Contrariety uniting in the Unbelievers ruine ERRATA in the Body of the Book PAge 4. Line 5. read without God p. 9. l. 31. r. all comforts p. 12. l. 34. r. who give p. 16. l. 30. r. grace p. 17. l. 14. r. make p. 24. l. 26. r. delights p. 40. l. 31. r. this p. 43. l. 18. r. about it p. 44. l. 28. r. us p. 51. l. 11. for And r. Cured p. 57. l. 26. r. sees p. 77. l. 1. r. they have p. 100. r. unaccustomed p. 106. l. 34. r. our hands are taken off from our own righteousness p. 121. l. 22. r. and says O that p. 126. l. 9 r. us l. 11. r. but if p. 134. l. 18. r. glorifying l. 27. r. imputed p. 141. marg r. examination p. 148. l. 5. adde obtain p. 150. l. 4. adde the life of p. 174. l. 25. r. revive p. 198. l. 29. r. against which p. 198. l. 15. r. to exercise their common graces p. 217. l. 18. r. Rome be not l. 19. r. is p. 118. l. 21. r. worm p. 219. l. 7. r. it p. 219. marg r. 2 Peter 3.18 p. 257 l. 12. r. religio p. 264. l. 26. r. beâ—al p. 266 l. 22. r. in the womb p. 272. l. 4. r. place p. 281. l. 13. r. 1 Thess 3.8 p. 288. l. 34. r. uncomfortable p. 292 l. 25. r. and shall be sure of heaven p. 297. l. 13. r. one side p. 300. l. 19. 3. 1 Joh. 3. 14. p. 301. l. 34. r. Gen. 8. p. 301. l. 27. r. act of faith which is the testimony p. 307 l. r. fled for refuge p. 313. l. 7. r. 1 Joh. 1.7 l. 30. r. Gal. 5. p 315. l. 20. r. of the Lord l. 33. r. 6 and 7. p. 316. l. 9. r. all l. 34. r. cases p. 324. l. 13. r. mad man p. 330. l. 14. r. possess p. 333. l. 23. r. Psa 2.11 p. 335. l. last r. Luke 16. ult p. 341. l. 31. r. 2 Cor. 5.1 p. 363. marg 1. Phil. 1. p. 367. marg r. 1 Joh. 3. p. 367. l. last but l. 4. adde is p. 405. l. 26. r. Luke 1.70 p 433. l. 6. r. breadth p. 429. l. 15. r. Job 20.12 p. 448. l. 13. r. heart-tied p. 470 l. 21. r. every p 475. l. 17. r. that he p. 475 l. 25. r replied p. 476. l. 2. r guidance l. 17. r special l. 25. r stand in p. 490. mar r Mat. 7.23 p. 424. l. 34 r purified p. 505. l. 8. r all l. last r. remove p. 505. l. 24. r our p. 510. l. 22. r wait it â—ut to the last Man l. 31. r swarve p. 518. l. 16. r the Spirit p. 521. l. 34. r believe and whatever p. 531. l. 12. r thorow p. 539. l. last r at death p. 357 repeated should be 145 and 544 repeated should be 552 line 31. r wind p. 578. l. 5. r â—â—rse p. 581. l. 11 for saith r both p. 602. l. 8. r the same HABAKKUK 2.4 Behold his soul which is lifted up is not upright in him but the just shall live by his Faith IN these words is set down a cleer Antithesis or opposition of two sorts viz. Beleevers and unbeleevers In both which we have their 1. Description 2. Condition 1. Their Description First An Unbleever is a proud man A Beleever is an humble man 2. An Unbeleever lives by sense A Beleever by faith 2. Their condition The one is not right the other is The Unbeleever is not right either in point of duty or in point of safety The Beleever is right in both In the words consider 1. the note of Attention Behold It is a thing worthy our best observation 2. The thing to be attended to His soul is not right in him but the just lives by his faith Exposition The words are diversly read but all to the same sense to make it the more full His soul quae elata est saith one Lifted up as into a Tower Psal 24.4 who hath not lifted up his soul to vanity 2. Others read it quae ebullat that swells like a bubble and so at last breaks in sunder 3. Others quae se subduxerit 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as the 70 that withdrawes it self And to the Apostle cites it Heb. 10.22 If any man draw back c. 4. quae incredula est saith a 4th The unbeleeving soul is not right So the Chaldee Bible in a paraphrastical manenr expresseth it thus Ecce impii c. Behold the wicked say in their heart these things shall never come to passe But the just shall ba made strong in the truth of God All these readings do not cross but confirm one another For he that is lifted up his soul doth swell like a bubble he is full of aiery and empty conceits he that is thus swoln is a proud man he that is so proud is an unbeleever whoever is an unbeleever he withdraws himself first from God's service then from God's protection and by consequence his soul is not right in him The Apostle Heb. 10. speaks in the person of God My soul shall have no pleasure in him But that is all one too For Gods soul hath no pleasure in him whose soul is not upright in himself So then non est recta His soul is not right Not right in point of Duty For we cannot trust to God and trust to other things too 2. Not right in point of Safety For if God be a rock of confidence then he that makes other things his confidence doth as between two stooles between two rocks he makes shipwrack His soul within his life without is not right i.e. quiet firm and composed as the Hebraisme signifies but is unquiet uneven and unequal As a ship without anchour or ballast for want of faith his life is miserable and inconstant Observation Observe here How Pride and Unbleef Humility and Faith are coupled together