a Christian by his proper act Worship and by the proper object thereof God and by his most proper part in spirit And the word Worship is taken for the inward worship of God commanded in the first Commandement also comprehending our feare love of God and joy in him issuing from the knowledge of the true God All our obedience issuing herefrom is worship of God including our duties to man in obedience and relation to Gods Commandement The ground of this obedience and worship is the relation betweene God and the reâ—sonable creature being the Image of God now this image being lost in the fall of our first parents wee must worship him not onely as our creator and maker but as reconciled to us in Christ as he hath made us anew Secondly we are to worship him as the well-spring of all grace goodnesse excellencie and greatnesse Thirdly As he doth communicate all unto us he is ours Christ is ours all is ours this should carry our soules to love him be his as he is ours especially to be his in Spirit By which is meant the reasonable soule understanding will and affections And Secondly with sanctified understanding sanctified will and sanctified affections Thirdly with all our strength spirit life and chearfull readinesse Wherefore God is the proper object of spirituall worship Trust on him love him joy in him invoke and pray to him and to him onely not to the Virgin Mary Saints or Images as the Papists doe Mat. 4.10 Him onely shalt thou serve as Christ saith because our commandement is onely from him and extends onely to him The promises are onely from him he onely is present in all places he onely supplies our wants and he onely knowes what our wants are and how to helpe Saints are not present in all places they cannot heare many at once nay they cannot heare our prayers unlesse they be present they are finite creatures they have no infinite properties Christ he bids us invites us to come to him he hath promised to heare us and to ease us And further God knowes the secret wants which the Saints cannot know no wee our selves know them not and therefore are we to goe onely to God in all our necessities because it is most gainfull for us to goe to him that can helpe us nay we owe him this honour by going to him to acknowledge his omnipresence his willingnesse and ability to doe good VERS 3. In Spirit THe Apostle in these words shewes the manner of true worship by the most proper and fit part of a Christian to wit his Spirit that is as soule truely sanctified lively and cheerfully with a willing and ready mind fitly disposed Contrary to outward false and hypocriticall worship And the reason is Because God is a Spirit and therefore must be worshipped in spirit Secondly it is the best part of a man and God who challenges all and that justly looks especially that he hath the best part Thirdly the Spirit hath a being of it selfe and praiseth loveâ—h and rejoyceth in God when it s out of the body and the body is stirred up to this duâ—y onely by the spirit it being of it selfe senselesse as a blocke and outward worship without inward is but the carkasse of worship The Prayer of a wicked man is abominable because he regards iniquitie in his heart Psal. 66.18 And this spirit of ours without the spirit of God cannot worship him and therefore every one that is not changed makes God an Idoll This may deprive all such of comfort as care not for this spirituall worship thinking they have done enough if they have mumbled a few idle words over God accepts it no more than if they had sacrificed a dogges head as he saith Esay 66.3 And verily what other is Poperie but a bodie without a soule when they worship in blinde sacrifices in a strange language Is this a spirituall worship when they neither know what they doe nor say Let us shew that we are not of their number Come we with love and with the intention of all our affections and this will sway the whole man body and soule and so shall we worship him in truth and not in hypocrisie as many doe that bring their Idols with them their mindes are on their pleasures and riches though their body be present before God And it hath ever been an error in the world this limiting and tying Gods worship to outward worship of the body with a kinde of ceremonious gesture and it is very much liked for such like Reasons as these are First the outward gesture as holding up hands bending the knee casting up the eyes they are things that may easily be done Secondly they make a glorious shew in the eyes of the world its a commendable and good quality to be religious especially if they bee observed so to be Thirdly its beneficiall to men when as hereby they are knowne to be no Atheists and therefore not that way uncapable of preferment or the like Fourthly outward worship satisfies conscience a little men know they must worship God and goâ— to Church that these are means to save men and thâ—y thinke that in doing so they stoppe the cryes of their consciences Alas Alas these sleepie blinded consciences of theirs will â—t length awake and will accuse them for the outward ceremonious hypocriticall worship of him that requires the spirit to worship him with But some men may say how shall we know whether we serve God in spirit or no I answer observe these properties First Wâ—ether thou lamentest thy defects in the best actions thou dost and art not puffed up with conceit of the sufficiencie of thy performances Paul found this in him for although he lived being a Pharisee as concerning the Law unrebukable yet when he was converted he saw much corruption which before he knew not and laments and bewailes it Rom. 7. Secondly Examiâ—e thy selfe whether thou makest conscience of private closet duties Of prayer in thy studie when none sees thee Of thy very thoughts Dost thou serve God with thy affections and thy very soule Dost thou weepe in secret for sinnes yea for thy secret sinnes Dost not thou doe good duties to be seene of men as the Pharisees did Contrariwise wilâ— thou omit no place nor time but alwaies and in all places thou wilt worship God This must be done for God is alwayes and for ever God and he is in all places in private as well as publike and therefore a Christians heart must be the Sanctum Sanctorum where God must remaine present continually and therefore he makes conscience of and is humbled for the least sinnes yea those that the world esteemes not of and counts them as niceties and that in as great a measure as ordinarily men are for the greatest sinnes they commit Thirdly Canst thou indure the search of thy selfe and thy infirmities by all meanes by thy selfe by others by the word
