meet this ugly guest in any corner of the house but the heart riseth against it this hatred of evill Psal 97.10 is more then of hell it s a killing look that the soul doth cast upon every corruption He that hateth his brother is a man-slayer he that hateth his lust is a sin-slayer not he that hateth the sins or practices of his brother but the person of his brother so not he that hateth the effects and fruits of sin but the nature of sin not he that hateth sin for hell but as hell Every evill by how much the nearer 't is by so much the more it s hated An evill as it is so to our estate names children wife life soul as impendent adjacent incumbent inherent admits of severall degrees of hatred Sin is an inward a soul-foe Love turned into hatred becoms most bitter brethrens divisions are hardest to reconcile the souls old love is turned into new hatred the very ground sin treads upon is hated There 's a kinde of hatred of ones self for sin every act that sin hath a hand in is hated our very duties for sins intermixing with them and we are angry with our selves that we can hate it no more 3. This hatred puts forth it self in labouring the destruction of sin Love cannot be hid neither can this hatred The soul seeks the death of sin by these ways and helps 1. By lamentation to the Lord when going to him for strength with the Apostle Oh wretched man that I am was there ever a soul so sin-pestred Ah woe is me Lord that I am compell'd to be chain'd to this block Never did a slave in Egypt or Turkey so sigh under bondage as a mortifying soul doth under corruption The sorrows of others are outward shallow in the eye the look but these are in the bottom of the soul deep sorrows It s true a man may give a louder cry at the drawing of a tooth then ever he did pining under the deepest consumption but yet the consumption that is the harbinger of death doth afflict him much more and though outward worldly grief as for the death of a child c. may be more intense and expressive yet grief for sin is more deep close sticking oppressive to the soul then all other sorrows the soul of a saint like a sword may be melted when the outward man the scabbard is whole 2. The soul of a sin-subduer fights against sin with the Crosse of Christ and makes the death of Christ the death of sin Ephes 5.25 1. By depending on his death as the meritorious cause of sins subduing of sanctification and cleansing Christs purifying us being upon the condition of his suffering 1 Cor. 6.20 and so it urgeth God thus Lord hath not Christ laid down the price of the purchase why then is Satan in possession Is Satan bought out Lord let him be cast out 2. By taking a pattern from the death of Christ for the killing of sin we being planted into the similitude of his death Rom. 8.5 sin it self hanging upon the crosse as it were when Christ died Oh saith a gracious heart that my corruptions may drink Vinegar that they may be pierced and naild and never come down alive but though they die lingeringly yet certainly Oh that I might see their hands feet side and every limb of the body of death bored the head bowing and the whole laid in the grave the darknesse error and vanity of the understanding the sinfull quietnesse and unquietnesse of my conscience the rebellion of my will the disorder of my affections 3. And especially the soul makes use of the death of Christ as a motive or inducement to put it upon sin-killing Ah my sin is the knife saith the soul that is redded over in my Redeemer's blood Ah it pointed every thorn on his head and nail in his hands and feet Lord Art thou a friend to Christ and shall sin that kill'd him live Thus a sin-mortifying heart brings sin neer to a dead Christ whom faith seeth to fall a bleeding afresh upon the approach of sin and therfore it layes the death of Christ to the charge of sin The crosse of Christ is sins terror the souls armour The bloud of Christ is old sures-be as holy Bradford was wont to say to kill sin As he died for sin so must we to it as his flesh was dead so must ours be Our old man is crucified with him Rom. 6.6 It s not a Pope's hallowing a Crosse that can do it Mr. D. Rogers Pr. Cat. but the power of Christ by a promise which blesseth this Crosse to mortification 3. The soul labours to kill sin by fruitfull enjoyment of Ordinances It never goeth to pray but it desires sin may have some wound and points by prayer like the sick child to the place where its most pained How doth it bemoan it self with Ephraim and pour-forth the bloud of sin at the eys It thus also improves Baptism it looks upon it as a seal to Gods promise that sin shall die We being buried with Christ in baptism that the Egyptians shall be drowned in the sea It never heareth a Sermon but as Joab dealt with Vrijah it labours to set its strongest corruption in the fore-front of the battell that when Christ shoots his arrows and draws his sword in the preaching of the Word sin may be hit An unsanctified person is angry with such preaching and cannot endure the winde of a sermon should blow upon a lust 4. By a right improving all administrations of providence If God send any affliction the sanctified soul concludes that some corruption must go to the lions If there arise any storms presently it enquires for Jonah and labours to cast him over-board If God snatcheth away comforts as Joseph fled from his Mistris presently a sin-mortifying heart saith Lord thou art righteous my unclean heart was prone to be in love with them more then with Christ my true Husband If God at any time hedg up her way with thorns she reflects upon her own gadding after her impure Lovers If her two eys Profits Pleasures be put out and removed a sin-mortifier will desire to pull down the house upon the Philistims and beareth every chastisement cheerfully even death it self that sin may but die too 5. By consideration of the sweetnesse of spirituall life Life is sweet and therfore what cost are men at to be rid of diseases to drive an Enemy out of the Country The soul thinks how happy it should be could it walk with God and be upright and enjoy Christ be rid of a Tyrant and be governed by the laws of a Liege the Lord Jesus How heavie is Satans yoke to him who sees the beutie and tasts the liberty of holy obedience A sick man confined to bed how happy doth he think them that can walk abroad about their imployments Oh saith a gracious heart how sweetly doth such a Christian pray how strictly doth
fore-sight of sin Yet that the sight of sin was neither in order of nature or time before Reprobation nor after it but purely evenly and equally accompanying it That Gods decree to permit sin from whence comes prevision of sin and to condemn for sin were not the one subordinate to the other or of a diverse order as if the one were the end and the other the mean but co-ordinate and of one and the same order and means both accommodated to one and the same end God neither condemning that sin may be permitted nor permitting sin that he might condemn but permitting sin and condemning for sin that the glory of his justice might be manifested the glorious manifestation of his justice being not advanced only by permission of or only by condemning for sin but by both joyntly or together according to which apprehension sinne fore-seen could not bee the cause of Reprobation They conceive that God not depending upon any condition in the creature no other way fore-knew the futurition of sin than by his own decree to permit it And they further urge if consideration of sinne were before Gods decree of Reprobation then the decree of permission of sin should have been before the decree of Reprobation and so God should intend the permission of sin before he intended the damnation of man for it and then it would follow in regard that what is first in intention is last in execution that damnaton for sin should be in execution before the permission of sin for which men are damned And this is the Argument oft urged by D. Twiss to which he sometimes adds that whatsoever is first in intention hath the nature of an end in respect of that which followes it but the permission of sin cannot be considered as an end in respect of the damnation of men it being impossible that men should be damned to this end that sin should be permitted And they of this opinion assert that if because God decreed that condemnation shall onely be for sin it followes that sin is a cause of that decree it will also unavoidably follow because God hath decreed that salvation shall onely be in a way of good works that good works are a cause of that decree they conceiving that though good works do not go before salvation with the same efficacity wherein sin goeth before damnation good works being only dispositive causes of the one and sins meritorious causes of the other yet that they go before it Non eadem dispositionis eâ—icacitate sed tamen eodem necessitatis ordine with the same order of necessity And they adde that the Apostle removes both from the election of Jacob and the reprobation of Esau the consideration of all works either good or evill as well in respect of their prevision as actuall existence to the end that he might shew that the purpose of God according to election was not according to works but of him that calleth and so by the same reason that the decree of the reprobation of Esau was not of evill works but of him that cals and leaves whom he will 2. As to Reprobation in regard of the effect or rather consequent thereof the things decreed and willed or as God wills that one thing should be for another It is not doubted albeit Gods eternall volitions or decrees depend not upon any temporall object or causes as the prime motives therunto but that God by his eternall decree ordained that this or that event in the temporall execution shall not follow but upon this or that going before as that in those of years the actuall bestowing of eternall life shall depend upon beleeving repenting and persevering and that the actuall punishing with eternall death shall depend upon finall unbelief and impenitency This is not to make the eternall decrees of Election and Reprobation dependent upon the fore-seen contingent Acts of mans freewill but to make temporall events Acts or Things one to depend conditionally upon another for their being or not being in time And yet 1. The cause of Reprobation in respect of denying of grace external whether in regard of the outward means or internall either common or saving is the will and pleasure of God As it is the meer will and pleasure of God whereby in time men are reprobated from grace was from eternity for as God doth or doth not in time so it he purposeth to do or not to do from all eternity Now that in time the denyall of grace is from the will and pleasure of God is most evident from Scripture which teacheth that God calls to grace and gives the very means of salvation to whomsoever he will Act. 16.7 Mat. 11.24 25 Deut. 29.4 Nulla sunt tam detestanda facinora quae possunt gratiae arceredonum Prosp The Spirit suffered not Paul to preach at Bithynia To you it is given saith Christ to know the mysteries of the Kingdome of heaven and to them it is not given And because it seemed good in his Fathers sight he hid these things from the wise and prudent Tyre and Sidon would have made better use of the means of grace than the Jews yet God bestowed those means not upon the former but up on the later But 2. The cause of Reprobation in regard of Gods denyall of glory is not meerly from Gods will and pleasure but from the pravity and sin of men God in time denyes glory in regard of mens impiety and therefore he purposed to deny it for that Depart from me will Christ say only to the workers of iniquity Mat. 7.23 There shall enter into the new Jerusalem nothing that defileth The unrighteous shall not inherit the Kingdome of God And 3. The cause of Reprobation in regard of blindnesse and obduration in sin in this life and eternal damnation in the life to come is from mans impiety God decreed that Condemnation should not be but for sin nor hardning but for preceding rebellion nor that the wages of death should be paid without the work of sin No man is ordained to a just punishment but for some sin but the with-drawing of grace the blindnesse and obduration of sinners are the punishments of preceding sin as appears Rom. 1.27 God gave them up c that they might receive the recompence 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of their error which was meet To crown or to damn is an act of judiciary power and proceedeth according to the tenour of the revealed Gospel The eternall dedecree of the damnation of the very Devils was never determined to be executed otherwise than for their own misdeeds 2. This expression of old notes the immutability and unchangeableness of this Ordination the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 De rationâ— aeternitatis est immutabilitas Aug. Cons l. 12. c. 15. the immutability of his counsell that which is eternall is unalterable This Ordination is like such a booking and writing down of a thing as shall unfailingly be performed Nor can this book or
