suiter for Heaven the same affection will be see Acts 2.41 c. Q. But by what did she evidence her conversion and demonstrate her Faith A. If we look upon the Record Josh 2.9.10.11 we will find her Faith plainly and fully asserted for that declareth She beleeved the true God the Lord of Heaven and Earth that this God was in Covenant with the Beseigers that we would dispossesse their Enemies and seat them in Canaan and of this her Faith she gave an undeniable demonstration of her charitable affection and kind welcome of the Spies entertaining them with all fidelity respect and safety So David made his delight in the Saints on Earth an expression and remonstrace of his Faith in God Psal 16.1.2.3 Q. But how did it consist with true Faith to take in the assistance of a lye for the management of her designe A. It may be resolved That though the sin were damnable as every transgression of the Law in rigor yet she found releif and favour both because as Paul obtained mercy because what he did he did ignorantly through unbeleif so she did it through weaknesse being but a minor in the Faith and new entred and matriculated Professor of the true God an incipient or beginner in the saving Knowledge of Religion whereas if she had been graduated and fully enstructed therein and of long standing in the Society of Beleevers her pardon would not have been sued out and procured upon such easie termes nor grace and favour obtained but by many acts of humiliation and also because God considers our infirmities and delights to doe us good therefore he oft rewards the action in what is good and imputes not the bad which is inherent to and intermixt with the good he will not be so extream as to mark all that is amisse especially if the offender be weak and the intentions sincere whereas no pretence of a good intention will serve to a carelesse secure or presumptuous transgressor And so though God may somtimes justifie an harmlesse Delinquent who sins not malo animo in the simplicity of his heart yet God never allows designedly to doe evill that good may come thereof Q. But how can this her hospitality be excused from treason Was not this to comply with the professed enemies of her country and people And is not such a complyance by all Laws judged falsnesse and perfidiousnesse And can falsnesse be an act of Faith A. It is true that all these interrogatories are to be resolved in the affirmative unlesse God otherwise declare and if he interpose his command to the contrary then all obligations to a subordinate power is superseded For as I said before in that ordered slaughter of Isaac God who is above all Law having passed his sentence nulled the authority of any Law decreeing the contrary so here God who is above all Government and Governours having expresly declared a change of the then Government and the substitution of other Governors did thereby license and authorize all practises tending thereunto and by his over-ruling supremacy absolved those people from their Allegiance to their then Governours Now that God had done so appears Iosh 1.2.3 c. and yet this can be no president or Gospel case now because Christ hath given rules for peaceable demeanor none for disturbance of States God then would have the Common-wealth in the Church now the Church is in the Common-wealth that is Christ will have no man for his cause disseazed of his right deprived of his Estate deposed from his Dignities he settles his Gospel in Kingdoms and States without disputing their forme or mode of Government he came to give an Heavenly Kingdom he leaves earthly Monarchies and Republiques in a quiet enjoyment of their powers and priviledges The Second Part. 1. This Rahab this child of wrath for so she was by her Education and after conversation till she received this Intelligence and Revelation concerning the true God is now a child of God by her after faith and conversion There is infinite mercy with God and plenteous Redemption for all humble converts and penitents It 's Gods glory to forgive sins and his greatest glory to forgive the greatest sinners repenting Isay 1.16.17.18 Ezek. 18.14 c. he is alwayes ready to welcome and entertain an humbled sinner as the Father his prodigall Son returning with all tendernesses and endearments he looks upon a convert not as a sinner his iniquities and his sins he will remember no more but receives him as a Son reconciled to him by the Son of his love Iesus Christ he delights in and chearfully accepts such opportunities of mercy This is the remonstrance of the new Covenant Christ came to save what was lost the relenting and confessing Prodigall that poor Samaritan sinner who had five Husbands and she who had none that notorious branded Harlot who washed his feet with her tears and then wiped them with her baire Matthew and Zacheus two Publicans both followers and then favourites of Christ and for an assurance that thus he would dispose of his mercy for the future when he went to Paradise he took with him that theife the late convert on the Crosse Where sin abounds if suteable repentance follow there Grace superabounds the greater the distemper the more excellent the cure the more skilfull the Physitian the more potent the Enemy nullum memorabile nomen Faeminea in paena nec habet Victoria laudem the more glorious the Conquest the stronger the hold of the Devill the more powerfull is the Spirit of Christ storming him out and dispossessing him the