enough It 's very good manners in Christianity to stay and to knock again though we have knock'd more than three times at a sinners conscience 3. Observ 3. The best Christians often stand in need of quickning by holy incitements The strongest arms like Moses's want holding up the ablest Christian may now and then have a spirituall qualm He who is now as it were in the third heaven 2 Cor. 12. may anon be buffeted with the messenger of Satan Grace in the best is but a creature and defectible onely the power of God preserves it from a totall failing Corruption within is strong tentations without are frequent and all these make exhortation necessary A Christian more wants company as he is a Christian than as he is a man though much as both The hottest water will grow cold if the fire under it be withdrawn 4. Observ 4. Isa 23.16 Hos 6.1 Mal. 3.16 1 Sam. 23.16 Holy exhortation is an excellent help to Christian resolution It 's as the sharpening of iron with iron It 's a whetstone for the relief of dulnesse Jonathan in the wood strengthened David's hand in God They who fear the Lord must often speak one to another The want of communion is the bane of Christian resolution When an Army is scattered 't is easie to destroy it The Apostle Heb. 10.23 24. joyns these two together the holding fast the profession of our faith without wavering the provoking one another to love and good works as also the exhorting one another 5. Observ 5. Heb. 13.22 Christians must suffer the word of Exhortation They must be intreated If importunity overcame an unrighteous Judge to do good to another how much more should it prevaile with us for our own good Let not Ministers complain with Esay I have spread out my hands all the day to a rebellious people Isai 65.2 Heavenly Wisdome is easie to be intreated Men want no intreaty at all to do good to their bodies Whence is it that when we want no precept and therfore have none to love our selves all Precepts and Exhortations are too little to perswade us to the true self-love This for the way or manner of the Apostles writing it was by Exhortation The second followeth The Apostles expressing to what he exhorted these Christians viz. earnestly to contend for the faith once delivered to the Saints In which words I consider two things 1. What it is which the Apostle here commends to them carefully to maintain and defend The faith once delivered to the Saints 2. The means whereby or the manner how he exhorts these Christians to maintain and preserve that thing which was by earnest contention Earnestly contend 1. What thing it is which the Apostle here commends to these Christians to maintain and preserve viz. The faith once delivered to the Saints This thing the Apostle here first specifieth calling it the faith secondly amplifieth three wayes 1. It was faith given or delivered 2. To the Saints delivered 3. Once delivered 1. He specifieth the thing which these Christians were to maintain and defend Explicat faith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The word faith in the Greek 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is derived from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 doceo and persuadeo to teach concerning the truth of a thing which we perswade men to believe it is in Scripture taken either properly or improperly 1. Properly and that either 1. In its generall notion for that assent which is given to the speech of another Or 2. In its different sorts and kinds and so it 's either humane or divine humane the assent which we give to the speech of a man or divine the assent which we give to divine Revelation This divine faith is comonly known to comprehend these four sorts 1. Historicall faith called also by some dogmaticall 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is nudus assensus that bare assent which is given to divine truth revealed in the Scripture without any inward affection either to the revealer or to the thing revealed Thus the divels believe James 2.19 and ver 17. This is called dead faith 2. Temporary faith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not so properly call'd a different kind of faith from the former as a further degree of the same which is an assent given to divine truths with some taste of and delight though not applicative and prevalent in the knowledge of those truths for a time Mat. 13.21 he endureth for a while Luke 8.13 for a while they believe Miraculosa 3. Miraculous faith is that speciall assent which is given to some speciall promise of working miracles and this is either active when we believe that miracles shall be wrought by us as 1 Cor. 13.2 Mat. 7.22 or passive when we believe they shal be wrought for and upon us Acts 14.9 4. †Justificans Justifying faith which is assent with trust and affiance to the promise of remission of sin and salvation by Christ's righteousnesse Rom. 3.26 Gal. 2.16 Luke 22.32 Acts 15.9 Rom. 4.5 c. 2. Faith is considered improperly and so it 's taken in Scripture four wayes especially 1. For * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 De hac fide nunc loquimur quam adhibemus cum alicui credimus non ca quam damus cum alicui pollicemur nam ipsa dicitur fides sed aliter dicimus non mibi habuit fidem aliter non mihi servavit fidem Illud est non credidit quod dixi hoc non fecit quod dixit secundùm hanc fidem quâ credimus fideles sumus Deo secundùm illam verò quâ fit quod promititur etiam Deus est fidelis nobis Aug. lib. 6. de sp lit cap. 31. fidelity and faithfulnesse And so faith is attributed to God Rom. 3.3 Shall their unbeliefe make the faith of God without effect And to man Mat. 23.23 Yea have omitted the weightier matters of the Law judgment mercy and faith This is as Cicero saith Dictorum conventorúmque constantia the truth and constancy of our words and agreements So we say he breaks his faith Punica fides 2. For the profession of the faith Act. 13.8 Acts 14.22 Rom. 1.8 Your faith is spoken of throughout the world 3. For the things believed or the fulfilling of what God hath promised Gal. 3.23 Before faith came we were kept under the Law shut up unto the faith which should afterward be revealed and ver 25 But after that faith is come Here faith is taken for Christ the Object of faith 4. For the doctrine of faith or the truth to be believed to salvation and more peculiarly for the doctrine of faith in Christ Acts 6.7 A great company of the priests were obedient to the faith Rom. 3.31 Do we make void the law through faith Nomine fidei censetur illud quod creditur illud quo creditur Lomb. Rom. 12.6 Acts 24.24 He heard him concerning the faith in
onely as they increase elevate it The very snuffers of death shall make it burn the more brightly It unconquered out-lives as opposition so its fellow-graces 1 Cor. 13. the faithful are rooted and grounded in love They love God for himself who fails not Ep. 3.17 1 Cor. 13.8 and therefore Love it self fails not Hypocrites are uneven in their love feigned things are unequal appearing friends cannot dissemble so exactly but that at one time or other their hatred will appear In some companies or conditions they will shew what they are In the time of persecution they fall away Mat. 13.21 like rotten Apples they fall off in a windy day True love to Christ Amor uescit ferias knows no holy-daies it ever hath a rest of Contentment never hath a rest of Cessation 2. I proceed to the Properties of love to man First Rom. 12.9 1 Pet. 1.22 1 John 3.18 It 's a love unfeigned without dissimulation 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Love without hypocrisie Love indeed and in truth not in word and tongue a love from the heart 'T is not like the love of Joab and Judas that outwardly kiss'd and inwardly at that time designed killing It contents not it self in giving like Nephthali Gen. 49.21 Goodly words The Apostle speaks of Soundness in Charity Tit. 2.2 Unsound Charitie is Courtship not Christianity Of all things dissimulation doth worst in love as being most corrupting of and contrarie to the nature of it and appearing love is nothing but Christianity acted and Religion painted some sins scratch the face of love but hypocrisie stabs it at the heart Secondly It 's an expressive open-handed Love though it ariseth at the heart yet it reacheth to the hand Love is a fruitful grace it bears not onely the leaves and blossoms of words and promises 1 John 3.18 but the fruit also of beneficial performances If Love be in truth t' will also be in deed words be they never so adorned cloath not the naked be they never so delicate they feed not the hungry be they never so zealous they warm not the cold be they never so free they set not the bound at liberty our Faith must work by love Love must be seen felt and understood verbal Love is But painted fire Love is so beautiful a Grace that it 's willing to be seen The Apostle saith Rom. 13.10 Love worketh no ill it 's a diminutive expression there 's more intended even the doing of all the good the Law requires and therefore he adds Love is the fulfiling of the Law Thirdly It 's a forward chearful Love It is not drawn or driven but runs it staies not till the poor seeks it but it seeks for him Onesiphorus sought out Paul diligently Prov. 23.6 2 Tim. 1.17 Rom. 12.13 It relieves not with an evil eye It makes men given to hospitality the water of bountie flows from it as from a Fountain and goes not out as from a narrow mouth'd bottle with grumbling It is not like the spunge that sucks up the water greedily but gives it not out unless it be squeezed Hoc ipso amplius gaudent pauperes cum paupertati corum consultum fuerit pudori Leo. Serm. 4. Duplex Eleemosyna quia damus quia hilariter damus Ingenuous poverty rejoyceth in this forwardness of love as much as in the gift it self for thereby not only it's want but bashfulness is relieved It s a double beneficence when we give and give chearfully The mind of the receiver is more refreshed with the chearfulness of the Giver than is his bodie with the greatness of the Gift Fourthly It 's an extensive universal Love 1. Vniversal in respect of duties it shuns no performance that may benefit Bodie Name Mind Soul of another Love is a Pandora abounding in every good work and gift Rom. 13.10 it 's therefore called the fulfilling of the Law Love is the Decalogue contracted and the Decalogue is Love unfolded Love is a Mother the ten Commandments her ten children and she forgets none neglects none Gal. 6.10 2. It 's Vniversal in respect of persons It remembers the Apostles rule to do good to All even wicked men it loves though not as wicked yet as men the men not their manners Col. 1.4 Non peccatorem sed justum in paupere nutrit qui in illo non culpam sed naturam diligit Gr. 3. past 1 Pet. 2.17 Jam. 2.1 The Love of the Collosians was extended to all the Saints wherever there 's grace love will follow for grace is beautiful wherever it is The Oyntment of Love falls even upon the skirts of the garment as well as the head Love is set upon the Brotherhood the whole Fraternitie of Believers not here and there upon one Holy Love regards grace in its working-day clothes upon a Dung-hill in a Prison Grace in the Ideot as well as in the Scholar in the Servant as well as the Master As all our delight must be in the Saints Ps 16.3 so our delight must be in all the Saints 5. It 's a religious and a holy love It 's from in and for holinesse From it he that loves his brother first 1 Tim. 1.5 loves God 1 Tim. 1.5 first he gives his heart to God as a son before he reacheth out his hand to man as his brother His love is said to be out of a pure heart First he gives himself then his Secondly In holinesse and holy wayes It joynes not hands with any in a way of sin For this is not unity but faction it hath no fellowship with fruitfull works Ephes 5.11 but reproves them it makes a man most angry with the sin of him whom he loves most He fears not only to be fratricida but fideicida he doth not so love a man as to be an Enemy to religion Thirdly for holinesse this love is set upon holy ones because they are so not because they are great but good Gods Image in them is the Load-stone of our love 1 John 5.2 6. It 's a just and righteous love It bestowes gifts not spoyles it hurts not some to help others it buyes not a burying place for strangers with the bloud of Christ it is not bountifull upon any others cost The people of God must be blamelesse and harmlesse Phil. 2.15 not having in the one hand bread for one and in the other a stone for another We must not build Gods house with Satans tools the poorest Saint wants not our unrighteousnesse to help him 7. It 's a prudent discerning love It loves all yet with a difference it is most set upon those that are the fittest objects either for want or worth it beats not the poor from the door while it makes strangers drunk in the Cellar It is not like the Oak which drops its acorns to swine Gal. 6.10 It loves Gods friends best the wicked with a love of pity the
kept secret since the world began How much to be adored is Gods goodnesse to us to whom the Faith is delivered though from others it was hidden This Faith without the knowledg whereof there 's no salvation Deut. 7.6.7 Mat. 11.25 26 and which could never have been known but by revealed light was not given to us rather then to others who lived and died in the utter ignorance thereof for any preceding difference and disposition thereunto in us but onely out of the meer love and free grace of God 4. Observ 4. The great impiety of those who obtrude a faith upon people invented by men not delivered by God who erect a building of faith upon the foundation of Philosophical principles Schoolmen and Papists fasten many things for articles of Faith upon the people Ex philosophorum ingeniis omnes haereses animantur Tert. adv Marc. l. 1. which they never received from divine delivery but from the discourse of blind Reason What else are their errours concerning Worship Free-will inherent Righteousnesse the merit of Works c. but streams which flow'd from the Ethicks of Philosophers not the Epistles of Paul Humane Reason is deceitfull when it goes beyond its bounds A Philosopher as such is but a naturall man and perceiveth not the things of God Blind men cannot judg of colours beasts order not humane affairs nor must humane Reason determine of heavenly doctrine The principles of Reason are a sandy foundation for the Conclusions of divine Doctrine Hagar must be ejected if she submit not to Sarah Reason must be subdued to Faith 5. Great is the dignity of a Ministers Office Observ 5. 2 Cor. 4.7 The end of it is the delivering of the Faith to people Ministers though earthen vessels yet carry a treasure though torn caskets yet they contain jewels A faithfull Minister is Gods Steward to dispense his blessings He is a Star for light and influence a Cloud to distill down showers of plenty upon Gods weary heritage a Nurse a Father a Saviour a common Good Joseph's Office in delivering out of Corn to the people in the Famine made him honoured how worthy an employment is it then to deliver to souls the bread of life 6. Observ 6. It 's a great sin to part with the faith delivered to us It 's an hainous sin either in Ministers or People In the former when they shall either give it away or suffer it to be taken from them Phil. 1.17 For the defence of the Gospel they are set they must be men made up of fire in the midst of a field of stubble or errours though holily patient when their own interest yet holily impatient when the interest of Christ is endangered They must not be dumb dogs when thieves attempt to rob the House of God the Church Though they must not bite the children within yet neither spare the thief without Nor is any Christian exempted in his station from the duty of keeping Faith Pro. 23.23 they must not sell the truth not patiently suffer Sectaries and Persecuters to bereave them of it not for the love of their swine suffer Christ to go much lesse send Christ out of their Coasts not part with the faith by keeping their money In a word they must keep the faith by perseverance in the love and profession of it by taking heed of errour and profaneness lest being led away with the errour of the wicked they fall from their stedfastnesse 2 Pet. 3.17 2. Jude saith in the amplification of this faith that it was delivered to the Saints 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 It may here be enquired 1. Who are holy and Saints 2. Who the Saints are to whom this faith was delivered Men are called holy in two respects 1. In respect of the holiness of destination separation Explication or being set apart from common uses and employments to the holy service of God 2 Chro. 7.16 Isai 13.3 1 Kings 9.3 thus the Greeks apply the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to separate and thus not onely men but the Temple vessels Sabboth Tabernacle are called holy The first born Exod. 13.2 God commandeth Moses to sanctifie which he explains Ver. 12. Thou shalt set apart to the Lord c. Thus the Prophets and Apostles are often in Scriptures called holy and Jeremy was sanctified from the womb Jer. 1.5 in regard of this holiness of separation and dedication and all visible professors and their children are called holy 1 Cor. 7.14 as likewise may the whole body of a visible Church 2. In respect of their having holiness really and properly put into them which is done by the holy Spirit whence it is read of the sanctification of spirit it abolishing their native polution and unholiness 2 Thes 2.13 1 Pet. 1.2 1 Cor. 1.2 Exod. 19.6 and bestowing upon them graces and holy qualities by the renovation of Gods image in them And the holy Spirit makes them holy in two respects 1. Of not holy privatively and so man that had lost totally his holines is made holy by regeneration or effectuall vocation 2. Of less holy and so Gods children are sanctified by being enabled to the exercise of an actuall mortifying of sin and living in holiness with proceeding in both 2. Who the Saints are to whom the faith was delivered 1. Some by Saints here understand those holy Prophets Apostles and other Ministers who are holy by peculiar Office and Employment to whom God delivered the doctrine of Faith either of old in an extraordinary or since in an ordinary way that they might be his Ministers in delivering it unto others and these in Scripture are called holy Luke 1.70 He spake by the mouth of his holy Prophets which have been since the world began And Acts 3.11 the same words are again used So 2 Pet. 1.21 Holy men of God spake as they were moved by the holy Ghost So 2 Pet. 3.2 The words spoken before by the holy Prophets Rev. 18.20 Ye holy Apostles and Prophets And Rev. 22.6 The Lord God of the holy Prophets And these in a peculiar manner had the doctrine of faith delivered to them Act. 1.8 Yee Apostles shall be witnesses to me both in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria and unto the uttermost part of the earth Mat. 28.19 These had commission to teach all nations By these Heb. 2.3 the great salvation was confirmed Paul tels the Corinthians 1 Cor. 11.23 he had received from the Lord that which he delivered to them And 1 Cor. 15.3 I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received And 1 Cor. 9.17 A dispensation of the Gospel is committed to me 2 Cor. 5.19 God hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation Gal. 2.7 The Gospel of uncircumcision was committed to me 1 Tim. 1.11 The glorious Gospel of the blessed God was committed to my trust 1. Tim 6.20 O Timothy keep that which is committed to thy trust He
principally means the Gospel with which God had instrusted him So Tit. 1.3 c. 2. But not excluding the former by the Saints to whom the Faith was delivered I understand All the people of God to whom it was delivered by the fore-mentioned servants of God And as some of these were Saints in regard only of visible profession and dedication and others were made Saints in respect of true and saving sanctity so the faith was delivered unto these differently to the former by way of outward administration and visible dispensation to the later who were made true Saints by way of saving and effectuall operation They who were and continued to be onely visible and externall Saints had the faith delivered unto them as the common sort of Israelites had to whom God wrote the great things of his Law and yet they were accounted a strange thing Hos 6.12 and to whom were committed the oracles of God Rom. 3.1 and yet they beleeved not Isai 53.1 contenting themselves in the retaining the letter of the Law declaring Gods Statutes and taking his covenant into their mouth in the mean time never regarding to have the law written in their hearts Psal 50.16.17 c. but hating instruction and casting the word of God behind them They who had the faith delivered unto them by way of efficacious and saving operation did not only hear but beleeve the report of Gods messengers and the arm of God was revealed to them Isai 53.1 To whom it was given to know the Mysteries of the Kingdom of God although to others it were not given Mat. 13.11 and for whose sake alone the faith is delivered to others who got no good at all thereby but onely an estimation for members of the visible Church 1. The Word is to be laid out and delivered to Observ 1. not to be laid up and kept from others The Saints are to be the better for it The Ministry is in Scripture compared to light what more diffusive to seed it must be scattered to bread it must be broken and distributed to every one according to their exigencies to salt it must not be laid up in the Salt-box but laid out in seasoning the flesh that it may be kept from putrefaction He who hides truth buries gold Ministers must rather be worn with using than rusting Paul did spend and was spent The sweat of a Minister as 't is reported of Alexander's casts a sweet savour His talents are not for the napkin but occupation How sinfull are they that stand idle in a time of labour how impious they who compell them to stand so 2. They who retain and keep the Faith are Saints Observ 2. Visibly those are Saints and that is a Church which keep it by profession and ministerially A Church that is which is the pillar and ground of truth 1 Tim. 3.15 Rom. 3.2 to whom the Oracles of God are committed as Paul speaks of the Jewes None are so to complain of the defects of our Church for what it wants as to deny it a Church considering what it hath It holds forth the truth of all Doctrines which serve both for the beginning and increase of faith It 's one of Christs golden Candlesticks wherein he hath set up the light of his Word and though Sectaries do not yet Christ walks in the midst of them I must be bold to fear that because our adversaries cannot rationally deny that while we hold forth the Truth we are a true Church they labour by their errours to extinguish the Truth that so we may be none 3. How much is the world beholding to Saints 3. Observ They have kept the Faith the Word of life for the ingratefull world ever since 't was first delivered Were it not for them we had lost our Truth nay lost our God These are they who have in all ages with their breath nay with their bloods preserved the Gospel kept the word of Christs patience Rev. 3.8.10 And rather then they would not keep the Faith they have lost their lives They profit the world against its will they are benefactors to their severall ages like indulgent Parents they have laid up the riches of faith for those who have desired their deaths It 's our duty though not to adore them yet to honour their memory Satan knows no mean between deifying and nullifying them Imitation of them is as unquestionably our duty as adoration of them would be our sin 4. 4 Observ Vnholiness is very unsutable to them to whom the Faith is delivered It 's delivered to Saints in profession and they should labour to be so in power They should adorn the Doctrine of God Tit. 2.10 How sad a sight is it to behold the unsanctified lives of those to whom this faith hath been long delivered How many live as if faith had banished all fidelity and honesty or as if God had delivered the faith not to furnish their souls with holiness but only their shelves with Bibles Books in the head not in the Study make a good Scholar and the word of faith not in the house or head but in the heart and life make a Christian Oh thou who art call'd a Saint either be not so much as call'd so or be more than call'd so otherwise thy externall priviledg will be but an eternall punishment If God have delivered his Faith to thee deliver up thy self to him 5. 5 Observ The Fewness of faiths entertainers is no derogation from faiths excellency They are a poor handfull of Saints by whom the faith is preserved and to whom it is delivered in the world The preatest number of men and nations have not the faith delivered unto them ministerially and of them the far greater part never had it delivered efficaciously It s better to love the faith with a few than to leave it with a multitude Numbers cannot prove a good cause nor oppose a Great God 6. Observ 6. The true reason of Satans peculiar rage against Saints they have that faith delivered to them which is the bane and battery of his kingdom that word which is an Antidote against his poison that doctrine which discovers his deeds of darknesse Satans policy is to dis-arm a place of the word when he would subdue it he peaceably suffers those to live who have not the weapons of holy doctrine he throws his cudgels against fruitfull trees he lays wait as a thief for those who travel with this treasure They who are empty of this treasure may sing be merry when they meet with him he never stops them Others who have the faith he sets upon annoyeth I have given them thy word saith Christ the world hath hated thē John 1.7 3. Jude saith in this amplification Explicat the faith was once delivered once 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Three things may be touched in the Explication 1. The meaning of the word once 2.
