Christ First Respectu temporis in regard of the time Answ 1 wherein he beleeved Quia Deitas Christi nondum mundo agnita Calvin s Because the Deitie of Christ was not as yet knowne unto the world but he acknowledged it Secondly Respectu personae in regard of the person Answ 2 beleeving because he was I. A Heathen not a Jew II. A Souldier not a Scribe or Pharisee or Doctor of the Law III. A man who was a stranger from the means of knowledge for hee was not that we reade of a Proselite or Disciple or hearer of the Scribes and Expounders of the Law And yet hee beleeves Thirdly his faith was greater Respectu laboris Answ 3 in regard of the practise of his life and his private meditations and contemplations he was a stranger unto the outward means which were proper unto the Jewes at contemplatur Chrysost s but yet hee was no stranger unto internall spirituall and divine meditations and contemplations but therein more frequent then Israel Fourthly the Centurions faith was greater Answ 4 Respectu humiliationis in regard of his humiliation hee doth thinke himselfe unworthy that Christ should do any thing for him verse 8. Fifthly and lastly his faith was greater Respectu Answ 5 roberis in regard of the strength therof for he doth not seek a signe as the Jewes elsewhere did but rests only in the word Speak but the word and my servant shall be whole verse 8. hee doth not say Come quickly as the Ruler did Iohn 4.49 but only makes his case known and so leaves it Lord saith he My servant lyeth at home sick of the Palsie grievously tormented vers 6. Yea his faith doth exceed the faith of Martha who scarcely beleeved Iohn 11.21.24 and of Philip who knew not the Father Iohn 14.8 and of Thomas Didymus Iohn 20.25 who would not beleeve without some ocular evidence but this our Centurion beleeves in Christ boldly confidently and fully Speake but the word oh Lord and it is enough say but to the Palsie depart and to health return and then I know my servant shall bee whole If the Centurions faith were thus great then Quest 3 why doth he in the beginning send the Elders of the Jews to fetch Christ as it appeares hee did Luke 73. where it is said Hee sent unto Iesus the Elders of the Iewes beseeching him that hee would come and heale his servant First it may be he staggered in faith doubted Answ 1 at first and afterwards repents him of his weaknesse and doubting Answ 2 Secondly but I rather think that he doubted not at all but only desired Christ to help him and to heale his servant and that the Jews without the Centurions knowledge or injunction did desire Christ to come Quest 4 Why doth hee not at first forbid Christ to come if hee were so confident of his power for it appears that this prohibition was not sent untill Christ came neer unto the house Luke 7.6 Answ Although hee fully beleeved that Christ was able to heale his servant yet hee little thought or at least was altogether ignorant that Christ would promise more then he durst aske he desires that Christ would be mercifull unto his servant Christ answers that He will come unto him and heale his servant now the promise of Christs comming was more then the Centurion desired or more then he thought himself worthy of And therfore when he perceives Christs purpose and hears his promise of comming unto him then he sends this second message Lord speake but the word and my servant shall be healed Observ We may learn from this Centurion that those who enjoy the lesse outward means have sometimes the greater faith those who are more remote from the externall means are neerest unto God As wee see in the Wise men to whom the Nativity of Christ was declared and not to the Scribes Mat. 2. And in those Publicans and Harlots who entred into heaven when the Pharisees were shut out Mat. 21.31 c. Quest 5 How can this stand with the alligation of the promises unto the mâ—ans Doth not God promise a blessing unto the use of the means how then can this be true that often those who are deprived of these means are the best Answ 1 First we must distinguish between an ordinary and extraordinary thing that those who are deprived of the ordinary means of grace and salvation should be better then those who enjoy the means is extraordinary for ordinarily it is otherwise Answ 2 Secondly we are tied unto the meanes but God is not wee must not look for miracles but use the means yea if wee neglect those means we can expect no blessing or favour from God at all but God is left free and hee can worke without means as well as with them and as strongly powerfully and perfectly and would have us to see and acknowledge that the means are made effectuall only by him Quest 6 How is the want of means supplied Answ 1 First Ex parte Dei on Gods part the lack of the meanes is supplied by internall grace 2 Corinthians 3.17 Answ 2 Secondly Ex parte nostra on our part the want of the meanes is supplied by contemplation prayer and the exercises of piety as wee may perceive in the Eunuch and Cornelius Quest 7 Wherein is the Centurion to be imitated by us Answ Wee must imitate him First Contemplando in contemplation for that supplyes the lack of the meanes where they can not be had as rumination doth nourish the means wher they are bad Mary is commended because she ponders those things in her heart which she heard and it is not enough to hear or reade much except wee seriously meditate of those things which wee reade and hear Secondly Humiliando by thinking basely and contemptibly of our selves here observe two times viz. I. In the entrance into the profession of Religion and then many are lowly as the Monks when they first enter into oâ—ders or when they aim at some great future preferment II. After they are sâ—aled with the Spirit of promise now for men to be truly humbled with a sense of their infirmities and weaknesse after they are effâ—ctually called and truely assured of their election and calling is both good and pleasing unto God t Phil. 3.13 c. Thirdly in the measure and strength of his faith wee should learn so confidently to beleeve in God that wee durst commit our selves unto him wholly cheerfully and by and by VERS 11. And I say unto you Vers 11. that many shall come from the East and West and shall sit downe with Abraham and Isaac and Iacob in the kingdome of heaven § 1. Many shall come Sect. 1 They are said to be but few Mat. 7.14 Object and 20 16. and 22.14 Yea experience shews how few they are for wee reade but of eight in the old world in whom the Church was preserved and yet not all those eight good wee reade but of
creation which by the fall we lost Fourthly the debts which we owe are our sins Answ 4 and trespasses Fifthly the calling of the servants by name Answ 5 to account is by the Preaching of the Law and the accusation of the conscience Sixthly the payment of the debt is either the Answ 6 performance of obedience or the undergoing of punishment for disobedience Are wee able to pay the debt wee owe unto Quest 2 God No Answ for we are neither able to satisfie for our former disobedience nor to perform perfect future obedience unto our Lord God How may we obtain remission of our sins at Quest 3 Gods hands seeing we are not able to satisfie his justice nor pay our debts First wee must do as this servant did to his Answ 1 Master that is I. We must humble our selves before God as this servant Who fel down and worshipped II. We must pray unto God for pardon and remission as he did Lord have pity or patience III. VVe must promise the payment of our debts as he did I will pay thee all that is we must promise that our debts shall be paid and satisfied for by Christ and we must vow new obedience unto God And then IV. We may be sure that the King our Master will pardon and pity us and forgive us our debt Secondly we must do as this Servant did not Answ 2 unto his fellow servant that is we must forgive our brethren if we desire that our Father should forgive us What debts must we forgive our Brethren Quest 4 By the name of debts are understood all the offences wrongs injuries Answ and the like which are committed against us by our Neighbour all which we must be ready to forgive for Christs sake Whether are money debts to be forgiven or Quest 5 are they altogether excepted Neither Answ for as the Gospel doth not evert and destroy policy and civill Government nor prohibit the lawfull exacting of debts So it doth not allow of cruelty oppression extortion and hard usage either by publike or priuate men neither doth God like those Spirits who will let men rotte in prison rather then remit or release them although they have nothing to pay for this servant who would have no pity of his fellow seruant found none at his Masters hands afterwards Why must wee forgive those who wrong injure Quest 6 and offend us First because herein and hereby we imitate Answ 1 the example of our Father who is full of mercy and pitty Reade Luke 6.36 Ephes 4.32 Colossians 3.13 Answ 2 Secondly because small and few are the offences of our brethren towards us in comparison of ours towards God That which our brother owes us is nothing in regard of that which wee owe God as is to the life illustrated by our Saviour in this parable I. What doe our brethren owe us a hundred pence observe here the Roman peny is the eighth part of an ounce which after five shillings the ounce is 7-d ob So that the whole summe is but iij.l. ij.s. vj.d. II. What doe wee owe our God Ten thousand talents now here also observe That a talent is 750. ounces of silver which after five shillings the ounce is 187. d. x.s. And the whole summe is 1875000. One thousand thousand eight hundred seventy five thousand pounds And therfore seeing our Father so freely forgives us so great a sum we should not stick to forgive our brother so small a debt Answ 3 Thirdly we should forgive those who wrong us because they are our fellow-servants yea our brethren and members of the same body with us now none ever hated their own flesh a man will not cut off his hand if it hit and hurt his eye because it is apart of himselfe and a man cannot be cruell to any part or member of his body but hee is cruell to himselfe which is inhumane Answ 4 Fourthly wee must bee ready to forgive those who offend us because cruelty against such is hurtfull yea most pernicious unto our selves Iames 5.9 He who will not pitty his fellow-servants nor have patience with them shall with this wicked servant bee eternally punished For as I. The King being angry cals this evill servant And II. Reproves his cruelty And III. Casts him into perpetuall prison So cruell persons in the generall judgement shall First be cited and summoned to appear by an angry Iudge And Secondly shall be reproved and reproached for their cruelty And Thirdly shall be subjected and bound over to perpetuall paines and unspeakable torments Quest 6 How must wee forgive and pardon those who offend us Answ Wee must remit offences after the manner of our heavenly Father that is wee must labour to forgive our brethren as our Father forgives us that is First the Lord pardons citò quickly David had no sooner said Peccavi I have sinned but hee hears Dominus abstulit peccatum tuum tidings that the Lord had put away his sinne we see that the Lord is so prone to pardon that the Prophet Ionas is displeased with his readinesse and pronesse thereunto I hus should wee be slow to anger but ready to remit and most easie to be reconciled Secondly God forgives Totum the whole debt he doth not pardon by halfes but remits all our sins Psalme 103.2 3. Thus we should not forgive our brother only seven times but as often as hee offends us and that wholly and fully as though they never had wronged us at all Thirdly our Father gives more then is desired his servant here intreats him to have a little patience and he presently doth not only forbear his debt but doth forgive the debt Adam and Eve are not only pardoned but have over and above a promise made of a Saviour And the Prodigall Child doth only beg that he may be received as a servant and he is accepted as a sonne Thus we should put on the bowels of mercy and tender compassion and be ready not only to forgive our brethren but also to give unto them not only to do them no hurt but also to do them what good wee can Fourthly God doth all these things Ex animo cordially and verely for our offences being once pardoned he remembers them no more but casts them into the bottom of the sea Mich. 7. Thus we must not revenge our selves indeed nor complain or murmure in word nor by our carriage or countenance shew that either we will avenge our selvs or would if we could or harbour any malice and grudge in our hearts but forgive from our hearts For if wee labour in these things thus to imitate our heavenly Father then wee have a promise that all our sins shall be pardoned by him Against this which hath been said flesh and blood objects many things and because many therefore I will briefly resolve them My brother or neighbour reiterates his offences Object 1 against mee daily and therefore why should I forgive him Consider with thy self Answ what thou owest
one that hath power to dispense with the Law of God for they must doe nothing against the truth but for it And therefore I. the Pope erres here that will not suffer a wicked promise to be broken without a facultie or leave from his holinesse But II. hee erres worse in breaking promises and oathes which are lawfull as freeing subjects from the oath of allegeance unto their Soveraignes husbands from their promises made to their wives in marriage and the contrary with diverse the like which the Papists say hee can dispense withall and absolve from Sect. 3 § 3. And they departed into their owne countrey Observ 1 another way We may observe here the admirable obedience of these wise men for they might here have objected many things as first that it is a shame to returne home by another way because this is is a kinde of flight Secondly that it is a great shame to breake the promise which they have made Thirdly that it is dangerous to double with kings for they have long armes and their anger is heavie Fourthly cannot the Sonne of God protect himselfe how shall wee beleeve that he can save others much lesse bee the Saviour of the world that cannot save himselfe These things flesh and bloud might have alledged but they object nothing at all but in all things obey Teaching us that our obedience unto God ought to bee absolute and ready without murmuring without disputing a Phil. 2.14 without consulting with flesh and bloud b Gen. 26.19 and Act. 26.19 and without procrastination and delay c Gen. 12.4 Why did these wise men or why should wee thus presently obey God I answer this is required of us Quest Answ either in regard of God or in regard of our selves First it is required of us absolutely and readily to obey God in regard of the Lord himselfe and that for these causes First because God requires the obedience of the mind and of the inward man that our minds should alwayes be prepared to obey the will of God and therefore as soone as ever the Lord gives any command unto us we must obey it with all readinesse and cheerfulnesse Secondly because God deserves at our hands that we should doe whatsoever hee requires of us be it never so unpleasing or unprofitable unto our selves yea it is a great indignitie offered unto the Lord either to dispute or indent with him concerning any thing that hee commands us Thirdly because the will of God is the rule of good just profitable and convenient that is wee only know things to be good just holy wel-beseeming because they are agreeable unto the wil of God and therfore to doubt of that which God requires is to contradict either his prudence or justice and therefore it is by and by yea in all things carefully to be obeyed Fourthly because if we obey God when hee commands he wil accept of our obedience as performed in subjection unto his will but not so if we obey him at our owne leasure Secondly it is required of us presently and willingy to obey God in regard of our selves that for these two causes first because it shewes in us a willing minde which God loves Secondly because now when God commands we may obey but afterwards perchance wee shall not bee able God withdrawing his grace from us § 4. They went to their owne countrey another Sect. 4 way It may here be asked why doth not the Lord Quest 1 suffer them to goe unto the Jewes or forbid them to goe unto the Gentiles First the Magi would not go unto the Jewes Answ 1 because they were offended with the corrupt state of their Church d Muscul Secondly God would not suffer them to goe unto the Jews because they refusing or at least Answ 2 not caring for Christ the Lord will not have him to be offred unto them any more Answ 3 Thirdly God would not prohibit them to go unto the Gentiles because he would have Christ to be preached unto them the Iewes thus slighting the message of his nativity Vers 13 §. 1. VERS 13. And when they were departed Sect. 1 behold the Angel of the Lord appeared unto Joseph in a dreame saying Arise and take the young childe and his mother and flye into Egypt and be thou there untill I bring thee word for Herod will seeke the young childe to destroy him Some observe Hierom. s Observa that when Ioseph took Christ and his mother that hee might flye with them into Egypt he tooke them by night when it was darke but when hee returnes into Judea neither night nor darknesse is mentioned in the Gospell to teach us that there is nothing but palpable darknesse with us when Christ leaves us but when he comes unto us then comes true and cleare light Sect. 2 § 2. Take the young child and his mother It may here be asked Quest when Ioseph thought to have put Mary away because she was with childe the Lord calls her his wife Chapter 1.20 Feare not Ioseph to take unto thee Mary thy wife why therefore doth the Lord now call her the childs Answ 1 mother I answer First because they had now both of them agreed upon her perpetuall virginitie as is probable she askes and he grants that she should remaine an unspotted virgin all her life Secondly because by a most forcible argument Answ 2 the Lord would excite Ioseph to have a speciall care of her remembring that shee was the Mother of Christ Answ 3 Thirdly the Lord hereby would shew unto Ioseph that Mary was more to bee respected loved tendered and esteemed for the childes sake than for marriage sake Sect. 3 § 3. And flye into Egypt It will hence bee Obiect 1 objected flight is dishonest it hath but a loathed aspect contrarie to all generositie yea by this meanes the faith of Ioseph and Mary may bee shaken why therefore doth the Lord command it I answer God hereby would shew two things unto these two pious persons Answ to wit First that they that will follow Christ must take up their crosses and arme themselves to endure and undergoe afflictions And secondly that they must thinke nothing vile base or unseemely which God requires of them and in them It will be objected againe This flight derogates Object 2 from the authority of Christ there being no neede of it at all he can otherwise save both himselfe and them For first he can walke invisibly and not bee seene hee can passe out of their sight as hee did divers times when they had thought to have laid hold upon him Or secondly he could blinde them that they should not see him as the Angels did the Sodomites Gen. 19. and Elisha the Aramites 2 King 6. Or thirdly he could destroy them as hee did Sennacherib And therefore seeing Christ was able to defend himselfe why doth he flee I answer first the sinnes of Herod were not as Answ 1 yet come
imagine that they can prevaile against God as Pharaoh said who is the Lord that I should obey him I know him not neither will I at his command let Israel goe b Exod. 5.2 as if he would say mauger all his power I will still keepe them so in divers other plaine places we may see this truth confirmed c 2 Ring 18.34 19.10 Dan. 3.15 Ier. 43.2 This arrogant branch that thus thinkes to toppe the heavens sprouts from these three rootes First from those desires which are too importunate and boundlesse unde habeat quarit nemo sed oportet habere when men have not learnt to want nor to bridle their ambition but are infected with the itch of honour then they runne on in a violent course to obtaine their desires either by right or wrong thus hoping in despight of God as Pope Iulius said to obtaine and effect their purposes This was Herods fault who being blinded with ambition and desire of raigning hoped by his craft and policie to cut Christ short Secondly this hope that wicked men have to prevaile against Christ ariseth from the confidence they have in their owne power and strength wicked great men thinke nothing hard for them to doe and therefore dare wage open battell against Gods religion and his children Thus doth Herod and because none dare gainsay him hee hopes to prevaile This hope arises from forgetfulnesse they remember not oftentimes the hand of the Lord but looke upon things as meerely ordered and governed by second causes d Iames 4.15 they consider not the eye of the Lord that sees all nor the hand of the Lord that swayes all or they presume God will take no notice of them or they dare violate the truth and yet hope to escape punishment as Adam and Evah eate the apple and yet hoped they should not dye although God had positively without any If or and for that peradventure e Gen. 3.3 was of Evahs adding affirmed the contrary f Gen. 2.17 and thus doth Herod hope to prevaile against Christ although God himselfe had most plainely said the contrary g Psal 2. And therefore every one should learne 1. to restraine his bottomles desires and be content with whatsoever estate or condition the Lord shal call him unto or settle him in 2. Every one must remember that he can doe nothing of himselfe because in God we live and moove and have our beeing a Act. 17.28 yea because preferment comes neither from the East nor from the West but from the Lord and therefore when we endeavour against the will of God we doe but strive against the streame 3. All must learne not to forget either the eye or hand or power or truth of God but remember all things are ordered by a divine hand of providence and therefore let us not put forth our hands to use any wicked or unlawfull meanes either for the procuring of any blessing or the preventing of any evill for in doing so we prove our selves to be like wicked Herod that thinkes hee can prevaile against Christ the onely begotten sonne of God VERRS 17. Then was fulfilled that Vers 17 which was spoken by Ieremiah the Prophet saying Then was fulfilled Wee see heere how carefull the Lord is that every word of his should be Quest 1 fulfilled whence First it may bee asked shall every word of God whether promises or threatnings be accomplished Certes it shall Esa 55.11 Answ my word saith the Lord shall be fulfilled and not one jot or jota thereof shall perish b Matth. 5.18 for if the Lord speake it he wil also doe it 1 Pet. 1.24 Secondly Why shall every word of God be Quest 2 fulfilled why is the Lord so carefull to bring to passe whatsoever he hath spoken I answer First because God is truth it selfe Answ 1 Iohn 14.6 and the truth of the word doth depend upon the truth of God and therefore the Lord will fulfill whatsoever he hath spoken least an aspersion of falshood should be cast in his face Secondly because God is infinite in knowledge he knowes from the beginning what shall Answ 2 be for ever and cannot be deceived c Gal. 6.7 and hence it is that the Prophets doe so often speake of things which are to come as though they were present yea sometimes as though they were by-past I. Sometimes they speake of things which shall not bee for many yeares after as though they were already present as d Mal. 3.1 Mark 1.2 the Prophet from the Lord saith concerning Iohn Baptist Behold J send my messenger who shall prepare the way II. Sometimes they speake of things that are to come divers hundred yâ—â—res after as though they were already past as it is said of Christ e Esa 9.6 for unto us a child is borne and unto us a sonne is given as though he were then already borne and given Now the reasons of their thus delivering ther-prophecies was because they were as sure of thâ— event and accomplishment of that which by them from the Lord had beene spoken as though it were already present or past Thirdly because God is omnipotent able to effect whatsoever hee hath promised or threatned Answ 3 by his word at first all things were made yea so powerful is the voice of God that it never returnes in vaine f Esa 55.11 If the Lord should not accomplish what he either promises or threatens men would beleeve that he were not able to doe it and therefore being jealous of his honour hee is carefull to fulfill whatsoever he hath spoken Fourthly God will fulfill every word of his Answ 4 because he is constant and immutable g Iam. 1.17 for 1. he is never disturbed with affection nor transported by passion he doth all things upon mature deliberation with infinite wisedome and most calme affection 2 His will is never changed he is to day and to morrow and for ever the same and therefore hee certainely fulfilles whatsoever he speakes To summe up all this whole question in few words If the Lord did not fulfill or performe what he promises and threatens it were for some of these causes either first because hee is not true or not a God of his word Or secondly because he knew not what would come to passe some thing thwarting or crossing him which he did not foresee nor know Or thirdly because he is not able to performe what hee hath spoken Or fourthly because he is mutable and of another minde to day then he was yesterday Now all these are blasphemously derogatory from the Majestie of the Almighty and therefore least men should thus conceit of him hee fulfills all his prophecies and predictions that they may see and know that hee is infinite in truth power knowledge and also immutable Against this it will bee objected God threatens all sinners that none of them shall escape but Obiect 1 every one shall perish h Psal 9.17
l Daniel 5. this was in Esau he wept sore m Gen. 27.38 yet obtained no mercy n Heb. 12.17 because obedience was wanting II. Neither the confession of the tongue is acceptable unto God without service in the life for Cain could confesse his sinnes to be great o Gen. 4.13 and Saul acknowledge his iniquity unto the Prophet with a peccavi p 1 Sam. 15.24 I have sinned yea Iudas doth confesse his particular transgression for which he is sorry in these words I have sinned in betraying of innocent blood q Matth. 27.4 but yet none of these received either benefit or comfort by this their confession because it was not accompanyed with obedience III. The externall humiliation of the body availes nothing without this neither for Ahab humbled himselfe in dust and ashes r 1 King 21.27 and yet was slaine not long after ſ 1 King 22.35 IV. Affection unto religion without zealous obedience is not gratefull unto God for Agrippa was halfe perswaded to become a Christian t Act. 26. and Herod in practise as well as affection was halfe a Christian for he heares Iohn Baptist gladly and doth many things and abstaines from some sinnes u Mark 6. like the stony ground that sends forth a blade and grasse x Matth. 13. yet all this profits them not so long as true repentance and sincere obedience is wanting in them And thus our repentance must bee true Secondly our repentance must be timely and mature begunne betimes without procrastination or delay while it is said to day while we have life while we have hope in regard of Gods gracious invitations remembring that repentance is not in our power wee cannot turne unto God when we will yea the longer wee delay it the more unfit we are to performe it Nam qui non hodiè cras minus aptus erit he that is not in fit case to repent him to day will be more unfit to morrow and therefore call upon God while thou mayest be heard approach unto him while the doore is open y Matth. Obiect It may here be objected Deliberandum est diu quod statuendum est semel nothing is to bee done rashly and that which is but once to be done had neede be undertaken with a great deale of deliberation festina lentè make not too much hast is a good rule Relapses are dangerous and therfore men had neede beforehand to beware sat citò si sat bene if we repent truely at any time we tepent soone enough a King must not wage warre with a Potent Foe but upon mature deliberation neither is a man to lay the foundation of a building untill seriously in his thought hee have considered how he shall be able to reare up the edifice and therefore Repentance being a weighty worke of great importance it is not so suddenly to be undertaken I answer first there is a great difference betweene Answ 1 Deliberation and Delay the latter feares and neglects the former considers consults and then speedily effects and undertakes Secondly deliberation concerning repentance may be two fold First an poenitendum whether thou must or ought or shalt repent or not now this is not to bee doubted of and therefore there needs no deliberation but rather a quick and speedie determination in the particular because without repentance there is no hope of mercy or remission or eternall salvation Secondly quomodo poenitendum the second deliberation is how we must repent and this is twofold 1. First quibus viribus by whose power thou must repent there is no neede of deliberation heere neither art thou at all to doubt of this because all sinners must acknowledge these two things first that of themselves they have no power to repent and this is necessary to bee confessed least otherwise they presume that they can repent when they will and therefore may procrastinate the worke Secondly that repentance is wrought in them by God alone who is able to convert when and whom he pleases this wee must undoubtedly acknowledge also least otherwise the sight of our sins and the sense of our owne insufficiencies cause us to despaire thus the Prophet praying for the people frames his petition turne thou us oh Lord unto thee and then we shall be turned a Lam. 5.21 as if he should say we are not able of our selves to repent and therefore it thou oh Lord leave us unto our selves we shall never be converted but thou art able to worke true repentance in our hearts and therefore if thou wilt bee pleased to take the worke in hand then wee are certainely assured that we shall be truely turned 2. Secondly quibus laboribus wee must consider what is required unto true repentance and here onely Deliberation is seasonable and needfull for this is indeede seriously to be considered of wee must observe the requisite conditions unto conversion that we may be the more careful stare pollicitis to performe our promises and to keepe the conditions required of us The conditions of this obligation made betweene God us in Repentance are these First to denie our selves and confesse our selves wholy only subject to the wil command of the Lord. Secondly to take up our crosse of what nature or kinde soever that is patiently to endure and undergoe all afflictions that the Lord shall please to exercise us with all whether in body or goods or good name Thirdly not to esteeme our lives deare unto us when God calls for them whether by a naturall or a violent death Fourthly to persevere in the service of the Lord unto our lives end Fiftly to oppose our selves unto Sathan the world and the flesh and to strive against all sin alwaies even unto blood b Heb. 12.4 And thus therefore I conclude this objection the Thesis is to bee granted that we must repent and that by and by without delay the Hypothesis is to be considered and meditated of but ut muniaris non ut cuncteris that is thou must not so deliberate upon the worke that thou delay it but so seriously consider of it that thou mayest the more carefully arme thy selfe both to overcome all impediments that might hinder thee from the perfecting of it and also to accomplish what the Lord expects from thee and what thou hast resolved to put in execution And thus our repentance must be mature and timely as well as true Thirdly our repentance must be constant for it is not true except it endure unto the end and therefore we must be perseverant c Ephes 6 18. Heere a question may bee made why must Quest our repentance bee perpetuall for terme of life I answer First because otherwise it shall not Answ 1 be crowned with a crowne of glory d Matth. 24.13 finis coronat opus the end proves the truth of the work and therfore hee that lookes backe and proves retrograde is not worthy of this reward
