come Rom. 3.8 Omnia libera per fidem serva per charitatem Faith gives liberty but Charity is a binder Paul by faith may circumcise Timothy by charity he will not circumcise Titus Off with that hair away with that apparel those colours c. which wound thy weak brothers soul It will be no grief of heart as Abigal told David in another case to have forborn in case of scandal A great grief it would be if by some rash word we should betray a brother or smite out the eye of our dearest child Should we then destroy the life of grace in another by our unadvised walking Vnto the pure all things are pure Read 1 Tim. 4.4 Tit. 1.15 Rom. 14.3 Let not him that eateth despise him that eateth not and let not him which eateth not judge him which eateth Vers 15. Destroy not him with thy meat for whom Christ died Read Rom. 14 5. 1 Cor. 8.11 c. Questions The Schoolmen were great Questionists and they had it from the Artemonites a sort of Hereticks Anno Christi 220. that out of Aristotle and Theophrastus corrupted the Scripture by turning all into questions In detestation of whose vain jangling and doting about questions Luther saith Propè est ut jurem nullum esse Theologum Scholasticum qui unum caput Evangelii intelligat I durst swear almost that there was not one School-Divine Tom. 1. Oper. lat Ep. 47. that rightly understood one Chapter of the Gospel Again God loveth Curristas non Quaeristas saith he It is a question of the Papists Whether an Ass drinking at the Font do drink the water of Baptism and so may be said to be baptized But Melancton answered well Est quaestio digna Asinis Such Questionists are as Stapleton saith of Bodin Magna nugatores great Triflers True it is we must be ready to render a reason of our faith but then it must be when we see it will be to some good purpose Nodum nodo dissipat Aret. as if otherwise forbear or uâ—ty one knot with another as Christ did Mat. 21.24 Sick about questions 1 Tim. 6.4 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 2 Tim. 2.23 But foolish and unlearned questions avoid knowing that they do gender strifes Read 1 Tim. 1.4 Tit. 3.9 c. Imagination This Janus of Imagination hath different faces The face towards Reason hath the print of Truth the face towards Action hath the print of Good which nevertheless are faces Quales decet esse sororum In matters of Religion Imagination is raised above Reason hence is the cause why Religion sought access to the mind by Similitudes Types Parables Visions and Dreams Those that abused the light of nature Rom. 1.21 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for a reward became vain in their imaginations Sense and Motion Sense is that faculty whereby a man in his body is enabled to discern things without himself and accordingly to desire and move to them 1. Seeing by which man is not only enabled to behold the Creation and see what God hath wrought but finds it a chief help for all the employments of life in all callings 2. Hearing which is performed after a wonderful manner by which is let into the soul and body not only sounds of delight but also of necessity 3. Tasting by which we distinguish of meats profitable or hurtful to the body 4. Smelling by which we receive in those delightful scents God hath caused to arise from divers of his creatures and to avoid things noisom 5. Touching which though it be the most stupid sense is of great use for mans safety These are called Outward senses and what images of divers things they have got by going abroad they do deliver in to the Common sense the Phantasie and Memory where they are received in refined and treasured up and these are called the Inward senses So that the former may be called the Body's guard and the Soul's intâ—lligencers All sense proceedeth from the brain and therefore is placed as Galen observeth in the upper part of the body as the fittest scituation for conveniency to the senses of the eyes and sight especially The spring and original of the senses saith another is in the common sense seated in the fore-part of the head This differeth from the rest of the senses as the root from the branches or as a line drawn from the point Our senses are inlets to the understanding and therefore the senses of the body are advantagious to the mind The eye doth not see for it self or for the body only but the eye sees for the understanding The like may be said of the rest of the senses They may be servants to sin or servants to grace Let not therefore those senses which God hath given us both for natural uses to the body and for spiritual uses to the soul be abused and turned to the disservice of the body much less to the destruction and damnation of the soul For by these the heart may in a moment be both affected and infected Amongst the rest Seeing and Hearing are two principal senses of inquisition and reporcers of knowledge never satisfied yet no knowledge of Gods will revealed by the senses As one of Plato's School said That the sense of man carrieth a resemblance with the Sun which as we see openeth and revealeth all the terrestrial Globe but then again it obscureth and concealeth the stars and celestial Globe So doth the sense discover natural things but it darkeneth and shutteth up divine Hence it is that many learned men have been heretical whilst they sought to flie up to the secrets of the Deity by the waxen wings of the Senses Of the Senses read Eccl. 1.8 Job 6.30 cap. 12.11 Gen. 27.12.21.27 1 Cor. 12.17 c. 2 Cor. 5.7 But we walk by faith not by sight Motion is one of those two sorts of senses wrought by the soul upon the body For of it self it is but a dead lump as it shews it self to be when the soul is gone out of it The soul gives unto the body a threefold motion The Vital motion and this is wrought two wayes 1. By the Pulse which is begun at the heart and made continually to beat and this beating of the heart begets those sparkles which we call vital spirits arising out of the finest of the blood which spirits are carried by the pulse thorow the arteries and they shine in the whole body according as their passages are more or less open 2. And by Breathing by which aire is both fetcht in continually for the cooling of natural heat in the heart and the spirits refreshed as also the gross and more smoky spirits are exhaled out of the breast The motion of Appetite by which the creature is inclined to take to him such things from without as he conceives good and needful for him and likewise to avoid things hurtful Thus there are divers appetites and desires as of hunger and thirst after food desire of
therefore the Jews called it a Sabbath of Sabbaths or Regina Sabbathorum the Queen of rests 4. Gods own distinction raining no Manna that day 5. Other holy dayes were memorative or figurative only but this was both memorative and figurative which Bellarmine marks 6. Other feasts might be transferred to it but it might be transferred to none 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 7. The whole Week takes denomination from it and is called a Sabbath Luk. 18.12 that is in the Week Now our Christian Sabbath or religious rest is called a Sabbath-day by our Saviour Mat. 24.20 Called therefore also the Lords day Rev. 1.10 as one of our Sacraments is called the Lords Supper and the Table of the Lord because instituted by him Yet with grief be it spoken it is so observed by some that it may more fitly be stiled Dies Daemoniacus quà m Dominicus Alsted 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ignat. But let every one of us sanctifie it that is keep it spiritually rejoycing in the meditation of Christs law more than the rest of our bodies For external rest alone may be called the Sabbath of the Oxe or of the Ass but the internal or secret rest is true consecrating of a Sabbath It is observable that though upon all days Christ was operative and miraculous Dr. J. T. yet chose he to do many of his miracles upon the Jews Sabbath And many reasons doubtless did concur and determine him to a more frequent working upon those days of publick ceremony and convention amongst which these may be two 1. That he might draw off and separate Christianity from the yoke of Ceremonies by abolishing and taking off the strictest Mosaical Rites 2. And that he might do the work of abrogation and institution both at once So that he hath dissolved the bands of Moses in this and other instances principally in the sacred command for the Sabbath-day that now we are no more obliged to that rest which the Jews religiously observed by prescript of the Law Col. 2.16 For that which now remains moral in it is that we do honour to God for the Creation and to that and all other purposes of Religion separate and hallow a portion of our time Concerning the Lords day which now the Church observes it was set apart in honour of the Resurrection And he who keeps that day most strictly most religiously he keeps it best and most consonant to the designe of the Church from whence it had its positive institution the ends of Religion and the interest of his soul The works that may be done on the Sabbath are those of Piety Charity Necessity In Scripture he that gathered sticks was paid home with stones Num. 15. The first blow given the German Churches was upon the Sabbath-day which they carelesly observed And Prague was lost upon that day Sanctifying the Lords day in the Primitive times was a badge of Christianity When the question was propounded Servâsti Dominicum Hast thou kept the Sabbath The answer was returned Christianus sum intermittere non possum I am a Christian and may not do otherwise That holy man Johanna Dâ—ùsius when the Sabbath-day approached put upon him his best apparel and welcomed the Sabbath going forth to meet and salute it with Veni Sponsa mea Come my sweet Spouse He was glad of it as the Bridegroom of the Bride Remember the Sabbath-day to keep it holy Exod. 20.8 Kingdom of God There is the Kingdom of God's 1. Power 2. Grace 3. Glory For the first His throne is lofty and dominion large It being his powerful government generally over the whole world and every particular in it even unto the sparrows on the house top and hairs on our head which he preserveth and disposeth of according to his own will and royal decree Of this Psal 103.19 Psal 145.13 Mat. 10.30 Hereunto Devils and all creatures whatsoever are subject The second signifies his special gracious government and rule over the Elect whose hearts he enlightneth and guideth by his Spirit effectually moving them to believe his promises and do his will Of this Luk 17.21 Rom. 14.17 And by the third understand his blessed and glorious estate wherein he reigneth with millions of Saints for ever and ever full of heavenly majesty and felicity Of this 1 Cor. 6.9 Luk. 22.16 Called heavenly 2 Tim. 4.18 Now of these two latter the one is the means the other the end for grace is the way to glory holiness to happiness Therefore Seek ye first the kingdom of God Mat. 6.33 and his righteousness Gods Presence There is a twofold presence of God in his people 1. Felt and perceived 2. Secret and unknown Sometime God is not only present with his people but also makes them sensibly perceive it as Simeon and therefore his mourning was turned to mirth and his sobs to songs Again sometime God is present but not felt and this secret presence sustains us in all temptations it ever leaveth life in our souls like the tree wherein life remains when the leaves are gone Fear thou not Isa 41.10 for I am with thee Church-Order and Discipline Order THe Church of God is not a Den of Confusion but an House of Order Ceremonies are of two sorts some are typical others are of order Those are abrogated not these saith Peter Martyr The Ceremonies of the Law were primò mortales postea mortuae Légalia faerunt ante passionem Domini viva statim post passionem mortuae hodie sepulta Augâ— postremò mortiferae So that to leave Christ for them or to join Christ with them is the plain way to destruction Yet such is the nature of misguided zeal that under colour of weeding out Superstition it will pluck up by the roots many plants of Paradise and acts of true Religion God is the God of order therefore it is good to have respect in the Church to things both real and ritual For Ordine servato mundus servatur at illo Neglecto pessùm totus orbis abit Order being kept the World is kept but when That is neglected all the World 's gone then Faith and Order that is saith one Doctrine and Discipline these two make the Church fair as the Moon cleer as the Sun and terrible as an Army with banners Our Saviour caused the people whom he fed to keep order in their sitting on the grass they sate down rank by rank as rows or borders of beds in a garden so the Greek imports whereupon an Expositor noteth Ordinatim res in Ecclesia faciendae Order must be observed in the Church Let all things be done decently and in order 1 Cor. 14.40 Reproof Wise men ever take a freedom of reproving especially when vice is bold and daring for when Modesty dies Vertue is then upon the vanish Seasonable speech falling upon a prepared heart hath oft a strong and sweet operation Friends as Bees are killed with the honey of Flattery but quickned with the
