5. 9. The Doctrine of universalitie of grace destroys all thankfulness unless to our selves makes all the sacrifices of praises needless sacrificing to our own nets applauding the power and freedome of our own wills It is discriminating grace will raise the soul to thankfull admirations of God in that language of Judas not Iscariot Lord how is it that thou wilt manifest thy self unto us and not unto the world John 14. 22. II. To love both to God who thus peculiariz'd you and to love one another However your heads may differ let your hearts unite you are Temples of the same Spirit spouse of the same husband members of the same bodie 1 Cor. 12 25 27. and what greater argument of love you are purchased by the same bloud sanctified by the same Spirit objects of the same special love and I am sure the Apostle from hence argues strongly for brotherly love Beloved if God so loved us saith he 1 John 4. 10 11. we ought also to love one another You are eodem sanguine glutinati as Augustine expresseth it and is Christ divided It is the check the Apostle gives to the uncharitable dissentions of the Church of Corinth 1 Cor. 1. 13. And lastly you are designed for the same glorie III. To special service for and obedience to God Discriminating mercies are in all reason to be improved as arguments to peculiar services 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Matth. 5. 47. What do ye more then others as if he had said more is expected from my disciples then from the Publicans as your priviledges are peculiar so should your services be too For 1. This is the proper intendment of distinguishing mercie the end of God's peculiar dispensations to a person or nation Observe what God saith of Israel Deut. 26. 18. The Lord hath avouched thee this day to be his peculiar people but to what end that thou shouldest keep his commandments Hath God distinguished thee by Electing love the end of it is thy Holiness He hath chosen us that we may be holy and without blame before him Ephes 1. 4. Hath he peculiariz'd thee by Effectual grace and Vocation It is that thou mayst be holy 1 Thessal 4. 7. For God hath not called us unto uncleanness but unto holiness Art thou Christ's by a peculiar purchase the end of it is thy Holiness 1 Cor. 6. 20. For you are bought with a price therefore glorifie God in your bodies and in your spirits Hath God exercised any peculiar providences towards thee the end of them is thy obedience The Psalmist having spoken of all the Providences God exercised over Israel infers this as the just issue of them That they might observe his statutes and keep his laws Psal 105. 45. So God's peculiar Covenant engageth to Holiness for it is mutual The end of God's peculiar Chastisements is his peoples Holiness Hebr. 12. 10. God chasteneth saith he for our profit that we might be partakers of his holiness And then the hopes of that peculiar Glorie we are designed to should engage to Holiness 1 John 3. 3. Every man that hath this hope purifieth himself The special Sealing of the Spirit tends to this that we be careful that by sin we do not grieve him Ephes 4. 30. so the end of Communion with God is Holiness what else makes the Angels and Saints in heaven more holy but this Thus you see you frustrate the end of Mercy if it doth not make you more holy 2. It is the most ingenuous return of gratitude which we can make to God for his distinguishing love Sins under mercies as they have the highest guilt so are arguments of the greatest disingenuitie What Do you thus requite the Lord Deut. 32. 6. Obedience is the best thankfulness without which our verbal returns for mercy are but a complement The thankfulness of the life redounds to the honour and praise of God in the world and this God expects from his peculiar people if you consult that pregnant Scripture 1 Pet. 2. 9. Ye are a chosen peculiar people that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you c. Otherwise God is thus reproached by your sinfulness Yonder 's a people who boast of being God's peculiar do not you observe they live as other men do they can cheat in their shops dissemble in their dealings be frothy and vain in their discourses live in neglect of Familie-duties as deeply immersed in the love of the world as compliant with every foolish fashion as ambitious of honour as false in their promises as others whom they censure as of the world and cast-awaies But now saith Christ Herein is my Father glorified if ye bear much fruit c. John 15. 8. But how shall I know whether I be one of God's peculiar people Question or not The Text is hemmed in with a double evidence so that which Answer way soever you cast your eyes you may discover if you examine impartially 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 purifie goes before and zealous of good works comes after so that inward Purity and outward Conformitie a pure Heart and a holy Life are the two special Evidences of God's peculiar for they are both the issue and fruits of that faith whereby we have a peculiar interest in Christ Acts 15. 9. Purifying their hearts by faith there is the former and for the latter Gal. 5. 6. Faith works by love I. Then art thou inwardly purified from spiritual pollutions else thou art none of God's peculiar as yet Thou becamest mine saies God Ezek. 16. 