after one battel to double and reinforce the fight again with new supplies Others best of all that Jnde exhorts these Christians to put to all their strength acriter summo continuo maximo studio and utmost force in their contention as those who fought for their lives nay that which was dearer then life it self even the life of their souls and so great is this contention that no one English word is able to express the Greek to contend with all their strength extraordinarily beyond measure most earnestly do scarcely render the meaning of the word More particularly this extraordinary and most eminent contention importeth five things 1. A serious and weighty cause and ground of contention Men account not trifles worth any much lesse vehement strife The thing about which they contend earnestly is either weighty or so esteemed 2. It importeth a considerable enemy to strive with not one who is contemptible but who requireth a great power to contend with him 3. Some strength and force whereby to deal with him A child is not only unable to conquer but even to contend with a Giant 4. A putting forth of strength against the enemy Though a man be never so strong yet if he stands still and puts not out his strength he contends not 5. And lastly the contending after such a manner as is conducible to a victory and prevailing over the enemy with whom we contend even the using of our utmost best and choycest endeavours not a slight but a serious and victorious contention 2. From hence we may gather what this earnest contention doth comprehend which is here to be imployed about this faith 1. It imports that the fore-mentioned faith is a serious and weighty ground and a most considerable cause upon for which to contend What doth the Scripture more hold forth to be our duty than to buy the truth Prov. 23.23 Phil. 1.27 Rev. 3.10 Mat. 11.19 and not to sell it To strive together for the faith of the Gospel to be fellow-helpers to the truth to keep the word of Gods patience to be valiant for the truth to justifie wisdome c. Most precious is this faith to be contended for first even God himself was the fountain and founder of it the Sun from which this ray of faith was darted the Mine whence this faith more to be desired than the finest gold was taken Psal 19.10 All the Princes of the world with all their combined bounties could never have bestowed this faith upon the world How precious is it secondly in regard of the price of it the death of Christ without which not one promise of the word of life would ever have been made or made good to our souls How precious lastly in regard of the benefit of it it doth all for us that God doth For God affords by it direction in our doubts Psal 19.7 8 9. John 17.17 Rom. 1.16 consolation in our troubles confirmation in our fears sanctification in our filthinesse guidance to glory In sum 't is the power of God to salvation 'T is not then a slight and triviall but a most weighty and considerable cause for which these Christians were so earnestly to contend it being for the maintaining of the faith 2. It implyeth and presupposeth a considerable and strong adversary to contend with in contending for the faith The enemies with whom these Christians were to strive were Sectaries and soul-destroying Seducers and Satan is the ring-leader instructer and assistant both of these and all other forces raised against faith We wrestle not against flesh and bloud saith the Apostle but against principalities and powers Ephes 6.12 Gen. 3.1 Luke 22.31 1 Thes 2.18 We wrestle not with flesh and bloud as it is in it selfe weak and frail but as set on work assisted and guided by Satan Flesh and bloud are but Satans instruments he setteth them on work he tempted Eve not the Serpent he winnowed Peter when the man and maid made Peter to deny Christ Satan hindered Paul from coming to the Thessalonians though by the persecuting Jewes Rev. 2.10 Satan cast some of the Smyrnians into prison when men did it The false Prophets with whom these Christians here were to contend for the faith are called the Ministers of Satan 1 Cor. 11.15 Ephes 2.2 Ephes 4.27 Acts 5.3 he is the spirit that worketh in the children of disobedience Satan hath a hand in the soliciting of us to sin either by our own lusts or by the inticements of others In all combates either against our own corruptions or others persecuters or seducers if we can drive away the divell flesh and bloud will not much annoy us If the Captain be conquered the common souldier will yeild It 's Satan who seduceth in Seducers Paul was afraid 2 Cor. 11.3 lest as the Serpent beguiled Eve the mind of the Corinthians should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ He is the enemy that soweth tares among the wheat Mat. 13. And had not these Christians in contending for the faith a considerable enemy How could the Seducers want subtilty to creep in among these Christians by their persons and into them by their opinions into whom Satan the Serpent had crept before nay who now had the advantage of being the old Serpent How easily could he flatter each humour Rev. 12.9 propound sutable lusts to every pallate clothe and colour every heresie and lust with plausible titles Christian Liberty new Lights rare Notions oyle and butter over wicked practices and do much with sweet words cunning and doubtfull expressions What powerfull adversaries were these seducers Ephes 2.2 who had the Prince of power the strong man armed the god of this world to help them How could they want malice and cruelty who were assisted by the enemy of souls the destroyer the roaring lyon the red dragon How could they want diligence and activity who had the divell to drive them him to instigate whose motion in sin is his rest who walketh about seeking whom he may devour 3. This earnest contention imports a considerable strength wherby to contend for the faith against so potent an Adversary Every ones strength is in it self but weakness the strongest are not of themselves able to stand before the weakest tentation Our strength is then from our Head our Captain Jesus Christ who bestoweth upon us such supplies of grace as that we are never fully and finally foyled but in and with him overcome all as the persecuting so the enticing world More particularly he affordeth this strength to us two wayes 1. On his part he sendeth his Spirit to bestow upon us 2. On our parts he enables our faith to receive from him the supplies of his strength 1. On his part he bestowes his Spirit to strengthen us This his Spirit doth two wayes 1. By working 2. By strengthening our union with Christ 1. In the former the Spirit conveyeth a principle of spirituall life
contend the crown that rewards us Holy fervour is never so seemly as in contending for a holy faith It 's storyed of Scanderberg that in fighting against the Turks he was so earnest that the bloud would often start out of his lips Indifferency better becomes our worldly contentions between man and man than spirituall contentions between men and divels 3. We must contend for the faith unanimously and with one consent How easily will errour prevaile when Faith's Champions are divided among themselves How shall they adventure their lives one for another in war Phil. 1.27 who will not do so much as love one another in peace Excellent is the counsell of the Apostle Stand fast in one spirit with one mind striving together for the faith of the Gospel 4. We must contend for the faith against errour universally impartially for every doctrine of faith and against every opposite errour We must contend for discountenanced disowned persecuted faith and take it into our doors when the most would have it laid in the streets and give it entertainment when 't is death to harbour it Nor ought we to to spare preferred Quò major est Princeps eò minus ferantur ejus vitia Nomina potestatum metuenda sed vitia contemnenda Luth. favoured errour The snake of errour must be struck at though in the field of a King 5. We must contend for the faith constantly We must never give over our conflict as long as one enemy is left We must continue in the things we have learned and hold fast the name of Christ. It 's not contention but constancy therein which crowns We must be faithfull to the death if we expect a crown of life 2 Tim. 3.14 Rev. 2.13 It 's easier once to persevere than often to begin No Christian is too old to go out to fight in this spirituall warfare As soon as we cease to fight we begin to flye Christianity knows no cessation of Combating We must take heed of losing the things which we have wrought and fought for 2 John 8. It 's as great a vertue to hold what we have as to get what is worth the holding If the faith be bad why did we begin if good why did we give over our contention for it 6. We must contend prudently and with judgment Christian prudence is not inconsistent with Christian fervency Sundry wayes must a Christian shew his prudence in this contention 1. He must oppose those enemies most that most oppose the faith The greatest errours with greatest zeal and place most forces where there 's most dan ger not being as some fervent against disciplinary and superficiall against doctrinall errours The former do but scratch the face the latter stab the heart of truth 2. He must contend for the faith soberly not passionately God wants not the beesom of passion to sweep down the cobwebs of errour Soft words and strong arguments are good companions We may at the same time spare the person and yet be merciless to his errour 3. We must contend for the faith orderly not extravagantly The Minister must not contend like the Magistrate by politick government nor the people like the Minister by publick preaching Every souldier in this war must keep his rank Never did more contend against the faith than in the times wherein all are suffered to contend how they will for the faith 4. We must contend for the faith preparedly not weakly Faith deserves not obloquy but victory A weak judgment often hurts the faith as much as strong passion An able mind is more needfull in spirituall than an able body is for worldly warrs What pity is it that a good cause should have a feeble champion 1. Observ 1. The goodnesse of any cause and course exempts it not from opposition What more precious then Faith and what more opposed Odium genius Evangelii Luth. John 17.14 Superbus sio quod video nomen pessimum mihi crescere gaudeo rebellis dici Luth. Gratias ago Deo quòd dignus sum quem mundus oderit Hier. Hatred is ever the companion of Truth As that which Satan opposeth must needs be good so that which is good must needs be by him opposed A good man once said He much suspected his own faithfulness in delivering that Sermon for which he got not some hatred from wicked men Hatred as one saith is the Genius of the Gospel I have given them saith Christ thy word and the world hath hated them Wicked mens rage should rather make us thankfull than discouraged I am proud saith Luther because I hear I have an ill name among bad men I blesse God said Jerom that I am worthy of the worlds hatred 2. Observ 2. The best things require most contention for them Not trifles Nostra impatientia non est pro reculis honoribus c. sed pro contemptu verbi pertinacia impietatis ubi anathema est esse patientem Luth. fancies or fables but doctrines of faith deserve our earnest contention How poorly are most mens contentions imployed How happy were we could we but as earnestly contend for Christ his cause faith and our own salvation as wicked men do for riches honours interest nay for hell by striving to out-sin one another How unsutable is it that a greater fire should be made for the roasting of an egg than for an ox that men should be more contentious for bubbles than blessednesse 3. Observ 3. Satan will fight though he cannot prevail Though he conquer not he will yet contend Though he be unable to overcome yet he will oppose the faith Such is the hight of his malice that rage he will be it insuccesfully If he cannot disappoint the saints of their end he yet pleaseth himself in disturbing them in their way Satans rage should not dismay us His furious onsets do not prove his endeavours succesfull rather his great wrath speaks his time short And if he fight who knowes he shall be foyl'd how earnestly should they contend who know they shall both conquer and be crowned 4. Satan labours most to spoyl us of the best things Observ 4. those whereby God is most glorified and we most benefited If he may have our faith heavenly things from us he cares not to leave earthly blessings behind him Eph. 6.12 Chrysost Musculus Perkins vid. Heb. 8.5 Hence it is that the Apostle saith We wrestle against spirituall wickedness 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in heavenlies i. e. as I humbly conceive for heavenly things whereby is noted the cause of Satans contention which is to bereave us of blessings of an heavenly nature In the tempting of Eve he aimed at the bereaving of our first parents of their happiness and Gods image It was Peter's faith he sought to winnow He blinds mens eyes that the light of the glorious Gospel of Christ should not shine unto them 2 Cor. 4.4 In the troubles of Job Satan aimed at a greater matter
falling of these angels from their originall holinesse and intended by the Apostle to be the effect thereof as if because they kept not their naturall integrity they therefore forsook their appointed duty and office wherein God had set them For as * Natura angelorum quum non posset esse otiosa non amplius inclinat et agit in iis quibus privata est sed in contrariis Positâ privatione hac effectiones ejus in isto genere poni necesse est Itaque optimè Christus privationi huic 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 impotentem incl nationem 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 actionem inclinationis istius attexuit dicens Verit as non est in eo à principio homicida fuit Jun. in Jud. Junius well notes These angels having deprived their nature of what good was in it before since it could not be idle it did not now incline to and act in former but contrary ways and imployments for that privation being put the effects thereof must needs follow accordingly in the same kind as a man being blind sutable effects and operations will succeed Hence it is that Christ to this privation of holinesse and not abiding in the truth most fitly annexeth the impotent inclination of the divell to sin in these words There is no truth in him and the action whereby he express'd that inclination which was in being a murderer By reason of this defection then from his originall holinesse he became a lyar an adversary to God and all his a tempter a murderer a spirit of uncleannesse a slanderer a divell So that from the former privative action of forsaking his primitive integrity as from a fountain flowed a voluntary and uncessant acting sutable thereunto and opposite to the duty which at the first God appointed him And now for the high nature of this offence of the angels in leaving their own habitation needs must it be answerable to the forementioned cause thereof viz. The revolting from their originall integrity Bitter was that stream which came from such a fountain how high a contempt of God was this 1. To slight the place of his presence in which is fulnesse of joy and at whose right hand there are pleasures for evermore Psal 16. ult If it be an heinous sin not to attaine that presence when we are without it how unsufferable a provocation is it to despise it when we have it The presence of God is heaven upon earth and the heaven of heaven The forsaking of this was the despising of all good at once even of that which was able to satisfie all the desires and capacities of all the creatures to the brim Nay the glorious perfections of God satisfie God himselfe and if they can fil the sea how much more a little vessel 2. Heinous was the impiety of these angels in leaving their own habitation as it was a forsaking of that office and station wherein God had placed them Job 1.6 1. They were the creatures nay the sons of God He made them and therefore it was their duty to serve him the homage of obedience was due to God for their very beings He gave them those hands which he imployed he planted in them those endowments of which he desired the increase 2. They were of the highest rank of all the creatures If he expected work from the weakest worm how much more might he do so from the strongest angel If God required the tax of obedience from the poorest how much more due was it from those richest those ablest of creatures to pay it And 3. As God had bestowed upon them the best of all created beings and abilities so had he laid out for them the happiest the honorablest of all employments All creatures were his subjects but these his meniall servants or other creatures did the work without doors these waited upon his person by an immediate attendance This employment was both work and wages What was their work but to behold the face of the King of glory and to praise the glory of that King and what other happinesse is desirable imaginable OBSERVATIONS 1. Holinesse Obser 1. the image of God makes the difference between an angel and a divel When an angel leaves his integrity he becomes a divell If he keep not his primitive purity he parts with his primitive preheminence The originall holinesse of the angels is set out by the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifies dignity Cut off Samsons locks and he will be even as another man Though never so many other accomplishments be left behind as spirituality strength wisdome immortality c. Yet if holinesse be gone the truly angelicall part is gone That which is to be desired in a man yea an angel is goodnesse All the stars cannot make a day Should a whole sheet of paper be fill'd only with cyphers they could not all amount to the smallest number nor can the rarest endowments without grace make a person excellent The righteous not the rich the honourable the learned is more excellent than his neighbour There 's nothing will have a lustre at the day of Judgement but purity Riches honours c. like Glow-worms in the dark blind night of this world glister and shine in mens esteems but when the sun of righteousnesse shall arise in his glory all these beauties will die and decay How much are they mistaken who shun and abhor Christians as divels because they are poor deformed disgraced though they keep their integrity and how great their sin who hate them because they keep their integrity but the world will love its own Black-mores account the blackest beautifullest Would we look upon men with a renewed eye and Scripture spectacles we would judge otherwise The poorest Saint is an angel in a disguise in raggs and the richest sinner is for the present little better then a gilded divell Holinesse though veyled with the most contemptible outside is accompany'd with a silent majesty and sin even in the highest dignity bewrayes a secret vilenesse 2. Observ 2. Truth and holinesse can only plead antiquity The first estate of the fallen angels was holy Sin came or rather crept in afterwards Holinesse is as ancient as the Ancient of days and the essentiall holinesse of God the pattern of that which was at the first created in angels and man is eternall and increated Sin is but an innovation and a meer invention of the creatures A sinner is but an upstart They who delight in sin do but keep alive the adventitious blemishes of their originall and the memory of their traiterous defection from God O that we might rather remember from whence we are fallen and in Christ recover a better than our first estate To any who pretend the greatest antiquity and longest custome for error or any other sin it may be said From the beginning it was not so Mat. 19.8 Consuetudo sine veritate vetustas est erroris Tert. Hos 5.10 Prov. 22.22
