live according to the wayes ignorance folly and customes of the world They are to shine as lights amongst a froward and crooked generation Phil. 2.14 Pure Religion is said to keep it self unspotted from the world Jam. 1.27 All the wicked and ungodly wayes in it are not to defile and soil him As they speak of a River called Alpheus that emptieth it self in the Sea yet even in the very Sea it keepeth its sweetnesse and is not made salt and brackish as the waters of the Sea are They are in the world but not of it Hence Rom. 12. Be ye not conformed unto the fashion of the world but be transformed in your minds Here you may see who are men of the best fashion in a place not men of the greatest wealth honours or earthly dignity but who do not conforme to the fashion of the world that hath not the cursing swearing lying uncleannesse and all the works of darknesse that the world is said to lie in Let us improve this Doctrine and I know no truth a sharper sword to enter into your bowels than this For generally men think it a disgrace not to live as most men do what to grow so precise and strict as not to do as others do They are afraid to own such to be thought such Oh what Antipodes are such men to the Scripture Either lay down the name of a Christian or else live above what men of the world do As Alexander said to a souldier named Alexander Either lay aside his name or else do valiant acts Matth. 5. If ye love them that love you what singular thing do ye do not even the publicans the same Mark that there is a godly singularity and the people of God must be singular not do so or live so as most men in the world do The Apostle in this phrase To live as men or According to man may imply these things First Meer men have no divine faith in the matters of Religion wrought in them by the Spirit of God but walk according to the natural dictates of conscience and education and so are for that Religion which they have been brought up in and accustomed to whether it be right or wrong whether good or bad This our Saviour cleareth when Peter made that excellent Confession of Faith That Christ was the Sonne of God our Saviour graciously accepts of it and tels him Flesh and bloud hath not revealed this to him Mat. 16.17 So that then men walk as men in all matters of Religion when they have no more than custome or the countenance of the Laws of the Land where they live no more than flesh and blood hath made known to them Thus we see the Jews the Turks the Papists they all wilfully adhere to the Religion they have been used to and so many Christians believe in Christ upon no better grounds than they do in their falsehoods Be not then any longer such men and servants of men as the Apostle cals it that is to believe the truâ—hs of Religion upon humane authority humane motives That our Saviour meaneth when he bids us Call no man master on earth because Christ is the only Master Mat. 23.8 Not that the instruction and teaching of Church officers is to be rejected as some absurdly would inferre from those places for we are commanded to hear them and to enquire for the truth at their mouth only it 's not a divine faith till it be upon divine grounds Not as the word of men but as the word of God 1 Thess 2.13 It 's a sad thing to consider how many walk as men in this respect being in matter of Religion without any eyes of their own as if another mans faith were to justifie them and not their own Secondly To walk as a meer man is to propound some outward inferiour comforts as the ultimate end and chief felicity of our souls Take a man as a meer man and the utmost end for which he labours and strives in this world is some earthly advantages Oh but what saith the Apostle of true Christians We walk not by sense but by faith 2 Cor. 5.7 And we behold not the things that are seen but the things that are not seen What made Moses deny all that earthly greatnesse he might have had in Pharaohs Court Who would have made such a choise as he did To suffer reproaches for Christ rather than the pleasures of Aegypt Why is this Because he saw him that was invisible and had an eye to the recompence of reward Heb. 11. See then Moses more than a man he propounds to himself as the greatest happinesse the enjoyment of God and communion with him And as the Sunne puts out the lesser light of the starres so this good in God obscured that in all earthly things Then therefore men walk as men when they look no further than the good things of this life riches honours earthly pomp and greatnesse and as for the enjoyment of God which is indeed the true end that they come short of Oh do not then walk as men any longer placing all your affections thoughts and desires in inferiour comforts Is this to have your conversation in Heaven Is this to sit with Christ in heavenly places Is this to make God your portion Is not this rather to have the Serpents curse upon you to lick up the dust of the earth and to mind earthly-things Thirdly To walk as meer men is to put confidence and hope onely in second causes and visible instruments not trusting the promise of God or believing his power that he reigneth and ruleth in Heaven and earth doing what he pleaseth This is not only to walk as men but as the wise men and most admired men in the world The Scripture brings in the thoughts of the wise men as if God sate in Heaven and did not judge all things as he pleased The fool hath said in his heart and that fool is every meer man there is no God Psal 14.1 No Judge no Governour Therefore they look only to instruments to second causes and they puff up themselves and grow insolent when they have these bladders to swim with As on the other side they sink even as Pharaohs hoast into despair when such outward props are taken away Know then that all thy dedejections cares and doubtfull thoughts either about thy self or the publick they argue thee to walk as a meer man Our Saviour doth excellently shame his Disciples for this when using several Arguments to the Disciples against their distrust and carefulnesse he tels them Such things the Gentiles and Heathens seek after Mat. 6.7 So that to walk as men is to be affected in our own particular or in the publick good as if there were no promise no God as if men were Omnipotent as if men brought about all things When Melancthon was often dejected about the affairs of the Church being prone to distrust and fears Luther told him That God had bound
in vain are taken up in the New Testament as well as the Old And experience teacheth us That where Christ is preached and the Gospel in a glorious manner promulged yet it 's but dead preaching to many This voice doth not make them come out of the grave of sinne onely herein the Law and the Gospel differ that the matter of the Law pressed will condemn us none being ever able to fulfill it Yea the godly cannot do all things the Law requireth and so the Law is a killing letter to him But the Gospel that comes with a moderation where the graces of Gods Spirit are though weak and imperfect there through Christ their weaknesse is forgiven So that the preaching of the Gospel to a soul oppressed for sinne is like the year of Jubilee to poor servants and indebted prisoners Howsoever then the preaching of the Gospel is said to be the ministration of life and of the Spirit 2 Cor. 3. yet that is not to be understood simply of it self but as accompanied with the power of God Hence the Gospel is said to be the power of God to salvation Rom. 1.16 the power of God not of man It 's not mans wisdome that our faith is grounded on Thus much for what the Apostle meaneth not What he positively meaneth or inferreth are First That it 's not in the power or choise of the Minister to make it effectual He cannot bid or command the Word to work as he pleaseth for then the guilt of all mens souls and the damnation of all would lie upon us As our Divines say to the Papists when they brag The Pope hath the Keyes of power above all things not only in earth but in purgatory Why then doth he suffer those souls to lie tormented there as he doth So it would be here Why are any damned Why do any lie in their sinnes if the Ministry by its own power could convert them No the Ministers of God they can only pray they can mourn and grieve in secret to see the miscarriage of the Word and the wilfull resolution in men to destroy their own souls they can mourn over the dead but they cannot recover them to life Secondly The Apostle by this intends that both the Ministers and the people should keep themselves in their due bounds The Ministers though never so eminent though never so much applauded by a numerous company of Disciples yet they cannot make one black hair white They cannot say of any people obeying the Gospel That we by our own power have made such believe It 's true they are said to be Fathers and to beget men to the truth but that is only instrumentally and metaphorically by external application of the Word not internal power for so we have onely one Father in Heaven Pride and ambition do easily breed in the most eminent parts as worms in the sweetest fruit but when they shall consider that they are nothing and God is all this is a good way to humble them and then the people hereby are also taught much moderation Some mens persons they are apt to admire Not such a man in the world Oh but what a great God is there in Heaven without whom this man is nothing This is spiritual Idolatry and that worship which is to be given to Christ only you give to instruments Lastly In making the Ministry nothing and God all The Apostle would have both Minister and people in their Ministry to have our hearts and eyes up to Heaven As the Bird after every drop of water it sips looks up presently to Heaven so shouldst thou Lord what the Minister hath spoken what he hath pressed oh set it home with a blessing Cause it to come like rain upon the new mowed grasse Oh the carelesse and prophane hearing that is every where This makes God give no increase you matter it not you believe not you tremble not under it you do not earnestly pray about it If a man have a leg or arm to be cut off oh you desire all you meet with to pray about it Why because it may cost him his life How much rather about every Sermon every Duty that is preached shouldst thou pray and again pray Oh it may be the damning of my immortal soul to miscarry therein Quest But how may we addresse our selves to hear and to the Ministry so that God may make them something to us Answ To be made something is when the Word doth greatly wound thy heart or comfort thee when it makes a noise and a pain at thy very bowels when it makes thee sick at the very heart when it makes thee cry out Oh me a wretched sinner what have I done Whither shall I go Ah wretch that I am In what a wofull condition am I plunged Sinne is on one side hell on the other the wrath of God above me and all the curses of the Law round about me Then it 's something then our words fall like hot burning coals upon your consciences you cannot sleep nor rove but tremble under it Now this will be done these wayes First Make it a real and conscientious matter to pray unto God to give increase As to the woman our Saviour said According to thy faith so be it unto thee So according to thy prepared prayer saith God this Sermon and this duty shall be blessed unto you As your cruise is fitted so will God pour in oil If we then complain that the Ministry works no more notable effects that it makes no more transcendent alterations judge whether the blame lie not on thy own self Prayer is that which moveth with God Prayer is that in which the Sermon rolled produceth sutable operations The Word of God is a two-edged sword but prayer maketh it penetrate that sets God on work and God sets his Word on work A man much in prayer is alwayes much in profiting As the Preacher is to pray Christ prayed much in the night as he taught much in the day so the hearer he also must pray much Secondly Exercise strong and divine acts of faith this will make the Ministry something to thee The Word profited not because it was not mingled with faith Heb. 4.2 or as some interpret because by faith they were not mixed as it were with the Word they were not incorporated into it and who hath believed our report Rom. 10. Faith is that which comes at first by hearing and then afterwards makes hearing profitable The Atheism and unbelief which is on mens hearts make the Word without efficacy such are prophane mockers As you see they despised the Prophets that often said The burden of the Lord the burden of the Lord. Men believe not the things preached to be Gods truth that they are Gods word that they will be made good whether they will or no they are living words and sure words and faith only layeth the first foundation of this spiritual building believe the threatning and thou darest
gold and silver is there we must dig thence we must replenish our selves Teirdly There is implied the durablenesse and constancy of it Gold will not melt away in the fire or be consumed as hay and stubble will And thus the Apostle alludeth to afterwards He shall be saved so as by fire and the fire shall try every mans work He speaks of a probatory and not a purgatory fire that is afflictions or the light of Gods word shall burn all this stubble So that the truths of God they are so constant and abiding that when a man comes to be afflicted to be persecuted to be undone for the truth of God this will abide What is the chaff to the wheat Jer. 23.28 When a wind comes the chaff is blown away And therefore this should make all very carefull herein both Pastor and people God will have his fire there will be winds and tempests whether it be gold or stubble wheat or chaff then it will be discovered whereas divers and strange erroneous Doctrines they have not been willing to come to the fire Every Heresie in the Church went up and down like Cain trembling left every place of Scripture that met it should kill it Fourthly The truths of Christ are compared to gold and silver Because of the solidity and ponderosity of them they are weighty and heavy Whereas errors are compared to hay and stubble what is lighter than these And therefore such as give way to falshood they are said to be carried away with every wind of Doctrine Ephes 4.14 as if they were so many feathers or straws Whatsoever opinion then is accompanied with vanity levity and emptinesse it 's not solid grave and substantial refuse that It is said Solomons ships they went for gold of Ophir and they brought home pearls Thus do many men they make us if they sought out the admirable and solid truths of God and they bring Peacocks empty gaudy flourishings of wit or curious opinions This is not the weighty and solid truth of God Fifthly They are compared to gold Because of the purity and sincerity in them The truths of God they have an holy simplicity and sincerity and therefore false Teachers are said 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 2 Cor. 2. to corrupt the pure word of God as hucksters do their wine David compareth Gods word to pure gold even seven times refined Psal 19 And hereby it becomes a very dangerous sinne for any to counterfeit it or corrupt it If among men their Laws make it a capital crime to counterfeit or clip their coin certainly God will account it no lesse hainous a sinne to do so with his truths As it's gold for sincerity so it 's compared to the water of life for its purity And as Isaac complained of the Philistims as the greatest injury that could be to stop up his wels with earth and it 's a matter of death to poison a fountain or spring where men use to drink so destructive and hainous a sinne it must be to infect the pure streams of the Sanctuary that people should thereby suck down their own poison Sixthly It 's compared to gold for the efficacy and choice vertue thereof Gold is not only of price and esteem but it hath it's powerfull operations in medicinal wayes against bodily diseases And thus certainly the truths of God are when received by faith they are mighty to the casting down of all the strong holds of sinne they are powerfull to overthrow the greatest oppositions Sanctifie them by thy truth thy word is truth John 17. Thus it 's said Psal 19. To convert the soul as the learned there interpret it is revive the soul to bring life again when a man by discouragements and dejections is even swooning away Oh then these golden truths of Christ they have a special influence upon the heart of a man to revive against faintings to dispel all distempers and to preserve against all languishings Seventhly They are compared to gold and silver For the usefulnesse and profitablenesse to all things Money answereth all things saith the Wiseman Eccles 10.19 Many outward comforts in this world may be had for gold and silver you may have friends food raiment Hence the Heathens made Pluto wealth a god because it wrought all things among men Clausum aur â custodit Jovem Horace spake of the covetous man He keeps his god in his chest And covetousnesse is called Idolatry Col. 3.5 Thus gold and silver prevail in the world And therefore Balaam to expresse his resolvednesse not to curse Israel said Though Balaak would give him an house full of gold yet he would not curse them But alas what are these to the truths of Christ They are profiâ—able for such things which material gold and silver cannot do Judas when tormented in in his conscience foa sinne What could his thirty pieces of silver comfort him Could that ease his conscience Give gold and silver to the damned men in hell will that comfort them There are many mercies that all the gold and silver in the world cannot help us unto but now there is no condition no doubt no affliction no want but the truths of Christ are very profitable unto The truth of Justification by faith in Christ Is not that more worth than the gold of Ophir What precious and powerfull operations hath it upon the hearts of the godly Eighthly The truths of Christ are compared to gold and precious stones Because they are able to enrich a man with all graces There is spiritual and heavenly wealth as well as earthly and temporal and the truths of God are of the first sort Thus the poor of this world are said to be rich in faith Jam. 2 5. And Christ became poor to make us rich 2 Cor. 8.9 not in outward respects or external greatnesse but in internal and spiritual riches Mark that counsel Revel 3.18 to the Church who thought her self rich and needing nothing I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire that thou mayest be rich Oh that people were spiritual You see here is gold offered to all and he is indeed foolish that refuseth this There is many a man with gold and silver and much wealth in this world and yet is very poor towards God When our Saviour had declared that Parable of Dives and the eternal torment he had after his great pleasures he concludeth So is every man that is rich in the treasures of this world and is not rich towards God Luke 12.21 In the second place To build gold and precious stones on this foundation is not onely to preach sound and pure matter but this matter in a pure and exact way Now this golden way of preaching to be Chrysostoms and Chrysologues indeed consiâ—eth First In preaching of them after Scripture Authority when they are conveyed unto you as having the stamp and Authority of God The Prophets came with Thus saith the Lord and this like thunder may make the
God when it may be thou art further off than ever 2. The truths of Christ are profitable to sanctification and holinesse Sanctifie them by thy truth John 17. By the Word we come to take heed of sin Psal 19. to order our lives whereas errour that is wholly instrumental to wickednesse and impiety A corrupt mind and a corrupt life go together Faith and a good conscience are kept together and lost together When a man fals off from the truth he will also fall off from that power of godlinesse and degree of holinesse â—e once seemed to have Truth is the eye and if the eye be dark the whole body will be dark Grow in grace and in the knowledge of Jesus Christ 2 Pet. 3.18 these go together If therefore thou wouldst keep up the whole way of godlinesse all that accuratenesse and strictnesse thou hast been exercised in take heed of erroneous Doctrines they loosen the reins they corrupt good manners Though some Heretiques have been of a seeming religious life yet even they were but as glistering Serpents full of inward poison for all their fair out-side viz. of inward pride and hypocrisiâ— And indeed it is commonly Gods judgement to punish the abuse of knowledge with an ungodly life The Heathens did not glorifie God according to their knowledge and therefore God gave them up to strong delusiâ—ns and vilâ— affections Rom. 1. It 's good to have the heart established with grace and not with meats Heb. 13 9. Loosnesse of opinions is apt to beget loosnesse of lâ—fe as ill distâ—llations from the head breed the consumption of the vitals 3. They are unprofitable for any sound comfort and joy That we through the comfort of the Scriptures might have hope Rom. 15.4 The truths of Christ will only be owned by him and to such as suffer for it he administers much consolation and comfort As the Martyrs felt unspeakable joy and assurance It cannot be denied but Heretiques and erroneous persons may find much sensible comfort in their false way Thâ—refore no man must conclude the truth of a Doctrine from comfort but he must try his comfort by his Doctrine yet even that comfoâ—t men have in a false way is not like the true joy Godâ— truth brings To give differences between them is not here my purpose no more than between the patience of a true Martyr and the quietnesse of an Heretique in their sufferings 4. They are not profitable for duration or continuance This straw will not keep off the rain of Gods tempests Hence God will purge his people from this drosse The Disciples were many times in great errours but Christ did recover them And truly such is the goodnesse of God to his elect people that they shall never totally and finally be deceived you see here they shall be saved by fire and the fire will try it God will by some severe affliction or other means bring his people back again The sheep that wandered will come home again acknowledging their folly and that they did only lose their wool in the briars of needlesse disputes Vse of Instructâ—on To shew the vanity and folly either of such teachers or hearers that dote on errours that admire hay and stubble as if it were gold and precious stones Oh try and prove things first by the Word ere you rejoyce or boast in them 2. What makes a Church truly glorious even when it 's pure from errours and heresies A Church imbracing the truth is like a goodly Edifice of all beautifull excellencies but where errors and falshoods are there is a disgrace and dishonour to it Vse of Exhortation In all the matters of Religion see what solidity and profit there is in the thing thou believest If they be full of divine Authority if they make for godlinesse for exactnesse in life for true and sound peace then it 's something but if they do intoxicate mens brains make them spiritually drunk they stagger and reel if they make them straws an empty reed shaken with every wind then fear these things Verse 13. Every mans work shall be made manifest IN the twelfth verse you had a Description of a two-fold Builder Now in this verse and the other following the Apostle proceeds to shew a two-fold event And 1. He generally declareth that there will be a Manifestation of every mans work And then 2. The Consequent Effectâ— upon that Manifestation that there will be a discovery at last though for a while men may carry on their purposes with much subtilty you have in the first part of the verse Peter said of Pauls Epistles That there were in them many things hard to be understood And Austin he thought as you heard this Text was one of them I shall therefore explain it by degrees And First I shall at this time consider the Proposition laid down by the Apostle as a ground work Every mans work shall be made manifest Consider the Subject the Note of Vniversality and the Attribute 1. The Subject Every mâ—ns work work Here the Apostle calleth erroneous Doctrines as also the publishing and propagating of them works which overthroweth that nice distinction of some who pressed with that place Rom. 13. The Magistrate is a terrour to evil works Works say they not opinions or false Doctrines for though the opinion simply as so is hidden in the heart yet the professing and publication of it is a work therefore here they are made all one So vers 8. it 's called a mans labour And John epist 2. we must not bid God speed to a man that brings a false Doctrine lest thereby we be partaker of his evil deeds 2. Here is the Note of Vniversality Every mans work that is every Doctors every builders work Lastly Here is the Attribute Shall be made manifest Which implieth that all errours and falshoods have a glittering out-side they are maintained with much subtilty and specious pretences so that he who looks only to the seeming out-side and appearances of false wayes will easily be deceived But as the painted face when it comes near the fire will melt so these painted errours when God bringeth his fire will dissolve away So that there is much in that phrase Shall be made manifest Now although this Proposition is to be taken in a limitted sense to the false subtil and crafty wayes of errours and the authours thereof yet I shall first handle it as a general truth and so as the Apostle may take it as a general and then apply it to the particular of foolish builders Observe That all the wayes and works of wickedness though acted in never so hidden and secret a manner shall be made manifest When and how I shall not yet enquire All that I have now to do is That such works though creeping under the ground will be brought to light So Chap. 5.10 Eccles ult ult First We will shew What kind of hidden wickednesse shall be made manifest And then The
