Freedom in respect of divers Objects and degrees in Natural men 3090 SECT V. Of the great Duty of Mortification and of the use of Free-will for Performing it 3096 CHAP. 28. Of the General Contents which concern the Duty of Mortification and which be the especial works of the flesh we are to Mortifie 3096 29. How farr the duty of Mortification is Universal how farre Indefinite 3099 30. Containing the true Rule for examining our Perswasions concerning our Estate in Grace 3103 31 How the Flesh is Mortifyed by Vs How by the Spirit 3106 32. Whether Mortification and Conversion may be said to be ex pr visis operibus though God alone do properly Mortifie and convert us 3112 33. By what Spirit we are said to Mortifie the Deeds of the Body 3115 34. Containing the Manner and Order of the Spirits working or of our working by the Spirit 3120 35. Wherein the accomplishment of Mortification or of Conversion unto God doth properly consist 3124 36. Contâ—ining the Scope or Summe of what hath been said concerning Free-will and the service of it in the duty of Mortification 3129 Sect. VI. Concerning Election and Reprobation and That the Decrees of God be not terminated to the Abstract Entities or Substances of men 37. Concerning the Limitation of these Two Propositions Rom. 8. 13. 1. If ye live after the slesh ye shall dye 2. If through the spirit ye do mortifie the deeds of the Body ye shall live 3146 38. A Sermon on St. Iude's Epistle verse the fourth enquiring who those men were which were of Old ordained to the Condemnation there spoken of and what manner of Ordination is there meant 3164 39. A serious Answer to Mr. Henry Burton who took exception at a Passage in this Authors Treatise Of the Divine Essence and Attributes about Objective Goodnesse c. 3175 40. A Paraphrase upon the Eleven first Chapters of Exodus with useful Observations and parallels 3190 41. Salvation only from Gods Grace or An Exposition of Romans 9. 16. It is not of him that willeth nor of him that runneth But of God that sheweth mercy 3210 42. An Exposition on Romans 9. verses 18 19 20 21 22 c. or a Treatise of God his just Hardening Pharaoh c. 3222 SECT VII Of the Acts or Exercises of Christs Everlasting Priesthood CHAP. 43. Concerning the Manner or meanes by which the Son of God doth now de Facto through the continual Exercise of his Everlasting Priesthood in his heavenly Sanctuary set Free indeed all such as seek for the working out of their own Salvation with fear and trembling pag. 3252. 44. The Coherence of the eighth Chapter to the Hebrews with the seven precedent and two following The exact Proportions or Parallels betwixt the mundane Tabernacle with the two Sanctuaries therein and the Caelestial with those in it betwixt the Manner or Rites in the Consecration of the One and the Other Betwixt the High-Priests of the Old Testament and Christ our onely High-Priest of the New intimated in this explicated in the following Chapters 3253. 45. That the soules of Righteous men Abraham c. Were in a Blissefull heavenly Mansion before But after The Kingdom of Heaven was perfectly set up and open to all Beleevers By Christs Placing As man at the Right Hand of God Their Condition was bettered 3255. 46. A Parallel betwixt the Rites of Dedicating The Tabernacle the vessels c. with Blood of Beasts And of Consecrating The Heavenly Places with the most Pretious Blood of Jesus Christ 3257. 47. Before the fuller draught of that Parallel If the Blood of Bulls and the Ashes of an Heifer much more the Blood of Christ treated on in the Two next Chapters The Apostles Translating the Hebrew word Berith by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is shewed to be not a meere Allusion but of strict Proprietie 3259. 48. The Parallel between the most Solemn Services of the Law and the One Sacrifice of Christ and The high Praeeminence and Efficacie of This in comparison of Those The Romanists Doctrine That in the Masse Christs Body is identically Carnally present and that there is a proper Sacrifice Propitiatorie offered derogates from the Absolute Perfection of Christs offering himself Once for all 3261. 49. That the Forraign mainteiners of the more then Fatal Irrespective Rigid Decree make Christ Jesus rather a meere Sacrifice Then a True Everlasting Priest acting for us and dayly working out our Reconciliation to God So do such as teach That the sinnes of some were Remitted before they were Committed Of the Superexcellency of Christs Priest-Hood and One Sacrifice in Comparison of the Aaronicall Pr. and the Many Servâ—ces thereof 3266. 50. The Raritie of That Rite of Consecrating the Water of Sprinkling by the Ashes of the Red Heyfer an Emblem of Baptism and the Singularitie thereof Our Churches meaning in some Expressions at the Administration of That Sacrament 3270. 51. Inordinate Libertie of Prophesying brought Errors into the Church and hindred the Reformation 3273. 52. That Justification Consists not in One Single Act. In what sense Fides est Fiducia is True 3276. 53. Christs Parable Math. 12. 43. c. applyed Two degrees of Reconciliation the First Active or but meer Grammatically Passive The Other Reall-Passive So Correspondently Two Branches of Justification The One from Christs Death the Other from the benefit of His Priesthood daily participated to us 3277. SECT VIII Of Errors disparaging Christs Priesthood CHAP. 54. Three Errors disparaging Christs Priesthood 1. The Novatian denying the Reception of some sort of sinners 2. Alate Contrary Error affirming That Every sin which some sort of Men Committ is pardoned before it be committed 3. The Romish Doctrine of the Masse giving Scandal to the Jew All of them respectively derogating from the infinite Value or Continual Efficacie of Christs Everlasting Priesthood 3280. 55. From the Text Hebr. 10. 1 2 16 17. and from this Maxim That Christs One Sacrifice of himself was of Value absolutely infinite it follows not That such as worship God in spirit or such as are received into the Covenant of Grace have their sinnes remitted before they commit them That Doctrin makes Christs Resurrection Useless in respect of us and our Baptism needless Legal worshipers Conscious and their sinnes remembred in such sort as Evangelical worshippers are not The Vast odds betwixt Christs One Sacrifice and the Many legal We must distinguish betwixt the Infinite Value and Infinite Vertue of Christs Sacrifice The precious Effects of H. Baptism and the Eucharist flowing from the Efficacie of Christs Sacrifice and Priesthood How Legal Sacrifices c. prefigured Christs 3292. 56. The Efficacie of Christs Sacrifice and the Vse of His Priesthood two distinct several things Wherein the Exercise of his Priesthood doth Consist How it was foreshadowed Ordinances Effectual by Vertue of Christs Presence Vertual Presence is a Real Presence 3301. A Table of the Texts of Holy Scripture Expounded or Illustrated in this BOOK Genesis Chap. Verse
deceive our selves and others by giving one and the same Answer to All or Most Questions that are or can be moved concerning these Duties That may be true of Mortification or Conversion whether spiritual or moral taking it in some Degree which is altogether false if we apply it to the same Qualification or Duty taken or considered according to another Degree Thus much they better saw then considered who have entertained Dispute Pro or Con in that Question An Homo in prima Conversione ad Deum sit merè Passivus Whether man in his first Conversion be meerly passive The Issue would be easier shorter and more certain if the same Question were proposed thus An Homo quoad Primum Gradum Conversionis sit merè Passivus Whether man be meerly Passive in the first Degree or Degrees of his Conversion or Mortification For mine own part as I acknowledge many Degrees of Conversion and many precedent Motions to true and compleat Mortification So I should think the most men Living that are throughly Converted and truely mortified to be Meerly Passive not in the First Second or Third Degree only but in All or most of the intermediate Degrees of Mortification which are precedent to the Habit of it or rather to the Gift of Perseverance in it And being once Habitually Mortified we are in a sort Active 2. But if in the First Second or Subsequent Degrees of Mortification we be meerely Passive How shall we avoyd That Imputation which is laid upon our Church by the Romanists The Imputation is This That albeit we grant men to be Mortified and require the Dutie of Mortification at mens hands yet wee acknowledge them not to be Men but meere Stocks in the Acts or Interims of their Conversion or Mortification To this we answer That although we be meerly Passive in the Acts of Mortification yet are we not Passive after the same manner that Stocks and Stones or Creatures meerly Sensitive are Passive Nor are Creatures indued with sense Passive after the same manner that stocks and stones or creatures without sense are There be Passives inanimate Passives sensitive reasonable Passives or Patients Every Faculty of Sense is meerly Passive in respect of its proper Function or Sensation And yet the ignoblest Faculties of sense are in some sort Active that they may be sensitively Passive or passive after another manner than stocks and stones or things inanimate are The Sense of Touching which of all the five External Senses is most ignoble and least Active may not withstanding be lesse Passive or more or lesse capable of paine by the Activitie or motion of the bodie But of the more Noble Senses the Maxim is most true Sentire est pati All Sensation is a kind of Passion or suffering And it is generally resolved in Schooles that Visio fit intromittendo non extramittendo Sight or Vision although it be the most Noble external Sense is not made by Extramission or sending out of the Rayes or beames of the Eye but by Impression of the Obiect seen and Impression is a Passion So that Sight it self consists in Passion and the Eye it self in respect of its proper Function is meerly Passive and yet he that will see the Sun or other Objects Visible must be content to open his eyes not to wink yet to wink or open the eyes is no Passion but an Action He that desires to see Objects obscure or lesse Visible must Intend the Optick Nerves otherwise he shall not be sensitively Passive In what sence we are said to be Passives in our Conversion And He that desires to hear well especially if he be afarre off must be content to Listen and Listning includes an Intension of the Organ or Instrument of hearing an Action in the Hearer that he may be sensitively Passive He that speaks is the Agent or Actor And yet how pleasant soever his speech be the Hearer must be Active to finde him Eares Now Faith is as the Eye-Sight of the Soul and understanding and yet Faith as the Apostle saith comes by hearing Our Mortification or Conversion which is a work of Faith is never wrought without some sense or feeling And in these works if they be spiritually performed the Spirit of man is as meerly Passive as the bodily Eye is in the sense of Sight or the Eare in the Act of Hearing But meerely Passive after a more remarkable manner in the First Degrees of Mortification or Conversion than in their Accomplishment The Resolution then of the former doubt is This We are meerly Passive in the Degrees or works of Mortification or Conversion We are not meerly Passive we must be Active in some works by the Providence of God presupposed for accomplishment of these works or for his accomplishing these works in us by the Spirit 3. For Illustration of that which in this Point may be easily conceived by all without offence as I hope to any We will take for Instance or Example a man whose heart hath never found any internal Comfort of the Spirit a Despiser of the Meanes which lead to Grace A Young Man Every way as dissolutely Bent as his yeares and Experience will permit him This man upon some Loathsome Concomitants which follow ryot or upon some grievous mischance that hath befalne him or his Friend in an unruly place upon the Lords-Day abjures the like place and Companie for a while And being not able or unaccustomed to be alone resolves to make trial whether he shall speed better by repairing at times seasonable unto the Lords House In thus resolveing and in thus repairing to the Church he is not meerly Passive but an Active This is no Work of true Faith no Degree of true Conversion or Mortification spiritual yet a Motion by Gods Providence presupposed or rather prerequired to his future Regeneration or Conversion He is Active Likewise in Lending his Eares with some tolerable attention unto the Preacher The Theme whereupon the Preacher without any notice of this Parties Dispositions or Occasions doth insist we will suppose to be that portion of scripture which was the meanes of St. Austins first Conversion to Christianitie without any choyce made by Him but presenting it self in respect of his present thoughts or purpose by meere Chance The Theme which first wrought his Conversion as he himself in His Confessions acknowledgeth Confess 8. lib. 12. Cap. was Rom. 13. 13. 14. Let us walk honestly as in the day not in Ryoting and Drunkennesse not in Chambering and Wantonness not in strife and Envying But put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ and make no provision for the flesh to fulfill the Lusts thereof A discreet methodical application of such Doctrines as this Text affords would much move any dissolute Young-Mans heart which had been impelled or drawn upon the former presupposed Occasions to heare these Words opened or discoursed upon without his choyce and beyond his Ayme or expectation And in this supposed Motion or relenting of
Flesh or to Free himself from the Servitude of the Flesh These and the like Inconveniences have perswaded some to attribute this whole work unto the Spirit of God which is able to do all things without the Coagencie or Consort of the Spirit of Man But thus to avoyd the former Inconveniences is but as if a man having found a Way out of a thicket of Thornes should instantly intangle himself in the Bryars For it is not so Great a Solaecisme to say That the Spirit of Man or man himself should be an Agent in this businesse As to Affirme That whence it would follow that The Spirit of God should in this work of Mortification be mans Instrument For that which Man worketh by the Spirit Man is more properly said to work it then the Spirit Now our Apostle saith that we must mortifie the deedes of the Body And he that Mortifieth is the Agent That by which we work this Mortification is but our Instrument And better it were to say That the Spirit of Man should be mans Instrument in this work rather than the Spirit of God 2. It were according to our Former Principles easily answered that Wee by Our spirit Mortifie the Deedes of our Bodies Consecutivè non Formaliter aut Efficienter that is not by any Efficacie in us or Influence derivable from us The Spirit of God must directly work or Effect it But though this be True yet is it not Punctual to the point proposed For by this Answer the Spirit here meant should only be the Spirit of man For by this Spirit only we work our Mortification Consecutivè That which the Spirit of God doth work in us it works Directly Immediatly and Entirely and in produceing its proper Effects it hath no Partner or Co-Agent It may notwithstanding be yet further replyed that we must Mortifie the Flesh by the spirit of God not as by any Instrumental Cause subordinate to us but in such a sense as we say Inferiour Magistrates do the Acts of the Magistracie by the Kings or Supreme Magistrates Authoritie unto which they and their Magistracie are Subordinate Thus some good * Pasqualius Interpreters upon this place say that we must Mortifie the Flesh by our own Spirit but by our own Spirit as it is Subordinate to the Spirit of God and Consequently to this Assertion it must be granted that this Subordination of our Spirit to the Spirit of God is in this place necessarily included or persupposed though not expressed by our Apostle All this for ought I know may be most True and Orthodoxal but withall too General For Inferiour or subordinate Magistrates are more properly said to be the Agents Even in those things which they do by the Authoritie and warrant of the Superiours whereas the Spirit of God is not only the Author or sole Authorizer but the Principal Actor or Agent in this work of mortification For a more particular and punctual Resolution of the Question proposed we are to unfold the divers acceptions of these Words or Termes to wit THE SPIRIT and MORTIFICATION 3. There is the Spirit of God and there is the Spirit of man Both of them have their several and divers Importances in scripture The Spirit of man may be considered as it is in the Natural Man or in the man altogether unregenerate and This Spirit is at Enmitie with God or in the Man as yet unregenerate yet in the way to Regeneration And the Spirit of this man is privatively opposite to the Spirit of God so as Darknesse is to Light Blindnesse to Sight or Death to Life There is a Spirit likewise in the man Regenerate the same for Substance with the Spirit of the Natural Man the same for Substance that it was in himself before Regeneration but altered in Qualitie And This Spirit though it cease not to be in man yet is it not usually called The Spirit of Man as being no way opposite unto the Spirit of God but Subordinate unto it so Subordinate unto it that it is called The Spirit that is of God and sometimes The Spirit of God 4. These diverse Acceptions of the word SPIRIT as likewise the Distinction or Opposition between the Spirit of God and the Spirit of man are set down by our Apostle 1. Cor. 2. from the ninth verse unto the end of the Chapter What Man knoweth the things of a man save the Spirit of man which is in him Even so the things of God knoweth no man but the Spirit of God ver 11. He doth not say the spirit of God which is in God or with God And when He saith What man knoweth the things of man save the Spirit of Man he supposeth there is even in the Natural and unregenerate Man a Spirit able to discerne the secret thoughts and imaginations of his heart though blind and ignorant in the things concerning God Againe when he saith the things of God knoweth no man he excludeth the Natural man only or the man to whom God hath not imparted the Gifts of the Spirit For so he hath said ver 9. Eye hath not seen nor Ear heard neither have entred into the heart of man the things which God hath prepared for them that love him Into What Mans heart have they not entred Or unto What Man doth this Negative belong Only to the Natural or unregenerate Man For so he adds verse 10. But God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit For the Spirit searcheth all things yea the deep things of God 5. What Spirit is this which searcheth all things Even the deep things of God the Spirit of God which is without Vs or which communicateth knowledge and reveales things hidden unto us If this Spirit were here meant How should those deep things of God be revealed unto us Revealed to us they cannot be unlesse they be known by us and known by Us they cannot be but by the Spirit which is in us So he adds more expressly Ver. 12. Now we have received not the Spirit of the world that is the Spirit which is of man but the Spirit which is of God that we might know the things that are freely given to Vs of God If by the Spirit which we have received we know the things which are freely given to us of God This Spirit must be made Ours it must be One with Our Spirit it is not the Spirit of God which is Without Vs or which works our Regeneration but the Spirit by which we become formally Regenerate and Spiritual And Punctually to this purpose the Apostle haveing said ver 14. The Natural Man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God for they are foolishnesse unto him Neither can he know them so long as he remaines a Natural Man because they are Spiritually discerned he adds by way of opposition ver 15. 