exceeded the capacity of Nicoâ— Cum primum nascimur in omni continuo pravitate versamur Tully though a Master in Israel to become like him did not he mould out hearts anew and fill them with the invaluable riches of his mercy and the treasures of his graces we had been of all creatures the most miserable Sinful was our conception sinful was our birth and striful is all our life Nature makes us sons of wrath being deprived of the life of grace as soone as we are sons of nature Damnatus homo antequam natus Aug. there is none that doth good no not one All are sold under sin whence the Apostile upon his own experience averreth that in him that is in his flesh or natural estate dwelleth no good thing Rom. 7. We are born dead as soone as we come into the world alive spiritually dead naturally alive Now in whom no good thing dwelleth by nature they are by nature void of grace and who by nature are void of grace do not by nature participate of spiritual life whereof whosoever is not partaker is by nature spiritually dead and who by nature are spiritually dead are destitute of the Spirit of grace who is the sole Author of life and finisher of our salvation All saving graces and heavenly benedictions flow from him in whom the fulnesse of all graces dwells and all return to him again as rivers come from the sea and to the sea return Uâ—lesse therefore God sends forth the Spirit of his Son into our hearts to sanctifie 〈◊〉 to cleanse us to put new spirit and life into us which is a work of the highest power to which nature can never actain we shall come short of performing the least act that may be any wayes advantageous for our falvation A dead manâ—s not in action hath no living motion neither is there in his power any possibility of regaining life a so is every one spiritually whose heart is not quickened and moved by the holy Ghost to whom it is alone possible to raise from the death of sinne whose property it is to infuse grace and make the hearts and souls of men beautified with the richest furniture and most precious 〈◊〉 of divine 〈…〉 Tomles for himself to dwell in And thus the passage is clear and open for another observation grounded on these words which is this That the heart of the child of God is the seat or dwelling place of the holy Ghost Of all things in man God desireth the heart of man My son give me thine heart for as naturally evil actions proceed from it so must all good being first set awork by the first mover unto all good the good Spirit of God It is in man by nature according to the dictates of natural Philosophy Primum vivens the first in man that lives and divine Philosophy informs us that it is so in grace too For the convernon of the whole man depends upon the conversion of the heart to God there new life is begun Nature gives it a vital faculty distributing to all parts the vital spirits whereby they are embled to work and so doth grace for in what good soever any part of the body is imployed the power of effecting it is derived from the heart which as it is called Principium vitae in the body of man so it is made by the grace of God the original of a holy life and the first subject of grace without which all our best services are but glittering sins for with the heart we beleeve and with the heart we work out our salvation The Chymicks compare the heart to the Sun call'd by them Cor mundi the Sun is in the midst of the great world this in the midst of the little world man The Sun is the sountain of heat in this wherewith all sublunary creatures are cherished and quickened so from the heart to apply things otherwise than they do wholly taken up with the sanctifying Spirit doth proceed such a heat and fervent zeal as that every part is made nimble in the execution of what God commands us It makes the feet swift in running to the house of prayer the hands pliable to minister to the necessities of the poor the tongue voluble in uttering the praises of Almighty God â— 1. 〈◊〉 the eares ready to hear with joy the Gospel of peace preached the eyes to be busied in looking up to heaven from whence cometh our salvation the whole man to be wholly taken up in heavenly contemplations of God and his works and holy exercises of devotion Hence the heart may challenge a principality over all the members of the body all are at its service and it exerciseth dominion over them all Arist in lib. de gederatione tanquam rex in regno as King in his Kingdom saith the Philosopher and it is ruled by the Spirit say Divines Naturalists raise a large discourse and ample dispute upon this Argument and as yet the controversie lies undetermined but this one principle of Divinity alotting the heart to the holy Ghost for his chief mansion in man doth end the controversie for in what part of man the holy Ghost doth principally reside and on what part of man mans conversion doth principally depend must of necessity be the principal part of man But to return more particularly to the rule hitherto amplified that the heart of man is the seat of the Spirit my discourse shall be limited 1. To the proof here of by Scripture 2. To a declaration of those circumstances whereby the being of the Spirit in our hearts may be discovered and by necessary consequence without all peradventure coucluded It is the general voice of the Scripture which is without exception that the Spirit dwelleth in the elect Rom. 8.9 Ye are not in the flesh but iâ— the spirit if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you And in ver 11. it is thus written That if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit which dwelleth in you The Apostle in 1 Cor. 3.16 propounds this question the ignorance whereof is reputed grosse absurdity Know ye not that ye aâ—d the temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you It is part of Pauls divine prayer for the Ephesians in Ephes 3.17 that Christ may dwell in their hearts by saith that is that Christ may possesse their hearts and the whole man by his Spirit working saving faith in them This dwelling is an admirable good expression of the being of the Spirit in us which is not in regard of substance which the heaven of heavens cannot contain being infinite much lesse can the body or soul of man bounded within strait limits comprize but in regard of a special operation out of the reach of a created power It carries with it an intimation of the holy Ghost abiding
where we shall be known and well entertained Paul pronounceth his afflictions light when he weighed them with that weight of Glory and looked on things not seen And let us use the means and hold the way to this blessed place 1. Promoting Gods glory 2. Seeking to please him in all things 3. Beginning heaven upon earth 4. Studying sanctification decking our selves with grace and getting the Wedding-garment for that Wedding-day for without Holiness none shall see God 1 King 8.27 2 Cor. 11.12 Isa 63.15 Luk. 16.22 Heb. 11.10 Joh. 14.2 2 Cor. 5.1 in that Presence-chamber of his Glory Scripture calls this place The Heaven of heavens The third heaven The habitation of Gods holiness and of his glory Abrahams bosâ—me A city which hath foundations whose maker and builder is God Christs Fathers house in which are many mansions A building of God an house not made with hands eternal in the heaven The new Jerusalem The Paradise of God An holy place c. De Angelis ANgels were created it is conceived in the beginning Psal 33.6 when the Heavens were for saith the Psalmist By the word of the Lord were the heavens made and all the host of them by the breath of his mouth And it is likely before Man Job 38.4 7. by those words Where wast thou when the Morning-stars sang together and all the sons of God shouted for joy Angels are Spirits of Heaven resembling their Creator as children do their father both in their substance which is incorporeal and in their excellent properties Life and immortality excellency blessedness and glory They are called 1. Spirits Nomen essentiae 2. Angels Nomen officii For their number they are said to be Thousands and Ten thousand thousands 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Dan. 7.10 Myriads Heb. 12.22 which because of the vastness of the number we render innumerable They are innumerable to us so are our sins the hairs of our heads the sands of the sea-shore the stars in the firmament not to God The supposed Dionysius the Senator of Athens Niceph. 1.2 cap. 20. ordered the Celestial Hierarchy thus That the first degree is given to the Angels of Love termed Seraphim The second to the Angels of Light termed Cherubim The third and so the following degrees to Thrones Principalities and the rest which are all Angels of power and ministration So that upon this account the Angels of knowledge and illumination are placed before the Angels of office and domination I think such curious brains put all out of order Augustine is of a more modest spirit Quomodo se babeat beatissima illa ac superna Civitas quid inter se distent quatuor illa vocabula Col. 1.16 dicant qui possunt Enchyâ— ad Laurent c. 58. si tamen possunt probare quod dâ—cant Ego me isthaec ignorare consiteor Let the like humility be imitated of us all Let no man presume to understand above that which is written And there their several degrees and dignities are only hinted as well among themselves as in regard of the inferior world and the government thereof The wisdom and knowledge of these Spirits is admirable Aug. Cognitiâ— concâ—eata acquisita Schoolmen The Devils know much 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 much more do the good Angels They have matutinam vespertinam scientiam Their morning-knowledge they have by creation and a continual contemplation of God their evening-knowledge they have by observation from the creatures and a diligent inspection into the Church Their power also is as wonderful Their office is to minister perpetually to God in obeying his will unto Christ as the Head of the Church and are also sent out to minister for the good and salvation of the Saints for Christs sake Not that God needeth them as Princes need the counsel and aid of their subjects But he maketh use of their service about us 1. For the honour of his Majesty and comfort of our infirmity 2. To make out his love unto us by employing such noble creatures for our good 3. To make and maintain love and correspondency between us and Angels till we our selves come to be like unto them The truth is though they excell in strength yet do they Gods commandments Luk. 20.36 hearkening to the voice of his word which they perform chearfully faithfully diligently speedily and constantly ever standing before the face of our heavenly Father and rejoycing more in their names of service than of honour of imployment than preferment to be called Angels that is messengers than Principalities Thrones c. accounting it better to do good than to be great to dispense Gods benefits than to enjoy them Let us imitate these good Spirits chiefly 1. In subjecting our selves to Christ as our Lord and King Phil. 2.9 This is their bowing of the knee and ours too 2. In doing the will of God alway chearfully as they do and therefore are said to have wings thus we pray Mat. 6.10 Laudant Deum Angeli adorant tremunt tremere dicuntur non metu formidinis l. 2. c. 50. de sacr Altar myster cum sint perfectè beati sed administrationis vel obedientiae affectu saith Innocent 3. Wise 2 Sam. 14.20 Psal 103.20 Heb. 1.14 according to the wisdom of an Angel of God Bless the Lord ye his Angels that excel in strength that do his commandments hearkening unto the voice of his word Are they not all ministring spirits sent forth to to minister for them who shall be heirs of salvation Of the Celestial Lights Of the Sun Sol quasi solus vâ—l quia solus ex omnibus sideribus est tantus vil quia quum est exortus obscuratis aliis solus appareat Martinius THe Sun is the Prince of Planets coursing about with incredible swiftness so sweet a creature that Eudoxus the Philosopher professed that he would be content to be burnt up with the heat of it so he might be admitted to come so near it as to learn the nature of it The Sun is as it were a vessel whereinto the Lord gathered the Light which till then was scattered in the whole body of the heavens This David beheld with admiration not adoration Psal 8. Jer. 44. as those Idolaters that worshipped the Queen of heaven For that was a witty speech of Cyril They were 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Atheists by night who worshipped the Sun and Atheists by day who worshiped the Moon and Stars And well he might for Chrysostom wondreth at this That whereas all fire naturally ascendeth God hath turned the beams of the Sun toward the earth making the light thereof to stream downwards This is the Lords own work and it ought to be wonderful in our eyes The Sun hath his name in the Hebrew 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a servant as being the servant-general of mankind 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 while he shines indifferently upon the evil and the good imparting to both light
The Law LEX à ligando vel ab eligendo dicta est Norma faciendorum Lex Naturae The Law of Nature is used in two senses 1. The one which springeth from reason sense induction and argument according to the Lawes of heaven and earth 2. The other imprinted on the spirit of man by an inward instinct according to the law of conscience herein man participates of some light touching the perfection of the Moral Law but how Sufficient to check the vice not to inform the duty Yet this Law of Nature imprinted in the soul may restrain the outward man and stir up in him a desire of vertue and moral honesty and prescribe and follow some things which God commands in his Law Valleius saith That Cato was homo virtuti similimus cui id solum visum est rationem habere quod haberet justitiam omnibus humanis vitiis immunis c. And much may be spoken of Aristides Phocion Socrates and others for their integrity Conscience say our Divines is nothing else but the correspondency of the spirit of man unto the Law to bind or loose him to accuse or excuse him to condemne or absolve him Therefore such as have a conscience must needs have a Law also yea the Thracians gloried that they were 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 living Laws walking Statutes For when the Gentiles Which have nst the Law Rom. 2.14 15. do by nature the things contained in the law these having not the law are a law unto themselves Which shew the work of the law written in their hearts their conscience also bearing witnesse and their thoughts the mean while accusing or else excusing one another Lex Civilis Legibus proposita sunt supplicia vitiis praemia virtutibus It is said that Philosophy Moral did spring from disorder and confusion Natural from learning the causes of things by effects Ciceâ—o for other teaching had they none that were removed far from the Hebrews and the law from evil manners cruelty and oppression Dracoes lawes were said to be written with blood and not with ink And it 's said of the Athenians that their lawes had need of a law to mend them Neither against the law of the Jewes Act. 25.8 nor yet against Caesar have I offended any thing at all Lex Ceremonialis Lex occultum Evangelium Evangelium revelata lex The Ceremonial law was the Jewes Gospel for it was Christ in figure and to him it led them Christus apellatur anima legis The Ceremonial law did obscruely and imperfectly represent Christ to the old Church and is now abolished by his coming in the flesh In the twelveth year of our Saviours age the same year wherein he taught in the Temple Luk. 2. the Sanctuary was polluted by casting about the bones of dead men thorow every part and Porch thereof at the very feast of the Passeover in the night time This Iosephus saith was done by the Samaritanes out of hatred to the Jewish services But God had surely a special hand in it to shew that people that those shadows were to vanish now that Christ the body was come and shewed himself All things have their time the Ceremonial law had her time and the Gospel hath his time We our selves have but our time some threescore years and ten and then we are gone Precessit lex Evangelium sicut umbra lucem virga Spiritum timor charitatem initium perfectionem Dominantis Praeceptum amantis concilium Innocent l. 2. de sacr Altar Myst When the Sun is behind the shadow is before when the Sun is before the shadow is behind So was it in Christ to them of old this Sun was behind and therefore the Law or shadow was before To us under the Gospel the Sun is before and so now the Ceremonies of the Law those shadows are behind yea vanished away Before the Passion of Christ wherein they all determined the Ceremonies of the Law were neither dead nor deadly Nec mortiferâ— nec mortuae Non mortiferae ut cunque mortuae et mortiferae after the Passion till such time as the Gospel was preached up and down by the Apostles though dead yet for the time they were not deadly But since that they are not only dead but deadly to them that use them as the Jewes to this day For all the Prophets and the Law prophesied until John Aquin. For the Law was given by Moses but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ Wherefore then serveth the Law Mat. 11.13 Joh. 1.17 Gal. 3.19 It was added because of transgressions till the seed should come to whom the Promise was made c. Lex Moralis Lex est Sanctio sancta jubens honesta prohibens contraria Legibus vivendum non exemplis Divinis regulis normis Aug. non humanis personis imitandum est The Antinomians cry down the Law calling Repentance a Legal grace and humiliation a Back-door to Heaven Istebius Agricola the first of that Sect and his followers held most unsound opinions That the Law and Works belong only to the Court of Rome That so soon as a man begins to think how to live godly and modestly he presently wandreth from the Gospel That a man was never truly mortified till he had put out all sense of conscience for sin That St. Peter understood not Christian liberty when he wrote these words Make your Calling and Election sure And that good works were perniciosa ad salutem This he once publickly revoked but afterwards relapsed into the same errour and hath at this day too many Disciples who amongst other places do most grievously wrest that Text 1 Tim. 1.9 The Law is not made for a righteous man c. Therefore good men are exempted from obedience to the Law To which we answer Juste lex non est posita neque ad condemnationem neque ad coactionem That a righteous man is freed from the coaction and malediction of the Law but not from the regulation of it To whom the commandments of God are not grievous but joyous The just man doth well not for fear of punishment as compell'd by the Law but of grace and meer love towards God and goodness virtutis amore Albeit there were no Law yet he would be a Law to himself Christ is legis finis Intâ—rficiens Aug. Perficiens The Ceremonial Law he hath slain and taken out of the way The Moral Law he hath fulfilled for us and we by him that is by faith in his name which maketh his obedience to become ours The Law is not impossible to be obeyed absolutè in se but ex accidenti in respect of us because of the corruptions of our hearts and natures Luther had three golden sayings concerning the Law 1. The first was Walk in the heaven of the Promise but in the earth of the Law That in respect of believing this of obeying 2. That in the justification of a sinner Christ and