them from evill in the world and not that thou shouldst take them out of the world Ioh 17.15 If we be under crosses if this spirit and power of Christ be in us it will enable us to beare all patiently it will keepe us from murmuring and fretting It will also convince us of our naturall estate so as wee shall see evident necessitie of Gods almighty power to change us this made the Apostle Paul and the Iaylor to looke about them for helpe Lord what wouldest thou have me to doe and thus it will make us never to give God rest nor Christ respite till that power that shall raise up our bodies doe raise up also our soules and he shine in us by his spirit that did bring light out of darknes and fashion us as in his wisedome shall be most meet In the next place the consideration of Gods Almightie power should teach us not to be dejected or cast downe at the reports of the afflicted state of the Church abroad it should bring us rather to God to rely upon his goodnes and power for God is ever God almighty and the same mercifull God that ever he was and therfore we should pray for the Church the more instantly that God would give them beautie instead of ashes wee should urge him with his promise of building up and defending of his Church and destroying of Antichrist and let us make the resurrection of the body a ground to strengthen us in the beleefe thereof as the returne of the children of Israel from Babylon was sealed by the resurrection of the dry bones Ezek. 37. as also the Apostle from the resurrection of the dead gathereth that God by that power hath and will deliver him 2 Cor. 1.9 10. Furthermore when wee are oppressed with any extremitie though never so great by continuall meditation of his promises wee should strengthen our selves and apply them to our present estate and condition knowing that he that raised us out of dust will not suffer us to bee buried in miserie but will with the triall give us a gracious issue at the last by raising up our bodies at the last day by his almighty power which made also the Patriarch Abraham to hope above hope what though our helpes be few its no matter what the instrument is so as Christ is the chief worker In the next place This should incourage us to stand out sted fast in a good cause for the truth do not think with our selves alas I am but one and a weake sillie man what can I doe against a multitude let not such thoughts discourage thee thinke of Luther a poore Monke who alone set himselfe against the whole world and wrought that effect that wee have all cause at this day to honour the memorie of him it is not thou but God in thee that is able to confound all thine enemies and therefore with Moses behold him that is invisible Yet further this should bee observed by a Christian as a ground of his perseverance to the end for when wee know we are Christians what can bereave us of our blessings what can make our faith faile its Gods power that will keepe us to salvation and he that beleeveth shall have life and shall not come into condemnation Ioh. 6.39 40.44.47 and many other places and Christ by his almighty power swayes all our life to our building up to salvation and therefore in contraries we should beleeve contraries that death will worke life miserie happinesse corruption incorruption and this vilenesse glorie for its Gods order to worke by contraries that his power might the more appeare And at the houre of death then behold him that is thus able and all-sufficient that shall presently glorifie our soule and at length will raise up our bodie also and unite it to our soule to partake with it in glorie and happinesse that will then quit us of all sinne corruption death change all our enemies shall bee troden under our foote and all this by his almightie power whereby he is able to doe farre above that wee are able to think and therefore let us with a holy admiration thereof say with the Apostle Ephes. 3.20 To him be glorie for evermore Amen FINIS Loâ—uere ut videa 1 Cor. 8.5 Animus â—ujusque is est quisqueâ— 1 The Appellation 2 Exhortation 3 Limitation Meanes to get Ioy. Answ. 1. Ob. Answ. Psal. 120.5 Doctr. 1. Doct. 2. Note 3. Doct. 4. Reason 1. Reason 2. Reason 3. Reason 4. Reason 5. Reason 6. Vse 1. Vse 2. Rev. 1. and 2 3. Doctr. 1. 1 John 4.1 Quest. Answ. Ob. Answ. A threefold judgment to wit I Of Discretion II Of Directiâ—n III Of Jurisdiction Doctrine Quest. Answ. Rev. 22.15 Remedies against seducers Remedy 1. Remedy 2. Remedy 3. Remedy 4. Meanes and waies to mortifie sinne Three parts viz. 1 The Act Worship 2 The Object God 3 The most part viz. in Spirit Reasons why God must be worshipped in Spirit Vse Reasons why outward worship is so well liked and loved Ob. Answ. Signes of spirituall worshippers Helps unto spiritual worship Doctr. 1. Doct. 2. Reason 2. Reason 3. Reason 4. Reason 5. Reason 6. Quest. Answ. Causes of true joy Vse 1. Vse 2. Vse 3. Vse 4. Vse 5. Answ. Signes of true Christian joy 1 Signe 2. Signe 3. Signe 4. Signe 5. Signe Quest. Answ. Doctrine Ob. Answ. Reason 1. Reason 2. Reason 3. Reason 4 Reason 5. Quest. Answ. Signes of fleshly confidence St. Pauls prerogatives Obj. Quest. Answ. Obj. Answ. Wherein and how the knowledge of Christ exceeds humane knowledge Vse 1. Vse 2. Vse 3. Vse 4. Vse 5. Quest. Answ. Obj. Answ. Quest. Answ. Quest. Answ. Signes of the choice of Christ. Quest. Answ. Obj. Answ. Answ. The meanes how to be united to Christ. Vse 1. Signes of mortification Quest. Answ. Obj. 1. Obj. 2. Ob. Answ. Doctrine Vse 1. 1. Direct 2. 3. 2. Hind 3. Hind Direct 1. Quest. Answ. Quest. Answ. 1. 2. 3. Hind 4. Hind Doctrine Vse Doct. Vse 2. Doctr. Vse Doctr. Quest. Answ. Quest. Answ. Vse 1. 1 Signe 2. Signe 3. Signe 4. Signe Vse 2. Quest. Answ. Doctrine Doct. 1. Signe 2 Signe 3. Signe 4. Signe 5. Signe 6. Signe 7. Signe 9 Signe 10. Signe Meanes unto perfection Motives to the use of the meanes and unto perfection Doctrine How to walk according to the Rule Ob. Answ. Doct. Wherein imitation consists Why examples are laid downe in Scripture Vse 1. 1. Dir. 2. Dir. 3. Dir. Vse 2. Vse 3. Vse Reason 1. Reason 2. Reason 3. Who were enemies to Christs crosse Gal. 5.4 A threefold judgment Quest. Answ. Quest. Answ. Reason 1. Helpes Remedies against vaine-glory Rules Signes Doctr. Quest. Answ. 1. Dir. 2. Dir. 3. Dir. 4. Direct 5. Dir. 6. Dir. Obj. Answ. 7. Dir. Ob. Answ. Reason 1. Reason 2. Reason 3. Vsâ— Object Answ. Quest. Answ. Doctrine Doctr. 1. Quest. Answ. Vse Vse 1. Vse 2. Vse 3. Vse Quâ—st Answ. Obj. Answ. Vse 1. Vse 2. Vse 3. Vse 4. Vse 5. Vse 6. Vse 7. Doctrine 1.