higher our debts and trespasses are the more noble is the bounty and charity of the releasor and acquittor the higher the obligation of the releaser to serve and love him Luke 7.47 where the causall Conjunction 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which we reade for is equivalent to therefore noting not Causam rei but Argumenti from whence or what Topick soever the Argument and Answers be drawn 2. By Faith she beleeved as is said the true God c. The minimum quod sic of Faith is to beleeve that God is and that he is a plentifull rewarder of those who diligently seek him and even this beleif God will reward by his acceptance This Primum fundamentale served her turn to denominate her a faithfull one and put her upon the Record Faith in the least measure and first degree obtains grace and favour and encreaseth by little and little into knowledge and sanctity of life God will not quench the smoaking Flax nor break the bruised Reed he will not stifle and crush the beginnings of Piety but will carefully nourish and cherish Faith in Semine will insensibly as good Seed if sound spring and grow up first in the Blade then the Ear then into full Corn goe from one degree to another towards perfection As in the extraordinary Faith of Miracles that little as a grain of Mustard-seed Mark 4.27.28 29.30.31 can remove Mountains
stead be ye reconciled to God Never object against them That they are but men subject to like passions since Christ hath made them his Commission-Officers this is enough to stop all cavills God alwayes made use and still doth of such Earthen Vessels that the power may be of God And as he made use of a select order of men the Priests so still he doth not any cut of the Flock hand over head but some separated for this office to got in and out before his People neither can it be reasonable to pretend The People are gifted as well as they and so they may Officiate Grant it though it rarely prove so and God forbid their gifts should be either envied or denyed But yet they have not Authority and that is as requisite to a subordinate Officer as ability and the Reason is Because God will have Order observed even in his Church take it in which sense you please And as it would be a mad confusion in the Common-wealth for every one who had or rather should onely pretend to have or but barely fancy that he had sufficient knowledge of the Law to take upon as a Iudge to determine the case passe sentence and exercise jurisdiction So would it be in the Church if every conceited Zealot or able Schollar or cathechised Brother should presume to gather a Congregation For if this Objection of theirs have any force it would have served the Israelites to excuse them for their attendance on their Priests in the expedition or any other of their Church observations Every Israelite almost might have pretended they could doe as much as the Priests did here they could kill a Lambe and rost it and eat it as well as they they could kill a Bullock and burn it as well as they yet they durst not And when any of them did they payd for their presumption Numb 16. for they knew though they could carry and sound the Trumpets yet they knew not that God would gratifie their officiousnesse they had reason not to beleeve but to suspect the event They knew they could kill a Lambe but that Lambe would not be a Passcover the Priests Hand must be there to make it so They knew they could kill a Bullock but they could not consecrate it a Burnt Offering to the Lord that the Priests were to doe a sweet savour to him Levit. 1.2.3 c. let the instruments or means be never so unlikely to proud carnall reasoners or the easily deceived and deluded Vulgar yet if God order and make use of the Instruments for our good it were madnesse to dispute our selves out of their profit and question his Instrument And if he commands us the use of the means it were Rebellion to resist and contempt to neglect them It was exstream folly in Naaman to come to Elisha for his Counsell and then in anger to quarrell with it with an Are not Abana and Pharpar Rivers of Damasens better then all the Waters of Israel May I not wash in them and be clean So he turned and went away in a rage 2 Kings 5.12 and therefore his servants took him up sharply for it ver 13. And his servants came neer and spake unto him and said My Father If the Prophet had bid thee d ee some great thing wouldest thou not have done it how much rather then when he saith to thee Wash and be clean Christ will have his Disciples to cast their Net into the Sea when he intended to fill the Vessell with Fishes Though he raysed up Lazarus from the dead by a Miracle yet he will call in his Friends to assistance to loose his napkin and take off his grave clothes Iohn 11.44 In the Ministery of the Gospel though God give the increase yet Paul is to Plant and Aposte to Water Though the People may shout before Jericho yet the Priests have the charge of the Ark and Trumpets 3. God would not have this work of Faith one dayes work onely they must Beseige it seven dayes It is not enough to doe well for a while and give over we must hold out our Christian race till we obtain fight till we be Crowned The promised reward Rom. 2.7 is to the patient continuers in well-doing who hold out and that onely upon hopes The crown of life is reserved for the faithfull unto death Christs Throne is demised and granted to the over-commer And salvation is appointed