Flesh or to Free himself from the Servitude of the Flesh These and the like Inconveniences have perswaded some to attribute this whole work unto the Spirit of God which is able to do all things without the Coagencie or Consort of the Spirit of Man But thus to avoyd the former Inconveniences is but as if a man having found a Way out of a thicket of Thornes should instantly intangle himself in the Bryars For it is not so Great a Solaecisme to say That the Spirit of Man or man himself should be an Agent in this businesse As to Affirme That whence it would follow that The Spirit of God should in this work of Mortification be mans Instrument For that which Man worketh by the Spirit Man is more properly said to work it then the Spirit Now our Apostle saith that we must mortifie the deedes of the Body And he that Mortifieth is the Agent That by which we work this Mortification is but our Instrument And better it were to say That the Spirit of Man should be mans Instrument in this work rather than the Spirit of God 2. It were according to our Former Principles easily answered that Wee by Our spirit Mortifie the Deedes of our Bodies Consecutivè non Formaliter aut Efficienter that is not by any Efficacie in us or Influence derivable from us The Spirit of God must directly work or Effect it But though this be True yet is it not Punctual to the point proposed For by this Answer the Spirit here meant should only be the Spirit of man For by this Spirit only we work our Mortification Consecutivè That which the Spirit of God doth work in us it works Directly Immediatly and Entirely and in produceing its proper Effects it hath no Partner or Co-Agent It may notwithstanding be yet further replyed that we must Mortifie the Flesh by the spirit of God not as by any Instrumental Cause subordinate to us but in such a sense as we say Inferiour Magistrates do the Acts of the Magistracie by the Kings or Supreme Magistrates Authoritie unto which they and their Magistracie are Subordinate Thus some good * Pasqualius Interpreters upon this place say that we must Mortifie the Flesh by our own Spirit but by our own Spirit as it is Subordinate to the Spirit of God and Consequently to this Assertion it must be granted that this Subordination of our Spirit to the Spirit of God is in this place necessarily included or persupposed though not expressed by our Apostle All this for ought I know may be most True and Orthodoxal but withall too General For Inferiour or subordinate Magistrates are more properly said to be the Agents Even in those things which they do by the Authoritie and warrant of the Superiours whereas the Spirit of God is not only the Author or sole Authorizer but the Principal Actor or Agent in this work of mortification For a more particular and punctual Resolution of the Question proposed we are to unfold the divers acceptions of these Words or Termes to wit THE SPIRIT and MORTIFICATION 3. There is the Spirit of God and there is the Spirit of man Both of them have their several and divers Importances in scripture The Spirit of man may be considered as it is in the Natural Man or in the man altogether unregenerate and This Spirit is at Enmitie with God or in the Man as yet unregenerate yet in the way to Regeneration And the Spirit of this man is privatively opposite to the Spirit of God so as Darknesse is to Light Blindnesse to Sight or Death to Life There is a Spirit likewise in the man Regenerate the same for Substance with the Spirit of the Natural Man the same for Substance that it was in himself before Regeneration but altered in Qualitie And This Spirit though it cease not to be in man yet is it not usually called The Spirit of Man as being no way opposite unto the Spirit of God but Subordinate unto it so Subordinate unto it that it is called The Spirit that is of God and sometimes The Spirit of God 4. These diverse Acceptions of the word SPIRIT as likewise the Distinction or Opposition between the Spirit of God and the Spirit of man are set down by our Apostle 1. Cor. 2. from the ninth verse unto the end of the Chapter What Man knoweth the things of a man save the Spirit of man which is in him Even so the things of God knoweth no man but the Spirit of God ver 11. He doth not say the spirit of God which is in God or with God And when He saith What man knoweth the things of man save the Spirit of Man he supposeth there is even in the Natural and unregenerate Man a Spirit able to discerne the secret thoughts and imaginations of his heart though blind and ignorant in the things concerning God Againe when he saith the things of God knoweth no man he excludeth the Natural man only or the man to whom God hath not imparted the Gifts of the Spirit For so he hath said ver 9. Eye hath not seen nor Ear heard neither have entred into the heart of man the things which God hath prepared for them that love him Into What Mans heart have they not entred Or unto What Man doth this Negative belong Only to the Natural or unregenerate Man For so he adds verse 10. But God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit For the Spirit searcheth all things yea the deep things of God 5. What Spirit is this which searcheth all things Even the deep things of God the Spirit of God which is without Vs or which communicateth knowledge and reveales things hidden unto us If this Spirit were here meant How should those deep things of God be revealed unto us Revealed to us they cannot be unlesse they be known by us and known by Us they cannot be but by the Spirit which is in us So he adds more expressly Ver. 12. Now we have received not the Spirit of the world that is the Spirit which is of man but the Spirit which is of God that we might know the things that are freely given to Vs of God If by the Spirit which we have received we know the things which are freely given to us of God This Spirit must be made Ours it must be One with Our Spirit it is not the Spirit of God which is Without Vs or which works our Regeneration but the Spirit by which we become formally Regenerate and Spiritual And Punctually to this purpose the Apostle haveing said ver 14. The Natural Man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God for they are foolishnesse unto him Neither can he know them so long as he remaines a Natural Man because they are Spiritually discerned he adds by way of opposition ver 15. 16. But he that is Spiritual judgeth or discerneth all things Yet He himself is judged of no man For who hath known the mind of the Lord
will recover without further medicine From this Analogie or proportion betwixt the diseases of the Soul and of the body it is I take it that we are not injoyned to mortifie the Spirit For the Apostle supposeth that the Flesh being mortified the Cure is wrought without any peculiar Mortification of the Spirit distinct from it Or rather He supposed and knew that the mortification of the Flesh could not be wrought without Renovation or Quickening of the Spirit For though it be true which some Moralists say Mens deprecatur ad optima that The Spirit or Conscience doth as it were intreat and counsel Malefactors themselves unto that which is Good Yet the Spirit and Conscience of the best men before they be renewed by the Spirit of God doth perform this work but Weakly Sleightly or Cowardly And the Reason why the Spirit or Conscience of men of good men in respect of others is so defective in this performance of its proper Function is only because it is overborn or kept under or in part corrupted by Carnal Affections or contrary inclinations of the Body or flesh which for this Reason must be mortified Therefore the Apostle when He exhorts to put off the Old Man which is corrupt through the deceitfull Lusts injoynes them to be renewed in the Spirit of their Mind Ephe. 4. 22. 23. 10. There is a Twofold Mortification The One consists in the weakening deading or benumming of Carnal Affections or Desires The Other is alwayes wrought and perfected by a Positive Purification of the Heart or Fountain whence the Affections flow A man may cease to be unchast or Lascivious by age or other Casual Impotencie So may a man cease to be drunk by some disease or distast Another may cease to be Ambitious or have his Ambitious desires benummed or weakened as being either bereaved of opportunities to raise his Fortunes or disenabled to follow his Suites or hopes of Preferment Mortification is then perfect when the Affection it self is as it were rescued from the Carnal Desires or Delights wherein it was involved and is won or trayned to the Service of the Spirit CHAP. XXXIV Containing the Manner and Order of The Spirits Working or of Our Working by The Spirit 1. THe Question remaines How these Two sorts of mortification are wrought by The Spirit or by Vs To this Disquisition concerning the Cure of the Soul there is a Question very Pertinent amongst the Physitians of the Body Whether the Cure of mens Souls be wrought by Contraries or Symbolicals One sort sayes Omne Remedium fit per Contrarium The Others say Omne Remedium fit per Simile The Difference betwixt them may be easily reconciled with the Distinction of the Infirmities and Diseases which are to be cured or of the Subject whereunto the said Medicine may be said to be Like Dislike or Contrarie 2. The Medicine may be sometimes Contrarie to the Matter of the Disease but Like unto the Nature opposed Sometimes again the Medicine may be Contrary to the Nature but Agreeable with the matter of the Disease wherewith Nature is opposed Some Diseases properly consist in meer weaknesse of Nature or Languishment of Spirit and these must be cured per Simile by administration of such Diet or Receipts as may immediatly comfort the Fountain of Life which consists in Calido Humido in moderate heat and moysture As for this reason Hot-waters to men in Swounds are fittest and warm Brothes or Cordials to men otherwise Feeble or deprived of heat and moisture Other Diseases consist either in Excessive Heat or abundance of Blood and these must be cured by the Contrarie as by opening a Veine or by cooling Diet or medicines Too much fulnesse of Body cannot be holpen but by abstinence or Evacuation However both sorts of Physitians agree that when all is done Nature is the best Physitian and that is the best Physick which setts Nature Free to exercise her own strength or Strengthens her to expell noysom humours which cloy or molest her But oft times it so falls out that Nature cannot be thus freed of bad Humors which are setled in the Body without administration of some thing that is Contrary unto Nature but Consorteth so well with the Humors which oppresse her that Nature being inforced to expell this In-mate or New-Comer doth with the same force expell a secret or domestick Enemie which had associated himself unto it As sometimes the Law cannot proceed against secret Enemies of the state untill they be drawn to associate or joyn themselves to other apparent forrain Enemies with whom they perish or are expelled their Native Countrey together with them Again although the Conflict be alwaies most eager and keen between Natures most Contrarie yet that which every Contrarie Agent doth in the first place aym at is not utterly to destroy its Oppoâ—ite but to make it like it self albeit the one often come to destroy the other by seeking to make it grow like it self The heat of the fire doth not directly aym or strike at the cold in the water but seekes to communicate its own heat unto it and the heat produced in the water doth immediatly and directly expell the cold and at length consume the substance of water 3. For better explicating the Manner how both kinds of Mortification are wrought by the Spirit Or how they are wrought by the Spirit of God how by the spirit of man or by the spirit which is in Man Or how by Contraries How by Similitude we are in the First place to consider Three Estates or Conditions of Men How the Cure of the Soul is wrought in severall sorts or Conditions of men The First of the Natural Man that is of him which as yet is in no sort partaker of the spirit of God which hath had no touch or feeling of its Operation in him or upon him The Second is of men which have been partakers of the Spirit but as we say in Fieri not in Facto Such as feele the motions of Gods Spirit whilest it moves them that is they are partakers of its Motions or touches but not of its Residence in them or of any Permanent Impression made upon them The Third Sort is of men made partakers of the Spirit in Habit that is as the Apostle speakes they have the Spirit dwelling in them and are enlivened and enquickened by it The manner how Mortification is wrought in these Three severall sorts or Conditions of men by the Spirit is not the same In the First sort the Cure is Commonly Begun by the Contrary but alwaies Finished by Assimilation God sometimes weakens the inclinations of the natural man against his wil without Consent of his own Spirit Some men are prone to offend or to surfet of the flesh unto death by the abundance of health or too Lively plight of Body and these God in mercie sometimes visits with grievous sicknesses for preventing the diseases which would otherwise grow upon them
to leave off all wearing of Gold to cast away all their Ornaments of Dignity as filthy ensignes of Luxury to bring them all into Juno's Temple and there consecrate and Leave them Their Youth also he reduced to an excellent Temper as may be collected from the Cure he wrought upon the women whom he taught to forget their beloved Ornaments And here I cannot forbear but I must appeal to my Reader and ask him sadly and seriously whether he thinks that if St. Chrysostom or St. Austin were now here alive again upon earth and should desire him to pick out and point unto them the best as he thought of those our Cities that most â—lagrantly Professe Christianity wherein they might hope with most probabilitie of successe to attempt the like Cure of vanity either in women or men he could promise Those Holy Fathers any hopes that they should speed so well amongst Christians as Pythagoras did amongst the Crotonians Whether he thinks that at this Time this Juncture or rather this Fracture of Time when at Gods chiding the Springs of water are seen the Foundations of the world are discovered when his wrath being kindled yea not a little he hath stained the Pride of Glorie and still cals aloud to weeping and to mourning and to baldnesse and to girding with Sack-cloth Isai 22. 12. when Spots and paint and powder Glorious and strange Array seem to be as Ominous to men as the Gilded Hornes and Ribbons were to the white Oxen that were suddenly to be sacrificed They could perswade any Ten wanton Young-men but to observe that Rule of the Apostle prescribed women whose adorning let it not be that outward of plaiting Hair wearing Gold or donning Apparel but the Dress of the Inner-man the heart and Spirit with ornaments of Grace Or any Five Daughters of Sion that walk according to Ovids Rule with Stretched-out necks to cover themselves Decently as those Fathers should judge or as themselves or their Mothers had judged sometime Decent Though they should be allow'd to doe it with the most precious Riches of the East Silk and Pearl and the Gold-plate of Vphaz Yet was Affected Curiositie of Hair and Dresse in men so monstrous even in the sight of that Monster of Mankind * Seneca de Ira l. 2. c. 33. Caligula that he put a Yong Gentleman to Death for it Munditiis ejus cultioribus capillis offensus And nakednesse so odious in the sight of Modest heathen women that Clemens Alex Strom 4. l. reports it in praise of a certain Mulier Lysidica who 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 used to go into the Bath with her clothes on And yet I fear or Phansie some Reader that could not do This would grudg to Allow the Crotonian Reformation the Honour to be stiled a Moral Conversion * S. August Tom. 7. l. 1. Contr. Julian Cap. 7. 