have said enough to wise men and I 'le end all with that Prayer of John in his second Epistle to the elect Lady and her Children Grace be with with you mercy and peace from God the Father and from the Lord Jesus Christ the Son of the Father in truth and Love And hope you 'll all say Amen to it FINIS To his very worthy Friend JOHN BROWN Esq One of His Majesties Justices of Peace for Middlesex and Clerk to the Right Honorable the House of Peers More intimacy with Jesus Christ. Most worthy Gaius AS there are some Capital Sins for which we must abase our selves all our days such as have broken our Consciences should often break our hearts As there are some Cardinal Vertues to speak in the Moralists language which must be our every-days work as being the Essentials of Christianity so are there some Providential Dispensations in the course of our lives which must be acknowledged even to Eternity amongst which we may well reckon loving and faithful friends constant mens affections being of themselves meer weather-cocks very mutable which are Gods Vials by which he pours his favors upon us And here Sir I must rank you with those for whose acquaintance I have much cause to bless God having received in few years more real love from you then divers do from some of their friends in many years Your hearty kindeness hath made so deep an impression upon me that I cannot satisfie my self without some publike Acknowledgement of that whereof so many have been witnesses I can confidently and indeed have very much reason speak to you in the language of John The Elder unto the welbeloved Gaius whom I love in the Truth far be it from be in a glorying way onely to complement with him who hath expressed so much affectionate reality unto me And without flattery I do pray That you may prosper and be in health even as your soul prospers through the rich mercy of God in Christ to you Pray let me adde this by way of thankfulness to God it being a return of weak Prayers I rejoyce greatly to hear so many of the deserving Brethren testifie of the truth that is in you and that not onely in your tongue or outside profession onely but that you walk in the truth making the truth your path which leads to Christ who is the Way the Truth and the life Joh. 14.6 And I trust through the goodness of your God I may have occasion in his time which is always the best to rejoyce as John also did that yours walk in the truth But your love to me together with your dear and gracious Consorts puts so much the stronger obligation upon me it being not onely personal both in my former health and time of present sickness but indeed to my dear Mother the University of Cambridge which I must ever love and honor whose welfare you have in your Sphaere most happily promoted and that with such laborious and bountiful respect as stands upon Record with thankful Acknowledgement amongst us Go on beloved Sir to love Jesus Christ in and for himself love him in his Ordinances and in his Saints value all the outward comforts with reference to him and his glory Ride on prosperously in your Zeal for Truth and in the exercise of meekness and moderation of Spirit which is a Scripture expression of the Spirit of Jesus Christ and for want of which many great pretenders to Reformation look too too much like as if they were acted by a Diabolical Spirit therein The Lord multiply his Graces in you and yours and his Blessings upon you all Accept this from him Who desires as a faithful friend to serve you in love Thomas Hill From your own house in Westminster Apr. 28 1648. The SPRING of Strengthning Grace IN THE ROCK of AGES Christ Jesus 2 TIM 2.1 Thou therefore my son be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus WEll might Solomon among other of his Divine Oracles publish this in the 30. verse of the 11. of the Proverbs The righteous is as a tree of life and he that wins souls is wise and Daniel who in Ezekiel was ranked amongst the chiefest of wise men They that be wise and they that turn many to God in Dan. 12.3 they shall shine like stars Paul likewise is a most glorious instance of this who took a great deal of pains though he met with many crosses in fishing for souls he became all to all that is in the use of indifferent things not to venture upon any thing which is unlawful as many wrest the place to gratifie their own lusts that he might save some Paul himself it seems did not expect to gain all he preached unto doubtless this is a very high point of wisdom for hereby they trade most for Gods glory and best for their own Eternal good being glorified with him and by him And I do not believe there is any that was a meer man to say no more that will bring more Troops more Regiments of Children such as have been victorious Soldiers over the Devil and his Agents at the day of Judgement then Paul will he will have a large flock as Behold here am I and the children thou hast given me and none of the meanest of these will be his Son Timothy which leads me to the first part of the words The persons Exhorting and Exhorted Paul the Father and Timothy the Son it may be a Son not so much because he beg at him to the Faith it is probable he found him a Disciple for ought appears in Acts 16.1 there the first time that I can remember that Paul met with Timothy and there he calls him a Disciple and you finde in 2 Tim. 1.5 how Paul blesseth God for the Faith that is in Timothy which dwelt first in thy Grandmother Lois and thy mother Eunice therefore he may be his Son rather in regard of his Spiritual Education then by being begotten As a Master or a Tutor is a Father though he did not beget his Children his Pupils or his Schollers but onely train them up 2. Here is the Exhortation The substance of it Be strong as becomes a Soldier of Jesus Christ. 3. Here is the Rock of this strength Be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus It is not by any intrinsecal strength but in the grace that is in thy Head Christ Jesus 4. Here is the Engaging illation the particle that comprizeth an Argument that engageth him to it Thou therefore my son Therefore Why because thou hast so great a trust committed to thee Hold fast the form of sound words which thou hast heard of me in faith and love which is in Christ Jesus and That good thing which was committed to thee ver 14 keep by the holy Ghost that dwelleth in us Still he leads him to seek strength from above Keep by the holy Ghost Be strong 〈◊〉
〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 get something within that may strengthen and enable thee to do thy work 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 be strong be strengthned passively expect it from another Strength is that which men glory in and therefore very desireable But what strength In the grace He doth not onely say Be thou strong in the Lord and in the power of his might as Ephes. 6.10 But in grace indeed he ultimately intends a participation of strength but withal intimates the original of that strength to be Grace as if he should say Thou standest in need of strengthning vertue in thee all that strength must be derived from Grace expect it from no external motive without God himself we have no arguments to move him to bestow strength upon us it is his Prerogative Royal peculiar to himself to act independently to have mercy on whom he will have mercy and Because he will have mercy Rom. 9.15 Ephes. 1.4 6 9. All derived from grace and resolved into grace And where lies this strengthning grace In the grace that is in Christ Jesus very significantly in the Original by the Article indigitating Christ to be the Spring of thy strengthning grace God will not trust thee with grace in thy own keeping lest thou prove a Bankrupt as Adam did and thou wouldst soon grow intolerable proud if thou wast able to act by thy own strength independently upon God very hard to keep down that weed even now in thy most depending condition therefore thy strength shall lie in Christs hands and thou be at his disposal for the communication of it so that thou shalt always have occasion to say Lord I cannot mortifie pride by the strength of my own humility that often fails me Lord I cannot confute my unbelief by the strongest arguments my Faith can produce I shall never be able to trample upon Satan or keep up under his Temptations from sinking without the strength and sufficiency of that grace which is in my Head Christ Iesus Lord make me strong by that Almighty grace which is in him That there is such a Spring of quickning grace in our Rock Christ Jesus is evident Isa. 9.6 The Government is upon his shoulders for the perfection of his Church and many other good purposes which require strength which is hinted in the expression On his shoulders Paul had a Commission to Preach the unsearchable riches of Christ Ephes. 3.8 to display his grace which is like a Sea you can finde no bounds like a Spring you cannot reach the bottom The Sea of Christs grace as in nature flows from the Spring and the Spring from the Sea so there is no reason of grace but grace it self This is to be acknowledged by all to be the deep mystery of God and of the Father and of the Son in whom are hid all the tresures of wisdom and knowledge The same blessed Apostle Col. 2.2 3. treasures therefore 1. Abundance 2. of things of price of wisdom and knowledge which being directive as well as operative impart strength Hid sometimes we hide things for secrecy and so the life of a Saint may be hid from carnal from godly spectators yea from himself and they droop under doubts So other things we hide for safety so chiefly though secrecy not excluded Col. 3.2 3. the life is hid with Christ in God and here is security of the Saints when Christ who is our life shall appear then shall ye also appear with him in glory Shall let Beelzebub and all his Angels do their worst appear with him in glory Upon the same account doth this man of God so intimately acquainted with Christ Iesus in his Epistle to Philemon ver 6. pray for him That the communication of his Faith might become effectual there is his Faith with the strength and the efficacy of it by the acknowledgement of every good thing which is in you in Christ Iesus there 's grace in Christ and therefore derivatively in you because originally in him I might hence gather several Observations the first whereof might be this 1. Doct. The Spring of a Christians strength is in the Rock Iesus Christ. Expâ—ic Here you have three particulars conducing to Explication of this Gospel-Truth 1. The nature and proportion of this strengthning grace in Christ Jesus 2. His title to it and possession of it 3. The sweet variety and various sweetness of this strengthning grace in Christ. First for the nature and proportion of it two things will clear it 1. There is in Jesus Christ the fulness of grace 2. The redundancy of this fulness of grace He is a full fountain and likewise an overflowing fountain The more you contemplate Christ in the glorious glass of the Gospel the sooner you will discover in him a Prophetical fulness of strengthning grace and that both in regard of the strength of his Word and in regard of the power of his Spirit both which are of great strength If you cast your eye upon the second Epistle of Paul to Timothy Chap. 3. ver 15 17. you shall finde that the holy Scripture is able to make a man wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Iesus there must be still an improvement of that strengthning grace which is in him and likewise it is profitable that the man of God may be perfect throughly furnished unto all good works There is that in the word of Jesus Christ which is able to compleat men as Saints and as Ministers and therefore doubtless full of glorious strength And so likewise in regard of the Spirit hear what the Prophet Micah