AN EXPOSITION OF THE THIRD CHAPTER OF THE EPISTLE OF St. Paul to the PHILIPPIANS Also Two Sermons of Christian watchfulnesse The first upon Luke 12 37. The Second upon Revel 16.15 An Exposition of part of the second Chapter of the Epistle to the Philipp A Sermon upon Mal. 4.2.3 By the late Reverend Divine Richard Sibbes D.D. Master of Katherine Hall in Cambridge and sometimes Preacher at Grayes-Inne 1 TIM 4.8 But godlinesse is profitable having promise of the life that now is and of that which is to come LONDON Printed by T. Cotes for Peter Cole and are to be sold at the Glove Lyon in Corne-hill neare the Royall Exchange 1639. TO THE RIGHT HONORABLE Sr. MAVRICE ABBOT KNIGHT now Lord Maior of the Honorable Citie of London Right Honorable MY respects unto you being your Honours ingaged many wayes have put me upon a designe or project for you the God of Heaven graciously prosper it in my hand The tenour of it is briefly this to encrease your honour and to ease the burden of that laborious government which now lyeth upon your shoulder To mention your name before the glorious labour of so great and worthy an agent in the factorage of Heaven as the Author of this piece was and to make you a Protector of them cannot I conceive in sober interpretation but be conceived to adde honour unto him that hath and cause him to have more abundantly Blessed is the wing that is spread over any of the things of Iesus Christ to shelter them Againe to put into your hand and from your hand into your heart the remembrance of that God that will gloriously recompence your faithfulnesse in that great trust committed to you cannot but by the blessing of him to whom blessing belongeth be a cordiall meanes to strengthen your heart in the pange of government and cause you to travaile and bring forth with more ease There is no labour nor travaile nor sorrow nor difficultie nor danger nor death that hath any evill or bitternesse in it when Heaven is before us and the truth and faithfulnesse of the living God embracing us If I have miscaried in point of good manners or otherwise in this Dedication your Honour shall doe but justice to charge your owne courtesie and respects alwayes shewed unto mee at least in part with the blame of it Had not there beene the tempter doubtlesse in this case I had not beene the transgressour The God of peace prosper the government of this great Cittie in your hand and make it a glorious rise and advantage unto you of your greater glory in the Heavens And your Honour may assure your selfe that so it shall come to passe unlesse that God that heareth prayer shall reject the prayer of Your honour to command in the Lord I. G. To the Reader GOod Reader to discourse the worth or commendations of the Author especially the pens of others having done sacrifice unto him in that kind I judge it but an impertinencie and make no question but that if I should exchange thoughts or judgements with thee herein I should have but mine owne againe The booke it selfe judiciously interpreted is a volume of his commendation and those though from his owne mouth without any touch or tincture of vanitie or selfe affectation The best sight of a man is to heare him speake the tongue being a voluntary and pleasant rack to the heart to make it confesse its treasure whether it bee good or evill The diligence and care of those that have interposed for the preserving of what came from him in this way from perishing have made the Christian world debtors unto them and great pitty it had beene that what he spake in publicke should have dyed in secret and not be made seven timeâ— more publicke then speaking could doe The sparkes of such fires as he kindled would have beene ill quenched till the world had beene further serv'd with the light and heat of them It is true heapes of bookes is one of the oppressions of the world and the invention of the Presse hath beene the exaltation of weakenesse and vanitie amongst men as well as of learning and knowledge Yet know I no way better to reteine the oppressed in this kind then for men of worth and growne judgements and learning to appeare in bookes also among the multitude The time was when there were as the Apostle speaketh Gods many and Lords many in the world when the world was pestred with Devills of all sorts in stead of Gods but the onely meanes of discharging the world of them was the setting forth and preaching of the one true God and Lord Iesus Christ so the furnishing the world with such bookes as are bookes indeed that breathe spirit and life and are strong of heaven speaking with authoritie and power to the consciences of men is the onely way to affamish the multitude of Idoll books and to have them desolate without a reader It is questionlesse with men in respect of bookes as it is in respect of men themselves and indeede how there should be any difference betweene men and bookes I know not the booke being but the minde of a man and the minde of a man being the man himselfe Homo homini Deus homo homini Lupus There are men that are Gods to men and there are men that are Wolves to men and the more men-wolves there are in the world the more men-gods there had neede to bee otherwise the darkenesse would overcome the light and make the earth as the shadow of death So there are bookes that are laden with divine and true treasure that will recompence the Reader his labour and paines seven fold into his bosome that will open his mouth and enlarge his heart to blesse God that hath given gifts unto men Againe there are bookes also that will deale cruelly and deceitfully with men consuming their pretious time opportunities taking their mony for that which is not bread Now the more dreamers of dreames there are there had neede be the more that see visions The more weake hungry loose and emptie discourses the world is overlayed and encumbred with all the more neede it hath by way of a counter recompence of a full provision of solid and masculine writings that may make men men and not alwayes children in understanding But I must remember that prefacing Authors with long Epistles is no imployment of any sovereigne necessitie Therefore I will no longer separate betweene thee and that which I desire to recommend unto thee more then any thing of mine owne The blessing of him that giveth the increase be upon the labour of him that planted and watred much in the courts of the house of his God that though hee be dead hee may yet speake to the edification of thine and of many soules Thine with a single heart and multiplied affections in the Lord. I.G. AN EXPOSITION OF THE THIRD Chapter of the Epistle of St.
