Soul bestows all life and motion on it and enables it to perform any work of nature Again the Body and Soul together considered in relation to somewhat above their power and activity are as impotent and motionless as before the Body without the Soul Set a man to remove a Mountain and he will heave perhaps to obey your command but in event will do no more towards the displacing of it than a stone in the street could do but now let an Omnipotent Power be annext to this man let a supernatural spirit be joined to this Soul and then will it be able to overcome the proudest stoutest difficulty in nature You have heard in the Primitive Church of a grain of Faith removing Mountains and believe me all Miracles are not yet out-dated The work of Regeneration the bestowing of a spiritual Life on one dead in trespasses and sins the making of a Carcass walk the natural old man to spring again and move spiritually is as great a miracle as that Now the Soul in that it produces life and motion the exercise of life in the body is called a principle that is a Spring or Fountain of Life because all comes from it in like manner that which moves this Soul and enables it to do that which naturally it could not that which gives it a new life which before it lived not furnisheth it with spiritual powers to quell and subdue all carnal affections which were before too hard for it this I say is called properly an inward principle and an inward because it is inwardly and secretly infused doth not only outwardly assist us as an auxiliary at a dead lift but is sown and planted in our hearts as a Soul to the Soul to elevate and enable it above it self hath its seat and palace in the regenerate heart and there exercises dominion executes judgment and that is commonly either by Prison or Banishment it either fetters or else expels all insolent rebellious lusts Now the new principle by which not the man but the new man the Christian lives is in a word the spirit of God which unites it self to the regenerate heart so that now he is said to be a godly man a spiritual man from the God from the Spirit as before a living reasonable man from the Soul from the reason that inform'd and ruled in him which is noted by that distinction in Scripture betwixt the regenerate and unregenerate exprest by a natural or animal and a spiritual man Those Creatures that have no Soul in them are called naturals having nothing but nature within to move them others which have a Soul animals or living Creatures by both which the unregenerate is signified indifferently because the Soul which he hath stands him in little stead his flesh rules all and then he is also called a carnal man for all his Soul he is but a lump of flesh and therefore whether you say he hath a Soul and so call him an animal or hath not a Soul and so call him a mere natural there is no great difference in it But now the regenerate man which hath more than a Soul Gods spirit to enliven him he is of another rank 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a spiritual man nay only he properly a Christian because he lives by Christ He lives yet not he but Christ liveth 〈◊〉 him Gal. ii 20 This being premised that now you know what this new Creature is he that lives and moves by a new principle all that is behind will be clearliest presented to you by resolving these four questions first whence it comes secondly where it lodges thirdly when it enters fourthly what works it performs there To the first whence it comes the answer is clear and punctual John iii. 3 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from above from whence comes every good and especially every perfect gift James i. 17 but this most peculiarly by a several and more excellent way than any thing else Since Christs Ascension the Holy Ghost of all the persons in the Trinity is most frequently employed in the work of descending from Heaven and that by way of mission from the Father and the Son according to the promise of Christ John xv 26 The comforter whom I will send from the Father Now this spirit being present every where in its essence is said to come to us by communication of his gifts and so to be peculiarly resident in us as God is in the Church from which Analogy our Bodies are called the Temples of the Holy Ghost which is in us 1 Cor. vi 19 God sends then his spirit into our hearts and this I said by a peculiar manner not by way of emission as an Arrow sent out of a Bow which loses its union which it had with the Bow and is now fastned in the Butt or White nor properly by way of infusion as the Soul is in the Body infus'd from God yet so also that it is in a manner put into our hands and is so in the man's possession that hath it that it is neither in any mans else nor yet by any extraordinary tye annext to God from whom it came but by way of irradiation as a beam sent from the Sun that is in the air indeed and that substantially yet so as it is not separated from the Sun nay consists only in this that it is united to the Sun so that if it were possible for it to be cut off from the Sun it would desist to be it would illuminate no longer So that you must conceive these beams of Gods spirit at the same time in the Christians heart and in the spirit and so uniting that spirit to the heart as you may conceive by this proportion I have a Javelin or Spear in my hand if I would mischief any thing or drive it from me I dart it out of my hand at it from which Gods judgments are compared to shooting and lightning He hath bent his bow he hath sent forth his arrows he cast forth lightnings Psalm xviii 14 But if I like any thing that I meet with if I would have it to me I reach out my Spear and fasten in it but still hold the Spear in my hand and having pierc't it draw it to me Thus doth God reach forth his graces to us and as I may so say by keeping one end in his hand and fastning the other in us plucks and unites us to himself from which regeneration is ordinarily called an union with Christ and this union by a strong able band 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in Euseb his phrase which no man can cut asunder 'T is impossible to divide or cut a spirit and this Bond is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a spiritual one and that made St. Paul so confident That no creature should ever separate him Rom. viii 39 And this God does by way of emanation as a Loadstone sending out its effluvia or magnetick atomes draws the Iron to
signifies 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I am the first i. e. Paul was the chief of all Converts and Paul was the first that from so great a Persecutor of Christ was changed into so great so glorious an Apostle For so it follows in the Verses next after my Text For this cause I obtained mercy that in me first Christ Jesus might shew forth all long suffering c. The issue of all is this that Saul unconverted was a very great Sinner yet not the greatest of Sinners absolutely but for ought we read in the New Testament the greatest and first that was called from such a degree of infidelity a Blasphemer a Persecuter to so high a pitch of Salvation a Saint an Apostle yea and greater than an Apostle whence the observation is that though Saul were yet every blasphemous Sinner cannot expect to be called from the depth of sin to regeneracy and Salvation Although Saul being 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the chief of sinners was called and saved yet Saul was also in another sense for ought we read 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and perhaps the last that from so great a riot of sin obtained so great Salvation Wherefore O Sinner be not presumptuous from Pauls Example but from Pauls single Example begin to suspect thy state and fear that such a miracle of Salvation shall not be afforded thee There hath been an opinion of late reviv'd perhaps original among the Romans that the greatest Sinner is the more likely object of Gods mercy or subject of his grace than the mere moral man whom either natural fear or the like not spiritual respects hath restrained from those outrages of sin The being of this opinion in the primitive Romans and the falseness of it is sufficientâ—y prov'd by that expoâ—â—ulation of St. Paul Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound God forbid In answer to some who hearing that Christ came into the world to save sinners thought that the excess of sin was the best qualification and only motive to provoke and deserve a more abundant grace and certain salvation As if that spirit which once to manifest its power called Saul in the midst of his madness breathing out threatnings and slaughters against the Church would not call any but those who had prepared themselves by the same degree of madness but required that men should make themselves almost Devils that they might be called into Christians as if that God which could out of stones could not also out of men raise up Children unto Abraham as if that Christ which raised up Lazarus being dead four dayes and as they thought stinking in his grave could not as easily have heal'd him whilst he was yet alive whereas we read that Christ dealt more on the cures of the impotent than resurrections of the dead that is in a spiritual application heal'd more from the Bed of languishment of their weaknesses and diseases than he raised out of the graves of trespasses and sins though some also hath he out of death quickned to exalt the power and miracle of his mercy Yet hath not this doctrine too been most confidently maintained among some of our times That there is more hope of the debauch'd man that he shall be called or saved than of the mere moral honest man who yâ—â— is in the state of unregeneracy Have not some men defining this moral man by the formal hypocrite set him in the greatest opposition to Heaven As if that degree of innocence or rather not being extremely sinful which a moral care of our ways may bestow on us were a greater hindrance than promotion toward the state of grace and the natural man were so much the further from God the nearer he were to goodness and no man could hope to come to Heaven but he that had knockt at Hell-gates I confess indeed that the Holy Ghost where he means to inhabit hath no need of pains to prepare him a room but can at his first knock open and cleanse adorn and beautify the most uncouth ugly and unsavory heart in the World That omnipotent convincing spirit can at the same instant strike the most obdurate heart and soften it and where it once enters cannot be repuls'd by the most sturdy habituate sin or Devil I confess likewise that some have been thus rather snatch'd than call'd like the fire-brands out of the fire and by an ecstasy of the spirit inwardly in a minute chang'd from incarnate Devils into incarnate Saints So was Mary dispossest of seven Devils who was after so highly promoted in Christs favour that she had the honour to be the first witness of the Resurrection So that Gadarene who had intrencht and fortified himself among the Tombs and was garrison'd with an Army of Devils so that he brake Fetters and Chains and could not be tam'd or kept in any compass yet in a minute at Christs word sent forth a Legion of Fiends sufficient to people and destroy a Colony of Swine And so was Paul in my Text in a minute at Christs Call delivered of a multitude of blasphemous malicious spirits and straight became the joy of Angels the Apostle of the Gentiles Yet mean time these miraculous but rarer Examples must not prescribe and set up must not become a rule and encourage any one to Sauls madness on confidence of Pauls Conversion to a more impetuous course of sinning that he may become a more glorious Saint 'T is a wrong way to Heaven to dig into the deep and a brutish arrogance to hope that God will the more eagerly woo us the further our sins have divorc't us from him If some as hath been said have been caught or strucken in the height of their Rebellions or in the fulness of the evil spirit called to a wane as Diseases in the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or top-pitch are wont to decay and weaken into health again if there have been some of these as my Apostle rais'd from the depth of sin as Lazarus from the stench of the grave yet these in respect of others more softly and ordinarily called are found few in number and such as were appointed for the Miracles as well as the objects of Gods mercy Hence it is that a strange disorder hath most times accompanied this extraordinary conversion of more violent outragious Sinners Our Apostle to go no farther was to be cast into a trance and his regeneration not to be accomplisht without a kind of Death and Resurrection whereas others who are better morally qualified or rather are less hardned in the sins of unregeneracy do answer at the softest knock or whispering'st call of the Spirit and at his becken will come after him More might be said of this point how St. Paul was most notably converted that he had the alleviation of ignorance for which cause as he says himself he found mercy and that others are not probably to expect the like miracle who have not those insuperable prepossessions from custom
