Spirit which he purchased at so dear a rate and shall the Spirit give gifts to men and those gifts be actuated and exercised and prepared for you and shall not we improve them O what an ill requital is here 2. He hath a vehement desire of union and communion with all those that God the Father hath given to him Behold I stand and knock at the door if any will hear my voyce then I will come in to him and sup with him and he with me that is a melting place a winning place in Rev. 3.20 Jesus Christ is impatient as it were I may speak it with reverence to want communion with them who are his in Gods eternal counsels But then thirdly Christ may well expect this Because attaining the intended stature and measure of the fulness of Christ we are fit for heaven as in Ephe. 4.13 Till we all come to the unity of faith and to the perfect stature of the fulness of the age in Christ therefore there is such a pitch and Jesus Christ expects it you will never be fit for him till you come to your pitch there is a minimum quod sic as Philosophers speak about natural bodies so about every member of the mystical body you must come to such a degree of grace before you are fit for heaven now God hath designed you that that you may be meet to be partakers of the inheritance with the Saints in light it is not slipping out of a drunkards habit and to desire to be dissolved or to receive the communion or to give such and such legacies or to send for a Minister and say Lord have mercy on me No thou hast been a drunkard and an Atheist all thy days thou art not meet to go to heaven Paul blesseth God that hath made him meet Heaven is a holy place and God is a holy God and thou hast a very cursed sinful nature very unfit for heaven till thou be pollished fashioned and framed now Jesus Christ expects this The third particular follows I shall not dispatch all you 'll give me leave to consult for my own health As you have had the expectation it self and the grounds of it so you shall have The end Now the ends of it are two why Christ intended this and expects this First For your stability in Christ and Secondly For your improvement of Christ. 1. Your stability in Christ. 2. Stability in judgement O that is an admirable thing Health of body is a great matter but truly soundness of faith especially in these unstable times is much greater It is a good thing to have the heart established with grace that is with the doctrine of grace and not with meats not to be carried up and down with this wanton opinion and that wanton opinion in Heb. 13.9 A good thing to have the heart established in grace To have a stability in affection that thy affections may centre upon Christ as thy love and thy desire and thy hope and thy joy thou mayest desire other things yet thou mayest be able to say I have none in heaven but thee and none in earth that I desire in comparison of thee you may love other things but you may be able to say I love Jesus Christ for himself and love my self and all other things in reference to him I value power and estate learning and all outward thing nothing but with reference and subservience to Jesus Christ O here is a sweet stability of affection and that Jesus Christ may not onely be thy joy but the exceeding gladness of thy joy a triumph of joy to joy more in knowledge of Christ and communion with Christ then you do in all outward comforts and advantages whatsoever here is a sweet stability of affection these people will not be carried up and down so much with either crosses or comforts as very many are But then There is a stability of conversation that is a blessed stability in James 1.8 A double minded man is unconstant in all his ways as long as you have an end and an end a heart and a heart a minde and a minde you 'll never be constant you know not where to finde any men in the world but godly men because they have fixed principles they make conscience but come to a covetous man when you speak of his covetousness there you have him when you speak against his earthliness there you lose him he hath a double minde something for God and something for the world hath no more Religion then suits with his worldly designs he will hear a Sermon because it is cheap yet he will it may be deceive you in his shop because there is his interest and he will it may be be jolly and frollick and scoff over a cup of sack at the people of God soon after Sermon though he hath expressed it may be a great deal of zeal to the Minister why there lies his interest he is a jolly man a professor at large he must be bold O here is no stability It is a blessed thing and a sweet advantage and Jesus Christ intends this that you should be grounded in Christ being rooted and grounded and stablished in the faith in Colosians 2.7 Now the next end is this Your improvement of Christ An improvement of him for what purpose Why for all necessary gifts as a Magistrate as a Minister in any place of trust he hath variety of gifts in 1 Cor. 12. For all graces he hath variety of graces he hath abundance of Spirit that you may be filled with all the fulness of God as I remember in Eph. 3.19 In all conditions and relations that you may know how to be sick and how to be poor how to be Magistrates how to be Ministers I have learned to want and abound I can do all things through Christ enabling me saith Paul in Philippians 4.13 And then In all duties you can do nothing without Christ but as he gives in as he communicates himself and vouchsafes to assist you when he withdraws you flag you wither I 'le be bold to say a word to my Brethren of the Ministery O that Ministers would chiefly study and minde this work this is proper Pulpit-work to put people upon such an entertainment of the Gospel that they might improve Jesus Christ and grow up to a stability in him Paul was sent had a Commission according to the faith of Gods elect in Tit. 1.1 and Gal. 4.19 I travel in birth with you saith Paul till Christ be formed in you O what pain it cost him every Sermon It was a great speech yet I have heard it as a certain truth concerning Reverend Mr. Bains That every Sermon cost him as much in his sence as he thought as it did ordinarily cost a woman to bring a childe into the world I travel in birth till I see Jesus Christ formed in you
