But the Scripture and the Word of God written is a Rule stil it is setled in Heaven and doth endure for ever Psal 119. For ever O Lord thy Word is setled in Heaven verse 89. And saith Paul to Timothy I charge thee in the sight of God that thou keep this Commandement until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ Epist 1. Chap. 6. Ver. 14. Timothy doth not live in person to the appearing of Christ but those that succeed him do and shalâ— unto whom this charge is made And if ye look into Chap. 3. ye find that Paul saith to him These things write I to thee that thou mayest know how thou oughtest to behave thy self in the House of God yet Timothy had a Light and Law and Spirit of God within him So that though a man have the Spirit Light and Law within him he is yet to be ruled by the Word of God written the Scripture and the Word written is yet to be a Rule unto him and as many as walk according to this Rule peace shal be upon them Object But if the Spirit that is in me be the same Spirit with that which did write the Scripture what need I wait on or be ruled by the Word without or the Scripture any longer Answ Because when the Spirit comes it takes of the things of Christ and opens them to you it is sent to open the Scripture to you not to take away the Scripture from you it is not sent to be your Rule but to be your help to understand the Rule Because although ye have the same Spirit which did write the Scripture yet you have not the same Inspiration of the Spirit All Beleevers in Pauls time had the same Spirit that Paul had but not the same Inspiration of the Spirit that is very divers 1 Cor. 12.11 the Apostle speaking of diversities of Gifts But saith he all these worketh that one and the self same Spirit dividing to every one as it pleaseth him So that though a man have the same Spirit wherewith the Scripture was written yet he may not have the same Inspiration But because People understand not this therefore they think that if they have the same Spirit they may lay by the Scripture as to their Rule But If the Law and Light and Spirit that is in me be my Rule then I may do any thing without Sin I may whore be drunk steal or any thing without Sin for it 's no sin to do what the Rule commands me and if the Spirit Light and Law within do command me to do it it is no sin to me because my Rule commands me to do it and Sin is a transgression of a Rule but the Law Light and Spirit may command me to do such things as these if it be my Rule for it may command any thing but Sin but it cannot be Sin if the Spirit do command for the very commanding of the Spirit takes off the sin of the Action because the Rule commands it O! what abominable Practices wil this Doctrine lead a man into viz. That the Law Light and Spirit within is his Rule Yea Thirdly If the Law and Light and Spirit that is in me be my Rule then am I my own Rule and so I am God for he that is his own Rule is God But if the Law and Light and Spirit within me be my Rule then am I my own Rule And what is al this but horrid blasphemy Surely therefore the Law and the Word without me is not my Rule Though the Law and Light and Spirit in me be my Principle yet it is not my Rule that is the Word and Scripture only Though the Law and Light and Spirit within be a great help unto us in our way to Life yet it must be tried by the Word written For if it be not tried by the Scripture then it must be tried by nothing But John 1.4 he saith Try the Spirits whether they be of God or no. 2. That Law or Light or Spirit within you is Christ in you but Christ in you is to be tried and examined 2 Cor. 13.5 Examine your selves whether you be in the Faith prove your own Souls know ye not that Christ is in you unless ye be Reprobates And if Christ without us Christ in the daies of his Flesh did submit himself to the tryal of the Scriptures Search the Scriptures saith he for they testifie of me then surely the Spirit of Christ in us wil not refuse the same Christ in us is not more priviledged than Christ without us but Christ without was tried by the Scriptures therefore Christ within us much more And if al that Light and Law and Spirit within us be to be tried by the Scripture then surely the Light of the Word written is a more excellent Light than that Light which is within And thus I have now done with the Fourth Instance Instance 5 As for Experience Christian Experience the Word of God written and the Light thereof is more excellent than Experience and the Light of it simply considered For so much Light as there is in Experience is borrowed from the Scripture and the Word of God written It is short of the Scripture for Scripture-Light extendeth unto al our Actions a light unto our Paths there is nothing hid from the Light thereof no Duty incumbent upon us that is hid from the Light thereof But though I have much Experience in this way yet I may have little or none in another my Experience cannot say nothing is hid from me and from my Light Though Experience be a great help to our Faith yet take it alone abstracted from the Word and it cannot heal our Unbelief The Staff that is in a mans hand is a good help to him but it cannot heal his lameness So is this Staff of Experience though it be a good help in my way yet it cannot heal the lameness of my unbeleeving heart but the word can and the Scripture doth Quest Is there then no use of our Experiences Is there no Light therein Answ 1 Yea much for it bâ—ingeth forth Hope Experience worketh Hope Rom. 5. Tribulation worketh Patience Patience Experience and Experience Hope verse 4 5. Here is the Genealogy of Hope but the next Parent of Hope is Experience So the Poor hath Hope Job 5.16 How so He counteth up many Experiments and when he hath done he concludes thus So the poor hath Hope it is Experience then which doth work Hope Answ 2 But though Experience be the Parent of Hope yet it is not the Ground of our Faith it is an Help unto Faith but not the first Ground of our Faith The Scripture and the Promise under Christ is Rom. 15.4 Whatever things were written afore time were written for our Learning that we through Patience and Comfort of the Scriptures might have Hope So that the Scripture and the Word of God written is the first Ground of our Faith and Hope And though we
Scripture is not literally but mystically to be understood then let him shew you where the same Truth is set down literally in another place else you may not beleeve him and if you walk by this Rule and Rules you shal walk safely here and in some good measure be helped to the true sense and meanng of the Scripture in this case Obj. But suppose that a Scripture lie under Controversie One laies claim to it for his Opinion and another laies claim to it for his Opinion how shall I be able to understand the true sense and meaning of it Or suppose I be in the dark in a dark estate and condition how shall I so take heed unto the Scripture that I may know and understand the same Answ Somthing you must do by way of Observation somthing by way of Practice As for Observation in case you be able you must consult the Original For as old Mr. Dod once answered to a yong man enquiring of him what was the best Commentary upon the Scripture The Original the Hebrew and the Greek Text said he is the best Commentary So say I the very Text in the Original doth conâ—â—iâ—es put an end to the Controversie As for Example the Apostle saith of Women They shal be saved by Child-bearing which some Books read thus They shall be saved by bearing of Children whereupon a Controversie arises whether those following words if they continue in the Faith do relate to Children or to Women whereas if men looked into the Original they should find that the word is but one in the singular according to our Translation 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. â—er filiorum gâ—â—â—ratio◠〈…〉 they shall be saved by Child-bearing and therefore the following words must relate unto Women Therefore it is good to consult with the Original and though you cannot understand Hebrew or Greek yet you may consult with the Original and not pin your Faith upon anothers Learning for iâ— you ask three or four how such or such a verse should be â—â—anslated and they do al agree in their Translation for the substance you know that so it is in the Original not because such a man doth say so but because of their agreement which could not be if it were not so in â—â—â—th If you would understand the true sense and meaning of a controverted â—cripture then look wel into the Coherence the Scope and the Context thereof For as the Heâ—â—ew Rabbin saies wel Nulla est Objectio in lege quae non habet solutionem in latere Turpe est de lege judicate tota legeâ—â—â—dum nspecta Qâ—is sâ—â—pus impâ—â—lens sedes tempusque locusque Et 〈◊〉 haec septem Scriptuâ—â—e attendâ—â—â— Lector Vâ—â— Exp icat in Glâ—ss Philog Sâ—cr Lib. 2. P. 2. de Scriptuâ—â—â— senâ—u emendo pag. 503. There is no Objection can arise upon t e Text but there is an Answer in the sides thereoâ— For example the Papists urge that place oâ— James 2. for justification by Works whereas if we look diligently iâ—to the Coherence the scope therâ—of we shal find that the Apostle â—peaks of the work of Faiâ—h in oppoâ—ition to the Profession of Faith for saies he ver 14. Wâ—â—t wil it profit my brethren if a man say he have fai h and have 〈…〉 will it save him If a brother or sister be naked and in want verse 15. and one of you say depart in peace and be warmed and filled if you give him not what is good for the Body what doth it profit Even so faith if it have not works is dead A man may say he hath Faith but the Devils say and beleeve there is one God Was not Abraham justified by Works when he offered Isaac that Faith that justified Abraham was not a bare profession of Faith but 't was a working Faith the profession of Faith alone doth not justifie but it is a Faith which consists in a Work it is a working Faith this is the scope of the place then as appears by the Coherence If a Scripture therefore do lie under Contâ—â—versie take you the Bible and look wel unto the Scope and the Coherence of the Text controverted If you would understand the Scripture rightly then compare one Scripture with another for saies the Apostle No Scripture is of private Interpretation or rather thus No Scripture is of our own Exposition 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 But holy men of God wrote it as they were inspired by the Holy Ghost Is the Scripture therefore doubtful in one place then compare it with another stand not upon your own apprehenâ—ion for it is nâ—t of our own Exposition it came not by the wil of man but divers holy mâ—n wrote it as they were inspired with the Holy Ghost And tâ—eâ—efore if one place be doubtful it is to be compared with another And be sure that you swerve not from the proportion of Fâ—â—th for saies the Apostle Rom. 12. Or if any man prophesie let it be according to the proportion or analogy of Faith And what is that but the Sum and Grounds of Religion or the Body of Divinity which is delivered to us in the form of sound words whereunto we are delivered Thus in case thâ— Scripture liâ— under any Controversie it wil be good for you to observe these Rulâ—s But Secondly and more practically If you would so understand the Scripture that you may take heed thereunto as to a Light shining in your dark state then First You must go to God for the Spirit for without it ye cannot understand the Mind of God in the Scripture Quo spiritu Scripturae factae sunt eo spiritu legendae nunquam ingredieris in sensum Pauli nisi spiritum Pauli imbiberis Omnia dona a Deo Patre luminum Christi munus est aperire Scripturas Luc. 24. Spiritus sanctus author simul et Explicator Scripturae John 16. No man knows the Mind of Paul but by the Spirit of Paul nor the Mind of Peter but by the Spirit of Peter no man knows the Mind of Christ but by the Spirit of Christ stand therefore under Gospel Dispensations where the Spirit breaths So saies the Apostle Received ye the Spirit by the Law or by the heaâ—ing of Faith And seeing God hath promised to give this Spirit unto them that ask it go unto God for the same Secondly Take heed of a worldly fleshly mind fleshly sins do exceedingly blind the mind from the things of God Perfectio intellectualis operationis in homine consistit in quadam abstractione à sensibilium phantasmatibus et ideo quando intellectus hominis magis fuerit liber ab Eujusmodi phantasmat tanto potius considerare intelligibilia poterit Ergo. Hebitudo sensus circa intelligentiam oritur ex gula caecitas mentiâ—â—ex luxuria Aquin. 22. Q. 15. A. 3. Cum non faciunt quae intelligunt non intelligent quae faciunt and a worldly mind cannot savor them Ye see how it is in the Eclipse
53.9 Christ did not only conflict with a temporal but Eternal Death but the Martyrs knew that they were free from eternal Death Christ bare al their sins But when they came to suffer the sting of Death which is sin was taken out and upon this account one of the Martyrs said Christus dolebat ut ego esse hilaris et laetus ille habebat mea peccata et ego vere illius merita et Justitiam Essen de Satis Christi p. 56. when he came to suffer Christ grieved at his Death that I might rejoyce in mine he had my sin on him and I have his Righteousness and Merits on me Yea he did then endure the torments of Hel in his sufferings that by our sufferings we might go to Heaven Quest But is it possible that one may endure the very torments of Hell in this Life Answ Yes For as a man may have a tast of Heaven before he come there so possibly a man may have a tast of Hell even in this Life also The Wrath of God in Scripture is compared to and called Fire Psal 84.46 And if ye look into the Parable of Dives and Lazarus ye shal find that Dives cries out to Abraham to send one with a drop of water to cool his Tongue Why but saies Austin the body of Dives is not yet in Hel what fire therefore is this that doth so torment him to which he answers Quali◠lingua talis flamma as the Eyes wherewith he sees Abraham afar off such is the Fire and as his Tongue such is the Fire that he is tormented in the fire of the Wrath of God this Fire of Gods Wrath was our dear Savior scorched with whilst he was in his Arg. 1 Travel For by way of Reason and Argument whereby the former Propositions also shal be the more fully proved if Christ did bear our Griefs then whatever miseries were inflicted upon us and our Nature by vertue of the Threatening it self under which we were those Christ did bear and endure for us But he did bear our Griefs I do not say that he did bear and endure al that we should have done Whatever misery or punishment we should have born or the Reprobates do or shal bear in Hel doth either proceed from the Threatening it self as the proper effect thereof or it doth proceed from the disposition and condition of the Person whom the execution of the Threatening doth fal upon the threatening it self doth produce death The day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt die the death Therefore death evil and the Wrath of God for sin doth proceed from the Threatening it self Now when this fals upon man he despairs and blasphemes and lies under the Wrath of God for ever yet despair and eternal blasphemy is not the punishment of the Threatening it self proceeding from the Threat in it self considered but proceeds from the disposition of Man upon whom the execution of the Curse fals for no sin comes from Gods Threatening in it self considered Punishment properly is satisfaction for injury done but sin is a continuing of the injury Desperatio non est de essentia paenae infernalis paenae author est Deus Diabolus et peccator desperationis paena est hominis passio desperatio est hominis actio Ames Bellar. enervat Lib. 2. de Christo cap. 2. Despair Blasphemy and death in sin is an action the action of man but punishment is the passion and suffering of man so that death in sin despair and blasphemy are not of the essence of the Punishment threatened but the wrath of God death and Gods withdrawing of himself from man are of the essence of the Punishment proceeding from the Threatening in it self considered Now look what the Threatening in it self doth produce that Christ suffered for us but it wil not therefore follow that he should despair blaspheme or die in sin because these do proceed from the condition and disposition of our Persons that the Curse of the Threatning fals upon as ye see it is with the beams of the Sun if they fal on Wax they soften that but if they fal on the Clay they harden that So the wrath of God and his withdrawance falling upon us there doth ensue despair blasphemy and dying in sin but falling on Christ it is not so Why because these do not proceed from the threatning in it self considered Now I say look what we should have born as due to us from the threatening it self that Christ did bear for us For saith the Prophet Isaiah chap. 53. Quod enim nos pro nostris debebamus sceleribus sustinere ille pro nobis passus est c. Ut quod propter imbecillitatem virium ferre non poteramus pro nobis ille portaret Hieron in Esai cap. 53. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 quidam codices in plurali legunt 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ut sit castigatio retributionum nostrarum uti illud plurale nomen usurpatur Psal 69.23 h. e. castigatio quae peccatorum nostrorum est justa retributio seu quae justae retributionis ac paenae loco ob peccata nostra-super nos venire debebat venit super eum scil Christum Glass philolog sact Lib. 3. tr 1. p. 107. Disciplina retributionis nostrae super eum id est supplicium quod nos retribuere ac rependere debuimus pro peccatis nostris super eum imposuit Deus id est quicquid paenarum Deus à nobis exigere debuit pro peccatis id ab innocente Filio Pater exegit Sanctius in Esai 53.5 He hath born our Griefs that is those griefs that were due to us from the threatening in it self considered But if we had perished and gone to Hel our selves we should have suffered in our Souls and in our Souls immediately the wrath of God and the very torments of Hel upon the account of the Threatning and therefore al these things did Christ suffer for us Arg. 2. Look what Christ delivered us from that he endured for us for he delivered us by suffering he delivered us from death and he endured that he delivered us from Satan and his Temptations therefore he endured them he delivered us from the Law therefore he was made under the Law he delivered us from sin and he bare our sin he delivered us from the wrath of God therefore he did conflict with that and from the torments of Hel therefore he did suffer them Arg. 3. Our Lord and Savior Christ did establish the Law by his Death So saies the Apostle speaking of Christs death in his being made a propitiation for sin We do establish the Law Rom. 3.31 Look therefore whatever the Law did require of us for whom he died that hath Christ done and performed and suffered for us but according to the Law we were to suffer in our Souls and that immediately yea the wrath of God with the torments of Hel and therefore herein and thus hath Christ suffered for us Arg. 4
give unto man what Law he pleased which Liberty or Power of God say they was the next effect of Christs Death But this cannot be for then Christ died to redeem the Power of God out of the hand of his Justice for that which is delivered by the Death of Christ is redeemed but where do we find in Scripture that Christ is said to redeem God or any thing of Gods 2. This doth suppose that God was willing to shew mercy to man and to do that for man which he could not do but that cannot be with God man may be willing to do that which in Justice he cannot do because his wil may be unjust but Gods wil cannot be unjust and therefore he cannot wil that which he cannot do in Justice 3. This makes void the death of Christ Si potestas et jus salvandi in Deo consideretur absolute Deus si voluisset potuisset nos salvare citra satisfactionem Christi sed non voluit id facere Cornivus contra Molin p. 436. Deus potest de suo jure quantum vult dimittere instar Regis creditoris Matth. 18. nisi velimus Deo minus quam nobis licere Sorex Vorstianus pag. 4 5. according to the Maintainers of this Opinion for they say That God could pardon the sin of man without the death of Christ and therefore if Christ died to procure such a power and liberty to God then he died for nothing for according to themselves he had this power before 4. This Opinion doth suppose that there is a velleity and voluntas in God an half and a ful Wil and if Gods Wil may be imperfect and perfect then his Knowledg also may be Plena et Semiplena Perfect and Imperfect and so Imperfection wil be charged upon God 5. The Apostle Paul tels us Heb. 9. That Christ died as Mediator of the New Covenant therefore not to set God free to make what Covenant he pleased with the Children of Men. Mirabilis ille status in quem homines restitui dicunt per Christum neque est status gratiae Evangelicae quae non fluit ex faedere gratiae neque potest esse status legis neque ullus alius status in quo homines stare solent Ames Antisynodal de morte Christi Cap. 4. p. 149. 6. What state shal redeemed man be in presently upon this account not under the Gospel for God is left free by the Death of Christ they say to appoint what Covenant he pleases and not under the Law for he was by Christ redeemed from the Law 7. If the Confirmation of the New Covenant were the next Effect of Christs death as appears by Heb. 9.14 15. then Christ did not die to procure such a power and liberty to God that he might appoint what Covenant he pleased Surely therefore this power or liberty in God is not an effect of Christs Death much less the next effect of it Fourthly Some think that the next and immediate effect of the death of Christ Remonstrantes sic declaratio sent circa 2. Artic. Acta Synod 286. Sociniani sic Crellius contra Grotium p. 304. is the forgiveness of original sin unto al the World none say they are damned only for original sin this by the death of Christ was immediately forgiven to al the Children of Men. But this cannot be for then al the World should be actually reconciled unto God and justified for according to their own Opinion Justification and forgiveness of sin are one and the same thing but the Apostle tels us that whom God justifies them he also glorifies Rom. 8. 2. Then also there should not only be an impetration of Redemption and Grace for al but an application unto al which they deny 3. Then the Children of Heathens and Pagans should be in a better state and condition than the Godly who live under the Gospel for according to their Opinion the Godly living under the Gospel may fal away and be damned and so though they be Godly they have no assurance of their Salvation but if a Pagans Child die he is sure to go to Heaven because his sin is pardoned and he is justified 4. The Apostle Paul tels us 2 Cor. 7. That the Children of Beleevers are clean and holy and upon the account of the Parents Faith but if original Sin be pardoned to al the World then the Children of Infidels and Unbeleevers also are holy and if so why doth the Apostle tel us that our Children are holy upon the account of the Parents Faith 5. The Apostle Jude tels us That the Sodomites endured the Vengeance of Hel surely there were some Children in the Town and place The Wages of sin is Death saith the Apostle Paul and Death reigned from Adam to Moses even upon them that had not sinned after the similitude of Adams Transgression And if the Wrath of God do abide upon al til they do beleeve then surely original sin is not forgiven unto al the World by the Death of Christ Fiftly Others think that the obtainment of this Decree viz. Whoever beleeves shall be saved and whoever beleeveth not shal be damned is the next and great effect of the Death of Christ Answ But this cannot be the Effect of Christs Death For 1. We read of no such general Decree of God in the Scripture We read of this Gospel Truth Whoever beleeves shall be saved and whoever beleeves not shall be damned but every Gospel Truth is not a Decree of God Christ is the Son of God is a Gospel Truth The Lord wil write his Law in your hearts is a Gospel Truth and Promise but this is not called Gods Decree Electio est alicujus particularis cum rejectione alterius hoc sitâ—ante jacta mundi Fundamenta ergo datur aliquid plusquam Decretum generale Ames Antisin 2. Such a General Decree doth exclude and deny Election of particular Persons The Scripture tels us plainly of the Election of particular Persons Ephes 1. Who hath chosen us Rom. 8. Whom he hath predestinated them he hath also called the Foundation of God standeth sure he knoweth who are his but now if there were such a General Decree as this Whoever beleeves shal be saved and whoever beleeves not shal be damned there would need no Election of particular Persons but only an Execution of that general Decree Decreto isto generall Deus nihil magis velit uni quam alteri sed Rom. 9. magis vult uni quam alteri Ames Antisyn 3. By that general Decree God doth wil no more to one than to another but Rom. 9. God doth wil 〈◊〉 more to one than to another for Jacob beloved and Esau be hated 4. If there were such a general Decree Totum et integrum predestinationis decretum Act. Synod pag. 48. none else as some say then the wil of God should be undetermined as to the Salvation of this or that particular Man until he beleeved and so should