is no easie task and especially of those Poetick and Prophetick Writings which have had one immediate Sense and Completion in some other and because there is but one Infallible Clue to this Labyrinth the Applications of such places made by Divine Writers in the New Testament I have therefore made use of that as oft as it was to be met with and then advanced with confidence beyond what the Letter in its first or immediate sense suggested But for all other Passages which by some kind of Accommodation or Anagogy or Figure or Moral or Spiritual Sense were capable of being thus applied either to Christ or his Church I have not frequently chosen to be thus adventuruous both because I knew this was for the most part the Product of Phansy wherein all Men are willing to reserve their Liberty and neither needed to be directed nor liked to be anticipated and because I was unwilling to affix any Sense to Scripture which I had not some degree of assurance that the Holy Ghost in the inspired Writer had respect unto who though he may have designed whatever the Words are capable of and so may have intended more Senses than one yet cannot be proved to have done whatsoever he might have done And therefore though I blame not the Inlargements of their Spirits who extend themselves to Allegorical and Tropological Descants so they be founded in the Literal Sense first secured yet this latter was it which I had in my Aim and I both found and foresaw a Competent Weight and Number of Difficulties in that which as I was intent by Gods Help to overcome so I was not willing to weaken by diverting any part of my Forces to what was more easie but less necessary considering especially that this Book of Psalms brought home thus plainly and without any descant to every Mans Understanding would be able to yield him an intire Body of necessary Theology in Directions of Life Fundamentals of Faith and Incentives and Helps of Devotion and copious and various Matter of Divine Meditation which are sufficient to recommend it to the Readers most diligent revolving to which then those Anagogies are likely to be consequent of their own accord as the result of a more passionate Delight hovering over the more solid Intellectual Joy of conversing with God and inriching his own Soul 19. For the fetching out of this Primary or Literal Sense oft veiled in Poetick Colours sometimes more intricated whether by Ellipses or Trajections but most frequently made doubtful by the variety of Notions of which the same Hebrew Words are capable my first resort hath been to the Antient Learned Literal Interpreters in many Languages as they are lately published with most advantage by the great Diligence and unwearied Industry of my very worthy and learned Friend Dr. Walton 20. Of these I must acknowledge the most advantageous Directions to have been afforded me by the Chaldee Greek and Syriack for as to the Latine Arabick and Aethiopick they do so closely follow and in a manner render the Greek that the chief use of them hath been to secure us of the antient Reading of the Greek which being sometimes corrupted in the Autograph is to be recovered by help of these Transcripts 21. Of these three the Chaldee which is not so literal as the others pretend to be but owns the liberty of a Paraphrast is yet as commodious as any to direct to the literal sense the very design of a Paraphrast being truly this to render that fully in more words which an equal number could not sufficiently express Yet hath not this made so full a provision for us but that all others Aids have sometimes been little enough to stear us through the difficulty 22. For the Greek whether it be truly what the Title assumes the translation of the LXXII i. e. those so many Jews in Ptolemaeus Philadelphus his time who were sent him by the High Priest competently instructed to perform that Work I shall not take upon me to determine For as I am no way convinced with the Arguments of those who affirm that those LXXII translated no more than the Law of Moses as that strictly signifies but the Pentateuch when yet the Title is inlarg'd in Christs style John 12.34 and 15.25 and S. Pauls Rom. 3.19 to this Book of Psalms peculiarly and to the Prophets also 1 Cor. 14.21 and when the Antientest Fathers of the Church Justin Martyr in his Dialogue with Trypho the Jew Irenaeus Clemens Alexandrinus and so forward till S. Hierome all uniformly produced their Testimonies out of the Prophets and Psalms as well as out of the Pentateuch upon the Authority of these LXXII Jews which had thus rendred them or that what they translated was by the burning of Ptolemies Library in Julius Cesar's time irrecoverably lost when certeinly many Copies of it had been transcribed before that time which met not with that Conflagration so neither am I obliged by the relation of the Cells and other Circumstances which Justin was told in Egypt over and above what we find in Aristeas or Josephus to conclude their Interpretation a work of Gods peculiar Conduct and so to ascribe as some great Lights of the Church have done their Variations from the Hebrew to the same Spirit by which the Originals were first indited 23. I shall only remember on this occasion what is observed by Jesus the Son of Sirach in his Prologue to Ecclesiasticus where taking notice of the Interpretation not only of the Law but of the Prophets and other Books also and in the next words setting down the time of his coming into Aegypt in the eight and thirtieth year under King Euergetes the immediate Successor of Ptolemaeus Philadelphus and so may probably be understood to speak of the LXXII not long after the compiling their Interpretation he tells us withall that there was great Differenec betwixt the Original and the Translation And allowing it to have place in this of the Psalms as well as other Books though I think as little in this as in most other 't is yet certain that great use is to be made of it toward the present Design of interpreting the Original And in gratitude for the many Benefits thus received but especially because this Translation was the means of conveying the Word of God unto the Heathen was in many Synagogues used by the Jews in and before Christ's time as Justine and Tertullian and the Jews themselves assure us was constantly cited and resorted to by Philo Judaeus in his writings and frequently honoured by the Writers of the New Testament who retein their Rendrings even where they differ from the Hebrew and lastly hath reteined that honour in the whole antient Church which universally used and followed this Translation which we now have and that without any question but the LXXII were the Authors of it I have payed them a more peculiar Respect and Consideration very often examined their
vital energy of the Gospel God of his infinite mercy grant us all even for the sake and through the operation of his Son Jesus Christ that wonderful Counsellor that mighty God that Father of this Evangelical state that Prince and that God of peace to whom with the Father and the holy Ghost be ascribed as is most due the honour the glory the power praise might majesty and dominion which through all ages of the world hath been given to him that sitteth on the Throne to the Holy Spirit and to the Lamb for evermore Amen The II. SERMON MATTH 11.30 My yoke is easie and my burthen is light THat the Christian's Heaven should be acknowledged his only blissful state and yet they which pant for bliss never think fit to enquire after it That Christ the way to that heaven should be truly styled by one Prophet the desire of all Nations and yet they that look on him be affirm'd by another Prophet to see nothing in him that they should desire him That a rational creature should be made up of such contradictions as to desire life most importunately and yet as passionately to make love to death to profess such kindness to immaterial joyes and yet immerse and douz himself in carnal to groan and languish for Salvation i. e. an eternal state of purity and yet to disclaim and flie it whensoever any impure delight is to be parted with might have leave to exercise and pose a considering man were there not one clear account to be given of this prodigy one reason of this fury the many evil reports that are brought up of the way to this good land the prejudices fatal prejudices infused into us the vehement dislikes and quarrels to all Christian practice that only passage to our only bliss We have heard of an Angel with a flaming Sword at the gate of Paradise which our poetick fears and fancies have transformed into a Serpent at the door of the Hesperides garden that Angel fallen and turned into a Devil we have heard of the Cannibal Anakims in the confines of the promised Land that devour all that travel toward that Region and our cowardly sluggish aguish fancies have transplanted all these into Christendom made them but emblems of Christ's duri sermones the hard tasks unmerciful burthens that he laies on his Disciples yea and conjured up a many spirits and Fairies more sad direful apparitions and sent them out all a commanded Party to repel or to trash us to intercept or incumber our passage toward Canaan to pillage and despoil the Soul of all Christian practice of all that 's duty in Discipleship Three of these prejudices our Saviour seems to have foreseen and prevented in the words of this Text. 1. That there is no need of doing any thing in Discipleship Christ came to free from yokes to release from burthens the Gospel's made all of promises Obedience to precepts is a mere unnecessary And for the preventing of that prejudice you have here as a yoke and a burthen so both of Christ's owning 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 my yoke and my burthen A second prejudice of them that being forc'd to confess the necessity of Christian obedience do yet resolve it impossible to be perform'd discerning the burthens in my Text must have them unsupportable burthens no hope no possibility for us to move under them and then studium cum spe senescit their industry is as faint as their hope Desperation stands them in as much stead as Libertinism did t'other they are beholden to the weight of their burthens for a supersedeas for taking