and do the Truth upon all occasions Indeed Truthing it in love which were an admirable Motto for Saints and most seasonable in these unsound and censorious times Truthing it in love Truthing it in love seeking and following the Truth with constancy is the Gospel method of our spiritual welfare This was Johns counsel to the Elect and his comfort concerning the Lady a practice worthy it seems of great persons This was Johns joy concerning her and her children and concerning his Gaius too in the beginning of his third Epistle That they walked in the Truth and the Truth dwelt in them and they in Truth loving one another Here is Truthing it in Love now in short what reasons why this is the Gospel method to our welfare first considered Singly Truth and Love as they are in themselves contribute much Secondly Joyntly consider the happy marriage of Truth and Love they operate much to advance this Gospel-design First For Truth It hath a soveraign vertue to prevent and to cure those spiritual maladies which are most obstructive to the good of Persons and Churches Truth keeps from Ignorance from Superstition from Errors from Heresies yea from prophaneness Love keeps from Strife from Schism although there bee some differences amongst Saints all men see not by the same Light if there be Love it will keep them from making a difference in affection or keep them from all unwarrantableness disclayming communion with their Brethren It is want of Love that doth that Secondly Truth if there be differences in judgement as there may be yet it hath this power that it will teach men to hold their Christian liberty by satisfying their conscieriees in the lawful use of it Love will teach them not to use their Liberty unseasonably to the offence of their Brethren the Truth makes you free if you know the Truth in John 8.32 Truth will give us a Freedom that we shall not suffer our selves to be under unnecessary and unwarrantable humane impositions but shall see our Freedom and in the use of indifferent things Love will make me so tender and so Indulgent to the Conscience of my Brother that I le rather deny my self then offend him here is Love and Truth singly as to the preventing of evil And then Secondly Here is Truth and Love that have a direct Subservience to promote the best good of Saints in their Communion with Christ now Truth enlightens the minde concerning the whole Councel of God concerning agenda and credenda teaching us that like as Usurpers not as Libertines we encroach upon the Headship of Christ and Love enflames us and enclines to embrace Truth and reject Falshood and what ever is prophane Psal. 119.127 128. I hate every false way I love thy statutes c. Truth will not onely inform us but engage us to inform others to teach and instruct them that they should know what they should do and Love will teach us to do it with Meekness Exhort them that are contrary minded with meekness oftentimes we preach smart Sermons give hot reproofs like as when Physitians give Potions scalding hot they will spit them out again and cannot endure them and they go away prejudic'd I cannot endure to hear such a man he is so hot and furious and vents his own spirit O it's Love and meekness causes us to deal tenderly and softly meekly with our Brother and this is indeed the Spirit of the Gospel There is no more diabolical Spirit then a furious Spirit and no more Gospel Spirit then a meek and calm Spirit But I must contract The next thing is Love and Truth joyntly when they are married joyntly together and go hand in hand and Saints by them joyn-heads and hearts O then and then onely they operate fruitfully Truth without Love breeds onely empty dry Speculations which puff up Love without Truth is a blinde if not a Popish yet an unwarrantable devotion amongst formal Protestants What is the reason you shall see now amongst many of your dull and cold Protestants more zeal about Christmas day then the Lords day about hearing a Passion Sermon upon that they call Good Fryday then upon any other day Here is Love without Truth now Truth and Love joyned together would keep the people from being too fond about these unwarrantable practises But will some say what do ye blame us about Easter and a Communion at Easter c. Have we it not in Scripture See what Scripture they have for it I would this secret were declared to all the world it would break many snares with which divers are intangled In the Acts there is the word Easter indeed in the twelfth Chapter When he had apprehended him he put him in Prison and delivered him to four quaternions of Soldiers to keep him intending after Easter to bring him forth to the people There is Easter but will you hear now how it came in first You 'l easily believe that it must be jumbled in one way or other if you understand the Original There was the word Passover but no Easter the word Easter was not found out in many hundred years after this was spoken of Peter But here was a secret It was a glorious work of King James he set divers Oxford men and Cambridge men and City Ministers with others to Translate the Bible a glorious work how ever Translations may be slighted amongst us yet Bugenhagius and other Divines when they had the Bible Translated into the Dutch language they kept that day of the year a Feast of Thanksgiving for the Translation of the Bible they were so affected with the mercy but it 's a great unhappiness when the Translation of the Bible shall be brought to serve our purposes I have it from certain hands such as lived in those times that when the Bible had been Translated by the Translators appointed the New Testament was looked over by some of the great Prelates men I could name some of their persons to bring it to speak Prelatical Language and they did alter as I am informed by the means of one that was a great observer in those times and lived then Fourteen places in the New Testament to make them speak the Language of the Church of England that was so cryed up and I 'le tell you some of them First In the first of the Acts speaking of Judas Let another man take his Bishoprick it is forc'd it signifies Charge or Inspection but that you may believe that the Bishops are the Apostles Successors let another man take his Bishoprick Again In the second of the Acts it is Not suffer my Soul to lie in Hell this is clear Former Translations have it not suffer my Soul to lie in the Grave But it was learned Bilsons Opinion and thrust into the Thirty nine Articles that Christ did Locally descend into hell and to make that Translation agree with the Articles they must change
