Of these here the Spouses predicates 1. A goodness 2. A transcendent and excelling goodness My work must be to demonstrate both 1. That they are good 2. That they are good before wine before all Sublunary goods all created comforts of what nature soever 1. That they are good The true nature of all good lyes in the conveniency and Sutableness of things which we so call to some wants and necessities that we have and lye under Hence the Philosopher describes Good to be the Object of our desires what all men desire for we desire nothing but in order to the supply of some want or other that we are sensible and apprehensive of A man may indeed desire what is not good but he must apprehend some goodness in the thing which he desireth So that to demonstrate the loves of Christ to be good there needs no more than to prove them convenient and admirably Suited to some thing which we want to Supply us in that want That I may restrain my discourse to the Loves of Christ as mediator I shall only premise what I hope you all believe That we have Souls as well as Bodies the Soul is an essential part of man and as much excelling and better than the Body as the body is better than rayment This admitted whatsoever suiteth the Soules wants must necessarily be good and eminently good The Souls wants are many but its principal wants are reducible to five heads 1. Pardon Righteousness Peace Purity Hopes or assurance of Eternal life and Glory 1. It wanteth pardon of Sin This is a want which the Soul brought into the world with it it was by nature dead in trespasses and Sins conceived in Sin brought forth in iniquity a Child of wrath by nature Eph. 2 3. This want hath grown upon the Soul from the day of its birth It s Child-hood and youth were altogether vanity who knows the Errours of his life The righteous falls seven times a day who can tell how often he offendeth It is true not one of many is sensible of this want but that only increaseth their misery It is certain this is a great want of a Soul Christ else had never directed us to pray Forgive us our debts There is a debt of ten thousand Talents upon every Soul that hath not tasted of Christs pardoning grace That it is not arrested for it proceeds only from Gods patience who sometimes beareth long with vessels of wrath fitted for destruction The Love of Christ is Suited to this want It is he that forgiveth Sins and washeth the Soul from the guilt of sin with his blood He dyed for our sins saith the Apostle He was wounded for our transgressions and bruised for our iniquities saith the Prophet Isaiah Ch. 53. 5. We have Redemption and forgiveness of Sins through his blood This Love of his is so suited to this want of the Soul that it can be supplyed no other way God forgiveth sin and none but he who but the creditor can discharge the debtor but it is for Christs sake that God forgiveth us Eph. 4. 32. Without blood there is no remission this was tipyfyed as the Apostle teacheth us by the Beasts of old slain for Sacrifices of Expiation and Atonement and without his Blood we could have had no Remission for it is very vain as the same Apostle instructs us for any to think that the blood of Bulls and Lambs and Goats could de away Sin 2. Secondly The Soul wants Righteousness A righteousness wherein it should stand before God as if it had never sinned against him For the righteous Lord saith the Psalmist loveth righteousness and the Apostle tells us Rom. 3. 15. That God declareth his righteousness for the remission of Sins Such is the nature or at least such is the will of God that he remits no sins but upon a first declaration of his righteousness Neither doth God accept any Soul but the righteous Soul we have no righteousness our works will not make this Web. God therefore imputeth Righteousness without works Rom. 4. 6. In the Gospel God hath revealed his righteousness from faithto Faith Rom. 1. 17. This is the righteousness of Christ Rom. 8. 3. For what the law could not do because it was weak through our flesh that God himself hath done sending his Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin condemning sin in the flesh That the righteousness of the Law might be fulfilled in us Hence Christ is by the Prophet called the Lord our Righteousness and the Apostle saith he was made of God for us wisdom righteousness And hence the Apostle Prayeth Philip. 3. 8 9. That he might win Christ which he expounds v. 9. And be found in him not having my own righteousness which is of the Law but that which is through the Faith of Christ the righteousness which is of God by faith It is called the Righteousness of God because it is that which God accepteth us for the righteousness of Christ because it is his perfect Satisfaction to and obedience to the law and the righteousness of faith because it is by faith by us received and applyed and made ours But in Christ and from Christ the Soul must find and have that righteousness in which alone it can stand before God 3. A third great want of the Soul is Peace Peace with God Peace with itself Rom. 8. 7. The Carnalmind is Enmity to God Take a man in his natural state he is an Enemy to God and God is an Enemy to him He hath no peace with God and if he hath any quiet in his own mind it is but a Truce not a Peace the product of Gods silence not the product of his favour Now in Christ and in him alone the Soul hath peace In the world saith our Saviour to his disciples you shall have trouble but in me you shall have pcace My peace saith he I give unto you I leave with you It is he that hath reconciled the whole number of the elect to God by his death and it is he who doth by his Spirit and the word of reconciliation committed to his Ministers actually reconcile Souls unto himself He is therefore called our Peace we have Peace with God through him Rom. 5. 1. And therefore the Apostle in all his Salutations prefixed to his Epistles prayeth Mercy and Peace from God our Father and from the Lord Jesus Christ 4. A fourth great want of the Soul is Purity No unclean thing shall enter into the new Jerusalem Take the Soul of a Christian Naturally it is an impure filthy Soul what can be clean that is born of a Woman Or how can that which is clean come from that which is unclean The connate proneness of our hearts to whatsoever is evil and the natural aversion of our hearts to any thing that is good is a sufficient proof of this The promise of the clean heart and of the new heart in Ezek. 36. as you know are both
but from that faith in the Precepts Promises and Threatnings of the Word from that love fear and obedience to God which ought to have principled those acts and if they had been so would have made those acts more intense certain steddy and uniform if these be wanting the Life-colours are wanting to the Picture Other things make but up the Skeleton of the duty and are but as a draught of the lines of the Face without the Life-colours which seldom have much beauty in them and the Soul notwithstanding all this fair and splendid outside is in his eyes but as a painted Sepulcher within which is nothing but a stench and rottenness and the bones of dead men So that no Soul that is without Faith without the fear and love of God and that acteth not out of obedience to Christ in what it doth but is black wholly black in the Lords eyes how fair soever in its own eyes or the eyes of the men of the world and what Augustine said of old of the best and most vertuous actions of the Heathens is true of the best actions of these titular Christians they are but Splendida Peccata Splendid Sinnings Thus now I say the true Christian standeth distinguished from unbelievers of all sizes whatsoever none of them are comely but wholly black in the eyes of Christ because they have none of his comeliness put upon them The glorified Saint is altogether whitehe hath not onely washed his garments in the Blood of the Lamb but he is also delivered from the infirmities of humane nature from the Sin that easily besetts him the weight that presseth him down the war in his members from the lustings of the flesh against the Spirit the law of his members so often rebelling against the law of his mind and bringing him into a captivity oft times to the law of Sin and is now presented before Christ without spot or wrinkle This is the felicity of his State The Apostle saith that we are now the Sons of God but it doth not yet appear what we shall be Sin here maketh us black affliction and sorrow make us appear more black then we are the translated Soul neither sinneth nor yet suffereth or sorroweth any more the state of the Child of God differeth from these because he is black it differeth from the state of the unbeliever in this life because he is not onely black but also comely hence you may understand the error of those who dream of a state of perfection which the People of God may and do attain in this life some go very high in blasphemy telleng us that we are Christed and Godded and that the believer is as spotless as Christ c. The Apostle indeed tells us we are made partakers of the Divine Nature but it is one thing to be made partakers of another thing to be transformed into the Divine Nature Christ is the chief of ten thousand altogether desires there is no spot no blemish in him The best of Gods people is black as well as comely black through inherent corruption and unrighteousness tho comely in respect of imputed righteousness and inherent habits of grace and holiness The Apostle tells us that by one mans disobedience many were made Sinners and that we are all by nature children of wrath Eph. 2. 3. Those who would have Christ to die for every man being pinched with that question What did Christ then purchase for those that shall never be saved some of them answer he purchased for all a totall freedom from Adams Sin I know no line in Scripture to justify that it was after Christ had dyed that the Apostle tells us we are all by nature children of wrath but he that can fancy that he liveth and sinneth not against God and so is not black through actual sin doth yet more foully deceive himself certainly he must not look into the perfect law of God or else is not able to distinguish white from black If he looked into the divine law he would quickly with Saint Paul see that the law is Holy and Spiritual and Just and Good and that the best of men is but carnal sold under Sin Let not then any glory in a fancyed perfection it is but a glorying in appearance not in reality All that the Spouse gloryeth in is that she was not altogether black It is a true saying of Mr. Calvin that it is the greatest piece of our perfection to be sensible of our imperfections As vain is the glorying also of them who glory in an exemption from afflictions that this Sun hath not lookt upon them afflictions have not scorched them as they have scorched others the Apostle tells us that if we be without chastening then are we Bastards and not Sons It is not our glory to be free from them but to indure them not to be wholly exempted from them but under them to exercise our faith and patience and to glorify God in the Fires The motto of a Child of God is Black but Comely black through remaining lusts and coruptions comely through imputed righteousness and inherent habits of grace and holiness Black through Affliction and Persecution Comely in and under them glorifying God in the Fires by the exercises of Faith and Patience From hence every inquisitive Christian may take just measures of himself he is not to judg of himself by his blackness whether it be the blackness of renewing sin and corruption or the blackness of Affliction and Worldly Opposition and Persecutions Let him examine himself 1. Whether he hath not a mixture of grace with corruption Sin in dominion is not indeed consistent with grace but Sin in being is there are Twins which struggle one with another in every good Soul Every Christian will find he hath a flesh to be crucified members to be mortified and a law in his members some impetuous motions of lust at some times but let him examine whether he doth not find also a Spiritual part and a law in his mind the flesh indeed lusteth against the Spirit that is a Christians blackness but doest thou not also find the Spirit lusting against thy flesh that is thy comliness A true Christian is not to judge himself from the freedom of his Soul from sin but from the war and combate of his Soul with sin He in the Gospel that said I believe Lord help my unbelief expressed the lively Image of every true Christian So doth St. Paul more largely Rom. 7. 18 19 20. For I know in me that is in my flesh there dwelleth no good thing for to will is present with me but kow to perform that which is good I find not For the good that I would I do not but the evil which I would not that I do now if I do that which I would not it is no more I that do it but sin that dwelleth in me I find then a law that when I would do good evil is present with me
unbeliever one that is not married to thee Those senses of the words express her fear of scandal Prop. That sin and Scandal are the two great objects of the believing Souls fear What sin is I need not spend many Words to tell you The Apostle gives you the full notion of it when he calleth it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 A Non-conformity to the divine law which notion comprehendeth original sin which lyeth in the absence of the divine Image and the ill complexion of the Soul resulting from it and actual sin which is well described by Augustine to be every thought Word and deed which is contrary to the holy Law of God Sin is often in Scripture set out under the notion of erring wandring going astray and that dependeth upon another Metaphor we often meet with in Scripture comparing a course of holiness unto a way with relation to which sin which is a deviation from holiness is expressed by the notions of erring wandering going astray turning aside c. The Precepts of God are expressed also under the notion of a rule and a guide hence sin is called a crooked way Now all sin is the object of the believers fear but not all alike For as there is a difference in the guilt of sin so there will be a difference in the Souls fear it will most tremble at those sins which render it most obnoxious to the wrath of God of which nature Idolatry is and indeed the guilt of it much lyeth here that in that sin the creature is made the companion of God and the Worship due unto God alone is either given unto it or shared betwixt God and it The notion of Scandal is not so obvious I shall therefore inlarge a little in my discourse on that The Words Scandal and Scandalize are hardly found in any Prophane Authors the Scripture therefore must open that term to us A Scandal properly and strictly is something laid in a mans way at which one is prone to stumble and fall the Word which the Septuagint translate by this Word we translate a stumbling block Levit. 19. 14. Thou shalt not put a stumbling block before the blind The Hebrew Word is by our translators rendred offence 1 Sam. 25. 31. This is all we can get from the Etymology of the Word it signifies any thing at which another stumbles and falls thence it is applyed to such things as are to others occasions of sin which is the stumbling and falling of the Soul so Aquinas I think rightly describeth Scandals to be any Words or actions of ours by which others have an occasion of ruin That is sinning which is the Spiritual ruin of a man or woman In this sense man only can be Scandalized he cannot be tempted to evil But two wayes a Scandal may reflect upon God 1. As by our carriages his glory may be prejudiced amongst men his name blasphemed his wayes reproached and these actions which produce such effects we call Scandals 2. As others by our carriages may be induced to sin against God So that Scandals may be committed two wayes When we so behave our selves as we cause the Master which we serve the Gospel which we profess or the way wherein we walk to be evil spoken of or that others by our example are inticed to sin Scandals are ordinarily divided into such as are not only taken but given also and such as are meerly taken but not given 1. The latter is what is called Seandalum Pharisaeorum The scandal of the Pharisees because they were so offended at our Saviour This is when men are offended at us and speak evil of us or of the wayes of God for our sake though we do nothing but what is our duty and we must not omit for the offence of any Persons These are now only passive Scandals Scandals taken and not given and the guilt lyeth not upon those who do the actions but upon those who are troubled that others are more righteous then they and will do what they judge God requireth of them without regard to the pleasing or displeasing of any These are not the Scandals which a good man feareth 2. But then there is an active Scandal or a Scandal given and this may be two wayes 1. By any open sinful actions Thus we call open sinning Scandalous sinning Because it giveth a just offence to all good People and because it of its own nature tendeth to cause the name of God to be blasphemed and the Gospel and wayes of God to be reproached and evil spoken of and is an inducement to others also to sin against God 2. It is also committed by an ill use of our liberty in things where Gods Law hath left us our liberty when we will do actions which although we think we may do yet others think are unlawful and our doing of them may either cause them that have another opinion to reproach us and our profession or induce them doubting concerning the lawfulness of them yet to do them because they see us whom they look upon as stronger doing of them thus we abuse our liberty by chusing that action by which our Brother is offended grieved or made weak now these Scandals are such as next to our personal plain sinnings ought to be the object of all good Christians fear I must confess as to these last mentioned Scandals by actions in which I judge God hath left me in his Law a full and perfect liberty but others have not the same apprehensions so as my taking one part may cause in other Christians hard thoughts or hard speeches concerning me Or if not so yet my example may induce them though they doubt yet to adventure upon the same actions and sin against God for he that doubteth is damned if he eateth that which another who doubteth not may freely eat I say as to such Scandals there is a very hard question in Divinity viz. what is a Christians duty suppose him pressed by a Superiours command on the one side if he doth not do it he disobeyeth his Superiours in a thing which he confesseth not to be forbidden by the Word God and so seemeth to sin against the Precept of obedience to them On the other side he seeth that if he doth the thing he shall not onely grieve many good Christians who think the thing lawful but possibly cause them to intertain hard thoughts of him or to speak hardly of him or if not so yet which is worse to do the same thing though they doubt of the lawfulness Nay further it may be that the command of Superiors in the case may be attended with penalties which may ruin a man his family What is to be done here is an hard case That it is not our duty to obey Superiours in all things is out of question that we ought to obey them in things of which we are strongly persuaded that they are unlawful whether they be so or no is what no weighed
Divine will say whether this be not though not Originally yet with respect to circumstances a thing unlawful so as it is not just matter of a Superiours Precept that is the question On the other side That St. Paul said he would never eat flesh while the World stood rather then make his brother to offend 1 Cor. 8. 13. I observe St. Paul doth not say I will eat no meat but no flesh while the World standeth flesh is but one Species of meat he might eat other things and support his life And as to that Species of meat it must doubtless be restrained by the former discourse which is of meat that had been set before Idols This he determines unlawful 1 Cor. 20. doubtless it is unlawful for a man to starve himself rather then offend his Brother St. Paul speaks of a thing if not unlawful yet as to which he was at a full liberty he could forbear it without any remarkable prejudice to himself Besides the Scandal in the case is but a contingency he is not sure his Brother will be made to offend by his example or action The case is a very hard case but I shall spend no more Words about it that being not the Scandal which cometh within the compass of my text But either such Scandal as ariseth from actions plainly sinful or at least actions that have no such circumstances Whether we interpret covered as an harlot was covered or as a mourner was covered both such Scandals are the just fears of all good Christians 1. Sin is the object of every good Christians fear upon many accounts As it defileth the Soul and taketh away its beauty and comeliness as it rendereth the Soul guilty and obnoxious to the wrath of God As it Spoileth the Souls peace causeth sour reflections of conscience As it hazardeth the Souls Salvation As indeed it is the cause of that evil all that evil that can befall a man especially considering that every good Christian knoweth this and in one degree or other hath felt it so as it needeth no more then its own former experience to confirm it and can have no fruit no pleasure in those things for which it hath formerly so trembled and of which it hath been and is still ashamed He that loves the Lord hateth evil Psal 97. 10. David hated the works of them that turned aside Psal 101. 3. Now whatsoever is the object of our hatred when it cometh near us and we see a probability of being surprized with it we naturally fear 2. As to scandal If it be given by any sinful action of ours it is doubtless sin and to be feared equally with any other sin it being but the aggravation of a sinful act The case is also the same if it be caused through an ill use of our liberty in a case where we have a perfect liberty though the act be not in it self sinful yet the circumstance makes it so The reason is because in things of an indifferent nature we are tied up to general Rules and are obliged to do that which shall be most 1. For the glory of God 2. For the good of others 3. Which will give least offence to Jew or Gentile Those golden Rules given us by the Apostle in 1 Cor. 10. 31 32 33. There are three great Reasons why every good Christian will as much fear scandal as any other more plain downright sinning 1. The concern of the glory of God that is an end we must aim at in all our actions whether Natural Moral or Religious The glory of God is as much prejudiced by the sin of another as by my own sin so that in all scandals the honour of God is wounded two waies 1. By my own sin who ought not so to have used the liberty which his Word left me 2. By the others sinning occasioned by my sin David's Eyes ran down with Rivers of water because others did not keep the Law of God 2. The concern of his Brothers Soul which is destroyed by his sin For thy meat saith the Apostle destroy not thy Brother for whom Christ died God makes it a mark of hatred of our Brother not to reprove him nor to suffer sin upon him how much greater hatred must it speak in us to give him Exemplum malae rei aedificantes in gehennam as Tertullian somewhere describes scandal to set him an example contributing to his destruction Love will not lay a stumbling block in the path of the blind How can any man say he loveth his Brother that doth not not lay a stumbling block before his Brother to make his body to stumble and fall but to make his Soul to fall 3. The concern of the peace and quietness of his own Soul is in it too He that is of any tenderness of Conscience will find no peace in the doing of any thing which reflecteth any dishonour upon God or tendeth to destroy his Brother for whom Christ died We may learn from hence that the fear of sin and scandal are no ill signs in any Souls in whom they are found It is a noble â—nd Divine temper to be afraid of sinning against God The best of men in the Old Testament are ordinarily described under the notion of men fearing God No man can fear God but the man that feareth sin whether he feareth the Lord and his power and greatness with a more servile fear or feareth the Lord and his goodness which is a more filial and ingenuous fear one of the first fruits or prime evidences of it is a fear of sinning against God and that man who feareth not sin feareth not God It is true there may be an excess of this fear through our infirmity ignorance and mistake a man may have a timorated Conscience and be sometimes afraid where no fear is and this often happeneth in Persons under the power and prevailing of Melancholy which darkeneth a man's reason In such a case it is rather the effect of a natural disease than the genuine and proper motion of a reasonable Soul A man also free from that distemper through ignorance and infirmity may be afraid of actions as sinful which indeed are not so but this is an errour on the right hand It is much better in this case to fear too much than too little to forbear many lawful actions for fear of sinning against God in them when the weak Conscience is not fully satisfied then to run on adventurously when the Conscience doubteth Let others despise and mock at Persons as those that would be too precise and pure that durst not do some actions as to which others make no difficulty nay it may be think them their duty My Soul shall I hope alwaies reverence those in whom I discern an uniform fear of sin If men indeed strain at Gnats and swallow Camels pretend a Conscience in some things but regard not the dictates of it in other things this is Hypocrisie this is but a
