and death is but a long sleep till the Resurrection Iohn 11.11 Acts 13.36 Let Atheists and Epicurean worldlings who have their portion onely in this life fear death because it puts an end to all their pleasures and hopes Iob 11. ult Hence Lewis the Eleventh King of France a bloody persecutor commanded his servants in the time of his sickness that they should never once name that bitter word death in his eares But Christ hath died to free his people from this slavish fear of death Heb. 2.15 by his death he hath sweetned our death unto us and changed the nature of it and hath made that which was sometimes a curse now to be a blessing of a foe he hath made it a friend of a poyson a medicine and of a punishment an advancement He lay in the grave to sweeten and season our graves for us so that now our flesh may rest in hope Psal. 16.9 Proverbs 14.32 Observation 4. 4. The soul of man is immortal Death is not an Annihilation but a Migration of the soul from the body for a time As soon as ever the soul departeth from the body it is presently in blisse Revelations 14.13 they are not onely blest at the day of judgement but also in the intermission The soul doth not sleep or perish but the souls of the Saints go to a better place and to better company viz. to Christ and to the spirits of just men made perfect Iosiah was gathred to his father in peace 1. to the spirits of his fathers who enjoyed peace for in respect of his Body he was slain in battle The soul never dieth but subsisteth still even when it goeth out of the body it returneth to God that gave it Eccles. 12.7 Hence Paul desires to be dissolved why so that he might be with Christ Philippians 1.23 and desires to be loosed from the body that he might be present with the Lord 2 Cor. 5.8 Christ telleth the thief on the Crosse this day shalt thou be with me in Paradice Luke 23.43 Steven when stoned cries Lord Iesus receive my spirit Acts 7.59 Christ hath prepared immortal mansions for it Iohn 14.2 and what should mortal souls do in â—mmortal dwellings and why is the Devil so serviceable why doth he make Covenants and Compacts with wicked men for their souls yea and why doth he offer the world in exchange for a soul if it be but a mortal perishing thing To what end are all those promises of Eternal life which are made to those that deny themselves if in this life onely they had hope Then all the Threatnings of Eternal death and all those sorrowes which the Scripture affirmeth shall light on the wicked would be false for here they have mirth ease and pleasure and if they had no punishment hereafter where were the Truth of Gods threatnings and where his Justice The Scripture is clear that the pleasures of good men and the pains of bad men are eternall then it must needs follow that the souls of men which are the Subjects of these pains and pleasures cannot be mortal But here our Mortalists Object 1. Objection If the soul of man be ex Traduce as some affirme then it is mortall for Omne generabile est corruptibile Answer The soul cometh not ex Traduce by Propagation from our Parents as the souls of Beasts which come è potentia materiae but the soul is created and infused by God and not propagated as appeareth Gen. 2 7. Eccles. 12.7 Zach. 12.1 See Doctor Reynolds on the Passions cap. 32. p. 392. Piscator his Annot. on Gen. 2.7 Baronius de Origine animae Exercit. 2. art 3. 2. Objection The dead are said to sleep and to perish Psalm 6.5 and 104.29 Isay 38.18 and 57.1 Job 14.7.10 Answer This is spoken in respect of their bodies not of their souls The dead do not praise thee saith David viz. not in the land of the living on earth but in Heaven they sing Hallelujahs Rev. 5.9 A tree when it is cut down may sprout again saith Iob but man dieth and giveth up the Ghost and where is he This will not help the sleepy Sadduces of our times for tho Physically and by the course of Nature man cannot revive again yet Hyperphysically and by a supernatural Almighty power he shall arise So that Where is is to be restrained to where is he in the world look for him in City or Countrey at home or abroad he 's not to be found Man gives up the Ghost and where is he with all his riches honours plots and purposes 3. Objection Eccles. 3.19.20 21. As the beast dieth so dieth man they have all one breath Answer 1. Solomon here as oft elsewhere in this Booke doth bring in the Atheist deriding the immortality of the soul he speaketh the opinion of other men and not his own Solomons own judgement you may see Eccles. 12.7 2. Take it in the Letter and then Solomon speaketh not of the soul of man but of animal and vital breath which is common to both he speaketh of mans mere natural condition else in respect of mans future condition his body shall rise again and come to judgement So that here is no comparison between the soul of man and that of beasts but between the death of the one and of the other q. d. both are liable to death pains and diseases 4. Objection Matth. 8.22 and 10.28 Ephes. 2.1 The soul is said to die Answer The soul is not said to die in respect of Existence and being but relatively in respect of Gods grace and favour 'T is a separation of the soul from God who is the fountain of life and is a living death and a ceasing not to be but to be happy 5. Objection 1 Tim. 1.17 and 6.16 God onely is said to have immortality How then are mens souls immortal Answer The answer is easie Immortality is twofold 1. Essential Absolute Natural and Independant and so God onely is immortal à parte antè from all Eternity he 's the onely Author and continuer of it 2. Derivative and by Donation communicated to man and so our souls are immortal and our bodies though subject to corruption yet by Divine Ordination shall be immortal after the Resurrection Wo then to those Atheistical Mortalists and Libertines which have sinned away conscience and have led loose lives and now are fallen to loose opinions Open but this gap and farewell Lawes Civility Religion and all that is good Grant but this and farewell all noble actions and all spiritual comforts then Christ died the Apostles laboured and the Martyrs suffered in vain If this Doctrine were true then all our Faith our Hope our Praying Preaching Fasting self-denial mortification sowing in tears and spiritual combats would be in vain and we should be in a worse condition then the beasts that perish If this were true then why did Abraham forsake all Ioseph forbeare his Mistress Moses refuse the pleasures of Pharaohs
smells that which delights others drives them into a rage Objection How are all the godly persecuted when we see many good men pass quietly through the world and never loose their goods or lives for Christ Answer 1. God is pleased sometimes to grant unto his Church some Halcyon dayes he gives them intervals and breathing fits that they may fit themselves for fresh encounters The rod of the wicked shall not alwayes rest on the lot of the righteous least they faint and be weary Satans time of persecution is limited both in respect of manner and measure Yet in the most peaceable times there will be some scoffing Ismalites or some thorny Cananites to molest us and keep our Faith Patience and other Graces in exercise These dogs will be barking when they cannot bite and be raising lies and slanders when they can do nothing else 2. Martyrs are of two sorts Habitual ones when a mans heart is ready to part with Father Mother and all for Christ and thus every Godly man 's a Martyr quo ad animi praeparationem dispositively and habitutually 2. There 's an actual Martyr when a man actually forsakes all for Christ and layes down his life for him Now this high degree of Honour is peculiar to some and not to all the godly though all suffer yet all suffer not in the same Degree Manner and Measure God respects our infirmities and hath one Discipline for young beginners and weak beleevers and another for his old beaten souldiers as Isay Paul Peter Iohn Baptist c. All are not in the like troubles yet none are altogether without troubles and if men should let us alone yet the Devil will not Revelations 2.10 Our life on Earth is a perpetual warfare Iob 14.14 the end of one combate is but the beginning of another within or without in body soul goods or good name we must still be exercised So that albeit God call not all to a Degree of sufferings yet he exempts none from some Degree or other 2. As we must look for persecution from all sorts of men so we must prepare for persecutions of all sorts viz. Cordis Oris Operis viz. Mental Verbal Real 1. In their hearts they hate you and this is the root of all persecution There is a setled enmity between Christs seed and Satans seed Genesis 3.15 to uphold us Christ hath pronounced us blessed First When men hate us Secondly When they separate us from them Thirdly When they reproach us And fourthly When they cast us out Luke 6.22 Neither is it a light but a cruel deadly hatred Psalm 25.19 They hate me with a cruel hatred and try them with cruel mockings Hebrewes 11.36 Sions enemies are cruel and have no mercy Ier. 6.23 yea their mercies are cruelties Proverbs 12.10 Neither doth God onely observe the hatred but also the look of his enemies a sowre countenance is persecution in Gods esteem Vultu laeditur pietas Genesis 4.6 and 31.2.5 yea and a jeering gesture is observed by him Isay 57.4 3. There 's persecution in reproachful words Thus Ismaels mocking of Isaac is called persecution Galathians 4.29 and the Martyrs of old were tried with cruel mockings Hebrewes 11.36 Let a man live in the purest Church or Family in the world and there professe Religion in the power of it and he shall be sure to be smitten with the Tongue what ever else befal him Abraham had a well-ordered Family yet Ismael was found there 3. There 's persecution in Good-name Goods Person 1. The Saints are oft tried in their Names they passe through bad report as well as good 2 Corinthians 6.8 They are called mad drunk pestilent turbulent persons Acts 2.13 and 17.18 19. and 28.22 Ieremy was counted a man of contention a common barreter Ier. 20.7 2. In their goods Ahab gets Naboths Vineyard Iob is plundered of all The Saints had their goods spoyled Hebrewes 10.34 3. In person The world loves her own but she 's a step-mother to the people of God God hath chosen them out of the world therefore the world hates them Iohn 15.18.19 and 17.14 1. They meet sometimes with blowes Pashur smites Ieremy and the Apostles were scourged Acts 5.40.41 Matthew 10.17 2. Bonds and imprisonment Ioseph's put in the stocks Ieremy is cast into the dungeon Daniel into the Lions den Paul and Silas into prison Acts 16.24 and those Martyrs Heb. 11.36 3. They are brought before Kings and Rulers who are enraged against them As Saul against David Herod against Christ and Nero against Paul 4. They will excommunicate you and cast you out Isay 66.5 Iohn 9.34 and 16.2 5. Banishment David was banisht by Saul Elijah by Ahab Iohn was banisht into the I le of Patmos Revelations 1.9 so Hebrewes 1.3.8 were the Saints of old 6. Death it self Iohn 16.2 the beast kills the Saints Revelations 11.7 8. We read of thirteen several Trials that the Saints endured of which this was one Hebrewes 11.33 to 38. Hence the Churches troubles are called Great Ier. 30.7 Lamentations 1.12 Cyprian tells us that under Decius some Christians were sowed up in skins of Lions or Bears and then torn in pieces by dogs others have been cast to Lions some were drowned others rosted some thrown from rockes and dasht in pieces Vse This may inform us that temporal felicity and external prosperity is no mark of a true Church 'T is rather a mark of a false Church for we read that the wicked oft flourish usque ad invidiam Psalm 73. Ier. 12.1 but the Crosse is the proper badge of Christs Disciples A true note of the Church must be proper and inseparable but this is neither For 1. External prosperity is common to Turkes and Tartars who have for the most part more External riches and Temporal felicitie then the Church of God 2. The Church is a true Church without it persecution and not carnal Peace is the badge of the true Church as you have seen before But this point is so fully handled by others that I shall refer you to them for further satisfaction See Burroughs Moses choice cap. 7. p. 62. Gerheards Loc. com Tom. 3. p. 1314. D. Mortons Apolog. l. 2. c. 35. Camero Tract in quo Eccles. Rom. praejud Exam. cap. 8. fol. p. 338 c. Sharpii Cursus Theolog. P. 2. p. 185. 2. It shewes the folly of the Millinaries who looke for a Church in this world that shall be free from troubles and free from persecution Then shall the Saints on earth if you will beleeve Doctor Homes be Sinlesse Sorrowlesse Temptationlesse c. Now whether shall we beleeve Saint Paul who tells us that all who live godly in this life must suffer persecution or a Doctor that is lead away with fancies as I shall make appeare God willing when I come to 2 Tim. 4.1 3. When you see God changing the condition of the Saints do not you change your condition concerning them Doe not câ—nsure them for
Matter yet this Circumstance heightens it and puts an accent upon it it makes it cry louder and gives Satan a stronger Plea against the Soul Lord here is a man whom nothing can restrain no bonds nor Vowes Sacramental Personal National can keep him from sin Lord let him be mine by Justice since he will not be thine by grace 13. When sins are Spiritual sins it aggravates sin Spiritual sins in their own nature Et caeteris paribus are greater and more displeasing unto God who is a Spirit and pondereth our Spirits then carnal aud bodily sins Fleshly sins make men like beasts Drunkenness Fornication Gluttony Murder make a greater noise and bring more reproach on men from the world but spiritual sins all things considered are most dangerous for these make men like Devils The Devils sins are not fleshly sins for he hath no body but they are spiritual sins hence they are called spiritual wickedness in high places Ephes. 6.12 They are full of Pride Envy Blasphemy Heresy Hypocrisy Many bless themselves that they are no Theeves Whores Drunkards when they are drunk with Pride and full of Atheism Unbelief Hypocrisy and Heart-Idolatry These are invisible sins the world takes no notice of them so much the more dangerous inward diseases are most dangerous and hardest to be cured Publicanes and Harlots that are given to carnal sins are sooner converted then spiritually proud self-conceited Pharisees Matth. 21.31 2. They are Radical fundamental sins they are the root and cause of all carnal sins They are the Quintissence of wickedness the wickedness of wickedness Hos. 10.15 the very spirits as I may say of sin the evil of evils and the foolishness of madness Eccles. 7.25 As Sampsons strength lay in his locks so the strength of outward sins lyes in the heart cleanse that and cleanse all It is these inward lusts which war not onely against the Peace but against the Salvation of the Soul 1 Pet. 2.11 Remove the cause and the effect well cease lay the Ax to this root and the fruit will wither This makes the Saints so much to lament that sin and corruption within them Iob 25.4 Psal. 51.5 Isay 6.5 Rom. 7. And God calls on his people to wash not onely their hands but their hearts from wickedness and though vain thoughts will be creeping in yet they must not suffer them to lodge there Ier. 4.14 Rooks saies Luther may fly over my house but I will not suffer them to roost there The great work of Regeneration lyes within it is not sufficient that a wicked man forsake his wicked wayes words but he must also forsake his Thoughts Isay 55.7 Let the wicked forsake his way and the unrighteous man his Thoughts A moral man may shun evil acts but a gracious man hates even vain thoughts Psal 119.113 A man may be far more wicked in his thought then he can in his Acts men may act that wickedness in their thoughts which either through want of opportunity or want of strength or for shame they dare not do They are the buds and blossoms the seeds and principles of all sin and what they want in weight they make up in number Gen. 6.5 Acts 8.22 Let us now according to these thirteen considerations aggravate our sins sin separately and singly considered is odious but sin circumstantiated will appear exceeding sinful A sore may be loathsome in it self but when it comes to be searched then the filth and rotteness appears That which keeps men from Repentance is their lightning and lessening of sin they say of it as Lot did of Zoar Is it not a little one Or else they lay it upon the weakness of youth or the bad counsel of others Adam layes his sin on Eve Saul on the people others lay it on the Devil some way or another they hide their sins which hinders the prosperity of the sinner Prov. 28.13 And therefore when the Spirit of God would effectually convince men of sin and set an edge upon it that it might wound and humble us to purpose he sets it before our eyes in its proper colours with all its aggravating circumstances So all the servants of God in their Humiliations for sin to shew their hatred and Holy indignation against it they have heightened their sins by all its hainous Circumstances and Heart-humbling Aggravations Their bitterest enemies could not speak so much against them as they have against themselves Iob 40.4 cryes out I am Vile Isay 6.5 I am undone David cryes out of his folly and beastliness 2 Sam. 24.10 Psal. 73.2 Agur in his own apprehension was more brutish then any man Prov. 30.2 3. See what Heart-breaking expressions Ezra 9. Neh. 9. Dan. 9.5 6. have used 1. We have sinned and committed iniquity 2. We have done wickedly 3. We have rebelled against thee 4. We have departed from thy Precepts 5. We have not harkned to thy Servants 6. We have not onely sinned our selves but even our Princes and Superiours have rebelled against thee But especially Paul puts up many Bills of Inditement against himself and cryes out I am the Chief of sinners and in his own apprehension he esteemed himself so the least of Saints not worthy to be called an Apostle and as if this were not sufficient he goes on I was a Persecutor a Blasphemer and injurious to Christ and the Saints 1 Cor. 15.9 Ephes. 3.8 1 Tim. 3.13 15. But especially Acts 26.10 11. the better to humble himself and to magnify free-grace he sets down eight Aggravations of his sin Many of the Saints did I shut up in Prison c. 1. They were not lewd men that he imprisoned but they were Saints 2. It was not for any wickedness that they had done that he thus used them but for professing the Name of Christ. 3. He did not cast a few but many Saints in Prison 4. He kept them close Prisoners he shut them up and gave them no liberty 5. He staies not here but he helped to put them to death 6. As if this had not been enough he doth not onely kill their bodies but he hurts their Souls also He compelled them to Blaspeme Not much unlike an Italian which I have read off who set upon a man to kill him the poor man begged for his life the Italian told him if he would renounce his God he should have his life which when he had done he killed him saying now he was fully revenged on him for he had killed both body and Soul 7. Yet he staies not here but he was mad exceeding mad with rage and fury against the poor Saints of Christ. So Luther confesseth that in the dayes of his ignorance he was a mad Papist 8. Such as he could not catch and kill them he persecutes to strange cities he made them out-run their houses wives children c. and shift for themselves Thus Paul like an hungry Wolf worries the poor Lambs of Christ till Christ meets him in his Ruff
Money To get Mony Iudas will sell Christ himself and many Popes give themselves body and soul to the Devill How many Covetous cruell Land-Lords by oppression eat and drink the bloud of their Tenants and their Families Ier. 22.17 Exek 22.13 and many by their excessive sorrow for the losse of their money oft become guilty of their own deaths 7. For Money the Popes Holiness will erect a stew and tolerate whores and others cast off all modesty and chastity 8. For Money men will rob cozen use false weights false wares c. 9. What Lying Slandering Back-biting c. and all for Money Iezabell will suborne false witness to get Naboths Vine-yard 10. He 's alwayes coveting his neighbours goods and this Commandement he breaks above all the rest for though he cannot get a Kingdome yet his Covetous heart may desire a Kingdome 3. Consider 't is a sinne which the very Heathen by the dimme light of Nature have contemned and condemned Bion calls it the Metropolis of all evill Cicero could say 't is a sign of a sordid spirit to love money Themistocles could say take up that gold for I regard it not Seneca could say 't is the property of a Noble mind to contemn those earthly things Hence 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 magnus quasi 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 non terrae filius non terrenus Now shall not Faith do that which infidelity hath done shall Nature excell Grace and shall we come short of those that come short of heaven There is no sin so unbeseeming a Saint as this Hence the Apostle would not have them once name it with approbation but only with detestation Epes 5.3 'T is observed that he never read in all the Scripture of any Saint that was ever branded for Covetousnesse We read of their falls into other sins as Aarons Idolatry Lots Incest Noahs Drunkennesse Davids Adultery c. but I never remember any Saint in Scripture that fell by this sin That they have the Root of this sin as well as of other sins is clear by that Prayer of David Psal. 119.36 but that any Saint was ever overcome by it we do not read Luther said of himself that of all sins he was most free from this and in this respect I could wish we were all Lutherans We should answâ—r Temptations to this sin as Nehemiah answered his Adversaries when they would have had him flye Neh. 9.11 Should such a one as I flye so shall such a one as I be covetous that have God for my Father the Promises for my Heritage that have interest in Christ and so by him have interest in all I that am under such speciall protection and have such plentifull provision should I be covetous Let the Dogges of the World fight for these bones and scramble for these scraps let Esau Laban Ahab Achan Balaam Iezabel Iudas Demas Simon-Magus feed upon these huskes but let the Saints who are cloathed with the Sun tread the Moon under their feet Rev. 12.1 they must contemn these Sublunary Transitory things counting them all but dung and dogs-meat in comparison of Christ Phil. 3.8 How oft do we read of the Saints bounty and liberality but never of their rapine usury c. Iob was eyes to the blind and feet to the lame he never did eat his morsels alone Iob 31. David gave his goods to the Saints and Millions towards the building of the Temple The Disciples forsook all for Christ and the Primitive Christians sold their houses and lands for pious uses and how carefull was Paul to shun this sin 1 Thes. 2.5 1 Cor. 9.12 4. It besots men it makes them unteacheable and untractable none so dull and uncapable of the things of God as those that are besotted with the World These thorny cares choak the good seed of the Word Luke 8.14 and blind the understanding Isai 56.11 12. greedy dogs cannot understand because their minds run all upon gain This sin so besotted the Pharises that they derided even Christ himself and blew their noses at him in contempt Luke 16.14 we do not read of any other sinners that they derided Christ as these covetous Pharises did Thus Ezekiels covetous he arers derided him Ezek. 33.30 31. So that we may as soon expect a crop of corn on the tops of barren Mountaines as a crop of Grace in the hearts of Covetous Cormorants 5. It eates out that love and tendernesse it destroyes that Society and sweet communion which should be amongst the Sons of men It turnes men into Hogs and Christians into Cannibals It makes men churlish Nabals and renders them cruel and unnatural to the wives of their bosomes to their own children to Friends Neighbours and dearest relations 6. It creates trouble to men and their houses Prov. 15.27 He that is greedy of gain troubles his own house He fires his own nest when he thinks to feather it and troubles all his own houshold with hast and hurry to get gain he overworks both servants and cattell he brings Law-suits upon himself and at last a curse upon his posterity and so Passively as well as actively he is said to trouble his own house what did Achan and Ahab get by their covetousnesse but ruine to themselves and their posterity So Gehazi by his covetousnesse brought a Leprosy upon himself and upon his posterity 2 Kings 5.26 27. and King Iehojakim ruined himself by this Ier. 22.17 18. by this they provoke God to sell them into the hands of Tyrants and Robbers Hab. 2.6 7. and at last it robs them of inward peace and brings trouble of conscience which is the trouble of troubles Isay 57.17 such pierce themselves through with many sorrowes 1 Tim. 6.10 they wound themselves on every side as if one were stabbed all over from top to toe insomuch that they are seldome free from vexing cares tormenting fearâ— and toyling labours 7. It makes a man odious to God however the world may admire such yet Gods soul abhorres them Psal. 10.3 he dislikes all sinners but he abhorres these Hence God is said to pun his fists at such as we do at those with whom we are angry Ezek. 22.13 14. compared with Numb 24.10 and cryes Woe to them that load themselves with thick clay Hab. 2.5 6. i. e. with these earthly things which burden and oppresse the soule therefore when God is angry with a man and would punish him for his other sins he gives him up to this sin amongst the rest Rom. 1.29 This made the Apostle so carefull to warn all the Churches of God against it as the Church of Rome Rom. 12.8.13 the Church of Corinth 1.6.9 10. Gal. 6.6.20 So Eph. 5.3.5 Phil. 3.18 19. Col. 3.5 and generally all the Churches 1 Tim. 6.6 7 8 9 10.17 This made our Saviour not simply forbid this sin but to use more Arguments against it then against any one sin whatsoever Mat. 6.24 to the end of the chap. 8. It hardens the
