in believing as he is in understanding because the object doth so powerfully work on the minde that it cannot withstand it Even the Arminians could not but grant That the work of Gods Spirit upon the understanding is irresistible though not upon the will because they say that is an active faculty Secondly The Word doth imply such an evidence that doth convince and binde up the understanding that it cannot doubt or dispute any longer All evidence may not presently convince We see though erroneous persons reade never so many excellent books yet they are not actually convinced the evidence indeed is able to convince as the Sunne-beams are able objectively to make a blinde man see there is light enough if he had eyes but faith is here said to be the actual conviction of the soul to silence it that it hath no more to say according to the saying of the Schools Fides non est tantum apprehensiva sed quietativa Faith is not only apprehensive but quietative and resting of the soul that it is not learning and learning or seeking but never coming to the truth Fourthly This Faith hath unlimitednesse and universality in it's assenting The whole Word of God is the adequate Object of it and therefore whatsoever is revealed in the Scripture it believeth it doth not pick or choose believe some things and not others as they make for or against us but so farre as the Word is propounded it doth receive it Therefore such threatnings that condemn man that makes him dead in sinne and guilty of hell such threatnings that do speak terribly to such or such a sinne he is involved in though it be a troublesome and unwelcome truth to flesh and blood yet Faith makes a man to believe it Whether Faith be discursive or put forth by one simple act is disputed howsoever it cannot be denied but that there is an order in the things believed a connexion and dependance between one proposition and another though when believed faith is carried out with one uniform act because there is the same divine Authority in all Lastly The immediate opposites to Faith dogmaticall in whole or in part are these either expresse Paganisme and Heathenisme this is Negative unbelief They never so much as received these truths Or else Grosse and stupid Ignorance whereby though they say they do believe yet indeed they doe not no more then Pagans or else Heretiques who though they may hold some Fundamentall Truths yet oppose others or Apostates who having once professed do afterwards make shipwrack of their Faith Or lastly In some degree all doubts and waverings about the Truth doe oppose this divine Faith especially when set home by the Devil who many times hath as hot fiery darts about Dogmaticall Faith as justifying troubling them with doubtfull thoughts about a God and about the truth of Scriptures Now in such temptations it 's not good to hold a parlee but as Joseph to his Mistresse to runne away to have an holy pertinacy and with Paul to Peter Not to give way to any such doubt no not for a moment If Christs sheep will not hear a stranger but runne from him much more from the Devil who is the Arch heretique the Tempter as to all sinne so to all unbelief Vse Pray to God to increase and establish this Faith in thee and that especially in these dayes These are times when thy justifying Faith shall be assaulted by doubts and disconsolate fears these are times also when thy Historicall Faith may be puzzled and shaken with such heresies and cunning devices of men But oh let thy eyes and heart be up to Heaven for this substance this evidence Thou wilt then have that within which will establish thee against all errours SERMON CXXII Of the Glory which Christ communicates unto all his Disciples even in this Life And of Vnion with him as the Ground of it JOH 17.22 And the glory which thou gavest me I have given them that they may be one even as we are one OUR Saviour continueth amplifying his Prayer for the Union of Beleevers So that in this Text we may take notice of another argument or reason why the Father should make them one in him and one amongst themselves Here is a threefold Unity spoken of 1. That essentiall one of the father and the Son 2. That mysticall one of Christ as Head and Mediatour and believers 3. That charitative one of believers amongst themselves The Argument urged by our Saviour in the Text is he had given that glory to them which the Father had given him so that we may take the particle 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 causally for the glory thou gavest me I have given viz. in purpose and decree to such as shall beleeve All the difficulty is what is that glory which Christ receiving of the Father giveth to believers Some Learned men expound it of the Glory of the Apostleship and working of miracles and they make the sence to be thus The glory thou gavest me to give I have given them As Cbrist is said out of the Psalmist to receive gifts for men Now because he received them to give The Apostle Eph. 4. alledgeth it as giving gifts to men the Consequent being put for the Antecedent But this cannot be received because our Saviour is now praying for all beleevers in all successive ages and not the Apostles only Others by glory do understand immortality and that state of happinesse hereafter But to understand it aright we must know that the word glory when attributed to God is of a very large signification but more particularly when God doth by any works in a more remarkable manner declare his goodnesse wisedom omnipotency c. then he is said to give his glory Ezek. 39.21 Eze. 26.20 In the New Testament when we reade of Christs Glory we may Consider of 1. His essentiall glory which he hath as God spoken of Heb. 1. where he is called the brightnesse of his Fathers Glory 2. Of his Mediatory Glory which he had as Mediatour his humane nature being filled with all grace which glory though begun on earth yet was consummated when exalted to the right hand of God in glory 3. There were the many effects which did concomitate this essentiall and Mediatory glory some particulars whereof the Scripture mentions as all the approbation the Father gave from heaven to Christ with all his miracles doctrine and other signs of his divine nature is called Christs glory Joh. 1.14 We beheld his glory by way of wonder and admiration as the word signifieth as the glory of the only begotten Son of God Thus when Christ turned the water into wine Joh. 2.11 It 's said he manifested his glory and Joh. 11. the raising of Lazarus from the dead is called Gods glory as working of miracles So the love that the Father bestoweth on Christ is called Christs glory at 24 verse in this Chapter which may be a good Exposition of this Therefore by
plain by that of our Saviour If ye know these things happy are ye if ye do them John 13.17 Therefore meer knowledge without doing is not happinesse And this we see the very Heathens could pitch upon that happinesse did not consist in a speculative knowledge but in virtuous actions Yea Aristotle observed that a prophane dissolute life did not corrupt speculative sciences as Geometry and the Mathematicks but it would immediately morall habits So then Knowledge with affections and good effects is that which leadeth to eternall life Hence wicked men are many times said not to know God because though they have never so much speculative understanding yet because by their lives and ungodly waies they dishonour him therefore they are said not to know him Now the concomitants or effects rather of this knowledge are of two sorts either internall in the heart or externall in our actions We will enumerate the first and then the later Saving knowledge hath this internall effect 1. That it makes a man have a firm and divine immoveable assent to Scripture-truths For if we should have all the knowledge of men and Angels yet believe nothing what advantage could it be to us There may be knowledge meerly apprehensive as those heathenish Writers Julian Porphyrius and others who argued and disputed against the Christian Religion in this they knew what it was else they could not have disputed against it but they did not believe it to be true The Pharisees that so much opposed Christ they knew the sense and meaning of this doctrine but did not believe it so that if knowledge be not accompanied with faith though we had the highest degree of it yet it would profit nothing Therefore Christians are not called knowing men so much as Believers that is their frequent title because the firm assent they give to Gods truth is that which is most available to salvation Enquire then after thy faith men of great knowledge are many times great Atheists or Scepticks they can say as much for one way of Religion as for another and hereupon are alwaies wavering and doubting but have no determinate fixing of the heart upon God yea Aquinas observeth that a knowing man hath more temptations against his faith then one more simple It 's well then when with thy knowledge thy faith is also firm and stedfast 2. Then is thy knowledge saving when the main and noble act of the will doth presently follow which is to choose and take God for our chiefest good and to imbrace the goodnesse of all those things we know for the devils they have knowledge enough called therefore 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 because of their exceeding great knowledge yet they are most maliciously opposite to God because by their wils they do not choose and imbrace that which is good The two main pillars of the soul or the chief faculties thereof are the understanding and the will The object of the understanding is truth of the will is good Now the understanding is to be like a torch or starre to guide the will and whatsoever the minde discovers to be true and good that the will is readily to receive so that then our knowledge doth attain it's proper perfection when it prevaileth upon the will and moveth that the understanding is the counsellour the will is the Queen if that then be moved to choose the good discovered then hath the understanding obtained its end See then how it is with thee thou knowest God and Christ but how as the chiefest good as to be chosen above any worldly excellency and therefore thy will cleaveth fully to them this is rightly to know While something is done upon the will till that be bowed and changed the strongest hold stands out against God Oh then pray and again pray that thy knowledge may so farre prevail on thy will that it shall renounce all other things to adhere to God only 3. This knowledge of God must draw out those eminent affections of love joy delight and fear of God You see God in the Scripture is made the proper object of all these affections as if we had them for nothing but God our love that God will have all Thou shalt love him with all the heart and so for our fear that is often required Sanctifie the Lord God and let him be thy dread and we are often commanded to rejoyce in the Lord So then seeing God is the proper object of these affections and we may not place them any where but on him and things relating thereunto it behoveth us to see whether our knowledge do thus kindle and inflame us after God or no. Certainly it 's the greatest reason that our knowledge should have such Divine operations for if we know God as he is revealed in his word he is there discovered to be so great so glorious full of all goodnesse that we cannot but give him the superiority in all things 4. Another inward effect must be a melting sorrowfull and grieved heart that we have provoked God by our sinnes For who can but grieve and lament his folly when he knoweth how great and terrible a God he hath provoked Thus Manasseh after his great troubles and afflictions laid upon him when he had prayed mourned and humbled himself it 's said Then Manasseh knew that God was the Lord Then he knew not before 2 Chron. 33.13 A man then truly comes to know God when through the apprehension of his Majesty and glorious power he abhorreth himself is afflicted because of his rebellions As you see when Job had a further discovery of Gods greatnesse how greatly he debased himself 5. A genuine and proper effect of the knowledge of God and Christ is trust and dependance upon them This is so great a matter that it 's called the just mans life The just shall live by faith Heb. 2.4 Now this grace of trust or dependance is branched into two parts First A trust on God for his protection care and providence over us This is the trust David doth so often speak of in his Psalms and the Prophet makes him accursed that makes not God his trust Jer. 17. The rich man trusts in his riches the idolater in his Idols the great man in his power but all these set up another God besides the true God They that truly know God viz. that he is the Lord of hoasts that he is the principall efficient and all creatures are but instruments depending on him both quoad esse and operari will quickly see it a sacrilegious and idololatricall sinne to trust in any but the true God Psal 9.10 They that know thy Name will trust in thee All our unbelief diffidence and distrust all distracting cares about these things below argue our want of knowledge of God Therefore Mat. 5. when our Saviour forbids these dividing cares he saith All these do the Gentiles seek after they that know not Gods power and his goodnesse they are solicitous sinfully about
the Earth earthly And then 3. If it be taken for the wickednesse of it Then Christ was never so of the world Therefore here is a difference between Christ and his Disciples for though they were not now of the world yet once they were plunged in sinne and corrupted through pollutions as others were but Christ never was of the world in this sence Therefore in the last place the particle of similitude 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is not of equality as if the Disciples were in every respect not of the world as Christ was but in some resemblance only The words thus explained two Doctrines arise Doct. 1 First The not being of the world is that which makes wicked men hate the Godly If there were sutablensse of Naturee and Manners then like would agree with like Hence 1 Joh 3.12 when the Apostle instanced in Cains murther of his Brother because his own works were evil he saith v. â—3 Marvell not if the world hate you Never wonder at that but rather if it should not hate you Our Saviour speaks notably of this to his Brethren Joh. 7.5 7. For they did not beleeve in him though so greatly acquainted with him and saw his Miracles The world cannot hate you but me it hateth because I testifie of it that the works thereof are evil It cannot hate you No wicked man can hate another viz. in respect of fundamental principles as a Godly man is hated It 's true wicked men may be at deadly fewd one with another but it is not from contrary principles of nature but from matter of profit and injuries or wrongs done As the Dogge doth not hate another yet for bones and other matters they will be ready to kill one another Though therefore Herod and Pilate cannot endure one another yet that opposition was upon carnal Interests it was not like that hatred which was to Christ Therefore when such Earthly Interests are removed they can heartily embrace one another but the wicked man can never love the Godly till his Nature he changed till he become godly also as the wolf can never love a sheep unlesse he be made a sheep To open this Let us Consider What it is not to be of the world And first It consists in Doctrine to be beleeved Such are not of the world who receive those hevenly Truths that the world cannot reach unto yea that it scorneth and derideth When Peter made that Solemn Confession That Christ was the Son of the Living God It was told him Flesh and bloud had not revealed this to him Mat. 16.16 There is a worldly Religion worldly Doctrines such as are sutable to the principles and Interests of the world and these are readily embraced The world loveth such Preachers and such Doctrines 1 Joh. 4. 4. The Apostle John speaking of the Antichristian Spirit that was coming into the world saith of such Teachers They are of the world therefore the world heareth them but we are of God and he that is not of God heareth us not Therefore there is a remarkable opposition 1 Cor. 2 12. between the Spirit of the world and the Spirit of God For by this only we come to know the things that God hath given us Then therefore are we not of the world when God shall so enlighten our mindes by Faith That we do assuredly beleeve those Truths God hath revealed in his Word that neither our corrupt Reasons nor our Education to the contrary nor the Opinions of the most men and great men in the world shall make us go contrary and certainly the Lives of men are so worldly because their Understanding is so We receive our Religion not as it 's revealed of God but as we can any waies turn it to our corrupt ends 2. Not to be of the world is to be Regenerated and born again To have another Nature then what we come with into the world another not substantially but qualitatively whereby we are said 1 Pet. 1.4 to be partakers of the divine Nature So that though at first made of the dust yet now we fly up to Heaven as the vapours though arising out of the Earth yet ascend up to Heaven and follow the motions thereof Joh. 3. and 2 Cor. 5.17 A man must be born again or from above and he is made a new Creature Old things are past away This is to be above the world not of the world and indeed seeing the Soul is not naturally of the world being created by God why shouldst thou voluntarily debase it and make it a Servant to every worldly Object to love the world To delight in the world To be ensnared by the world Oh pray for this Divine Nature beg for Regeneration for till this be done thou art all over earthly a worm is as good as thou art Thy Love thy heart thy thoughts thy all is nothing but earth 3. Not to be of the world is to have an Heavenly Conversation To live as one whose heart is with Christ already in Heaven It 's not enough to be once regenerated but the progresse of our Lives is to be spent on Heavenly motives and Considerations As the Fowls of the Heaven though they light upon the Ground to eat their meat yet immediatly fly up again Thus it is with the godly though they take the lawful comforts of this world yet their hearts are presently off ascending to God Thus the Apostle Our Conversation is in Heaven Phil. 3 20. And because we are risen with Christ we set our affections upon things above Col. 3.1 2. See our Lord Christ he was not of the world Did he not manifest it by his conversation when he made it his meat and drink to doe his Fathers Will when he was alwaies either praying to God or preaching to the people Oh then do thou endeavour after this life Though thou art in thy Family in thy Trade in thy Calling yet be not of the world because the choicest part of thy self is from God Thou canst say what are all these to the favour of God They are good to use but not to enjoy They are good sawce but not good meat a good Inne but not a good home 4. Not to be of the world is to partake of other joys other comforts then the world knoweth of and so to be exercised with other Temptations then the world understands with other joys Therefore it 's said It hath not entred into the heart of man to conceive of this 1 Cor. 2.9 It 's called Joy unspeakable in the holy Ghost 1 Pet. 1.8 David acknowledged God had put more joy in his heart then worldly men could have in all their abundance Psa 4. Alas what is thy carnal mirth and delight to that admirable and unspeakable joy which the godly finde in God This is a joy that will hold in tribulations and death it self when in such a Drought the wicked mans stream is quite dried up his temptations also are such as the world
for our comfort that every believer though yet unborn was in Christs purpose and intention when he laid down his life as if they had been existent in the land of the living In the sixth place By this intention of Christ in his prayer and death it will inevitably and immutably be brought about that they shall in time be converted they shall believe and be brought into communion and fellowship with Christ For seeing as we have heard Christ could not but be heard in what he prayed for and the Father alwayes granted his Petition therefore it cannot be but that all those who are given to Christ shall one time or other be wrought upon by the Word Thus it 's said They believed Act. 13.48 as many as were ordained to eternal life and the Apostles were to go and preach in such places because God had much people there Act. 18. and Rom. 9. the Apostle doth fully shew That Election is the cause of all mercies vouchsafed in time and those who were not elected they were hardened and given up to a spirit of slumber Oh then the admirable love of God to those that are his there shall not be one of them but the Word of grace will finde them out They that were not his people shall be made his people Joh. 10. I have other sheep saith Christ that are not of this fold and those he will bring home Hence Rom. 8. we have that golden Chain which all the Arminian subtilties can never dissolve Whom he hath predestinated he hath called and whom he hath called he hath justified and those he hath justified he hath glorified To expound calling only of vocation to afflictions and to the cross and Justification only of the vindicating of their persons and cause against the calumnies of the world is too dilute and repugnant to the scope of the Apostle in that place we may then absolutely conclude of the conversion and believing of such who belong to Christ and that the Word preached will sometimes or other be effectual upon them In the last place It 's plain from hence That Gods Election and so Christs dying for us is not conditional or upon the supposition of our believing but our belief is the true and genuine effect of Election and Christs death For whereas Christ here prayeth for those who shall believe The Question may be Whether this belief be supposed as a Condition Antecedent to Election and Christs death or as an absolute Effect of both so that Christ doth not only pray for believers but also that they may be believers There is a great Controversie between Arminians and the Orthodox for they say God elected some such persons to eternal life indeed and gave them to Christ as a Mediatour but it was upon a supposition and fore-sight that they would believe and persevere in that faith to the end But the Orthodox do more consonantly to the Scripture and to the greater exaltation of Gods grace and magnifying of Christ affirm That God by one single act of the same time did elect a man both to grace and glory both to salvation and faith So that God did not elect us because he foresaw we would believe but he did elect us to believe as well as to salvation So that faith is not a condition but the effect and fruit of our Election This is a necessary truth to be proved and therefore the next day it is to be considered for the present I take it for granted That those who shall believe are such not who by their own power shall either believe or dispose themselves to it but who by the grace of God shall be inabled thereunto For the present consider the aggravation of this love of God in Christ to us before we had a being And 1. There is remarkable freenesse in it of grace if positively and absolutely considered For what could there be in us to move God to this mercy when we could not think or cry or pray or do any thing for our good even then God set his love upon us It was nothing in us seeing we were in the womb of nothing 2. This freeness is aggravated if comparatively considered for it 's the grace of God that makes some to believe and leaveth others in their natural corruption The Apostle considered this discriminating love of God to Jacob and Esau Rom. 9. before they had done either good or evil Oh then sit and admire the depth of grace the unsearchable riches of grace for what art thou to so many learned and noble men in the world to so many of thy own kindred and family that God hath past by yet took compassion on thee Didst thou not lie equally in the same mass of corruption and bondage to all sin 3. There is the Eternity of this love it was before the beginning of the world So that we cannot imagine any moment of time wherein Gods thoughts were not upon thee Lastly The unchangeablenesse of this love for the Councels of God and his purpose are immutable There is no change or shadow of change in him and therefore if once loved alwayes loved he predestinated thee before the world called thee out of the world justifieth thee in the world and will glorifie thee after the world Vse What infinite cause of praise and glory the people of God have Well mayest thou call upon thy soul and all within thee to praise God Well may this be the burden of every Psalm For his mercy endureth for ever yea if thou hadst the hearts of all men and Angels this were not enough neither can Eternity be long enough to glorifie God in this particular SERMON CVI. Of both the Moving Cause and Effects of Election and of Christs Prayer and Death Against Arminians and others JOH 17.20 But for them also who shall beleeve in me through their Word WE come to a Second Observation from the circumstance of the future tense Who shall beleeve in me For as was intimated there may be a twofold sence of these words 1. That this future Faith is mentioned as an effect and fruit of being given to Christ as also of Christs Prayer and Death for them So that he doth not only pray for them which shall beleeve but also that they may beleeve and in this sense the Orthodox interpret it Or 2. It may be interpreted as if Faith were here supposed as a condition on our part antecedaneous both to Gods Election and also Christs Intercession and death So that the sence should be These were given to Christ and Christ he praied and died for them because it was foreseen by God that such would beleeve upon the means of grace offered and others not In this sence Meisner a Lutheran urgeth it and thus all Arminians and others must take it who hold that we were Elected from a foresight of our Faith and perseverance therein But that this cannot be the meaning of our Saviour is evident because the ground of
then all those places of Scripture which speaks of our Election so as to praise God to have Confidence in him to triumph over all Afflictions would all be in vain for a man that is dead cannot perform these Duties Vse 1. of Consolation to all Beleevers What holy boldnesse and Confidence may they have for the time to come Did Christ think of thee before ever thou wast born or come into this world and will he not now thou hast a being in this world Did he minde thee before ever thou hadst any Grace and not when thou hast it He that did the greater will he not doe the lesse Vse 2. Of Admonition To search for the Effects and Fruits of Election in your Lives and Conversations For if you are of God and do belong to him you will hear his Word The Word one time or another will be effectuall to you SERMON CVII Of Faith the severall Kindes of it And especially of Justifying Faith It 's Object and Seat c. JOHN 17.20 Who shall believe in me through their word WE are now come to the Description of those who are here prayed for 1. The person in it's qualification 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 2. The Object of this Qualification 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 So that in this Description two things are very observable 1. The Action 2. The Object The Action or rather the Quality is in those words Who shall believe 2. The Object in those 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 For the gracious disposition viz. of believing I shall God willing treat more generally of the Nature of it vers 21. where it's again mentioned and so shall passe over the Act and come to the Object that specifieth it And the Greek word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is emphatical for it 's observed by the learned that no prophane Authors use that phrase 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it 's peculiar to the Scripture So that as the thing it self viz. recumbency and resting upon Christ for salvation is onely known in the Church of God so is the phrase I shall not at this time examine that ordinary distinction of credere Deum Deo and in Deum it will be more pertinent at vers 21. where the whole Nature of faith in it's latitude is to be examined At this time I am to consider the restriction of it to it 's principal and chief Object and that is Christ For there is a two fold object of Faith the generall and that is the whole truth of God revealed in the Scriptures and the special that is the Lord Christ making an atonement for us and as Faith doth respect this special object so it justifieth a mans faith doth not justifie him as it believeth the threatnings or historical part of the Scripture but as it receiveth Christ and resteth on him It 's true the habit of justifying faith puts it self forth into all those general acts as a man by his rational soul accomplisheth the acts of sense which are common to a beast but that which doth specifically constitute him as a man is rationality so justifying faith doth inable a man to believe every truth revealed in Gods Word but that by which he is justified is when he wholly depends upon Christ and as was said This is emphatically expressed in Scripture by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not that this doth every where signifie the act of saving and justifying faith for John 2.23 many are there said 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 To believe on the Name of Christ to whom yet Christ would not commit himself but only for the most part is so The Scripture often expresseth it by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 especially by the Evangelist John sometimes with the Dative case Act. 18.8 Act. 27.25 sometimes it hath the Dative case with the Preposition 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Rom. 9.33 Rom. 10.11 sometimes with 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and the Accusative case Rom. 4.5 Rom. 4.24 sometimes on the Name of Christ sometimes on Christ sometimes on God and all these expressions do come to the same effect only hereby is expressed more then a meer intellectual assent or speculative belief There is also included the fiducial and cordial inclination of the whole heart to rest solely upon Christ renouncing every thing else that may be thought to reconcile God to us Doct. That the faiâ—h which justifieth and saveth us maketh us wholly to depend and rely upon Christ So that it is with the believer in the matter of Justification as it was with Peter when sinking into the sea he cried out to Christ who took him by the hand and leaning on him was saved Thus the believer he is even sinking and dropping into hell he crieth out I am damning I am damning and then Christ putting his hand forth faith taketh strong hold of it and so is supported or as the Israelite stung with a Serpent it was not the looking upon other objects but only upon the Serpent and it was looking or meer beholding not applying any medicinal things that did cure So it is here It 's not the believing of every truth but only on Christ that justifieth and it is only believing not repenting not loving though they be necessary graces in the persons justified but only believing upon which we are justified Seeing that this is the quintessence of all practical Divinity and the life of faith is that which we are to be exercised in continually and also there are many corrupt doctrinal opinions that oppose it Let us the more diligently consider the whole nature of faith as it justifieth And First You must know that Protestant Writers consonantly to the Scripture make four kindes of Faith 1. Historical which some call Dogmatical whereby we do believe the truths of Scripture revealed therein because of Divine Authority because God saith so for if it be only from custom or education or other humane ends then it 's not so much as a Divine Historical faith and this faith all Christians are supposed to have though it 's to be feared few have any more then a bare humane faith 2. There is a Temporary Faith called so because it doth abide but for a season it being not able to endure the force of persecution and this is a degree higher then the former for that was only in the understanding and so had no efficacy upon the heart or affections at all but this temporary faith is carried out with some affections both to the person revealing and the matter revealed for Mat. 13. They received the Word with joy who believed but for a season 3. There is the Faith of Miracles which was granted in the primitive times of the Church for the confirmation of the Gospel and that sometimes to those who were not justified persons and this had for the object of it a peculiar and special promise for the doing such or such miraculous effects and answerable to this some learned Divines do acknowledge still a special faith whereby the