4. Epist 130. and more places where he Takes notice of Polemo Will he then allow that Title to our Next Instance Which I wil commend that though few do imitate yet some may admire it It is of Polemo the debaucht Athenian Ruffian Perditae Luxuriae adolescens says Val. Maxim l. 6. c. 9. who upon a time having made an end of his accustomed All-night Revels by that time of the Morning that Xenocrates was at his moral Lecture in the Schools and having occasion as it fel out to pass that way struck into the Schoole with design rather to jeer and affront the Grave Philosopher now busie at Lecture then to learn any thing of him He seeing Polemo come in such a pickle as a Pernox Convivator must needs be and besides in a prodigious aequipage and Garb of Luxury crownd with Rose-Buds and hung with all the Imaginable Fanes Labels and Swadling-Bands of Phansie compos'd his Countenance to the utmost dimensions of Gravity remov'd his discourse whereupon he was when Polemo came in into the Theme of Temperance and this he pursu'd with so much Sweetness Power and Eloquence without taking any notice of him whom he most thought on that this Younker began first to startle as one wak'd out of a Trance then to look up towards Xenocrates as soberly as he could next he stole his Garland off his head and laid it from him after that he pull'd his Armes in under his cloak and otherwaies exprest what effect that morning Lecture had upon him in summe he went out of the Schoole a clean other man Mutatus Polemo chang'd even to a Proverb and turnd so constant a Student and good Proficient in Morality that he succeeded his Master in his Schoole Hic vir hic est quem quaerimus but where shall we finde the like amongst Christians An hundred of our sory Lectures scarce produce one such Convert I mean Like and Such in proportion to the means of Grace tenderd in Christ Iesus quaero Hor. Serm. faciásne quodolim Mutatus Polemo L. 2. Sat. 3. ponásne insignia morbi Fasciolas cubital focalia potus ut ille Dicitur ex collo furtim carpsisse coronas Postquam est impransi correptus voce Magistri This Cure he wrought upon an other upon many disadvantages but you 'l ask perhaps had the Physitian heald himself yes it seems he had got an excellent Magisterium or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 against that Epidemical putrid Hereditary disease of mankind Lust Phryne that Nobile Scortum Atheniense as Val. Maxim L. 4. c. 3. calls her had laid a wager with some of her Customers that she would conquer Continence and this Philosopher both at once To him she comes at an opportunity not ordinary when the man was Benè potus perhaps this signifies not what ill it sounds but only Plenitude uses all the immodest Arts and Modes she had to allure him It may indanger the modesty of some sort of Readers to write what she did though it moved him no more then a Dead man in short she did tempt him to the utmost yet was not He tempted but received this Testimonie of Chastity from Harlotry it self That he was invincible I presume the Objection that this was a natural Deadness no Mortification Moral A cold Palsie Fit of Age no voluntarie Continence I say then 1. They be weak Authors that report it to us and so admire it themselves 2. Sure They were both wiser and Honester then to commend unto Posteritie Impotencie in stead of Exemplary Vertue 3. He seem'd as free from the proper vice of old Age 1. Orat. de Fort. Alex. M. as from that of Youth Plutarch tels it of him that he Refused 50. Talents sent him by Alexander the Great with this excuse or reason return'd 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Philosophie had taught him not to Contract or amasse wealth but to shrink up his desires So had it taught others 1. Crates the Rich and Noble Theban who cast 200. Talents of Silver into the Sea Diog. Laert. Lib. 6. or as some say into the common Bank upon
extinguished before they cannot revive themselves Or if children by Baptism were restored unto that State of Innocency which our Parents once had this Innocency could not be lost without some Actual Transgression like unto that transgression by which our First Parents lost their Innocency or Justice Original Actually to transgresse after the similitude of Adam Infants whilest Infants cannot For such Transgression consists in a sinister choice of the Will or in the ill use of Reason And all ill Use of the Will or understanding presupposeth an Use of Reason which cannot be in Infants Again there is no Necessity that all Children should actually transgresse when they first come to the use of Reason if before that time they had been Freed from all Original Corruption or Reliques of the Old Man by Baptism For to lay a Necessity of sinning actually upon any that had been Freed from all Original sin or restored to the state of Innocency which Adam had were to make God the Author of such Actual Sin Adam himself did not actually sin upon any Necessity but Voluntarily and Freely If the First Sin had not been an Actual sin or if that Actual sin had been committed upon Necessity not Adam but God had been the Author of it Certain then it is that This Duty of Mortification is necessary in respect of ALL without any respect of Persons ☜ Every one at their first Arrival unto the Use of Reason or at their Passage out of Infancy into Youth are under This Yoke which is no Evangelical Counsel but a Peremptory Precept And if This Duty necessarily concern ALL at that time ALL must of necessity have Original sin or some Reliques of the Old man in them yea such strong Reliques as will impell them to some Actual Sin or other or to some transgression of some of Gods Commandments when they come unto the Use of Reason Otherwise This Duty or precept could not Vniversally concern ALL without Exception For by the Contrary Doctrine some at least when they first come to the Use of Reason should have no Deeds of the Flesh which they were bound to Mortifie Most of the Romans unto whom our Apostle here writes had been Baptized after they had come to years of discretion And Baptism without all question had been as Effectual in them as it hath been in any other since yet our Apostle supposeth some Deeds of the Flesh to be in ALL of them Even in such as had lateliest been washed in the Laver of Regeneration which were to be Mortified in them So that Baptism is rather a Sacramental Consecration of us to undertake this Flight with the works of our Flesh or corruption of our nature then an utter Extinction or absolute drowning of these Enemies 5. Another necessary Corollary or Consequence of this Doctrine there is not usually observed by Modern Controversors and it is This That the same measure of Regeneration which sufficeth Children or Infants dying before they come to the use of Reason will not suffice such as attain to the use of Reason or years of discretion For if it did or could they might be saved as Infants are without performance of this Duty of Mortification One of these Two must necessarily be granted as Either that Children or Infants are not so thorowly sanctified or regenerated as is necessary to Salvation before the hour of their death which no man to my remembrance hath taught Or else he that affirms them to be truly regenerated or sanctified in their Infancy must yield to us in This That such Children or Infants as have been formerly regenerated in a measure sufficient to their Salvation out-grow this measure of Regeneration or Sanctification after they come to the use of Reason or years of discretion as they do their apparel or clothes which were fit for them whilest they were Infants And no question but the Old Man after we come to the use of Reason grows stronger and stronger in all of us untill we abate his strength and Mortifie his members by the Spirit Wherefore Leaving Children or infants unto the Spirit of God alone who doth Regenerate them by Baptism and preserve them in the State of Grace without our Ministery of Preaching This Precept is a Precept of Working Faith The Duty here injoyned is a Duty Necessary unto All that are of years fit to be instructed or of Capacity to understand the Scripture or Rule of Faith expounded to them Let us then take his words into a Second Consideration If ye live after the flesh Of the Nature of the Fight with our own Bodies in General ye shall die He saith not If ye have lived after the flesh ye shall die for this had been rather a certain Prognostick of death then any medicinal Advice or Prescript unto his Patients One man there was and no more who was First Good and afterwards Bad this was the First Adam Another there is and no more who was Never Bad alwayes Good this is the Second Adam Christ Jesus blessed for ever Of all the rest that is most true which a Father hath Nemo unquam bonus qui non antè fuit malus No son of Adam ever proved Good who was not sometimes Bad. The Apostles Saying is in this Case true First is that which is natural then that which is spiritual We Even the Elect themselves were the sons of Adam before they were the Sons of God in Christ All or most have lived after the Flesh before they come to live after the Spirit Thus much our Apostles Second Proposition will infer If ye though the spirit do mortifie the deeds of the body ye shall Live Inasmuch as Mortification of the Flesh is necessary to All it is presupposed that All have a Flesh which may be Mortified or a Life of the flesh seeing nothing can be Mortified but that which hath Life in it 6. Again Our Apostle saith not If the Deeds of the Flesh be Mortified in you by the Spirit ye shall Live For so we might happily have dreamed of a Mortification already wrought in us or to be wrought in us without our Consent or Endeavours as well whilest we are asleep as whilest we are awaking Or we might conceive it to have been so wrought by the Spirit in our Cradles as we might presume to passe the time of our youth in play and pastime Or we might hope to have it so fully accomplished by the same Spirit alone in our youth or maturity as we might spend our Old Age in sleep without setting a Careful Watch over our Works or thoughts His words if we observe them are thus If ye through the Spirit do Mortifie the Deeds of the Flesh ye shall Live So then we see The Flesh must be Mortified and Mortified it must be By Vs Every man must Mortifie his own Flesh although he cannot Mortifie it but through the Spirit It is The Spirit alone which giveth Victory yet this doth not Priviledge us from
deceive our selves and others by giving one and the same Answer to All or Most Questions that are or can be moved concerning these Duties That may be true of Mortification or Conversion whether spiritual or moral taking it in some Degree which is altogether false if we apply it to the same Qualification or Duty taken or considered according to another Degree Thus much they better saw then considered who have entertained Dispute Pro or Con in that Question An Homo in prima Conversione ad Deum sit merè Passivus Whether man in his first Conversion be meerly passive The Issue would be easier shorter and more certain if the same Question were proposed thus An Homo quoad Primum Gradum Conversionis sit merè Passivus Whether man be meerly Passive in the first Degree or Degrees of his Conversion or Mortification For mine own part as I acknowledge many Degrees of Conversion and many precedent Motions to true and compleat Mortification So I should think the most men Living that are throughly Converted and truely mortified to be Meerly Passive not in the First Second or Third Degree only but in All or most of the intermediate Degrees of Mortification which are precedent to the Habit of it or rather to the Gift of Perseverance in it And being once Habitually Mortified we are in a sort Active 2. But if in the First Second or Subsequent Degrees of Mortification we be meerely Passive How shall we avoyd That Imputation which is laid upon our Church by the Romanists The Imputation is This That albeit we grant men to be Mortified and require the Dutie of Mortification at mens hands yet wee acknowledge them not to be Men but meere Stocks in the Acts or Interims of their Conversion or Mortification To this we answer That although we be meerly Passive in the Acts of Mortification yet are we not Passive after the same manner that Stocks and Stones or Creatures meerly Sensitive are Passive Nor are Creatures indued with sense Passive after the same manner that stocks and stones or creatures without sense are There be Passives inanimate Passives sensitive reasonable Passives or Patients Every Faculty of Sense is meerly Passive in respect of its proper Function or Sensation And yet the ignoblest Faculties of sense are in some sort Active that they may be sensitively Passive or passive after another manner than stocks and stones or things inanimate are The Sense of Touching which of all the five External Senses is most ignoble and least Active may not withstanding be lesse Passive or more or lesse capable of paine by the Activitie or motion of the bodie But of the more Noble Senses the Maxim is most true Sentire est pati All Sensation is a kind of Passion or suffering And it is generally resolved in Schooles that Visio fit intromittendo non extramittendo Sight or Vision although it be the most Noble external Sense is not made by Extramission or sending out of the Rayes or beames of the Eye but by Impression of the Obiect seen and Impression is a Passion So that Sight it self consists in Passion and the Eye it self in respect of its proper Function is meerly Passive and yet he that will see the Sun or other Objects Visible must be content to open his eyes not to wink yet to wink or open the eyes is no Passion but an Action He that desires to see Objects obscure or lesse Visible must Intend the Optick Nerves otherwise he shall not be sensitively Passive In what sence we are said to be Passives in our Conversion And He that desires to hear well especially if he be afarre off must be content to Listen and Listning includes an Intension of the Organ or Instrument of hearing an Action in the Hearer that he may be sensitively Passive He that speaks is the Agent or Actor And yet how pleasant soever his speech be the Hearer must be Active to finde him Eares Now Faith is as the Eye-Sight of the Soul and understanding and yet Faith as the Apostle saith comes by hearing Our Mortification or Conversion which is a work of Faith is never wrought without some sense or feeling And in these works if they be spiritually performed the Spirit of man is as meerly Passive as the bodily Eye is in the sense of Sight or the Eare in the Act of Hearing But meerely Passive after a more remarkable manner in the First Degrees of Mortification or Conversion than in their Accomplishment The Resolution then of the former doubt is This We are meerly Passive in the Degrees or works of Mortification or Conversion We are not meerly Passive we must be Active in some works by the Providence of God presupposed for accomplishment of these works or for his accomplishing these works in us by the Spirit 3. For Illustration of that which in this Point may be easily conceived by all without offence as I hope to any We will take for Instance or Example a man whose heart hath never found any internal Comfort of the Spirit a Despiser of the Meanes which lead to Grace A Young Man Every way as dissolutely Bent as his yeares and Experience will permit him This man upon some Loathsome Concomitants which follow ryot or upon some grievous mischance that hath befalne him or his Friend in an unruly place upon the Lords-Day abjures the like place and Companie for a while And being not able or unaccustomed to be alone resolves to make trial whether he shall speed better by repairing at times seasonable unto the Lords House In thus resolveing and in thus repairing to the Church he is not meerly Passive but an Active This is no Work of true Faith no Degree of true Conversion or Mortification spiritual yet a Motion by Gods Providence presupposed or rather prerequired to his future Regeneration or Conversion He is Active Likewise in Lending his Eares with some tolerable attention unto the Preacher The Theme whereupon the Preacher without any notice of this Parties Dispositions or Occasions doth insist we will suppose to be that portion of scripture which was the meanes of St. Austins first Conversion to Christianitie without any choyce made by Him but presenting it self in respect of his present thoughts or purpose by meere Chance The Theme which first wrought his Conversion as he himself in His Confessions acknowledgeth Confess 8. lib. 12. Cap. was Rom. 13. 13. 14. Let us walk honestly as in the day not in Ryoting and Drunkennesse not in Chambering and Wantonness not in strife and Envying But put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ and make no provision for the flesh to fulfill the Lusts thereof A discreet methodical application of such Doctrines as this Text affords would much move any dissolute Young-Mans heart which had been impelled or drawn upon the former presupposed Occasions to heare these Words opened or discoursed upon without his choyce and beyond his Ayme or expectation And in this supposed Motion or relenting of