to send a gift to the end that Justice may be perverted the eye blinded and the Innocent condemned so to send a gift and so to receive a gift is both a sin in the one and the other He that would see more against Bribery let him peruse Mr. Iohn Downam's 4. Treatises against Swearing Drunkennesse Whoredome and Bribery Willet on Exod. 23.8 Doctor Downam on Psal. 15.5 2. It unfits men for the Ministery Covetousnesse is odious in any man more odious in a Magistrate but most odiouâ— in a Minister who by his life and doctrine ought to witnesse against it It troubles us to be abused by strangers but to have our menial servants and such as are near to us to preferre the trash and drosse of the earth before us that is the highest and horridst ingratitude insomuch that a dull Asse reproves Balaam for it 2 Pet. 2.15 16. With what face can a man reprove that in another of which himself is guilty therefore 't is made one speciall Qualification of a Gospell-Minister he must not be greedy of filthy lucre 1 Tim. 3.3 Titus 1.7.11 1 Pet. 5.2 The man of God must not only go or run but Fly from this Vice 1 Tim. 6.10 11. for a Minister to be a Mercenary man or a Market-man or by flattery and dawbing to curry favour and get riches this is that filthy lucre so oft cendemned in Scripture Such are called greedy insatiable dogges Isay 56.11 who for a slight reward prophane the Name of God Ezek. 13.19 Paul knew what a blemish this would be to his calling and therefore he was alwayes carefull to shunne the very appearance of it He oft parted with his right for Peace demanded not what was his due but laboured with his hands in the Churches infancy and low condition that he might not be burdensome to any 1 Cor. 9.6 7. 1 Thess. â— 5 6.9 We are souldiers and therefore we must not entangle our selves in these low things 2 Tim. 2.4 Caution yet let no man accuse us of Covetousnesse for demanding those dues which by the Law of God and the Lawes of the Land are due unto us The labourer is worthy of his hire saith Christ Matth. 10.10 this Paul proves by many Arguments 1 Cor. 9.7 8 9. 1 Tim. 5.17 18. Many would have us Preach for nothing when souldiers will fight for nothing and Trades-men work for nothing we will Preach for nothing In the mean time let them know that 't is one thing to preach for money and another thing to take money for preaching Though we receive pay for our paines and may justly demand it for our great labour yet we do not make that our end The conversion of soules and not money is the ultimate end of all our labours but I have spoken fully to this point in another Treatise which is now Printed 3. He cannot be a good souldier that minds money more then the cause of God such a one will betray his trust or plunder and use violence This S. Iohn foresaw and therefore commands souldiers to do violence to no man but to be content with their allowance Luke 3.14 It 's an ill Trade to go up and down killing men for eight pence a day such fight with an ill conscience and so will fly in a time of triall As the man must be good and the cause good so his end must be good else he marres all 4. He 's unfit to govern a family he 'l make slaves and drudges of his children and servants Better be some mens beasts then their servants for those rest on the Sabbath while these are drudging for their covetous Masters These men either cannot pray with their Families or else the cares of the World will not suffer them they savour nothing but Earth they are meer Earth Earth Earth Ier. 22.29 They are Earth by Creation Earth in their Conversation and return to Earth in their dissolution They have earthen bodies and earthen minds too and so are meer Earth and have their names written in the Earth which shall be their Hell as some conceive Ier. 17.13 He that would see more Disswasives from this sin let him peruse Mr. Boltons Directions for walking with God p. 289.288 c. where you shall find 12. excellent considerations against it and Mr. Palmers Memorials p. 10.3 c. Observ. We are free from this sin say most men though most men are guilty of it yet few will acknowledge it 'T is a secret subtle sin that hides it self under the Cloak of good husbandry frugality and thrift 1 Thess. 2.5 I shall therefore give you some signes and characters of a covetous man This sin may be discerned By our Thoughts Words and Works 1. Try your selves by your Thoughts this is the best way to know what you are for as a man thinketh so is he Prov. 23.7 By these the Lord tries us Psal. 139.23 2 Sam. 16.7 Iob 42.2 and therefore by them we should try our selves they are the peculiar acts of Gods eye and greatest in his esteem 't is not so much our words and works as the bent of our hearts and spirits which he ponders Prov. 16.2 and if he find them irregular it displeaseth him Gen. 6.6 Prov. 6.18 Isai 65.2 3 5. Zach. 8.17 Ier. 4.14 Rom. 2.2.21 not only the works but also the Thoughts of the wicked are an abomination to the Lord. Prov 15.26 and though Thoughts are free in respect of the Courts of men yet they are not free from the All-seeing eye of God Isai 66.18 I know their thoughts 2. They are not free from Gods word it takes hold of them Heb. 4.12 Exod. 20.17 3. They are not free from his revenging hand Ier. 6.19 Rom. 2.21 Revel 2.23 2. We should try our selves by the thoughts and devices of our hearts because they are the more immediate issues of our hearts and cannot so easily deceive us as words and works may A man cannot so well judge of the goodnesse of a spring by the water which runs 7. miles off as he may by going to the Fountain head so we cannot judge so well of our selves by our actions which are as streams as we can by our Thoughts for there are many Occurrences between the Act and the thought These are the Master-wheeles and first movers in the soul and from them issue either life or death Prov. 4.23 Isai 59 7. Mat. 15.19 if a man be Malicious Murderous Covetous c. first his thoughts are so and thence come evill acts These are the Root and those the Fruit these the Mother and those her Daughters In the time of the Law the Lord required the first-fruits and the first-born Exod. 22.39 he calls not now for the first-born of our flocks or bodies but of our soules these must be kept more especially for him 3. They are the Universal Acts of the heart which discovers it self most clearly by them 4. They are the swiftest acts of the heart
shew all they have when the rich Marchant makes but a small shew of that whereof he hath great plenty within The worst mettle rings loudest and the emptiest eares of corn stand highest Labour therefore for the contrary grace of Modesty whose excelleâ—cy you may find in that usefull Peace Mr. Robinsons Essayes Observation 58. p. 511. 4. Proud 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 This is a third branch of Self-love viz. Pride in Heart As arrogant Boasters shew their Pride by their words so these have it in their hearts and shew it in their actions by contemning others and exalting themselves This sin is the daughter of Covetousness Hence the Apostle would have rich men take heed of being High-minded 1 Tim. 6.17 thereby implying that Riches are apt to engender pride Proud persons are like to Oyle which loves to be above in their own conceits they are wiser than all the world besides And is not this the Master-sin of this last and loose age of the world when did pride ever more abound in City and Country in Body and Soule in Heart Head Haire Habit In Gestures Vestures Words Works what Painting Poudring Patching Spotting and Blotting themselves How are men loaded and bedawbed with Variety of Ribbons before and behind above and beneath with yellow red black blew they have more colours then the Rain-bow and are more like Morrice-dancers then Professors These fantastick garbs argue fantastick hearts They say to their fine cloaths as Saul said to Samuel Honour me before the people to this end every finger must have a Ring and every joynt a Jewell what sad Bills of Indictment will one day be put up against such persons Imprimis 20 l. for brave cloathes but not 20 s. for a pious use Item 10 l. for Gold and Silver lace but not 10 s. for the poor Item 5 l. for Gew-gaws and Ribbons but not 5 s. for the needy Item 20 s. for a pair of silver-laced shoes and scarce 20 d. to the poor How will these one day curse themselves for their folly and cry out when 't is too late What hath pride profited us and what comfort yea what discomfort have these Vanities brought upon us Be wise now therefore in time and Honour the Lord with your Riches which is the best way to keep and increase them but waste them not on your lusts lest you loose them Hos. 2.8 9. The plainnesse of former times will condemn our Vanity the very trimming that some in our dayes wear would have bought our ancient Kings a whole suit of apparell Our Chronicles tell us that William Rufus who in his time was accounted sumptuous in apparell when his Chamberlain had brought him a pair of Breeches and he demanding what they cost it was answered 3 s. The King bad him be gone and bring him a pair of a Mark price Heu prisca simplicitas Whither is our ancient Simplicity fled 2. For spirituall pride which is the worst sort of pride as fighting more directly against God who is a Spirit when did it more abound then at this day There is amongst us 1. Superbia de Religione men are proud of their religious duties as the Pharises were 2. There is Superbia in Religione Religious duties are proudly performed amongst us 3. Superbia cum Religione Pride conjoyned with Religion the Professors of Religion are men of proud lives and haughty spirits and this is the very Mother of all those Hell-sprung Heresies which have of late overspread the Land Make a man proud and he will quickly be erroneous 1 Tim. 6.3 4. Simon Magus that great Haeresiarch was a very proud man his picture had the Inscription Simoni Sancto Deo Arrius also that Arch-Heretick was notorious for Pride The Gnosticks of old conceited that they knew more then all the world besides boasting that God had made them of his privy Counnsell and had revealed those secrets to them which others knew not this is the song of our Quakers now but none were a greater scandall to Religion then these Gnosticks 'T is spiritual Pride which is the Root of all that separation and Semi-separation of all those Divisions and Subdivisions which are amongst us The proud Pharises were great Separatists Men of late have gotten very high conceits of themselves they say even to the reall Churches of God stand off for we are holier then you They are so afraid of Popularity that they run themselves into Singularity Young Ministers are much to be blamed for their Pride and Self-conceitednesse every Novice now thinks himself wiser then the aged Pious experienced Ministers of the Land yea then all the Churches of Christ in the world I had almost said then Christ himself These want a Rod I mean the Discipliâ—e of Christ to curb their exorbitancies 'T is spirituall pride which makes so many boast of their perfections when he that hath but half an eye may see their grosse imperfections ' T is this sin which makes so many to transgresse the bounds of their callings and to become Teachers when themselves had need to be taught the fundamentalls of Religion These are wiser in their own conceits then seven men that can render a reason Prov. 26.16 though they were the seven wise men of Greece yet were they all but fooles to them They know more by the the Spirit of which they boast they never boast of their learning I cannot blame them they are loaded with so little of it then their betters can know by twenty years study who yet have a greater measure of the spirit then they The people of England were never poorer and prouder then at this day even now when the Lord is beating us for our pride and is staining the pride of all our glory and hath brought into contempt the Honourable of the earth Isai 23.9 yet such is the height of our rebellion that we sin under the Rod and are the worse for beating when the body swells 't is a sign it is diseased the Tympany of pride which is now in the land is a sad symptom that all is not well with us I wish our State Physitians and Spirituall-Physitians may see to it betimes before the disease become Chronicall and incurable 3. That inundation and overflowing of all manner of sin too clearely shewes the pride of the land There is a kind of tacite interpretative pride in every sin for in sinning we prefer our own wills before Gods will and seek to please and advance our selves rather then God Pride affronts God it stops the eare against his commands and will not suffer mon to submit their necks to Gods yoak Ier. 13 15 17. and 2.31 Hence sin is called a despising and contempt of God 2 Sam. 12.9 10. The voluptuous man saith God shall not rule over me and the worldling saith He 'l not leave his profit to be commanded by him and every rebellious sinner stands it out against God and saith We will not have him
cinerescunt touch them and they fall to ashes True humility is a holy spiritual supernatural grace 't is a brokennesse of heart for sin as 't is sin Quia offensivum Dei aversivum à Deo because 't is offensive to God These empty soules God fills full of spiritual blessings for as in Nature there is no Vacuum so neither doth grace admit of any 2. 'T is the conserver and keeper of all Grace We lay up the richest Wines in the lowest Cellars and God lays up the choycest mercies in the lowest hearts The lowest combes are fullest of honey 'T is a rich Treasury and Store-house of Vertue every grace hath some mixture of humility there 's no Theologicall grace can be separated from it This keeps the soule free from the dint of Satans darts as the low shrubs are from the violent gusts of winde which shake and rend the taller trees These are not affected with Satans proffers nor terrified with his threatenings so that he can hardly fasten a Temptation on such I have read of one that seeing a Vision many snares of the Devill spread upon the earth he sate down and mourned and said within himself Quis pertransiet istaâ— who shall pass through these whereunto answer was made Humilitas pertransiet Humility shall pass through them 3. It makes us conformable to Christ our head who from his birth to his death from his cradle to his cross was even compounded of humility He hath set himself before us as our Pattern and commands us to learn Humility of him Mat. 11.29 we cannot write after a better coppy 4. 'T is the Path-way to Peace both Externall and Internall As Pride breeds contention and disquietment So humility quiets and composeth the soul and makes it with a holy silence to bear those losses crosses reproaches which would break the back and braines of a pround and wicked man As Wool by its yeelding and softness doth dull bullets and break their force so by stooping to God and man we pacify wrath He is so little and low in his own eyes that he cannot fall much lower Christ tells us that he that learns of him this Lesson shall find rest for his soul though he may have trouble without yet he shall have Peace within Mat. 11.22 5. It helps to prolong our dayes Impatience and fretfulnesse breed diseases and shorten mens lives but Humility Meeknesse and quietness are a meanes to prolong them as we see in Moses one of the meekest men in the world who lived 120. yeares his eye was not dimme nor his naturall strength abated Deut. last 7 God hath promised long life to such Prov. 32.4 and Hypocrates observes that Gall-less creatures live long 6. T 's the ready way to Exaltation and Honour Mat. 23.12 He that humbleth himself shall be exalted 'T is not he that is humbled against his wiâ—l as Pharaoh Ahab and the Israelites were but he that freely humbleth himself for many are humbled which yet are not humble there may be Humiliation without Humility mens estates may be broken yet their hearts unbroken humbled they may be in body yet high in soule Many make it their study how they may rise and get promotion behold the way humble your selves and you shall be exalted even to Honour here if God see it good for you As Ioseph Nehemiah David Daniel the Lord sets humble Mordecat in Hamans stead and humble Eliakim in proud Shebna's stead Isai 22.15 16 20 21. if men would but take this course it would save them much trouble and travell with chargeable expences However it would bring them to Grace and Glory which is the highest and best preferment 1 Pet 5.5 There is no entrance into the Temple of Honour but by the gate of Humility for as Pride goes before a fall so before Honour is Humility Prov. 15. ult and 18.12 and 22.4 God pulls down the high and haughty but he exalts the lowly and meek Luke 1.51 52. all the world cannot pull down an Humble man because God will exalt him and all the world cannot exalt a proud man because God will pull him down if then you will build high be sure to lay your foundations low 7. The humble soul is Gods House where he delights to dwell 't is domicilium Spiritus Sancti the Temple of the Holy Ghost Isay 57 1â— God hath but two Thrones the highest Heavens and the lowest Heart God over-looks the frame of Heaven and earth to look on a poor humble broken heart Isay 66.1 2. The Heaven is my Throne and the earth my foot-stoole But to him even to him will I look c. q. d. 'T is true those are my creatures I made them yet do I over-look all these to look on a truly humbled soule not with a bare look of intuition or generall prudence but with a look of favour and an eye of approbation complacency and delight Though the Lord be the most High yet hath he respect to the lowly Psal. 138.6 these are Gods Jewels and as we prize one jewell above 10. thousand peebles so God esteems one humble Moses above 10. thousand other men The lower we are in our own eyes the higher we are in Gods These are Gods Glory Isay 4.5 they give all Glory unto God and therefore God loves to exalt them to Honour 8. These are Gods Schollars whom he hath promised to direct and teach Psal. 25.9 these are of his privy Counsel to them he reveales the secrets and mysteries of salvation as Abraham Lot David Daniel with these he familiarly walks Micah 6.8 He that is most humble sees most of heaven He that lyes in the low pits rnd caves of the earth beholds the starres when those that walk on the tops of mountains discerne them not The proud God leaves to themselves to be sâ—ared in their own imaginations Luke 1.51 Had we less pride and more Humility we should have less Error and more Truth This is a comely Grace both in Speakers and Hearers How many that have affected Metaphysical speculations and high-spun Notions have fallen into the pit of Sinne and Heresy 9. These are the only prevailing people with God These are fit to lye in the gap and to intercede for a Nation The prayers of one such a meek Moses Samuel Iob c. may preserve a Nation from ruine Iob 22.30 't is their prayers which he hath promised to hear 1 Chron. 7.14 Psal. 10.17 God will have communion with none but such We must humble our selves if we will walk with him Micah 6.8 10. Such are sure of protection especially in times of common calamity Ezek. 9.4 when wicked men are broken and cast down thou shalt say there is lifting up and God will save the Humble man Iob. 22. 29. the bending reed is preserved when the stubborn Oakes are pluckt up by the Roots Sic ventos vincit dum se submittit arundo In pulsu quorum robora celsa cadunt
one that preferres Earth before Heaven the World before the Word Gold before Godliness the body before the soule and the shadow before the substance These have their portion in this life and had rather part with their part in Paradise then their part in Paris like the profane Israelites that preferred the Garlick and Onyons of Egypt before celestiall Mannah and with the ungratefull Jewes preferre Barrabas before Christ upon this account Esau is stiled a Profane man Heb. 12.16 because he sold his Birth-right an heavenly priviledge for a meales meat for a trifle The Hogs and Dogges of the world make light esteem of the Holy things of God Mat. 7.6 we have too many such Esanits in our dayes But let such know that as they have prophaned Gods name by slighting him so he will set lightly by them and make them profane by exposing them to publick contempt and shame Matth. 2.8 9. and as they had no regard of his honour so he will have none of theirs Psal. 89.39 Isay 43.28 and 47.6 as they trampled Christ and the tenders of his grace under their feet Heb. 10.29 So they as vile and contemptible persons shall be trampled upon by others Such as despise God shall be despised 1 Sam. 2.30 So much the Notation of the word implyes Now for the coertion restraint and condemnation of such persons the Law was made 1 Tim. 1.9 10. they are lyable to the curse of God as profane Esau was Heb. 12.17 Oh then labour for Holinesse which is opposite to this prophanenesse They were set directly one against another Ezek. 44.23 as profanenesse debaseth a man so piety exalts a man and makes him shine like an Angell amongst men No life so Honourable Comfortable and Commendable as you may see in my Beauty of Holinesse chap. 8. VERSE 3. VVithout Naturall Affection IN the last dayes men shall be so vile that no bonds of Nature can bind them and no wonder for they that are blasphemers of God disobedient to Parents ingratefull to Benefactors must needs at last come to that height of inhumanity and brutishnesse as to be without Naturall Affection They shall not only be without Humane affection which is a love to men as they are men or Christian affection which is a love to good men because they are good but they shall be without Natural affection towards those to whom they are bound by the bond of consanguinity and affinity and by a speciall instinct of Nature to shew a tender love and respect unto These 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 are those inate and tender affections which are planted in our Nature by the God of Nature towards those to whom we are conjoyned by the bond of Nature Such is that naturall affection which is between Parents and their children Husband and Wife Brother and Brother Kindred and Country a Governour and his Family There is no Nation so base and barbarous but there are some sparkles of this Naturall affection towards their own Yea the very bruit beasts we see are very tender over their young The very Lionesse the Beare the Tygre the Eagle the Hen yea the Bitch will rise up in judgement against those unnaturall Parents that provide not for their own Men love their Riches they love their Houses they love their Horses ye their Dogs but not with that naturall affection as they love their children And though some may be so unnaturall as to bloâ— out this natural affection Isay 49.15 and Saul to his sonne Ionathan and to David his Son-in-Law 1 Sam. 19.14 15. and 20.33 and the Gentiles Rom. 1.30 yet see how tenderly David is affected even to a Rebellious Absolom 1 Sam. 18.33 and Paul to his Country-men and Kins-men Rom. 9.3 and Iacob to Ioseph Gen. 37.55 and to Benjamin Gen. 42.38 and 44.22.29 30. Now is not this unnaturall sin the sin of our Age Was there ever more want of Naturall affection in Parents to children and children to Parents 'T is true many exceed in their love and are apt to dote upon their children as David did on Absolom and are too fond of them But do not many offend in the Defect for want of natural affection How many Parents correct their children and servants without moderation or mercy How many children do rise up against their own Parents and betray them into the hands of persecutors Mat. 10. â—1 Luke 21.16 yea and Parents against their children How many speak against their own Mothers sons Psal. 50.20 the Brother supplants his Brother and the Neighbour his Neighbour Ier. 9.4 The wife of the bosome like Eve labours to draw the Husband from God and a mans enemies are those of his own house Micah 7.5 6. 'T was the glory of the Primitive times that they were so loving and unanimous that their enemies could say Ecce quà m se mutuò diligunt Behold how these Christians love one another but now we may say Ecce quà m se mutuò dilacerent Behold how they torture and teare one another in words and deedes How many kill the fruits of their wombs others never provide for their Families but spend that on themselves at an Ale-house in a day which would maintaine their Families a weeke Unnaturall bruites nay worse then the beastes that perish for even the Sea-monsters suckle and support their young Lam. 4.3 such are worse then Heathens let men professe the faith in words yet if in their deeds they deny it and be not carefull in a prudentiall providentiall way to provide for their owne they are worse then Infidels in this respect for they by the light of Nature know that 't is their duty to provide for their own and though they be barbarous yet are they not so barbarouâ— as to cast off naturall affection to them 1 Tim. 5.8 God will surely visit for such sins Amos 1.9 Obad. 10.11 12 13 14. Lastly whereas there is planted in us a naturall affection to the Land of our Nativity insomuch that Heathens have been prodigall of their lives for the good of their Country yet how many are there amongst us that by destructive courses seek the ruine of their Mother that bare them and the land that nurst them True we must love our Parents love our children love our friends and neighbours but the publick good must be preferred before them all This then informs us of their folly who plead for a Stoicall Apostacy commending the want of naturall affections as a point of perfection which the Lord condemnes as a great imperfection accounting that for a Vertue which the Apostle reckons for a great Vice So that to banish them out of man is to banish man out of man and to make him a stock rather then a Stoick The Affections are not sinfull per se and in themselves but only by Accident when they are misplaced and set upon wrong objects or not kept to their just proportion so that they neither exceed nor come
2.1.20 and the Christians had their Love-feasts 1 Cor. 10.27 Iude 12. yet these Rules must be observed in our Feasting 1. It must be done seasonably 2. Soberly 3. Discreetly 4. Religiously 1. Our Feasting must be at seasonable times every thing is beautifull in its season Eccles. 3.11 and a duty not rightly circumstantiated is marred 1. 'T is unseasonable to feast and fare deliciously every day Luke 16.19 yea though we be rich and can afford it yet we may not do it we have callings to follow we come not into the world to feast loyter but to labour 2. We may not spend too much time of one day in Feasting To sit at dinner till night and at supper till midnight is unseasonable and an abuse of time God ordained the night for rest and not to riot The loss of time is far worse then the loss of money that cannot be regained this may To be prodigall of time is the worst prodigality and most dangerous Luther lamented the spending of so much precious time as too many do in Feasting 3. To feast at such a time when the Lord calls by his judgements to Fasting is exceeding unsuitable unseasonable Isay 22.12 13 14. Amos 6.1 to 7. 4. So to Feast on the Lords day is unseasonable He hath given us six days for our own use he hath reserved but the seventh for himself how then can we do so great wickedness and sin against so good a God! This is a day for spiritual and not for carnal feasting 2. Soberly beware of superfluity and riot Christians should be famous for good works and not for revelling and costly banquets The art of Cookery hath killed many Variety of dainty dishes breeds Variety of diseases Whence come so many Dropsies Gouts Rheumes but from excess 3. Discreetly making choyce of our company not calling rich Atheists nor profane scoffers at Piety Psal. 35.16 Christ would have us call the poor rather Luke 14.13 14. not that Christ doth simply condemn the calling of our friends or rich neighbours but he would have the poor especially remembred q. d. Call not the rich alone but let the poor have a portion at or from thy Table Portions should be sent to those for whom nothing is provided i. e. who have nothing prepared for themselves Neh. 8.10 Hest. 9.22 Deut. 16.11.14 One rich man useth to feast another when in the meane time good David is forgotten 1 Sam. 25.10 11. 4. Religiously in the fear of God no drinking of Healths no taunting at Religion no mocking at such as are in misery Lam. 3.63 lest we be like to those that feast without fear either of God or man Iude 12. all our feasting must be as before the Lord and in his eye Exod. 18.12 Deut. 12.7 1 Chron. 29.22 The want of this holy fear is the cause why either in the time of feasting or presently after some cross or other befalls men as we see in Nabal 1 Sam. 25.36 37. at a feast Absolon caused Amnon to be slain 2 Sam. 13.28 and the breach was made between Ahasuerus and his wife at a feast Hest. 1.10 Iob was afraid lest his sons had offended in their feasting Iob 1.45 and the Lord complains of the Jews for their profane feasting Isay 5.12 The Harp and the Pipe was in their feasts but they regarded not the work of the Lord. See the fruits of profane musick it drives out the thoughts of God his works So Amos 6.5 6. See their punishment v. 7. Musick should be sent for said the Heathen when men are angry rather then when they are feasting merry Not but that musick in it self is good especially when we make that use of it which the Prophet did when he called for a Minstrill to raise up his heavie heart and make him cheerfull and the fitter to prophesy 2 King 3.15 The end of all our Feasting must be the glory of God 1 Cor. 10.31 it must not be to pamper the flesh or to get the praise of men as many do that by riotous feasting waste and weaken their estates that they may get a name for good house-keepers To what end is such waste The end which God would have us to ayme at in our Feasting is his praise and not our own Exod. 34.23 Levit 23.34 Deut. 16.25 Oh then let us shun all Intemperance and abuse of the creature An Epicure is fit for nothing but the service of the devill There was never any man that made his Guts his God that ever became famous in Church or State 'T is a sin that besots men it doth emasculate and weaken the powers of the soul. Hence our Saviour warnes his disciples to take heed of being over-charged with surfetting Luke 21.34 Peter calls such bruit beasts Spots and blots which blemish and disgrace religion 2 Pet. 2.12 13. A Scavenger whose living is to empty is to be preferred before him that liveth but to fill Privies If a man strive but for a corruptible Crown we see he 's temperate not onely in some things but in all things in eating drinking sleeping c. 1 Cor. 9.25 and shall not we that strive for an incorruptible Crowne keep under our bodies and be temperate in all things that we may be allwayes fit for our Masters service This sobriety of the body tends much to the furtherance of Grace in the soul therefore the Apostle joynes it with Godlinesse Titus 2.11 12. we should therefore eat and drink with perpetuall moderation alwayes taking less but never more then nature desires for that measure of meat and drink which serves to refresh nature and make us fitter for the service of God and man is allowed us of God and no more To arm you against Intemperance 1. Consider it hurts the body makes it dull diseased drowsy and unfit for service Temperance preserves health Tenuis mensa sanitatis mater 2. It wastes the Estate and brings men to Poverry Prov. 21.17 and 23.21 3. It unfits the soul for Prayer Hearing Meditation or any spirituall service it besots it and makes it stupid secure senselesse It brings destruction Phil. 3.19 it cast our first Parents out of Paradise Gen. 3.6 brought the flood upon the old world Matth. 24.38 fire on Sdom Ezekiel 16 49 50. and the sword on Israel Amos 6.4.7 and barres men out of heaven 1 Cor. 6.9 10. 4. 'T is a great incentive unto Lust. Whoring and Riot oft go together Rom. 13.13 when men make provision for the flesh and cater for cates and delicates they 'l soon fulfill the lusts thereof V. 14. We read of some that lived in wantonnesse and what was the reason why they nourished their hearts as in the day of slaughter or sacrifices when they fared deliciously Iames 5.5 Gluttony is the very Mother and Nurse of Lust. See more Trapps Common-place Abstinence in the end of the Epistles Amos c. l. 3. c. 15 Downams Guide to Godlinesse l. 3. c.