Ministers whom he hath appointed to be Stewards therof to the end of the world partly by qualifying them with gifts and Ministeriall Abilities and partly by appointing and setting them apart for the Ministry by those whom he hath authorized thereunto 2. To his people by the Ministry of his fore-mentioned servants who have instructed the faithfull sometime by preaching with a lively voice and afterward by committing the doctrine of faith to writing And Ministers shall to the end of the world be continued to deliver this doctrine of faith to the Church for their edification in holinesse And among those people to whom Ministers deliver this faith externally some there are to whom it is delivered also effectually by the internall revelation of the Spirit which so delivers this doctrine of faith to all the Elect that they themselves are delivered into it Rom. 6.17 their understandings being savingly enlightned to see that excellency in it which by the bare Ministry of it cannot be perceived and their wils perswaded to imbrace it as that rule of life according to which they will constantly walk 2. What need there was of the delivery of this faith 1. In regard of the Insufficiency of all other doctrines or prescriptions in the world to lead to life Only this doctrine delivered is the rule of faith and manners Peace internall and eternall is only afforded to them who walk according to this rule Gal. 6.11 God brings to glory only by guiding by these counsels All other lights are false are fools fires which lead to precipices and perdition This is the light which shines in a dark place 2 Pet. 1.20 to which who ever gives not heed can never find the way to heaven Learned Ethnicks never wrote of eternall happinesse in their Ethicks 1 Cor. 1.21 The world by wisdome knew not God 2. In regard of the totall insufficiency of man to find out this doctrine of himself The things delivered in this doctrine are mysteries supernaturall and depending on the meer will and dispensation of God The incarnation of the Son of God Col. 1.26 expiation of sin by his death justification by faith could never have entred into the mind of man unlesse God had revealed them They depend not upon any connexion of naturall causes Though there be a kind of naturall Theologie yet there 's no naturall Christianity Also the und erstanding of man is so obscured by the darknesse of sin that in spirituals it is purely blind The naturall man perceives not the things which are of God 1 Cor. 2.14 2. This delivering of faith comprehends the keeping and holding it by those to whom it was delivered This is done therefore 1. by Ministers 2. by every Christian 1. This duty is incumbent on Ministers who must keep the truth hold fast the faithfull word and be tenacious Tit. 1.9 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 holding it as the word signifieth against a contrary hold with both their hands with all their strength Jer. 10.27 Amos 7.14 holding it in their understanding in their affections in their preaching and delivery in their life and practice not parting with it for fear or favour either to Sectaries or Politicians rather parting with their lives than their sword 2. The faith is kept by every Christian by persevering in the knowledge love and practice of it Every Saint must keep it in his head in his heart in his hand this he must do though for keeping the truth he lose his life 'T is not the having but the holding the truth Rev. 2.13 which is a Christians crown He who lets it go never had it truely and effectually in the love of it nor shall ever enjoy it in the recompence of it Of this more afterward 1. God was the Authour of the doctrine of life Observ 1. though by men yet from him hath it alwayes been delivered it 's his word and revelation The word of the Lord and thus saith the Lord is the Scripture stamp and superscription When the Patriarchs and Prophets preach'd it it was from him when holy men of old time wrote it it was from him though he hath spoken in divers manners yet 't was he that spake When the doctrine of life was committed to writing he commanded it He moved and inspired holy men to write 2 Pet. 1.21 2 Tim. 3.16 Exod. 17.14 chap. 34.27 Isai 8.1 chap. 30.8 Jer. 36.2 They were his Organs and Instruments of conveying his mind to the world The Spirit of the Lord saith David 2 Sam. 23.2 spake by me and his word was in my tongue And Acts 28.25 The Holy Ghost spake by Isaiah Quicquid Chri. stus de suis dictis ac factis nos scire voluit ipsis scribendum tanquam suis manibus imperavit Aug. l. 1. de cons Evang. c. 35. And 1 Pet. 1.11 The Spirit of Christ in the Prophets fore-told his sufferings These and the other holy men were the Scribes the Pens the Hands the Notaries of the Spirit They wrote not as men but as men of God when any book is called the Book of Moses the Psalms of David the Epistle of Paul it 's in respect of Ministry not of the principall cause 2. Great is the necessity of Scripture The doctrine of life could never without a scripturall delivery have been found out without it indeed this doctrine was between two and three thousand years preserved by the delivery of a lively voice but afterwards when their lives who were to deliver the word grew short men numerous memory frail the bounds of the Church inlarged corruptions frequent and therefore tradition an unfaithfull keeper of the purity of doctrine as appears by Tharah's Jos 24.3 Gen. 35.2 Apostoli quod primum praeconiaverunt postea per Dei voluntatem in Scripturis nobis tradi derunt fundamentum columnam fidei uostrae futurae Iren. lib. 3. adv haeres c. 1. and Abram's worshipping of other gods the idolatry in Jacob's family c. God appointed that the doctrine of life should be committed to writing and upon supposition of the will and pleasure of God whose wisdome hath now thought fit to give us no other rule and foundation of faith the written word is now necessary as the means of delivering faith to us Had not the faith therefore been delivered in Scriptures whence should it have been found how retained The written word is the cabbinet wherein lies the jewell of faith the starre which shews where the Babe lodgeth the light which discovers the beauty of salvation A Book of Apocalyps or Revelation of Christ 3. Strong is the engagement upon us to be thankfull for Gods discovering to us the doctrine of faith It was above the compasse of Reason and Nature ever to have found it out by their own inquiry Rom. 16.25 Ephes 1.9 Ephes 3.9 neither men nor Angels could have known it without divine revelation It was a mystery a great an hidden mystery which was
the barren wildernesse and they are by God compared to drossie silver Jer. 6.28 which all the art and pains of the Silver-smith cannot refine and therefore called reprobate silver These seducers in Gods Ort-yard were trees without fruit twice dead pluck'd up by the roots Jude 12. 4. A fourth woe in this condemnation is Gods giving them up to strong delusion a delighting in errour and false doctrine with a believing it and thus seducers are said not only to deceive but to be deceived 2 Tim. 3.13 2 Thes 2.10 11. and those who received not the love of the truth had strong delusion sent them from God and upon them the deceivablenesse of unrighteousnesse takes hold and thus God suffered a lying spirit to deceive Ahab and his prophets 5. A fifth woe in this condemnation is a stumbling at and a quarrelling with the word of life 1 Pet. 2.8 and Christ the rock of salvation Thus Paul speaks of some who were contentious and obeyed not the truth Rom. 2.8 and of seducers who resist the truth 2 Tim. 3.8 Like these in Jude who contended so muth against the faith that all which Christians could do was little enough to contend for it against those who made the Gospel a plea for licenciousnesse 6. A sixth woe in this condemnation is progressiveness in sin 2 Tim. 3.13 and as the Apostle speaks of seducers a waxing worse and worse a walking so far into the sea of sin as at length to be over head and eares a descending to the bottom of the hill a daily treasuring up wrath a proficiency in Satans school a growing artificially wicked and even doctors of impiety 7. Which lastly will prove the great and heavy woe not to be contented to be wicked and to go to hell alone but to be leaders to sin 2 Tim. 3.13 and to leaven others with impiety and thus Paul saith that seducers were deceiving as well as deceived 2 Pet. 2.2 And Peter that many shall follow their pernicious wayes And certainly impiety propagated shall be condemnation heightned 2. Why is this punishment of seducers called Condemnation 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the cause for the effect I grant Condemnation is properly the sentence or censure condemning one to some punishment and though in this place it be taken for the very punishment it selfe yet fitly doth the Spirit of God set out this punishment of wicked men by a word that notes a sentencing them thereunto And that 1. Because a sentence of condemnation is even already denounced against them 2. Because it is such a punishment as by judiciary sentence is wont to be inflicted upon guilty offenders 1. It is really and truly denounced c. For besides Gods fore-appointing the wicked to this condemnation as it is the punishment of sin the execution of his justice wicked men are in this life sentenced to punishment 1. By the word of God which tels them that God will render to every man according to his deeds to them who do not obey the truth but obey unrighteousnesse indignation and wrath Rom. 2.8 c. And that he who believeth not is condemned already John 3.18 2. By their own conscience which accuseth and condemneth as Gods Deputy and here tels them what they deserve both here and hereafter If our hearts condemne us c. 1 John 3.20 c. 3. By the judgements of God manifested against those who have lived in the same sins the wrath of God being revealed against all unrighteousnesse Rom. 1.18 4. By the contrary courses of the godly The practices of Saints really proclaiming that because the wayes of the wicked are sinfull and destructive therefore they avoid them Mat. 12.41 42. and thus Noah sentenced the old world by being a practicall Preacher of righteousnesse 2 Pet. 2.5 And all these sentencings of wicked men do but make way for that last and great sentence to be pronounced at the day of judgment Mat. 7.23 Mat. 25.41 to the punishment both of eternall losse and pain 2. It is such a punishment as by judiciary sentence is wont to be executed upon guilty offenders and so it is in two respects 1. Because it is Righteous 2. Severe 1. Righteous These Seducers were not spiritually punished without precedent provocations Rom. 1.28 as they did not like to retaine God in their knowledge God gave them over to a reprobate mind 2 Thes 2.10 and God sends them justly strong delusions that they should beleeve and teach a lie because they received not the love of the truth and because they would not be Scholers of truth they justly become Masters of error 2. The punishment of wicked men is such as is wont to be inflicted upon offenders by a sentence because of its weight and severity It is not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not a paternall chastisement or a rebuke barely to convince of a fault but it 's 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Judges sentence condemning to a punishment the guilty Malefactor It is not medicinall but penall not the cutting of a Chirurgian but of a Destroyer the happinesse of correction stands in teaching us but this punishment is the giving of sinners up to unteachablenesse and what is it indeed but a hell on this side hell for God to withdraw his grace and to suffer men to be as wicked as they will to be daily damning themselves without controle to bee carried down to the gulf of perdition both by the wind of Satans tentation and which is worse the tide of sinfull inclination For God to say Be and do as bad as you will be filthy still Rev. 22.11 sleep on now and take your rest I le never jog nor disturb you in your sins How sore a judgment is it to be past feeling so as that nothing cooler than hel fire and lighter then the loyns of an infinite God can make us sensible though too late OBSERVATIONS 1. Observ 1. The condemnation of the wicked is begun in this life As heaven so hell is in the seed before it is in the fruit The wicked on this side hell are tunning and treasuring up that wrath Rom. 2.5 which hereafter shall be broached and revealed The wicked have even here hell in its causes The old bruises which their souls by sin have received in this life will be painfull when the change of weather comes when God alters their condition by death When thy lust asks How canst thou want the pleasure let thy faith answer by asking another question How can I bear the pain of such a sin Observ 2. Tristitia nostra quasi habet quia in somnis tranfit Qui somnium indicat addit quasi quasi sedebam quasi loquebar quasi equitabā quia cum evigelaverit non invenit quod videbat Quasi thesaurum inveneram dicit mendicus si quasi non esset mendicus non
which is given by some Papists who haply to wave the Doctrin of reprobation expound this fore-writing here mentioned to be the predictions by writing which went before in the Scriptures concerning these Seducers Nor can this writing here mention'd so be attributed to God as if either he could properly be said to have a memory or to remember any thing or had any defect or weaknesse of memory or had any materiall books wherein he wrote any thing at all but this writing or booking is spoken concerning him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by way of resembling him to man who what he purposeth exactly to remember or certainly to do he books and writes down before hand And the Scripture speaks of four Meta phoricall books or writings which God hath 1. The Book of his providence or Gods knowledge and decree of all the particular persons things and events that ever vvere or shall be in the world and in this book were written all the members of David Rom. 5.1 Summa judicii aequitas ex humano foro significatur Pareus in Apoc â—0 Psal 132.16 And all the tears of David Psal 56.8 2. The Book of the last and universall judgement which is the perfect knowledge that God hath of the actions of all men good and bad according to which at the last day he will give judgement thus Dan. 7.13 it s said The thrones shere set up c. and the books were opened And Revel 20.12 I saw the dead small and great stand before God and the books were opened It 's a term taken from publick judgements here among men wherein are produced all the writings of informations depositions of witnesses c. to shew that Gods Omniscience shall discover and rehearse all actions and his justice proceed accordingly 3. The Book of life Rev. 20.12 and 22 19. called also the Lambs book of life Revel 13.8 and 21.27 which is Gods eternall decree to bestow grace and glory upon some Phil. 4.3 and in this are set downe the names of the elect of these it is said often Their names are written in the book of life Luk. 10.20 and at the last day this book is said to be opened because it shall then be manifested to all who are elected 4. This writing here mentioned by Jude namely that black bill or the Catalogue of those whom God hath appointed unto wrath 1 Thes 5.9 ordinarily considered as the Positive or Affirmative part of Reprobation wherein God decreed justly to damn some for sin For Reprobation is considerable in a double act First Negative which is that of preterition or passing by of some and Gods will not to elect them Secondly Positive which is Gods ordaining them to punishment for sin And in both these acts there is a double degree In the first the Negative act Gods denying his grace in this life And 2. his denying them glory and salvation in the next life In the Positive or affirmative act 1. Gods ordaining the wicked to blindnesse and obduration here And 2. eternall condemnation hereafter And upon holy Scripture are both these acts and both the degrees of each of them evidently grounded 1. Concerning the Negative act speaks the Spirit of God John 10.36 Yee are not of my sheep And Matth. 7.23 I never knew you Mat. 13.11 To them it is not given to know the mysteries of the Kingdome And Mat. 11.25 Thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent c. for so it seemed good in thy sight And Rev. 13.8 20.15 There are some mentioned whose names are not written in the Book of Life 2. Concerning the Positive or Affirmative act speaks the Spirit of God in 1 Pet. 2.8 where the Apostle mentioning those that stumbled at the word and were disobedient saith they were appointed thereunto And Rom. 9.18 Whom he will be hardneth And ver 21. he speaks of Vessels made to dishonour And ver 22. 1 Thes 5.9 Of Vessels of wrath fitted to destruction And John 17.12 Judas is said to be a son of perdition And here Jude saith that these Seducers were written down and appointed to this condemnation which was their abode among the faithfull with an obstinate opposing of the truth and faith of Christ making way to their own eternall condemnation A doctrine I confesse not more distastfull to the bad then hard to be understood by the best It is no where as Pareus notes treating upon it Rom. 9. perfectly apprehended but in that eternall School I profess my greater desire to study then discuss it I did not seek it nor dare I altogether shun it ever remembring that though we must not rifle the cabinet of the secret decree yet neither bushel the candle of Scripture-discovery the former being unwarrantable curiosity the later sinfull ingratitude Briefly therefore 2 For the second in what respect this ordination is said to be before of old The word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of old is sometime applyed to a thing done a little time before Pilate asks of Joseph who came unto him to ask the body of Jesus whether he had been 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 any while dead The word as Doctor Twiss observes doth not signifie any definite time It is applicable even to eternity And though as he notes the signification of the word be not extended to eternity by any force in it selfe yet from the matter whereof the Apostle treats viz. the ordination or decree of God which is eternall it ought to be so extended The denyall of the eternity of Gods decree was one of the prodigious doctrines of Vorstius As the ancient of dayes was before there was a day so this of old was before there was an age Which as it refers to the forementioned ordination comprehends in the judgment of many Learned and Godly Divines as well 1. The independency and absolutenesse of this ordination As 2. The immutability and unchangeableness of this ordination 1. For the first This ordination according to some was absolute from all causes in the creature of old before these Seducers were before their sins were in respect not only of their actuall existence but even of their prevision also and foresight of their futurition or coming to passe hereafter And in delivering their judgement herein 1. q. 23. Art 5. they consider Reprobation with Aquinas and other Shoolmen either in respect of the act of God reprobating Gods willing and decreeing or in respect of the effect thereof the things willed or decreed as God wills that one thing should be for another 1. As to Reprobation in respect of the act or decree of Gods reprobating or Gods willing or decreeing they say the sins of the creature cannot be assigned as the cause of reprobation Non est assignare causam divinae voluntatis ex parte actus volendi Aquin ubi supr and herein they agree with Aquinas and the sounder Schoolmen They conceive that the decree of reprobation was not without the
