errour and then confirmeth his assertion The remooving of this errour is by way of Anticipation answering that which he knew they stumbled at and might object unto him after this manner how canst thou shew or wee feare anie might or power of Christ in thee towards us who art thy self so weake in Christ and destitute of all strength The Apostle answereth this by a distinction and confirmes it by the like example in Christ himself for he denyeth not simplie but confesseth himself to be weak in Christ but that this weakenesse was onelie according to the fleshe notwithstanding whereof he was mightie with Christ by the heavenlie and divine power of the spirit of God in him and in this he was like his lord master Christ who as cōcerning the flesh was weak indeed having taken our nature upon him with all the infirmities therof except sin and according to this weaknesse did suffer death and was crucified who notwithstanding liveth againe by the power of his Godhead by the which he mightilie raysed himself from the dead So that even as Christ in himself was weake in or according to the fleshe and yet was mightie in the spiritt or accordinge to his divine nature so also his servants and messengers in him are weake in the flesh and in all fleshlie power but are aliue or mightie with him by the power of his spirit in them This conformitie of Christs ministers with Christ himself in fleshlie weakenes and spirituall power is carefullie to bee marked not onelie against the sacriligious vsurpation of both powers or swords by the Pope as Christs vicar but also against the corruption which originallie flowing from his practice hath yet too great place in reformed churches It s Gods will that the messengers of his truth should carie that heauenlie treasure in earthen vessells that the excellencie of the power may be of God and not of them For the weapons of their warfare are not carnall but spirituall mighty not through men eyther thēselves or others but onely through God to cast downe strong houlds c. So that nether is he that planteth nor he that watereth anie thing but only God that giveth the encrease And hereof Christ himself in the daies of his ministry was a livelie patterne in shunning all wordly perferment and disclayming all civill authoritie walking in great weaknes outward as touching the flesh evē from his birth to his death armed with no carnal might or fleshlie power but onelie with the heavenlie and spirituall power of his divine nature And even as his basenes and weakenes in the flesh made the world to dispise him notwithstanding the infinite power of his divine nature so in all ages and now doe most men stumble at the weakenes of his ministers in fleshlie things belonging to this world notwithstanding of the spirituall power of Christ in their ministry Now the Apostle having thus answered their objection he comes to prooue his former assertion to wit That Christ in his ministry was not weake towards them but was mighty in them so that this their seeking of a farther proofe of Christ speaking in him was nothing but a sinfull tempting of Christ and that the proofe which he should giue them behooved to bee sharp and bitter vnto them in not sparing them at his coming If before his coming they did not reverence his words and yeald obedience to his admonitions upon the proofe bypast in themselves of Christs mighty power towards them in his ministry The argument of confirmation is drawne from their owne testimonies grounded upon their owne knowledge experience in themselves which testimonie the Apostle doth forcibly constraine thē to yeald by an argument taken from the wofull consequēce which must necessarie follow upon the contrarie the consequence being that if they acknowledg not this experience in themselves of Christs power in his ministry toward them then they themselves must be reprobate Christians but because manie careleslie and negligentlie do passe by the right consideration and observation of the powerfull effects of the ministry of the Gospell in themselves and so do fall in this sinne of the Corinthians despising that which they should highlie esteeme of the Apostle therefore referreth not the proofe of his assertiō to what they would vnadvisedlie say and witnesse of this might of Christ towards them in his ministry but unto their testimonie upon sufficient tryall and examination of themselves in themselves upō which he boldlie affirmeth that they shall eyther find his ministry powerfull or themselves reprobats If then wee will consider this argument in al the particularities therein contained there bee 4 things to be marked of us the 1 is The tryall and examination of themselvs the 2 is These things whereof they are to take tryall in themselves the 3 is the argument remooving all excuse of ignorance or pretences of impossibilities of discerning these things in themselves The 4 is The argument it self whereby the Apostle drawes them to a necessitie of acknowledging the power of Christ in his ministry towards them from the hard consequence that must follow upon the contrarie Before wee speake of these particulars its necessarie that first wee marke and consider the maine points of the Apostles doctrine in this place first laying this supposition that the hearers are true Christians and not reprobates he concludeth absolutelie that they must haue