for the endurer unto the end 4. Iericho a sinfull City whose iniquities were ripe and fore neither the watchfulnesse and valor of Inhabitants and Souldiery within nor the works and warlike fortifications without could defend it from the battery of but seven sounding Trumpets of Rams Horns and the onely shout of the Israelitish Campe. When Nicephorus Phocas Cedren Hist pag. 542. had built a spacious and strong Wall about his Palace to secure it and himself in it in the Night he heard a Voyce crying 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 O King though thou buildest up to the Clouds the Palace will not be secure 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the sin within will ruine it and all within it Nothing subverts a glorious Church and flourishing State private Persons and their Estates and Families but the wickednesse of them that dwell in the former and the Personall crimes of the other Psal 107.33.34 He turneth Rivers into a Wildernesse and the Water springs into dry ground A fruitfull land into barrennesse for the wickednesse of them that dwell therein Nay sin is of so destructive a nature that it spoyls dishonours and overthrows a good cause when wicked men take the right side then retro sublapsa referri then we see that side loft and perish by the criminousnesse of the managers A good Cause will never sanctifie the wickednesse of the Undertakers They were vain and lying words The Temple of the Lord c which the Jews confided in Ier. 7.4 such a pretence could not consecrate their evill doings nor prevent their judgements ver 3.4.5.6.7.8.9.10.11 as long as we incorrigibly persist in our wicked wayes never think to cover and secure our selves under the pretence of the Temple of the Lord If we would have the Temple of the Lord to be a glory and to reside among us a good Cause to goe on and prosper then the respective pretenders must be holy and good men If we would have our Church and State to stand their Walls and Bulwarks Laws and Constitutions to hold out and be undemolished then let us adorn the Doctrine of God our Saviour in all things otherwise 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Decree is already gone all shall be taken away root and branch Mat. 21.42.43 sin within being the prevailing party will last all down and as nationall sins have this destructive power over the whole so particular personall sins over parts and parcells thereof private Estates and Families Many men call their houses by their Names and their inward thoughts are that they shall continue for ever
necessarily to be others from them premised 2. The Apostle ayming in this induction to bring down the series of the faithfull till the present Age must necessarily in this his induction and deductions thence still descend from the first times pitched on then the succeeding till the present be taken in which course is both agreeable to an induction as such and to this scope and conclusion from it Thus it is apparent he begins at Abel and so passeth to Enoch his Successor in the Faith So to Noah Abraham the Patriarkes the Judges the Kings and Prophets and so downwards still to the following Generations which was the time of the Maccabees they succeeding the Prophets and Kings and so I think that these miseries set down here relate unto these Persecution which the Lewes after their return endured under Autiochus Epiphanes one of the Successors of Alexander the Great in Syria about two hundred years before the comming of the Messiah in the Flesh The Records of whose mischievous designes and horrid cruelties are reserved in the Books of the Maccabees which because they have fallen under suspition censures and severities I shall by the way and the digression may perhaps be usefull adde something in rescrence to those Writings And first I shall suppose and grant That they are not any part of the Writings of Moses and Prophets commended to us in the New Testament as the Oracles of God and Dictates of his Spirit And secondly That the Lewes had not any such esteem of them and therefore never received them into their Canon of Holy Writ But then in the next place it is most certain That they have been and still are generally reputed and taken for an History which may be very usefull in the Church of God though not for the confirmation of any Article of Faith or deciscion of any controversie in Pointe of Religion yet for the edification of the Church to bring down the Church Story after the Writings of the Prophets till Christ and his Apostles lived And therefore the Church of God hath judged them worthy to be incerted in our Bibles and annexed to the Books of the Prophets as a confirmation and continuation of the Historicall part of the Old Testament to acquaint us with the State of the Affaires of the Church then and as Christs comming And yet to prevent mistakes have noted them with the marke of Apocrypha and by that Character hath excluded out of the number of Canonicall Books But 3. These times seem rather to be intended by the Apostle because even to that very time of his Writing these Hebrews had a continued fresh remembrance of the cruell miseries the Jews suffered under that Antiochus Lastly There is a very great and perfect resemblance in the punishments inflicted by that Tyrant with those here specified which will the better appeare by taking a cleare and distinct Cognisance and survey of them first in Generall then in Particular 1. The Persecution was for Religion as was pretended it was Death for the Iewes to observe the Law of God it was Death not to consorme to this Tyrants Idol-service 1 Maccab. 