them from evill in the world and not that thou shouldst take them out of the world Ioh 17.15 If we be under crosses if this spirit and power of Christ be in us it will enable us to beare all patiently it will keepe us from murmuring and fretting It will also convince us of our naturall estate so as wee shall see evident necessitie of Gods almighty power to change us this made the Apostle Paul and the Iaylor to looke about them for helpe Lord what wouldest thou have me to doe and thus it will make us never to give God rest nor Christ respite till that power that shall raise up our bodies doe raise up also our soules and he shine in us by his spirit that did bring light out of darknes and fashion us as in his wisedome shall be most meet In the next place the consideration of Gods Almightie power should teach us not to be dejected or cast downe at the reports of the afflicted state of the Church abroad it should bring us rather to God to rely upon his goodnes and power for God is ever God almighty and the same mercifull God that ever he was and therfore we should pray for the Church the more instantly that God would give them beautie instead of ashes wee should urge him with his promise of building up and defending of his Church and destroying of Antichrist and let us make the resurrection of the body a ground to strengthen us in the beleefe thereof as the returne of the children of Israel from Babylon was sealed by the resurrection of the dry bones Ezek. 37. as also the Apostle from the resurrection of the dead gathereth that God by that power hath and will deliver him 2 Cor. 1.9 10. Furthermore when wee are oppressed with any extremitie though never so great by continuall meditation of his promises wee should strengthen our selves and apply them to our present estate and condition knowing that he that raised us out of dust will not suffer us to bee buried in miserie but will with the triall give us a gracious issue at the last by raising up our bodies at the last day by his almighty power which made also the Patriarch Abraham to hope above hope what though our helpes be few its no matter what the instrument is so as Christ is the chief worker In the next place This should incourage us to stand out sted fast in a good cause for the truth do not think with our selves alas I am but one and a weake sillie man what can I doe against a multitude let not such thoughts discourage thee thinke of Luther a poore Monke who alone set himselfe against the whole world and wrought that effect that wee have all cause at this day to honour the memorie of him it is not thou but God in thee that is able to confound all thine enemies and therefore with Moses behold him that is invisible Yet further this should bee observed by a Christian as a ground of his perseverance to the end for when wee know we are Christians what can bereave us of our blessings what can make our faith faile its Gods power that will keepe us to salvation and he that beleeveth shall have life and shall not come into condemnation Ioh. 6.39 40.44.47 and many other places and Christ by his almighty power swayes all our life to our building up to salvation and therefore in contraries we should beleeve contraries that death will worke life miserie happinesse corruption incorruption and this vilenesse glorie for its Gods order to worke by contraries that his power might the more appeare And at the houre of death then behold him that is thus able and all-sufficient that shall presently glorifie our soule and at length will raise up our bodie also and unite it to our soule to partake with it in glorie and happinesse that will then quit us of all sinne corruption death change all our enemies shall bee troden under our foote and all this by his almightie power whereby he is able to doe farre above that wee are able to think and therefore let us with a holy admiration thereof say with the Apostle Ephes. 3.20 To him be glorie for evermore Amen FINIS Loâ—uere ut videa 1 Cor. 8.5 Animus â—ujusque is est quisqueâ— 1 The Appellation 2 Exhortation 3 Limitation Meanes to get Ioy. Answ. 1. Ob. Answ. Psal. 120.5 Doctr. 1. Doct. 2. Note 3. Doct. 4. Reason 1. Reason 2. Reason 3. Reason 4. Reason 5. Reason 6. Vse 1. Vse 2. Rev. 1. and 2 3. Doctr. 1. 1 John 4.1 Quest. Answ. Ob. Answ. A threefold judgment to wit I Of Discretion II Of Directiâ—n III Of Jurisdiction Doctrine Quest. Answ. Rev. 22.15 Remedies against seducers Remedy 1. Remedy 2. Remedy 3. Remedy 4. Meanes and waies to mortifie sinne Three parts viz. 1 The Act Worship 2 The Object God 3 The most part viz. in Spirit Reasons why God must be worshipped in Spirit Vse Reasons why outward worship is so well liked and loved Ob. Answ. Signes of spirituall worshippers Helps unto spiritual worship Doctr. 1. Doct. 2. Reason 2. Reason 3. Reason 4. Reason 5. Reason 6. Quest. Answ. Causes of true joy Vse 1. Vse 2. Vse 3. Vse 4. Vse 5. Answ. Signes of true Christian joy 1 Signe 2. Signe 3. Signe 4. Signe 5. Signe Quest. Answ. Doctrine Ob. Answ. Reason 1. Reason 2. Reason 3. Reason 4 Reason 5. Quest. Answ. Signes of fleshly confidence St. Pauls prerogatives Obj. Quest. Answ. Obj. Answ. Wherein and how the knowledge of Christ exceeds humane knowledge Vse 1. Vse 2. Vse 3. Vse 4. Vse 5. Quest. Answ. Obj. Answ. Quest. Answ. Quest. Answ. Signes of the choice of Christ. Quest. Answ. Obj. Answ. Answ. The meanes how to be united to Christ. Vse 1. Signes of mortification Quest. Answ. Obj. 1. Obj. 2. Ob. Answ. Doctrine Vse 1. 