an evident comprehensive knowledge for then it would be science strictly so called but it hath a plain knowledge of the testimony or authority that revealeth it and also some apprehensive though not comprehensive knowledge of that we do believe Hence Paul saith I know whom I have believed 2 Cor. 4.13 And again How shall they believe unlesse they have heard Rom. 10. And this discovers the sad condition of thousands who say they believe in Christ and yet have no true knowledge about him 2. There is required to this justifying faith a firm and lively assent to the whole word of God For unless this be laid as a foundation there cannot be any building upon it Insomuch that we see the Scripture sometimes attributing salvation to the belief that Christ was able and that God was powerfull not that by that object they were justified only that was the particular in which the doubt and difficulty did seem to be so that it was not exclusive of that special act of faith but inclusive of it and indeed this is necessary to be known that justifying faith doth carry a man out even to Historical or Dogmatical matter respectively to Justification So that when a justified person believeth any temporal promise or the power of God it doth not simply and ultimately believe them as such but as they represent God a Father in Christ so that he believeth the power of God as of a Father in Christ and all the temporal promises are looked upon as Yea and Amen in Christ so that this is to be observed by the believer There is nothing true in the Scripture but justifying faith fetcheth filial arguments from it and makes him sensible of that peace and reconciliation with God in Christ And indeed to believe all the truths in Scripture doth beget fear and horrour unless this justifying faith qualifie it The devils believe and tremble so the meer dogmatist he believeth but hath cause to tremble for till every thing be brought to Christ that as God reconciled all things in heaven and earth through him so if thou reduce all things in the Scripture to Christ even the threatning part to him because fulfilled by him thou wilt have solid comfort Thus as it 's with man because he is rational all those animal acts which are common to him with beasts yet are reductively and participatively rational so in the godly man all those general acts of faith are reduced to justifying as the summe of all SERMON CVIII Of Justifying Faith Shewing what things are necessary thereunto And how or in what method the Spirit of God enableth the humbled soul to beleeve JOH 17.20 But for them also who shall beleeve on me SEveral particulars have been given in to the clearing of the nature of justifying Faith The last we were upon was to inform what goeth to the being of it and two Ingredients have been dispatched viz. Knowledge and assent Proceed we therefore to a third thing and that is 3. A deep sence and feeling of the burthen of sinne with some sorrow and humiliation thereupon The Law must work in the discovery of the disease before the Gospel doth in manifestation of the Remedy There must be the pain and smart of a sting felt ere there be any earnest beholding of the brazen Serpent Our Saviour said The sick needed the Physician When Paul by the light of the Law found himself out of measure sinfull then he began to seek after the unsearchable Riches of Gods grace Come unto me all ye that are heavy loaden and I will ease you saith Christ Mat. 11.28 Faith that is the easing and reposing of the troubled Spirit It is disputed whether Repentance go before Faith and indeed there is an Evangelical Repentance whereby the heart is melted with grief for sinne because God is so gracious a Father in Christ and this must necessarily follow Faith but then there is a Legal sorrow for sinne arising from Gods just hatred against it which breeds great trouble and confusion in the soul before it hath laid hold on Christ and this precedeth Faith Of this our Saviour speaks Mat. 21.32 Ye repented not that ye might beleeve And so Peters hearers Act. 2. were pricked at the heart before they were directed into Evangelicall Repentance and Faith There is then a fence of our undone estate going before this justifying Faith whereby a man findes himself utterly lost all his desirable things perish sinne that was once so beloved by him is as Tamar to Amnon hated more then ever he loved it Now he would throw it out of doors the sight and memory of it is grievous to him I presse not such a measure or degree of sorrow it worketh so much in all that there is a displacency and abhorrency in sinne as that which is the cause of all misery Hence in the 4th place followeth a conviction and perswasion of minde that there is no Creature in Heaven or Earth no nor nothing that he can do is able to justifie him or bring Reconciliation with God The Spirit of God Joh. 14. that doth convince of sinne in the first place doth afterward of a Righteousnesse That there is no Righteousnesse to be had but in Christ only If so be a man be no further convinced then of his sinne and disease thinking to make medicines and plaisters of his own thereby to heal himself This man will alwaies be kept in a wandring Wildernesse What was it that made so many run into Monasteries undertake strict waies of Discipline and mortification They had but an half Conviction They felt wofull troubles and agonies in their Souls for sinne They could not tell what to do as Luther professed of himself while a Papist but not being convinced of true Righteousnesse They ran to miserable Comforters and so skinned the Soar when the putrifying humour was still within but that Soul which the grace of God will carry on to Justification doth not only finde sinne manifested but the insufficiency of all Creature Righteousnesse he seeth with Noah that unlesse he get into an Ark there is nothing but overflowing waters every where While then this stone is squaring for an Heavenly building he is instructed in his own lost and undone Condition Being therefore thus fully perswaded that in himself he is a dead and a damned man In the 5th He proceedeth to an actual renouncing of every thing but Christ He seeth there is no remedy in the world for him but by Christ He abhorâ—eth all those Doctrines and practises in Religion which he did put confidence in as if they could save him Phil. 3. You see this method in Paul when once his eyes were opened then all the priviledges that were formerly counted gain he looked upon them as losse yea as dung in comparison of the Knowledge of Christ Now certainly this is a great work of Gods Spirit not only to make a man renounce his sinnes but his works of Righteousnesse also for this
in its nature As the Soul could not produce rational acts if it were not essentially rational so neither could faith put a man upon fiducial acts if it self were not fiducial Again this believing is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 boldnesse or confidence Mat. 9.2 and so Varinus makes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to be bold on a man By these Titles then which the Scripture giveth Faith in Christ we see what a powerful operation it hath upon the heart What a Faith of spiritual miracles as I may say justifying Faith is and therefore know that thy doubts fears dejections and tormenting distractions are opposite to believing as darknesse is to light if God do above all graces thus approve faith then he doth above all sins abhor this dejecting unbelief 2. That such a special faith is required appeareth in that the Scripture limits this faith unto Christ as the peculiar and proper object Hence the Evangelist John cals it so often believing in him that brings Eternal Life and it 's Rom. 8. By Faith in his bloud that we are purged and have pardon of sinne and generally when it speaks of faith as justifying it relateth to Christ as the Object of it Not but that it believeth other Truths only in believing of this we are justified as the Israelite might look upon other Objects but beholding of the brazen Serpent only made him whole yea as we told you when the believing of other things is reduced to justifying Faith all other Truths are sweetned and qualified by that as if a man had the Philosophers stone it would turn all other materials into Gold 3. That Faith must be in a special manner fiducial and applying appeareth in the effects that commonly follow it For to this believing is attributed peace and unspeakable joy yea a triumphing over all oppositions and difficulties a boasting and glorying in tribulation Now this could never be without a particular interest in Christ for what peace and joy doth it bring to hear that Christ in the general came to save sinners Do not thousands go to hell for all that It 's therefore necessary to true solid peace that he become my Christ and my Saviour Hence it is that believing is the uniting of the soul to Christ as an husband which is an appropriate Interest as the Church expressed it I am my Well-beloveds and my well-beloved is mine Cant. 2.16 And hence also are those comparisons of an head and a body of a Vine and branches all which argue that the good we have by Christ comes because of our intimate union with him So that if we do respect those glorious effects which usually accompany believing they will necessarily suppose a fiducial appropriation of Christ in a special manner 4. This special faith is seen by the opposites and contrarieties unto it for he that doth not believe is said 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Luk 12.29 to be carried up and down as a meteor that hath no fixed place Thus while the soul is not fixed on Christ it 's like a reed tossed up and down with every winde as one in a journey and at a stand seeing two waies and not knowing which way to go or as a man that is uncertain between two arguments like the ballance with equal weights that doth not incline to one side more then another These dispositions of the Soul oppose faith and it 's a resting and a determining of the soul upon Christ And Lastly Diffidence and fear these are made contrary to Faith Fear not but beleeve Luk. 8.50 said Christ to his Disciples which supposeth that faith hath boldnesse and confidence in it We then may judge of the nature of faith by the opposite sinfulness to it and when we see fears wandrings uncertain tossings up and down of the soul in no waies stable and fixed then we may conclude that faith it self is a powerful composing and firm fixing of the soul upon the Lord Christ 5. That faith is thus in a special manner applying Christ appeareth also because otherwise it would be little better then the faith of devils and of such who have only a bare dogmaticall assent for the devils made a Confession of faith That Christ was the Son of the living God and therefore are said to believe yet they tremble and are in unspeakable horrour because they know he is not a Saviour to them and thus many believe that Christ is the Messias but because there is no fiducial adhesion and appropriation of him therefore he is not so to them Even as many saw Christ yet if they did not in particular apply themselves to him they were not healed of their diseases The hungry man may starve though he see a Table furnished with plentiful food if he do not put into his own mouth It 's particular Interest that enricheth that saveth and therefore it 's said The Just shall live by his faith Hab. 2. Lastly This truth may appear From the absurdity of that Position to say faith justifieth as it believeth the Word of God in general only or any Truth asserted in general for then my Faith would justifie me as well in believing Judas hanged himself as that Christ was crucified for me Or that Paul had a Cloak and Parchments as in the bloud of Christ Certainly forgivenesse of sinne is attributed to Christ only and seeing as you heard the object of faith justifying is bonum as well as verum That which is beloved must have the chiefest good in it as well as Truth and this may suffice to instruct you in this main Point that a Christian humbled for sin is not to rest or to be satisfied in this that Christ in generall came to save sinners or that he is able to save thee though an hainous offender but to apply him for thy own particular that thou maist say of all the glory of the Gospel which the devil did falsly of the glory of the world All this is mine Obj. But to this it 's Objected This is to preach Security and to imbolden men in a carnall presumption And therefore it 's a Doctrine to be abhorred as pleasing the Flesh Thus it 's branded as if it were one of Epicurus his Opinions that were called the Syrens of the carnall part of a man But to answer this Answ 1 1. That there cannot any doctrine of comfort and grace be preached but a carnal heart will turn it into the occasion of wickednesse When Paul preached the grace of the Gospel did not some infer from thence Let us sin that grace may abound and did not others turn the grace of God into wantonesse It 's one thing therefore to speak of the proper genius of the doctrine and another thing of the abuse of it through mans corruption If therefore any man living and walking in prophanesse do yet comfort and encourage himself saying I lay hold on Christ I belâ—eve in Christ· This man as he deceiveth himself so he doth grosly abuse
is true our Saviour saith Joh. 14.2 In his Fathers house are many mansion places There is room enough for all yet it 's but one house if one Church cannot now contain us how shall we think one heaven will It followeth there is one Lord that is Christ who is to be worshiped and served by us Indeed if there were many Lords as the Papists set up many Saints in heaven to have their peculiar worship then no wonder if there were several faiths and worships also but the Lord Christ is one This the Apostle urged the Corinthians with to compose their divisions Is Christ divided 1 Corin. 1.13 unlesse there were many Christs or Christ be divided into many parts there ought not to be many divisions in the Church how absurd would it be to say I have one Christ and another he hath another a third a third Christ There is one faith one systeme of doctrine to be believed Though there may be many particulars yet they make up one intire Truth So that although there be many Religions and many faiths in the world yet indeed there is but one Even as the Apostle saith There are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 called gods nuncupative gods but to us there is one only God So there are many called Religions many called Churches but indeed there is one only The next argument is there is one Baptism that is one profession of the doctrine of faith Though there is not one baptism in number yet there is one in kinde Christ hath appointed but one way for the profession of his name and being called upon by us The Sacrament of the Lords Supper is also made an argument of unity 1 Cor 10.17 So that the Sacraments in their signification denote unity They manifest one body one spirit how sad then is it that so many â—ents and divisions should be made in the Church about Sacraments which yet are the bodies and seals of unity and communion Lastly there is one God and Father of all Because there is one God only therefore we ought to be at unity God being One cannot be divided in himself he cannot command things to be believed or done contrary to himself Therefore let all these unities make us serious in endeavouring after unity yea we might adde that in hell there is unity all the devils agree against the Church There could be a Legion of devils in one man Shall there then be unity against us and not we at unity among our selves These things thus urged let us answer that Objection Seeing God hath promised one heart and one way and Christ hath also thus earnestly praied for it who is not denied any thing by the Father how is it there are so many breaches amongst the godly That we may cry out contrarily to the Psalmist Behold how sad and destructive a thing it is for brethren to be at discord one with another how comes it about that the godly do no more remember of what spirit they are That they consider not the Spirit of God descended in the shape of a Dove That Babel was to be built by confusion of tongues but Jerusalem without any noise of the hammer and therefore Solomon must build the Temple not David because he had been a man of war That this may not scandalize any Consider these things 1. Though unity among the godly be thus necessary yet that inferreth necessarily divisions and oppositions to the world and therefore we are not to wonder if the Gospel and powerful dispensing of Christs waies makes fractions and troubles in the world for the godly cannot have peace with themselves but they must be in open opposition to the world Therefore in this Chapter and in other places our Saviour informs them that the world will hate them So that we are not to say That the Gospel of Christ is in it self of a turbulent dividing nature as carnal Politicians suggest and that therefore the best peace and unity is where Atheism doth abound for if by the Gospel there be sad distractions and concussions of Kingdoms and States it 's not from the genius of the Gospel but from the opposition and corruption of mens hearts Therefore when our Saviour said he came to send fire and sword in the earth Luk. 12.49 that Father should be against Son and mother against daughter That a mans Enemies should be those of his own house This was not from the nature of Christs doctrine but the corrupt indisposition of the subject as when the Sun doth offend soar eyes or the medicine and potions taken disturb the humours and makes a man the sicker in these cases not the Sun or the Physician is to be blamed So if the Introduction of Christs Kingdom and his Ordinances make great divisions in a place It 's not Christs way but wicked mens sins that are to be blamed This then is to be concluded upon that the godly and the wicked can have no unity The godly may not come off to the worlds principles and the world will not come off to the godly mans principles and therefore there must be a perpetual enmity which made the Wise man say That the Righteous was an abomination to the wicked and the wicked to the Righteous Pro. 29.27 2. Seeing there cannot be unity between Sheep and Wolves the godly and the wicked hence it is that even in the Church of God there being so many still that retain their beastly nature and though they have the title of Christians yet are really of the devil hence it is that in Christs Church there is many times such deadly opposition Wonder not then if among those that yet pretend highly to Christ there be sad divisions for many are in the flesh still many savour not experimentally the things of God There shall arise among you men that shall speak perverse things saith the Apostle Act. 20.30 So there shall be false Prophets who will bring in damnable heresies 2 Pet. 2. and why because they are men of corrupt mindes If then all that pretend to Christ to his Spirit had indeed Christs Spirit there would be no such divisions but saith the Apostle 1 Joh. 2. They went from us because they were not of us and 1 Co. 11. there must be heresies that the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 such as are sound may be esteemed Therefore though Christ hath thus praied and God thus promised yet in the Church there will be grievous rents because these are not of the Church though in the Church and therefore were not included in Gods promise or Christs praier Hence it is that the Scripture is full of such predictions that there shall arise false Prophets that there shall be wolves in sheeps clothes that Satan will transform himself into an Angel of light by which if it were possible the very Elect would be seduced Therefore you are not thus to argue when you see raging divisions amongst those that professe faith in Christ and holiness
that therefore Christ praied in vain or that there is no Truth no Religion at all but rather that there are many hypocrites in the Church many who for their pride rebell on against the Light and other sins shall be left by God and given up to believe a lye From such differences conclude upon this pious meditation That even under the known light of the Gospel men may sadly apostatize and become heretikes yea persecutors of the Truth if the spirit of God keep them not in an holy fear Therefore in the midst of these differences say there is a seeming believer a seeming Church a seeming professor and such commonly for some corrupt end or other make a breach in Christs body 3. There is an unity in fundamentals or essentials and an unity in circumstantials or lesse principals Now as when God hath promised and Christ praied for the sanctification of his people hereby they are seen to have so much grace as shall certainly bring them to heaven for though they have not all the degrees of grace and neither are freed from all sin yet they have the essence of grace that will certainly bring to eternal glory Thus it is in unity although in many things they have not attained to the same minde to the same judgement yet they all agree in those things that are necessary to salvation and this is called all truth The Spirit of God shall leade them into all Truth Joh. 26.13 and they have the unction which teacheth them all things 1 Joh. 2.20 Hence Mat. 25. it 's not possible to deceive the Elect viz. in fundamental things such as shall exclude Salvation It 's true the disciples doubted a while about Christs Resurrection which was a fundamental Point but it 's one thing to doubt and another thing heretically to oppose it The godly then cannot live and die in a fundamental errour no more then in a grosse sin unrepented of because these do necessarily oppose salvation and this may be a great comfort to the godly under the diversity of Opinions and several subtle waies of those who would bring in damnable Heresies 4. Even in accessories and lesse principals their unity shall be consummated in Heaven and so we must understand Christs Praier as in his other Petitions with an extent to heaven where is the compleating of all grace and holinesse The comfort is that one day all the godly will lay aside their bitternesse and censures of one another They will all with one mouth and in one way praise and glorifie God without any difference at all 5. Christ hath not given his Spirit to the Church to its full measure in this life and therefore they know but in part They love but in part Now all division ariseth from ignorance in the minde and corruption in the heart as long therefore as these reliques shall be in us so long will these divisions be As long as the earth emits vapours so long will thunder and lightnings be in the ayr Lastly The devil doth yet put forth his power and his work is to fill the Church with differences and raising up Instruments thereunto that so his kingdom may the more prosper Therefore though heretical Incendiaries are taken away yet because the devil dieth not therefore he is still setting his cloven foot where God hath raised up any Church SERMON CXV Of Vnity among Believers Cautions about it Also setting forth some good uniting Principles With a Censure of some bad ones JOHN 17.21 That they may be One as thou Father art in me and I in thee THe next thing in order to be treated on concerning this Unity is the Cautions that are to be attended unto about it For the name of Unity like that of peace is very specious and fair yet as Hierom said Cursed be that peace which forsakes the truth So cursed be that unity which shall prejudice the Kingdom of Christ Conspiracy and a sinfull confederacy in ways of sinne may be painted over as if it were this glorious unity commended by Christ And First Let this be considered That the Vnity which Christ commends and prayeth for is originally from Christ and terminated in him and afterwards in those things that are his his truth his wayes his commands So that whatsoever unity doth not begin there and afterwards diffuse it self to those things is a sinfull and wicked unity The Devil hath unity in his Kingdom all the Devils though full of malice and envy to man yet agree in their wickedness Though one wicked man may fall out with another yet one devil doth not with another There is order amongst them There is the prince of the devils a legion of them could possesse one man So that if we look into hell we shall finde nothing but unity and agreement amongst them yet all is in their work against Christ and his Church Thus there is also an Antichristian Vnity the Papists glory in their unity that they all acknowledge one way yea they make it a mark of their Church And in the world we see all wicked men are as one man in opposing what is godly Now such unity as this is matter of shame and mourning For 1. It 's not terminated on Christ they are not first united to the true Head this oil is not first on Aarons head but they are of the devil who doth move and reign in their hearts And 2. It 's not an unity in the Scripture way not an union in the true Doctrine but heresie not an union in the instituted worship of God but idolatry and superstition an union to overthrow Christs Kingdom if it were possible Look we then to the cause and object of our unity else it will afford no true comfort Secondly This unity must be a directed and ordered unity This unity must not be confusion That Chaos and unformed heap God created at first it was one thing but it was confused it was without form An house demolished makes one heap but it 's a ruinous disordered one So then the Scripture unity is that which keeps the order and distinction God hath appointed and indeed this is greatly to be pressed lest under this pretence of unity that all the people of God are one we should introduce a confusion and make Christs body Monstrum horrendum c. Though the Church be that one body of Christ yet in it there are distinct members and all have their several operations So that the Apostle argueth against those that would confound this order Are all the members of the body an eye 1 Cor. 12.14 15 16. This hath many times sorely troubled the Church Men through pride and corrupt ends would not religiously keep that order and distinction God hath made in his Church Hence the Apostle so often presseth the people to hear to obey to submit themselves unto their Governours to have them in high esteem for their works sake 1 Thess 5.13 And why is all this But because while
the Platonists who speak of three principles the Minde the Word and the Spirit yet they made these three distinct Essences and cannot be applied to this mystery though it may be they had these confused notions from some ancient tradition of the Hebrews In the Old Testament this mystery was believed and received Therefore good and solid Arguments may be fetcht thence to prove this Doctrine yet in the New Testament Christ who is the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Word doth more expresly reveal it so that in those who do believe the Scriptures yet obstinately and blasphemously not only deny but deride the Doctrine of the Trinity it is a very high sin and blasphemy 2. Although the Scripture reveal unto us three Persons yet this is not to be understood as if thereby were constituted many Gods There were Hereticks called Tritheita that made three Gods of these three Persons Now this is clear that though the Scripture acknowledge three Persons yet it doth as plainly declare there is but one God Therefore though every Person be God yet there are not three Gods Therefore when the Father is called the alone God this is not to exclude the other Persons from being God but any other made god The Heathenish Idols were not gods nor will God give this glory to any creature 3. This Doctrine therefore of the Trinity is purely an object of faith and cannot be demonstrated by reason The Schoolmen do well declare That the same things in Divinity may be demonstrated by reason and believed by faith as that there is a God this may be known both wayes so that though faith and science cannot have the same formal motive yet they may be conversant about the same object we know there is a God by demonstrations of reason we believe by authority and testimony from Scripture But now this truth about the Persons in the Divine Nature is only to be believed It cannot be demonstrated by reason Indeed when once this revelation is made then it is not hard to finde out such reasons and consequences grounded on Scripture that may serve to answer all the objections of any adversaries for nothing revealed to be believed is contrary to reason though it may be above it Therefore when Scripture hath laid the foundation then reason may make a superstruction yet we must take this Caution although reason be allowed to be a servant to faith we must look she grow not imperious as Hagar to Sarah for then we are to cast her out of doors then the Rule is Mulier ista ratio taceat in Ecclesiâ This Doctrine therefore is to be adored with humble believing and not to be searcht into by curious or furious rashness and certainly the devil is very ready to tempt in this point sometimes he prevaileth to seduce in this point as appeareth by the multitude of Arians of old and Socinians of late sometimes he cannot seduce yet he doth shake and disturb the mindes of the godly exceedingly by suggestions so that their temptations about dogmatical faith sometimes are as grievous as about justifying faith But now although we have a two fold light the light of reason and the light of faith and the latter ought to correct direct the former yet such is our corruption that we make the light of reason to correct the light of faith as if we should make the Sun to borrow its light from the stars But these two lights are as superiour and inferior so that although nothing can be false by the light of reason which is true by the light of faith yet the light of faith comprehends many things which the light of reason cannot as nothing can be false to sense and true to reason yet reason can comprehend many things which sense cannot Therefore when the light of the Moon which is reason is very dim and staggering let the light of faith like that of the Sun fully enlighten and confirm thee In the next place Let us proceed to the peculiar characteristical properties for though the Father and Sonne have the same common Nature and Essence yet a different subsistence So that though they are one God yet not one Person It 's a known Rule In Christ there is aliud and aliud another nature and another nature but not alius alius another Person and another person but in the Trinity there is not aliud aliud but alius alius As for the use of the word Trinity Person c. though not Scripture words yet the sense being there it 's lawfull for distinction and explication sake to use them though the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifying a Person be a Scripture word and there is the conjugate 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from whence we may make the abstract as Paul from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 doth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Concerning therefore the relation of the Father there are these things 1. In that he is called the Father and Christ the Sonne it 's implied that he is the first Person in the holy Trinity and the Sonne the second only when he is called the first you must not understand it in dignity and perfection for the Father hath no absolute perfection which the Sonne hath not for seeing both have the nature of God therefore one cannot have greater perfection then another The Father is not more wise more powerfull more holy then the Son Nor is he the first Person in respect of duration as if the Father was God before the Son for seeing he was from all eternity Father therefore he had also this Son from eternity as the Sun was never without its beams Indeed the Orthodox do well deride and justly the Socinians That whereas they confess the Father from all eternity and the Son a made or constituted God in time that they thereby introduce an old God and a young God not indeed as these words denote infirmities but as old is taken for ancient and young for that which is new And certainly if there was a time when Christ was not the Son of God then he became to be so in time but he is called the first Person in order for so the Scripture represents an order to our conceptions in this glorious mystery as appeareth by the form of Baptism whereby we are baptized first into the name of the Father and then of the Sonne The Father then is the first Person and the Son the second not in respect of dignity or duration but order 2. When God the Father is said to be the Father of Christ his Son It is not in a large sense as he is called Father sometimes but in a proper peculiar and incommunicable sense for therefore he is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the only begotten Son of God and indeed we see plainly the unity of the Father separated from the unity of believers in this Text That they may be one as thou in