your own condition and pitch upon sin as a breach of Gods Law a transgression of the Law of God a dishonor done to God and as a breach of the Law of Love between Christ and you Thus I say if you would be humbled and not discouraged rather mourn over your Condition in order to your Sin than for your Sin in order to your Condition Answ 4 Fourthly In your Humiliation take heed that you do not meddle too much with Gods Prerogative and with Gods Peculiar In Humiliation a man is to meddle with that which belongs to man Some things there are that are peculiar to God and are his Prerogative You see how it is with the Birds of the Air so long as the Birds fly up and down here in the Air they do live comfortably but if the Birds do fly up to the Element of Fire it wil burn their Wings and they will fall down head-long So here so long as a man in his Humiliation keeps within his own Compass and Element he may walk comfortably there but if a man in Humiliation will soar up unto Gods Prerogative certainly his Soul wil fal down upon the Earth and be much discouraged Now I pray what is more the Prerogative and Peculiar of God than this To know who is a Reprobate and who is not When a man is humbled and grieved about his Sin and he finds that he hath sinned much against God and thereupon he concludes himself to be a Reprobate is not this â—o come upon Gods Prerogative The Scripture tels a man indeed what he is for the present That a man for the present is a Drunkard or a Swearer or a Sabbath-breaker or an Adulterer and therefore the Scripture tels him for the present that he is in the state of Nature and under the wrath of God but doth the Scripture tel him that he is a Reprobate that he can never be converted and turned to God Surely this is Gods great Prerogative to know his Secret which he reserves to himself and therefore when a man goes to be humbled before God and concludes O! I am a Reprobate and there is no hope for me and I shal never be converted this is to soar too high into Gods Prerogative and he wil burn his wings and he wil fal down into great Discouragement Therefore in al your Humiliation take heed that you do not fal upon any thing that is the Peculiar and Prerogative of God for then you wil not be humbled but discouraged Answ 5 Fifthly The more you are humbled and grieved by the Sight of Gods free Love and Grace the more you wil be humbled and the less discouraged When you come to Humiliation you are humbled because you have sinned against God but how do you present this God to your own soul Do you present him as a Judg only or as a Father also Do you present the Lord unto your soul only under the Notion or Attribute of his Greatness or under the Notion and Attribute of his Goodness also Luther said thus When my heart is brisk and jolly I present God unto my self under the notion of his Greatness but when my heart is low and fearing then I present God to me under the notion of his Goodness One while I consider Christ as my Example another while as my Gift when my heart is too high then I consider Christ as my Example when my spirit is too low I consider Christ as my Gift So do you also I know you wil say I cannot somtimes present the Lord unto my soul under the notion of a Father because I have no assurance of his Love Yet you may consider the Lord as gracious in himself as good in himself and loving in himself and say I have thus and thus Sinned against a gracious God and although thou hast not assurance of Gods Love to thee in Particular yet if you can present God to your soul under the Notion of his general Goodness as good in himself you will never be discouraged but be humbled Answ 6 Sixtly and lastly If you would be truly humbled and not be discouraged not discouraged and yet humbled then beat and drive up all your sins to your unbeleef and lay the stress and weight of all your sorrow upon that Sin As in matter of thankfulness if a man do run up every Mercy unto the Fountain Mercy the Blood of Jesus Christ he wil be most thankful So in the matter of Humiliation If a man do run up every Sin unto the Fountain the Head Sin he wil be most humbled Now what is the great Sin the Fountain Sin the Head Sin of al your Sins but Unbelief and beleeve it he is never far from Faith that is humbled for his Unbeleef and he wil never be discouraged that is not far from Faith Now therefore if at any time you find your soul in any Sin then say This hath my Unbeleef done I did not think that I had had such an unbeleeving heart O! what an unbeleeving heart have I This even all this Sin hath my Unbeleef brought forth Now the Lord heal my unbeleeving heart A soul grieved for unbeleef wil never be discouraged too much nor be humbled too little he wil be humbled in truth for sin because he is humbled for his unbeleef which is the mother Sin yet he wil not be discouraged because he is humbled for that which doth cause al discouragements Lay therefore the weight of your sorrow upon this Sin and you shal be truly humbled without unjust discouragement And thus I have dispatched the first particular by al which you see That a Gracious Godly man though he hath just cause for humiliation yet he hath no just and scripture reason to be discouraged for his Sin though he have Sinned and Sinned greatly yet no discouragement is to grow upon this condition And thus I have done with the First Instance A LIFTING UP In case of WEAK GRACE Serm. V PSALM 42.11 Why art thou cast down O my Soul and why art thou disquieted within me c. Instance 2 SOmtimes the Discouragements of the Saints do arise from the weakness of their Graces O! saies one I am a poor feeble and a weak Creature some are strong in the Lord and in the power of his Might who do a great deal of Service for God in their day but as for me I am a poor Babe in Christ if a Babe and so am able to do little or nothing for God Therefore I am thus discouraged and cast down have I not just cause and reason for it Answ No For God is able to make all Grace to abound towards you that ye alwaies having all sufficiency in all things may abound to every good Work 2 Cor. 9.8 And if God have recompenced your weakness with Wisdom then surely you have no cause to complain of your weakness Admonemur nullam creaturam propter parvitatem contemnendam esse quando qui dem quod illis in
Callâ—ng and your Elâ—ction sure As for Universal Redemption ye â—ust know That Christ did indeed die for all men but it 's no where said That he died for all the particular men of the world with intention to save them which is the thing in question but that he died for all that is both Jew and Gentile is very true and if ye look into Scripture and observe how when and upon what occasion this Speech came in you will easily see this is the meaning of it In the times of the old Testament Christ is not said to die for all but he bare the sins of many Esai 53. not of all but of many and so whilst Christ lived preaching only to the Jews and commanding his Disciples not to go into the way of the Gentiles it 's said He gave himself a ransom for many not for all but for many but when the Apostles preached to the Gentiles then it 's said indeed and not before That Christ died for all Why Because they held forth Christ to the Gentile as wel as to the Jew And therefore if ye look into 1 Tim. 2. you shal find That whereas the Apostle had said verse 4. Who would have all men to be saved and ver 5.6 Foâ— there is one Mediator who gave himself a ransom for all He explains this in regard of the Gentiles verse 7. Whereunto I am ordained a Preacher and an Apostle a Teacher of the Gentiles and thus it is a reason why they should pray for all even for the Heathen Magistrates ver 1. And to the same purpose doth the Apostle John speak Epist 1. Chap. 2. Ver â— And he speaking of Christ is the Propitiation for our sins and not for ours only but for the whol world not for the sins of the whol World as oâ—r Translation gives it But as the Greek Trem. et Bod. et non pro nostris tantum sed etiam pro totius mundi nequaquam hanc ' interpretationem fert phrasis verto ergo et non pro nobis tantum sed etiam pro toto mundo sic et Arabs c. porro usitatum est Hebrais totum mundum dicere pro certa universitate quorundum de quibus in subjecta materia agitur c. Ludov. de dien In Joan. 1.2 and the ancient Syriack renders it for the whol world but why and how is Christ the Propitiation for the whol World What is Christ the Propitiation for every particular man in the World No but the whol World is opposed to the Jews unto whom he wrote for to the beleeving scattered Jews did he now write as appears by the Title of this Epistle called an Epistle General which Title only those Epistles of James Jude and Peter have which were written to the scattered Jews 1 Pet. 1. 1 James 1.1 So that in this sense it is true Christ died for all that is for the Jew and Gentile but that he died for every particular man in the world with intention to save him is no where to be found in the Scripture As for the comfortableness of that Doctrine of Universal Redemption whereas it 's said That it is Conducible to the comfort of such as are afflicted and troubled in Spirit If this Doctrine of Universal Redeâ—ption be indeed an Enemy to the comfort of a poor doubting afflicted soul Joannes qui natione Judaeus erat ne existimaretur docuisse pro Judaeis tantum Christum propitiationem esse quando dixit est propitiatio pro peccatis nostris adjecit pro totius etiam mundi peccatis ut etiam Gentes significareâ— Cyrill L. 11. Cap. 19. then you have no reason to be discouraged in regard of this Objection or of your own Condition in this respect Now to cleer that take these Four or Five Arguments Arg. 1. That Doctrine which doth enervate or make void the Satisfaction of Christ for actual sins cannot be a friend but a great enemy to the faith and comfort of a poor doubting and afflicted soul for he is especially troubled for his actual sins and the great comfort that he hath lieth in this That Christ hath satisfied for them Now what saith the Doctrine of Universal Redemption to the Satisfaction of Christ for actual sins It plainly tels us that a man may be and thousands are damned for those very sins which Christ hath satisfied for and it must needs â—ay so for if Christ died for all the particular men in the world then all the particular men in the world may be saved and if they may be saved then Christ did bear their actual sins on the Cross or else a mans sins may be pardoned which Christ did not bear on the Cross and if Christ did bear the actual sins of all the Particular men in the world then those that are damned must be damned for those very sins which Christ did bear and satisfie for or else they are not damned for them But men are not only damned for their final unbelief but for sins against the Law for the Law is made for the ungodly and Rom. 2.12 As many as have sinned without Law shall also perish without Law And because of these things saith the Apostle speaking of actual sins against the Law the wrath of God cometh upon the Children of disobedience Now if men be damned for their actual sins against the Law and Christ have born them on the Cross and satisfied for them then men are damned for those very sins which Christ hath satisfied for and if so then what is this but to enervate and make void the satisfaction of Christ If you pay a debt and afterward be thrown into prison for the same debt doth not the imprisonment make void the satisfaction of your payment Yet thus now it is according to the Principles of this Doctrine of Universal Redemption surely therefore that Doctrine is no friend but a great enemy to the faith and comfort of a poor doubting and afflicted foul Arg. 2 The Intercession of Christ in conjunction with the Death of Christ is a great Pillar of our Christian Consolation Rom. 8.33 Who shall lay any thing to the charge of Gods Elect Ver. 34. Who is he that condemneth It is Christ that died yea rather that is risen again who is even at the right hand of God who also maketh intercession for us Who shall separate us from the Love of God c. So that our comfort is not only laid on the Death of Christ nor on the Intercession of Christ alone but upon the connexion of these two together And indeed what comfort would the Jews have in the bare Sacrifice if the High-Priest did not take the Blood thereof and carry it into the Holy Place sprinkling the Mercy-Seat for them whom the Sacrifice was offered for But according to this Doctrine of Universal Redemption the Intercession of Christ is parted from his Death for though it tel you that Christ died for all yet it tels you that he
man have sinned this Sin he is past Prayer and past Pardon he is past Sacrifice the truth is this man is in the Devils case The Devil you know is reserved in Chains unto the great Day and he cannot get out So if a man hath sinned this Sin though he live ten yeers twenty yeers or thirty yeers he is reserved in Chains and he shal never be pardoned he is upon the Devils ground O! what a misery is it to commit this Sin O! what a mercy is it then to be kept from it Now here is Hope for the greatest Sinner in the Congregation upon this account saith our Savior All manner of sin and blasphemy shall be forgiven unto men except the blasphemy against the Holy Ghost Hast thou therefore been a great Sinner Hast thou been a Drunkard Hast thou been a Wanton Hast thou been a Swearer Hast thou been an Opposer of the People of the Lord and hath the Lord kept thee from this great transgression Man or Woman here is Hope yet Who would not then turn to God Come Drunkard Swearer Wanton here is yet hope for thy soul who would not come in to Christ And O! What Comfort is here for Beleevers that are in Christ If thou beest in Christ and a Beleever thou canst not sin this Sin that look as it is with a man that hath sinned this Sin he cannot be pardoned so if a man be the Child of God a Beleever in Christ he cannot sin this Sin for he that is born of God sinneth not neither can he for the Seed of God abides in him O! you that are Beleevers comfort your selves with this Truth Here is Comfort for all the People of the Lord from this Doctrine Applic. 4 But in the fourth place If the Sin against the Holy Ghost be indeed the unpardonable Sin what cause have we al to look to our steps to our words to our actions Beloved this Sin against the Holy Ghost is the Professors Sin a man less than a Professor cannot sin this Sin against the holy Ghost this Sin against the holy Ghost is the knowing mans sin a man less than a knowing man cannot sin the Sin against the holy Ghost And as I said before a man may possibly go very far in sin and yet not commit this great unpardonable Sin So now on the other side I say Possibly a man may go very far in Religion and yet he may sin this Sin These Pharisees that committed it had the Key of Knowledg knowing they were and very knowing in the Scriptures as for Zeal they travelled Sea and Land to make a Proselyte for their Practice they fasted twice a week exceeding strict in observing the Sabboth day the Lights of the Church and the Eyes of all the People were upon them for their Guides and yet these men sinned this Sin against the Holy Ghost O! what care should there be in al our souls how had we al need to look to our waies The more Truth revealed the more danger of sinning this Sin the more great Works of God are done by the very Spirit and Finger of God if men do oppose and blaspheme the more danger of sinning this great Sin Now I wil appeal to you When was there ever more Light revealed than in these daies of ours yet when more opposing and blaspheming of it When were there ever such great Works done by the very Spirit and Finger of God and yet when more opposing and blaspheming Are there not some that have been convinced that the Spirit of God breathed upon their hearts in such and such Ordinances and such and such Waies and yet now oppose and blaspheme those very waies of God wherein they said heretofore they had the Spirit of God Are there not some that are convinced that in these Times great things are done by the very Finger by the Power and Arm of God among us and that in order to our salvation and yet how do men speak against them and blaspheme I wil not say that these men do it out of malice and therefore I do not charge this Sin against the Holy Ghost upon them But beloved in the Lord this is certain That in knowing Times Times when God is doing great things by his own Finger then is this Sin stirring most The Times of Christ and of the Apostles were Times of great Light when God wrought by his own Finger then was this Sin committed Now in these Times there is much breaking forth of Light and great things done by the very Finger of God therefore I say there is great danger if men do now blaspheme wherefore I say again take heed to your souls you that are Professors look to your steps in these daies of ours Quest But you wil say We grant indeed that this Sin against the Holy Ghost is the unpardonable Sin and wo be to them that do fal into it and it cannot be committed but by a knowing man but what shall we do that we may be kept from this great Transgression that whatsoever sin we do fall into yet we may be kept from this great Evil and this unpardonable Sin Answ I would that you would mind and consider the Description which you have heard and think of it But I wil tel you what David did saith David O Lord keep back thy Servant from presumptuous sins so shall I be free from the great transgression It seems then that presumptuous sinning makes way to this great Transgression When is a man said to sin presumptuously When a man sins upon this score That God wil shew mercy to him saying I know indeed it is not good for me to go to such a wicked Company it is a sin so to do but I wil venture and repent afterwards for God wil shew mercy To venture upon a sin presuming that God wil shew mercy and that a man shal repent afterwards is presumption and presumptuous sinning makes way to this great Transgression therefore would you be kept from this great Transgression go to God with David and say O Lord keep back thy Servant from presumptuous sins so shall I be free from the great transgression Again Be alwaies humbled for lesser sins He shal never fal into the greatest that is alwaies humbled for the least he shal never fall into the worst that is alwaies humbled for the smallest Besides Fear is the Keeper of Innocency Timor innocentiae custos Fear is the Guard of Innocency If you alwaies fear to commit it you shal never commit the same In case that you do at any time fal into sin say Well but through the Grace of God though I commit what is evil I wil never oppose what is good by the Grace of God I wil carry this Rule along with me Though I commit what is evil I wil never oppose what is good In case any great Work be done before you that lies beyond your reach and beyond your fatham say Though I do not understand
this Work I wil admire and though I cannot reach it yet I wil not blaspheme and â—peak against it And if heretofore Christian thou hast found God breathing upon thy heart in any Ordinance publick or private Hinc discimus quantopere nobis ab odio fratrum câ—â—ndum est quandoquidem eo sit ut quandoque odio hominis in ipsam Dei vâ—ritatem feramur precipites Cartw. Harm â—ag 357. or in any Way of God take heed as for thy life that thou dost never speak evil or blaspheme that way of God wherein thou hast sound the Spirit of God breathing This Sin is alwaies accompanied with invidentia fratrum with the envy of the Saints and therefore some have thought the Sin against the Holy Ghost did consist in it in the envying of the Saints but though that be not it yet that accompanies it Canst thou not find thy own heart rise to those heights of Graces that others do take heed you never envy the Saints lest you fal from envying those that are good to oppose Goodness it self which is the proper Work of the Holy Ghost And if indeed you would be kept from this great Transgression then take heed of al declinings and the steps thereof There are three steps as in our Conversion to God so in our Apostacy declining and going out from God Three steps in our coming in to God First a mans Affection is taken with that which is good Then his Judgment is convinced And then his Wilstrikes in and he resolves with al his heart and soul to cleave to the Lord for ever So in a mans Declining and going out from God First a mans Affection declines Then his Judgment alters I thought so and so indeed before but now I am of another mind And then it comes to his Will and he wil go on and let Parents say and Ministers say and Friends say what they wil yet he wil go on and that because he wil. Now saith the Apostle If any man sin wilfully after he hath received the knowledg of the Truth there remaineth no more Sacrifice for sin therefore as you desire to be kept from this great Transgression doth your Affections decline take heed your Judgment do not alter Doth your Judgment alter take heed that your Wil be not perverse O! take heed of al Declinings and the stepâ— thereof But finally Forsake not the Assembling of your selves together as the manner of some have been but as heretofore provoke one another to Love and good Works and so much the more as you see the day approaching and what I say to you I say to al and to mine own soul Let us breath after the Spirit and walk in the Spirit For there is no Condemnation to them that are in Christ Jesus who walk not after the Flesh but after the Spirit O! let us pray to God for his keeping Grace it is he alone that keeps us and the Lord keep al our souls from this great Transgression OF THE SIN OF INFIRMITY Wherein is shewed besides other things I. That a man may possibly fall into the same Sin again and again yet be a true Disciple II. That this Sin may be but a Sin of Infirmity III. That being so Christ will not leave him in it but will come again and not cast him off By William Bridge Preacher of the Gospel at Yarmouth LONDON Printed by Peter Cole in Leaden-Hall and are to be sold at his Shop at the sign of the Printing-Press in Cornhil neer the Royal Exchange 1656. OF THE SIN OF INFIRMITY Matthew 26.43 Preached At Stepney And he came and found them asleep again for their eyes were heavy IN the Verses next precedent and consequent you may see the difference between the true and the false Disciple both sin'd but they differ in their sin and in the issue of it The true Disciple sleeps when he should have prayed and he slept again and again that was his sin for our Savior commanded them to watch and pray but Christ wakened them and would not leave them sleeping he came to them with his wakening mercy and they were awakened that was the issue of their sin But the false Disciple Judas was awake and he watched unto what was evil the good Disciple slept unto what was good and the false Disciple watched unto what was evil that was his sin For while Christ yet spake ver 17. Lo Judas one of the Twelve came and with him a great multitude with Swords and Staves from the chief Priests and Elders of the People Now he that betrayed him gave them a sign saying Whomsoever I shall kiss that same is he hold him fast and forthwith he came to Jesus and said Hail Master and kissed him This was his Sin wherein our Savior leaves him and doth not awaken him but suffered him to go on leading him forth with the Workers of iniquity That was the issue of his Sin In this 43. verse you have the true Disciples Sin and his Lords Grace his dealing by Christ and Christs dealing by him First He slept when he should have been at Prayer which Sin is described by the Cause thereof and by the Repetition of it The Cause of it in these words For their Eyes were heavy this sin therefore was a Sin of Infirmity a Sin of Weakness and so our Savior cals it verse 41. for saith he The Spirit indeed is willing but the flesh is weak The Repetition of this Sin you have in these words He found them asleep again Christ had wakened them before and commanded them to pray but they slept again and again thus did they deal by Christ Secondly But how did Christ deal by them he did not leave them in their Sin not cast them off as he did deal by Judas but he came to them again and as they slept again so Christ came again his waking Grace and Mercy was as high as their slumbring Sin they sin again and he comes again So that the Doctrine from the whol verse is this Doct. Though a man do sin again and again yet if his sin be a Sin of Infirmity Christ will not leave him in it but will come again and not cast him off For the opening and cleering whereof Three things will fall under our Consideration 1. That a man may possibly fall into the same sin again and again yet be a true Disciple 2. That this Sin may be but a Sin of Infirmity 3. That being so Christ will not leave him in it but will come again and not cast him off First It is possible that a good man may fall into the same sin again and again I confess it is an Evil thing so to do and a great Evil In some respects it may be worser to fal into the same sin than to fall into others for this may more wast ones Peace and destroy the Assurance of Gods Love sins against Light do the most darken Now when we have repented