reputation and reason which were the principles of the Roman valour but these which I have shewed you 2. As to the Acts of it They are all lawful resistances of sin He will resist unto blood but it still is in striving against sin Heb. 1. 2. 4. And this he doth by a lawful resistance This in the description I called a governing himself according to the rules of Gods Word 2 Tim. 2 5. If a man strive for masteries yet is he not crowned except he strive lawfully All sin is a transgression of the law of God No Christian fortitude can be shewen either in the encountring of a danger for not doing what he ought to do Or for the encountring of a danger rather then doing what God hath given him a freedom and liberty to do As to the first a man is not Gods Martyr but the Devils As to the Second he cannot be a Martyr for God but for his own humour God hath left him a liberty he need not suffer unless he will But now there may be several actions as to which a good man doth not see his liberty but lyeth under apprehensions that they are unlawful The Question is what a Christian is to do as to them And whether a Christian can shew any Christian fortitude in incountring dangers rather then doing them To which I shortly answer 1. That it is the duty of every good man as to such actions to use all the means he can as to a true information of his own conscience Reading the holy Scriptures and other good Books interpreting the Scriptures which may rightly inform him Keeping his ear open to all arguments on both sides to all instructions 2. If by no means he can receive Satisfaction as to the lawfulness of such actions the doing of them would be sin to him and he is bound to incounter any danger rather then do them and this is a piece of Christian fortitude The proximate Rule of our actions must be our own Conscience by which I mean our own practical judgment of the lawfulness or unlawfulness of things to be done according to the best information we have or can get concerning the will of God in his word the persuasions commands dictates or practice of others is no rule to us We must resist what our own Consciences tell us is sin and contrary to the will of God But it must be lawfully It must be such a resistance only as Gods Word doth allow us A private Person in the resistance of sin must not resist the power which is the Ordinance of God Rom. 13. 2. It is one thing to do what such powers command another thing by Arms to resist God hath not given the Sword into any private hand and such a Person drawing it shall perish with it we must strive against sin but we must strive lawfully not by ill Language or boisterous actions but by meek and patient Suffering 3. Lastly The End of Christian fortitude must be 1. The glory of God 2. The Salvation of our own Souls 'T is no Christian valour to be valiant for any thing but the truth the honour and glory of God the cause and concern of God in the World and in a matter where the Eternal Salvation of his own Soul is concerned Thus far I have opened to you the nature of this Christian courage and fortitude which I am calling to you for Let me in the next place offer something to you which may promove this excellent habit in your Souls A Natural courage cannot be given where any thing of a Moral fortitude may be promoved by rational arguments education and a due digestion of moral Principles But there must be some good natural foundation of courage for the Moralist in the managery of his disciple to build upon but it is not so as to this Christian fortitude Persons of the weakest sex of the lowest meanest weakest Spirits by nature have been made valiant as to the Spiritual fight from the dread of God the Love of God by saith in the Word of God and in the Lord Jesus Christ Now in order to this excellent habit and so necessary for these times 1. The first thing which I shall commend unto you in order to it is a Sound knowledge of the revealed will of God both concerning sin and concerning duty Knowledge is the foundation of saith It is that which giveth boldness to a man both in speaking and in acting A poor ignorant Person may be valiant but he cannot expect to be so he is Sometimes made valiant in an extraordinary manner by some special instinct and impression of God upon him as that Woman which told her Judges She could not dispute but she could dye for Christ A just knowledge of what I may or may not do of the Nature of God his promises and threatnings is most necessary to a true Christian courage and fortitude He fighteth more like a madman then a Christian that is not first fully Satisfyed in the goodness and justice of his cause 2. A knowing man may be cowardly if he be not rooted and grounded in the faith heartily and firmly believing what he hath the notion of Faith is the only shield that keepeth off the fiery darts of the wicked Now this is the gift of God and the way to obtain it is Prayer Beg of God his Spiritual armour and to make you valiant in the Spiritual fight Math. 26. 41. Watch and pray that you enter not into temptation 3. Set as loose to the World and all your concerns and Relations in it as you can It is observed of great Cities that they seldom hold out long against an Enemy Their Riches their Wives and Children make them Cowards That Man or Woman that hath not learned to deny himself in all his worldly contentments can never be valiant 4. Lastly look unto Jesus the Author and the finisher of your saith who for the joy that was set before him indured the cross despised the shame and is set down on the throne of God consider him who indured such contradiction of sinners in himself lest you be wearied and saint in your minds It is the Apostles advice Heb. 12. 3. The valour and courage of a General oft times puts mettal and courage into his Souldiers retrieveth a day of battel when it is upon the point lost The eying of Christ who is the author and finisher of our faith is of mighty use to us to ingage us to go on to the Spiritual fight without fear or dread Let me press this upon you by a few arguments 1. The first shall be from the ton general decay of this gracious habit in the Spirits of Christians God of 'old complained by his Prophet Jer. 9. 3. That there was a generation of them who bent their tongues like bows for lies but there wâ—â— none valiant for the truth upon the Earth How few are there this day that are valiant for the truth There are
necessitous Creatures it also obtaineth several names and admits of several distinctions and is shewed by several Acts. The Grace of God in the sense I am now speaking to it signifyeth nothing but the free love of God looking upon the Sons of Men with respect to the several necessities of their Souls It s variety ariseth from us and our necessities it is not divided in the fountain only in the stream and thus Grace admits of several distinctions which I shall open to you in a few words that you may rightly understand the various notions of it The most famous distinction of it is into that which doth render the Soul acceptable to God and that which is love and freely given but doth not make the Soul acceptable in Gods sight at least not first acceptable or is not that for which God doth at first accept the Soul The first is that which we call the Grace of Justification which is the free love of God shining upon the Soul imputing to it a righteousness without works and not imputing transgression as the Apostle expoundeth it Rom. 4. 6. 8. the second we call the grace of Regeneration and Sanctification which is the love of God freely shewed to the Soul by which its heart is renewed and changed and filled with new habits and dispositions inclining and inabling it to what God requireth of it This is Grace it is from the power and free love of God though it be not that grace for which God at first accepteth the Soul as the Papists say This Grace of Regeneration and Sanctification is also usually distinguished into Habitual and Actual Habitual Grace is nothing else but the free love of God shining upon the Soul inabling it to will and to choose the things that are good and pleasing to God he giveth to will saith the Apostle and we are made willing in the day of his power saith the Psalmist Actual or acting Grace which is the love of God shewed to the Soul in inabling us to do the things that are good for as it is he that giveth to will so it is he who giveth to do both of his own good pleasure and our Lord told his Disciples John 15. 3. Without me you can do nothing There is another distinction of Grace into Preventing and Subsequent Preventing Grace is that love of God which preventeth and goeth before any good motions or actions of ours according to that of the Prophet I was found of them that sought me not and of those that did not inquire after me This is usually called the first grace Subsequent grace is that love of God which followeth this and is variously manifested to the Souls of Gods People In the first we are meerly passive we only receive it in the other we are active There are other notions of grace but I shall instance only in one more Special grace is the free love of God either concerning the being of a true Christian or 2dly Concerning its well being That grace which concerneth the being of a true Christian which quickneth the Soul which before was a Child of Wrath dead in trespasses and sins is either the Grace of Justification and what concerneth that this is first grace and preventing grace Or 2. The grace of Regeneration by which a new heart is given unto us and we are inclined disposed and inabled to the operations of a spiritual life Or Secondly What concerneth the better being of a Christian in the managing of all the actions and concerns of the spiritual life This again is divided into quickning grace strengthening Grace and consolatory Grace 1. Quickning grace may either signify that love of God by which our Spiritual powers habits and inclinations are drawn out into acts 2. Or that whereby a Soul is made more active and lively and free in the service of God which removes those difficulties that heaviness and deadness and dulness which we often find upon our Souls as to spiritual things For this you read David so often praying in Psal 119. Strengthening grace which is the love of God shewed to the Soul in further inabling it both to its spiritual actions and to the managing of the good fight against the World the Flesh and the Devil the Apostle calleth it a being strengthened with might in the inward Man of this Saint Paul speaketh Phil. 3. 13. I can do all things through Christ that strengtheneth me Consolatory grace which signifieth the love of God shining upon the Soul that is sad and heavy refreshing it either from the view and sense of the truth of its gracious habits or from the sealings of some promise giving the Soul an assurance or full persuasion of the love of God David crieth out when wilt thou comfort me Thus you see the variety of gracious dispensations the love of God is one as it is in him as the fountain but it divideth itself into several streams as it shineth upon divers Souls or the same Soul oft-times in differing circumstances or with respect to divers wants which our Souls have Secondly As there is variety in the dispensations of grace so grace discovers itself in various acts Divines say that the grace of Justification so far as it respecteth the Souls State varieth not Nor is repeated but the acts of grace referring to our justified estate they are repeated God doth not pardon sin before it is committed but repeateth his gracious act in pardoning as the Soul repeateth its transgressions Now this is that which I say in this proposition that the Spouse of Christ the truly gracious Soul is not satisfied with any single dispensation of grace nor with a single act it desires not only the first grace but further grace not only the grace of Justification but the grace of regeneration also not only gracious habits but that it may be excited and quickned to spiritual actions not only that it may do them but that it may do them with some strength and vigour with some life and chearfulness it desires renewed acts of pardon renewed influences of spiritual strength and life Let us but a little see it in the great instance of David the man according to Gods own heart we shall find him speaking to our purpose in several Psalms Psal 19. 13. Cleanse thou me from secret faults there he beggeth for pardoning love will this satisfy this holy man will he think it enough if God pardoneth his Sin see what followeth in that Psalm Keep back thy Servant from presumptuous sins let them not have dominion over me he must have strengthening as well as pardoning grace he desires to be freed from the commanding as well as from the condemning power of Sins Look into the 51 Psalm a Psalm much spent in petitions for special grace v. 7. He prays for pardon Purge me with hyssop and I shall be clean wash me and I shall be whiter than the Snow he speaks in an old Testament phrase
he may go to God or no whether he hath one good Argument to use which may be of avail with God We have many words to say many Arguments to use and when it is a clear day with the Soul it can easily discern it and fill its mouth with words of several natures but in a dark day under the prevailings of Melancholy or boisterous Temptations it can find many Arguments to deter it from Addresses to God it s own vileness and unworthiness considered with God's purity and holiness the multitude of its sins its former Prayers as it fancieth lying by not answered but it cannot find one Argument to incourage it But every Christian hath at all times many Arguments if he could discern them David made his vileness and unworthiness an Argument Psal 25. Pardon mine iniquity saith he for it is great That 's an Argument all have and at all times Ah! but saith the Soul this is no other than the vilest person hath He may plead the freeness of Divine Grace The Soul that goeth to God for Free Grace can never want an Argument but still this is common and no more encouraging a Believer than another man We may plead our own misery and sad state misery is the object of Grace and Mercy but still this is common The vilest sinner may go and plead with God for mercy because his state is miserable A true Christian would have an Argument of a more special nature and such a one as in the use of he could go boldly and with confidence to the Throne of Grace Admitting this Proposition every good Christian hath such an Argument such an Argument as no unregenerate man hath such an Argument as he may go to God with with boldness and confidence God was never yet wanting to the truly hungring and thirsty Soul after his Love such an Argument as if pleaded with God and being in truth alwaies prevailed with God I shall shut up this Discourse with some few words of Exhortation 1. To all To labour to bring up their hearts to this to prize the favour of God above all other things whatsoever How you shall know whether your hearts be brought up to it or no I have before shewed you but suffer me here to give you some Directions in the case and to press it with some Arguments Until we do find that our Souls do set such an estimate upon the Loves of Christ we can never use it as an Argument with God This is therefore the first thing which we have to do to be restless till we find that we can say it in truth that we value Christ's Loves above all earthly things Nor will this ever be effectually done till the holy Spirit of God comes upon our hearts with its impressions and demonstrations all that we can do will bear no more than the notion of means in order to that blessed end Of that nature much may be directed First Let thy Soul and its immortal state with its condition referring to that state be much in thy thoughts It is one great reason why men neglect and are careless as to the Loves of Christ because they do not remember they have immortal Souls nor consider any future state or their own circumstances relating to it Men know that they have bodies and experience hunger and thirst and cold and so are very busie in taking care what they shall eat and drink and put on but they do not know at least they do not attend to their knowledge of it and have no certain knowledge and persuasion that they have immortal Souls that can no more die with the body than eat drink or sleep with it so as they take no further care than for their outward man Neither do they attend to the consideration of the condition of their Souls with respect to an eternal existence but run away with presumptuous fancies that God will not suffer them to perish for ever determining concerning their Souls according to their fancies and the dictates of their own vitiated reason not according to the revelations of the Divine Will would men think more of their Souls and consider the immortality of them would they determine concerning them according to Divine Revelation it were impossible they should so far as generally they do neglect the care of them They would quickly see that all the good things of the world could not affect the Soul with any good and therefore must needs be invaluable things compared with those things that will secure the Souls happiness both here and for ever If men believed they had immortal Souls their reason would teach them quickly to conclude that they are better than the body which is but earth and which must return to dust and consequently whatsoever is good for the Soul must be infinitely more good than what only serveth the necessities of our earthly part and that neither but for a little time But the truth is as the Fool hath said in his heart there is no God So he hath also said in his Heart I have no Soul no such immortal substance as Preachers talk of there is no such thing as Heaven or Hell most unregenerate men are in their Hearts Atheists The natural reason of all men teacheth them to look after their concerns and interests and to prefer greater before lesser interests and to value what makes for their greatest interests above what is only subservient to an interest of lesser value Mens preference of created comforts before the loves of Christ proceedeth meerly from their ignorance that they have Souls to look after or at least unbelief of it if they notionally know it their not understanding the nature and spiritual concerns of their Souls or at least their erronious fancies and conceptions of an universal Salvation of all or all at least that are baptized the first thing to be done rationally to possess Men and Women of the excellency of Christs loves above Wine above all sensual things or any sensible things is to possess men of this knowledge and to keep their Eyes waking to the consideration of it and to engage them to take their measures of these things from the revelation of the will of God in his word not from their own wild fancies and ratiocinations Secondly Possess your Souls of the impossibility of their receiving of any good any thing suited to their necessities but only from Christ There is no other name given under Heaven there is no Salvation in any other The power over all Souls is committed unto Christ The Father forgives Sins but it is for Christ's sake as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you saith the Apostle we have Redemption forgiveness of Sin through his blood In him we have righteousness peace through him we have access an entrance into the holâ—est of all the Father hath given unto him Eternal life that he should give it to whomsoever he pleaseth There is no good thing suited to a Souls
