doubt may be raised How Paul can say He layeth the foundation which is no other but Christ as appeareth at the eleventh verse seeing God appropriateth it to himself Isa 28.16 Behold I lay in Zion a foundation stone c But The answer is God layeth this foundation 1. By his Decree appointing Christ thereunto And 2. By his temporal mission of him into the world but Paul layed the foundation only ministerially and declaratively by publishing Christ to be the Saviour especially to those who never heard of him before It 's a special part of the wisdome and heavenly art of the Ministers of the Gospel to lay a good and sure foundation in the hearts of their hearers This Paul makes the principal part of his wisdome that he began with a good foundation If people are not rightly built upon this any tempest that ariseth will throw down all theâ—r Religion Our Saviour speaketh a Parable Luke 6.48 49 like to this of the wise builder and the foolish builder And although there it be meant of every particular Christian yet we may apply it to every Minister He that doth not build up his people upon sure and Scripture foundations they are like the chaff and straw that the wind doth drive to and fro There is no true faith no truâ— godlinesse no true hope of salvation where the right and sure foundation is not laid The point therefore in hand is of great consequence both to the Preacher and to the Auditor to consider what foundation his Religion and Godlinesse is fixed upon For the opening of this Consider that Divines do ordinarily make a two-fold foundation The one they call Fundamentum cognoscendi The foundation of our knowledge and faith in matters of Religion and this is the Scripture only We can lay no other foundation for matters of Faith but the word of God Non credo quia non lego said Tertullian of old And Secondly There is Fundamentum essendi The Foundation of the being or existence of all our glory and salvation and that is only Jesus Christ He is the foundation-stone and every one is to believe in him only for Salvation and Justification So that as God made two great lights for the world so he hath done for the Church the Scriptures and Christ This Doctrine is true yet Heb. 6.1 we there reade of more foundations than one for there are practical fundamentals as well as speculative I shall therefore not limit my self to this one foundation mentioned by the Apostle but enlarge my self to the necessary foundations in our Christian life and shew you the necessity of that wisdom which will build upon these fundamentals And although I am not ignorant That the Dispute about what are foundations or fundamentals in Religion and what not is very hard and difficult yet I shall instance in four unquestionable foundations which are the four main pillars that support our Christian building The necessary things of Religion are these four Either 1. The Matters to be believed 2. The Worship and necessary service of God 3. The spiritual Benefits and mercies Justification and Salvation 4. The things to be done by us in our way to Salvation All these are fundamental and necessary in their kind to salvation and therefore it behoveth every Minister of the Gospel to principle and settle his people in all these particulars For herein is the danger not of mens bodies or estates but their immortal souls We will begin with the first The foundation of our faith or divine assent in matters of Religion What is that which every man must build his faith upon What is the foundation he must lay there And that is the Word of God declared and written for our instruction in those Canonical Books of the Scripture When we come to believe the matters of our salvation the ultimate motive into which all is to be resolved is Thus saith the Lord 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The word of God hath spoken it It 's not antiquity universality or the laws of the Land or the tradition of our fathers that is the warrantable foundation but the Scripture only Thus Timothy is commended for attending to the Scriptures which are able to make him wise to salvation through faith 2 Tim. 3.17 18. So that although other things be required by way of helps and means as prayer interpretation of the Scripture Gods assistance the guidance of the Ministry yet by way of a Foundation or a Rule that is the Scripture only As God at first put all the light into the Sunne and the Starres shine by a borrowed light from it So God hath now put all supernatural light into the Scripture and all guides are to shine by that Hence it is so often compared to a light and a lamp unto our feet So that the Ministers of the Word do then lay a good foundation when in matters of Doctrine and truths to be believed they build them on the Scripture make them a Scripture-auditory a people that dare not that will not take any matter of faith but upon Scripture-grounds Thus those Bereans are commended for a noble and ingenuous people that compared what Paul preached with the Scriptures they then had whether it was consonant to them or no Act. 17 11. So that that people who know nothing of the Scripture are not instructed by the Word have not their faith their Religion from it all they offer to God is a Sacrifice without eyes they do believe they know not what Now that the written word of God is the only foundation of our Christian faith appeareth by these Reasons First A Christian faith ought to be a divine supernatural faith not a bare humane faith Now nothing can be the ground of a divine faith but a divine authority a divine Argument suggested by God himself Most men that call themselves Christians have no more than an humane faith in matters of Religion They believe thus because their parents did so because the Laws of the Land compell them to do so Thus they have no other grounds of faith then the Turks or Papists have for themselves but as copper is not gold so neither is this humane faith that holy and Christian perswasion which the Spirit of God through the Word works in man because revealed in the Word 1 Thess 1. They are commended That they did not receive the Word preached as the word of men but as indeed the word of God 1 Thess 1.13 So that whosoever hath an holy faith he must have a divine perswasion for this from the Authority of God that as an humane faith is because humane authority speaks it so a divine faith because God revealeth it in the Scripture But alas generally our people can no more look into these things then an Owl in the dazelling Sun How few are perswaded of the true Doctrine of Christ from this Divine Authority because God hath said thus God hath spoken thus Oh
I am of Christ Thus they expounded it thinking it not matter of reproof for any to say they were of Christ and they say Pauls arguments would hold for this as much as they did against glorying in men For though Paul was not crucified for them yet Christ was Though they were not baptized into Pauls name yet they were into Christs But to answer this It 's true absolutely and simply it 's not a sinne but a duty for every believer to say he is of Christ To call no man Master but Christ therefore he is called a Christian because a worshipper of Christ And the Apostle 1 Cor. 3.22 useth this Argument The believers were not Pauls or Apolloes but on the contrary Whether Paul or Apollo c. all are yours but then mark he doth not say Christ is yours but you are Christs So for believers to say They are Christs is in the general a duty but that which the Apostle here reproveth is such a setting up of Christ as doth oppose the Instruments that Christ also hath appointed and that the Apostle blameth those who said They were Christs it's plain by the Context It 's told me by the house of Chloe That there are divisions and contentions This was a fault complained of And then he instanceth in the matter of the contentions I am of Paul I am of Apollo I am of Christ This is in the same manner reckoned as the former whereas if the Interpretation of the Ancients were true the expression must have been adversative But I am of Christ And then the Argument following is plain Is Christ divided viz. Is the Doctrine or Person of Christ divided Hath Peter one Christ Apollo another or these immediate pretenders another Christ Now these that set up Christ thus in a sinfull way may be either those that pretended immediate teachings by Christ for such were in the Apostles dayes therefore he bids them Try the Spirits or such who happily might have heard Christ himself teaching in his own person and so did wrest those Doctrines that Christ taught and yet in their sense made Christ the teacher of them both may be included Although I must adde That a further thing also is to be comprehended in this factious exalting of Christ vâ—z not only thereby to exclude Instruments but also to conclude that they only had Christ amongst them For this is the property of many Sects to appropriate Christ to themselves as if none had Christ but they Thus the Donatists did monopolize the word Christians to themselves Observe That although Christ onely is to be relied upon as the Head of his Church yet it is not his will that under this pretence wee should despise or contemne his Ministry and the means of grace he hath appointed So that this Text with the former doth excellently bound the spirit of believers that though they delight and rejoyce in the gifts and office of the Ministry reaping much spiritual benefit by it yet they are still to look up to Christ in the Ministry as the author of all increase And on the other side Though the Ministry can do no good without Christs teaching and it 's the Spirit that giveth grace not the Ministers yet we must not so immediately depend on Christ and his Spirit as to neglect the instruments and means he hath appointed Our Saviour cleareth this when in one place He sends his Disciples to preach commanding all to hear them And yet again Bids us call no man master upon earth Here is no contradiction but if a Christian be wise he may excellently compose them No man is to be called Master principally and authoritatively yet Christ hath appointed Teachers and Doctors by whom we are to believe So that it 's the errour and foolishnesse of men when they runne into extreams even as in the Doctrine of Grace and Free-will The Marcionites and Manicâ—ees they denied the Natural Liberty of a man and the Pelagians on the contrary the efficacious grace of God To understand this Consider That there are principal and efficient causes of grace and salvation and there are subordinate and instrumental and these must not be confounded A sound mind must not make instrumentals principals as ignorant people doe thinking the very Sacrament will save them Nor yet must we exalt the principal to exclude the instrumental as Enthusihsts do The Efficient Cause of all grace is attributed onely to God or the three Persons the Father Sonne and holy Ghost in their appropriated way So that it 's true Every good and perfect gift comes from God the Father of lights Jam. 1. No man can come to Christ unlesse the Father draw him John 6.44 And Christ saith He will draw all men to him John 12.32 He is the chief shepherd of our souls He is the truth way and life John 14.6 The Spirit of God also that leadeth into all truth that sanctifieth that inlightneth the mind So that when we have to do with a people that do rest upon outward meanes As some thinke the Ministers gifts the Ministers parts or the very coming of a Minister to them and praying for them while sick is enough to send them to Heaven To such hearers we are much to preach of the efficient principal cause of grace We are to cry Sursum corda we are to say as the Angel to the women looking for Christ in the Sepulchre He is risen Look up to Heaven so to such who rest upon external meanes and Instruments Why look ye downwards look upwards We see among the people of Israel yea and Christians in the New Testament too so great a pronenesse to relie on Instruments but as in civil things we must not relie on an arme of flesh so neither in Church matters on a tongue or mouth of flesh as the Ministers are In the next place There are Subordinate and Instrumental means of Grace which God though he could doe all spiritual things immediately for us and in us yet he hath obliged us to the use of them So that it is an high contempt of God and such may never expect the workings of his Spirit or virtue from Christ that doth not use those instituted meanes he hath appointed Now there is a three-fold Instrumental cause of Grace When we call them a Cause we mean not a natural Cause producing Grace by any inherent power as fire doth burn no but onely instituted Causes God in the faithfull use of these will worke Grace in us And they are three especially First There is the Scripture the Word of God This as it is written and consigned into a Canon is a Rule by which all must believe worship and live Insomuch that if a man pretend any Revelations or teachings which are not warrantable by this written Word he is to be held as accursed To the Law and to the Testimony Isai 8.20 Christ himself still directeth to the Scripture Paul directs Timothy to the Scriptures and
then that of Bread Amos 8.11 But when will swine prize a Pearl or carnal men the things that are spiritual But then Secondly The several Abilities and various Parts that Officers in the Church have while they discharge this Office This we commonly call such a mans gifts He hath a special gift in such or such a way The Apostle speaks of the Word of Doctrine some men hath viz. doctrinally to open the sense of the Scripture and solidly to confirm it And another man hath the Word of exhortation Rom. 12.8 His Ability is in applying throughly and powerfully the Doctrine confirmed to the Conscience of the Hearers And both these are admirably necessary This is to be a shining and burning light Shining by Doctrine and burning by Application Thus some have more Eloquent Gifts others more plain and solid Esay is full of Eloquence and Amos is more plain Austin said Qui dedit Petrum piscaâ—â—rem dedit Cyprianum Rhetorem God hath called plain men yet inabled by Gifts to preach his Word and he hath also called eloquent men The Hen though with an hoarse voice can cluck her Chickens together as well as the Nightingale her young ones with a sweet voice In the next place This latter sort of Gifts are of two sorts Either Extraordinary such as the Spirit of God gave immediately without any humane industry or labour And thus in the Primitive Times of the Church their Gifts were extraordinary For though the Apostles were at first Tradesmen and illiterate yet ere they had a publique Commission to preach to all the world they had the Spirit of God extraordinarily descending on them in cloven Tongues That as diversity of Tongues did once destroy Babel so this variety of Tongues would destroy the Devils Kingdom So that the gifts of Tongues the gift of Interpretation and many of those things we read of 1 Cor. 12. they were extraordinary According to the Prophesie of Joel Act. 2. That God would pour his Spirit on them and their old men and young men should see Visions and dream Dreames These were extraordinary But because such extraordinary gifts were in the nature of Miracles to confirm the Apostles Doctrine and their Mission from God they now cease Therefore in the second place there are Ordinary gifts and they are such which by labour and study and praying we obtain at Gods hand For even these ordinary abilities of learning Parts and gift of Doctrine of Exhortation they come by the blessing of God And therefore when God is angry he blasts men and takes away their gifts from them Now these ordinary gifts the Appostle supposeth would be in Churches constituted after his departure Therefore it 's required of every Elder he should be apt to teach 1 Tim. 3.2 Yea those that had extraordinary gifts did make use of study and labour and diligent paines Thus Paul exhorts Timothy to give himself to reading that his profiting may appear to all men 1 Tim. 4.13 15. Yea Paul himself made use of his Parchments So that those Lamps which were inlighted by God himself did yet need the continuall oyl of their labour and paines And if this was true of those extrordinary gifted persons how much more of ordinary The Nurse that feeds not cannot long give milk so neither the Miinster that studieth not Now in the next place Consider the Ends Why all have not the same Gifts but some one way some another And First Hereby God doth declare his Wisdome His honour is magnified by these varieties It argueth there is plenty and fulness of the Spirit with him When God made the world how many several Species and kinds of Creatures did he make which no man can reckon up And then every individual in that Species different by some individual Properties from one another Every man hath a different face from another Which variety of the creatures doth wonderfully extoll the treasure of his wisdome The Musician sheweth his skill by his variety of Notes When the Tabernacle was to be built there was Aholiab and Bezaliel endowed with excellent wisdome for that purpose So that in this diversity of Administrations we may behold the wisdome of God and praise him much more in the Church Assemblies then in beholding the creatures Secondly God gives several Gifts that so the meanest may not be despised nor the greatest puffed up Because they did not only all come from God but they are in their harmony necessary The foot is a necessary member as well as an eye but the eye is more noble So that where the meanest gifts are if gifts when faithfully and conscionably imployed for the publique good they are not to be contemned because Gods Gifts And in this sense He that reproacheth the poor reproacheth his Maker Even as the least creature in the world is not without its proper use and office And then the greatest gifts they are but gifts and therefore we must not arrogantly be puffed up with them We must not take this wedge of gold and make an Idol of it and worship it Great parts and gifts have many times been great temptations and brought great misery As Matthew Paris speaks of one that having spent his time in his Lectures to prove that Christ was God and being greatly applauded for it he cried out and said O Jesus thou art beholding to me for thy Divinity this day Or to that effect Whereupon immediately this great Doctor was stricken with such ignorance and forgetfulness that for ever after he could not so much as say the Lords Prayer but as a little Child said it to him Let those then that have Parts take heed they do not promote the Devils Kingdom thereby and so at last be cursed by God Ornari à te Diabolus quaerit said Austin to an Heathen a great Scholar whose Conversion he endeavoured But Thirdly Gods main end of giving diversity of Gifts is that so if possible men may be converted and healed To one God gives Doctrine to another the Word of Exhortation and all is that if one prevail not the other may Thus there are some who are Sonnes of Thunder others that are Sonnes of Consolation that so both the way of terrour and the way of mildness may prosper So that the diversity of Gifts is a great demonstration of Gods willingness that men should repent and be healed Our Saviour comparing John's Ministry and his together Mat. 11.16 17 18. which seemed to differ exceedingly makes this use of it John came unto you in a strict extraordinary way he kept in the wilderness he went in rough garments And all this ridged way was to bring to repentance The Sonne of man he came eating and drinking viz. in a more familiar and conversing way And therefore he saith it was like the Childrens play We have piped to you and you have not danced mourned to you and you have not wept We have several waies treated with you But behold the wickedness
Ministry he would gather a people to himself And First This is a fit and an accommodated way to our natures When God sends men of the same mould and subject to the same affections this may the more easily draw us When God delivered the Law himself it was with such terrour and majesty that they desired that God would not himself speak any more to them so that meer men would not be able to bear the immediate approaches of the Divine Majesty to them Hence in the Old Testament when any divine apparition was made they presently concluded they should die immediately Can any see God and live Thus then it 's Gods goodnesse and love to appoint men of the same mould to be his messengers to importune you in his stead This is more sutable to you As the Fowler catcheth many birds by one decoy a bird of the same feather or rather as the Apostle argueth concerning Christ It became us to have such an High-priest that could be sensible of our condition and compassionate with us Heb. 7. Thus it is here it becometh us to have such to bring us home unto God that are affected with our estates that have the same temptations in them as other men Hence the more experience Gods Ministers have of the work of grace the temptations of Satan the deceitfulnesse of sinne the more fit they are to comfort others or to deliver them out of snares As face answereth face so the heart of man answereth another Prov. 27.19 Secondly He may do it to oblige us and tie us to his instituted means It 's a great caveat in the Scripture and frequently urged No man must follow the imagination of his own heart And in the New Testament many Commands To obey them that watch over them in the Lord and to submit to them for their workes sake Heb. 13. Thus also in the Sacrament God though he be not bound to them he can work grace as he pleaseth yet he hath bound us Therefore that no man might neglect or despise the Ministry thinking What needeth this preaching I may have grace by immediate revelations God is not tied to these externals Now God would prevent such loose principles and bind us up to his instituted way he will bind us though he is not bound Thirdly Herâ—by God would exercise the humility meeknesse and obedience of men Oh it 's a great matter for men to submit to Gods institution These are Shâ—pherds they are Guides they are Watchmen they are to instruct to exhort to rebuke and that sharply as occasion may serve Now how many men do abhorre and disdain this thinking all such Church-subjection worse than Turkish slavery The Scripture indeed commends to the Ministers of God much patience much meeknesse and that they should not Lord it over Gods heritage 1 Pet. 5.3 But it 's hard to discharge all ministerial duties especially that of powerfull reproving of sinne and Church-censures and not to have this accounted pragmatical lordlinesse As they said to Lot He will needs be a Judge over us Gen. 19 9. because he opposed them in their wickednesse Hereby then God will try thy humility and exercise thee if thou canst submit to those wayes God hath instituted in his Church not scorning to be either instructed or rebuked by such Fourthly That men might be the more inexcusâ—ble For if thou art not now converted and turned from thy sinne who shall plead for thee We may take up that of the Apostle you need not say Who shall ascend up into Heaven or descend into the lowermost parts of the earth For the Word is near you and nigh unto you Yea the Scripture maketh it a mercy when we have men of our own tongue and not a strange one that delivereth the Word unto us Oh then how speechlesse wilt thou be at the great day when God shall arraign thee Why hast thou not left thy sinnes Why hast thou not forsaken thy evil wayes Did I not send Messengers of thy own flesh and bloud Did they not speak in a tongue thou knowest and understoodest Why then have ye been rebellious Oh think of this for there is no sinne that God will punish so severely as that his Messengers have come away doing no good to a people God will one day make you know what it is to have a labourer for him amongst you Then shall they know they had a Prophet among them Ezek. 33.33 Then when they shall be punished more than any other people in the world Then when in their own consciences they shall be convinced Oh we heard these things we were told of these things but rejected them Fifthly God will hereby declare his power so much the more For God to have labourers with him doth not derogate from his power but advanceth it the more for when you see him work those divine and admirable effects by such a contemptible way in the judgment of flesh and bloud hereby God is the more set up We have this treasure in earthly vessels that the power may be of God 2 Cor. 4.7 Hence Paul cals it The foolishnesse of preaching 1 Cor. 1.21 that which is so mighty through God to confound the great things and wise things of the world he cals it The foolishnesse of preaching because in carnal reason it is so both in regard of the matter and the means or messengers thereof God could have immediately and suddenly destroyed Jericho with his command but he would have them compasse the City seven times and blow with Rams horns and then the wals must fall down Now Gods using such unlikely means made his power the more apparent which made the Apostle say Our weapons are not carnal but spiritual but because they are spiritual may they not be despised No they are mighty to the casting down of the strong holds of sinne and whatsoever doth lift up it self 2 Cor. 10.5 Now to this there needs one Caution to be added viz. That this connexion between the labour of the Minister and Gods working is not natural necessary and perpetual Paul may plant and Apollo may water yet God give no increase We may work and yet neither the presence or power of God be therein It 's not here as in the works of nature there God hath made a perpetual and unalterable Decree where such and such causes work he will also work but this is not so As for the Lutherans who will not acknowledge that the Ministry and Gods Spirit are ever divided neither in the Sacraments Baptism for example will allow a Baptismus externus and internus I know not how to understand them much lesse consent to them Now if you ask When may it fall out that though the Ministry laboureth yet God doth not work with it I have spoken to this already Reasons may be on Gods part the Ministrers and the peoples I shall onely speak to the hearers this two-fold duty if they would have God work with us if you would