are in themselves by custome in sin hardened as a just judgment he gives them over to Satan and his power but doth never restrain them from good and the means of it 4. Say not that sin came upon men by reason of the rigour of Gods Law which is impossible to be kept for when God gave his Law at first man was able to keep it and it came by his own default that he was not able to keep it afterwards 5. For thy self if thou have truely repented and do beleeve in Jesus Christ and hast in thee the signs of a child of God for thy part thou art free from this danger and out of all question in a safe estate and therefore oughtest not to grieve but rejoyce with singular praise to God I might enlarge I onely adde It should much satisfy us that however in the day of Jesus Christ those mysteries of Religion shall be broken open and all then shall be made clear unto us as clear as the shining of the Sun at noon-day God lets Reprobates alone which is a sad Omen Hos 4.14 17. Ezek. 16.42 Never was Jerusalems condition so desperate A man is ever and anon medling with his fruit-trees paring and pruning c. But for his Oakes and other trees of the forrest he lets them alone till he comes once for all with his axe to fell them Jude 4. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1 Pet. 2.8 2 Pet. 2 12. Men who were before of old ordained to this condemnation That is written down enrolled set down in the black bill Christ is a stone of stumbling and a rock of offence even to them which stumble at the word being disobedient whereunto also they were appointed Opposed to chosen vers 9. These as naturall bruit beasts made to be taken and destroyed Rom. 9 2â— The vessels of wrath fitted to destruction Indeed Molinaeus saith well Non dicit Deum â—oâ— aptasse adinterâ—tum ne vintretur dicere Deum eis indidisse peccatum quo adexitium preparentur Gospel-Mercy and Grace Promises WHereas Jesus Christ is said to be the Mediatour of a better covenant which was established upon better promises It would be known whether the New Testâ— have better promises than the Old Hebr. 8.7 was not Christ promised to them in the time of the law as well as to us in the time of the Gospel Did not God say to Adam The seed of the woman shall break the serpents head To Abraham in thy seed shall all Nations be blessed How then are our Promises better than theirs when as Christ and the Kingdome of heaven were promised to them as well as to us Answ In the promises there are those two things considerable 1. The matter 2. And the manner As for matter and substance the Promises were all one both in the Old and New-Testament that is Christ and eternal salvation by him But ours in respect of the manner are better and do excel theirs For 1. Their Promises were included within the narrow compass of Judea our promises are blazed all the world over 2. Their promises were published by men by the Patriarchs Prophets which were but servants ours by Christ the Son of God 3. They according to the promise had the graces of Gods spirit as well as we have yet not in such abundant measure as they be now poured out in the time of the Gospel 4. Their Promises were dark and obscure covered under the vail of many Ceremonies and shadowed out by temporal things Ours are more cleare and evident 5. Theirs were at the delivery of the Law with a condition Do this and live Cursed be he that continueth not in all things c. Ours beleeve and live 6. The Sacraments whereby the Promises were confirmed unto them were more hard and difficult the cutting off the fore-skin the preparing of a Lamb for every house Ours are more easy and familiar the sprinkling of a little water the procuring of bread and wine 7. Their promises were of things to come there should come a Lamb that should take away the sins of the world Ours are of things already come and exhibited This Lamb is come and hath offered up himself on the Altar of the Crosse for us Thus hath God in mercy vouchsafed us better promises surely he looks for better obedience at our hand To whom much is given much is required See at once both the goodness and faithfulness of God his goodness in that before he gave his Son he gave the Promise of him he was Promissus priusquam missus first assured verbally then sent actually and his faithfulnesse in that as he promised so he gave him Sicut promissus sic missus he was not more mercifully promised than faithfully sent Divine promises are as sweet bits to stay our stomacks before the full meal of actual performances Promises saith Cyril are Christi manitissima Cyril whereunto the righteous run and are safe Dicta Jehove sunt dicta pura we should expectare impletianem Divine promises shall be performed as sure as the heavens are over our heads and the earth under our feet God doth not pay his promises with fair words only as Sertorius is said to do 〈◊〉 neither is he like Antigonus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ignominiously so called because forward in promising slack in performing but as his love moved him to promise so his truth bindeth him to performe When God hath once passed his promise and so made himself a voluntary debter he faileth not to performe it Though God will come according to his promise yet he will have his peoples prayers lead him Gods promises must be put in suit Exceeding great and precious promises 1 Pet. 1.4 And thou saidst Gen. 32.12 I will surely do thee good Remember the word unto thy servant Psal 119.49 upon which thou hast caused me to hope Redemption Christ hath redeemed us both by price and power not as Moses that married a Black-more and she continued so but Christ changeth his Those whom Christ hath redeemed by his blood he doth also in some measure sanctifie by his Spirit For as in the natural body of man 〈◊〉 Andrewes the Spirit ever goeth with the blood there being in every part thereof an arterie to carry the spirit where there is a vein to carry the blood So it is with Christ his blood and his Spirit go alwayes together so that his blood doth never cleanse any man from the guilt of sin whom his spirit doth not in some measure sanctifie and free from the power and dominion of sin The Arminians Vniversal Redemption is endeavoured to be founded upon 1 Cor. 1â— 22 Rom. 5.18 et alibi Upon occasion of which places an Armiman uttered these Blasphemies in publike Lord thou saiest thou art just if thou savest not all by Christ as thou damnest all by Adam I say thou art not just Lord thou saiest thou art love if thou savest not all by the second
in a family there is not so much notice taken but if whole families be infected with the plague then all possible care is used Why knows thou not that that flame may begin to appear in one house that will serve to burn down the whole City A wicked man is a very miserable man His triumphing is short but his declining is for ever All his good things will soon be at an end but his evils shall never end His light is quickly put out but when once it is dark with him he shall see the light no more As saith the Proverb of the ancients Wickednesse proceedeth from the wicked 1 Sam. 2 4 â—â—… The Lord shall reward the doer of evil according to his wickednesse 1 Sam 3. â—â— They that plow iniquity and sow wickednesse reap the same Job 4.8 Diligence It is the spirit of action Erasmus saith of Jerom Minima pars vitae dabatur somno minor cibo nulla â—tiâ— Bernard in his studious call whither he had retired himself would oft say to himself Bernard Bernard remember for what end thou camest hither The Author of that useful History The travels of the old Patriarchs Kings and Prophets when he comes to write the motions of Antiochus Epiphanâ—s who was a great King but of a most malitious spirit against the people of God he observes that this Antiochus in pursuance of his bloody designes had run more hazzards and taken more tedious journeys to satisfy his malice and reach his ambitious ends than any of the Saints had done upon any command or service of God upon which consideration he makes this excellent conclusion That wicked men take more paines to go to Hell and eternal destruction than godly men do in the way to eternal life and salvation Grimst Exercitium of ex arceâ— because it â—erives out diseases Rust eats up the steel that 's not used Prov. 10.4 It 's storied of the French Pesant he is very laborious so as he will toil three days in a rock that he may plant one stock of a vine and this labour is the cause of his wealth and no lesse also of his health The hand of the diligent maketh rich Idleness The sloathful man weares the time out in contemplation B. H. Idlenesse is vivâ— hominis â—cpultura he takes no lesse care how to spend time than the wife how to gain by expence Summer is out of his favour for nothing but long dayes that make no haste to their even he loves to have the Sun witnesse of his rising he lyes longer far more for loathnesse to dresse him than will to sleep and after some yawning calls for dinner undrest and having digested it will a little sleep he goes to the market-place to meet some of his companions and stayes with him some idle question as how are the dayes lengthened how kindly the weather is how forward the spring and ends with what shall we do When all the people are gone from Church he is best sleeping in his seat alone he enters bonds and forfeits them by forgetting the day necessity drives him to every action and what he cannot avoid he will yet defer when he is warned of Jury he had rather pay the mulct than appear he had rather freeze than fetch wood and chuseth rather to steal than work he eats and prayes himself asleep and dreames of no other torment but work This man is a standing pool and cannot choose but gather corruption he is a man in nothing but speech and shape A man is said to be idle 1. When he doth nothing is unimployed Mr. Greenbill Oriosus est 〈◊〉 opus Deì 〈…〉 peratur Opus Dei is opus Dici Man is to labor both ad ruborem and ad sudorem Res perfectâ— occupata alterius rei non est capax Senec. But vaâ—iam semper dant oâ—ia mentem 2. When he doth not what he should do 3. When he puts not forth himselfe to do what he ought to do in conscience and according to right reason That is to do as much as he is able to do The evil of idlenesse is great for 1. It 's against the end of mans creation 2. It s a sin against the light of nature which puts every thing upon motion 3. It puts the world which is Gods family out of order 4. It sets a man among the dead an idle man is both unsavoury and unactive 5. It layes a man open to Satan and variety of temptations 6. Idlenesse is the mother and nurse of all lusts Nihil agendo homines discunt male agere 7. It 's against common equity Idle persons in the Commonwealth are like Drones in the hive that eat up the honey from the laborious Bees 8. Poverty and beggery are the issues of it 9. It 's a wasting of precious time and hiding of our Talent Among the Athenians Idleness was actionable at law it was called actio 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and their enquiry after each man and woman was Quá arte alerent what trade they had to live upon In Marcus Aurclius dayes he having occasion to send a letter two or three days journey from the Town he could not find one idle body in Rome City to carry it they followed their callings so earnestly Calvin said nothing was more troublesome to him than an idle life And when his colleagues earnestly intreated him in his sickness to abstain from writing or dictating he answered What Would ye have me idle when my Lord comes Thou wicked and sloathful servant saith Scripture Aliquid age ut te diabolus inveniat occupttum Nemo casu fit saplens Senec. God puts no difference betwixt an idle and an evil servant Therefore let us not be idle Drones but busie Bees in the Lords work Very sucklings get not their food without much tugging and tiring themselves at the dug Neither grace nor glory will be had with wishing The desire of the sloathful killeth him Prov. 21.25 Why stand ye here all the day idle Mat. 20.6 Mercy Quasi miserum cor Senec. est aegritudo animi ob alienarum miseriarum speciem When the man that fell among thieves lay wounded and half dead The Priest passed by Luke 19. viz. Aaron with his Ceremonies and sacrifices could not help us And the Levite onely looked on him and passed by viz. Moses with the law and moral obedience could not help us But Christ the good Samaritane had compassion on us and helped us How 1. Pouring in wine to wash our wounds justifying us 2. Pouring in oyl to supple and heal sanctifying us Let this mind be in us which was also in Christ Jesus Craesus taken prisoner by Cyrus Parcè utere potestate tuà ut din utares Senec de ira and after severe punishment and restraint upon the execution-day being set upon the top of a fagot to suffer death Cryed forth O Solon Solon vera sunt quae dixisti Neminem ante