If it abide Observe That Gods Truths are of a firm and durable Nature notwithstanding any tryal or opposition whatsoever Thus Christ Mat. 5.8 Heaven and Earth shall sooner passe away then one iota or title Whatsoever is asserted or threatned or promised stands firmer then Mount Sion like the earth which cannot be removed They who have endeavoured to overthrow Gods Truths they are as absurd as if a man should set his shoulder to remove a huge mountain 1 Pet. 1.25 Gods truths are exalted for duration above all earthly pomp All flesh is grasse the grasse withereth the flower fadeth but the Word of God endureth for ever See then the incorruptibility and immortality of Gods Truths that as it 's said of God himself I am the Lord and I change not Mal. 3.6 so these are Gods truths they change not All flesh is grasse Whatsoever greatnesse and power hath exalted it self against Gods truth hath vanished into dust when truth hath still prevailed To understand this consider First That there a two-fold truth Increated and Created Increated and that is God himself who is the first essential and immediate truth God is true and every man a lyer I am the truth said Christ Joh. 14.6 And this is indeed the ground why Gods truths are so permanent because they are the Assertions or Testimony of the first Truth So that as the Sunne the Fountain of light cannot be dark so neither is it possible for God to lie or deceive Now Created Truths are of two sorts Natural Truths such as are in Philosophy and are implanted in mens minds either as principles or as necessary conclusions to be deduced from them And these are of God as appeareth Rom. 1. Which made one say Omnis veritas est a spiritu sancto And these also are necessary and certain And Secondly There are Divine Truths such as are revealed in Gods Word most of which humane reason could not comprehend but as Zacheus of a low stature got up into the tree to see Jesus so reason being too low must ascend up into the Scripture to behold these truths Now these are more certain and durable then those natural Truths because natural truths are founded upon the nature and essence or properties of the creatures but Divine Truths on Gods Word It is true all Truth is said to be in indivisibili and so one Truth is not more true then another but yet the foundation of this truth may be more firm in one then in another In the next place consider that Gods Truths in his word may be reduced to four heads 1. Assertory Truths such as assert any matter of Faith or matter of fact 2. Truths of Prophesying and Prediction and such do not abide alwaies because they are compleated in the accomplishment of them 3. Truths of Promise or Promissory and those have not only Gods word but some of them Gods Oath also and they are founded in Christ in whom they are yea and amen 2 Cor. 1. 4. There are Comminatory truths or threatnings now here is this difference between the two latter since Promissory truths are not made good unlesse a man believe It 's of saith that the Promise might be sure Rom. 4.16 but the threatnings of God are sure and wiâ—l be true though the prophane person do not believe them though he think the contrary Now the Ministers work which he must build is upon one of those foundations Assertory Promissory or Comminatory Truths and this will abide though the flames burn never so violently Thirdly This good building of truth doth not only abide the fire but desireth the fire it 's willing to come to the Touchstone The thief hateth the light because his deeds are evil Heresie and false Doctrine doth not love the Touchstone no more then the Owle the Sunne Hence it is that being provoked to go to the Scriptures they accuse the Scriptures of insufficiency and imperfction It 's a saying of Lindan a great Papist living in the first time of the Reformation That it had been better if they had never yeilded to the Protestants to prove things by Scripture but kept only to tradition Whensoever any erroneus persons begin to disparage or to dethrone the Scripture not to adore the fulnesse and sufficiency of it as a Rule suspect that man he is like the Elephant which because he cannot endure to see himself in the water is said to disturbe and bemuddy it So that the truths of God do not shun the fiery tryal Fourthly The Truths of God built by a spiritual builder do not only abide the fiery tryal but they grow more illustrious and glorious thereby All the heresies and Persecutions that ever have been were like the waters to the Ark they lifted it higher to Heaven The truth about grace had not been so clear had not Pelagius maintained free-will The Divine Nature of Christ had not been so fully evidenced out of Scripture had not the Arrians opposed it Justification by Faith in Chrâ—st had not been so strongly and powerfully proved had not Justification by works been obtruded in Popery So that it doth not only abide the fire but it 's grown more admirable thereby Many doubts are removed and as the winds shaking of some trees make the root the faster so the difference and disputes about Religion though they do hurt to some yet to sound and solid men they have made them more established Nil tam certum quam quod è dubio certum Which made an Antient say excellent well Pâ—us debeo Thomae dubitanti quam Petro credenti For by his doubting Christs Resurrection was more confirmed unto us Fifthly Not only the Truths of God in their Nature but also in the proper and genuine effects upon the Hearers they also abide and will endure the tryal Now the Truths of God revealed in the Scripture among other Effects have these notable ones First To assure and perswade the heart of the certainty of them Hence faith is called assurance and full assurance Heb. 10.22 And The substance of things Heb. 11.1 So that where Gods Truth hath been fully received there it establisheth the heart It 's not carried away with every wind of Doctrine There are few that we can say of that they have received the truth not as the word of man but as the word of God 1 Thes 2.13 Many are so fickle so inconstant so unsetled that they are ready every day to have a new Faith this is because the Word is not received as Gods Word but as a mans Opinion The second notable Effect is To regenerate and make us new creatures And this is also an incorruptible effect no sinne or Devil or the temptations of the world shall be able to obliterate that heavenly Image or Picture the Word of God hath drawn upon such a mans soul Thus 1 Pet. 1.23 24. Being born not of corruptible but the incorruptible seed which is said to abide
errours and the more difficult it is to know when it is an errour the more art thou to be afraid In Levit. 13. you see it was a very hard matter to discern between the Leprosie and any other distemper some had not the Leprosie it was only a scab so some do not runne into grosse and damnable heresies but yet they have a scab a loathsome distemper upon them These things being the truths of Scripture and not the words of men pleading for their own interest and reputation should much prevail with you Fourthly They are defilements Because they pollute the conscience minde heart and whole life of a man Hence you have that phrase Men of corrupt minds 1 Tim. 6.5 2 Tim. 3.8 Destitute of the truth Thus mens consciences also are said to be defiled Tit. 1.15 So that the corruption of a man by errours is a Metaphore from the body which through sicknesse or death is corrupted Thou wilt not suffer thy holy one to see corruption Act 2.17 That as from the dead body worms and putrid vermine grow and live So from minds corrupted and destitute of truth do flow these erroneous Doctrines Thus not only wickednesse may denominate men to be dead Let the dead bury the dead Mat. 8.22 And the wanton widow is dead while she liveth 1 Tim. 5.6 but even the erroneous and heretical minde is dead while it seemeth to have much 〈◊〉 And truly bodily corruptions in some sense are not so great as the corruptions of minde and conscience The Apostle in the second Epistle makes lustfull and libidinous waies to defile the body of a man which is Gods Temple but here you see errours and corrupt opinions defile the soul that is the more noble Temple of the Holy Ghost So that these mind-defilements make thy disease the more â—â—câ—rable This putteth out the eye this kils the spy and monitor of all thy actions Lastly Corrupt Doctrines are called defilements to shew how loathsome and abhominable they should be to us To hear the Scripture say That by false Doctrines the Church is polluted and defiled should make a man presently abhorre such waies Thou canst not abide dirt or vomit upon thy garments and canst thou endure these deformities upon thy soul Thou canst not endure to see a drunkard wallowing like a swine in the mire but to see men stagger and reel and even be drunk with giddy and vile opinions this should be a more loathsome sight Labour then for a Scripture judgment in these things and do not thou have more indulging thoughts towards errours then the Scripture alloweth I do not forbid thy charity to some persons erring but to errours If a godly man should be overtaken with drunkennesse or uncleannesse thou wouldst say the sinnes were abhominable though thou wouldst pitty the man and pray for him so it is here Vse of Instruction Wherein lyeth the purity of Churches Even in pure and sound Doctrine as well as in pure lives Some they cry out against purity in lives they love not such Puritans they cannot endure such strictnesse Others they love not this purity of Doctrine The Remonstrants deride the word Orthodox as if it were a spell used by some Writers Now in both waies we overthrow the purity of Churches To have pure Doctrine pure Ordinances and yet men to be impure in lives is a very dolefull sight Again to have men appearing with pure lives yet impure Doctrines is also very grievous to him who is endowed with a sound Faith If any man defile the Temple of God him shall God destroy We have dispatched the sinne supposed we come to the punishment proposed Him shall God destroy A terrible sentence and that which may make all those who grow wanton in the matters of Religion like Belshazer to quake and tremble In the Greek it is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the same word with defiling the Temple They defile Gods Temple and God will defile them This is the same with 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in other places God will destroy Now this is meant of eternal destruction without repentance The Scripture cals eternal punishment destruction not in the sense of the Socinians heresie as if both body and soul were totally annihilated for that cannot be called a torment but rather a freedom from torment but because both body and soul are deprived of all comfort and happiness and so are exposed to all the curses and the tormenting wrath of God without ceasing So that this Text doth represent corruptions in the Doctrine and Worship of God under as terrible a consideration as any great sinnes committed For look upon the threatnings against the vilest monsters of sinners they can be no more then this Those will God destroy And so it is here of such as defile the Truths of God with errours even as Nadab and Abihu were wonderfully and terribly destroyed for offering strange fire upon Gods Altar though men may suffer them Though the parties themselves may blesse their condition yet God will destroy them if they do not recover out of these snares of the Devil Now that God will destory eternally such as defile this Temple without reformation will most fully appear by 2 Pet. 2.3 4. which Chapter should be an Allarum to these times For First Her fore-tels that as in the Old Testament there were false Prophets so in the New Testament notwithstanding all the light of the Gospel and the Truths of God revealed in his Word there should be false Teachers here you see it 's expressely fore-told that it should be no stumbling block to us we should not be offended at the truth nor at reformation out of Popery and superstitions because of such events Now these are described by their Actions They shall bring in damnable heresies Connder that expression All heresie is not innocent It 's not excusable as the Remonstrants plead for here are damnable heresies 2. The Manner how they shall privily bring in There is great craft and subtilty there is underworking as Moles do under-ground Then you have the consequent evil of this They bring upon themselves swift destruction Here is more then in my text not only destruction but swift destruction That is two waies swift First Because God will not delay He is so provoked that he cannot bear them long And then Secondly Swift in regard of their thoughts It comes before they thought of or expected any such thing And whereas it may be said They prosper they meet with no such visible wrath of God see verse 4. Whose judgment lingereth not and whose damnation sleepeth not All the while they are secure their judgment doth but watch the time the fittest time to make their destruction more dreadfull Now that still people may be afraid of errours and heresies he instanceth in three the most horride Examples of Gods vengeance and argueth thus that if God were so severe against them let not such as bring in damnable heresies expect better The
farre surpasseth all their morality First then let us shew Wherein the faith of a Christian commanded by the Scripture doth farre surpasse all humane knowledge and science which men by nature do glory in And First Faith doth surpasse all humane sciences in the dignity of the subject The matter about which a Christians faith is exercised doth farre transcend all that about which humane knowledge doth exercise it self For the highest that they could reach unto is only to the knowledge of natural effects produced by natural causes And if any could prove these by the former this they called a demonstration Though some men say No man ever yet gave a demonstration à priori quoad se but quoad nos So then all the excellent wisdom of the world hath been only to consider the nature of sublunary things or to discourse about the nature of the heavenly bodies and their motions and if they did arise to consider of a God the Maker of these it was in a very uncertain doubtfull way Hence the Apostle speaks of them Acts 17.27 that they were as men in the dark feeling after a thing to find it as the Sodomites smote with blindnesse felt for the door This is all our humane wisdome can help us to but now by faith we have the supernatural mysteries of salvation revealed unto us The Scripture tels us Of a God in Christ reconciling man to himself of mans original misery of Christ the Mediator Alas how poor and contemptible are the highest notions even of Plato though called Divine when you come and read Paul There are such admirable and heavenly truths revealed in Gods word that all humane wisdome was no more able to find or apprehend such things then a dwarf could reach to the Heavens If we then consider the dignity and worth of that subject which the Scripture revealeth and faith is exercised about dirt is not more inferiour to precious pearls than humane knowledge to faith Secondly Faith differs from all their humane science in respect of the excellency of the end For the end of all Scripture wisdom is to bring us to eternal life The Scriptures are able to make us wise to salvation 2 Tim. 3.15 The things of Christ are said to be written That believing we might have eternal life John 20 31. There was never any humane knowledge could teach a man to be eternally happy Platoes Divinity and Aristotles Morality though they have the words of happinesse and have large discourses about it yet wanted the thing it self Oh then let us blesse God for Scripture-wisdome for the treasures of knowledge revealed there Learn of David How wonderfully was he affected with Gods word What light and wisdome did he attain unto thereby The Scriptures will teach thee such a blessednesse and such a way to blessednesse that could not enter into thy heart to conceive before the light thereof came into thee Thirdly Faith doth surpasse all humane knowledge in its certainty and infallibility A man that believeth the truths of God revealed in the Scripture hath more certain knowledge then all the more wise and learned men of the world For the object of faith being Gods testimony and his Divine Authority it 's as impossible for faith to be deceived as it is for God to lie Hence it 's called The full assurance of hope Heb. 10.22 And we believe therefore we speake 2 Cor. 4.13 How could the holy Martyrs witnesse those divine truths even to death had they not been possessed with full and sure knowledge of those things they died for whereas if we look into all humane knowledge there is very little certainty insomuch that some have expresly affirmed Nihil scitur yea that that also was not known and what little certainty they have appeareth by the contrary and different opinions in all their main points Fourthly Faith doth more establish settle and quiet the heart of men then all humane wisdome Solomon observeth a vanity and vexation of spirit even in all humane knowledge but now faith doth establish settle and satisfie the soul Heb. 11.1 It is the substance of things hoped for and the evidence of things not seen Those that want faith are said to be double-minded men Jam. 1. inconstant as the waves of the Sea Oh the anxiety and perplexities that meer humane knowledge hath cast men into And so those who have no other bottome than the Authority of Church or the power of men to believe These are reeds shaken up and down with every wind Their faith is upon ambulatory and moveable considerations wheras faith makes a man like Christ The same yesterday and to day and for ever Lastly The Christian faith is above all philosophical knowledge Because of the strong and mighty effects it hath to convert the heart and reform the life Acts 15 9. Purifying their hearts by faith How can ye believe when ye seek glory one of another said our Saviour John 5.44 Yet these humane Gnosticks did only aim at glory though Philosophers call them the Liberal Arts yet they could not set them free from their lusts whereas Christ John 8.32 said If my Word abide in you you shall be free indeed Never did humane knowledge make such wonderfull converts and work so great a reformation as the Christian saith hath done And although we have now too many who say they do believe and yet do such things as many of the Gentiles would be ashamed of yet these men have not faith indeed but the name and title of it for as much as faith though but like a grain of mustard-seed would bid such mountains of lusts be removed into the Sea In the next place The moral or practical wisdome of the world cometh farre short of Scripture-wisdome For First The most knowing men were ignorant of original sinne which yet is the fountain of our calamity The Heathens indeed bewailed the mortality and misery of man but they know not our natural pollution the ground of all Yea we see Paul himself though a Pharisee was not acquainted with that Law of sinne within him till inlightned by the Word Rom. 7. Now if men know not their disease or the cause of it they can never be cured So that whatsoever precepts about living well they delivered yet they built on a sandy foundation they did not dig deep enough Secondly All humane wisdome and prudence knoweth not how to mortifie and forsake sinne upon true grounds because they were ignorant of Gods Spirit Rom. 8.13 If ye through the Spirit do mortifie sinne They did not crucifie the body of sinne nor bewail it because it was sinne but for humane respects as it did hinder the publique or as it was prejudicial to their glory and fame but they overcame one lust by another Thirdly All earthly prudence cometh short of this wisdome because it 's circumscribed within the bounds of this world and this life It looketh out no further whereas the Scripture giveth directions for
good and so if they abuse the creatures to all manner of wickednesse they can do no otherwise They had them for this end to accomplish sinne thereby If every thing works to their damnation this may make them sin the more desparately But First Divines have a good distinction about Gods Will. There is a will of Complacency or Approbation and there is his will of Efficiency what he will bring about and none shall hinder Now it 's the will of Gods approbation that all things should be improved by the wicked for their good It 's his approving and commanding will that every Sermon should be received by Faith that every mercy be improved fruitfully The goodnesse of God doth invite such to Repentance The afflictions and scourges God brings on them are to humble them and make them to repent of their sinnes But if we regard the will of Efficiency so these things are the savour of death to them that perish The Apostle saith this plainly The Word was the savour of life to such as are saved and the savour of death to such as perish 2 Cor. 2.15 That their is such a will of God will appear by that instance to Pharaoh God inflicted strange and miraculous judgments upon him it was his approving and commanding will that by those Pharaoh should be humbled and repent and let the people go For this end Moses and Aaron are sent to exhort him to this duty Yet if we respect Gods will of Efficiency we see he told Moses that Pharaoh's heart was hardened and he would not let them go and his heart grew harder by these wonders So then Gods will of Approbation and Command is That even the wicked should make all things theirs though Gods will of Efficiency doth not bring it about Secondly If thâ—se things are poison to the wicked and snares to them they may still blame themselves for it 's the corruption of their natures not any violence God offereth them that makes them turn every thing to their own destruction Thy perdition is of thy self O Israel Hos 13 9. So that every wicked man having a corrupted nature and this wickednesse strengthened through actual impieties no wonder if every thing promote his damnation But still it 's of himself As you see poisonous creatures Serpents and Toads they turn every thing they eat to poison because of their venomous constitution So it is here wicked men turn all good things into ill Vnumquodque recipitur ad moâ—um recipientes Put the sweetest liquor into a noysome vessel it will have an ill tincture Paul sheweth this evidently The Law that was for life he found for death Rom. 7. The Law was good aand spiritual yet it stirred up all sinne in him because he was carnal It 's that within thee which defileth all without thee Wicked men sinne as wilfully and as industriously attend to pervert all things to their damnation as if there were no contracted necessity upon them to offend against God in all things The third Doubt is If all things be the Godlies Why then are they so uncomfortable so dejected complaining of wants as if nothing were theirs If this be true we would thinke no godly man should ever be in a plunge he may take up this Text and it would be an antidote against all fears and cares It can be no night with him as long as this Sunne shineth Answ It 's true it should be so but we are weak in faith we do not live upon Scripture-principles and priviledges but sensible and then we stagger and reel up and down While we are cloathed with the Sunne and have the Moon under our feet we walk in light and comfort David when his faith is lively then God is his shepherd he shall want nothing and he will lay him down and sleep because God taketh care for him But let him come from this Mountain of faith and look on the waters of afflictions below his head goeth round and he knoweth not where he is Now a two-fold faith is necessary to bear up the head and heart the one Firmly assenting to the truth of the things The other Fiducially applying them to our selves If we have not the first faith we look upon such things as meer good words as bare expressions Even as if a man should think he had such a Country because he had the Map of it Oh this divine historical faith strongly perswading our selves these things are Gods truth they cannot be a lie they cannot deceive us would greatly establish us And then Fiducial application is the hand that takes these things making them to be ours So that if you ask How all present and future things life and death are ours It 's by faith only A quiet resting and reposing of the soul upon Gods promise puts us into the possession of all these things Secondly As they want faith So an heavenly prudence and skill how to improve them spiritually Though all things be for their good yet they must have wisdome to know how to use all things Therefore Paul who said He had all things saith He was instructed in it as in a mystery Phil. 4.11 Prescribe the best medicines in the world if men have not judgement rightly to order them they can never get good What is a fountain sealed up or a Book that cannot be read though it hath never such admirable matter Thus are all things though never so usefull if thou hast not Christian wisdome There is no condition affliction or event but thou mayest say if I had heavenly wisdome I might make excellent use of it The last Doubt is How are all things the Godly mans seeing for the most part they are most wanting they are in the greatest necessities Had not Dives all things when Lazarus had not not so much as crums Doth not this Doctrine give a mock-comfort as those in Jam. 2.16 who bid some be cloathed and warmed but gave nothing Answ 1. This place doth not so much speak of the possession of all things as the spiritual serviceablenesse of them Those things which they have no possession of may yet serve for their souls good He doth not so much mean what they have as what tends to their good 2. If the godly have not all things they would that want is good for them The want of any outward mercy may sometimes be better than the having of them To lose blood when there is too much fulnesse is healthfull So then complain not saying I have not this or that good thing the not having it is good 3. Thou hast what is best for thee and that according to the wise Gods ordering Let this silence thee alwayes These afflictions these exercises these wants are the best The wise great God of Heaven doth dispense them and they come from his hand 4. Thou hast better things then any earthly thing thou wantest thou hast Christ thou hast a title to Heaven and eternal glory