by private friends Nay canst thou desire this search that thou maist know thy â—inne more and more for this end that thou mayst truely hate it with a more perfect hatred Canst thou truely appeale to God as Peter did to Christ thou knowest that I love and preferre thee above all It is a sure signe of thy sinceritie which the world cannot have and therefore when they see their sinnes laid open they spurne at the ordinances and spite the Minister and their true friends that put them in minde of their faults accounting them as their onely enemies Surely they shall never be able to indure the search of God hereafter and the last day when he shall lay them open they shall be overcome with shame A fourth signe is That at the houre of thy death this spiritual worshipping of God will give thee content when nothing else can Thou mayst say with comfort as Hezekiah did Lord remember how I have walked before thee in sinceritie When down-right affliction comes outward verball profession vanisheth with all the comforts thereof then perisheth the hope of the hypocrite Two things upheld Iob in comfort in his great extremity he was first assured that his redeemer lived and secondly he knew his innocency in those things that his friends charged him with and such times will fall on us all either at the time of death or before when nothing but innocencie and sincerity shall be able to uphold us Labour therefore for sincerity and spirituall worship Worship God in spirit but let it be done outwardly also But first bring thy heart and intention to what thou dost and that will stirre up the outward man to its duty and for the performance hereof follow these directions First learne to know God aright For worship is answerable to knowledge for how can we reverence God aright when we know neither his goodnesse nor his greatnesse how can we trust on God when we see not his truth in the performance of his promises in the Scriptures and in our owne experience those that doe not these know not God for as the heart affects according to knowledge So also its true in divinitie as we know his justice wee shall feare as we know his mercy wee shall love him and as we know his truth we shall trust on him Psal. 9.10 They that know thy name shall trust in thee and in other places of the said Psalme the Lord is knowne in the judgement he executeth vers 16. Secondly know God to be the first mover and cause of all men ordinarily feare the creature attributing that to it which belongs to the Creator But God he is the giver of all and Christians looke on the secondary means as to the first author and ground of all the rest they behold the Magistrate as in God feare them no otherwise but in the Lord. Atheists they will not sticke at any sinne whatsoever to get the love of those that may bring them any worldly commodity A Christian hee pleases and seekes the love of him that can make enemies friends when he lists and when it s for our good he knowes in him we live move and have our being Thirdly make much of spirituall meanes God he works by meanes by his word attend to it it works love feare joy and reverence in us and therefore no marvaile if those that neglect these meanes are not acquainted with these graces of Gods spirit 4 Fourthly Lift up thy heart to Christ the quickening spirit 1 Cor. 15. Our hearts naturally are dead Christ is our life when thou art most especially called to love to feare to humilitie pray to him to move thee and yeeld thy selfe to him and then shalt thou pray in spirit as it is said in Iude 20. heare in spirit doe all in spirit doe outward workes of thy calling in spirit for a true worshipper will out of spirituall grounds doe all outward works of his particular calling as well as the workes of his generall Christian vocation Let us therefore doe all things from our hearts to God and to our neighbour else will not God accept of our workes It is the Iew inwardly who shall have praise of God The want of this sincerity hath extinguished the light of many a glorious professour and thereby hath brought a great scandall upon the true worshippers of God in spirit VERS 3. And rejoyce in Christ. THe word rejoyce implyes a boasting or glorying of the heart manifesting it selfe in outward countenance and gesture as also in speech it also implies a resting on and contenting in the thing we glory in proceeding from an assurance that we glory in a thing worthy of glory for they are fooles that delight in bables Observe hence therefore That those that will worship Christ aright must glorie in him For the worship of Christ is a thing that requires incouragement and nothing can worke this incouragement like the glorying in Christ and therefore Paul in the first part of his Epistle to the Romans having shewed that God had elected them freely and had begun the worke of sanctification in their hearts he comes in the 12. Chapter I beseech you saith he present your selves as a holy living and acceptable sacrifice to God And in Tit. 2.11 The grace of God teacheth by incouraging us to deny ungodlines to walk unblameably soberly righteously and godlily in this present world And therefore whensoever wee grow dull or dead think of the great benefits that we have by Christ and it will quicken us and all our performances In the next place observe That Christ is the matter and subject of true glory and rejoycing and onely Christ for they well goe together a full and large affection with a full and large object boasting is a full affection the object is every way as full First as he is God and man he is God full of all things he is man full of all grace and void of all sinne he is Christ anointed to performe all his offices he is a Prophet all-sufficient in all wisedome in him are the treasures of wisedome he teaches us not onely how to doe but he teaches the very deed he is our High-priest he is the sacrifice the altar and the Priest and he is our eternall Priest in Heaven and on earth on earth as suffering for us in Heaven as mediating for our peace Who shall condemne us it is Christ that dyeth yea rather that is risen againe who is even at the right hand of God who also maketh intercession for us Rom. 8.34 He is also our King he is King of all King of kings and Lord of lords a King for ever and at all times subduing all rebellions within us and all enemies without us and he is all these so as none is like him and therefore is worthy of our glory Secondly Christ is communicative in all these he is Prophet Priest King for us he is God man he is Christ for us he