Contzens Rules there is a little Book called Look about you Translated out of his Works and he gives you Eight Rules to cheat people of their Religion and to serve in Popery by Art I would you could all get that little Book and you should see that very Contzens Spirit is amongst Malignants and they walk by the same Rule Come by Degrees and come by Compulsions and such politique strains he hath there Take notice of your wayes and my Brethren it is most clear your Friends grieve for it your Enemies begin to triumph in it that they can have such a Power in the City and with several well-affected people in the Land who are friends to Truth to Peace and to the Government of Christ They will come and tell you What no Government Can ye believe they are friends to Government What Drunkards and Atheists and Prophane wretches friends to Government They that cannot endure a personal Reformation would they have an Ecclesiastical Reformation Will you trust them with a Government and a Government of their own setling what Government think you we should have Now so many of the well-affected both of Ministers and Gentlemen and Noblemen in Scotland are against an Engagement in War and so are they in England who are they that are forward to engage I 'le put no Character upon them you know who in England are and you have heard who in Scotland and what Government think you they would settle God keep us from a Government of such mens settling for we should have Prophaneness and loosness they would make such a latitude in Government that all should return to the old track again We must have as grosly mix'd Communions as ever and their old Ceremonies their zeal for Christmas-day and their Good-Friday more zeal this year then last for these things and more last then before And what do these men aym at I beseech you The Lord God of Heaven inform us aright if I be mistaken I wish I might see my Error If any of you may through discontent be transported the Lord discover it to you And let us take heed of this that while we are jarring one with another we do not betray our selves and all to a third Party to a Common Party that would destroy both It may be here may be the advantage which is but a poor one first destroy Independents and then destroy Presbyterians and set up Prophaneness and Loosness as much as ever Now the Lord cause you to joyn Faith and Love and Truth so together that you may not be cheated by such men The third Use And truly I have one word more to say and if I thought I should dye the next Fit I should desire to speak to this City and that is this I come hither this day and though I do it chearfully to observe your pleasures yet not without some hazard to my health that I may say a few things to you and the Lord help me that I may deliver what I did intend and that you may entertain it with the same affection I tender it to you My business should be if I had power this day as a poor unworthy friend to the Bridegroom to draw a Contract between Truth and Love in all you Citizens of London that all you though you may have some different Opinions yet I would have Truth and Love matched and married happily together in you Brethren I confess that there are many Errors but take heed you be not more offended then needs or at least thereby perverted by the politique Designs of those that serve themselves in these Divisions and upon you First I do not think all Opinions are Errors that some men call Errors Secondly All Errors are not alike not equally opposite to the Faith Thirdly Clubbing and Imprisoning and Compelling is not the proper way to cure Errors though there may be some course taken to restrain erroneous persons when they are opposite to the peace and welfare of the State c. But that I would say is this That Errors they must be reduced and confuted by Truth and then withal it is most certain That Errors abound not by reason of a Reformation and therefore to charge it upon a Reformation is very gross but there is a defect in our Reformation which gives occasion to them And as for Love they cry for Love for Love and it is a wonder men that are against the very Substantials of the Gospel yet they will cry out against any little Heterodox Opinion and for Love How can they ever expect that godly and wicked men should joyn together in Love What Churches then should we have indeed we will love the most carnal men in the world with a love of pity but not with a love of complacency and delight And Jesus Christ expects it not but that we should love as he loves But then further what love should we have such a love as indeed doth tend to Edification and doth tend to Reformation and such a love as is Soul-love and such a love as is a love to the Head as well as to the Members such love as is not complemental and frothy and flattering O therefore let it be your care still not to suffer your selves to be any ways misled because there are some defects and want of Truth and Love it hath always been so In Origens time and Chrysostoms they came to them complaining that there are Divisions amongst Saints they answered And Divisions will be Are all Philosophers of a minde Are all Physicians of a minde and if all Saints be not of a minde it is no marvel onely let them have a care to preserve Affection though they differ in Opinion But to close up all That great Oracle of the Law learned Sir Edward Cook in his Institutes gives five properties of a Parliament-man and I think they will as well agree to an Alderman to a Common-Councel-man I desire they may be considered First saith he He must be wise and constant so able to discern and know things aright persons circumstances that he be inflexible Secondly He should have a good Memory so to remember past evills that he labor to prevent future dangers The other three he takes from the Elephant First saith he Thirdly An Elephant is without gall that gall that he hath doth transire in nutrimentum corporis if he have heat he will use it not out of a selfish passionate respect but rather guide and direct it to a zeal for the good of the whole Body the Common-wealth And then secondly for that too he draws from the Elephants Fourthly The Elephants they never go alone but they go gregatim and those creatures that go alone Bears and Foxes they are hurtful those creatures that are most innocent they go together If you 'll shew you are most useful and innocent creatures like sheep O keep together And then the third is Fifthly The Elephant is