suffered for me We are all as an unclean thing Isa 64.6 Luk. 17.10 and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags When ye shall have done all those things which are commanded you say we are unprofitable servants Rom. 3.20 We have done that which was our duty to do Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight The Church true and false Ecclesia WHen the Original world was overwhelmed with waters Ecclesia Coetus est hominum è turbâ reliquorum mortatium â—vocatus advitam aeternam none were saved but such as were in the Ark when Sodom was burnt with sire none were saved but those of the family of Lot when Jericho was destroyed none were preserved but those which were in the family of Rahab These are figures shadowing to us that when the Lord comes to cut down the wicked to cast them for ever into the wine-presse of his wrath Salvation shall belong to the houshold of faith even that family whereof God in Christ Jesus is the Father Ecclesia 1. Invisibilis 2. Visibilis But when we say Extra Ecclesiam non est salus it is not ment of a visible but of the invisible or universal Church which is the whole company of the elect in heaven in earth and not yet born for the visible Church or particular Congregations it may be said there are many Wolves within and Sheep without Therefore it is not satisfactory to us to be gathered out of the general masse of mankind into the fellowship of the Church visible but we must examine how we are in the Lords floor whether as Chaffe or Corne for a day of winnowing will assuredly come wherein the Lord shall gather his good Corne into his Garner and the cast Chaffe into unquenchable fire Many would deal with the Church as Amnon with his sister Tamar first ravish her then defile her and then turn her out of doors The Church of God in this world is like a man of war at sea whose Master is Christ whose Mast his Crosse whose Sails his Sanctimony whose tackle patience and perseverance whose cast-peeces the Prophets Apostles Preachers Premuntur justi ut pressi clament clamentes exaudiantur exauditi glorificent Deum Quint. Curâ— 1.8 whose Mariners the Angels whose Fraught is the souls of just men whose Rudder is Charity whose Anchor is hope whose Flag in the top of her is Faith and the word written in it is this Premimur non opprimimur we are cast down but we perish not 2 Cor. 4.8 The Church Militant is sometime fluctuant as the Ark of Noah sometime movable as the Ark in the Wildernesse sometime at rest as the Ark in the Temple In persecution in removes in peace What is the colour of the Church saith one but black her armes but the Crosse her song but the note the oppressed servant in Aristophanes sung I suffer affliction For the world is a Sea a threshing-floore a Presse a Furnace 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Church the Ship the Wheat the Grape the Gold and afflictions the winds the waves the flaile the fire O thou afflicted tossed with tempest and not comforted Isa 54.11 Yet Built upon the rock that the gates of Hell shall not prevail aaginst Mat. 16.18 And Glorious things are spoken of thee dicta praedicta O City of God Psal 87.3 Saints The word signifies a thing or person separated or set a part from common 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and dedicated to a special especially a holy use Holinesse in the general nature of it is nothing else but a seperation from common and dedication to a divine service such are the Saints persons separated from the world and set apart unto God The Church in general which is a company of Saints is taken out of and severed from the world The Church is a fountain sealed and a Garden inclosed so also every particular Saint is a person severed and inclosed from the common throng and multitude of the world 2 Cor. 6.17 Or thus A Saint is an holy one or a person called to holinesse having the perfect holinesse of Christ put upon him by imputation of faith and the quality of imperfect holinesse poured into his heart by the spirit of sanctification Unless even ancient professors saith a Divine look very well to themselves they may take a great deal of pâ—ins and when all comâ— to all after all their praying fasting hearing c. they may be found to be nothing in the world but men that walk after the flesh that is according to the refined and well educated Principles of old Adam Men may be Ishmaels brought up in Isaach's family and yet be built upon Mount Sinai when all is done Now the way that God judgeth of all men is as they are the Children either of the old or of the new Adam and not as men do according to such a proportion of strictness in their lives for the Pharisees went beyond many weak Professours in common righteousness Saints therefore are not to be judged according to some kind of holinesse they may come up to but according to the Principles they walk by either as they walk according to the flesh or according to the Spirit And thus Paul distinguisheth Saints and others 2 Cor. 5.16 Saints are called Eagles for their 1. Delight in high flying 2. Sharp-sightednes and stedfast looking into the sun of righttousness 3. Singular sagacity in smelling out Christ and resenting things above 4. Feeding upon the bloody sacrifice of Christ Mat. 24.28 Saints must walk in a divers way to a world of wicked people as Noah did really reproving their darkness by his light Solus ipse diversâ ambulavit viâ Chrys their pride by his lowliness their vain-glory by his modesty their ostentation by his secret devotion Not onely Planet-like keeping a constant counter-motion to the corrupt manners of the most but also shining forth fair with a singularity of heavenly light spiritual goodness and Gods sincere service in the darkest mid-night of damned impiety True Saints of God are earthly Angels So Chrysostom calleth Paul Angelum terrestrem And Dr. Taylor Martyr blessed God that ever he came in company with that Angel of God John Bradford Aâ—â— Mon. Saints may be called Heaven and that in a double respect 1. Because God is said to dwell in the Saints they are his habitation And wheresoever God dwells he makes a Heaven 2. Because the Saints not onely those of Heaven but they on earth have their conversation in heaven Phil. 3.20 So that as carnal and earthly minded men are called earth because their hearts and conversations are fixed to the earth so spiritual and heavenly-minded men may be called Heaven because their hearts and conversations are fixed in heaven Thus Saints are glorious wonderful magnificent Princes in all lands of an excellent spirit more excellent than their neighbours A Crown of glory a
he would launch no further into the Sea than he might be sure to return safe to the Haven Yet if we were right Christians indeed we will be content and that with joy to part with all we have in the world for Christ and his Gospel He that loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me much less is he worthy of Christ that loves his goods more than him Consider 1. God gave us all why shall he not have all if he require it Cun they be bestowed better than on him that gave them 2. We shall have better in the room Who will not change for the better Heb. 10.34 Those goods tarry but a while we may lose them by casualties in this life at least when Death comes these endure for over He maketh his bargain ill that buyeth a future hope Certa amittimus dum in certa petimus Plaut with a present loss and parts from a certain possession to make an uncertain purchase What was once spoken in a witty and fit comparison made by a Turk to shew that the loss of Cyprus was greater than the loss of the battel of Lepanto in these words viz. That the battel lost was unto Selymus as if a man should shave his beard which would ere long grow again Turk Hist fol. 885. But that the loss of Cyprus unto the Venetians was as the loss of an arm which once cut off could not be again recovered declaring thereby the great inequality of the loss This is very applicable to mans spiritual condition All outward losses by labour and leisure may be recovered for the world hath its ebbings and flowings But a soul once lost can never be recovered It 's a loss 1. Incomparable Vestigia nulla retrorsum 2. Irreparable Out of Hell there 's no Redemption Ye took joyfully the spoiling of your goods knowing in your selves Heb. 10 34. that ye have in heaven a better and an enduring substance Poverty Pauper ubique jacet Poverty is both an affliction Nihil habet infalix paupertas durius in se Quà m quòd ridiculos homines facit and makes a man to be afflicted and troden upon Men go over the hedge where it is lowest The weakest go to the Wall As frost strikes Valleys when higher grounds scape free so famine and the misery of disorder is first felt by the poorer sort Yet poor men are not to be contemned Great men saith one are but the greater letters in the same volume and the poor the smaller Now though those take up more room and have many times more flourishes yet they put no more matter nor worth into the word which they compound than these do Furthermore a poor man may be a rich Christian and a rich man may have a poor soul Grace will make a poor man rich sin will make a rich man poor Rev. 2.9 compared with Chap. 3.17 The Lamb and the Dove are chosen for Sacrifice when the Lion and Eagle are passed by Levi that had no portion among his brethren had the Lord for his portion Lazarus is taken into Abrahams bosome when Dives is hush'd down into Hell Yea whereas among men Divitum nomina sciuntur pauperum nesciuntur Sine nomine tur ba. Or as lâ—vy Ignota capitae Et saepe virtutis fortnna however men forget the poor they will be sure to remember the rich mans name and title yet with God it is otherwise for the poor man is known to God by name he hath a proper name Lazarus whereas the rich man is called only by an Apellative name Dives Therefore let not the Eunuch say I am adry tree for I will give him an everlasting name Be not discouraged though outwardly mean And let not the rich be contented with common bounty until they have the tokens of special mercy You may have an estate and others may have higher priviledges This is not the favour of Gods people You may be rich in this world but poor in the world to come Though here you swim and wallow in a Sea of wealthy pleasures yet there you may want a drop to cool your tongue Ye have the poor alwayes with you Matt. 26.11 Debt When the Prophet Elisha multiplied the Widows oyl he bade her Go sell the oyl and pay the debt and live thou and thy children of the rest To shew unto us debts must be paid The Persians reckoned these two very great sins Viz. 1. To tell a lye 2 To be in debt By the twelve Tables of Rome Gell. l. 1. c. 1. he that owed much and could not pay was to be cut in pieces and every Creditor was to have a piece of him according to the debt This was harsh But certainly if we would set our affairs in order with men we might consecrate our selves more freely to God and prevent a world of intricate troubles to our posterity we leave behind us Obligations do mancipate the most free and ingenuous spirit A certain Italian Gentleman being asked how old he was Answered that he was in health And to another that asked how rich he was Answered that he was not in debt Intimating he is young enough that is in health and rich enough that is not in debt Ow no man any thing Rom. 13.8 but to love one another Wound Antiquity reports Illad in the Heroique times they used Weapons of Brass as in the encounter betwixt Diomedes and Hector Which seems to proceed from a willingness to avoid deadly wounding for from a styptique faculty in this more than in Iron Arist the cure of what it hurts is affirmed more easie and the mettal it self As a Surgeon maketh an incision to let out the imposthumed matter and then heals up the wound again So God lanceth us not except need be and he hath a salve for every sore a medicine for ever malady being both a Father Ah quà m velim alios amare â—on meâ— Luth. in Genes and a Physitian And yet most people are of that countrey-mans mind who being on his sick-bed advised by his Minister to take in good part his present pain as a token of Gods love answered If this be his love I could wish he would love â—hers and not me God never makes a wound too great for his own cure The power of God to save it as great as his power to destroy His healing power and his wounding power are of the same extent His justice cannot out-act his mercy both are infinite Nay the woundings and smitings of God are preparatories for our care and healing It is said of Christ that with his stripes we are healed Isa 53.5 And it is in this sense a truth that we are healed with our own stripes We are healed with the stripes of Christ meritoriously by our own stripes preparatorily the stripes of Christ heal us naturally our own stripes heal us occasionally Or his in the act ours in the event Dejicit
saith Bernard Offenso Dee c. Bern Jer. 17.5 When God is offended with me Who shall pray for me to make man my refuge I am inhibited under the pain of a dreadful execration Cursed be the man that trusteth in man and maketh flesh his arme and whose heart departeth from the Lord. To commit our cause to the blessed heavenly Courtiers that are indeed ministring spirits sent forth to minister for them that shall be heirs of salvation Heb. 1.14 We have no such warrant c. Therefore his conclusion it Talis ergo requirendus ad orandum qui sit idoneus ad placandum we must therefore seek to such a one to pray for us who is of a competent ability to make God propitious to us And such alone is the Angel of the Covenant the mâ—â— Christ Jesus For none cometh to the Father but by him none are reconciled to God but by his passion by his intercession And such an High-Priest became us Now the Lord Jesus Christ the great shepherd of the sheep through the blood of the everlasting Covenant make us perfect in every good work to do his will working in us that which is well-pleasing in his sight Christian Religion hath for its object Christ and him crucified which to know is in the end life without end All our happinesse is enwrapt in him for in him alone 1 Cor. 1.30 and by him shall all the Nations of the earth be blessed he is made to us of God wisdom righteousnesse sanctification and redemption Hence he became our High-Priest to reveale to us the will of the Father whereby we may become wise unto salvation thus he is our wisdom To bestow upon us everlasting righteousnesse whereby we may be justified in the sight of heaven thus he is our righteousnesse To infuse into our hearts the saving graces of his quickning Spirit whereby we may be holinesse to the Lord so our sanctification Lastly to pour out his righteous soul a sacrifice for sin whereby to redeem us from the power of our enemies and from the hand of all that hate us thus our redemption So that of this fulnesse we do all receive 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 John 1.16 and grace for grace Gratia N.T. pro gratia V. the grace of the new Law the Law of faith for the grace of the old Law Theophil the Law of works saith Theophilact that is the grace by which we receive the remission of sinne next the grace by which we receive at last everlasting life saith August which is the free gift of God through Jesus Christ our Lord. August Rom. 6. ult First the grace of God towards his Son after the grace of the Son toward us to make us the sons of God say Divines But with Musculus I say Musculus that our receiving of grace for grace is of grace upon grace intimating the pouring out upon us an over-flowing measure and a copious multiplication of supernatural gifts without discrimination First we receive one then another than to that with an augmentation of all according to the divine dispensation wherefore the Father of mercies is said to blesse us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ Jesus Ephes 1. electing us in him before the foundation of the world adopting us in him his Son to be his sons in him making us uccepted in him as in his beloved redeeming us through the precious blood of him as of a Lamb without spot vouchsafing us the forgivenesse of our sins for his sake according to the riches of his grace unfolding unto us by the divine illumination of his Spirit the secret mysteries of salvation and sealing us by the same Spirit to