be truly godly and not abhor false doctrines which are such a fruitful spawn of a venemous Issue Many flying serpents being hatched of one Cockatrice egg Fiftly Errours are apt to overgrow the Truth as Tares and other weeds are ready to overcome the corn And that 1. by corrupting one doctrine of the Gospel after another And 2. by oppressing and persecuting the sincere professors and Preachers of the Truth It seemeth the errours and corruptions of Popery were first winked at being taken up by particular persons not generally owned then they became more general and overbore the truth then they were armed with power and so opposed and persecuted the sincere maintainers of the truth The Arian Heresie at first was kept under at length prevailed so as to raise most bloody persecutions against the Truth The outrages of the Anabaptists and sueâ—â— as pretended to Revelations how notoriouâ— were they when once they got a head at Munster in Germany But our age seemeth to exceed former times in this kind that errours and heresies among us have been armed almost at their first appearance It would appear a strange Monster if a child should bâ— born in armour such a monster if I mistake not I have read of born in Germany about the time of the late wars Is it not prodigious to see armed monsters born amongst us errours and heresies with swords by their sides Pistolls Muskets Pikes â—n their hands at their first coming into the world almost Who knoweth the dismaâ— events and mischief such things presage if the Lord Christ who is the Truth and whose name is the word of God should for our unworthiness forbear to ride forth on his white horse conquering and to conquer But what gracious heart doth not both abhor and tremble at those things that tend to the suppressing of the Truth and rooting out of those that are of the Truth and for the Truth Sixthly Errours aud Heresies are apt to spread far and wide in a short time from a person to a family from the family to a Neighbourhood then over a Province or Country then over a Nation then from Nation to Nation and so over the world Behold how great a matter a little fire kindleth The Arian Heresie being a little spark at first in Egypt in a short time did spread over Asia and Africk and took hold of divers parts of Europe for the devil himself hath declared it that his business is to go to and fro in the earth and to walk up and down in it and he is very swift in his motion and active in his work and who that hath any zeal for Christ doth not abhor such a growing evil such a spreading mischief Seventhly Errours and Heresies are apt to draw poor souls from the means of grace They are deadly diseases and withal of such a cursed nature that they take off the heart from the remedy They cause people to withdraw from those assemblies where the truths of God are taught and the unsoundness of such errours is laid open And then it is as the Devil would have it when he can so bewitch poor souls as to make them drink down deadly poyson and then refuse to take a purge But as this is pleasing to Satan so how grievous is it to them that tender the good of poor souls to see them dangerously sick and altogether unwilling to be healed or come near the means of the cure Eightly Heresies and false doctrines make woful rents and divisions in the Church The Church is one body under one head the Lord Jesus Christ. The Apostle speaking to the Church says now ye are the body of Christ and members in particular Christ is the head of the Church and he is the Saviour of the body and therefore the Apostle exceedingly presseth the members of the Church to endeavour to keep the unity of the spirit in the bond of peace heaping up arguments of unity Saith he there is 1. one Body 2. one Spirit 3. one Hâ—pe 4. one Lord. 5. one Faith 6. one Baptisme 7. one God and Father of all Shall the members of one body fight each against other Is it not monstrous for them that should be quickned with one spirit to strive against each other as if they were acted by contrary spirits Shall they that 〈◊〉 called to one hope be at defiance among themâ—selves Can the Servants of one Lord beaâ— arms against each other and one party noâ— fight against the Lord himself by contending with their fellow Servants Shall those that are called to the profession of one faith embrace contrary beliefs Is it not odious to see those that were washed in one laver of Baptisme cast dirt upon each other or stain their hands yea their consciences with the blood of each other Is it not horrid to see the children of one heavenly Father or such as profess themselves to be so to hate and destroy their brethren Now how clearly doth Scripture witness how sadly doth experience prove that errours and heresies make woful rents and divisions In one of those places formerly mentioned saith the Apostle I beseech you Brethren mark them which cause diâ—visions and offences contrary to the doctrine which we have learned and avoid them by teaching contrary to sound doctrine dangerous divisions are caused and great offences given What a grievous rent was likely to have been made in the Primitive Church by them which would have perswaded the believing Gentiles that Circumcision was necessary to Salvation had not the Apostles and Elders meeting together in a Synod at Hierusalem carefully suppressed this errour at the first appearing of it It is said Paul aud Barnabas had no small dissention and disputation with them that taught this false doctrine In the Synod it self there was much disputing In the Epistle directed by the Synod to the Churches of the Gentiles it is said We have heard that certain which went out from us have troubled you with words subverting your Souls saying ye must be circumcised and keep the Law scil of Ceremonies to whom we gave no such Commandment And although this Errour was for the present much restrained yet how did it break out again afterward among the Galatians And therefore the Apostle calleth these false teachers the Concision instead of the Circumcision Cum ecclesiam conscinderent lacerarent seeing they did as it were cut and tear in pieces the Church of Christ with their false doctrine or as another saith he called them the Concision tum quod ecclesiam pravo dogmate scinderent tum quod simplciores a Christo abscinderent because by their corrupt opinion they did both cut asunder the unity of the Church and cut off the weaker sort from Christ. But if we should speak of the Rents that were in the Church by Errours and Heresies mentioned in the Ecclesiastical Histories it would amount to a large Volumn What a rent was like to be made in the
