some to those Elders which were to be sent for of whom he speaks in the verses foregoing or as others more generally look upon it to them or any other faithful Brethren This are Christians to do as I have showen you in two cases 1st When they feel sinne lying heavy upon their Souls and find no ease by other endeavours And 2dly when any sinne is charged upon them by others by way of Christian Admonition or Reprehension In these cases Christians are to deal freely and ingennously confessing their sinnes unto others such as may be fit to have them Communicated to them being Wise and Faithful By which means they may come to have the benefit as of their Counsels so of their Prayers Confess your sinnes one to another and pray one for another as it there followeth 2. And as Privately so also Publickly and Openly whether it be in a regular way if justly required so to do by Lawful Authority or in a Spontaneous and Voluntary way Such as have been open and scandalous Sinners sinning before others to the offending or endangering of them let them be as occasion is offered ready to confesse their sinnes before others That so 1. They may give Glory to God as Ioshua in the Text fore-cited requires Achan to do the glory of his Iustice acknowledging him to be Just and Righteous in what ever he hath done or shall do against them though it were in their everlasting condemnation O Lord righteousness belongeth unto thee so Daniel begins his Confession Dan. 9. 7. And so the glory of his Grace and Mercy in sparing them receiving them to Mercy Upon this ground it was as I have shown you that Paul was so forward and frequent in his Confessions 2. And secondly that giving glory to God they may take shame to themselves O Lord Righteousness belongeth unto thee but unto us confusion of face so Daniel there goeth on This as I have showen you true Penitent sinners will readily take unto themselves and upon this account they are so ready to make these Open confessions That which deterrs and keeps off others from it brings them off to it Carnal men out of a carnal respect which they have to their credit and reputation in the World they are averse to it And hereupon they will stand upon their Justification Denying Excusing Extenuating Evading what they can as you have heard But upon this accompt the penitent sinner is forward in it that whilest he gives glory to God he may take shame to himself This is God's due and his and so apprehending it he is willing thus to give the one and take the other 3. And again thirdly This let them do for the satisfaction of those whom by their sinnes they have scandalized and offended or endangered 4. As also to set a Patern unto others who stand guilty of the like sinnes All these let them be as so many inducements to draw them to such free and open Confessions Wherein let them take heed that they deal sincerely and uprightly Not doing this out of any base sinister respects as thinking thereby to gain credit and repute from any which is odious Hypocrisy But doing it as in the presence of God Thus did Paul preach the Gospel of Christ as he tells his Corinthians 2 Cor. 2. last And thus no question he made these open confessions against himself Not as many who deal deceitfully but as of sincerity as in the sight of God And such let all our confessions and acknowledgments be to whomsoever they are made whether to God or Man See that they be not meerly verbal and formal much less Hypocritical but Sincere and Cordial And that we may attain to be such true confessors to give you some directions briefly Let our first work be to get a true sight a right knowledge of sin a speculative knowledge of the nature and kinds of sin to know what sinne is and what is sinne Now this knowledge is not to be attained but by and from the Law By the Law is the knowledge of sinne saith the Apostle Rom. 3. 20. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a clear distinct effectual knowledg such a knowledg as bringeth forth an Acknowledgment So much the word in the Original is conceived to import which we find sometimes so rendred by our Translators as 2 Tim. 2. 25. Tit. 1. 1. Acknowledgment Now such a knowledge of sinne as I said is not to be attained but by the Law from the Word As for the light of nature that may and will discover unto man some sinnes but this light is insufficient and defective For 1st it will not discover all sinnes Sinnes against the Second Table it may but not so many of them against the First Table which are indeed the greatest sinnes Grosse sinnes it may not other Actual sinnes it may which are the Branches but not Original sinne which is the Root of all sinne This through-discovery of all sinne is onely by the Law And therefore saith the Apostle I had not known sinne but by the Law Rom. 7. 