that he may instruct him But we have the mind of Christ When He saith WEE have the mind of Christ he includeth ALL such as He was that is All Men truely Regenerated by the Spirit whom God hath instructed to discern the things of God By The Mind of Christ the Apostle meaneth the self same thing that he did by the Spirit of God Between the mind of Christ communicated unto us and the Spirit of God communicated unto Us and received by Us there is no difference or distinction The importance of both Speeches is the same Our mind being Changed from Evill to Good or from minding of Carnal things to the minding of Spiritual things is called The mind of Christ by Participation so likewise The Spirit of God by Participation But the Spirit of God which communicates this Mind or Spirit unto us or by which we are said to receive it hath not alwayes the same Importance Between the Importances there is no Dissention yet a Distinction Sometimes by the Spirit of God God the Spirit or God the Holy Ghost is meant who in a peculiar manner is said to sanctifie Us to Regenerate Us to Quicken Us to work Mortification in Us. Sometimes again by the Spirit of God is meant The Spirit which is in Christ which is the Fountain from whence all gifts of the Spirit are immediatly derived unto us though the derivation be immediately wrought by the Holy Ghost And when the Apostle saith that we have the mind of Christ this Mind of Christ which we have received supposeth a Mind or Spirit in Christ which participates it unto us or from which we receive it by Participation We may not imagine a Transmigration or Transmission of the Spirit which is in Christ from Him to Us but a Participation only God hath anoynted him with the Oyle of gladnesse above his Fellowes God giveth not the Spirit by measure to him From the fulnesse of this Spirit in him we receive Grace for Grace Albeit this Grace be distributed or Portioned out unto Us by the Holy Ghost Christ sends the Spirit of Mortification or Regeneration into our hearts as the Fountain or Conduit head doth the water into a Citie The Holy Ghost prepares our hearts to receive this Spirit of Christ and brings it unto Us after such a manner as He that makes the Aquaeducts or Conduit pipes doth convey water into a Town or Citie otherwise destitute of good water 6. But what doth the Apostle mean by the Spirit of man as it is Contradistinct or opposite to the Spirit of God the whole Reasonable Soul or Form of man by which he is distinguished from other Creatures Or some principal part which hath least commixture with the Flesh or Body that which we commonly call the Conscience This part of the Soul even in the unregenerate man oft times disallowes such things as are entertained by the Reasonable Soul and condemnes such Actions as are undertaken by Reason and mannaged with Extraordinary understanding When the Gentiles saith our Apostle do by Nature the things contained in the Law they shew the work of the Law written in their hearts their CONSCIENCE also bearing witness and their thoughts accusing or else excusing one another Rom. 2. 14. 15. In this Accusation or Processe in the very Heathen there is a Combate or Conflict between the Spirit and the Flesh or between the Mind and the Affections 7. But may not the same part or Facultie of the Reasonable Soul disallow or Condemn at one Time the self same things which at another time it well approves If it may there is no Necessitie of Distinction between the Soul and the Spirit But if there be any Conflict between Reason it self and the Spirit at one and the same time there must needs be a Distinction betwixt them Now it seemes that even whilst the Reasonable Soul doth contrive mischief or give her Consent to things unjust or unexpedient whilst it Hatcheth Haeresie the Conscience doth secretly check it and endeavour to restrain it And this Conscience could not do unlesse it were in some sort distinct from that Reasonable part or Facultie of the Soul which is indued with Freedome of Will For there can be no Conflict but between two different Parties or Capacities 8. This is most Consequent to Plato's Philosophie and to true Theologie For as the Platonicks distinguish between the Soul and the Mind So our Apostle distinguisheth between the Soul of man and the Spirit of Man 1. Thess The Spirit of man is not said to be mortified but Quickened by the Spirit of God 5. 23. And the very God of Peace sanctifie you wholly and I pray God your whole spirit and Soul and Body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ Our Sanctification is not entire or universal in respect of the Parts universal it cannot be in respect of all Degrees untill the Soul as well as the Spirit untill the Body as well as the Soul be thus Sanctified as our Apostle wisheth Every part of man must be in Part or in some good measure Sanctified But before this entire or whole Sanctification can be wrought there must be a Mortification of the Body or of the Flesh and under The Flesh as hath been observed before The Reasonable Soul with its best Faculties is usually comprehended by our Apostle Howbeit we do not read of any Mortification of the Spirit but of Renovation Vivification or Quickening of it 9. What shall we say then That the Spirit or conscience of man is altogether free from the Contagion of the Flesh that it stands in no need of Mortification 1. Cor. 8. 7. St. Paul tells us of some men whose Conscience being Weak is defiled But the Conscience in his Language perhaps is not altogether the same with the Spirit But the Synteresis in all likelyhood is And again He tells us that there be men of Corrupt minds and destitute of the truth which suppose that Gain is Godliness 1. Tim 6. 5. And we read of a Soundnesse of mind 2. Tim. 1. 7. But that defilement or corruption of the Spirit or mind Seemes by our Apostle not to be Ordinary However the mind or Conscience may be polluted by the Contagion of the Flesh yet are they not so radically polluted as the Flesh is The Flesh is the seat of the disease The Idiopathy as Physitians speak is in The Soul the Sympathy only in the Spirit or Conscience So that if the deeds of the Flesh be mortified there needs no peculiar Cure or Mortification of the Spirit So it falls out in diseases of the Bodie If the Protopathie be cured the Sympathy will fall of it self As many are vexed oft times with great Aches or pains in the Head Some with Fitts of the Epilepsie or Falling-Sicknesse when as the root of the disease is in the Stomack In these Cases there needs no peculiar Physick for the Head But cure the Stomack and the Head
And many Naturall men as a * I think he means Plinie Junior in that excellent 26. Epistle Lib. 7. See the note in the end of Ch. 36. Heathen confesseth being thus visited first begin seriously to think themselves but men subject to miserie and Mortalitie and that there is a God or Divine Power which is the Author and Giver of Life Others are prone to incurre danger of death by abundance of Wealth which the more it abounds the more it commonly increaseth the disease For Crescit amor nummi quantum ipsa pecunia Crescit As money or wealth increaseth so ordinarily the Love of it increaseth And these God oft times in mercie visiteth with losse of Goods or with some other Crosse or Affliction which either deprives them of opportunities or deterres from the means of increasing wealth And this is a part of the Cure or a preparation to it and is usually wrought by Contraries Others are prone to incurre hardnesse of heart by Pride and overprizing of themselves And these God oft times visits with Disgrace with Contempt or Scorn of Others Now the Rule is General That if the Parties thus visited or cured in Part by Contraries duly compare their Visitation with their sinnes ☜ which in Justice have procured it the Spirit gets great advantage of the Flesh and is more capable and sensible of the Motions or Impulsions of Gods Spirit Howbeit man himselfe and the Spirit of man in this first Cure or Part of Mortification is meerly Passive And it is wel if by often ruminating or Reflecting upon what hath befallen him by the Providence of God and by the sense or feeling of the impulsions of His Spirit he can content himself to be meerely Passive or a Towardly Patient in the next Degrees of his Mortification or Conversion which are stil wrought by the Spirit of God as by the Agent or efficient Cause 4. From these Observations the Resolution of the Former Question so farre as it concerns the Man unregenerate is Easie and perspicuous The Question was How this Mortification is wrought by the Spirit of God which is without us but alwayes assisting us How by the Spirit of Man or by the Spirit which is in Man though partaker of the Spirit of God The Answer is So much of the Cure as is wrought is wrought by the Spirit of God as Present to man but not in Man as by the only Agent or Efficient Cause For that is the Efficient which begins and continues the motion The same Cure is wrought by the Spirit which is in Man as by the Immediate and Formal Contrarie that is it is Formally wrought by the Spirit which is in Man as by an Agent per Emanationem as it it moved by the Spirit of God So the Native Cold is expelled out of the water by the Fire as by the only Agent or Efficient And yet the same Cold is immediatly and Formally expelled by the Heat which the fire produceth in the water as by a Formal and Incompatible Contrary The only End or immediate Effect at which every Natural Agent directly aymes is the Assimilation of the Subject whereon it works unto it selfe And this Assimilation is wrought by introducing the like qualitie in the Subject unto that by which the Agent or Efficient worketh As the first thing which the Fire seeks to Effect is to produce Heat in the Water but the heat once produced expels the Cold as immediately and as formally as the depression or pulling down one scale lifts up the other The manner how this Mortification is wrought in us by the Spirit of God is the very same The immediate and direct Effect at which it directly aymeth is the Transformation of our Spirit into the similitude of the Spirit of Christ And this consists in the Production or Creation of the Spirit of Grace The Spirit of Grace being produced in us Or our Spirit being touched by the Spirit of Christ as the Steel is by the Adamant Formally expels or abateth the Lust of the Flesh And when the Flesh is thus truly mortified by the Spirit that Sanctification of which the Apostle speakes 1 Thes 5. 23. is wrought in us 5. The first Part of this Cure as was said is wrought by Contraries that is by Freeing the Spirit of the unregenerate Man from the burden of the Flesh which overmasters it or inticeth the Soule to such Practises as the Spirit dislikes And from this Burthen of the Flesh the Spirit of God or his peculiar Providence doth free the Soule or Spirit of Man by laying some one kind or other of Bodily Affliction upon him which is more displeasing to his Nature then the Former Motions of the Flesh were pleasant But the Spirit of Man thus Freed in part from the Burthen of the Flesh wherein it lay smoothered or much oppressed cannot so perfect Mortification begun as Nature freed by Physick from oppressing humours digests the Reliques or remainder and by digesting them recovers health and strength What Advantage then doth accrue unto the Spirit of Man by weakening the Inclinations of the flesh Much every way For the Flesh being thus weakened the Spirit doth hereby become more Towardly Passive then it was before more apt to be moved by the Spirit of God and by such motions more capable of Spirituall Cure Every Motion of our Spirit by the Spirit of God doth abate or weaken the Inclinations of the Flesh and every such Abatement or Degree of weakening the Flesh is a Degree of Mortification 6. These First Degrees of Mortification are commonly wrought by interposed Fits or Motions of the Spirit of Man produced by the Spirit of God The men that are partakers of them have Libertie or Respite in the meane time to Reflect upon them and by thus reflecting upon them or by taking them into serious Consideration are enabled to avoid such External Occasions as strengthen the Inclinations of the flesh and to cut off their Food and Nutriment For albeit the Spirit of man be in the first Cure meerely Passive yet it is not so Passive as stocks and stones or other senselesse Creatures are It hath a true sense or feeling of the Motions put upon it or produced in it by the Spirit of God Nor is the Spirit of man sensible only of such Motions in such sort as Flyes or Gnats or other imperfect sensitive Creatures are of bodily motion that is sensible only for the present without any remembrance of what is past or consideration of the like to come Partly from the Memory of former Motions which have been put upon it Partly from the Representation or Consideration of the like apprehended by it as Possibly Future or approaching the Spirit of Man though it cannot move or expell the inclinations of the Flesh by way of proper Agencie or Efficiencie is yet able so to Countersway them as that they cannot exercise their intended Motions or accomplish their Attempts 7. This is the Apostles
Doctrine Gal. 5. 16 17. This I say then walke in the Spirit and ye shall not fulfil the Lust of the Flesh He doth not say ye shall not be opposed or assaulted by the lusts of the flesh for as in the next words is included the flesh will still attempt the Execution or Exercise of its Motion For the Flesh saith the Apostle Lusteth against the Spirit and the Spirit against the Flesh and these are contrary the one to the other So that ye cannot do things that ye would That is The Flesh can neither do the things that it intendeth to do nor the Spirit produce those Effects which it wisheth and much desireth no more then Heat can produce its proper Effects when it is overmatched in the same Subject with Cold or then Cold is able to produce the proper effects thereof whilest it is attempered or Counterswayed by Heat Now the Spirit whereof our Apostle speakes in this place is the Spirit of man at least the Spirit which is in man though in part renewed by the Spirit of God For as the Apostle speakes the Flesh and the Spirit here meant are Contrarie And it is the nature of Contraries to be in one and the same Subject And it is the true propertie of Contrarie Inclinations to move and sway upon one and the same Centre or Point of Rest or Dependence Otherwise how strong soever the one Contrary be it could not Countersway nor Counterpoyse the other The Point or Centre whereupon the inclinations of the Flesh and Spirit doe move or sway is the Soule which sometimes inclines more unto the Spirit sometimes more unto the Flesh or Carnall Affections The whole worke of Mortification is but a Putting off the Old man and Putting on the New The more the inclinations of the Flesh are weakened the more apt is the Spirit of Man to be moved impelled or strengthened by the spirit of God And the more apt it is to be moved by the Spirit of God the more easily and Readily will the inclination of the Flesh or Old man be weakened by it So that there is a Continuall Reciprocation betwixt the weakening of the Flesh and the strengthening or renewing of the Spirit In every severall Act or motion of Gods Spirit by which the Spirit in man is renewed or quickened the Spirit of man thus assisted by the Spirit of God gets a Double Advantage of the flesh First it directly weakens the inclinations of the Flesh or old man and by weakening them gains further possession or interest in the Affections wherein the lusts or desires of the flesh were seated Secondly The Spirit of man being revived and quickned by the Spirit of God doth not only Countersway or curbe the Flesh but withall doth Purifie the Soul or the Fountain of the Affections in the next Conflicts useth the Service of the Soule and inferiour Affections to Conquer and expell the Remainder of Carnal desires or Concupiscence or at least doth keep them under that they cannot make head or open rebellion as it were to depose the Spirit of its Soveraigntie after once it hath gotten it Specially if men which have proceeded thus farre in this Conflict be warie and vigilant alwayes remembring that their Greatest strength consists in imploring the assistance of the Spirit of God in waiting His Approach and attending His Motions But let no man think he hath got the victorie over the Flesh or hath performed this Dutie of Mortification as he ought until the Desires or Inclinations of the Flesh be Mortified by the vivification or quickening of the Affections wherein they were seated or until the Spirit Soul of man renevved as hath been said by the Spirit of God have vvon the Soul and Affections unto their side or part CHAP. XXXV Wherein the Accomplishment of Mortification or of Conversion unto God doth