JOH 17.21 That the world may believe thou hast sent me WE are treating on the Consequent of Unity amongst the Godly That the world may beleeve which belief hath been already considered relatively as a product of Unity We shall now take notice of it absolutely as it is in its own self It is believing that the Father hath sent Christ into the world We formerly spake of believing in its specificall nature as it justifieth by laying hold on Christ We shall here speak of it in its generall Nature because this believing is common both to the Hypocrite and the sound Christian For of that world which doth beleeve all do not believe in a saving manner So that although none who believe Christ sent into the world ought to stay in that generall but particularly to improve Christ that he may be sent for their good yet because the expression is here general I shall consider of it as a generall For whereas in the former Verse the Object of Faith was made Christ himself Ens incomplexum Here it is a Proposition though that onely is the Objectum quo and not quod upon which our Faith is ultimately terminated Obs That the Believing of Christ being sent unto the world is the foundation and first principle of our Conversion unto God Though men have never so much understanding in other Religious Points as that Scribe spoken of Mark 12. though not farre off yet they are not in the Kingdome of Heaven until they believe in Christ as sent by the Father to be our Mediatour That as the Apostle Hebr. 11. makes it a Fundamentall requisite in every one to believe that God is no lesse is required to believe that Christ is Therefore 1 Cor. 3. Jesus Christ is called the Foundation and by some made the adequate object of Divinity because every thing considered there doth either directly or reductively leade unto Christ So that I shall not speak of that peculiar Act of Faith applying Christ but that generall act whereby we know and assent firmly and immovably That there was a Christ God and man who was sent by the Father to redeem and save sinners For though all be thought to believe this yet the right and powerfull assenting to it is the foundation both of all holinesse and consolation but ere we speak of the Nature of it some distinctions are to be premised Distinct I As First That Faith is sometimes taken for the Object the Faith quae creditur The Doctrine beleeved and sometimes for the Grace of Faith quâ creditur whereby we do believe Colos 2.5 To be established in the Faith that is in the Doctrine So some are said to erre to deny or depart from the Faith that is the Doctrine But commonly it is used for the gracious actings of the Soul towards those Objects only it 's good to observe this distinction because some places are brought to prove Apostacy from inherent faith which speaks only of the doctrine 2. Faith is taken sometimes actively and sometimes passively Actively for fidelity and veracity in promises in which sence it 's attributed to God and to men Sometimes passively for the assenting unto Truths because of anothers Testimony And this again is twofold Either Humane Faith when we believe any thing meerly beeause of humane authority or divine when we believe because of divine authority and this is greatly to be observed for when I believe a divine Truth for humane Authority or witnesse my Faith all that while is but humane as those that beleeved Christ for the Samaritan Womans Testimony all the while they had no higher a ground then that it was but an humane Faith and then a Papist as a Papist and by Popish principles can have no more then an humane Faith for the utmost motive in which their Faith is resolved is the Authority of the Church which is but humane and so if the Church had propounded Titus Livius or Aesops Fables as some grant to be the Word of God people were bound to believe it but there is no divine Faith unlesse there be a divine Testimony and this doth sadly discover Millions of baptized persons yet to have no divine Faith for all the ground of their Christian Faith is Education and humane Authority it is not because God hath said it or he hath revealed it They cannot say with those Samaritans Now we believe no longer for Education sake or the Churches sake but because of the Authority and Divine Light which is coruscant in the Scriptures themselves Insomuch that the Jesuite Valentia doth confesse there are such inward discoveries of purity and Majesty in the Scripture that they breed such an inward reverence and perswasion that no other book can do 3. There is a distinction of great antiquity received in the Church between Credere Deum to beleeve there is a God Credere Deo to beleeve God speaking and Credere in Deum to beleeve in God by inward Union with him and loving of him Now although it be true that the Scripture makes no such difference adding the Hebrew Preposition Beth and the Greek 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Even where there is but a bare historicall beleeving there is a God yet for explication sake it may be received and those only said to beleeve in God who are justified and sanctified Though the Scripture attribute it sometimes to others Lastly Consider that the Soul hath several tendencies and motions to divers Objects Sometimes it assents to a thing by help of the sence and that is a knowledge by sence Sometimes by demonstrative Reasons it knoweth a thing and then it 's called Science strictly Sometimes by Testimony or Authority and then it 's called Faith Now if the authority be divine that saith such a thing then the Soul cannot be deceived because God cannot lye and so there ought to be greater certainty and firmer adhesion to those truths then any thing of sence and Reason yea in some sence it hath more evidence For there is a twofold Evidence of the thing it self and of the credibility of it of the thing it self And so indeed the matters of sence and reason are more evident in their own Natures to us Of the credibility of it and so Faith hath great evidence as the Testimonies for such Truths are evident and clear though the truths themselves are supernatural and highly transcending our humane capacity Distinct II These things premised Let us come to examine the Nature of Faith as it is dogmatical or historicall And 1. It 's wrought in us by the Grace of God It 's the power of God that works even this common faith No man could know and give assent to such divine truths unlesse inabled by the Spirit of God and therefore it 's said to beleevers That to them it 's given to believe Phil. 1.29 which takes in the whole nature of faith So some are said to believe through the grace of God No man can say
Jesus is the Lord but by the Spirit Acts 18.27 Some have thought that we may by humane strength come to beleeve divine truths as we may by our industry attain to philosophicall knowledge but this is to be ignorant of mans weaknesse and Gods power It 's true men may in an humane way comprehend the sense and meaning of the Scripture but to give a divine assent to it that is the gift of God For every good and perfect gift whereof this faith is a principal one cometh from the Father of lights James 1. Did not many learned Heathens Porphyrius Celsus Julian and others know what was asserted in the Scripture yet they did not believe but contemn it And certainly we are bound to acknowledge it a great mercy of God to have dogmatical faith For why are so many Heretiques left to themselves Some deny the Natures one or the other of Christ some his Person some his Offices and shouldst not thou doe thus if left to thy self Nay Is not a godly man sometimes sadly tempted about his dogmatical faith that he doubteth of a God or about the truths of the Scripture Certainly it 's a speciall mercy thus to be inabled to believe and it is good to be observed one reason why faith must needs be of God which is because the nature of it lieth more in the firmness of the act then in the certainty of the subject It 's not so much the object without as something within makes a man believe Gods Spirit doth more work in corroborating the heart then revealing the object Hence though the Doctrine be revealed to some yet they do not believe when at another time though they have but the same measure of light and the same argument propounded they do believe and why is all this but because Gods work in the believer is more ex parte subjecti then objecti Therefore it 's horrible debasing of Gods grace in working faith to make it no more then the revealing of the object for then man by his own power doth believe as when a man brings a candle in the room then a man seeth by his own power who could not before for God doth not only propound the object but enlightens the understanding and boweth the heart to believe 2. God works faith in us not absolutely or by the creatures the beholding and seeing of them but by the word Thus Rom. 10. Preaching hearing and believing are chained together We are then in and by the Word to expect this work of God not to flie to the creatures making them equal to Gods word for begetting faith or to enthusiasmes and private revelations but to the word of God which gives light to the simple but as the Word is an instrument of begetting faith so faith is afterwards an instrument of improving the Word for the Word doth not profit in the increase and benefit thereof unlesse there be Faith Thus as the Spirit of God doth at first work Faith and yet by Faith we are made further partakers of Gods Spirit So the Word doth at first produce Faith in us which when wrought doth againe improve the Word for further edification and growth in grace 3. The heart of man is naturally not only unfit but contrary and opposite unto the way of believing of heavenly Truth And by this it 's plain Faith is the gift of God because man hath not only an unfitnesse but a contrary repugnancy to the things of God Therefore 1 Cor. 4.14 the natural man is said not to receive the things of God neither can be both the act and the power is denied to him Therefore when Peter made that Confession of faith Thou art the Son of God Christ tels him Flesh and bloud had not revealed that to him Mat. 16.17 Therefore the Pharisees though they heard so much of Christ and saw all his Miracles yet they derided and opposed Christ They did not hear his Word because they were not of God as Christ told them Job 8.47 Know then as in respect of grosse sinne thou wouldst be like a Cain a Judas if God did not keep thee so also in respect of doctrine thou wouldst be the vilest Atheist or the most blasphemous heretique that ever was if God did not enlighten and confirm thee 4. Though God work faith thus yet it may be without a Sanctification of the inward man For seeing Faith as it's dogmatical carrying a man only to the Contents of the Scripture as they are true is seated in the understanding no wonder if thereby a man be enlightned only but not regenerated Hence we reade of some who did beleeve Joh. 2. yet they loved the praise of men more then of God That light in their minde did not serve to produce supernatural life and heat in the heart It was not a faith that did purifie the heart which is called the Faith of the Elect Tit. 1.1 because only appropriated to them The whole Epistle of James is on purpose to shew such a Faith that is not accompanied with holy works although therefore we say a true lively Faith can never be separated from sanctification yet men may be enlightned only in their mindes and perswaded of the truth in their hearts without any effectual change upon them It 's not enough to have such a faith as may make a man a true Protestant or orthodox so as to be neither Papist nor heretique for all this is but a cure of thy minde and with illumination may consist grievous pollutions Yet 5. Where there is but a bare dogmaticall Faith enabled thereunto by the Spirit of God there must needs be some kinde of pious disposition and tractablenesse of the heart For seeing the nature of faith lyeth in assenting to a Testimony and that of God there cannot be but some flexiblenesse of the heart to submit thereunto If indeed the Christian Religion were like the Arts and Sciences then there was no submission of the understanding required seeing it assents upon reason which is a sutable and connaturall argument to the minde as food is to the appetite of hunger But because these things are received for authority sake and have a supereminency to our naturall understanding Therefore it must be captivated Thus the Apostle excellently expresseth it 2 Cor. 10.5 the word doth bring into captivity every thought to the Obedience of Christ a man before he believeth hath many proud thoughts many subtle thoughts many obstinate thoughts but Faith brings these down and submits because God saith so Now this cannot be done without some yeelding and flexiblenesse Hence the Schoolmen do determine that in faith and they acknowledge none besides miraculous but dogmaticall There is a pia affectio some pious and affectionate disposition to him for whose authority we do beleeve So that this dogmatical faith even in unregenerated persons is not like that of the devils for though the Apostle James saith They believe and tremble Jam. 2.19 yet their
Faith is not wrought by the Spirit of God neither is it upon divine motions but experience and manifest conviction They feel in part the torments of hell and therefore it 's experimentally evident to them that there is a God who is also just and terrible in his vengeance But the historical faith in an unsanctified man as it is the gift of God so it works some inclining disposition to God yea in the temporary believer who goeth beyond a meer dogmatist it works as appeareth Mat. 3. Some reformation and some joy so that the word makes some hopeful ingresse into him though at last it passe away as our lives even as a tale that is told having no setled continuance 6. This historical faith as it is wrought efficiently by the Spirit of God so the motive of it is Divine Authority and Revelation That as by the light of the Sun we see the Sunne so by God we come to know every thing of God This divine motive of faith is freely acknowledged to be in the Thessalonians by the Apostle 1 Thess 2.13 They received the word not as the word of man but as the word of God Hence the Prophets begin with Thus saith the Lord and Paul discovers himself to be called by God So that every thing hath but a weak ineffectual operation till it hath a maker a divine stamp upon the soul Oh when we once believe a threatning as it is Gods when we once believe a promise as it is Gods it must bear down all before thee What if the world come What if Satan come What if thy companions come telling thee this and this Oh but saith the believing soul God that cannot lie saith the contrary And truly herein is discovered that in Religion we have but an humane faith yea not so much for an humane faith will make great changes in our life when yet our divine faith doth not If a man tels thee of such danger of such evil in the way doth it not presently make thee turn out of that path But now when Gods word tels thee there is death and damnation in such paths that doth not at all move thee SERMON CXXI Of Dogmaticall Faith the Properties of and Contraries to it JOHN 17.21 That the world may believe thou hast sent me WE are discovering the nature of faith in the General as it is carried out to scripture-Scripture-truth because of Divine Authority We are to adde more particulars to clear this And First Though this Faith be not a peculiar saving grace yet it is a common grace of Gods Spirit It 's a common grace of God to be inabled to believe How many Pharisees and Jews saw the miracles of Christ as well as the Apostles yet did not believe so much as a Simon Magus did It 's the grace of God that makes a man to have a sound minde in Religion witnesse the many heresies and blasphemies divers are fallen into yet it 's a common grace not peculiar common I call it not in that sense as some plead for an universal grace which indeed is no grace but because an unregenerate man may have it as well as a regenerate so that no man may conclude this is enough for his salvation that he doth believe such and such principles of Religion unlesse also he hath that peculiar effectual purifying work of faith upon his soul As therefore those extraordinary gifts of Gods Spirit to work miracles to cast out Devils were common to such who yet were workers of iniquity Thus it is with this ordinary gift of Historical faith many men may believe the truth of those things the goodnesse whereof they never felt upon their hearts And many may maintain the Doctrine of Regeneration orthodoxly who never felt the power of it experimentally upon their own souls There is a faith that is common to the elect all the children of God have the like precious faith Tit. 1.1 in regard of the essentials yet there is a faith common to elect and reprobate so that no man may conclude his salvation because he is no Jew no Pagan no Papist Secondly Although this dogmatical Faith be common to the regenerate and unregenerate yet it 's the foundation of our conversion and in the regenerate when improued doth wonderfully provoke the increase of grace And this is good to be observed for though we make it not saving faith yet it is the foundation of saving faith He can never believe on Christ for his Mediatour that doth not believe Christ to be a Mediatour Therefore the Apostle describing the general nature of faith saith Heb. 11. He that cometh to God must believe that he is and that he is a rewarder of those that serve him No spiritual building can be made without this foundation as it is thus the foundation so if improved it doth wonderfully promote justifying faith The general acts of faith if vigorously prosecuted do mightily strengthen the peculiar and proper acts of it The more strongly we believe Christ to be a Mediatour the more will this help that he be so to me and therefore it 's observed that our Saviour put them so often upon the trial of their very historical faith Dost thou believe that I am able and doest thou believe that I am the Messias Partly because that was the great Question then Whether that individual Person was the Messias or no and partly because if it was believed that he was the Saviour then there was no such cause of doubt Whether he would be a Saviour to them that truly sought to him Insomuch that it may be questioned Whether it be a greater act to believe Christ to be a Mediatour or to believe him a Mediatour to me Although indeed there are more Objections against the latter for there are not only Objections against the truth but against the application of it because of the many sins and infirmities which I perceive in my self yet we would think the harder task were then over when the soul could believe such great things and transcendent to humane reason for when a man believeth that Christ is both God and man united in one Person whose office is to redeem the oppressed sinner may not then he conclude easily that he will redeem him For which is greater to believe such a Person God and man or that this Person whose Office it is to save will save thee Howsoever if we do not make comparisons between these acts of faith yet certainly the more strong and powerfull thy acts of faith are about the truths of Christ the more will they conduce to apply him to thee Even as in man the more vivid his senses are which do accompany his common nature with a beast the more strong and quick are his rational acts likewise So that this Dogmatical faith is the root as it were which if not thriving those peculiar acts of faith will wither Distinct III Thirdly The general properties of this faith are
Whence it is that even amongst the godly there are so many differences heart-burnings c. It 's because Christ is not in them after such a powerfull and efficacious manner as he might be The dark night and misty fogs can no more endure before the glorious beams of the Sunne then corrupt passions and contentions can stand before this Sunne of Righteousnesse when risen to it's verticall point Under the torrid Zone there cannot be any cold frosts so neither under the efficacious presence of Christ can there be such sinfull breaches SERMON CXXX Sheweth That every one that Believeth knoweth the thing that he believeth Against the Popish Implicite Faith And what Knowledge the Knowledge of Faith is JOH 17.23 And that the world may know that thou hast sent me THE words now to be insisted upon â—re the effect or event of this spirituall Unity beleevers have with Christ and one another which is That the world may know the Father had sent Christ This was treated of before only whereas before it was that the world may beleeve here it is That the world may know and besides a new thing is here added to their knowledge that the Father had sent Christ viz. his love also of all Beleevers even as he loved Christ What is meant by world hath been shewed already I shall only fasten on this Consideration that what our Saviour called believing ver 21. here is called knowing and therefore having handled faith in its specifical nature as it rests on Christ which alone justifieth and also the generall nature of it as it gives firm assent to all divine Truths I shall now to compleat the full Truth of the nature thereof handle it in another essentiall constituting ingredient of it and that is knowledge and the matter is necessary both in respect of doctrinall errours about it as also for practicall usefulnesse For the Pontificians they deny both that fiduciall recumbency and application to faith as also knowledge leaving it only to be a divine assent but as we have asserted the former So now our task shall be to affirm the latter viz. That Faith is knowledge as well as assent It 's a fiduciall assent with knowledge These three particulars are either ingredient or requisite to the act of beleeving whether indeed knowledge be a pre-requisite or ingredient is disputed but that all divine Faith hath knowledge is confessed by the Orthodox against the Papists so that I shall observe That Faith is knowledge or he that believeth knoweth the thing that he believeth Hence it is usual in Scripture to describe faith sometimes by trusting and sometimes by knowing synecdochically intending thereby the whole nature of faith That faith is knowledge besides many other places is abundantly cleared v. 2. and v. 18 in this Chapter I shall therefore proceed to explicate to this And First When we say That Faith is knowledge iâ— is not to be understood thus as if it were such a kinde of knowledge as we have by sense for the Scripture doth oppose living by faith to living by sense and our Saviour faith John 20. Blessed is he that believeth and seeth not Vbi vides non est fides Indeed when Thomas did feel the wounds of Christ here he did believe and see but the object of his sense was a body the â—ct of his faith was spiritual that Christ was the Sonne of the living God What then we know by sense we are not properly said to believe although things of sense may tend to confirm our faith as miracles and Sacraments which Christ hath appointed for that end Secondly The knowledge of faith is not by a perfect comprehension and intuitive vision of the thing we believe It 's not like the knowledge of God and Christ we shall have in Heaven and therefore faith shall cease in Heaven as it denoteh any inevidence or imperfection in the subject This knowledge of faith we have here as in a glass and in a riddle but then it shall be face to face and this should abundantly satisfie us in the many things we know by faith for although our knowledge be very imperfect and is like the weak eye to the dazeling beams of the Sun yet hereafter this vail this cloud will be removed and we shall then perfectly and fully understand all those things that now we have but imperfect apprehensions of about the Doctrine of Christ of the Trinity of the Resurrection of the providences of God towards his Church how little do we understand of them yet the time is coming when we shall know these things even as we are known The Apostle compareth this knowledge we have to a childes knowledge in respect of a mans 1 Cor. 13. Alas when we speak of God and heavenly things we do but stammer like so many little children when we come to Heaven how vast and comprehensive will our thoughts be to what we have now Thirdly The knowledge of faith is not like those imperfect acts of the soul which are called suspicion and opinion or doubting Doubting is when the minde remaineth in an equal and indifferent propension assenting to neither part of the proposition Suspicion is when the soul inclineth to one part of the proposition but upon a very light and unsatisfying argument And Opinion is when we assent to something with some fear that the opposite may be true and therefore the Arguments do only probably move us Now the knowledge of faith doth exclude these imperfections doubting is in Scripture expresly opposed to beleeving and so when a man is divided as a traveller at two wayes not knowing which to goe or when he doth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 hang in suspence These things are inconsistent with faith and truly this is greatly to be considered for in these dayes wherein we see men so sceptical so wavering so uncertain we may conclude there is little faith That men are opiniotive and fancy-full in Religion rather then believing for where the knowledge of faith is there it doth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 convince and so perswade the heart that it knoweth not how to contradict or oppose any longer Oh then pray for faith in these unstable and wavering time It 's a mercy to be a pillar in Gods house and not like a reed to be shaken with every winde of doctrine Fourthly The knowledge of faith is not from the evidence of any internal principles of the thing such as we have by demonstration and reason in philosophical matters And indeed this is one main reason why the father 's insisted in believing as opposite to knowing Noveris te essâ— fidelem non rationalem It was Julians great objection against the Christians that they urged 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 only believe they did not bring reasons to demonstrate So that if Papists when they deny faith to be knowledge did mean no more then this that it is not a scientifical knowledge that it 's not a
knowledge from the inward reason of things we would grant it and think it to be only a strife about words for this is plain as Austin well Non ratio dicti sed dicendi autoritas suadet It 's not reason from the thing but the authority of the speaker that is the cause of faith Now for want of right understanding herein the Socinians they go too farre on the other hand The Papist thinks faith defined better by ignorance then knowledge the Socinian will have such knowledge as shall be fetcht from the inward reason of things and this is the cause why the Trinity and Incarnation of Christ are denied because reason is made the Judge of these things but the knowledge of faith is not like that of the Philosophers who searched into the causes and inward principles of things for then the Scriptures would not be commended to us but the Platoes and Aristotles of the world Therefore fifthly The knowledge faith brings is a knowledge respecting the testimony and revelation of a thing and the authority of him who doth reveal it that he is the supream verity and therefore cannot lie We see in an humane faith a man cannot believe that which he doth not know witnessed a thing that he never heard spoken of and this is that which we justly blame the Church of Rome for That it teacheth an implicit faith viz. That we believe what the Church believeth but now what is it that the Church believeth they know not and it may be never heard of it Therefore that is the way to lead men blindfold to hell for this implicit faith is indeed nothing but a simple grosse ignorance but faith divine knoweth the testimony or that word which revealeth such truth not that they only can believe who can reade for Faith cometh by hearing as well as reading so that they may know the truth confirmed in the Scripture though they cannot reade it Faith therefore is not blinde nor is the obedience of it in this sense blinde as if it did not know what it did believe with such blinde Sacrifices God is not well-pleased and the woman of Samaria is reproved because she worshipped she knew not what Joh. 4. and it 's no lesse guilt when we believe we know not what 2. There is not only a knowledge of the testimony but some though imperfect knowledge of the very things themselves Thus Paul I know whom I have believed 2 Tim. 1.22 and so in many places the people of God are said to know God to know Christ There is an apprehensive knowledge though not a comprehensive Therefore though God doth not give perfect knowledge in this life yet he could if he please turn faith into vision He that made the corporal blinde to see can also take away mental blindness but he is pleased to let us have but imperfect knowledge and that partly because we ought to be humbled in our selves for we see the pride and sinfull corruption of man when it gets any knowledge in the Scripture how ready to be lifted up to despise others to think we are wiser then Solomon which makes the Apostle say Knowledge puffeth up 1 Cor. 8.1 not that it doth so of it self for of it self it would rather humble and debase but such is our corruption and vanity that without the special grace of God as we grow in knowledge so also we grow in pride Again God keepeth us in imperfect knowledge here that so we might be in constant prayer and dependance on him to beg for knowledge and an understanding heart as also that we might study and meditate to be alwayes growing in knowledge as the Apostle exhorts Hence it is that there are so many difficult places in Scripture which will exercise the thoughts of the most learned and those things the ablest men do know yet they may grow in a more firm distinct and powerfull knowledge This Sun may arise upon them by degrees till at last it comes to its vertical point Now that our faith must either be knowing or have knowledge accompanying of it is plain 1. Because the word of God is given as a Rule and therefore compared to a light and a lantern because it doth direct and order our conversations If then faith had not knowledge to what use should the Word enlighten To what purpose also are those frequent exhortations to all private persons as well as Officers to attend to the reading of it to prove all things to try all things Can the Scripture be made use of Can these duties be put in practice and yet there be no knowledge 2. As the Word is light objectivè so the believer himself is light subjectivè Hence they are called light in the Lord light in the very abstract Eph. 5.8 and the Scripture speaks often of their illumination having their understandings and hearts opened insomuch that the soul is a meer chaos and confusion till God create this light in it faith then is accompanied with internal light as well as it requireth external 3. The obedience of a Christian is to be rational it 's called the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the reasonable service Rom. 12.1 and all the Pharisees worship is rejected because it had no word to be grounded upon we are to answer God when he shall say Who hath required you to believe thus to worship thus And how can this be without knowledge Though in Popery a blinde obedience is commended yet Christ requireth a seeing and knowing obedience 4. The just is to be saved by his faith Now if faith hath no knowledge this properly is another mans faith if faith hath no knowledge but believeth because the Church believeth so or a Councel believeth so then it 's not so much his own faith as the Churches faith that must save him Lastly If faith hath not knowledge then it 's impossible to discharge all those effects of faith that the Scripture speaks of as to cleave and adhere to the truth to refuse falshood and all cunning deceivableness of errour Now how can this be if faith hath no eyes of knowledge to discern Trees and men are all one to a blinde man Any Camel will quickly be swallowed up if there be not a knowing faith 2. How can we suffer martyrdom and lose all the dearest comforts we have if we have not knowledge Can a man be banished undone suffer death and all for that which he doth not know whether it be true or not 3. He cannot be thankefull unto God under the truth he enjoyeth neither can he make that practical improvement of them as he ought to do As Christ told the Samaritan woman If thou didst know who it is that asketh thee c. Joh. 4. so if thou didst know what Christ is what the Covenant of grace is thou wouldst make an heavenly use of it whereas now thou knowest no more what to do with it then a swine with a pearl Vse of Exhortation to get out