Taylor 's Holy Living p. 83. Ward on Matth. 5.27 p. 216. Taffin on Amendment l. 2. c. 17. Capel on Tent. p. 2. c. 11 12. Sibelius Tom. 1. conc 7. in Eccles. 12.2 p. 669 c. Pryn's Histrio-Mastix Actus 6. Scena 4. p. 376. Mr. Clerks Mirrour cap. 2. and cap. 20. and 61 62. Edit 3. 13. Fierce 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 This is the thirteenth sin which helps to make the last dayes Perilo s. Men will then more especially be of a fierce rude savage barbarous inhumane disposition They will be cruelly and bloodily disposed There will be in them no meeknesse nor mildnesse to Regulate the Passions but like bruit beasts they will be ready to slay all such as oppose them This is a fruit of that Self-love and Covetousnesse before mentioned This fiercenesse they 'l exercise especially against the people of God whom they hate persecute imprison and slay and when dead yet burn their bones and if the Lord were angry with Moab for burning the bones of the King of Edom a wicked man Amos 2.1 then surely he will punish those spitefull Moabites who burn the bones of his deceased Saints as Bucer Phagius c. This ferity is made one speciall note of the wicked Prov. 12.10 and 17.3 Gen. 49.7 Hence in Scripture they are compared to Lions Iob 4.10 to Wolves Hab. 1.8 Beares Prov. 17.12 Horses which must be restrained from hurting with bit and bridle Psal. 32.19 Serpents Psal. 74.13 14. Dogs Phil. 3.2 Mat. 7.6 Boares Psal. 80.13 Threshers which bruise and oppresse the people of God Amos 1.3 Milners that grind them with their cruelty Isay 3.75 and to Butchers which do not onely fleece but flay the sheep To Cooks which do not only dresse the flesh but they break the bones to get out the Marrow Micah 3.2 3. Hence we read of 23. sorts of trialls which the Saints were exercised with by the bruitish world Heb. 11 3◠to 39. therefore they chose rather to live in Caves and Wildernesses amongst wild beasts then amongst those bruits yea the Saints have found more favour from beasts as Daniel from the Lions and Lazarus from Dogs then from their cruell persecutors Hence David being in a strait chuseth the Pestilence though a sad judgement rather then to fall into the hands of merciless men 2 Sam. 24.14 1. Then let men get Grace that breeds Humanity Civility and candid Carriage towards all Such will not dare not hurt their Brethren in body Soul Goods or Good name Psal. 15.3 we need not feare those that truly fear God Gen. 42.18 their naturall fierceness is subdued and changed so that they which were sometimes Lions are now become Lambs Isay 11.6 Hence they are called Sheep Doves little children all which imply harmlesness and inoffensiveness They had rather take wrong then do wrong Hence the Apostle blames the Corinths for wronging and defrauding their Brethren 1 Cor. 6.7 8. why do ye not rather take wrong saith he why do ye not suffer your selves to be defrauded Grace changes the roughness and ruggedness of our natures it makes us kind and affable full of holy sweetness and gentleness Iames 3.17 many think Religion makes men harsh and sowre as if no trees grew in Christs garden but Crab-trees when Religion makes men meek and modest Acts 16.29 30.33 34. curteous and kind And that 1. In their Censures where things are capable of a candid Interpretation they take them in the best sense 2. Modest in their opinions they are not wise above that which is written they hunt not after Novelties 3. Sweet and lovely in their conversations they can part with their own for Peace Gen. 13.8 9. Psal. 69.4 4. Ready to yeeld to the counsels of others when better Reasons are discovered Iob 31.13 will not despite the counsell of his servant So Naaman harkened to the advice of his servant and was cured 2 Kings 5.12 David wise as an Angell of the Lord yet harkens to the counsell of a woman 1 Sam. 25.33 yea so flexible and docible are they that even a child with Scripture-Reason may lead them Isay 11.6 Many think it a note of a generous spirit to render evill for evill blow for blow reproach for reproach but Christ teacheth another Lesson Matth. 5.38 39. Resist not evill he speaks of private revenge But he that smites thee on the one cheek turn to him the other also i. e. we should be so far from revenge that we should rather suffer a second injury then revenge the former That which the world counts basenesse and cowardise the wisest of men calls it our glory Prov. 19.11 and 16.19.32 A man of understanding is of a cool spirit and it is the glory of a man to passe by an offence 'T is a dishonour to offer wrong but none to bear it The world esteems such men of mettle as auswer blow for blow 't is mettle indeed but 't is hellish mettle Wrong them never so little and they 'l take Gods office out of his hand they 'l be their own Revengers breaking forth into Duells which are utterly unlawfull for these Reasons 1. Reason it self saith No man may be a Judge in his own cause especially when he hath lost himself with anger impatience and a vindicative spirit 2. God hath forbidden all private revenge Levit. 19.13 Matth. 26.52 Rom. 12.19 telling us that vengeance is his and he will repay Deut. 32.35 God hath ordained the Magistrate as his Vice-gerent to execute Justice on offendors he beares not the sword in vain Rev. 13.4 now he should bear it in vain if every private person might be his own Judge and if the Magistrate neglect his duty then must we commit our cause to God who judgeeth righteously 3. It 's a fearful thing to kill or be killed in our own private quarrell 1. He that kills is a murderer and must die for it now no murderer shall come into Gods Kingdom Rev. 21.8 and 25.15 2. If killed he dies in the height of Passion and revenge desiring and endeavouring to murder another See more Reasons against this sin Davenant in Colos. 3.13 p. 318. Brochmane C. C. 2. T. p. 125. Sayrus C. C. l. 7. c. 13. D. Hammon's Practicall Catechisme l. 2. Sect. 5. 2. As Grace will keep you from being fierce against others Actively so it will be a Shield to keep you from the rage of fierce men Passively Isay 33.15.19 't is disobedience which brings fierce men against a people Deut. 28.50 but when we are obedient God will restrain their rage and bound them as he doth the proud waves of the Sea Iob 38.11 3. Promote Learning even Humane Learning we see experimentally civilizeth men and hath a great influence on their conversations 'T is as a blew to the better taking of a right black What makes our Welch-men Wild-Irish and Indians so bruitish and barbarous but want of Learning and Instruction Didicisse fideliter artes
our own hearts and dwell at home Hence God not onely commands it Psal. 4.4 Zeph. 2. viz. Hag. 1.5.7 Isay 46.8 but he even beseecheth us to practice it Psalm 50.22 oh consider his dreadfull Judgements to prevent them and his pretious mercies to improve them 1 Sam. 12.24 this awed Iob 23.15 See the Excellency of Consideration Barlow on 2 Tim. 2.7 Baxter's Saints Rest. P. 4. p. 147.179 D. Sibbs's Beames of Light on Ier. 8.6 p. 103. Fenner on Hag. 1.5 17. High-minded The 17. Character of the last times is this men will be high-minded being puft up with pride and high conceits of themselves Insolent persons that pretend to great depth of knowledge yet preferre their lusts and pleasures before Christ such as make their own wills their Lawes and preferre their own idle opinions before the judgement of all the Churches of Christ in the world These are like empty bottles full of nothing but wind They are so highly conceited of themselves that they are even fanatick and mad again So much the word signifies Properly it signifies to puffe up and metaphorically it s taken for Pride So 1 Cor. 4.6.18 19. and 5.2 1 Tim. 3.6 and 6.4 This is a branch of the fourth Character before mentioned men shall be proud and they shall shew their pride by their High-mindednesse and lofty carriage Get Love and then you will be Humble and not swell with pride because of your Honours Riches Gifts or Graces Love is not puft up with such vain conceits 1 Cor. 13.4 'T is knowledge without love that puffes men up 1 Cor. 8.1 But I have spoken fully against Pride in the fourth Character I shall referre you thither for fuller satisfaction 18. Lovers of Pleasures more then Lovers of God This is the 18. sin which renders the last times so perilous men will be so voluptâ—ous that they will prefer their carnall and Temporary delights before Spirituall and eternall ones As the Gnosticks in those times did who were gâ—ven up to filthy lusts and placed their felicity in living deliciously and this is one speciall and signall note whereby we may know the Hereticks and Seducers of the last times they are men given 1. Not to spirituall delights in God and his Ordinances as the Saints are Psal. 16.11 and 65 4. and 84. 2. Nor onely to honest and lawfull delights which God allowes us in the liberall use of the creature Genes 49.20 Eccles. 2.1 but 3ly They will be given up to caâ—nall sensuall sinfull delights such as are agreeable to corrupt nature 1 Tim. 6.5 which consist in drunkennesse fornication riot and excesse They will be given up to loosenesse and licentiousnesse which is one Reason they have so many followers As Epicurus had more disciples then the rest of the Philosophers not because of any truth he publisht but because he invited men to pleasures and carnall delights to which our natures are very prone Such were those Libertines Iames 5.5 2 Pet. 2.13 Iude 4.18 19. peradventure they may give God some externall worship of Cap and Kâ—â—â—e but they keep their hearts and best rooms for their carnall Lusts and Pleasures Naturally all our hearts are full of this spirituall Adultery from the wombe we run from God after the vain delights which cannot satisfy Iames 4.4 Titus 3.3 How many love their Hawkes Hownds Horses c. more then Jesus Christ and are at more cost and pains to maintain them then they are in maintaining a Minister of the Gospel Many are so bewitcht with their Lusts and Pleasures that they do even sacrifice their Time Wit Wealth Lives Soules and all unto them They are even led by them 2 Pet. 2.10 as an Oxe to the slaughter Prov. 7.22 23. They make them their chiefest good and place their happinesse in them How many spend their precious time in Playing which they should spend in praying and in serving God in some vocation Those are dead whilest they live 1 Tim. 5.6 i. e. they are of no use in their places as Paul said of the wâ—dow that lives in pleasures though her body be alive yet her soul is dead So the voluptuous prodigall that spent all on harlots is said to be dead Luke 15.24 It argues a noble and a rised spirit when we can live above them We are now Kings sons and being born to more high and noble pleasures we should contemn these base and low things If we are Christs we must crucify our lusts Gal. 5.24 deny our selves keep under our bodies 1 Cor. 9.27 and enter in at the strait gate Matth. 7.13 To this end consider 1. That sensuall pleasures are the very poyson and bane of all grace in the soul they war against the peace and purity of it 1 Pet. 2.11 they blind the eye that it cannot attain to saving knowledge 2 Tim. 3.6 7. the love of pleasures eates out the love of God and goodnesse out of the soule There may be a form of godlinesse but there can be no power where pleasures are preferred before God Rom. 13.13 14. Ephes. 2.2 3. such make the râ—bellies their God whose end is destruction and woe Luke 6.25 Rom. 16.18 Philip. 3.19 Many would fain joyn God and their lusts together but they are contraries which do mutually expell each other Iames 4.4 1 Iohn 2.15 Sad it is to consider that those base impure delights should expell those pure and heavenly pleasures that those poor fading low things should be preferred before God who is an everlasting fountain of pure divine and spirituall joy That men should chuse rather to serve this worldly Laban who so oft changeth their wages rather then God who is better then his promise to his people 2. 'T is these sensuall pleasures which stop the eares against Gods call so that no Reason nor Religion can work on men These choak the good seed of the Word that it cannot grow Luke 8.14 let a Minister preach never so powerfully perswade never so convincingly yet if the heart be stopt and stuff'd with sensuall delights we do but preach to deaf men who have stopt their eares against Christs calls and invitations so that they cannot yea which is worse they will not come to him though he tender them life and salvation Luke 14.19 20. Iohn 5.40 those whose hearts were set on their Oxen Farmes Wives had no desire after Christ. Some make excuses but he that had married a wife was most peremptory He could not come Concupiscentiall lusts draw very strongly the wife draws more then five yoke of Oxen so strong are women that Solomon the wisest of men and Sampson the strongest were yet overcome by them The Italians have a Proverb that one haire of a woman will draw more then a hundâ—ed yoke of Oxen. We had need then to watch over our hearts in these lawfull delights least they should be stollen from Christ. Licitis perimus omnes We must be moderate in the use of them
they that have wives should be as if they had none and they that rejoyce in lawfull liberties be as if they rejoyced not 1 Cor. 1.29 30. we must do by them as Ionanathan did by his honey only taste of it for his necessary refreshment 1 Sam. 14.27 or as the dog doth at Nâ—lus only lap and away Else if you give your self up to inordinate pleasures they 'l ruine you as they did those Epicures Amos 6.1 to 8. and the old world Luke 17.26 27. and the whore of Babylon which lives in pleasures Revel â—8 â— and those young Jovialists who gave themselves up to carnall delightâ— Eccles. 11.9 and the rich glutton Luke 16. Turn then all your carnall delights into spirituall ones your vain delights into divine delights instead of delighting in corne wine and earthly possessions delight thy self in the Lord and he shall give thee thy hearts desire Psal. 37.4 That 's the best pleasure which springs from the knowledge and love of God We call not upon you to forsake but to change your pleasures Change your sordid sinfull sensuall delights into sublime spirituall and noble delights The pleasures of the soul are more vigorous and masculine those of the body more soft and effeminate Sensitive pleasures have more of the dregs Intellectuall ones more of Quintescence and so excell all other pleasures in eleven particulars as you may see in that learned discourse of the Light of Nature by Mr. Culverwell ch 17. 'T is indeed the Hardest but yet 't is the best conquest to conquer sinful pleasures No victory like this for he that conquers an enemy conquers another and that an external enemy but he that conquers his lust conquers himself and so conquers a domestick enemy which is the most dangerous one enemy within doth us more mischief then an hundred without 3. The better to wean your hearts from carnal pleasures consider the vanity and shortnesse of them They are like a fire of straw a blast and gone Solomon that had made triall of them all concludes Vanity of Vanities all is vanity Eccles. 1.2 they are not onely vain but Vanity not onely Vanity but Vanity of Vanities i. e. exceeding vain They are Huâ—ks that rather choak then satisfy the soule Luke 15.16 The pleasure passeth and is but for a season but the sorrow that attends it is perpetuall Heb. 21. â—5 Do not then for a mite of pleasure purchase a mountain of misery for momentany joyes endure eternall sorrows 4. They do emasculate and weaken the mind Who ever was made more learned Wise Couragious or Religious by them They rob man of his Reason and besot him Hos. 4.11 they take away the man and leave a swine or beast in his room Vestis pulchra jocus potus cibus otia somnus Enervant mentem luxuriámque fovent 5. This world is a place of weeping conflicting labouring to all the godly and not of carnall mirth and rejoycing carnal mirth must be turned into mourning Iames 4.9 10. the way to Heaven lyes through many afflictions Acts 14.22 we must sow in teares here if we look to reap in joy hereafter 2 Cor. 4.17 Rev. 7.17 we must not expect to enjoy the pleasures of earth and Heaven too They that have their portion of pleasure here must look for none hereafter Iob 21.12 13. Luk. 16.25 Rev 18.7 6. Consider those sensuall pleasures end in sorrow The end of such mirth what ever the beginning is is sorrow Men call them by the name of Pleasures Pastimes Delights but in Gods Dictionary their name is Madnesse Eccles. 1.17 and 2.2 Sorrow Prov. 14.13 and is attended with Poverty and misery Prov. 21 17. This is Adams apple which cast him out of Paradise Esaus broth which cost him his Birth-right Ionathans honey which being but tasted had like to have cost him his life The whore of Babylons golden cup which filled her full of all abominations Iudas sop which made way for the Devill to enter into him Who say to God depart from us but those that Dance Iob 21.10 11. who are voyd of the spirit but sensuall ones Iude 18.19 Hence some compare Pleasures to Pills which are fairly guilt without and rolled in sugar but within are full of bitternesse or like a painted sepulcher fair without but within full of stench and horrour Admit but of one pleasure and there will follow a thousand Pangs Too much of this honey breeds loathing Prov. 25.15 and its love is turned into hatred 2 Sam. 13.15 they are like the book which Iohn did eat Rev. 10.9 sweet in the mouth but bitter in the belly We should therefore look on pleasures not as coming to us but as going from us Though they come with a fair shew yet at parting they leave shame and sorrow behind them They destroy the health and strength of the body and the Peace of the soul what got David by his carnal delights with Bethsheba but a tormenting conscience which was to him as the breaking of his bones Psal. 51.8 'T is a good observation of Chrysostome that we are hurt more by the pleasures of the flesh then by the most grievous torments of tormentors for torments beget Martyrs but Lusts doe beget Epicures The very foundation and beginning of true joy is to deny our selves in false joy 7. Even the wiser sort of Heathens have condemned these sensuall Pleasures Tully calls them the bait of all evill wâ—th which men are caught as fishes with an hook so saith another Carnal pleasures are full of Anxiety Satiety and Sorrow They pervert the judgemenâ— are an enemy to reason and opposite to Vertue for Vertue is a Lofty Kingly Laborious Unconquerable thing But pleasure is a servile sordid idle weak thing delighting in Stewes and Ale-houses in Baths and banquets As therefore you love the Peace and Prosperity of your soules get them mortified to fleshly lusts and pleasures for if ye live after the flesh ye must dye Rom. 6.13 Now that ye may mortify them Get an eye of Faith get a spiritualized soul that you may taste and see the exellencies that are in Christ yea in his very crosse this will make you with Moses to contemn the pleasures which endure but for a season and to prefer sufferings for Christ before the Crowns and Kingdomes of the world Heb. 11.25 26. faith raiseth the Heart above these worldly delights Cant. 1.3 Psal. 4.6 7. by it we are crucifyed to the world Gal. 6.14 and long to be out of it that we may be with God our Portion and delight Rom. 8.23 2 Cor. 5.2 By this we may know whether we love pleasures more then God by observing what our hearts are most set upon Matth. 6.21 and what we make our chiefest delight when our greatest care study and contentment is in earthly pleasures and we can sit down satisfied with them though we want Gods favour when we are not content with God alone for
Pope and in these dayes of liberty God hath something to witness against Heresie Thus the Lord in his Wisedom hath so ordered it that there shall be not onely Schismes but Heresies to exercise the Gifts and Graces of his people and to discover the rottenness and filthyness of graceless ones that they who will not believe the Truth may be given up to the efficacy of errour This is some comfort and may help to uphold our spirits in this day of Iacobs trouble 3. Observe A corrupt head and a corrupt heart usually go together no sooner are mens minds corrupted but presently it follows they are Reprobate concerning the faith and if once men make shipwrack of faith they will soone part with a good Conscience too 1 Tim. 1.19 Corrupt Principles breed corrupt Practises and corrupt practises teach men to invent corrupt Principles When men grow lawless and profane then they turn Antinomians and deny the Law if Mortalists then they deny the resurrection if Libertines then they cry down the power of the Magistracy and cry up one Universal Toleration Hence when Christ had spoken of false Prophets he presently adds and iniquity shall abound Mâ—tthew 24. When people go a whoring from God then follows corporall whoredom Hos. 4.12 13. We see this experimentally true in our days How many before they were Sectaries were civilly just pious and in the judgement of charity were thought to be sincere Christians yet now are turned Anabaptists Socinians Libertines Proud Censorious Idle Atheisticall Unclean These lusts lay unmortified in their bosomes and now they rejoyce that they have a time of Liberty to vent them so that a corrupt life attends on corrupt Principles both as a Punishment and a just judgement of God upon men for resisting the truth and in the nature of the thing for as a foul moist head causeth distillations of corrupt matter upon the lungs so loose Principles dispose men to a loose conversation the doctrine of Godlinesse reproving their Ungodlinesse makes them cast it off as you may see in the Epistles of Peter and Iude who describing false Teachers and their false Doctrines presently adde their wicked lives their filthinesse covetousnesse licentiousnesse turning the Grace of God into wantonnesse Be sure then to keep your heads pure from errour if ever you would have your hearts and hands pure from sin 4. Observe That false Teachers are very dangerous persons they are not such meek innocent harmlesse persons as some imagine The Apostle here tells us that they are impudent fraudulent resisters of the truth men of corrupt Heads Hearts and Hands and what could he say more unlesse he should call them Devills and so he doth verse 3. in the last dayes men especially seducing men for all these 19. sins are appliable also to the false Teachers of the last times as appeares by the context verse 5 6. shall be slanderers or in plain English Devils and he here compares them to Iannes and Iambres two Egyptian Sorcerers who were Limbs of the Devill and verse 13. in expresse Terms he calls them Sorcerers evill men and Seducers the words in the Originall are evill men and Sorcerers 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 incantatores praestigiatores besides their Heresies are called damnable and their ways pernicious 2 Pet. 2.1 and themselves are likened to Balaam the witch 2 Pet. 2.15 'T is true at first they make a shew of extraordinary Sanctity and Self-deniall the better to deceive the simple and thereupon they rayle on all the Churches of Christ amongst us as being mixt with wicked men yet after a little time these painted Sepulchers appeare in their proper colours and the vilenenesse of their lives and doctrine is made known to all The Anabaptists in Germany at their first arising pretended extraordinary Sanctity but in a short time their Villanies Murders Polygamies blasphemies Heresies Adulteries c. appeared to the world These are worse then the Sword or Plague men are afraid and fly from those but they are naturally prone to embrace these 2. Those hurt but the body these destroy the soule 3. God is glorified in his judgements but he is exceedingly dishonoured by seducers 4. By the sword and persecution the Church increaseth but by subtle Hereticks the Church diminisheth Hence Luther calls Hereticks Peccatorum poenam summam Dei indignationem Luther in Hos. 9. The greatest Plague and a sign of Gods indignation against a people And the Scripture calls them devouring Wolves who come to kill and drink the blood of souls Iohn 10.8 9 10. Matth. 7.15 such as make their disciples two-fold more the children of the Devil then themselves Mat. 23.15 Such as subvert whole houses Titus 1.11 whose word doth eat as a Gangrene 2 Tim. 2. which suddenly over-runs the Parts takes the Brain and if not quickly cured by cutting off the part infected kills the Patient Heresie is of a spreading Nature if it be not speedily and carefully supprest it runs from one man to another from one City to another and from one Kingdome to another Error begets error such fall from evil to worse Verse 13. Hence false doctrine is compared to a Leaven Mark 8.15 which secretly and suddenly diffuseth it selfe through the whole lump till all be leavened Sometimes seducers are compared to an overflowing flood which carries down all before it Revelations 12.15 and anon to Cheaters that beguile silly souls with their flesh-pleasing doctrine they catch freshly people Ephesians 4.14 and to dogs Philippians 3.2 beware of dogs i. beware of false Prophets who are like unto dogs Go not unarmed get a sword or a staffe to defend your selves against them If there were ten thousand mad dogs in the Land you would keep within doores or go armed and use all means to destroy them Now they resemble dogs in 14. particulars 1. A dog is a base contemptible creature hence the Scripture calls vile persons dogs 1 Samuel 17.43 1 Kings 8.13 Matthew 15.26 So such as go about to draw men from the Truth are vile men however they may have high conceits of themselves yet God esteems no more of them then we do of a dog and though he may throw them some off all and bones to picke as he doth to the blasphemous Turk that great Dog of a great part of the World yet his soul abhors both them and their services Isay 66.3 2. 'T is an unclean creature and might not be offered in sacrifice Deut. 23.18 So these being themselves unclean all they do is unclean Titus 1. ult 3. 'T is a libidinous impudent creature Hence unclean persons are called dogs Deut. 23.8 Revelations 22.15 without are dogs who are those Whoremasters are set in the front this made Abner say to Ishbosheth am I a dogs-head i. shamelesly libidinous that I should commit whoredom with my Fathers Concubines 2 Samuel 3.8 yet such unclean ignorant and impudennt Cynicks we have who though they want Arguments yet want