the glorious day of our full and perfect redemption John 14 6. Sequemur Demine te perte ad te te quia veritas per te quia vita ad te quia vita Bern. Our High-Priest himself tells us that He is the way the truth and the life whereupon Saint Agustine Ambulare vis est via falli non vis est veritas mori non vis est vita wilt thou walk uprightly He is the way wilt thou not be deceived He is the truth Wilt thou not die He is the life The like saith Saint Ambrose Si Caelum desideras via est si errorem fugis veritas est si mortem times vita est If thou desirest heaven He is the way if thou declinest error He is the truth if thou fearest death He is life He hath laid open the gates of heaven for them to enter that believe in him that walk in him He is the way he hath dispel'd all the clouds of ignorance and mists of error that we might see the truth and embrace it He is the truth he hath swullowed up death in victory that we might in him triumph over death and the grave and live in him with him and by him and He is the life All these is our High-Priest to us the way truth and life in whom the fulnesse of the God-head dwelleth bodily He is holy harmlesse undefiled seperate from sinners Davenant in Colos 2. and made higher than the heavens For such an High-Priest became us Which leads me to his gracious qualities Thy gracious assistance therefore my blessed Saviour deny me not but supply my wants out of the largenesse of thy bounty fill my heart with heavenly meditations then guide my pen to set forth thy praise being holy harmlesse c. Quo major est cujusque virtus eo difficilius est de ipso dicere Bertius in Oraf by how much more eminent are the good parts of any man by so much the more difficult is it to report exactly of his deserved commendations The glorious shine of my Saviours worth the Sun of righteousnesse doth so dazle I professe my weak understanding that as I cannot fully comprehend his admired worth so I cannot but be defective in delineating his matchlesse qualities wherefore foreseeing I shall come short perhaps of the Readers expectation but certainly of a perfect decyphering of such a High-Priests character as the Spirit hath exprest be so charitably affected as either to passe it over with a friendly connivance or to taxe it with an easie censure In confidence therefore of Divine assistance and Christian good-will I proceed under correction because of polluted lips to treat of the holinesse of our High-Priest He is holy as he is God for God cannot be tempted with evil James 1.13 There is no unrighteousnesse in the holy one of Israel Hearken unto me saith Job cap. 34.10 ye men of understanding far be it from God All sin is offensivum Dei adversivum á Deo that he should do wickednesse and from the Almighty that he should commit iniquity Hither tends that part of Davids prayer Psal 5.4 Thou art not a God that hath pleasure in wickednesse neither shall evil dwell with thee Either therefore we must confesse him
And therefore we will begin with Civil Peace The Heathen Philosopher tells us that man by nature is a sociable creature Arist Polit. because reasonable who indeed is rather so when guided by Religion for that labours to preserve unity which being broken society is dissolved Hence it is the speech of a Father Debemus ut corpori sanitatem puritatem cords sic fratri pacem We are indebted as to our bodies for health to our hearts for purity so for peace to our brother The noblest weapon man can conquer with is love and gentlest courtesie it gets the victory without ere a blow given Geometricians teach that Sphaerical bodies touch not but in puncto in a point Ram. Geomet and therefore more subject to fall Thus haughty spirits sweld up with over-weening self-love when they meet together by a proud touch soon over-turn one the other Whereas all of us great and small should be like hollow spheeres the one within the other the greater in love embracing the lesser Without peace the frame of nature cannot stand Mundus amissa pace Gregor Nazian mundus esse desinit saith Gregory Nazianzene the world which is chain'd together by intermingled love would all shatter and fall to pieces if charity would chance to die if peace were alwayes disturbed by discords Monarchies degenerate into Anarchies or Tyrannies Cities lie level with the ground Kingdomes are depopulated Nations wasted whose memories lie buried in the dust families consumed whose names are perished and glory rotted Whereas Peace that bringeth prosperity Salustius would have preserved all Concordia res parv◠crescunt discordia res magnae dilabuntur saith Salust It is the inscription of the Dutch coin verified in them little things by concord increase and grow great by discord great things become little and decline apace Scylurus the Scythian lying on his death-bed knew well the power of Peace by giving unto his sons a bunch of arrows to break which being bound fast together they could not do but being taken asunder they did with ease a witty Emblem of the strength of Peace wherewith the Gentiles were so much enamoured Cicero as that the Heathen Orator could say Iniquissimans pacem justissimo bello antefero in his opinion the unjustest Peace is to be prefer'd before the justest warre But I am not of his mind I know the Apostles limiting condition Rom. 12.18 If it be possible as much as lieth in you live peaceably with all men There must be nothing wanting that 's good on our part whereby either to procure or preserve Christian Peace Herein the Serpents wisdom and the Doves innocencie are to be inseperable We may not consent with any wherein they dissent from God for in so doing we do 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 fight against God and work our selves to nothing Wherefore the Apostle writing to the Hebrews Heb. 12.14 joyns in his holy exhortation Holinesse and Peace follow peace with all men and holinesse without which no man shall see the Lord. Melior est talis pugna quae Deo proximum facit Gregor Nazian quà m pax illa quae separat à Deo infinitely better is that dissention which makes a man near to God than that Peace that separates from God for ever It is not the Peace the world giveth but that sacred Peace that God giveth we must embrace Wherefore saith the Apostle let the peace of God rule in your hearts 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Sit certaminis Moderator to the which also ye are called in one body Colos 3.15 Out of which words we may collect That a godly Peace is to be entertained Where we have the office of Peace to which we must submit our selves and that is to rule in our hearts and the motive thereunto which is twofold Gods Ordination and our spiritual affinity to which we are called in one body First It must rule in our hearts The heart is the proper seat of the affections Arist de Generet Corrups and if the Philosopher be to be credited it is the Metropolis of the soul If there be any combustion in man raised by the tumultuous passions of anger hatred malice and revenge it is begun in the heart there they have their habitation To aswage therefore the impetuous sury of these rebellious humours and to prevent the fearful mischief that comes by their unrulinesse the peace of God must bear sway there the whole man will be the better brought into good order when the heart is well governed and never till then Many may make a fair pretence of friendship but it is never unfeigned unlesse hearty the words of their mouth may be Psal 55.21 as the Psalmist speaketh smoother than butter but warre may be in their hearts their words may be softer than oyle yet may they be drawn swords Erasmus that cut smoothly Aliud corde aliud ore hypocritically and basely they think one thing they speak another Of this smooth-fac'd malice Nazianzene complains in his twelfth Oration Pax ab omnibus laudatur à paucis servatur Orat. 12. all praise peace but few keep peace Wherefore did peace but rule in the heart all heart-burnings and sullen contention would soone come to a final Period and all outside dissimulation would be quickly all out of fashion As we have seen the office of Peace note now the motive thereunto You are called unto it in one body When Christ came into the world he became the corner-stone that joyns Jew and Gentile together who before were divided for now both by him making up one mystical body according to that Ephes 2.14 He is our peace who hath made both one and hath broken down the middle wall of partion between us so that by this act Christ hath bound us all to the peace and to good behaviour that so we may keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace There is no member of the body that will do any ill office to any of his fellow-members so we being called to be members of the Church of Christ 1 Cor. 12.25 should make no division in the body but should all have the same care one of another This was Prophetically foretold by a pithie Embleme by beating of swords into ploughshares Isa 2.3 and spears into pruning-hooks in the time of the Gospel And it is notably prefigured by the peaceable habitation of wild beasts and tame together Isa 11.6 as the Wolfe and the Lamb the Leopard and the Kid the Calfe and the young Lion the Cow and the Beare It is a sweet harmony that the sympathy of affections and peace begets in us whom the Spirit unites together And in whom this sympathy and peace is not Aut stupida sunt membra Daven in Colosens aut ne omnino quidem membra hujus corporis cujus caput Christus saith Reverend Davenant either they are senceless and stupid members or no members at all of that
not shut against you his fatherly providence is tendred to you he withholds no good thing from you he sent first his Son and now that his Son is ascended to him he sends the Spirit of his Son to you into your hearts that by that meanes he may abide with you for ever But why compared â— the love of God to the love of man mans love in respect of Gods not being so much as a grain of mustard-seed to the whole earth or the whole earth to the vast heavens or the smallest drop of water to the whole Ocean I answer for my 〈◊〉 thus that by the marvellons defect and straitness of the one you may in some though in the smallest measure conceive survey you cannot the infinite greatness of the other He sent his Son but his Son return'd in his presence was joy in his absence griefe wherefore God bereaving us of his Sons bodily presence in his tender love sent the Spirit of his Son to raise our dead spirits to comfort us without him comfortless he adopted us sons being his enemies by his Sons coming now for farther confirmation and stronger assurance he signs it he seals it by sending the Spirit of his Son into our hearts Because sons Not natural but elected adopted sons such as many justly challenge the prerogatives and liberty of sons God That is the Father Hath sent forth As Kings do their Ambassadours to signify their pleasure and desires they neither adde nor diminish from their Commission so the Holy Ghost what he receives from the Father shows to them to whom the Father sends him he speaks not of himself but what he hears he speaks what he receives he delivers The Spirit That is John 16.13 14 the Holy Ghost the third person in Trinity Of his Son To wit of the natural Son of God Jesus Christ Gods Son begotten by eternal generation time out of mind 〈◊〉 your bear tsâ— Into your 〈◊〉 Crying Making you with confidence and assurance to cry the Spirit properly cryes not for then it should cry and pray to it selfe Sic ipse Spiritus postulat i.c. ad postulandum cos quos replevit inslammat but it is said to cry when it works that effect in us according to that Rom. 8.15 Ye have received the Spirit of Adoption whereby ye cry Abbâ— Father We are said to cry by the Spirit as a man to see by the eye Abba Father Abba it is an Hebrew word derived from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifyes to be willing here it is translated Father and the reason of that name is rendred to be because of the propensity of the will and desire of a father towards his children being their chiefest wel-willers and wel-wishers The intention then of the words is this The adoption and free election thorough Jesus Christ into the right and liberty of sons pertains not to the Jews alone but to the Gentiles also to the Galatians by the redemption wrought by the Son of God for this purpose annointed by the Father ye receive the adoption of sons God thus making you sons sent his Spirit to you his Spirit sent to you dwells in your hearts and dwelling in your hearts makes you cry with an assurance of his good will Abba Father Of the words there are these parts 1. A person sent the Spirit of the Son 2. A person sending God 3. The sending it self sent 4. The place whither God sends the Spirit of his Son into your hearts 5. The office or effect of the Spirit Crying Abba Father 6. The reason moving and prevailing with God to send his Sons Spirit into your hearts because sons Of the first the person sent the Spirit of the Son the Holy Ghost It will be judg'd in me to be but a labour in vain to endeavour to prove that there is such a Spirit except there be some as I hope there are none so grosly ignorant as those disciples spoken of in the 19. of Acts who profest they did not so much as hear whether there were an Holy Ghest or no. This is a Principle of Religion to be taken of all for granted not to be call'd in question not to be proved to spend words and time in the demonstration hereof is to no more purpose than to prove 't is day when the sun shines this being sufficiently manifest in the works of nature that sufficiently apparent in the effects of grace Divine truth contained in the sacred Word of God stops all gainsaying proceedings in this point None but who will oppose God will oppose it if any man teach otherwise or doubt of the verity hereof he is proud knowing nothing but doting about questions and strifes of words he is a man of a corrupt mind and destitute of the truth carried away with the spirit of giddiness and of error I will therefore spare my pains in convicting such rude and giddy-headed spirits for I direct my lines to Christians well instructed in this Article of our faith not to Turks and Mahumetans and by Gods assistance teach and write what shall be more fit all things well weigh'd for them to learn and me to deliver 1. Why the Holy Ghost is called a Spirit 2. Why he is called the Spirit of the Son The third person is called a Spirit because 1. He is a spiritual incorporeal and invisible essence whose being is not like that of Angels though spirits they are but ministring spirits of Almighty God finite but he is infinite whom the world cannot contain whom the most piercing eye cannot see whom the most sublime wit cannot conceive The reâ—ulgene glory of those heavenly spirits dazzles our understanding in our meditations and discourses of them our imaginations cannot reach their transcendent and Metaphysical nature far distant from our spheare much more are we unable to fix our bodily or intellectual eye upon that spiritual being whose being and glory is absolutely in comprehensible dwelling in that light to which there can be no accesse and in that height to which no created nature can aspire He is called a Spirit 2. Nescis torda mâ—li â—â—ina gratiá Spiritus Sancti Ambros In regard of the mighty power and unresistible efficacy it hath in operation implyed in the rushing wind on the day of Pentecost and the fiery tongues His wonderful activity is made sufficiently manifest by the creation of the world and well known in the hearts of sinners by their conversion and new creation a work not of small importance Act. 2. a concurrence of all the powers of nature cannot effect it Men and Angels can do much but not so much let men of the rarest parts most eminent endowments and of the best quality laying grace aside do what they may say what they will they shall find themselves scanted of ability to begin much lesse to go thorough with so great a work The wind blowes strong and fire is very active so the Holy Spirit blows down the strong
