Have no league of Amity with them to have common friends and enemies as to help them against their enemies or crave their help against ours There be some that speak minsingly of the Religion of Rome as that there be indeed sundry differences between them and us but that they are petty and mean ones and of no great moment but such as if we would yield a little and they a little there might be a reconciliation made Wo be to such dawbers that would go about to reconcile God and the Devil Light and Darkness c. There are sundry differences which are main ones and against the foundation and such as except they will renounce we neither can nor must ever joyn with them So of the Papists themselves some will speak very favorably O they be good honest men and many good things they do if it were not a little for their Opinions c. Do such speak wisely they be abominable persons for they be Idolaters and those God calls abominable worshipping other Gods and the true in a false maner namely in Images If they were Murtherers and would take away our lives Adulterers and would abuse our wives Thieves and would take away our goods O we would cry out upon them and say They be abominable but we have no feeling of any thing which hurts our souls nor of that which is foully against God and his glory it s an Argument of self love and little grace It should go more to our hearts that its against GOD and his glory then any thing that were against our selves any way We ought to pray to God to convert them or remove them and that they may be curbed and their eyes may fail ere they have their desire of Toleration of their abominable Religion For the Idolatry among our selves Some conceive of God as of a God onely merciful and not just which emboldens them to go on in their sins without fear or care supposing that when they have abused him at their pleasure all their days if in the end they utter but a few good words to him he will be as well pleased as if they had served him all their time This is to conceive an Idol and not God for he is as just as merciful the one no more then the other Sundry also among us make a god of their Belly Profits Pleasures Honor Children Ease c. seeking onely these setting their heart and delight in these trusting in these yea to compass these not caring though they offend God for whatsoever a man loves more then God or trusts in besides God he makes it his god Thus the glutton makes his Belly as the covetous man his Wealth his god O vileness and extreme baseness We that live under the Word preached should learn to know God to be All-sufficient and to labor to make him our portion and inheritance our joy and our castle He that hath God hath all he that wants him in the midst of all hath nothing Blessed is the people so the person whose God is the Lord not who are wealthy have great friends c. and who accordingly love him above all set him up in their hearts trusting in him onely satisfying themselves in him yea him alone and loving all other things in and for and under him Others there are that profess Religion and worship God indeed but in a false maner they pray but depart not from iniquity hear the Word but hate to be reformed are baptized but keep no Covenant receive the Lords Supper but without Knowledge Faith and Repentance but God he is a Spirit and therefore will be worshipped in Spirit and Truth They that worship him as most do they worship an Idol namely Such a God as is content with the outside with Ceremonies but so is not the true God the service of such is abominable against such judgements have been both denounced and inflicted See 1 Sam. 15. 23. Psal. 50. 16. Isa. 1. 11. and 58. 5. Jer. 7. 4. Ezek. 14. 33 27. Mic. 6. 7. Our outward worshipping of God must proceed from our inward Knowledge Love Fear and Trust in God and must be joyned with obedience and Reformation If thou repentest not of thine Hypocritical service thy wages will be according to thy work This makes Gods enemies speak ill of our Religion and hold off even because though indeed we worship God and profess well yet our peoples lives be so far wide we that enjoy the Gospel and the true means of the right knowledge and service of God ought not to worship the true God onely but in a right maner What though we be not Idolaters we cannot almost be so though we would yet we may and without repentance shall certainly perish for our ceremonious and Hypocritical serving of God and so much the rather because we had the means to bring us to the true knowledge of him which is denyed to the common sort of the Papists Assuredly we shall lose all our labor if we use it to no better purpose and our souls too among the Hypocrites Verse 4. Wherein they think it strange that you run not with them to the same excess of ryot speaking evil of you HEre 's the prevention of an Objection If we should now break off might some say and no longer live as we have done but take the course that you prescribe we should be wondred at as an Owl among Birds They would think strangely of us as of fools and mad folks and hate us and speak