16. But he that is Spiritual judgeth or discerneth all things Yet He himself is judged of no man For who hath known the mind of the Lord
Christ Consecrated to be an Everlasting Priest 3301 Sacrifice See Priesthood Sanctum Sanctorum a Type of the heavenly Sanctuary into which Christ ascended c. 3255 Salvation only from Gods Grace 3210 c. Satans two great Conquests 3067 Satans noose See proposition negative universal Sensual Doctrine 3274 Sepulveda's storie of a Bear 3027 Severitie without instruction Tyranny 3275 Schoolmen faulty 3012 3266 Schoolmen lose the Truth in second Notions 3019 Scepter in Homer 3236 Scripture sole Rule of Faith and Manners 3010 Scripture Stories and Examples Transcendent 3190 Sententia Juris sententia Judicis 3167 c. Christs Session at Gods Right Hand St. Austins Answer to Dardanus about the manner of it 3252 c. Socinians ignorant of themselves 3002 Socinians more dissonant from truth in point of our natural corruption then the meere Naturalist 302◠then Pelagius 3023 Soules of Righteous men not so high in Bliss before as they were after Christs Ascension 3255 c. These soules probably before it were in a Place of Heaven answering to the Atrium Sacerdotum or Congregationis in the Temple 3257 Spirit Mind Soul their difference c. 3118 c. Soul in St. Paul is Flesh ibid. Spirit of God Spirit of man their several importances and opposition 3116 c. Spirit of man is not to be mortifyed but to be quickned and renewed 3118 3124 Spirit and Synteresis probably both one 3119 Spirits working our working by the spirit the order of them 3120 Gods Spirit Transformes our spirits into the likeness of Christ's Spirit 3122 Soules cured whether by Symbolicals or by contraries 3120 c. Soul the Centre of the motions both of Flesh and spirit 3123 Sin see Adam How sin got entrance into the world 3007 c. Sin the Author of it 3012 Diabolus seducens Homo Consentiens 3019 Aquinas Bellarmin and the Thomists as strait laced in the point about Author peccati as Zwinglius and Piscator ibid. Sin Original 3017 to 3039 Sin Original pollutes our persons 3019 Sin Original is not a meer privation 3006 3028 3035 Of sin Original Heathen Notions 3019 c. 3100 3145 These consort better with the Truth then the Socinian Tenets about sin Original do 3022 St. Austin not the first teacher of sinne original 3023 Parents may by sin Actual improve the venom of sin Original in their Posteritie 3019 3030 3031 Two Symptomes of sin Original Loathing to do commanded or known Good Longing after what is forbidden 3034 c. Sin provoked by negative precepts c. 3025 c. Sin Original defined 3028 Fl. Illyricus his definition discussed 3032 c St. Austins Melancthons Aquinass 3035 Mr. Calvin and P. Martyr consent with Illyricus in the definition of sin Original 3036 How farr the nature Faculties Actions of men good or bad be tainted with sinne Original or acquired 3037 c. Sin Original not utterly taken away by Baptism 3100 c. Sins must be weighed in the Scale of the Sanctuary 3097 Servitude and servants to sin and Satan 3039 c. Sin against the holy Ghost 3282 Jewes in part believers servants to sinne and corruption 3040 c. 3072 c. A Civill Servant 3042 Degrees of Servitude Ibid. English servants Famuli rather then Servi or servants but in part or mixt 3043 Meere servants or slaves mancipia or servi servati ibid. Jewes might have Heathen slaves but might not remain slaves 3044 Our Saviours Parables as that Matth. 18. speake of meere slaves 3045 Servants Hired and Bond wherein they agree 3045 wherein they differ 3046 Serve two Masters no man can ibid. A servant may have a will more free or less servile then his Master 3130 3144 Between servitude civil and servitude to sinne the Analogie 3047 Servitude to sin the prime Analogate 3048 Of Servitude to sin four Branches 3051 Servitude to sin Natural and acquired 3052 What Freedom of will compatible with servitude to sin 3129 Servitus est obedientia fracti animi Tullie 3054 Heathen Notions of Servitude to sinne right 3055 c. but fruitless 3059 Christian Professours may be as great servants to sin to Bacchus Venus and Pluto as heathens were 3060 To obey our Lusts is to serve sin to serve sin is to serve Satan service to Satan is Treason against Christ 3061 How Satan works men into Slavery to himself 3062 c. His main Wile to enlarge or enflame our desires of things not simply evill 3063 Romish slavery 3066 Heathen Romans slaves 3056 Two Errors 1. The same Fact sin in one no sin in another 3182. 2. That some mens sins be remitted before they commit them 3182 c. 3282 An opinion of no pious use 3268 Worse then Popery or Novatianism 3283 A Question about it stated 3292 c. This Tenet Sin remitted before committed makes Christs Resurrection needless in respect of us and Baptism needless 3295 Sponte Malus nemo Plato how it may be true 3062 Our reasonable service is mortification 3159 Stoicks their Bruitish opinion 3080 Antient Fathers their disputes with them 3081 Sympathie 3119 Synteresis the same with Spirit ibid. Synteresis in it be the Reliques of Gods Image 3124 Synods their good use 3274 T. TEstimonies of the Heathen and ill men the use of them 3053 Threates of God under Oath Irrevocable without oath not so 3149 Transubstantiation a Modern Monster 3298 The pretense and use of it ib. The Tree of knowledge of Good and evill poysonous 3029 c. Turkish Divinitie All things come to passe by fatal necessitie 3181 c. Tyrannie to punish and not instruct 3275 V. VAlentinus jumpt with the Stoicks and Manichees 3081 Vbiquitie a modern Monster 3298 The pretence for it ibid. Vertue and value of Christs Sacrifice disparaged by the Romanist 3289 Value vertue of Christs Sacrifice See Sacrifice Vessel and Potter the debate or Dialogue betwixt them 3228 Vnregenerate man what freedom such a man hath 3092 Vertues of the Heathen 3134 c. Visitations or Synods of former times 3274 Vngodly men how ordained to Damnation 3164 Vniversal see Proposition Vnjust God is not unrighteous the sense of it 3286 Vse of vows an Argument of Freedom 3094 Vse of Christs Priesthood 3301 Vow in Baptism the first thing that young ones are to consider and be reminded of 3100 W. WAter of sprinkling The Resemblance between it and Christs Bloud 3300 See Parallels See Heifer Holy water See Holy Will of God how Rule of Equitie and Justice 3229 Will of God One Immutable Free Causeth Pluralitie Mutabilitie Necessitie Contingencie 3223 Gods Will Resistible or Irresistible ibid. Irresistible Will of God Pharaoh hardened by it 3225 c. God Wills Mutabilitie Immutably c. 3245 Wee St. John saith if any We have an Advocate 3288 c. Why Weeds grow so fast 3083 Whelps trained by Lycurgus 3085 3134 The Book of Wisdom Philo Judaeus Author of it 3205 Wisdom Christian three Points of it 3128 Woman with the Issue of Bloud touched by Christ really and vertually though not Locally 3303 Merit of Works see Merit We work out our Salvation Consecutivè non formaliter 3109 No man can be said to renounce the Good Works which he never did 3132 3161 Romish Sophism about Works 3218 Works foreseen or ex praevisis operibus 3113 3218 Opus quo renunciamus opera quae renunciamus 3219 Good Works of the Elect and of men within the Covenant how God regards them 3284 Good VVorks of the Heathen 3141 X. XEnocrates cured Polemo 3138 Xenocrates his Chastitie Contempt of Gold 3139 Y. SAtans Yoke of slavery put upon mens necks by the Pope 3068 Z. ZAcharie prophesied of the Efficacious vertue of Christs Body and Bloud 3300 Zachaeus had some degree of Free-will 3131 Zelots English improved Forraign Errors 3275 FINIS
command him to do and such an eager pronenesse or appetite to do those things which the Law of Reason or of Nature forbids him to do and those things with greatest Eagernesse which the same Law of Reason or other positive Laws derived from it most peremptorily and upon severest penalties forbid him to do It hath been observed by many Authors that the Unnatural sin of Parricide wilful Murther of Father or Mother or of Superiour Kindred did not become rife or frequent amongst the Romans until they had upon particular sad accidents enacted a publick Law and ordained a special kind of torment for transgressors in this kind Lucius Ostius was the first amongst the Romans that did commit this Unnatural sin And He lived almost six hundred years after the City was founded a little after the second Punick War Some good ‖ See Plutarch in the Life of Romulus Laertius in the Life of Solon and Tully in His second Oration Pro Roscio Amerino who gives the true Character or Expression of that speech of Laertius 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 untowardly rendred by the Latin Interpreter 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Plut. in Rom. pag. 32. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Solon 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Diog. Lacrt. l. 1. in Solone Is Solon cùm interrogaretur Cur Nullum supplicium constituisset in Eum qui Parentem necâsset respondit se id neminem facturum putasse Sapienter fecisse dicitur cùm de eo nihil sanxerit quod antea commissum non erat ne non tam Prohibere quà m admonere videretur Tull. Orat. 2. Pro Sext. Roscio Amerino Writers ascribe the long abstinence from this unnatural sin unto the wisdom of Romulus their Founder who enacted no Law against much lesse appointed any peculiar kind of death unto this Crime which He expected should never be committed by His Posterity Certain it is that Solon for the like reason did not so much as mention this Crime in His otherwise most severe Laws But this observation was taken from the Heathen Romans in times ancient and far more remote and doth not as happily will be objected hold in these times or places wherein we live Yet the Ingenuous and Learned French †Thuanus Historian who meddles with the History of his own times only tels us that the like unnatural sin towards Children or Infants did never come to so high and far-spreading a Flow in the great City of that Kingdom until the State or Parliament had erected a peculiar Court to be held for examination or trial of such Cruel Mothers as sought to salve the breach of one Commandment by the violation of another to cover the shame of their own wantonnesse by murthering the tender fruits of their folly as if the Damme which the Law had set for repressing or stopping the Course of this bloudy sin had but provoked the stream or Current to swell higher and greater to overburst all obstacles or inhibitions which the Laws of God the Laws of Nature and of the Kingdom had set against it 2. Again why Pulpit-pride why Clergie-cunning insolency or malice should grow into a Proverb throughout most Christian Kingdoms or Provinces as if these or like transgressions in our profession were of such a scantling as could hardly be matched by the Laitie I cannot give a more probable reason if the imputation be true or the occasion of the Proverbe just then this That Men of our profession who are Gods peculiar Inheritance are bound by the Lawes of God to more strict observance of our Saviours praecepts concerning Humility Meeknesse Brotherly-love and Charity or peaceable disposicion towards all then ordinary Men or men of other Callings or professions are And we know whose saying it is That if we do not continue as we are by the place wherein he hath set us the Salt of the Earth and Light of the World We shall become the most degenerate unprofitable members of the Land and Church wherein we Live And if the whole Tribe were to beare peculiar Armes as some other ingenuous Professions doe No Device could so well befit us as Jeremiah's two Baskets of Figges Then saia the Lord unto me What seest thou Jeremiah and I said Figgs the good Figgs very good and the evill very evill that cannot be eaten they are so evill Jer. 24. 3. The bad Figs were the Emblem of the disobedient refractory as the good Figs were of the obedient and beleeving Jewes in the Prophets time Both parts of the Embleme are as applyable to the Sons of Levi in our dayes Such of this Tribe as suffer sin to raigne in their Mortall bodies are generally the worst of sinners Such as mortifie the workes of the flesh by the spirit by prayer and other good services of God and seeke their Freedome or manumission by the Son of God Working out their Salvation with feare and trembling are the Best of all Gods Saints on Earth 3. The proper effects or Symptomes of Sinâ— Original described by S. Paul But the greatest part of the Induction hitherto made for finding out the properties or Symptomes of Sin original will be excepted against especially by such as are meer strangers to their own Breasts or dispositions of their hearts because the particular observations or Experiments whereof the Induction consists have been made by the Heathen or related by Authors not Canonicall But the Exception will voyd it self if we shall make it cleer to men altogether unexperienced of themselves that the like Experiments or observations have been made and more fully expressed by one whose Authority is Canonical whose Testimony of Experiments made in himself and taken by himself is most Authentick it is St. Paul That sin Originall was in the world before the Law was given is cleer from this Apostle Rom. 5. 13. For untill the Law sin was in the world but sin is not imputed when there is no Law So our English and most other Modern translations render the Greek 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 None of them altogether so well as it might be rendred Better thus There is not there cannot be any true estimate or full reckoning made of sin where there is no Law to give the * The Syriack reades it Usque enim ad Legem peccatii quum esset in mundo non reputabatur peccatum propterea quòd nâ—n erat Lex That is Sin though it were in the world untill the Law yet was it not reputed or reckoned for sin untill the law was given But if it be true which the Appostle Saith that sin raigned unto death untill the Law I hope it was imputed with a Witnesse Charge And againe Ver. 20. Moreover the Law entred that the offence might abound This abounding of the offence whereof he speakes was the issue or effect 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the End or Finall Cause why the Law was given For so the Law-giver might be suspected to have been the Author of sin