the Father spake from Heaven God the Sonne was in the water and God the Holy Ghost descended in the likenesse of a Dove so plainey else where f Ioh. 1.33 John himselfe saith He that sent me to baptise with water here is the authority of God the Father in Iohns baptisme said unto me upon whom thou shalt see the Spirit come downe hee it is that baptiseth with the Holy Ghost Here is the name and authority of God the Sonne and God the Holy Ghost Answ 2 Secondly to wound them with an arrow out of their own quiver the Master of the sentences is quite against Bellarmine g Lib. 4. dist 3. g. Tunc invocato nomine Trinitatis institutus est in Iordaene baptismus c. Then in Iordan the name of the Trinity beeing invocated baptisme was instituted when the mysterie of the Trinity appeared Answ 3 Thirdly Iohn used the same forme in baptising which the Apostles did they baptised in the name of the Lord Jesus h Act. 2.38 and so did Iohn i Acts 19.4 and Saint Ambrose k Li. 1. de spirit ca. 3. affirmeth that Iohn baptised in the name of Christ and therefore it is not unlike but that Iohn baptised in the name of the Trinity as the Apostles did for although the name of Jesus onely be expressed yet thereby is signified the end scope of baptisme for remission of sinnes not an exact and precise forme of baptisme Whether doe the Ministers in baptisme conferre Quest 7 grace upon the parties baptised or whether are they givers of heavenly gifts in baptisme or no. I answer Answ the Sacraments are holy in themselves and have not their holinesse from men and it is not the Minister of baptisme but the blessed Trinity that in and by baptisme doth worke faith and conferre grace upon the children of God That it is God and not man that workes grace and conferres heavenly gifts upon those that are baptised appeares by these arguments First because a divine gift cannot bee given by man neither can any wash away the spots staines and pollutions of the mind but onely he that made the mind Secondly because the Prophets ever and anon prove that it is God that washeth us and not man Wash me throughly from mine iniquity and cleanse thou me from my sinnes a Psa 51.2 and againe purge me with hyssope and I shall be cleane wash me and I shall be whiter then snow Thus David b Psa 51.7 Againe the Prophet Esay desireth that the Lord would wash away the filth of the daughter of Zion and purge away the blood of Ierusalem c Esa 4 4. Thirdly because Christ saith plainely that it is he that is hee alone that gives that water that is spirituall grace and life Whereof who so drinks shall thirst no more for ever d Ioh. 4. As the Dyer by the touching onely of the cloth cannot give a colour unto it so neither the Minister of the baptisme by himselfe without the operation of the Blessed Trinity in that holy ordinance can give any divine grace or heavenly tincture unto the scule Again if the Church of God be a Vineyard then the Ministers are but tillers and it is God that is the Lord and Master of the familie and therefore all spirituall gifts are given by him Lastly because as one saith e Optatus li. 5. cont Parmen Saint Paul shewes that this whole Sacrament of baptisme doth belong unto God while hee saith I have planted and Apollos watered that is I have made one of a pagana 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from a meere heathen that had no knowledge of God I have brought him to some understanding of him and of the principles of religion and Apollos he hath baptised him that I have thus taught and instructed but it is the Lord onely that must cause to grow and encrease what I have thus planted and Apollos watered f 1 Cor. 3 6. § 2. Confessing their sinnes The Papists Sect. 2 object this place to prove their auricular confession because say they g Rhemist Obiect Iohn did not induce the people to a generall acknowledgement onely that they were sinners but also to utter every man his particular sinnes To this we answer first of all there is no mention Answ 1 made that this confession was of every one apart of every particular fault they had committed and that secretly in Saint Iohns eare Answ 2 Secondly it is contrary to the nature of the meeting which is publike where comer and secret exercises have no place Answ 3 Thirdly if the Papists will ground their auricular confession upon this place then they must have it but once and that before Baptisme not yeerely and that before the Lords Supper Answ 4 Fourthly it is unpossible not onely for every one of the people to make recitall of their particular sinnes particularly which were both infinite and in part unknowne but also for Iohn alone to heare all those which they could have made confession of especially never having before made confession of their sinnes in the whole course of their life h Sic Caâ—twright s Matth. 3.6 where this is amplified Quest 1 It may bee demanded What confession of their sinnes they made Answ 1 First some say that they confessed onely in generall that they were sinners Secondly we may say that they confessed particularly these sinnes unto Iohn wherewith their consciences were most pressed that so they Answ 2 might injoy the greater good by his ministry and be delivered from those their iniquities It is questioned sometimes amongst Protestants Whether wee bee not too remisse in exacting Quest 2 Confession of sinnes as well as the Papists are too strict For answer hereunto it is fit first to agree upon the termes to wit Answ 1 what is meant by confession 2 what is meant by Exacting 3 what is meant by Protestants First consider wee what is meant by confession there are divers sorts thereof Bishop Iewell hath three sorts and Chemnitius hath nine degrees but we may thus plainely distinguish them Confession is either unto God which is frequent in Scripture I confessed my sinnes unto thee said David i Psa 32.5 or Man either Publike either in Generall termes as the people did by the leviticall law Particular acknowledgement of sinne to the Congregation or private to our Brother either Being offended with us thus our Saviour commandeth confession and reconciliation k Matth. 5 24. In private conference thus Saint Iames bids us to confesse our sinnes one to another l Iam. 5.16 or Pastor in cases Extraordinary as when Some sinnes burthen the conscience In some act which we have done we being doubtfull whether we have done Well or ill or Ordinary either More lawfull which must bee Or The requiring the confession of some sinnes only which daily prevaile against us and which we cannot conquer or overcome Uoluntary and free without any
profit but indeede none at all being no other then sweet poyson Secondly wee conclude hence that it is filthy polluted and uncleane if the devill perswades unto it such as the cause is such is the effect from a filthy stincking puddle cannot issue pure and wholsome water no more from an uncleane divel can any pure thing be derived Thirdly we conclude mors in olla that there is danger and death in it if the devill tempt unto it because he is our enemie f Matth 13.25 and therefore his counsell must needs be pernitious he is a lyer and a murtherer and therefore death is the doome of him that beleeves his lies § 4. For it is written We see Christ here Sect. 4 makes the Scripture his first and last argument the fortresse which hee will not forsake nor bee beaten from Why doth not Christ answer the devill otherwise Quest 1 for being moved with leasings and provoked by his bold insolences he might have answered First dost thou speake true sathan in what thou promisest wouldest thou indeede give me what thou sayest if I should fall downe and worship thee or dost thou promise that which thou meanest not to performe Secondly though thou hast a desire to bee as good as thy word whether art thou able or not is the whole world thine to dispose of at thy pleasure Thirdly suppose all this world were thine to give me couldest thou thereby make mee greater or more happy then I am already Fourthly canst thou perswade thy selfe or imagine that I can bee moved or enticed at all with the possessions and preferments of the world Christ I say might thus have taken off sathan but he doth not but onely puts him in minde of his duty Answ It is written thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God And that for these causes First that he may teach us his Modesty he doth not complaine of these injuries and injurious speeches of sathan unto him Secondly that he may teach us his meekenes he doth not by way of recriminatiō reproach satan Thirdly that hee may teach us his carefulnesse to obey his Father seeing hee neither proves nor affirmes any thing from himselfe or his owne will Observ but all from the rule of obedience the word of God And Fourthly his answer being necessary modest and directly pertinent to the question doth teach us thereby that Christians answers should be meeke and ad rem gentle and punctuall unto the thing demanded First they must bee meeke and gentle let all bitternesse of speech saith Saint Paul be put away from you a Ephes 4.31 And againe lay aside all evill speakings b 1 Pet. 2.1 Secondly they must be ad rem pertinent unto the question and the thing in hand let your speech saith the Apostle be alwaies with grace seasoned with salt that ye may Quest 2 know how ye ought to answer every man Colos 4.6 Why must wee be thus carefull of our answers Answ 1 First because wee ought to bee imitators of God who hath made or done nothing in vaine there is nothing idle in nature there is not a vaine or needlesse word in all the Scriptures we therefore in all our answers should labour to imitate God herein by striving that they may Answ 2 be concise weighty and to the purpose Secondly idle words in interrogatories or harsh answers beget jarres and contentions and bitter brawlings and therefore our answers must Sect. 5 be meeke Obiect 1 § 5. Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God The Papists c Bellar. l. 4. de Euch. Cap. 29. object this place for the adoration of the Eucharist God is verily and truely to be worshipped as in this verse thou shalt worship the Lord thy God But Christ in the Eucharist is very God therefore verily in the Eucharist to Answ 1 be worshipped First we may easily grant the whole argument as framed by the Cardinall that Christ is in the Eucharist to be adored and so hee is also in Baptisme and in the word preached as the Apostle sheweth plainely d 1 Cor. 14.24 If all prophesie and there come in one who beleeveth not c. the secrets of his heart are made manifest and hee will fall downe on his face and worship God and say plainely that God is in you indeede So wee also though we utterly deny that the Eucharist is to bee adored yet we worship Christ in the Eucharist saying we praise thee we blesse thee we worship thee we glorifie thee c. Answ 2 Secondly wee may deny the argument as framed by the Cardinall it being a false Syllogisme the Minor proposition not following from the Major according to the rules of Art God is verily and truely to bee worshipped this is most true But Christ in the Eucharist is very God saith Bellarmine whereas he should have assumed thus if hee would have proved any thing But the Eucharist is very God which is blasphemy to say Answ 3 Thirdly though we should grant the body of Christ to be verily present in the Eucharist yet it is the not the body of Christ God Answ 4 Fourthly there are the formes of bread and wine remaining still which being creatures and not hypostatically joyned to the person of Christ cannot without great perill of idolatry be adored Answ 5 Fiftly to put all out of doubt Christs flesh is not bodily present neither can they ever be able to prove it and therefore they have no colour or ground at all for this their adoration of the elements Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God These words we see are here alleadged by our Saviour against sathan who had tempted him to fall downe and adore him wherefore by this text all falling downe and prostrating of our selves before any creature to adore it is forbidden without which submissive gesture not the meanest kind of religious worship can be exhibited unto any Argum. from whence we collect this conclusion that no religious worship properly or improperly accidentally or of it selfe or any other kind of way belongeth unto Images but that to God onely wise immortall invisible all religious worship is onely due Obiect 2 Bellarmine answers hereunto that this place is to be understood of a certaine kind of religious worship which is onely proper unto God Answ All religious worship is forbidden in this place to be given to any but unto God for sathan did not tempt Christ to worship him as God but onely to fall downe and worship him he asked onely of him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a certaine inclination of the body which Christ denyed as being onely proper to God Sect. 6 § 6. And him onely shalt thou serve Quest Solum onely or alone is not in Deut. 6.16 Why doth our Saviour here adde it or alleadge it First to teach us that all precepts enjoyning the Answ 1 worship and service of God include the force of this particle Alone a Perkins Secondly sathan doth not prohibite Christ
vertues is almost wholy extinct in us Thirdly our Saviour did teach them for the Answ 3 exciting and stirring up of their hearts and the inflaming of their affections unto these morall vertues because all should labour to abound in all vertues both theologicall and morall And therefore from our Saviours practise we may learne what is the work of preaching Not onely First to teach and instruct in the truth but also secondly to excit provoke and perswade and that in a threefold regard to wit First in respect of the memory because that is fraile and slippery quickly loosing that which is good and therefore the memory is often to be rubbed up and people frequently to be admonished with all gentle perswasions of their duties both towards God and man h 2 Pet. 1.12.15 Secondly in respect of the affection because therein are tares and the foreskinne of the flesh yea a love unto and a delight in every thing that is evill Now preaching is a knife to cut off this corrupt prepuce or fore-skin it is a weeding hooke to roote out these tares yea a sword to subdue all rebellious lusts and therefore it should frequently bee performed with all meeknesse and tendernesse of spirit by the mercy of God perswading men Thirdly in respect of the Impediments which from without hinder men from the practise of religion which are many and with the most prevaile much and therefore Ministers should bee both carefull and painefull in reproving admonishing advising perswading and exciting men to a solide serious sincere and constant serving of God Thus some I say shew a difference betweene teaching and preaching referring teaching to morall vertues or naturall righteousenesse and preaching to the righteousnesse of faith and Evangelicall graces Secondly I rather thinke that these two Answ 2 words docens et praedicans teaching and preaching are Synonyma importing and signifying one and the same thing Or at least are but thus to bee distinguished to teach shewes what hee did in Galilee To preach signifies how hee taught and what hee taught First Quomoda how hee taught in Galilee it was publikely Secondly quae what hee taught in Galilee the Gospell and word of the New Testament § 3. In their Synagogues These Synagogues Sect. 3 were places of publike meetings both amongst the Jewes and Samaritans Why did Christ preach in the Synagogues Quest 1 First lest hee should otherwise seeme to contemne Answ 1 and despise those holy places which were consecrated and dedicated unto the worship Observ 1 and service of God hereby teaching us that the publike worship of God in the Temple is necessary and not to be sleighted or neglected Quest 2 God is every where present and therefore what need we goe to the Church to serve him at all he sees our exercises and heares our prayers at home and therefore there seemes to bee no necessity of it to goe to the Temple or visible house of God Answ 1 First true it is that God heares and sees the private dueties which we performe in our familyes and the secret duties which in our private closets are offered up unto him Answ 2 Secondly yet this doth not excuse us from comming to Church to serve God publikely with his congregation as may appeare by these particulars viz. First every religion of the world doth teach the worship of some power yea and that publikely All Heathens that worship any Gods have solemne publike places and dayes separated and set apart for the worship of them yea all religions throughout the world none excepted have their publike places for publike worship and therefore it were absurd for Christians to be without or to neglect them Secondly the Church in all ages places and times where and when the profession of religion was permitted and not publikely persecuted had their solemne places for publike meetings The Jewes had the Temple and their Synagogues which Christ here resorts unto to preach in and which the Apostles also repaire unto for the celebration of publike worship as we see in many places of the Acts. Againe they had their Synagogues in Antioch a Acts 13.15 for this same purpose yea in every city there were some of these publik places b Acts 15.21 therfore it is very unfitting for Christians to be destitute of them or carelesse of the service of God in them Thirdly because Christ did not despise them whose action is our instruction and imitation neither his Apostles after him as we see in Capernaum Christ and his Apostles being there on the Sabbath day he enters not â—nto a private house but into the Synagogue and preached c Mark 1.21 so also in his owne countrey d Mar 6.1.2 which he did not seldome or some few times but frequently for as his custome was he went into the Synagogue on the Sabbath day e Luke 4.16 So Peter and Iohn go up together to the temple to pray f Acts 3.1 And therfore although we may ought to pray at home yet not upon the Lords day or in any other time of the celebration of the publike ordinances if we be able to come to Church Quest. 3 What difference is there betweene prayers at home and at Church that is publike and private prayers that we thus enforce this duety of assembling and conjoyning our selves unto the Congregation upon the Lords day They differ in three things to wit first in power Answ strength and efficacy vis unita fertior the more ayde the stronger force those that pray at home sleighting the assemblyes of the Saints are deprived of the helpe of their prayers the joynt cry of many quickly penetrates the heavens Secondly in the promise of being heard where two or three are gathered together there Christ hath promised to be present also g Mat. 18.20 if in his name they be assembled how much more gratiously will he be then present when many are gathered together both upon his owne day in his own house for the celebration of his worship and to powre forth prayers unto his Father in his owne name and mediation Thirdly in the ordination of God who by his Church hath appointed and ordained the Lords day for prayer and reading and preaching and hearing and meditating and the like and therefore faith is strong here hoping assuredly that our praâ—ers shall be heard I. because God is mercifull II. because we pray in faith yea III. because wee pray unto God upon that day which is appointed for this and other holy duties yea in that place which by his providence hath beene set apart for his publike worship and service my house saith our Saviour shall be called a house of prayer And therefore we must not neglect to joyne our selves with the congregation of the Lord met together in his house upon his day for his worship and service And thus much for the first answer or reason why our Saviour went into the Synagogue to preach Secondly Christ went
be put and some indigent persons are to bee preferred before others Aliquando melius negatur quam datur h August Epist 48. because somtimes it is better to say some persons nay than to give unto them And therefore before wee give wee should examine two impediments to wit First Legis of the Law doth not the law forbid thee to give to such and such that is to wandring beggars who will not keepe at home where the Law provides they should be provided for Religion doth not teach us to despise just lawes as their lewd practises shew they doe These lawes are founded upon religion and Christian Prudence because wee cannot truly know the want of those whose persons and habitations wee know not and therfore all poore are to make their wants knowne unto that parish and people that know both them and their necessities And those who will not doe thus but contrary to all law and government wander abroad are either not to bee relieved at all or if wee relieve them wee should procure that they may be corrected withall either by stocks or whip Thus the just prohibition of the law may hinder our almes Secondly Conscientiae of conscience we must doe good especially to the houshold of faith Galath 6.10 for his soule will blesse us and God will heare his prayers for us but hee will not heare the prayers of the wicked and therefore our Saviour sayth that which is given to a Disciple nomine Discipuli in the name of a Disciple shall bee accepted and rewarded i Mat. 10.42 And therefore before wee give wee should examine both the persons povertie and his religion May wee not then give reliefe unto wicked Quest. 24 poore men Certainely we may observing these cautions Answer or upon these conditions viz. First if thou dost not know him to be wicked Secondly if by thy almes thou dost not nourish him in his sinne or supply his necessity for the satisfying of his lewdnesse Thirdly if necessity urge thou mayst then relieve him that is although he be wicked yet if hee bee like to perish thou must helpe and succour him by thy charity Fourthly if thy almes given unto him doe not hinder thee from giving unto better than he is then thou mayst give but if the case should thus fall out with thee that if thou give unto him thou canst not give unto such an one who is as poore but a much better man then he thou art then to withhold thy hand from Fiftly if thou beest able to afford reliefe to both then thou mayst give unto both Secondly we must give our almes piously as wel as prudently that is mercy towards others is not accepted of God except it be joyned with piety in our selves Thus the Lord saith that if a just man shall give bread to the hungry it shall be rewarded k Ezech. 18.5 c. Audistis peccata redimi eleemosynis Dan. 4.24 ne intelligite perversè prosunt si mores mutaveris sin in malis perseveraveris non corrumpes judicium Dei eleemosynis tuis l Aug lib. hom 50. hom 19. It may be saith the Father thou observest Daniel to exhort the King to redeeme his sinnes by giving of almes but thou must dexterously understand this thus almes profit a man if he change his life but if he persevere in his perversnesse hee cannot then by all his almes bribe the Judge of all the world neither find any favour at all in judgement And thus Saint Iames doth plainly cleare the point in hand in saying Pure and undefiled religion is to visite and relieve the fatherlesse and widowes and immaculatum se servare to keepe himselfe unspotted m Iam. 1.27 True charity is a fruit of Repentance and is an approbation or tryal of our faith Quest 25 Who sinne against this rule First those who give almes è malè partis of evil Answ 1 gotten goods Honour God with thy substance got by thy just labours saith Salomon not by thy injustice or Usury or oppression or lying or fraud Answ 2 Secondly those who give malo animo out of an evill mind that is either out of hypocrisie that they may be seene and praised Mat 6.2 c. of men now this is not acceptable unto God as the Father said Ingrata Deo non quae videtur sed quae fit ideò ut videatur The Lord never is pleased with those almes which are therefore done that men may see them but with those that although men see them yet proceed from a mind truely mercifull and charitable n Chrysos s Answ 3 Thirdly they doe not give piè holily that live impiè ungodly many are bountifull unto the poore but wicked in their lives wherefore their almes is not gratfull unto God Qui egenti dat animam non custodit Rem tribuit Deo Se peccato o Greg. mor. 19. He that gives food to the poore but hunger-starves his owne poore soule gives his substance to God and himselfe to sinne And therefore he that desires to have his almes accepted must first indeavor to have his life purged Thus much may suffice for the first part of this verse wherein we have shewed who are blessed the mercifull what mercy it is that shall be rewarded with blessednesse and the division therof I come now unto the second part For they shall obtaine mercy There are two things here considerable 1. Illatio the Inference 2. Positio vel Ratio First the Inference is implyed in this word Nam For as if our Saviour would say those that obtaine mercy at Gods hands are blessed but these men who are mercifull shall obtaine mercy at Gods hands therefore they are blessed Obser 2 It is worth our observation that Christ saith not the mercifull men are blessed because they have deserved the love or Kingdome of God or have merited Heaven and happinesse but because habebunt misericordiam they shall have or obtaine grace and mercy from God Quest 26 Doth not Blessednesse proceed from our merits No but from the meere mercy of God Answ Saint Paul disputes this question Rom. 4.5.6 c. from Psal 32.1 c. and concludes that blessednesse proceedes not of debt but of grace So Zacharias being filled with the Holy Ghost prophecieth thus of his sonne Iohn Baptist that he was sent to give knowledge of salvation unto his people by the remission of their sinnes through the tender mercy of our God p Luke 1.67.77.78 Where most evidently we see that remission of sinnes and eternall salvation doe flow unto us not from our merits but Gods tender mercies Why may we not be made happy and blessed Quest 27 by our owne workes and deserts First because all our strength is but weaknesse Answ 1 Secondly because it is the Lord that workes Answ 2 in us whatsoever is good He converts us Lam. 5.21 of his owne good will he regenerates us Iam. 1.18 he gives both posse and velle
power to will and doe what is good Phil. 2.13 And therefore he is said to have mercy upon us Rom. 11.32 Thirdly the Lord having converted regenerated Answ 3 and justified us then onely are we able to bring forth good workes When once Christ hath redeemed us then by Christ wee are enabled to serve God in righteousnesse and true holinesse q Luke 1.75 but not untill then When the Lord infuseth grace in our hearts then are we by his grace enabled to deny all ungodlinesse and worldly lusts and to serve him all our dayes r Tit. 2.11 And from this ground it is that the Apostle Saint Paul doth so stiffely deny justification by workes Rom. 3.20 c. unto vers 28. and 2. Tim. 1.9 and Titus 3.5 c. holding them like two incompatible qualities that cannot stand together Rom. 11.6 Are all good workes like an unnecessary garment Quest 28 to be layd aside We doe not deny Opera but Operum merita wee finde no fault with good workes Answ but onely blame the merit that Papists put into them Why may wee not ascribe some merit unto our workes Quest 29 Because this were to arrogate unto our selves both against Christ precept and Pauls president Answ our Saviour commandeth us when wee have done all wee can to say we are but unprofitable servants and therefore have deserved nothing ſ Luk. 17.10 S. Paul is so afrayd to ascribe any thing unto himselfe that he desires when his hand is to bee held up at the barre of Gods Tribunall at the last day he may bee found not having his owne righteousnesse of workes but that which is through the faith of Christ the righteousnesse which is of God by faith t Phil. 3.9 And thus much for the inference The second particle of the second part of this verse is the Position or Reason why the mercifull are blessed because Misericordiam habebunt they shall obtaine mercie Shall everie true mercifull man finde Mercie Quest 31 Certes no truly mercifull man shall lose his reward Answ for such an one doth good to his owne soule Prov. 11.17 And therefore hee is happy Prov. 14.21 and he shall be blessed Prov. 22.9 Quest 32 Why is this mercy and blessednesse promised unto the mercifull man Answ 1 First because he honours God as Salomon hath it he that hath mercy on the poore honours his maker Prov. 14.31 and therefore God will honour him as hee said unto Samuel concerning Eli. Secondly because herein he imitates God Answ 2 and shewes himselfe to be a child of God he being mercifull yea the Father of mercies Psal 103.8.9.13 and 145.8.9 And therefore let the certainty of the reward be a meanes to induce us to be mercifull Quest 33 What reward shall be given to him that is truely mercifull Answ Saint Luke Chap. 6. vers 38. saith there shall be given unto him good measure pressed downe shaken together and running over from whence Stapleton observes foure degrees of this reward viz. First there shall be given him good measure In temporalibus pressed downe in naturalibus shaken together in spiritualibus and running over in aeternis Particularly First there are but three sorts of Rewards Temporall Spirituall and Eternall wherefore I will comprehend all the blessings promised unto the mercifull man under one of these beginning with the first to wit temporall blessings for he that gives to the poore a Prov. 19.17 lends to the Lord b Quest. 34 What temporall blessings is the mercifull man promised to enjoy Answ 1 First all shall blesse him and on the contrary the unmercifull man shall be cursed thus saith Salomon Hee that withholdeth corne the people shall curse him but blessing shall be upon the head of him that selleth it b Pro. 11.26 If he that selleth unto the poore be blessed then much more he that giveth on the other side if he be cursed that denies to sell so is also he that refuses to give in the time of need but elswhere the Kingly Preacher hath it more plainely in these words hee that hideth his eyes from the poore shall have many a curse c Pro. 28.27 Indeed sometimes the curse of the poore is vaine and idle because it is pronounced sine causà without just cause but when it is provoked by the cruelty or coveteousnesse of men it is then most powerfull and prevalent and doth pierce the clouds and on the contrary blessed is he whom the soule of the poore man blesseth and therefore by mercy and charity we should procure their prayers Answ 2 Secondly he shall be freed and delivered from his miseries and dangers and that one of these two wayes First it may be the Lord himselfe will deliver thee as David saith Blessed is he that considereth the poore the Lord will deliver him in the time of trouble d Ps 42.1 we have examples hereof 1. in Rahab who was saved from destruction with all her houshold for her mercy and hospitality extended unto the Spies Josh 2.12 and 6.23.2 in Ebed-melech the Ethiopian who was delivered for his compassion shewed unto Ieremy f 3. in a Citizen of Antioch e Jer. 39.16.17 whose History is this Under the the Emperour Mauritius the City of Antioch was shaken with a terrible Earth-quake after this manner There was a certaine Citizen so given to bountifulnsse to the poore that he would neither sup nor dine unlesse he had one poore man to be with him at his table Upon a certaine evening seeking for such a guest and finding none a grave old man met him in the market place cloathed in white with two companions with him whō he intreated to sup with him but the old man answered that he had more need to pray against the destruction of the City and presently shooke his Hand-kerchiefe against one part of the City and then against another and being hardly entreated forbore the rest Which he had no sooner done but those two parts of the City terribly shaken with an Earth-quake were throwne to the ground and thousands of men slaine Which this good Citizen seeing trembled exceedingly to whom the old man in white answered and said by reason of thy charity to the poore thy selfe house and family are preserved f D Beard Theater of Gods Judgements f. 587. Thus sometimes the Lord himselfe extraordinarily delivers those that are mercifull Secondly sometimes the Lord excites and stirres up the enemies of mercifull men unto mercy as the Psalmist saith He made them also to bee pitied of all those that carried them captives g Ps 106.46 2 Chro. 30.9 Thirdly he that gives to others to him it shall be given that is First he shall not want thus saith the wise man Hee that giveth unto the Answ 3 poore shall not lacke Prov. 28.27 And Saint Paul confirmes it positively in these words Hee that ministreth seed to the sower will minister bread for your food if ye be mercifull 2 Cor.