evil of us that we should not be able to abide it Others also might say We which have followed your counsel have made our selves a gazing stock and pulled all men upon our tops even those that liked us well before speak ill of us and what we shall do we know not The Apostle Answereth I know it is so with some of you and will be so with the rest but be not dismaid for as it s set down in the following Verse they shall answer for this wickedness at the time which God hath appointed when we shall receive the Crown of glory for our well-doing and constant continuance therein In this Verse note 1. The minde of the wicked towards Gods children their course seems strange to them 2. The effect hereof in their words They speak evil of them 3. The ground or reason hereof For that they run not with them into the same excess of riot Wherein they think it strange Hence note that Such as mean to renounce their sins and take an holy course shall finde much opposition undergo the hatred and ill will of most Lot was wondred at in Sodom as doubtless the old world wondred at Noah for making the Ark and Pharaohs Courtiers at Moses his choyce Michol mockt despised David in her heart when he danced before the Ark Nebuchadnezzar wondred that the three children refused to bow to his Image which others did Festus thought Paul mad In
of these things but faintly and from the teeth outward and not from the heart as others but for any to boast of great matters done for them and yet shew no whit that they be ravished with love to God neither breaking out into his praises in words nor shewing it in their lives they do certainly lye and deceive their own souls for they that have had experience of the sowre and of the sweet cannot but speak I believed therefore have I spoken saith David Impossible it is for any man to think of his Election Redemption Calling c. And not be ravished therewith It 's our duty then to stir up our selves often and from time to time by the deep meditation of Gods special Mercies which as it will shake off dulness so will it much revive us to duty And Father of our Lord Jesus Christ Mark that he cannot speak of God but with some token of reverence and title of his Thus as he is elswhere stiled The God of Hope the God of Peace the God of Patience and Consolation the King everlasting so is he here the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. His practise must be our patren we must never think or speak of the holy and blessed name of God but with all high reverence his greatness compared with our baseness might induce us hereunto This condemneth as well the Blasphemy of Swearers as the unreverent takers of Gods Name in vain after what maner soever He is termed the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ not only nor so much in respect of his Manhood viz. that he took the lump whereof his humanity was framed which was of the substance of the Virgin and first Sanctified and freed the same from all stain or blemish of Original corruption and actually United it from the first conception thereof to the Godhead and second person and so framed the humanity of Christ of this substance and infused into him a reasonable soul but especially in respect of his Godhead by an unspeakable communicating of the whole essence of the Father to him before all worlds which mystery though we cannot fully understand we must believe and adore Here he is stiled the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ as formerly he was wont to be called and known by the name of the God of Abraham Isaac and Jacob to distinguish him from all false gods whereby he sheweth himself more cleerly to us and the way how we should get into his favor namely by his son there being no other way whereby our persons or service can please God If therefore we would obtain any thing at Gods hands we must not come barely to the Father as for forgiveness of sins mercy or any thing else but with respect of his son Jesus Christ by whom only he is and will be merciful unto us Speak we something of his three titles 1. Jesus a Savior so called by an Angel from Heaven ere he was born for that he was to save his people from their sins who is an absolute and sufficient Savior yea the only Savior neither is there was there or shall there be any other 2. Christ anointed to be our King Priest and Prophet through whom we are made Kings Priests and Prophets If so 1. Where be our sacrifices of our selves of Prayer and Praise Morning and Evening in our Families a Priest must not be without sacrifice 2. As Prophets do we teach our Families do we instruct and examine them 3. As Kings do we master our affections If we be led Captive of our frowardness worldliness and the like what Kings are we Look to it 3. Our Lord. He is our Lord every way by purchase and by conquest He bought us with his precious blood He also conquered all the Enemies that held us captive Sin Satan Death and so delivered us If any great man would by money ransom or by his sword rescue out of his Enemies hands any captive he were his Lord so is Christ our Lord