to the Humane Nature in the personal union of both Natures in the Lord Jesus Christ Christ was sanctified and set apart and constituted as a person fit to be our High Priest and King This as I told you in my last discourse was one of the sacred uses of Oil which the Jews made there was a sweet anointing Oil made by Gods special prescript for the consecration of the High Priest the Tabernacle and their holy Utensils with this also they anointed their Kings This did but typify the anointing of the Holy Ghost and by the receiving of this Vnction Christ was constituted our High-Priest and the King upon the Holy Hill of Sion By the Grace of Hypostatical Vnion he was made so I mean by the union of the Divine and Humane Nature in the one Person of Christ Christ indeed had an Essential Kingdom equal with the Father by his Eternal Generation but he obtained his Mediatory Kingdom by vertue of his Incarnation and Vnction The new and living way was consecrated for us through the vail that is to say his flesh Thus he was made our High-Priest our King our Prophet and by his gracious dispositions and qualifications he was made fit for a Mediator For such an High Priest became us who is holy harmless undefiled separate from Sinners and made higher than the Heavens who needed not daily as those High Priests under the law to offer up Sacrifice first for his own Sins then for the People c. Heb. 7. 26. 27. 2. The Graces of Christ were like good Oils or Ointments as they were used in Sacrifice they cannot indeed so properly be called a Sacrifice but they were as the Oyl poured upon the meat offering There is a dispute whether the Passive Obedience of Christ only or his Active obedience also be imputed to us and be our righteousness not to meddle with that supposing his passive obedience to have alone been the Sacrifice yet his Active obedience must be allowed as the Oyl poured upon it The meat offering was usually some Beast or Bird slain but then they were to come and pour Oyl upon it Christs death upon the Cross was his offering That was the Sacrifice but his Graces were as the Oyl poured upon this offering had not he that died been pure and holy righteous and separate from sinners meek obedient c. he could not have been accepted for others for he must have offered for himself as the Apostle teacheth us Heb. 7. 26 27. Thus his personal graces and perfections were like good Oils with respect to the use of Oil in Sacrifice upon the account of them it was that he offered up to his Father a Sacrifice for the Sins of his People which was acceptable Thirdly The Personal Graces and perfections of Christ were like good Oils for their sweet savour These perfections are those things which make the name and person of Christ as a sweet smelling savour in the Nostrils of every understanding gracious Soul what is it which maketh any Soul love Christ what maketh its own private meditations of him or the report which it receiveth of him so exceeding sweet to the Soul but these excellencies and perfections which are in him His free and infinite love to the Sons and Daughters of Men his pity and compassion his slowness to conceive a wrath and readiness to forgive his freeness to heal his Peoples backslidings his purity and holiness his patience and meekness These are those things which make Christ appear so lovely and amiable to gracious Souls Lastly like good Oils they serve the Soul for food What doth a Soul that hungereth and thirsteth after Righteousness seed upon but the Righteousness of the Lord Jesus Christ some indeed have found a Righteousness of their own to feed upon but I doubt whether those Souls that feed on nothing else will appear fair and well liking in the great day of the Lord Suppose a Soul pined away in the sense of its iniquities what doth it live upon but only the free Grace and mercy of God in the Lord Jesus Christ As Hezekiah said in another case By these things men live so doth every Spiritual Soul make use of the Grace of Christ and may say By the Righteousness of Christ I live by thelove pity and tender mercies of Lord Jesus Christ I live By his fulness of grace I live for of his fulness we receive Grace for Grace Thus you see how upon all accounts The grace of Christ is like good Ointments But thus much generally We are upon a Bed of Spices it is good for us to be here let me therefore speak a little more particularly shewing you particularly What these Graces of our Lord Jesus Christ are which are upon all these accounts as good Oils or good Ointments I shall answer this in several particulars 1. The Grace of Vnion is as a good Oâ—l There is a three-fold Union considerable with reference to Christ 1. His Eternal Vnion with his Father This is what he saith in the Gospel once and again I and my Father are one but it is not proper to call this Grace It was natural his Generation who can declare 2. The second is the Hypostatical Vnion of the Divine and Humane Nature in the One Person of the Mediator This was Grace the assumption of our Nature to make one Person with the Divine Nature this was an act of Grace it was not Natural not Eternal but the product of Divine and free 〈…〉 time It was the Grace both of the first and of the second Person in the Trinity to assume humane nature into an Union with the second Person 3. There is an Vnion of Christ with Believers I in you saith Christ and you in me These are mysteries the two latter I mean not to be fully known and understood until Christs second coming At that day saith our Blessed Lord Joh. 14. 20. You shall know that I am in my Father and you in me and Lin you That there is such a thing we know how it is we do not know but in the mean time this is also of Grace This in the second sense is terminated in Christ in the last it is terminated in the truly believing Soul I am sure both are as good Oils That Grace which was both from the Father and himself considered as God by which our Nature was assumed into a oneness with the Second Person in the God-Head This is like a good Oil this was the sweet anointing Oil of his Consecration by this he Was constituted out High-Priest capacitated to offer a Sacrifice to his Father both meritorious and acceptable As God he could not die as meerly the Son of man he could not merit as God-man he could do both O this makes Christ exceeding lovely in the Eyes of a Spiritual intelligent Soul Christ as God is full of Glory and Majesty but his Glory is invisible his Majesty is incomprehensible but now when the Word was made flesh
former Proposition where I told you it signified a powerful gracious influence of the Holy Spirit upon the Soul persuading alluring and commanding the Soul's Obedience It is an act both sweet and powerful Sweet for God draws with the Cords of Love as he speaks Jer. 31. 3. yet powerful for the Soul is made willing the will is not forced but melted renewed and changed and contrariwise inclined to what was before its inclination So as my meaning is that when God hath once by the sweet and powerful influence of his Spirit upon the Soul of a man allured persuaded and commanded the Soul to its duty then it will run after him The only question to be spoken to is what is meant by Running When I opened the Text I told you of several things imported by this term I shall now more largely discourse them 1. Running implieth willingness to the motion It implieth motion and so is opposed to lying or siâ—ting still It is a saying of Augustine Certum est nos velle quum volumus agere quum agimur It is saith he certain that we will when we are made willing that we act when we are acted sed ille facit ut velimus it is God that maketh us to be willing He giveth to will and to do Men may run that are not originally willing it is a mischief that they fear which makes them run but yet even then they move willingly though it be a danger imminent upon them which maketh them so willing But this motion is a much sweeter motion they are made willing first and then they move out of choice willingly until the Soul be renewed and changed it moveth not at all toward God it may move to natural actions from that principle of natural life of which it is possessed It may move to moral actions from that principle of life which every reasonable Soul is possessed of But it moveth not to any truly spiritual actions because it wanteth a principle of Spiritual life But this being infused in regeneration to will being given unto it it moveth in the ways of God and that from a principle within itself You saith the Apostle Eph. 2. 1. hath he quickned who were dead in trespasses and sins It moveth not as a meer Machine or Instrument from the power and force of a forreign agent but as a living creature from itself and a principle within itself Yet not without a divine influence look as it is in natural motions though they flow from a a principle of life in a man yet they are not without an influence of more ordinary common providence upholding our natural faculties hence the Apostle saith of God in him we live move and have our being So it is as to our Spiritual motions the Soul moveth from the principles of Spiritual life infused into it from the principles of the new creature but yet not without the influence of the Spirit of Grace upon it upholding those habits of Grace which are infused into the Soul and exciting it to and assisting of it in Spiritual actions Without me saith Christ you can do nothing he doth not say without me you cannot do much or you cannot do great things but you can do nothing But yet to will is present with the Soul yea and to do though it hath no strength to do what it would And as the Soul hath need of a daily influence of Grace in its ordinary course of Spiritual action so it hath need of more special and powerful influences when it meets with a work more difficult for saith the Apostle 2 Cor. 3. 5. We are not sufficient to think one good thought as of our selves for now our sufficiency is from God This is now Gratia co-operans co-operating Grace in the exercises of which we are not mcerly passive as in the reception of the first Grace as it was with the Israelites in their journey towards Canaan Numb 9. 17. 18. c. They kept pace with the Cloud and with the Pillar of fire when the Cloud moved they moved when the Cloud stood still they stood still At the Commandment of the Lord they journied and at the Commandment of the Lord they pitched as long as the Cloud abode upon the Tabernacle they rested in their Tents And when the Cloud tarried long upon the Tabernacle many days then they journied not So it is with such as are Israelites indeed in their spiritual motions toward the new Hierusalem the City of God If the Grace of God assists not they move not and according to the degree of its influence they move more or less But yet they move and willingly move though not without the co-operating and assisting Grace of God 2. Secondly Running implyeth strength in the motion thus it is opposed to creeping or walking saintly The weak man may creep and go slowly but he cannot run When the Lord draweth the Soul will not only move towards God and that freely and willingly but it will move strongly it will find strength against sin and strength unto duties Job 17. 9. The righteous man will hold on in his way and he that is of clean hanas shall grow stronger and stronger God commandeth that we should love h m with all our strength Luk. 10. 27. When the Lord draweth the Soul then it runneth with all its strength loveth God with a love that is stronger than the Grave then it believeth with a strong saith and obeyeth with a perfect heart While God was present with Sampson though they tied his Hair to a Beam and shut up the Gates of the City he could carry away Beam and Gates though he had no more then the jaw-bone of an Ass he could with it slay a thousand men when God was departed from him he could not get out of his Enemies hands though he had no such opposition when a Soul finds the power and presence of Divine Grace though it hath strong corruptions and meet with strong Temptations yet they are all nothing to it it easily over all becomes more than Conqueror Peter at one time at the command of Christ walks to him upon the Sea at another time wanting the same special assistance is overcome by a silly Maid in the High Priests Hall the opposite Temptation was much the same in both cases viz. from the sear of his life which was in as apparent danger from the Sea as from the Enemies in the Hall of the High Priest 3. Running argues speed so it is opposed to walking a foot-pace or step by step When the Soul is by God drawn unto him and wants not his co-operating Grace drawing him after him it will not only move towards God and that with strength and courage but it will move with nimbleness and readiness As it is with the body sometimes though it hath its usual strength and be able to work as usually yet it is seized with a torpor and laziness there is a dulness and inactivity upon it So it
to it without works and not imputing sin as the Apostle expounds the whole business of justification Rom. 4. 5 8. Thus now every believing Soul becomes a righteous Soul in the Eye of God through the righteousness of Christ put upon it This is indeed what some modern wits laugh at But as we say in other cases let them laugh that win so every serious Soul will think it hath cause of rejoycing if it hath thus won Christ to use the Apostles expression Phil. 3. 8. which he expoundeth in the very next words v. 9. And be found in him not having my own righteousness which is of the Law but that which is through the faith of Christ the righteousness which is of God by faith and I would have all that love their own Souls look to be one of that circumcision which the Apostle speaketh of in that Chapter v. 3. Which worship God in the Spirit and rejoice in Christ Jesus and have no confidence in the flesh Some trust in Chariots faith the Psalmist some in Horses but we will remember the name of the Lord our God Psal 20. 7. I do but allude to that Text. There are some that trust to a righteousness of other Saints so do the Papists some trust in a righteousness of their own so do they also amongst others some trust to the meer free grace of God without any regard to a perfect righteousness but we will trust alone in Jesus Christ and in his righteousness I fear what follows in the Psalmist v. 8. will be found true in the day of Judgment Those will be brought down and fall but those that trust in the Lord Jesus Christ and his righteousness will rise and stand upright Those that trust in the good works of other Saints will find at that day they will have none to spare there will not be enough for themselves and much less to lend to others as the wife Virgins told the foolish Virgins in the Parable wanting Oâ—l and offering to borrow of them and those who trust to a righteousness of their own will find that they do but trust to a Spiders webb and which hath these two qualities analogous to a Spiders web 1. That it is a thing spun out of their own bowels 2. That the least touch of it sweeps it away it is what upon examination when judgment is laid to the line and this righteousness to the plummet will be found to be no such thing as will cover the Souls nakedness a bed too short for a Soul to stretch it self in Gods sight upon They say the great Cardinal Bellarmine dying confessed that it was safest to trust to the merits of the Lord Jesus Christ whether he said so or no I am sure it will be found so There is an original blackness which cleaveth to every Soul the not belief of which is possibly the foundation error as to this great point 1. A blackness of imputation The Apostle tells us that in Adam all died we were all in the loins of that our first Parent what he lost he lost for us we in him plucked a fruit of the Tree of forbidden fruit and so loft that Original Righteousness in which God at first made man and became black and unrighteous 2. An inherent blackness for having lost the image of the heavenly we were born with the Image of the Earthly which lay in a Native aversion from God and a Native proneness and aptitude to sin against God This is seen in our native ignorance and blindness stubborness and perverseness in our naturally vile affections turbulent and impetuous passions things very far from the Image of God and hence we are all by nature saith the Apostle Eph. 2. 3. Children of Wrath. To say nothing of those actual sins which are consequent to this native blackness all our thoughts words and deeds contrary to the law of God Divines think the natural blackness of the Soul is well set out by the Prophet Ezek. 16. Thy birth is of the land of Canaan thy Father was an Amorite thy Mother an Hittite In the day wherein thou wert born thy Navel was not cut neither wert thou washed in water to supple thee thou wert not salted at all nor swadled at all none Eye pitied thee to do any of these things for thee but thou wert cast out in the open field to the loathing of thy person in the day wherein thou wert born All this while here is no appearance of any thing but filthiness and blackness Now how cometh this black and most filthy creature to be made clean and comely see v. 6. I said unto thee while thou wert in thy blood live There is what we call effectual calling v. 7. I have caused thee to multiply and thou art increased and waxed great and come to excellent Ornaments v. 8. When I passed by thee it was a time of Love yea I spread my skirt over thee and I covered thy nakedness yea I sware unto thee and entred into a covenant with thee and thou becamest mine Then washed I thee with water there the Spouses blackness began first to wear off yea I thoroughly washed thy blood off thee and I anointed thee with Oil. the Psalmist tells us Oil makes the face to shine I clothed thee also v. 14. And thy renown went forth among the Nations for thy beauty for it was persect through my comeliness put upon thee saith the Lord thy God God there under the similitude of a wretched new born Infant and the care of a Parent for it setteth out the woful state of the Jews and Gods care for them and as Divines judge the wretched state of every Soul by nature till washed by Christs blood and made comely by Christs comeliness is also by that similitude excellently expressed but it is plain enough from other texts that our comeliness of righteousness that righteousness wherein we must stand righteous before God is put upon us by Christ and his comeliness though by imputation made ours 2. Christ makes us righteous by putting his Spirit into us Hence he promiseth to put his Spirit into his people and you read of the holy Spirit dwelling in believers and working in them This is the comeliness of Regeneration and Sanctification which is called the Sanctification of the Spirit the Spirit of Christ in us whose fruits Gal. 5. 22. are love joy meekness c. Indeed whatsoever rendreth a soul comely and beautiful in the eye of reason upon the union of which holy Spirit with the soul the soul becomes a new creature old things are passed away and all things are become new In the same hour wherein Christ saith to the soul I will be thou clean he also saith I will be thou pure and holy an habitation for God through the Spirit undefiled in the heart and in the way This is also metaphorically set out by the same Prophet Ezekiel 16. 10 11 12. I decked thee also with ornaments and I put
black either through some sinful failing or through some sharp trial of affliction look upon him as wistly as you will to move your pity your Bowels of compassion and tears to excite in you the Spirit of Prayer and supplication on his behalf to quicken you to use all means in your power to help him up and to restore him in the Spirit of meekness but take heed of copying out his failings But I shall speak more fully to these things hereafter when I come to the next verse Sermon XXXIV Cant. 1. 5. I am black but comely O you Daughters of Hierusalem as the Tents of Kedar as the Curtains of Solomon YOU have heard me discoursing the first and second Propositions which I observed from this Text I shall now discourse the third and fourth for I shall handle them together as I did the 2 former Take them thus As it is the duty of the believer to confess own and acknowledg his or her failings and infirmities so he ought also at other times to own and acknowledge his graces and beauties You see here are two Propositions 1. Godly Men and Women will and ought at sometimes to acknowledge their corruptions blackness and infirmities 2. That they ought also at other times to own and acknowledge their graces and beauty The Spouse doth both in one breath I am saith she black but comely The handling of this Proposition will lead me to the discoursing of 2 Questions or Cases of Conscience I begin with the first Qu. In what cases how and to whom a conscientious Man or Woman is bound to confess his or her sins Ans 1. Vpon all occasions and at all times he is bound to confess all his sins unto God Not that the Divine knowledge can be bettered by such a confession for he who knows what things we have need of before we ask them knoweth what sins we are guilty of before we confess them but it is a piece of homage we owe unto God and a duty which his revealed will hath made and declared a medium in order to our obtaining of mercy and forgiveness 1 Joh. 1. 9. If we confess our sins he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins There was of old a confession required before the bringing of the Trespass Offering Num. 5. 6. Consonant to this you will find the practice of all the Servants of God I said I will confess my transgressions to the Lord Psal 32. 5. Thus you read of the more publick Confessions of Daniel Ezra Nehemiah This is on all hands granted as a duty out of question and to be extended to all and all manner of sins especially in secret Prayer where no sins ought to be hidden from the Lord those we know and remember ought to be confessed more particularly others more generally 2. There are diverse cases wherein a Christian is obliged to confess his sins unto his Brethren or to such as God hath set over him as his Guides They may all be reduced to three heads Where 1. The glory of God Or 2. The good of his neighbour Or 3. The good or peace of his own Soul may be promoved or advantaged by such a confession I will mention 4 more special cases in which all or some of these may be concerned 1. Where a Christian hath stumbled upon the same stone and fallen and by reason of such fall may be under temptations to cast away his confidence in God and despair of Divine Mercy In such a case as this my Brothers peace and spiritual good may probably be promoved by telling him that even also my foot slipped but yet through Grace I was recovered In this sense I understand David confessing his sins Psal 51. 13. and praying for the restoring of Gods Salvation Then saith he I will teach transgressors thy way and sinners shall be converted unto thee I will tell others what a great sinner I have been and how notwithstanding the multitude and greatness of my sins I found favour with thee and this shall incourage them to confess their sins and humble their Souls before thee and implore also thy mercy and favour Thus Christ bids Peter Luk. 22. 32. When he was converted strengthen his Brethren When thou art converted in that Text is as much as when thou art recovered from thy fall how â—hould he strengthen his Brethren but by confessing his fall and Gods goodness in recovering him by telling our Brethren that our circumstances were the same with theirs and how the Lord shewed us mercy we both direct them what to do we help their faith and confidence in God and strengthen them in their addresses and applications to the Throne of Grace 2. Where any man discerneth that his Brethren are prone to think of him above what they ought to think this is that which made Paul forbear his glorying 2 Cor. 12. 6. Lest saith he any man should think of me above what he seeth me to be and doubtless this was that which made that great Apostle though he sometimes magnified his Office and the Grace of God bestowed upon him yet also so oft to vilify himself as 1 Tim. 1. 13. Who was before a blasphemer a persecutor injurious but obtained mercy less then the least of all Saints Eph. 3. 8. One born out of due time doubtless this ought to be carefully avoided by us we ought to take heed that Gods glory be not given unto us and his Grace obscured or eclipsed by mens having us in admiration In such a case a true believer will not be ashamed more then Paul to own his own sins and blackness 3. A third case is Where a Christian seeth that without bringing a scandal upon the Gospel he may by owning and confessing his sins unto men advance the glory of Gods Free-Grace and make God to be more admired and adored in the emanations of it Free-Grace is that which hath made the Child of God what he is and is therefore the admirable object in the believers Eye and where a Christian seeth an opportunity to predicate that and advance it in the Eyes of any he will not lose it nor stick at the shaming and dishonouring himself so God may have his glory from that shaming of himself Now because Free-Grace is never more magnified then when a multitude of sins are forgiven and a great sinner is received to favour a good Christian observing circumstances where they will fit this end will not spare this acknowledgment though it tendeth to his own shame and dishonour So that God may be glorified he is content to take shame to himself I say observing circumstances and indeed the chief circumstance to be observed is the reputation of Religion He will therefore decline it in the presence of profane and ungodly men who would make an ill use of such discourse to blaspheme the good and holy ways of God Thus David refrained from good talk whiles the wicked were in sight Psa 39. v. 1 2.
