they may procure much credit though they ask but little cost Besides natural conscience will not be put off with a total laying aside of duty and if Satan can cheat poor souls with putting a Pibble in stead of a Pearl into their hands he thinks it as much cunning as if he put nothing into their hands at all nothing doth so dangerously hinder men from happiness as the putting off themselves with shadows and appearances of that which is really and truly good He who is altogether naked may be sooner brought to look after the getting a garment then he who pleaseth himself with his own rags wherewith he is already clad A man who is smoothly civil and morally honest is in greatest danger of being suffered to go to Hell without disturbance he snorts not in his sinful sleep to the disturbing of others and he is seldom jogged and disquieted nay perhaps he is highly commended Christians please not your selves in the bare profession and appearances of Christianity that which is highly esteemed among men may be abominable before the Lord let not the quid but the quale not the work done but the manner of doing it be principally regarded examine your selves also concerning the principle whence your actions flow the righteousness whereby they are to be accepted the rule by which they are regulated the end to which they tend and as the Apostle speaks Let every one examine his own work and consider whether his duty be such as will endure the Scripture Touchstone 2. Withering and decaying in holinesse Observ 2. is a distemper very unsuitable and should be very hateful to every Christian It was the great sin and wo of these seducers and should be look'd upon as such by us and that upon these following considerations 1. In respect of God Decayes in our Christian course oppose his nature in whom is no shadow of change Mal. 3.6 Psal 102.24 I am the Lord saith he I change not He is eternally I am and ever the same his years are throughout all generations And what hath inconstancy to do with immutability how unlike to the Rock of ages are chaffe and stubble no wonder that his soul takes no pleasure in those who draw back and that they onely are his house who hold fast the confidence and rejoycing of the hope Hebr. 10 38. Hebr. 6.6 firm to the end If a frail weak man will not take a house out of which he shall be turned within a few years how unpleasing must it be to God to be so dealt with 2. Spiritual decays and witherings are unsutable to the works of God His work is perfect Deut. 32.4 he compleated the work of Creation he did it not by halves Gen. 2.1 The heavens and the earth were finished and all the host of them God finished the building of his house before he left His works of providence whether general or special are all perfect he never ceaseth to provide for and sustain the creatures the doing hereof one year is no hinderance to him from doing the like another and another nay the day week month Psal 23. Psal 71.17 18 Christus perseveravit pro te ergo tu pro illo perseveres Bern. de temp 56. Ibi tu figas cursus tui metam ubi Christus posuit suam Idem Ep. 254. Obtulerunt ci Judaei si de cruce descenderet quòd crederent in illum Christus vero pro tanto munere sibi oblato noluit opus redemptiâ—nis humanae inchoatum relinquere inconsummatum Perald p. 216. year generation end but Gods providentiall care still goes on he upholds every creature nor is the shore of providence in danger of breaking he feeds heals delivers cloaths us unweariedly goodness and mercy follow us all the dayes of our lives he regards us from our youth and forsakes us not when we are gray-headed Most perfect are his works of special providence Redemption is a perfect work Christ held out in his sufferings till all was finisht Though the Jews offered to beleeve in him if he would come down from the Cross yet would he not leave the work of mans Redemption inconsummate He finisht the work which was given him to do he saves to the utmost delivers out of the hands of all enemies nor doth he leave these half destroyed they are thrown into the bottom of the Sea he hath not onely toucht taken up but quite taken away the sin of the world Nor will he leave the work in the soul imperfect he is the author and finisher of our Faith His whole work shall be done upon Mount Sion he will carry on his work of grace till it be perfected in glory where the spirits of just men shall be made perfect and the Saints come unto a perfect man 3. Spiritual witherings and decayings are opposite to the Word of God 1. The Word commands Spiritual progressiveness Be thou faithful unto the death Rev 2 10. Let us not be weary of well doing Gal. 6.9 Look to your selves that we lose not those things which we have wrought John Eâ—p 2. v. 8. Let us go on to perfection Hebr. 6.1 Perfecting holiness in the fear of God 2 Cor. 7.1 Take heed lest there be in any of you an evill heart of unbelief in departing from the living God Hebr. 3.12 2. The Word threatens spiritual decays If we sin wilfully after we have received the knowledg of the truth there remaineth no more sacrifice for sin but a certain fearfull looking for of vengeance and fiery indignation which shall devour the adversaries It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God Hebr. 10.26 27 31. I have something against thee because thou hast left thy first love Rev. 2.4 If any man draw back my soul shall have no pleasure in him Hebr. 10.38 3. In aternum se divino mancipat familatui Ob hoc inflexibilis obstinatae mentis punitur aeternaliter malum licet temporaliter perpetratum quia quod breve fuit tempore vel opere longum esse constat in pertinaci voluntate ita ut si nunquam moreâ—etur nunquam vâ—lle pecâ—are dâ—sineret ita â—ndefessum presi icuâ—â— stud â—m pâ—oâ—profectione reputatur Perald ubi supra The Word encourageth proceeding in holiness I will give thee a crown of life Rev. 2.10 Yet a little while and he that shall come will come and will not tarry Hebr. 10.37 Behold I come quickly and my reward is with me Rev. 22 12. He that endureth to the end shall be saved Nor need it seem strange that the proceeding of a godly man in holiness for a few years is rewarded with eternity for as the sin of the wicked is punisht eternally because they being obstinate and inflexible would sin eternally should they always live so the sincere desire and endeavour of the godly to proceed in holiness is crowned eternally because should they always live they would always and progressively be holy 4. Spiritual
in the fore-going part that were to bee dealt with in a way of Christian compassion This is cleare by the adversative expression 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and or rather but. So that as those of whom they were to have compassion were of the more hopefull and corrigible sort who had haply fallen out of ignorance infirmity or blind zeal so these others were such as were more obstinate and stubborn in their sin and errours and who did more knowingly and malitiously offend and by this indefinite expression others he intends those more hatefull sinners of any rank or degree whatsoever high or low rich or poor there being no sinfull respect of persons to be had in this terrifying them from their accursed impieties 2. He directs to save these others that is to deliver them from that sinne into which they had fallen and destruction into which they were falling saving is in Scripture attributed 1 To God 2. To Christ 3. To men 1. To God who is the supreme author of our safety deliverance by whose proper power we are made safe from evils either in respect of Common salvation or preservation afforded to all men or of peculiar salvation bestowed upon those who believe According to that of 1 Tim. 4.10 He is the Saviour of all men especially those who believe 2. To Christ who is called a Saviour Luk. 2.11 Matth. 1.21 The onely Saviour Act. 4.12 a strong sufficient Saviour a horn of salvation able to the utmost to save And that both by delivering by his merit and spirit from the condemning and destroying as also from the reigning and defiling power of all our spirituall enemies 3. To men Who are frequently in scripture said to save and to be Saviours Obad. 21. Saviours shall come upon mount Sion 1 Cor. 7.16 How knowest thou O man whether thou shalt save thy wife 1 Tim. 4.16 Thou shalt save thy self and them that heare thee c. Jam. 5.20 Not as if men were the authors of our salvation but instruments and subordinate helps and means appointed by God to serve his providence in the saving of themselvs or others whether from bodily or spiritual enemies Words proper to the supreme cause being thus in Scripture attributed to the instrument who though he bee by God appointed to use the severest meanes towards any yet all is to be done in order to their salvation and recovery 1 Cor. 5.5 2 Tim. 2.25 26. T it 1.23 The most sharp and cutting reproofs are to bee used that the reproved may be sound in the faith 3. He directs to the saving of these others with fear Gr. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Apostle means by terrifying of them or making them afraid of continuing in their sin lest they fall into destruction of soul body So that hereby the Apostle intends the using Christian severity toward these others as by shewing compassion he directed them to use Christian lenity and gentlenesse toward the former For though Jude intends not that these to whom he wrote should put forth or exercise wayes of terrour in a civil or earthly respect by corporal punishments in which regard the Magistrate is called a terror to evil works Rom. 13.3 yet spiritually and by using spiritual meanes and for the saving of the Spirit he directs them to terrifie these offenders and this may be done two wayes either 1. By charitative or 2. By authoritative meanes 1. Charitatively or in a way of Christian charity and thus one Christian is bound to terrifie another from sinne and not to suffer him without reproof and denunciation of Gods judgements to goe on in any way of wickednesse And this though severity is a token of love and the refraining from it interpreted by the Spirit of God to be hatred Levit 19. Thou shalt not hate thy brother 2. Authoritatively or by those whom God hath put into office for this end among others to reduce offenders and save them by fear And this authoritative affrighting from sin is double 1. Doctrinall 2. Disciplinary The Doctrinall is put forth three wayes 1. By information and clear discovering of the nature of sin in it selfe and shewing the difference between good and evill and the hatefulnesse of sin both in its nature and effects For want of this knowledge many a soule hath perish't 2. By application and conviction and bringing home the sin to the conscience of the offender Thus Nathan Thou saith he to David art the man Thus Peter to those Converts Him meaning Christ ye have taken and by wicked hands have crucified and slaine Thus also Stephen Acts 7.51 Ye doe alwayes resist the holy Ghost Isa 58.1 Thus God bids the Prophet to tell the people of their transgression Ministers must not be like fencers who so strike every where that indeed they strike no where but the two edg'd sword of the word they must sheath in the bowells of sinners and lay the deformed brat of sin at the right doore and so must we preach that in our Ministry the Spirit may convince of sin Joh. 16.8 3. By Commination and denouncing of punishments for sin that so by hearing them men may not feel them Offenders must be warned of the wrath to come Knowing the terrour of the Lord we warne men Thus frequently the Prophets denounced judgments against sinners Woe unto them Of this largely before part 2. pag. 153 154. 2. There is a disciplinary affrighting from sin Consisting 1. in solemn and particular admonition of a party offending with a declaration of judgment against him in case of obstinacy Mat. 18. A sinner is first to hear this from the Church 2. Suspension from the Lords Supper and denying the pledges of grace to the wicked as unworthy of them How should the child be asham'd who is debar'd from sitting at his fathers table with the rest of his brethren How can he thinke himselfe fit to partake of benefits signified in the Sacrament to sit down in the Kingdome of glory who is duly excluded from participating of the signes thereof in the Kingdome of grace 1 Cor. 5.5 Mat. 18.17 1 Tim. 1.20 Of this before largely part 2. pag. 3. Excommunication whereby obstinate sinners are cast out of the Church and delivered up to Satan and accounted as heathens and reckoned among the number of Satans servants who rules in the world and therefore to have him hereafter pay them their wages 2. OBSERVATIONS 1. Obs 1. Others We must be carefull to save others as well as our selves No man should be willing to be saved alone A Christian should not be a Cain We are neither born the first nor second time for our selves he is in a sort his brothers keeper Nor are the Ministers solely the watchers over or saviours of their people In many cases every sheep is to be a shepherd Hence those exhortations of provoking one another Heb. 10.24 Looking diligently lest any of you faile of the grace of God Heb. 12.15