into it after I have been admonished of the evil of it Answ To that I say no more but desire you to consider the Instance that is here before you The Disciples slept our Lord and Savior Christ comes and wakens them yea and he chides them too what saith he cannot ye watch with me one hour watch and pray and yet they slept again and he comes and wakens them again and admonisheâ—h them again and yet they slept again Possibly therefore a man may fal into the same Sin again and again yea even after Admonition and yet it may be a Sin of Infirmity Yet how many poor souls are there that are mistaken here on the right hand and do think that their Sins are no Sins of Infirmity when indeed they are Quest But if there be such mistakes how shall we then know whether our Sins be Sins of Infirmity Answ 1 First Negatively That is no Sin of Infirmity which is a gross foul scandalous Sin committed with deliberation and consultation It is said of David that he turned not aside to the right hand or to the left save only in the matter of Vriah It seems then that in this matter he did turn aside but why is it said that he turned aside here and not in other things did he not Sin at other times Yes very often but there is a difference between missing ones way and turning aside out of ones way a man may ignorantly miss his way or unadvisedly but he that turns aside out of his way doth it voluntarily and deliberately and so did David here in this case and not in others this act was a foul fact which he was able and had strength to avoid committed with much deliberation and therefore it was no Sin of Infirmity So that if a mans Sin committed be a gross foul scandalous Sin committed with deliberation and consultation this is no Sin of Infirmity Answ 2 Secondly If the Sin be a Ring-leader unto other foul Sins it is no Sin of Infirmity the Ring-leading Sin is the most hainous Sin you shal observe therefore that when Samuel was raised up whether it was true Samuel or false I wil not now debate when he was raised up by the Witch of Endor in 1 Sam. 28. the only Sin that Samuel laies to the charge of Saul is this at verse 18. That he obeyed not the Voyce of the Lord in executing his fierce wrath upon Amalek Because thou obeyed'st not the voyce of the Lord nor executed'st his fierce wrath upon Amalek saith Samuel therefore hath the Lord done this thing unto thee this day Moreover the Lord wil also deliver Israel with thee into the hands of the Philistims If you read this story you shal find that this only Sin Samuel doth instance in Saul had committed other Sins Saul had persecuted David and out of malice and had committed great Sins why doth Samuel instance in this Sin above al other Sins but because this Sin was the Ring-leading Sin unto al the Sins that Saul did commit and therefore this is charged upon him especially as a great and a hainous Sin And you see how it is amongst men if there be a rebellion or insurrection they take the Ring-leader and hang up him for say they this is the great Transgressor for he is the Ring-leader So amongst Sins the great Sin is the Ring-leader and therefore if your Sin be a Ring-leader unto other soul Sins it is not a Sin of Infirmity That 's the Second Answ 3 Thirdly A Sin of Presumption is not a Sin of Infirmity Sins of Presumption and Sins of Infirmity are set in opposition one to the other in Numbers 15. and Psalm 19. Now I pray when doth a man sin out of Presumption but when he sinneth because God is merciful when he sinneth because his Sin can and may stand with Grace when he sinneth because the Sin is but an infirmity when he sinneth because he shal repent afterwards Now this is ordinary I have read of a certain yong man who being admonished of the evil of his way and course and pressed to leave his wickedness by the consideration of Judgment Eternity and Death a coming that he said Why tel ye me of these things I wil do wel enough for when Death comes I wil speak but three words and wil help al and so he went on in the way of his Sin but in the end coming to a Bridg on Hors-back to go over a deep Water the Horse stumbling and he laboring to recover his Horse could not but at last he let go the Bridle and gave up himself and Horse to the Waters and was heard to say these three words Devil take all Here was three words indeed Diabolus capiat omnia and an Example for all men who think to repent with a three-word Repentance at last viz. Lord have mercy to take heed by Miserere mei Deus Such is the end of Presumption and when a man doth therefore sin the rather because God is merciful or because the Sin is but a Sin of Infirmity or because he hopes to repent afterward or because his Sin may and can stand with Grace this is a Sin of Presumption and is no Sin of Infirmity Sins of Presumption are no Sins of Infirmity Answ 4 Fourthly If the Sin be a reigning Sin Potest autem dici infirmitas in anima ad similitudinem infirmitatis corporis dicitur autem corpus esse infirmum quando debilitatur vel impeditur in executione propriae operationis propter aliquam inordinationem partium corporis ita Scil. quod humores et membra hominis non subdantur virtuti regitivae et motivae corporis unde et membrum dicitur infirmum esse quando non pòtest perficere operationem membri sani unde et infirmitas animae dicitur quando impeditur anima in propria operatione propter inordinationem partium ipsius partes autem corporis dicuntur esse inordinatae quâ—ndo non sequuntur ordinem naturae ita et partes animae dicâ—ntur esse inordinata quando non subduntur ordini rationis c. Tho. Aquin. 12. Quest 77 Art 3. then it is no Sin of Infirmity for when Sin reigns Grace doth not therefore saith the Apostle Rom. 6. Let not Sin have dominion over you for ye are not under the Law but under Grace and when Sin reigns it is in its ful strength Now a Sin of Infirmity is not therefore called infirmity because as the School-men would it doth make a man infirm by impeding and hindering the vital operations of the Soul for then al Sins and especially the greatest should be Sins of Infirmity But it is said to be a Sin of Infirmity because it doth arise from weakness the strength thereof being taken out and mortified and therefore a reigning Sin can be no Sin of Infirmity Now Sin reigneth in a man 1. When it hath the command of his Duties his Spiritual Duties When a Master commands a
Lord give you a cleer understanding in al things CHRIST IN TRAVEL Wherein is shewed I. The Travel of Christ or Christ in Travel II. His Assurance of Issue III. The Contentment that he doth and shall find therein By William Bridge Preacher of the Gospel at Yarmouth LONDON Printed by Peter Cole in Leaden-Hall and are to be sold at his Shop at the sign of the Printing-Press in Cornhil neer the Royal Exchange 1656. CHRIST IN TRAVEL Sermon I. ISAIAH 53.11 He shall see of the Travel of his Soul and be satisfied IN this Chapter we have a ful Treatise of the Sufferings of Christ wherein the Prophet Isaiah speaks with such cleerness as if he rather were an Apostle after Christ than a Prophet before him Bernard tels us that there are three things which we are especially to mind and behold in the Sufferings of Christ the Work the Manner and the Cause thereof In the Cause he was Innocent in the Manner Patient and in the Work excellent saith he But the Prophet Isaiah doth insist on four things 1. The greatness of Christs Sufferings which he expresseth in many Words That he was despised and rejected of men a man of Sorrows and acquainted with Griefs that we hid our Faces from him despised and esteemed him not ver 3. that he was stâ—icken smitten and afflicted of God ver 4. Wounded and bruised ver 5. Oppressed afflicted and brought as a Sheep to the slaughter ver 7. Imprisoned and cut off from the Land of the Living ver 8. bruised by his Father and put to grief ver 10. In travel of Soul and numbred amongst Transgressors ver 11 12 2. The Cause of his Sufferings which aâ— the Prophet 〈◊〉 â—aâ— for our sins he was wounded for our transgressions he was bruised for our iniquities verse â— 3. The Manner of his Sufferings He is brought aâ— a Lamb to the slaughter and as a Sheep before the Shearers is dumb so opened he not his mouth verse 7. 4. The Fruit Issue and Success of his Sufferings For he shall see his Seed and the pleasure of the Lord shall prosper in his hand verse 10. And he shall see the Travel of his Soul and be satisfied verse 11. So that these words do plainly hold forth the fruit and issue of our Lords Sufferings and the certainty thereof The Sufferings were great for they are here called a Travel and the Travel of his Soul the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies a toylsom painful and wearisom Labor such a Labor say some as is used by those that grind in a Mil Mercerus such a Labor say others as Adam was to use in the sweat of his Brows after the Fal Avenarius as a Curse of sin unto which the Holy Ghost doth here relate because our Savior in these Sufferings was made a Curse for us Forerius Es 53. such a Labor say others so great so painful as women do endure in their sore Travel English Annotations and indeed the word signifies as much and so it 's used in Psal 7.14 Behold he travelleth with iniquity and hath conceived mischief alluding to the pains of a Woman in Travel and so it may be wel translated in this place for the word Soul is a Feminine term as if the Holy Ghost would decipher the Sufferings of Christ by the pangs of a Woman in Travel Now this Travel is also said to be the Travel of his Soul not only because it was a great and sore Travel but because it did extend to his Soul The word Soul is indeed somtimes used for ones Life and somtimes for the Person of a Man But then it doth not exclude the Soul but include it rather So here he shal see the travel of his Soul that is that travel which is not only in his Body but his Soul too This he is promised to see He shall see the Travel that is the Fruit thereof So Psal 128.2 Thou shalt eat the Labor of thine hands that is the Fruit of thy Labor what thine hand hath labored for seeing doth note enjoyment and the enjoyment of the thing desired So Psal 54.7 Mine Eye hath seen its desire upon mine Enemy the word Desire is not in the Hebrew but the Original runs thus Mine Eye hath seen upon mine Enemies We ad Desires because that is the Sense thereof for Seeing notes enjoyment of ones desires and therefore in that the Prophet saith he shal see the Travel of his Soul and be satisfied the meaning is That Christ shal so enjoy the issue and fruit of his Sufferings as he shal have ful content and delight therein And so the Doctrine from the whol is this Doct. That Christ shall certainly see the Travel of his Soul and be satisfied He did not lay down his Life at a venture nor suffer so many things at uncertainties but he had assurance of success He shall see saith the Lord by way of Promise both to him and us the Travel of his Soul and be satisfied For the opening and cleering hereof three great Arguments wil fal under our Consideration 1. The Travel of Christ or Christ in Travel 2. His Assurance of Issue 3. The Contentment that he doth and shal find therein As for the Travel of Christ His Sufferings were very painful a Travel and an hard Labor Acts 2.24 it 's said that he was somtimes in the pains of Death some Books read it in the pains of Hell but the word rendred Pains signifies the Pains and Pangs of a Woman in Travel Haec vox 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 et partum significat et dolorem parturientem Vict. Strigil Perk. Gal. 4. It is the same word that is used by Paul Gal. 4. My little Children with whom I travel in Birth and it signifies not only the Travel of the Woman at the Birth of the Child but the painful bearing thereof before the Birth these Pains and Pangs did as it were fal on Christ in his Sufferings So that in al the Sufferings of Christ ye may see Christ in Travel He was in Travel for us and this Travel was an hard Labor For It was A sore Travel A long and a tedious Travel And An helpless Travel First It was a Sore Travel both in regard of his Soul and Body First As for his Body His Sufferings were very painful For they were Universal Extream and Lingering They were Vniversal for he suffered from al hands Somthing he suffered from the Jews and somthing from the Gentiles somtimes from Men and somtimes from Women from and by the hand of Magistrates Kings and Princes from and by the hand of Priests from and by the hand of the Common People and the Soldiers Why do the Heathen rage and People imagine a vain thing the Kings of the Earth stood up and the Rulers took Counsel against the Lord and against his Christ Acts 4.25 26. He did not only suffer by the hand of strangers but from his own Friends and
Testator Heb. 9.17 4. Then also the Miracles that Christ wrought and the Apostles preaching with the Gifts that Christ gave to them upon his Ascention should confirm the Covenant for saith the Apostle Heb. 2.3 How shall we escape if we neglect so great Salvation which at the first began to be preached by the Lord and was confirmed unto us by them that heard him God also bearing them witness both with signs and wonders and with divers Miracles and Gifts of the Holy Ghost verse 4. It seems then that the Truth of the Goâ—pel was confirmed to us by Miracles and the Apostles preaching yet the Miracles and preaching of the Apostles are not said in Scripture to confirm the Covenant which yet might very wel be said if Christs Death should confirm it by way of Testimony 5. If the Death of Christ doth confirm the Covenant by way of Testimony then the blood of Buls and Goats might have confirmed the Covenant for when God testified the Truth of his Promise to Adam Gen. 15. He said to him Take thee an Heifer of three years old and a shee Goat of three yeers old and a Turtle Dove and a yong Pidgeon and he took them and divided them in the mid'st ver 9 10. But the Apostle tels us plainly Heb. 9. That the blood of Buls and Goats could not confirm the Covenant 6. The Ordinance of the Lords Supper doth testifie Gods willingness to forgive sinners That Cup is the New Testament in Christs blood shed for many for the remission of sins But though the Lords Supper be a Seal of the Covenant sealing to us evidencing testifying and assuring us of Gods Love bâ— Christ yet it is not a Seal of the Covenant as Christs blood was which did not only â—eal to us but was a Seal of the Covenant it self as it lay between God the Father and him But if Christs death did only confirm the Covenant by way of Testimony then the Lords Supper might as wel be said to confirm the Covenant which is no where affirmed in the Scripture But 7. Look how the Obedience of the first Adam should have confirmed the Covenant in case he had stood and look how he broke that Covenant by his Disobedience so did the Death and Obedience of Christ the Second Adam confirm the new Covenant Now if the first Adam had stood and confirmed that Covenant he had confirmed it by performing the Condition of it and he brake it by not observing and not doing the Condition of it so the Second Adam Christ did confirm the new Covenant by his Death and in that by his Obedience he did perform the Condition of the New Covenant for his Seed Thus I say he confirmed the Covenant of Grace even by performing the Condition of it and this confirmation of the Covenant was the next and most immediate Fruit and Effect of his Death And thus you have seen both Negatively and Affirmatively what are not and what are the next and immediate Effects of the Death of Christ Secondly As for the remote Effects of the Death of Christ they are many As 1. Freedom from the Law Curse and the Wrath of God Gal. 3.13 1 Thes 1.10 2. Our Effectual Vocation or Calling 2 Tim 1.9 3. Our Justification and actual Reconciliation with God Rom. 5.1 Ephes 1.8 4. Our Sanctification and holiness of Soul and Life Ephes 5.25 26 27. Heb. 9.14 1 John 1.7 5. Our Adoption and al those Spiritual Priviledges whâ—ch belong to the Sons of God Gal. 4.4 5. 6. Our Peace Comfort and Freedom from Fears 1. Luk. 74.2 Heb. 14 And to name no more but this 7. Our Salvation in the World to come Heb. 9.15 Al which I cal the more remote Effects of the Death of Christ which though he did not presently see the obtainment of yet he shal surely see them And so I come to the Second thing propounded to be cleered and evidenced Viz. The Assurance of his Issue and the sight thereof Quest Having therefore seen what are the Fruits and Effects of the Death of Christ How may it appear that Christ shal certainly see the obtainment of these last Effects and what assurance had or hath he thereof Answ He had the Assurance of the Pre-salvation of many thousand Souls for when Christ died on the Cross many thousands were in Heaven upon the account of his Death God the Father took Christs word promising to die for sinners and so saved many aforehand As the Son died and took the Fathers Word for the Salvation of many after his Death so the Father took the Sons Word and saved many before his Death upon the account thereof Now when Christ died this pre-salvation of so many thousands was a great Assurance to him of the accomplishment and obtainment of al those things which he travelled for Secondly He had the Assurance also of his own Merit and his Fathers Faithfulness Merita Christi sunt causae omnium auxiliorum et totius gratiae quae in Natura lapsa conferuntur hominibus et idem dicendum de omnibus dispositionibus tam proximis quam remotis justificantem gratiam antecedentibus et de augmento gratiae Meruit gratiam et gloriam Thom Aquin. quest Q. 29. de gratia Châ—isti art 7. ad arg 8. Scotus Lib. 3. dist 19 qu. unica Altissiod Lib 3. Tract 1. quest 7. Aâ—uarez de anxil disput 29 Conclus 1. Molina de Lib art 6. concord qu. 23. ar 4 5 disp 2 conclu Vasquez in 3 part Thom. Tom. 1. disput 77. cap. 2. 3 4. Suarez in 3. part Thom. disput 41. Sect. 2 3. Astunicens de gratia Christi q. 5. 2 conclus Râ—ph Aversa pars prima qu 23. sect 15. Aureolus Lib. 3. in sent dist 20 q 1. Roder. de Ariaga in part 3. Thom. Tâ—â— 6 477 Zumel in 1 part Thom. qu 23. art 5. Bâ—nner in 1 part Thom. qu 23 art 5. Tâ—nnerus disput de incarnat q. 6 dub 5. Tom 4. T B Medina in 3. part Tho. 9. q 19 art 4. â—â—râ—aâ—iens in â— qu. contra Gent. Lib. 4 Cap. 55. Si qâ—is dixâ—â—it eandem gratiam Dâ—i â—eâ— Jâ—â—um Christum Dominum nostâ—um propter hoc taâ—uÌ„ nos acjuvaâ—e ad noâ— peccandum quod pâ—r ipsâ—m nobis revelatur â—t â—peâ—â—tur intelligentâ—a mâ—ndâ—toâ—umâ—â—â— sciamus quid appeâ—â—re quid vitare dâ—beanâ—us non autem per iliam nobis prâ—staâ—i ut quod fâ—ciendum cognovâ—timus etiam facere diligamus atque valeanius anathema â—it cum enim dicit Apostolus scientia â—â—slat charitas vero edificat valde impium est uâ—câ—edamus ad eam quae inslat nos habere gâ—atiam Christi ad eam quae edificat non habere cum sit utrumque donum Dei et scire quae facere debeamus et diligere ut faciamus Concil Milevitan 2. can 4. Bin. Tom. 1. For 1. He did not only merit Heaven and Salvation for those whom he died for but he merited Grace Holiness and Regeneration
those very sins that he hath died and satisfied for Corvinus is not ashamed to speak it out and it or worse must needs follow from that Doctrine for many shal be damned not only for their Unbelief and sins against the Gospel but for their sins against the Law Rom. 2.12 2 Cor. 6.9 Either then Christ satisfied for these sins when he died for them or not if not then it seems that men possibly may have their sins against the Law pardoned which Christ hath not satisfied for for the Maintainers of that Doctrine say That it 's possible that al may be saved and so have their sins pardoned and if mens sins may be pardoned which Christ hath not satisfied for then is the Satisfaction of Christ made void according to the Doctrine of the Socinians and if Christ did bear and die and satisfie for these very sins which men are damned for then shal God punish the same sin twice which even a just man wil not do and then wherein doth our great Gospel Sacrifice of Christ on the Cross exceed the Sacrifices of the old Testament for the Apostle tels us Heb. 10.3 That in those Sacrifices there was a remembrance again made of sins every yeer but here shal be a remembrance again of sins made not every yeer but unto al Eternity O! how unsatisfying is this to the heart of Christ that instead of seeing the Travel of his Soul he shal see those damned that he died for yea damned for those sins that he satisfied for al which must needs follow upon the Doctrine of universal Redemption According to that Doctrine Christ may miss the ends of his Death and Sufferings for he died not only for the Salvation of those whom he died for but for their Sanctification Ephes 5.26 1 Pet. 1.18 Tit. 2.14 but al the men of the World are not sanctified clensed and redeemed from their vain Conversation and from al Iniquity Surely therefore if he should die for al particular men he should miss his Ends yea according to that Doctrine Christ may not obtain that which he hath merited and purchased for he hath not only merited Salvation but Grace and Holiness for those whom he died for as hath been proved already if therefore he died for every particular man of the World then al the men of the World must be gracious and holy or Christ must never come into his purchase nor obtain what he hath merited and can that be satisfying to the heâ—rt of Christ Sciendum est ita Christum Dominum pro peccatis totius generis humani satisfecisse donaque omnia gratiae quae illi post lapsum pâ—imorum parentum conferuntur infinitaque alia promeruisse et nihilominus applicationem effectuum suorum meritorum certis quibusdam legibus alligatam reliquerit Molina lib. arb Concord qu. 23. art 45. disp 2. Talis â—uit satisfactio Christi ut ea posita liberum fuit Deo obtinendae salutis eam conditionem ponere quam vellet ipse vero Deus posuit conditionem fidei Arnol. Corvin contra Molinâ— Cap. 28. p. 442. Impetravit Christus omnibus â—econciliationem et remissionem sed ea conditione Remonst Collat. Ha â—â—â—s Art 2. Licet satiâ—factio Christi sit praestita â—eatus noster non statim aboletur nisi prius fidei et poenitentiae conditionem impleamus Conr. Vorsrtius schol 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ad 54. Object But our Lord and Savior Christ did die conditionally and merited the blessings of the New Covenant conditionally to be given out upon condition of Faith and Repentance which are the Condition of the New Covenant and therefore though men do not obtain all the blessings of the Câ—venant yet Christ shal not lose his Ends nor the thing purchased by his Death because if men do not perform the Condition he never did intend they should have the blessing or the thing purchaâ—ed Answ But did Christ merit Grace and Holiness condâ—tionally the Question now is not about Salvation or Justification but about our Sanctification If you speak of our Salvatiâ—n in remission of Sin you speak not to the matter in hand and if you speak of our Sanctification what Condition can be performed before that 1. And if Christ did merit and intend that our Holiness and Sanctification should be bestowed on us upon condition of Faith and Repentance then a man may repent and beleeve before he be Sanctified and before he have any true saving Grace and Holiness 2. No Condition can be performed before Grace and Holiness but a work of Nature and hath Christ â—erited that Grace shal be bestowed upon a work of Nature the Apostle speaks directly contrary 2 Tim. 1.9 Who hath saved us and called us with an holy calling not according to our Works but according to his own purpose and Grace And 3. If Christs Merits were thus conditional then the Will of God the Father must be also conditional for there is a correspondency between the Merits of Christ and the Wil of the Father the Father wils that to us which the Son hath merited for us and as the Son merited so doth the Father wil the bestowing of the blessing but the Father doth not wil our Grace Holiness and Sanctification upon condition for the Maintainers of that Doctrine of Universal Redemption say That Gods secret Wil and his revealed Wil are one and the same nothing different if therefore God doth wil our Sanctification and Holiness upon Condition then when he commands us to beleeve repent and obey his Commandement must be Conditional and when he commands us to forsake our sins his Command for that is Gods Wil must be Conditional and if those Commandements be conditional then they cannot be resisted nor his Wil resisted yea then it wil be no sin not to keep Gods Commandement for if his Commandement be to be observed upon Condition then if I do not perform that Condition I do not transgress his Commandement as if you command your Servant to do a thing if he will if he wil not he doth not transgress your Commandement Surely therefore the Wil of God and his Commandements are absolute such therefore is the Merit of Christ But Secondly If Christs Merits were thus Conditional relating to the performance of some Condition as of Faith Repentance and Obedience then Faith Repentance and our Obedience were not merited by the Death of Christ the contrary hath been proved already look whatever Christ laid down his life for that he merited but he laid down his life to redeem us from our vain Conversation and from al Iniquity therefore from Unbelief hardness of heart and from al the Disobedience of our Lives and therefore he merited our Redemption from these Thirdly If Christs merits were thus Conditional then the Wil of God the Father must be pendulous wavering uâ—certain and undetermined til it be determined by some act of Mans for if man do perform the Condition then he is to give out the blessing