severest punishing of offenders and not wound like murderers to destroy but like Chyrurgeons to cure and to prevent the spreading of sin yea punishment 8. Observ 8. It should be our great desire by all our own sufferings for sin to prevent the like sin in and sufferings of others We must not be like those that have the Plague who love to inffect others with it A gracious heart rather desires to hear of converts by his falls and woes then to have companions in either They who have been by sin examples of imitation should pray that by their sufferings they may become examples of Caution How rare is this heavenly temper in sufferers Most Christians when they are in troubles only desire the removall of them perhaps the sanctifying of them to themselves but who prayes for the sanctifying of them unto others It s ordinary for men under their sufferings to have thoughts of impatience against God and of revenge against the instrument of their troubles but unusuall for men to have aimes of benefiting beholders by their troubles If the Lord would throughly affect us with love to his glory and hatred to sin we should be willing to have the house pulled down upon our own heads so as sin may be destroyed in others and hereby we may do more good at our death then we have done throughout our whole lives The sinners of these laters times sin more heinously then they who lived in former ages Observ 9. The sins committed by those who have others for an example are greater then those committed formerly though they be the same for kind He who falls by stumbling at the same stone at which he dash'd who went before him falls without apology Wee in these times stand upon the shoulders of those who lived of old and therefore ought to see further we may behold by what meanes they stood where also and how they fell and how by either they sped More exactnesse in working and walking becomes us who have more light to guide us How happy were we if as we strive to excell our forefathers in other arts we did not come behind them in that heavenly art of a holy life though their helps were fewer then ours It is a common observation concerning our buildings that though they are of more curious contrivement yet lesse substantiall and durable then those of old time Non tulit nos sine exemplo◠ut inveniat sine delicto vel tollat sine patrocinio I fear this may be more truly said of our religion then of our buildings It will be more tolerable at the last day for those who lived in the times of Sodom then for sinners in these days upon whom the ends of the world are come Vnto whomsoever much is given of him shall be much required Surely as we pay dearer for our worldly commodities we must pay much dearer for our sinfull pleasures then our fore-fathers have done We had better never have heard of Sodoms ruin then not to mend our lives by the example 10. Observ 10 It s our duty to make an holy improvement of the worst things which fall out in the world Even Sodom and Gomorrha were our examples and we should make lye to cleanse us of their ashes A good man should sail as they say of skilfull Mariners with every wind and as Samson take honey out of the carcass of the Lion Vespasian raised gain out of an excrement the Estrich concocts iron Even the waters of jelousie which rotted the bellies and limbs of some made others healthfull and fruitfull The sins of the worst should and sometimes do teach the godly to walk more closely and humbly with God Were we not wanting to our selves the sin of Sodom might be to us felix culpa an happy fault But alas most men more imitate then shun the sins of others nay which is much worse they rather take occasion to oppose deride and so get hurt by seeing the holy strictnesse of the godly then to grow more watchfull and holy by observing the sinfull loosenesse of the wicked But here is the excellency of grace to make a man like David Therefore to love the Commandments of God Psal 119. i 27. because wicked men make void the Law 11. Observ ult It is our wisdome to learn how to behold the examples of caution which God hath set forth especially in Scripture with most advantage to our souls Against that which God shews we must not shut our eyes To this end 1. Let us give our assent to the truth of examples as delivered in Scripture which doth not only relate the judgments themselves but their causes also the supreme God the deserving sin Faith takes into its vast comprehension every part of Gods word It hath been the Divels policy to strike at the truths of Scripture-stories either by denying or adulterating them * Prophani quidam ex Schola Porphirii ut miraculū elevarent Confinxerunt Mosem peritissimum naturae observasse fluxum refluxum maris Erithraei refluente illo suos traduxisse Riv. in Exod. Porphiry to overturn the miraculousnesse of the Israelites passing through the Red sea saith that Moses took the advantage of a low ebbing water and so went through safely which the Egyptians not understanding were drowned by the flowing of the water Strabo likewise perverts the truth of this story of the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrha Graeci Scriptores Sodomam cum vicinis civitatibus eam ob causam incendio periisse sentiunt quod regio illa cavernosa esset sulphurea atque ita hujusmodi exitio obnoxia Muscul in 19. Gen. by attributing it to naturall causes and reporting that these cities were seated on a soyl sulphureous and full of holes from which fire breaking forth consumed them Examples of the dreadfullest aspect will never affright us from sin when we look upon them in the Divels dress Let us not sport at examples and make them our play-fellows Read not the example of Lots wife as the Poeticall fiction of turning Niobe into a stone What judgement thou readest beleeve though never so severe never so farre beyond thy apprehension 2. Look upon examples with deep and diligent observation They must sink into us we must set our hearts to them Steep our thoughts in them and ponder them in their certainty causes severity Posting passengers cannot be serious observers of any place How profitable is it sometime to dwel in our meditations upon these monuments of divine justice Assent must be followed with consideration Transient thoughts become not permanent examples 3. Look upon these examples with an impartiall examination Enquire within whether was such an one whom vengeance overtook a greater sinner then I am Ask thy conscience that question which the Prophet put to the Israelites are there not with me even with me the same sins against the Lord Ransack thy soul to find out the traytor hide not that in
whereof I meet with sundry opinions among Writers Jansen Harm p. 220. 1 Some conceive that he had this diversity of names from an usuall custom they say among the Jews which was that if any name had in it three or more of the letters of Iehovah 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it should not be us'd in ordinary speech but that some other name like it should be us'd in stead of it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Now Iudah containing in it all the four letters in the name Iehovah having besides the letter 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 this Apostle had other names to be ordinarily called by but this reason seems what-ever is the superstition of the later Jews not to have taken place in our Iude or in any other that we read of the Patriarch Iudah the son of Iacob had no other name but Iudah bestowed upon him by his mother or friends nor did the custom appear upon Iudas Iscariot 2. Others conceive that these names were conferred upon him to difference him from Iudas of the same name the traytor grown detestable for his execrable fact and heinous treason for which cause our Apostle may in the title of this Epistle stile himself also the brother of Iames the name of Iudas being so odious in the Church that as a learned man observes a Lorin in loc p. 320. Id verum doprehendi abstinere ferè Christianos ab imponendo et usurpando nomine Judae Exeâ—rabile hoc nomen Christianis ob execrabilem proditionem à Juda factam Christians have in all ages in a manner abstained from imposing it though a good name in it self and that very rarely is it to be found mentioned in any History And there seems to be an exact care in the Evangelist that when this holy Apostle Joh. 14.22 was named he might not be taken for the traytor speaking thus Iudas not Iscarior Nor was it any change of his name that did serve the turn for it was no lesse wisely then piously heeded that those other names Thaddaeus and Lebbaeus should be sutable to the person upon whom they were bestowed Thaddaeus signifying in the Syriack the same thing Praise or Confession with Judah in Hebrew the imposers of this name intimating the constancy of this holy man in confessing Christ what name soever he had Nor is it to be thought but that the other name Lebbaeus was applyed fitly and sutably to him as being derived either from the Hebrew word †from the Heb. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Videantur Junius in loc Brugens in 10. Matt. Jansen c. 39. Lapide in loc Justini in loc Lorin in loc 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Labi which signifieth a Lion the cognizance of another Judah Gen. 49. of which tribe this Jude was to shew his holy resolution and b Leo dicitur à 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Leb Cor quasi cordatus seu animosus quia à generositate praesentia animi imperterritus cor enim sedes est symbolum fortitudinis unde Aristomenes qui to tam Graeciam stupefecerat audaciae miraculo post mortem dissectus inventus est habere cor totum pilis hirsutum Plin. lib. 11. c. 37. courage for God in opposing sin and the enemies of the truth even as with a Lion-like heart or from the Hebrew word Leb which signifieth a heart thereby noting say some that he was a man of much wisdom and understanding in his place and carriage for he who was of greatest c Corculum dicebant antiqui solertem acutum Fest Qui valdè cautus prudens vocabatur Corculum Plin. l. 7. cap. 31. Unde Scipio Nasica ob prudentiam bis Consul appellatus est Corculum Cic. Tusc 1. discretion and prudence was of old wont to be called Corculum from cor a heart and a wise understanding man is usually termed homo cordatus a man with a heart or noting say others that he was Cordis cultor a man that laboured much about his heart studying diligently the purity and sanctifying thereof This for the expository part of the first thing considerable in the description of the pen-man of this Epistle viz. his Name the collection of Observations followeth Observations from the first thing in the description of the Author of this Epistle his Name Jude 1. Obs 1. I observe from the samenesse or commonness of the name Judas to a holy Apostle and a perfidious traytor together with that seditious Galilean That Names commend us not to God nor conduce any thing to our true happinesse Many that have holy and blessed names come much short of them Zedekiah Jehoahaz as Adonijah Judas c. Absolom signifieth the fathers peace but he that was so call'd proved his fathers trouble On the other side many have unpromising and infamous names who are excellent persons and have lost nothing thereby It s not a holy name but a holy nature that makes a holy man No outward titles or priviledges profit the enjoyer 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 aliquando mali 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 aliquando boni Si coÌ„munio nominum condicionibus praejudicat quanti nequam servi Regum nominibus insultant Tert. cont Mart. c. 7. Neither circumcision nor uncircumcision but a new creature A peasant may have the name of a Prince a traytor the name of an holy Apostle It s all one with God to call thee holy and to make thee so Oh beg of him inward renovation more then outward estimation otherwise a great name for holinesse will prove but a great plague hereafter Hell is a wicked Judas his own place A good name with an unchanged nature is but white feathers upon a black skin A great priviledge unsanctified is a great punishment 2 I observe Obs 2. That wicked men make the best names and things odious by their unholy carriage Judas the traytor makes the name Judas by many the worst thought of 1 Sam. 2.17 Ezek. 36.20 Elie's sons made the people to abhorr the Lords offering God tels the people that they had profaned his holy Name while the heathen said These are the people of the Lord c. Vita Evangelica debet esse vita Angelica Scandalous Christians have brought an odium upon Christianity It s the duty therfore of those that are conversant about holy things to be holy to tremble lest any should think the worse of Ordinances of Ministry of Sanctity for them The blood of seeming Saints will not wash away the scandall they have brought upon true sanctity nor make amends for the evil report which they have brought upon the Canaan of godliness and yet we should take heed of thinking the worse of holinesse or of any way of God for the wickednesse of any person whatsoever Eli's sons sinn'd in making the people abhorr the Lords offering 1 Sam. 2.24 and yet the Text saith the people sinn'd too in abhorring it Obs 3. 3 Our Baptismall names ought to be such as
a picture that looks every way his religion leaves him not at the Church-doors he retains his purity where-ever he lives He hath a principle like a fountain in him that supplyes him in the time of drought not like a plash of water lick'd up with an hours heat of the Sun The musick allures him not the fournce affrights him not from God 3. As the actings of a sanctified person are from and according to a renewed principle of life so are they for it and that both in respect of preservation of life in himself and also the propagation of it to others 1. A sanctified person acts for his sanctified principle of spirituall life in respect of preserving it in himself which he expresseth 1. In shunning what-ever may prejudice and impair it much more then a man doth avoid that which would shorten a naturall life as sword poyson diseases c. that which parteth between God and the soul being more hurtfull then that which parteth 'twixt soul and body What shifts have some made to scramble from death throwing estates into the sea leaving them and sweetest relations running thorow rivers fire c. And have not holy men suffered more to keep from sin which tends to spirituall death have they not left goods lands children have they not run thorow fire water nay into them even embracing death rather then death temporall rather then spirituall A man would give all the world rather then lose one naturall life but a Christian would give a thousand lives rather then lose the life spirituall Lord saith he I desire but to live to keep Christ who is my life Psal 63.3 Col. 3.4 2. In a prizing his food that upholds life He loves what nourisheth him delights in the Law of God 1 Pet. 2.2 Psal 19.10 hungreth after the sincere milk of the word accounts it sweeter then the honey and the honey-comb hath a most ardent affection to uncorrupted Truths accounts a famine of the Word the sorest esteems the bread of life the staff of life When he was dead he had no hunger the Word was as food in a dead mans mouth found no savour or entertainment now though God give him never so much of other supplyes yet 't is a famine with him if he have not bread like an infant-King that preferrs the brest before his Crown though he be rich in grace yet he is poor in spirit he desireth grace having the grace to desire He never saith I have enough truth of grace ever puts him upon growth 3. A sanctified person labours to preserve his inward principle of life In using the means that may recover him Jer. 17.11 Psal 41.4 when his life is endangered by sicknesse desiring earnestly that God would heal him embracing the sharpest administrations the bitterest reproofs taking down the most loathed pill bearing the heaviest affliction being willing to be cut sawed seared so as to be saved His great request is that he may be whole walk holily that the pain and impotency of his disease the filthinesse and hurtfulnesse thereof were both removed 2. A sanctified person acts for his principle of spirituall life In labouring to communicate it to others as well as to preserve it in himself The life of a spiritually quickned soul is generative of it self All living creatures have a seminary for propagating of their kinde the spirit of life is fruitfull endeavouring to derive it self from one to another You never heard of a soul that loved to make a monopoly of Christ Grace may be imparted not impaired Samson when he had found honey gave his father and mother some with him John 4. The woman of Samaria calls others to Christ being called How diffusive of Christ was blessed Paul like the wall which reflects upon the passenger the Sun shining upon it How sutable was that wish of his to a sanctified soul I would to God that thou and all that hear me this day were almost and altogether such as I am except these my bonds Act. 26.29 Every Christian labours to raise up seed to his elder brother The great design of the soul is to set up Christ more in it self and others to leaven others with grace and this gaining of souls is a Christians greatest covetousnesse This for the explication of the sort or kinde of their first priviledge Sanctification The Observations follow in the second place 1. Obs 1. Grace whereby we are changed much excels grace whereby we are onely curb'd The Sanctification wherewith the faithfull were said to be adorned was such as cur'd sin as well as cover'd it not a sanctification that did abscondere but abscindere not onely represse but abolish corruption Psal 145. The former restraining grace is a fruit only of generall mercy over all Gods works common to good and bad binding the hand leaving the heart free withholding only from some one or few sins tying us now and loosing us by and by intended for the good of humane society doing no saving good to the receiver In a word onely inhibiting the exercise of corruption for a time without any reall diminution of it as the Lions that spared Daniel were Lions still and had their ravenous disposition still as appeared by their devouring others although God stop'd their mouthes for that time But this sanctifying grace with which the faithfull are here adorned as it springs from Gods speciall love in Christ so it is proper to the Elect worketh upon every part in some measure body soul spirit abhorrs every sin holdeth out to the end is intended for the salvation of the receiver it doth not only inhibit the exercise of corruption but mortifieth subdueth diminisheth it and works a reall change of a Lion making a Lamb altering the naturall disposition of the soul and making a new man in every part and faculty 2. From the nature of this Sanctification I note Obs 2. It changeth not the substance and faculties of soul and body but onely the corruption and disorder and sinfulnesse thereof it rectifies but destroyes not like the fire wherein the three children were it consumes the bonds not the garments it doth not slay Isaac but onely the ram it breaks not the string but tuneth it The fall of man took not away his essence but onely his holinesse so the raising of man destroyes not his being but his unholy ill-being Grace beautifieth not debaseth nature it repairs not ruins it It makes one a man indeed it tempereth and moderateth affections not abolisheth them it doth not extinguish the fire onely allay it that it may not burn the house It doth not overthrow but order thy love hatred sorrow joy both for measure and object Thou mayst be merry now thou art sanctified but not mad-merry thy rejoycing will now be in the Lord elevated not annihilated They are mistaken that think Sanctification unmans a man that he must now alway be sad and sowre solitary that as they said of Mary a Christian
The answer to the voyce of the Caller 1. The term from which we are called is a sinfull and damnable state of nature expressed in Scripture under terms of greatest terrour We are called out of darknesse Col. 1.13 Acts 26.18 Ephes 4.18 Ephes 5.8 1 Pet. 2.9 turned from darkness translated from the power of darknesse Man before his calling is dark in his understanding as a blind man is said to be dark he knows no truth savingly 1 Cor. 2.14 3 Joh. 19. Eph. 4.11 sees no commanding beauty in any of the ways of God accounts them foolishness being blind he loves darknesse and his works are the works of darknesse he falls every step sins in every action every comfort he useth is a stumbling-block he is afraid of the stirring of every leaf stirs not a foot in holinesse as the Egyptians who in darknesse sat stil never enjoying the light of Gods countenance alwayes full of grief and trouble of which darkness is the emblem and ready to fall into utter darknesse Col. 1.13 An uncalled person is under the power of darknesse Ephes 2.2 born in the kingdom and under the dominion of Satan walking according to the Prince of the power of the air led captive by him at his will In a word we are called from a state not of darknesse only and blindnesse but slavery rebellion poverty pain ignominy banishment nakednesse filthinesse deformitie sicknesse the company of lions and leopards death perdition and every thing that 's miserable all the woes of the world were they a thousand times greater being but a faint representation of the misery of wicked men they being miserable within without here hereafter in life in death after death liable to the loss of the glorious and soul-ravishing presence of God to all eternity and to be tortured with a fire to which ours is but painted 2. The term to which we are called is a state of all blessednesse the good of grace here and the good of glory hereafter Isa 42.7 Acts 26.18 2 Cor. 4.6 John 8.12 Luk. 16.8 1 Pet. 2.9 Called into his marvellous light the light of saving knowledge of the wil of God such a light as is influentiall like the light of the Sun not that of a Torch a commanding light to beleeve and love what we know this being a knowledge of things as they are a seeing divine beauty in every word and wil of God acounting the things of God foolishnesse no more A light that discovers the deeds of darkness and makes them loathsom that makes the called walk as children of the light and of the day which discovers heaven in every grace and hel in every lust Psal 97.11 This calling is also to the light of joy sown for the righteous and only bestowed upon them this oyl of joy being onely put into a viall clean and without cracks joy beyond the joy of harvest Psal 4.7 joy more then that of corn and wine spoyle treasures nay life this light coming from the Sun the face of God without which all the candles in the world could never make a day for a gracious heart In a word a light that leadeth to eternal light the inheritance with the Saints in light Col. 1.12 2 Tim. 1.9 Heb. 3.1 Ephes 1.18 1 Thess 2.12 2 Thess 2.14 Phil. 3. In which respect the faithfull are not onely said to be called with an holy but partakers of an heavenly calling and it s the Apostles prayer that they may know the hope of their calling they being called to a Kingdom to the obtaining the glory of Christ deservedly therefore termed a high-calling But why attempt I to give you an Inventory of the benefits by vocation when eternity shall be little enough to contemplate them 2 Thess 2.14 Who can think what it is to be called to sanctification to have of every grace the least dram or drop of any one whereof is infinitely more worth then an ocean a world of wealth and treasures to be called to the priviledges as well as the graces of a Christian justification of our persons freedom from the wrath of God and all those millions of mountains of sins that before lay upon us to be called out of a dungeon of wo as Joseph out of prison to be favourites of the King of glory to be called to the adoption of sons liberty of children comfortable enjoyment of all bessings admission with boldnesse to the throne of grace exemption from the least drop of curse in the greatest deluge of crosses in a word to be called to the full fruition of God in heaven from not onely corruption by and with sin world divel but even from their very company not onely from curses but even crosses too to have the perfection of all happinesse in our God Psal 16. ult in whom all delights are concentred and in comparison whereof the worlds ocean of pleasure is not a drop and to see and have all this to eternity without either intermission or amission This and ten thousand times more is not a shadow of that substantial happinesse laid up in the consideration of this terminus ad quem this term to which a Christian is called This for the terms of Vocation the first pair of parallels between mans calling man and Gods calling man The next pair is 1. The Caller 2. The Caller 1. The Caller is God 2 Tim. 1.9 1 Pet. 2.9 1 Pet. 1.15 1 Thes 5.24 2 Pet. 1.3 1 Pet. 5.10 Rom. 8.28 2 Tim. 1.9 He hath called us with an holy calling He that calleth us is holy Faithful is he that hath called He hath called out of darknesse The God of all grace hath called us Our calling depends 1. upon his purpose it being therefore said to be according to purpose he purposing the means with the end 2. Our calling depends upon his power He must draw otherwise we never follow He onely calls things that are not as if they were He onely can call so loud Joh. 5.28 Ephes 2.1 that the deaf the dead should hear He onely who creates can call and the work of creation is in effectual vocation 2 Cor. 4.6 he who created the light can onely make us see he who made onely remaking 3. The happy estate of our calling is onely from his bounty Gal. 4.6 1 Cor. 1.9 1 Pet. 5.10 exemption from death divel world condemnation the bestowing of grace fellowship with Christ and the kingdom of glory Eternal life is the gift of God 2. The Called are considerable in this doctrine of vocation and they fall under a double consideration 1. In respect of themselves and so they are sinners with others Paul tels us 2 Tim. 1.9 Praedestinavit nos Deus antoquam essemus vocavit cum aversi essemus justificavit cum peccatores essemus glorificavit cum mortales essemus Nemo dicat ideo me vocavit quia colui Deum Quomodo coluisses si vocatus non suisses