either way Whence ariseth 1. Comfort to all that know themselves redeemed by him that he will never lose that which he hath so dearly bought and taken such pains with every way to come into the world to die for us then so to work as we may come to the knowledge of it by his Word and Spirit Whereby Faith and Sanctification are wrought in us 2. Instruction it s our duty to submit our selves to him as our Liege-lord to be his loyal people we must kiss the son take up his yoke He hath paid full dearly for our service and love his we are being now no more our own There are too too many that yet do not so cleave to this Lord and his Word but that they suffer other things other Lords to carry them away Many could be content to have Christ their Savior but they will not have him their Lord and King to rule in them and over them Let us break their bands asunder say they and cast away their cords from us And again Who is Lord over us Let such to their terror consider that fearful sentence passed against them But those mine Enemies that would not that I should reign over them bring hither and slay them before me They are counted Gods Enemies and adjudged to be slain before his face Yea he will break them with a red of iron and dash them in pieces like a potters vessel Others will let him be their Lord as far as they please and in what they list as if they would appoint their work themselves as some coy servants which the Lord will not indure Well let us bring our hearts to yield unto him as our Lord else we shall never have Salvation by him There 's no refreshing by him unless we take up his yoke both must go together they that will not willingly stoop to him he will be their Lord and King in despight of them and that to their confusion Now for the afflicted conscience that travels for mercy and pardon and desires after Christ more then all the world dost thou as earnestly desire him to be thy Lord and King and art thou willing to take up his yoke and that he shall rule and reign in thee and none else and that in all things be of good comfort thou art one of those whom Christ will save Which according to his abundant mercy c. Now we are to observe 1. The benefit bestowed for which he blessed God namely For begetting us again unto a lively hope 2. The moving cause His mercy nay abundant mercy 3. The means whereby The Resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead of which as they lie in order Hath begotten us again unto a lively hope This is the benefit God hath begot them again to the hope of Salvation for so he means for by hope is not
Christian love wherein we have 1. The ground of it The grace of God which they had received namely for that they were Justified and Sanctified which is set out by the part purified Their Souls the outward means whereby the word called Truth which they did obey and the inward worker the Spirit 2. The end of it which was as to all good duties so to true love amongst the rest as if he had said Seeing you are pardoned and purged to this end that you should love purely see that you do so This ground is a Reason of the Exhortation where it seemeth the Holy Ghost keeps a good order both in his Exhortations and Reasons Before he exhorted to the fear and love of God now to the love of the Brethren Before he had used Reasons both from the Godhead in general vers 15 16. and from the first two persons of the Trinity the Father vers 17. and the Son vers 18 19. Now he useth one taken from the third person the holy Spirit of God who had wrought grace in them and purified them to this end From the order which the holy Ghost useth Note we two things 1. Where there 's no love nor fear of God there can be no true Brotherly love that being indeed the root from whence this springeth 1. Therefore there can be no true love amongst the wicked Drunkards meet together and Pot-companionship is common but this is no love its conspiracy Love rejoyceth in good not evil No more is a company of Thieves and Traytors that conspire together or many or fewer that combine against a good part they may stick close and hold together in evil but this is no love nor in those Towns where there 's scarce any or but mean teaching where people meet twice or thrice a week to Bowls and women to Stool-ball or other games thus to spend out their time and to no good is far from love and yet if one speak against such things Oh say they You are an enemy to love and friendship and It was as a peaceable Town till such a one came as any other whatsoever now there 's no good-fellowship c. But our Savior Christ saith He came to bring no such peace in evil but rather debate The Devil is content with this peace because they strengthen one another in evil for if any good come to cross this merry prophane world then will it be opposed What hold is thereof their love they go arm in arm to the Tavern yet straight ready to stab one another or betray each other as Joab did Abner and it was between the men of Sechem and Abimelech if they be once out at deadly defiance it s seldom forgiven never forgotten 2. Nor can