properly Consist 1. AFter this Preparative to Mortification thus begun by the Spirit of God or by his Peculiar Providence the whole Cure consists in the Assimilation or Transformation of our Spirit into the similitude or Likenesse of the Spirit of God Some Reliques of the Image of God in man which are not in Divells and this is wrought by the Renewing of Gods Image in us Some Reliques there be of Gods Image in the natural man the like whereof are not in Divells and these are seated in The Spirit or Synteresis Howbeit these in themselves are no better then dead stocks or rootes untill they be revived by the Spirit of God and secret Influence of his Graces but so renewed they naturally diffuse the influence of life into the stemmes or branches The soul and body of the whole man are so quickened by them as the branches or stemmes in the spring time revive by the return of sap from the root Both are quickned and revived by the Spirit of God and by the sweet disposition of his Providence as trees as herbs grasse and other Vegetables are by the Sun by the sweet influence of Heaven and by the moystned Earth whereby the rootes are immediatly cherished 2. This Vivification or renewing of the Spirit in man is immediatly wrought Per Simile As our Animal or Vital Spirits in Swounds are revived by the Spirit of wine or other comfortable water First The Reliques of Gods Image or implanted Rules of Conscience have more immediate Similitude with the Spirit of God or of Christ than the inferior Faculties of the Soul or body have And yet these Reliques of Gods Image or Rules of Conscience being true parts or native branches of the Spirit of man symbolize better with the soul and body of man then this Spirit of God which worketh this Mortification doth So that albeit the Spirit of God or his preventing Grace doth alwayes begin this Mortification without any operation or Co-Agencie of the Spirit of man And albeit the Spirit of man be a Meer Passive in all the Motions by which it self is renewed and quicken'd Yet after it be not only moved but thus touched and quickened by the Spirit of God Actus agit it works not only by Countersway or Renitencie but it diffuseth the influence of Life and Grace which it self receiveth entirely from the Spirit of God throughout the inferiour Faculties of the Soul It takes the place or room of so much of the Lusts of the flesh as it Expells And as well in the Expulsion of the Lusts of the Flesh as in taking possession of the Body wherein they were seated it useth the Soul as the Medium deferens as the Mean at least for communicating life to the Flesh or Body And by this Diffusion of the Spirit of Life or influence of Grace throughout the Faculties or Affections of the Soul the second part or Accomplishment of Mortification is wrought which as was said before consisteth in the Rescuing or winning of the natural Affections from the Flesh unto the Spirit 3. For better understanding the manner how this Accomplishment of
of the Flesh which must be mortified The Affection whence this Loathsome stream doth spring is a desire of mirth or pleasure For no man directly desires to be Drunk All men naturally desire to be Merrie as having an internal spring of delight or mirth in themselves which naturally desires an issue or vent otherwise the Soul and Spirit becomes sodden in Melancholy Hence it is that many mens Affections detesting this Melancholy humour be drenched in this Filthy sink or puddle of Drunkenness which is but a Sinister or preposterous Issue of inbred Mirth The true Mortification of this monster is not to be sought by quelling or weakening the Affection whence it springs but rather by giving it another Issue or vent Thus much is implyed in our Apostles advice Eph. 5. 18. Be not Drunk with wine wherein is Excess but be filled with the spirit speaking to your selves in Psalmes and Hymns and spiritual songs singing and making Melody in your heart to the Lord. Our Apostle here supposeth that the spirit of God which alone worketh the mortification of this sin and other Lusts of the flesh although he detests all drunken ryotous mirth is not a dull spirit of melancholy It delighteth much in its own musick alwaies desirous to hear pleasant songs of its own setting And there is no meanes so Effectual for drowning drunken mirth as a full consort of the musick of this spirit Beatus populus quiscit Jubilationem hanc Blessed are the People That can rejoyce in Thee O Lord. 8. The perfect Cure of the Soul is wrought Per Simile Thus it is plain how this Cure must be wrought by Contraries and yet per simile by the Like too The Lusts of the Flesh must be Mortified by the Spirit and yet these are Contraries But if we descend unto Particulars Ambition or desire of honour must be mortified by desire of Honour Covetousness which is a desire of Riches must be mortified by the desire of Riches Drunkenness which is a Desire of Mirth must be mortified by a desire of Mirth Immoderate carnal Love must be mortified by excessive Love of Christ and of things Spiritual Between the Desires themselves there is as true Similitude as is between the several currents of water which issue from the same spring or fountain but as perfect a Contrarietie between the Objects and issues of the desires as there is between the several waters of the same fountain whilest the One runnes in a pure rock or conduit pipe and the other into a sink or puddle 9. To Conclude then The spirit of God doth first purifie the Fountain of our Desires that is the spirit or Conscience of man The spirit of man being thus quickened and purified doth by direction and assistance of the same Spirit of God divert the current of his Desires and give a new vent or issue to his Affections And the Desires or Affections by this diversion of their Current receive a further Degree of Purification from the Ocean or Sea into which they empty themselves that is from Heaven and the heavenly Lights on which they are sett Between the Current of our Desires or Affections thus purified by the spirit of God and the Coelestial Objects whereon they are sett there is such Reciprocation or mutual recourse as it were between a stream of pure water and a Sea of Nectar the stream or spring still falling into the sea and the sea still sweetning the stream by reflowing upon it The spirit of Christ which knowes no bounds or Limits which is more boundless then the Ocean delights in our Desires or Affections whilest they are sett upon heavenly things And the more his spirit is delighted in our Desires and Affections thus emptying and pouring out themselves the more he purifies and sweetens them by the influence of his Gratious Spirit Yet are not any mans Affections so throughly sweetned by the Spirit of Grace in this Life as not to retain some permanent Tincture or mixture of the Flesh Howbeit every man is Throughly mortified in whom the spirit of Christ hath gotten the Soveraigntie over the Flesh and won the better part of the natural Affections to its service But whether this Soveraigntie being Once gotten may not Finally or for a time at least be lost Heave it to the determination of the Schooles My application for the present shall be from the words of the Son of Syrach Ecclus. 38. 25 26. Though the book be Apocryphal yet his observation in this place is Canonical 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The wisdome of a Learned man cometh by opportunity of Leasure or as some read by right imployment of his vacant time And he that hath little businesse shall become wise How can he get wisdome that holdeth the Plough and that glorieth in the Goad that driveth Oxen and is occupied in their Labours and whose * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 talk is of Bullocks Or of the breed of bullocks His verdict concerning Handy-Crafts-Men is for the most part true of Men full of that which we call Book-Learning or imployed in matters of Government of Sate Would to God it were not too true of many that have little Business In respect of this private Learning Every one of us Especially in these times have Bookes enough of our own so we would sequester some competent times or vacant seasons for serious perusing them Every mans course of life and dayly Actions are the best Bookes for this Learning And no man can so well read them as his own Spirit and Conscience Herein then consists the Wisdom of him that is in part and desires to be A â—etter Christian First in careful Observing the Touches of Gods punishing or chastising Hand Secondly in Reflecting upon the motions of his Spirit Thirdly in duly Examining Every day What advantage the Flesh hath gotten against the Spirit or the Spirit against the Flesh All this being done the best imployment of all these Talents which God commits unto our trust must be in acknowledgeing our whole strength to be from God and in Consecrating our best endeavours by continual Prayer for the assistance of his Spirit In this Last Point we are Active yet Active only to the End that we may be Towardly Passive that we grieve not the Good Spirit of God by which our Sanctification must be wrought He will not forsake Vs unless we forsake Him first But as water which hath been heated by the fire congeales the soonest after it be taken off and removed from it So they ☜ which have felt the Motions of Gods Spirit and have been in some measure Mortified by it freez the soonest in the dregs and Lusts of the flesh and have their hearts extraordinarily hardened if once they forsake him or so grieve him that he cease to renew or continue his former Motions But he that will give his heart to resort early to the Lord that made him and will pray before the most High and will open his
Propositions are as we say Hypothetical or Conditional and if either should be denyed or questioned the only Course which the Schools which are the high Courts of Reason for Judging of Arguments afford would be to plead these Categorical or absolute Propositions Whosoever lives after the flesh shall die Whosoever mortifies the Deeds of the body through the Spirit shall live And our Apostle himself ver 6. had premised Two absolute Categoricall Propositions to inferre or prove these two Conditional Propositions in the Text. For so he saith To be Carnally minded is death but to be spiritually minded is life and peace Now albeit he hath added no Quantitie to these Two Categorical Propositions yet in that he saith To be carnally minded is death and To be spiritually minded is life This Infers That Death is the Necessary Consequent of Carnal Living and Life likewise the Infallible Consequent of being spiritually minded All must mortifie though not totally And it is an Infallible Rule of Reason That Any Proposition betwixt whose Parts the Connexion is Necessary is Equivalent to an Universal although it be delivered in Terms Indefinite or without addition of any Quantity So that when our Apostle saith To be carnally minded is death To be spiritually minded is life his Speech is altogether as ful and more Emphatical then if he had said Whosoever lives after the flesh shall die Whosoever through the Spirit mortifies the deeds of the body shall live Howbeit These Two Propositions in the Text thus Reduced to Categoricals and Rendred Vniversal by a Note or Sign of such Quantitie are Vniversal only in Respect of the Persons whom this duty of Mortification concerns Vniversal they are not but Indefinite in Respect of the Duty enjoyned or Matter proposed 2. To find out some more distinct limit or Limitation of them in respect of the Matter proposed The Limitation set out in Three Negatives we are to begin as in the like Cases the Method requires from Negatives The First Negative is this Though all men after they come to years of discretion be necessarily tyed to Mortify the Flesh yet no man is tyed under pain of damnation to an absolute or Total Mortification of it This is Impossible in this life Though sin as the Apostle speaks be the Sting of death and Carnal Intentions be the Arrows or darts of Sathan yet is not every Carnal thought or every degree of minding the flesh so deadly in the issue unto the Soul as the Parthian Arrows were to mens Bodies for they carried death upon their points and gave it possession of every body whose skin they brake Fatumque in sanguine summo est They let Death in at the least breach whereat Bloud could come out But every moment of life led after the flesh doth not thus Necessarily bring forth the death here meant The second Negative is this It is not every Degree or Part of Mortification that will suffice to bring forth the Life here meant For he doth not say if ye have Mortified the deeds of the body but if ye do mortifie the deeds of the Body ye shall live These Two Negatives are as the Two Tropicks betwixt which the Limitation of the former Proposition in respect of the Matter proposed or Duty enjoyned is wholly Situate It is a Positive Mean between them somewhat Lesse then any Absolute or Total Mortification Somewhat More then every Degree or Practise of Mortification yet all this is but Indefinite This Positive Mean betwixt the former Negatives must of necessitie be either some kind of Mortification for Quality more Precious then the Mortification which most men ordinarily affect or practise or some Greater Measure of the same Mortification whereof most men are partakers at some times 3. As Great mens quick Goods are presumed to be of a better kind or breed then the like goods of their poor neighbours for Noble-mens Geese as the Proverb is are Swans So there be some who will have all Qualifications whether of Life or Practise all Acts of Duty or Performances to be of a better kind or rank in the Elect then they are in Others And in these mens Dialect or Divinity the Answer to the proposed Querie were easy and would be This. They which Mortifie the deeds of the body in such sort as the Elect do they certainly shall Live for the Elect do truly mortifie them albeit not in so full a Measure And as Belief so Mortification in Them especially how Little soever it be Points of Election c. are not to determine but to be determined by more general points so it be True will suffice unto salvation But in the Divinity which I have learned the points of Election and Reprobation are to be determined of if at all they may be determined of by the Resolution of other more General and more facile Queries They are preposterously brought to the Determination of any other Difficulties Alwayes the Resolutions of the Generals must be Introductions to the Resolution or clearing of more Special Difficulties Special Difficulties can be no Introduction to the Resotion of General Queries Now this duty of Mortification and the Transgression of it to wit Living after the flesh are far more General then the estate of Election or Reprobation Seeing as I am often forced to repeat it is but a litle Point of mankind a small Portion of men which are partakers of the Word or Sacraments which are for the Present contained under either part of This Division All are not Elect or Reprobate But all live after the flesh or after the Spîrit either in the State of Election or Reprobation But under this Division of Living after the flesh or after the spirit all are comprehended Again in as much as we our selves are all imployed in this Work of Mortification we may have more certain Experiments of our Progress in this Duty then we can have of our estate of Election which is meerly the work of God we have no finger no imployment in it The truth is Only they who have mortified the deeds of the Body in such a measure as our Apostle here requires are in the State of Election Only they who have made up such a measure of sin or Living after the Flesh as induceth the Sentence of death here mentioned are in the absolute State of Reprobation So that the Positive Mean between the two former Negatives must be taken from the measure not from the Specifical Quality or nature of mortification The very Phrase or Character of our Apostle If ye live after the flesh ye shall die but if through the Spirit ye mortifie the deeds of the Body ye shall live Necessarily includes a Perseverance in either kind A Perseverance there must be in this Duty of Mortification before we can have full and perfect Interest in this Promise Without Perseverance or Continuance in this life of the Flesh none are inevitably sentenced unto the death here denounced