rather then another do not judg if thou wouldst not err Before calling we were not only without strength and full of impotency but enemies and full of antipathy we are not holy or willing to be so and therfore called but called and therfore holy Men finde a thing lovely and love it God loves a thing and thereby makes it lovely 2. With as gross an errour are they deluded Obs 2. who make this calling of God to stand in moral perswasions in the perswading power of threatnings exhortations Remonst Col. Hag. p. 260. promises of the word whereby men say they are moved or drawn in a most sutable way to their own nature That God useth the perswasion of precepts and promises c. in his Word Suavis motus in Verbo fortis tractus in Deo 't is granted but that in effectuall vocation he useth no more we deny Illumination of the understanding barely by the word is but naturall and common natural reason being thereby only perfected not spirituallized and with its clearest light apprehending spirituall objects but naturally and all the motions of the Will towards any objects which are so apprehended are but common and carnal motions upon a natural mans understanding of threatnings or promises when his Will puts forth its motions in fear love hope joy hatred toward good or evill all these motions are proportionable to the light of the Understanding which bred them and therfore as they were caused by apprehensions of good or evill to ones self so they amount to no more then naturall propensions to self-preservation But spiritual illumination whereby we see a ravishing beauty and excellency in holiness and apprehend Christ the chiefest of ten thousand valuing every way of God above all the pleasures of sin Internâ ineffabili potestate operantur in cordibus hominum non solùm verae revelationes sed bonae voluntates Aug. cont P. l. 1. c. 24. is joyned with a spiritual motion of the Will towards every way of God in holy a resolution vehemency constancy How can a bare representation of Gods will an objective representation by way of proposall of threatnings promises c. create or work any real effect upon the heart why then are not those that know most most obedient why are not those that have the best gifts in knowing how to represent truths most successfull in their Ministry why are not Satans seducements to evill alwayes more effectuall then the Words perswasion to holiness he both representing sinfull objects Deut. 29.3 4. Joh. 12.37 Neh. 9.29 Joh. 6.36 37. Isa 53.1 and our naturall corruption in understanding and will being on his side How can the bare proposal of an object make a dead a deaf man regard How frequently have morall intreaties been rejected when used by the best of men What is all the outward shining of light to a blind man How is bare morall perswasion that strength which raised up Christ from the dead Ephes 1.19 Or what is it in comparison of that new creation resurrection renovation new birth afforded in effectual vocation Moral swasion only moves objectively and in the strength of the proposal of a good Now as a man is so will any thing that is propounded seem to him so long therfore as a man is naturall and not born again supernatural blessings propounded to him cannot so affect the Will that he should embrace and receive them Istam aliquando gratiam fateatur quâ futurae gloriae magnitudo non solum promittitur verum etiam creditur nec solum revelatur sapientia sed et amatur nec suadetur solum quod bonum est sed persuadetur Aug. but the Will must be wrought upon by a powerfull operation overcome and changed before an offered good can be effectually embraced All the verbal intreaties in the world to a man spiritually dead are but as the rubbing of and putting hot waters into the mouth of one that is naturally dead We are taught therfore to whom to feek for saving benefit in our enjoyment of the word The word is only Gods by way of ordination and His only by way of benediction though he hath not taken away his word from us yet if he take away himself from his word 't wil not profit Whither should we go but to him and how but by him Draw us Lord and we shall follow thee 3. As much over-seen as the former Obs 3. Corvin contr Bogerm p. 263 are they who labour to maintain that Notwithstanding all the power put forth in our effectual vocation there is a liberty in the Will to oppose the work of conversion Joh. Goodwin Yo. Eld. p. 66. even to the frustration and defeature of it Or that Putting all the operations of grace that need to be put into the balance a mans free-will must turn the scales and determine the case whether a man shall be converted or no accept of grace or refuse it But according to this heterodox Position it will follow That not God by his grace but man by his free-wil is the principal cause of his conversion For if God by putting forth all his strength in mans conversion doth no more then afford to the Will a middle kinde of state of indifferency hee concurrs to the act of conversion or to the change of the will from that indiffereny not principally or predominantly but only by way of concomitancy contingently and conditionally namely if the Will please by its naturall power to move from its indifferency so that the Will receives from God the less which is to be put into a middle state of indifferency to convert or not convert and that which is the greater and which determins the act the Will performs of it self And in conversion more must be attributed to mans Wil Si nobis libera quaedam voluntas ex Deo est quae adhuc potest esse bona vel mala bona verò voluntas ex nobis sit melius est id quod à nobis quà m quod ab illo Aug. de pecc mer. rem l. 2. c. 18. then Gods work for None is therefore holy because he may be so if he wil but because he is truly willing to be so onely the former this opinion attributes unto God and the later to free-wil And how can the patrons of this errour ever truly pray to God for the grace of his Spirit what should they pray for sufficient grace to convert if they will no that 's universall and received by the worst Or shall they pray for the good use of that grace Neither for the good use of grace they hold to come from the Wil which must by no means be determined by God but be indifferent whether to convert or not And if God onely gives a power to will to convert but it is alone from the Will to wil to convert it follows that Gods grace affords no more help to John who is converted then
godly with a love of complacency True Christians shall have a Benjamins portion of love Mark 10.21 it doth good especially to the houshold of faith Brotherly-love is set upon brethren Christ loved the young man a Pharisee by shewing loving respect toward him but he loved Lazarus a godly man with a dear intimate love John 11.3 5.11 the best men shall have the best love There 's a prudence also in the measure of expressing love so to love to day as we may love to morrow We sow not by the bushel but the handfull 8. It 's a mutual reciprocal love Hence 't is Joh. 13.34 Gal. 5.13 Col. 3.13 Gal. 6.2 Jam. 5.16 1 Thes 5.11 that there is so frequent mention of Loving one another giving and receiving benefits is by some compared to the Game at Tennis wherein the Ball is tossed from one to the other and if it falls it 's his forfeit who mist his stroke His disposition is very bad who if he will not provoke will not repay love where Affection there Gain is reciprocal The Pole sustains the Hop and the Hop adorns the Pole the Wall bears up the Roof and the Roof preserves the Wall from wet the wise directeth the strong and the strong protecteth the wise the zealous inflameth the moderate and the moderate tempers the zealous the rich supplyeth the poor and the poor worketh for the rich Love must have an eccho to resound and return 9. It 's a fervent burning love 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 q. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Puritie and fervencie of love are joyned together 1 Pet. 1.22 and 1 Pet. 4.8 Have fervent charitie among your selves It must be a love to the utmost not remiss and faint not a love of courtesie and civil correspondencie but of intireness and holy vehemencie such a love as was between Jonathan and David surpassing the love of women The fervencie of it must be so great as that it may burn and consume all intervening occasions of hatred and dislike by bearing with infirmities covering of sins construing mens meanings in the better part condescending to those of lower parts and places 1 King 18. like the fire that fell from Heaven upon Elijahs Sacrifice which lick'd up a trench full of water A love that overcomes the greatest difficulties for the good of others and triumphs over all opposition 10. It 's a constant and unwearied love 1 Phil. 9. Joh. 13.1 15.12 A love that must abound more and more A love that must be like that of Christs who loved his to the end Love is a debt alway to be owed and alway to be paid 't is a debt which the more we pay the more we have And which herein differs from all civil debts that it cannot be pardoned When we have well chosen our Love we should Love our choice and be true Scripture-friends to love at all times not fawning upon our friends when high and frowning upon them when low not looking upon them as Dyals onely when the Sun of success shines upon them we should love them most when they want us not when we want them most This for the explication of the third and last blessing which the Apostle requesteth for these Christians Love 2. The Observations follow 1. Love to God flows not from Nature Observ 1. 1 John 4.7 God is not onely the Object but the Author of it From him for these Christians the Apostle desires it The Affection of Love is natural the Grace of Love is divine As Love is the motion of the will toward good ti 's in us by Nature but as it is the motion of the will toward such an object or as terminated upon God it is by Grace Love is one of the Graces to be put on Col. 3.14 Rom. 1.30 and we are no more born with it in us than with our clothes on us Wicked men are haters of God and that as the word signifieth with the greatest abhorrency 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 abhorreo unde Styx they so hate him as to desire he were not that so they might live without the limits of his Law the reach of his Justice God is onely by them look'd upon with fear Ps 139.21 2 Chro. 19.2 1 Joh. 3.13 Joh. 15.18.20 Rom. 8.7 as a Judge and whom men fear as hurtfull they hate and wish they were taken out of the way Mens hearts and Gods holiness are very opposite The carnal mind is enmity against God The very reason of it the best thing that is in Corrupt Nature even Lady-Reason her self is not an enemy onely but enmity and irreconcileable There is in it an Enmity against every truth preferring before it humane mixtures and Traditions and undervaluing Gods mercy and the way of obtaining it in his Sonne misjudging all his wayes as grievous and unprofitable accounting all his Servants base and contemptible An enmitie there is in Affection against his Word wishing every truth which crosseth its lust razed out of the Scripture quenching the motions of the Spirit refusing to hear his voice rejecting the councel of God against his people his Messengers hating them most that speak most of God either with the language of lip or life Enmity in conversation holding the truth in unrighteousness by wilful disobedience forsaking the waies of God to walk in those of Nature casting off his Yoke and refusing to be reformed And all this hatred is against God though man by it hurts not God but himself man being Gods enemy not by hurting his will but resisting it Non nocendo sed resistendo The consideration whereof should humble us for our folly and danger in hating so good and great a God It should also teach from whom to beg renewed inclinations Lord Whither should we go but to thee and how but by thee 2. Love is the best thing which we can bestow upon God Observ 2. 'T is our All And the All which the Apostle desires these Christians may return to God who had bestowed upon them mercy and peace Love from God is the top of our happiness and love to God the summe of our duty It 's that onely grace whereby we most neerly answer God in his own kind he commands corrects comforts directs pitties sustains c. in these we cannot resemble him but he loves us and in this respect we may and must answer returning love for love Love is the best thing that the best man did ever give his God Love is a gift in bestowing whereof hypocrites cannot joyn with the faithful there 's nothing else but they may give as abundantly as the most upright in heart they may give their tongue hand estate children nay life but Love with these or these in love they cannot give And the truth is not giving this they give to God in his esteem just nothing The best thing that an Hypocrite can bestow is his Life and yet Paul tels us That though
Christ Gal. 1.23 He now preacheth the faith which before he persecuted So 1 Tim. 4.16 Gal. 3.2 So here in this place of Jude Faith once delivered is to be understood of the faith of heavenly doctrine the word of faith which the Apostle saith God had delivered to them and they were to maintain against the opposite errours of seducers This holy doctrine being called faith 1. Because it is the instrument used by God to work faith The Spirit by the word perswading us to assent to the whole doctrine of the Gospel and to rest upon Christ in the promise for life In which respect faith is said to come by hearing Rom. 10.15 And the Gospel the power of God Rom. 1.16 c. to every one that believes The faith to be believed begets a faith believing 2. Because it is a most sure infallible faithfull word and deserves to be the object of our faith and belief The Author of it was the holy and true Rev. 3.7.14 Tit. 1.2 2 Pet. 1.2 the faithful and true Witnesse God who cannot lie The Instruments were infallibly guided by the immediate derection and assistance of the holy Ghost The Matter of it an everlasting truth the Law being a constant rule of righteousnesse the Gospel conteining promises which shall have their stability when heaven and earth shall passe away and of such certainty that if an angel from heaven should teach another doctrine he must be accursed It abounds also with prophesies predictions most exactly accomplished though after hundreds yea thousands of years The form of it which is its conformity with God himself sheweth that if God be faithfull Heb. 4.12 Psal 19.7 9. needs must his word be so its powerfull it searcheth the heart its pure and perfect true and faithfull and all this in conformity with the power omniscience purity perfection truth of God himself The end of it is to supply us with assured comfort Rom. 15.4 Observ 1. 1. The word of life is most worthy of assent and approbation No word so much challengeth belief as Gods it 's so true and worthy of belief that it 's called faith it self When in Scripture the object is called by the name of the habit or affection it notes that the object is very proper for that habit or affection to be exercised about Heaven is in Scripture called joy to shew it 's much to be rejoyced in and the Doctrine of salvation is called faith to shew that its most worthy of our faith Infidelity is a most inexcusable and incongruous sin in us Tit. 1.2 Heb. 6.18 Isa 53.1 when the faithfull and true God speaks unto us It 's impossible for God to lie and yet Who hath beleeved our report may be a complaint as ordinary as it is old How just is God to give those over to beleeve a lie who will not beleeve the truh How miserable is their folly who beleeve a lie and distrust faith it self 2. Observ 2. Deplorable is their estate who want the doctrine of salvation They have no footing for faith they have they hear nothing that they can beleeve Uncertainty of happiness is ever the portion of a people who are destitute of the Word He who wants this light knows not whither he goeth The Fancy of the Enthusiast the Reason of the Socinian the Traditions of the Papist the Oracles of the Heathens are all Foundations of sand death shakes and overturns them all 3. Observ 3. The true reason of the firmnesse and stedfastnesse of the Saints in their profession they lean upon a sure word Spiritus sanctus non est Scepticus ne◠opiniones in cordibus sed assertiones producit ipsâ vit â omni experientiâ certiores a more sure word than any revelation a word called even faith it self Greater is the certainty of Faith then that of Sense and Reason It 's not Opinion and Scepticism but Faith The holy Ghost is no Sceptick it works in us not opinions but assertions more sure than life it self and all experience The more weight and dependency we set upon the word so firm a foundation is it the stronger is the building None will distrust God but they who never tryed him 4. Our great end in attending upon the word should be the furthering of our faith The jewel of the Word should not hang in our ears but be lock'd up in a beleeving heart 'T is not meat on the table but in the stomack that nourisheth and not the Word preached but beleeved that saves us The Apostle having specified the thing which they were to maintain Faith he amplifieth it and that three wayes 1. Explicat 2. He saith it was delivered The word in the Greek 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 here translated delivered signifieth to be given or delivered from one to another severall wayes in Scripture according to the circumstances of the place where and the matter about which 't is used Sometime it importeth a delivering craftily deceitfully or traiterously in which respect the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is often rendred to betray as Matth. 2.4.10 and Chap. 26 15 16 21 23 24 25. and Chap. 16.45 46 48. In some places it signifieth a delivering in a way of punishment and suffering As Mat. 4.12 Jesus heard that John was delivered up So Mat. 5.25 and 10.17.19.21 and 17.22 and Acts 7.42 c. In other places it signifieth a delivering in a way of committing something to ones trust to be carefully regarded and preserved as Mat. 11.27 and 25.14 20. and John 19.20 and 1 Pet. 2.23 And thus it frequently signifieth a delivering by way of information or relation of doctrines and duties from one to another to be kept and observed And that both from God first by the speech and afterward by the writing of holy men for the use of his Church as 1 Cor. 11.2 2 Thes 2.15 and 3.6 2 Pet. 2.21 and also from men who often deliver doctrines to others not written in the word Mat. 15.2 Mark 7.9.13 but invented by men In this sense the delivering here mentioned is to be taken namely for such an information or relation of Gods will as they to whom it is delivered are bound to preserve and keep as their treasure In which respect the delivering of this faith or doctrine of salvation comprehends first Gods bestowing it secondly Mans holding and keeping it 1. Gods bestowing it and in that is considerable 1. In what wayes and after what manner God delivered it 2. What need there was of this delivery of the faith by God 1. In what wayes God delivered the faith the Scripture tels us he hath delivered it either extraordinarily Num. 12.6.8 Heb. 1.1 as immediately by himselfe by Angels by a voice by a sensible apparition to men sometime when they were awake at other times when they were sleeping by dreams sometime only by inward inspiration Or ordinarily and so he delivers the doctrine of faith 1. To his