7. Non ita exacte nossem saith Grotius I could never have known it so exactly and fully as now I do Many sinnes there were that the light of nature could not have discovered unto him Specially that Mother-Sinne the Root of all Sinne that sinful Concupiscence of which he speaks in the words following I had not known lust 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Concupiscence except the Law had said Thou shalt not lust Besides sinnes against the Gospel such as Pauls sinnes were which here he confesseth the light of Nature cannot discover them this must the light of the Word do And again discovery of sinne by the light of nature is not an effectual discovery It never so enlightneth the eye as that it rightly affecteth the heart affecteth it with true sorrow for sinne so as to drive the sinner unto God to seek and sue for Mercy in such a way as he may obtein it This is proper to the Word And therefore make we use of this Light labouring to get a true understanding of and insight into the Law of God that so we may attain such a knowledge of sinne to know as I said what sinnâ—…s and what is sinne Without this there will be no true Confession 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 must go before 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Cognitio before Agnitio Knowledge before Acknowledgement 2dly Having attained some measure of this general knowledge the next work must be to get a particular Conviction Paul had not onely a light shining round about him as you heard but he also heard a voice from Heaven saying unto him Saul Saul why persecutest thou me Act. 9. And so it is not enough for a Christian to have the light of the Word shining round about him to have a general knowledge of sinne but he must be particularly convinced of his own sinnes To that end therefore bring we our selves to the
for the saving of any Could Moses have done this Jesus Christ should not have needed to come into the world which he did upon this very accompt to do that for the Sons of men which Moses could not do to procure that Justification and Salvation for them which they could never have expected by the Law What the Law could not do in that it was weak through the flesh God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin or by a Sacrifice for sin as the Margin in our Translation well explains it condemned sin in the flesh that the righteousness of the Law might be fulfilled in us Rom. 8. 3. 4. So it was Man being fallen by his fall he became weak not being able now to fulfil the Law so as to obtain Justification and Salvation by it And thereupon it was that Christ took the Nature of man upon him that in that Nature he might do what mere Man could not do that so the righteousness of the Law which could not be fulfilled by man might this way be fulfilled in Him 3dly In the 3d place See here what the foresaid Author alâ—…o mindeth us of the heinous nature of sin what a desperate disease it is that must have a Physitian to come from Heaven to cure it other way of cure there was none All the Men and Angels in the world could do nothing to it They were all as Iob saith of his friends Iob 13. 4. Physitians of no value But the Son of God must come from Heaven to undertake this cure Magnus de coelo venit Medicus saith Augustine quia magnus per totum orbem jacebat aegrotuus The great Physitian cometh down from Heaven because man upon earth was desperately sick in a hopeless and helpless condition had He not stept in Which as the same Father there applies it should make all that hear it afraid of sin as a most deadly disease not to rest and lye down in it not to sleep in strato peccati in the bed of sin but to give ear to what Paul saith to them Ephes. 5. 14. Awake thou that sleepest and arise from the dead and Christ shall give thee light 4ly and lastly Here as in a Glass behold we what we can never look too much nor yet enough upon the Grace the wonderful Grace of God towards the Sons of men The Grace of God that bringeth Salvation hath appeared to all men saith the Apostle Tit. 2. 11. The Grace of God His great Goodness and Mercy that bringeth Salvation eternal Salvation by and through Christ hath appeared 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 illuxit it hath shined forth clearly manifesting it self and that to all men all sorts of men without distinction of Nation Sex Age or Condition This it hath done in this coming of Iesus Christ into the world to save sinners In nothing more in nothing so much Many wayes hath the Grace and Favour of God appeared unto mankind It did so in his Creation in making him little lower than the Angels and Crowning him with Glory and Honour making Him to have Dominion over the works of His hands and putting all things under His feet as the Psalmist sets it forth Psalm 8. 5. 6. In making Him after his own Image So God created man in his own Image in the Image of God created he Him Gen. 1. 