Lastly Here are Consolations And although these are of greater concernment in the particular to every Believer because the joy of the Lord is his strength hereby also he walketh thankfully and fruitfully yet let him take heed of being narrow and sparing in using them for others comforts For if thou art a Minister of the Gospel then thy work is not only to convert but to comfort not only to bring out of sinnes but out of fears and dejections Thus the Apostle at the last verse in this Chapter We are helpers of your joy Consider that not only what is acquired by study but what also is inspired by God into thy soul may be of admirable efficacy to others Though Christs Sermons and Parables were like a two-edged sword mightily dividing between true grace and hypocrisie yet Isa 50. 4. he expresseth his Ministry by this to speak a word in season to the weary and this he calleth the tongue of the learned We call it Learning to alledge the Ancients to be full of Greek and Hebrew to empty out the bowels of School-learning yea some are so simple as to account studied words and composed language rare Learning whereas speech is like the Arrow that is not commended for studs of gold or Jewels on it but if it hit the mark Thus that is Oratory which is most proper to effect the end of our speech To make the sinners weep the hard heart to tremble and the sad to be comforted You see it 's the tongue of the learned to do this Doth then God give thee comfort be not thou wanting then to support and comfort the feeble-minded It may be thou art a kind of a spiritual Dives full of consolations and thinkest thou hast store enough laid up for thee both to live and die with take heed lest some poor Lazarus would be glad of thy crums and thou dost not give to him SERM. XLII That those only can make fit applications of Spiritual things to others who have an Experimental knowledge of them in their own souls 2 COR. 1. 4. That we may be able to comfort those that are in any trouble THere remaineth a second Doctrine contained in the final cause why God comforts his people viz. That they may be able to comfort others From whence there is this Observation obvious That those only are able to make fit applications to the souls of others who have had the experimental working of Gods grace upon their own souls That we might be able implying otherwise there would not be that sufficiency and fitnesse in us which ought to be To discover this consider First That there is a two-fold knowledge of divine and spiritual things The one is speculative and meerly Theoretical when we know them yea and it may be give a sound and firm assent to them And such are all those learned men who are very Orthodox and wonderfully able to maintain the truths of Christ against all opposers whatsoever Such as these are God raiseth up many times as eminent Pillars in the Church But because this is not enough to salvavation therefore in the second place there is a saving affectionate practical and experimental knowing of truth whereby we do not only believe such things but by believing we do love and embrace the truths we know We do credendo amare we have a faith which worketh by love Now it must be confessed that the condition of those who are only Orthodox and no more is much to be pittied and lamented To write against Arminians and others about the work of Gods grace in Conversion and yet never experimentally to have this upon their own souls So to treat of Justification and Christ yet not at all to have the saving and sweet operations of these things upon their souls is greatly to be bewailed To be like the builders of Noah's Ark that proved a place of rest and refuge in the time of the deluge for others when they themselves had no advantage by it But it is no wonder that such excellent knowledge and of such admirable lovely use in the Church be not saving while it goeth no further because practice and doing is the end of all Theological knowledge If ye know these things happy are ye if ye do them Joh. 13. 17. So that this experimental and practical knowledge of divine things is that which compleateth the former To know Christ so as to have him to know regeneration so as to be born again this is the glory of all knowledge Hence is that Commandement 2 Cor. 13. 5. To examine our selves to try our selves whether we be in the faith and in Christ or no. The latter word signifieth to make an experience or an experimental tryal of grace in us So that if you had a man who could speak like an Oracle in all the points of Divinity who was a very Miracle in respect of learning yet he is but a tinckling cymbal and speaks in the matters of Religion like a Parrot not rightly or fully apprehending of them till he hath inwardly tasted of the sweetnesse of them Secondly This saving experimental knowledge doth differ in its whole kind and is of another nature in a moral consideration from a meer Orthodox or bare speculative knowledge I shall not enter into a large dispute concerning the difference between illumination in a temporary believer although now we are not so much speaking of the habitus fidei as Theologiae which may be in learned knowing men and that which is in a true convert We shall suppose it for a truth from Heb. 6. That those who were inlightned yea and had some experimental workings of which a non yet they had not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 they had not the things that hold fast salvation and therefore the Apostle hoped for better things They therefore so differ that take a man who doth only know divine things by Books by Sermons by reading of Authours and was not at all acquainted wih the Spirits effectual teaching by the Word and let him at last come to have these things set home upon him by an effectual demonstration of Gods Spirit let him know these things as the truth is in Jesus which the Apostle mentioneth Eph. 4. and he will then cry out acknowledging that he never knew any thing till then That he was in the dark that he had but a learned kind of folly that he spoke of these things as men do of Countries which they see in Maps only by a general knowledge having never travelled to see the Countries themselves There is such a fuller power accompanying this practical knowledge that the former was but a shadow to this substance Observe many men Do they not read the Scripture Do not they go from Chapter to Chapter But till it be the ingrafted Word in them they have the images and pictures of things not the things themselves In the third place That is not to be called
our knowledg true when it is conformable to the thing it self but then is the thing true when it is conformeable to the knowledg of God So that herein is the Infiniteness and excellency of Truth as it is in God manifested above that which is in man So that man may well respectively to God be called a lyar There is no truth in him Now because truth as it is in God is invisible and the same with his Essence and we are never able to cown to know Truth but by God Hence we have the Scriptures given to the Church as the rule of truth All truth is from God whether it be natural or supernatural When any of the Heathens have found out Truth it was from God even as all fashood is from the Devil so that when the Godly do lye 't is from the Devils temptation the Father of lyes Thus when wicked and ungodly men have uttered truth it hath been of God Now because Supernatural truth could not be discerned but by Divine Revelation and pacefaction Hence it pleased God to make known in his Word What is that truth which will lead us to Salvation So that seing we are not able to behold truth as it is in God we must look upon it as it is in his Word for God is the hidden Truth as it were the Word is the revealed truth Therefore whatsoever is Scripture we may conclude of it as sure and firm Truth coming from the supream truth If then ye ask as Pilate did another way What is truth I answer thee The Scripture is truth No men are true any further than guided by Scripture and led by the Spirit of God accordingly Oh that therefore you did more aw your hearts with the truth of Gods Word If that say sin will be bitter in the latter end though it may bring profit and pleasure for a while believe it against all the wicked men in the world and say I do more believe this Text this Place of Scripture than all which the wickedness of men may oppose against it 3. In that God is true Herein he differeth from man and is thereby opposite to the Prince of darkness He differeth from man Therefore it is said Numb 23. 19. God is not as man that he should lye or Repent To trust in man is to lean upon reads Yea hence it is that because God only is Truth no pastors or Officers in the Church are to be believed any further than they bring the Word of God It was Christ alone God and man that could say I am truth Neither Austin nor Luther nor Calvin can say I am truth Not that therefore the Ministers of God are therefore to be laid aside because they are not infallible For God hath commanded us to hear them and to submit to them only we are not ultimately to depend on them The Church is called the Pillar of truth because she doth declare and hold out the Truth but she is not the Author of it We are then to conclude of all men that of themselves they have no Truth they need the Spirit of God to guide them therein And then hereby is an Opposition in God to the Devil As God is true so the Devil is the Father of Liés John 8. 44. when he speaketh of his own he speaketh a lye Now then consider how inexcusable every wicked man will be For on the one side Christ who is Truth it self he speaketh to the sinner to repent to reforme promising Everlasting Happiness to him Christ saith Thy sinnes have no pleasure no profit in them thou wilt finde them prove a lye to thee On the other side The Devil he tempteth thee contrary to Christ he telleth thee sin is sweet it is good and profitable to sin he biddeth thee follow the lusts of thy soul thou shalt not be damned for all that and now thou believest this Devil this Father of lies rather than Christ Oh how unsufferable is this how great is the Patience of God towards thee What hearken to the Devil before God But even thus Eve did at first she believed the Serpent more than God and thereby brought ruine upon her self and Posterity Oh that we could convince you enough herein that you may see with what madness and folly your sinnes carry you away while you listen to the Father of Lies who is the Adversary of your soules rather than Christ who mourneth over you saying Oh that such a sinner did know the things that maketh for his peace 4. From this truth of God Hence it is that we are so much commanded in Scripture to believe on him to trust in him and to depend upon him which indeed is a quiet and blessed life For what is that maketh thy heart like a Sea What is it that causeth one wave to rise up after another in thy soul Is it not because thou dost not depend upon this truth of God Were thy soul more assured here in the frame of thy spirit would be more joyfull Two Temptations amongst others there are wherein the soul cryeth out as in a Whales belly not knowing what to do◠whereas the confidence of Gods truth would presently satisfie the soul The first is In matters to be believed about the Doctrine that is delivered there For because that is wholly supernatural above our humane reason though not contrary to it hence it is that we have many fluctuations of spirit and our understandings are with difficulty captivated unto the Word of God Though these temptations about the Truths of Christian Religion are not incident to all the Godly and it is a special mercy to be preserved from them yet upon some they have come like a violent storm and therefore there is no way to stand disputing and arguing but to say God is true the Word is true I believe when I cannot dispute as one Martyr said But then a Second temptation which is like a continual thorn in the sides of the Godly is their Diffidence and distrust about the Promises of God They do not live and walk as if they were true So that never did any Heretick more subtilly cavill against the Doctrine of the Scripture than they do argue against the Promises of the Scripture Whether they be such as belong to the Church or to themselves To the Church when they read the Scriptures they finde such glorious and excellent Promises that they exspect she should alwayes have Halcyon dayes that her enemies should alwayes be vanquished but alas they finde experimentally the contrary They cannot see how Gods Words and his Works how his Promises and Providences do concurre together But the reason of this is from themselves They do not take a right way to understand the truth of God in this particular for these three Causes which commonly make the sense to erre about the Object although to speak properly the sense doth not erre but the judgment of a man discerning according to sence for
did all was new their service new their Doctrine new but the iniquity and the corruption of the times made it appear to be so And indeed Popery is properly the great Novellisme for the Popish Doctrines the Popish Worship began to creep in when the Churches of Christ began to degenerate from their Primitive Institution The change then that is many times in the face of Religion which doth so offend many is not indeed so but in appearance Those truths of God were formerly professed in the Church only an Eclipse did arise which obscured the light of the Sun As then the Sun is not changed after an Eclipse we do not see a new Sun thus it is also with the truths of Christ the Reformers do not bring new truths only the darkness is dispelled and we see them which were long before It is with us as with men whose heads are distempered we think such and such things run round whereas indeed it is a distemper upon us and it is a signe that we have been corrupted when old truths seem new to us 4. We may therefore truly conclude that antiquity and consent are inseparable properties of a true Church That Church which retaineth Doctrines of the greatest Antiquity and which doth agree with the Primitive Apostolical Churches that must needs be a true Church for truth is alwayes alike That cannot be true Doctrine in one age which is not in another though men are apt to be changed by the times they live in yet Gods truth cannot be When therefore the Papists bring antiquity and consent as notes of a true Church we deny they can or are to be called notes because it is not Antiquity barely but antiqvity in the true Doctrine nor Consent meerly so but consent with the Primitive Churches Doctrine So that True Doctrine is properly the note of the Church only we add that Antiquity and Consent with the Primitive times do inseparably follow the true Doctrine Now the ground of this certainty and equality of the truths of Christ is because they are Gods truths Christs truths if they were the truths of mens making then they might alter and change as they please then it might be formed reformed and transformed into all the shapes that mens Interests could put them upon then truth might alter according to the climates customes and advantages of men then truth might be one thing at Rome and another thing at Constantinople then we might say such things were truth in one age and ye the contrary truth in another Popery was truth in Queen Maries dayes and Protestantisme in Queen Elizabeths And truly some men are so Atheistical or self-seeking that they account truth as the Apostle said some did godliness even outward gain and therefore when such an opinion is gainfull then it is truth but when not so then it is Heresie Use of Instruction How odious Instability and Inconstancy is in matter of Religion whether it be in private Christians or publick Officers It plainly discovereth that not the truth of Christ but some other uncertain motive prevaileth with thee either thy profit or thy applause or the times or customes or the Lawes of the Land or some other mutable respect doth work upon thee and if so then thou canst not but be a reed shaken with every winde of Doctrine Thou art then but as an Instrument of musick making no other sound nor no longer then thou art breathed into Profit will make thee a Papist profit will make thee a protestant profit will make thee an Heretick How contrary is such a fickle temper to the nature of Faith which is the substance of things hoped for and the evidence of things not seen Use 2d of Instruction How false that position is of some Papists That the Church may make Articles of Faith and that the Authority of the Church maketh the Authority of the Scripture at least towards us So that the Scriptures would have no more authority then Titus Livius or Aesops fables in respect of our duty to believe were it not for the Churches Authority No less blasphemous is that other comparison of another Papist resembling the Scripture to a nose of wax If so then no wonder if they make what truths and what religions they please then we may call it the Popes truth the Churches truth and not the truth of God It is a ridiculous passage of a Papist Ford against Taylor saying that it is probable the Church will make that Opinion about the immaculate Conception of the Virgin Mary to be an Article of Faith As if the Church could make that necessary to be believed if we would be saved that was not alwayes so Why may she not as well make a new Bible set up a new Christ as they establish a new Article of Faith SERM. CXXIV Of Gods Promises to man 2 COR. 1. 20. For all the Promises of God in him are yea and in him amen unto the glory of God by us THis Verse is a further confirmation of the constancy and immutability of the Lord Christ and so by consequence of Pauls doctrine For that Christ is unchangeable he proveth in that all the promises which God hath made they receive their fullnesse and complement in him and so are therefore true because fullfilled both in him and by him This is the Apostles sence in this assertion which Calvin doth well call memorabilis sententia c. a memorable sentence and one of the chiefest Articles of our Religion for herein is all our faith and confidence seated that in Christ God maketh his gracious promises to us by whose efficacy and impetration they be accomplished so that a promise is fullfilled not because of any worth or dignity in us but because of of the fulnesse and worth that is in Christ 1. The words may be taken as an entire Proposition wherein we have the subject and predicate with the amplification of it from the finall cause The subject is described from the nature of it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 promises 2. From the universality and extent 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 all promises as many as are made 3. From the efficient cause the promises of God 4. The predicate are yea and are amen in him Of which in their order Let us begin with the Subject 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the promises many times in the plurall number at other times in the singular for indeed the covenant of grace is but one large promise or an ocean emptying it self into many streams yet sometimes called promises because of the many things both spirituall and temporall that are particularly promised by God the summe whereof is contained in that great promise or Magna Charta of the Church I will be their God and they shall be my people or else it may be promises in the plurall number because of the frequent repetition and reiteration of the grand promise of Christ to the Church Now the word promise is sometimes used for the
their Religion but onely are perswaded herein by external motives very few being able to give a reason of the faith or hope that is in them which yet the Apostle Peter requireth of every man and woman 1 Pet. 3. 15. What reason have they but their fathers example and the Lawes of the Land So that it is meerly accidental that they do receive a true Religion for it had been Heretical and Idololatrical it had been all one to them they would have entertained it however But to this particular you must observe one Caution It 's one thing to speak of the Introductory and Preparatory means of faith and another thing of the ultimate and formal motive or reason why I do believe We do readily grant That the true Churches Ministery may prepare for a divine faith What is Paul and what is Apollo but Ministers by whom ye believe saith the Scripture 1 Corinth 3. Thus Timothy had his faith by the godly education of his Mother and Grandmother Yea John 4. we reade of the woman of Samaria instrumental to bring many people to believe on Christ onely yet observe that expression vers 42. Now we believe not because of thy saying for we have heard him our selves Godly Ministers then and godly parents may be greatly helpfull to us in true believing but then the reason and chief motive is from the Divine Authority of the Scripture declaring this truth We doe not believe in Ministers nor in the Church And thus you must understand that passage of Jehoshaphats Chron. 20. 20. Believe in the Lord your God so shall ye be established believe the Prophets so shall ye prosper Believe in God ultimately but believe the Prophets ministerially So that it would be a fanatick presumption out of a perswasion that onely worketh faith thereby to cast off those usefull helps and means which he hath appointed for the producing of faith In the next general place we are to know That two things are necessarily required to the working of a divine faith The one Effectively The other Objectively The principle that worketh faith in us and the reason or motive thereof The principle that worketh faith in us is God alone None can make the heart of man to believe scripture-Scripture-truths but God onely Hence Faith is the gift of God so some are said To believe through grace Act. 18. 27. Is it not plain in the Pharisees notwithstanding they heard our Saviour preach and also saw his wonderfull miracles yet to them it was not given to believe or to know the mysteries of God but to others more unlearned and contemptible it was Hence it falleth out that the most learned men are many times most Atheistical or at least Sceptical and doubting in Religion Insomuch that we are to be importunate with God in prayer that he would both work and increase faith in us Hence Christ is said to be both the authour and finisher of our faith Hebr. 12. 2. It 's the mighty power of God so enlightning and enabling thee that thou doest adhere to the truth For how many specious arguments may be produced against the faith How mutable are many in forsaking the faith they once professed and turn Heretical So that it is a special work of Gods grace to make thee stand firme in the faith especially in times of temptation To be a pillar in the Temple of the Lord and not a reed shaken with every winde is a glorious preservation For it 's plain that it's fancy errour or humour that lead many in Religion and not this holy precious faith Again The second thing necessarily concurring to a divine faith is a Divine testimony it must be Gods word We must have the Doctrine from Christ else our faith is but an humane faith and so our Religion but an humane Religion The Thessalonians are commended by Paul That they received the Word not as the word of men but as it is indeed the word of God and when so received it effectually worketh in those that believe Alas what is the reason there is so little holinesse so little godlinesse It is because there is so little divine faith The truths we preach are not received as the word of God we look no further or higher than to a man in these things we doe not hear and tremble we doe not beleeve and tremble we rise not up with heart-reverence as Eglon though an Heathen did to Ehud when he said He had a message from the Lord. In the third place In that the true Christian faith floweth from such a divine principle and ariseth from such a divine motive Hence it is that no kinde of persons have an absolute Sovereignty over the faith of a believer and whosoever doe arrogate it to themselves they assume the property of the Almighty and most infinite God They arrogate to themselves the peculiar and incommunicable property of Christ which is to be the Head of the Church and a Law-giver in respect of any Doctrine Worship or Ordinances It is true there have been such especially the Pope of Rome who hath thus arrogated to himself setting himself in the Temple of God as God but the blasphemies of such have been written as it were in their fore-heads and hereby they are justly deemed to be a Political or Church-Antichrist as there is a Doctrinal Antichrist But we affirme That no kinde of persons can have dominion over a mans faith seeing it hath such a peculiar reference to God First Not spiritual and Church Rulers or Ecclesiastical Governours If the Apostles would not assume it who then may It is true there are several Texts in Scripture which command us to hear our Pastours to obey them to submit unto them to have them highly in esteeme for their workes sake Such as doe not hear them are to be accounted as Heathens and Publicans They are endowed with power to Admonish and rebuke sharply Yea where obstinacy is in sinners To cast them out of the Church But all this doth not arise to a Magisterial Domination over mens consciences And although they have power to binde and loose which God himself promiseth to confirme in Heaven yet all this is declaratively and ministerially onely How farre there is a decisive power in Councils to extinguish all errours and heresies is not here to be debated This is enough that as no particular person so no Councils though never so oecomenical can say we have dominion over your faith And Secondly No civil power hath dominion over any mans faith No Magistrate can make Articles of Faith can appoint another worship of God or other Sacraments than Christ hath appointed Faith is not Caesar's gift neither can any man believe Praecisè quia vult as Mirandula declareth meerly because he will How farre Magistrates have power in matters of Religion is greatly disputed and determined by the excesse in some and by the defect in others But however no Kings or Emperours can say