the wicked love the children of God truly they may be convinced in their conscience as Saul that they be the Servants of God innocent men and God may encline their hearts to favor them as Cyrus to set the people at liberty to return and build For if a mans ways please God his very enemies shall be at peace with them and Ahasuerus and Artaxerxes favored Ezra and Nehemiah yea as God kept Daniel among the Lyons so he can and doth keep his children among the wicked and as he made the Ravens bring Elijah meat so he can make even the wicked instruments for his childrens good but love them they cannot They may do a man outwardly some good and not amiss to take it but to do it aright they cannot as neither to pray or do any other duty and what hold of their favor If they cry Hosanna now within a while they will cry Crucifie him as those of Lystra would have sacrified to Paul and Barnabas as gods but by and by upon a lying report of some stoned them and as Herod reverenced John the Baptist yet at the perswasion of Herodias her Daughter cut off his head Judas betrayed Christ and David complained that it was his familiar friend that did him the greatest hurt If some great body shall say to them I perceive or hear you are a great favorer of Puritans they are gone and hide their heads if the multitude go the other way or it be any thing dangerous when there 's most need of them they are gone 2. Upon this coupling of these two together Note further that Wheresoever there 's the true fear and love of God there will be also love towards our Brethren 1. Therefore they that declare no love but that they are void of all bowels of compassion being all for themselves are also void of the love of God 2. They also that malign mock and persecute the better sort no worse brand of such that they have in them not the least dram of the love of God He that loveth him that begetteth loveth also him that is begotten and they that love God make much of them that fear the Lord having all their delight in such The contrary is a black mark and as bad as may be as bad a brand as any can bear as hereby we may know that we are translated from death unto life so by the contrary that we are yet under darkness 3. They that are contentious giving or embracing every trifling occasion conducing hereto and can fret and fall out and live in enmity and that day after day week after week moneth after moneth let these suspect themselves either the love of God hath no place in them or else it s in a very small measure and their corruption overgrows the same Having purified your souls These words are the Ground and Reason of the Exhortation namely That forasmuch as they were Justified and Sanctified by the Spirit of God to the exercise of all good duties and so of love that they would do that for which they had this cost bestowed upon them This presupposing a former impurity notes the uncleanness that is in Soul and Body They were created pure but are now defiled in the sight of God and that with sin which God who is of pure eyes cannot abide we are guilty of Adams sin born in Original sin therewith tainted throughout so with infinite actual sins Not only are our eyes full of adultery our feet swift to shed blood our mouthes full of cursing c. but our very souls defiled and every faculty thereof the thoughts of our heart being onely evil continually thereout proceeding Murthers Adulteries c. whereby we are defiled This is implyed in that of the Prophet Cease to do evil learn to do well and that of Saint James Cleanse your hands ye sinners and purifie your hearts ye double minded We are not without filthy nakedness we are so corrupt that our nature taints all our actions be they never so good in themselves yea the best and most holy of Gods Ordinances the Word Sacraments and Prayer making them
denounced against Chor azin and Bethsaida may well fit us it shall be easier for them then for us Do we so requite the Lord bring we forth nothing but sowre Grapes Assuredly were it not for an handful for some small remnant yet left amongst us we might have lookt to have been ere this as Sodom and Gomorrah our wine being as theirs for our sin is as theirs Most are like that ground which beareth thorns and bryars whose end is to be burned the means they have will but encrease their sin and damnation 2. This rebuketh many whose fruit is nothing meet for him by whom they be dressed we live not as if we were in the noon-day but in the twy-light our conversation is not such as becometh the Gospel 3. For such as have received special favor from God and made their Covenant with him of true obedience they must walk far otherwise then the men of the world They must not be covetous as they that know no better inheritance then the world they must not be proud as they that know no better garments then these rags and clouts being altogether ignorant of Christs righteousness So we must not talk of worldly matters on the Lords-day as heretofore we must not spend our time in gaming sport or too much merryment or idleness as before If we be guided by the Spirit of God which the world knoweth not let us shew it by our fruits and so much as we hope to differ from them in our latter end so let us differ now To have wrought the will of the Gentiles This is not meant of every particular person of the Jews that were written to in this Epistle that they thus walked as the Gentiles and it may be some of the Gentiles were restrained and lived soberly but this he understands of the body of them both But how came they to live after the lusts of the Gentiles They lived amongst them and so became as bad as they Whence note That Bad company is very dangerous Solomon forbids it and so doth St. Paul David also clears himself of it he could not away therewith See Prov. 1. 