Confession of our sins one to another called for Jam. 5. 16 17. is one of those holy things which must not be cast before Dogs one of those Pearls which must not be thrown before Swine Thus you shall observe in St. Paul that in that part of his Epistles where he writeth with reference to the Saints he openeth himself and layeth himself naked but where he speaketh of himself with relation to the false Apostles there he magnifieth his Office 4. A fourth case is where a Child of God can probably judge that by his confession of his sin and owning of his blackness before men he may be advantaged by their counsels or by their prayers There are two ways by which a Christian may be advantaged by the confession of his sins unto men 1. With respect to the obtaining of his pardon 2. With respect to his peace or the obtaining a sense of his pardon 1. I say with respect to his obtaining pardon Not that it is in the power of man to pardon sin he only can discharge a debt to whom it is owing Sin is a debt to the justice of God and who but God can remit this debt It is not in the power of Pope or Priest or Minister to pardon sins or grant absolution to any but declaratively he can indeed declare the will of God to pardon the sins of those that truly repent and believe in the Lord Jesus Christ but that is all the Minister can do in the remission of sin the Act is Gods the Ministers absolution is valid or invalid as the Person doth or doth not truly repent and truly believe But yet I say the confession of sins not only to Ministers but to private Christians may be of great use and effect in order to the obtaining of our pardon by vertue of that promise 1 Joh. 5. 16. If a man see his Brother sin a sin which is not unto death he shall ask and give him life who hath not sinned unto death Now unless we know that our Brother hath sinned how shall we ask for him and unless we have seen him how shall we know it without his own confession of it us 2. But secondly It must also be of great advantage to us with respect to our peace or sense of pardon and that is not only as the other by obtaining their prayers for us but also by obtaining their advice and counsel thus oft-times a Christians owning and confessing some particular sins either to a judicious and faithful Minister or to some judicious and well experienced Christians proveth a great ease and relief to his mind by their speaking of some word in season or by some seasonable advice and counsel Now in such a case as this a Christian may be under the same obligation to confess his sins unto men that every one is to do what is of most proper Spiritual advantage to his Soul 3. Lastly There are some cases wherein a Child of God will own his blackness even bâ—fore the world 1 When he cannot conceal it without denying the truth A Christian is not bound to proclaim his Sin to the men of the world when it may tend to the reproach and blaspheming of the name of God but if the case be so that he hath failed in their sight and they come to the knowledge of it and charge him with it they must not tell a lie to cover their own shame When Tamar Gen. 38. 25. sent to her Father in law the Signet and Bracelets and Staff with that message By the man whose these are I am with Child Discern I pray thee whose are thâ—se Judah acknowledged them and said she hath been more righteous than I. 2. When the sin is known and is an eminent injury to our Neighbour In case of all injuries to men which are capable of reparation and satisfaction satisfaction is necessary in order to Gods pardon if we be able to make it but not confession in all cases As now suppose a Servant hath stolen from his Master during his service with him and his Master be one that is an Enemy to Religion and Godliness afterwards God changeth this Servants heart he is certainly bound to his ability to make his Master reparation full satisfaction but I do not know that he is bound to come to confess it unto him who probably would make no other use of it then to reproach and blaspheme the name of God and that way and course of Religion in which he is ingaged But in case the thing be known then confession even to man may be our duty to take shame to our own Souls and give glory unto God 3. Lastly a Child of God will confess his sin even before Men of the World where he sees a probable opportunity to do other sinners good by it And this most commonly happeneth when men have been companions in sin one to and with another When men have been companions one to another in Drunkenness These Sabbath-breaking or any other course of sinning A good man may sometimes probably judge that his owniâ—g and confessing with tears to his old Companions his fellowship with them in sinning may probably invite them to a fellowship with him in a consideration of his or their ways in a sense of and godly sorrow for their sins and if he hath any such hopes any such prospect he will confess his blackness even to them Thus I find some Divines interpreting that Jam. 5. 15. Confess your sins one to another That those who have been colleagues and companions in sin one to another should confess and bewail their sins each to other tho I must confess I rather think that Text is to be understood of intimate serious Christians confessing their sins freely one to another in order to the obtaining of the benefit of each others prayers because of what follows And pray one for another These now are those cases and times in and under which the Spouse of Christ will confess and acknowledge that she is black black through the prevailings of sin and corruption Of this Confession of sins we have plentiful instances in Scripture both of such as were more publick and such as were more pâ—ivate it is brought as one argument to prove the Holy Scriptures to be no humane Writings but the Word of God and that holy men wrote as they were inspired by God that they have published their own failings and made their own sins to stand upon Record to Posterity which is not the way of ordinary Writers who commonly write for their own honour and praise Besides the Scripture instances we have it in the daily practice of Gods people not only in their dayly prayers they put up to Almighty God but in their more private converses with Ministers and with fellow Christians which are very full of these confessions and abasements of themselves This freedom of Gods People in owning and acknowledging their blackness proceedeth from several causes 1. The Souls
humiliation before it be brought home to Christ The Soul being enlightned by the Spirit of Grace seeth the vileness and filthiness of its own heart to that degree that it is ashamed and thinks that it cannot abase itself enough in the sight of God and from this disposition of the Soul to abhor loath and shame itself proceedeth this freedom willingness in the Soul upon all occasions with respect had to Christian prudence to vilify itself by the confession of its own blackness and infirmity 2. It proceedeth also from the habit of humility given to and wrought in the heart of every believer this is one of the perfections of the new Creature it differeth from the other little more then as the dâ—sposition from the habit This teacheth the Soul at all times a mean and low opinion of itself The Hypocrite is alwaies proud and looks upon all his gifts and good actions with a multiplying glass which makes them appear more then they are and greater then they are The humble Soul looks upon all as less In me saith Paul there dwelleth no good thing Hence he can hardly be heard to say any thing but in diminution and defamation of himself 3. It proceeds also from this Souls more perfect understanding the mark of perfection He knoweth better then another what God requires of him what degrees of faith love zeal holiness this makes him a better judge of his own imperfections and more ready to confess and bewail them The Hypocrite and natural man understandeth not the breadth of the Divine Law what faith what holiness God requireth of him he is proud knowing nothing as the Apostle speaks of some 1 Tim. 6. 4. not only his Pride prompting him to exalt himself but his ignorance knowing nothing as he ought to know it is the cause of his want of freedom to this duty It is with such a man as it is with a Sophister in the University A little knowledge that he hath puffeth him up he thinks he knows all things But when he comes to be Master of Arts to have lookt into Books a little more and to understand the compass of learning a little better then he complains of his ignorance and the small portion of knowledge which he hath So the man that hath but a mean and imperfect knowledge of the will of God he is proud and thinketh he knoweth all things but when God comes to open his Eyes and to let him see the mysteries of Divine knowledge he seeth more duty then he saw before and consequently more sin and more defects in his own Soul There is a vast difference betwixt that knowledge of duty sin which is in the heart of a Child of God under the illumination of the Spirit of Grace and that which is in a Soul not under that special illumination 4. Again a Christians often compuring himself with others and judging himself by their measures is often a great cause of this The natural man ordinarily chuseth companions like unto himself and judgeth of himself by their measures seeing himself as the Pharisee Luk. 18. to exceed the Drunkard in temperance and sobriety The Extortioner in justice and mercy the Adulterer in chastity The Atheist in a formality of dutiness a form of godliness he seeth no blackness in himself to confess he is Captain of his Form But now the converted Soul being come to be a companion of those that fear the Lord he sets before himself the examples of the Saints of God in Holy Writ and of those that are yet in the world that excel in virtue In the Scripture he reads of the faith of holy Abraham who believed in hope against hope not staggering at the promise through unbelies the patience of Job who when he had lost all his Estate all his Children yet did not speak inadvisedly with his lips nor charge God foolishly he reads of Davids exceeding love and delight for and in the law of the Lord. When he looks amongst his new Companions he sees in one Christian more tenderness of heart in another more faith in a third more zeal and activity for God then he can find in himself hence he cryeth out of his blackness and bewaileth his coming so short of others 5. Again he liveth in a daily sense of his wants and defects My sin saith David is ever before me and so his tongue doth but express the inward sense and apprehensions of his Soul 6. Lastly as all such Souls will be sensible of their defects and wants so they are continually desirous of an healing of their wounds and a Supply and relief Which they know confession is the way to obtain As for confession unto God the Wise man hath told us Prov. 28 13. That he that covereth his sins shall not prosper but who so confesseth and forsaketh them shall have mercy David telleth us Psal 32. 3. That when he kept silence his bones waxed old through his roaring all the day For saith he Day and night thine hand was heavy upon me my moisture is turned into the drought of Summer What remedy did he find v. 5. I acknowledged my sin unto thee I said I will confess my trangressions unto the Lord and thou forgavest the iniquity of my Sin Nor was this a particular favour to David but what others may expect upon the like application to God v. 6. For this shall every one that is Godly pray unto thee in a time when thou mayest be found surely in the floods of great waters they shall not come nigh unto him A Godly man knoweth that as the hiding of his disease from the Physician and his wounds from the Chirurgeon is not the way to be cured or healed so neither is the hiding of the nakedness of his Soul fâ—om God the way to have it covered for altho in this there be a difference that our spiritual Physician knoweth our diseases without our discovery of them to him which the earthly Physician doth not yet God notwithstanding his knowledge requiring our acknowledgment makes the case the same And the reason is much the same for the confessing of our sins especially in some cases to a faithful Minister or to private Christians God sent Abraham to Abimelech Gen. 20. 7. For faith he he is a Prophet and he shall pray for thee thou shalt live Genesâ— 20. v. 7 and he sent Jobs friend to Job Job 42. v. 7. and saith he my servant Job shall pray for you for him I will accept This in the first place lets us see the difference between a Child of God and one who is but a formal hypocrite An hypocrite generally seeth nothing but whiteness in himself Jehu can see and call Jonadab to see his zeal for the Lord God but he can see nothing of his own self ends in all that he did The Church of Laodicea said I am rich and increased with goods and have need of nothing tho at the same time she was wretched
miserable blind and naked On the other side Paul complained that he was the least of the Apostles not worthy to be called an Apostle c. Yet so false are our hearts that there may be hypocrisy even in our confessions of our sin and blackness whether to God or to man we must therefore take heed both to our design and end in these confessions and also to the truth and manner of them The hypocrite never confesseth his blackness but in hopes that for his confession he shall be reputed white and the praise of men is all that he seeks after Hence 2. he doth it without any serious sense of the sin which he confesseth or heart contrition for it A confession of sins which is but a bare recitation and Enumeration of them is not that confession which God requireth or accepteth Secondly This calleth to us all for the practice of this duty I have shewed you that there is a threefold confession of our sin which is our duty 1. A confession unto God 2. Uâ—to the faithfull Ministers and Servants of God 3. Vnto the men of the World The first is our duty at all times and under all circumstances and we have nothing to regard as to that but knowing the matter of confession keeping a watch upon our hearts and ways that we may know our errors and the plague of our own hearts that we do it in such a manner as God hath directed and prescribed confession must not be the meer Sacrifice of the Calves of our lips but the Sacrifice of a broken and contrite heart But this is not that of the Text where the Spouse is not speaking to God but to the daughters of Hierusalem it is to them the Spouse faith I am black In what cases this confession to men is our duty I have largely shewed you as also what advantage may arise from it both with reference to Gods glory and the good of our own and others Souls I shall onely offer you some few directions for the more advantageous performance of it 1. There is a great deal of prudence to be used in the choice of that friend to whom thou doest thus unbosom thy self 1. Conceal not thy self from that able and faithful Minister of Christ whom thou hast intrusted with the charge of thy Soul I am very far from pleading for that auricular confession in the Ear of the Priest which the Papists make such a stir about Amongst other supernumerary Sacraments which they have added to those 2 which alone were instituted by Christ they have one which they call the Sacrament of Penance In order to which they require in Lent especially but at other times also a circumstantiated confession of all men and womens particular sins which being so confessed to the Priest who is therefore called their confessor he appointeth them a penance to be done for them and so absolveth them from the guilt of them as they pretend As we know of no Satisfaction to be given for sin but what is given by the death of Christ excepting only in cases of wrong done unto men capable of reparation Nor of any power in any to forgive sins but only in God only the Minister may declare what God hath done or will do in cafe of our true repentance and faith so we know of no incumbent duty upon any Christian to make a particular confession of sin to the Priest and only judge such particular confession necessary in some particular cases for the disburthening and easing of Christians consciences pressed under the guilt of some particular sins and in such a case an able and faithful Minister of Christ is doubtless the most proper Person to make confession to both because as by his office he is both an Interpreter of the mind and will of God and to pray for the People so he is or ought to be one of a thousand like Saul taller then his Brethren by the head and shoulders in knowledge gifts of greater knowledge judgment in the things of God and so more able to minister a word in season It is sad that it cannot be said of all they are so but it is to be presumed that the same wisdom which teacheth every man and woman to commit the business of his bodily health to the ablest most faithful Physitian he can chuse and the concern of his Estate to the most able faithful Lawyer he can will also direct a Christian to commit the far more weighty concerns of his Soul to the most able and faithfull Minister that he can nor ought any Christian to be more abridged in his liberty with reference to the latter of far more concernment then with referenceto the former of far more minute concernment to him But I say a good Christian having made choice of such a Person he is undoubtedly the fittest Person to confess our sins unto when they lye heavy upon our conscience and we cannot recover our Peace and that with respect to both the ends of such confession whether Prayers for us or Counsel and advice and that both with respect to the abilityes of such a person which cannot but be presumed greater in order to the revealing the mind and will of God to us and so giving us advice and counsel and with reference to his Office he being one whom God hath set over us and gifted with reference unto us But set aside the case of a disturbed conscience not able otherwise to gain peace or some particular cases upon which cases of conscience and perplexing questions may arise too hard for a private Christian to answer without some help I see no need of any particular Confession unto Ministers more then others 2. As to more private Christians I have also shewed you several cases wherein some particular Confessions of sin may be highly expedient if not necessary It must be the care of a good Christian so to manage this duty that he may attain the ends which he aimeth at in it without dashing upon such Rocks as every good and prudent Christian ought to avoid To that end 1. Christians ought to use so much wisdom as may protect their profession from reproach and scandal which may prejudice the repuâ—e either of themselves or others walking in the holy ways of God The honour of the Gospel and profession of it is a great thing and though we must not commit the least sin that any such good may come of iâ— yet whatsoever prudence we can use to prevent any thing of this nature is doubtless our duty This evil ariseth from the needless publication of the sinful failings of professors He that hath sinned openly ought to be rebuked openly and openly to confess his sin that the Church of God offended by his fall may be satisfied in the truth of his repentance and recovery out of the snare of the Devil but where the sin is of another nature and hath been committed secretly there is
