Children incourage Schoolmasters to the discharge of their calling which though conversant about little Children is of great use and benefit Finally Advertise Ministers to take care for Catechizing the little Children as well as instructing young Men and Fathers Our blessed Saviour had so great a respect for little Children that he blamed those who would have kept them from him embraced them in his arms and blessed them David though a King disdaineth not to be a teacher of Children many of the Ancient Fathers Clemens Origen Cyrill of Jerusalem Gregory Nyssen were Cathechists whose office is to instruct little Children yea here this holy Apostle leaveth not out in his writings little Children and so much for the second The last reference of this act is to the Obâ—ect whereabout this writing is conversant It is that which is not expressed in the Text and therefore is supplyed by Expositors yet not without some differenâ—e I â—inde among Interpreters a threefold construction of this 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I write as to the matter of it 1. Some enlarge it as extending to the whole Epistle and so these Verses are a digression from the prâ—ceding matter and they may well be called the Epistle Dedicatory wherein St John giveth an account to whom his Epistle is written all Christians in generall and in particular to Fathers young Men and Children 2. Others refer these Verses to the duty of Brotherly love before mentioned and having commended the worth he here showeth the fitness of it to all ages of men I write 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 this Commandment of Love to you Fathers young Men Children according to which construction these Verses look backward and are a close of the preceding discourse That which strengthens this reference is that it manifestly appeareth a great part of this Epistle insisteth upon the duty of Love and therefore no wonder if our Apostle when first he speaketh of it both prefixeth a proaemium declaring its antiquity and affixeth a peroration discovering its congruity to all sorts of Christians Finally Others refer these Verses to that prohibition of worldly Love which followeth in the fifteenth sixteenth and seaventeenth Verses and so it looketh forward and is as it were an exordium to make way for that inhibition which he knew would be so unwelcome to the most though it concerned them all And now though by what is already said I conceive the middlemost of these most rational yet since none of them are either improbable or unprofitable I shall handle each 1. If we extend this writing to the whole Epistle that which would be observed is the community of the holy Scriptures This Epistle was written by St John not only to strong but weak Christians to old but young men nay little children and if it was written certainly it was intended that it should be read to them publikely and by them privately for their edification Nor is this less true of the other writings of this Apostle of the writings of the other Apostles and of the Prophets and therefore Vorstius layeth it down as a general doctrine from this Text Sacra Scriptura â—mnibus fidelibus cujusconque aetatis aut conditionis dummodo capaces doctrinae est destinata The Holy Scripture is written for all ages and conditions of Christians who are capable of instruction It is very observable to this purpose what care Saint Paul took for the publike reading of his Epistle to the Colossians and not only to them but the Laodiceans what a solemn charge and adjuration by the Lord he gives that his first Epistle to the Thessalonians be read to all the holy Brethren This practice of publike reading was used by the Jewish Church who had Moses and the Prophets read in their Synagogues on the Sabbath day and accordingly it was followed by the Christian Church in the primitive times Justin Martyr assureth us that in the publike Assembly on the Lords day 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 some of the Apostolical and Prophetical writings were read to the people and Tertullian saith Convenimus ad literarum divinarum commemorationem one end of our meetings is the commemoration of the Holy Scriptures Rhenanus quoting this passage in his Annotations upon another Book of that Fathers breatheth forth that pious wish Utinam redeat ad nos ista consuetudo Oh that this custome were in use among us That note of St Hierome upon those words of the Psalmist The Lord shall count when he writes up the people as translated by him would not be passed by Dominus narrabit in Scriptura populorum The Lord shall declare in the writings of the people so he renders it that is in Scripturis sanctis in the Holy Scriptures so he glosses it and presently adds Quae Scriptura populis omnibus legitur hoc est ut omnes intelligant The Scripture is read unto all the people to the end all may understand it Nor are the sacred writings only to be read to but by the people of what age and condition soever It is very observable to this purpose how the Psalmist inviteth every man and as St Basil notes upon the place he doth not exclude the woman to meditate day and night which supposeth reading on the Law of God by a promise of blessedness Nay St John in the beginning of that obscure Book of the Revelation asserts Blessed is he that readeth and heareth the words of this prophesit as if by that assurance of bliss he would invite every man to the reading of it Indeed there want not express precepts in this kind it is our Saviours command concerning the Old Testament Search the Scriptures and saith St Cyrill 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Christ gives this charge to the people of the Jewes nor is his assertion without plain proof For those to whom Christ speaks these words were they who sent to John and they who sent the Priests and Levites to John were the common people of the Jewes nor are we to imagine this as a peculiar indulgencâ— to the Jewes at that time because of their incredulity unless a preceding prohibition can appear denying the search of the Scriptures to them which since it is not to be found we truly affirm it to be a general mandate And Origen inferreth thence an affectionate desire concerning Christians Utinam omnes faceremus illud quod scriptum est scrutamini scripturas I would to God we would all follow that command Search the Scriptures Sâ— Paul speaking of the New Testament which is most peculiaaly the Word of Christ adviseth the Colossians and in them all sorts of Christians Let it dwell in you richly in all wisdome and Sâ— Hierome notes on that place In hoc ostenditur verbum Christi non suffitienter sed abundanter etiam Laiâ—os habere debere Hereby is asserted that the Laity ought to have the Word of Christ in them not only
is plainly meant of the faculty and act of willing which in God is the same with his essance But in all those places where the Scripture speaketh of doing Gods Will it must be referred to the Object of his will and meaneth a doing of the thing which God willeth to be done 2. In respect of the things which God willeth to be done Know further that his will is secret or revealed Gods secret will is his eternall counsell and purpose either of permitting or effecting either immediately or mediately whatsoever is done in the world This is that which is called by the Schools voluntas efficax that will of God which is alwaies done according as he saith himself My counsell shall stand I will do all my pleasure Indeed in this notion these two are convertible whatever God wils is done and whatever is done God wils if it be evill he wils to suffer it if it be good he wils either by himself or his Creatures to effect it And the reason is plain because if any thing could be done Deo nolente against Gods will it must be either because he did not know of the doing it and then he were not omniscient or because he did know and could not hinder the doing of it and then he were not omnipotent to deny either of which is to deny him to be a God According to this construction the truth is even wicked men do Gods will whilst their designe is to fullfill their own mischievous lusts they accomplish Gods righteous pleasure whilst they intend to oppose the will of God which they know they effect his hidden counsell But since as God saith of the King of Assyria he meaneth not so it is against their will that they do Gods yea their intention is to cross his even when they do it such a doing his will is no virtue and therefore not the secret but the revealed will of God is here intended 3. Be pleased further to take notice That the things which God revealeth to be his will are of two sorts either such as are to be done de nobis upon us or a nobis by us 1. Gods revealed will concerning the things to be done upon us is either pro or contra for or against us and is manifest either by the predictions of his word whither promissory or minatory or by the execution of his workes whither in mercies or judgements and this will of God calls for the practice of severall graces according to its various dispensation both in regard of good and evill 1. The Revelation of Gods will for us is considerable either as it is in the promise or the performance as it is in the promise it is that we are to hope and pray for to trust in and rest upon Thus David I have hoped in thy word and again Deale bountifully with thy servant according to thy word that is thy promise which is a revelation of Gods gratious will As it is in the performance it is that we are to praise him for and walke worthy of nothing being more equall then that when it pleaseth God to do us good we should give him thankes ascribing what we enjoy not to the worthiness of our worke but the goodnesse of his will according to that Angelicall hymne when the pleasure of the Lord was accomplished in the incarnation of Christ Glory to God on high good will towards Men. 2. The revelation of Gods will against us is likewise to be considered either as it is in the threatning or in the inflicting As threatned it is that we are to feare when inflicted it is that we are to beare Before we know it to be his determinate pleasure we may pray against it so soon as it appeareth to be his pleasure we must submit to it Thus did Ely when upon that dolefull message iterated by Samuell in his eares he saith It is the Lord let him do what seemeth good in his sight Thus did Job when being spoiled of all he saith The Lord giveth and the Lord taketh away blessed be the name of the Lord yea thus did that divine Philosopher Epictetus when he said I have submitted my will to Gods if he will have me burne with a feaver or labour with any misery I am willing Indeed the name of that Deacon to whom St Austin wrote Quod vult Deus ought to be the temper of every Christian what God will that we may be able to say in his severest dealings with us what Harpalus said when he was invited to a feast by Astyages whereof one dish was the head of his Son baked and the King asked him how he liked it what pleaseth the King pleaseth me But this is the will of God which we are to suffer with patience and chearfullness And therefore 2. It remaineth that the will of God here intended is his revealed will of those things which are to be done by us that will in regard of which we are not to be Passive but Active to which we owe not patience but obedience a voluntary submission but ready subjection This is that will of God which is called voluntas imperans or praeceptiva Gods prescribing or commanding will because it is revealed in his commands and these both Affirmative and Negative enjoyning what is good that we may practice it and inhibiting vvhat is evill that vve may avoid it so that if you vvill explaine one vvord by another that vvhich in this and such like Scriptures is called the will of God is the same with that which is called the Law of the Lord and so much in Answer to the first Question 2. That which cometh next in order to be inquired is what doing of Gods will is required â—n answer to which take notice 1. That it is not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he that knoweth but he that doth the will of God Indeed we cannot do Gods will at least not as Gods will till vve know it in vvhich respect that Apostolicall counsell is very necessary Be not unwise but understanding what the will of the Lord is and to this end vve must according to our Saviours advice search the Scriptures vvhich are the Records of his will and for this reason no doubt David so often prayeth Teach me thy statutes shew me thy waies make me to understand the way of thy precepts But still the end of our knowing must be doing and therefore God bids Moses teach the Israelites his commands that they might do them and our Saviour tells his Disciples If you knâ—w these things happy are you if you do them it is St James his caution Be not hearers but doers of the word deceiving your own souls Sitting Mary and stirring Martha are emblemes of contemplation and action and as they dwell in one house so must these in one heart beautifull Rachell and fruitfull Leah are Emblemes of knowledg and obedience and as Jacob was Married
ergo vult audita intelligere festinet ea quae jam audire potuit opere implere Whosoever therefore will understand let him first make hast to do what he heareth 2. Again Would we keep his Commandements let us know him These two Knowledg and Practice are necessary attendants the one upon the other Those two Sisters Leah and Rachell are fit Emblems of Contemplation and Action Contemplation like Rachell is Beautifull Action like Leah is Fruitfull And as those two sisters were Marryed to Jacob so are these two Graces concomitant in every Christian Those Cherubims which the Prophet Ezekiel speaketh of are described to have hands under their Wings The Wings saith St Gregory are an Embleme of Knowledg whereby we flye in our thoughts to Heaven the hands of Practice whereby we do good on Earth and all true Christians like these Cherubims have hands under their Wings That is Operation attending Meditation This that Father looketh upon as resembled by those two sisters of whom we read in the Gospell Martha and Mary whereof Vna intenta operâ— altera contemplatioâ—â— the one was intent upon doing the other upon hearing Indeed these two are not only as two sisters but as the Mother and the Daughter Divine Knowledg both engaging and inabling to Obedience so as it doth not only follow upon but flowe from it The true Knowledg of Divine things is not otiosa but officiosa a loyterer but a labourer As her principall Object Christ is Incarnate so is Shee having Eyes of Charity Bowels of Mercy Hands of Bounty and Feet of Obedience Indeed you may as well sever the Beams from the Sun heat from the fire motion from life as practice from a right Knowledg to which purpose is that note of Calvin upon the Text. He admonisheth us that Christian Knowledg is not idle but active by its efficacious vertue producing Obedience So that they who know him really will nay cannot but keep his Commandements To illustrate this Truth the more clearly I shall briefly resolve these two Queries what it is to know him and what it is to keep his Commandements whereby we shall learn both why a right Knowledg of Christ enableth to keep the Commandements and what keeping the Commandements floweth from this Knowledg 1. The full Explication of this Knowledg and its Influence upon keeping the Commandements will best appear by considering both the Object whereabout it is conversant and the Acts which it puts forth 1. The Object of this Knowledg is insinuated in that Pronoune Him and if you ask whom the answer is to be given from the first Verse where we read of the Father and Jesus Christ the Advocate According to this it is that our blessed Saviour maketh the Object of saving Knowledg to be the only true God and Jesus Christ whom he hath sent It is not then that Knowledg we have of God by his Works by his Law but by his Gospell whereof St John here speaketh So Beza upon the Text. Agitur hic de cognitione Dei in Evangelio The Apostle here speaketh of Evangelicall Knowledg which must needs engage to Obedience Inasmuch as it is a Knowledg of the Love of God and Christ towards us and those choise benefits he hath wrought for us and certainly he that knoweth how much Christ hath done for his Salvation cannot but be ready to do whatever Christ requireth for his Service Indeed that naturall knowledge we have of him as a Creator carrieth in it an Argument of Obedience It is the acknowledgment of the Elders Worthy art thou O Lord to receive glory and honour for thou hast created all things It being most equall that to him we should return service from whom we receive our being Yet further that legall knowledg we have of him as our Law-giver and Judge is an enducement to obedience Inasmuch as the breach of his Law cannot but provoke him to inflict the curs but still the knowledg we have of God as a Father of Christ as an Advocate and propitiation is both the sweetest and the strongest Obligation nothing being more rational then that our Father our Redeemer should be our Lord and that we should be wholly devoted to him who is so dearly affected to us Especially considering this is the very end of his delivering us out of the hands of our enemies that we should serve before him without fear in righteousness and holiness all the daies of our lives 2. The Acts of this knowledg will the better appear by observing that various acceptation of this word know which may fitly be accomodated to our present purpose Among others there are three constructions of this word 1. To know is sometimes as much as to acknowledg When we read of a Pharaoh risen in Aegypt which knew not Joseph Of God complaining concerning Israel that she did not know he gave her Corn and Wine and Oyl And again of Christs answer to many at the last day I know you not It is plainly manifest that to know is as much as to own acknowledg And in this sense that Latin word is used by the Poet Cognoscere for Agnoscere Dominum cognoscite vestrum This acceptation is here made use of by Tirinus and not unfitly If we know him that is acknowledg him as our Lord and Jesus and own him as our Prince and Saviour And thus knowing him we cannot but account our selves obliged to keep his Commandements It is very observeable to this purpose what Christ saith in St Johns Gospel concerning his Sheep They know my voice and they follow me True Believers acknowledging Christ to be their Shepherd and owning it to be his voice which they hear in the Scriptures follow him by an active conformity to his Precepts It is Gods own reasoning in the Prophecie of Malachy If I be a Father where is my honour If I be a Master where is my fear And therefore Christians acknowledging him to be their Father their Master cannot but give up themselves to the honour fear and service of him 2. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is sometimes as much as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to know the same with to believe It were easie to multiply Instances of this kind but one may suffice instead of all where God saith concerning Christ By his knowledg shall my righteous servant justifie many Which is no doubt to be construed by Faith in him he shall justifie according to that of St Paul being justified by Faith And believing is called knowing upon a double account 1. Partly Because Knowledg is a necessary ingredient of Faith It is the Apostles assertion concerning himself I know whom I have believed and his question concerning the Heathen How shall they believe on him of whom they have not heard thereby asserting it impossible and the reason is because they cannot believe on him whom they have not known Indeed Faith formally considered is an assent