of private persons though they also are to take heed they put no false or erroneous sense upon the Scripture but he speaks of publick Teachers who by their calling and Offices are to build Now the Object of this Exhortation is To take heed what they build To build after the foundation is laid is the same with watering after planting And it implieth a further continuation and illustration explication and application as also a clearer confirmation of that matter which is already laid down by the Apostles So that observe The Ministers of God are greatly to take heed that they preach no other thing than what is already contained in the Scripture Or It 's a dangerous thing to put that sense and meaning on the word of God which is not the true genuine sense of it They are with much care fear and trembling to consider how they build upon the Scriptures And if Ministers are thus to take heed then likewise all others who reade and search the Scriptures are to take heed of presumptuous boldnesse and irreverent ignorance in the perverting of it The Scriptures are called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Testament or Will of Christ Now as it 's a dangerous thing even by the Laws of a Land to corrupt forge or falsifie a mans will No lesse capital is it to the soul of a man any wayes to pervert the Doctrine of the Word of God 2 Pet. 3.16 They that are unlearned wrest the Scriptures unto their own destruction See here a man may damn his soul by wresting and tormenting the Scripture as it were upon a rack to a contrary sense then what it intended Oecumenius on the place saith It 's as great a sinne to pervert the writings of the Apostles as it was to cut and mangle or murder their bodies To amplifie this consider There may be a two-fold building or ADDITION to the Word of God either Destructive and Corruptive such as wholly overthroweth the true meaning and sense of the holy Ghost And this is a very dangerous sinne Or else Perfective and Explicative Thus the New Testament was added to the Old as a perfective addition not corruptive though it could not have been added as Scripture but that the Authors thereof had a divine infallibility And now what the Ministers of God in their Ministerial labours do it must be an addition explicative of the foundation though it be not with divine infallibility We see here God thought it not enough to plant a people but he will have in all ages men to water not enough to lay a foundation but he will alwayes have builders who are to build on this For indeed we must not strain the Metaphor too farre Paul did not only lay the foundation but did also build up all the necessary parts of the house also onely by this similitude he would shew That there must be alwayes in the Church publick persons who by their Office are to build up people in faith and godlinesse but they are not left to their own imaginations to their own thoughts They must dresse every Sermon at the glasse of the Word they must preach as they reade in Scripture Secondly The word of God which containeth the foundation that the Apostles have laid may be either considered in respect of the words only or in respect of the sense cloathed with the words Now indeed it 's not the holy Scripture but when both the sense and the words go together if a man take the words only contrary to the sense he abuseth it and so promoteth the Hereticks and the Devils interest not Gods glory For the sense that is the internal for me and life of all the words So that it is not enough to alledge the words of the Scripture It 's not enough to be able to say The Scripture saith such words but the true sense and meaning that is the soul the words are the body only yet the words must be diligently attended unto as that by which we come to find out the sense The Devil brought Scripture but he perverted it applying it to an ill sense and so all Heretiques have alledged words but not the true sense breathing in them In the next place Let us consider Why we ought so to take heed and that is to be manifest in many respects First From God himself his glory and honour is greatly concerned herein For when we come in his Name and pretend his Word and indeed it is our own What is this but an high offence to God God doth severely threaten those Prophets that broached their own thoughts and preached the lies of their own imaginations yet said Thus saith the Lord. It 's no dallying matter it 's a matter wherein much prayer much humility and many graces are to be exercised lest we should highly dishonour God Oh if this were written in mens hearts they would be more tender and fearfull in delivering their opinions in saying This is the sense or that is the sense For when thou sayest This is the meaning of the holy Ghost This is the truth of God it behoveth thee again and again to consider lest thou put thy lie thy falshood thy sinfull imagination on God Secondly On Gods part we are to take heed Because he hath so severely threatned all those that adde or detract to his Word Any that shall alter these foundations or change these bounds If it be so hainous a matter among men to remove a land-mark and to confound such bounds how much more here That command not to adde or take away is set home with a terrible threatning Revel 22.18 If any shall adde God shall adde unto him the plagues that are in this book Oh see then what thou deliverest out of Scripture as Gods word for the judgments of God are threatned to such as offend herein And Prov. 30.6 Adde not unto his words lest he reprove thee Thou challengest any adversary to confute thee see here God will confute thee he will reprove thee and thou be found a liar Thou thinkest happily such and such an adversary will reprove thee take heed God doth not become thy enemy for such an opinion Oh then while we are preaching and delivering our heavenly message to you we are under a dreadfull account we are to pray and fear and consider lest God find us liars and reprove us at last Secondly On the peoples part Therefore we ought greatly to take heed For 1. The word of God in the true sense of it is the onely food and nourishment of the soul That onely doth nourish and cause to grow So that all those who build up any thing but Scripture-truths they give poison to a people to live upon How great a crime is it to poison any fountain where all people fetch their water And thus all they do and if it be not poison yet it 's but chaff What is chaff to the wheat said the Prophet Jer. 23.28 All
Manners are a pollution of this spiritual Temple So that in the words you have a strong Argument against all Church pollutions whether doctrinal or practical from a similitude or comparison the Apostle useth Those that are the Temple of God must be dedicated to him and not polluted with any unclean thing but the Church of Corinth is the Temple of God And that this Argument might pierce the more he puts the sting of a sharp Interrogation upon his words Know ye not that ye are the Temple of God Know ye not as if he would have said This is a confessed Principle a truth acknowledged by all none can or ought to be ignorant of it Now for the explication of the word Temple and the Reason to prove they were the Temple as followeth in the words I referre it till we come at it For truly this Text is a Mine of gold every word hath precious matter in it Only consider at this time the interrogative Introduction Know ye not One great cause why they admitted such prophanensse and corruption in the Church was the ignorance of or the not attending to those Priviledges and Relations they were called unto If they had duely considered they were Gods Temple they would not have suffered strange Doctrines or strange manners to come in amongst them as no strange uncircumcised might enter into the Temple Observe That the consideration of those Priviledges and Relations which all the People that professe God are put into would be a great Argument against all kind of Pollutions In the 1 Cor. 6.19 the Apostle argueth against all libidinous and unclean waies because their bodies were the Temple of the Holy Ghost now here the Apostle doth not so much speak of every man as their Assembly united together as they were a spiritual Society joyned together As is more largely to be shewed The Apostle argueth chiefly though not excluding sinnes of practice against corruptions in Doctrine and the Ordinances instituted in the Church by which we may see the Scripture puts corruptions in Doctrine through errours and in our lives through ungodlinesse in the same guilt both are unclean and so may not be admitted into the Temple even as the Apostle in the first Chapter verse 5 6. and Gal. 59 useth a Proverbial speech A little leaven leaveneth the whole lump against corruptions in life and in Doctrine but of this more afterwards That which at this time I insist on is To shew what a goade and spurre to all purity and holinesse in Doctrine and Manners the consideration of Church-Priviledges Church-Titles and Relations aâ—e Thus Rom. 6.3 Know ye not that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death Ignorance of the extent of their baptism what it did signifie and oblige to made them live in sinne I know nothing more to be complained of then that people generally rest in this They are the Church of God They are Christians They are baptized but they do not understand what these things mean nor what they oblige them unto It would make us all tremble to consider the vast disproportion between our Names our Relations and our lives This hath occasioned many to runne into an extremity to say We have no true Churches no true members of a Church amongst us because the ignorance corruption and prophaneness is so great amongst us though therein they go beyond bounds For this Church of Corinth was not unchurched by the disorders and corruptions amongst it To enforce this Doctrine upon us consider some of the chief and notable Titles or Relations the people of God have and see if rightly considered they would not work like fire to consume all our drosse As First The very word Ecclesia Church This is given to all the spiritual Societies and Assemblies that we read of in the Scripture converted to the true Faith Thus the Church of Corinth the Churches in Asia Now how great a matter is this very word Church For a people to be a Church the word signifieth as much as a company of people called out of the ignorance idolatry and prophanenesse of the world to worship and serve God in his way and to obey his Laws So that when men come to be of this body they are to renounce all their former prophanenesse and wickednesse and live a life conformable to the Word which is the Churches Charter and by which it walketh Thus all our Congregations should be men called out of the ignorance and prophanenesse of the world to live according to Gods Rule But where are the persons or the Societies that do this Are not many of our Assemblies in the world and of the world still in respect of conversation There will be scandals and offences in the Churches of God too often but woe be to such who by their prophanenesse idolatry and wickednesse give so many scandals as to make us accounted a Babylon a Sodome or as the world Indeed they who do thus charge us go beyond their line for we have a true Church and a true Ministry and true Ordinances only the lives of men are generally so corrupt and wicked so ignorant and beastly that they are spots in our Assemblies and a grievous reproach to that holy Profession which we have taken upon us So then if we would have our Congregations and persons freed from all these defilements remember what the word Church is a company called out of the world And as for ignorant and prophane men the orders of Christ are to endeavour their reformation but if they continue obstinate then they are to be cast out As the Clouds that are exhaled from the earth which though terrestrial in nature yet follow the motions of the Heavens so though in our original we be of the world and are dust and ashes yet by this heavenly call we are wholly to live a heavenly conversation Is it for Starres to be like the dung of the earth Is it for a Church to be a prophane ignorant and worldly people Oh this very title should raise up your hearts Are we not a Church persons called out of wickednesse Why then are we such Apostates as to degenerate from our Titles and Names If Christ complained of those that had made the material Temple a den of thieves Mat. 21.13 will he not also of such who shall make his Church a stew a dunghill a place of wickednesse and ungodlinesse I beseech you know these things and consider them better If you would have the Name of a Church have the nature Life and operations of a Church Secondly The consideration that we are the people of God in a more peculiar manner then all the Nations of the world that do not know God This also should affect us This is that Covenant of Grace God enters into I will be their God and they shall be my people Jer. 7.23 2 Cor. 6.16 Yea a peculiar people Gods Jewels Gods Treasure Deut. 26.18 Psal 135.4
was shut out of his fathers blessing But this is farre greater to be shut out of Christs prayers Christs intercession and Christs expiation Thou canst not retain sinne and Christ too Thou canst not love the world and Christ too What hope then and refuge remains for thee If Christ cast thee off Is there any other remedy left Can any Angels help thee Are there any more Christs No thy case is altogether desperate who art cast off by him yet men sit and hear these things without fear or trembling And Christ is Gods We are now come to the last round in the Ladder à primo ad ultimum we are now at the last step we cannot go further to say God is any thing else beside himself for he is of himself and to himself All the other particulars may well be received without any difficulty but this seemeth to be a pill hardly taken down The expression seemeth hard Christ is Gods as if Christ were not God but made for God as the world is for the godly But Chrysostome saith well Though the words be the same yet the sense is much different The world is ours as being made for us we are Christs as being his creatures purchased but Christ is Gods as his most beloved Sonne This is true but yet this is not fully the Apostles meaning Therefore Christ is considered two wayes Either First As an absolute God in which sense he is said To think it no robbery to be equal with God Phil. 3.6 And thus though he be the Sonne of God yet he is equal with God Or Secondly As a Mediatour consisting of two Natures Divine and Humane Now if we consider Christ in respect of his Humane so that is a creature and wholly to be referred to God Or if we consider him as a Mediatour thus he is in reference to God the Father For a Mediatour is to bring us to him who is at distance from us Thus Christ both as a man and as a Mediatour in his whole Mediatory Office is not for himself but for God the Father as it is 1 Cor. 15.24 When the Sonne shall give up the Kingdome that God may be all in all We have two places like this 1 Cor. 11.3 The head of the woman is man and the head of Christ is God that is not in respect of his Divine Nature for the first Person cannot be said to be the Head or cause of the second but the beginning but in respect of his Mediatory Office So John 14.28 My Father is greater than I in respect of his Manhood and his Mediatory Office I shall not enter into these sublime Disputes about Christ as a Mediatour Whether that be Divine Worship that belongs to him as so And if Divine How there can be a primary Object of Religious Worship as God the Father and a secondary Object as Christ the Mediatour This though a noble Question yet because not so practical I wave onely some positive things I shall deliver in the point Observe That Christ as man and as a Mediatour is wholly Gods His Office and work as a Mediatour is to reconcile us to God the Father He is called The Saviour and the Mediatour The Saviour in respect of the end which is salvation that he obtaineth for believers and Mediatour in respect of the means and way by which this is accomplished To open this take notice First That Christ is a Person consisting of a Divine and Humane Nature not by mixtion or confusion or by meer inhabitation but by a Personal Vnion which is commonly called Hypostatical I shall not tell you how much that word Hypostasis troubled the Church The Latine Church having a clear contrary thought about the word to the Greek Church So that when they both agreed in the same thing yet the words and phrases they condemned in one another as heretical But the Scripture is very clear both that Christ was God and also man yet but one person not making two Christs and this is one main fundamental Article of Religion The Devil in former ages alwayes endeavoured to rob him of one of these Natures and some have raised these monstrous and damnable heresies again from hell but this foundation and pillar standeth sure Secondly By reason of this Personal Vnion though there be not a real communication of the Properties of each Nature yet there is a verbal one in the concrete both things are predicated of Christ As for example though the Divine Nature is not passible but the Humane Nature onely nor the Humane Nature omnipotent and omniscient but the Divine only yet of Christ we predicate that he suffered that he died that he is omnipotent and omniscient though this be true in respect of one Nature only Thirdly Christ being thus a Person that he may be our Redeemer he is cloathed with those three Offices which fit him fully for our Redemption He is first Medius in respect of his Person God and man Then he is Mediatour in respect of his Office His Office is three-fold a Prophet a Priest and a King This makes him the Trismegist the ter maximus Now we must not judge these things metaphysical curiosities No These are the Articles of our Christian Religion these are to be received by a divine and firme faith Yea in believing Christs Person and his Office lieth all the comfort and treasure of a Christian It 's Christ that should be our study our meditation day and night Quis sit qualis Who he is and what he is Now the Doctrine speaks of Christ both in respect of his Humane Nature and as he is a Mediatour not as God Let us see then How Christ as a man and as a Mediatour is Gods And First His Incarnation and coming into the world it was not for himself but for God He therefore took our Nature upon him that he might bring to God the Father his Elect people God so loved the world that he sent his only begotten Sonne John 3.16 And To us a Sonne is borne to us a Sonne is given Isa 9.6 So that this work of Incarnation this coming into the world from the bosome of the Father which is so stupendious a mystery is originally from the Father It was to do Gods work to obey his will and therefore Christ is called Gods servant Isa 52.13 Not that Christ came into the world against his own will or as if this were against his own desire but God the Father is the original of all Secondly That Christ is Gods appeareth in that he acknowledgeth his Doctrine and Truth not to be his but his Fathers taking all off from himself and making himself only a Minister or Embassadour coming in his Fathers Name and revealing his will See this notably John 8 26 28. I speak those things which I heard of him I do nothing of my self but as my Father hath taught me I speak these things So vers 42. I came not of
pure Worship because 1. God is greatly provoked by the contrary God may be provoked by sinfull worship three waies 2. Corrupt worship â—ends to the breach of Union between God and his Church 3. God looks upon corrupt worship as done to Devils 4. Men are prone to invent new worship Reasons to prove that all acceptable worship must have a Divine Command Quest Answ Of the foundation of practice The parts are 1. It 's directory Gods Word 2. The justifion of our persons 3. A receiving power from Christ 4. A renewed and sanctified nature Why we should be carefull of laying these foundations for every good action The â—oâ—ten foundations that men build upon in regard of practice Observ Of Ministers praising themselves In what cases Ministers may magnifie their Work and Office Observ Ministers are not to preach any new Doctrine The use of Preaching notwithstanding the fulness of the Scripture Observ Of Ministers building upon the foundation of Scripture by their preaching Gal. 3.15 A two-fold building upon the foundation Both the words of Scripture and the sense of Scripture must be attended unto Why Ministers must take heed how they build upon the true foundation 1. On Gods part 2. On the peoples part 3. On the Ministers part Directions to Ministers and people how to build aright upon the foundation Observ Of preaching Jesus Christ as the foundation How many waies Christ is to be preached as a foundation Reasons why Ministers are to lay no other foundation but Christ Object Answ Object Answ The great advantages which those people have who are built on Christ Observ What is implied by comparing the truths of Christ to gold and precious stones 1. In respect of the matter 2. In respect of the way and manner of preaching them Observ Errors not fundamental are hay and stubble Propositions to amplifie this point Why errors are called hay and stubble Wickedness in practice the fruit of errour in judgement Observ What secret sins shall be brought to light The aggravation of secret hidden sins Observ Hidden and secret wayes of false doctrine shall be made manifest What concerning errours shall be made manifest 1. The causes of errour shall be manifest 1. Pride 2. Ignorance 3. Hypocrisie 4. Ambition and affectation of high places 5. Discontent and imparience 6. Envy 7. Contemplative delight in a mans own notions II. The nature of errour shall be manifested III. The cunning subtilty in divulging them shall be manifested Observ That God hath his time for the discovering of errour Errors are spiritual judgements What is meant by fire The way God takes to bring people out of errour By the word and afflictions Which are both helpfull but differently in these respects How wandering sheep are reduced by the Word Object Answ How afflictions may help to reduce men from errour Observ Of the durable nature of Gods Truths Truth two-fold Increated and Created Created truths of two sorts Scripture truths reduced to four heads Truth willing to be tryed They grow more illustrious by the fiery Tryal The effects of truth also upon the heart will abide this tryal Object Qu. Whether any Ministers or Churches are quite free from building hay or stubble Observ Every man shal be a loser by what error soever he maintaineth Wherein they shall be losers Observ Errours in judgment may damn a man as well as a wicked life The several corruptions of the understanding that endanger a mans salvation The difference between errour and heresie The grounds of the Doctrin Observ The difficulty of salvation even to a godly man The Church is Gods Temple Observ Church Priviledges and Relations are great Obligations to Holinesse How the word Temple is used in Scripture What it doth signifie Of Gods spiritual Temple What there is in the Church alusively to the Temple Of Gods presence with his Church The significa of the word Spirit when attributed to God That the Holy Ghost is God and a Person That he is a Person That he is God Arguments Why the holy Ghost is called Spirit Of the Spirits dwelling in us What to have the Spirit dwell in us implieth The special works and effects of the holy Spirit in his Church Doubt Resolution Observ Of defiling Gods Church with errours Why errors are said to defile Gods Church How God will punish Heretiques A godly maâ—n may fall into a damnable heresie How a godly man erring differeth from a wicked man Errour and erroneous persons distinguished Why God is so provoked with corruptions in Doctrine and Worship Observ Of Eternal Damnation The punishment of losse The pain of sense The aggravations of this destruction Eternal Universal Inevitable Observ Of the Temple of God Of the Jewish Tabernacle and Temple Believers joyned in a Church way according to Scripture are Gods temple Observ Of humane wisdome what an hinderance it is to the things of Christ Carnal wisdom an enemy to the Scripture Carnal wisdom an enemy to Christian duties Observ Humane wisdome nothing to Scripture-wisdome Scripture-wisdome excels speculative wisdome Scripture wisdome excels the moral or practical wisdome of the world Observ True wisdome is but folly in the worlds account The things to be believed have these seeming follies The hope of a Christian foolish in the judgment of the world The duties of Christians foolish in the judgement of the world Observ That true wisdom is only in the Church of God demonstrated Observ All worldly wisdom is folly before God And that whether considered actively or passively I. Active foolishnesse How worldly wisdome is foolishnesse in a passive sense God turning all their wisdome into folly A two-fold humane wisdome viz. good evil Observ How God takes the wise men of the world in their own craft Object Answ Observ Of vain thoughts In what sense the Scripture useth the word vain Observ Of glorying in men How many wayes we may be said to glory in men in the general How many wayes we may be said to glory in Doctors and Teachers Observ All things are the Saints In what respects all things may be said to be the godly mans Why God made all things for the godly Object Answ Object Answ Doubt Answ Object Answ Observ All Offices are for the Church In what sense the Ministers are not servants to the Church against Brownists In what sense they are the Churches The end for which they are the Churches Observ In what sense the world is said to be a godly mans Object Answ Observ Godly men only live In what respects it is true that the wicked do not live Observ The generation of death In how many particulars death is a godly mans Observ Observ Observ In what respects a godly man is Christs Characters of such as are Christs In what sense Christ can be said to be Gods Observ Of the Natures and Person of Christ and of the hypostatical Union How Christ as a man and as a Mediatour is Gods The general Character of the godly and the wicked All good the creature affords should lead us to God the universal good All naturally desire felicity The perswasiâ— of what is the best good and which is chiefly to be desired is wonderfully diversifyed according to the several inclinations humours and conditions of men How hardly this sin is discerned untill a man be enlightned by Gods Spirit All have lost the Image of God which alone did elevate the soul And Original corruption is come in the room of it If the godly man is yet conflicting with this sinne then it must needs reign in an unregenerate man The common gifts and graces of Gods Spirit never cures this evil The point is proved from the nature of Conversion And from the restlesse and unquiet heart of every natural man Their very approaches to God demonstrate that they prefer something before him The creature is unable to help us in our greatest exigencies Immoderate love of the creature is inconsistent with the love of God Is's a wofull snare and temptation The Word is unprofitable to a man while he preferres the creature It is a tormenting sinne All the things thus affected are vanities It 's direct Idolatry It 's a debasing of a man Such as prefer the world before God cannot Pray The heart is too noble for the creature Consider that all that have over-loved the creature have experienced the vanity of it Consider the reâ—sâ—â— why God mingles gall with the Honey of every creature Consider how insufficient they are of themselves to help and comfort us Heaven and glory cannot be obtained without a preement and transcendent affection to all other things Consider how â— some Heathens and superstitious persons have trampled upon earthly things to attain a notable end What this phrase to lift up the light of Gods countenance upon a man implyeth I. Riches II. An untroubled Conscience is no Argument of Gods countenance 1. An untroubled Conscience may be a stupid seared Conscience 2. And may be accompanied with grosse sinnes 3. And without taking Gods way for the obtaining and preserving of it Causes of the eclipse of Gods face to the godly The nature of this joy How it exceeds all worldly Joy The wonderfull Effects of Faith in quieting the soul in Afflictions The Doctrine xplain ed. The Arguments by which Faith quieteth the Soul The Stoical Security The Mirth and jollity of most wicked men under Gods Judgements How it differs from a gratious Confidence God alone preserveth in safety I. II. God preserveth principally And by creatures instrumentally 1. Irrational 2. Rational men Angels III IIII. The several waies by which God preserveth his people in safety