writing of God as a mans book may be lost or burnt but it continues irreversibly and inviolably to be performed he who wrote it wants not skill nor will nor power to bring to pass whatever he hath written in it What God hath written he hath written and though sometimes he changeth his denunciations yet never his decrees I am the Lord I change not Mal. 3.6 The strength of Israel is not as man that he should repent 1 Sam. 15.29 His counsell shall stand Prov. 19.22 The Lord hath purposed it who shall disannul it Isai 14.27 The number of those appointed to wrath 1 Thes 5.9 is determined as well materialiter who as formaliter how many they are Gods appointments are peremptory not depending upon the variable will of man as if God had determined certainly concerning none but only as he sees they will beleeve or not beleeve for how sutes it with the wisdome of God so to work as to determine nothing of the end of his work To make man and not to appoint what shall become of him How with the love he bears to his own glory to have creatures more beholding to themselves than their Maker To hear them using this language That we may escape hell if we will we thank God but that wee do wee thank our selves who by the use of our free-will made that possibility beneficiall to our selves OBSERVATIONS 1. Obser 1. Groundless are the exceptions which corrupt mindes raise against the delivering this Doctrine of Reprobation and weak are the calumnies with which they load it Exceptions prevented 1. For the first God cannot be charged with cruelty in any mans Reprobation It is no cruelty in God to deny him grace to whom it is not at all due but an act of just liberty and free power Rom. 9.21 nor can it be cruelty but vindicative justice for God to appoint men to punishment for sinne Rom. 9.22 This will be more clear if we consider Ea gratia quae per communis providentiae administrationem sive sub lege naturae sive sub gratiâ Evangelicâ hominibus vario dimenso dispensatur per hunc praeteritionis actum non adimitur sed potius praesupponitur Synops pur theol p. 290. Deus nunquam indurat nisi habito respectu ad praecedentia peccata Riv. disp that by Reprobation all grace is not denied but onely that grace which is peculiar to the Elect. That which is afforded by the administration of common providence either under the Law of Nature or the dispensation of the Gospell being not taken away God leaves the reprobate to their own free-will under his common providence and in it affords to them those benefits which in the state of innocency were sufficient to salvation and which in this state of corruption especially under the Gospell make men altogether without excuse before God And God never decreed to leave and harden any in sinne but such who by their own free-will leave God harden themselves against his wayes and abuse his abundant mercy extended towards them God never appointed that any should stumble at the word but for their contempt of it From falling into which impiety that the Elect are prevented is to be attributed to the free will or mercy of God extended indeed to them but due to none 2. Nor secondly by decreeing the reprobation of sinners can any conclude that God is the cause of the sins for which the reprobate are damned Deo reprobante non irrogatur a liquid quo homo fit deterior sed tantum non erogatur quo fiat melior Aug. Inter antecedens consequens non intercedit Causalitas Although by reprobation God puts forth no act whereby man is made holy yet neither is any thing done by it whereby a man is made wicked 'T is true sin is a consequent of Gods decree or that which followes upon it as its antecedent but no effect flowing from the decree as its cause It followes not because God gives not that therefore he takes away repentance from sinners and that he throws down because he raises not up The Sun cannot be said to be the cause of darknesse although darknesse necessarily followes the withdrawing of it nor is reprobation the cause of sin Liberalitas Dei quâ conservamur ne cadamus Labilitas nostra quâ cadimus nisi conservâ—mur although sin infallibly follow reprobation It s Gods bounty whereby we are preserved from falling our own unstablenesse whereby we fall unlesse we be preserved Predestination is an effectuall cause in the producing of all salutiferous actions but reprobation is no effectuall cause in the producing of wicked actions and neither the one nor the other implyeth any compulsion or forcing unto actions whether good or evill True it is that God decreed not only privatively and permissively but also with an energeticall working will to be conversant about sinfull actions As 1. That he would give to the sinner at the very time when sinfull actions are committed the power and use of understanding and free will without which hee could not sin And 2. That he would concur ad materialem actionem peccati to the matter of the action it self which otherwise could not come into act or being 3. That he would deny all such means as would have prevented the sinners sinning 4. That he would lay before sinners those occasions and possibly stir up in them those cogitations which he knew they would abuse to the committing of sin 5. That he would so limit and order their sins that they should break forth in no other measure at no other time upon no other persons than hmiself hath fore-appointed 6. That all their sins should turn to his own glory and the good of his Elect but any energeticall operative will of God which so hath a working in sinfull actions as that it is the cause quod talis actio fit cum tali defectu or that it should work the contrariety and repugnancy of the sinners will to the Law of God or that there should be any influence sent into the wils of men from the decree to cause this we utterly deny and disclaim The liberty of the will is not at all extinguished by the decree of God but freely and upon deliberate choice wicked men doe as they doe having not only potentiam in se liberam but liberum usum potentiae and the dominion of free-agents over their actions which ever are the productions of their own frail and defiled free-will The decree of Reprobation never shews it self by any such influx or impression as instills any malicious quality into mans will or forces it unto any malicious action 3. Neither can this Doctrine of Reprobation justly bee charged to be a meanes of driving men to Despair rather granting the truth of this Arminian conceit that all were reprobated who were not foreseen beleeving and persevering with much more dreadful advantage may Satan fasten temptations on poor wretches
vintage of a judgment he leaves the gleanings of grapes upon the Vine of his Church Hee never shakes his Olive tree so throughly but he leaves at least two or three berries in the top of the uppermost bough four or five in the outmost branches Isa 17.6 Though I make a full end of all Nations whither I have driven thee Jer. 30.11 Jer. 46.28 yet will I not make a full end of thee but correct thee in measure yet will I not leave thee wholly unpunished Let not Israel presume upon mercy if they will sin but yet let them not despair of mercy though they suffer God will not cast off his people Ps 94.14 Though the destruction of his Israel be never so great yet it shall never be totall and should many fall yet all shall not the cause the interest of Christ shall not and though possibly in a wildernesse of common calamities the carcasses of some of his owne may fall among others so as they may never live to enter the Canaan of a longed for peace and reformation in this life yet by faith ascending up to the Nebo of a promise they may behold it afar off and see it possessed by their posterity they themselves mean while repenting of their unbelief and unworthinesse and so entring that heavenly Canaan where they shall enjoy the fulness of that which here they could have enjoyed but in part The third branch of the example of the Israelites is the cause of their destruction viz their infidelity contained in these words That beleeved not EXPLICATION For the Explication whereof two things are considerable 1. In what respect these Israelites are here said not to beleeve 2. Why they were punished for this their not believing rather then for any other sin I. For the first Unbeleevers 1. are frequently in Scripture taken for Pagans and Heathens 1 Tim. 5.8 2 Cor. 6.14 15 1 Cor. 14.23 who are alwayes without the profession of the Faith and oft without the very offer of the Word the means of knowing that Faith which is to be professed and then it s termed an unbelief of pure negation 2. Unbeleevers are said to be such who though they professe the faith and hear and know the word yet deny that credence to it which God requires and their unbeleef called an unbeleef of evill disposition is either a deniall of assent to the truths asserted in the word or of trust and affiance to the promises of good contained in the same and both these are either temporary or totall and perpetuall Into the former sometimes the elect may fall as particularly did those two disciples who by their unbeleef drew from Christ this sharp reproofe Luk. 24.25 Mark 16.11.13.14 O fools and slow of heart to beleeve all that the prophets have written And for this it was that Christ upbraided the eleven when they beleeved not them who had seen him after he was risen Luk. 1.20 And of righteous Zecharie is it said that he beleeved not those words which were to be fulfill'd in their season Into that unbeleef which is totall and habituall Joh. 6.64.65 Joh. 10.25.26 Jo. 12.37.38.39 the reprobabate only fall of whom Christ speaks Ye beleeve not because yee are not of my sheep and afterward the Evangelist They beleeved not nay they could not beleeve because that Isaias said he hath blinded their eyes c. as also Act. 10.9 divers were hardned and beleeved not These abide in unbelief John 3. ult and the wrath of God abideth on them This unbeleef of the Israelites did principally consist in their not yeelding trust and affiance to the gracious and faithful promises made by God to their forefathers and often renewd to themselves of bestowing upon them the land of Canaan for their inheritance Vide Numb Chapters 13. and 14. These promises upon the report of the spies concerning the strength of the Canaanites and their Cities were by the people so far distrusted and deemed so impossible to be fulfilled as that they not only wish'd that they had dyed in Egypt but resolved to make them a Captain to return thither again And probable it is that the unbeleef of the most was perpetnal Certumest complures fuisse pios qui vel communi impietate non fuerunt impliciti vel mox resipuerunt Cal. in Heb. 3.18 but that others even of those who at the first and for a time did distrust the faithfulnesse of Gods promise by the threatnings and punishments denounced against and inflicted upon them repented afterward of their infidelity and so beleeved that God was faithfull in his promise though they by reason of their former unbelief did not actually partake of the benefit thereof However this their sin of distrustfulnesse was their great and capitall sin that sin like the Anakims which they so feared much taller than the rest and which principally was that provocation in the wildernesse spoken of so frequently in the Scripture Heb. 3.8.12 16.18 Psal 95 8. Incredulitas malorum omnium caput Cal. in Heb. 3.18 And hence it is that God explaines this provoking him by not beleeving him How long saith he Numb 14.11 will this people provoke me how long will it be ere they beleeve me and that it was their great stop in the way to Canaan is evident in that the punishment of exclusion from Canaan was immediately upon their unbeleef inflicted upon them as also by the expresse testimony of the Apostle who saith that they could not enter in because of unbelief II. For the second Why they were destroyed rather for their unbelief then for other sins 1. Their unbelief was the root and fountain of all the rest of their sins Heb. 3.12 Jer. 17.5 This evill heart of unbelief made them depart from the living God by their other provocations All sins would be bitter in the acting if we beleeved that they would be bitter in their ending Faith is the shield of every grace 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1 Pet. 2.7 8. Acts 15.9 and Unbelief the shield of every sin Faith purifies Unbelief pollutes the heart Vnbeleevers and disobedient are in the Greek expressed by one word Heb. 11.31 What but unbelief was the cause of all those impatient murmurings of the Israelites Had they beleeved a faithfull God Num. 14.27 they would quietly have waited for the accomplishment of his promises Had they believed in him who is Alsufficient they would in the want of all means of supply have look'd upon them as laid up in God The reason why they made such sinfull haste to get flesh was because their unbelieving heart thought that God could not furnish a table in the wildernesse What but their not believing a great and dreadfull Majestie made them so fearlesly rebellious against God and their Governours What but their not believing an All-powerfull God made them to fear the Gyants and walled Cities of Canaan Faith went out and fear and every sin got