them up And for the preventing of that prejudice you have here this character of Christ's burthen not only supportable but light my burthen is a light burthen A third prejudice there is yet behind of those that having yielded the both necessity and possibility of Christian obedience are yet possest of the unpleasingness and bitterness of it like those in the Prophet cry out The burthen of the Lord the burthen of the Lord the yoke a joyless melancholick yoke the burthen a galling pinching burthen and to them hath our Saviour designed the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 here as the most significative epithet to express the nature of the Christian yoke We have rendred it but imperfectly my yoke is easie it signifies more richly my yoke is a benign yoke all pleasure and profit made up in the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Lord is gracious 1 Pet. 2.3 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Rom. 2.4 signifies the bounty we render it the goodness of God that which immediately before is the riches of his bounty and proportionably the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a gracious bountiful yoke a mine a treasure of bounty a good a joyous and a gainful yoke And he that is thus answered in all his objections confuted in all his fears and prejudices and excuses for Libertinism if he do not acknowledge the reasonableness of Christ's advice take my yoke upon you take it for its own sake though it were not laid upon you by Christ my necessary my light my gracious yoke he that will not accept of some office in the house of so good a Master I know not what kind of address to make to him I must leave him to Pythagoras's Sponde's that could cure a Mad man 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 rectifie the errours of his appetite first and then his mind first of his spleen and then his brain before any portion of this bread of life will be diet for him I have drawn you the lines which lie folded up in this Text the filling each up with colours in the shortest manner I could devise would prove a work of more time than is now my portion The expedient I have resolved on is to leap over the two former and only fasten on my last particular as that which includes and supposes the two former as that which will bring its reward with it invite and feed your patience and in all probability obtain your belief because there is never an interest never a passion about you that it contradicts Your patience being thus armed with a fight of the guesses but one stage and that the smoothest you ever pass'd I shall presume you ready to set out with me and it is to consider that anticipation of the third prejudice in the Epithet affixt to Christ's yoke in the fulness of its significancy 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 my yoke is a benign a gracious a pleasant a good and a gainful yoke Yea and that in this life at the taking the yoke upon you a present gooodness in it here though there were never a treasure of rewards never a heaven after it at least as the present paradise of a true Disciple is considered apart abstracted from that future expectation my yoke is a good yoke is for the present the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Is hath an influence on the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉
daily on our souls in blessing in turning every one c. and that is the first thing 2. Christs resurrection hath a hand in blessing in turning from iniquity in respect to that solemn mission of the Holy Ghost promised before and performed immediately after his ascension This not person I mean but office of the Holy Ghost in setling a Pastorage in the Church and to it the consequent power and necessity of preaching administring Sacraments governing censuring all which were the effects of the Holy Ghosts descending and the direct interpretation of the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 then and ever since then To which if you please to add the promise of the annexion of the Spirit and the invisible grace of God to the orderly use of these so far that the preaching of the Gospel not only that manner of preaching among us that hath gotten the monopoly of all the service of God into its Patent the only thing that many of us pay all our devotion to but any other way of making known the Gospel of Christ the doctrine of the second Covenant is call'd 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 2 Cor. 3.8 the adminstration or means of dispensing the Spirit to us and the Sacrament 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the communication of the bloud of Christ yea and the censures no carnal weak blunt weapons of our warfare 2 Cor. 10.4 but mighty through God c. you have then a second energy of his resurrection toward our turning so great that he that holds out against this method of power and grace and will not turn nor understand after all this shall never be capable of any other means of blessing of working that great work for him and so you see the second ground of dependence between the resurrection and blessing or turning O that it might work its design upon us that to day we would hear the voice that cries so loud to us out of heaven the last perhaps numerically I am sure the last in specie or kind the last artifice this of the Word and Sacraments that is ever to be hoped for to this end to bless us to turn us every one from our c. 3. The Resurrection hath to do in blessing and turning in respect of Christs Intercession that prime act of his Melchisedech-priesthood his powerful intercession i. e. in effect conferring of grace on us thus Rom. 8 34. where that weighty business of justifying is laid more on the Resurrection than Death of Christ It is Christ that died yea rather that is risen again 'T is thus enlarged in the next words who is even at the right hand of God who also maketh intercession for us his intercession powerful intercession at the right hand of God a consequent of Gods raising up his Son Jesus hath a main influence on turning first and then justifying the ungodly and so Heb. 7.25 Wherefore he is able to save them to the uttermost 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to save them for good and all deliver them from all kind of assailants from sin from themselves from wrath from hell though not absolutely all yet those that come unto God by him those that turn when he will have them turn seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them Will you see this more clearly Why then thus There are three degrees of grace preventing exciting assisting the first for conversion the second for sanctifying the third for perseverance And two acts of turning being already premised for the beginning of that blessing work 1. By the power of that Spirit that raised Jesus from the dead Then 2. By the descent of the holy Ghost the first as the seed sown the second as the rain and Sun-shine to bring it up there is yet a third required for the earing and hardning of the corn that of Gods giving increase for the consummating this weighty affair for the confirming and establishing those that are initially blest and turned into a kind of Angelical state of perseverance And to this it is that Christs continual intercession belongs for that is peculiarly for Disciples for those that are Believers Christians already that they may be preserved and kept in that state as for Saint Peter in the time of shock of tempest when Satan is at his expetivit that if we be permitted to be tempted yet our faith may not fail Luke 22.32 Another copy of this intercession you have John 17. the whole chapter is a prescript form of it a platform of what he now daily performs in heaven Look in the 11. verse Holy Father keep through thine own name own power those whom thou hast given me those that are believers already and in the 15. I pray not that thou shouldst take them out of the world but that thou shouldst keep them from the evil one not for immunity from temptations for an impeccable state but for a sufficiency of grace to keep to sustain them in time of temptation that they may be able to stand So that this Intercession of Christ is apportion'd and adequate to the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 proficients those that are Believers already Disciples or others to come that shall be such and when they are pray'd for are considered under that notion as 't is clear ver 20. Neither pray I for these alone but for them also that shall believe on me through their word a direct notation who they are that this daily intercession for keeping for perseverance belongs to the believers faithful disciples and none others I pray for them I pray not for the world ver 9. Other prayers he can allow for the world the veriest incarnate devils in it the very crucifiers Father forgive them but this prayer for perseverance for keeping is only for the them the believers there The impenitent unbeliever cannot have his portion in that unless he would have Christ pray to damn him irreversibly to keep him in his impenitence to seal him up unto the day of perdition You see from hence by way of result or corollary what 't is that our perseverance in the faith and favour of God is imputable to not any fatal contrivance for some special confidents that their sins shall not be able to separate them not any such 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as Marcus his Scholars in Irenaeus pretended to that by it they were 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 naturally spiritual that all the debaucheries in the world could no more vitiate them than the â—un-beams are profan'd by the dunghill which they shine on or the gold by the â—luttery it may be mixt with that by the shield of the mother of heaven what ever they did they were 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 invisible to the Judge No such comforts and hopes as these of perseverance in sin and favour with God at once of making good our union with God when we are in the gall of bitterness of being justified when we are not sanctified that magical spell that fastens us in a circle