a life according to the rule of the word To worship God according to the prescriptions of the Word in all things it calleth a man to the Law and to the Testimony It obligeth every man in his place to bear a testimony against whatsoever is contrary to the strict rule of the Word Now whoso considereth either the ignorance of the world which knoweth not the Son of God nor him that sent him nor what is the revealed will of God or the sensuality of the world how mad upon their lusts the most of Men and Women are Or the Pride of the world which maketh men impatient either of a verbal reproof by doctrine and admonitions or real reproof by a quite contrary conversation more pleasing to God acceptable to and beautiful in the sight of men Or the affectation of dominion over the conscience which a multitude are possest of and their impatience at good Christians not owning and submitting to their dictates and saying as they say and doing as they do can hardly imagine how those that will live godly in Christ Jesus should live any long time in the world without persecution Now the expectation of those searchings and Sun-burnings will have various good effects upon the Soul 1. It will put the Soul upon preparing for them He that liveth in the expectation of trials will be oft-times putting the case to himself if such a tryal should be what should I do My Soul wouldst thou stand to or desert the profession of thy faith wouldst thou keep close to God or depart from him we should be laying up something in store against an evil day 2. Expected tryals as I before told you are alwaies lighter and more tolerable and endured with more courage and patience We are not so frighted with evils which we see at distances and view in the approaches they make to us Nothing more weakneth a Soul in the bearing of an evil as a sudden surprisal like an Apoplexy to the body it at once stops those passages by which the Spirits should discover and exert themselves Secondly This Doctrine calls to Christians for patience and that both under Persecution and Afflictions and under the censures and obloquies of the world because of them Expectation of tryals is a previous duty in order to our preparation for them Patience is a present duty when the Christian is fallen under them It is indeed the work of the day that very grace which in the hour of tribulation should have its perfect work it lieth partly in a quiet submission to the good will and pleasure of God because he hath laid it upon us an holding our peace because it is the Lords doing partly in a quiet waiting for God in the fulfilling of his promises made to his People under such circumstances There are two things that call for our patience under afflictions 1. The smart of the Affliction for no affliction is joyous but grievous 2. The reproach of the world under it this often doubleth the affliction and maketh it more grievous and intolerable Now consider how many things have occurred in this discourse which may excite our patience under both these 1. This is the lot of the People of God There is none of them but the Sun at one time or other works upon The Apostle exhorteth the Thessalonians 1 Thes 3. 3. That no man should be moved by their Afflictions for faith he your selves know that we are appointed thereunto There is a great deal in that saying to quiet the Spirits of Christians under the burthens of tryals 1. God hath laid those burthens upon them I held my peace saith David because it was thy doing It is the Lord said that good man let him do what soever he pleaseth Perhaps saith David God hath bidden him curse It is a mighty thing to silence the Spirit of a Christian when he can see the hand of God in it 2. It is the Lords appointment What hath befallen us in pursuance of an eternal counsel this speaketh the tryal eventually necessary it speaketh it also good for his People for he hath not appointed us unto wrath nor to any means of that tendency Nor is it thy lot alone but the lot of all those who will live godlily in Christ Jesus The Apostles themselves were appointed thereunto and wherein are we better then our Fathers or our Brethren 2. You have likewise heard why God hath appointed our lot to be Trials and Afflictions for the punishment of our sins and for the tryal and exercise of our Graces this also calls for patience Why should a living man complain a man for the punishment of his iniquity We have much less reason to be disturbed at the trial and exercise of our graces 3. You have heard upon what mistakes it is that the World accounts the Christian black by reason of Afflictions because they judge of their complexions by a meer sensual Eye and from a meer erroneous judgment We have therefore no reason to be disquieted because of it But indeed the main use we should make of this point should be for Caution and that in two particulars 1. That afflictions may not blacken us 2. That we do not judge others black because of them 1. Will afflictions blacken the Spouse of Christ Let us take heed that they have not this ill influence upon us We have heard that they no otherwise make us black then as they are occasions to draw out our lusts and corruptions This is that which we are more especially to watch upon In afflictive providences God tryeth us and Satan and the world also try and tempt us God tryeth our faith our patience our submission to his will whether we will deny our selves and take up the Cross and follow him The Devil and the men of the World which are the Devils instruments try us whether we will desert our profession deny the Lord that bought us forsake the ways of God and imbrace a present World If upon Gods tryal his ends be obtained then are we by our afflictions purified and made white if the Devil and his instruments prevail upon us then are we by our afflictions made black This is the thing we are to take heed of Job 2. 3. after that God had taken away Jobs Estate and Children he saith to Satan Hast thou considered my Servant Job that there is none like him in all the Earth a perfect and an upright man one that feareth God and escheweth evil and still he holdeth fast his integrity although thou movest me against him to destroy him without a cause How white there did Job appear after his afflictions But I shall not inlarge my discourse to afflictions in the general but limit it to such afflictions as are more peculiar to the Spouse of Christ and which I have had a more special reference to in my former discourse viz. Persecutions or sufferings for our adherence to the truths of the Gospel and the good ways
a man to spend as if it were not possible he should ever come to want or to live as if he should never see death The wise man lives in a constant view of what may be or what is likely to be and in some kind of provision for it It were mighty madness for any in a morning though it be never so cool to conclude it would never be Noon or Night Man is born to trouble saith Job as the sparks flie upward Good men seem to be more particularly designed for it if not from the appointment of God who hath ordered their portion in another life yet from that hatred and enmity which the world hath to them and to the waies wherein they walk It is therefore an high point of wisdom in all men to have them in prospect and be preparing for them this can be done no better way than by taking heed to our conversations in times of health peace and liberty We must not think to abuse or to live in the neglect and contempt of a friend in the time of our prosperity and liberty and to have him at our beck ready to help us in the time of our straits and adversity God had often delievered the Jews in their distresses when they cryed unto him Judg. 10. 6. They did evilâ—again in the sight of the Lord and served Balaam and Ashtaroth the gods of Syria and Moab v. 7. God sold them into the hands of the Philistins and into the hands of the Children of Ammon V. 10. They again cryed unto the Lord observe what answer God gave them v. 11 12. Did not I deliver you from the Egyptians and from the Amorites from the Children of Ammon and from the Philistins The Zidonians also and the Amalekites and the Moabites did oppress you and you cried to me and I delivered you out of their hands yet you have forsaken me and served other gods Wherefore I will deliver you no more Go and cry unto the gods which you have chosen let them deliver you in the time of your tribulation If as we have a need of the presence and influence of Christ at all times so we shall have a more special apprehension of that need in any time of affliction and distress we stand highly concerned to take heed how we carry our selves to him in the time of our health peace liberty prosperity As we use him in the daies of our health peace and liberty so we shall find him in the daies of our sickness distress or other adversity So as considering our subjections to trials and afflictions here is a potent Argument to persuade our keeping close to the Laws of Christ while we are at liberty But I shall add no more to my discourse upon this Proposition and have done with the Spouse's Petition and come to that Argument by which she presseth this Petition For why should I be as one who turneth aside by the flocks of thy Companions When I opened the words I noted to you That the 70 Interpreters Montanus and some others translate the words as one that covereth her self 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 so the Dutch Annotators Junius and Tremellius as one that stretcheth out a Tent by the flocks of thy Companions The Syriack and the Ethiopick Versions and the Vulg. Lat. who is also followed by Pagnine translate it as one that wandreth or one that turneth aside The Radical word is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which primarily signifieth to cover in a secondary sense to wander or turn aside I before noted that covering denoted three things amongst the Eastern Nations 1. Modesty Virgins therefore went vailed into the company of men especially 2. Shame Harlots therefore covered themselves as you read Gen. 38. 14. 3. Sorrow Ezek. 24. 17. So as the sense of the words seemeth to be this Why should I that am married to thee be taken for one not married to thee or for one that goeth on whoring from thee or for one that is a mourner through great grief and heaviness Or if you take it in the second sense she plainly hints her aptness to wander without the conduct and guidance of the Lord Jesus Christ and accordingly she deprecateth it By wandring or turning aside must be understood a deviation from the statutes and Commandments of God By that term the flocks of thy Companions I told you some understanding Idolaters some Hereticks the Idolater makes his Idol Christs Companion giving it the same worship that is due to him The heretick maketh some creature his leader Christs Companion taking his Instruction from him But I told you I should rather understand it of true Christians whom the Apostle saith Christ is not ashamed to call Brethren but yet the former sense being imbraced by grave and reverend Authors I shall not pass it over without a few words relating to it Observe then 1. Here are two things which the Spouse seemeth to fear and so deprecateth Sin and Scandal Sin especially those two great Sins of Idolatry and Heresie Scandal lest she should be any ways a reproach to the Gospel and give occasion to any to speak evil of the waies of God and to reproach the Gospel 2. The Spouse in this reason that she gives for her Petition doth suggest that without the influence and support of her Lord she should never be able in an hour of great temptation to make straight steps to her feet and to keep her self upright she should be ready to wander and turn aside 3. That which the Spouse expresseth is an earnest desire to be kept from sin and from scandal She doth therefore use this as an Argument to plead with her Lord for his presence and influence that she might not sin against the Lord nor being overcome with temptations or swallowed up with grief become a scandal to her Profession Here are two things which offer themselves as matter for my Discourse 1. The insufficiency of a. Soul to avoid sin and scandal without the presence and influence of Christ upon it This the Spouse owneth and acknowledgeth It is as much as if she should say Lord if thou doest not help and assist me in the Noon of my trials and afflictions if thou dost not shew me where at such times thou feedest thy flocks and makest them to rest at Noon I shall wander I shall turn aside by the flocks of those that are set up for thy Companions I shall go a whoring from thee and upon that account walk as one covered for shame amongst those who are thy People But this is a subject which I have before handled when I discoursed upon those words Draw me and we will run after thee 2. The second thing is The two great objects of a believing Soul's fear are sin and scandal Why should I wander or turn aside or walk as one covered for shame like an Harlot All these senses speak her fear of sin Or why should I walk as a mourner covered and dejected or as an
little into the Nature of the Believing Soul's Beauty Then I shall give you some Reasons of it and lastly Make some Application 1. It is not a corporeal visible Beauty but spiritual and invisible When we speak of Beauty we ordinarily understand a symmetry of bodily parts with a due mixture of the colours of flesh and blood commending it self to the carnal Eye This is that of which Solomon saith Favour is deceitful Beauty is vain but none I hope will have so gross a conception of the Soul's Beauty in the Eyes of Christ who seeth not as man seeth and judgeth not from any outward appearance The King's Daughter is all glorious within Psal 45. 13. This Beauty lieth in the Soul's symmetry to and with the Divine Law in a due proportion of virtues and gracious habits in the Soul's conformity to God the pattern of Perfection The Heathens by the Light of Nature could see that the inward Beauty was the true Beauty It is reported of Diogenes that meeting with a young man who was exceeding comely but very vitious he cried out O quam bona domus malus hospes What a brave house is here and how bad an inhabitant it hath It is what may be said of a great many comely men and women in the world O what brave houses hath the God of Nature made but what ill Tenants hath the Devil thrust into them Within there dwells nothing but Pride Ignorance Lust Vanity and other Inmates of corruption Our Saviour hath fitted them with a name they are Painted Sepulchres The Spouse's Beauty is spiritual her Ornaments are the hidden man of the heart in that which is not corruptible as the Apostle speaketh 1 Pet. 3. 4. And as corporeal Beauty lieth in the due proportion of the parts of the body one to another yet this alone will not make a Beauty without a due proportion of colours and a good Air of the countenance So this Spiritual Beauty lieth in the proportion of the Soul and its several powers and faculties to the Divine Rule its Symmetry with the Divine Nature yet this will not do without the grace of Justification that grace which doth gratum facere render the Soul acceptable in the sight of God Hence this Beauty is not obvious to our senses The World saith the Apostle knoweth us not It is a Spiritual Beauty so as flesh and blood discerneth it not whereas we see things by the Eye of Sense Reason or Revelation Corporeal Beauty is discerned by a carnal Eye the object beareth a due proportion to the Organ Yea there is an inward Beauty which even the Eye of a natural man may discern it lieth in the proportion which the mind of the man or woman beareth to the Rule of Virtue and the Principles of Reason Thus a man may see more Beauty and Loveliness in one that is Learned and knowing than in one that is ignorant in one that is just chast sober temperate than in a beastly Drunkard a sottish unclean Adulterer an unjust and unrighteous man c. But the Beauty of a Child of God lieth deeper and more remote from a carnal mans apprehension in the Souls Symmetry with the pure and holy nature of God the proportions of his Soul to the pattern of a disciple of Christ as his lineaments are drawn in holy Writ This the natural Eye seeth not the Spiritual man alone discerneth nor doth he at all times discern it in ano ther Eli could not see Hannahs beauty but thought it had been only a little colour which too much wine had brought into her face The Subject of this beauty is the heart Christ seeth and knoweth that hence though a Child of God doth appear fair to his Brother yet to Christ more fair even the fairest amongst Women 2. Secondly It is not a Native but an adventitious beauty you saith the Apostle hath he quickened who were dead in trespasses and sins Eph. 2. 1. Children of wrath by nature even as others v. 3. By nature there is none righteous no not one none that understandeth nor seeketh after God the Philosopher spake like a Philosopher when he determined the Soul to be naturally as white Paper or tabula rasa The Divine must speak otherwise there is in man a want justitiae debitae inesse a want of that image of God in which lies the Souls beauty He was created in honour but he is become like the Beast that perisheth he hath lost the image of the heavenly Behold saith David Psal 51. I was shapen in iniquity and in sin did my Mother bring me forth What can be clean saith Job that is born of a Woman Or how can that which is clean come forth from that which is unclean The vitious inclinations of Children is matter of demonstration till they be in some measure corrected by the precepts and instructions and government of those that are set over them and by moral discipline which yet doth not cultivate and adorn them sufficiently to render them beautiful in the Eyes of Christ 3. Thirdly it is not an Artificial but created beauty The beauty of the Civil person that either from the precepts or examples of his governours or his ingenuous education hath imbibed Principles of Moral Discipline is indeed no native beauty but it is an artificial beauty as to which God hath had no hand but that of his common Providence but the Spouse's beauty is a created beauty wholly Gods work in the Soul creating faith in it uniting it to Christ changing its heart giving it new habits new qualities and inclinations Thou were comely saith God Ezech. 16. 14. through my comeliness put upon thee Corporteal beauty is the work of God in nature and it is hardly in the power of man to contribute any thing towards that The Painter dissembleth a beauty but giveth no real beauty the Taylor dissembleth a Symmetry of parts but cannot give it But Spiritual beauty is much more the gift of God that is a Gift of Special grace Art may make a woman that is not beautiful appear so but it cannot make one to be beautiful that is not so Good works do little more to the Saints beauty in the Eyes of Christ then hansome cloaths or linnen doth towards the beauty of the body If the body be comely and beautiful hansome fashioned cloaths or linnen may indeed set it off but if the body hath no true symmetry of parts all that good cloaths do is to hide deformity and to make the body that is not comely yet appear so unto others If the Soul of a man or woman be truly beautiful through an imputed righteousness and inherent grace good works much set forth this beauty to the world and are also acceptable unto God But works only Morally good that is such things as God hath commanded can never make a Spiritual Ethiopian fair nor the Soul that is naturally crooked straight The Romish Taylors and Painters labour in vain to make
