the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the few things or briefly as added for Modesty sake and indeed if it were related to Sylvanus it would not commend his fidelity but rather give occasion to doubt of it But if we attribute it to Sylvanus the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it signifieth a firm and undoubted judgment upon good consideration therefore our English word suppose doth not so well answer it Therefore in the third place That distinction of a Saint by external profession or dedication to God thereby and by internal and spiritual renovation is the most genuine to answer this doubt Some were Saints by inward regeneration Others were Saints by external profession and outward submission so that they had not as yet renounced their Christianity and this sense the Apostle plainly makes when he gives that opposition between Heathens and Saints as 1 Cor. 6. 1. Dare any of you go to law before the unjust that is the Heathens and not before Saints where Saint is opposed to an Heathen So vers 6. a brother which is all one with a Saint is opposed to an unbeliever All that came out of the world to profess Christ are called Saints and believers though even amongst them all were not godly Now you must know that there are degrees of godliness 1. There is that which is supream and infinite and thus God is holy holy holy 2. There is created boliness and that either perfect such as the humane Nature of Christ the Angels and glorified Saints in Heaven have or else imperfect subject to many imperfections and weaknesses Hence saith Salmeron We dare not call any man a Saint while be liveth on this earth till he be consummated but that is absurd for to be a Saint is no more than to be holy so that if we may call any holy we may also call them Saints as our Translators do for the most part render the word The Papists indeed they call only those that are canonized Saints who are already in Heaven therefore those that lived in the Old Testament because of their opinion of their being in Limbo Patrum they are never in the Roman Church called Saints they never say Saint David or Saint Isaiah Salmeron also observeth from this title of Saints given to all believers That in the Infancy of the Church saith he all were called Saints in the Adolescentiâ only the Bishops and Officers in the Church but in Senectute only those that are translated into Heaven But we must conform to Scripture not humane speculations The Greek word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 answering the Hebrew Kodesh for the Septuagint seldom translate it by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but generally by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is by some said to be as much as sine terrâ without earth or any worldly pollution But the best Grammarians derive it from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to reverence and respect as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to desire because all holy things are with much reverence to be regarded Whereas then to be holy hath a two-fold principal signification 1. To be dedicate and set apart to God 2. To be inherently sanctified and both these applicable in the Text. We may observe That all those who are of Gods Church are Saints by profession and dedication and ought to be Saints by their lives and conversations Hence Rom. 1. 7. we have that expression called Saints that is either called to be Saints holiness being the term to which of their vocation or Saints by calling as Paul was by his calling an Apostle Both these tend to the same thing and all oblige to holiness First Let us consider how much this Church-Saintship doth comprehend what degrees and steps it hath And 1. It doth imply Their being under the external dispensation of Gods Covenant of Grace All that are under the Covenant administration are thereby Saints and holy though all are not regenerated Upon this account it is that the children of one or more believing Parents are called holy 1 Cor. 7. 14. where to be under the Covenant is enough to give this denomination of holy And hence it is that all the people of the Jews among whom there were many prophane and unholy persons in respect of inward Sanctity are yet called all of them Saints because the Covenant-dispensation was towards them Psal 77. 2. The Psalmist complaineth That the enemies had given the flesh of his Saints to the beasts of the earth where the Nation of the Jews destroyed by their enemies are all called Saints So Psal 89. 5 7. the assembly of the Israelites wherein also David did meet to praise God is called the Assembly of the Saints Now we cannot think that every Israelite who came to sacrifice and serve God was truly holy Yea Psal 50. God complaineth of such Who came and took his name into their mouth and yet hated to be reformed Therefore they are called Saints because they are all under the Covenant of Grace 2. Church-Saintship consists in a dedication and consecrating our selves unto God For our Baptism is the initial Sacrament and by it we are externally sanctified and set apart to God from the Devil sinne and the world For as in the Old Testament there were by certain ceremonial Rites dedicating of persons and things to God which thereby had a relative holiness and so were called holy because dedicated Thus though with some dissimilitude by the Sacrament of Baptism we are baptized into the Name of the Father the Sonne and the holy Ghost which amongst other things signifieth this also that we are given up to God from the world and the Devil to be no more theirs not to live according to their course and way And for this reason it is that those who are not of the Church are said to be without 1 Cor. 5. and the world is distinct to the Church when therefore of the Church we are not of the world we are not without under the kingdom of Satan but we are of the body of Christ of his house and our Baptism doth sacramentally denote our communion with Christ Now although all that are baptized do not in deed and in truth put on Jesus Christ yet as long as they do not renounce their Baptism so long by that there is an outward dedication of them to God And thus that Apostate spoken of Heb. 10. 29. who never had true grace yet is said to be sanctified by the bloud of the Covenant whereof the Sacraments are seals So that our sacramental relation doth give an outward denomination of a Saint or an holy person though if there be no inward holiness the condemnation of such will be farre more dreadfull and intollerable than of the vilest and worst of Heathens 3. This Church-Saintship goeth a further step and that is An external profession of our faith
blessed for evermore And indeed he that hath the Titles of Jehovah the Properties of Jevovah that doth those works only which Jehovah can do he must needs be so the Son of God that also he is God himself And had not Christ been truly God it be hoved him to have denyed it when it was attributed to him But Phil. 2. He thought it no robbery to be equal with God Such was Christs Humility such was his love to his Fathers glory such was his care to instruct his Disciples in that which was necessary to Salvation that above all things he would have forewarned them not to have taken him for the true High God if he had not been so How solicitous was John Baptist that he might not be thought the Christ How passionately affected were Paul and Barnabas when the Heathens called them Gods and would have attributed divine worship to him Would not Christ have much more disclaimed these things had it not been his due belonging to him That he should be acknowledged the true God equal with the Father For though indeed at sometimes he saith The Father is greater than I and he maketh himself as sent from God to do his will yet then he speaks that in respect of his Office as Mediator and so he is the Servant of God appointed to do his will in reference to the Salvation of Mankinde 2. Hence he is not the son of God in those Respects which others are called so in the Scripture as First Some are called The sons of God in respect of creation because they had their being immediately from God Thus Adam is called the Son of God 2. Some are called the sons of God because of Regeneration and Adoption as all the godly are neither is thus Christ called the son of God Lastly some are called the sons of God because of their excellent Dignity and Priviledg in which sense the Angels are called the sons of God But Christ is called in such a sense the Son of God that it cannot be attributed to any but him and therefore sometimes is called the Onely son of God some imes the Onely begotten son of God And therefore none else may be called the Son of God in that respect he is 3. He is therefore called the son of God because begotten from Eternity of the Father He is not called a Son in a metaphorical but proper sense and that by Generation Thou art my Son this day have I begotten thee Psal 27. which though applied in the New Testament Act. 13. 33. to Christs Resurrection when God raised him from the Grave yet that is to be understood in respect of Manifestation and Declaration only then he was powerfully manifested to be indeed the only begotten Son of God That this begetting of him was from Eternity appeareth Mich. 5. 2. Whose goings forth have been from of old from everlasting He is not then called the Son of God in the several senses the Socinians Assigne as because inaugrated to be a Prophet of his Church nor because of that miraculous Conception and Nativity nor because upon his Resurrection he was invested with Lordly Dignity and Dominion but because he was from all Eternity begotten of the Father As for that Passage in Luke 1. 3. where the Angel speaking of the overshadowing by the Holy Ghost addeth Therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God which hath prevailed with some though Orthodox so far as to make that miraculous birth a ground of his Sonship to God The best answer is That it is an Argument from the signe not from the cause because he had such a miraculous conception this did declare that he was the Son of God This must needs be so because he was called the Son of Man from that birth now he could not be called the son of man and the Son of God from the same fundamental respect It is necessary then to inform your selves in this fundamental Article that Christ is the Son of God and in what sense he is so For the Socinians acknowledg him a God but an appointed one a made and constituted one Therefore Smalâ—ius the Socinian inscribeth his Book de Divinitate Jesu Christi not Deitate he confesseth the Divinity of Christ but not the Deity Now they were called Divi amongst the Heathens who were made Gods after their death 4. When he is called the Son of God and that properly this doth necessarily imply that he was begotten of the Father And in this Consideration the humane thoughts of men would be much scandalized if they did not submit to Scripture How many Hereticks blasphemously have derided at this because we say God had a Son and that he is begotten of the Father But we must know there is a threefold Generation First Physical of man begetting a man and this is accomplished with manifold Imperfections 2. Metaphorical in which sense Philosophers do often speak of the Conceptus mentis that the minde doth degignere verbum which instance some learned Divines delight to use in the Illustration of this Mysterious point 3. There is an hyperphysical or supernatural Generation above the way and course of nature and in this sense the father is said to beget the son so that we are to remove all those Imperfections which adhere to humane Generation especially that of Separation and Multiplication For amongst men when the Father begets the Son there is a multiplication of a new Essence and then a Division or Separation of the Sons Essence from the Father so that although the Son hath the same specifical Essence with the Father yet not the same numerical Essence whereas in this supernatural Mystery there is no division or distinction of the Essence but of the Person 5. Because these Mysteries seem very difficult to flesh and blood therefore under all temptations we must adhere immoveably to the Word of God believing the testimony thereof and not attend to what humane Arguments suggest Thou must no more regard the Socinian Cavils than Hezekiah was to do the railing Language of Rabshaketh and we are the more solemnly ingaged hereunto by our Baptisme for that is a Dedication of us to the Name of the Father Son and Holy Ghost Though there is a Distinction in Order first the Father then the Son yet none in Dignity and therefore it s the name not the names That place also of John howsoever Socinians would wrest it stands like Mount Zion yea firmer than that 1 John 5. 7. There are three that bear record in heaven the Father the Word and the Holy Ghost and these three are one When a man taketh off his heart from the Scripture and beginneth to think How can the Infinite Majesty of God have a Son how can he have the same Essence and yet be a distinct Person whether did he beget this Son naturally or freely whether from Eternity or in time and if he
might beget one Son why not more while I say thy Imperfect low Soul is arguing after this matter fly from these temptations of Reason as Joseph from his Mistress captivate thy understanding to Scripture-testimony hide thy head in this cloud as it were and put off thy discussion of it till thou come to that perfect Academy in heaven where we shall no longer know in part but compleatly and perfectly Hence those Hereticks who deny Christs his Godhead that they may the more securely indulge themelves in these Blasphemous Doctrines make Reason the Judg of all Controversies in Faith The Scripture must be submitted to reason not Reason to Scripture This Reason is made the standard to weigh all things by But Bernard said well quid tum contra rationem c. What is so much against Reason as to think to comprehend by reason the things above reason Such Pigmeis cannot measure the Pyramides Yet this is not spoken as if that it were against true and solid Reason that the Infinite God should have a Son it is one thing to be above Reason another thing to be contrary to it Now the cause of all that unhappy miscarriage in this matter is because we are apt to judg of God according to our thoughts of a man When we hear of the Father and his only begotten Son we are apt to think it must be so in the Divine nature as it is with the humane we apprehend all alike But thou must know as the nature of God is incomprehensible so is this begetting of his Son Thou that art not able to comprehend the nature of God how canst thou reach to the manner of the Begetting of his Son Let us therefore satisfie our souls with the belief that it is so not daring curiously to search into the manner how lest like moaths flying about this light we be at last consumed by it 6. That we may the more firmly believe this truth of Christs being the Son of God we are to remember that the Scripture maketh this Antichristianism So that he is an Antichrist that denyeth the Son to be God 1 John 2. 22 23. He is Antichrist that shall deny the father and the son Whosoever denyeth the Son the same hath not the father Here we see that these are inseparable the Son and the Father he that denieth the one must necessarily deny the other for they are essential Relatives depending upon one another The Jews the Turks they hold one God but because they deny Christ to be the Son of God they deny the Father It is not enough to acknowledg one true God but we must also acknowledg him to be the Father of Christ and Christ to be his Son without this there is no Eternal life to be had as 1 John 5. 20. We are in him that is true even in his Son Jesus Christ This is the true God this is Eternallife The Socinians also differ but gradually in their impiety from the Turks and therefore no wonder if some of them have fallen into Mahumetisme for they make Christ to be a meer man though a constituted Lord and God and therefore they deny the Father and the Son and although they pretend it is their conscience that out of reverence and regard to the honor of God the Father they dare not affirm the Son to be equal God with him yet it is plain that there is no jealousie between Father and Son in point of honor but the Father commands us to honour the Son and the Son also to honour the Father For how clear is that John 5. 23. That all men should honour the Son even as they honour the Father He that honoureth not the Son honoureth not the Father And therefore all those Blasphemous Doctrines which tend to the Dishonour of Christ as the Son of God do also tend to the dishonour of God the Father So that it is no wonder if he be made an Antichrist that doth so For their is a political Antichrist who opposeth Christ in his Offices and while pretending to Christ doth oppose Christ such is the Pope of Rome and a Doctrinal Antichrist and they are those who deny Christ either to be God or man When therefore you hear how much this pestilential Doctrine of Socinianism prevaileth that men dare boldly plead against the Godhead of Christ tremble at it humble thy self under the want of love to the truths of God take heed of pride self-conceit contempt of the faithfull Guides God hath set over thee for those sinnes do hurry men headlong into everlasting Perdition those spiritual Judgments of God upon mens parts and intellectual abilities are the most dreadfull of all 7. The spirit of giddinesse and contradiction is justly fallen upon those who have denied this essential Deity of Christ insomuch that one party will not acknowledg the other Christian For some of them hold that because Christ is not truly God therefore he is not to be praid unto neither doth Religious Adoration belong to him The other they affirm because he is an appointed Lord over the whole world and so though not a God by nature yet by Office and seing that the Father hath given him the Dominion of the world therefore Prayer and all Divine Worship is to be attributed unto him Volkelius the Socinian handling this Question de ver â Relig. lib. 4. c. 11. Whether it be lawfull to pray to Christ declareth his minde in two Assertions 1. That we may lawfully pray unto Christ alwayes And 2. That we are not alwayes bound to it yet addeth that we might deservedly be thought not worthy of the Christian Name if we should refuse to call upon him But all this is meer impiety for it is impossible to call upon God the Father and not also to call upon Christ and when one Person is prayed unto the other is not neglected but included And therefore how those Socinians by their Principles can maintain the Religious Adoration of Christ against Franciscus David let them look to it Let us proceed to make Use of this Is Christ the Son of God Then with the Scripture let us admire that Love and condescension of the Father who sent his only Son to become a most ignominious and accursed man for our sakes The Mystery of the Doctrine and the Mystery of his love are both incomprehensible the one is above our understanding the other above our affections What may not God exspect from us who hath done so much to us God made man God made weak miserable and crucified man to redeem us from our sinnes What strong Obligations doth this lay upon us to make us for ever to abhor all sin All the Arguments of moral Philosophers against sin are but like a wooden dagger to this Goliahs Sword Here is fire enough to melt the toughest iron Was God made man to remove sin and shall thou yield thy self up to it What remedy will prevail if this do not SERM. CXXI
this and then from those conjoyned we may be able to finde out the nature of this obsignation for although our principall endeavour is to be made partaker of it yet it is very necessary in its kinde to know what it is Though it cannot be denied but many of Gods people may have it and yet not give the definition of it Even as they may beleeve and be regenerated and not happily be able to give an exact description of these things As many a man hath health may sleep well and yet is not able to tell you what health or sleep is The first Text which will afford much light to this we are upon is that famous place set like a beacon upon the mount and much agitated between Papists and Protestants in the doctrine of assurance Rom. 8. 18. where the spirit it self is said to bear witnesse with our spirit that we are the children of God I shall not insist upon the controversies on this place either grammaticall or reall but take the positive truth plainly delivered Here the godly who all have the spirit of God first sanctifying and leading them on in all their waies whereby they are said to be spiritually minded are in the next place declared to have the spirit of God in another manner working upon them and that is to witnesse with our spirit So that the spirits Testimony is not single and immediate as when there was a voice heard saying This is my beloved Sonne No such Enthusiastical impressions and impulses are to be dreamed of but mediately and conjunctly with our spirits By it our consciences are so enlightned that we are thereby enabled to be perswaded that we are the Children of God for that you see is the object of the Testimony that is the matter witnessed that we are the children of God You see then here is no encouragement for the Popish doctrine of doubting nay when they go the highest allowing a moral certitude such which excludeth all fear to the contrary yet it doth not rise up high enough to this glorious priviledge spoken of For as with the spirit in Sanctification of us moral vertues came far short of the graces and fruit of the spirit So doth an humane perswasion from the sincerity of our conscience within us of this witnessing and sealing of Gods Spirit A second Text reducible to this is Gal. 4. 6. Because ye are sons God hath sent forth the spirit of his Sonne into your hearts crying Abba Father This is nothing but the sealing in my Text only the words are 〈◊〉 of divine worth Because ye are sinnes Therefore none but the Sonnes of God have this priviledge Children of the devil cannot pretend to this Thou who art not born of God stand alooâ— off this doth not belong to thee As thou knowest not what it meaneth yea with Esau for thy moâ—sels dost prophanely despise this priviledge so neither doth God give such childrens bread to dogs or Pearls to swine Again God hath sent the spirit of his Sonne you see our Son-ship is built upon Christs Sonship our Son-ship of Adoption is established upon that Son-ship which is by nature in him He doth not speak here of that eternal mission of the Holy Ghost proceeding from the Father and the Sonne but a temporal one bestowed on beleevers and he saith the spirit of his Son because by Christs death this spirit in its peculiar operation is as it were purchased for the godly For had not Christ made an atonement the Spirit of God could not have been given us either for sanctification or consolation Further This is sent into our hearts not into our memories or mindes only for the temporary beleever hath some superficial and vanishing perswasion of Gods favour towards him but it is sent into our hearts implying the full deep and through possession that it hath of the godly Lastly Here is the notable and glorious effect it maketh us to cry that is fervently confidently and boldly God Father Abba Father Some reade it indicatively in this sense God is my Father Some by way of wish and prayer it cometh all to one These are two words signifying the same thing teaching us that both Jew and Gentile is indulged this priviledge or else it 's germinated for assurance sake Oh then how unquiet and restlesse should the people of God be till they finde this work of the spirit of Adoption upon them Thou daily enquirest after the spirit in its sanctification of thee how it maketh thee more heavenly how it mortifieth thy lusts and dost mourn because thou dost not partake of it in a greater measure Why doth not thy soul also long after the fruit of this spirit of Adoption in thee Dost thou observe how it subdueth thy slavish fears how it inclineth thee to a filiall and Evangelicall affection towards God as a Father I tell thee thy life is never a Gospel-life till this be obtained As therefore these blinde men cryed Jesus have mercy on us though the Disciples reproved them and bid them hold their peace so also let it be with thee whatsoever temptations guilt and fears thy heart suggesteth to the contrary do thou notwithstanding boldly cry God my Father The third Text to illustrate this 1 Cor. 2 12. Now we have received not the spirit of the world but the spirit which is of God that we might know the things that are freely given us of God Here we see two principles opposed as contrary to one another the spirit of the world and the spirit of God and he who hath the spirit of God hath it for this end partly that he might know the things which God hath freely given him implying that without this spirit we could not discern of these things Even as if a man had not a rationall soul bestowed upon him he could not discern the things of reason but would be as a beast So did not God bestow his spirit upon us we were no wayes able to discern of those Gospel-mercies which are bestowed upon us He saith which are freely given us us in particular that we might not think he speaketh of the priviledges of the Gospel in the generall remission of sins and sanctification in the generall but as applyed to this and that subject So that if a man have no more than the spirit of the world if he have not as yet this spirit of God dwelling in him he is not a fit auditor for this truth If Aristotle thought not young persons fit auditors for his morall Philosophy how much more are we to judge every man though of never such abilities and parts yet if destitute of the spirit of God altogether incapable of this truth Therefore the spiritual hearers are only such who can give their testimony to these things There must be a spiritual life a spiritual foundation before there can be this spiritual superstruction A fourth Text is 1 Joh. 3. 24. and indeed that Apostle doth often