every word but the wise man as he ponders his own words before he utters them so the words of another before he credits them Let not thy heart perswade thee of thy good condition by laying before thee common marks which may agree even with hypocrites as external profession an orthodox judgment opposing of Error or pleading for the Truth attending upon Ordinances freedom from scandalous sins some sweet and sudden motions of heart in holy Duties but ever build upon such marks as will necessarily infer sincerity and a principle of saving grace in the heart such as have some singular excellency in them which an hypocrite cannot reach a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as Christ speaks something more then others ordinarily attain things which alwayes accompany salvation Heb. 6.9 3 Possess thy heart with an apprehension of Gods presence Set thy self as in his eye Consider though thou mayest baffle thy conscience yet not the eye of Gods Omnisciency Never think thou art out of the reach of his hand or the view of his eye Psal 44.17.21 Tell thy conscience as the Church speaks there is no dealing falsly for shall not God search it out who knoweth the secrets of the heart Would not a Malefactor speak truly at the Bar did he know the Judg had windowes into his brest Vitia nostra quia amamus defendimus malâ—mus excusare illa quam excutere Sen. Ep. 116. 4. Look not upon thy self through the spectacles of self-love A man that is in love with any thing thinks the blemishes and deformities of the thing beloved to be beauties and Ornaments Self-love makes shadowes to be substances and mole-hills to be mountains Let not affection bribe or throw dust into the eye of thy judgment The more thou lovest thy self the more thou wilt desire to appear amiable and adorned with a specious and seeming goodness Joseph loved his bro her Benjamin and he gave him five changes of rayment Till thou denyest thy self and putest off the person of a friend thou wilt never put on the person of a just Judg. Study to know thy self as thou art in thy self not as thou art partially represented to thy self Be not like Limners who so as thy can make a mans picture gay and gaudy Luke 6.48 care not to draw it so as to resemble him The want of true humiliation and denyal of our selves is the ground of all self-flattery and heart delusion Gold must be melted and dissolved before it can be defecated and rid of the dross Bodies full of vicious humours must be emptied by purgation before they can come to an healthful state Crooked things cannot be made strait without the wringing and bowing of them by the hand The greater our humiliation the greater our integrity 4. Observ 4. It s our wisdom to take heed of spiritual sleeping in sin For which purpose 1 Make much of a stirring Ministry Love that preaching most which is most exciting The Word preach'd is both light and noise both which disquiet sleepers A still easie Minister makes a sleepy drowzie people Ministers must stir those who sleep in sin though they stir them up to rage They must be sins of Thunder against sinners not sweet singers and pleasant Musicians No employment requires so much holy vehemency and fervor as the welfare of souls Cry aloud saith God to his Prophet and lift up thy voice as a Trumpet and people should be so far from blaming the loudness of the sound of the Word that they should only blame the depth of their own slumber They should ever take part with the Word against their lusts and intreat God that his word may be an awakening though it be a displeasing voice as also that he would cry in the ears of the soul by the voice of his own Spirit and to stir it in the Ministry with his own arm for indeed otherwise Ministers shall rend their owne sides before they rowze their peoples souls 2. Labour for a fruitful improvement of sufferings Beseech the Lord that no affliction may blow over without benefit to thy soul None sleep so soundly as they who continue sleeping under the greatest joggings Physick if it works not is hurtful to the Patient If thou art so close nailed to thy sin that afflictions cannot part it and thee it s a provocation to God to leave thee Isai 1 5. and an incouragement to Satan that he shall keep thee God is never more displeased then when he takes away judgments in judgment then when he punisheth by delivering thee from thy trouble and delivers thee up to thy own heart Oh beg earnestly of God that the blessed opportunities of suffering times may never leave thee as bad as they found thee for if so they will leave thee worse and that no wind may go downe till it have driven thee nearer thy Haven 3 Endeavour for a tender trembling heart at the very beginning of the solicitations of sin That which makes way for eternal takes away spiritual feeling Men sleep by little and little from slumber they fall to sleeping Every sin neglected is a step downward to a deep sleep A deluge of sin is made up of several drops Prov. 5.22 Many knots tied one upon another will hardly be loosed Every sin repeated and not repented of binds downe the soul in insensibleness and sloth Dum servitur libidini facta est consuetudo et dum consuctudini non resistatur facta est necessiâ—as Aug. â—onf l 8. c. 5. Every sin suffered to defile the conscience makes it the more regardless of it self Sin is of an incroaching nature like a smal River it growes in going like a Gangreen it creeps by degrees The deceitful modesty of sin by asking little at first quickly enticeth us to more Smal beginnings usher large proceedings One bit draws down another As every good work increaseth our ability for obedience so every sin leaves upon the soul a readiness for further disobedience The not resisting the first inclination to sin makes way to stupefaction by sin He who dares not wade to the ancles is in no danger of being swallowed up 4 Labour for faith in threatnings Restrain not belief only to what God hath promised Let faith comprehend all Truths in its vast bosom and overcome all the improbabilities that seem to keep away Judgment as well as those that seem to keep away Mercies Noah was not drown'd in a deep sleep of sin and in a deluge of waters with the old world and the reason was faith taught Noah to fear Hebr. 11. and fear that watchful Grace prevented feeling Faith makes a man solicitous for a while and safe to eternitie Naturalâ—y we are more moved with fear then stirr'd with hopes 5 Vigorously and constantly exercise thy self in Godliness Never think thou hast done enough Think not thy work is ended til thy life is ended Take heed of remisness in holy Duties Fervency of spirit is by the Apostle join'd
God tempted Christ to worship him Order is the beauty and safety of places They who are weary of it are weary of their owne happiness But of this more before in Part 1. page 638 5. Observ 5. The divel is an hurtful spirit His work is to do mischief his name Divel speaks him a Destroyer and wounder of names and all his names import mischievousness He and his angels are called Cacodaemons Evil Angels frequently in Scripture Evil Spirits not evil only in regard of the bad which is in them but also of the hurt which is done by them The Divel is Abaddâ—n Rev. 9 11. Perdition he is perdition or destruction it self not only Passively but even Actively also and as we call a wicked man scelus wickedness for most wicked so is the Divel call'd perdition or destruction it self because he is the chief Rev. 9 11. cruel skilful industrious Destroyer seeking whom he may deuour compassing the earth as a Fouler doth the tree where the bird sits or as Besiegers do a City to plant murdering Engines He seeks not whom to scratch bite or wound but whom to destroy devour swallow up 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1 Pet. 5.8 To Abaddon is added his name in the Greek whereby he is also noted to be acrue destroyer Apollyon He is in Scripture called a murderer an old bloody one such from the beginning Compared also to a Lyon a Serpent Râ—v 12.3 a Dragon a red bloody fiery 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Dragon He is bloudy in being thirsty after and imbrued in blood in all the blood of the Saints since the beginning of the world His Works prove him more hurtful then his Names Hurtful he is to the bodies of men These he hath often possessed counting the tormenting of them all his pleasure and ejection out of them his torment These he hath thrown into fiâ—e and water cutting also and wounding â—hem rending them when compelled to leave them Hâ—mâ— malâ—â—â—elam Dâ—abâ—â— by his instruments wicked men his weapons martâ—ring mangling and murdering them from Abel till now afflicting them with noâ—som and destructive diseases Hurtful to the Estates of men by tempests winds fires as appears by his dealing with Jâ—b whom he made both in body and estate his very anvil upon which he laid all his angry and cruel strokes Hurtful he is to the souls of men either tempting to corrupting in or else tormenting or afrighting them for sin Hurtful to the name he is by slanders and false accusations They who are freed from consuming by the former shall not escape totally from sindging by this latter Where he cannot devour with the mouth of the sword he will wound by the sword of the mouth Where he cannot strike with his hand he will spit with his mouth and bite with his teeth And lastly the properties of his hurtfulness shew it more then its workings for he is anciently hurtful he began many thousand years ago with the first man How hurtfull do we account that thief and murderer who hath been mischievous for some few years No Muderer so old an one as Satan He is maliciously hurtful not being so by accident or beside his intention but aiming to be so He kils none by chance-medly but all his Murders are