1. and all these Persecutions are usually hot and violent because men thinke they doe God good service when they manage with sury the Devills cause and then the highest and severest Punishments which malice can invent or fancy are but the innocent executions of justice and such were these Punishments of all sorts which have been discovered for here is mention of torments contumelies imprisonments exiles death it selfe and severall sorts of dishonorable cruell deaths For 2. Here we finde that some were tortured 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that 's beaten with Clubbs or bastinadoed till they died aâ— we Reade of the good old man Eleazar for the indeed good old cause Gods Religion and Lawes 2 Maceabes 6.28.29.30 the punishment was to binde the miscrable Patients to a great Logg of Wood or Timber made as I suppose most like a Ships windlesse and for such an use and there distand and racke them and when they were thus distended to a certaine and to the height every part was sesible of the Racke and Strappadoe then they were beaten with Cudgells till they dyed Yet being thus tortured it is further reported of them that they accepted not deliverance That they c. They sleighted those overtures and conditions of dismission and liberty which were tendered them depending on Gods Promises for eternall life not daring to hazard Eternity for a miserable temporall subsistence and being very willing to lose their life to save it Others had tryasts of erneâ— meckings and seourginge nothing was overseen or omitted to render them odious and miserable some will take a mocke who will not endure a stroake others a stroake who yet will not abide a mocke these tormentors therefore to make sure work tryeth them both wayes if the one sayle to provoke and distresse them the other will prove and they are called cruell mockings because nothing more piereing or pressing to a free and generous spirit for they are usually an affliction upon an affliction it is to overloade the oppressed and to kill the wounded Hence Ishmaelâ— mocking of Isaas Gon. 11.9 is expressed Persecution Galat. 4.29 David esteemed a reproach an oppression a killing oppression as with a Sword in his boxes Psal 42.9.10 And his great complaint Psal 44.13.14 Psal 79.4 was That he was a reproach a scorne and derision to be a by-word and shaking of the Head among the People And the uttering and speaking hard things is â—â—iled breaking his people in pieces Psal 94.4.5 But if there be not cruelty enough in mockings there is smart and sname too ignoming sufficient in scourgings a punishment proper onely to the baser and more contemptible sort of Offenders Others againe had tryall of Bends and Imprisonment that is cruell Imprisonments not barely confinements or restraints not onely close Imprisonment but like Josephs their fect were hure with fetters they were laid in Iron Psal 105.18 They were stoned they were sawne asunder You shall finde the barbarons execution of these 2 Maceabes 7. throughout They were tempted This finds some variation for tempting sometimes imports the most cutting piercing griefes and anguishes such as not onely carry with them great pain but a quicke and subtle apprehension also of that pain and sorrow therefore great sorrows or rather the sharpe sense and feeling of them is abstractedly called temptations Heb. 2.13 He suffered being tempted that is he sadly and passionately resented So Heb. 4.15 He was tempted that it as is evident from the precedent terme of opposition noted by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he was touched touched to the quick deeply with the feeling of our infirmities and then according to this notation of the Word the sense is They had such a sharps sense of their sad condition that as Christ so their soules were sorrowfull exceeding sorrowfull even unto Death Sometimes it signifies gaining and
exemplary Piety Christ hath afforded himselfe and others examples to us that we for him to his glory and to others for their good might likewise be examples It was an excellent expression of Fulgentius in his African stile which he useth to shew the power of examples in Superiours Conversio potentium multùm militat acquisitionibus Christi that is The conversion of men in Authority and such are all those severall capacities fights powerfully for the possessions of Christ or it purchaseth much to Christ for such as these saith he it is in the 6. Ep. de Con. ad Theed either ruine many with themselves or else save and therefore either great punishments attend them if they prove Male imitationis laqueum Instruments of evill example or else great Glory if they be eminent in holy conversation For so he goes on applying this to that particular case he speaks on and holds a perfect Analogy in the other Quis non parvum c. Who will not despise and neglect his poor Cottage when he seeth a Senatour neglecting his stately and spatious Palaces for Christs sake Who will not forsake the World to purchase Heaven when he sees a Consull of Rome leaving all to follow Christ despise Earth and make provision for Heaven And now that the Example of these others and many since may draw us to an imitation of their Graces and Vertues and that we may be exemplary to others to