A proud soul is ever an unbeleeving soul an humble soul is ever a faithfull soul For here A soul lifted up is opposed to a beleeving soul Psal 73.6 Understand it 1. Of Pride in the Dominion when a man is proud of his pride and weares it as a chain Otherwise it may be where it is as a pair of fetters 2. Of Pride also in the degrees the more pride the lesse faith See Jer. 13.15 Jer. 43.2 and 44.10 Habak 2.5 c. Vse 1 To teach us to judge the better of these sins the one aggravating the other and so to abhorre both We think it a small thing to admire our selves and the creature but in a same act there is a departing from the Lord by unbelief Jer. 17.5 On the other side we think it a small matter not to believe we think it a piece of humility O I am unworthy to believe but indeed it is a piece of pride Behold thy soul is not right Vse 2 2. For the Trial of our faith Questionlesse as the state of the body so the state of the soul
to have a lean Soul Of the two it were much better to have a well-thriving Soul and a lean Body than a well-thriving Body and a lean Soul it is a great mercy when both prosper 3 Joh. 2. I wish above all things that thou maist prosper and be in health as thy soul prospereth Oh it is a sweet thing especially to have a prospering Soul and still upon the growing hand and God expects it should be so where he affords good diet great means of grace as Dan. 1.10 The Prince of the Eunuchs said to Daniel I fear my Lord the King who hath appointed your meat and your drink if you should look ill who fare so well I should be sure to bear the blame it were as much as my head is worth So certainly where God affords precious food for precious Souls if these Souls be lean under fat Ordinances either those that are fed or those that feed them either the Stewards or the household either Minister or people or both are sure to bear the blame It is but equal and just that such should grow We do not wonder to see lean Sheep upon bare Commons but when we see Sheep continue lean in fat Pastures we think their meat is ill bestowed on them and therefore let us strive to be on the growing hand Obj. But it may be you will say Whatever means we enjoy what can we do without the Spirit which worketh all in all Resp. Therefore as a further Motive or incentive of this Motive thou hast in this respect great advantage from the Time For these are the times wherein God hath promised to pour out his Spirit more abundantly Joel 2.28 I will pour out my Spirit upon all flesh The Spirit was not given before in comparison but now God hath promised it shall be poured forth therefore sue out the Promise and you shall grow Luk. 11.13 If ye being evil know how to give good gifts to your children how much more shall your heavenly Father give the Holy Ghost to them that ask him In this respect it was prophecied that Christians should be stronger and better grown in the latter age of the world We have every way greater advantage we do not onely stand upon the shoulders of our Forefathers Examples and Experiences but we have or may have more Spirit within us also Indeed in regard of bodily stature the first age brought forth Giants and the last Dwarfs But in regard of Spiritual growth it was prophecied the last ages should bring forth the Giants in comparison of the former Zech. 12.8 He that is feeble among them at that day shall be as David and the house of David shall be as God as the Angel of the Lord before them Under the first Covenant the Church was like a little childe in her minority under Tutors and Governors because she was weak but now under the second being adult and of riper years it is expected she should be taller and stronger in grace Therefore as there is growth in the Church in general so there should be growth in every particular Christian also the plenty of means and the pouring out of the Spirit in these dayes calls for it at our hands 5. Safety 5. A tuto from the safety of this growth A man indeed may grow too great in other things but there is no danger of exceeding in this growth And yet it is strange to see how little Christians affect this better kinde of growth They will say They have Knowledge enough and Grace enough but one shall hear few say I am rich enough and strong enough and honourable enough Men love growth in their bodies in their estates in their children yea growth in their cattel and trees Oh how do they rejoyce to see them grow well and come forwards and why should we not much more love growth in our Souls For a man may grow too great in other things but there is no danger of exceeding in this growth A man may grow too exceeding tall he may become a Monster he may grow too fat he may grow to be a burthen to himself he may grow too rich as well as too poor Therefore sayes Agur Give me neither poverty nor riches but feed me with food convenient Prov. 308. Yea one may grow too rich though in the place of a King Deut 17.17 He shall not greatly multiply to himself gold and silver i.e. immoderately