them These are those that poysen not bodies but soules as the harlot so these hunt for the precious soul. Prov. 6.26 they hatch the Cockatrice egges he that eates of their egges dyes and that which is crusht breakes forth into a Viper Isay 59.5 These are those that make rents and divisions in the Church whose Peace should be very deare unto us for though Unity be not the very being yet it tends much to the well-being of a Church These hinder the progresse of the Gospel when people should be praying weeping and humbling themselves together these set them to disputing wrangling and malicing one another 'T is Unity that spreads the Gospel and makes mountains to become a plain even the seven hills amongst the rest Were there that sweet Synceretismus or rather Synchristianismus that harmony of hearts and wayes as ought to be amongst the people of God how terrible would the Church be to her enemies 'T is these that breed tumults in the Church commotions in the Common-wealth that imbitter mens spirits one against another waste mens estates bring men to a morsell of bread and at last bring themselves to some untimely end Oh consider the sad Ends of many Hereticks and let their falls make you to feare Arrius voyded his bowells Iulian died blaspheming Simon Magus an Arch-Heretick who by his sorcery and feined miracles deluded many people who took him for a God Acts 8.10 attempting on a time to fly in the ayer in the sight of many people his divelish art failing him he fell to the ground and brake his leg which was his death Servetus was burnt for his blasphemies at Geneva Gibraldus the Heretick was swept away by the Plague Blandrate Physician to the King of Pâ—land a great Patron to Socinus and his followers was strangled in his bed by his Brothers son Alciat a Socinian died despairing Paleâ—logus an Arrian was burnt Francis David a proud Socinian died mad and was distracted with the sight of the Devill Lismanninus an Arrian drowned himself in a well Olympius that denied the Trinity was burnt to death with three Lightnings Beâ—old that Anabaptist King with his companions was tortured and put to death Humber was burnt Muntzer and Pheifer beheaded So let all thine enemies perish O Lord. Consider Gods hand on Nayler a Quaker and Sundercomb a Leveller and Mistris Hutchinson in New-England who was banisht for her Heresies and destroyed both she and her family by the Indians Parnel a Quaker famisht himself in Colchester Jayle trying to fast 40. dayes as Christ did Poole a Quaker in Dorcester drowned himselfe Quest. If any desire to know the Reasons why God suffers Seducers to abound he may find good store in Doctor Boltons Arraignment of error Pag. 5. to 55. in Mr. Brimslyes Spi. Vertigo p. 37. c. and Mr. Sherlock against the Quakers In fine cap. 6. p. 205. c. Vse 1. Since false Prophets are such Pestilent persons the Magistrate must not Tolerate them Who will Tolerate such as have Plague-sores running on them to go up and down infecting others or that have poyson to go up and down selling it instead of food Seducing Hereticks are worse those kill but the body these with their damnable Heresies destroy the soul. 2 Pet 2.1 and if such as steal away but their bodies must die Exod. 21.16 what shall be done to those that ruine the better part These are called Foxes Vipers Wolves Thieves troublers of the Church and therefore to be cut off not tolerated Galathians 5.12 Christ blames the Church of Thyatire for giveing a toleration to Iesabel Revelations 2.20 and commends the Church of Ephesus for not bearing with such as are evil Revelatâ—ons 2.2 and Iosiah is commended for compelling men to the worship of God 2 Chronicles 34.33 The Magistrate is the Minister of God and must be a terror to them that doe evil Romans 13. especially if they be compounded blasphemous seducing Hereticks they must be put to death Leviticus 24.14 Exodus 22.20 Deuteronomy 13.6.8 9. and 17.2.5 2 Chronicles 5.16 Ezra 7.26 Iosiah slayes the false Prophets 1 Kings 23.20 Elâ—jah commands the Priests of Baal to be slain 1 Kings 18.40 Object Lest any should think to evade these Proofs as Legall the prophet Zachary 13.3 prophesing of Gospel times tells us that if any shall be so bold as to teach lies that his father and mother shall cause him to be put to death alluding to that Deuteronomy 13. The equity of which Law still remains under the Gospel Better and with lesse danger is a Thief an Adulterer a murderer a Witch and Sorcerer tolerated then such an Heretick and Seducer As our large Annotations have it 'T is observed by a learned Divine That as in things of practice so of perswasion that are impious either in themselves or in their naturall unconstrained consequences the Plea of conscience is an Aggravation of the crime if mens consciences are â—eared and themselves given up to a reprobate mind to do those things which are not convenient there is no doubt but they ought to suffer such things as to such practices are assigned and appointed Thus he And if any shall object that these are tolerated but in corners The answer is easie if it be truth they teach why should it not have Churches if errour why should it have Chambers See more against Toler Mr. Ant. Burges on Iohn 7.21 Serm. 115. Mr. Gee on Prayer cap. 4. Sect. 7. p. 358. Mr. Iohn Clerk Ser. on Leaven p. 24.36 See 9. wayes by which the Magistrate may stop the flood of Heresies Mr. Obad. Sedgwicks Serm. on Revelation 12.15 p. 37. Preacht 1646. Iames 27. Mr. Edwards against Toleration Calvin contra Serv. inter Opuscul p. 694. Beza de Haert puniend Epistol contra Deditium Prins Treatise in defence of the Magistrates coercive power Mr. Rudderfords Treatise against Liberty of Conscience Doctor Taylor on Titus 3.1.10 p. 347 715. 2. Ministers must come forth to the helpe of the Lord against these daring Goliahs Even a Dogge will barke when hee seeth his Master wronged And a Craesus sonne that hath been dumbe all his life yet will speak when they offer violence to his father We are the Lords Watchmen and when we see the Wolf or the Theif approching we must give warning seducers are subtle and people can not easily discover their plots we must do it for them One great cause of so many abounding errors amongst us springs from Ministers 'T was whilest the watchmen slept that the enemy sowed his Tares Matthew 13.25 1. Some are ignorant dumb dogs and cannot bark 2. Others are scandalous and dare not for fear of being questioned themselves 3. Others see which way the times go and like dead fish they go down the stream they dare not displease they love to sleep in a whole skin and say as the great ones say But let us be the Lords witnesses against a perverse people this
with which they must be baptized Matth. 20.22 23. The Church carrieth the Crosse with her where ever she goes She was at first founded in blood she flourisheth and increaseth by bloud and she euds in bloud This plainly appeares both in sacred and Ecclesiasticall History 1. In the Old Testament we read what sorrowes the Church endured by Egyptians Assyrians Cananites Moabites Ammonites Ammorites Perizites Hittits Hivits Samaritans Persians Philistines Elijah is persecuted by Iesabel 1 Kings 19. Micaiah is imprisoned 1 Kings 22. Zacharias stoned 2 Chron. 24.20 21 22. Amos 7.12 banisht Ieremy thice imprisoned Daniel cast into the Lions den and many tortures did the Saints then endure as may be seen Heb. 11.35 c. 2. In the New Testament what persecutions were raised 1. By the Jewes who crucified Christ killed the Prophets and Apostles stoned Stephen and scattered the Church Acts 8.1 2. 2. By the Gentiles and Pagans in those ten bloody persecutions under the Romane Emperours for 300. yeares after Christ under Nero Domitian Trajan Adrian Maximian Maxentius Valerian Decius Dioclesian c. 3. By the Arrians who banisht burnt and butchered the servants of Christ. 4. By the Turk how many thousands of Christs Lambs hath that ravenous wolfe worried and what devastations hath that wild Boare made in Christs Vine-yard 5. By Antichrist the Church hath longer and sharper trialls by that man of sin then by all the rest as appeares by the Martyrologies that are extant The time would faile to tell of the cruell and barbarous Massacres in France Ireland England Scotland Germany Savoy c. Rome-Antichristian hath been more cruell to the Saints then ever Rome-Pagan was Thus if we professe the Gospel in Power we must look to be hated of All. Luke 21.17 Matth. 10.22 not absolutely for some will embrace the Gospel and love us but of very many for so the particle all is oft used in Scripture q. d. Where ever you carry the Gospel you must expect opposition from some of all sorts Acts 4.27 as Princes Psal. 2.2 Prelates Acts 4.1 from friends and foes from strangers and kindred Matth. 10.21.34 c. 1 Thes. 2.14 15. 1. Sometimes the children of God fall out amongst themselves Thus many times we see children of the same family to scratch and teare one another Thus the Devill cast a bone of contention between Lot and Abraham Between Paul and Barnabas there was a sharp contention so that they departed from each other though God turned it to the spreading of his Church Acts 15.39 41. So Paul and Peter fell out Gal. 2.11 The best are but in part regenerate they have the root of Passion Pride Selfe-conceit and all sorts of sin within them there wants but a Temptation and then if God leave them to themselves they may fall it 's hard to say how far Asa though otherwise a good man yet in a rage imprisons the Prophet for telling him of his faults and oppresseth some of the people also 2 Chronicles 16.20 2. There are many secret enemies and false Brethren that pretend to Religion and are seemingly holy of such the Apostle complaines Acts 26.28 29 30. 1 Cor. 11.26 Gal. 2.4 'T was a Cain which offered sacrifice that persecuted Abel A circumcised Ismael that scofft at Isaack Answ. Iudas which preacht Christ that betrayed him The Scribes and Pharisees who pretended most to Religion were Christs deadly enemies he was crucified by such as stiled themselves Abrahams seed Hence the Church complaines Cant. 1.6 my mothers children were angry with me i. e. the seeming children of my mother or my mothers children by external profession These under pretence of Religion are the greatest enemies to Religion and under the name of the Church fight against it As the greatest hatred is usually between men of the same profession figulus figulo invidet so the greatest enemies to the Church are those vipers that lye in her own bowels you must look to be cast out by these seeming Brethren Isai 66.5 and to be counted as monsters and that in Israel Isay 8.18 if it be so now wonder not the world will be alwayes like it self envious and harsh towards the good 3. As for open enemies we have seen before how Gebal and Ammon and Amaleck Psal. 83.7 c. Papists Atheists and Infidels conspire her ruine Hence the Church is compared to a Lilly amongst Thornes Cant. 2.2 Tyranny on the one hand and Heâ—esie on the other As ignorant Tyrants so proud Hereticks are vexing Thornes in the sides of Gods Church This lilly is sorely rent and torne by them The one hurts the body these later the soule and so are the worse of the two The one is a Lion for violence Ieremy 4.7 the other is a Fox for fraudulence Cant. 2.15 'T is a miracle of mercy to consider how the Lilly subsists in the midst of so many briars and thornes How the Lords wheat growes in the midst of so many Tares How his Doves live in the midst of so many birds of prey and his Lambs in the midst of so many roaring Lions Were not the Almighty her defence those bands of ungodlinesse would soon destroy her 2. All that Will live godly a man may have many cold Velleities wishings and wouldings and yet be never molested by Satan but when men are set upon it and are absolutely resolved with Ioshua 24 15. that they Will serve the Lord and cleave to him with full purpose of heart Dan. 1.8 Acts 11.23 when mens hearts are thus fixt on God and his worship Psal. 57.6 they must certainly look for persecution 3. All that will Live if men would conceal their godlinesse in their breasts and not shew it in their lives they might pass on more quietly but when men make open profession of their godlinesse to the disgrace of profanenesse and by their holy lives convince them of their wickednesse this breeds persecution 4. All that will live Godly A man may live civilly and soberly amongst his neighboâ—rs pay every man his dues and so passe for a right honest man in the world and be praised not persecuted But let a man begin to be truly godly hating every false way and walking in the power of religion such a one shall certainly meet with persecution 5. All that will live godly in Christ Iesus q. d. All that resolve in the vertue strength and power of Christ to walk according to the Gospel of Christ must look for persesecution A man may have a form of godliness a shew and shadow of Piety and may escape troubles but if a man be really godly and walk in the power of Religion he must look for hatred and opposition 6. Here we have the inevitable and common lot of all the faithful viz. They shall suffer persecution 't is not peradventure they may but undoubtedly they shall The Devil and his agents will persecute and pursue them These Tygers connot endure such pleasant
presseth it upon Parents Deuteronomy 6.6 7 8. and 11.19 20. Psalm 78.4 5. Prov. 22.7 Ephesians 6.4 by Catechising and instruction by Discipline and discreet Correction they must labour to work out that sin and folly which is riveted in their Natures Proverbs 13.15.24 and 23.13 and 29.15 Hebrewes 12.9 As in the Arke there was the Rod and Manna so in every well-ordered family there must be the Manna of Instruction and the Rod of Correction They must goe together we will not beat a dog but we will put it into his sences as well as we can and shew him what it is that we beat him for The primary cause of so much prophaneness in youth lies much in Parents either they do not instruct them or they do not pray for them or they be too indulgent and do not correct them 1 Samuel 2.23 or they breed them idly and profanely or they be evil examples to them themselves some way or other they fail which makes so many children miscarry When Diogenes saw a child offend he ran and beat the Father You that are Parents deserve to be beaten for the disorders of your children because you do not teach them better 'T was a crying sin in the Israelites to sacrifice their sons and daughters to Devils Psalm 106.37 Ezekiel 16.20 yet in a Spiritual sense negligent profane Parents do worse for they sacrifice not onely the bodies but their souls to Satan and so bring forth children to that great murderer the Devil Hos. 9.13 See ten very quickning Considerations to stir up Parents to this Duty in Master Baxsters Saints rest Part. 3. cap. 14. Sect. 11. to 18. and Master Woodwards Childs Portion an excellent piece Charron of Wisedome l. 3. c. 14. Robinsons Essayes Observat. 50. Master Philip Goodwin Domestick Duties on Deuteronomy 6.6 p. 358 c. and Eccles. 12.1 Doctor Cheynels Sermon on Genesis 18.19 Master Gatakers Sermon 1. page 8. 2. It must stir up young persons to devote the flower and best of their dayes unto God who is the best of beings He is our Creator who hath made us the best of beings next the Angels when 't was free for him to have made us the basest of beings we should thâ—â—efore remember him Eccles. 12.1 i. Love fear honour obey him for words of Knowledge imply affection and practise Deut. 8.18 Psalm 9.17 and 106.21 Iohn 17.3 we should remember him betimes in the morning of our dayes as the words are rendred by some in the choicest time of our life in the dayes of our Elections in our most flourishing time when the best of things are to be chosen by us from 16. to 40. is flos aetatis the cream and flower of our dayes wherein we are most strong active and so most fit for the service of God Shew me any that can shew better Title to thy youth then God can doe and let him take it From God we have our being and well-being our creation and preservation as we receive our mercies from him so there is great reason we should serve and observe the God of those mercies and as we expect eternal life from him so its great reason we should spend our temporall life to his praise He gives the best wages and so deserves the best work Godlinesse hath the promise Proverbs 22.4 Matthew 6.33 1 Timothie 4.8 and though we cannot see the profit presently yet light and joy is sowen for the Righteous Psal. 97.11 Yea his worke is his wages and such employment is our high preferments which made Paul to blesse God who counted him faithfull and set him in the Ministery 1 Timothy 1.12 besides the obedience of our youth is the most free Obedience and so more acceptable to God Ieremiah 2.2 He remembereth the kindenesse of our youth especially when we can follow him through a Wildernesse of Temptations and tryals and a Land that is not sowen with profits and delights This made him to call for the first-born the first-fruites for young and fat Sacrifices Exodus 12.5 Leviticus 4.3 Now our bodies are most strong our wit most sharp our memories most capable and retentive 1 Iohn 2.13 14. And if we serve him in our good dayes he 'll help us in our evill ones if we spend our Youth in his service he will support us and supply us in our Old Age Isay 46.3.4 But if you dishonour God now and prefer his profest Enemy before him giving the Dregs to God and the Wine to the Devil he will give you up to spiritual judgements which are the sorest judgements he will hide his face from you and take no pleasure in you Isay 9.17 I will not joy in your young men implying that when young people walke in Gods way they are Gods joy and delight When young people are proud profane idle wanton unclean c. Then come Feavers Sword Pestilence and cut them off When Israel fell to Idolatry then a fire consumed their young men Psalm 78.63 and when they grew obstinate and incorrigible then he gave their young men to the sword Amos 4.10 that age which is most prone to sin is nearest to judgement when God shall awaken Conscience and set the sinnes of thy Youth in Order before thee the end of thy mirth will be bitternesse Eccles 11.9 Be therefore perswaded not onely to creep or goe but to fly from the lusts of Youth 2 Timothy 2.22 every Age hath its sinnes old Age is pronâ—â—o security and Covetousnesse and Youth to six sinnes especially 1. To Pride and Selfe-conceitednesse they are prone to Pride in heart Habit Haire and New-found-Opinions Hence the Apostle would not have a Minister to be a Novice lest he should be puft up with Pride 1 Tim. 3.6 2. To sensual Pleasures as Gameing Feasting Hunting Drinking Danceing Eccles. 11.9 Iudg. 14.10 Iob 1.14 and especially to Wine and Women which steale away their hearts Hoseah 4.11 It was a young man that followed the Harlot to her House Proverbs 7.7 And therefore Solomons Mother counsels young Solomon not to give his strength to Women Proverbs 31.3 4. Oh how many persons hath the Devill destroyed by Women How many drown themselves in cares and sorrows by marrying too soon As soon as ever they are out of the shell yea like Lapwings they run with the shell on their heads they must have a Wife forsooth before they know how to govern themselves much less a Family when they are fitter to be the Heeles then the Heads fitter to be commanded then to be commanders of others Question But when would you have young people to marry Answer I would have them observe Gods Method First get Grace first Spirituals and then Temporals follow Matthew 6.33 Secondly 'T is impossible to prescribe a set time when every one should marry there is so much difference in mens Constitutions Callings Conditions c. Yet if I might advise young people I should scarce advise a
not that strong imployment be excused See helps to strengthen Memory Manton on Iames 1.25 p. 204. Barlow on 2 Timothy 2.8 Baine on Revelations 2.4 p. 13. Fenner on Revelations 3.1 Rogers of Dedham on Love p. 3 4 c. Doctor Reynolds on the Passions p. 13 c. 3. Medit on the word Do not only taste it but eat it digest it concoct it for then it will nourish you Ier. 15.16 This made David to excel Ps. 119.99.100 'T was one of Luthers Masters by which he profited so much Meditation Tentation and Prayer This will make us know things experimentally we shall taste of hidden Manna we shall be constant and setled in Gods wayes This layeth open to us all our losses by sin the losse of Gods favour losse of Peace of conscience and losse of Reward and so imbitters sin to us By this we converse with God 't is our Mount Nebo out of which we may behold the heavenly Canaan Though our bodies be on earth yet by Meditation our soules may be in heaven Resolve then to spend one houre in 24. every day in this duty Satan will lay many rubs in your way for of all duties he cannot endure that we should reflect upon our wayes yet like another Sampson you must break all the cords of these Philistines the benefit Peace and comfort you will find by it will abundantly pay for all especially on the Sabbath day we must be much in this duty Rev. 1.10 As the rich man thinks it not sufficient that he hath Gold but he loves to think on 't to see it to count it soe should we not content our selves with a notionall knowledge of God and his works but by meditation we should recount and ponder the wayes and works of God that we may experimentally tell what God hath done for our soules See more for Meditat. Barlow on 2 Tim. 2.7 D. Holsworth's Ser. on Psal. 119.48 p. 321. Downams Guide to Godlinesse l. 5. c. 14. Mr. Stoughton Davids Love to the word p. 295. to 434. Mr. Ambrose his Medita cap. 7. Sect. 1. Mr. Baxter's Saints Rest. Part. 4. p. 147.179 to 203. Let us then with all Thankfulnesse acknowledge this mercy of mercies this gift of gifts what grosse Ignorance Profanenesse Superstition and Idolatry did overspread the world 500. yeares agoe for want of this light which we enjoy Oh what excellent Helps Expositors Treatises Practical and Polemical on all Parts of Divinity do we enjoy what would not our forefathers have given to have seen this day and yet we foolish ungrateful people know not our own mercies nor do we prize the things that concerne our everlasting Peace As ever we desire to prosper let us with all readinesse of mind receive the word none ever yet loâ—t by entertaining it it payeth for its entertainment where ever it comes 'T will return Mercy for Duty and brings with it a sure Reward Every line of it runs Wine Milk and Honey to the due observers of it We should therefore esteem it above our dearest lives When the Sanctum Sanctorum was taken saith Iosephus in the last destruction of Ierusalem the Jewes desired rather to dye then to live What crying yea what dying was there when the Ark was taken 1 Sam. 4.18 20 21 22. if the Lord will take his word away we should desire that he would take us away for our lives will not be worth the enjoying if we cannot have the Tokens of Gods love and favour with them There is not a surer signe of a child of God then this sincere love to the sincere milk of Gods word 1 Pet. 2.2 Moses esteems it above all the learning of other Nations Deut. 4.6 David spends the whole 119. Psalm to shew his intimate affection to it He preferres it before Gold Solomon his son preferres it before Pearles Proverbs 3.15 Iob 23.12 preferres it before his food and Ieremy 15 16. makes it his joy In a word all the children of God have been great lovers of the word of God They look upon it as a Rich Mine of Heavenly Treasures and a store-house of all spiritual consolations The Bible is Promptuarium sacrum a common shop of medicines for the soule full of rich priviledges promises and large Legacies to the people of God 'T is a staffe and stay to the old an ornament and guide to the young Here you may read the Love which God bare to his children from all eternity and will continue to them when time shall be no more here are to be found the Leaves of the Tree of Life which God hath ordained for the healing of the Nations In a word here is a Hammar for Hereticks a Touchstone for doctrine a Rule for our lives a comforter counsellour to us in this house of our pilgrimage We should then read Gods word not only as our duty but as our priviledge singular happinesse Rejoycing that we have them to read the child delights to read his fathers Will and Testament that he may see what is bequeathed to him Denizons delight to read their Charters and to know their Priviledges The Malefactor acquitted delights to read his Pardon and the Prodigal that is received into favour delights to read the Affectionate Letters of his father to him If we be born of God we cannot but love the word of God And it is profitable c. Observe Such as meddle with Gods word must profit by it We abuse the word when we read or hear it onely for Speculation Novelty and Curiosity but not for Practice that we may know love and fear God and so be happy for ever God gave them for this end that we might profit by them Those Ministers then are to be blamed that play with Scripture and feed their people with the chaffe of aery Notions frivolous Questions Idle distinctions and foolish controversies seeking their own ends and praise and not the benefit of Gods people Let such remember that the Scripture was given to Profit us but not play withall 'T is said of Bernard that preaching one day Scholastically the learned thanked him but not the godly but when another day he preacht plainly the good people came blessing God for him and giving him many Thanks which some Schollars wondring at oh said he Heri Bernâ—rdum hodie Christum Yesterday I preacht Bernard but to day I preacht Christ. 'T is not Learning but Teaching not the wisdom of words but the evidence of the Spirit that is pleasing to the Saints For Doctrine for reproof c. Observe The word of God containes in it all things necessary to salvation what is there in the whole body of Religion but it may be referred to one of these Heads either Doctrine Reproof Correction or Instruction in Righteousnesse All things necessary to life eternal are here to be found Ezek. 20.11 Iohn 5.39 and 20.31 This will inform our Judgements reform our manners convince gainsayers and