the Ephesians who though they were made light in the Lord and had the mystery of Gods will so much made known unto them that he did not cease to give thanks for them daily in that behalf yet still he prayeth Ephes 1.17 18. That God would give them the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him that the eyes of their understanding may be inlightned c. Here it 's plain That though these had knowledge yet they might still encrease in it Hence the Apostle Peter 2 Pet. 1.19 doth encourage beleevers for their diligent attending unto the Scripture untill the day dawn and the day-starre arise in their hearts that is till they obtain more firm and evident knowledge of the things of God In the Old Testament we have David Psal 119. though professing he had more knowledge then his teachers and the Word was continually his counsellour yet prayeth he That God would open his eyes that he may understand the wonderfull things of Gods Law Davids eyes are not opened clear enough the word implieth there are some scales and film upon his eyes that must be rolled away and that there are excellent precious things in Gods word that he doth not yet understand For the improving of this truth Let us consider in how many particulars a further constant teaching by Christ is requisite to the most able believers And First They need further revelation in respect of the objects of their knowledge to know more then they do know So imperfect is every godly mans knowledge that it may be called ignorance rather then knowledge We are ignorant of farre more excellent truths in Religion then we do know If the Heathen could say Our eyes were in respect of natural truth but like those of the Owl to the Sun How much more is this true about spiritual objects You see how the Apostles knowledge was successive they come to know one thing after another as Christ revealed it till they had that plentifull effusion of the holy Ghost upon them And the Apostle Paul who was taught not of men but of Christ himself yea he was caught up into the third heaven yet for all that he puts himself in the number of those who know but in part 1 Cor. 13. So that this is true not only of believers but of the eminent Doctors and Teachers in the Church they know but in part yea and that will be true of them even at their last hour though their whole life hath been to obtain knowledge of God Therefore this should quicken all up to diligent use of the means for who can sit down and say He knoweth enough or he knoweth all things Indeed there have been those that were called Guostiques because of the great knowledge they boasted of but yet they made themselves even like bruit beasts O then confess that the waters of divine truth are so deep that though thou wert an Elephant yet thou mightest swim in it we are as the Ancients said Secondly As in the object we need much revelation so in those things we do know we need much assistance and direction from Christ in respect of the adjuncts of it For 1. Though we do know the objects yet we may every day know them more evidently more distinctly more clearly Alas our knowledg about God and Christ is very confused and therefore Paul is every day desirous to know Christ better then he did As it is with digging in a Mine of Gold every daies labour brings richer and fuller supplies or as the draining from a Spring doth not exhaust but makes it more plentifull Thus it is with the heart of a man when set to know God or Christ There are new considerations new respects and new arguments arising alwayes from them Insomuch that God and Christ may seem new to the soul every day we begin to nauseate and grow weary when the same things we know are alwayes suggested unto us but the soul of a man can never he weary of the knowledge of Christ For in him are hidden all treasures of wisdom and grace And therefore even those principalities and powers in heavenly places that are so vast and comprehensive in knowledge yet Eph. 3.10 The Lord Christ is in the Ministry of the Church made more known to them continually So that if Angels do learn in Christs School and obtain more knowledge of him and do with great delight search into these things no wonder then if the most enlightned men may yet search deeper and deeper into the Lord Jesus Christ Paul though one of the highest Scholars in Christs School yet desired to know nothing but Christ crucified for if in heaven the knowledge of God when yet it is intuitive and transcendent to this we have will not weary us but daily provoke the soul to know God more no wonder then if in this life our knowldge be not satisfied when it is but in part 2. As we need Christs daily manifestation in respect of the evidence of them so also in respect of the firmnes and immoveableness of our knowledge Faith you heard is knowledge and that doth necessarily imply assent Now if our assent be not firm and setled We are like children tossed up and down with every winde of Doctrine Instability and inconstancy is much condemned in Scripture and indeed it doth directly oppose faith which makes the soul confidently and firmly-adhere to the truths of Christ as divine as those which cannot be dispensed with or ever prove false for if Paul thought it so great a disparagement that with him should be yea and nay in his words much more would this be reprochfull to Christ himself who saith He is the truth it self Joh. 14. So that as truth cannot be a lie so neither can the Doctrine of Christ be false Now the Doctrine being in it self thus true the power of Christ is seen in making a gracious heart thus strongly to adhere upon divine motives to it as that which wil abide though heaven and earth shall pass away Scepticism and faith are directly opposite when we are inabled to believe we receive it as the truth of God and not as the truth of man So although while this gift of faith was not bestowed upon us we debated truths of Religion like those in Philosophy and were prone to have as Hilary said of old Menstruam annuam fidem a monethly or yearly faith yet when God shall once strengthen us to believe then we are no longer reeds shaken with wind but as Origen of old alluded When many things are removed from us then this Arundo for of that they made pens formerly is made the Calamus the pen of a ready writer Where God strengthens us to believe there that turning this way and that way that mutability is removed and our hearts are fixed so as to be able to dig for that we so firmly adhere unto Thus the Martyrs they were confirmed by God exceedingly in
are reduced to one Quest Seeing God hath promised one heart and way and Christ praied for it how comes it to passe there are so many breaches among the godly Answ 1. True unity is from Christ and terminated in him There is a wicked unity 2. A directed and ordered unity 3. It is consistent with such graces that yet have an outward appearance of dissolving unity Remedies for the preventing and healing divisions in the Church False wayes of unity 1. By Papists 2. By Socinians The true uniting principles As to true Doctrine II. Rules to keep up unity in Church-order and to prevent Schism III. Rules for Unity in respect of love to prevent wrath and quarrellings Observ The Father and Son are two distinct Persons yet one in Nature and Essence Consider 1. God considered absolutely and relatively 2. There is notwithstanding but one God 3. This Doctrine of the Trinity is an object of faith and cannot be demonstrated by reason The characteristical properties of the Persons in the Godhead Observ That all believers are united to Christ and in him to the Father I. Consider those Scripture-expressions to represent this Unity II. There must be an unition before there can be an union III. There is a naturall union with Christ and a supernatural IV. This union is wholly spiritual V. It 's also reall VI. The necessity of this union with Christ VII The excellecy of it VIII IX X. XI Observ That Unity among believers is a special means to inlarge the kingdom of Christ Consid I. That notwithstanding the Doctrine yet unity simply as such is not an infallible note of the true Church The Papist answered Unity without true Doctrine no note of a true Church The Papist no such cause to boast of Unity Why Unity is an attractive loadstone to bring others unto the faith What those proper sins are that divisions amongst the godly are apt to breed in the world Observ That the believing of Christ being sent unto the world is the foundation of our conversion unto God Of the nature of Faith as it is dogmaticall or historicall 1. It 's wrought by the grace of God By means of the Word 3. The heart of man is naturally not only unfit but contrary and opposite to the way of beleeving heavenly truths 4. This faith may be without sanctification of the inward man 5. Where this faith is there will be some kinde of pious disposition of heart 6. The motive of it is divine 7. It s grace though but common grace 8. It s the foundation of conversion The properties of it 1. It lifts a man above his natural reason 2. It contradicts not reason 3. It s the substance of things hoped for c. 4. It hath universality in its assenting Observ That the glory which Christ hath he communicates one way or other to his people Consider I. Christs personal glory is incommunicable II. What are those effects of that glory which Christ vouchsafeth to his III. None are made partakers of that glory of Christ but by union with him 1. No man till he be united unto Christ hath any true and solid glory In what respects humane and earthly glory comes short of heavenly Corollary II. That the meanest Christian surpasses Solomon in all his glory Corollary III. IV. It consumes all love and desire of vain-glory V. Let them faithfully do Christs work notwithstanding all reproaches wicked men load them with VI. Admire the bounty of his grace VII Doct. Christ though God had many things given him of his Father There is a twofold giving What things were given Christ of the Father Observ Unity among believers is part of that glory which Christ as Mediator hath obtained for them Consid I. Unity is the Churches glory Their glory actively and passively II. Christ purchased as Mediator this priviledge as well as others Christ said to be in believers several wayes 1. By communication of the same nature with us 2. Sacramentally 3. By his Spirit 4. By a gracious inhabitation and sanctifying presence Doct. How Christ lives in a believer The false ways of Christs being in his people How or in what manner Christ is in his people How Christ is in his people more particularly The fruits and effects of Christs being in us Doct. As Christ is in us so the Father being in Christ is also thereby in us How the Father is in Christ Quest How the Father and Son can be in believers and yet they have such great remainders of sinne in them Answ Doct. The Father and Christs being in believers is the cause of that perfect and consummaâ—e unity which they ought to have of themselves What is implied in their being made perfect in one The causes of this unity Doct. That faith is knowledge What knowledge faith is not 1. Not a knowledge by sense 2. Not a perfect comprehension and intuitive vision of the thing we believe 3. Nor like those imperfect acts of the soul which are called Suspicion opinion or doubting 4. Nor is it from the evidence of any internal principles What knowledge the knowledge of faith is Reasons why faith must be knowing or have knowledge accompanying of it Observ God the Father loveth believers even as he loveth Christ I. Wherein the love of God to Christ and believers is not alike II. Wherein Gods love to Christ and believers is alike 1. In loving Christ and them as one mystical person 2. In the properties of it 3. In regard of the effects of it Obj. Answ Doct. It 's of great consequence to the world to know how greatly believers are loved of God The usefulness of the worlds knowing how greatly the Saints are beloved of God will appear in these particulars How difficult it is for the world to be so perswaded Observ Without grace here there is no glory hereafter What we mean by grace Doct. 2. Glory is a gift Observ The greatest part of our happinesse that we shall have in heaven lies in this that then we shall be with Christ and have immediate communion with the Lord. Of immediate communion with Christ in heaven Consider these things The grounds why Gods presence in heaven is that which makes the happinesse of a glorified beleever Doct. It is a necessary duty in a Christian in his approaches to God to think on those attributes and relations in him which may excite and stirre up holy confindence and boldnesse Consid I. No wicked man is in a condition fit to pray or approach unto God upon these terms II. It s of great consequence for the humbled Christian in his prayer to improve this relation of a Father Doct. 2. Christs prayer for his people will certainly and infallibly prevail for them Doct. The great end of our being in heaven is to behold and enjoy the glory of Christ How much is comprehended in this expression of beholding Christs glory What is that glory which they shall behold shining in Christ Doct. Christ as Mediator had his glory given him Propositions aâ—out this point Christ as God cannot have any thing given him unless by way of manifestation and external celebration Obj. Answ Doubt Sol. Doubt Sol. Doubt Sol. Socinians Argument Answered How many wayes we may glorifie Christ Doct. 2. That it s no free-will or preparatory work in man that begins either his grace or glory but the sole gift of God Observ That God the Father loved Christ as Mediatour and thereby all believers in him from all Eternity How righteousness may be attributed unto God Observ God whether considered as a Judge of the world or a Father to beleevers is righteous in all his wayes I. God is just in all his administrations to devils and wicked men II. The righteousnes of God as a Father to his people in all their afflictions Observ The world is ignorant of God in a saving manner Demonstrations of the Point The causes of salvation Observ Christ is the original and fontal cause of all the knowledge that believers have Propositions about the point Doct. That it 's an indearing respect of believers to God that they do own him and cleave to hint when the whole world go quite contrary Propositions clearing the Point Doct. That Believers do not only at their first conversion but in the whole progress of their life need constant illumination and teaching from God I. In respect of the object II Observ That it is not enough for the people of God to be loved by him but they are to endeavour after the sence and apprehension of this in their own hearts Conside I. The love of God is taken two waies in Scripture II. God may love a man and he know it not III. The sence of Gods love to be laboured for IV. The sence of Gods love may be immediate or mediate V. The love of God to his is incomprehensible The advantage a believer hath by having the powerful feeling of Gods love Propositions to inform in this point I. II. It s possible for the sense of Gods favour to consist with some doubtings III. The sense of Gods love may consist with a feeling of a spiritual combate within us Helps to get and keep this favour of God
then to think This Judge I have dishonoured I have wronged I have broken all his Commands Oh if it were any other Judge I could hope to speed better Oh if you have any love to your souls lay this to heart Thy wickednesse thy prophanesse it hath been against Christ It was he that commanded thee he sent his Ministers to perswade thee and thou saidst Give me my lusts rather then Christ the world rather then Christ and this Christ is now come to be my Judge What dost thou think or beleeve about these things Why dost thou stop thy ear Why dost thou stifle thy Conscience Why dost thou labour to suppresse these thoughts within If that all this power will not passe by thee though but one man Think not what care I for this power I will do well enough howsoever 3. Consider its power that one day will be expressed only in a dreadfull way Not the least drop of honey in this Ocean of gall As yet indeed Christ who hath all power emploieth much of it for the salvation of thy soul He sends his Ministers who entreat you to be reconciled with God and how should that melt you for what are you how despicable and unworthy that God should desire you to be reconciled to him he needeth you not he wants you not This is true but the time is coming when all his power will be manifested in a dismall condemning way Then he commands his Gaolers the devils to take and torment for ever Then he comes in flaming fire of vengeance cry then if thou wilt Lord where is thy power to save thy power to forgive and he will say there is no more time for such power any longer Expect no more blessings no more invitations but now prepare for those torments thou art adjudg'd unto Did we preach these things to Heathens and Pagans that do not beleeve the truth of them it would be no wonder if they did not regard them But how is it that you who say ye beleeve these things that you do not go out and weep bitterly 4. This power is spirituall it doth reach to the hearts and consciences of men Oh be afraid lest upon thy wickednesse he puts thee forth lest he make thee a Cain a Judas Oh it 's not all thy wealth all thy jollity all thy pleasures that are able to withstand these troubles and tempests if Christ raise them up in thee If he deliver thee to Satan as some were then Christ withdraweth all his comfort all peace and lets the devil be thy tormentor and thy heart an hell especially this is done sometimes in time of sicknesse under fears of death when nothing but outward calamity compasseth thee about then he commands those black and thick clouds to cover thy heart which are as a gulf between Gods mercy and thee There is no sinner so haughty so jolly so scornful but Christ can quickly turn his Sun into a black night Every thing shall bring thy sins and hell to thy minde oh be afraid to live so lest you provoke Christ to put forth this power 5. It 's a just and righteous power and therefore never expect impunity and freedom For what is the sweet poyson that undoeth thee Oh thou thinkest of mercy thou dreamest of mercy thou speakest of mercy but shall not the Judge of the world be just also And is it not the greatest justice in the world that as thou wouldst not hear him speaking in the day of grace so neither should he hear thee begging and crying in his day of justice Is it not a most just thing that thou who saidst Let me have my lusts though I be for ever separated from Christ that thy own desires should fall upon thy head What shall Christ be refused and that day after day for every lust and sinne and shall this alwaies be forgotten Will Christ never be avenged for it Lastly This power of Christ is to inflict eternall misery It 's everlasting fire and everlasting burnings It 's a fire that never goeth out worms that never die Now what power in the world is like this Can any make thee miserable for ever Can any say Be thou in torment to all Eternity but this is the power we speak of As the Apostle said We count not those short afflictions equall to that eternal weight of glory 2 Cor. 5.14 So neâ—ther do thou judge those pleasures equall to that eternal woe A second Vse of Consolation For this Doctrine is like the Bee it hath a sting and honey Like the Ark that had Manna and a Rod Now what unspeakable comfort ariseth from this to the godly much every way 1. The Children of God they are subject to sad temptations about the weaknesse of their graces and the strength of their lusts David was not more fearful one day or other of being overthrown by Saul then they are at last to be destroied either by hypocrisie or apostacy Now what surer remedy what more precious cordial can there be then this Omnipotency of Christ this plenitude of power It was said of the Pope who pleaded for fulnesse of Church-power that it was not plenitudo potestatis but tempestatis But it 's otherwise with Christ his fulnesse of sufficiency is for every want of thine in any spiritual way he can as easily give thee spiritual things as temporal if thou wantst bread health thou thinkest it 's but Christs command and he can multiply the Loaves now he is as willing to do this in heavenly things It 's but a word from his mouth and thy proud heart is humbled thy unruly heart pacified thy grieved heart comforted yea he is more willing to give us spiritual things then Parents give Children their temporals how much rather will he give the holy Ghost to them that ask him Mat. 7. Oh then though all the world cannot help thee in this matter yet Christ hath power to do it and as for his willingnesse what cause of doubt seeing he was crucified and underwent voluntarily all that ignominy and curses that he might be exalted to this power to help thee Josephs Brethren were afraid because of their guilt that Joseph now so much preferred would not help them but he is Joseph and will forgive wrongs so also will Christ do to thee The second Temptation is about Pardon of sinne and Gods displeasure Oh this is a restlesse Sea in which the godly are tossed up and down This is the Whales belly that swalloweth up all Oh but here is a blessed haven here is one can command the windes and waves to be still here is one can say Son be of good comfort thy sins be forgiven thee 3. The outward exercises of the godly are very many They have many thorns in the flesh They have deep waters to go through Now what is an help but the power of Christ I can doe all things through Christ None but Christ None but Christ said the Martyrs
It had been farre more easie to have been an abortive or that the womb had been thy sepulchre and grave then to live here and at last to dye thus eternally Shall Job and Jeremiah so passionately curse the time of their lives and wish there had been no day or sunne and only because of some temporall extremity which yet did not endure very long what outcries and wishes shall these have who are to dye eternally and yet shall never dye Job speaks of some that desire death Job 3.21 but cannot have it thus shall all those deprived of eternall life call to mountains and hils to cover them bite the tongue with madnesse and call for death to devour them but it cannot be Though Judas could make away himself out of this hell he had here yet he cannot out of the hell afterwards 7. Consider with thy self how unable thou art to bear any extream pain though it be but for a night or day what tossings and tumblings when it 's night wishing for day and when it 's day wishing for night Now if a moments pain be so grievous what is eternall If thou art not able to endure the sudden scorch of fire what then to be in everlasting fire Isa 33.14 Who amongst us shall dwell with the everlasting burnings Oh how should this meditation even swallow us up If we are not able to endure the rod how shall we the scorpion If the gout the stone be thus grievous what is everlasting torment Should not we judge him a mad man that to have one night of quiet rest and sweet sleep would all his life after be tormented with restlesse nights and terrifying dreams such folly is in all wicked men They to have this short life of pleasures and jollity which is but a dream will undo themselves for ever in this endlesse and easelesse wo Oh remember this eternity is so incomprehensible by thee that when thou hast thought and thought ten thousand millions of imaginary years yet it is to hold as long as at the first beginning Some have represented it thus Imagine say they that all that vast space which is between heaven and earth were full of sand and once in every thousand year no oftner a bird carry away one crum of it in her bill what a long while would it be ere this vast huge heap would be carried quite away yet if the damned in hell might have ease at the period of such a time though so infinitely long yet there would be some hope but now it 's everlasting fire it 's a fire that cannot be quenched but as long as God is God so long shall they be in their chains of darknesse God you heard was properly eternall because he had neither beginning or end therefore he was said by the Heathens to be a circle whose center was every where his circumference no where Hence the Heathens represented his eternity by a snake or a ring that hath no beginning or end The Romans built their Temples round and Pythagoras rule was when to worship turn thy self round Here they had confused notions about eternity but the Scripture doth most clearly affirm his eternity Now our life is eternall only because it shall have no end and so for the future it will abide for ever and never change What a great word is this never to change thy happinesse will never change thy misery will never change These things duly pondered will be of great use But thou wilt say this subject is indeed very necessary this eternity is a wonderfull and transcendent point oh that I could rise with it and walk with it how then shall I possesse my self with it how shall I be affected with it Do these things In the first place Exercise a firm and strong faith about it that there is such a thing This is a good and necessary foundation for as long as Atheism or unbelief is in thee and thou thinkest there is nothing after this life thou doubtest whether there be any such eternity or no as long as this wicked disposition is on thee there cannot be any good in thee Faith is the substance of things hoped for Heb. 11. so that this eternall life which is the great hope and expectation of the godly by faith is made really to subsist in the heart it doth as lively imbrace it as if it were already in eternity Oh then let a firm and divine assent over-rule thy heart say I do beleeve it more then any thing of sense or of reason more then that I breath or live For the Word of God is so punctuall and positive in afirming such a condition of eternity hereafter that faith must needs bear witnesse to it Now this Divine faith of such a thing would be like so many sparks of fire in our breast it would make us speak and live and do all for this eternity we do so certainly beleeve it And 2. Do not only beleeve but accustom thy self to frequent and serious meditations about it Meditation in the Word of God is made a blessed thing and certainly this is a duty though much neglected yet wonderfully necessary to set thy self to meditate and think over and over some main points of Scripture truth whereof this eternity is not the least Meditation is like the birds sitting upon her egges if she should not be constant upon them there would never be warmth enough to cause living young ones thus it is here It 's not a transient thought it 's not a sudden motion but it must be a constant serious meditation upon eternity certainly if thou wert carefull in this thou wouldst finde it raising up thy heart heating thy affections and making of thee earnestly desire this eternall life 3. Consider this that one great end why God hath thrown so many bitter roots in every thing here below why there are so many sad exercises and afflicting troubles it is to seek after eternall life Thou hast not perfect health thou hast not full content every day hath some evil or other and why is all this because eternall life should be desired by thee God seeth thy mouth cannot be brought off from sucking the breasts of the creatures therefore they are rubbed with wormwood to wean thee As God therefore suffered the Egyptians to afflict and oppresse the Israelites that so they might be weary of Egypt and long for Canaan thus it is here God makes this world a valley of tears and fears a valley of death there is no ground but some worm or other devoureth it and all this that thou shouldst long for an haven who art tossed in this restlesse sea of the world Look then upon all the afflictions pains miseries or whatsoever bitter thing it be that thou art to grapple with and say The Lord doth this to make me undervalue these things below it 's to make me esteem a better life If every thing were here as I would have it heaven would not
This should be seriously thought of by thee when thou art dejected and overwhelmed saying How can this be and how can that be Say O Lord what low unworthy thoughts have I of thee Didst not thou create a world and shall I say How shall God help me in this distresse and for this reason is it that in the Psalms and Prophets Gods creating the world is often brought in as an argument to support the Children of God under all miseries Fear not God made the world SERMON XXIX Of Divine Knowledge its Excellency and Rarity Shewing That God is truely and properly known onely by the Godly And wherein their Knowledge of God differs from the Knowledge that others have of him JOH 17.6 I have manifested thy Name unto the men thou gavest me out of the world c. THis sixth Verse begins the second main general part of Christs Petition for whereas before he had praied for himself now he begins to pray for his Disciples as they were in a peculiar manner given to him as afterwards he praieth for all beleevers in the generall so that the words are a beginning of Christs Petition in a peculiar manner for the Apostles for they needed much praier and assistance who were to undertake so great a duty These were set in the forefront of the Battel These were called to labour in the heat of the day therefore there is a peculiar praier for them Now that our Saviours Petition may prevail he first declareth what he had done to them and 2. Their obedience to him in all things what he had done to them is partly related in these words I have manifested thy Name wherein first observe the person or efficient cause spoken of Christ manifested Gods Name to his Diseiples Therefore he was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Christ is not to be considered onely as a Mediatour in which none can imitate him but as a Minister or Prophet The chief Shepherd Heb. 13.20 as the Scripture cals him and herein he discharged his duty in that he manifested and made known God to the world which lay in ignorance So that the Ministers duty is to bring people to know God but of that in its time 2. There is the action it self of this person or efficient I have manifested There is a twofold manifestation 1. Objective only in the externall offer and proposal of the grace of God not only to beleevers but to all the unbeleeving Jews but of this manifestation Christ doth not speak 2. There is a powerfull effectual manifestation such as begets knowledge of God and obedience unto his Word and of this Christ speaks and as for the former many have Christ and God outwardly manifested to them in the preaching of the Gospel but they have no eyes to see as the Sunne though it shineth never so gloriously yet the blinde man receiveth no benefit by it 3. Here is the Object of this action Thy Name By Name is not meant the words or Titles given to God as Adonai Elohim Jehovah as the Rabbins call God Leohem the Name but by Gods Name is meant his nature his properties and those relations especially whereby he becomes a gracious Father through Christ to an humbled sinner Lastly Here is the Subject to whom Christ doth thus manifest God and these are described 1. By their original and descent Gods gracious good will and pleasure Whom thou gavest me 2. From the state or term out of which God then gave them Out of the world I shall put Christs action and the Subject together at this time Whereas then we see though Christ preached God and his properties to all that heard him yet to none was God manifested but to beleevers From whence we observe That God is only truely and properly known by the godly Let men have never such parts knowledge or understanding and that in the Scriptures and Divinity yet none know God God is not manifested to any but to the godly This may seem Paradoxall and incredible but yet the Scripture is very clear at v. 25. The world hath not known thee but I have known thee and these have known thou hast sent me Hence Joh. 14.21 you may see Christs manifesting of himself is a priviledge bestowed only upon those that love God He that loveth me shall be loved of my Father and I will manifest my self to him This doth so affect one of the Disciples that out of a sence of Gods great goodnesse and grace to them rather then the world he saith Lord how is it that thou wilt manifest thy self to us rather then the world What are we more then others The world heard Christ preached They saw his Miracles but Christ was not manifested to them Christ likewise Joh. 8.55 telleth the Pharisees who beleeved the Scriptures and acknowledged one God Creator of the world yea and said God was their God that they did not know God so that this truth will stand good that men may have much knowledge in the Scriptures in Religion and yet no◠know God To open this Consider that several waies we may come to have some knowledge of God 1. By inward light of a natural conscience There are imbred notions and dictates about a God which all the wicked affections and lusts of men cannot wholly obscure as the blackest clouds cannot quite darken the Sunne The Apostle Rom. 1. saith God hath manifested this in them There is then a natural manifestation of God in the consciences of men whereby there is an horrour and trembling upon them upon the committing of some evil especially when the stroak of death is upon them Oh the quakings oh the confusions that are sometimes upon men what will become of them what shall they do All this cometh from some generall knowledge of a God 2. Men come to some knowledge of a God by tradition education and hearsay There being no Nation so fierce and barbarous but have told their Children of a God and the Socinians who deny any inward light of nature about a God do make this the only ground of such an apprehension an universal tradition that is upon all Now although this consent of all Nations be a great Testimony yet the other is not to be excluded If then all do acknowledge that there is a God though there be different Religions different opinions yet both Heathen Turk Jew and Christian agree in this the more inexcusable will all wicked men be who live in rebellion and disobedience to him 3. We come to know God by the Creatures All that consider the world aright must needs argue some divine hand made it The Apostle Rom. 1. instanceth in this also Men by reason and science may argue from the effect to the cause we see one man did not make himself but he had a Father and so that Father a Father and because there cannot be an infinite progresse we must stay at one first cause only you must know this Knowledge by the world