Consciences of Christian People as a main Part of their Baptismal Vow and pressed home as a Duty that concernd their everlasting Salvation would by Gods Blessing be likely to prove fruitfull as indeed it is usefull For somewhat to enlarge that which hath been Toucht on The use of the former Doct. to condemn sloth to prevent presumption and despair in the foregoing Chapter this may be more particularly considered First It leaves Sloth and Negligence in this Good Dutie of so high Concernment clean without excuse Secondly Being rightly applyed it serves as an Antidote both against Presumption and Despair 20. There is no way to make a Coward Hardie or Resolute in sight but by putting him upon some manifest exigent or apparent Necessity either of killing his Adversary or of being killed by him So long as there is hope to escape by Flight or Non-appearance it is a matter almost impossible to make a Timorous spirit try his strength or ability The foes or enemies with whom we are here enjoyned to fight are our own Bodies or our own Flesh which still fighteth against our soules from whose assaults there is no possibility of flight There is an apparent Necessity layd upon us either of killing the Deeds of the Body or of being more then killed by them For if we Live after the flesh or suffer the works of the Flesh or deeds of the Body to live or raign in us we shall dye the death of the Soul Did we truly apprehend the Necessity of this choyce how were it possible for us to deferre this Conflict with our own flesh for one Moment 21. Some not withstanding there be which see in part this necessity of dying by living after the flesh and yet submit their Wills and Affections unto the desires and lusts of the Flesh as Men Condemned by Law do their Bodies to the Officers of Justice or Executioners This These poor souls do Some out of Conscience because they hold it unlawfull to resist Authority Some out of weaknesse as being not able to prevail if they should struggle with Authority But neither of these Motives can have place in the former Case For First the Conflict or Resistance of the Flesh is not only Lawful but necessary so necessary that if after our promise in Baptism and participation of the word and Sacraments we neglect the undertaking of this warre with our own bodies we are in the same case that Souldiers are which after they have received Presse-money and good pay run from their Colours We justly incurre the Sentence of everlasting death by not seeking to put the Deeds of this mortal Body to death We become perpetuall slaves to Satan by refusing to fight with sin which is Christs enemy and Satans Agent 22. Nor can we pretend that our endeavours to mortifie the Deeds of the Body are hopeless or vain because we are not able of our selves to think a good thought much less to give good success to our best endeavours For the Apostle as you heard before enjoynes us to work out our Salvation with feare and trembling that is as men afraid to be idle or slothfull for a moment even for this Reason Because it is God that worketh in us both the Will and the deed And though the same Apostle hath elsewhere said That it is not of him that willeth nor of him that runneth but of God that sheweth mercy yet it is a Generall Rule in Divinity Finis dicendorum est ratio dictorum our Apostles speech must be taken from the end or General Scope at which he aimed To what end then doth our Apostle give us the former or like Rule To the end that we should not will or desire our Mortification nor run with alacrity towards the Goal which in every Epistle he sets Before us to wit the Mortification of the Flesh and life of the Spirit or rather to kindle our desires to work and stir up our alacrity in working yet so as we still rely not upon our works or indeavours but meerly upon the Good will and mercy of our God He that saith See Chapt. 41. 42. It is not of him that willeth nor of him that runneth but of God that sheweth mercy did never say that it was not the Good Will or Pleasure of God to shew Mercy unto all that abandoning all other wayes run with what speed and alacrity they can unto his Mercy He that saith God will have mercy upon whom he will have mercy and whom he will he hardneth did never say that it was Gods Will to harden any which deny themselves and their own doings and wholly betake themselves to his Infinite Goodness His meaning sure in that place is that as God will have mercy on none that seek salvation by works or other prerogatives of the flesh so he wil harden none that put their confidence not it their works but in his mercy 23. The Summe of all that can in this Point be said is That no man can be partaker of the promise of Life but he that faithfully seeks for Mercy in Christ Jesus And no man can faithfully seek for mercy in Christ but he that sincerely renounceth his own works and merits And no man can sincerely and truly renounce his own works and merits but he that is industrious and laborious in these works of Mortification here enjoyned Hypocrites and ungodly persons will be ready in the day of Tryall to deny all hopes of salvation by works Chapt. 36. or confidence in merits But as was intimated before No man can be truly said to renounce those good works paragr 7. which he hath left undone but those works which he hath done No man can truly deny himself but he that exerciseth himself in these works of Mortification We cannot possibly know our own Impotency or want of strength to perform these works of Mortification as we ought unless we make proof or triall of our strength in working them as we can The more we try our strength the more insufficient shall we find our selves and the better Experience we have of our own Insufficiency the more earnestly will we if we do as we ought for our own good crave the assistance of Gods Spirit the more Faithfully will we rely on Christ who is our strength and the Rock of our Salvation and so not presume 24. Again The former Doctrine is useful to prevent Despair in the dayes of Temptation Albeit we find our Transgressions of this precept to be great and many Our Apostle saith not If ye have lived after the flesh ye shall dye for so no flesh should be saved But his words are if ye live after the flesh ye shall dye If any man find his Conscience burdened with an heavy load of the works of the Flesh let him not take the frights no nor the Scarres of Conscience wounded by sins past or the impressions by sin present as undoubted marks of Reprobation yet let him call to
mind as often as he findes himself prone to the works of the Flesh that he may fall into Reprobation before he be aware if he continue secure in that Course of life which formerly be hath taken let him withall remember that Praeterita non nocent si praesentia non placent On the Otherside is there any man whose Conscience can truly inform him that he hath sincerely laboured to mortifie the deeds of the Body his Faith upon this Information will assure him that he is in the way of Life and that in patâ—eni Continuance in Well-doing he shall be a Vessel unto honour and make his election sure But let not any man hence Conclude that he is already in the Immutable state of Grace For our Apostle doth not say if ye have mortified the deeds of the body by the spirit ye are in the Immutable state of Life but he saith if ye mortifie the Deeds of the Body ye shall live that is if ye Continue to mortifie the deeds of the Body God will Continue the blessings and means of life unto you yea Confirm you in the Immutable State of Life and saving Grace 25. If any man list to examine himself whether he be in the state of Election or Reprobation let him measure or moderate his perswasions of the one or other Estate by his proficiency or negligence in this duty of Mortification Otherwise to be prepossest with strong perswasions of being in the Immutable State of Grace or Election before we have given all diligence to make our election sure by performing this Duty of Mortification is the readiest or most compendious way that Satan yet hath found out to cast men into a Reprobate Sense that is to make them without sense or feeling of their sinnes or which is worse to misperswade them that those very Deeds whilest done by Them are no sins or sins of Infirmity only which being done by Others are even in their Judgements grosse and Capital sins The Method by which Sathan works this misperswasion in men strongly perswaded of their own Immutable state of Grace before their due time is Immutable and Infallible For it is an Infallible Rule in Logick and Nature That An Vniversal Negative may be Simply converted If no rich man whilst a rich man can be a begger then no begger whilst he is a begger can be a rich man If no convetous no proud no envious no seditious or uncharitable man no doer of any of those works of the Flesh mentioned by S. Paul Gal. 5. can enter into the Kingdome of heaven Then no man whose entrance into it is Immutably determined can be a covetous an evious seditious or uncharitable man Whence if a man be once perswaded that his entrance into the Kingdome of heaven or his estate in Grace is unchangable he cannot possibly perswade himself or be perswaded by others that he is a covetous proud envious seditious or an uncharitable man albeit he do all the works that a covetous proud envious seditious or uncharitable man doth 26. Lastly although it be the safest way to examine our Estate in Grace by our diligence in this duty of Mortification yet I must admonish men not to examine their proficiency or progress in performance of this Duty by Meer Abstinence from the works of the Flesh which they sincerely dislike or condemn in others I know we condemn the blind obedience of the Roman Catholicks that are ready to do and believe as the Church commands them without examination as a work of the Flesh of which we are Freed yet this doth not argue that we have mortified this work of the Flesh this Blind Obedience unlesse our Consciences can truly inform us that we are ready to obey the Church our Mother in things lawfull or in things which upon diligent examination are not Evill but Indifferent We likewise condemn as wel the affected Ignorance of the Romish Catholick in that though he may yet he regards not to hear the Word preached in a Language that he knows as his blind Devotion in that he can be content to make his Prayers or to hear publick Prayers in a Language that he understands not for works of the Flesh In both these we do well yet are neither of these works truly mortified in us by the Spirit unlesse we be as ready and zealous to joyne with the Congregation in publick Prayers of the Church celebrated in a known Tongue as we are to hear or read Sermons The Ministers must preach that the people may know how to pray aright in private And the people must joyn with them in Publick Prayers appointed by the Church that both may practise according to the Rules of Life delivered whether by the word read or preached The Communion of Saints or that part of it which can be had betvvixt Saints here on earth doth specially consist in the Unity of Faith and of Prayers publikely celebrated according to the Common Rule of Faith FINIS Cap. 37. A Note Referring to Fol. 3159. Line 3. and to Marg. Note 1. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 S. Basil 1. Tom. Paris 1638. Graeco-Lat Fol. 113. Comment in Psal 1. CHAPTER XXXVIII A Sermon Preached on St. SIMON and JVDE'S Day 1629. Jude Verse 4. For there are Certain men crept in unawares which were before of old ordained to this Condemnation ungodly men turning the Grace of our God into Lasciviousness and denying the only Lord God and our Lord Jesus Christ. 1. THE End and Scope of this Epistle you have set down in the 3. The Scope of the Epistle Verse And it is in Brief to exhort these his Flock or Charge To contend earnestly for the Faith which was once delivered to the Saints The Word ONCE is Emphatical and imports Thus much That the Rule of Faith had been Once for all delivered unto them so full and so compleat that if they vvould hold close to it and use it as the Rule of Life they should need no other additions The occasion of writing it or increase of new points to be believed or practised The speciall occasion vvhich he had to vvrite unto them for this end and purpose was because there were Certain ungodly men crept in to their Society vvhich did overthrovv or contaminate that Rule of Faith vvhich had been delivered unto the Saints But hovv they did overthrovv it is not exprest in particular Most certain it is for St. Jude expresly affirms it that they did deny the only Lord God and our Lord Jesus Christ Novv to deny God or Christ Two ways of denying God there be but Two ways possible either by Opinion and Doctrine or by Matter of Fact and Practise And these men it seems did both ways deny God and his Christ though not directly and expresly yet by necessary and unavoidable Consequence But vvherein they did deny God and Christ shall be toucht in the Use and Application The Doctrinal Points to be discussed are Two Two points of
or more then a Prophet which should work great wonders for the good of the Hebrews or Israelites his kinsmen according to the flesh which could not be effected Rebus sic stantibus As the case stood then without dangerous prejudice to the Egyptians Upon the like jealousie occasioned by more then a publick Fame an Authentick Prenotion That there should about the latter end of Herods raign arise A Star in Jacob a true King of the Jews the bloodie Tyrant caused all the Males of Judah and Benjamin about Bethlehem which were under two years to be cruelly murthered and yet left the true King of the Jews the Heir of David the Flower of Jesse and Hope of Israel untouched The Second Circumstance or remarkable similitude between Jesus and Moses was this Moses after the first cruel Pharaohs death was commanded by God to return into Egypt his native soil upon assurance given him that they were dead that sought his life Joseph is warned in a dream or Divine vision by night to return with Jesus and his Mother out of Egypt into the land of Israel Because they were dead that sought the young childs life to wit Herod and his Complices Mat. 2. 20. But my aim in this place of which I hope I have not fallen much wide or short was to set the Parallel aright between the Induration or Infatuation of the Egyptians in Moses his dayes and the Excaecation of the Jews after their contempt of our Saviours miracles and more then Prophetical Monitions The Kalender made by the learned Author of the Book of Wisdom for the opposite Fates or Destinies of the Egyptians and of the Iews began in his own time and shortly after our Saviours Resurrection to be out of Date and more then so quite inverted Versâ tabulâ currebant qui modò stabant the Lot or destinie which this good Author assigned unto the ungodly Egyptians did fall upon his Presumed Holy Ones the Iews his Countrey-men Vnto these the destroyer gave Place and was afraid of them for it was enough that they only tasted of the wrath But as for the ungodly wrath came upon them without mercy unto the end for he knew before what they would do Wisd 18. 25. and 19. 1. of the Jews saith St. Paul They please not God and are contrary to all men forbidding us to speak to the Gentiles that that they might be saved to fill up their sins alway for the wrath is come upon them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to the uttermost or to the end The Author of the Book of Wisdom Whosoever he were Philo or some other did slide or draw himself into a Twofold error only by overstretching two undoubted Canonical Truths He had rightly observed that as the Canaanites so the Egyptians were an accursed seed from the beginning as being the Off-spring of Cham and that the children of Israel were a seed two waies blessed as being the Progenie of Sem and of faithfull Abraham Wherein then did he erre or fail in his Collections First in that he presumed the curse derived from their Father Cham should be perpetually upon the Egyptians Secondly that the blessing derived from Sem and Abraham unto their seed should be absolutely everlasting Our Apostle St. Paul partly by Observation but especially by the Spirit of Prophesie did know or fore-see that the Seed of Sem and of Abraham should fall into a greater measure of Induration to continue for a longer time then that which had befallen the Seed of Cham or the Egyptians Yet did he not hence Collect or occasion us to think that this curse upon his Countrey-men the Iews should be either universal or perpetual but to continue only untill the Fulness of the Gentiles were come in Neither doth he intimate that this blessing upon the Gentiles Rom. 11. 