direct us in paths of Piety Here 's a salve for every sore a medicine for every malady even a perfect Rule of found doctrine and good life See more in Mr. Leigh's Body of Divinity l. 1. c. 7. p. 80. c. VERSE 17. That the man of God may be perfect throughly furnished unto all good works THe Apostle here addes the end of the Scriptures usefulness viz. to make the man of God perfect i. e. that the Minister of Christ may be perfect and compleat every way fitted for the work of his calling for althoâ—gh this be true of every good man that the word of God is able to comcompleat and perfect him for every good work yet the context and scope of the Apostle shewes that he especially speaks of a Minister of Christ whom by way of honour he stiles The man of God This Title did properly and peculiarly belong to the Prophets of the Old Testament who were by way of honour and excellency called Men of God 1 Sam. 2.27 and 9.6 1 Kings 13.1.13 Deut. 33.1 2 Pet. 1.21 1 Kings 17.18 and 2.4 7. 1. Because of their Mission and Commission which they had from God to dispense his word and Sacraments to his people they are Gods Legates and Embassadours and therefore are they called Men of God 2. In respect of that singular Holinesse which is or at least ought to be in the Ministers of Christ and in respect of their neernesse and familiarity with God 'T is an Hebraisme very frequent in Scripture when they would expresse an excellent thing they joyned the name of God to it as the City of God Cedars of God Harps of God men of God i. e. excellent Cities Cedars Harps Men. The Apostle applies this Title to Timothy 1 Tim. 6.11 in the Text he applies it to all the ministers of the Gospel How basely soever this ungrateful world esteems of them yet they are men of God set apart by him for the noblest imployment They are not only men of God by right of Creation for so are the wicked nor by right of Redemption so are the Elect but by special delegation God imployes them on his Embassyes and Messages to the sons of men Hence Observe That the calling of the Ministery is an Honourable Calling They are men indeed but they are men of God They are Ministers and Servants but 't is for Christ. They are Embassadours for him 2 Cor. 5.20 'T is an Honour to be an Embassadour to an ordinary King but to be imployed as an Embassadour for the King of Kings how great is that honour Three things make a service Honourable 1. If we serve an Honourable Master 2. If our work be honourable 3. If our wages be Honourable All three things concurre here No Master no Work no Wages like ours The Physitian looks to your bodies the Lawer to your Estates and the Minister to your soules These are the Light of the world the Salt of the Earth the Stewards of Gods house Friends of the Bridegroom and the Saviours of the world Kings by way of Reverence and Honour have called them Fathers 2 Kings 13.14 This is an Honour which none are capable of but such as God is pleased to call Heb. 5.4 How great then is the sin of those Atheisticall Quakers who load the faithfull Ministers of Christ with vile and reproachfull language If the Spirit of God call them Men of God and give them Honourable Titles then they are certainly led by the spirit of the Devil who vilify them and miscall them The time is at hand when such shall answer for all their hard speeches against God and his Ministers Iude 15. But 't is no wonder that we sinful dust and ashes are abused when our Lord and Master himself suffers if they have called the Master of the house Beelzebub what may the servants expect 'T is some comfort that we are abused by none but such as abuse God his Sabbaths Scriptures Orders and Ordinances But though Israel play the harlot yet let not Iudah sin Love you the faithful messengers of Christ. Let their faces yea their feet be beautifull in your eyes Isay 52.7 have them in singular love for their works sake Children should love their Fathers the sheep their shepherd and the convert the Instrument of his conversion Though our persons may deserve but little yet our Callings are Honourable The Apostle would have you give them double honour 1 Tim. 5.17 not onely your countenance but honourable maintenance 1. That they may live like the Embassadours of Christ. 2. That by Hospitality and works of mercy they may adorn their profession 3. We must give our selves to Reading but without book we cannot read We need books Philosophicall Theological Textual Polemical Practical Historical 500. l. say some will buy but a competent study for a Minister of the Gospel 4. Our breeding is chargeable and our paines very great besides we have no worldly way of Trading whereby to subsist 5. If the Levitical Priest had honourable maintenance then we that are put to greater cost and pains may much more expect it from our flocks 2. If Ministers be men of God near and dear to him then he 'l defend them His starres he holds in his Right hand he hath a speciall care over them and respect unto them 2. Observe 'T is lawfull to give honourable Titles to men according to their places and callings The Scripture approves not of any rude uncivill language but expressely commands us to give honour to whom honour is due Rom. 13.7 Exod. 20.12 The Saints of God in Scripture did not use to Thee and Thou men but gave respectful and reverent language to their betters Sarah calls Abraham not Thou Abraham but she calls him Lord or Sir 1 Pet. 3.6 Luke calls Theophilus most excellent Theophilus Luke 1.3 Obadiah a Saint meets Elijah and falls on his face before him and calls him My Lord Elijah 1 Kings 18.7 here is both reverend gesture and language and that to a Prophet a Minister of God whom men hate now not for any evill that we have done but solely for our office because we are Ministers of Christ and witnesse against their wickednesse therefore they call us Conjurers Juglers Limbs of the Devill Covetous Proud Tithe-mongers Legall Preachers Baals Priests Witches Devils Lyars c. with such Billingsgate language they stuffe their lying Pamphlets The Lord rebuke them Solomon will teach them if they be not past Teaching better language Eccles. 12.11 he calls Ministers Masters of the Assemblies The Jaylour calls Paul and Silas Sirs or Masters Acts 16.30 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Domini a Title of Honour and they reprove him not for it which they would have done had it been unlawfull Paul commands us to give them double honour Iohn gives a Title of Honour to a good woman and calls her an Elect Lady 2 Iohn 1.3.5 Object These were good and godly persons but we shew
Sidon shall rise in judgement against Corazin and Bethsaida Sober Heathens and just-dealing Turks shall rise in judgement against intemperate and unrighteous Christians yea the Creatures as Origen conceives that have served their Creatour in their several stations shall rise in judgement against man that hath rebelled against his God Question But why hath God ordained Christ to be the Iudge Answer Because he is every way qualified for such a work 1. In respect of Knowledge Isay 11.2 He knowes all the Thoughts intentions words and workes of men Matthew 9.4 Iohn 2.24.25 and 21.17 2. In respect of Righteousnesse He is a just and a Righteous Judge Isay 11.3 45. See more on Verse 8. 3. In respect of Power man may kill the body but He can kill the soul Revelations 20. ult He is King of Kings and Lord of Lords 1 Timothy 6.15 Revelations 19.15 4. The judgement must be Visible and therefore it is meete the Judge should be so too The Father is Invisible but the Sonne in our Humane Nature is Visible and therefore God hath committed this judgement to the Sonne who is also called the Sonne of Man Matthew 19.28 and 25.34 Iohn 5.27 since God intendeth to deale with man after the manner of Men He condescendeth to let them have one that is Flesh of their Flesh to be the final Judge between him and them that he may be the more justified and they left without excuse 5. Seeing Christ abased himselfe in the State of Humiliation for his Fathers Glory and Mans Redemption therefore God hath raised him to a State of Exaltation that to him every knee should bow and hath given him a Name above every Name Philippians 2.7 to 12. This is Gods ordinary way to make the deepest Humiliation the way to the highest Elaltation Question Whom will Christ judge Answer All Rational Creatures 1. The Devils and evil Angels 1 Corinthians 6.3 Though they may disquiet thee now yet the time is at hand that thou shalt sit in judgement on them and condemne them for their Rebellion against God Thy obedience shall condemne the Devils disobedience that whereas thou a poore weake man dwelling in an house of Clay clogged and clouded with many tentations and infirmities yet diddest worship the Lord in the beauty of Holynesse when these Glorious incorporeal pure Spirits which had no Tempter yet refused to obey him These are kept in Chaines for the judgement of the great day Matthow 25.41 2 Peter 2.4 Iude 6. Revelations 20.10 then shall be opened before all the world the Time the Nature and the Manner of their first sinning against God and all the murders and villanies they have committed upon the souls of men This they know they believe and tremble at the thoughts of it 2. All men Good and bad Noble and ignoble Old and and young Great and small Learned and unlearned Dives must appeare as well as Lazarus Kings as well as Subjects Ecclestasticus 3.17 Matthew 25.32 Acts 10.42 and 24.15 Romans 14.10 12. 2 Corinthians 5.10 Iude 15. Revelations 2.7 and 20.12 13. Mens nets are made in that manner that little Fishes creep through and great ones breake through but Gods net taketh all and holdeth them too Atheists must not thinke to escape for ever though the Patience of God may wait and not presently inflict judgements though he forbeare yet hath he not forgot to doe Justice but will ere long set mens sinnes in Order before them Psalme 50.21 As sure as GOD hath Decreed thy Death so sure is the Decree of bringing thee to judgement Hebrewes 6.9 27. At this Grand Assizes all must appear in proper person here is no Answering by Proxey Proctours Substitutes or Atturnies but every man in person must give an account of himself to God 2. Here no Excuses will be taken no Appeales be heard in the Courts of men we may appeale Iacob appeales from Laban to the highest Tribunal Genesis 31.53 So did David 1 Kings 24.13 and Zachariah 2 Chronicles 24.22 Paul appeales from Festus to Caesar Acts 25.10 But Gods High Court of Justice knoweth no Superiour He is King of Kings Revelations 19.16 3. Here is no Repealing of the Sentence In this lif the Sentence may be Repealed and the judgement prevented by Repentance Ieremiah 18.7 8. to 11. but this is the last judgement and here men receive their finall doome 4. Other Judges a man may out-run but there is no escaping the hands of God He filleth Heaven and Earth where ever we flie we are still in his Territories Psal. 139.7 to 12. 5. Earths Judges may be corrupted by Briberie but Christ is the most righteous Judge and may as soone cease to Be as cease to be Just. The Earth is the Lords and the fulnesse thereof so that all the wealth in the world cannot bribe him Riches availe not in this day of wrath especially Iob 36.18 19. Prov. 11.4 6. Other Judges may judge of Externals but Christ knoweth the heart and judgeth accordingly Hebrewes 4.13 7. Other Judges may be deceived by the sleights and subtleties of men but this Judge Nec fallitur nec flectitur No Power nor Policy can work on him Proverbs 21.30 1. Since Christ is Judge of all men take heed of offending him Better displease all the world then displease him He can do more for us or against us then all the world besides He 's the best friend and the saddest foe if he be against you all the creatures are against you and if he be for you all are for you The men of Tyre and Sidon made their peace with Herod because their Country was nourished by the Kings Acts 12.20 We hold all in Capite Christ is Lord Paramount of Lands Life Liberty and all that we possesse and can take all from us when ever pleaseth him it will be our wisedom therefore who ever we fall out with all yet to keep in with him Make the Judge your friend agree with him whilst you are in the way Kisse the Sonne id est shew your Love Loyalty Subjection Faith Feare Obedience to him Psalm 2.12 Prize his Service preferre it be-before all the Crownes and Kingdomes of the World The greater the Prince the more Noble the Service Christ is Lord of Lords and King of Kings none like him and therefore no Service like his It is more Noble to be his Servant then to be King of all the World As it is more Honour to be a Princes Favourite then to be Shepheard of a Flocke of Sheepe His very service is Freedome and his Worke is wages Be not then offended at Christ now be not ashamed of him and his selfe-denying wayes here least he be ashamed of you at that great day Mark 8. ult But prize all that is his Love his Ordinances his Ministers his Saints his Doctrine his Discipline Make him yours now and he will be yours for ever When all created comforts forsake you he will never forsake you Our Fathers dye
onely in Reference to the Gospell The expresse words of our Commission are Goe Preach the Gospel to every Creature i. to every Rational Creature of what Nation Language Sex or Condition soever make a tender of Christ to them all Hence we are called Ministers of the Gospel because it is our Primary worke to publish Christ and his Benefits to the World The Gospel inlightens enlivens us it purifieth pacifieth the soul light is a desirable thing this is a light to them that sit in darknesse Esay 9.2 'T is the Horn of Salvation Luke 1.69 The Scepter of Christ Kingdome Psalm 44.7 The Kingdome of Christ because it sheweth us the way thither By it we receive the Spirit Galathians 3.2 Hence the Preaching of the Gospell is called the Ministery of the Spirit 2 Corinthians 3.5 by which the Spirit is conveighed into our souls 'T is the greatest Honour any Nation can have to be the Seat of the Gospel As the Arke was the Glory of Israel so is this of Gods People It ennobles and raiseth mens spirits and enables them to doe more then others Matthew 5.47 We dishonour the Gospel when we suffer Heathens by their Moral low Education to excell us who have the Gospel which is mighty to raise us to supernatural Operations Hence the Apostle blames the Corinthians because they walked like Natural men 1 Corinthians 3.3 We are Redeemed from the Earth Revlations 4.3 and therefore must not live like men of the Earth but must walke up to our Principles and Priviledges leading lives sutable to the Gospel Philippians 1.27 Let us highly prize it and receive it with all readinesse As Rachel cried for Children Give me Children or I die so say you Give me Christ or I die A man may want liberty and yet be happy as Ioseph He may want Peace and yet be happy as David Want Children and yet be happy as Iob. But he that wanteth the Gospel which should discover Christ to him wanteth every thing that is good A Throne without the Gospel is but the Devils Dungeon Wealth without the Gospel is but Fuel for Hell and Honour without Christ is but meere dishonour and a Cypher Let us then intreat the Lord to discover to us the deep Mysteries of it Ephesians 1.17 18. They are above Natures reach 2 Corinthians 2.9 and 1.2.14 Nil dat quod non habet The Vegitative Creature cannot doe the Acts of the Sensitive nor the Sensitive of the Rational nor the Rational of the Spiritual and believeing Christian Hence more Errours have risen about the Gospel then about the Law because the Principles of the Law are written in mens Natures Heathens have made Lawes against Drunkennesse Whoredome Theft c. But the Gospel is Supernatural Hence Arians Arminians Socinians and Papists have erred exceedingly concerning it 4. Observation Ministers must be Instant and Vrgent Active and Zealous in the discharge of their Dutie Many tentations from profits and pleasures from ease and quietnesse will assail us on the one hand and many discouragements from an ungrateful malignant world on the other hand so that if we be not instant and earnest we shall never breake through them but shall be ready to look back yea and to leave Gods Plough in the open field Men are dead in sin and therefore we had need to Cry aloud and lift up our voyces like Trumpets that we may help to raise them Isay 58.2 Cry it is not Say or Read a Sermon but Cry it and that aloud with fervour and affection that the dead may hear and live 2. Be impartial spare not for fear or favour but be they high or low rich or poore shew them their sins 3. Lift up thy voyce like a Trumpet i. set to all thy strength and rouse up others the speech is borrowed from souldiers in battle where if any be faint-hearted or drowsie yet the sound of the Trumpet quickens them to the battle 4. Shew my people their transgressions viz. plainly and particularly cause them to know their own abominations Thus it is good to be earnest and zealously affected in a good thing Gal. 4.18 We cannot be zealous in a better cause for it is Gods cause the Churches cause and the cause not of bodies but of souls their Eternal happinesse depends upon it This made Apâ—llos so fervent and diligent in teaching the things of God Acts 18.25 and Isay and Christ to labour and spend their strength Isay 49.4 lazinesse is naught in any calling but most odious in a Minister who is called to the highest and hardest work in the world This will require the whole man and therefore we should give up our selves wholly to it Acts 6.4 1 Timothy 4.15 for who is sufficient for this alone 2 Cor. 2.16 There is no grace that more graceth a Minister then zeal for God and his Worship hence Christ sent not fleshly but fiery tongues on his Disciples that thâ—y might inflame the hearts of their hearers Acts 2.3 The Angels that publish the Everlasting Gospel to the world doe not creep or walke but speedily fly upon that service Revelations 14.6 We must be Seraphims with â—ix wings which are most ready to doe what ever God shall command us Isay 6.2 we must be burning and shining lights Iohn 5.35 So was Elijha Isay Ieremy Iohn Bâ—ptist they were all men of fire who helpt to â—haw the frozen and cold hearts of their hearers Such a one was Luther what ever he spake or writ was operative on mens hearts what an intense and high degree of zeal was in our Saviour Iohn 2.17 his zeal for Gods House and the purity of his Worship was so vehement that like fire which eats up and devours that whereon it lights it even eat him up it even consumed his very moysture and exhausted him and made him unmindful of himself He neither regarded life nor limbe but exposed all to hazard in defence of Gods honour against a pack of malicious covetous Scribes and Pharisees Zeal in an Holy Sense consumeth the Flesh and eateth the bones Ierem. 20.9 many waste and consume themselves some in drunkennesse some in whoreing some in moyling for the world woe to such as dye of these unholy and unhappy Consumptions but when the zeal for Gods Glory consumes us happy those that dye of such holy consumptions Thus to loose our lives is to save them and to wast them is the way to preserve and renew them no man ever yet lost by spending himselfe for God And though we cannot be zealous as Christ was by way of Equality yet by way of Conformity and similitude we must in our Degree labour to resemble him Christ will owne none for his peculiar people but such as are zealous of good works Titus 2.14 The dull Asse is no sacrifice for the Living God Exodus 13.13 and the lingring Snail is reckoned amongst uncleane creatures Leviticus 11.30 Grace is no sleepy