those that delight and are swift to hear are commonly such as are ready to obey Again that which is here called keeping of the Word is in other places called keeping the Commandments only this is more sweet and kindly for Word doth properly relate to him that is a Doctor or Teacher Commandment to him that is a Law-giver Now there is a great difference between the Imperious Soveraignty of a Law-giver and the benign condescention of a Teacher but here we take it largely for all that God hath revealed to us and our Saviour saith they have kept the Fathers Word not his because they looked upon Christ as the Mediatour sent from God and so received not his Word as the word of a man but as of God through and by him Obs That those only can pleade a propriety and interest in God and Christ who are careful to keep his Word All others do but cry Peace Peace to themselves when demnation is at hand So that this truth will do for the present as Christ will do at the day of judgement set the Goats on the left hand and the sheep on the right It will be like the Fanne in Christs hand it will winnow the chaff from the wheat Let us therefore consider how much is comprehended in this phrase to keep the Word of God What are the Ingredients of this duty And first In that it 's indefinitely spoken They have kept thy Word It 's implied 1. They had a diligent respect to the Whole Word of God he doth not say they have kept part or some particulars but thy Word Now the word of God hath these parts 1. It 's a word of doctrine to be understood and beleeved 2. It 's a word of commands to be obeyed 3. It 's a word of threatning to be humbled at And lastly It 's a word of promise and consolation to be rejoyced in so that he who keeps the Word of God keeps all these parts of it 1. There is the word of Doctrine to be understood and beleeved and so to keep his word is to abhorre all errours all false doctrines all unsound opinions Those that are Christs Disciples are as tender about Gods truths as about his commands as they would not willingly transgresse a command so neither erre about the Truths of God Hence Joh. 10. our Saviour doth at large shew the true character of his Sheep They will not hear a strangers voice They will flee from a stranger now who is a stranger any one though an Angel from heaven that shall bring any thing that is contrary to the Scripture whosoever shall obtrude that to be beleeved as a truth which is not in the word of God this man is a stranger his doctrine is strange doctrine the sheep of Christ will not hear it Oh then let the Disciples of Christ shew their truth and solidity of grace in this that they dare not receive errours or heresies Oh what pity is it that thou who art tender about the commands of God wouldst not commit a sinne for a world shâ—uâ—dâ—t be large and wanton in thy understanding about the Truths of God Remember it 's his word and so thou art to keep sound doctrine by a pure faith as well as his Commandments by upright obedience and the reason is plain partly because the same God commands both There is his authority upon truths to be revealed as well as precepts to be obeyed God commands the captivity of your understanding as well as of your affections and partly because the true doctrine of God only is instrumental to holinesse a man will never be godly by beleeving any errour Joh. 19. Sanctifie them by thy Truth thy Word is Truth so that as in the use of Superstious customes Popish Sacraments a man can never receive true grace because Gods promise and his efficacy will go only together thus the more errours thou beleevest the more carnal thou wilt grow God will never blesse a lie chaffe and poison shall never be true and good nourishing meat 2. There is the Word of his Commandments and often the Scripture saith if ye love me keep my Commandments and neither may there be any doubt but a true disciple of Christ will be carefull herein for how can he shew his Discipleship otherwise then by obedience to Gods precepts It 's a plain mocking of God outwardly to professe that we take him for our God that we acknowledge subjection to him and yet disobey his commands so that this particular cuts off most hearers from being as yet at least in the number of those who can truly pleade a propriety in God for doth not their constant course of life proclaim an open hostility against God Is prophanesse pride lusts and rioting the command of God Hath the Lord commanded thee to lye swear and curse Are they not rather the lusts of the devil Oh that men should be so foolish and sencelesse as to talk of God and Christ and yet live in open disobedience to them Dâ—dst thou belong to God such would be thy love to him yea such an heavenly nature wouldst thou have that Gods Law and thy heart would have a sweet proportion and sutablenesse to one another as David professeth often it was sweeter then the honey and the honey comb and Paul delighted in the Law of God The Law of sin in the unregenerate man doth not more please him then the Law of God doth the regenerate man There is not a grievous burthen in it The holinesse and spirituality of Gods cammand is that which doth exceedingly assure him 3. There is the word of thâ— eatning and although in one sence we are not to keep that yet in another respect we are with trembling and fear to observe it Thus whatsoever God doth forbid threatning it either with temporal or eternal judgements the godly have an holy awe of They dare not displease God How can I do this and sin against God saith Joseph Thus Josiah when the Law was read his heart did melt and tremble and therefore how graciously did God take notice of that tender disposition in him It 's a vain and erroneous conceit to think the threatnings do not belong to the godly or that they must not with fear make use of them For if so why doth the Scripture propound threatnings even to the godly and that very often and who is there so godly that hath not the remainder of corruption in him who needeth not fear as a bridle to curb sin in him especially when we see Adam though in the state of Integrity was yet threatned by God if he did eat of the forbidden fruit so that even then a threatning had its proper use to Adam though altogether holy Lastly There is the word of consolation or promise and that is worthy of all acceptation as when a man takes a thing with both his hands It 's called embracing the Promises Heb. 11. as gladly and
But you see it is a most pleasing thing to God for which he commends his disciples as much as their obedience that they did thus receive him In the next place consider the circumstance of time when this is affirmed of them Now they have known c. What is the sence of that Did they not know and beleeve in Christ before Yes but he speaks here of their proficiciency and growth Now they have known and beleeved more assuredly then ever So that it 's not simply their faith but their growth and encrease in faith that our Sauiour takes notice of From whence observe That it 's not enough for the people of God to have grace but they are to thrive and grow in it To be as the Disciples more assuredly beleeving so as if they did not at all beleeve before Thou art so farre to exceed thy self over what thou wast once that thou maist say my faith my heavenly-mindednesse my love to God was none at all comparatively to what it is now This is a necessary Subject to preach on when you see so many withered Trees so many sick of a consumption in grace Alas of how many may you say the contrary They did once beleeve they were once zealous but now you may say they have none of these respectively to what they had God is not satisfied with the truth of grace unlesse there be also growth in grace If thou have received a Talent and canst not say Thy five hath gained a ten there is a fearful curse against thee as an unprofitable Servant Joh. 15.2 See what quick work God makes and how it is growth he looks at Every branch in him that bringeth not forth fruit he taketh away God loves not slothfulnesse and unprofitablenesse no more then prophanesse He doth not say If it bring forth poisonous fruit or wilde grapes but if it bring forth no good fruit and if any doth fructifie then he purgeth it that it may bring forth more fruit See here the Husbandmans care is still for more fruit If thou art no better then thou wast if thy faith thy love have not an encrease Gods expectations are not answered Hence Heb 6. those that are babes in Christ are severely reproved and they are to be carried on to perfection Not to grow is a kinde of barrennesse yea it 's a degree to Apostatize Therefore the Apostle in that place threatens such Non proficients with that dreadful sinne of Apostacy 2 Cor. 7.1 Let us perfect holinesse in the fear of God It 's not enough to have holinesse but we are to perfect it and he that hath any fear of God will thus endeavour and certainly if the rich man would have more wealth the great man more greatnesse how much rather the godly man more godlinesse To open this let us consider how many waies the graces of Gods people are to grow and thrive And first In respect of their degrees and measure The weak faith is to grow a strong faith their strong faith a stronger and thus of their love of God Therefore love is required with all the soul and all the might Mat. 22. The duty of growth in grace is required of the highest Gyant as well as the lowest dwarf in grace Phil 3. See how Paul stretcheth out himself to run as if he were but a new beginner There is not in the growth of grace as in nature a term or stint then they go no further No but as they say of the Crocodile he groweth as long as he liveth and when he ceaseth to grow he ceaseth to live Thus it is in the work of grace There is a necessity of growing while any Christian life is in thee Thy grace may be made better and more confirmed grace That man knoweth not what godlinesse is that can say Soul take thy ease thou hast godlinesse enough No they cry out Their leannesse their poverty they are climbing up the hill but cannot get to the top Let then the man that feareth God study the improvement of his graces Oh say There is a greater measure and further degrees yet to be had I am ashamed to see how short I come of what â—ought to be I stagger and reel through doubts and unbelief My heart is divided between God and the creature Oh how often is my heart even as cold as a stone There are no burning affections 〈◊〉 hot zeal I see a better way Oh that I could attain unto it Secondly Their growth ought to be in depth and rooting of their graces As the Apostle speaks of the dimensions of Gods love it hath a depth and a breath Eph. 1. Thus the love of the godly and all their graces have their spirituall dimensions and as before we spake of their growth in height so now of growth downwards in a better setlâ—ng and deeper radicating of their holinesse within them Our Saviour speaks of a foolish builder who did not dig deep enough nor build on a rock Mat. 7.26 and the three sort of hearers did all miscarry upon this Point There was not root rnough What makes the backsliding Demas the apostate Judas but neglect of rooting Oh then look every day that thy Repentance root it self more in the heart That thy faith be more deeply implanted in thee otherwise when a temptation or storm ariseth thou wilt be plucked up by the roots and certainly we may see this is the root of all evil to professors They measure their graces by the boughs and branches thereof not by the rooting whereas we see in all trees the deeper the rooting is the better they are enabled to spread abroad sear then lest thy graces be not got to the bottome of thy heart fear lest something lie closer and deeper in thy heart then grace doth Thirdly They may grow in the extension and kindes of all graces It 's the Apostle bids them adde vertue to temperance and so chains graces together 1 Pet. 1. The people of God they sometimes are careful to avoid such and such sins but then there are others either that they are not convinced of or do not attend unto and there they sail frequently but the godâ—y man is to grow in extension he is to avoid one sinne as well as another He is to perform one duty as well as another Oh then remember the work of grace is an exact and circumspect thing There go many things to make a man godly we may leave out many necessary ingredients and then marre the whole box of ointment David praied to be cleansed from secret sins Psa 19.13 such as he did not understand to be sins Oh it 's happy when the godly are thus growing that they leave off many foolish customes they once practised That they set upon many duties they once wholly omitted These disciples how hardly were they drawn off from many doctrines that they had been brought up in Fourthly They are to grow not only in their
is so well-pleasing to God that we should believe in Christ our Mediatour It 's accepted of as well as our Repentance or love or any other obedience And 1. Because hereby God is exalted and magnified in his glory We cannot glorifie God more otherwise Now then if God aimed at his glory in the Creation of the world but much more in the redemption of his Children There is not a way to exalt his glory more then by beleeving Thus Abraham in that of his concerning a Seed which did relate to Christ it 's said he staggered not but gave glory to God Rom. 4.20 The glory of his power of his goodnesse he regarded not the dead womb nor any other difficulties Thus it is here when thou seest sinne against thee the Law against thee Justice against thee and that every thing hath a dead womb yea a damned womb for thee to overlook all in Christ is an high degree to glorifie God Oh then ckeck thy unbeleeving thoughts Say Is there any way in the world whereby I can glorifie God like to the relying on Christ and leaning upon his grace So much dishonour as despair casteth on God so much glory faith attributeth to him resist then all the buzzing temptations of Satan and say What shall I not glorifie God What shall I not give God honour 2. The acceptablenesse of it doth appear in the frequent and constant commands that Christ giveth about it It 's true he commands Repentance Love Self-deniall but above all he requireth faith The question he propounded to most that came to him was Do ye beleeve This is so great a duty in Christianity that the Heathens abhorred our Religion as irrational saying It 's only beleeved with them whereupon they called them in scorn Beleevers But this is the grand and primary duty Heb. 11.1 There is no coming to God without this and Eternal life is said to be in this Above all take the Shield of faith Eph. 6.16 If then we see the Scripture so constantly enjoyning this above all yea and threatning with damnation if we do not beleeve How is it that the godly stand aloof of and still are not resolved whether they should beleeve or not Thou dost not so about Repentance Thou never questionest whether thou shouldst grieve or mourn for thy sins Thou wouldst think it high wickedness to do so Why then shouldst thou doubt whether being burthened with sin thou shouldst seek ease by faith in him Is not the command as indispensable for one as the other 3. It 's acceptable Because hereby Christ as a Mediator is improved for all these glorious ends he was appointed by God and thereby Christ is also glorified What shall such unsearchable riches of grace as are bound up in Christ be buried Shall there not be daily acknowledgements of him Now consider that if by Faith thou dost not receive him thou declarest Christ lived in vain and died in vain by what reason thou dost not beleeve for one effect thou must not for another and so for all Thus it will be as if there had never been such a person as Christ We may in some sence call it thy Antichristian unbelief He that denieth Christ to be come in the flesh is Antichrist 2 Joh. 7 Doth not thy unbelief deny him For the denying of his office is by consequence the denying of his person Thy unbelief doth that practically which the damnable heresies of Socinians do doctrinally make as if Christ were not a Mediatour and such who had satisfied the wrath of God for us Oh then know it 's not all thy sins do so immediatly oppose Christ as a Mediatour as thy unbelief doth which makes Divines say that in some sence only unbelief damneth beeause that rejecteth the Mediatour refuseth the Saviour so that as we say It 's not the disease but the neglect of the medicine that kils 4. It 's very acceptable to God because It 's the most evacuating grace It emptieth us wholly of our selves God he delights in humility now nothing humbleth us and takes us off all our seeming worth like faith in Christ for therefore I wholly trust in him for righteousnesse because I have none of my own If I had any rags that could cover my nakednesse I would not be ashamed but now being all over impure and unclean my Faith makes me catch hold on him Thus Paul he counted all things dung or drosse Phil. 3. because of the righteousnesse which is by Faith in Christ Seeing then Faith gives all to God and Christ makes us miserable wretched and hopelesse in our selves No wonder if God doe so accept of it Consider therefore how it debaseth thee and carrieth thee off every thing that is thine and then thou wilt say this is the grace God loveth this makes me nothing and God all in all 5. Faith in Christ must needs be acceptable because hereby we bring a righteousnesse into Gods presence which doth best please him which satisfieth him to the utmost for Christ is made our Righteousnesse and the end of the Law to us he became sin that we might become the Righteousnesse of God through him 2 Cor. 5. ul Now then if we by Faith can bring the Righteousnesse of Christ in all our duties and performances we must needs please him This is to bring Benjamin with us Oh what satisfying Reasons doth Faith in the Mediatour bring O Lord It is not my Righteousnesse nor the Righteousnesse of Adam nor the Righteousnesse of Angels but of Christ who is infinite that I bring before thee O Lord doth not Christ please thee better then I can O Lord is not this obedience better then my Repentance Oh then that we should not be more sollicitous to beleeve in every duty in every approach to God for that brings Christ that presents not our persons or duties but Christ Thus Paul he would be found in Christ not having his own righteousnâ—sse Phil. 3.9 Ye know not how righteous God is nor the Law nor what God requireth that do not thus press to beleeve Other grounds of this excellent Evangelical Point I defer and come to the Vse which is of Direction to the people of God Oh what joyful comfortable and blessed lives might you live if acquainted with this Truth Art thou dejected filled with unbelieving thoughts it 's from thy ignorance of this Truth You would be more filial and Evangelical were you possessed with this Truth more The Devil labours to keep you off as Saul did Jonathan and the people from eating honey whereas if they had not forborn it their enemies had been quite vanquished he keepeth thee from this honey he knoweth if thou wert beleeving no sin or temptation could stand before thee Heb. 5.13 The babe Christian is said to be unskilful in the word of Righteousnesse what is that he knoweth not Christ and the righteousnesse by him Therefore the Spirit of God is said to convince the world of Righteousnesse Joh. 16.8 O
That there remaineth no hope for us then we may fly to Christ The Law saith Do this and live Do all things in the highest degree else you cannot live Now into what horrour and despair doth this put men till we come to hear that voice Beleeve in Christ who hath fullfilled the righteousnesse of the Law When therefore we preach the exactnesse of the Law and the severity of Gods Justice it is not that we should stay here Alas who can say It 's good to be here no They will cry out as the People of Israel did at the giving of the Law when there was so much terrour But our aim is that by this commotion and trouble upon you you might lay hold upon Christ We would burthen you that Christ might ease you 4. This Doctrine is indeed the very essence and marrow of the Gospel This is the glad tidings that when we of our selves were eternally undone Christ as a Mediatour reconcileth the offended God and offending sinner It was this that the very Angels though it did not so immediatly concern them sang for joy Glory be to God on high Good will to men and peace on the Earth Luk. 2.14 This is that which we finde the Apostle Paul so magnifying every where This is a faithfull saying and worthy of all acceptation 1 Tim. 1.15 Great is the Mystery of godlinesse God manifested in the flesh 1 Tim. 3 16. Oh then we should never be weary of this Subject It 's eyes to the blinde It 's meat to the hungry Clothes to the naked mercy to the sinner grace to the afflicted one This is the fatted Calf and the Robe for the distressed Prodigall Truly as he said he did not love to reade no not Tully because he did not finde the Name of Christ so should all Sermons and Subjects be dull and tedious that do not directly or indirectly mediately or immediately bring us to him All other Points are but accessary or preparatory this is the Substance It 's such an excellent Subject that the Angels desire to be informed more in it and take infinite delight in the knowledge of it 5. This is the more to be pressed because the devil in all ages hath laboured to obscure this doctrine above others Insomuch that Luther called this Articulus stantis cadentis Ecclesiae when the devil could neither overthrow the humane or divine nature of Christ by Heretikes Then he laboured to overthrow his Office of being a Mediatour That if there must be a Christ yet he might be a needlesse and uselesse one so that by this Point only we differ not onely from Jews and Pagans but all Heretiques and Papists The righteousnesse of Christ our Mediatour imputed to us is the Treasure in the Church only This Pearl is hid in this Field only The excellency therefore and dignity of this Point is seen by the devils opposition and his Instruments raised up to obscure and darken it And then on the other side God hath raised up choice Instruments in his Church to vindicate this Truth Luther of all Points was most affected with this and God prepared him for it by laying soul exercises and heart temptations upon him insomuch that he said he often wished he had never been a man Oh the trouble and darknesse that was upon his soul and he used all the Remedies prescribed in Popery to comfort himself but still his heart was as unquiet as ever till at last he was by studying in Scripture directed to beleeve in Christ the Mediatour and in particular to be cloathed with Christs righteousnesse in stead of his own and thus it is still the more spiritually tempted and exercised any man either Minister or private Christian is The more he walketh in darknesse and hath no light The more doth he come to prize and esteem this fulnesse in Christ None love this honey-comb but those who hunger after a righteousnesse that they cannot finde in themselves These particulars discover the necessity of pressing this often and often Therefore the second Use is to bring your hearts in rellish with this Doctrine Oh that thou wert such an Auditour that this Truth might breed a sweet pleasure in thy spiritual appetite If this be the Gospel If this be the glad Tidings If this be the Pearl and the Treasure be thou in the number of those that will part with all to be partakers of it But you will say How may we fit Subjects for this Truth how may we come to prize it more then the honey or the honey-comb Take these Directions 1. Feel sinne as a burden as a weight let it be more to thee then all temporal evils in the world for so Mat. 11. Come to me ye that are heavy laden and I will ease you David Psal 32. when his sinne was ready to overwhelm him then he crieth out Blessed is he to whom the Lord imputeth no sinne When Mary Magdalene hath her head and heart a Fountain of water because of her sins then she is greatly indeared in her affections to Christ Those love much to whom much is forgiven as our Saviour at large sheweth Luk. 7.46 If then thou art not perswaded of thy debts or if the thoughts of them do not afflict and grieve thee never think that Christ will be chief in thy heart Oh then begin here lay this for a Foundation saying All these precious Truths will be spilt like water upon the ground until I be of a broken contrite heart for sinne The Prodigall never regarded the bread and Fulnesse in his Fathers House till he comes to want even husks themselves Joab would not come to Absalom till all his Corn was fired Neither do we readily and willingly runne to Christ till God hath shot his arrow into us tiill he hath wounded us at the heart till we feel sinne the greatest burthen and that because God is dishonoured and provoked and indeed this may be a very good motive to Repentance and humiliation because there is such an excellent Remedy Thou needest not fear going into the depths of this water because Christ will preserve thee therein No wonder if a man not beleeving or acquainted with this Truth be afraid to think of his sinnes That with Luther he hates the word Repent for there is nothing but despair and hopelesnesse about sinne till this Truth be discovered Oh then be no longer afraid to have thy sinnes brought to thy minde Say not They are a greater burthen then can be born for had Cain beleeved in Christ Had Judas beleeved in Christ Their sick and wounded Souls had quickly been healed It 's not the greatnesse nor the multitude of thy sinnes It 's not the terrible aggravations of them may wholly overwhelm thee if so be thou dost but cast Anchor upon Christ 2. If you would have an high esteem of this Point labour for a spiritual heavenly heart For as Christ in his Mediation is wholly spirituall
tense into the present and what God saith he will do to take as done already Lastly There is the comminatory or threatning part Here is Mount Ebal as well as Mount Gerizim The Scripture hath it's sting as well as honey In this Ark there is the Rod as well as Manna Christ hath not only a Scepter of grace but a Rod of iron and those threatnings are farre above the terrors of the most cruell men that ever lived for it 's not onely a threatning of bodily miseries but of hell of eternal wrath and vengeance on the soul as well as the body which no earthly man can do Therefore whatsoever the word of God hath said against an evil man let him look for it as if he were already under that doom Is not Judas here called a son of perdition yea is he not said to be perished in the present tense because of the certainty of it Doth not the Scripture say He that believeth not is condemned even already Joh. 3.8 As when God at first threatned Adam In the day thou eatest thereof thou shalt die This was made good though Adam did not actually die at that time because he was put into a state of death and every moment that sentence might be inflicted on him Thus it is with every wicked man whatsoever curse whatsoever vengeance is denounced against thee this night this day this moment it may be fulfilled on thee The ground why the Scripture must be fulfilled is plain Because it is Gods word and therefore it is immortal like himself it will stand as he stands for what should hinder it There was no defect of knowledge or wisdom in God nor of power and strength and therefore the word being out of his mouth who can contradict it Vse of Encouragement to the godly The Scripture hath as many promises for thee as thou canst desire It 's full of glad tidings to thee that fearest God There is not a Chapter but it speaks some good or other to thee Oh do not think these things are spoken in vain and not to be good to be true What shall the holy Spirit of God become false to deceive and delude thee Farre be such blasphemous thoughts from thee Go then and rejoyce say I have enough I have all things the Scripture abounds with all consolations and not one drop of this precious wine shall be lost or spilt to the ground but on the contrary it speaks woe and trembling to wicked men Oh how well were it for you if the Scripture were a book of fables and lies Then thou mightst eat and drink and rise up to play and sport but at the last thou wilt finde every word of it to be true Why then can thy bold heart endure any longer Is there not terrour enough in the Scripture to break it in peeces though it were of iron Thou wilt finde at last God only true but man and the world and thy own heart a liar SERMON LXXV Of the Truth of Scripture-Prophesies And against Judiciall Astrologie and Witchcraft Shewing the Vanity and Wickednesse thereof and of Seeking to them JOH 17.12 That the Scripture might be fullfilled I shall at this time conclude this Text which hath been so fruitful in spiritual matter but before I come to make the last Observation let us Consider In how many sences the Scripture may be said to be fulfilled For there are divers waies of understanding this and indeed there is scarce any thing more difficult in Religion then to make an happy reconciliation of the places quoted in the New Testament with the Old At the first view of many of those allegations you would think there were violent deflections of the Scripture to another sence then was intended but we Christians beleeve that the same Spirit which breathed on the Prophets did also inspire the holy Apostles for the right interpretation of them Though therefore the Solution of every difficulty surpasse the ability of the most Learned Interpreter yet we are to captivate our understandings to the Truth of the Scripture and not the Scripture to our Understandings and nothing will better facilitate a right Understanding of Scripture-allegations then to know that the Scripture may be said to be fullfilled two waies 1. Properly 2. Improperly and by way of accomodation Properly and that two waies Either in a literall sence or a mysticall sence A literall sence either is simply so when it 's a meer prediction of what is to come and hath no Type for the present to be verified in of this kinde or sort are many Examples especially Isa 7.14 Behold a Virgin shall conceive and bear a Son Matth. 1.22 applied to Christ This was onely true of Christ and his Mother not applicable to any else for as for Musculus and Grotius who conceive that this was done in a Type and that same Virgin in those daies did marry and bear a Son which was a Type of Christ is wholly improbable and diminisheth this glorious Mystery of Christs Incarnation As for the second kinde of fulfilling which is a compounded sence of the Type and Antitype that is often Thus these things which were fulfilled about the Paschal Lamb the brasen Serpent about Jonah Solomon and David were also applied to Christ as the Antitype As also Hos 11. that of bringing the people of Israel out of Egypt unto Christ Though these places also may be said to be fullfilled in a mystical sence and in this manner the Scripture speaking of Judas his perdition Psa 41. and Psa 109. is to be understood for David in those Psalms literally speaks of his present enemies but typically and mystically this was to be applied to Judas An improper or accomodatitious application is when the Scripture is said to be fulfilled because there falleth out something like that So Christ Mat. 15.7 8. repeateth that to the hypocrites of his time which the Prophet Isa 29 13. applieth to those that lived in his time viz. that they drew nigh him with their lips but their hearts were farre from him This explained observe Obs That it 's a sure Argument and Demonstration of the Divinity of the Scripture That it doth foretell things which long after do come to passe Judas his perdition in the Text was prophesied of many hundred years before As God endowed men with such illumination that they could tell what was done many years before they lived as appeareth in Moses his writing of the History of the Creation so it doth no lesse wonderfully appear in a prediction of such things as shall come hereafter and therefore both the Old Testament and the New have two Books that are wonderfully prophetick of what shall befal the Church in after Ages Daniel prophesied so in his time and John did the like in his Revelations To open this Doctrine Consider First That it is only Gods property to foreknow things to come We matter not those wretched Socinians who