your selves to a pretty large task and it were a notable Christmas employment I should bless God for any one that would be so piously valiant as to undertake it you must read over the whole Book of Scripture and Nature to this purpose For when you find in the Psalmist the news of Christs coming Then said I loe I come you find your directions how to tract him In the volume of thy book it is written of me c. i. e. either in the whole book or in every folding every leaf of this Book Thou shalt not find a Story a Riddle a Prophecy a Ceremony a down-right legal Constitution but hath some manner of aspect on this glass some way drives at this mystery God manifest in flesh For example perhaps you have not noted whereever you read Seth's Genealogies more insisted on than Cain's Sem's than his elder brother Ham's Abraham's than the whole World besides Jacob's than Esau's Judah's than the whole twelve Patriarchs and the like passages which directly drive down the line of Christ and make that the whole business of the Scripture Whensoever I say you read any of these then are you to note that Shiloh was to come that he which was sent was on his journey that from the Creation till the fulness of time the Scriptur◠was in travel with him and by his leaping ever now and then and as it were springing in the Womb gave manifest tokens that it had conceived and would at last bring forth the Messias So that the whole Old Testament is a Mystical Virgin Mary a kind of Mother of Christ which by the Holy Ghost conceived him in Genesis Chap. iii. 15 And throughout Moses and the Prophets carried him in the Womb and was very big of him And at last in Malachi Chap. iii. 4 was in a manner delivered of him For there you shall find mention of John Baptist who was as it were the Midwife of the Old Testament to open its Womb and bring the Messias into the World Howsoever at the least it is plain that the Old Testament brought him to his birth though it had not strength to bring forth and the Prophets as Moses from Mount Nebo came to a view of this Land of Canaan For the very first words of the New Testament being as it were to fill up what only was wanting in the Old are the Book and History of his generations and birth Matth. i. You would yet be better able to prize the excellency of this Work and reach the pitch of this days rejoycing if you would learn how the very Heathen fluttered about this light what shift they made to get some inkling of this Incarnation before-hand how the Sibyls Heathen Women and Virgil and other Heathen Poets in their writings before Christ's time let fall many passages which plainly referred and belonged to this Incarnation of God It is fine sport to see in our Authors how the Devil with his famous Oracles and Prophets foreseeing by his skill in the Scripture that Christ was near his birth did droop upon it and hang the wing did sensibly decay in his courage began to breath thick and speak imperfectly and sometimes as men in the extremity of a Fever distractedly wildly without any coherence and scarce sense and how at last about the birth of Christ he plainly gave up the ghost and left his Oracular Prophets as speechless as the Caves they dwelt in their last voice being that their great god Pan i. e. the Devil was dead and so both his Kingdom and their Prophecies at an end as if Christ's coming had chased Lucifer out of the World and the powers of Hell were buried that minute when a Saviour was born And now by way of Vse can ye see the Devil put out of heart and ye not put forward to get the Field can you delay to make use of such an advantage as this can ye be so cruel to your selves as to shew any mercy on that now disarmed enemy will ye see God send his Son down into the Field to enter the Lists and lead up a Forlorn Troop against the Prince of this World and ye not follow at his Allarm will ye not accept of a conquest which Christ so lovingly offers you It is a most terrible exprobration in Hosea Chap. xi 3 look on it where God objects to Ephraim her not taking notice of his mercies her not seconding and making use of his loving deliverances which plainly adumbrates this deliverance by Christ's death as may appear by the first Verse of the Chapter compared with the second of Matth. 15. Well saith God I taught Ephraim to go taking them by their arms but they knew not that I healed them I drew them with the cords of a man an admirable phrase with all those means that use to oblige one man to another with bands of love c. i. e. I used all means for the sustaining and strengthning of my people I put them in a course to be able to go and fight and overcome all the powers of darkness and put off the Devils yoke I sent my Son amongst them for this purpose Verse 1. And all this I did by way of love as one friend is wont to do for another and yet they would not take notice of either the benefit or the donor nor think themselves beholding to me for this mercy And this is our case beloved If we do not second these and the like mercies of God bestowed on us if we do not improve them to our Souls health if we do not fasten on this Christ incarnate if we do not follow him with an expression of gratitude and reverence and stick close to him as both our Friend and Captain finally if we do not endeavour and pray that this his Incarnation may be seconded with annother that as once he was born in our flesh to justifie us so he may be also born spiritually in our Souls to sanctifie us for there is a spiritual 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or Mystical Incarnation of Christ in every regenerate man where the Soul of Man is the Womb wherein Christ is conceived by the Holy Ghost The proof of which Doctrine shall entertain the remainder of this hour for this is the Emmanuel that most nearly concerns us God with us i. e. with our Spirits or Christ begotten and brought forth in our hearts Of which briefly And that Christ is thus born in a regenerate mans soul if it were denied might directly appear by these two places of Scripture Gal. ii 20 I live yet not I but Christ liveth in me Again Ephes iii. 17 That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith c. Now that you may understand this Spiritual Incarnatien of Christ the better we will compare it with his Real Incarnation in the Womb of the Virgin that so we may keep close to the business of the day and at once observe both his birth to
the World and ours to Grace and so even possess Christ whilst we speak of him And first if we look on his Mother Mary we shall find her an entire pure Virgin only espoused to Joseph but before they came together she was found with Child of the Holy Ghost Matth. i. 18 And then the Soul of Man must be this Virgin Now there is a threefold Purity or Virginity of the Soul First An absolute one such as was found in Adam before his fall Secondly A respective of a Soul which like Mary hath not yet joyned or committed with the World to whom it is espoused which though it have its part of natural corruptions yet either for want of ability of age or occasion hath not yet broke forth into the common outrages of sin Thirdly A restored purity of a Soul formerly polluted but now cleansed by repentance The former kind of natural and absolute purity as it were to be wished for so is it not to be hoped and therefore is not to be imagined in the Virgin Mother or expected in the Virgin Soul The second purity we find in all regenerate infants who are at the same time outwardly initiated to the Church and inwardly to Christ or in those whom God hath called before they have ingaged themselves in the courses of actual hainous sins such are well disposed well brought up and to use our Saviours words Have so lived as not to be far from the Kingdom of God Such happily as Cornelius Acts x. 1 And such a Soul as this is the fittest Womb in which our Saviour delights to be incarnate where he may enter and dwell without either resistance or annoyance where he shall be received at the first knock and never be disordered or repulsed by any stench of the carkass or violence of the Body of sin The restored purity is a right Spirit renewed in the Soul Psal li. 10 a wound cured up by repentance and differs only from the former purity as a scar from a skin never cut wanting somewhat of the beauty and outward clearness but nothing of either the strength or health of it Optandum esset ut in simplici Virginitate servaretur navis c. It were to be wished that the Ship our Souls could be kept in its simple Virginity and never be in danger of either leak or shipwrack but this perpetual integrity being a desperate impossible wish there is one only remedy which though it cannot prevent a leak can stop it And this is repentance after sin committed Post naufragium tabula a means to secure one after a shipwrack and to deliver him even in the deep Waters And this we call a restored Virginity of the Soul which Christ also vouchsafes to be conceived and born in The first degree of Innocence being not to have sinned the second to have repented In the second place the Mother of Christ in the flesh was a Virgin not only till the time of Christ's conception but also till the time of his birth Matth. i. 25 He knew her not till she had brought forth c. And farther as we may probably believe remained a Virgin all the days of her life after for to her is applied by the Learned that which is typically spoken of the East-gate of the Sanctuary Ezek. xliv 2 This gate shall be shut it shall not be opened and no man shall enter in by it because the Lord the God of Israel hath entred in by it therefore it shall be shut A place if appliable very apposite for the expression Hence is she called by the Fathers and Counsels 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a Perpetual Virgin against the Heresie of Helvidius The probability of this might be farther proved if it were needful And ought not upon all principles of nature and of justice the Virgin Soul after Christ once conceived in it remain pure and stanch till Christ be born in it nay be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a Perpetual Virgin never indulge to sensual pleasures or cast away that purity which Christ either found or wrought in it If it were a respective purity then ought it not perpetually retain and increase it and never fall off to those disorders that other men supinely live in If it were a recovered purity hold it fast and never turn again As a Dog to his vomit or a Sow to her wallowing in the mire For this conception and birth of Christ in the Soul would not only wash away the filth that the Swine was formerly mired in but also take away the Swinish nature that she shall never have any strong propension to return again to her former inordinate delights Now this continuance of the Soul in this its recovered Virginity is not from the firm constant stable nature of the Soul but as Eusebius saith in another case 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 From a more strong able Band the Vnion of Christ to the Soul his Spiritual Incarnation in it Because the Lord the God of Israel hath entred in by it therefore it shall be shut Ezek. xliv 2 i. e. it shall not be opened either in consent or practice to the lusts and pollutions of the World or Flesh because Christ by being born in it hath cleansed it because he the Word of God said the Word therefore the leprosie is cured in whom he enters he dwells and on whom he makes his real impression he seals them up to the day of redemption unless we unbuild our selves and change our shape we must be his In the third place if we look on the agent in this conception we shall find it both in Mary and in the Soul of Man to be the Holy Ghost that which is conceived in either of them is of the Holy Ghost Matth. i. 20 Nothing in this business of Christs birth with us to be imputed to natural power or causes the whole contrivance and final production of it the preparations to and labouring of it is all the workmanship of the Spirit So that as Mary was called by an ancient so may the Soul without an Hyperbole by us be styled The Shop of Miracles and The Work-house of the Holy Ghost in which every operation is a miracle to nature and no tools are used but what the Spirit forged and moves Mary conceived Christ but it was above her own reach to apprehend the manner how for so she questions the Angel Luke i. 34 How shall this be c. So doth the Soul of Man conceive and grow big and bring forth Christ and yet not it self fully perceives how this work is wrought Christ being for the most part insensibly begotten in us and to be discerned only spiritually not at his entrance but in his fruits In the fourth place that Mary was chosen and appointed among all the Families of the Earth to be the Mother of the Christ was no manner of desert of hers but Gods special favour and dignation whence the