and Light of Nature which Heathens did and beside against a far clearer Light and more perfect Law delivered to them in the holy Scriptures of the old and new Testament for the Light and Law of Nature though it was given to the Heathen yet it was not peculiar to them it was not limited to them alone but was common to them with others it is given also to Iews who have the old Testament also it is given to Christians who have both old and new Testament and therefore their sins are highly aggravated So the the Lord by the Prophet Amos having threatned heavy Judgements against those Heathen Nations mentioned before then turneth his speech to the people of Iudah Thus saith the Lord for three transgressions of Iudah and for four I will not turn away the punishment thereof because they have defiled the Law of the Lord and have not kept his Commandment and their lies caused them to err after the which their Fathers have walked but I will send a fire upon Iudah and it shall devour the Palaces of Ierusalem they had the written Law and Commandments of God which the other had not and therefore they despised and kept not they had the Truth of God revealed from Heaven and delivered to them by Moses and the Prophets immediately inspired by the holy spirit of God but they rather chose to walk in lyes after the example of their Fathers and therefore their sins were much more sinful than those of the Heathens Then he threatneth Israel scil the rest of Israel the Kingdom of the ten Tribes who followed the sin of Ieroboam charging them first with barbarous cruelty and oppression contrary to common humanity because they sold the righteous for silver and the poor for a pair of shoes I conceive he speaketh especially against that great sin of Judges and Magistrates in perverting justice for Bribes and withal against them which hired such corrupt officers to act unjustly by giving them rewards They sold the righteous for Silver they exposed the innocent to the lust and will of their Adversaries for mony and the poor for a pair of shooes either because being once corrupted with some considerable gains they afterward were so hardened in their sins that they would pervert justice for a pair of shooes for a triflle or else because they could not get much for giving sentence against a poor man in his Cause because their Adversaries would not offer much to have their will of them who had little to loose these corrupt judges would transgress for a petty-bribe where no more was to be had That pant after the dust of the earth on the head of the poor or as one readeth it that pant or breath after the head of the poor that they may cast it down to the dust of the earth If we take it the former way the sense may seem to be this when they have overthrown the poor and laid him in the dust such is there inhumane cruelty that they are not satisfied with his misery but desire his utter ruine and destruction 2. An other sin was abominable uncleannness that Father and Son would lye with the same woman which is set forth and heightned with this aggravation they prophaned the holy Name of God pretending to be the people of God and yet committing such lewdness this highly redounded to the Lords dishonour above the sins of meer Heathens 3. Their wicked glorying and triumphing in their oppression and prophaning that worship which themselves had embraced as religious laying themselves down upon clothes laid to pledge by every Altar keeping the garments of the poor which they had taken to pledge and being so far from restoring them according to the Law that they durst lye upon them by the very Altars and drink the wine of the condemned in the house of their God feasting themselves in the Temple of their God with the very spoils taken from those whom they had unjustly condemned these sins of Israel are aggravated divers ways in the words following There Israel and Iudah are both joyned together Hear this word that the Lord hath spoken against you O Children of Israel against the whole family which I brought up from the Land of Egypt saying You only have I known of all the families of the earth therefore I will punish you for all your iniquities The Lord had owned them above others and made himself known to them above all other people and therefore their sin was greater than others and they might expect more gievous punishments How much more are sins of professed Christians more heinous than those of the Heathens who have greater light then the people of Israel had having the new Testament added to the old who have the Lord Jesus Christ set forth before them in the Gospel not under Types and shadowes but clearly not as to come but as already come actually crucified for sin buried risen again ascended into Heaven The Lord Christ sheweth that the sins of Corazin and Bethsaida were more heinous than those of Tyre and Sidon and their condemnation would be more intolerable in the day of Judgement because they sinned against greater light The like comparison he maketh between Capernaum and Sodom And the very Name of Christian is an aggravation of the sins of those who profess themselves Christians This Name was first given to them that professed the faith of Christ at Antioch because of the great success of the Gospel there Barnabas and Saul or Paul a whole year assembled themselves with the Church and taught much people and the Disciples were called Christians first at Antioch The denomination of a Christian is derived from the blessed and glorious Name of Christ himself as he is annointed of God the Father with the spirit above measure What signifieth a Christian then but 1. A member of Christ united to him as the head of the whole mystical body of the Church How great is the sin of those that can themselves Christians and suffer themselves to be led by Satan the enemy of 〈◊〉 readily entertaining his suggestions and temptations serving this Prince of darkness in the work of darkness Saith the Apostle Shall I take the members of Christ and make them the members of an Harlot God forbid or let it not be What know ye not that he which is joyned to an Harlot is one body for two saith he shall be one flesh It is a fearful thing for a man professing himself a Christian that is a member of Christ to make himself a member of an Harlot or for a woman making the same profession to make her self the member of a fornicatour or Adulterer 2. The name of a Christian signifieth one that partaketh of the annointing of Christ of the same spirit and the same graces in some measure wherewith Christ was annointed above his fellows yea above measure He which stablisheth us with you and anointeth us is God The