proofe and experience of the mightie power of Christ in the ministry of those men by whom they are eyther first called or afterward confirmed in grace Thereupon he seemeth evidently to conclude these positions followinge First where no proofe of Christs power in the ministry is found or felt by the hearers eyther the Teacher must be a rebrobate Teacher or the hearers reprobate hearers Secondly that it is impossible that those who are the elect of God can be without sence feeling of Christs mightie power unto salvation in those who are the true ministers of the Gospell Thirdly That want of sence feeling in the hearers of this power of Christ in the ministry of his faithfull servants doth evidently evince such hearers to be reprobates Lastly That those ministers in whose ministry the hearers being of Gods elect do find no sence or evidence of Christs power unto salvation must needs be reprobate ministers For the true ministry of Christ Iesus is the power of God unto salvation to all that are to bee saved and is foolishnes to none but such as perish And if it bee not the power of God to them that are saved It must needs follow that that mans ministry is not of God These generall positions shal be most cleare and evident unto us after the exposition of the 4 former particular points contayned in the Apostles argument whereof wee are now to speake The 1 point is the tryall whereunto the Apostle doth invite them wherein 2 things are specially to be observed The 1 is the action it selfe of tryall or
examination The 2 is the subject or persons whom he willeth them to try Concerning the action it is not onely a commeÌ„dable but also a most necessary duety to be observed of every man before he pronounce sentence or passe his iudgment upoÌ„ anie thing but speciallie upon the things of God his worship in his ordinances eyther in rejecting or admitting condemming or approoving for hereby wee are preserved not onely from that great sinne of sinistrous and rash judgement but also from that great follie that falleth in many of forsaking that which is for our good and embracing that which is for our hurt and so consequently are kept from doeing wrong both to our selves and others The truth hereof wee may evidently see in these Corinthians who dispised and contemned the blessed ministry of Paul who was the faithfull Apostle of Christ and did reverence and highlie esteeme the deceitfull ministers of Sathan onely because they neglected this examination and tryall and hereof also it coÌ„meth dayly to passe that many fall in that heavie sinne wherewith Christ upbraided the Iewes saying I am come in my fathers name and yee receave me not if another shall come in his owne name him ye will receave Happie therefore are they who follow the direction of the Aposile Io. In not beleeving every spirit but trying the spirits whether they bee of God or not For manie false prophets haue in former ages doe at this preseÌ„t shal hereafter goe out into this world The necessity of this action may yet farther be perceaued by the Apostles doubling of his exhortation saying Prooue yourselvs examine yourselvs whereby he inforceth them to this as a thing of great moment and most necessarie and therefore not to be neglected for it is the custome of the Apostles in things of this nature to use repetition that we may take them more deeply to hart and seriously practise them and surely there is not any one practise more necessarie in a christian then this of tryall and examination the neglecte whereof maketh many not onely to despise God his Gospell his ministers and his salvation all which they could not but highly esteeme of and desire aboue all things if once they would truly try and tast how good they are but also causeth manie in the ignorance of their owne estate either securely and proudly to boast of themselvs as children of grace when there is no grace in them or then in the miserable weaknesse of their owne hearts to deplore their lamentable estate as forlorne and forsaken of God whenas notwithstanding they injoy the solid testimonies of Gods favour towards them for this cause when the Psalmist would perswade men to seek after God and draw neare unto him he exhorteth them to tast and behold how gracious the Lord is whose goodnesse Peter also maketh to be the argument or condition either to perswade or to be required to moove men to desire the sincere milk of the word for questionlesse they that haue tasted and truly felte what is the goodnesse of God manifested by his word cannot but confesse with David that the Word of God is more to be desired than much fine gold sweeter also than the hony and the hony-comb For the very feete of those who publish peace and Preach good things are beautifull to all who haue felt the consolation of theire ministrye the truth whereof may be seene in the Galatians who as saith the Ap. himselfe did not despise the tryall of him which was in his flesh nether abhorred hiÌ„ whenas first he preached the Gospell unto theÌ„ through the infirmity of the flesh but upoÌ„ the falicity which they found in his miniâ—â—ry receaved him as an Angel of â—od yea as Christ Iesus so that if it â—â—d beene possible they would haue â—â—ucked out their eies and haue giâ—en them unto him For which â—ause the same Apostle when â—e willeth the Thessalonians â—ot to dispise