the child of Grace and the mother of Grace There is a peace thâ—t arises from the apprehension of Gods common goodness which is common peace And there is a special peace that arises from the apprehension of Gods special favor and free Grace true peace is the Daughter of that Grace yet it is the Parent of inherent Grace or of Gracious actions I should rather say the Nurse Phil. 4.7 for sayes the Apostle The peace of God that passes all understanding keep or guard your minds and hearts This saving peace is a Guard unto al our Graces As falâ—e peace is a guard to our sins so true peace is a guard unto al our Graces True saving peace is such a peace as is wrought by faith Being justified by faith we have peace Rom. 15. The Lord give you peace in beleeving saies the Apostle It comes in a way of Faith true saving peace is wrought by faith False peace is such as is either born with us and was never interrupted being the offspring of nature onely or the Emanation of a natural Conscience or such as is wrought out by time time working out ones trouble True saving peace wil live in the sight of sin False peace doth not indure the light of sin A Godly man the more he doth see his sin unless he be under temptation the more peace he hath a wicked man the more he doth see his sin the less peace he hath and al his peace arises from a not sight of his sin True saving peace loves to be examined is willing to be examined it loves to be tryed But false peace cannot indure examination it flyes from the light it doth not love to be tryed True saving peace is spoken by God I wil hear what the Lord wil say Psal 85.8 for he wil speak peace saies the Psalmist When God speaks peace he speaks it to a soul under or after temptation When God speaks peace he speaks it with a strong hand giving such peace as no creature in the world is able to give When God speaks peace it is a peace beyond al expression The peace of God that passeth al understanding it cannot be uttered Now though a wicked man have peace and much peace and quiet within yet God doth not speak it for it was not spoken to him in or after temptation it was not spoken by a strong and unresistable hand it is such a peace as may be wrought by time time working off the trouble or the pleasures and contentments of the world may beget the like it is not a peace that is beyond al expression a peace beyond al understanding but a low peace which you may easily express But now as for you that are Godly that make this Objection and have this fear and scruple in your hearts I wil here appeal unto your own souls you know and remember your former trouble now ye have peace and ye have rest within I appeal to you I say whether yea or no when ye were in that trouble suppose I or another Minister or ten others of your own chusing suppose a hundred should have come to you with one promise after another had we been able to have spoken comfort to you O no if the Lord had not spoken comfort to me it had not been in the power of al the Ministers in the world to have spoken comfort unto my soul but the Lord certainly hath done it Yet I appeal to you Are you not willing to have your peace examined are you not willing to have your peace your inward peace â—ryed yes withal my soul I would have my peace tryed and truly I could not hope that my peace were right if I were not willing to have it examined Wel yet I appeal to you further And do not you find that you have peace even then when you do see your sins and the more you see your sins upon the back of Christ the more peace you have yes And do not you find this that your peace came in in a way of Beleeving from the sight of Christ laying hold on the Promise by the prospect of free Grace yes I must needs say so Had I not had a promise to stay my soul upon had I not had a view of tree Grace had I not seen the Lord Jesus I had never had any peace in my poor soul but the Lord knows that thus I attained my peace Wel then be of good comfort Man or Woman I tell thee from the Lord thy peace and quiet is right I know what the danger is of sewing pillows under mens Elbows and speaking peace where none ought to be spoken but I say if it be thus with thy soul notwithstanding al thy sins and fears from the Lord I say unto thee thy peace is right go in peace and the God of peace tread down Satan under thy feet Object But I fear that my peace my inward peace is not right because it doth not last and continue Answ The Second Doctrine answers to that Objection for the second Doctrine saith That a Godly mans peace may be interrupted Object But one thing yet troubles me and makes me fear that my peace and quiet it not good and that is because I came so lightly and slightly by it I see how it hath been and it with others of the people of God some that have been long afflicted and wounded and have lien troubled a great while and so they have had peace but as for me it is not so with me I came lightly and slightly by my peace and quiet and therefore I do even fear that the Lord never spak peace yet unto my soul Answ Doest thou say Lightly how lightly hast thou stollen thy peace or have others bought their peace for you say others have been much afflicted and troubled and had a great deal of heart-smart But I pray tel me did those who have had al this trouble did they purchase or buy their peace at the hand of Christ withal this trouble or did Christ give them that peace and comfort freely Buy it no surely they did never purchase it never buy it but Christ gave it them freely Why if Christ gave it them freely after al their troublâ— why may he not give it thee freely after less trouble I have read and so have you in the Gospel a Parable of two that came into the Vineyard to work the one in the beginning of the day who bare the heat of the day and the other at the latter end of the day and both had a penny When they were both paid he that was there at the beginning of the day murmurs saying I have been here al this day and I have born the heat of the day and I have but a penny and the other that came in at the latter end of the day hath a penny as wel as I the man that had been there working at the beginning and heat of the day he murmurs but he
of God more they are more against the Love and Grace and Favor of God than other mens sins are And the Lord doth see the sins of his own People yea so far he sees sin in them that he doth chastise and afflict them for it not only from their sin but for their sin and therefore saith the Apostle in 1 Cor. 11.30 speaking of the unworthy receiving of the Lords Supper For this cause many are sick and weak among you And he doth not speak only of Saints in Appearance and in Church-Estate but of such also as were Saints indeed and therefore he saith We are judged we are chastened of the Lord that we should not be condemned with the world He puts himself in We are judged that we may not be condemned with the world 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Revel 3.19 Our Savior Christ saith Revel 3. As many aâ— I love I rebuke and chasten be zealous therefore and repent it seems then it was for sin committed else why should he say Repent and repent therefore Repentance is for sin committed already and these were such as he loved too whom he threatens thus to rebuke and chastise and doth any Father rebuke chastise or correct his Child only from sin and not for sin Was not Moses a gracious and an holy man and yet for his unbeleef and sin he lost the Land of Canaan Was not Sampson a good man and yet by his sin he lost his Eyes and his Life too Was not David a gracious and a holy man and yet for his sin the Lord said The Sword should never depart from his house and yet Christ had made satisfaction for his sin too as well then as for the Saints now But now though there be never so much evil in the sins of Gods People yet they have no reason no just cause or Scripture reason to be cast down and to be discouraged in that respect Quest But how may this appear That notwithstanding the sins of Gods own People do grieve the Spirit of God are a dishonor to Jesus Christ and do wound the Name of God and the Profession of Christ so much That yet the Saints have no reason to be discouraged or cast down Answ 1 First They know or they may know that they shall never be condemned for their sin whatever it be There is no Condemnation to those that are in Christ Jesus saith the Apostle Christ was made sin for them and if Christ be made sin for me then my sin shall never hurt me Luther is bold here Fateor me peccasse sed peccatum meum damnatum in Christo est qui est peccatum damnans est autem peccatum illud damnans fortius peccato damnato Luther for saith he Christ is made sin damning our sin is sin damned I confess indeed said he that I have sinned but sin damning is stronger than sin damned and Christ was made sin damning for me The thing is true though the expression be strange Christ was made sin for Saints therefore their sin shall not hurt them It stands not with the Justice of God to exact the payment of one debt twice Now the Lord Jesus Christ hath not only been arrested but in Goal for the debt of the Saints and People of God and he hath paid it to the utmost farthing he hath paid it better than they could have paid it themselves if they had gone to Hell for if a Godly man had gone to Hell and been damned for ever he would have been alwaies paying but the debt would never have been paid Christ paid it all down for the present And if you look into Scripture you will find That the Lord doth not condemn a man no not a wicked man barely for the act of his former sin but because he wil not turn from it Psal 7.11 The Lord is angry with the wicked every day verse 12. If he turn not he will whet his Sword he hath bent his bow and made it ready he hath prepared for him the Instruments of death he ordaineth his Arrows against the Persecutor The Lord hath prepared Instruments of Death against every wicked man but yet notwithstanding though a man be never so wicked if he turn unto the Lord God will not discharge those Instruments of Death upon him yea though his sins have been never so great but saith the Text If he turn not not because he hath sinned before only but because he turns not from his sin he will whet his Sword he hath bent his Bow and made it ready Now there is alwaies in the Saints and People of God a turning disposition although they do sin against God there is alwaies I say a turning disposition in them and therefore the Lord will not discharge the Instruments of death upon them surely then they have no reason to be quite discouraged in this respect Answ 2 Secondly As Godly men shall never be condemned for their sins so their sins shall never part God and them What is the sâ—eming Reason why some are so discouraged about their sins but because they think they shall not only lose the face and presence of God by their sins but that they shall lose God himself But now I say the sins of the Godly shall never part God and them their sins may hide Gods Face But as their sins did not hinder God and their coming together at first so their sins shall never part God and them their sins may cause a strangeness between God and them but shall never cause an Enmity their sins may hide Gods Face from them but shall never turn Gods back upon them those whom God Loves he loves unto the end I am the Lord that changeth not saith he And as the Prophet Isaiah speaks As the Covenant that the Lord made with Noah such is the Covenant that he makes with his People Now look into Genesis Chap. 8. and you shall see what the Covenant is that the Lord made there with Noah and with the World by Noah When Noah came out of the Ark he built an Altar and Sacrificed verse 21. And the Lord smelled a sweet savor and the Lord said in his heart I will not again curse the Ground for mans sake Why For the Imagination of mans heart is evil from his youth You would think this were a reason why God should curse the Ground again for the imagination of mans heart is evil from his youth man is wicked therefore surely God will curse the Ground again nay saith the Lord but though you that are poor Creatures think so yet I that am the God of all Grace I make this Covenant with the World by Noah That I will not curse the Ground any more for mans sake Because the Imagination of mans heart is evil from his youth continually Sensus enim et cogitatio humani cordis c. Hierom. I confess indeed the Hebrew 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies Quamvis Although as well as Quoniam
and Blasphemy Surely it doth Have ye any reason then to be discouraged under the power of this Objection Object But suppose that a man have sinned greatly against his conscience or against his light against his knowledg hath he not just cause or reason then to be cast down and to be quite discouraged Answ No For if there be a Sacrifice for such a sin as this is then a man hath no reason to be quite discouraged cause to be humbled as you shal hear afterward but no reason to be discouraged Now in the times of the old Testament in the times of the Law among the Jews there was a Sacrifice not only for sin committed ignorantly but also for sin coâ—itted against light and against consc ence and I appeal to you who ever you are that make this objection do you not think that Peter when he denyed his Lord and Master sinned against his conscieâ—ce against his light and against his knowledg surely then there is no reason that a man should be quite discouraged no not in this respect Object But suppose that a mans sins be exceeding great gross and hainous for I do confess that possibly a Godly man may sin some sin against his light and against his conscience somtimes but as for me my sin is exceeding great gross and hainous and have I not just cause and reason now to be discouraged Answ No not yet For though your sin be great is not Gods mercy great exceeding great is not the Satisfaction of Christ great are the merits of Christs blood smal is not God the great God of Heaven and Earth able to do great things you grant that God is almighty in providing for you and is he not almighty also in pardoning wil ye spoil God of his almightiness in pardoning You say your sin is great but is it infiniteâ— is there any more infinites than one and that is God is your sin as big as God as big as Christ Is Jesus Christ only a mediator for smal sins wil you bring down the satisfaction of Christ and the â—ercy of God to your own model Hath not the Lord said concerning pardoning mercy That his thoughts are not as our thoughts but as the heavens are greater than the earth so are his thoughts in this respect beyond our thoughts Hath not the Lord said in Isa 43. unto the people of the Jews at vers 22. But thou hast not called upon me O Jacob but thou hast been weary of me O Israel Vers 23. Thou hast not brought me the smal cattel of thy burnt offering neither hast thou honored me with thy Sacrifices Vers 24. Thou hast bought me no sweet cane with mony neither hast thou filled me with the fat of thy Sacrifice but thou hast made me to serve with thy sins thou hast wearied me with thy iniquity yet vers 25. I even I am he that blotteth out thy transgression for my own sake and wil not remember thy sins Here are sins and great sins and if the Lord wil therefore pardon sin because it is great unto his people 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 quoniam grandis est Hierom. then surely they have no reason to be quite discouraged in this respect Now look what David saith in Psal 25. vers 11. For thy name sake O Lord pardon mine iniquity for it is great mark his argument pardon mine iniquity 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Septuag 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Chaldee Par. for it is great if David use this reason then may you also and if this be a reason why God should pardon sin because it is great then this cannot be a reason a just reason why you should be discouraged Object But suppose that a mans sin be the sin of revolting declining for this is my case wil some say I have striven and striven against my sin a long while and I return unto it again times were heretofore that I have been exceeding forward and ready unto what is good but now I am much declined abated and even gone backward with revolting and deep revolting and I have layn long so even for many years have I not reason and just reason now to be discouraged and cast down within my self Answ No not yet For though this be a sufficient cause of great humiliation for backsliding in scripture phrase is called rebellion and rebellion as the sin of witch-craft yet a good man hath no reason to be discouraged in this regard for thus saith the Lord Jer. 3.1 They say if a man put away his wife and she go from him and become another mans shal he return unto her again shal not that land be greatly polluted but thou hast played the Harlot with many lovers yet return again unto me saith the Lord. And vers 12. return thou back-sliding Israel saith the Lord and I wil not cause mine anger to fal upon you for I am merciful saith the Lord and I wil not keep anger for ever again vers 14. Turn O back-sliding Children for I am marryed unto you if ever the Lord Jesus Christ did betroth himself unto any soul he wil never put that soul away again I hate putting away saith God Men put away their wives among the Jewes but saith the Lord I hate putting away And Isae 50. vers 1. Thus saith the Lord where is the Bil of your mothers divorcement whom I have puâ— away or which of my creditors is it to whom I have sold you Among the Jews the husband did put away his wife upon smal occasions As for adultery you know that was death he did not put away his wife upon adultery she was to dy for it but the husbands put away their wives upon other occasions and when they put away their wives they gave the wife a bil of divorce that so upon al occasions the woman might shew thereby that she was free from such a man Now saith the Lord you that charge me and complain that I have put you away come and shew me the bil of divorce Thus saith the Lord where is the bil c. Poor soul thou complainest that I have put thee away come then and shew me the bil of divorce let any one who complains that I have put him away and cast him off come and bring out his bil of divorce This ye cannot do men indeed put away but if ever the Lord Christ doth match himself unto thee he wil never put thee away again And whereas you say That you are declined and have much revolted and so have continued even many yeers Consider whether you be not mistaken Every abatement in affection is not a declining in grace possibly we may not grieve for sin afterward so much as at our first conversion yet we may hate it more at first you may pray more against it yet afterward watch more against it we never see the face of sin so ugly as in the glass of Gods free love do you not see the
humble and what they do want at the first they have it afterwards by degrees soaking into their souls Have they then any reason to be discouraged in these respects surely no. Quest But should not a Godly Gracious man be fully grieved and humbled for his sin Answ Grieved humbled for his sin yes surely though the Lord through the over-ruling hand of his Grace do work never so much good out of my sin unto me yet I am to be humbled for it and the rather to be humbled for it because he works good out of it I have read indeed of the Mother of those three Learned men Lumbard Gratian and Comaestor the three great pillars of the Roman Church for Lumbard wrote the sentences and Gratian the Popish Decretals and Comaestor Historiam Scholasticam that when she lay on her death bed and the Priest came unto her and called upon her for repentance of her whoredomes Hos tres Gratianum viz. Pet. Lumbardum et Pet. Comaestorem fuisse Germanos ex adulterio natos quorum mater cum in extremis peccatum suum confiteretur et confessor redargueret crimen perpetrati aduâ—terii quia valde grave esset et ideo multum deberet dolore et penitentiam agere respondet illa Pater scio quod adulterium peccatum magnum est sed considerans quantum bonum secutum est cum isti silii mei sint lumina magna in Ecclesia Ego non valeo paenitere Cui confessor hoc ex dono Dei est ex te autem adulterium crimen magnum et de hoc doleas c. Decret fol. 1. Gratiani vita for these three Lumbard Gratian and Comaestor were her bastards as the very popish writers do record it he telling her that she must be greatly afflicted grieved and humbled for her uncleanness or else she could not be saved why said she I confess indeed that whoredom and uncleanness is a great sin but considering what a great deal of good hath come to the Church of God by my sin that three such great lights have been brought forth into the world by my sin Non valeo paenitentiam agere I cannot I wil not repent thus it is with many poor ignorant souls when they see how the Lord by his over-ruling hand doth work good unto them out of their sin as some outward blessings mercys they do not repent of their sin but rather justify themselves in their sins but now take a Godly man a gracious soul and the more that he sees the Lord working good out of his sin the more he is humbled for it and upon that very ground because God works good of it therefore he is humbled the more Yet further it is observed that though the Lord did ordinarily cal David his servant yet when David had sinned that great sin he sent the prophet to him saying Go say to David he had lost the title of servant now bare David now single David now David without the title my servant And so though God ordinarily called the people of Israel his people yet when they had committed that great sin of Idolatry in the matter of the Golden Calfe the Lord doth not cal them his people but he saith to Moses The people not My people but The people and Thy people Moses now they had lost their old title Thus I say the sins of Gods own people do deprive them and divest them of their spiritual priviledges and can a gracious heart look upon this and consider how he is divested and disrobed of his spiritual priviledges and not mourn under it Can one friend grieve another friend and not be grieved himself The Saints by their sins they grieve God who is their best friend and therefore certainly they must needs be grieved they must needs be humbled or there is no Grace not grieved not humbled not Gracious But now because they are grieved and humbled for sin committed therefore they are not discouraged I say because they are grieved and because they are humbled for sin committed therefore they are not discouraged for discouragement is a hinderance to humiliation and the more truly a man is humbled for sin committed the less he is discouraged and the more a man is discouraged the less he is truly humbled Quest You wil say then but what is the difference between these a man is to be humbled and not discouraged not discouraged and yet to be humbled what is the difference between these two being humbled and being discouraged Answ It is a profitable question and worth our time by way of answer therefore thus First When a man is humbled truly humbled the object of his grief sorrow or trouble is sin it self as a dishonor done unto God the object of discouragement is a mans own condition or sin in order to his own condition the ultimate object of discouragement being a mans own condition when a man is discouraged you shal find stil that his trouble runs al out upon his own condition O! saith a discouraged person I have sinned I have thus sinned and therefore my condition is naught and if my condition be naught now it wil never be better Lord what wil become of my soul Stil his trouble is about his own condition But when a man is grieved and truly humbled for sin his trouble is about sin it self as a dishonor done unto God To clear this by scripture you know Cain was discouraged but Cain was not humbled how may that appear Cain was troubled about his condition Ah! saith he My punishment is greater than I can bear on the other side the poor prodigal was humbled but not discouraged how may that appear his trouble was about his sin and not about his condition I wil return unto my Father saith he and I wil say unto him I have sinned against Heaven and before thee and I am no more worthy to be called thy Son make me as one of thy hired servants David sometimes was both discouraged and humbled and then you find his repentance and humiliation to be very brackish but if you look into the Psal 51. you shal find David humbled but not discouraged for it is a penitential Psalm therefore humbled and not discouraged for stil he did keep his Assurance vers 14. Deliver me from blood-guiltiness O God thou God of my Salvation But what was his repentance his trouble about It was about his sin and not about his condition read vers 23. and so on Wash me throughly from mine iniquity and clense me from my sin for I acknowledg my transgression and my sin is ever before me Against thee thee only have I sinned and done this evil in thy sight Behold I was shapen in iniquity and in sin did my mother conceive me stil ye see his eye is upon his sin and not upon his condition only So that I say when a man is truly humbled and grieved for sin the object of his grief is sin as a dishonor