abroad in Tents we have seen or heard of him but have not yet brought him home into our hearts there to possess and rectify and instruct our wills as well as our understandings Thirdly The whole mystery of Christ articulately set down in our Creed we as punctually believe and to make good our names that we are Christians in earnest we will challenge and defie the Fire and Faggot to perswade us out of it and these are good resolutions if our practices did not give our Faith the lye and utterly renounce at the Church Door whatsoever we profest in our Pews This very one thing that he which is our Saviour shall be our Judge that he which was crucified dead and buried sits now at the right hand of God and from thence shall come to judge the world this main part yea summ of our belief we deny and bandy against all our lives long If the story of Christ coming to judgment set down in the xxv of Matthew after the 30. Verse had ever entred through the doors of our Ears to the inward Closets of our hearts 't is impossible but we should observe and practise that one single duty there required of us Christ there as a Judge exacts and calls us to account for nothing in the World but only works of mercy and according to the satisfaction which we are able to give him in that one point he either entertains or repels us and therefore our care and negligence in this one business will prove us either Christians or Infidels But alas 't is too plain that in our actions we never dream either of the Judgment or the Arraignment our stupid neglect of this one duty argues us not only unchristian but unnatural Besides our Alms-deeds which concern only the outside of our neighbour and are but a kind of worldly mercy there are many more important but cheaper works of mercy as good counsel spiritual instructions holy education of them that are come out of our loyns or are committed to our care seasonable reproof according to that excellent place Lev. xix 17 Thou shalt not hate thy brother in thine heart but in any wise reprove him a care of carrying our selves that we may not scandal or injure or offer violence to the Soul and tender Conscience of him that is flexible to follow us into any riot These and many other works of mercy in the highest degree as concerning the welfare of other mens Souls and the chief thing required of us at the day of Judgment are yet so out-dated in our thoughts so utterly defaced and blotted out in the whole course of our lives that it seems we never expect that Christ in his Majesty as a Judge whom we apprehend and embrace and hug in his humility as a Saviour Beloved till by some severe hand held over our lives and particularly by the daily study and exercise of some work of mercy or other we demonstrate the sincerity of our belief the Saints on Earth and Angels in Heaven will shrewdly suspect that we do only say over that part of our Creed that we believe only that which is for our turn the sufferings and satisfactions of Christ which cost us nothing but do not proceed to his office of a Judge do not either fear his Judgments or desire to make our selves capable of his mercies Briefly whosoever neglects or takes no notice of this duty of exercising works of mercy whatsoever he brags of in his theory or speculation in his heart either denies or contemns Christ as Judge and so destroys the summ of his Faith and this is another kind of secret Atheism Fourthly Our Creed leads us on to a belief and acknowledgment of the Holy Ghost and 't is well we have all conn'd his name there for otherwise I should much fear that it would be said of many nominal Christians what is reported of the Ephesian Disciples Acts xix 2 They have not so much as heard whether there be an Holy Ghost or no. But not to suspect so much ignorance in any Christian we will suppose indeed men to know whatsoever they profess and enquire only whether our lives second our professions or whether indeed they are mere Infidels and Atheistical in this business concerning the Holy Ghost How many of the ignorant sort which have learnt this name in their Catechism or Creed have not yet any further use to put it to but only to make up the number of the Trinity have no special office to appoint for him no special mercy or gift or ability to beg of him in the business of their Salvation but mention him only for fashion sake not that they ever think of preparing their Bodies or Souls to be Temples worthy to entertain him not that they ever look after the earnest of the spirit in their hearts 2 Cor. i. 22 Further yet how many better learned amongst us do not yet in our lives acknowledge him in that Epithet annext to his title the Holy Ghost i. e. not only eminently in himself holy but causally producing the same quality in us from thence called the sanctifying and renewing spirit How do we for the most part fly from and abandon and resist and so violently deny him when he once appears to us in this Attribute When he comes to sanctifie us we are not patient of so much sowreness so much humility so much non-conformity with the world as he begins to exact of us we shake off many blessed motions of the spirit and keep our selves within garrison as far as we can out of his reach lest at any turn he should meet with and we should be converted Lastly The most ordinary morally qualified tame Christians amongst us who are not so violent as to profess open arms against this Spirit how do they yet reject him out of all their thoughts How seldom do many peaceable orderly men amongst us ever observe their wants or importune the assistance of this Spirit In summ 't was a shrewd Speech of the Fathers which will cast many fair out-sides at the bar for Atheists That the life of an unregenerate man is but the life of an Heathen and that 't is our Regeneration only that raises us up 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from being still mere Gentiles He that believes in his Creed the Person nay understands in the Schools the Attributes and gifts of the Holy Ghost and yet sees them only in the fountain neither finds nor seeks for any effects of them in his own Soul he that is still unregenerate and continues still gaping and yawning stupid and senseless in this his condition is still for all his Creed and Learning in effect an Atheist And the Lord of Heaven give him to see and endeavours to work and an heart to pray and his spirit to draw and force him out of this condition Fifthly Not to cramp in every Article of our Creed into this Discourse we will only insist on two
accomplish't defer all our happiness to be performed to us at the Resurrection and though God kill us yet trust in him and be able to see through Death in a trust That our Redeemer lives and that with these eyes we shall behold him then may we chear up and perswade our selves on good grounds that our hearts and lives do assent to the Resurrection which our tongues brag of Take no heaviness to heart but drive it away and remember the end But if this consideration cannot digest the least oppression of this life cannot give us patience for the lightest encumbrance but for all our Creed we still fly out into all outrages of passion and ecstacies of impatience we plainly betray our selves men of this present World whose happiness or misery is only that which is temporary and before our Eyes are not able by the perspective of faith to behold that which easily we might all our wants relieved all our injuries revenged all our wounds bound up in the day of the Resurrection but all our life long we repine and grumble and are discontented as men without hope and whilst we do thus what do we but act the part of these Atheists here in my Text scoffing and saying Where is the promise â—f his coming in the next Verse to my Text. This very impatience and want of skill in bearing the brunts of this our warfare is but a piece of cowardly Atheism either a denying or mocking at the Resurrection Every sigh is a scoff every groan a gibe every fear a sly art of laughing at the stupidity of those who depend upon the fulfilling of the promise of his coming Lastly say we what we will we live as if there were no Resurrection as Sadduces if not as Atheists all our designs look no further than this life all our contrivances are defeated and frustrate in the Grave we mannage our selves with so little understanding that any Spectator would judge by our actions that 't is no injury to compare us to the beasts that perish and never return again Certainly if we had any design upon Heaven or another life we would here make some provision for it Make our selves friends of our unrighteous Mammon that when we fail they may receive us into everlasting habitations i. e. use those good things that God hath given us with some kind of providence that they may stand us in stead when we have need of them i. e. not only as instruments to sin for that is to get us more Enemies but as harbingers to be sent before us to Heaven 'T was a bitter sarcasm of the fool to the Abbot on his Death-Bed that the Abbot deserved his staff as being the verier Fool of the two that being straight to die to remove his Tent to another World he had sent none of his houshold-stuff before him The truth is we live generally as men that would be very angry much displeased if any should perswade us there were a Resurrection the very mentioning of it to us might seem to upbraid our ordinary practices which have nothing but the darkness of death and silence of the Grave to countenance them I may justly say that many ignorant Heathens which were confident there was nothing beyond this life expected certainly with death to be annihilated and turn again into a perpetual nothing yet either for the awe they bore to vertue or fear of disgrace after death kept themselves more regularly lived more carefully than many of us Christians And this is an horrid accusation that will lie very heavy upon us that against so many illuminated understandings the ignorance of the Gentiles should rise up in judgment and the learned Christian be found the most desperate Atheist I have been too large upon so rigid a Doctrine as this and I love and pray God I may always have occasion to come up to this place upon a more merciful subject but I told you even now out of Lev. xix 17 that 't was no small work of mercy 't was the most friendly office that could be performed any man to reprehend and as the Text saith Not to suffer sin upon thy neighbour especially so sly a covert lurking sin as this of Atheism which few can discern in themselves I shall now come to Application which because the whole Doctrine spoke morally to your affections and so in a manner prevented Vses shall be only a recapitulation and brief knitting up of what hitherto hath been scattered at large Seeing that the Devils policy of deluding and bewitching and distorting our Vnderstandings either with variety of false gods or Heresies raised upon the true is now almost clearly out-dated and his skill is all bent to the deforming of the Will and defacing the character of God and the expression of the sincerity of our Faith in our lives we must deal with this Enemy at his own Weapon learn to order our munition according to the assault and fortify that part most impregnably toward which the tempest binds and threatens There is not now so much danger to be feared from the inrode of Hereticks in opinion as in practice not so much Atheism to be dreaded from the infidelity of our brains as the Heathenism and Gentilism of our Lusts which even in the midst of a Christian profession deny God even to his Face And therefore our chiefest Frontiers and Fortifications must be set up before that part of the Soul our most careful Watch and Sentinel placed upon our affections lest the Devil enter there and depopulate the whole Christian and plant the Atheist in his room To this purpose we must examine what Seeds are already sown what treachery is a working within and no doubt most of us at the first cast of the Eye shall find great store unless we be partial to our selves and bring in a verdict of mercy and construe that weakness which indeed signifies Atheism When upon examination we find our lives undermining our belief our practices denying the authority of Scripture and no whit forwarder to any Christian duty upon its commands When we find God's Essence and Attributes reviled and scoffed at in our conversation his omnipresence contemned by our confidence in sinning and argued against by our banishing God out of all our thoughts his all-sufficiency doubted of by our distrusts and our scorn to depend upon it When we perceive that our carriages do fall off at this part of our belief in Christ that he shall come again to be our Judge and by our neglect of those works especially of mercy which he shall then require of us shew that indeed we expect him not or think of him as a Judge but only as a Saviour When we observe our Wills resisting the gifts and falsifying the Attribute whilst our Creed confesses the Person of the Holy Ghost and see how little how nothing of the sanctifying spirit of the earnest of our Regeneration is in our hearts and we still