27. As like unto his Maker as a Creature could be But behold this Grace shineth more clearly in his Redemption in finding out a way such a way and means as he did for the delivering of him from Hell and Death and the procuring of his eternal Salvation No Grace like this 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 this saving Grace of God Behold here what you have lately heard more largely of from that Text Gal. 4. 4. The Grace of God the Father in sending his Son upon this Errand When the fulness of time was come God sent forth his Son made of a Woman made under the Law to redeem them that were under the Law that we might receive the Adoption of Sons What an expression of Love was this In this was manifested the love of God towards us that God sent his only begotten Son into the world that we might live through him 1 John 4. 9. Herein is love not that we loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins Verse 10. Behold love wonderful love So God loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son c. John 3. 16. Such an expression of Love as never was Herein did his kindness appear After that the kindness and love of God our Saviour towards man appeared Tit. 3. 4. viz. The kindness of God the Father who is there as often elsewhere called God our Saviour and that as upon some other accompts so chiefly upon this because He sent His Son upon this Errand to procure and effect Salvation for the Sons of men as Grotius well expounds it Herein did His Love His Kindness appear His Grace His Rich Grace the exceeding Riches of his Grace So our Apostle not knowing how to speak highly enough of it sets it forth Ephes. 2. 7. That he might shew the exceeding Riches of his Grace in his kindness towards us in Christ Iesus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 exceeding all our apprehensions Such was that Grace which God the Father shewed to the Sons of men in his kindness towards them in Christ Jesus in sending him to be a Saviour for them Many things there are which do highly commend and set forth this Grace of God to us Three of which and three Principal we have a hint of in the Text. 1st Take we notice whom it was that he sent Christ Iesus his Son his own son He spared not his own Son but delivered him up for us all Rom. 8. 32. Yea his only Son his only begotten Son as that obvious Text forenamed hath it Ioh 3. 16. God had many Sons some by creation such were the Angels whom we find called the Sons of God Job 38. 7. Such was Adam which was the Son of God Luke 3. last And he hath many sons by Adoption to which he Predestinated them from Eternity Eph. 1. 5. But he had but one son by Generation This was Iesus Christ 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the onely begotten Son of GOD. A Jewel more dear than all the World besides Yet God his Father spared him not but put him upon this service to be a Saviour to lost Mankind And what love was this Hereby did Father Abraham manifest the sincerity and height of his Affection to his God that having but one Son he was willing to part with him to offer him up at his Command Now I know that thou fearest God seeing thou hast not withheld thy son thy only Son from me saith the Angel to him Gen. 22. 12. And in the like way hath God the Father manifested his
consented to Stephen's death vers 1. and how he made havock of the Church entring into every house and haling men and women committed them to prison And after chap. 9. v. 1 2. breathing out Threatnings and Slaughter against the Disciples of the Lord he went unto the high Priest and desired of him letters that if he found any of this way whether they were men or women he might bring them bound to Ierusalem Such was his zeal then against Christ and against the Doctrine of the Gospel and all the true professors of it And this was the sin which here he chargeth so heavily upon himself as the chiefest of sins making him the chief of sinners This it was that made him think so meanly so vilely of himself as he did to account himself the least of the Apostles not worthy to be an Apostle Because saith he I persecuted the Church of God 1 Cor. 15. 9. And so here to call himself the chief of sinners in as much as he had been as he declares in the verse next but one before the Text vers 13. a Blasphemer a Persecuter Injurious Thus it was Nemo acrior inter Persecutores ergo nemo pejor inter peccatores as Augustine hath it Among all the Persecutors of his time none more fierce more eager than he and therefore among all sinners none greater than he So it is Among all sins there is none greater than the sin of Infidelitie This is Calvins observation which he from hence taketh up and not without ground This is the sin that bringeth upon a man the greatest guilt and maketh him one of the greatest sinners even the sin of Infidelitie specially when it is accompanied with obstinacie and contumacie and pertinacie 〈◊〉 as Paul's sin here was now there is no sin like this sin this sin against the Gospel Sins against the Law may be great sins some of them greater than other some crying sins of a heinous and horrid nature But none of them like this sin against the Gospel Infidelitie when it is as I said accompanied with obstinacy when men will not receive Christ being offered and tendred unto them but reject him and will not believe on him This is The sin When the comforter shall come saith our Saviour to his Apostles he shall reprove the world of Sin of Righteousness and of Iudgment Of sin because they believe not on me Joh. 16. 