flesh and spirit a body and a soul in a tree cortex succus the rind or barke and the sap or juyce so is there in Christian knowledg He whose knowledg is onely litterall hath but the flesh the body the barke the rinde of knowledge only he whose knowledg is spirituall hath the spirit the soul the sap the juyce of knowledg These two knowledges though they agree in the Object whereabout they are conversant yet are they very much different 1. In their efficient For whereas a speculative knowledg of Christ may be in a great measure acquired by industry in reading and is at most but a fruit of common illumination the active knowledg is only obtained by Prayer and is a fruit of speciall Sanctification 2. In their Subject For whereas that is only seated in the understanding this hath an impression upon the will and is sapida scientia a knowledg with a savour and relish of the sweetness of Christ that only floateth in the brain but this sinketh down into the heart that spins fine Cobwebs in the head this maketh the heart beat with a true pulse towards Heaven Finally in their effect that puffeth up with self-conceit this abaseth a man in his own apprehension that only sits upon the lip but this is to be felt at the fingers end that indeed may be nay many times is alone but this is ever attended with obedience Now of this Knowledg it is that St John here speaketh and he that saith he thus knoweth Christ not keeping his commandements is a liar The truth is whereas this knowledg is licet vera tamen imperfecta though true yet defective that is nec vera nec perfecta not perfect nor yet true according to a Theologicall notion it is only 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as the Apostles expression is a forme of knowledg not the power a shadow not the substance and is not the true because not the good knowledg of God since as the Psalmist saith A good understanding have they that do his Commandements Indeed as works without knowledg are no good works so knowledg without works is no good knowledg He that saith he believeth in Christ and liveth not accordingly believe him not he sheweth his Hypocrisie not his Faith who maketh shew of Faith without Obedience And as it is vain glory to boast of our keeping the Commandements so it is in vain to boast of knowledg without keeping the Commandements In which respect that of St Gregory is very apposite when there is time and place and ability of doing good Tantum quis operatur quantum Deum noverit tantum se nosse Deum indicat quantum pro Deo bona operatur Look how much knowledg so much doing and so much as a man doth for so much he knoweth of God and no more This will yet the more fully appear if we observe the Scripture Language which as it were defineth that knowledg of God by Obedience and denieth it to them who though they be not ignorant are disobedient That expression which the Prophet Jeremy bringeth in God speaking to Shallum concerning his Father is very observable to this purpose He judged the poor and the needy was not this to know me saith the Lord and why is righteous judgment a knowing the Lord but because it was a fulfilling of his command Upon this account it is that these words of the same Prophet they shall not teach one another saying know the Lord are read by the Caldee saying feare the Lord which the wise man joyneth with keeping his Commandements and those of the Prophet Hosea there is no knowledg of God in the land are rendred by the Caldee there is none that walketh in the feare of the Lord. Hence it is that the Sons of Eli though Priests are said to be sons of Belial which know not the Lord God where the one phrase is expounded by the other because Sons of Belial that would not stoop to the yoke of Obedience therefore branded as guilty of ignorance Yet more clearly God saith by his Prophet Jeremy they that handle the Law know me not And this is annexed as the reason because they transgress his Law a strange expression Handling the Law supposeth knowing it and yet not keeping they are said not to know even the Law which they handle and in the same prophesie God complaining of his people of Israel saith my people are foolish they have not known me they have no understanding and why thus but because to do good they have no knowledg Some know that they may know this is curiosity some know that they may be known this is vain glory but some know that they may do this is piety And because the Jews had not knowledg to do good they are said to have no knowledg by all which it appeareth an undeniable truth that for them who break this Commandement to say they know God and Christ is an odious lye To winde up this David acknowledgeth I said in mine haste all men are lyars but St John was not guilty of any such rashness in saying all Hypocrites are liars and therefore Credamus cedamus veritati nosque fateamu◠esse mendaces in a sence of our Hypocrisie let us assent to this verity acknowledging our selves to be liars nor let us any longer believe a lye and so cheat our selves into Hell Do not think a few barren notions drie sapless opinions airy frothy speculations to be a saving knowledg let not saith St Austin thy foolish heart deceive thee by imagining thy self to know God whilst thy Faith is a dead Faith without works Who would fraught his ship with such drossie Oare or stay for that gale which cannot waft him to Heaven Nay knowest thou not oh man that all such knowledg will only serve to make thy mittimus to Hell and aggravate as thy sin so thy torment in that day when all naked empty Knowledg shall vanish away Where will be the Scribes Where the Disputers Where the Wise Shalt thou not then have cause to cry out with the Poet Cur aliquid vidi or with Job Quare misero lux data est Woe is me that ever I knew any thing of God or Christ Oh that I had been born a Pagan an Ideot and never so much as heard the sound of the Gospell for then would my Condemnation have been less In a word what shame will at that day sit upon thy face when thou shalt be found before God Angels and Men a liar and he whom thou saist thou knowest shall say to thee I know thee not Be wise therefore in time and learn what it is to know Christ take heed there be not a worm of disobedience in the tree of thy Knowledg let it not suffice thee to have a great but labour for a good understanding ever remember that knowledg is as the means and Obedience as the end and therefore all knowledg is vain which
doth not tend to and end in Obedience And so much for the Antithesis by which the Thesis is illustrated Proceed we to the Last particular in this first proposition Namely The Argument by which it is proved laid down in these words Who so keepeth his word in him verily is the love of God perfected Calvin indeed conceiveth these words to be annexed as a description of Obedience so that if we would know what it is to keep the Commandments the answer is It is to have the Love of God perfected in us to this purpose is it that Moses saith What doth the Lord thy God require of thee but to love him And Christ summeth up all the Commandements in those two precepts of love towards God and our Neighbour yea St Paul saith expresly That love is the fulfilling of the Law not only effectivè because it inableth us to keep it but reductivè because the whole Law is reducible to that of love But though this Construction be true yet I conceive it is not so genuine and congruous to the Apostles scope And therefore I rather look upon these words as a confirmation of the preceding clause he that knoweth God will keep his Commandments because he that knoweth him loveth him and he that loveth him cannot but keep his Commandements The strength of this Argument will the better appear if we put it into a Syllogism which we may take briefly thus The Love of God is perfected in all and only those who keep his Word In whomsoever there is a right knowledg of God the Love of God is perfected Therefore Whosoever knoweth God aright will keep his Word And now acording to this Interpretation here are two positions to be insisted on The one whereof is the Minor the other the Major in the Syllogism the one tacitely intimated and the other positively expressed 1. That which is here implyed is that where there is a Knowledg there is also the Love of God and Christ The Love of God may admit of a double reference either Charitas quâ amat or quâ amatur actively the love whereby God doth love or passively the love whereby he is beloved Illyricus understandeth the former and no doubt it is a truth that Gods love is fixed on him who keepeth his Word He that hath my Commandments and keepeth them saith Christ my Father will love him Yea whereas God vouchsafeth a generall love to all men he hath a more speciall favour to obedient persons but if we thus understand the Love of God in this place the phrase of perfected will sound very harsh since there is nothing in God but it is absolutely and infinitely perfect and therefore I reject it More generally and probably Expositors here understand that love which we have to God and so it is an undoubted truth they who know him cannot but love him The truth is therefore is divine knowledg effective because it is affective it commands our actions because it commands our affections and if we know him we keep his Commandements because if we know him we love him It is a rule among the Hebrews that verba notitiae connotant affectus the phrase of knowing noteth such an act of the understanding as carrieth the affections along with it And indeed it is impossible but the affections should be carried on toward the Object when it is rightly known It is a saying of St Austin Qui vult habere notitiam Deâ— amet he that will know God must love him since love causeth acquaintance and it is as true Qui vult habere amorem Dei noscat he that will love God let him know him The necessary connexion between these two appeareth upon a double ground 1. The one in respect of Gods Nature which is good and goodness it self The proper Object of love is good and it is impossible Vt quis bonum cognitum non amaret that good known should not be beloved Be a thing never so good if the goodness of it be not known to us it cannot be loved by us and if our understandings are fully and clearly convinced of its goodness it cannot but draw our love towards it now God is good the chief good a full Universall Originall good There is no goodness in any Creature which is not from him and after a more eminent way in him and therefore he that knoweth him apprehending him infinitely good cannot but be enamored with him Indeed he that rightly knoweth God knoweth him to be justice it self and therefore cannot but fear him Truth it self and therefore cannot but trust him Goodness it self and therefore cannot but love him 2. The other in respect of the Spirits efficacy and operation Idem spiritus qui illuminat inspirat conformem affectum the same spirit is both a spirit of Knowledg and Love Like the fire which giveth both light and heat and wheresoever the spirit worketh savingly there is not only an illumination of the minde but a sanctification throughout whereby the will is inclined to the love as well as the judgment enlightned with the knowledg of God Content not thy self then with a sapless heartless Knowledg Though Christ as God knoweth all persons and things yet he knoweth not them whom he loveth not and therefore he saith himself to the workers of iniquity I know you not and though a man as St Paul specifieth in his own person have all knowledg yet if he have not Charity it is nothing to wit in Gods account and though it may be profitable to others yet it can neither be acceptable to God nor beneficiall to himself 2. But further that which is here expressed and therefore chiefly to be insisted on is that whoso keepeth his Word in him verâ—ly is the love of God perfected The Subject of this clause whoso keepeth his Word is the same for substance with that in the third verse If we keep his Commandements and therefore need not be again handled only the different term of Word would not be passed by The word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 hath especially a double signification both of which may be here made use of to wit ratio and sermo reason and speech According to the former acception Christs Commandements are so called because in them is set before us ratio vivendi the way to order our Conversation aright And there is nothing in them but what is rectae rationi consonum most agreeable to right reason According to this Notion it is that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in St Peter is rendred by the Vulgar Latin Lac rationale and that for this reason quia rationem tradit credendi rectè vivendi because the word set down a just rule but of a right belief and a good life and this by the way may be a strong Obligation to the keeping of what Christ requireth because he requireth nothing but what is just and reasonable According to the latter construction Christs
assured he keepeth them may know and be assured that he knoweth Christ I shut up all with one Caution In your indeavours after the reflex forget not the direct acts of Faith Look upon Christ as he who is your righteousness to justifie you and then look upon your Obedience as that which may testifie to you that you are justified by him even then when you cannot clearly discover inherent qualifications cast not away wholly your confidence in Christs Merits and when you do discover them rest not in them but only in Christs Merits ever remembring that it is the being in Christ by Faith which intitleth you to justification and salvation and your keeping the Commandments and walking as Christ walked is that which manifesteth the truth of your Faith by which you are in Christ by whom you are justified and shall at last be saved THE FIRST EPISTLE OF St JOHN CHAP. 2. VERS 7 8 9 10 11. 7. Brethren I write no new Commandment unto you but an old Commandment which you had from the beginning the old Commandment is the Word which ye have heard from the beginning 8. Again a new Commandment I write unto you which thing is true in him and in you because the darkness is past and the true light now shineth 9. He that saith he is in the light and hateth his Brother is in darkness even untill now 10. He that loveth his Brother abideth in the light and there is none occasion of stumbling in him 11. But he that hateth his Brother is in darkness and walketh in darkness and knoweth not whither he goeth because that darkness hath blinded his eyes IT was St Pauls sage and sacred advice to Timothy Hold fast the form of sound words which thou hast heard of me in Faith and Love which is in Christ Jesus Where these words Faith and Love are by some and not unfitly referred to the manner of holding these being the two hands by which we hold fast the truth but by others and no less probably they are refered to the forme of sound words which he heard of him the matter of the form the substance of those words being reducible to those two heads suitable hereunto is that Paraphrase of Theophilact in Faith and Love 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is My words and discourses are conversant about Faith and Love what he saith concerning St Pauls we may concerning St Johns words in this Epistle all of which tend either to the enlightning of our Faith or inflaming of our Love the latter of which our Apostle beginneth with at these Verses Brethren I write no new Commandment c. Which words consist of two generall Parts A Preamble inviting in the 7 and 8 Verses A Doctrine instructing in the 9 10 and 11 Verses Our Apostle intending to spend a great part of this Epistle in a discourse of Love doth not unfitly begin it with a Preface especially considering that the end of an Exordium is captare benevolentiam to gain love both to the Orator and his matter In this Preamble there are two things considerable The kind Appellation our Apostle giveth those to whom he wrote in the first word Brethren The large Commendation he giveth of the Doctrine about which he was to write in the rest of the words That which first occureth to be handled is the kind Appellation Brethren The vulgar Latine following the Syriack read it Charissimi dearly Beloved and Grotius finds 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in one Greek Manuscript Indeed either is very suitable To shew that he himself was not a stranger to that love he would teach them he might fitly call them dearly Beloved and being to treat of Brotherly Love he no less aptly useth the stile of Brethren so that it is not much materiall which way we read it but because the other phrase of dearly Beloved is used afterward and the most Greek Copies here read 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I shall handle that reading which our Translation following renders Brethren It is a title that is very considerable upon severall accounts especially these foure Inasmuch as it is a word of Verity of Humility of Charity of Dignity There was really such a relation between St John and those to whom he wrote The mentioning it by the Apostle argueth in him a Spirit of love and lowliness and much advanceth the honour of those to whom he wrote 1. It is a word of verity indeed it is somewhat strange how this should be true If you cast your eyes on the first verse of this Chapter you find him calling them children and how is it possible they should at once be his brethren and his children If they were his brethren he and they must be children of one Father if they were his children he must be their Father and these two cannot consist together The truth is these relations in a natural way and a proper notion are altogether incompatible between the same persons and yet this hinders not but that in a spiritual and Scripture-sence both these are verified of S t John in reference to those to whom he wrote Know then that the sacred penman of this Epistle may be considered under a three-fold latitude as an Apostle as a Christian as a Man 1. Consider him as an Apostle invested by Christ with authority to publish the Gospell whereby they were converted to the Faith so he was their Father and might therefore call them his Children But 2. Consider him as a Christian embracing the same Faith with them which he Preached to them so he and they were Bretheren They who have the same Father and Mother are undoubtedly Brethren now the Apostles as Christians had God to their Father and the Catholick Church to their Mother and therefore Brethren to all even ordinary Christians In this respect it is that St Peter giving thanks to God for this mercy of Regeneration useth a Pronoune of the first person Plurall Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ who hath begotten not me or you or me and you but us again to a lively Hope thereby intimating that he and they were all the Children of God and that by the same meanes of the new Birth and St Paul writing to the Corinthians maketh himself one of the number when he saith We being many are one body and again By one Spirit we are all Baptized into one Body thereby implying that he and they stand in the same relation to the Church This Relation is that which is not between every Minister and his People On the one hand sometimes the Minister himself is not a Brother because a prophane wicked Person yea in this respect he may be able to say my Children and yet not my Brethren for since the Spirituall Birth dependeth upon the energie of the Seed which is the Word accompanied with the Spirit not at all upon the goodness of him that dispenseth it it is not impossible for