when Jesus had cried with a loud voice which belongs to the former passage he said Father into thy hands I commend my spirit and having said this he gave up the Ghost 9. Here we see our Blessed Saviour that had not the Spirit by measure that spake as never man spake chose yet to conclude his life to entertain himself in his greatest Agony and at last to breath out his Soul in this Psalmist's form of words rather than in his own No tongue of Men or Angels can invent a greater 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to set out the honour of any Writing or give us more reason to lay up in our minds the words of the Martyr Hippolitus that in the dayes of Antichrist 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Liturgy shall be extinguisht Psalmody shall cease Reading of the Scriptures shall not be heard In which three as the Publick Service of God was by the Antients thought to consist so the destroying of all and each of them must needs be a branch if not the whole body of Antichristianisme a direct contradiction to Christ who by his own prescription or practice of each of these imprest a Sacred Character on each 10. The use which the Apostles of Christ are recorded to have made of this Book bears proportion with these precedents 11. In St. Peter's Speech about Judas and his Successor the directions are taken from hence Act 1.16 20. In his first Sermon to his Countreymen his proofs are from hence Act. 11.25 31 34. So again chap. 4.11 And upon the delivery of him and John out of the Rulers hands the whole company celebrate the news of it chap. 4.24 first in the words of Psal 146.6 then of Psal 2.1 2. so St. Paul in his Preaching Act. 13.22 33 35. in his Writings Rom. 3.4 10 c. 8.36 10.18.11.9.15.3 9 11 and oft elsewhere and so in his Sufferings also Act. 16.25 At midnight one of the Solemn hours of Prayer and Psalmody in the Antient Church Paul and Silas 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in their office of Prayer used an Hymn or Psalm one or more also and recited so loud that the prisoners heard and this again signally accepted and rewarded by God with the earth-quake and opening of the doors and loosing of their bands v. 26. 12. The use of these in the Publick Assemblies as early as the Apostles times is intimated 1 Cor. 14 26. but distinctly set down 1 Cor. 2.4 under the style of Prophesying every Man praying or prophesying according to the importance of that phrase 1 Chron. 25. Heman and Jeduthun should prophesy with harps with psalteries and with cymbals v. 1. and the sons of Asaph prophesied according to the order of the King v. 2. and the sons of Jeduthun prophesied with the harp to give thanks and praise the Lord v. 3. and in them as in praying all joyned the whole assembly in heart and voice had all their common inteterest women as well as men every woman that prayeth or prophesieth v. 5. though in other parts of the office they were not allowed to speak chap. 14.34 yet let us exalt his name together Psal 34.3 young men and maidens Psal 148.12 and so still 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 saith Isidore Polusiote the Apostles of Christ wisely permitted that women should Sing Psalms in the Churches and he there mentions it as a most severe punishment to be inflicted on them for their misdemeanours 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to be interdicted Singing in the Church with which he joyns 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the turning them out of the City 13. Then for the more private use of them St. Paul's prescriptions are authentick testimony Eph. v. 18 19. where in opposition to the heathen Orgia of Bacchus's Enthusiasts he directs to speaking to themselves in Psalms and Hymns and spiritual songs singing and making melody in their hearts unto God and Col. 3 16. teaching and admonishing one another in Psalms and Hymns and spiritual Songs singing with grace in your hearts unto the Lord. And so St. James also chap. v. 13. Is any merry let him sing Psalms 14. How this Exercise was frequented in all after-Ages in the Church and made a very great part of the Christians devotions both in the publick assembly and more privately in the Family and yet in the greater retirement in the Closet and the waking Bed we need not seek in the Histories of the Ascetae and Recluse many of which spent their whole time in this imployment reciting the whole Psalter daily others weekly none past an hour of Prayer without a considerable portion of it The Fathers of the Church assure us that for those that lived in Seculo Psalmody was the constant attendant sometimes of their Meals generally of their Business in the shop and in the field that they learnt the whole Book by heart 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and through their whole age continued singing or saying Psalms that whereas the custome of the world had taught all to deceive the wearisomness or length of business by any kind of singing 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 God had provided them Psalms for their pleasure and profit together that whilst they did in appearance but sing they should really be instructed and improved in their souls 15. The consideration of these things but especially of the common interest of all sorts and states Ages and Sexes in this one great treasury and magazine deposited with the Church for the inriching and securing of Souls together with one sadder reflection which I had rather the Reader should be told from St. Chrysostome than from me have oft suggested and at length perswaded me to make this attempt to cast in my Mite to this Treasury my Symbolum toward so charitable a work as is the indeavour that every man may be in some measure able to say with St Paul 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I will sing or recite a Psalm with the spirit I will do it with the understanding also 16. In order to which what is here attempted to be performed together with the uses which every pious Christian may think fit to make of it I am in this place to advertise the Reader 17. For the first The maine if not only scope of the Paraphrase and Annotations hath been to extricate and clear the literal importance of each Psalm whether that were more general wherein all men indifferently were concerned or more particular and that again either such as concerned the Psalmist only in relation to some Matter of Fact in the Story of those Times or such as had a farther and more Divine Aspect on Christ the Messias of the World who without question is oft predicted in this Book of Psalms and either by Christ himself or by his inspired Apostles acknowledged and attested to have been signally meant and so to have given the World the most eminent Completion of those Predictions 18. Now because the Expounding of Prophecies
reading it seems 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to acquire or possess which they the rather did because in the latter part they thought 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 fitly rendred 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 emulate which being so mistaken they were to add somewhat to supply the Ellipsis which might be possest as the man of violence could not and this caused the addition of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 contumelies whether in the active sense the wrongs and contumelies which they deal out to others or the reproaches that fall upon themselves for their sins even their punishments in this world As for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that style fitly denotes the oppressours violent or injurious V. 34. For 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 surely he derideth the deriders from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 derisit they reade 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 God resisteth is set against the proud fully expressing the sense though not literally the words for as those that violate and despise God's Law are the proudest rebels so God's setting himself against them contrary to the giving them grace in the latter part is the scorning of them the not hearkening to or relieving their greatest wants And in this their rendring onely changing 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Lord into 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 God two Apostles recite this verse Jam. 4.6 and 1 Pet. 5.5 CHAP. IV. 1. HEar ye children the instruction of a father and attend to know understanding 2. For I give you good doctrine forsake you not my law Paraphrase 1 2. There is nothing so fit for all young and tender years to be seasoned with to be educated in by the care and discipline of their parents as the Laws of God for the directing of their lives It is the best portion the parent can assign the child more valuable than any other inheritance And then it nearly concerns us all that such a treasure be not cast away upon us that we lay it up safely in the heart make use of it to the direction and conduct of our whole lives and never knowingly or willingly transgress it as long as we live 3. For I was my father's son tender and onely beloved in the sight of my mother 4. He taught me also and said unto me Let thy heart retein my words keep my commandments and live Paraphrase 3 4. No child could be more passionately loved and valued by parents than the writer of this book Solomon was by his father David and mother Bathsheba And the great expression of this their love was the affording him this timely instruction daily inculcating to him the great necessity and advantages of exact and uniform obedience to all the commands of God towards a happy and prosperous life here and the attaining of eternity 5. Get wisedom get understanding forget it not neither decline from the words of my mouth Paraphrase 5. And the same paternal affection obliges me to inculcate this admonition to all the sons of men that whatever labour or industry it costs them they get this treasure into their possession the onely true wisedom and prudence that of knowing their duty of all sorts in order to the practice of it and never neglect or transgress those rules which this book gives them for the direction of their lives 6. Forsake her not and she shall preserve thee love her and she shall keep thee Paraphrase 6. And to this they have all encouragement as well as obligation Nothing shall tend more to their both present and eternal good than a strict unintermitted uniform observation of these rules All safety and tranquility and happiness here is made over to men on these onely terms They that thus keep close to God his providence