And the Fontal Cause of all who is said to be God Of this later we have said enough already We shall therefore at this time dispatch the former That comfort by which the Apostles themselves were refreshed by that did they revive others even those that were farre inferiour to them both in gifts and graces So that as by the same Sunne both the rich and the poor do see one finds the sweetness of the light as well as the other Thus also by the same grounds of comfort that any godly man may be supported all may be Observe That those grounds of comfort which revive the heart of one godly man may also do another That which is wine to make glad the heart of Paul will also exhilarate the hearts of others who believe in Christ That which is honey to one cannot be gall to another This truth hath its great practical use And First Let us consider That there are general grounds of comfort for all the godly in all their tribulations and there are special particular ones The general grounds of comfort are such that all the godly may make use of at all times be they Jew or Gentile bond or free eye or foot in the body of Christ there is no difference no exemption this fountain is set open Neither is it like the pool of Bethesda wherein the first only that stept in could be healed for here all are invited to drink first and last and that abundantly There are Catholicon comforts that let our diseases be what they will be these are proper to cure us There are some promises so full of general comfort for every condition that they are made for the meridian of every godly man Let us give you some summary draught of them As 1. That all afflictions do come from the love of a Father to such as believe So that although they be grievous to flesh and bloud and have a bitter taste yet they come from a sweet root These thorns do grow upon a vine These bitter streams come from a sweet fountain Now this ground of comfort belongs to all that have an unfeigned love to God Canst thou make out thy evidence of being in Christ Is thy name to be found in the book of life Then this comfort thou mayest apply to thy self be thy condition or quality what it can be thou mayest boldly take this cordial and it is as proper for thee as a David or Paul any of those who are pillars in godliness Heb. 12. 6. For whom he loveth he chasteneth So that you see here is such an argument of comfort that every member of the body of Christ may use 2. Another general ground of comfort is The end and fruit of afflictions As they come from Gods love so they are to subdue sinne to bring us nearer to God Hence afflictions are compared to the fire that purgeth away the dross to winnowing that driveth away the chaff to pruning that cuts off the luxuriant branches and makes the other branches more fruitfull They are given by Christ the wise Physician of our souls as heavenly physick and admirable remedies to crucifie to sinne and to quicken to righteousnesse If God denieth thee such outward comforts thou desirest know that this very denial is for thy good and darest thou say Lord let me have them though they damn me Let me not be afflicted though it will do me good Quid â—…sit vâ—l prosit novit medicus non egrotus Thus the Apostle Rom. 8. All things shall work together for the good of those who love God The Apostle also speaketh notably of these afflictions in respect of the issue of them as well as of the original whence they flow Heb. 12. 9 10 11. where a three-fold advantage is said to come by them 1. By yeelding to the Father of Spirits chastising us we live Tribulations therefore are the way to make us live spiritually here and eternally hereafter If it were not for afflictions thou mightst die and be damned They have prevented much sinne They have been like a file to the iron to get off the rust They have been like the plowing and harrowing of the ground to fit thee to bring forth fruit And 2. God is said to chastise us for our profit which is expressed to be That we might be partakers of holinesse Tribulations then are very profitable and advantagious things though flesh and blood can hardly say so It may be thy afflictions have done thee more good than all the mercies thou ever hadst And therefore under every exercise examine What profit have I got Wherein am I made more holy And then 3. At the 11th verse after the grievous and burdensome way of them for the present afterwards they will yeeld a peaceable fruit of righteousnesse The chastening doth but seem grievous and that for the present but afterwards it makes more holy which is said to be the peaceable fruit of it The soul that raged and fretted finding the benefit begins then in a peaceable quiet manner to blesse and praise God for it This is a General comfort Every godly man may say this belongs to me in my afflictions as well as to any other 3. Not to be too large here The benefits and heavenly advantages which come from Christ being ours these also are comforts in common There is no fiery sword to keep out of this Paradise Rom. 8. Doth not the Apostle conclude those great priviledges of Justification of Perseverance in that state of conquest over all spiritual enemies and that from such general grounds as all the people of God may claim to it Because Christ died and because Christ is risen because he hath given us Christ and how then not with him all things else Is there any believer so weak so contemptible that Christ did not die for and rise for Is there any to whom the Father hath not given Christ If so you see that what comforted Paul may comfort you It is a vain Position of Papists that Paul speaketh so assuredly in that condition because of an extraordinary revelation that he had that Christ was his for he grounds his perswasion upon those general arguments which belong to every godly man Christ then and his presence with all his benefits is a cordial to every believer This Sunne of Righteousnesse ariseth with healing in his wings to the least believer as well as the greatest The The Dwarfe as well as the Gyant may hold this pearle in his hand But In the second place besides such general comforts which are as some say of Manna answering all dainties and was to every mans palate that which he most delighted in There are special and particular comforts for special and particular temptations So that as every disease needeth a peculiar remedy so every temptation a proper comfort And therefore that special comfort will not serve one in his temptation which doth another in a different one And hence
one way or other Every Abel will have a Cain every Isaac an Ismael What though you do not suffer from the Pagans or heretiques without yet how greatly do ye suffer from the prophane and ungodly within Every prophane man though he shrowd himself under the name of Christ yet he is of an Antichristian spirit if not doctrinally yet practically and in deed Bernard speaking of the bitter times by Paganish persecution and then of more bitter by hereticall maketh the third and most bitter of all to be in the evil and ungodly manners of those who are within the Church Heu domine saith he qui sunt in Ecclesiâ primi sunt in persecutione primi There is then a suffering for Christ though not to blood and if every godly man do not thus suffer let him fear whether he be not a man pleaser whether he fear not man more then God whether therefore he be not applauded as a wise man as a moderate man because he is not indeed a zealous godly man against sinne in his place The very Heathen could say How is he a good man who is not trouble some to and hated by an evil man Therefore saith our Saviour Wo be to you when all men speak well of you Luk. 6. 26. Some observe the connexion the Apostle useth 1 Pet. 4. 11 12. for having in the 11 verse exhorted to a faithfull and diligent discharge of those Offices we are betrusted with presently exhorts to patience about afflictions because one will necessarily cause the other So Mat. 10. when Christ giveth his Apostles Commission to preach he doth withall admonish them of the hatred they shall meet with Light will be offensive to sore eyes and salt will make wounds to smart Thirdly To suffer for Christs sake is very tedious and grievous to flesh and blood It 's because of those reproaches and many times dangers which accompany the way of Christ that it is such a stumbling block to many They like the Crown of Glory well but they like not the Crown of Thornes If Christs way was a broad way they might have Christ and their honours Christ and their lusts Christ and their advantages then they would be as forward to runne out and meet Christ as they did from Jerusalem crying Hosâ—nna to him Therefore howsoever men have thousands of pretences to keep off from the way of godlinesse and the faithfull owning of Christ they have many wide gates of distinction to go out at when danger is at hand yet it is fear of suffering that keepeth most off their duty They like Christ well till it cometh to be said as she did to Moses Thou art a bloody husband to me So Christ will have thy good name thy estate thy life this makes thee prove an Apostate and turn hypocrite Oh the gulf of misery yea sometimes of despair that this fear of suffering hath put men upon Therefore afflictions for Christs sake are so often called temptations because they will discover whether a man be â—ound for God or not whether they love Christ more then the creatures Oh then pray to God that he leave thee not to this snare to be afraid to suffer for doing what is good This will prove bitter at the latter end Do you not see among Officers how fearfull to punish the drunkard the Sabbath-breaker they shall loose their good word they will do them despite and malice afterwards Art not thou all this while afraid to suffer for Christ He that suffers for doing that which is righteous for punishing offenders he suffers for Christ as is to be shewed Remember then it 's better suffering for Christ which is our Crown and Glory then suffering in Hell for ever because thou wouldst not do the will of God SERM. XLVI The same Doctrine prosecuted shewing the Object for which Christians are to suffer if they would suffer for Christ 2 COR. 1. 5. For as the sufferings of Christ abound in us c. THe Doctrine that hath in part been treated on is That a true and faithfull owning of Christ is accompanied with sufferings and persecutions Some Particulars have been given in to clear this We proceed to adde more and the first in order shall be That although it is very difficult to flesh and blood to own Christ so farre as to suffer for him yet the Scripture represents it as a most blessed and glorious thing howsoever the world judge it reproachfull I shall not here enlarge my self about the encouragements to suffer when Christ calls for it it is enough at this time in the general to inform That God will not honour every one with persecutions for himself It is a great expression of his grace and favour Hence some Confessors have desired to be Martyrs but God by his providence preserved them they have been greatly humbled and dejected under this as if it were for some special sinne and unworthinesse in them that God would not in that manner dignify them These are not words and meer oratory the Scripture is clear in proclaiming this for a title of favour to be a sufferer for Christ Act. 5. 41. The Apostles rejoyced that they were accounted worthy to suffer shame for his Name That they might have shame and reproach for Christ this they rejoyced in as a great matter of honour Who were they that the Lord should so exhalt them So Phil. 1. 29. To you it 's given not only to believe but to suffer By this you see that every one to whom God doth give to believe he doth not also give to suffer for him It 's a gift then and where this is bestowed they ought to rejoyce and to be exceeding glad Yea 1 Pet. 3. 14. They are happy And 1 Pet. 4. 16. Thy are to goorifie God in that behalf If we could believe these Scripture truths so much sinfull fear and pusillanimity in the cause of Christ might not be charged upon us as too often it may be we would not run from a duty accompanied with sufferings as Moses did from the rod turned into a Serpent neither should we with Simon the Cyrenean be compelled to bear the crosse That is observeable 1 Pet. 2. 19. If a man suffer for conscience towards God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 We translate it this is thankworthy But happily that is not so proper for if a man should suffer all the Martyrdomes that have been in his own body yet God is not to thank him he hath not suffered more then he ought to do Neither do I know that the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is used in such a sense Therefore it 's better translated This is a favour this is grace if God bring us to suffer for a good conscience towards him If then thou art to suffer either verbally by mocks and slanders or really by miseries and persecutions set the Crown of Glory to the Crown of Thornes set the honey to the gall set the honour with God to
the Gospel when they cannot have Christ and their Mammon any longer when their Dagon and Ark will consist no longer together then you shall see all that poison vomited at the mouth which before lay close up in the heart then they will desire no Ministry no Gospel rather than be deprived of their gain SERM. LX. A further Discovery of such who take up Religion meerly from carnal motives and worldly respects 2 COR. 1. 8. Of our trouble which came to us in Asia THe word of God purely preached with the faithfull Ministers thereof meet with no greater opposition in the world then from such who regard Religion no further than it maketh for their carnal interests This truth hath been in part opened and because every Christian unregenerated doth upon some false and carnal motive or other take up the profession of Christ whereby when he is put to the denial of that earthly respect he can then no longer hold but breaketh out in opposition to the pure wayes of Christ Therefore it is very usefull to give further Characters of such who regard Religion only upon inferiour and worldly respects And First Such are led with corrupt respects and in time of temptation will prove adversaries to the Ministers of the Gospel who are not of a ready and prepared spirit to take up the Crosse and to follow Christ in whatsoever condition he shall command such who are Christs Disciples onely in the Summer time while there are Halcyon dayes and times of plenty and encouragement to be a Christian These when they are urged to part with all to suffer and to be undone for Christ then they turn into any thing they will oppose and contradict that way which once they did imbrace and admire yea they will become persecutours of such instruments of Gods glory which once they did honour and all this ariseth from the earthly and carnal heart which made them at first look to Gods wayes Phil. 3. 18. Paul did with tears and even weeping speak of such Who were enemies to the crosse of Christ who minded earthly things So that by Pauls example we see it is a thing to be bitterly monrned about when we see men hopefully professing the true way of Christ and then when adversity and persecution doth arise they presently can change and turn their faith again They can withstand and contradict what once they pleaded for and all because they are resolved to save themselves They think Gain is godlinesse Such an one as this is an object greatly to be pitied and mourned over he loveth his ease his liberty his advantages more than Christ and so is no wayes fit to be his Disciple And for this reason it is our Saviour doth so oft-ten plainly and in Parables urge all to consider upon what termes they take up the profession of his name he foretelleth them of all the hardship and difficulties they must encounter with that so they may not prove enemies at last who in the beginning seem'd to be friends Wonder not then to see this fall out often in the Christian Church that those who were once friends and went with us unto the house of God afterwards to become like so many Hazaels to those who fear God Alas their earthly advantage and the present world hath made them change their opinions and affections They never at first did own Christ upon sincere and pure motives and therefore not being able to suffer for Christ they set against him and this alwayes falleth out that he who is an Apostate from the true profession of Christ doth become a cruel and bloudy enemy of that way he once walked in Omnis Apostata est osor sui ordinis All Apostate persons whether in Doctrine or Practice are implacable adversaries to truth and holinesse This hath been experimentally proved in all ages and one reason is because hereby they would be revenged upon those from whom they have departed for their guilty conscience telleth them they have justly incurred the censure of the godly They have lost their repute and esteem their good name is blasted and this maketh them study all opposition and malignity that may be Look then to thy motives at first to those termes thou didst professe Christ at the beginning if it was any humane or false motive if it was not such an entire and enduring principle that will not make thee stand upon a Rock immovable Let any winds or tempests arise as great a friend and as forward a well-wisher as now thou seemest to be for good things Had we a propheticall discerning we might with the Prophet look stedfastly upon thee as he did on Hazael and weep to think what enmity and mischief thou mayest create to such as fear God This man taketh up the old Rule Ama tanquam osurus He loveth this way of Christ so as thinking his outward advantages may sometimes or other make him hate it Secondly Such regard Religion only in a carnal way Who though they may acknowledge some principles of the Christian Religion yet at the same time maintain some damnable or heretical Doctrines that doe overthrow the very foundation Such as these take up Religion with carnal motives and so in time become cruel enemies to the faithfull Guides that are in Gods Church Wonder not that I make an Heretick to regard Religion after the flesh for Galat. 5. 20. Heresies are reckoned a fruit of the flesh Insomuch that Austin made it an ingredient into the definition of an Heretick that he either beget or propagate false opinions Alicujus temporalis commodi causâ for some temporal advantage And although we cannot say thus of all because God in just judgement doth deliver up some who receive not the truth in the love of it to efficacy of errour to strong delusions that they should believe a lie 1 Thess 2. 10 11. yet this very delusion upon their judgement this errour and blindness upon their mind is of the flesh For you must know that the flesh or to be carnal doth not in the Scripture signifie the pollution upon the sensitive and bodily part only but also upon the intellectual and rational It 's a fleshly mind as well as fleshly affections Thus all such who though they do retain some principles of the Christian faith doe yet believe other damnable Doctrines these are Religions only in a carnal respect and thereupon when occasion serveth do manifest the rancour and malice that is in their heart against the truths of Christ Ecclesiastical History informeth us of the bloody cruelty which the Arrians exercised against the Orthodox when they had power in their hands The Paganish persecutions were not much superiour to the Heretical Yea as it is said amongst brethren discord is the more vehement and flaming than any other So it is amongst those that pretend to be of the same Church of God So that we ought to walk humbly and to pray earnestly unto God to keep our hearts to
dead can be proved possible by naturall reason but whether it can or no we are sure the Scripture doth so positively and plainly affirme it that it must be bold Atheisme to deny it Now do but consider how great a matter it is to exercise faith in this particular how improbable yea and impossible doth it seem to naturall reason All those who have dyed ever since Adam so many thousand yeares ago who have been for so long a time consumed into ashes All such bodies which have been eaten with fish or beasts yet God will raise the same body again the same bones and flesh again What amazement and astonishment may this raise in thee yet it is clear by Scripture God can and will do this Oh then that the godly did more vigorously exercise their faith in this fundamentall point of Religion What canst thou believe in God concerning this great and admirable truth yet doubtest whether he can raise thee out of those petty and minute troubles thou art exercised with When was news brought to the Pope of the murther of Henry the fourth of France he was exceedingly affected with it in his speech in the conclave blaspemously aggravating the mercie as he thought and among other particulars said the fact was so incredible that had he not used himself to believe the high and mysterious points of Religion he could not have believed this fact Thus he in a wretched manner but thou maist in a true and godly sense say Oh Lord this temptation is so great this trouble is so pressing I am so greatly overwhelmed that did I not believe those wonderfull Principles of Religion were I not used all the day long to things above humane reason and expectation I could not be able to beare up my self in these extremities 2. This Doctrine is metaphorically true also God raiseth from the dead and that again in a twofold extremity externall and internall externall troubles the Scripture doth delight to represent the great and extreame troubles of the Church when it hath visible help or deliverance under the name of death Isaiah 26. 19. We have the Prophet comforting the Church in her desolate estate Thy dead men shall live together with my dead body shall they arise It is true many Interpreters expound this as if properly and immediately spoken of the Resurrection and it should seem our Translators understood it so when they render it together with my body but the context maketh it cleare God speaketh of their deliverance from captivity wherein he calleth his people Cadaver meum my dead body because in outward appearance so now the reason of this may be because Gods power would be to them as the dew to herbs ready to perish which doth revive them Thus their deliverance out of their calamity is described Hosea 6. 2. After two dayes he will revive us in the third day he will raise us up and we shall live in his sight This Text is literally and immediately to be understood of the Jewes yet by consequence it may be applyed to Christ so that it argueth the calumniating spirit of Hunnius who would make Calvin to jadaize because he doth not expound it as a promise of Christs Resurrection God will do with his Church as he did with the body of Christ he would not suffer it to see corruption but within three dayes raise it again Thus saith the Church though we be in a dead condition yet he will within two or three dayes within a short time revive us again But above all you have a most evident allusion to this Ezek. 37. Where the Prophet in a vision saw a Valley full of dry bones and breath from the Lord brought sinews and flesh upon these bones and the bones came together and lived Now what the meaning of this parabolicall vision is appeareth Verse 11. These bones are the whole house of Israel Behold they say our bones are dryed up our hope is lost we are cut off from all parts but saith God I will open your Graves and you shall come out By these expressions you see how true the Doctrine is that in the Churches extreame calamities God raiseth the dead neither was this opening of the graves and making dry bones to live once done by God only for that people of that time But such hath been the condition of the Church in severall Ages It hath been the dry bones and God hath breathed life into them Now the Child of God should daily meditate upon these great workes of God to his People and then he will be ashamed to see himselfe so much dejected about his own particular What thou art but one dry bone and cannot God restore thee when he doth help so many Can he deliver his whole Church and not a particular Member therein More faith in the generall affaires of the Church would facilitate thy particular Come we then to internall extremities and exigences and there in a two-fold sense likewise we shall find it is God that raiseth the dead In the first place If you consider man in his state by nature he is wholly dead in sinne and therefore when God by his grace doth correct him then he raiseth the dead Thus every godly man in this spirituall change wrought upon him can experimentally say God who raiseth the dead I was senselesse in sinne I was stupid I felt no burden I desired no deliverance but God raised me from the dead Even as the Father said of his Prodigall Sonne converted this our Sonne was dead but is alive This expression in a spirituall sense the Scripture doth much delight in Ephes 2. You who were dead in sinne hath he quickned and therefore the work of grace is compared to a Resurrection and from this similitude we justly urge against the Arminians that man hath no active power to prepare himselfe for grace or to turne himselfe to God no more then a dead Lazarus did dispose himselfe to a Resurrection Thou then who labourest under many temptations about the weaknesse of thy graces that bewaile thy dead heart thy dead duties thy dead Religion Oh thou art withered and hast no life in thee Remember it is God that raiseth the dead And certainly if he did infuse the life of grace into thee at first when thou wast wholly dead can he not much more now thou art quickned recover thee out of thy decayings and swounding fits he that hath spirituall life at first can much more recover thee out of thy consumptions he that delivered from death can much more from sickness 2. There is another internall exigency upon the soul which may be called a spirituall death and that is the sad desolations and terrible blackness that may cover the soul because of desertions God may have forsaken thee thou maist not only look upon thy selfe as a dead man but as a damned man Oh this temptation when God sets himselfe against a broken soul shootes his arrowes into his heart