7.56 And Paul 2 Cor. 12. First all these were pure in heart Secondly this was miraculous and extra ordinary Answ 1 and temporall but the beatificall vision Answ 2 in heaven shall be ordinarie and perpetuall and the pure in heart shall see God continually and eternally Thirdly this sight of God which these had Answ 3 on earth was imperfect Abraham saw God like a man Gen. 18. Ezechiel saw him imperperfectly and Moses saw not Gods face Exod. 33. But the pure in heart in heaven shall see God perfectly and not in part they shall see him face to face as they are seene and not darkely or through a glasse r 1 Cor. 13 10 11 12. But hath not this promise place in this life doe not the pure in heart see God at all on earth Quest 3 but onely in heaven This promise hath place both in this life in the life to come Answ the pure in heart see God both on earth in heaven but after a divers manner Here then observe that there is a manifold vision of God The Uision and sight of God is either in the life Present and that either First Intelligendo by understanding either the Or Nature and person of God but as hee is simple Observ who thinkes a little shell can containe all the water in the sea so is hee who thinkes the shallow shell of mans braine can comprehend in this life the nature and person of God perfectly yet by speculation and contemplation and a serious studie of the Scriptures together with the intent consideration of the Attributes of God the pure in heart may understand something The will and word of God Secondly Videndo by seeing some representations of him as those holy men did whereof wee spake before quest 2. Thirdly sentiendo by perceiving either the Mercy of God which is called his face Thus Aaron was to blesse the people The Lord make his face to shine upon thee that is shew mercy unto thee t Numb 6.25 so Psalme 13.1.44.14 and 80.7 Thus Moses by faith saw him who is invisible u Heb. 11.27 and feared not the wrath of the King of Egypt because he was sensible of Gods mercy Peace of God which passeth all expression x Philip. 4.7 or by rasting how sweete and good the Lords is Psal 34.8 To come and that is two fold to wit either Corporeall with the bodily eye which is impossible Or Spirituall with the eye of the soule which is the knowledge of the nature of God and is either Perfect in regard of our capacitie apprehension as every vessell throwne into the sea shall be filled Absolute and thus onely God can comprehend what God is In this life the pure in heart see God by understanding his will the meaning therefore of this verse may bee this Blessed are the pure in heart for they shall see God that is the pure in heart and minde shall see the will and truth and Obser 1 majestie of God shining in his word or purity of heart doth helpe us unto the true understanding of the word of God Be renewed sayth the Apostle in your mindes that you may prove what that good and perfect and acceptable will of God is y Rom. 12. Ephes 5.8.10 And therefore we should purge our hearts from all pollutions that so wee might bee able to understand what is acceptable unto the Lord. Object As for the true corporall sight of God which I sayd was impossible it is objected The eyes of a glorified body in heaven differ much from the eyes of a corrupt and earthly body and therefore our bodies being glorified wee may truely and corporally see God Answ God hath no corporall but a spirituall substance and therefore is onely perspicuous unto the eye of the soule and not at all obvious to the eyes of the body although they bee glorified In the life to come the pure in heart shall see God with a spirituall sight that is although the Creature cannot absolutely comprehend the Creator yet hee may with a certaine degree of perfection Quest 4 What benefit shall we reap by this vision and sight of God that our Saviour pronounceth him blessed that shall enjoy it Answ 1 First we shall enjoy many things in Heaven by vertue of this sight which here I forbeare to enlarge we shall there have health beautie and agilitie of body wee shall also have light without darknesse joy without sorrow desire without paine love without hatred or discontent fulnesse of joy without any loathing life without death health without sicknesse peace without warre or the least disturbance a Greg. s Psalm paenitentiales Secondly this beatificall vision none can perfectly define nor fully describe but yet some things wee may conjecture at as for example First wee shall know the immense Deitie the simplest in heaven shall farre exceed in wisedome and the knowledge of God the wisest upon earth Secondly wee shall have Angels Prophets Apostles Martyrs Patriarches and all the blessed Saints to bee our Companions Thirdly wee shall there have true solid and ineffable joy wherein wee shall delight and with which our soules shall be satisfied Fourthly wee shall have a new and continued desire after this joy for our desire shall be without any lacke and our fulnesse without any dislike Fiftly God himselfe will be all in all unto us And therefore let us give our selves unto puritie in this life that we may be assured of protection grace and peace of conscience here and of immortalitie and felicitie for ever hereafter VERS 9. Blessed are the Peace-makers for they shall be called the children of God Vers 9 § 1. Blessed are the Peace-makers Who Sect. 1 are Peace-makers Quest 1 First some expound this of the reconciling of brethren that is both those who reconcile them that jarre and those who are reconciled Answ 1 unto them whom they have offended Chrysost sup Op. imperf Secondly some expound this of those who Answ 2 are good and peaceable in themselves Vis cognoscere quis pacificus andi Psalm 34.14 Cave à malo sequere pacem August de Serm. Dom. Wouldst thou know who is a Peace-maker listen then unto the Psalmist and hee will tell thee that it is hee who eschewes evill and followes after peace Thirdly some understand it of those who Answ 3 are slow to anger but ready to forgive and pardon Obliti eorum quibus offendi possunt in fratrum charitate viventes Hilarius that is hee is a peace-maker who lives in love and charitie with his brethren passing by and forgetting those injuries which are offered unto him Fourthly some expound it of those who Answ 4 labour to subdue and subject all rebellious motions to the obedience of the Spirit who first labour for peace in themselves and then make peace amongst others Quid enim prodest alios pacare dum intus bella vitiorum Hierom. sup What benefit is it to make peace amongst others while
part of the Church which is triumphant is lively portraied Revel 21.18 ad vers 25. but that beauty which is in the Militant Church is especially internall and spirituall not externall and corporall according to that of the Psalmist The Kings daughter is all glorious within r Psal 45.13 And therefore if we desire to be assured that we are members of the Church militant and shall be of the triumphant let us then learne I. to be subject to the lawfull and decent rites of the Church II. To be obedient to the Lawes of God and behests of Christ III. To love to agree and accord one with another in brotherly and christian-like love And IV. to endevour that we may be pure and unspotted in the hidden man of the heart Quest 4 Secondly having thus considered of the Citie set upon a hill let us now proceed to the Hill upon which this City stands And first hence it may be demanded what this Hill or Mountaine is Answ 1 First some hereby understand heaven Who shall dwell ô Lord saith David upon thy holy hill Psal 15.1 and 24.3 Hee that beleeves shall possesse thy holy hill Esa 57.13 But the word is not thus taken in this place Answ 2 Secondly some understand righteousnesse and thus Augustine sup Answ 3 Thirdly some understand Christ Chrysost imperf alluding unto Sion which is called the holy Mount Obser Psal 2.6 and 43.3 Teaching us that we are founded onely upon Christ who is the true corner stone Ephhes 2.20 21 22. the head beginning and first-borne of the faithfull Coloss 1.18 yea our alone Saviour Acts 4.12 And therefore we may not seeke helpe from any other Quest 5 May we not pray unto the Saints for succour in our distresses Answ No because he unto whom we pray or from whom we expect any blessing ought to have these three properties which are proper onely unto God and not communicable unto any other First he must have Scientiaminopiae a knowledge of our wants and necessities The Papists dispute that the Saints know our wants in speculo Trinitatis seeing them in the face of God as in a glasse But 1. this glasse is but a foolish fiction and braine-sicke phansie of their owne and it is false at the least doubtfull whether the Saints know any of our particular griefes or not 2. It is necessary that they should heare all at one time who pray unto them Yea 3. understand the hearts and hearty desires of all in distresse but these are peculiar unto God as shall be shewed Math. 6.9 Secondly hee must have Potentiam juvandi power and ability to helpe that is be able 1. to give all good things unto us which we want 2. To preserve us from all dangers we are incident unto 3. To overcome Satan our deadly enemie 4. To direct all things that befall us unto our good Now the Saints cannot give all things unto us for they are but creatures and this is proper to the Creator and Lord of all things in heaven and earth When a Papist prayes to any Saint in heaven for any blessing if that Saint should heare his prayer I perswade my selfe he would answer as Christ did to the Mother of Zebedees children who desired that one of her sonnes should sit upon his right hand and the other on his left That it was not his to give but it should be given to them for whom it was prepared of his Father u Mat. 22.23 prosperity promotion preferment and the like being ordered and disposed by him Againe the Saints cannot deliver from danger This Eliphas the Temanite knew right well when he said To which of the Saints wilt thou turne v Job 5.1 But if wee call upon the Lord he can deliver us Psal 50.15 Againe the Saints cannot enable us to overcome Satan for this power is derived unto us from God who being stronger than he can take away his armour wherein hee trusts and his captives whom he possesses binding him in chaines and setting them at liberty Lastly the Saints cannot order and dispose of all our actions to our good because they doe not know what may come to passe w Eccles 8.7 Omnia in futurum reservantur incerta But the Lord calls those things which are not as though they were knowing things to come as well as present or by-passed and hath promised by his speciall providence so to dispose of all the actions of his children that all things shall worke together for the best unto them x Rom. 8.18 And therefore we must pray to no other Thirdly hee must love us cordially having Voluntatem juvandi as well a will to helpe us as power and ability to assist us Now none hath equalled the Lords love unto us for that was infinite y Joh. 3.16 1 Joh. 4.16 And thus much for the third exposition of the word Hill Fourthly some more generally understand Answ 4 by this word Mountaine and Hill onely a more glorious and conspicuous estate of the Church And thus the name of a Mountaine is given to the Church it selfe Yee are they that forsake the Lord and forget my holy Mountaine z Esa 65.11 that is the Church How and wherein is the Church of God like Quest 4 unto a City set upon a Mountaine First it is more conspicuous and in that regard Answ 1 more prone and subject to be assaulted by enemies because they can see it from farre but this followes in the next § it cannot be hid Secondly it is defended with Towers Walls Answ 2 Gates Rockes Now the Ministers of the Word of God are all these as appeares in Ieremiah Behold saith the Lord I have made thee this day a defenced City and an iron pillar and brazen walls against the whole land against the Kings Princes Priests and people a Jer. 1.18 As the wall repelles and beates backe the darts and keepes out the enemies so in like manner doe the Ministers they oppose themselves against sinne and boldly reprove sinne not fearing the favour or frowne of any Christ calls Herod Fox Elias reproves Ahab telling him that it was hee and his Fathers house who had troubled Israel Thirdly a City built on a Hill hath watch-towers Answ 3 as we see Ezekiel 3.17 Sonne of men I have made thee a watch-man unto the house of Israel and therefore give them warning And the Ministers of the new Testament are made overseers Acts 20.28 and Heb. 13.17 And therfore they are no faithful Ministers who do not admonish their people of danger in warre if he sleepe who is appointed to stand centinel and to watch for the safeguard of the army hee is hanged by Marshall law Wherefore Preachers who are the Watch-men of this city the Church had need to bee vigilant lest they incurre the Lords displeasure against them to cut them off for their negligence and remisnesse Answ 4 Fourthly such cities as are founded upon Mountaines are most safe and
well as themselves Quest 3 Whether under this title father is onely the first person of the blessed Trinitie supplicated Answ 1 First although Christ here teacheth us to pray our father yet we are not hereby prohibited to supplicate either God the Sonne or Holy Ghost for we may pray unto any of them this word father being taken in Scripture two manner of wayes Namely Personally as it is distinguished from Sonne and Holy Ghost but not so here Mat. 20.19 Essentially as it doth distinguish God from man and so it is here taken to teach us that wee must pray unto none but unto God as followes by and by Answ 2 Secondly Christ is also called a Father Vnto us a sonne is given who shall be called the everlasting Father Esa 9.6 And therefore the Lord Christ is here included Answ 3 Thirdly the Holy Ghost is called by the Apostle the Father of lights Jam 1.17 and therefore this title Father doth not exclude the other persons of the blessed Trinity Fourthly it is our duty to supplicate and invocate Answ 4 all the three persons I. We petition God the Father for what wee stand in need of because he is the Author of every good thing which we enjoy Iam. 1.17 II. Wee supplicate God the Father in the Name and mediation of God the Sonne who is the alone Mediator betweene God and man hee onely laying flat the partition wall k Iohn 16. Act. 4.12 III. We implore the Throne of Majesty in the Name and Mediation of Christ to be pleased to impart spirituall graces and gifts unto us by the administration of the blessed Spirit and therefore this title Father includes not excludes the rest Why call we God Father Quest 4 First that we may acknowledge our selves Answ 1 to be his children and that in a foure-fold regard I. By Creation because he made and framed us Luk. 3.38 II. By Protection because it is he that takes care to defend us from all those dangers we are incident to fall into III. By Redemption because hee hath ransomed us by Christ from the captivitie of Satan IV. By Sanctification because it is the Lord that by his Spirit doth regenerate and sanctifie us l 1 Cor. 6.10 11. And therefore deservedly we call him Father in these regards although in no regard we have deserved to be called or made his children Secondly we are taught to call God Father Answ 2 that thus the prayers of the faithfull may be distinguished from the prayers of unbeleevers For First the godly regard no other father in regard of this Father Secondly the wicked they have God to be their Lord but not their Father he is Lord over them and rules over them but they deny unto him that love reverence and obedience which a childe ought to give unto his Father Thirdly we are taught to call God father to Answ 3 excite and stirre up in us a filiall reverence of him Psal 2.9 10. Fourthly we call God father to corroborate Answ 4 and strengthen our assurance of being heard Because We are present before And We make our wants knowne unto a Father who loves his children more dearely then any naturall parent doth his childe for his love unto them is infinite sempiternall yea eternall m Luk. 12.30 31. This Verse is a strong argument against the popish invocation of Saints our Saviour not sending us unto any creatures but unto God himselfe Pray thus Our father Why must we pray unto the Lord in all our Quest 5 necessities and not at all to the blessed Saints who love truly all that are good or belong unto God First because prayers to Saints are no where Answ 1 commanded and therefore it will be but will-worship to pray unto them Answ 2 Secondly because the Scriptures doe directly prohibit and condemne it Iudg. 13.16 Acts 10 26. Apoc. 19.10 and 22.10 Answ 3 Thirdly because we are punctually commanded to call upon God onely and alwayes Psal 50.15 Call upon me in the time of thy trouble so Ioel 2.13 and Act. 2.21 Answ 4 Fourthly because God afflicts us and brings us into straights for this end that he might draw us unto himselfe and not drive us from him unto others as wee see Exod. 3. and Psal 107. They cry and pray in their distresse not unto the Patriarches but unto their God Answ 5 Fifthly because invocation is a part of the worship and service of God and therefore it belongs onely unto him Ioel 2.13 14. and Matth. 4.10 Answ 6 Sixthly because prayer ought to be in faith Rom. 10.14 Now we must not beleeve in the Saints but onely in God In our Creed we doe not say Credo in ecclesiam sed Credo in Deum I beleeve in the Church but I beleeve in God Seventhly because we cannot say to the Saints Answ 7 Our father and therefore this prayer cannot bee said unto them neither any prayer according to this forme because as was said before wee are obliged negatively unto this see before Question 7. and Booke of Martyrs pag. 1274. Eighthly the last but not the least answer is taken from the nature of him unto whom wee ought to pray Here then observe he that wee Answ 8 ought to pray unto should be 1. Lubens willing to helpe us 2. Sciens one that knowes our necessities 3. Potens able to save First he whom we must pray unto ought to be lubens willing to helpe but there is none like unto the Lord in mercy hee being the Father of mercies And therefore he onely is to be invocated Secondly hee ought to be scienâ— one that knowes more then we our selves For I. He should know Genus morbi the kinde of the disease what our malady is the Physician and Lawyer can better understand our estates then we our selves and those that cannot are unfit and unable to helpe us II. He should know apta remedia what the best meanes are for the curing of our griefes lest otherwise they should give a stone instead of bread and hurt rather than helpe Sometimes we aske that which is hurtfull for us and therefore he unto whom wee should pray ought to know both what we are and what may be truly good for us for the time to come And these things the Lord knows better then all the Saints and Angels together Thirdly he should bee Potens able both To heare and that 4. manner of wayes namely First from Heaven unto earth this the Papists say the Saints can doe in a glasse that is the face of God but this is false as shall bee elsewhere proved Secondly to understand all languages and tongues wherein men pray this the Papists thinke the Saints doe and it may be so therefore I question it no further Thirdly to heare the sighes and see the hearts of all and this is necessary in a double respect to wit I. That they may be able to understand those who pray in the Spirit without a voyce or words Rom.