idle drowsie habit but an active lively operative thing hence all Gods servants have been men of fire Abraham how zealous in Praying for Sodom how ready to circumcise himselfe and all the men in his house how ready to part with all at Gods bare command Lot doth not onely abstaine from the sins of Sodom but his soul was tortured and tormented with their wickednesse 2 Peter 2.8 Moses one of the meekest men in the world yet when God was dishonoured in an holy heate he throweth down the two Tables of stone and breaketh them signifying thereby their breach of Covenant with God by their sins yet did not the Lord checke him for it He onely bid him goe make new ones where we may observe the goodnesse of God that if our zeal transport us too far yet the Lord pardons the errour of our fervency rather then the Indifferencies of Security and Luke-warmnesse Thus Barâ—e how earnestly doth he act in Gods work Nehemiah 3.20 Nehemiah forsooke all his Court preferment passed through many dangers and difficulties and contends even with Rulers for profaning the Sabbath he cursed them i. he caused them to be excommunicated and driven out of the Congregation or he sharply reproved them telling them they had made themselves guilty of the curses whereinto they had entered Nehemiah 10.29 and 13.25 Holy David was a man even compounded of zeal as appeareth Psalm 119.53 97.136.139.158.174 How did he prepare with all his might for the House of God and thinketh all the gold and riches he had given to be as nothing 1 Chronicles 29.2 3 4. he prepared an hundred thousand Talents of Gold and a thousand thousand Talents of Silver he gave of his owne proper goods thirteen Millions eight hundred seventy five thousand pound sterling But what makes David so magnificently liberal Why it was his zealous affection to the House of God It is want of affection not want of money that makes men give so basely to the promoting of Gods Worship yet so inlarged was Davids heart that he accounts all this but a poor gift 1 Chronicles 22.14 In my poverty so 't is in the margin of your Bibles have I prepared all this he accounts his 1300. cart load of gold and silver but a poor gift it was noâ— answerable to his desires nor according to that which the transcendent Majesty of God might require but it was according as he was able by reason of his continual troubles and afflictions what a Seraphim was Paul how did he burn with a zeal for Gods Glory how was his Spirit kindled in him when he saw the Idolatry at Athens Acts 17.16 How gladly doth he spend himself for the Church of God 2 Cor. 12.25 What pains did he take what hazards did he run that he might win souls Rom. 15.19 He surpassed Alexander the Great and all the Conquerours of the world for they conquered men by the Sword but Paul by the Word they gained Kingdoms to themselves but Paul for Christ they conquered bodyes he souls they men he devils But where shall we now find a zealous Elijah a man of fire against sin and errors where are our Luthers Lattimers Bradfords that fear not the faces of great ones Blessed be God he hath many in the Land that both in the Pulpit and by their Pens do witness against the enormities of the times yet in comparison of the swarms of idle heretical profane self-seeking Ministers they are thin sowen for 1. Some are ignorant and cannot 2. Others are scandalous and dare not reprove sin for fear of being upbraided themselves 3. Others are Time-servers and to keep their places they go along with the current of the times and say as the great ones would have them Are the times for liberty so are they Are the times for Anabaptists c. so are they Doctores aerei like wax ready to take any impression that the Rulers and great ones will put upon them 4. Others are zealous but 't is against zeal instead of being instant in Preaching they are earnest against zealous Preachers and preaching Instead of heavenly fire they are full of strange fire They are zealous but 't is for Superstition Will-worship Anabaptisme c. When they should use all means to keep in and increase this holy fire as the Priest was commanded Levit. 6.12 13. not to suffer the fire of the Altar to go forth but he must bring wood to it and nourish it that it alwayes might burn yet these by their negligence suffer it to decay 'T is said that the Image of Isis was carried by a dull Asse such a servant may fit such a saint but dead Ministers are no servants for the living God I rejoyce not in these victories of the devil but shall turn my complaint into a prayer that the Lord would purifie the sons of Levi and purge them as gold that they may offer in righteousness Malac. 3.3 And that all Zions Nazarites may be purer then snow and whiter then milk Lam. 47.13 That all those whom the Lord hath set apart for his own immeditate service may in some measure resemble their Lord and Master in the beauty of holiness that they may be like Apollos who was fervent in spirit mighty in the Scriptures and taught diligently the way of the Lord. Acts 18.25 26. that like Micah 3.8 we may be filled with the Spirit of God and so may be enabled to fulfil our duty That he would flame us with the fire of love that we may help to inflame others Did Ministers love their peoples souls more they would be more zealous for their good Love is an active thing it will make one do and suffer much for the party beloved A mother loves her child which makes all her pains with it light One being askt out of what book he got such fiery fervent Sermons answered I get them out of the Book of Love This will make us fervent in prayer for our people and faithfully to discharge our duty by admonishing the wicked comforting the afflicted resolving their doubts sympathizing with them in their sorrows and visiting them in their distresses as Esay did Hezekiah in his sickness 2 Kings 20 1. The false Prophets are branded for feeding themselves but not the flock the sick they did not heal nor bind up the broken Ezek. 34.24 Much of the sins and errors of the times lie at Ministers doors and cold Ministers make bold sinners Hence Christ blames the Angels and Pastors of the Churches for the sins of the Churches Rev. 2. and 3. Our Apostysy makes others to apostatize many begin like thunder but they end like smoak We may say of many Ministers as they say of Butter 't is gold in the morning silver at noon and lead at night or like one Baldwin Archbishop of Canterbury whom Pope Vrban greets in the stile of a fervent Monk a warm Abbot a Luke-warm Bishop and a key cold
Arch-bishop Or like Pope Pius the Third who was wont to say of himself that the higher he was raised the worse he was 2. It should be a matter of great lamentation to us when we consider the great Luke-warmness and want of zeal that is amongst us we may take up the Prophets complaint Ier. 9.3 there 's no man valiant for the truth If men can save themselves they care not what becomes of Gods Pauls or service Acts 18.14 There is indeed a great profession of Religion in the Land but where oh where 's the power most are become like Pharaoh King of Egypt who was nothing but a noise Jer. 46.17 Nothing but words he promised much but performed nothing So that our Nation hath lost it's former glory piety is now turned into an empty shew and those Ordinances which formerly converted many now seem to have lost their converting power S. Peter at one Sermon converted three thousand but we may preach three thousand Sermons before we can convert one After the world how furiously do men drive like Iohâ— as they would break their wheels in pieces they rise early and break their brains they pant aâ—ter the dust of the earth Amos 2.7 and run themselves out of breath in pursuit of wordly things Ahab is sick for Naboth's Vineyard and cannot sleep till he have it Men are as hot as fire for earth but as cold as ice for heaven So that 't is not now the Kingdom of Heaven that suffers violence but the Kingdoms of the Eearth suffer violence and the violent take them by force The voluptuous man follows his pleasures with all his might and gives his strength to women Prov. 31.3 with dangers and difficulties do they break through to obtain them and what great expenses to maintain their lusts Herod can part with half his Kingdom to please an harlot yet had no zeal for the Ministery but suffers Iohn to be beheaded whose life was more worth then his whole Kingdom The Ambitious man how active is he for promotion how doth he ride and run for a little prefermâ—nt â— cluster of honor is more esteemd by him then all the vintage of Piety Religion The envious man how full of siery indignation is he against his adversaries Iames 3.14 and 4.12 Galath 5.20 The superstitious man how zealous is he in his blind way how doth he compass Sea and Land to make a proselite what pilgrimages whipping cutting lancing selling estates and offering their very children unto Molech Ezek. 26.20 21. they can part with thousands of Rams and ten thousands of Rivers of oyl and give the fruit of their body for the sin of their souls Micah 6.7 The Israelits can freely part with their ornaments of gold and silver to make a golden Calf The Seducing Sectary the white Devil that under pretence of extraordinary sanctity practiseth all manner of iniquity how active is he to sow the Devils seed As the Devil their Master so these who are his Factors rage because their time 's but short Revel 12.12 The Devils themselves seem to be possest of far worse Devils and to act with greater fury then formerly The Sacrilegious-Church-robber when the zeal for Gods house should eat him up such is his zeal that it eats up Gods house He devours Tythes Glebe all that he can lay hands on all 's Fish that comes to his Net he thinks all 's gain that he can get from the Minister These are Latrons not Patrous not Church-pillars but Church-peelers They should maintain the Ministery and they get Impropriations a very proper Term for their improper Tenure into their hands 'T is true de facto that the Tythes are sold but quo jure what power had they to sell that which was devoted to the immediate worship of God Had there been a sufficient maintenance left for the Ministery they might the better have taken the remaining superfluity But to take away a Ministers necessary maintenance and thereby to starve souls for scandalous means breeds scandalous Ministers is the ready way to bring a curse on such persons and all they possess 'T is a snare to devour holy things Prov. 20.25 They that take the Lords possessions into their possession shall perish like Oreb and Zeeb which lay like dung on the earth Psalm 83. There 's a curse attends such Thieves Belshazar drunk but once in the Vessels of the Temple and it cost him both his Kingdom and his life to boote There is no way in my opinion and experience to uphold the Ministry of England but by gaining Impropriations out of the hands of private persons and laying them to the Church to whom most properly they belong We see how Augmentations fly and fail and if we should be put to live on the Peoples benevolence it would soon prove a malevolence But of this I have spoken at large elsewhere Others are zealous but 't is for sin their tongues are set on fire of hell Their heads are alwayes plotting miscief they cannot sleep till they have done some evil Prov. 4.16 as a zealous good man sleeps not till he hath done some good Psal. 132.4 5 6. His house was no house and his rest no rest to him till he had finisht Gods work So the wicked man sleeps not till he have brought his wicked devices to pass and as the good man hath his awaking thoughts with God and goodness Psal. 139.18 So soon as ever I awake my thoughts and meditations are with God So the wicked man when he awakes he is still with sin his waking-thoughts in the night are to do mischief in the morning Micah 2.1 2. they hinder themselves from sleep that they may further themselves in sin the night is spent in plotting and contriving mischief and the day in accomplishing these plots Thus night day they follow the Trade of sin so are justly stiled workers of iniquity Now as to be zealous in goodness is the height of goodness so to be active in wickedness is the height of wickedness when men shall sell themselves to sin and work wickedness with greediness 1 Kings 21.20 and 2 Kings 17.17 Lastly others are zealous against zealous ones they cannot endure to see any better then themselves The Scribes and Pharisees will not go to Heaven themselves nor yet will they endure that others should go If Christ do but set his face towards Ierusalem the Samaritans will hate him While Paul was a Persecutor he met with no persecution but when he was converted and preached the Truth then he 's a pestilent follew and is mad In other Religions the more zealous a man is the more he is esteemed but amongst us the more zealous the more hated These hate their best friends for these zealous Elijahs are the Pillars of a Land the very Chariots and Horse-men of our Israel the strength and ammunition of the Land that by their prayers and tears keep off many a Judgement The wicked
terminis for the out-works of Religion but for the Fundamentals and for the whole possession We must contend with Papists about our Justification with Arminians about our Election with Antimonians for the Law with Socinians for the Gospel and with the Antiscripturists for all 2. The Lord commends this in his servants he hath recorded the zeal of Moses Phinees Paul Apollos c. to their everlasting prayse they are the Apple of his Eye which is Oculus Oculi the glory of the Eye Zach. 2.8 They are his jewels he counts himself honoured and adorned by such and therefore he calls them his glory Isay 4.5 These glorifie God on earth and therefore we will glorifie them with himself Iohn 15.8 and 17.4.5 God hath more glory from his little zealous flock then from all the world besides Hence he so much glories in him Iob 2 3. Acts 13.22 3. He Rewards it where ever he finds it Phinees for his zealous execution of Justice was blest both he and his posterity Numb 15.11 12 13. Levi for his zeal in vindicating Gods Honour was exalted to the Priesthood Exod. 32.29 Deut. 33.8 9 10. Zabulum and Napthali that ventured their lives in Gods cause Iudge 5.18 God remembers the kindness and rewards it many years after in sending Christ to preach the Gospel first to them Matth. 4.13.14 yea so greatly is the Lord delighted with zeal that Iehu his Hypocritical zeal went not unrewarded 2 King 10.30 4. It graceth all our graces and is the Honour of our honours All Grace without this is nothing Dead Knowledge Faith Repentance are of no esteem with God dead Prayer is not Prayer As under the Law no sacrifice was acceptable without fire so no duty now is acceptable without the fire of zeal 5. Christ hath paid best for our zeal The fair price that he paid to Redeem us the same precious blood he gave to purchase us to himselfe a zealous and peculiar people Titus 2.14 If any have paid dearer for it or can shew better Title to it let him take it 6. Our zeal doth denominate us that we are that we are zealous for 'T is true we may love the creature but it must be with a subordinate inferior love but our zeal which is the cream of our affections must be given only to God 'T is a glory which he will not suffer to be given to another 7. Our zeal may provoke others the Corinthians zeal provoked many 2 Cor. 9.12 When the Love-sick Church began to commend Christ Cant. 5. ult This is my friend and this is my Beloved in the very next Chapter 6.1 Others begin to inquire Where is thy Beloved that we may seeke him with thee 8. Such help to save a Land from ruine One zealous Moses kept off judgement from Israel Psalm 106.23 One zealous Phinees stayes the Plague One zealous innocent man may save an Iland Iob 22. ult 9. This makes a man to excel we are all by Nature of one blood 't is Holy zeal that makes the difference This makes the Righteous to excel his Neighbour Prov. 12.26 both in life and death one of these Pearles surpasseth ten thousand peebles as one living creature excels a thousand dead ones These are called lively stones 1 Pet. 2.5 1. They are stones in respect of stability and solidness they stir not from their principles but are an everlasting foundation Prov. 10.25 2. Lively because of their Zeale and Activity they are prompt and ready for every good work 2 Timothy 2.21 Their spirits are raised to the highest excellencies and so are capable of the highe stactings They live the life of God Ephesians 4.18 or a godly life because it is from God as the Author it is according to God as the pattern and it tends to God as the end Others may do well but the zealous man excels them all Hence he 's called in Scripture not Adam a common man but Ish quasi Esh a man of fire heat and courage a man of spirit life activity a man of men an excellent man fitted to honour God and rule others 10. You will have no cause to repent of this zeal yea if the saints in Heaven were capable of sorrow they would grieve for nothing so much as that they had not done more for God in their generation How many have repented of their superstitious carnal zeal as Cardinal Woolsy sometimes did Had I served God as diligently as I have done the King he would not have given me over in my gray hairs but this is my just reward for serving men before God 11 There is an absolute necessity of it in respect of the many enemies that oppose us So soon as ever a man begins to look towards Heaven he must look for Giants and sons of Anak to oppose him We have the Devil above us with all his methods Eph. 6.11 depths Rev. 2.24 Devices 2 Cor. 2.11 The world about us with all its baits and snares and an evil heart within us ready to betray us into the hands of our enemies So that unless we be resolute violent men we shall never get Heaven Matth. 11.12 't is not the lazy somnolent Christian but the active and the violent that take Heaven by force 12. All thy gifts and parts without zeal to improve them become useless A Stag or Hart that hath great strength and horns yet doth little with them for want of courage As a bird without wings a body without a soul and salt without savor so is a man without zeal like Ieremiahs rotten girdle that was good for nothing Ier. 13.7 Zeal is to the soul that which spirits are to the body and wine to the Spirits it puts activity and quickning in us 'T is as wheels to the Chariot which make us run the wayes of Gods Commandments as courage to a souldier as mettle to the horse and as manure to the ground which makes it abound in fruitfulness Now that you may get and keep this Gace we must shun those Quenchâ—coals which extinguish this holy fire in us 1. The first is the retaining of any one bosome beloved sin be it Pride Idleness Formality Covetousness either thy zeal must destroy thy sin or thy sin will destroy thy zeal Zealous affections are the wings of the soul but sin like bird-lime intangles them that they cannot fly Heaven-ward They are the feet of the soul but sin like fetters hindereth us from runing They are the fire of the soul but sin like water quencheth this fire We must resolve therefore against all sin if ever we would have the Spirit of zeal to dwell in us 2. Take heed of the inordinate love of the world These thornes will choak our zeal and this outward heat extracts and consumes our inward Cast earth upon fire and you put it out Demas and Iudas the love of the world drew them off we must get our affections loosened from the world and use it as though we used it not Use
it we may as the Traveller doth his Staffe but love it inordinately we may not unlesse we will renounce the Love of God 1 Iohn 2.15 Our love cannot stand in intense degrees to two such contrary Masters 3. Evil company is a great extinguisher of this Holy Fire scarce any thing more Hence zealous David commands evil company to depart Psalm 119.115 We must therefore be very choyce of our company for it hath great operation upon us either to good or evil As iron sharpens iron and one edged tool helps to sharpen another so God hath ordained the society of men to quicken men Conference and communication of experiences hath incredible profit in all Sciences Hence the Saints that lived in dead times did by conference excite and quicken each other in the wayes of God Mal. 3.16 17 4. Formality in Religion is a great enemy to zeal When men rest in a bare performance of duties without any power of godlyness this is the bane of Religion when ever we come to duties we should stir up the graces of Gods Spirit in us 2 Timothy 1.7 If fire be not blown and stirred up it will decay and goe out We must also dayly be adding fuel to it for where there is no fuel the fire goeth out Proverbs 26.20 Pray much men of much Prayer have been men of much zeal as we see in David Daniel Paul Bradford Frequent the Preaching of the Word Accede ad hunc ignem there is a hidden Vertue in this Ordinance to kindle this fire in our breasts which maketh the Devil so busie in drawing men to separation for he well knowes by long experience that if he can but get men out of Gods way they will soon decay in grace the body may assoon live without food as the soul can live without this bread of Life If any would see more let him peruse D. Corn. Burgess Treatise of Zeal Master Henry Hall's Sermon on Matthew 11.12 and Master Loves 4. Sermon on Matthew 11.12 Master Fenner on the Affections Sermon the ninth tenth eleventh Hildersham on Iohn 4.32 Lect. 56. Doctor Sibbs Beams of Light Sermon on Matthew 11.12 Master Ash his Sermon of Zeal 5. Observe Ministers must take all occasions to preach the Word They must preach on the Lords Day and on the week day in publick and private at home and abroad In prosperity and adversity In War and Peace In Prisons and Palaces We must not be Strawberry-Preachers as Bishop Latimer calleth them which come but once a year and are quickly gone again Not long since the Church was troubled with Canon-Preachers who preached according to the Canon once a moneth or once a day insteed of these we have State-Preachers who preach such stuffe for quality as may please the State and so much for quantity as will bring in their Angmentations no Catechizing of the flock no preaching on the week day unless Angels or Nobles call them No baptizing of Infants no fitting of the flocke for the Lords Supper but all lies at random and in confusion surely such Halving-Preachers should have half-pay Doth not he that commands us to Preach command us to Baptize also and to dispense the Lords Supper often Surely this is either not Scripture or els some of us do not doe our duty Let us therefore either do our duty or else cast off our Ministery and give place to such as will As the woman said to the King either do me justice and act as a King or else put off the Title so either let us do the whole work of our Ministery or put off the Name For nomen inane crimen immane Let us preach in season and out of season so did our Saviour he took all occasions to preach sometimes he preached in the Synagogues anon in a Mountain Matth. 5.1 sometimes in a ship Luke 5.3 and anon in a desert Luke 4.42 when the heart is willing it will find out opportunites of doing good So Paul preacheth in Synagogues in Houses by a Rivers side Act. 16.13 in prison Philem. 9. and on other occasions We are Gods Husbandmen and in the morning we must sowe our seed and in the Evening not be idle for some may prosper when we consider the great price that was paid for souls Acts 20.28 it must quicken us to redeeme all opportunities to gain them to Christ. Love is active but lazy persons have a thousand excuses either their bodies are unable the place unfit the company inconvenient c. Many Lions ly in the way of the sluggard but willing minds know no difficulties 6. Observe We are exceeding backward to the best things and have need of many admonitions and exhortations in season and out of season to quicken us in Gods work It 's much adoe to make us begin and when we have begun we are ready to look back on every discouragement Were there in us that Tractableness and teachableness which ought to be how easily might Ministers lead us in good paths 'T is prophesied of Gospel times that so meek and teachable men shall be that even a child with Scripture reason shall lead them Isay 11.6 A wicked man though you bring an hundred plain Scriptures yet he will not be convinced but a gracious soul if he have but a little hint from Scripture that what he holds or doth is displeasing to God he presently casts it off We should therefore lament the sad depravation of our Natures that have need of so much quickning to the best things Many wonder why we are so fervent and frequent in reproofs why our necessitie requires it and God in this Text injoynes it Many love us whilest we comfort them but when we come to cutting reproving and launcing their soares then they look upon us as enemies See more before on 2 Timothy 3.16 7. Observe Application must be joyned to Doctrine The Foundation and the building must go together for a foundation without a building argues the folly of him that laid it and a building without a Foundation will soon fall 'T is not sufficient that by sound Doctrine we inform the judgement but by Application we must work it on the Affections This is the very life of Preaching Doctrine is the whole loaf as 't were but Application is the dividing the word aright and distributing thereof to every one according to their several conditions For these very ends and uses God hath given us his word 2 Tim. 3.16 VERS 3 4. For the time will come that they will not endure sound Doctrine but after their owne Lusts shall they heap to themselves Teachers haveing itching eares 4. And they shall turne away their Eares from the Truth and shall be turned to Fables IN these words we have an Apostolical Prophesie of the petulancy and peril of the last times when men will grow weary of sound Doctrine and fall to the embracing of fabulous and vain opinions insteed of truth The words are to be considered Relatively as depending on