vision The understanding is that whereby we know and apprehend things intelligible it is as it were the souls window whereby it receiveth the light of knowledg 5. Finally The office of the eye is to guide the motion of the body to direct our hands in working and our feet in walking such is the office of the understanding to order the will and affections in their inclinations and aversations to teach us what to choose and what to refuse what to love and what to hate you see how fitly the understanding of the mind is compared to the eyes of the body 5. The Disease of this part here specified is blindness the worst evill that can befall the eye as rendring it altogether useless and the state of the person dangerous a dimme eye may do some service by preventing many fals but a blinde eye exposeth to continuall hazards well faith our blessed Saviour if the light meaning the eye that is in thee be darkness how great is that darkness Yet this is the state of every wicked malicious man especially his eyes are blinded his understanding darkned he knoweth nothing as he ought to know indeed his left eye is quick sighted but his right eye is starke blinde he is wise to do evill but to do good he hath no knowledg Quantum mortalia pectora caecae Noctis habent saith the Poet how darke a night of ignorance overshadoweth the minds of mortals It is not seldome that this name of foole is given in Scripture to an evill man and not without cause since he is altogether destitute of right reason the Prodigall repenting is said to come to himself whereby is intimated that whilst wandering he was besides himself thus is the sinner a foole a mad man a blinde man ignorant of the things which concern his everlasting peace And surely if blindness of the bodily eye be sad this of the spirituall is far more dolefull our bodily eye is common to us with beasts our intellectuall that where by we partake with Angels and by how much the eye of the minde is better then that of the body by so much the blindness of this is worse The bodies eye may be better spared then the souls yea the want of corporall sight may be a meanes of spirituall good but the want of spirituall sight can be no way helpfull but altogether hurtfull yea which is so much the more sad whereas the bodily blinde feeleth and acknowledgeth his want of light the spiritually blinde man thinketh that none hath clearer eyes then himself This Christ saith of the Laodicean Angell he knew not that he was blinde and this sinner in the Text saith he is in the light suam ignorans ignorantiam not knowing his want of knowledg oh learne we to be sensible of and affected with the misery of this condition to have our eyes blinded But lastly The cause of this pernicious disease would be searched into which we shall finde to arise principally from our selves it is true St Paul saith the God of this world who is the Prince of darkness blinds mens eyes but chiefly it is the darkness of wickedness within us that bringeth this evill upon us Wickedness saith the Wiseman doth alter the understanding and the bewitching of naughtiness doth obscure things that are honest to which agreeth that of St Chrysostome Sin doth so blinde the senses of the sinners that seeing not the waies of falshood they thrust themselves headlong therein The truth is as the Serpent first wrought upon the Woman and by her upon the Man so wickedness first worketh upon the affections and by that upon the understanding nor is it any wonder that when those are perverted this is blinded Who can see any thing in a troubled muddy water No more can the understanding discern aright when the affections are stirred and mudded what mists foggs are to the aire darkning it corrupt unruly passions are to the mind blinding it It were easie to instance in the severall sorts of those which the Schooles call deadly sins how raysing a commotion in the affections they obnubilate the judgment Olcot upon this account compareth the luxurious man to blind Sampson the gluttonous man to him that was born blind the sloathfull man to blind Tobias the covetous to the blind Beggars the angry to blinde Lamech the envious to blind Ely and the proud man to Senecaes blind servant who would not believe that shee was blind but the house darke certain it is all of these seating themselves in some one or other of our passions do not only reign in our mortall bodies but domineere in our immortall souls misleading its most noble faculty the judgment Oh what a slave is the minde of a covetuous luxurious malicious man to his affections it must think and plot and dictate and judge according as they please well might our Apostle say of him that hateth his Brother the darknesse blindeth his eyes Nor would it be passed by how the bad effect of this spirituall darkness exceeds that of naturall in this respect for whereas the eye of a man may be as good as strong as clear in the darke as in the light only the darkness hinders the exercise of the sight the malicious man by reason of his darkness hath the very sight of his understanding vitiated indeed whereas in naturals the sight is not blinded but the medium is darkned in spirituals the Medium which is Gods word is not at all darkned but the Organ is blinded whilst the depravation of the passion is the depravation of the understanding As therefore we desire to have our minds savingly enlightned endeavour we to have our lusts truly mortified if we would have our judgments even and upright let us not suffer them to be byased by any passion To end all What should this discription of a wicked malicious sinners misery but serve as a disswasive from this iniquity Let no violence be found in our hands nor hatred in our hearts especially considering that we say we are in the light 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 saith one of the Ancients it is unbeseeming those who sing the songs of Zion to barke in rage who are Gods Servants to be slaves to envious lusts I cannot expostulate better then in the words of St Cyprian Si homo lucis esse capisti quid in zeli tenebras ruis if thou art a Childe of light cast off as all so especially this work of darkeness walk no longer in this way of darkness in which if thou persist what ever thy deceitfull heart may prompt thee it will inevitably lead thee to utter darknss from which good Lord deliver us Amen THE FIRST EPISTLE OF St JOHN CHAP. 2. 12 13 14. VERS I write unto you little Children because your sins are forgiven you for his name sake I write unto you Fathers because ye have known him that is from the beginning I write unto you young Men because
which truly belongs to thee though thou art a stripling yet thou art a Childe Why shouldest thou distrust thy Fathers clemency True thy weakness exposeth thee to oftner faylings but doth not debar thee from mercifull indulgence which as it is confined only so it is extended to all the Children of God 3. The efficiency of the benefit cometh last to be considered as it is expressed in those words for his names sake fâ—â— the better explication of which I shall briefly discuss it both Negatively and Affirmatively 1. Not for your own sakes Sin is not forgiven without our desiring God will have us aske and seek and knock for it it is one of the petitions our Saviour teacheth us to use in his Prayer Forgive us our trespasses but still it is without our deserving their being nothing that is or can be done by us in order to forgivness which is in the least degree meritorious of it Do we confess bemoane and forsake our sins these are no compensations of the wrong we have offered by them to the divine Majesty our sins deserve punishment but ouâ— sorrow cannot satisfie for the offence nay could we for the future performe exact unsinning obedience it is no more then what we are bound to observe and therefore no satisfaction for the former breaches of the Law It is not then any thing in us which induceth God by way of merit to confer a pardon on us when he forgiveth sin 2. For his names sake where the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 may have a double reference either to God or Christ nor is it much materiall to whom we refer it indeed insomuch as Christ is the Proxime antecedent and withall it is usuall with our Apostle to speak of Christ in the third person by one or other of these pronouns it is most probably refer'd to Christ but yet I shall take in both considerations as being neither improbable nor unprofitable 1. For his that is Gods names sake it is that which Allmighty God himself asserts in this very perticular by the Prophet Isaiah I even I am â—e that blotteth out your iniquities for my name sake and accordingly it is that argument by which David pleadeth with God for remission For thy names sake pardon my iniquities And according to this reference name may be taken in a double construction 1. It is a very usuall notion by name to understand honour and glory when God saith to David I have made thee a name like the name of men that are in the earth when the Church saith to God thou didst get thee a name as it is this day it is manifest that by name glory is intended Sutable to this it is that famous men are called by the Hebrews 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and by the Latins Virinominum Men of name in which sense the Poet adorneth it with these Epithets Magnum memorabile nomen of great and memorable Thus when God forgiveth sin he doth it for his names sake that is for his own honour and glory Indeed Gods own glory is the ultimate end of all his actions as he is the first so he is the last the efficient and the finall cause nor is any thing done by him which is not for him The end of our actions must be his glory because both our being and working is from him but the end of his work is his own glory because his being and acting is of and from himself Among all divine works there is none which more setteth forth his glory then this of remission sin by committing it brings God a great deale of dishonour and yet by forgiving it God raiseth to himself a great deale of honour it is the glory of a man and much more of God to pass by an offence as acts of power so acts of grace are exceeding honourable The attributes of Gods grace mercy goodness clemency shine forth in nothing so much as in pardoning sins St Paul speaketh of riches of goodness which attend Gods forbearance how much greater riches must there needs be in forgiveness nay indeed God hath so ordered the way of pardon that not only the glory of his mercy but justice yea of his wisdome in the wonderfull contemperation of both these is very illustrious Nomen quasi not a men quia notificat The name is that which maketh one known and by remission of sins God maketh known his choice and glorious attributes and for this end it is that he vouchsafeth it It is a consideration that may be our consolation Since God forgiveth sinnes for his names sake he will be ready to forgive many sins as well as few great as small indeed the more and greater our sins are the greater â—s the forgivness and consequently the greater is Gods glory and therefore David upon this consideration of Gods name and glory maketh the greatness of his iniquity a Motive of forgivness Indeed to run into gross sins that God may glorifie himself by forgiving them is an odious presumption but to hope that those gross sins we have run into may and will be forgiven by God to us being truly penitent for his names sake is a wellgrounded expectation and such as may support our spirits against the strongest temptations to dispaire 2. By Gods name in Scripture is sometimes understood his word when David saith I have remembred thy name oh Lord in the night and again Look upon me and be mercifull unto me as thou usest to do unto them that love thy name No doubt we are most congruously to understand by it Gods Word of which he discourseth throughout the Psalm And indeed so primarily doth this title of name agree to the word that the Psalmist saith to God Thou hast magnified thy word above all thy name and in this acceptation the sense is that God forgiveth sins for his words sake He hath been pleased to oblige himself by promise which he cannot falsifie to pardon the sins of his Children in which respect our Apostle saith in the former Chapter He is faithfull to forgive and indeed both these acceptions of name are involved are within the other since God forgiveth sins for his words sake because his glory is concerned in making good his word 2. For his that is Christs names sake and thus there is again a double construction of the word name to wit for person and â—or power 1. Name is sometimes taken for the person thus where it is said the number of the Christians was an hundred and twenty names and again Thou â—â—st ◠〈…〉 names in Sardis it is manifestly meant of persoâ—â— sutable to this is that of the Poet Nomina magna for great persons and often in Livie Nomen Latimum Romanum for a Latine a Romane and thus frequently in Scripture the name of the Lord and Christ is as much as God and Christ Calling upon the Lord is sometimes exprest by calling on the name of the
Christ is not meerly notionall but experimentall such a knowledge of him as is accompanied with a sense of his love to us not barely speculative but practicall such a knowledge of him as is attended with our love to him let us show it by love to our Brethren To close up this discourse It is an excellent advice of St Hierome discite â—am scientiam in terris cujus cognitio perseverat in caelis seek after that knowledg on earâ—h which will persevere in Heaven let us now begin and not only begin but according to St Peters counsell Grow in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ who is from the begining which shall be consummated in the end when we shall enjoy that beatificall vision which shall need no increase and know no end THE FIRST EPISTLE OF St JOHN CHAP. 2. 13 14. VERS I write unto you Fathers because yâ— have known him that is from the begining I write unto you young Men because ye have overcome the wicked one I write unto you little Children because ye have known the Father I have written unto you Fathers because you have known him that is from the begining I have written unto you young Men because ye are strong and the Word of God abideth in you and ye have overcome the wicked one AMong others there are two speciall qualifications of a good Minister the one that he be faithfull and the other that he be prâ—dent His faithfullnesâ— consists in delivering those things that are true and his prudence in making choice of such things as are fit The fitness of a Ministers discourse lyeth chiefly in a double reference To the season and the persons All both words and works receive â— great deale of beauty from their opportunity it was not without reason that he said Omnium rerum est primum the chief in all actions is the fit time and Solomon concerning a word spoken in due season mentioneth the goodness of it with a question as if it were beyond any positive expression How good is it Nor is there â—ess regard to be had to the condition of the Auditors then the fitness of the season since hereby a discourse becometh not only seasonable but sutable Physitians though unless necessity enforce they have a regard to the season yet especially and alwaies they have respect to the different constitution of the patients in administring their poâ—ions and no less doth it befit us who are spirituall Physitians to accommodate our Doctrines to the condition and disposition of those to whom we preach Excellent to this purpose is that of an Ancient Pro-qualitate audientium formari debet sermâ— doctorum ut per singulâ— singulis congruat à commuâ—i â—dificationis arte nunquam recedat The Preachers Sermon ought to correspond to the Auditours condition so as may best tend to edification Look as in Musick all the strings of the Instrument though they are touched with the same hand yet not with a like stroake so in Preaching all sorts of persons are to be dealt with but not in the same way Aliter admonendi sunt viri aliter faeminae aliter in opes aliter locupletes aliter juvines aliter senes as he excellently goeth on one admonition is fit for Men another for Women one for the Rich another for the Poore one for the Young another for the Old This discreet Application of our instructions is that whereof the holy Apostles set us a pattern and among the rest St John especially in these Verses wherein we may observe him bespeaking severall ages and that in severall addresses sutable to those ages I write to you Fathers c. 2. The reason by which our Apostle inculcateth his writing upon the Fathers being already handled that which we are next in order to insist upon is that by which he presseth his writing upon the young Men as it is mentioned in the thirteenth and again both repeated and amplified in the fourteenth Verse To put them both together as expressed in these words You are strong and have overcome the wicked one and the word of God abideth in you You may please to consider them two waies Absolutely as a commendation and Relatively as an incitation Consider the words as a commendation and so that I may make use of the metaphor in the Text be pleased to observe these foure particulars The Enemy The Conquest The Aids and The Combatants The Enemy is Characterized by that term the wicked one The Conquest is Ingeminated in that phrase have overcome The Aids are specified in these words strong and the word of God abideth The Combatants are included in the you who are just before expressed to be young men 1. Begin we with the Enemy who is called The wicked one There are three grand adversaries of our salvation and all of them have this Epithet given to them the world is called by St Paul an evill world and the flesh which is the corruption of our nature is called the evill treasure of the heart and the Devill frequently the evill one the wicked one in this respect Zanchy conceiveth by the wicked one here to be understood Synecdochtically all our spirituall enemies but I rather incline to that exposition which interpreteth the wicked one here mentioned to be the Devill he it is who not only here but twice more in this Epistle is so called by our Apostle and no doubt he learned it from his Master who giveth him this title in the parable of the Tares yea St Chrysostome and others of the Fathers are of opinion that the evil from which our Saviour teacheth us to pray that God would deliver us is the Devil and accordingly Tertullian renders several places of Scripture which mention the Devil by malus malignus nequam evil wicked malignant It is a name which no doubt is given to the Devil antonomasticè by way of eminency 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 saith Illyricus is more then 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and noteth one who is exercitatissimus in omni malitiae genere exercised in all kind of wickedness 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is more then 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and noteth one who is insigniter improbus infamously notoriously wicked As though holiness be a quality communicable to the creature yet God and Christ are emphatically called in Scripture the holy one because according to Hannahs saying there is none so holy as the Lord â—o though there be many evil and wicked persons in the world yet the Devil is the wicked one because there â—â— none so evil as the Devil and therefore St Chrysostome gâ—eth this reason of the appellation Christ calleth hiâ— the wicked one 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 becaâ—e of that hyperbolical wickedness whereof he is guâ—y â—r the better explanation of this I shall briefly resolv these two Queries How he came to be so â—hereâ—n he appeareth to be so It â—ould be a little enquired into how the person