provoke them let us addresse our selves to the great exemplar for grace and strength both to leade others who are under or equall to us and follow Christ and others who have gone before us For Hac itur ad superos this is the way walk in it even the way to him who is the way the truth and life And therefore let us Pray O Almighty and Soveraigne Power who by an infinite all wise goodnesse dost Governc all things in Heaven and Earth and hast and dost order all even the worst things for the glory of thy Name and the good of thy People Be thou favourable unto thy Church thy little Flocke be thou a refuge to it till all tyranny be over-past a sure defence and shield in peristous times to thy People that they may know how to be abased and how to abound how to be full and how to be hungry learne them in every state therewith to be contented Vnder Persecution make them resolved and joyfull under chastisements make them resigned and humble submissive and godly sorrowfull that they be sanctified to them under tryalls make them faithfull and constant considering and exercised thereby to bring forth the peaceable fruits of righteousnesse In prosperity and fulnesse make them moderate humble joyfull and thankefull abounding in every good worke make them great Examples of Piety provoking one another unto good works in an holy emulation And that both states and conditions of life may be blessed to them make them followers of Jesus Christ the Captaine of that holy profession to walke in the foot-steps of his most holy life though by unequall treadings and to be followers of the blessed Saints departed Patriarkes Judges Kings Priests Prephets Apostles Confessors Martyrs as they also of Christ that we may be partakers with them and those that follow us at the last of a glorious resurrection to eternall life Graent therefore gracious God that with all purpose of heart we cleave and adhaere to thee with satisfied and contented spirits in every state rely and depend on thee evidencing our faith by faithfull actions or constant sufferings At all times to yeeld a ready sincere obedience to all the commands of Christ And when it is our Childs portion to be repreached spoyled tormented for the name of Christ to possesse our soules in patience and to wait continually on him Make us to conforme to the Iustitutions and Disciplice of holy Iesus and pursue the wayes of godlinesse with all passion and perseverance that no worldly discouragements or sadnesses no worldly hopes nor carnall delights distract or disturbe us in the duties of our high calling but that we adde to Faith Vertue to Vertue Knowledge to Knowledge c. perfecting bolinesse in the feare of the Lord till we arrive with the Saints perfected at the perfection and glory with our Lord Iesus the author and fiuisher of our Faith to whom be glory now and for evermore Amen The Conclusion Confirmed and Continued Heb. 11.39.40 And these all having obtained a good report through Faith received not the Promise God having provided some better thing for us that they without us should not be made perfect ALL these 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from Abel till your late Predecessors of this last Age the Maccabces if the induction be good it must be Universall and therefore the Conclusion is Univerfall all both expressed and understood all beleevers the totum aggregatum the whole company of Beleevers and every single Individuall of that company have subsisted by Faith and by Faith onely Without Faith none could have pleased God by Faith all did Without Faith none could look for a City by Faith all did Therefore the Induction helds and proves the first Hypotheset Faith is the substance c. And without Faith it is impossible to please God c. For if there were another Principle of subsistence besides Faith if any other originall Instrument of pleasing God or if any one instance could be produced to evidence the other part of the contradiction viz. That it can be proved that any without Faith did hope c. or did please God then the producing of any such Principle Instrument or Instance would altogether invalidate the force of the Induction and it could not be Argumentative to conclude these Positions thus affirmatively asserted But now this Note of Universality all clears the proofs and makes the Iuduction firme and sure to all intents and purposes All who have subsisted c. have pleased God have done it by Faith and none can be brought from the beginning of the World till this present Day to the contrary Therefore Faith is the substance c. And without Faith it is impossible to please God And for a confirmation of both premises we have good evidence for all these were 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Testimonio fidei probati were proved and tryed persons for their Faith and they carryed it and passed and were by an Instrument of approbation attested so to be and by speciall order their Faithfulnesse and Piety was recorded commended and proposed to Posterity for imitation and this order was both from God and his Church And therefore Bezae reades Testimonium adepti they obtained a full and just Testimoniall God and the Church of God freely gave it them and subscribed it Certainly they that honour God God will honour them 1 Sam. 2.30 for he will make their Names greater then that of Sons and Daughters they shall not onely enjoy the advantages of common rights and interests but those who who