saith Chap. 3. ver 8. But truly I am full of power by the Spirit of the Lord and of judgement and of might to declare unto Iacob his transgression and to Israel his sin And when Jesus Christ did appear to Paul Acts 26.13 to make him a Minister and a Witness both of these things which he had seen and in those things in the which he would appear to him ver 16. doubtless there was a powerful presence of the Spirit of Jesus Christ abundance of strengthning grace to be conveyed by him otherwise how could he possibly open their eyes to whom he was sent ver 18. to turn them from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God that they may receive forgiveness of sins and an inheritance among them which are sanctified by faith that is in me still they are led to the Spring of grace in Christ now all these speak no less then an Almighty power You may perceive a fulness of strengthning grace in Christ as he is the Churches Priest otherwise he could never make full satisfaction to his Fathers Justice He could never so prevailingly intercede for the Saints in Heaven which are the two Branches of his Priestly Office when all the sins of his people met upon him so it is in the Original Isa. â—3 6 they would have
when he is in any straights overpower him with a Divine instinct though he hath not an express revealed will to walk with as we have not in every particular circumstance of an action O that then Jesus Christ should particularize some general Scripture to you or bring something to your minde that you have heard in a Sermon it may be a dozen years ago give him the glory of this and improve him to this blessed purpose The Lord Jesus Christ did intend and doth expect that upon his ascension and giving gifts there should be such an entertainment of the Gospel that we might grow up into him in all things who is the Head It is the perfection of a Christian to improve all the three Persons in the Trinity when you look upon God and his attributes to finde proportionable impressions upon your souls by his greatness to learn to fear him by his godness to love him when you look upon the Spirit of God and his working then likewise to feel some stamps answerable thereunto that you may have an inclination to comply with him in all things so likewise when ye behold Jesus Christ in the passages of his redemption to make use of all that there may be some proportionable correspondency betwixt his dispensations towards you and your improvement of them And here I shall briefly desire you to consider under this point these three particulars First The intention it self and the expectation of Jesus Christ. Secondly The grounds of it and Thirdly The ends of it 1. For the intention and expectation of Jesus Christ himself when he did ascend and gave gifts it is this in three particulars That there should be a growth That there should be a growing up into Christ. That there should be a growing up into Christ in all things I beseech you mark these three particulars First That there should be a growth how a growth so as to compleat the number of all the Saints that not one of them be lost Jesus Christ hath undertaken that he will not lose one that God the Father hath given him and therefore all those must be called in and it is conceived by learned Expositors that that is the meaning of this place Christ hath given gifts for the perfecting of the Saints that is for the compleating the number To fill up the number of persons that so many as were elected from eternity so many might be called in and then For the compleating of the graces of those Saints both in the degrees and in the activity of them for Jesus Christ it is an admirable condescending expression reckoneth not himself compleat till all his members be compleat I beseech you take notice of that first Chap. and the last verse of the Ephesians Which is his body the fulness of him that filleth all in all Jesus Christ fills all in all and yet he saith his body is the fulness of him he is pleased not to account himself compleat as head of the Church till his members be compleated as to the number of them and till their graces likewise be compleat to such a degree as he intended but then Secondly There must be a growing up there must be the maner grow up into Christ not onely a concorporating with Jews as the Gentile Churches did in the 3. of the Ephesians not onely an incorporating into Jesus Christ though that is very much into the body of Christ but a transforming into Christ that you may be moulded in Christ I would not be too bold with those expressions of Nazianzen because I see they are abused 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 It is an admirable one that Athanasius hath That Jesus Christ took the nature of man upon him that so we might have the nature of God conveyed to us the divine nature there is a ground for that expression in 2 Pet. 1.4 and a delivering up into Christ into his word in Rom. 6.17 the form of doctrine into which you were delivered here is an admirable improvement of Christ when a Sermon is delivered to you the minde of Jesus Christ discovered for you to be delivered up to it that you may go out of the assembly under the power of that truth and moulded in it and then withal that Christ might be in you and you might be in Christ that there might be a mutual in-dwelling as in that place in John yea that we may come to live in the Spirit and walk in the Spirit in Gal. 5.25 yea and that the very life of Faith the life that we live may be by faith in the Son of God in Gal. 2.20 not onely now and then to pray in faith but to live by faith to act all in faith here is a growing up into Christ not onely a growing to some knowledge of Christ or to some profession of Christ or to make towards Christ but to be moulded to be transformed into Christ here is the entertainment and improvement of the Gospel that Christ expects but then Thirdly Growing up in all things unto Christ There is the proportion or the dimension as a Head Our growth must be as large as his Headship now as he is a Prophet so we must grow up into him that we may have wisdom and all those supplies from him as he is a Priest grow up in him that we may have Righteousness from him for the covering of all our sins as he is a King grow up in him that we may have a Redemption from all our snares bondages and enthralments for our being and well being having our subsistence in him in God the Father and in Christ Jesus as in 1 Thess. 