which the wicked one is overcome 1. Begin we and at this time end with the first of these as it is briefly couched in these words you are strong For the unfoulding whereof I shall briefly dispatch two things namely the necessity and nature of this strength 1. You are strong and great need there is you should be so nothing more necessary for a Souldier then bodily for a Christian then spirituall strength and that especially on a threefold account 1. Souldiers are put upon long and tedious marches which they cannot performe without strength it is no wonder if the weak sickly Souldier throw down his armes or lie down in the way as being not able to march forward what else is a Christians life but a journey a march wherein he is to continue to the last but alas how should he do this without strength Among the many Caveats given us in Scripture none more frequent then those against weariness and fainting in our minds of back-sliding and drawing back from Christianity thereby intimating how hard a work it is to performe and how apt we are to fayle and faint and therefore in this respect we have need of strength 2. Souldiers are exposed to the scorching heat and the nights cold to hunger and thirst and watching in a word to much hardship and this they cannot indure without strength St Paul asserts it concerning all who live godly in Christ Jesus that they must suffer persecution and elsewhere he reckons up a Catalogue of evils very incident to Christians tribulation distress persecution famine nakedness perill sword and if we cannot do good much less can we suffer evill without this strength it is the strong back that can beare an heavy burden a strong ship which can abide blustering stormes the strong Christian who must take up his cross and undergo afflictions 3. Lastly And most sutable to our present purpose Souldiers are to encounter with their enemies receive and give assaults and many times the enemy with whom they are to wrestle is very potent so that without a considerable strength there is no expectation of a victory upon this account Christians stand in greater need of strength since he with whom they fight is as St John stileth him the great red Dragon yea in St Pauls language the God of this world Indeed when we consider that this wicked one is for his nature a spirit an Angel a Creature which excels in strength hath for number a legion of Devils at his command and if he please to beleagner one simple person wants not power if God let him loose to make use of all Creatures as the engines of his temptation we cannot but acknowledge his strength is great and therefore there is no overcoming him without a greater and surpassing strength 2. But that which would chiefly be considered is wherein this strength of a Christian lyeth by which he overcometh the wicked one In answer to this know that it consists in three things 1. In a due preparation The strength of a Souldier lyeth much in his weapons so doth the Christians When our blessed Saviour would let us see the Devils might he cals him the strong armed man therefore strong because armed and when St Paul exhorts the Ephesians to be strong he presently adviseth them to put on their armour Indeed what hopes of conquest without our weapons over an armed adversary What the severall pieces of our armour are we shall finde there reckoned up but among them all that which St Paul bringeth in with an 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 above all and which S. Peter singleth out is our Faith Whom resist stedfast in the Faith Indeed as the Father excellently Increduli timent diabolum quasi leonem in fide fortes despiciunt quasi vermiculum whilst unbelievers feare the Devill as a Lyon the faithfull contemn him as a worme 2. In a firme resolution strength of body of Armes will little privaile where there is not strength of Minde and a magnanimous spirit Say to them that are of a fearefull heart be strong that is be couragious and accordingly they are put together be strong and very couragious to which agreeth that of the Apostle Paul in his military precepts Quiet your selves like men be strong it is not all the wiles and assaults of the Devill can beat off a fixed Christian he saith with Christ Ge◠thee behind me Satan or in words much like those of David Depart from me thou uncleane spirit for I will keep the Commandments of my God in one word he that goeth out with resolution and marcheth on with courage holdeth out with constancy and cometh off with Conquest 3. Lastly In the spirits assistance it is very observable that the Apostle when he would have us be strong presently addeth in the Lord and in the power of his might thereby teaching us where and in whom our strength lyeth Indeed the preparation we make for the battle is from the Lord and therefore our Armour is called the Armour of God not only in respect of institution it being that armour which he appoints us but constitution because it is that armour which he giveth us Besides this that resolution that is in us is put into us it is God must strengthen our hearts and when both these are wrought there is still required the spirits concurring assistance to enable us in the resistance he that worketh in us to will must also work in us to do and he that helpeth us to put on must teach us to use our armour look as sometimes when the Army which cometh against a City or Country is numerous there is a necessity of procuring forrain supplies so is it alwaies with a Christian in his combate with Satan there is a necessity of calling in Heavenly aide To end this then Whensoever oh Christian thou art assaulted by this wicked one what shouldest thou do but labour to strengthen thy self against him but be sure thou presume not upon thine own strength Remember Peters deniall and trust not to thine own ability he is the best Souldier in the spirituall warfare that fighteth upon his knees seeking to God for grace Bewaile then thy own weakness depend on divine strength implore the spirits enablement and doubt not bus he that begins will finish his good work and as he cals thee to the fight by his command and assist thee in it by his spirit so he will crown thee with success and victory after it THE FIRST EPISTLE OF St JOHN CHAP. 2. 13 14. VERS I write unto you Fathers because ye have known him that is from the begining I write unto you young Men because ye have overcome the wicked one I write unto you little Children because ye have known the Father I have written unto you Fathers because you have known him that is from the begining I have written unto you young Men because ye are strong and the Word of
God abideth in you and ye have overcome the wicked one THis is now the sixth time that I have read this Scripture in your ears not that I like the humour of dwelling upon one Text when the sacred Book affords so much variety but because I have met with so much variety in this one Text. Indeed in these Verses our Apostle seemeth as it were to erect a Schoole wherein are three forms the first of experienced Fathers the second of vigâ—â—â—uâ— young men and the third of hopefull little Children And no wonder if it aske some time to examine these formes and instruct them in their severall lessons or if you please you may behold him building three Taberâ—aclâ—s or rather raising a Fabrick of three stories the uppermost whereof is of old Men the middlemost of young Men and the lowest of little Children in each of which there are severall Roomes and some of them very spacious No wonder if it require many hours to walk through and take a view of them and their inhabitants Finally I may call this Scripture a Book consisting of three large and faire leaves for the instruction of old young and little ones well may it be often read and perused I write to you Fathers c. The reason why our Apostle writeth to young Men is that which we are yet in handling in which considered as a commendation we have observed foure particulars and that which is next in order to be discussed is the 2. Second branch of the third particular as it is expressed in these words and The word of God abideth in you It is a clause which must be looked upon two waies in it self and in its connexion 1. Look upon the words absolutely and so they set before us the Character of a true Christian he is one in whom the word of God abideth And that you may see what this meaneth take a short view of each word 1. The word is sâ—t down indefinitely it is iâ—â—â—â—ded universally for the whole Doctrine of the Gospell which consists of Precepts promises and threatnings It is the Prophets Isaiahâ— invitation to the embracing of the Evangeliâ—alâ— Doctrine Come to the waters buy wine and milke And mâ—thinketh in these three Metaphors are fitly shadowed the three parts of the word the Precepts are as water cleansing the promises as milke nourishing and the threaining as wine searching all of which we must buy and having bought lay up or rather drinke in Indeed Hypocrites only suck in the milke lay hold on the promises refusing to drink the wine aud waters but the true Christian saith of every part of the word with Hezekiah Good is the word of the Lord and accordingly hath regard to it 2. Of God Therefore the word finds entertainment with a godly man because it is Gods word it being divine authority which aweth the good heart so that it dares not neglect much less reject and hence it is that both whatsoever appeareth to be Gods word and only that which so appeareth finds acceptance 3. Abideth Nor yet is it a slight entertainment which is given to Gods word it not only lodgeth for a time but taketh up its constant abode as it is received so it is retained according to that gloss of Estius Fidem Evangelis constanter retinetis then the word of God abibideth in when the faith of the Gospell is constantly retained and maintained by us 4. In you That is within you not only in the eyes by reading ears by hearing understanding by knowing but in the heart the judgement by esteeming the memory by remembring the will by consenting the affections by loving delighting and the conscience by subjecting to it I cannot better illustrate this Character then by taking a short view of those severall Metaphors by which it is expressed of hiding eating graffing keeping dwelling David saith to God I have hid thy word in my heart where the Hebrew word signifieth to hide as a treasure Conceive then the word as the treasure the heart as the chest this as the Cabinet and that as the jewell nor doth the covetous man more carefully locke up his treasure or jewels then David did and every good man doth Gods word Jeremiah saith to God Thy words were found and I did eate them Conceive then Gods word as the souls food which must be eaten that is not only tasted by the mouth which is hearing but taken down into the stomach and concocted which is meditation Our blessed Saviour describing the good ground and distinguishing it from the rest sets it forth by this Character Hearing the word of God with a good and honest heart and keeping it The word being as the seed which must not only be cast upon but covered in the ground and that is when it is not only heard with the eare but kept by the good heart St James cals the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 an ingraffed word intimating that as the graff is set into whreeby it becometh incorporated with the tree so ought the word to be received into our souls Finally St Paul exhorts the Colossians Let the word of Christ dwell in you thereby teaching us that the word must not only stand at the doore of our ears but enter into the chamber of our hearts and that not as a guest to tarry for a night but as an inhabitant to dwell with us for ever and then it is that the word not only is but abideth in us And now what should be the care of every one but that this word may take possession of and abide in our souls Gods mercy hath hitherto continued the sound of it in our Churches Oh let us labour to finde the power of it in our hearts since it will little benefit may much prejudice us to have had it among us if withall it abide not in us If we would know whether as yet the word have thus far prevailed it will best be discovered by reflecting on the forementioned metaphors If the word abide in us as a treasure it will inrich us with Heavenly grace If as food it will strengthen us to the performance of spirituall duties If as seed it will make us fruit full in good works If as a graff it will transforme us into Christs own likeness If as an inhabitant it will cast out sin and Satan and powerfully rule in our hearts oh let us indeavour to finde this effectuall operation of the word upon the hearts and that it may be so take notice that there are foure things necessarily requisite 1. Apertio The opening not only auris of the eare concerning which David speaketh and which is a necessary antecedent but cor dis of the heart whereof the Apostle speaketh concerning Lidia There can be no graffing without opening the tree nor can the word enter till the heart be opened to which end there must be contritio a breaking of the heart as the earth is opened by plowing and
commendation of these Children that they know the Father To winde up this 1. It is that which should be in the first place an item to Parents that they be carefull to traine up their Children in the knowledge of the Father Oh Parents you are industrious to provide wealth and riches for your Children but why are you not more solicitous to obtain grace and knowledge for them You take a great deale of care to enrich their bodies but why so little for the adorning of their souls what is this but to use Plutarchs comparison as if one should be very curious about the shooe and neglect the foote or exact id triming the glove whilst the hand is foule perhaps you endeavour that your Children may attaine some kinde of knowledge to wit in the tongues or arts and sciences in a trade and calling and herein you do well learning being a far better portion then riches without which the wealthiest heire is but an Ass laden with gold but oh Parents why stay you here there is one thing more needfull then either of the other and that is the knowledge of the Father what difference is there between a Pagan and a Christian Parent if your only care be to acquaint Children with secular affairs or educate them in Philosophicall studies oh let it not suffice that your Children are instructed in humane whilst they are ignorant of divine learning Tell me I beseech you is it not a sad thing and yet I would to God it were not too common that little Children through your negligent education should swear so soon as they ean speak and learn to blaspheme that God whom yet they have not been taught to know such Parents saith Sâ— Chrysostome are worse then Homicides nay then Parricides for these take away only the bodily life of their Parents but those do what in them lyeth to cast the souls and bodies of their Children into Hell and whilst by generation they were the instruments of their temporall life through neglect of good education they become at least the occasion of their eternall death It is a dolefull story which is reported by Gregory the great to this purpose of a Childe of five years old which being carelesly or rather wickedly brought up was given to blaspheming Gods holy name and being a little after smitten with death the poore Childe cryeth to the Father Help help the Moors are come to take me away and so blaspheming God it died no doubt to the horrour and perplexity of the wicked Father It is a sad thing when Children in their old age shall have cause to complaine that their Parents had no care to bring them up in learning but is it not far more sad that Children in Hell shall cry out against their Parents because they had no regard to instruct them in the knowledg of God Let then all Parents be admonished of this necessary duty which they owe to their Children Children are sometimes called pignora pledges so they are of Gods love to us in bestowing them on us so they ought to be of our love to God in consecrating them to him They are compared to Arrows as they are at first directed so afterwards they flyâ— Oh let it be your endeavour that they may be directed upwards towards Heaven by divine knowledg It much conduced to Alexanders prowess and victory in his wars that his Father Philip caused him to be brought up as it is were from his radle in Military discipline Oh let it be the prudent piety of all Parents to teach their Children betimes the knowledge of the Christian warfare and to that end to begin with the knowledg of the Father 2. But secondly Let me turn my counsell from the Parents to the Children whom I cannot better bespeake then in Davids words Come ye Children hearken unto me and I will teach you the knowledg and fear of the Lord. You know your earthly Parents I but labour to know your Heavenly you know the Fathers of your Flesh ey but strive to know the Father of your Spirits you are expert it may be in Homers Odes Virgils Eclâ—gs Cicero's Orations oh but strive to get understanding in Davids Psalms Solomons Proverbs and the other plaine Books of holy writ Manna was to be gathered in the morning the Orient pearl is generated of the morning dew Aurora musis amica the morning is a friend to the muses Oh remember thy Creator know him in the morning of thy Childehood When God had created the Heavens and the Earth the first thing he did was to adorne the world with light and seperate it from the darkness happy is that Childe on whom the light of saving knowledg begins to dawn early God in the Law required the first born and the first fruits so he doth still our first daies to be offered up to him They are Wisdomes own words They that seek me early shall finde me Where a Rabbin observeth a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is added to the Verb more then usuall which in numbring goeth for fifty with this note that early seeking hath not only twenty or thirty but fifty nay indeed an hundred sold recompence attending on it He that is long before he seeketh God I will not say he shall not at all but it may be long ere he finde him oh begin early whilst yet you are Children to seek the knowledge of God The better to enduâ—e you hereunto consider my good Children 1. You were in your very Infancy almost as soon as born dedicated to the Father being baptized in the name of the blessed Trinity Father Son and holy Ghost and will you not now that you begin to have the use of your understanding endeavour to know the Father you are already his sworne servants and souldiers will you be ignorant of him to whom you are sworne 2. If you do not now begin to know the Father you will be less docible hereafter alas how hard is it to instill knowledg into old years Can it be imagined that that tree which doth not bud nor blossome in the spring should bring forth fruit in Autumn or should flourish in Winter Now in your Childhood your wits are fresh your apprehension quick oh imploy them in studying and gaining the divine knowledg so much the rather because hereby you shall put to shame those ignorant old ones who have lived long and yet with the Ninivites know not the right hand from the left 3. Your Parents may prove unnaturall and forsake you however they are mortall and when death comes must leave you but your Father in Heaven liveth for ever and if you know and serve him he will love you and take care for you he will never leave you nor forsake you The Hen is not more tender of her Chickens nor the Sheapheard of his Lambes then this universall Father as Clemens Alexandrinus cals him is of his little ones towardly and hopefull Children You may
