suâ—picere non desptâ—ere Ferus in Ioh 5.30 looking up unto that God who will one day judge them And in your looking upwards unto God Motives to publiquenes of Spirit from all the three Perâ—â—ns in the Trinity looked upon do not any way straiten your selves but look upon all the Three Persons in the ever blessed Trinity look upon them severally or look upon them joyntly and you shall both ways finde them to be what they in a due proportion would have you to be a publique good Look upon them severally first Severally and then if your apprehensions of them be not (u) Omnis intellectus qui phantasticâ quadam â—ogitatioâ—e quâ—si 〈◊〉 Dioinam naturâ—m apprehendit sâ—â—uâ—â—â—â—rum quidem Dei sâ—â—xit inmente Deum autem non intellexit Greg. Nyssen de vit Mosis phantastical or vainly conjectural but (w) Vid. Aug. de Trinit Zanch de trib Eloh lib. 1. cap. 4. Lombard Sentent lib. 1. Distinct 9. Râ—â—nold Confer with Hart Chap. 2. Divis 2. Al. pure Evangelical apprehensions ye cannot but look upon all and each of them as a publique good God the Father being in himself a publique good Jesus Christ a publique good The Spirit of Grace and Truth a publique good Secondly look upon them joyntly as they are three distinct Persons Ioyntly See the Annet of H. Ainsworth on this place and but one God and so they are a publique good x Hear O Israel the Lord our God is one Lord says Moses Deut 6.4 And unto us there is but one God says the Apostle 1 Cor. 8.6 one God and one Good and that Good the chief Good and therefore the chief Good Summum bâ—nuÌ„ est summè publicum bonum because a publique Good with all due reverence be it spoken God himself could not be the chief Good if he were not the chief publique Good And therefore this must needs be the Excellency of Excellencies the most (y) Qui amat quod verè putat â—sse summum bonum id unicè amat Itaque ut id redimat nihil non facit nihil haber pensi Exemplo sit in Evangelio qui thesaurum reperit in agro agrum emit qui scripsit Inveni Portum spes fortuna valete Nâ—l mihi vobiscum ludite nunc alios Camer Collat. cum Tâ—len pag. 650. col 2. Minus te amat qui tecum aliquid amat quod non prâ—pter te amâ—t Aug Confess 〈◊〉 10. cap. 29. amiable excellency in all the world to be of a publique Spirit since there is not a greater excellency no not in God Himself then that which this amounts to When ye have thus looked up unto God Other Motives to publiquenes of Spirit from our selves being loked upon then reflect or look back upon your selves Look upon your selves as Christians or look upon your selves but as reasonable men and under both these Considerations ye shall have mighty Arguments for a publique Spirit First look upon your selves as Christians and then what maner of persons ought ye to be As Christians Christianitas est Christo conformitas but such as Christ himself was Godliness is God-likeness Christianity is Christ-conformity and if ye do throughly conform to him ye must of necessity be of a marvellous large and publique Spirit For never was the world acquainted with such another Example of Self-denyal with such another President for publiqueness of Spirit as that which Christ held forth which is plainly and clearly intimated or held forth unto us by those expressions where it is said that he (y) Phil. 2.7 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 semetipsum exinanivit Vulg. Exhausit semetipsum Tertul. adversus Marcion lib. 5. emptied himself and that he (z) Gal. 2.20 gave himself for us c. that is All that excellent glory that he was possessed of with the Father from all Eternity he gave it all away he emptied himself of it all for the good of the Elect of God for the benefit and advantage of poor sinful undone creatures He came from the highest degree of sublimity and he stooped to the lowest degree of ignominy for he did not onely (a) John 17.9 Pray for us and (b) Luke 22.44 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Grumi sanguinis vide Crit. Sacr. by E. L. in voc 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Sweat for us and (c) Eph. 1.7 Bleed for us and (d) 2 Cor. 5.15 Dye for us but he was made (e) Mark 9.12 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 pro nilulo habeatar vid. â—ez Erasm hic vile