11. specially the sons of Japhet which were heires in Reversion unto the Blessing bestowed upon Sem should continue unto the worlds end but rather to determine with the recalling of the Jews whose Restauration it is Probable shall be wrought or occasioned by the Infatuation or Obduration of the Gentiles which through their ingratitude and contempt is likely to become more grievous then the Induration either of the Egyptians in Moses dayes or of the Jews after our Saviours death ☜ 27. If we would look upon the Face of Christendom at this Instant How small a Portion of it shall we find not either besmeared with its own blood or disfigured with wounds and scarrs or other like signs of more then Jewish Infatuation and which is of all the rest the most Ominous Praesage or Symtom the hearts of most Princes and States-men are so addicted to their own Politick Resolutions that if Gods true Embassadors though Prophets raised for this purpose from the dead should take upon them to forewarn them as boldly as Moses did Pharaoh to submit themselves unto The Lord they should find more harsh entertainment in ordinary Assemblies then Moses did in Pharaohs Court as bad as our Saviours Apostles and Disciples found in Jerusalem or in Jewish Synagogues The best excuse or Apologie which best Divines or Preachers of the Gospel throughout most Christian or other Nations can make for their backwardness or want of boldness to deliver Gods Message unto greatest Princes or other States-men will be this That seeing the Spirit of Prophecie is now taken from them they may not take upon them to use the boldnesse or animositie which Moses and Aaron and other ancient Prophets did even in the Presence of greatest Princes One duty notwithstanding the Ministers of the Gospel or Christs Embassadors may duly practise without danger in the middest of this perverse and crooked Generation in every State and Kingdom a duty which we of this Church and Kingdom are specially bound to perform that is to pray and intreat the same God and Lord Iesus Christ which hardened King Pharaohs heart to remove his Plagues from all Christian Kings and States-men as also from Turkish Mahumetan or heathenish Princes and to use these and the like Parts following of our English Letanie or Liturgie more then thrice a week as we are injoyned twice at least every day evening and morning either in our Publick or private Devotions From all blindness of heart from pride vain-glorie and hypocrisie from envie hatred and malice and all uncharitablenesse c. From hardnesse of heart and contempt of thy word and commandements Good Lord deliver not only all Christians Kings but even such Kings as Pharaoh was by Profession and take from all Iews Turks infidels and Hereticks all ignorance hardness of heart and contempt of thy Word and make us all One Flock under One Shepherd Jesus Christ the great Bishop and Shepherd of our Soules Amen CHAP. XLI SALVATION ONLY FROM GODS GRACE Or An Exposition of Rom. 9. 16. So then it is not of him that willeth nor of him that runneth but of God that sheweth mercy THese words as every
observant Eye may see bear the Stamp and Form of a Conclusion or Collection containing matter for its Truth as unquestionable and of as large Extent for good Vse as any Maxime in this whole discourse This Illative being turned into a simple Assertive Non est volentis neque currentis c is as the Axis whereon the whole Doctrinal Part of this Epistle revolves But taking this Verse as it here lyes being both a Principle and a Conclusion the Lists of my Inquirie into it at this time by Gods assistance shall be but Two Vndè infertur Quò refertur 1. Two Inquiries From what Premisses it is gathered And 2. To what End it is referred Or To what Vse or purpose in the Apostles Intent it is specially applyable The Premisses whence it is gathered first well sounded will rectifie our aime or Level at the Scope whereto it is directed And the End or scope being known will easily impart the right Vse or Application Amongst many Vses whereto these words may serve it is not the least That their just Extent once rightly taken will serve as a just measure or scantling to notifie and unfold the contents of many 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in this Chapter which have been as much perverted as any places in all St. Pauls Epistles because they have been the common Themes of every illiterate vocalist or rural Scholar 2. It is I take it agreed upon by all at least it will be denyed by none that the principal End of this Epistle is to establish these Romanes whether Jews or Gentiles by Progenie in that Faith wherein they had been instructed And by the Line or Level which is directed to this End must the Argument of this present Chapter as of all the rest be squared The Materials here handled differ somewhat from the former but Modus considerandi their Reference or Aspect to the proposed End is the same What the Apostle in this place here inserts either concerning the hardening of Pharaoh the Reprobation of the Modern Iewes or free Election of their Fathers is purposely inserted for under-propping or fortifying his Former Assertion That Iustification or Salvation must be sought by Faith only without Works To perswade the truth of this our Assertion no particular Allegations of Authorities or reasons can so much avail with an ingenuous Auditor as his own di-diligent Perusal of the 10. and 11. Chapters in which The Resumption of his former Argument is to cleare-sighted men more evident then the Continuance of it is in this And with his former Doctrine in those two Chapters resumed he intermingles powerful admonitions to the Gentiles to make their Election Sure unto which purpose the Original and manner of the Iewes Rejection is in this Chapter premised And He that shall please in his more retired thoughts unpartially to survey the Connexion which the 10. and 11. Chapters with the last part of this 9 have with the former specially with the 4 5 6 7 and 8 The stream or Current of the Discourse will evidently bewray it selfe to be the same howsoever it may seeme a litle before and after This 16 Verse to run a close way or under ground yet so as the opening of it is apparent verse 30. What shall we say then That the Gentiles which followed not after righteousnesse have attained to righteousnesse But Israel hath not attained to righteousnesse because they sought it not by faith but as it were by the workes of the Law Verse 32. 3. The fairest Connexion of this 9. Chapter with the former in my opinion is This The Apostle having in the later end of the former Chapter confidently avouched the Infallible Assurance of their hopes which renouncing Workes seek Salvation only by Faith in Christ and his heart having been dilated with joy and exultation of spirit in contemplation of their happinesse is in the rebound more deeply touched with sorrow for the Iewes his countrey-men and kinsfolk according to the flesh The lamentable Issue of whose excellent Prerogatives and strange miscarriage of their extraordinary paines and zealous care in observing the Law might well have danted the late converted Gentiles to whom he writes and in mens esteem much impaired the strength of all former assurances which he had given them unlesse he had further manifested the true Original of the Fall or Rejection of Gods antient people This unfained sorrow for their miserie is so much the greater as every good mans in like case would be by how much their Meanes of well doeing had been the better their Approach to true happinesse nearer and their Interest in Gods promises more peculiar then other mens were It litle moves us to see a lazy unthrift come to be a begger But to see a man extraordinarily industrious in his Calling not to thrive or utterly to overthrow himself and his posterity by some one wilfull humour is grief to every other man that can take paines for his living This Original of our Apostles sorrow is expressely intimated by himself Chap. 10. Ver. 1 2. Brethren my hearts desire and prayer to God for Israel is that they might be saved for I bear them record that they have a zeal of God but not according to knowledge And in the 11. Chapter he tels us Gentiles what Moses before had told these Iewes That whensoever they should turn again to the God of their fathers they were to have Precedencie of all other people in the world in his Everlasting and unchangable Love I say then Have they stumbled that they should fall God forbid But rather through their Fall salvation is come unto the Gentiles for to provoke them to jealousie Now if the Fall of them be the riches of the world and the diminishing of them the riches of the Gentiles how much more their fulness ver 11. 12. And again ver 28 29. Concerning the Gospel they are Enemies for your sake but as touching the Election they are beloved for the fathers sake for the gifts and calling of God are without repentance And would it not greive any zealous soul that loves the memorie of his fathers to see them so farre estranged from their God who is not altogether estranged from them but alwayes ready when these Prodigals shall returne unto him to embrace them as his dear Sons These are Points whose contemplation in our Apostle was deeper then our shallow witts can rightly sound and did cast him out of such an Ecstasie of joy into such a suddain Trance of sorrow that he had no leasure to expresse the Causes of it in the beginning of this ninth Chapter but is fain to reserve it to the beginning of the tenth The very depth of sorrow had swallowed up the very stream or current of his discourse and causeth him to begin thus abruptly I say the truth in Christ I lye not my conscience also hearing me witness in the Holy Ghost that I have great heavinesse and continual sorrow in my heart For I
by his Blood were the Deliverance of mankind from the powers of darkness and the inheritance of the kingdom of Light 4. The Parallel between the Institution of the Passover and of the Lords Supper or of the two Inheritances bequeathed the one by Moses the other by Christ is so plain that it needs no Comment It only requires a diligent Reader or Hearer or what is wanting on the ordinary Hearers part may be supplied by every ordinary Catechist before the receiving of the Sacramental Pledges One point yet remaines more pertinent to the unfolding of our Apostles meaning Heb. 9. ver 15. And for this cause he is the Mediator of the new Testament that by meanes of death for the redemption of the transgressions that were under the First Testament they which are called might receive the promise of Eternal Inheritance For where a Testament is there must also of necessitie be the death of the Testator For a Testament is of force after men are dead otherwise it is of no strength at all while the Testator liveth And it is this As the Israelites did not enter upon the inheritance or take possession of the Land of Canaan till after Moses the Testator or Mediator of the old Testament was dead so neither was the Kingdom of Heaven our everlasting inheritance set open to all or any Beleivers until Christ Jesus the Testator or Mediator of the new Testament was crucified dead buried and raysed again to immortal Glorie Since which time as is the King so is the Kingdom or inheritance bequeathed so is the Testament it self being sealed by his bloody death All and every of them Truely Everlasting CHAP. XLVIII The Parallel between the most Solemn Services of the Law and The One Sacrifice of Christ And The high praeeminence and efficacie of This in comparison of Those The Romanists Doctrin that in the Masse Christs Body is Identically Carnally present and that there is a proper Sacrifice Propitiatorie offered derogates from the Absolute Perfection of Christs offering himself Once for all 1. THe principal Termes of proportion in this Parallel which serve as so many several Kens or Markes for the right survaying of it are The services of the Law or the Offices of Legal Priests and the Perpetual Function of our High Priest The services of the Law wherein our Apostle instanceth are the Principal and most Solemn Sacrifices which were injoyned to the Priests after the order of Aaron The One Sort whereof were Anniversaries as of Bullockes and Goates and to be offered every year upon the day of Attonement and so to be offered from the First Erection of the Tabernacle in the wilderness so long as the Law of Ceremonies was de Jure to continue untill our Saviours death upon the Cross since which time all Bloody Sacrifice have lost their Legal Vse The Other service was That Sacrifice of the Red Heifer and the Consecration of water by the sprinkling or mingling her Ashes which perhaps was not Anniversarie nor often put in practice from the time of Moses his Death untill the Ascension of our Saviour into heaven Now our Apostle takes it as granted that if these choice Sacrifices of Attonment and of the Red Cow were altogether unsufficient to purifie the Hearts and Consciences or the Soules and Spirits of sinful men the Ordinary or meaner sacrifices of the Law were much more unsufficient to all such purposes as the Sacrifices of our high Priest was Alsufficient to all such purposes as the Sacrifice of our high Priest was Alsufficient and most Efficacious for The Eminency of Christs bloudie Sacrifice upon the Cross in respect of all Legal sacrifices of what rank soever consisteth First in the Efficacy which it had and hath for Remission of all sins committed against the Moral Law of God that is of all such sins as immediately pollute the reasonable Soul and Conscience The least degree of such Purification no Legal Sacrifices could immediatly effect reach or touch To what Use then did they directly serve or what was the proper Effect unto which they were immediately terminated That was the Purification of mens Bodyes from meere Legal uncleannesse that is from all such negligences Ignorances or Casual Occurrences as not being expiated by the Priest did exclude the parties so offending from the Tabernacle of the Congregation Or as our Apostle speakes to Purifie them from such uncleannesses of the flesh as did but foreshadow or picture the uncleanness of the soul or the dead works of sinne All which being not expiated by a more excellent Priest then any was after the order of Aaron will exclude all from entring into the heavenly Tabernacle 2. Such Legal uncleannesse as did exclude the Parties polluted with it from the Tabernacle of the Congregation was many waies contracted as by touching of the dead by eating of Meats forbidden by the Law or by not eating meates allowed of by the Law according to the Rule or Prescript for such Ceremonial Services or by the like Omissions or Practises which were not in their own nature or to all men sinful but sinful in the Seed of Jacob only to whom they were Evill only because forbidden not forbidden because they were evill in their own nature Even in regard of such shadows or Typical Offices for Purifying men Legally unclean the best and most solemn Sacrifices of the Law though offered once at least every year and otherwise as often as dayly Occasions or Occurrences did require were no way so efficacious or Effectual as the One Sacrifice of the Son of God offered by himself but Once for all is for the perpetual Purifying of our Soules from the Dead works of sin and for our Consecration to the everlasting service of the everliving God which is that Freedom indeed wherewith his only Son hath promised to set all such Free as Believe in his Name and Abide in his word John 8. 3. The Eminencie of Christs Priesthood and Sacrifice above the Priesthood and Services of the Law is deeply wronged by the Doctrine and Practise of Secular and Regular Roman-Catholick Priests as they do term themselves and so is our Apostles Doctrine in the ninth and tenth Chapters to the Hebrews more peremptorily contradicted by them then it was by the Incredulous or unbelieving Jews in his life time The Western Anti-Christ so the Lutherans distinguish them hath in this particular so farr out-bid the Antichrist of the East that if 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that Law-opposer or man of sin were to be followed close with Howant-Cry or his Footsteps to be traced for these nine hundred years by the Christian Kingdoms or States the Chase and Cry would sooner fall into Rome or Trent then into Constantinople though That no question be now the seat of Gog and Magog or of the Eastern Antichrist That Contradiction of Sinners which our Saviour Christ did indure here on Earth Heb. 12. 3. improved by the Roman Church in later dayes against all such as