guess at Gods love by Christs respect who commanded little Children to be brought unto him and blamed those that kept them from him It was Davids comfort When my Father and Mother forsooke me then God tooke me up it may be yours my little Children if you endeavour to know and love the Father when your Parents either cannot or will not help you he both can and will provide for you Once more your dear Redeemer and blessed Saviour Jesus Christ began himself betimes and was so well skild at twelve years old that he disputed with the Doctors in the Temple hereby giving you an example which though it cannot be expected you should equalize yet it is required you should follow we finde in the Gospell little Children going before Christ and following after him with Hosanna's and it is the praise of Jereboams Childe That there was found in him some good thing toward the Lord God of Israel Oh little Children write after these coppies so much the rather because with Jereboams Childe you may dye early and what a comfort will it be to your selves and Parents if then there shall be found in you some knowledg and love and fear of your Father which is in Heaven To end all What remaineth but that all of all ages Fathers young Men little Children make use of this Scripture as a looking glass whereby they may see what they are at least what they should be that they may be all according to the gracious promise taught of God from the greatest to the least eldest to the youngest And then the Psalmists exhortation will be readily embraced young Men and Maids old Men and Children let them praise the name of the Lord from this time forth for evermore Amen THE FIRST EPISTLE OF St JOHN CHAP. 2. VERS 15 16 17. Love not the world neitherr the things that are in the world if any man love the world the love of the Father is not in him For all that is in the world the lust of the flesh the lust of the eyes and the pride of life is not of the Father but is of the world And the world passeth away and the lust thereof but he that doth the will of God abideth forever THe Subject of this Scripture is one of the chiefest and most needfull lessons in all practicall Divinity since it is Removens prohibens a document of removing that which is one of the greatest hinderances in the exercises of Christianity Indeed what the stumbling block is to th Traveller in the way the weight to the runner in his race or to use St Austins comparison limetwigs are to the Bird in its flight that is the love of the world to a Christian in his course either wholly diverting him from or greatly entangling him in or forcibly turning him out of it This is one of the fetters which keepeth so many from entring into the path of piety This is one of those suckers which hinder others from growth in godliness Finally This is that which like a contrary winde to the ship beateth back many from their former profession The truth is as Calvin well observeth on this place Till the heart be purged from this corruption the eare will be deafe to divine instructions Hercules could never conquer Antaeus Donec â terrâ matre â—um levasset till he had lifted him up above his Mother earth no more can the spirit of grace subdue us to the obedience of the Gospell till he hath lifted up our hearts from earthly Love Heavenly truths glide of from carnall mindes as water from a sphaericall body No wonder then if the Apostle Paul exciting the Hebrews to run he race which is set before them adviseth them to lay aside every weight to wit of worldly care And here the Apostle John intending chiefly in this whole Epistle to advance a Christian conversation indeavours in these words to take men off from worldly affections Love not the word nor the things of the world c. The discourse of these words moveth upon two principall wheels namely A command peremptorily inhibiting which is Propounded in the beglning of the fifteenth Verse Love not the world nor the things of the world Expounded in the sixteenth Verse All that is in the world the lust of the flesh the lust of the eyes and the pride of life An Argument strongly enforcing which is drawn from two considerations The one in regard of worldly love its direct contrariety to that which is divine as it is Asserted in the end of the fifteenth Verse If any man love the world the love of the Father is not in him Proved in the end of the sixteenth Verse For it is not of the Father but of the world The other in regard of the world it self its fleeting instability which is Affirmed in the begining of the seaventeenth Verse And the world passeth away and the lusts thereof Amplified from its contrary the permanent felicity of the religious in the end of the Verse But he that doth the will of God abideth for ever So that though the grand wheels of this period are but two yet we finde many lesser wheels yea Rotam in rotâ every wheel having another within it The first main wheel is the prohibition and in that is another wheel the exposition The second wheel is the argument and in that two wheels the double motive each of which hath a wheel within it whilst the first motive is backed with a probation and the second with an illustration May that blessed spirit of grace vouchsafe to drive the Chariot of my discourse which shall run in order upon these wheels and then I doubt not but we shall attain that which is I trust the Goale of my Preaching and your hearing namely our reformation and salvation The prohibition is that which I am to begin with and that 1. As propounded in these words Love not the world nor the things that are in the world This is in order the sixth step of that walking in the light which I have heretofore told you is the chief design of this Epistle to delineate The first whereof is a sorrowfull confession of sin past The second a cordiall forsaking it for the time to come The third an obedientiall keeping the Commandment The fourth a sedulous imitation of Christ The fifth a Christian Law of the Brethren and now The sixth is an alienation of our head from the world Love not the world c. What the intent of this prohibition is will best apapear by inquiring what is the proper notion of the word world in this place Not to trouble my self and you with giving an account of its severall acceptions in sacred writ Be pleased to know to our present purpose That to use St Austins similitude as an house is taken sometimes for the wals and roomes which constitute the house and sometimes for the family which inhabiteth the house so by
Believer He hath eternall life and I will raise him up at the last day to wit to the actuall fruition of that life in another which he had only by faith and hope in this vvorld 2. Or we may thus expound it he abideth for ever to wit in his soul When our Saviour saith God is the God of Abraham Isaack and Jacob and presently addeth God is not the God of the dead but of the living he seemeth to intimate that those Patriarchs do now live to wit in their souls and we read expresly that St John saw the soules of them that were slaine under the Altar that is as some gloss with Christ who is the Christians Altar so that it is true both waies He abideth in his soul for ever without any interruption and though he must go out of this world he abideth for even in his person in the world to come 2. But it may yet further be Objected that this is a defective assertion for what is there in this of reward to continue for ever Are not the souls of the wicked immortall as well as of the godly shall not the bodies of the bad be raised as well as of the good will not the state of the disobedient in the other world be eternall as well as of the obedient and how then is this annexed as a promise to the doer of Gods will that he abideth for ever But to this it is justly answered that more is intended then is expressed it is not a meer continuance of being but an eternity of well being you have need of patience saith the Author to the Hebrews that after you have done the will of God you may receive the promise and will you know what the promise is our Apostle tells you in this Chapter it is eternall life so that we must expound this by that it is not only abiding but living for ever which is here assured Indeed though the wicked shall continue for ever yet when the Scripture speaketh of their future state it is called a perishing for ever if you would know where are the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the many Mansiens or abiding places Christ tells his Disciples it is in his Fathers house that is in Heaven in Gods presence so that to abide eternally in the beatificall vision in the place and state of happiness is that which is here intended by our Apostle If any shall aske a reason how it cometh to pass that by doing Gods will we obtaine an eternity of bliss I answer both in regard of God and his will or word 1. St Cyprian quoting this Text addeth by way of Explication Quomodo Deus manet in aeternum He abideth for ever as God abideth for ever And that this is implyed will appear by the connexion for as there it is expressed that the world passeth away so here it is implyed that God abideth for ever the comparison being made both between God and the world and the lovers of God and the lovers of the world So then God is α and ω the beginning and the end he inhabiteth eternity and with him is no variableness or shadow of changing And though eternity in its most comprehensive notion be peculiar to a deity and incommunicable to any Creature yet eternity a parte post is that which God hath made rationall Creatures capable of and as he abideth for ever so will he grant to them that do his will to abide with him for ever 2. Danaeus commenting upon this clause thus Paraphraseth sicut voluntas Dei est aeterna ita qui facit voluntatem Dei as Gods will is eternall so he that doth it must needs be eternall St Peter having illustrated the frailty of man by the resemblance of the grass and the flower presently addeth but the word of the Lord which is his revealed will endureth for ever Now Gods will and word is said to endure for ever not only because it is of eternall verity in it selfe but because it maketh them caâ—able of eternity who obey it and the Apostle in the same place a little before affirmeth of Believers that they are borne again not of corruptible seed but of incorruptible by the word of God which liveth and abideth for ever to wit not only subjectivè in it selfe but effectivè making them who are borne again of it eternall and if you would know how we are borne again our Saviour tells us when he saith He that doth the will of God is my Mother my Brother to wit by this new birth For this reason it is that Christ calls his word the Meat that endureth to everlasting life because being eaten by faith and digested by obedience it nourisheth the soul to eternity No wonder that our Apostle here asserteth He that doth the will of God abibideth for ever And now Brethren If this consideration cannot induce us to the doing Gods will what will If any man should come and pretend to tell us how we might abide for ever in this world we would readily receive and speedily follow his advice But alas the most learned and experienced Physitian though he may prescribe rules De servandâ valitudine of preserving health for a time cannot give any De tuendo à morte for the escaping of death Whereas we set before you the way to an eternall durance in a farre better world and are forced to complaine with the Prophet Isaiah Who hath believed our report Is there any of us so brutish as not to desire participation of a blessed eternity Surely as Paul said to Agrippa Believest thou the Prophets I know thou believest I may say in this Desirèst thou to be happy I know thou desirest it and if so see here by doing Gods will thou shalt have thy own if thou endeavour to fulfill his commands he will satisfie thy desires Doing Gods Precepts for a time on Earth will obtaine the enjoying Gods face for ever in Heaven What then was Maries eâ—mmendation let it be our imitation Shee chose that good part which shall not be taken from her that is saith Grotius Cujus frucâ—us perpetuò mansurus whose benefit should remaine for ever and will you know what that good part was it appeareth by the context to be sitting at Christs feet for this end no doubt that she may first learne and then do Gods will Learne we to do likewise let our first care be to know and our next to do what God hath required that so we may now comfortably hope and at last happily enjoy what he hath promised an eternall Mansion And so much shall suffice to have been spoken of the clause considered in it self 2. That which next presents it selfe to our Meditation and would by no meanes be left out is the Relative connexion of this with what precedeth And here both parts of this clause would be looked upon and it is not unworthy our inquiry how and upon what account they are
his heart is strongly resolved to hold fast the Evangelical Doctrines and though hee cannot dispute yet hee will beleeve and though they bee things not seen by sense or reason yet his faith being built on a divine Testimony maketh them clear and evident so as hee dares venture his soul on them 2 Savoury and relishing Hee that hath this unction so knoweth as to taste a sweetnesse and excellency in divine things insomuch that with St. Paul hee accounts all other things as dung and losse in comparison of the excellency of this knowledge There is a great deal of difference between that knowledge a man hath of Countries by a map and that which he attaineth to by travels It is one thing for a man to hear a discourse of the beauty of Colours or the sweetnesse of honey and another for a man to see the one and taste the other Oh taste and see saith the Psalmist that the Lord is Good so doth every Christian his knowledge in Divine things is like the eye to colours and the taste to meats hee so seeth as to bee enamoured with the beauty hee so tasteth as to bee well pleased with the sweetnesse of them The needle which is touâ—hed with the loadstone doth not more naturally move towards the pole than a soul touched with the blessed Spirit moveth towards heavenly objects In one word this knowledge like the Light not of the Moon but Sun is ever attended with heat and so doth not onely inlighten the minde but inliven and inflame the affections 3 Operative and transforming Wee all saith the Apostle with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord are changed into the same image in other sciences a man may bee exact at the theory and unskilful in the practick but in Divinity that onely is the right knowledge which mouldeth a man into the frame of what hee knoweth We read of Jacob that upon the agreement between him and Laban Hee took rods of green poplar and the hasel and chesnut-tree and peeled white strakes in them and made the white appear that was in the rods and set them before the flocks in the gutter in the watering troughs when the flock came to drink and conceiving before the rods they brought forth ring-striked speckled and spotted the like efficacy hath a true sight and apprehension of Evangelical truths upon every Christian inabling him to turn words into works and show forth a conformity to them in his life hee knoweth God and Christ so as to trust in and become like to them the precepts so as to observe and obey them sin and heresies so as to abandon and abhor them for which cause perhaps it is that the Gospel is called a doctrin according to godliness not onely because it teacheth godliness but being rightly known it enableth men to live godly Eâ—napiâ—â— in the Life of Porphiry speaking of his master Longinus saith that hee was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a living library a walking study so is the annointed Christian having digested the sense of Scripture into vital blood and commenting upon Scriptural Doctrin by a practical conversation To shut up this first consideration in a double meditation 1 How glorious a priviledge is it to bee a Christian and partake of the Unction what is more valued by a rational creature than knowledge and by vertue of this unction wee attain the knowledge of all things I mean those all things which are the onely things and without which he that hath the tongue of men and Angels and hath the exactest insight into Arts and Sciences may yet be said to know nothing nothing of that which he ought chiefly to know and which every true Christian in some measure attaineth to How clear and quick-sighted is a spiritual inlightened eye it seeth not onely things that are neer but a far off present but future things below but above looking even within the veil into the Holy of Holies The Christian knoweth those things which others are meer strangers to hee knoweth those things hee did before after another and a better manner That blasphemous expression of the Familists that a Christian is Deified may in some sense receive a fair construction whilest every Christian hath a kinde of omnipotency and omnisciency the former is by St. Paul asserted of himself I can do all things to wit through Christ that strengtheneth me and the other is here affirmed by S. John of the Christians You know all things to wit having received the unction 2 How great will the capacity of our knowledge bee when we come to Heaven what a surpassing brightnesse shall then encompasse our souls when wee shall see all truth in him who is truth it self That phrase of St. Paul We know in part seemeth directly opposite to this of St. John You know all things but yet they are easiy reconciled by observing St. Pauls scope in that place which is to compare our knowledge for the present with that which we shall have hereafter in reference to which the largest measure of knowledge we attain here is but a narrow scantling the knowledge we have here is an integral knowledge extending it self to all things necessary as a childe is an integral man having all the faculties and members of a man and therefore truly saith our Apostle You know all things but yet with all it is a gradual knowledge rising by degrees as a childe groweth stronger and taller and is so imperfect that in comparison of that knowledge wee hope for justly said St. Paul We know in part indeed our present knowledge is but sciâ—tilla futurâ— lucis a spark to that flame a drop to that floud a beam to that splendor we shall then enjoy so that though in it self it be an extensive yet in this respect it is a defective knowledge which wee now attain Then and not till then it is that wee shall know all things which a rational creature is capable of wee shall swim in a vast Ocean of divine knowledge wee shall be surrounded with such a glorious Light whereby wee shall exactly perfectly know what ever may conduce to make us happy Oh! how few are the all things wee see now in respect of the all things wee shall behold then how many things are now hid from us which shall then bee discovered to us and surely that little taste wee have now of divine knowledge cannot but make us long for that state wherein wee shall have our full draught 2 Having dispatched the absolute pass we on to the relative consideration of this benefit as it is an effect of that unction mentioned in the former clause and that such an effect as can flow from no other cause so that the affirmation intendeth a negation and when it is said you have an unction and know all things it implyeth that without this unction you cannot know any thing to wit of those things and with that knowledge which is