prophesying immediatelie addes this exhortation to try all things keepe that â—hich is good as a meane to â—â—ing them to the loue desire â—nd estymatioÌ„ of prophesying â—or he knew that tryall and â—roofe would make dispisers â—o change their mind and â—ighlie to esteeme that which â—hey dispised before and this â—s the 1. Vse of the doubling of â—his exhortatioÌ„ The 2 use is to â—ew the Apostles assured confidence touching the certainty of that which he had affirmed of the mighty power of Christ in his ministry towards then when so earnestlie and instantly he urgeth them to the tryaâ— thereof in themselves referring the examination of the truâ— thereof to the same persons whâ— did seeke it in him For aâ—â— though the spirit of the propheâ— bee subject to the prophets yet noâ— withstanding the tryall whethâ—â— the spirits bee of God and whethâ—â— they speake in the evidency â— the spirit and power of God â— not is pertinent and belongeâ— in speciall maÌ„ner to the heareâ—â— whose feeling experience is thâ— most certaine testimony anâ— most infallible proofe of Chriâ—â— speaking in those ministeâ—â— whom they heare And therefore a Pastor may then moâ—â— justly boast of the power oâ— Christan his ministry when hâ— dare make his hearers his judges and refer himself to their tryall â—hich teacheth us also another â—â—sson to condemn that vaine â—rogancy foolish pride which â—ossesseth the harts of manie in â—â—ghly esteeming and vainely â—orying of their owne miniâ—â—â—y whenas the vertue valew â—ereof hath no testimony â—â—om the sence and experience â—f the hearers but from the â—ind conceyt of the teachers themselves For the Lord Iesus â—oth arme his messengers with â—e power and vertue of his â—â—irit from aboue not so much â—or their owne sake as for their â—earers in whom God will haue their ministry mighty powerâ—â—ll to cast down all strong houlds â—nd every high thing that is exalâ—â—d in their imaginations against â—he knowledge of God and to â—ubdue all their thoughts intents of their minds to the obedience Christ wee conclude therefoâ—â— this use with this warning to a preachers that seeing as theâ— are ministers the honour anâ— credit of their ministry coÌ„sisteâ— most in the power of God in â— towards others they doe nâ—â— glory nor boast of themselves iâ— respect of their ministry but according as the evidence of thâ— power thereof may be truelâ— testified by the conscience oâ— their hearers esteeming nothing eyther of their eloquence oâ— gifts of preaching how greaâ— soeuer they be in themselves wheÌ„ as they are without eyther force or power towards otherâ— seeing as sayth the Apostle Thâ— kingdome of God is not in woâ—â— but in power and therefore â—â— threatneth those false teacheâ— puft up at Corinth that when hâ— should come to try them he would take notice not of their words but of their power And this shall appeare more evidently by that 2 point which in this tryall is to bee observed who are the persons whom he willeth
thē to proove examine his words are proove yourselues examine yourselvs The question being of the power of Christ in Pauls ministry he referreth the tryall thereof to his hearers in themselvs which he would never haue done if the question concerning this power in all mens preaching were not to be decided rather by that which is felt by experience in the hearers than by any thing whatsoever in the Teacher Divers singular uses we haue of this poynt First touching the true knowledge of the nature of all spirituall things It must be taken from the tryall and experience which we have of them in onr selvs which is the true limits and bounds as well as the ground foundatiō of all true knowledg of God and all things belonging to salvation For how excellent and superemminently good soever they be in themselvs our mindes can rise no higher in apprehending and knowing them then the experience and sence is which wee receive of theire force and effectuall working in and upon ourselvs And this is true not onely in the supernaturall knowledge of God heavenly things but also in so far as nature it self can apprehend of God this is manifest by the Apostles words to the Romans when he sayth that which might be known of God is manifest in men themselves For which cause he justly concludeth the Gentiles to haue beene vniust detayners of the truth of God and therefore most justly punisht from heaven because knowinug God they did not glorifie him as God neither were thankfull For it is most certaine that there can bee no true judgement of these things that are spirituall and so no way subject to the apprehension of earnall sences but onely from the sence and seeling of our soules according to the measure of working whereby it pleaseth God by his spirit to make our soules sensible of his nature and goodnes which wee never can rightly esteeme of vntill by his blessed gospell begetting us again to a liuely hope of an inheritance immortall vndefyled and that withereth not he powreth in by his spirit aboundantly in our harts his loue and peace that passeth all vnderstanding neither can wee ever acknowledge the blessed word of God to be the power of God vnto salvation vntill that by experience wee find it to bee that which the Apostle describes it to bee in us viz. a living word mighty in operation and sharper then any two edged sword and piercing