8. What then Why then washed I thee with water yea I throughly washed away thy bloud verse 9. Else thou art no branch engrafted into Christ for every branch he purgeth John 15. 2. II. Art thou holy in thy outward conversation God's peculiar are an holy people Deut. 14. 1 2. For thou art an holy people unto the Lord thy God and the Lord hath chosen thee to be a peculiar people To pretend to a peculiarity of interest in God while men willingly continue wallowing in the mire of iniquitie is a desperate soul-damning presumption If you would lay any claim to God's privie-Seal of Election you must bring and be able to shew the broad-Seal of Holiness Mark how the Apostle joyns these together 2. Tim. 2. 19. The foundation of God standeth sure having this seal The Lord knoweth them that are his And Let every one that nameth the name of Christ depart from iniquity yea and follow Holiness too The Apostle speaks fully 2 Corinth 7. 1. Let us cleanse our selves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit perfecting holiness in the fear of God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the Text Zealous not cold or luke-warm but chearfull and industrious in the practise of Pietie and thus you may evidence your selves to be of that peculiar people whom Christ gave himself to redeem so saith the Text Who gave himself for us that he might redeem us from
thought of him but he spoke the real sence and inward perswasion of his soul when he saith Of whom I am chief Why the Apostle speaks this and how he could truely say it of himself especially as an Apostle converted and brought home to Christ I shall shew you in these eight particulars Consider the words as I. Vox recognoscentis statum pristinum as they were the words of the Apostle sadly reflecting upon his former condition while in the state of unregeneracie casting his eyes backward upon his blasphemie and * Recolite Saulum invenietis Paulum attenditis ad Paulum obliti estis Saulum attenditis ad Pastorem obliti estis lupum August Tom. 10. p. 200. persecution verse 13. with which his life formerly though then conformed to the strictest Sect of the Pharisees had been notoriously stained so that though now a convert yet he could not but reflect upon it and in that respect entitle himself the greatest of sinners He saith I am because his former condition was fresh and alive in his memorie It is a very usefull meditation for true converts and sincere Christians often to recollect and think of that miserable condition which they lay in in their bloud before God reached out to them a hand of mercie this the Apostle exhorts his converted believing Ephesians to Eph. 1. 11 12. and that the more to magnifie the riches of God's mercy which he had mentioned at verse 4. So David Psal 51. 3. I acknowledge my transgressions and my sin is ever before me Nothing promotes more a real thankfulness for and pious admiration of mercie then frequent reflexions on our natural misery so it did here in the Apostle verse 13. Besides how will this meditation keep men humble when they see all their receipts to be the product and issue of free-grace and what miserable creatures they were before See Ezek. 20. 48. and Ezek. 16. 63. Of all the Apostles S. Paul was the humblest who often reflected on his unconverted natural condition This also will put us on resolved serviceableness for God to consider how much a dishonour Christians we were unto him in our natural condition Paul while unconverted a * Nemo acrior inter Persecutores ergo nemo prior inter peccatores August Tom. 10. p. 202. furious persecuter of the Church when converted was the most Zealous propagatour of the Gospel as labouring more abundantly then all the rest of the Apostles 1 Cor. 15. 10. And how watchfull and circumspect in their walking will they be who oft think of the falls of their natural estate A mariner in a second voyage will carefully avoid that rock on which in a former he was like to be shipwrackt so will a true convert of those sins which would have ruined him if infinite mercy had not stept in for his relief and pardon Who more endeavouring against sin then S. Paul while he was running his Christian race 1 Cor. 9. 27. And now as reflecting on his unconverted estate he calls himself the greatest of sinners That 's the first II. Vox aggravantis peccatum The Apostle here respecting the circumstances of his sins whereby they were aggravated and heightned calls himself the greatest of sinners because joyned with a furious persecution of the Chuch of God it being especially with rage and malice Acts 26. 10 11. Many of the Saints did I shut up in prison having received authoritie from the chief Priests and when they were put to death I gave my voice against them And I punished them oft in every Synagogue and compelled them to blaspheme and being exceedingly mad against them I persecuted them even unto strange cities Where you see the height of iniquitie to which nothing was wanting but a clear knowledge to make it unpardonable upon the account of which circumstance of his sin he esteems himself unworthy the name of an Apostle 1 Cor. 15. 