incouraging commendations It was one of St. Jeromes counsels to Laeta about the bringing up of her daughter Laudibus excitandum est ingenium that shee should excite her by praises When the School-master by commending his Scholar for doing well le ts him see that hee hath a good opinion of him it is a notable spur to put him upon preserving and increasing that good opinion by doing better what the blowing of the horn is to the hounds in their chase and the sounding of the Trumpet to the Horse in the battel that is praise to men in their prosecution of vertue and opposition against vice And therefore let all Ministers learn to take notice of and incourage the forwardnesse of their people and let them be no lesse careful to extoll their virtues than to reprove their vices when the people do what is commendable it is but just wee should commend what they do and if they finde matter let not us want words in giving them their deserved praises according to the pattern which here St. John sets us 2 In special take a view of the commendation here given which is first by way of remotion acquitting them from ignorance they were not like St. Pauls silly women which were ever learning and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth not like those Hebrews who whereas for the time they ought to have been Teachers they had need that one teach them again which bee the first Principles of the Oracles of God they were not such as did not know the truth And then by way of attribution asserting that they were such who did know the truth yea that they had a distinct knowledge of it whereby they were able to distinguish between truth and falshood for that you know is very fitly by interpreters supplyed in the last clause you know that no Lye is of the truth Our blessed Saviour speaking of his sheep saith they know his voice and that so as to distinguish it from the voice of strangers for so it followeth and a stranger will they not follow thus doth S. John here commend these Christians not only for a true but a clear knowledge whereby they were able to judge aright and discern between things that differ Indeed according to that known maxim rectum est index sui et obliqui that which is true discovers not only it self but that which is false and therefore he that knoweth the truth knows that no lye is of it That it may the better appear how high a commendation this is it will bee needful to discusse a little on the one hand the evil of ignorance and on the other the good of knowledge 1 Not to know the truth is a sin sadly to bee bemoaned and such as contracts not onely guilt but shame upon the person Indeed this is not true of all kinde of Ignorance There is an Ignorance which is commendable not to know what God hath kept secret because hee would not have us know it s no shame for a man not to know that which is not in his possibility and such are all those things which God hath not been pleased to reveal There is an Ignorance which is excusable to wit 1 when it is of such truths which are without our sphere and therefore have no need to know them 2 when it is of such truths as are polemical problematical which partly by reason of the difficulty of the matter and partly by reason of the imbecillity of our understanding wee cannot attain to a full knowledge of 3 when though it be of the Evangelical Truth yet it is either through a defect of Revelation which is the onely means whereby wee can know it as in Pagans who never heard of the Gospel and therefore shall not bee condemned for not knowing and beleeving it or through a natural incapacity as in infants and fools and mad-men who being not able to make use of their reason cannot attain to this knowledge But not to know in some measure the necessary truths of the Gospel notwithstanding the opportunities and means of knowledge afforded to us is an ignorance deservedly blameable Indeed it is negligentia non impotentia incuria non incapacitas not an impotent incapacity but a retchlesse negligence it is not an invincible but a vincible not a negative but a Privative not an involuntary but a wilfull ignorance not of one who would but cannot but of one who may but will not know the truth And now to bee thus ignorant is our sin our shame our ruine what a travellor is without his feet a workman without his hands a Painter without his eies that is a Christian without knowledge unable to do the will of God What danger a ship is in that wants a Rudder Ballasse Anchors Cables Sails the like is hee in who wants knowledge How easily is hee tossed up and down with every winde of Doctrin how unable is hee to stear a right course towards heaven how quickly is hee overturned into a gulf of errors and vices no wonder if God complain by the Prophet Hoseah My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge Our proverb saith The blinde man swalloweth many a flye and catcheth many a fall it is no lesse true of an Ignorant Christian hee swalloweth many an errour and falls into many a sin this jaw bone of an Asse I mean Ignorance hath slain its thousands laying heaps upon heaps In a word Almighty God is so far provoked with affected ignorance that hee threatneth by his Prophet It is a people of no understanding therefore hee that made them will not have mercy on them and hee that formed them will shew them no favour and by his Apostle that the Lord Jesus shall beerevealed from heaven in flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God 2 To know the Truth and that no Lye is of it is a virtue highly to bee commended Indeed there is an excellency in all kinde of knowledge it is a pearl despised of none but fools Knowledge having no enemy but the Ignorant Alexander was wont to say hee had rather excell in knowledge than bee great in Power Indeed what the eie is in the body that is knowledge in the minde that the choycest member of the one this the noblest ornament of the other but surely this knowledge whereof my Text speaks is far more excellent than all other knowledge whatsoever for wheras by knowledge it is that a man differeth from a beast by this knowledge it is that a Christian differeth from other men nullus omnino cibus suavior quam cognitio veritatis saith Lactantius no sweeter food to the minde than the knowledge of truth and especially of this truth What the foundation is to the building the root to the tree that is this knowledge to the Soul the beginning of all grace and goodnesse what the Sun is to the world that is this knowledge to the minde to
Paul saith of himself that hee was separated unto the Gospel of God which he had promised afore by his Prophets in the Holy Scriptures and concerning his Doctrin that hee said no other things than those which the Prophets and Moses did say should come for this Reason it was no doubt that St. Peter wills those to whom hee writeth that they should take heed to the sure word of Prophecy as to a light that shineth in a dark place In this comparing of the Prophecies concerning the Messiah with the History of Jesus I shall not mention all nor yet largely insist on thâ—se I shall mention so as to vindicate them from all cavils since then this one discourse would swell to a volume and besides it hath been abundantly done by the Learned already onely I shall run over the principal and that in such a way as I hope will strengthen the Christian if not convince the gainsayer The Prophecies of the Messiah which wee meet with in the Old Testament are such as concern his Birth Doctrin Miracles Offices Sufferings and Exaltation all which will upon due search be found true in Jesus 1 Concerning the Messiahs Birth there are four forts of Predictions referring to the time the place the tribe the manner 1 The first prophecy we meet with concerning the time of the Messiahs comming into the world is that of Jacob where he â—aith The Scepter shall not depart from Judah nor a Law-giver from between his feet until Shiloh come and unto him shall the gathering of the people bee That by Shiloh is meant the Messiah may appear in that it is so rendred by the three-fold Targum of Oâ—kelos Jonathan and Hierusalem and withall the periphrasis annexed to him shall bee the gathering of the people can agree to none but him Now that which Jacob asserteth concerning the Messiah is that there should not be a total extirpation of all Civil power in the tribe of Judah before the Messiah came and thence it necessarily followeth that the extirpation of the Civil power is a sure note of the Messiahs being come Another Prophecy concerning the Messiahs advent wee meet with in Daniel and it is uttered by an Angel Seventy weeks are determined upon thy people and upon thy holy City to finish the transgression and to make an end of sins and to make reconciliation for iniquity and to bring in everlasting Righteousnesse and to seal up the â—â—sion and Prophecy and to annoint the most holy know therefore and understand that from the going forth of the Commandement to restore and to build Jerusalem unto the Messiah the Prince shall bee seven weeks and threescore and two weeks shall the street bee built again and the wall even in troublesome times and after threescore and two weeks shall Messiah bee cut off but not for himself and the people of the Prince that shall come shall destroy the City and the Sanctuary and the end thereof shall bee with a floud and unto the end of the war desolations are determined where the Angel plainly assirmeth among many other things that the Messiah should come and bee cut off before the destruction of the City and the Sanctuary whence it is naturally inferred that the actual overthrow of the City and Sanctuary is an undoubted sign of the Messiahs being come Parallel to this are those two Prophecies the one in Haggai and the other in Malachy The Prophet Haggai brings in God himself thus saying Yet once it is a little while and I will shake the Heavens and the Earth and the Sea and the dry land and I will shake all Nations and the desire of all Nations shall come and I will fill this house with glory yea the glory of this latter house shall bee greater than of the former saith the Lord of Hoasts That this is a prediction of the Messiah will appear among others by this one irrefragable argument The latter house which is here spoken of was far short of the former and in particular there were five things awanting in it The Urim and Thummim The Ark of the Covenant The Schechinah The fire from Heaven and The spirit of Prophecy Now there cannot any thing bee rationally affirmed as that which notwithstanding those defects should render this latter house more glorious than the former but onely the Messiahs presence Finally the Prophet Malachy in the name of God saith Behold I will send my messenger and hee shall prepare the way before mee and the Lord whom you seek shall suddainly come to his Temple even the messenger of the Covenant whom you delight in behold hee shall come where those words The Lord whom you seek are no other then a periphrasis of the Messiah whom the Jews expected whom this last of the Prophets fore-tells not onely to come but to come suddainly and that with a double behold to intimate both the certainty and propinquity of his comming by both these predictions it is elearly manifest that the Time of the Messiahs comming was to bee whilest this latter Temple was standing and therefore the destruction of the Temple is an undeniable note of the Messiahs being come By what hath been said from these Prophecies one would think the Jew might bee convinced of his folly in still looking for a Messiah when as it is so many hundred years since the Jewish Government together with the City and Temple of Jerusalem was destroyed And that the Jesus whom we professe to be the Christ was born before this utter dissipation is an History so clear that I suppose none will question it Indeed many Learned Christians have taken great pains and to good purpose exactly paralleling the time of the comming of Jesus with the Prophecies of Christ and especially with that which is the most punctual Prophecy to wit Daniels referring the going forth of the Commandement not to that which was given by Cyrus but by Artaxerxes Longimanus in the twentieth year of his reign yea some among the Jews as Rabbi Nâ—hemiah who lived fifty years before Jesus did affirm that the Messiah should come at that time when Jesus was born Nay Porphiry that bitter enemy of Christians saw the History of Jesus so clearly corresponding to the Prophecy in Daniel that his last refuge is to deny those Prophecies to bee Daniels But not troubling my self or you with Chronological computations It is enough for our present purpose if it bee granted which I see not how it can bee denyed that Jesus was born whilest yet the Temple and City of Jerusalem was standing and about the time of the utter departure of the Civil Government from Judah Besides the Sacred History of the Gospel the Testimony of Josephus the Jew and the Letter sent by Pilate a Roman to Tiberius to which both Tertullian and Justin Martyr appeal do sufficiently evince that there was such a person at that time born and living in Judea and at last crucified by the Jews 2
As to the place where the Messiah was to be born the Prophet Micah is express where hee saith But thou Bethlehem Ephratah though thou be little among the thousands of Judah yet out of thee shall hee come forth unto mee that is to bee ruler in Israel whose goings forth have been from of Old from Everlasting from which Scripture it is that the Pharisees gave their answer upon Herods inquiry concerning the place of his birth in which respect the Prophet and Evangelist are fitly reconciled while one calleth it the least and the other saith it is not the least to wit because of the greatness of the person born in it Now that Jesus was born in Bethlehem we have no meaner Testimony than that of an Angel in his message to the Shepheards To you is born this day in the City of David a Saviour which is Christ the Lord nor would it be passed by the strangenesse of that providence which brought it about that hee should bee born there for whereas Joseph and Mary dwelt in Nazareth twenty miles distant from Bethlehem and it was far besides their thoughts to go to Bethelhem it so falleth out that in a peaceable time the present Emperour imposeth an universal Tax upon the Jews among others by which means every one is to go up to the City of their Tribe and so those of the house of David to Bethlehem the City of David this fell out to be the very time when the daies of Mary were accomplished that she should be delivered and this was done that the Prophecy should be fulfilled 3 The Tribe of which the Messiah should come was that of Judah and more particularly the house of David This is intimated by Jacob when hee foretelleth the comming of the Messiah under the name of Shiloh which some interpret his Son to wit Judah and in as much as this prediction is inserted in the benediction of Judah which can bee for no other reason but that the Messiah was to come of him More plain and particular is that Prophecy of Isaiah There shall come forth a rod out of the stem of Jesse and a branch shall grow out of his roots where the Chaldee Paraphrase expresly testifieth by that rod to bee designed the Messiah who should spring forth of David who was a stem of Jesse yet more punctually doth this appear in that promise made to David by God of the fruit of thy loins will I set upon this Throne and again I will set up thy seed after thee which shall proceed out of thy bowels and I will establish his Kingdome for ever the former of which is expresly applied to the Messiah by S. Peter in reference to this it is that we read of the sure mercies of David yea by Jeremy and Hosea this name of David is applyed to the Messiah they shall serve or seek the Lord their God David their King which cannot bee meant litterally of David who fell asleep long before and therefore is mystically expounded of the Messiah who is called David because he was to come from his family This truth was so known among the Jews that when Jesus asked the Pharisees what think you of Christ whose Son is he they say to him The Son of David Now that our Lord sprang out of the Tribe of Judah is affirmed by the Author to the Hebrews to bee evident and he is said by St. Paul expresly to be of the seed of David remarkable to this purpose are his own words where hee saith I am the Root and the Ofspring of David to wit according to his two natures in respect of his God-head the Root and his Man-hood the Ofspring of David by which that Riddle is unfolded of his being both the Lord and the Son of David As for his Legal Father Joseph it is 〈…〉 by St. Matthew that hee was of Judahs Tribe and Jesus being born of Mary after her Espousals to Joseph is upon that account to bee reckoned of the tribe of Judah for if when the brother did raise the seed to his brother by marrying his widow the first-born was to succeed in the name of the dead brother and consequently reckoned as his Son well might Maries Son whom shee miraculously conceived by the Holy Ghost overshadowing bee reputed Josephs to whom shee was espoused and it being the custome of the Jews to derive the Genealogy from the Fathers in which respect it was a Proverb among them the mothers family is no family Jesus is justly asserted to bee of his Fathers Tribe though hee was not his natural but onely his Legal Father Though withall there is nothing rationally to contradict that Mary was of the house of David of the Tribe of Judah It is true Elizabeth who was of the house of Aaron the Tribe of Levi is called her Couzen but inasmuch as it was lawful for the Tribe of Levi having no possessions of their own to marry into any Tribe it may bee probably conceived that either some of the Virgin Maries Ancestors married a wife of Levies Tribe or some of Elizabeths Ancestors did marry a wife of Judahs Tribe and so either way there might bee an affinity between the Virgin Mary and Elizabeth Besides this that there is no convincing reason against it there are good arguments inferring it for since upon that particular occasion of Zelophehads daughters there was a Law enacted of every daughter marrying in her own Tribe which had an inheritance and if as Casaubon argueth the blessed Virgin were though in a mean condition yet heir to an estate it is very probable that shee was of Josephs own Tribe since hee hath the testimony of a just man and therefore one who would not violate so manifest a Law Adde to this that those words in St. Luke of the house of David may as well bee referred â—he Virgin espoused to Joseph as to Joseph and then it becommeth a positive assertion that Mary was of the house of David and yet once more if as Spanhemius strongly urgeth St. Lukes genealogy giveth us the linage of Mary it is without all doubt that both by Father and Mothers side Jesus was of the Tribe of Judah 4 The predictions concerning the Messiah assert that hee should bee born of a Virgin The Prophet Isaiah is express Behold a Virgin shall conceive and bear a Son and though the Hebrew word may signify any young woman yet that there it should bee rendered Virgin even this consideration will evince because it is ushered in with a behold of admiration and it is intended as a sign for confirmation of Ahaz whereas it were no wonder and therefore not fit to bee a signe that a young woman should conceive and bear a Son Being then a Prophecy of a Son to bee brought forth by a virgin it is no other doubtlesse than the Messiah whose birth is there intended