1. Direct 2. 3. 2. Hind 3. Hind Direct 1. Quest. Answ. Quest. Answ. 1. 2. 3. Hind 4. Hind Doctrine Vse Doct. Vse 2. Doctr. Vse Doctr. Quest. Answ. Quest. Answ. Vse 1. 1 Signe 2. Signe 3. Signe 4. Signe Vse 2. Quest. Answ. Doctrine Doct. 1. Signe 2 Signe 3. Signe 4. Signe 5. Signe 6. Signe 7. Signe 9 Signe 10. Signe Meanes unto perfection Motives to the use of the meanes and unto perfection Doctrine How to walk according to the Rule Ob. Answ. Doct. Wherein imitation consists Why examples are laid downe in Scripture Vse 1. 1. Dir. 2. Dir. 3. Dir. Vse 2. Vse 3. Vse Reason 1. Reason 2. Reason 3. Who were enemies to Christs crosse Gal. 5.4 A threefold judgment Quest. Answ. Quest. Answ. Reason 1. Helpes Remedies against vaine-glory Rules Signes Doctr. Quest. Answ. 1. Dir. 2. Dir. 3. Dir. 4. Direct 5. Dir. 6. Dir. Obj. Answ. 7. Dir. Ob. Answ. Reason 1. Reason 2. Reason 3. Vsâ— Object Answ. Quest. Answ. Doctrine Doctr. 1. Quest. Answ. Vse Vse 1. Vse 2. Vse 3. Vse Quâ—st Answ. Obj. Answ. Vse 1. Vse 2. Vse 3. Vse 4. Vse 5. Vse 6. Vse 7. Doctrine 1.
in generall to try the spirits and the Apostle 1 Thes. 5.21 bids them prove all things and hold fast the good if they were then all of them bound to try and prove they were no doubt bound to know the rules by which they were to try which rules are only laid downe in the word of God But some Popish heart may aske How common people should know the Word to be the word of God For answer I would aske such an one How they know the Popes Canons or any Booke of his Constitutions to be the Popes they will say their teachers brings them in the Popes name and they beleeve their teachers So say wee We beleeve our Teachers and Ministers who tell us this is the Word of God But they object and say that wee make every one a Iudge I answer there is a three-fold manner of judging First a judging whereby we discerne of anything and this every Christian must have so as it cannot be any plea to him at the day of judgment to say my Teacher did mislead me No both the leader and he that is led if they be blind shall fall into the ditch Matth. 15. Then there is a second kinde of judging which is by way of direction this is required principally in the Pastor to direct his flocke And there is a third kinde that is of jurisdiction this belongs to the Church and the Magistrate yet every one must have a judgment to discern the good from the bad For hee that knowes not his Masters will shall be beaten In the second place Not onely the young ordinary Christians but euen the best setled Christians had need to beware also The Philippians were a Church established in the truth Eve was seduced being in her innocent estate but I need not stand on this at this time I proceed To the dutie which is to beware Which word signifies First to discerne of then to avoid and because those that are aware of evill by nature will avoid it therfore beware here intends both discerning and avoiding of evil For the Church of God in this world is ever subject to danger and God suffers it to be so First to try who be true and who false And secondly to try them that are good and to be as an evidence to them of their owne estates so as where such triall and danger is it is true ingeniosum est esse Christianum But concerning the words Dogges Concision Evill workers they all signifie the same thing and he repeats the word beware thrice to shew the necessitie thereof take heed of them that urge workes of the law with Doctrines of faith especially of Pastors Nay take heed of these for so the word in the originall is these Dogges By Concision he meanes those that urged Circumcision when it was out of date and when it was dangerous to be admitted of But observe the terme the Holy Ghost calls these Dogges a strange terme and such an one as I should not have dared to have given them had not the holy Spirit led the way thereunto and therefore since it is so let us not be more modest than he is but boldly affirme that wicked men are Dogges Now wicked men are eyther without the Church or within Without the Church all are Dogges Matth. 15.26 It s not meet to take the childrens bread and to cast it to Dogges Of this number are all Turkes and Iewes who were Filii Children but are Canes Dogges We were Canes buâ— now through Gods mercy are come to be Filii All therefore that are without the Church are Dogges But there are also Dogges within the Church and therefore the Philippians were bidden beware of them which St. Paul needed not to have done if they had not beene troubled with them And those Dogges he describes in that they joyne workes of the law and Christ together in matter of salvation these are in St. Pauls esteeme Dogges And the reason hereof may be grounded on Gods esteeme on their behaviour towards other men and in regard of themselves For Gods esteeme we may see it in Esay 66.3 he detests them as dogges For their behaviour towards men whom they goe about to seduce they fawne on them and use all manner of inticing flattering and false alluring words Rom. 