to his command should learn of him who is meek and lowly of heart and be content to be conformed to him in sufferings taking up his Cross and following him They should be useful and serviceable as Christ was who was figured by such creatures offered in Sacrifice 2. Ye may note in general that an offering presented to the Lord was called in the Hebrew Korban of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to draw near This may teach us that none was fit to offer an offering to the Lord but only the Lord Jesus Christ and those that come to God by him for all mankind since the fall were a far off at a great distance from God but the Lord Iesus Christ being God and Man is nigh unto the Father In regard of his Godhead he is the only begotten Son of God in the bosom of the Father as he is man personally united to the Son of God he is one person with the Son of God and being without spot of sin he came near to God to present himself an offering and a Sacrifice unto him Secondly none can come nigh unto the Lord to offer any spiritual Sacrifice to him or to have any inward communion with him but in and by the Lord Jesus Christ But now in Christ Iesus Ye who sometime were afar off are made nigh by the blood of Christ. Christ being nigh to God drew nigh unto him actually with the sacrifice and offering of himself and so made way for sinners who were afar off from God by their sin and guilt to draw nigh to God by virtue of his blood that applying his blood satisfaction and righteousness to themselves they might be made nigh unto God in regard of their estate being taken into Covenant with him as his confederates and so into Communion and that they might draw nigh unto him from time to time in offering spiritual services and sacrifices to him by Jesus Christ. Let us all see our great need of Christ there is no coming nigh unto God but by him neither in respect of our estate nor of our services but in Christ there is access to be had in both respects But more especially First The burntoffering This was called in Hebrew 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifieth ascending or ascension because all the flesh of the beast being burned upon the Altar was to ascend or go up towards heaven in fire so the Lord Jesus Christ when he was here on earth in the flesh offered up himself to his father in heaven the infinite virtue of his Sacrifice ascending to the Throne of God for the appeasing of his wrath and satisfying of his justice for sin This may teach us also that we should present our whole selves souls and bodies sacrifices living holy acceptable to God and that they which will thus present themselves to the Lord must be heavenly minded their souls and hearts must be raised and ascend upward How many carnal outward dead hearted services are dropped down before the Lord that never ascend upward having nothing of heaven nor of Christ his spirit in them Secondly He that offered the burntoffering was to lay his hand upon the head of the creature that was to be slain so he that will have benefit by the sacrifice of Christ must lay hold of him by the hand of faith Thirdly The Bullock for the burntoffering was to be killed the blood of it to be poured out this 1. was fulfilled in Christ according as it was Prophesied of him He is brought as a Lamb to the slaughter He was cut off out of the land of the living ver 9. His grave and death are expresly mentioned thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin ver 12. He hath poured out his soul unto death And Daniel Prophesied that Messiah or Christ should be cut off or slain and without shedding of blood there is no remission 1. This may move Christians to pitty and earnestly pray for the poor blinded Israelites that the Lord would be pleased to take the vail from their hearts Is it not lamentable to consider that they should make the Cross and death of Christ a stumbling block whereas his death and sufferings are so clearly foretold in the Law and the Prophets which themselves acknowledge to be the word of God Yea all those millions of sacrificâ—s slain and offered according to the Lord his appointment did clearly foreshew the death of Christ and the shedding of his most pretious blood for the sins of the world But how is man left to the darkness of his own mind and blinded by Satan Secondly See here how odious sin is in the sight of God which nothing could wash away but the blood of Christ figured by the death and blood of these legal Sacrifices for it is not possible that the blood of Bulls and Goats should take away sins these did signifie the blood of the Son of God infinitely more pretious of sufficient virtue to wash away the greatest and foulest sins How should we tremble at sin Should we not look upon every sin as bloody as murtherous either as slaying the sinner himself or as killing his Saviour either thy sin must be washed away with the blood of Christ or it will cost thee more then thy best blood is worth Thirdly This is for comfort to souls burdened and oppressed with the guilt of sin that that one sacrifice even Christ himself figured by so many millions oâ— sacrifices is offered to satisfie for sin that that blood figured by the blood of so many offerings is shed to take away sin and that God hath purchased his Church with his own blood it is the blood of God because of him who is God and man in one person though not the blood of the God-head The blood of Jesus Christ the Son of God cleanseth from all sin it is of infinite value it is of more virtue then all the bloody sacrifices of the Law 4. Woe unto those wretches that dare to swear prophanely by this pretious blood or by those bleeding wounds of the Son of God Is not this to trample under foor the blood of the Covenant 4. The death of these sacrifices may teach us 〈◊〉 kill our dearest sins to slay our lusts to mortifie our corruptions Christ did not dye for sin that thou mightest live in sin but that thou mightest dye to sin and live to him ye righteousness and holiness I beseech you therefore Brethren by the mercies of God that 〈◊〉 present your bodyes a Sacrifice living holy and acceptable to God a Sacrifice and therefore slain and yet a living Sacrifice Present your selves a sacrifice dying to sin and a sacrifice living quickned with grace living in the spirit Again among all the burnt offerings ye may take particular note of the continual burnt offerings sacrificed to the Lord every day one Lamb in the morning and another in the evening