into the devision of our soule and of our spirit the joynts the marrow and judging the verie thoughts and intents of our harte so that wee may justly conclude that no man hath any more true knowledge eyther of God the gospell or ministry thereof then so far as in himself he hath felt by proofe and experience their efficacy and working upon himself Moreover this teacheth us another lesson touching the true course of mens tryall in matters spirituall and specially of the vertue and power of any mans ministry it is apparent that the Corinthians did narrowly marke the Apostle himselfe in his outward estate and in his vtterance and eloquence in all which they externally found nothing in their carnal judgmēt but basenes weakenes and words of no valew but in the meane time they did not marke the mighty work of that weake mā by his seeming weake words in their owne harts inwardly which made them perverse and sinistrous Iudges of his ministry the vertue and power whereof is not to be discerned by ought that outwardly can bee perceaved eyther by the eye in behoulding the speaker or by the eare in hearing his eloquence but onely by the inward sence and feeling of their owne harts and spirits And this serves to correct two great vices in our judging first concerninge the persons and 2 concerning the matter Touching the persons its a common vice to bee busie in taking notice in judging of others but not of our selves whereas our mindes ought to bee still examining our selves not others for as sayth the Apostle who art thou that judgest another mans servant hee standeth or falleth to his owne Lord and not unto thee and the scriptures of God continually warne us to absteyn from judging of others and still to judge and tax our selvs least wee be judged and in judging others to begine first at our selves because thereby we shal be the more able to giue righteous judgment of others for as Christ sayth how can a man say to his brother let me cast out a mote out of thine eie behould there is a beame in his owne eie Mat. 74. For how shall a man see to cast out a mote out of his brothers eie unto the time that first he hath cast out the beame out of his owne eie For Christ himself shewes that with what judgment wee judge others wee shal be judged and with what measure wee meat unto others it shal be measured againe to us Besides that the judgment of others is not left unto us by the Lord but reserved unto himself and therefore the Apostle counteth it a very small matter to bee judged by the Corinthians or any mans judgment touching his fidelity in his ministry but this Apostle earnestly invites us to judge and examine our selvs and sheweth to the Corinthians that if wee judged our selves wee should not bee judged of the Lord with his temporall plagues as infirmities sicknes and temporall death by which the Lord did chastise the Corinthians for not judging and examining thēselvs before they did eat of the Lords bodie And this duety of not judging others but our selvs is the more carefully to bee observed by us because as we shall heare afterwards every faithfull Christian is able by the spirit of God given him to discerne of himself his spirituall estate aright but as concerning others although in the judgment of charity wee ought to esteeme well of all that professe Christ yea euen of those with whom wee refuse to converse for disobedience in them whom still according to the rule of the Apostle wee are not to esteeme as enemies but to admonish as brethren yet the infallible knowledge of their estate in Christ is only known to God who only knoweth who is his owne The 2. errour concerning the matter of our judgment is hereby likewise corrected wee see and perceaue this to bee a common folly in men to looke upon the person of the preacher upon his gifts and utterance and still to be censuring all men to bee eyther good or bad preachers according as they find them to satisfie or displease their judgment in their gifts of knowledge vtterance or eloquence and so often fall in a wofull errour in contemning the best applauding the worst whereas the matter of all true judgment of preaching consists not so much in the matter or utterance of the preacher as in the power of that which is spoken which power is
the chidren of God And so by consequence wherein stands the chief proof that the word of God is Gods power to our salvation but in the consideration of these our faith is the point that makes the conclusion For without faith its impossible wee can bee or know our selves to bee the children of God But notwithstanding that which makes the infallible determination of being in the faith depends upon the presence of Christ within us without which all conceit of having faith is frivolous and vain The order then of our minds in searching our spirituall estats is this 1. Wee are to try and examine our selves whether wee know our selves to bee of God or no for he is not of God that knowes not himself to bee of God for according to the saying of Iohn he hath given us a mind to know him which is true and wee are in him that is true and wee know that wee are of God Iohn 1. Epi. 5. 19. 20. Secondly wee are to try if wee bee in the faith because wee never can know our selves to bee of God untill the time wee find ourselves to bee in the faith according to the saying of Christ Hee that is of God heareth Gods words ye therefore heare them not because ye are not of God Iohn 8. 