and of no reputation he was (f) Gal. 3.13 made a curse yea he was (g) 2 Cor. 5.21 made sin for us as ye know the Scripture speaks Let me for this intreat you to cast your eyes more especially upon that one place of Scripture 2 Cor 8.9 opened 2 Cor. 8.9 The Apostle was there stirring up the Corinthians unto liberality An Exhortation to liberality 1. Propounded v. 7. unto a liberal contribution towards the relief of the poor Saints of God At the 7 v. of that Chapter his words are these Therefore as ye abound in every thing else in faith and utterance and knowledge and in all diligence and in your love to us see that ye abound in this grace also this grace of liberality And he uses the greatest Argument in the world to perswade hereunto to perswade the Corinthians and in them us unto liberality 2. Argued v. 9. Two things in the argument for says he Ye know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ that though he was rich yet for your sakes he became poor that ye through his poverty might be rich I pray mark The riches of Christ He was rich says the Apostle Jesus Christ was rich How rich was he so rich that he was (h) 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Hâ—b 1.2 Heir of all things Look how rich God himself was even (i) Nos autem ciâ—ites suâ— paupertate nulâ—â—teâ—us faceret si pauper factus naturalis divirâ—â—â—tis in se dâ—â—itias non haberet Pauper ergo factus est 〈◊〉 fâ—rmam serviâ—â—ives perâ—â—â—sit secandâ—m 〈◊〉 Tâ—â—i Pulgent contra Sermon Fastid cap. 13. so rich Jesus Christ was for he (k) Phil 2.6 thought it no robbery to be equal with God (l) C. l. 2.9 The fulness of the Godhead dwelt in him bodily The Lord himself says of him He is my fellow not onely (m) Iâ—â— 41.8 my friend as Abraham but my fellow Awake O sword against my Shepherd and (n) Super vâ—â—â—â— contribalem mâ—â—m Ita Symmach Vid. Ioh. Drus Fragment in Zach. Montin Iun. in loâ— against the man that is my fellow saith the Lord of Hosts Zech. 13.17 And yet though he was thus rich and thus great yet says the Apostle The poverty of Christ For your sakes he became poor How poor so poor that there was hardly ever any one poorer in regard of outward things
bonum communâ—e semper ordinari Aquin 1. 2 qu. 90. Art 2. publique welfare of the whole Body of the People which Laws or Constitutions are to be so plainly published or made known and withal so equally and indifferently administred that they may from time to time be a terror to those that do evil and a protection to those that do well and not like Cobwebs to catch little flyes and let the great ones break through or like snares to vex the poor innocent Doves and let the cunning (t) Dat veniam corvis vexat censura columbas Iuve Sat. 2. Rooks alone Then the Sacred publique-Interest that Jesus Christ hath The publique-interest of Christ is to (u) Acts 2.39 call as many as he pleases or as many as (w) 13.48 were ordained unto eternal life out of every x Rev. 5.9 kindred and nation and tongue and people making them (y) Psa 110.3 willing in the day of his power to (z) Mat. 11.29 take his yoke upon them and to accept of his (a) Isa 9.6 Government and (b) Ps 105.45 to keep his Laws and to observe his Statutes and to acknowledge no other Law-giver but himself in things that are of a Divine and of a Spiritual nature for so the Apostle tells us that in ordine ad spiritualia there is but one (c) Est enim legislator universalis judex lex universalâ— judicium cui omnia omnium judâ—â—ia subjici adaptari debent Davenant de Iud. Nor. sid cap. 3. Law-giver who hath potestatem vitae necis power to save and to destroy Jam. 4.12 Now mark ye when men shall go about any men whatsoever to set up their own Lusts their own Wills Note their own Ends their own Advancements their own Party any thing in the world that is their own either above common safety or above the Throne and Scepter of Jesus Christ as (d) Loquimur dâ— Pontifice ratione solius Pontificatus ac dicimus cum etiamsi ditionem temporalem nullam haberet non posse ullo modo judicari in terris ab ullo principe Christiano five seculari sive Ecclesiastico neque ab omnibus simul in concilio congregatis Bellarm de Rom Pontif. lib. 2. cap. 26. Romani Pontifices ad imitationem Luciferi adorari