their belly acted the part of a god in giving them lawes bidding them to doe proiect devise this or that undermine such and grounding them in this first fundamentall law Thou canst not live long neither wilt thou live well therefore while thou livest live for thy pleasure take thy ease and from thence inioynes them to use all meanes thereto take all acquaintance undermine all that crosse thee and all to this end that thou maist have thy ease As it was then so now is it with the Papists their successors all the differences in Religion betweene them and us are by them grounded on the bellie that is the Monarchie of the Pope and worldly pompe and Masses invented for idle Priests latine prayers little or no preaching onely that the people being ignorant they might more easily command them If their errors were not invested in gaine wee should soone accord their worship especially the manner thereof onely to delight the sense And among our selves many are not wanting that make profession of religion but denie the power thereof so long as religion and outward content doe meet and when Religion brings preferment all will be religious for they live by no rules but those that their lusts prescribes morning and evening taking care for the flesh how to bee rich how to live at ease and for this will sell their birthright in happinesse refusing the Word refusing good companie yea heaven it selfe And this justly comes as a iudgement for mans first rebellion when men will not serve God as they should they are iustly given over to the service of those that are no Gods But it may be asked may wee not seeke to content our flesh I answer wee may respect our bodies and there is a due honour that belongs to the outward man but we must so seeke for them as in the first place and principally we seeke the Kingdome of heaven and is righteousnesse and then God hath promised to cast these things upon us But when wee breake order and measure being first and principally carefull for our lusts the divell knowing our haunts offers baites fitting for our humours and wee like filthiâ— swine devoure our owne destruction And therefore to avoid this let us set the feare of God and damnation before our eyes and if we use not these things moderatly and soberly let that in Rom. 8.13 be as a flaming sword to keepe us from the way to destruction If we live according to the lusts of the flesh we shall die and therefore as strangers and Pilgrims let us abstaine from fleshly lusts which fight against the soule against our comfort here and our happie estate hereafter Secondly let us avoid the companie of condemned persons but looke on them with a kinde of horrour and detestation of them and and passe not for their wicked censures their end is damnation and their bellie is their God But because the best are drawne away by these pleasures let us observe some directions And first let us see the reasons why we are thus inveagled with them First these earthly contentments are present to our sense the other onely are present to faith which the carnall man lookes not after neither cares for Secondly wee nusle up our selves in an opinion of the necessitie of these things seeing the present use of them and wee see no present use of those better things Thirdly these things are bred up with us and wee are acquainted with them from our infancie and so they pleade prescription and when we are thus taken up before Religion comes after and very hard it must needs be to keepe our mindes lifted up and yet is it most necessarie to be for lusts doe drowne men in perdition 1 Tim. 6.9 But for helpes in this estate of ours observe first with due consideration the nature dignitie and excellencie of the soule that it is a spirit of an excellent beautie adorned with understanding and judgement not made to cast off the crowne submitting it selfe to the rule of every base lust which indeed is the onely happinesse of the beasts nay if happinesse consist in pleasing the senses beasts are more happie than we for they have neither sâ—â—me without nor conscience within to disquiet them in the injoyment of their pleasures And know also that this bodie of ours being of that excellent temper is a fabricke which was not made onely for to be a strainer for meate to passe through The qualitie of the braine in man the structure of the eve doe testifie man was made for divine meditation to contemplate of the workes of God which it doth behold with the eye as through a glasse Secondly wee must know by giving our affections to these things we are made like the things we affect for the soule is placed in the middest as it were betweene heaven and earth and as it affects the one or the other so is it fashioned if we love the flesh we are flesh if wee follow the spirit wee are transformed to its likenesse Thirdly consider that God is better than the worshipper else is hee mad that will worship it but the bellie is baser than our selves reason teacheth us the pleasures of this life end in death when our soules must still continue after all now to seeke such pleasures as cannot continue with us is madnesse as appeares even by the light of reason and therefore are of more power with naturall men than pure religious truthes but for those that are called The Scripture puts them in minde of the last day of judgement and telles them that they are made for heaven and such are therefore to set their mindes on things which are above where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God Col. 3.1 and when they begin to grow worldly and to follow their belly it calles them backe with a but know for all this God will bring thee to judgement which duly pondered cannot but be as a hooke in our jawes to bring us back to a more diligent watch over our wayes VERS 19. And whose glorie is in their shame A Second part of the inward disposition shewing that they glorie in that which brought shame to them for circumcision was a ceremonie given to the Church when it was but in the infancie and for them that were borne in the strength of the Church being well growne to glorie in such beggerly rudiments was shamefull in the words first consider the affection second the object or end for the word implyes both and in the first consider the sinne then the cure The sinne that is reproved in them is vaine-glorie that is glorying in a thing not to bee gloried in and it is grounded upon pride which is a desire of excellencie in vaine things and it is for the most part in vaine injuditious men who ordinarily doe glorie in things that tend to shame These Philippians saw that Paul was now committed the doctrine hee taught they thought was not good