is engaged to their protection and the very practice of these vertues it self hath a moral efficacy and an assurance of God's blessing accompanying it to keep men from all evil ghostly and bodily here and hereafter 7. Wisedom is a principal thing therefore get wisedom and with all thy getting get understanding Paraphrase 7. And therefore in all reason as this is to be the first and principal of our care to possess our hearts of this treasure so whatsoever else is afterwards sought or pursued must be with its due subordination to that The constant practice of all Christian duties must never be intermitted by the intervention of our secular aims but taken along to accomplish and secure all other acquests to us 8. Exalt her and she shall promote thee she shall bring thee to honour when thou dost embrace her Paraphrase 8. And no man shall ever loose by what is thus bestowed whatsoever value or love thou expressest to this sort of wisedom shall be abundantly repaid to thee by her They that endeavour not onely to exercise themselves constantly in the Law of God but to bring it in credit and fashion in the world to attract and engage all others in the same that prize and love it above all that appears most splendid or amiable in the world shall find this the most certain never-failing course to heap honour and estimation on themselves in the eyes of all such men whose good opinion is worth having And over and above all this the acceptation and praise of God and eternal glory with him hereafter is their most assured reward 9. She shall give to thy head an ornament of grace a crown of glory shall she deliver to thee Paraphrase 9. And indeed this is a special privilege of piety the exercise of Christian graces humility charity temperance c. that it renders thee amiable in the sight of all men S. Peter calls it the ornament of a meek and quâ—et spirit 1 Pet. 3.4 and S. Paul mentions it under the style of whatsoever things are honourable and of good report Phil. 4.8 no external ornament or bravery like it the most glorious regal crown doth not give such a lustre to him that wears it as the exercise of these graces doth But this is not all it not onely adorns but protects is by God's blessing and by the radiency of its own beauty a defensative and most sovereign amulet to him that hath it to secure him from the effects of mens malice the maxime being generally true though as other general rules it may bear some exception sometimes that men will not harm them who follow that which is good 1 Pet. 3.13 10. Hear O my son and receive my sayings and the years of thy life shall be many Paraphrase 10. Were I to exhort thee as a father a son most fatherly and prudentially to that whereon thy greatest and most durable weal even in this world depends I should absolutely recommend to thee the constant practice of piety the strict observation of those good rules which true saving wisedom prescribes thee being able to assure thee from heaven and even by a regular consequence that the blessings of a long and happy life do generally attend it From
as much of hell in the extinction of this flame as in the raging of that in the chill numm'd as in the raving tormented spirit as fatal a Lethargy from the one as Fever from the other If any man love not the Lord Jesus Christ let him be Anathema Maranatha saith St. Paul Blessed Apostle I cannot imagine thy Gospel-spirit could permit thee to deliver those words as a wish or prayer for curses on any even enemy of Christ may not this form of speech be a Scheme of Apostolick Rhetorick If any man love not the Lord Jesus he is and shall be for the very present he is the interpretation of those thundring sounds anathema maranatha a miserable accursed creature the very not loving the chilling of that blessed passion within his breast is the saddest curse that the Devil could design his hated'st enemy Add unto this that other branch of Charity that ray which Prometheus in the figure stole from heaven to inspire and warm the world with that inferiour elementary fire love of our fellow-men our fellow-Christians and tell me if there be any thing so capable not only of the quà m bonum but the quà m jucundum too that hath so much of the pleasant as well as the vertuous in the composition The ground of all pleasure is agreement and proportionableness to the temper and constitution of any thing the reason saith Boethius that men love Musick so well is the answerableness of the Notes in that to those observed by nature in the fabrick of our bodies And say we is there any thing so agreeable and harmonical so consonant to our reasonable nature to the ingenuity of our kind and consequently so universally delightful to all that have not put off Man in exchange for Panther and Tigre as that which Christ hath left us our duty yea and our reward the loving of the brethren that language that Song of love that we are to practise here that we may chant it in heaven eternally 'T is said to be a speech of Christ's which the Nazaren Gospel hath recorded though our Bibles have not and it seems by St. John all was not written which Christ spake to them Nunquam laeti sitis nisi cum fratrem in charitate videritis There is no spectacle of delight to a Christian nothing of value sufficient for a Disciple to rejoyce at but to see his fellow-Disciples embracing one another in love And they say Mahomet was such an admirer of this quality that he once resolved to have inserted a Precept of good-fellowship among his Laws because he thought he had observed though most ridiculously mistaken that that which is indeed the bane was a promoter of this Charity I conceive I have the suffrage of all mankind that Charity is a pleasing grace and of the wisest and most pondering observers that Friendship is the only sweet neighbour and companion of life that which being drained from its baser mixtures which would otherwise cause satiety becomes the prime ingredient in the glorified Saints of whose state we understand little but that they are happy and love one another and in that for ever happy that they for ever love one another charitas nunquam excidit and so their bliss nunquam excidit neither And then behold and admire the goodness of this yoke Christ's design even in this life to set up charity friendship above all vertues as high as it is above all felicities to settle that for the prime Christian duty which hath most of present blessedness in it to make that our burthen which is our bliss our yoke which is our boon and withall to separate it from all those mixtures which would either imbitter or shorten cool or satiate our love the lusts and excesses and the prides that would make the most ingenuous delight either less ingenuous or less delightful that love of my Brother's vertues love of his Soul love of the Nature that Christ assumed and died for and carried to Heaven with him love of the Image of God in him that most transporting durable pleasure And all this will be abundantly sufficient to make up a second instance of the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the graciousness and pleasantness of this yoke A Third shall be by referring you to the most extemporary view of the commands of the Decalogue which Christ came not to destroy but to fill up and perfect Temperance is the only Epicurism Continence or Conjugal Chastity the only Supersedeas to that black flame that is the Incontinent's daily Hell even in this life But above all that Precept of the Old and Mystery or Craft of the New Testament Thou shalt not covet that of Contentment with whatsoever lot the prohibition of all desire which seemeth such a galling restraint to the carnal man with his bored tub of insatiate desire as Jamblichus calls it about him but to him that hath taken this yoke upon him is the gainfullest not duty but donative not burthen but purchase and preferment that any mortal is capable of The Philosopher could resolve it the way to help any man to whatever he wanted detrahere cupiditatibus to pare so much off from his desires as his desires were larger than his fortune To bring down his ambitions to his lot would be as rich a prize as the compassing and acquiring all his ambitions Contentment is in earnest the Philosopher's Stone that makes Gold of any thing the Pandora's Box that hath all wealth and honour and pleasure in its disposing makes the poorest Eremite the richest possessor the most scorned abject the most honourable person the Recluse or the mortified Christian the most voluptuous liver in a Kingdom every diminution that can come by the malice of men or devils a pleasurable calamity whilst the largest possessions in nature without this one skill 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 this sovereign piece of Alchymy are still the perfectest beggery imaginable The Devil 's whole Map or Landskip of all the Kingdoms and glory if as liberally offered so actually bestowed is not able to satisfie the lusts of one eye much less to fill up the angles and vacuities of one heart without it That one prudent instruction of Quod sis esse velis nihâ—lque malis in one Poet or Permittes ipsis expendere numinibus in another or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in a third Stand still and see the salvation of our God is a far richer provision than all their more glittering fictions of Golden Apples and Golden Showers and Golden Fleeces and Golden Rods that could make such sudden metamorphoses yea and of the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Golden Nets the Golden Ages can afford us In heaven saith Christ they neither eat nor drink marry nor are given in marriage and yet are better satisfied and pleased than they below that are fed in Mahomet's Dining-room or lodged in his Seraglio The not desiring those pleasures of life is to them the same thing with
make up the Gospel-spirit Bonum ex essentiâ integra And what these branches are I cannot better direct you than by putting you in mind of these few severals First Christ's badg or cognizance By this shall all men know that you are my Disciples if you love one another Not if one opinion but of love Add Nunquam laeti sitis c. as Jews rend Garments at Blasphemy so we at Vncharitableness Secondly Christ's legacy Peace I leave with you my peace I give unto you Thirdly Christ's copy Learn of me what 's beyond all his other perfections I am meek Fourthly The Nature of that Wisdom which cometh from above Jam. iii. First pure then peaceable Fifthly The quality of the fruits of the Spirit in St. Paul Gal. v. Love joy peace long-suffering gentleness goodness faith meekness c. Sixthly The gallantry of meekness in St. Peter Ornament of a meek and quiet spirit Seventhly Titus's charge that all Christians are to be put in mind of Tit. iii. 1 To be subject to Principalities to obey Magistrates to be ready to every good work to speak evil of no man to be no brawlers 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 no fighters but gentle shewing all meekness to all men Things that it seems nothing but Christianity could infuse For we our selves were sometimes fools disobedient c. But after the kindness and love of God our Saviour appeared then room for this Spirit I cannot give you a readier Landskip to present them all to your view together than that excellent Sermon of Christ upon the Mount that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as Chrysostom calls it That top-pitch of Divine Philosophy worthy to be imprinted in every mans heart and of which he that hath not been a pondering student and resolved to regulate his practice by it as much as his Faith by the Apostles Creed yea and to lay down his life a Martyr of that Doctrine though he hath