1.1 when we are converted we come to have a new subsistence in Christ for Truth and for Degrees of Grace grow up into him for habits and acts for the velle as well as for the posse for converting and renewing grace for it is he that works in you the will and the deed of his own good pleasure as in Phil. 2.13 for comforts and for hopes in 1 Pet. 1.8 That you may have joy through believing and the God of peace fill you with hope in Rom. 15.13 all our strength and comfort lies in union with Christ and influence from him It is an easie matter to sprout in hypocrisie and in self-love and in earthliness and so in a formal external profession and to have a bulk of outward performances but it s an hard matter to grow into an inward communion and intimacy with Jesus Christ to be transformed into him So I have done now with the first thing the sum of the expectation the next is The ground why Jesus Christ expects this for very good reasons 1. This is the grand purpose and effect of Christs ascension he did ascend to give gifts he did ascend to give his Spirit and that is the great promise of the New Testament he promised to give his Spirit and shall he give his
the Godhead in him not onely of some God-like dispositions and of the Image of God which may be in Saints Thirdly All the fulness of the Godhead the whole Divine Nature Fourthly All this fulness of the Godhead dwells in Christ he is there not as a Guest not as a Friend but as an Inhabitant to fix his constant abode there Fifthly And all this bodily personally most mysteriously and not transciently vertually and by participation onely as in a good degree it may be in the Saints And for this happy purpose hath Jesus Christ such a Spring of good in himself who is the Head of all Principalities and Powers in that ninth verse which is added because they should see they need not go to the Angels as their head verse 18. He hath this fountain of strengthning Grace in himself by the Grace of Vnction the unction of the holy Spirit which God giveth to him not by measure Joh. 3.34 not by drops and measure of the gift of Christ as to us Eph. 4.7 The Father loveth the Son and hath given all things into his hand ver 35. of Joh. 3. And amongst other good things the Holy Spirit the great New Testament Promise was the Promise of the Spirit as the Messiah was the grand Promise in the Old Testament And this he pours not drops out and that much more generally then before as Acts 2.17 And it shall come to pass in the last days saith God I will pour out my Spirit upon all flesh And by vertue of this Unction of the Spirit you may see what glorious things Jesus Christ communicated unto poor sinners if you please to compare Isa. 61.1 with Luke 4.18 He hath it in him by the Grace of Office you will allow the expression being designed by the Father as a publike person for the advantage of all those whose Names are written in the Book of life and for those whom the Father had given to the Son He was appointed by Commission under the Broad Seal of Heaven to be The grand Lord Treasurer for his Church the common Storehouse of their strengthning provision This he doth signanter declare and that most fully Joh. 6.27 when he bids them Labor not for the meat that perisheth but for that which endureth to everlasting life Here is the ground which the Son of man shall give unto you never doubt it for him hath God the Father sealed This is the Doctrine that John the Baptist published concerning Christ Joh. 1.16 And of his fulness have all we received and grace for grace It seems there is an overflowing fountain of grace in him which was fully opened when he came into the world Joh. 7.38 39. else how could all Believers with John receive of his fulness had there not been a full fountain it would not have been drawn dry though communicated to so many and grace for grace 1. Whether it be by way of accumulation as some interpret it or 2. Whether by way of additional supplement we receiving the grace of the New Testament instead of the grace of the Old Testament or 3. Whether by way of correspondency there being such proportionable impressions of that grace that is in Christ so far as we are capable for there was that in Christ as Mediator wherein we cannot resemble him made upon us that as the print upon the wax answers to the Seal as the characters upon the Son answer to the Father so there are such visible stamps of the grace of Christ upon the Saints that in the language of Peter they are expresly said to be partakers of the Divine Nature having such Divine dispositions so incorporated so naturalized into them that what good they do springs not from external motives onely as in Hypocrites but from an inward principle of new Nature And therefore acting from this new Divine Nature they do good with more constancy and delight then others And upon the same account doth John tell you 1 Joh. 17. v. The Law was given by Moses but Grace and Truth came by Jesus Christ In Moses Law there were shadowing Types in the Gospel of Christ there is the substantial Truth of them there were Predictions and Prophesies here fulfilling grace Hence Christ saith in the 10. Chapter of the Evangelist John ver 10. I am come that they might have life and that they might have it more abundantly that he might be a perfect Savior to answer the greatest exigencies of all his poor sheep maintaining their lives in despight of all their Wolvish enemies The third particular follows to wit The various sweetness and sweet variety of that strengthning grace that is in Christ This may be made appear to the great comfort and strong encouragement of the Saints and that in a fivefold Stream flowing from this living Spring of grace in Christ. First Here is strength from the electing grace of God in Christ where there is a great deal of strength and indeed the fundamental Stone which is the strength and support of the house The foundation of all the Spiritual and Eternal building lies there Ephes. 