9. And another heightning aggravation of his sin was That it was done in unbelief verse 13. where some for because read quamvis although and so make it an aggravation of his sin and a further commendation of the mercy of God in pardoning for his ignorance and unbelief must needs have been in a great measure wilfull and affected he enjoying the means of faith and knowledge A high sin questionless Alensis gives this reason of it Quia destruit fundamentum totius Christianae religionis whereas other sins strike but at some particular vertue And besides if this be final it is the cord which ties all other sins upon the soul and makes it in the event damning And then farther as they were sins against knowledge the Apostle having been brought up at the feet of Gamaliel and that 's a high aggravation of sin James 4. 17. To him that knoweth to do good and doth it not to him it is sin Now the Apostle eying all these calls himself the greatest of sinners whence observe a distinguishing character between a sincere Christian and an hollow-hearted hypocrite he extenuates and lessens his sin with the unjust steward writing down fiftie for an hundred but heightens his but seeming and pretended holiness the world shall hear of it if the Pharisees fast twice a week and tithe mint and cummin but a sincere humble Christian in mentioning his graces and gifts is lowly but full and express in aggravating his sins thus good Hagar Prov. 30. 2 3. Surely I am more brutish then any man and have not the understanding of a man I neither learned wisdome nor have the knowledge of the Holy The Publican smites upon his breast with a God be mercifull to me a sinner c. And we need go no further for an example of both then our Apostle who of Saints counted himself the least Ephes 3. 8. but here of sinners the greatest That 's the second III. Vox esse accusantis The words of a self condemning and self-accusing Christian S. Paul's eyes were turned inward upon his own sins ' not prying too nicely into the sins of other men so that this speaks at once the Apostles humilitie and charitie his charitie prompted him to think and judge better of others though his humilitie would not suffer him to think otherwaies of himself And here is another character of a true Christian as distinct from an hypocrite hypocrites are quick-sighted eagle-eyed abroad but blinde at home Some shifting off their sins to others nay to God himself rather then charge themselves with them It is an hereditarie miscarriage derived from our first parents Gen. 3. 12. Another sort seemingly zealous and rigid in censuring others never condemning themselves though guiltie perhaps of greater sins then what they so severely censure in others believe it to censure uncharitably in others what we reform not in our selves is but counterfeit and hypocritical That zeal which is ready to consume others and yet burns not up our own corruptions is but the wilde-fire of passion and selfish design The Pharisee
to make him throughly perfect 2 Tim. 3. 17. Nay it is so perfect a rule that the most specious observances and most glorious performances and most exact works are no way acceptable unto God if not commanded in and regulated by this word They may have 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a shew of wisdome in will-worship as the Apostle speaks Coloss 2. 23. to the pleasing of men but not to the glory of God God gave Moses a pattern for making the Tabermacle and David of the Temple God hath set us a perfect rule of worship and holiness in his word and nothing pleaseth him but what is according to that rule When our Saviour told the woman of Samaria John 4. 22. We know what we worship We that is the Jews the ground sure was because the Jews had a particular appointment of God for their worship which the Samaritanes had not Therefore nothing must be imposed upon Christians as obligatory to conscience though something for order and decencie 1 Cor. 14. 40. as Divine commands or as the immediate worship of God or as duties essentially necessary in order to salvation This is justly abhorred as the Tyranny of the Church of Rome and as an infringement of Christian libertie and as a detracting from the perfection of the word of God Non ex arbitrio Deo serviendum est sed ex imperio What Tertullian saith of the Heathen worship I shall say of all will-worship which is besides the word of God Ex religione superstitio compingitur eò irreligiosior quantò Ethnicus paratior Men in this case are laboriously superstitious and take a great deal of pains to be irreligious It seems to be a strange expression Hos 8. 14. Israel hath forgotten his maker and buildeth temples but sure the reason is because God had appointed but one Temple To be righteous without or beyond the word of God is to be righteous overmuch and to make our selves over-wise indeed wiser then God himself which is forbidden Eccles 7. 16. Be not righteous overmuch neither make thy self over-wise why shouldest thou destroy thy self To offer to God observances not prescribed in his word is but with Nadab and Abihu to offer strange fire unto the Lord Levit 10. 1. strange because God had not commanded it The use whereof before we pass further shall be First An encouragement to search What encouragement must it be to men to dig in a mine when they may finde a fulness of what may supply all their necessities there is such a fulness in Scripture-mines Doest thou want information in matters of faith Here is a fulness of Saving truth Or doest thou want direction for thy life and walking with God here is a perfect rule of holiness Secondly When you have searched it walk according to this rule Take the word of God to regulate your lives by this is an evidence and note of a true upright sincere Christian to take the word of God as his rule So David describes them Psal 119. 