so the people of God had need every day morning and evening to flee to Christ and to apply his sacrifice and satisfaction to themselves and through him to seek pardon of God for their dayly sins and infirmities every day sprinkling the blood of Christ the Lamb of God upon their souls 2. This may stir up Christians dayly to offer up a morning evening sacrifice to the Lord in confession of sins prayers praises thanksgivings We read of special blessings which the Lord vouchsafed at those times The King of Iudah Israel and Edom with their Army were in danger to perish for want of water and in this great distress they had recourse to the Prophet Elisha now it is said ver 20 and it came to pass in the morning when the meat-offering was offered that behold there came water by the way of Edom and the country was filled with water So Danâ—ul having prayed with much importunity for the Church which was then in captivity saith the man Gabriel to wit the Angel Gabriel in the likeness of a man being caused to fly swiftly touched him about the time of the evening oblation and so as it followeth there opened the counsels of God unto him according to his request I conceive it is very probable that the people of Israel in their several houses did use to pour out their prayers to God about the time of the morning and evening sacrifices and that Daniel and others of the godly when they were in captivity did observe those times though then the Temple was destroyed and the daily sacrifice interrupted A second sort of Sacrifices were sin offerings this kind of offering is called in the Hebrew expresly Sin because in a typical or figurative way the guilt or sin of him for whom the sacrifice was offered was laid upon the creature sacrificed So the Apostle sheweth that God hath made him scil Christ to be â—in for us who knew no sin that we might be made the Righteousness of God in him The sin-offering called sin figured the imputation of mens sin to Christ who had no sin of his own bnt voluntarily took upon him the guilt of mens sins as a surety taketh upon him anothers debt 1. See here how exceedingly the Son of God abased himself for sinners as to stand under the guilt of numberless sins If we consider the infinite holiness glory and Majesty of Christ is it not evident that this degree of humiliation and abasement passeth all understanding Admire therefore his infinite love and unconceivable goodness which moved him hereunto Learn highly to exalt and honour him 2. See here the baseness of sin which thâ— abased the Son of God when he took the guilâ— of it upon him out of compassion to sinnerâ— No outward estate condition calling imployment doth so abase any as the least sin doth in the Lord his account and yet hoâ— vain is the corrupt heart of man in being ashamed of many other things more thâ— of sin yea how many are there that arâ— ashamed of holiâ—ess and ready to glory iâ— sin 3. If Christ did thus abase himself for thâ— sins of others as to be made a sin-offering or to be made sin by imputation How shoulâ— we take shame to our selves and be exceedingly humbled and abased for our own sins As David I have sinned greatly in that I haâ— done I have done very foolishly And 〈◊〉 I abhor my self and repent in dust 〈◊〉 ashes 2. The blood of the sin-offering was to sprinkled seven times before the Lord and seâ— is noted for a number of perfection The Souâ— and Consciences of sinners are so deeply slaâ—ned and defiled with sin that they neeâ— much purging How often should we laboâ— by â—aith to sprinkle the blood of Christ upon our souls and to apply it to our selves This blood of the sin-offering was to bâ— sprinkled seven times before the vail of 〈◊〉 holy place so it is the blood of Christ 〈◊〉 maketh way for believers to the mercy-seat which their sins had shut up against theâ— Having therefore Brethren boldness to enteâ— into the holiest by the blood of Jesus by a new and living way which he hath consecrated for us through the vail that is to say his flesh and having an high-priest over the house of God let us draw near with a true â—eart in full assurance of faith having our hearts sprinkled from an evil Conscience and our bodies washed with pure water with hearts and souls sprinkled with the blood of Christ by faith and so purged from the guilt of sin and bodies washed with pure water being baptized outwardly and inwardly with water and the sanctifying graces of the holy spirit 3. Some of the blood was to be put upon the horns of the sweet incense Altar scil the Golden Altar so Christians are to ground their faith and confidence in offering up the Incense of prayer upon the blood and Mediation of Christ having no hope of acceptance but only through him and his satisfaction and intercession The Golden Altar being a type of Christ as he intercedeth for his people The blood of the sin-offering put upon this Altar may intimate unto us that Christ intercedeth with his Father and pleadeth for his people by presenting to him his blood the merit of his death and fulness of his satisfaction which he underwent not for himself who had no need but for them 4. The fat of the Inwards Kidneys c. were to be burned upon the Altar The fat may signifie carnal security senselessness and sottishness in heavenly and spiritual things Make the heart of this people sat and make their ears heavy and shut their eyes and the Kidneys and fat upon them may signifie fleshly lusts and therefore as these things were consumed by fire upon the Altar so let Christians earnestly pray and labour for more and more of the spirit of Christ to consume and burn up their earthly and carnal affections and sinful lusts And it shall come to pass that he that is left in Sion and he that remaineth in Ierusalem shall be called holy even every one that is written among the living in Hierusalem when the Lord shall have washed away the filth of the Daughters of Sion and shall have purged the blood of Hierusalem from the midst thereof by the Spirit of Iudgement and by the spirit of burning 5. The skin of the Bullock for the sin-offering and all his flesh with his head and with his leggs and his inwards and his dung even the whole Bullock was to be carried without the Camp where the Ashes were poured and there to be burnt and as this was to be done without the Camp while they were in the Wilderness as they were when these things were written so it seemeth after they were settled in Canaan it was done without the City The Apostle giveth us