addict himself to get riches and the reason is given Deut. 8.13 14. Because excess in these things lifts up the heart and makes it forgetful of God therefore a man may grow too rich there is danger in that but a man can never be too gracious too zealous too holy there is no danger in that for it is written 1 Pet. 1. Mat. 5. Be ye holy for I am holy Be ye perfect as your Father which is in heaven is perfect There is safety in this growth 6. A necessario from the necessity of growth 6. Necessity 1. In regard of the Precept for God commands us to grow in grace as well as to have any grace at all 2 Pet. 3. ult Grow in grace 2. In regard of the End 1. That God may be glorified by our growth Such as grow not dishonor God discredit Gods Ordinances as if there were no strengthning vertue in them they discredit his Promise as if there were no truth in them therefore Psal 92.14 15. They shall be fat and flourishing to shew that the Lord is upright as those that grow apace declare Gods righteousness that he is faithful upon his word so those that grow not as much as in them lies would fasten unfaithfulness and unrighteousness upon God 2. As we our selves desire to attain that happy end of appearing before God in Sion we must go from strength to strength Psal 84.7 On the other side there is woful danger in standing at a stay not increasing but hiding our talent in a Napkin Mat. 25.28 30. Take therefore the talent from him and cast ye the unprofitable servant into utter darkness there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth The Word of God is a precious talent but how many by their slothfulness and unprofitableness have deprived themselves of that precious treasure What admirable Prerogatives had the Jews once above all the world To them were committed the Oracles of God Rom. 3.2 9.4 But because they did not grow in grace but received it in vain therefore was the Bread of Life taken from them and they now suffer that miserable famine spoken of Amos 8.11 a famine of hearing the Word of God Not much better is the condition of the Greek Churches which being planted by the Apostles themselves enjoyed the light of the Word as we do but because they did not walk answerably to the light and grow in grace therefore the sad night of Turkish Darkness and Tyranny hath overspread them That the like judgement may not befall us Let us
Discourse or a bare speculation of Heaven which will bring a man thither no more then the Reading of the History of such a Countrey or the Beholding of it in a Map which will transport a man to the place it self But there must be a sound and full Conveyance of it to the Soul And so the just must live by Faith in regard of Eternal Life 4. Reproof of not improving Eternal Life 4. It Reproves such who though they have somewhat to shew for their Inheritance Because they are Believers yet they live besides their Means because they do not act their Faith at least so much as they should in respect of Life eternal We say of many a worldly man because he doth not enjoy or improve his estate He lives besides his Means It 's one of the vanities that Solomon discovered under the Sun Eccl. 6.1 2. A man to whom God hath given riches wealth and honour so that he wanteth nothing of all that he desireth yet God giveth him not power to eat hereof This is vanity saith he and an evil disease And is it not a greater vanity when God hath given a man heavenly riches and honour and yet he lives not by Faith upon it improves it not to the best advantage Such an one lives beside his means How is it that Gods people are so cast down in Troubles Wants weaknesses in Reproaches in Persecutions Did they but act their Faith to believe that they shall one day as surely possess heaven as they possess the very house they dwell in upon earth how would the Apprehension of future joys drown and swallow up the sense of present miseries Why should the Kings Son be so lean from day to day Who hath such an Inheritance at the last and such a Father to provide for him in the mean time Luk. 12.32 Fear not little flock for it is your Fathers good pleasure to give you the Kingdom 5. This Reproves such as are Earthly-minded 5. Reproof of Earthly-mindedness for such live not by Faith in respect of Heaven or Eternal Life They live as if they were Terrae filii Sons of the earth as if that curse of God were fallen upon them Jer. 17.13 All that forsake thee shall be written in the dust The Church of the first-born are said to be written in heaven Hebrews 12.23 But these men as if they had nothing to shew but onely for the earth are said to be written in the earth as if God should say Go thy way thou art an Earth-worm and therefore Earth shall be all thy Portion It may be thou hast many writings to shew for a piece of the earth but nothing for heaven and therefore says God write him down An Earthly-minded man and An Earthly-portion'd man Psal 17.14 They are called Men of this world which have their portion in this life Give them but