have said enough to wise men and I 'le end all with that Prayer of John in his second Epistle to the elect Lady and her Children Grace be with with you mercy and peace from God the Father and from the Lord Jesus Christ the Son of the Father in truth and Love And hope you 'll all say Amen to it FINIS To his very worthy Friend JOHN BROWN Esq One of His Majesties Justices of Peace for Middlesex and Clerk to the Right Honorable the House of Peers More intimacy with Jesus Christ. Most worthy Gaius AS there are some Capital Sins for which we must abase our selves all our days such as have broken our Consciences should often break our hearts As there are some Cardinal Vertues to speak in the Moralists language which must be our every-days work as being the Essentials of Christianity so are there some Providential Dispensations in the course of our lives which must be acknowledged even to Eternity amongst which we may well reckon loving and faithful friends constant mens affections being of themselves meer weather-cocks very mutable which are Gods Vials by which he pours his favors upon us And here Sir I must rank you with those for whose acquaintance I have much cause to bless God having received in few years more real love from you then divers do from some of their friends in many years Your hearty kindeness hath made so deep an impression upon me that I cannot satisfie my self without some publike Acknowledgement of that whereof so many have been witnesses I can confidently and indeed have very much reason speak to you in the language of John The Elder unto the welbeloved Gaius whom I love in the Truth far be it from be in a glorying way onely to complement with him who hath expressed so much affectionate reality unto me And without flattery I do pray That you may prosper and be in health even as your soul prospers through the rich mercy of God in Christ to you Pray let me adde this by way of thankfulness to God it being a return of weak Prayers I rejoyce greatly to hear so many of the deserving Brethren testifie of the truth that is in you and that not onely in your tongue or outside profession onely but that you walk in the truth making the truth your path which leads to Christ who is the Way the Truth and the life Joh. 14.6 And I trust through the goodness of your God I may have occasion in his time which is always the best to rejoyce as John also did that yours walk in the truth But your love to me together with your dear and gracious Consorts puts so much the stronger obligation upon me it being not onely personal both in my former health and time of present sickness but indeed to my dear Mother the University of Cambridge which I must ever love and honor whose welfare you have in your Sphaere most happily promoted and that with such laborious and bountiful respect as stands upon Record with thankful Acknowledgement amongst us Go on beloved Sir to love Jesus Christ in and for himself love him in his Ordinances and in his Saints value all the outward comforts with reference to him and his glory Ride on prosperously in your Zeal for Truth and in the exercise of meekness and moderation of Spirit which is a Scripture expression of the Spirit of Jesus Christ and for want of which many great pretenders to Reformation look too too much like as if they were acted by a Diabolical Spirit therein The Lord multiply his Graces in you and yours and his Blessings upon you all Accept this from him Who desires as a faithful friend to serve you in love Thomas Hill From your own house in Westminster Apr. 28 1648. The SPRING of Strengthning Grace IN THE ROCK of AGES Christ Jesus 2 TIM 2.1 Thou therefore my son be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus WEll might Solomon among other of his Divine Oracles publish this in the 30. verse of the 11. of the Proverbs The righteous is as a tree of life and he that wins souls is wise and Daniel who in Ezekiel was ranked amongst the chiefest of wise men They that be wise and they that turn many to God in Dan. 12.3 they shall shine like stars Paul likewise is a most glorious instance of this who took a great deal of pains though he met with many crosses in fishing for souls he became all to all that is in the use of indifferent things not to venture upon any thing which is unlawful as many wrest the place to gratifie their own lusts that he might save some Paul himself it seems did not expect to gain all he preached unto doubtless this is a very high point of wisdom for hereby they trade most for Gods glory and best for their own Eternal good being glorified with him and by him And I do not believe there is any that was a meer man to say no more that will bring more Troops more Regiments of Children such as have been victorious Soldiers over the Devil and his Agents at the day of Judgement then Paul will he will have a large flock as Behold here am I and the children thou hast given me and none of the meanest of these will be his Son Timothy which leads me to the first part of the words The persons Exhorting and Exhorted Paul the Father and Timothy the Son it may be a Son not so much because he beg at him to the Faith it is probable he found him a Disciple for ought appears in Acts 16.1 there the first time that I can remember that Paul met with Timothy and there he calls him a Disciple and you finde in 2 Tim. 1.5 how Paul blesseth God for the Faith that is in Timothy which dwelt first in thy Grandmother Lois and thy mother Eunice therefore he may be his Son rather in regard of his Spiritual Education then by being begotten As a Master or a Tutor is a Father though he did not beget his Children his Pupils or his Schollers but onely train them up 2. Here is the Exhortation The substance of it Be strong as becomes a Soldier of Jesus Christ. 3. Here is the Rock of this strength Be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus It is not by any intrinsecal strength but in the grace that is in thy Head Christ Jesus 4. Here is the Engaging illation the particle that comprizeth an Argument that engageth him to it Thou therefore my son Therefore Why because thou hast so great a trust committed to thee Hold fast the form of sound words which thou hast heard of me in faith and love which is in Christ Jesus and That good thing which was committed to thee ver 14 keep by the holy Ghost that dwelleth in us Still he leads him to seek strength from above Keep by the holy Ghost Be strong 〈◊〉