they do to his Name they would Therefore the people of God may strongly and comfortably urge that it 's not their good their peace is the quarrell but because of something of God in them as the Basilisk hateth the picture of a man because it hateth a man himself 2. God hath put such a naturall storge into all Creatures that what is their own they will defend The Hen will save its own little ones and venture for them The Mother will save her own childe Now shall God put such a property in all Creatures to save their own to protect their own and shall not God much more Yea God maketh his affections to be more tender then a mothers such may forget even her sucking Infant Isa 49.15 but God will not yea doth not God shew his care in providing for all Creatures because they are his Creatures who feeds the young Ravens who preserveth the Sparrows Life Is not all by Gods Providence Oh then what specal care will he shew to his spiritual Creature which cost farre more then even the natural Creature did It would be a dishonour to God if he should not take care of such We see amongst men it 's counted matter of honour to remember them that have suffered for their sakes What said David to the Priest that escaped Sauls sword when so many were bloudily devoured by his Sword I have been the Cause of their death stay with me and thou shalt fare as I fare Thus will Christ say I have been the cause of all thy reproaches and miseries in the world Stay with me and I will protect you To forsake a man that hath been undone to maintain thy cause or thy credit would be great dishonour And doth it not more belong to Gods honour that such as have denied all their worldly comforts for him that he should regard them What will not God suffer any to seek him in vain and shall they suffer for him in vain Besides it would discourage all to stand for his Word Should he forsake them who would set out upon this spiritual Warre with the world upon his own charges It 's true we are to say after all is done We are unprofitable Servants and when we have suffered here we might suffer in hell hereafter but Gods Grace and goodnesse will not regard our merits but his fidelity and promise Vse of Direction to the people of God to order their Conversation so wisely and holily that if possible the hatred of the world may be for their godlinesse Let them slander reproach and pretend what they will yet do thou enjoy this comfort within O Lord it 's for my obedience to thee It 's because I own thy Commands I dare not comply with the evil waies of the world To be able to say as Christ For which of my good works dost thou stone me For what is it that thou reproachest me This is to shine as stars in a dark night Dogs may bark at the Moon but that stayeth not its course Go on in the midst of all the reproaches of the world Let thy holy life torment them let them be in a rage that they have nothing justly to charge thee with and then say with Jerome I thank God that I am worthy to be one whom the world hateth We know the worlds opposition engageth Gods protection and the Lord will account all that is done against thee as done against his own Majesty The last Doctrine In that Christ saith He had declared or given Gods Word to his Disciples Obs That the Ministers duty is to deliver only Gods Truth to his hearers Christ twice saith this I have delivered thy words and in another place My Doctrine is not mine but my Fathers which sent me Thus Paul 1 Cor. 11. That which I have received of the Lord deliver I unto you We should preach only Traditions in this sence not Popish unwritten Traditions but that doctrine which we have received Hence Paul so pathetically exhorts Timothy 1 Tim. 6.20 Keep that which is committed to thy Trust not that which he had invented not that which came out of his own heart but what was deposited in his hands Aurum accepisti aurum redde Religion is not res ingonii but doctrinae Now in this the Ministers of God are to deliver 1. His word his Truth in opposition to what is the word of man what is a lye and a falshood The false Prophets are often reproved for venting the Imaginations of their own hearts and in the New Testament some are severely taxed for bringing in damnable heresies 2 Pet. 2. Look we then that what we build be gold and silver not hay and stubble That what we preach be Wheat and not Chaff meat and not poison 2. We are to deliver it purely Some though they preach the Truth yet they defile it by their additions the Apostle Paul testifieth that he was not in the number of those 1 Cor. 2.17 who corrupt the word of God that use sophisticate and counterfeit waies to adulterate it as men do their wine and wares but as of God and in the sight of God Oh what holy trembling and fear should be upon us lest our preaching should be like Nâ—buchadnezzars Image some part of gold and silver but the rest of Iron and Clay 3. They are to deliver it universally as Paul said he had not withheld from them the whole counsell of God Act. 20. 27. To speak all that God commands not to hide or withdraw any thing either for fear or flattery The threatning part as well as the promising to vent the Prophesie though it be the burden of the Lord. 4. They are to deliver it upon an holy end or motive That the truth might be beleeved the people edified To preach Gods Word as it is our Opinion our Interest our advantage is sinfull yet how apt are we to regard a Truth as it is ours more then Gods Vse of Exhortation to people to receive the Word of God with adoration and reverence how prone are people to entertain errors or corrupt Doctrines To be more affected with the wit and words of men more then the authority and divine nature of the Word SERMON LXXXII Of Wicked mens hating the Godly the Causes Effects and Properties of it JOH 17.14 And the world hath hated them because they are not of the world THe next thing to be considered is the Argument it self used by our Saviour in this Petition Keep them by thy speciall protection why because the world hateth them And I shall take in the second Cause into the Argument Because they are not of this world For I have spoken already about these things from vers 11. I shall adde what was not then mentioned In the Argument you may take notice of the Subject or persons that do hate and they are said to be the world that is wicked men called the world because they are the greater part of it and because they
Art thou not guilty of many omissions of duties Thou hast not reproved mourned prayed for others Thou hast not done that spirituall and temporall good thou shouldst Paul excused the Philippians that they would have done good but they wanted an opportunity Phil. 4.16 But how many times have we an opportunity and we want hearts John could write to that pious Gaius his Host 3 John vers 2. to wish that his body may be in health even as his soul prospered What a glorious commendation was this It was better with his soule then his outward man Now wee cannot say thus of our selves because we are not diligent and industrious to doe more then we doe Certainly every godly man may be astonished when he shall consider how broad the Commandements of God are and how narrow his heart is growne in doing more then thou hast done 2. Thou mayest be sanctified extensively by the Relations that thou doest take upon thee when made an Husband a Wife a Minister a Magistrate here thy holinesse is to extend further God requireth more of thee and that godlinesse which would have served thee before will not now While the Apostles were private men they needed not that Sanctification which they were to have as Apostles Hence we see the Apostle diligently in his Epistles informing Husbands Wives Children and Servants of what they have to doe And certainly the grace of our Relations is an excellent evidence of our holinesse in the main If the Heathen could say He was not Bonus vir that was not Bonus civis not a good man that was not a good Citizen So may we say He is not a good Christian that is not a good Minister a good Magistrate a good Husband a good Servant The Apostle bids Archippus fulfill his Ministry And thus Ministers are exhorted to look to the flock over which God hath set them Oh then see if thou mayest not be greatly sanctified in thy Relations if they may not be filled with more Wisdome Patience and exemplarity of Conversation Alexander wept because there was no more Worlds he wanted work But to be sure thou hast more then ever thou canst turn unto Every Relation requires a new grace or a new exercise of grace So that here is no time for thee to sit down or to be still as if all thy enemies were conquered Thirdly We may be more sanctified in the deeper radication of Grace in our hearts It 's a Philosophicall Dispute Whether accidents are intensed by addition of degrees or a deeper radication of them in the subject We may conclude That grace in the heart is both wayes improved and for the rooting of it in the soul This is so great a matter that the temporary believer is in this respect as well as others mainly differenced from the true believer Though they had some root yet they had not root enough and the unwise builder did not dig deep enough for this therefore the Apostle prayeth even in reference to such as were already rooted in Christ that they may be more rooted Colos 2.7 Rooted and built up in him And to this purpose are all those Exhortations of being stedfast and immoveable of being strengthened stablished settled 1 Pet. 5 10. as there the Apostle prayeth remrkably There is no man hath laid so sure a foundatinn but he may make it more sure No man is so established but he may be more established Is it not a terrible thing to see the fall of many Cedars in Lebanon of many Starres from Heaven And why is all this They were never established deep enough they never took more root downwards like unwise builders they attended to make a glorious upper-room and stairs in the house but mattered not the foundation and certainly though the childe of God even of the lowest form be so farre rooted that he shall never fall away yet this establishment and stedfastness of his is not by his own power and strength it 's God that keeps him neither is it continued but in the constant daily exercise of holy means Oh then every day be indeavouring after this Lord grace is not rooted in me enough it 's too superficiall Oh that I could say I no longer live but Christ within me Oh that it were like leaven diffusing it's power over me the Promise is Jer. 31. I will write my Law in thine inwards parts in the midst of them So that grace shall be habituated in thee and sink as deep as ever original sin did in thee Fourthly We may be more sanctified Subjectively that is every part of the soul may be more throughly sanctified every day as in that place 1 Thess 5.23 Hence to the converted Ephesians the Apostle exhorts as you heard both a further renovation of the minde and of the will and affections Ephes 4.23 24. In the mind How greatly may we be more sanctified have more illumination more heavenly knowledge of God and Christ Thou art to grow in knowledge more and more Paul was once like a childe but he became a man The Apostle Heb. 6. doth severely reprove those that continued babes and were not carried on to further perfection It 's both a shame and a sinne that thou hast yet no more knowledge and heavenly understanding by the Ministry thou hast enjoyed so many years Again the minde is to be more sanctified by a more firm and solid faith the Apostle then directs That they should be stedfast and sound in the faith not tossed up and down with every winde of doctrine Their increase of faith may be both in the Objects believed though for the things necessary to salvation the knowledge of them by the Spirit of God is promised to every believer yet there the superstructions in Religion which according to the means we enjoy we are to believe Therefore the Apostle 1 Thess 3.10 sheweth his earnest prayer to come to the Thessalonians that he might perfect what was lacking in their faith which could not be meant in regard of foundations but superstructures not essentials but additionals Thus they are to grow in the doctrine of believing but then in the manner of believing that is the proper way for all to grow To believe more certainly more firmly more practically Therefore though the fundamentals of Religion cannot be augmented No necessary truth to salvation can be revealed which was not known before yet it may be more strongly and clearly believed And this is the end of all Authors that write against Heretiques of all sorts not to bring a new Religion into the world or new Articles of Faith but to cause a more clear and firm assent to those things which the subtilty of Heretiques had obscured Further Their mindes are to be more sanctified by holy thoughts heavenly-Meditation For what godly man doth not perceive vain thoughts creeping into his soul as the Froggs did into Pharaoh's Chamber whether he will or no and as for a fixed heavenly-Meditation it 's an
most powerfull means of grace are It was thus with the Jews Col. 6. who enjoyed besides the ordinary Ministry of their Priests the instructions of extraordinary Prophets and yet the truth of God did not sanctifie them But go saith God to the Prophet make their eyes blinde and their hearts hard and this our Saviour did apply to their posterity also who enjoyed Christ himself and saw all the wonderfull miracles he did This is a dreadfull and terrible thing to consider of when in stead of sanctifying God shall say Harden them blinde them and make them more wicked by the truth It 's not the Word worketh thus of it self but wicked hearers through their unbelief and unprofitableness provoke God to give them up to believe a lie and for the abuse of heavenly light they are given up to vile affections To many cursed sins which is a greater judgment then to be cast into the mouth of wilde beasts for they will only devoure the body but these will damn the soul Vse of Direction to all the people of God whose burden and grief it is that they have no more holiness who cry out like the horsleech It 's not enough and their souls refuse all comfort because they cannot climb up this hill to Heaven faster let such be directed to take the right way How willingly is the earthly man ready to hear how he may get more wealth and the languishing man how he may get more health and strength Why then shouldst not thou rejoyce to know which is the way to purifie the heart more Few know the divine efficacy of Gods Word but such who set themselves to get the vertue of it And that this may be instrumentall to your Sanctification In the first place Remember faith without which it can do no more good then excellent medicines if they be not applied set faith a work and then the word of God will powerfully work upon thee It 's with thee as thou believest Believe and those high mountains of lusts shall be thrown down 2. Bring an humble tender and trembling heart at the teaching of it Such an heart King Josias had and he is commended for it yea Ezra 9.4 it 's the character of the godly to tremble at his Word The hard heart no more then the hard Rock can receive the seed sown into it 3. It 's not enough to receive the Word of God at first but keep it there The Apostle Peter cals it the ingraffed Word the Word that turneth us into the nature of it that we are walking Bibles as great Schollers are called walking Libraries David said He had hid Gods word in his heart This is the leaven that will diffuse it self 4. Rest not in the bare hearing but joyn earnest and fervent prayer that the Spirit of God may teach inwardly while the Word doth outwardly Vse 2. Of Instruction How terrible a thing it is to see men grow more wicked and ungodly by how much the more plentifully they enjoy the Word that the Word should work contrary to it's nature upon thee that this light should put out thy eyes that this life should bring thee to death Oh the rivers of water that should run out of our eyes for this matter and yet is there any more common judgment then this Oh bewail and cry out for fear of it Lord every thing I take doth me more hurt SERMON XCII Of the Truth of the Scriptures JOH 17.17 Thy Word is Truth THis is a Description or Explication of what was meant by Truth Thy Word is Truth which is a Proposition Wherein you have 1. The Subject 2. The Predicate The Subject is described by its Name and Nature with the propriety thereof Thy Word The Word of God is sometimes called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and sometimes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 It 's called Gods Word because spoken by him and that two waies Either 1. Immediately when God himself spake as unto the Patriarchs of old Or 2. Mediately when he inspired the holy Prophets and made them to publish his Word It 's called at other times 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 All Scripture is given by Inspiration 2 Tim. 3.16 So Search the Scriptures and in many other places This is a Description of Gods Word from the accidentall form of it as it is put into writing Sometimes God did govern his Church by his Word as revealed only Thus it was with the Church at first In this latter Age he guides it by the Scriptures only There is no other Word of God but what is written In Christs time there was both for there were the Books of the Old Testament and they were Gods written Word and what Christ while on the Earth did with his own mouth speak to the Church that was the Revealed Word and Will of God We reade not that Christ wrote any thing but once upon the Ground and what that was though there are many and severall Conjectures yet none can certainly tell But what Christ spake and did the Evangelists afterwards being guided infallibly by the divine Spirit of God did commit to Writing Object If then you ask What Word of God it is our Saviour doth here mean I answer Both the Word that was written the Scripâ—ures that were the Oracles of God committed to the Jews and that Word which he did manifest to his Disciples of which he had spoken ver 6. Some indeed by Word understand Christ and it 's true that Christ is the Essential Word of God and so also the Essential Truth but the Context doth evidence it that he speaks of the Revealed and Preached Word Now this is called Gods Word because whether immediately delivered by God or commanded to be written It 's still Gods Word Speaking and Writing are but accidentall to it It 's the same Essentiall Word as it is the same man though he alter his Garment and the same wine though put in divers Vessels The Word of God written ought with as much Faith and Reverence to be received as if God did immediately speak it from Heaven and though it seem incredible yet our Saviour confirmeth it Luke 16.31 that he who doth not beleeve the Scriptures the Word of God written would not beleeve though there were miraculous waies of publishing it In the next place we have the Predicate its Truth Interpreters judge this to be taken out of the Psalm 119.151 They are therefore said to be Truth not true in the Abstract to shew the Fulnesse and Universality of Truth in them Obs That the Word of God is Truth This Doctrine if beleeved may work wonderfull changes in the mindes and lives of men for Certainly the Foundation of all Heresie and Impiety is because Gods Word is not received as true In the Scripture it is often called the Word of Truth Colos 1.5 2 Timoth. 2.15 James 1.18 And sometimes Truth in the Abstract 1 Peter 1.22 2 Peter 2.2 To Open this Consider That it 's not my purpose
Spirit of God Subjectively preparing and fitting a man by it So that as to an Archer there are two things that are necessary The Mark to aim at and an Eye to see What could an Archer do without Eyes Thus it is with us in all our Actions The Scripture that is the Mark and therefore Sinne is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 because it misseth of the Mark and then the Spirit of God that must give the Eye Light and Wisedome unto the Understanding The Scripture then is Truth because by it Gods Spirit doth direct and leade us into all Truth Now there is a three-fold Truth that we cannot attain unto without the Scripture 1. True Doctrine 2. True Piety and godlinesse 3. True Consolation and Comfort The want of the first Truth causeth Errour and Heresie The want of the second Hypocrisie and prophanesse The want of the third Distrust and Despair and happy is that man who hath this three-fold Truth and indeed one begets the other True doctrine begets true Godlinesse and true Godlinesse true Consolation For the first Only by this Truth are we guided into true Doctrine whatsoever is brought in contrary or beside this though he were an Angel he is to be accursed Galat. 1. This is the Rule and so what is not according to this must be oblique and crooked Therefore never expect Truth from that man who is not diligent in the Scriptures the Rule of Truth This hath been the Cause why most Heretiques have either accused or despised the Authority of the Scriptures because they know that this Sunne and their darknesse could not consist together They saw their Doctrines and the Scripture could no more stand by each other then the Ark and Dagon Therefore they would rather fall out with Scripture then with their own Opinions as if their own hearts and Consciences were more infallible then the Bible and as if they were not to be made conformable unto the Scripture but the Scripture to them 2. Only by the Scripture do we come to true Piety and Godlinesse You see in this Text Sanctification is by the Truth and James 1.18 God doth beget us by the Word of Truth and many times David doth commend the Word of God for this Effect that it forwarneth man of Sinne That it giveth the Simple Vnderstanding and that even young men may be cleansed from their lusts by taking heed to Gods Word Psalm 119. We see by these Texts that there is no Regeneration or true Reformation but what is wrought by and through the Scripture Therefore Conversion is called the writing of Gods Law in a mans heart So that this makes it clear that though many Heretiques may live civil and externally Religious Lives yet they have no true Godlinesse for false Doctrine begets false Piety when there is falsum in Intellectu that must necessarily produce malum in voluntate And the Reason is plain because Godlinesse is nothing but Truth incorporated Truth digested Truth put into practise It is Gods Law in the heart as you heard Hence as Poison can never nourish a man or afford good Health So neither can any false Doctrine help to any true Piety or Holinesse Men may have seeming Devotions but as the Serpent though it shines and glisters yet is full of inward Poison so whatsoever external Acts of Piety Zeal and Charity Hereticall men may put forth yet by them they cannot be Sanctified if their Errours be Fundamental It was Jeromes Speech Rarò Hereticus fuit pudicus and Vbi malè creditur ibi nec benè vivitur but that is not to be alwaies understood of their External Conversation for many Heretiques have been admirable in their Externals They have had a Sheeps-cloathing upon them and like the Panther have allured others because of their colour till they had devoured them Know thy Errour will make thee more proud loose and it may be at last outwardly prophane and contemning of Integrity for God will not blesse any thing that is not of his own Institution to spiritual Ends. 3. Only by the Scriptures come true Consolations So the Apostle Through the Consolation of the Scriptures 2 Corin. 1. No man hath true solid Joy but the true Orthodox Godly man It is true that as the devil may transform himself into an Angel of Light of Truth So also of Consolation and many Erroneous persons in their way have a great deal of comfort and joy yea they have said they never had so much peace and case as since they have taken up such waies but as their Piety was a counterfeit one so is their joy The holy Ghost that leads into Truth and is the Authour of Sanctification makes such only to rejoyce in him and gives them this Fruit of the Spirit 6. The Scripture is said to be true oppositely to all the Opinions Doctrines and Religions which men set up by their own fancy For every man is said to be a Liar and the Antichristian Doctrines which many are delivered up to beleeve are called a lye by the Apostle 2 Thes 2.11 Turcisme Paganisme is a lye Popery Heresie are Lyes Though they may be never so much pleasing to flesh and bloud Though men carried by humane Arguments may dote on them as they did about Diana's Temple yet all is a lye yea in practicall things whatsoever seduceth thee to do otherwise then Gods Word commandeth this is false Sinne lieth the world lieth the devil lyeth for all that they do is contrary to Gods Word That saith What will it profit a man to win the whole world and lose his soul Mar. 8 36. That saith the pleasures of sinne are but for a season Luk 13.3 Now thou wilt not beleeve this Truth but thou hearkenest to the world to thy own heart and all these betray thee and lye to thee Therefore let the Vse be to perswade and assure thy self of Scripture-Truths walk and live according to the directions thereof SERMON XCIII The transcendent Properties of the Scripture JOHN 17.17 Thy Word is Truth IN what sense the word of God is said to be truth we have declared Let us now come to the Properties of it And 1. It 's the truth of God a divine truth In the Text it 's called thy truth So that Divine Truth must needs transcend Humane or Natural Truths as much as God is above man In humane Authorities we say Thus saith Aristotle Thus saith Plato or thus say such Fathers and Councels but in divine things we must say Thus saith the Lord for because it 's divine or of God it hath an immediate dominion and awe upon the conscience So that whereas in humane Authorities and Philosophical Disputes we may boldly argue against them we may bring our videtur quod sic and quod non yet where truth comes to us as from God there must be an immediate submission though our reason and sense and all the world should contradict yet we must
be thought too much above Reason if they be thought too strict or precise to contrary to flesh and bloud blame not us It 's not our truth we did not make the Bible It 's not our Scripture Thirdly Truth is necessary to them if you do regard the Effects of the Ministry or the Ends why God hath appointed it and certainly the Sunne may as well be without Light and Heat as the Ministers of the Gospel be without Truth One main effect is Conversion and Regeneration to make men reform their lives upon just and holy Grounds This can never be without Truth James cap. 1. He hath begotten us by the Word of Truth Lyes and false Doctrines can no more convert then dirt can make clean then darknesse can give Light An erroneous or heretical Minister may pervert many but not convert he may subvert the Souls of thousands he may glory in this and rejoyce in the multitude of Disciples but all this while they are sent of the devil and they do his work destroy souls The Ministers of God are like publique Springs if they be performed instead of refreshing they kill instead of giving the bread of life they give stones and serpents 2. Another Effect of the Ministry is to promote the work of grace begun It 's to water where any Seed is sown as Ephes 4.11 to bring us to a full stature in Christ Now a Minister without Truth can no more help forward the growth of the Godly then a dead Mother can nurse her Childe We encrease in grace by the same way we are converted and therefore they who think by an erroneous Ministry to advance their Heavenly Life do as if an hungry man should get up to an high Hill and think by swallowing down the winde to live and grow stronger A Third Effect of the Ministry is to direct and guide the tempted and troubled Soul to speak a word in season to him But now a Minister without Truth is like a Physician without skill Come to the diseased wounded Soul that lieth under this doubt and that Case of Conscience he knoweth not how to direct him yea such do more trouble the godly as God complaineth of the False Prophets Eze. 13.22 they made sad the heart of the Righteous whom God would not have made sad 4. A great Effect of the Ministry is to prevent Errors and false Doctrines at appeareth Eph. 4. That we henceforth be not led aside with every winde of doctrine Men destitute of solid grace are as apt to be carried away with errours as chaff with the winde A sound Ministry is appointed to reprove these as the Sun is to dispell darknesse but if the Minister be seduced himself by errour how can he leade others into the Truth Will not our Saviours Proverb be made good the blinde leade the blinde and both fall into the ditch Thus you see the necessity of Truth In the next place there must be Thummim as well as the Vrim There must be burning as well as a shining light as John Baptist was and holinesse of life is required of the Minister 1. For his own sake his condemnation will be the greater for he sinneth against greater light and knowledge he knoweth his masters will he sinneth against a peculiar engagement because he is bound to draw nigh to God Oh the confusion that will be when he hath preached to others he himself to become a Castaway Attend to thy self and to thy doctrine to life 1 Tim. 4.16 as well as studies Suth are like the water in baptism that after it hath been in a Sacramentall way is thrown into the kennel No condemnation like theirs they are from the pinacle of the Temple thrown headlong into hell 2. In respect of others For a godly life is a Testimony to confirm the Truth we preach when we preach there is a God there is a day of judgement and live accordingly this confirmeth to all that we our selves beleeve it to be a Truth an holy life is like a miracle to confirm our doctrine As the Apostles were endowed with Miracles to establish the Truth they preached they could cast out devils tread upon Serpents and take no hurt if they did eat any deadly thing Thus it is a wonderfull thing to confirm the Truths we preach when though we live in the temptations of sinne and tread upon Serpents yet acquire no spiritual hurt to our souls 3 Our holy life will awe and keep in fear the Consciences of wicked men Not only powerful and sound preaching but consciencious and unblamable living will awe mens Consciences Why did Herod fear and reverence John Baptist though he was a King but because he was a just and a holy man Mark 6.20 Thy godly mouth will stop their mouths and convince their consciences Lastly The necessity of it doth appear by the devils polecy who hath alwaies stirred up Instruments to traduce their lives to lay such things to their charges as they were never guilty of and why because if that be once received that they are wicked hypocrites they can never do any good Christs life was traduced that he was a friend to sinners that he kept company with Publicans You see they quarrelled even at his life Athanasius was traduced for an Adulterer by the Arians and this hath alwaies been the custome of the devil and his Instruments to throw so much dirt and mire upon the godly Ministers of Christ that men have not known what they are I could tell you what the Papists say about Luther and Calvin that you might think they were the vilest Monsters that lived and this is because a godly life is a great conviction in the world and aweth even the Enemies Conscience Vse of Instruction What is the duty of people even to follow Christ In this Praier he being to send out his Apostles this he desireth as a chief thing Truth and Godlinesse a sound minde and a godly heart and the Apostles thought this to be of so great a consequence that when Ministers were ordained and set apart to the work They spent that day in fasting and praiers You cannot discover wicked and ungodly men better then in this they care not what a Ministry they live under or whether they have any at all The more erroneous the more prophane and loose he is they like him the better Is this to pray as Christ did for thy Sanctification God makes it a great judgement when he removeth faithful and wise Pastors and sendeth foolish and wicked men in their rooms 2. Where God doth settle a Ministry rightly qualified prize it for the works sake See whether the Ministry hath been a converting instructing and edifying Ministry to thee Fear lest thou lie under a spiritual Curse or some Soul-judgements that so no preaching can do thee any good A second doctrine observable from the Coherence of the Apostles mission with Christs Petition is That Christ hath a peculiar love and special care