8.26 II. That they may be able to distinguish between those who pray spiritually and those who pray hypocritically Many seeme to pray with much fervencie and therefore it is requisite that he that is supplicated should not onely heare the words which are uttered but also see the heart from whence they come Now to ascribe this unto Saints were to attribute Omnipotencie unto them which is peculiar unto God Fourthly Simul semel they should be able to heare all suites and suiters at once in all the parts of the world this also is proper unto the the Lord and cannot be communicated unto any other without a great indignity offered to his sacred Majestie For this is the difference betweene the Creator and the creature He knowes all things in instanti we know what we know successivè To helpe relieve and satisfie all our wants and desires which onely the Lord doth Reade Esa 43.11 and 45.21 and 46.5 Obiect 1 Against this last question the Papists object divers things namely First the Saints pray for us therefore wee may pray unto them Answ 1 First whether the Saints pray for us or no I dispute not because I am perswaded they pray for us in generall and as farre as they know And therefore I omit the Antecedent Answ 2 Secondly the argument is sicke of a non sequitur they pray for us therefore we may pray unto them followes not For I. We pray for our brethren therefore by this Argument they may pray unto us II. Poore men pray for Kings therefore Kings may pray unto poore men III. The Papists pray for the godly deceased therefore by this Argument the deceased Saints should pray unto the Papists which is grossely absurd IV. The Papists pray for the Pope therefore he ought to pray unto them Secondly wee stand in need of a Mediatour Obiect 2 unto the King therefore much more unto God Answ 1 First it is most true that wee have offended the Lord of Glory and by our transgressions provoked him unto anger wherefore we stand in need of a Mediatour unto him Answ 2 Secondly wee have a Mediatour which is Christ 1 Iohn 2.12 And therefore it is an injury offered unto the office of Christ to have any other Answ 3 Thirdly non est par ratio the simile or comparison holds not as thus plainely appeares I. A King cannot remember all things cannot know all his subjects cannot heare all suiters cannot particularly love all faithfull subjects because he neither knowes all nor knowes the hearts of any But God remembers all things knowes all men can heare all petitioners at once knowes the hearts of all and particularly knowes all his subjects and faithfull servants knowing them all by name II. We cannot have accesse unto the King at all times but we may unto God III. Wee are strangers unto the King but if we be the children of God then God is our Father and Christ is our Husband The Queene needs no Mediatour unto the King nor the son unto the Father And therefore if wee belong unto the Lord there is no need of any other Intercessour but Christ Ans 4 Fourthly if the King shall command mee to come boldly and immediately unto him whensoever I will and for whatsoever I desire and strictly chargeth me to use no Mediatour unto him as though I did distrust of his love then there were no neede of a Mediatour unto him yea I should disobey and displease him if I made use of any This is our case God commands us to call upon him onely and forbids us to pray unto any other as is proved plainely in the foregoing question and therefore wee sinne against him if we invocate the Saints either for mediation or intercession Object 3 Thirdly they object that it is lawfull to pray unto the Saints from experience thus Many repairing unto the shrines of the Saints and there praying unto them have beene cured of divers maladies which plainely proves that God heard the Saints in their behalfe Answ 1 First certainely there are many lies scattered abroad in in this kinde whereof their learned Papists are ashamed and will not report them as truthes but call them piaefrandes and pia mendacia because good use may be made of them as Fables may be moralized yea confessing many to be apparently false and many at the best to be suspected I referre him who makes question of this to that ingenuous Jesuite Melchior Canus o Pa. 333 334. Secondly miracles are not promised to beleevers Answ 2 but infidels 1 Cor. 14. Ecclesijs plantandis non plantatis for the setling of Churches not for setled Churches where the Gospell is about to be planted not where it is already planted And therefore these miracles they so much brag of doe rather prove them to be infidels and as yet no true Church then any thing else for to a Church so many hundred years setled as they would make us beleeve theirs hath beene there is neither need nor promise of miracles Thirdly in times past there were miracles Answ 3 wrought among the heathen were their Idols therefore true Gods Satan can transforme himselfe into an Angel of light and the Lord permitting can doe rare and wonderfull things Here they will object among the heathen the Obiect 4 Divell was invocated and prayed unto who is the father of lies Ioh. 8.44 but they call upon the Saints who will not deceive them Certainely the Saints will not but Satan can Answ Neither amongst the heathen was the divell prayed unto plainely qua talis but as an Angell of light 2 Cor. 11.14 And so at this day amongst us and them there are some who will cure horses and hogges by good prayers altogether ignorant that the poore creatures are helped by the divels meanes If any deny this let them shew why their prayers are better and more prevalent for this purpose then the prayers of other of Gods children And therefore the Papists had need well to consider this lest that Satan not the Saints cure their maladies deluding and deceiving them as a just judgement of God upon them for their incredulity and disobedience unto his word p 2 Thes 2 10 11. Fourthly we say and conclude therefore Miracles Answ 4 are to be judged by the doctrine not the doctrine by the Miracles there were those who did foretell things to come and yet God forbids the people to believe them if they teach or perswade that which is contrary unto the word q Deu. 13.1 c. Yea there shall bee false miracles in the false Church r 2 Thes 2.9.11 Wherefore the Papists must either prove invocation of Saints by Scripture or not at all for miracles against the Scripture are not to be believed ſ 2 Pet. 1.19 20. What benefits doe we receive from God that we are taught onely to pray unto him Quest 6 If he be our Father then First Answ hee will free us from all evill Secondly hee will
he would be graciously pleased to be present with us to stand by us and to assist us in the houre of temptation rebuking restraining and expelling sathan yea so supplying us with strength of grace that wee may not be overcome of sathan or sinne but may overcome them and endure couragiously the brunt of the combate Answ 3 Thirdly seeing that naturally wee are secure unprovided for an assault drowsie in temptation not weighing and thorowly pondering the sleights and enticements of the Tempter together with his strength and our manifold weaknesses neither seriously considering the danger of temptation we therefore pray unto our God that hee would awake us from the sleepe of securitie and make us watchfull arming us also with the whole armour of a Christian giving us wisedome and fortitude that so we may rightly withstand temptation Answ 4 Fourthly we desire here also that the Lord would give unto us patience consolation and hope that we may bee enabled to indure and patiently beare whatsoever temptation the Lord shall lay upon us and as long as he shall please to exercise us there with And that his grace in the meane time may be sufficient for us Answ 5 Fifthly we desire that when we are so assaulted and insnared by temptation that we neither know what will be the end of it nor how to escape out of it that the Lord would so dispose of it that we may be able to sustaine and endure it and that he would put such an end unto it as may be for his glory and our good Answ 6 Sixthly because the Lord knowes wee have but small strength and power we therefore desire that Christ would preserve us from the perillous and pernitious houre of temptation Apoc. 3.3 Seventhly we desire that in temptation God Answ 7 would keepe us from the presumption of Peter and from the desperation of Saul Eighthly we intreate the Lord not to punish one sin with another by permitting us to be led Answ 8 for some former rebellion into some dangerous temptation as he permitted David to number the people 2 Sam. 24.1 Or by giving us over to our owne hearts lusts Psal 81.3 Or by giveing us over to a reprobate sense Rom. 1.28 or to worke wickednesse and that with greedinesse Ephes 4.18 Chemnit harmon Chap. 51. pag. 621. What is meant by temptation Quest 2 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to tempt Answ hath these three principall significations namely First properly it signifies to try prove or make triall of Hence Secondly it is taken for the triall or probation of God when he proves our patience faith and obedience as was shewed before Chapter 4. Thirdly it is taken for the tentation of sathan when hee tries whether he can deceive and seduce us or not What is the meaning of this word leade Quest 3 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it is not to constraine Answ or compell to sinne but to deliver us up to the will of sathan to be seduced and deceived or wee pray that God would not give us into the hands and power of the tempter or temptation Here then foure things offer themselves to be considered of viz. First that it were needlesse to pray against temptation except there were both feare and danger of it Secondly that except wee move God by our prayers wee are in danger to be led into temptation Thirdly that seeing prayer is to be offered up in faith we may therefore hope that this request shall be granted Fourthly that the devill hath many waies to deceive us when God leaves us in his power Fifthly Christ teacheth nothing in vaine unto us Obser 1 but now except we were daily in feare of temptation it were needlesse to pray against it And therefore wee may hence learne that our life is miserable and full of temptation our life is a warfare we are souldiers and sathan is the enemie which fights against us Reade these places Iob 7.1 and 1 Pet. 5.8 and 2 Cor. 7.5 and 1 Tim. 1.18 and 2 Tim. 4.7 and 2.3.4 and Heb. 10.32 Iam. 4.1 and 1 Pet. 2.11 Why is our life so full of temptations Quest 4 First because wee must not bee received into Answ 1 glory untill we have beene proved and tryed Secondly because wee must not be crowned Answ 2 with a reward untill wee have laboured and wrought Thirdly because afflictions and temptations Answ 3 quicken our desires after heaven there being there neither temptation nor tribulation Fourthly because those who are not tempted Answ 4 are bastards and not sonnes Heb. 12.8 Secondly by our Saviours teaching us here to pray against temptation it appeares that God himselfe except he be moved and perswaded by our supplications doth sometimes leade into temptation Doth God tempt any Doth not Saint Iames Quest 4 say flatly let not any man when he is tempted say he is tempted of God for God tempts no man James 1.14 Ans 1 First some distinguish here between good temptations and evill saying I. Good comes from God thus Abraham was tempted Gen. 22.1 Israel and Exod. 15.25 and 16.4 II. Evill temptations come from sathan But First wee pray not against good temptations but evill the former being not onely allowed but also requested Tenta me prove me saith David Psal 26.2 Secondly yea God sometimes permits evill Temptations for tryall thus he tryed Israel by false Prophets t Deut. 13.3 and thus hee tryed Hezekiah 2 Chron. 32.31 Ans 2 Secondly some distinguish here of the end saying sathan tempts that we may be destroyed the flesh tempts that we might sinne God tempts that he might try us Vrsians But this doth not fully satifie the question concerning the Actor or Authour of temptation Thirdly some distinguish between the actiō Ans 3 permission God hath a hand in the act of tempting for the action is from God in as much as it is an action not in asmuch as it is sinne u Camara pag. 71. Deus agit materiale peccati non formale c. God is the author of the action but not of the obliquitie of the action Camara ibid. Fourthly some distinguish here of tempting Ans 4 immediately and by meanes and this is true but it holds not universally Ans 5 Fifthly God works in his actions two manner of waies viz. First generally and that both By directing them unto a good end Thus all things worke together for the best Rom. 8.28 Moving them in the beginning For in him we live moove v Act. 17.28 and have our beeing Secondly particularly and that either by Exciting the meanes thus God moves the Angels and good men by quickning and enclining the will Permitting the meanes and thus he permitted Ahab to be tempted 1 King 22.21 and Iob 1.9 and 2.4 Therefore to conclude God tempts these waies I. By moving and causing the action in as much as it is an action II By regulating disposing of it to a good end to wit to his glory though it bee the death and
the world III. The impediments lets of the world And IV. Our own corrupt affections Why must we love the Lord First because all good things are prepared Quest 3 for those that love him eye hath not seene nor Answ 1 eare heard nor have entred into the heart of man the things which God hath prepared for them that love him 1. Cor. 2.9 Read also Ephes 6.24 2. Timoth. 4 8. Iames. 1.12 Secondly because it is a shame for Christians to love the world and not to love God Larkes Answ 2 that soare aloft in the ayre build their neasts in the earth but the children of men should not doe so The wood Pecker is called in Greeke 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for her beauty feathers of divers colours but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 q Arist she builds her neast in the earth so there are many men of rare parts otherwise who spoile all by groveling upon the earth setting themselves wholy to gather the thick clay of this world together Now it is a great shame for those who would bee helde the children of God and members of Christ to love any created temporall thing more then God Answ 3 Thirdly if wee looke upon God wee shall finde that there is great cause to love him and that in many respects namely I. In regard of his Law and that First because hee commands us in his Law to love him Secondly because his Commandements are just holy and equall II. In regard of his relation unto us because he is our Father Master and King therefore we should love him III. In regard of his liberality and mercifull bounty unto us extended both in our creation as also in providing for us what is good in protecting us from all evill in bestowing spirituall mercies and meanes upon us yea in giveing of Christ for us And therefore wee shouâ—d love him IV. If wee respect the essence and nature of God we shall see therein great cause to love him and that First in regard of himselfe because hee is invisible immutable incomprehensible immortall the most high and blessed Lord God Secondly in regard of our selves because he it the object of the soule and there is nothing that can give rest to the soule but God The heart of man is like the needle of the Compasse that trembleth untill it come to the Pole The soule of a wicked man is in a sling r 1 Sam. 25.92 Now that which is in a sling is violently tossed about and so is the soule when it is not upon the proper object David said Libbi schharchar my heart was troubled Psalme 38.10 Sohhâ—r is called a Merchant which goes to and fro to sell his wares to shew how the heart of man is troubled about sundry things yea further the letters here are doubled to signifie the great care and trouble that David had when hee sought after these things as the Merchant seeketh for his gaine When the rich man said in the Gospell Soule take thy rest for now thou hast much goods laid up for many yeares Luke 12.19 Hee put the soule then from the right object But when David said Returne my soule to thy rest Psalme 116.7 Then he set his soule upon the right object As light is the first object of the eye and not the light of the Sun or Candle So God is the first object of the soule but not this or that way revealed by his creatures or by his word And therefore hee ought to bee loved for himselfe Quest 4 By what meanes may we be inflamed with the love of God Answ 1 First labour to feele the sweetnesse of God labour to know how good and gracious the Lord is All men desire that which they judge to be principally and chiefely good for them And therefore if wee could but once tast or conceive how sweet and good the Lord is it would make us to love him A man comes to this knowledge partly by the hearing of the Word of God and partly by meditating of the great and gracious workes of God but principally by Faith in Christ Secondly pray daily unto God that hee Answ 2 would so shine into thy heart by some glimpse of his holy Majesty that thou mayst become sick of love Thirdly separate thy selfe from all those Answ 3 things which may hinder thee from loving the Lord. What things let or hinder us from the love Quest 5 of God First the love of sinne Non bene conveniunt the Arke and Dagon cannot both stand in one Temple nor God and sin be in one soule And therefore labour to leave and learne to loath all sinnes whatsoever because God will not come where sinne is wittingly harboured without any opposition or reluctation Secondly the love of the world as in this Answ 2 verse and Iames. 4 4. 1. Iohn 2.15 Wherefore love not the world Thirdly the blindnesse of the judgment Answ 3 sense preferreth temporall things before spirituall And therefore labour that our understandings may bee enlightned and our judgements informed that being able to discerne between things that differ we may with Christ know to refuse the evill and chuse the good Å¿ Esa 7.15 How may we know whether we love the Quest 4 Lord or not First if wee hate sinne the world and Answ 1 worldly things and all things that are opposite or contrary unto God it is a signe that we love him Secondly if we thinke and meditate seriously Answ 2 and frequently upon our God in private it is a signe that we love him Thirdly if we have a high estimation of our Answ 3 God valuing him above all other things it is an argument of love Alexander desiring to know whether Apelles were in love with Campaspe whom hee had intended for himselfe caused his page when Apelles was in serious discourse with him to cry out Apelles Apelles looke about you your shop is one fire wherewith hee being afrighted cryed out aye mee if the Picture of Campaspe bee burnt I am undone Thus if we can say with him we are undone if we loose our God or with David that there is nothing in Heaven or earth that wee desire besides him it is a comfortable signe of love t Ps 73.25 Fourthly if our love bee perpetuall and Answ 4 constant it is a signe of true love Gasper de Magno a Knight of Millan bare a Stock-dove with a Diamant in her bill it being the nature of this Bird never to loose any thing it hath once taken thereby to inferre that he would never give over to love his Lady whose name was also Diamanthe His Motto was In aeternum For ever Thus it is not enough to love the Lord at times or for a time but if wee desire to approve our love to be faithfull and unfained we must love him above all things and that for ever and ever Sect. 4 § 4. Or he will cleave or bold to the one and forsake the other I
themselves so a man becomes not a divell incarnate at once but sinne by degrees seaseth upon him and at length wholy surpriseth him As for example from these verses I. Comes carefulnesse for the things of this world from hence II. Comes feare and doubting least wee should want and be exposed to povertie from hence III. Comes Oportet habere wee must have something to lay up for the time to come from hence IV. Omne saxum volvitur no meanes is left unsought of enriching our selves from hence V. Comes a covetous detaining and reserving of what wee have not imparting of it unto any good use from hence VI. Comes a certaine hope and trust in what wee have laid up wee begin to make an idoll of our riches saying unto gold thou art my God and unto the wedge of Gold thou art my confidence And therefore there is great reason that we should resist the least motions and beginnings of sin Quest 2 What are those small sinnes which wee must take heed of First the least circumstances of sinne wee Answ 1 must hate the garment spotted with the flesh and abstaine from all appearances of evill Secondly the occasions of sinne for otherwise Answ 2 we cannot be free from sin it selfe David by not avoyding the occasions of idlenesse and giving his eyes leave to rove was drawn unto adultery Thirdly our internall affections because Answ 3 those are the roots of all evill and therefore must be mortified § 4. Take no thought for your life what you shall Sect. 4 eat c. Why doth our Saviour condemne care about temporall things Quest First because it afflicts the heart or as Answ 1 Salomon cals it is the vexation of the spirit Eccles 1. Secondly because it hinders the fructification Answ 2 of the word thorny cares hinder hearing Matthew 13. A Philosopher going to Athens to study cast away and forsooke all his riches and possessions that his minde might bee the more free for the search of wisedom and knowledge so when men come to heare or read or meditate or pray they had neede cast away all worldly care from them otherwise they will utterly distract their minds from the duties in hand Thirdly worldly cares make us forget God Answ 3 and doe estrange the soule from God § 5. Is not the life more then meat and the body Sect. 5 then raiment Our Saviour implyes here in generall that Obser 1 the things of greatest importance are most to be looked after we must have more care of our bodyes then of our apparell of our soules then of our bodies because as the body excels raiment so doth the soule the body Wherein doth the soule excell the body or Quest 1 why is it more to bee regarded and cared for First it is better and therefore more to bee Answ 1 regarded in respect of the creation thereof for the body was created of the dust of the earth but the soule was imprinted by God and infused being created a pure and immateriall substance without sin according to his own Image Secondly the soule is better then the body Answ 2 and more to bee cared for in regard of the office thereof God created both the soule and body to serve him but principally the soule for the body with Martha is daily troubled about many things but the soule with Mary should attend wholy upon God and suffer nothing to harbour there but what is holy and pure yea the soule must love nothing but God as the wife with a conjugall love must love none besides her husband Thirdly the soule is more excellent then the Answ 3 body and therefore more to bee cared for in regard of the nature and substance thereof the body is mortall the soule immortall the body of a corporall substance the soule of a spirituall the body partly and in some sort wholy from man but the soule wholly from God the body of an earthly nature the soule of a spirituall Quest 2 Why must our care and affections be set upon the best things to wit spirituall Answ 1 First because this argues our wisedome whereas the contrary would argue us to be but foolish and childish Answ 2 Secondly because temporall things will not endure but spirituall graces will Answ 3 Thirdly because the most profitable temporall things are but meanes to preserve the body and temporall life but spirituall graces are profitable both for body and soule both here and hereafter for ever How doth it appeare that spirituall graces are Quest 3 more necessary and delightfull and profitable for us then corporall that we must thus prefer them before all temporall things Because whatsoever we desire or long for in temporall things we may finde in spirituall Answ and that after a more singular and ample manner as for example Dost thou desire First Riches Secondly Houses Thirdly an Inheritance Fourthly friends and good companions because thou art a sociable creature Fifthly Honour Sixthly Wisedome with Salomon Seventhly pleasure as Salomon once did Eightly Marriage dost thou thinke a good Wife or Husband a principall comfort Then Remember Godlinesse is great riches and the best treasure a 1 Tim. 6 6. In heaven there are many mansions b Ioh. 14.2 1 Pet. 1.4 There is an inheritance immortall prepared for those who serve God That on earth thou shalt be admitted into the society of the Saints and in heaven thou shalt have fellowship with God and Christ and the Saints and Angels c Ps 16.3 and Heb. 12.22 and 1 Ioh. 1.3 That in heaven thou shalt raigne and be endued with a kingdome d Rom. 8.17 2 Tim. 4.8 That in the word is true wisedome it being able to make us wise unto salvation e Colos 3.16 and 2 Tim. 3.16 That true solide perpetuall and eternall joy is onely to be found in the Lord Phi. 4.4 Ioh. 16.22 That the Lord will marry thee unto himselfe in righteousnesse in judgement in loving kindnesse and in mercy and betroth thee unto him in faithfulnesse f Hos 2.19 20. We may here observe our Saviours argument a majori ad minus God hath given you the greater things therefore he will give you the lesse he hath given you life therefore he will not deny food hee hath given you a body therefore Obser 2 he will not with-hold raiment Teaching us hereby That the experience we have of Gods mercies in greater things should make us more confidently hope for and expect the lesse Thus David saith He that delivered me from the Lyon and Beare will deliver me from this Philistine g 1 Sa. 17.37 As if he would say it is lesse dangerous for man to combat with man then for man to combat with a Beare or Lyon now God delivered me from the greater perill and therefore I dare trust him in the lesse Thus Saint Paul saith Hee who hath given Christ for you and unto you will withhold nothing from you Rom. 8.32 Why may we so boldly