God by the promise made to Solomon and so prevailed against the children of Ammon 3. Beware of giving way to the love of any one sin The love of sin hinders beleeving Sin will not act beleevingly nor faith sinfully It s the nature of sin to cause guilt and fear it expects not performances but repulses from God How can any one depend upon me for a courtesie who knows that I am acquainted with his underhand and unkind contrivances against me Besides the love of any one sin hinders from yeilding to the terms of the promise it would be loose and yet have God bound whereas he never made his promises to gratifie lust but to engage us to holinesse Nor will faith act sinfully Faith embraceth the whole word of God even precepts as well as promises and respects the rules prescribed as well as the rewards promised it works uniformly and it trusteth to God in the way of his commands not in the precipices of sin Trust in him and do good Psal 31.3 Besides it acts warily and in the eye of God and therefore holily and tells us that if we must not tell a lie to promote Gods cause much lesse to procure our own comforts 4. Limit not Good for the way of accomplishing of his promise This is the noted sin of Israel Psal 78.41 They limited the holy one of Israel they circumscribed him for the way of bestowing of mercy Dcum metiri suo modulo Cal. in loc within the narrow bounds of their own apprehensions Whereas if hee will work who shall hinder him Faith triumphs over difficulties and measures not God by the narrow scantling of reason knowing that things that are impossible with us Rom. 4.19 are easie with God This was the excellency of Abrahams so much commended faith that hee considered neither the improbability of performing the promise of having a son when his body and Sarahs womb were both dead Heb. 11.17 nor the incongruity of performing the command of sacrificing his son which seemed to destroy both Gods faithfulnesse and his owne expectations And this is indeed the duty of beleevers only to consider who promiseth and who commands and neither to question what is promised though never so impossible nor to forbear what is commanded though never so unpleasing 5. When God affords thee creature-props trust not to them Men would never be distrustfull when the creature departs if they did not confide in it when it stayes If we would not account our selves the stronger for having worldly helps wee should not esteem our selves the weaker for the wanting them Could we live upon God alone in the use wee might live upon him alone in the losse of the creature It s a noble faith that depends upon God in the strength of means like that of Asa and Jehoshaphat the former of whom having an army of five hundred and fourscore thousand to rest upon 2 Chron. 14.8.11 2 Chron. 17.14 15 2 Chron. 20.12 when Zerah the Ethiopian came against him adventur'd not upon so feeble a crutch but expresseth himself thus in his prayer Lord we have no power and we rest on thee and the later when his enemies made warre upon him though he had an army of eleven hundred and threescore thousand fighting men professing thus Lord we have no might neither know we what to do but our eyes are upon thee He who will account God to be all when the creature is at the best and fullest will surely account him so when the creature proclaims its nothingnesse 6. Trust God in the serving of his providence and in the use of such means as he hath appointed and sanctified He that will not do for himselfe what he can may not trust that God should do for him what hee would Though man liveth not by bread alone but by the word of blessing which proceedeth out of the mouth of God yet that word is by God annexed unto bread not to stones and that man shall not trust God but tempt him In viis custodiet nun quid in praecipitiis Bern. ser 14. in Psal Qui hab who should expect to have stones turned into bread If God hath provided staires it is not faith but fury to go down by a precipice thus Davids trusting in the name of the Lord made him not to throw away his sling when he went against Goliah Jacobs supplicating of God made him not neglect the sending a present to his brother The fast of Esther made her not forget to feast the king second causes are to be used in obedience to Gods order not in confidence of their own help the creature must be the object of our diligence though not of our trust Faith while it causeth us to be so diligent in the use of meanes as if God did nothing for us causeth us so to withdraw our trust from the means as if God were to do all for us He who in observing the other rules hath also added this may quietly rest upon God for promised mercy lay the matter before God and humbly put him to the accomplishing part VER 6. And the Angls which kept not their first estate but left their own habitation he hath reserved in everlasting chains under darknesse unto the judgment of the great day IN this second example of Gods severity which was exprest against the falne Angels these two parts are contained 1. The revolt and defection of the Angels 2. The ruine and downfall of the Angels I. In the first these three particulars are principally considerable 1. By whom this defection was made 2. From what this defection was made 3. Wherein this defection was made 1. It was made by the Angels 2. It was from their first estate and their owne habitation 3. It was 1. in not keeping the former and 2. In leaving the later II. In the second are considerable these two parts 1. The punishment which now they undergo in the prison they being in that reserved in everlasting chains under darknesse 2. The punishment which shall hereafter be laid upon them at and after their appearing at the barr They being reserved c. unto the judgement of the great day In the former their punishment of the prison is twofold 1. Reservation in everlasting chains 2. Vnder darknesse In the later their punishment is considerable 1. In that to which they shall be brought viz to judgement 2. In the time when they shall be brought to judgement viz. at the great day I begin with the first part Part 1. their defection and revolt and therein I consider 1. The persons by whom this defection was made viz. the Angels EXPLICATION The word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Angels Angelorum nomen sacrae scrip turae peculiare prafani Scriptores Graeci per vocem 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Latini Geniorum ferè exprimunt Synop. pur theol disp 12. p. 117. is a terme peculiar to the Scripture profane Writers among the Grecians expresse them
consumed by fire Let us love the world as alway about to leave it and delight in the best of earthly enjoyments only as refreshments in our journey not as in the comforts of our country only as things without which we cannot live not as things for which we do live not making them fetters but only using them as furtherances to our place of setlement Wicked Cain was the first that ever built a city and yet even then the Holy Ghost brands him with the name of a Vagabond The godly of old dwelt in tabernacles Heb. 11.9 and the reason was because they looked for a city which hath foundations whose builder and maker is God To conclude Let the sin of these angels in leaving this habitation make us fear lest we should fall short of it let us be throughly sensible of our misery by nature in being born without a right to it and interest in it Let us speedily get into and constantly keep in the way that leads unto it Christ is that way let us by faith procure him as one who hath purchased it for us by the merit of his obedience and in him let us continue that he may prepare us for it by his spirit of holinesse Let us profitably improve those ordinances which are the gates of heaven let us content our selves with no degree of proficiency by them but proceed from strength to strength till at last we appear before God in this habitation The third branch of this first part of the text containing the sin of these angels is this Wherein this defection of the angels was seen and did consist This is expressed two ways 1. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 2. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Gerh. in 2 Pet. 1. Negatively They kept not c. 2. Affirmatively They left their c. EXPLICATION The nature of the subject and indeed the very expressions of the Apostle of not keeping and leaving puts us upon explaining three particulars 1. What was the original cause that these angels made a defection or that they kept not their first estate 2 What was that first sin whereby this defection was made or their first estate not kept 3. In what degree and measure it was made it being here said they kept not their c. but left their own c. 1. For the first 1. God who is infinitely and perfectly good and holy the fountain of all goodnesse and goodnesse it self was not the cause of the sinfull defection of these angels nor had it been justice in God to have condemned them for that which himselfe had caused or to make them fall and then to punish them for falling And whereas it is objected that God might have hindred them from falling therefore he was the cause thereof I answer 1. Not every one who can hinder an evill is accessary to it unlesse he be bound to hinder it but God was not here so bound Angeli homines ex officio debeut Deo Deus nihil debet nisi 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 quum se ipse obstring it ultro ex promissionibus gratiae Illi ex natur â debent Deo natura debetur ipsa Junius in loc Asserunt malam esse naturā quae immutari nullo modo potest Aug. con 2. ep Pet. Nor oweth he any thing to any of his creatures further then he bindeth himselfe Angels and men are bound to God Ex officio by duty nothing from God is due to them but of his own good will and pleasure when freely and of his own accord he binds himself to them by his promise of grace Angels and men owe to God all they are all they have all they have lost they are debtors to God by nature and even nature it selfe is owing to God 2. Nor secondly Were the angels made to sin as the Manichees fondly and falsly imagined by some first evill cause which as they held was the original and fountain of all sin and whereby a necessity of sinning lay upon creatures from the very being of nature which therefore could not be changed from being evill but was so unavoidably unalterably 3. Nor thirdly Do I conceive that this sin of the angels proceeded from any error or ignorance in their understanding before their sin as if their understanding first judged that to be good which was not and therefore they afterwards sinn'd in willing and embracing that good for this were to make them erroneous before they were unholy miserable before they were sinfull whereas the ignorance of that which ought to be known is a part of sin and all misery is a fruit of sin * Illa ignorantia five error secundùm quem omnis peccans ignorat et errat propriè non est causa peccati sed potius aliquid peccati Peccat enim homo eo ipso quòd ratio pravè judicat Peccat inchoativè sicut consummativè peccat in eo quod voluntas malè eligit Nam omne peccatum quasi duabusillis partibus constat c. Error judicii non est separandus à peccato sed in plena ejus ratione includitur Estius in l. 2. sent dist 22. That ignorance or error saith Estius whereby he who sins is ignorant and erroneous properly is not a cause of sin but something of sin for a man who judgeth amisse sins inchoatively as he whose will chuseth wickedly sins consummatively and compleatly for all sin he saith doth as it were consist and is made up of two parts false judgement and evill election and the error of judgement is not to be separated from sin but to be included in and * Involvitur ignorantia malae electionis sub ipso malae electionis peccato tanquam aliquid ei intrinsecum propriè dicimus omnem qui peccat eo ipso quo peccat errare impropriè autem omnem peccantem ex errore peccare Id. ib. involved under the sin it selfe of evil election as something intrinsecall to it and that every one who sins properly is said to err in that he sins and improperly said to sin by or from error And thus the soundest among the Schoolmen answer the Objection against the possibility of the fal of the angels taken from this ground that every sin proceeds from ignorance which cannot say they be true of the sin of the angels 4. Fourthly I conceive that sin being a defect a privation of good and a want of due rectitude hath not properly any cause whereby it may be said to be effected or made Sin is not a nature or a being for then it should be a creature and appetible every creature desiring it's being and by consequence good Nor yet is it a meer negation of good for then the bare absence of any good belonging to another creature would be a mans sin But sin is a privation of that good which hath been and should be in one Now in regard sin is a privation and defect Let none they are the words of Augustine enquire after the