1.45 He hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world that we should be holy and without blame before him in love having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself according to the good pleasure of his will Grace and his good pleasure is the Spring of all Secondly Here is strength from the transacting grace of Christ when there was an agreement betwixt God the Father and God the Son God had given so many to him he would undertake for those many God did accept his undertaking then Christ went on there was a great deal of strength in this transaction as 2 Tim. 1.9 According to his purpose and grace which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began how possibly given us before the world began why it was given us in Christ Jesus in his negotiating with God for us Thirdly Here is a great deal of strength also in the converting grace of Christ He hath saved us and called us with an holy calling not according to our works but according to his own purpose and grace What purpose and grace That which was in Christ Jesus 2 Tim. 1.9 He did graciously purpose it therefore it should be infallibly effected A place that in the Synod of Palestina 1200 years ago and above the learned Divines made excellent use of to cut asunder the sinews of Pelagianism as indeed it doth and so still of Arminianism which is but that weed revived as learned Dr. Featly makes it most clearly appear in his Pelagius Redivivus Fourthly There is a great deal of strength likewise in the assisting grace of Christ when there shall be new supplies communicated from his Spirit to enable us to perform every duty and to order our sharpest sufferings to the best good of our souls as Paul assures himself Phil. 1.19 For I
experience which made him groan so sadly Psal. 51.8 Make me to hear joy and gladness that the bones which thou hast broken may rejoyce When he had broke his conscience by sinning God would break his bones for sin And again ver 12. Restore to me the joy of thy salvation and ver 10. Create in me a clean heart and renew a right Spirit within me It s true the Lord had so far deserted him in regard of sensible comforts that he may desire their restoring and which may be observed by the way let the proud Arminian say what he can David was not become silius irae but onely silius sub ira still a beloved son he begs indeed the cleansing of his heart but onely the renewing of a right spirit within him 2. The Lord whips his children to an improvement of the grace of Christ by suffering them in his holy and wise providence to fall into some great and it may be some scandalous sin which shall draw on a sharp affliction This is to a Saint a most sharp cure yet God makes it often effectual to that happy end for though we be the onely proper authors of sin yet Gods permission is not otiosa but effâ—cax permissio He knows how to govern its subserviency to the Covenant of Grace and to bring good out of evil otherwise he would neither suffer evil of sin or punishment to be David too clear an instance of this Rule Hereby the Lord whipped him out of himself to seek mercy from his Savior Psal. 51.1 Have mercy upon me O God according to thy loving kindeness according to the multitude of thy tender mercies blot out my transgressions FINIS Acts 24 25 The Apostle useth four Arguments to Vnity Endeavoring to keep the Vnity of the spirit in the bond of 〈◊〉 Verse 7. Vers. 11 12. Vers. 13 14. Verse 15. Doctr. 1. Doctr. 2. Doctr. 3. Doctr. 1. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Headship it self oâ— Christ. 1. Respectu Dignitatis 2. Respectu Regiminis 3. Respectu Influxui 4. Respectu Vnionis The appropriation of Christs Headship Note Note Christs Title to this Headship of his Church Luke 19.10 Vse 1. Pope no vicarious Head of the Church v. Polau Sputag p. 3351. v. Bâ—dâ—l Vse 2. Caution It s dangerous to be injurious to any of Christs members Dan. 2.45 Verse 4 5. Strong encouragement for all Christs members Rom. 16.28 Vse 3. Contrary to Pauâ—s Doctrine Phil. 2.13 Note To believe is mans act but faith is Gods gift Vse 4. Caution Rom. 9.15 2. Tim. 2.20 2. Doctr. Christs intention and expectation in giving gifts 1. That there should be a growth Eph. 1. last 2. A growing up 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 3 Growing up to Christ in all things Note The grounds Reason 1. Reason 2. Reason 3. Note The end The stability in Christ. Stability in judgement Stability of affection Psal. 73.25 Psal. 11. Stability of conversation Note Improvement of Christ. In all conditions and relations In all duties Vse 1. That is to preach the Gospel for the working faith in Gods elect Note Vse 2. For Citizens chiefly who enjoy such rich Gospel-advantage Mat. 11.22 Growth must be proportionable to the means you enjoy Growth must be of all parts Vse 3. For information concerning the Ministery Consider the Original of the Ministery Gal. 1.1 Note Doubtles it is a great and provoking evil to cry down the whole Ministery because some seek themselvs or others of the Ministers affect too much power hereby the devil carries on his design Behold the Ministery in Christs intention in the giving of it That Ordinances and Ministery now cease and we are under another new Administration A most dangerous and most unsound opinion See Mr. Saltmarsh his Book called Beams of the bright morning Star p. 134 c. What another Administration then that of the Father through the Son by the Spirit Reasons against this Interpretation of Mat. 28 20 for his third Administration 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 2 Thess. 