a child is given more then he hath deserved As a father thinkes a smal punishment enough to give a child for a great offence so also he thinkes not a great reward too much to give for a little obedience Secondly to a workeman wages is given if he deserve it but to a child if he doe but indeavour to doe what his father commands although he is not able to doe it And thus the Lord doth with us giving the Kingdome of Heaven to those who labour for it though by their owne labour they are never able to procure it Thirdly although the Lord is pleased to encourage Answ 3 us to labour by promising of a reward yet the true name of Heaven is an Inheritance 1. Pet. 1.4 because that is derived from the father unto the sonne by vertue of his sonship and not for any deserts Why cannot heaven be procured without labour Quest 8 and paine First because temporall things cannot be had Answ 1 without much labour and care and toile therfore much lesse spirituall much lesse eternall Impiger extremos currit Mercator ad Indos Per mare pauperiem fugiens persaxa perignes The carefull Merchant sea and land doth trace That by that meanes wealth may flow apace Secondly because Christ doth not save us Answ 2 without our assent or comming unto him as appeares thus I. God hath given unto us faculties of the soule that by them we might glorifie him Wee differ from inanimate things by nature shall we not therefore differ from them in action they are alwaies meerely passive but we should be active God who hath given the belly for the conveighing of nourishment to the whole body hath also certainely given the soule for some end and use for he made nothing in vaine II. Certainely God workes in us but not without us Faith is a grace infused by God or an action taught imprinted by him and yet it is our minde which believes our wil which chooseth God our affections which love him Hence it is said that he drawes but whom those that are willing hee doth not dragge any by force he first bends and inclines the will and affections and then we willingly follow hence Augustine saith Non salvabit te sine te God will not save us without our selves III. The Scripture doth clearely shew this Thus Esay speaketh unto Edom If yee will inquire inquire yee returne come g Esa 21.12 so againe unto all Ho every one that hungers let him come and who is a thirst come h Esa 55.1 and Matth 11 28 and Iohn 7 37. our Saviour calleth Come unto me yea this is the end of our preaching that men might repent and turne unto God i Acts 26.20 All which shew that Christ will give grace and salvation to none without their endeavour and paines Quest 9 How is it said then that God workes in us all things Phil. 2.13 Answ 1 First certainely God first workes and then after him man Answ 2 Secondly God workes all things in us but often insensibly and the worke seemes to bee ours and is in regard of the substance of the worke onely we must confesse and acknowledge that the goodnesse of the workes proceeds from the cooperation of God Answ 3 Thirdly God doth not worke in us against the mind or faculties of the soule but in them and by them Namely First by freeing our affections from the yoake of Satan and captivity of sinne Secondly by turning our affections unto the Creator that so we may approach nearer unto him and with readnesse of heart seeke him § 2. Primo Seeke first Sect. 2 All creatures besides man goe with their bodies and eyes to the grownd-ward but man was made to goe upright and whereas all other creatures have but foure muskles to turne their eyes round about man hath a fifth to pull his eye up to heaven-ward k Columb lib. 5. Cap. 9. Which teacheth us that howsoever wee seeke for other things yet first of all and above all we should seeke for the kingdome of heaven and the righteousnesse thereof Or that heaven Obser and heavenly things should be hungred after and sought for above all other things Reade Colos 3.1.2 Heb. 4.11 13.14 according to the example of those holy men mentioned Heb. 11.10.14.16.26 Pope Pius the 4. sending his Nephew Marcus Altempts to Maximilian King of Bohemia to side with him in the Councell of Trent with many promises of honours and profits no lesse then the succession of the Empire he answered that he thanked his Holinesse but his soules health was more deare to him then all the things in the world l Histor of Councel of Trent pag. 419. Alexander the great was wont to say of Calisthenes that he begged many things for others but few for himselfe And Iulius Caesar of Cicero that hee was negligent in things belonging unto himselfe but diligent and and importunate in things concerning the common-weale so wee should prise our soules most and desire many things for our for our bodies we should be negligent in temporall things in comparison of irituall Ignoti nulla cupido we have no knowledge of heaven therefore what desire can we have after it the joyes of heaven wee are not able to conceive Quest 1 of therefore how can wee in our endeavours and affections preferre them before all other things A man can have no desire of an unknowne thing Answ 1 First somethings are unknowne Totaliter wholy both 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 That there are such things 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 What those things are A man can have no desire at all unto these things Respectivè in part when We know that there are such things We know not what they are perfectly These things a man may hope for and desire Answ 2 Secondly although we know not all things in heaven yet we know that there is a heaven and somethings wee know concerning it For the better understanding hereof observe Those things which we expect in heaven are either Knowne and are either General namely First that there we shall possesse and enjoy every good thing Secondly hat there we shall be freed from every evill thing Thirdly that our fruition of good and freedome from evill shall bee perpetuall Particular namely First in heaven we shall enjoy good things which are either Internall as the joy wee shall have in the societie of God Christ and the Triumphant Church Externall to wit The glorification of the body The perfection of the Soule In truth purity love peace and joy Secondly in heaven wee shall bee free from all evils whether Temporall as from hunger thirst cold sicknesse weakenesse and the like Revelat. 7.17 Spirituall as from falling into sinne from all base and vile lusts from the malice and temptation of sathan from the feares and terrours of conscience and the like Unknowne 1 Cor. 2.9 Thus the joyes we expect are expressed sometimes by the name of a Kingdome
Quest 6 in us as it was By these plaine markes namely Answer 1. Are thy affections as strongly set upon sinne as ever they were dost thou love sin as well as ever thou didst then certainely thou art yet sinnes slave 2. Are thy temptations as frequent as ever they were doth the devill tempt thee as often as ever he did then it is an argument that hee hath too much in thee 3. Art thou as stupid dull and blinde in seeing the craft and subtlety of Sathan as ever thou wert art thou still as ignorant of his devices as ever it is a signe then that sinne hath a commanding power in and over thee 4. Art thou as unable to resist sinne as ever thou wert as weake as ever as naked as ever as feeble and faint-hearted as ever this showes that corruption is too strong in thee On the contrary if wee finde that our love is not so much unto sinne as it was but that the edge of our affections is taken off if temptations be more rare in us and we more quick sighted unto Sathans subtlety and more strong to resist him both by Faith Prayer and the Word then it is a comfortable signe that sinne is growne weaker in us and our feet reduced from this broad way § 3. That leads unto destruction Sect. 3 Our Saviour in these words showes that the broad way of sinne brings at last unto perpetuall paine How doth it appeare that sinners shall perish Question 1 for there are many who thinke otherwise perswadeing themselves that they may walke in this way and yet at last come unto salvation First it appeares evidently from Christs owne Answer 1 words in this place where hee showes that the end of the Broad way is perdition Narrow way is salvation And therfore it matters not what others thinke Secondly it appeares from other plaine and positive Answer 2 places of Scripture reade Psalm 9.17 and 11.6 and 83.10.13 and Jsa 5.24 and 1 Corinth 6.9 Thirdly sinne is the foundation of condemnation Answer 3 or all and onely sinners shall bee damned And therefore it is cleare that the broad path leades to perdition reade Isa 50.1 and 59.2 and Ierem. 5.25 Hose 13.1 Rom. 6.23 Psalm 1.5 and 5.4 and 34.16 Prov. 16.4 Isa 3.10 11. Fourthly the arrowes of the Lord are levelled against Answer 4 such as walke in the broad way And therefore they must needs come to destruction at the last Psal 34.16 Fiftly the reward of sinne is death The locusts Answer 5 having brought forth their young die 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Arist so lust having conceived brings forth sinne and sinne when it is finished brings forth death Iames 1.15 and Rom. 6.28 Sixtly otherwise God should not bee just For Answer 6 1. Hee hath made a law that if we sinne we shall dye Genes 2.17 In the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt dye the death Pope Iulius the third caused this sentence to bee written about his coyne That nation and people shall perish which will not obey me so the Lord hath made a law and threatned to inflict condigne punishment upon all those who disobey it Rom. 3.23 2. Mankinde hath broken this Law in Adam and wicked men daily breake it themselves in their owne persons And therefore the justice of God requires that they should be punished whose sinnes are not done away in Christ Question 2 Shall no wicked men at all escape this destruction None who continue to walke in this way untill they come to the end thereof For Answer First Kings and great men shall suffer if they run with the common sort Isay 41.2 Daniel 5.27 Secondly Wisemen shall bee punished if they thus play the fooles Exod. 1.10 and 15.7 and Rom. 1.22 Thirdly Proud men shall be ruined notwithstanding all their high conceits of themselves Malach. 4.1 Fourthly Hypocrites shall perish who walke in this broad way secretly and unseene Matth. 23. Question 3 Why must wee thus labour by all meanes to renounce sinne Answer 1 First because there can bee no true repentance without the reformation of the life from sinne Answer 2 Secondly because there can bee no true faith without this Faith purgeth and purifieth the heart Acts 15.9 and the heart being purged the life must needs bee pure Wherefore there is no truth of faith where sinne is not forsaken Answer 3 Thirdly wee cannot bee made partakers of the blessed Spirit of God untill wee have left sinne for the Holy Ghost will not come to a polluted soule And therefore it is to bee renounced Answer 4 Fourthly there is no way to escape the wrath of God or eternall destruction without the forsaking of sinne And therefore wee should bee carefull to leave it Question 4 How may wee avoid and leave sinne Answer 1 First shunne and beware of all the occasions of sinne Answer 2 Secondly use all holy meanes to bee good and pure and sincere Answer 3 Thirdly deplore thy infirmities speedily and heartily wash thy soule with teares for thy former transgressions sorrowing with a godly sorrow 2 Cor. 7.10 Answer 4 Fourthly promise unto God to fight manfully against thy former sinnes and all sinnes for the time to come and labour to performe thy promise Answer 5 Fiftly Pray fervently unto God to free thee from the commanding power of sin and to preserve thee from sinne and to make thee the free-man of Jesus Christ Question 5 What things hinder us from turning aside out of this broad way of sinne Answer And what are the remedies against these impediments The Impediments are these First insensibility when a man is not sensible of his sin he is not carefull to forsake it Secondly presumption when men either presume that they are not sinners or that their sinnes are small or that though great yet they shall be pardoned it makes them more carelesse and fearelesse of sin and more slack to leave it Thirdly Procrastination and delay when wee promise repentance but put off the performance thereof from day to day Fourthly key-coldnesse in performing perfecting of the worke not striving against sin unto blood Hebr. 12.4 The Remedies are these First a tender circumcised heart which is sensible of the least touch of sinne Secondly a godly feare remembring that wee are sinners yea great sinners and neither able to satisfy for our sins our selves not sure that they shall bee pardoned in Christ except wee strive to forsake and leave them Thirdly not to deferre but while it is said to day to turne from our sins and turne unto the Lord our God Fourthly zeale alacritis and industrie in the resisting of sinne striving against it with manfull wrastlings till wee have prevailed § 4. And many there bee which goe in thereat Sect. 4 What is the meaning of this word Many Question 1 Our Saviour shewes hereby Answer that there are not onely Many simply which walke in the broad way but that there are so many that in comparison of them they who
4.12 Why must the godly expect affliction Quest 5 First because it is their lot and portion Hebrew Answer 1 12.9 Secondly because it is the condition of glory Rom. 8.17 If we suffer wee shall bee glorified c. 2 Tim. 2.12 Thirdly because Sathan the sworne enemie of all the elect will labour by these meanes of overthrow Answer 3 them and draw them from God Somemetimes the divel tempts them by prosperity sometimes by â—dversity leaving no meanes unsought by which hee hath any hope to prevaile against them And therefore they must expect to be thus assaulted and labour manfully to withstand it Fourthly God often by this meanes trieth what Answer 4 is in us and whether we will acquit our selves like men adhering unto him even in the midst of danger Thus God tries Iob who in his heavie affliction promiseth not to forsake God though hee kill him And therefore seeing that both Sathan thus tempts and God tries wee had need to expect afflictions and to prepare our selves for them What afflictions must we expect Quest 6 First sometimes violent windes that is externall Answer 1 power opposition and persecution Secondly sometimes floods that is the wicked Answer 2 customes of our dayes and times and the perswasions and allurements of our society and friends Thirdly sometimes showres that is internall lusts Answer 3 and assaults by our carnall affections These wee must expect and these wee must labour carefully to arme our selves against 1. We must bee watchfull over our internall desires and take heede of the lust of the flesh the lust of the eyes and the pride of life 1 Iohn 2.16 for these are shrewd showres 2. Wee must take heede of the perswasions and examples of men For First some perswade unto heresy and schisme Secondly some perswade unto iniquitie and sinne as drunkennesse adultery theft and the like and that sometimes by word sometimes by example And these sometimes are strong streames 3. Wee must expect and prepare against persecutions for these are windes and stormes whether they be First open persecution Or Secondly hatred losse of goods or some inferiour punishment Or Thirdly scoffing and deriding as Ismael persecuted Jsaac § 4. And it fell not Sect. 4 We may see here the security of the godly our Saviour himselfe saying that those who heare and doe his words are like a house built upon a rocke which the winds and stormes of temptations and afflictions cannot overthrow according to that of the Psalmist Psal 15.5 He that doth these things shall never bee moved Psal 125.1 And againe They that trust in the Lord shall be as mount Sion which cannot bee removed but abideth for ever Psal 125.1 Yea the phrase or words here used are worth observing for the further proofe of this In this 25. verse the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is used in verse 27. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the first signifies properly to fall the second to cut off To show how that afflâ—ctions Fall upon The righteous as the stormes tempests and floods fall upon the rocke who notwithstanding all their fury stands immoveable and is not cut or broken in peeces by them The wicked and hypocrites as the axe fals upon the wood which is cut in peeces by the weight and sharpnesse thereof reade Job 38.11 Psal 104.6 and 46.1 Section 5 § 5. For it was founded upon a rocke Quest 1 What is the meaning of these words Answer The Church of God in Scripture is compared to a house Cittie Temple and therefore the beginning proceeding and encreasing of the same is rightly compared to a building Now in a building there must bee a foundation upon which all may râ—st and stay that is put into that same building And the foundation must be sure firme and immoveable for otherwise it will faile and so all others parts of the building wanting their stay will fall to the ground Now nothing is so firme sure and immoveable as a Rocke and consequently no building so strong as that which is raysed upon a rockie foundation A house saith our Saviour in this place builded upon the sand is easily ruinated soone shaken â—o pieces but that which is builded upon a rocke standeth sure and firme notwithstanding the furie and violence of the floods winds and tempests So that by a rocke in this place is meant a sure foundation that will not faile nor be moved or shaken how great a weight soever bee laid upon it And a man that persists in the observation of those things which he hath learnt from Christ is here meant by the house built upon the rocke Quest 2 How many things are required in a firme and sure foundation Answer Three namely first That it be the first thing in the building Secondly that it beare up all the other parts of the building And Thirdly that it be firme and immoveable For as Christ saith If the eye that is the light of the body bee darkenesse how great is that darkenesse Matth. 6.33 So if that which is to support and beare up all doe faile and shrinke all must needs bee shaken and fall a sunder Quest 3 Who is this Rocke or foundation Answer Christ onely is that foundation upon which the spirituall building of the Church is raised because he only is that beginning whence all spirituall good originally floweth and commeth and upon whom all the perswasion of the truth of things revealed stayeth it selfe as being the Angell of the great Covenant and that eternall Word that was with God in the beginning And upon whom all our hope confidence and expectation of any good groundeth it selfe all the promises of God being in him Yea and Amen 2 Cor. 1.20 1 Cor. 3.11 And in this sense the Apostle S. Paul saith Other foundation can no man lay then that which is laid even Iesus Christ Is there no oâ—her Foundation of the Church but Quest 4 only CHRIST First in generall In respect of some particular Answer 1 times persons and things and in some particular and speciall considerations there are other things that may rightly be named Foundations both in respect of the spirituall building of the Church and in respect of the frame and fabrique of vertue and well-doing raised in this building Secondly the first and principall vertue namely Answer 2 Faith upon which all other vertues doe stay themselves from which they take the first direction that any vertue can give is rightly named a foundation Thirdly in respect of the forme of Christian doctrine Answer 3 the first principles of heavenly knowledge are rightly named a foundation Hebr. 6.1 Fourthly in respect of the confession of the true Answer 4 faith concerning Christ the first cleare expresse and perfect forme of confession that ever was made concerning the same may rightly bee named a foundation And in this sence Peters faith and confession is by divers of the Fathers named the Churches foundation Leo in Annivers Assumpt serm 2. But they
of diet doth display and cause this disease to spread abroad it selfe even unto the benumming of the partie So to be negligent in avoiding the occasions of sinne to be inconsiderate in our actions and to bee voide of care and circumspection in our lives and conversations doth at length bring us to insensibility in sinne Ephes 5.16 And therefore we must be warie circumspect and prudent in all our actions examining what is good and what is evill what is helpfull and what is hurtfull for us and carefully avoid both sin the occasions of iniquity 3. The palsie generally and every kinde thereof is very difficult to bee cured at any time but if it bee once setled perfected or the nerves perfectly closed it is incurable So sin cannot easily be expelled or overcome at any time but when it is perfect and ripe unto harvest it is not to be removed except the Lord be the more gracious plucking us as brands out of the fire And therefore let us labour to prevent it betimes What is required of us or how may we be free Quest 2 from this palsie of sinne First in generall come as this poore man did unto Answer 1 Christ and let us not remaine any longer buried Answer 2 as it were in our flesh Secondly let us come into the aire that is 1. Into the warme aire 2. Into the drie aire 3. Into the pure aire 4. Into the cleere aire That the Spirit may Renew us Strengthen us Leade us into al purity Comfort us Quest 3 How may wee know whether we bee yet sicke of the palsie of sin or cured of it Answer 1 First wee may know and bee assured that wee yet languish of this disease by these signes following viz. 1. If we be so pervers in our will Non persuadebis etiamsi persuaseris that wee will not cease from sin although the Lord disswade us by unanswerable arguments 2. If we be so hard in our hearts that we are moved with nothing changed in nothing 3. If our hearts be so benummed and senselesse that we heare the word of God and all wholesome counsell as in a dreame or darke speaking 4. If we be cold in zeale either against sin or for God These are certaine signes of an abiding and cleaving palsie Answer 2 Secondly wee may be confidently perswaded that we are cured of our palsie by these signes namely 1. If our numnesse be changed into sensiblenesse that we begin to have a feeling of our estates 2. If our motion returne that we can in some sort walk in the waies of God work out our salvation 3. If we can move vigorously like that recovered man who skipped and leaped and praysed God (m) Acts 3.7 c. if we can run with patience cheerefulnesse strength the race that is set before us rejoycing in the service and worke of the Lord above all the wayes of wickednesse (n) Isa 58.13 Psal 4.7 And thus by the sense of our sins and estates and by our repentance and new life and true obedience we may know that by Christ we are healed of our palsie Verse 7 Verse 7. And Iesus faith unto him I will come and heale him Sect. 1 § 1. And Iesus saith unto him Wee may here see Christs facility who doth not deny to come neither deferre it who neither saith I will not come nor I will come to morrow but answers and assents presently to their desires Teaching us Observat That God is alwayes ready to heare us when we call upon him Question 1 How doth it appeare that God will heare our prayers Answer 1 First most clearely from these places of Scripture Numb 12.4 and 2 Sam. 12.13 Psal 32.5 107.17.18 19. Isa 30.19 Agge 1.12.13 Answer 2 Secondly it appeares thus God hath made us weak and unable to help our selves and that for these two causes namely 1. That we might depend upon him and his good providence Deut. 8.3 And 2. That being helped and relieved by him wee might glorify praise his name Psal 121.1.2 And therfore wee may be certainly assured that when in our necessity wee call upon God hee will heare and grant our requests Answer 3 Thirdly the Lord is alwayes ready and prepared to heare to help he stands at the dore knockâ— Cantic 5.2 Revel 3.20 And therefore we may be sure that when we knocke at the gate of his mercy he will heare and open unto us Fourthly that which God forbids us he will not Answer 4 doe himselfe there being a sweet harmony betwixt his precepts and his practise But the Lord forbids us to delay to give when we are presently able to supply the wants and satisfie the desires of those who sue seeke unto us Say not unto thy neighbour goe Proverb 3.28 come againe to morrow I will give thee if thou hast it by thee And therfore certainly the Lord will not put us off with delayes but will grant our requests Fiftly God hath ordained prayer as the way and Answer 5 meanes of obtaining what wee desire Câ—ll upon me saith the Lord in the time of trouble and I wil heare Psal 50.15 And aske and yee shall have Matth. 7.7 And therefore we may easily know what the reason is that so many are not delivered and freed from some misery wherein they are or some maladie which lies upon them namely because they pray not unto God Yee have not because yee aske not James 4.2 Doth God heare all suters and if not then whom Question 2 doth he heare First God heares not the prayers of wicked men Answer 1 Prov. 15.8.29 Iohn 9.31 Psal 18.41 and 66 18. and. Isa 1.15 and Ierem. 11.11 and 14.12 Ezech. 8.18 And therfore if we desire that we may be heard we must lay aside al impietie ungodlinesse whatsoever Secondly God will not heare the prayers of hypocrites Answer 2 Matth. 15.9 Ezech. 33.31 And therfore we must put off the cloake of hypocrisie and cloath our selves with the garments of sincerity if we desire to be heard Thirdly God heares the righteous Psal 6.8 and Answer 3 145.18 c. 1 King 13.6 And therfore if we desire that the â—â—quests which wee offer up unto God may bee heard and granted wee must labour to bee made holy and righteous Doth God heare all prayers and if not then what Question 3 prayers doth he heare He heares only godly prayers Answer such as are powred forth according to his will 1 Iohn 5.14 How must we pray Question 4 Pray according to these three rules to wit Answer First in generall pray in faith for whatsoever thou Rule 1 desirest Matth. 21.22 Iames 1.5 c. Secondly when thou prayest for spirituall graces Rule 2 pray thus namely 1. Beg them in the first place not as the Poët saith quaerenda preunia primum but as our Saviour saith Socke first the Kingdome of heaven and the righteousnesse thereof Matth. 6.33 2. Beg them
and will tell God he owes them such and such things because for his sake they forsook such things these we spake something of in the fift Chapter verse 7. and now as palpable passe by Secondly some weave a garment of Linsey-wolsey and hope that God wil approve of them yea fall in love with them for it these are they who tell us of a first Justification wrought by God and of a second wrought by our selves But these two Justifications are like the Ark and Dagon who will not stand together or the feet of Daniels Image which were part of Iron and part of Clay and would not solder together Dan. 2.42 yea this distinction is directly denied by Saint Paul Rom. 11.6 and therfore must not be admitted by us Thirdly some tell us that our good works merit by the sprinkling of the blood of Christ upon them or by some extending or stretching of his merits unto them But as was said before the merit and blood of Christ is the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it self for by his death and bloodshed we are saved Fourthly they have another merit which frees from temporall punishment whence comes Purgatorie and pardons but God pardons all together and reserves no anger when he remits but forgives and forgets at once Certainly all merit of man derogates from Christ for if we could by our works have purchased salvation then Christ died in vain Romans 4.13 14. Quest 4 Must wee not then work and labour at all Answ We must and that with our utmost endevour Reade Philippians 2.12 13. Hebrews 12.4 Ephesians 5.14 and 2 Peter 1.5 c. and 1 Iohn 5.18 But of this largely before chapter 5. Vers 28 VERS 28. And when he was come into the house the blinde men came to him And Iesus saith unto them Beleeve ye that I am able to do this They said unto him Yea Lord. Object The Papists produce this place for the proof of a generall faith and for the overthrowing of a particular application of the promises unto our selves Arguing thus That faith which Christ required and confirmed by Miracles vvas a justifying faith But that was no particular perswasion or assurance of speciall mercie but onely a generall belief in the power and omnipotencie of Christ Therefore a justifying faith requireth no such particular perswasion or confidence of speciall mercie The Assumption Bellarmine proves from this place lib. 1. de Iustifie cap. 8. where Christ saith to the blinde men Beleeve ye that I am able to do this They answer Yea Lord whereupon Christ addes According to your Faith so be it unto you First I answer to the Major that it is not universally true for a temporary faith Answ 1 may suffice for the receiving of a temporall benefit Secondly to the Minor we say that many Answ 2 things in a justifying faith are to be beleeved besides speciall mercie and that none can apprehend speciall mercie except he beleeve God to be in Christ reconciling the World unto himself If the learned Reader desire to see this answer prosecuted and how grosly the Cardinall sophisticates not concluding according to the Rules of Art let him reade Chamier Tom. 3. f. 408 409. lib. 13. de fide cap 4. § 1. ad 8. Thirdly to the receiving of a temporall benefit Answ 3 in recovering of their sight a temporary faith which we call the faith of Miracles might have sufficed these blinde men Fourthly these blinde men beleeved not onely Answ 4 that Christ was able to help them but were also perswaded of his mercie in saying Oh Son of David have mercie upon us Vers 29. Then touched he their eyes saying Vers 29 According to your faith be it unto you § 1. Then touched he their eyes Sect. 1 Why did Christ touch their eyes Quest 1 First certainly it was not by reason of any Answ 1 necessity for he could have healed them without touching if he had so pleased having done many greater works onely by his word Secondly neither was this an idle action or a Answ 2 thing done without any speciall end for Christ did nothing but that which was of speciall use in one regard or another Thirdly I conceive therefore that he touched Answ 3 their eyes for these causes namely I. Perhaps that he might shew that he himself was the Author and Actour of this Miracle for First neither can man restore sight unto the blinde Iohn 9.30 31. Neither Secondly can a Devill open the eyes of the blinde Iohn 10.21 II. Christ touched their eyes to shew that he stood not in need of second causes or medicines but that his touch was sufficient for the effecting of what he desired or curing of what malady soever As with his word at other times hee stills the raging of the waves III. Christ touched their eyes that by the use of a visible or sensible means he might help and strengthen their faith for certainly this was of great power as we see in Naaman I thought saith he the Prophet would have laid his hand upon the sore and have stricken it over the place and called upon his God and so have cured my leprousie 2 Kings 5.11 As if he would have said If he had thus touched me I should have beleeved that he would have cured me but now I have no hope of help from him And thus I say Christ teacheth these that thereby their faith and confidence may bee the greater IV. Christ toucheth them that he may teach both them and us the excellencie and Observ 1 utility of the means or That the use of the means is not to be neglected because that is a tempting of God the means being ordained by God for the obtaining of such and such wished ends As for example God hath ordained First meat and apparell for the preservation of life Secondly medicines for the preventing of sicknesse or procuring of health Thirdly repentance sorrow and hearty contrition for the breaking of the power of sin Fourthly the preaching of the Word for the illuminating of the heart and the begetting of faith Fiftly prayer for the procuring of good things or as a generall Antidote against all evils Quest 2 Who are faulty in this particular Answ 1 First those who neglect the means in temporall things undoing themselves and theirs by idlenesse gaming prodigality pride drunkennesse or the like Answ 2 Secondly those who in sicknesse despise and sleight Physick although Witchcraft and Enchantments are not altogether contemned by them Answ 3 Thirdly those who hope for and desire the pardon of their sins but in the mean time neglect godly sorrow and wave that spirituall and bloody combat against sinne and Sathan Hebrews 12.4 Answ 4 Fourthly those who desire internall light and reconciliation and the new Covenant but neglect the hearing reading and meditating of the Word of God Answ 5 Fifthly those who desire to be blessed by the enjoyment of good things and freedome from evill but sleight and forget prayer 1 Thessalonians