1. Blessed are the undefiled in the way who walk in the law of the Lord that is a note that they are undefiled upright and sincere This evidenced Jobs uprightness Job 23. 10 11 12. And yet how few walk by this rule some by the fashions of the world custome and example of others education the invention of men and the like but David had another rule Psal 119. 113. I hate vain thoughts but thy law I love And there is a new lately unheard of generation now start up who neglecting the Scriptures pretend to be wholly led and guided by a light within them Let us if you think it worth the while examine this opinion and I think it may be confuted sufficiently by Mat. 6. 23. If the light that is in thee be darkness how great is that darkness Whence these things are obvious to be collected 1. That it is possible the light within a man may be darkness as the light which the Heathens had within them was who had their understanding darkned Ephes 4. 18. and as the light of every natural man is I Cor. 2. 14. 2. That if it be so it is a miserable darkness 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 How great is that darkness that is he that followeth such a light is in a lamentable deplorable condition as he that followeth the light of some Meteor in the night which leads him into ditches 3. This light within as being every mans pretence and in most men a false light and in one contrary to another must be tryed and then presently it supposeth some certain rule by which it must be tryed otherwise we shall never be secured from delusion and errour and this rule can be no other then the infallible word of God All that light is darkness which is not lighted at the Lamp of Scripture so the Prophet Isaiah tells us expresly Isai 8. 20. If they speak not according to this word it is because there is no light in them Therefore as David so all Christians should walk by that light Psal 119. 105. 4. If this opinion supposeth a light naturally set up in every mans soul which by following its direction may bring them to heaven then this is plain down right Pelagianisme and speaks the grace of God needless and tells God that he was at an unnecessary expence of wisdome and mercy when he gave us Scripture which the Apostle tells us is onely able to make us wise unto salvation in 2 Tim. 3. 15. 5. God hath no where commanded us to walk by any such rule as a light within By the Prophet David he sends us to his word Psal 119. 9. Wherewith shall a young man cleanse his way by taking heed according to thy word and S. Paul would have all walk by the same rule Phil. 3. 16. 6. Suppose it a true law and light an effect of regeneration yet not a rule because imperfect for still the Prophet remits us to that law written in the volume of the book of God Psal 40. 7 8. and by it it does evidently appear that there is no law or light within the heart to be accounted of but what is agreeable with and consonant to the law written in the volume of the book But however be it what light it will be which these pretend to walk by I shall demonstrate to you that those are not in the light but in darkness from 1 John 2. 8 9 10. And certainly into the number of those whom the Apostle there mentions it is no uncharitableness to put these whose constant practise is to spit hell and damnation in every mans face though such as walk holily and umblameably But you will say Is not every man concerned to follow the light and inward guidance of his own conscience I answer No unless his conscience be rightly informed and regulated by the word of God For conscience is but Regularegulata and though he cannot disobey a false light of conscience without sin
the Spirit in 2 Cor. 4. 6. and Prayer is the way to come by the Spirit Luke 11. 13. How much more shall your heavenly Father give the Spirit to them that ask him The third argument for Scripture-search is Scriptures authority which is divine and infallible S. Paul affirms that it is of divine inspiration in 2 Tim. 3. 16. and it is said to be a more sure word of prophesie by S. Peter 2 Pet. 1. 19. And herein I shall demonstrate this one thing That these Scriptures are the word of God That these Scriptures are the word of God I shall not trouble you with a multitude of arguments to evince it but yet I could not wholly omit it because all who do profess it do not really and fully believe it as I shall evidence to you anon and the faith of many Christians through the strength of Satans temptations and the corruption of their own hearts may sometimes doubt of it that I may therefore convince some and strengthen others I shall present to you these considerations I. The testimony of the Church is not the first or chief ground nor is it a sufficient argument of that faith whereby we believe the Scriptures to be the word of God Into this indeed the Church of Rome doth ultimately resolve its faith Bellarmine openly professes that He would believe the Bible no more then the Alcoran if it were not for the testimony of the Church It is true the outward testimony of the Church may be a motive or a means of our belief of the Scripture for so she is called the pillar and ground of truth to hold it forth and declare it as the pillar holds forth the Princes Proclamation but adds no authoritie to it It may inform us of the truth but not perswade us of the truth The Church hath the charge of Scripture 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Oracles of God being committed to her as it is said of the Jewish Rom. 3. 