say it may be more or less God may more or less communicate himself to the Soul as to his influences of strengthening quickning comforting grace and the Soul that moveth from these principles may be able more or less to communicate itself to God in the exercises of meditation faith joy and delight in God Nay sometimes Gods influences may be so secret and indiscernable that the Soul may cry out as one forsaken of God and a stranger to him This hath so plentiful an evidence in Holy Writ as the truth of it cannot be disputed We find David Psal 22. 1. crying out My God! my God why hast thou forsaken me Why art thou so far from helping me and from the words of my roaring and the Psalmist Psal 77 3. I remembred God and was troubled v. 4. I am so troubled that I cannot speak v. 7. Will the Lord cast off for ever And will he be favourable no more Is his mercy clean gone for ever Doth his promise fail for evermore Hath God forgotten to be gracious Hath he in anger shut up his tender mercies There are many instances of this nature in the Psalms we have an instance in this Song Cant. 5. 1 2. By night upon my Bed I sought him whom my Soul loveth I sought him but I found him not v. 2. I will rise now and go about the City in the streets and in the broad places I will seek him whom my Soul loveth I sought him but I found him not v. 3. The Watchmen that go about the City found me to whom I said saw ye him whom my Soul loveth So Cant. 5. 5. I rose up to open to my Beloved and my Hands dropped with Myrrh and my Fingers with sweet smelling Myrrh upon the Handles of the lock I opened to my Beloved but he had withdrawn himself and was gone my Soul failed when he spake I sought him but I could not find him I called him but he gave me no answer What do all these metaphorical expressions purport but this that there are times when the Soul finds a difficulty to maintain or discern its communion with God Sometimes God doth not as at other times breath upon communicate himself to the Souls even of the best of his people the faileur seemeth to be on Gods part for some just cause the Soul findeth some freedom to impart and communicate its self to God but findeth not Gods assistances influences and communications of himself to it as it desireth and as it hath experienced from God at other times this looks like the case of the Spouse in those two places of this Song before mentioned Sometimes again the Soul easily discerneth the faileur in itself it cannot meditate upon God It remembreth God and is troubled it cannot pray with any fervour nor exercise faith with any boldness this seems to be the case of the Psalmist Psal 77. That the thing is so evident let me therefore rather spend time to search out the reasons of such a dispensation on Gods part and affliction on ours 1. Oh Gods part we usually call such a dispensation a desertion so as the cause of it is the withdrawing of some divine influences from the Soul It was truly said of Augustine Deus non deserit etiamsi deserere videatur Though God seemeth to forsake yet he never wholly forsaketh any Soul to whom he is united it is the withdrawing only of some sensible manifestations of his love All divine desertions are either founded in Divine Justice or in the Divine Wisdom so as the account which can be given of any such dispensation on Gods part must fall under one of those two heads 1. When it is founded in Justice it alwaies is for the punishment of sin For though God upon the Covenant of Grace hath reserved no liberty to himself eternally to forsake his people no nor yet totally yet he hath reserved to himself a liberty for temporary afflictions of them you have as to this particular a fair copy of the Covenant of grace Psal 89. 26. 27 c. The Covenant of Grace was made with Christ from Eternity the tenour of it was revealed variously to Adam upon the Fall to Noah to Abraham to David in that Psalm you have the revelation of it to David v. 20. 21 22 23 24 25 26. He shall cry unto me thou art my Father my God and the rock of my Salvation Also I will make him my first born higher then the Kings of the Earth v. 28. My mercy will I keep for him for evermore and my Covenant shall stand fast with him His Seed also will I make to endure for ever and his Throne as the days of Heaven As this Covenant was made with Abraham and his Seed I am thy God and the God of thy Seed Gen. 17. So in the further revelation of it to David it is declared to relate to him and his Seed Now followeth v. 30. If his Children forsake my Law and walk not in my Judgments if they break my Statutes and keep not my Commandments That is if they sin against me for all those phrases do but express sin then v. 32. Will I visit their transgression with the rod and their iniquity with stripes Nevertheless my loving kindness will I not utterly take from him nor suffer my faithfulness to fail My Covenant will I not break nor alter the thing that is gone out of my lips God you see hath reserved to himself upon his Covenant of Grace with his People a liberty to visit their transgression with the Rod and their iniquity with stripes but no liberty utterlyto take away his loving kindness from them Afflictions which are there call'd a visitation with rods and stripes either respect the outward or the inward man Those which relate to the outward man are diseases pains persecutions c. Those which relate to the inward man are desertions and temptations which God permitteth though himself moveth none to Evil. Desertions are either total or partial as to the former God hath foreclosed himself by the Covenant of Grace in which he hath said He will never leave his People nor forsake them His loving kindness he will not utterly take from them nor suffer his faithfulness to sail Psal 89. 33. Partial desertions therefore are the only rod the only stripes which God hath reserved to punish his people with as to their inward man who break his Statutes and keep not his Commandments these must be the withdrawings of some manifestations of his love which are promised to those who love him and keep his Commandments Hence it is that as Sampson found the continuing influence of God upon him as to his bodily strength while he kept his vow and covenant with God as a Nazarite yet when he had betrayed himself to Dalilah and she had shaved off his locks he discerned that God was departed from him and he had not strength to do as at other times whatever he resolved so
when the Soul that found in itself a strength before sufficient to grapple with its temptations and to perform the several duties and operations of a Spiritual life hath suffered itself to be overcome with motions and temptations to sin it finds itself weak falls before a temptation fails in its Spiritual duties it cannot believe hope meditate rejoice and delight in God c. Thus it was with Peter that had faith enough to walk upon the Sea at Christs command when he had sinned by too much confidence in himself he falls by the hand of a silly Damsel in the High Priests Hall hence it is oft-times that the liveliness and chearfulness of the Soul in its conversation also fails and it is at a loss where to find its beloved and how to enjoy its desired communion with him 2. Sometimes these dispensations are not so much founded in the Divine Justice and intended as the punishment of guilt in the Soul as in the Divine Wisdom designing to prove and to try his People and to make them to seek more after him Job was thus tried Though Job doubtless had guilt enough of sin to have justified God in such providences yet God himself saith of him Job 2. 3. That there was none like him in the Earth that he was a perfect and an upright man one that feared God and eschewed evil yet had he not been under some divine desertion and withdrawings of grace as well as more external Trials he had never fallen into those extravagant passions in which you find him ch 3 c. 3. On our part this loss and ignorance happeneth divers ways I shall instance in some more principal causes 1. The prevailing of sin and corruption in the Soul The guile of sin alwaies causeth weakness and blindness How weak is thine heart saith the Lord seeing thou dost all these things Zech. 16 30. Weakness is the cause of sin and it is the effe ct of sin it argueth weakness in a Soul to do those things which God hath forbidden and which will certainly end in the harm of the Soul It is a weak thing wilfully to sin against God and weakness is also the effect of sin this is caused from the sour reflections and reverberations of conscience when a man would medirate on God believe and hope joy rejoice and delight in God conscience throws his sin in his face and bringeth his iniquity to remembrance he remembreth God and is troubled he cannot tell how to believe how to hope how to joy and rejoice in God whom he now looketh upon as angry with him for the proof of this though I might fetch enough from Davids Poenitential Psalms yet I need no more then the experience of every good Christian who keepeth any watch upon his own heart and ways I appeal to any of your Souls when you are conscious of any wilful slips and failings in your life can you remember and think of God as at other times Can you believe and hope in his mercy Can you pray with that boldness and courage and confidence doth not shame cover your faces so as you know not how to look upward 2. Diabolical suggestions are another cause what strange and horrid impressions do the best of Gods people find some indeed of more strength and longer continuance then others but there is scarce any who doth not find them at some times and in some degree or other and although if they be mere impressions not consented to by the Soul but abhorred by it they are not the Souls guilt yet they must be the Souls disturbance so as under them the Soul will not know how to uphold and maintain a communion with God as at other times but its communion is broken and interrupted and imperfect though the Devil cannot stain the Soul without its own concurrence yet he can trouble the Soul if God permits him by his mere suggestions and impressions and therefore we had need pray every day Lead us not into temptation The Devil in this case can do as much to a Soul as a clamorous railing fellow can do to disturb our communion with our friends though we hearken not much to him and chide him away yet he can make a noise and disturb our communion 3. Severe outward afflictions may be a cause Though afflictions be not alwaies indications of Divine Wrath for the Apostle tells us that whom he loveth he chasteneth and scourgeth every Child whom he receiveth yet oftentimes they are so and whether Gods end be to punish sin or no yet there is no Soul but is conscious of so much daily guilt as gives him cause to suspect they are the punishments of some guilt and I told you before how apprehensions of guilt very ordinarily make the Soul at a loss how to uphold and maintain its wonted communion with God Besides afflictions usually excite passions particularly those of fear and sorrow Both opposite to the exercises of faith and joy and delight in God both distracting the Soul in the sweet meditations of God To this may be added that the Soul in afflictions as it standeth in more need of the divine presence and influence so it is prone to expect more or to think it hath nothing Neither can the Soul under the roilings and prevailings of passion so well discern Christs communications of himself unto it and besides they hinder the Soul in its motions and communications of it self to Christ I am so troubled saith the Psalmist that I cannot Speak The Soul is so troubled that it cannot believe it cannot hope it cannot Pray c. 4. The last cause that I shall assign is distractions caused either from worldly cares and businesses or from some false guides A Soul overwhelmed with businesses and cares of the World will many times find it self at a loss how to maintain its communion with God there is such an opposition betwixt a communion with God and the World the first being wholly a Spiritual thing the other wholly of the Earth earthly that a man overwhelmed in the World will find the maintaining of this communion difficult and be more at a loss to it then another man more free from these incumbrances Besides in the World Christians are subject to distractions from false guides one saying loe Christ is here another saying loe he is there one telling us that the way to have communion with Christ is to cast off duties and ordinances another prescribing an attendance upon them as the onely means of such communion One telling them that there is no other communion with Christ then with Christ mystical having and keeping in the communion of his Church whereas many may do so if we mean the visible Church that have no communion with Christ at all Upon Christs floor there is Chaff as well as Wheat which when Christ cometh with his fan thoroughly to purge his floor shall be cast into unquenchable fire tares as well as wheat which must grow together untill
impossible to be found This is the great thing which the Papists boast of the great thing which they contend for That those can be no true Ministers who are not ordained by Bishops in a lineal succession or a personal succession from the Apostles Rome hath only had such a succession therefore the Shepherds Tents are only to be found amongst them I am sorry to find any Protestants lisping this language of Ashdod Protestant Divines in former ages have thought it enough to prove succession in Doctrine The truth is a succession of Persons is a thing impossible to be proved if we must own no Ministers but such as can prove they are made so by Bishops in a true succession from the Apostles I am sure they must own none at all for how is it possible think you that after near 1700 years any Ministers should be able to prove such a succession All the Issue of this contest must be either to bring us all again to Rome which indeed vainly boasteth of such a succession or else to Atheism to the owning of no true Ministry at all and consequently to no Ordinances Nor is any such inquiry necessary for certainly Christ hath clothed his Church with a power to restore his institutions if they were lost or the exercise of them for any space of time were interrupted 2. Secondly The true Shepherds are to be known by their mission Christ is agreed to be the true Shepherd the principal Shepherd All true Under-Shepherds must have their mission from him He certainly sendeth none but 1. Such as are by him fitted and qualified for all parts of their work 2. Such as are disposed inclined to their work Consider but what the work of the Shepherd is viz. to seed the flock of Christ to watch over them c. And this is one way for you to know Christs Shepherds they are by him qualified for their work with gifts and abilities to pray and Preach to open and to apply the Scriptures they are also by him inclined and disposed to it desiring the Office of a Bishop and to give up themselves to it Where this is found there 's Christs Mission They are also called by the Church proved set apart to the work by fasting and Prayer but this is onely their external mission A Church may be so corrupted as to send out men who were never sent of Christ neither having any internal qualifications to fit them for it nor any inclinations and heart unto it only desiring to be put into the Priests Office for a morsel of bread No good Christian can judg these Christs Shepherds for though he hath given a power to his Church to send out Ministers yet they are limited to such as are able and faithful nor ought any to be look'd upon as a true Shepherd or Minister of Christ who apparently hath no inward qualifications for the work of the Ministry nor any heart faithfully to discharge it 3. Thirdly You shall know them by their Doctrine Gal. 1. 8. Though we or an Angel from Heaven Preach any other Gospel unto you then that which we have Preached unto you let him be accursed v. 9. As we said before so now I say again If any man Preach any other Gospel unto you then that you have received let him be accursed He that is accursed or to be accursed is none of those Shepherds by whose Tents Christians are to feed their Souls but those who bring any Doctrine to Peoples Ears that is contrary to the Doctrine delivered by Christ and his Apostles or other then that is accursed and by the Judgment of the Apostles to be accounted accursed such a one therefore can be no such Person as Christians are bound to hear or to feed their Souls by their Tents But you will say what if they be not declared so or adjudged so by the Church This is the Churches sin and neglect of their duty The Church by its judgments cannot make one hair of truth white or black she is only to declare and adjudg that to be the Doctrine of Christ which is so And to declare and adjudg that which is not so to be what it is If the Church will neglect her duty I am not to neglect mine If the Major part of the Church be so corrupted that they will call evil good and good evil determine Error to be truth and truth to be Error their Error cannot conclude me If it could we had long since been Arrians and in later times been Papists Protestants have therefore rightly determined that every true Christian hath a judgment of discretion in this case The sole judgment of truth Error is in Christ and his Word A declarative judgment is in the Church but a judgment of discretion so far as to guide a Christians particular practice is in every Christian who is to prove all things and to hold fast that only which is good I cannot I ought not to feed my Soul by the Tents of those Shepherds who bring me other Doctrine then what they can prove from the Word of God If the Church will suffer such I am not bound by their sins Gods Pastors feed his People with wisdom and understanding Jer. 3. 15. Not with meet high-swelling Words of vanity much less with lies and Erronious Doctrine contrary to Christs and the Apostles Doctrine 4. Fourthly Christ tells us that to the true Shepherd the Porter openeth John 10. v. 3. And the Sheep hear his voice God opens the hearts of his People to such as are his Shepherds The Apostle tells the Corinthians they were the seal of his Apostleships 1 Cor. 9. 2. And again 2 Cor. 3. 2 3. Ye are our Epistle Written in our hearts and known and read of all men for as much as you are manifestly declared to be the Epistle of Christ Ministered by us Written not with Ink but with the Spirit of the living God not in tables of stone but in the fleshly tables of the heart God hath sealed the ministry of those Ministersto be from him whose ministry he hath blessed by opening the hearts of People to it and by it there needs no further evidence this is a sufficient letter of recommendation of them to all that own the name of Christ I speak not here for that insignificant conversion of men to an opinion without a turning of their heart from sin unto God but of the real conversion or change of mens hearts This is a proof Sirs of true Shepherds a proof of a true ministry 2 Cor 13. 3. I will never question the truth of that mans ministry with whose ministry I see God going along So that their ministry opens the Eyes of the blind and turns men from darkness to light and from the power of Satan unto God that they may receive forgiveness of sins and an inheritance amongst them that are Sanctified Which were the ends for which God sent out Paul Acts 26. 18. Let such men
as these be ordained by whom they will Bishops or Presbyters or only sent out by the Church let them be ordained by what Rites and in what manner they will it is plain they are Christs Shepherds Let there have been defects in their entrance and admission by the Church into the ministry God hath now sealed their ministry all defects are taken away 5. Our Saviour hath given us another note of a true Shepherd John 10. 4. When he putteth forth his Sheep he goeth before them he doth not only lead them by his voice but by his feet I shall never believe that Christ sent an open Drunkard to persuade men not to be drunk with wine wherein is excess nor a Scandalous and unclean Person to tell men that Whoremongers and Adulterers God will judge Nor a profane Swearer to Preach to men Swear not at all Christ indeed did send out Judas but he was under no Scandalous Character till he betrayed his Master A secret Hypocrite whom we do not discern may be judged by us sent of Christ But a Scandalous profane Person cannot The Church ought to cast out such unsavoury salt if she neglects her duty I ought not to neglect mine I am bound to feed by no such Shepherds Tents 6. The true Shepherds of Christ will not traduce and revile one another the false Apostles traduced Paul to the Corinthians as an hireling and a weak man c. you read not that Paul and Peter c. ever did so there was some hot Contests betwixt Paul and Barnabas and Paul and Peter but they never ended in revilings and seeking of a proof of Christ one in another In short if you see any Ministers who are able to Pray and Preach and faithful in doing it and who in Preaching mind the Souls of the People and feed them not with the air of a few fine Words Nor with rotten and corrupt Doctrines Any whom the Lord owneth making them blessed instruments to turn Souls to God any who walk before their flock who live up to what they Preach in all holiness of life conclude these are the Shepherds Tents by which Christ hath commanded you to feed if you would have any communion with him Regard not what Romish Priests say that they have no Apostolical Succession no what Enthusiasts say that they are wirelings therefore none of Christs Shepherds He is no hireling that receiveth wages for the labourer is by God determined worthy of his hire He is an hireling in the sense of Christ John 10. that regards not the Souls of People and looks at nothing but his hire I shall only press your feeding by the Shepherds Tents 1. From the former advantages you have had from your Souls feeding there I shall allude to that of the Apostle Galat. 3. 2 3. This only would I know of you were not you converted from sin unto God by the Ministers of Christ by such Shepherds as I have been describing to you Were your hearts first changed by those that declaim against Ministers and Ordinances c. 2. Consider the moful Examples of those who have cast off the Ministry and Ordinances of God What horrors have filled the Souls of some What stupid blindness have others fallen into How many of them are delivered up by God to strong delusions to believe lies or to a loosness of life and conversation to commit iniquity with greediness and that without any apparent sense or feeling I could give you several strange instances but I shall rather chuse to leave you to be informed by your own Observation Sermon XLVII Canticles 1. 9. I have compared thee O my Love to a company of Horses in Pharaoh's Chariots I Have done with the Answer of the blessed Lover to his Spouse's Petition she prayed him to let her know where he fed where he made his Flock to rest at Noon How in her state and circumstances of Affliction she might enjoy the fullest and sweetest communion with him He hath directed her to go her way by the footsteps of the Flock to feed her Kids by the Shepherds Tents But he hath not finished his Discourse 'T is seldom that Christ in his Answers to his Peoples Prayers giveth them strict and bare measure it is ordinarily pressed down and running over He goes on I have compared thee O my Love to a company of Horses in Pharaoh 's Chariots Upon a view of other Translations I find little or no difference what is is mostly about terms The word which we translate Love the LXX translate 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 My Neighbour others My Kinswoman The word which we translate a company of Horses the LXX and those who follow them the Syriack and Arabick translate my Mare Pagnine Montanus the Vulgar Latine and our Translation read it a company or my company of Horses We will shortly inquire the sense of those two terms The first word which we translate My Love cometh from the Hebrew root 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which in its primary signification signifieth to feed as a Shepherd feedeth his Flock In a secondary sense it signifieth To associate to shew ones self a companion to another or a friend because Shepherds use to associate together thence 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is a Substantive in the Feminine Form used both in this verse and again v. 15. chap. 4 1 7. ch 2. 2. 10. 13. ch 5. 2. signifieth one who doth intimately associate him or her self with another so may be translated by My Friends my Love or My Companions or any other term of like signification It is not material which For the other term 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the question is Whether it should be translated My Mare or my company of Horses the Original word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifieth an Horse thence cometh 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the Feminine Form which is the word used here I think that in the Feminine Form it is only used in this Text so that it is difficult to determine which is the truest Translation My Mare or My Horse or My company of Horses or a Mare an Horse a company of Horses 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is often used to signifie a single Horse Psal 32. 9. A company of Horses Exod. 14. 9. It is also as hard to determine whether it should be read My company of Horses or a company for though the Affix often hath the force of the Pronoun of the first Person yet it is sometimes added Paragogically so Pagnine and Mercer determine it here and justifie it from the like usage of it Lam. 1. 1. Isa 1. 21. Besides that the following words in Pharaoh 's Chariots would make one think it should not be translated My Company but A Company In the words is 1. A very amicable Compellation My Friend My Love My Associate 2. A Comparison where is 1. The Person comparing I have likened 2. The Person compared thee 3. The Thing to which she is compared Horses A company of Horses