any flee from sin and not rather add sin to sin doing evil that good may come that Gods grace may be the more manifested to his glory The Apostle rejecteth these with detestation shewing that notwithstanding all their perverse cavils they shall find God a severe judge and that their damnation is just for it doth no way lessen the guilt of sin that God getteth glory by it for sin in its own nature tendeth to the darkning of Gods Glory and men by sinning dishonour God but such is the infinite perfection of God that as he commanded the light to shine out of darkness though darkness be contrary to the light so he can work good and get himself glory out of the evil of sin which in it self tendeth to rob him of his glory So in the sixth Chapter of this Epistle shall we continue in sin that grace may abound The Apostle had shewed before that all had sinned in Adam besides the guilt of their own actual sins yea even such as lived before the Law was given by Moses and that by the publishing of the Law sin abounded the guilt of sin increased but then withal he added that where sin abounded grace did much more abound the free love and favour of God was gloriously manifested in pardoning sin thus heightned and aggravated by the express Law and in freely justifying sinners condemned by the written Law Hence this Question or Objection to which the Apostle answers with detestation as before and withal sheweth that they who are justified by the righteousness of Christ have received the Spirit and so dye to sin and live to righteousness and are engaged hereunto by their Baptisme and therefore it is in vain for any to hope for justification and pardon of sin through Christ who yeild themselves up to the service of sin So verse 14th he saith to Believers Ye are not under the Law but under Grace Hence again a Question or Objection of corrupt nature or carnal reason What then Shall we sin because we are not under the Law but under Grace May we not therefore sin securely if we be free from the Law if the Law have no power nor authority over us to condemn us The Apostle answereth this after his usual manner with detestation and then more fully Know ye not that to whom ye yeild your selves servants to obey his servants ye are to whom ye obey whether of sin unto death or of obedience unto righteousness They that are justâ—fied by Christ and freed from the curse the condemnation and rigour of the Law are the Members of Christ and servants of righteousness but they that sin securely upon a conceit that they are freed from the Law are indeed the servants of sin and this service of sin tendeth to everlasting death The Reason of this in general is the contrariety of mans nature unto God and his Truth since the fall since the Image of God was defaced and the Nature of man corrupted by sin so that the powers of the soul thus degenerated are become cross and opposite unto the counsel and truth of God They are of the world therefore speak they of the world and the world heareth them we are of God he that knoweth God heareth us he that is not of God heareth not us hereby know we the spirit of Truth and the spirit of Error all of us are naturally of the world and all remain so unless the Lord do effectually by his grace call them out of the world and so their worldly minds and hearts are unsutable and opposite unto the mind and truth of God More particularly 1. Ignorance is a great cause why men deprave the Scriptures and pervert the Truths of God the light shineth in darkness and the darkness comprehendeth it not All are naturally darkness and therefore full of contrariety to the light and truth of God ye were sometimes darkness saith the Apostle to those that then were light in the Lord the best of those whom God hath savingly inlightned by his spirit were sometimes darkness Lye not one to another seeing that ye have put off the old man with his deeds and have put on the new man which is renewed in knowledge after the Image of him that created him They that are regenerated are renewed as in other regards so in knowledge This sheweth that the old man is possessed with darkness Corrupt Nature is void of saving knowledge and therefore in that condition men are apt to put light for darkness and darkness for light The Sadduces that denied that great Mystery of the Resurrection of the body I conceive were much pleased with an Argument whereby they hoped to non-plus the Lord Jesus Christ they seemed not directly to deny the Resurrection but only to desire a Resolution in a difficult case concerning â—a woman that had seven husbands out-liv'd them all The Question was which of those seven should enjoy her for his wife at the Resurrection but the Lord Christ telleth them they shewed gross ignorance in that wherein they thought themselves veâ—y acute saith he Ye do err not knowing the Scriptures nor the power of God and first sheweth them how by the Almighty power of God the bodies of the Saints at the Resurrection should be so wonderfully transformed and glorified that they should not need nor desire marriage or other things of the like natrue no more then the Angels do which are Spirits and have no bodies then he proveth by the Scripture that the dead shall rise Now this ignorance is more or less gross in several persons some that are not so grossely ignorant as others yet being weak in knowledge and judgement are apt to miscarry in this kind First by misunderstanding some Texts or passages of holy Scripture so it seemeth the Saints at Thessalonica mistook what the Apostle had written to them in his former Epistle when speaking of the last day he saith This we say unto you by the word of the Lord that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep the Lord himself shall descend from Heaven with a shout with the voice of the Archangel and with the Trumpet of God and the dead in Christ shall rise first then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the Clouds to meet the Lord in the Air. Where twice he speaketh of himself if we look on the bare words as if he should live to the end of the world as if Christ should come in glory before Paul should leave this world I conceive he spake by way of supposition that if he and other Believers then living should remain to the last day then they should be thus translated to Glory and as he saith elsewhere they should not dye but should be changed and this he might do to teach others by his example to live in a continual expectation