judge and therefore he is not now here nay because he is not here he sent us the comforter the spirit that shall leade us into all truth as he himselfe expresly saith Secondly hence wee may observe that there is another comming of Christ which yet is not fulfilled there is a two-fold comming of â—hrist one whereby he comes in the flâ—sh this was his first comming the second comming is in triumph when he shall perfect our salvation This appeareth by the desires of the creature Rom. 8. Secondly by the faithfull desires of his children which cannot be in vaine Thirdly to this end he tooke our flesh to draw us after him Fourthly to this end he left his spirit with us to testifie it Lastly he hath left us his promises and prophecies thereof witnessed by the Angels Acts 1. This Iesus shall so come even as you have seene him goe into heaven Thirdly that Christians doe expect this comming of Christ is evident out of the words from whence we looke for the Saviour saith the Text the word looke signifies an earnest expectation implying faith hope and patience faith is a ground of hope supposing the promises which are grounded on an almightie God of truth now patience comes from hope so as the word implyes thus much wee hope we beleeve we patiently waite for the second comming of Christ. This is the disposition of every sound Christian and it begins with the beginning of our new birth for so 1 Pet. 1.3 it is said we are begotten to a lively hope and Titus 2.13 the grace of God once appearing teacheth to looke for the blessed hope For as in nature the seed desires growth every thing desires perfection so much more in grace where once it is setled it continually desireth a more perfect estate untill the comming of Christ when it commeth to the top and pitch thereof Secondly there is such a relation betwixt Christ and us wee being contracted to him here as there is a continuall longing for the consummation of this marriage even as the time betweene the contract and the marriage is a continuall longing Thirdly our estate here is a warring and laborious estate and a painfull service and therefore what marvaile if a Saboth a peaceable victorious and triumphant estate bee sweet and to be desired Hence we may learne that the estate of the children of God here is imperfect for they are under hope of a better estate before Christs time they expected the first comming of Christ so it is said of Abraham that he longed to see Christs day Now after Christs first comming we looke after his second comming when we shall be perfected and thus the soules in heaven are in expectation of a further happinesse And this is the reason of the contrarieties of estate that are in a Christian. Hee rejoyces because he is under hope but he sorrowes because he hath not already obtained the thing he hopeth for he rejoyceth because of his assurance but sorroweth because of the crosses hee dayly meets with rejoyceth in the communion of Saints but woe is me that I dwell in Meshek We are Kings but over rebels Prophets but have much ignorance for we see but in part Priests but daily polluted with the soile of this world and therefore doe stand in need of continuall washing Thirdly this expectation is not onely a worke of ours but a grace wrought in us by Christ by vertue of the covenant for God fits us with graces that have reference to our future happinesse and it arises from love and patience grounded upon assurance of an end and glorious issue Christ knew wee were to meet with enemies and therefore gives us hope as an helmet and an anchor to keepe us from shipwracke for hee is a Saviour as well in saving us here from despaire as hereafter from hell This lastly may serve for a triall of our estates for many that thinke themselves to be good Christians thinke with Peter it is good being here its good for them to bee in this world they feare the comming of Christ the very thought thereof destroyes all their mirth it is to them like the hand writing on the wall to Balthasar The childe of God is of another disposition hee is begotten to this hope his desire is accordingly his indeavour and labour is by any meanes to attaine to the resurrection of the dead But it will bee said that it s often seene that good Christians doe not alwayes desire the comming of Christ. To which I answer it is true but it is caused by their carelesse carriage and yet ever there is a spirit in them to indeavour to doe something that may prepare for his comming but a strong Christian hath ever this desire and if hee bee a mortified and growing Christian hee never wants this hope and comfort and earnest longing and therefore his prayer ever is Come Lord Iesus Fourthly we may observe out of the words where this hope is and this expectation it stirres up and quickens the soule to a holy conversation it is propounded here as a ground of the Apostles holy conversation For it stirres us up to be pure even as hee is pure as it is 1 Ioh. 3.3 For wee are a holy Spouse and there will shortly come the marriage day and fitting it is that wee prepare our selves fitting for such a husband Thus it was with the concubines of Akashuerosh though a temporall and earthly King yet the custome was they should bee twelve monthes before they came to the King and much more should it be our dutie ever more to bee prepared to come into the presence of our eternall heavenly King to meet with the bridegroome because we know not how soone it may be that he will come and send his Angels for us to appeare before him in glory to call us to the wedding Secondly this hope will stirre us up to doe all good duties and to right performance of good duties to doe all things sincerely as in the presence of God our judge And therfore not only the duty of preaching is urged upon Timothy but the manner 2 Tim. 4. Who is charged by the Lord Iesus Christ who shall judge all at his appearing that he should preach the Word bee instant in season out of season reprove rebuke exhort with all long sufferance And the Apostle Peter having declared the second comming of Christ thence inferres what manner of men ought wee to be in all godly conversation 2 Pet. 3.11 And indeed meditation of the principles of Religion will informe us well in the manner of our duties as in the nature of them and thus shall we be fruitfull in particulars according as our meditations are directed though the principle matters and objects of our meditation are but few Thirdly this hope and expectation will stirre us up to pray for the consummation and bringing to passe the performance of all those promises which are to be performed