wilful 't is his meat and drink his recreation his only ease if he could be said to have any His hurtfulness is incessant his trade his work as well as his 〈◊〉 He cannot give over this Employment 't is his Element nor can he any more live without it then a fiâ—h out of the water He is restless in sin When he is not in places where he may do much hurt he is said to walk through dry places a baâ—reâ— un-inhabitable wilderness and there he finds no rest his only rest is an hurtful motion A sinner sleeps not till he sin but the Divel alway sins and never sâ—eeps he is a vigâ—lant Dragon He never rested one moment since the beginâ—â—ng of the world As he never wanted so he never would have rest he hath no Holy-dayes He gos up and down continually seeking whom he may devour Upon the Sabbath as much as nay more then other dayes and he never doth more hurt then when he seems to do least nay when he seems to do most good He is universally hurtful in respect of the Object he is hurtful in intention at least to all mankind to good and bad to his enemies yea his friends to the former because the less he can the more he would do The more God loves the more he hates and labours to hurt as in all the forementioned respects He had rather find one Pearle then a thousand pibbles Oh how sweet to him is the fal of a Peter a David a Noah the bloud of a Stephen a Paul a Godly Minister He winnowes the best wheat most and beats the tree most that bears the best fruit Our great Lord himself must not go without his marks Nay he is hurtful to his owne greatest friends Those he hurts most who serve him most A cruel Master that wounds and starves all his slaves wounds the conscience wears out the body Sinners are his hackneys whom he whips and spurs all the day of Life and at night he lodgeth them worse then in the day he used them Never suffers he them to feed upon one morsel of the bread of Life gives nothing but wind and wormwood vanity and vexation Lastly he is skilfully hurtful he is skilful to destroy and hath an equal mixture of the Lion and the Serpent He hath seven heads Revel 12.3 and many devices in them all Elimas ful of all subtilty and mischief Acts 13.10 is aptly therefore called the child of the Divel Our worst enemy sometimes comes to us as our best friend He disguiseth his person like the Gibeonites that so he may get within us He seemed to Eve to be more friendly then God himself He oft seems to compassionate the sinner to the profane he propounds an easie loose Religion to the Proud he suggests the unfitness of suffering himself to be trampled on c. He never kisseth but 't is to kill and this Crocodile never sheds tears but 't is to shed blood He chuseth his fittest times for his tentations as in time of conversing in bad company so he set upon Peter in time of solitariness so he set upon Christ and Joseph In times of trouble of conscience then he suggests we are hypocrites like Simeon and Levi who killed the Shechemites in their soreness In times of security and ease so he set upon David like enemies who fal upon one anothers Quarters in their mid-night sleep If he cannot hinder from good he can blemish it by sinful meanes an undue manner a bad end He can by a thousand Arts disparage a holy Duty to those that behold it if he doth not mar it in the performance This hurtfulness of the Divel shewes whom they resemble that are
gives over any enterprize he changeth not his nature but constrainedly leaveth his exercise he goes but t is when he can stay no longer when his Cummission is expired Every commanded performance or forbearance is not a sign of grace That which is incident to the Divel argues no grace in man Balaam was forbidden to curse the people of God and he forbears but forcedly against his will Let not men content themselves with the Divels obedience To leave sin for fear of hell may go along with the love of it more then heaven When Moses's Parents exposed him to the waters they loved him as much as or more then ever To leave sin for want of a body to commit it is not to leave our affection to it the leaving of sin at our death-beds is seldome true ever suspicious God loves a living Christian any one will be a Christian dying Duties without must flow from a gracious forwardness within Joyn that in thy obedience which the Divel hath divorced inward subjection to outward services It s one thing to be hindred from another thing to hate sin The rebukes of our Superiors may cause the former a Principle of inward renovation can onely produce the later More of this in my former part p. 491 492 497. 2. Observ 2. Gods power limits Satans Though the will of Satan shall never be changed yet his power is by God often curbed when he is most violently running on in any way of opposition to God or man God can stop and chide him back of this also par 1.442 447. With what an holy fearlesness may the godly go on in duty The wicked are willingly serviceable to a Master who cannot protect them from Gods wrath Oh let us serve him chearfully who is able and willing to keep us from the Divels rage we see likewise to whom we owe our preservation onely to him who rebukes Divels 3. Observ 3. How easily doth God prevail over his greatest Enemies T is but as it were a chiding and rebuking them and even in their greatest fury they are mute and dare not cannot quetch what more easie then for a Master to give a word of rebuke a word of Gods mouth is enough to make the Divels tremble they are all underlings to God they are before him as nothing the greatest mountain of worldly strength and opposition shall be before God but a mountain of chaff If God do but ariâ—e Psalm 68.1 Psalm 2.4 his Enemies are scattered yea he who sits in heaven shall haâ—e them in derision he derides them sitting the fire doth not so easily consume the stubble the wind dissipate the smoak the Rod of iron break in pieces a Potters vessel as God overthrowes his Enemies With a word did God make the creature with a word he moves it with a word he stops it with a word he destroys it in all these Psal 142.15 his word as the Psalmist speaks runneth very swiftly How vain are they who think that worldly greatness their wealth their strength their youth can shield them from the stroke of Gods power whetted with his wrath The sithe can get as well through the green grass as the dry stubble He who hath but faith enough to believe himself a creature may be caution'd against Security in sin The most glistring Monarch is but a gilded potsherd in nothing so mad as to think it self safe in contending with its maker nor is it a less excusable folly to be swallowed up of fear by reason of the worldly greatness of any of Gods Enemies Who art thou that art afraid of man that shall dye and the Son of man that shall be made as grass Isa 51.12 and forgettest the Lord thy Maker At the rebuke of God his and our Enemies shall flee and fall How great is that folly whereby men sleight the great God and fear a silly worm All the peace and forbearance that God expresseth towards his Enemies proceeds not from his want of power but from the greatness of his patience a strong inducement to us who are weak worms to be patient under injuries which we cannot repel since God is so full of forbearance who is both infinitely provoked by and infinitely powerful to be avenged of his strongest Enemies 4. The holiest persons Observ 4. are most offended with practices that oppose Gods glory When Satan dishonours God the holy Angel cannot refrain from praying that God would rebuke him Michael doth not onely dispute for God but he desires God to plead for himself It would have been below Michael to have been affected with any thing a creature should have said or done unless the honour of God had been concerned nothing is little whereby Gods Name or mans soul suffers The more any one knows the excellencies in God or hath tasted of the love of God the less can he endure any thing either done or said against God Angels who continually behold the beauty of Gods face do most abhor that which doth blemish disparage it These sons of God endure not any thing whereby the honour of their Father suffers Heaven it self would be no heaven to those glorious Spirits should they be constrained to behold Gods name polluted No meer man ever had on earth so clear a glympse of Gods glory as had Moses nor was ever any so holily impatient when he apprehended a blemish to be cast upon it The broken Tables the Israelites which this meekest of men caused to be put to the sword yea his request that himself might be blotted out of the book of life rather then any blot should be cast upon Gods honour sufficiently prove that he who touch'd it touch'd the apple of his eye How unlike to Angels are they who put up no injuries with such a tame contentedness as those which are offered to Gods name who never say to any The Lord rebuke you but to those who dishonor themselves yea are ready to rebuke themselves whensoever they stumble upon any act of Zeal Surely the fire of such mens Zeal is not Angelical and heavenly but culinary and smoaky What likelihood that they shall ever inhabit the place that are such strangers to the disposition of Angels 5. Observ 5. It s unsutable to a gracious temper to recompence evil for evil Michael here commits his cause and remits revenge to God sutable to whose carriage is the command of Scripture against private revenge Prov. 20.22 Say not thou I will recompence evil and Prov. 24.29 Say not I will do so to him as he hath done to me I will render to the man according to his work And Rom. 12.17 Recompence to no man evil for evil and ver 19. Avenge not your selves but rather give place to wrath Revenge opposeth the mind of God and it both disturbs and expels the Spirit which would abide in the soul and is the Spirit of Peace and Dove-like Meekness and le ts in and gives place to the Divel who