is an improper foundation for thy faith As thy faith is hereby a blind faith so thy comfort is but a blind comfort How greatly do the Popish Casuists perplex their people with such cases of conscience and about such superstitious things that they have only tradition for and that it may be not many yeares neither without any stamp or superscription of the Scripture Have not they comfort in their Penances in their Indulgences Will not their Friers and Monks not those slow beasts and idle bellies who from deluded principles of conscience do severely and austeerly mortifie themselves say They have the testimony of their consciences and make a bulwark from thence But where is the rule they go by Is it not tradition On the contrary side in another extream there is the Enthusiast who rejecteth the Scripture as a dead letter and doth adhere only to revelations to pretended workings of Gods Spirit to the manifest light within them Doe not these even boast in their joyes and ravishments Doe they not when unable to answer arguments flie to a light within them But what ground is there for this Is not the Apostles command That we should not believe every spirit but try them 1 John 4. 1. And how must that be but by the Scripture You see then that it is not conscience simply and alone but a Scripture-conscience that is the ground of comfort To leave that and to trust in our conscience is to make our consciences a Bible to attribute infallibility to our selves Now this Scrigture is not only a Rule for our conscience in matters of faith but also of manners of righteousnesse towards man Conscience must witness to thee not only that thou art in the true Religion but also doest walk in holy conversation It must testifie of thy righteousness towards man as well as of Religion towards God This was Paul's continual exercise Act. 24. 26. To have a conscience void of offence towards God and towards man There are many voluminous Tractates of Cases of Conscience De jure justitiâ Of Righteousnesse towards man And although the Scripture doth not particularly decide Law-cases yet it layeth down such general rules that by them particulars may easily be decided if our hearts were not corrupt As for example that famous rule What you would have men do to you do ye to them Mat. 7. 12. Our Saviour after he had given religious precepts about prayer c. he addeth this to shew that Religion and righteousness must alwayes go together And Adrian the Emperour was so affected with this Rule saying He had it from the Jews or Christians that he commanded it to be written on the doors and gates of his Palace and before he would punish any offender would inform him of this Rule And our Saviour saith This is the Law and the Prophets A great expression Look then to thy conscience that it take the Scripture for a Rule in its adequate nature For faith and conversation this is no rule for conscience to go by Others do say every one is to look to himself but the word of God that must bear evidence to thee by thy conscience Secondly To the right guidance of our conscience in witnessing to us there is not only required the Word as a Rule But the Spirit of God to enlighten thy mind to receive the true meaning thereof Such are the powerfull delusions of Satan that when he can no longer dethrone the Scripture from its authority but men will appeal to that then he looketh about to advance his Kingdom by the Scriptures ill handled and wrested to corrupt opinions and by this means men are brought into a worse condition and more incurable then those who walk by no Scripture at all For if a man be delivered up to this perswasion that his opinions and wayes are allowed by Scripture warranted by Scripture what way shall we take to reduce him The Apostle Peter telleth us of some unstable and unlearned men 2 Pet. 3. 16. which did wrest the Scriptures to their own perdition And nothing is more ordinary which made Luther say That the Bible was the Hereticks book not in the sense the Papists do accusing it thereby of insufficiency and imperfection But for the dignity of it having such authority that every Heretick would gladly runne to this Sanctuary The Scripture then though a perfect Rule yet is not enough to guide our conscience unless the Spirit of God as is promised lead us into truth As the Sunne though never so full of light yet cannot guide a blind man We grant indeed that the Scripture is but a dead letter and of it self without Gods Spirit doth not enlighten the mind and convert the heart Only we say The Spirit doth this in and by the Scripture and that all mens consciences impulses light revelations and joyes must be examined and stand or fall according to this Rule Let this be granted and then we plead as fervently as any can for the work of Gods Spirit This must enlighten the conscience to be able to understand and believe the things revealed there Hence the Disciples could not attempt their office of publishing the Gospel without this assistance from the holy Ghost John 16. 13. he is said To guid them into all truth To guide them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 this signifieth that they did not know the way or if they were in they would quickly divert into by-paths if this Spirit did not guide them When David said The Word was a lamp and light to his feet If we understand it effectually so that it did not only propound the light objectively but that also he was subjectively thereby illuminated this doth necessarily presuppose the work of Gods Spirit No wonder then if so many may be exceedingly acquainted with Scripture be ready with some Texts upon every occasion yet for all that be deluded with errours because they want Gods Spirit to enlighten them and instruct them thereby Let us look upon the Jews the sad dest object in the world at this day they have been so skilfull in the Old Testament that some could remember how many words and syllables were therein and that is read to them daily yet who more maliciously opposite unto the Lord Christ promised in the Old Testament than they are But the Scripture giveth a full reason thereof The veil is upon their eyes And long before there was such a prediction of this spiritual judgement upon them That seeing they should not see hearing not hear lest they understand and be converted Therefore to have a pure and true conscience we must be sure to pray and exercise our selves herein that the Spirit of God would direct us into the true sense and meaning of the Word which is to be expected in the holy use of those means which are necessary to find out the sense thereof For you must not expect that Gods Spirit will immediately reveal the sense of the Scripture without
These are allegorical and allusive expressions to declare the assurance that God giveth to his but all this is To him that overcometh If sin prevail over thee if the world and the Devil entice thee off from God then expect not to have this mercifull refreshment as thou usest to have This assurance is like the manna that fell in the wilderness refreshing the Israelites in their extremities It is the hidden manna alluding to that which was kept in the Ark that might not be seen It is the new name that none knoweth but he that hath it So that it is the sincere practice of godliness that maketh us to believe this truth he that hath it cannot declare it to another when prophane scoffers ' by derision bid us demonstrate and prove that we have it This cannot be no more than you can perswade a man honey is sweet unless he do eat of it These Cautions observed then wrestle and strive with God for the Spirit of God that adopting and sealing Spirit Say Lord thou hast given me grace give me also the assurance of it How can I praise thee how can I glorifie thee while unbelief doth shut up my mouth SERM. LXXXIX Of the true Nature of Godly Simplicity and Singlenesse of Heart 2 COR. 1. 12. That in simplicity and godly sincerity c. HAving finished the general we now come to the particular wherein his conscience did give this good testimony and that is concerning his conversation in the world Of which in its time Which is amplified as you heard in the manner of it Positively Negatively and Oppositely Positively and that is set down in two words In simplicity and Godly sincerity Of the first at this time 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Vulgar Latine addeth heart In singlenesse of heart for so we find it used in other places Ephes 6. 5. Colos 3. 22. But that is supposed in the word though it be not expressed Grotius speaketh of a Manuscript that readeth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but the Context is clear for this Now when he saith In simplicity by that he meaneth he did nothing craftily crookedly hypocritically deceitfully as Chrysostome interpreteth it in many synonymous words Varinus maketh the contrary to 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. almost the same words Chrysostome hath The word is often used for bounty and liberality as 2 Cor. 9. 11 13. because those who have a single plain spirit are hearty ready and free in all duties that are required It differeth from the next word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 because that doth properly respect the aims and intentions of men in all their wayes although we are not to be too exact in making a distinction between them This simplicity is as much as sine plicis that which is smooth and plain that hath not many folds and coverings and so is opposite to that which is in the Old Testament called an heart and an heart a man that hath two hearts So that this is a most blessed temperature of the soul when its internals and externals are both alike when it s inwardly towards God what it outwardly pretends to be From whence observe That godly simplicity and singlenesse of heart doth afford much comfort The hypocritical and crafty self-seeking man that maketh use of God and holy things for his own advantage and interest hath never any solid true comfort He is compared to the rush that groweth in the mire and if plucked from thence quickly withereth Job 8. 11. An hypocrite will not serve God but where his own advantages do induce him for hypocrisie is large and so contrary both to simplicity and sincerity The Apostle doth excellently comfort himself in this and thereby appealeth to the consciences of the Thessalonians 1 Thess 2. 3. Our exhortation was not of deceit or guile neither used we flattering words or a cloak of covetousnesse nor if men sought we glory Oh the admirable simplicity that here we find in Paul's spirit Now it is necessary to consider the nature of this And First It floweth from an heart sanctified and truly regenerated No man but he that is godly hath this singlenesse of spirit Jer. 17. 9. The heart is deceitfull above all things The word signifieth the crookedness of it How ready it is to supplant us Jacob had his name from that root because he supplanted Esau about his birthright This is the heart of man by nature full of concavities secret recesses and holes as it were deceiving himself and others and therefore till grace doth make pure and we have truth in the inward parts all is but a lie in us Our Religion is a lie our goodness is a lie there is no solidity at all It is true indeed there is in some men a natural ingenuous candour they abhorre dissimulation and hypocrisie but yet this is onely one of Aristotles virtues which is indeed but a splendid vice For if the tree be not good the fruit cannot be If the spring be bitter so is the stream and so if a man be a thorn no sweet grapes can grow upon him This then we are to do to look to the bottom to search to the original Hath the Spirit of God made thee a new creature then thou doest become faithfull and true both to God and man otherwise we see what the Scripture speaketh of every one by nature that he is a liar Rom. 3. 4. Therefore till the heart be purified by grace there is no truth and soundness within Secondly This simplicity and singlenesse of spirit doth eye God and looketh upon his will as the motive of his duty The presence of God the omniscience of God whereby he trieth and searcheth the heart is frequently in his meditation It is the glory of God the honour of God that stirreth up his heart It 's not glory from men or pleasing of men which doth quicken him up For although we told you the next word signifieth purity of intentions yet one is so intimately connexed with the other that they cannot be separated singleness then of heart is remarkably seen in those motives that move his soul they are arguments drawn from God You see this fully comprehended in that exhortation to servants Colos 3. 22. where they are commanded To obey their masters not with eye service as men pleasers but in singlenesse of heart fearing God They must look above Masters and Governours even to God himself Now we are all servants to God and therefore we ought the more diligently to have singleness of spirit towards him by how much he doth infinitely exceed all other masters And this particular doth likewise shew that all the moral ingenuity and verity which some Heathens have been famous for was but a glistering Glow-worm for they had no eye to God neither did they respect him but looked at their own glory and honour in all that they did Thirdly Simplicity of heart is essentially consisting in the fixednesse of it upon
a godly man can more securely make that wish than the Heathen who wished that he had a window in his breast that all men might see what he thought what laie in his heart This was great confidence For certainly if God should take a man as he did Ezekiel and make a man look into the secret corners of many mens soules we should see every day more abominations A man of this godly simplicity careth not if other men knew his heart because God whom he feareth more than man knoweth all the motions of his soul It is the complaint that God maketh of some by the Prophet Isaiah Chap. 29. 13. This people draw nigh me with their mouth and with their lips they honour me but remove their hearts farre from me This is to have a double heart such want this godly simplicity But oh the lamentation and bitter mourning that we may take up in this respect Have not most of our Congregations this double heart and this double tongue For what contrariety is there betweene thy religious approaches and thy ordinary actions Are ye not here to day as if ye were an holy people a repenting people as if you did owne and acknowledge the Lord in all his commands But what are you in your shops in your markets yea it may be in ale-houses and such places that doe foment iniquity What grosse double dealing is this with God You have a tongue to pray to God here and then you have a tongue to curse and swear after You appear here to day for the service and honour of God and then in the week-day you serve the Devil and the world What impudent hypocrisie is this Will God be thus grossely mocked by you What doth not God remember Is he an Idol-god Oh yeeld your selves up to that exhortation of the Apostle before Gods wrath consume you and you cannot escape Iames Chap. 4. 8. Cleanse your hands ye sinners and purifie your hearts ye double-minded Your hypocrisie and dissimulation is so grosse and visible that did not the Devil exceedingly blinde you you could not but take notice of it it would rise up in your consciences and â—â—ing like a Scorpion Seventhly Simplicity of heart is seen in this That it dare not hide or cover any sinne or mince it and by distinctions lessen it as much as may be You heard simplex is sine plicis It is a metaphor from garments that have not folds in them you may see what they are Saul did exceedingly discover the guile of his heart when he did so mince his sinne to Samuel and did pretend sometimes necessity and sometimes religious respects to God whereas David though for a while he had too much of this double heart in him about Uriah's matter yet at last he confesseth all Psal 51. Against thee against thee onely have I sinned and done this evil in thy sight It was because the eye of God was upon him that he was so much troubled it was because he had used so much fraud and cunning in accomplishing his iniquity that he was wounded at the very heart therefore saith he Create in me a right spirit and thou desirest truth in the inward parts When a man once cometh to this simplicity of heart he will justifie God and condemn himself he will confesse to God hide nothing from him deal plainly with him not with Adam excuse or put it off to others he will say I am the man I charge my self with all that evil and all the aggravations of it that the Scripture requireth Eighthly Simplicity of heart maketh a man wonderfull free and willing in the service of God It doth not limit and stint his worke to God sutably to his own advantages but his Modus diligendi Deum est sine modo his measure is to put no measure Therefore all those who love not strictness zeale fervency and activity for God they discover much unsoundnesse of spirit Were thy heart single for God thou wouldst strive forward and forget all things that are behind This is the reason you heard why the Greek word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is many times used for bounty and liberality because he who hath a plain heart for God he doth not walk by politick rules and prescripts of humane moderation but conformeth to the rule with as much exactness and zeal as he can SERM. XC A further Discovery of the true Nature of Godly Simplicity both towards God and Man 2 COR. 1. 12. That in simplicity and godly sincerity WE are treating upon this special grace of simplicity which doth afford unspeakable comfort to him that enjoyeth it There remain more particulars to declare the nature of it And First Where this simplicity is there is an humble submission of the mind to the truths of God revealed in believing of them and an obediential resignation of the will to the commands of God without cavils and froward disputations In this particular the grace of simplicity doth triumph Although to speak properly simplicity and sincerity are not so much a distinct specifical grace as a qualification and modification of the powers of the soul and their operations In these two chanels of faith and obedience doctrine and duty simplicity doth greatly discover it self We can neither believe soundly or walk holily without this For the former it is plain that seeing the truths of Christianity are made known to us by divine Revelation and therefore are above reason though not contrary to it there is no such requisite to believe as a simplicity of the mind whereby we do acquiesce upon the authority of the Word never curiously disputing and cavilling how it can be This the Apostle calleth Captivating every thought 2 Cor. 10. 5. And herein Christianity differeth from Philosophy the later requireth science by disputes and discourses the former requireth an humble assent to the testimony affirming such a thing to be so So that we may say It 's the want of this simplicity of the mind that maketh so many absurd and damnable heresies in the Church What causeth the Socinian the Arminian but the want of this humility of mind It is said to be the Embleme of Nazianzen Theologia nostra est Pythagorica Our Divinity is pythagorical as amongst Pythagoras his Disciples 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 was enough to silence all disputes So much more ought this amongst Christians to quiet all disputations The Lord hath said it Christ hath spoken it Thus it is written But how sadly may we lament to see all Divinity turned into Quaerees and Utrum's videtur's quod sic and videtur's quod non How is this holy simplicity in believing laid aside and raâ—â—onal scientifical inquisitions advanced as if now the just were to live by reason not by faith as if reason were the substance of things hoped for and the evidence of things not seen Certainly this maketh men so uncertain so inconstant they look not after faith which as the Schoolmen well say is
not only apprehensiva but quietativa not only apprehensive but quietative it brings the soul to its center to its non ultra whereas reason doth but satisfie till a man come with a stronger and one argument like the circles in the water begets another So that whereas it was Iulian's objection against the Christian Religion as low and contemptible because it was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 only believe yet this indeed is the glory of it this setleth and composeth when philosophical ratiocinations did carry them into endless contentions Therefore that is good counsel of Austins Noveris te esse fidelem non rationalem It is faith not syllogisms that brings an established mind in Religion It is true indeed Christianity hath her use of Reason and Arguments and there is an Habitus Theologiae whereby we do demonstrate the points of Divinity but this is when faith hath laid the foundation Fides facit argumentum non argumentum fidem as it doth in the liberal Arts Reason buildeth upon Faith not Faith upon Reason If therefore thou complainest of the diversity of Sects of the multitude of opinions that swarm every where there is no such way to escape splitting thy soul at such rocks as to pray for this godly simplicity of mind I say holy simplicity not a foolish popish blind obedience that is not faith The fool believeth every thing Faith hath alwayes an evidence and knowledge of the testimony though the thing believed may be above the comprehension But when truths out of the Scripture are with sufficient evidence held out to thee then simplicity is required to yeeld firm assent thereunto and not to dispute by humane arguments whether it can be so or no. Therefore the wisdome which is from above Jam. 3. 17. is said to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 easily to be perswaded As in respect of the objects to be believed and the instruments who propound it there is necessary Piscatoria simplicitas which is more than Aristotle's subtilty or his Minutiloquium as Tertullian calleth it So there is such an humble simplicity required on the subjects part who are to receive these divine truths I am the larger on this as being assured the best antidote against all heresies and the surest remedy to preserve from doctrinal Apostasie is this simplicity of mind But Secondly This simplicity is no lesse signally seen in the Will which is to cast away its contumacy stubbornness and propriety resigning it self wholly up to Gods command The Lord hath commanded it therefore I obey not disputing with flesh and blood whether this will be for my advantage honour or profit but the will of God boweth him into all ready compliance It is the Apostles advice Phil. 2. 14. Do all things without mumurings and disputings that ye may be sincere Here it is plain that sincerity is manifested when we willingly do our duty not murmuring and quarrelling at it Even as we read of Abraham though commanded by God to sacrifice his own sonne with his own hands when he might have had so many fair arguments against it yet he readily applieth himself to his duty and so when commanded to come out of his own countrey and to go he did not know whether yet he willingly obeyeth this is simplicity And so it was with Paul Galat. 1. who immediately obeyed the call of God Not consulting with flesh and blood whereas Saul because he did not obey in simplicity but waved the commands of God upon religious pretences his rebellion was accounted aâ— witchcraft not believing that Obedience was better than Sacrifice 1 Sam. 15. 22. Thirdly This simplicity is seen in an holy boldnesse to do our duty to be zealous for God to reprove sinne though there be never so many Lions in the way It is true the wisemen of the world call this simplicity indeed making it the same with folly Thus most of our Christian duties if fervently and zealously performed are nothing but folly and silliness to carnal policy But to appear for God and to own his wayes among a crooked and malicious people is an excellent mark of simplicity whereas hypocrisie measuring all things by its safety honour and profit becometh like the shadow to the body suâ—eth it self to every corrupt humour of others But this plainness of heart maketh us with David Psal 119. to speak of the Law even before Kings and alwayes to obey God rather than men So much shrinking from thy duty because of the fear or favours of men is so much want of simplicity Hence Varinus makes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the same with 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 boldnesse and freedome Oh then pray exceedingly for this simplicity of spirit that will make thee constant bold and zealous for God! How often may thy conscience convince thee that sinfull fear or foolish shame or carnal affections have made thee not do thâ—se duties with singleness of heart as thou shouldst have done How many times hast thou betrayed the truth by sinfull silence How many times hast thou wounded thy spirit by holding thy tongue whereas this holy simplicity would have imboâ—dened thee It is true there is Christian prudence required also there must be the wisdome of a Serpent as well as the innocency of the Dove Discretion is the salt to season our Sacrifices and there must be this salt as well as the fire of zeal but we must look the Serpent doth not eat up this Dove that discretion doth not devour this simplicity Thus much of simplicity as it relateth immediately to God Now because the Apostle useth the word largely relating to his ministerial conversation as it did reach to men we shall take in briefly the consideration of that also And First Godly simplicity maketh a man inoffensive to men This simplicity maketh a man harmlesse and unblameable as to others Christs Disciples are compared to Sheep not to Bears for cruelty or Foxes for craft in doing mischief therefore 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is as much as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Apostle saith I would have you simple in malice Rom. 16. 19. The leven that was forbidden in the Sacrifices did signifie malice and sourness So that where this simplicity is a man is wonderfull harmless is not injurious doth no wrong The word used in that place of Rom. 16. 19. is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which though it properly come from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 yet some make it from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as if to say without horns The people of God are meek and lowly as it 's said of Jacob He was a plain man but Esau rough and hairy which may relate to their manners as well as bodily constitutions not but that they can be as bold as Lions in the cause of God Simplicity is consistent with zeal and courage for God Moses was the meekest man upon earth yet in the case of Idolatry and the peoples uncleanness how forward was he to have severe punishment