holds of Sat an erected in the hearts of sinful men disperseth all chaffy cogitations of wickedness and filleth every corner of the soul with heavenly inspiration with transporting thoughts and meditations of an higher than an earthly nature and as fire it inflames the heart with the love of God whence proceeds zeal of Gods glory that fire of heaven and a fixt resolution as in Martyrs to suffer fire and fuggot for the profession of his name By reason or the working thus of his mighty power the Scripture stiles him by the name of the power of the most high Eâ— operante creabatur homo eo operante recreatur As by his working power man was created by the same renewed and born again As by his power he gave life Luk. 1. so he gives newness of life by his power Spiritus est qui vivificat it is the Spirit that quickens us before dead in sins and trespasses He is called a spirit 3. Because he is breathed from the Father and the Son that is he is that person by whom the Father and the Son do immediately work heavenly motions and saving graces in the hearts of the elect Spiritus à spirando wherefore when Christ breathed on his Disciples he said unto them receive ye the Holy Ghost Job 20.22 These I conceive to be the reasons why the third person in Trinity is called a Spirit Now must I shew the reasons why he is called the Spirit of the Son they as I Imagine are these First because he proceeds from the Son by an eternal procession and intelligible emanation the essence of the Son is communicated to him hence coeternal coessential consubâ—antial with the Son he is called the Spirit of Christ Contra Arianos Rom. 8.9 not as one saith by way of allenation nor by way of multiplication of the divine essence which can be but one but by communcating the very same numericall essence wherein the Father and the Son subsist unto him in an incomprehensible manner whence he is term'd also the Spirit of the Father Galat. 3. for the essence of the Father is the essence of the Son and the essence of them both the essence of the Spirit he proceeds from both not simply as from two persons but in that they are one in essence not more principally from the Father lesse principally from the Son as Lombard and the schoolmen of this age affirm but from the person of the Father and the son in the unity of essence without any such distinction for upon the admission of this distinction we may justly infer an inequality of the persons of the Deity a thing without blasphemy not to be admitted the Spirit of holyness equally proceeds from both as from one beginning against the definition of the Greek Church but non voluntate sed natura seu necessitate naturae licet secundum voluntat is modum not by the act of the will but by the act of nature or by the necessity of nature according to the manner of the wills working which I cannot conceive in other terms than these that is God willing it He is called the Spirit of the Son 2. Because he is in the Son and the Son in him as the Son is in the Father and the Father in the Son to wit by their eternal essence And besides this the Spirit dwelt in him in the dayes of his flesh inriching his humane nature with all fulness of grace And at his baptisme the heavens opening Mat. 3.16 John saw the Spirit of God descending like a Dove and lighting upon him He is called the Spirit of the Son 3. Because the Son sends him to seal our adoption to us Joh. 15.26 When the Comforter is come whom I will send unto you from the Father even the Spirit of truth which proceedeth from the Father he shall testify of me He sends that which is his and gives it too Joh. 20.22 receive ye the Holy Ghost And not onely the Son but the Father also sends him but in the Sons name whom the Father will send in my name saith Christ Joh. 14.26 Which shall testify of me Royard in Joh. 14. saith he Joh. 18.26 the Father sends him in his Sons name that is saith Royard to the glory of his name in which respect he is term'd the Spirit of the Son He is called the Spirit of the Son 4. Because he receives the wisdom and knowledge of the Son who is the wisdom of the Father and reveals it unto us He guides us into all truth Joh. 16.13 for as it followeth he shall not speak of himself but whatsoever he shall hear that shall he speak and he shall shew you things to come Verse 4. He shall glorify me for he shall receive of mine and shall shew it unto you Verse 15. All things that the Father hath are mine therefore said I that he shall take of mine and shall shew it unto you All saving knowledge and divine graces coming from the Son in whom the hidden treasures of pure wisdom do rest are confer'd upon us the sons of God by adoption by the Spirit of the Son of God by eternal generation From which discourse may be deduced three conclusions 1. That this Spirit of the Son is a Person he proceeds from the Father and the Son not as an accident but as a Person It was the grosse conceit of some heretical mistaken spirits erroneous in their judgments that this Spirit of the Son is only a motion or quality wrought by God in the hearts of his children or some divine inspiration infused from above by divine grace into the soules of them whom God had chosen out of the world to be more eminent than others Those conceits may seem plausible to corrupted reason not discerning the things of God which are spiritually discerned yet they contradict that which by Infallible consequence may be deducted out of the sacred truths of Gods word and right reason Laying therefore these two Gods word and right reason as two sure foundations and uncontrolable Principles which may justly sway our judgments I will presse the truth of this conclusion against all opposites The Spirit of the Son is a person Because he appeared in a visible shape The Holy Ghost descended in a bodily shape like a Dove upon Christ and he appeared like cloven tongues of fire and sate upon each of the disciples and they were all filled with the Holy Ghost and began to speak with other tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance What motion what quality what inspiration can appear in such or any visible similitudes or bodily shapes or give utterance to men He is a person because called God When Peter taâ—t Ananiâ—s of his double dealing he told him he had lyed to the Holy Ghost and in lying to the Holy Ghost Act. 5. thou hast said he to him not lyed unto men but unto God The Essence of God is Tota in qualibet personâ Deitatis whole
in every one that is called God And forasmuch as the Essence and the Persons are inseparable whatsoever is properly called God is a Person What Motion what Quality what Inspiration can be called God He is a Person because we are baptized in his Name He is the Author of this institution He is the Director of the whole act by his authority by his command by his power the water is sanctified the baptized are renewed the whole work is happily accomplished For all is done in the Name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Ghost not in the name of a Motion of a Quality of an Inspiration He is a Person because the properties of a Person are attributed to him Luk. 11.12 Joh. 16. Joh. 14.1 Cor. 12.11 Act. 13.2.1 Joh. 5.7 Rom. 8. He is sud to teach us heavenly knowledge to lead us into all truth to comfort the afflicted members of Jesus Christ to distribute gifts and graces according to his good pleasure to call and send Apostles to bear witness in heaven with the Father and the Son to bear witness with our spirits that we are the sons of God to cry in our hearts Abba Father to make intercessions for us with groanings that cannot be uttered These are not effects proper to a Motion or a Quality or an Inspiration Lastly He is distinguished most manifestly from the Gifts of God Dona honoraria There are diversity of gifts but the same Spirit the same Spirit distributing these gifts so divers where it will Thus it is apparent that the Spirit of the Son is a Person And as he is a Person so is he 2. A distinct Person from the Father and the Son Non aliud sed alius Not essentially differing noted by the first word but hypostatically noted by the last And as he is a Person so is he 2. A distinct Person from the Father and the Son Non aliud sed alius Not essentially differing noted by the first word but hypostatically noted by the last And that because he is the Spirit of the Father and the Son He cannot be said to be his own Spirit as the Father cannot be said to be his own Father or the Son his own Son that is as absurd as this Again because he is said to be another from them both I will ask the Futher Joh. 14.16 and he shall send you another Comforter Christ whilst he was on earth was a Comfort unto his Disciples wherefore lest diffidence and despair by reason of the great persecutions they should suffer after his departure should break their hearts and sorrow ruine them he prays the Father to send them another Comforter and promiseth he will see it done for their assurance cap. 15.26 He will send him from the Father Furthermore He hath a relative property and characteristical note several from theirs putting a difference betwixt them and him He onely proceeds from the Father and the Son He onely appeared under the form of an innocent Dove and of fiery cloven tongues By his immediate operation Christ was conceived in the womb of the Virgin and by his immediate operation Gods children are throughly sanctified and furnished unto every good work Last of all The Father sends him that so sends him whence he is neither the Father nor the Son but one from them It is a marvellous impropriety of speech that a man should be said to send himself but proper it is to say he comes of his own accord Forasmuch therefore as the Spirit is said to be sent from the Father and the Son and as here God sent forth the Spirit of his Son He is a Person distinct from them both Which is the thing I intended to demonstrate As he is a Person so is he the third and last Person not last in time nor last in nature nor last in dignity but last in the order and manner of subsisting and of performing such works as are common to them all called works ab extra as Creation Redemption Preservation Justification Sanctification c. Having briefly gone over these two points I shall endeavour by Gods grace to do the like in the next which is this 3. That there are Three Persons in the Deity to whom the Divine Essence is communicated The Father the Son the Spirit For humane Reason fully to conceive so high a mystery is impossible What therefore we must learn hereof the Scripture teacheth Faith receives and Reason must not contradict Rather imbrace those depths of knowledge with admiration than by an over-curious inquisition to dive into it and return unsatisfied and sore troubled Yet because Ignorance needs information and Curiosity requires confirmation I will say somewhat though little of it The Platonists acknowledge in God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a Mind or Understanding a Word a Spirit By Understanding they understand the Father by the Word the Son who by S. Joh. 1.1 is expresly called the Word by Spirit the Third Person proceeding from the Father and the Son called The Love of God Hence Divines conceive the matter thus The Father is quasi Deus intelligens God understanding The Son who is the express Image of the Father is quasi Dens intellectus God understood callâ—d the Wisdom of the Father the Image of the Father the Word of God as a word is but the image of the understanding The Spirit breathed and proceeding from the Father and the Son is quasi Deus dilectus God is Love saith S. Lombard John hence by Lombard said to be that Love wherewith the Father loves the Son the Son the Father So the Text reckons up three the Father the Son the Spirit God sent forth the Spirit of his Son This is indeed a deep mystery Yet as abstruse as this Divine mystery of the Trinity is Nature can give us some insight by similitudes though imperfect of the possibility and truth of it We see that in the Sun there is an indesinent fountain of light a brightness and splendor springing out of it and a quickning and reviving heat proceeding from it yet none will be so foully mistaken as to conclude out of these three that there are three Suns there being still but one So though the Essence of the Godhead be but one yet we must know it is communicated unto three Persons and though communicated unto three Persons yet still the Essence is but one We see that in Man there are two diverse and far different natures a Body and a Soul yet these two make not two Men but one these reteining the unity of one Person If two diverse Natures met together make one Person why may not one Nature and Essence be communicated to Three and those Three having one and the same Essence still remain one God We see that in the Soul of Man there is a Will which is the immediate beginning ab intra of every act proceeding from our selves commanding this or that to be done sic volo