strive to purge out this Leaven of sin and errour and keep the feast with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth Sixthly This feast of unleavened bread which was joyned with the Passover was to be kept seven days and seven in Scripture is noted for a number of perfection and therefore let Christians labour to purge out more and more the old Leaven of sin and corruption and to walk in sincerity and truth all the days of their life even till the seventh day that is until they come to keep an eternal feast and Sabbath of Rest with Christ in his glorious Kingdom Seventhly As they kept the feast with their loins girded So let your loins be girded about and your lights burning and ye your selves like unto men that wait for the Lord when he will return from the Wedding that when he cometh and knocketh they may open unto him immediately Blessed are those servants whom the Lord when he cometh shall find watching They that wear long garments need to gird them up when they are either to walk or to work They that would have communion with him need to call in and gather up their straggling thoughts their wandring minds their loose affections to unite the powers of their souls to fix them upon Christ and the things of Christ that they may be always ready for any way or work of Christ. Wherefore gird up the loins of your mind be sober and hope to the end for the grace that is to be brought unto you at the revelation of Iesus Christ. As they were to eat the Passeover with their shoes on their feet and their staffe in their hand as being ready for their departure out of Egypt so let those that will rightly keep the spiritual Passeover and feed upon Christ be affected as strangers and sojourners expecting daily their departure out of this world labouring to be ready to enter into the heavenly Canaan How should they condemn that earthly mindedness when they are of such a temper as if they had a continuing City here not seriously seeking one to come Eighthly They were to eat the Passeover with bitter herbs let those then that would indeed feed upon Christ unto eternal life feed upon this Lamb of God with bitter herbs of Godly sorrow for sin holy anger and indignation against themselves afflicting their souls looking upon him whom they have pierced by their sins and mourning for him as one mourneth for his only Son and being in bitterness for him as one that is in bitterness for his first-born Let them feed upon Christ by faith with self-denial which is as it were a bitter herb to the flesh denying themselves in their dearest lusts and carnal affections not sparing the right hand or the right eye Let them joyn repentance with faith otherwise they can never keep the feast according to the mind of Christ. Lastly Ye may read of the Law of the Passeover and unleavened bread and presently after that the ordinance of the first-fruits Speak unto the children of Israel and say unto them when ye be come into Land which I give unto you and shall reap the harvest thereof then ye shall bring a sheafe of the first fruits of your harvest unto the Priest and he shall wave this sheafe before the Lord to be accepted for you on the morrow after the Sabbath the Priest shall wave it It is conceived that this Sabbath or day of rest was the first day of unleavened bread scil the fifteenth day of the first month on whatsoever day of the week it fell but in the year wherein Christ suffered it fell upon the last day of the week so that it was a double Sabbath the paschal Sabbath and the weekly Sabbath meeting together upon the same day Now the sheaf of first-fruits was to be waved or offered before the Lord on the morrow after the Sabbath which was the day on which Christ rose from the dead See how the Apostle applyeth this Christ is risen from the dead and become the first fruits of them that sleep It seemeth there was such an exact agreement and correspondence between the Type and the Antetype the shadow and the substance that the Lord Christ arose from the dead the very same day that the sheafe of first fruits was to be offered and he arose as the first fruits of them that slept or of the dead I conceive the meaning is that as the first fruits being offered to God did sanctifie the whole increase of the fruits of the earth that year so Christ as the first fruits of the dead arose from death to eternal life and glory and in himself and his resurrection did as it were offer up to God the dead bodies of all his members not always to lye under the power of death and corruption but to be raised to immortality and everlasting glory Let us labour then to have part in the first resurrection rising with Christ by virtue of his quickning spirit to newness of life that this may be an earnest and sure evidence unto us of a second resurrection to everlasting life So much for the Sacraments of the Ceremonial Law CHAP. IV. SEcondly in the next place follow the Sacrifices It seemeth there were but few sorts of creatures used for Sacrifices Of sensible creatures such as have life and sense but five sorts whereof three were of four-footed beasts scil Bullocks Sheep and Goats old or young and so comprehending under them Calves Lambs and Kids and two sorts of fowls as turtle doves and young pigeons Thefe were creatures that were meek and gentle above many others and such as were in a special manner subject and serviceable to men so the Lord Christ who was appointed to be a Sacrifice to the justice of God was meek and lowly in heart He was lead as a sheep to the slaughter and like a Lamb dumb before the shearer so opened he not his mouth who being in the form of God thought it robbery to be equal with God but made himself of no reputation and took upon him the form of a seâ—vant and was made in the likeness of men and being found in fashion as a man he humbled himself and became obedient unto death even the death of the Cross. Lions Bears Tigres Leopards wild-beasts beasts of prey fierce and cruel creatures Eagles Hawks Vultures or other ravenous fouls were not appointed for Sacrifice These were not fit to represent the Lord Christ in his state of humiliation in his suffering condition as he was appointed to be a Sacrifice for sin It is true Christ is called the Lion of the Tribe of Iudah I conceive to represent him in regard of his mighty powers in protecting his Church and subduing his enemies but not to resemble him as a Sacrifice for so he was in a state of suffering and of service and therefore Christians according