Ministers whom he hath appointed to be Stewards therof to the end of the world partly by qualifying them with gifts and Ministeriall Abilities and partly by appointing and setting them apart for the Ministry by those whom he hath authorized thereunto 2. To his people by the Ministry of his fore-mentioned servants who have instructed the faithfull sometime by preaching with a lively voice and afterward by committing the doctrine of faith to writing And Ministers shall to the end of the world be continued to deliver this doctrine of faith to the Church for their edification in holinesse And among those people to whom Ministers deliver this faith externally some there are to whom it is delivered also effectually by the internall revelation of the Spirit which so delivers this doctrine of faith to all the Elect that they themselves are delivered into it Rom. 6.17 their understandings being savingly enlightned to see that excellency in it which by the bare Ministry of it cannot be perceived and their wils perswaded to imbrace it as that rule of life according to which they will constantly walk 2. What need there was of the delivery of this faith 1. In regard of the Insufficiency of all other doctrines or prescriptions in the world to lead to life Only this doctrine delivered is the rule of faith and manners Peace internall and eternall is only afforded to them who walk according to this rule Gal. 6.11 God brings to glory only by guiding by these counsels All other lights are false are fools fires which lead to precipices and perdition This is the light which shines in a dark place 2 Pet. 1.20 to which who ever gives not heed can never find the way to heaven Learned Ethnicks never wrote of eternall happinesse in their Ethicks 1 Cor. 1.21 The world by wisdome knew not God 2. In regard of the totall insufficiency of man to find out this doctrine of himself The things delivered in this doctrine are mysteries supernaturall and depending on the meer will and dispensation of God The incarnation of the Son of God Col. 1.26 expiation of sin by his death justification by faith could never have entred into the mind of man unlesse God had revealed them They depend not upon any connexion of naturall causes Though there be a kind of naturall Theologie yet there 's no naturall Christianity Also the und erstanding of man is so obscured by the darknesse of sin that in spirituals it is purely blind The naturall man perceives not the things which are of God 1 Cor. 2.14 2. This delivering of faith comprehends the keeping and holding it by those to whom it was delivered This is done therefore 1. by Ministers 2. by every Christian 1. This duty is incumbent on Ministers who must keep the truth hold fast the faithfull word and be tenacious Tit. 1.9 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 holding it as the word signifieth against a contrary hold with both their hands with all their strength Jer. 10.27 Amos 7.14 holding it in their understanding in their affections in their preaching and delivery in their life and practice not parting with it for fear or favour either to Sectaries or Politicians rather parting with their lives than their sword 2. The faith is kept by every Christian by persevering in the knowledge love and practice of it Every Saint must keep it in his head in his heart in his hand this he must do though for keeping the truth he lose his life 'T is not the having but the holding the truth Rev. 2.13 which is a Christians crown He who lets it go never had it truely and effectually in the love of it nor shall ever enjoy it in the recompence of it Of this more afterward 1. God was the Authour of the doctrine of life Observ 1. though by men yet from him hath it alwayes been delivered it 's his word and revelation The word of the Lord and thus saith the Lord is the Scripture stamp and superscription When the Patriarchs and Prophets preach'd it it was from him when holy men of old time wrote it it was from him though he hath spoken in divers manners yet 't was he that spake When the doctrine of life was committed to writing he commanded it He moved and inspired holy men to write 2 Pet. 1.21 2 Tim. 3.16 Exod. 17.14 chap. 34.27 Isai 8.1 chap. 30.8 Jer. 36.2 They were his Organs and Instruments of conveying his mind to the world The Spirit of the Lord saith David 2 Sam. 23.2 spake by me and his word was in my tongue And Acts 28.25 The Holy Ghost spake by Isaiah Quicquid Chri. stus de suis dictis ac factis nos scire voluit ipsis scribendum tanquam suis manibus imperavit Aug. l. 1. de cons Evang. c. 35. And 1 Pet. 1.11 The Spirit of Christ in the Prophets fore-told his sufferings These and the other holy men were the Scribes the Pens the Hands the Notaries of the Spirit They wrote not as men but as men of God when any book is called the Book of Moses the Psalms of David the Epistle of Paul it 's in respect of Ministry not of the principall cause 2. Great is the necessity of Scripture The doctrine of life could never without a scripturall delivery have been found out without it indeed this doctrine was between two and three thousand years preserved by the delivery of a lively voice but afterwards when their lives who were to deliver the word grew short men numerous memory frail the bounds of the Church inlarged corruptions frequent and therefore tradition an unfaithfull keeper of the purity of doctrine as appears by Tharah's Jos 24.3 Gen. 35.2 Apostoli quod primum praeconiaverunt postea per Dei voluntatem in Scripturis nobis tradi derunt fundamentum columnam fidei uostrae futurae Iren. lib. 3. adv haeres c. 1. and Abram's worshipping of other gods the idolatry in Jacob's family c. God appointed that the doctrine of life should be committed to writing and upon supposition of the will and pleasure of God whose wisdome hath now thought fit to give us no other rule and foundation of faith the written word is now necessary as the means of delivering faith to us Had not the faith therefore been delivered in Scriptures whence should it have been found how retained The written word is the cabbinet wherein lies the jewell of faith the starre which shews where the Babe lodgeth the light which discovers the beauty of salvation A Book of Apocalyps or Revelation of Christ 3. Strong is the engagement upon us to be thankfull for Gods discovering to us the doctrine of faith It was above the compasse of Reason and Nature ever to have found it out by their own inquiry Rom. 16.25 Ephes 1.9 Ephes 3.9 neither men nor Angels could have known it without divine revelation It was a mystery a great an hidden mystery which was
heaven people must not hear them delivering another Gospel 4. Observ 4. Infinite is the power of God to preserve the faith perpetually and unalterably The doctrine of faith is a torch burning in the midst of the sea It 's a Moses's bush burning not consumed All oppositions are by God turned into victories on its side The smutchings which Hereticks cast upon it are but to make it shine the brighter Naked truth will vanquish armed errour 5. This delivering of the faith once Observ 5. regulates the notion of new lights If we understand by new light a new and further degree of knowledge to understand what is unchangeably delivered in the Scripture new light is a most desirable gift but if by it we understand pretended truths which are new to Scripture varnish'd over with the name of new light they are to be shun'd for false lights which lead to perdition After Christ hath spoken in the word we must not be curious 't is bastard doctrine which springs up after the Scripture This one thing believe that nothing but Scripture Doctrine is to be believed 6. Observ 6. Gods unchangeable perpetuall delivery of the faith is a singular encouragement to expect his blessing in the delivery of it It may encourage Ministers and people He who hath promised a Gospel to the end of the world hath also promised to be with the deliverers of it to that time He who will continue a Gospel to us if sought will also continue his grace to it He who bestows the doctrine of faith will not deny the grace of faith if we duely ask it When the Lord bestowes the seed of his word be encouraged to expect the showers of his blessing If he sticks up his candles comfortably hope that he will put light by his Spirit to them 7. Observ 7. It 's a great comfort to the Saints that in all their changes and losses their best blessings shall never be altered or utterly removed In an impure world there shall ever be kept up a pure word This light shall never be put out till the Sun of righteousnesse ariseth at the last day God will keep his stars in his right hand They who will go about to remove the stars in his right hand shall feel the strength of his right hand Of the Ministry it may be said as Isaac said of Jacob God hath blessed them and they shall be blessed The Saints shall have a golden Gospel though they live in an iron age 8. Observ ult It must be our care to be stedfast in the faith and to shun hereticall superadditions and superstructures We must beware lest being led away by the errour of the wicked we fall from our stedfastnesse 2 Pet. 3.17 To this end 1. We must be grounded in the knowledge of the truth Ignorant and doubting people will easily be seduced Silly women 2 Tim. 3.6 ever learning and never coming to the knowledge of the truth will easily be led away Children in knowledge will soon be tossed with every wind of doctrine Eph. 4.14 They will like water be of the same figure with the vessell into which it 's put They will be of their last doctors opinion 2. We must get a love to the truth Many receive the truth for fear of loss disgrace c. or hope of gaine preferment c. or because others do so and as hounds who follow the game not because they have the sent of it but because their fellows pursue it These who embrace the truth they know not why will leave it they know not how and by the same motives for which they now embrace the truth they may be induced to forsake truth and embrace errour God often sends to those strong delusions that they should beleeve a lie who received not the love of the truth 2 Thes 1.11 3. Nourish no known sin The Jewel of faith can never be kept in a crack'd cabbinet a crazy conscience He who puts away a good conscience concerning faith will soon make shipwrack 1. Tim. 1.19 Those silly women laden with sins may easily be led captives 2 Tim. 3.6 Solomon by following strange women soon embraced strange and idolatrous practices Demas having loved the present world soon forsook Paul 2 Tim. 4.10 Seducers through covetousness wil make merchandise of souls 2 Pet. 2.3 Tit. 1.11 Pride will also hinder from finding and keeping wisdome Prov. 14.6 God giveth grace to the humble and resisteth the proud The garment of humility is the souls guard against every spirituall mischief 'T is prudent counsell to be clothed with humility 1 Pet. 5.5 An humble soul will neither hatch nor easily be hurt by heresies 4. Labour to grow in grace Beware saith the Apostle lest being led away with the errour of the wicked ye fall from your own stedfastness the remedy is immediately subjoyn'd but grow in grace They who stand at a stay will soon go backwards This for the first part of the duty to which the Apostle exhorted these Christians viz. What the thing was which he commended to them to maintain The faith once delivered to the Saints The second followeth namely the means whereby he exhorts them to defend the faith by an earnest contending for it That you should earnestly contend Two things offer themselves in the Explanation 1. 1. Explicat To shew what the force and importance of that word is which is translated earnestly contend 2. More fully what the Apostle here intends by earnest contending for the faith and wherein this earnest contention doth consist as it is imployed for the faith 1. The compound-word in the original 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 unto which our English words Earnestly contend do answer Decerto Bez. Supercerto Vulg. John 18.36 Luk. 13.24 1 Cor. 9.25 Col. 1.29 1 Tim. 6.12 2 Tim. 4.7 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 propriè dicitur de aestuatione animi in eo qui in certamen descensurus est Accipitur pro luctâ in morte Gerh. Harm is onely used in this place throughout the whole new Testament All the severall translations thereof by interpreters speak this contention to which Jude exhorts these Christians to be eminent extraordinary The word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 out of composition though then it importeth not so notable a contention as here in composition it doth is rightly translated to strive to fight and that as for the mastery to labour fervently and signifieth that vehement fighting and striving which was wont to be among wrastlers in their solemn games with sweat pains and trouble but it being so compounded as in this place it importeth a more renowned and famous contention than ordinary It is not agreed by all wherein the force of the composition 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 consisteth Some conceive that thereby the Apostle intends they should add one kind of contention to another as possibly an open professed to an inward and secret contention Others that the Apostle would have them
suffering them to enter among them he saith They were before ordained to this condemnation he thereby teaching that God was neither regardless and unmindfull of the Church nor indulgent to the false teachers or their false teachings 2. In setting down the impiety of these Seducers 1. He expresseth it more generally saying They were ungodly 2. More particularly he shews wherein that ungodlinesse appeared 1. In their abusing the grace of God Turning the grace c. 2. In their opposing the God of grace Denying the onely Lord c. 1 The Apostle describes the entrance of the seducers among the Christians Explicat And 1. He describes it from the nature of the parties entring They are men 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Apostle seems for two reasons to note the nature of these seducers calling them men Riv. in loc Me. lius sentiunt qui per hominis funes intelligunt omnem humanam amabilem tractationem qualis solet esse hominum erga homines Homines hominum causâ generati sunt ut ipsi inter se alii aliis prodesse possint Cic. l. 5. Offic. 1. To aggravate the sin of the seducers One man should be helpfull not hurtfull to another Man is a word used to denote goodness I drew them with the cords of a man saith God Hos 11.4 to express his gentleness toward the people And in our ordinary expression humanity is used for kind and helpfull carriage Cruelty to the body is more beseeming beasts but cruelty to the soul is fitter to be used by Divels than by men The nearer any one is to us the more heinous is the hurt which he offers us or we him Natura nos cognatos edidit Senec. Nature hath made us near of kin To be cruel and hurtfull to others is to put off the man as well as the Christian 2. To amplifie the danger of these Christians Men like our selves may most probably prevail over us by their seducements Non lupi silvestres sed urbani specie humanâ lupinam vitiositatem tegunt Were they Divels or beasts they might affright but being men they allure As it 's the wisdome of God to send us holy men to instruct us and win us to himself so it s the subtilty of Satan to send wicked men to seduce and draw us from God None hurt so unexpectedly and unavoydably as those who are near and sutable to our nature Seducers are Satans dequoyes to fetch men in to him by multiiudes 1. Observ 1. Sin hath made even man a hurtfull creature Not onely man hurtfull to beasts and beasts to man but man to man Even man who should be in stead of God a keeper a defender is by sin made a wolf a destroyer of man Man till sinfull was never harmfull Before he sin'd he naked neither fear'd nor offer'd wrong His sinless state will ever be known by the name of a state of innocency or hurtlesness 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sine cornibus non feriens cornibus Phil. 2.15 and when the lost image of God is again restored he is made a Lamb a Dove a harmless or as the word in the Originall signifies a hornless creature But how much more than brutishly cruel hath sin made man become witness not only the vast multitude of men destroyed in all ages by men and the incredibly exquisite tortures as wrackings sawings burnings c. against man invented by man as if sin had set up an hellish inquisition in mans nature but even the murders committed by Seducers and Hereticks upon the souls of men it being now as much against corrupt nature to go towards hell alone as to walk in the wayes of heaven at all Oh that we could contemplate the odiousnesse of sin in this glass of it's harmfulness 2. Observ 2. We should not content our selves in being meer men He who is and continues no more but a man had better never to have been so much as a man A man altogether without grace though otherwise never so exquisitely accomplished is but a tame divell and often most hurtfull How restlesse should we be till the divine nature be bestowed upon us 2 Per. 14. The naturall man or the man who hath no more than a rationall soul naturall abilities and perfections as he cannot receive so he can and will oppose the things of the Spirit of God Satan can as easily enter as assault a man meerly naturall And many who have had religious education and made hopefull beginnings yet having never been by a saving change of heart more then men have soon shewn themselves as bad almost as divels Nature elevated to the highest pitch by its most exquisite improvements is still but nature it may thereby be coloured over but grace can only change it 3. Observ 3. We should beware of those who are but meer naturall men and have nothing more or more excellent then humane nature It 's the Command of Christ to beware of men Mat. 10.17 Beware of them 1. lest they betray your liberties lives or externall welfare Naturae bonitas nisi pietate confirmetur facilè illabescit Cartw. Harm Christ committed not himselfe to man because he knew what was in man and let not us commit our selves to them because we know not what is in them Nature is a slippery thing and unlesse back'd by grace will prove but unsteady How oft have I seen found I had almost said that the love of acquaintance meerly naturall ends upon change of times either in persecution or at the best in cruell compassion in perswading to self-preservation by wracking conscience and offending God! 2. Especially let us beware lest they betray our souls by seducing them from God and truth Follow no man further than he follows God Look upon every man as a rule ruled not as a rule ruling Captivate thy understanding to none but God Take equall heed of receiving the word of God as the word of man and of receiving the word of man as the word of God The errour of the Master is the tentation of the scholer Love no man so much as to follow that of his which is not lovely in that sense call no man Master We must never beleeve errour when he speaks it nor truth because he speaks it 4. Satan is wont to make use of such instruments as Observ 4. may most probably do his work He loves to put upon himself the most taking and insinuating shape when he comes to tempt us He imployed the most subtill creature to convey his tentations to our first parents Ordinarily he makes use of men and most commonly of the fittest either for parts or seeming piety to work upon men He also hath his Apostles and Ministers to pervert the world 2 Cor. 11.13.15 transforming themselves into the Apostles of Christ and the Ministers of righteousnesse But how unworthy is it for men to suffer Satan to use their parts and wits against their Maker
urinator Herodot Luke 4.40 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Mat. 8.11 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1. First the meaning of the word The word comprehends two things 1. It implies a fact brought about accomplished which is an obtaining of a through entrance and getting into some place or company noted in the preposition 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in or into 2. It mainly intends the manner of accomplishing it or the course taken and used to effect and bring that entrance about which is by slynesse and subtilty close and cunning carriage and entrance unawares the single and simple verb 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifieth subeo mergo ingredior to dive sink to go in to go under and it 's used concerning the setting of the Sun as Mark 1.32 and Luke 4.40 c. because it seems then to sink or dive into the sea And the Apostle speaks of some 2 Tim. 3.6 who crept into houses 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Vulg. qui penetrant i. e. qui penitus intrant Scire volunt secreta domus atque inde timeri Subrepserunt Bez. subintroierunt Vulg. Furtive se insinuare Latenter furtive ingredi Obiter subrepere Obliquè se ingerere tanquam aliud agentes ingredi adding only the preposition 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in to this verb 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which Beza translates qui irrepunt others qui immergunt who subtilly silently slip in and dive as it were to the bottom to search and understand the affaires of houses as Jesuites use to do in States and Kingdoms But the principall Emphasis lieth in the preposition 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which added to the former verb signifieth a more secret and subtle close and deceitfull manner of Seducers entrance than the simple word will bear and it imports their entrance in a by-way at a back-door theevishly by little and little clancularly unawares creepingly a winding in by stealth obliquely beside the way of any reall worth and fit qualifications of integrity and piety to further the spirituall welfare of the Church and beside the intentions of the faithfull who not knowing what manner of men these Seducers were but conceiving them by reason of their painted and specious appearances of godlinesse to be worthy of admission gave them entrance before they were aware And this is the force of the preposition 2 Pet. 2.1 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 they shall privily bring in heresies that is subtilly deceitfully and so as the Church should not be aware of them they bringing in their errours under the notion and appearance of truth The same force hath the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Gal. 2.4 in two words in that one verse where the Apostle speaks of false brethren 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 unawares brought in who 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 came in privily Irreptitios subintroductos obiter ingressos subintroductitios c. They crept into the company of the faithfull by fraud and such cunning artifices specious and plausible pretences that the faithfull never went about to keep them out for though in both these places of Jude and Galatians their coming in might not be unawares so as that the faithfull knew not at all of their coming in yet it was unawares so as that they knew not what manner of persons how unworthy and hereticall c. they were when they did come in among them 2. The second thing to be explained is the agreement of the word thus opened to the Seducers in their entrance among these Christians 1. It agrees to them in regard they had already gotten in they were fully entred by their artifices they had obtained footing in the Church And the Apostle urgeth these Christians by this motive of the nearnesse of these seducers to them and their presence among them that they should be the more strenuous in contending against them God had suffered them to obtain entrance that those Christians who were approved might be made manifest The sincerity of the faithfull was discovered by the apostacy of hypocrites When a City is altogether in peace all the Inhabitants are accounted faithfull and loyall but when seditions and commotions arise they who are faithfull to the Prince are then discovered from the rest And when heresies and persecutions for the truth arise the sincerity of the faithfull is manifested by the defection of those who in times of peace seem'd haply as good as the best Thou shalt not saith God to his people hearken to the words of that prophet or dreamer of dreams for the Lord your God proveth you to know whether you love the Lord your God c. And by the entrance of these seducers the faithfull were more excited to search after and to defend the truth Both the sincerity of believers and the truths to be believed were made more evident Nothing is so certain as that which out of doubtfulnesse is made certain The Sun of truth breaks most clearly out of a cloud of errours * Pet. Molin in Epist dedic ad Enodation Languesceret fides no irritata ex judiciorum conflictu quasi ex collisione silicum emicant veritatis scintillae quae tandem victrix perrumpit obstantia Debemus Pelagio coelestio Aureolos tractatus Augustini de praedestinatione de natura gratia perseverantia Pravum haereticorum acumen viri sancti acuebat industriam Aug. de ver rel c. 8. Haeretici plurimum prosunt non verum docendo quod nesciunt sed ad verum quaerendum carnales ad verum aperiendum spirituales catholicos excitando The clashing of the faithfull and erroneous like the striking of flint and steel sends forth the brightly shining sparks of truth Yea further God by the entrance of these hereticks made both them and their hypocriticall followers manifest to the world that so they might at once both patefacere and pudefacere as Pareus speaks on 1 Cor. 11.19 discover and disgrace themselves before all men who hereby might know and shun them By the entrance also of these seducers the faithfull saw that this world was not a place of locall separation from all wicked ones and were incited to long for that place where good and bad shall be perfectly parted 2. The word here used of creeping in unawares agrees to these seducers in regard of the manner of their entrance which was close subtle hypocriticall and unawares without any fitness in themselves to enter or any intention in the faithful to admit them they only using many slie and sinfull artifices to bring both their persons and pinions into reputation among the faithfull by reason of which both were suffered unawares to enter although indeed both deserved to be kept out before and thrown out after their entrance This practise in the generall of insinuating creeping and winding unawares into the society and estimations of the faithfull hath been used both by these and all other seducers and therefore 2 Cor. 11.13 Paul cals