it is wholesome against insection helpeth women in travel cureth consumptions quickeneth the appetite c. I shall not dwell upon this because I do not think it chiefly intended But Christ in this sense is to the believing Soul a bundle of Myrrh healing all the Soul's diseases Ps 103. 3. He is that tree Rev. 22. 2. Whose leaves are for the healing of the Nations He healâ—th the broken in heart Psal 147. 3. What he did while he was upon the Earth by his miraculous power as to mens bodies Mat. 4. 23. Healing all manner of Sickness that he doth now in Heaven for the Soul by his saving efficacy 3. Myrrh is as I told you a great preservative against putresaction Which was the cause of their using of it about dead bodies either putting it into the body after the Egyptian Method or outwardly anointing or embalming the body with it after the Jewish Method Christ is the same to the Soul where he dwells he preserveth the Soul against the putrifaction of lusts and corruptions The Apostle speaks this Rom. 6. 3. How shall we that are dead to sin live any longer therein Where he argues that the Souls Interest in Christ arising from its justification preserveth the Soul against putrifying lusts that sin cannot have dominion over it because it is not under the law but under grace But I hasten to the 4th which in the Judgment of Interpreters is chiefly intended here 4. Myrrh whether in the Herb Spice or Gum is exceeding sweet Hence you read of beds and garments persumed with Myrrh Now the greater quantity there is the stronger the odour must be Christ is a heap of sweets exceeding sweet to the Soul his mouth is most sweet Cant. 5. 16. his Cheeks are as sweet Flowers his lips drop sweet smelling Myrrh Cant. 5. 13. Sweetness to the nostrils is nothing else but a smell that arising from some hidden quality in the thing that emits it and conveyed to the nostrils by the air gratifies that outward sense There is a sweetness that is mental too A Notion is as sweet to the Scholar as a perfume is to a Lady Prov. 13. 19. Desire accomplished is sweet to the Soul Christs sweetness is mental sweetness he is sweetness not to the nostrils but to the Soul and so he is a bundle of sweets Let me unty this bundle of Myrrh a little And shew you how Christ is sweet I will open it to you in three things 1. He is exceeding sweet in his actions as our Redeemer As to these he is a bundle of Myrrh there were many of them His Vniting of the Divine nature to the Humane nature in his Incarnation his fulfilling the law his death upon the cross His resurrection ascending sitting at his Fathers right hand making intercession for us The Soul smells of all these by Meditation and faith and the smell is like that of a bundle of Myrrh shall I shew you how 1. For his Incarnation with the manner of it he united the divine and humane nature by an hypostatical union was conceived by the overshadowing of the Holy Ghost in the womb of a Virgin without the help of man Mr. Ainsworth and others think this Text hath a special referenee to this this is Christ now considered as wrapt in swadling clothes and laid in a manger The Soul smells of this by a firm and stedfast divine faith believing the thing because God hath said it in his word though it cannot see it by the evidence of reason and sense And the Souls smells of it continually by meditation And O how sweet it is to a believing Soul Then saith the Soul first he that Sanctifieth and I that am Sanctified are both one I see Christ is not ashamed to call me Brother 2. Then faith the Soul I see I have a merciful high-Priest that knoweth how to pity a poor piece of flesh hungring and thirsting and full of infirmities 3. Again here 's comfort saith the poor Soul to me I was born a leper under the imputed guilt of Adams sin I was conceived in sin and brought forth in iniquity But my Saviour was born without sin the vessel was made pure by the overshadowings of the Holy Ghost and no impure hand contributed to his conveyance into the World I was born a Child of wrath indebted to justice before I knew what I did but he was born a Child of Love He was born with a knowledge of humane infirmities to know how to pity me but without sinful infirmities That he might be in a capacity to save and help me Again saith the Soul Then I see a perfect and sufficient Saviour One meâ—rly God considering the justice of God that could give no remission without blood could not have saved me because he could not have died for me and so have destroyed him that had the power of death One meerly man could not have saved me for he could not have merited But a Person that was God and man God and man in one Person must needs be in a perfect capacity as man he died as God he merited nay the Person that was God-man both died and merited How sweet is this to the Soul torturing it self with thoughts for the filthiness of its nature troubled with humane infirmities perplexed with thoughts how Christ should be able to save it c. This is but one of his actions 2. He fulfilled the law for us I am not of their mind that think that Christs active obedience is not imputed I think the Apostle speaks plain enough to the contrary Rom. 8. 3 4. And if not he yet the Prophet By his knowledge he shall justifie many You read that he was made righteousness for us And doubtless whatever some may fancy the obedience of the Person which was God-man could not be an homage due from the humane nature of Christ which was indeed but a creature Christ fulfilling the Law is exceeding sweet to the gracicious Soul This poor Soul when renewed is but renewed in part in many things offendeth and the sense of its daily backslidings makes it tremble How sweet is it now to the Soul to be able to conclude thus to its self Though there be much guile found in my heart and in my mouth yet in his mouth there was no guile found though I have been an Absolom rebelling against my Heavenly Father from my youth upward yet he was an Adonijah a Son that never displeased his Father 3. Look upon him in the laying down of his life How sweet is the meditation of it to a poor Soul Christ crucified is a bundle of Myrrh indeed from hence the Soul draweth many pretious smells hence it is that the Soul smelis Spiritual life with all the consequences and dependencies upon it Hence it smells Spiritual liberty with all the sweet fruits of it I say from hence it smells Spiritual life to itself when it is almost suffocated with the apprehension of the
guilt of sin and cries out if I pine away in my iniquities how can I then live And faints at the apprehension of the wrath of God due to it for every single sin and much more for the numberless number of the sins which it hath committed It smells that of the Prophet Isa Ch. 53. v. 5 6. He was wounded for our transgressions and bruised for our iniquities the Chastisement of our peace lay upon him and with his stripes we are healed v. 10. His Soul was made an offering for sin Or that of the Apostle Gal. 3. 13. Christ hath Redeemed us from the curse of the law being made a curse for us and this refresheth it I have deserved to dye saith the Soul but Christ hath died for me I have deserved to tread the wine press of my Fathers wrath but he hath trode the winepress of his Fathers wrath alone I was born a slave to lusts and corruptions but Christ by dying hath made me free Ah! what a bundle of Myrrh is a crucified Christ to the Soul Hence it smells Spiritual life even from his death for we have Remission of sins through his blood It smells Spiritual peace Who shall lay any thing to the charge of Gods elect it is Christ that died Ro. 8. 38. It smells an access unto God The holy of holies being Sprinkled with his blood and Heaven itself by it Sanctified and made accessible It smells Spiritual liberty For the blood of Christ saith the Apostle purgeth the Conscience from dead works to serve the living God It smells Spiritual strength For through the cross of Christ saith the Apostle my heart is crucified to the World Thus you see that in this action or suffering rather Christ is to the Soul a bundle of Myrrh 4. Look upon Christ as rising up from the dead He is a bundle of Myrrh there too the Soul from hence again smells Spiritual life Rom. 4. 25. He rose again for our justification Spiritual peace Rom. 8. 38. It is Christ that died yea rather that is risen again Spiritual strength and quickening Rom. 6. 4. 5. We shall rise with him to newness of life Col. 3. 1. If you be risen with Christ seek the things that are above It smells life from the dead This the Apostle proves 1 Cor. 15 Rom. 8. 11. He that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies Nay it smells Eternal life from hence Joh. 14. 19. Because I live you shall live also 5. Look upon Christ as the men of Galilee Acts 1. 11. Ascending up to Heaven Thus he is also a bundle of Myrrh he lives and from hence Job smelt that he should see him with his Eyes the Angels that stood to wait upon his ascension told the men of Galilee so much that as they had seen him ascend so they should see him coming again Hence the believing Soul smells that he shall ascend too for where Christ is there he must be The body is there the Eagles shall flee to it one day He is lifted up and every believer shall be drawn after him Our flesh and blood shall inherit the Kingdom of God For 't is in part there already Heaven is the place whither our forerunner is entred Heaven was an open City before the fall Adam and all his Posterity might have entred presently upon the fall it's gates were lockt up the flaming sword of divine Vengeance kept it but the Captain of our Salvation hath now entred and he keeps the gates from shutting any more till every believer be come In 6. Look upon Christ as sitting one the right hand of the Majesty on high So he is a bundle of Myrrh too Is it so saith the Soul Then he hath favour with God and power with God and what need I any more then for my God my Saviour he in whom I have believed to be in favour with the King of Kings and to have power with the Almighty Nay saith the Soul then I am half in Heaven For Eph. 2. 6. We sit together in Heavenly places in Christ Jesus Christ and I are one if he sits there I sit there too For he is flesh of my flesh 7. Lastly look upon Christ as interceding for us Rom. 8. Heb. 7. He is not there Idle his work is to plead for us to sollicit our business to act our part to do our work And thus he is a bundle of Myrrh to every believing Soul When the poor Soul sinks in the thoughts of its sins renewing after justification Christ is a bundle of Myrrh to it 1 Joh. 2 1. If we sin we have an advocate with the Father even Jesus Christ the righteous When the Soul again sinks at the thoughts of its imperfect duties to think that it cannot do a duty but with so many faults that it may fear the wrath of God for it What a bundle of Myrrh it is to the Soul to think well Christ is in Heaven and he will pick out every fault out of this Prayer this duty c. And so present it in the golden censer Incensed with his merits Thus now I have shewed you how Christ is to the believing Soul a bundle of Myrrh Considered as to his actions as our Redeemer It remains further to shew you that he is so also as to his Spiritual influeuces And Lastly in his Gospel institutions and Ordinances And then I shall come to the Application Sermon LIV. Canticles 1. 13. A bundle of Myrrh is my Beloved unto me he shall lie all night betwixt my Breasts I Proceed in opening the bundle or bag or box of Myrrh which makes my Text give a fragrant smell I have shewed that it is Christ who is thus resembled and have propounded to shew you the aptness of the comparison in five things I am yet upon the 4th He is to the believing Soul a bundle of Myrrh for sweetness I proposed to open this in three particulars shewing you that Christ is so 1. In his mediatory actions 2. In his Spiritual influences 3. In his Gospel Institutions and Ordinances I have done with the first and now proceed to the second To shew you the sweetness of Christ to the believing Soul 2. In his Spiritual influences When he ascended upon high saith the Apostle Eph. 4. he gave gifts unto men he gave gifts to his Church his Ordinances Of those the Apostle speaks but he gives other gifts likewise gifts even to the Rebellious Psal 68. All these are summed up under one head The gift of the Spirit This is that which he calls the promise of the Father He was the promise of the Father of old Ezek. 36. 27. It was his promise John 14. 16. I will pray the Father and he shall give you another 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Comforter and he shall abide with you for ever Even the Spirit of truth He is sent in Christs name 26. v. he is called the Spirit of Christ hence the
up in him to study him more to converse with him more to keep to closer communion with Christ you yet know not the pleasantness that is in him there is a breadth of sweetness you have not measured and a depth of pleasure which you have not fathomed In the last place Is Christ not only fair but pleasant not only beautiful through Grace but pleasant lovely gentle sweet in his converse with the Souls of his Saints Let this commend pleasantness to every true Christian Labour not only to be gracious but to be pleasant I will name but two Arguments in the case 1. Consider Thus you shall be like unto the Lord Jesus Christ 2. Thus shall you honour your Profession An unpleasant Conversation in a Christian dishonours the Lord Christ it makes men think that he is an hard Master that Christianity is an odd thing which metamorphoseth men and women into strange kind of creatures unfit any longer for converse with the World Take off this scandal from the Gospel You may be pleasant yet not profane your conversation toward the World may be winning though you do not give your selves up to such a liberty as to hazard the ruine and loss of your own Souls It was a piece of Paul's pleasantness He became all things to all men that he might win some 1 Cor. 9. v. 22. 2 Cor. 10. 33. Sermon LX. Canticles 1. 16. Our Bed is Green I Am come to the Second Proposition of the Text in those words Our bed is Green The Chaldee Paraphrast making the Congregation of Israel the Spouse in this Song thus glosseth upon these words In the time when thou dwellest in our Beloved Bed our Children are many and multiplyed upon the Earth we grow and multiply like a Tree planted by the Rivers of Waters whose leaf is beautiful and whose fruit is much Possibly that antient Interpretation hath led the generality of Interpreters to expound the Text concerning the flourishing condition of the Soul and of the Church while it is in Spiritual conjunction with the Lord Jesus Christ it is not My Bed but Our Bed is Green and flourishing for so the word may be translated So that not to enlarge in further discourses about the Exposition of the Text taking it for granted that the Holy Ghost in this Text respecteth the Bed as it is the place for procreation or as it was the place where they did eat their meat in those Countries we may from it observe this plain Proposition Prop. That the fruitfulness of the Soul and of the Church doth depend upon Christs conjunction with them I shall speak to this Proposition by way of Explication confirmation and Application By way of Explication we will only enquire what is the gracious Souls fruitfulness or the Gospel Churches fruitfulness 1. The particular Souls fruitfulness lyes in its bringing forth of good works You read in Scripture of the fruit of the Body Deut. 28. 4. And of the fruit of the Land Deut. 7. 13. The Children of God are said to be Married unto Christ And as the fruit of the Womb is the consequent of carnall Marriage so the fruit of holiness is the consequent of Spiritual Marriage Rom. 7. 4. You are become dead to the law by the Body of Christ that you should be married to another even to him who is raised from the dead that we should bring forth fruit unto God This fruit unto God is called fruit unto holiness Rom. 6. 22. Christ is also compared unto a vine John 15. 2. We are the Branches and therefore purged that we may bring forth fruit ib. 5. 16. Whether therefore the gracious Soul be looked upon as the Spouse of Christ and Married to him by faith its fruit is holiness or whether it be looked upon as a branch in Christ still its fruit is holiness our works considering us as men are our fruit Now look as several Plants according to their different natures bring forth different fruit some bring forth pleasant some bitter fruit some wholsom some again noxious fruit so it is with men and women who are the Plants of the World by Nature they are all wild Plants and are corrupt and bring forth corrupt fruit called by the Apostle the fruit of sin unto death But having a new Nature given them by God they bring forth fruit unto life the fruits of righteousness which are also called the fruits of the Spirit Eph. 5. 9. Gal. 5. 22. the fruit of righteousness to shew the species or kind of them fruit unto life shewing the consequent of them the fruit of the Spirit shewing the more external cause of them Now as these fruits more or less abound in the Soul the Soul is more or less fruitful This is the particular Saints fruit 2. The Churches fruitfulness is its bringing forth many Sons unto God Children are the fruit of the body caused by generation Gods Children are the fruit of the Church caused by Regeneration Conversion is called a begetting 2 Pet. 1. 3. We are said to be begotten of God 1 Job 5. 1. God is our Father but the Church is our Mother It is the Church which bears us which travels and brings forth Children unto God And the Saints are called the Churches Children Isa 54. 13. All thy Children shall be taught of the Lord and great shall be the peace of thy Children The thriving of the Church lies in this when many Souls are in it converted and brought home unto God This is the Souls fruitfulness and thriving and this is also the Churches fruitfulness and thriving This is that which my Doctrine speaketh of and saith that i t dependeth upon Christs conjuncton with the Soul and with the Church Look as the fruitfulness of the Woman depends upon the conjunction of her Husband with her as the fruitfulness of the plant depends upon its conjunction with the Earth as the thriving of the Body by its meat dependeth upon the blessing of God Man liveth not by bread only but by every word that cometh out of the mouth of God And as the thriving of the plant dependeth upon the influence of the Heavens the shinings of the Sun and the distillations of the Clouds so yea much more then so doth the thriving of a Church and of a Soul depend upon the influence of Christs grace I will prove it first concerning the particular Soul 2. Concerning the Church 1. Concerning the particular Soul 1. It is Christ that giveth the Soul a prolifick vertue The fruitful Woman must have a prolifick vertue so must the plant of the field otherwise the Woman is barren and the plant is barren That power which is in any Soul to bring forth the fruit of holiness that is its prolifick vertue and this is from the Lord this is that which the Apostle calleth to will in Philip 2. 13. The will is the root of all humane actions and the power in the Soul to do