16.18 See the picture of a Iesuited Papist a pleasing humane fawning nature they creepe into houses and when these dogges cannot prevaile by flatterie then they snarle and barke against them by false calumnies and slanders and railings and bitter scoffes and the like and this they doe when they cannot bite But having gotten power in their hand they persecute with fire and sword and the most exquisite torments that they can devise In regard of themselves also they are Dogges rotten in nature corrupt in life filthie in their owne Courts devouring their owne vomit and God justly punishing them by suffering of them to heape up wrath in store 2 Pet. 2.22 and to returne with the sow that was washed to wallow in the mire of corrupt courses Hence wee may observe and see what a man is now brought to by sinne he that would be like to God is justly compared to the beasts that perish Now all by nature are no better than dogges who are all for their bellies for present contentments an envious and currish disposition against any that shall indeavour to crosse them in their unlawfull lusts and that rule of reason which should over-rule him and amend him he so abuses it as thereby he is made more like a Divell than a Dogge Would wee be then changed let us attend on that word that is able of Lions to make Lambes it can cleanse us throughout Ioh. 15.3 It sanctifies and alters us Morall precepts may restraine and alter outward practises the Word that alters the condition and nature of men it is the word of him that workes all with his spirit And therefore take heed of them and deale not more with them than thou must needs They will fawne they will not be dogged at the first but till Religion altereth him assuredly hee hath a currish nature But to proceed Hee saith not onely beware of Dogges in generall But beware of these Dogges of the Concision and these also ought we to beware of for there is a perpetuall lâ—tâ—er of them though those that the Apostle spake of are gone yet the same spirit is now a dayes in many fawners they are and flatterers yet doe they barke at Protestants and of this sort are our Iesuited Papists and Seminaries Our Fathers were troubled with them let these take heed for were these men dogges that presse Circumcision with Christ and shall not such be also that presse merits with Christ Saints with Christ and equall traditions with the Word of God The dogges in St. Pauls time had some excuse Circumcision they urged but it was first founded by God but these men out of
God what if we part with them if it be for his cause he will bring us to a better life which shall not be taken away from us and this life we must part with ere long and thus we ought to worke on our selves by often meditating of them as the Saints have done In the fourth place we are to labour to strengthen three graces in us especially Faith to assure us that wee are the children of God and that we have heaven and all things belonging thereto laid up for us and we are to labour to see more and more into the valew of them and then we are to strengthen our Hope which makes us cheerfully to undergoe and doe any thing for Gods cause through our expectation of that which faith beleeves Lastly let us cherish our love of Christ this made St. Paul desire to be dissolved and to bee with Christ which was best of all And this love comes from Faith and Hope and these together will breed a largenesse of heart that cares for no worldly thing and will bee daunted with no affliction or crosses what ever But how farre are we here from did St. Paul part with life It pertaines not to us no not to leave a new fangled fashion nor an oath whereby wee teare Gods name dayly alas where is faith what corruption is here overcome which of us will ever be of Paul or Davids minde to become vile or base for Gods cause where is he that will indure a scoffe or scorne for religion let us beg of God this large spirit and large affections the children of heaven have a free spirit basely esteeming all worldly things Zacheus when hee is called cares not for his goods nor Paul for his priviledges The Stoicks commend this resolution in men to be willing and readie to die alas crosses and afflictions Paul esteemed not so as he might attaine to the resurrection of the dead these are the things that the Stoicks feared most and it was the feare of these made them so willing and readie to die together with a base servitude to pride but a Christian heart is more noble it not only feares not these but it contemnes them yea cares not for life without afflictions but with joy can undergoe all manner of torments Let us therefore take heed how wee quiet our selves in our earthly dwellings here supposing our estate to be happie surely it is the maine ground of Apostacie wee shall never come to see the price of religion nor the excellencie of a peaceable conscience nor the vanitie of these things so long as we blesse our selves in them And contrarily let us exercise our graces in the dayly trials we meet with here doth favour of great men doth pleasure profit or honour crosse and oppose thy conscience let the peace thereof be preferred above all evermore else shalt thou never come to Pauls holy resolution And dreame not of a vaine emptie faith