a fat portion in this life on this side Jordan take Canaan take Heaven who will for them The Devil casts so much dust in their eyes they cannot see to live by Faith in respect of Heaven Obj. But it may be these men will say We are too uncharitable for they are profess'd Christians and they well remember the two last Articles of their Creed Resurrection of the Body and Life Everlasting Answer shall be made to this in a third Use Vse 3 Vse 3. Of Examination Examination of Faith in respect of life Eternal 3. This is of use for Examination to examine whether we believe as we profess when we say We believe the Resurrection of the Body and Life Everlasting And we may know this 1. By our carriage in Life 2. By the respect we bear to Death By our carriage in Life 1. By our Carriage in life and that in respect of our 1. Affections 2. Meditations 3. Speeches And 4. Conversation 1. Our Affections 1. By our Affections A man that is far distant from his Native Country and dear friends he mingles many a Meal with his tears when he thinks of the distance of the place But how doth he rejoyce when he is once upon his return Especially when he comes within sight of land his very heart leaps within him and he cannot hold from saluting the place Oh my dear Country Blessed be God that I have lived once again to see thee and am so near to enjoy my surest friends within thee Just thus is it with a man that is bound for heaven that lives by Faith in regard of Life Eternal When he well remembers his great distance from God and Christ the Saints departed for whilst we are here at home in the body we are absent from the Lord I say when he remembers this it fetcheth many a sigh and tear and groan from his heart Psal 137.1 By the waters of Babylon we sate down and wept when we remembred thee O Sion See how they hang their heads and they hang their harps by the water-side as if they neither took delight in themselves nor any thing else whilst they are so far from their Native Country So 't is with a creature that is Heaven-born and Heaven-bound he cries and sighs and groans while he is so far from home 2 Cor. 5.4 For we that are in this tabernacle do groan being burthened c. And how glad are such when they come near their journeys end See how Paul skips in his desires like the Iron to the Load-stone I desire saith he to be dissolved and to be with Christ Phil. 8. which is best of all And old Simeon falls a singing as if his Deaths-day were his Birth-day Lord now littest thou thy servant depart in peace c. Therefore Examine thy self well what are thy chief Sorrows and what are thy chief Joys Dost thou sorrow most of all for thy distance from Christ and thy heavenly Country Dost thou rejoyce when thou thinkest of drawing near thy journeys end This is a good evidence that thou hast something to shew for Heaven But on the other side if all thy delight is in the World in the flesh-pots of Egypt and the remembrance of thy latter end is bitter to thee and thou art ready to say as an Atheist once I know what I have here Grand Atheist but I know not what I shall have hereafter That 's a shrewd sign thou hast onely thy portion in this life and no faith at all for the Life to come 2. Our Meditations 2 We may know by our Meditations For if we would flatter up our selves that we have heavenly Affections and yet want heavenly Meditations we do but deceive our own hearts and bring our selves into a Fools-Paradise for that 's most certain look where our Affections are there will our Meditations also be we cannot keep our thoughts off from what we love and prize dearly Where our treasure is Mat. 6. there will our heart be also there will our minde be Vbi amat non ubi animat where it
doing good to us till such time as he is pleased to set us at liberty to believe An unbeliever is a poor weak creature but a believer is strong in the Lord Eph. 6.10 and in the power of his might Secondly Do we prize Wisdom 2. Wisdom If you speak of wisdom he is wise indeed who puts his trust in the Lord and lives by Faith in him Solomon tells us of a wise man who under God lives by his wisdom and preserves the life of others Eccles 9.15 And so the Just lives c. And of four despicable creatures that yet are admirable for wisdom Prov. 30.23 c. There be four things saith he which be little upon the earth but they are exceeding wise amongst the rest he tells us the Conies or as some reade it the Mice of the Mountains are a feeble people yet they make their houses in the Rocks that so the strength of the Rock may supply the defect of strength in themselves And indeed there is the wisdom of a true believer he is a wise builder that builds his house upon the Rock Mat. 7.24 and that Rock is Christ 1 Cor. 10.4 And he that believes in him builds upon him and he that builds upon him shall never fall The gates of Hell shall never prevail against him and therefore he is a wise builder Psal 125. They that trust in the Lord shall be as Mount Zion which cannot be removed but abideth