say it is insufficient and consequently it is not the blood of the Son of God which may justly bee interpreted a denial of the Son of God 2 When we refuse to hear and obey the Word of God who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in times past unto the Fathers by the Prophets and hath in these last days spoken to us by his Son Of this Son the voyce said twice hear him and not to hearken to him when hee speaketh to us is in effect to deny him who is it but the Son that wooeth us in the Ministry of the Gospel to accept of mercy pardon and salvation upon the terms of faith repentance and obedience and if wee say no in our hearts is not this to deny him How often saith Christ to Jerusalem would I have gathered thy children together as un Hen doth her Chickens under her wings but you would not May hee not take up the same complaint of us See that you refuse not him that speaketh saith the Author to the Hebrews for if they escaped not who refused him that spake on earth much more shall not we escape if we turn away from him that speaketh from heaven where the two words of refusing and turning away are very emphatical the one signifying to pray against a thing for so oft-times wee refuse with a God forbid and so it noteth a refusal with indignation the other importing an alienation of the heart from a thing since we turn away from what wee cannot endure and so intimateth a rejection with detestation and have not wee need of this caution Since though being the Son of God he came and spake from Heaven yet wee reject his sayings and is not this to deny him 3 Adde to this that Christum deserit qui Christianum se non asserit hee that doth not professe himself a Christian denieth Christ not only those who wilfully professedly maliciously and so at once both inwardly and outwardly deny the Christ the Son of God but those who whilst inwardly they beleeve in him doe yet refuse if called to it openly to own him either through fear or shame or both are vertually deniers of him It is very observable that what is here called a denying of the Son is elsewhere phrased a not honouring the Son that whereas in St. Matthew it is Whosoever shall deny me in St. Mark it is Whosoever shall bee ashamed of mee that in St. Pauls Epistle to Timothy denying Christ is opposed to suffering for him Finally that here is no medium in the text between denying and acknowledging the Son By all which it appeareth that though we doe not wretchedly oppose and gain-say the Son of God yet if wee doe not honour him and that as we honour the Father with the same adoration both of soul and body if we are not ready upon all occasions to acknowledge him if because of reproach we are ashamed to own him nay if we refuse being called to suffer though it be death it self for his name we are no other than deniers of him And now beloved though at present there bee neither disgrace nor danger in acknowledging the Messiah the Son of God nay indeed quaestuosa res est nomen Christi it is both gainful and honourable to bee a Christian and therefore it is little thanks to own Christ yet what think you if wee had lived in the Pagan Persecution or if God should which his mercy avert let loose the Turk to invade Christendome or suffer the Socinian Heresie to over-spread the world as once the Arrian did have wee ready hearts willing mindes to contend for the saith nay rather would wee not wretchedly renounce at least cowardly conceal our Christian profession certainly my brethren they who now deny obedience to his call will then deny the profession of his name they that will not hear the Son speaking to them in his Word will never bear reproaches and persecutions for his sake Upon all these considerations it is an useful admonition to us that we doe not deny but acknowledge the Son It is the Psalmists advice even to Kings well may wee follow it Kisse the Son lest hee bee angry kisse him with a kisse of affection of subjection be ready to testifie your faith in him reverence of him love to him upon all occasions The more to inforce this upon us take notice 1 Who it is the Son and that in a double notion 1 Being the Son he thinketh it no robbery to be equal with God in as much as according to the Athanasian Creed he is God of God Light of Light very God of very God being the Son he is Heir of all things Lord of Heaven and Earth and shall we in any kind or for any cause deny him This is that which St. Jude brings in as an Aggravation of the sin of these very Antichrists whom hee calls certain men crept in unawares they denied the only Lord God and our Lord Jesus Christ where though some take the words dis-junctively applying the first clause to the Father and the second to the Son yet since there is no Article in the Greek between 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 God and Lord to divide them yea the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in that parallel place of St. Peter is evidently used of Christ and withall the Heresies of those times more directly struck at Christ than at God the Father it is not improbable that St. Jude intended here only to set forth Christ in his Natures and Prerogatives whom he calls the only Lord God as elsewhere the Father is stiled the only true God not in exclusion of the other Persons but of all false Deities And now when we set before us the Divinity Majesty Soveraignty and authority of Christ the only Lord God how must the sin of denying him appear beyond measure sinful 2 This glorious and eternal Son of God was pleased to undertake and accomplish the work of our Redemption and it would bee no other than a monstrous ingratitude to deny him upon this account St. Peter speaking of these very Antichrists under the name of false teachers aggravateth their denial of Christ in that it was of the Lord that bought them there cannot bee a more execrable villany than for a slave to disown his Lord that hath ransomed him who would not cry shame on that Son who should deny his own Father and may I not say of the Son of God in Moses his language to every one of us Is not he thy Father that hath bought thee what is there thou canst bee in danger of by acknowledging him which hee did not actually undergoe to redeem thee Is it losse of estate he was poor of credit hee was reviled of liberty he was bound of life he was Crucified and shall any of these dishearten us from honouring or enduce us to deny him when therefore any temptations
without ears nay with both ears because they were to hear both parties so needful is this sense for all civil transactions 3 But lastly Hearing is not onely sensus discipline et societatis but fidei et Religionis the sense of Discipline and Converse but of Faith and Religion in which respect St. Paul is expresse Faith commeth by hearing Aurium sensus ideo datus est saith Lactantius ut doctrinam Dei percipere possimus for this cause chiefly is our hearing given us that wee may receive Divine truths suitable to which is that of Tertallian Vera ornamenta aurium dei voces Gods Words are the best Jewels wee can hang at our ears indeed such is our present state that wee receive the greatest spiritual advantages by hearing oculus organum patriae auditus viae when wee come to our Country wee shall use our eies but whilest wee are in the way our chiefest use is of the ear faith saith the Apostle is the evidence of things not seen and wee are most properly said to beleeve what wee do not see but still wee beleeve what wee hear and by hearing wee come to beleeve at S. Pauls Conversion there was a light seen and a voice heard the light astonished but the voice converted him and in this respect wee may call the Ear the in-rode and thorough-fare of grace the souls custome-house for her spiritual traffique in Divine Wisdome the matrix or wombe of our New-birth the pale into which is put the milke of the Word the still or limbeck of the dew of heaven the window to let in the light of the Gospel the channel of the water of Life the Pipe for the conveyance of Faith in a word the Orifice or Mouth of the Soul by which it receiveth spiritual food for by this means it was these Christians did partake of the Gospel That which you have heard But yet this is not all that is intended in this phrase for in as much as by Hearing we are brought to Beleeving therefore Hearing is used to connote Beleving Thus Timothy heard the form of sound words from the Apostle Paul that is so as to embrace it and therefore he exhorts him to hold it fast in this sense no doubt it is here to bee understood for in that our Apostle would have it to abide it intimateth they had heard so as to receive it so that wee are here implicitely taught wee must so hear with our Ears as to beleeve with our hearts Evangelical Doctrins This is the Character which our Saviour giveth of the good ground that it heareth the word with a good and honest heart which is when the heart doth firmly assent and consent to that which is heard It is the Counsel of Solomon keep thy foot when thou goest to the house of God and bee ready to hear the latter words in the Hebrew are and near to hear which being joyned with the former clause seem to intimate that the foot should bee near to hear and indeed hee onely heareth aright who heareth with his foot and his heart as well as his ear hee heareth with his foot who so heareth as to obey and hee heareth with his heart who so heareth as to beleeve I shut up this with that usual close of the Epistles to the Churches of Asia He that hath an ear to hear let him hear though all men have ears yet all have not ears to hear there are too many Idol hearers of whom it may bee said as the Psalmist saith of Idols ears have they but they hear not audientes videlicet corporis sensu non audiunt cordis assensu as St. Austin elegantly hearing with the sense of the body they hear not with the assent of the mind Oh let us beg of God that which Solomon telleth us is onely in his power to give the hearing ear Indeed whether we understand it in a corporal or a spiritual notion it is Gods gift hee rightly disposeth the Organ and it is hee who fitly qualifieth the minde the former whereof maketh it an hearing ear in a natural and the latter an hearing ear in a supernatural sense our ears in reference to the Word of God and Christ are stopped not with wax or wool or frankincense but earth let us beseech God to open them they are dull and heavy let us pray him to awaken them that wee may bee diligent and attentive hearers and having by the door of our hearing admitted the Gospel into the closet of our souls that which will be most needful to press upon us is the 2 Duty here required Let that which you have heard abide in you A duty which may bee capable of a double notion either as injoyning a careful remembrance of or 2 resolute adherence to that which they had heard from the beginning 1 Let that which you have heard abide in you by a faithful recordation To this St. Jude exhorts But beloved remember the words which were spoken before of the Apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ Our memories must bee store-houses and r Teasuries of pretious Truths and holy instructions and like books in a Library must bee chained to them with this agreeth that advice of our Saviour to the Angel of the Church of Sardis Remember therefore how thou hast received and heard and hold fast by hearing wee receive and by remembring wee retain and hold fast Evangelical Doctrins Nor is this exhortation needlesse when wee consider the badnesse of our memories in Divine matters we ought to give saith the Author to the Hebrews the more earnest heed to the things which wee have heard lest at any time we should let them slip tacitly resembling our crasy memories to leaking vessels out of which the water of life soon slips if they bee not stopped Perhaps like sieves whilestthey are in the water they are full but no sooner are they taken forth but all runs out presently we can remember somewhat whilest wee are hearing but soon after we are gone out of Gods house what wee heard is gone out of our minds in this sense therefore it is needfull counsell Let that abide c. 2 But that which I conceive is the Duty here perswaded is Let that abide in you which you have heard from the beginning by a constant adhesion to the end ad fidei constantiam hortatur is Calvins glosse it is an exhortation to constancy in the faith wee may very well expound it by that of St. Paul to the Colossians If you continue in the faith grounded and settled and bee not moved away from the hope of the Gospel which you have heard where the two words grounded and settled are metaphors borrowed the one from building the other from a Chair so that as buildings which are upon rocky and firm foundations are not quickly thrown down or as men that are fixed in their Chair are not easily moved out of their place no more
old the Law was literally written by Gods Finger in two Tables of Stone so it is spiritually written by Gods Spirit in two Tables of flesh the mind and the heart This annoynting then teacheth 1 Illuminando intellectum by enlightning the understanding to see and discover those things which are revealed in the Word the first work of the Spirit in conversion answereth that first word and work of God in the Creation Let there be light by this light it is that the darknesse of ignorance is expelled and the eyes of the minde are opened to apprehend Divine Writings in their own lustre and beauty It is observed of Paper that being oyled it is thereby made bright and so fitter to receive the beams of the Sun and conveigh the light into the room so is it with our minds which being annoynted with this oyl are thereby fitted to receive that heavenly light of Evangelical Doctrin and whereas the oyl which is put to the Lamp feeds it when it is kindled but cannot give light to it such is the excellency of this Unction that it giveth the light of saving knowledge to them who are altogether destitute of it Nor is this all but further 2 Inclinand◠voluntatem by inclining the will to embrace the goodnesse and taste the sweetnesse of those truths which are understood this oyl doth not only cherish the light of the Lamp but softens the hardnesse of the tumor remove the darknesse of the understanding but mollifie the perversnesse of the will As for the manner of the Spirits operation upon the will it is not to bee disputed many Controversies which trouble the Church would easily be reconciled were the Modus layed aside I suppose none will deny but he who made the will knoweth how to perswade it without coaction and incline it without compulsion and therefore we need not fear to affirm that the annoynting teacheth by inclining the will the truth is were it not that this teaching had an influence upon the will as well as the understanding it could not guard against Error and preserve from Apostacy nothing being more usual than for those who are taught outwardly and not inwardly to reject those truthes whereof they have been fully convinced for want of a kindly influence upon the will by which they should constantly adhere To summe up this point and there-with this Discourse See the excellency of the Spirits teaching beyond all others other School-masters set only truths before us but cannot put them into us they present them to our eyes or ears but cannot write them upon our hearts only this School-master can and doth not only by his Word speak to our ears but by his Grace to our souls oh therefore let us implore this sacred Unction that he would vouchsafe to become our Teacher let us begge of him that he would first give us flexible spirits and decible mindes whereby wee may bee willing to bee taught which is to take away the heart of stone and give an heart of flesh and then that he would make us to know and embrace Divine Truths which is to write his Law in our hearts And withall take we heed how we grieve this School-master by a carelesse neglect of his instructions If at any time hee bee pleased to put any good motions into our mindes let us cherish them and let us beseech him that to those motions hee would adde his powerful impressions and if wee be thus taught of him we are well taught so well that we need no other teacher which leads me to the other branch of the sufficiency of his instruction in the negative expression You need not that any man teach you But the time being expired denyeth any further progresse at present and therefore the discussion of that with the other parts of the verse must be referred to the next opportunity THE FIRST EPISTLE OF St. JOHN CHAP. 2. VERS 27. But the annointing which you have received of him abideth in you and yee need not that any man teach you but as the same annointing teacheth you of all things and is truth and is no lye and even as it hath taught you ye shall abide in him THis whole World may not unfitly bee resembled to a Book whereof the cover is the Heavens whose Gilded imbossements are the glittering stars letters are the elements words are the several creatures compounded of those elements sentences are the motions and actions of those creatures and periods are its various ages This is the Book which Almighty God hath given all mankind to read and there is in every man a natural reason which serveth as a Candle whereby wee may discern the characters engraven on it and as a Schoolmaster whereby wee are instructed in the lessons to bee learned from it But besides this School of the World in which the Creator hath appointed to train up all men there is another School of the Church which our Redeemer hath designed for the education of Christians in which respect one of the names by which they are frequently called is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Disciples or Scholars of Christ The Book wherein they are to learn is no other than the Holy Scriptures of the Old and more espeoially of the New Testament The Ushers or Inferiour Teachers are the Ministers whose lips are therefore said to preserve knowledge and at whose mouth wee must seek the Law And if you would know who is the Head-master in this School let St. John give you the answer in the words of the text it is no other than the Holy Spirit of God here called the Annointing But the Annointing which you have received of him c. The sufficiency of this unction in teaching Christians is that part of the Text I am now in handling and having discussed the Affirmative assertion in that it is said to teach all things I am now in order to proceed to the Negative amplification which is expressed in those words And you need not that any man teach you The Apostle Peter speaking of the unlearned and unstable telleth us that they did wrest as many things in St. Pauls Epistles so likewise in other Scriptures to their own perdition where the Greek word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as Gerard well observes is a metaphor borrowed from those who put men upon the Rack whereby they oft times force them to speak things against their knowledge and conscience for so do Hereticks impose upon the Scripture a sense contrary to what the Spirit of God intended An instance hereof wee have in this Text particularly in this clause which together with those parallel words of the Prophet Jeremy quoted by the Apostle Paul They shall not teach every man his Neighbour and every man his Brother saying Know the Lord is wrested by the Quakers and such like Sectavies among us as it was by the Enthusiasts heretofore to the undervaluing of the Ministry as needlesse in the Church yea of the