wil give bread and often provides better for the poor children then for the repining parents The Israelites in the wilderness who with sinful solicitousness cryed out that their little ones should be starved for want of food were themselves destroyed in the wilderness for want of faith their children mean while being reserved for Canaan Numb 14.31 Nor yet is it enough to take our children cheerfully at the hand of God but to dedicate them to him thankfully and to part with them contentedly Men are not born into the world only that the world should not be empty but that the Church should be increased and God more served Prov. 3.9 Gen. 18.19 If we ought to honour God with our dead much more with our living substance and to take care that a generation may serve the Lord when we are gone that as we live as it were after our deaths in the persons so Gods glory may live in the services of our children Adam instructed his sons both in the works of their Calling and in the Worship of God And for parting with our children he who gave or rather lent or rather put them to nurse to us may peaceably be permitted to require them again when he pleaseth and he should never lose a friend of any of us for calling for his own 5. Observ 5. Cains please not God in the performance of holy services Prov. 28.9 Isai 1.11 12 13 14. To Cain and his Offering God had not respect He was in his way of sin even when he was sacrificing The Prayer of the wicked is an abomination God delights not in their services he demands Amos 5.21 Isai 66.3 Who hath required them he cannot away with them his soul hates them they are a trouble to him he is weary of them despiseth them he will not accept nor smell their Offerings He that killeth an Ox is as if he slew a man he that sacrificeth a Lamb as if he cut off a dogs neck he that offereth an Oblation as if he offered swines blood he that burneth Incense as if he blessed an Idol The wicked perform holy services from an unholy heart The Spicing and Embalming of a dead Carcass can put no beauty or value upon it They who are in the flesh cannot please God Rom. 8.8 Matth. 7.18 All the fruit of an evil tree is evil fruit The works of natural men want an holy principle the Spirit of Christ the Law of the Spirit of Life A beast cannot act the things of reason nor can a man unless sanctified by the Spirit of God do any good work Till a man be ingrafted into Christ and partake of his fatness he is but a wild Olive All the works of unregenerate men are sin as they come from them Without the Holy Spirit there is no holiness Zacheus was too low of himsef to see Jesus he was fain to go up into a tree We are too short to reach to any good work 't is above our reach til the Spirit of God lift us up All the services of a natural man are but the works of nature He doth every Spiritual work carnally John 15.4 Without me saith Christ ye can do nothing All the works of a Christless person are like the children of a woman never marryed spurious and illegitimate they are not done through a power received from Christ Wicked men perform no duty to a right end Phil. 1.11 Their fruits are not fruits to God Rom. 7.4 As they are not from him so neither for him He is neither their principle nor their end Zech. 7.5 Vain-glory is the worm that breeds in the best fruit of the wicked The flame of Jehu's Zeal was but Kitchin fire and therefore his Reformation but Murder in the sight of God Hos 1.4 The Godly saith a Learned man in doing good works are like the Silk-worm which hides her self and is all covered over while she works within the curious Silk which she works Her Motto Operitur dum operatur At the day of Judgment they know not the good works which they did The wickeds outward acts of obedience are works of disobedience He doth not what he doth because God enjoynes it Cum intuitu voluntatis Divinae His Sanctification such as it is is not endeavoured like that 1 Thes 4.3 This is the will of God saith the Apostle your Sanctification He proves not what is the good and acceptable will of God Rom. 12.2 One may do a good work in obedience to his Lusts and that which God bids him do because his lust bids him do it Where there is no Law there is no transgression and where no respect to the Law no obedience The best performances of the wicked are but the gifts of enemies proceeding not from Love which is the sawce of every service making it delightful both to the servant and the Master and the principle of the Saints obedience Gal. 5.6 By nature we are enemies doing our works not with the affection of a child but out of bondage None have been greater enemies to Christ and his Servants and Service then many who have been most exact in outside performances as Paul who in the midst of his Zeal was a Persecuter Lastly The wicked neither have the guilt of sin taken away from their persons by the merit of Christ nor the pollution of it from their services by the Intercession of Christ Ephes 2 8. Till faith have fastned us to Christ neither persons nor performances can be acceptable Good works go not before but follow Justification We are not justified by doing good works but being justified we then do good Abels person was accepted before his Sacrifice Works are rather justified by the person of a man then his person by the works And it s a vain thing to look for Justification from that which thou must first justifie A man till justified is a Leper and every thing he toucheth he maketh unclean to himself As a smal thing which the righteous hath is better then the great possessions so a smal thing that the righteous doth is better then the greatest performances of the wicked Till a man takes Christ by faith his Sacrifices have no golden Censer to perfume them no Altar to sanctifie them nothing but his own evil heart to consecrate them upon Upon which considerations though a wicked man may do what is good morally in the sight of men by way of example or by way Edification to others c. yet not Divinely in relation to Religion or in order to God so as to please him And though God sometimes be pleased to reward the works of wicked men yet do not those works please him The works of Nebuchadnezzar Jehu Ahab c. he did I confess reward temporally but alas it was but temporally They give him services which please not him and he Benefits which profit not them They give him services but not with their heart and he them blessings
which men compared to trees are said to yeild 1. The fruits of the Sanctifying Spirit of God Graces and Works brought forth in the hearts and lives of the Saints called fruits because they come from the Spirit of God as fruit from the tree and are as pleasing to him as the pleasantest fruit is to us Thus we read of the fruits of the Spirit Gal. 5.22 and Fruits of Righteousness Phil. 1.11 Fruits meet for Repentance Matth. 3.8 All comprehended by Paul Ephes 5.9 where he saith The fruit of the Spirit is in all Goodness Righteousness Truth Goodness being that quality contrary to Malice or naughtiness whereby a sinner is evil in himself Righteousness opposed to Injustice whereby one is hurtful and injurious to others Truth opposed to Errors Heresies Hypocrisie c. 3 There are fruits which in themselves and their own nature are bitter corrupt poysonful put forth not only by a corrupt tree but by it as such evil propter fieri in themselves and their own nature such fruits by which the false Prophets were known and whereby men may be known to be wicked men Grapes of Gall and bitter clusters Deut. 32.32 Such works of the flesh as Paul mentions Gal. 5.19 Adultery Fornication Vncleanness Laesciviousness Idolatry Witcheraft Hatred c. 3 There are other fruits which are not evil in themselvs unlawful or intrinsecally evil in their own substance and nature propter esse and fieri because they are or are done but because they grow upon such trees by reason whereof something which should make the production of them good is omitted and sundry deffects cleave unto them and they have evil cast upon them by the agent And sundry fruits of this sort and rank there may be upon such trees as Jude speaks of As 1 The Fruits of gifts parts and abilities in matters of Religion as preaching praying utterance of these speaks Christ Matth. 7.22 Many shall say in that day Lord have we not Prophesied c. And 1 Cor. 12.1 they are called Spiritual Gifts wrought by the Spirit but are not Sanctificantia but Ministrantia not so sanctifying him in whom but helping those for whom they are as a rich man may bestow good and dainty dyet upon a poor woman that nurseth his child not for her own sake but that his child may suck good milk from her such fruits as these indeed may beautifie Grace but yet Grace must sanctifie them These may make us profitable to men not acceptable to God 2 The second sort of these fruits which these trees might bear is a temporary faith Oâ—thodox or sound judgment assent to that which is the very Truth of Gods Word that there is a God infinite in all his glorious Perfections that there are three Persons that Christ was God and man c. and that all who believe in him shall be saved Thus some unconverted are said to beleeve for a while Luke 8.13 thus Simon Magus and Demas believed these fruits are good in their kind and without them there can be no holinesse of life nor happinesse after death and yet they are not good enough they not purifying the heart but only perfecting the understanding they being poured only on the head not running down like Aarons oyntment to the heart and other parts though making a man Protestant in doctrin yet leaving him to be a recusant in his life carrying him out to believe the word as faithful but not to embrace it as worthy of all acceptation to shine with light but not to burn with or work by love 3. A third sort of these fruits might be some heated affections sweet motions receiving the word with joy a finding some sweetnesse in the ordinances Matth. 13.20 John 5.35 Matth. 27.3 1 Kings 21. Ezek. 33.32 Ezekiel was to his hearers as a lovely song of one that hath a pleasant voice They who shall be cast into utter darknesse may for a season rejoyce in the light and may have sorrow and grief about sin The Israelites were oft deep in their humiliations Psal 78.4 7. they sought God and returned enquired early after God Ahab humbled himself And yet these fruits are not the best they may spring up from a root not good the pleasantnesse or sadnesse of the matter of any doctrine may cause sutable affections of joy or sorrow the novelty or rarity of a doctrine may much delight or the dexterity and ability of the deliverer the sutablenesss of a clearly discovered truth to a hearers understanding the apprehension of the goodnesse of spiritual things may stir up some flashing desires thus they cried out Lord give us ever more this bread thus Balaam desires to die the death of the righteous yea as some have observed corrupt lusts in men such as pride and self-seeking may produce great affections in holy duties The desire of applause may make men in publick administrations enlarged in their affections The more excellent a Prayer or Sermon is the more carnal the heart of the performer may be the stronger the invention is the weaker the grace may be and as ground full of mines of Gold is oft barren of grasse so a heart ful of grace may it may be barren of the ornaments of words and expressions 4. A fourth sort of fruits born even by these afterward apostates might be external appearances of conformity to the Law of God in avoiding of all open and scandalous courses and in performing the visible and outside acts of obedience Thus the Pharisee was not an Extortioner unjust an Adulterer Paul Matth 18.11 Phil. 3. touching the law was blameless the young man professed he had kept the Law in the letter of it from his youth The Pharisees paid Tithes exactly abhorred idolatry made long prayers and frequent were strict in the outward observation of the Sabboth professed chastity temperance c. Thus it 's said of these very Apostates that they had escap'd the pollutions of the world 2 Pet. 2.20 and 22. that they had been washed And these fruits of outward conformity to the Law of God are highly commendable sincerity of grace can neither be nor be known without them by them it resolves as Elijah said to shew it self they are commanded by God 1 King 18.15 who though he commands not the godly to fulfill the Law perfectly yet permits them not to break it wilfully and though by the presence of external obedience we cannot conclude salvation yet by the absence thereof we may conclude damnation to follow these honour God benefit others Though our righteousnesse satisfies not justice yet in our unrighteousnesse we cannot be saved without injustice nor is any man called a good man for the good which he hath but the good which he doth outward obedience strengthens true grace where it is and is necessary to preserve a justified estate though not as deserving it yet as removing that which would destroy it And yet all these fruits the acts of externall obedience