8 9. Intimating this to be the sin the greatest sin that shall lie most heavy upon the world No sin like this sin If I had not come and spoken unto them they had not had sin saith he of the Iews in the Chapter foregoing Ioh. 15. 22. Had not Christ come unto them and made himself known to them they had had no sin comparatively not so great sin to answer for as now they had This is the condemning sin This is the condemnation that light is come into the world and men loved darkness rather than light Joh. 3. 19. Iesus Christ who was the true Light being clearly revealed as he is under the Gospel the not receiving but rejecting of him This is the condemning sin laying those that are guilty of it under the just sentence of Condâ—…nation He that believeth not is condemned already saith the verse there foregoing verse 18. He is so being layed under the sentence of Condemnation as for his other sins Original and Actual so in special for this his not believing No sin like obstinate Infidelitie when men shall shut their eyes against the Light will not receive Christ and the Doctrine of Salvation by him but oppose it and according to their power persecute it This was Pauls sin and it was such a sin as weighed down all his legal Righteousness making him in his own estimation and account the worst the vilest the greatest the chief of Sinners Which let it be taken notice of and seriously considered and that As by all of us that we may be convinced of the greatness of this sin this sin of Infidelity whereof there is none of us but in some degree or other stand guilty So in special 1. By meer civil Persons who look after nothing but the Righteousness of the Law So they may but approve themselvs legally and morally righteous as to the world they regard not that Evangelical Righteousness whereby they may come to stand righteous before God So long as they do but yield an outward obedience to the Law they regard not the obedience of Faith Whilest they are just and sober and temperate and chaste innocent and harmless in their lives they think that shall plâ—… for them that shall justifie them So did that Young man in the Gospel who when our Saviour had repeated to him the duties of the second Table Thou shalt do no Murder Thou shalt not commit Adultery c. He presently replyeth All these things have I kept from my youth up Mat. 19. 20. Having yielded an external obedience to what the Law required he thought this was sufficient for his Justification and Salvation And so do many others But alas herein how far are they deceived All this may a man do and yet for all that be among the chiefest of Sinners An instance whereof we have in the Text. Paul was as you have heard an exact Walker a strict observer of the Law blameless in his Life and Conversation and yet for all that the chief of sinners Which I beseech you to take notice of who build your hopes of Salvation upon the sandy foundation of your own Righteousness your good Doings your good Meanings you are not as other men as that Pharisee in the Temple said of himself thanking God for it God I thank thee that I am not as other men are Extortioners Unjust Adulterers c. Luke 18. 11. you are not tainted and polluted with the crying sinns of the Times you are no Drunkards no Swearers no Unclean or Unrighteous persons your Lives are Blameless and your Conversations Harmâ—… and you do it may be some and many good Duties as giving of Almes c. And therefore you hope it shall go well with you that God will own and accept you as righteous Alas for all this you may be sinners and great sinners still I and such you are if you refuse to yield obedience to the command of the Gospel The Gospel-Commandement is the great Commandement This is His Commandement That we should believe on the Name of his Son Iesus Christ 1 John 3. 23. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Commandement that Commandement which Christians ought to have a respect to in the first place And Obedience to this Command is the most acceptable obedience Paul telleth his Romans that he had received Grace and Apostleship i. e. the gift of being an Apostle for the obedience of the Faith Rom. 1. 5. that he might be an instrument to bring the Gentiles to yield obedience to the doctrine of Faith the