expressed in two actions as a manifestation of it with the Reason and the Cause of it The Actions demonstrating his quiet spirit are 1. His lying down in peace 2. His sleeping His lying down that denoteth He would not be interrupted in his natural actions and ordinary course of life he would eat and drink and go to bed for all that But because many go to bed and though they put of their cloathes yet cannot lay aside their tormenting and vexing cares whereby though they ly down yet are restlesse and sleeplesse tosâ—â—ng from one side to another Therefore secondly he addeth I will take my sleep All that danger and trouble he was in should not break his sleep he would take his rest as sweetly as over he did in the midst of his Prosperity Now certainly if you do consider in what a temptation and danger David was in you will say it's impossible or rather that Faith which makes us depend on God in such streights with the effects of it are no lesse admirable then miraculous Faith It 's generally concluded on by the best Interpreters that this Psalm was made upon the same occasion which the immediate one going before was and that appeareth by the Inscription to be composed when David fled from Absolom So then David saith He will lye down and sleep Take his sweet rest when he was in that flight of his pursued by Absolom And if you would know how grievous that was consult 2 Sam. 15. the whole Chapter especially verse 30. there you will find that Absolom by fair pretences of Justice and Religion had stolen the hearts of all the people to himself against David his Father whereupon he makes Warre raiseth a great Army The conspiracy was carried on with great pride and policy insomuch that David is forced to fly from Jerusalem and to runne whitheâ— he can for his safety all the people did generally forsake him So that he with some few went up to Mount Olivet and as he went he wept and covered his face and went barefoot and all the people went with him and wept also What a sad sight was this to see David so Religious a King so potent who had conquered so many Enemies to be brought into this extreamity Yea his estate was so despicable that one man Shimei Chap. 16. came out and cursed him railed on him Come out thou bloody man Thou man of Beliall and threw stones and dust at him By all this you see his misery was great enough But adde to this That at this very time David knew God brought this evil upon him for his Adultery and Vriahs businesse the Prophet had threatned him thus So that both God and man seem against him he is forsaken of all and his conscience tels him for what this is He can easily tell the sinnes that make it thus with him Yet for all this see his admirable Faith in the powerfull effects of it I will lay me down and sleep Would you think that David could make such a Psalm as this and speak after this manner even when he went barefoot and weeping in that direfull manner This is so incredible that some have thought it could not be literally true of David and have made mystical applications of it to Christ but upon very weak grounds Yet lest you should think this came from some stupidity or fool-hardinesse or from Stoical Apathie for David doth in a high manner that which the Stoicks so highly commend but could never themselves practice he addeth the reason of it by which you may see it was not carnal security but holy confidence The Reason is taken from Gods Protection and care He doth not thus securely take his rest because though generally forsaken yet some mighty men of valour did cleave to him and he had old Souldiers whereas the Conspiratours were many of them inexpert Nor doth he think that he had out-witted them by sending his faithfull Friend Hushai into Absolom's Court to undermine him while he pretended to serve him but all is from God Thou alone makest me dwell in safety It was God and he only that could protect and defend him In the expression of David's security I will both lay me down and sleep the Hebrew word Juchdan hath troubled Interpreters The Septuagint translate it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Some Simul some Pariter Austin makes in id ipsum to be God He would rest in God who only is I am that I am But that is ignorance of the Hebrew Some relate it to David's enemies He would lye down with them though they were millions about him as Psalm 3. Others relate it to his own company that did faithfully adhere to him in this his temptation But they seem to take it most genuinely that relate it to the actions I will both lie down and sleep One as well as the other to demonstrate the fiducial frame of his spirit From this Explication Observe That Faith depending on God in a lively and vigorous manner doth so comfort and quiet the heart in the midst of great streights as if there were none at all Certainly David could not have spoken more securely and quietly at that time when all the people had made him King hâ—â— Enemies vanquished and he setled in his Kingdom Therefore to say this when he was in imminent danger of all and when he was so pursued that he could not tell where he should lie down or where he should sleep this is wonderfull Oh how may the very naming of this Doctrine shame the best and choicest of Gods Children For little afflictions that are not to be named to David's they disquiet thee they make thee tosse up and down and thou art restlesse in thy spirit Oh do thou shame thy self and thy troubled heart for ever by this President which David hath set thee And lest you should think this was but a suddain flash and lightning in David you may find that this fire did alwaies warm his breast For look to the third Psalm made by him while he was in his flight he saith there the same thing only in the Prterperfect-tense What he here saith he will do you may there see he had done Oh you would think David had little occasion to make Psalmes to be proclaiming his confidence in God! rather to have had his whole soul taken up with his military affaires but thus Faith doth put on spiritual Armory upon his soul And that you may not think only David could do this see the like secure and holy confidence in the Prophet Habbakuk Hab. 3.17 18. But let us explicate the Doctrine by severall Propositions As First What is meant by Faith depending and adhering to God To know this you must understand that the Scripture attributes three Acts to Faith and so Faith is described Synecdochically by one of them for its whole Nature Thus Faith is sometimes knowledge sometimes it 's assent to the Truths revealed and sometimes it 's a
but that is not absolutely considered For the Devils cannot trust â—n him neither may wicked men yet God is able to help them to save them but relatively as a Father as reconciled Therefore Christ Mat. 6. makes this the ground of all the trust his Disciples must have because their heavenly Father is in Heaven So that till we have these perswasions of God as a Father we are but as so many vagabond Children that know not where to have relief The Child because he hath a Father never takes care what he shall eat or drink or put on because his Father will provide all these for him Fifthly We adde That this Faith must depend on God in a lively and strong manner as David's was at this time or Abraham's when he considered not the dead Womb or did so much as stagger within himself For if thy Faith be weak if it be fainting and languishing though thou maist have support yet not such prevalent peace within thee Thou art in a Combate not in a Triumph David at another time is like Sampson without his strength he saith All men are lyers He thinketh God had forsaken him So that unlesse Faith be very vigorus though thou maiest be preserved in thy afflictions they shall not quite overwhelm thee yet thou wilt not have this peaceable frame Now the Children of God should think it not enough to rub through their troubles with agonies and Combates but with joy and quietnesse Grieve because thy heart is so much as disquieted say Oh weak wretch that I am that I cannot be as much at ease as if I had no affliction at all There remain two more Propositions to explicate this Doctrine And First When we say Faith doth thus quiet and compose the soul you must take two Cautions to season this First That Faith doth not this principally of it self for that is but a grace or habit created and infused into the soul And therefore as all other graces needs the continual quickning and asistance of Gods Spirit so likewise doth Faith Hence our Saviour prayed for Peter that his Faith might not fail Implying that grace of it self would wither and decay as well as any other if God did not preserve it Therefore the Apostle Peter doth fully expresse the manner of Faiths Influence into this Perservation 1 Peter 1.5 It 's the power of God that doth principally and efficiently keep us only it 's through Faith We are not then to conceive as if Faith of it self had such an inherent efficacy that by it's sole jurisdiction it would command the soul and say as God did at the first Let there be light and there shall be light No Faith it self needs the daily quickening of Gods grace as well as other graces Yea this grace would sooner decay then others because of the hearts contrariety to it making a man to live above the Principles of sense and common reason Insomuch that it 's no wonder to see a man love God be patient in afflictions these though not wrought by the power of nature yet have a conviction from the light of nature but so hath not Faith The second Caution is That we do not think as if we could believe it our selves as if by our own humane strength we could obtain such a peaceable frame of heart No If it could be so then David at other times and that it may be in farre lesse extreamities would not have been dejected as he acknowledgeth himself to be Neither would that man have prayed to Christ to Help his unbelief if he could have helped it himself And the experience of the godly doth abundantly confirm this in what agonies they are plunged how grievously tormented Oh how desirous to quiet their hearts They Pray they Meditate they Read and all cannot compose their souls Now if their hearts were subject to their power as the Winds and Waves are to Christ they would never endure such Conflict within This argueth therefore that it 's not in mans power to put forth such strong vigorous Acts of Faith no more then we can command the Heavens to give rain It 's God that must both plant and water and give the encrease Lastly The truth of this Doctrine doth extend even to those great Afflictions and Calamities we are in and that because of our sinnes We can evidently see what sinnes they are that have provoked God to give such a bitter stroke our own hearts testifie unto us and this argueth the greater work of Faith For happily it might be granted That in such Afflictions and Temptations which befall us for Gods cause and for righteousnesse sake we may be full of such joy and sincerity as the Apostle saith James 1. Count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations And thus the Martyrs they could and did with David lay themselves down to sleep in their dark Dungeons and that the very night before they were to burn at the Stake But you will say How can this joy and confidence hold in such Calamities as fall upon us wholly because of our sinnes we behold Gods anger and our folly hath brought this on us Now in such troubles If we humble our selves unto the Lord for our sinnes and bewail them we may have such Calmes of spirit For this was David's case The Prophet had told him afore-hand that this should fall out Because of his Adultery and Murder his conscience cryed aloud in the midst of his military noise yet for all that he could thus set himself to his quiet rest How the vigorous Actings of Faith do quiet the Heart These things premised Let us consider How these vigorous actings of faith do thus quiet and appease the heart And First In that faith doth in the first place carry us out to rely on Christ as a Mediatour whereby all our iniquities and sinnes are done away If then sinne and guilt be removed out of the way there cannot be any trouble For as if there had not been sinne the earth would not have brought forth briars and thornes So neither were it not for iniquity eating into the conscience there would not be the least fear and trouble upon the heart This is the wind that makes so dreadfull an earthquake at last Wonder not then if Davids faith did compose his soul in respect of that outward danger for it had before removed a greater evil the guilt of sinne was now blotted out David is not in that case as when he cryed out that his bones were broken and that God sets his sinnes before him Oh that is a wofull condition when the guilt of sinne and afflictions both meet together when outwardly we have no hope and inwardly no hope But this faith doth in the first place It obtaineth reconciliation with God it seeth Pharaoh and his great host drowned in the sea and then it doth easily over-look other afflictions for the favour of God is able to sweeten all calamities Thus it was with Paul he
your selves you who live in the constant practice of grosse sins who sow to the flesh What would Paul and the holy Apostles if they were alive say to you What do you in Christs vineyard who are bushes and thorns What do ye in his sheepfold who are goats and swine you are a trouble to God and to his Embassadors no godly man can cast his eye on you but with much grief and hearty sighing If babes be offensive what are monsters and beasts Such as these are spots and blots in our Assemblies a reproach to Christianity a very burden to the inanimate creatures and yet no burden to themselves Verse 2. I have fed you with milk and not with meat THis second verse is a further amplification of Paul's complaint They were babes and not strong men Wherein did this appear by the meat he did provide for them He compareth himself to a Nurse who does not provide strong meat but milk for babes for that were to kill them rather then to nourish them So that in these words you have Paul's action and the matter and Object of it expressed metaphorically The action 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I have fed you or rather I have given you to drink For so 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 doth properly signify Mat. 25.25 I was thirsty 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 you gave me drink So Rom. 12.20 Rev. 14 8. Afterwards it is used for watering Yet because in a general sense milk is called Childrens meat so also may they be said to be fed by it Now this action of Pauls does denote the great skill and prudence which the Apostle used considering what was fit for his Hearers and condescending thereunto He that was rapt up into the third Heavens what sublime Misteries might he have preached upon But he preaches not to shew his parts and learning but to do good to them Secondly You have the object of this action milk Although sometimes the whole Word of God with the truth contained therein be compared to milk As when Peter saith As new born babes desire the sincere milk of the Word 1 Pet. 2.2 There the strongest Christians are exhorted to be like new born babes because of the greediness delight and sweetness they should find in the Word of God Therefore the Greek word is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 swallow it down But here it 's spoken by way of opposition and doth signify as compared with Heb. 5. the plain and easie Principles of Religion The Alphabet the Foundation whithout which there cannot be any superstruction So that two profitable Doctrines may be observed hence 1. It must be the Prudence and Wisdom of the Minister to preach such matter and in such a way as the Hearers may receive good 2. It 's necessary to acquaint people with the Principles of Religion before they go higher in Christianity Of the first There is a great deal of prudence and wisdom required in the Ministers of God so to preach as that it may be profitable to the Hearers The Nurse is carefully to observe what meat and how prepared the Child may eat The Shepherd what are the fit Pastours for to lead his Sheep into The Husbandman what is the proper seed for such ground The Physician what is the proper Physick for such constitutions Seeing it's a sure Rule That the actions of Agents are received according to the disposition of the Patients As the Apostle argues against publique duties in an unknown tongue so it holds as well against unknown matter To open this Doctrine Consider That a Ministers duty of feeding his Flock lies in two things His teaching of them and His governing of them And both these require great prudence The Scripture cals it a Key whereupon Divines have a distinction of the Key of knowledge and the Key of jurisdiction in all which they are to be Lights and Guides to be so many Arguses full of eyes If Solomon above all things prayed for Wisdome to govern the people in civil things how much more have we cause to pray for Wisdome in the Administration of spiritual things How easily may we give you poyson for Bread without Wisdome A Serpent for a Fish without Wisdome How easily without Prudence may even the good and wholsome things we preach prove also dangerous to you First therefore for our Doctrine As the Key of knowledge that is branched out into several Particulars wherein an Art of Arts is required As a wise Master-builder saith the Apostle at the 10th vers First for Information There is required judgment and a sound mind to separate Truth from falsehood To know which is gold and precious stone and which is hay and stubble To winnow the chaff from the wheat Hence a Minister is required to be able to divide the Word of God aright 2 Tim. 2.15 as they did the Sacrifice giving that to God which did belong to him and that to man which did belong to him The consequent of which Wisdome is not to be ashamed as if shame would sometimes or other confound those that had not this skill It 's impossible but you should be fed with chaff instead of wheat with dung instead of meat if the Minister cannot separate the precious from the vile The Scripture speaks of some that were ignorant that did wrest the Scriptures 2 Pet. 3.16 to their own damnation but the ignorant Minister he may wrest it to the damnation of many others How many in the world swallow down damnable Heresies feed on the draffe of corrupt Doctrines because God hath sent false Prophets and false Teachers amongst them Secondly As wisdome is required to choose out true and sound matter so to proportion it to the Capacity of the Hearers He is to be the wise Scribe that brings out of his Treasure new and old Mat. 13 25. That is such which may affect every Hearer It 's an allusion to Cantic 7.13 They are indeed as Paul saith Act. 20.27 to acquaint them with the whole counsell of God yet in a methodical way the most easie and most plain First To preach the Nature of God and his Attributes of Original sinne of Conversion of Justification as also about Christ and his Offices These are the New things and the Old And as God made the most necessary things first and the ornaments in the world afterwards so are we Paul in his Epistle to the Romanes begins with the knowledge of God by the creatures then Original sinne afterwards Justification and Sanctification and then proceeds to Election It 's an excellent Rule of Nazianzen We are not to preach of every thing to every man at every time in every place but in prudence to dispence as Auditours are able to bear it So did our Saviour A second part of this Doctrinal Key is To preach comfort and dispense the grace of God in the Gospel But here is much wisdome required that be doth it not to unbroken and impenitent sinners To preach a
Saviour to those that do not find themselves lost to commend a Physician to those that find themselves whole to pour oyl where there are no wounds is to pervert all order Ho every one that thirsteth saith our Saviour Joh 7.37 And Come unto me all ye that are heavy laden Mat. 11.28 The Spirit of God convinces the world of sin and then of righteousness Oh but how much unwise and unfaithfull preaching is there in this respect How many are there that strengthen wicked mens hearts and make them not sad whom God would have made sad That daube with untemppered morter that say to every prophane man if he do but cry Lord have mercy upon me Be of good comfort thy sinnes are forgiven thee It 's this daubing and soothing up people in their wickedness striking out all fear of hell and damnation that makes them wallow like swine in their filth To such to preach no comfort but the Law and Threatnings but to those that are broken in heart a tongue of the learned is required to speak a word in season How carefull was Paul that the incestuous person should not be overwhelmed with grief 2 Cor. 2 And here is the more wisdome because Satans temptations are subtile and insinuating We are not ignorant of his devices of his schismes what false circumventions and appearances he will have Now How many are there that are not acquainted themselves with the depths of Satan that are no better Comforters then Jobs Friends were Christ himself was affected with all our temptations that he might know how the more feelingly to pity others Thus a Minister that hath himself been in the deep matters of God that hath himself been exercised with all kind of temptations he can only tell how to speak to the heart of another So that you see much wisdome is required in the giving of comfort Alas every sick man every dying man looks we should give comfort and they would have a word of comfort Oh but what hath thy life been What truth of grace is there in thee Have not some wicked men cryed out of their sinnes in fear of death and publique judgments as Pharaoh did Therefore we must take heed what we do we must not comfort whom God would not have comforted Here is great wisdome required A third part of his Doctrinal Key is To rebuke and reprove for sinne Now how great a skill is it wisely to reprove to have zeal and knowledge together Some must be reproved sharply Tâ—t 1.13 cuttingly We must not spare Thus John called some a generation of vipers Mat. 3.7 and our Saviour Wo to ye Scribes Pharisees Hypocrites many times repeating that upbraiding of them These were obstinate impenitent Hypocrites Mat. 23.13 14 15. and little blows will not move them Others again are tender tractable meekness will do more than austerity So that there is scarce any thing requireth more wisdome than publique and private reproofs Men can so hardly bear them Genus quoddam Maritirii est reprehensionem patienter ferre It is a kind of martyrdome to bear a reproof patiently And Ministers are either apt to be too awfull and pleasing of men or else too boisterous or passionate So that the Shepherd of irrational Sheep have a farre more easie task then spiritual Shepherds of men especially in superstitious Customes in false waies of worship Here an Angels wisdome will scarce suffice What a trouble was that to the Church in her infancy about the retaining or leaving the Jewish Ceremonies The Questions and differences grew so hot that it had almost torn the Church in pieces The Council of Jerusalem was called about this many still Judaizing thought that if you took the observation of times and outward Ceremonies away you took away all Religion Paul in his Epistle to the Galatians and Rom. 14. is very diligent to inform them about this endeavouring to make them spiritual and to draw up their hearts from those beggerly elements Paul was circumspect how to walk in this slippery Controversie To the Jew I became a Jew 1 Cor. 9.20 Not that he was a dissembler or an Hypocrite or humoured them in their superstitious weakness but he took upon him all sweet affections he was as a Jew to a Jew as weak to weak he would consider them as if he were in their case Yea to walk in these Controversies was so hard that Peter gave great occasion of offence yea Barnabas was also laid aside for he did not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which made Paul resist him to the face with this dissimulation Gal 1. Now if the Apostle was so industrious to root out the practice of those Rites and Ceremonies which yet God himself had once commanded how much rather should we those things which were brought into the Church without any command of God or warrant of Scripture but meerly by the will of man As for the other kind of Keyes Church-Government the wise managing of that is far more difficult then Political But I shall wave that as not so proper to this Text. Let us consider the Reason Why this Doctrinal feeding requireth such skill and Prudence And First Because divine truths are not to be managed by humane wordly wisdome but by spiritual wisdome As it 's God that teacheth people to profit Isa 48.17 so it 's God that teacheth the Minister to preach profitably Hence the word of wisdome is reckoned among the gifts of Gods Spirit 1 Cor. 14. and the Apostle saith We are not able of our selves to think a good thought 2 Cor. 2.5 as some expound it in the way of our Ministery we cannot think that which is good and profitable to mens soules without God Hence as of Christ the cheif sheepherd it is said the Spirit of wisdome counsell and understanding shall rest on him Isa 11.2 so it would be happy if the same Spirit proportionably did rest on inferiour shepherds I have caught you with an holy guile 2 Cor. 12.16 There are divine stratagems to win mens soules and if Aholiab and Bezaliel are said to have the Spirit of wisdome given them to build the material Tabernacle how much more do others need it to edifie this spiritual one Exod. 36.1 Seeing then the managing of holy truths is not had by humane prudence but by wisdome from above we must be Scribes instructed to the kingdome of heaven we are not born but made Preachers of the Gospel by God no marvel if this be so great a work Secondly Therefore is wisdome necessary in our preaching of divine things because the miscarriage of these precious truths is a farre greater loss then any earthly loss It 's pity for want of skill in any calling to miscarry in a mans wordly affairs but much more in heavenly there needs not only faithfulness but wisdome A wise and faithfull steward it is that makes five multiply to ten If the Prophet speaking of the Husbandmans skill about his several graines tithes and