are not the best they may be a shape without a soul appearances without an inward principle of life they might be with a despising of the righteousnesse of Christ they might be performed only for want of tentations to the contrary Gods glory might never be aim'd at in the performing them as their end nor his Word eyed as their Rule These things commanded by God might be done in obedience to lust Briefly for the second what was the withering of their fruits 1. They were withering fruit for their deformity and unpleasantnesse to the eye and their sowrnesse and unsavourinesse to the taste of God The fruits of righteousnesse are onely pleasant fruits and the trees of righteousnesse onely pleasant plants A withered Apple is not sweet and delightfull The best performances which grow upon a wicked man are not acceptable as they come from him goodnes of being is before that of working The tree must be good before the fruit can be pleasant Vid. ante part 2. page They who are in the flesh cannot please God The meanest duty of a saint is more amiable than the most gilded performance of a sinner The stammering of a child is more pleasing to a Parent then the best Oratory of a beggar Deut. 32.32 If the vine be a vine of Sodom and of the fields of Gomorrha the grapes will be grapes of gall and the Clusters bitter 2. This fruit might be said be to withered fruit for ceasing to grow bigger and not proceeding to perfection Withering fruit grows not and these stood at a stay their fruit found no new degrees their faith went not from Assent to Adherence and from thence to Assurance They brought not forth fruit to perfection Luk. 8.14 They added nothing to that which was lacking they did not abound more and more in the Work of the LORD Eph. 6.18 Rev. 2.9 Their last Works were not more then their first They soon knew an enough in Christianity They did not press forward towards the mark nor were they like the Sun rejoycing to run its course Phil. 3.13 increasing more more to the perfect day They went not from strength to strength Psal 84. nor studied exactnesse in Christianity Most love to excell in every thing more than in that which is true excellency though they think that abundance of wealth is but a little yet they live as if a little Godlinesse were enough They have their maximum quod sic beyond which they move not and say of spirituall good things as Dives of his temporalls Soul take thine ease thou hast much goods laid up for many years They desire not to have more cubits added to their stature He who hath onely a form of godlinesse and is but the picture of a Christian not having the life thereof will never grow he is still upon the same hinges where he was he goeth on in a Circle of duties prayeth heareth c. as he did of old 3. Their fruit might be called withering as it decay'd languisht and grew lesse and lesse They were so far from obtaining that grace which they wanted that they did not retain that grace which they had they lost their first love and grew worse and worse they were so far from getting more that they kept not what they had already gotten They did not so much stand at a stay as go bâ—ckward the bitterest of their life was in the bottom thereof The sap of abilities which once they had now decay'd All life in holy duties and speeches was withdrawn yea their leaves fell off they could not speak of holy things with so much holy savour as they were wont God withdrew his Spirit from them Thus the Spirit of the Lord departed from Saul and all his gifts vanished And indeed this follows upon the former where there is no increasing there is some decaying while we neglect to gain we spend upon the stock The Boat which is going up a river that runs with a strong current fals down the stream if the Oars rest but never so little Decayes in spirituals deserve most of our pity It 's not so uncomfortable to see a man decay in his health or estate as in his grace and to lose heavenward to lose his first love to decline from God 4. As the cause of all the former Their fruit was like withered fruit as it wanted spirituall life juice and nourishment from the tree to feed and supply it They had not spirituall life and therefore had not spirituall growth and had spirituall decayes Onely to them who have is more given There is no growing where there is not a living If a snow-ball be rowled up and down and thereby made bigger yet it doth not grow John 15.5 because it is by extra-addition not by intra-reception A vitall Principle is the foundation of growth either naturall or spirituall He that abideth in me and I in him saith Christ the same bringeth forth much fruit for without me or severed from me ye can do nothing The picture of a child will never come up to be a man because in it there is no life They who onely have a name of Christianity and receive not efficacy and power from Christ Eph. 2.10 are as withered fruit without union to and life from him there being no Christian increase We are Gods Workmanship created in Christ Jesus to good works Till the Spirit of God be put into us there 's no walking or proceeding in his wayes Ezek. 36.27 This for the opening of the first gradation whereby the Appostle sets forth the losse of these Seducers they were trees whose fruit withered The second is contained in this word 2 Branch of Explicat 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 without fruit But how can the Apostle say here that they were without fruit when in the foregoing words he had said that they had withering fruit 1. Possibly he may here in these words represent them as having cast and lost their withering fruit We know fruit that withers quickly and easily falls off from the tree trees which have withering fruit will soon be without fruit VVe wanting that which onely can make us good for the kind a good root and a renewed Principle of life must needs want that which should make us good for continuance namely internalness and sincerity Out of Christ there can be no perseverance onely union to him makes us permanently holy And it s most just with God that they who would not bear better then should not bear so much as withering fruit that they should cast off the very appearances of fruit and even their outside-profession that they who never regarded the truth and reality of holinesse should from hypocrisie fall to prophanenesse and from a bare form of godlinesse to ungodlinesse and from paint to deformity But this open and plain discovery of their hypocrisie I rather conceive is contained in the last branch of the verse in these Words plucked up by
the roots 2 Therfore I understand with Reverend Mr. Perkins and others that these words without fruit are as it were a correction of the former as if the Apostle had said they are trees whose fruit withereth or rather without fruit altogether the fruit which they bear not deserving so much as the name of fruit as trees that bear no other then withering fruit are esteemed no better then unfruitfull trees and thus notwithstanding their withering fruit they may be said to be without fruit in sundry respects 1. They were without fruit in regard that all their forementioned fruits were not produced by the inward life and vigour of the spirit of sanctification in their souls Their fruit grew upon a corrupt tree and proceeded from an unclean bitter root They were not the issues of a pure heart and faith unfaigned but the streams of an unclean fountain The fruitfulnesse onely of slow-bushes Crab-trees and brambles cannot make the year be accounted a fruitfull year A corrupt tree saith Christ cannot bring forth good fruit Mat. 7.18 How can ye that are evill speak good things Mar. 12.24 Their best fruits were but fruits of nature coming from an unregenerated heart That fruit which before his conversion Paul accounted as precious as gold he after esteemed as base as dung 2. They were without fruit in regard their fruits were not brought forth to a Divine end they were directed to no higher an end then selves Riv. in loc Israel saith God is an empty Vine though bringing forth fruit for it followes he bringeth forth fruit to himself I am not ignorant that some Interpreters expound not that Text concerning the fruit of works though yet they grant the place may be by consequence drawn to take in them likewise As these fruits were not fruits of righteousnesse Phil. 1.11 so neither were they to the praise of his glory If thou wilt return O Israel saith God return to me Jer. 4.1 They returned saith the Psalmist but not to the most high The pipe cannot convey the water higher than is the fountain head from whence it comes and these fruits being not from God were not directed to him Fruits brought forth to our selves are rotten at the core they are not for his taste who both looks into and tries the heart 3. They might be without fruit as not producing works in obedience to the Rule The doing of the thing commanded may possibly be an act of disobedience God looks upon all our works as nothing unlesse we do the thing commanded because it is commanded This onely is to serve him for conscience sake A man may do a good work out of his obedience to his lust As its possible for a man to believe 1 Thess 4.3 1 Thess 5.18 not because of Divine Revelation so is it possible for a man to work and not upon the ground of Divine injunction Be not unwise but understand saith the Apostle what is the will of God Eph. 5.17 Mans wisdom is to understand and follow Gods will 4. Without fruit as to their own benefit comfort and salvation The works of Hypocrites are not ordained by God to have heaven follow them at the last day all they had or did will appear to be nothing and when the Sun shall arise then the works which here have shined like glow-worms shall appear unglorious and unbeautiful of all that hath been sown to the flesh shall nothing be reaped but corruption God crowns no works but his own nor will Christ own any works but those which have been brought forth by the power of his own Spirit 5. Lastly Without the fruit of any goodness in Gods account because without love to God 1 Cor. 13. Love is the sweetness of our services If I have not love saith Paul I am nothing and as true is it without it I can do nothing the gift of an enemy is a gift and no gift As love from God is the top of our happiness so love to God is the sum of our duty There is nothing beside love but an Hypocrite may give to God with Gods people it is the kernel of every performance God regards nothing we give him unless we give our selves also Its love which makes a service please both the master and servant Now wicked men in all they bring forth though they may have bounty in the hand yet have no love in the heart they have not a drop of love in a Sea of service This for the Explication of the second aggravation or gradation of the sin and misery of these Seducers they were without fruit The third follows in these words twice dead These words I take to express a further degree of their spiritual wretchedness under the continued Metaphor of Trees 'T was bad to have withering fruit worse to have no fruit at all worse yet to be not only without all fruit but even altogether without life twice dead Two things are here to be explained 1. In what respect these trees may be said to be dead 2. How to be twice dead For the first Death is 1. Temporal and Corporal that which is a privation of life by the departure of the soul from the body 2. Spiritual befalling either the godly or the wicked 1. The godly are said to be dead spiritually three wayes 1. Dead to sin Rom. 6.2 1 Pet. 2.24 the corruption of their natures being by the Spirit of Christ subdued and destroyed 2. Dead in respect of the Law Ceremonial Col. 2.20 dead with Christ from the rudiments of the world Moral Gal. 2.19 So Paul saith he was dead to the Law and Rom. 7.4 Ye are dead to the Law it being not able to make them guilty who are in Christ nor to terrifie their consciences nor to irritate them to sin 3. Dead to the world Gal. 6.4 so Paul was crucified to the world either because the World contemned and despised him as a dead man or else because the world had no more power to entice and allure him from Christ then the objects of the senses have to work upon a dead man 2. Spiritual death befalls the wicked and unregenerate they being without the Spirit of Christ to animate and quicken them which Spirit enlivens the soul supernaturally as the soul doth the body naturally hence they are said to be dead in sins Eph. 2.1.5 Col. 2.13 and dead Mat. 8.22 Luke 9.60 Rom. 6.13 Joh. 5.25 and to remain in death 1 Joh. 3.14 Their works hence are said to be dead Hebr. 9.14 As the immortality of the damned is no life but an eternall death so the conjunction of the souls and bodies of wicked men is not properly life but umbratilis vita a shadow of life or rather a very death they being without spiritual feeding growth working all vital operations and lying under the deformity loathsomness insensibleness in a spiritual sense of such as are dead or according to the resemblance here used by our Apostle which is