47. 3. For confirming our hearts in the knowledge of this 2. Point and so consequently in the full assurance of the first wee are to try if Christ bee in us without which wee can never assuredly know that wee beleeved and so consequently that wee are of God according to the saying of Christ speaking of the work of the spirit in those to whom he gives it at that day shall ye know that I am in my father and you in mee and I in you and againe in his prayer to God for his elect the glory that thou gavest mee I haue given them that they may be one as wee are one I in them and thou in mee that they may bee made perfect in one Iohn 17. 22. 23. And againe I haue declared unto them thy name and will declare it that the loue wherewith thou hast loved mee may be in them and I in them Ibidem 17. 26. For which cause the saincts are called the habitation of God by the spirit Ephesians 2. 22. Whereupon the Apostle concludeth that if any man haue not the spirit of Christ the same is not his Rom. 8. 9. And this dwelling of Christ by his spirit in our hearts is only wrought by faith according to the saying of the Apostle I bow my knees unto the father of our Lord Iesus Christ that he might grant you according to the richnes of his glory that you may bee strengthned by his spirit in the inward man that Christ may dwell in your hearts by saith Ephesians 3. 14. 15 16. 17. By all which it evidently appeares when it is that a man knowes himself indeed to be the child of God and also wherein this knowledge consisteth viz. when he comes to a lively feeling and cleare sight that Christ is in him all other gifts and graces whatsoever being of no valew or force in the least to give any assurance or true knowledge to a mans soule that he is truely and effectually called by the Gospell to the estate of grace and hope of glory for then onely it is that the Gospell becomes the power of God to our salvation when as thereby Christ is formed in us according to the words of the Apostle to the Galatians saying my litle children of whom I trauell in birth againe untill Christ bee formed in you Cap. 4. 19. The same is confirmed by that speech of the Apostle to the Colossiaus wherein he discribes what is the riches of the glorious mistery of the Gospell amongst the gentills saying which riches is Christ in you the hope of glory Cap. 1 27. The use of this is to teach us that in vaine any man contents himselfe with any other thing whatsoever thereby hoping to be saved if he haue not Christ within him and that he himself know it for with out him nothing availes to salvation synce nothing can make a man the child of God but he aloue in so far that faith it self is not the true faith of Gods elect whereby the heart is purified and a sinner justified and saved except that by it Christ be brought in and made to dwell in the heart and that in such evidency that the beleeving man know that he hath Christ within him for its impossible that a man can haue Christ but that he must know that he hath him such is the liuely operation and supernaturall working of Christ in the soule where he is illuminating quickning and transforming everie man who hath him in the spirit of his mind and in pacifying comforting the conscience and in filling and replenishing the soule with the sence of Gods loue and hope of his glorie that never man could ever more clearely discern that hee hath a soule within him by the naturall effects thereof in his bodie then a christian may perceaue Christ to be within him by his proper effects before mentioned Out of this use we gather a second viz. That a man should sett himselfe to gaine Christ rather and aboue all things esteeming all other things but losse and judging all to be but dung for the excellent knowledg sake of Iesus Christ our Lord according as Paul did Philip. 3. 8. So as with the same Apostle he may sencibly know the vertue of his resurrection and the fellowship of his afflictions and be made conform to him in his death ibid. ver 10 For as Christ himselfe saith What availeth it a man to win the whole world if he loose his soule Mark 8 36. But certaine it is that everie soule shall perish eternally hereafter which gayneth not Christ in this present life This yealds matter of just reproofe against the most part of men if not all who labour so much for the things of this earth which are but transitorie vanities and helpe nothing to their salvation and make so small account of gayning Christ for the inâ—oying of whom even when they are invited unto him will not forsake the smallest ease proffit or pleasure of this life but make light of him and goe their waies one to his farm another about his marchandize others take the inviters and use them sharply and kill them As Christ himself tels us in the â—arableâ— Mat. 22. 5 6. And â—e were to be wished that these were the worst sort of the dispisers of Christ though these be so bad that they shall never tast of the supper of the great King but there is another sort much more to be lameÌ„red who are lovers of sinfull pleasures more then of God spending the time appointed and sette for the purchase and gayning of Christ in abhominable filthines in chambring and wontonnesse in gluttony and drunckennesse in sport and unlawfull gayming and sinfull