volunt ut Dii neque reputant se subditos esse cuiquam ficut filii Belial fine jugo neâ— sibi posse dici Cur ita facis nec Deum timent nec homines reverentur Gers consid 4. post tract de unit Eccles citante Field lib. 3. de Eccles cap. 2. Popery does in the very formality of it and every thing else that is Antichristian or else when men do but onely pretend to common safety or to the things of Jesus Christ meerly for their own Ends and for the advancement or lifting up of their own things this is most abominable Self-seeking and that which utterly ruines or pulls down all as much as in it lies as having no maner of consistency either with the Laws of God or Men. And thus have I brought you to the sight of the Distemper or Malady here complained of The Distemper discovered by shewing you 1. What 's meant here by that which is our own And 2. What by an inordinate seeking of that which is our own Now in the next place we are to enquire Quest 3 how great an evil this is for men to be thus inordinately studious or inquisitive about that which is their own Ans And it will appear to be a most dangerous Evil or Distemper upon a threefold ground or consideration it being contrary 1. The danger of Self-seeking it being To all Rules of Piety 2. To all Rules of Unity 3. To all Rules of Policy First A selfish disposition or an inordinate seeking of that which is our own Contrary to all Rules of Piety is clean contrary to all Rules of Piety And that I may not be too long upon this I shall onely instance in three Lessons which true Piety teaches that the selfish man can never stoop to or the man that meerly seeks his own things A Lesson of Humility Three lessons that Self can never stoop to A Lesson of Contentation and A Lesson of Liberality First Religion or true Piety calls upon us to be humble A lesson of Humility self-denying creatures Micah 6.8 He hath shewed thee O man what is good and what doth the Lord require of thee but to do justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with thy God Nothing so contrary to Piety as Pride or so full of impiety and (e) Quid tu igitur superbis terra cinis Si superbientibus Angelis Deus non pepercit quanto magis tibi putredo vermis Bern. de Advent Dom. Serm. 1. Gen. 18.27 therefore Why are we proud Poor creatures what have we to be proud of who are but dust and ashes who must ere long (f) Iob 17.14 say unto Corruption Thou art our father and unto the Worm Thou art our mother and our sister (g) Iude v. 6. The Angels of God that kept not their first estate but left their own habitation and that are now reserved in everlasting chains under darkness to the judgement of the great day (h) Fugite superbiam fratres mei quaeso multum fugite Initium omnis peccati superbia quae tam velociter ipsum quoque syderibus cunctis clariùs micantem aeternâ caligine obtenebravit Luciferum quae non modo Angelum sed Angclorum primum in Diabolum commutavit Bern ibid. they fell by pride and so do men always every sin hath its rise from pride for upon what other account do men sin but because through (i) Obad. v. 3. the pride of their hearts they either know not or neglect or else (k) Prov. 1.25 contemn the counsel of the (l) Psa 92.8 most High God All sin goes along with pride and All pride with sin but where there is any thing of piety there must be something of humility for God resists the proud and he gives grace to none but to the humble Jam. 4.6 He scorns the scorners and he gives grace to to none but to the lowly Prov. 3.34 To none but such as Christ was meek and lowly in heart Matth. 11.28 The special habitation or dwelling-place of God the two Thrones of God are the highest Heaven and the lowest Heart O how good and amiable and honorable a thing is it to be upon the Throne with God! to dwell where God dwells for surely wheresoever he dwells there Grace dwells and there Peace dwells and there Comfort dwells All good dwells where God dwells and loe his Promise is to dwell with those that are of an humble spirit Isa 57.15 Thus saith the high and lofty One that inhabiteth Eternity whose Name is Holy I dwell in the high and holy place with him also that is of