seat and pavillion is in heaven above The circular round figure of the heavens teacheth us the infiniteness and perfection of the maker The firmness and stability of the heavens declares Gods truth and unchangeableness whose word is their pillar the safety likewise of that place to lay up our treasures in their swift motion and revolution in 24. houres instructs us of the readiness and swiftness which we should express in duty The light of heaven of so unknown a nature shewes us the incomprehensible nature of God The diffusiveness and Comfortableness of light speaks what Comfort is in the light of his face which as light though imparted to thousands yet is not impaired or made lesse for the good of others The purity of light contracting no filthiness though looking into it teacheth us his holiness who though he sees sin every where yet loves it no where and is ever in an irreconcileable opposition against all the works of darkness The oneness brightness purity greatnesse influences eclypses of the Sun teach us the sun of righteousness the Lord Christ is the only Saviour most swift to help the brightness of his fathers glory holy powerfull infinitely usefull and beneficiall the directer enlivener cherisher of his Church and all this though darkned once eclipsed and clouded with a naturall body and sufferings The moon her borrowing of light from the Sun her changes spots inferiority governing of the night disappearing at the arising of the Sun speaks the dependency of the Church upon Christ her many changes and various conditions in this life her defects and deformities subordination to Christ as also the uncertainty and variableness of every worldly condition the smalness and lownes of all earthly enjoyments their spotedness with many cares fears wants their usefulnesse onely while we are in the night of this world their disappearing and vanishing when the sun of righteousness shall come in glory The stars in respect of the constancy continuance of their Courses in their orbes Communicativenesse of light differing one from another their glistering and influences declare the stability of Gods promises to his Church which can never be broken Jer. 31.35 our duty to continue in our own sphere to afford our help and light to them who stand in need The different degrees likewise of grace and glory hereafter the clearest shining of grace in the night of affliction Of the Clouds we have spoken before The ayre also by its invisibleness ubiquity preservation of our life should minde us that God is though he be not seen that he is every where within me without me included in excluded from no place the preserver also of our lives in whom we live move and have our beings The windes by their thinness piercing powerfull motions freedom inconstancy teach us as Gods invisibility his irresistable power in his works of nature and grace the free motion of the spirit and the secret working thereof in the heart Job 3.7 Motum scimus nescimus modum Job 7.3 so the vanity and levity of man and all humane things the inability of any Creature to withstand God the misery of those who are not built upon Christ as their rock and foundation the unsetledness of the erroneous tossed with every wind of doctrine Of the earth likewise with the creatures there as well as the heavens should we make a spirituall improvement Speak to the earth saith Job 12.18 and it shall teach thee How excellint saith David is thy name in all the earth The earth then by its hanging on nothing its stability plenty lowness the labouring about it and its receiving of seed instructs us of the infinite power and strength of God the ability of his word to sustain the burdens of the soul the riches of his throne whose foot-stool is so deckt Gods goodnesse to sinful man in spreading and furnishing for him such a table his care for his people he so cloathing the grass of the field and providing for the very beasts the unsutablenesse of pride to man the earth being his mother whence he came and whither he goeth it teacheth us also wisdome to get our hearts above these drossy earthly objects and to have our conversation in heaven the pains also which we ought to take to dig deep for wisdome which is more precious than gold and to receive the seed of the word into a prepared soyl a good and honest heart The trees upon the earth in respect of their variety of sorts growth shelter fruitfulnesse decay teach us that difference which is among men some are wild trees of the wood and of the field without the Church others are planted in the garden and ortyard of the Church some have neither the fruits of holinesse nor the leaves of profession others have leaves who are without fruit others trees of righteousness have both some are as the taller Cedars some as the lower shrubs some are rich and noble some poor and contemptible in the world but when both are turned to ashes then both alike the ashes of a beggar are as good as those of a King Some men fall by old age and want of natural moysture others are before their time cut down in their green years with the ax of death There is no spiritual growth or continuance unlesse we draw life from Christ our root the more pruning watring and heavenly influences God bestowes upon us the more fruitful should we be the more laden with fruit the more we should bow our selves down in humility and communicativenesse the very grasse tels us we are withering creatures and that the flourishing condition of the wicked is much more withering The corn dying and fructifying teacheth us the resurrection Ask now the beasts saith Job and they shall teach thee They all teach us the greatnesse of his possessions and riches whose are the beasts upon a thousand hils also the thankful knowing and owning of God the ox knoweth his owner and the ass his Masters crib The Lion teacheth us the strength of Christ and the cruelty of Satan In the horse and mule we see our untaught and refrectary nature In the sheep our disposition to wander and our duty to hear and follow our shepherd and our helplessness without him also his meeknesse and patience Ut pastor docebat ut ovis silâ—bat Aug. who as a sheep before the shearers was dumb and opened not his mouth In the lamb likewise observe him who was brought as a lamb to the slaughter who was a lamb for innocency and gentlenesse a sacrificed Lamb for spotlessenesse and satisfaction The dog and swine wil mind us of the uncleannesse of sinners and especially of the odiousness of Apostacy which is a turning to the vomit and to the wallowing in the mire The serpent teacheth us wisdome to preserve our selves Psal 22. Job 12.7 The very ant providence and diligence to lay up for the future The despicable worm represents the lownesse of him for our sin who was
〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 word for word with his holy ten thousands or Myriads Four things may here offer themselves to be explained 1. Their quantity in respect of numbers ten thousands 2. Their quality they are holy ones holy ten thousands 3. Their relation They are his his holy ten thousands 4. Their action or employment they are to come with the Lord. 1. For the first The word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the Greek properly signifies ten thousand Thus Acts 19.19 where the Apostle mentions 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 five myriads it s rendred fifty thousand and Rev. 9.16 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Vulgar et Erasm vicies mil lies dena millia two myriads of myriads we translate twenty thousand times ten thousand 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Rev. 5.11 and Dan. 7.10 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 according to the Septuagint we render ten thousand times ten thousand So Deut. 33.2 Psal 3.6 Dan. 11.12 Luke 12.1 Acts 21.20 And in those places where the word ten thousand is used as here in Jude without the addition of a word of another number it imports an uncertaine and very great vast number or an innumerable multitude Heb. 12.22 there being a certain number put for an uncertaine 2. For the second their quality or property noted in this word holy or Saints These here called holy or saints say some are the angels In millibus sanctorum nun ciorum suorum Cypr. ad Novarian Hugo Lyranus who in Scripture are oft said to be such with whom Christ comes at the last day and also called holy and not seldome is their coming with Christ and their holiness as here put together Thus Luke 9.26 Christ is said to come in the glory of the holy Angels and Matth. 