preterperfect tense I have sent them seeing they were not yet sent to publish the Gospel to the whole world for that was not done till his Ascension But it 's answered that it 's ordinary with the Scripture to put one tense for another and besides Christ had begun already to send them though not into the whole world yet into Judea and Luk 6. he had already given them the name of Apostles which is as much as those that are sent yet because after his Ascension he then enlarges their Commission To preach to all Nations beside Judea Hence Joh. 20.21 Christ there speaks in the present tense As my Father hath sent me even so I send you So then the Apostles did not undertake their ministeriall Office before they were sent and for this end are called Apostles Salmasius thinketh he gave them this Name from the Captain of the Jews at that time for in their Synagogues the Governours thereof have their proper Messengers belonging to them who were called Apostles From this Observe That none may undertake the publike Office of the Ministry without a sending or authoritative Call thereunto If Christ did it not as ye heard and the Apostle Heb. 5. is diligent in observing of that much lesse may any men do it for the very word sending doth imply a superiour who hath power to send and also the inferiority and passivenesse of those that are sent Therefore Rom. 10.13 14 15. You have there a Ladder like Jacobs reaching from earth to Heaven where calling on God requires beleeving beleeving requireth hearing hearing requireth preaching and preaching requireth sending See here the golden Chain of our Salvation in an ordinary way No calling no faith no faith no hearing no hearing no preaching no preaching no sending They are all required in their peculiar way with the same necessity and therefore take heed of endangering your souls by despising the lawful Ministry of Christ How shall they beleeve saith the Apostle without this But to inform your judgements in this Point because it 's a necessary Truth and many errours are about it for your good not for our own self-advancement as some are apt to think we shall take this Method 1. Give some Distinctions to clear the Point 2. Shew you the distinct office of the Ministry from other callings and the necessity of a lawful Call thereunto Not that my purpose is to handle all those things which belong to that Famous Common-place in Divinity De ministerio Ecclesiastico but to touch on those things that most relate to this Text And first Consider That there is a two-fold sending a mediate and immediate sending an immediate sending is when God or Christ doth in an extraordinary and peculiar manner give some a Call to this office Thus the Prophets of the Old Testament they were immediatly sent of God and this immediate inspiration and extraordinary gifting of them was enough to authorise them though they had no Call in an ordinary manner from men when they said Thus saith the Lord then they shewed their Commission and thus the Apostles they were likewise immediatly called by Christ and they were gifted in an extraordinary manner thereunto They had no such gifts at first but Christ bestowed them on them In ordinary sendings or missions there men must first try and examine gifts and see them before they confirm any in their office but Christ that can make Children of Abraham out of stones can also make Apostles out of illiterate and rude Fishermen This immediate and extraordinary sending is now wholly ceased even as the gifts of Miracles and therefore though our Divines do sometimes say Luther Calvin and those first Reformers had an extraordinary Call their meaning is not as if they were put into their Church-office by an immediate call of God only there were extraordinary qualifications of them by stirring them up to such zeal and corroborating of them to go through such a work as they did In the next place there is an ordinary mission or authorizing and that is to be perpetual in the Church according to such Rules as Paul laieth down in his Epistles to Timothy and Titus which are a directory concerning the Churches Government to the ends of the world This ordinary sending we are now to have though the Apostles had an extraordinary Secondly Consider that though the Apostles had many personall and extraordinary priviledges yet the essence and substance of their Ministerial office is the same with that which every Minister of the Gospel hath For Matth. 28. there the substance of their office is to preach and administer the Sacraments which is the duty of every Pastor in the Church We may not then argue from the extraordinaries of the Apostles to every Minister but from their substantials as thus The Apostolical priviledges were to behold Christ with their eyes and thereby to witnesse the truth To be infallible in their doctrine to be illimited not bound to one place more then another to work miracles c. Now these were necessary for the infancy and first plantation of the Church Signes being for those that do not beleeve and so it 's not necessary ordinary Pastours should have them but then there are the substantials of their Apostolical Office which was to preach the Word to be authorized thereunto these are belonging to every Pastor and in this they are Successors to the Apostles Mat. 28. ult I will be with you to the end of the world and 2 Tim. 6.14 where in one place God promiseth and in another place Paul is required to keep those Church-Ordinances till the end of the world how can this be otherwise but in the Pastor of the Church who are in this though not in their extraordinaries the Apostles Successors Thirdly There is a great difference to be made between a publike and potestative preaching by way of office and a private wise and humble charitative emploiment of our gifts one Christian to another When we say that only men may by way of office preach We do not thereby prohibit or exclude Those Christian duties and improvements of gifts in pâ—rier and admonition either in Families or one towards another so that there is no Christian though he hath never so good gifts but he hath opportunities enough to improve them in a private way for Gods glory without usurping that office There are many Texts of Scripture that shew how fruitfull and active private Christians should be in their way to do good one to another Col. 3.16 Let the Word of God dwell in you richly with all wisedom teaching and admonishing one another It is your duty to be exercised in the Word of God and to admonish one another out of it so Heb. 10.24 25. There they are to provoke and exhort one another to do good We should in a brotherly way all take care of one anothers soul and this is that Christian Communion so much commended in the Church of God
be full of blemishes yet when we present Christ by Faith then there is no fault to be found Lastly The vertue of this Sacrifice is to make us like Christ himself he thinketh it not enough to be King and Priest himself but he maketh us also Kings and Priests for ever We offer up Praiers and Praises to him and by him we conquer all our spiritual Enemies The devil and our lusts are subdued Such glory have all they that are partakers of this Sacrifice Vse of Terrour to all wicked and ungodly men who by their Unbelief and Prophanesse reject this Sacrifice The Apostle Heb. 10. cals it trampling upon the bloud of Christ and accounting it a prophane thing Oh how many thousand live that have no esteem and make no account of this Sacrifice Oh remember that this is the last and ultimate Sacrifice He that rejects this hath no more hope There remaineth no more oblation for sinne There is not another Christ or another Sacrifice if thou refuse this Vse 2. Of Encouragement to the Godly Come to this Fountain that is set open for Judah and Jerusalem to cleanse in Doe not say because Christ crucified is a stumbling block and foolishnesse to wicked men that therefore thou wilt disesteem him also There is no sore but this blood will heal and cure Oh let the blood of thy soul be stanched with this blood of Christ This blood speaks good and comfortable things better then that of Abel SERMON CI. Of Sanctification as the Effect of Christs Death Shewing That no man truly believeth in Christ for Justification that doth not also for Sanctification JOH 17.19 And for their sakes I sanctifie my self that they also may be sanctified through the Truth WE are now come to the end of Christs Sanctification which is two-fold the finis cui and cujus We shall put them both together for so they are conjoyned in the following clause That they might be sanctified through the Truth Wherein you have 1. The final Cause 2. The Manner of accomplishing it The final Cause That they might be sanctified and from this the Socinian would argue That Sanctification in the former clause was not meant of an oblation by way of Sacrifice because the same word is applied to the Apostles in the Text and they were not to be sacrificed for us To answer this First Some Expositours do expound it of their offering up of themselves by Martyrdom to confirm the truth for Paul professeth his willingnesse herein using the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Phil. 2.15 which was used of some kinde of their Sacrifices but we need not runne to that it 's no new thing in Scripture to use the same word in one verse in different significations and it 's a Rule Talia sunt praedicata qualia permittuntur à subjectis The Apostles then needing not such a Sanctification as Christ applied to himself but that for which he prayed in the former verse We must understand it in the same sense as there It 's true by Sanctification some also will have Justification comprehended and so speak of an imputed Sanctification but we need not stretch the word violently but understand it first Of making inwardly holy and then consequently A setting apart and dedicating our selves wholly unto God by living unto him and thence observe That Christ died not only for our Justification but Sanctification also He made himself a Sacrifice not onely to remove the guilt of sinne but to remove and subdue the power of it not onely to make us happy but also holy Let us consider What is implied in this That Sanctification comes by Christs death And First We are to know that Christ is the Cause of our Sanctification several wayes partly efficiently for not only the Father and the Spirit but Christ himself also is the cause of all the holinesse we have and therefore he is called the life because he gives all supernatural life unto his and is compared to the vine Joh. 15. because as the branch separated from the Vine can bring forth no fruit so neither is a man able without Christ to do the least holy action he is also called the Head and John 1. Of his fulnesse we are all said to receive Thus as God in the course of nature is the authour of every natural gift therefore it 's said In him we live and move and have our being Act. 17.28 So in the way of grace Christ is the authour and finisher as of our faith so of every holy work in us The Author Heb. 12.2 and therefore we cannot so much as begin or meet Christ he must prevent us and the finisher for although we have begun yet we have not the same manutenency and powerfull preservation what we have begun to build would immediately fall to the ground Thus Christ is the Alpha and Omega of our spiritual life 2. Christ is the meritorious cause of our Sanctification and therefore not only remission of sin but holinesse and zeal is made the consequent of Christs death And the Apostle doth not only Rom. 7.8 shew that we are justified by Christ but also that the body of sinne is mortified thereby Thus Heb. 10. what Sanctification that Apostate had is attributed to the blood of Christ Christ then hath as efficaciously merited holinesse as happinesse He died to destroy the workes of the devil now our captivity to him was not onely in respect of guilt but that bondage and slavery we were in to all lusts and therefore those two benefits are like Castor and Pollux one cannot be without the other 3. Christ is in some large and improper sense called the formal cause of the good in us an assistant form not informing that is Christ received and applied by faith doth in a most inward and intimate manner live in us and thereby strengtheneth us so the Apostle Gal. 2.20 I no longer live but Christ in me Here you see Christ liveth in a godly man for by faith we are united unto him and thus Christ becomes our Head from whom we have all spiritual influx Now an head is a conjoyned and united cause made one with the body and thus is Christ and his Church and therefore is that similitude of an Head and the Body so often used 4 Christ is the final cause of our Sanctification that is we are made holy to this end both that we might shew forth the praises and glory of Christ as our Redeemer as also that we should live to him and set all our affections and desires upon him desiring with Paul To know nothing but Christ crucified 1 Cor. 2.1 Secondly In that by Christs death we are sanctified there is implied That we of our selves are very impure and unclean that we are like so many noisome dunghils For our being unsanctified doth imply 1. Our filthiness or uncleanness this is the state of every man till sanctified by Christ he is like an unclean leper his
open this Doctrine it 's good to consider these things First That Christ being God as well as man and so a Mediatour in both Natures did know all those who were given unto him by the Father he knew the charge and trust that was committed unto him Even all that have been or shall be and therefore as the High-priest had the names of the twelve Tribes on his breast-plate Thus our Mediatour resembleth him for he hath the name of every one he is the good Shepherd who as he did lay down his life for so also he must necessarily know every one of them This then is to be taken notice of that the Father gave such a number of persons neither more nor lesse unto Christ to purchase their salvation and every one of these he did exactly know for to him as God all things past and to come are as present And therefore though these in the Text are to believe in the future and so have no present being yet they are here comprehended in Christs prayer But of this truth more in the second Description which is of the circumstance of time Secondly As Christ in a Mediatory way did thus receive equally every one to his charge and trust so in the discharge of it he had an equal respect to all Christ did not will the salvation of one beleever more than another he did not intend his blood in the efficacy of it more for Paul or Peter then he did for Mary Magdalen a great sinner if then we speak quoad affectum and intentionem not quoad efficaciam and fructum So Christ was equally a Mediatour to all that are given him by the Father Though we judge that a most unsavoury and unthankfull Doctrine that holds Christ did intentionally and equally die for all for Judas as well as Peter That Christ had no more love in his death to one then another yet if we speak of those who are interessed in him spiritually so it 's true Christ died equally for all that are his he made no difference in his Mediatory acts his eye and love with all that he did was to one as well as another None can say he is my Christ more then anothers he intended me in his death more then another This you heard proved by the Apostle when he said in Christ Jesus there was no respect of persons relations or other differences Hence thirdly Even in respect of the effects and fruits of his Mediatory love in some particulars all are alike There is no difference between one and the other As for instance in Justification all beleevers stand alike justified through the blood of Christ all are accepted of and beloved in Christ alike This we truly maintain when against Papists we affirm That any poor weak woman yea one that hath been a grievous sinner yet if beleeving in Christ is equally justified with the Virgin Mary and the ground is because the reason of our Justification is without us in respect of Christ not in our selves so that as Christ is every where the same thus must our Justification be every where the same It 's true one is more justified then another extensively but not intensively that is one hath more sin forgiven then another Mary Magdalen had more forgiven her then the Virgin Mary but intensively as our Justâ—fication doth consist in Gods favour and acceptation so they were both equal Again if we speak of the application of Christs righteousness so indeed there is a great difference for though Christs righteousnesse be the same yet because some receive this with a stronger faith then others and because the application of this righteousnesse is in us not according to the latitude and worth that it is in Christ but according to our necessity and indigency Therefore we may say Some partake of it more then another Though Christs righteousnesse be in it self the same to all Even as the light of the Sun is the same to every Starre though one Starre partaketh more of it then another This then must needs encourage every believer for he hath the same Christ the same righteousnesse to offer unto God for satisfaction as any Paul or Abraham though the father of the faithfull had If we were to come in our graces and duties to be accepted of then we might truely say I am not comparable to such worthies I cannot speed so well as those that have more eminency but though I have not the same grace with Paul yet I have the same Christ with Paul the same righteousnesse he would be found in the same also I desire to be found in Thus our righteousnesse is alike in Christ Fourthly In the application of Christs benefits there is no regard to external temporal differences Christ doth not communicate himself to a Christian for any external consideration nor are his favours dispensed with such references but according to their spiritual capacities Hence it comes about that some poor weak Christian may enjoy far more of God and Christ then the richest man or the learnedst man that is in the world because Christ dispenseth himself in a spiritual way because they are his members and believe in him not for accidental respects Thus Christ saith I stand at the door and knock Rev. 3.20 if any man open I will come in and sup with him Christ will come to a poor mans house and knock there and will sup with him The meaning is he will manifest himself in a gracious comfortable way to such an one let him be never so contemptible Know then to partake of Christ and to have intimate fellowship with him is not according to the manners of great Kings and Potentates in the earth It 's not here as with Ahashuerus none might come into his presence but such as were perfumed and gloriously prepared for his presence a long while together Every believer may come boldly to the throne of grace and call God Father and never be discouraged for external respects God may make the poor mans cottage an heaven whereas the rich mans palace or hall is many times an hell Christ regards not great men but good men yet this must not be wrested to an Anabaptistical errour that because in spiritual dispensations Christ makes no such difference therefore the publique civil order that is between rich and poor honourable and base is to be confounded No Christs Gospel doth not abolish humane policies and civil differences but doth with great diligence command the renewing of them Take an instance about a believing servant 1 Tim. 6.2 They that have believing masters let them not despise them because they are brethren Servants might think that by Christ all difference is taken away why should he be a servant he hath as much of Christ and is equally beloved of him with his Master Oh saith the Apostle take heed of such corruption grace doth not confound and abolish relations and order but rather confirmeth them and commands to discharge
godly are sometimes raised up for the effecting of a particular mercy they stand in need of Lastly There is this Justifying or saving Faith which hath for it's proper object Christ crucified and so by resting upon him brings reconciliation with God and peace in the conscience It 's true some distinguish between justifying faith and saving as if all that faith which did justifie did not also save but that is built upon that dangerous foundation as if there might be Apostasie from the true faith Now whether this distinction be exact and in what sense it is to be made good I shall not here dispute but take it for a necessary truth Secondly When we say That faith justifieth as it resteth on Christ and receiveth him we do not deny or exclude assent to all other divine truth revealed in Gods word Justifying faith doth necessarily suppose historical or dogmatical faith So that although they be two distinct kinds of faith yet in a justified person all those acts of faith proceed from the same root and habit that principle of faith whereby I am inabled to rest on Christ makes me also firmly to assent to every truth of Gods word yea this dogmatical faith is the foundation of justifying and did men exercise stronger acts of historical faith it would much conduce to our justifying faith and strengthen that did we believe more firmly that Christ came to be a Mediatour then this would quicken up to peculiar confidence in him Therefore the devil hath temptations against both sometimes he assaulteth us in the matter to be believed and sometimes about our application of what we do believe Therefore we are not to oppose these special acts of faith against the general Thirdly This phrase of believing in Christ doth plainly denote a fiducial act of the will and heart as well as the assent of the understanding And this is greatly to be observed that we are not to look upon believing as a disposition to assent to the things of God as true but we do by believing incline the whole heart to trust and rest on Christ in whom we do believe It 's greatly disputed Whether this fiducial application or confidence be of the formal nature of faith or an effect and consequent only of it but I shall wave that at this time It 's plain that to believe in doth denote some cordial and fiducial motion of the soul to the object as it 's center and on that which gives us firm rest Hence faith is called receiving of Christ it 's said to be the eating of his flesh and drinking of his blood It 's called the imbracing of the promises and opposite to this believing is fear Luk. 8.50 and diffidence and wavering So that it 's plain faith hath a fiducial assent with it therefore it 's called believing with the whole heart Act 8.37 The heart believeth Rom. 10.9 as well as the understanding Fourthly Hence it is also That faith is made by some Divines not a simple but an aggregate or compounded habit that it is not in one faculty seated but in two that it is both in the minde and the will And howsoever some have argued against this as being contrary to all Philosophy for one habit to be in two faculties yet the most learned Schoolmen do confess it no absurdity for with some free-will is seated partly in the understanding and partly in the will as also prudence a moral vertue is partly in the minde and partly in the will and all do confesse That though to believe be an immediate act of the understanding yet to this there is required pia affectio in voluntate and indeed seeing as the Apostle saith there is a captivating of the understanding in it's carnal reasons when we do believe that cannot be without some prevalent power upon the will So that we are to look upon Faith as a compounded habit which doth partly work upon the minde by enlightning that and partly upon the will by enclining and strengthning that Fifthly The ground why justifying faith must needs comprehend both is Because that in the promises of the Scripture there is a two-fold object to move our faith for every promise hath in it that which is true and so it requireth assenting acts and then it hath that which is good and so it requireth fiducial and imbracing acts Wonder not then if faith extend it self to two distinct powers of the soul seeing it also reacheth to two distinct objects truth being the object of the understanding and good the object of the will The Apostle comprehends both in that speech 1 Tim. 1.15 This is a faithfull saying and worthy of all acceptation a faithfull saying there is the truth to be believed and worthy of all acceptation there is the good to be imbraced Therefore believing is not a bare speculative assenting to the truth but it is also a sweet quieting and composing of the heart to receive the good promised Hence it 's called receiving Joh. 1. and eating and drinking Joh. 6. it 's compared to the branches receiving moisture from the vine Joh. 15. Sixthly As the Scripture expresseth faith relating to the object believed not to the proposition so at other times it doth expresse the proposition Hence it hath often 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 put to it Doest thou believe that I am the Son of God or that I am sent from the Father This is a proposition to be believed but you must know that faith as it justifieth is not properly in that we believe such a proposition to be true viz. That Christ is God or that he will give eternal life to such as believe but the ens incomplexum that is Christ himself in his Person and Offices is the object of our justifying faith Therefore Christ himself is said to dwell in our hearts by faith Eph. 3. Even as the woman is married to the person of her husband and not to the articles of agreement upon marriage and this is that which makes faith to be so powerfull and noble in it's efficacy because Christ is hereby received in the soul who is the authour and fountain of all spiritual operations So that as when the Sun ariseth in our hemisphere it cannot but give light and heat so also when the Sun of righteousness ariseth in our hearts there is the Spirit of Christ also accompanying him in Sanctification and Mortification Seventhly To justifying faith there are these things required some whereof are antecedent and concomitant others essential and constitutive of it As 1. There must be some explicite knowledge of Christ and understanding of him in his Person and Offices Whether knowledge be an act included in the essence of faith or whether it be preparative and antecedent is disputed Howsoever it 's certain None can believe that doth not know the thing he believeth Henc◠it is that faith is so often in Scripture called knowledge It 's true indeed faith hath not
variety and difference in gifts in graces in offices in outward conditionr yet they must all be one 3. You have the patern of this unity As thou Father in me and I in thee 4. The nature and quality of this unity That they may be one in us 5. The benefit and fruit of this union That the world may believe thuu hast sent me I shall first consider the benefit praied for That they may be one and observe That union rmongst the godly is of so great necessity and consequence that Christ doth in their behalf principally and chiefly pray for this Though in this Unity be included grace and sanctification yet that which is expresly mentioned is their agreement I have handled this Union as it related to Officers in the Church from v. 11. I shall pursue from this Text union amongst believers themselves and because our Saviour doth enlarge himself about it I shall also insist upon it To Open this Truth Consider 1. That the is a two-fold unity or union among the gtdly Invisible and Visible Invisible Unity is that whereby they being united to Christ their head by the Spirit on Gods part and faith on our part do receive spiritual life and encrease in which some Beleevers are compared to the several members of the body and Christ to the head because of that spiritual life and motion they receive from him This is the foundation of our visible union and without this though we may be outwardly of the Church yet we do indeed receive no saving advantage by Christ Of this union the Text speaks not because it 's such an Union that the world seeing it may thereby be induced to believe Therefore 2. there is a visible Vnion whereby Believers do outwardly and visibly expresse their compacted nearnesse to one another and so those particular Churches of Corinth and Ephesus are called Christs body in respect of their external union as well as internal for not only by faith but also by the Ordinances we have fellowship with Christ and with one another Of this visible Unity the Text speaks and this is made a special means to bring the world to believe Whereas on the contrary differences of Opinion and sad rents and sects in Religion is the only way to confirm men in their impiety and to think there is no truth and no religion at all In the second place This visible Union doth diffuse it self in many Branches As 1. There is an unity of Faith and profession when they all believe and speak the same thing This must be laid as the foundation of unity for unity in errour and idolatry or false waies is not peace but a faction or Conspiracy This unity of faith is reckoned among the many unities the Apostle mentioneth Eph. 4.5 Phil. 2.2 They are exhorted to be of one minde and the Apostle notably presseth this 1 Cor. 1.10 that they speak the same thing being perfectly joyned together in the same minde and the same judgement What a sad breach then hath the devil made upon Gods people when there are so few of the same minde and do judge the same things but as you heard it must be a samenesse and unity in the true Faith for the Jews they are one amongst themselves the Mahumetans are one the Papists are so one that they boast of it and make it a note of the true Church Now though this should be granted though they have a thousand divisions amongst themselves yet unless it be unity in the faith unity in the sound doctrine it is nothing at all 2. There is an unity of affection and love in the heart and outwardly one to another Love is called the affection of union and makes a man to be the object he loveth as much as his own and we see the praier of Christ abundantly fulfilled in this respect concerning the Primitive Christians for Act. 4 32. it 's said they were of one heart and of one soul Those thousands of believers were as if they had but one heart and soul among them and thus in Tertullians time the heathens did admire at the love Christians had to one another our Saviour makes it a surer sign of discipleship then if they wrought miracles Joh. 3.35 3. This union is seen in the publike worship and Ordinances which God hath appointed as God said of man at first it was not good he should be alone So it 's true of every believer he is not to serve God alone to think that a private Religion is enough Therefore you have the examples of the primitive Christians Act. 2.1 Act. 5.12 how they met with one accord in one place and that to have the enjoyment of publike Ordinances they praied together the Word was preached to them they received the Sacraments together and the Apostle 1 Cor. 10.16 17. sheweth how the Sacrament of the Lords Supper did declare their union and communion one with another Hence Heb. 10.25 The Apostle reproveth those whose manner it was not to assemble themselves together This vâ—sible union of believers in Church-Ordinances is their highest beauty and their chiefest advantage Hence David professeth his ravishment herein How beautiful are thy Tabernacles O Lord of hosts and Psa 110. it 's called the beauties of Holinesse and Hag. 2. this temple is said to be more glorious then ever the former was and that because of Christs presence therein preaching and reforming all abuses and corruptions When the Ark was taken Phinehas his daughter cried The glory is departed from Israel Hence the Ordinances even in this life are called the Kingdom of heaven because of Gods glorious presence therein David when banished Psa 63.2 longed to see the glory of God as he had seen it in the Sanctuary And then it s our greatest profit and advantage for Gods presence is promised to these So that the Christian Ordinances are the life of the Church There is a larger dispensation of Gods gifts and graces here then otherwise 4. This unity is seen in that publike order and government which Christ hath appointed in his Church as God hath appointed some to be Shepherds and to govern so others to hear and obey he hath commanded admonition and in some cases sharp reproof and where obstinacy is to cast out Now it 's very hard to have unity in this respect for as 1 Cor 14. it appeareth private Christians do difficultly keep within their sphere every member would be an eye as the Apostle there chargeth so it 's hard to meet with an obedient ear though to a wise and godly reproof It 's therefore a blessed thing as to have unity of faith so also of order That is to see every member of the Church with its relation in an harmonious way as it 's in the body though they be heterogeneal parts yet they all harmoniously consociate in their operations This unity of order is like the nerves and ligaments to this spiritual society 5. This