weigh the place meekly I desire not to meddle with mens persons but I must be faithful to Jesus Christ and the souls of his people and according to the light he hath given me I shall endeavor to make it appear that Interpretation is not consistent with the Text Jesus Christ in the 18. Verse of the 28. of Matthew saith All power is given to me in heaven and earth go therefore and teach all nations Teach all nations surely if this Dispensation be now ended if the Ministry be at an end all nations cannot be taught and so Jesus Christ will lose some of his elect for they cannot be call'd in for there must be no Teaching it seems no Ministery 2. Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I commanded you All nations will never be taught all things whatsoever Jesus Christ commands them and the Apostles and Ministers cannot fulfil their commission if the Ministery be ceased and we must have no Ministery and no Ordinances to instruct them in all these things And lo lo Christ would have you take notice of it I am with you not onely I will be with you but am with you and that every day he is with you always always even to the end of the world 4. The end of the world What to the end of this Dispensation and for the age of this Ministration only brethren I could fetch it out of the very Original it self whereas he saith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Signifies an Age I grant it doth but it signifies Eternity many times in Scripture For thine is the Kingdom Power and Glory for ever and ever I am sure of it there it is not a Dispensation onely And then for the end I could fetch it not onely out of Plato but also out of the Septuagint and out of other places where that Greek word signifies Consummation therefore there must be an end but let us go on further I l'e ask any man that will say these words that I am with you to the end of the World That is to the end of this Dispensation When did this Dispensation begin in what year did it begin Let any man tell me that Jesus Christ will be with his Disciples or Ministers to this hundred year or to this age and then he forbears Is it to all persons or to these persons onely then who are they I would very fain have these plain Questions resolved O you 'l say it is till the Spirit comes the Spirit comes Why the Spirit was coming ever since Jesus Christ ascended and doth come with new lights daily and the Spirit will be coming till Jesus Christ come again the second time 6. And I would ask further I beseech you unless there be a Ministery how shall we have Popery confuted You say because Popery hath defiled the Ministery there is no Ministery I say Popery must be confuted by the Ministery you may burn an Arrian on the head but Arrianism must be confounded by the Ministery you may hang a Papist but we know that you can never confute Popery but by the light of the Ministery and Paul hath said this The Pope shall be destroyed by the brightness of Christs coming viz. in the ministry of the Gospel 7. I would know this also If the faith were once delivered to the Saints that is Once for all as Interpreters have expounded it What shall we have a new Edition or a new Gospel had we not an everlasting Gospel before Nay further Jesus Christ will give up all things to the Father When when he hath conquer'd all his Enemies and after the Resurrection and then God will be all in all Well they say they are Goded and Christed and God is immediately in them and they are under the third Dispensation and we are still under these low Administrations then they must make us believe the Resurrection is past for God shall never come to be all in all and Jesus Christ never give up his Kingdom till the Resurrection be past and then further go now to the neighbor words of my Text He gave gifts to men that all might come to the Vnity of the faith and to a perfect stature All come and therefore be confident I dare venture my soul upon it which is a great word that Jesus Christ will have a Ministery more or less till he have brought in all the Elect and I have this ground for it out of the word He gave gifts Pastors and Teachers till all come to the Unity of the faith and to the acknowledgement of the Son of God and to a perfect stature Now if they say there is no Ministery then they must make us believe that all the Saints are come in and that there is a perfect number c. and their graces compleated but I must spare my self the time is past I have had late and sad experience what it is to spend too much upon weak Spirits not recovered though I confess I intended most upon the third point Following the truth in love What is this Truth Why as Gods glory is the Constellation of his Attributes as Gods happiness is the absoluteness of his self-sufficency as Gods holiness is the impression of his image as comfort from God is the glimpse of his loving countenance as the learning we receive is a beam of his wisdom falling upon us so indeed Truth is the issue the representation and the discovery of his revealed will and of his minde to us concerning Doctrine and Worship What we should know and what we should practice What is Love not onely a Love to the Truth that is good not onely a love to Christ the head that is as good and the proper genius of Saints carries them to both these but indeed a love to the Saints to the Members love the brethren love the corporation of Saints in 1 Pet. 2. v. 7. What is it to follow or speak the Truth here For Explication where three things considerable The Greek word here signifies sometimes To speak the Truth in Gal. 4.16 To do the Truth in John 3.21 and in Eph. 4.24 To follow the Truth with a sincere constancy so learned men interpret it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 doth answer to an Hebrew word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in Niphal that signifies to be firm and to be constant and so doubtless it is a great part of the meaning here by the opposition That you may be no more as children tossed to and fro but following the Truth in Love that is following it with constancy and firmness and cleaving to it I humbly conceive To speak the Truth here is too straight as will appear if you please to compare the Context I chuse rather to take the largest sence adoring the deep and mysterious fulness of holy Scripture so to seek follow and embrace the Truth with that firm constancy that we should be ready to speak
〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he saith that the Elephant loves men I would have all these properties meet in every one of these Worthy Citizens that are any way betrusted with the Government of the City The God of Heaven give you wisdom and give you to remember all Providential Dispensations that are past and deliver you from passion and gall and make you flock together and head together and teach you to love men All this would still engage you against a common Enemy Love men as men love the bodies of men and you have given a most glorious accompt of that this year to your praise I must report it here is this year c. why here is a glorious proof of your love to men Love their bodies love their souls love them as Christians especially love them as Saints have a care to breed them up in Callings train them up in some degree of learning this is most honorable and I hope being done with an honest heart it will further your accompt at the great Day I yet dare take the boldness to adde the Rules which I chiefly intended Some Rules now for your pursuance of Truth and some for the pursuance of Love that they may be happily married this day For Truth let the Word of God be Rule and Judge when you enquire after Truth study the revealed will of God and make use of revelations in concurrence with the Word of God but do not set up revelations against the Word of God It was a desperate expression from Valde in a Book of his in great request now adays it is true he had many things good in him considering the darkness of the times wherein he lived a Spaniard saith he We must use the Scriptures as we use Pictures he was a Papist use Pictures for a while till we get apprehension of the thing or person realized to us then throw them away because now we can pray without Pictures So use the Scriptures till we have got our mindes raised and elevated and then we need no Scriptures The Lord deliver us from this Opinion which tends to undermine the very Word of Christ. Far be it from me to say any thing against New-Light properly so called though there is some so called which is I doubt Darkness nor against all Revelations for there is a Spirit of Revelation but I desire it may be wisely considered how the Spirit of Revelation discovers it self Thus chiefly not in bringing in a New Gospel and such New Dispensations to us as many talk of but in Discovering that Word which he hath revealed and we have by us in raising our mindes to understand that word more fully and those works of God that are in it more clearly I would heartily bless God for it in my self or in others if it were such a Spirit of Revelation as should help me to see any Word of God or any Work of God in me more clearly This is the Spirit of Wisdom and Revelation the Apostle to the Ephesians speaks of but if you 'll talk of Revelations that you have Revelations beyond the Word and it may be sometimes in a maner contrary to the Word surely this is not the way of truth There is a poor old man Hero in Cassianus that thought he had a Revelation that when he was in the bottom of a pit he should get out but for all his Revelation he was deceived I desire such things may be considered The next thing is this Minde Truth wisely I would say under this head 1. Be sure it be Truth that you contend for not for unwarranted Ceremonies not for trifles for those things that deserve not the name of Divine Truth And then 2. Proportion your zeal to the nature of Truth There are some Truths de fide circa fidem and in some sence praeter fidem I must not allow the like zeal for all I will have the Substantial part of my zeal for Substantial Truths and for other Truths so much zeal as the nature of them calls for This is to minde Truth wisely this is that that becomes you And then withal Minde Truths according to the directions of Truth 1. Meddle not with things too high be sober A Spirit of Sobriety in Divine things and Modesty in Secret things is most suitable to a Saint Rom. 12.3 2. Minde not Curiosities with neglect of those things that are necessary Affirm constantly saith Paul to Titus that those that are believers maintain good works but as for fables let them go Tit. 3.8 3. If you 'll do what becomes you concerning Truth Do not clap a Jus Divinum rashly upon every one of your Opinions O that brings us into a great deal of bondage divers things may be very good and yet better and more safely settled as Prudentials as Humane Constitutions then as Divine Constitutions unless we be sure we are upon Scripture-grounds then I say nothing against it What is the reason now that the Pope cannot alter I have heard it from some that have spoke with learned sober Papists asking them What think you of Transubstantiation or the like Opinions they profess Though we would yet we cannot alter them the Pope having asserted them who is infallible so that if we change one Point of our Religion we spoil all Truly if we clap a Jus Divinum we cannot alter it for we are engaged to hold it though we were mistaken I had rather settle too little then too much then we leave room for New Discoveries We may better adde then diminish I cannot take away a Jus ` Divinum without a great deal of disparagement Do not presently obtrude with confidence your own conceits upon others but rather mistrust them Learned men have had their Errors the wisest men have been deceived and do not rashly run from one Extremity to another Chrysostom he would and others they would run from the Manichees so far that they went too far towards Pelagius Many of us run so far from Popery and Prelacy that we run into other Extremities very dangerous and unhappy O take heed let me adde this further as you would be friends to truth Know that you have to deal with those men that will bring in Errors sensim sine sensu as the Devil dealt with Adam and Eve at first how did he beguile them he corrupted their mindes by degrees take heed of his methods from the simplicity that is in Christ You shall first have a little step and something like a Truth and that may be disputed at first then comes another and then comes another and so at last you are involved in inextricable Errors But the sixth and last thing I shall say under this head Take heed of being too far engaged in a party it is the way to sell a mans judgement for if I be one of a party I must strain hard to say as they say and subscribe as they