what continuance hath the reflection in the glass if the man who looks into it turn away his face The constant supplies of the spirit of Jesus Christ are the food the fuel of all our graces The best men shew themselves but men if God leave them He who hath set them up must also keep them up It s safer to be humble with one talent then proud with ten yea better to be a humble worm than a proud angel 2. Nothing is so truly base and vile as sin Observat 2. 'T is that which hath no proper being and is below the lowest of all creatures It 's very nature stands in the defection of nature and privation of goodnesse what is it but the deflowring and fall the halting and deformity of the creature So obscure is its extract that there can be no being properly assigned to it as its originall cause It came not from nature as it was but as it was of nothing Sin alone debaseth and disennobleth nature What prodigious folly is it to be patient under it much more to be proud of it what generous princely spirit can contentedly be a servant of servants A slave to sin is guilty of a more unsutable condescention sin alone is the souls degradation We never go below our selves but in sinning against God Omnis elongatio ab altissimo est descensio Parisiens They who glory in sin glory in their shame they who are ashamed of holinesse are ashamed of their glory Sin removes from the highest and therefore it must needs be a descending 3. Observ 3. In defection from God there is an imitation of the divel He was the first who left his first estate Every backslider followes Satan though every one goeth not so farre as hee all decayes in holinesse are steps towards his condition Satans chiefest industry is to pull others after him he loves to have followers and not to be sinfull and miserable alone if he can make men to decline in grace Luk. 22.31 he can be contented to let them thrive in the world he cares for no plunder but that of jewels and being the greatest enemy he studies to deprive us of our greatest happinesse Christians of all decayes take heed of those that are spirituall Better to lose thy gold then to lose thy God to be turned out of thy house then to part with holinesse and heaven He that loseth all the comforts in the world can but be a beggar but he who forsakes God becomes a divell Of this largely before 4. Observ 4. 'T is hard to be high and not to be high-minded to be adorn'd with any excellencies and not unduly to reflect upon them It s a naturall evill to make our selves the centers of our own perfections 2 King 18.33 34 45. Rom. 10.3 Phil. 3.6 9. Ezek. 38.2 6. to stay and rest in our excellencies Men of power are apt to deify their owne strength men of morality to advance their own righteousnesse and to rely on their merits men of wisdome to set up their own reason How just is it with God to hinder the creature from inchroaching upon his owne prerogative to make those low Humiliatio humilitatis mater Psal 9.19 20. who otherwise would not be lowly and to let them know that they are but men God singles out such to be the most notable monuments of his justice and their own folly who vie with him in divine prerogatives Act. 12.23 If God hath appointed that we should go out of our selves unto things below for a vitall subsistence to bread for food to clothes for warmth c. much more will he have us to go out of our selves for a blessed and happy subsistence more being required unto blessednesse then unto life Psal 10.14 Zeph. 3.12 Hos 2.7 It 's the poor who commits himselfe to God Nothing will make us seek for help above our selves without an apprehension of weaknesse in our selves The vine the ivine the hop the woodbind are taught by nature to cling and to wind about stronger trees Men commit themselves to the sea naked and do not load themselves with gold treasure and rich apparel How fearfull should poor worms be of that sin which God allowed not in angels and whereby they became divels Let us be cloathed with humility 1 Pet. 5.5 The adorned with this grace are only meet to attend upon the King of Glory Quis sicut Deus even an Archangel Michael hath humility imprinted on his name Humility is the ornament of angels and pride the deformity of divels If heaven will not keep a proud angel it will keep out a proud soul In all conditions of highnesse we should take heed of highmindednesse As 1. in the highnesse of worldly advancements poverty and disgrace are the food of humility Riches and honour are the fuel of pride I have read of a bird that is so light and feathery that it alwayes flies with a stone in its mouth lest otherwise the winds should carry it away In high conditions we shall be carryed away with pride unlesse we carefully keep our hearts David and Asa were both lifted up in their outward greatnesse It s hard to walk in slippery places of prosperity and not to slip by pride we commonly most forget God and our selves when he remembers us most 2. In the highnesse of raised endowments abilities and performances It s said of Nazianzen that he was high in his works and lowly in his thoughts a rare temper our very graces and good works not seldome occasion pride I have heard of a man who having kill'd an Elephant with his weapon was himselfe kill'd with the fall thereof And nothing is more ordinary than for high services possibly the conquest of some corruption or tentation to usher in that pride which may hurt the performers Sciendo bona opera nesciamus illa Magna rara virtus manifestam omnibus tuam te solum latere sanctitatem We should know our good works as if we knew them not It 's a rare and noble temper when that worth which all others observe is only hid to him in whom it is How few are there who hide their beautifull endowments by humility as Moses's parents did their beautifull son for safety and with Moses when hee spake with God pull off their shoos and hide their faces Uncover and acknowledge the lownesse the infirmities and cover the beauty and comelinesse of their services When Satan spreads our gifts and graces let us spread our sins our weaknesses before our eyes and so the soul may have its ballast evenly proportioned and on both sides There 's no poyson hurts so dangerously although delightfully as the contemplation of and reflexion on our seeming deservings Scotus dist 6. q. 2. art 2. Scotus calls the sin of the angels Luxuriam spiritualem a kind of spirituall luxury whereby they were too much delighted in their own excellencies It s only a
discovered his humbling quickning strengthning presence to thee in thee Let no Sacrifice please thee without fire Love the Ordinances because God meets thee in them If God be not at home think it not enough that his servants his Ministers have spoken to thee Let the society of Saints be thy solace and deerly esteem those in whom thou beholdest any resemblance of God With the wicked converse rather as a Physician to cure them than as a companion to delight in them Let not thy heart be taken with any comfort any further then thou beholdest the heart of the giver in it or findest thine own raised to serve and delight in him 4. No distress should dishearten those here Observ 4. to whom God will not deny his presence hereafter Though God brings them into miseries yet he will not exclude them with the miserable If men cast them out of their company yet Christ will never say to them Depart from me If they want an house to hide their heads in and a bed to rest their bodies on yet their Fathers house and bosome will supply both Let men do their worst they may send Saints to him not from him How little do those rods smart in striking with which the Lord takes not away his loving-kindnesse What hath that poverty more then a name which is not accompanied and followed with the loss of God himself In a word Though sometimes the Saints sit in darkness and see no light yet is light sown for them they shall not lie under darknesse but after the darkest night of desertion shall arise to them that glorious Sun of Gods presence which shall never go down again but make an eternall day Thus farre for the first part of the punishment of the Angels viz. that which they undergoe in in the prison The second follows viz. that which shall be laid upon them at and after their appearing at the barr and in that first to what they are reserved viz. to judgment EXPLICATION There are two things may here bee enquired after 1 What we are to understand by the judgement to which these angels are reserved 2 How the angels which are punished already are yet said to be reserved to judgment 1 For the first Though the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 judgment be frequently in Scripture taken more largely and improperly for the cause of punishment John 3.19 for the government of the world John 5.22 amendment or reformation John 12.31 c. for the place of judgment Matth. 5.22 yet in this place it comes more close to its own proper signification according to which it imports a judiciary trial of and proceeding about causes In which respect it s taken in this place and oft in the new Testament for the solemn action of the last and generall judgment Mat. 10.15 Mat. 11.22 24 and 12.36 Mark 6.11 2 Pet. 3.7 Where we read of the day of judgment and Ecc. 11.9 12.14 Luke 10.14 Heb. 9.27 10.27 where there is mention made of this judgment Which judgment consists of three parts Veritas in inquisitione nuditas in publicatione serenitas in executione 1 A discussion and manifestation of the faults for which the prisoners were committed 2 A pronouncing sentence upon them for every crime discussed and manifested 3 A severe executing upon them the sentence so pronounced 1. Act. 23.3 1 Tim. 5.24 Act. 16.15 2 Cor. 5.14 In this judgment faults and causes shal be discussed and manifested and judgment is sometime in Scripture put for this discussion and discerning of causes some mens sins are open before hand going before to judgement c. 1 Tim. 5.24 c. And this knowledg of the cause is intended Cunctaque cunctorum cunctis arcana patebunt Ezra 4.15.19 and 6.2 Est 6.1 Deu. 32.34 Psal 56.8 Jer. 3.22 Hos 7.2 1 Cor. 4.5 Rev. 20.12 Where we have mention of those who stand before God of the opening of the books and the judging out of those things which were written in the books For though at the last judgment God will make use of no books properly so called yet all the works of the judged shall be as manifestly known as if God kept registers rolls and records of them in heaven and at his coming he will bring to light the hidden things of darknesse and will make manifest the counsells of the hearts that the righteousnesse of his proceedings may appear to all These books of discovery are two 1 that of Gods omniscience 2 that of the creatures conscience 1 According to the former every creature is manifest in his sight and all things are opened unto his eyes Heb. 4.13 Mat. 3.16 Joh. 2.25 Jer. 23.24 Mar. 4.22 Rom. 2.5.16 he hath a book of remembrance he needeth not that any should testifie of man for he knoweth what is in man As God hates sin wheresoever he knows it so he knows it wheresoever it is Men may hide their sins from men from God they cannot Men may like foolish children when they shut their eyes and see none think that none sees them but the light and the darknesse are both alike to God Nor can any Isa 29.15 by seeking deep to hide their counsels from the most High help himself Never hath one sin since the creation of the world Deus nec fallitur nec flectitur slip'd from the memory of Gods knowledg though he hath been pleased to put away the sins of some out of the memory of his vengeance Nor doth he forget any sin out of necessity but meerly out of mercy 2 According to the later * Ad hunc librum emendandum omnes alii libri sunt inventi Quid libri aperti nifi conscientia non atramento scripti sed delictorū inquinamento Amb. in Ps 1. Psal 51. Idem judex reus testis tortor flagellum the book of Conscience the Lord will in the generall Judgment bring to every mans remembrance what he hath done he will set the sins of the wicked in order before them Psalm 50. their consciences shall then be dilated and irradiated by the power of God Here in this life Conscience is brib'd and gives in an imperfect but then it shall bring a full and impartiall evidence against sinners who shall be speechlesse and have their mouthes stop'd Hence Jude 15. it is said that God shall 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 convince all the ungodly Their faults shall be so demonstrated to them that they shall have nothing to object but shall be compelled to acknowledge all both in point of fact and desert That which before was almost imperceptible shall being held to the fire of vengeance and the light of conscience be made legible 2 In this judgment to which these angels shall bee brought there shall be a decisive definitive sentence Isa 5.3 Matt. 7.1 John 18.31 Acts 24.6 Acts 17.31 Matth. 19.28 1 Cor. 6.3 Acts 4.19 And frequently and most properly in Scripture is judgment taken for a
enemies A greater punishment undoubtedly to those proudest of creatures then was that to Bajazet whose back famous Tamberlane used for an horsblock to raise him up to his Steed when he caused him to be carried up and down as a spectacle of infamy in all his triumphant journeys 2. By the last judgment there shall be an accession of punishment to these angels in respect of their restraint because then they shall be unable to seduce the wicked or to hurt the elect any more Their chain now more loose shall then be so strait that they shall never come neer nor among the Saints of God A vehement vexation to those malicious spirits whose element is mischief and their torment restraint from doing hurt They now deem it some lessening of their torment to be suffered to tempt men to sin They think themselves hereby somewhat revenged on God as he that defaceth the picture of his enemy when he cannot come at his person easeth his spleen a little or as the dog somewhat breaks his rage by gnawing the stone when he cannot reach the thrower They now walk abroad as it were with their keeper but then they shall be closely confin'd yea dungeon'd Now they contain their hell then their hell shall contain them In short As the punishment of wicked men shall be at the full when their souls and bodies are reunited and both cast into hell so the torment of these angels shall be compleated when at the last day they shall be so fettered in their infernall prison as that there will be no possibility of stirring forth They are now entred into divers degrees of punishment but the full wrath of God is not powred out upon them till the day of judgment OBSERVATIONS 1 No secrecy can shelter sin from Gods observation Observ 1. He who will make sins known to conscience and all spectators must needs know them himself Sins are undoubtedly written in if they be read out of the book God need not wrack no nor ask the offender to know whether he hath sinn'd or no he searcheth the heart Jer. 17.10 Psal 11.4 he tryeth the reins his eyes behold his eye-lids try the children of men He compasseth he winnoweth our paths and is acquainted with all our wayes Psal 139. Whither shall we flie from his presence He understands our thoughts afar off knows them long before they come into us and long after they are gone away from us All the secrets of our hearts are dissected anatomized and bare-fac'd in his eyes He who knew what we would do before we did it must needs know what we have done afterwards There 's nothing existing in the world but was before in Gods knowledg as the house is first in the head before erected by the hand of the Artificer He made us and therefore knows every nook and corner and turning in us and we are sustained and moved by him in our most retired motions How plainly discerned by him is the closest hypocrite and every Divel though in a Samuel's mantle We can onely hear but God sees hollownesse We do but observe the surface but Gods eye pierceth into the entrails of every action He sees not as man sees Man looketh on the outward appearance but God looketh on the heart How exact should we be even in secret walkings we being constantly in the view of so accurate an observer We should set the Lord always before us The eye of God should ever be in our eys the presence of God is the counterpoyson of sin Whensoever thou art sinning remember that all thou dost is book'd in Gods omniscience Latimer being examined by his Popish Adversaries heard a pen walking behind the hangings to take all his words this made him wary how he express'd himself but more cause have we to fear sin since God writes down every offence and will one day so read over his book to Conscience that it shall be compell'd to copie it out with infinite horror God did but read one page one line of this book one sin to the conscience of Judas and the terror thereof made him his own executioner 2 How foolish are sinners Observ 2. who are so despairing at and yet so fearlesse before the pronouncing of the last sentence Most irrationall is that resolution Because sentence against an evill work is not executed speedily therefore to be fully set to do evill Eccles 8.11 How wise were it to argue contrarily Because the sentence is deferr'd therefore let us labour to have it prevented and to say with the Apostle 2 Pet. 3.11 What manner of persons ought we to be The deferring of judgment is no signe of its prevention the speedy repentance of sinners would be a much more comfortable prediction Wrath when it is to come may be fled from when once it is come it is unavoidable Christians be as wise for your souls as the Egyptians were for their cattel who fearing the threatning of bail took them into houses Faith in threatnings of judgment may prevent the feeling of judgments threatned For your souls sake be warned to get your pardon in the blood if ever you would avoid the sentence of the mouth of Christ If the Judg give you not a pardon here he will give you a sentence hereafter It 's onely the blood of Christ which can blot the book of Judgment Judg your selves and passe an irrevocable sentence upon your sins if you would not be sentenc'd for your sins Repent at the hearing of Ministers in this your day for if you put off that work till God speaks in his day Repentance it self will be unprofitable If you harden your hearts here in sin the heart of Christ will be hardened hereafter in his sentencing and your suffering The great work of poor Ministers is the prevention of the dreadfull sound of the last Sentence Knowing the terror of the Lord they warn you All the hatred we meet with in the world is for our loving plainness herein but we will not cease to warn you with tears as well as with sweat we can better bear your hatred here then either you or we bear Gods hereafter and we had rather your lusts should curse us here then your souls to all eternity If our voyce cannot make you bend Gods will make you break If you will not hearken is it not because the Lord will slay you 3 Great is the sinfulness of rash judgment Observat 3 It 's a sin that robs Christ of his honour whereby a man advanceth himself into Christs Tribunal and which takes the work of judgment out of Christs hand and therefore the Apostle Rom. 14.10 1 Cor. 4 5. strongly argues a-against it from the last judgment Christians commit this sin both by a curious inquisition into the wayes of others for this end that they may finde out matter of defamation and principally by passing of sentence or giving of censure against the persons and practices of others without a