to suffer saith the Apostle It was the Speech of a good man now in Heaven being once under great Afflictions O Lord these Afflictions are thy Pearls and I wil wear them for thy sake 3. They are but seeeming Evils They are real Tryals and seeming Evils Therfore the Apostle saith Every Affliction seems grievous but considering altogether it is rather a Seeming than a real grief and therefore saith he 2 Cor. 6.9 10. We are as unknown and yet well known as dying and behold we hee as chastened and not killed as sorrowful yet alwaies rejoycing as poor yet making many rich as having nothing and yet possessing all things In which words as Austin observes he puts a tanquâ—m sicut AS upon his Afflictions as if his Sufferings were but as Afflictions and not Afflictions When a man takes any Physick he is sick withal yet because it is but Physick-sickness you do not call it a sickness it is as a sickness but not a sickness Now all the Afflictions of the Saints are but their Physick prescribed and given them by the hand of their Father and therefore though they be sick therewith yet it is but as a sickness not so indeed al things rightly weighed When an unskilful Eye looks upon the threshing of the Corn he saith Why do they spoil the Corn But those that know better say The Flail doth not hurt the Corn if the Cart-wheel should pass upon it there would be spoil indeed but the Flail hurts not Now there is no Affliction or suffering that a Godly man meets with but is Gods Flail And if you look into Isay 28. ye shal find the Lord promiseth under a similitude that his Cart-wheel shal not pass upon those that are weak ver 27. For the Fitches are not threshed with a threshing Instrument neither is a Cart-wheel turned about upon the Cummin the Fitches are beaten out with a staff and the Cummin with the Rod God wil alwaies proportion his Rod to our strength But though mine Affliction be not greater than I can bear yet if it lie too long upon me say some I shall never be able to bear it Nay saith the Lord ver 28. Bread-Corn is bruised because he will not ever be threshing it But what is this to us Yes it is a Parable for ver 26. His God speaking of the Plow-man doth instruct him to discretion and doth teach him And if the Plow-man have this discretion much more shal the Lord himself for verse 29. This also cometh forth from the Lord of Hosts who is wonderful in Counsel and excellent in working I am Gods Corn said the Martyr I must therfore pass under the Flail through the Fan under the Mil-stone into the Oven before I can be bread for him And if our Chaff be severed from our Graces by this Flail have we any reason to be discouraged because we are thus afflicted The truth is the day of Affliction and Tribulation is a godly mans Day of Judgment it is at his Judgment Day he shal never be judged again so as to be condemned at the Day of Judgment Ye are judged with the world saith the Apostle that ye may not be condemned with the world And when the Godly mans Affliction-Day is he may say Now is my Judgment-Day and I shal never be judged again why therefore should he be discouraged whatever his Afflictions be And in the Second place This wil appear also if you consider Whence their Afflictions come If al the Sufferings of Gods People do come from Divine Love the Love of God in Christ to them then have they no reason to be discouraged though they be much afflicted every Rod is a Rod of Rosemary to them fruits of their Fathers Love and if you look into Heb. 12. ye shal find both the thing proved and the Inference The thing is proved at ver 6. For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth and scourgeth every Son whom he receiveth Which he illustrates by a similitude Suppose a man have two Sons one a Bastard and the other Legitimate he wil rather give Education and Correction to the Legitimate Son and neglect the Bastard and saith the Apostle verse 8. If ye be without Chastisement then are ye Bastards and not Sons What then verse 12. Wherefore lift up the hands which hang down and the feeble knees As if the Apostle should say If al the Sufferings and Afflictions and Chastisements of the Saints do proceed from Love then have they no reason to hang down their hands or heads But so it is That all their Sufferings come from Love and therefore no reason for their Discouragements Thirdly This wil appear also if you consider What comes with the Afflictions of the Saints There comes much supporting Grace much Light much of Gods Presence Fëllowship and and Communion with Christ in al his Sufferings Much supporting Grace Thy Rod and thy Staff comforts me God never laies a Rod upon his Childrens back but he first puts a Staff into their hand to bear it and the staff is as big as the Rod it matters not what your Afflictions be great or smal it is al one you shal be upheld and upholding mercy is somtimes better Via Crucis via Lucis than a mercy that you are afflicted for the want of But the Lord doth not only uphold his People under Sufferings but he gives forth much Light therewithal The School of the Cross is the School of Light Affliction is our Free-School where God teacheth his Children and learns them how to write both their Sins and their Graces Their sins So long as Leaves are on the Trees and Bushes ye cannot see the Birds Nests But in the Winter when al the Leaves are off then ye see them plainly And so long as men are in Prosperity and have their Leaves on they do not see what Nests of sins and lusts are in their hearts and lives but when all their Leaves are off in the day of their Afflictions then they see them and say I did not think I had had such Nests of sins and lusts in my soul and life Job 36.7 He withdraweth not his Eye from the Righteous Verse 8. And if he be bound in Fetters and be holden in Cords of Affliction then he shows them their works and their trangressions that they have exceeded Yea Affliction do not only discover their sins unto them but it is Gods Plaister thereby he doth heal the same Before I was afflicted I went astray saith David And Job 36.10 He openeth also their Ear to Discipline and commandeth that they return from iniquity Yea these Afflictions and Sufferings of the Saints do not only discover and heal their sins but do put them upon the exercise of Grace In their Afflictions saith God they will seek me early Yea they do not only draw out their Graces but discover their Graces too which possibly they did never take notice of before I have read of some foolish Youths that
white in the blood of the Lamb But why are they in white Robes and their Robes washed Because by their Tribulations they are washed from filth Affliction is Gods Soap before a godly man goes into Afflictions his very Graces are mixed with sin his Faith is mixed and dirtied with Unbelief and doubtings his Humility with Pride his Zeal with Luke-warmness but now by his Tribulation his Garments and Robes are made white and washed and he shall be of a more royal spirit and be cloathed with Robes But though the Lord make use of my Tribulations thus to wash yet I fear that by these publick Calamities I shall be driven from Ordinances the Temple and Worship of God nay saith he therefore at verse 15. They are before the Throne of God and serve him day and night in his Temple But what though we have the Ordinances if Christ be not present with them He ads therefore And he that sits on the Throne shall dwell amongst us But though we have the presence of Jesus Christ yet we may suffer much with want true yet verse 16. They shall hunger no more neither thirst any more neither shal the Sun light on them nor any heat for the Lamb which is in the midst of the Throne shall feed them and shall lead them unto living Fountains of Water O! but yet we may be brought in the mean while into grievous streits and be in a sad and mournful Condition True but there is a time a coming when all tears shall be wiped away from our Eyes and therefore he ads this at verse 17. And God shall wipe away all tears from their Eyes How should tears be wiped away hereafter if they were not shed for the present Though then you do fear it now and shed many tears yet all shall be wiped away and not one left O! what gracious dealing is here Thus will Christ deal with his People in troubleous times and therefore though our condition in regard of the Publick be exceeding sad and very grievous insomuch as we have all cause to mourn and weep yet if you be in Christ and have made your Peace with God you have no reason to be cast down And thus it is with every godly man surely therefore a godly gracious man hath no reason for his discouragements whatever his Affliction be Quest But what shall we do then that we may not be discouraged whatever our Affliction be whether Publick or Private National or Personal A good man indeed hath no reason to be discouraged under his Affliction but it is a hard thing to bear up against all discouragements under great Affliction what shall we do in this case Answ 1 First Either you have Assurance of Gods Love in Christ or not if not this Affliction shal be a Messenger to bring it to you So look upon your Affliction and if you have Assurance then actuate your Assurance reflect much on your Interest in and your Peace with God through Christ put your selves often upon this Disjunction Either there is enough in God alone or not If there be not enough in God alone how can the Saints and Angels live in Heaven who have no Meat Drink nor Cloaths there but God alone And if there be enough in God alone why should I not be contented with my Condition and comforted under it whatever it be What though man hate me if Christ love me O! labor more and more to see your Interest in Christ and ever hold it to your Eye Answ 2 Secondly If you would not be discouraged under your Afflictions remember much your fellowship with Christ in his Sufferings thus Now by these my Sufferings have I fellowship with Christ in all his Sufferings and therefore as Christ died and did rise again so though my Name dieth Estate dieth Body dieth and all my Comforts die yet they shall rise again The Apostle argueth and proves That the Romans should die no more in their sins Because Christ being risen from the dead died no more and therefore saith he though you fall into sins yet you shal die no more because you are risen with Christ So say I though your Afflictions be great and seem to swallow up all your Comforts yet your Comforts shall not be buried in them for if Godly you are risen with Christ and have fellowship with him and so die no more When therefore Affliction comes rejoyce in that you are made partakers of his Sufferings and say Rejoyce not over me O mine Enemy for though I fall yet I shal rise again for by my Sufferings I have fellowship with Christ in his Sufferings and so in his Resurrection Comforts and Glories Answ 3 Thirdly If you would not be discouraged under your Afflictions Labor more and more to be strangers to the world and to be acquainted with the waies of God under Affliction The Dog doth not bite or tear or hurt those that dwell in the House if a stranger comes he flies upon him and tears him because he is not acquainted with him And what reason is there that mens Afflictions fly upon them and tear them so much as they do but because they are strangers to and know not the way of God under them Labor therefore to live by Faith above the World to be a stranger to the world and be more acquainted with the way of Affliction Answ 4 Fourthly Consider what Christ hath born and left you to bear There are but two things to bear Sin and Sufferings Christ hath born all your sins wil not ye bear his Sufferings He hath born and carried the heavy end of the staff you have not one sin to bear and will you not then bear the Sufferings Answ 5 Fiftly Consider also and that frequently and seriously what abundance of good you and others get or may get by your Afflictions God by Afflictions le ts out nothing but corrupt blood Be of good comfort man said one now in Heaven to another complaining under his Afflictions Christ wil do thee no hurt in the latter end God never whips his Children but for their good and doth teach both them and others by them I was converted said one telling the story of his Conversion by seeing a man executed for thought I if a man be thus punished with death for breaking one of the Laws of men what do I then deserve who have broken all the Laws of God Affliction somtimes teacheth the by-stander much but especially it is teaching to your self thereby you see and read the fulness of God the emptiness of the Creature and the vileness of sin it recals sin past and prevents sin to come it quickens prayer and enlarges thankfulness and it may be thou mayest owe thy Conversion to some Affliction as a means thereof and if so much good do come by it will you be discouraged under it Think and think much of the good thereof Answ 6 Sixtly Whenever any Affliction comes do not stand poring on the evil
So in honoring God a man honors himself yea and thereby God doth put hâ—nor on him for what is honor but Testimonium de alicujus excellentia Testifying of anothers Excellency and the more I testifie of any Excellency in a man the more I honor him Now when God doth betrust a man with his Work he testifies of an excellency in him The Lord hath counted me faithful and put me into his Work saith Paul yea the greatest greatness in this world is to wait upon the great God Therefore faith our Savior of John the Baptist Amâ—ngst them that are born of women there hath not risen a greater than he Matth. 11.11 And if ye look into Gen. 1. ye shal find That the Moon is câ—lled one of the two great Lights ver 16. And God made two great Lights the greater to rule the day and the lesser to rule the night But though the Moon is said to be lesser than the Sun yet it is said to be one of the two greaâ— Lights And why so are there not other Stars greater than the Moon Yes but because the Moon is the most influential and serviceable to the world therefore it is said to be greater than others So that in â—ods account the more service we do in the world the greater we are and the more honorable in Gods Eyes Answ 3 Thereby also we are kept from the dint of Temptations idleness breeds Temptation Our Vacation is the Devils Term Homines nihil agendo male discunt agere otium est vivi hominis sepultura Sen. when we are least at work for God then is Satan most at work about us By doing nothing men learn to do evil yea Idleness is the burying of a living man Answ 4 Great and good Employment is the Mercy promised That can hardly be a smal mercy which the great God doth promise promised Mercies are the sweeâ—est Mercies Now thâ— Lord promiseth Esay 58.18 That if thou draw out thy soul to the hungry c. The Lord shall guide thee continually and they that shall be of thee shal build the old wast places thou shalt raise up the Foundations of many Generations and thou shalt be called the Repairer of the Breaches the Restorer of Paths to dwell in Here is Employment and Betrustment promised Answ 5 The more useful and serviceable a man is to God the more apt and ready God wil be to pardon his failings not only the failings of his present employment but of the other part of his life also What a great failing was that in Rahab to say the Spyes were gone when she had hid them in the top of her house yet the Lord pardoned this failing to her Why Because she beleeved and was useful and serviceable unto Gods great design in that her day And if ye look into Numb 〈◊〉 ye shall find That though Aaron and Miriam were both engaged in the same sin and evil of envying and murmuring against Moses yet the Lord spaâ—ed Aaron when he strook Miriam with a Leprosie But why saith Abulensis was not Aaron smitten with the Leprosie as well as Miriam what because he was not so deeply in the Transgression as she was No for verse 1. it 's said Then spake Aaron and Miriam not as if she were put on by him Or because that Aaron confessed his sin as she did not No for so did Miriam also for she was a good woman Or because that God owed Aaron a punishment till afterwards 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Chrysostom Hom. 3. ad Collos No for that appears not by the Text but he was the High-Priest and if he had been smitten with Leprosie it would have brought his Ministry under some contempt the Work of the Lord would have ceased for a time also and though he failed in this thing yet he was otherwise a very useful and serviceable man and God would shew his aptness and readiness to pardon such rather than others Answ 6 If a man be employed for God in any special Service and Work the Lord will not only pardon his failings but if he be faithful in his Work God will bless him and set a Character of Love and Favor upon him What a Character of Love did the Lord set on Caleb and Joshua Of all men in Scripture it 's said of Caleb that he followed the Lord fully and this Character God himself did set upon him Numb 15.24 But my Servant Caleb because he had another spirit with him and hath followed me fully c. But why did God own and dignifie Caleb thus Even because he was faithful in that Work Service and Employment which God did call him to Answ 7 Yea The Serviceable man is the only man who doth live and speak when he is dead I mean for God Some are very active and serviceable for the Devil whilst they live they write and print wanton filthy Books and they speak while they are dead but it is still for Satan Others are very active and serviceable for God while they live they write and print works of Faith and Holiness and they also speak when they are dead as it 's said of Abel Who being dead yet speaketh but how doth he speak now The Apostle tels us Heb. 11. by Faith By which 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 It relates unto 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Faith Well but what cast of Faith did he do He offered a more excellent Sacrifice than his Elder Brother which was the work and Service of his day So that the Serviceable man is the only man who doth speak when hâ— is dead Surely therfore it is a very great Priviledg and Mercy to be used and employed for God in his Work and Service Yet if God will not use me why should I be discouraged or complain Is not God free and may not he employ whom he pleaseth Shall the poor Potsheard say unto him why doest thou lay me by What if God will cross hands and lay his right hand on anothers head and his left hand on mine Shall I think to direct and order the hands of Gods Providence as Joseph would have altered Jacobs Iâ— not his Work his own and may not he put it out unto whom he please and if I complain thereof is not this my pride Proud men scorn their own employment and envy at others It 's a mercy indeed to be employed for God yet if God will not trust me with his Service as I desire why should I be discouraged Yet I may be Gods Servant For First The Service of God is two-fold Somtimes it is taken for some special Employment which a man is called forth unto And somtimes it is taken for our ordinary Obedience unto Gods Commandements In the first sence it is used often in Numb 4. and frequently in the old Testament called The Service of the Tabernacle of the Congregation So in the new Testament also Rom. 15.31 That my Service may be accepted In the second sence it is used
not spent al my mercy upon David or upon Abraham or upon Paul or upon Peter but I keep mercy for thousands O! but yet my sins do recoyl I am the greatest Sinner in the world for I have sinned al kinds of sin I have sinned al sorts of sins and therefore I fear there 〈◊〉 no hope for me Yet saith the Lord be not discouraged for I keep mercy for thousands forgiving iniquity transgression and sin even all sorts and al kinds of sins the Sin of Nature and the Sin of Life the Sin of Weakness and the Sin of Presumption the Sin of Ignorance and the Sin against Knowledg these saith the Lord I forgive even al sorts and al kinds of Sins and this is my Name for ever O! but I am afraid to lay hold upon this Promise for I think this is a Doctrine of Liberty Say not so saith the Lord at the next verse I will by no means cleer the guilty But if there be ever a poor drooping fearing trembling soul that desires to know my Name Lo saith the Lord here is my Name whereby I wil be known for ever The Lord Jehovah that gives a Being to things that are not The Mighty God The Merciful God The Gracious God Abundant in Goodness and in Truth Reserving Mercy for thousands Forgiving iniquity transgression and sin and this is my Name for ever Now Faith comes and closeth with this Name of God leading the Soul into this rich Wardrop and so doth quiet the heart against all Discouragements Answ 3 Thirdly Faith doth put the Soul under Gods Commandement and leaveth God to Answer unto al such Objections and Inconveniences as may come thereby which if a man can do he may be very quiet Now true saving Faith wil enable him to do this for ye know how it was with the three Children Shadrach Meshach and Abednego they put themselves under Gods Commandement The Lord commanded and said Thou shalt not make to thy self any graven Image Well but the King commands them to fal down before his Image No say they we wil not stir we wil not bow but saith the King I wil make you bow or I wil heat the Furnace seven times hotter for you Well be it so say they as for that we are not solicitous we wil do the work that God hath set us to do we wil put our selves under Gods Command we know that our God is able to deliver us and whether he wil deliver us or no we wil leave that to him let him answer to the inconveniencies and mischiefs that follow upon his Work for saith the Text They trusted in the Lord. And so you know it was with Noah Noah was commanded to build an Ark for saith the Lord yet an hundred twenty yeers and the whol world shal be destroyed and therefore Noah build thou an Ark for thy self and thy family which Noah did and put himself under this Command But now the world the old world might speak thus as certainly the language of their Conversation was Noah Dost thou think that thou art the only man in al the world that God loves Dost thou think Noah that God loves thee one man more than al the men or the world and thy one Family more than al the Families in the world beside And if thou dost beleeve what thou preachest That the World shal be destroyed by Water in an hundred and twenty yeers why dost thou marry and begeâ— Châ—ldren as thou hast done since thou hast preached this Doctrine And Noah if thou dost make an Ark or a Ship who shal be the Pilate who shal be the Mâ—â—riner the Sâ—â—ler As for thy self thou hast been a Preacher and dost thou think that thou and thy few Sons are able to guide and gâ—vern so great a Vessel If it be as thou preacheâ—t That the â—easts the wild Beasts of the Field shal come unto this Ark the Lyon and the Bear and the Tyger wil they not tear thee to pieces And if all the Beasts of the field two by two shal come into the Ark Noah wil there not be such a stench in the Ark with their dung as wil poyson thee shalt thou be ever able to live thinkest thou Wel for al this Noah goes on and he built the Ark and leaves God that â—et him on work to answer to al these Objections and to all those Inconveniences that might come by the doing the thing which God commands And so doth Faith alwaies Faith puts a man under the Commandement of God and leaves God to answer to those Oâ—jections and inconveniences that may come thereby Now when a man can do thus must he not needs be quiet It is to speak more briefly the proper wâ—rk of Faith to resign and give up our wils unto God for by the resignation of the wil unto God we do trust God with our selves and Conditions It is the proper work of Faith to fal with a suitable Promise and to apply the same if that Plaister of the Promise be noâ— laid on the Soul with a warm hand it wil not stick And what is the reason that the Promise sticks not upon many souls but because it is laid on with the cold and chil hand of Unbelief Now the hand of Faith is a warm hand It 's the proper work of Faith to trade with the Call of God for true saving Faith is a venturing Grace but without a Call it wil not venture It is the proper work of Faith to see the hand of God in every Dispensation The Lord giveth and the Lord taketh away saith Faith I was dumb and opened not my mouth for thou Lord hast done it saith Faith It 's the proper work of Faiâ—h to look on both sides of Gods Dispensation and of our own Condition there is a dark side of a Dispensation and there is a light side thereof Sence and Reason looks on the dark side alone Faith seeth both sides Come my beloved Brethren said Laâ—imer to his fellow Prisoners when he went to the Stake though we pass through he fire to day yet we shal light such a Candle in England as shal never be put out again He saw both sides of the Dispensation why but because he beleeved It is the proper work of Faith to see one Contrary in another for it speaks and concludes as the Word of Faith doth Now the word oâ— Faith speaketh on this wise I will give you a door of Hope in the Valley of Achor And the Lord shall judg his People and repent towards his Servants when he seeth that their power is gone and none shut up or left Deut. 32.36 It is the proper work of Faith to engage God to succor Psal 37.40 For the Lord shall save them because they trust in him So Esai 26.3 Thou will keep them in perfect peace because they trust in thee Now when a man can do al these things wil he not be quiet and free from Discouragements Surely he wil.