not according to Knowledge Therefore those crafty Principles in Popery to keep men in Ignorance to make it the Mother of Devotion that thereby they may reign and do what they list is to lead men blind-fold into Hell Secondly The Principles are Foundations and are the Root Now he would be an unwise Artificer that should intend to rear up a House and lay no Foundation So that as long as we preach to a people ignorant of these we have no bottom to stand upon Principles are like Seed Every poor man will make hard shift to get Seed to sow with Thirdly Without this good Foundation laid no Preaching or Duties can have any spiritual effect For Why are not the bruit Beasts Why not fools and mad men capable of any benefit by the Word preached But because the one have not rational souls and the other though they have them yet the actual use and exercise of Reason is bound up It is thus with all people destitute of Fundamental Principles All is done in an unknown tongue They are Barbarians to us and we to them Fourthly Conversion cannot be wrought without some Knowledge of the Principles We cannot believe in him we do not know We cannot love him we do not know The Heathens they indeed built an Altar To the unknown God But it is unsufferable for a Christian if a Christian should perform his duties to an unknown God or unknown Christ They must understand and so be converted Isa 6.10 God makes light shine out of darkness 5. The Knowledge of these Principles is necessary to salvation You that are ignorant totally of them cannot upon any just grounds hope for salvation This is eternal life to know thee the only true God and Jesus Christ whom thou hast sent Joh. 17.2 They are a people of no understanding therefore he that made them will not save them Isa 27.11 God would have all men to be saved and come to the Knowledge of the Truth 2 Tim 3.7 Oh then how should you who sit in this palpable darkness be afraid People use to fear in the dark and certainly thou should bewail thy self I am an old man an old woman I have lived thus long where the word hath been preached and yet how little do I know Sixthly None can pretend excuses for their ignorance herein To have much Knowledg in Religion there is required much time and study many abilities better education But for these Foundations none can excuse themselves because God hath revealed them in a plain easie manner He that runneth may read them So that it is our slowthfulness if we do not know Seventhly Want of sound Knowledge in these makes many Errors and Heresies Many affect to speak and hold opinions in Religion before ever they were well instructed Those that did not hold Christ the Head they presently fell to the worship of Angels The empty straw is carried about with every wind He that hath no bottom moveth up and down Vse Of sharp Reproof to such who continue in this damnable Ignorance and that though they live where the Word is preached If the Corinthians were to be blamed because they could not bear strong food what then belongs to them who are not capable of milk The very Principles of Religion are too hard for them They know not what you mean when you speak of these things Thus they are as bruit beasts made to be destroyed You may find as much knowledg of God amongst Pagans and Heathens as among some that live in the bosom of the Church Some have not the Knowledg of God I speak to your shame Many have not the Knowledg of God It may be spoken to the confusion of our faces How doth this darkness cover mens faces by Aitheism prophanenes and great negligence They make it not their business to enquire after Knowledg They greatly nâ—glect the means of Knowledg Prayer Hearing Reading Instructing of others Say a man be greatly Ignorant and you say he hath enough to damn him to all eternity He will commit any sin He will embrace any Idolatry even as the man in the dark stumbles and knows not where he goeth Especially this is a sure barre against receiving of the Sacrament for that requires discerning of the Lords body of examining themselves which can never be done without a competent measure of Knowledg in Religion For hitherto ye were not able to bear it neither now are ye able These words contain the reason of Pauls prudence in dispensing spiritual meat to the Corinthians milk and not solid food We may not preach all things to all people There are gyants and dwarfs there are carnal and spiritual The words have no difficulty only our Translators supply a word for in the Greek it is thus only For hitherto ye were not able neither are ye now able they supply to bear or to concoct and digest for he pursueth that metaphor of making Truth the food of the soul Veritas est cibus animi Such a defective expression we have of the Hebrew word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 potero Isa 1.13 speaking of their solemn feasts I cannot bear them And Psal 101.5 Him that hath an high look I will not bear So that the words denote the weaknesse and infancy of these Corinthians and that though they had given themselves up to the faith of Chrâ—st and had daily waterings by the Apostle after their first plantation Observe That it is a great sinne and just reproach to a people that have lived long under the means of grace if they have not got the due profit by it The Word preached is commended in Scripture for several and divine operations Now if thou hast many years been under these droppings and yet art a dry wildernesse how unsufferable is it In other things of the world you think it not to be endured You send your children to be taught and if in many years they should not yet be able to spell the Alphabet you would think all cost in vain If year after year you plow and prepare a field for Corn and yet there come up nothing but weeds and thistles this is a vanity of vanities and vexation of spirit What the Heathens speak of their Tantalus to be up to the chin in water and yet ready to perish for thirst is true in thee For opening this let us consider What are those choise and noble effects of the Ministry for the defect whereof a people may be severely blamed And they are of two sorts Intellectual upon the understanding or Practâ—cal upon the heart affections and outward conversation For the Word of God is both a shining and a burning light And for the first That people will be found without all excuse and under a great condemnation who have not found those intellectual effects First Illumination and enlightning of the understanding to believe the first principles and foundations of Religion Every Science and so that of Divinity hath its first principles
day Thou hast light to see where thou shouldst walk The Apostle speaks of one sort of wickednesse That it was not so much as named among Heathens 1 Cor. 5. Oh then How many grosse sinnes are there that should not be so much as named much lesse practised among Christians It 's a dishonour even to the word of God if thou shalt not do so much which the very light of nature and moral Philosophy hath done among others 2. The word of God which is indeed the proper work of it doth convert regenerate make men new creatures not only civil but godly doing things from God and through God and to God Herein the word of God discovers it self to come from God because it makes men of a divine nature Every agent assimilates the Patient into its own nature Fire will turn all things into fire And thus the word of God coming from Heaven makes men heavenly They that live under the Sunne are coloured by the beams of it Oh then how cometh it about that thou hast lived so long under the means and knowest not these things The Doctrine of Regeneration of a new creature thou art not able to bear It 's above thee it 's a riddle and a paradox to thee as it was to Nicodemus Paul speaks of these very Corinthians That they were his epistle to be read and seen of all men 2 Cor. 3.2 They were hâ—s walking epistle what he had commanded them to do they willingly did it all might see what preaching what godly exhortations Paul gave by their lives Oh it 's an happy thing when a Minister can say You are our Sermons to be seen and read of all men All men by your lives may see what is preached to you and what you hear Christ said to the Pharisees You are of your Father the Devil and his works you do Let the contrary be applied to you You are of God and his words you do Observe that place John 8.47 Ye therefore hear not my words because ye are not of God See what terrour is in this place If a mâ—n receive not Gods word and manifest it in his life it is because he is not of God There is not a greater signe of reprobation than disobedience to Gods will and rejâ—cting his Word preached 3. The word of God should have this effect to make men willing and glad in the hearing of it Nothing should be more necessary and pleasant to them What high price did David put upon it It was more necessary than his food With what delight and alacrity did they exhort one another to go to the house of the Lord The preaching of the Word is like setting up spiritual trading and merchandize how busie and active should men be It 's the Spring time for spiritual Bees to make honey It 's the Summer time for spiritual Ants to labour and treasure up Since the dayes of John Baptist untill now the kingdome of Heaven suffers violence Mat. 11.12 They take it by force Thus the Scripture exhorts Heb. 3. While it 's called to day And again Now is the acceptable time Some are threatned to runne from East and West from North to South because of the famine of the Word Amos 8.12 You should do as Joseph in the seven years plenty he laid up against the seven years famine Even Johns hearers though they had no bottome of grace did for a while rejoyce in his light Oh then how uncomfortable is it to see men live like bruit beasts under the Ministry not prizing of it no wayes thankfull to God for it but like the Prodigal regard husks when manna is near 4. It 's a sinne and reproach if where the Word hath been long preached there is not a preparednesse for and conformity unto all the instituted Ordinances of Jesus Christ The Church is a spiritual Society and have a visible Communion or external Forme and that consists in Preaching in Administration of the Sacraments in godly Discipline spiritual Censures upon obstinate Offenders Now all Congregations should be able to bear these things When our Saviour told his Disciples That they must eat his flesh and drinke his bloud some cried out This is an hard saying Who can bear it John 6.60 and from that time forsook him And thus it is in spiritual Discipline to have comely Order about the Sacraments all that walk disorderly admonished the contumacious cast out men cry out who can bear it and to this day they cannot bear it These Corinthians had grosse abuses crept in about the Lords Supper Men did not examine themselves they came drunke and irreverent Therefore the Apostle brings them to the first Institution 1 Corinth 11. Now these things particular Congregations should be prepared for Lastly It is their shame if they cannot bear and submit unto all those duties of self-denyal taking up the crosse preparation for persecutions We may observe that our Saviour and so the Apostles did much endeavour to take men off from expectations of carnal advantages by the Gospel The Devil shewed all the glory of the world but Christ all the misery and temptations that would accompany the profession of his Truth Ye shall be hated of all men for my Names sake John 15.19 So that where the Word hath been preached there men must bear commands and also many sufferings Vse of Instruction If ye would receive the Word in the light and efficacy of it keep not any compliance with humane and carnal lusts The Truth is above your natural understanding and the duties above your corrupt lives and affections Sore eyes cannot bear the light Festered wounds cannot bear salt and yet the Ministry is both light and salt Think if there be Truths if there be purity you cannot bear them Know also there is wrath and vengeance for the refusal of these And who can bear them Who is able to endure those everlasting burnings You cannot bear the Sermon that bids thee Depart from sinne How then that terrible sentence which bids thee Depart into everlasting burnings Verse 3. For ye are yet carnal PAul having in the verse before declared the reason why he fed them with childrens milk viz. because they were not able to digest solid meat In this verse he comes to the Designation or Specification of this their Infancy and Incapacity And this he declareth 1. Generally For ye are yet carnal 2. Particularly In their envyings strifes and factions that were amongst them At this time let us view the General For ye are carnal In what sense the Apostle called them so is explained vers 1. viz. not absolutely but comparatively They had the seed and root of grace but yet corruption was also very prevalent in them Object To what hath been said in explication of this you may make one Objection Why the Apostle if they were godly for the main doth call them carnal Is it not a certain Rule that the denomination ought to be from the greater or better part Do
up the affairs of the Church in one common place which his Rhetorick and Logick had not and that was faith The godly were more than men in Hosea 14.3 when being ashamed of their carnal confidence they said Ashur shall not save us we will not ride upon horses Fourthly To walk like men is to be full of falshood deceitfulnesse or hypocrisie to have no truth in heart or word one to another Thus David saith Every man is a liar and he makes that sad complaint Help Lord for the good and faithfull man perisheth every man speaketh vanity to his neighbour Psal 12.1 Oh this is the way of men upon the earth Hence the Scripture exhorts us Not to put trust in men Psal 146.3 no not in Princes or the great ones of the world Oh but all such lying hypocrisie and dissimulation should not be named among Christians Christiana fides should be farre more firm and resolved than Romana fides Let us love saith the Apostle not in word only but in heart and deed also 1 John 3.18 The Christians at first did meet together with one heart and one accord The very Poet said he hated him even to hell who spake one thing with his mouth and thought another thing in his heart Know then that cunning Artifices and lying dissimulations are farre from that truth that God desireth in the inward parts Christs sheep must not be the Devils foxes It was the Heathens desire That his brest might be as transparent as glass that so all his thoughts within him might be seen How should this shame the guile dissimulations and falshoods that are in men one to another Fifthly To walk as men is here in the Text to be in anger hatred and revengefull thoughts one against another whereas all beasts agree among themselves even the savage Bears and Tygers yea the Devils are not divided one against another Man naturally finds nothing so sweet as revenge upon others Therefore our Saviour to shew that we must be more than man bids us Love our enemies do good to those that hate us and despitefully use us Mat. 5. This is a lesson or duty that cannot be found in Tullies Offices he thought it lawfull to be revenged upon enemies Yea Aquinas a great Schoolman thinketh That to love and forgive our enemies is not a precept or command to all but a counsel of perfection to some of more perfect and admirable excellencies Oh then when you see men full of back-bitings uncharitablenesse envyings and revengefull purposes you may see those walk as men When Jacob expected nothing but cruelty and bloudy revenge from Esau and finding the clean contrary he saith He saw his face like the Angel of God above a meer man Sixthly To walk as men is to make a mans self the Alpha and Omega the center wherein all the lines must meet The Apostle reckoning up a Catalogue of monstrous sinners he puts this in the front Men shall be lovers of themselves 2 Tim. 3.2 And Christ on the other side requireth it as the fundamental qualification in every Disciple To deny himself and take up his cross Luk. 9.23 Now for a man to deny himself pleasures his self-interests his self-advantages this doth argue men to be of God It 's noted as the great admirable perfection in Christ whose copy we are to write after That he emptied himself and became of no reputation Phil. 2. That he pleased not himself In nothing did he seek his own glory his own ease his own exaltation And there is nothing can more demonstrate Christians to be above men then to be as Christ was in this respect It was a sad complaint of old All seek their own and not the things of Jesus Christ Phil 2 21. Lastly To walk as man is to commit any sinne rather then to be persecuted for the truth of God To swear or forswear to turn into all shapes to avoid danger This Christ aimed at when Peter would have him decline his sufferings Get thee behind me Satan said Christ Thou savourest not the things of God but of man Mat. 16.23 What is it to savour the things of a man To do any thing or to use any unlawful and unwarrantable wayes to escape the present danger such are counted wise men and crafty men whereas this is dishonesty and ungodliness and no wisdome for such forsake their own mercy Vse of Examination How are all our Congregations How live they How walk they Do they not live as men yea how many like bruit beasts how many like Devils Oh whose image and superscription is this Doth God require this Doth his Word command such things Did Christ live thus in the world Are ye not called to be holy as God is holy Are ye not to do Gods will on earth as Angels in heaven Why then are ye as men Who are you then that say you will do as others you will not be singular you will not be strict and precise Thy Christianity doth inforce thee to these things if thou dost hearken to it If ye will be Christians indeed you must not live according to the fashion of the world yea the world most wonder that you runne not in the same excesse with them that you will not swear curse riot it and live loosely Do not please your selves with a meer title Vse 2. of Exhortation to the godly Oh see to what exactness circumspection you should rise Be ashamed and blush if thou art as men of the world proud as they earthly as they peevish and discontented as thee Oh when thou art overtaken with such distempers go and chide thy self Lord how have I been a foolish and ignorant man to day I am like others of the world I have not behaved my self as one that is born of God that hath a more divine Spirit As it 's a great shame to see a grown man speaking and doing like a child so it is here As Michal in a sinful scornfull way said of David in a good action we may of thee in a sinful action Thou hast made thy self as one of the vile ones to day that frowardness discontent passionateness argueth thee to be like one of the world Verse 4. For whereas one saith I am of Paul and another I am of Apollo are ye not carnal THe Apostles scope is as you have heard to repress the pride and contentions that were in the Church of Corinth And now in this fourth Verse he describeth the particular factions and divisions among them One saith I am of Paul and another I am of Apollo Paul was the first Apostle that preached the Gospel to them who though unskilful in speech as he saith speaking as some think only by way of conception yet was mighty in power through God to them Apollo he came after Paul and was more eloquent and so more apt to affect the hearers this some maketh the ground of the faction but it is first disputed Whether indeed the Corinthians set
affected wisdome of the world without either miraculouâ— signes or scientifical demonstrations either of which would much perswade men Fourthly and lastly It 's the perpetual invariable means God hath appointed to the worlds end When the Ministery and Preaching shall cease then shall all this world with the things therein cease Thus Eph. 4. it 's there said to continue till Christs coming and Paul's direction about the Ministery must be kept till the coming of Christ The former dispensation is altered he hath taken away Priests and Levites the sacrifices and Altars but he will never take away Pastors and Teachers and Sacraments and these must abide as long as there is a Church on the world Vse of Examination It 's the Ministery this is the ordinary necessary appointed menans for faith and other graces Why then is it that it hath not been so to thee Oh it would be an heavy trouble to thee thou wouldst think God had some extraordinary jugement upon thee if thou couldst have no cloaths to warm no food to nourish thee no creature be that to thee for which it is appointed But behold a greater judgement then this no Ministery doth convert thee no Preaehing begets faith or repentance in thee In the Apostles times What multitudes were converted by the Word Yea in the first times of Reformation from Popery How many did not only receive the truth in their minds but grace in their hearts they were not only converted from Popery and superstition but from prophaness and impiety But now alas to whom is the power of God made known Certainly the Word is the same Gods arm is as strong as ever but men by their wilfull ignorance by their unthankfulness and rebelling against the light have sinned away the presence and power of God from the Ministery and then if God go not along with us Alas what can we do Oh that you who are hearers would deeply lay these things to heart God saith his Word is an enlightning Word a sanctifying cleansing Word Why is it not so to thee Why art thou no more reformed then where there is no Preaching no Ministery at all The same cursing swearing the same lusts pride covetousness and ignorance Is not all this because God doth not appear in his own Ordinances Oh men without hope How desperate is such mens condition for if the Ministery cure thee not what will cure thee Woe be to thee if the Word that is so effectual and operative to others be not also to thee Who is Paul and who is Apollo but Ministers by whom ye believed even as the Lord gave every man The third thing in order to be discust is the noble Effect whereof the Ministry is said to be an Instrumental Cause viz. Ye believed Faith is one of the most eminent Common-places in Divinity It 's the Sanctum Sanctorum in this spiritual building It s the fat in that spiritual Sacrifice we offer to God And because of the spiritual and most sublime nature of it it is least understood by the natural man I shall not at this time handle all the main particulars about it because the holy Ghost intends it not in this place Onely take notice that in stead of all the work of grace repenting reforming he nameth believing because this is Initial and Introductory to all the rest The word Faith or Believing is of a very large and fruitfull signification but it 's impertinent at this time to trouble you with it Observe That Faith is the great and eminent grace which God by the Ministry works in some hearers Thus upon Christ and the Apostles preaching still this is recorded And many believed Insomuch that Faith is said to come by hearing Rom. 10.17 The Scripture indeed sometimes speaks of faith as prerequisite to make the Word profitable Who hath believed our report And the Word profited them not because it was not mixed with faith Heb. 4.6 Here we see unbelief doth obstruct and hinder the savoury effect of the Gospel But that is finally in those that pâ—rish but in those that shall be saved God in his due time will by the Word preached work faith viz. enlighten their minds and open their hearts to entertain it To open this Doctrine Let us consider the Nature of Faith and that is usually said to consist in three acts whether they be all essential or some only I shall not here determine The first is Knowledge and understanding This is eternal life to know thee and Jesus Christ whom thou hast sent John 17.3 Yea it 's a strong and powerfull conviction of the mind Hence it 's called The substance and evidence of things Heb. 11.1 Believing in the soul is compared to the corporal seeing of the body To say a blind faith is as great a contradiction as to say a dark Sunne or a cold fire If it be faith it doth see the ground of its belief Indeed faith cannot comprehend the matter we believe the Doctrine of the Trinity the Incarnation of Christ are like the dazelling Sunne to our Bats-eyes but though faith cannot comprehend the matter believed yet it knoweth the ground why it doth believe in those places of Scripture and the testimony of Gods Word which saith It is thus and thus Oh then How farre are many from being believers For ignorance covers their souls as darknesse did the Chaos at the first The very principles of Religion the total ignorance whereof doth damn a man yet is like a veil upon most mens eyes Oh then consider that knowledge and understanding is the necessary way to let in faith or rather is a beginning and part of it If thou hadst lost thy eyes or wert smitten with corporal blindnesse How much would it affect thee But now thou hast unbelief and spiritual blindnesse yet it doth not break thy heart Say no more thou believest in Christ thou believest in God if thou knowest not what Christ and God is Though ignorant people are full of their devotion yet because it 's without knowledge and faith it 's as abominable as a Sacrifice without eyes Secondly But knowledge is not all How many Atheists are there that know much and understand the points of Religion yet believe not Therefore the second Act of Faith is to Assent to give credit to them as true and this indeed we mean and Scripture also means this most commonly when it speaks of believing the Word of God that is giving a firm and sure assent to it as true Hence that expression Faith is the substance Heb. 11.1 that is by faith we make those things that are future really subsist as it were in our souls as if present Thus Faith makes Heaven and Hell present The Apostle excellently describes it They behold not the things temporal or seen but the things eternal which are not seen 2 Cor. 4 18. Thus Moses is said to have an earnest eye of faith fixed upon the reward and that is an act