his Epistle shews it to be of Divine Authority though of it self not a sufficient argument to prove it The Penmen were only Instruments God the principal Authour of the Scriptures and therefore we should rest satisfied with their style and method and not question their Authority How to arme our selves against the Devil and all Hereticks opposing the Divinity of the Scriptures SERM. IV. What an Apostle was Christ in the building of his Church used extraordinary Officers but did not follow the Model of the Jewish Government What were the Properties and Qualifications of an Apostle SERM. V. The Divine Call of Church-officers is clearly to be known and faithfully to be improved What advantages will follow upon a true Call both to the Officers themselves and the People SERM. VI. Of the proper and appellative Names of our Saviour Jesus and Christ In what sense he is Jesus a Saviour and how Christ the anointed of the Lord. SERM. VII Church-officers are appointed by Christ and all Church-power radically seated in him as King What Duties follow thence to be practised by Church-officers and People Some things are highly esteemed in the Church which are much despised by the world SERM. VIII In what sense Paul saith of himself He was an Apostle by the will of God Shewing likewise how all Church-offices and Priviledges come meerly from the will and good pleasure of God SERM. IX Paul's mentioning of Timothy shews That the godly though exalted above others in Office and Gifts yet are humble towards them SERM. X. There is a great deal of difference betwixt the Persons whom God calls and also in the manner of his calling them Education under godly Parents not to be rested upon but our hearts are to be sought into whether they be really changed or no. SERM. XI How much it concerns Church-officers to agree in matters of Religion What means may conduce to it Universities and Nurseries of Religion of how great use they are to the Church of Christ SERM. XII Of the Name and Nature of a Church SERM. XIII Concerning the efficient instrumental formal and final cause of a Church SERM. XIV Of the Notes and Signes of a true Church SERM. XV. Why Paul writeth to the Church not the Churches of Corinth What is implied in the Churches being called the Church of God SERM. XVI Of the City of Corinth God sometimes gathers a Church amongst the most prophane people A Church though many wayes defiled may be a Church still as it was with the Corinthians SERM. XVII A further Discovery of the truth of this Assertion that a Church may be a true Church though much defiled both in Doctrine and Manners SERM. XVIII The Preheminence of the Church of God above all Civil Societies As likewise concerning Paul's writing this second Epistle to the Corinthians how hard a thing it is for Churches to keep within their proper bounds and what great care Ministers ought to have to use all means lawfull to promote the Churches which they have relation to SERM. XIX Of the Name and Nature of a Church-Saint SERM. XX. External Holiness is not enough to bring us to Heaven without the inward renovation of the Heart SERM. XXI Wherefore 't is a Christians Duty to joyn himself to Church-society and in what cases he may be excused What are the false grounds why some neglect this Duty The soul of the poorest Saint is to be regarded as well as of the richest SERM. XXII 2 Cor. 1. 2. Grace be to you and Peace from God our Father and from the Lord Jesus Christ How Grace and Peace and such like spiritual Mercies and Priviledges are to be desired before any temporal Mercies whatsoever SERM. XXIII Of the Name Nature and Preheminence of the Grace of God above all other things SERM. XXIV Who are fit subjects to partake of the Grace of God As likewise Rules and Scripture-characters of the Grace of God by which we may rightly understand and judge of it SERM. XXV Of the Nature of true Gospel-peace and wherein it chiefly consisteth SERM. XXVI A further Discovery of the Nature of true Gospel-peace with the Effects of it and some Directions how to attain it SERM. XXVII Of the Names of God 't is he alone who can give Grace and Peace to his People He is a Father to all Believers even the weakest as well as the strongest SERM. XXVIII Of the Dominion and Lordship of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ SERM. XXIX 2 Cor. 1. 3. Blessed be God even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ the Father of mercies and the God of all comfort Of the Duty of Thankfulness Blessing and Praising God for all his Mercies SERM. XXX Of Praising God and that for all but especially for spiritual Mercies SERM. XXXI How Christ is the Sonne of God and how the consideration thereof is the foundation of all a Christians comfort SERM. XXXII How God is a mercifull Father the Father of all mercies to his children SERM. XXXIII Of the mulitude variety properties and objects of Gods mercies SERM. XXXIV How God is the God of comfort yea of all comfort and consolations to all those that are his SERM. XXXV Some Propositions clearing the Doctrine of Gods mercy from both Doctrinal and Practical Objections SERM. XXXVI 2 Cor. 1. 4. Who comforteth us in all our tribulation that we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble by the comfort wherewith we our selves are comforted of God That God not only can but doth actually comfort his People and how he doth it SERM. XXXVII That Believers only are the Subjects of the comforts and consolations of God SERM. XXXVIII How God will comfort his People in all both their spiritual and temporal Afflictions which all the Art of Philosophy can never do SERM. XXXIX What are these Apples which Christ refresheth his Spouse with Or what are those Scripture-grounds of comfort which support the hearts of Gods children under all their afflictions SERM. XL. How God may be said to comfort his children in all their tribulations though many of them may live very disconsolate SERM. XLI The works of Gods Spirit upon his People are not only for their good but likewise for the advantage of others SERM. XLII That those only can make fit applications of spiritual things to others who have an Experimental knowledge of them in their own souls SERM. XLIII It is a special Duty incumbent upon every one both Minister and Christian to apply comforts to the Afflicted in a right manner SERM. XLIV That the same grounds of comfort which revive the hearts of one godly man may do the same likewise to another SERM. XLV 2 Cor. 1. 5. For as the sufferings of Christ abound in us so our consolation aboundeth by Christ The true and unfeigned owning of Christ is alwayes accompanied with some sometimes with great Afflictions SERM. XLVI The same Doctrine prosecuted shewing the Object for which Christians are to suffer if they would suffer
lifted them up the more talents he hath bestowed on them the greater must their account be So that there is more cause of trembling and humiliation under all eminencies and gifts then any tumor or puffing up For they are more liable to a severe account and if they miscarry their condemnation will be greater Thus you see what cause such have to be humbled towards God and where that is there will be an humble condescension to others In the second place A godly man though exceeding eminent is humble towards others Because the meanest godly man is heir of the same glory and partaker of the same salvation with him So that if you consider them alike in Christ there is no difference God respecteth them alike In Christ saith the Apostle there is no bond or free but all are one in Christ Gal. 3. 21. And upon this account it is that Masters are exhorted To do that which was equal to servants that were believers because they had the same Lord. Only you must know that there is a true humility and a counterfeit one Grace doth not put upon the latter but the former For a counterfeit humility makes a man pusillanimous not keeping up the due authority of his place and office The Apostle though so humble that he judged himself less than the least of the Apostles yet saith He would magnifie his Office and he pleadeth for it against all opposers whatsoever Use To discover our spirits how we are when exalted to any Office or enlarged by any gifts Are not we who are apt to charge pride in others guilty of a great deal our selves We look upon those that are higher with a censorious eye not considering that there are many under us who measure out the same judgment to us Take then the Apostles advise Be cloathed with humility the Greek word is rarely 1 Pet. 3. 5. used This ought to be a garment all over us nothing but the spirit of humility should breath and live in us And indeed this is the way to be made higher still For God giveth grace to the humble and the humble he will teach his way SERM. X. There is a great deal of difference betwixt the Persons whom God calls and also in the manner of his calling them Education under godly Parents not to be rested upon but our Hearts are to be sought into whether they be really changed or no. 2 COR. 1. 1. And Timothy our brother c. VVE are upon the Person conjoyned in this Inscription and that is Timothy who is likewise inscribed in the Preface in several other Epistles Some have thought that because of this conjunction of him with Paul that therefore Timothy did assist Paul in making and composing of some Epistles But that is not probable He doth it as you heard to encourage Timothy and also hereby manifesting his modesty and humble condescension We have then the Person described by his name Timothy and by his relation Brother Not in a large sense as Paul sometimes cals all believers Brethren but in a special respect because of his Office he was in though at other times he cals him Son of which in its time Let us first consider his Name and so his Person and then his relation His name is Timothy as much as one that is for the honour of God and so indeed he proved in an admirable manner instrumental thereunto We may read of what parents he came Acts 16. 1 2. his Father was a Grecian and an Infidel but his Mother a Jewish woman and one that believed For Paul in 2 Tim. 1. 5. gives a great commendation of his Grandmother and Mother and so to himself as if their faith had been hereditary For although his Father was a Gentile yet because his Mother believed she took so much pains with him as that he knew the Scriptures from his youth up Insomuch that Nazianzen said It was a great benefit to have godly Parents especially to have a godly Mother because the mother if holy hath many opportunities to instill holy principles into the children while young And therefore Solomon speaks much of the instructions which his Mother gave him Concerning this Timothy therefore two things are observable 1. That he being educated in an hopefull godly way from his youth and for the good report that he had in the Church of God as appeareth Acts 16. 2. As also because of some Prophesies and extraordinary Revelations what an usefull instrument he would be in the Church of God Paul took a great affection to him and made him an Officer in the Church while he was a young man So that Timothy was in respect of his condition clean contrary to Paul Paul a persecuter a blasphemer an enemy and that for a long while but Timothy hopefull and a disciple from the youth up The second thing observable is That though Timothy was thus brought up with godly Parents and so knew the Scriptures from his youth And as Calvin thinketh because of that expression 2 Tim. 5. where he was perswaded of the unfeigned faith that was in Timothy as well as his Mother that it doth relate not to Timothy at that time who was no doubt an eminent believer but to his infancy or younger yeares yet that seemeth not coherent with that which Calvin saith in another place viz. 1 Tim. 1. 2. where because Paul cals Timothy his own Sonne in the faith he saith That Paul was his spiritual Father in begetting of him to Christ It is therefore disputed Whether Timothy was not converted from his youth or by Paul's ministry afterward as he did Onesimus while in bonds Some think because he cals him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 his germane or sincere Sonne not spurious that he was the means of his conversion as 1 Cor. 4. he saith He had begotten the Corinthians by the Gospel Others say because he was so greatly instructed in the Christian faith and so hopefull Paul took him for a companion and much delighted in him and therefore Timothy a young man was serviceable to Paul aged in propagating the Gospel as a sonne to the father and this the Apostle insinuateth upon a large commendation of Timothy Phil. 2. 22. Others they think That though Timothy might be converted from his youth yet Paul did further instruct and convert him in the things of Christ and so it was equivalent to a conversion Now all these three respects may be allowed of and have their seasonable matter of Doctrine But let us first consider The great difference between Paul a convert and Timothy a convert one from his younger years a blasphemer an high sinner the other a disciple and unblameable in his life then observe That there is a great difference both in the persons and the manner of conversion of those whom God is pleased effectually to call and to make use of They are not of the same condition or qualifications that God calleth neither are they brought home
attributed to the true God only and he alone is here said with Christ to be the Author of that Grace and Peace we have From whence observe That God alone can vouchsafe this grace and peace to his people This is part of Gods Regalia There are many things that the creatures can do as second causes but here God is the alone efficient We remain as it were in so many tormenting Hels till God cause his face to shine upon us Hence you heard God is called the God of peace and as it followeth in the next verse The God of all consolation As therefore God is the fountain of holiness so that there cannot be the least degree of holiness wrought in thee without it come from above thou hast no free-will or power of thy own to procure it So it is in matter of consolation and peace There is not the least drop of comfort can fall into thy heart to refresh it till God pour it into thee I shall briefly mention some grounds of this because it will be more largely handled in the next verse First God alone can give this grace and peace Because he was at first the maker of the heart he is the Father of all flesh and of all spirits Having therefore such an immediate dominion over the heart of man to put into it what he pleaseth to raise up what affections he will no wonder if he alone giveth comfort Elihu speaketh fully to this Job 35. 10. None saith where is God my maker that giveth songs in the night In the night when the soul may be most possessed with sad and dejected thoughts even then he can give songs and that because he is a maker That as he who maketh an instrument of Art the Clock or Watch he can make it strike when and how he pleaseth if there be any hinderance in the motions of it he can presently rectifie it because he made it thus it is with God he knoweth all the workings and turnings of thy heart he made every power and ability of thy soul and so he alone can fill it with joy or bitterness as he pleaseth Though our hearts be not in our power yet they are in Gods power and what he bids it think it thinketh whereas we have not our own thoughts and motions in our own power It is God therefore that made the heart who can make it peaceable and joyfull Secondly God alone must be the fountain of all grace and peace Because he alone is the person offended When we sin it is he that is provoked it 's his honour and his Law that is despised and therefore seeing not the creatures but God himself is chiefly offended till he be reconciled we cannot have any true and certain peace That as it is with a Subject who hath offended the Prince it lieth in the Prince his power only to be gracious and to give a pardon though all men in the Nation should give it him yet if not ratified and confirmed by the Prince whom he hath offended he looketh upon his condition as helpless Thus the foul troubled for sin though all the world give him peace yet that will not satisfie him his thoughts are daily What doth the Lord say Besides these as you see in David though he greatly offended and injured man being guilty of bloud yet he cryeth out to God Against thee thee only have I sinned and earnestly prayeth God would not hide his face from him Psal 51. Use of Direction To all contrite broken hearts who like that woman troubled with the bloudy flux have spent all they had upon Physicians that could do no good Thou hast thus many years been bowed down a stranger to all joy and peace look up to God more know he alone can give thee true joy For this reason we see David and others still making their addresses to God That he would make the bones that were broken to rejoyce that he would make the parched wildernesse to be like a pleasant spring for otherwise they are undone and miserable till he looks upon them Now then if God be the only cause of thy peace take heed how thou provokest him better offend all the world than God For the world though it rage and persecute thee yet cannot deprive thee of this peace but God hideth his face in a moment and then thou must needs be troubled Therefore do not think to get this grace and peace from thy own works and doings but imitate David who said He would hear what the Lord will speak Psal 85. 8. for he will speak peace to his people Thus we are to be attending more to the voice of God in his Word by his promises speaking to our comfort then to our own hearts thou wilt hear what thy own perplexed heart speaks or what the Devil speaks which alwayes suggest matter of terrour and diffidence and doest not hearken to what God by his Spirit through his Word speaketh to thee Only take the caution along with thee the Psalmist giveth If God have spoken peace take heed of returning to folly Sin may in that particular be well called folly for thereby we unsettle our souls we that had the quiet enjoyments of God and his imbracements of grace for some sin that pleaseth or tickleth but for a moment do cast our selves into darkness and misery So that then sin is especially folly when we have once experimentally tasted the good grace of God and then afterwards voluntarily chase it away by our own carelesness Oh how long mayest thou with tears and cries pray for light and comfort again ere thou canst enjoy it In the next place God is here described relatively a Father The word Father is sometimes taken absolutely as it denoteth God the Creatour and Governour of all things sometimes relatively as denoting the first Person in the Trinity Although the Socinian flight this distinction denying the Sonne to be called the Father unless once Isa 9. which they would wrest to another sense and that the holy Ghost is never called Father yea that the Father is never called Father in respect of the first creation of all things but because of his fatherly love and care to the things created yet these things might be cleared against them were it in our way so much Here indeed God the Father is named relatively and not so much from the first creation and making of all things as from the Covenant of grace whereby through Christ we are made his sonnes and what Christ hath by nature we have by grace So that the paternal relation here mentioned is more peculiar and sweet than that general one to all the creatures even wicked men who yet are preserved by him and like Ishmael have many gifts though they have not with Isaac the inheritance Observe That God is a Father in a more peculiar and special manner to those that do truly believe The Poet said We were Gods offspring who knew not
the grace of Adoption yet the Apostle confirmeth that speech because we are all his creatures but the good Angels and good men are the sons of God in a more endeared respect We shall not insist long neither upon this though the Scripture make it the treasury of all our consolation only we may briefly consider What it is to be our Father And First It implieth his spiritual begetting us by the Word For before conversion the Devil is our Father we may say Our Father which art in Hell if we were to pray to him as our Saviour told the Pharisees not Abraham but the Devil was their Father and all because we have his likeness upon us and his works we do But when God by his Spirit doth change us and make us to partake of his Divine Nature then we are sons Sonnes by Adoption and sonnes by Regeneration It is not then every one that God is thus a Father to he must have the Image of God and his likeness Therefore though many call him Father yet he is a Judge and an enemy to them because they are contrary to him in nature and actions Secondly As God is thus a Father in respect of a metaphorical generation so also in regard of all his paternal love and care to those that are his No bowels of father or mother are comparable to his Therefore the Prophet Isaiah makes his love to transcend the mothers love and that to her sucking infant Isa 49. 50. Insomuch that all our doubts and fears may presently be subdued if we consider he is a Father Why art thou so disquieted as if like Melchizedech thou were without father and mother Thou art afraid of hell and condemnation but will a Father do thus Again thou doubtest about many earthly and sensible comforts what thou shalt eat or drink and doth not our Saviour say Matth. 6. 8. Your Father knoweth what ye have need of Improve then the relation of a Father think what care love and bowels God hath put into thy heart who art a father to thy children thou never doubtest of thy affections to them but many times of their affections and dutifulness to thee And is not this fatherly affection much more in God Thirdly He is not only our Father but he sendeth his Spirit into our hearts to assure us of this and to be more affected with it Rom. 8. 15. Gal. 4. 6. For whereas in nature there the child by a natural instinct is carried out to his father and to call upon him It is not thus in grace for when God is become our Father then we need the Spirit of God to assure us of this to make us believe it of our selves we should rather conclude he is our enemy and our Judge but this Spirit of God putteth a filial confidence into us Again it doth not only assure us but inableth us against all those doubts and jealousies we have to the contrary to cry Father that denoteth the soul is in a very great agony many objections and oppositions it hath but yet we are enabled against our hearts and against the Devils temptations thus to do Lastly He is a Father and therefore doth afflict us and chastise us for our good Insomuch that it is from his fatherly love to afflict us as well as to give us of his mercies and if as the Apostle urgeth Heb. 12. 9. We reverenced our fathers after the flesh when they chastized us how much rather our Father after the Spirit which cannot miscarry or erre in his afflictions upon us To this Doctrine let us adde the Extension of it Our Father Paul saith not my Father or the father of Abraham and such eminent Saints but our Father Observe God is a Father to the meanest and weakest believer as well as the strongest Hence our Saviour taught all the godly to say Our Father In this expression is implied First Appropriation and application It is not enough to acknowledge God a Father but we must bring this relation home to our hearts Our Father my Father and thy Father Secondly It implieth That God is so the Father of one believer that he is the Father of all the rest Earthly parents have sometimes so many children that they cannot provide for all at least so liberally but God can do as much for any one child of his as if he had no more his riches and inheritance is given to every one All his children are heirs and have as much as if there had been but one child Thirdly There is implied the unity and agreement of all believers amongstthemselves They have one Father why then should there be such divisions amongst them The Apostle Ephes 4. 6. urgeth this one God and Father of all one Lord one Spirit one God and Father These are brought as arguments of unity not meerly because they are one but one â—o believers All believers have but one Lord one Spirit one God and therefore are to manifest this unity Use From both the Doctrines joyned together of Direction with what Evangelical quiet and joyfull spirits we should live upon this divine truth Gods being our Father should be the Gospel harp to drive out every unbelieving and troublesome thought 1 John 1. 3. Truly our fellowship is with the Father and with his Sonne Jesus Christ Our fellowship it should be no new or strange thing to us SERM XXVIII Of the Dominion and Lordship of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ 2 COR. 1. 2. And from the Lord Jesus Christ WE are arrived now to the last particular in this verse and that is the second Principle or Cause of this Grace and Peace prayed for which is Jesus Christ So that the Lord Christ is here conjoyned with God the Father in bestowing of these spiritual mercies In the words therefore we have the Description of Christ 1. By his Name Jesus 2. By his Office Christ Both which we have already considered in the former verse There remaineth therefore the Relation by which he is represented to us and that is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Lord. Paul here prayeth for Grace and Peace from Christ our Lord as well as from the Father which is a sure and strong argument of the Divine Nature of Christ for it is God alone that can give these spiritual mercies if Christ were not truly God he could not give these divine priviledges And hence also it followeth That it 's our duty to pray to Christ seeing he is the Author of such mercies The blasphemous Hereticks of late have differed among themselves Socinus and Franciscus Davidis about praying to Christ The later denying it lawfull to call upon Christ in prayer The other granting in the New Testament examples of it as when Stephen said Lord Jesus receive my Spirit c. So that it is lawfull but yet he saith There is no precept to command it But no wonder at this seeing he holdeth That prayer in the general was never a duty