rightly believe in him specially against such as duly administer his holy Sacraments may with its improvement be concludently inferred by the Tenents and daily Practises of that Church both which are as punctually and as fully contradictory to the Doctrine of the Author of this Epistle Chap. 9. and 10. and to many other principal Maxims of Christian Religion as any Doctrine Tenent or Practise can be one to another For the Law having a shadow of good things to come and not the very image of the things can never with those Sacrifices which they offered year by year continually to make the Comers thereunto perfect For then would they not have ceased to be offered because that the worshippers once purged should have had no more conscience of Sins But in those sacrifices there is a remembrance again made of sinnes every year For it is not possible that the bloud of Bulls and Goates should take away sins c. Heb. 10. 1 2 3 4. By the which we are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ ONCE FOR ALL. And every Priest standeth daily ministring and offering oftentimes the same sacrifices which can never take away sinnes But this man or rather this Priest after he had offered ONE SACRIFICE for sinnes for ever sat doâ—n on the right hand of God from henceforth expecting till his enemies be made his footstool For by one offering he hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified Whereof the holy Ghost also is a witness to us for after that he had said before this is the Covenant that will make with them after those dayes saith the Lord I will put my Laws into their hearts and in their minds will I write them and their sinnes and iniquities will I remember no more Now where Remission of these is there is no more offering for Sin ver 10. to 18. 4. The force of our Apostles Inference and the very Pith of his Discourse throughout these Passages presented to the Readers View doth more punctually refute the Doctrine of the Romish Masse then it did the Contradicting Jews or other Blasphemers of Christs Name and Office either before or since this Divine Epistle was written The Pith and Marrow of all his Arguments consists in This That even the best of Legal Sacrifices or services were they bloudy or unbloudy were altogether Unsufficient to Purifie the Conscience could never take away sin Because They were to be Reiterated the best and most solemn of them every Year and many of them every Day others as oft as Casual Occasions did require Now if this Argument be Concludent as no Christian can denie it to be against the Jews which pleaded for the Sufficiencie of Legal Sacrifices it will conclude a fortiori or with a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Heb 9. 14. against the absolute Perfection or Sufficiencie of our Saviours Sacrifice of Himself supposing that it should be as the Romanists teach Thus much it will inevitably inferre according to the Peremptory Canons of the Roman Church which plainly teach and under pain of damnation injoyn all Christians to believe that Christs Body and Bloud That very same Body that very same bloud which were once offered by himself upon the Crosse are daily offered by the Masle-Priest Or as if this were not enough to out-vie the Jewish Synagogue in the Sin of Contradiction to Christ they adde that every such offering is a propitiatorie Sacrifice as well for some that be dead as for the living And I think such Oblations as they make do the one sort as little good or as little harm as they doe the other unlesse they sollicite the Priest to make this kind of Attonement for them But to such Sollicitors or Executors of such Sollicitations both Doctrine and Practise must needs create as great danger as any Heresie or Branch of Contradicting Infidelitie hath done or can do to the mainteiners of it This Branch of the Roman Churches Doctrine doth as punctually Contradict that Fundamental Doctrine Heb. 9. 13. If the bloud of Bullocks and Goats c. as it doth the forecited Passages Heb. 10. 5. But the authorized practise of consecrating their Holy water for remission of sinnes and Sanctification is most palpably Contradictory to our Apostles meaning or to the meaning of the holy Spirit in that other Instance of the Water of Sprinkling wherein the Ashes of the Red Cow were Special Ingredients and gave the vertue and Tincture unto it for purifying men from such Legal uncleannesse as the best Ceremonies of the Law and This Water in special was Consecrated for The Law for the Consecrating This water and the Use or Ends for which it was Consecrated we have Numb 19. The mistaking of which place and the gross misse-use of the like water solemnly consecrated by that Canonical Authoritie which the Romish Church doth challenge â—ver all other Churches is set down in such plain terms that no honest hearted Roman Catholick specially of the English Scotish Netherlandish or German Nation if he be able to read the New Testament in his own Native Language but he will be either heartily sorry for Alexander the fifth who made this Canon or at least ashamed that their Forefathers should approve it or that it should be practised by their Instructers if they would permit them to have the reason of the Canon or Decree rightly translated into a Language which they understand The Canon with the Glosse upon it is here transcribed in the same words wherein it was first conceived and published In Decreti 3. part de Consecrat distinct 3. c. 20. prout habetur in Corpore Juris Canonici Jussu Gregorii 13. Lugd. impressâ— Anno 1618. 6. Sic se habet Glossa in hunc locum Aquam Sale Haec est decima pars distinct Secundùm Jo. de Fant CASUS Quaeritur cur aqua cum sale benedicatur Et respondetur ut ea homines aspersi sanctificentur Cum enim in vetere Testamento cinis vitulae sanctificabat sal per manum Helisaei Prophetae sanavit sterilitatem aquae multò magis aqua cum sale benedicta omnia conspersa purificat Aquam sale u ¶ Aquam Sale Quia per aquam confessio per salem amaritudo signatur morsio unde haec est mistura unde geminus procedit partus divisio sc delictorum ortus virtutum bonorum operum 32. q. 1. c. Cum renuntiatur Haec designata est per mistionem Judae qui confessio dicitur Hu stands for Hugo Card. Arch. for Archidiaconus su for supra in for infra Thamar quae amaritudo dicitur unde Phares divisio Zaran ortus geminus sc partus provenit H U. conspersam populis benedicimus ut eâ cuncti aspersi sanctificentur x ¶ Sanctificentur Quaeritur quomodo aqua benedicta dicatur populum sanctificare vel mundare ADDITIO Ad hoc potest responderi secundum id quod no Su. ea dist 2. c. Signum in
untill we be actually cleansed from these later by the bloud of Christ. I should now proceed unto the manner how the Son of God doth dissolve those works which Satan worketh in us after Baptism or regeneration or how we are actually cleansed from sinne by his bloud 11. The Error of the sacrifice of the Mass But here again I find the Truth besett with Two Errors or Extremes the One Positive or an Heresie maintained by the Romish Church which in effect denies the infinite value or everlasting Efficacie of Christs bloudy Sacrifice upon the Crosse The Other Extreme is an Incogitancy of some men which magnisie the everlasting Efficacie or infinite value of Christs Bloudie Sacrifice not too much for so they cannot but amiss they make it everlasting after such a manner or rather make such use or application of its everlasting Efficacie or infinite value to themselves and to their hearers as makes his Everlasting Priesthood to be uselesse or needlesse To begin with the First Error or Extreme Is it possible that That Church which challengeth the Title of Catholick as her own peculiar should deny the most Fundamental Article of Catholick Faith as is the everlasting Efficacie or infinite value of Christs Bloudie Sacrifice In expresse terms or directly she doth not deny it Her Advocates dare not professe the denyal of it For so most of their Faction whom they lead blindfold would forsake them as Hereticks and Aliens from the Antient and Orthodoxal Church Yet the more stifly the greatest Scholars in that Church deny the imputation or Charge which we lay upon them the better proof we shall gain from them that they are the men which as the Apostle saith are given over to believe Lyes that they are the men on whose soules the spirit of delusion hath seazed If we shall decypher the impression or Character of that spirit so clearly that every one which is not sworn to their Faction whether Jew Mahumetan or Heathen or other more indifferent though but indued with Common Reason may run and read it Let us see then how they expose the greatest Mysteries of our Salvation unto the just scorn and derision of the lew Mahumetan or Heathen without possibilitie of Apologie for their manifest contradicting the Principles not of Christianitie only but of Common Reason Thus you may imagine any Iewish School-Boy or young Artist Catechized in the Rudiments of his own Religion would oppose the greatest Rabbines in the Romish Church We of the Jewish Nation once had our ordinary Priests which offered sacrifices daily in the temple we had our high Priest which went into the most holy place once a year with the bloud of the Anniversary and solemn sacrifices ye Christian Catholicks so ye term your selves teach your hearers as your Apostle hath taught you that the best sacrifices which our Fathers used were but Shadowes fore-signifying the taking away of sin they did not they could not take away sins or cleanse the consciences of such as offered them And why could not our sacrifices take away sin your Apostle gives this Reason because they were often offered Heb. 10. ver 1. 2. c. Ye Christian Catholicks have your high Priest who as ye say offered himself up in bloudy sacrifice unto God for your sinnes was this his sacrifice perfect or was it not Did it take away sinnes more perfectly then the sacrifices which our Fathers used or did it not ye say It did we say It did not it could not if your Apostles Principles or Expositions of Scriptures be true and your practise not false or unlawful Your Priests as you confess stand daily ministring and offering the same sacrifice which your high Priest did offer and therefore by your Apostles argument against us and by your practise this sacrifice can never take away sinne it is more the same sacrifice than the sacrifices of the Law were And yet it is offered oftner and in more places than any Legal sacrifices were 12. Some devoted to the Romish religion will perhaps say in their hearts the Doctors of our Church know well enough how to untye these knots which the Iewes cast albeit so learnedly and so subtilly that no unlearned man can perceive how they untye them If men will thus believe or rely upon their Teachers skill without any true experiment of it we cannot help it Yet if you will believe me upon the faith of a Christian I never yet could see any Romish Writer which leaves not the former knot worse then he found it after he had used all the paines and skill he had to untwist it The wisest and most learned of them usually let it slide away without medling Many of you perhaps have read what the Rhemists in their Notes upon the tenth to the Hebrewes have attempted To make you believe that all is loose The Apostle say they speakes of the sacrifices of the Law not of the sacrifice of the Mass It is true indeed he speakes of the sacrifices of the Law for he proves them to be unperfect unsufficient but he proves them to be unsufficient by such a Reason as will conclude more strongly not only against the sacrifice of the Mass if so the sacrifice of the Masse were as lawfull as the Legal sacrifices sometimes were or the Reiteration of it not more abominable in the sight of God then the restauration of Legal bloudie sacrifices at this day would be But against Christs bloudy sacrifice upon the †He meanes if it needed to be often offered Cross also The only Reason by which the Apostle proves the best kind of Legal sacrifices even whilest they were lawfully used and according to Gods appointment to have been altogether unsufficient for taking away sinne is because they were to be often offered Now every particular must be proved by an universal and A true universal Rule or Principle includes the same reason in every particular The Apostle could not prove the Legal Services to have been imperfect for this Reason that they were often offered unless this Vniversal were true and taken by him as granted That no sacrifices or sacrifice of what kind soever which is often offered can be perfect or sufficient to take away sinnes This universal Reason the Apostle takes as granted by Light of Nature and Common Reason and so frames his Argument from the Authoritie of Scriptures and the consonancie of Common Reason or light of nature ver 15. The Holy Ghost ALSO is witnesse c. It is as idle and as frivolous a shift wherewith the same Rhemists seek to put off their ignorant Readers when they tell them that Christs body was but once offered up in a bloudy manner but may and ought to be often offered up in a bloudless manner The very root and ground of this distinction if you examine it by our Apostles Argument includes a confession or acknowledgement of the CRIME or HERESIE which we object unto them to wit that The bloudy Sacrifice
Wrath against sinne and sinners vvas not appeased nor could be appeased by this kind of bloudy sacrifices All this the yearly and daily offering of bloudy sacrifices did clearly testifie unto the consciences of such as offered them And that so often as God required these sacrifices he did call their sins unto remembrance and as it vvere by matter of Fact proclaim unto the World that as yet his Wrath against sin vvas not could not be appeased by these or the like kind of Sacrifices But inasmuch as the Law though in it-self imperfect and therefore could make nothing perfect vvas yet an Introduction to a better Hope the continual reiteration or repetition of these bloudy sacrifices did teach such as used them aright to expect a more sufficient bloudy sacrifice vvhich should fully appease the vvrath of God and Testifie unto mens consciences that he did remember their sins no more in such sort as during the time of the Law he had done that is there should be no more exchange or commutation of punishment no solemn remembrance of sinne by any sacrifice of what kind soever for sin but this one sacrifice should suffice for all 4. That we may ascend by degrees unto the infinite value and everlasting Effiâ—acie of the sacrifice of the sonne of God we are in the first place to consider the odds or difference between this only Sacrifice and the sacrifices of the Law The odds or differences between them may be reduced unto these Two Heads First To the Diversitie of their immediate Effects Secondly To their different Efficacie or proportion for effecting the several Ends to which they were especially destinated 1. The Immediate effect of the bloudy Sacrifices of the Law was to cleanse or purifie the offerers from sinnes committed against the Law of Ceremonies and this as the Apostle termes it was a Purification or Sanctification according to the flesh Howbeit this Sanctification was a shadow or picture of that purification of the Conscience or Sanctification of the Spirit which was to be effected by the bloody Sacrifice of the Son of God 2. The sacrifices of the Law were no way so Powerfull or sufficient for effecting the Sanctifying of the flesh as the Sacrifice of the Son of God is for effecting the Sanctification of the spirit and Conscience There was no one kind of Legal sacrifices which might make a full attonement for all sinnes or sinners against the Law of Ceremonies For every different sin or legal uncleanness they had for the most part a different kind of sacrifice or offering And if a man had been this day cleansed by sacrifice from some particular sin or legal uncleanness and had fallen again unto the like to morrow the blood of the former sacrifice could not stead him the second time Every particular relaps into the same sin was to have a particular offering or fresh Sacrifice though of the same kind with the former 5. The infinite value of the Bloody Sacrifice of the Son of God may from this imperfection of the legall sacrifices be distinctly apprehended if we consider that not the Jew onely but the Gentiles one and other were Enemies and rebells against God all by nature the sonnes of wrath and perdition and yet the favour of reconciliation for all that then were or afterwards should be albeit this world should continue a million of years was purchased by this one bloody Sacrifice as by a just and full price What sinnes soever any man had committed they did not prejudice his Interest in the pardon purchased it was universal in respect of al sinners and in respect of all sinnes The Almighty Father's wrath against mankind was by