THE Scripture Directory FOR CHURCH-OFFICERS AND PEOPLE OR A Practical Commentary UPON THE Whole third Chapter of the first Epistle of St Paul TO THE CORINTHIANS To which is annexed the Godly and the Natural Mans Choice upon Psal 4. vers 6 7 8. By Anthony Burgesse Pastour of the Church of Sutton Coldfield in Warwickshire LONDON Printed by Abraham Miller for T.U. and are to be Sold by Thomas Underhill George Calvert and Henry Fletcher in Pauls Church-yard 1659. TO THE READER THe sound Interpretation and Practical Application of Scripture for the Advancement of Holiness as it is the most profitable and pleasant part of our Ministerial Employment so it should be the Readers wisdome and diligence to Exercise himself most in the perusall of such Spiritual Helps As for Controversies to look on them like the Bryars and Thornes on the Ground even the Effect of original corruption So that to leave the Practical and Affectionate part of Religion for the Speculative and Disputative is to part with our sweetness and fatness to become a bryar Yet Experience doth too much confirm how great a depravation is herein upon the mindes of men naturally doting upon Questions Strifes of wordes wherein is no Edifying It is reported of a Philosopher That he would not be resolved in the doubts he had upon his mind that so he might not be deprived of that pleasure and delight which he found in seeking and searching out of truth Which is as if a feavourish man would not be cured of the drought or thirst upon him that so he might still enjoy the pleasure he findeth in drinking But Scepticism and inconstancy and such inordinate affectation of Opinions and Controversies is contrary to the sound constitution of Christianity which inclineth to a solid mind in Matters of Faith and to an holy mortified heart in respect of our conversation Now to bring such an holy and heavenly Establishment upon the soul the only way is to make a constant and diligent Improvement of Gods Word in all the happy and blessed Effects it causeth upon the soul He that doth thus is like the tree planted by the Rivers side that will not wither but bring forth its fruit in due season Among other Portions of Scripture I have selected this third Chapter of the first Epistle to the Corinthians for the peculiar subserviency and particular conduceableness it may have to heal such distempers which at this time infect many The Church of Corinth though immediately planted as a pleasant Eden by Paul himself yet quickly degenerated the envious one sowing tares amongst the good wheat For not only Godly Discipline was collapsed and Prophaneness in mens lives much increased but such factions and divisions were crept in amongst them that like the renting of the veil of the Temple their destruction was praesaged hereby did they not in time prevent it by having one heart and one way The sky being thus red did signifie the foul weather that was to ensue For as Aristotle observeth That the perpetual duration of things is to be attributed to the simple and quotidian course of the Sun from the East to the West but the generation and corruption of things to the Oblique motion of the Sun and Planets in the Zodiack So the preservation and continuance of Faith and Holiness in the Churches of God is under Christ to be attributed to the uniform motion of the Guides and Officers therein but all corruption of Doctrine and Discipline all generation of errors and vices to their oblique and different courses This Chapter then may be called The Directory of the Holy Ghost both to Officers and People in their respective deportments that so there may be a mutual edification It may be looked upon as a Pillar of Salt to season all other Churches It seemeth to have that Inscription of Senacharibs Tomb upon it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 By beholding of me take heed of pride in Gifts and Parts take heed of schismes and divisions set not up a Ministry against Christ nor yet oppose Christ to a Ministry These are to be composed with one another and not opposed Besides this general Matter there are also several Truths of great concernment contained in the Chapter especially the best VVine you meet with at last where is described the rich Treasure of every godly man There is an Inventory given in of all his Goods There is his Magna Charta confirmed Yea as the Devil once shewed the Glory of the world for a temptation so doth the Spirit of God here discover both the Glory of Heaven and Earth for the encouragement of the true Believer I shall not detain thee any longer with Prefacing but conclude Come and see Thine Anthony Burgesse March 18. 1658. THE CONTENTS OF THIS Practical Exposition ON THE Third Chapter of the first Epistle of St Paul TO THE CORINTHIANS Verse 1. ANd I brethren could not speak unto you as unto spiritual but as unto carnal even as unto babes in Christ Observ That the ignorance and sinfulnesse of a people are a just cause why faithfull and wise Ministers of the Word doe not sometimes preach of the more sublime and excellent points in Christianity p. 2 In what respects the peoples Ignorance is an impediment to the Ministers preaching p 3 In what respects the peoples Sinfulnesse is an impediment to the Ministers preaching p 3 Carnal It s several significations Observ That even among those who are truly and indeed of the visible Church of God there is a vast difference some are spiritual some are carnal some are men some are babes p. 5 What it is to be a spiritual man 7 What to be carnal or babes 8 Verse 2. I have fed you with milk and not with meat Observ 1. It must be the Prudence and Wisdome of the Minister to preach such matter and in such a way as the Hearers may receive good thereby p. 9 Observ 2. It 's necessary to acquaint People with the Principles of Religion before they go higher in Christianity 13 Considerations about the principles of Religion and the knowledge and ignorance of them 13 For hither to ye were not able to bear it neither yet now are ye able Observ That it 's a great sinne and just reproach to a people that have lived long under the means of grace if they have not got the due profit by it 17 The due profits and effects of the Ministry Intellectual and Practical ib. Verse 3. For ye are yet carnal 21 Qu. Why those that are godly for the main are called carnal ibid. Observ That the reliques of corruption which do abide in the godly ought to be an heavy burden to them against which they are daily to strive and combate ib. Considerations about the Saints infirmities and corruptions 22 And whence it is that they do not fully conquer sinne 23 And why God doth not cure his people at once 24 For whereas there is among you Envying and Strife and
Saviour to those that do not find themselves lost to commend a Physician to those that find themselves whole to pour oyl where there are no wounds is to pervert all order Ho every one that thirsteth saith our Saviour Joh 7.37 And Come unto me all ye that are heavy laden Mat. 11.28 The Spirit of God convinces the world of sin and then of righteousness Oh but how much unwise and unfaithfull preaching is there in this respect How many are there that strengthen wicked mens hearts and make them not sad whom God would have made sad That daube with untemppered morter that say to every prophane man if he do but cry Lord have mercy upon me Be of good comfort thy sinnes are forgiven thee It 's this daubing and soothing up people in their wickedness striking out all fear of hell and damnation that makes them wallow like swine in their filth To such to preach no comfort but the Law and Threatnings but to those that are broken in heart a tongue of the learned is required to speak a word in season How carefull was Paul that the incestuous person should not be overwhelmed with grief 2 Cor. 2 And here is the more wisdome because Satans temptations are subtile and insinuating We are not ignorant of his devices of his schismes what false circumventions and appearances he will have Now How many are there that are not acquainted themselves with the depths of Satan that are no better Comforters then Jobs Friends were Christ himself was affected with all our temptations that he might know how the more feelingly to pity others Thus a Minister that hath himself been in the deep matters of God that hath himself been exercised with all kind of temptations he can only tell how to speak to the heart of another So that you see much wisdome is required in the giving of comfort Alas every sick man every dying man looks we should give comfort and they would have a word of comfort Oh but what hath thy life been What truth of grace is there in thee Have not some wicked men cryed out of their sinnes in fear of death and publique judgments as Pharaoh did Therefore we must take heed what we do we must not comfort whom God would not have comforted Here is great wisdome required A third part of his Doctrinal Key is To rebuke and reprove for sinne Now how great a skill is it wisely to reprove to have zeal and knowledge together Some must be reproved sharply Tâ—t 1.13 cuttingly We must not spare Thus John called some a generation of vipers Mat. 3.7 and our Saviour Wo to ye Scribes Pharisees Hypocrites many times repeating that upbraiding of them These were obstinate impenitent Hypocrites Mat. 23.13 14 15. and little blows will not move them Others again are tender tractable meekness will do more than austerity So that there is scarce any thing requireth more wisdome than publique and private reproofs Men can so hardly bear them Genus quoddam Maritirii est reprehensionem patienter ferre It is a kind of martyrdome to bear a reproof patiently And Ministers are either apt to be too awfull and pleasing of men or else too boisterous or passionate So that the Shepherd of irrational Sheep have a farre more easie task then spiritual Shepherds of men especially in superstitious Customes in false waies of worship Here an Angels wisdome will scarce suffice What a trouble was that to the Church in her infancy about the retaining or leaving the Jewish Ceremonies The Questions and differences grew so hot that it had almost torn the Church in pieces The Council of Jerusalem was called about this many still Judaizing thought that if you took the observation of times and outward Ceremonies away you took away all Religion Paul in his Epistle to the Galatians and Rom. 14. is very diligent to inform them about this endeavouring to make them spiritual and to draw up their hearts from those beggerly elements Paul was circumspect how to walk in this slippery Controversie To the Jew I became a Jew 1 Cor. 9.20 Not that he was a dissembler or an Hypocrite or humoured them in their superstitious weakness but he took upon him all sweet affections he was as a Jew to a Jew as weak to weak he would consider them as if he were in their case Yea to walk in these Controversies was so hard that Peter gave great occasion of offence yea Barnabas was also laid aside for he did not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which made Paul resist him to the face with this dissimulation Gal 1. Now if the Apostle was so industrious to root out the practice of those Rites and Ceremonies which yet God himself had once commanded how much rather should we those things which were brought into the Church without any command of God or warrant of Scripture but meerly by the will of man As for the other kind of Keyes Church-Government the wise managing of that is far more difficult then Political But I shall wave that as not so proper to this Text. Let us consider the Reason Why this Doctrinal feeding requireth such skill and Prudence And First Because divine truths are not to be managed by humane wordly wisdome but by spiritual wisdome As it 's God that teacheth people to profit Isa 48.17 so it 's God that teacheth the Minister to preach profitably Hence the word of wisdome is reckoned among the gifts of Gods Spirit 1 Cor. 14. and the Apostle saith We are not able of our selves to think a good thought 2 Cor. 2.5 as some expound it in the way of our Ministery we cannot think that which is good and profitable to mens soules without God Hence as of Christ the cheif sheepherd it is said the Spirit of wisdome counsell and understanding shall rest on him Isa 11.2 so it would be happy if the same Spirit proportionably did rest on inferiour shepherds I have caught you with an holy guile 2 Cor. 12.16 There are divine stratagems to win mens soules and if Aholiab and Bezaliel are said to have the Spirit of wisdome given them to build the material Tabernacle how much more do others need it to edifie this spiritual one Exod. 36.1 Seeing then the managing of holy truths is not had by humane prudence but by wisdome from above we must be Scribes instructed to the kingdome of heaven we are not born but made Preachers of the Gospel by God no marvel if this be so great a work Secondly Therefore is wisdome necessary in our preaching of divine things because the miscarriage of these precious truths is a farre greater loss then any earthly loss It 's pity for want of skill in any calling to miscarry in a mans wordly affairs but much more in heavenly there needs not only faithfulness but wisdome A wise and faithfull steward it is that makes five multiply to ten If the Prophet speaking of the Husbandmans skill about his several graines tithes and
them I rather think the latter because it 's used as a Name of honour If any man suffer as a Christian saith Peter 1 Pet. 1.3 Now this title Christian is of great importance Many are apt to say As they are a Christian when there is no reall Christianity in them For to be a Christian is as much as to be one anointed For as Christ was so called because annointed with all Graces in an unlimited manner so every Member of Christ is called a Christian because anointed with Graces Oh then thou that gloriest in that thou art no Heathen no Infidel no Jew but a Christian consider whether this be not a vain boast For is thy prophaneness thy wickedness thy impieties the anointing of Gods Spirit So that to have the reall power of Christianity is a difficult and straight work In after times the title Christian still continued And although they were sometimes called Cornelians from Cornelius Cyrillians from Cyrillus and Joannitae from John Chrysostome Eustathiani from Eustathius yet they did not own these Names And as Heresies began to rise up in many places some teaching one thing some another the Christian that kept to the true Faith that was constantly and universally believed in all the ages of the Church beginning from Christ and the Apostles times was called Catholique or universall in which sense he said Christianus mihi nomen Catholicus cognomen So that to be a Catholique was to believe that Faith which had been universally taught first by Christ and the Apostles afterwards by faithfull men in all ages And for the Papist to call himself a Catholique when the Roman Church hath so manifestly degenerated from the Apostolical and Scripture Doctrine and for them to make the Roman and the Catholique Church all one is as absurd as if a man should call London or England all the world The Papist therefore is no Catholique in a true sense because he cannot prove his Faith by the Apostolical Doctrine in the Scripture yea accuseth the Scripture as insufficient And some of their learned men have confessed that if they should try thir cause by the Scripture meerly it was gone I shall instance in one famous Name given to such who truly own Christ and his Truths and that is Protestants They were called thus not many years since in Luther's time whereas the Orthodox had got some indulgence for the profession of their true Religion and pure worship The Popish party did importune the Emperour of Germany to make an Edict at Worms and afterwards at Spires That no Religion should be publickly professed and owned but the Roman The Lutheran Party both Noblemen and others made a Solemn Protestation against that unjust Decree and ever since all that reformed from Popery have been called Protestants So that all those who have a compliance with Popery that admire their way in their heart or act by their principles cannot truly be called Protestants Thus you have heard the chief names by which Christians are called And still after no mans name And whereas Papists call us Lutherans Calvinists c. we indeed own Luther and Calvin and such men for worthy and famous instruments of Gods glory in their time but it is their calumny to call us after their Names It is true a man by way of difference or distinction he may say a Lutheran and Calvinist to denote some peculiar opinion but to own any man as an Author of our Faith or the foundation of Religion is not consistent with true Christianity There are pregnant Reasons for this First Because as our faith in regard of the efficient cause is the gift of God so the object and motive of it must be Gods authoriâ—y because he speaks and revealeth such things Humane faith is because a man saâ—â—h such a thing divine faith because God saith so Now see how carefull the Apostle was that the Churches faith should not be in humane wisdome but in the mighty power of God And so the Thessalonians received it not as the word of man but as the word of God 1 Thess 2.13 The Apostle saith They had not dominion of their faith 2 Cor. 1.24 They were not able to make any Articles of Faith necessary to be believed You see then none may be called after men we are not their Disciples their believers for that which resteth on men is but an humane faith and we ought to have a divine faith Men indeed may be instruments to propound the things to be believed but the motive is a divine testimony because God saith so Solomon by his wisdome declared to which woman the childe belonged to but he did not cause the affections of the mother to the child So faithfull Officers of the Church may declare the truth of God but they cannot work faith in thee Secondly Therefore we may not be called after men to build on them because we are not baptized into any mans name and we are onely to professe those in whose name we are baptized into 1 Cor. 1.13 Paul doth powerfully urge this Argument why they might not say they were of Paul because they were not baptized into the name of Paul So then his Disciple thou art and his badge thou onely art to wear in whose name thou wert baptized and that is not into the name of a man but the Name of the Father Son and holy Ghost Thirdly The Apostle presseth another Argument Was Paul crucified for you Did Paul die for you 1 Cor. 1.13 His meaning is In him onely we are to believe who is able to make our reconciliation with God who hath wrought our Redemption for us And therefore it 's a very high sinne to build your faith on a man It 's to make him a Saviour it 's to put him in Christs room Fourthly Our Apostle urgeth a further Argument in the same Chapter He that glorieth let him glory in the Lord And Christ is made unto us Wisdome So all boasting in men is to be excluded as well as boasting in works Oh but what is the cause of so many errors of so many divisions It 's from boasting in men such a man and such a man and by this meanes the glory due to God is taken away Fifthly The Scripture makes it a great sinne in matters of Religion and the worship of God to be servants of men 1 Cor. 7.23 Now what is it to be a servant of men when as bruit beasts we are wholly led at the command of others believe what they bid us believe worship with such worship as they command yet this hath been an universal sinne in all ages of the Church Men nuzzled in ignorance and pleasing themselves in their folly have without any judgement or information from Gods Word taken such a Religion and followed such a Worship as hath been imposed upon them Hence they have been sometimes of one Religion and sometimes of another because they have been servants to men and not Disciples of Christ
Malunt credere quam judicare Thus they offer an Asse for a sacrifice Sixthly The Ministers of God though never so eminent have been afraid of this they have prohibited such restings upon them But of this in another Doctrine viz. That it 's the property of godly Ministers not to bring men to themselves but to Christ Several Uses may be made As First That a Papist as a Papist following the principles of Popery and going no further hath but an humane blind faith They are so of the Pope and bound to his Determinations that all their Religion is built upon his Decision One of their learnedst Rabbies Valentia brings in a private Man consulting what Religion he should chuse and he argueth That if he be a Protestant then he must reade the Bible and other Authours and saith he I have not time to do that Therefore I will be of the Popish Religion for it 's but believing as the Church and as the Pope believeth Now saith the Jesuite God will at the Day of Judgement crown this man with glory for believing so yea he merits by believing so Now how contrary is this to Scripture which bids us Search the Scriptures Try the Spirits Not think of man above what is meet So that their Faith is an humane Faith their Religion an humane Religion believed for mans sake And that is the reason why the people of the greatest ignorance are most taken with it for it commends ignorance and pleaseth the vulgar fancy with a gorgeous worship Vse 2. To bewaile the great ignorance and blindnesse that is even in most Protestants For how few are there that believe this Religion upon judgment and searching the Scriptures upon knowledge and faith of the Word but they were brought up in it and the Lawes of the Land command it Oh consider if God would not have a Sacrifice without eyes no more will he have a Faith and a Religion without eyes What Jeremiah can make Lamentations equal to this grosse ignorance that covers the face of all Congregations You have no more than an humane Faith and an humane Religion or Worship of God Vse 3. To blesse God for the Instruments of Faith and the Ministers of grace but still to rest in God for all benefit and fruit by their labours It may be the Ministry hath been no more efficacious no more lively and profitable to thee because thou hast not owned God in it as thou shouldest It is God that openeth the eyes it 's God that openeth the ears and the hearts of men Therefore look up to him For while one saith I am of Paul and another I am of Apollo are ye not carnal The divisions here reproved in the Text have afforded us profitable Observations and yet we have not finished all We come to a third Observe the devils subtilty and emnity to the good and glory of Gods Church how many engines he useth sometimes he stirres up false Apostles who by their venemous doctrine may impoison the fountaines where all should drink and if that will not do then he labours to overthrow the Church by the repute and names of eminent teachers if the wickedness and malice of ungodly teachers do not hurt then the affected admiration of those that are true and godly shall bring about his end Nero was a man that envied and hated other mens excellencies and therefore at his Court when any had a mind to undoe another they would praise him which made Tacitus say Pessimum genus inimicorum laudantium And thus the Devil stirring up Disciples fondly and sinfully to praise eminent persons wrought the same destruction as he would have done by open hostility and persecution If he cannot by such Heretiques as Hymeneus and Philetus by open doctrine draw off from Christ then he will by secret applause and admiration make them so rest upon Paul and Peter that Christ shall not be eied as the author of all faith and success by the Ministery And Austin's observation is remarkable Quamvis non per impiorum sed sanctorum nomina tamen impia agebant Schismata Although they did not advance the names and persons of wicked men but of holy and eminent men yet by these names of holy men they made unholy and wicked divisions Observe That when the Devil cannot hurt the Church by a prophane and sinfull Ministery then he labours to destroy it by abusing the names and esteem of those who are truly holy and eminent The Devil hath his methods Eph. 6.11 and he is the old Dragon for cruelty and craft sometimes he is compared to a Lion roaring and that is in times of persecution sometimes to a glittering and curious Serpent and that is in subtle pretences and colours Now Bernard said Timeo Serpentem magis quam leonem rugientem yea he is said to have his depths Rev. 2.24 his secrets and mysteries of his state of darkness and as they say of some witchery that it comes by praising Hence that phrase praefiscisne loquor when we are about to praise any so the Devil when he cannot destroy souls by stirring up wicked instruments he will endeavour that men should think of good instruments more then they ought To open this First take notice What is the common and most notorious way of Satans doing hurt to the Church of God by the Ministers and Officers in the Church And this way he would alwayes take if he could The first is by corrupting the lives and conversations of the Ministery making them prophane and scandalous by which means all Religion comes to be abhorred Thus Hophnes and Phinehas Elyes sonnes because of their tyrannical violence and uncleanness it 's said the people abhorred the sacrifice of the Lord 1 Sam. 2.14 So that a prophane Minister is like a poisoned fountain where all must drink he doth not only damne his own soul but draweth others to hell with him Thus in the Old Testament the corruption of the whole Church did in a great measure arise from the prophaness of the Priests Hence in the New Testament it 's so carefully required in a Minister that he be blameless a lover of good men not given to any grosse sinne so that the Devil cannot have more service done him nor destroy the kingdome of Christ more then by the scandalous and prophane lives of Ministers this hardens the people this makes them contemne exhortations whereas let a Minister walk holily though their love to lusts will make them hate them yet in their consciences they cannot but fear and reverence them as Herod did John Baptist because he was a just man Mark 6.20 Secondly If he cannot hurt the Church this way then by raising up Ministers full of superstition and doting upon unwritten traditions and bringing in a will-worship where there is no rule or warrant One man though learned is not able to maintain his new notion of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 will-worship as if it were in a