8.9 Iude ver 3. 1 Cor. 15.9 24 28. Eph. 4.11 1. What is Truth 2. What is this love 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 3. What is it to speak or follow the Truth in the Text. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Vers. 14. Scripturae plenitudinem adoro Truthing it in Love a good motto for Saints Doctr. 3. 2 Ioh. 2.4 5. Verse 2 3. Reasons why Truthing it in love so useful What Truth and Love do to prevent evils singly considered â— Tim. 4.3 4 1 Cor. 10.28 29 30. 1 Cor. 8.13 What Truth Love do to promote the best good of Saints being joyntly considered 2 Tim. 2.25 What Truth and Love being joyntly considered 1 Cor. 8.1 Note 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 after the Passover not after Easter if truly translated Acts 12.4 vid. Minshulâ—s Dict. Note 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Acts 1.20 Acts 2.27 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 There was both 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 yet sometime the former included in the latter 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Helps Deacons Governments Elders Noâ—e this grand Imposture 1. Vse of Instruction 2. Vse of Caution Two dangerous Regiments Captare impacata inquieta tempora A little book in quarto called Look about you Note 3 Vse of Exhortation Note Some Errors are 1. Contrafidem 2. Infide 3. Praeterfidem In Elephante melancholia transit in nutrimentum corporis Though the Elephants be maximae virtutis maximi intellectus yet gregatim semper in cedunt and so not uociva as solivaga are Homini erranti viam ostendit Rules concerning Truth and the pursuance of it 1. Rule about Truth Ezek. 13.2 Eph 4.17 Cassianus his Collat. 2. de discretione cap 5. 2. Rule about Truth 3. Rule about Truth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Jus Divinum nititur verbo Divino Ames Note 4. Rule about Truth Note 5. Rule about Truth 2 Cor. 11.3 6. Rule about Truth Note Inclinus ad neutram partem sit Dominis â—â—riusâ— 1. Rule about Love 1 Cor. 16.14 Eph 5.2 Col. 3.12 13. 2. Rule about Love 3. Rule about Love 4. Rule about Love Rom. 5.1 2. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Basil. Eph 5 2 5. Rule about Love 6. Rule about Love Phil. 1.27 3.15 16. Concordiâ— communa periculum â—ollâ—tâ—r Livy l. 28. Note 3 Epist. ver 1. Verse 2. Verse 3. Non vis errare ego sum via non vis falli ego sum veritas non vis mori ego sum vita non habes quaÌ„ eas nisi per Christum non habes quò eas nisi ad Christum Ezek. 28.3 Sermo Dei est sicut hamus non capit nisi capiatur Aug. 1 Cor. 9.19 to 22. four times together Isa. 8.18 Division 1. part 1. persons Exhorting Exhorted 2. part substance of ExhortatioÌ„ Be strong 3. part The rock of thy strength 3. The grace that is in Christ Jesus Explic. Note Note 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Non satis babuit humeroruÌ„ was said of one who wanted strength proportionable to his work Some copies read 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 others 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 both will come to one purpose though the last more full and indeed more probable In Christ Fulness Redundancy of grace 1. A Prophetical fulnes of grace in Christ. 1. Strength in his word 1 Ioh. 2.14 2. Strength of his Spirit 2. A priestly fulness of grace in Christ. 1. Christs gracious satisfaction 2. Christs gracious intercession 3. Christs Kingly fulness of grace 1. Christs powerful suppressing his enemies Chap 18. last verse 2. Christs powerful advancing his people Col. 2.13 Psal 103. Mat 16 18. Rev. 3.21 2. The redundancy of grace that is in Christ Jesus 1 Redundancy of his grace into all their faculties Rom. 5.12 15. 2. Redundancy of the grace in Christ into all the graces of the Saints 3. Redundancy of the grace that is in Christ Iesus into all their duties 4. Redundancy of the grace in Christ Jesus into the various estates of his Saints Psa. 62.10 1. part Christs title unto possession of this strengthening grace which is threefold 1. By the grace of Vnion 2. By the grace of Vnction Note 3. By the grace of Office 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Camer 2 Pet. 1.4 Note 3 part The various sweetnes sweet variety of the strengthning grace in Christ Iesus Note Applic. A serious invitation for al strangers to seek acquaintance with and interest in Iesus Christ. Ioh. 3.19 Vid L. Verulans Apothegmes 26. Note 1 Vse Note See in Arminius his Works a notable Discourse about Gods Providence in mens sins Deus non permittit peccatum tanquam otiosus spectator sed effâ—â—aci quadam permissione quamvis nullo modo sit Author peccati
heaven and is on the right hand of God Angels Authorities and Powers being made subject to him he hath a universal and absolute regiment over all things in heaven and earth over men and Devils but then 3. In regard of that Influence that he doth convey to the bodies Sence and Motion is derived from Christ as the spring it is true that in the natural body there the heart is primum vivens but in the mystical body the head is primum vivens and he gives life to us and we derive our life from Jesus Christ the head he hath life and he hath it abundantly in himself and he lives that we may live as I remember there is such an expression in John 10.10 4. In regard of Vnion he doth tie altogether the nerves and sinews would not unite the members of the mystical body unless Jesus Christ were the Head As he is the Foundation stone and so supports the building so he is the Corner stone both the beauty and strength