this Onely Sacrifice so well appeased so fully satisfied that he is ready to receive all into the favour and Privilege of sonnes which will with due reverence accept of the Pardon offered and sue it out by such meanes as he hath appointed Now this Vniversal Favour for all men to whom nothing but vengeance was in Justice due could not possibly be purchased by any Sacrifice which was not of Value absolutely infinite But to grant an absolute Pardon not onely for all sinnes past before the acceptance of the Pardon but for willfull obstinacie or continuance in sinne or rebellion after so Gratious a Proclamation of Pardon could be no Effect of Gods infinite Mercy no Fruits of Christs infinite Merits For infinite Merits cannot benefit men altogether unqualified or uncapable of them And Mercy infinite must retaine the nature of mercy it reacheth not beyond the proper Object of mercy And the proper Object of mercy is penitencie or sorrow for Misdemeanors past or present Willfull continuance or obstinacie in exorbitant courses or contempt of mercy offered is the Object of Justice or indignation 6. But besides the Infinite Value we are to acknowledge the infinite or Everlasting Efficacie or Operative Vertue of this bloody Sacrifice of the Son of God Want of distinguishing between these two hath occasioned many Errours or oversights in Divinitie That there is a Distinction to be put betwixt them we may thus conceive Suppose the Son of God immediately after he had payed the ransom for our sinnes or in that Instant in which he said Consummatum Est all is finished had deposed or layed aside the humane nature in which he was conceived and born to the end and purpose that he might dye in it or according to it his offering or Sacrifice had been of Value infinite in that it could purchase so Vniversal a Pardon at Gods hands for all sinners and for all sinnes Yet if he had laid aside the humane nature immediately after his suffering The Everlasting Efficacie of this infinite Sacrifice had been cut off Now besides the infinite price of our redemption which was then Payd when Christ said Consummatum Est another End of his assumption and retaining the humane nature was that we might be partakers of the Everlasting Vertue of his Sacrifice and Priesthood And herein doth this Sacrifice truely differ from the sacrifices of the Law from all sacrifices whatsoever in that we obtaine remission of sinnes by it and through it not onely as it was once offered but by the reall Communication of its Vertue unto our soules If there were any use or need of a second third or reiterated offering of it the Vertue and Efficacie of it could not be imagined to be perpetually everlasting or Uncessant but endlesse or uncessant onely by Vicissitude or Turn in such a sense as we say the Moone shall be Eclipsed to the worlds end Yet is it not eclipsed at all times but at some speciall times throughout all Ages of the world But if both the Value of the Sacrifice be truely infinite and the Vertue of it everlasting without interruption or discontinuation more Uncessant than the Motion of the heavens or the Rest of the earth The often offering of the Sacrifice after what manner soever is superfluous and blasphemous The true
reason then why the Body of Christ is not or ought not to be often offered is not because all our sinnes were actually remitted by the once offering of it or remitted before they were committed but because the substance or matter of the sacrifice is of the same force at this day to remit sinnes that it was of whilest it was offered For his humane nature was consecrated by death and by his bloody Passion to be a sacrifice of everlasting Vertue to be the continual propitiation for our sinnes 7 If either the actual sinnes of all men Christs Resurrection our baptism needless if sinnes be remitted before they be committed or the sinnes of the Elect in speciall had been so remitted by Christs death as some conceive they were that is absolutely pardoned before they were committed there had been no end or use of Christs Resurrection in respect of us no need of Baptism yet was Baptism from the hour of his resurrection necessarie unto all that did beleive in his death and resurrection The urgent and indispensable necessitie of Baptism especially in respect of actual beleivers is not any where more Emphatically intimated than in St. Peters Answer to the Jewes Whose hearts were pierc't with sorrow that they had been the causes of Christs death They in this stound or sting of Conscience demand Men and brethren what shall we do and Peter answered them Repent and be Baptized Every one of you In the Name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sinnes And they that gladly received the word were Baptized the same day Acts 2. 37 38 41. These men had been deeply tainted with sin not original onely but with sinnes actual of the worst kind guiltie they were in a high degree of the death of the Son of God yet had they as well their actual as their original sinnes remitted by Baptism It is then an unsound and imperfect Doctrin that sin original onely is taken away or remitted by Baptism for whatsoever sinnes are remitted or taken away by Christs death the same sins are in the same manner remitted and taken away by Baptism into his death actual sinnes are remitted in such as are guiltie of actual sinnes when they are baptized though onely sin Original be actually remitted in those which are not guiltie of actual sinnes as in Infants No mans sinnes are actually remitted before he be actually guilty of them 8. The Question is how either sin original is remitted or how any work of Satan is dissolved by Baptism And this Question in the General is righly resolved by saying They are remitted by faith But this general Resolytion sufficeth not unless we know the Object of our Faith in this particular Now the particular Object of our Faith of that faith by which sinnes whether by Baptism or otherwise are remitted is not our general Belief in Christ even our belief of Christ dying for us in particular will not suffice unlesse it include our Belief of the Everlasting Vertue of his bloudie Sacrifice and of his everlasting Priest-hood for purifying and cleansing our soules No sinnes be truly remitted unless they be remitted by the Office or exercise of his Priest-hood and whilest so remitted they are not remitted by any other Sacrifice then by the sole vertue of his body and bloud which he once offered for all for the sinnes of all It is not the Vertue or Efficacie of the consecrated water in which we were washed but the vertue of his Bloud which was once shed for us and which by Baptism is sprinkled upon us or communicated unto us which immediately cleanseth us from all our sinnes From this everlasting Vertue of this his bloudy Sacrifice Faith by the ministerie of baptism is immediatly gotten in such as had it not before And in such as have Faith before they be baptized the guilt of Actual sinns is remitted by the exercise or Act of Faith as it apprehends the everlasting Efficacy of this sacrifice and by the prayer of faith and supplication unto our High Priest Faith then is as the mouth or appetite by which were receive this food of Life and is a good sign of health but it is the food itself received which must continue health and strengthen spiritual life in us and the food of life is no other then Christs Body and Bloud and it is our High Priest himself which must give us this food Baptism saith St. Peter 1 Pet. 3. 20. doth save us what Baptism doth save us not the putting away the filth of the flesh yet this is the immediate effect of the water in baptism but the answer or stipulation of a good conscience towards God But how doth this kind of Baptism or this concomitant of Baptism save us The Apostle in the same place tells us by the resurrection of Jesus Christ The answer or stipulation of a good conscience includes an illumination of our spirits by the Spirit of God a qualification by which we are made sonnes of Light being before the sonnes of darkness But That by this qualification we become the sonnes of Light That this qualification is by baptism wrought in us That by this qualification however wrought in us we are saved from our sinnes All this is immediately from the vertue of Christs Resurrection That is as you have heard before he was consecrated by the sufferings of death to be an everlasting Priest and by his resurrection from death his body and bloud became an everlasting Propitiation for sinnes an inexhaustible Fountain of Grace by which we are purifyed from the dead works of sinne 9. It is true again that in the Sacrament of Christs Body and Bloud there is a propitiation for our sinnes because He is really present in it who is the propitiation for our sinnes But it no way hence followes that there is any propitiatorie sacrifice for sin in this Sacrament He becomes the propitiation for our sinnes he actually remits our sinnes not directly and immediately by the Elements of Bread and Wine nor by any other kind of Local Presence or Compresence with these Elements than is in Baptism The Orthodoxal Antients use the same Language for expressing his Presence in Baptism and in the Eucharist they stick not to say that Christ is present or Latent in the water as well as in the Elements of Bread and Wine Their meaning is that neither of these Elements or sensible substances can directly cleanse us from our sinnes by any vertue communicated unto them or inherent in them but only as they are pledges or assurances of Christs peculiar presence in them and of our true investiture in Christ by them We are not then to receive the Elements of bread and wine only in remembrance that Christ dyed for us but in remembrance or assurance likewise that his body which was once given for us doth by its everlasting Vertue preserve our bodies and souls unto everlasting Life and that his bloud which was but once shed for us doth
Sacrifice and most perfect offering Of all the Legal Sacrifices which present themselves unto my former observation or present memory there is one kind only which can beare the true shaddow or serve as a Modell of the Everlasting Efficacie of his onely Sacrifice once offered for all And that was the sacrifice of the Red Heifer Numb 19. and the Legal Use which GODS People under the Law were to make of Her Ashes The correspondencie between the effects of the Ashes of this sacrifice and of the blood of Christ is gathered by our Apostle Heb. 9. ver 13 14. If the Ashes of an Heyfer sprinkling the unclean sanctifâ—eth to the purification of the flesh how much more shall the blood of Christ who through the eternal spirit offered himself to God purge your consciences from dead workes to serve the living God But wherein did this sacrifice picture out the Everlasting Efficacie of the Blood of the Son of God in more peculiar manner than other Legal sacrifices did 14. First in that all such as were legally unclean by touching a Corps or Grave by comming into a Tent wherein a Corps lay unburied or suffering the vessels in such a Tent to be uncovered were to be purified by the Water of Sprinkling which was qualified or consecrated to this purpose by the Ashes of the Red Cow or Heyfer and as often to be purified by this water as they should incurre this Legal uncleanness And yet the sacrifice of this beast was not to be offered so often as this people did incurre these Kinds of legal uncleanness Thus much is Evident from the practice of the Jewish Church during the time of the Law For this water of purification was often every year oft-times Every month to be sprinkled upon some one or other of this people oft-times upon one and the same man within one and the same year even as often as he should by chance or negligence incurre any of the former branches of uncleannesse Yet was not this sacrifice whose ashes were still to be mingled with the water of purification to be offered once Every year in every Age or in many Ages The Sacrifice of the Red Heyfer as the Jewes confesse was but nine times offered during the time of the Law Once by Eleazar Aarons Son in the wilderness And this sacrifice was not reiterated untill the destruction of Salomons Temple that is not during the space of a thousand yeares and more It was the Second Time offered by Ezra after this peoples Return from Captivitie and but seven times after unto the destruction of the second Temple And this Foolish Nation since that time hath not presumed to offer it but expects the offering of it the tenth time by their King Messias Thus is the faithless Synagogue by Gods providence the Keeper not of the Sacred Oracles onely written by Moses and the prophets but even of those Traditions which testifie the summe and truth of these Oracles to wit that this legal sacrifice amongst the rest was to be accomplished in their Messias He was indeed to set the Period to this legal Rite and to all the rest not by offering them after a Legal Rite or manner but by offering up himself instead of them all once for all in bloodie sacrifice in whose infinite Value and Everlasting Efficacie all other sacrifices or offerings for sin were so terminated or swallowed up as Land-rivers or currents of waters are in the sea But what circumstance have we from the written Text that this sacrifice was not to be so often offered as this people had occasion to use the water of sprinkling or the Ashes of this sacrifice to cleanse them from their former Legal pollutions Numb 19. It is said ver 9. that the Ashes should be laid up without the Camp in a cleane place 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 reserved or kept for the congregation of the children of Israel for the water of separation The Ashes were to be reserved not for this Generation onely present but for the use of Posteritie As Manna which was commanded in the same Character to be reserved in the Ark was the Type of Christ as he is the food of life or the bread which came down from heaven So were these Ashes as an Emblem of the Everlasting Efficacie or operative vertue of his sacrifice There is no Bodily substance under heaven which can be so true an Emblem or model of incorruption as Ashes are Being the Remainder of bodies perfectly dissolved or corrupted they are not capable of a second corruption And when it is said that the Ashes should be reserved for a water of separation the meaning is that one sacrifice might afford ashes enough to season or qualifie as many several vessels of water as this people for many generations should have occasion to use for Legal purification So it is said in the same ninth verse that the Reservation of these Ashes was a Purification for sin A purification not in Act onely or for one or two turnes but a Continual Purification or as a Treasurie or storehouse for making as many purifications or waters of sprinkling as this people had occasion to use And so Christ is said Heb. 1. 3. to have made a purification for our sinnes when he had by himself purged our sinnes saith our English he sate down on the right hand of the Majestie on high But the Translation under Correction comes somewhat short of the Original and the shorter it comes of it the more advantage it yeilds unto their opinion which think their sinnes were remitted and purged before they were actually committed The Apostles words are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 haveing made a Purification for sin he hath ascended into heaven The word Purification is not to be restrained to One Act or operation but includes or implies the Perpetual qualitie of himself or substance of his sacrifice being by this one Act consecrated to be a perpetual Fountain of purification As he did not onely make one propitiation for our sinnes So neither did he once actually purge us from our sinnes by offering up himself but still remaines the purification of our sinnes that is he doth still purifie and cleanse us from our sinnes as often as we seek by Faith and true repentance to be cleansed and purified by him 15. So then the Blood of the Legal Sacrifice or Heyfer did consecrate the Ashes to be as a Storehouse or treasury of legal purification and the Ashes thus consecrated by this sacrifice did hallow or consecrate the Water which was put into them to make actual purification as often as occasion required So did our High Priest by the One Sacrifice of Himself consecrate his Blood to be an inexhaustible Fountain of purification Evangelical And his Blood and Body thus consecrated once for all do consecrate or sanctifie the Water of Baptism to cleanse or wash Infants from sin Original and such as are of yeares when they are baptized from sinnes Actual