this spirituall change And a Second reason may be Because we often regard not the truth at the first second or third time urged and taught unto us Wherefore Iob. 33.14 It is said God speaketh once or twice yet man perceives not Therefore if the caution and point be necessary the repetition must needs be necessarie also In the third place There is such a breadth and depth in the points delivered out of the Word of God that although wee heare often the same thing yet we never come to understand the full extent of them Our soules are narrow wee cannot at the first so soundly and deeply consider of them neither can wee understand so many particulars as otherwise we should for in every Christian truth there is milke for children and strong meate which requires digestion and likewise repetition A fourth reason may be Because our corruptions daily increase and grow upon us and varietie of occasion and worldly businesse being naturall to us and therefore more delightfull are too powerfull and doe thrust out the consideration of divine truths which are commonly against the haire And wee cannot have varietie of two things in our mindes at the same time in strength Whence it comes to passe that the better is ever more subject to bee thrust out and therefore had need to bee hammered in with often repetition and insisting upon againe and againe A fifth Reason may be Because we worke as wee understand weakly or strongly When we worke well we must have things present strongly in the understanding as when we tell men of Gods justice omnipresence of the day of judgement of death and the like the lively and present remembrance of these things keeps the minde of man so in frame as it cannot will any evill no more than a lewd person will offend in the presence of the Iudge And this lively remembrance of things is wrought chiefly by repetition and often inforcing the same things and it makes the minde to be wholly taken up therewith And therefore it is a good way when we would doe any good action well to be taken up with reading or hearing of good by way of preparation thereunto And the want of the presence of good things in our minde layes us open and makes us fit for all companies and occasions of sinne In the sixt and last place Our memories are very weake to remember and to reteine any thing that is good Since the fall they are broken and good things sinke through them as water through a sieve and therefore hath great need of remembrancers And after this manner hath God dealt with man as in the promise of the blessed seed how often is it reiterated and typified and to Abraham is it renewed seven times So God to David often renewed his promise concerning the Kingdome as also the promise concerning the deliverance of the people of Israel from captivitie in Esay is often repeated This also did Christ the great Doctour of his Church in his Parables in one Chapter argueth one principall metter with foure Parables one after another although with some varietie teaching Ministers thereby to doe the like to avoid tediousnesse Repetition in Scripture serves to divers ends Sometimes for the stronger averring of the certaintie thereof Wherefore it was that Pharoahs dreame was doubled Sometime for Emphasis sake as Christ did often Amen Amen and in dying thou shalt die and the like phrases But the maine end is to stirre up us and our affections and to keepe them in life and action when they are stirred up Therefore 2 Pet. 1.12 Because they knew they could not bee over-sure of salvation nor grow too much in grace he sayes so long as he lives hee will put them in minde of such things Let it not therefore bee grievous to Ministers to doe what is for the safetie of Gods children They must doe it till they see practise come to perfection and they must cast and cast again Peter hee cast often and got nothing yet at Christs word hee cast againe So must Ministers God that blesseth not every cast may blesse the last cast to the catching of many and therefore a Minister had need of a father-like affection to his hearers as St. Paul had 2 Thes. 2.11 A second use may be for our selves If we heare the same things repeated heare them as an impression which may carry force and work upon our hearts more strongly than before and know that God may worke on us by one meanes at one time which he did not at another as a dart pierces deeper being cast by one than by another And therefore Let us not be weary of attendance on Gods ordinances for our corruptions daily increase as our age doth our minding of things is but slight and our memory very brittle And we must know that the word teaches doing and practising as well as knowing And therefore to conceive a necessitie of a continuall Ministrie to perfect a Church as well as to begin it The Sacraments are necessary receive them often the Primitive Church had them every Lords day Till we come to the holy Land of that heavenly Canaan let us submit our selves to this Manna It is Angels food and they desire to looke into these mysteries And therefore take heed of fulnesse or loathing for when we come to that passe that we must have Novum or Nihil God takes away this Manna thus loathed Thus did he with the Greeke Churches they gave themselves not to the plaine sincere truth but mans inventions whereby God gave them over to strange opinions and indeed it is a rule None absents himselfe from Gods word but he is given over and that justly to beleeve toyes to attribute all praise and delight to this or that idle Authour which it may be is Heathenish or Popish The Greek Churches affecting Novelties were justly given over to Mahomet but to a true Christian heart there cannot be more delight than in the experimentall knowledge of Christs death and office of perseverance in grace these are standing dishes in this Christian banquet It is a signe God meanes to plague that person or nation that is delighted in such ill sawces he will make them come out of our nosthrils we shall have our fill of them and never hunger after the sincere milke of the Word VERS 2. Beware of Dogges IN this generall exhortation Consider first the persons to whom it is directed To all the Philippians not only to the Pastor but even to the common Christians They must beware of false Teachers Is it so Then surely they ought to take notice of them and to know them and therefore they ought to have rules to discerne them by Christs sheepe they discerne between a wolfe and a shepherd Ioh. 10.45 His sheepe discerne an Heretike or false-teacher from those that are true shepherds in the maine points of Christian Religion and therefore 1 Ioh. 4.1 He bids all
