. Eph. 4.2 last vers Obj. 2. If a man be thus willing to observe other mens sins we shall be counted busie bodies and medlers in other mens diâ—cesses Answ True we shall be buisie but yet not where we have nothing to doe God layes the charge upon us to have regard of our Brethrens carriages if we keep the true bounds of observing them named before we doe not goe beyond our commission Obj. 3. But I shall be more busie then I shall have thank for I shall be worse and he never the better Answ True for a while it may be so but yet remember what Solomon saith Prov. 28.28 He that rebuketh a man afterward shall find more favour then he that flattereth with the tongue but suppose thou shouldst loose his favour yet thou shalt have favour with God Doct. 2. Vpon the sight of our Brothers sins a faithfull man is to pray for him So Moses did pray for the people when they had sinned Exod 32.30 31. Either pardon them or let me have no mercy Thus God would have Job pray for his friends Job 42.7 8. So did Jeremiah ch 13.17 14.17.18 Our Saviours example is a full pattern Luk. 23.24 Father forgive them they know not what they doe So Stephen the first Martyr with a loud voyce prayed for his adversaries Act. 7.60 Lord lay not this sin to their charge Reas 1. From the compassion we owe to our Brethren we are bound to pray for them in sicknesse Psal 35.13 or in any other calamity Ps 141.5 How much more in the calamity of sin which is the greatest calamity that can be 2. We are bound to exhort and reprove them now neither will doe good without prayer 1 Tim. 4.4 5. 3. From the desperate condition of sin which is such that none alone is able to help them except God doe it It 's the work of an Almighty power to redeem us from any sin Psal 130. ult Sin is of a poysen some nature some poysons take away our eyes and some benumme us so sin takes away our eyes that we cannot see our condition and so hardens us that not any thing can help us but God and therefore God must be prayed to for help 4. From the displeasure of God against men if he see none to stand up and intercede for their Brethren Isa 56.16 17. 5. From the benefit that befalls Gods servants if he see them praying for their Brethren Job's prayer for his friends was the rise of his deliverance Job 42 8 9. Isa 57.18 If ever God restore comfort to those we pray for we shall be sharers in their comforts God will restore comfort to them and their mourners Doct. 3. A faithfull Christian praying for his Brother faln into any sin shall obtain life and peace for him If any man 〈◊〉 his Brother sin a sin not unto death he shall pray for him and shall give him life He that prayes for him shall be an instrument to convey life unto him or God himselfe moved by his prayer shall give him life it 's all one he shall give him life of justification sanctification and consolation This is evident by other examples when the Israelites had committed a great sin so that God in his displeasure had threatned to destroy them yet at Moses earnest request he spared them and Aaron Deut. 9.15 to 21. Job prayed for his friends and the Lord accepted him Our Saviours prayer for his enemies is thought to be the cause why Peters Sermon was effectuall to the conversion of three thousand at once Stephens prayer made way for the conversion of Paul Reas 1. From the pleasure God takes to knit the members of his body together now no better means to knit them then to make them useful one to another 1 Cor. 12.21 22. So Jobs friends should not prevail by their own prayers but they should all be beholding to Job whom they had wronged 2. From the oyntment of Christ that is poured on the head of every believer This honour have all his Saints that they shall become intercessors for others What is said of Christ Rom. 8.34 the same word is used of our prayers 2 Tim. 4.1 James 5.15 Vse It s a ground
walks will you judge a man to be good that is good in good company Many a man for company sake will go out of his way so we must not judge what they do by a start but what is their constant voluntary growing course what way they hold to that is their way a good man in evil company his heart is not quiet it is no voluntary motion and so contra we often fail in judging some men by some few steps but observe what is his voluntary constant course ad what doth he thrive and grow upon if a mans Christian course be voluntary constant and growing it is not the going out a step or two that will condemn us the wise men they came a long journey to seek Christ and they went out of their way to Jerusalem to enquire but then the Star left them but they staid not there but went into their way again and then the Star appeared to them again so a godly man goes to seek Christ and God gives him the light of his Word yet upon some error he may turn out of the way and then they leave Gods Word but they stay not there but go into the way again and then they have the light of Gods Word to direct them Vse 3 May teach men not to content themselves in any Ignorance or Uncleannesse or Wicked course you cannot walk in Darknesse and