of this speech is given at verse 30. Because they said he hath an unclean Spirit And indeed if these men did not sin the Sin against the Holy Ghost our Lord and Savior Christ should tel us that there is an unpardonable Sin and not tel us what it is for unless it be in this Scripture you shal not find either in the Gospel or in the Epistles That the Sin against the Holy Ghost is any where mentioned in express words Now our Lord and Savior would not tel us that there is an unpardonable Sin and not tel us what it is but he saith expressly That whoever doth blaspheme or speak against the holy Ghost shal never be forgiven And he chargeth those Jews that they blasphemed and spake against the Spirit of God or that work which was done by the Spirit and therefore without doubt they did then sin the unpardonable Sin the Sin against the Holy Ghost Quest 2 But Secondly Why is it here said That he that sinneth this Sin shall never be forgiven either in this world or in the world to come is there any forgiving of sins in the world to come Answ Chrysostom saith As men are punished in this world and in the world to come so they are pardoned in this world and in the world to come Pardoned in this world when any temporal Affliction for sin is removed So I also understand that Parable in Matth. 18. at the latter end and pardoned in this life when a man is justified Rom. 4. pardoned and forgiven in the world to come So saith the Apostle in Acts 3.19 That your sins may be blotted out in the day of refreshing Which day of refreshing compared with the Speech which you have in Heb. 2. speaking of the World to come shews that the day of Refreshing is the time of the World to come but it is an usual phrase with Scripture noting the eternity of misery and therefore if you look again into Mark 3. you shal find That whereas here in Matthew the words run thus Shall not be forgiven either in this World or in the World to come Mark hath it thus He shall never be forgiven that Never being the Explication of this not in this World nor in the World to come The Words being thus far opened the Doctrine then will presently be this That the Sin against the Holy Ghost Doct. is the Unpardonable Sin That whosoever sins against the Holy Ghost shall never be forgiven either in this world or in the world to come For the opening of this great Truth which I shal the rather desire you to hearken unto because as it lies out of the ordinary Road so it makes your way clear to the laying hold of the former words of Gods Mercy I say for the opening of this Truth we must enquire into two Things First What this Sin against the Holy Ghost is for people are very ignorant of it Secondly How and in what respect this Sin against the Holy Ghost is above all other sins the Unpardonable Sin First If you ask What this Sin is I Answer both Negatively and Affirmatively First Negatively It is not that sin whereby men do barely deny the Personality or the Deity of the Holy Ghost possibly a man may deny the Personality or the Deity of the Holy Ghost and yet not sin the Sin against the Holy Ghost 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Chrysostom in Math. 12. For as Chrysostom observes in his time there were divers Hereticks that did deny the Personality and the Deity of the Holy Ghost and yet afterwards repented and were received into the bosom of the Church And ye do not find that these Pharisees who are here charged with this sin did either deny the Personality or the Deity of the Holy Ghost So that plainly then the Sin against the Holy Ghost doth not consist in this The meer and bare denying of the Personality or the Deity of the Holy Ghost Secondly As it doth not consist therein so neithâ—r doth it consist in every opposition or in a bare opposition unto the work of the Holy Ghost as distinct from the Father and the Son Unto God the Father belongs Power unto the Son Wisdom unto the Spirit Holiness The Work of the Father is to Create the Work of the Son to Redeem the Work of the Spirit or the Holy Ghost to Sanctifie Aâ—d hereupon some havâ— thought That opposition unto Holiness is the Sin against the Holy Ghost But you find here it is a blasphemy therefore not every opposition And if you look into Acts 7. you find that Stephen speaking of the Jews saith at verse 51. Ye stiff necked and uncircumcised in heart and ear ye do alwaies resist the Holy Ghost yet they did not sin this Sin against the Holy Ghost Why for Stephen praies for them at the last verse Lord lay not this sin to their charge But now saith the Apostle John in 1 John 5.16 There is a sin unto Death I do not say that ye shall pray for it Had they in Stephens account sinned this Sin unto Death he would not have prayed for them but he did pray for them So that this Sin against the Holy Ghost doth not consist in every opposition unto the Work of the Holy Ghost as it is distinct from the Father and the Son Thirdly As it doth not consist therein so it is not necessary that every man that sins the Sin against the Holy Ghost should be an Universal Apostate back-sliding from the Profession of the Gospel and the Power thereof I know it is ordinarily thought so but I say it is not necessary that whosoever doth sin the Sin against the Holy Ghost should be a Gospel Apostate back-sliding from the Gospel and the Power thereof once profest for these Pharisees who sinned against the Holy Ghost never profest the Gospel neither do we read of any back-sliding in them from the Power of the Gospel once profest and yet they sinned against the Holy Ghost Surely therefore such a Gospel-Apostacy is not of the essence of the Sin against the Holy Ghost Only here I must distinguish concerning the word Apostacy A man may be said to be an Apostate two waies either because he doth decline and fall away from the Profession of the Truth and Power of Godliness once profest or else because he doth rebel against Truth revealed and the Will of God manifested and wil go no further I wil express it thus Five or six men go a great Journey suppose to Wales or into the North to Scotland when they come about the middle of the way two or three of them say these waies are dirty and longer than we intended and therefore we wil go no further but say the other Let the way be as dirty and as long as it may be we wil go on and on they go Which of these men do depart one from the other do those that go on depart from them that stay No those that wil
go no further depart they are the forsakers So in the way to Heaven Professors let out together and some find the way long further than they thought of we wil go no further say they and we wil have no more Light but say the other God willing we wil on and on they go Which of these two sorts are the Apostates Those that wil go no further they think not so but the Lord knows the truth that those that wil go no further are they that leave and forsake the other I wil give you one Scripture for it it is in Numbers 14. there were certain Spies went into the Land of Canaan and they brought an il report upon the good Land And the Children of Israel murmured against Moses verse 2. whereupon Moses speaks unto them and saith at verse 9. Only rebel not against the Lord the words in the Septuagint which Greek the new Testament follows are Only be not Apostates against the Lord. So that in Septuagintal Language those that rebel against Light revealed and wil go no further are called Apostates Now indeed this kind of Apostacy alwaies goes with the Sin against the Holy Ghost but not the former alwaies for we do not find that the Pharisees were guilty of the former for they did not profess the Gospel So that the Essence of this sin doth not consist in Apostatizing or back-sliding from the Profession of the Gospel and the Power thereof Fourthly Some think that this Sin doth consist in final Unbelief and impenitency But final Impenitency and Unbelief Altissiodorensis Lib. 2. Tract 30. in Sentent Desperatissimos convertit Deus August Sic homo potest penitere de finali impenitentia Altissiodorensis ibid. is not the Sin against the Holy Ghost for by final Unbelief and Impenitency they either understand that Impenitency and Unbelief which a man lives and dies in or that which he purposeth to continue in to the last The latter cannot be the Sin against the Holy Ghost for many have purposed to continue in their Unbelief to their death and yet have been converted and pardoned And the first cannot be the Sin against the Holy Ghost For 1. The Jews whom Christ spake unto did then commit this Sin and yet they had not continued in it to their death 2. Final Unbelief is rather a Sin against the Son but the Sin against the Holy Ghost is distinguished from that 3. Our Savior saith Those that commit this sin shall not be forgiven in this world nor in the world to come Not in this world If therefore final Unbelief or Impenitency be this sin then Christ should threaten that he that dies in his sin shal not be forgiven whilst he lives 4. If a man sin against the Father or Son and die impenitently in that sin he shal not be forgiven either in this Life or in the Life to come but herein the Sin against the Holy Ghost is worser than the Sins against the Father or the Son and therfore it cannot consist therein 1 John â— 16 5. The Apostle saith There is a sin unto death I say not that you pray for it Doth he say that we must not pray for a man and for the forgiveness of his sin when he is dead 6. It is that sin for which there lies no remission but a man may sin such a sin whilst he lives for if any man sin wilfully there remaineth no sacrifice for sin and wilfully a man may sin before his Death 7. It is such a sin as a man may know anothâ—r man is guilty of whilst he lives for saith the Apostle There is a sin unto death I say not that you pray for it but final Unbelief and Impenitency is not known til death 8. Our Savior saith He that speaketh a word against the Holy Ghost shall not be forgiven but a word may be spoken against the Spirit long before a man dies and therefore surely this sin against the Holy Ghost doth not consist in final impenitency and unbelief final unbelief and â—mpenitency is not this Sin against the Holy Ghost 9. For then al wicked men living under the Gospel and dying impenitently should sin the Sin against the Holy Ghost Blasphemia in spiritum sanctúm ca â—se vidâ—â—â— qua quis destinâ—ta malitia contra proprium animi sui sensum spiritâ— sancti gratiam et virtutem deique gloriam oppugnat Luc. Brugen in Math. 12. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Chrysostom in Math. 12. which is false You wil say then What is this Sin against the Holy Ghost and wherein doth it consist Secondly Affirmatively It is that wilful sinning against God whereby a man doth maliciously oppose and blaâ—pheme the proper and peculiar work of the Holy Ghost and that after he hath been convinced thereof by the Holy Ghost 1. I say It is a wilful sinning against God and so the Apostle speaks saying If any man sin wilfully after he hath received the knowledg of the Truth there remains no more sacrifice for sin Heb. 10.26 So that the sin for which there is no sacrifice and of which there is no remission is a wilful Sin Now a man is said to sin Wittingly Willingly and Wilfully Wittingly in opposition to Ignorance Willingly in opposition to Force and Constraint Wilfully in opposition to Light Knowledg and Reason and so he that sins against the Holy Ghost doth sin for saies the Apostle If any man sin wilfully after he hath received the knowledg of the Truth or after the acknowledgment 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. 2. He that commits this Sin doth also oppose and blaspheme the proper and peculiar Work of the Holy Ghost for it 's called here Dicere verbum contra spiritum sanctum est verbis impugnare Deum sanctificantem Cajet in Math. 12. vide sixt Senens in locum a blasphemy and a blaspheming of the Spirit as distinct from the Father and the Son Now the Work of the Father is to Create the Work of the Son to Redeem the Work of the Holy Ghost to Sanctifie and therefore he that sins this Sin doth oppose and blaspheme Holiness and Goodness and so these Jews did for when our Savior Christ did cast out the Devil that unclean Spirit they said he did it by the power of the Devil calling the work done a work of the Devil and did oppose him therein Yet this is not all For 3. It is that Sin whereby a man doth maliciously oppose Peccatum in spiritum sanctum dicitur illud quod ex certa malitia sit quod solent distingui tria genera peccatorum peccatum in patrem ex infirmitate humana peccatum in filium ex ignorantia quod patri appâ—opriatur potentia filio sapientia peccatum in spiritum sanctum ex malitia quia bonitas attribuitur spiritui sancto Altissidorens Lib. 2. Tract 30. in Sent. Scot. in Sent. Lib. 2. Quest 2. and blaspheme and so the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Heb. 10.26
them is wrought by the Spirit and Finger of God in order to mans Salvation yet out of malice do blaspheme the same But why is this Sin above all other Sins Unpardonable Quest 2 Answ Not in regard of Difficulty only or because it is hardly pardoned as some would for many Sins are hardly pardoned and yet are not the Sins against the Holy Ghost Peccatum dicitur irremissibile septem de causis vide Altissiâ—dorens Lib. 2. Tract 30. in Sent. for Zanchy doth wel observe if this Sin were only impardon because it is hardly pardoned then a mâ—n might pray for thoâ—â—â—at in this Sin but the Apostle saith There is a Sin unto 〈◊〉 I do not say that ye shall pray for it 1 John 5.16 Theâ—â—ore the impardonableness of it doth not lie here 2. Neither is it impardonable only in regard of event Because in event it shal never be pardoned for thâ—re are many Sins which in event shal never be pardoned which yet are not the Sins against the Holy Ghost There is many a wicked man that goes to Hel whose Sins in event are not pardoned and yet he did never sin against the Holy Ghost So that this Sin is not impardonable only in regard of event 3. Neither is it impardonable because it is so great as doth exceed the Power and Mercy of God for Gods Mercy and Power in forgiving sins is like himself Infinite If that be a good Argument that David useth Forgive my sin for it is wondrous great then the greatness of the Sin cannot be the only reason of the impardonableness of it There is nothing greater than that which is infinite Nunquam remittetur quod intellige regulatiter nam nec Divina potentia nec Divina miserecordia alligata est ad non remittendum spiritua blasphemiam sed secundum regâ—larem cursum eveniet non remissio quod comitem semper habet obstinationem Cajetan in Matth. 12. Dupliciter dicitur peccatum irremissibile dicitur uno quod nunquam remittetur alio dicitur irremissibile quod remitti non potest et sic non sequitur iste est similiter impenitens ergo habet peccatum irremissibile Holcot de imputabilitate peccati but Gods Mercy is Infinite 4. Neither is it impardonable because it is against the means of Pardon for then the Sin against the free Love of the Father and the Sin against the Son should be impardonable 5. Neither is it impardonable because a man doth not repent thereof for then al Sins unrepented of should be Sins against the Holy Ghost It is true That those who commit this Sin cannot repent as the Apostle speaks It is impossible that they should be renewed to repentance Heb. 6. because God doth give them up to impenitency but we do not find in Scripture that their not repenting is made the reason of the impardonableness of this Sin But the Sin is impardonable because there is no Sacrifice laid out by Gods Appointment for it If any man sin wilfully there remaineth no more Sacrifice Heb. 10. and without blood and Sacrifice there is no remission He that sinned ignorantly Numb 15. was pardoned Why Because there was a Sacrifice laid out for him but if any man sinned 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 with an high hand he was to bear his own sin Why Because there was no Sacrifice laid out for him But why was there no Sacrifice for that Sin Not because the man did not repent after it but because that in the committing of that Sin he did despise the Commandement of God So now God hath declared That every Sin and Blasphemy against the Father and Son may be forgiven but if men come to that height of Sin as maliciously to oppose and blaspheme that very way and work of Gods Spirit which they have been convinced of by the Spirit then there shal be no Sacrifice for that and so no remission and pardon And thus now ye have seen what the Sin against the Holy Ghost is in what respects it is not and in what respects it is unpardonable and so the Doctrine cleered and proved That the Sin against the Holy Ghost is the impardonable Sin which shal never be forgiven neither in this world nor in the world to come The Application follows Applic. 1 If the Sin against the Holy Ghost be the Impardonable Sin Then surely the Holy Ghost is God very God true God as the Father is For can it be a greater evil or more dangerous to sin against a Creature than against God the Father It is God that is sin'd against now the Holy Ghost is sin'd against yea the Impardonable Sin is against the Holy Ghost The Socianians say That if he be a Person he must needs be God true God but ye see by this Scripture that he is joyned with the other Person of the Son so also he is joyned with the Father and the Son in Matth. 28. In whose Name we are to baptize he who hath a Name and in whose Name somthing is to be done must needs be a Person And I pray you what is proper and peculiar to a Person is not Understanding Willing and Speaking these are al given to the Spirit 1 Cor. 2.11 1 Cor. 12.11 and Rom. 8.26.27 Acts 13.2 Acts 20.23 But I need go no further than this Text here the Spirit is joyned with the Son and the Sin against the Holy Spirit is made the impardonable Sin surely therefore he is verily and truly God as the Father is Applic. 2 If this Doctrine be true then what a necessity is there upon us al to know and understand what this Sin against the Holy Ghost is for if a man have sinned this Sin we are to forbear praying for him 1 John 5.16 therefore we may know what this Sin is and we may know that another hath committed the same for how can we forbear prayer for him if we do not know and understand what this Sin is the not knowing what this Sin is makes many men fal into it before they are aware When the Laws of a Nation are written in an unknown Tongue the People break them before they are aware because they do not know them So the not knowing what this Sin is makes many a poor soul to fal into it yea the not knowing what this Sin is breeds many scruples doubts and fears in new Converts O! saith one I have sinned that great Sin against the Holy Ghost and I saith another have sinned the impardonable Sin and why but because the man doth not know what this Sin is O! what a necessity therefore is thereupon us al to know and understand what this Sin is and wherein it doth consist Applic. 3 If the Sin against the Holy Ghost be the unpardonable Sin what Mercy and what Grace is it that the Lord hath kept us from this great Sin that though ye have fallen into great and hainous sins and the Lord hath suffered you to fall into such sins