sweet and pleasant things or nothing They forbid Gods messengers to preach to them unless they 'l preach smooth and pleasing things of peace prosperity and pleasure though they walk in a sinful path and have no right to them Isai. 30.9 10. They say to the seers see not and to the Prophets prophesy not to us right things speak unto us smooth things prophesie deceits They love such as preach the visions of their own brain and sow pillows under mens elbows dawbing with untempered mortar Ezek. 13.10 11. When Prophets prophesy falsly and people shall love the lyes and flatteries of such Impostors better then Gods truth what will the issue and end of such practices be but misery and destruction Ierem. 5.31 and 6.12 13 14. Micah 3.11 12. But as for sound men they love sound Doctrine they desire it Psal. 43.3 They come to it Iohn 3.21 and bless God for it 1 Sam. 25.32 33. Observation 5. In the last dayes there will be many false Teachers There will not be one or two but there will be heaps of them the world will swarm with them Men will have variety of lusts and those call for variety of Teachers to uphold them Good Men and specially good Ministers are rare they are one of a thousand Job 33.23 But wicked ones abound there is much dross but little gold much chaff but little wheat many weeds few good flowers If the Devil have any work to do he wants no Agents to effect it If Ahab will not hearken to Micajah a true Prophet the Devil hath four hundred false ones ready to delude him 1 Kings 22.6 21 22. If men once set open their doors they shall not want Deceivers When Prophets prophesie falsly and people love to have it so 't is just with God to send them Teachers according to their own desire that he who is Heretical may be Heretical still and he that is profane may be profane still When men sleight truth they shall have Teachers which shall be Gods Executioners to bind them and blind them and lead them into error As God punisht the contempt of light in former ages by giving men up to Antichrist to be deluded by Monks Friars Lyars because they received not the truth in love so now he punisheth formality and contempt of the Gospel by giving men up in the hands of Socinians and such like Seducers which shall feed them with fables instead of truth Such as go to their Assemblies may say of them as Dionysius Calderminus said of the Masse Eamus ad communem errorem Let 's go to the shop and sink of errors Let us get our hearts stablisht with grace and then we shall not be carried about with these strange Doctors and their various doctrines Heb. 13.9 6. Observe as all other parts of man so amongst the rest the ear hath it's diseases Since the fall we are â—razed in our intellectuals in our morals and diseased in eyes and ears hence we read of a deaf ear Isai. 6.9 10. Micah 7.16 Rom. 11.8 an uncircumcised ear Acts 7.51 a dull eare Heb. 5.11 and an itching ear which is all for vain new curious things In the last dayes men will be so delicate that they will not endure common truths nor plain and profitable preaching but their Itching ears must have Clawing speakers which will speak sweet and pleasing things And this is the reason why one false Teacher prevails more in an hour in a corner then a Preacher of Truth can do in many years 't is because he preacheth Placentia and vents such things as are sutable to corrupt Nature Salt is fitter for such then Oyl though it be more searching yet it is more soveraign This Itching-disease was never so common as in our dayes we can meet with few but they have scabs upon them one hath the seal of Arminianism another hath the botch of Socinianism One hath the itch of Anabaptism another hath the scurff of Antinominianism Some have the itch in their feet they run after fools and fables some in their eyes they wander after vanities and others in their ears harkning after novelty We read in Scripture of a twofold itch A penal itch afflictive itch upon the body Deut. 28.27 The Lord shall smite thee with the scab and with an incurable itch Now this is nothing comparatively for though it be irksom to the body yet it may be good for the soul however 't is a judgement by which God is honoured but the itch of sin is the evil of evils there 's no goodness in it 2. There is a sinful spiritual itch upon the soul which is sevenfold viz. an itch of 1. Novelty 2. Curiosity 3. Singularity 4. Popularity 5. Flattery 6. Disputing 7. Quarrrelling 1. There is an Athenian Itch when men are all for Noveltie They must have Novum aut nihil Ordinary Truths will not down with them they must have New-notions which are extraordinary They are surfeted with old and wholesom Truths they must now hear some New Doctrine Acts 17.19 Not that a modest humble inquiry after Truth is to be condemned as Novelty as the Papists condemn us for Novelists because we have forsaken their by-paths to walk in the good old way which leads to rest Ier. 6.16 But 't is no wonder that pious paths seem new to them to whom the Gospel it self is new 2. An Itch of Curiosity when men will be wise above what is written Rom. 12.3 1 Cor. 4.6 And love to pry into Gods secrets and scan the Mysteries of Religion by carnal reason God oft plagues such curiosity with a fall when pride is in the saddle a fall is on the croopâ—r this pride is the mother of heresy Yet how many pry so long into the secrets of nature till they are past grace and seek so long after the Philosophers stone till at last they find the Devil himself God is displeased with such 1 Sam. 6.19 'T is his prerogative royal to have something in several that he might be the more admired in his deep mysteries we should not therefore desire a reason of his wayes beyond his revealed will Deut. 29. ult Rom. 9.20 In this our safety is to â—it still Exod. 33.18 20. And with the Apostle to adore those depths and counsels which we cannot fathom Rom. 11.33 See more in Church his Treasury p. 149 c. Granatensis p. 436 c. Tactica 5. Cap. 4. Sect. 4. p. 50.51 3. An Itch of singularity how many in our dayes for fear of popularity run into singularity they grow weary of sound solid savory and approved doctrine hunting after some aery speculations delighting themselves in some Terrâ— incognita in some untrodden paths of Divinity till thy fall into a snare This was the disease of the School-men like Nimrod to get themselves a Name they builded Babels to their own confusion I wish this scabies scalpenda this skurvy itch had onely infected the Vulgar but alas
preach the Gospel purely and sincerely not shrinking from his Duty for any persecutions or troubles whatsoever Evangelists were Extraordinary Officers but Temporary they were Coadjutors and Helpers of the Apostles in spreading and publishing the Gospel They for the most part attended on them and watered what they planted Acts 8.39 40. Ephesians 4.11 such a one was Timothy as appeareth 1 Corinthians 4.17 and 16.10 and 2.1 1. Philippians 2.19.22 Now Paul maketh â—n honourable mention of Timothies office First The better to incourage him in the faithfull discharge of his Duety against all Opposition Secondly That the VVorld might see he had Authoritie for what he did 4. Sincerity Least any should accuse thee of negligence make full proof of thy Ministery fulfill and accomplish it Let it be fully known q. d. So behave thy self in this Office that men may be able to charge thee justly with nothing but rather approve of thee in all things Let the VVorld see that thou makest it thy own and onely work to winn soules by a faithfull discharge of every part of thy Ministery both in publick and private revealing the whole Counsel of God and boldly rebuking all sorts of sinners By Ministery is not here meant any Civil Office or attendance on the Poor as the Word importeth in Scripture but it noteth the Office of Preaching the Gospel which is called The Ministery Colossians 4.17 and the Preachers of it Ministers 1 Corinthians 5.3 Colossians 1.7 by way of Eminency Verse 6. The Apostle giveth a Reason for this his so serious an Exhortation drawn from the time of his death which he discerned to be now at hand and therefore he Exhorteth Timothy to be so much the more diligent that the Church might not suffer by his negligence after his departure g. d. So long as I lived I was a Father a Counsellor and a quickner of thee both by word and example thou hast hitherto had my help but now thou must shift for thy selfe and swimme without one to hold thee up for the time of my Martyrdome is now at hand Hence briefly Observe That we must not onely be goâ—d whilest we have good company as King Joash was when de had good Jehojada the Priest to quicken him 2 Kings 12.2 but when good men leave us yet must we not leave our goodnesse Galathians 4.18 Philippians 2.12 A man that is truely good is alwayes good in all places times and companies he is still the same In this verse we have Pauls intimation of his death Verse 7. We have a briefe Narration of his life Verse 8. VVe have his hope and expectation after this life 1. By a Spiritual instinct he saw that his departure was at hand and his Martyrdome near He was now in his last bonds and he saw the cruell actings in Nero's Court against him and therefore he concludes he had not long to live 2. The Terms and Titles by which the Apostle setteth forth his death unto us are worth the observing 1. He calleth it an offering I am now ready to be offered up as a sweet sacrifice to God in my Martyrdome for his Name 'T is usual in Scripture to put that in the Present Tense as done which yet was not done till afterward Thus Christs body is said to be broken and his blood powred out Matthew 26.28 i. This was shortly after to be done on the Crosse So Matthew 26.45 Iohn 20.15 and 14.3 The Word in the Original is very Pathetical and Emphaticall it signifieth a Drink-offering he was now ready to be offered up as a Drink-offering on Gods Altar he chuseth this word rather then that of Sacrifice 1. because the Drink-offering saith Chrysostome was offered up whole but so was not the Sacrifice for part of it was given to the Priests 2. This consisting of Wine and Oyle which was powred out when a meat-offering was made was most fit to set forth the death by which he should die viz. by shedding his blood for Christ which he cheerfully powred out as a Drink-offering to God in sealing of his Truth This is the most genuine sense of the Word it signifieth a Libation or Drink-offering of which we have frequent mention in the Law which the Septuagint render by the word in the Text when they powred out Wine Water Oyle or the like in Sacrifice to God this they called a Powred-out-offering or an effusion because it was onely of moist things Thus Genesis 14. Exodus 30.9 Leviticus 23.13 Numbers 6.15 and 15.5.12 and 28.7 Deuteronomy 32.33 2 Samuel 23.16 17. 2 Kings 16.13 Ieremiah 32.29 and 44.17.25 So that by this allusion he seemeth to Intimate the manner of his death which was not by being offered as an Holocaust or Burnt-offering by fire as the Martyrs were but by a death wherein his blood was shed and powred out viz. by beheading He doth not say I shall now be slain as some vile guilty person but I shall now be offered up in Martyrdome as a sweet-smelling sacrifice to God 3. He useth this Metaphorical word to intimate his Confirmation of the Truth he had preached As the aspersion of blood Blood or Wine was used in sacrifices for the Confirmation of Covanants or as Covenants were confirmed by effusion of VVine which the parties contracting had first tasted of so his death was not onely an oblation or Sacrifice but a Libamentum a Drinke-offering powred out for Comformation of the Gospel which he had preached The Apostle expresseth this more clearly Phil. 2.17 Yea if I be offered upon the Sacrifice and service of your faith â— joy with you all q. d. I have not onely laboured amongst you but if I may die for the confirmation of your Faith and be powred out as a drink-offering for the sealing of the Doctrine which I have taught you it shall be that whereof I shall rejoyce together with you Let Nero kill me because I converted you and others to the Faith it shall not troâ—ble me but I will freely give my self in sacrifice for you that you may be â—n Oblation to God and my Blood the Drink-offering that so I may offer up an intire Sacrifice to God Briefly the Levitical Sacrifice consisted of two parts 1. There was the Victima the Sacrifice it self viz. a Bullock a Râ—m or the like 2. There was the Libamen the Drink-offering of Wine Oyle or the like now the Philippians faith was the sacrifice which was seasoned with Pauls blood as a Drink-offering 2. He setteth forth his death unto us by the term of A departure or dissolution T is not a destruction but a resolution or loosing of the soul from the bonds of the body Death is a taking asunder the parts of which we are composed 't is a freeing the soul from this house of Clay The same word is used Philippians 1.23 I desire to be dissolved q. d. I desire to be discharged and released out of the Prison of
Court and the Martyrs wander up and down in Sheep-kins and Goat-skins being destitute afflicted tormented Heb. 11. Grant but this and then Cain need not fear to kill his brother Saul to persecute the Church Herod to kill the Saints Who will study to keep Gods Commandements or make any conscience of his wayes As for ourselves let us abhor that desperate Opinion which openeth the flood-gates to all villanies and abominations The broachers and obstinate defenders of such Tenents should die without mercy Zach. 13.3 And if the murderers of mens bodies must die for it then such murderers should die some remarkable death for as there are no mercies like soul mercies so there are no murders like these 2. The Immortality of our souls should make us have a special care of them we should see to them diligently Deuteronomy 4.9 Nature teacheth us to look to our bodies but grace to our souls The soul is the man and if that be lost all is lost but if you have a care of your souls God will have a care of your bodies If the Mid-wives fear the Lord he will provide them houses Exodus 1.21 If Solomon seek soul mercies God will cast in Temporal blessings into the bargain 1 Kings 3.12 There are many sicknesses now abroad the way to remove them is to cleave to the Lord and serve him with all our souls then he hath promised to bless our Land and to take all sickness from amongst us Exodus 23.25 Solomon telleth us that the soul is a precious thing Proverbs 6.26 and a wiser then Solomon hath told us that One soul is more worth then all the â—orld Matthew 16.26 Ten thousand worlds could not ransome one soul. Nothing but the precious blood of Christ who was God and Man could do it 1 Pet. 1.19 We see how careful men be for their bodies to feed them when hungry cloath them when naked Physick them when sick and arm them against dangers but the soul the immortal soul lieth starved naked sick and unarmed most with Martha carke and care for the body but few with Mary see to the better part We see how highly men prize their Natural Lives Skinn for skinn and all that they have they will give for them Iob 2.4 Offer a man all the World for his life and he can readily answer what will this profit me when I am dead but offer the same man a little gain honor pleasure for his soul and he 'l part with that for it Esau sold his soul for a mess of pottage Iudas his for 30. pieces of silver the Prodigal his for husks and the worldling for meer vanity drowns his soul in perdition 1 Tim. 6.9 Let us from time to come set a higher price on our souls let us so pray so hear so live as those that believe that our soules are immortal 'T is true we must have a moderate care of our bodies 1 Timothy 5.23 but the welfare of our soules must be chiefly regarded Matth. 6.33 Iohn 6.27 'T was an high commendation of Gajus when the Apostle wisheth he might be in health and prosper even as his Soul prospred 3 Iohn 1.2 I see more in Mr. Calamies Sermon at R. Boltoâ—s Funeral and Mr. Ambrose his Prima 2 P. p. 61. c. See 20. Reas. for the Souls Immortality in Mr. Baxters Saints Rest. P. 2. c. 10. S. 1. p. 298. Norton Orthodox Evangel c. 15. D. Arrowsmith Tactica S. l. 3. c. 3. S. 12. Prideaux Fascicul p. 315. Calvin de Psychopannychia inter Opuscula contra Libertinos cap. 22. Observation 5. 5. The death of the Martyrs is a most pleasing Sacrifice to God The obedient life and death of all Gods Saints is very pleasing to him Psal. 116.15 but the death of Martyrs who do actually seal to his truth with their dearest blood is a most deligthful sacrifice to him How vilely soever the world esteems of their sufferings yet they are precious in Gods eye and their blood shall pay for it who have made themselves drunk with the blood of his Saints Isay 63.13 Rev. 17.6 When ever therefore the Lord shall call for our lives especially by way of Martyrdom we should cheerfully offer them up in sacrifice to God rejoicing that we have a life or any thing of worth to loose for him We should be holily prodigal of our lives in Gods cause so were the Martyrs and so was Paul he did not value his life when he came to part with it in this kind Acts 20.24 Neither should we mourn inordinately moderately we may as they did for Steven Acts 8.2 for such as dye in the cause of Christ nor yet hinder our Relations in such resolutions but say The will of the Lord be done rejoicing that we have any children or friends that are worthy of so great an honour Observation 6. 6. The death of the Martyrs doth confirm the truth The Church is Gods garden and t is watered and enriched by the blood of Martyrs By sealing the truth with their blood and not loving their lives unto the death the weak are strengthened and the strong confirmed and though they be dead yet their Testimony speaks Heb. 12.4 they conquer even when they seem to be conquered and Chriâ—â— is magnified by their death as well as by their life Phil. 1.20 Caut. Not that the sufferings or constancy of the Martyrs is the foundation of our Faith but God hath ordained it as a means to strengthen it VERSE 7 8. I have fought a good fight I have finisht my course I have kept the Faith V. 7. Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of Righteousness which the Lord the righteous Iudge shall give me at that day and not to me onely but unto them also that love his appearing THE Apostle being come to the end of his race he looks about him he looks downward backward upward 1. He looks downward into the grave v. 6. whither he was going and there he sees comfort his death was a pleasing sacrifice to God and a friend to conveigh him to his fathers house 2. He looks backward and views his well-spent life with joy and comfort and in an Holy gloriation breaks forth I have fought the good fight c. A Soul that hath made its peace with God may with comfort and confidence look death in the face and say with good old Simeon Lord now let thy servant depart in peace 3. He looks upward and there he sees Heaven prepared for him v. 8. So that in these two verses we have Pauls work and Pauls wages we see what he did for God and what he expected from God Objct. But doth not this savour of vain-glory and Spiritual Pride Answer Not at all for the Apostle speaks not this Proudly or Thrasonically as if he had merited any thing at the hand of God for he testifieth against this in all his writings especially in Rom. 4. and Phil. 3. and tells us
remains q. d. I have fought a good fight what now remains but an assured expectation of a crown of Righteousness There is laid up for me Here is the Assurance he hath of his Reward he speaks of it as if he were already possest of it 'T is safely and surely kept for me The word imparts two things 1. A designation of that which is laid up to some peculiar person 2. A reservation and safe keeping of it to the use of those that it is assigned to He alludes to Parents who lay up something as an Inheritance for their children God hath prepared eternal life for the elect before the foundation of the world Matth. 25.34 Ephes. 1.4 So that there is no danger of the godlies loosing it since 't is laid up in so safe a hand Matth. 6.2 2 Pet. 2.3 4. A Crown of Righteousness Crowns are for Kings and Conquerours I have fought the good fight and Christ assisting me I have conquered all the enemies of my Salvation and though my combats have been hard yet the more glorious are my victories Now therefore I expect a Crown not of gold silver pearls lawrels or such like fading perishing corruptible things Esai 40.6 Iob. 14.2 But a crown of Righteousness .i. everlasting happiness which God hath promised as a reward to his servants for their service whose imperfect works he crowns as if they were perfect This elsewhere is called a crown of life James 1.12 Rom. 2.10 .i. an ever-lasting never fading crown 1 Pet. 1.4 and a crown of glory 1 Pet. 5.4 beeause it consists in the fruition of that eternal weight of glory of which Paul speaks Rom. 8.18 2 Cor. 4.17 Now this eternal glory is called a crown for many Reasons 1. A crown is not given till the victory be gained 2 Tim. 2.5 'T is not to him that begins but to him that overcomes which the promise runs Rev. 2. and 3. None can have this crown but such as in their measure resemble Christ their head who went forth conquering and to conquer Rev. 6.2 'T is not the somnolent but the violent non lenti sed violenti that get this crown Matth. 11.12 2. It notes the perpetuity of the glory a crown is round and hath neither beginning nor ending so the glory of the Saints in heaven is an immortal immarcessible incorruptible never fading crown 2 Pet. 1.4 1 Cor. 9.24 3. It notes the perâ—ction of it as the crown compasseth the head on every side so there is nothing wanting in this crown of life here is an Aggregation of all good things for Soul and body Matth. 25.35 Rev. 31.4 c. as God is said to crown the year with his goodness Psal. 65.11 when he showres down plenty of Temporal blessings on us so the Saints in glory shall be crowned with goodness when all the faculties of the Soul and members of the body shall be perfect and filled with glory 4. It represents to us the dignity of the Saints and the glory of their reward They are all Kings and shall be crowned The day of Judgment is their Coronation-day 't is in That day which the souls and bodies of the Saint shall be crowned with everlasting bliss A crown is the choicest and chiefest of all humane rewards amongst all tâ—rrene gifts none more glorious then a crown This is the heigth of humane excellencies men use to desire no more then a Crown and for this men will do much Of Righteousness It is so called not because we of our selves have any right by way of merit 〈◊〉 it but the reward of Eternal life is called a Crown of Righteousness 1. Because it is purchased for us by the righteousness of Christ by his perfect Kighteousness and Obedience he hath merited this for us and so in Christ it is due to us by way of merit though in respect of us 't is of mâ—re Grace 2. In respect of his Promise his fidelity bindeth him to perform it God hath promised a Crown of Life to such as serve him sincerely Iames 1.12 1 Iohn 2.25 Revel 2.10 and 3.21 Now it is this promise of God and not any merit of ours which maketh God our debtor Though God make the promise in Grace yet being once made his Truth and Justice obligeth him to perform it God cannot but act condecently as the Schoolmen speak and agreeable to his goodness as he cannot deny himself so he cannot do any thing unworthy of himself So that Eternal life is a crown of Righteousness ex parte Dei God hath promised it to such as overcome and ex parte rei 't is just with God to give unto his suffering servants rest and peace 2 Thes. 1.6 7. So that this Crown is due in Justice Evangelical 3. It may be called a Crown of Righteousness because 't is given onely to Righteous men and so it sheweth who shall be crowned and what is the way to it but not for what merits or desert of ours 'tis given It implieth not any condignity or efficiency in good things we doe but an Ordinability of them to eternal Life So that God crownes his owne work in us in which we make not God a debtor to us but we are made debtors to him for his grace received by which we work Objection The Papists wring and wrest this Text exceedingly that they may build their Merit of workes upon it Here say they is 1. A Crown of Righteousness 2. Not barely given but rendered 3. And that by a Righteous Iudge Answer 1. The Apostle speaketh not here of any righteousness by way of Obligation commutation or commensuration but of a Righteousness as I have shewed of fidelity and condecency so that righteousness here hath no respect to our Merits but to Evangelical promises which admit of no merit but that of the Son of God and therefore 't is not said that Christ will give this Crown of Righteousness Merentibus to such as merit it but diligentibus to such as love him and his appearing Now our love as all our other graces is imperfect and so cannot merit this crown of perfect righteousness 2. We must distinguish of righteousness 1. There is a Legal Righteousness and this the Apostle disclaimeth Philippians 3.7.8 2. There is an Evangelical righteousness and this excludeth all Merit Romans 4.2 3 5. 2. We must distinguish of Reward there is a reward of Merit and this the Saints disclaim Isay 64.6 2. A reward of mercy Psalm 103.4 He crowneth us with mercy and not with Merit both Grace and Glory are his free gift Now 't is fallacious arguing to reason from a reward to a reward of merit for 't is a reward of mercy which God bestoweth on his people 3. The Saints in Heaven cast their Crowns at the feet of the Lamb they part not stakes with him but ascribe the glory of all to him Rev. 4 10 11.