have Fellowship with God therefore as you would claim Fellowship with God disclaime Fellowship with sin you cannot continue and grow up in any sin voluntarily but you disclaim Fellowship with God yea and with the blood of Christ no Fellowship with Christ as long as you have any Fellowship with sin Vse 4 To teach Christians that it is not enough to be holy and true but God requires you should walk in Light and holinesse Ephes 5 8. Gal. 5.25 if you would be men of Knowledge and Piety it is needful that you walk in that course it is not enough to set an instrument in tune but it must sound forth it is not enough to have our hearts in a good frame but we must walk in that frame Psal 119. Thy Word is a light unto my feet and a Lanthern to my pathes Gods Word was a light to his feet what to look on No but to be a guide to his steps we should order our steps according to his Word the Church is compared to a Garden Cant. 4.14 full of spices and flowers is she content that she hath these No but verse 16. awake O North-wind and blow upon my Garden that my spices may flow forth and yeild a fragrant smell a Christian must not only have gifts and Graces but walk accordingly a Christian that hath good parts and gifts if he doth not walk according thereunto what good doth he It is a gouty foot that dares not walk so he is a distempered Christian that hath the feet of a Christian and yet walks not he is only the image of a Christian an image hath the exact parts of a man but makes no use of them it hath eyes and sees not ears and hears not feet and walks not Psal 115.4 so he is but the image of a Christian that hath parts and gifts and walks not accordingly therefore whatsoever Spirit God hath given thee walk in it if thou hast a Spirit of Meeknesse use it if a Spirit of Humility Patience c. use it if a Spirit of Prayer use it walk in it else you are but images and no true Christians The more you walk in good duties and a Christian conversation the more you feel Fellowship with God otherwise if you go out of the way you lose the Light the Star as the wise men did when you walk in the wayes of Pride and Impatience and Covetousnesse and Uncleannesse you lose your way and your light too which should direct you therefore what gifts you have walk in them Vse 5. Of comfort to such Christians as are walking and doing though they cannot go on so fast as they would a man that walks goes not so fast as he that gallops but yet if you do but walk in a good way you make a progress and shall come to your journeys end at last What if Judas gallop faster than the rest of the Apostles as it is likely because they did least suspect him he gallopped but he soon stopped his course and turned into the way of perdition Therefore it is no discouragement if in a Christian course you be but going on though you go on but slowly yet if you rid ground and stand not at a stay nor go backward that is comfort for you surely have Fellowship with God 1 JOHN 1.7 THe main Scope of this Epistle is to comfort tender consciences that their joy may be full for this end he tells them certain messages which he heard from Christ the first message is verse 5. whereupon he inferres a note of Fellowship with God Negatively verse 6. Affirmatively verse 7. If we walk in the light c. Doct. Such as walk in the light the blood of Christ purgeth them from all their sins The Verse sets down two Priviledges of them that walk in the light they have not onely Fellowship with God but with Christ and that in his mediation and that in cleansing them from all their sins Quest 1. What is meant by the blood of Christ A. The blood of Christ is here put not onely for that blood shed on the Crosse but for his whole death set out by blood which was the effect of his death for blood powred out after his death John 19.33 34. for it is said of the death of Christ Rom. 5.8 And the death of Christ is not all for he suffered many things beside so that it comprehends all his sufferings 1 Pet. 3.18 yet there is a further Synecdoche sometimes his passion is put for his whole obedience Rom. 5.18 19. Luke 22.44 for that is attributed to his obedience that it makes us righteous that is free from sin all his Spirituall desertions were sufferings of Christ tending to cleanse uâ— from sin bloud includes all his sufferings and obedience And indeed the very bloud of Christ had it not been done in obedience and humility it would have done no good for the promise is to him that doth something Doe this and live John 10.18 his passion was done in obedience Phil. 2.7 8. Quest Why is our cleansing from sin ascribed most to his blood seeing it reached to his whole death and passion and obedience why is his bloud most instanced in Mat. 26.28 Rom. 3.35.5.9 Heb. 9.14 1 Pet. 1.19 why is it most attributed to his bloud Ans It was meet 1. Because death was the wages of Sin Rom. 6. ult Gen. 3.17 therefore we must satisfie that or our Surety for us 2. His death is most stood on because the whole Covenant stands in that the Legacy is of no force without the death of the Testator Heb. 9.17