or at least of the increase or abundance of it in the world The Apostles meaning is that the Law was given as a praeparative Physick or medicine to let such as were sick of sin as all were before the Law was given understand in what danger they were or to give them notice of the abundance of corruption which was so deeply seated in their Nature that it could not be throughly purged by the Law which only set sin a working that men might seek more eagerly after a Better medicine to wit Faith in Christ That this was our Apostles true meaning in this place is apparent from the Parallel-passages to these Romanes Chap. 7. 7. what shall we say then is the Law sin God forbid Nay I had not known sin that is I had not taken true notice of the measure or danger of it but by the Law for I had not known Lust except the Law had said Thou shalt not Covet The Law to which these words referr is the tenth Commandement wherein the Coveting of some few particulars as of our Neighbours Wife or of his goods is only expresly forbidden But sin taking occasion by this Negative Commandment wrought in our Apostle as he himself testifies all manner of Concupiscence for without the Law sin was dead that is He did not feel the Motions or Paroxysmes of sin untill the Law was laid unto him as a Preparative Medicine unto better Physick And againe ver ninth I was alive without the Law once but when the Commandement came Sâ—n revived and I died And againe ver 11. 12. 13. Sin taking occasion by the Commandement deceived me and by it slew me Wherefore the Law is Holy and the Commandement Holy and just and good Was that then which is good made death unto me God forbid But sin that it might appeare sin working dâ—ath in me by that which is good that sin by the commandement might become exceeding Sinfull It is a Point observable and fully paralel to our Apostles doctrine That the Easterne part of the world did rather loath then long after Circumcision Vntill our Saviours Resurrection and the Apostles peremptory forbidding the practise of it From the former doctrine of our Apostle I have learned satisfaction to a Probleme which had often and long Perplexed my thoughts The Probleme was this Why Men Unto whose care and fidelity a man might safely commit his Fortunes or his life upon their honest word became most carelesse and unfaithfull in matters whereto they are punctually tyed by oath The reason is Because the interposition or obligation by oath is as the coming of a Law which provokes the Corruption of Nature whose longing or lust after things forbidden rather then it should be unsatisfied drawes men otherwise morally honest to become like wayward intemperat Patients which rather chose to nourish the longing humours of the disease or infirmity then to observe the prescription of the Chirurgeon ready to pull off the plaister though with the live-skin or flesh rather then to endure the working of it for a moment 4. But here some have Questioned Whether this Chapter be meant of the Regenerate or Vnregenerate Man A Captious Interrogatorie if Regeneration were but one Act or a resultance of some Few Acts or Conflicts between the Flesh and the Spirit But seeing Regeneration in true Theologie includes Acts almost numberlesse or a Combate somewhat longer then Mortification doth This Chapter if we speak of Christians must be Meant not of the Man truely Regenerated or perfectly Mortified but of a Man Inter Regenerandum during the intermediate Acts or conflicts betwixt the beginning and the Consummation of his * See the 9 Article of the Church of England Regeneration Or if we speake of One that beleeves the Old Testament better then the New as of a Jew or Mahumetane it cannot be meant of a Lawlesse Man but of a man under the hammer of Gods Law given by Moses For there must be a Laying of some Law or Other to the heart before the Conflict here Mentioned can begin or Sin inherent be so Provoked as our Apostle tells us it is 5. Why Sin Originall is more provoked by the Negative then by the Affirmative Precepts He that will diligently peruse our Apostles forementioned Passages Romans 7. in the Language wherein he wrote will easily observe with me That the occasion which Sin tooke By the Law to deceive him as it doth yet to deceive us was from the Negative Precepts or Commandements of the Law not from the Positive or Affirmative Now why the Negative Precepts that one especially Thou shalt not Lust Thou shalt not Covet should a great deale more provoke or more forcibly revive the seeds of Originall Sin inherent in us then the Affirmative Precepts usually doe the Reason is Evident because nothing is nominated or proposed unto us in the Affirmative Precepts but that which in its nature is truely and sincerely Good without the mixture of Evill And being such is more apt to revive or quicken the Notions of the Law of Nature or Reason or those Reliques of Gods Image which remaine in our Nature since our first Parents fall then to Enlive the seeds of sin or to provoke our inclinations unto Evill On the contrary In every Negative Precept there is a Proposall or representation of those things which be in their Nature truely Evill and therefore most apt to incite or provoke our natural Inclinations unto the evill forbidden or to enrage the Reliques of our first Parents sin inherent in Us after the same manner and for the same reason that the representation of red Colours without any other Provocation given is to provoke or stirre the blood of beasts or Cattel which are of a more pure or sanguine Constitution Thus some tame Beasts as Bulls or Kine are aptest to turne man-keen upon such as are cloathed in bright red or Scarlet And a grave Learned ‖ Scortum Hispani generis lepidum ut serebatur formosum mula ut Romae meretrices cum Amatoribus solent animi gratia gestabatur Haec cum venisset ad Thermas Diocletianas Vivarium ferarum ingressa nec contenta cicures vagantes Spectasse precibus contendit aegâ—è impetrat à beluarum Magistro ut ingenti urso cavea separatim incluso sed quem constabat in Neminem antea desaevjisse exitum aperiret Facta potestate ursus erumpit mulam terresacit excussam mulierculam Caeteris qui aderant diffugentibus invadit dictoque citius strangulat contrito capite primùm avulsa ubera deinde natem alteram devorat unguibus dentibus laceratam Esseratam bestiam existimo colore coccineae vestis quam induerat misella speciem sanguinis Praeferentem Sepulveda Epist lib. 2. ep 15. Historian sometimes Chronicler to Charls the Fift in an Epistle of his to his friend relates a sad accident of a Beare which had never been observed to have raged upon Any yet being let loose from
that in exact Philosophical or Theological Calculation the Definitions of Sin given by S. Austin Calvin Martyr c. and Illyricus come in the Issue to One and the same reckoning yet to vulgar or ruder Apprehensions Illyricus his Definitions which for the most part are Causal but especially his Illustrations of them out of Scripture are far more dilucide and more powerful to work upon our affections and to encourage our spirits to undertake our Christian Warfare against the Old Man or Body of sin 5. Illyricus his Illustrations of sin more Consonant to Scripture then Calvins or Martyrs To what purpose were it to tell unletter'd or ordinary men that the Old Man or Body of Sin which we are to crucifie or mortifie is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 inordinatio or depravatio unlesse we could perswade them that these were names of Giants and paint them with far more hands then Briareus with ten times more heads and mouthes then Cerberus or Geryon had and with more snakes instead of hairs upon their heads then Medusa according to Poetical pictures is emblazoned with or make some representation of them in more ugly and horrible shape then the Devil and Infernal Fiends are pictured by old Monks and Fryers in their Books and Legends Albeit even these be but silly representations of infernal Powers with whom even Christian Children after they come to the use of Reason or to wage war as O Ecolampadius somewhere excellently observes For every man to whom God hath given Grace or power to Reflect upon his Younger Years or to survey ☜ his own Heart His Affections or Inclinations either past or present may respectively find a more exquisite Live Image of Satan within himself then any Painter can make Though few or none in this Age be bodily possessed with a Legion of Devils yet most men either by Nature ill breeding or bad Company if they would rightly examin Themselves their Actions their Passions or projects by the Rule of Scripture might easily discover more then a Legion of unruly lewd or vain Thoughts of unhallowed Desires or vitious Habits such as are Malice Pride Envy Vncharitableness c. which daily plead or fight for the Soveraignty of the Law of Sin or Lusts of the flesh over the Dictates or motions of the Law of the Mind or Spirit And these are the true and most exquisite pictures or images of the Diabolical Nature And it was a wish or Prayer worthy to be written with the point of a Diamond as I have seen it written though in no sacred place Lord deliver me from my self His meaning which wrote it I take it was that he might be delivered from vitious or unruly Thoughts or Habits or other like Souldiers of Satan which every man before Mortification of the Flesh or Renovation by the Spirit doth suffer to be Lodged or Billeted in his Breast 6. For Conclusion to give the Intelligent Reader a more full Definition ☜ of Sin or of the Old Man which we are to Crucifie It is or contains all the works of the Flesh or Inclinations contrary to the Law or Spirit of God necessarily resulting from our Nature or substance since it was corrupted in our first Parents by the subtilty or power of Satan as the Efficient Cause still Labouring to obliterate the Image of God wherein we were created and to mould us into his own Likenesse to the end that he may withdraw us from the Service of God which is perfect Freedom and make us everlasting Slaves to himself and his Infernal Associates 7. Likely it is I should have Slighted Illyricus as much as Many Other of my Profession do upon a prejudicial Noise or Cry raised against Him At least I should not have taken that care and pains in perusing and examining His Opinions which ◠have done unlesse the Book or Treatise had been long ago commended to a Learned Friend of mine upon very high Termes by that Reverend and Great Divine Doctor Field then Dean of Gloucester SECT III. Of Servitude unto Sin Who be properly Servants unto It and by It unto Satan CHAP. XIV That even those Jews which did in part Believe in Christ were true Servants unto Sin 31. Then said Jesus to those Jews which Believed on him If ye continue in my Word then are ye my Disciples indeed 32. And ye shall know the Truth and the Truth shall make you Free 33. They answered him We be Abrahams seed and were never in bondage to any man How saiest thou ye shall be made Free 1. AS We rightly gather that part of mans body to be most corrupt Unsound or Ulcerous which is most afraid of the Chirurgions hand or Instrument which must heal or cure it So these Jews may hence be truly convicted to have been as our Saviour censures them truly Servants unto sin or in S. Peters Expression Servants of Corruption in that they are so Touchie and Jealous of the very mention of being made Free Albeit our Saviour if you marke his processe doth handle them as warily and tenderly as any skilfull Chirurgion could do the most dangerous sores or ulcers of his most impatient Patients For he did not say If you continue in my Word then are ye my Disciples indeed and I will make you Free Although if he had thus said he had said the Truth For HEE it is and HEE alone that must make all the Sons of Adam Free A paraphrase upon John 8. ver 31. 32. 33. c. But as He had an Eagles Eye to discover their hidden sore and a Lyons Heart to unrip or Launce their sore unto the quick So he had likewise the Third property of an Excellent Chirurgion to wit a Ladyes hand to touch them gently and tenderly He tells them the Truth but in a placid and most inoffensive manner by soft and gentle degrees If ye continue in my word then are ye my Disciples indeed And ye shall know the Truth and the Truth shall make you Free And who could be offended or unwilling to be made Free by the Truth but such as were desperately sick of Falshood and Corruption Such and so affected were these Jewes which did in part believe on our Saviour For they had no sooner heard him making mention of beeing made Free though by the Truth but they instantly returne this repinning and impatient Answer We be Abrahams Seed and were never in bondage to any man How sayest thou ye shall be made Free 2. Many Good Interpreters do question the Truth of their Answer as whether they were not at this very time in Bondage to the Romans And Tullie in his Oration Pro Flacco whose crime was aggravated for that he had alienated or detained some Gold which had been gathered towards the adorning or beautifying the Temple at Jerusalem to Elevate or lessen that conceit which many Romans had of the Nation of the Jewes as of a People better beloved of the
Apprehensions or Boastings and that is given us by our Saviour himself in this Gospel Chap. 14. vers 15 23 24. If ye love me keep my Commandments And again Chap. 15. vers 10. If ye keep my Commandments ye shall abide in my love How many may we find who in distresse or danger whether by Sea or Land specially in grievous stormes or sicknesse will seriously purpose and Resume that Branch of their Vow in Baptism ☜ To for sake the Devil and all his works the Lusts of the Flesh the Pomps and vanities of this wicked world And yet the Same Men being restored to health and probable safety will of Late zealous Professors and solemn votaries turn Gaderenes or Gergesites ready upon new Opportunities or Provocations of untame Desires to wish Christ to depart out of their Coasts rather then His Residence in their Hearts or Brains should give a continual check to their swinish appetites or Brutish Fancies And thus to do is not to keep but to violate Christs Commandments which whosoever doth not keep as well in This Particular of mortifying the works or Lusts of the Flesh as in other Duties doth not truly Believe in him shall not without hearty Repentance or new Purification of the heart and spirit either see God or be partaker of Christs Kingdom 11. Another Precept of Christ there is more General then the Former Whatsoever ye would that men should do unto you even so do unto them for this is the Law and the Prophets So far is the whole Christian world as we call it from keeping this Commandment that the Practises most Contrary to it are so Vniversal and so violent as that both the Casuists and professed Interpreters of Scriptures have almost lost the true meaning of it at least have utterly neglected the extending or branching of it into useful Rules of Good life or for bringing forth the Fruits of the Spirit And which is worse such learned and pious men as have undertaken the Cure of souls and have been solemnly sworn to the faithful Execution of Pastoral Charge dare not press the Observance of this Great Commandment upon their Flock which daily and hourly most shamefully transgresse it partly by the uncontroled Practises of stubborn people partly by Authorized Rules in Courts of Justice No Prophet of the Lord dare speak his mind or interpreter of the Gospel or spiritual Governour dare put his Commission from Christ in Execution unlesse such as are resolved to suffer a Martyrdom from their flock or from the Professors of the one or other Law established throughout this Kingdom Without Reference to any particular Cause or Person I dare boldly pronounce in the General That not the Twentieth Part of Tedious Suits or Vexations in Law or other Grievances or oppressions would either be set on foot by the People or suffered to be prosecuted by Men in Authority if the Fear of God Belief in Christ Loyalty to their Soveraign Lord or Good Affection to their Country were planted in Either of them truly or indeed 12. The General Neglect of this Great Commandment of doing as we would be done unto in former times of our security and Peace hath been alwayes Dangerous But the Violation of it in these Times of Mortality of Calamity and more then wonted danger of worse to ensue is Prodigious For preventing the Execution of Gods Judgements threatned for our Violation of This and other Commandments of Christ I must entreat all Sorts of men that hear me this day in the same words for sense and meaning which a Zealous and Learned Father sometimes used in like case Parcite Regi Parcite Regno parcite Populo Anglicano parcite Animabus Vestris If there be any true Love and Loyalty in us towards our Gratious Soveraign Lord and his Royal Issue any good Affection towards our Native Country or to our souls Let us abate our wonted Pride and Luxury our wonted Covetousnesse Let us not think it sufficient to abstain from Unjust Unchristian Vexation and Oppression of our Neighbours unlesse we seriously account that measure of Contentment of our desires of what kind soever which heretofore hath been Lawful to be in these times more then most Vnexpedient To use that Plenty of Diet or measure of Recreation but especially that Benefit or Advantage of Laws for advancing our selves or increasing our Fortune which heretofore we have done perhaps without sin Let This also in these times be esteemed Impious or a sin not to be Expiated without hearty Repentance and extraordinary Performance of works of Mercy Dan. 4. 27. The End of the Second Sermon 13. * The Authors Connexion of the 21 Chapter to the 4 Section as it was before These two Sermons were inserted But the more we labour further to unfold this Argument of our Natural Servitude unto sin the faster we shall draw another Knot or the more we presse the several Branches of this Servitude upon the Conscience of the Untegenerate or not well sanctified man the greater Perplexity we shall Create unto him in another part of Theology whose Knowledge is altogether as Necessary and as useful as our Experience of Natural Servitude unto sin is The Knot or perplexed Difficulty is What Kind or what portion of Freedom of Will is or can be Compossible with Absolute Servitude unto sin in the Vnregenerate or Vnsanctified man SECT IV. Of that Faculty of the Reasonable Soul which we commonly call Free-will Of the Root and several Branches of it in the Generality What Branches or Portion of this Free-will is in the Man altogether Vnregenerate or in debauched or heinous Sinners CHAP. XXIV Of the Difficulties of the Controversies Concerning Free-Will with the Reasons why They have troubled the Church so long 1. IF we should abstract this Problem from the Difficulties wherewith it may seem to be intangled by the former discourses Concerning our Servitude to Sin and consider it only in its own Nature and Essence this Question alone hath ministred more matter of intricate Disputes The main Point about Free-Will scarce well stated in any Age since the Apostles times then any other Controverted Point in Theologie He that hath leasure skill and opportunity to take an accurate Historical Survey of the the true State or rather of the Instability or ill stated Tenour of this Point since the death of our Saviours Apostles or other Canonical Writers of the New Testament will easily discover that the Disputes about it Pro and Con have been like to a Pair of Scales which never came to any Permanent Stay or constant Settling upon the right Center but have one while wagled this way another while that way The Orthodoxal Truth Concerning this Point as it was taught by our Saviour himself and by his Apostles and maintained by those who did immediately succeed them is That there was no other State or Fatality in Humane Affairs or Events save only This That such as sought after Glory and Immortality by