good sense against the general sense of many others and this doth exceedingly please ignorant people What opposition did Paul find by such that taught tast not touch not that brought in worshipping of Angels and left Christ the Head and all this was done under a colour of wisdome and humility Col. 2.23 Even as in Popery still they urge we must have the Saints and Angels Mediators to God for us for is it fit say they an inferiour person should go into the presence of a great King without the favourite Thus the Heathens argued of old and thus the Papists now these things carry a shew of humility and so those thousands of superstitious ceremonies and wayes of worship that have been brought into the Church they come under the name of zeal and devotion but observe the Scripture you shall see Baptisme the Lords Supper when purely administred although in a grave and holy way yet in such simplicity and plainness that there is not the least mention of the least ceremony or traditional worship that afterwards was introduced and this the Apostle meant when he said He was afraid lest the Serpent should beguile them from the simplicity of the Gospel of Christ 1 Cor. 11.3 Oh that is a worthy place there is a simplicity in the Doctrine Worship and life of the Gospel and your minds are easily corrupted from this Thirdly If the Devil cannot yet scatter this little flock of Christ then he raiseth up all the power civil and ecclesiastical against it that he can Thus they were the builders Church-officers that refused Christ Mat. 21.42 Observe and you shall see the greatest persecutors of Christ and the Apostles were the Priests a Councel of them was called they were alwayes combining to put them to death so that a corrupt superstitious Ministery hath alwayes been the greatest enemies to Reformation and godâ—iness Heu Domine qui sunt in Ecclesiâ primi sunt impersecutione primi And therefore at our first Reformation the Protestants dâ—d truly affirm there could never be any Reformation unless they first began with the Court of Rome and the corrupt Clergy Sigysmund the Emperour said to one counselling to begin the Reformation à Minoritis yea saith he à Majoritis The Sunne in an Eclipse makes great corruptive alterations in sublunary things was the tradition and so a corrupted Ministery cannot but oppose and set against all those that discover and reprove their abominations and thereby are destructive to the souls of their followers Now with these venomed arrowes hath the Devil for the most part shot into the bowels of the Church But if he cannot do thus yet there will be a godly faithfull Ministery maugre all his malice Fourthly Then he steereth the clean contrary He will see how he can destroy mens soules by causing men to give them too much honour Even as Nehemiah's enemies that did oppose and do all they could to hinder the building of the Temple when they could no longer prevail by open violence then they proffered to build with them You have a notable History Act. 19.13 14. of vagabond Jewes that were conjurers who took upon them to adjure by the name of Jesus Thus you see the Devil when he could no longer work in his own name he works in Christs name And therefore Paul saith He transformeth himself into an Angel of light 2 Cor. 11.14 Now he cannot do that better then by abusing the repute of those that are eminent godly Teachers Let us consider How many wayes even by godly eminent men he may hurt the Church And First When he doth tempt and draw them away into any errour or falshood than their example draweth many after them The godlinesse and learning they have makes a way for an universal reviving of their falshoods We see this in Peter when he out of fear complied too much with the Jews confirming them in their superstition it 's said He compelled others to live as Jews Gal. 2.14 How did he compell them He did not threaten and use violence as Paul compelled Christians to blaspheme but his example meerly was so potent none dared do otherwise than Peter a Pillar of the Church yea Insomuch that Barnabas also was led aside by this dissimulation So that the Devil if he can no longer by the Chief-priest indanger the Church he will by the errours of one of the chief Apostles We might clear this in after ages by several instances especially Origen a man so famous for godlinesse learning and suffering for the faith of Christ that men thought it safer to erre with Origen than be in the truth with others What a great temptation did he prove to the Church as Lyrinensis doth excellently amplifie it He could do more hurt by one Origen than by many Marcionites or Manichees Secondly If he cannot corrupt their minds then he tempts eminent instruments in the Church to some failing in their lives to some unjustifiable practices that so their whole Doctrine may be condemned How circumspectly and warily did Paul walk that the enemies of the Gospel might not have wherewith to blaspheme Therefore our Saviour said The Devil had desired to winnow the Apostles Luke 22.31 In winnowing there is the purging of the wheat and the driving away of the chaff Now the Devil hoped for the later to find them but chaff as he thought by his temptations to make it appear Job was but an hypocrite and served God only for carnal ends And thus the Devil he labours to stirre up flesh and bloud in them as it was wofull in Peter to deny his Master whereby prophane persons might say who would care what Peter saith he in danger will lie and forswear his own Master Especially Judas was a fit instrument for him he used him to bring about the death of Christ so that Judas did as much hurt as all the Priests for he was one of Christs followers knew his way and for him to become Satans instrument this made much for the kingdome of Satan Not that Judas was once truly godly as some plead alate thereby proving the Apostasie of the Saints but in esteem and appearance he was for a while at least reputed of as a Saint Thirdly If he can neither corrupt their judgements or practices then he sets them up too high he maketh men in Christs room And this the Apostle doth so much argue against They have nothing but what they receive they are but instruments so as Paul spake in another case viz. of miracles asking the people Why do ye look upon us as if we by our own power had done this wonder The same may be applied to all ministerial successe It 's not Paul or Apollo doth enlighten the mind doth convert the heart See how much hurt the Devil doth the Church by the name of these instanced in One saith I am of Cephas that is of Peter Now the name and repute of Peter is that upon which all Popery is
built They are the Successours of Peter It 's the Patrimony of Peter They made him an Universal Head superiour to all other Apostles For the Fathers also it 's true many of them were of eminent parts and gifts yet all of them had their errours But how much hurt hath been done to the Church by setting them up as a Rule or infallible Judgers and Interpreters Therefore Austin good man as it were fore-seeing this disclaimeth it and saith He would have none read his or other mens books so as the Canonical Scriptures Soli Scripturae fides caeteris judicium Luther was afraid to leave any of his Works behind him lest they should draw men off from Scripture Thus the godly have been afraid with Paul lest any should idolize them We reade of a Dispute that the Arch-angel and the Devil had about Moses his body Some think it was this though other Interpretations are given God we know did wonderfully hide Moses his body when he was dead from the Israelites and the Devil would have it known and buried that so it might have been adored afterwards as in Popery What adoration what invocation and divine worship is given unto some Saints and to some that were no Saints but canonized by the Pope 2. The Devil worketh mischief to the Church even by the repute of good men when such opinions and doctrines are attributed to them as they never owned For as the Devil hath brought in his superstitions by pretended places of Scripture hence he wreâ—â—ed Scripture when he tempted Christ so also he useth the names of eminent instruments of God to countenance falshoods Thus Paul writing to the Thessalonians 2 Thess 2.3 bids them Not be troubled as by letter or epistle from him as if the day of judgement were at hand It seemeth there were some that taught in those dayes that the day of judgement was immediately approaching and this did much trouble the godly for they believed it and why did they believe it Some pretended it was Pauls judgement they had a letter and an epistle from him to this purpose Here you see even in those dayes men to propagaâ—â— or countenance their falshoods would abuse eminent men and so most of the Ancients have many spurious and counterfeit Tractates go under their name as Ignatius and Clemens and why so but that under this pretence many superstitious customes might be pleaded for Yea there is a Book called Enochs Prophecie and Barnabas his Gospel and many such pretended to be written by those that had divine inspirations and all are this grand Impostors Lastly The Devil brings hurt by good mens name when he sâ—weth discord and dissentions among them This makes the common enemy triumph Oh say the Papists if you Protestants have the Spirit why are there so many Sects Why doth the Lutherans spirit and Calvinists disagree Now although we might better retort on them Why have there been several Popes who have all said they determined infallibly and yet have condemned one anothers Canons And could this be by the same spirit Yet the answer is plain in the Parable when it was asked How came those tares seeing the Master had sown good seed The answer was The envious one hath sowed them Mat. 13. I might give Reasons for this As First The insatiable malice of the Devil against the Church of God He alwayes envieth the peace the good order and Ordinances of the Church and therefore when he could no longer raise up bloudy persecutions against the Church for Constantine was turned Christian then it was divided and miserably rent with heresies So that the Church hath alwayes been like Noahs Ark on the waters floating up and down Secondly The very name of Religion and piety hath such authority upon mens consciences that the greatest enemies of godlinesse have alwayes pretended to it If the Pharisees persecute Christ Oh they say it 's for his blasphemies he will not keep the Sabbath and because he said he was the Sonne of God This doth mightily justifie Piety and Religion that all men are fain to use the name of this for what they do Vse of Exhortation Take heed of two extreams either a prophane delight in wicked dissolute Ministers such who will never trouble thy conscience reprove thy sins Or the other extream of minding godly instruments so is not to look up to God The former is a general sinne For what people are there that would not have Ministers like themselves loose dissolute as they are Thus God of old complained of the wickednesse of Priests and the people love to have it so Oh that is too much Give them one that is not so strict that will do as they do Oh wretched men that think it not enough to be ungodly themselves but they would those also who are to be guides to them in the same manner people will be deceived and who can help it They will have those that shall speak peace to them give them comfort when yet the Lord hath commanded them to make the hearts of such sad 1 COR. 1.12 And I of Christ THat I may finish Pauls reproof from that Text 1 Cor. 3.4 concerning the Factionâ— and Divisions at Corinth I am necessitated to take in this Text for here is a larger enumeration than in that place for here is an addition of two persons more I am of Cephas I am of Christ By Cephas is meant Peter and because he was the Apostle of the Circumcision as Paul of the Gentiles Happily some of the believers who did too much cleave to those legal Ceremonies might advance him And if that opinion of some be true That in most Cities converted to the Faith there were two Churches the Gentile Christian Church and the Jewish Christian Church then this might foment the division more howsoever the Popish Interpreter laboureth under this difficulty how they could be guilty of sinfull factions who advanced Peter but they build upon a rotten foundation But I shall not consider any further this division that did exalt Instruments and Ministers too high I come therefore to those that did offend on the contrary way and that is such Who did so set up Christ as to neglect Paul Apollo and the Instruments of their faith For here two contrary factions are forbidden which are very frequent in the Church and oh that this age were not infected with this disease Some did glory in their teachers boasting of them in a contentious way to the contempt of others Others again they ranne into the clean contrary and contemned all Teachers all the Prophets and pretended to be taught by Christ onely And I of Christ To open the word we must acquaint you that many of the Ancients thought they that said thus I am of Christ were not to be reproved but are instanced in as an example that they all should follow Yea Chrysostom thinketh this to be Pauls words others said I am of Paul I am of Apollo but saith Paul
Christ in their Congregations Ambition pride self-seeking this hath alwayes made divisions for this hath made men set up themselves and not Christ Oh what a comfort and glorious sight would it be to see the Ministery not gratifying parties not making interests but affectionately advancing the glory of God though they be accounted as the off scouring of the world Paul he gave us this example and we are to follow him The second end in which they are to agree is the conversion of men and edifying of them up in faith and godliness If this be our end that will quickly dispell all other things that obtrude thmselves the salvation of mens souls and tender bowels herein would quickly make all one but when men do not agree in the end it 's no wonder if they are contrary also in the meanes when we desire to preach our own notions and our own opinions more then to procure your salvation it 's no marvel if there be as many opinions as there are Ministers So then these two things would wonderfully unite Gods glory and the salvation of mens souls and all our preaching studying and labouring ought to be for this Thirdly There should be unity in affections to love one another to bless God for the abilities and gifts of one another Envy and pride is apt to get even amongst the best You see Christs own Disciples they were striving who should be greatest and one ambitiously affected to be over another and even in those pure Apostolical times you may read of a Diotrephes that loved preheminence above his brethren he was not according to his name for he was not nourished and taught by Christ to do so Our Saviour fore-seeing what mischief this would bring to his Church doth again and again press love among those that were to labour in his Church It was a gracious expression of Calvin concerning Luther who was an hot man and apt to break out in violent expressions Oh saith Calvin I honour Luther as an eminent servant and instrument of God though he should call me a Devil a thousand times over When our Saviour had compared his Disciples to salt to shew it was not his meaning they should be salt to one another he saith Have salt in your selves and peace one with another Mar 9.50 there must be salt and peace Oh but as it is said of Reuben so may we say for the divisions of the Ministers and the divisions of the people are great thoughts of heart Now to amplifie this we shall shew how sad a temptation it is upon the Church of God when the Ministery is not one either in doctrine ends or affections And then what people should do in such cases First When the Ministery is not one this is apt in the first place to beget atheism and irreligion in the people They begin to think that Religion is nothing but a matter of imagination or invention or else that there is no such thing and therefore they will regard it no more they will look after it no more Oh wo be to the world because of offences in this kind He that makes a division from the true doctrine or true ends of the Ministry he had better never have been born he that is a firebrand here may fear to be a firebrand in hell How many Atheists and prophane scoffers maiest thou make by this division of thine Secondly Where there is not this unity it doth much grieve and unsetle the hearts of the godly They know not what to do they cannot tell what to take to such godly men say it 's a sinne others as godly say it 's not a sinne Now to those that are tender and would not sinne for an whole world this is a very racking and torturing of their consciences Oh what shall they do Thirdly When there is not this unity prophaneness and ungodliness doth the more encrease godliness doth exceedingly decay in the power of it For while the Ministers should all as one man labour to destroy the kingdom of Satan to discourage impiety to make the heart of the wicked sad that he may return from his evil way They commonly leâ—ve this and all their preaching is to maintain those particular opinions and to set up that particular way which they walk in Now we shall see the Apostle takes off much from such controversal disputes in which the essence of godliness doth not consist As the kingdom of heaven is not in meats and drinks but in joy and peace and righteousness Rom. 14.17 so it 's good to have the heart established with grace and not with meats Heb. 14 9 and in other places the Apostle calls those things vain which do not edifie Not that the least truths of God are to be neglected yea all things are to be tryed but this should not be the main the one thing necessary is to seek the kingdome of heaven and the righteousness thereof Lastly These divisions do wonderfully harden and confirme the Papists in their way They say how doth the Lutheran and Calvinists spirit agree that which one saith the other contradicts Now although the same may be retorted on them the manifold differences in Popery and that about a necessary point of faith viz. Whether the Pope be above a Councel or the Councel above the Pope yea several Popes have at the same time pretended and in arms fought to be head of the Church Though I say these may be retorted on them and stop their mouths yet it cannot be denied but that such differences do wonderfully scandalize and harden people especially those that consult not with Scripture and seek to be antidoted against such temptations And for that take these prescripts 1. Do not thou by thy pragmatical mâ—dling widen the difference and raise more dust In this Chapter you have the Apostle laying down Arguments against divisions and sometimes they belong to the Teachers and sometimes to the Hearers The indiscretion and hot busie carriages of the Disciples doe sometimes make a greater distance among the Teachers You see Johns Disciples out of emulation and envy did what they could to stirre up Johns spirit against Christ but how graciously did he quench those sparks by that humility of his I must decrease but he must increase John 3.30 2. Consider this That those that are godly doe agree in the main fundamental point So that whatsoever is necessary to salvation that they doe not faile in They agree in the soul and life of Religion for other things we cannot expect unity in this life as long as some have more knowledge than others and more grace and self-denial than others so long there will be differences You see Paul and Barnabas had a sharpe contest with one another And the Apostle speakes of the corrupt censurings that the strong and weake Christians had of one another Romans 1.4 3. Doe thou labour to be informed with a true and divine faith out of the Word
become of me The Psalmist complains of wicked men They made long furrows upon his back but this is happy when the word makes deep furrows in thy heart otherwise it 's but sowing upon the high-way which comes to no good Secondly This implieth that you should answer the satisfaction of that Husbandman whose Husbandry you are Who will bear that ground which after much labour and cost brings forth no fruit at all Now God hath greatly complained of this that when he looked for grapes behold wild grapes when he looked for righteousness behold Hemlock Oh this will confound you at the day of Judgment This will be your condemnation This you will never endure that God hath caused his seed to be sown given you an excellent seed-time precious seasons of grace but you for fruit have brought forth briers We read of Christ that when he looked for fruit on a Fig-tree and saw none he cursed it for ever although the Text saith it was not the time or season for figs Mat. 11.13 Oh then with what a grievous Curse may God curse thee when the time and season is of fruit and thou hast none Oh bethink your selves how you shall answer God in this matter Thirdly It supposeth a carefull improvement of all those means which God useth for our spiritual good If we be Gods Husbandry we are patiently to receive and fruitfully to improve whatsoever may make for our fruitfulness Now the meanes are of two sorts either essential and intire and perfect such as the hearing of the Word praying godly Communion or accidentall and occasional such as afflictions troubles and persecutions Even as the pruning of the Vine the burning of the Ground makes it fruitfull so all the troubles calamities and miseries that God brings on his Husbandry is to make them more fertile They need a Winter as well as a Sommer If thou then despisest the Ministry thou art careless under the means of grace no wonder if thou art no better then Heathens or Pagans that live in the wilderness Thou that art a tree planted by the River side yet bringest forth no fruit thy condemnation is near Lastly Consider how neer such a people are to utter ruine while you are but neer it there is some hope of scaping if you seek out who after all Gods Husbandry are the same ignorant and prophane people still The Apostle is plain in this The ground that often receives rain and yet brings forth nothing but briers and thornes is nigh unto cursing Heb. 6.8 It is nigh that is a mercy but at last it will be actually cursed and thrown in the fire Thou that art a wicked man in Gods field it will be worse with thee then all the wicked men in the world that are not Gods Church Let there be a weed in a Corn-field or a Garden it is sure to be weeded up whereas if it had been in the Heath or high-way it might have grown long enough Oh then say it cannot be that I should hold long with this wickedness in Gods field his judgments will overtake me Vse of Instruction Learn understanding by this familiar similitude You are Gods Husbandry The Spirit of God from the vocation and calling of many of you useth a comparison that so by earthly things you may come to heavenly What you would have your fields be to you after all your pain and cost the same be you to God Barrenness and unfruitfulness how doth it discourage you You care not for that Ground which never will yield a crop after all cost upon it How can God indure thee Thy soul is Gods field Oh what fruit what reformation shouldst thou shew forth Thus not only the Sabbath day but every day may be a Sabbath day Every field thou goest into Every goodly crop thou seest on the ground it may teach and preach unto thee As our Saviour said If I have spoken to you earthly things and you understand them not how then heavenly Joh. 3. If heavenly things be represented to you under the compâ—rison of earthly things and you not receive them how then if spoken in their own nature Take heed then lest thou who art as yet Gods field by his love and care on thee do not by his just wrath make thee a field of blood yea the blood of thy own soul Ye are Gods building This is the later similitude which taken singly of it self affords many necessary considerations For still take this along with you that he speaks not here of the mystical and invisible Church but that visible Church which was at Corinth and you will conclude this is a great title If the Centurion said He was not worthy that Christ should come within his roof How much more unworthy then are a people to be made a constant dwelling house for Christ spiritually to reside there And as it is a Title full of glory so it is also full of duty What manner of persons ought they to be who may be called Gods house Gods building I need not enlarge my self further in the Preface The word hath no difficulty onely as the former similitude did seem to comprehend both the matter and Gods action about it So here 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 may take in both that we are the house of God and that the building also is of God that we are of God both in fieri and facto esse Doct. That particular Churches are or should be Gods house Gods building Gods house or a Church is not properly the building made of timber and stones When we call that place a Church or the house of God it is onely by a Trope the persons contained put for the place containing and we can hardly in the New Testament find it so called yea some learned men say not at all to be sure there is but one place 1 Cor. 11.22 contended for that Church is put for the place where believers meet It is true some other places are pressed for this sense but with great constraint But in our common speech we call the material building a Church figuratively as Civitas is sometimes put for the place whereas properly it signifieth the Community of men met together by some orderly way So Synagogue doth properly signifie the company gathered together or their gathering together though afterwards for the place as in the Scriptures often Thus custome hath authorized it about the word Church Now see what degeneration grew in time The Material building which they called the Church the House of God they gave a relative sanctity to they made it holyer then other places but a reall sanctity or personal holiness of those men who indeed were the Church and the House of God that they persecuted and destroyed Isidore Pelusiota in an Epistle of his speaketh excellently to this purpose reproving a Bishop that adorned the Church-building with Images and costly Ornaments but persecuted those that were the Church indeed The latter he calleth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉
〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and the building 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 So then take off your thoughts from all superstitious conceâ—â—s about holiness in places Gods House Gods Church are the persons and men that do outwardly profess his way and live accordingly Whose House we are Heb. 3 6. With those God is present Indeed 1 Chron. 7. we read of a Temple a great stately House dedicated to God with a relative holiness with Prayers that God would be present there his eyes and his heart would be in that place But to argue from that Temple to our material Churches it 's very unsafe It is true Mr Made whose opinion about the relative holiness of Churches in Gospel times is publiquely known doth endeavour to answer this Argument thus viz. That though we have not such a command as the Jews had about the Temple for our Churches yet by Analogy such a Jewish command will bind c. But through this wâ—de gate the whole Jewish administration may croude in upon us c. For the Temple was typical of Christs body and therefore was destroyed with all the other significative Ceremonies So then they erre on one hand too rigidly who think we may not call this material building a Church for we may call it so by a figure which is ordinary about such things And they on the other hand who take of their thoughts from minding the true Church indeed and House of God by holiness and purity of life addicting themselves to curious building goodly Images and external worship But this occasionally only We see here the Apostle speaks of persons and not of places and he saith They are Gods building All our particular Societies should be of such men for knowledge and godliness that we may say they are Gods House not the Devils den Now this comparison of building supposeth these things First That a people of themselves are nothing but so much rubbish and sit fuel for Hell fire and that it's God who makes them this glorious building That as you see the Temple was built by excellent art The trees in the forrest and the stones in the quarrey could never have prepar'd themselves nor put themselves into so goodly a structure So it is here Men by their own power their own ability and strength could never become a fit habitation for the Lord to rest in We are not born but made the house and building of God so that although by our birth and education we may have many Church-priveledges being born of Christian Parents yet we have no saving priviledges till God hath wrought something upon every mans soul in particular that it may be his faith his godliness his patience and so indeed the Temple of the Holy Ghost Secondly It implyeth that the matter of this building should be sound precious and substantial The material Temple was built of the choicest stone and most excellent timber and the Apostle in this Chapter supposeth this house to be built of gold and stone and that the building of hay and stubble is very absurd and dangerous which although it be chiefly to be understood of the Doctrine yet it hath some relation also to the persons constituting a Church It 's the great Question in this age What is the matter of a Church What persons ought to be taken in to constitute a Church I shall not touch on that now It is one thing to say What should be and another thing What the Scripture fore-tels will be It 's true all that are of this building should be really and truly sound both in Doctrine and life and where any of heretical Doctrines or prophane lives have got into this house the Scripture commands such to be cast out as being a dishonour and a burden to the house but yet it also fore-tels that there will be tares among the wheat That in this house there will be vessels of honour and of dishonour But more of this anon This is certain we cannot sufficiently lament to see the ruines of Gods house in this spiritual sense As they wept to see Jerusalem the second time built because it came so short of the lustre and glory the former Temple had So may we mourn exceedingly to see what our particular Congregations are comparatively to primitive Institutions and the patern upon the Mount Indeed this Church had some weeds but how restlesse is Paul to pull them out Oh how desirous as he saith 2 Cor. 11.2 to present them a pure Virgin to Christ free from all false worship and all foul transgressions Oh that you would think of this what ye ought to be Holinesse to the Lord should be writ on your hands fore-heads and whole conversation Thirdly It implieth the gracious presence and power of God among his people An house is the place where a man dwels and continually resides and this is one great reason why God useth this Metaphor to shew with what reâ—t and delight he will take up his habitation in his Church Thus the Covenant of grace runnes from this when the Apostle 2 Cor. 6. had shewed That there ought to be no agreement between the Temple of God and Idols he addeth They are the Temple of the living God and therefore what he inferreth I will dwell in them and walk in them and I will be their God and they shall be my people 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 As the Apostle to describe the innate power of original sinne said It dwelled in him So it is here God to describe how intimate familiar and gracious his presence is saith He will dwell in them This particular then sheweth there are many in this house that are not of this house for how is Gods presence and power manifested in them Nay doth not the Devil and sinne discover themselves dwelling in them Do they manifest any thing but the blacknesse of darknesse in their words and works Glory not then of being in the house of God if you find not the powerfull presence of God in you which is two wayes by sanctification and consolation In these two wayes God doth discover himself he fils with grace and consolation he sanctifieth and comforts They are in Christ and Christ in them Fourthly This house or building doth imply God to be the Master therein that he only may prescribe the Laws and orders what shall be done and what not he appoints every one his work and his labour All the Officers in the Church are but servants None may take upon them to appoint what is to be believed How God must be worshipped This is of great consideration Christ is said to be more faithfull in this house than Moses in the former Heb. 3. Hence came the neglect of all true Worship and piety because the orders and laws of the Master are not followed Come then and be afraid thou that livest in prophanenesse and impiety what Law what order hath God for this in his house His House is
an House of Prayer Ye are to be a praying people but thou art a cursing and blaspheming wretch In his House every vessel was holy but thou art a loathsome vessel of all impiety and filthinesse Fifthly Here is this further in this building It 's not an ordinary building but a sacred and an holy one Therefore as you heard they are called The Temple of the living God Now then what an astonishing consideration is this Those that are of this House must be separated unto God from all prophane and common things even as the Temple might not be polluted by any common action And hence is that phrase They are sanctified that is they are made holy by a peculiar dedication unto God Therefore in that 2 Cor. 6.16 17. when the Apostle had said they were the Temple of the living God he addeth this Exhortation Therefore come out from among them and touch no unclean thing Oh then if you would be thought the House and Temple of the Lord consider what Communion hath light with darkness What agreement is there between Christ and Belial Be not then forgetfull of this when thou art tempted unto any grosse impiety Sixthly It being an house all within are servants and so they are to do their Masters worke to live to him Whatsoever you do do all to the glory of God 1 Cor. 10 31. All those servants in the Parable called for by the Master and bid to merchandize till he came Luke 19 12. And those who have been eminent in Gods work they have this title in a peculiar manner Thus Moses the servant of God and Paul the servant of Christ Now alas who thinketh of these things Every man lives to himself to his own ease gain and advantage We walk not as servants who though they have gained never so much yet say this is none of ours we may not do with it what we please Servus non est persona sedres saith the Civil Law Thus this health this wealth these parts this time is none of mâ—ne I must improve it for my Master Oh what a good consideration would this be for every one to think I am set in this place I am in this relation I have these helpes to serve God with This is my chiefe end Seventhly It supposeth Order and Government The Church of God is an House now that hath domestical Laws There are Oeconomicks as well as Politicks it doth not deserve the name of an house where there is no body to command nor none to obey but all do as they list And must not this be much more in the spiritual house of God Paul did rejoyce to see the Churches Order and her faith Col. 2.5 her Faith for Doctrine her Order for Government Hence the Scripture speaks of those that govern and those that are to obey and God who is not a God of confusion hath not left every man to believe and think and maintain what he lift Hence are those spiritual censures of reproving admonishing and casting out a man Some walk disorderly 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 2 Thes 3.11 it 's an excellent word it signifieth such an exact order as in an army none may break his rank Thus God hath set a spiritual order in his Church some are eyes some hands some to preach some to hear some to rule some to obey and it 's a monster and not a body when every member would be an eye every private man a publick Officer in the Church This would be a Babel and not Gods house Eighthly Vnity love and concord among those that are in the same house Oh let this shame all animosities fractions and quarrellings Are we not of the same house How comely a thing is it to see brethren dwell together in unity Psal 133.1 2. It 's compared to that precious ointment poured on Aaron We reade in one Parable of some wicked servants that were drunken and did beat their fellow servants but how severe will their Master be against such How much respect have Laws given to the material building that none might quarrel or fight in the Church or Church-yard Now it 's a farre greater matter to have those brawlings and contentions in the spiritual house of God The primitive Christians were remarkable for all this when they all had one heart and one mind If it be a body and Christs body then one member must not fight with another Vse Of Direction to our particular Congregations Oh consider what titles and names the Scripture useth to give to such societies To be Gods house Is not this enough to confound us when we have by our lusts made them the sty of swine or as Jerusalem was in her desolation made for Owls and Satyrs to dance in so we chase away the presence of God from our Congregations and the Devil and lusts reigne over us Oh how unworthy are we of such names Know then that of all places Gods judgement will first begin with his own people Then judgement must begin at the house of God Your condemnation will be greater than those who never were dignified with such titles Study Reformation every one in his particular lest Christ take up a rod and whip to cleanse his Temple Certainly all our particular Congregations need much building much reforming this hath made so many sad questions Whether they may be called Churches because so many ignorant and prophane abound every where Let us labour to take away these blemishes woe be to those that give these offences you go on from one lust to another and never think what order God hath left to guide you by What purity zeal mortification ought to be every where To be like an heavenly orb full of glorious stars What doth the prophane man the liar the proud man the beastly drunkard in Gods house A master of a family that loveth God and hath care of his own soul will not let such a person dwell in his own house and do you think God will suffer it So then look not only to your own sins as private persons but as servants in so many houses Pray for godly order comely society Verse 10. According to the grace of God which is given to me c. THe Apostle having used those excellent similitudes of a field and an house in which relation particular Congregations are or should be unto God In this tenth verse he declareth what he had done among them as the house of God persisting in the same similitude So that the words are partly declaratory partly exhortatory Declaratory and in that there is the person set forth by a two-fold property a Master builder and a wise builder 2. Their is his action I have laid the foundation 3. There is the efficient cause of this According to the grace of God given unto me The latter part is Exhortatory but of that afterwards I shall at this time consider the ground and rise of all Pauls strength to lay this foundation viz. The
then believe no longer as men Do not think or speak as men but as those who have God perswading you Secondly The Scriptures are only the foundation because they are the immediate verity or truth coming from God who is the first essential truth They have not only a Divine Authority but evident infallibility As God himself is Truth and is not like man that may lie So his Word is likewise Truth and cannot lie or deceive as the writings of men Therefore Psal 19. they are said to be purer than gold seven times refined And it 's said The Scripture that cannot lie or cannot be broken John 10.35 It 's an heavy judgement to be delivered up in matters of salvation to believe a lie It 's the spiritual curse that is threatned to those of the Antichristian apostasie 2 Thess 2.11 Now they must needs be thus punished that forsake the Scripture and build upon other foundations Seeing then the Scripture doth contain infallible truth onely and not one iota or tittle of that can fall to the ground and in all other foundations that may be laid there may be falsehood errour and grand Impostures Let then those hearers that are carefull to keep a good faith walk by this Rule Chrysostome said Never expect good from that man who is not searching of the Scriptures attending to the Scriptures It 's an heavy grievous sinne that in your family in your closets you do no more acquaint your selves with the Bible Take a Tree from the River side and plant it in a wildernesse what can you expect but a withering And thus it is if you take a man from the Scripture his seeming faith graces godlinesse will all presently vanish Thirdly The Scriptures onely are the foundation of faith because they are onely immutable and unmoveable They abide alwayes the same they are not subject to changes to perturbations of affections as men are Councils consisted of men carried by passions and interests Even in the Council of Nice and the four first Councils there were great sidings great animosities particular interests and parties and therefore unlesse we had an unchangeable foundation we must be mutable Camelions Now the word of God that is said To abide for ever whereas all flesh is grasse and the glory thereof fadeth away 1 Pet. 1.24 25. It 's called the eternal Gospel Revel 14.6 So then that which was three thousand yeares agoe is still true because the Scriptures are still the same There is no new Bible though there may be many new opinions and new Sects Aristotle commendeth the Government of a Nation by Lawes above the wils and arbitrary resolutions of men because Lawes are fixed and known And so it is in the Church of God that hath a known Law and Rule Therefore it is an hainous errour which the learned note in Cusanus though otherwise not a very bad man in affirming That the Scripture is to be interpreted Secundum currentem statum Ecclesiae according to the present course and exigency of the Church and therefore in some age those things are received which in another are rejected Lastly The Scripture is only to be laid for a foundation because this onely is strong enough to support and bear up in sad hours of temptation and dangerous times of persecutions Who would be cheated or distinguished out of the Truth by subtil Hereticks or scared and terrified by violent opposers Therefore we had need be built upon such a rock that can endure all waves How could the Martyrs have resisted to blood had not they had Scripture-assurance Luther had this temptation Tune solus sapis c. and nothing but the Scripture confirmed him Our Saviour quelled Satans temptations by arrows out of the Scripture quiver When a man comes to die may he not be assaulted about the truth of his faith whether he die not in heresie or damnable opinions and nothing but the Scripture can uphold him Now for the matter of Doctrine to be believed some men lay four rotten and weak foundations others may be reduced to this The first is that of the Papist The Authority of the Church and the Pope being wholly ignorant themselves but resting all on their Authority Bellarmine doth not blush to expound that place Behold I lay in Zion a foundation stone secondarily to the Pope Now although we grant That the Ministry of the true Church is very usefull and necessary as the instrument of our faith and the preservation of it In which sense it 's called The pillar and ground of the Truth 1 Tim. 3.15 yet it is onely a Ministry not a Magistry It 's a political Pillar upon which Edicts use to hang for Declaration of the Magistrates will not an Architectonical Pillar that beares up the house So that Austins speech is true I had not believed the Gospel had not the Authority of the Church moved me viz. by way of introduction and preparation As the woman of Samaria did to the Samaritans who at first believed because she told them but afterwards they believed for Christs own sake We do not believe in the Church as we doe in the matter revealed in the Scripture Therefore that ignorant implicit faith to believe what the Church saith is not a Scripture-faith faith of knowledge besides then every member must believe according to that Church he is of and seeing there are Churches against Churches there shall also be faith against faith The second foundation men lay is The Authority of the Civil Magistrate This is a meer political faith Many men have no other apprehension about Religion than the Laws of the Land wherein they live They matter not whether true or false whether acceptable to God or consonant to Scripture but this is commanded and this they do As Seneca said in his time He observed that Worship of their gods Non tanquam Diis grata but legibus jussa not as acceptable to the gods but commanded by the Lawes But the Apostles example is clean contrary for they preached a faith to be believed that was contradictory to that Religion which was established by humane authority and they resolve thus It 's better to obey God than man Act. 5 29. The third is Private Revelation and Enthusiasmes As the Papists on one side have cryed down the sufficiency and perfection of the Scripture so Illuminatists men fancying to themselves Revelations from God have also decried it making themselves above the Scripture A dangerous and damnable delusion Therefore the Apostle John bids us Try the spirits and that cannot be without the Rule of the Word 1 John 4.1 And Fourthly Another false foundation is Meer humane Reason There are many risen up that make Reason the Judge and foundation of all Doctrinal Points the Socinian especially hereupon they reject the Trinity the Divine Nature of Christ as being against Reason Now although rectified Reason be necessary as an instrument to revive the things of faith yet it
must be subordinate to Christ Secondly We must preach Christ the foundation of all strength and power from whom we receive all ability to do any thing that is good To lay free-will for a foundation to preach up mans power for Christs power will be found stâ—ustble and hay if not worse when the fiery tryal shall come Thus Joh. 15. Without me ye can do nothing O there he doth excellently shew As the branch unless it be in the Vine must wither and can bring forth no fruit so unless a man be in Christ and abide in him he is not able spiritually to live or move And this is a necessary and excellent way of preaching Christ when he is set up as the only fountain of all our spiritual abilities when the humane strength of man is debased and contemned yea discovered to be not only impotent but abhominable and contrary unto God Hence Christ is compared to the Olive-tree from whence we have all our fatness Rom. 11. And he cals himself the life and the way Joh. 11.25 The way that is a Prophet The life that is a foundation of all spiritual strength Now in Popery when there was so much advancing of free-will and magnâ—fying the merit and worth of the good works we did Christ was much obsâ—ured Therefore â—e are not only to exhort you to pray to repent to reform but to preach Christ as him by whom you must have power to do those things People generally make little or no use of Christ in this respect when yet thou needest him all the day long I can do all things through Christ that strengthens me Phil. 4.13 Thirdly Christ is preached as a foundation when he is exalted in our Miâ—istry to be the head of the Church and he that governeth all things The head is for direction and government and also for lively influence and nourishment And thus Christ is 1 Col. 1. to the 15. What divine and admirable exaltations are there of Christ setting him up above all things and making him the head of the Church which is his body Oh the preaching of Christs Head-ship and supremacy is of great consequence There had never been such bold presumption to be an universal head in the Church never such tyranical government therein never such Angel-worship and invocation of Saints and a thousand of those derrogatory Doctrines had Christ been exalted as Head Paul saith They brought in worship of Angels because they held not the Head Col. 3.19 And that blasphemous Doctrine of making the Pope an head of the Church though they would extenuate it by calling him a ministerial head is a gross invasion of Christs right Though Christ thought it no robbery to be equall with God yet the Pope ought to think it robbery to be equall with Christ Who then can excuse Bellarmine from blasphemy who is not afraid to apply that promse of Esay Behold I lay in Zion a foundation stone to the Pope though secondarily Look we then that are Ministers and you that are people To keep this Doctrine pure Christ is the head of the Church All direction and government must be from him All vivificall influence into the Churches is by his spirit So that as the body cannot live or move without the soul so neither can the Churches of Christ spiritually move without life received from him The Scripture doth often delight to use this similitude Fourthly Christ is to be set up the only foundation in respect of mediation and intercession with God We can have no approach to God without him because of the great gulf sin hath raised between him and us He is a consuming fire and we are stubble without Christ Concerning Deus Absolutus as Luther would say The soul of a man may not think of him without horrour or despair but as he is Deus relatus related to us in Christ And this is indeed the primary and the most noble setting up of Christ as the foundation when we again and again instruct you of what distance and contrariety there is between God and a sinner and that only by his mediation there can be an agreement There is one Mediator saith the Apostle 1 Tim. 2.5 No man may can dare to draw nigh to God or think of him without this Mediatour Oh but how practically ignorant are people of Christ herein They do not go to God in Christs Name They do not desire by Faith to bring Christ as it were into Gods presence that he may behold us in him that we may be Jacobs in our eldest Brothers cloaths As Joah bid the Messenger tell David when his anger should rise because they had the worse in battell that Vriah is slain and this quieted David So it 's here When the wrath of God shall be ready to arise against thee Why hast thou bâ—oken this Command Why hast thou trasgressed this Law Then say Christ was killed Christ was the Lamb slain And this will appease the wrath of God Rev. 10.1 Christ is there described with a rainbow upon his head very fitly As God said He would not drown the world any more but look upon the rainbow and remember that Covenant of mercy So it 's here God will not damn the poor sinner repenting and believing but he will remember this rainbow he will look on Christ Now this preaching of Christ hath been wonderfully obscured in setting up other Mediatours other Intercessours so that Christ was seldom spoken of but the Virgin Mary St Francis and others And this very point was the first occasion of coming out of Popery The obscuring of Christs Mediatourship They equalized St Francis to Christ They indeed said the way to Heaven was by Christ but it was easier by St Francis So that if you look upon the Doctrine of other Mediatours about the Virgin Mary about their Canonized Saints about Images about Indulgences Oh the black clouds that were drawn over that glorious Sunne of righteousness Let then Ministers and people keep to this look to this For without it all the marrow of Religion is lost Only by Christ his mediation with God God is an enemy to me and I to God And for this end were all those Sacrifices appointed in the old administration to shew that by Christ was all reconcilement and atonement Do not thou then think thy teares must do that which belongs to Christs blood Thy teares thy humiliation thy broken heart for sinne is indeed necessary but to think by these to have a mediation with God is to build another foundation then what the Apostles laid And truly if sinne be rightly considered in the infinite aggravation of it we we must quickly yeeld none but who is an infinite person can be our Mediatour Fifthly From this floweth another necessary way of preaching Christ a foundation viz. Of acceptation of our persons and duties Our Justification is built only on him and all the sweet savour that our duties have is through him Thus Paul doth frequently make