Holy Scriptures themselves whilest pretending to a light within them which is communicated by this Unction they think they need no light without them no not that which shineth from the sacred writings For the proof whereof they thus argue from this Text. All who are taught by the Unction need not that any man should teach them and consequently not the holy men of God But all Christians are taught by the Vnction which they receive from Christ Therefore c. That this Syllogism how rational soever it may seem is but a Paralogism and particularly that Sophism which is called by Logicians Fallacia à dicto secundum quid ad dictum simpliciter a fallacy arguing from that which is spoken onely as to some respect as if it were to bee construed in its utmost latitude will plainly appear in the following discourse And that I may at once both refell this argument and unfold the clause I shall first demonstrate that those words you need not that any man teach you cannot with any show of Reason nor yet without apparent contradiction bee intended by S. John as an absolute negation and then I shall acquaint you with those constructions which are probable and which of them I conceive most natural 1 In pursuance of the negative part of the Explication I shall promise something by way of prevention and then propose somewhat by way of confutation 1 By way of prevention take notice of these particulars which cannot but be granted 1 Without doubt there will bee a time when Gods annointted ones shall not need the teaching of any man and that is in the other life when Glorified Saints shall behold in the vision of Gods face all things which may conduce to their happiness It is a true rule in Divinity Promissiones novi futurâ Evangelical Promises have some impletion in this life but their completion in the other Accordingly it is that those words They shall teach no more every man his neighbour and every man his brother saying Know the Lord for they shall all know mee from the least of them to the greatest are by some of the Fathers understood of that knowledge which wee shall have in the Countrey and though I look not upon this as the genuine scope of these words yet doubtless then then only it is that those words shall most exactly be fulfilled To the two states of this and that other Life no doubt St. Paul referreth under the resemblance of a Child speaking doing and understanding as a Child and of a mans putting away childish things intending not differrnt degrees of grace but the difference between grace here and glory hereafter We are not such grown men whilest on earth that wee should look upon the external means of grace as childish things to bee put away it is the sole priviledge of heaven where wee shall know as wee are known that there all helps of humane instruction shall bee supervacaneous Indeed as Aquinas excellently argueth It is a sign of perfect knowledge acquisitâ scientiâ and therefore in that state of perfect knowledge no wonder if all teaching cease 2 In respect of our present state in this life know further that 1 On the one hand it is an undoubted truth that notwithstanding wee are taught by men there is great need of the teaching of this unction so great that without it all other teaching is in vain Every Instructor saith to his Auditors in words much like those of the King to the woman How can I help except God help how can I teach except the Spirit teach St. Gregory upon those words of our Saviour concerning the Spirit Hee shall lead you into all truth inlargeth very excellently to this purpose Vnlesse that Divine Spirit bee present to the heart of the Hearer the Word of the Teacher is to no purpose Let therefore no man attribute it to the man who teacheth that hee understandeth what hee saith because nisi intus sit qui doceat doctoris lingua exterius in vacuum laborat Except there bee a Teacher within the Preachers Tongue laboureth outwardly in vain Behold saith that Father you all alike hear the same voice of him that speaketh and yet you do not alike perceive the sense of what is spoken cum ergo vox dispar non sit cur in cordibus vestris dispar est vocis intelligentia seeing therefore the same voice sounds in all your ears why is there not the same reception into all your hearts were it not that there is a master within who is pleased peculiarly to teach some the understanding of what is generally spoken to all Whereupon hee quoteth this very Text with this glosse per vocem non instruitur quando mens per Spiritum non ungitur When the minde is not annointed by the Spirit it is not instructed by the voice To the same pupose and no lesse full is that discourse of St. Austin upon this place Behold my brethren a great mystery the sound of our words beateth the ear the Master is within Do not think that any man learneth any thing from any man wee may admonish by the noise of our voice but in vain if the Spirit teach not inwardly you all now hear my Sermon and yet alas how many go away untaught Quantum ad me pertinet omnibus locutus sum sed quibus unctio illa intus non loquitur quos Spiritus sanctus intus non docet indocti redeunt so far as concerneth mee I have done my part in Preaching to all but to whom the unction doth not speak whom the Spirit doth not teach they go home untaught The Instructions and admonitions of men are extrinsical helps Cathedram in coelo habet qui docet cor his Chair is in heaven who teacheth the heart therefore hee himself saith in the Gospel Call no man your master on earth one is your Master Christ And a little after The words which wee speak outwardly are to you as the Husbandman to the tree who planteth and watereth and pruneth it but doth hee form the fruit or cover the Tree with leaves who doth that Hear that Husbandman St. Paul and see what wee are and hear who is the internal Master I planted Apollo watered but God gave the increase neither is hee that planteth any thing nor hee that watereth any thing but he that giveth the increase is God that is his Unction teacheth you of all things Thus as the Prophets staff could not revive the Childe but the Prophet must come himself so mans teaching cannot instruct but this Vnction must teach us and therefore whensoever wee come to hear the word let us withall pray for the Spirit that the ministration of the one may bee accompanied with the operation of the other that of Ferus being most true Docet Spiritus sanctus sed per verbum docent Apostoli sed per co-operationem Spiritus sancti The Spirit teacheth but by
the Word and the Apostles taught not but by the co-working of the blessed Spirit 2 On the other hand it cannot bee denied but that as mans teaching is nothing without this unction so this unction can nay hath taught without the help of man There is no question but that hee who at first created man after his own Image could have repaired the decaies of that Image in man without the ministry of man Humane teaching is not a necessary but arbitrary Instrument of the Spirit not without which hee cannot but ordinarily hee will not teach us This unction needs not the teaching of any man to joyn with it Those first planters of the Gospel were immediately taught by this unction and had it sâ— pleasâ—d God all Christians might still have been taught by an inward inspiration without any outward instruction look as in governing the World God vouchsafed to make use of second causes but not out of any necessity as if hee could not govern without them so in teaching the Church the Spirit of God maketh use of men as his ministers but not as if hee could not teach without them 2 These things being premised that which I shall by way of confutation assert and prove is that this unction doth not will not ordinarily teach Christians so as that whilest they are in this world they shall not need the help of mans teaching Though mans teaching is ineffectual without the presence of the unction yet the unction doth not exclude the presence of mans teaching For the clearing whereof in few words you must know 1 In General 1 That our Lord Christ hath instituted a certain order of men in the Church whose office it is to teach and instruct men in the faith This is plainly implyed in that Commission given by Christ to his Apostles of discipling all Nations by baptizing and teaching them to which is annexed a Promise of being with them alway even to the end of the World both which considered together inform us that that Commission was not to expire with the Apostles but that they should have successors in those sacred offices to the end of the World with whom Christ would bee present by his Spirit Congruous hereunto it is that St. Paul expressely saith faith commeth by hearing of the Word of God and that from a Preacher who is sent for that end But most apposite and clear is that of the same Apostle to the Ephesians where hee saith Christ gave some Apostles and some Prophets and some Evangelists and some Pastors and Teachers which surely hee would not have given had there been no need of them Very observable to this purpose it is that at the conversion of Cornelius in the vision which hee had hee was directed to send for Peter that hee might tell him what hee â—ought to do and whereas the Spirit might himself have opened Isaiahs prophecy to the Eunuch hee giveth Philip command to go and interpret it and preach Jesus to him yea though Christ himself converted Saul by an immediate appearing yet hee sent Ananias to the finishing of the work and surely if to extraordinary much more to ordinary conversion the teaching of man of those men whom Christ hath for that end appointed in his Church is necessary 2 That the Pastors and Doctors of the Church are not only designed for initiating but the perfecting of the Saints they are St. Pauls own words in the forementioned place For this cause it is that they are resembled not onely to Fathers who beget and Mothers who bring forth but Nurses who bring up the Children not only to Planters but to Waterers till the Tree come to its full growth And they are as so many builders not only to lay the foundation but to rear up the fabrick of grace and knowledge in the hearts of Christians surely then till we come to the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ which shall not be till we come to heaven we have need that man should teach us 2 In particular As to this Scripture it cannot bee St. Johns intention by these words how express soever they may seem to exclude mans teaching Excellently St. Austin to this purpose If this be true you need not that any man teach you why do we teach you if that Annointing teach you all things wee labour as it were without cause why do wee not leave you to that unction that it may teach you But now I put the Question to my self Et illi ipsi Apostolo facio I may put it to the Apostle himself Let the Holy Apostle vouchsafe to hear a little one inquiring of him They to whom thou writest had this unction thou hast said it The unction which you have received teacheth you of all things ut quid talem Epistolam fecisti quid illos tu docebas quid instruebas quid aedificabas why hast thou written this Epistle to them why doest thou instruct and edify them Indeed it cannot be imagined that St. John should teach them by writing to them if hee did intend by these words to assert all mans teaching uselesse And therefore Caveamus tales tentationes superbissimas take wee heed of spiritual pride in fancying to our selves such a measure of the Spirits unction that wee need not the Ministers instruction Our blessed Lord himself who had the Spirit above measure was very lowly and bids us to learn this vertue of him surely then the greater measure wee have of this unction wee should bee so much the lesse conceited of our selves The good Spirit doth affâ—are breathe grace into us but it is the evil spirit which doth inflare puff men up with the winde of pride it is the poyson of the Serpent swells us not the Oil of the Spirit of God and truely there cannot bee an higher degree of pride than to undervalue the means of instruction Hee who is thus arrogant argueth himself greatly ignorant of the delusions of Satan and the deceitfulnesse of his own heart It is very observable how St. Paul joyneth those two caveats together Quench not the Spirit despise not prophecying the latter being the ready way to the former If thou hast received this unction it is as that Apostle tells the Galatians by the hearing of Faith and by the same means it abideth with and is increased in that it was first conveyed to us The plain truth is hee that is above ordinances is below grace nor can there bee a worse fool than hee who thinketh himself so wise as not to need the Ministers teaching Nor would it be passed by that those very Sectaries who deny the Ministry and scriptures do yet teach one another all the rest attending whilst any one of them who pretends to a Revelation speaketh and therefore I shall not need to spend time in confuting them who by their own practice confute themselves 2 Having in some measure cleared the Quid non what is
of our peace yet wee are very apt to bee with-drawn from them especially by the cunning of Seducers but blessed bee God this Unction abideth with us and enableth us to abide Oh let us herein rejoyce that the wisdome of our Saviour hath so fully provided for our safety and let it bee our daily prayer that this holy Unction would still vouchsafe to remain with us so as wee may bee instructed confirmed and preserved by it to everlasting life Amen THE FIRST EPISTLE OF St. JOHN CHAP. 2. VERS 28. And now little Children abide in him that when he shall appear wee may have confidence and not be ashamed before him at his comming MAny are the Diseases to which the inward as well as the outward man is subject The Feaver of Luxury the Surfet of Gluttony Meagrom of Drunkennesse Lethargy of Sloath and Ague of Idlenesse all which are involved in the Lust of the flesh the Itch of Curiosity and the Dropsy of Covetousnesse which are the lusts of the Eies the Tumor of Arrogancy and the Timpany of Ambition which are the Fride of Life are not more common than dangerous sicknesses no wonder if our Apostle being a spiritual Physician cautioneth us and prescribeth in this Chapter an excellent Antidote against them of not loving the World and the things of the World But besides these the Consumption of Envy the Frenzy of Malice the Giddinesse of Inconstancy and Falling-sicknesse of Apostacy are no lesse deadly and farre more spreading for this cause it is that our Apostle throughout this whole Epistle very much insisteth upon brotherly love the only cure of malice and envie and in the latter part of this Chapter earnestly perswadeth a firm adherence to the Christian Faith the proper remedy of inconstancy and Apostacy the close of which Discourse is in the words of the text And now little children abide in him c. In which verse there are three things offer themselves to our observation â—â—e Manner the Matter the Motive The manner â—â—â—â—et The matter serâ—us The motive strong The manner Rhetorical The matter Theological The motive Logical The manner vehement The matter important The motive urgent Finally The manner in the Compellation Little Children The matter in the Exhortation And now abide in him The motive in the Incitation That when hee shall appear we may have confidence and not bee ashamed before him at his coming of each of which with brevity and perspicuity 1 Begin we with the Compellation which having had occasion once and again to handle shall bee quickly passed over only I cannot but with Ferus take notice of the excelleat Artifice of our Apostle who calleth them to whom he wrote Little Children Ut oftensione affect us sui fortius moveat thatby discovering the dearness of his love towards them they might bee the more easily perswaded by him St. Paul writing to the Romans concerning false Teachers saith they did deceive the simple by fair and smooth words Surely the Ministers of Christ should be no lesse artificial in perswading than they are in deceiving and to that end use smooth and fair words Me thinketh those words of our Saviour to his Disciples when so many forsook him carry in them a great deal of passion Will you also goe away and no doubt they made a suitable impression on them witnesse Peters answer Lord whither shall wee goe what affectionate straines are those of St. Paul and St. Peter I beseech you brethren by the mercies of God so St. Paul Dearly beloved I beseech you so St. Peter and if wee well weigh it wee shall finde as much nay more in this of St. John And now little children the Hebrew 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which answers to the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the Greek is not only an adverb of time but a particle of beseeching and this title Little children seemeth to intimate that our Apostle beseecheth them Per eam Paternam benevolentiam by the love of a Father yea by the bowels of a Mother You that are Parents know with what tender affections you speak to your Children when you disswade them from evil or perswade them to good the same Spirit was in this holy Apostle Mira sollicita de suorum salute cura it was a strange solicitous care and desire which he had of their Salvation which put him upon this earnest way of exhorting them to perseverance Oh that all the Ministers of the Word would learn to fellow this pattern I told you in the last Lecture it is only God that can speak to the heart inwardly and effectually but certainly that Minister shall soonest convey as it were his words into the heart who speaketh with his heart yea rather speaketh his heart whose expressions manifest his affection as to the things concerning which so to the persons to whom he speaketh and this shall suffice for a brief account of the Compellation 2 Proceed we to the Exhortation in those words And now abide in him Before I discusse the nature of the duty it will not be amisse to observe that what is assured in the end of the former verse You shall abide in him is prescribed in the beginning of this abide in him Abiding in Christ is the matter of both a promise and a precept it is that which wee shall finde verified in other duties as well as this I will put my fear in their hearts so runs the Promise Fear the Lord so frequently the Precept A new heart will I give you and a new spirit will I put within you so God promiseth make you a new heart and a new spirit so hee commandeth The Lord thy God will circumcise thine heart to love him is the promise and in the same Chapter I command thee this day to love the Lord thy God Indeed there may seem some kind of incongruity in this at the first view for what need is there of commanding us to doe what God promiseth hee will enable us to doe but in truth there is a sweet harmony between precepts and promises of this nature whilst these serve to strengthen our confidence and those to quicken our diligence when on the one hand we are exhorted to abide in Christ wee may be ready to say but How shall I bee able to perform this duty my enemies are so strong and grace so weak that I fear I shall let goe my hold and as David once said I shall one day fall by the hands of Saul so the weak though willing Christian is apt to say I shall one day fall by the power and policy of the Devil and notwithstanding all my resolutions and endeavours I fear my deceitful heart will bee with-drawn from Christ But loe for our comfort and encouragement here is a promise that by the vertue of this Unction wee shall abide On the other hand when we meet with these and such like promises of perseverance we may be ready to flatter our selves