evil Now to use our Free-will further amisse then is Necessary is meerly Contingent no way Necessary Albeit he could do nothing as he ought yet he might have done lesse ill in being imployed in some honest Vocation or Lawful Exercise then by giving himself over to Pamper Ease and Sloth In Lawful imployments we are commonly freed from all other ill Guests besides our selves In Living Idlely or doing nothing we make our very hearts our brains and souls like Empty Rooms for the Infernal Spirits to set up Shop in The Poets Observation is very useful for all but most Peculiar for Younger Students and expressed in Terms to their Liking Si non ante Diem librum cum lumine poscas Hor. Epist 2. Invidiâ vel amore vigil torquebere Lib. 1. si non Intendas animum studiis rebus honestis If Men would give some Divine Precepts or Sentences full Possession of their Morning Thoughts these would serve as so many Armed Men to keep out the suggestions of the Devil ☜ the World and the flesh from entring into their Hearts 11. To hold this Freedom of Will in avoiding Occasions or motives to sin is most agreeable to the Doctrine of the Reformed Churches All which if I mistake not permit a Moderate and lawful Vse of Vows not only to men already sanctified or in the estate of Grace but unto all such as desire to avoid sin and the Motives thereunto that they may be sanctified In these two Points I hope we shall all agree First That we may not Vow any thing which is not in our Power Secondly That the avoidance of Occasions or Motives to grosse or known sins is one of the most proper and most safe Objects of solemn Vows 12. Some of our Wise and Godly Founders of Colledges which died before Reformation begun do not tye us by oath never to transgress in matters of Manners or Crime But to undergo punishment for breach of good manners they strictly tye us Virtute Juramenti What is the reason Surely that which we said before They well knew that to undergo ordinary punishment as losse of Commons or the like was in our Power and Consequently just matter of Vow But to avoid al actions punishable was not as they foresaw in our Power No part of the Object of our Free-will and therefore they made it no Branch of that Solemn Vow which we make to God for Observation of their Statutes 13. Now as it is Lawful to Vow strict Observance of outward means either useful for avoiding grosser sins or for repenting for them once committed So God upon diligent and faithful observance of our Vows in these or the like subjects doth not only free us from being led into grievous temptations but so enlargeth our Freedom of Will in other Points that by the assistance of his Gracious Providence we gain some Power over our own desires and affections which before we had not This cannot seem strange in the course of Nature especially if we consider it as subject to Gods Favourable Providence For seeing our carnal appetites or affections are alwayes nourished and strengthened by External Occasions or Opportunities they must needs be starved or weakned by Substraction of this their Nutriment And the weaker they are the better hand the spirit or Conscience gets over them the easier they are to be tamed and nurtured 14. Many men have not the Power to abstain from Dainties when they are set before them or when they are invited to taste them And the more yielding they are to such Invitations the greater Liberty will their Appetites take and leave them lesse Power to abstain from riotous Feasting But until Long Custom hath brought forth a worse disposition then we bring with us from our Cradles it is farr more Free and Easie for us to abstain from Houses of unhallowed Mirth or Good-Fellowship as they are termed then to abstain from those Courses which are usually followed in them after we be once accustomed to them In respect of every Negative Precept or things forbidden it is always More Easie to avoid the First * This is manifest in that Great Example and Champion of Chastity holy Joseph Who durst not stay to struggle for his Garmēt though it cōcerned him highly to have got away that which he knew would be made a Cloke for his Mistresses sin and a Colour of His but hasted and fled Chusing rather to leave behind him a seeming Argument of his Guilt then by longer stay or Reasoning after those two Arguments of Wrong done a Good Master and Sin against a Good God would not disswade to incur a Real Danger of becoming Guilty Even so it is commanded 2 Tim. 2. 22. Fly away from Lust We may and must resist the Devil and fight it out against Him but for Lust the only way is as when the house it on fire Avoidance and Flight Haste away Escape for thy life and Thy Souls Life Look not behind Thee nor stay lest the fire overtake thee and so thou be consumed in the Flame Occasions then to resist insuing Opportunities And the more Careful we are in avoiding First Temptations the more Capable we are as was before intimated of Gods Peculiar Providence to shield us from the assaults of Satan Not that the lesse Abuse of our Free-will in Evil or in avoiding Occasions that lead unto it can Merit any such Favour but the Extream Abuse of such Free-will as we have Exempts us from those Priviledges which Gods Infinite Bounty bestowes on us 15. But let us take a man which hath been so far from avoiding that he hath been alwayes industrious in seeking out Occasions to transgresse a man that by continual entertainment of all Opportunities to sin hath yielded up his soul to many foul and grievous sins What Freedom of Will what choice of means for working Mortification or amendment can be imagined to be left in such a Man shall we say he hath Freedom of Will inter Mala What portion of Freedom is in such as Sin Extreamly This were Destruere Suppositum We will rather suppose him to have so far abused that Free-Will which men naturally have in doing Evil that of Two of Three of Four or more Evils proposed together he would be ready to chuse The Very Worst alwayes prone to imbrace those Opportunities with greatest speed which lead to greatest mischiefs One Cui e malis id maximè placet quod est maximum Is there any Method or place for medicine to this disease The wicked saith the Prophet are like the troubled Sea when it cannot rest whose waters cast up mire and dirt There is no peace saith my God to the wicked Esay 57. 20 21. Now as the most dangerous and turbulent seas do not rage when the winds are calm So neither do the wicked some out their shame when Actual Temptations or provocations cease And in as much as Occasions and Opportunities do not at all times
present themselves Even he that hath no power to resist the least temptation that offers it self nor Freedom of Will to refuse the greatest Evil and chuse the least when both are actually proffered may in the Cessation of Actual Temptations Reflect upon his former Acts and take a survey of his life past especially if he be thereto occasioned or perswaded by a discreet Admonitor one that will not affright him with the Marks of Reprobation The first Branch of Freedom or rather the very root of Free-Will in every Reasonable Creature is seated in this Power of Reflexion upon its own Acts. This is the First Point or Property wherein Reason doth exceed Sense Now he that hath but this Branch of Freedom to Calculate his former Acts hath with it a Power to Charge his Soul with the heavy burthen of his sins The Conscience will alwayes be ready in quiet thoughts to accuse the Flesh and urge the Soul to bear Testimony against it And the soul or Conscience once brought to loath or dislike some special sins is thereby made more Free apt to bewail all other sins whatsoever whether Actual or Original Unlesse David had been throughly stung with the Conscience of murther or Adultery that sweet Confession had never found such perfect vent as it did Behold I was shapen in iniquity and in sin did my mother conceive me Psal 51. 5. Every Creature on whom the Creator hath bestowed any sense or feeling of pain or pleasure hath Power to imploy some motive Faculty for avoiding things grievous or hurtful or for attaining things pleasant and useful for bettering their present Estate And if man have any sense or feeling of his heavy burthen he cannot but in some sort or other desire to be released from it Upon this Principle is that Exhortation of our Saviour Grounded Come unto me all ye that Labour and are heavy Laden and I will ease you Mat. 11. 28. 16. So then albeit there be a true Freedom of Will in all the sons of Adam which are not utterly or finally forsaken of God yet is not this Freedom the same in all neither in respect of its Objects or Acts nor in respect of its Degrees or Strength Some have a Competent Measure of Liberty to avoid Occasions or external Motives to known sins but either no portion of like Liberty or a very Little One to resist such temptations to foul sins as come upon them unexpectedly Others have a Competent Measure of like Freedom to resist Temptations or Opportunities to grosse sins but little or none at all to bewaile their natural misery or to beat down their inbred Pride by Contemplation of Sin Original or by Reflecting upon sins of Omission or Positive Acts of ordinary Transgression Others again which had deprived themselves of all Freedom for avoiding Occasions or resisting Temptations to certain sins have a Larger measure of Freedom then others have to be humbled under Gods Mighty Hand which is in Order the First and by disposition of the Divine Providence the most Available means for attaining Mortification which must be the Subject of the next Discourse wherein I must follow my Method proposed to wit To discusse the true meaning of those Scriptures wherein the Difficulties or Questions Concerning this Duty are properly seated To begin with that of our Apostle Rom 8. 12. SECT V. Of the Great Duty of Mortification And of the Vse of Free-Will for performing it CHAP. XXVIII Of the General Contents which concern the Duty of Mortification And which be the Special Works of the Flesh we are to Mortifie ROM Chap. 8. Vers 11. But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his spirit that dwelleth in you Vers 12. Therefore Brethren we are Debters not to the Flesh to live after the Flesh Vers 13. For if ye Live after the Flesh ye shall dye but if ye through the spirit do Mortifie the deeds of the body ye shall live 1. A brief Paraphrase upon Rom. 8. 12 c. THis Portion of Scripture is more fit to ground the Connexion of what goeth before or cometh after it from the beginning of this 8 th Chapter unto the end then to receive any Bounds or Limitation which it is capable of from any Reference to other Passages either for the plain and full Grammatical or for the Moral and Theological Sense The Grammatical Construction of the 12 th verse though for so much as some of our Modern Translations suggest unto us it afford but One Proposition and that a Negative We are debters not to the flesh yet according to the Original Character or full Construction it contains Two Emphatical Propositions the One Affirmative the Other Negative The Affirmative 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Debters we are and Debters for a greater Sum then all Mankinds either Real or Personal Estates in this world are able to discharge The Negative Debters we are in no wise either in whole or part unto the Flesh unto which we owe nothing besides Revenge or Mortification of It that is by delivering it up Captive to the Spirit unto whom we owe more then our temporal Estate here on Earth our very Souls The 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or full Declaration of both Propositions follows vers 13. For if ye live after the flesh ye shall die this is the unsupportable debt which the flesh hath brought and seeks to bring upon us But if ye through the Spirit do mortifie the deeds of the body ye shall Live for ever This is a greater Boon then we can deserve as much as we can desire more then we can make any part of requital for it 2. For stating Cases of Conscience not for dealing betwixt man and man but but betwixt the Judge of Quick and Dead and our own Souls I know no portion of Scripture whether in the Old or New Testament of better or more frequent Use then This 13 th verse Let such as are so minded maintain Tenents already set on Foot or multiply Questions to the worlds End about the Certainty of their Personal Estate in Grace or Final Salvation or bestow their Marks and Tokens whether of Absolute Election or Reprobation as they please yet unto honest hearted Christians or such as desire so to be there can be no Sign or token of Salvation either Firmer in its self or more Certain to them then the right Computation of their constant Progresse in the Mortifying of the Flesh by the Spirit The First Question or Examination of our Progresse in this Duty is to know What be the deeds of the Flesh or Body which we are to Mortifie And How far we are to mortifie them The Second How the flesh is Mortified by us How by the Spirit The Third which happily will intermingle it self here and there with the first and second Quaeries is The Limitation of these Two Propositions
extinguished before they cannot revive themselves Or if children by Baptism were restored unto that State of Innocency which our Parents once had this Innocency could not be lost without some Actual Transgression like unto that transgression by which our First Parents lost their Innocency or Justice Original Actually to transgresse after the similitude of Adam Infants whilest Infants cannot For such Transgression consists in a sinister choice of the Will or in the ill use of Reason And all ill Use of the Will or understanding presupposeth an Use of Reason which cannot be in Infants Again there is no Necessity that all Children should actually transgresse when they first come to the use of Reason if before that time they had been Freed from all Original Corruption or Reliques of the Old Man by Baptism For to lay a Necessity of sinning actually upon any that had been Freed from all Original sin or restored to the state of Innocency which Adam had were to make God the Author of such Actual Sin Adam himself did not actually sin upon any Necessity but Voluntarily and Freely If the First Sin had not been an Actual sin or if that Actual sin had been committed upon Necessity not Adam but God had been the Author of it Certain then it is that This Duty of Mortification is necessary in respect of ALL without any respect of Persons ☜ Every one at their first Arrival unto the Use of Reason or at their Passage out of Infancy into Youth are under This Yoke which is no Evangelical Counsel but a Peremptory Precept And if This Duty necessarily concern ALL at that time ALL must of necessity have Original sin or some Reliques of the Old man in them yea such strong Reliques as will impell them to some Actual Sin or other or to some transgression of some of Gods Commandments when they come unto the Use of Reason Otherwise This Duty or precept could not Vniversally concern ALL without Exception For by the Contrary Doctrine some at least when they first come to the Use of Reason should have no Deeds of the Flesh which they were bound to Mortifie Most of the Romans unto whom our Apostle here writes had been Baptized after they had come to years of discretion And Baptism without all question had been as Effectual in them as it hath been in any other since yet our Apostle supposeth some Deeds of the Flesh to be in ALL of them Even in such as had lateliest been washed in the Laver of Regeneration which were to be Mortified in them So that Baptism is rather a Sacramental Consecration of us to undertake this Flight with the works of our Flesh or corruption of our nature then an utter Extinction or absolute drowning of these Enemies 5. Another necessary Corollary or Consequence of this Doctrine there is