in regard of heresie hee is compared to a Wolfe Mat. 7.26 Fourthly in regard of his sluggishnesse and idlenesse he is compared to a Dog in the manger or a dumbe dog Esay 56.10 c. Secondly some by these words beware of Answ 2 men conceive that our Saviour would have them to expect all men every where to bee their enemies And it is true that the Gospel shall find some enemies and opposition wheresoever it comes Act. 17. and 19. and 28. Thirdly but I conceive that these words signifie Answ 3 somewhat more yet then this namely that hereby our Saviour would have us to take notice that the very humane nature of man is an enemy unto the preaching of the Gospel For he doth not say Beware of Lyons or Tygers or Wolves but beware of men Homo homini lupus Hence then observe That the nature of man Observ and the naturall man is alwayes an enemy to God Religion and the preaching of the Gospel Why is the naturall man such an enemy to the Quest 2 Word and Gospel and God First because he is wholly averse from God Answ 1 and will not be subject unto him Rom. 8.6.7.8 His Motto is Ais nego negos ai◠what God bids that he will not doe what God forbids that he will doe just like the Florentine who is mentioned in the second Booke of the Courtier of Count Baldessar Castilio two enemies being together in the Councell-chamber of Florence as it hapneth often in those Common-weaths the one of them which was of the house of Altoviti slept and hee that sate next unto him for a sport stirring him with his elbow made him awake although his adversary that was of the house of Alamanni had said nothing at all as yet against him and said unto him hearest thou not what such an one saith Make answer for thy selfe for the Lords require it Whereupon he of Altoviti all sleepie arose upon his feet without any more deliberation said My Lords I say the cleane contrary to that Alamanni hath spoken To which Alamanni answers why I have said nothing Altoviti said immediately Then to that thou wilt speake Thus averse is the naturall man crossing and opposing whatsoever the Lord doth or shall command Nitimur in vetita we desire nothing so much as that which is denied us like our Mother Eve who longed for no fruit so much as the forbidden fruit Answ 2 Secondly the Law doth forbid all sinne and the Gospel condemne all licentious liberty Now we being given unto sinne and not able to cease from it 2 Pet. 2.14 Hence it comes that wee are enemies unto the Gospel which forbids and condemnes it Naturall men being captives and slaves cannot endure to heare those things which are contrary to their Lord and Master Sinne. Answ 3 Thirdly the Gospel would humble us 1 Pet. 5.6 and teach us to deny our selves and therefore we oppose set our selves naturally against it because we are proud and lovers of our selves Sect. 2 § 2. Tradent They will deliver you Quest 1 What is the meaning of this delivering Answ 1 First the word is not to be understood of betraying but of accusing They shall accuse you Answ 2 Secondly there were divers Tribunals or Iudgement seats the Sanhedrims and Synagogues and Princes and Kings as if our Saviour would say There are no Tribunals where you shall not be accused and condemned Where we may see and marke the wicked craft of Sathan who rather endeavours Lege by law then Vi by force to oppresse and persecute Christ because this will prevaile even with the good as we see in the King who because there was a law decreed Daniel 6. therefore cast Daniel into the Lyons den although it were sore against his will Observ Whence wee may note That humane lawes are often opposite to true Religion this might be proved by many examples both by the law made against Daniel chap. 6. and that Idolatrous Decree chap. 3. and those Popish Lawes in Italy Spaine and France yea by that Councell that condemned Christ and that speech of the Iewes Wee have a Law and by that Law he ought to die Quest 2 How doth it appeare that mans law is often opposite to Gods truth Answ 1 First it appeares thus the Law of God in it selfe is eternall masculine diurnall cleare immoveable good yea the rule of goodnesse Answ 2 The Law of man is oft times nocturnall darke feminine infirme stained and subject to errour For seeing that all men are lyers and uncleane how can any bring a pure thing out of an impure or truth out of a lye Sect. 3 § 3. Ad Concilia unto Councels There were in Israel distinct Courts consisting of distinct persons the one principally for Church busines the other for affaires in the Common-wealth the one an Ecclesiasticall Consistory the other a civill Iudicatory Now although the tyrannie of Antiochus and the troublesome times ensuing had bred such a confusion in matters of government among the Iewes that an evident distinction can hardly be found in the New Testament yet some foot steps and imperfect tokens of both Courts are there observeable principally in Matthew 21.23 and 26.3 where the chiefe Priests and the Elders of the people are named as two distinct Consistories and each Consistorie seemeth to bee differenced by its proper name For the Secular Consistorie was termed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a Councell and the Spirituall termed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a Synagogue as in this verse They will deliver you up to the Councels and they will scourge you in their Synagogues § 4. Yee shall be brought before Governors and Sect. 4 Kings Our Saviour in this verse and so forward doth foretell the Apostles of five sorts or degrees of dangers that would attend them and annexeth for their comfort the remedies with the evils as for example First the initiall and first degree of evils is the hatred of the world verse 22. Yee shall be hated of all men for my names sake Now the remedy against this evill is perseverance laid downe in the same place in these words but hee that endureth unto the end shall be saved Secondly the next degree of evils is worse and more perillous and that is that the world shall not onely hate them but also accuse and imprison them this is laid downe in this verse and the next They will deliver you up to the Councels and yee shall be brought before Governors and Kings Now the remedy against this evill is Confidence laid downe verse 19. in these words When they deliver you up take no thought how or what yee shall speake for it shall be given you in that same houre what ye shall speake Thirdly the sequent danger is yet worse and that is scourging and buffeting under which all kinds of torments are understood They will scourge you in their Synagogues verse 17. Now the remedy against this evill is this It shall be given you in that
as Mat. 24. where somethings are spoken of the destruction of Ierusalem some things of the generall judgment Or else Secondly secundum totum when the same words may be taken in either sense As I will establish the Kingdome of David my servant Psalm 89.34 This may either Historically be understood of David or Typically of all pious and religious Kings So the Lord saith of Salomon If hee sinne I will chasten him with the rods of men but my loving mercy will I never take from him Psalm 89.30.31 This may either literally be understood of David or figuratively of all the Children of God So Hebr. 13.5 I have said I will never faile thee nor forsake thee which is spoken Historically of Iosua Chap. 1.5 But the Apostle understands it Typically of all the children of God Now of this nature is this present Scripture for these things were Typically fulfilled in them and shewed forth unto us for an example 1 Corinth 10.11 As appeares thus Iohns Disciples desire to know whether Christ bee the true expected Messias or not Christ proves that he is Because I. He cures and heales the bodies of men both of blindnesse lamenesse deafnesse deadnesse and Leprosie yea all these both historically and Allegorically And because II. He enlightens the minds of men by the Gospel Christ cured their corporal maladies for the blind received their sight c. Here observe First I confesse that these things have an Hystoricall truth that is that Christ did truely and really cure corporall blindnesse as Iohn 9.29 Secondly that the Prophesies concerning Christ doe in part speake of the same as Esa 35.5 It is foretold that the Messias should open the eyes of the blind and the eares of the deafe c. yea otherwise our Saviours Argument were nothing They desire to know whether hee be the Christ or not He saith he is and proves it thus The Messias shall heale the lame blind deafe and leprous and shall raise the dead Esa 35.5.6 But I doe and have done all this Therefore I am the Messias Thirdly withall wee must confesse that the Prophet Esay in that place doth look higher then these ayming at spirituall graces as well as corporall benefits and cures If the learned Reader doubt of this let him Reade Tremes s Esa 35.5.6 and Muscul and Hyper. s Fourthly therefore it is lawfull for me to ascend or to proceed from the body unto the soul In this place then we are admonished that it is Christ who doth enlighten the eyes of the minds who purgeth us from the Leprosie of sinne who frees us from death c. Gualt s Two things are very observable in this text namely I. What we are by nature Deafe blind lame Leprous and dead And II. That all these maladies are removed and cured and that onely by Christ of these therefore in this order The blind receive their sight here two things are considerable viz. First that by nature wee are blind Secondly that by Christ wee are illuminated and enabled to see Observ 1 First by nature we are ignorant blind and blockish in spirituall things 1 Cor. 2.14 Ephes 4.18 Quest 4 What is required unto true spirituall sight Answ 1 First for answer to this Question I referre my learned Reader unto Antoninus part 1. Titul 3. Cap. 3. § 1. 2. 3. c. where many rare things are taught concerning spirituall fight Answ 2 Secondly for the satisfaction of the vulgar Reader wee will adde some things and answer that unto spirituall fight many things are required To wit First the purity of the eye For if the spirits of the eye be perverted either by Melancholly or anger or the Iaundice then all things will seeme yellow or greene or the like Thus Mala mens Malus animus If the mind be corrupted then the man is corrupted for Mens eujusque est quisque the mind is the man if the eye therfore be darke how great is that darkenesse if the understanding be perverted so is also the judgement and affections And therefore let us labour for a pure and sanctified mind free from the infection and perturbation of sinne Secondly unto sight there is required the strength of the eye that it may perfectly apprehend the object for a weak sight apprehends a thing imperfectly like the man who said hee saw men walking like trees So when in Religion we see In enigmate onely as in twilight or the dawning of the day that is see something but very darkly and obscurely wee must then labour that our eyes may be perfectly opened that therby we may be able to perceive things truely and as they are in their owne nature as followes in the next particle Thirdly unto sight is required the liberty of common sense that so wee may bee able to judge of things that differ And therefore we must not be like children in understanding as the Apostle saith When I was a Child I spake as a Child I thought as a Child I understood as a Child 1 Cor. 13.10 We must not judge of Religion or the service of God with a carnall eye or the eye of naturall reason but with an eye truely informed that hereby wee may bee able to judge of things truely and aright A melancholly man often thinkes men to be Beares and a mad man friends to bee enemies and hence often-times fleeeth in the face of the Physitian that desireth to cure him Thus in Religion we often thinke the Lord hates us because hee will not give us that which wee desire although it bee as bad as Rats-bane for us Wee cannot endure reproofe from the Ministers of God neither that they should speake unto us but desire rather that they would willingly permit us to runne headlong unto destruction And thus so long as common sense is captivated wee cannot judge of things as they are Wherefore let us labour that our understandings may be enlightned and our judgements truely informed Fourthly unto fight there is required the light of the Sun or Moon or of a candle for three things are ordinarily required unto sight to wit I. The Organ that sees and takes up the Object II. The Object that is apprehended by the Organ And III. The Midst by or through which the Organ doth perceive and receive the Object Although there bee an Object which may bee seene and the Ayre also enlightned yet if a man want eyes hee cannot see that Object Therefore unto sight an Organ is necessary If a man could see and the ayre were enlightned yet if the Object were not in fight or if we could conceive no object to be objected unto the eye then the eye could apprehend nothing Therefore unto sight an Object is necessary If there were an Organ and an Object that is if a man could see or have an eye yea that eye were open and awake yet could he not see if either there were no midst or if the midst were dark For First if there bee no midst betwixt the
are open enough to heare judge and proudly to censure others Mat. 7.1 Rom. 2.1 II. In our selves and here we are truely deafe being not able to heare the Lord or his word And this deafenesse I here speake of Observ 1 Observe then hence That it is a disease incident to all by nature not to heare the voice and word of God Ierem. 11.10 and 13.10 Quest 2 What doe men ordinarily refuse to heare out of the word of God First naturally we refuse to heare the threatnings of the word 2 Chron. 36.16 Esa 5.19 Ierem. 17.15 Secondly we stop our eares against the promises of the word Malach. 3.10.14 and 2. Peter 3.4 Thirdly we are carelesse of the call of the word Prov. 1.24 c. Fourthly we regard not the commands of the Answ 4 word Esa 30.9 c. Ierem. 7.23 c. Ezech. 20.8 Audiâ—e to heare is ordinarily taken for obedire to obey in the booke of the Proverbes yee would not heare that is ye would not obey Fiftly we wil not listen to the Doctrines and instructions Answ 5 and lessons of the word Ierem. 32.33 Now the meaning of the proposition I observed is this Although the Lord call yet naturall men will not heare although hee command yet they will not obey although he teach yet they will not learne although he threaten yet they will not feare although hee promise yet they will not beleeve Doe none at all all heare the word of God Quest 3 are all men deafe All men are deaf but not al after the same manner or in the same measure or malice Answ For First some directly deny and refuse to heare the word Ierem. 44.16 and 7.26 and 11.8 Zach. 7.11 c. Mat. 23.37 This might be applyed to those who are refractory who say who is the Lord that we should obey him Exod. 5.2 and our tongues are ours who shall controll us Psa 12.4 But this belongs not to the present institution properly and therfore I omit it Secondly some doe not onely refuse to heare the word but over and above deride it as 2 Chron. 30.10 and 36.16 and Acts 17.32 This may be applyed I. To those who deride the Professours of the word Psalm 119.51 And II. To those who scoffe at the preaching of the word And III. To those who taunt at Religion it selfe As the story saith of the Thiefe who bid spare him till the day of Judgement and then he would take all But these being particular faults and I having to treat of the generall disease and deafenesse passe these over Thirdly some yea all naturall men are insensible of all true feare and understanding haveing eares but heare not Psalm 115.6 Ierem. 5.21 Ezech. 12.2 Mat. 13 13. c. Fourthly the meaning therefore of the Proposition observed is this The naturall man cannot so heare or receive the word given for his salvation and conversion in his affection internall sense and conscience that it workes in his heart conversion unto God How doth this appeare Quest 4 Thus Answ because Nature is opposite to God in two things namely I. In Goodnesse for he loves not that which is good although he doe in part understand it to be good For every rule of Religion is hard Iohn 6.60 And wordly wisedome is enmity against God Rom. 8.7 yea hence naturally we love not Christ although of all others and other things most worthy to be beloved Esa 53.2 But will rather leave him then embrace such hard lessons as hee teacheth Iohn 6.65 Nature beeing altogether averse both from God and good II. In truth for hee cannot understand spirituall things Object Against this it will be objected Naturall men understand many things for they feare and are enlightned and reformed and have a tast of good things Mark 6.20 And therefore are neither so blind nor deafe as we would make them to be Answ 1 First in the naturall man there is a rude and confused hearing but he can discerne nothing plainly but all onely in a darke speaking 1 Cor 13.12 Answ 2 Secondly the naturall man doth something by grace Now grace is two-fold viz. I. Generall and this grace can doe much both towards humiliation from the law and illumination for a man may bee humbled with legall terrours a man may be so farre enlightned that he may pray with much shew of understanding and fervour and sense yea have a taste of faith and the good word of God and all from this generall grace II. Particular and effectuall unto conversion and regeneration Now those who are deprived of this Grace can doe nothing as they ought to doe nor heare the word as they ought to heare For First the end of Preaching is to teach men the knowledge of God yea that knowledge which is life eternall Iohn 17.3 And Secondly so to teach them the beauty sweetnesse and goodnesse of God that they may love him and long for him and cry after him before all other things Psalm 27.4 And Thirdly that through this love of God wee might be constrained to obey him and that both in heart and life 1 Corinth 6.20 But Fourthly nature is not capable of God or spirituall things 1 Corinth 2.14 Acts 16.14 Esa 48.8 Here this phrase or word Hearing is worth observing For thereunto three things are required namely First a voice or the word preached 1 Corinth 1.18.21 And Secondly the aire or breath that carryeth the voice to the Eare and this is the holy Spirit which imprints the word in the heart with deep and indeleble Characters And Thirdly the Organ rightly disposed Now so long as wee are naturall wee have neither of these Now as much as in us lyeth we must labour to prevent and remove all these causes Observ 2 Secondly wee have now to consider the state of grace and that is Audiunt by Christ the deafe heare or their spirituall hearing is restored unto them Or Christ cures in his Children the deafenesse of the soule Esa 43.8 and 54.13 Ierem. 31.34 Quest 5 How doth Christ cure this Deafenesse Answ First he takes away the impediments and hindrances namely I. Obstructions or the stopping of the Eare Now in the Stopping of the Eare There are three things to be considered To Wit First the efficient cause thereof and this is the world who labours to fill our hearts and take up our thoughts and bewitch us with the delights thereof Now Christ cures this by shewing how foolish and vaine and transitory all the things of the world are Eccles yea that they are but snares and wounds and most unconstant friends 1. Timoth. 6.10 and Luke 12.20 Secondly the sickely effect for the Stopping of the Eare workes a hardnesse in the Eare and as the humors in the Kidneyes and Bladder doe so harden that they turne into a stone and the stopping of the humours in the hands or feete breed those Nodos podagricos Cheiragricos So the humours of the Eare beeing stopped breed such a hardnesse that it
hearts are confirmed in a full assurance of faith Rom. 1 17. Ephes 3.13 Heb. 10.22 and 1 Peter 1.5 Quest 4 How must wee so use the word that we may hope for the operation of the Spirit thereby Answer The word teacheth perfectly both what is true in Doctrine and also what is sure and certaine in and unto faith but wee cannot understand these things except wee be taught by the holy Ghost both what is true in the understanding and what is certaine and sure in faith and the promises of the word And therefore if we desire so to heare and reade the word of God that thereby the holy Spirit may teach us within in our hearts then these three things are required of us namely First we must adhere and cleave closely and diligently to the word of God as to our Schoole-Master remembring that it is a seed to beget us and milke to feed us and a candle to enlighten us and a sword to defend us and joy to cheere us and a companion to associate us and life eternall to crowne and rejoyce us Secondly we must hope for and expect the blessing of God in the hearing of the word according to his promise that is we prizing valuing and loving of the word of God and frequenting the Preaching and reading thereof for this end that we might be taught thereby wee may then rest confidently assured that the Lord will blesse his word unto us because hee is faithfull in his promises and the word is powerfull in its operation Heb. 4.12 Thirdly to this esteeme of the word and hope of the Spirit wee must joyne prayer that is beg at the hands of God this blessing that he would come unto our hearts by his Spirit and teach us Psalm 143.10 And then wee may comfortably rest assured that he who is most faithfull in all his promises and whose eares are alwaies open to the prayers of his Children will in his good time grant our requests with his Spirit fill our hearts with joy unspeakeable and glorious Rom. 5.1 and 14.17 and 1 Peter 1.8 Philip. 4.7 § 7. Vnto Babes Sect. 7 How or in what sense are they called Babes Quest First they are not Babes in understanding Rom. Answ 1 16. Or spirituall knowledge But Secondly in humility and that either by an acknowledgement Answ 2 of their folly or weakenesse And Thirdly in a dependance upon God their Father Answ 3 to feed them and nourish them by his word § 8. Even so Father for so it seemed good in thy Sect. 8 sight We see here how our blessed Saviour whose action is our instruction neither gives nor seekes for any further cause of Gods actions then his owne good pleasure that we might from him learne to rest therein and in all the decrees of the Lord to make that our Non ultra or Herculean Pillar beyond which we dare not nor desire to goe For if it be demanded Why God doth not bestow upon some those Quest 1 corporall or spirituall those terrestriall or celestiall graces which hee doth bestow upon some others Wee answer that the true and principall cause is the good pleasure of his heavenly will Answ And therefore the Pelagians are confuted who doe teach that the will of God was moved to elect some and to reject others because he foresaw the good workes of them a Hil. the know of the true God pag. 287. and the bad workes of these flat against the Apostle who saith of Iacob and Esau that before they were borne when as yet they had done neither good nor evill not of workes c. Rom. 9.11 And to confirme this Proposition Christ saith that his Father hid the Gospell from the wise and revealed it to Babes Why because it was his good pleasure Where we see that his pleasure is the cause that hee did not reveale as well as that hee did And therefore from hence we may learne That we must not enquire of God a reason of his actions but rest in his will Rom. 9.20 Thus did good old Eli 1 Samuel 2.18 and holy Iob 1.21 22. And the blessed Apostles of Christ Acts 2.23 and 3.18 and 4.28 and 13.27 Quest 2 Why may we or must not we demand a reason of Gods actions Answ 1 First because God is a debter to no man Who hath given first unto him Rom. 11.35 And therefore he saith in the person of that Master of the vineyard who was not so liberall to one as to another Can I not doe with my own as I will Psalme 50. The Lord shewes that all things are his and therefore none can give ought unto him yea he hath despoticall and absolute rule and power over all creatures For I. They had all their beginning of and from him And II. They all are ruled and governed by him And III. They all are ordained for him according to that of the Apostle For of him and through him and to him are all things Romans 11.36 And therfore who shall dare to call the great Judge and King of all the world to the Barre to render a reason why he hath done this or that Answ 2 Secondly the judgements of the Lord are a great deepe and who is able to search or sound the bottome of them Romans 11.33 c. and 1 Corinth 2.16 Esa 40.13 The judgements waies and workes of the Lord are alwaies just but yet man is often forced to say with Mary How can these things be Luke 1.34 and 18.27 And therefore in such a case we must confesse the blindnesse of our reason and not dare to summon God to give account unto us of what he doth Quest 3 Who are here guilty of blame Answ Those who dispute of the justice of Gods actions It is dangerous swimming in this Foorde for we may easily sinke or be dasht a pecces Non ad discussionem operum Dei sed ad honorandum Deum conditi sumus d Muscul s We were created for the worship and service of God and not to discusse dispute of or censure the actions of God Non Iudices actionum sed imperiâ— subditi Chrys imp s Wee are the Lords vassalls and not Judges of his actions Non ferenda morâ—sitâ—â— non tribuentium Deo justitiae laudem nisi quoad sensus eorum pertingit Great and intolerable is the insolency of those who will not acknowledge the Lords justice any further then they can see reason for it Muscill s We see how our Saviour doth apply this reason taken from the will of God to the hardening of some and to the illumination of others As if he would say it proceeds not from any impotency in God that all obeyed not the Gospell but because it otherwise pleased the Lord Calvin s Observ 2 Hence then wee may learne That the predestinating of some unto life and of others unto death doth depend absolutely upon the will of God He drawes and then we runne after him Cantic 1.3 He addes unto the