he means he will not utterly destroy he will not be like a Conqueror who having overcome a City and in the heat of blood destroyed all with whom he met at length indeed gives over but â—â—terward returns to make a totall destruction thereof though God make a full end of all nations yet he will not make a full end of his people Jer. 30.11 Jer. 46.28 Am. 4.11 Zech. 3.2 Isai 6.13 Isai 10.22 but correct them in measure yet not leave them altogether unpunished he will ever have some to serve him and to be monuments of his mercy God will deal with his people as he enjoyned them to do in gathering their grapes at Vintage Lev. 19.10 the gleaning of grapes he wil leave in it Isai 17.6 and as the shaking of an Olive tree two or three berries in the top of the uppermost bough God will have evermore some of his people above the reach of their enemies This indulgence of God should both teach us Humility considering what we deserve and Thankfulnesse considering what we escape it being the Lords mercies that we are not utterly consumed This for the first part of this seventh verse viz. the Places punished The second followes namely the Deserving cause of their punishment exprest by the Apostle in these words In like manner giving themselves over to fornication and going after strange flesh Wherein he sets down 1. The sin of some namely of the Cities about Sodom and Gomorrha which was to sin in like manner 2. The sin of all the cities destroyed Wherein I consider 1. Into what they fell viz. uncleannesse yea one of the most odious sorts of uncleannesse Sodomy or pollution with strange flesh 2. The Degree or measure of their embracing this sin They gave themselves over to the one they went after the other EXPLICATION In the Explication of this second part viz. their sin three things principally are considerable 1. What wee are to understand by this sinning in like manner 2. What by fornication and strange flesh 3. What by this giving themselves to the former and going after the later For the first These words In like manner in the Original 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Sodoma Gomorrhae vestigia secutae Neque nos offendere debet generis mutatio urbium enim nomine incolas comprehendit Beza Simili modo nempe cum Sodomâ Gomorrha Estius in loc Hoc non ad Israelitas Angelos sed mutuo ad Sodomam et Gomorrham refero Nec obstat quod pronomen 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 masculinum est nam ad incolas potius quam ad loca Judas respexit Calv. in loc Comprehendit Apostolus nomine fornicationis quam alibi omnem viri foeminae commixtionem extra matrimonium Est in 1 Tim. 1.9 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Some refer them not to the cities of Sodom and Gomorrha but to the Israelites Angels of whom the Apostle spake in the fore-going verses as if he had intended that these Cities about Sodom and Gomorrha sinn'd after that manner in which the Israelites and Angels sinn'd and their only reason is because the Gender is changed in this word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which say they cannot be referred to the cities of Sodom and Gomorrha but to those Israelites and Angels of whom he spake before and who sinn'd though not in that bodily uncleannesse which Jude afterwards mentions yet by spirituall Whoredome in making defection from God But I conceive with Beza Calvin and Estius upon the place that Jude intends that these Cities about Sodom and Gomorrha sinn'd after the same manner with these greater cities whose steps and examples they followed and therefore were involv'd in their punishment Wee never find in Scripture that the Israelites finned in following of strange flesh nor can we either according to Scripture or reason attribute this sin to Angels and as for the change of the Gender in the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by a Metonymie of the Subject the Scripture often puts the City for the Inhabitants of the City as Mat. 8.34 The whole City went out to meet Jesus c. 2. We are to enquire what the Apostle here intends 1. By Fornication and 2. By strange flesh First Fornication I take not properly and strictly for that act of uncleannesse committed between persons unmarried but as in Scripture it 's put Mat. 5.32 for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Adultery where Christ saith Whosoever shall put away his wife saving for the cause of fornication c. so is it here to be taken for all sorts of carnall uncleanesse and as comprising all breaches of chastity The impure pens of those more impure penmen the Jesuites and among them of Thomas Sanchez in his Treatise of Matrimony have in their casuisticall discourses run out so odiously upon this Subject a work fit for those whose father his unholinesse the Pope Talia quae vix Diabolus ipse studium omne adhibendo suggerere posset Nonsolum genera species sed modos omnes subjecta objecta minutatim examinant Rivet in Decal pag 245. Gen. 38.9 1 Cor. 6.9 Col. 3.5 Levit. 18.23.20.13 Exod. 22.19 Pudicitia non perdiâ—a sed prodita Gen. 34.2 2 Sam. 13.14 Rom. 1.27 1 Tim. 1.9 1 Cor. 6.9 Levit. 18.20 Prov. 2.16.17.5 7 8 20. invites to the publick profession of Whordome that as Rivet notes they utter such things as scarce the Divell himself with all his study would have suggested they examining not only the kinds and severall sorts but even every manner object subject circumstance of this sin so exactly and by peecemeall that chast Readers cannot read them without blushing and abomination To mention therefore only the principall sorts of carnall uncleanness and such as we find though with sacred modesty set down in Scripture This sin if practised with a mans own body according to the opinion of some it s called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Effeminatenesse and Vncleannesse for which God slew Onan if with a beast it 's bestiality a sin forbidden and severely to he punish'd by Gods law if with mankind unwillingly the party patient not agreeing it 's call'd ravishing if the parties agreeing be males they are called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and their sin to the perpetuall infamy of Sodom is call'd Sodomy The parties being of a different sex and if the sin be committed with more there being a pretext of marriage it 's called Polygamie there being no such pretext Scortatio Whoredome or uncleanesse transported to the abuse of many If uncleanesse be committed by parties between whom there 's consanguinity or affinity in the degrees forbidden by God it 's incest if by parties not so allyed when both or either of them be marryed it 's adultery If the female be a virgin and not marryed it 's stuprum or a deflowring of her if she be retayned peculiarly to one she is a Concubine Judg. 19.1 if the act be oft repeated it
though their sins were as red as scarlet yet he saith that he would make them as white as snow ver 18. The Apostle tels the Corinthians 1 Cor. 6.9.11 that some of them had wallowed in this sin of Sodomy but saith he you are washed and sanctified The Gospel refuseth to pardon no sin for which the soul can be humbled Free grace can bring those to heaven whose sin equalized theirs who were thrown into hell The least sinner hath cause of humility nay in himself of despair the greatest hath by closing with Christ ground of hope If it be the glory of God to pardon great sins Multo plura quam debeamus Christus pro nobis solvit tantoque plura quanto guttulam exiguam pelagus excellit immensum Chrys in 5 Rom. Hom. 11. Observ 7. it is his greatest glory to pardon the greatest sinners There is no spot so deep which the blood of God cannot wash away The Argument which David used for the pardoning of his sin could only be prevalent with a God Pardon my sin saith he Psal 25.11 for it is great There is infinitely a greater disproportion between the blood of Christ and the greatest number of greatest sins then between the smallest pibble and the vastest ocean 7. The toleration of some places of uncleannesse is no means to prevent the spreading of this sin Sodom had liberty enough of sinning but their lust increased with their liberty The cause of Sodoms sin against nature was not the penury but the ordinarinesse of the other way of sinning with the Female Lust is insatiable and excessive nor will any liberty seem enough to it indulgence makes it insolent It will not be perswaded by fair means Insania Sodomitica non à penuria muliebris commercii sed à nauseâ Musc in 19. Gen. In rebus humanis non peccat magistratus si meretricibus certum locum urbis incolendâ—m attribuat quamvis certo sciat eo loco ipsas non bene usuras Potest enim permittere minus malum ut majora impediantur Bel. l. 2. de amis gr stat pec c. 18. nor must this nettle be gently touch'd but roughly handled and nipt if we would not have it sting If the Flood-gate of restraint be pull'd up lust keeps no measure in its powring forth The more we grant to it the more it will desire from us To prevent sin by permitting it is to quench fire with oyl to make the plaister of poyson and to throw out Satan by Satan Improvident and impure is that remedy used in the Papacy for the preserving of people chast I mean the toleration of Places of uncleanness Romana scorta in singulas bebdomadas Juli um pendent pontificii qui census annuus nonnunquam viginti millia ducatos excedit adeoque Ecclesiae procerum id munus est ut una cum Ecclesiarum proventibus etiam lenociniorum numerent mercedem Agrip. de van scient c. 64. But so the Romane Pander may fill his own coffers with the tribute he can be indulgent to the sin of whoredome 8. Observ 8. Corrupt nature delights in that which is strange to Gods ordination In the room of accompanying of Male and Female which was appointed by God Sodomites go after strange flesh Marriage was ordained by God Gen. 2.22 but nature being depraved forsakes that way and imbraceth the forbidden bosome of a stranger Prov. 5.20 a strange woman not standing in the former relation The marriage of one man and one woman was the ordination of God but instead thereof mans corruption hath brought in PolygaÌ„my Nor is the depravation of mans nature lesse opposite to religious ordinations God appointed that he alone should be worship'd but corrupt nature puts man upon serving strange Gods Jer. 5.19 called also Jer. 8.19 strange vanities The true God hath appointed the manner of his worship and strictly doth he forbid the offring of strange incense Exod. 30.9 but the same corruption which put the Sodomites upon following strange flesh puts Nadab and Abihu upon offering strange fire Man hath found out many Numb 3.4 and goeth a whoring after his own inventions and delights only in deviating from Gods way The wicked go astray from the womb How justly may our crooked natures be charged with what was unjustly imputed to the Apostles namely the turning of the world upside down All the breaches of ranks all the confusions and disorders upon earth proceed from our distempered hearts How comely an order would there be upon the face of the whole world if sin did not meddle 9. Little do they who allow themselves in sin Observ 7. know where they shall make a stop Once over the shoos in this puddle rarely will Satan leave till he have by degrees got them over head and ears The modest beginnings of sin make way for the immodest and irrecoverable proceedings The sin of the Sodomites which began at the unclean motions of the heart at length ariseth to a prodigious tallnesse of impudency and obstinacy The smallest spark may be blown up to a flame the flame upon the hearth may if not quenched fire the chimney None provide so wisely for themselves as they who kill sin in the cradle how easily do we proceed from one degree of sin to another and how ordinarily doth God punish one degree of sin with another He who allowes himselfe in speculative filthinesse may at length arrive at Sodomy He who now gives way to sin may shortly be given over to sin 10. Observ 10. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Sinners prosecute their lusts most laboriously The Sodomites weary and spend themselves in uncleannesse and painfully pull down a showr of fire and brimstone upon their heads Incomparably sorer is the labour of sinners in damning then of Saints in saving themselves The sinner is the only true drudge sin the only true slavery and therefore much greater then any other because they who are in it delight to be so and are angry with the offer of a release Lusts are many and opposite and yet one sinner must be servant to them all and they all agree in rending and tearing the soul They are cruel insteed of wages giving only wounds and scourges and that to the tendrest part the conscience Nor doth the body escape the tyranny of lust Envy intemperance wrath luxury have had more martyrs than ever had holinesse Such is the goodnesse of God and the sweetnesse of his service that it 's beneficiall even to the body but through how many troubles and woes do wicked men passe to greater Wofull and the life of a Sodomite been though the fire and brimstone had never fallen Great should be the grief of Gods servants that Satans slaves should do more for him that will shed their blood than they can do for him who shed his blood for them that the former should give themselvs over to uncleanness and the later not more willingly yeeld themselves to the Lord. 11.