commanded in the Old Testament We see by this Text that if Christ be the fountain of grace and peace as God the Father is then are we to pray to one as well as the other or to the Father in the Name of Christ The heretical exception against this place is That because the preposition 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is not in the original therefore he would have the word Father relate to Christ as well as to 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Our as if the sense were From God our Father and the Father of Jesus Christ Indeed our Saviour doth say I go to my Father and your Father John 20. 17. But then he saith my Father in the first place whereas here in the Text it 's said Our Father and afterwards in the heretical opinion should follow The Father of Christ but that Christ in these salutations is meant as a conjoyned cause is very evident John 2. 2. where the preposition 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is expressed from the Father and from the Lord Christ the Sonne of the Father A second cavil that needeth a vindication may be in that Christ is said to be Lord as distinguished from God Therefore it may be thought that Christ is not God To this it 's answered That it 's true in the New Testament though Christ be sometimes called God yet the more common title given to him is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 especially when God the Father and Christ are mentioned together but as when Christ is called Lord it doth not exclude God the Father from being the Lord also So neither when God the Father is called God doth it exclude Christ from being God But you may say Why doth the Scripture if Christ be God and the fountain of grace as well as God the Father alwayes put Christ after God The answer is That though absolutely as God there be an equality yet when personally considered so that divine order is attended unto whereby the Father is of himself alone but the Sonne of the Father especially if we consider Christ as Mediatour so although God yet because in that work he is God-man and in that office inferiour to the Father hence it is that the Scripture speaks of him as the fountain and Christ as the stream or rather second fountain That of God are all things and by Christ are all things It is good to understand these mysteries so farre as the Scripture is a guide to us that we be not involved in those damnable Socinian Doctrines which overthrow these fundamentals That which I shall observe is from the relation attributed to Christ Lord viz. That Jesus Christ is a Lord. Thus he is often called in the Scripture yea Revel 19. 16. he is said to have on his thigh this name King of kings and Lord of lords So 1 Tim. 6. 15. The blessed and only Potentate the King of kings and Lord of lords It 's observed that these titles were given to the Persian Monarchs because of their transcendent dominion but here it is applied to Christ transcendently even to them also for he is said to be the only Potentate as if none were Lord but him Hence it is noted of Augustus as a providential thing That the year Christ was born in he refused to be called Dominus and so some Christian great men would not be called Domini but Domini diminitively out of reverence to Christ but the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and so Lord may be attributed to men as well as King and head so that still it be acknowledged he is Lord of lords and that none is Lord like him But let us briefly open this Doctrine that thereby our hearts may be more raised up with this greatness of Christ for he is a Lord not only for his own great dominion and glory but for the believers good and benefit it is matter both of great comfort and encouragement to know that Christ is Lord. And. First We are to consider That Christ hath a two-fold Lordship Kingdom or Dominion The one Divines call Natural and Essential The other Dispensatory and Mediatory The former he hath as God and so is Lord in the same sense that the Father is Lord. The second he hath as he is Mediator God-man and therefore it is in some respects distinct from the former God the Father is not Lord in that peculiar and proper respect as Christ is For although that be true which Divines say That Christs natural or essential Kingdom doth virtually and eminently contain all that his Mediatory doth yet there is some formal respect to be made Now as Christs former Lordship and Dominion was natural and necessary so this may in some sense be said to be given him or as the Scripture saith Act. 2. 36. He was made by the Father both Lord and Christ appointed to be the Lord and the Head of his Church Not that this doth any wayes evacuate his Divine Nature as if because he were made Lord that therefore he was not so essentially for nothing was given Christ to perfect him what he received of his Father in time did only manifest that he was God for none can be Lord and Head of his Church but he who is truly God If therefore as he is Mediator it be said to be given him to be Lord and to have a Name above all Names yet this doth not deny but prove his Divine Nature because none but God can have such power and do such things Secondly This Official or Mediatory Kingdom hath its degrees it is militant and triumphant Militant and so the Lord Christ hath not as yet subdued all his enemies under his feet it doth not follow that Christ is not Lord because every thing is not wholly conquered because there is sinne and the Devil working still For as David was King although still there was a great part to be conquered by him he was King at Hebron when he was not made King over Israel yet he had a right to all before he was in actual possession So it is with our Lord Christ he is made Lord over all only there is time required to bring all things in subjection to him And as for his Triumphant and consummate Kingdom or Lordship that will be at the Day of Judgement when having saved all his people and overcome all their enemies then he shall take the triumph of all his victories And here we may take notice how to understand that difficult place 1 Cor. 15. 24 25. where Christ is said After all enemies are subdued to deliver up his Kingdom to the Father The Socinians urge that to shew that his Dominion and Kingdom will be but for a season whereas the Scripture in many other places maketh his Kingdom to be without end Luk. 1. 32 33. To reconcile this therefore you must know That the Apostle doth there speak of Christs Kingdom as it is militant and in respect of that Dominion and Government which now Christ
useth in his Church not in respect of the Lordship and Dominion it self Christ shall never cease to be the King and Lord of his people only that manner of Government which now Christ exerciseth shall cease all Ordinances and administrations the Ministry and Sacraments yea all Magistracy and Civil Power that God might be all in all fot then we shall not mediately by Christ approach unto God as we do here but immediately yet so as all glory and honour will redound to Christ Thirdly Christ was thus a Lord in the state of his humiliation even in his very Infancy as well as after his exaltation and resurrection And here again the Socinians blaspheme denying That Christ was thus a Lord till his resurrection But although indeed the Scripture doth often attribute this glory and great name to him after his sufferings and upon his resurrection yet that is not because he was not so before but partly because then there was a glorious manifestation of his Dominion The Sunne did not appear so admirable in his eclipse Christ in the state of his humiliation did not so fully and palpably discover this his greatness yet for all that he was endowed with it and Christ doth acknowledg himself to have a Kingdom to Pilate even before his sufferings Yea at his birth the Wisemen came to worship him as Lord and King and when he rode in triumph into Jerusalem that Prophecy was fulfilled Behold thy King cometh to thee And certainly if then he was a Saviour and the Messias he must needs be also Lord and King Yea in the greatest expressions of his humane weaknesses as in his birth and death there was also powerfull demonstrations of his Divine Majesty Neither is Vorstius his Objection of any value That because Christ in his Infancy had not that wisdom required to govern which afterwards he did grow up into therefore he could not be Lord For in Christ while an Infant were hidden the treasures of all wisdom though these were not actually to be put forth but when there was an occasion to do so There was no defect in Christ to be Head of his Church while a child because even then he could put forth whatsoever was required at that time to govern the Church with And indeed to argue that he was not Lordor King because he did not actually put forth himself in that way is absurd for kingly or lordly actions did not make him to be a King or Lord but because he was Lord and King therefore he did as he pleased put forth such actions Certainly the Apostle cals him the Lord of glory even while they crucified him 1 Cor. 2. 8. And the Socinians themselves acknowledge him upon his ascension to be Lord of glory when yet the greatest instance of his lordly power is still to be accomplished which is the judging of all mankind at that dreadfull Day of Judgment Christ then was always Lord both in his state of humiliation and also of his exaltation Fourthly This lordly power which Christ hath extends to all things in the world he is Lord over the whole world He is the universal Monarch for God hath given him all the kingdoms of the world Rev. 11. 15. The kingdoms of this world are there said to become the Lords and of his Christ Yea in some sense this great Dominion is given to every Saint Revel 2. 26. To have power over all Nations even as he hath received of the Father Hence it is said John 5. 22. That the Father judgeth no man but hath committed all judgement to the Sonne not that the Father hath wholly abdicated himself from the government of the world as the Socinians say but because Christ as Mediator is subordinate unto him in this administration Christ therefore hath an universal power over the whole world And whereas learned men say One man cannot be universal Governour over the whole world much lesse over the Church because no man can have those qualifications fit for to discharge that Government yet in Christ this doth not hold because he is God as well as man but this Dominion of Christ in respect of his Church is of another nature than that of the world for he rules the world with a rod of iron breaking every thing to pieces that shall prejudice his Church So that this power over them is wholly coactive as they do not willingly own or submit to him as a Lord so he doth by his omnipotent power keep them under and makes them servants and vassals for his work and to bring about such glorious ends which they never intended or shall have any benefit by as those that built Noah's Ark were not preserved in it But to his Church there he holdeth out a Scepter of grace For as they do willingly own him as their King submitting to his order and laws so he taketh special care over them and they may more safely lay themselves down under his protection than under the greatest Potentate in the world More might be said Doctrinally about this Dominion of Christ but let us consider what comfortable and usefull improvement is to be made of it And 1. Is Christ thus a Lord and that above all Lords Then what ground is here for our faith under all discouragements and affections How little doest thou posfess thy heart with this Lord of glory Doest thou doubt about the pardon of sinne conquering of corruptions preservation under temptations Is not all this because thou doest not remember Christ is Lord of Lords Will not he bear thee up Doth he want either knowledge or power Especially this should encourage us in any work for him Thou fearest the frowns of man the oppositions of man thou doubtest thy cause will sink and is not all this because thou lookest upon earthly power as greater than Christs power Was ever any temporal lord able to do such things as the Lord Christ Never than saint or be discouraged under his work Use 2. If he be our Lord then here is ground for duty as well as for comfort Joh. 13. 13. Ye call me Master and Lord ye do well saith Christ but from that consideration he puts them upon duty And certainly iâ— Christ be our Lord where then is our honour our obedience to him May not he impose what duties injoyn the Church what Laws and order to walk by he pleaseth Shall we be our own lords Our tongues our hearts are not our own but our Lords Take heed of being in the number of those who shall deny the Lord that bought them 2 Pet. 2. 1. for such as do so bring upon themselves swift destruction if he be not thy Lord in grace and favour he will be thy Lord in wrath and in thy confusion They that said Psal 12. 4. Who is Lord over us found that God would be above them SERM. XXIX Of the Duty of Thankefulness Blessing and Praising God for all his Mercies 2 COR. 1. 3. Blessed be God even the
our works and giving all to the grace of God who worketh according to his own purpose and will Oh what coals of fire will this be in thy bosome To think why doth God do this to me What moveth him Is God necessitated to it Can he not do otherwise Would he be unjust if he did it not And this further will be aggravated when we consider the mercy comparatively with others that want such if for spiritual mercies we compare them with the damned Angels that are utterly cut off from the least crum of any spiritual mercy though so noble and excellent creatures may not this astonish thee And if thou sayest These are not of the same nature with thee How many are there of the same flesh and bloud in the same vicinity where thou livest of the fame calling and profession yea of the same parentage and yet they are forsaken by God and left to their natural deserts whereas he hath pitched his favour upon thee to justifie sanctifie and at last to glorifie thee Certainly thou art a stock and a stone if such discriminating mercy as this doth not affectionately possess thee In the last place The universality of the mercies thou enjoyest will much heighten in the consideration of them All that thou seest thou hearest thou eatest thou feelest yea thou thinkest and apprehendest is a mercy There is nothing within thee without thee or about thee but it is a mercy To hear is a mercy to see is a mercy to think without madness and distraction is a mercy Every thing that is not hell is a mercy to thee All the creatures as Psal 8. the Sunne the Sturres the beasts of the field are wholly mercies if then a man set himself to meditation after this manner will he not find the goodness of God like Ezekiels waters To ascend higher and higher till they come over his head But to finish at last this Subject take notice of the encouragements to this duty of a thankful blessing and praising soul that so if thy heart at last be throughly raised up to this duty thou mayest praise God for this truth that provoketh thee to praise him And First The more thou blessest God the more wilt thou have cause to blesse him For to the thankfull heart God multiplieth his mercies as many times because thou doest not take notice of his goodness to thee or lookest upon his mercies as a debt to thee or thou takest the mercies God hath given thee and usest them as weapons against him therefore he taketh away thy mercies from thee to make thee prize them the more whereas to the soul that taketh every mercy as the hen every drop of water and immediately looks up to Heaven that will take up every fragment that nothing be lost As thou blessest God declaratively God will bless thee really Christ will bless thee as he did those few loaves by multiplying of them Secondly Consider this is all thou canst do to God for all his several mercies What doth God require of thee after all that he hath done for thy soul and body Is it any thing else but to magnifie his name to give him the glory of it And this doth not at all adde unto the greatness of God he is not made the more perfect and blessed in himself by all the glory thou givest to him So that indeed it is the greatest glory that thou art capable of that God will accept of blessing from thee that he will own praises out of thy mouth that he doth not rebuke thee as Christ did the Devils when they confessed He was the Son of the living God Thirdly This blessing and praising of God will keep thee in a joyfull active and fruitfull way Those that sing at their work dispatch it with greater facility And thus it is the soul filled with cordial thankfulness to God doth more for God then many others who are clogged with dejecting and discouraging thoughts See whether the cause of all thy heaviness yea the prevailing of lusts and passions upon thee be not want of chearfull blessing of God The joy of the Lord is our strength Lastly Consider the example of David how unwearied he is in this work never thinking that his soul doth enough herein and therefore because he cannot discharge this duty to his desire he calls upon all the creatures of the world almost to help him therein yea the very Ice and Snow and such inanimate creatures how much more Angels and men must joyn with him to praise God In Austin's time some were named Deo gratias certainly we should so abound in this duty that it may be truly said unto God as Psal 22. Thou inhabitest the praises of Israel SERM. XXXI How Christ is the Sonne of God And how the consideration thereof is the foundation of all a Christians comfort 2 COR. 1. 3. Blessed be God even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ THe Duty of Blessing with the Object of it being dispatched let us now come to that Amplification and Illustration which the Apostle ufeth in describing of it And The first is From a personal and relative respect The Father of our Lord Jesus Christ Even the Father 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 That particle is by way of interpretation and explication What he meaneth by God viz. That he doth not take the word as it is often absolutely for the essence of the Divine Nature as common to the three Persons but relatively and in the distinct personality of the first Person and therefore said to be The Father of our Lord Jesus Christ For the particle 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as Stephanus observeth may be rendred by Et sed tunc etiam c. as the subject matter requireth The Apostle doth in other places delight to use this expression Rom. 15. 6. 2 Cor. 11. 31. Ephes 3. 14. In which places the Apostle seemeth with much affection and cordial enlargement to make mention of this relative Title in God the Father for this is the treasure of our comfort herein are all our mercies contained that we and Christ have the same Father he by Nature and we by Grace So that we are not to consider of Gods paternal relation to Christ as a speculative doctrinal truth but as practical and the ground of all consolation to us Hence John 20. 17. Christ by way of comfort tells them He ascends to his Father and their Father And indeed without Christ we cannot behold him as a Father but as a severe and dreadfull Judge Only when we say this Doctrine of the Fathers relation to Christ a Sonne is so full of comfort you must not understand it absolutely and nakedly as the second Person in the Trinity but as assuming the humane Nature into a Personal Subsistency Therefore he saith The Father of Jesus Christ which is the description of his Person in both his Natures So that we must not look upon the Sonne as the second Person alone in
the Trinity but as assuming our Nature for otherwise the truth would be no wayes comfortable to us if the Sonne of God had not also been made man The Observation shall be the words in the Text viz. That God is the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ Which truth shall be first explicated and confirmed Doctrinally and then illustrated Practically As for the Doctrinal part the Socinians they have raised up much dust and have obscured the point with their subtill heretical depravations For whereas the Church of God formerly did believe Christ to be the Son of the Father by eternal generation They deny this reason and assert some new ones of their own invention Yea and the Remonstrants also though they assert Christs Sonship from the Father by eternal generation yet they affirm also a second way of communication of this Sonship and that is By a gracious vouchsafing of supream power and glory to him So that they must acknowledge two filiations in Christ the one Eternal by that secret and ineffable generation the other Temporal or in time viz. A gracious communication of supream power and glory to him But this is false as is to be shewed But to explain this Consider First In the Scripture we read of four ways whereby a person may be entituled to be the Son of God and to have God his Father For as for that more common and general notion whereby God is said to be a Father in respect of Creation and so to all men Isa 54. 8. And the Apostle sanctifieth that expression of the Poet For we are his off spring we do not here meddle with And 1. There is a Sonne of God by Creation after the Image of God Thus Adam Luk. 3. ult is called The Sonne of God and the Angels also Job 1. 6. These are the Sonnes of God and have him for a Father because they they were at first created after his Image in holiness 2. God is a Father by gracious Adoption Thus all believers have received The Spirit of Adoption being thereby enabled to call God Abba Father 3. A Person is said to be the Sonne of God by communication of some power and office Thus our Saviour argued from the lesse to the greater That if they were gods to whom the word of God came viz. who were appointed by God to be Magistrates how much more was he God Lastly There is the Son of God by eternal generation and thus Christ is onely Hence he is called His only Sonne Secondly Take notice That Christ is called the Sonne of God only from one respect and that is because of eternal generation from the Father It is not my purpose to enter into a Dispute about this secret and unspeakable mystery This is enough for us to know That Christ is never called the Sonne of God or God said to be his Father but because of that eternal generation as the Apostle proveth Heb. 1. from Psal 27. Thou art my Sonne This day have I begotten thee which is so attributed to Christ that thereby he hath a supereminency to all the Angels who yet are called the Sonnes of God upon a gracious foundation Hence 1. Christ is not called The Sonne of God because he is predestinated to be the Mediator of his people 1 Pet. 1. 20. For he is not therefore the Son of God because fore-ordained to be Head of his Church but this latter doth presuppose and is grounded upon the former because he was the second Person in Trinity and Son of the Father therefore was he ordained thus to be a Mediator for his people 2. Christ is not called the Sonne of God because of his Incarnation or that wonderfull manner of the production of his Humane Nature in the womb Indeed some orthodox Divines and so Maldonate the Papist do grant That Christ was called the Sonne of God because of that extraordinary conception Luk. 1. 32 35. for the Evangelist seemeth to favour such an interpretation because when the Angel had said The holy Ghost should overshadow the Virgin Mary he presently addeth Therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Sonne of God Now though these men hold Christ was called thus the Sonne of God because of that extraordinary and peculiar way of the production of his Humane Nature yet they acknowledge his Sonship by eternal generation also But it is well observed by other learned men That it is an impudent concession to the adversaries of Christs Divine Nature to grant Christ is ever called the Sonne of God but because of eternal generation And therefore that expression Therefore also c. is not an argument from the Cause but the Sign That extraordinary conception was not a Cause but a true and sure Sign that he was the Sonne of God and therefore it 's said He shall be called not be the Sonne of God which relateth to the manifestation and notification of it And no doubt the Angel doth allude the ninth of Isaiah where a Virgins bringing forth a Sonne is made a Sign of his being Emmanuel God with us For if this extraordinary conception had been a cause of this filiation he would rather he called The Sonne of the holy Ghost then of God the Father because immediately conceived by him Neither is that of Maldonate true excepting against this interpretation That a pure man might have been so conceived by the holy Ghost and it would not follow that he was God properly For besides that it is a bold assertion to say so we must take this extraordinary conception in its circumstances as it was fo promised by the Prophet and thus it could not agree to any but to God 3. Neither is Christ called the Son of God because of his sanctification and mission into the word as John 10. 35. Nor 4. Because of his Resurrection from the dead His eduction from the earth as it were a womb to life being like a new birth Nor 5. Because of his being placed at the right hand of God Heb. 1. 4. For although in those Texts Christ is proved to be the Sonne of God by his Sanctification and Mission into the world by his Resurrection and by his Exaltation yet not so as if these did make him to be a Sonne So that he was not a Sonne before but by way of declaration and manifestation When these things were done there was a plain discovery that he was the true and proper Sonne of God he was the Sonne of God from all eternity but none could so rise and be exalted but he who was so And therefore the Socinians who make Christ the Sonne of God by degrees by his Incarnation and first and afterwards more perfectly a Son in his Exaltation do most palpably wrest the Scripture The Summe therefore of this Discourse is That as Christ was called the Sonne of man only because born of a woman so the Sonne of God only because by eternal