thou hast no more than thou dost practise it s not Lord Lord that will prevaile at the day of judgement but Christ will be ashamed of them at the day of judgement that made no more account of him while they lived than to preferre every vaine idle wanton delight and pleasure before his honour VERS 12. Not as though I had already attained either were already perfect IT is a correction of the Apostle hee formerly spake of his desire choice and esteeme of Christs death and resurrection and the force thereof hee found in him Now lest secret insinuating proud conceits might arise either in himselfe or in them concerning his holinesse hee crosses them with a Not as shewing that the best estate of Gods children in this world is imperfect there is ever some thing to doe or suffer some lust to conquer or some grace to strengthen There is no absolute perfection but onely in God himselfe yet in Christians there is a kind of derivative spirituall perfection which consisteth chiefly in the parts a Christian hath this perfection he hath all grace in some measure we have no other perfection no not so much as perfectio viae though the Papists say they have it indeed we are so far from it that never could Christian keepe the rules of nature much lesse can we attaine to the perfection of obedience to the law for by it we are all cursed nay in Christ none attaines to evangelicall perfection of grace so as thereby wee can be justified as by a worke of our owne for our righteousnesse is but in part and this perfectio viae which they boast of so much differs not from their perfectio finis no more than love to a man raised by good report of him differeth from love caused by the good I finde in him by personall communicating with him and this is onely in degrees in nature they are the same love But why or how is it that there is no perfection of grace in this life Because there is and ever shall be in us during this life a perpetuall combate betweene the flesh and spirit so as one weakens and hinders the other Paul at the best found a law in his members warring against the law of his minde Rom. 7.23 the flesh continually lusting against the spirit Gal. 5.23 Hindering us from doing good or in doing good or in doing thereof from doing it in a right manner But the Papists object love is the fulfilling of the law we may love ergo we may fulfill the law and consequently be perfect I answer love in the abstract being perfect is the fulfilling of the law but in this or that subject it s not perfect Pauls love nor Peters love was not the fulfilling of the law They urge further all Gods workes are perfect ergo the grace that is in us It s true Gods workes are perfect but in their times when they are finished grace at length shall be perfect in us Secondly all Gods workes without us are perfect as justification and glorification they are perfect for we are perfectly justified even now but his workes within us such as are his sanctifying graces are not perfected till our time of glorification for he suffers the old Adam to be within us for divers reasons so long as we live in this earthly Tabernacle For use hereof observe this as a ground for justification by faith Paul Rom. 5.9 proves that even now he was justified and in this place he denies and disclaims absolute perfection and therefore could not be justified by it and therefore must needs be justified by faith if it were his case it is much more ours who come not to that measure of the fulnesse of grace that hee attained to Secondly this may serve to comfort Christians that finde themselves burthened with diverse wants with dulnesse and frowardnesse of spirit and with manifold corruptions and are induced thereby to call in question their Christian estate let them looke upon a better patterne than themselves they may bee growne
it is becâ—use its a dishonour to God not to take notice of his goodnesse and glorious graces in others and therefore if the starres doe praise him surely these starres must much more set forth his glorie that being of themselves sinfull wretched men by his power are made glorious lights for others to walke by And in the seventh place in things whereof there is no certaine rule to direct us wee ought to imitate the example and custome of the most holy and sober sort As in apparell much question is what sort what fashion is most to be imitated let the most sober and moderate of thine owne ranke be guide unto thee It s singularitie to differ from such with a desire to be noted and it savours of pride and such shall be condemned by their examples even as Noah condemned the old world For use of all this learne hence what is the best succession that is the best and surest note of succession which is both in doctrine and example locall succession is nothing they are the children of Abraham that doe the workes of Abraham they are Iewes which are Iewes inwardly in the spirit the Papists they cry out against us we have no succession but it is they have no succession their doctrine every where crosses the doctrine of the ancient Church of Rome their practice is without president what president have they for rebellion for their equivocation and the like they follow indeed but as corruption doth generation VERS 18. For many walke