not usually observed by Modern Controversors and it is This That the same measure of Regeneration which sufficeth Children or Infants dying before they come to the use of Reason will not suffice such as attain to the use of Reason or years of discretion For if it did or could they might be saved as Infants are without performance of this Duty of Mortification One of these Two must necessarily be granted as Either that Children or Infants are not so thorowly sanctified or regenerated as is necessary to Salvation before the hour of their death which no man to my remembrance hath taught Or else he that affirms them to be truly regenerated or sanctified in their Infancy must yield to us in This That such Children or Infants as have been formerly regenerated in a measure sufficient to their Salvation out-grow this measure of Regeneration or Sanctification after they come to the use of Reason or years of discretion as they do their apparel or clothes which were fit for them whilest they were Infants And no question but the Old Man after we come to the use of Reason grows stronger and stronger in all of us untill we abate his strength and Mortifie his members by the Spirit Wherefore Leaving Children or infants unto the Spirit of God alone who doth Regenerate them by Baptism and preserve them in the State of Grace without our Ministery of Preaching This Precept is a Precept of Working Faith The Duty here injoyned is a Duty Necessary unto All that are of years fit to be instructed or of Capacity to understand the Scripture or Rule of Faith expounded to them Let us then take his words into a Second Consideration If ye live after the flesh Of the Nature of the Fight with our own Bodies in General ye shall die He saith not If ye have lived after the flesh ye shall die for this had been rather a certain Prognostick of death then any medicinal Advice or Prescript unto his Patients One man there was and no more who was First Good and afterwards Bad this was the First Adam Another there is and no more who was Never Bad alwayes Good this is the Second Adam Christ Jesus blessed for ever Of all the rest that is most true which a Father hath Nemo unquam bonus qui non antè fuit malus No son of Adam ever proved Good who was not sometimes Bad. The Apostles Saying is in this Case true First is that which is natural then that which is spiritual We Even the Elect themselves were the sons of Adam before they were the Sons of God in Christ All or most have lived after the Flesh before they come to live after the Spirit Thus much our Apostles Second Proposition will infer If ye though the spirit do mortifie the deeds of the body ye shall Live Inasmuch as Mortification of the Flesh is necessary to All it is presupposed that All have a Flesh which may be Mortified or a Life of the flesh seeing nothing can be Mortified but that which hath Life in it 6. Again Our Apostle saith not If the Deeds of the Flesh be Mortified in you by the Spirit ye shall Live For so we might happily have dreamed of a Mortification already wrought in us or to be wrought in us without our Consent or Endeavours as well whilest we are asleep as whilest we are awaking Or we might conceive it to have been so wrought by the Spirit in our Cradles as we might presume to passe the time of our youth in play and pastime Or we might hope to have it so fully accomplished by the same Spirit alone in our youth or maturity as we might spend our Old Age in sleep without setting a Careful Watch over our Works or thoughts His words if we observe them are thus If ye through the Spirit do Mortifie the Deeds of the Flesh ye shall Live So then we see The Flesh must be Mortified and Mortified it must be By Vs Every man must Mortifie his own Flesh although he cannot Mortifie it but through the Spirit It is The Spirit alone which giveth Victory yet this doth not Priviledge us from
his heart and Conscience the Partie moved is a meere Passive In thus fitting the discourse to his former Life or Cogitations the Preacher himself is Gods Instrument not the Agent He had no Suffrage in the choyce of his Text at least in suiting it to this Particular Occasion much lesse any hand or finger in the Issue or Successe Both these are wholy from the disposition of Divine Providence 4. But now that the Parties Heart is touched by these or the like Occurrences unexpected either by this Patient or by his physitian doth he still remaine as meerly Passive as he was in the accomplishment of his Mortification or Conversion Surely the thoughts of a meere Natural Civil or Moral man are Free and Able to Reflect upon those Motions in respect of whose Production his best Faculties are meerely passive Free and able to Revise and work upon those Occurrences and Dispositions of divine Providence on which he did not so much as think before they set his thoughts on working But supposing him to be thus Able thus Free and willing to Reflect upon his former thoughts and to Revise what lately hath befallen him Are such Reflections able without Gods Special Grace infused to produce any further Degree of Mortification or Conversion Men must be in some sort Active that They may be Towardly Passive in the work of Mortification Or is the Partie thus affected meerely Passive or a Co-agent with the Spirit of Grace in the Production of such farther Degrees of Mortification as shall after wards be produced He is in my Opinion a meere Passive in the Production of all Degrees which shall be produced untill his Conversion or Mortification shall be accomplished Are then such Reflections upon his former wayes or Revises of what hath befallen him for them to no purpose No man I think will avouch this But if to any to what good purpose do they serve shall they make him a more Towardly Passive in the next Good Motions which it shall please God to put into his heart than he was in the former Shall he by often thinking upon his former Courses or by abstinence from evill Company be enabled so to qualifie his Heart that the same or like touches of Gods Providence shall mollifie or affect it more at the Second time than they did at the First or at the Third more than at the Second or at the Fourth more than at the Third I know no harme I cannot conceive the least Suspicion of danger in this or the like Assertion so long as we still acknowledge him to be no more then a meere Passive in all the Degrees of his Conversion or Mortification 5. Notwithstanding how harmelesse soever this Assertion be in it self I can be content to relinquish the use of it rather then any good Christian should be offended with it or put into doubt lest it come too neare 〈◊〉 or other modern Heresâ—â— But he that shal denie me the Libertie of thus Expressing my self shall give me leave to retaine This Conclusion He which is diligent in Reflecting and ruminating upon what hath befallen him by Gods Special Providence upon the first or second time wherein he hath been impelled to take notice of it shall be sure to have his heart more deeply touched with the same or like Occurrences the third or fourth time then he which hath been alwaies negligent to Ruminate or Reflect upon such Invitations or Admonitions as by Gods Providence have been rendered unto him In respect of our Purpose which is only to leave sloth or negligence without Excuse it is all One whether a man after the First Degree of Mortification may Positively and actually Concurr to make himself A more Towardly Passive against the next Touch of Grace or Document of Gods Special Providence or whether his Heart remaining still at the same Passive Bent which it had when it was first touched by Grace or special Call of Gods providence God be pleased to multiply the Active Meanes of Mortification or to make their Contrivance and disposition more remarkable and effectual than they were before This is most certain That he which will not take such Warnings as God shall send him into his serious Consideration shall bring this Two-fold Inconvenience upon himself First ☜ his Soul shall be every day then other more unapt to be wrought unto Repentance or to have Mortification wrought in it by such Meanes as formerly would have wrought it Secondly God in justice will deprive him of such ordinary Meanes or Motives to Mortification as before he had Mans extreame want of all Abilitie so to prepare or mollifie his own heart as it may be more towardly Passive than it hath been cannot disinable God from multiplying his Flessings or from Granting Grace Sufficient to mollifie their hearts which are not able to mollifie themselves yet have been diligent according to that Abilitie which they have to Reflect and ruminate upon his Providence Summoning them to Repentance alwaies diligent and readie to acknowledge their own Insufficiency and out of this acknowledgement more earnestly to sollicite his Grace and Favour for enabling them to do better 6. In what sense we are said to work out our own Salvation So then mans Endeavours are not available not of force to produce Mortification spiritual yet are they Two wayes necessary Necessitre Praecepti Necessitate Medij by a Necessitie of Dutie and by a Necessitie of Meanes that spiritual Mortification may be accomplished in us And because man by the assistance of Gods special Providence without the concourse of sanctifying inherent Grace is enabled to do somewhat which being done ☜ his conversion or Mortification shall undoubtedly be accomplished therefore are we said to Mortifie the Body and not so only but to make our Election sure yea to * Or rather industriously to labour for our own Salvation 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 work out our own Salvation For so the Apostle speaks Philip 2. 12. But how are we said to work out our own Salvation Non Formaletersed Consecutivè in such a Sense as we say One mans Riseing is anothers Fali Or The Ruine of one or more great Families is the Raising of others Or as 't is said in Philosophie Generation unives est Corruptio alterius i. e. not Formally or properly for Generation and Corruption are Opposites but by way of Consequence For inasmuch as The One is the Necessary Consequent of the Other The One is said to Be The Other And thus when the Apostle wills us to work out our own Salvation with fâ—ar and 〈◊〉 he gives the reason in the next words For it is God that worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure Philip. 2. 13. So that God truely and properly Worketh all as well the Will as the Deed yet it is his Good Pleasure to work Both only in them which work with fear and trembling as being most affraid to neglect so great
Salvation as God is readie to work in them and for them And because God never failes to work salvation in them and for them that are diligent in seeking it or affraid to neglect it therefore they are said to Work out their own Salvation not properly or Formally but Consecutivè that is Salvation is the Necessary Consequent of their working or doth necessarily follow upon their work Not by any force or Efficacie of their Work or by any natural Connexion but meerely by Gods Appointment or Decree The very same phrase in the Original our Saviour useth unto the people John 6. 27. Which words can beare no other Construction then that which we have made of St. Pauls words Philip. 2. 12. no other Interpretation then our English hath already made Labour not for the meat which perisheth but for that meat which endureth unto everlasting life And so the Vulgar Latin doth not render them verbatim Operamini Cibum but Operamini Cibo Not Work that meat but work for that meat For if That Meat which endureth to eternal Life must be given them by the Son of God if This Meat be the very Bodie and Blood of the Son of God it cannot be the proper Effect of any mans work or any Merit of man but the End or consequent of our Labours or endeavours and yet we are said to work This Meat in the same sense that we are said to work our Salvation viz. Consecutivè because God doth infallibly make us partakers of it if we diligently seek after it or labour for it 7. By the right Use of this Distinction we may reconcile many places of Holy Scripture which seem repugnant one to another as Likewise qualifie many Speeches whether of the Fathers or some Good Modern Writers which otherwise would seem harsh and offensive Who can say saith Solomon Prov. 20. 9. I have made my heart clean This Interrogation is in all mens judgement Equivalent to this Universal Negative No man can say I have made my heart clean Howbeit the Psalmist Psal 73. 13. saith Verily I have cleansed my heart in vain There is no Contradiction between this Psalmists Particular Affirmative I have cleansed my heart and Solomons Universal Negative No man can say I have cleansed my heart Solomon speakes of the Internal Purification which is the proper Effect and sole work of Gods Spirit The Psalmist speakes of his own Labours or Endeavours that his heart might be thus purified by the spirit of God He then did cleanse his heart Consecutivè non Formaliter Every one Saith St. John that hath this hope in him purifies himself as he is pure 1. Joh. 3. 3. This place perhaps Some will say is meant of men Regenerate only seeing they only have that hope whereof the Apostle here speakes Many other such places of scripture there be in which we are said and sometime Commanded to Purifie our Selves as Jam. 4. 8. Cleanse your hands ye Sinners and purifie your hearts ye double minded This place cannot be meant of men truely regenerate For even Sinners and double minded men such as men regenerate are not are commanded to cleanse their hands and to purifie their hearts Many other places likewise there be wherein this purifying of the heart is wholly ascribed unto God God saith St. Paul Act. 15. 9. put no difference betwixt us and them purifying their hearts by Faith Not this Purification only But all other Good Works are said to be wrought by God as Esay 26. 12. Lord thou wilt ordaine peace for us for thou also hast wrought all our workes in us or for us And our Saviour saith John 15. ver 5. Without me ye can do nothing Both parts of our former Distinction are included in that of St. Paul 2. Tim. 2. 21. If any man purge himself from these he shall be a Vessel unto honour Sanctified and meet for the Masters Vse and prepared unto every good work His speech is if we mark it He shall be made a Vessell unto honour if he purge himself He doth not say He shall be enabled to make himself a Vessell of Honour Nor doth he in proprietie of speech or as we say Formally or Efficiently purge himself But in that he doth those things whereupon this Purification by Gods Spirit doth immediately follow Man is said to purge himself And so are we in this place of St. Paul Rom 8. said to mortifie the deeds of the bodie by the Spirit when we do those things whereupon this Mortification doth immediately insue not by any Merit or Causalitie of our works but by Gods meere Grace by the Councel of his Holy irresistible Will by the Determination of his Eternal Decree by which it hath pleased him to apoint The One as a Necessarie Consequent of The Other to witt Spiritual Mortification or life it self as the Issue of our endeavours to Mortifie the Flesh This kind of Speech is usual not in Scripture only but in other Good Writers and in our Common Dialect So Tully tells us of a Romane Orator who for want of skill in Civill Law Petijt revera ut causa caderet made a Motion that he might Loose his Cause This Motion he did not make directly or Formally His meaning is that if his Motion had been granted he must by Necessary Consequent have lost his Cause Thus when we see a man Look Old whom we know to be much younger then our selves we usually say You make me an Old Man Not hereby meaning that he hath brought Old-Age or Gray Haires upon us by any trouble or vexation but that he who is much younger then we being apparently Old we must by Consequence be Old So that he makes us Old not Efficiently but only by Consequent truely argues us to be Old According to this Analogie of Speech by which He is said to make us Old whose Age doth truely argue us to be Old is that Prophesie litterally mean◠of Jeremiah which was punctually or formally fulfilled in God or his Christ Jer. 1. 10. See I have this day set thee over the Nations and over the Kingdomes to root out and to Pull down and to destroy and to throw down to build and to plant Jeremiah did never Levie an Armie or incite any people to take Armes for the Deposition of their present Governour or for the Alteration of any state yet in as much as He foretold the Extirpation of Some Kingdomes and the Erection or Plantation of Others And in as much as what he foretold did certainly come to passe he is said to have Done that which did Follow upon his Predictions though many yeares after his death And in the same Sense we are said to Mortifie the Flesh to cleanse our Hearts to work out our Salvation yea to make our Election sure when we do those things whereupon our Purification or Mortification shall be wrought though many yeares hence and alwaies wrought by the Omnipotent Power of that Decree by which those Kingdomes