10. and 23. 20. and 24. 1. 2 Cor. 6. 17. Psal. 26. 4. and 119. 63 115. In the Law its forbidden to touch a thing unclean as a dead corps This did morally signifie meddling with sin and sinners Using bad company we can neither keep a good course nor a good conscience we shall quickly learn their evils we being apt schollars hereto and our nature like tinder and gunpowder readily set on fire None can walk in the Sun but shall be tanned nor touch pitch but he shall be defiled nor be in a Mill but he shall be dusted nor dwell with a Collier but he shall be smutted so cannot any frequent the company of wicked men but he shall be harmed hereby yea how can any converse with such and not be accessary to their sins at least through their untimely silence not reproving or admonishing them for the same and so consequently partaker of their plagues O then as we would avoid the company of those that have the plague lest we be infected thereby so le ts shun the company of those which are tainted with foul sins lest destruction come upon us The Lord calls upon us to come out and depart from such Jehoshaphat escaped narrowly with his life for being with Ahab and questionless not a few have smarted for being familiar with the wicked When we walked in laciviousness lusts Hereby is meant all sorts of uncleanness and the provocations thereto as fidling dancing mixt sports of men and women filthy talking ribald jesting unclean songs lewd ballads whorish apparel idleness c. These are so common that it s even a death to people to be held from them we can scarce see a yong man or woman in whom some one or other flag of wantonness hangeth not out Are not these works of darkness shall such inherit the Kingdom of Heaven O that the disorder of such were pulled down and that they would in time repent of their wantonness and lusts which will else cost them full dear one day and was never so sweet but it will prove as bitter Excess of wine Another lust of the Gentiles which we are to avoid the immoderate use or rather abuse of wine and strong drink Wine is the good creature of God made for good use and God hath given us liberty to use the same and that both ordinarily according to our ability so as it may be for the health of our bodies and strengthning the same the better to serve God in his worship and our callings and in time of weakness of body or minde and extraordinarily as in times of great and solemn rejoycing so of thanksgiving to God for deliverances and mercies and at marriages or such meetings of friends wherein not onely what 's for necessity is allowed but also what 's for delight and so a more liberal use thereof then at other times yet even then moderation and christian sobriety must be retained we must no further make use of wine but as thereby we may be fit to praise God or otherwise to do good But the excessive use of it to drunkenness is abominable and often prohibited Besides it s not onely odious to God and so all good men but it s even vile in the eyes of the Heathen insomuch that they have made many severe Laws against the same and uttered many excellent sayings against it It puts God as it were ouâ— of place and makes one's belly his God for that he serves more then God cares for it seeks to please it more then God nay to satisfie it he cares not to dishonor God It s also a wicked abuse of Gods benefits and a means to dishonor him which ought to allure us to love and serve him it makes a man also unfit for Gods service we be unfit at the best but when the head and heart are oppressed with drink we are then as blocks and beasts unfit for any good work in Church or Common-wealth unfit to govern or be governed unfit to follow our Callings yea unable to cover our own nakedness as it was with Noah Hence it is that Magistrates and Ministers whose callings are of greatest use and necessity do flatly forbid it it makes a man also fit for all evil as to swagger swear curse rail mock to talk filthily to scoff at Religion and the Servants of God to commit whoredom as Lot to quarrel fight stab kill daily experience shewing most frays proceeding from the pot to thrust their wives out of doors beat their Children play the mad men fill all places with filthy vomiting c. It s reported that one being tempted to whoredom murther and drunkenness and thinking that he must needs yield to one of them for that adultery