these false Apostles deceitfull workers Satan using them for his instruments to beguile as sometime he did the Serpent which beguiled Eve Likewise Rom. 16.18 Paul saith that they deceive the hearts of the simple And Acts 20.30 that they draw many disciples after them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 By these Gal. 3.1 the Galatians were bewitched These would have beguiled the Colossians Col. 2.18 They have their slight and cunning craftinesse whereby they lie in wait to deceive Ephes 4.14 They creep into houses and lead captive silly women 2 Tim. 3.6 They are seducers and deceiving ver 13. False teachers privily bringing in damnable heresies 2 Pet. 2.1 And they make merchandise of people 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ver 3. And they allure ver 18. those who were clean c. But more particularly the by-wayes in which they go the subtle artifices and insinuations by whith they creep into the company and good opinions of the Church and deceitfully enter unawares are such as these 1. They conceal their opinions Vid. Aug. contr Pelag. l. 1. Pelagius dixit liberum sic confitemur arbitrium ut dicamus nos semper indigere Dei auxilio ita homi nis laudamus naturam ut Dei semper gratiam addamus auxilium Anathema qui docet gratiam Dei per singulos actus nostros non esse necessariam Diligenter est interrogandus Pelagius quam dicat gratiam quâ fateatur homines adjuvari c. Mihi paenè persuaserat hanc illam gratiam de qua quaestio est confiteri Aug. de gra Christ c. 37. In fraudem nomen Christi circumferunt Hos 7.8 especially at their first entrance Either they totally forbear the delivering of errours or else they deliver them so darkly cloudily and ambiguously as that they may finde subterfuges and places for retreating whensoever they are charged with them They love to know but are wary in being known like Moles they labour to spoil the ground by keeping under ground It 's often harder to finde them than to overcome them Their words and phrases have divers senses the same sentence shall speak both truth and falshood so that their disciples shall understand them one way and the ingenuous hearer shall hope that they meant another by reason of which deceit they resemble some light-fingerd-dealers who can steal even from those who look upon them Augustine was sometime almost well perswaded concerning Pelagius so seemingly orthodoxe were his expressions about grace 2. They utter some reall and wholsome truths Their custome is to mix something true with much that is false that thereby they may put off one with another The false Apostles taught Christ joyning some other thing with him in the cause of salvation and so the Papists at this day Their doctrines like that cake which Hosea saith was not turned are neither raw nor baked i. e. neither altogether true nor altogether false or like a picture which seems beautifull on the one side and deformed on the other or like the commodities of some deceitfull chapmen the top the uppermost of the bag is good and vendible but the wares which are under are corrupt and unsound or as that image the head is of gold but the feet of iron and clay Errour would never be honour'd before the people unlesse it were seen in the company of truth As a man who is often taken in a lie is not believed when he speaks the truth so he who is often observ'd to speak truth is not mistrusted though he somtimes utters what is false 3. They preach doctrines pleasing to corrupt nature 2 Pet. 2.18 such as are most delightfull to flesh and bloud They know that naturally people cannot endure sound doctrine Isai 30.10 2 Tim. 4.3 2 Cor. 2.17 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 desire not to have right things prophesied to them but smooth things and deceits and therefore they corrupt and deal deceitfully with the word like deceitfull Vintners who for gain mix water with their wine meer truth they know would be bitter truth veritas mera veritas amara and therefore they are more desirous to be sweet and unsound than harsh and wholsome suting their doctrines as some fable of the taste of the Manna in the wildernesse to the pleasure of every pallate Hence it was that the false Apostles preach'd up circumcision and other abrogated observations because they knew such doctrines only would be savoury to Jewish pallates And hence it was that these seducers preached doctrines of liberty and licentiousnesse 2 Pet. 2.19 Jude 4. and such as turned the grace of God into lasciviousnesse making the narrow way to heaven seem broader then God ever intended it holding before peoples eyes the spectacles of carnall liberty wherby in their passage over the narrow bridge of Christianity they adventuring upon a supposed bredth tumble down into the waters of perdition 4. They deliver such doctrines as savour of novelty The subjects of which they treat must be represented as rare and unusuall to accomplish which either they put upon them a new dresse a new shape and fashion of words and expressions or they deliver either that which is false and against Scripture they chusing rather to be erroneous than not to be rare and often venting for new truths old errours new drest or that which is nice and very uncertainly grounded upon Scripture they preferring a doubtfull before a common way well knowing that usuall truths will not sute with itching eares If the doctrines which they deliver be old and ordinary truths they often as men use to do by old stuffes water them over with new expressions strange and new-minted phrases not savouring of Scripture-simplicity or agreeable to the pattern of wholsome words 5. They labour to work the godly and orthodox Ministers out of the affections of their hearers They erect a building of honour for themselves upon the ruins of the reputation of such who deserve to stand when they are ruin'd Well they know 2 Cor. 10.10 as long as the messenger is loved the message is not like to be loathed They had much rather stand in the peoples light than that a godly Minister should stand in theirs Omnis apostata est osor sui Ordinis The greatest enemies to true have ever been false teachers Thus it was of old Michaiah and Jeremiah had the one a Zedekiah the other a Pashur to smite them And as the practice of smiting with the tongue at least still continues Amos 7.10 so doth the pretence of that practice Hence 't is that faithfull Ministers must be represented as the disturbers and troublers of Church and State though the true reason why turbulent practices against the peace of both are by false prophets condemned a good work is that they may get all the practice to themselves while the peaceable servants of Christ are only suspected Non accuso verba tanquam vasa pretiosa fed vinum quod in illis
propinatur ab ebriosis doctoribus Aug. I mislike not the vessels good words but il wine offer'd in them by drunken teachers Nor did any so subtilly undermine blessed Paul as the false Apostles his great labour in some Epistles being the vindication of his Apostolical reputation If the eminency of a godly Minister for piety and parts be so evident as that they dare not bring any downright accusation against him then these creeping seducers will ordinarily either doubt of or deny his calling or else will mention his commendations with a But of their own framing or else so slightly and lukewarmly commend him as thus perhaps a good honest man a well meaning man a pretty man as that it shall almost amount to a discommendation 6. They affix the highest commendations imaginable to their own opinions and persons 1. Their opinions they represent as the wayes of God the glorious beamings out of light the only pathes of peace and sweetnesse the liberty of the Gospel and other such like good words and fair speeches Rom. 16.18 they use to deceive the hearts of the simple Like Mountebanks who despairing that any will buy their oyles and medicines for any good they find by them are wont themselves to commend their vertue to the ignorant throng 2. Their own persons they represent as the most eminently qualified for grace and learning of any the meer sons of men They trumpet out their own godlinesse and humility meeknesse Mat. 7.15 though Christ tels us they are wolves in sheeps clothing And experience proves them with Montanus Arius Novatus Pelagius Arminius to be but Satans Ministers transformed as the Ministers of righteousnesse 2 Cor. 11.14 They pretend themselves to be the only Ministers though herein they do but imitate their Predecessours who said they were Apostles but were not Rev. 2.2 1 Cor. 11.13 transforming themselves into the Apostles of Christ Their rare and raised parts their unparalell'd abilities and deep in-sight into Gospel truths they proclaim to all the world using great swelling words of vanity in imitation of him who gave out that himself was some great one that so he might be said to be the great power of God Acts 8.9 10. and all because they know the fond multitude is ever more ready to judge of faith by the person than of the person by his faith 1. The presence of wicked mon in the Church Observ 1. is no sufficient ground of being offended at the Church Mixtures of good and bad men have ever been in the best societies nor is it to be expected till the harvest that tares and wheat can be parted perfectly neither the godly Mat. 13.30 nor Gods ordinances are therefore to be forsaken because the wicked are mixed Needlesse society with the wicked much more society with them in their wickednesse is to be avoided but not such as from which we have no warrant from God to separate or wherein we joyn not in sin but in that which is in it self holy saving commanded As God doth not so neither must man punish the innocent whether himselfe or another for the nocent I flie from the chaffe lest I should be also such saith Aug. Fugio paleam ne hoc fim non fugio aream ne nihil sim I forsake not the floor lest I should be nothing And though God doth not account evill to be good yet he accounts it good that there should be evill And that good we shall find could we as we ought be more watchfull zealous humble fervent in prayer longing for heaven by the necessitated company of wicked men 2. Observ 2. Satan useth sundry sorts of attempts to hurt the Church Somtimes he creeps and croucheth at other times he roars and rageth He hath severall shapes and often changeth his habit though he never layeth aside his hatred Non deponit odium sed mutat ingenium One while he openly acknowledged that Christ was the Son of God afterwards he stirr'd up his instruments to destroy Christ because he made himselfe the Son of God Luke 4.41 John 19.7 Satan like an high-way robber frequently changeth his apparell that so the unwary passenger may not discern him he seldome appears in the same habit twice together In some ages of the Church he is a red dragon in other an old Serpent somtimes he useth his sword at other times his pen. He commonly proceeds from one extreme to another from endeavouring to overthrow the Church by persecution under heathens to the hurting it more by promotions and seducings under Papacy In one age he advanceth superstition in another prophanenesse in one nothing shall be lawfull in another every thing None shall preach at one time every one at another We cannot therfore judge that a way is none of Satans because it differs from that which was somtimes his but because it agrees with that which is always Gods 3. Satan is most hurtfull to the Church Observ 3. when he opposeth it by subtilty and creeping when he comes not as an open enemy but an appearing friend He is never so much a divell Serpit putrida tabes hypocrisis per omne corpus ecclesiae omnes sunt amici omnes inimici omnes necessarii omnes adversarii omnes domestici nulli pacifici Ecce in pace amaritudo mea amara prius in nece martyrum amarior post in conflictu haereticorum Bern. ser 33. in Cant. as when he appears in white transforms himself into an Angel of light He doth more hurt by creeping into than breaking into the Church False apostles seducers in the Church have been more hurtful to it by fraud than bloudy paganish persecuters by force Satan hath gained more victories by using the one as sun-shine to dazle the eyes than by raising the other as winde to blow in the faces of the faithfull For his subtilty rather coloureth vice than openly contendeth against vertue Under the resemblance of those graces for which Saints are most eminent he drawes to those neighbour-vices which seem to have most affinity with their Christian perfections He colours over superstition with religion carnall policy with Christian prudence cruelty with justice toleration with mercy indiscreet fervour with zeal pertinacy with constancy And never doth sin so much prevail against us as when it lies in ambush behind appearances of piety Nor is Satans subtilty lesse hurtfull in using the ablest and most refined wits to devise and defend impious novelties against the orthodox faith as Arius Sabellius Pelagius c. of old and of late Servetus Socinus Arminius c. Satan fits every actor with a part agreeable to him and carves his Mercury on the most promising pieces Those whom God hath furnished with the best weapons of parts and arts have commonly given his cause the deepest wounds It 's our duty with prudence to countermine subtilty to steer our course by the card of Scripture to mislike
the barren wildernesse and they are by God compared to drossie silver Jer. 6.28 which all the art and pains of the Silver-smith cannot refine and therefore called reprobate silver These seducers in Gods Ort-yard were trees without fruit twice dead pluck'd up by the roots Jude 12. 4. A fourth woe in this condemnation is Gods giving them up to strong delusion a delighting in errour and false doctrine with a believing it and thus seducers are said not only to deceive but to be deceived 2 Tim. 3.13 2 Thes 2.10 11. and those who received not the love of the truth had strong delusion sent them from God and upon them the deceivablenesse of unrighteousnesse takes hold and thus God suffered a lying spirit to deceive Ahab and his prophets 5. A fifth woe in this condemnation is a stumbling at and a quarrelling with the word of life 1 Pet. 2.8 and Christ the rock of salvation Thus Paul speaks of some who were contentious and obeyed not the truth Rom. 2.8 and of seducers who resist the truth 2 Tim. 3.8 Like these in Jude who contended so muth against the faith that all which Christians could do was little enough to contend for it against those who made the Gospel a plea for licenciousnesse 6. A sixth woe in this condemnation is progressiveness in sin 2 Tim. 3.13 and as the Apostle speaks of seducers a waxing worse and worse a walking so far into the sea of sin as at length to be over head and eares a descending to the bottom of the hill a daily treasuring up wrath a proficiency in Satans school a growing artificially wicked and even doctors of impiety 7. Which lastly will prove the great and heavy woe not to be contented to be wicked and to go to hell alone but to be leaders to sin 2 Tim. 3.13 and to leaven others with impiety and thus Paul saith that seducers were deceiving as well as deceived 2 Pet. 2.2 And Peter that many shall follow their pernicious wayes And certainly impiety propagated shall be condemnation heightned 2. Why is this punishment of seducers called Condemnation 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the cause for the effect I grant Condemnation is properly the sentence or censure condemning one to some punishment and though in this place it be taken for the very punishment it selfe yet fitly doth the Spirit of God set out this punishment of wicked men by a word that notes a sentencing them thereunto And that 1. Because a sentence of condemnation is even already denounced against them 2. Because it is such a punishment as by judiciary sentence is wont to be inflicted upon guilty offenders 1. It is really and truly denounced c. For besides Gods fore-appointing the wicked to this condemnation as it is the punishment of sin the execution of his justice wicked men are in this life sentenced to punishment 1. By the word of God which tels them that God will render to every man according to his deeds to them who do not obey the truth but obey unrighteousnesse indignation and wrath Rom. 2.8 c. And that he who believeth not is condemned already John 3.18 2. By their own conscience which accuseth and condemneth as Gods Deputy and here tels them what they deserve both here and hereafter If our hearts condemne us c. 1 John 3.20 c. 3. By the judgements of God manifested against those who have lived in the same sins the wrath of God being revealed against all unrighteousnesse Rom. 1.18 4. By the contrary courses of the godly The practices of Saints really proclaiming that because the wayes of the wicked are sinfull and destructive therefore they avoid them Mat. 12.41 42. and thus Noah sentenced the old world by being a practicall Preacher of righteousnesse 2 Pet. 2.5 And all these sentencings of wicked men do but make way for that last and great sentence to be pronounced at the day of judgment Mat. 7.23 Mat. 25.41 to the punishment both of eternall losse and pain 2. It is such a punishment as by judiciary sentence is wont to be executed upon guilty offenders and so it is in two respects 1. Because it is Righteous 2. Severe 1. Righteous These Seducers were not spiritually punished without precedent provocations Rom. 1.28 as they did not like to retaine God in their knowledge God gave them over to a reprobate mind 2 Thes 2.10 and God sends them justly strong delusions that they should beleeve and teach a lie because they received not the love of the truth and because they would not be Scholers of truth they justly become Masters of error 2. The punishment of wicked men is such as is wont to be inflicted upon offenders by a sentence because of its weight and severity It is not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not a paternall chastisement or a rebuke barely to convince of a fault but it 's 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Judges sentence condemning to a punishment the guilty Malefactor It is not medicinall but penall not the cutting of a Chirurgian but of a Destroyer the happinesse of correction stands in teaching us but this punishment is the giving of sinners up to unteachablenesse and what is it indeed but a hell on this side hell for God to withdraw his grace and to suffer men to be as wicked as they will to be daily damning themselves without controle to bee carried down to the gulf of perdition both by the wind of Satans tentation and which is worse the tide of sinfull inclination For God to say Be and do as bad as you will be filthy still Rev. 22.11 sleep on now and take your rest I le never jog nor disturb you in your sins How sore a judgment is it to be past feeling so as that nothing cooler than hel fire and lighter then the loyns of an infinite God can make us sensible though too late OBSERVATIONS 1. Observ 1. The condemnation of the wicked is begun in this life As heaven so hell is in the seed before it is in the fruit The wicked on this side hell are tunning and treasuring up that wrath Rom. 2.5 which hereafter shall be broached and revealed The wicked have even here hell in its causes The old bruises which their souls by sin have received in this life will be painfull when the change of weather comes when God alters their condition by death When thy lust asks How canst thou want the pleasure let thy faith answer by asking another question How can I bear the pain of such a sin Observ 2. Tristitia nostra quasi habet quia in somnis tranfit Qui somnium indicat addit quasi quasi sedebam quasi loquebar quasi equitabā quia cum evigelaverit non invenit quod videbat Quasi thesaurum inveneram dicit mendicus si quasi non esset mendicus non