Church daily such as he will have saved Acts 2.47 namely such as were ordained unto life Acts 13.48 Rom. 11.7 Non precibus flexus sed spâ—â—te sua comâ—â—â—â—â— fecit Chrys super Hee was not moved to save us for or by our prayers but of his owne free will Declarat non aliunde quam ex Dei arbitrio pendere discrimen quod sapientes caecutiant idictae capiant Calvin s Our Saviour produceth no other reason but onely the Lords will why the wise are blinded and the simple understand the Gospell How doth this appeare Quest 4 First this divine Revelation and spirituall knowledge Answ 1 of the word is not granted to any for their merits neither can be acquired by study Chrysost s The Gospell is not apprehended or clearly taken up by any humane wit but onely by the illumination of the blessed Spirit Calvin s and hence the Apostle saith The spirituall man and he onely knowes all things 1 Corinth 2.14.15 And againe God hath given us his Spirit which searcheth all things even the deep Mysteries and hidden things of God 1 Cor. 2.10.12 And therefore if wee cannot understand spirituall things without the Spirit as is most true because no man knowes the things of God but the Spirit of God and he unto whom the Spirit will reveale them And that no man can merit deserve or procure the presence of the holy Ghost by any thing he doth but that he is given freely of God to whom he will Then predestination unto life and light must needs proceed from the free will and good pleasure of the Lord. Secondly it further evidently appeares that Answ 2 this hiding of the Gospell from the wise and the revealing of it to the simple proceedeth from the meere will of God thus Because there is no difference in the Object at all as is cleare thus I. All by nature are so blinded and corrupted Psalm 14.1 c. Rom. 3.23 that none can now save themselves or their owne soules And II. Although it should be granted that sufficient grace is given unto all which will be hard to prove yet here there is no difference in the Object neither and therefore the difference will be either First in the corroborating and strengthening of the minds of men against the temptations of the flesh or world or Divell And this without controversie is the gift of God and a gift not given unto all neither Or else Secondly in that further grace whereby wee cannot fall finally or totally August de cor grat which is given onely to the Elect. And therefore this grace and strength whereby wee come unto salvation must needs come from the Lord and that not of or for our merits but onely of his owne free grace and love Thirdly it is cleare that election and rejection Answ 3 or predestination unto life and preterition proceed meerely from the will of God thus because the will of God is the first and the great transcendent rule of all his actions For I. The glory of God regulates his will And II. His will doth dispose of his decrees And III. According to his decrees follow his actions and therfore his actions proceed from his 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 good wil as our Saviour plainly expresseth in the text Thou hast concealed these things from the wise and revealed them unto Babes And why Because it seemed good in thy sight or because thou wouldest So elsewhere the Lord saith I will doe what I will Esa 46.10 And againe the Lord workes according to his owne will Daniel 4.32 Reade further these plain places Roman 19.15.18.22 Iames 1.18 and Ephes 1.11 Quest 5 What doth God here require of us or what is our duety herein in regard of God Answ 1 First we must not demand or seeke a reason of Gods decree but rest wholly upon his will which is alwaies holy and just and good For when a man asketh God a reason of his actions or decrees or why he doth thus or thus it is as much as if the Clay in the hand of the Potter should say why wilt thou make me such or such a vessell or of such and such a fashion as is now in thy heart to doe Object If it be here objected that the Potter hath reasons why he will or hath done thus and thus which the clay or pot cannot understand I answer Answ 1 First if the Potter have reasons why hee will make the pot of such or such a fashion or for such and such an use those reasons are in his owne will and deliberation and not in the difference of the clay Answ 2 Secondly none denies but the Lord hath his reasons why the doth hide his Gospell from some and make it knowne unto others but these reasons are neither revealed unto us nor to bee enquired of by us neither are wee able ever to find them out as is plaine from Rom 11.33 c. And therfore here I conceive that Aristophanes his Proverbe is worth observing who saith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 That it is better for a man to fit still then to rise and catch a fall better not to enquire and search into the profound and hidden Judgments and secret decrees of God then to search but never be able to finde them out especially when there is no need at all of that investigation or possibility to alter the least particle of any of Gods immutable decrees although we could find them out but yet more especially when this kind of search is condemned and forbidden at least implicity and by necessary consequence And therefore this is the first thing which is required of us in regard of the judgements decrees and actions of God not to demand a reason of them Answ 2 Secondly wee must confesse and acknowledge the Lord to bee most just in both these decrees although wee are not able to conceive or comprehend any other cause or reason of them then his owne will that is wee must confesse that the Lord is just in the blinding of the wise and the enlightning of the simple in the saving of Iacob and the destroying of Esau and in the receiving of some and rejecting of others although in the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 wee know not the reason why the Lord doth it VERS 27. Verse 27 All things are delivered unto mee of my Father and no man knoweth the Sonne but the Father neither knoweth any man the Father save the Sonne and hee to whomsoever the Sonne will reveale him It is questioned by some whether God doth Quest 1 most perfectly know himselfe To which wee answer God doth know himselfe Answ and that most perfectly as appeares from this verse wherein our Saviour saith that no man knoweth the Son but the Father neither doth any man know the Father but the Sonne Here it is plainely given to the Father that hee knoweth the Sonne and to the Sonne that hee knoweth the Father Now there is nothing imperfect in
was imposed upon and injoyned man as a curse and therefore these Labourers are not simply happy neither as such have any promise of comfort ease or rest from Christ II. Acquired and thus First some labour and take much paines in sinne And Secondly some bestow much care and diligence and labour in the acquiring of riches and the gathering of the thicke clay of this world together Now neither are these Labourers happy except they feele their labour and grieve for it and labour to ease their shoulders of the burden thereof Secondly spirituall in mind and this is two-fold to wit either I. Vnjustly imposed and that either First by Doctors which are either Or Pharisaical loving to lay heavie and unnecessary loads of Ceremonies upon mens shoulders Matth. 15.14 c. h Acts. 13 1â— Or. Papisticall teaching men to labour to obtaine salvation by the merits of workes and not by the grace of Christ Rom. 10.3 Philip. 3.9 Or Secondly By the Tempter Sathan who accuseth men and tempteth them and by his accusations temptations troubleth and molesteth them as wee see hee did with Saint Paul 2 Cor. 12.8 Now these Labourers are blessed if they resist Sathans temptations and wrastle manfully against them Iames 4.7 II. Religiously conceived that is when men are poore in spirit Matt. 5.3.4 and broken and contrite in heart Psalme 51.17 And these are they whom our Saviour principally speakes of and to And therefore if we desire to bee made partakers of the rest and comfort promised we must strive thus to labour and groane under the heavie burden of our sinnes Quest 6 What must wee doe to attaine unto this labour which hath a promise of rest and comfort First we must labour to know what our estate and condition is and not deceive our selves by false perswasions or destroy our soules by Answ 1 flattering presumptions Secondly wee must labour to condemne our Answ 2 sinnes and our selves for our sinnes 1 Cor. 11.29 Here I. Wee must be carefull not to extenuate our sinnes And II. Wee must urge the certaintie of destruction unto our selves for our sinnes except wee repent us of them 1 Cor. 6.9 Gal. 6.7 For if wee would but presse our consciences and cast our soules downe unto hell it would be a meanes to make us rise the sooner to comfort and spirituall consolation Answ 3 Thirdly wee must labour to be freed from the chaines of sinne wee must pray and cry incessantly untill the Lord heare and answer us Fourthly we must seeke for Christ and that Answ 4 earnestly for an unfained desire of him and a faithfull enquiry and search for him will make us mourne and lament untill we find him Here two things are implied namely I. Wee must seeke for Christ For First Wee are commanded to doe it Esa 55.6 And in many places Secondly the Lord promiseth that those who seeke him shall find him Ieremie 32.41 Thirdly the Lord and Christ complaine upon those who will not seeke him Reade Ierem. 2.13 and 32 33. Rom. 10.21 And therefore if wee desire either to please our God or to bring comfort unto our owne soules wee must seeke Christ II. Wee must seeke him seriously and earnestly wee must hunger and thirst after him Esay 55.1 Iohn 7.37 Because if with the Church wee seeke him in our beds we cannot find him Cantic 5. How many burdens are there because Christ Quest 7 here promiseth to ease those who doe groane under their burden and are overladen with it First there are temporall burdens namely Answ 1 I. Want which is either absolute when men simply are poore wanting many necessary things or respective when mens desires are not satisfied although they have food and raiment sufficient And II. An uncertainty of possessing keeping and enjoying what we have Many trouble themselves with this thought and care that all they possesse will bee like grasse upon the house top which quickly withers fades and dies and that it may be their land riches friends children and all will be taken away from them And III. The burthen of worldly cares and of labouring and toyling for the world of which Gregory speaketh and that not amisse That it is a rough yoke and a hard burden of servitude to bee under temporall things to seeke after earthly things to seeke to hold these fading things and to feare to lose or leave these transitory things Secondly there are corporall burthens namely of afflictions and hence when Judgements to Answ 2 come upon any country were spoken of by the Prophets they were called burthens as the burthen of Edom and Moab c. Answ 3 Thirdly there are legall burthens to wit the burthen of the ceremoniall Law for this St. Iames calleth a burthen which neither we nor our forefathers were able to beare Acts 15. Answ 4 Fourthly there are spirituall burthens and these are either I. For our separation from God or the absence of God from us Psalm 42.4 and 51.11.12 Or II. For sinne the cause of this separation And that either First for some sinne already committed this was Davids burthen Psalm 51. and 38.4 Or Secondly for the daily practise of sinne this is the burthen of all the faithfull who grieve daily for their daily transgressions whereby their Father is offended Or Thirdly for the remainders of sinne or the strength of internall concupiscence in the heart this was St. Pauls burthen Romans 7.23.24 Or Fourthly for some strong temptation which lyeth upon a man and which hee is not able to remove this likewise was the same Apostles burthen 2 Corinth 12.7 8 9. Where hee saith that there was given unto him a thorne in the flesh the Messenger of Sathan to buffet him for the which hee besought the Lord thrice that is often that it might depart from him And yet hee did not by his prayer remove the burthen but onely obtained the grace of God supporting him under it the Lord onely assuring him that his grace was sufficient for him Or Fiftly for an impotency and inability to resist the assaults of Sathan and this is the burthen of those who are taken captive of the Divell at his will 2 Timoth. 2.26 and who cannot cease to sinne 2 Peter 2.14 and this burthen lieth upon the backes of many and although it bee a very heavy and greevous burthen in it selfe yet they feele it not Quest 8 How must wee beare the burthen of our sinnes Answ Not joyfully or contentedly but with teares and sorrow and griefe of heart Hereunto two things are required to wit First we must know our molestations and causes of griefe and that either I. Temporall which we may see in one kinde or another in our selves or others Or II. Spirituall which are thus to be discerned and knowne viz. First from the Law we may know what displeaseth and offendeth the Lord. And Secondly from our owne consciences wee may know wherein wee are guilty Then Secondly we must humble our selves And that I. That we live in
unto God and how great thy debt is yea remember if thy brother sin daily against thee so dost thou against God and if thou daily forgive him a few offences thy Father daily forgives thee many But my easinesse and readinesse to pardon him Object 2 will make him more obstinate and injurious against me and therfore why should I forgive him Do thou what is thy duty to do Answ and what the Lord requires of thee and commit the successe and event unto God yea remember that although many wickedly abuse the Lords long suffering and patience unto their own destruction yet the Lord ceaseth not to bestow many mercies upon them making his Sun to rise and his rain to fall even upon such But this pronenesse to pardon those who offend Object 3 me will make others despise and slight me and therfore for this cause it is not good to bee so easie and ready to remit Saint Paul hereunto answers that glory honour Object 4 and peace are prepared by God though not by men for all those who continue in well doing notwithstanding all the lets and hinderances of the world Rom. 2. Yea those who honour God shall be honoured in heaven by God though despised on earth by men But David cursed his enemies for their mischiefe done against him and prayed for their destruction and therefore why may not I Answ 1 First sometimes it is true that David prayed against the Counsels of his enemies and that God would infatuate them and frustrate them as that of Achitophel and thus may wee desire wish and pray for the peace and prosperity of the Church and children of God and that the Lord would infatuate all the plots of the wicked intended againâ—t them Or Answ 2 Secondly David prayed for some temporall calamity to be inflicted upon the bodies of his wicked enemies that therby their soules might be saved and thus wee may desire the Lord to shew his power and justice upon obstinate sinners that therby they may learn to fear and tremble before him and turn unto him and so by a corporall punishment be freed from an eternall Or Answ 3 Thirdly David prayed for the finall destruction of his enemies and that two manner of wayes namely either I. For the destruction of all his enemies in generall whosoever or wheresoever they were Or II. For the destruction of some more particularly whom by divine inspiration he knew to be the enemies of God and his Church Now these are not to be imitated by us wee having in the Gospel both a Precept and President to the contrary First wee are commanded to blesse those who curse us and to pray for those who persecute us Mat. 5. Secondly Christ did not revile when hee was reviled 1 Pet. 2. nor curse those who crucified him but contrarily prayed for them Object 5 Wee are but men and therefore it must not be expected that wee should doe as Christ did Answ The dutie here required hath been performed by men and not only by Christ yea if we bee regenerate men wee also in some measure may perform it Ioseph although he was a man yet hee forgave his brethren who had sold him to be a slave unto heathens David was a man and yet hee forgave Saul his enemy who pursued his life Stephen was but a man and yet he forgave and prayed God to forgive those who stoned him Object 6 But I am never able to forgive my neighbour as God forgives me and therfore it is but lost labour to endeavour it Answ Indeed it is true that wee cannot forgive as the Lord forgives in regard of the quantity but wee may according to the quality if we forgive them candidly cordially faithfully and ex animo for a spark is true fire and a drop is true water Quest 5 Whether can the remission of sinnes be made void or not that is whether doth the Lord remember impute and punish those sins which once hee had pardoned for it seems by this Parable that hee doth hee first pardoning the debt and freeing the servant from his bond verse 27. and afterwards for the debt casts him into perpetuall prison there to endure eternall torments First we must here observe That this is a Parable Answ 1 and that similitudes and parables are not so to be accommodated and applied unto those things for the declaration and manifestation wherof they were propounded that they ought to agree and square with the things themselvs in all things for then they should not be parables but the things themselvs And therfore we must alwayes look to the mind of him that propounds the parable and observe for what end he propounded it and what he would have or principally aims at in the propounding of it for otherwise many absurdities will often follow from Parables Wherfore seeing this is a Parable wee ought not too subtilly to apply or rather to wrest all the words of the Parable unto the thing wherof Christ speaks but onely to consider the mind and purpose of Christ in the propounding of the Parable Secondly Christ had taught his Apostles and Answ 2 in them all of us to pardon those injuries offences and debts which our brethren have committed against us and do owe unto us verse 21.22 And then presently addes this Parable for the confirming and declaring of his purpose Now our Saviours scope herein is to shew that it is necessary that they should forgive their brethren who desire to be forgiven by their Father In this Parable I. Our Saviour propounds the example of a King who forgave a great debt unto one oâ— his servants and hereby would teach us that wee have a Master and Lord in heaven who is gentle easie to be entreated and ready to forgive sin but so that when wee are not able to pay our debts or to satisfie for our sins we beg mercy at his hands and pray unto him for pitty and pardon The King here releaseth not his servant nor remitteth his debt untill he humbleth himself before him and confesseth his present inability to pay and prayeth for mercy Thus although the Lord be naturally slow to conceive a wrath and ready to forgive yet wee cannot hope to be forgiven except we confesse our sins and humble our selvs before our God and crave mercy at his hands because upon these conditions the Lord offers mercy unto us II. Christ in this Parable propounds unto us the example of a servant who would not pardon his fellow servant and lays down the words of the King his Master unto him shouldest not thou also have had compassion on thy fellow-servant even as I had pitty on thee verse 33. And hereby our Saviour would teach us that God requires of us that we should pardon our brethren who have injured us when they aske forgivenesse of us and remit the debts of those who are not able to pay III. In this Parable our Saviour declares the words and deeds of the King unto this
evill servant his Lord was wroth with him and delivered him to the Tormentors c. verse 34. IV. The Parable being expounded Christ forthwith doth explicate what his scope is in this Parable saying So likewise shall my heavenly Father do also unto you if yee from your hearts forgive not every one his brother their trespasses Answ 3 Thirdly from these words of our Saviours in the Parable therfore we must not infer that God will impute unto us and punish us for those sins which once he had clean remitted and done away because this doctrin is contrary to divers plain places of Scripture as hath else-wher been shewed but wee must marke how Christ concludes onely one thing from the whole Parable and that conditionally and therefore unlesse we remit and forgive our brethren who injure and wrong us wee shall bee punished by God for those offences committed against him In a word Christ by this Parable would shew that they are miserably mistaken and deplorably deceived who thinke that either God hath forgiven or will forgive them their sinnes although they neither have forgiven nor will forgive their brethren their trespasses Zanch. miscel de remis peccat pag. 288. Initio CHAP. XIX Vers 3 4 5 6 VERS 3 4 5 6. The Pharisees came unto Christ tempting him and saying unto him is it lawfull for a man to put away his Wife for every cause And hee answered and said unto them Have yee not read that hee which made them at the beginning made them male and female And said For this cause shall a man leave Father and Mother and shall cleave to his wife and they twaine shall bee one flesh Wherefore they are no more twaine but one flesh What therefore God hath joyned together let not man put asunder Sect. 1 THe Pharisees demanded of Christ whether it were lawfull for a man to put away his Wife for every cause Quest The Pharisees here propound a question unto CHRIST concerning Divorce Whether for every cause a man may put away his wife or not Answ To this Christ answers negatively that for every cause a divorce is not lawfull And this hee proves by divers Arguments or reasons namely First from the authority of the Institutor of Marriage which was God vers 6. Whom God hath joyned together let no man put asunder Secondly from the Antiquity of the institution of marriage which was from the beginning Vers 4. At the beginning God made them male and female and joyned them in marriage together Thirdly from the manner of the conjunction and union which is betwixt a man and his wife vers 5. Twaine shall bee one flesh Fourthly from the excellency of the conjugall bond and tye vers 5. A man shall leave Father and Mother and shall cleave to his wife Sect. 2 § 2. And they twaine shall be one Flesh Quest 1 Whether is Polygamie and Digamie lawfull or not That is whether is it lawfull for a man to marry two wives or more then two Answ 1 First Polygamie is unlawfull for after marriage the man hath no more power over his body but his wife neither hath the wife power over her owne body but her husband but it was never lawfull for the wife to have more husbands then one at once therefore it was never lawfull for the man to have more wives then one at once Answ 2 Secondly there are two sorts of Digamie namely I. Lawfull and improperly so called and this is when men have had more wives then one but not at once but successively one after the death or lawfull divorce of another II. Unlawfull and this is two-fold to wit either First direct Digamie when men have two wives at one time And Secondly indirect Digamie and this is when a man having put away one wife unjustly marries another and of this sort of Digamie the Apostle speakes 1 Tim. 5.9 Shee must be the wife of one husband A wife might not by the law of God if shee had not violated her faith to her husband nor stained the marriage bed bee divorced from her husband but it was permitted amongst the Iewes Now such a woman as was unjustly divorced from her husband and married to another was the wife of two husbands that is I. Shee was the wife of the first husband still Iure divino by the law of God And II. Shee was the wife of the second husband onely Iure humano by humane Law What manner of union is betwixt man and Quest 2 wife that our Saviour here saith they are but one This union and conjunction of the husband and the wife Answ by which they become to be but one flesh may be easily understood if wee doe but turne our eyes to the end of that Union Now the end of this union was that man might have a helper and assistant in readinesse yea and that like unto himselfe Now man stood in need of such a helper in many regards viz. First for the procreation of Children and issues sake Now although properly the Father be Genitor the begetter yet he cannot beget a child alone And hence it is that the off-spring which is brought forth must acknowledge both Father and Mother but not as two but as one Parent Vnus enim ab uno est Secondly man stood in need of a helper for the education of children Now it is impossible ordinarily for a man to have any who will bee more tender and carefull over his children then his wife shee being Mother unto them Thirdly man stands in need of a helper and assistant that may communicate and partake with him both of weale and woe both of prosperity and adversity For our joy is encreased when wee have others who rejoyce with us esteeming our joy their rejoycing and our good their glee and our sorrow is decreased when wee have copartners who mourne and weepe with us bearing a part of our burden as though our griefe were theirs Now ordinarily there is not a greater fellow-feeling of one anothers affaires or occurrences betweene any then there is betwixt the husband and wife Fourthly this union of the husband and the Wife is seene in the communion of all things all things being common betwixt them If the studious Reader would see these two last particulars amplified and enlarged let him reade Cameron Myrothec Pag. 96.97 § 3. Those whom God hath joyned together let no man put a sunder Sect. 3 Some object this place thus against marriage after a lawfull divorce Object CHRIST saith Whom God hath joyned let no man separate therefore after divorce they still remaine man and wife before God and may not marry to others Answ The party offending breakes the bond of marriage and so sinneth grievously both against God and the yoke-fellow but the innocent party marrying againe after lawfull divorce onely taketh the benefit of that liberty whereto God hath set him free through the unlawfull breaking of the bond by the party offending Perkins It is controverted
respects and considerations maketh him forbeare to offend He is tempted unto sinne and wrastles against it with manfull wrastlings because hee feares to offend his God yea because he loves his God and Res est solliciti plena timoris amor perfect love is full of feare yea for him to put forth his hand unto wickednesse were to crucifie unto himselfe againe the Lord of Glory and put him to an open shame and therefore hee resists sinne even unto blood In a word the love of CHRIST constraines him to strive against sinne And thus in him the Spirit lusts against the flesh Secondly in the Unregenerate man the flesh lusts against the flesh that is Naturall carnall and mundane respects and considerations cause him to abstaine from Sinne and to strive against it He is tempted often to Drunkennesse revenge Fornication deceiving by false weights and measures and the like and he resists and withstands these temptations and why For feare of the Judgements of GOD or the displeasing of some men or the staining of his reputation estimation and credit and the like carnall respects and thus in him the Flesh lusts against the flesh IV. The last difference betweene the striving of the Regenerate and the Vnregenerate man shewes it selfe in the meanes by which they resist For First the troubled Conscience onely of the Vnregenerate man resists and for the most part by little and little the Conscience growes sencelesse and hard and then hee sinnes without feeling Ephes 4.19 But Secondly the Regenerate resists Sinne by the word and grace of God and as his knowledge in the word increases and the grace of God is increased in him even so his strength and hatred against sinne increases And therefore if we would know whether we be Regenerated or not wee must examine whether we warre against sinne with Spirituall or Carnall weapons 2 Cor. 10.4 5. And thus much for the first answer and the first effect of Regeneration Answ 2 Secondly the next effect of Regeneration is a holy life and conversation For those who are in CHRIST will labour to purge themselves even as hee is Pure 1 Iohn 3. and that by Faith Act. 15.9 Here observe in the Regenerate foure things to wit I. Hee conceits of Sinne and lookes upon whatsoever is evill as a thing not belonging but as a stranger unto him he knowes sinne is not his worke and therefore he imployes not himselfe therein but as an enemy hates it and fights against it But II. Hee lookes upon that which is good as his owne proper worke which he is bound to obey and to performe and therefore according to St. Pauls advice Philip. 4.8 he labours after whatsoever is holy just pure and of good report because the Lords worke is his employment and the Lords wayes are his path and as the Lord by the effectuall vocation of his Spirit hath called him unto holinesse so he labours to walke in the wayes of holinesse and to worke the worke of the Lord. Hence III. When hee is not able to doe that good which he would and should as a Sicke man sometimes is not able to disgest his meat then is he sensible of his weaknesse and sorrowfull for it and apprehensive of the want of grace in his Soule as the body is for want of meat crying out and complaining of his impotencie and inability with St. Paul Rom. 7.15.19.24 And IV. When he finds that he is not able to doe what he would then he strives to doe what hee can and that to the uttermost As it is with an industrious man who being wounded in his legges and forced through lamenesse to keepe house strives to be doing something and employes himselfe in one good and profitable worke or other untill he bee able to goe about his affaires and to follow his owne proper and particular calling So the Regenerate man if he be not able to walke in the wayes of God and to worke his worke as he desires through infirmity and weaknesse then hee labours to employ himselfe as he can and to doe what good workes he is able with an earnest desire of more strength and a faithfull promise and full purpose to runne swiftly the race that is set before him when the Lord shall give his anckle bones strength and to worke cheerefully the worke of the Lord when he shall be pleased to strengthen his hands And therefore if we desire to know whether wee be Regenerated or not let us examine our purposes and promises our desires and endeavours of a new life and holy conversation for they which are borne againe will avoyd all evill impure and scandalous actions and labour to abound in every good worke and grieve when they are not able to doe what they desire and rejoyce when the Lord increaseth their strength and makes them thereby able in some good measure to obey his will Thirdly the next effect of Regeneration is a Answ 3 certainty thereof Here observe these things viz. I. As an Infant knowes not that it lives neither is sensible of life So those who are Infants in grace and newly regenerated and converted are not sensible for a while of the Spirituall life of Grace but when they come to a greater maturity of grace they easily perceive it and know it II. As a melancholy man may thinke himselfe to be sicke yea dead when in the meane time the actions of life and motion convince him to be alive So the Regenerate in the houre of temptation doth often thinke himselfe to be dead in Sinne and deprived of all Spirituall life when in the meane time his feare to offend God his sorrow for his sinnes his warring against sinne and his unblameable conversation shewes and proves that he is a living Soule and alive in the Lord. III. As a man by some deepe wound or extreame blow or the decaying of the Spirits may faint or swound and become insensible of life So may the Regenerate man after the committing of some great and grievous Sinne as wee see in David Psal 22. and 32. and 42. But as those are brought unto themselves who faint with rubbing and other the like meanes so these by the wounds and checks of Conscience and by an earnest endeavour in the exercises of Religion may by little and little returne unto themselves and their former assurance of Grace and Regeneration IV. If the Regenerate man be not an Infant nor under the burden of temptation neither hath committed any great or grievous Sinne then hee may know his estate and condition and that he is alive unto the Lord 1 Iohn 2.13 and 3.14 because the actions of life prove him to live and his life is no longer hid from himselfe An Jmage or Picture may in outward shew bee like to a living man in all things although it have no life in it at all but this concludes not that therefore a living man câ—nnot tell certainly whether he lives or not A man asleepe may dreame that he