generation he was of the Father Therefore the Apostle asketh this Question To which of the Angels then much less men said he Thou art my Sonne c which must be in a peculiar transcendent sense for in a common general one Angels are called the Sons of God And indeed to be a Sonne by eternal generation and then afterwards by gracious communication doth imply a contradiction For amongst men he that is truly such a mans sonne by natural generation can never for any adventitious reason be properly called his sonne afterwards If then God be the Father of Christ by generation then he is not by any other supposed wayes of gracious communication And that Christ is a Sonne in a transcendent way to Angels and men appeareth fully by the expression of the Apostle Heb. 5. 8. Although he was a Son 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 yet learned obedience by those things in which he suffered From whence we say Christ was a Sonne not according to his Humane Nature for so he was to shew obedience Mal. 1. 6. but in that sense wherein he could not obey viz in his Divine Nature Therefore it 's a discreet Axiom or Proposition Although he was a Sonne This being laid as a foundation let us come to consider this as a ground of our comfort For you may say Why is God to besa blessed by us Because he is the Father of Jesus Christ For what doth that appertain to us Indeed to wicked and ungodly men who perish in their sins this makes no more for their comfort then for apostate Angels whose nature Christ took not upon him But as for the godly the true believer this is the foundation of all their comfort For First In that he is the Father of Christ by this means he cometh to be the Father in him For seeing Christ is ours then he who is the Father of Christ must be our Father also as will appear in the second place But the first consideration of comfort is That Gods paternal relation to us is grounded upon the Fathers relation to Christ Christ merited at Gods hands that he should be a reconciled Father with us for without Christ God is not the Father of mercies but a dreadfull and terrible Judge He is a consuming fire and we cannot with any confidence draw nigh to him but through Christ God assumeth a new relation to us of a Judge he becometh a Father So that we see this is the fountain of all our comfort Therefore is God a Father to us because he is to Christ and this is the reason why the Apostle mentioneth as you heard this Title so often with Doxologie because without Christ God is not a Father We cannot expect a drop of mercy or the least glimpse of favour from him Secondly This relation of God the Father to Christ is of great comfort to us because of our union with Christ When we by faith are made one with Christ then we have the same Father as he hath and this is a second ground of our comfort The Apostle calleth him The Father of our Lord Jesus Christ because our Lord our Jesus therefore God is our Father The Devils and wicked men because they cannot truly say Our Christ therefore they cannot call God Our Father It 's then our union with Christ that doth entitle us to God a Father as well as Christ himself As it 's with the wise when married to an husband then the husbands father is her father and what relations he hath she is also received into Thus it is here when the soul by faith receiveth Christ he is thereby made the Sonne of God and a co-heir with Christ They have now the same Father Christ is become their brother to them Oh what an unspeakable and glorious priviledge is this that Christ should not disdain us or be ashamed of us but call us brethren and make us to have the same Father with him I Did faith improve this by lively meditation what joy and quietness would it produce in our hearts Thirdly This is greatly for our comfort Because though there be some distance and inequality yet we may upon the same general grounds plead the bowels of a Father and all the effects of fatherly love as Christ himself may Will not the Father deny Christ neither will he us Will not the Father reject Christ neither will he us he is become a Father to us as well as to him Indeed there is a great disproportion between Christ and us in this paternal relation he is by Nature we by Grace he is the only begotten Sonne we adopted sons he is perfectly holy and the meritorious cause of this relation for us Therefore the Socinian doctrine is to be abhorred who makes Christs Sonship and that of believers to differ only in degrees not in kind Yet in the general because by him God is made a Father we may improve it in what we have his promise for as Christ himself did Hence 2 Sam. 7. 14. what is spoken of Solomon as a type of Christ and in the general is true of all believers the Apostle Heb. 1. applieth to Christ as in such particulars 1. The fatherly love and bowels which Christ found from God in all his exercises and agonies the like may we expect to find Did Christ say when his Disciples left him That he should not be alone because the Father was alwayes with him The same may every true believer affirm when he may be left alone if in persecutions thy friends thy acquaintances forsake thee If father and mother as David said should leave thee yet this Father is alwayes with thee So that although thou art not comparable to Christ either in thy natures persons or graces yet remember the same fatherly love is common to both Hence Job 17. 23. That they may know that the love wherewith thou lovest me is in them In them by way of sense and experience by way of knowledge and certainty 2. As God is a Father to Christ thus in love so also he was in hearing of his prayers which he put up as man or as Mediator Father saith Christ I know thou hearest me alwayes John 10. And therefore in that wonderfull prayer of his that his soul poured out before his death his compellation unto God is Father And thus also God being a Father to us he will hear all our requests that are according to his will It is true God the Father heareth his only begotten Sonne Christ because of the full and absolute Image of himself in him There is no sinne no blemish nothing blame-worthy in Christ but in us there are many imperfections There is just cause to reject our prayers but yet because we are in Christ therefore for Christs sake and in his Name they are accepted his incense perfumes their prayers It is through Christs obedience that God smels a sweet savour in our holy performances So that Christ indeed he was heard for his own
sake and in his own Name but we are in Christs Name So that you see the redundancy of that paternal relation to Christ in his benefits even to us also Other properties we might enlarge in but it is easie to the good heart to suggest them to its self as the eternity and the unchangeablenesse of this relation to them as it was also to Christ Hence 1 Pet. 1. Christ being from all eternity and unchangeably fore-ordained to be their Head they were also then comprehended in that gracious Decree of God Only this difference you must alwayes observe That God becometh our Father otherwise than Christ for the Father begat him from eternity not by grace and from his meer free-will as if he might have 〈◊〉 begotten him No for he was the Sonne of his Father by a necessity oâ— immutability though some adde we may say his generation was both by nature and free-will as not being inconsistent with one another but as for us God makes us his sons from his meer good pleasure he might have refused to adopt any one to his Sonne he took infinite delight in his only Sonne which was from all eternity So that it was the riches of his grace and the freeness of his bounty to adopt us for his sons with Christ his natural Son Use of Instruction Is God our Father by being the Father of Christ Doth our union with Christ intitle us to that Father and other unspeakable benefits which he hath Then let the Christian soul meditate on this more Adam and Angels were the sons of God but that was by creation God is thy Father upon a more certain and enduring ground which is union with Christ What enemies are you to your own peace and grace while you look upon your selves as divided from Christ If the wife make her self a distinct person from her husband she hath no benefit by the Law she cannot recover any advantages but all must be done in her husbands name and in his title Thus it should be with thee pray in Christs name comfort thy self in Christ meditate upon God in Christ The time is coming when Christ only will be in request when at the day of Judgement the voice shall be Go ye cursed because not in Christ Depart into everlasting fire because not in Christ This then speaketh nothing but terror to the ungodly who are not branches in him they cannot have the least comfortable or hopefull thought of God being not in Christ they have none of Christs righteousness SERM. XXXII How God is a mercifull Father the Father of all mercies to his children 2 COR. 1. 3. Blessed be God the Father of mercies THe next considerable motive in God who is thus to be blessed is from his relative Attribute to us The Father of mercies if every mercy be a stream issuing from him the fountain if every favour be a ray which hath its emanation from that Sun then no wonder if always and in all things we are to bless and praise him It s Bernards observation he doth not say Pater ultionum c. the Father of revenge and of judgments which yet he is to all wicked men but of mercies that is to such as fear him So that the Apostle doth here represent God in the most sweet and lovely relation that may be to the truly godly They must not think fury and vengeance is in him towards them though sinners but that through Christ all enmity is taken away and they may with boldness come to him as to a Father even as the child doth securely rest in his Fathers bosome The words have no difficulty they are a fountain opened no stone is to be removed that the wearied soul may drink thereof Observe That God is a Father of mercies or a mercifull Father to those that are his So that our work will be to treat of that Attribute of God which renders the meditation and thoughts of him comfortable to us For if he be holy but not mercifull if infinite but not mercifull if omnipotent but not mercifull he would be a consuming fire to us It is good therefore for the contrite sinner to hear of this Attribute ineffabili desiderio teneor cum audio bonus Dominus To open this rich treasure that is able to enrich all who will come and take of it Consider First That God hath such an Attribute of mercy The Scripture doth not only represent him Wise Just and Almighty but Mercifull also Jam. 5. 11. God is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 He is very pitifull and of tender mercy The former word is from the bowels that use to move when we are affected compassionately with any miserable object So that Gods mercies they are bowel-mercies he doth not only do good to us but to speak after the manner of men he is compassionately affected unto us while he doth so Hence Luke 1. 78. they are called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The bowles of mercy But whether mercy may be attributed to God properly is disputed The Socinians they deny mercy to be an essential property to God even as they do vindicative Justice The Stoicks they denied mercy to their wise man Seneca grants clementia and benignitas but not misericordia for they defined mercy to be egritudo animi a sickness and grief of the mind which ariseth from anothers misery And why is it called misericordia Yarch Austin but because it doth make miserum cor Therefore if we stick to these definitions of mercy as it is in man who hath compassion because he hath passion we are not to attribute it to God but seclude all humane imperfections and look upon it as an Attribute in God whereby he doth will to help and relieve such as are in misery so it is â—â—ivently in him and as there is none good but God so we may say there is none mercifull but God The mercy then of God is infinite as his own nature and do has rarre transcend all our sins and miseries as the Heavens do a mole-hill only there is not perturbation in the holy Nature of God which we find in our compassions Anselme expresseth it well Thou art mercifull O God Secundum nos non secundum te secundum sensum nostrum non tuum cum tu respicis nos miseros nos sentimus miserationis effectum tu non miseriae affectum God then is mercifull as well as just and thousands of places in the Scripture speak of this mercy of God very largely 2. It is good to know that the mercy of God is taken in Scripture sometimes Actively for that essential Attribute in him as Exod. 34. 6 7. where the Lord himself proclaimed his own Name Mercifull Grucious Long-suffering c. Though Divines do give notional differences between his Goodness Mercy Grace and Long-suffering yet I shall not attend to that Or Passively for the effects of his mercy as here in the Text The Father of mercies so when God doth threaten
is implied The real and lively working of it The father though he pity his child yet cannot give him the mercy of health much less the mercy of grace Ministers though they be spiritual Fathers they can only pray for mercy preach of mercy but to give you pardon of sinne to give you comfort of conscience and assurance that they cannot do but God is the Father of these mercies he can give joy to the soul and neither Devil or sinne can discomfort As the whole creation came out of the womb of nothing at first when God said Let there be light immediately there was light and as God is called The Father of rain Job 38. 28. because he can open the bottles of Heaven and refresh the parched earth when he pleaseth so also he is the Father of mercies because he can turn thy darkness into light thy hell into Heaven yea he doth it that so what many Sermons many Ordinances could not do that God suddenly and insuperably doth he comforts irresistibly as well as converts irresistibly But of this more in the next property viz. A God of all consolation Fifthly In that he is the Father of mercies there is implied That it 's onely from himself that he pitieth us that he hath something within him to provoke to compassion when we have enough to provoke him And this is represented in that precious Parable of the Prodigal sonne returning to his Father Though there was cause enough from the sonne to alienate the Father to upbraid him with his prodigality and rebellion saying Whence come you Where are all the goods I gave you Yet for all that The Father runneth to meet him kisseth and imbraceth him who might have chastized him receiving him with as much readiness as if he had never been such a prodigal sonne but what moved him all this while The affection of a Father It 's not then for the godly soul to be poring and puzling it self alwayes what is there in me that may make God shew mercy to me What have I What find I in me that may prevail with God Oh foolish and unwise Christian Think rather what is in God to love thee to pity thee I will go to my Father saith the Prodigal Though I have lost the obedience of a son yet he hath not the bowels of a Father the bowels of a Father are ready to beget him again Think what a fountain his goodness is to issue forth rivers of mercies So that it is with thee as some parched dry wilderness it hath no springs no streams to refresh it self with till clouds from above fall upon it Thus thy heart is scorched and even burning like hell till God give thee not a drop of water but Christs bloud to cool thy afflicted soul Thus you see what is in this a Father of mercies a Father In the second place what briefly is in the object a Father of mercies in the plural number and that implieth 1. That there is no mercy but it comes from God Every good and perfect gift is from him Jam. 1. For if so be any creature were the original of mercy though it be but the least as to that particular it would be the Father of mercy if the Sunne of it self were the highest cause of giving light to thee if it were not God that did cause this Sunne to shine on thee that Sunne would be the father of the mercy of light Although therefore God hath appointed natural causes moral causes yea and supernatural means of mercy and comfort to thee yet take heed of calling these Father Thy food would not be a mercy to thee thy house a mercy no thy senses thy understanding would not be a mercy to thee were it not for this Father of mercies So that wheresoever and whensoever thou meetest with any mercy look higher than the creature see an hand from Heaven giving it thee As Gerson a devout Papist speaketh of his Parents how that they to teach him while a child That every mercy was from God had a devise that from the roof of the chamber should be conveyed to him every apple or nut or such childish refreshments he desired but Christ himself Matth. 5. when he pressed against carefull distrustfull thoughts he saith Your heavenly Father knoweth what you want So that it is not thy own natural father that is a mercy to thee but thy Father in Heaven As that good man in Ecclesiastical History when they brought him news his father was dead Define blasphemias loqui pater eminens immortalis est Thus are we to call nothing a Father of mercy to us but God himself So that what our Saviour saith Mat. 23. 9. Call no man father on earth in respect of faith and obedience neither are we in respect of our mercies Oh but how difficult is it not to have other fathers of mercies besides him SERM. XXXIII Of the Multitude Variety Properties and Objects of Gods Mercies 2 COR. 1. 3. The Father of mercies VVE are further to explicate what is comprehended in this sweet and comfortable Attribute The Father of mercies We have already declared what is in the word Father and gave one instance what is in the word mercies The second thing comprized in it is the multitude of them he doth not say The Father of mercy but of mercies it is not one or two but mercies many mercies innumerable mercies that he is Father of Even as David doth sometimes call God The God of his salvations in the plural number because of the frequent and many deliverances God vouchsafed to him The Lord therefore is not straitned in mercy no more than in power but as nothing is impossible to him so every kind of mercy is easily producible by him The multitude of Gods mercies is that which David doth often mention Psal 106. 7 45. Psal 51. 1. And indeed were not these mercies many our sins would be more than they and exceed them in number David complaineth That his iniquities were more than the hairs of his head and yet at another time acknowledgeth that such were the benefits of God towards him that he is never able to reckon them up We cannot then come and say to God about mercies as Esau did to his father about blessings Hast thou but one blessing O my father Hast thou but one mercy Woe would be to us if God had not multitude of mercies for we have multitude of sins and miseries Oh then let the broken humble heart who groaneth under this that he hath many sins they are not one or two but many yea the multitudes of them are like so many locusts and caterpillars in Egypt he cannot look this way or that way but sinne doth compasse him about Let such remember that there are more mercies for them then sins against them If thou hast multitude of sins God hath multitude of mercies to cover them so as thou doest not cover them but confess and bewail
to hell from these jollities all true comfort is from God 2. There is implied That God hath a store-house of all kind of comforts whatsoever thy necessity and wants are he can comfort thee It is not every comfort that will heal every wound but God hath a treasury of all if thy soul need comfort he can comfort that if thy body need comfort he can do that Oh then let not these consolations of God seem a small thing to you Job 15. 11. SERM. XXXV Some Propositions clearing the Doctrine of Gods Mercy from both Doctrinal and Practical Objections 2 COR. 1. 3. The God of all comfort VVE shall now put both these descriptions of God joyntly together having already considered them severally For seeing in the mercy of God is all our hope Christ hath this Rainbow about his Throne And although it may affect us to hear that God is Wise Omnipotent of glorious Majesty yet nothing is so sutable and proper for poor sinners as to hear of Gods mercy Therefore I shall at this time enlarge further about it and so conclude And that which I shall deliver shall be laid down in so many Propositions which will be to obviate either Practical or Doctrinal Objections And First The mercy and comforts of God this glorious Nature of his whereby he is ready to pity those that are miserable is so to be managed in the publick preaching thereof that it be a sovereign Antidote against all despair and yet a curb against all presumption For so it falleth out that we can hardly open the treasures of Gods mercy and discover the glory of his grace and goodness to the humbled sinner but presently the carnal prophane heart is ready to encourage himself thereby It is therefore the part of a wise Dispenser of this glad tidings to consider the subjects with whom he hath to do and accordingly to publish terrour to whom terrour is due wrath to whom wrath is due And then on the other side peace to whom peace belongs mercy to whom mercy belongs Though therefore God style himself The God of the fatherless and the widow that he is pitifull to such as are miserable Though very wicked it may be and prophane yet this is with a general mercy onely his peculiar and special mercies are onely to those that fear him If then a man go on wilfully in his ungodly wayes if he will still retain his transgressions he must not think to find God mercifull to him he will find David's prayer fulfilled Psal 59. 5. Be not mercifull to any wicked transgressour This bread is for children not for dogs yet how difficultly can we keep such off from applying this mercy to themselves Those are commonly most confident of it to whom it doth not belong therefore beastly men are barred off from coming near this Mount This pearl is kept from Swine When we meet with broken contrite hearts here we display the mercy of God with all our might To such we say Gods mercies are infinitely more than their sinnes That although they had the sinnes of all the men in the world yet they were but as a drop to the Sun-beams of his mercy which will quickly dry them up To such we say God doth as easily pardon great sinnes as little as the Sun doth enlighten one place with as much ease as another To such we say That it 's their duty to hope in Gods mercy that they cannot dishonour God more than by looking upon him as one who is hardly brought to remit offences That it is Gods will we should come to this fountain and drink abundantly of it We tell them that they cannot think so much of sinne to condemn them as they may of the multitude of Gods mercies to save them To such we say That when they have thought all they can yet there is more in Gods mercy than they can go to the bottom of God is said to forget sinnes but he cannot forget his property of mercy Thus you see that mercy is so to be held out as the cloud was in the wilderness it was light to the people of Israel to guide them but darkness to the Egyptian The Doctrine of mercy is indeed matter of terrour to every presumptuous sinner for he hath nothing to do with it but it is full of beauty and reviving to the wounded heart Hence the whole drift of the Scripture is to represent this grace and mercy of God to an humbled sinner This is the main scope of it For who could or dare think of God any otherwise but a consuming fire till the Scripture hath revealed him otherwise And indeed the Parable of a Shepherd fetching home his lost sheep is comfortable yet Christ exceedeth that Shepherd for he sought for his sheep as goods that he needed that he wanted but Christ doth for us whom he doth not want he is well enough without us Again that also is a refreshing Parable of the Father entertaining so mercifully his prodigal Sonne but yet Christ exceedeth that Father also for there the Sonne came first and humbled himself and intreated for favour but God he doth first seek us out by his mercy We do not choose him but he chooseth us Though Vorstius doth distinguish of special grace to believers calling one ordinary which God vouchsafeth to those who seek him in the use of means and another extraordinary which God he saith sometimes but rarely vouchsafeth and that is while men never think of God yea in wayes of opposition to God as the Gentiles and Paul yet indeed we may say of all that are converted That God thinketh of them before they think of God It is he that prevents them his grace finds them out and prepareth them for mercy Again Christ compareth himself to the Physician but what Physician healeth as he doth Other Physicians they make their Patients sick and bleed to help them to health but Christ he himself is wounded and his bloud is shed for to save us All this is to shew That we cannot imbolden and incourage the sincere converts enough but the more hopefull and confident thoughts he hath of Gods mercy the more pleasing it is to God Secondly We must not judge of Gods mercy without Scripture-light and guidance for if we do we sholl thereby encourage our selves in wicked wayes and yet say God is mercifull And truly this is the poyson that many suck down they judge of Gods mercy according to their own humane pity and compassion and thereupon never consider his Justice his Wisdome his Holiness as well as Mercy So that this is diligently to be considered that we must not apprehend of God as full of mercy and comfort any otherwayes than the Scripture doth manifest him and that will be salt to season you against the abuse of Gods mercy so as to turn his grace into wantonnesse How many are there undo themselves for want of a Scripture consideration of Gods mercy both Doctrinally and