in us not for a time but for ever for the Word dwelling noteth a perpetuity and is opposed to sojourning And also that he hath the full disposition and absolute command of the heart as a man of that house whereof he is Lord. Which disposition consists in these six notable benefits which are sure evidences of the Spirits being and dwelling in our hearts every one whereof is worthy our serious speculation The first is the illumination of our understandings with a certain knowledge of our reconciliation to God in Christ Jesus This is obtained by the special information of the Spirit he shall teach you all things he shall guide you into all truth John 14.26 16.13 saith the Saviour of the world This knowledge is not of Generals but of particulars that God is our Father Christ our Redeemer the holy Ghost our Sanctifier the Spirit of God faith the Apostle Rom. 8.16 Beareth witnesse with our spirits that we are the sons of God Worketh in us a sure knowledge of the remission of our sinnes of our reconciliation and peace with God of our adoption into the liberty of the sons of God and faith the Apostle 1 Cor. 2.12 now have we received the Spirit which is of God that we might know the things that are given to us of God that is the righteousnesse of Christ assuredly It is not in man to know assuredly what great things God hath done for his soul without the special instruction of the Spirit called the Spirit of truth And the Spirit of wisdom and understanding Isa 11.2 the Spirit of knowledge The second benefit of the Spirit which discovers his being in our hearts is regeneration wherby our hearts are renewed by receiving newnesse of life and grace The coruptions of our nature are expell'd by the Spirits infusion of supernatural qualities into us whereby we are made new creatures and of the servants of sin and limbs of Satan are made the members of Christ and sons of God Hence he is called the Spirit of life Except a man be born again by water and the Spirit he cannot enter into the Kingdom of heaven saith our Saviour Ezek. 36.25 and Ezekiel doth Prophecy that God would sprinkle clean water upon them and they should be clean and from all their filthinesse would he cleanse them It is the Spirit that doth regenerate us who is here compared to clean water for these two causes 1. As water mollifies dry wood and puts sap into dry trees so doth the Spirit supple and mollifie our hard hearts and put sap of grace into them whereby we are made trees of righteousnesse and bring forth fruits of eternal life Christ saith John 7.38 39. that he that believeth in him as the Scripture saith out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water this saith the text spake he of the Spirit which they that believed on him should receive 2. As water doth purifie the body from all filth so doth the holy Ghost wash away our sins and our natural corruptions John 4.14 hence called a Well of living water springing up to everlasting life Again John the Baptist saith that Christ baptizeth with the holy Ghost and with fire where the Spirit is by consent of Interpreters compared to fire and that 1. As fire doth warm the body being benum'd with cold so doth the spirits our hearts frozen in sin and though dead in sins and trespasses yet by his reviving heat he quickens our hearts and brings us to life again 2. As fire doth purge and take out the dross from the good mettal so doth the holy Ghost separate and eat out the putrifying corruptions of sin out the canker'd and drossie heart of man And thus regeneration is wrought by the Spirit and therefore said to be born of God The third benefit of the Spirit in them to whom he is sent is an union or conjunction with Christ whereby we are made his members Hine baptismus dicitur 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 members of his body of his flesh and of his bones and partake of his benefits hereby his graces are in a plentiful manner and an abundant measure distill'd upon us which were in him above all measure hence it is compared to effusion Joel 2.1 John 3.24 I will pour out my Spirit hereby we know saith Saint John that we dwell in him and he in us because he hathi given us of his Spirit The Spirit is the bond of our conjunction descending from Christ the Head to all his members and begetting Faith that extraordinary vertue whereby Christ is apprehended and made our own by special application The fourth benefit whereby the Spirit is known to be sent of God into our hearts is the Spirits governing of our hearts For in whom he is be is Master ordering and disposing the understanding the will the memory the affections and all parts of the body according to his good pleasure for as many as are the sons of God Sam 8.14 Certum est nos facere quod sacimus sed illi 〈◊〉 ut faciamus are led by the Spirit The steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord Psal 37.23 in token whereof they that are of the Spirit do savor the things of the Spirit Rom. 8.5 that is they affect and prosecute those things that are good And this called spiritual regiment it consists in two things 1. In repressing all evil motions arising either from within as from evil concupiscence corruption of our nature or from without us by the inâ—icement of the world or suggestion of Satan 2. In stirring up good affections and holy motions upon every occasion hereto belong those excellent titles given to the holy Ghost the Spirit of the Lord Isa 11.2 the Spirit of wisdom and understanding the Spirit of counsel and of strength the Spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the Lord he hath these several attributes because he stirs up in the godly these good motions of wisdom of knowledge of strength of understanding of counsel and of fear of the Lord. In Galat. 5.22 the fruits of the Spirit are recorded there to to be love joy peace long-suffering gentlenesse goodnesse faith meeknesse temperance where oever these be the Author which is the holy Gost of necessity must be As for love whose object is God and man God for himself man for God it is a testimony of the Spirits presence in us and rule of us he is sent into our hearts saith Lombard when he is so in us as that he makes us to love God and our neighbour whereby we remain in God and God in us As for joy it is a main work of the Spirit making us to rejoyce for the good of others as for our selves whereas carnal men pine away and grieve expressively for others prosperity As for peace it is that concord which must be kept in an holy manner Immane verbum est ultio Senec. with all men
enemies God in Christ Jesus his Son hath adopted us to be his sons And because thus sons behold a further pledge of his never failing-favour to us he hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into our hearts Crying Abba Father So that upon the Spirit of God confer'd is confer'd the gift of prayer for in whose hearts he dwels he is not idle neither is he as that spirit that Christ did cast out of the man in the Gospel dumbe a dumbe spirit but a crying spirit not that the spirit properly cryes Abba Father for God the Father is not the Father of the spirit but of the Son and the beginning or fountain from whom as also from the Son the Spirit doth proceed but that it makes them in whom he ever is to be ever crying Abba Father Wherein is to be observed 1. An act Crying 2. The Object Abba Father This crying is praying and not every kind of praying but a vehement and ardent praying with all the affections and powers of the soul assembled together whereby the desires of our hearts are made known unto the God of heaven the soules voice is drawn up to the height Thus our Saviour in the dayes of his flesh is said to have offered up prayers and supplications with strong crying and tears Conqueror tibi lachrymis Jesu Christi said one unto him that was able to save him from death Hebr. 5.7 We read how Jacob wrestlest with the Angel and would not let him go untill he had blest him Even so the spirit of prayer makes us to strive and wrestle with God and never cease crying until he hear us untill he grant us our requests It is so with us as it is with children that cannot relieve themselves without the aid of others they raise the strong cry and so continue without intermission untill their wants be contented and supplied so do we who are the children of God cry continually unto him who is the giver of every good and perfect gift until our desires be accomplished And forasmuch as we are compassed about with a world of infirmities so that sometimes we have not the heart to cry or at least cry not with all our hearts Quom do enim non exauditur spiritus à Patre qui exaudit cum Patre Aug. then the Spirit helpeth our infirmities And seeing our ignorance is so great as that wee know not what we should pray for as we ought the Spirit it self makes intercession for us informs us what we should ask for or â—od knowing the spirits intentions grant us what indistinctly and indirectly we beg by the Spirit Hence he is called the Spirit of Supplications Zech. 12.10 I will poure upon the house of David and upon the inhabitants of Hierusalem the spirit of grace and supplications Hence he is called again an Intercessor for he makes continual intercession for the Saints according to the will of God Rom. 8.27 and in the 15. vers of that chapter the Apostle certifies the Romanes that they have received the spirit of adoption whereby they cry Abba Father Wherefore when the sons of God perceive the fiery darts of Satan flying about their eares on every side and themselves subject to infinite perills they fall a praying alwayes with all prayer and supplication in the spirit Eph. 6.18 and watching thereunto with all perseverance When the children of Israel as is reported in the book of Judges were in the heat of Gods anger sold unto their enemies many a time opprest many a time in desperate cases many a time vanquished for their revolting from God and forgetting his loving kindness they are said then to cry for life unto God whose eares were ever open to receive their hearty prayers Psal 40.1 Thus saith David I waited patiently for the Lord and he inclined unto me and heard my cry This crying is either mental only conceived in the heart or mind alone and only or vocal published by the mouth alone The mental cry onely conceived in the heart by the spirit is that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that confidence and assurance which the Sons of God have that they are the Sons of God and that all things are theirs in Christ Jesus or more plainly it is the elevation of the heart to God in a secret manner preferring their petitions unto him with confidence that he will grant them what they humbly and earnestly sue for according to his will altogether this crying is internal Moses egit vacis silentium ut corde clamaret yet God to whom all hearts are open hears it as a cry when Moses spake not a word to God but onely desired in the secret cogitations of his heart his aid and protection at the red sea against the Egyptians the Lord sard unto him Wherefore cryest thou unto me Exod. 14.15 When Hannah prayed unto God for a manchild she spake with her heart onely her lips moved but her voice was not heard 1 Sam. 1.13 When Nehemiah made request unto King Artaxerxes concerning the City which was the place of his fathers sepulchres he had not at that instant any time to pray to God with his voice to prosper his suit yet saith the texts he prayed to the God of heaven Such indeed may be the sorrow and anguish of the heart as that the tongue shall not be able to utter the intentions of the soul and this doubtlesse was the case wherein Moses Nehem. 2.4 Curae leves loquuntur tngentes stupent Hannah and Nehemiah were David profest as much Psal 77.4 I am so troubled that I cannot speak bodily infirmities may cause this silence for we see that men at the last gasp when the soul is ready to flie out of the body and they in a manner by reason of the weaknesse of the Organ of speech not able to utter one syllable they lift up their eyes to heaven thereby signifying the hearts raising of this crying unto God Hence proceed those groanes in the children of God when their speech fails them which are the onely messengers of their thoughts and they are said to be the spirits groanings in their hearts whereby intercession is made for them They are called unspeakable groans unspeakable say some for their greatness and so indeed they are great in the ears of God unspeakable say others by reason of their weakness caused either by outward crosses or inward pressures of the soul expressions they are certainly of a good heart listed up to God and though weak proceeding from the special instinct and proper motion of the Spirit of prayer And albeit they be weak and confused in the hearts of Gods children so that they themselves can hardly discern or utter them in themselves Rom. 8.27 yet God who is the searcher of the hidden things of the heart knows the mind and meaning of the Spirit so that by the cryes sigh's or sobs to God never so small and in a manner insensible and seeble
hast found favour with thy Saviour the Son of God This is that disciple commonly called the disciple whom the Lord loved into whose hands as a sure pledge of his love as Potipher did to Joseph finding favour in his sight he made him overseer over his house and all that he had he put into his hands Gen. 39. he committed I say unto his charge as with the rest of the Apostles the oversight of his house his Church so especially to him alone upon the cross making himself ready to appease the wrath of his Father the protection of his mother as if he had said love me love my mother for behold thy mother John 19. Now the same exhortation that I used before I use again this third time be ye followers of him also as he was of Christ Jesus and ye shall be gracious and graciously accepted in the sight of God Set these three before you for example and ye shall be supplanters of sin and able to trip up the devils heeles and prevall with God for a blessing ye shall be stones like Davids pebble slung at Goliath able to dash Satan that he shall not have a word to speak against you or power to hurt you you shall be the gracious children of the most high in a word ye shall be as they were Pillars in the Temple of God And thus I come to the description of these three Apostles James Cephas and John who seemed to be pillars It was Christ's question whereunto shall we liken the Kingdom of God Mark 4. or with what comparison shall we compare it According unto which frame another whereunto shall we liken the Apostles of Christ or with what comparison shall we compare them I omit many that of Shepheards that of Overseers or that of faithfull Stewards in Gods house and such like onely I insist on this in the text Pillars who seemed to be Pillars The Apostles then whom I may rightly terme Gen. 32.2 as Jacob did the Angels that met him Gods hoast are like unto pillars in this first viz. Pillars are not the foundation but laid on the foundation Here then observe that neither Peter nor any of the Apostles nor altogether can be truly called fundamentum Ecclesiae Dei the foundation of Gods Church it is Christ's own prerogative royal to be the foundation the head of his people Psal 18.2 hence saith the Anointed of the God of Jacob the Lord is my rock my fortresse and my deliverer 2 Sam. 22.1 Cor. 3.11 for who is God save the Lord and who is a rock save our God Other foundation can no man lay than that is laid which is Jesus Christ so that we need not go to Rome to seek a foundation for we are built upon the foundation that is the doctrine of the Apostles and Prophets Christ Jesus himself being the chief corner-stone Eph. 2.21 22. agreeing with that Isa 28.16 Behold I lay in Zion a chief corner-stone elect precious in whom saith the Apostle farther all the building fitly framed together consisting of Jew and Gentile whom Christ the corner-stone knits together groweth into an holy temple in the Lord. This Temple is made of stones 1 Pet. 2.4 5. and stones like Christ living stones not like Nabal whose heart is said to have died within him and to become a stone stone-dead but they are living-stones full of life and spirit to whom coming as unto a living stone disallowed indeed of men but chosen of God and precious ye also as lively stones are built up a spiritual house an holy Priesthood to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God by Jesus Christ Thus the Church of God is all stone-work therefore strong and firme as appeareth verse 6. but by faith he that believeth in him shall not be confounded True it is Rev. 21. Immota manet According to the Ven tian Motto Nec fluctu nec flatu movetur that the wall of the New Hierusalem is said to have twelve foundations and in them the names of the twelve Apostles of the Lamb but the meaning is mystical One foundation and twelve names written thereon one Christ preached by the twelve Apostles therefore called twelve foundations not twelve distinctly and severally but one with twelve names As Paul saith like a wise master-builder I have laid the foundation so might the rest of the Apostles say and thus in number twelve indeed but one If this satisfie not put a distinction between the first and principal foundation and second and lesse principal these are Pillars fixt on the first improperly called foundation The Apostles again are like unto Pillars sustinendo aedificium Domini in supporting the Church of God that spiritual edifice Wisdom saith the wise man in the Proverbs hath hewen her out seven pillars Prov. 9.1 according to the sevenfold operation of the Spirit which Saint Bernard reduceth unto these Fear Piety Knowlege Counsel Fortitude Understanding Wisdom Christ the Wisdom of the Father so termed hath hewen him out twelve Pillars twelve Apostles for the strengthning for the supporting of his Church by the sevenfold operation of his Spirit Dagon the god of the Philistines cannot stand 1 Sam. 5. troubled with the falling-sicknesse while the Ark of God is present So these false brethren Paul's accusers down they must with a vengeance in the presence of these three pillars wherein was written the Law of the Lord as Gods ten Commands in the two tables of stone 2 Sam 7.12 And here they shew themselves to be Eben-ezers stones of help such as Samuel set between Mispeh and Shen Therefore be strong in the Lord. Strong Pillars they were Veritatem confirmando errores refutando these were the Apostles acts as ye may find in the Acts of the Apostles I name one place for all and for all one man Paul Acts 9.22 But Saul increased the more in strength and confounded the Jewes that dwelt in Damascus and hence they are called Saviours Saviours shall come upon Mount Sion Obadiah 21. This is it that Paul saith of a Bishop that he must be able by sound doctrine both to exhort and convince the gainsayers Tit. 1.9 't is not sufficient to resist Satan and his complices stedfast in the faith as the Apostle Peter exhorts 1 Pet. 5.9 but there must be a conquest Rev. 3.12 there must be a conqueror Him that overcometh will I make a Pillar in the Temple of my God That this be done persiste vinces stand stedfast and thou shalt overcome Resist the Devil and he will shew you a paire of heeles he will flie Be ye stedfast and unmovable Many Pillars susteined the Tabernacle whose Chapiters and Bases were of gold the middle part were done about with silver The golden Chapiters and Bases set forth Christ the silver part the Apostles and the faithful Columnaes si fueris in firma fide argentea si divini fueris usu instructus Sermonis faith