Yea they are so far from pleading the merit of their works that they forget them which is mentioned to their praise Matth. 25.44 Phil. 3.13 yea they disown them as to this account Iob. 9.15 and 10.15 Isay 64.6 yea the Apostle tells us here that this Crown of Righteousness was laid up by God in Heaven as an Inheritance freely prepared for him but no way merited by him 4. This wrastling and running of the Saints can no way merit salvation because it is imperfect and impure being mixt with many sins and failings but the works which merit salvation must be perfectly pure for to make a worke meritorious foure things must concur 1. The work must be properly our own and not his of whom we pretend to merit Now all our good works come from God Iames 1.17 it is he that worketh in us both to will and to doe Philippians 2.13 2. It must be opus indebitum a worke to which we are not bound but the Apostles running and wrastling was opus debitum imperfectum yea if we could doe ten thousand times more then we doe yet stil we should be but unprofitable servants and so might expect punishment rather then reward 3. It must be some way profitable to him from whom we expect our reward but if we be never so righteous the benefit is ours not Gods Iob. 35.7 Psalm 16.2 4. It must have condignity to the reward expected and have an equal worth and proportion with it Now what proportion is there between our finite imperfect actings and the reward of Eternal life which is infinite and perfect Against these Merit-mongers see Davenants Determin Quaest. 34. Doct. Downam on Justif. l. 8. c. 1. p. 347. Perkins Reform Cathol Point 5. Willets Synops. controvers 19.2 3. p. 1305. Doctor Halls old Relig. cap. 6. Master Gatakers Sermon on Gen. 32.10 p. 269.291.303 fol. Alting P. 2. Q. 61. p. 292 and above all Doctor Mortons Antidot contra merita Objection Estius and Jansennius urge yet further that Christ will not simply Give but he will Render this reward to the godly as a due debt for their good workes Answer 1. They are weak Arguments which are grounded on meere Criticismes 2. The words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 dabit and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 reddet are used promiscuously one for the other in Scripture as Matthew 27.53 Luke 4.20 and 9.42 Acts 4.33 So in other words and languages compounds are oft used for simples 3. Dabo yet this Rendering denoteth Gods free-gift according to his gracious promise to his people and that after their labours and according to their works not for any merit in their works foreseen Hence it is called the reward of Inheritance Colossians 3.24 Now as the Son is born an Heir and so cannot merit his Inheritance so the children of God are all Heires and the Inheritance is prepared for them before their good workes are done Which the Lord the righteous Iudge shall give me That is Christ who is the Lord and righteous Judge of all the world He is called The righteous Iudge because he will Judge in righteousnesse Acts 17.31 and will execute the righteous judgements of God on the wicked and relieve his people 2 Thes. 1.6 7. The Apostle keepeth to the Metaphor still taken from Runners and wrastlers for prizes at the Olympick games in which there were certain Judges called Brabentae to observe those that were Victors and to give just sentence on the Conquerours side In that day i. that great and glorious day of the Lord Christ when he shall come to judge the world in righteousness rendring to every man according to his works 1 Cor. 3.8 then shall all believers be glorified both in soul and body and shall receive the full reward of all their labours The day of the generall judgement is oft called in Scripture Emphatically That day 2 Tim. 1.12 Matth. 7.22 and 24.36 by way of eminency as being the day of dayes the most illustrious and glorious day that ever was or ever shall be The most terrible to the wicked and most comfortable to the godly who are commanded to lift up their heads for joy when they but think of it what will they do when they shall see it Question Did not Pauls soul receive the Crown of Righteousness as soon as it was separated from his body how then is he said to receive it at the day of judgement Answer It is true the souls of the Saints as soon as ever they part from the body goe immediately to bliss Revel 14.13 and dwell with Christ Philippians 1.23 Iohn 17.24 1 Cor. 13.12 and 2.5 6. Revelations 4.8 and 5.8 and 7.9 They receive a great measure of happiness before the day of judgement for they enjoy the beatifical vision of God now Hence the spirits of just men are said already to be made perfect Hebrewes 12.23 comparatively viz. in comparison of what they were here though in comparison of what they shall be after the Resurrection they are still imperfect Rev. 6.10 11. But at the day of judgement then the saints shall receive a full and perfect reward both in soul and body conjunctly Colossians 3.4 1 Iohn 3.2 Now they are in glory but then they shall be in perfect Glory and enjoy a clearer Vision of God Then the desire which the soul hath to its body shall be fulfilled As the damned in Hell have not that full torment they shall have at that day so the saints in heaven have not that fulness of joy which they shall have at that day when soul and body shall be united See more to this point in Master Baxters Saints rest p. 2. c. 10. Master Newtons Orthodox Evangel c. 15. p. 327.336 And not to me onely but to those also that love his appearing Q. d. He will give this Crown of Life not onely to me but to all the faithful who may be known by this note that they love and long for the glorious comming of their Lord and Saviour to judgement Least any should think that this Crown was peculiar to Paul who had done and suffered so much for Christ he extendeth it to all believers and telleth us that Christ hath prepared it for them as well as for him Having spoken of himself in Thesi he cometh ad Hypothesin and applieth it to all the faithful The wicked have guilty consciences and so can have no love nor desire after that day they are besotted with the world they have their joyes and their portion here they have their heaven and happinesse here they can expect none hereafter The godly like Lazarus have their sorrowes here now they are tempted tossed troubled which maketh them long for Christs coming They are married to Christ and therefore like a faithfull Spouse they long for the Bridegroomes coming The summe and substance of all this q. d. My life is a warfare and behold I have fought a good fight which I
kindness shall not depart from thee neither shall the Covenant of my Peace be removed Their Peace may be interrupted and clouded for a time but it shall never be totally taken away for their seed abideth within them even the spirit of Peace and comfort Though the good mans beginning may be troublesome and sorrowful yet his end is Peace Psal. 37.37 3. This Feast is an excelling Feast all other Feasts compared to this are meere hunger and empty things This excelleth all other Feasts in three particulars especially 1. In respect of the Founders of it viz. the Lord of Heaven and Earth the God of all comfort and consolation He onely that made the conscience can remove the guilt of it and by his Spirit infuse comfort and make peace there Other Feasts have men for their Founders 2. In respect of the nature of it This is a Spiritual Feast full of Spiritual delights and comforts other Feasts are but carnal corporal sensual ones that feed and delight the carcass and outward man onely 3. In respect of Duration 't is not for a day or twelve dayes but for ever 't is a continual Feast 't is a Feast in prosperity and a Feast in adversity a Feast at home and a Feast abroad a Feast in publick and a Feast in private a Feast by day and a Feast by night a Feast in a prison and a Feast in a Pallace this is the happiness of such as get and keep good Consciences they keep holy day every day be it clear or cloudy He enjoyes a perpetual serenity and sitteth at a continual Feast As it is the misery of the wicked that their worm never dies so 't is the happiness of the Saints that their joyes which are begun here shall never end This is the beginning of Heaven here Romans 14.17 't is Heaven upon Earth 't is praeludium caeli a taste of the joyes of Heaven This is the Heaven of Heavens as in ill conscience is the hell of hells without this heaven would not be heaven to us When all other Feasts can yield us to comfort yet this will and that in three times especially 1. In the times of common calamity when sword plague and famine are abroad then shall such be secure and safe Iob 5.19 20. and 22.29 Psalm 91. In troublous times this will be a Noahs Arke to save us from perishing with the world A Zoar to shelter us from wrath to come This will be a Simon that will help us to bear our Crosses when the Spirit of a man is once assured of Gods favour it can cheerfully endure all losses crosses and calamities Proverbs 18.14 His Motto is Miser sit qui miser esse potest Let who will be miserable he cannot 2. At the houre of death when mirth and musick can doe us no good then a good conscience like a faithful Ionathan will speak comfort to us and be a Davids harp to refresh us even in the pangs of death as we see Nehemiah 13.22 Isay 38.3 This inward Peace made the Martyrs goe as cheerfully to their stakes as many do to their weddings 3. At the day of judgement a good conscience will stand us in more steed then all the riches or priviledges of the world such shall then be received with an Euge well done good and faithful servant thou hast been faithful in a little I will make thee Ruler over much enter now with thy Lord into that place where he hath his joy and glory Matth. 25.22 4. Observation 4. Every faithful Christian is a spiritual Souldier for Paul speaketh not of himself onely as he was a Minister of Christ but as he was a faithfull Christian he fought the good fight in his general and particular calling he kept under his body and subdued those carnal lusts and affections which warred against the peace of his soul he did not make a flourish like a Fencer which beats the Aire but he fought in earnest and beat the enemies of his salvation 1 Cor. 9.27 28. This he enjoynes Timothy 1 Tim. 6.12 to fight the good fight of Faith and to defend it against all the temptations of the Devil oppositions of the world and lusts of the flesh For this reason he calleth Achippus his fellow-souldier Philemon 2. All the saints in their several generations have been fighters in this spiritual sense for in this war all is spiritual our weapons are spiritual our enemies spiritual our warfare spiritual and our victories Spiritual 2 Cor. 10.3 4. Noah by his righteousness warred and witnessed against the unrighteousness of the old world Lot against the Sodomites Moses against the sinnes of Egypt and Israel Daniel and the three Chaldaean worthies fought against the Idolatry of their times Elijah Isay Ieremy and all the Prophets and Apostles fought this good fight against the sinners of the several Ages which they lived in All these agonies and combates are but the same which the Saints did formerly pass through Philippians 1. ult here the Church is Militant in Heaven she is Triumphant here she is said to be terrible like an Army with banners Canticles 6.4 and to have an Armory whereon there hang a thousand bucklers all shields of mighty men Cant. 4.4 No man can get one foot of ground against sinne and Satan nor keep it without fighting Let Nehemiah but once begin to build the walls of Ierusalem Tobiah and Samballat with his confederates will presently oppose him Let Zerubbabel begin the worke of Reformation and Mountains of opposition will suddenly arise Zach. 4.7 If Christ set but his face towards Ierusalem and Samaritans will hate him Let Saul become a Paul and what persecutions abide him in every place Acts 21.23 When the woman the Church is in travel of the Man-child of Reformation then expect from the Dragon floods of Persecution Revelations 12. Let a man be once inlightned and converted to the Faith he must presently looke to endure a great fight of afflictions Heb. 10.32 Satan will be wrastling with him and try to give him a fall Hence it is that Iob 7.1 and 14.14 calleth the life of man a warfare Is there not an appointed time to man or as the margin of your Bibles Is there not a warfare because war of all other actions hath its appointed times We are all Way-fairing and war-fairing men our life is nothing else but a continual bickering with a world of tentations corruptions and dangerous assaults We are beset round and therefore we must fight round Especially Gods faithful Ministers who are the Captains and Leaders of the Lords people and are placed in the Front of the battle must expect the most furious assaults The Devil hateth every good man but he makes his fiercest onsets on the Ministers of Christ which makes Christ hold his Stars in his right hand as we are subject to greater opposition so we are under Christs special protection People therefore had need to be much
wheat for chaff and Heaven for Hell We should therefore moderate and mortify our affections towards these earthly enjoiments remembring that Our time is but short we should therefore use the world as not abusing it by setting our hearts upon it and so possess these worldly things that we be not possest of them 1 Cor. 7.29 30 31. As we tread these earthly things under our feet so they should be little and low in our affections The Church is cloathed with the Sun but she treads the Moon under her feet .i. she hath a low esteem of all these mutable worldly things Rev. 12.1 The worldling knoweth no better things and therefore he resteth content with his swill as the bruit beast knoweth not the excellency of a mans life and therefore delighteth it self in Hay and Provinder seeking no better because it knoweth no better So the natural man knoweth not the excellency of a believers life and therefore disdains it as folly and madnesse resting content with the draffe and dung of the world for his portion let him have Corn and Wine he careth for no more Psalm 4.6 The curse of the Serpent is upon such they creep on their bellies and lick the dust As for our selves let us not descend but ascend out of the Wildernesse of this World Canticles 3.6 and 8.5 In our Affections Meditations Prayers Endeavours and Conversations though our bodies be on Earth yet let our soules be in Heaven Philippians 3.20 Make God thy Riches thy Rest thy Portion and then thou mayest say with David Return to thy rest O my soul Psalm 116.7 He shall never be great in whose eye the World is great neither will Christ be sweet till the world is bitter to us Hence it is that the Lord layeth Worme-wood on the breasts of the World to weane us from its profits and pleasures and much adoe God hath even by them to mortifie our love to it How then should we doate on it if we had no crosses 5. Observation 5. This world shall have an end and all things in it it is not an everlasting world 't is but this Present World whose pomp and pleasures soon vanish away 1 Corinthians 7 29 30 31. Solomon who had made trial of them all hath written Vanity on them all Eccles. 1.2 which may serve to cool our Affections to them 6. Observation 6. Sinne blotteth a mans name and blemisheth his Reputation Demas for his worldlyness had a brand set on his name to the end of the World Iudas that sold his Master for money is branded for a Traytor and a Devil to Posterity Which blots and buts are upon the names of Rehoboham Ieroboam and Ahab who made Israel to sin with them The worldling hath an eye of detestation put on him Psal. 52.7 Lo this is the man that trusted in his riches Yea Gods own people when for want of keeping the watch of the Lord they fell into sin though they repented yet some scars remained though the wound were healed Piety is the best Monument and the most lasting The Righteous shall be had in everlasting remembrance Psalm 112.6 Proverbs 11.7 The memorial of the just shall be blessed 't is their name onely that shall be kept green and flourishing like the rod of Aaron laid up in the Tabernacle 7. Observations 7. 'T is an aggravation of a mans sinne to sinne deliberately against light and conviction Demas doth not sinne here through passion or feare but deliberately and in cold blood as we say he deserteth Christs Cause and embraceth the world Physitians say that complicated diseases are very dangerous In this sinne of Demas almost all the Aggravations of sin may be found 1. He sinned against great Light he being a Professour yea a Preacher of the Gospel could not offend in this kinde especially through ignorance To sinne for want of Light may excuse à tanto though not à toto it may extenuate though it cannot excuse 1 Timothy 1.13 Nothing aggravateth sinne like this sinning against Light He that knew his Masters will and did it not was beaten with many stripes When a man sinneth for want of Light God usually beareth and forbeareth But when Light is come and men are convinced of their sinne and yet will goe on this is presumptuous sinning this is Rebellion which is as the sin of Witch-craft it maketh sin exceeding sinful 1. To sinne against the Light of Nature aggravated the Heathens sinne and they were punished for it Romans 1. When they knew God in his Workes and yet did not gloryfie him by walking up to that light God gave them up to a Reprobate sense 2. To sinne against the Light of the Law is worse the Jewes that knew the Law yet sinning against the Law were sorer punished then the Gentiles that were ignorant of it Romans 2.9 3. But we have the Light of the Gospel and so sin against both the former Lights and this too which maketh our sinne in some respects greater then the Devils sin for he never sinned against the patience of God as we do nor against the Tenders of a Redeemer and the offers of grace in the Gospel Heb. 10.26 27 28 29. 2. Demas sinned against great Love God had inlightned him made him a Preacher of the Gospel gave him a roome in the affections of his chosen Vessel Paul who had made him his Coadjutor and commended him in his Epistles to the Churches yet see his Ingratefulnesse Demas hath forsaken me To desert an ordinary Professor of the Gospel when he is in bonds for the Truth is ill but to forsake a Paul his approved friend an Apostle of Christ and that in bonds for the Gospel when the sincerity of a Friend is tried who should love at all times Proverbs 17.17 when it was honourable to live and die with him yet now to forsake him was both inhumane and unchristian And this aggravates Englands sin We cannot sin now at such cheap rates as formerly Our sinnes especially in this latter age of the World are committed against greater Light and greater love then ordinary against greater Priviledges Experiences Victories and Deliverances then ever our fore-fathers saw We have beene exalted to Heaven in mercies God hath made us his Darling Nation and therefore we may justly looke to be thrown to the lowest Hell for our abuse of them If ever any Nation deserved a Bill of Divorce 't is England We have forsaken the Lord and therefore he might justly forsake us and say Loammi ye are not my people neither will I be your God Hosea 1.9 God was angry with Solomon for sinning against him who had appeared twice unto him 1 Kings 11.9 But how often hath the Lord appeared in the Tokens of his love to England and yet we rebell against him He taketh it ill to be thus wounded in the house of his friends Zach. 13.6 As Absolom said to Hushai Is this thy kindnesse to
not Bring my Silkes Satins Plush Velvets Copes Rochets Palls c. and other furniture enough to load a Cart but bring my Cloake and Bookes this is all the Apostles House-holdry If good men have food though it be but bread and water and rayment though it be never so course yet they rest contented with it Our happynesse doth not lie in the Pomp and pleasures of this World It is said of Iohn the Baptist that he was Tota Vox All voyce His Diet his Dwelling his Apparel his doing and his suffering all preached mortification and selfe-denial So this our Apostle was All Voyce Though a great part of the World was his Diocess yet he never affected nor once sought great things for himself He was poore in Temporals though rich in Spirituals 2 Corinthians 6.10 Silver and Gold he had none All his riches were a few Bookes and writings and a few old Cloathes to keep him warme 'T is said of that laborious and judicious Calvin that all the goods which he left behind him his Library being sold very dear came scarce to three hundreth Florens which is about ninety pound of our money It becometh not Gods People who are strangers and Pilgrimes here to seeke great things for themselves Ieremiah 45.5 How unlike then is Pope Paul and his successours to Saint Paul here and Saint Peter who cryed Silver and Gold I have none Acts 3.6 when Pope Iohn the two and twentieth had two hundred and fifty Tunnes of Gold found in his Treasury What Palaces Revenewes Attendance charge of costly Rayments have these men of sinne had which plainly sheweth that they are the Devils Vicars and not Christs 5. Observation 5. Whilest we live in this World we must have a moderate care of our health When winter approacheth Paul sendeth for his winter Garment to keep him warm The body is the souls Organe and Instrument by which it acteth and therefore it must be kept what in us lieth in tune for the service of the soul. He that forbiddeth us to kill our selves commandeth us inclusively to preserve our lives by all good and lawfull meanes such as necessary Cloathing wholesome Diet and convenient Lodgeing and therefore those Quakers that attempt to fast fourtie dayes as our Saviour did and thereby starve and famish themselves as some of them have done are no better then self-murderers Caution Onely we must beware of excessive carking and caring for the body remembering it is but the outside and the carkasse the soul is the man that is the Jewel which calleth for our special care Deuteronomy 4.9 Iohn 6.27 6. Observation 6. Good men are humble men They disdain not to stoop to the meanest services for the good of others If Timothy were a Diocesan Bishop as some Bishop-Would-bee would fain have it surely he was a very humble one since here he disdaineth not to bring Pauls old cloake with his Bookes and his Parchments after him Pride can stoop to nothing but Humility maketh a man become all things to all men so far as he can with a good Conscience that he may win some Bring the Books with thee Paul was now old in prison and ready to dye yet he calleth for Books 7. Observation 7. The Ministers of Christ must be studious men They must be much in Reading Writing and collecting even in their old Age and to their dying day Though a man have made a good proficiency in Learning and have extraordinary gifts of the Spirit so had Paul who was taught the mysteries of salvation more immediately by God himselfe and was wrapt up into the third Heaven and had been an Apostle so long yet still he calls for Bookes and Note-Bookes His dead Counsellours were his best Companions And if the Apostle who had such extraordinary gifts used Bookes and Notes 't is no dishonour to the best man in the World now to use them especially since we are commanded to give our selves to Reading 1 Timothy 4.13 and we amongst the rest must more especially search into the Scriptures Iohn 5.39 Away then with that Pride and folly of the Anabaptists and Enthusiasts who cry down Books and reading boasting that they have attained to such extraordinary gifts of the Spirit that they can Preach Prate they should say Non-sense and blasphemy without Books To these I briefly answer for I love not to spend much time about these Bruits 1. Let us see those extraordinary gifts you speake off I must professe seriously I could never yet finde ordinary gifts in these extraordinary Braggadoco's I have divers of their Letters by me wherein there is neither good matter good Language good Sense nor true English 2. Admit these men had these extraordinary gifts which they so boast off yet are they better then Paul Timothy or Daniel 9.2 for all these used Bookes Who knoweth not that the Spirit of God worketh by means and as he that will be rich must work for it so he that will be rich in knowledge must reade and study for it Solon a wise Heathen when he was old yet gloried that he still learned something and shall we that are Christians come short of Heathens Let these young men then that thinke themselves so full that they need no more remember old Paul who still was learning and studying the Scriptures even to his dying day The Word of God is a great deepe and we know but in part being clogged with our corrupt Nature and the mists of the flesh that hinder us from seeing the wonderous things which are in Gods Law Especially the Parchments 8. Observation 8. We should extract semething out of that we reade and treasure it up for our owne use and the good of the Church Our memories are weake and since the fall they are woefully crazed and become very deceitful to us and therefore we had need to use all good means to help them if Paul used Parchments for such a use as the learned conceive he did it is then no disparagement to the best to doe it VERSES 14 15. Alexander the Copper-Smith did me much evill the Lord reward him according to his workes VERSE 15. Of whom be thou ware also for he hath greatly withstood our words IN these words we have a relation of the injuries and oppositions which Paul met withall from Alexander an open and profest enemy to Paul and his Doctrine where we have 1. A Narration or Complaint set forth in an entire proposition Alexander the Copper-smith hath done me much evil 2. An Imprecation The Lord reward him according to his workes Alexanders Opposition springing from the extremity of malice to the power of Godlynesse he curseth him in the Name of the Lord and not out of any private revenge but in a holy zeal to Gods glory 3. Here is a Caution to Timothy to shun him of whom be thou ware also q. d. Thou seest what an enemy he is to me thy Father trust him not for he will
is clear that a sin against the Rule of faith may caeteris paribus be far more sinful and damnable then the sinne which is against the rule of life 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 attendite cum attentione cavete An erroneous Hereticall head and an upright pious heart are in compatible a good conscience and true faith like Hippocrates twins live and die together M. Cranford Ser. ag Haeres p. 15. A mans Opinion makes him sinfull as well as his Practice and a man may be damned for a corrupt opinion as well as for a corrupt Conversation Sedgewicke Vide Godwins Jewish Antiqu. l. 1. c. 12.13 Helvici Chronol ab Anno 60. c. fol. p. 87.89 Optimum solatiâ— genus est si oculos referant fideles ad vetusta Ecclesiae certamina See Mr. Caryll on that Text. Tanto plus glâ—riae referemus quâ—niam tò plures supâ—rabimus Nisi Haereticis exercitaremur atque cogeremur ad inspiciendos exercendâ—s thesauros nostros ignavi sterteremus marcesseremus animâ— Luther See Dr. Wilkinsâ—n â—ast Ser. preacht 1644. Oct. 25. Oâ—do seculi taâ—quam pulcherrimum carmen constat ex quibusdam quasi Antithetis antitheâ—a veâ—o sunt ornamenta elocutionis Aug. de Civit. Dei l. 11. c. 18. As 't is in the greater world all good and useful things have their contrary evils there are Herbs and Weeds Tares and Wheat useful and hurtful creaturs so 't is in the Church there are false Prophets and true c. Nâ—c ferè accidere solet ut antè circa fidem naufraget aliquis quam naufragere caeperit circa mores Bellarm. See Mr. Strongs 31. Serm. on Iude 4. p. 195. c. Those which are for all kinde of Tenents are commonly for all kinde of Practises a latitude of judgement hath a latitude of conversation D. Horton See more in Mr. Gournall on Ephes. 6.12 p. 268. c. Haec vitia Haereticos comitari solent morum dissimulatio ficta retractatio pertinacia disciplinae 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Danaeus V Sleidan Bullinger Spanhein Diatrib de Anabap and Hookers Pref. to his Eccles. Policy See Mr. Cranfords Ser. against Heresies p. 2. c. and Mr. Sherlock against the Quakers cap. 7. in fine libri See Mr. Iohn Clerks Sermon preach't 1646. Adams Ser. on Gal. 5.9 p. 69â— folio See Mr. Obad. Sedgwich Ser. on that Text. See Mr. Vines Serm. on that Text. Palam coit cum matre sororibus canis masculi infinita cubilia Franzâ—us See more in my Sal. Terrae cap. 9. A paâ—â—iculari ad Vniversale non valet argumentum 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 dicuntur illa quae exiâ—â—estinis boum ovium aâ—t pejorum canibus projiciuntur 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 quod canibus objiciantur à Lapide Si leoâ—ina pellis non sâ—fficit vulpina est assuenda Autor Haeresium Diabolus ita lubritus mille modis Proteus est ut non possit certo constâ—ingi aut capi Vna rima obstructa decem alias invenit quibus elabitur et seu ventus conclusus omnia quarit penetrat omnia ut possit â—lâ—bi Contra huâ—s pracipuè pugnatur quando cum Haereticis res est Itaque disputando nihil prosicitur eisi disputandum est disputationibus ministri Satanae sunt convintendi propter reliquam Ecclesiam Luther Non solum faciunt mala sed defendunt Hicron Etsi vox caprissat tamen per rimulas vulpem videamuâ— Mente sagax vitâ sanctus calamoque celebris Arminius V. vitam Armin. Bellarmine was such a perfect Pharisee that if you believe the Jesuite who writ his life he could hardly find any sin to confesse when he was dying Non vult Diabolus deformis ater esse in suis ministris sed mundus candidus ut talis appareat ornat omnia verba opera sua praetextu veritatis nominis Dei juxta protriâ—um illud In nomine Domini c. Luther â—a mihi fallere da justum sanctùmque videri Horat. Nullus Haereticus venit sub titulo erroris Satanae nec Diabolus ipse vâ—nit ut Diabolus praeserâ—im candidus ille imò ater Diabolus ad manifesta scelera impellens operculum facit homini ut peccalum extenuet Luther 'T is common that the same of the Founder of a Sect makes men drink in his opinions first in one thing then in another at last in all especially if he be a man of parts and famous Capell Sâ—â— Mr. Tombs his Ser. on 1 Cor. 3.21 Gâ—laâ—pies Miscelan cap. 12 13. D. Boltons Arraignment of errours 163. c. V. D. Arrowsmith Tactica S. lib 2. cap. 2. S. 3. See my Pulpit-Guard Edit 4. p. 11. Arg. 2. Skilfull Musicians are hardly induced to play but unskilfull Fidlers will scrape without entreating Ex sartoribus doctores facti ut delicatè molliter viverent Calvin contra Liberi cap. 4. Iactant se sincerissimos fidelissimos cum sunt omnium mendacissimi Luther They pretend to walk so spiritually as if they had no bodies and yet act so carnally as if they had no souls they talk as if they had cloven Tongues yet walk as if they had cloven Feet Mr. Wild in his Assize Serm. on Rom. 1.32 Cum vitium virtus putatur ibi culpa sine metu cumulatur Greg. Dum verba molliunt virus infundunt Greg. Mr. Firmin hath spoken very well to this Point in his Treatise against the Quakers p 12. to 20. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 à 〈…〉 ndo Torquent contorquent detorquent atque retorquent Non aliunde natae sunt Haereses nisi dum Scripturae bonae non bene intelliguntur etiam temerè audacter asseritur August Tract 18. in Job Non est haec libertas credendi sed errandi non conscientiae sed Phantasiae non libertas sed Libertinismus Cum ipsam veritatem criminari obscâ—rare non possunt homines per quos praedicatur abducunt in odium de quibus fingere quicquid in mentem venerit possant Aug. epist. 137. See the Letters sent to Nayler Naylers Examination Noctem peccatis fraudibus objice nubem Horat. Solaecismus in verbis transit in solaecismos in doctrina barbarismus sepè abit in Haeresin Doctor Slatyr Peregrinâ insolenti utuntur linguâ quâ sic cornicantur ut nihilo plus perspicuitatis insit quam in aviam cantu Calvin adversus Libeâ—tinos cap. 7. In fruticosis gaudet auceps fur in tenebris Piscator in turbidis 'T is well observed by Master Clapham that seducers doe not alwayes deny in down right words great and fundamental Truths revealed in Scripture but often whilest they pretend to owne the Scriptures expressions they pervert and deny the Truths themselves Belingues sunt in multiplices species se transformant nunc hoc nunc illud asserentes Calv. cont Libert c. 8. ubi plura See Master Sherlocke against the Quakers cap. 4.5 6. c. Nayler talks much of the Spirit in his Examination Putant