25.31 the Son of man shall come and all the holy Angels with him c. Sometimes they are called mighty Angels 2 Thes 1.7 The Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty Angels And Deut. 33.2 when God delivered the law upon mount Sinai it is said he came with ten thousands of his Saints where by Saints may be understood Angels who attended God in the delivering of the law in which respect it is said that Israel received the law by the disposition of Angels Acts 7.53 and the law is said to be the word spoken by Angels Heb. 2.2 But others more rightly conceive that by these holy Myriads or ten thousands in this place we are likewise to understand holy men as wel as the holy Angels even the Saints shall appear with him in glory Col. 3.4 And more plainly 1 Thes 3.13 the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ is foretold to be with all his Saints And Mat. 13.43 The righteous shal shine forth as the sun in the kingdome of their father and these saints or righteous ones who are to attend upon Christ shall be not only those who before were with Christ in heaven but even those who shal be taken up in the clouds to meet Christ and thereby shall be made a part of his attendance 1 Thes 4.17 So that these myriads this innumerable company shal be made up of all the glorious Angels and Saints it shal be a general assembly all the servants shal wait upon their Master the Lord Jesus We shall saith the Apostle all meet Ephes 4.13 there shall not be one wanting and if Christ bestowes new liveries upon all his Saints they shall all when adorned with them yeild their attendance to him in them But in what respect doth the Apostle call them Saints or Holy Persons are holy in two respects 1. In respect of destination seperation or being set apart to holy services and employments Thus the first-born were holy Exod. 13.2 12. Jer. 1.5 Thus the Prophets and Apostles are oft called holy Jeremiah was sanctified from the womb In this respect these holy Angels and men may be called holy as being set apart to the peculiar work and glorious employment of praising and glorifying of God for ever 2. Persons may be holy in respect of true inherent holiness abiding in them thus likewise these Angels and Saints here mentioned may be called holy for the Angels they were from their very creation perfectly holy and afterward by the grace of confirmation made constant in holinesse as for holy men though they were formerly made holy of not holy privatively that is having lost their holiness had holiness bestowed upon them by regeneration and though they were made holy of lesse holy by having increase and additions of holinesse bestowed upon them in this life yet at this great day they are with the Angels perfectly holy likewise the spirits of just men made perfect in this life they were perficientes perfecting then shal they be perfecti having as much holiness as they can hold as much as God or themselves wil desire being without any mixtures of unholinesse in them all teares being wiped from their eyes and all sins from their souls and they presented faultlesse before that presence of glory not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing but being holy and without blemish Eph. 5.27 3. For the third they are called his his holy ten thousands and his they are in three respects 1. In respect of Creation he made them all whether Saints or Angels as they are creatures they are the works of his hands 2. As they are Saints they are his also Angels are his by being confirmed in their sanctity Holy men are his because he was the deserving cause of their holiness the pattern or exemplary cause also thereof and lastly by his spirit the efficient cause of their holiness he is made sanctification to us 1 Cor. 1.30 he sanctifies and cleanseth his Church with the washing of water by the word 3. They are his in point of service and attendance for being sanctifyed they wait upon him and serve him in all holy employments here in the kingdome of grace and hereafter shall they attend upon and come with him as his servants in his kingdome of glory 4. For the fourth their coming with the Lord Jesus these ten thousands of his Saints shall come with him 1. For his own glory he wil come in the glory of his holy Angels and he wil likewise come to be glorified in his Saints and admired in all those that believe in that day 2 Thes 1.10 How glorious these holy myriads or ten thousands shall make Christ at the day of judgment both in regard of their excellencies and numbers I have shewed p. 529 530 531. c. Part 1. How wil the beauty and multitudes of these subjects set forth the glory of the King of glory who shall have myriads of servants every one shining like myriads of suns and every subject being indeed a King The first time he came as a servant to sinners but the second time he shal come as the Lord of Saints and Angels Then his forerunner was John Baptist now he shall descend
spirit and end in the flesh And not to goe forward in Christianity is to goe backward and they who build not up pull down There 's no standing at a stay in this work the want of a roof impaires the walls the leaving of the building imperfect and unfinisht by not adding what is wanting tends to the ruining of that which is already set up We lose those things which we have wrought 2 ep Joh. 8. To conclude this paines and progressivenesse in this worke Part 1. pag. 158. c. 163. c. Part 2. is about a building which is not temporall and in time to fall down but spirituall and eternall Of this at large before 2. Concerning the second viz. the building up themselves It may be demanded 1. what is meant by themselves 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 2. How they may be said to be able to build up themselves For the first the word themselves added to building up may import a building up of one another and intend a mutuall duty to be put forth and exercised between Christian and Christian 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and thus the Apostle Col. 3.16 useth the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 where he exhorteth them to admonish 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 one another and Eph. 4.32 to forgive one another and this mutuall and fraternall helping of one another forward in our Christian progresse is elsewhere frequently commanded in scripture Heb. 11.25 exhorting one another and 1 Thes 5.11 edifie one another Christians by their counsells comforts exhortations examples should advance one anothers spirituall welfare but though this be a truth and here not excluded yet this hinders not but that primarily the Apostle intends that every one should promote his own particular holinesse and progresse in the faith of the gospel 2. For the second It may be doubted how we can build up our selves Is edification mans worke Non Libertate gratiam sed gratiâ Libertatem Aug. Are we not Gods workmanship Ans I grant spirituall houses cannot build themselves more then any other Our houses are not naturally houses of God but made so to our hands Vnlesse the Lord build the house all labour is vain And the Apostle points at the builder when in the next words he bids these Christians pray in the holy Ghost But he here writes to the regenerate who have the spirit by whom and whose grace they have spirituall liberty afforded to them and being drawn they run and being acted they are active Gratia acta fit activa Inward and habituall grace was the sole work of the spirit infusing that which is practicall is the worke of the regenerate person flowing from infused grace 2. Though we be Gods workmanship and building yet he builds by meanes and by such precepts as these he exhorts us to submit our selves to the meanes to yield our selves to be hewn squared and laid in the building OBSERVATIONS part 1. p. 182. 183. 184. c. and 219 220. For Observations drawn 1. from the title Beloved as also 2. from the Apostles expressing the doctrine of faith by the terme faith see before 1. From the pleasant and significant metaphor of building I note that The faithfull are the house of God 1. Obs By this resemblance the Church is not seldome set forth Heb. 3.2 Moses was faithful in all his house 1 Tim. 3.15 How to behave thy selfe in the house of God 2 Tim. 2.20 In a great house there are vessels c. Heb. 3.6 Whose house we are if we hold fast c. 1 Pet. 4.17 The time is come that judgment must begin at the house of God c. 1 Cor. 3.9 Ye are his building 1 Pet. 2.5 Ye also as lively stones are built up a spiritual house And this resemblance of an house aptly belongs to the faithfull either in respect of 1. Christ 2. Themselves 3. God 1. Christ is the foundation of this house he was a Corner-stone Isa 28.16 on which both the Jews and Gentiles meet Eph. 2.20 he is called a stone for a foundation Christ is a foundation 1. in point of sustentation upon him the faithfull build their hope and expectations upon him all their grace and holinesse is built 1 Pet. 2.4 he is a living stone that sends life and influence into all the stones of the building set upon him upon him all their Comforts are built all their rejoycing is in him Take away Christ and all their joy fals to the ground upon him are built all their duties both in respect of power to performe them and in respect of acceptation from God when they are performed 2. Christ is a foundation in respect of union Between the building and this foundation this is the ground of sustentation this union set out sometime by a matrimonial union sometime by an union between head and members sometime by that between root and branches c. is on the part of Christ Rom. 8 9. 1 Cor. 12.8 Phil. 1.19 by his spirit laying hold on us and infusing spiritual life into us and affording to us all supplies of grace On our part by faith putting and setting us into him as also receiving and drawing grace from him 3. Christ is a foundation in point of hiddennesse the building is seen the foundation is hidden he is a hid treasure 1. His person is not yet seen When he shall appear 1 Joh. 3.2 whom having not seen c. 1 Pet. 1.8 2. His benefits and graces are hidden Our life is an hidden life hidden not only to the wicked but even oft to the godly themselves who behold not their own happinesse either of grace or glory This life is the obscurity of their adoption his face is frequently hidden from them and the tokens of his presence removed And for the excellency of this foundation hee is first the sole foundation 1 Cor. 3.11 Act. 4.12 No other foundation can bee laid No other appointed by God No other ever embraced by saints No other ever revealed by the word No other needed beside No other willing or able to bear the weight of the building No other was fit to have the honour of our affiance and dependance 2. He is a strong foundation so strong that he bears up every stone every saint of all sizes that ever was or shal be laid upon him and all their weights and pressures he bears them up alwayes so that they shall never fal They who are built upon this rock are safe Renatus nunquam denascitur Matth. 7. as Mount Sion that cannot be moved The word shall fall but not a Saint because Christ fals not The gates of hell the floods of temptation shall never totally prevail Potest aliosquo modo recedere non penitus excidere a child of God shall never sinne away all his holinesse he may sinne not perish not sinne to death Grace may be abated not abolish't shaken in not out of the soul Of all given to