in generall to try the spirits and the Apostle 1 Thes. 5.21 bids them prove all things and hold fast the good if they were then all of them bound to try and prove they were no doubt bound to know the rules by which they were to try which rules are only laid downe in the word of God But some Popish heart may aske How common people should know the Word to be the word of God For answer I would aske such an one How they know the Popes Canons or any Booke of his Constitutions to be the Popes they will say their teachers brings them in the Popes name and they beleeve their teachers So say wee We beleeve our Teachers and Ministers who tell us this is the Word of God But they object and say that wee make every one a Iudge I answer there is a three-fold manner of judging First a judging whereby we discerne of anything and this every Christian must have so as it cannot be any plea to him at the day of judgment to say my Teacher did mislead me No both the leader and he that is led if they be blind shall fall into the ditch Matth. 15. Then there is a second kinde of judging which is by way of direction this is required principally in the Pastor to direct his flocke And there is a third kinde that is of jurisdiction this belongs to the Church and the Magistrate yet every one must have a judgment to discern the good from the bad For hee that knowes not his Masters will shall be beaten In the second place Not onely the young ordinary Christians but euen the best setled Christians had need to beware also The Philippians were a Church established in the truth Eve was seduced being in her innocent estate but I need not stand on this at this time I proceed To the dutie which is to beware Which word signifies First to discerne of then to avoid and because those that are aware of evill by nature will avoid it therfore beware here intends both discerning and avoiding of evil For the Church of God in this world is ever subject to danger and God suffers it to be so First to try who be true and who false And secondly to try them that are good and to be as an evidence to them of their owne estates so as where such triall and danger is it is true ingeniosum est esse Christianum But concerning the words Dogges Concision Evill workers they all signifie the same thing and he repeats the word beware thrice to shew the necessitie thereof take heed of them that urge workes of the law with Doctrines of faith especially of Pastors Nay take heed of these for so the word in the originall is these Dogges By Concision he meanes those that urged Circumcision when it was out of date and when it was dangerous to be admitted of But observe the terme the Holy Ghost calls these Dogges a strange terme and such an one as I should not have dared to have given them had not the holy Spirit led the way thereunto and therefore since it is so let us not be more modest than he is but boldly affirme that wicked men are Dogges Now wicked men are eyther without the Church or within Without the Church all are Dogges Matth. 15.26 It s not meet to take the childrens bread and to cast it to Dogges Of this number are all Turkes and Iewes who were Filii Children but are Canes Dogges We were Canes buâ— now through Gods mercy are come to be Filii All therefore that are without the Church are Dogges But there are also Dogges within the Church and therefore the Philippians were bidden beware of them which St. Paul needed not to have done if they had not beene troubled with them And those Dogges he describes in that they joyne workes of the law and Christ together in matter of salvation these are in St. Pauls esteeme Dogges And the reason hereof may be grounded on Gods esteeme on their behaviour towards other men and in regard of themselves For Gods esteeme we may see it in Esay 66.3 he detests them as dogges For their behaviour towards men whom they goe about to seduce they fawne on them and use all manner of inticing flattering and false alluring words Rom. 16.18 See the picture of a Iesuited Papist a pleasing humane fawning nature they creepe into houses and when these dogges cannot prevaile by flatterie then they snarle and barke against them by false calumnies and slanders and railings and bitter scoffes and the like and this they doe when they cannot bite But having gotten power in their hand they persecute with fire and sword and the most exquisite torments that they can devise In regard of themselves also they are Dogges rotten in nature corrupt in life filthie in their owne Courts devouring their owne vomit and God justly punishing them by suffering of them to heape up wrath in store 2 Pet. 2.22 and to returne with the sow that was washed to wallow in the mire of corrupt courses Hence wee may observe and see what a man is now brought to by sinne he that would be like to God is justly compared to the beasts that perish Now all by nature are no better than dogges who are all for their bellies for present contentments an envious and currish disposition against any that shall indeavour to crosse them in their unlawfull lusts and that rule of reason which should over-rule him and amend him he so abuses it as thereby he is made more like a Divell than a Dogge Would wee be then changed let us attend on that word that is able of Lions to make Lambes it can cleanse us throughout Ioh. 15.3 It sanctifies and alters us Morall precepts may restraine and alter outward practises the Word that alters the condition and nature of men it is the word of him that workes all with his spirit And therefore take heed of them and deale not more with them than thou must needs They will fawne they will not be dogged at the first but till Religion altereth him assuredly hee hath a currish nature But to proceed Hee saith not onely beware of Dogges in generall But beware of these Dogges of the Concision and these also ought we to beware of for there is a perpetuall lâ—tâ—er of them though those that the Apostle spake of are gone yet the same spirit is now a dayes in many fawners they are and flatterers yet doe they barke at Protestants and of this sort are our Iesuited Papists and Seminaries Our Fathers were troubled with them let these take heed for were these men dogges that presse Circumcision with Christ and shall not such be also that presse merits with Christ Saints with Christ and equall traditions with the Word of God The dogges in St. Pauls time had some excuse Circumcision they urged but it was first founded by God but these men out of