subscribe else I shall be an Apostate this is dangerous then all must be proclaimed Heretical that differ Many a man hath broke his Conscience violated his peace by this Engagement because he must not break with his Party It is a notable rule Politicians have He that inclines to neither Party is master of both And I profess I know not any generation in England that sleep so quietly as those that are unengaged to this or that Party What there is good in Episcopacy they will not decline it because the Bishops had it What there is good amongst the Independents they will close with it What there is good in Presbytery they will entertain that And these are the men that Preach with Freedom that converse with Freedom I do desire and hope there may be a good Moderate Presbytery settled amongst us yet I 'le profess to the world I 'le not be so engaged to own every thing in it that I will not embrace any thing that is good in another way The Lord keep us from being engaged to such Parties that will make as slaves in our Consciences to them In your contending for Truth let there not be an abatement of Love Think it not enough to be an Orthodox unless you be a loving christian too that all things may be done in love that there you may walk in love and be clothed with love three places are to that purpose Let me adde this then further that you may advance this happy Union and Marriage betwixt Truth and Love Love men more for the work of God you see in them then you slight them for any such defects or mistakes as are consistent with godliness and with Saintship Eph. 4.1 2 3 4. Do not think ever to recover men with passionate invectives Do not think to confute their Opinions with vehement reproachful speeches It is Love that melts that wins upon them And I desire that you and I and all Ministers might practice this That when we deliver the most sharp reproofs it might be Scripture-language and with a Scripture-Spirit that may be the way to recover them wheras the other hardens them it may be they will never hear you more and then what have you got by it you may preach against them absent and that prejudices them still till at last it may be you have preached away almost all your hearers Further that you may advance this happy Union of Truth and Love Study to please every one your godly Neighbor for his good to edification and such as are strong must bear the infirmities of the weak and not to please our selves saith Paul It argues a great deal of proud fondness of thy own conceit and want of love to thy Brother when thou wilt contemn every one who attains not thy measure There must be a Christian personal Toleration forbearing one another in love though there may not be a State Toleration of all Religions Do not delight in affixing reproachful Names to cry down people under this or that Name never any good comes by it for there is this inconvenience You wrap in all that it may be do not deserve it not going so far as others As to cry down all men under the name of Anabaptists though it may be some of them do onely scruple about the Baptizing of Infants and are far from the opinions of the German Anabaptists who deny Magistracy c. and so many such like instances I might give Let me adde this If you would indeed get a Spirit of love and advance it let this be your care That in the midst of all differences of Judgement you maintain a sweet harmony of affection and labor to study a sweet compliance What if thy Brother be not come up to thy Light wilt thou therefore renounce him and reject him It may be God intends not to all men the same proportion Shall I contemn my Brother because I have more grace If another man should renounce me that hath more grace then I what would become of me These and many such Rules I might give I have but this one word and that is as a means by way of direction how to marry these Truth and Love together O that the Lord would help us to enter into Covenant to compleat the Marriage seriously to resolve now That for time to come we labor more to Truth it in love and more to love with Truth labor lovingly to embrace the Truth and sincerely to pursue Love The very Heathen could say this and it is a good Rule I wish we Christians might learn it too If you would be too hard for the common Enemy and not suffer him to gain advantage against you agree otherwise he will prevail over both Parties of honest-hearted Christians for so I am confident there are amongst those that differ in Church-matters God forbid either of them should be destroyed I say if you would keep a third Party from destroying both let there be Concord your union will be strength it will engage the presence of God whereas your Divisions alienate and estrange God from you And here let me tell you a Story out of Livy There was one Packuvius that if he had not been so vicious had been happy and more worthy of our imitation but his practice herein is commodious for you There being a great difference betwixt the Commons and the Senators and nothing would satisfie the Commons but the Senators death he gets all the Senators once by a stratagem into the Senate-house and locks them in and comes to the Commons Well I have now got them at your mercy and then they were frollick and would be revenged he resolves to give them out one by one and they had the first out But I pray you Gentlemen said he let us consider if we destroy all the Senators who shall we have in the place of them to govern the City Who shall come in the stead of them to rule Why one man would have this Governor another man would have that so at last they fell all to pieces and they were glad to let the Senators alone then he quieted the Commoners and fetcht off the Senators because they could not agree upon a Successo you have discontents in the City and Countrey too too many and if it be the Lords blessed will I would they might be healed and some would have the Army destroyed and a great many care not what becomes of the Parliament and I fear many care not what becomes of the City but suppose this That either Parliament or Army should for present be destroyed I speak to wise Citizens before you would have either of them destroyed consider who should come in their places If Malignants should come into their Power and destroy you and the Kingdom too better the Commons had spared the lives of the Senators Remember this Story and make this use of it I