name O leave us not Sermon LXI Cant. 1. 17. The Beams of our house are Cedar and our Rafters of Fir. THe same Person speaks still which spake in the former verse she had there Commended her beloved and Commended her Bed ever since he came into it she now comes to Commend her and her beloveds house in the words of the Text The Beams of our house are Cedar and our rafters of Fir. The Chaldee Paraph thus glosseth Solomon the Prophet said how beautiful is the house of Lords Sanctuary builded by my hands of Cedar wood But the house of the Lords Sanctuary which is to be builded in the days of the Messias is more beautiful whose Beams are of those Cedars which are in the Paradise of pleasure and the Galleries thereof shall be of Fir Pine c. There are some difficult terms in the Text I must therefore halt a little in the explication of the letter 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Beams of our houses The word is used two Kings 6. 2. 5. 2 Chron. 3. 7. where it is translated also a Beam Gen. 19. 8. it is translated a roof it comes from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which in Pihel signifies to lay the Beams of an house the Beams of an house are properly those pieces of timber which bear the whole weight of the building The Beams of our house are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Cedar The word properly so signifies It is a word often used in Scripture to express that kind of wood which is called Cedar which with us is very rare with them very frequent and ordinary in building we shall by and by further inquire the nature of it The Common usage of the word in Scripture to express Cedars makes me a little wonder at Montanus his translation of it Larices which signifies a certain tree not known saith Vitruvius but to those that dwelt near the Adriatick sea a kind of wood very useful in buildings because in regard of the great bitterness of the sap it was neither subject to worms nor putrefaction nor to be burnt with fire but I know not whether it was known to the Jews or no nor can see any reason to depart from our translation It follows 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Our Rafters of fire some read our Galleries of Cypress some of Fir some of Pine The word translated rafters is used only in this sense in this place it is also used Gen. 30. 38. v. 41. Exod. 2. 16. but in those Texts it is translated gutters and wells And Cant. 7. 5. where it is translated Galleries Pagnine thinks it signifies the little Beams or pieces of timber in buildings These Rafters saith the Text are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a word which is no where used in Scripture saving only in this Text which hath given Interpreters a liberty to abound in several senses Hierom makes it Cypress so the LXX Vulg. Lat. Syr. Arab. Others Ash Others Fir. Aben Ezra Thinks it the same with 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Fir our translators seem to follow that so doth Montanus and Pagnine The Caldee Paraph makes it to be the wood of the Brutine tree of which tree Pliny speaks and tells us that it is like a Cypress tree The boughs white the smell sweet And a great enemy to Poyson having thus far enquired the literal meaning of the terms let us enquire for the real sense we will first enquire 1. Qu. What is here meant by the house mentioned 2. What the Beams and Rafters of this house are 3. What the excellencies of these sorts of woods were Which maketh the Spouse chuse to compare her and her beloveds house to an house builded of these forts of wood 1. Qu. What is here meant by the house mentioned in the Text Our house Whoso considereth that the Beloved here mentioned is the King of glory the Lord of Heaven and Earth who dwells not in houses made with hands will easily conclude it is no fabrick of wood and stone Christ when he was upon the Earth had no such-place where to hide his head and now the Heaven of Heavens contain him that is here meant True it is that the Lord of old chose a particular house in which he was pleased more eminently to manifest his gracious presence in allusion to which his mystical Spiritual habitation may possibly be called his house But this is not it which is here intended The Chaldee Paraphrast makes Solomon in this a Prophet for foretelling an house of God to which Solomons in all its glory was not like The new Testament mentions a double house of God The first more publick viz. The Church 1. Tim. 3. 15. The second more private The Souls and bodies of believers The Apostle tells the Ephesians that they were become an habitation of God through the Spirit and the Apostle dissuades from the Sin of Fornication upon this argument because their bodies were the temples of the Holy Ghost 1 Cor. 6. 19. By the house here I find Interpreters generally understanding the aggregate body of Christians which we call the Church properly enough called the Lords house because as a man dwelleth in his house so the Lord is said to dwell in his Church 2 Cor. 6. 16. God hath said he will dwell amongst his People that he is in the midst amongst them that he walks in the midst of the golden Candlesticks c. So that by our house in the Text the Church is meant in which Christ dwells and the Saints dwell The 2d Question is What is here meant by the Beams and Rafters The Beams of a building you know are those Principal parts which sustain and uphold the building We must therefore inquire what those things or Persons are which do as it were uphold and bear up the Church some understand by these terms Persons others understand things those who understand Persons understand by the Beams the several sorts of Officers in the Church of God Apostles Prophets Evangelists Pastors Teachers By the rafters they understand particular Christians So Gregory Per tignacedrina praedicatores designamus per laquearia cupressina ipsos populos figuramus This seems to be conform to that of the Apostle Eph. 2. 20. you are built upon the foundation of the Apostles and Prophets But Protestant Writers observe that the Apostle there doth not make the Apostles and Prophets the foundation but Christ Preached by them and their Doctrine And thus they interpret Chrysostom Oecumenius Theophylact Tertullian concluding that the Apostles and Prophets could not be called the foundation upon any other account then with respect to their Ministry and the Doctrine of the Gospel Preached by them For other foundation can none lay then what is already laid Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone Non enim respexit rei nomen sed rem nominis saith Chamier others therefore by the Beams and rafters of Christs house mentioned in the Text understand rather things
old 1 Kings 11. 1. 4. She and his other Wives turned away his heart from God that it was not perfect as was the heart of his Father David He grosly fell away so foully that some question whether he ever had a truth of grace others think his failure a sufficient foundation for their slippery Doctrine of Total and final Apostacy and conclude him damned it is something to our purpose to examine that Question also Qu. Whether Solomons Apostacy was total and final The Arminians say he fell away Totally but not finally Some amongst the Papists have suspended their Judgment concerning his final Apostacy witness the Arch-Bishop of Toledo who had Heaven and Hell pictured in his Chappel and Solomon half in the one half in the other Of this mind are Jansenius Barradius Torniellus Pamelius Feuardentius Hostiensis c. and amongst the Ancients Tertullian and Cyprian to whom also amongst the Protestants Zanchy and Peter Martyr seem to incline Amongst the Ancients Augustine Prosper Basil and Theodoret to whom Pineda reckons Cyprian and Gregory are thought to favour the more severe opinion of Solomons total and final Apostacy Abulensis Tostatus Vega Pererius and Belarmine conclude it The Ancient Jewish Writers and amongst the Ancients of the Christian Church Ireneus Gregor Neocaesar Hilary Hierom Ambrose Cyrill of Hierusalem and others amongst the Papists themselves Aquinas Bonaventure Hugo Cardinalis Comestor Paulus Burgensis Dionis Carthus Genebrard Damianus Pineda Delrio Serarius and Lorinus And with these the generality of Protestants conclude he was no reprobate nor did fall away finally nor say the Protestants totally Solomon saw a great evil under the Sun Princes going on foot while Servants rode on Horseback De-La Champius observeth a greater Evil than this in the impudent Jesuites whose consciences will serve them to reprobate Solomon and Canonize Traytors and other open Servants of Lusts and as he noteth what Dr. Willet long since observed is in this instance verified concerning Bellarmine That it is ordinary with him when he finds his own Doctors divided to take in with the worser part of them We conclude for Solomon that he was a true Child of God and that although he fell yet his fall was neither total nor yet final but he was restored by repentance And for this assertion we conceive we have sufficient Evidence from Scripture besides the Authorities of men already cited declaring their sentiments from several convictions Hierome Cyrill and Pineda urge that Text Prov. 24. 30. where they conceive Solomon speaking in his own Person and saying I went by the field of the sloathful and by the Vineyard of the man void of understanding and loe it was all grown over with Thorns and Nettles had covered the face thereof and the Stone-wall thereof was broken down v. 32. This I saw and considered it well I looked upon it and received Instruction To which Pineda joins Prov. 30. 1 2. which if with the Jewish Rabbines we could conclude that unknown Agur to have been Solomon would give some auxiliary strength to that in the 24th Chap. to advantage which Pineda's observation of the ancient Septuagint mixing the 24. and 29. and these words of the 30th Chap. together as if all were spake by the same man and of himself may be worthy of consideration Bachiarius Serarius and De-La Champius urge a 2d Argument from 1 Kings 11. 43. and 2 Chron. 9. 31. where it is said that when he died he was buried with the Kings of Israel which they think strengthened by their observation that the Scripture mentions the the burial of Ammon Joram and Joash 3 Wicked Princes elsewhere But we must have better Arguments than this for we are told that Abiam 1 Kings 15 8. was buried in the City of David so was Amaziah 2 Chron. 25. 8. and Rehoboam 2 Chron. 12. 1. when on the other side Manasses though reconciled to God before his death yet had not the honour of that burial As the wisdom of divine providence hath left the surface of the Earth for a common walk both for the just and unjust so nothing appears but that the will of God hath left the bosom of it in any part thereof a common bed for them nor do I find any sufficient evidence of any consecrated burial-places so early in the world which had there been and had we found Solomons Tomb there it would have told us no more than the Churches opinion of him and that usually to Princes is very charitable and questionless would have been so to him who was the greatest Prince which the Earth ever saw But certainly for that argument which De-La Champius and Pineda both bring from the Covenant made with David concerning Solomon mentioned 2 Sam. 7. 14. 1 Chron. 17. 13. and Psal 89. v. 20 21 22 c. to the 37th v. we may say of it as David of the Sword of Goliah There is none to it Let us a little view the Text In the first you have the words of God spoken to Nathan going to enquire Gods approbation of Davids design to build a Temple the Lord denies David liberty but takes his offer kindly and bids the Prophet tell David That when his days should be fulfilled and he should sleep with his Fathers God would set up his seed after him which should proceed out of his bowels and establish his Kingdom v. 13. I will establish the Throne of his Kingdom for ever v. 14. I will be his Father and he shall be my Child If he commit iniquity I will chasten him with the rod of Men and with the stripes of the Children of Men But my mercy shall not depart from him as I took it from Saul whom I put away before thee In the book of Chronicles 1 Chron. 17. you have the same thing repeated only there v. 14. you have I will settle him in my house In the 89th Psal you have a larger account of that covenant so far as concerns David v. 20. 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28. v. 29. His seed also will I make to endure for ever c. If his Children forsake my law and walk not in my judgments Then will I visit theer transgression with the rod and their iniquity with stripes Nevertheless my loving kindness will I not utterly take from him Nor suffer my faithfulness to fail My Covenant will I not break nor alter the thing that is gone out of my lips Once have I sworn by my Holiness that I will not lie unto David In this Text you plainly discern a Covenant made with David on the behalf of his Seed and that Seed of his that should sit upon his Throne which was Solomon as well as on the behalf of himself Concerning him God saith 1. I will establish the Throne of his Kingdom 2. I will be his Father and he shall be my Child 3. If he sins I will chasten him with the rod of men and with the stripes of the
Children of men Psal 89. I will visit his transgression with a rod and his iniquity with stripes 4. My mercy shall not depart from him as from Saul Psal 89. Nevertheless my loving kindness will I not utterly take from him Nor suffer my faithfulness to fail 1. God covenants that although Solomon should sin yet he would not take his mercy from him The very term of Mercy signifies more than the continuance of the Crown to him for as Tychonius observes David would have understood little mercy for his Son to have enjoyed a temporal Kingdom and lost an eternal inheritance 2. The punishment which God threatens to him in case of sinning was but a Rod. The Rod of Men for if we should allow nothing to Pineda's Criticisme upon the term used Enosh to signify men here which properly signifies a weak old man who cannot lay on strokes hard but chastiseth his Child gently so as the Rod of Men here mentioned should be opposed to the grounded staff mentioned Isaiah 30. 32. which God makes to rest upon others yet certainly the termof a Rod with the adjunct of Men speaks a very gentle chastning with which eternal punishment is no way consistent 3. Add to this That the Holy Ghost the most certain Interpreter of Scripture 1 Cor. 6. 18. Applies the very promise here made to the Children of God I will be a Father unto you and you shall be my Sons and Daughters I say who so considereth these things must certainly conclude that Gods obligation by this Covenant extended further than the continuance of the temporal dominion in his line which is also advantaged by the consideration that Solomon in his life time was chastened with the Rods of Men 1 Kings 11. God stirred up against him Hadad Rezin and Jeroboam He was doubtless chastened of the Lord that he might not be condemned with the world Nor can any reasonably think to avoid the dint of the Argument drawn from these Texts by telling us That a greater than Solomon is understood in them even he of whom Solomon was but a Type For although it be true that divers of the Ancients favoured that notion amongst whom was Augustine Ambrose Tertullian and Theodoret and that some passages in the aforementioned Texts seem to be by the Holy Ghost himself applied to Christ amongst which that eminent part of this Covenant I will be to him a Father c. besides that others seem applicable to no other as where he promiseth to establish his Kingdom for ever yet it is as true that the promise I will be to him a Father as I shewed before is also by the Holy Ghost applied to believers 1 Cor. 6. 18. and those who understand the Hebrew Idiome know that the term 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 doth often signify less than Eternity strictly so called and it is as certain that Hierome and divers others of the Ancients apply these Texts literally to Solomon Possibly they compound the business better who considering Solomon as a Type of Christ divide the Covenant made with David betwixt Solomon and Christ thinking that part concerneth Solomon and part concerneth Christ Sure it is that Solomon built the material Temple not Christ and Solomon alone not Christ was in a capacity to forsake the Commandments of God and for the promissory part if we say it concerned Solomon in the letter and Christ in the Mystery and Antitype I think we shall not much err nor will this interpretation at all weaken the strength of our argument I find a 4th Argument for this eminent Person brought from 2 Sam. 12. 24 25. compared with Neb. 13. 26. and 1 Kings 3. 3. from whence De-La Champius observeth 3 things 1. That it is said God loved him 2 Sam. 12. 24. And the Lord loved him Neh. 13. 26. He was beloved of his God 2. In token of this love God gave him his name Jedidiah i. e. beloved of God 3. The Scripture saith he loved the Lord. The consideration of the latter makes the plea vain of those who to avoid the dint of this Argument would interpret Gods love of that general favour which he extends to every Creature distinguished from that by which he elevates the Creature to a participation of the Divine Nature for that love is not so efficacious as to produce a reciprocal love in the Creature to God again we therefore love him because he loved us first which being granted unless we grant God as mutable as man and deny what he hath said that whom he loves he loves to the End We must allow that Solomon notwithstanding his great miscarriages was yet beloved of God and died in a state of Grace Now to these Arguments might further be added as strong presumptions in the case yielding at least some auxiliary strength That no Text speaketh so desperȧtely concerning Solomon that the Scripture 1 Kings 11. 4. speaking of his falling seems to hint it a sin of infirmity in his old age and through the great temptation of his Wives That he did only tolerate Idolatry not make it the Religion of the Nation That he after this as is at least probably and generally concluded wrote in testimony of his repentance the book of Ecclesiastes That he was the Sacred Penman of Scripture These things may much confirm our charitable opinion in the case for although it be true that I know no reason to the contrary but that God who made use of the Son of Perdition to preach his everlasting Gospel might also with consistency enough to the wisdom of his Providence make use of a Child of Perdition to write and ingross what his holy Spirit first dictated nor saith Augustine hath God less consulted his own glory in it for now all the good and glory of the truth revealed in those books will be given to God Beside it is said that Balaams Song is also recorded in Scripture and a piece of holy writ yet considering that no one book of holy writ was wrote by such a withered hand as that of a reprobates and that the Scripture fixeth no such mark upon this great Person who was the Author of three Books there and that one of these Books at least appears let Bellarmine say what he will to be wrote after the days of his Vanity and hath in it evident marks of his nauseating his lusts and former vanities of pleasure love riches c. Nor have there been wanting some who have thought so of the other two Books also viz. the Proverbs and the Canticles And to these if we add that he was an eminent Type of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ I say if we lay all these things together we shall I think neither stand in need of the Rabbinical figments who tell us formal stories of Solomons repentance Nor yet of that auxiliary help in which Pineda much triumpheth which Petrus de Castro affords from that Sculpture in leaden Plates wrote in ancient Arabick Characters and