out of any evil habit passion or ignorance but meerly from the liberty of his own wil because it pleaseth him and because he doth hate that which his own Conviction tels him is right and good Now have you sin'd thus Surely no for then you would not be troubled about it but be wel pleased with it Obj. 8. O! But yet I fear I have sinned this great Sin for I have forsaken God and God hath forsaken me God is gone Christ is gone and Mercy is gone O! what freedom once I had but now God is departed from me God hath forsaken me and I fear it is upon this account Because I have sinned this great Sin Ans But doth not David say How long O Lord wilt thou forget me forsake me And our Savior himself saith My God my God why hast thou forsaken me There is a gradual forsaking and there is a total As with a man that goes from his house possibly he goâ—s a Voyage or is from home a quarter half a yeer or a yeer but he doth not leave his House for his Wiâ—e his Children and Goods are there stil But another man goes awâ—y from his House the House is let and he carries away al his Goods this is a total departure the other gradual So now it is with the Lord he doth somtimes forsake his own Childrâ—n for a time but he doth not pul down his Hangings or carry away his Goods he doth not go away but returns again this is gradual But there is a total forsaking of a man and then he givâ—s him up to his Sin Now this is not the burden that you lie under for if God had thus forsaken you you would be given up to your Sins and you would give up your selves unto â—l Uncleanness Object 9 O! But I am afraid yet that I am under the worst forsaking and that therefore I have sinned this great Sin for I do lie despairing saying God is gone and Mercy gone I am in the dark O! I despair I despair and upon this account I fear I have sinned this great Sin the Sin against the Holy Ghost Answ For Answer You know what Heman said I remember God and am troubled O Lord saith he all thy waves are gone over my head the waves of thy wrath are gone over my head and yet a Pen-man of Scripture Aretius tels us of a certain man in his time It is no feigned story saith he but I saw the man with my own Eyes one that had been a most vile and desperate Sinner a Drunkard a Swearer a Wanton a Gamester and so he continued to his gray hairs but at the last it pleased God to set his Sins in order before him and the man was so troubled in Conscience that he threw himself down upon the ground calling unto Satan to take him away provoking Satan to take him away Devil take thy own I am thy own take thy own whereupon saith Aretius prayer was made for him Christians prayed they fasted and prayed they prayed night and day and it pleased God at last this poor man revived converted to God lived a godly life and died comfortably So that it is not an easy thing saith he to pronounce what the Sin against the Holy Ghost is But now whosoever you are that have labored under this fear as indeed this fear I know hath oppressed many give me leave to ask you four or five short Questions The First is Whether canst thou not find in thy heart to forgive men that do trespass against thee Do not you find a disposition in your own heart to forgive others Yes I praise the Lord that I do Now if you can find in your heart to forgive others I am sure God can find in his heart to forgive you and therefore you have not sinned this great sin which is unpardonable Secondly Whether I or no have you ever opposed the waies of God the People of God and that out of malice No I confess I have opposed them but the Lord knows I did it ignorantly it was not out of malice then remember the description of this Sin Thirdly VVhether I or no do not you desire to be humbled for every Sin though it be never so smal Yes for though I know that my greatest Humiliation cannot placare Deum make an attonement for my Sin yet I know that the least Humiliation in truth doth placere Deo please God and it is my Duty to be humbled for every sin for the least sin is a great evil and he that commands Humiliation for the one commands it for the other also and through Grace I desire to be humbled for every sin why then you cannot have sin'd against the Holy Ghost for it is impossible that they that sin this Sin should be renewed to Repentance Fourthly Whether I or no do not you desire above all things the breathings of the Spirit of God upon your heart Yes O! that God would come and breath upon my poor soul in Duty But those that sin against the Holy Ghost do despight to the Spirit of Grace Hebrews 10. Fiftly Where do you find in al the Bible That those that sin this Sin against the Holy Ghost are afraid that they have sinned it those that sin against the Holy Ghost are never afraid that they have sinned against the Holy Ghost This alone satisfied Mistriss Drake a Woman much troubled in Conscience she was afraid she had sinned against the Holy Ghost Mr. Dod of blessed Memory came to her and told her That therefore she had not sinned the Sin against the Holy Ghost Because she feared she had sinned it for those that sin the Sin against the Holy Ghost are never afraid that they have sinned it and she acknowledged it did satisfie her and she was thereupon comforted Now therefore where is the man or woman that hath labored under such a fear as this O! I have sinned this unpardonable Sin Art thou one that fearest thou hast sinned it I tel thee from the Lord thou art free from it and thou maist go home and say thus Though I have sinned much for which the Lord humble me yet I bless God I am kept from this great Sin And O! my beloved what a mercy is it That among all the sins that we have committed That yet we should be kept from this great Sin The greater the evil is the greater is the mercy to be kept from it Now I pray What is the misery of this Sin Is it not a great misery to be past Prayer to be thrown out of the Prayers of the Saints For such a one pray not saith the Apostle Is it not a great misery for a man to be beyond the line of Mercy a man that hath sinned this Sin against the Holy Ghost is worser Spiritually than a man that is sick of the Plague outwardly for if a man be sick of the Plague ye pray for him and say Lord have mercy upon him but if a
sin that a wicked man commits which is a Sin of Infirmity because he is dead then a man may commit a sin that is but smal in the bulk and yet no Sin of Infirmity 2. But I think my sin is a Sin of Infirmity because I am tempted to it and because I am drawn on by others But I pray was not Adam tempted unto the eating of the forbidden Fruit by Eve And was not was Eve tempted by Satan And wil you cal that a Sin of Infirmity that condemned al the World as Adams Sin did And I pray you was not Aaron put upon making of the Golden Calf by the People and wil you cal that Sin of Idolatry a Sin of Infirmity Possibly a man may be tempted drawn unto Sin by others and put upon it by others and yet the Sin may be no Sin of Infirmity 3. But I think my Sin is a Sin of Infirmity because I do strive against it And I pray did not Pilate strive against the crucifying of Christ he would have delivered him from the Jews cals for a bason of Water and washed his hands saying I am free from the blood of this man used means and did strive against it and yet the Sin of Pilate no Sin of Infirmity Possibly therefore a man may strive against his Sin and yet the Sin be no Sin of Infirmity 4. But my Sin is a Sin of Infirmity because I am troubled after it And was not Esau troubled after he had sold his Birth-right for a mess of pottage did he not seek it with tears And when Judas had betrayed his Master and our Savior it is said that he repented of what he had done and was troubled Surely then though the Sin that I commit may be lesser in bulk than anothers Sin and smal comparatively and though I be drawn into it by others and though I do strive against it and though I am troubled after it yet it may be no Sin of Infirmity Yet good Lord how many poor souls are there that deceive themselves and think that their sins are but Sins of Infirmity and thus are mistaken on the left hand But Secondly As some are mistaken on the left hand thinking that their Sins are Sins of Infirmity when indeed they are not so others on the right hand are mistaken and think that their Sins are not Sins of Infirmity but of a worser Nature when indeed they are And that upon a Three-fold accompt First Because they Sin knowingly Secondly Because they fal into the same Sin again and again and do lie therein Thirdly Because they fal into the Sin after Admonition Object 1 O! saith one I fear my Sin is no Sin of Infirmity for I sin knowingly and with deliberation I sin against my knowledg and against my Conscience and therefore my Sin can be no Sin of Infirmity Adrian sic definit peccatum ex infirmitate est actus vel omissio culpabilis sine deliberatione propter passionis impetum facta hac tamen definitione non complectitur omne peccatum ex infirmitate nam potest peccatum ex infirmitate accidere cum deliberatione imo vero ut sit peccatum debet esse aliqua deliberatio Vasquez 12. Q. 77. A. 3. Utrum sit possibile quod aliquis sciens ex infirmitate peccet Dicendum quod communiter ab omnibus ponitur aliqua peccata ex infirmitate committi quae à peccatis ex ignorantia non distinguerentur nisi contingeret aliquem scientem ex infirmitate peccare Tho. Aquinas Quest Disputat de causa peccati Att. 9. p. 96. But for Answer hereunto you must know it is one thing for a man to sin knowingly and another thing for a man to sin out of knowledg or against his knowledg As in case the of Ignorance it is one thing for a man to sin ignoranter and another thing to sin ex ignorantia A man sins ignorantly when ignorance is the companion of his Sin only A man sins out of ignorance when ignorance is the only cause of his Sin and not the companion only As for example Suppose a man be in fight in a great Battel and he kil another he kils him because he did not know him if he had known him in the Battel he would not have killed him here his ignorance is not the companion only but the cause of it So that it is one thing to sin ignorantly and another thing to sin out of ignorance A man sins ignorantly when ignorance is the companion of his fact A man sins out of ignorance when ignorance is the cause of it So a man sins knowingly when knowledg is the companion of his fact but a man sins out of knowledg or he sins against knowledg when knowledg is the cause thereof as when a man doth use his knowledg to make distinctions and shifts for his sin whereby he is emboldened to it and continues in it Knowledg is somtimes only a companion of sin as when a man knows that the first risings of Sin are evil this knowledg is no cause of them but meerly a companion Somtimes knowledg is the cause of Sin as when a man doth know that his way is naught and he doth deliberately consult and devise excuses and lyes to hide the same here his knowledg is the cause of those Sinful excuses and the man doth not only Sin knowingly and with knowledg but out of knowledg and against his knowledg and this cannot stand with infirmity but the former may for the Disciple knew that it was evil for them to sleep yet their Sin was a Sin of Infirmity Object 2 O! but I fear that my Sin is no Sin of Infirmity because I fal into it again and again and do lie in it Answ But do ye know what it is to lie in Sin There is much mistake about lying in Sin Possibly a man may lie in a Sin yet never fal into the gross Acts thereof he may he in the breach of the seventh Commandement and yet never commit the gross Act of Adultery he may he in the Sin of Covetousness yet never be any great Oppressor So on the other side a man may possibly fall divers times into the same Sin and yet not lie therein for properly a man is said to lie in Sin when he doth continue in it and not purge it out so he that is born of God Sinneth not because his heart is as a Fountain or Spring that purifies it self from that dirt and filth of Sin which doth fal into it but as the Apostle speaks The whol world lies in wickedness Why Because a wicked mans heart is as a Lake or standing Pool which keeps all that dirt which is thrown into it Now if you do thus keep and lie in your Sin why do you so complain this your complaining argues that there is some purging out and therefore you do not lie in Sin Object 3 O! but I fear my Sin cannot be a Sin of Infirmity because I fall
Servant from his Meat it argues that he rules over him and if you see a man rise from his Meat at the command of another you say surely this man is the others Servant for he was at Dinner or Supper and the other did but speak or come by him and he took his Hat and Cloak and left all his Meat and followed him So when a man shal sit down to Duty and he shal ordinarily he commanded from his Duty by his Sin what doth this argue but that his Sin is his Master and doth rule and reign over him Illicitae delectationi si resistamus si non consentiamus si membra velut arma non ministremus non regnat peccatum in nostra mortali corpore peccatum enim ante regnum perdidit et sic periit in hac ergo vita quantum ad sanctos attinet regnum perdit in alia perit August de verbis Apost Ser. 66. 2. When Men do yield the Members of their Bodies as weapons of unrighteousness unto Sin then Sin reigns in them Let not sin reign in your mortal Body saith the Apostle that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof neither yield ye your members as weapons of unrighteousness unto sin Rom. 6.12 13. 3. Sin reigns when it usually riseth by opposition 'T is with Sin as with Grace when Grace is in power it riseth by opposition I will yet be more vile saith David and when the beleeving blind man was commanded to hold his peace he cried so much the more Jesus thou Son of David have mercy on me Manifestum igitur est quod credere improbabilia fortitudinis est atque vigoris nostri intellectus sicut amare damnosa molesta et ignominiosa fortitudinis est et vigoris nostri affectus Parisiens de fide p. 2. herein the Power of Godliness is distinguished from the Form Godliness in Power rises by opposition but the Form doth not but the Power of Faith doth the Power of Love doth and the Power of Repentance doth even as a little fire is quenched with water but if the fire be strong it flames and burns out the more by that dish of water which ye do cast upon it So in regard of Sin where it is in power it wil not be quenched by opposition but it flames out the more witness that powerful malice of the Jews against Christ who when they were but a little checked by Pilate they cried out so much the more Crucifie him Crucifie him Doth thy Sin therefore ordinarily rise by opposition this argues that it is Sin in power that it reigns in thee that it is no Sin of Infirmity for a reigning ful breathed Sin is no Sin of Infirmity Thus Negatively Quest But how shal we know then Affirmatively whether our Sin be a Sin of Infirmity Answ 1 Thus If it do meerly proceed from want of Age in Christianity then it is without doubt a Sin of Infirmity There are several ranks and forms of Christians in the School of Christ The Apostle John doth allude unto three Ages I write unto you Fathers saith he I write unto you yong men and I write unto you Babes There are the grown Children of God and there are Babes Babes are weak and full of weaknesses and if your Sin be such as doth arise meerly from want of Age and time in Grace then it must needs be a Sin of a Babe and so a Sin of Infirmity Answ 2 If it be no other Sin than what is incident unto all the Saints then it is a Sin of Infirmity for that Sin which is committed by al the Saints is no reigning Sin but a Sin mortified enervated and weakened there is no reigning Sin in the Child of God Sin reigning and being under Grace are opposed Rom. 6. Let not sin have dominion over you for ye are under Grace Those that are under Grace have their Sin at an under and if the Sin be committed by al the Saints then it doth rather arise from want of strength to resist than from wil to commit Is thy sin therefore no other than what is incident unto all Gods People then surely it is no other than a Sin of Infirmity Answ 3 If it be such a Sin as you cannot avoid which breaks in upon you before you are aware even before you can cal in for help from your Reason and Consideration and which the general bent and frame of your heart and soul is against then it is a Sin of Infirmity Haec peccata quae accidunt ratione operationis sensitivi prevenientis rationem dici peccata ex Infirmitate nam infirmitas humanae voluntatis contracta ex peccato originali magna ex parte consistit in rebellione appetitus hoc est in illa potestate quam habet operandi ante usum rationis ex sola apprehensione sensus Caspens Cursus Theolog. Tract de peccat Disp 5. Sect. 4. Ego sum in carne ego sum in mente sed magis ego sum in mente quam in carne et quia mens regit ego sum in regente August de verbis Apost Serm. 5. for then it doth arise from want of strength to resist and not from wil to commit This was the case of Paul Rom. 7. when evil was present with him being against the general bent and frame of his soul for saith he I delight in the Law of God after the inward man and yet the thing that I would not do that do I Can you therefore say with Paul It is no more I that do it c. for my delight is otherwise and the general bent and frame of my heart is otherwise then may you also say this is mine Infirmity Answ 4 If your Sin be your burden because it is the burden of your Grace then is your Sin your infirmity I speak not of gross foul and scandalous Sins But the Apostle tels us Gal 6. that this Sin of Infirmity is our burden for having said in verse 1. If any one be overtaken you that are spiritual restore him c. he then gives the reason of it at ver 6. Bear ye one anothers burden it seems then that this Sin of Infirmity is a burden unto him that commits it Now a man may be burdened with Sin upon a two-fold accompt Either because he is or shal be burdened with it in regard of pain and punishment or because it is the luggage and burden of his Grace and Duty In the first sense All men may be burdened with Sin even the most wicked man Cain was so burdened when he cried out and said My sin or burden is greater than I can bear In the second sense Only those are burdened with Sin that are Godly Doest thou therefore groan under the burden of this evil though it be no gross and scandalous Sin and that because it is a burden to your Grace and Duties surely it is no other than a Sin of Infirmity Answ 5 An Infirmity
wil hardly acknowledg it self to be a Sin of Infirmity but the person in whom it is fears lest it should be worse 'T is in this case as in the matter of Temptation Though a wicked mans sins be his own the brat of his own conception and corruption yet he wil hardly acknowledg them to be his own corruption no but saith he these are the Temptations of Satan and not mine own corruption A good man on the contrary saith Nay but these are mine own corruptions not the Devils Temptations O! these are worse than Temptations they are al mine own witness David 1 Chron. 21.8 And David said unto God I have sinned greatly because I have done this thing I have done very foolishly yet the Devil provoked him to it and it was originally his Temptation for verse 1. it 's said And Satan stood up against Israel and provoked David to number the People David doth not lay the fault upon the Devil but upon himself he did not say I was thus and thus tempted by Satan No but I even I have sin'd and done foolishly Temptation wil hardly acknowledg it self to be a Temptation and so Infirmity will hardly acknowledg it self to be Infirmity but the person in whom it is doth fear worse saying this my sin is great and I fear it is no infirmity Wicked men excuse their sin by infirmity because it is no infirmity but a good man fears it 's worse than infirmity And therefore is thy sin no gross and foul sin and yet art thou afraid that it is worse than infirmity this doth rather argue that it is no other than a sin of Infirmity Answ 6 If your Sin do arise chiefly from some outward cause it is a sin of Infirmity for then it is not so much from wil to commit as from want of strength to resist The sin which the Apostle speaks of Gal. 6.1 is a sin of infirmity and the man that commits it is said to be over-taken Now when a man is upon his journey travelling and is over-taken by another person his inward inclination and disposition was not to meet the other So when a man is over-taken by Sin it argues that his sin doth proceed from some outward cause and when it doth proceed from some outward cause then he is truly said to be over-taken with it 'T is true the worst of men say they are over-taken when they sin O! saith the Drunkard I confess I was drunk at such a time and in such a place but I was drawn into it my inward disposition was otherwise but I was so and so over-taken But if men were only over-taken and surprized by their Sin then why are they angry with those who keep them from their sin why are they in their own Element and never more at home than in the way of their sin and why do they so heartily wil that which is the cause of their sin It may be they do not wil the Effect namely Drunkenness but do they not wil that which is the cause thereof He that is over-taken with a sin is unexpectedly surprized with the cause thereof and therefore if it be not a gross and scandalous sin it is a Sin of Infirmity Answ 7 Infirmity loves Admonition I mean the person that sins out of infirmity loves to be admonished takes Admonition kindly and doth bless God for it Possibly the Admonition may be given scalding hot and so he may refuse to take it down but ordinarily he wil take the Admonition kindly Ye know how it was with David when he was going against the House of Nabal in a great Passion Abigail came forth to meet him and having admonished him of his Duty he did not only forbear the evil intended but he blessed God for her and her words who kept him that day from shedding innocent blood Tel an honest man that he is out of his way and direct him into it and he wil thank you for it Tell a Thief that he is out of his way and he wil laugh at you So tel a wicked man that he is out of his way and he wil despise you for it Tel a good man that he is out of his way and he wil bless God for it and for you Why Because he hath but missed his way Canst thou therefore take an Admonition kindly when thou art out of thy way This argues that thy Sin is one of those Infirmities which Christ our great High-Priest wil forgive Who can have compassion on the ignorant and on them that are out of the way for that he also was compassed with infirmities Heb. 5.2 Answ 8 An Infirmity discovers good though it be in it self evil it 's an ill Sin but a good Sign The Thistle is an il weed yet it discovers a fat and a good Soyl Smoak is ill but it discovers fire So do the Saints Infirmities though they be in themselves weaknesses yet they discover life Moses was angry but his anger did discover his Zeal Job was somwhat impatient but his impatience did discover his Innocency and his great goodness Abraham failed in saying Sarah was his Sister but there was a Faith which this Unbeleef grew upon The Woman that came behind Christ touching the hem of his Garment came fearing and trembling discovering her Unbelief yet she discovered her Faith therewithal The Disciples failed when they said Lord save us carest thou not that we perish yet they discovered their Faith too Infirmity somtimes is an Excrescence which doth grow out of Duty and upon Duty Doest thou therefore fail in thy Duty or exercise of thy Grace and doth thy Duty go on and thy Grace go on Though thy Failing may be thy burden yet it being but an Excrescence and Discoverer of thy Grace it is no other than a Sin of Infirmity Answ 9 Sins of Infirmities are servants and drawers of water unto your Graces Though in themselves evil yet through the over-ruling hand of Gods Grace Mirabilis Deus in consiliis super filiis hominum multos per peccata sanat à peccatis sicut venenum pellitur à veneno Luther Non solum mala passiva quae nobis irrogantur in bonum cedunt sed etiam activa hoc est mala quae nos ipsi facimus quorsum hoc inquis quia homo pius cum videt lapsum suum pudefit et confunditur sic lapsus ille principio operatur humilitatem deinde invocationem ardentem ac malum illud quod in carne reliquum est ceu calcar est quod nos excitat ut nobis ipsis irascamur nos damnemus et clamemus cum Paulo Infelix ego quis me liberabit a corpore hujus peccati sic crescit fides occasione vitiorum c. Luther Com. 2. Gen. fol. 151. in Cap. 20. they wil make you more gracious another way Ye know how it is with a yong Trades-man who hath but a smal Stock he keeps his Shop diligently and wil not spend as others do