we look we are in strong pangs and agonies of soul The Devil also taketh his opportunity then to cast in all his fiery darts Thus when the soul of a man is filled with fear doubts seeing no way but hell and damnation at such a time God comes in with his best wine then God delights to speak to the heart of such Psal 94. 19. In the multitude of my thoughts within me thy comforts delight my soul The Hebrew word signifieth perplexed thoughts like boughs on a tree intangled one with another that a man cannot part them such were his thoughts so intricate so enfolded one within another that he knew not what to resolve on what to determine yet the comforts of God did refresh his soul Thus new converts have many times more comfort then ever they shall have all their life time they needed them most then Again When the people of God have any great props and supports of comfort and joy taken away from them then commonly God comes in with more than ordinary comfort This makes him to be styled The Father of the fatherlesse and Judge of widows such who need help and comfort most When David was in danger of losing his life and Kingdom and that by his unnatural rebellious sonne Absolom when Shimei reviled him when he fled up and down with his Army with ashes on his head weeping and wailing as he went up the hill yet even at that time Psal 4. 6. he saith God had put more gladnesse into his heart then they could have in their harvest joy So the Disciples when they were to be parted from Christ he was not to be corporally present with them upon this how greatly did sorrow fill their hearts What should the sheep do without their Shepherd the Chickens without their Hen Yet saith our Saviour I will not leave you comfortlesse John 16. Christ would send his Spirit a Comforter in his room Thus you see Gods way when he taketh away the comfort of an Husband a Father a Friend he will be in stead of all these to us Those conditions which we thought would have broken our hearts he made even joyfull to us Lastly When God calleth his people to any high degrees of self-denial even to Martyrdome it felf then as their grief and fears would superabound so also their joyes ond comforts will be above them The Martyrs never felt such joy and delight in all their lives time as they did in a dark dungeon and in the flames of fire Therefore Gods children should not sinfully torture their souls with thoughts what if God should call them out to suffer to be imprisoned to be burnt at the stake Oh they should deny Christ over and over again prove wretched Apostates They must not judge thus according to their present disposition but remember that God will proportion strength and comfort to their exercises and give them Giants strength if he lay a Giants burden on them Fourthly God doth not only do good to his people in giving them joy but to shew how ready and willing he is the Scripture saith That it is a joy to God to do any good for us he rejoyceth to bestow his mercy upon us This is spoken after the manner of men to denote with what willingnesse he vouchsafeth his favours to us See what a wonderfull expression the Prophet useth Zephan 3. 17. while God is said to be in the midst of his people saving of them even because he doth thus he is said To rejoyce over them with joy to rest in his love and to joy over them with singing By this we see that while God giveth us grace and other mercies whereof joy is a chief one he himself rejoyceth therein Even as Aristotle observeth of a liberal man That he takes more joy in giving than he that receiveth the benefit can do in receiving of it God then giveth thee grace and joy not unwillingly not difficultly but he himself rejoyceth in making thy heart joyfull See a sweet place to confirme this also Isai 61. 5. At the Bridegroome rejoyceth over the Bride so shall thy God rejoyce over thee Fifthly This joy God giveth believers is a spiritual joy Worldly joy is like the culinary fire which goeth out if it have not daily fuell but this is like the elementary that needeth no pabulum but continueth of it self without such additaments Though friends die though the creatures break under us yet this joy abideth the same still It is a spiritual joy because seated in the spiritual part of a man most So that we do not speak here so much of a sensible bodily joy but of that which is rational and seated in the soul It is true when the soul is greatly affected by way of sympathy and redundancy it doth overflow even to the bodily part of a man also but the Subject wherein this joy is immediately and properly seated is in the soul and heart of a man Hence it is that the heart is so often said in the Scripture To rejoyce in the Lord which is the mind and the will Therefore as a godly soul may truly repent when yet it cannot shed bodily tears so it may truly rejoyce when it hath not a bodily gladnesse upon it So that as the Wiseman saith of carnal laughter that even in that the heart may be sad So also though in bodily sadnesse yet the conscience of a man may have great tranquillity and joy It is also a spiritual joy because the motives of it are chiefly from spiritual objects It 's joy in the Lord and joy in the holy Ghost Luke 10. 10. Our Saviour commanded his Disciples Not to rejoyce in that they could work miracles and cast out Devils but because their name was written in Heaven It 's spiritual also in its operations For whereas worldly joy enters into men as the Devils did into the Swine hurling them headlong into Hell This makes the heart more active more fruitfull It 's like the Spirit to Ezekiel's wings like the wind that made the dry bones gather together and live It 's like Elisha's fiery chariot mounting him up into Heaven whereas grief and sorrow are like the wormes that eat into the wood and devour the strength of it Lastly This joy is given by God to believers though formerly great and grievous sinners For we might think such as have been the chiefest of many thousands in sinning and blaspheming against God though God should have pity and mercy upon them yet he should never give them any comfort in this life You would think their former lusts pride uncleannesse and excesse of riot should be like a mill-stone alwayes about their neck They should go mourning to the grave never able to remove their sinnes out of their sight but thinking they pursue them as close every moment as Asahel did Joab to damn us Yet even to such after God becomes reconciled with them God it may be giveth more comfort than to others Great
matter of comfort enough here is more oyl then we have vessels to receive This the Scripture doth frequently insinuate Matth. 5. Your heavenly Father knoweth what you have need of But especially Heb. 12. 9 10. the Apostle declareth at large That because we are sons because God loveth us and is a Father therefore he doth chasten us and so if we give reverence to earthly parents because they correct us as the Apostle implieth How much more ought we to bless God for his fatherly love to us in correcting of us Out of very faithfulness saith David thou hast afflicted me for before that came he went astray So then he who is taught by Scripture he seeth as much of love as much of a Father in these tribulations as in any outward mercies Whereas therefore they said If thou art the Sonne of God come down from the crosse the godly man saith on the contrary because he is the Son of God he will ascend up to the Cross when his Father commands him hence afflictions are spoken of by way of gift To you it is given to suffer and they are called The precious trial of our faith Say then as Christ Shall I not drink of the Cup which my Father hath given me And because he is a Father and he makes his afflictions medicinal therefore they are stinted and measured by him both for the time when they shall begin thy tribulations fall not out when the Devil and thy enemies would bring them upon thee but when Gods time is come as you see they could never touch Christ till he said His time was come So that as God is said to determine the bounds of mens habitations so he hath also of the afflictions of his children they come not sooner or later than thy Father in wisdome had appointed Now as winter and cold is necessary in its season as well as Summer in its season and the night hath its use as well as the day Thus a time of tribulation is as necessary as a time of rest and quietness There is a great deal of mercy to thee in the very time of thy trouble unless the grain of Corn fall in the earth and die it cannot be fruitfull this Christ applied to himself and is also true of every Christian As the time is thus prefixed so the kind of it with the measure and degree of it Revel 2. 10. The Devil shall cast some of you into prison The Apostle also Heb. 11. speaketh of the several sorts of tribulations the Saints were exercised with and if Gods providence reacheth to the Sparrows fall on the ground yea to the hair falling from the head how much more to the head it self to man himself Is not this then a true solid ground of comfort to think that thy heavenly Father knowing thy temptations and what will do thee most good hath appointed thee to drink of this cup of an affliction rather than another Know that that very tryal upon thee how contrary soever to thy flesh and bloud yet is the best and most profitable affliction of any in the world to thee other afflictions would be like contrary physick to a disease do more hurt than good Lastly This heaveuly Father hath not only appointed the time the kind the degree of thy tribulation but also the time of deliverance from it And this is also a great comfort to know that the tribulation shall not stay an hour longer then while it may do good to thee he will not take one drop of blood more from thee then is necessary to prevent thy disease or abate it So Rev. 2. 10. Some should be cast into prison for ten dayes You see here God had determined the time Even as the Artificer knoweth how long the gold must be in the fire to take away the drosse and will not suffer it to abide any longer This the Psalmist made use of in his Prayer for the Church The time to favour her yea the set time is come So thou art to know that the time of favour the time of deliverance yea the set time will come So that this may adde much comfort to the godly that their afflictions shall be as the horsleeches set to the body to stick no longer then the corrupt bloud is taken away Thus Job though he had many gloomy and sad temptations yet sometimes again he was refreshed with this That he should come out of that affliction like gold out of the fire Chap. 23. 10. How wonderfully was Habakkuk comforted in his exercises for being informed Chap. 2. 3. That the vision was for an appointed time that God though he did tarry would surely come see how he breaketh forth Chap. 3. 17 18. Although the fig-tree doth not blossom c. yet I will rejoyce in God I will joy in the God of my salvation Well may God be called the God of consolation who can make Habakkuk so greatly rejoyce when all earthly props are taken away A second Scripture-cordial by which God comforts his people in all tribulations is from Christ with all the fulness that is in him Certainly Christ received by faith and improved Evangelically is able to make us gather grapes of thorns and figs of thistles He that hath this Sunne cannot be in the dark night What makes Paul Rom. 8. so triumph and boast in all manner of tribulations challenging as it were every one of them to do their worse Is not the foundation of all this Christ dead and Christ risen again And if he hath given us Christ how shall he not with him give us all things Thus the presence of Christ the spiritual influence of Christ into the soul taketh away the bitternesse of all troubles Thus it was with the Martyrs Thus it is with Gods children while by faith they lay hold on Christ As the light of the Sunne puts out the light of the fire Thus the presence of Christ putteth out all other comforts yea and all troubles also Hence Isa 9. Christ is promised to the godly by way of comfort to them when the outward condition of the Nation was like to be very miserable Micah also Chap. 5. 5. promiseth that Christ should be the peace when the Assyrian should come into the Land But what Peace was Christ he did not bring temporal peace neither was he to have a temporal Kingdom But to the godly who looked for a spiritual Messiah this was the comfort of comforts to have a Christ as a spiritual Saviour If then thy tribulations be heavy and irksome Oh desire more knowledge and enjoyment of Christ for he will be in stead of all things to thee he is Wisdome he is Righteousnesse he is wealth he is honours he is husband friend So that he who hath fellowship and communion with Christ finds him to be as those three Worthies cast into the fiery fornace having the company of one who is said to be in form like the Sonne of God a defence against
〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for it is constructed with 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but it is usual with the Apostle to transgresse such rules of Grammar This Samson is not tied in such cords The vehement and affectionate zeal of Paul in his expressions cannot be so manacled Thus the word is used abruptly Rom. 13. 11. In the second place we have the object of this his knowledge concerning the Corinthians and that is that they were 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Partakers of or in communion with him in his afflictions 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 What is more humble and lowly than Paul in this expression saith Chrysostome they who had not in the least measure shared with him in sufferings yet he maketh them copartners with him They are as Salmeron expresseth it Copartners in the gain and in the losse with Paul They venture as it were in the Ship together The word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of which cometh 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the Text is taken sometimes actively not for communion so much as commuuication Therefore it is called distribution 2 Cor. 9. 13. Thus 1 Cor. 13. 13. The communion of the Spirit that is The communication of the Spirit And so 1 Cor. 10. 16. The bread and wine Is it not the communion The sense may be The communication of his body and his blood but very often it is used intransitively as it were and signifieth Fellowship Society and Communion The Object of which spiritual communion is fully set down 1 John 1. 3. Ye have fellowship with us and truely our fellowship is with the Father and with the Sonne As for the Adjective which is the word in the Text we have it used in that which is Evil and in that which is Good In that which is sinfull 2 Cor. 10. 10. I would not have you 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 partakers of the table of Devils Thus also the Verb 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is used 1 Tim. 5. 22. Partake not of other mens sinnes And 2 John 12. He that biddeth him God speed is partaker of his evil deeds We are not only to keep our selves from acting of sinne but look we do not partake with other in their impieties and that is done many wayes most have cause to pray with that good man Lord forgive me my other mens sinnes If thou doest communicate with such then the Text will on the contrary be verified upon thee as thou doest partake with them in their sins so thou shalt in their terrour and damnation But 2. There is a good participation or copartnership of which the Text here speaketh Though Paul was persecuted and suffered much for the preaching of the Gospel yet this did not deterre the Corinthians or make them to be scandalized at Christ and so to fall off from him but they looked upon Pauls sufferings as their own and so are affected with his persecutions as if they themselves were persecuted This was it which made Paul have such a stedfast hope of their sincerity for if their foundation had been sandy such tempestuous winds would have overthrown all Observe That a partaking of and communion with those who suffer for Christ is a sure way to interest in all that joy and glory which such sufferers shall at last receive from God The Corinthians shall partake with Paul in joy and glory because they are willing to partake with him in afflictions and persecutions The joy that is spoken of in the Text is a distinct thing from glory and eternal happinesse for that is not till the Resurrection but Consolation is for the present while we are here in the valley of tears And indeed if we take consolation for the relieving and reviving of the heart under miseries so it cannot be in Heaven but in this world only To discover this truth consider First That there may be a two-fold participation of or fellowship with others that are in afflictions 1. When though we our selves are freed and delivered from all troubles enjoying all outward peace and quietnesse yet we are compassionately affected with the condition of all those members of Christ upon the earth who may be in an afflicted and troubled estate For seeing all the people of God make up one body if any part thereof suffer the other parts condole and suffer with it Insomuch that it is plain thou art a dead part in the body destitute of all spiritual life if thou canst see the Church of God or any part thereof lie wounded like the man of Jericho and thou like the Priest and the Levite passe by not laying it to heart This fellowship in suffering is part of the Apostles meaning which he attributeth to the Corinthians and is indeed a good and sure hope of grace in whomsoever we find it Heb. 13. 3. The Apostle there exhorts to remember such as are in bonds but how Not in a superficial carelesse manner but as cordially and affectionately as if we were bound with them Now consider that if thou wert impoverished if thou wert banished if thou wert imprisoned how much would it possesse thy heart all the day long No lesse is to be done for others whom God thus exercises The Scripture doth much delight in the comparison of the Church with the natural body and that because of the intimate conjunction and sympathy which is between the members if one be honoured all rejoyce if one be pained all grieve The Prophet complaineth Amos 6. 6. of those who enjoyed their pleasures and made themselves merry but did not remember the afflictions of Joseph Know then that it is a special touchstone of thy grace when with Nehemiah thou hast all things that can be desired for thy private content yet doest mourn and pray because of the desolations of Jerusalem and this may be one answer to that Question Why should you speak so much of afflictions and troubles to those who have none at all For let that be granted yet are all the Churches of God in quietnesse and freedom Look abroad and see how it fareth with many that call on the Name of Christ and thou wilt have cause to see that though thou art not afflicted outwardly yet in thy heart and soul thou art to be afflicted in all the afflictions of others Why doest thou live as if thou wert not of the body Be of a more publick spirit let the Churches gain or losses be as thine own 2. There is a fellowship with the afflictions of others not onely spiritual but real when we are cast into the same outward condition as others are And this also may be part of the meaning in the Text. They were not onely Spectators of Pauls troubles but they themselves had part of this burden upon their own shoulders That cup of tribulation was given them to drink as well as others For although persecutions do sometimes fall onely upon the Pastors and Officers in the Church yet for the most part it is
God speaketh far otherwise making these troubles to be an effect of his love and that if he did not deal thus with us we might then conclude we did not belong to him Heb. 12. 6 7 8. If ye be without chastening ye are bastards and no children for whom he loveth he chasteneth It behoveth thee to make this difference in thy self else thy destruction will come upon thee suddenly Secondly The voice of flesh and blood also speaketh after this manner in heavy troubles That they will unto thee that there can never come any good out of this to thy self that it would have been farre better for soul and body if the Lords hand had not been in this manner upon thee Here also that false and corrupt principle is a liar within thee For David who at sometimes is apt enough to be cast down and exceedingly troubled yet upon his recoveries can say Out of very faithfulnesse thou hast afflicted me and before I was afflicted I went astray Psal 119. 75 67. Thou shouldest therefore do as the Apostle in another case making objections against Gods dispensations Rom. 3. 5. saith Is God unrighteous And then correcteth his speech I speak as a man Thus art thou also bound in all the unsavoury workings and discontents of thy soul to rebuke thy self saying I think now as a man I speak as a corrupt sinfull man Yea David getting some power against these sinfull motions within him abhorreth himself in an higher degree Psalm 73. 22. So foolish was I and ignorant even like a 〈◊〉 before thee Hearken not then to those tumultuous thoughts and reasonings within thee which would perswade thee that there can never any good come to thee out of the present evil upon thee that God cannot create light out of this darkness For as Adam was undone by hearkning to Eve and yeelding to her temptation Thus flesh is like an Eve within thee that will betray and destroy all at last Thirdly Flesh and blood under these heavy troubles doth also speak sinfully about the Perpetuity of them as if after such a black night there would never arise a fair day This froward and peevish corruption within thee saith It will never be otherwise Thus it spake in David when he said I shall one day perish by the house of Saul Yea in several Psalms the Church complaineth As if God had cast off for ever and that he would remember her no more Thus the corrupt principle lieth continually in thy bosome not like a Dalilah enticing and deceiving but like a thorn in thy side daily vexing and tormenting of thee David being experimentally exercised both in the sense of corruption and also in the sense of grace we find him sometimes speaking this voice within him Psal 31. 22. I said in my haste I am cut off from thine eyes Psal 94. 18. When I said my foot slippeth thy mercy O Lord held me up Psal 116. 11. I said in my haste all men are liars By these instances we see what an hasty principle a man hath within him under troubles For who can expect to have a better heart than David that was after Gods own heart and yet we hear him often complaining that in his haste he was ready to speak such and such things especially that there would never come any help to him and that the Prophets of God were but liars deceiving him with vain hopes But the voice of Gods Spirit speaketh farre otherwise in a more calm and sweet manner As it was in the vision to Elijah God was not in the fire nor in the tempest but in the still voice So commonly grace is not seen in those hasty boisterous impetuous thoughts but in a more serene and calm way Now I say if we sit still and hear what God speaketh to his people in such great pressures it is the clean contrary Isa 54. 7. As it were for a little moment have I forsaken but with everlasting kindnesse will I have mercy on thee We see the holy practice of Harbakkuk likewise notably to this purpose Habak 2. 1 3. Because God did delay he would stand upon the Tower and watch to see what God would say to him Thus do thou in thy expectations of deliverance Fourthly The principle of flesh and blood doth notoriously presse to do any sinfull action neglect any duty so that we may come out of such troubles And this affection or sense within a man hath a most immediate opposition to the work of grace within him It is with the flesh in this case as it was with Peter to our Saviour Master saith he save thy self But with what indignation did Christ rebuke him saying Get thee behind me Satan Mat. 16. 23. for thou savourest not the things of God but of man Such a Peter such a Satan is the flesh to thee that saith Save thy self do any thing to escape these troubles It is not any matter for righteousness or holiness but look to thy safety When these whisperings are within thy heart then rise up in an holy zeal against them Say Get thee behind me Satan This is not to savour the things of God Had David been filled with such holy zeal as he was sometimes against his wife Michol despising him for his adoration of God then he had not used so many unlawfull shifts as he did to escape danger his counterfeiting himself mad his pretending to joyn with Achish and to fight against Israel These were sad snares that he fell into because he did not ask counsel of the Lord but consulted only with flesh and blood Do thou then in thy troubles as Paul in his extraordinary Call Obeying immediately the heavenly vision and not consulting with flesh and blood In thy troubles wait on God take his way put not forth thy hand to any sinne Say it is better to have misery upon thee then the guilt of sinne It was Abrahams defect of faith though he was the Father of the faithfull and though his faith staggered not in the trial about offering up of his sonne yet in a farre more inferiour and less temptation there he began to reel out of the way and from carnal fear did use sinfull equivocation to Abimeleoh saying Sarah was his sister when she was his wife This unlawfull shift he used to prevent those things he feared But as Jonah could observe by his own experience Jon. 3. 8. So it will always prove true Those that observe lying vanities forsake their own mercies when we take not Gods way we forsake that mercy we might have had and so make ous selves miserable for fear of misery Raynardus the Jesuite Lib. de Mart. part 1. cap. 21. reckoning up several kinds of Martyrs that may be called so in a large and an improper sense doth out of Austin and more profusely out of Chrysostome shew That those Christians who lay in great pains and extream diseases and yet would not use such superstitious and magical remedies