that of Achan Tu otiosè spectas otiosè non spectaris Tu spectas curiosè spectaris curiosius Bern. I saw I coveted and took looking upon a woman and lusting after her are put together Mat. 5.26 and we read 2 Pet. 2.14 of eyes full of adultery or the adulteress But willingly neither be nor behold a provocation of sin God will preserve thee in thy wayes not in thy wandrings Dinah was not safe out of the womans orb the house only to see is not sufficient warrant to draw us to the suspected places What wise man will go to an house infected with the Plague only to see the fits of the visited It is good to keep tentation at the staves end and not to let it into the grapple for though possibly we may fight and conquer yet it was our fault that we were put to fight The project of Balaam was too prosperous had the Moabites sent their strongest souldiers to perswade the Israelites to idolatry they had been returned with contempt but as God fetches glory to himself out of the worst actions of men so men often undo themselves by the fairest works of God Thus far of the second particular considerable in this example of Sodom viz. the cause of their punishment the third followes namely the severity of their punishment their suffering the vengeance of everlasting fire The punishment being set out 1. More generally so it s called Vengeance 2. More particulary so it was a vengeance manifested by eternall fire Wherein is considerable 1. By what they were punished by fire 2. In what measure or how long they were punished the fire is Eternall I shall here enquire what we are to understand by this Vengeance Fire here called Eternall EXPLICATION 1. The word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 here translated Vengeance is of a signification belonging to the proceedings of Courts of Justice and it is taken severall wayes 1. Properly it signifies right or justice in which respect among the Heathens the Goddess of just vengeance Nemesis was called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Justice or Vengeance Act. 21.4 No doubt say the Barbarians of Paul this man is a murderer whom though he hath escaped the sea Non dubito quin sicut plurimis locis 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 accipitur pro 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 pro 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sic etiam 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ponatur hoc loco pro 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Bez. in Act. 25. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Comprehendit seriem totam judicii usque ad execuâ—ionem Lorin in Act. 25. yet 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 vengeance suffereth not to live 2. It is taken for the Sentence of damnation given by the Judge as Act. 25.15 where it is said that the chief Priests and Elders desired to have 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 judgement against Paul 3. For the punishment it self inflicted after the passing of sentence thus 2 Thes 1.9 the Apostle saith The wicked shall be punished 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and thus it is taken in this place by Jude who fitly expresseth the punishment inflicted by God upon the Sodomites by this word because it was most justly and according to the merit of the offence and offenders executed by the Judge of all the world who is righteous in all he brings upon sinners yea is righteousnesse it selfe whose very judgements even because they are his are just and righteous and as to the case of Sodom and Gomorrha so eminent was the righteousnesse of Gods judiciall proceeding Gen. 18.21 that he would go down to see whether they had done altogether according to the cry of their sin where he speaks after the manner of men who ought not to condemn any before an accurate examination of the cause But of this by occasion of the words judgement and the Great Day much hath been spoken in the foregoing verse For the second the fire wherewith these Sodomites were punish'd They burnt with a threefold fire 1. The fire of lust both sin and punishment They burned in their lust one toward another 1 Cor. 7.9 Rom. 1.27 and God gave them up to uncleannesse and to vile affections 2. The fire which was rained down from heaven upon them His verbis significatur quod preter naturalem rerum cursum miraculum operatus est puniendo iniquos ad differentiam enim naturalium causarum naturali ordine occurentium ad generandum sulphur ig nem idjunctum est illud à Jeho veb Cajetan sic quoque Tostatus Pererius è nostris Calvin Zanch. Muscul Pareus Rivet Gen. 19.24 the remarkablenesse of which punish ment by fire appears in sundry respects It was 1. A miraculous fire besides the course of nature Brimstone to which some add salt and all that vast quantity of fiery matter were never produced by naturall causes God it was who provided the matter for so great a flame the fall wherof also he ordered for time and place Hence it s said that the Lord rained brimstone and fire from the Lord that is by an elegant Hebraism from himselfe the Noune being put in the place of the Pronoune as 1 Sam. 15.22 1 King 8.1 2 Tim. 1.18 c. to shew that the raining there mentioned was not from the strength of naturall causes nor after a naturall manner but immediately from the Lord himself and by the putting forth of his owne omnipotent arme 2. It was an abundant fire of a vast quantity and hence it is said to be rained down it was not a sprinkling but a showre Here were not sparks but flakes sheets of fire rivers of brimstone 3. It was a Sudden fire It came not by degrees when the morning arose or at break of day there were no tydings of destruction till then Lot was in Sodom and yet when the Sun arose Gen. 19.24 Cen. 19.28 fire was rained down and early in the morning Abram beheld the smoak of the country haply the work was done in a quarter of an hour Lam. 4.6 Sodom was overthrown as in a moment 4. It was a tormenting fire The execution by fire hath ever been accounted one of the most afflictive to sense and therefore imposed upon the greatest offenders How great is the torment when the skin is puckerd the sinews crack'd the blood scalded Famine the greatest of punishments is but a kind of fire whereby the naturall moysture is dryed up nay fire lends a resemblance to the torments of hell 5. It was a destructive fire utterly consuming all upon which it fell Gen. 19.25 Deut. 29.23 Cities Inhabitants the plain and all that grew upon it and as Brochardus reports so far as the vapour arising out of lake of Sodom is carried by the wind it makes all places dry and barren destroying all fruits grasse plants and what ever the earth yeilds And so poysonfully is that brimstony lake tainted which is now in the place where Sodom stood that it is called the
to cover the sore If sin be impudent reproof and correction should not be bashfull If a Minister sees that error and profanenesse seek no corners he should not hide truth in a corner Publick offences are like a bag of poyson thrown into a common fountain serving for the use of a whole city And the end at which God aimed in the punishing of offenders Deut. 17.7 was that all Israel should hear and fear and do no more any such wickednesse The Syrians cared not to fight with small or great but with the king of Israel and Magistrates and Ministers should principally strike at reigning sins All the reproofs of the Prophet's and Christ were bent against the impieties of their times I verily beleeve that one main sin whereby God is provoked to make publick officers in Church and State so contemptible as they are is their fear to oppose publick and spreading sins so freely as they should 4. Observ 4. In this our present condition we want as well the affrightments of fear as the allurements of love to keep us from sin The burnt Sodomites should make us fear the fire The overthrow of the Israelites are examples to Saints under the New Testament And let us saith the Apostle therefore he means by the example of the unbeleeving Israelites fear lest a promise being left us of entring into his rest any of you should seem to come short of it I am saith holy David afraid of thy judgements Psal 119.120 Jer. 10 7. Who saith Jeremy would not fear thee Oh King of Nations and Rev. 15.4 Who shall not fear thee O Lord c. for thy judgements are made manifest Fear him saith Christ who is able to throw soul and body into hell Faith is as truly due to Threatnings as Promises and Holy fear is the proper effect of that faith By faith Noah being warned of God moved with fear c. Nor is it possible or profitable so long as we have such an eager pronenesse to sin to want a stoppage by fear So unwilling are we to be weaned from the forbidden breasts of sinfull pleasures that we daily need to fear the wormwood and alloes wherwith the Lord imbitters them all little enough only heaven perfects love and casts out fear 5. There is a pronenesse to sin in every age of the world Observ 5. Why should God make Sodom an example of Caution to succeeding ages if these were not forward to make Sodom an example of imitation Peter saith expresly that these overthrown cities were made an example to those who after should live ungodly The world alwayes was Mundus semper fuit est erit mundus Lutb is and will be the world saith Luther The severall ages of the world have differed in their other fashions but sin was never out of fashion Look over all times and places and it will be found true in both the whole world lies in wickednesse And of all times so true was that prediction of the Apostle the last dayes are the most perillous We now live in the sink the dregs of time Satan now labours to do much mischief and posteth the faster because he shall not long have day-sight Men likewise by long practising and by the sinfull experiments of former times are now grown as in other things so in sin greater Artists then heretofore How carefull should we be that God may have some the more for us even in these worst of times who may love holinesse when most leave it controul if not conquer sin who may shine as lights in the world and who if they can do no good to others yet may get no hurt from others To conclude this Though evill times should not damp our zeal yet neither should they make us impatient The tares and wheat will grow together till the approaching Harvest Mean while none is so much provoked as that God who is most patient Nor should we forget that all foregoing ages have abounded with those sins and difficulties which much imbittered the lives of holy men who lived in them in which respect we may wisely make use of that counsell of Solomon Say not thou What is the cause that the former times were better then these Eccles 7.10 The errours and impieties of these were in former times and are now but newly acted over and let us rejoyce that though the sins of the times should make us mourners for them yet they cannot make us followers of them 6. Observ 6 In all ages God is the same He hates the same sins in after times which he hated in the former Sodomy is now as abominable in his sight as heretofore He is the same yesterday and to day and for ever in him there is no shadow of change he loves the same holinesse now which he ever loved How great a terror is this to those who live in those sins against which God hath formerly declared his wrath God will not go out of his way to gratifie their lusts no it is the duty of the sinner to change Psal 7.12 If he turn not he will whet his sword c. Much may this comfort those who walk in the steps of former Saints 1 Tim. 1.16 Paul was a pattern to those who hereafter should beleeve They find God as ready to accept them as any heretofore Psal 22.4 This comforted the Psalmist Our Fathers saith he trusted in thee and thou didst deliver them We are forward to entertain hard thoughts of God if he continue not the same favours to us which he afforded to others we think he changeth whereas we alone are to be blamed It s not the shore which moves but the boat If we will turn to God we know where to have him our prayers and repentance will make a change in us and make us fit to be accepted they make no alteration in him at all as they who being in a ship and pull at a rope fastned to a Rock move not the Rock to them but themselves to the Rock 7. God is gracious even in his greatest severity Observ 7. Even when he was punishing of Sodom with fire and brimstone he had thoughts of preventing the like punishment upon others for the time to come He warns even when he wounds and punisheth a few that he may spare many he takes occasion by the sin and punishment of Sodom to do good to following ages his justice magnifies his mercy God layes up Manna with the rod and is not forgetfull to feed us even when he smites In his smiles he will be feared in his frowns he will be loved in the midst of judgement he remembers mercy If God be so sweet in his bitter administrations how sweet will he be when he is altogether imployed in the wayes of grace We should herein look upon the Lord as our pattern severity should not make us forget and throw off tender-heartednesse We should have mercifull ends in our
severest punishing of offenders and not wound like murderers to destroy but like Chyrurgeons to cure and to prevent the spreading of sin yea punishment 8. Observ 8. It should be our great desire by all our own sufferings for sin to prevent the like sin in and sufferings of others We must not be like those that have the Plague who love to inffect others with it A gracious heart rather desires to hear of converts by his falls and woes then to have companions in either They who have been by sin examples of imitation should pray that by their sufferings they may become examples of Caution How rare is this heavenly temper in sufferers Most Christians when they are in troubles only desire the removall of them perhaps the sanctifying of them to themselves but who prayes for the sanctifying of them unto others It s ordinary for men under their sufferings to have thoughts of impatience against God and of revenge against the instrument of their troubles but unusuall for men to have aimes of benefiting beholders by their troubles If the Lord would throughly affect us with love to his glory and hatred to sin we should be willing to have the house pulled down upon our own heads so as sin may be destroyed in others and hereby we may do more good at our death then we have done throughout our whole lives The sinners of these laters times sin more heinously then they who lived in former ages Observ 9. The sins committed by those who have others for an example are greater then those committed formerly though they be the same for kind He who falls by stumbling at the same stone at which he dash'd who went before him falls without apology Wee in these times stand upon the shoulders of those who lived of old and therefore ought to see further we may behold by what meanes they stood where also and how they fell and how by either they sped More exactnesse in working and walking becomes us who have more light to guide us How happy were we if as we strive to excell our forefathers in other arts we did not come behind them in that heavenly art of a holy life though their helps were fewer then ours It is a common observation concerning our buildings that though they are of more curious contrivement yet lesse substantiall and durable then those of old time Non tulit nos sine exemplo◠ut inveniat sine delicto vel tollat sine patrocinio I fear this may be more truly said of our religion then of our buildings It will be more tolerable at the last day for those who lived in the times of Sodom then for sinners in these days upon whom the ends of the world are come Vnto whomsoever much is given of him shall be much required Surely as we pay dearer for our worldly commodities we must pay much dearer for our sinfull pleasures then our fore-fathers have done We had better never have heard of Sodoms ruin then not to mend our lives by the example 10. Observ 10 It s our duty to make an holy improvement of the worst things which fall out in the world Even Sodom and Gomorrha were our examples and we should make lye to cleanse us of their ashes A good man should sail as they say of skilfull Mariners with every wind and as Samson take honey out of the carcass of the Lion Vespasian raised gain out of an excrement the Estrich concocts iron Even the waters of jelousie which rotted the bellies and limbs of some made others