then believe no longer as men Do not think or speak as men but as those who have God perswading you Secondly The Scriptures are only the foundation because they are the immediate verity or truth coming from God who is the first essential truth They have not only a Divine Authority but evident infallibility As God himself is Truth and is not like man that may lie So his Word is likewise Truth and cannot lie or deceive as the writings of men Therefore Psal 19. they are said to be purer than gold seven times refined And it 's said The Scripture that cannot lie or cannot be broken John 10.35 It 's an heavy judgement to be delivered up in matters of salvation to believe a lie It 's the spiritual curse that is threatned to those of the Antichristian apostasie 2 Thess 2.11 Now they must needs be thus punished that forsake the Scripture and build upon other foundations Seeing then the Scripture doth contain infallible truth onely and not one iota or tittle of that can fall to the ground and in all other foundations that may be laid there may be falsehood errour and grand Impostures Let then those hearers that are carefull to keep a good faith walk by this Rule Chrysostome said Never expect good from that man who is not searching of the Scriptures attending to the Scriptures It 's an heavy grievous sinne that in your family in your closets you do no more acquaint your selves with the Bible Take a Tree from the River side and plant it in a wildernesse what can you expect but a withering And thus it is if you take a man from the Scripture his seeming faith graces godlinesse will all presently vanish Thirdly The Scriptures onely are the foundation of faith because they are onely immutable and unmoveable They abide alwayes the same they are not subject to changes to perturbations of affections as men are Councils consisted of men carried by passions and interests Even in the Council of Nice and the four first Councils there were great sidings great animosities particular interests and parties and therefore unlesse we had an unchangeable foundation we must be mutable Camelions Now the word of God that is said To abide for ever whereas all flesh is grasse and the glory thereof fadeth away 1 Pet. 1.24 25. It 's called the eternal Gospel Revel 14.6 So then that which was three thousand yeares agoe is still true because the Scriptures are still the same There is no new Bible though there may be many new opinions and new Sects Aristotle commendeth the Government of a Nation by Lawes above the wils and arbitrary resolutions of men because Lawes are fixed and known And so it is in the Church of God that hath a known Law and Rule Therefore it is an hainous errour which the learned note in Cusanus though otherwise not a very bad man in affirming That the Scripture is to be interpreted Secundum currentem statum Ecclesiae according to the present course and exigency of the Church and therefore in some age those things are received which in another are rejected Lastly The Scripture is only to be laid for a foundation because this onely is strong enough to support and bear up in sad hours of temptation and dangerous times of persecutions Who would be cheated or distinguished out of the Truth by subtil Hereticks or scared and terrified by violent opposers Therefore we had need be built upon such a rock that can endure all waves How could the Martyrs have resisted to blood had not they had Scripture-assurance Luther had this temptation Tune solus sapis c. and nothing but the Scripture confirmed him Our Saviour quelled Satans temptations by arrows out of the Scripture quiver When a man comes to die may he not be assaulted about the truth of his faith whether he die not in heresie or damnable opinions and nothing but the Scripture can uphold him Now for the matter of Doctrine to be believed some men lay four rotten and weak foundations others may be reduced to this The first is that of the Papist The Authority of the Church and the Pope being wholly ignorant themselves but resting all on their Authority Bellarmine doth not blush to expound that place Behold I lay in Zion a foundation stone secondarily to the Pope Now although we grant That the Ministry of the true Church is very usefull and necessary as the instrument of our faith and the preservation of it In which sense it 's called The pillar and ground of the Truth 1 Tim. 3.15 yet it is onely a Ministry not a Magistry It 's a political Pillar upon which Edicts use to hang for Declaration of the Magistrates will not an Architectonical Pillar that beares up the house So that Austins speech is true I had not believed the Gospel had not the Authority of the Church moved me viz. by way of introduction and preparation As the woman of Samaria did to the Samaritans who at first believed because she told them but afterwards they believed for Christs own sake We do not believe in the Church as we doe in the matter revealed in the Scripture Therefore that ignorant implicit faith to believe what the Church saith is not a Scripture-faith faith of knowledge besides then every member must believe according to that Church he is of and seeing there are Churches against Churches there shall also be faith against faith The second foundation men lay is The Authority of the Civil Magistrate This is a meer political faith Many men have no other apprehension about Religion than the Laws of the Land wherein they live They matter not whether true or false whether acceptable to God or consonant to Scripture but this is commanded and this they do As Seneca said in his time He observed that Worship of their gods Non tanquam Diis grata but legibus jussa not as acceptable to the gods but commanded by the Lawes But the Apostles example is clean contrary for they preached a faith to be believed that was contradictory to that Religion which was established by humane authority and they resolve thus It 's better to obey God than man Act. 5 29. The third is Private Revelation and Enthusiasmes As the Papists on one side have cryed down the sufficiency and perfection of the Scripture so Illuminatists men fancying to themselves Revelations from God have also decried it making themselves above the Scripture A dangerous and damnable delusion Therefore the Apostle John bids us Try the spirits and that cannot be without the Rule of the Word 1 John 4.1 And Fourthly Another false foundation is Meer humane Reason There are many risen up that make Reason the Judge and foundation of all Doctrinal Points the Socinian especially hereupon they reject the Trinity the Divine Nature of Christ as being against Reason Now although rectified Reason be necessary as an instrument to revive the things of faith yet it
onely poison Rom. 8. Those that are in the flesh cannot please God Oh dismall and sad condition Howsoever thou mayest please thy self and others please thee yet God is not pleased with thee In the third place let us take notice What are those weak and rotten foundations that many men build upon in regard of their practice And First A conformity to the life of others they do as most do they shall speed as well as they what would ye have them to be singular to be different from others This is a most rotten foundation which many support themselves with Now the Scripture is expresse Thou shalt not follow a multitude to do evil Exod. 23.2 Doest thou not know that the most are damned And wilt thou do as the most Take Lot for an example he was but one man and his righteous soul was so farre from conforming to them that it was tormented with seeing and hearing their unrighteous deeds 2 Pet. 2.8 Our Saviour tels his Disciples They must do some singular thing to the world Mat. 6.47 Gratias ago Deo quod dignus sum quod mundus oderit as Hierom said I thank God that I am worthy to be hated by the world Secondly Others build upon a partial practice of good things The hypocritical Jews they rested upon their Temple their Sacrifices their outward worship of God in the mean while their hands were full of bloud of unrighteousnesse and injustice So then whosoever builds his salvation upon his parts his duties his joyes his enlargements and doth not perform all the acts of righteousnesse truth and equity to men this mans foundation is self Others they build upon their moral righteousnesse and just conversation to men they lie not they defraud not none can accuse them of dishonest dealing but then for the religious duties of prayer humiliation and different walking to the world there they exceedingly fail likewise These build on a rotten foundation Thirdly Anothrr rotten foundation is The meer work done They consider no more than the external act of Religion of Justice of Charity and so they think they have obeyed the Commandment and kept the duty if they have done this This was the Pharisees foundation But what woes doth Christ pronounce against them He bids them look inward cleanse the heart the fountain And certainly God being a Spirit he will have all things done spiritually to him This opus operatum is the foundation of most mens Religion not attending to the manner whereas it is a known saying God loveth Adverbs better than Nouns not what but how is this and this done Fourthly Another rotten foundation is The goodnesse yea supposed perfection of the work they do Especially if men be poisoned with Popish Doctrines about the ability to keep all the Commandments of God and that what they do is meritorious of salvation Some Popish Interpreters do greedily catch at that expression 2 Tim. 6.19 where rich men are exhorted to works of liberality that thereby they may lay up in store for themselves a good foundation But by this good foundation is meant a certain and sure happiness which is not merited by such actions but graciously promised as a reward This is a most presumptuous and arrogant foundation thus to build upon thy own self and with the Pharisee to trust in thy own righteousness How different was Paul from this he laid another foundation when he desired to be found not in his own righteousness but in that of Christs Phil. 3.18 Now all this ariseth from a great ignorance of that total and universal pollution of man by nature Vse of Admonition to be awakened in this point What is the foundation that you have laid for a godly life How are all your duties and actions built Are they founded upon Christ for strength upon Scripture for direction upon justification for acceptance upon a sanctified nature for the root of all Then blessed and thrice blessed art thou blessed now in this life but more at thy death and the day of Judgment when the condition of wicked men will be most cursed and miserable But to whom hath the Lord revealed this Whose ear doth God open to understand this Oh what a confusion will it be to see all thy Religion all thy morality thrown into hell for want of a sure foundation It 's a matter of heavenly skill and wisdom so to do thy duties as they shall eternally live with thee What is a tree without a root in the midst of a storm What is a ship without an anchor The same art thou who hast no sound bottom to stand upon Think then whether this Sermon may not make thee to begin all anew Thou must pull down all thy old building and raise up a new one As a wise master builder I have laid the foundation and another buildeth thereon I have deferred the handling of the foundation of all our comfort and salvation till we arrive at the next verse and so shall take up those Particulars that are observable in the text not hitherto handled as the Adjunct or Quality Paul attributes to himself in this Office As a wise master builder Here it may seem vain-glory in Paul to write after this manner Doth not this expression savour of pride and self-conceit rather then of the humility and meekness of Christs Spirit Is it not Solomons Rule Let another mans mouth praise thee not thy own No We may not charge Paul with any folly or vaâ—ity in this thing especially when we shall consider the Reason moving him thereunto From whence Observe That it 's not vanity but a duty in some cases for the Ministers of the Gospel to magnify and set up their Work and Office It 's not vain-glory or self conceit but sometimes a necessary duty to justifie themselves and their Office otherwise the dishonour would much redound to God and danger be conveyed to mens souls To clear this though I intend to be brief in it because as Tully said of Hortensius that eloquent Authour He praised eloquence to the Heavens that he himself might be carried up with it So people are apt to think whatsoever the Ministers of the Gospel say in this case they do it for their own ends I shall only instance in what cases they may do it and what manner for he that doth it had need be an Argus full of the eyes of wisdom and prudence the matter is so nice and obnoxious to ill interpretation As First Then they may exalt their Office and work when false and malicious slanders and calumnies are raised against them by the ingratitude of the world When they devise all manner of evil and lay it to their charge here they are bound to preserve their good name and declare the good things they have done and of what necessary use their Office is Habent mores suas odores colores odores in famâ colores conscientiâ And therefore it 's not enough that our
of private persons though they also are to take heed they put no false or erroneous sense upon the Scripture but he speaks of publick Teachers who by their calling and Offices are to build Now the Object of this Exhortation is To take heed what they build To build after the foundation is laid is the same with watering after planting And it implieth a further continuation and illustration explication and application as also a clearer confirmation of that matter which is already laid down by the Apostles So that observe The Ministers of God are greatly to take heed that they preach no other thing than what is already contained in the Scripture Or It 's a dangerous thing to put that sense and meaning on the word of God which is not the true genuine sense of it They are with much care fear and trembling to consider how they build upon the Scriptures And if Ministers are thus to take heed then likewise all others who reade and search the Scriptures are to take heed of presumptuous boldnesse and irreverent ignorance in the perverting of it The Scriptures are called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Testament or Will of Christ Now as it 's a dangerous thing even by the Laws of a Land to corrupt forge or falsifie a mans will No lesse capital is it to the soul of a man any wayes to pervert the Doctrine of the Word of God 2 Pet. 3.16 They that are unlearned wrest the Scriptures unto their own destruction See here a man may damn his soul by wresting and tormenting the Scripture as it were upon a rack to a contrary sense then what it intended Oecumenius on the place saith It 's as great a sinne to pervert the writings of the Apostles as it was to cut and mangle or murder their bodies To amplifie this consider There may be a two-fold building or ADDITION to the Word of God either Destructive and Corruptive such as wholly overthroweth the true meaning and sense of the holy Ghost And this is a very dangerous sinne Or else Perfective and Explicative Thus the New Testament was added to the Old as a perfective addition not corruptive though it could not have been added as Scripture but that the Authors thereof had a divine infallibility And now what the Ministers of God in their Ministerial labours do it must be an addition explicative of the foundation though it be not with divine infallibility We see here God thought it not enough to plant a people but he will have in all ages men to water not enough to lay a foundation but he will alwayes have builders who are to build on this For indeed we must not strain the Metaphor too farre Paul did not only lay the foundation but did also build up all the necessary parts of the house also onely by this similitude he would shew That there must be alwayes in the Church publick persons who by their Office are to build up people in faith and godlinesse but they are not left to their own imaginations to their own thoughts They must dresse every Sermon at the glasse of the Word they must preach as they reade in Scripture Secondly The word of God which containeth the foundation that the Apostles have laid may be either considered in respect of the words only or in respect of the sense cloathed with the words Now indeed it 's not the holy Scripture but when both the sense and the words go together if a man take the words only contrary to the sense he abuseth it and so promoteth the Hereticks and the Devils interest not Gods glory For the sense that is the internal for me and life of all the words So that it is not enough to alledge the words of the Scripture It 's not enough to be able to say The Scripture saith such words but the true sense and meaning that is the soul the words are the body only yet the words must be diligently attended unto as that by which we come to find out the sense The Devil brought Scripture but he perverted it applying it to an ill sense and so all Heretiques have alledged words but not the true sense breathing in them In the next place Let us consider Why we ought so to take heed and that is to be manifest in many respects First From God himself his glory and honour is greatly concerned herein For when we come in his Name and pretend his Word and indeed it is our own What is this but an high offence to God God doth severely threaten those Prophets that broached their own thoughts and preached the lies of their own imaginations yet said Thus saith the Lord. It 's no dallying matter it 's a matter wherein much prayer much humility and many graces are to be exercised lest we should highly dishonour God Oh if this were written in mens hearts they would be more tender and fearfull in delivering their opinions in saying This is the sense or that is the sense For when thou sayest This is the meaning of the holy Ghost This is the truth of God it behoveth thee again and again to consider lest thou put thy lie thy falshood thy sinfull imagination on God Secondly On Gods part we are to take heed Because he hath so severely threatned all those that adde or detract to his Word Any that shall alter these foundations or change these bounds If it be so hainous a matter among men to remove a land-mark and to confound such bounds how much more here That command not to adde or take away is set home with a terrible threatning Revel 22.18 If any shall adde God shall adde unto him the plagues that are in this book Oh see then what thou deliverest out of Scripture as Gods word for the judgments of God are threatned to such as offend herein And Prov. 30.6 Adde not unto his words lest he reprove thee Thou challengest any adversary to confute thee see here God will confute thee he will reprove thee and thou be found a liar Thou thinkest happily such and such an adversary will reprove thee take heed God doth not become thy enemy for such an opinion Oh then while we are preaching and delivering our heavenly message to you we are under a dreadfull account we are to pray and fear and consider lest God find us liars and reprove us at last Secondly On the peoples part Therefore we ought greatly to take heed For 1. The word of God in the true sense of it is the onely food and nourishment of the soul That onely doth nourish and cause to grow So that all those who build up any thing but Scripture-truths they give poison to a people to live upon How great a crime is it to poison any fountain where all people fetch their water And thus all they do and if it be not poison yet it 's but chaff What is chaff to the wheat said the Prophet Jer. 23.28 All