if you ask him the reason saying such and such men are of your Trade and they wil spend their shilling with us and their time with us why wil not you do as they He answers presently True they do so and they may do so their Estate wil bear it but as for me my Stock is smal very little therefore I may not do as they do but I must be diligent and a good Husband I am but a yong Beginner and have little skil in the Trade therefore it behoves me to be diligent his very weakness is the cause of his diligence So here the more infirmities that a gracious soul labors under the more diligent he will be and if you ask him Why do you take so much pains in following the means and the like He answers Alas I am a poor weak Creature such and such an one there is that hath an excellent memory all that ever he reads or hears is his own but my memory is naught my head and heart is naught and therefore by the Grace of God I wil take the more pains in following after Christ Thus his very infirmity is a provocation unto al his diligence The Gibeonites served the Israelites and were hewers of wood and drawers of water for them Why but because the Gibeonites were at an under So now if your very sins be drawers of water servants and hand-maids to your Graces it argues that your sins are at an under and being so they are weak and but sins of infirmity if they be not gross foul and scandalous Sins Answ 10 Infirmity doth constantly keep a mans heart low down and humble Datus est mihi stimulus carnis ne extollar inquit Paulus o venenum quod non curatur nisi veneno caput caedebatur ne caput extolleretur o Antidotum quasi quod de serpente conficitur et propterea theriacum dicitur August de verbis Apost Serm. 3. If one have an infirmity in his speech he wil not be so forward to speak as others are but being conscious of his own infirmity he is alwaies low and afraid to speak So spiritually There are two sorts of sins that men do commit some are foul gross and scandalous sins other are weaknesses and infirmities those that fal into great and gross sins wil be much troubled much trouble and sorrow they do meet with presently in case they repent but those that lâ—e under a constant infirmity are constantly kept low and humble thereby Do you therefore complain of your sin and would you know of what sort of sins it is Why if it be not a gross and scandalous sin and thy heart be kept constantly low thereby then without doubt it is no other than this sin of infirmity For though God could have wholly delivered his People from the filth of Sin as wel as from the guilt of it and as wel from lesser sins as from great and scandalous yet he hath left these infirmities and weaknesses in the hearts and lives of his People that they may be constantly humbled in themselves and prize Christ the more And if this be the manner of an infirmity then surely a good man a true Disciple of Christ may possibly fal into the same Sin again and again and yet the sin be but a sin of Infirmity Which was the Second thing proposed to be cleered by us Quest But suppose that my sin be no other than a Sin of Infirmity what then Answ The Third Particular answers you Then your sin being but an infirmity Christ wil never leave you for it nor cast you off for it but if you sleep he wil waken you and if you sleep again he wil waken you again and if you yet sleep again he wil come again with his wakening mercy and wil never cast you off for it O! what sweet Grace is this Quest Is there no evil then in this Sin of Infirmity Answ Yes much very much For though it be a drawer of water to your Grace yet it is a Gibeonite a Native a Canaanite that wil upon al occasions be ready to betray you and to open the door unto greater Theeves and wil alwaies be a thorn and good in your sides and though it do not put out your light yet it is a thief in your Candle which may smare out much of your Comfort and blemish your Duty Ye know how it is with a good writing Pen if there be a smal hair in it though the hair be never so little a thing yet if it be not pulled out it wil blot and blemish the whol writing somtimes So may this Sin of Infirmity do your whol Duty may be blotted and blemished by this smal hair and although God can and doth make use of your infirmities for to keep your Graces yet they are but your Lees and Dregs whereas your Graces should be all refined the Word of God is as Gold refined seven times your Ordinances are refined Ordinances refifined by the hand of Reformation your Comforts and Mercies and Priviledges are refined Mercies Priviledges and Comforts surely therefore your Graces should be refined Graces and your Duties refined Duties When Christ shall sit as a Refiner and Purifier of Silver he shal purifie the Sons of Levi as Gold and Silver and then shall the Offerings of Judah and Jerusalem be pleasant unto the Lord Malach. 3.3.4 O! what an evil thing therefore is it for a man to be unrefined Is it not an evil thing to be burdensom unto others By your sin though it be but an infirmity you may be a burden to others for the Apostle speaking of Infirmities Gal. 6.1.6 saith Bear ye one anothers burden And ye that are strong ought to bear the Infirmities of the weak Rom. 14.1 And although Christ wil not cast you off for a Sin of Infirmity yet you may provoke him thereby to chide you and to be angry with you the unbelief of the Disciples was but their infirmity yet Christ did upbraid them because of their unbelief The Remisness and loss of first Love in the Church of Ephesus is by Christ called a Somwhat Nevertheless I have somwhat against thee and yet Christ threatens her that he wil for this somwhat come against her quickly and remove her Candle-stick if she did not repent and Revel 2.16 the Lord Christ threatens the Church of Smyrna that unless she repented he would come unto her quickly yet he saith not to her I have many things but a few things against thee or if you wil for the word is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I have some smal or little things against thee So that although your sin be not of so great a bulk as others yet you may provoke Christ thereby and he may be angry and chide you for it Thus here he did chide the Disciples yet their sin was but a Sin of Infirmity Surely therefore there is evil and much evil in the Sin though it be but a Sin of Infirmity Thirdly
Extraordinary or Ordinary If Extraordinary then he is either a Prophâ—t who doth foretel things to come and they do come to pass or he is an Evangelist whose Office was to accompany and minister unto the Apostles When the Apostles â—herefore ceased then the Evangelists ceased for sublato subjecto tollitur adjunctum Or he is an Apostle who hath seen the Lord and is immediately sent by him whose Commission extendeth unto all the World who is infallible in regard of Doctrine delivered having the Gifts of Tongues given him not by Industry but by Inspiration of the Holy Ghost and doth work Miracles And therefore if any man say that he is an Apostle and yet hath not seen the Lord Christ nor hath these Gifts of Tongues nor can work Miracles then he is a false Apostle and a false Teacher in that kind But if a man be called to an Ordinary Office then 1. He must be apparently Godly not only free from Vice and Scandal but Holy and blameless shining with positive Vertues as wel as free from Scandalous sins 1 Tim. 3. Tit. 1. 2. He must be qualified and gifted for the work of preaching being apt to teach anointed with the Unction of the Holy One not that he must necessarily have the extraordinary Gifts of the Holy Ghost for when the Apostle Paul sets down the due qualifications of a Minister 1 Tim. 3. there is not one word of that 3. Being gifted and duely qualified he must be chosen or desired by the Church Acts 14.23 4. Then having consented he must be separated to the Work of the Ministry And therefore if any man say that he is a Teacher in Office ordinarily called and yet be prophane scandalous or vicious or ignorant being not fitly qualified or is not desired or chosen by the Church and separated to the Work of the Ministry he is a false Teacher in this kind But whether a mans Cal be Ordinary or Extraordinary whether he be called ad Opus to a Work or ad Munus to an Office he must make out his Cal to others 't is not enough to say I am sent of God I tel thee I am sent of God The Apostles themselves made out their Cal to others Do ye require a proof of my Ministry or Apostleship saies the Apostle Paul then thus and thus So that though a man do pretend that he is sent of God and that he hath seen the Lord yet if he be not able to give an account thereof unto others he is surely a False Apostle and a False Teacher Thus may you try and discover men by their Cal. Secondly As for Doctrine Teachers may and must be tried by their Doctrine 1 John 4.1 Particular Doctrines whereby men may be tried are many I wil name some briefly because I intend this Work no further than to this one Exercise First therefore The true Apostles never did decry the Scriptures but under God and Christ did exalt the Scriptures They called them the Word of God Rom. 9.6 2 Cor. 4.2 They told us that the Scriptures are a sufficient Rule and able to make us wise unto Salvation 2 Tim. 3.14.16 17. That they are the only Rule and Judg of al Doctrines whereby we are to try the same according to that of the Prophet Esai To the Law and to the Testimony if any one walk not according to this Rule there is no Light in him Chap. 8. That these Scriptures may be expounded 2 Pet. 1.20 The Apostles never did deny the Original saying I deny the Hebrew or I deny the Greek but ofâ—en cited the Original Hebrew yea the Septuagintal Greek This was the true Apostles Doctrine in regard of the Scripture As for Christ The true Apostles never did deny the Deity of Christ whilst he lived here on Earth nor the Humanity of Christ in Heaven But for his Deity the Apostle tel us that he is very God and the only wise God 1 John 5.20 And for the Body of Christ The true Apostles tel us That he did not only rise from the dead but his Body ascended and that he is man stil 2 Tim. 2.5 There is one Mediator the man Jesus Christ As for the Ordinances The Apostles never did deny the Ordinances but have told us that the Ministration of the Gospel is more glorious than that of Moses because this was to continue 2 Cor. 3. they did not destroy but erect these Ordinances by Commission from Christ As I have ordained in all the Churches saith Paul And more particularly 1. They did not deny the Ministry not the Being of a setled Ministry Rom. 12.7 though by the hand of Man Tit. 1. For this cause left I thee in Crete that thou should'st ordain Elders in every City nor the maintenance the setled maintenance of Ministers 1 Cor. 9.14 Even so hath the Lord ordained that those that preach the Gospel should live on the Gospel 2. As they did not deny the Ministry so they did not deny Water Baptism but they rather called for Water Baptism because Cornelius had received the Spirit Acts 10.47 They did not lay a necessity upon the Disciples to be plunged into the River or Water for the Jaylor and Cornelius were baptized in their Houses Nor did they ever forbid Infant Baptism but tel us that Children of Beleevers are Holy 2 Cor. 7. 3. As the true Apostles did not deny Water Baptism so they did not cry down the Lords Supper but tel us plainly That thereby we hold forth the Lords Death til he come 4. As they did contend for the Supper so they commanded singing First That the whol Church should sing for the whol Church of Ephesus and the whol Church of Colosse are commanded to sing Ephes 5. 18. Collos 3.16 Secondly That the whol Church should sing the Psalms of David for by those Titles Psalms Hymns and Spiritual Songs the Pâ—alms of David are distinguished Thirdly That this singing should be performed with an audible voyce and not in the heart only for faith the Apostle in the same Scriptures Speaking and singing with Grace in your hearts Affirmabant autem hâ—nc fuâ—â—se summam vel culpae suae vel erroris quod essent soliti stato die ante lucem convenire carmenque Christo quasi Deo dicâ—re secum invicem Plin. Epist ad Trajan Vel communi voce dicere Magdeâ—urgens Hist Cant. 2 C. 6. Fourthly That these Psalms or Hymns or Spiritual Songs should be sung by many together not by one alone but by the whol Church for the Evangelist tels us that Christ and his Disciples sung an Hymn and so went out after Supper If only one sang and the rest consented then that one was Christ or some one of the Disciples Christ it was not for if he had sung an Hymn it would have been said that he sung and the Hymn would have been set down as it 's said he prayed and his Prayer recorded John 17. Nor was it one of the Disciples for
to an ordinary Office 1. He must be apparently Godly 2. He must be qualified for preaching 3. He must be chosen or desired by the Church 4. He must be separated to the work of the Ministry ibid. II. For the Doctrine Teachers may and must be tried by their Doctrine ibid. Particular Doctrines men must be tryed by are many I will name some few ib. 1 True Apostles ever exalted the Scriptures Page 414 2 True Apostles never denied the Deity of Christ ibid. 3 True Apostles never did deny Ordinances ibid. 4 True Apostles preached for Justification by faith and imputed righteousness in opposition to works Page 415 5 They never told us that there is a light in every man which followed wil bring him to Salvation ibid. 6 They never preached that any man might be perfect and without sin in this life ibid. 7 True Apostles never preached against respect unto Magistrates Parents Masters Page 416 8 True Apostles never preached against the resurrection and assention of the Body ibid. 9 The Apostles never preached that there is no place of Heaven or Hell after death ib. III. A Teacher may and must be tried by his Life and Fruits Page 417 Quest If they go in Sheeps Cloathing how shall I know they are Wolves ibid. Answ Yes 1 A Wolf is a Wolf in Sheeps cloathing for he is fierce and cruel Page 417 2 He howls at the Sheep and barks at the Shepheards ib. 3 He rends the Sheep Page 418 Quest What fruits doth our Savior mean we must know them by ibid. Answ 1 If you find they walk after the flesh ibid. 2 If they are given to lying ib. 3 If the height of their Religion be to maintain some Opinion that consists in voluntary Humility ibid. 4 If their Doctrine tends to draw men away from the Ordinance of God ibid. 5 If he fals short of him he would seem to be yet in shew goes beyond him ibid. 6 If you find that his great work is to destroy the Church of Christ Page 419 7 If he forsake the Assemblies of the Saints ibid. 1 It is the special work of Church Officers to try and discover false Teachers ibid. 2 It is a work incumbent upon all the Saints and Churches ib. More practically 1 Go to God for a spirit of discerning Page 420 2 Lie in no sin or Error for all sin blinds ibid. 3 Consult with others about it ibid. 4 Keep close to the Scripture ibid. 5 Have not too great charity towards an Opinion of such as are accounted false Teachers ibid. 6 Wait long before you close with any of their Opinions that you may not be deceived ibid. The Good and Means of Establishment ON 1 Pet. 5.10 Different Opinions how these words aâ—e spoken Page 425 The Authors Opinion Page 426 The words divided into 1 A Blessing prayed for 2 The Arguments ensuing it 1 The Blessing prayed for is expressed in four words Perfect Stablish Strengthen Settle you ibid. DOCT. Settling Grace in respect of all trouble is a great Mercy and Blessing Page 428 1 It is a great mercy for a Nation to be setled 2 It is a great mercy for a Church to be setled 3 It is a great mercy for a particular soul to be setled I. The first part proved by Scriture Page 429 II. The Second part proved by five Arguments Page 429 1 When the Church hath this settlement then it is edified 2 It is the mercy God hath promised to the Church Page 430 3 It is that the Apostles labored for ibid. 4 That they prayed for ibid. 5 It is somtimes the signal mercy of Christs Church ibid. III. The third part proved by five Arguments Page 431 1 It is the ground of all our fruitfulness ibid. 2 It is the bottom of all our praises Page 432 3 It is the beginning of our perseverance ibid. 4 It is that good thing which pleaseth God exceedingly ib. 5 It is the Character of a gracious person Page 433 The second part of the Doctrine It is worthy of all our pâ—ayers For Page 434 1 It is that mercy we all need 2 God only can settle us Page 435 Application How great cause have they that arâ— settled to praise God ibid. Object I find not this settlement therefore I cannot praise God Page 436 Answ It may be so yet there is much difference between variety of Grace and instability of Spirit ibid. 2 If Establishment be so great a Blessing how sad is their condition that are not established ibid. Quest What shall we do that we may be established Page 437 Answ I. For a Nation ib. 1 It must first settle Religion 2 There must be care â—aken for a succession of Godly Magistrates ibid. 3 They must do and govern in Righteousness Page 438 4 They must trust in the Lord. ibid. II. For a Church Page 439 1 All Churches must know that they are laid out for sufferings ibid. 2 A Church that would be setled must have al the Officers and Ordinances of Christ. 3 Let all Churches know and keep the word of Gods Patience ibid. 4 If difficulty arise in a Church it must call for help from other Churches Page 440 5 Especially al Churches must pray for this mercy of Establishment ibid. III. Particular Persons what they must do for this mercy ibid. Quest 1. What shall I do to be more setled in my Judgment and in the Truth Page 442 Answ 1 Get a cleer understanding in the truth of the Gospel ibid. 2 Take heed of unsetling Principles Page 443 3 Make no Impression the Rule and Square of your Judgment ibid. 4 Get into Gods House Page 444 5 Go not into the company of those where false Doctrine is taught ibid. 6 Practice what Truth you know Page 444 7 Go to God for his establishing Grace Page 445 Quest 2. What shal I do to be more setled in my practice ibid. Answ 1 You must be very sensible and humbled for your own unsetledness ibid. 2 Labor for a serious Spirit ib. 3 Live not on your Condition alone but upon the God of your Condition ibid. 4 Take heed of a divided heart Page 446 5 Put on the whol Armor of God ibid. 6 The more you delight in Gods waies the more will your heart be established Page 447 Rules to make the way to Heaven sweet and easie to a man ibid. 1 Do not separate between Gods Commandement and his Promise ibid. 2 Apply your self to Gods work according to Gods Method ibid. 3 Improve that variety which God hath given you ibid. 4 Do not stint your self in any Duty as to go no further Page 448 5 Naturallize Gods Gifts in your soul ibid. 7 Motives to establish a man in the waies of God ibid. 1 Free yourself from temptations ibid. 2 The fixation of your soul is a great honor to your Profession Page 449 3 You shall thereby rejoyce the hearts of those that are set over you in the Lord ibid. 4 You have been