were overthrown and others erected in their place whose Erection or Ruine Jeremiah had foretold Now to inquire How Man or his Free-will doth cooperate with Gods spirit in the First Second or Third Act of his Conversion is to my Apprehension a Question not Inextricable onely but as Impertinent as to make a Philosophical or Political Search How Jeremiah did concur with God in the Destruction of the Babylonian Or Esay with the same God in the Erection of the Persian Empire Or more punctually to our present purpose how He that should open another mans mouth that were unable or unwilling to open it himself and yet so desperately sick that unlesse he took some Physical Receipt to remove the matter of his desease or to revive his spirits he should certainly dye might be truely said to save his Life yet not to save it Efficienter by way of efficiencie but by Consequence that is because the Physick which without opening his mouth could have no Operation did revive or restore his wonted health And in this sense Lydia may be said to have saved her own Soul by way of Consequence Act. 16. 14. because she opened her eares unto St. Pauls Doctrine and heard him with attention which being done the Lord opened her heart to feed upon the Word of Life the only Physick of her soul So that the word of Life or Christ who is the Eternal Word of God did Immediately and Formally open her heart and save her soul But unlesse she had opened her eares whilest Christ did knock at these doores of her outward sensea by St. Pauls voyce Christ had not come into her heart to have entertained her at his Spiritual Banquet as she did Paul and his Company with bodily Food CHAP. XXXII Whether Mortification and Conversion may be said to be Ex Praevisis Operibus though God Alone do Properly Mortifie and Convert us 1. BUt be it as we have said The maine Objection against the former Doctrine fully answered That we are said to Mortifie the Deeds of the Bodie in as much as we do that Morally which being so done God doth work Mortification Spiritual in us All is not so well as might be wished For this Resolution seemes to breed another Difficultie of greater Danger or rather to establish a rejected Error For hence it may seem to follow that Mortification Spiritual is Ex praevisis Operibus from the works which we do or which God foresees that we shall do And if the accomplishment of Spiritual Mortification be Ex praevisis Operibus then Life it self here promised should Likewise be Ex praevisis Operibus by our Works or from Gods Foresight of our Works And if either Mortification or Spiritual Life be Ex praevisis Operibus then our Election Likewise should be Ex praevisis Operibus by our Works or at Least from Gods Foresight of our Works especially if that be true which before hath been delivered That none of Yeares and discretion are in the Estate of the Elect but such as have truely Mortified the Deeds of the Body and that all such as have thus truely and throughly Mortified the Deeds of the Body are in the Estate of the Elect. What shall we say then that Election is Ex praevisis Operibus by our works or from Gods Foresight of our Works This is a Bug-beare Indeed by which many of Gods Children so I account them have been and are much affrighted but of which they shall not need to be afraid if they will give us leave to unmask it For being unmasked it will appear to be of the same Visage and Countenance that their own Doctrine is of and a great deal more Consonant to their own maine Principles then many other Principles or Conclusions unto which they seek to consort it And unmask it we may with This Distinction Mortification Vivification or Election may be said or conceived to be Ex praevisis Operibus by our works or from Gods Foresight of our works Two wayes Either tanquam ex Causa aâ—t Titulo as from the Efficient Cause or Moral Title unto these Graces or tanquam ex Termino aut Objecto non implicante Contradictionem as from the Term or Object unto which Gods Decree for producing the works of spiritual Mortification by which our Election is made sure is Terminated To say that Mortification or Election should be By or From our works in the Former Sense that is from our works as from any True Cause of their production or as from any Merit or Title that They may be produced in us is an Error indeed deservedly rejected by most Reformed Churches To say That Mortification or Election it self is By our works or From our works in the Second Sense that is tanquam ex Termino as from a Term or Object without whose Presence or Coexistence God doth not work or accomplish our Mortification by his Spirit nor admit us into the Estate of the Elect This is no Error but an Orthodoxal Doctrine voyd of all danger For it Being granted which is as much as can be demanded that Mortification Spiritual is a work of Creation and proper only unto God yet even Creation it self taken in the stricter Sense was ex Termino praeviso from some Term though not out of any Cause or matter praeexistent For when we say that God Created the heavens and earth of Nothing that is out of no Matter Praeexistent we necessarily include that this Nihilum or Nothing was the Negative Term of this Creation Logical Possibility that is whatsoever includes no Contradiction is the Object of Omnipotencie and Creation it self is the Reduction of such Possibilitie into Act or Real Effect If there had been any thing besides God praeexistent to this work of Creation or unlesse Nothing had been praecedent not praeexistent to all things that are or have Existence there could have been no such Creation as we beleive there was of the heaven and of the Earth or of the First Masse out of which all things were made 2. But Herbs and Grass were not made out of meere Nothing as the Heaven and Earth were For they were made of the Earth as it is Gen 1. 11. God said Let the Earth bring forth Grasse the herb yeilding seed and the fruit tree yeilding fruit after his kind He did not in this sort Say Let Nothing bring forth the heavens and the earth For so Nothing should have been Somthing Or if God had made herbs and grass after the same manner that he made the heavens and the Earth we could not say that they had been made of the Earth For so the Earth should have been Nothing And yet the making of grass and herbs out of the earth was a true and proper Creation because although God did make them of the Earth yet he made them not of the earth Tanquam ex materiali Causa Vid. Erastum Disput contrâ— Paracelsum as of their true material Cause but of the
that he may instruct him But we have the mind of Christ When He saith WEE have the mind of Christ he includeth ALL such as He was that is All Men truely Regenerated by the Spirit whom God hath instructed to discern the things of God By The Mind of Christ the Apostle meaneth the self same thing that he did by the Spirit of God Between the mind of Christ communicated unto us and the Spirit of God communicated unto Us and received by Us there is no difference or distinction The importance of both Speeches is the same Our mind being Changed from Evill to Good or from minding of Carnal things to the minding of Spiritual things is called The mind of Christ by Participation so likewise The Spirit of God by Participation But the Spirit of God which communicates this Mind or Spirit unto us or by which we are said to receive it hath not alwayes the same Importance Between the Importances there is no Dissention yet a Distinction Sometimes by the Spirit of God God the Spirit or God the Holy Ghost is meant who in a peculiar manner is said to sanctifie Us to Regenerate Us to Quicken Us to work Mortification in Us. Sometimes again by the Spirit of God is meant The Spirit which is in Christ which is the Fountain from whence all gifts of the Spirit are immediatly derived unto us though the derivation be immediately wrought by the Holy Ghost And when the Apostle saith that we have the mind of Christ this Mind of Christ which we have received supposeth a Mind or Spirit in Christ which participates it unto us or from which we receive it by Participation We may not imagine a Transmigration or Transmission of the Spirit which is in Christ from Him to Us but a Participation only God hath anoynted him with the Oyle of gladnesse above his Fellowes God giveth not the Spirit by measure to him From the fulnesse of this Spirit in him we receive Grace for Grace Albeit this Grace be distributed or Portioned out unto Us by the Holy Ghost Christ sends the Spirit of Mortification or Regeneration into our hearts as the Fountain or Conduit head doth the water into a Citie The Holy Ghost prepares our hearts to receive this Spirit of Christ and brings it unto Us after such a manner as He that makes the Aquaeducts or Conduit pipes doth convey water into a Town or Citie otherwise destitute of good water 6. But what doth the Apostle mean by the Spirit of man as it is Contradistinct or opposite to the Spirit of God the whole Reasonable Soul or Form of man by which he is distinguished from other Creatures Or some principal part which hath least commixture with the Flesh or Body that which we commonly call the Conscience This part of the Soul even in the unregenerate man oft times disallowes such things as are entertained by the Reasonable Soul and condemnes such Actions as are undertaken by Reason and mannaged with Extraordinary understanding When the Gentiles saith our Apostle do by Nature the things contained in the Law they shew the work of the Law written in their hearts their CONSCIENCE also bearing witness and their thoughts accusing or else excusing one another Rom. 2. 14. 15. In this Accusation or Processe in the very Heathen there is a Combate or Conflict between the Spirit and the Flesh or between the Mind and the Affections 7. But may not the same part or Facultie of the Reasonable Soul disallow or Condemn at one Time the self same things which at another time it well approves If it may there is no Necessitie of Distinction between the Soul and the Spirit But if there be any Conflict between Reason it self and the Spirit at one and the same time there must needs be a Distinction betwixt them Now it seemes that even whilst the Reasonable Soul doth contrive mischief or give her Consent to things unjust or unexpedient whilst it Hatcheth Haeresie the Conscience doth secretly check it and endeavour to restrain it And this Conscience could not do unlesse it were in some sort distinct from that Reasonable part or Facultie of the Soul which is indued with Freedome of Will For there can be no Conflict but between two different Parties or Capacities 8. This is most Consequent to Plato's Philosophie and to true Theologie For as the Platonicks distinguish between the Soul and the Mind So our Apostle distinguisheth between the Soul of man and the Spirit of Man 1. Thess The Spirit of man is not said to be mortified but Quickened by the Spirit of God 5. 23. And the very God of Peace sanctifie you wholly and I pray God your whole spirit and Soul and Body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ Our Sanctification is not entire or universal in respect of the Parts universal it cannot be in respect of all Degrees untill the Soul as well as the Spirit untill the Body as well as the Soul be thus Sanctified as our Apostle wisheth Every part of man must be in Part or in some good measure Sanctified But before this entire or whole Sanctification can be wrought there must be a Mortification of the Body or of the Flesh and under The Flesh as hath been observed before The Reasonable Soul with its best Faculties is usually comprehended by our Apostle Howbeit we do not read of any Mortification of the Spirit but of Renovation Vivification or Quickening of it 9. What shall we say then That the Spirit or conscience of man is altogether free from the Contagion of the Flesh that it stands in no need of Mortification 1. Cor. 8. 7. St. Paul tells us of some men whose Conscience being Weak is defiled But the Conscience in his Language perhaps is not altogether the same with the Spirit But the Synteresis in all likelyhood is And again He tells us that there be men of Corrupt minds and destitute of the truth which suppose that Gain is Godliness 1. Tim 6. 5. And we read of a Soundnesse of mind 2. Tim. 1. 7. But that defilement or corruption of the Spirit or mind Seemes by our Apostle not to be Ordinary However the mind or Conscience may be polluted by the Contagion of the Flesh yet are they not so radically polluted as the Flesh is The Flesh is the seat of the disease The Idiopathy as Physitians speak is in The Soul the Sympathy only in the Spirit or Conscience So that if the deeds of the Flesh be mortified there needs no peculiar Cure or Mortification of the Spirit So it falls out in diseases of the Bodie If the Protopathie be cured the Sympathy will fall of it self As many are vexed oft times with great Aches or pains in the Head Some with Fitts of the Epilepsie or Falling-Sicknesse when as the root of the disease is in the Stomack In these Cases there needs no peculiar Physick for the Head But cure the Stomack and the Head
will recover without further medicine From this Analogie or proportion betwixt the diseases of the Soul and of the body it is I take it that we are not injoyned to mortifie the Spirit For the Apostle supposeth that the Flesh being mortified the Cure is wrought without any peculiar Mortification of the Spirit distinct from it Or rather He supposed and knew that the mortification of the Flesh could not be wrought without Renovation or Quickening of the Spirit For though it be true which some Moralists say Mens deprecatur ad optima that The Spirit or Conscience doth as it were intreat and counsel Malefactors themselves unto that which is Good Yet the Spirit and Conscience of the best men before they be renewed by the Spirit of God doth perform this work but Weakly Sleightly or Cowardly And the Reason why the Spirit or Conscience of men of good men in respect of others is so defective in this performance of its proper Function is only because it is overborn or kept under or in part corrupted by Carnal Affections or contrary inclinations of the Body or flesh which for this Reason must be mortified Therefore the Apostle when He exhorts to put off the Old Man which is corrupt through the deceitfull Lusts injoynes them to be renewed in the Spirit of their Mind Ephe. 4. 22. 23. 10. There is a Twofold Mortification The One consists in the weakening deading or benumming of Carnal Affections or Desires The Other is alwayes wrought and perfected by a Positive Purification of the Heart or Fountain whence the Affections flow A man may cease to be unchast or Lascivious by age or other Casual Impotencie So may a man cease to be drunk by some disease or distast Another may cease to be Ambitious or have his Ambitious desires benummed or weakened as being either bereaved of opportunities to raise his Fortunes or disenabled to follow his Suites or hopes of Preferment Mortification is then perfect when the Affection it self is as it were rescued from the Carnal Desires or Delights wherein it was involved and is won or trayned to the Service of the Spirit CHAP. XXXIV Containing the Manner and Order of The Spirits Working or of Our Working by The Spirit 1. THe Question remaines How these Two sorts of mortification are wrought by The Spirit or by Vs To this Disquisition concerning the Cure of the Soul there is a Question very Pertinent amongst the Physitians of the Body Whether the Cure of mens Souls be wrought by Contraries or Symbolicals One sort sayes Omne Remedium fit per Contrarium The Others say Omne Remedium fit per Simile The Difference betwixt them may be easily reconciled with the Distinction of the Infirmities and Diseases which are to be cured or of the Subject whereunto the said Medicine may be said to be Like Dislike or Contrarie 2. The Medicine may be sometimes Contrarie to the Matter of the Disease but Like unto the Nature opposed Sometimes again the Medicine may be Contrary to the Nature but Agreeable with the matter of the Disease wherewith Nature is opposed Some Diseases properly consist in meer weaknesse of Nature or Languishment of Spirit and these must be cured per Simile by administration of such Diet or Receipts as may immediatly comfort the Fountain of Life which consists in Calido Humido in moderate heat and moysture As for this reason Hot-waters to men in Swounds are fittest and warm Brothes or Cordials to men otherwise Feeble or deprived of heat and moisture Other Diseases consist either in Excessive Heat or abundance of Blood and these must be cured by the Contrarie as by opening a Veine or by cooling Diet or medicines Too much fulnesse of Body cannot be holpen but by abstinence or Evacuation However both sorts of Physitians agree that when all is done Nature is the best Physitian and that is the best Physick which setts Nature Free to exercise her own strength or Strengthens her to expell noysom humours which cloy or molest her But oft times it so falls out that Nature cannot be thus freed of bad Humors which are setled in the Body without administration of some thing that is Contrary unto Nature but Consorteth so well with the Humors which oppresse her that Nature being inforced to expell this In-mate or New-Comer doth with the same force expell a secret or domestick Enemie which had associated himself unto it As sometimes the Law cannot proceed against secret Enemies of the state untill they be drawn to associate or joyn themselves to other apparent forrain Enemies with whom they perish or are expelled their Native Countrey together with them Again although the Conflict be alwaies most eager and keen between Natures most Contrarie yet that which every Contrarie Agent doth in the first place aym at is not utterly to destroy its Oppoâ—ite but to make it like it self albeit the one often come to destroy the other by seeking to make it grow like it self The heat of the fire doth not directly aym or strike at the cold in the water but seekes to communicate its own heat unto it and the heat produced in the water doth immediatly and directly expell the cold and at length consume the substance of water 3. For better explicating the Manner how both kinds of Mortification are wrought by the Spirit Or how they are wrought by the Spirit of God how by the spirit of man or by the spirit which is in Man Or how by Contraries How by Similitude we are in the First place to consider Three Estates or Conditions of Men How the Cure of the Soul is wrought in severall sorts or Conditions of men The First of the Natural Man that is of him which as yet is in no sort partaker of the spirit of God which hath had no touch or feeling of its Operation in him or upon him The Second is of men which have been partakers of the Spirit but as we say in Fieri not in Facto Such as feele the motions of Gods Spirit whilest it moves them that is they are partakers of its Motions or touches but not of its Residence in them or of any Permanent Impression made upon them The Third Sort is of men made partakers of the Spirit in Habit that is as the Apostle speakes they have the Spirit dwelling in them and are enlivened and enquickened by it The manner how Mortification is wrought in these Three severall sorts or Conditions of men by the Spirit is not the same In the First sort the Cure is Commonly Begun by the Contrary but alwaies Finished by Assimilation God sometimes weakens the inclinations of the natural man against his wil without Consent of his own Spirit Some men are prone to offend or to surfet of the flesh unto death by the abundance of health or too Lively plight of Body and these God in mercie sometimes visits with grievous sicknesses for preventing the diseases which would otherwise grow upon them