all their might 3. As it enables us to pray in faith 2 Cor. 3.14 Spiritus vicarius Christi the spirit is called the spirit of faith and the spirit of Christ as it s sent from him so it sends us to him The spirit so intercedes in us on earth for the operation and framing of our prayers that it sends us to him who intercedes for us in heaven for the acceptation of our prayers through Christ we have accesse by one Spirit unto the Father Eph. 2.18 And hence the Spirit enables us to pray in faith nothing wavering Jam. 1.6 in confidence that through the faith of him our prayers shall bee successefull in such a way as our gracious father in Christ sees best for us This is called the full assurance of faith Heb. 10 22. and a praying without doubting 1 Tim. 2.8 faith applying the promise Joh. 14.13 16.23 whatsoever ye shall ask the father in my name he will give it you 4. As it enables us to pray in holinesse with pure hearts and hands He is a Spirit of holinesse his office is to make us holy wheresoever he witnesseth he washeth If he be a spirit of faith to strengthen our confidence in Christ hee is a spirit of holinesse to cause our conformity to Christ hence the spirit of grace is mentioned with the spirit of supplication As the spirit makes us come boldly before the throne of grace So he makes us come purely before it too as being a throne of glory If I regard iniquity in my heart saith David the Lord will not hear my prayer Psal 66.18 I will wash my hands in innocency so will I compasse thine altar This legall washing is Evangelically improved 1 Tim. 2.8 Lifting up holy hands and Heb. 10 22. 5. Lastly as it is enables to pray in love The spirit of love for so he is called 2 Tim. 1.17 never in prayer witnesseth Gods love to us unlesse hee drawes ours to him nay for his sake to others He never makes us lift up hands without doubting unlesse also without wrath 1 Tim. 2.8 and when hee makes us at peace with our selves Matth 5.24 hee makes us peaceable to others OBSERVATIONS 1. Obs 1. Without the spirit there 's no praying They who are totally destitute of the spirit in their natural condition can no more pray in faith then a dead man can crave help of another They may have the gift of prayer not in that state the grace of prayer All naturall men are in this respect 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 brute and mute we are not sufficient of our selves to think any thing as of our selves The wicked call not upon God There 's no naturall man but is spiritually deaf and dumb If a man have not the spirit of grace hee must needs be destitute of the spirit of supplication He is a meer stranger to those prayer-graces faith fervency holinesse love c. Hee derides at prayer I mean prayer by the spirit the wicked they howl upon their beds not pray in the spirit they may say a prayer not pray a prayer as it said of Elijah who prayed in prayer 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Jam. 5.16 they doe but make a lowd noyse like a wind-instrument They are but like Balaam into whose mouth God put a word without any heat of love or zeal in his soul But why speak I of natural men when as without the acting of the spirit in our very regenerate estate all our abilities to pray are presently gone as a wheel which is turned about with an hand if the hand be taken away the wheele will soon stand still It s necessary that unto the first grace following grace be added man after he is regenerate still needeth the present effectuall conetinuall work of the spirit Preventing grace is not effectuall unlesse helped with a supply of second grace 'T is true even of the regenerate without me ye can doe nothing God giveth first the will and then the deed and continuance of doing that which is truly good Grace must be every way grace else it will be no grace at all He that hath begun a good work in us must also perfect it Phil. 1.6 Oh how heavily do even saints draw and drive when they have sin'd away the spirit of prayer When saints have yielded to sin they are like a bird whose wings are besmear'd with birdlime they cannot flye up to heaven How lamely and miserably I have sometime thought did David pray upon his murder and adultery The fire which consumed the burnt-offering came out from the Lord. Lev. 9.24 2. 2. Obs How excellent and honourable a worke is that of prayer The whole Trinity hath a worke in this holy exercise the holy ghost frameth our requests The Son offereth them up to his Father Rev. 8.3 with his incense the prayers of the Saints are offered he prayes them as it were over againe and the Father accepteth these prayers thus framed and offered up 3. As without the Spirit there is no prayer 3. Obs so without prayer a man evidently shewes himselfe to have nothing of the spirit Wherever the Spirit is there will be praying in the spirit if the Spirit live in us 't will breath in us God never yet had nor ever will have a dumb Child They who are the Lords will name him 1 Tim. 2.19 They who are saints call upon Christ 1 Cor. 1.2 Breathing is a true property of life As soon as ever Paul was converted he prayed Act. 9.11 4. Obs 4. Needs must the prayers of the saints be acceptable They are by the holy Ghost his very grones and by him our spirits are made to grone Oratio longius vulnerat quam sagitta Exod. 17.11 Prayer prevaileth not onely over Creatures but even the very Creator himselfe One faithfull mans prayer is more forcible then a whole army There is a shadow of omnipotency in prayer It was said of Luther he could do what he would Needs must that petition be granted which the framer receives The Lord cannot more be out of love with prayer then with his own will Prayer is but a kinde of Counterpane or reflexion of Gods own pleasure 5. Obs 5. How good is God to his poore saints He not onely grants their prayers but makes their prayers God doth not onely provide a gift but an hand also to take it with not a feast onely but a stomack both grace for the desire and the very grace of desire Oh how sweet also are the Conditions of the Covenant of grace God bids us pray and helps us to pray Commands us duty and enables to performe it gives worke wages and strength 6. Obs 6. It s our greatest wisdome to get and keep the Spirit If either we never had it or lose it we cannot pray 1. 'T is gotten in the ministery of the gospel The Spirit is peculiar to the Gospel and not belonging to the law if
considered alone by it selfe as a distinct Covenant for so it gendereth onely to bondage Received ye the Spirit by the works of the law or by hearing of faith q d. ye receved the spirit by hearing the gospel 2 Cor. 3.8 The gospel is call'd the ministration of the Spirit 2. 'T is kept by following his motions and suggestions Make much of his presence the Spirit is a delicate thing grieve him not by negligence in using his gifts pride Eph. 4.30 eagernesse after the world sensualitie ungodly company premeditated repeated sins c. If the Spirit be gone thy best friend is gone 'T was Davids prayer Take not thy holy spirit from me Without the spirit thou art like lockless Samson as another man poor weak Samson when the Lord was departed thou art like a ship winde-bound No stirring without the spirits gales Lord what were my life if I could not pray it would even be my burden and how can I pray without thy spirit As a man cannot preach without externall mission so not pray without internall motion 7. How happy are saints in all straits Obs Vlt. they have the spirit to help them pray Ther 's nothing but sin can drive or keep away the spirit Sufferings prisons banishments c. cannot and hast thou the spirit 't is better like Jonah to be praying in a Whales belly then without the Spirit to be devout in a gilded chappel Suppose thy friends cannot will not visit thee the Spirit is a guest that cannot be excluded Like Joseph he delights to manifest himselfe to his when all are gone out Holy Mr. Dod was wont to say never despair of him who can but pray Suppose men cut out thy tongue or stop thy mouth they cannot hinder thee from praying in the Spirit because not the Spirit from praying in thee Ver. 21. Keep your selves in the Love of God looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ to Eternall life THe fourth direction whereby the Apostle guides them to observe his exhortion to contend for the Faith against seducers and seduction is contain'd in these words Keep your selves in the Love of God A very apt and sutable mean and course for the foresaid end and purpose for he that will be a friend to God can never be in love with errour which drawes the soul away from God and his truth Two particulars are here in this direction contained 1. That thing about which the Christians were to be employed or the object The love of God 2. How they were to be imploy'd about it viz. By keeping themselves therein Ther 's the act EXPLICATION So that by way of Explication two things may be enquired after 1. What the Apostle intends by the love of God 2. What by keeping themselves therein 1. For the first by the love of God I here understand not that love whereby God loveth man but that whereby man loveth God resteth in him and cleaveth to him as the most absolute good of this both in respect of its severall kindes and properties as also in severall Observations I have very largely spoken in my first part Page 124.136 148. c. To avoid tediousnesse and repetition I shall refer to that place 2. For the second by keeping themselves in this Love I understand perseverance in the loving of God or a preserving of the love of God in their hearts from all those things whereby they might be enticed to let it goe and part with it and this preservation or keeping thereof stands in using those meanes which God hath ordained to preserve in us our Love toward him which is done by sundry 1. Considerations 2. Pactises 1. Considerations 1. Of Gods Lovelinesse and soule-ravishing perfections and his blessed sutablenesse to our soules exigencies Part 1. pag. 152. when we know him to be a full good as having all the scattered Excellencies of all the world and all the persons and things therein in himselfe and infinitely more a filling good and able to satisfie our desires to the brim 2. By considering that he loves us loved us first and perseveres and rests in his love The more we walke in this sun the hotter we shall be nay were our hearts as cold as stones Zeph. 3 17. the sunshine of his love upon us should heat us with love toward him againe Of this at large before part 1. pag. 152.153 3. That every one of us keeps up a love to something the poorest of us hath a love and if not for God for that which is infinitely below him yea which is unworthy of us 4. That we have nothing besides love to give him 5. That he accepts of it in stead of all other things seeks it bespeaks it Deut. 10.40 6. That we alway professe we love him and have chosen him Josh 24.12 7. That its a greater dishonour to him to cease to love him then never to have begun to love him at all 8. That the keeping of our selves in his love is the true keeping of love to our selves Deut. 5.19 We are the gainers by loving him we forsaking his love and our own mercy at once 2. By practises As 1. By keeping our selves in a constant hatred of all sin As love to sin growes love to God will decay These are as two buckets as the one comes up the other goes down 2. By keeping our selves in the delight of Gods friends and favourers who will ever be speaking well of him and by taking heed of those misrepresentations that sinners make of him and his wayes 3. By keeping our selves in the delight of the ordinances wherein his glory and beauty are display'd and Communion with himselfe is enjoyed and our love is increas'd by these in exercising it 4. By endeavouring for an holy remissenesse in loving other things when we love the world as alwayes about to leave and loath it A soul weaned from these brests will onely feed upon Communion with and the enjoyments of God 1 Joh. 2.15 If any man love the world the love of the Father is not in him No outward object should be further beloved then as it is either a pledge of Gods love to us or an incitement of ours to him in short nothing should be loved much but onely he whom we cannot love too much 5. Lastly by keeping up and increasing of Brotherly love among our selves for though the love of God be the cause which makes us love our brethren yet the love of our brethren is not onely a signe but an excellent preservative of our loving of God In every saint we may see Gods image he is Gods best picture now though the love of a man makes us love his picture yet the often delightfull looking upon his picture continues and inflames our love toward him the fire of love to God will be extinguisht in an heart cold and frozen to the saints our love to God and the godly grow and decay together the Sun on the dyal moves