corrupt errours though not fundamental are called hay and stubble It behoveth us therefore to take heed what we do that we give you not gall for honey poison for food The Apostle compareth all Ministers in himself to a tender nurse 1 Thess 2 now she is carefull to give fit and convenient food to her child scripture-Scripture-truths only can give nourishment 2. If we build not on this foundation the preaching of the Word loseth those glorious and excellent effects for which it is appointed You have many admirable properties of this The word of God enlightens the mind Psal â—9 It sanctifieth the nature Joh. 17. It is the power of God to salvation 1 Cor. 1. It 's the instrument by which we are begotten anew Heb. 4.12 It 's a two edged sword to enter into and discover all the secrets of the heart Now alas are the foolish and unwarrantable opinions and doctrines of men able to produce such gracious effects No Gods word only is blessed to such great ends and therefore it 's good to consider that our Saviour looking upon the people in his dayes it 's said His bowels were moved within him as sheep without a shepâ—erd Mat. 9.36 They had the Priests the Scribes and Pharisees then who read the Scripture and taught in the Synagogue every day yet because they mingled their own sour leaven they brought their chaff to the wheat therefore he pitied them 3. On the peoples part we had need to take heed Because they are more prone and ready to receive any corrupt sense than the pure meaning of the Scripture A natural man perceiveth not the things of God they are foolishnesse to him 1 Cor. 2.14 he hath enmity to them Paul said The Law was spiritual but he was carnal Rom. 7. No man naturally can love the Bible in the true and heavenly sense of it no more than a malefactour can his Judge for that condemneth sin that convinceth of folly that spareth not that flattereth not As the people of Israel could not endure the light on Moses his face but they would have a veil on it So neither are people able to receive the true and pure sense of the Scripture it is too glorious too spiritual therefore they put a veil upon it Hence you see how quickly errours and false doctrines especially such which give licence to sinne get a multitude of disciples Paul complained of this when he said They would suffer false teachers to abuse them to oppresse them 2 Cor. 11.20 The Corinthians would endure false teachers though they domineered over them kept them in bondage when yet they would not bear Pauls Ministry And did not many willingly suffer the Egyptian thraldom in Popery who would not endure the yoke of the Gospel Thus Christ complained If any man câ—me in his own name you will receive him John 5.43 Lastly On the Ministers part it 's necessary that he should take heed For 1. He hath not a Magistery but a Ministry committed to him He may not be a Master to dictate and affirm what he pleaseth but his Office is a Ministry to deliver nothing but what he reads Thus Paul That which I have received of the Lord I deliver unto you 1 Cor. 11. If among men Judges must not make new Laws but are strictly bound up to the Laws made to their hands Then much more are the Ministers of God bound up to their Rule the Scripture truth is committed to our charge we must be sure to render that in kind which was betrusted to us And as Aristotle observeth He that is unfaithfull in any thing deposited with him is worse than an open unjust or unrighteous man because he wrongs the good thoughts and opinion the other man had of him he thought him faithfull and honest but he proveth not so Now every Minister hâ—th the truths of God deposited as it were in his faithfull custody 2. He is accountable for all the sin and errour people run into through his neglect If he indeed sound the trumpet and warn the sinner then he hath delivered his soul and the blood of wandring sheep will never be required at his hand if he hath used all means to keep them in the sheepfold and they would not It behoveth us therfore to take heed how we build for herein we do not only endanger our own selvs but others The blind lead the blind saith our Saviour and both fall in the ditch Mat. 15.14 It was Luthers temptation he had sometimes on him Qâ—id si tu dâ—â—naris c. What if thou by thy doctrine are damned and drawest many others to hell with thee It 's true indeed the seduced are under a milder punishment then the seducers yet they are not excused Those that received the mark of the â—â—â—st in the hands and fore-heads though but followers yet had not their name written in the book of life This certainly should make every one take heed what he delivers for should he be a snare to or a murderer of other mens souls the blood of the soul will cry more terribly than the blood of the body 3. He must take heed Because though a man do preach the substantials and the necessary things of salvation purely yet if he adde or mix any corrupt opinions though of a lesse nature that mans salvation is very difficult and that the Apostle driveth at in this place If a man build gold and silver that is the precious fundamentals and afterwards build hay and stubble that is frothy unsound and unsavoury doctrine though it doth not overthrow the fundamentals that man shall be saved yet so as by fire I know it 's a place about which much fire of contention hath been but generally the most learned do agree That it signifieth the difficulty of that mans salvation he must go through many tribulations look for many afflictions which will be as fire to get his drosse out Oh do not then account such errours in judgment so easily venial yea almost innocent as the Socinians saying blind men are to be pitied not punished The Scripture putteth a severer character upon them In the next place What is to be done both by people or Minister that they may both build and be built on a sure foundation that they may not take drosse for gold 1. Be much in prayer That is the key to open all mysteries locked up studying praying and temptations make a Divine said Luther Daniel was much in prayer about studying those seventy weeks and God instructed him revealing them to him 2. Prayer is not enough There must be a holy and godly life Thou wilt never understand Pauls sense if thou hast not Pauls spirit nor Davids Psalms if there be not such a spirit in thee as was in David He that doth my will shall know whether the Doctrine be of God or no John 7.17 3. Neglect not those external means which are requisite to understand the sense of the author as knowledge
thee to false wayes know God will make it manifest yet this corruption is wonderfull pleasing The Pharisees loved the high places and to be called Rabbies Nestorius and many others broached heresies because they missed of such great preferment as they desired Donatus was so admired of his Disciples that they would swear by him as by a god Thus men with Herod love to have acclamations The voice of God and not of a man though his terrible judgement might be a warning 5. Discontents and impatiencies at some things which have fallen out in the Church hath been a great cause to make divisions and to sow tares amongst the wheat Marcion because he was censured by Church-Officers for his misdemeanours he cried out 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I will throw fire into the Church and divide it Thus men by way of revenge to grieve and vex others have taught false wayes Paul complained of such That thought to aâ—de afflictions to his bonds Phil. 1. But this will not alwayes be under the ground 6. Envy and siâ—full emulation to the gifts and abilities of others that have been above them This hath made men bring in strange Doctrines This worme is apt to breed in the finest spirits You see John Disciples were soured with it Master say they Him to whom thou bearest witnesse baptizeth and all goe after him That this was envy appeareth by the remedy John giveth He must increase and I must decrease John 3.31 Thus among the Disciples there was often emulation Who should be greatest amongst them Oh this hath eaten like a Gangrene in the body of the Church and hath made the Church to have such a deformed face as envy it self is said to have Pallor in ore sedet macies in corpore toto So then as some sharp thorny bushes have pleasant blossomes on them so many specious and fair opinions that are set out with much glory may yet grow upon such thorny and corrupt causes 7. A contemplative delight in a mans own notions and conceptions he hath This hath caused more errours than any thing especially in learned men Therefore heresie is called from chusing when a man doth voluntarily chuse such a way to go in and the Scripture doth excellently call it Going a whoring after a mans heart No adulterer finds more pleasure in those delights of the flesh then the minde of a man corrupted doth with its owne notions No womaâ— is more fond of her childe than the understanding is of its owne conceptions The second thing to be manifested is The nature of every mans Doctrine and if false than the vizor will be pulled of It will appear counterfeit coin and you know to be guilty of that is a capital crime pro thesauro caâ—bones Gods authority and stamp will not be â—ound on it Rehoboâ—m when the golden vessels were taken out of the Temple he put brasse ones in the stead It 's not so well in the Text for here is stubble for gold so an Ancient did well expresse it as if a man should â—â—e an Image all over guilded and touch it you shall find nothing but mouldring dâ—st though it may be ae aurata yet it is not aurea it 's but earth guilded over If theâ— God would never bring our assertions to his touchstone we mighâ— be the more bold but that cannot be I shall say no more to this head because enough was spoken when we shewed why errours are compared to hay and stubble In the last place God will manifest every mans work In the cunning subtilty he hath managed it with For the Scripture speaks of the great crafty and subtil wayes men use that they do 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 2 Corinth 2. adulterate and mix the word of God he cals it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ephes 4.14 such jugling and cheating as men use with their dice. For 1. Before hearers are publickly prepared for them they go privately and secretly vent their ware So they are said Privately to bring in damnable heresies 2 Pet. 2.1 They are said To creep into houses 2 Tim. 3. They are the moles that creep under ground whereas Christ said He taught nothing but what he did publickly all did hear 2. Their craft is seen In mingling some truths with their errour that while we take one we may swallow down the other and this is worse than palpable heresie in some sense Pejus est veneno oceidere quam gladio they mingle their wine with water Thus some false Apostles they preached Christ as well as the works of the Law but this craft God will manifest when â—e shall separate the precious from the vile and that is the reason say some why Christ would not own the confession that the Devil made That he was the Sonne of God lest speaking some truth he should also vent his lies by owning him 3. This craft is seen Either in sweet and winning words full of love and kindnesse or else in pretence to deep and sublime mysteries Some men are most taken with moral and popular discourses therefore Paul saith they have 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Rom. 16.18 good sweet honey words Others aâ—e more taken with subtil and philosophical Arguments therefore the Apostle bids them Beware of philosophy Col. 2.8 and saith it 's knowledge falsly so called Philosophi fuerunt Patriarchae haereticorum Yea these Nani that hay and stubble we find in some of the Greek Fathers about Free-will and Grace is attributed to their Platonical Philosophy which was soaked too much in them and so continued though Christians as Aristotles Philosophy infected the fountain in the Schoolmens time 4. Their circumspection to observe the fit seasons to disseminate their errours Thus while all were asleep tares were sown upon the fittest subjects women as being more affectionate They leade captive silly women 2 Tim. 3.6 Tender and soft hearted men upon whom specious pretences will easily work These and thousand of other subtil and artificial wayes God will make manifest Vse of Instruction to us Ministers Take we heed how we build and that is by avoiding the causes of error pride ambition envy discontent Oh it 's an happy thing when we can say O Lord we have served no parties drawn on no designes ingaged in no factions but plainly and faithfully desired to know thy will and to preach the truths of Christ This will be a crown of rejoycing unto us at our death Not as pleasing men but God saith the Apostle 1 Thes 2.4 As of God and in the presence of God 2 Cor. 2. Vse of Admonition to People Take you heed of those causes likewise for the same sins that spread errours the same sins make hearers to receive them Be not proud self conceited though you have got some understanding and can conferre with better gifts than others Alas thou hast cause enough to be humbled the more thou knowest thou wilt see thy ignorance the
more A poor man thinketh a little summe of money great treasures For the day shall declare it c. This Text you heard containeth the proportionable Effects or successe which builders wise or foolish have in Gods house And the Apostle first layeth down a general Proposition Every mans work shall be made manifest which hath already been dispatched We therefore now proceed and for this manifestation the Apostle informeth us of the time first and then the manner how The time first in these words For the day shall declare it and of this at this present All the doubt is What the Apostle doth mean by the Day There are some understand it of the Day of death when every man receiveth his particular judgement he shall then know whether his building will abide or no. Others understand it of the Day of Judgement which is called the day of the Lord and that day by an emphasis Bellarmine indeed is positive in this because 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is used with an Article which signifieth the Day of Judgment but that is false For the time of the Gospel is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Rom. 13.12 The night is past the day is at hand c. So that we cannot close with this interpretation because the Apostle carrieth it all the way for this life while we are in this world as will be shewed when we come to explain what is meant by the fire We take therefore Day for no more than Time such a day hath God in his wisdome appointed for the blowing away all this chaff As we see a covering of thatch doth not ordinarily hold long but fire or winde ariseth and cosumeth all Thus the Septuagint sometimes render 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Time So that the meaning is Howsoever these errours and false Doctrines may continue yet time at last will discover the vanity and weaknesse of them The Grecian said 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Time was the Touchstone the trial of all things And the Latines say Veritas est temporis filia Truth is the daughter of Time The day will declare it that is time will make them manifest onely the Article 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that Day doth denote the appointed and set time which God hath for the taking of all such disguises whereas it is the clean contrary with truth The longer that lasts the more it is believed the sufficiency and evidence of it is the more entertained Now although we thus understand it of time in this world yet it cannot be denied but at the Day of Judgement there will be a full discovery of all the works and Doctrines of men Observe That God hath his time when he will discover the errours and falshoods of mens Doctrines A day shall declare it You have a parallel expression Their folly shall be made manifest and they shall proceed no further 2 Tim 3.9 he compareth false teachers to Jannes and Jambres as they did miracles like Moses for a while but at last their folly and sorcery were discovered So it 's here God will put a stop to the torrent of errours he will shew a great difference between his truth and mens inventions the one shall be received and the other rejected This Gangrene that spiritual Physician can stop from further contagion God that could stop the infection of the plague on a sudden that the arrow should kill no more at mid-day hath done this also wonderfully in his Church The day did declare Arianism Pelagianism Nestorianism and the like To enlarge this Doctrine consider these things First In that the Scripture cals the time of manifestation a Day wherein is light and the Sunne beams it doth excellently imply That all the while there are corruptions in Doctrine and Worship that time is a time of darknesse Let men never so much rejoyce in them and count them happy times yet the Scripture cals them dark times So that to take away the truths of God the pure worship of God is indeed Solem è mundo tollere to take the Sunne out of the firmament All the while the Church of the Jews was without the Law and the Prophet without true teaching of the Word of God they were in a worse condition than the Egyptians in their Egyptian darknesse for that hindred them onely in their bodily motions and outward accommodations but this tends to the destruction and damnation of soul and body The true Ministers of Gods word are compared to light and to salt Matth. 5 13. Nihil Sole sale utilius both are necessary and usefull They are called the Starres and it must needs be a dark night when no starres shine Since the Apostles times the Church of God hath many times come under such dark times that it hath been like the old Chaos when darknesse covered the deep Take we heed then of calling darknesse light there is a woe to those that do so Isa 5.20 as some do the times of Reformation the times of Deformation If these corrupt Doctrines which come from the prince of darknesse thou callest light as coming from the Father of lights Thou intitlest God to the Devils work and that is no mean â—in This should teach the godly what to think under the overflowing of errours to account them dark and sad times Secondly There are no foolish builders that thus deform Gods Temple but they are by Gods permission in his wrath and anger because men have abused his truth and waxed wanton under it therefore hath he sent the spirit of delusion and errours amongst men 2 Thess 2.10 For this you must know though God be not the Authour of any evil and it were blasphemy to ascribe sinne to him as the cause of it yet as a just Judge he doth not onely suffer but also order that heresies and corruptions shall be in the Church They are of the Lord by permission and ordination though not efficiency and approbation Thus in Deut. 13.3 If there arise a false Prophet I the Lord do it to try you And in Ahabs time you may reade of many lying spirits in the false Prophets yet they could not goe to delude such or such till God gave them leave 2 Chron. 18.21 Thus 1 Cor. 11. There must be heresies Why must there be so God to punish mens corruptions their pride their ignorance their wilfull abuse of his knowledge will suffer such things to be Though he hath a gracious end That the approved may be made manifest That as all the persecutions which have been in the Church were from God as a just Judge to exercise the patience of it So all the heresies and errours which have been were to exercise the wisdome and true faith of the Church So that howsoever times of overflowing of errours be dark and uncomfortable times yet to consider the cause is farre more uncomfortable for these came from mens corruptions and Satans instigations as also from a provoked God in Heaven who punisheth our former
much without Prayer to read much without Prayer is like the stomack that eats much but wants natural heat for digestion But you will say How is â—â—aâ—s word a fire How doth that reveal when many very expâ—rt in Scripture do yet runne into very many errours Do not those that build hay and stubble bring many texts of Scripture How can these be said to reveal Answer 1. The defect is not in the Scripture but in men themselves The Owle and Bat is made blinder by the Sunne-beames not through any defect in the Sunne A diseased stomack groweth worse by the good meat it eateth The Papists call the Scripture The Heretiques Book and Luther did so also but upon different grounds For the Papists they say the blame on the Scripture making it insufficient imperfect a nose of wax but Luther on mens corruptions that prophanely and presumptuously put that sense on it which it doth not own But Secondly Men swallow down first the sweet poison of errours from false Teachers and then they think every place in the Scripture makes for them And this is the main cause of errours They have mens persons in admiration they do not judge of persons by their Doctrine but their Doctrine by their persons and when they are thus prepossessed then they easily perswade every text is for them or at least not contrary to them A man that hath a noise of wind in his ears thinketh he heareth the like abroad and the distempered palate thinketh every sweet thing bitter Thirdly They do not attend to the whole Scripture They compare not place with place Mark any errours they fasten upon some places of Scripture and they do not wisely consider other texts as well If we take that place We are no more under the Law but under grace Rom. 6.14 here you would think the Law were quite laid aside but take â—â—other place The law is good if a man use it lawfully 1 Tim. 1.8 And â—â— we make void the Law God forbid Rom. 3.31 So then you see the Law hath its use still Lastly It 's not enough to have Scripture to have many texts but we are also to make use of those helps for the understanding of them which God hath appointed The Scripture is the only Rule but not the only Means for else there needed no praying there needed not the Spirit of God nor the Ministry but God hath appointed Ministers in his Church who by way of Office are to interprete and explain Scripture They are called eyes and Shepherds And the neglect of this may lead a man though perfect in the Scripture into errours I come to the second way Afflictions are Gods fire they will discover mens works by of preparation and fiting the heart to receive even as the plowing and harrowing of the ground makes it fit for the seed Many Psalms have this Inscription Maschil a Psalm of David that is a Psalm that giveth Instruction Now many have afflictions for their subject Hence is that old saying Schola crucis est Schola lucis We are careless proud wanton negligent and will not hear what the Word saith till God hath câ—â—stized us and therefore the Church of God was most Orthodox and the purest Virgin in times of persecution but in the times of prosperity then the most damnable heresies did overflow As in Summer the Snakes and Adders are busie but in Winter they do not stirre Vse of Instruction How much we are to blesse God for his Word and the pure preaching of it It 's that which preserveâ—h thee from swallowing down the damnable poison of thy soul It is that which keepeth thee from falling into the dâ—tch though now we are grown wanton under it We are weary of this Manna Yet when at first they came up out of Aegyptian Popery the pure preaching of the Word was accounted the greatest mercy There was a solemn day of rejoycing in Germany when the Bible was translated into the vulgar native tongue Observe the Devils methods when for a long time he destroyed men through ignorance and horrid blindnesse afterwards he did it through too much knowledge or rather abuse of that knowledge and light which shined upon them But let not the building though of hay and stubble be accounted a light matter it will cost fire It will not be a small matter to endure the burning in this Text. Verse 14. If any mans work abide which he hath built thereupon he shall receive a reward THe Apostle you heard hath in a general manner treated of the time and manner how all the works of the builders in the Church shall be tryed which persisting in his Metaphor he cals fire He now comes to the application of this Allegory and to shew the particular disparity And 1. He beginneth with the wise builder and herein you have the good work supposed And 2. The good reward promised The good work supposed is If it abide If it can endure the fire and be not consumed by it for so all truth will The good thing promised is He shall receive a reward By the reward here promised to understand only that honour and dignity he shall have in the Church is to limit it too much we may take it for all the honour and blessing God will bestow on him here and eternal life hereafter Now why it 's called a Reward and the improvement of that hath been already considered we shall therefore pitch on the matter supposed If any mans work abide Now this must be understood supposing all the other conditions likewise required to salvation For if a man preach truth never so truly if he be never so Orthodox yet if his life be wicked he shall loose heaven for all that Therefore those who are Orthodox in their judgments and do not walk exactly in their lives are like those posts in the high-way as Austin said that direct passengers to go the right way but they themselves stand still The meaning then of the Apostle is That on his Doctrines part there shall be no impediment to his salvation If his life and if his aims and ends be gold likewise as well as his Doctrine he is sure to have a glorious Reward Now though this be a necessary point to shew that it 's not enough for such Officers to preach that which is truth but they ought to have such aims and ends and such an holy conversation also as the Word requireth else they but make Crowns of glory for others and they themselves shall be cast into eternal darknesse yet because it 's not intended here I wave it Again when it 's said If a mans work abide By work is meant Doctrine That you may not suck that poison which a Papist from hence inferreth That there are some works so pure that they can abide Gods tryal David thought otherwise when he said Enter not into judgment with thy servant O Lord c. Psal 143.2 From the matter then supposed