Doctrine Gal. 5. 16 17. This I say then walke in the Spirit and ye shall not fulfil the Lust of the Flesh He doth not say ye shall not be opposed or assaulted by the lusts of the flesh for as in the next words is included the flesh will still attempt the Execution or Exercise of its Motion For the Flesh saith the Apostle Lusteth against the Spirit and the Spirit against the Flesh and these are contrary the one to the other So that ye cannot do things that ye would That is The Flesh can neither do the things that it intendeth to do nor the Spirit produce those Effects which it wisheth and much desireth no more then Heat can produce its proper Effects when it is overmatched in the same Subject with Cold or then Cold is able to produce the proper effects thereof whilest it is attempered or Counterswayed by Heat Now the Spirit whereof our Apostle speakes in this place is the Spirit of man at least the Spirit which is in man though in part renewed by the Spirit of God For as the Apostle speakes the Flesh and the Spirit here meant are Contrarie And it is the nature of Contraries to be in one and the same Subject And it is the true propertie of Contrarie Inclinations to move and sway upon one and the same Centre or Point of Rest or Dependence Otherwise how strong soever the one Contrary be it could not Countersway nor Counterpoyse the other The Point or Centre whereupon the inclinations of the Flesh and Spirit doe move or sway is the Soule which sometimes inclines more unto the Spirit sometimes more unto the Flesh or Carnall Affections The whole worke of Mortification is but a Putting off the Old man and Putting on the New The more the inclinations of the Flesh are weakened the more apt is the Spirit of Man to be moved impelled or strengthened by the spirit of God And the more apt it is to be moved by the Spirit of God the more easily and Readily will the inclination of the Flesh or Old man be weakened by it So that there is a Continuall Reciprocation betwixt the weakening of the Flesh and the strengthening or renewing of the Spirit In every severall Act or motion of Gods Spirit by which the Spirit in man is renewed or quickened the Spirit of man thus assisted by the Spirit of God gets a Double Advantage of the flesh First it directly weakens the inclinations of the Flesh or old man and by weakening them gains further possession or interest in the Affections wherein the lusts or desires of the flesh were seated Secondly The Spirit of man being revived and quickned by the Spirit of God doth not only Countersway or curbe the Flesh but withall doth Purifie the Soul or the Fountain of the Affections in the next Conflicts useth the Service of the Soule and inferiour Affections to Conquer and expell the Remainder of Carnal desires or Concupiscence or at least doth keep them under that they cannot make head or open rebellion as it were to depose the Spirit of its Soveraigntie after once it hath gotten it Specially if men which have proceeded thus farre in this Conflict be warie and vigilant alwayes remembring that their Greatest strength consists in imploring the assistance of the Spirit of God in waiting His Approach and attending His Motions But let no man think he hath got the victorie over the Flesh or hath performed this Dutie of Mortification as he ought until the Desires or Inclinations of the Flesh be Mortified by the vivification or quickening of the Affections wherein they were seated or until the Spirit Soul of man renevved as hath been said by the Spirit of God have vvon the Soul and Affections unto their side or part CHAP. XXXV Wherein the Accomplishment of Mortification or of Conversion unto God doth properly Consist 1. AFter this Preparative to Mortification thus begun by the Spirit of God or by his Peculiar Providence the whole Cure consists in the Assimilation or Transformation of our Spirit into the similitude or Likenesse of the Spirit of God Some Reliques of the Image of God in man which are not in Divells and this is wrought by the Renewing of Gods Image in us Some Reliques there be of Gods Image in the natural man the like whereof are not in Divells and these are seated in The Spirit or Synteresis Howbeit these in themselves are no better then dead stocks or rootes untill they be revived by the Spirit of God and secret Influence of his Graces but so renewed they naturally diffuse the influence of life into the stemmes or branches The soul and body of the whole man are so quickened by them as the branches or stemmes in the spring time revive by the return of sap from the root Both are quickned and revived by the Spirit of God and by the sweet disposition of his Providence as trees as herbs grasse and other Vegetables are by the Sun by the sweet influence of Heaven and by the moystned Earth whereby the rootes are immediatly cherished 2. This Vivification or renewing of the Spirit in man is immediatly wrought Per Simile As our Animal or Vital Spirits in Swounds are revived by the Spirit of wine or other comfortable water First The Reliques of Gods Image or implanted Rules of Conscience have more immediate Similitude with the Spirit of God or of Christ than the inferior Faculties of the Soul or body have And yet these Reliques of Gods Image or Rules of Conscience being true parts or native branches of the Spirit of man symbolize better with the soul and body of man then this Spirit of God which worketh this Mortification doth So that albeit the Spirit of God or his preventing Grace doth alwayes begin this Mortification without any operation or Co-Agencie of the Spirit of man And albeit the Spirit of man be a Meer Passive in all the Motions by which it self is renewed and quicken'd Yet after it be not only moved but thus touched and quickened by the Spirit of God Actus agit it works not only by Countersway or Renitencie but it diffuseth the influence of Life and Grace which it self receiveth entirely from the Spirit of God throughout the inferiour Faculties of the Soul It takes the place or room of so much of the Lusts of the flesh as it Expells And as well in the Expulsion of the Lusts of the Flesh as in taking possession of the Body wherein they were seated it useth the Soul as the Medium deferens as the Mean at least for communicating life to the Flesh or Body And by this Diffusion of the Spirit of Life or influence of Grace throughout the Faculties or Affections of the Soul the second part or Accomplishment of Mortification is wrought which as was said before consisteth in the Rescuing or winning of the natural Affections from the Flesh unto the Spirit 3. For better understanding the manner how this Accomplishment of
Saviour Christ to sett him Free and to enable him to do those things which being done he shall be set Free For the Question is not nor ever ought to have been made Whether we have any Free-Will or power to make our selves Free but Whether we have a Free-Will or some Abilitie to do those things which being done we shall be made Free which being left undone we have no Hope or probable Assurance that we shall be made Free Indeed by the Son of God 4. Let Every one that is called a Christian and is not ashamed of the Cross of Christ or of Baptism in his name account it an open shame or Scandal both to his Person and Profession either to deny or suspect that he hath not the same measure of Free-Will or a greater which Naaman the Syrian had when he came to the Prophet Now he had a true Freedome of Will or choyce of harkening or not harkening to Good Counsel The one Branch he exercised in not obeying the Prophets Command The other he practised in hearkening to his Servants Advice or Counsel And it went better with him that he did so For otherwise he might have gone home a more grievous Leper then he came and made himself uncapable of the Miracle wrought upon him by God alone Let us Likewise account it a shame to suspect that we have not the same Freedome of Will which the Widdow of Sarepta had Now she had a true Freedome of Will or choyce either to relieve or not to relieve the Prophet out of her small store If she had not relieved him she and her Child might have died for hunger within few daies after But she making choyce of the better part of such Freedome of Will as she had was with her Child preserved alive by miracle Let such as be Servants to sin as she was then when the Prophet came to her use that Portion of Free-Will which they have either as well or not further amiss then she did hers And the Lord no doubt will work as great miracles in and upon their Soules as he did upon her poor pittance of oyl and meal Let not any man that professeth himself the Servant of Christ be more prone to Tempt God by Distrusting then to Try his Goodnesse by practising the Like works of mercy and charitie as that poor Widdow did 5. Even such amongst us are most conversant and busiest in the medling or market-way to Gain or Preferment and by their several Trades or Callings which they have made choyce of more obnoxious then other men are to the temptations of the Prince of this world will scorn to be suspected not to have as much Free-Will or Good Nature or as good affection towards Christ and his Gospel as the Romane Souldiers or Publicans had unto John Baptists Person or his Doctrine of Repentance And a Freedome of Will or ability they certainly have as well to be contented with their wages or Fees and to deal Conscionably as to exact more then their due or to oppress others by bribery by extortion or unjust exactions If they make choyce of practising this later Branch of such Free-Will as they have this is but to take Earnest mony to become hired Servants unto Mammon If they make choyce of that part of Free-Will which Zachaeus did practise that is to be Charitable Liberal to the poor and to make such Restitution as he did to those whom they have wronged then they shall be made Children of Abraham or which is more true Servants of God and of Christ whose Service is perfect Freedome 6. A brief Rule for right stating the Questions Concerning the Concurrence of Grace and Free-will Again albeit not many of us scarce Ten in any Age since the Apostles Times have any Freedome of Will or ability to determine or examine the Controversies about the power of Grace and of Nature about Justification or Election yet even the meanest amongst us have a Freedome of Will either to say or not to say their dayly Prayers or Devotions and a Like Freedome of Will to frequent or not to frequent the Solemn Prayers of the Church and to hear them either negligently or attentively and a Capacity withall to understand the meaning of them being expounded unto them by their ordinary Pastors or Catechists whom I could wish to make this one special work of their Function 7. For Conclusion I shall commend to every Readers or Teachers Meditations that Prayer of the Church appointed to be read amongst others in the second Service Prevent us O Lord in all our doings with thy most Gratious Favour and further us with thy Continual Help that in all our works begun continued and ended in thee we may glorifie Thy Holy Name and finally by thy mercy obtain everlasting Life through Jesus Christ our Lord. In the First part of this Godly Prayer we have the State of the Question concerning the Concurrence of Grace and Free-Will more pithily and more plainly set down than in any Controversie-writers whether in the Romish or Reformed Churches The Summe is that without Gods Preventing Grace or peculiar disposition of his Favourable Providence we cannot do any Good Works at all though but Civilly or Morally Good as a Learned Jesuit acknowledgeth nor any works Spiritually Good without Gods assistant Grace or Gifts of the Spirit inherent in us This is that which is in the same Prayer Better expressed by The Furtherance of his continual help In the later Clause of the same Prayer That in all our works begun continued and ended in thee we may glorifie thy holy name and finally by thy mercy obtain everlasting Life we have all I am perswaded that the Romish Church would have said Concerning the Necessitie of Good Works Whether unto Salvation or Justification and all again that the Protestants have said or can say against the Romish Church concerning Justification by Faith only without works When we Pray that we may glorifie Gods Name by our good works this argues their Necessity unto Salvation if not to Justification And when we pray that after we have glorified Gods Name by our Good works we may attain Everlasting life by Gods mercy in Christ and through Christ this is an Argument most Concludent that we must not rely upon or put our Confidence in the Best Works which we do though we do them continually but in Gods Mercies and Christs Merits Only And this is the Full and Lively Expression of our Apostles meaning when he saith We are Justified by Faith in Christ alone Finally Let all of us remember this Lesson that when it is said We are to Renounce Good works in the Plea of Faith or all Trust ☜ or Confidence in our Selves or in our Merits or Workes This must alwayes be understood of the Good works which we have done not of the Good works which we have left undone much less of Works which we have done amiss We must as our Saviour instructs us