7. 20. but as unto a Father with some apprehensions of mercy Thus are the confessions of a truly penitent sinner ordinarily attended and accompanied with some apprehension of mercy I say either with the present sense of it as Pauls confession here was to which he subjoynes But I obteined mercy Or with the hope of it So runs that confession which Shecaniah there maketh Ezra 10. 2. We have transgressed c. Yet now there is hope in Israel concerning this thing To proceed no further Put these together and hereby may the sincere confession and acknowledgment of the truly penitent sinner be discerned from that which is false and counterfeit And so you have both these Questions resolved That which now remains of this is the Application Which I shall direct as in the former Branch onely two wayes by way of Conviction Exhortation 1. By way of Conviction Is the true penitent such a Confessor so forward and ready in such a way to confesse and acknowledge his sinnes both to God and Man how many then from hence may be convinced that they are as yet none of this number that they are as yet in a state of impenitency that they are as yet in their sinnes lying under the guilt and power of them Diverse sorts there are who come within the verge and compass of this Conviction Let me take notice of some of them Which whilest I do let me desire you all of you to go along with me trying and examining your selves whether you be not of this number In the first place Some there are who do not as yet know themselves to be sinners they were never convinced of their sinnes never convinced of the sinfulness of their nature never convinced of any such remarkable evils whether in their hearts or lives as should need any such serious confession and acknowledgment So is it with some morall civil Iusticiaries whose lives not having been stained with such open such foul and scandalous sinnes as they see in others hereupon they are well opinionated of themselves They are not as other men are as the Pharisee said of himself Luk. 18. 11. no Swearers no Drunkards no Adulterers c. so as they scarce see wherein they are sinners much less great sinners Very far are they from making any such confession and acknowledgment of their sinnes as Paul here doth of his Now as for such let them know that not having as yet been convinced of their sinnes they must needs be in them lying under the power and under the guilt of them This is the first work that the Spirit of God worketh in the heart of a regenerate person It is to him a Spirit of Conviction when the comforter is come saith our Saviour he shall reprove or convince 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the world of sin Joh 16. 8. This is the work of the Spirit and it is the first work Certainly the Soul which never yet knew what this work meant must needs be far from any such ingenuous acknowledgment as here we meet with in the Text. Paul before he came to make this confession that he was the chief of sinners he had seen a light from Heaven shining round about him and falling to the earth he heard a voice saying unto him Saul Saul why persecutest thou me as we have the story Act. 9. 3 4. He had a strong a clear and powerful Conviction discovering to him and throughly convincing him of the evil of that course which he then took And thus must it be with every poor sinner Before ever he will be brought to an ingenuous confession and acknowledgment of his sinnes he must see a light from Heaven discovering them to him and he must hear a voice from Heaven convincing him of the sinfulness of them and he must be struck down to the earth humbled in the sense of his own Vilenesse before ever his heart will be brought to such a frame and temper as here we find in this our Apostle to be ready thus to confess and acknowledg his sinnes both to God and Man upon all occasions Certainly they who never yet knew what this Spirit of Conviction meant are as yet far from being ingenuous Confessours and consequently may conclude themselves to be in a state of impenitency In the second place Another sort there are who have been convinced of their sins which yet they will not be brought to confess and acknowledge Convinced I say they have been being guilty it may be of some foul open and scandalous sinnes whereof they have been convinced not onely by the light of the Word but even by the light of Nature which light is sufficient to make a discovery of some of many sinnes specially of those against the second Table This is the work of the Law written in the hearts of men as the Apostle saith of it Rom. 2. 15. which whilest it directs them to many Duties it cannot but convince them of many Sinnes Rectum est index sui obliqui Yet for all this they will not be brought to a confession and acknowledgment of what they cannot but be convinced of No though charged upon them by the Ministers of God again and again yet for all that they will not be brought to confess their sinnes no not so much as unto God Is it not the case of some of many profane wretches I wish there may be none of them within the hearing of it or if there be that it may sink into their hearts They are such as cannot but be convinced of their sinful wayes and courses being as the Apostle saith of obstinate Hereticks Tit. 3. 11. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 self-condemned their own consciences bearing witness and their thoughts accusing them as he speaks of the Gentiles Rom. 2. 15. their sinnes being of a horrid nature staring them in the face as it were yet for all that the time is yet to come that ever they should go into the presence of God there to spread their sinnes before him as Hezekiah did Senacheribs blasphemous Letter Isa. 38. to humble themselves at his footstool by confessing and acknowledging their sinnes This is a course a practise which they are meer strangers to never yet knew what it meant And not confessing their sinnes unto God they are very farre from acknowledging them unto Men from whom their main care is to hide them as Achan did his Wedge of Gold and Babylonish Garment which he hid in his Tent Iosh. 7. 22 And if they be found out and charged upon them What do they then Why either deny them as Gehazi did his running after Naman to receive a reward from him which his Master Elisha had refused when his master asked him Whence comest thou he said Thy servant went no whither 2 King 5. 25. so adding sinne unto sinne Or else excuse it may be defend what they have done By no means they will be brought to take the blame and shame of Sinne
Law Behold we our own faces in that Glass Bring our lives thither bring our hearts thither comparing the one with the other laying both to that Rule that so by the straightness of the one we may discover the obliquity and crookedness of the other Thus did Paul he brought himself his heart and life to the Law and by that means he came not onely to attain the knowledge of sinne in a general way but to see his own sinfulness the sinfulness of his Nature and the sinfulness of his Life as his former sinnes acted before his Conversion so the Body of sinne which still remained in hiâ—… In the sense and apprehension whereof he so passionately cryeth out in the close of that Chapter Rom. 7. 24. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 O wretched man that I am Who shall deliver me from the body of this death Thus seek we after such a Conviction which till we attain we will never be brought to a right confession and acknowledgment of sin Thence was it that Nathan taketh this course with David First convincing him of his sinne which he doth by propounding to him the Parable of the Ewe-Lamb and so by that means brings him to that Confession which there he made 2 Sam. 12. 3dly Being convinced of sinne then in the third place seek after some measure of Compunction and Contrition that so we may not onely have a sight but an inward sense and feeling of our sinnes and so be humbled in the sense of them Paul did not only see a light shining about him and hear a voice speaking unto him but he was also struck to the ground as you have heard And so must a poor sinner be before ever he will be brought to a right confession of his sinnes Seek we for this also in measure This it was that drew Iohn the Baptist's and Peters and Pauls hearers to those open confessions which they made they were pricked in the hearts for their sinnes 4thly Being thus humbled for sinne and feeling some measure of Compunction now labour in the next place to get some apprehensions of mercy to raise up the Soul if not in the sense yet with the hope of Mâ—…cy Till this be done our confession will never be such as it ought to be It will never be Voluntary and Ingenuous till it be Filial Fear slavish fear it straitneth the heart causeth the spirits to retire and run inward as it were Apprehensions of Mercy will melt and inlarge and dissolve it as it were and so draw forth the Soul to free and ingenuous confessions and acknowledgments 5thly In the fifth and last place seek we unto God for that his free Spirit as David calleth it Psal. 51. 12. that That may be in us a spirit of confession It is that which the Lord maketh promise of to his people Zach. 12. 10. I will poure upon them the Spirit of Grace and Supplications His Spirit which is the gift of his Grace and therefore called the Spirit of Grace should so inwardly affect them with the sense of his Mercies as that they should freely poure out their Souls before Him in true penitent confessions of their own sinnes whereof formerly they had not been sensible And this Spirit seek we from God Even such a Spirit of Grace and Supplications which may put our hearts into such a confessing frame and temper as that they may be ready upon all occasions to break forth into humble and hearty confessions and acknowledgments of our sinnes both before God and Men. By this means it was that Paul was now become such a forward and ingenuous confessor of his own sinnes Which confessing he also censureth and that severely acknowledging himself not only a sinner but a great sinner yea the chief of sinners That is the third particular Branch of the general Observation to which I now come THe Penitent sinner as he is a frequent Remembrancer and a forward Confessour so also a severe Censurer severe in censuring of his own Sinnes and himself for them An Observation which I find the learned Grotius taking up from that parallel Text Luk. 5. 