dead can be proved possible by naturall reason but whether it can or no we are sure the Scripture doth so positively and plainly affirme it that it must be bold Atheisme to deny it Now do but consider how great a matter it is to exercise faith in this particular how improbable yea and impossible doth it seem to naturall reason All those who have dyed ever since Adam so many thousand yeares ago who have been for so long a time consumed into ashes All such bodies which have been eaten with fish or beasts yet God will raise the same body again the same bones and flesh again What amazement and astonishment may this raise in thee yet it is clear by Scripture God can and will do this Oh then that the godly did more vigorously exercise their faith in this fundamentall point of Religion What canst thou believe in God concerning this great and admirable truth yet doubtest whether he can raise thee out of those petty and minute troubles thou art exercised with When was news brought to the Pope of the murther of Henry the fourth of France he was exceedingly affected with it in his speech in the conclave blaspemously aggravating the mercie as he thought and among other particulars said the fact was so incredible that had he not used himself to believe the high and mysterious points of Religion he could not have believed this fact Thus he in a wretched manner but thou maist in a true and godly sense say Oh Lord this temptation is so great this trouble is so pressing I am so greatly overwhelmed that did I not believe those wonderfull Principles of Religion were I not used all the day long to things above humane reason and expectation I could not be able to beare up my self in these extremities 2. This Doctrine is metaphorically true also God raiseth from the dead and that again in a twofold extremity externall and internall externall troubles the Scripture doth delight to represent the great and extreame troubles of the Church when it hath visible help or deliverance under the name of death Isaiah 26. 19. We have the Prophet comforting the Church in her desolate estate Thy dead men shall live together with my dead body shall they arise It is true many Interpreters expound this as if properly and immediately spoken of the Resurrection and it should seem our Translators understood it so when they render it together with my body but the context maketh it cleare God speaketh of their deliverance from captivity wherein he calleth his people Cadaver meum my dead body because in outward appearance so now the reason of this may be because Gods power would be to them as the dew to herbs ready to perish which doth revive them Thus their deliverance out of their calamity is described Hosea 6. 2. After two dayes he will revive us in the third day he will raise us up and we shall live in his sight This Text is literally and immediately to be understood of the Jewes yet by consequence it may be applyed to Christ so that it argueth the calumniating spirit of Hunnius who would make Calvin to jadaize because he doth not expound it as a promise of Christs Resurrection God will do with his Church as he did with the body of Christ he would not suffer it to see corruption but within three dayes raise it again Thus saith the Church though we be in a dead condition yet he will within two or three dayes within a short time revive us again But above all you have a most evident allusion to this Ezek. 37. Where the Prophet in a vision saw a Valley full of dry bones and breath from the Lord brought sinews and flesh upon these bones and the bones came together and lived Now what the meaning of this parabolicall vision is appeareth Verse 11. These bones are the whole house of Israel Behold they say our bones are dryed up our hope is lost we are cut off from all parts but saith God I will open your Graves and you shall come out By these expressions you see how true the Doctrine is that in the Churches extreame calamities God raiseth the dead neither was this opening of the graves and making dry bones to live once done by God only for that people of that time But such hath been the condition of the Church in severall Ages It hath been the dry bones and God hath breathed life into them Now the Child of God should daily meditate upon these great workes of God to his People and then he will be ashamed to see himselfe so much dejected about his own particular What thou art but one dry bone and cannot God restore thee when he doth help so many Can he deliver his whole Church and not a particular Member therein More faith in the generall affaires of the Church would facilitate thy particular Come we then to internall extremities and exigences and there in a two-fold sense likewise we shall find it is God that raiseth the dead In the first place If you consider man in his state by nature he is wholly dead in sinne and therefore when God by his grace doth correct him then he raiseth the dead Thus every godly man in this spirituall change wrought upon him can experimentally say God who raiseth the dead I was senselesse in sinne I was stupid I felt no burden I desired no deliverance but God raised me from the dead Even as the Father said of his Prodigall Sonne converted this our Sonne was dead but is alive This expression in a spirituall sense the Scripture doth much delight in Ephes 2. You who were dead in sinne hath he quickned and therefore the work of grace is compared to a Resurrection and from this similitude we justly urge against the Arminians that man hath no active power to prepare himselfe for grace or to turne himselfe to God no more then a dead Lazarus did dispose himselfe to a Resurrection Thou then who labourest under many temptations about the weaknesse of thy graces that bewaile thy dead heart thy dead duties thy dead Religion Oh thou art withered and hast no life in thee Remember it is God that raiseth the dead And certainly if he did infuse the life of grace into thee at first when thou wast wholly dead can he not much more now thou art quickned recover thee out of thy decayings and swounding fits he that hath spirituall life at first can much more recover thee out of thy consumptions he that delivered from death can much more from sickness 2. There is another internall exigency upon the soul which may be called a spirituall death and that is the sad desolations and terrible blackness that may cover the soul because of desertions God may have forsaken thee thou maist not only look upon thy selfe as a dead man but as a damned man Oh this temptation when God sets himselfe against a broken soul shootes his arrowes into his heart
Nathan came to declare the good purpose of God towards him in raising up him and his posterity to glory see how humbly and in a self-emptied manner he addressed himself to God Who am I and what is my house that thou hast brought me hitherto As if he should say Oh Lord what am I and my family the meanest and most unworthy and wilt thou doe this to me Yea as if this were a small thing thou hast spoken of thy servants house for a great while to come and hast regarded me after the estate of a man of high degree What can David speake more Yea as it is 1 Sam. 7. he saith Is this the manner of men O Lord God implying that onely God vouchsafeth mercy to such as are unworthy As then he who would build high must lay a deep foundation So he that would exalt God on high must lay himselfe low And if it be thus for temporal mercies we are not worthy of a crumme of bread and though with Dives we should begg for a drop of water it might be denied us Then how much more in spiritual mercies if God bestow them upon us Shall not our affections be greatly kindled in blessing of God Take that fountain of all mercies the giving of the Lord Christ to believers to worke out their salvation by being made a curse for them How diligent is the Scripture to put an account as it were upon every passage therein That it should be as impossible for a believer to thinke of this love of the Father to us and not be ravished with it as for a man to carry hot coales in his bosome and they not burn him For the Scripture aggravateth it from the person who died for us even the onely begotten Sonne of God John 3. 16. For God so loved the world that he gave his onely begotten Sonne He so loved it if God would have denied any thing to mankinde it would have been this who would not think that he should rather suffer all men to be damned then to give up his Sonne to death And yet what astonishing love is here Dared a poor sinner of himself ever thought to have begged such a thing at Gods hand Rom. 8. 32. He spared not his owne Sonne Certainly thy heart may be amazed more than the Queene of Shebaes in seeing of Solomon's glory in meditating on this God to give his own Sonne his onely begotten Sonne his Sonne out of his bosome all which are aggravating circumstances If all the parts of the body if all the haires of thy head were turned into tongues could they speak enough of this goodnesse of God As God said to Abraham Now I know thou lovest me because thou hast not withholden thy onely sonne from me How much more may we conclude from Gods giving his Sonne to us As the Scripture aggravateth it thus from the quality of the person so also from the quality of those for whom Christ was thus given and that is for enemies and adversaries And here is an aggravating circumstance to enflame thy heart Rom. 5. 6. When we were without strength when we were enemies To die for righteous men to die for godly men would not have been such an aggravation but for sinners and enemies this is wonderfull Here then is another coale from the Altar to warme thy heart with when thou wouldest blesse God for Christ againe The Scripture to aggravate this mercy doth consider to what end he is given for us that is To die for us to die an ignominious death to be made accursed for us to bear the punishment of our sinnes upon himselfe This also doth deeply sinke into the heart This is like oyle to the Chariot wheeles of the soul This is like the Spirit in Ezekiel's wheele Thy heart cannot be quiet but it will exceedingly dilate it self in blessing of God for him That whereas he who would be our Saviour must purchase our salvation at so deare a rate yet he doth willingly make his soul an offering for our sinnes Lastly The Scripture aggravateth this comparatively That Christ did not take upon him the nature of Angels Heb. 2. 16. He did not so love them he died not for those Apostate Angels who yet were more glorious creatures than man and if redeemed would have brought God more glory but it was for sinfull wretched and weak man But this mercy of God in Christ can never be comprehended in the depth breadth and length thereof it being like Ezekiel's waters that will ascend higher and higher even till it covers our head We may instance in a second spiritual mercy viz. of Conversion or Effectual Calling us out of the damned world Oh the soul can never be affected with this How much doth it delight to speak of his owne vilenesse and unworthinesse once that so the riches of Gods grace in calling of us may be the more exalted We see it in Paul 1 Tim. 1. 13 15. how willing he is to speak what a blasphemous persecutour he had once been even the greatest and chiefest of sinners and therefore in him the grace of God was manifested even for the ages to come To this purpose also 1 Corinth 15. 8 9 10. he speaketh debasing himself That he was not meet to be called an Apostle because he persecuted the Church of God This discriminating and differing grace of God whereby God chooseth thee a poor contemptible worme and passeth by others many in the same Towne in the same family of the same profession yet converting grace layeth hold on thee and not on another As our Saviour said There were many widowes at that time besides she of Sarepta yet the Prophet was sent to her alone This comparative worke of grace passing by others and taking thee when if God would have regarded Externals or Internals there were richer there were more learned there were lesse vicious must for ever enlarge the soule yea so astonish her that she will cry out What shall I say to these things A third Aggravation of Gods mercy that the people of God take notice of is From the time and season that God doth it In the fullnesse of time God sent his Sonne And the Wiseman saith God doth every thing beautifull in its season To have mercy out of its due time is to give bread instead of stones It is like good Physick but not administred in its proper season Now the observing Christian who loveth to seek out the workes of God towards him and studieth all Gods dispensations towards him doth in this respect finde out infinite matter of praising of God that the Lord should put off to helpe so long that he should let Lazarus die and be buried all this is to make the soule affected with the seasonable timing of a mercy To have a mercy in its season maketh it a double mercy Onely you must remember that Gods seasons and fit opportunities are not alwayes well discerned by us We are ready to thinke
22. How miserable are such a people who rejoyce in the greatest judgment that can befall them Rejoyce not in this but weep and mourn rather when those who should deal faithfully with thee do flatter and seduce thee daubing with untempered morter For God will destroy both such Prophets and such a People Thirdly We are to rejoyce in the spiritual success and prosperity of their work It is very sad to hear those complaints in the Scripture Who hath believed our report and All the day long have we stretched out our hands unto a rebellious people To have much rain fall upon the ground and nothing but bryars and thorns coming up thereupon When therefore we shall finde that God makes the Ministry a savour of life and not of death unto many this ought greatly to rejoyce us when thou findest it to be a mighty word upon thy own heart or upon the hearts of others wherein we ought to be exceeding glad For Is there any greater mercy can befall thee than to have the Word thus a converting and saving Word to thee Thou mayest admire thy Pleasures thy profit thy lusts and judg them sweet But know that the Saving efficacy of the Ministry upon thy soul will be the blessedness indeed that shall endure for ever and therefore when you hear men praise a Ministry admire that examine what is the spiritual good they have found thereby what Reformation what a change hath it made The Apostle telleth these very Corinthians 1 Cor. 5. 6. that their glorying was not good why so because they did not purge out the old leaven They did not cast out that wicked person from amongst them now all this while they gloryed in their able Teachers they magnified the wisdome and Eloquence of many that preached amongst them but saith he your glorying is not good where is the holy Order the godly Discipline the spirituall Reformation that you should have attained unto by the Gifts and Ministry of your Teachers This alone will cause us truly and solidly to rejoyce Use of Instruction How impossible is it for men upon true and spiritual grounds to rejoyce in the Ministry unless they have felt some special efficacy upon it in their hearts They may glory in the parts in the Eloquence in the abilities of men but not for the spirituall success of the work In Popery they will have their people glory in their Church-Officers because of the external pomp and stateliness they live in and so they become reverenced for their outward glory But this is wholly unsuitable with the Scripture-glory and the Scripture-rejoycing for this alone will make thee praise God if thou hast found his Ministers to be the happy Instruments of grace and peace to thy soul SERM. CIII Of the Rejoycing a faithfull Minister hath in an Obedient people 2 COR. 1. 14. That we are your rejoyeing as you also are ours in the day of the Lord Jesus THere remaineth the Second part of the Doctrine to be dispatched which is The Ministers rejoycing upon good grounds in his people For you heard how happy and blessed a thing it was when there was cause for a mutuall and reciprocall rejoycing in one another between Minister and People For God many times upon wise ends doth divide those who should be conjoyned sometimes he sends faithfull Embassadours to a froward and rebellious people as God in Ezekiel that the people were bryars and thornes to him and that he did dwell among scorpions yet he must not be afraid or dismayed at their lookes though they were a rebellious house Chap. 2. 6. Now what comefort could Ezekiel have from such a people They were so many bryars and thornes scratching and tearing of him so many scorpions that had stings and what danger was it to dwell with such Sometimes again there may be a godly and holy people highly prising the means of grace and yet God set over them dumb or wicked Pastors that are Idols and no shepherds Now when this is so their is little rejoycing in one another and if Jehoash the King of Israel 2 Kings 13. 9. compared an unequal Warr to an unequal and unfit Marriage the thistle in Lebanon with the Cedar in Lebanon which proved destructive immediately for the wilde beast in Lebanon came and trode down the Thistle How much more now is this true in this spiritual relation When an Ignorant or prophane Minister is over a gracious people then the Thistle is married to the Cedar but but this cannot hold long for the Devil which is like the wilde beast the roaring Lyon he will come and devour all so that what the Apostle speaketh 2 Cor. 6. 14. may well be applyed here Be not unequally yoaked what communion hath light with darkness It is then very uncomfortable when a Godly people hath an unfaithfull Minister or a faithfull Minister an ungodly and a froward people This will make him sadly to bewail his condition crying out with Isay Wo unto me for I dwel among men of polluted lips Isay chap. 6. 12. This maketh him like Lot to torment his righteous soul by seing and hearing the wickedness of those he dwelleth amongst 2 Pet. 2. 8. This is a bitter and sad Persecution as it were thou dost not onely persecute a Minister by the malicious opposition and violent courses against him but even thy ungodly life that thou wilt not be reformed that thou wilt not hear and humbly receive the word of God this maketh them grieved and wearied in their work This is a perfecution of their righteous souls as Jeremy said chap. 13. 17. If you will not here it my soul shall weep in secret places for your pride Thus the wickedness and ungodly wayes of a stubborn people are the very heart-breaking of a godly Minister while they deride and scorn his soul mourneth for them while they revile and reproach him maliciously he giveth himself to prayer for them Even as it is with some tender Father who hath a Son grievously distracted and bereaved of his wits while he rageth and raveth at his Father while he miscalleth him and striketh at him The Father stands by sadly affected weeping and praying for his childe that he might be brought to his sound minde again Thus doth a godly tender Pastor mourn over a wicked scornfull and rebellious People But let us proceed to shew Wherein a faithfull Minister of Christ hath cause to rejoyce over his people And first When they are a teachable and learning people very tractable and ready to receive Instruction This is a great joy and Incouragement There are many who as they are sottishly ignorant in matters of Religion so they will continue obstinately therein They are not desirous and hearkning after knowledg that say with those in Job 21. 14. unto God Depart from us for we desire not the knowledge of thy wayes Now it is for want of a true knowledg of God that iniquity and profaneness doth abound every where
Christ herein the world knoweth Insomuch that St Francis or St Dominick or the Virgin Mary or some other Saint these were preached more than Christ Insomuch that we may say Till God raised up our Reformers there was no preaching of Christ Images Saints Pilgrimages and workes of Supererogations these were made the whole of Christianity It is true they would sometimes mention Christ but then they make him but a semi-Saviour they make others to joyne in this worke And although they runne to many plausible distinctions yea would perswade us that they more honour Christ then we doe yet all the water of their Tyber cannot cleanse them herein It was then blessed mercy when the Sunne-shine of the Gospel began to arise so that Christ was exalted in his Glory and his Offices that now there was no more robbery making others equal to him Yea the bold blaspheming picture was not ashamed of this Inscription That the way to Heaven by St Francis was easier than by Christ The Papists then do not preach Christ And as for the Socinian he surpasseth the Papist and deferveth not to be reckoned amongst Christians For although they hold him to be a constituted God and some of them say That religious adoration is due to him yet they say This is meerly from Gods appointment Hence as they dis-robe him of his Deity so they deny him to be a Saviour and Redeemer by way of satisfaction and atonement to the justice of God and therefore make him but as an eminent Prophet and Martyr but having no essential God-head nor procuring by his death any atonement for our sinnes to the vindicative justice of God What cause then have we to rejoyce under the full and exact preaching of Christ where Christ in his Natures in his Offices is so magnified that he alone is to be our Mediatour In his obedience alone in his death alone we put all our confidence For if Christ be not known as the way truth and life If the Natures and Offices of Christ be not understood all the way of consolation of justification of remission of sinne is wholly mistaken Because Christ is not known in his Mediatory Office therefore men either runne into despair and tormenting fears on one side or else into instituted wayes of superstition and supererrogation to the workes of the Law and to merits which hath been the poisonous Doctrine in Gods Church for many yeares together this was the wormwood that was in all their water The Popish Casuists did give consciences troubled for sinne nothing but gall to drink and in stead of healing did provoke and irritate the wound farre more Fifthly Christ is preached when he is set up as the King and Lord of his Church to whose Lawes and commands we are wholly to submit else we shall hereafter finde him to be the great Judge of the world who will judge it in righteousnesse People are deceived when they think Christ must be preached onely as a meer absolute Saviour that though they live in prophanenesse and dissolutenesse yet they are to trust in him as a Saviour Whosoever preacheth Christ thus he preacheth another Christ than what is revealed in the Word Therefore the Doctrines of Antinomians and Libertines who turne the grace of God into wantonnesse are to be abhorred with all abomination though there may be a sinfull setting up of righteousness and our good workes against Christ and his grace so there may be also a licentious conjoyning Christ and wickednesse We must therefore distinguish of what persons we have to do with For as Luther observed well to this effect Comment in Gen. The Antinomians who cry down holinesse and mortification they maintain themselves by my words and doctrin which I have preached but they must remember that when we came out of Popery we found the whole world in pharisaical admiration of superstitious workes as if by them they should be justified and saved which made us so advance Christ But under this pretence to cry down the preaching of the Law to give way to all licentiousnesse as if a Publican living in his sinnes might be saved by Christ though not a Pharisee This is to separate one Scripture from another But you will say If we are onely to preach Christ then we must not preach the Law we must not preach about regeneration and the differencing characters between a temporary believer and a true one we must not then preach repentance holy duties nor the day of Judgement To this it is answered That the right preaching of all these is to preach Christ Therefore the Law is preached hell and damnation are preached that so Christ may be the more welcome that so the grace of the Gospel may be the more conspicuous Even as it is with the Physician it 's health that he aimeth at even while he maketh sick while he putteth to paine and seemeth to take the ready way to destroy and kill The Husbandman while he ploweth and harroweth the ground it is the crop he looketh at in all this So it is with the Ministers of God while they convince threaten terrifie while they informe direct all is to bring you nearer to Christ These are the Ladders to stand upon while Christ is built in you SERM. CXX Our Lord Christ is the Son of GOD. 2 COR. 1. 19. For the Sonne of God Jesus Christ c. VVE heard what was the Subject matter of Pauls Preaching even the Lord Christ who is described from his Natures and Office The first is His Divine Nature in the former words The Son of God What is necessary for the Explication of this shall be brought in the Amplification of the Doctrine which is That The Lord Christ is the Son of God This is the greatest and most glorious Attribute that can be given to him It is for this that all adoration and divine worship is due to him It is for this that we are commanded to put our trust and confidence in him Had he not been truly God he could not have been our Mediator nor purchased our Salvation for us No meer pure creature Man or Angel could accomplish this work but he that is our Saviour must be Immanuel God with us I shall not inlarge my self concerning the dignity of this Subject but briefly dispatch all I shall say at this time And First When we say He is the Son of God the meaning is so that he is truely and properly of the same Nature with God It is not to be understood diminitively as if he were not the most High God and Jehovah but distinctively in respect of the Father he is the Son of the Father so that he hath the true nature with God though not the same personal propriety with the Father As then he is called the Son of man because he hath the same nature of a man so also the Son of God because he hath the true nature of God and therefore Rom. 9. called God