Brother he is not ashamed to call them Brethren 3. Let all be stirred up to turn to the Lord and lay hold of Christ that they may be united to him as he is united to their Nature though not by the same kind of union but as he is personally joyned to the nature of man so they may be spiritually united to him receiving his spirit embracing him by faith that through union with him they may be united to God for the Father is in the Son In as much as Christ hath made so near an approach to us as to become one person with our Nature let us take heed lest we become guilty of despising his love in suffering sin or the world to keep us at a distance from him to withhold us from closing with him for he partaking of our Nature hath made way for us to partake of his divine Nature by participation of his spirit and graces for by the exceeding great and pretious promises of the Gospel men may be partakers of the divine Nature that is by Christ partaking of the humane Nature who is the substance of the Promises and in whom they are all Yea and Amen 4. How should Christians abhor to defile themselves by sin to pollute that Nature of man in their own persons which Christ in his person hath exalted to the right hand of God far above Angels Principalities and Powers When he bringeth in the first begotten into the world he saith And let all the Angels of God worship him all the holy Angels worship man in the person of Christ. Take heed then of abaseing the Nature of man in your own persons to the service of sin and abase your selves exceedingly before the Lord for abaseing your Nature in this kind Again in a secondary consideration I take the Tabernacle and Temple for a representation of the Church of Christ the multitude of Believers Iohn saw the new Hierusalem and heard a voice saying Behold the Tabernacle of God is with men and he will dwell with them So the Church of God is called the house of God for saith the Apostle Ye are the Temple of the living God as God hath said I will dwell in them and walk in them 1. How should all that live within the Church professing themselves Christians take heed of defileing the Lords Tabernacle and polluting his Temple by sin How highly is God dishonoured when his Temple is polluted when any live in a course of sin or commit gross acts of sin where his Gospel is preached or professed The Priest was commanded to bring the blood of the Goat of the sin-offering within the Vail and there to sprinkle it then it followeth he shall make an attonement for the holy place because of the uncleanness of the Children of Israel and because of their transgressions in all their sins and so shall he do for the Tabernacle of the congregation that remaineth among them in the midst of their uncleanness See the cursed â— nature of sin it defileth the Tabernacle and Temple of the Lord it polluteth his Sanctuary his Church when it is committed within his Church that is among those that profess themselves Christians attend upon his Ordinances believe his Gospel Ye that harden your hearts in any evil ways and make light of continuing in sin though ye live in the visible Church humble and judge your selves before the Lord depart from iniquity otherwise assure your selves your sin will find you out Secondly It is a great height of wickedness when any rejoyce in scandalous sins committed within the Church and make a sport of them Do not these shew themselves prophane graceless wretches If thou hadst any sincere love and respect to his glory thou wouldst not take pleasure in such things as tend highly to his dishonour but rather bewail and lament them I conceive the Apostle in the 2. of Corinth mentioneth his former Epistle written to the same Church and there he saith Out of much affliction and anguish of heart I wrote unto you with many tears for in that Epistle he had reproved divers disorders and scandalous sins committed in that Primitive Church which was of his planting and it was such a matter of grief unto him that he wrote about these things out of much affliction and anguish of heart with many tears With what a spirit are they led who make a sport of such things Scandalous sins iâ— the Church are to be reproved and lamented as things that defile the Sanctuary of Christ and dishonour him but who can find in their hearts to rejoyce in them but they that are Enemies to Christ Again The Tabernacle and Temple represented particular Christians each true believer being a spiritual Temple to the Lord. Know ye not that ye are the Temple of God and that the spirit of God dwelleth in you If any man defile the Temple of God him shall God destroy Flee fornication Every sin that a man doth is without the body but he that committeth fornication sinneth against his own body What! know ye not that the body is the Temple of the holy Ghost which is in you Both body and soul is to be consecrated and dedicated to God as his Temple for him to dwell in by his spirit The body is as it were the outward Court The inferiour faculties of the soul may be compared to the inner Court within the first Vail The superiour faculties the Understanding Judgement Conscience Will may be likened to the inmost Court within the second Vail the principal and most holy place of the Temple Now as all the Courts of the Temple and Tabernacle were holy being consecrated and dedicated to the most holy God and sanctified to his holy services and ordinances and were to be kept holy free from profanations and defilements so the souls and bodies of Christians are to be consecrated and sanctified as holy Temples to the Lord and to be kept from all filthiness of flesh and spirit and to be cleansed dayly and when they are defiled by sin the Lord is dishonoured and his wrath is provoked he accounteth it a defiling of his Temple whereas the Apostle sâ—emeth to say that every sin except fornication is without the body c. I conceive it is to be understood comparatively that Fornication Adultery Whoredom and sins of that kind do in more special manner defile the body than other sins other sins defile the body also scil outward acts of sin wherein the body or any of the members of the body act sinfully And when the body is defiled with sin the heart and soul is first defiled for sin beginneth there For out of the heart proceed evil 〈…〉 murders adulteries fornications thefts 〈◊〉 witness blasphemies these are the things which defile a man these and all other sins are the things which first defile the heart and soul where they are conceived and bred and then so many of