of whom I have told you often THese woâ—â—s containe a reason of Pauls exhortation and from the connexion wee may observe that where truth is error is where wheat is there are tares walke as I doe for there are many with whom yee converse that walke as enemies to the crosse of Christ. Our enemies tell us because of our errors wee are not the true Church they may better conclude contrarily that because we have some few errors therefore there is a true Church amongst us where truth is there will be opposers and therefore we are not to be scandalized hereat the skill and courage of a Christian is seen most where truth is in danger as the goodnesse of a Pilate is seene specially in a tempest The Papists will not have the Word read in the vulgar tongue why because they say many errors will thence arise while the common people understand it not They may as well argue because there is much deceipt therefore I will not buy nor sell. St. Paul was of another minde he would preach at Ephesus for a great dore and effectuall was opened though he knew there were many adversaries 1 Cor. 16.9 In the next place observe he saith many there were meaning of the better and more eminent sort that is of teachers a pitifull thing that in the golden times of the Church the chiefe leaders of the Church should be mislead and therefore we are not to wonder that we should finde it thus and thereforâ— wee must not bee scandalized by the multitude one Micaiah is better than 400. false Prophets and therefore we must not number the followers but weigh them aright To proceed he saith there are many he nameth none in particular yet no doubt but noted scandalous persons may and ought to bee particularly named that others may take notice and heed of them yet this must bee warily done The Apostle curses the Copper-smith but onely names Demas Those that are weake must be gently touched those that are obstinate and scandalous must bee plainely made knowne and this draweth some of our writers particularly to lay open the vices and falshoods of those that are obdurate and therefore we must not take scandall thereat it arising from a zealous care of Gods Church not of malice In the next place he saith he told them often the Apostle was affectionately bent for their good and therefore to write the same things often to them it was not greevous to him seeing to them it was safe for the nature of man is very dull in conceiving of things that belong to salvation and their memories are but brittle If therefore we doe often inculcate and lay open the danger of that whorish Religion long since condemned it must be well taken in these times especially wherein men are so secure daring to venter on any thing yea to goe to their Masses upon pretence of their strength that they câ—n come away without being defiled VERS 18. And now tell you weeping AS if he should have said if nothing else will make you beware yet let my teares move my teares proceeding from griefe and compassion of the miserable estate of such Teachers and of such as are led by them Affections therefore are lawfull yea necessarie in Gods children all actions in Gods worship are esteemed according to the affections that they are done with we are as we love not as we know what is the life of a Christian but the performance of things with courage delight and joy and therefore the strongest Christians have strongest affections for Religion doth not harden the heart but molifies it and regeneration doth not take affections away but restores them sanctified and pure But to come particularly to the matter here he is compassionate and so compassionate as his naturall constitution will admit hee expresseth this with teares which ariseth from griefe for something within our selves or by reason of sympathie with others for some danger that they are in or like to fall into The reasons hereof are because they are led by the spirit of Christ who was all made of compassion for he wept for his friends for Lazarus and for his enemies O Ierusalem Ierusalem how often would I have gathered you and you would not hee was tender in bearing the infirmities of his weake Disciples and of weak women his compassion was such as drew him to the lowest degree of humiliation to free us from danger Secondly the Saints have cleere sanctified judgements to apprehend true causes of remorse they know what danger is as Paul saw here that the Sheepe were in danger of wolves and saw the danger so much the greater by how much they saw not the danger they were in Thirdly the Saints have their hearts broken with sense and feeling of Christs compassion in their hearts and so are molified expressing it outwardly towards their brethren contrarily the wicked never felt any remorse or pitie of Christ in them and therefore know not what compassion meanes so as their mercies are cruelties Use this as a note whereby we may discerne of our Christian estate for surely where there is no compassion there can be no excellent estate Againe from the Apostles object of compassion and weeping observe that spirituall evill and danger is the most proper object of Christian compassion Paul he pities not himselfe because of his fetters he was in but it was the bonds of sinne made him cry Oh wretched man that