though all flesh and the flower thereof doth perish It 's true indeed Davids grace and Peters grace in the fiery tryal of sinne seemed to be quite extinct but they were as the trees in winter which have life in the root though no signes of life appear by fruit or leaves If therefore you see any who seemed to have been regenerated by the Word totally Apostatize and fall off take the Scriptures saying up They went from us because they were not of us Joh. 2.19 No true Starres can indeed fall from Heaven meteor's may Thus not only the truths we preach but even you that are Hearers ought to be our work and an abiding work The Apostle cals the Corinthians his Epistle to be seen and read of all men 2 Cor. 3.2 You are to be as walking Sermonâ— and no temptations or persecusecutions yea The gates of Hell are not to prevail over you Mat. 16.18 The forgetfull or unprofitable Hearer doth as much as lies in him to make the truths of God of no more durable operation then humane figments Now to this Doctrine there is an obvious and palpable Objection How can we say that the true and Orthodox building in Christs Church will abide all stormes Do we not read frequently that in the Church truth hath been condemned errour owned All those Martyrs that lost their lives for the truths of God were they not condemned as heretiques Hath not errour alwaies found more upholders then the truth Was not the Lord Christ condemned and that by a Council of the Priests and Elders of Jerusalem Was not the whole world turned Arrian And in our forefathers daies was not the Aegyptian darknesse of Popery covering the whole world Was not the Masse Transubstantiation and Image worship set up as the principal truths of God And are there not men that write the time will come when the Word Trinity Co-essential or Consubstantial shall be as much hated as Masse and Transubstantiation To this Objection we Answer That those matters of fact cannot be denyed and yet the Doctrine is true for those oppressions and overwhelmings of the truth were but for a while The truth of God did abide the fire even then and afterwards prevailed more then ever The Sunne for a while may be in an Eclipse and hidden by black cloudes but at last it's light doth prevail We do not say that in every place and at every time truth alwaies is extolled and errour condemned but in time it will be It 's with the truths of Christ as it was with Christ himself he seemed to be overcome by his adversaries he was dead and buried yet he had a glorious Resurrection and Ascension So that as God would not suffer his holy one to see corruption so neither will he let his holy Truths But as in Christ his bones by Gods providence were not to be broken the seat of strength so neither can the bones of Truth be The Apostle saith The Day shall declare it that is the time appointed by God 2. This abiding or decaying must not be judged by carnall reason but by the eye of Faith It 's enough that to the godly and Believers though but a few truth is acknowledged though the greater part of the world vote for an errour Christ himself was not owned for the Messiah but by a very few that had the eye of Faith the greater part denyed him To every mans eye the Sunnne is lesse then the whole world but to art it is farre bigger That therefore is said to abide the fire which indeed and to the eye of Faith doth so Wisdom is justified of her Children Mat. 11.19 3. We told you Though the day of Judgement was not principally intended yet we could not wholly exclude it neither And then the truth and sound principles of faith will abide when errours shall call for the mountains and hils to cover them Vse 1. Of Exhortation to us Ministers Seeing we are builders How behoveâ—lliâ— it to build such sound solid matter that will abide Oh that this Text were written in the heart of every one that undertakes to maintain or preach any thing in Religion It is a Babel or Jerusalem thou buildest and God will discover so at last But Secondly Of Instruction what you hearers should be such in whom the truths we preach should live and abide How can we say All flesh is grasse but the Word of God abideth for ever in your hearts Nay rather the Word and all preaching withereth as the grasse and the works of sinne and the world abide for ever with you Well know this that whatsoever we preach out of Gods word it is of everlasting abode it will go to the grave with you it will go to Hell or to Heaven with you Do you forget it never so much that will not forget you The Word will judge and condemn you And how can that be but because it will be alive and come forth at that great day against thee Verse 15. If any mans work shall be burnt he shall suffer loss but he himself shall be saved yet so as by fire THis Text containeth the contrary event of the foolish builder to the wise We would think hay and stubble should be no such great matter that God would not much stand upon such small things But this Text will sufficiently inform to the contrary In the words then consider The evil worke supposed and the sutable Reward threatned The evil worke supposed is to be such that cannot endure the tryal but will be burnt If any mans Doctrine be hay and stubble which cannot endure the fire but will immediately be burnt Then there is a two-fold reward even resembling that of an hell There is Poena damni a punishment of losse 2 Sensus He shâ—ll be saved but so as by fire There is no difficulty in the former For though it may be thought to referre to the work yet it is farre more probable that it doth relate to the person whose work it is So that as metal cast into the fire loseth its dross and so cometh out lesse then it was thus it shall be with him he shall be afflicted yet so that it shall turn to his good But the later is much vexed And First You see the Apostle speaks not of fundamental Heresies such as are damnable in their nature and carry the party without repentance to destruction but of such as are consistent with salvation Learned men apply it to the Gnosticks the famous Heretiques of those times who did not deny Christ but superstructed many evil and sinfull Doctrines upon this rock or foundation In the second place They are such as make a mans salvation very difficult Even as you have an expression of a righteous man A righteous man is scarcely saved 1 Pet. 4.18 For this phrase So as by fire is a proverbâ—al expression to denote the extream danger a man is in and yet escapes as those three Worthies in the fiery furnace
Manners are a pollution of this spiritual Temple So that in the words you have a strong Argument against all Church pollutions whether doctrinal or practical from a similitude or comparison the Apostle useth Those that are the Temple of God must be dedicated to him and not polluted with any unclean thing but the Church of Corinth is the Temple of God And that this Argument might pierce the more he puts the sting of a sharp Interrogation upon his words Know ye not that ye are the Temple of God Know ye not as if he would have said This is a confessed Principle a truth acknowledged by all none can or ought to be ignorant of it Now for the explication of the word Temple and the Reason to prove they were the Temple as followeth in the words I referre it till we come at it For truly this Text is a Mine of gold every word hath precious matter in it Only consider at this time the interrogative Introduction Know ye not One great cause why they admitted such prophanensse and corruption in the Church was the ignorance of or the not attending to those Priviledges and Relations they were called unto If they had duely considered they were Gods Temple they would not have suffered strange Doctrines or strange manners to come in amongst them as no strange uncircumcised might enter into the Temple Observe That the consideration of those Priviledges and Relations which all the People that professe God are put into would be a great Argument against all kind of Pollutions In the 1 Cor. 6.19 the Apostle argueth against all libidinous and unclean waies because their bodies were the Temple of the Holy Ghost now here the Apostle doth not so much speak of every man as their Assembly united together as they were a spiritual Society joyned together As is more largely to be shewed The Apostle argueth chiefly though not excluding sinnes of practice against corruptions in Doctrine and the Ordinances instituted in the Church by which we may see the Scripture puts corruptions in Doctrine through errours and in our lives through ungodlinesse in the same guilt both are unclean and so may not be admitted into the Temple even as the Apostle in the first Chapter verse 5 6. and Gal. 59 useth a Proverbial speech A little leaven leaveneth the whole lump against corruptions in life and in Doctrine but of this more afterwards That which at this time I insist on is To shew what a goade and spurre to all purity and holinesse in Doctrine and Manners the consideration of Church-Priviledges Church-Titles and Relations aâ—e Thus Rom. 6.3 Know ye not that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death Ignorance of the extent of their baptism what it did signifie and oblige to made them live in sinne I know nothing more to be complained of then that people generally rest in this They are the Church of God They are Christians They are baptized but they do not understand what these things mean nor what they oblige them unto It would make us all tremble to consider the vast disproportion between our Names our Relations and our lives This hath occasioned many to runne into an extremity to say We have no true Churches no true members of a Church amongst us because the ignorance corruption and prophaneness is so great amongst us though therein they go beyond bounds For this Church of Corinth was not unchurched by the disorders and corruptions amongst it To enforce this Doctrine upon us consider some of the chief and notable Titles or Relations the people of God have and see if rightly considered they would not work like fire to consume all our drosse As First The very word Ecclesia Church This is given to all the spiritual Societies and Assemblies that we read of in the Scripture converted to the true Faith Thus the Church of Corinth the Churches in Asia Now how great a matter is this very word Church For a people to be a Church the word signifieth as much as a company of people called out of the ignorance idolatry and prophanenesse of the world to worship and serve God in his way and to obey his Laws So that when men come to be of this body they are to renounce all their former prophanenesse and wickednesse and live a life conformable to the Word which is the Churches Charter and by which it walketh Thus all our Congregations should be men called out of the ignorance and prophanenesse of the world to live according to Gods Rule But where are the persons or the Societies that do this Are not many of our Assemblies in the world and of the world still in respect of conversation There will be scandals and offences in the Churches of God too often but woe be to such who by their prophanenesse idolatry and wickednesse give so many scandals as to make us accounted a Babylon a Sodome or as the world Indeed they who do thus charge us go beyond their line for we have a true Church and a true Ministry and true Ordinances only the lives of men are generally so corrupt and wicked so ignorant and beastly that they are spots in our Assemblies and a grievous reproach to that holy Profession which we have taken upon us So then if we would have our Congregations and persons freed from all these defilements remember what the word Church is a company called out of the world And as for ignorant and prophane men the orders of Christ are to endeavour their reformation but if they continue obstinate then they are to be cast out As the Clouds that are exhaled from the earth which though terrestrial in nature yet follow the motions of the Heavens so though in our original we be of the world and are dust and ashes yet by this heavenly call we are wholly to live a heavenly conversation Is it for Starres to be like the dung of the earth Is it for a Church to be a prophane ignorant and worldly people Oh this very title should raise up your hearts Are we not a Church persons called out of wickednesse Why then are we such Apostates as to degenerate from our Titles and Names If Christ complained of those that had made the material Temple a den of thieves Mat. 21.13 will he not also of such who shall make his Church a stew a dunghill a place of wickednesse and ungodlinesse I beseech you know these things and consider them better If you would have the Name of a Church have the nature Life and operations of a Church Secondly The consideration that we are the people of God in a more peculiar manner then all the Nations of the world that do not know God This also should affect us This is that Covenant of Grace God enters into I will be their God and they shall be my people Jer. 7.23 2 Cor. 6.16 Yea a peculiar people Gods Jewels Gods Treasure Deut. 26.18 Psal 135.4
into the Temple The Greek words are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 an elegant allusion The sinne and the punishment shall be both alike some have rendered it corrupt some vitiate others destroy This of our Translators is very good For seeing the truths of God and his Ordinances are pure then it followeth all errours and false Doctrines are a pollution as if you should put drosse to gold or cast mud into a pleasant spring Some Interpreters think the Apostle doth intend to an higher sinne then he named before For say they vers 15. he speaks of such false Doctrines that did not overthrow the foundation now such a man may be saved though difficultly but vers 17. he nameth such as strike at the very root and destroy the very Temple it self So that they make this the meaning If any man bring such corruptions of Doctrine as destroy the Temple of God overthrow Religion and make it no Church he shall not be saved at all There is no fire to cleanse him but to consume him Thus some But it 's more consonant to take the words more general and so they do better cohere And this destruction spoken of is to be understood unlesse he repent or pro subjectâ materiâ if it be onely hay and stubble then the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is no more than 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 before a destruction partial not total but if they be damnable heresies than they meet with a total destruction Observe That those men who defile the Church of God with corrupt Doctrines do highly provoke God to punish them The Text is an Argument à minori ad majus If the defilers of the material Temple did not escape Gods punishments as Athaliah for prophaning the Temple and Belshazzar the holy vessels of the Temple then much lesse shall they escape who pollute the Church of God by any such falshoods And we reade that our Saviour did in this shew his anger and wrought a miracle by way of indignation and another particular namely cursing the fig-tree In these two cases did Christs miracles tend to destruction or punishment all the other were full of mercy and healing For when they had defiled the Temple and made it a den of thieves twice our Saviour made a whip and scourged them out which Hierom doth admire as a greater miracle than any other our Saviour did that a man unarmed and contemptible should chase away such a multitude of men and in that matter of their profit making no resistance but barely asking By what power he did these things No doubt the City of Jerusalem was then guilty of many horrible and grievous crimes of injustice adulteries but Christ takes no notice of that but goeth presently to the Temple to reforme there and this is attributed to the godly zeal that was in him which did even eat him up John 2.17 For the opening of the Doctrine let us consider Why false Doctrines are a defiling why they are called corruptions For so in the Old Testament Idolatry is often called men are said to have corrupted their wayes by false worship and this will be good to take off that lovely painting and alluring dresse which some would put upon their errors and superstitions Now they are called defilings and corruptions First From the pure nature of Gods truth and his worship which falshoods do staine and take away the glory of You see the Apostle compareth them to gold and precious stone Now to take these and to throw them into the dirt is a debasing of them Gods word is said to be more pure than gold seven times refined yea more to be desired than fine gold Psal 19.10 Christ commends his Doctrine under the notion of living water John 4.10 the pure running streams of the brook Now all false Teachers they throw in mud and dirt to these as the Philistims did earth into those Wells that Isaac digged for his cattel Every pure thing is made impure when mingled with any thing of a more sordid and inferiour nature as gold with leade wine with water water with mud So then though men give glorious Titles and Names to their falshoods as excellent Truths glorious Lights yet indeed they are no more than defilements and pollutions Oh then how humble tender and carefull ought men to be Are the Truths and Ordinances of God by institution and in their original so pure Come not then with thy soul hands to handle such precious things Secondly They are called defilements and pollutions Because the truths and Church of God are not only pure but dedicated and appropriated to him as the only object So that they are holy as well as pure and in this notion the Apostle considers them So that it 's a sacrilegious defilement to take the Truths and Ordinances or worship of God and by thy carnal and sinfull imaginations to pervert them And here we may say in another sense Thou that abhorrest Idols doest thou commit sacriledge Thou that art against Popery against the Idolatry of the Masse and other abominable things Doest thou sacrilegiously pervert the holy Truths and Ordinances of God by sinfull and corrupt opinions Certainly if this were believed men would not so prophanely dispute and dally in the holy things of God Thirdly Errours and heresies may well be called defilements Because they are a disease and so spread over the Church The Scripture compareth them not to every kind of disease but that which is most mortal and dangerous even a Cancer Thus Paul of Hymenaeus and Philetus Whose word eateth like a canker 3 Tim. 2.17 The Leprosie in the Old Testament of which Levit. 13. there is so much spoken is acknowledged by Divines to typifie heresie and errours and as that did infect and make the very garments unclean that they were to be washed or burnt so the Apostle alludes to this Jude vers 23. Hating even the garment that is spotted by the flesh See what thoughts we are to have of all errours and heresies we are no to touch the garment of the flesh that is we are not to come near such as it 's said Come out of Babylon because of her Church-corruptions and touch no unclean thing 2 Cor. 6.17 Thus you see that you are not only to take heed of defâ—â—ng your selves with errours but because they are a Leprosie a spreading filthinesse you are not to come near the temptations be as much afraid of such an one as of one with a plague sore running upon him That very phrase Whose word eats like a canker should much terrifie women who by seeming pretences are apt to be mis-led What a dangerous thing is a canker in thy brest But as soon as thou hast received any errour thou hast got a canker in thy heart So that if it were onely a pollution it was not so terrible but here is a killing disease with this pollution If therefore thou lovest thy soul flee from
rejected Tit. 3.10 Those then are nearest to perdition who after Admonition and Information do still continue refractory Lastly Of all those who defile the Temple and are marked out for perdition Antichrist it is and his party that are the great defilers of Gods Temple He is alled The man of Perdition 2 Thes 2.3 both actively and passively Actively because he is a means to destroy so many thousand souls and passively because he is appointed by God to remarkable destruction Take heed therefore thou art not found in the number of that Antichristian society which is marked out by God for destruction Come out of Babylon least you be partakers of her plague Rev. 18.4 If you ask why God should be thus provoked by corruptions in truth or worship the Reason is plain Because his Glory is more immediately interrested in these things Practical godlinesse and obedience are acceptable but his truth and his worship are that which immediately relate to him Herein his jealousie is said to be drawn out Vse of Admonition Pray and take heed you fall not from your stedfastnesse and be led aside with the errours of the wicked You see here is no dallyance no wantonnesse allowed in this matter God will destroy Art thou not afraid of Gods wrath of Gods vengeance If it were but the anger of a man or the persecution of a man it might be endured but God who is a consuming fire he will never bear this He will not endure this This Text would be like a flaming sword to keep men from false and erroneous waies if duly considered This is that which undoeth us people are either very sottish and stupid not regarding any thing of Religion at all or if they do they do not with that sobriety that humility that fear and trembling addresse themselves to know Gods truths as they ought to do There is a prophane proud unmortified frame of heart upon us and then then no wonder we defile his Temple Him shall God destroy This is the punishment threatned to the Temple-defilers and though but two words God destroy yet both have their weight There are many evils and calamities that yet are not a destruction that is the utmost of all paenall evils and then it 's a destruction from God whose wrath is like himself Incomprehensible It 's not man but God shall destroy Now what this destruction is we have told you not an annihilation of soul and body as Socinians would have it not a Physical destruction but moral viz. depriving the wicked man of all happinesse and comfort We have handled this relatively already as it is the Portion of the Temple-defilers I shall now consider it absolutely Eternal wrath and damnation is described here under the name of destruction which is the reward of every wicked impenitent man whether his sinnes be intellectual or bodily And the Doctrine I shall raise is That Eeternal Damnation is the Destruction of a man It 's the undoing of a man for ever This Doctrine or Truth hath a sting in it and because men are generally so bruitish and feared in their evil waies I do the rather pitch upon it because truths that are of a more sublime nature do not so easily penetrate Let us then improve this Eternal Damnation is the Destruction of a man It 's the eternal undoing of a man To clear this consider First That it is the Scriptures way to represent Hell and Damnation under all those evils that are most terrible to sense as on the contrary Heaven is described by such nams as do usually delight most men Hence it 's called a Kingdom and a Crown of Glory and a City paved with precious stones These are condescending expressions to us who are apt to apprehend nothing great and admirable but what is so to sense and were not our natural corruption so greatly prevailing over us such Scripture baites would soon take us As it is thus for Heaven so for the contrary Hell and eternal damnation is described by all such terrible Objects that the very naming of them should fill us with great horrour and do not think these are vain scare-crows no these expressions do no more represent to the full the torment and pain of the damned indeed then a painted fire doth a reall burning fire Whatsoever the Scripture saith of this destruction of wicked men doth not arise up in the least manner to the torment indeed Therefore that the meditation and preaching of this subject may be profitable set Faith on work believe there is such a state of destruction coming upon impenitent men that all the undoing we can have in this life is nothing to that eternal undoing Let Faith warm and heat thy heart with this and it will work wonderfully to thy reformation If to die be a thing of terrour what is eternal death What is eternal destruction If skin for skin and all that a man hath he will give for his life how much rather for this eternal life Secondly This destruction consists in two things The good it 's privative of And The evil it 's positive of Schoolmen call it the punishment of losse and the punishment of sense The Scripture brings in God inflicting both in that terrible sentence at the Day of Judgment Depart from me into eternal fire Mat. 25.41 Depart from me there is the privation of all good Into eternal fire there is the position of all evil and misery Divines have disputed which is the greatest evil of these two but Chrysostome answers The privation of Gods face is farre worse then all the torments in Hell That Depart from me is more terrible then eternal fire Certainly seeing such a destruction is coming how much doth it concern all to watch and pray about it Descendamus in infernum viventes ne descendamus morientes said Bernard Let us descend into Hell while alive by meditation lest we really descend thither when we die But singularia sunt quae pungunt Let us therefore consider What losse it is First that this destruction doth consist in And First It 's the losse of God in whom only is all happinesse Depart from me At his right hand are pleasures for evermore Psal 16.11 To be with God and to enjoy him is that happinesse which eye hath not seen nor can the heart of a man conceive For such as God himself is such is the enjoying of him He is the bonum in quae omnia bona bonum quo nihil melius cogitari potest The Jehova The beings of all created comforts that are scattered up and down and parcelled in creatures with their several imperfections are united and conjoyned in him in transcendent perfection only To represent what God is and the enjoyment of him would be to empty the Ocean with a shell Then do we best esteem of him when we judge him inestimable Now our destruction lyeth in being deprived of all that good which God would have been to us Oh