sunk him had he not had more then the strength of a man Therefore that he might be a perfect Mediator between God and man he was God-Man taking Humane nature into the fellowship of the Deity and communicating Divine nature unto those which he did intend to save Hence Paul saith Rom. 3.24 25. We are justified freely by Gods grace through the Redemption which is in Christ Iesus whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood Hence he further saith Acts 20.28 that God did purchase the Church with his own blood So that in this part of the Priestly Office of Jesus Christ there was the power of God himself put forth Neither is there less strengthning grace manifested when he comes to appear for his people in heaven in the presence of God as Heb. 7.24 This man because he continueth ever hath an unchangeable Priesthood which passeth not from one to another certainly here was wonderful strength that Christ being once offered should bear the sins of many and unto them that looked for him he should appear the second time without sin unto salvation as in Heb. 9.28 That his having done away all their sins should advance them to Salvation which still shews the strength of his grace Therefore well might Paul annex that Heb. 7.25 Wherefore he is able to save them to the uttermost that come unto him seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them This is the ground of Pauls triumph not onely for himself but in the name of all the Saints in that admirable place Rom. 8. from the 34 to the 39. ver Who is he that condemneth It is Christ that dyed yea rather that is risen again who is even at the right hand of God who also maketh intercession for us Who shall separate us from the love of Christ shall tribulation or distress or persecution or famine or nakedness or peril or sword As it is written For thy sake we are killed all the day long we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter Nay in all these things we are more then conquerors through him that loved us For I am perswaded that neither death nor life nor Angels nor principalities nor powers nor things present nor things to come nor height nor depth nor any other creature shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Iesus our Lord. Here is strengthning grace of Almighty and everlasting efficacy As Jesus Christ is the Churches King he hath a proportionable inexhaust stock of strengthning grace without such a power he could never suppress the numerous and potent adversaries of the Church which was the the solemn agreement betwixt him and his Father Psal. 110.1 The Lord said unto my Lord God the Father said unto God the Son Davids Lord sit thou at my right hand until I make thine enemies thy footstool He will bring them to the lowest and most abject condition though for the present they look never so high and big upon the poor members of Christ. And accordingly he is still acting in heaven whereas he doth appear for his people so doubtless against his enemies as is most clear in Heb. 10.12 13. But this man after he had offered one sacrifice for sins for ever so much strength of grace in that it need be but one sate down on the right hand of God from henceforth expecting till his enemies be made his footstool We may with much encouragement wrestle with God and wait upon him both for the discovering and confounding of the great Impostors Mahomet and the Pope and the removing all the Crutches of Babylon in any of the Kings Dominions or elswhere for this work is carried on with so much power that in Gods time all the Kingdoms of the earth will become the Lords and his Christs To the same purpose you shall finde an Angel come down from heaven having great power and the earth was lightned with his glory and he cryed mightily with a strong voyce Babylon is fallen all suitable to the powerful design of Christ Rev. 18.2 And she shall be utterly burned with fire in whom was found the blood of Prophets and of Saints of all that were slain upon the earth some way reducible to her or her adherents for strong is the Lord God who judgeth her ver 8. Neither could Jesus Christ be a Resurrection to any sinners nor quicken with Spiritual life whom he would as Ioh. 5.20 unless that were true ver 26. As the Father hath life in himself so hath he given the Son to have life in himself and that to be able to raise his own unto eternal life ver 29. All which argues abundance of strengthning grace in him This was the foundation of Pauls Prayer for his Ephesians chap. 1. ver 18. That the eyes of their understanding being inlightened here is powerful grace still they might know what is the exceeding greatness of his power to us-ward who believe according to the working of his mighty power Here is a great heap of Emphatical expressions to shew the accumulative power of the grace that is in Jesus Christ Were he not so strong that he were able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we can ask or think according to the power that worketh in us Eph. 3.20 Paul would never have used such an expression That ye may be able to comprehend with all Saints what is the breadth and length and depth and height there must it seems be a power in us to inable us to fathom and comprehend the vast dimensions of that strengthning grace that is in our Head here is the breadth of this grace covering all the sins of every one of his eleâ—t even from Adam to the end of the world Here is the length of this grace it extends from everlasting to everlasting Here is the depth of it it lifts up poor creatures from the very pit of hell And the height of it it advances them to sit by him in his own throne in Heaven After the intrinsecal fulness of the grace of Christ follows the Redundancy thereof for there is in him not onely plenitudo vasis but also plenitudo fontis there is the original fulness of a living fountain in him which he delights to communicate for the supplies of his people This discovers it self in four particulars There is a Redundancy into all the faculties of our souls he fills the Minde with gracious principles the Conscience with a holy tenderness the Will with flexibleness and compliance with his Will and sways the Affections to act regularly upon their objects Doubtless Christ Jesus the second Adam will do as much for all those that have Vnion with him as the first Adam did against those that were in him And therefore whereas by his fall there was not onely a total deprivation of original righteousness but a universal depravation of all the faculties a general