8. where Peter maketh the like Confession that Paul here doth Having seen that Miracle which Christ had wrought in blessing his labour beyond all expectation giving him such a draught of Fishes as the like he had never before seen or heard of he thereupon falleth down at his knees saying Depart from me I am a sinful man 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Peccatosus a sinner a great sinner So much that word as you have formerly heard imports as we may take notice from that Text of Saint Peter 1 Pet. 4. 18. If the righteous scarsly be saved where shall the ungodly and sinner appear 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Where the word sinner being opposed to a Righteous person it imports a wicked and ungodly person with whom it is there joyned an habituated sinner So we find it used by our Apostle in the ninth verse of this Chapter whereof the Text is part Where he saith that the Law was not made for a righteous man but for the lawless and disobedient for the ungodly and for sinners for unholy and prophane Where by sinners we are to understand such as the rest there spoken of are wicked and ungodly unholy and prophane persons such as make a trade of sinne as Beza there expounds it Veluti aliquam peccandi artem exercentes such as the Poet Hesiod saith he calleth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 such as made sinne their work habituated and notorious sinners Now what Was Peter such a one Nothing lesse he was then a truly pious and godly Man as appears by his Demeanure to his Lord and Master Christ his readiness to do what ever he should command him which he professeth and practiseth in the verses foregoing vers 5. 6. How was it then that he should passe so severe a Censure upon himself that he was a sinner such a sinner a sinful man Why thus it is none are more ready to pass censures upon themselves than those that deserve them least Probi animi vel maximum â—…st indicium severissimam in se censuram exercere saith that Author There is not a greater Evidence of a Pious and Gracious Soul than to be severe in Censuring of it self Such a one was this our Apostle Saint Paul as the same Author there taketh notice of it paralleling him with Peter in this confession which here he maketh Notwithstanding that before his Conversion he was morally blameless in his life and conversation and now an eminent Saint yet he passeth this Censure upon himself that he was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the first the chief of Sinners And such Censurers shall we find other of the Saints of God to have been severe in censuring of themselves Hence is it that in their Confessions and Acknowledgements we shall find them aggravating their sinnes to the heighth indeavouring what they could to express and set
to know it to be assured of it A. For Answer briefly Are we in measure such as Paul was Truly Penitent sinners such as have been throughly convinced of our sinnes such as have judged and condemned our selves for them such as see and feel the need we have of a Savâ—… our and such as are willing to receive Christ upon Gospel-tearms to take him not only as a Saviour but also as a Soveraign being as willing and desirous to be ruled and governed as to be saved by him Is it so that God hath thus revealed his Son to us and in us as Paul saith he had done to him Gal. 1. 16 If so now stand not to confer with flesh and blood as he there saith he did not Neither be we disobedient to this Heavenly Vision as he tells King Agrippa he was not Act. 26. 19. But hearken we to the command of God the Commandement as St. Iohn there calleth it 1 Iohn 3. 23. This is the Commandement 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that great Gospel-Command which is That we should beleeve on the Name of his Son In obedience to this Command now come we unto Iesus Christ and lay hold upon him beleeving on him for Life and Salvation being confidently assured that He came into the world to Save us And being assured hereof now despair not of obteining this Benefit by and through Him It matters not what our sinnes have been what for Number what for Nature though never so many never so great though we have been the chief of Sinners yet Despair not Such a one had Paul been yet Repenting and Beleeving on Jesus Christ he obteined Mercy Which he did as he saith in the words after the Text That in him Christ Iesus might shew forth all long-suffering for a Patern to them that should hereafter beleeve on him to everlasting Life And so let him herein be to every of us Onely see that we be changed as he was changed not onely in our Name as he was from Saul to Paul in our outward Profession but inwardly changed changed in our hearts and Lives that we may be able to say and make good what he there doth Gal. 2. 