them at all Secondly they persevere and continue crying but yet they gaine nothing thereby Thirdly afterwards as though they had done some evill thing they are reproved and blamed by the multitude for their prayers Yet notwithstanding all this they doe not desist but are so much the more fervent in their prayers as is here plainly expressed and they cried so much the more How many things are herein implyed Quest 1 Two namely Answ First their perseverance they give not over but continue praying To teach us That we must be perseverant in prayer and Obser 1 continue therein untill we have obtained that which we want or else untill Gods will be otherwise revealed Read Rom. 12.12 and 1. Thes 5.17 Luke 18.1 c. Matth. 7.7 and 26.42 44. Why must we continue thus in prayer Quest 2 First because God by with-holding from us Answ 1 what we want and desire doth thereby onely prove whether wee will give over praying or not Secondly because if we persevere in prayer we Answ 2 shall be holpen For I. We can obtaine nothing without perseverance And II. If we persevere in prayer we shall obtaine what we desire Hitherto saith Christ ye have asked nothing in my name but ye have obtained it Iohn 14. and 1. Iohn 4.16 Thirdly we must continue in prayer because Answ 3 at least it is a comfort to those who are afflicted and hence CHRIST prayes when his soule was troubled and St. Iames commands all to pray when they are afflicted Iames 5.12 Yea Fourthly we must continue in prayer because Answ 4 I. It is the service of God And II. The solace of the soule And III. The remedy against evill Secondly the next thing implied in these words And they cryed so much the more is the fervour and zeale of the blind men Whence we learne That wee ought to pray fervently as well as Obser 2 perseverantly Rom. 12.12 Hâ—â— observe these things namely I. We stand in need of many things but we can expect nothing without prayer Iames 4.2 Jf we would have we must aske Matth. 7.7 For prayer is the cause and condition without which we cannot and by vvhich we may obtaine any thing at Gods hand and therefore it is necessary that we should pray II. We are hindred from good things by Sathan who is expelled and driven away by prayer alone and therefore great reason there is that we should pray III. Jt is the remedy against temptation as appeares by our Saviours admonition Pray lest ye enter into temptation And therefore if we would be preserved from sinne we must pray IV. Prayer is a part of Gods worship and service now he is to be worshiped in spirit and truth and served with all the heart and with all the soule And therefore we must offer up unto him spirituall hearty and fervent Prayers CHAP. XXI Vers 5 VERS 5. Tell ye the Daughter of Sion Behold thy King commeth unto thee meeke and sitting vpon an Asse and a Colt the Foale of an Asse Our Saviour here by calling himselfe a King ministers occasion unto us to consider a little of his Kingdome and the nature thereof because King and Kingdome are Relata Quest 1 What is the Kingdome of Christ Answ That whereby he doth dispense and administer with authority and power all things which belong unto the salvation of men Psalm 2.6 Daniel 2.44 Luke 1.36 Quest 2 What are the properties of this Kingdome Answ 1 First it is an Universall Kingdome and that in three regards viz. I. Jn respect of all ages Matth. 22.43 44 45. For it hath beene from the beginning and shall be unto the end of the World II. Jn respect of all sorts of men which belong unto this Kingdome for there are some of all nations and vocations which belong thereunto Daniel 7.14 Revelat. 17.4 III. Jn respect also of all creatures inasmuch as they belong unto the good of Gods chosen and promote or helpe forward their salvation Ephes 1.21 22. Answ 2 Secondly this Kingdome is in the very soules and consciences of men Rom. 14.17 Yea Answ 3 Thirdly it dispenseth both eternall life and death Revelat. 1.18 Answ 4 Fourthly it is an eternall Kingdome Daniel 2.44 and 7.14 Answ 5 Fifthly the last property of this Kingdome is this Jt brings true peace and perfect happinesse to those who are heires thereof Esa 9.6 Ephes 2.16 Hebr. 7.2 And hence this Kingdome is called in Scripture sometimes the Kingdome of God sometimes the Kingdome of peace and glory somtimes the Kingdome of light and glory and sometimes the Kingdome of heaven and the world to come Hebr. 2.5 Quest 3 What is the duty of the Subjects of this Kingdome Answ 1 First they must admire the singular humility of their Lord and this our Saviour seemes to intimate and imply in this word Ecce Behold Tell yee the Daughter of Sion Behold thy King commeth unto thee meeke c. Jt must needs breed and beget admiration in us if we doe but consider these things viz. I. Who comes The King of glory and the glory and splendor of the Father II. Unto whom doth he come Unto those who drinke iniquity like water Iob. 15. And therefore Christs comming unto us is no other then First the comming of light to darknesse And Secondly the comming of righteousnesse to unrighteousnesse And Thirdly the comming of life to death And therefore how can we but admire it Elizabeth wondred whence it was that the Mother of her LORD should come and visite her and we have much more cause to admire why the Lord himselfe will come to visite us Secondly the Subjects of this King or Kingdome Answ 2 must rejoyce for the benefits they reape by their King and priviledges they enjoy by being Subjects of this Kingdome And this seemes to be implyed here in these words Thy King commeth unto thee Every Christian should labour to make of this Tibi a Mihi that so they might say My LORD CHRIST hath come Mihi to me for this will afford true and solide joy Wherein must we rejoyce Quest 4 First in prayer because whatsoever we begge in Answ 1 the name of this King we shall obtaine Secondly in anxiety and sorrow for our sinnes Answ 2 because this is a faithfull saying That this King came into the World for the salvation of Sinners Thirdly in tentation because we have a King Answ 3 who is potent yea Omnipotent and therefore let us call upon him that he may destroy the workes of Sathan in us Fourthly in persecution poverty sicknesse and Answ 4 the like because he is our comforter in persecution our riches in poverty our Physitian in sicknesse yea all in all unto us and therefore we have great cause to rejoyce in him Here it may be objected oh but he deferres long for J have beene in misery and prayed unto him Object and expected helpe from him and yet am not delivered how therefore can J rejoyce in affliction First be not dismaid
that number who could and would performe these good workes nor who could but would not performe them and therefore it is necessary that there should be some middle place that is Limbus infantum betweene the glory of heaven and the torments of hell for these Infants His Argument seemes to be this Whosoever are sent unto hell fire are to be reckoned up with those who could but would not performe the workes of charity and mercy But children are not of this number Therefore children shall not be sent into hell fire First the Major is the Jesuits not our Iesuses Answ for in CHRISTS words we onely read that those who would not exercise these workes of charity should be cast into hell fire and not contrarily that all who are cast into hell fire would not exercise workes of charity Secondly we may distinguish of this word Answ which he useth Connumerari to be numbred together or to be reckoned up with such or such for this is twofold to wit I. Connumerari in peccato to be numbred together in sinne that is to commit the same kind of sinnes and thus drunkards are reckoned up with drunkards and swearers with swearers and fornicators with fornicators and theeves with theeves and the like Now in this sense the Major is false for undoubtedly other sinners besides unmercifull and uncharitable men are cast into hell fire and therefore why not Infants stained with mans first transgression II. Connumerari in poena to be numbred together in punishment that is to be tormented with the same kind of punishment wherewith others are tormented Now in this sense the Minor is false for into the same fire are cast murderers swearers drunkards adulterers lyars and idolaters and therefore why not children polluted with originall sinne Cham. t. 3. de poenis peccati lib. 6. Cap. 4. § 9. 10. fol. 165. Argum. Now on the other side we urge this place to prove that Infants dying without the pardon of originall sinne are condemned to hell where they are sensible of torments and shall insufferably be tormented We argue thus CHRIST shall say to the goates on his left hand that is to those who are condemned Depart from me yee cursed into everlasting fire prepared for the devill and his Angels But of this number are Infants which are condemned to hell Therefore they shall suffer torments in everlasting fire If the Reader would see this argument opposed and the reply answered let him reade Dr. Willets synops fol. 877. VERS 46. Vers 46 And those shall goe away into everlasting punishment but the righteous into eternall fire How doe the wicked enter into hell and the Quest 1 godly into heaven By the powerfull and commanding voice of CHRIST which is of that force Answ that neither the greatest rebell that ever was amongst men nor all the devils in hell shall be able to withstand it How can these words The wicked shall goe into Quest 2 everlasting punishment stand or accord with those of the Prophet The Lord is mercifull and will not be angry for ever Ierem. 3.12 The Prophet speakes of Gods anger in regard of those who repented Answ for with such God will not be angry for ever He chastens indeed the faithfull when they sinne but it is but with temporall punishments as is evident from Esa 5.7 and Ierem. 18. and Ezech. 18. and when they repent and turne unto him then he repents him of his punishments and corrections and turnes unto them in love Now Christ speakes here of perverse and obstinate sinners who will not by the long suffering of God be led unto repentance and unto whom God will be a swift and severe Iudge CHAP. XXVI Vers 1.2 VERS 1 2. And it came to passe when IESUS had finished all these sayings he said unto his Disciples ye know that after two dayes is the Feast of the Passeover and the Sonne of man is betrayed to be crucified Sect. 1 § 1. After two dayes is the Feast of the Passeover Quest 1 From whence was this Feast called the Feast of the Passeover Answ Not A passione from suffering as some thinke but from passing for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in Hebrew is Pesaech which comes from the root Pasach Transiit or Transultavit to passe over For from Exodus 12. it appeares that First the children of Israel that night went forth with hast out of Egypt And Secondly that the Angell who slew the first borne of the Egyptians did that night passe over the houses of the Israelites seeing their doores sprinkled with blood Yea Thirdly this their Passing out of Egypt was a Type of Christs passing from this world to his Father as thinkes Carthusian s pag. 204. b. Quest 2 How may the Evangelists be reconciled who in shew seeme to differ in the laying downe of this History For in this verse St. Matthew saith that after two dayes was the Feast of the Passe-over but verse 17. he saith that this was done in the first day of unleavened bread which St. Marke expounds to be the first day of the Passe-over And therefore St. Matthew seemes to contradict himselfe in the one verse saying that it was two dayes before the Passe-over in the other verse that it was the first day of the passe-over Againe St. Iohn Chapt. 13.1 saith this was before the Feast of the Passe-over St. Marke Chapt. 14.12 saith it was on the first day of unleavened bread when they killed the Passe-over which seemes to crosse one another For the reconciling of these Answ we must observe these things namely First that the Hebrewes begun their day at even as appeares by Levit. 23.32 Secondly that the Passe-over according to the Law was to be celebrated upon the fourteenth day of the first moneth Nisan as appeares Exod. 12.6 18. And from the beginning of that day that is from the Euen they were wont to eate unleavened bread Thirdly CHRIST celebrated the Passe-over upon that day which was prescribed by the Law because he would be subject to the Law in all things Fourthly the day of preparation was the day before the Passe-over which answers to our Friday See after verse 17. Fifthly the first day of unleavened bread was the fourteenth day of the moneth Nisan which was the first day of the weekely Feast of the Passe-over For the celebration of this Feast continued seven dayes Now this fourteenth day of the moneth Nisan is not to be understood from the beginning of the day that is from the setting of the Sun of the thirteenth day but from the last part of it and in this last part was the Lampe killed and eaten betwixt two Evens according to the Law Exod. 12.6 And therefore this was done in the former part of the first day of unleavened bread that is about sun-set of the thirteenth day of the Moneth Nisan Let the Reader for a more full satisfaction of this question looke upon Sharp symphon 330. See also Carthus s pag. 108. a. and
thus preaching is profitable for our instruction in the nature of the Sacrament for our preparation unto the Sacrament for our admonition to performe what we promise in the Sacrament and for our consolation if we pay our vowes unto our God which we have behight Fourthly J therefore conclude and determine Answ this question thus I. That it is principally necessary that first we should be taught before we communicate of these sacred mysteries For if this Sacrament must not be administred to Infants who are not able to discerne of the Lords body then certainly neither ought it to be communicated to those who are as ignorant and stupide as Infants are II. Preaching doth not seeme to be absolutely necessary unto the Sacrament Toties quoties or in omni Tunc as often as the Sacrament is administred because then it could not be administred to the sicke at home without a Sermon III. But it is most profitable that there should be a Sermon when the Eucharist is celebrated for these reasons First that thereby we may be taught what we doe and that I. Lest we fall into the Popish and Capernaitish errours who said Will this man give us his flesh to eate For without teaching we might easily fall into the errour of the Corporall presence And II. That we may know the mutuall conditions of the obligation made betweene God and us in the Sacrament that is what God promiseth unto us on his part and what we promise unto God on our parts For it is necessary that those who enter into bonds should know what they seale unto and what covenants they make and this the Lord did admonish his people of when they entred into covenants Exod. 19.5 and Deut. 30.15 c. and 1 Sam. 8.11 Secondly Preaching is profitable before the Sacrament that therby our affections may be excited that is I. That our sorrow may be excited and stirred up for our sinnes which were the cause of the death and suffering of our blessed Saviour II. That our desire may be excited and stirred up for grace and Christ that is that we may long for Christ and his grace which are onely profitable unto us for pardon of our sinnes past and preservation against sinne for the time to come III. That our joy may be stirred up for that great love that God sheweth unto mankind in giving his onely and dearely beloved Sonne to death for their redemption and for that hope which we have that he died for our particular sinnes and rose againe for our Justification It is necessary before we come unto the Lords Table that we should be admonished of all these now how can we better be admonished of them then in and by the preaching of the word of God Thirdly preaching is requisite before the Communion because great is the danger that they incurre that abuse or profane it or come not lcoathed with a wedding garment thereunto 1 Cor. 11.28 29. Matth. 22. Quest What is required in the receivers of this blessed Sacrament Answ Three things namely Preparation Examination and Execution of the two former I have formerly spoken it remaines therefore now onely to speak of the last which respects a threefold time viz. the time Precedent the time present and the time Subsequent First this Execution respects the time precedent or going before the receiving of this Supper wherein two things are wont to be done by the faithfull to wit First a serious Meditation of what they are to undertake and about to doe namely I. They are going to enter into a Covenant with the Lord that is either to renew that Covenant which they have often made or at least to make that contract whâ—ch hitherto they have neglected Now the scope of this Covenant is that they for their parts promise and desire that they may become new creatures 2. Corinthians 5.17 Galathians 6.15 And CHRIST for his part promiseth that he will be theirs 2. Corinthians 6.16 They come unto the Table of the Lord with a desire to be ingrafted into CHRIST Iohn 15.4 and with a purpose for the time to come to shew themselves the godly branches of a holy stocke Romans 11.16 c. II. They come to confesse their sinnes to pray unto God and to praise his name for his infinite mercies therefore that they may doe these things diligently they either doe performe or ought to performe a threefold duty namely First consider how great gaine doth accrew unto them from the death of Christ that the remembrance thereof may make them powre forth themselves in thankefulnesse unto God Secondly they ought to search and inquire out all their sinnes and all the reliques of concupiscence that remaine within them that so they may truly and understandingly confesse their sinnes and blush for their sinnes and crave forgivenesse of all their sinnes Thirdly they must observe the state of their soules principally their wants weaknesses defects and imperfections that so they may desire the supply of them with the greater zeale and fervour III. They come unto Christ and to his Communion they come unto a spirituall Feast and most rich treasure And therefore they whet and sharpen their appetite that they may feed the harder and be fully satisfied with the fatnesse of Gods house For if they be CHRISTS and he theirs if they be worthy receivers of this holy Communion and heavenly banquet then they shall have First remission and pardon of all their sinnes 1 Iohn 2.1 2. and 3.5 And Secondly reconciliation with the Lord their God in and through Christ 2 Cor. 5.19 c. although formerly they have beene enemies and strangers Ephes 2.13 c. Thirdly they shall have preservation from sinne for the time to come the grace of God shall sustaine them in the houre of temptation 1 Samuel 25.32 c. 2 Corinth 12.9 Fourthly they shall have an increase of grace and strength in the inward man they shall have both power to will and doe Philip. 2.13 Rom. 7.25 And Fifthly a Communion of both the natures of CHRIST that is both of the humane nature and also of the divine 2 Peter 14. and 1 Iohn 1.3 Yea Sixthly they shall be made partakers of life eternall Rom. 6.23 and 1 Peter 1.5 Now these things the worthy and faithfull receiver may expect and ought to desire with all his heart soule and spirit Secondly after the Meditation of the worke which we are to undertake followes the fitting and preparing of our selves for these things above mentioned and that three manner of wayes viz. First by sequestring of our selves from all worldly imployments and distractions if it be possible the day before we are to receive Secondly by corroborating and strengthning our meditation by fasting For this I. Expels and drives away all sluggishnesse dulnesse and idlenesse And II. Sharpens the mind unto meditation and examination of our wants and weaknesses And III. Doth singularly helpe and further us in prayer For as empty vessels sound the loudest so
to their full height and maturity and therefore the Lord will not yet come against him in judgement Secondly God hereby will shew that Christs Answ 2 kingdome is not of this world and therefore he shall not exercise temporall power no not over his enemies but in this life submit himselfe to the forme of a servant Thirdly God heereby will shew that Christ Answ 3 came not to destroy but to save Fourthly God Answ 4 heereby will shew that Christ is true man Fiftly this was done that Christ heereby Answ 5 might shew that his Kingdome was not confined to one place the Jewes bragged that in Iudea was God knowne a Psa 76.1 and that he dwels in Jerusalem b Psa 135 21. but Christ breakes downe the partition wall c Ephes 2.14 accepting the Gentiles into favour sending the Gospel unto them causing them to receive it Sixtly this was done that Christ might shew Answ 6 unto us that there is for him and his still some one place or other to rest safely in or that hee will alwaies in some place or other procure a refuge and safegard for his Children Lastly this was done for our instruction that Answ 7 we in Christ might have an example to use all lawfull meanes to preserve our lives in the time of danger § 4. And flee into Egypt Sect. 4 Why is Ioseph commanded to carry Christ into Aegypt Quest I answer Answ the causes heereof are either first Naturall or secondly Spirituall First there may be these three naturall reasons rendred why Christ was to goe into Aegypt First because it was neere unto Iudea Secondly because it was a safer place then any part of Iudea Herod having no command nor power there Thirdly others adde d Carthus s because the Aegyptians were of old in the time of Ioseph well willers unto the Israelites and therefore Ioseph hopes and expects favour and kindnesse from them Secondly there may bee these five Spirituall reasons given of this fleeing into Aegypt First that hereby might bee signified that Christ was offered unto the Jewes and given unto the Gentiles Secondly that the prophecy might bee fulfilled which was given by the Prophet Hosea Thirdly because God will hereby shew that his anger lasts not for ever and therefore although in time past in his wrath hee wounded the Aegyptians yet now in the fulnesse of time he sends a Saviour unto them to cure all their maladies and heale all their infirmities Fourthly because Aegypt is a type of the world and therefore Christ was carried thither by Ioseph to shew that by the preaching of the Apostles Christ was carried unto the whole world e Carthus s Fiftly the last reason is because Aegypt of all countreyes was most corrupted with Idolatry and therefore for the more magnifying of his mercy in the conversion of this countrey and making it most famous for piety the Lord was carried thither f Chrysost Hom. 8. Sect. 5 § 5. Be there untill I bring thee word Quest Why doth not God appoint Ioseph a set time but leaves him in uncertainties with a Donec untill I bring thee word Answ I answer because God would have Ioseph to depend upon his providence Remembring first that not to waite Gods leasure is not to beleeve his providence Secondly that the providence of God is most prudent it knowes every article of time Thirdly we are ignorant what may prove good heereafter for us and therefore God would have us to depend upon his gracious providence Sect. 6 § 6. Because Herod seekes the young Child to destroy him Quest Why doth the Lord admonish Ioseph of this danger Answ 1 I answer first that the knowledge of the perill may increase his care Answ 2 Secondly to shew that God doth graciously beare with our infirmities Answ 3 Thirdly God hereby doth testifie how readie he is to open his minde and reveale his will unto his servants whensoever they stand in neede of his direction and desire with all willingnesse of heart to be ordered by it g Psal 25.14 Vers 14 §. 1. VERS 14. When hee arose he tooke the Sect. 1 young child and his Mother by night and departed into Aegypt Ille excitatus when hee arose that is by and by as soone as ever hee was awaked out of sleepe Observ Wee may observe hence how readily and constantly Ioseph obeyes every charge and severall injunction given unto him by God notwithstanding the many great impediments and lets which he had to the contrary for he might have thought or argued thus with himselfe First the child is none of mine Secondly why should I then offend my King for his safegard Thirdly by betraying the child and delivering of him into Herods hands I shall gaine honour and riches Fourthly my journey will bee full of perill Fiftly the Mother of the child is very tender and scarcely able to undergoe such a journey Sixtly I shall loose all the substance I enjoy by this my flight Seventhly I know not but Aegypt may bee as dangerous unto mee as Israel is These things Ioseph might have objected unto him selfe but hee doth not but is still readie prest to performe the will of God to goe when God bids him to come back againe when God calls him and to obey God when and how he pleaseth Teaching us that that obedience of God which is truely pleasing unto him ought to bee performed with readinesse willingnesse and chearefulnesse of heart Sect. 2 § 2. He tooke them by night Why doth Ioseph flee in the night I answer because it was most safe hee doth not say God hath commanded me to goe to Aegypt Quest 1 and therefore he will protect me I neede Answ 1 neither care when nor how I goe nor bee so hasty to goe but he is providently carefull and therefore he flyes as secretly and speedily as possibly he can having now a charge from God to remove Secondly Ioseph departed towards Aegypt in Answ 2 the night for feare Hence it may bee doubted whether in generall Quest 2 it is a good thing to feare danger or in particular whether Ioseph did well and warrantably in thus flying by night for feare of danger I answer First yes because hee had no calling Answ 1 nor warrant to abide there yea hee was forbidden by God to stay and therefore he did well to feare we can have no confidence in God beyond our calling all our hope being grounded upon his promises but hee hath not promised to protect us any longer then wee walke in our callings and that according to his will a 1 Ioh. 5.14 And therefore Ioseph did well in fearing to stay there seeing God had called him away Secondly God doth not kill and wholy destroy Answ 2 our affections but converts and changes them and then useth them and therefore Ioseph did not amisse in fearing to abide in Bethlehem It may heere bee demanded whether doe our Quest 3 affections helpe us or hinder