gold and silver is there we must dig thence we must replenish our selves Teirdly There is implied the durablenesse and constancy of it Gold will not melt away in the fire or be consumed as hay and stubble will And thus the Apostle alludeth to afterwards He shall be saved so as by fire and the fire shall try every mans work He speaks of a probatory and not a purgatory fire that is afflictions or the light of Gods word shall burn all this stubble So that the truths of God they are so constant and abiding that when a man comes to be afflicted to be persecuted to be undone for the truth of God this will abide What is the chaff to the wheat Jer. 23.28 When a wind comes the chaff is blown away And therefore this should make all very carefull herein both Pastor and people God will have his fire there will be winds and tempests whether it be gold or stubble wheat or chaff then it will be discovered whereas divers and strange erroneous Doctrines they have not been willing to come to the fire Every Heresie in the Church went up and down like Cain trembling left every place of Scripture that met it should kill it Fourthly The truths of Christ are compared to gold and silver Because of the solidity and ponderosity of them they are weighty and heavy Whereas errors are compared to hay and stubble what is lighter than these And therefore such as give way to falshood they are said to be carried away with every wind of Doctrine Ephes 4.14 as if they were so many feathers or straws Whatsoever opinion then is accompanied with vanity levity and emptinesse it 's not solid grave and substantial refuse that It is said Solomons ships they went for gold of Ophir and they brought home pearls Thus do many men they make us if they sought out the admirable and solid truths of God and they bring Peacocks empty gaudy flourishings of wit or curious opinions This is not the weighty and solid truth of God Fifthly They are compared to gold Because of the purity and sincerity in them The truths of God they have an holy simplicity and sincerity and therefore false Teachers are said 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 2 Cor. 2. to corrupt the pure word of God as hucksters do their wine David compareth Gods word to pure gold even seven times refined Psal 19 And hereby it becomes a very dangerous sinne for any to counterfeit it or corrupt it If among men their Laws make it a capital crime to counterfeit or clip their coin certainly God will account it no lesse hainous a sinne to do so with his truths As it's gold for sincerity so it 's compared to the water of life for its purity And as Isaac complained of the Philistims as the greatest injury that could be to stop up his wels with earth and it 's a matter of death to poison a fountain or spring where men use to drink so destructive and hainous a sinne it must be to infect the pure streams of the Sanctuary that people should thereby suck down their own poison Sixthly It 's compared to gold for the efficacy and choice vertue thereof Gold is not only of price and esteem but it hath it's powerfull operations in medicinal wayes against bodily diseases And thus certainly the truths of God are when received by faith they are mighty to the casting down of all the strong holds of sinne they are powerfull to overthrow the greatest oppositions Sanctifie them by thy truth thy word is truth John 17. Thus it 's said Psal 19. To convert the soul as the learned there interpret it is revive the soul to bring life again when a man by discouragements and dejections is even swooning away Oh then these golden truths of Christ they have a special influence upon the heart of a man to revive against faintings to dispel all distempers and to preserve against all languishings Seventhly They are compared to gold and silver For the usefulnesse and profitablenesse to all things Money answereth all things saith the Wiseman Eccles 10.19 Many outward comforts in this world may be had for gold and silver you may have friends food raiment Hence the Heathens made Pluto wealth a god because it wrought all things among men Clausum aur â custodit Jovem Horace spake of the covetous man He keeps his god in his chest And covetousnesse is called Idolatry Col. 3.5 Thus gold and silver prevail in the world And therefore Balaam to expresse his resolvednesse not to curse Israel said Though Balaak would give him an house full of gold yet he would not curse them But alas what are these to the truths of Christ They are profiâ—able for such things which material gold and silver cannot do Judas when tormented in in his conscience foa sinne What could his thirty pieces of silver comfort him Could that ease his conscience Give gold and silver to the damned men in hell will that comfort them There are many mercies that all the gold and silver in the world cannot help us unto but now there is no condition no doubt no affliction no want but the truths of Christ are very profitable unto The truth of Justification by faith in Christ Is not that more worth than the gold of Ophir What precious and powerfull operations hath it upon the hearts of the godly Eighthly The truths of Christ are compared to gold and precious stones Because they are able to enrich a man with all graces There is spiritual and heavenly wealth as well as earthly and temporal and the truths of God are of the first sort Thus the poor of this world are said to be rich in faith Jam. 2 5. And Christ became poor to make us rich 2 Cor. 8.9 not in outward respects or external greatnesse but in internal and spiritual riches Mark that counsel Revel 3.18 to the Church who thought her self rich and needing nothing I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire that thou mayest be rich Oh that people were spiritual You see here is gold offered to all and he is indeed foolish that refuseth this There is many a man with gold and silver and much wealth in this world and yet is very poor towards God When our Saviour had declared that Parable of Dives and the eternal torment he had after his great pleasures he concludeth So is every man that is rich in the treasures of this world and is not rich towards God Luke 12.21 In the second place To build gold and precious stones on this foundation is not onely to preach sound and pure matter but this matter in a pure and exact way Now this golden way of preaching to be Chrysostoms and Chrysologues indeed consiâ—eth First In preaching of them after Scripture Authority when they are conveyed unto you as having the stamp and Authority of God The Prophets came with Thus saith the Lord and this like thunder may make the
more A poor man thinketh a little summe of money great treasures For the day shall declare it c. This Text you heard containeth the proportionable Effects or successe which builders wise or foolish have in Gods house And the Apostle first layeth down a general Proposition Every mans work shall be made manifest which hath already been dispatched We therefore now proceed and for this manifestation the Apostle informeth us of the time first and then the manner how The time first in these words For the day shall declare it and of this at this present All the doubt is What the Apostle doth mean by the Day There are some understand it of the Day of death when every man receiveth his particular judgement he shall then know whether his building will abide or no. Others understand it of the Day of Judgement which is called the day of the Lord and that day by an emphasis Bellarmine indeed is positive in this because 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is used with an Article which signifieth the Day of Judgment but that is false For the time of the Gospel is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Rom. 13.12 The night is past the day is at hand c. So that we cannot close with this interpretation because the Apostle carrieth it all the way for this life while we are in this world as will be shewed when we come to explain what is meant by the fire We take therefore Day for no more than Time such a day hath God in his wisdome appointed for the blowing away all this chaff As we see a covering of thatch doth not ordinarily hold long but fire or winde ariseth and cosumeth all Thus the Septuagint sometimes render 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Time So that the meaning is Howsoever these errours and false Doctrines may continue yet time at last will discover the vanity and weaknesse of them The Grecian said 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Time was the Touchstone the trial of all things And the Latines say Veritas est temporis filia Truth is the daughter of Time The day will declare it that is time will make them manifest onely the Article 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that Day doth denote the appointed and set time which God hath for the taking of all such disguises whereas it is the clean contrary with truth The longer that lasts the more it is believed the sufficiency and evidence of it is the more entertained Now although we thus understand it of time in this world yet it cannot be denied but at the Day of Judgement there will be a full discovery of all the works and Doctrines of men Observe That God hath his time when he will discover the errours and falshoods of mens Doctrines A day shall declare it You have a parallel expression Their folly shall be made manifest and they shall proceed no further 2 Tim 3.9 he compareth false teachers to Jannes and Jambres as they did miracles like Moses for a while but at last their folly and sorcery were discovered So it 's here God will put a stop to the torrent of errours he will shew a great difference between his truth and mens inventions the one shall be received and the other rejected This Gangrene that spiritual Physician can stop from further contagion God that could stop the infection of the plague on a sudden that the arrow should kill no more at mid-day hath done this also wonderfully in his Church The day did declare Arianism Pelagianism Nestorianism and the like To enlarge this Doctrine consider these things First In that the Scripture cals the time of manifestation a Day wherein is light and the Sunne beams it doth excellently imply That all the while there are corruptions in Doctrine and Worship that time is a time of darknesse Let men never so much rejoyce in them and count them happy times yet the Scripture cals them dark times So that to take away the truths of God the pure worship of God is indeed Solem è mundo tollere to take the Sunne out of the firmament All the while the Church of the Jews was without the Law and the Prophet without true teaching of the Word of God they were in a worse condition than the Egyptians in their Egyptian darknesse for that hindred them onely in their bodily motions and outward accommodations but this tends to the destruction and damnation of soul and body The true Ministers of Gods word are compared to light and to salt Matth. 5 13. Nihil Sole sale utilius both are necessary and usefull They are called the Starres and it must needs be a dark night when no starres shine Since the Apostles times the Church of God hath many times come under such dark times that it hath been like the old Chaos when darknesse covered the deep Take we heed then of calling darknesse light there is a woe to those that do so Isa 5.20 as some do the times of Reformation the times of Deformation If these corrupt Doctrines which come from the prince of darknesse thou callest light as coming from the Father of lights Thou intitlest God to the Devils work and that is no mean â—in This should teach the godly what to think under the overflowing of errours to account them dark and sad times Secondly There are no foolish builders that thus deform Gods Temple but they are by Gods permission in his wrath and anger because men have abused his truth and waxed wanton under it therefore hath he sent the spirit of delusion and errours amongst men 2 Thess 2.10 For this you must know though God be not the Authour of any evil and it were blasphemy to ascribe sinne to him as the cause of it yet as a just Judge he doth not onely suffer but also order that heresies and corruptions shall be in the Church They are of the Lord by permission and ordination though not efficiency and approbation Thus in Deut. 13.3 If there arise a false Prophet I the Lord do it to try you And in Ahabs time you may reade of many lying spirits in the false Prophets yet they could not goe to delude such or such till God gave them leave 2 Chron. 18.21 Thus 1 Cor. 11. There must be heresies Why must there be so God to punish mens corruptions their pride their ignorance their wilfull abuse of his knowledge will suffer such things to be Though he hath a gracious end That the approved may be made manifest That as all the persecutions which have been in the Church were from God as a just Judge to exercise the patience of it So all the heresies and errours which have been were to exercise the wisdome and true faith of the Church So that howsoever times of overflowing of errours be dark and uncomfortable times yet to consider the cause is farre more uncomfortable for these came from mens corruptions and Satans instigations as also from a provoked God in Heaven who punisheth our former
was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a Martyrdome Christ died a Martyr as well as a Mediatour because by his blood he witnessed Gods truth You see then how deare his truths are to him And the Psalmist among other arguments useth this It 's time for thee Lord to work for men have made void thy Law Psal 119.126 And though it be but the least Commandment yet if any man shall teach men to breake it he shall be called the least in the Kingdome of Heaven that is he shall be none at all in the Church here as some expound and of Heaven hereafter Matth. 5.19 Know then that not only prophane lives but corrupt Doctrines do provoke God Secondly It 's necessary there should be a time because of the people who belong to Gods grace that they may see their errours and bewail them That they may redeem the time by pulling down their hay and stubble and building gold and silver Thus Luther and all the first Reformers alas they had a long time built hay and stubble till God opened their eyes and then they were as much for truth as once against it How could the people of God come out of Babylon if this day were not And if there be so much joy for reducing one straying Sheep how much more of wandering Shepherds Lastly In respect of men hardened in their errours that their obstinacy may appear the more That when they will not see though the day appear who then can justifie them Thus the Pharisees the proper builders of hay and stubble yet Christ tels them He came into the world that they might not see Their blindnesse was the more increased by his light Vse of Admonition To embrace those daies of light and Revelation which God brings into the world Do not dote upon thy own Opinions thy old corrupt Doctrines and Worship It 's no longer night the day appeareth It 's true such a day is very terrible to men who are wholly corrupted with their errours As Mal. 3. The Prophet speaking of his coming to purify the sons of Levi cryeth out Who may abide the day of his coming It 's as terrible you heard as the Day of Judgment to them Certainly to superstitious and idololatrical persons the day of Reformation is a terrible day They cannot abide the purity and holinesse of it Do not dispute but wisely observe when God causeth such daies to arise upon thee thy blindnesse will be the more inexcuseable Because it shall be revealed by fire and the fire shall try every mans work of what sort it is We now proceed to the manner or Instrument by which the Day of God shall declare it and that is by fire This is the place that hath raised much fire of contention while Expositours differ about the interpretation of fire Austin as you have heard thought it one of Paul's hard places to be understood and is so modest that he professeth he had rather learn from others then dictate any thing himself This Text the Papists make the chief place for Purgatory therefore Bellermine lib. 1. de Purga cap. 5. is very large in the explication of this place calling it as difficillimum for tilissimum c. one of the most difficult places of the whole Scripture and yet most profitable because the Catholiques build their Ecclesiastical Doctrines on this place viz That there are venial sins and that there is Purgatory Indeed he doth in part Orthodoxly expound the fire in this verse saying Herein we do not dissent from Calvin and Martyr but he would establish it on verse 15. Of which in its time But it 's well that if there be such a fire it 's only of hay and stubble and will not last long By Purgatory fire they mean a severe punishment though not altogether so terrible as Hell in which place they go that are good for the main but yet have many sinnes cleaving to them from which they were not purged in this life If you ask for a text of Scripture some say It cannot be proved by Scripture but only it 's a Church tradition Others as Bellarmine labour to prove it by Scripture but by very obscure texts such as these are Now necessary things to Faith or Salvation are some where or other laid down plainly in Scripture But that this is only a probatory fire and not a a purgatory as they hold appeareth by this clear Argument They hold that only wicked actions shall come into the purgatory fire but the Apostle makes all actions good or bad to come under this fire The fire shall try every mans work If it be gold or precious stones it must be tried by fire as well as hay or stubble whereas purgatory fire is only for hay and stubble And this sufficiently clears the place from any such corrupt glosse which would build hay and stubble even from that very text that threatens fire to such Doctrine But it 's not enough to confute a false interpretation unlesse we give a true What then is meant by fire And First We will take it for granted though some think otherwise that fire is used in the same sense by the Apostle in these verses It 's revealed by fire The fire shall try Yet â—o as by fire Three times the Apostle nameth fire and it 's not likely that in so short a space he should use it in different senses Taking it therefore for one and the same fire let us consider how the Scripture useth the word fire and I shall not reckon up all the significations but what respects to this in my Text And 1. Fire signifieth the wrath and anger of God Why is thy anger kindled like fire And God is a consuming fire Heb. 12.29 2. For the Effect of Gods anger tribulations and punishment When thou walkest through the fire Isa 43 2. 3. It 's used for any thing that will try and examine That as the fire tryeth the gold but consumeth the drosse so whatsoever way God takes to examine that is fire Thus Psal 66.10 Thou hast tryed us as silver is tryed And Gods Word is said to be like gold seven times tryed in the furnace Psal 12 6. Especially Zechar. 13.9 4 More particularly it 's used for Gods Word because that doth try and discover all false waies Jer. 5.14 I will make my â—ords in thy mouth fire saith God to Jeremiah For fire hath light and heat in it both these try First Light Every thing that is manifested is manifested by the light Ephes 5.13 Secondly Heat Calor separat heterogenea Heat separateth the drosse from gold Now the Word of God is light and heat 5. Fire is used for temptations afflections The precious tryal of your faith by fire 1 Pet. 1.7 Count not the firey tryal a strange thing 1 Pet. 4.12 Mark 9.29 Every Sacrifice shall be sâ—ltâ—â—â—ith fire That is as some expound it Every man that would be acceptable to God he must have salt to season him and this
much without Prayer to read much without Prayer is like the stomack that eats much but wants natural heat for digestion But you will say How is â—â—aâ—s word a fire How doth that reveal when many very expâ—rt in Scripture do yet runne into very many errours Do not those that build hay and stubble bring many texts of Scripture How can these be said to reveal Answer 1. The defect is not in the Scripture but in men themselves The Owle and Bat is made blinder by the Sunne-beames not through any defect in the Sunne A diseased stomack groweth worse by the good meat it eateth The Papists call the Scripture The Heretiques Book and Luther did so also but upon different grounds For the Papists they say the blame on the Scripture making it insufficient imperfect a nose of wax but Luther on mens corruptions that prophanely and presumptuously put that sense on it which it doth not own But Secondly Men swallow down first the sweet poison of errours from false Teachers and then they think every place in the Scripture makes for them And this is the main cause of errours They have mens persons in admiration they do not judge of persons by their Doctrine but their Doctrine by their persons and when they are thus prepossessed then they easily perswade every text is for them or at least not contrary to them A man that hath a noise of wind in his ears thinketh he heareth the like abroad and the distempered palate thinketh every sweet thing bitter Thirdly They do not attend to the whole Scripture They compare not place with place Mark any errours they fasten upon some places of Scripture and they do not wisely consider other texts as well If we take that place We are no more under the Law but under grace Rom. 6.14 here you would think the Law were quite laid aside but take â—â—other place The law is good if a man use it lawfully 1 Tim. 1.8 And â—â— we make void the Law God forbid Rom. 3.31 So then you see the Law hath its use still Lastly It 's not enough to have Scripture to have many texts but we are also to make use of those helps for the understanding of them which God hath appointed The Scripture is the only Rule but not the only Means for else there needed no praying there needed not the Spirit of God nor the Ministry but God hath appointed Ministers in his Church who by way of Office are to interprete and explain Scripture They are called eyes and Shepherds And the neglect of this may lead a man though perfect in the Scripture into errours I come to the second way Afflictions are Gods fire they will discover mens works by of preparation and fiting the heart to receive even as the plowing and harrowing of the ground makes it fit for the seed Many Psalms have this Inscription Maschil a Psalm of David that is a Psalm that giveth Instruction Now many have afflictions for their subject Hence is that old saying Schola crucis est Schola lucis We are careless proud wanton negligent and will not hear what the Word saith till God hath câ—â—stized us and therefore the Church of God was most Orthodox and the purest Virgin in times of persecution but in the times of prosperity then the most damnable heresies did overflow As in Summer the Snakes and Adders are busie but in Winter they do not stirre Vse of Instruction How much we are to blesse God for his Word and the pure preaching of it It 's that which preserveâ—h thee from swallowing down the damnable poison of thy soul It is that which keepeth thee from falling into the dâ—tch though now we are grown wanton under it We are weary of this Manna Yet when at first they came up out of Aegyptian Popery the pure preaching of the Word was accounted the greatest mercy There was a solemn day of rejoycing in Germany when the Bible was translated into the vulgar native tongue Observe the Devils methods when for a long time he destroyed men through ignorance and horrid blindnesse afterwards he did it through too much knowledge or rather abuse of that knowledge and light which shined upon them But let not the building though of hay and stubble be accounted a light matter it will cost fire It will not be a small matter to endure the burning in this Text. Verse 14. If any mans work abide which he hath built thereupon he shall receive a reward THe Apostle you heard hath in a general manner treated of the time and manner how all the works of the builders in the Church shall be tryed which persisting in his Metaphor he cals fire He now comes to the application of this Allegory and to shew the particular disparity And 1. He beginneth with the wise builder and herein you have the good work supposed And 2. The good reward promised The good work supposed is If it abide If it can endure the fire and be not consumed by it for so all truth will The good thing promised is He shall receive a reward By the reward here promised to understand only that honour and dignity he shall have in the Church is to limit it too much we may take it for all the honour and blessing God will bestow on him here and eternal life hereafter Now why it 's called a Reward and the improvement of that hath been already considered we shall therefore pitch on the matter supposed If any mans work abide Now this must be understood supposing all the other conditions likewise required to salvation For if a man preach truth never so truly if he be never so Orthodox yet if his life be wicked he shall loose heaven for all that Therefore those who are Orthodox in their judgments and do not walk exactly in their lives are like those posts in the high-way as Austin said that direct passengers to go the right way but they themselves stand still The meaning then of the Apostle is That on his Doctrines part there shall be no impediment to his salvation If his life and if his aims and ends be gold likewise as well as his Doctrine he is sure to have a glorious Reward Now though this be a necessary point to shew that it 's not enough for such Officers to preach that which is truth but they ought to have such aims and ends and such an holy conversation also as the Word requireth else they but make Crowns of glory for others and they themselves shall be cast into eternal darknesse yet because it 's not intended here I wave it Again when it 's said If a mans work abide By work is meant Doctrine That you may not suck that poison which a Papist from hence inferreth That there are some works so pure that they can abide Gods tryal David thought otherwise when he said Enter not into judgment with thy servant O Lord c. Psal 143.2 From the matter then supposed
off every man from his dearest sinnes The Apostle speaking 2 Pet. 3.11 of this expectation and how the whole world shall be then on fire he cryeth out What manner of persons ought we to be For Heathens and Atheists that believe not this Day it 's no marvell if they eat and drink and take no care but how is it that thou a Believer of these things art not in Prayer often in fasting and humiliation in reference hereunto Vse of Instruction The reason of the deluge of all errours and prophanenesse is for want of good logick They do not inferre good conclusions from good Premises For to be a Church to be Christians to be Believers of such sure and certain things do not those inferre to all What manner of persons should we be in all godlinesse and holinesse of Conversation Do you not know these things Are not these things acknowledged by all How then can wickednesse and sinne be found in any mans life Oh men be either desperate Atheists or mad fools Atheists if we believe not these things fools if we believe yet our lives not answerable thereunto What wilt thou plead at the day of Judgment What will thy own conscience say for thee Wilt thou not become immediately speechlesse not able to open thy mouth when God shall command to take such a sinner such a wicked man and bind him hand and foot and throw him into Hell If these things be not true deny them if you cannot you dare not deny them then go home and mourn in secret and meditate in secret on these things Know ye not that ye are the Temple of God The Introductive Preface hath been dispatched we come to the Assertion it self and therein we are to consider the Subject who are compared And 2. To what they be compared And Lastly The ground or Reason of the comparison The Subject compared is Ye Ye are the Temple of God This Ye may be taken both Collectively as a Church a Community a Society as the Temple was not one stone but a multitude of stones artificially built together And Secondly Distributively Ye that is every man is the Temple of the Holy Ghost As 1 Cor. 6.17 Your bodies are the Temple of the Holy Ghost But the first sense is here chiefly to be retained he speaketh to them as a Church 2. Here is the Matter we are compared to The Temple of God I shall speak more of this in verse 17 Only the word Temple is used sometimes for that magnificent and glorious building of Jerusalem where God had appointed all his worship Sometimes it is used for Heaven as being that glorious Palace wherein the Majesty of God doth effectualy demonstrate it self The Hebrew word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifieth any large Palace or Tower any Kingly House and is attributed to the Tabernacle 1 Sam. 1.9 It 's used for Heaven as Gods House Mich. 1.2 and Psal 11.4 From Templum comes that word Contemplâ—r because all behold the glory of the Heavens as also some say Considere from sidus But metaphorically the word signifieth First The Body of Christ Destroy this Temple said Christ and in three daies I will build it up Joh. 2.19 And if the Temple were holy because of the Schechinah the habitation of Gods presence there how much rather doth Christs body deserve to be called the Temple because the Godhead dwelled in it so fully for the company of Believers assembled and joyned together in the service and worship of God So that as God promised to commune with the people of Israel from between the Mercy-Seat and did there graciously exhibite himself so it is here Thus then as the Temple was a peculiar place dedicated to God wherein God promised his gracious presence so it is with a company of Believers joyned together in a Church way Concerning the holinesse of the Temple more in verse 17. Doct. That the People of God met together to worship him according to his way are the Spiritual Temple of God The ancient Temple was not more glorious and admirable to the humane eye then such Societies should be to the eye of Faith Thus Antichrist is said to fit in the Temple of God 2 Thes 2.4 that is in the Church of God where the true Church was And learned men think that latter part of Exekiel's prophesie though very obscure concerning the measuring of the Temple is nothing but the Promise of the building of the Church in the new Testament in an heavenly and glorious manner The Scripture delights to allude to those ancient usages in the Old Testament So that Evangelical Duties are sometimes called Sacrifices thus the people of God a Temple in this place To open this Doctrine let us consider what is in the Church allusively to the Temple And First The Materials for the Temple were to be polished and fitted by art ere they could be made part of the building The trees and timber of themselves the stones of themselves were not fit for that goodly structure but they had Instruments of art going over them to prepare them and thus it is ere a people come in to be made Members of a Church indeed there must be a Divine efficacy and power passing over them We of our selves have not Faith have not preparednesse for such Church duties till God doth enable us Look we therefore how we come into the Church of God How is it brought about that we are so If there be nothing but nature and custome or because we are born in such places if we have no more for our being Christians then Jews have for being Jews Turkes for being Turkes this is not to be Gods Temple indeed No that must be said to thee which was to Peter Flesh and blood hath not revealed this to thee Mat. 16.17 Hence the Church of God is compared to a Vineyard to a Garden all which are not naturally so but by art and industry are made such Thus it is here whatsoever our Societies and Meetings are in reference to God it is wholly of his making Secondly The Materials of the Temple were very excellent and precious of gold and silver c. not hay and stubble The best stone the best wood that would not putrifie and all things were covered over with gold and the gold was to be pure gold even the very snuffers were to be of gold Now what did this represent but to shew what kind of people those should be who were of the Church of God even as much differing from the others as gold and precious stones from pibble stones as precious wood from bryers So then if we be the Temple of God we ought to be a people of more noble and heavenly Conversation then the world can reach unto There ought to be no sinfull debasing waies amongst us As Michall though falsly said to David dancing before the Ark Thou hast made thy self like one of the vile fellowes of the Land it is