and union of the building Fundatio fundatissima as Junius renders it in Isa 28.16 a most sure foundation and the Corner stone as Peter hath it in 1 Pet. 2.7 8. with reference to that place and so in these four particulars Jesus Christ hath a Headship the next thing is now The appropriation of this Headship to whom is he a head He is an external Head to all the members of the visible Church to all professors as he is a vine and doth communicate some sap to those that are in him no way but by an external profession as you have it intimated in John 15.2 Every branch in me that bears not fruit shall be cut down and cast into the fire and therefore there are some branches in him externally as he is an external Head to the Church as he is a vine but indeed he is properly the Head of his body the Saviour of his body he is a Head to those to whom he is a Saviour in Ephesians 5.23 As the King hath a common relation to all his Subjects but a more pecular relation to the Queen who is a Subject and a Spouse and so hath Jesus Christ to his Church and the reason is this because there is a full commensuration betwixt all the three glorious persons in the Trinitie they are grossly mistaken that will make Jesus Christ to dye for all and yet will not in their sence so as to make them Salvabiles if they will and yet cannot say That either God hath given Christ to all or given all to Christ or that the Spirit of God will apply that Redemption to all for there is a commensuration there is an adaequation betwixt the three glorious Persons in the Trinity and their workings for the Salvation of the Saints Jesus Christ dyes for those whom God hath given to him with purposes of Salvation I do not deny but all the wicked in the world may have some benefit by the death of Christ as all have some common pledges of the bounty of God and all may have some common operations of the Spirit of God but if you 'l speak of any thing as to Salvation there is a commensuration betwixt the three persons in the Trinity and their workings Elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father Sanctification of the Spirit and the sprinkling of the blood of Christ in 1 Pet. 1.2 indeed in 1 John 2.2 He is a propitiation for our sins and not for ours onely but for the sins of the whole world to whom did John write that Epâ—stle to the Jews and therefore to shew that they had not all Religion now engross'd amongst them and that the Election of God did not still run amongst them only he speaks in that dialect he did not intend every particular man in the world for then he must intend men that sin against the Holy Ghost which is impossible that they should be saved No man will say that understands any thing even in Catechistical Divinity that Jesus Christ dyed to save them which he must do if he dyed for every man in the world with such purposes to save them and so in 1 Tim. 1.4 5 6. He is given a ransom for all why all There is one God and one Mediator now Jews and Gentiles as Jesus Christ did take our nature upon him both Jews and Gentiles all estates shall have the common priviledge and benefit and advantage of being in a capacity to receive blessings from him spiritual saving blessings that is all conditions whether Kings and all in Authority or Servants or others not every particular person but as in one place Jews or Gentiles so in another place not this or that condition but all estates and all relations and all conditions but still the Appropriation is to the Church as here he saith from whom the whole body is joyned together in the 16. Vers. from whom from Christ the whole body is joyned together so it is the body that hath this influence from him but then 3. What is his Title to his Headship it is threefold First The designation of God and the Father God the Father hath sealed him he gave him to be a Head to the Church over all things in Ephe. 1.22 23. and then Secondly His personal fitness Of his fulness we all receive grace for grace In him are hid all the treasures of wisdom and then Thirdly His own propitious readiness We were not in any degree so willing to be saved as he is to save us He came down to seek and to save that which is lost the Spirit of the Lord was upon him and anointed him to preach the Gospel it was his business and as he had a Commission from his Father and came under the Broad-Seal of Heaven so he had a strong inclination â—â—â—m his own bowels to engage him to it there is his Title the use of this 1. To trie the title of the Popes Headship to the Church how comes he by it for a Church to have two Heads one body to have two heads it is a Monster you 'l make it Monstrous we do allow in a good sence That the Supreme Magistrate is Caput politicum in the Church to command good things according to the Word of God and to restrain evil according to that Word we hold forth confidently that Jesus Christ he is the onely proper Head of the Church that doth convey all saving spiritual blessings life nourishment direction and all those admirable advantages to the body we cannot allow a Caput Vicarium a Ministerial Head there is no need of that Jesus Christ is the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Head here is an Article that gives an Emphasis what needs it any other Jesus Christ is present always in his Church when he withdrew his Corporal presence he would then requite his Church with his Spiritual presence and that presence of his Spirit it should