as Hos 4. 1. Is it not better and more comfortable to be a Shepherd to the bruit beasts than to such men for the Shepherd driveth his sheep into what Pasture he pleaseth and ordereth them according to his desire but these though bruitish in knowledge yet are devillish in wilfulness and obstinacy and therefore as they ignorant so they will live and die and go to Hell in it go from darkness here to darkness hereafter It is a very great comfort to preach to a knowing people to men of understanding and that are desirous to be more and more and more instructed There is great hope of such a peoples conversion afterwards as you see by that expression Isa 6. 10. Lest they understand with their heart and be converted What good doth the light at nown day to a blinde man This makes Preaching in vain and Hearing in vain Now that you may be matter of rejoycing to your Minister in this respect consider these things First The necessity of knowledg in holy things There is no salvation without it 1 Tim. 2. 4. God would have all men to be saved and to come to the knowledg of the truth If they will be saved they must first come to the knowledg of the truth Thou that art sottishly ignorant of the Principles of Christianity there is no way for thy salvation such Ignorance as well as Profaneness will necessarily damn Isa 26. 11. It is a people of no understanding therefore he that made them will not have mercy on them This very Text breaketh the staff of your confidence for you are ready to say Alas we are poor ignorant people we know nothing What then will this help you No God that made you will not have mercy on you It is true we pitty poor old blinde men because they are blinde against their will They would use any means to have their sight but you that are Ignorant are no wayes to be pittied for it is affected and willfull your eyes might be opened and you will not Oh how sad is it to preach to stones to preach to posts for so we do while to the grosly ignorant Therefore as one said when asked what was the benefit of Learning saith he nè lapis sedeat super lupidem that when a man is grown up he may not in the Counsel-House sit as a stone upon a stone implying that a man without knowledg was no better than a sensless stone and truly this good would you have by getting knowledg that in the Congregation thou mayest not sit a block upon a block How grievous is it to have Idol-hearers that have eyes but see not and ears but hear not Know then to be an ignorant people is matter of grief to a godly Minister for such carry about with them the visible mark as it were of condemnation Secondly That ye may be a knowing people Consider not onely the necessity but the usefulness and profitableness of Christian knowledg By this we come to know how to please God how to be saved how to enjoy eternal life All are convinced of the necessity of knowledg of earthly things They must know how to plow and sow Do you not set your children to know a Trade do you not say They must do something that they may live implying they are outwardly undone if they know not these things Oh foolish and unwise Must men know how to live here and not know how to live hereafter Must men know how to keep of poverty and not how to keep off damnation Why then do you not lay aside all things to get some competent knowledg of Christian Principles without which you cannot get any good by Sermons by acraments without which ye cannot tell how to live or how to die And never complain saying Thou art two old or thy memory is bad It is plain thou hast no heart to it no zeal and affection for it For how many as unlikely as thou art have by diligence got knowledg even to the admiration of others And God he useth to bless those and to encrease their gifts that are serious in their desires after these things But the truth is The world hath thy heart Lusts have thy heart If thou didst follow the wise mans Counsel to seek for it more than gold or silver more then any precious treasure thou wouldest not be such a blinde wretch as thou art Then saith Solomon thou shalt understand the fear of the Lord and finde the knowledg of God Prov. 2. 3 4 5. If then thou dyest in thy ignorance and without instruction which is threatned as a dread full judgment Prov. 11. 23. blame thy own corrupt lazy and wicked heart now this universal ignorance is the more abominable because we enjoy the plentifull means of knowledg we have constant Preaching we have the Word read and Ordinances administred in our known tongue How intolerable then is it if generally people be still as ignorant as if the Bible were not translated and all Church Administrations dispensed in an unknown tongue Secondly Then are people matter of rejoycing to a ministry when they are believing of the word of God and receiving it as Gods word thereby awing their hearts and captivating the whole man thereunto For knowledg is not enough How many know and can remember places of Scripture can understand most Sermons But they do not believe those things to be true neither are they ingrafted in their hearts by faith saying This is Gods word how can I go against it this is the word of God and not man that condemneth this sin commands that duty Wo then be unto me if I gainsay it for this the Apostle doth exceedingly commend the Thessalonians 1 Thes 2. 13. ye he is so affected with it that he did thank God without ceasing in his respect even because they received the word of God which they heard of Paul not as the word of men but as it is in truth the word of God which effectually worketh in those that believe How comfortable a thing is this for a Minister to see his people receiving the truths he preaches of Gods word They hear and tremble they believe and tremble so that without this saith as it is impossible to please God so it is to get any good by the Ministry As it s not the seeing of meat but the eating of it and digesting that doth nourish so neither is it the hearing and knowing but the believing of it that maketh a powerfull change upon a people Thirdly Then a people rejoyce a faithfull Minister when to knowledge and Faith there is added that compleat efficacy of the Word as to regenerate us and make us to become new creatures Even men who yet will lye roaring for ever in Hell may have great knowledg and some faith yet because not regenerated not delivered fully from their bondage of sin they lived in do therefore come short of Eternall glory Now this is the most
of the flesh and the principle of the Spirit and such as your principles are such are ye If thy principle be to be godly to live by the Word to save thy soul then thou art daily in these things thy heart is there thy life is there But if it be flesh that ruleth in thee then this maketh thee like a worm and a moal alwayes in the earth You cannot repent you cannot believe you cannot be saved while these principles abide in you for they make you prejudiced against godlinesse they make you neglect repentance Oh but when thou shalt lie howling and roaring in hell how wilt thou curse and bewail such principles These have damned me these have brought me to this place of torment I would not entertain other principles SERM. CXIV Of the kinds and sinfulnesse of Lying 2 COR. 1. 17. That with me there should be yea yea and nay nay IN these words is the sinne specified that would flow from those two evil causes named before viz. Inconstancy and corrupt principles They that are led aside by these must needs be liars and perfidious persons frothy and vain to whom no credit is to be given The Apostle therefore doth here remove the sinne of lying or saying one thing and doing another thing for such an unfaithfull false man can never be serviceable unto God by that uneven carriage of his he maketh himself uncapable of bringing glory to God and of edifying others Concerning the Greek expression and the interpretation of it there is great diversity amongst the learned That which troubleth most is the gemination of those particulars yea yea nay nay For we read it as a command and a duty Matth. 5. 37. James 5. 12. That our communication ought to be yea yea nay nay whereas the Apostle doth here speak of it as a sinne Some therefore do think that the gemination of the particle crept into the Text by the errour of the Scribes who finding it used in other places thought it should be here also and they are the rather induced to this because in the verse following the Apostle doth not use the gemination onely affirming Yea and nay Others they think that the Greek particle 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is a note of negation should be supplied making it to runne negatively as if with me were not yea yea and nay nay But there is no necessity of running unto these harsh remedies for we may keep the gemination of the particles well enough as intending thereby a vehement affirmation and a vehement negation For so the Hebrews use to affirm vehemently by doubling the word And our Saviour often useth Amen Amen which custome also Heinsius saith is among the prophane Greek Authours And thus the sense will be very coherent I doe not inconstantly and carnally purpose things as if I should with great vehemency affirme one thing at one time and then with as great a vehemency deny it again at another time But then we must acknowledge that this differeth from those places above-mentioned Matth. 5. and James 5. for there the latter Yea and latter Nay is the predicate in the Preposition here it is the subject and Nay nay the predicate In those places also there is a respect had to our speech as opposite unto oaths but here is denoted only truth and constancy in our affirmations Chrysostome doth not read the words interrogatively and thereupon hath a peculiar interpretation implying the clean contrary to what we have said For he maketh the meaning to be as if Paul did deny he was constant or ought to be unchangeable he was not to have Yea yea nay nay but to be yea and nay as occasion served because he was not at his own disposing to go whither he would but was wholly guided by the Spirit of God and therefore when he attempted to preach in some places the Spirit of God suffered him not So that with this Authour Paul's intention should be to remove from himself such a constancy as if he were to dispose of himself and to hold to his own resolutions whereas he was wholly to follow the guide and motions of Gods Spirit But this seemeth not so proper The Apostle rather defends himself against the charge of lying and unfaithfull dealing he was not Yea and nay Hence some make the Latine word Naucus that signifieth a vain empty trifling fellow to come from the Greek words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but of this more in the following verse Seeing then that Paul doth in this expression free himself from the crime of lying and saying one thing but doing the contrary We may observe That lying or contrariety between our words and words or words and actions are not beseeming a Christian neither are they consistent with godlinesse A godly man can be no more godly and a liar than godly and a drunkard than godly and a prophane person This sinne the Apostle maketh as a stream to flow from those two poisoned fountains of levity of mind and a corrupt carnal heart Now how inconsistent this is with the new man and the work of grace you have heard from Colos 3. 9 Lie not one to another seeing you have put off the old man with his deeds To be yea and nay is to be a lyar and sometimes as the Apostle supposeth here we may be very vehement and earnest in our yea's and nayes and then we are bold vehement lyars I shall not enlarge my self concerning the whole Theological matter that may be delivered about a lie but speak so much as will be for our practical improvement of this truth And First We are to take notice of this That there may be a lie materialiter and formaliter That is a material lie when we speak that which is untruth but yet we think it to be a truth or else we would not speake it But then that is formally a lie when we affirm that to be true which we know to be false and this is directly and properly a lie Some say the former is Mendacium dicere the other is Mentiri Now this latter way of speaking untruths is that which properly is called a lie and men do then formally lie when they speak that which their consciences doe tell them to be false yet in some cases when we speake those things that are untrue though we thinke them to be so we are not presently excused from sinne For in many things it behoveth us to have knowledge and a right information before we speak about them Hence the false Prophets are often called lyars who it may be thought they spake what was true being delivered up by the just judgement of God to believe a lie and therefore we must take heed of rashnesse and suddennesse in our words that we may alwayes speak that which is consonant to the truth both materially as well as formally Secondly We may distinguish of lies as they doe of oaths There are Assertory lies whereby we
when the Cedars are so weak Use of Exhortation To take heed of this sinne in a special manner as being so reproachfull to a man much more a Christian so opposite to the Attribute of God whose faithfulnesse and truth is so often celebrated that it is impossible for him to lie Yea it cometh so immediately from the Devil that there ought to be no communion with him in this thing Never call any lie profitable for it will not prove so at last What if by it thou escape danger here and be cast into Hell hereafter What if thou gaine the world here and lose thy soule hereafter Will not this be a dreadfull and dismall lie to thee Remember that place Prov. 12. 19. The lying tongue is but for a moment Hence Prov. 13. 5. A righteous man hateth lying For that lying tongue is but for a moment hereafter it will scorch in hell it will burne in those eternal flames SERM. CXV GOD is True 2 COR. 1. 18. But as God is true our word towards was not yea and nay IN this Verse the Apostle giveth a reason why he did not use Lightness or purpose things according to the flesh viz. Because the word he preached was not so much his word as that which came from God the Supream truth and therefore as no Falshood could fall on God so neither upon his Word that floweth from him Some indeed understand the Word Paul here speaketh of of his Promise to come to them as if he did thus solemny affirm That he was not unfaithfull in his Promise But the ensuing words do evidently declare That he meaneth his Preaching that his Doctrine was not mutable and changeable For the malevolent Adversaries that he had to do with they took occasion from the altering of his purposes or at least deferring of his Promise in that Particular about coming to them to charge his whole Doctrine with the same levity and inconstancy to bring all he Preached into Question because of that Whereupon the Apostle being far more solicitous for his Doctrine and his Office then his own credit or glory doth especially fortifie that and confirm the Truth of that so that by this we see the nature of evil men Whatsoever failings or weaknesses may be in a Minister they presently charge his doctrine with it and blame his Ministry whereas Gods truth is truth and thou art to receive it though the Minister may be false and unworthy but of this wore in its time The Apostles Argument in this Text to confirm the truth of the Doctrine he preached is from the truth of God the measure and Rule of all truth if his word be a lye then God must be said to lye which is heynous blasphemy to speak but God is true This Expression is taken by some to be only Enunciative and Affirmative barely asserting the truth of God as if the meaning were God is true from whom we have received our commission to preach the Gospel and therefore that also must be true Others and they speak more probably take it to be an oath that the Apostle doth here use a sacred oath for the confirming of what he saith and so it is the same with the Hebrews form of an oath The Lord liveth and Heinsius maketh those expressions 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1 Tim. 1. 15. 1 Tim. 4. 9. to be equivalent to this We take it there to be an oath but because we have Paul using an oath again at the 23d Verse I shall wave that respect at this time and consider it only enunciatively attending to that Attribute and Property which this oath is built upon and that is Gods truth God is true From whence Observe That God is true God hath many glorious Attributes There is his Omniscience his Omnipotency his Justice and his Mercy and there is also his property of Truth which is of great use and Influence in our comeforts and Duties This truth of God is often celebrated in the Scripture Yea he is not onely said to be true but truth itself Deut. 32. 4. he is so essentially truth it self that the Word saith It is impossible for him to lye Heb. 6. 18. For he being truth in the abstract no falshood or lye is compatible with him Abstractives admit of no mixture though Concretives may Light in it self or whiteness in it self admitteth not of any darkness but as it is in subjects so it doth Now God as he is said to be Light and that there is no darkness in him at all 1 John 1. 5. So God is truth and in him there is no falshood at all But let us discover this Doctrine in particulars And First There is a twofold Truth A Metaphysical Truth and a Morall or Ethicall truth A Metaphysical truth is the truth of Being and Entity and thus the Scripture doth often celebrate the truth of God making him only to be the Jehovah He is the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Am that I am For if that rule be true Ens verum convertuntur then where is the chiefest and Infinite Entity there is also the Supreamest Verity This true being of God is often opposed unto Idols and the Heathens Gods which have no true being at all And that God is true in this sense is the very fundamental Article of all Religion Heb. 11. 6. He that cometh to God must believe that he is This truth of Gods being is often to be remembred against that Atheisme which doth reign in most mens hearts How could they live in such excess of riot did they believe there was a God But secondly there is a moral or Ethical Truth and that is Two-fold either Verity or Veracity Verity is when we speak or barely affirm that which is true Veracity is in our Promises when we faithfully perform them Now this Twofold truth is eminently in God There is the truth of his assertion and that is revealed in his Word which is also called truth So that whatsoever is affirmed there can no more deceive us than God himself And then there is the truth of his Promises and the Truth of his Threatnings the truth also of Prophesies and Predictions in all which God will be found true When every man is a Lyar God is true then in what he saith in what is foretold in what he promiseth and in what he threateneth Never let the prophane and secure sinner flatter himself hoping it will prove otherwise than the Word speaketh There is no threatening of God will prove a lye 2. There 's a Division of truth into truth increated and created Increated truth is God himself and he is called truth because Gods understanding is the measure and rule of all other Truths Nothing in the world is true but as it is consonant to his knowledg It is otherwise with us Our understanding is not the measure of the truth of things but there truth is the measure and rule of our understandings then is
sense would be more properly said to erre if under such impediments it did not represent as it doth First One impediment in the sense is the two long distance of the Object from the eye to instance in this senfe As we judg the Sun less than the earth because of the vaste distance from us so that till a man take Astronomical Instruments and correct Sense by Art he misjudgeth about the Suns magnitude thus is it here When we go to judg of Gods Promises to us or his Church we finde not the truth of them because the wayes of God are too remote from us his thoughts exceed ours as much as the Heavens do the earth Therefore we must necessarily erre till we go to the Scripture that is as it were the Artificial Instrumennt whereby we are able to behold that truth in Gods proceedings which otherwise we could not A Second Impediment is the medium indispositum when the means of seeing is Indisposed as when we look upon a stick in the waters or the Sun through a dark cloud Thus many times when we judg of Gods proceedings according to his Promises we look through False mediums we think according to the Principles that men would do in the world as Luther said We would think that God should destroy Pope and Turk immediately but all this is because we look through an indisposed glass in this particular Lastly The eye cannot judg right of its Object when the visive faculty is disturbed when that is infested with any evil humors Thus the spiritual eyes even of a Godly man are in some measure vitiated and therefore are not able to behold that glory of God in carrying on the Affairs of his Church and by those very wayes which we would think tend to the destruction of the things promised by them he doth fulfill them for the wayes of the Lord are wonderfull to us in making good his Promises and commonly they are fulfilled by those means which seem contrary to them even as he cured the blinde man by mingling spittle with clay which he laid upon his eyes And thus the Godly soul may finde how God is true in spiritual Promises to his soul for he obtaineth comfort through desertions the way to Heaven he findes through Hell yea in sanctifying Grace he cometh to higher Degrees in Grace even by his Failings So true is that of Suarez Aliquando substractio gratiae est ad finem gratiae The end of Grace is accomplished by the gradual substraction and suspension of Grace for a time But I must not inlarge herein Lastly This truth of God is the foundation of all Religion and Godliness For if there were no truth in the Scriptures which are Gods truth if there were no truth in the Promises or Threatnings into what a Chaos and Confusion of wickedness would all men fall There would be no difference between Hell and this World So that Gods Truth is a Foundation of all Piety in these three wayes First The truth of God in his Doctrine delivered to the Church is the foundation yea the Essence and soul of his Church In this it doth differ from Jews Turks and Pagans yea from all Heretical Societies That she hath the truth of God and others not So that as the soulâ— keepeth the body from rottenness and Putrefaction Thus also the truth of God keepeth the Church from being only a Carkase or to have the Name and Title of a Church without the thing it self Secondly The truth of God in his Promises is the great supporter of the hopes of all the Godly By them alone they are enabled to walk with Peter upon the water and sink not because they believe Gods Promises to be true they do therefore renounce all unlawfull Pleasures and Profits they will not leave the fatness and sweetness of them to go to those bryars Thirdly The truth of God in his threatnings That is like a fiery sword to keep them from all evil They know those threatnings are true and that the World and the Devil prove lyars to all those that serve them therefore they awe their hearts with a continuall fear of them And certainly if every wicked man would remember this That Gods threatnings are true they will be made good no wisdome no greatness no power can resist him For how can the stubble withstand the consuming fire this would make them utterly forsake their sinnes But whether thou wilt believe or no Gods Curses will fall upon thee For there is this difference between the Promises and Threatnings The Promises many of them are not made good unto them unless thou do believe believe and thy sinnes are forgiven thee but the threatnings will be made good to thee a prophane sinner whether thou wilt or not Gods Word will have its effect though thou dost desire it might be false SERM. CXVI The personal failings of Ministers are oft cast upon the Ministry it self 2 COR. 1. 18. But as God is true our word toward you was not yea and nay THe next particular considerable is the occasion of that Transition which the Apostle maketh from the word of his Promise in particular to come to them and the word of his Preaching in the general The occasion is from that evill and malevolent Disposition which was in his Adversaries who from any either real or but supposed Imperfections in other things would presently burden his Ministry with it and thereby as much as in them lieth make Paul wholly useless in the Church of God Now because this is the continual stratagem which the Devil useth to make the best Ministry ineffectual and because it is the constant inclination of wicked men to do so therefore I shall pursue this Observation That there is a propensity in wicked and evil minded men to cast all the imperfections of the Ministers of the Gospel upon their Ministry and Doctrine To bring the Truths they Preach either into doubt or disesteem because of some failings yea though they be not real but supposed in their own Imaginations Thus the Adversaries of Paul they did captiously lay hold upon his Promise and failing as they think in that thereby they would render all his Doctrine and Ministry odious that thereby their falshoods and corruptions may have the greater success Thus the wickedness of ungodly men doth constantly bend to this that they may be hardened in their hearts against the Word Preached that they may fortifie themselves with some damnable Principles of others that so the message of the Lord may be rejected Now to illustrate this consider these particulars First That when a Minister either preaches false Doctrine or liveth scandalously or is lazy and negligent in his place then it is lawfull for a people to have an holy and wise zeal against such persons that they may be quickened up to their duties Neither is this to be an enemy to the Office of the Ministry or to endeavour the publique Dishonour of it