for (o) Mat. 8.20 The foxes had holes and the birds of the ayr had nests but the Son of man knew not where to lay his head And all this poverty did he voluntarily subject himself unto (p) Possideart opes sub Christo paupere quas sab locuplete Diabâ—lo non habuerant suspiret cos Ecclesia divites quos tenuit mundus ante mendicos Hier. ad Helâ—odor Epist 3. that we through his poverty might be made rich or that we might be made (q) Eph. 1.18 the riches of God in him Now says the Apostle here in this Chapter to the Philippians Phil. 2.5 where he still speaks upon the same account upon the very same ground or consideration Let the same minde be in you says he that was also in Jesus Christ and as he humbled himself and emptied himself for the good of you all even so be ye willing from time to time to humble your selves and to empty your selves for the good of one another Thus then as Christians there are ye see very strong engagements upon you to be of a publique Spirit Or if this were not yet in the second place As reasonable mâ—n if ye look but upon your selves as reasonable men That also calls for publiqueness of Spirit For I would but ask any man in this Congregation or any man elswhere that hath but a competency of Reason to guide him in his way Do you think that he is a good Commonwealths-man or a good Patriot (r) Sanis hominibus publicâ— prâ—vitis potiora 〈◊〉 Sâ—â—â—de Câ—em lib. 1. cap. 4. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Aâ—â—st Polit. l. 8. cap. 1. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Xenophen de Venat that prefers his own private wealth before the good of the Commonwealth There is no man that must dare to affirm this who would not have his own Understanding to rise up in Judgement against him So that the Stone that I have all this while been rolling it now comes down with all the weight of Heaven and Earth upon it purposely to destroy Self among you sinful inordinate Self And I pray take heed for by the (s) Christ the Shepherd and the Stone of Israel Gen. 49.24 is in nothing so much concerned as in that which is of publique concernment and therefore in that respect especially whosoever falleth on this Stone shall be broken but on whomsoever it shall fall it will grinde him to powder Matth. 21.44 Fall of it which is very great it must of necessity either destroy that or destroy you either it must grinde that to powder or else grinde you to powder The sum of all being this That if there be any thing of God in you or any thing of Christ or any thing of the Spirit or any thing of Christianity or any thing of Humanity Then ye must not any longer minde your own things or seek your own things any otherwise then in a way of humble subserviency unto the publique good and the things of Jesus Christ And as for matter of Advice or Counsel herein Use 5 how to attain unto this publiqueness of Spirit Containing a word of Advice about the attainment of a publique Spirit The main difference between Gods Spirit mans I shall say no more to that but onely this That certainly it is in this respect a very sad thing to be left unto our own Spirits and a very blessed thing to be acted by Gods holy Spirit in all our ways and walkings This being the main Difference between the Spirit of God and mans Spirit That the Spirit of man is a private narrow Spirit but the Spirit of God is a large publique Spirit and such as will every way reach or extend it self to all the concernments of a Christian in one kinde and another And if God Himself once put this holy Spirit of his within you which is one of his often-repeated Promises unto his People Then so long as ye are acted thereby Isa 44.3 Ezek. 36.27 Ioel 2.28 Zech. 12 10. Luke 11.13 Ioh 7.33.39 Acts 2.17 18 Gal. 3.14 ye must and can do no other then prefer the Good of the publique and the things of Jesus Christ before any thing else that does but meerly respect or concern your selves FINIS ERRATA SOme literal faults have escaped in Printing which the Reader is intreated thus to Correct Page 9. line 20. for you read your p. 19. in the Greek Note out of Chrysostom for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 r. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 r. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 p. 21. in the note for Ciero r. Cicero p. 25. in the note for Iansan r. Iansen