20. that we now live yet no longer we not what sometimes we were but made new Creatures finding Christ dwelling in our Hearts by Faith and working in us by his Spirit conforming us unto Himself in his Death and Resurrection so as we daily die to Sinne and rise to newness of Life Being such now what ever we have been yet comfort we our selves with the Remembrance of these words of the Apostle every of us saying after him This is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptation That Christ Iesus came into the world to save Sinners of whom I am chief And thus shall I now dismiss You and the Text in the Handling whereof I have by a Divine Providence found the Loaves multiplyed my Meditations much enlarged beyond expectation My desire now is and shall be that they may be sanctified and blessed unto my Self and You for those Ends for which they were intended For which let us Pray FINIS READER THere is lately Printed an Exposition on the Parable of the Rich Fool Luk. 12. 16 22. By Mr. Nehemiah Rogers The same Author that formerly hath written upon the Parable of the Lost-Son Lost-Sheep and Lost-Groat Luk. 15. Also upon the Parable of the Creditor and Debtor Luk. 7. And on the Parable of the Samaritane Luk. 10. And on the Parable of the Friend at Mid-Night Luk. 11. And on the Parable of the Figg-Tree Luk. 13. All which are to be sold by George Sawbridge at the Bible on Ludgate-Hill 1662. ERRATA PAge 43. line 12. for It is read Is it P. 45. l. 32. for the work he came which about r. the work which he came about December 29. 1661. Parts of the Text Doctrine Application The Dâ—… ctrine Commended Praefatiâ—… haec nobiâ—… sit instaâ—… Buccinâ—… sonâ—…ntis ad publicandum gratiae Christi prâ—…conium Calv. Com. 〈◊〉 Text. 1. From the Veritie of it The Doctrine of the Gospel the word of Truth Compased about with a cloud of witneses From the Dignity of it Quin potius in illorum cordibus â—…rat durities non in sermone Calv. Com. in loc 1. The Doctrine of the Gospel worthy of Acceptation Groecum 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 significat non tantum acceptionem vel acceptationem sed approbationem Corn a Lapide in Text. 2. Worthy of All Accepâ—…ation 1. To be received by all Men. 2. By all means Estius Com. in Text. Into the Ear worthy to be heard * Into the Head worthy to be studied and believed Cabala Hebâ—…aice idem est quod Acceptio i. e. accepta Doctrina traditio a radice 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Kibbet i. e. accepit c. Corn. a lapide in Text. q. d. Iudaei jactant suam 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. Traditionem Cabalam sed nugosam et fabulosam ego veram et certam 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. Traditionem Cabalam a Christo ipso acceptam vâ—…bis trado c. a Lap. ibid. Into the Heart worthy to be entertained with Ioy. With Gratitude Application Divided into 2. Conclusions Christs Iourny Errand Christs Iourny touching which 4 particulars opened Q. 1. Who it was that came Q. 2. How he came Q. 3. From whence he came Q. 4. Whither he came 2. Christs Errand For what he came to be a Saviour For whom he came to save Sinners Some greater sinners than others Christ came to save the greatest of Penitent sinners Use 1. By way of Information 4. Doctrines deduced 1. Touching the two natures in Christ. In mundum venit exprimiâ—… duplicem naturam sc. Divinitatis in qua erat antequam in mundo appareret Humanitatis in qua apparuit Aquin. Com. in Text. 2. The invalidity of the Law Contra Iudaeos significat Legem Legis caeremonias inefficaces esse ad salutem illam enim attulit Christus Corn. a Lapide Com. in Text. 3. The hainous nature of sin Hine discimus enormitatem peccati Idem ibid. Augustine Serm. 9. de verbis Apostoli Cum audis Christum venisse in hunc mundum ut peccatores salvos faceret noli dormire in dulci strato peccati sed audi Paulum dicentem Surge qui dermis illuminabit te Christus Ibid. 4. The wonderful Grace of God to mankind 1. The Grace of God the Father in sending of Christ. Grotius Annot. in 1 Tim. 1. 1 Set forth in 3 Particulars 1. The Person sent his Son 2. For whom he was sent for sinners 3. The benefit to be procured by Him Salvation 2. The Grace of God the Son in coming upon such an Errand Homines desperate aegrotabant ipsa agritudine quia mentes perdiderant etiam medicum caedebant Ille autem etiam cum occideretur medicus erat c. August ubi supra Use 2. Consolation to all and only Penitent