prepare themselves to be combustible matter in Hell Indeed a modest and humble enquiry into the Truths preached as the Bereans did about Pauls Preaching is allowed and commendable but a froward cavilling Disposition indisposeth to finde out the Truth and is like some fretting humour in the eye which hindreth the sight 2. We then do sinfully oppose the Ministry when we strive and contend with them because of their zealous and faithfull reproving and withstanding the course of sin Because a Minister would bring thee to the sight of thy sinnes to a deep and serious Humiliation because of them because he would recover thee out of those damnable wayes thou livest in Hence it is that thou cryest down the Ministry and their Labours This is the true ground of most mens calumny and malice because the word Preached is a convincing Word a reproveing Word a discovering Word of that evil and wrethchedness which is in thy heart Hence it is that thy soul cannot endure the messengers thereof This is not meerly to be wicked but Diabolicaly wicked And yet if many Despisers of the Ministry were asked What is it that moveth them to such despite against the Officers of Christ They would but for shame speak that which lieth in the bottome of their heart viz. That the Ministry discovereth unto them all the evil they have done That is speaketh onely evil and Damnation to them and therefore they cannot abide it but wo be to that man who striveth with a Minister doing his duty That because he telleth thee the truth he dealeth faithfully with thy soul therefore thou dost become an enemy to him Consider that place Hos 4. 4. Let no man reprove another for this people are as they that strive with the Priest The meaning is It is to no purpose to reprove the wicked men of Israel any more it is to no purpose to bring them balme or spiritual Medicines for they are an incurable people Why how doth this appear In that they strive with the Priest They will not et him do his duty If he reprove them for sin if he set against their iniquities they rise up as proudly against him as the Sodomites did against Lot their Preacher of righteousness By this you see it s a property of a desperate and incurable people when they strive with their Church-Officers in doing of their Duty Indeed if Ministers should pervert the Ordinances of God endeavour to bring in Heresies Supersâ—ition and Prophaneness to exalt the Kingdome of darkness then they are in all lawfull and wise wayes to strive with them even as Children may in some cases reprove their Parents who are desperately set to damn their soules provided they shew that Reverence and Humility that they ought to do This Text of the Prophet is made use of by the Papists who charge our Reformers that they did strive with the Pope and their Bishops refusing submission to them For their Canonists have a saying That if the Pope should draw thousands of soules to Hell none might say unto him why dost thou so But this place will not be a Sanctuary to them for if we take the ordinary exposition and common one which I have given there being another by-Learned man who maketh directly against them it speaketh of such a people who do sinfully strive with the Messengers of God because they reprove sin and zealously do their Duty This is the highest Degree of sinfull Opposition that can be no contesting with the Ministry is so heynous as when it cometh upon this account These are like frenetique men who fight with their Physician In other diseases commonly men send for physicians they desire their help but the mad man he will ne re send for any and if any be brought to him he rageth at them Thus doth such wicked men and so are like a ground Historians speak of that is dryer by the rain that falleth upon it and the more drought the more moysture 3. Then we sinfully reflect upon the Ministry when the vices of the persons we cast upon their office and Doctrine This was that which made Paul so di ligent and zealous in this Text had it been his own glory and name he would more patiently have born it But when they come hereby to disparage his Doctrines to call that in question then he could no longer bare it Take heed then of this disposition upon any evils or faillings in them presently to fall upon the Calling immediately to dislike the Doctrine they preach For though it ought not to be so yet we are naturally ready ex personis probare fidem not ex fide Personas We are ready to like and approve of Faith as we approve of mens persons and therefore if any failing or weakness be seen in them we presently charge their Doctrine with it What should a man have refused all that Peter said thinking it is no matter what he Preacheth because in his fear and temptation he denied Christ What shall a man exclaim at Paul and say we know not how to believe what he Preacheth For he was once as hot and zealous for the contrary way Oh take heed of such ungodly Judgment The Truth is Christs Truth the Gospel is the Gospel of God however men may fail 4. This is still the more abominable when men take false rumors and slanders up or go upon their own surmises and conjectures and thereby refuse the Ministry for this was Pauls case He had just grounds as is in time to be shewed why he did not come to them as he promised It was to spare them as he saith v. 23. So that if there were any fault they were the cause of it yet how readily do they make an occasion to bring Pauls Doctine out of credit and nothing is more ordinary than this for men to feign Reasons and pretend many absurd Arguments to vilifie the work of the Ministry which yet is appointed by God for the good of their souls If you ask What are the Reasons why men are so apt 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 upon the Doctrine preached They are such as these First Wicked men being under the power of the Devil they are acted by him and his works they do Now his greatest work is to destroy that which if suffered would destroy him and his Kingdome The end of the Ministry we may read in Pauls Commission Act. 26. 18. which is To open mens eyes to turn them from darkness to light and from the power of Satan unto God It is no wonder if the Devil in all ages tempt men to this sin rather than others For hereby his Kingdome will be lift up so that as the Physicians were never quiet till they had deprived Sampson of that which was his strength so neither is the Devil and his Instruments ever at rest till they have removed that strength Christ hath appointed for the destroying of the works of the Devil 2. Men are carryed
out against the Doctrine and Office for any real or supposed failings because it is that which doth most grieve and trouble them It is the Word of God that is a terrour to them that will not let them sin securely theresore they have no care to take but as much as lieth in them to make it no word to make it nothing but the humours of men For all the while they believe this is the Doctrine of God this will reprove me this will damn me they dare not they cannot rise up against God but to delude their soules therefore they run to lies and sinfull refuges whereby they would undervalue this Word and make it nothing but the Opinions of men 3. They fall foul upon the Doctrine presently because herein they think they do the greater despite to the faithfull Ministers of God Herein they think the more to afflict them they know that no glory honour or profit doth so much prevail with him as the honour of his Office and the truth of his Doctrine and theresore that they might shew their mischief and malice the more they would him in that which is dearest 4. They condemn the Doctrine from personal failings because herein they think to justifie themselves the more That there is no such reason why it should be powerfull to reforme or convert them seeing it doth not so to the Minister himself They think they have a good plea for their unprofitableness and unfruitfulness If he be a Physician say they Why doth he not heal himself if he can save others why doth he not save himself as they derided Christ Use of Exhortation To observe and take notice of this subtilty of Satan and the naughtiness of thy own heart in this particular Are not all his workings to prejudice thee against the faithfull Pastor of thy soul Doth not every tale or story doth not every slanderous and lying report presently take off thy Faith and reverence to the word that is preached Oh remember that it is Gods word it is Gods truth whatsoever our failings may be its Gods treasure though it be in an earthen vessel It will be no excuse for thee at the day of judgment to say Lord I regarded not the word I mattered not Sermons I attended not to what they Preached because I thought the Messengers thereof were proud and covetous Will not God arraign thee saying It was my Word howsoever It was my Doctrine my word was not proud or Doctrine Covetous if not for their sakes yet you should have received it for my sake It was not the Ministers Doctrine the Ministers Sacrament but mine The Devil is very busie to destroy thee by this temptation but watch and pray against them SERM. CXVII Of Changing in Matters of Religion 2 COR. 1. 18. Our word toward you was not yea and nay WE are now arrived at the last particular considerable in this Text and that is the firmnesse and constancy of the Doctrine that Paul preached to the Corinthians You heard that malevolent adversaries from a supposed levity in Paul otherwise did presently argue to an inconstancy in his Doctrine And although this was but once they could not charge such an appearing levity upon Paul often It was but at one time yet how ready were they to take an advantage hereby against Gods truth It is true the verity and firmnesse of Gods truths doth not depend upon the esteem of Ministers his word is sure though men be vain and inconstant yet by this instance we see how much it concerneth the Ministers of the Gospel to abound in gravity sincerity and constancy especially so to deport themselves that the Doctrine they preach may not be suspected of changeablenesse as if they would preach that for Gods truth one time which afterwards they would preach to be the Devils lie This is that which Paul doth here renounce Our word toward you saith he was not yea and nay that is it was not light mutable it was not white and black hot and cold but it was alwayes the same constant abiding truth From whence observe That for a Minister to be mutable and contradictory in his Doctrine is very reproachfull to him and makes his Ministry wholly uselesse Sometimes to preach one way as the way of God one opinion as the certain truth of God and then afterwards to preach up the clean contrary this debaseth the person and the office of a man it maketh all his Ministry to be despised They conclude either that such a man thinketh there is no Religion at all or at least that he is either Atheistical believing none or else very ignorant or carnal and self-seeking that with Demetrius the Priest of Diana's Temple doth judge that only Religion which is profitable and therefore measure the truths of Doctrines by their interest and carnal emoluments In the Old Testament we read of many such lying Prophets who did not prophesie according to the visions of the Lord but from the imagination of their own hearts preached to Kings and people such pleasing things as they desired This hath done a world of hurt in the Church of God when the officers therein have not regarded whether the things they preach were Gods truths but whether pleasing to men or no. This was to make the Sunne to follow the Dial and the truth of God shall no longer be truth but while it pleaseth man Now such men that are thus mutable must needs be accounted transgressours by all For so saith the Apostle If I build the things againe I once destroyed I make my selfe a transgressour Galat. 2. 18. This Doctrine deserveth serious examination because as there is much truth in it and thereby much good may be done So occasionally through mistake men may be prejudiced to their own hurt For did not the Papists brand the Reformers at first with inconstancy and perfidiousnesse that they were nothing but Yea and Nay For formerly they came to the Masse they worshipped Images they acknowledged the Pope as well as they But then of a sudden they were all changed then the Pope was Antichrist then the Masse was blasphemous Idolatry then they puiled down their Altars and Images Thus say the Papists they were yea and nay And in our age Are there not many offended because the Ministers of the Gospel do not keep up the same Church-administrations as they once did that they do not pray baptize administer the Lords Supper in the same way as once they did If it was no sinne then why is it now Thus they think there is much inconstancy and levity in Ministers because they see such changes and alterations in their publick administrations Let us therefore abide the longer upon this truth seeing the Text doth give such seasonable advantages thereunto And First You must know That all yea and nay is not bad There may be a time when he that hath been for a Yea a long time in Religion must if ever he will be
the forme of Church-administrations be altered we have publick prayer still and the same Scripture-matter that is to be put in prayer only the form is altered and so about the Sacraments onely the order may be altered If therefore this offend thee and cause thee to think that Ministers are light and inconstant it is thy own ignorance as if wine were altered because emptied into divers cups Yea it cannot appear out of good antiquity for many years that ever the primitive Christians meeting together in a Church-way for the solemne administration of Christs Ordinances ever had any publick Liturgy or set forme For as for those Liturgies that are fastened upon some of the Apostles they are justly censured as supposititious Let this then stop the mouth of such cavillers as aske Why is not the Crosse and other Ceremonies still used Why not the same form of Prayer For hereby the true Religion is not altered at all Now the reason why such inconstancy must needs be a reproach to Ministers is because hereby it is plainly discovered that they are not guided by the Spirit of God after his Word for the Word is the same and the Spirit of God is alwayes like it self When therefore men preach contrary Doctrines we may certainly conclude these are not in both guided by the Spirit of God but that they are carried away according to the imaginations of their owne heart When therefore men do not appeare as coming from God nor as having Commission from him all that they say is easily rejected They see no more than of a mutable changeable man in them Paul doth so often commend his Office with this character that it is of God and not of man whereas if thy administration be of man and not of God it will not bring honour or majesty with it Secondly It is not onely thus a reproach but also it rendereth a man uselesse it hindereth that other good and truth which may be in him Some report of Luther that he was convinced about his errour of Consubstantiation but yet thought it not wisdome to publish his recantation lest all his other Doctrine should be likewise called into question Certainly that was more carnal policy than Scripture-wisdome if it be a true report However there is thus much truth may be deduced from it That inconstancy in some truths though of never so small concernment is enough to bring all under examination Yet the people of God they are alwayes to remember this Caution that they labour for the full assurance of Gods truth so upon their own hearts that though they see many Ministers alter and change that they may remain immoveable It hath been a saying Optima fides laicorum And we reade of a Martyr though a woman who being converted from Popery by a Minister but revolting and denying the truth afterwards when this example was brought to her to make her change also she replied no for now she believed the truth not because that Minister said it but because Gods Word did confirme it SERM. CXIX Christ the Alpha and Omega of all Preaching 2 COR. 1. 19. For the Sonne of God Jesus Christ who was preached among you by us even by me and Sylvanus and Timotheus was not Yea and Nay but in him was Yea. THis verse containeth a new Argument for the constancy and immutability of Paul's Doctrine and it is from the object matter of his preaching If Christ be alwayes the same Christ if there be no new Christ then his preaching must alwayes be the same because he preached nothing but Christ So that in the words we have 1. The Object matter of Paul's preaching what were the contents of his Sermon not his own imaginations not the Jewish Rites and Ceremonies but Christ and he is described 1. From his two Natures his Divine The Sonne of God His humane Jesus which name was given him by the Angel 2. From his Office Christ The two Natures are united but distinguished there is aliud aliud there is not a confusion of them Again they are united into one person so that there is not alius alius In the next place you have 1. The Instruments that do thus preach Christ whereof Paul is set down as the principal by me 2. His associates and fellow-labourers Sylvanus and Timotheus Lastly Here is the Predicate or Property affirmed of this object matter thus preached was not Yea and Nay but in him was yea In all these parts we may find excellent substantial matter but I shall be the briefer in some of the Doctrines because I have handled them upon other occasions Let us beginne with the Object Matter the Sonne of God Jesus Christ was preached By Christ some here understand the Doctrine of Christ and give a Canon or Rule for interpreting Paul that sometimes by Christ we must understand his Doctrine so Ephes 4. But ye have not so learned Christ In like manner some expound that place Hebr. 13. 8. which is parallel to the Text Jesus Christ the same yesterday and to day and for ever that is the Doctrine of Christ We may understand both Christ and the Doctrine of Christ the one is preached ut quod the other ut quo as they say Indeed some Expositors doe not make this an Argument from the Object Matter but à pari or majori if Christ Jesus was not unfaithfull was not uncertain and inconstant but whatsoever he promised he made good then neither are we his Ministers who are deputed to this Office by him But I rather go the former way proposed and then the first Doctrine is That Christ onely is to be the subject of all our preaching The Apostle argueth his Doctrine was alwayes the same and uniforme because Christ is so he never altered and changed now he preached onely Christ As therefore the subject of the whole Scripture is Christ The whole Word of God tends to the exalting of Christ So it ought to be with us the Ministers of the Word As Christ is in himself the Alpha and Omega so he should be in our whole Ministry him whom God intended to exalt we should also magnifie And to let you know that you doe not understand any thing rightly till it bring you to Christ there is no truth that you are simply to stay in but you are to follow this streame till it empty it selfe into the Ocean which is Christ When we preach of Faith of Repentance of a godly life these are but the ladders as it were to tread upon that you may lay hold on Christ To enlarge this truth we must take notice how or when Christ is preached And First When we declare that Jesus of Nazareth who was crucified at Jerusalem is the promised Messiah that he is the Person in whom all those glorious Prophecies that are mentioned in the Prophets are exactly fullfilled This is indeed the Fundamental Article upon which all the other Doctrines about Christ do depend
For if that individual person be not the Messias then doe we in vaine preach him to be the Mediatour and the Saviour Now this preaching of Christ is the more necessary because of the Jewes that are desperate enemies to our Christianity expecting another Messias judging our Christ to be an Impostor and that he deservedly died upon the Law made against false Prophets and blasphemers So that this was a great part of Paul's preaching to prove that Jesus was the Christ promised for the Jewes being pre-possessed with false principles about a Messias expecting he should come like a temporall Prince to worke externall deliverance for them the more difficult was it to perswade them of this truth And for this ground it is that we have the Scripture attributing so much to the believing of this truth He that believeth Jesus is the Christ is born of God 1 Joh. 5. 1. 4. 15. Whosoever confesseth that Jesus is the Sonne of God dwelleth in him and he in God Hence also it is that our Saviour enquired about this faith so much when any came to him If they did believe he was the Sonne of God If they did believe he was able to doe what they desired The Papists indeed would from hence inferre That there is no such thing required in Scripture as by a special Faith to appropriate Christ to our selves to be mine and thy Saviour because this general faith will suffice say they and Christ required no more than to acknowledge he was the Saviour sent of God into the world to heale sinners but this doth not exclude justifying special faith Onely the great reason why they were required to make a confession of that dogmatical truth viz. that he was the Messias was because that was the thing so greatly controverted at that time if that were believed all the rest would be quickly assented unto So that this is the introductory worke with this we are to beginne That the Jesus crucified at Jerusalem is the Messias promised and that it is in vain to look for any other seeing that all the characters of a Messias given by the Prophets doe so exactly andually meet in him And as for that great Objection that the Jewes have The temporal glorious things attributed to the Messias were not accomplished in Christ The weight of which seemeth so heavy that some expect a second coming of Christ when he will personally reigne in a glorious manner upon the earth and then those promises will be fulfilled But the most proper and solid Answer is That as the Old Testament doth describe Gospel-worship under the Names and Titles of the Levitical service so it doth also declare spiritual and Gospel-priviledges under the names of earthly greatnesse Neither is this any wonder seeing even the New Testament describeth the joy and glory of Heaven by that which is glorious and pleasing to our senses Secondly Christ is to be preached as God and man for so both his Natures are here mentioned Wonderfull hath been the violence of the Devil in raising up cursed Hereticks who have with all their might endeavoured to dis-robe him of either of his Natures Some and they quickly filled the whole world denied the Divine Nature of Christ others though not so numerous they denied his Humane Nature Which opinions though so abominable and very destructive of the Fundamentals yet found many gates and doores set open for their entertainment But if he be not preached as God-man as Emanuel as the Word made flesh then also our faith and consolation is wholly destroyed In the union of these two Natures is founded that aptnesse and fitnesse which is in him to be our Mediatour No meer creature could be a Mediatour no not the highest and sublimest Angel He must be man because man had sinned because the curse of death must be removed by death And he must be God also else he could not satisfie Justice nor remove the curse of the Law It is true God and man united together in one Person is a wonder of wonders there is not the like nor an example thereof in all the world Divines doe bring many instances to illustrate it but none are perfect And indeed if there were the like then it would not be singular Now though Christ be thus often preached amongst us How great is the ignorance of many people in this particular Aske them What was Christ They will say a Saviour or some such thing but to give any understanding account about his God-head and Man-hood therein they faile exceedingly How canst thou be saved that knowest not what Christ was Though it hath been a thousand times preached in thy eares That Christ is God from all eternity and that in time he became man to die for our sinnes yet thou remainest as ignorant as if thou hadst lived amongst Pagans where the Name of Christ is not heard But let the true believer be daily exercising himself upon this mystery of Godlinesse which the Apostle in a most compendious manner doth describe 1 Timothy 3. 16. God was manifest in the flesh c. Neither is this speculatively to be believed but it is to advance godlinesse and therefore called the mystery of godlinesse For what holinesse what love what thankfulnesse what reformation should this make in that God is made man Cur Deus fit homo si non corrigitur home Therefore the Socinian that denieth the God-head of Christ taketh away that great incentive to godlinesse which the Scripture urgeth from Gods manifestation in the flesh Thirdly Christ is to be preached in his Person and Offices as well as his Nature That he is one Person not two Persons though he hath two Natures And herein also faith doth transcend reason here is a particular above the reach of the most intellectual capacity How there can be an individual humane Nature and yet not have a personal subsistency compleat of it self which yet it hath not in Christ for then Christ would be two Persons one as God and another as man which is absurd to think It is well called Christian Faith because in this the understanding of a man must only acquiesce upon the testimony of the Scripture Therefore when the Scripture saith Christ was made like us in all things sinne onely excepted we may also adde the manner of his humane subsistency which is not as in other men but his Office that is to be celebrated with great joy How were the Angels affected with this though they did not immediately reape the benefit by his death Now this Office of Christ is made by Divines three-fold a Priest a Prophet and a King the summe of it consisteth in being a Saviour and a Redeemer from all our sins both in respect of the guilt of them as also the power of them It is woe with the Church when Christ is not thus preached the alone Saviour the alone Mediatour Now how abominably derogatory the Popish preaching in many ages hath been to