The sharpest knife grows blunt without whetting the most honest debtor sometimes wants calling on The Apostle Peter puts the Christians in remembrance to stir up even their pure minds 2 Pet. 3.1 The freest Christian sometime wanteth the spur Our very sanctified affections are like heated water which of it self grows cold but neither retains nor increaseth its heats unlesse the fire be put under and blown up Good things in the heart lie as embers under ashes and need daily stirring up OBSERVATIONS 1. Great is the sin of those who contemn repeated truths Observ 1. A Christian must not have an itching but an humble and obedient ear Sinfull is that curiositie that despiseth a wholesome truth because it 's common Truths delivered of old may possibly now be freshly usefull and those delivered now may be helpfull in old age or on our death-beds Who would neglect a friend that may stand him in stead hereafter Every truth like a Lease brings in revenue the next year as well as this He that knows truth never so fully knows no hurt by it nay the more he knows the more of worth he sees in it How foolish are those Christians who count no doctrine good but what is new who as 't is storied of Heliogabalus cannot endure to eat twice of one dish How just will it be for want to overtake the wantoness of these hearers 2. Observ 2. Christians must not only receive but retain also the truths of God Our Memories must be heavenly store-houses and treasuries of precious truths not like hour-glasses which are no sooner full but they are running out The commandments must be bound upon our hearts and holy instructions like Books in a Library must be chained to our memories Keep these words in the midst of thy heart saith Solomon Prov. 4.21 And I have hid thy word in my heart that I might not sin against thee saith David Psal 119.11 The slipperinesse of our memories causeth many slips in our lives Peter forgot his Master and then forgot himself First he forgot the word of a Master and then he forgot the duty of a servant Conscience cannot be urged by that truth which memory doth not retain The same truths which being taken in begat our graces being kept in will increase our graces To help us in remembring heavenly truths Let us 1. be reverent and heedfull in our attentions as receiving a message from God He who regards not a truth in hearing how shall he retain it afterward 2. Let us love every heavenly truth as our treasure Delight helps memory Psal 119.16 and what we love we keep 3. Our memories should not be taken up with vanities A Christian should be most carefull to keep that which Satan is most industrious to steal away and he is like a theef breaking into an house who takes not away earthen vessels but plate and jewels Satan empties not the head of worldly trifles but of the most precious things The Memory which is fill'd onely with earthly concernments is like a golden Cabinet fill'd with dung 4. Let Instruction be followed with meditation prayer conference Deut. 6.6.7 Psa 119.97 and holy conversation by all these it is hid in the heart the more deeply and driven home the more throughly 3. Observ 3. There is a constant necessitie of a consciencious Ministry People know and remember but in part and as children and till that which is imperfect be done away we cannot spare ministeriall remembrances We shall want Pastors teachers Eph. 4.12.13 c. till we all meet c. in a perfect man And there are none weary of the Ministry but they who love not to be remembred of their duty Of this before 4. The forgetfulnesse of the people Observ 4. must not discourage the Minister A Boat is not to be cast up and broken in pieces for every leak the dullest and weakest hearer must not be cast off for his crazy memory but pitied The very Lambs of Christ must be fed the feeblest child in his house attended Paul was gentle among the Christians even as a nurse cherisheth her children If the preaching of a truth once will not serve the turn if it be not understood or remembred the first time Ministers must declare it more plainly the next time and put people in remembrance again and again 5. Observ 5. The work of Ministers is not to contrive Doctrines but to recall them They should deliver what they have received not what they have invented Their power is not to make but manifest laws for the conscience That good thing saith Paul to Timothie which was committed to thee keep c. Ministers are not Masters but Stewards of the mysteries of God Thus much the first part of the preface The duty of the Apostle The second follows the commendation of the Christians Yee once knew this EXPLICATION It may be demanded Why the Apostle saith that the Christians once knew this following example of the Israelites of which hee puts them in remembrance The Apostle mentions this knowledg of the Christians that he may gain their good will and favourable respect to the truth of which he was now speaking and that his arguing from these examples might the more easily find entertainment with them For by saying that they knew this 1. He labours to win them to a love of himself by commending them and acknowledging that good to be which he saw in them He commends them for their knowledg and expertnesse in scripture and declares that he spake not to rude ignorant but to expert Christians 2. He gains the reputation of certainty to the truths of which he was speaking he appealing for this to their own knowledg which was so clear herein Concerning the word once I have spoken largely before pag. 231 232. that he amplifieth it by saying that they knew it once that is certainly unchangeably and once for all never to revoke and alter this knowledg and both these insinuations useth Paul to the Corinthians 1 Cor. 10.15 I speak as to wise men judg ye what I say And to Agrippa for the gaining his favour to that cause which he there defended Acts 26.3 I think my selfe happy that I shall answer for my selfe before thee c. because I know thee to be expert in all customes and questions which are among the Jews And ver 26. The king knoweth of these things before whom I speak freely 3. By saying that they knew this he prevents the objection which might be made against what he was about to speak in regard that it was old and ordinary he insinuating that of set purpose be did produce a known and ancient truth rather then a new and unheard of uncertainty OBSERVATIONS 1 Knowledg is very commendable in a Christian For this the Romans are chap. 15.14 commended I am perswaded brethren that ye are full of goodnesse 1 Cor. 1.5 filled with all knowledg For this grace given to the
it be sweet or no. Jesus Christ hath given us no commission to study the pleasure but the preservation of our people It s better that our people should be angry for not pleasing their lusts than that God should be angry for not profiting their souls 6. Observ 6. The truths of the word are to be known unchangeably Gal. 1.6 Ephes 4.14 Si fidem scrutari haesitando caeperimus omnium patiemur jacturam Theophylact. in Rom. 1. Col. 2.2 Helps hereunto see pa. 238 239. stedfastly once for all Christians must not be removed from the truth they must labour to be men in understanding and not be children tossed to and fro with every winde of doctrine They must be known by the truth as men say they will by the gift of a friend many years after 't is delivered Holy instructions must be entertaind with full assurance of understanding and look'd upon not as opinions but assertions more sure than what we see with our bodily eys A seepticall doubtfull staggering Christian will soon prove a falling an apostatizing Christian A Christian must be rooted and grounded in the love of the truth Ephes 3.17 Thus far of the first part of the verse viz. the Preface prefixed I come now to the second namely the Example propounded in these words How that the Lord having saved the people out of the land of Egypt afterward destroyed them that beleeved not In the Example I consider 1. A famous deliverance The Lord having saved the people out of the land of Egypt 2. A destruction following that deliverance Afterward destroyed 3. The meritorious cause of that destruction Vnbeleef Those that beleeved not I. The deliverance is contained in these words The Lord having saved the people out of the land of Egypt EXPLICATION The greatnesse of this mercy in delivering the Israelites out of Egypt is frequently mentioned in Scripture Deut. 4.20 Lev. 26.13 Psa 77.15 16 19 20 Psa 78.12 13 14. and from ver 41. to 54. Psal 105. form ver 23. to 39. Psal 106. from ver 6. to 13. Psal 114.3 5. Isa 63.11 12 13 Psal 136. from ver 9. to 17. Acts 7.18 19 c. to 37. Besides the large historie thereof in the book of Exodus it 's prefixed briefly to the ten Commandments as a most prevailing motive to obedience and often set down as one of the most famous deliverances that ever God bestowed upon his Church And indeed so it was if we consider 1. What the Egyptians did to the Israelites in abusing them during their abode in Egypt 2. What God did both to the Egyptians and Israelites when he delivered the Israelites from the abuses of the Egyptians For the first 1. The Egyptians offered many cruell injuries to the bodies of the Israelites 2. By their heathenish idolatry they were great enemies to their souls The first of these the Scripture expresseth in setting down First The bondage and servitude of the Israelites whereby their libertie and ease were taken away Secondly The murderous Edicts which were given out for the taking away also of their lives First The cruel bondage of the Israelites was so great Exod. 20. that Egypt is call'd in Scripture the house of bondage and Egyptian bondage is even become a Proverb The Israelites were not more lovingly received by one Pharaoh Exod. 1.6 then they were cruelly retein'd by another They who of late were strangers are now slaves With Joseph died the remembrance of his love to Egypt Thankfulnesse to him by whom under God the lives and beings of the Egyptians were preserved is swallowed up in envie at the increase of his kindred and posterity The great fault of the Israelites is this that God multiplieth them To pull them down though by opposing of God and to make them as unfit for generation as resistance the Egyptians make them serve with rigour Exod. 1.13 14 and make their lives bitter with hard bondage in mortar and brick Every word notes Egyptian cruelty The word translated to make them serve signifies to oppresse by meer force 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Hanc habet vim praepositio 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 à 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Frangere and it is a word noting properly a tyrannicall abuse of power and therefore translated by the Seventy 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifies such a proud and cruel domineering as is used by tyrants Nor is the word translated with rigour without an emphasis it signifies saith Cajetan a making them to serve even to the breaking of their bones It is added that the Egyptians made their lives bitter a word transferr'd from the body to the minde to note the grievousnesse and unpleasingnesse of a thing The same word is used Lam. 3.15 where the Church saith Hee hath fill'd me with bitternesse 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 unde 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he hath made me drunk with wormwood And as Lorinus thinks Miriam the sister of Moses had that name given her which signifies bitterness because she was born in those times The Seventy in their Translation expresse this imbittering of the Israelites lives by a word which signifies the most sharp and cutting pains in child-bearing And much doubtlesse was this bitterness increased by the nature of the work wherein the Israelites were imployed which was in mortar dirt and brick and all manner of service of the field they were put upon the most sordid and servile imployment Philo and Josephus with others report 2. Antiq. c. 5. that the works of the Israelites were meer drudgeries the most mean and dirty as scouring of pits the casting up of banks to keep out inundations the digging and cleansing of ditches and carrying the dung out of the Cities upon their shoulders And it 's said Psal 81.6 I removed his shoulder from the burden and his hands were delivered from the pots And that which yet made their servitude more extreme and bitter was that being in these dirty drudgeries of mortar and brick Exod. 5.10 the tale of the bricks is by the taskmasters laid upon the people though the straw wherewith to make brick be denyed them The poor Israelites now take more pains to please and yet please their cruell masters lesse than ever before They are commanded to gather straw and yet cruelly beaten because while they were gathering of straw they were not making of brick that is because they performed not impossibilities and did not make straw as well as brick Do what may be is tolerable but do what cannot be is cruell Hereupon the Israelites cry and complain to Pharaoh of their want of straw and their plenty of stripes In a word all that they desire is that they may but work as for wages they desire none In stead of relieving them he derides them and with a cruelly cutting scoff and a sarcasticall insultation he wounds their very wounds and tells them against hisown knowledg they are idle they are idle Hereupon
vintage of a judgment he leaves the gleanings of grapes upon the Vine of his Church Hee never shakes his Olive tree so throughly but he leaves at least two or three berries in the top of the uppermost bough four or five in the outmost branches Isa 17.6 Though I make a full end of all Nations whither I have driven thee Jer. 30.11 Jer. 46.28 yet will I not make a full end of thee but correct thee in measure yet will I not leave thee wholly unpunished Let not Israel presume upon mercy if they will sin but yet let them not despair of mercy though they suffer God will not cast off his people Ps 94.14 Though the destruction of his Israel be never so great yet it shall never be totall and should many fall yet all shall not the cause the interest of Christ shall not and though possibly in a wildernesse of common calamities the carcasses of some of his owne may fall among others so as they may never live to enter the Canaan of a longed for peace and reformation in this life yet by faith ascending up to the Nebo of a promise they may behold it afar off and see it possessed by their posterity they themselves mean while repenting of their unbelief and unworthinesse and so entring that heavenly Canaan where they shall enjoy the fulness of that which here they could have enjoyed but in part The third branch of the example of the Israelites is the cause of their destruction viz their infidelity contained in these words That beleeved not EXPLICATION For the Explication whereof two things are considerable 1. In what respect these Israelites are here said not to beleeve 2. Why they were punished for this their not believing rather then for any other sin I. For the first Unbeleevers 1. are frequently in Scripture taken for Pagans and Heathens 1 Tim. 5.8 2 Cor. 6.14 15 1 Cor. 14.23 who are alwayes without the profession of the Faith and oft without the very offer of the Word the means of knowing that Faith which is to be professed and then it s termed an unbelief of pure negation 2. Unbeleevers are said to be such who though they professe the faith and hear and know the word yet deny that credence to it which God requires and their unbeleef called an unbeleef of evill disposition is either a deniall of assent to the truths asserted in the word or of trust and affiance to the promises of good contained in the same and both these are either temporary or totall and perpetuall Into the former sometimes the elect may fall as particularly did those two disciples who by their unbeleef drew from Christ this sharp reproofe Luk. 24.25 Mark 16.11.13.14 O fools and slow of heart to beleeve all that the prophets have written And for this it was that Christ upbraided the eleven when they beleeved not them who had seen him after he was risen Luk. 1.20 And of righteous Zecharie is it said that he beleeved not those words which were to be fulfill'd in their season Into that unbeleef which is totall and habituall Joh. 6.64.65 Joh. 10.25.26 Jo. 12.37.38.39 the reprobabate only fall of whom Christ speaks Ye beleeve not because yee are not of my sheep and afterward the Evangelist They beleeved not nay they could not beleeve because that Isaias said he hath blinded their eyes c. as also Act. 10.9 divers were hardned and beleeved not These abide in unbelief John 3. ult and the wrath of God abideth on them This unbeleef of the Israelites did principally consist in their not yeelding trust and affiance to the gracious and faithful promises made by God to their forefathers and often renewd to themselves of bestowing upon them the land of Canaan for their inheritance Vide Numb Chapters 13. and 14. These promises upon the report of the spies concerning the strength of the Canaanites and their Cities were by the people so far distrusted and deemed so impossible to be fulfilled as that they not only wish'd that they had dyed in Egypt but resolved to make them a Captain to return thither again And probable it is that the unbeleef of the most was perpetnal Certumest complures fuisse pios qui vel communi impietate non fuerunt impliciti vel mox resipuerunt Cal. in Heb. 3.18 but that others even of those who at the first and for a time did distrust the faithfulnesse of Gods promise by the threatnings and punishments denounced against and inflicted upon them repented afterward of their infidelity and so beleeved that God was faithfull in his promise though they by reason of their former unbelief did not actually partake of the benefit thereof However this their sin of distrustfulnesse was their great and capitall sin that sin like the Anakims which they so feared much taller than the rest and which principally was that provocation in the wildernesse spoken of so frequently in the Scripture Heb. 3.8.12 16.18 Psal 95 8. Incredulitas malorum omnium caput Cal. in Heb. 3.18 And hence it is that God explaines this provoking him by not beleeving him How long saith he Numb 14.11 will this people provoke me how long will it be ere they beleeve me and that it was their great stop in the way to Canaan is evident in that the punishment of exclusion from Canaan was immediately upon their unbeleef inflicted upon them as also by the expresse testimony of the Apostle who saith that they could not enter in because of unbelief II. For the second Why they were destroyed rather for their unbelief then for other sins 1. Their unbelief was the root and fountain of all the rest of their sins Heb. 3.12 Jer. 17.5 This evill heart of unbelief made them depart from the living God by their other provocations All sins would be bitter in the acting if we beleeved that they would be bitter in their ending Faith is the shield of every grace 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1 Pet. 2.7 8. Acts 15.9 and Unbelief the shield of every sin Faith purifies Unbelief pollutes the heart Vnbeleevers and disobedient are in the Greek expressed by one word Heb. 11.31 What but unbelief was the cause of all those impatient murmurings of the Israelites Had they beleeved a faithfull God Num. 14.27 they would quietly have waited for the accomplishment of his promises Had they believed in him who is Alsufficient they would in the want of all means of supply have look'd upon them as laid up in God The reason why they made such sinfull haste to get flesh was because their unbelieving heart thought that God could not furnish a table in the wildernesse What but their not believing a great and dreadfull Majestie made them so fearlesly rebellious against God and their Governours What but their not believing an All-powerfull God made them to fear the Gyants and walled Cities of Canaan Faith went out and fear and every sin got
in They beleeved God too little and man too much by their unbelief making God as man and man as God Gen. 12.7 13.15 15.18 17.7.8 26.4 Deut. 1.8 Exo. 3.17 and 6.8 2. God had afforded many helps and antidotes against the unbeleef of the Israelites God had given promises first to their Fathers and afterwards to these Israelites their posteritie of his bestowing upon them the land of Canaan for an Inheritance His promises like himself were faithfull and true and impossible it is that he who made them should lie These promises were often repeated to their fore-fathers and themselves and the very land of Canaan is called the Land of Promise Heb. 11.9 1 King 8.56 And afterward Solomon professed There hath not failed one word of all Gods good promise which he promised by the hand of Moses All his promises are yea and Amen The promises of giving to Israel the land of Canaan Gen. 22.16 Gen. 26.3 Psal 105.9 1 Chr. 26.26 Gen. 17.10 God had sundry times confirmed by oath the oath God followed with his seal of Circumcision whereby was confirmed the promise of the earthly and heavenly Canaan To all these God had added the abundant examples of those their holy fore-fathers who openly professed their beleeving of the promise that their Seed should inherit Canaan Heb. 11.9 Act. 7.5 Hence Abraham sojourned contentedly in the land of promise where he had not so much room as to set his foot on without borrowing or buying Hence also he purchased a burying place in that land In terra promissâ sibi emit sepulchrum ut spem suam vel mortuus testaretur Rivet Exerc. 119. in Gen. of which though living he had not possession yet dying nay dead he shewed his expectation How holily solicitous was Jacob and Joseph that their bodies after their deaths should be carried out of Egypt into that Canaan where their hopes and hearts had been while they lived To all these Examples God had given them to prevent unbeliefe their own multiplyed and astostonishing Experiences of his former Power and Love Could not he who by the lifting up of the arms of one Moses destroyed an Armie of Amalekites as easily overthrow the Armies of the Canaanites by the hands of six hundred thousand Israelites Could he who commissionated the very lice and flies to plague Egypt and at whose command are all the hosts of heaven and earth want power to deal with the sons of Anak Could not he who made the weak and unsteady waters of the red Sea to stand up like walls as easily make the strongest walls of the Canaanitish Cities to fall down Psal 78.32.42 But they believed not for his wondrous works they remembred not his hand nor the day when he delivered them from the enemie 3. Their unbelief most of all robb'd God of his though not essentiall yet declarative glory It was a bold sin it rifled his Cabinet and took away his chiefest Jewel Isa 42.8 1 Joh. 5.10 Rom. 4.10 even that which he saith he will not give to another 1. It takes away the glorie of his Truth it no more trusting him then if he were a known Lyer and as we say of such a one No further than we see him It endeavours to make God in that condition of some lost man whose credit is quite gone and whose word none will take now to discredit is to dishonour a man Unbeleevers account it impossible that he should speak true for whom to lye it is impossible After all the promises of giving them Canaan though repeated sworn sealed Israel beleeved not God 2. The Israelites by their unbelief obscured the glory of Gods Goodnesse They did not onely labour to make their miserie greater then Gods Mercy but even his very Mercy to appear Tyranny They often complained that he had brought them into the wilderness to slay them Num. 14.3 Psal 106.24 and they despised that pleasant land which God had promised them yea as some note in regard that the land of Canaan was a type of the heavenly Canaan See M. Perkins on the place they beleeved not that God would bring them to heaven and give them inheritance in that eternall Rest by means of the Messiah So that they rejected at once both the blessings of the foot-stool and the throne the earthly and the heavenly Canaan at the same time 3. Their Unbelief did blemish the glory of his Omnipotency Psal 62.11 They proclaiming by this sin that He to whom power belongs and nothing is too hard who can do all things but what argue impotencie as lying and denying himself who made heaven and earth with a word Isa 40.15 and before whom all the nations of the world are as the drop of the bucket and the small dust of the balance could not crush a few worms nor pull down the height of those Gyants whom by his power he upheld 4. Of all sins the Unbelief of the Israelites most crossed their own Professions They voyced themselves to be and gloryed in being the people of God and they proclaimed it both their dutie and priviledg to take God for their God They sometimes appeared to beleeve him but the unbelief of their hearts gave both God and their own tongues the lye they professed that they beleeved the power of God and remembred that God was their Rock Psal 78.34 35 36 37. but at the news from Canaan they shewed that they beleeved that the Anakims and the walled Cities were stronger They professed that they beleeved the Mercy of God and that the most high God was their Redeemer but at the very supposall of danger they thought that they were brought into the wilderness to be slain They professed that they beleeved the Soveraignty of God They returned and enquired after him and promised obedience to him but upon every proof they shewed themselves but rebells So that by reason of their unbeleef and unstedfastnesse of heart in Gods Covenant they did but flatter God with their mouth and lye unto him with their tongues How hainous a sin is it for Gods professed friends do distrust him How shall a stranger take that mans word whom his most familiar friends yea his own children will not beleeve Thine own Nation said Pilate to Christ have delivered thee unto me Thine own people may heathens say to God wil not trust thee and how should wee 5. Of all the sins of the Israelites unbeliefe was that which properly did reject the mercy by God tendred to them Canaan was by him frequently in his promise offered and though all the sins of the Israelites deserved exclusion from Canaan yet they did not as unbeleef by refusing the offer of it reject the entrance into it As the faith of the Ninivites overthrew a prophesie of judgement Psal 78.32 33 so the unbelief of the Israelites overthrew the promises of mercy The brests of the promises were full of the milk of consolation and