blessed consequences of Christ's Life and Death Pag. 41. Why Christ died Pag. 53 Of the Three Persons in the Deity largely Pag. 67 68 forward Inferences from the Spirits dwelling in our hearts Pag. 76 77 Christian society should be delightful Pag. 92 Songs of Degrees Pag. 113 Doctrine what must be preached Pag. 122 forward E. FRults of Christs Exaltation Pag. 15 16 The malignity of Envy Pag. 35 Ecclesiastical peace Pag. 36 Christ Exalted according to both Natures Pag. 57 forward Six Evidences of the Spirits dwelling in our hearts Pag. 73 74 No easie matter to be a Minister of the Gospel Pag. 92 An Emperors duty Pag. 121 F. WE may come confidently to God us to a Father Pag. 80 Not build Faith on a staggering foundation Pag. 92 The Soul naturally subjected to Fear Pag. 95 96 Several Fears Pag. 96 forward Benefis of holy Fear Pag. 98 forward Two causes of Fear Pag. 99 The uses Pag. 100 forward Foundation of the Church who Pag. 147 forward G. GOD the All-wise and gracious Moderator Pag. 5 Grace for grace how Pag. 10 11 Of Gods Glory at large Pag. 19 20 What Glory due to God from man imports Pag. 20 21 Gods Good-will how superabundant Pag. 43 44 In what particular acts expressed Pag. 45 forw Comfortable inferences thence deduced Pag. 46 The Spirits mission into our hearts a great gift Pag. 68 69 God and the Holy Spirit not unequal ibid. Heart governed by the Spirit Pag. 74 God is Christs Head how Pag. 111 God alone to be invocated Pag. 114 Grace inherent and actual Pag. 139 Concerning Grace at large Pag. 150 forward H. HOw Christ is Holy Pag. 11 12. How Harmless ibid. The benefits of Christ made higher than the Heavens Pag. 17 18 Honour to God wherein it consists Pag. 22 23 24 Heart the Metropolis of the Soul Pag. 34 Humiliation of Christ a work of power mercy justice Pag. 48 forward Wherein it consists Pag. 51 forward Holy Ghost called a Spirit why Pag. 63 64 Spirit of the Son why ibid. Heart principally desired in man Pag. 72 It 's the seat of the Spirit proved Pag. 72 73 Head of the Woman is Man in what respects Pag. 107 Hear the word how Pag. 133 134 I. JEsus a reverend Name Pag. 6 Indignities put upon Christ Pag. 7 8. His intercession Pag. 9. Not for all promiscuously ibid. Fruit of it Pag. 10 Justice and Mercy Pag. 21. Both to be admired Pag. 22 Justification Pag. 41 Illumination of the understanding Pag. 73 A Christian least reason to be idle why Pag. 84 forward Satan gets great advantage by it Pag. 85. Idleness reproved Pag. 87 Vse of it Pag. 88 Insufficient Ministery the evil of it Pag. 132 133 James unde Pag. 145 John what it signifies Pag. 146 K. KIngs their duty Pag. 113 116 117 Four Divinity-Lectures for them Pag. 115 Not exempted from afflictions Pag. 117. To be prayed for Pag. 118 L. LOve God how Pag. 23. Gods love to Mankind Pag. 63 64 Livelihood from the Spirit Pag. 75 76 What love should be betwixt Ministers Pag. 89 Ministers must take heed to their lives how Pag. 126 Gospel why called a Law Pag. 129 130 A perfect Law ibid. A Law of liberty Pag. 130 131 In what language Ministers should deliver their message Pag. 132 M. THe first Man was the first order'd Priest Pag. 3 Mans recovery is by a Mediator Pag. 4 Of Gods Mercy Pag. 39 The Mediator must be both God and Man Pag. 50. forward Mission of the Spirit Pag. 70 Plotters of Mischief Pag. 87 Man is the womans head Pag. 106 forward Ministers improvidence fatal to the Church Pag. 120. Ministery an hard task ibid. Must look to themselves how Pag. 121 Neither spare for love nor fear Pag. 123 124 How called and why Pag. 126 forward Merits confuted Pag. 41 42 N. TO Number our days what Pag. 86 O. THe Offence committed must be purged away by the Nature offending Pag. 5 God added an Oath to the Covenant of grace and peace why Pag. 6 7 Oblation of Christ in the Heavens Pag. 9 Obedience to God internal external largely Pag. 22 23. How qualified Pag. 24 25 Excellency of Order Pag. 103 Offices mutually to be performed by man and wife Pag. 109 forward P. DIgnity of Christ's Priesthood Pag. 7 A double comfort from the purity of our High-Priest Pag. 13 Christ a Pattern for our imitation Pag. 14 Peace fourfold wrought by Christ Jesus Pag. 26 27 How made Pag. 27 28. Peace of a good Conscience amply described Pag. 30 31 32. Peace pressed Pag. 33 34 The Spirit of the Son is a Person why Pag. 66 67 And distinct why ibid. And the third and last Person how ibid. Pilgrimage some kind lawful Pag. 8 Papists false Inferences refuted ibid. forward Apostles are Pillars Pag. 91 Perfection absolute not here Pag. 98 Promises strongest Arguments Pag. 116 Ten Persecutions Pag. 124 125 Perseverance Pag. 135 Practice Pag. 136 Saints estate perfect and imperfect how Pag. 140 forward Protestants whence Pag. 141 Peter the signification Pag. 146 Paul what imports Pag. 151 forward Q. OF Quenching the Spirit Pag. 77 R. ROme's Sacriledge Pag. 10 Righteousness of Christ efficacious to us Pag. 13 14 Resurrection of Christ Arguments proving it Pag. 59. Necessity of it Pag. 60 61. Ends of it Pag. 61 62. The Conclusion Pag. 62 63 Regeneration Pag. 73 Religious hearts in a continual awe of God Pag. 96 Reading and Meditation to be joyned Pag. 134 Remembrance Pag. 135 136 Our Religion how founded Pag. 149 S. THe Son of God must be made the Son of Man Pag. 5 Sufferings of Christ the reason Pag. 8 Christ separate from sinners how Pag. 14. Made sin for us how Pag. 21 22 Benefits by Christs sufferings Pag. 29 Sanctification Pag. 43 None by nature excepted from sins contagion Pag. 43 Sufferings of Christ were incessant Pag. 51 Some specialties Pag. 52. Necessity of them Pag. 53 forward And Effects Pag. 55 forward The Application Pag. 56 Sons of God what Pag. 81 Spirit of truth and of lying Pag. 83 States how guided Pag. 116 Religion the soul of them ibid. Scripture to be compared with Scripture Pag. 134 The Spirit to be supplicated for Pag. 135 Saints two sorts Pag. 138 forward Saul what signifies Pag. 151 T. MYstery of the Trinity Pag. 68 Time an account to be kept of Pag. 84 Precious ibid. Will not be stayed Pag. 85 How we must make account of it ibid. Time must be redeemed Pag. 86 V. CHrist undefiled in the whole course of his life and why Pag. 13 Vbiquity refuted Pag. 17 Vnion with Christ Pag. 73 Vniversality of the Church Pag. 105 Voice of God daunting Pag. 127 128 Vnion must be amongst Ministers Pag. 152 W. CHrist born of a Woman why Pag. 5 6 The Word made flesh how Pag. 13 Divine Worship Pag. 25 26. largely God to be worshipped every where Pag. 90 The merciful project of Gods Eternal Wisdom Pag. 47 Bitterness to Wives discovers it self how Pag. 110 forward Word to be looked into accurately Pag. 131 FINIS
royal Diadem higher than the Kings of the earth greater than the four famous Monarchies c. And yet these worthies of whom the world is not worthy these precious sons of Zion comparable to fine gold these Jewels of Jesus Christ which are his very glory 2 Cor. 8.23 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Forti animo mala fer nec his miser esto dolore Are counted the off-scouring of all things esteemed as earthen Pitchers shamefully slighted and trampled upon with the feet of insolency and cruelty Howbeit as stars though we see them sometimes in a puddle though they reflect there yet have their scituation in Heaven so Gods Saints though in a low condition yet they are fixed in the Region of happinesse The Saints that are in the earth Psal 16.3 The excellent Foundation There is 1. Fundamentum fundatum Eph. 2.20 2. Fundamentum fundans 1 Cor. 3.11 The first is a scriptural foundation the doctrine of the Prophets and Apostles the other is a personal foundation Christ himself Be sure to adde practice to these Mat. 7.24 Fundamentals are few in number Certa semper sunt in puâ—is Tertul. but many in vertue Small in sight but great in weight Every particle of truth is precious as the filings of gold neither may we alter or exchange a letter or syllable in Fundamentals Built upon the foundation of the Apostles and Prophets Ephes 2.20 Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone Rome Rome hath left her seaven mountains to plant her self in Campo Martio Lips de Mag. Rom. lib. 3. Cap. 11. who lyes as it were entombed in her own ruines Lipsius cannot so much as trace the ancient tract of heâ— walls So in respect of her state Ecclesiastical that which was the garden of Eden is now over-grown with weeds and the Daughter of Zion is now become the Whore of Babylon Rome of Christs Spouse is become the strumpet of Sathan of the school of Simon Peter whose being there is yet questionable the school of Simon Magus of the Temple of the Holy Ghost a cage of impure spirits She calls her self Queen but Hierom the purple Whore Once the Church of Rome wrote her lawes in milk but now she writes them in Sunday letters Prayers and teares were once her weapons but now fire and sword And if in shew of peace she turn heâ— destructive instruments into mattocks it is but to play the Pioner and make way for death Roma radix omnium malorum It is the City that is mounted on seven hills and cannot be hid but is apparently discerned and described to be the great City Babylon the seat of Antichrist The sweetest wine turns into the sowrest vineger the whitest ivory burnt into the blackest coale So about the year 1414. Theodoricus Vrias in Germany Iohn Manâ— loâ— com 226. an Augustine Fryar complained not without cause Ecclesiam Romanam ex aureâ factam argenteam ex argenteâ ferream ex ferreâ terream superesse ut in stercus abiret Yea Diput de Rep. l. 1. c. â—â— Matchiavel observed that there was no where lesse piety than in those that dwelt neerest Rome If Franciscus de sanctâ clara and his faâ—tors were the wisest men under heaven and should live to the worlds end they would be brought to their wits end before they could accomplish this works end to make a reconciliation betwixt Christ and Antichrist betwixt Rome and us for what concord hath Christ with Belial They can never fall in or make musick in one Quire For grosse Idolatry or for fundamental errours onely must we seperate Corruption grew so great in the Church of Rome that it justly occasioned first the Seperation of the Greek Churches from the Latine and then of the Reformed Churches from the Roman And Bellarmine bewails it that ever since we cryed up the Pope for Antichrist his Kingdom hath not onely not increased but hath greatly decreased Dent. on Apoc. 9.11 Certainly the date of her reign is almost out and the time draweth on apace wherein both she and her King Abaddon shall be laid in the dust Esto procul Romà qui cupis esse pius Roma vale vidi satis est vidisse c. Rome hath fallen culpably and shall fall penally Sibylla long since foretold this Tota eris in Cineres quasinunquam Romà faisses in the eight book of her Oracles The ruine of Rome must be like the ruine of Jericho which can never be re-edefied There was something surely in that which we have read that when the warres began in Germany Anno 1619. A great brass image of the Apostle Peter that had Tu es petrus c. fairly embossed upon it standing in St Peters Church in Rome there was a great and massie stone fell down upon it and so shattered it to pieces that not a letter of all that sentence whereon Rome founds her claim was left whole so as to be read saving that one peece of the sentence Aedificabo Ecclesiam meam I will build my Church which was lest fair and entire True it is no easy thing to overturn the Kingdom of Antichrist which like an huge tree hath taken deep root in the earth for many ages and men need not marvel that it is so long a cutting down Especially if we consider that the Lord will still have his Church in combate here in this world to shake it from security Again the Lord for the sins of the Church and want of care of through Reformation in those to whom the Lord hath detected their abominations stayeth the good speed of this glorious deliverance Besides the Lord will have the destruction of Antichrist and his Kingdom wrought by leisure that so man may make due regard and consider of so great a work Yet let us cast our eyes upon Gods word and promise and firmly beleeve if Agag be to be slain God is raising up some Samuel to do it Yea let us cast our eyes on Gods work already and we shall see him gone a great way in the accomplishing of his word Whereby we may strengthen our saith in that which remaineth For how hath the word preached discovered him to be that man of sin detecting his fraudes and impostures with which for many ages he deluded the blind world How are his Bulls and Excommunications which in former ages seemed to shake the Kingdomes of the earth esteemed but as wind Moreover how have all the reformed Churches shaken off with detestation his Antichristian yoke and usurped power over the Scripture Church mens Consciences c. And how have many Princes already disclaimed and despised his clawes over them Keeping from him those summes which were wont to warm his holinesse kitchin c. I might also adde how weak all their endeavours and meanes are to prevent finall â—uine viz. Sophistry Knotty distinctions to hide and delude the plain sense of Scripture threatnings treacheries Machivilian contrivances warres treasons murders Massacres Powder-plots