this later way of Gods Spirit as formerly you heard dwelling in us is most comfortable and most to be regarded though the other be more admired The former did especially belong to the Church in its first plantation Hence Acts 2. we reade of the accomplishment of that glorious Prophecy Joel 2. To pour out his Spirit c. but now these miraculous operations are ceased Vse of Instruction What Congregations and what manner of persons we ought to be To be meer men cometh farre short of being spiritual men we ought to be above sense and all humane principles Take the most refined men for morality and civility the choisest for all humane abilities yet without the Spirit of God they are no more than Adams body till life was brethed into him no more than those bones in Ezekiel till the Spirit of God gathered them together Oh that our Congregations consisted of spiritual men Paul complained He could not preach to them but as carnal The Spirit of God would lift thee up to other affections other desires As the Spirit took some mens bodies and lifted them up into the air so would it doe to the soules of men they had the Spirit of God who said Our conversation is in Heaven They had the Spirit of God that did look for the coming of Christ They had the Spirit of God who had prayed with groanes unutterable and who had joy unspeakable But oh we poor worms and not spiritual men cold clods of earth destitute of Gods Spirit And that the Spirit of God dwels in you We have heard what this inhabitation of Gods Spirit in his Church doth imply and how he may be said to dwell in us In the next place let us consider the special Workes and Effects of Gods Spirit in his Church For therefore partly hath he the name Spirit because of that power and efficacy he hath in the Church Hence he came downe in a mighty rushing winde and cloven tongues of fire So that he is called the Spirit internally and externally internally for his personall character whereby he proceeds from the Father and the Sonne Externally because of those admirable effects and demonstrations of his presence in the Church Now I shall not speak of these operations which he hath as God in creating and conservating of the world but what are more peculiar to the Church in which sense he is called The Spirit of Christ Romans 8.9 because Christ by his death did purchase such gifts and graces for his people the efficient whereof in an appropriated manner is the Spirit of God And First The very ministerial functions and abilities to discharge them are of the Holy Ghost in the Church For although Ephesians 4.11 it 's said That Christ after his Ascension and triumph over Death and Hell Gave gifts unto men Even as great Emperours when they ride in glorious triumph after a final Conquest over their enemies use to distribute large favours and many bountifull signes of honour yet because upon his Ascension he promised the Spirit of God in his absence as the divine Vicar of Christ therefore 1 Cor. 12. we find all operations and diversities of them attributed to the holy Ghost And Acts 25. the holy Ghost is said To make those overseers in the Church of Ephesus So that what Church-officers or what Church-ordinances or order we have and what Gifts and Abilities likewise there are to discharge them These are all of the holy Ghost and of the holy Ghost three wayes 1. In respect of their Institution and being For although it 's by man that such and such persons are elected and ordained to this or that Office yet the Office of it self is of the holy Ghost They are not the Institutions of men nor may men appoint some Church-officers which God hath not because their end is wholly supernatural As it 's said 2 Cor. 12.28 God hath set in his Church such Officers even as he hath set the Sunne and starres in the firmament so that all Officers lawfully called are of the holy Ghost either immediately as at the beginning or else mediately by the order and designation of the Church And as for their gifts it 's plain the extraordinary and miraculous gifts in the primitive times were from Gods Spirit The Scripture often attributeth them to it Only now it may be doubted Whether we can say that the gifts and the abilities that Ministers have now are from the holy Ghost because they are got by humane study and industry And is there any more required to understand the Scripture than any other humane Authour Plato or Aristotle Those cursed wretches Julian and Porphyrius who wrote against the Scripture they understood what they were so invective against yet it cannot be thought they were inabled by the holy Ghost Now to answer this even those natural abilities and humane indowments that men obtain by study are a gift of God they are a blessing which we see God giveth to some and not to other It 's Gods mercy thou art not a natural fool a mad man but when thou hast more understanding and better intellectual abilities than other thou hast a greater gift from God than others Hence in our very ordinary phrase we say such an one hath an excellent gift in his memory in his elocution c. And the Scripture is clear James 1.17 Every good and perfect gift cometh from the Father of lights which is to be understood universally both of naturals and supernaturals And what hast thou thou hast not received 1 Cor. 4. Hence in the Parable all abilities whether gracious or natural are called Talents and are given by one Master That is the first thing even those excellent abilities which the greatest Heretiques and enemies to the Christian Religion had were of God though the sinfull use of them came from the Devil and their own corrupt hearts They were talents of gold and they made Idols of them 2. As the gifts and abilities Church-officers have are from God so the right understanding of the Scripture and believing the sense contained therein is in a more particular manner a gift of Gods Spirit For although the Spirit of God doth not give us the sense and meaning of the Scripture in an extraordinary manner viz. without the knowledge of the tongues the comparing of places together c. yet in and by these means the Spirit of God doth help us to understand the Scripture I do not here speak of a saving knowledge of the sense of the Scripture but a meer literal knowledge of the meaning thereof This is plain by the Apostle No man can say that Jesus is the Lord but by the Spirit 1 Cor. 12 3 The very historical believing of Scripture truths is from the Spirit of God So that here is required a more peculiar and particular assistance of Gods Spirit in ministerial abilities for the opening of the Scripture then for any humane Authour because the matter
into the Temple The Greek words are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 an elegant allusion The sinne and the punishment shall be both alike some have rendered it corrupt some vitiate others destroy This of our Translators is very good For seeing the truths of God and his Ordinances are pure then it followeth all errours and false Doctrines are a pollution as if you should put drosse to gold or cast mud into a pleasant spring Some Interpreters think the Apostle doth intend to an higher sinne then he named before For say they vers 15. he speaks of such false Doctrines that did not overthrow the foundation now such a man may be saved though difficultly but vers 17. he nameth such as strike at the very root and destroy the very Temple it self So that they make this the meaning If any man bring such corruptions of Doctrine as destroy the Temple of God overthrow Religion and make it no Church he shall not be saved at all There is no fire to cleanse him but to consume him Thus some But it 's more consonant to take the words more general and so they do better cohere And this destruction spoken of is to be understood unlesse he repent or pro subjectâ materiâ if it be onely hay and stubble then the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is no more than 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 before a destruction partial not total but if they be damnable heresies than they meet with a total destruction Observe That those men who defile the Church of God with corrupt Doctrines do highly provoke God to punish them The Text is an Argument à minori ad majus If the defilers of the material Temple did not escape Gods punishments as Athaliah for prophaning the Temple and Belshazzar the holy vessels of the Temple then much lesse shall they escape who pollute the Church of God by any such falshoods And we reade that our Saviour did in this shew his anger and wrought a miracle by way of indignation and another particular namely cursing the fig-tree In these two cases did Christs miracles tend to destruction or punishment all the other were full of mercy and healing For when they had defiled the Temple and made it a den of thieves twice our Saviour made a whip and scourged them out which Hierom doth admire as a greater miracle than any other our Saviour did that a man unarmed and contemptible should chase away such a multitude of men and in that matter of their profit making no resistance but barely asking By what power he did these things No doubt the City of Jerusalem was then guilty of many horrible and grievous crimes of injustice adulteries but Christ takes no notice of that but goeth presently to the Temple to reforme there and this is attributed to the godly zeal that was in him which did even eat him up John 2.17 For the opening of the Doctrine let us consider Why false Doctrines are a defiling why they are called corruptions For so in the Old Testament Idolatry is often called men are said to have corrupted their wayes by false worship and this will be good to take off that lovely painting and alluring dresse which some would put upon their errors and superstitions Now they are called defilings and corruptions First From the pure nature of Gods truth and his worship which falshoods do staine and take away the glory of You see the Apostle compareth them to gold and precious stone Now to take these and to throw them into the dirt is a debasing of them Gods word is said to be more pure than gold seven times refined yea more to be desired than fine gold Psal 19.10 Christ commends his Doctrine under the notion of living water John 4.10 the pure running streams of the brook Now all false Teachers they throw in mud and dirt to these as the Philistims did earth into those Wells that Isaac digged for his cattel Every pure thing is made impure when mingled with any thing of a more sordid and inferiour nature as gold with leade wine with water water with mud So then though men give glorious Titles and Names to their falshoods as excellent Truths glorious Lights yet indeed they are no more than defilements and pollutions Oh then how humble tender and carefull ought men to be Are the Truths and Ordinances of God by institution and in their original so pure Come not then with thy soul hands to handle such precious things Secondly They are called defilements and pollutions Because the truths and Church of God are not only pure but dedicated and appropriated to him as the only object So that they are holy as well as pure and in this notion the Apostle considers them So that it 's a sacrilegious defilement to take the Truths and Ordinances or worship of God and by thy carnal and sinfull imaginations to pervert them And here we may say in another sense Thou that abhorrest Idols doest thou commit sacriledge Thou that art against Popery against the Idolatry of the Masse and other abominable things Doest thou sacrilegiously pervert the holy Truths and Ordinances of God by sinfull and corrupt opinions Certainly if this were believed men would not so prophanely dispute and dally in the holy things of God Thirdly Errours and heresies may well be called defilements Because they are a disease and so spread over the Church The Scripture compareth them not to every kind of disease but that which is most mortal and dangerous even a Cancer Thus Paul of Hymenaeus and Philetus Whose word eateth like a canker 3 Tim. 2.17 The Leprosie in the Old Testament of which Levit. 13. there is so much spoken is acknowledged by Divines to typifie heresie and errours and as that did infect and make the very garments unclean that they were to be washed or burnt so the Apostle alludes to this Jude vers 23. Hating even the garment that is spotted by the flesh See what thoughts we are to have of all errours and heresies we are no to touch the garment of the flesh that is we are not to come near such as it 's said Come out of Babylon because of her Church-corruptions and touch no unclean thing 2 Cor. 6.17 Thus you see that you are not only to take heed of defâ—â—ng your selves with errours but because they are a Leprosie a spreading filthinesse you are not to come near the temptations be as much afraid of such an one as of one with a plague sore running upon him That very phrase Whose word eats like a canker should much terrifie women who by seeming pretences are apt to be mis-led What a dangerous thing is a canker in thy brest But as soon as thou hast received any errour thou hast got a canker in thy heart So that if it were onely a pollution it was not so terrible but here is a killing disease with this pollution If therefore thou lovest thy soul flee from
we called an house of prayer In Solomons prayer 1 Kings 8.48 the captives of Israel carried into another Land are supposed in their captivity to pray unto God with their face towards the Land of Israel and also towards the Temple Fourthly But from this Temple to argue for such holinesse in our Churches Yea and with Bellarmine and others to plead for private praying in the Church more than in other places as if there were more holinesse therein and for the places sake to have more acceptance is unjustifiable by Scripture John 4.21 24. The time is coming when they shall not worship in this mountaine or in Jerusalem but they shall worship him in Spirit and truth There is no Jerusalem now nor any place like Jerusalem and now God would have us in every place lift up holy hands in prayer 1 Tim. 2.8 It 's therefore unwarrantable by Scripture to pray in a Church for the places sake to have the prayer the more acceptable as Bellarmine pleadeth And indeed because there is no such peculiar institution nor no such peculiar promise therefore there cannot be such a relative holinesse Private prayers in the Church though pretended not to be done for the places sake while we are at the publick Ordinances are also incongruous and unwarrantable partly because they are against the nature of private prayer prescribed by our Saviour When thou prayest shut thy door after thee Mat. 6.6 Private prayer must be done in a private manner and partly because the Church is for publick Ordinances We meet together in spiritual communion and while the society is singing for thee to be privately praying is unsuitable to the duty in hand where there ought to be one heart one mouth and consent Fifthly Because the Temple was so glorious and Gods promise was in a special manner made to it therefore the Jews put all their trust and confidence in this though their lives were full of wickednesse and grosse impieties yet because they had the Temple that made them think themselves happy Hence the Prophet severely reproveth them for it saying Trust no more in lying words saying The Temple of the Lord the Temple of the Lord are these Jer. 7.4 Hence at last God was so provoked that he gave it up to idolatrous Heathens to be destroyed that a stone should not be left upon a stone For Hadrian the Emperor quite demolished it and in stead thereof built a place with a new name calling it Aelia and upon the gate set the Image of a Swine by way of scorn and derision to the Jews to whom that beast was unclean And thus truly God hath done with many glorious spiritual Temples under the Gospel Where are the seven Churches of Asia And where is the pure Church of Rome now The present Governours of that Church glory of their succession to their former Worthies Whose faith was spread over the whole world but they succeed them as vespae apibus Wasps many times do Bees or as night doth the day Lastly Our Churches therefore do not resemble the Temple an holy place dedicated to God but their publick Synagogues where they met together to pray and reade the Word and have it expounded Some find fault that we call this material building a Church but use of speech doth fully justifie this It 's an ordinary figure to put the place containing for the thing contained Thus it 's said All Jerusalem went out And Oh Jerusalem that killest the Prophets Mat. 23.77 which is meant of the Inhabitants thereof Thus we call a City or a Town the people of the Town But of this we have spoken formerly But though there is no such relative holinesse in these places as was in the Temple neither are the duties regarded for the places sake but the place for the duties yet there is a moral and civil decency or respect to be had to them as we do unto places appointed for solemn meeting and therefore are unfitly compared to barns or stables or to be polluted like them not because of any holinesse in them more than in other places but from a civil respect But these things only occasionally by the way The next main thing is That believers joyned in a Church way according to Scripture are Gods temple and that requireth these things First Purity and an undefiled life from the wicked wayes of the world Though they be in the world yet not of the world This is called pure Religion to keep a man defiled from the world Jam. 1.27 And we must not be conformed to the fashion of this world Rom. 12.2 We are to be as Lot in Sodome so farre from having fellowship with it that we are to grieve in seeing and hearing the evil deeds of others We are to be like the three Worthies in the midst of the fire and yet our hair not singed thereby Do not thou then judge of thy self as the Temple of God when thou art like a dung-hill thy heart is not a sacred Temple but an open Inne or Market-place all strange lusts may lodge in thee thou art to take Christ for an example not the world Secondly Dedication and giving up our selves wholly unto God Thy soul and body are to be one Temple onely thy soul is the Saxctum sanctorum there should only be admitted choice and sanctified thoughts and intentions Shall I take saith the Apostle the member of Christ and make it the member of an harlot 1 Cor. 6.15 Shall I take the Temple of God and make it a publick stew for all lusts As they said of their Temples Procul ô procul este prophani So do thou of all noisome and filthy sinnes As there were constant Porters to watch the Temple so do thou continually set a watch before thy heart and soul that no unclean thing enter in Thirdly Here is implied Vnion of the members of the Church together The Temple was not one stone or a few stones scattered up and down but exactly and curiously joyned together The Churches are compared to a body where there are several organized members and all usefull one to another Lastly Communion Not onely internal by faith and love which we have with Christ the Head and so with all the members For this communion is invisible but external in a visible society and fellowship one with another in the publique worship Hence they are greatly reproved That forsook the assembling of themselves together Heb. 10.15 Visible communion in Church-Ordinances brings much glory to God and great edification to our selves Vse of Instruction What kind of societies we should be who are Gods temple Gods house Gods Church What enjoyment of God What effectual participation of his presence The body by its senslesnesse doth quickly discover whether a soul be in it and the soul will quickly manifest whether God and Christ be in it if the Temple of God What holinesse and purity ought to be in our lives Oh this is the glory of the Church
flowers It 's as absurd saith Aristotle to expect moral discourses from a Mathematician as mathematical demonstrations from a Moralist So then some men are presently conquered by acute metaphysical argumentations This the Scripture hath not for that dictateth not argueth which is indeed most sutable to the divine Scripture Bradwardine who is called The profound Doctor professed of himself while he was a Christian yet not throughly sanctified by grace that he was weary of hearing Pauls Epistles read in the Church And why Because Paul had not metaphysicum ixgenium Some then look for learned demonstrations Others are ravished with the sweet musick of humane Rhetoâ—â—que And Austin confesseth this great vanity in himself That he could not delight in the Scripture because of the want of that as he thought He looked for Tully's flowers there and the Scripture simplicity he disdained It was the saying of an Atheistical Critick That he esteemed one of Pindar 's Odâ—s before all David 's Psalms Thus you see as it was with Christ himself many looked for an outward stately pompous Messias and because he came in that outward way he was a slumbling block to many Christ crucified was foolishnesse to the learned Gentiles In the like manner it is with the Scripture because it hath not the Aristotâ—lical demonstrations or the Ciceronian perswasions Therefore the Scripture is to them as Jobs white of the egge without any taste But to remove this carnal prejudice First For learned men who expect demonstrations consider That it being the Word of the most High God it is most decent and gracefull that there should no other Argument be used but Authority And therefore if you doe rightly consider Moses his relation of the Creation of all things is of greater force than all rational demonstrations Kings use to say Teste meipso and thus it is most becoming the Majesty of God to have his Pen-men say no more but God said it God did it Therefore howsoever one Heathen said of Moses Bexè dicit sed nihil probat He speaketh well but proveth nothing yet another Heathen when he heard the relation of the Creation by Moses said I like this saith he he speaketh like a God All scientifical demonstrations are farre inferiour to divine Authority Therefore you see the greatest men of reason have been wonderfully perplexed about the Creation It 's said Aristotle thought the world was from eternity Besides that seemeth reason to one man which is not to another And this seemeth to be a good reason till a man of strong parts cometh to shew the weaknesse of it In that the Scripture then is only assertory and that in the main principles of our Religion it therefore is most consonant to Gods Majesty and that holy confident relation by Moses without so much as any attendance to go about to prove it doth evince the Divine Authority of it Secondly While learned men seek for such rational demonstrations Let them take heed lest while they seek for Reason they lose Faith Christians are believers not Artists Now what is faith A captivating of the understanding to Gods testimony 2 Cor. 10. It 's the evidence or conviction of things not seen Heb. 11.1 By faith we understand the world was made by faith we believe there is a God and that he is a rewarder of those that come to him Faith is not an argumentative Discourse but an obediential Assent Thou therefore that judgest Arguments from Authority though Divine to be farre inferiour to demonstrations thou forgettest thy profession is to be a believer yea it 's the greatest reason in the world to believe Gods testimony So that we may say Religio est summa ratio There is greater reason to believe the Scripture then to assent to any demonstration So that though Faith be not Reason yet there is the greatest Reason for Faith And for those who look for Rhetorical flourishes and fanciefull expressions let them consider First Some places of Scripture have strong and masculine eloquence not indeed that light and meretricious habit of humane Oratory but a grave Mâ—tronlike cloathing such is the Prophecy of Isaiah and other places Yea even all those parts of the Scripture where there is least of humane Rhetorique yet there is a grave and decent expression fit for such heavenly matter therâ— revealed and this is indeed the best and most genuine Rhetorique when the matter is so expressed that not the words but the matter doth appear that the leaves do not hinder the fruit It pleased God by the foolishnesse of preaching to save those that believe 1 Co. 1.21 If we have a jewel or precious pearl it 's own native lustre is better than any painting of it So divine matter the more plain and clear it is the more admirable it is It 's the matter not the words that do convince and convert Words may please the fancy but it is matter that woundeth the heart Savanarola a man of great piety and acknowledged even to be a Prophet by Machiavel himself relateth this of himself remarkably that being Preacher at Florencâ— he thought to do good by following the rule of Rhetorique and industriously attempting humane eloquence but still his people they were as wicked as ever then he tried to preach in an high scholastical way thinking by such sublime discourses to work on them but still his preaching wrought no good At last he betook himself to a powerfull plain preaching according to the style and manner of the Scripture then his Net was presently full of Fâ—sh Then he made a very earthquake or rather an heart-quake among them thereby so overturning Satans Kingdome that the Devil was never quiet till he had stirred up the pharisaical and ungodly Monkes and Friars to put him to death Though plainnesse of preaching be thus the readiest way to change the heart and is most becoming divine matter yet we deny not but Eloquence and Oratory and all other parts of Learning are the good gifts of God and may in a subservient way be very usefull This is to borrow gold of the Aegyptians as the Ancient said and to help the Israelites with it Qui dedit Petrum piscatorem dedit Cyprianum Rhetorem Thus Reason also to Faith is like the Dew that fell before the Manna to preserve and keep it safely Thus have we dispatched the second The third remaineth and that is Earthly wisdome is a great enemy to those spiritual and practical duties that God requireth of us And indeed if ever any man be to become like a little child it is in this respect Hence we are commanded to be Children in malice to expresse such innocency and harmlesnesse and humility as they use to do Practical godlinesse hath a great deal of seeming foolishnesse in the eyes of the world As First The whole Doctrine of self-denial is a very foolish thing to carnal wisdome Our Saviour requireth this as the foundation in all those who are to come to