the way of the Lord make his paths strait Yea the Lord Christ himself in his own person sounded this Silver Trumpet From that time Iesus began to preach and to say Repent for the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand He who gave himself for a sacrifice and poured forth his blood to make atonement and reconciliation between God and sinners did preach repentance to them to prepare them for atonement and reconciliation It is very lamentable to consider how many live under the sound of the Silver Trumpet many years and yet are not prepared for atonement and reconciliation to God through Christ nor brought to the beginnings of sound and saving repentance but either are secure careless dead-hearted minding earthly things or resting in outward performances or openly profane and wicked Oh how dreadful will the sound of that Trumpet be at the last day for the Lord himself shall descend from Heaven with a shout with the voice of the Arch-Angel and with the Trumpet of God I say how dreadful shall the sound of that Trumpet be to such who go on hardning their hearts in security and impenitency against the sound of the Silver Trumpet of the Gospel 2. The day of atonement and humiliation was about four or five days before the feast of Tabernacles wherein they were to rejoyce before the Lord so sincere humiliation and repentance make way for sound spiritual joy Blessed are they that mourn for they shall be comforted godly sorrow maketh way for heavenly rejoycing But when a man goeth on to glut himself with the pleasures of sins or earthly contents not afflicting his soul for sin he hath no part in this spiritual feast to such belongs that sad threatning Wo unto you that laugh now for ye shall mourn and weep Fifthly Consider their manifold washings with water in divers Cases to purifie themselves from legal uncleannesses Ceremonial pollutions as when any was cleansed from the Leprosie he was to be sprinkled with water mingled with blood seven times and afterwards to wash both his cloaths and his body in water so they that had running issues when they were cleansed from them were commanded to wash their cloaths and their bodies in water and so in divers other Cases Now the Apostle Iohn proves that the Lord Jesus is The Christ thus This is he that came by water and blood even Iesus Christ nâ—â— by water only but by water and blood and iâ— is the spirit that beareth witness because the spirit is Truth whereas there was great use of water and blood in the Law of Ceremonies the blood of the 〈◊〉 and the water many wayes used for cleansing and purifying it sheweth that all these things were accomplished in Christ and attained their end in him he performed and fulfilled what was signified and typified both by water and blood His blood was shed as the blood of the most perfect sacrifice to take away the guilt of sin and to justifie sinners and save them from condemnation and the sanctifying spirit and grace of Christ cleansing his people from the filth of sin washing their hearts from wickedness and making them holy as he is holy and therefore he addeth ver 8 there are three that bear witness in earth the spirit the water and the blood And ver 10 He that believeth hath the witness in himself He that savingly believeth in Christ being united to him by faith hath this threefold witness in himself the spirit of Christ witnessing with his spirit that he is in Christ reconciled to God by Christ an adopted child and Heir of God through Christ the only begotten Son of God and Heir of all things the blood of Christ cleansing his Conscience from the guilt of sin the grace of Christ resembled by water sanctifying him and conforming him to Christ in holiness so that such an one hath an evidence in his own soul both that Jesus is the very Christ and that he is his Christ for he findeth that Christ hath fulfilled that in and upon his soul which was figured by the blood and water under the Law of Ceremonies This is a blessed and most precious priviledge which all that are under the Gospel should labour with all diligence to make their own Oh what an happiness is it for Christians to have this threefold witness in themselves In the mouth of two or three witnesses shall every word be established Here are three witnesses beyond exception A Christian having this threesold witness in himself in the poorest outward estate is richer and happier then all the treasures of the earth and all the Kingdoms of the world can make him but how few are they that have any other witness of their interest in Christ but their own fancy how few do seriously and diligently seek for any other In that great and last day how will ye stand in the presence of God when numberless sins are charged upon you Will ye say Christ hath satisfied for your sins what shall this profit you unless ye be united unto Christ Will ye plead that ye believe in Christ and so are made one with him where is your witness Oh take heed of appearing before the all-seeing God without a witness And therefore I beseech you consider seriously of your condition and rest not till ye are in Christ and until he come into your souls both by water and blood and give you the witness of his spirit 2. Those frequent washings under the Law of Ceremonies may stir up Christians to frequent endeavours dayly to purifie themselves as Christ is pure to cleanse themselves from all filthiness of flesh and spirit perfecting holiness in the fear of God to draw cleansing and sanctifying virtue from Christ more and more by faith They were to wash their bodies and cloaths to be sprinkled with water seven times There is a fountain opened for sin and for uncleanness a fountain of most precious blood and water of most Soveraign virtue the sufferings of Christ and the grace of God are to wash away the guilt of sin and the uncleanness and pollution of sin Do not forsake your own mercies and neglect so great salvation It is sad that when such a precious fountain is opened so few are washed and cleansed Thus much concerning the Ceremonial Law to shew how and in what respects it is established by the doctrine of the Gospel CHAP. VII THere are two other Laws mentioned by the Apostle in the former part of this Epistle by neither of which men can be justified in the sight of God One is the Law of Nature the other is the Moral Law written and delivered in the Scriptures It was needful for the Apostle to speak distinctly of both these For 1. His great design was to make known the only way whereby men might be justified and accepted as righteous in the sight of God the righteous judge of all the world that so they might be everlastingly blessed and