to charge it upon all other Ministers as if they were all alike It was for this that Paul doth not only apologize for himself but his Associates also But how unreasonable is this grant that some were truly blame-worthy must all be so If in the Old Testament there were many false prophets that daubed with untempered mortar that cried peace peace to sinners when destruction was at hand shall we therefore condemn the good Prophets who reproved even the greatest and most mighty for their sins Because Judas was a thief and for filthy lucre sake betrayed Christ shall we condemn all the Apostles making them to be no better Must Sylvanus and Timotheus be accused Because they thought Paul was inconstant and light yet thus it falleth out continually and that from these Grounds First The policy and enmity of false teachers who like Haman think it a small matter to destroy one Mordecai unlesse they root out the whole race of the Jews Thus the false Apostles concluded Though Paul was disgraced and vilified yet if Sylvanus and Timotheus be in esteem and authority our Kingdom will fall to the ground It is therefore the adversaries design to cast dung in the faces of all the faithfull Ministers of Christ that so there might not one be left that should be usefull in their place A second Ground is From the injudiciousnesse and indiscretion of people who are credulous and apt to believe all rumours and reports How could it be that the Pharisees by their calumniating Christ as an Impostor and a Blasphemer should prevail with the greater part of the people to be on their side because they were blinde and led by the blinde they would not make use of their own judgement they would not examine and try whether things were so or no. And then the third Ground is From the natural enmity that is in all wicked men to the Office of the Ministry when faithfully discharged That is a burden to them they must needs say with Ahab to such faithfull Michaiahs We hate him because he alwayes prophesieth evil Alas godly Ministers cannot give any comfort cannot promise peace to such ungodly persons therefore they have hatred against them and are glad to receive any false report concerning them Ministers are compared to Light and to salt now the Light must needs be offensive to distempered eyes and Salt to soars Thus if the Ministery be powerfull to enlighten to convince to reprove no ungodly man can endure this Therefore it is that the office of the Ministery when faithfully managed is so great a trouble to wicked men They are thievs therefore cannot endure this light they cry out with Ahab hast thou found mee O my enemy Every Sermon that is powerfull is as bitter as gall and wormwood to them and therefore there being such an enmity and ill-will against them it is no wonder if they be quickly prejudiced and will not believe there is a godly or faithfull Minister in the whole Church of God But I hasten to the Last Observation and that is It is a most blessed and happy thing when all the Ministers of God agree with one consent to advance Christ As Luke calleth it chap. 1. The mouth of all the holy Prophets which have been since the beginning of the world It was but one mouth as it were They all agreed in the same Doctrine Paul and Sylvanus and Timotheus they all preach the same Christ they were not yea or nay This accord and agreement among the Ministers of the Gospel is of so great concernment that our Saviour in his valedictory prayer doth with much efficacy and vigor press this Petition That his Disciples may be one and one in the most near manner imaginable even as the father and son are one I shall not enlarge on this because heretofore much spoken off only I shall instance in some usefull Effects and consequences of this happy Agreement Only before I do that we have cause to take notice of the goodness of God and that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 manifold wisdome of God whereby he hath provided many Offices many Officers for his Church and those variously gifted and all for the spiritual benefit of our soules some are Barnabasses some are Boanergeses Thus as the Kings Daughter is said to be cloathed with needle work of divers colours so hath God richly adorned his Church with variety of abilities that if men be not converted the greater will be their condemnation For whereas Auditors are of divers appetites some are for doctrinal Preaching some for affectionate some are for legal terrible Sermons others for sweet Evangelical discourses if Christ send Embassadours thus qualified every way what can they look for who are not by these several baits allured and taken For this cause we have Christ himself upbraiding the Jews that no kinde of heavenly way would please no kinde of dressing the Word of life was acceptable to their palates Matth. 11. 18. John came neither eating nor drinking and they say he hath a devil The son of man came eating and drinking and they say Behold a friend of publicans and sinners Hereupon he compareth them to children playing in the markets saying we have piped to you and ye have not danced we have mourned unto you and ye have not lamented Thus nothing would do any good to them Admire then Gods goodness that hath thus abundantly provided for thee Do not simply and enviously compare one Ministers gifts above another but adore the mercy of God that useth all the different abilities of men for the Churches good This premised we may from the harmony and Agreement of Ministers in advancing Christs Kingdom see First The greater Confirmation of the truth If out of the mouth of two or three witnesses then how much more out of the mouth of many thousand witnesses is every truth abundantly confirmed How canst thou give way to any atheistical thoughts whether there be a God or a day of Judgment or an heaven or an hell when thou shalt hear so many thousands of Gods servants in all ages witness to this thing All the Prophets and Apostles men renouned for holiness for miracles they all preached the same Doctrines that we do to you And therefore consider with thy self what a cloud of witnesses thou gainsayest by thy unbelief 2. The greater consent and harmony the greater defence there is for the truth The old rule is vis unita fortior Our Saviour confirmeth it when he saith A Kingdome divided against it self cannot stand What advantages do the enemies of Gods Church make by the Divisions and different Judgments of men in the Reformed Church The Papist doth confidently conclude that all will turn to them at last for say they you have so many Sects amongst you and one saith he hath the spirit of God and another he hath but all contrary to one another Now although it were easie to recriminate yet this difference
speak to this sealing of Gods Spirit upon the hearts of beleevers though in other terms This I have mentioned is pregnant for having said that he who keepeth Gods Commandements dwelleth in him and he in him Whereas it might be said how shall we know that he dwelleth in us May we not be deluded and deceived No saith he hereby we know that he abideth in us by the spirit which he hath given us and lest any man though living loosely and carnally should pretend to this spirit he saith They that have it keep his Commandements Thus doubtings and sinnefull diffidence is excluded on one hand and all carnal presumption on the other hand The last Text to bring in assistance to this truth shall be 1 John 5. 8 9 10. where the Apostle speaketh of three Witnesses on earth as he had before in heaven viz. water and the bloud and the spirit Now although there be many perplexed controversies about this passage yet I shall pitch upon that which is most probable without further disquieting of you It seemeth to be without doubt that the Apostle alludeth to the legall administrations wherein there was bloud for expiation and water for cleansing by which is represented justification and sanctification and these being wrought in us do evidently witnesse that Jesus is the Christ and Sonne of God We finding these glorious effects upon our souls cannot but acknowledge that Doctrine but because these are not enough of themselves seeing that sanctified and justified persons may be under great discouragements therefore he addeth the Spirit also It is true the same spirit is said to be a witnesse in heaven but that was because of the extraordinary and visible Testimony that it gave to Christ but here it speaketh of the witnesse it giveth on earth and that must be the sealing spoken off in other places for he saith verse 6. It is the spirit that beareth witnesse because the spirit is truth having there also mentioned water and bloud Verse 10. he seith He that beleeveth on the Sonne of God hath the witnesse in himself Thus you see that as God hath abundantly provided for the holinesse of his people by his spirit to quicken them up therein so also for the assurance and consolation of his children to establish them therein Oh how greatly are we indebted unto the Lord Jesus Christ who giveth us his Spirit not only to leade us into the truth and mortifie the deeds of the flesh but also to fill us with comfort and to assure us that we are the children of God So that it is the duty of the Ministers of the Gospel not only to improve the former truth but this also and to presse you upon the sealing work of Gods Spirit as well as the sanctifying Hath not the Spirit of God this Name given it to be called the Comforter John 14. and shall we divide the operations of Gods Spirit minding him as he is an holy spirit but not a comforting Spirit Having thus informed you what the Scripture declareth in this matter I shall give you a large and popular description of the nature of this sealing and the opening of the several parts touched therein will much conduce to the knowledge thereof The sealing of Gods Spirit may be described after this manner It is a supernaturall and gracious work of Gods Spirit upon the hearts of sanctified persons in a secret and unspeakable manner whereby they are confirmed and established in the Covenant of grace as belonging to them in particular by such means which God hath appointed thereunto that through the sence thereof they may daily walk more and more boldly joyfully and thankefully notwithstanding all discouragements to the contrary till they be made compleatly happy in heaven I have made this description the larger because I would take in every particular considerable about it as much as may be And First I give two Qualifications or Adjuncts to this work of Gods Spirit It is supernatural and gracious Supernatural and that if we respect either rectified nature or corrupted nature Rectified nature for Adam in the state of integrity though he was made perfectly holy yet he had not this Gospel-sealing no more then he was in Christ as a Mediatour for had he been thus sealed he would certainly have persevered and although Adam was partaker of the holy Ghost yet it was as he is the third person not as the spirit of Christ viz. purchased by his death for those that are his so that in this respect we may say this sealing is a priviledge above the nature of Adam while considered before his apostacy but then I call it supernaturall chiefly in respect of corrupted nature for as man naturally of himself hath no power to that which is gracious so neither to that which is comfortable and joyfull All the world all Ministers and Angels cannot powr one drop of this assurance and joy into thy soul unlesse the Spirit of God inable thee thereunto As it is supernaturall so it is gracious for this floweth from the former There is nothing in thee to deserve this establishing as Gods grace sanctifying found thee dead in thy sinnes so his sealing and comforting findeth thee in a guilty despairing way and therefore as God might leave every prophane man to wallow in his lusts and so let him perish thus also might he forsake every guilty conscience under the burthen of thy sinnes and suffer thee to be a Cain to be a Judas even to fall from an hell here into an hell hereafter So that not only by grace we are sanctified but by grace we are healed Blesse God for any establishment of soul against fears and doubts as well as for victory against any lusts It is meerly of Free-grace that we are thus sealed In the next place Secondly we have the generall nature of it with the efficient cause The work of Gods Spirit It is true in the Text it is said That God doth seal us and so whatsoever works there are ad extra from God to the creature they are all common to the three Persons yet there is a peculiar order and appropriation which the Scripture taketh notice of So that it is made the work of the Father to send his Sonne into the world It is made the work of the Sonne to offer up himself a Sacrifice for our sinnes And it is made the proper work of Gods Spirit to apply the benefits of Christs death to our souls therefore sanctification is attributed to the Spirit so also consolation and sealing thereunto Thus the Texts we mentioned formerly give all this work to the Spirit of God as in an appropriated manner doing this for us It is not then of our selves or of our own power that we can obtain this priviledge but it is wrought alone by Gods Spirit As we have no free-will to the grace of God so neither to the comforts God as he is called a God of all
if you ask Have all the sanctified persons of God this sealing Have none the sanctification of the Spirit but they must also have the witnessing of the Spirit I answer this Question because of great practical importance shall God assisting be handled by it self after the description hath been explained That which I shall here take notice of is That sanctification is necessarily presupposed to this sealing A great Prince will not set his seal to dung to make an impression there neither will God to an heart unsanctified For as in matter of Doctrine God will not vouchsafe miracles to confirm that which is a lie neither in practicals will the Spirit of God witnesse to that heart which is not made holy For indeed it should witnesse a lie in such a case informing such they are the sonnes of God when indeed they are the children of the Devil This order of Gods Spirits first sanctifying and then sealing is clear Ephes 1. 13. In whom after ye believed ye were sealed Those eminent Divines who defined faith to be assurance making it the same with the sealing of Gods spirit are gravelled at this Text and therefore make this Objection If faith be assurance be the sealing how doth the Text say After we believed we were sealed To this therefore Piscator answereth not yeelding that the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 should be rendred Having beleeved as of a thing past but beleeving as in the present but there is too much forcing in this interpretation Others they consider of faith as it hath two parts Illumination of minde and fiducial assurance Now say they the Apostle meaneth by faith the former work of faith and so the meaning is After you were enlightned to know the truth you were confirmed and assured but that opinion making faith justifying to be an assurance that Christ is mine is justly refused It is plain then that when the Spirit of God hath in order of nature for in time they may be both together sanctified a man throughout whereby he is made a new creature then the Spirit of God maketh this glorious stamp upon him then he giveth him this seal as an honourable priviledge whereby he may know himself to be the Lords Even as in antiquity none might have seals but persons of honour and dignity So that the natural and unregenerate person is to stand aloof off thou hast nothing to do in this priviledge thou art not the man whom the great King of Heaven and earth doth purpose thus to honour We proceed in the Description and there we meet with the formal Nature of it wherein it doth essentially consist with the object thereof The Nature of it is In confirming and establishing the heart of a man For this is the chief and usual end of seals to ratifie a thing and to make it no longer uncertain and doubtfull And to this property doth the Scripture chiefly attend For whereas the soul though sanctified is apt to be in daily fears and doubts about Gods favour and grace towards it it fluctuateth up and down having no subsistency the Spirit of God cometh and consolidateth the soul inabling it to rest satisfied in this that God is his God that his sinnes are pardoned that he is become a reconciled Father in Christ And if you say Why do we not need the Spirit of God to do this Cannot we by our graces by our repentance and holy life sufficiently establish our own souls in peace No by no means we need the Spirit of God to comfort as you heard as well as to sanctifie and that for these Reasons First It is very hard for a man whose guilty conscience doth presse him and condemn him daily telling him that he hath deserved at Gods hands to be eternally tormented in hell not to thinke because God may doe thus that therefore he will do so In such terrours and affrights we look more to what we have deserved we look more to what God may do then what he will we are naturally suspicious and think the worst of God even as we doe to man If we have offended a man greatly and it lieth in his power to undo us we are never quiet we cannot but think when ever the opportunity is he will be avenged and therefore we dare not trust him Yea though we have given no just cause if others have taken up an unkind spirit towards us we expect nothing else from them but our ruine when it is in their power Therefore for all Saul's tears and good works to David yet he would never trust him Now although there be no cause for us to have such suspicious thoughts about God for he hath graciously promised that he will receive us insomuch as not to believe him herein is to give more credit to a man whose words many times satisfie us than to God who is truth it self yet the heart being guilty and full of fears doth work in this doubtfull manner about God How hard is it to bring the afflicted sinner to good perswasions about God and that though by promises and other wayes God hath so abundantly provided against such distrust Here then is the reason why we need the sealing of Gods Spirit we cannot perswade our selves but God will doe what he may do and what we have deserved And A second Reason followeth upon the former We can hardly be perswaded that the great and good things which we stand in need of God will ever bestow upon us who are so unworthy of them Can a beggars daughter be perswaded that a great King will marry her But here is a farre greater disproportion What will the great God of Heaven so holy so full of majesty look graciously upon me and not only forgive me my sinnes but advance me to eternal glory These things are very improbable Shall Joseph be freed not only from the prison but promoted to the greatest honour in the Land next to the King Who would have believed it And thus it is here the soul having low and humble thoughts of it self cannot be perswaded that the great God of Heaven will look upon such despicable wretches as they are 3. The way of evangelical confidence with the comfortable effects thereof are wholly supernatural And therefore no wonder if we need the Spirit of God to help us therein Not only holinesse and grace is supernatural but assurance and joy are likewise supernatural As we cannot pray without the Spirit helping our infirmities so neither are we able to call God Father If faith in Christ by which we are justified be supernatural then also is the comfort and peace flowing from the knowledge thereof As the Doctrine of the Gospel is by divine revelation flesh and blood hath not revealed this unto us that Christ is the Sonne of God so neither can flesh and blood enable us to the perswasion of this Mediator as loving me and giving himself for me Certainly if it be the gift of
true but because it is the spirit that doth apply the promises to the soul and make us assured of them as he is called the holy spirit because he is the authour of holinesse But then Eph. 4. 30. there we are said to be sealed by the spirit denoting the spirit of God to be the efficient cause of it So that it is a blasphemous wresting of the Scripture by a Socinian when by the holy Ghost thus sealing unto us is saith he Smal. disp de promisso spiritus sancti meant no more than a sure hope of eternal life He denieth the holy Ghost to be God and a Person it is only saith he a sure hope within us but this is to confound this effect with the cause faith and love and hope are the effects of Gods Spirit they are not the spirit it self So that from hence viz. because the spirit of God doth seal us we may gather a sure argument that he is truly God for the spirit is said to confirm us and God is said to confirm us whereby it is implyed that to confirm our hearts is a divine operation as well as to sanctifie it It is true how the spirit of God is God and how it proceedeth from the Father and Sonne cannot be comprehended by reason It is enough that by faith we are to beleeve so for no wonder the doctrine of the Trinity is inexplicable seeing the nature of God is ineffable To this purpose Austin having discoursed about the Trinity concludeth that he perceived only he had spoken something of God Si autem dixi non est hoc quod dicere volui hoc unde scio nisi quia Deus ineffabilis est Quod autem a me dictum est si ineffabile esset non esset dictum ac per hoc ne ineffabilis quidem dicendus est Deus quia hoc cum dicitur aliquid dicitur fit nescio quae pugna verborum quoniam si illud est ineffabile quod dici non potest non est ineffabile quod velut ineffabile dici potest De Doctrinâ Christianâ lib. 1. But that by the way Lastly Here is the subject wherein and that is said to be in our hearts So that as God doth write his Law in our hearts Thus he doth also infuse his comfort and assurance which doth demonstrate the soveraign power of God over our hearts he can make them holy when he pleaseth he can comfort them when he pleaseth No Potentate in the world can do thus That heart of thine which is not in thy own power which no man can tame the grace of God can tame it that heart which thou desirest may be filled with holinesse and consolation God alone can do it The Observation is That grace wrought in the heart is a sure earnest of glory hereafter He that is holy here must needs be happy hereafter If thou canst finde grace in thy soul thou hast found the Pearl thou maist rejoyce not doubting but heaven will be thine hereafter The people of God are not only to look upon grace as grace but as it is an earnest of a greater happinesse yet how often do the children of God consider it without thiis respect what courage joy and holy boldnesse would it work in thee to think thou hast within thee that which assureth of eternal glory as if thou wert already in heaven This is a reviving truth that grace is an earnest of glory thou mindest grace as it subdueth thy corruptions as it maketh thy heart to be carried out more holily and delightsomely to God but then thou dost not attend to it as an earnest There is a great deal of difference between a shilling as a single peece of money and as an earnest it may be of twenty pound more to come Thus it is very much rejoycing to finde grace at all in thy soul as it is grace but it doth much more rejoyce as it is an earnest of more fulnesse Adam had grace the angels had grace but grace was not given them as part of an inheritance for they fell from it Let us consider two Texts of Scriptures where we have this earnest spoken of The first is by our Apostle in this Epistle cap. 5. 5. Now he that hath wrought us for the self same thing is God who also hath given unto us the earnest of his spirit What is that self same thing he speaketh of it is a groaning and an earnest desire after immortality we would gladly be out of this burden here and in heaven yea as we groan and desire so we are assured and know that when we shall dye we shall go to heaven But now because these are things far above the power of nature we naturally are afraid of death we are unwilling to be taken from our relations we have not such assurance of heaven Therefore saith the Apostle He that doth work us frame and polish us for this great thing it is God We could never do it without his supernatural assistance But then how doth God work this admirable frame of heart it is by the earnest of his spirit we have the beginnings of heaven already So that as the Israelites by the bunches of raisons had some foretast of Canaan so have beleevers some taste of heaven by what they feel already and as Moses from Mount Pisgah could behold Canaan though he did not enter into it thus thou hast a sight of heaven and an entrance into it by the grace begun in thee The other Text is Eph. 1. 14. where the Apostle having said That we were sealed by the spirit of promise he addeth which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession We are not yet brought into heaven into Canaan We are yet in the wildernesse we meet with many dangers and temptations threatning us that we shall never come there but only this earnest doth assure us and satisfie us So that as among the Israelites an inheritance was not to be alienated from the Tribe in the year of Jubilee it would return again to the true owner Thus this inheritance of heaven will never be taken from thee Thou maist be in some dangers and fears of losing of it by thy unwise carriage but shalt not be deprived of it Before we enlarge on this subject it is good to take notice of the dissimilitude as well as the similitude for though grace wrought in us be compared to an earnest in this respect as it doth assure us of future glory yet in other respects it greatly differeth from earnest among men As in the first place An earnest in bargains is to assure the buyer that giveth it as well as the seller they mutually hereby are confirmed so that the buyer cannot honestly fly off any more than the seller But now when the spirit of God worketh this earnest in us it is only for our good it is that we may be assured and