might beget one Son why not more while I say thy Imperfect low Soul is arguing after this matter fly from these temptations of Reason as Joseph from his Mistress captivate thy understanding to Scripture-testimony hide thy head in this cloud as it were and put off thy discussion of it till thou come to that perfect Academy in heaven where we shall no longer know in part but compleatly and perfectly Hence those Hereticks who deny Christs his Godhead that they may the more securely indulge themelves in these Blasphemous Doctrines make Reason the Judg of all Controversies in Faith The Scripture must be submitted to reason not Reason to Scripture This Reason is made the standard to weigh all things by But Bernard said well quid tum contra rationem c. What is so much against Reason as to think to comprehend by reason the things above reason Such Pigmeis cannot measure the Pyramides Yet this is not spoken as if that it were against true and solid Reason that the Infinite God should have a Son it is one thing to be above Reason another thing to be contrary to it Now the cause of all that unhappy miscarriage in this matter is because we are apt to judg of God according to our thoughts of a man When we hear of the Father and his only begotten Son we are apt to think it must be so in the Divine nature as it is with the humane we apprehend all alike But thou must know as the nature of God is incomprehensible so is this begetting of his Son Thou that art not able to comprehend the nature of God how canst thou reach to the manner of the Begetting of his Son Let us therefore satisfie our souls with the belief that it is so not daring curiously to search into the manner how lest like moaths flying about this light we be at last consumed by it 6. That we may the more firmly believe this truth of Christs being the Son of God we are to remember that the Scripture maketh this Antichristianism So that he is an Antichrist that denyeth the Son to be God 1 John 2. 22 23. He is Antichrist that shall deny the father and the son Whosoever denyeth the Son the same hath not the father Here we see that these are inseparable the Son and the Father he that denieth the one must necessarily deny the other for they are essential Relatives depending upon one another The Jews the Turks they hold one God but because they deny Christ to be the Son of God they deny the Father It is not enough to acknowledg one true God but we must also acknowledg him to be the Father of Christ and Christ to be his Son without this there is no Eternal life to be had as 1 John 5. 20. We are in him that is true even in his Son Jesus Christ This is the true God this is Eternallife The Socinians also differ but gradually in their impiety from the Turks and therefore no wonder if some of them have fallen into Mahumetisme for they make Christ to be a meer man though a constituted Lord and God and therefore they deny the Father and the Son and although they pretend it is their conscience that out of reverence and regard to the honor of God the Father they dare not affirm the Son to be equal God with him yet it is plain that there is no jealousie between Father and Son in point of honor but the Father commands us to honour the Son and the Son also to honour the Father For how clear is that John 5. 23. That all men should honour the Son even as they honour the Father He that honoureth not the Son honoureth not the Father And therefore all those Blasphemous Doctrines which tend to the Dishonour of Christ as the Son of God do also tend to the dishonour of God the Father So that it is no wonder if he be made an Antichrist that doth so For their is a political Antichrist who opposeth Christ in his Offices and while pretending to Christ doth oppose Christ such is the Pope of Rome and a Doctrinal Antichrist and they are those who deny Christ either to be God or man When therefore you hear how much this pestilential Doctrine of Socinianism prevaileth that men dare boldly plead against the Godhead of Christ tremble at it humble thy self under the want of love to the truths of God take heed of pride self-conceit contempt of the faithfull Guides God hath set over thee for those sinnes do hurry men headlong into everlasting Perdition those spiritual Judgments of God upon mens parts and intellectual abilities are the most dreadfull of all 7. The spirit of giddinesse and contradiction is justly fallen upon those who have denied this essential Deity of Christ insomuch that one party will not acknowledg the other Christian For some of them hold that because Christ is not truly God therefore he is not to be praid unto neither doth Religious Adoration belong to him The other they affirm because he is an appointed Lord over the whole world and so though not a God by nature yet by Office and seing that the Father hath given him the Dominion of the world therefore Prayer and all Divine Worship is to be attributed unto him Volkelius the Socinian handling this Question de ver â Relig. lib. 4. c. 11. Whether it be lawfull to pray to Christ declareth his minde in two Assertions 1. That we may lawfully pray unto Christ alwayes And 2. That we are not alwayes bound to it yet addeth that we might deservedly be thought not worthy of the Christian Name if we should refuse to call upon him But all this is meer impiety for it is impossible to call upon God the Father and not also to call upon Christ and when one Person is prayed unto the other is not neglected but included And therefore how those Socinians by their Principles can maintain the Religious Adoration of Christ against Franciscus David let them look to it Let us proceed to make Use of this Is Christ the Son of God Then with the Scripture let us admire that Love and condescension of the Father who sent his only Son to become a most ignominious and accursed man for our sakes The Mystery of the Doctrine and the Mystery of his love are both incomprehensible the one is above our understanding the other above our affections What may not God exspect from us who hath done so much to us God made man God made weak miserable and crucified man to redeem us from our sinnes What strong Obligations doth this lay upon us to make us for ever to abhor all sin All the Arguments of moral Philosophers against sin are but like a wooden dagger to this Goliahs Sword Here is fire enough to melt the toughest iron Was God made man to remove sin and shall thou yield thy self up to it What remedy will prevail if this do not SERM. CXXI
of God like Peters Angel doth break up all the strong bars of any prison we are in any difficulty we are afflicted with As Dalilah gathered Sampson loved her when he would manifest where his strength was so may we assure our selves of Gods love to us by revealing his promises oh if you bring the promises you binde the hands as it were of the Almighty he can do nothing against his promises when therefore any thoughts of Gods Majesty of Gods purity and holinesse may affright thee run to his promise and as the people of Israel when amazed under the terrible lightnings and thundrings at Gods presence in giving the Law cried out Let not God speak any more to us but Moses so do thou let not thy Majesty speak thy Justice speak thy Holinesse speak but thy Promise let that speak and we will hear Lastly The freenesse of Gods grace is made very glorious and resplendent in the promises of grace Free-grace is more than love or goodnesse and bounty for Adam while in the state of integrity had those but free-grace is only where a miserable and hopelesse sinner is Now to such an one belong only curses and threatnings when therefore in stead of a threatning like a roaring lion to devour thee thou meetest with a gracious promise to embrace thee this must needs rejoyce thy heart Go to the spring head of every promise and thou wilt finde it to be alone free-grace The Scripture useth these Arguments as equivalent to have a thing by grace to have it by a promise and to have it by faith for grace is the originall and fountain Promises are on Gods part the active and communicative means faith on our part is the receptive and applicative so that when we enjoy any mercy by Gods promise thereby is excluded all works and all boasting and thus God is altogether exalted and man debased Again if we come to the second particular there we shall see how that our Amen subscribed to the promises or our firm beleeving in them doth give glory to God and this is the more to be pressed because we are apt to have low thoughts of faith as we see in Popery where Charity is far preferred before it and withall to beleeve is accounted an easie thing Thus also the Papists charge us as if we made the way to heaven a broad way because we say they must beleeve that is the soul and life of all And further it is good to presse this because the people of God look upon faith as was hinted before only as their ease not as bringing any glory to God Hence though they never doubt whether they should repent of sinne or love God yet they do very much doubt about their duty of beleeving Now all this preposterousnesse ariseth from the want of consideration in this particular that Faith giveth glory to God as well as procureth mercies to our selves yea to beleeve in the promise is the great and signall eminent way of giving glory to God First because by beleeving in Gods promises we thereby proclaim our dependance upon him in all things that we live both spiritually and corporally upon him only so that faith in this consideration is the great duty of the first commandment That requireth us we should have no other Gods besides him Thus faith doth it taketh off from all supports of sence of second causes of all humane advancements and setleth us upon the promise of God alone Now must not this needs give glory to God when God alone is set up no creature no other help is looked upon This is that which maketh faith in the promises so difficult because it is so hard to be weaned from the breasts of the creature we know not how to swimme without these bladders Though we have ten thousand promises to support us yet one crosse providence doth more to unsettle us then all these promises to confirm and quiet us Some have observed that all the letters in the Name Jehovah are literae quiefcentes teaching us thereby to rest our souls alone upon him it may be that is too curious howsoever faith may be called the acquiescent or quietative grace therefore to beleeve in the promises is to give glory to God Secondly By beleeving in the promises we glorifie God because hereby we manifest him to be truth it self the supream and infallible truth Therefore the Scripture maketh the contrary to this a very hainous sinne highly dishonouring God as when it is said John 3. 33. He that receiveth the testimony of Christ which is by faith hath set to his seal that God is true Then on the contrary he that doth not receive it he setteth to his seal that God is a lyar Oh execrable blasphemy so much unbeleef is so much giving the lye to God and if this be so hainous a sinne then beleeving doth God as much honour And truly it must be unpardonable if we who do upon a mans promise rest our selves contented and never doubt of the performance especially when a just and honest man that we should not much rather rely upon God of whom the Scripture saith It is impossible he should lye Thirdly Herein doth beleeving in Gods promise so exceedingly glorifie God because it exalteth that Evangelicall way of our justification and salvation which God above all things purposed for his own glory The works of Creation are for the demonstration of Gods glory Whether we eat or drink we are to do all for the glory of God But the way of mans salvation is in a more signall and eminent manner ordered for Gods glory This is the mystery that hath astonished all the world This is that glorious truth which the Angels desire to search into more and more Now by faith this glory of God is published and acknowledged Take the despairing sinner look upon the damned in hell do they give God the glory of his grace and of his wisedom and mercy Do they with cordiall ravishments speak of the unsearchable riches of Gods grace in Christ No they cannot do it therefore the Beleever only is he who giveth God the glory due to him for all Gospel-wayes and all Evangelicall Priviledges Therefore hath God exalted Faith above all its fellow-graces because that above all graces doth give God the glory due to him Indeed in the state of Integrity their love of God had the preheminence as it shall also have in Heaven but in the state of grace there Faith hath the Excellency God hath taken off the royal Crown from that Vasthi and put it upon this Esther this despicable grace as it were and which hath no Pomp at all in it Only as it is said of Christ who being poor made many rich So this poor grace doth not onely enrich us but every way advanceth the Glory of God Insomuch that from the unbeleever God hath no more glory than if he had never sent his Sonne into the world No more
God may forsake gradually that thereby he may not forsake totally and finally Such desertions that are for a season are sometimes mercies and very usefull being a substraction of grace in order to fill us with more grace And the end of such providential administrations is to convince us fully of this truth that we do not settle our selves but it is God that doth it for us Lastly This truth may be demonstrated from the nature of that grace which is habitual and permanent in us For though that there be in us as a principle qualifying of us to work holy things with delight joy and content yet it cannot put us upon working without a further actual efficacious work of grace upon our souls which you heard the Apostle calleth Working in us both to will and to do Phil. 2. 13. So that although there be never so much grace planted in us yet that lieth asleep as it were and worketh not till this efficacious grace actuate it and put it into motion neither ought this to be any wonder to us For we see in natural causes it is not enough to have a principle of life unless God also enable us to move For in him we live and move and have our being much more then must this be in supernatural things where the Actus primus and secundus is of God Not but that in the progresse of grace we act and move but Acti agimus moti movemus It is the grace of God that doth efficaciously incline the sanctified will to spiritual operation then the North-wind and the South doe as it were blow upon the spiccs that they may send forth their fragrant smell It is true at the first work of grace there we are meerly passive but God doth not then force our will he only changeth it as water which naturally descends when made air doth naturally ascend upwards Thus the will of a man which was depressed to earthly things by sinne when sanctified and made heavenly ascendeth up towards God and heavenly objects By these discoveries it is manifest that the best Saint in this world is setled by the grace of God alone Those corruptions within him are treacherous and would betray him into the hands of Satan did not Christ corroborate him And is this any wonder of man fallen seeing Adam fell for want of this confirming grace and the elect Angels do therefore not leave their habitation as the Apostate have because the grace of God doth confirm them So that the good use we are to make of this Doctrine is to be exceeding watchfull and tender about all sinne lest thereby we provoke God to leave us How terrible do such desertions many times prove To whom are woes to whom are wounds and gripes of conscience but many times to those who being left of God have thereby ingaged in sinfull wayes and so having lost an holy frame of heart have thereby deprived themselves likewise of an Evangelical comfortable one Take heed through thy lazinesse negligence pride or some other sinne God forsake thee and thou become worse than Nebuchadnezzar of a godly man made like a beast This will be bitternesse in the latter end As for the second Doctrine I shall not say much to that because it hath been in part already spoken unto it is That in Christ alone we are established That as in the building other stones are strengthened because of the corner stone or the foundation stone or as the branch in the Vine doth therefore live and flourish because in the Vine so it is with us because in Christ we are setled with Christ in Christ we are confirmed with Christ which made Austin say In Christo sumtis Christus extra Christum nihil In Christ we are even like Christ out of Christ we are nothing at all To consider this we are to know First That all the godly through the efficacy of Gods Spirit are united to Christ and so become his mystical and spiritual body By reason of this it is that Christ dwelleth in them and they in Christ Christ actively communicating of his goodnesse and virtue to them and they passively receiving influences of grace from his fulnesse This union is represented in Scripture by many similitudes of a building of a vine and branches of an husband and wife but none so expresly as that in the Sacrament of bread and wine denoting us those elements are naturally turned into our nourishment and made one with us so we are in a spiritual and mystical manner made one with Christ This being laid as a foundation then Secondly From this our establishment and settlement followeth whereby we are sure to persevere and nothing shall be able to dissolve this union whence once made a true member of Christ there cannot be any separation made so as ever such a person should at last be damned in hell for that would redound to the highest dishonour of Christ the Head as could be imagined The reason why Adam fell though without any inherent corruption in him was partly because he was not united to Christ in that manner as the weakest believer is now under the Covenant of Grace And although these things are derided by the Arminian yet this Doctrine of spiritual union with Christ may compell every one to believe the truth thereof so that if we now fall Christ must fall with us we are not to be considered as single persons standing upon our own bottome but as united to Christ Therefore Thirdly Being thus in Christ our stablishment ariseth two wayes from Christ 1. By meritorious impetration Christ as our Mediatour hath deserved this through his propitiatory death that we should alwayes be kept his and therefore when we have a thousand times over deserved that God should leave us yet because Christ hath deserved that God should alwayes love us therefore it is that we stand faster than Mount Zion which yet is said not to be moved The second way is by efficient application for he doth communicate of his power and strength to us whereby when we are ready of our selves to fall yet he doth prevent it So that our being in Christ is the foundation of all strength and all comfort and therefore this discovereth the wretched estate of such who can claim no interest in Christ these are tossed up and down from one lust to another they roll from one iniquity to another the Devil doth what he pleaseth with them he throweth them sometimes in the fire and sometimes in the water and all this is because not in Christ If at any time through the common graces of Gods Spirit they are got up to the pinacle of the Temple they are eminent for gifts and place in the Church of God all the godly have admired them for a while yet at last you find them blasted and cursed in this way you find them like swine wallowing in the mire that were judged to be the sheep of
is the Sealing that here beleevers are said to have from God and that will appear to be a metaphor taken from men who for severall ends make use of seals and so accordingly it is to be applyed to that work of Gods spirit which is in the hearts of beleevers All which will better appear in the opening of the doctrine which is That the people of God are his sealed ones To improve which truth Consider First That we reade of an active sealing and a passive sealing An active sealing is when we by profession or otherwise do give our Testimony to the Truths of God for when a man receiveth the Word of God as his Truth and doth accordingly manifest this in his life herein he doth seal to God So the Evangelist John chap 3. 33. He that hath received his Testimony hath set to his seal that God is true By which expression you see of what necessity faith in the Word of God is with the profession thereof in our lives It is a sealing that God is true insomuch that he who beleeveth not as much as in him lieth maketh God a lyar Oh consider this thou who art tempted to unbeleef to distrust not to rest upon the Promises of God What an hainous sin is this not to give testimony to Gods Truth but this we are not to speak of Therefore there is a passive sealing which we reade applyed to Christ and to all beleevers To Christ thus Joh. 6 27. For him hath God the Father sealed How was that when by the wonderfull miracles that were wrought he was confirmed to be the Messias And then for beleevers they are said to be sealed not only in this place but Eph. 1. 13. and Eph. 4. 30. Thus you see the people of God have a sealing But in the next place Gods sealing of his people is twofold either visible or invisible externall or internall Gods visible sealing was again twofold extraordinary or ordinary extraordinary were the miracles and wonderful signes which many beleevers did in the first plantation of the Gospel Thus Paul cals miracles the signes of his Apostleship 2 Cor. 12. 12. and they are said to be a sign to those that beleeve not 1 Cor. 14. 22. Now some would have this sealing which beleevers are said to receive meant of these extraordinary miracles which were visible to the world but that cannot be partly because all true beleevers in those dayes had them not and some who were not true beleevers did partake of them and partly because that was but for a season while the Gospel was first preached whereas the Scripture speaketh of such a sealing as the godly may have in all ages even till their redemption In the next place there are visible ordinary seals such are the two Sacraments of baptism and the Lords Supper for as circumcision is called Rom. 4. 11. the seal of the righteousneste of faith so that is to be applyed to every other Sacrament being of the genericall nature thereof It is true the Apostle in this Text and other places may happily allude to this Sealing in the Sacrament which is visible and externall but because the outward application of these is to the unregenerate and hypocrite as well as the truly godly therefore the Apostle meaneth a further thing even some proper priviledge that is peculiar to the godly only and that invisibly or spiritually in our hearts as the next words shew the earnest of the spirit in our hearts So that as the anointing is a spirituall invisible thing thus also must the sealing be Therefore before we come to declare the nature and use of this obsignation Let us consider what is implied in the metaphor of sealing for thereby we shall in part be brought to understand the admirable nature thereof And first Sealing of the godly doth imply the precious and excellent esteem they have with God for so amongst men those things are sealed up by us as we account precious None use to seal up dung and pibbles in a bag Thus Hag. 2. 23. God promiseth Zerubbabel he will make him as a signet because he had chosen him that is he should be very precious and dear to him as the diamond in a ring Therefore we have that expression Jer. 22. 22. Though Coniah were the signet of my right hand saith God yet I would pluck him from thence that is though never so dear to him We have also the Church praying Can. 8. 6. Set me as a seal upon thy heart as a seal upon thy arm As these who dearly love any were wont to have their image engraven upon the rings they did wear on heir hands to have them continually in remembrance Thus the Church prayeth that she may be put as a seal even upon the heart of Christ so that by this expression is meant the preciousnesse the high esteem God hath of them they are his Jewels they are his peculiar treasure and therefore it is that he doth thus seal them 2. Sealing is for the safety and preservation of any ohing that we would not have lost Thus Dan. 6. 17. when Daniel was cast into prison there was a stone laid upon the mouth of the den and the King sealed it with his own signet that so there might be no hope of having Daniel released and thus God sealeth his people by special grace preserving them that they shall never totally and finally be lost though Satan be never so watchful to destroy them They are sealed and therefore they shall certainly persevere but because this will come more fully in the next particular I passe it over 3. Sealing doth not only imply safety but security also against such danger that is imminent upon us God sealeth his people that the destruction which is consuming of others may passe them by Thus we reade in Ezechiel cap. 9. 4. when the Angel was to destroy the inhabitants of Jerusalem yet there was a command given to set a mark upon the foreheads of such as did sigh and cry for the abominations thereof When the Egyptians likewise were to be destroyed they passed by every house that had blood sprinkled upon the posts thereof Rahabs red thread was like a seal to preserve her from destruction and her family hence Rev. 7 4. we reade of many thousands of Gods servants sealed in the foreheads and they were therefore sealed that they might be preserved from desolation This sealing was not any external mark no more than the mark of the beast was but that reall profession of Christ which they put forth in the midst of all dangers not defiling themselves with the impurities of others And thus God doth still seal his people that Satan though he desire to winnow and sift them yet is not able to devour them as his prey Oh what unspeakable mercy is this when the justice of God goeth with a drawn sword to throw such and such into hell he passeth by thee because thou