healthfull and fruitfull The sins of the worst should and sometimes do teach the godly to walk more closely and humbly with God Were we not wanting to our selves the sin of Sodom might be to us felix culpa an happy fault But alas most men more imitate then shun the sins of others nay which is much worse they rather take occasion to oppose deride and so get hurt by seeing the holy strictnesse of the godly then to grow more watchfull and holy by observing the sinfull loosenesse of the wicked But here is the excellency of grace to make a man like David Therefore to love the Commandments of God Psal 119. i 27. because wicked men make void the Law 11. Observ ult It is our wisdome to learn how to behold the examples of caution which God hath set forth especially in Scripture with most advantage to our souls Against that which God shews we must not shut our eyes To this end 1. Let us give our assent to the truth of examples as delivered in Scripture which doth not only relate the judgments themselves but their causes also the supreme God the deserving sin Faith takes into its vast comprehension every part of Gods word It hath been the Divels policy to strike at the truths of Scripture-stories either by denying or adulterating them * Prophani quidam ex Schola Porphirii ut miraculū elevarent Confinxerunt Mosem peritissimum naturae observasse fluxum refluxum maris Erithraei refluente illo suos traduxisse Riv. in Exod. Porphiry to overturn the miraculousnesse of the Israelites passing through the Red sea saith that Moses took the advantage of a low ebbing water and so went through safely which the Egyptians not understanding were drowned by the flowing of the water Strabo likewise perverts the truth of this story of the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrha Graeci Scriptores Sodomam cum vicinis civitatibus eam ob causam incendio periisse sentiunt quod regio illa cavernosa esset sulphurea atque ita hujusmodi exitio obnoxia Muscul in 19. Gen. by attributing it to naturall causes and reporting that these cities were seated on a soyl sulphureous and full of holes from which fire breaking forth consumed them Examples of the dreadfullest aspect will never affright us from sin when we look upon them in the Divels dress Let us not sport at examples and make them our play-fellows Read not the example of Lots wife as the Poeticall fiction of turning Niobe into a stone What judgement thou readest beleeve though never so severe never so farre beyond thy apprehension 2. Look upon examples with deep and diligent observation They must sink into us we must set our hearts to them Steep our thoughts in them and ponder them in their certainty causes severity Posting passengers cannot be serious observers of any place How profitable is it sometime to dwel in our meditations upon these monuments of divine justice Assent must be followed with consideration Transient thoughts become not permanent examples 3. Look upon these examples with an impartiall examination Enquire within whether was such an one whom vengeance overtook a greater sinner then I am Ask thy conscience that question which the Prophet put to the Israelites are there not with me even with me the same sins against the Lord Ransack thy soul to find out the traytor hide not that in
propinatur ab ebriosis doctoribus Aug. I mislike not the vessels good words but il wine offer'd in them by drunken teachers Nor did any so subtilly undermine blessed Paul as the false Apostles his great labour in some Epistles being the vindication of his Apostolical reputation If the eminency of a godly Minister for piety and parts be so evident as that they dare not bring any downright accusation against him then these creeping seducers will ordinarily either doubt of or deny his calling or else will mention his commendations with a But of their own framing or else so slightly and lukewarmly commend him as thus perhaps a good honest man a well meaning man a pretty man as that it shall almost amount to a discommendation 6. They affix the highest commendations imaginable to their own opinions and persons 1. Their opinions they represent as the wayes of God the glorious beamings out of light the only pathes of peace and sweetnesse the liberty of the Gospel and other such like good words and fair speeches Rom. 16.18 they use to deceive the hearts of the simple Like Mountebanks who despairing that any will buy their oyles and medicines for any good they find by them are wont themselves to commend their vertue to the ignorant throng 2. Their own persons they represent as the most eminently qualified for grace and learning of any the meer sons of men They trumpet out their own godlinesse and humility meeknesse Mat. 7.15 though Christ tels us they are wolves in sheeps clothing And experience proves them with Montanus Arius Novatus Pelagius Arminius to be but Satans Ministers transformed as the Ministers of righteousnesse 2 Cor. 11.14 They pretend themselves to be the only Ministers though herein they do but imitate their Predecessours who said they were Apostles but were not Rev. 2.2 1 Cor. 11.13 transforming themselves into the Apostles of Christ Their rare and raised parts their unparalell'd abilities and deep in-sight into Gospel truths they proclaim to all the world using great swelling words of vanity in imitation of him who gave out that himself was some great one that so he might be said to be the great power of God Acts 8.9 10. and all because they know the fond multitude is ever more ready to judge of faith by the person than of the person by his faith 1. The presence of wicked mon in the Church Observ 1. is no sufficient ground of being offended at the Church Mixtures of good and bad men have ever been in the best societies nor is it to be expected till the harvest that tares and wheat can be parted perfectly neither the godly Mat. 13.30 nor Gods ordinances are therefore to be forsaken because the wicked are mixed Needlesse society with the wicked much more society with them in their wickednesse is to be avoided but not such as from which we have no warrant from God to separate or wherein we joyn not in sin but in that which is in it self holy saving commanded As God doth not so neither must man punish the innocent whether himselfe or another for the nocent I flie from the chaffe lest I should be also such saith Aug. Fugio paleam ne hoc fim non fugio aream ne nihil sim I forsake not the floor lest I should be nothing And though God doth not account evill to be good yet he accounts it good that there should be evill And that good we shall find could we as we ought be more watchfull zealous humble fervent in prayer longing for heaven by the necessitated company of wicked men 2. Observ 2. Satan useth sundry sorts of attempts to hurt the Church Somtimes he creeps and croucheth at other times he roars and rageth He hath severall shapes and often changeth his habit though he never layeth aside his hatred Non deponit odium sed mutat ingenium One while he openly acknowledged that Christ was the Son of God afterwards he stirr'd up his instruments to destroy Christ because he made himselfe the Son of God Luke 4.41 John 19.7 Satan like an high-way robber frequently changeth his apparell that so the unwary passenger may not discern him he seldome appears in the same habit twice together In some ages of the Church he is a red dragon in other an old Serpent somtimes he useth his sword at other times his pen. He commonly proceeds from one extreme to another from endeavouring to overthrow the Church by persecution under heathens to the hurting it more by promotions and seducings under Papacy In one age he advanceth superstition in another prophanenesse in one nothing shall be lawfull in another every thing None shall preach at one time every one at another We cannot therfore judge that a way is none of Satans because it differs from that which was somtimes his but because it agrees with that which is always Gods 3. Satan is most hurtfull to the Church Observ 3. when he opposeth it by subtilty and creeping when he comes not as an open enemy but an appearing friend He is never so much a divell Serpit putrida tabes hypocrisis per omne corpus ecclesiae omnes sunt amici omnes inimici omnes necessarii omnes adversarii omnes domestici nulli pacifici Ecce in pace amaritudo mea amara prius in nece martyrum amarior post in conflictu haereticorum Bern. ser 33. in Cant. as when he appears in white transforms himself into an Angel of light He doth more hurt by creeping into than breaking into the Church False apostles seducers in the Church have been more hurtful to it by fraud than bloudy paganish persecuters by force Satan hath gained more victories by using the one as sun-shine to dazle the eyes than by raising the other as winde to blow in the faces of the faithfull For his subtilty rather coloureth vice than openly contendeth against vertue Under the resemblance of those graces for which Saints are most eminent he drawes to those neighbour-vices which seem to have most affinity with their Christian perfections He colours over superstition with religion carnall policy with Christian prudence cruelty with justice toleration with mercy indiscreet fervour with zeal pertinacy with constancy And never doth sin so much prevail against us as when it lies in ambush behind appearances of piety Nor is Satans subtilty lesse hurtfull in using the ablest and most refined wits to devise and defend impious novelties against the orthodox faith as Arius Sabellius Pelagius c. of old and of late Servetus Socinus Arminius c. Satan fits every actor with a part agreeable to him and carves his Mercury on the most promising pieces Those whom God hath furnished with the best weapons of parts and arts have commonly given his cause the deepest wounds It 's our duty with prudence to countermine subtilty to steer our course by the card of Scripture to mislike
no good way of God because Satan makes it seemingly deformed to love no way of sin though he makes it seemingly amiable to build our faith upon no eminency of man and ever to be more forward to examine than to admire what he saith or is 4. Observ 4. Mat. 7.15 Theâ— best Christians may somtimes be mistaken in Seducers The advice of Christ to beware of false prophets shews how possible it is to be over-seen The shape into which they transform themselves namely the Apostles of Christ and the Ministers of righteousnesse shews the difficulty of discerning them The very Apostles were deceived in him whom some conceive to be the Heresiarch Acts 8.13 and one from whom these Seducers suck'd their poyson 1 Thes 5.21 God will alone have the prerogative of trying the heart the doctrines we must their hearts God only can search And the difficulty of understanding who are Seducers should cause in the faithful diligence in trying what their best of teachers deliver The seduced most call for our pity who with good meanings though alas with bad success follow their blind leader whose misery that we may avoid we must examine all we hear by the word taking nothing upon trust not loving doctrines for men but men for their doctrine and it for its Consonacy to Scripture which should like a sword of Paradise keep errours from entring into our hearts Be not like little children to gape at be ready to swallow whatsoever the Nurse puts to the mouth If Seducers appeal to Scripture 1 John 4.1 to Scripture let them go and if they cannot endure the light of that Sun reject them as spurious and their meeting places as infected houses and schools of impiety Psal 26.4 Sit not among vain persons Let not Satan take thee among his own lest he make thee one of his own 5. Sin loves not to be seen in its own colours Observ 5. These Seducers having in them no reall goodness and worth or fit qualifications of piety and integrity but intentions by their entrance to seduce others appeared not to be what indeed they were but cunningly they seemed to be what they were not that so the faithfull might admit them as they did unawares not knowing who they were Sin is a deed of darknesse not only because the sinners portion will be utter darknesse but because his practices he loves to conceal in the dark Sins deformity makes not a sinner desire that it should not be but only that it should not be seen Aaron cover'd over his sin with the wickednesse of the people Exod. 32.22 1 Sam. 15.21 Saul colour'd over his sin of sparing Agag and the cattell with pretended resolutions to sacrifice to the Lord. Carnall will ever hath carnall wit attending upon it Love to sin refines the invention for concealing it No sin hath beauty enough in its own complexion to win the affection of the fondest spectator unlesse its wrinkles be fill'd up with the paint of religious pretences Sinners have a false conceipt of God they think he cannot see through their coverts like little children because they shut their own eyes they think they are in the dark to all others How much is holinesse honoured by its enemies who even when they hate the having of it love to appear to have it How unable is an hypocrite to shun the dint of this Dilemma If holinesse be bad why doth he so much as appear if good why doth he no more than appear holy In a word how slight and childish will all hypocriticall varnishings prove at the last day Paint will not endure the fire of wrath nor can hidden wickednesse be concealed in the day of divine disquisition 6. Observ 6. Seducers with other sinners are modest in the beginning of sin When these Seducers first entred the faithfull thought them not such as afterward they found them They were like a deceitfull gamester or dice-player who playing with one who is ignorant and wealthy seems in the beginning of the game to be altogether unskilfull till at length by degrees he puts forth his craft and cheats him of all he hath And never hath Satan been so dangerous an enemy either to Churches or persons as when he hath been hurtfull insensibly gradually and creepingly He can hardly tempt men at one leap to get up to the top of impiety but by severall steps As 1. By an evill motion 2. By some kind of approbation 3. By determination to embrace it 4. By a vitious action 5. By an evill habit 6. By defence and justification of sin Till 7. there be a glorying and boasting in it Satan dyeth not a man a purple or a scarlet sinner at the first but after divers tinctures that so at the last he may take the deepest dye He windeth not up his treble to the highest pitch hastily but strains it up by little and little to the desired height at the first he makes men adventure upon actions questionable whether sinfull or not then he presseth them forward to sins undoubted yet small and then he easily draws men from making little account of small sins to make small account of great sins How dangerously because gradually did Satan bring idolatry into the Church First images and pictures of Saints were used in private for memory history or ornamennt only afterward in Gregories dayes they were brought into the Church but with an expresse prohibition of worshipping them in the next age the worshipping of them was enjoyned yet not for themselves but in respect only of what they did represent but since the Councell of Trent it is the Tenent of the Roman Church that images are to be worshipped for themselves Ut in se conâ—iderantur non tantum ut vicem gerunt exemplaris Bel. De imag Sanc. l. 2. c. 21. Plat. in Bonif. 3. and further the heathen go not in their idolalatry The great Seducer of the Nations the Pope was he not creeping and modest in his beginnings to get into his present height of tyranny First he contends for a bare primacy of order after he pretends to a little more the receiving the last appeal from the other Patriarchs In Boniface the thirds time he puts in for the title of universall Bishop and in his next Successours time to give spirituall lawes to the whole Church and after him in Pope Hildebrands time to give temporall lawes to Kings and Princes Satan is like a deceitfull tradesman who first by fair-dealing gains Customers that so afterwards by foul-dealing he may gull them Teachers must not speedily be admitted It 's good to know before we take or trust them And people should take heed that they forsake not their old approved Ministers who have been throughly made manifest to them in all things 2 Cor. 11.6 to embrace such strange Doctors whose designe is in time to bring in strange doctrines The mothers milk is most wholsome for the child The Ministry that