accompany them to the end of the World But the Pope as great as he is cannot be present in every place we need not spend any more time in crying down that that is so prodigious so many several Saints and so many several Churches in several parts of the world how is it possible that a Pope can be Head of them all but then 2. Beware of being injurious to the least member of Jesus Christ If Christ be the Head of the body surely his body is dear to him never think to ruine the body or to drown the body as long as the Head is able to keep it self above watâ—â— never think to hurt the body as long as the head is able to secure it and protect it and defend it there are very notable expressions in several of the Prophets as in Daniel There are four great Monarchies then came a little stone hewen out of the mountain and breaks them all one after another All opposite powers to the Kingdom and Headship of Jesus Christ shall be confounded in despight of the Pope and Turks and Devil and all All the Kingdoms of the earth shall at last become the Lords and his Christs and then in the 12. of Zachary you shall finde there in the 5. Verse Jerusalem shall be inhabited as towns without walls numerously for I saith the Lord will be â—nto her a wall of fire round about and will be the glory in the middest of her a wall of fire to burn up the Enemy and I will be the glory in the midd'st of her for the comfort of his people the presence of God is the glory of any place and therefore he saith He will create a defence upon the glory an admirable place in the 4. of Isaiah Pour upon them a Spirit of burning and judgement to direct them and consume the Enemies and he will create a defence upon all the glory upon his Saints which are the glory so he is pleased to count them though there be no preparations in them to raise a defence he will create it yea in Zach. 12.2 Behold I will make Jerusalem a cup of trembling to all people round about And in that day I wil make Jerusalem a burthensome stone for all people all that burthen themselves with it shall be cut in pieces though all the people of the earth shall be gathered together against it O what encouragement is here for the poor Saints the Citizens of Jerusalem let all the desperate Atheists and prophane opposites combine against the people of God and plot although they may have it may be some particular advantages as it is said of the Romans they were Pralio victi but not Bello it may be now and then they may get an advantage in this combate against the Church but yet they shall never totally and finally overcome them though they be all gathered together God will make Jerusalem a burthensome stone to all that burthen themselves with it There will a time come when the Lord will grinde to pieces all those that have any Antipathy against Jerusalem when God will trample Satan and all other Enemies under the feet of his Jerusalem when God will call for all them forth that would not have him to rule over them Bring forth mine Enemies that would not I should raign over them and slay them before me in Luke 19.27 there is the second Use. 3. If Jesus Christ be the Head of the Church then surely he must have a body an head without a body were prodigious and therefore that Doctrine of the Arminians must needs prove false That would have Jesus Christ come into the world upon these terms and to dye upon such considerations that all things should be left so far to mans Free-will that it was in their power unless they would be so good natur'd as to believe when Jesus Christ call'd upon them that he should not have one Member no body at all This is the erronious Doctrine of Arminius and his Followers that go upon his principles is it impossible that Jesus Christ should not have one Member for he gives onely posse he gives not velle if you will not believe and improve your Free-will you may chuse whether ever you will believe or no they will not allow that Jesus Christ by an invinciable by an almighty power shall carry men and overcome men so far as to make them of unwilling to be willing to believe yea where Arminius hath four decrees concerning the Salvation of men you may be within the compass of all those four decrees and yet not be saved a miserable condition he tells you God hath decreed to give Christ and means and that all who believe shall be preserved and saved but he tells you not that he hath decreed to give faith and repentance to any one man to enable him to believe and therefore it is a most dishonorable Doctrine to the Headship of Christ blessed be God that it so much discover'd and we are so far delivered from it though it is most unhappily of late in some parts of it got into too many Popular hands But then 4. Take heed I beseech you of any obstructions that might hinder a sweet communion betwixt the Head and the Members that might hinder an intercourse betwixt Jesus Christ and your souls let this rather be your care to gain that heavenly skill how you may make use of Jesus Christ as the Head 1. Give him the glory of his Soveraignty let him be all in all the Soveraignty of his Grace and the Soveraignty of his Independency to save whom he pleaseth and to do what he pleases with men to have mercy on whom he will have mercy and because he will have mercy 2. Give him the glory of his Wisdom as a Prophet seek wisdom from God and it shall be given you in James 1.5 as you should give him the honor of his Soveraignty allowing him this that as the Potter he may make some vessels to honor and some to dishonor as he pleaseth 3. Give him the honor of his Riches and Fulness seek supplies from him do not live upon your selves nor upon your duties nor upon ordinances onely but live upon Jesus Christ in all so give Christ the honor of being the spring of your Supplies in him are fresh springs 4. Give him the honor of being the best friend in the world and labor for such an intimacy with him that he and you may be acquainted for he saith If ye love him and keep his commandments he and his Father will come and take up his abode with you and he will manifest himself to you in John 14.23 O how much of heaven will that soul have upon earth that he should have Jesus Christ come and dwell with him and when he goes to Prayer manifest himself when he goes to read the Scriptures paraphrase upon the Bible and suggest sweet hints to him