for ever whereas he is a fool with a witness who despising this Rock by his unbelief builds Castles in the Air trusting to his Wit or Wealth or created Strength in time of need Behold saith the former part of the Verse his Soul which is lifted up in Arce as in a Tower of created Confidence his Soul is not right he is not right in his wits indeed But the just shall live by his faith because he is so wise to build upon the true Rock the other is a Fool he is Chronicled for a Fool that trusts to his wealth Luke 12.20 And the wise man sets out the folly of such persons who trusts in any thing but the Name of the Lord which is the onely strong Tower of Safety and therefore in the very next words he hath this expression Prov. 18.11 The rich mans wealth is his strong City and an high wall in his own conceit Mark those words in his own conceit as if he should say What a mad conceit is this for a man to trust to his wealth there 's no man would ever do so he is a very conceited fool that puts his trust in his wealth but he is a wise man that lives by faith and puts his trust in the Name of the Lord This man builds upon the Rock indeed but the other is a foolish builder for he layeth his foundation in the Sands in the quicksands of worldly Comforts that are here to day and gone to morrow Do we prize Wisdom Then O let us prize Faith Remember the wise Virgins were the believing Virgins the foolish Virgins were the unbelieving Virgins They had Lamps indeed but they had no Oil they made Profession of Faith in their lives but they had no truth of Faith in their hearts Wicked men indeed account Gods people very fools because they live all upon Promise from God and refuse the present Profits and Pleasures of sin But let them say what they will you must give losers leave to talk they shall one day befool themselves When all is done the believer will prove the wise man in the end for when he that is so wise to make himself ready beforehand to go in with the Bridegroom such as are unprepared shall be shut out like fools as they are No question but Noah was accounted the veriest fool in all the world all the time the Ark was preparing 2 Pet. 3.3 4 5. But when the Flood came in earnest and the Scoffers being put to their shifts upon the tops of the Mountains and Trees begin to cry out to Noah For the Lords sake receive us into your Ark might he not justly have replâ—ed Who is the fool now O beloved when Poverty and Sickness and Death it self comes like an armed man upon your jolly Scoffers at Religion who will prove the fools then Be wise now therefore O ye Kings be instructed Psal 2. last ye Judges of the Earth Kiss the Son lest he be angry and ye perish in the way when his wrath is kindled but a little blessed are they that put their trust in him Doubtless he will prove the wisest man in the conclusion that lives by Faith in God This is the man that hath protection from God in dangerous times This is the man that hath direction from God in dark and obscure times And surely he is a wise man that leans not to his own carnal wisdom but trusts in the Lord for guidance and direction And thus doth every true believer whilst unbelievers are wise in their own conceit and consult with flesh and blood upon Principles of Profit Credit and the like and so the threatning takes hold upon them Isa 5.21 Woe unto them that are wise in their own eyes and prudent in their own sight for such shall be sure to fall by their own counsels On the other side such as live by Faith in God as they deny themselves in other things so by Faith they are taught to deny their own wisdom and to lay hold upon Jesus Christ for direction in all their ways and so the Promise is made good to them Christ is made unto them Wisdom As he is made their Righteousness Strength and Redemption So he is made their Wisdom 1 Cor. 1.3 He is made their Counsellor in all their doubts that is his Name Isa 9 6. Beloved as there are certain special times wherein God will let us see our need of him for other things he bringeth us sometimes into sickness that we may cry to him who is the God of our health and salvation he brings us into poverty that we may acknowledge him to be the God of our Plenty he brings us into thraldome that we may see in how much need we stand of him for our liberty he brings us into great dangers that we may see how much need we stand of his Power for our protection and preservation So he brings us sometimes into the dark or into some inextricable wilderness that we may see how much we stand in need of his Wisdom for our direction As God doth many times Non-plus the Power of the creature So he doth Non-plus the wisdom of the creature that it may live by Faith in him for direction and counsel As the Mother leaveth the childe in the dark or steps aside at a cross way that the childe may cry after her and acknowledge its beholdingness to her for guidance and direction So deals God with his children in dark and difficult times And if ever Gods People had need