2. as a Trustee of Divine truth to maintain uphold expound and declare Scripture but not the first ground of our belief of it As the Queen of Sheba believed the report of Solomons wisdome by others but more when she heard it her self or as the Samaritans believed because of the report of the woman but more when they heard him John 4. 30 40. The Church may hand the Scriptures to us and we may believe them by but not for the testimony of it Or as a mother may shew the childe the sun and tell him that is the sun but yet the sun manifests its self by its own light so the Church may tell us this is Scripture but it is impossible that the ultimate resolution of a divine faith of supernatural truths should be made into any humane and so consequently fallible and uncertain testimony when as we are to judge of the true Church by the Scripture Nor can this be a conviction to any that the Scriptures are the word of God for either it must be to believers and to them it is unnecessary for they have already effectually entertained it upon other grounds viz. The inward evidences of the word and Testimony of the Spirit and it cannot be to unbelievers for they reject the Church as well as the Scripture and therefore they must be convinced of the true Church before they will admit its testimony and of this there is no other possible means to convince them then by the Scriptures which must be first evidenced unto them Therefore II. There are in Scripture sufficient evidences and convictions even to ingenuous reason that it is the word of God And this is necessary for though after any testimony appears to be Divine reason must not be suffered to dispute and question the thing so attested yet I cannot see why reason should not be used as an instrument or means to evidence such a Revelation to be divine otherwise though I may be otherwise convinced my self it is impossible to convince an Heathen or gainsayer that this is the word of God Our faith is not irrational and though the things revealed be above reason yet that it is supernaturally revealed must be evidenced to reason otherwise my belief is rash precipitate and irrational nor can I give a reason of the hope that is in me as the Apostle requires 1 Pet. 3. 15. Therefore omitting those which I conceive less evincing I shall lay down these few considerations to evidence this 1. Consider the sublimitie of and mysteriousness of the things revealed in Scripture such as the most prying reason could never search into nor the most improved raised parts and abilities ever reach such as the Philosophers never dreamt of such is the fall of man and our corruption by it of which if the Philosophers had some ruder notions yet the means of mans sin and misery viz. by the wilfull transgression of that Covenant made between God and man of not eating of the tree of knowledge c. this they were wholly ignorant of and much less could reason fathom the depth of that Wisdome and Mercy which Scripture discovers in mans recovery by Christ this is a depth which the very Angels desire 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in 1 Pet. 1. 12. to look earnestly into That Apostatized fallen miserable man should again be brought to life by the death of the onely Son of God and that in a way of such unspeakable wisdome and security to all the attributes of God with such a full reconcilement of justice and mercy is a mysterie reason can scarce apprehend now it is revealed much less discover and finde out at first So God's entring into Covenant with lapsed man an Unity in Trinity Redemption by the bloud of Christ Regeneration by the Spirit you know Nicodemus's reason was non-pluss'd here with a Quomodo How can this be John 3. Resurrection of the body being crumbled into dust A last judgement before the tribunal of that Christ who was crucified here these are things which the eye of reason could never have discerned and which the most acute profound Philosophers knew nothing of What Plato knew of God it is very probable he had from Moses of whom he was very studious if we will believe Clemens Alexandrinus S. August l. 7. c. 21. confess S. Augustin confesseth when he had diligently perused Plato he found nothing of our miserie by sin and recovery by Christ nothing of the blotting out the hand-writing of Ordinances by the blood of Christ Hoc illae literae non habent saith he He could finde none there crying out with S. Paul Quid faciet miser homo c. What shall miserable man do Who shall deliver him None crying out Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ yet saith he Haec mihi inviscerabantur miris modis cùm minimum Apostolorum tuorum legerem c. Lord these truths were incorporated in me when I read the least of thy Apostles And truely one end of Gods giving us