mind as often as he findes himself prone to the works of the Flesh that he may fall into Reprobation before he be aware if he continue secure in that Course of life which formerly be hath taken let him withall remember that Praeterita non nocent si praesentia non placent On the Otherside is there any man whose Conscience can truly inform him that he hath sincerely laboured to mortifie the deeds of the Body his Faith upon this Information will assure him that he is in the way of Life and that in patâ—eni Continuance in Well-doing he shall be a Vessel unto honour and make his election sure But let not any man hence Conclude that he is already in the Immutable state of Grace For our Apostle doth not say if ye have mortified the deeds of the body by the spirit ye are in the Immutable state of Life but he saith if ye mortifie the Deeds of the Body ye shall live that is if ye Continue to mortifie the deeds of the Body God will Continue the blessings and means of life unto you yea Confirm you in the Immutable State of Life and saving Grace 25. If any man list to examine himself whether he be in the state of Election or Reprobation let him measure or moderate his perswasions of the one or other Estate by his proficiency or negligence in this duty of Mortification Otherwise to be prepossest with strong perswasions of being in the Immutable State of Grace or Election before we have given all diligence to make our election sure by performing this Duty of Mortification is the readiest or most compendious way that Satan yet hath found out to cast men into a Reprobate Sense that is to make them without sense or feeling of their sinnes or which is worse to misperswade them that those very Deeds whilest done by Them are no sins or sins of Infirmity only which being done by Others are even in their Judgements grosse and Capital sins The Method by which Sathan works this misperswasion in men strongly perswaded of their own Immutable state of Grace before their due time is Immutable and Infallible For it is an Infallible Rule in Logick and Nature That An Vniversal Negative may be Simply converted If no rich man whilst a rich man can be a begger then no begger whilst he is a begger can be a rich man If no convetous no proud no envious no seditious or uncharitable man no doer of any of those works of the Flesh mentioned by S. Paul Gal. 5. can enter into the Kingdome of heaven Then no man whose entrance into it is Immutably determined can be a covetous an evious seditious or uncharitable man Whence if a man be once perswaded that his entrance into the Kingdome of heaven or his estate in Grace is unchangable he cannot possibly perswade himself or be perswaded by others that he is a covetous proud envious seditious or an uncharitable man albeit he do all the works that a covetous proud envious seditious or uncharitable man doth 26. Lastly although it be the safest way to examine our Estate in Grace by our diligence in this duty of Mortification yet I must admonish men not to examine their proficiency or progress in performance of this Duty by Meer Abstinence from the works of the Flesh which they sincerely dislike or condemn in others I know we condemn the blind obedience of the Roman Catholicks that are ready to do and believe as the Church commands them without examination as a work of the Flesh of which we are Freed yet this doth not argue that we have mortified this work of the Flesh this Blind Obedience unlesse our Consciences can truly inform us that we are ready to obey the Church our Mother in things lawfull or in things which upon diligent examination are not Evill but Indifferent We likewise condemn as wel the affected Ignorance of the Romish Catholick in that though he may yet he regards not to hear the Word preached in a Language that he knows as his blind Devotion in that he can be content to make his Prayers or to hear publick Prayers in a Language that he understands not for works of the Flesh In both these we do well yet are neither of these works truly mortified in us by the Spirit unlesse we be as ready and zealous to joyne with the Congregation in publick Prayers of the Church celebrated in a known Tongue as we are to hear or read Sermons The Ministers must preach that the people may know how to pray aright in private And the people must joyn with them in Publick Prayers appointed by the Church that both may practise according to the Rules of Life delivered whether by the word read or preached The Communion of Saints or that part of it which can be had betvvixt Saints here on earth doth specially consist in the Unity of Faith and of Prayers publikely celebrated according to the Common Rule of Faith FINIS Cap. 37. A Note Referring to Fol. 3159. Line 3. and to Marg. Note 1. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 S. Basil 1. Tom. Paris 1638. Graeco-Lat Fol. 113. Comment in Psal 1. CHAPTER XXXVIII A Sermon Preached on St. SIMON and JVDE'S Day 1629. Jude Verse 4. For there are Certain men crept in unawares which were before of old ordained to this Condemnation ungodly men turning the Grace of our God into Lasciviousness and denying the only Lord God and our Lord Jesus Christ. 1. THE End and Scope of this Epistle you have set down in the 3. The Scope of the Epistle Verse And it is in Brief to exhort these his Flock or Charge To contend earnestly for the Faith which was once delivered to the Saints The Word ONCE is Emphatical and imports Thus much That the Rule of Faith had been Once for all delivered unto them so full and so compleat that if they vvould hold close to it and use it as the Rule of Life they should need no other additions The occasion of writing it or increase of new points to be believed or practised The speciall occasion vvhich he had to vvrite unto them for this end and purpose was because there were Certain ungodly men crept in to their Society vvhich did overthrovv or contaminate that Rule of Faith vvhich had been delivered unto the Saints But hovv they did overthrovv it is not exprest in particular Most certain it is for St. Jude expresly affirms it that they did deny the only Lord God and our Lord Jesus Christ Novv to deny God or Christ Two ways of denying God there be but Two ways possible either by Opinion and Doctrine or by Matter of Fact and Practise And these men it seems did both ways deny God and his Christ though not directly and expresly yet by necessary and unavoidable Consequence But vvherein they did deny God and Christ shall be toucht in the Use and Application The Doctrinal Points to be discussed are Two Two points of
observant Eye may see bear the Stamp and Form of a Conclusion or Collection containing matter for its Truth as unquestionable and of as large Extent for good Vse as any Maxime in this whole discourse This Illative being turned into a simple Assertive Non est volentis neque currentis c is as the Axis whereon the whole Doctrinal Part of this Epistle revolves But taking this Verse as it here lyes being both a Principle and a Conclusion the Lists of my Inquirie into it at this time by Gods assistance shall be but Two Vndè infertur Quò refertur 1. Two Inquiries From what Premisses it is gathered And 2. To what End it is referred Or To what Vse or purpose in the Apostles Intent it is specially applyable The Premisses whence it is gathered first well sounded will rectifie our aime or Level at the Scope whereto it is directed And the End or scope being known will easily impart the right Vse or Application Amongst many Vses whereto these words may serve it is not the least That their just Extent once rightly taken will serve as a just measure or scantling to notifie and unfold the contents of many 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in this Chapter which have been as much perverted as any places in all St. Pauls Epistles because they have been the common Themes of every illiterate vocalist or rural Scholar 2. It is I take it agreed upon by all at least it will be denyed by none that the principal End of this Epistle is to establish these Romanes whether Jews or Gentiles by Progenie in that Faith wherein they had been instructed And by the Line or Level which is directed to this End must the Argument of this present Chapter as of all the rest be squared The Materials here handled differ somewhat from the former but Modus considerandi their Reference or Aspect to the proposed End is the same What the Apostle in this place here inserts either concerning the hardening of Pharaoh the Reprobation of the Modern Iewes or free Election of their Fathers is purposely inserted for under-propping or fortifying his Former Assertion That Iustification or Salvation must be sought by Faith only without Works To perswade the truth of this our Assertion no particular Allegations of Authorities or reasons can so much avail with an ingenuous Auditor as his own di-diligent Perusal of the 10. and 11. Chapters in which The Resumption of his former Argument is to cleare-sighted men more evident then the Continuance of it is in this And with his former Doctrine in those two Chapters resumed he intermingles powerful admonitions to the Gentiles to make their Election Sure unto which purpose the Original and manner of the Iewes Rejection is in this Chapter premised And He that shall please in his more retired thoughts unpartially to survey the Connexion which the 10. and 11. Chapters with the last part of this 9 have with the former specially with the 4 5 6 7 and 8 The stream or Current of the Discourse will evidently bewray it selfe to be the same howsoever it may seeme a litle before and after This 16 Verse to run a close way or under ground yet so as the opening of it is apparent verse 30. What shall we say then That the Gentiles which followed not after righteousnesse have attained to righteousnesse But Israel hath not attained to righteousnesse because they sought it not by faith but as it were by the workes of the Law Verse 32. 3. The fairest Connexion of this 9. Chapter with the former in my opinion is This The Apostle having in the later end of the former Chapter confidently avouched the Infallible Assurance of their hopes which renouncing Workes seek Salvation only by Faith in Christ and his heart having been dilated with joy and exultation of spirit in contemplation of their happinesse is in the rebound more deeply touched with sorrow for the Iewes his countrey-men and kinsfolk according to the flesh The lamentable Issue of whose excellent Prerogatives and strange miscarriage of their extraordinary paines and zealous care in observing the Law might well have danted the late converted Gentiles to whom he writes and in mens esteem much impaired the strength of all former assurances which he had given them unlesse he had further manifested the true Original of the Fall or Rejection of Gods antient people This unfained sorrow for their miserie is so much the greater as every good mans in like case would be by how much their Meanes of well doeing had been the better their Approach to true happinesse nearer and their Interest in Gods promises more peculiar then other mens were It litle moves us to see a lazy unthrift come to be a begger But to see a man extraordinarily industrious in his Calling not to thrive or utterly to overthrow himself and his posterity by some one wilfull humour is grief to every other man that can take paines for his living This Original of our Apostles sorrow is expressely intimated by himself Chap. 10. Ver. 1 2. Brethren my hearts desire and prayer to God for Israel is that they might be saved for I bear them record that they have a zeal of God but not according to knowledge And in the 11. Chapter he tels us Gentiles what Moses before had told these Iewes That whensoever they should turn again to the God of their fathers they were to have Precedencie of all other people in the world in his Everlasting and unchangable Love I say then Have they stumbled that they should fall God forbid But rather through their Fall salvation is come unto the Gentiles for to provoke them to jealousie Now if the Fall of them be the riches of the world and the diminishing of them the riches of the Gentiles how much more their fulness ver 11. 12. And again ver 28 29. Concerning the Gospel they are Enemies for your sake but as touching the Election they are beloved for the fathers sake for the gifts and calling of God are without repentance And would it not greive any zealous soul that loves the memorie of his fathers to see them so farre estranged from their God who is not altogether estranged from them but alwayes ready when these Prodigals shall returne unto him to embrace them as his dear Sons These are Points whose contemplation in our Apostle was deeper then our shallow witts can rightly sound and did cast him out of such an Ecstasie of joy into such a suddain Trance of sorrow that he had no leasure to expresse the Causes of it in the beginning of this ninth Chapter but is fain to reserve it to the beginning of the tenth The very depth of sorrow had swallowed up the very stream or current of his discourse and causeth him to begin thus abruptly I say the truth in Christ I lye not my conscience also hearing me witness in the Holy Ghost that I have great heavinesse and continual sorrow in my heart For I
c. 3303 c. See Presence Luther did not distinguish inter Liberam voluntatem Liberum Arbitrium 3130 Lutheran Catechisms and consequences 3188 Lutherans wrest the Antients in Point of Consubstantiation 3298 Lycurgus's Whelps 3085 3134 M. Great Magore weighs himself yearly in gold and gives it to the poor 3236 Malepert Courtier 3227 Manichees their Bruitish opinion 3080 c. Marie the B. Virgin free from sin in her consent Be in vnto me 3038 Mass Doctr. of it injurious to Christ 3262 c. wrongs his one sacrifice the value and efficacie of it 3289 c. scandalizes the Jew 3290 makes Legal Priests Types of Masse-Priests 3265 Melchizedeck by the Romanists made a Type of Mass-Priests rather then of Christ 3265 Melchizedek not read that he offerd any sacrifice his Priesthood was a Priesthood of Blessing Authoritative 3302 Ministers main work to sett men right in the way of Conversion 3219 Mercie of God maintained 3184 3210 c. 3217 He will have mercie on whom he will the sense and quintessence of that Aphorism 3205 it implies mercie in abundance mercie to the purpose to all that seek it 3217 God shewes mercie Isaac wills Esau runs 3215 He will have mercie on whom he will the extent of that Division 3242 c. To have mercie on whom he will is a reserved prerogative of God 3216 Rom. 9. 16. excludes not endeavours nor meanes but merits 3216 c Gods readiness to shew mercie 3221 He will have mercie he hardeneth to what points the Text reaches 3247 c. Merit of works The question useless as to Adams first Estate 3008 Meritorum Reviviscentia 3285 Men several sorts several workings of the Spirit 3121 Men not come to full growth in faith c. but Children in Christ 3247 Mens deprecaturad optima 3119 Not Metaphors but Mysteries in the 6 8 9 10 Chapt. to the Hebr. 3254 Moses hid by Revelation 3191 designed Heir of the Crown of Egypt 3192 His great Atchievements perhaps against Ethiopia an omen of his leading Israel out of Bondage ibid. Two points of his Embassie to Pharaoh 3193 Gods Viceroy carried the Treaties in accurate solemnitie 3194 instructed incouraged 3196 had miracles for Letters of Credence 3195 3197 Mortification 3096 c. Progress in mortificaton a firm sign of mans Estate in Grace 3097 3103 3245 By it measure our perswasions 3162 Dutie of mortification how universal how indefinite 3099 Universal in respect of Persons though not for the matter or degrees 3146 The very Elect must mortifie 3102 Mortification a Term divisible 3105 Mortification how wrought by the Spirit how by our selves 3106 How by Gods Spirit how by mans Spirit 3110 3115 3120 Flesh the seat of the disease and must be mortified Spirit quickned 3118 c. 3121 Mortification Moral and Spiritual 106 3132 c. Whether mortification be ex operibus praevisis 3112 Mortification consists in two things Deading our desires purifying the heart 3119 Accomplishment of mortification wherein it consists 3124 c. it consists not in negatives 3125 Men that have been mortified if they draw back like heated water they freez the soonest 3128 More about Mortification 3146 c. Each degree of mortification is an approach to the Final Ratification of the promise ye shall live 3152 Mortification our reasonable Service 3159 The use of the Doctrine of Mortification 3160 c. Murmuring what must quiet it 3229 Mutinie at Capua 3074 Maâ—hiavel's judgment upon it ib. N. NAaman had some degree of Free-will 3130 Natural grounds to deny our selves and flee to God Impotencie to doe good that Good he approves dulness it self a spur 3219 c. This natural Capacitie not used makes us inexcusable ibid. The Naturalist hunts Truth upon fresh Sents not foyled with second notions 3019 Negative Precepts Sin more provoked by them then by Affirmative the reason 3026 Negative See precepts See proposition This error That all things be necessary nothing Contingent in respect of God a cause of Errors c. 3164 3016 An ill necessitie freely Contracted 3052 3063 3055 Necessary ab aeterno that ungodly men perish but not necessarie that they should be ungodly men 3169 Necessitie See Adam See Decree See Free Nobilitie expires not in uno vitioso 3032 Non-age Persons under yeares neither servants nor freemen properly 3042 of the two rather Servants ibid A strange Note upon St. Jude 3164 3173 Novatian's Error or Heresie 3280 c. Novatian's quarel with Cornelius Bishop of Rome 3281 Novatus and Novatianus two several Persons 3291 Novatus his Character 3291 O. MAns Tye by oath tempts to unfaithfulness why 3026 Oath makes promise or threat irreversible 3148 Oath of God to Abraham to requite him in kind 3302 The great Objection why doth he yet find fault 3226 c. Answered 3228 3230 Obliquitie necessarily resulting from the Act is Caused by the Cause of the Act 3011 The Cause of any Action Essentially evil or inseparable from evill is the Cause of evill 3165 Obliquitie did necessarily result from the forbidden act exercised yet was not the Act necessarie 3012 The distinction of the Act and obliquitie has no place in the first sin of Man 3013 Act and obliquitie as Connex as Roundness and Sphere 3013 c. Oecolampadius his observation 3187 Often offering an argument of imperfection 3263 3290 Ex operibus praevisis whether mortification be so tanquam ex Titulo or tanquam ex Termino 3113 3218 Opera quae renunciamus opus quo renunciamus 3219 Object See Decree Ordained to Condemnation how ungodly men are 3164 God ordaines no man to trouble the Church 3165 Yet if God ordains all Actions so that they could not come to passe otherwise then they do That would follow 3164 c. What God ordains that he is Author of 3165 c. Every Ordination to Everlasting death is not Reprobation 3166 Ordination to life and predestination ordination to death and reprobation differ as Genus and Species 3166 Origen See Beza Original See sin P. PAcuvius See Calavius Parable that of our Saviour Matth. 12. 43. applyed 3277 Paraeus his Dispute with Becanus 3012 Parallels betwixt Jews and Modern Christians 3187 The Hardening of the Jews and the Egyptians 3206 c. Moses and Christ 3207 Passeover and the Lords Supper between the two Inheritances bequeathed by Moses and Christ 3261 The Mundane Tabernacle and Celelestial the Rites and Priests of that and Christ 3253 3257 3259 3261 The Red Heifer and Christ 3261 3267 3270 3299 3302 Pardon due to Learned Authors which their Followers cannot claim 3013 No Pardon Antedated by God 3283 Some Popes denyed to Antedate Pardons ib. Pardon See Sin remitted c. Parents may by Lewdness improve the venom of sin Original in their Children 3019 3031 Parricide not rife till forbidden by Law 3024 3145 Sin irritated by Precepts more by Negative Precepts 3025 c. It is easier to avoid the first occasions then the insuing opportunities of Sin against Negative Precepts 3094 Precepts