all Faith I cannot promise my self much of his Christianity If you will have the Brachygraphy of that the Manual picture that may be sure either in words or sense never to depart from your bosom but remain your constant Phylactery or Preservative from the danger of all ungospel spirits then take the Beatitudes in the front of it And among them that I may if it be possible bring the whole Iliads into a Nutshel those that import immediately our duty towards men for in that the Gospel-spirit especially consists encreasing our love to Brethren whose flesh Christ now assumed and in whose interests he hath a most immediate concern And if you mark in the Chapter following all the improvements mentioned except only that of swearing belong to the commands of the Second Table And then the integral parts of this Gospel-spirit will be these four constantly Humility meekness mercifulness peaceableness and if need be suffering too Every of these four brought in to us with a checker or lay of duty towards God of mourning betwixt humility and meekness hungring and thirsting after Righteousness betwixt meekness and mercifulness purity of heart betwixt mercifulness and peaceableness and persecution and reproaches and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 every Rabshakeh Topick of railing Rhetorick vomited out upon us Blessed persecution blessed reproaches when our holding to Christ is that which brings them all upon us the consummation and crown of all Having but named you these severals Humility meekness mercifulness peaceableness and if need be patience of all stripes both of hand and tongue the sparkling gems in this Jewel blessed ingredients in this Gospel-spirit you will certainly resolve it full time for me to descend to my second particular at first proposed That some Disciples there were some prime Professors do not know the kind of that spirit 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 You know not what kind of spirit you are of James and John it appears were such Disciples and that after they had been for some competent time followers and auditors of his Sermons so far an easier thing it is to leave their worldly condition and follow Christ than to leave their carnal prejudices and ignorances and obey him especially those that had such hold in their passions as revenge they say is the pleasingest piece of carnality in the heap cheaper to hear his Gospel-Sermons than to practise them And you will less wonder at these two when you see that St. Peter himself after a longer space of proficiency in that school even at the time of Christs attachment had not yet put off that ignorance 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 say the Fathers Peter was of an hot Constitution and Christs Doctrine had not yet got down deep enough into his heart to allay or cool him Nondum concipiens in se Evangelicam patientiam illam traditam sibi à Christo c. saith Origen that Gospel-patience and peaceableness that Christ had commended to him he had not it seems yet received into an honest heart so he makes no scruple to cut off Malchus's ear when he was provoked to it I have heard of a Fryar that could confess that Malchus signified a King and yet after made no scruple to acknowledg him in that notion to be the High-Priests Servant And secondly to justifie St. Peters act and avoid Christs reprehension by saying that he was chid not for doing so much but for doing no more not for cutting off his Ear but for not directing the blow better to the cutting off his Head And how far this Fryar's barbarous Divinity hath been justified of late by the Writings of some who will yet perswade us that Christ did not reprehend St. Peter for that act and by the actions of others I have little joy to represent unto you God knows I love not to widen breaches only I am sure the Fathers are clear that though formerly St. Peter were ignorant and from that ignorance and zeal together ran into that fury yet Christ 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 desirous to tune him to that sweet harmoniacal Gospel temper tells him he must not use the sword he having no Commission especially against those that have it though they use it never so ill 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 though it were to avenge even God himself And having given you these proofs of this ignorance in three Disciples I think 't is possible I might extend it to the rest of them that they were in this particular ignorant too as it seems they were in many other things till the Holy Ghost came according to promise to teach them all things and to bring to their remembrance to thaw their memories that the words of Christs like the voice in Plutarch that had been frozen might at length become audible or as Plato's Precepts were learned by his Scholars when they were young but never understood till they were Men of full age and tamer passions I say to bring to their remembrance whatsoever Christ had in Person said unto them And I wish to God it were
is esteemed unnecessary and burthensom You need not the application Again the husbandman can mend a dry stubborn wayward fruitless earth by overflowing of it and on such indeed is his ordinary requisite discipline to punish it for its amendment But there is a ground otherwise well tempered which they call a weeping ground whence continually water soaks out and this proves seldom fruitful if our learned Husbandmen observe aright wherefore there is sometime need of draining as well as watering The application is that your Soul which either hath been naturally dry and barren or else over-wrought in the business of the World needs a flood of tears to soften and purge it But the well temper'd Soul which hath never been out of heart but hath always had some inward life some fatness of and nourishment from the spirit is rather opprest than improved by such an overslow The Christian is thereby much hindred in his progress of good works and cannot serve the Lord with alacrity that so perpetually hangs down his head like a Bulrush Wherefore the Country rule is that that ground is best which is mellow which being crusht will break but not crumble dissolve but not excessively Hence I say the habituate believer need not suspect his estate if he find not in himself such an extremity of violent grief and humiliation as he observes in others knowing that in him such a measure of tears would both soil the face of his devotion and clog the exercise of it His best mediocrity will be to be habitually humbled but actually lively and alacrious in the ways of godliness not to be too rigid and severe a Tyrant over his Soul but to keep it in a temper of Christian softness tender under the hand of God and yet man-like and able both in the performance of Gods worship and his own calling And whensoever we shall find our selves in either extreme either too much hardned or too much melted too much elevated or too much dejected then to pray to that Holy Spirit so to fashion the temper of our Souls that we neither fail in humbling our selves in some measure for our sins nor yet too cowardly deject and cast down our selves below the courage and comfort and spiritual rejoycing which he hath prescribed us O Holy Lord we are the greatest of Sinners and therefore we humble our selves before thee but thou hast sent thy Christ into the World to save Sinners and therefore we raise up our spirits again and praise and magnifie thy name And thus much of this point and in brief of the first consideration of these words to wit as they are absolutely a profession of Paul himself to which end we beheld him in his double estate converted and unconverted In his unconverted state we found though a very great Sinner yet not absolutely greater than those times brought forth and therefore we were to think of him relatively to his future estate and so we found him the greatest Sinner that ever was called in the New Testament into so glorious a Saint Whence we observe the rarity of such conversions that though Saul were yet every blasphemous Sinner could not expect to be called from the depth of sin to regeneracy and salvation and this we proved both against the ancient Romans and modern Censors of morality and applied it to the care which we ought to have of keeping our unregeneracy spotless from any reigning sin Afterward we came to Paul converted where we balk't the Discourse of the condition of sin in the regenerate and rather observed the effect of it and in it that the greatness of his sin made as Paul so every regenerate man more eagerly to fasten on Christ Which being proved by a double ground we applied first by way of caution how that proposition was to be understood 2. By way of character how a great Sinner may judge of his sincere certain Conversion 3. By way of comfort to others who find not the effects of humiliation and the like in themselves in such measure as they see in others and so we have past through the first consideration of these words being conceived absolutely as St. Pauls profession of himself we should come to the other consideration as they are set down to us as a pattern or form of confessing the estate and applying the Salvation of Sinners to our selves which business requiring the pains and being worthy the expence of an entire hour we must defer to a second exercise Now the God which hath created us hath elected redeemed called justified us will sanctifie us in his time will prosper this his ordinance will direct us by his grace to his glory To him be ascribed due the honour the praise the glory the dominion which through all ages of the world have been given to him that sitteth on the Throne to the Holy Spirit and Lamb for evermore Pars Secunda SERMON XIX 1 TIM I. 15 Of whom I am the chief IN all Humane Writings and Learning there is a kind of poverty and emptiness which makes them when they are beheld by a Judicious Reader look starved and Crest-faln their Speeches are rather puft up than fill'd they have a kind of boasting and ostentation in them and promise more substance and matter to the Ear than they are able to perform really to the understanding whence it falls out that we are more affected with them at the first hearing and if the Orator be clear in his expression we understand as much at the first recital as we are able to do at the hundredth repetition But there is a kind of Excellency in the Scripture a kind of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or sublimity above all other Writings in the World The reading of every Section of it leaves a sting in the mind and a perpetual conceit of a still imperfect understanding of it An intelligent man at every view finds in it a fresh mystery and still perceives that there is somewhat beyond not yet attain'd to like men digging in Mines the deeper he dives he finds the greatest treasure and meets with that under ground which looking on the outward turf or surface he never imagined to have been there This I observe unto you to shew you the riches both of all and especially of this Scripture whereinto the deeper I dig the more Ore I find and having already bestowed one hour in the discussing of it without any violence or wresting or wire-drawing find plenty of new materials We have already handled the Words at large in one consideration as they are a profession of Paul himself I will not repeat you the particular occurrents We now without any more delay of Preface come to the second consideration of them as they are spoken by Paul respectively to us i. e. as they are prescribed us for a form of confessing the estate and applying the Salvation of Sinners unto our selves teaching each of us for a close of our Faith and Devotion to confess