Religion and godlinesse is counted such a nicety or nothing to a mans wealth and outward accommodations that he will as was said of one Bishop sing Canticum novum and yet never be out of tune because alwayes serving the times Vse of Admonition If thou wilt be Christs Disciple indeed know the glory and reputation of the world and his commands practised are not consistent together Thou canst not be judged a wise man a discreet man and yet a violent man for the kingdome of Heaven if you goe faster or beyond the common formality of most men you have lost your repute presently As was said of Naaman He was a great man a mighty man but he was a Leper Thus doe thou expect a rich man a good natured man an honest man but too forward too much for purity and precisenesse Oh that ever this should be among Christians The Jew loveth the most zealous Jew The Papist the most devout Papist but we reformed Protestants love not those whose tongues and lives doe most protest both against Idolatry and all wickednesse Well doe not thou give over for all that for though they judge it folly yet thou awest their conscience secretly Let him become a fool that he may be wise The Preceptive part or Duty injoyned hath been considered Let him become a fool It 's pity to lose the least oar of this gold and therefore I shall at this time insist on the last particular which is the Effect or Benefit of this Duty That he may be wise 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 There are two Greek words among others which the Scripture useth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Now 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 seemeth to be larger for that comprehends not only the acts of the understanding but of the will and the affections and this is called the wisdome after the flesh Rom. 8. because the whole power of the soul is concerned therein but this in my Text doth chiefly relate to the mind and understanding of a man though Sapientia be à sapere a metaphor from the taste as the palate discerneth of meats so doth a wise man of the nature of things Now much dispute there hath been among Heathens What wisdome is and Who is the wisest man The wisest of the Heathens would not arrogate to themselves to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Lovers of wisdome But we see Paul in this Text tels us where indeed wisdome is to be had and that is only from God through the Scriptures all the humane wisdome of the world being indeed folly Hence are Luthers propositions Qui sine periculo velit in Aristotele philosophars necesse est ut ante bene stultificetur in Christo And againe Nemo bene philosophatur nisi stultus id est Christianus Observe That onely in the Church of God or in Christianity is true wisdome As there is no salvation so there is no wisdome out of the Church That which hath the appearance of so much folly and absurdity is indeed the onely true wisdome and that will appear in several particulars wherein I shall not take wisdome in so strict a sense as Aristotle sometimes doth for the knowledge only of most excellent and admirable things Nor as others making wisdome to be only of divine things science of natural things and prudence of humane things But I shall take it as largely as the Scripture which under wisdom comprehends the whole way of faith and godlinesse That therefore only true wisdom is in the Church of God appeareth several wayes First Here we have the only Rule of wisdome which is the Scriptures so that all people without this sit in darknesse and want the starre to bring them to Christ or happinesse David doth in many places acknowledge this excellent property of Gods Word That it giveth wisdome to the simple Jer. 8 9. They have refused the word of God and what wisdome can be in them Thus you see that only Christians have the true Rule of wisdome viz. Gods Word But oh the ingratitude and rebellion of many who love their folly and their darknesse when yet they may be thus spiritually wise Who is there that readeth this Book to believe accordingly to inflame his affections and order his life accordingly Who looketh into this Glasse to dresse himself and compose himself according to those commands No folly no cause of repentance would be in us could we keep exactly to this Rule O me nunquam sapientem cryed Tully when deprived of all his hopes But O me semper sapientem may the godly say while keeping close to Gods Word Though thou art no Scholar no learned man though poor and contemptible yet from the Scripture thou mayest learne great and admirable wisdome Secondly Only in the Church is true wisdome because this cometh from God above and is by divine infusion into us Men may be moral wise men and have great political prudence as Cato was called the Wise but we Christians are to expect a wisdome from above or an heavenly wisdome as the Scripture cals it Jam. 3 17. Alas every man naturally though of never so much raised intellectual abilities in humane things is a very fool and mad man in heavenly and spiritual things Therefore this wisdome is a gift of God and is the eye or chief part of our godlinesse If any man want wisdom let him ask it of God Jam. 1. God indeed gave Solomon political prudence and civil wisdom but that which is necessary for all is wisdom for their souls and to walk in such wayes that bring to happinesse This wisdom a poor despised Christian may have when a great learned Scholar may be without it Thirdly In Christianity there is only true wisdome because there is only true godlinesse Now in the Scripture phrase To fear God to live holily to mortifie sinne this is wisdome The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom Pro. 1.7 and to depart from evil is a good understanding Hence all along in Solomons Proverbs we see godlinesse called wisdome and the godly man a wise man As on the other side a wicked man is the fool and he that sinneth is said to do foolishly There is no Jewish piety no Heathenish piety only Christian piety There cannot be any godlinesse but where the Spirit of God sanctifieth and regenerateth So then if thou wouldst attain to true wisdome know that consisteth in the fear of God and departing from all sinne Thou art never more foolish and unwise than when thou givest way to any lust such things will cost thee a dear and bitter repentance Do not say this wisdom is too high for thee for by praying and seeking to God thou mayest enjoy it Fourthly Christianity teacheth the true wisdom because that only enstructeth about the true and proper end of all our actions which is happinesse How did the wise men of the world stagger up and down like giddy men in
Vse of Reproof to the Godly that walke in dejections and discouragements alwayes complaining they are many times cast down and disquieted Be asham'd of such a childish weak disposition think of this Text carry it about thee in thy heart in thy mind in thy affections Say I will not disgrace the promise nor dishonour the goodnesse of God any more by these troublesome complaints You see David called himself a fool and a beast for such things Psal 73.22 But then secondly Here is duty as well as priviledge Pray for spiritual wisdome how to make every thing thine in a godly manner Get that excellent art of profiting by every thing Be not as the foolish Cock that knew not what to do with a pearl How do you esteem an herb or a receit of some special use I tell thee Every thing is precious thy time thy health the creatures thou mayest turn all things into gold Verse 22. Whether Paul or Apollo or Cephas FRom the General the Apostle in this Verse descends to a particular enumeration of the several things that are for the use of the godly man He giveth us an Inventory of the Churches goods And first he beginneth with the Officers and their Gifts and labours Whether Paul c. He instanceth in the chiefest and highest If Paul and such as were Apostles immediately called and placed in the highest Offices were not for themselves but for the Church then much lesse meaner and lower persons whether Paul that plants or Apollo that waters or Cephas that is Peter Here you see he is placed after Paul and from hence is plainly inferred That Peter had not such an universal and absolute dominion over the Church as the Papists dream of but all for the Church not the Church for them Observe That all Offices and Gifts howsoever diversified are for the Churches of God The Churches edification is the end of their Institution When God made the world he made it for himself The world is for God not God for the world But when Christ ascended on high and set Officers in the Church he made them for believers not believers for them Thus before vers 5. What is Paul and Apollo but Ministers by whom ye believe And so 2 Cor. 4.5 We preach not our selves but Jesus Christ and our selves your servants for Jesus sake So that all the offices all the ministerial power and abilities that are be wholly for the Churches spiritual advantage Even as the nurse of some great Emperours child all the dainty fare and good provision she hath is onely to cause milk that may be good nourishment for the child Hence are they compared to light and salt which have their property for other things and not themselves Now let us consider 1. In what sense this is not true that all Officers are the servants of the Church 2. How it is true And first When we say Officers and all their abilities are for the Church The meaning is not as if they had their power and office from the Church or from believers so as that they should preach and baptize and dispense all Ordinances in the Churches name as the Brownists do earnestly contend making all power and dominion to be in the number of the Church This is not so for the Officers and their power is of Christ 1 Cor 2.28 God hath set in his Church Ephes 4.11 Christ gave some Pastors some Teachers Acts 20.28 Over which the holy Ghost hath made you Overseers Hence they are called The Ministers of Christ and the stewards of God By all which places it's clear That the Officers of the Church have their power and authority from God and Christ that they do all not in the Churches name but Christs name They are not the Churches stewards nor the Churches Embassadors but Christs Indeed by the Churches election or designation such a man is received to be their Pastor or Shepherd but the Church doth not give him his Office but Christ or such Officers that Christ hath appointed to do it So that they are both the Churches servants and Christs servants The Churches servants because the end of their office is to benefit the Church Christs servants because they come in his Name and have their Commission and Authority from him Secondly In that they are wholly the Churches the Apostle doth not confound or make void that order appointed in the Church between Officers and those they have a care over He doth not nullifie the relation they are in of Shepherds Guides Overseers and such as rule over them and watch for their souls good Nor doth he take away that command of honour reverence love and respect yea that submission and obedience unto them as other places do require There are those that would bring an Anarchy and confusion in the Church making no difference between Shepherd and Sheep Guides and Overseers and those who are to submit to them but the Scripture is very clear for this distinction and God is not the God of confusion but of order Is the whole body an eye or the whole body an head saith the Apostle 1 Cor. 12.17 This would make the body of Christ a deformed monster and worse than any humane society But when he saith All these Officers are yours it implieth these things First That the aim of all those who enter in any Church office and all the while they are in should not be principally their own advantage or earthly accomodations but the edification of the Church the glory of Christ and the good of peoples souls This is very difficult when he saith Paul and Apollo are yours he thereby teacheth all us Ministers what should be the chiefest aim of our souls to feed not to shear the sheep Thus Peter is instructed Lovest thou me Lovest thou me then feed my sheep feed my lambes John 21.16 Not but that Christ taketh care for their maintenance and they are lawfully to look to that but it ought not to be the principal He that desireth 1 Tim. 3.1 the office of a Bishoprick desireth a good work It 's a work and labour for the good of others So that this teacheth us what sincere and publique intentions ought to be in us What tender and compassionate bowels we ought to have to the flock committed to our charge Secondly It implieth That all our preaching and the whole labour of our Ministry must not be for ostentation or self-advancement but in the most profitable and advantagious way we can to better mens souls 1 Cor. 12.7 Every one hath his gift to profit with all The Apostle rejects all such Questions as do not profit 2 Tim. 2.14 So that all our care should be in our preaching in our study so to handle the Word that we may most benefit our people that our words may fall like the rain or dew upon the tender herb as Moses saith Deut. 32.2 that the meanest may be edified The Apostles arguments against speaking in
when in the Battell was taken by his enemies and they ready to kill him yet he cryed unto the Lord and God moved their heart to depart from him 2 Chron. 18.31 So in the thievings and robberies in the world it 's God that diverts men from designing and doing mischief to such Families While the people of Israel wenâ— up to keep their Feast at Jerusalem he ordered mens hearts so That none should desire their Land Exo 34.24 Vse of Thankfulnesse to God in all these common Preservations Every day every morning and evening thou hast cause to wonder at his Power and Goodnesse under all thy temptations What befalls another God tells thee what might come to thee Oh therefore do not take thy life and health God giveth thee and spend it upon the Devils service Remember Thou livest upon Gods mercy if he withdraw for a moment any suddain evil may fall upon thee â‚ FINIS An ALPHABETICAL TABLE A Admiration OF Admiration of Ministers Persons when sinfull p. 48 Afflictions How Afflictions effect good in a man p. 179 181 Agreement The Motive of Agreement is Godlinesse p. 33 Agreement among the wicked easily broken doth not alwaies denote a true Church p. 41 Protestants Agree in Fundamentals p. 41 B Babes BAbes in Christ p. 5 Babes directed p. 8 Backbyting Of Backbyting p. 35 Building Gods people are his Building p. 118 The Scripture is the foundation of this Building p. 141 Of a two-fold Building upon the foundation p. ibid. How a Minister must take heed how he builds on the foundation p. 142 Of their Building Gold Silver Precious Stones p. 157 Boasting Of Boasting in men p. 265 See Glorying C Carnall CArnall its several significations p. 5 In what sense a godly man may be said to be Carnall p. 21 Ceremonies Of Ceremonies p. 11 Causes Causes of Grace Principal and Subordinate p. 59 Principal the Ministry p. 68 Efficient the Spirit of God ibid. Church The Churches Duties p. 20 Of Church-Government p. 84 Of the Holinesse of Churches p. 118 The matter of a Church ibid. The Church of God is his Temple p. 193 The Churches Priviledges Relations and Titles should be a spur to duty ibid. The Churches Riches enumerated p. 270 Christ Christ justly exalted p. 30 As the Foundation p. 21 145 Christ may be sinfully set up and how p. 58 What it is to preach Christ p. 145 153 The Godly and all they can do are Christs p. 294 Christians Christians should â—â—ve as those that are more then meer men p. 42 Contention Contentions argue men to be so farre carnal p. 33 Contentions are two-fold Good â—vil p. 34 36 37 The cause of sinfull strife p. 34 The Effects of it in Civil Religious Matters p. 35 36 The Aggravations of this sinne p. 36 D Damnation OF Damnation p. 222 Death Death the godly mans advantage p. 282 Deacon Deacon the word used diversly p. 66 Defile Defilers of Gods Temple with corrupt Doctrine p. 216 Difference Difference between Christian and Christian in respect of their Knowledge and Graces p 5.22 Discipline Discipline how severe in the Primitive times p. 7 Divisions The sad Effects of Divisions p. 99 Direction for Times of Division ibid. Difficulty The difficulty of the salvation of those that are most godly p. 192 Divinity Divinity contains a two-fold Matter 1. Fundamentals and 2. Conclusions from them E Encrease THe Encrease and successe of preaching from God p. 86 Ends. Of corrupt Ends in a Minister and good Ends p. 63 64 Envy Envy the word used in a good sense and in a bad sense p. 25 It 's a fruit of the flesh p 25 Its Degrees p 26 Its Object p. 27 It s Subject p. 28 Its Aggravations p. 29 Its Remedies p. 32 How differenced from zeal p. 32 Errour Errour Considerations about it p. 142 c. Errours are Hay and Stubble though not Fundamentall p. 161 Men may be erroneous and not know it 161 Errours Greater Lesser p. 121 161 Why called Hay and Stubble Its secret waies shall be made manifest p. 169 May indanger salvation p. 189 Its Causes p. 169 Defile Gods Church p. 217 Erroneous times sad times p. 174 How God will punish the erroneous p. 186 219 How farre a godly man may erre and how a godly man erring differeth from a wicked man p. 220 The Difference between Errour and Heresie p. 190 See Doctrines Eternal Of Eternal Damnation F Family OF Family-Duties p. 3 See Relations Wickdnesse p. 3 4 13 Such as they are such is the Common-wealth p. 14 Faith Faith Its eminency p. 70 Nature and Acts p. 71 Its Foundation viz. the Scripture p. 126 Effects p. 72 Knoweth its ground why though it comprehend not the matter believed p. 71 Is the Instrument of Sanctification as well as of Justification p. 72 Fundamental Of Fundamentals p. 2 The ignorance of them lamentable p. 2 Reduced to several Heads p 14 Are easie p. 15 Knowledge of them necessary ibid. Foundations Foundations in Religion carefully to be laid p. 125 Four unquestionable Scripture Foundations I. The Matters to be believed viz. The Scripture is the only Foundation of our Faith p. 125 126. How carefull Ministers should be to build truth upon that Foundation p. 141 Four rotten Foundations The Authority of the Church Magistrate Enthusiasme Meer humane Reason p. 127 II. The Worship and necessary Service of God p. 129 How necessary it is ibid. It must have a Divine Command p. 131 Three rotten Foundations in Worship ibid. III. The things to be done by us p. 125 This Foundation of Practice consists in 1. It 's Directory Gods Word 2. The Justification of our Persons 3. A receiving power from Christ 4. A renewed and sanctified Nature p. 133 The necessity of this Foundation p. 134 Four rotten Foundations that men build upon in reference to practice p. 135 How Christ is the Foundation p. 145 c. How the Apostles the Foundation p. 145 c. Fool. Wise men after the flesh are fools p. 229 G Glory THe Degrees of Glory p. 101 105 Of Glorying in men The sinfulnesse of this sinne p. 261 And how many waies that is done ibid. See Boasting Godly Their Characteristical Priviledges p. 155 265 Of Godlinesse in the power of it p. 42 105 Grace Free Grace to be exalted and praised and how p. 121 Why the godly are so sensible of free Grace p. 123 Impediments of this duty p. 124 Gospel Gospel how great a mercy to a people p. 79 Government Of Government in the Church p. 120 Growth in Grace Growth in Grace and Knowledg pressed p. 1â— 91 Intensive Extensive ibid. Grounds of Religion See Principles and Fundamentals H Hay OF building Hay and Stubble p. 161 Hell Of Hell p. 222 Heresie Heretiques How God will punish Heretiques p. 220 Hide How vain and sinfull to Hide our sinnes p. 166 c. Holy Ghost The Holy Ghost is God and a Person p. 201 c. Why called a Spirit ibid. Heaven Heavens
Happinesse p. 108 Houshold-Duties See Family House Gods People are his House p. 113 Of the Material House of God p. 117 See Churches Husbandry Gods People are his Husbandry p. 113 What that Implieth ibid. I Ignorance HOw the ignorance of people hinders the Ministry p. 2 Ignorance lamented and reproved p. 4 5 13 16 17 71 83 90 151 The Effects of Ignorance 16 Illumination Of the Illumination of the Spirit p. 90 Inconstancy Inconstancy in Religion reproved p. 18 Inducements Inducements to Holinesse p. 193 Infirmities Of the Infirmities of the Saints p 22 23 And why they are not quite freed from them p. 23 24 K Key OF the Key of Knowledge p. 9 10. Knowledge Knowledge of Principles necessary p. 15 Knowledge of the meaning of Scripture a gift of the Spirit p. 210 The duty of Growth in Knowledge p. 83 L Love LOVE praised p. 30 The only Motive of Love and Agreement is Godlinesse p. 33 Its Cause and End ibid. Live Godly men do only live p. 279 Wicked men do not live p. 281 M Ministers MInisters hindered by the incapacity of the People from Preaching many excellent sublime Truths p. 2 3 Wickednesse how hurtfull to the Church p. 54 What Prudence is requisite in their Preaching p. 9 10 In reference to the capacity of the Hearers p. 2 3 4. Work is two-fold viz. Teach Govern p. 9 10 Must divide the Word aright p. 9 Are not sinfully to be admired and how that is done p. 48 What hurt Satan doth by bad ones p. 54 In what cases they may praise themselves p. 137 Must preach no new Doctrine p. 139 Must preach Christ the Foundation p. 145 How Servants to the Church and how not p. 271 Faithfull seek not to win people to themselves but to Christ p. 63 May preach from a corrupt end or a good end ibid. And what those ends are ibid. Must not only plant but water p. 83 Cannot work grace p. 86 94 That is faithfull hath grounds of comfort under successelesse labours p. 89 Co-workers with God p. 109 How carefull they should be to lay a good foundation in the hearts of their hearers p. 125 How they should build upon the foundation p. 126 to 161 Ministry Ministry The ends and use of it p. 3 17 18 140 The great respect due unto it p. 46 Its successe from God p. 86 c. 94 Sufficient in its kind to effect its end ibid. The appointed Instrumental cause of Faith p. 67 How it is such a Cause p. 68 How not p. 67 The Properties of it as such a cause p. 69 How all are obliged to attend it ibid. How to profit by it p. 77 How blessed with increase by God p. 86 Is to continue to the end of the world p. 69 Why God will make use of it ibid. Ministerial Gifts Ministerial Gifts Why all not gifted alike p. 76 Though diversity of gifts yet all should agree in one p. 97 Whether from the Holy Ghost or no p. 209 The end of them p. 211 Merrit See Reward Members Members of the visible Church who p. 6. Distinguished ibid. Man Man according to man several significations of that phrase p. 42 To live as men what that implies p. 43 Meanes Meanes of Grace alwaies needfull to all p. 84 Manifest Manifest All sinne though never so secret shall be made manifest p. 165 N Name NAme Of peoples being called by the Names of eminent men in the Church p. 50 The Names that Christians have been called by in several Ages 50 c. What hurt the Devil doeth the Church by the Names and esteem of men p. 54 New New No New Doctrine to be expected O Order See Government Ordinances ORdinances The sinne of neglecting them p. 61 Officers See Ministers P Papists PApists as such have but a humane blind Faith p. 53 Perfection Perfectionists Confuted p. 8 22 Prayer Prayer for Gods Directing Ministers p. 12 Praise Praise In what cases Ministers or others may praise themselves p. 137 Preaching Preaching One manner of preaching censured and another commended p. 10 Presence Presence Of Gods presence with his Church p. 200 Pride Pride Of pride p. 34 Principles Principles of Religion first to be laid p. 13 Reduced to several heads p. 14 Are easie p. 15 17 Necessary p. 15 Priviledges Priviledges of the Church and every Believer p. 265 Are Obligations to duty 193 Profit Profit Rules or helpes to profit by the Ministry p. 77 88 93 96 112 Protestant Protestants agree in Fundamentals p. 41 Whence so called p. 51 Providence Providences All Providences for the good of the godly p. 286 Prudence Prudence requisite in a Minister in preaching such matter and in such a manner as is for the peoples good p. 9 Planting Planting the Gospel p. 80 Punishment Punishment of Losse and of Sense p. 223 224 Purgatory Purgatory An Argument against it from the great Text brought for it p. 177 Q QUarreling See Contention R Reformation REformation of the Church p. 81 175 Reigning-sinne Reigning-sinne That word explicated p. 23 Right Right or Title two-fold p. 264 Relation Relation-Duties p. 3 Reproof Reproof How to be performed p. 11 Riches Riches The Churches Riches ennumerated p. 265 Reward Reward two-fold of Debt and Promise p. 101 Of works p. 102 Essential and Accidental p. 105 Lawfull to encourage our selves in good Works from the promise of the Reward p. 150 Reward of Godlidesse in this life p. 106 In the life to come p. 107 The greatnesse of the Heavenly Reward and the vast disproportion that is between the Reward and the work p. 108 Respect Respect Of Respect to the Ministry p. 46 47 48 And how it may degenerate into sinfull Admiration p. 48 S Saints SAints How all things are theirs p 265 Secret Secret The most secret sinnes shall be brought to light p. 165 The Aggravation of secret sinnes p. 168 Self Self-seekers A lawfull self-seeking p. 105 Self-seeking in a Minister what p. 64 65 Sinne. Sinne Of the sinnes of the godly p. 12 Schisme Of Schisme and Division Civil Ecclesiastical p. 38 Its Nature and Ingredients p. 39 Its Causes p. 40 Slothfullness Of Slothfullness in Religion p. 13 Spirit Spirit How it works by and with the Word and the Ministry thereof p 86 The signification of the word when attributed to God p. 201 Its dwelling in the Saints p. 205 212 Its Effects in the Church p. 209 212 See Holy Ghost Spiritual Of a spiritual man p. 7 Strife Strife See Contention Strictness Strictness in Conversation how despised by the wise men of the world p. 241 Vindicated p. 241 Scripture Scripture A plea for its simplicity p. 233 Its sufficiency p. 139 The only Foundation of our Faith p. 126 Stedfastness Stedfastness in the Faith p. 83 T Temple TEmple The use of the word and its signification p. 197 Of Gods spiritual Temple p. 197 226 Compared to the material one p. 198 Believers joyned in a Scripture way are Gods Temple p 228