commit idolatry also SERM. CXLIV Of the holy Prudence that Ministerial Power is to be managed with 2 COR. 1. 23. That to spare you I came not as yet to Corinth THe next thing to be considered in this Text is the Matter of the Oath which is indeed a full answer to the calumny charged upon him vers 17. about his lightnesse and inconstancy in altering of his purpose concerning his coming to them In this he sheweth the true reason that there was no fault in him but the blame that was was to be laid at their doors they were not prepared and fitted for his coming therefore he saith To spare you I did not yet come to Corinth It was not then any mutability or carnal principles that moved him herein but a prudent and mercifull ordering of his coming to them for their spiritual good Should he have visited them according to his promise he would have come with a rod and not in the spirit of meeknesse as 1 Cor. 4. 21. and so his presence would have been very ungratefull and therefore he forbeareth a while to see whether his former Epistle might work a full humiliation and reformation amongst them being unwilling to proceed to further and more severe censures And although there were some only of the Corinthians who had thus sinned and were accordingly to be censured yet he saith you in the general because the matter did concern the whole Church The reason then given of delaying his coming is That he might spare them This denoteth the paternal authority and power that Paul had to admonish and censure obstinate offenders For it is an expression from a father as Mal. 3. 17. I will spare them as a father spareth his own sonne Thus it is often applied unto God who ruleth in the world as a Judge Jon. 4. 11. Should I not spare Niâ—eveh And he is said Not to spare the Angels and the old world 2 Pet. 2. 4. So that you see the Apostle doth hereby declare that power which God hath given him but because he saith afterwards 2 Cor. 10. 8. that this authority is given for edification and not destruction which he repeateth 2 Cor. 13. 10. as being very memorable and considerable therefore he manageth this power with all wisdome and tendernesse that so he may attain his end of edification that in stead of converting he doth not more harden men in impiety as an indiscreet and unseasonable exercising of ministerial power may do But you will say This seemeth to be no good reason For if Paul had gone to Corinth he might have spared them howsoever Paul surely did not fear his passions would prevail over his judgement or his zeal devour his prudence That is true but yet if he had gone to Corinth and found them obstinate and unhumbled as he feared he should 2 Cor. 12. 21. then if he did not put forth the power God had given him to punish their disobedience his authority would have been contemned and withall the wicked would have been hardened more in their impiety and the godly who desired godly order in the Church would have been discouraged Therefore to prevent this necessary severity he doth in this Epistle as in the former admonish them and warn them so that if possible they might of themselves reforme and so prevent the exercise of his power amongst them For observe what he saith 2 Cor. 13. 2. I told you before and foretell you as if I were present the second time and being absent now I write to them which heretofore have sinned and to all other that if I come again I will not spare As then it is Gods goodnesse and patience to threaten us with hell and damnation that so we might prevent them Thus doth the Apostle imitate the patience of God herein threatning them with the exercise of Church-power upon them that being thereby awakened and repenting there may be no need of it From whence observe That the ministerial power which God giveth the Officers of his Church ought to be managed with much holy prudence and commiseration The end of their power is alwayes to be in their minde which is edification and so are accordingly to use means proportionably thereunto lest in stead of edification there be destruction That God hath given the Ministers of his Gospel an ecclesiastical or Church-power as also what the nature of it is the acts and exercise of it as also the objects to whom it extends I shall here take for granted there will be a more seasonable occasion to treat of these things in some ensuing passages of the Epistle I shall only at this time briefly speak to this particular manner of managing it which is specified in the Text and that is with holy prudence and pity with much long-suffering and meeknesse And First When we call it an holy prudence and moderation let us consider what is meant hereby And First We exclude carnal craft and worldly policy When men make use of Church-power and the Ordinances of Christ onely for carnal ends and to advance themselves and their party thereby It was farre from Paul to make use of any such prophane policy therefore he often proclaimeth the integrity of his heart and intentions that he was not in the number of those who did corrupt the word of God 2 Cor. 2. 17. Chap. 3. 2. he there renounceth the hidden things of dishonesty not walking in craftinesse but commending our selves to every mans conscience in the sight of God So that there is a vast difference between godly prudence which studieth to use the choisest meanes and most fit for the spiritual good of others and a crafty politick way indulging men in their lusts that so they may obtain their corrupt intentions Our Saviour speaketh very notably when he saith Luke 16. 8. The children of this world are wiser in their generation than the children of light Though they be light yet they have not that subtil eye-sight in the things of the world but yet do farre surpasse the greatest Ahitophel in the world in spiritual things crafty and worldly wise men are like the owls that see best in the dark but when the Sunne shineth then their eyes are dazelled Thus such men in outward affairs in evil contrivements are very subtil but as dull as stocks and stones in any heavenly things Let not then any under this pretence of holy prudence in Church-power encourage himself in carnal and worldly craftinesse the Church of Rome is justly branded for this For in antiquity when any Church had excommunicated some for their prophanenesse and ill demeanours who appealing to the Church of Rome for redresse hereby to advance their power they would encourage such and maintain them against those Church-officers who had cast them out This carnal craft and ungodly policy is used by too many Officers in the Church that contemn Christs order that despise all wholsome means to true piety that thereby they may satisfie
dominion over your faith Because in the Greek it is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Erasmus thinketh the Preposition 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is to be understood as if the sense were We have not dominion over you for your faiths sake Whereupon he enlargeth himself that none is to be compelled to the faith and those saith he who are vehement herein it is that their Kingdom might be more enlarged Hence he wisheth that Text in Peter 1 Pet. 5. 3. Not being lords over Gods heritage c. were written upon all Bishops halls or palaces Vel aureis literis even in golden letters The Greek word is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 therefore when we urge that place of our Saviours reproving the ambition of the Disciples Mat. 20. 25. The Gentiles exercise dominion but so shall not ye against the political dominion of the Pope and his Bishops Bellarmines solution is frigid It is saith he 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the Greek which signifieth a tyrannical exercise of any power as if such an imperious abuse of power not the power it self were condemned But though 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 doth sometimes aggravate yet that it doth not there appeareth in that the same passage in Luk. 22. 25. is related by the simple Verb 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and here in the Text is not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Apostle then doth here disclaim all absolute dominion over their faith all lordlinesse over their consciences he may not dictate or prescribe to them what he pleaseth Now if Paul so eminent an Apostle made so not by men but having immediate revelation from God who was also infallible in his Doctrine doth yet disclaim this dominion What mortal man may do it What Minister is equal to Paul Yea this Church of Corinth was wholly planted by him they were converted by him and therefore he might plead more sovereignty over them being not an instructer but a father rather than other yet for all that he challengeth no such primacy So that this Text confoundeth all Papal Church-government with the upholders thereof For how abominable are the expressions of the Popish flatterers affirming That the Pope hath the same tribunal with Christ that he can dispense against Paul ' s Epistles that he can do any thing praeter super and extra jus and that he is to judge all but to be judged of none with such kind of blasphemies Yea Bellarmine doth apply that prophecy of Isaiah Behold I lay in Sion a foundation-stone which doth directly belong to Christ even unto the Pope though secondarily but most blasphemously The Observation is That though Christ hath invested the Officers of the Church with some kinde of ministerial power yet they have not thereby any dominion over the faith of believers They may not preach what they will nor command and dictate what they will Insomuch that although their Pastors say Virtue is a vice and vice a virtue yet the people are bound to believe it as Bellarmine in his first Edition affirmed but afterwards left it out That all such dominion by compulsion and force is excluded from the Ministry appeareth plainly by those two Texts Luk. 22. 15. 1 Pet. 5. 2. Those places do not forbid such a fatherly pastor-like power that Christ hath bestowed upon his Church-officers but a civil domination as also an ecclesiastical-magisterial power in the Church as if we were to believe because they say so No our Saviour absolutely prohibiteth that when he saith Be ye not called masters for one is your master even Christ Mat. 23. 10. Where also we are commanded to call no man father Hence the Papists exceedingly erre in calling those Ancients Fathers thereby urging their dominion over our faith as if we were bound to believe what ever a Father saith Indeed if by Father we mean no more than an Ancient who hath lived long before us so the word may be allowed but they call them so in a doctrinal and authoritative respect as if we might not gain-say them no more than sonnes their father but this doth contradict our Saviours command Christ then is the onely Lord and Head of his Church whatsoever he saith we are commanded to hear him and that for his own authority there is no disputing no doubting no examination allowed of what he saith but all Ministers since the Apostles dayes are subject to errour and may be deceived and withall by their office they are stewards not lords in the family they are Embassadours onely not Princes Now such have a limited power they cannot do any thing of themselves any further than their Commission extends their power doth not extend And truly as was said if the Apostles though infallible would not challenge such a dominion such a commanding power in the Church 1 Cor. 7. 6. I speak this not by commandment but referreth all his doctrine his power and what he did to Christ as the original yea Christ as Mediator referred his doctrine and will to the Father What shall become of those ambitious Diotrephesses who affect a greater power in the Church But the Doctrine needeth explication in several particulars And First Let us see negatively What is not forbidden or disclaimed by the Apostles and then positively What is for the negative 1. The Apostle doth not here exclude that lawfull Ecclesiastical power which the Ministers of God have after a spiritual manner in dispensing of the Ordinances appointed by Christ Some indeed think it is not power or authority but a gift Others that all their power is swallowed up by the Magistrate when he becometh Christian but certainly Christ appointed Pastors and Teachers in his Church till his second coming and gave them power to preach the Word to administer Sacraments to exercise Church-discipline as might at large be proved if this were a fit occasion The Apostle attributeth to himself a power once or twice only he saith it is for edification not destruction 2 Cor. 13. 10. And he telleth these Corinthians If he come again he will not spare 2 Cor. 13. 2. 2 Cor. 10. 6. he saith He was in a readinesse to revenge all disobedience And that command of his To cast out the incestuous person argued his power Yea the names given them that they are called Pastors and Rulers and that the people are to obey them argue plainly there is a spiritual ministerial power appointed by Christ in his Church Of which more largely God assisting in subsequent passages 2. Neither doth this expression imply That the Ministers of the Gospel have their power from the people As if they were Embassadonrs in their name and acted with a power derived from them as some have pleaded for the office is of Christ the designation and application of the person to the office is by the Ministry of the Church but they have not the office it self from them It 's true they are sometimes called The servants of
weakest believer as well as the strongest Christ to be prayed to for grace and peace Jesus Christ is a Lord. Of a threefold blessing spoken of in Scripture It is a Christians duty to be much in praising God What goeth to the making up a thankfull spirit Motives to be more affected with spiritnal mercies than temporal Motives to bless God for all his mercies God is the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ Propositions explaining how Christ is the Son of God How Christs being the Son of God is the foundation of a Christians comfort God is a mercifull Father to all his children What is implied in Gods being called the Father of mercies Of the multitude of Gods mercies Of the variety of Gods mercies Of the Properties of Gods mercies Who are the fit objects of Gods mercies God is a God of all comfort to all his children What is comprehended in that expression God is the God of comfort What is implied in the word consolation How he is a God of all consolations Propositions obviating practical and doctrical objections about the mercy or comforts of God Of the Calvinists Doctrine concerning Gods absolute Decrees and how they stand with the mercy of God God not only can but doth comfort his children How God comforteth his people God is a God of comfort only to believers God will comfort his children in all their affliction whatsoever Propositions explaining the Observation Several sorts of soul or spiritual troubles in all which God comforts his children How God comforteth his people in outward tribulations No Philosopher ever had the true grounds of comfort Gods children deficient in a two-fold respect concerning Gods comforts What are these good things that God hath prepared for those that love him to comfort them What grounds of comfort the Scriptures afford unto us Psal 102. 13. How God comforreth his children in all their tribulations though they often may be disconsolate Comfort not absolutely necessary to salvation There is a two-fold joy direct and reflex Joy is either spiritual or sensitive and corporeal Gods spiritual works upon his people are not only for their own but for others spiritual advantage Of the distinction of the Schoolmen of spiritual Gifts 1. Gratiae gratis datae 2. Grattiâ— gratum facientes The Gifts of Gods Spirit are better distinguished into Dona Ministrantia and Sanctificantia Gifts are encreased by being improved What are those â—…ice things wherein more particularly we are to be serviceable to others 1. Humiliation 2. The Knowledge of God and true saith 3. Temptations 4. Consolations Those only can make fit applications to others who have the work of Gods Spirit upon their own souls A two-fold knowledge of spiritual things 1. Speculative and Theoretical 2. Practical and experimental This speculative and practical knowledge of spiritual things differ in the whole kind All knowledge that is accompanied with some kind of affections is not an experimental knowledge All experimental workings upon the soul are to be tryed by the Scriptures How our experiences are to be judged by the Word 1. Are they from Scripture rightly understood 2. Are they from the Spirit of God 3. Do they make thee more holy and humble Reasons confirming the Doctrine 1. They that have not this experimental knowledge they have no skill to cure others 2. They can have any sutablenesse of of pity and compassion 3. Because such only are found reall and in earnest 4. Because such alone are faithfull It is a special duty in a right manner to comfort the afflicted Propositions clearing the truth 1. There are two sorts of troubles 1. Spiritual and inward 2. Outward 2. The afflicted need the help of others to comfort them though themselves be never so skilfull in the comsorting others Reasons 1. Because remptations darken the judgement 2. Because the sense of their grief doth wholly possesse them 3. Because the most eminent when in troubles are subject to much unbelief and frowardness 4. Because the Devil is then most busie Lastly God hath appointed Ministers and Christians as a means to comfort others 3. The dispensation of comfort to the afflicted is either Charitativè or Potestativè 4. What is required to the comforting others in a right manner 1. Knowledge of the temptation and disposition of the person 2. The discovery of sin and then the application of comfort The same grounds of comfort that revive the heart of one godly man may do so to another too 1. There are both general and particular grounds of comfort What are the general grounds of comfort 1. All afflictions come from a Father 2. The end is good 3. The advantages that come from Christ Of the special and particular grounds of comfort The grounds of the point 1. Because all godly men are of the same nature 2. Because all have the same spirit 3. Because promises are made alike to all The sufferings of Christ abound in us What is meant by the sufferings of Christ What is meant by the sufferings of Christ abounding What be these sufferings abounding in us The true and faithfull owing of Christ is sometimes accompanied with great sufferings Propositions declaring the truth of the Doctrine 1. A Saints sufferings may be as extensive as his comforts 2. At some time their sufferings abound more then others 3. To suffer for Christ is very grievous to flesh and blood 'T is a glorious and blessed thing to own Christ in the midst of sufferings What it is to suffer for Christ 1. Ex parte Objecti 1. It must not be for any sin 2. It must be for the name of Christ 3. For righteousnesse sake 4. For a good conscience What are the qualifications of those who suffer truly for Christ 1. Faith 3. Spiritual â—ortitude and heavenly courage 4. Holy wisdom and prudence 5. Patience 6. An heart mortified to all earthly comforts 7. Pure and holy motives As our sufferings are for Christ so are our comforts by him How our comforts abound by Christ 1. Efficiently 2. Meritoriously 3. Objectively How many wayes Christ makes his comforts to abound to those that suffer for him 1. By perswading them of the goodness of the cause why they suffer 2. By sorewarning of their sufferings 3. By informing us of his Sovereignty and conquest over the world 4. By vertue of his prayer put up in that very behalf 5. By instructing them of the spiritual advantages which come from such sufferings God doth proportion our comforts to our sufferings Christ alwaies accommodates himself to the capacities of his people The mercies of God do often overflow Reasons 1. Because God in all his administrations doth still regard his own glory not our desert 2. Because of Gods faithfulnesse to his Promises 3. Otherwise God in his expressions of mercy would be exceeded by man 4. Because otherwise Gods glorious and in his afflicting could not be obtained Object Answ Why God often denies comfort in trouble 1. To teach us that comforts are his gifts 2.
against Christ 2. T is the grace of God◠alone that can open this door 3. Sometimes Ministers are called to a people of small hopes 4. A Ministers hope of doing good should be guided by the Word Reasons why a Ministers hope of doing good should be matter of of joy to him 1. The End of his Ministry is accomplished A constant Ministry is necessary to every Church And that for these Ends 1. To informe against Errors 2. To reform the corruptions that are in mens lives 3. To comfort the godly 4. To edifie and strengthen them How believers may and are to grow 1. In knowledg 2. In the experimental power of their knowledge 3. In Faith 4. In Grace 'T is the duty of all Christians especially Ministers to lay out themselves for the glory of God 1. For all Christians 1. There is none but have talents to be improved 2. All lawfull actions may be improved for Gods glory 3. Christians should often meditate upon the ultimate end of all their actions 2. Especially it belongs to Ministers What is required to enable us to do all things for Gods glory 1 A converted soul 2 A publick spirit 3. Heavenlyn indedness 4. Fervency and zeal The office of the Apostle and ordinary Pastors differs in that the one had an universal the other a particular charge 1. The Apostles had commission to preach to all Nations 2. Yet the office of the Apostles did virtually contain all other 3. The Apostles had in their office something ordinary and something extraordinary 5. Though a Pastor is ordinarily to reside amongst his flock yet he is a Minister of the whole Church of God Where the Ministry hath wrought spiritually the Minister is esteemed highly Lightness and inconstancy is a great sinne and reproach to all much more to Ministers Of the sinfulness of inconstancy in civil respects As 1. When we are not consistent with our selves in our assertions 2. In our promises 3. In our affections Of the aggravations of this sinne 1. 'T is contrary to the nature of God 2. 'T is a reproach to men 3. Hereby a man makes himself unfit for Gods service 4. 'T is an abuse of our tongue 5. God threatens lying but encourageth sincerity Of the sinfulness of Inconstancy in spiritual things as in 1. Faith 2. In our Conversion and Repentance Motives against this Inconstancy 1. There is the same Reason at all times against sin 2. Sinnes after Convictions are the greater 3. This Inconstancy is a mocking of God and a dallying in soul-matters 4. It may justly cause God for ever to forsake thee 3. This Inconstancy is a great sin in Promises and Resolutions Of the Phrase according to the flesh which is taken for 1. The humane Nature 2. External Priviledges 3. Corrupt Principles Walking by carnal Principals makes men unstable and inconstant Principles of flesh 1. Covetousness 2. Ambition 3. Pleasing of men 4. Time-serving 5. Self-pleasing Of Principles 1 Herein men differ from bruit beasts because they act from inward principles beasts by instinct 2. Principles are either speculative or practical 3. All the principles of natural men are sinfull and carnal 3. Principles are oft hidden 5. There are principles of flesh even in our holy duties 6. The principles of the carnal and of the spiritual are contrary Of the principles of a godly man There are two general principles 1. There is a principle of knowledge viz. the holy Scriptures 2. The principle of his acting viz. the Spirit of God Particular principles 1. Alwayes to keep a good conscience towards God and man 2. To make sure of his ultimate end and the necessary means to it 3. Daily to expect death and judgment 4. To judg sin the greatest evil and godliness the greatest good Lying is not consistent with godliness 1. There is a material and a formal lie 2. There are assertory and promissory lies 3. There is a pernicious sporting and officious lie 4. Lying is a sinne of the tongue 5. They that would not lie must study the government of the tongue He that would govern his tongue must first cleanse his heart The causes of lies 1. Natural inclination 2. Want of dependance upon God 3. Our captivity to Satan 4. Covetousnes 5. Fear God is true God is true 1. There is a Metaphysical and a moral Truth 2. There is an increated and created truth 3. In that God is true he differeth from men and devils 4. 'T is because of Gods truth that we are commanded to believe and trust in him 5. The truth of God is the Foundation of all Religion and godliness Wicked men usually cast the Imperfections of the Minister upon the Ministry 1. A people may have an holy Zeal againg a loose scandalous Minister 2. A people are oft prone to take offence at the Ministers when yet 't is their sin 1. When they dislike that which may be of great use 2. When they are offended at his reproveing sin 3. When they cast the saults of the persons upon their Office and Doctrine 4. When they refuse the Ministry upon false Rumors and Surmises 'T is a great reproach for a Minister to be mutable and contradictory in his doctrine 1. All changes are not bad 2. But 't is a sin and reproach to change from the truth 3. Even such a change supposeth imperfection 4. No man but may know more than he doth 5. We must distinguish betwixt what is and what is not fundamental 1. We must distinguish betwixt constancy and pertinancy 2. Then is it a reproach to change when we change from truth The causes of inconstancy 1. Ignorance 2. Affectation of singularity and vain-glory 4. Examples We must distinguish betwixt essentials and circumstantials in Religion Christ only is to be the subject of our preaching When is Christ preached 1. When he is declared to be the Messiah 2. When preached as God-man 3. When preached in his person and his offices 5. When he is set up as the head of his Church The Lord Christ is the son of God 1. He is truly God 2. He is not the son of God as others are called his sonnes as 1. By Creation 2. By Regeneration 3. Because of their dignity 3. He is therefore called the Son of God because begotten from eternity of the Father 4. He was begotten of the Father 5. In these Mysteries we must adhere wholly to the testimony of the word 6. He is Antichrist that denies the Son to be God 7. The spirit of giddiness hath justly fallen upon these that deny Christ to be God Christ is a Saviour to his people What is implyed in Christs being a Saviour 1. That all mankinde was lost 2. What kinde of Saviour is Christ Even a spiritual one 3. He is an effectual Saviour Who is Christ a Saviour to 1. Some of mankinde 2. The repenting believing sinner 3. They are saved from 〈◊〉 and the world 4. Christs people 5. The saved are but few in comparison of the