to the spiders web that is of no defence or use when a boistrous wind ariseth Read over the History of the Bible and there you shall see to that which the wise men of the world intended God brought about the clear contrary Come saith Pharaoh let us deal wisely and oppresse the Israelites Exo. 1.10 lest they grow to numerous Now by that very means the people of Israel did more multiply The Pharisees thought when they had crucified Christ they had laid all Christianity in the Grave with him but by his Ascension his power was the more seen When I am lifted up said Christ viz. upon the Crosse I will draw all men to me Joh. 12.32 That which in probability would have driven all men from him by that he did efficaciously bring all unto him Hence he compareth his death to the grain of Corn thrown into the ground which untill it die doth not bring forth a great crop So that the wisdome of man must needs be made great folly when it shall be forced to bring about those things which it hates so much Sixthly Herein the wisdome of the world is made foolishnesse because it doth not only work a vain deceitfull work but also a destructive one to its self so that all the wisdome they have is only to destroy themselves Thus like fools they runne their swords in their own bowels How often doth David speak this of his wise and potent enemies Their feet were taken in their own snares and they were fallen into the pit they digged for others Was not all Pharaohs wisdome but to ruine himself and his Kingdome The Jews that thought to be so wise in crucifying Christ thereby to prevent the Romane Caesar yet for a reward had the Romane enemy come and utterly destroy them Thus as they work a spiders web in regard of the unprofitablenesse of them so they are said to hatch cockatrice egges because of the hurtfull poisonous nature of them even to the owners Seventhly The wisdome of the world becometh foolishnesse because God many times infatuateth and blasteth the parts and abilities of the wise men of the world He takes away their understanding from them That as we read of Nebuchadnezar God bereaved him of his wisdome and judgment so that he became like a beast and lived with beasts so he doth either in whole or in part pervert and darken the thoughts and counsels of wise men Hence he is said by the Prophet to Diviner's mad Isa 44.25 as also Isa 19.14 Et quos Deus vult perdere prius dementat as we see in Haman and in Belshazer and in Herod all these died as fools and were destroyed by their own foolish thoughts Thus we read of Ely's Sons and others they would not hearken to the good counsel of the Lord because it was of the Lord to destroy them Eightly Herein God doth also make their wisdome folly because by their pride and haughtinesse they undoe themselves God lets them prosper and the wisdome of the world seemeth to flourish a great while but it is that their destruction may be the greater Thus Heb. 1.11 it s said of Nebuchadnezar after all that great successe which he attributed to himself His mind should change and he should passe over and offend Prosperity slayeth the foolish one saith Solomon Prov. 1.32 And Psal 18. With the froward that is the crafty worldly wise man opposite to the pure and upright in heart thou wilt wrestle as it were and give a fall unto according to the Hebrew As the wrestler lifts a man up from the ground that he may throw him down with the more violence so doth God give a man of the world his hearts desire that he shall attribute all to his wisdome and prudence and this is to be his overthrow Thus we have the Prophet insulting over Aegypt and the wise men thereof as also over Tyre and Zidon that set their heart as God and thought she had the wisdome of Daniel Ezek. 28.2 Now to adde one Caution we must distinguish of a two-fold humane wisdome One that is the same with true prudence whereby men are able to mannage publique places of trust they do prae esse ut prosint for the publique good they have the art of ruling well And this the Text meaneth not For though it be not a virtue yet it is the eye to all a mans actions It 's as necessary to publique affairs as the Sunne to the world therefore God gave it Solomon as a special mercy Secondly Their humane wisdome which originally cometh from the corrupt reason of man and for the manner of it is only according to worldly and fleshly considerations and tends only to worldly advantages And lastly For its nature it is opposite formally to all heavenly and Scripture wisdome Of this we speak Vse 1. How vain a thing it is to trust in humane policy and worldly wisdome Thou thinkest by it to raise and advantage thy self but God turneth it into folly Insomuch that we may say more have been undone by earthly wisdome then by meer simplicity None have had such tragical and dismall ends as they Therefore uprightnesse and an holy fear of God that is the best wisdome And although Christ himself and the Martyrs who abounded in this wisdome did not escape the miseries of the world yet that cometh from the wise and high dispensations of God who hath ordered that through many tribulations we must enter into the Kingdom of Heaven Vse 2. To judge that only wisdome which the wise God judgeth so Who so is wise and prudent he will foresee the evil day of death and judgment and accordingly prepare himself He will lay up Treasure for the life to come He layeth that Principle as the chiefest of his Politiques What will it profit a man to winne the whole world and loose his own soul Mat. 16.26 For it is written he taketh the wise in their own craft That divine axiome asserted by the Apostle in the former part of this verse he now confirmeth by a two-fold testimony The one is from Job 5.13 and this we are to handle at this time They are the words of Eliphaz to Job who though with the other Friends they did erre in the particular application of their speeches to Job yet the general matter taken in an abstracted sense was full of wisdome and truth The words are worthy of all diligent consideration though I shall not insist long hastning to the other matter that followeth The Testimony is a Proposition declaring Gods carriage and power to the earthly wise men of the world And 1. Let us consider Gods Efficiency 2. The Subject of this Gods Efficiency is described in that expression 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Septugint hath it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The original word in the Hebrew is used several waies and very applicable to this matter in hand 1. It is used of taking any thing by force of armes jure belli Thus
not Christ ours because though Christ was given for us yet it was as a Mediatour to work our peace that so thereby he might be exalted and might have the preheminence in all things So that the Church is for Christ not Christ for the Church Secondly Because all things in the world are ordered by his providence onely but the whole worke of God about his children is the effect of his Predestination Now Predestination is an act of his more immediate love than Providence is and the Providence of God is subservient to his Predestination Therefore is Gods care and government over all things that he may attain the ends of his Predestination Insomuch that there had been no Creation at first no world at all nor would there still be any sustentation or conservation of it were it not for the Churches sake Vse 1. Of Exhortation to the godly to live by faith on such principles What generous noble and heavenly dispositions would these thoughts breed Scito te Deum esse said one thinking the soul to be a beam of that Divine Essence but thou mayest truly say God hath made thee heir of all things It 's not the Devil but God that doth now shew thee the glory of the world and the Church and saith All these things are thine Consider then whether they be thine by that spiritual end they are intended for Do all creatures all conditions all events make thee more godly Do they work such divine effects upon thy soul Oh do not thou be thy own adversary herein Vse 2. Of Terrour to wicked men for it followeth by way of contraries Nothing is yours viz. for your spiritual good The Ministry God gives is not for you The mercies you have they are not for your souls health Oh the depth of thy unspeakable misery whether life or death all things help thee forward to hell Having asserted a comfortable and rich Doctrine out of these words for the godly we proceed to make some Objections or doubts about it which will be as file to the iron or like the Wine-presse to the Grapes to prâ—sse out the sweet Wine therein And indeed this truth seemeth Obnoxious to many Exceptions as in Religion there are many Doctrinal points which do amaze humane reason such as that of the Trinity the Incarnation of Christ the Resurrection of the body so there are also many Practical Positions which seem contrary to all reason and experince of which this in my Text is one All things are the godly mans It seemeth to be an Idea or meer fiction and expression if we consult with what befals the godly Come we therefore to Answer some of the Objections And First The doubt may be How are all things the godly mans for his use and spiritual edification when many times we see the godly man gets no goâ—d by these The Corinthians who had Paul and Apollo and all those eminent Teachers for their use yet by their Divisions and carnal Emulations they made no spiritual improvement of them How many Sermons and Sabboths do even the godly let go that there never appeareth any footstep of them as if they had never been And then as for their mercies and their afflictions how many times do these draw out their corruptions and they seem to be the worse for them To Answer this First We must distinguish between Gods intention in giving these and the godly mans actual improvement of them to that end When the Apostle saith All things are yours his meaning is on Gods part His love is so great that for the godly only all things in Heaven and Earth were created If so be therefore at any time these things turn to thy hurt blame thy self The Physician will tell the Patient sometimes All these Potions and all these Cordials they are yours you are to take them you may expect much good and ease by them But if the Patient be wilfull and disorder himself it is his fault not the Physicians that they do hurt So that the meaning is all things in their creation and Institution were for the godly mans good Therefore Secondly The godly man through his weaknesse and sinfulnesse not walking up to Gods order may make that an hinderance which God intended a furtherance A godly man may receive the Word and Ordinances sometimes in vain Sometimes afflictions may for the present make him more froward and passionate and mercies more presumptions and confident as the Examples of David and others shew So that our folly and corruptions mingle bitter things with Gods sweet and then we complain this Text is not true The foolishnesse of a man perverteth his way and his heart fretteth against the Lord Prov. 19.3 When we do not our duty we think God doth not fulfill his Promise Our waies are unequall and then we think Gods are not equall So that you must understand this Promise All things are yours in a well ordered use of the means as all other Promises are It 's said The Spirit will lead you in all truth Joh. 16.13 Gods Word is promised to be accompanied with the fulnesse of the Lords blessing to those that are his But how If we order and prepare our selves If we do not put in some barre and obstructions For sinne that withholdeth good things from us that separates between God and us as also between these Promises and us Thirdly Though the godly may for a while make these things against their end and not for it yet this will not be alwaies Nay God will so order it that this decay of theirs or this disorder shall likewise be turned to their good As those who through mistake may swallow down some strong Physick though for the present they may be deadly sick and worse then ever they were yet afterwards it may be they are the better for such violent helps Fourthly When we say all things are the godly mans you must take them in their Collective cooperation as Rom. 8. All things work together This particular or that particular may throw thee down may make thee worse but then God bringeth about some other things that help altogether for thy good As they say of Aegypt All the venemous Herbs grow there and also all the Antidotes are to be had there Where there is a Malady there is also a Remedy And truly thus Gods dispensations are with his Children This or that particular may hinder thee this or that may prejudice thee but God hath appointed other things to correct these There is a benigne influence with the malignant as it were and both tempered together advance speedily towards Heaven The second doubt is this If all things are for the godly and only theirs exclusively to the wicked then this may seem to justifie all the wickednesse and impiety of ungodly men Why should they be blamed if they get no good by the Ordinances if they profit not under the Ministry for God did not intend them for their
fiducial and confident resting upon God or Christ and this is indeed the most noble and excellent Act of Faith Even as reason and understand are the chiefest acts of man though he can also sentire Faith as it doth thus rely on Christ it Justifieth But not only in matter of Justification doth it thus depend on God but also in all outward calamities and streights it in ableth the soul to rest and leane on the Lord. This is that trusting which David doth so often exhort to in the Psalmes For as a man cannot walk without legs or a Bird fly without wings so the soul of a man being wholly unable and impotent cannot subsist of it self but it must have something to lean upon It 's like Ivy that cannot grow of it self Now if the heart of man be corrupt his trust is wholly carnal he beareth up his heart and supports himself with some bladders or stilts that the world affords him But if his heart be sanctified then he doth solely depend upon the Power and Promise of God Now this trusting in God is a special duty and David many times useth this Argument why God should help him because he trusted in him We cannot in an higher manner glorifie God then by trusting in him For hereby we acknowledge God to be the Jehovah that he alone doth all things Insomuch that this is one of the chiefest duties required in the first Commandement The grace then of Faith hath this peculiar effect upon a man that it lifteth up the soul to God and maketh it rest and solely depend on him It 's true even in natural men there seemeth to be a trust in God but that doth as much differ from this holy confidence as light from darknesse For no natural man can put his trust in God there being as much grace required to put forth this as any other holy duty Secondly This trusting in God hath Its general Object And It s more special and adaequate Object The general Object is Any good thing that we stand in need of So that whatsoever the soul wants or the body wants Whatsoever thy necessities are thou art to depend on God for the supply This our Saviour insinuateth Mat. 6. to his Disciples when he tels them they should not be doubtfull and distrustfull what they should eat or drink but rest satisfied wholly in Gods provision who is an heavenly Father And therefore there is not any grace hath such a peculiar property to allay the tempests and rebuke the stormes of the soul as this hath This is David's Harp to chase away the evil spirit Whence are all those soul dividing and tormenting cares but from want of trust in God It were not possible thy heart should be so disquieted and tossed up and down if thou didst thus rest on him For this trusting in God it is a Catholocum it 's a general Remedy to all Exercises to all Dejections And hence when the Prophet Habbakuk saith The Just shall live by Faith the great Act of Faith in that place is dependance on God But then Faith as it's trusting and relying on God hath a more special and noble Object and that is Christ our Mediatour In the sense of all our guilt and unworthinesse we are to throw our selves on him And this is like the looking on the Brazen Serpent by which we are healed It 's not working or labouring but resting of our souls on Christ that justifieth And indeed if we can trust on him for our Justification for our salvation what a shame is it we cannot depend on him for supply of all outward necessities Doth not the Apostle argue with the highest reason that can be Rom. 8. If he hath given us Christ how shall he not with him give all things else Will not this shame all thy distrustfull and dividing thoughts when thou shalt say I believe in God for the salvation of my soul yet I cannot trust him with my Children my health or any other streight I am in Thirdly The Motives to trust in God in the midst of all Exercises are two-fold Gods Promise And Gods Power For as our Saviour said concerning those who did not believe the Scripture They erred because they did not know the Scriptures nor the power of God Thus it 's here All thy dejected and repining thoughts arise within thee because thou art ignorant of his Truth his power First There must be Gods Promise otherwise it 's not trust in God but carnal presumption If a man should neither work nor eat or drink yet say He trusts in God for his life this would be desperate presumption for there is no Promise made to such Therefore whatsoever thy heart is born up with be sure thou hast a Promise for it And if there be a Promise then know Heaven and Earth will sooner fail then that Promise It 's true in the Old-Testament dispensation there were particular Promises made for many mercies so that they might the more boldly confide in God As David in this very particular he had a peculiar Promise that the Kingdom should be established to him and therefore he was assured that this Conspiracy of Absolom should not prevail Now although we have not such peculiar Promises made to us that God will remove such a calamity take away such an affliction yet we have a general Promise for every good thing and that all things shall turn to our good Which may make every Believer say I know either God will take this affliction away or it will be for my good That it is better for me to have it then to be without it And is not here ground of quietnesse enough within thee This makes the Apostle James give such a Proviso to all our Petitions Let him ask in Faith nothing doubting Chap. 1. for if he doubteth let him be assured he shall have nothing Now how must a Christian in every Prayer about temporal things pray without doubting I shall not say as some do That even in all temporal mercies we are to pray with the same assurance as for spiritual That temporal things are as absolutely promised as spiritual And therefore if any temporal mercy be not vouchsafed to us it 's wholly for want of Faith and Confidence But I rather joyn with those that say He must not doubt of Gods Truth and Goodnesse to help neither must he doubt whether he shall not have that or the equivalent This he must assure himself of And truly if a Christian would proceed thus farre he would find a world of ease and quietnesse in his mind And as Gods Promise so his Power also that is a second Motive for this trust in God For if we do not believe God is able to raise up the dead to call things as are not as if they were If we think the temptation too great the affliction too desperate then we cannot put any assurance in God Fourthly We adde in the Doctrine that Faith depending upon God
Of the Holinesse of the Material Temple p. 199 226 See Church Thoughts Thoughts not free p. 166 Evil thoughts shall be brought to light p. 166 Truth Truth of Christ precious p. 157 Compared to Gold c. ibid. Truth two-fold Increated and Created p. 182 The Effects of Divine Truths p. 183 V Vanity VAnity How the word used in Scripture p. 158 Unity Union Disunion Unity not a sure mark of a Church p. 41 In Ministers pressed in Doctrine fections p 98 The sad Effects of the contrary in Ministers p. 99 What people should do when Ministers are divided ibid W Watering WAtering by the Word what p. 82 Wisdome Wisdome Humane an enemy to the things of Christ p. 230 But a shadow compared with Scripture Wisdome p. 247 Contemptible folly before God ibid. True Wisdome but folly in the worlds account p. 239 Things to be believed hoped for and to be done are foolish to humane Wisdome p. 239 True Wisdome only in the Church or Christianity p. 243 Wise men Wise men How God delights to take wise men of the world in their own craft p. 254 The best of their thoughts vain p. 257 Wicked Wicked people spoken to p. 8 19 20 46 47 70 77 104 166 167. Wicked works though never so secret shall be brought to light p. 165 Workes All should do good workes p. 102 Doing good workes two-fold ibid. What to do a good work that God will accept and reward p. 103 Workers How Ministers are Workers with God p. 110 Why God will make use of them ibid. Worship Of the Worship of God p. 129 Word Word of God how that reclaims from sinne and errour p. 179 Of a durable nature p. 182 World World How it is the godly mans p. 275 Z Zeal FAlse Zeal p. 15 FINIS A CATALOGUE Of the Chiefest of those Books as are Printed FOR THOMAS VNDERHILL By Col. Edw. Leigh Esquire A Treatise of the Divine Promises in Five Books The Saints Encouragement in Evil Times Critica Sacra or Observations on all the Radices or Primitive Hebrew words of the old Testament in order Alphabetical Critica Sacra or Philological and Theological Observations upon all Greek words of the New-Testament in order Alphabetical By Samuel Gott Esquire Novae Solymae Libri sex Sive Institutio Christiani 1. De Pueritia 2. De Creatione Mundi 3. De Juventute 4. De Peccato 5. De Virili Aetate 6. De Redemptione Hominis Essayes concerning mans true Happiness Parabolae Evangelicae Latinè redditae Carmine Paraphrastico varii generis Morton His Touchstone of Conversion Mr Hezekiah Woodward Of Education of Youth or The Childs Patrimony The Lives and Acts of the good and bad Kings of Judah A Treatise of Fear A Thank-offering Mr Samuel Fisher A Love-Token for Mourners being two Funeral Sermons with Meditations preparatory to his own expected Death in a time and place of great Mortality Mr Herbert Palmer and Mr Daniel Cawdry A Treatise of the Sabbath in 4 parts Memorials of Godliness and Christianity in seaven Treatises 1. Of making Religion ones Business With an Appendix applied to the Calling of a Minister 2. The Character of a Christian in Paradoxes 3. The Character of visible Godliness 4. Considerations to excite to Watchfullness and to shake of spiritual Drowsiness 5. Remedies against Carelesness 6. The Soul of Fasting 7. Brief Rules for daily Conversation and particular Directions for the Lords-day His Sermon entituled The Glass of Gods Providence toward his faithfull ones His Sermon entituled The duty and Honours of Church-Rest Mr William Barton His Psalms His Catalogue of Sins and Duties implied in each Commandement in verse Mr Vicars Chronicle in four parts Mr Samuel Clark A general Martyrology or A History of all the great Persecutions that have been in the world to this time Together with the Lives of many eminent Modern Divines His Sermon as the Warwickshire mens Feast entituled Christian Good Fellowship Mr Kings Marriage of the Lamb. Mr Shorts Theological Poems The French Alphabet Jus Divinum Ministerii by the Provincial Assembly of London Mr Thomas Blake His Answer to Blackwood of Baptism Birth-Priviledge Mr Cook His Font uncovered Dr John Wallis His Explanation of the Assemblies Catechism Mr Austin's Catechism Mr Vicar's Catechism Mr Pagit's Defence of Church-Government by Presbyterial Classical and Synodal Assemblies Mr Tho. Pagit A Demonstration of Family-Duties Mr Anthony Burgess Vindiciae Legis or A Vindication of the Law and Covenants from the Errors of Papists Socinians and Antinomians A Treatise of Justification in two Parts Spiritual Refining Part 1. or A Treatise of Grace and Assurance Handling the Doctrine of Assurance the Use of Signs in Self-examination how true Graces may be distinguished from counterfeit several true Signs of Grace and many false ones The Nature of Grace under divers Scripture Notions viz. Regeneration the New Creature the heart of Flesh Vocation Sanctification c. Spiritual Refining the Second Part or A Treatise of sinne with its Causes Differences Mitigations and Aggravations specially of the Deceitfulness of the heart of Presumptions and Reigning Sinnes and of Hypocrisie and Formality in Religion All tending to unmask Counterfeit Christians Terrifie the ungodly Comfort doubting Saints Humble man and Exalt the Grace of God His CXLV Sermons upon the whole 17th Chapter of St John being Christs Prayer before his Passion The difficulty of and Encouragements to Reformation a Sermon upon Mark. 1. verse 2 4. before the House of Commons A Sermon before the Court Marshal Psal 106.30 31. The Magistrates Commission upon Rom. 13.4 at the Election of a Lord Maior Remes Cruelty and Apostasie upon Revel 19.2 preached before the House of Commons on the 5th of November The Reformation of the Church to be endeavoured more then the Common-wealth upon Judg. 6.27 28 29. preached before the House of Lords Publique Affections pressed upon Numb 11.12 before the House of Commons Self-judging in order to the Sacrament with a Sermon of the Day of Judgment A Treatise of Original Sinne. An Exposition with Practical Observations on the third Chapter of the first Epistle of St. Paul to the Corinthians The Godly mans Choice compared with the Natural mans and found to be transcendently the best and both being Characterized by their Desires and Delights this is clearly evinced That the Godly man is the only happy man even in this world Held forth in XIII Sermons upon Psal 4. vers 6 7 8. Mr Richard Baexter Plain Scripture-proof of Infant Baptism The Right Method for getting and keeping Spiritual Peace and Comfort The unreasonableness of Infidelity in four Parts 1. The Spirits Intrinsick witness to the truth of Christianity with a Determination of this Question Whether the Miracles of Christ and his Apostles do oblige those to believe who never saw them 2. The Spirits Internal witness of the truth of Christianity 3. A Treatise of the Sinne against the holy Ghost 4. The Arrogancy of Reason against Divine Revelation repressed The Christian Concord