if you ask Have all the sanctified persons of God this sealing Have none the sanctification of the Spirit but they must also have the witnessing of the Spirit I answer this Question because of great practical importance shall God assisting be handled by it self after the description hath been explained That which I shall here take notice of is That sanctification is necessarily presupposed to this sealing A great Prince will not set his seal to dung to make an impression there neither will God to an heart unsanctified For as in matter of Doctrine God will not vouchsafe miracles to confirm that which is a lie neither in practicals will the Spirit of God witnesse to that heart which is not made holy For indeed it should witnesse a lie in such a case informing such they are the sonnes of God when indeed they are the children of the Devil This order of Gods Spirits first sanctifying and then sealing is clear Ephes 1. 13. In whom after ye believed ye were sealed Those eminent Divines who defined faith to be assurance making it the same with the sealing of Gods spirit are gravelled at this Text and therefore make this Objection If faith be assurance be the sealing how doth the Text say After we believed we were sealed To this therefore Piscator answereth not yeelding that the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 should be rendred Having beleeved as of a thing past but beleeving as in the present but there is too much forcing in this interpretation Others they consider of faith as it hath two parts Illumination of minde and fiducial assurance Now say they the Apostle meaneth by faith the former work of faith and so the meaning is After you were enlightned to know the truth you were confirmed and assured but that opinion making faith justifying to be an assurance that Christ is mine is justly refused It is plain then that when the Spirit of God hath in order of nature for in time they may be both together sanctified a man throughout whereby he is made a new creature then the Spirit of God maketh this glorious stamp upon him then he giveth him this seal as an honourable priviledge whereby he may know himself to be the Lords Even as in antiquity none might have seals but persons of honour and dignity So that the natural and unregenerate person is to stand aloof off thou hast nothing to do in this priviledge thou art not the man whom the great King of Heaven and earth doth purpose thus to honour We proceed in the Description and there we meet with the formal Nature of it wherein it doth essentially consist with the object thereof The Nature of it is In confirming and establishing the heart of a man For this is the chief and usual end of seals to ratifie a thing and to make it no longer uncertain and doubtfull And to this property doth the Scripture chiefly attend For whereas the soul though sanctified is apt to be in daily fears and doubts about Gods favour and grace towards it it fluctuateth up and down having no subsistency the Spirit of God cometh and consolidateth the soul inabling it to rest satisfied in this that God is his God that his sinnes are pardoned that he is become a reconciled Father in Christ And if you say Why do we not need the Spirit of God to do this Cannot we by our graces by our repentance and holy life sufficiently establish our own souls in peace No by no means we need the Spirit of God to comfort as you heard as well as to sanctifie and that for these Reasons First It is very hard for a man whose guilty conscience doth presse him and condemn him daily telling him that he hath deserved at Gods hands to be eternally tormented in hell not to thinke because God may doe thus that therefore he will do so In such terrours and affrights we look more to what we have deserved we look more to what God may do then what he will we are naturally suspicious and think the worst of God even as we doe to man If we have offended a man greatly and it lieth in his power to undo us we are never quiet we cannot but think when ever the opportunity is he will be avenged and therefore we dare not trust him Yea though we have given no just cause if others have taken up an unkind spirit towards us we expect nothing else from them but our ruine when it is in their power Therefore for all Saul's tears and good works to David yet he would never trust him Now although there be no cause for us to have such suspicious thoughts about God for he hath graciously promised that he will receive us insomuch as not to believe him herein is to give more credit to a man whose words many times satisfie us than to God who is truth it self yet the heart being guilty and full of fears doth work in this doubtfull manner about God How hard is it to bring the afflicted sinner to good perswasions about God and that though by promises and other wayes God hath so abundantly provided against such distrust Here then is the reason why we need the sealing of Gods Spirit we cannot perswade our selves but God will doe what he may do and what we have deserved And A second Reason followeth upon the former We can hardly be perswaded that the great and good things which we stand in need of God will ever bestow upon us who are so unworthy of them Can a beggars daughter be perswaded that a great King will marry her But here is a farre greater disproportion What will the great God of Heaven so holy so full of majesty look graciously upon me and not only forgive me my sinnes but advance me to eternal glory These things are very improbable Shall Joseph be freed not only from the prison but promoted to the greatest honour in the Land next to the King Who would have believed it And thus it is here the soul having low and humble thoughts of it self cannot be perswaded that the great God of Heaven will look upon such despicable wretches as they are 3. The way of evangelical confidence with the comfortable effects thereof are wholly supernatural And therefore no wonder if we need the Spirit of God to help us therein Not only holinesse and grace is supernatural but assurance and joy are likewise supernatural As we cannot pray without the Spirit helping our infirmities so neither are we able to call God Father If faith in Christ by which we are justified be supernatural then also is the comfort and peace flowing from the knowledge thereof As the Doctrine of the Gospel is by divine revelation flesh and blood hath not revealed this unto us that Christ is the Sonne of God so neither can flesh and blood enable us to the perswasion of this Mediator as loving me and giving himself for me Certainly if it be the gift of
God to have a dogmatical faith to be kept from heresie it 's no lesse to have this fiducial application with the sense thereof upon our souls Wonder not then if we make it the Spirits worke to have this assurance 4. We need the Spirit to confirm us because the flesh within us is full of objections and bringeth many plausible arguments against it Insomuch that what Bellarmine and other subtil Papists bring as Engines to demolish this foundation are very sutable to the corrupt heart For they think the heart is very deceitfull there is much hypocrisie I may think I do that for God which I do for vain-glory that I am humbled for sinne when worldly motives only afflict me Again flesh doth doth suggest there may be much unknown evil in thee thy heart may be worse than thou takest it to be Though the Sea seeme calme sometimes yet there are dangerous Rocks under the water and thus though outwardly there may appear much tendernesse yet there may be a rock in the bottome Furthermore the flesh may suggest Wilt thou be perswaded of Gods favour to thee in particular Is not this to enter into Gods secrets Is not this to climb up into Heaven in an arrogant manner Yea is not this the way to nourish security in thee and make thee presume of Gods favour though thy iniquities be never so many and grosse Lastly The flesh telleth thee of former sins thou didst once wallow in as also the present failings that thy own soul doth frequently condemn thee for Now are not these very plausible Do they not importune to diffidence And certainly these would overwhelme thee did not the Spirit of God overcome all and support thee against them Yea 5. We need the Spirit of God to seal us because the Devil is very busie and active in destroying this perswasion He knoweth that those who enjoy this priviledge walk with joy peace thankfulnesse with strength and activity in the wayes of God therefore to weaken them herein that their graces may wither he tempteth about their comforts that they may wither thus the Devil as he opposeth the Spirit of God in its holinesse called therefore the unclean spirit so he doth also in its comforting effects and therefore is called the tempter Yea 2 Cor. 2. we reade how active he was to have the incestuous person humbled for his sinnes even swallowed up with too much sorrow And do not many of Gods people feel this experimentally Doe they not see they should sink and fall into all horrour and despair did not the Spirit of God support Little doe the natural men of the world apprehend what the agonies and spiritual conflicts are which a tempted soul endureth in this case Lastly The Spirit of God must seal us because this assurance is not obtained in a natural way as if we had perfectly obeyed the will of God and therefore we merited pardon but it is by the gracious promises of God made to a believer though accompanied with infirmities Indeed if it were thus that we could purge out all sinne from our selves and be perfect in every good work then assurance would naturally follow as the Saints in Heaven because cleansed from all sinne cannot doubt of Gods favour but our establishment is more upon the promises of grace without us than any thing that is within us while we behold our own unworthinesse and are deeply humbled under it yet even then are we inabled to assure our selves of the grace of God towards us SERM. CXXXVI Of the Object Manner and End of the Spirits sealing 2 COR. 1. 22. Who hath also sealed us THe next particular considerable in this Description of the Spirits sealing is the Object about which it is conversant and that is said to be the Promises of Grace as belonging to a sanctified person in particular and herein doth the most expresse and efficacious effect of this sealing appear that it particularizeth the Promises of grace what is spoken generally that it doth bring home in a peculiar manner to our own breast What is it to hear of health if it be not thy health What of wealth if not thy wealth So what comfort is it to hear of a Christ if not thy Christ To know there are blessed and precious promises if they doe not belong to thee Doe not the Devils know in the general that Christ is a Saviour that there are excellent promises declared in the Word But they are miserable and wretched howsoever because not applicable unto them We may therefore divide Faith according to the object thereof First Into a general Faith whereby we are carried out to believe the whole word of God upon a divine motive whether it be the historical or comminatory part as well as the promissory Thus whatsoever is revealed in the Scripture though it be but an appendix to any History as that Sauls father had asses though we cannot call it an Article of the faith yet when sufficiently propounded to us then not to believe argueth a wicked and an obstinate spirit because we despise the authority of God and his testimony in that particular though but little Secondly There is a special Faith and that I call The worke of Gods grace for all faith is the gift of God whereby a man is enabled to believe the promissory part in the Scripture whereby he believeth this truth that Jesus Christ is a Saviour to those that believe in him And this the Papists yea and others too make all the faith that is required of us that this is it which doth justifie us but very absurdly Thirdly There is a particular Faith and that is When the Spirit of God doth enable us to receive Christ as our Christ to apply the promises as belonging to us in particular To say with Thomas My Lord my God And with Paul Galat. 2. Who loved me and gave himself for me Such a particular faith is not onely possible but a duty of which much excellent and profitable Discourse might be made but I forbear because I am to treat of it God assisting upon another account Therefore for the present you are to know that this worke of Gods Spirit in confirming and sealing of us is especially manifested in this particular and appropriating way of the promises of grace as our portion Therefore it is said to cause us to call God Father which implieth our peculiar interest and propriety in him Doe not then be discouraged from this Canaan because of the Anakims that are in the way Fear not to call God thy Father though thou findest many discouragements within thee The Devil would not have thee taste of this honey But I proceed and the next particular in the Description is the Manner how the Spirit of God cometh thus to witnesse unto us how we come to be sealed and that is said to be First By the meanes God hath appointed thereunto This is very observable
under some temptation surely when he wrote that Pelagian History for in that he hath this passage where speaking of some Ancients who from the metaphor of an anchor and earnest conclude the certainty of eternal life glosseth after this manner Histor Pelag. lib. 6. Thes 13. Certos nos dicunt quamdiu habemus arrhabonem spiritus sancti sed arrhabonem hunc siquis abjiciat hinc certitudinem simul salutis amittere We are certain of eternal life as long as we have this anchor this earnest but if we lose it we lose our certainty also of salvation How inexcusable is this though some learned men great friends to that excellent Authour say that he promised to review that History of Pelagian heresie in time For therefore is this earnest given us to take away our fears about the future Whereas in their sense we must needs be as uncertain as before and besides this earnest would need another earnest and so in infinitum The Scripture then by calling it an earnest would hereby inform us of Gods will that he who hath given us the first-fruits will in time also give us the lump or harvest it self he will so preserve us that not only any thing without as the devil and the world but also any thing within us our own hearts our own lusts shall not betray us and become our destruction and certanily that reason of Chrysostowe which is also grounded upon the Scripture is among others very remarkable If God of his free-grace did while enemies convert us and bestow his spirit as an earnest upon us will he not much rather do it for us since he hath received us into his friendship To this purpose the Apostle also argueth very strongly Rom. 5. 9 10. While we were yet sinners Christ dyed for us much more then being now justified by his bloud shall we be saved from wrath through him for if when we were enemies we were reconciled by death of his Sonne much more being reconciled we shall be saved by his lise If then God hath done the greater will he not do the lesse when we wallowed in our lusts when we tumbled in our filth even then the grace of God did speak unto us to live even then it did put comelinesse and beauty upon us and shall he not much more do it since he hath made us his own So that the same grace of God which received us though unworthy will preserve us though unworthy and as our rebellious heart did not finally withstand converting grace but was overcome by it so will the grace of perseverance watch over us that this earnest shall not be totally lost For this end we have many glorious promises to encourage us in this particular we must not then look upon our own dead womb but the power and promise of God concluding by this Lord I know thy will is that I shall be saved by this I am perswaded that nothing no not I my self shall separate my self from thy love for thy grace will alwaies prevent my will Secondly In that it is called an earnest there is implyed that grace here and glory hereafter are of the same nature that they differ only gradually Even as in an earnest amongst men that is part of the full payment and of the same nature with it Thus grace is nothing but glory begun and glory grace perfected for which cause it is called glory 2 Cor. 3. 18. We are changed into the same image from glory to glory that is from grace to grace till we come to inhabit glory For which cause also the Apostle compareth our state of grace here to the state of a childe and that of glory hereafter to a virile estate 1 Cor. 13. Now as a childe differeth from himself when made a man but gradually he is the same individuall person still Thus it is here thy grace will not be abolished thou hast here but perfected We do but think and understand in heavenly things as children only comparatively to what shall be done in heaven Even as these individual bodies shall put on immortality and incorruptibility They shall not be new bodies but changed bodies It is true there are some graces which suppose an imperfection in the subject while he is here in the way at least in their actings and so farre as there is imperfection it shall be abolished as 1 Cor 13. Thus saith as it justifieth as it is opposed to vision and hope as opposed to enjoying repentance likewise as it is sorrow for sin and patience which supposeth afflictions These things cannot be put forth in heaven but probably the habits of these graces may continue there as being an ornament and perfection of the soul it being extrinsecal only and by accident that the occasion of the exercise of those graces is removed Hence some say but not probably that the Spirit of God is a pledge in respect of faith and hope because they shall cease but an earnest in respect of charity which abideth for ever Salmeron in loc No wonder then if grace be an earnest of glory seeing they are the same thing in nature and differ only as perfect and imperfect yet when we say that grace is only glory begun that must be understood in a sound sense for some of the Papists make an inward condignity between grace and glory we are not then to think that grace of it self would in a naturall and necessary way spring up into glory as an Acorn would in a physicall manner breed up into an Oak being seminally and causally contained in it No but in a moral sense by the gracious appointment and order of God grace is glory begun otherwise such is the imperfection and drosse that is in our graces while in this life that when we have arrived to the highest pitch we might justly be deprived of glory Grace in the Apostate Angels formerly was not glory seminally and radically for then they had not missed it But if we do now regard the covenant of Gods grace he hath so appointed it that whosoever hath grace here that shall be preserved and kept so faithfully that it shall be perfected into glory hereafter And thus the earnest is of the same nature with the full payment it self Thirdly and lastly This similitude doth not only declare Gods purpose and effectuall will concerning us but it is also to assure and perswade us of heaven as if we were already in it and this is indeed one of the main ends of this similitude God will by this inform us of the transcendant excellency of the covenant of grace above that of works which he made with Adam Thus our Saviour saith Joh. 5. 24. He that beleeveth is passed from death to life he is already and therefore is sure of everlasting happinesse so that in this similitude there is not only the perseverance of the Saints denoted but also their assurance and certain perswasion of it And the truth is great is the
necessity of this doctrine for while a godly man looketh upon what is to come he seeth such a terrible wildernesse he is to go through such a Red Sea to passe over such Anakims in the way to be destroyed that had he not this certain perswasion that he shall overcome all these difficulties and that God would daily hold him in his arms of grace that he shall not fall his doubts and fears would wholly dishearten him And thus much is comprehended in the metaphor of an earnest It is not my purpose at this time to lanch into that ocean of the doctrine of perseverance as also the certainty of it I shall therefore amplifie this doctrine with some few propositions and so conclude it for the excellency and comfortablenesse of it will not let us wholly passe it by This precious flower can be found only in the paradise of the Scripture Therefore Austin was weary of Platonical Books because they had not these excellent things in them the Scripture hath whereof this arra spiritus the earnest of the spirit is one he instanceth in lib. confes cap. 7. As first We must know that comfort of perseverance is only improved by those that are certain of the present work of grace in their souls He that findeth grace for the present in his soul may undoubtedly conclude of his salvation hereafter but if a Christian do lie in doubts whether he hath grace or no this doctrine will not be as the honey-comb to him for he hath not laid the foundation that this must be built upon but if his thoughts about the present work of grace be hopefull only in him then also are his thoughts about perseverance hopefull only He may have some comfort but not such a certainty as the Scripture propoundeth Neither can he use those triumphing expressions of holy confidence which Paul Rom. 8. speaketh not of himself by any peculiar revelation but of all the children of God that nothing shall separate him from the love of God in Christ Secondly There are some Doctors and Teachers who make the certainty of our present grace and of perseverance therein two distinct yea and separable things They will grant that a man may be certain of the present grace he hath but then they deny he is to be certain that he shall continue and persevere in this for they affirm that a man may have true grace and yet totally and finally fall from it others say that a man may have grace and not be elected and such may lose it but he that hath true grace and elected that man shall never lose his interest in heaven Nay some of these Teachers do not only deny any such certainty of perseverance in our present grace either ordinarily possible or necessary But say such a certainty would be very dangerous and destructive to all vigilancy and carefulnesse in an holy life for what a man is assured of he cannot fear he shall lose let him live how he will but this upon another account is in time to be more largely debated Therefore for the present I only adde this third Proposition viz. That the certainty which the godly have is not such an absolute abstracted one as that it doth not include the means leading to salvation but rather doth necessarily connote them Insomuch that if any godly man should be left to such a desperate frame of heart as to say I am sure of heaven let me fall into the most abominable impieties that are these shall not hinder salvation such an one would certainly be damned but that is not to be supposed that such who have the true seed of grace will ever be given up to such a prophane spirit The certainty then that a beleever hath is in the use of means to attain their desired end So that it 's like the assurance that Paul had concerning the preservation God would vouch safe to all his fellow-passengers in the ship with him which yet did relate to the necessary use of means as Paul exhorteth them or like that of Hezckiah to whom God promised the addition of fifteen years longer to his life Now he was assured of this God could not lye yet he did not neglect to eat and drink he knew Gods promise implyed the use of the means so that the adversaries to this Truth do fully mistake when they say we preach such a certainty of perseverance that though a man fall into any enormous crimes yet he shall enjoy this still This is oppositum in apposito to suppose that if fire be water it will refrigerate Fourthly We are further to distinguish of a two-fold certainty in this matter of salvation and perseverance in the way therein The first I call a dogmaticall certainty and that is when a man is fully convinced out of the Scripture of this truth in the generall that whosoever hath once had true grace shall never fall from it but certainly shall be saved and he that hath this differeth from those corrupt and erroneous Teachers that affirm the contrary as the Arminians and their complyers in this respect for there is no more reason to doubt of this doctrinal point than others that are maintained by the Orthodox against that party so that there is no more reason to make this a problematical point wherein learned men may dissent from one another then any other in the Arminian controversies But 2. there is a personal or reflexive certainty and that is when a man doth not only beleeve this position as a truth that he who hath true grace cannot fall from it but also is perswaded that he hath true grace in his own heart and therefore that he is built upon such a rock that no storms or tempests shall be able to overthrow him and this is that every godly man is to presse after This text is a speciall furtherance in this work for the spirits fealing perswadeth of the grace already wrought in us and the earnest doth assure us of that which is to come If you ask what grounds there are why he who findes grace in himself may thus conclude infallibly for heaven hereafter I shall amongst many give three only which is such a threefold cord that can never be broken As first That all true grace is the proper effect of predestination so that whosoever is effectually called in time is thereby declared to be predestinated before the world began Thus the Apostle Rom. 8 30. whom he did predestinate he called and those he justifieth and those he glorifieth You see it 's a chain of Gods making and so cannot be dissolved therefore Tit. 1. 1. it 's called the faith of Gods elect so Eph. 1. 4. he hath chosen us before the foundation of the world that we should be holy We see then that holinesse and true faith is proper to the elect only and therefore to distinguish of a two-fold Sonship of God some by present grace only and