wisedome they are termed by Philosophers Daemons and Intelligences admitable is their knowledg naturall experimentall revealed The widow of Tekoah told David that he was wise according to the wisdome of an angel of God 1 Sam. 29.9 2 Sam. 19.27 to know all things on the earth And when the Scripture attributes the highest praise to inferiour creatures the comparisons are borrowed from the angels The king of Tyrus is called an annointed Cherub Ezek. 28.14 Mat. 11.10 Rev. 2.1 Act. 6.15 Videtur haec apud Judeos pa. raemialis locutio Lorin in Act. 6. Psal 78.25 The most eminent among men are called angels David admiring mans glory breaks forth thus Thou hast made him little lower than the angels They saw the face of Stephen as if it had been the face of an angel If I speak saith Paul with the tongues of angels If they had tongues they would speak incomparably better than the most eloquent Oratour Man did eat angels food But the higher the created excellencies of angels were the lower did sin pull them down Sin will make one who is an angell for perfections and priviledges to become a divell for impiety and punishment If an angel sins he makes himself a divell if he falls he falls as low as hell The more accomplish'd any one is with abilities when that is wanting which should sanctifie and season them the more destructive their abilities become to themselvs and others The better the weapon is which a mad man holds the more dangerous is his company Nothing more precious and beneficiall than an Uuicorns horn in the Apothecaries shop but nothing more deadly than it when used by the fierce creature to wound men None have done the Church of God so much hurt or tempted so many to sin as some whom we may call faln angels who by their places were the Lords messengers and for their knowledg as the woman of Tekoah said of David 1 Sam. 14.17 Ingenium Galbaemalè habitat like an angel of God Great pity that their abilities had so bad a lodging and that either their heads should be so good or their hearts no better Whom hath the divel made use of in all ages for Heresiarcks and ringleaders into heresie and prophanesse but faln angels Popes Popish prelates Jesuites and men reputed at least for subtilty and often for piety But the eminency of their abused parts and places Non datur sal salis ejus deperdita vis non potest restitui makes a dismall addition to their wretchednesse None hath God left to fall so irrecoverably nor is the lost savour of this salt againe to be restored for what salt is there that shall season unsavoury salt Nor hath God spared to throw some of them the popish Apostates already on a dunghill of disgrace and made them trampled on by all and without repentance the present seducers must look for the same reward In a publick Minister of Church or State smallest sins are abominations blasphemies God will be sanctified in those who draw near to him in any eminency of employment If a Princeh ave servants in places remote from his person he looks they should not disgrace him by their carriage but if they wait upon him at his table then he expects more exactnesse of deportment from them God looks for holinesse in all his servants but most of all in his angels Those whom he prefers to places of ministry and nearest service about himself The second particular considerable in the revolt of the angels is from what they made their defection 1. From their first estate 2. From their own habitation EXPLICATION 1. For the Explication of the former These words first estate are in the Greek contained in one word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Augusti principium clade variana memorabile factum Suet. in Octav. In Graeco principii vocabulum quod est 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 non tantum ordinatiâ— vum sed potestativuâ—â— capit principatum unde 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 dicunt Principes Magistratus Tert. advers Hermog Sunt quidem adhue inter Angelos malos 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ephes 6.12 sed infernales non coetestes Geth in 2 Pet. 2. which sometime signifies principality sometimes and most properly beginning And hence it is that Oecumenius and some others conceive that the angels are here said to leave their principality height eminency principall dignity which they had by creation above all the creatures angels being by Paul call'd Col. 1.16 principallities 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 This interpretation saith Junius seems too narrow though not altogether as Beza thinks to be excluded Others by this beginning understand God himself who was the author of their first being but this seems to be an harsh phrase and expression to make the keeping of their beginning Non servaverunt suam originem id est rectitudinem in quâ conditi erant q. d. justitiam originâ—lem Est inâ—â— 2. Sentent dist 3. or first estate to be the adhering to and acquiescing in God who gave them their first being The best interpretation and that which is most agreeable to the scope both of these and other Scriptures seems to be that which makes this their first estate to be that originall and primitive condition of angels not as they are substances spirituall and immortall for such even the fallen angels are but as they were created with their originall holinesse righteousnesse or integrity of nature in which respect the Elect angels which were preserved from falling are called the angels of God of the Son of man holy and such as behold the face of God This first estate which Jude saith these wicked angels kept not Christ expresseth by this one word Truth where he saith Joh. 8.44 that the divell did not abide in the truth and hath no truth in him By truth in this place is to be understood that righteousnesse and true holinesse holinesse of truth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 wherein stands the image of God Eph. 4.24 nor is it unusuall in Scripture to expresse that rectitude of heart and life which is bestowed upon renewed persons by the word truth Remember saith Hezekiah 2 King 20.2 how I have walked before thee in truth And fitly may holinesse be called truth in regard it neither deceives him in whom it is by false hopes nor any other by meer shewes Bonam voluntatem in eis quis fecerat nisi ille qui eos cum bonâ voluntate id est cum amore casto quo illi adhaererent crea vit simul in eis condens naturam largiens gratiam Aug.l. 11. de Civ D. c. 11. Sicut lapsus corporum fingi non petest nisi è loco superiore ita lapsus animorum non est nisi à quadam celsitudine boni quam prius habuerint Quòd de coelo cecidisse diabolus in scripturâ dicitur non tam ad localem motum referrendum est quam ad mutationem ejus
speaketh of his own according to his custome and disposition and when he speaks truth he borroweth that to the end he may deceive Satan cannot lay down his sinfull inclination he is totus in mendaciis delibutus saith Calvin stained and soak'd in sin In a word this chain of sin which he hath put on * Calv. in Joh. 8.44 he never can or will put off 2. These faln angels are in and under the chains of Gods power The strong man is bound by a stronger then himselfe The old Dragon was bound for a thousand years Rev. 20. and the chain which curbed him was the power of God this power hinders him both from escaping the evill which he undergoes and from effecting and causing that evill which he desires Satan shall for ever be miserable in sustainingwhat he would not and in not obtaining what he would The impossibility of his being happy Quòd aufertur nocendipotestas pro maximo tormento reputant Esti p. 60. in 2. Sent. necessarily followes his impotency to be holy purity being the path to blessednesse All the forces of hell cannot scale the walls of heaven There is a gulfe fixt between faln angels and happinesse which they can never passe over as they can never return to God so as to love him so never so as to enjoy him they are debarr'd from these joyes unavoidably which they forsook voluntarily nor is it a small matter of their punishment to be curbed against the bent and violent inclination of their own will from stirring an hairs bredth for the hurting any further then God lengthens out their chains How painfull a vexation is it to Satan that he cannot hurt the soul by affrighting alluring and seducing nor our bodies by diseases and pains nor our estates by losses nor * Luke 22.31 Tormentum diaboli erat exire ab homine nec posse ei diutius nocere Vid. Est in sent ibid. Quod abyssum deprecantur eo spectat quod ipsis volupe fit inter homines versari quò illos seducant ad se plures semper pertrahant id quod in abysso non possunt ubi sunt nulli quos seducant Luc. Brugens Dolet illis in abyssum demergi in qua ablata sit laedendi perdendi facultas our names by disgraces unless our God gives him chain Satan hath desired to have you c. saith Christ And when the divell besought Christ Luke 8.28 not to torment him it 's by many interpreted that the torment against which Satan prayed was that his ejection out of the possessed whereby he was to be hindered from doing that hurt which he desired it being immediately subjoyn'd by the Evangelist For he had commanded the unclean spirit to come out of the man And whereas ver 31. the divels further desired Christ that he would not command them to go out into the deep Calvin with others referre this petition to the great desire of the divels to continue among men to annoy and molest them They grieved saith Calvin to think of being cast into the deep wherein they could not have so much power and opportunity of doing harme to men the destruction of men being the delight of the divell And this seems further to be confirmed by the words of Mark Mark 5.10 who saith that the divels desired that Christ would not send them out of the Countrey whereby they should want opportunities of doing harme to the soules and bodies of men See Perkins on Jude Needs then must the chain of divine power which restrains the divell from hurting men be a considerable part of his torment whose work is to go about seeking whom he may devour 3. The faln Angels are in and under the chain of their own guilty consciences which by the tenour of God's justice bind them over to destruction they know they are adjudg'd to damnation for their sins Let them be where they will in the earth or air these chains of guilty consciences bind them over to judgement they can no more shake off these then leave themselves In these the divels are bound like mad-men and band-dogs they must endure what they cannot endure Jam. 2.19 The divels fear and tremble horrour is the effect of diabolicall assent Judicis sui prae sentiâ expavefacti de poenâ suâ cogitarunt Mala enim conscientia quid meriti essent ipsis tacente Christo dictabat quemadmodum enim scelerati ubi ad Tribunal ventum est c. Calv. in Mat. 8.29 How evidently did this guilty trembling appear when they ask Christ whether he was come to torment them before their time The sight of the Judge saith Calvin on the place made these guilty malefactours to tremble at the thoughts of their punishment their evill conscience told them Christ being silent what they deserved As malefactours when they are brought to the bar apprehend their punishment so did these divels at the sight of their Judge The faln angels shall ever contemplate what they have done and how they have finned as also what they shall undergo and how they shall suffer and hereby as God delivers the damned men into the hands of guilty angels so he delivers guilty angels over to themselves to be their own tormenters This fiery furnace of a tormenting conscience which of all others is the most scorching and scalding every divell shall carry in his bosome This inward and silent scourge shall torment him this arrow shall stick in his side Daemones quocunque abeant ubicunque degant suum secum circumferunt infernu◠Beda in c. 3. Jacobi Aquin. 1. p. q. 64. Art 4. ad ob 3. Gr. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ab 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sicut sempiternus à semper Though Lorinus upon the place mentions a conceit according to which 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 should be derived of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as if the word should signifie not their own such chains as belonged not to them by nature but were put upon them after their sinning as a punishment Iren. l. 3. c. 33. Greg. l. 4. mor. cap. 10. Ansel l. 2. c. 21. Cur Deus homo Sicutceciderunt nullo alio nocente ut caderent itanullo alio ad juvante resurgere debent Aug. Enchir. c. 29. Quoniam non tota multitudo angelorum Deum deserendo perierat ea quae perierat perpetuâ perditione remaneret alia vero creatura rationalis quoniam tota perierat c. this vulture shall prey this worme shall gnaw and this hell shall he carry about him where ever he becomes though he may change his place yet he never changes his state As the happinesse of the good angels is not diminish'd when they come to us and are not actually in the heavenly place because they know themselves blessed as the honour of a King is not impaired though actually he sits not in his chair of State so neither is the misery of the wicked angels lessen'd
Judgement An unjust Judge is a Solecism a contradiction A Judge should be the Law enlivened To this end Judges must be godly Righteousnesse will not stand without Religion Jethro's advice to Moses was Chuse men fearing God Exod. 18.21 Let the fear of the Lord be upon you said Jehoshaphat to the Judges 2 Chr. 19.6 7. The Aethiopians apprehended that the Angels attended on all Judicatories and therefore as I have read of them they left twelve chairs empty in the judgment-place which they said were the Seats of the Angels but Judges must believe that a greater than the Angels is there 2. Impartiall He must not respect the person of the poor nor honour the person of the mighty Lev. 19.15 and Deut. 1.17 He must hear the small as well as the great There must no mans condition be regarded in judgement nor must the Judge behold the face of any ones person but the face of his cause Job 34.19 God accepts not the persons of Princes A Judge will be a sun of righteousness it shining as well upon the beggar as the noble 3. A Master of his affections Anger hatred pity fear c. the clouds of Affection will hinder the Sunshine of justice The Athenian Judges us'd to sit in Mars-street to shew that they had Martiall hearts Constantine is termed a man-childe Rev. 12.5 So Brightman for his courage He who wil go up to the mount of Justice must leave his affections as Abraham did his Asse and Servants at the foot thereof Love and wisdom seldome dwell under one roof and the fear of man is a snare A Coward we say cannot be an honest man nor will a fearfull and flexible Judge be able to say injustice Nay 4. Deliberate In the case of information about false Worship Deut. 17.3 Moses directs to this deliberation before sentence be given If it be told thee and thou hast heard of it and enquired diligently and behold it be true and the thing certain c. then shalt thou bring forth the man c. What plenty of words are here to prevent precipitancy in Judicature It much commended the integrity of Job who professeth Job 29.16 The cause which I knew not I searched out †See the example of the Heathen Festus Act. 25.16 Both sides must be heard the small as well as the great Though a Judges * Qui statuit aliquid parte inaudita alerâ aequum licit statuerit haud aequus fuit Sen. in Med. sentence be right yet hee is not right in giving it if he give it before either party be heard 5. A lover of truth A man of truth Exod. 18.21 Hating lying executing the judgement of truth Zech. 8.16 His heart must love his tongue speak the truth Exod. 18.21.23.8 Deut. 16.19.27.26 2 Chron. 19.7 nor will the hand without go right if the wheels within go wrong 6. Incorrupt Hating bribes because hating covetousnesse A gift blindeth the wise and perverteth the words of the righteous Of whose hand saith Samuel have I received any gift to blind mine eyes therewith 1 Sam. 12.3 A Judge must neither take money to be unjust nor to be just Righteousnesse is its own reward The Thebeans erected the Statues of their Judges without hands the gaine of bribes is sum'd up Job 15.34 Fire shall consume the Tabernacles of bribery 7. Sober and Temperate He that followes the pleasures that attend on Majesty will soon neglect the paines which belong to Magistracy It was a prudent instruction of Lemuel's mother Prov. 31.4 5. It is not for Kings It is not for Kings O Lemuel to drink wine nor for Princes to drink strong drink lest they drink and forget the law and pervert the judgement of any of the afflicted Whoredom and wine and new wine take away the heart Hos 4.11 Some understand those words Jer. 21.12 Execute judgement in the morning properly as if they should performe acts of judgement early before they were indangered by abundant eating or feasting to render themselves less able to discerne of causes 2. The second branch of Jurisdiction which belongs to the Magistrate consisteth in the Dstribution of rewards and punishments 1. Of Rewards to those who keep 2. Of Punishments to those who break the Lawes 1. Of Rewards Of this the Apostle speaks Rom. 13. Do that which is good and thou shalt have praise Of this the Supreme Lord gives an example who joynes shewing mercy to thousands with visiting the iniquities of the fathers upon the children Exod. 20. Nor must a Magistrate be a Sun only for lustre of Majesty but also for warmth and benignity 2. Of Punishments These are of sundry kinds Some concern the name as degradations some the estate as pecuniary mulcts some the body and these are either Capitall or not Capitall as mutilation of some part c. Evident it is from Scripture-commands that it is the Magistrates duty to punish Deut. 19.21 the Judges shall make diligent inquisition c. And thine eye shall not pity but life shall go for life 2. From his Function Rom. 13.4 He beareth not the sword in vaine Governours are for the punishment of evill doers 3. From the Benefit of these punishments To the punished who may grieve for what they have done to the Spectators who may be warned from doing the like Prov. 19.25 Deut. 19 19r Indulgentia flagitiorum illecebra Exod. 21.12 Lâ—v. 24.17 c. Sinfull indulgence silently yet strongly invites to a second wickednesse Even Capitall punishments are injoyned by Scripture Gen. 9.6 Who so sheddeth mans blood by man shall his blood be shed A Law which being before the erection of the Mosaicall Polity shews that the Lawes which afterward commanded Capitall punishments did not simply and absolutely but only in respect of some circumstances concern the Israelites The capitall punishment of Malefactors by the Magistrate was dictated by the Law of Nature And as the force of the foresaid command was before so did it continue after Moses Christ himself even from it drawing an Argument to disswade Peter from shedding of blood Mat. 26.52 Nor do I understand but that if all punishments of Malefactors by the sword be now unlawful as Anabaptists dream it must necessarily follow that all defending of the subjects by the sword against an invading enemy is unlawfull also the publick peace being opposed by the one as much as the other nay may we not argue That if the power of the sword belong not to the Magistrate to defend the Common-wealth that it belongs not to any private man to defend himself against the violent assaults of a murderer In sum Capitall punishments may be inflicted but sparingly slowly It is observed by some That God was longer in destroying Jericho then in making the whole world Satius est ut euret pharmacum quam sanet ferrum As many Funerals disgrace a Physician so many executions dishonour a Magistrate The execution of Justice should like Thunder fear many and