bring the Tempests of Gods wrath upon the Land only when Magistrates make good and severe Laws against swearing and the under-Officers are diligent in execution for good laws without execution are like a Bell without a clapper as one said then the guilt is taken off the land And therefore it would be cruelty to the Nation to spare a particular person you are unwilling to make the swearer mourn and thereby you make the land mourn Therefore let justice be executed upon swearers that so the nation may not incur Gods displeasure Lastly This sin or common and irreverent swearing is condemned by the very light of nature Heathens as the Pythagoreans have thought it a reproach to a man to swear his word should be as good as an oath It is noted of Hercules that he did never swear and therefore judged by the Heathens most religious The more inexcusable are those Christians of whom Hierom complaineth that would use those Latine Oaths mehercule medius fidius Plutarch reports that when some were to swear among the heathens they took them out of the house and made them swear in the open air one reason whereof was to make them deliberating and considering before they did so Will not these heathens rise up in judgement against our common swearers who yet glory in this Title of Christianity But let us hear their excuses and cavils such swearers use to make 1. They say It 's a custome they have got and they cannot leave it But 1. the more desperate and incurable is thy disease the more a sinne is habituated the worse it is This is not an excuse but an aggravation Doth a custome in drunkennesse or uncleannesse alienate and not rather inhance And 2. Why may not this custome be left Of all customes we might think this might be parted with most easily for as you heard here is no profit or pleasure to tempt thee Chrysostome answering this very cavill saith That many who have had a custome to stammer have yet by diligence left it yea he speaketh of one who had a custome of lifting up one shoulder higher than another that by naked swords upon the place to cut him if he should do so any more did thereby leave that ill use and may not this custome of swearing be parted with upon easier terms Bid thy Wife tell thee of it thy children thy servants saith the same Ancient and then at last as many joyning together do so stop a beast that they catch him thus saith he they will at last we ary thee out of this custome In the next place Many do so even all generally except some few Precisians do swear and why should not I do as most do But to answer this the command is clear thou shalt not follow a multitude to do evil Exo. 23. 2. Most men go in the broad way to hell most men will be damned and therefore this is no plea. Again we are not to live by examples but by precepts What though all use to swear that live by thee yet the command of Christ is to be more than the examples even of holy men and Angels themselves much more then of wicked and ungodly men In the third place I think no hurt I do no body any wrong But 1. there is no man that sinneth intendeth to sinne the will of man cannot be carried out to will evil as it is evil and so every sinner might excuse himself Again if thy oaths do not hurt others yet they do thy own soul thou art a murderer of that and as much as lieth in thee thou hurtest God robbing him of the glory due to him And lastly thou dost hurt others for if a father thy children learn to swear from thee if a Master thy servants do or thy neighbours are encouraged and the godly they are grieved at it In the fourth place Some pleade they sweare but sometimes it is when they are in a passion when they are provoked But 1. Once is too much any sinne once committed is enough to damne for ever without repentance And whereas thou saist It is in thy passion that will not excuse if thou killest a man in thy passion doth that free thee before God The stronger thy passions are the weaker thou art in grace yea in reason Therefore thy condition is the more dangerous because so easily moved into passion many grievous sins are sometimes committed in passion which may make thee ashamed and mourn all thy life long Again art thou in a passion therefore the more unfit to take the Name of God in thy mouth the greater thy irreverence by how much more violent the passion is In the fifth place But when I have sworn in my passion and do recall my self I am sorry for it and ask God forgivenesse But 1. seeing the sin of irreverent swearing is a very grievous sin committed immediatly against the Majesty of God it is not an ordinary confession a transient Lord have mercy upon me that can be accounted repentance in this case There must be a serious and solemn setting of our selvs to humiliation for sins of this nature And 2. if ye be so sorrowfull as never to fall into such passionate swearing again then it is good but upon the very next provocation the next passion you fall a cursing and swearing again as formerly so that it is plain thou hast not repented Thou sinnest and then askest God forgivenesse and then thou sinnest again what is this but to play the hypocrite with God and to mock him In the sixth place say some I would not swear but they will not beleeve me else To this it is answered happily it is thy fault they do not think thee a man of truth and honesty if they did thy bare word would be enough and in the next place who will beleeve thee the more for thy ordinary swearing they think it is so common with thee that thou dost not matter it and withall he that is not afraid to dishonour God I cannot beleeve him though he should swear a thousand oaths and indeed who doth regard the word and speeches of a common swearer that is wise and prudent Lastly Some excuse themseves That they are but petty oaths they do not take Gods Name in vain their oaths are petty oaths by their faith and troth and is that such an offence To answer this 1. there is no petty oath no more than a petty God or a petty damnation And 2. While you think to honour God you dishonour him out of reverence you will not swear by him but by a creature this is more highly to offend him while you give that which is due to him to a creature And therefore 3. here is not only unlawful swearing in those oaths but idolatry also Is your faith a God Is your troth a God Is your faith an alseeing witnesse Can that damn thee if thou swear falsly Therefore in these oaths you do not only sin but
be applyed to you how can ye have comfort if ye live in the waies of sinne doe not any thing that may chase away this comfort if we preach never such comfortable truths if thou by thy negligence and unmortified walking dost deprive thy self of consolation then know the blame lieth in thy self and not in the Ministery Thou criest give me a word of comfort how can we comfort him whom God would not have comforted SERM. CXLVII God only the Lord of our Christian Faith 2 COR. 1. 24. For by faith ye stand THis last clause saith Calvin other Interpreters either take no notice of or else do not clearly instruct about it for whereas it is plain by the causall particle 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it is brought in as an argument of something preceding it is very difficult to finde out the reason Those Interpreters that take notice of it are divided Some do make it a reason of the words immediatly foregoing Paul was a helper of their joy because they stood firmly in the faith for although there were some who denied the resurrection yet that was not the doctrine of the Chuch in general nor was it puhlikely professed by them It is true many abuses there were in practice both civill and religious yet because they did firmly retain the true faith therefore it was that he would not wholly cast them off as no Church Their true doctrine which they professed made him the more hopeful of them and certainly the pure sound faith professed by a Church though otherwise greatly corrupted maketh it to have the essence and life of a Church and withall suggesteth hope that God in time will make them an holy practical Church as well as a sound Orthodox one Hence Paul in his first Epistle to the Thessalonians c. 3. v. 5 6 7. doth much rejoyce in their faith that they stood stedfast therein When I could no longer forbear I sent to know your faith As also Timotheus brought him glad tidings of their faith And again we were comforted in our affliction by your faith and this interpretation is very probable and not to be wholly rejected But then a second is more probable and that maketh it a reason of the former part of the verse We have not dominion over your faith for by faith ye stand stedfast Insomuch that if I Paul or an Angel from heaven should preach unto you another doctrine yet you beleeve in the truth as Gods truth and not mans truth So that God alone hath the dominion over your hearts in beleeving Thus it is a very fit and proper reason Hence Heinsius thinketh there is a transposition of the words which is usuall with Paul and that they should be inserted before the later clause thus Not that we have dominion over your faith for by faith you stand Whether we reade it objectively you stand in the faith or instrumentally by faith you stand it is not much materiall Neither are we to render it in the past signification you have stood because it is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the Greek as if the Apostle did imply they formerly had indeed stood in the faith though lately they grew wavering for it is usuall to use the preterperfect for the present especially when a continuance or perseverance is intended as Matth. 20 Why stand ye here 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 idle all the day long Both these interpretations may be conjoyned but because the latter is the most considerable Therefore I shall insist on that and observe That the Christian faith is of that nature that it doth respect and relate unto God only We believe not in men but in God Whether we speak of dogmatical or fiducial faith they cannot have any other bottome to stand upon but the authority of God himself Thus saith the Lord Thus it is written is the ground of all true Christian faith which truth deserveâ—h explication in some particular Propositions As First There is an humane and there is a divine faith which onely deserveth the name of Christian faith and to which onely the promises of God doe belong An humane faith I call that when men doe beleeve principles of Religion meerly upon humane motives that is the ultimate reason and motive into which their faith is resolved These humane motives are manifold as the Authority of the Church the Authority of Ministers and Pastors our education by parents custome and universality as also the Laws and Edicts of a Magistrate commanding such a Religion to be received and no other Now whosoever maketh this the chief reason of the profession of his faith is upon no better ground than the Turkes is for their Mahumetan the Papists for their Popish faith Insomuch that many Protestants Turkes and Papists though they exceedingly differ in the materials of Religion yet agree in the formali motivo they believe so and so because brought up in it because commanded by their Civil Magistrates It is that which the Papists upbraid us with that our Religion is but a Parliament-Religion or a Queen Elizabeths-Religion because when they established it the Land generally received it Now to this we say That no doubt the generality of people except such as are enlightned by Gods Spirit doe receive even the Christian or true Religion but upon civil and humane respects and therefore when Emperours have been Arrians the people have been Arrians when the Kings of Israel were Idolaters the inhabitants became Idolaters And thus when the Kings of the Earth have been Papists the people have been Papists also So that they cannot object any thing more against the Protestant Religion than we may against the Papist Onely we adde a further position which introduceth a divirâ—e faith which they overthrow and so by consequence teach no more than an Lumane faith For we hold That every private believer is bound to have an explicite faith of the things necessary to salvation and this faith we say is knowledge the ground whereof is the Authority and Testimony of God in the Scripture So that we doe not believe in Magistrates nor in Ministers nor in the Church trusting our faith and salvation upon them but the word of God onely whereas the Papists do expresly affirm That a private Christians faith is enough to salvation if he content himself with this That he believeth as the Church believeth never troubling himself in reading of books or searching of the Scripture As Valentia's known instance of a Merchant brought in by him disputing What Religion he should be of doth evidently declare So then a Papist as a Papist cannot reach any higher than to an humane faith For though they will not yeeld the Authority of the Church to be an humane Authority yet both reason and experience doth fully convince that But let us come to our own people and sadly bewail the ignorance and stupidity of Protestants in general who are not moved by any divine motives or Scripture-respects to imbrace
Four Propositions clearing it 220 221 The general good of such Sufferings is Gods glory and the Gospels enlargement 222 Others Sufferings for Christ may much conduce to our comfort and salvation 223 Three things premised concerning such Sufferings 223 224 How our Sufferings for Christ work our comfort 225 226 227 How they promote our salvation 228 229 230 Sufferings not barely in themselves but as improved by patience conduce to our salvation 232 Communion with those that Suffer for Christ a sure way to interest us in their glory and comfort 251 Two propositions clearing it 251 252 The reasons of it 253 254 Vid. Afflictions Swearing 'T is lawfull to Swear under the Gospel upon urgent occasions after a right manner 658 668 669 Whether it be lawfull to Swear by any creature 663 How we may mention a creature in an oath and not Swear by it 664 How and when we may lawfully Swear Motives against ordinary Swearing 672 673 674 675 The excuses and cavils for Swearing answered 675 676 T Thankfulnesse to God vide Blessing and Praising God Timothy OF the name Timothy 41 Two things observed concerning him 41 42 Trouble Trouble whence it ariseth 113 God is both able and willing to help his people in hopelesse Troubles 325 326 327 Truth God is a God of Truth and a true God 536 Propositions clearing the nature and kinds of Truth 537 538 539 540 The truth of God is alwayes the same 575 576 577 578 Trust Two sorts of Trust humane and divine 301 What are the sinfull objects we are apt to Trust in 304 305 306 307 308 God always the proper object of our Trust 315 Propositions concerning our Trusting in God 315 316 317 318 What is the matter for which we Trust in him 318 What is required to our Trusting in the Lord 320 321 322 Of the excellency of this grace of Trusting in the Lord 322 323 324 There are motives to Trust in God both from personal and general priviledges 349 Of the opposites to Trusting in God 350 The grace of Trusting in God cannot be perfect in this life 352 Trusting in God and the use of means not to be separated 355 W Wisdome WHy the Wisdome of this world is called fleshly Wisdom 423 Ministers ought not to use fleshly Wisdom 423 424 425 Principles of fleshly Wisdom 426 427 428 429 430 431 FINIS The Division of the Chapter and of the Verse Why our Saviour called Jesus Christ Why this Apostle called Paul who sometimes was called Saul Pauls persecution of the Church of Christ His conversion to it God of great sinners often maketh most eminent Saints 〈◊〉 Pauls sins great How the chiefest of sinners The work of Gods grace wonderfull Pauls serviceableness admirable Reasons why God of great sinners often maketh such eminent Saints 1. On Gods part 1. Hereby the power of God is manifested 2. Hereby the Wisdom of God is clearly evidenced 1. In converting Paul when in the height of his impieties 2. Because such fire-brands plucked out of the fire are the fittest to enkindle a fire in the hearts of others 3. Hereby he shews the freeness of his grace 2. On mans part 1. That hereby they may be more humble in themselves Lastly that all Formalists and Justiciaries might be provoked to an holy jealousie Pauls learning When men of great parts and learning are chosen by God and sanctified they become eminently usefull in their place Christs chusing of illiterate men to be Apostles makes not for the chusing of such now to be publick preachers Obs 2. Learning an excellent qualification in man the choisest of Gods gifts in a common way Obs 3. Learning through the corruption of man often made an engine to promote the Kingdom of the Devil This is not from the nature of learning it self but from the abuse of 〈◊〉 The assistance of Gods Spirit necessary to an holy and sanctified understanding and interpretation of Scripture Use 1. Use 2. Use 3. Why Paul prefixed his name to his Epistle Pauls name being prefixed to this Epistle argues it to be of Divine Authority The prefixing of the name of the Author not a sufficient argument of it self to prove the Divine Authority of any book The Pen-men of the Bible only the instruments used by God in an extraordinary way not the authors of it The Scripture being inspired by God we should rest satisfied in the style and method of it The authority of the Scripture not to be questioned or disputed of Yet to arm our selves against the Devil and all Hereticks 't is good to consider 1. That we have as good ground to believe the Scriptures were written by their acknowledged Pen-men as that any humane works were made by their Authors 2. Hence it follows that we must believe the matter therein to be of God 3. Hitherto we are to add the heavenly Doctrine and matter of the Scriptures as also the consent of all and martyrdom of many Christians and miracles testifying the truth of them 4. To these we are earnestly to beg the assistance of the Spirit of God Why Paul cals himself an Apostle What an Apostle was Two kinds of Apostles primary and secondary Christ in his first planting of his Church appointed extraordinary Officers which he called Apostles Our Saviour in the building of his Church did not follow the Government of the Jewish The properties of an Apostles 1. He should have an immediate call from Christ 2. The Apostles were to be the first builders of the Church 3. They should be eye-witnesses of what Christ did and suffered 4. They were universal officers 5. They were endowed of an infallible spirit 6. They were endowed with miraculous gifts 7. They were the chiefest and highest officers in the Church 8. They were equal in power and authority 9. They were temporary officers 10. Though they were extraordinary Officers yet they contained what was inferiour under them Lastly though they were thus admirably qualified yet they did not convert all below them It is of great consequence both to Ministers and people to be informed of the Divine Call of their Church-officers Both ancient and modern Writers have much disputed about the Call of Church-officers It is not enough only to have a true Call but that Call must be likewise faithfully improved What advantages follow upon a true Call 1. To the Officers themselvs 1. They may expect Gods assistance 2. Gods protection 3. Success and fruitfulness in their labours The word commonly more succesful to those who never had it before The Word less successfull to a people that have lived long under the preaching 〈◊〉 A two-fold Use of the Ministry besides conversion to increase grace and prevent errour Lastly They may expect a greater reward from God 2. What advantage the people may have by being assured of their Ministers call Use Of the proper Name of our Saviour Jesus The Lord Christ is a Jesus a Saviour to his people 1. Christ is not a Saviour in
against Christ 2. T is the grace of God◠alone that can open this door 3. Sometimes Ministers are called to a people of small hopes 4. A Ministers hope of doing good should be guided by the Word Reasons why a Ministers hope of doing good should be matter of of joy to him 1. The End of his Ministry is accomplished A constant Ministry is necessary to every Church And that for these Ends 1. To informe against Errors 2. To reform the corruptions that are in mens lives 3. To comfort the godly 4. To edifie and strengthen them How believers may and are to grow 1. In knowledg 2. In the experimental power of their knowledge 3. In Faith 4. In Grace 'T is the duty of all Christians especially Ministers to lay out themselves for the glory of God 1. For all Christians 1. There is none but have talents to be improved 2. All lawfull actions may be improved for Gods glory 3. Christians should often meditate upon the ultimate end of all their actions 2. Especially it belongs to Ministers What is required to enable us to do all things for Gods glory 1 A converted soul 2 A publick spirit 3. Heavenlyn indedness 4. Fervency and zeal The office of the Apostle and ordinary Pastors differs in that the one had an universal the other a particular charge 1. The Apostles had commission to preach to all Nations 2. Yet the office of the Apostles did virtually contain all other 3. The Apostles had in their office something ordinary and something extraordinary 5. Though a Pastor is ordinarily to reside amongst his flock yet he is a Minister of the whole Church of God Where the Ministry hath wrought spiritually the Minister is esteemed highly Lightness and inconstancy is a great sinne and reproach to all much more to Ministers Of the sinfulness of inconstancy in civil respects As 1. When we are not consistent with our selves in our assertions 2. In our promises 3. In our affections Of the aggravations of this sinne 1. 'T is contrary to the nature of God 2. 'T is a reproach to men 3. Hereby a man makes himself unfit for Gods service 4. 'T is an abuse of our tongue 5. God threatens lying but encourageth sincerity Of the sinfulness of Inconstancy in spiritual things as in 1. Faith 2. In our Conversion and Repentance Motives against this Inconstancy 1. There is the same Reason at all times against sin 2. Sinnes after Convictions are the greater 3. This Inconstancy is a mocking of God and a dallying in soul-matters 4. It may justly cause God for ever to forsake thee 3. This Inconstancy is a great sin in Promises and Resolutions Of the Phrase according to the flesh which is taken for 1. The humane Nature 2. External Priviledges 3. Corrupt Principles Walking by carnal Principals makes men unstable and inconstant Principles of flesh 1. Covetousness 2. Ambition 3. Pleasing of men 4. Time-serving 5. Self-pleasing Of Principles 1 Herein men differ from bruit beasts because they act from inward principles beasts by instinct 2. Principles are either speculative or practical 3. All the principles of natural men are sinfull and carnal 3. Principles are oft hidden 5. There are principles of flesh even in our holy duties 6. The principles of the carnal and of the spiritual are contrary Of the principles of a godly man There are two general principles 1. There is a principle of knowledge viz. the holy Scriptures 2. The principle of his acting viz. the Spirit of God Particular principles 1. Alwayes to keep a good conscience towards God and man 2. To make sure of his ultimate end and the necessary means to it 3. Daily to expect death and judgment 4. To judg sin the greatest evil and godliness the greatest good Lying is not consistent with godliness 1. There is a material and a formal lie 2. There are assertory and promissory lies 3. There is a pernicious sporting and officious lie 4. Lying is a sinne of the tongue 5. They that would not lie must study the government of the tongue He that would govern his tongue must first cleanse his heart The causes of lies 1. Natural inclination 2. Want of dependance upon God 3. Our captivity to Satan 4. Covetousnes 5. Fear God is true God is true 1. There is a Metaphysical and a moral Truth 2. There is an increated and created truth 3. In that God is true he differeth from men and devils 4. 'T is because of Gods truth that we are commanded to believe and trust in him 5. The truth of God is the Foundation of all Religion and godliness Wicked men usually cast the Imperfections of the Minister upon the Ministry 1. A people may have an holy Zeal againg a loose scandalous Minister 2. A people are oft prone to take offence at the Ministers when yet 't is their sin 1. When they dislike that which may be of great use 2. When they are offended at his reproveing sin 3. When they cast the saults of the persons upon their Office and Doctrine 4. When they refuse the Ministry upon false Rumors and Surmises 'T is a great reproach for a Minister to be mutable and contradictory in his doctrine 1. All changes are not bad 2. But 't is a sin and reproach to change from the truth 3. Even such a change supposeth imperfection 4. No man but may know more than he doth 5. We must distinguish betwixt what is and what is not fundamental 1. We must distinguish betwixt constancy and pertinancy 2. Then is it a reproach to change when we change from truth The causes of inconstancy 1. Ignorance 2. Affectation of singularity and vain-glory 4. Examples We must distinguish betwixt essentials and circumstantials in Religion Christ only is to be the subject of our preaching When is Christ preached 1. When he is declared to be the Messiah 2. When preached as God-man 3. When preached in his person and his offices 5. When he is set up as the head of his Church The Lord Christ is the son of God 1. He is truly God 2. He is not the son of God as others are called his sonnes as 1. By Creation 2. By Regeneration 3. Because of their dignity 3. He is therefore called the Son of God because begotten from eternity of the Father 4. He was begotten of the Father 5. In these Mysteries we must adhere wholly to the testimony of the word 6. He is Antichrist that denies the Son to be God 7. The spirit of giddiness hath justly fallen upon these that deny Christ to be God Christ is a Saviour to his people What is implyed in Christs being a Saviour 1. That all mankinde was lost 2. What kinde of Saviour is Christ Even a spiritual one 3. He is an effectual Saviour Who is Christ a Saviour to 1. Some of mankinde 2. The repenting believing sinner 3. They are saved from 〈◊〉 and the world 4. Christs people 5. The saved are but few in comparison of the