all in matter of Sanctification he comprehends all in love John 13.34 A new Commandment I give unto you that ye love one another A new Commandment not but that the duty was old onely envy and malice had so prevailed amongst the Jews that to love was a new thing as if it had not been a duty required before In John's Epistles it's called both new and old 1 John 2.8 And then again new because there are new motives and a new patern Love one another as I have loved you There was never such a Patern and President before so that it 's not every kinde of love and unity which will give content but that which is in the highest degree of unity it's added vers 35. By this shall all men know ye ' are my Disciples if ye love one another not if ye work miracles if ye cast out devils but if you cast out discord and variance and therefore there is not a greater scandal to Religion and holines then when those that do believe are as the Levites Concubine that was cut into many peeces Again Ch. 15.12 This is my Commandment that ye love one another as I have loved you This is Christs Commandment as if there were nothing else he required but this and as if this were not enough at verse 17. These things I command you that ye love one another as if he should have said If bare information will not do it if instruction will not do it I lay my command and charge upon you Secondly This Vnity and Love is a special means to bring the world to believe the truth and receive Christ So that what the preaching of the Word and Gifts yea miracles use to do that unity and agreement may do This is twice affirmed to be the consequent of unity vers 21. vers 23. That the world may believe thou hast sent me It 's a special way to convince all the enemies of the truth Thus Chap. 13.35 Men shall know ye are my Disciples if ye love one another and do we not see by experience That Papists Heretiques and all prophane men are confirmed in their wickednesse by nothing more then the differences and opinions of such who are godly Do they not by books and otherwise in derision say One Sect saith that hath the Spirit of God another saith that hath and yet both are contrary one to another Can the Spirit of God be contrary to it self Can it be a Spirit of truth in one and a Spirit of falshood in others Now although this be no good argument because the Spirit of God is communicated but in measure to the godly they know but in part and so they love but in part many errours and divisions we are prone unto yet this is a very great stumbling block and therefore woe be to that godly man who by his pride self-conceit or erroneous Doctrine shall bring such a scandal to Religion what if many perish in hell because of thy froward spirit It is true there ought to be zeal against errours and corruptions though in the godly You see when Peter did not walk right Paul resisted him to the face and would not give place to him or other false teachers no not for an hour Gal. 2.5 Mark that No not for an hour Some think let them alone they will recover themselves they will do no hurt truth needs not be afraid yet Paul was afraid that an hours forbearance might do hurt Therefore he addeth That the truth of the Gospel might continue amongst you as if an hours forbearance might hinder the continuance of truth so that we are to use Scripture-zeal and Scripture-means to convince even those that are godly when erring in Doctrine Therefore the Scripture doth not commend an unity and love so as to let all errours and prophanenesse alone but in that which is good unity in that which is truth and holinesse is that which Christ meaneth here in his prayer and where this is it 's very potent to winne all gain-sayers It 's admirable to mollifie the hearts of the opposers Hence it 's so often reported of the primitive Christians That they were daily with one accord together Therefore the Evangelist Luke records it at least five times so that if nothing else should make thee tender about causing any breaches in the Church of God this should thou dost as much as lieth in thee to hinder any man that knoweth thee ever to believe and to be converted Thirdly This Vnity is promised as a special part of the Covenant of Grace That very Covenant which promiseth to write the Law of God in our hearts and to put his fear in our inward parts that also promiseth unity at the same time Jer. 32.39 I will be their God and they shall be my people I will give them one heart and one way that they may fear me for ever Insomuch that it 's one main branch in the Covenant of Grace So Zech 14.9 In that day there shall be one Lord and his name one The meaning is They shall not worship many gods or serve in different wayes of worship but they shall be one To this purpose Ezekiel prophesieth Chap. 37.16 22. which is not to be limited to the Jews only but also to all the believing Gentiles Oh then in these times of differences and breaches amongst the godly What should we runne unto What should we plead in prayer but these promises O Lord to be thus divided to have Altar against Altar Church against Church Prophet against Prophet Is this to have one heart and one way But you may say If God hath thus promised it and Christ hath prayed for it who was heard of the Father in every thing How comes it about that the contrary appeareth This is to be answered in it's time Fourthly Vnity is necessary because hereby a serviceable and beneficiall helping of one another in spiritual things is preserved The people of God are compared to living stones built up together while the stones keep in the building they bear one another but if once removed it fals down They are compared to members in the body while they are joyned together There is a mutual ministration to each other but when divided from the body no part can receive any nourishment Thus it is here while the people of God are in union Oh the wonderfull help they are to one another they provoke one another they stirre up one anothers graces but take these coals from one another and then the fire goeth out And this may be the reason why our Saviour doth not mention the Sanctification and holinesse of believers but their unity because this is a special means to preserve and increase holinesse Two are better then one because of heat and of help saith the Wise-man Eccles 4.10 and so it 's in this work of Grace two are better then one to warm one another How may thy zeal help against anothers lukewarmnesse
into Eternall perdition and therefore our Saviour chargeth the Pharisees Joh. 6. That they were of their Father the devil because they did his works Thus if Christ be in thee thou wilt do the works of Christ shew forth the patience the meeknesse the zeal of Christ if Christ be in thee â—â—ou wilt have a Christ-like operation and therefore the godly are said to put on Christ Gal. 3.27 As a garment which covers the whole body so that no nakednesse appeareth Thus Christ onely ought to be seen in us not our own infirmities and corruptions nothing of our selves but Christ 2. Where Christ is there he is all in all he is instead of all to that believer Gal. 3.28 There is neither Jew nor Gentile c. but Christ is all in all Two things are affirmed He is in all Every believer though never so weak and infirm hath Christ as well as the noblest as the soul is in every finger and toe as well as in the head which should be a great consolation to a weak believer for though thou hast not as good gifts and parts as good grace and holinesse yet thou hast as good a Christ as the chiefest pillars in Religion have but then he addeth that as Christ is in all so he is all What all is Christ He is all priviledges as appeareth by the Context he is Jew and Greek he is male and female that is Christ is instead of all priviledges and prerogatives hence 1 Cor. 1. he is said to be made of God to us wisedom righteousnesse and redemption and we are said to be compleat in him So that wheresoever Christ is there he is all to that soul He is wisedome to it righteousnesse to it all spiritual priviledges yea and all temporall comforts likewise He is husband wife friend riches health Thus he is all things to the soul eminently and virtually again he is all things meritoriously there being no benefit a beleever can stand in need of but he hath purchased it by his death he is also all things efficiently because he subdueth every sin he quickeneth to every grace so that a beleever can never say I am in such a condition in such a temptation that Christ himself cannot help me 3. Where Christ is in a man there also his Spirit is putting it self forth in the severall operations thereof an illuminating spirit a guiding leading spirit a sanctifying and sealing spirit So that men do absurdly boast of their Interest in Christ who yet finde none of these efficacious works of Gods Spirit within them The Apostle John speaketh notably to this 1 Joh. 4.13 Hereby know we that we dâ—ell in him and he in us because he hath given us of his spirit So that as the beams of the Sun discover the Sun so do the spirituall effects of the holy spirit manifest Christ to be in us Vse of Examination Try your selves in this main Point as the Apostle saith 1 Cor. 13.5 Know ye not that Jesus Christ is in you except ye be Reprobates If you take the word as signifying one of an unsound minde it argueth that man is very unsound and unskilfull who findes not Christ in him As they sought for a proof of Christs being in Paul So do thou of his being in thee If Christ be in thee why is there so much of the devil of sin and the world if Christ be in thee how come his Enemies also to be in thee But you will say May not Christ be in a Beleever and yet he not feel it or be sensible of it yea think the clean contrary that Christ hath left him I answer it is often so and thus Christ may not manifest himself to be in us sometimes for triall sake to give us experience of our own need without him as Christ slept in the â—â—ip and suffered the windes and storms to arise that they might call more earnestly upon him sometimes we through our corruptions and sins do provoke him to withdraw his powerful operations We entertain his enemies and then he hideth himself from us especially our unbeleef hinders the lively operations of Christ in us for as Christ dwels in our hearts so he worketh in our hearts by faith SERMON CXXVIII Of the Fathers being in Christ Of both their being in Believers And how that can be and yet they not quite freed from Sinne and Sorrow JOHN 17.23 I in them and thou in me THe next thing considerable in this Text is the highest round in this ladder of Unity and that is The Fathers being in Christ As I am in them so thou in me The words need no further explication then what will necessarily be discussed in the Doctrine onely when Christ is said to be in beleevers and the Father in him this is not to be understood exclusively as if the Father were not also in beleevers for the Scripture expressly affirmeth that Joh. 14.23 yea it 's impossible to have the Son in us and not the Father also 2 ep Joh. 29. He that abideth in the doctrine of Christ hath both the Father and the Son Yea we cannot know the Sonne or believe in him except we believe in the Father also Joh. 1.4 7 8 9. When Philip desired Christ to shew him the Father because Christ spake so much of him our Saviour doth first reprove Philip and then instruct him Reprove vers 9. Have I been so long time with you and yet thou hast not known me Observe that Philip desired to see the Father and Christ rebuketh him for not knowing of him and then instructs him He that hath seen me hath seen the Father also and thereupon he proceeds to exhortation ver 11. Believe me that I am in the Father and the Father in me So that by this discourse none can know or beleeve in Christ but he must also know and beleeve in the Father and because the Disciples were not so fully acquainted herein they are checked by our Saviour saying Have I been so long time with you and ye know not me The longer time people have lived under means of grace and yet not acquainted with divine truths it is the greater condemnation When we speak of the Fathers being in Christ this is not to be understood in a speculative and abstracted sense but practically and as it relateth to us for to that purpose is it spoken by our Saviour that hereby it might be shewed that the Father is in us also Obs That as Christ is in us so the Father being in Christ is also thereby in us In this Position there are two distinct things 1. That the Father is in Christ 2. That by this means the Father is also and abideth in us For the first The Father is in Christ and that in several respects 1. In respect of the Divine Nature for so the Father is in the Son as in the expresse Image and representation of him thus the Son is called the Image of his Father Col. 1.15
of the Petition our Saviour doth further confirm it by continuing this prayer with several arguments more whereof the first is from the opposition or antithesis that is between the wicked damned world and believers expressed in these words The world hath not known that is their Character 2. You have the Description of believers These have known thou hast sent me 3. The fontal cause and original of it I have known thee 4. The Compellation given to God suiting the argument in hand righteous Father This is the sixt time that Christ cals him Father in this prayer and no wonder because as you heard it 's so sweet a relation producing all love delight joy and confidence in God by him that practically improveth it but that I have dispatched only I must not passe by that adjunct or title further qualifying this Father viz. righteous righteous Father formerly when he prayed for the sanctification of his Disciples then he said holy Father making use of that attribute which is the cause of all holiness in the creature but now speaking of that dreadfull and wonderfull dispensation of God whereby to some he revealeth himself and others again he suffers to perish in their rebellion therefore it is that he pitcheth on a sutable attribute Righteous Father It 's true indeed the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is sometimes used of a man in respect of his universal rectitude and uprightness and so some take it here and then it 's no more then that former compellation 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 holy Father but the altering of the word with the context may incline us to understand it differently Now you must know righteousness may be attributed to God generally and particularly generally as it comprehends the whole rectitude and universal purity of his whole nature or particularly and that several wayes 1. The righteousnesse of his fidelity and promise whereby he doth make good to all believers whatsoever he hath said even to the meanest and lowest act of grace Thus 1 Tim. 4.8 Paul saith The righteous Judge will give him a Crown of glory And 1 Joh. 1.9 If we confess our sins God is faithfull and righteous to forgive them Here is righteousness and the godly may plead heaven because of Gods righteousness but it 's only a righteousness of promise or fidelity in God not any strict remunerative righteousness as if from the good works themselves God were bound to reward them Indeed Maldonate he would fasten this interpretation upon the word as if our Saviour did plead the merits of believers but this is so proud and presumptuous that we will not spend time to confute it 2. There is a punitive and vindicative righteousness which God exerciseth to the wicked impenitent world and that both in spiritual and temporal punishment of which Revel 16.7 19.2 Righteous are the judgements of God Now I shall comprehend both these kinds of righteousness righteousness of God as a Father in respect of those who believe in him and righteousness of God as a Judge in respect of the world which doth not know him Observ That God whether considered as a Judge of the world or a Father to believers is righteous in all his wayes This truth is of great use if duly improved for what will silence all thy disputes all thy murmurings What will rebuke those winds and waves of thy soul but this The Lord is righteous Let us take notice of Gods righteousness in this two-fold consideration for both are aimed at in the expression by our Saviour And First The righteousness of God as a Judge of the world and as his administrations to wicked men they are so righteous and just that even the devils and wicked men though they may blaspheme yet cannot say God is unjust or doth them any wrong And although the Arminians and such infected persons who with their whole strength indeavour to overthrow Gods absolute Election of some to eternal life and the preterition and passing by of others bring specious Arguments as if the Orthodox by this Doctrine made him unjust and more cruel then any man yet such can prevail only with those that leave Scripture and consult with humane affections and indulge too much to natural reason For R. 1 1. When the Scripture is so positively and clear that some are elected some are given by the Father to Christ some are vessels of honour and mercy and others not loved by God to eternal life but left to themselves and so become by their sinfulness vessels of wrath and when not onely Scripture but experience also doth confirm this That the greatest part of the world yea and the Christian Church die in their sins and do eternally perish For many are called but few are chosen When I say Scripture and experience is clear for such a thing it 's presumption in us to argue from thence unrighteousness in God For can we search into the deep counsels of God Do we comprehend the purposes and ends of God We should rather conclude There is righteousness in all these things though we cannot pierce into it The Apostle in Rom. 9. doth beat down such presumptuous cavillings with God and we may observe That though David and Jeremiah were greatly disquieted with anxious disputes about Gods proceedings in his administrations yet they lay down this as a peremptory conclusion and they fortifie themselves with this against all insurrections of spirit The Lord is righteous Gods will is the law of righteousness and none but God himself whose understanding is infinite can comprehend his own wayes R. 2 2. God is not unrighteous in passing by some and leaving others Because he hath an absolute soveraignty and dominion over all He is not subject to any as a superior Neither is he bound by any Laws imposed upon him only his own holiness is that eternal Rule and Law by which he doth all things and if none may say unto a King why doest thou so Much less to the King of Kings Therefore learned Divines make Election neither an act of mercy or of justice but of soveraignty and dominion only R. 3 3. God is not unjust Because if he had not saved one man but left all in their undone estate he had done no more then he might do For why should it be unjust in reference to man more then in reference to the apostate Angels for of that whole number of them which fell there is not one redeemed from their eternal miseries and are we of more noble consideration then those spirits yea one of them might have done God more service if restored then many men could do So that this consideration should bridle our unruly thoughts and we should rather admire and praise the goodness and grace of God that any one is saved rather then charge God sinfully and foolishly as we are apt to do because no more R. 4 Lastly There is no injustice in God he is a righteous Judge of the
everlasting glory laid up for them 129 God gives them a large opportunity of Working ib. Put no confidence in your Workes ibid. World The World was not from Eternity 155 Proved by Scripture and four Reasons 156 That God made the World in time is usefull seven wayes 157 159 Gods people are in the World but not of it 170 The several significations of the World in Scripture 171 231 The people of God are called out of the World 172 Seven Demonstrations of it 173 c. Three Reasons of it 175 Worlds great enmity against those that be godly 283 What it is to be of the World 434 How Christ is said not to be of the World 435 The not being of the World is that which makes wicked men hate the godly 435 What it is not to be of the World The World is ignorant of God in a saving manner 678 Demonstrations of the Point ib. FINIS A CATALOGUE OF THE Chiefest of such BOOKS as are Printed FOR THOMAS VNDERHILL By Col. Edw. Leigh Esquire A Treatise of the Divine Promises in Five Books The Saints Encouragement in Evil Times Critica Sacra or Observations on all the Radices or Primitive Hebrew words of the Old Testament in order Alphabetical Critica Sacra or Philological and Theological Observations upon all Greek words of the New-Testament in order Alphabetical By Samuel Gott Esquire Novae Solymae Librisex Sive Institutio Christiani 1. De Pueritia 2. De Creatione Mundi 3. De Jnventute 4. De Peccato 5. De Virili Aetate 6. De Redemptione Hominis Essayes concerning Mans true Happiness Parabola Evangelicae Latinè redditae Carmine Paraphrastico varii generis Morton His Touch stone of Conversion Mr Hezekiah Woodward Of Education of Youth or The Child◠Patrimony The Lives and Acts of the good and bad Kings of Judah A Treatise of Fear A Thank-offering Mr Samuel Fisher A Love-Token for Mourners being two Funeral Sermons and Meditatitions preparatory to his own expected Death in a time and place of great Mortality Mr Herbert Palmer and Mr Daniel Cawdrey A Treatise of the Sabbath in four parts Memorials of Godliness and Christianity in seven Treatises 1. Of making Religion ones Business With an Appendix applied to the Calling of a Minister 2. The Character of a Christian in Paradoxes 3. The Character of visible Godlinesse 4. Considerations to excite to Watchfulness and to shake off spiritual Drowsiness 5. Remedies against Carefulnesse 6. The Soul of Fasting 7. Brief Rules for daily Conversation and particular Directions for the Lords-day His Sermon entituled The Glass of Gods Providence toward his faithfull ones His Sermon entituled The Duty and Honour of Church-Rest Mr William Barton His Psalms His Catalogue of Sins and Duties implied in each Commandment in Verse Mr Vicars Chronicle in four parts Mr Samuel Clark A General Martyrology or A History of all the great Persecutions that have been in the world to this time Together with the Lives of many eminent Modern Divines His Sermon at the Warwickshire mens Feast entituled Christian Good-fellowship Mr Kings Marriage of the Lamb. Mr Shorts Theological Poems The French Alphabet Jus Divinum Ministerii by the Provincial-Assembly of London Mr Thomas Blake His Answer to Blackwood of Baptism Birth-Priviledge Mr Cook His Font uncovered Dr John Wallis His Explanation of the Assemblies Catechism Mr Langley's Catechism Mr Austin's Catechism Mr Vicars's Catechism Mr Pagit's Defence of Church-Government by Presbyterial Classical and Synodal Assemblies Mr Tho. Paget A Demonstration of Family-Duties Mr Anthony Burgess Vindiciae Legis or A Vindication of the Law and Covenants from the Errors of Papists Socinians and Antinomians A Treatise of Justification in two Parts Spiritual Refining Part 1. or A Treatise of Grace and Assurance Handling the Doctrine of Assurance the Use of Signs in Self-examination how true Graces may be distinguished from counterfeit several true Signs of Grace and many false ones The Nature of Grace under divers Scripture notions viz. Regeneration the New-Creature the Heart of Flesh Vocation Sanctification c. Spiritual Refining the Second Part or A Treatise of Sinne with its Causes Differences Mitigations and Aggravations specially of the Deceitfulnesse of the Heart of Presumptuous and Raigning Sinnes and of Hypocrisie and Formality in Religion All tending to unmask Counterfeit Christians Terrifie the ungodly Comfort doubting Saints Humble man and Exalt the Grace of God His CXLV Sermons upon the whole 17th Chapter of St John being Christs Prayer before his Passion The Difficulty of and Encouragements to Reformation a Sermon upon Mark 1. vers 2 3. before the House of Commons A Sermon before the Court-Marshal Psal 106.30 31. The Magistrates Commission upon Rom. 13.4 at the Election of a Lord Maior Romes Cruelty and Apostasie upon Revel 19.2 preached before the House of Commons on the 5th of November The Reformation of the Church to be endeavoured more then the Commonwealth upon Judges 6.27 28 29. preached before the House of Lords Publique Affections pressed upon Numb 11.12 before the House of Commons Mr Richard Baxter Plain Scripture-proof of Infant-Baptism The Right Method for getting and keeping Spiritual Peace and Comfort The Unreasonableness of Infidelity in four Parts 1. The Spirits Intrinsick witnesse to the truth of Christianity with a Determination of this Question Whether the Miracles of Christ and his Apostles do oblige those to believe who never saw them 2. The Spirits Internal witness of the truth of Christianity 3. A Treatise of the Sin against the holy Ghost 4. The Arrogancy of Reason against Divine Revelation repressed The Christian-Concord or The Agreement of the Associated Ministers of Worcestershire with Mr Baxters Explication of it A Defence of the Worcestershire Petition for the Ministry and Maintenance The Quakers Catechism An Apology against Mr Blake Dr Kendal Mr Lodovicus Molineus Mr Aires and Mr Crandon His Confession of Faith The Saints everlasting Rest The TEXTS Explained and Vindicated in this TREATISE Genesis Chap. Vers Pag. 49 6 609 Deuteronomy 3 8 362 25 2 363 1 Samuel 20 31 363 2 Samuel 2 7 362 1 Kings 8 27 7 2 Chronicles 33 13 85 Psalms 10 17 139 17 89 301 19 1 159 68 20 451 69 11 176 103 14 528 119 6 201 Proverbs 28 9 141 28 14 358 Ecclesiastes 5 2 132 7 17 449 8 11 369 Isaiah 4 5 6 395 8 6 490 33 14 70 40 6 383 57 1 450 61 3 414 65 9 20 357 Jeremiah 32 39 358 50 27 451 Ezekiel 37 16 22 566 Hosea 9 4 413 Zechariah 14 9 56◠Malachi 1 7 657 Matthew 5 48 263 6 20 64 6 7 135 11 27 38 13 37 182 16 18 360 21 32 545 23 9 257 24 36 363 26 14 375 Mark 9 50 321 9 24 530 13 22 357 Luke 1 70 322 12 29 554 22 13 284 John 1 16 40 1 3 150 1 10 606 6 29 211 6 39 349 7 7 435 8 55 151 10 28 349 14 6 37 14 12 291 15 2 375 15 11 400
upon this will bring much Consolation Considering 1. Gods taking the more care of them 2. Their being quaiified as that come under Christs Fraier 3. And that God will ere long take them out of the world Quest Answ Observ How many wayes a godly man may be more sanctified 1. Inrensively 2. Extensively 3. In the deeper radication of grace in our hearts 4. Subjectively 5. Efficienter Growth in Sanctification illustrated by the contraries unto it which are these Reasons Vse Observ That the word of God is the instrument of our sanctification The explication of the point The necessity of learned officers in the Church The Word is Gods instrument and faith is mans The Word is not the principal or efficient but the instrumental cause The necessity of Gods efficiency Without Gods blessing men may by the Scriptures through interpretation be corrupted Instrumentall Causes are physical natural or moral One cause must not be opposed to other causes The Word is the ordinary means The word to some through their wickednes becomes an instrument of greater sinfullness Doct. The Word of God is Truth In how many particulars Gods Word is true I. In regard of the efficient Cause God II. It 's the Rule of all Truth III. It 's true materially IV. Qualitatively V. It 's true Instrumentally There is a threefold Truth we cannot attain to without the Scripture 1. True Doctrine 2. True Piety 3. True Consolation VI. The Scripture is true oppositely to all the Opinions Doctrines and Religions that men set up by their own fancy The excellent properties of the truth of Scripture 1. It 's the truth of God 2. It 's infallible 3. Eternal 4. Universal 5. Supernaturall 6. A holy truth 7. A precious truth 8. A bitter truth Doct. Truth and holinesse are requisite in Ministers of the Gospel Why it is requisite Ministers should be endowed with soundnesse of judgement Why Ministers must be holy Vse T Doct. 2. That Christ hath a peculiar love of those who are in Church-Office according to his rule and way In what particular Christs care is shewed to his Ministers Observ Christ was sent of the Father and did not of himself undertake that office he was imployed in while on the earth Of Christs Commission consider these things The necessity of Christs being sent Observ None may undertake the publike Office of the Ministry without a lawful Call thereunto Dist 1. There is a two-fold sending Mediate and Immediate Dist 2. The substance of the Ministerial Office is the same with that which every Minister hath Rules for private Christians exercising their Gifts Whether reading be preaching Heinsius Grotius Vocation to the Office of the Ministry consists in these things I. Inward qualifications II. Outward Distinct ult That there is a distinct Oâ—fice of the Ministry That none may enter into this Office without an authoritative mission Doct. That Christ set himself apart to be a Sacrifice for us In my Treatise of justification What Christs sanctifying himself implieth I. His purity and holinesse II His ready offering himself for us III. His fitnesse for the office of a Mediatour 1. The fitnesse of his Person 2. His fitnesse in regard of his Offices 1. Prophetical 2. Priestly 3. Kingly IV. He is prepared for this work Benefits of Christs sanctifying himself V. That he was wholly set apart for us VI. That if by faith we improve him not for those ends God appointed him we make him a Christ in vain VII It denotes him a sinner by imputation VIII That he was a Priest to make atonement for us Concerning Christs priestly-office Consider these things Wherein this prayer and his intercession in heaven differ The adâ—unct of his Priestly Office Observ That Christ was not only the Priest but the Sacrifice it self Propositions concerning Christs Priesthood I. That Christ was both Priest Sacrifice and Altar II. What things are necessary to a Sacrifice III. He offered himself to God IV. It was by way of Expiotion V. The necessity of it The properties of Christs Sacrifice I. It hath infinite worth in it II. Though Christ offered himself as a Sacrifiae yet the application must be as God hath appointed III. Christs bloud washeth away not only the guilt of sin but the filth of it IV. The vertue of his Sacrifice abides for ever V. It 's continually useful VI. It 's prevalent with God VII It 's that Christ presents to his Father VIII The purity of it IX The vertue of it Observ Christ died not only for our justification also Concerning this point consider I. How many wayes is the Christ is the cause of our Sanctification II. What is implied in our being sanctified by Christ III. What may be inferred from our being sanctified by Christs sanctifying himself IV. Wherein the truth of Sanctification lieth Doct. That Christ though God yet as man did pray unto the Father Upon what grounds Christ who was God as well as man did pray The difference between Christs praier and ours What advantage Beleevers have by Christ Doct. In what respects Christ did as much for one believer as another There is some difference between beleevers in respect of Christs Death Observ That such is Christs care and love to his remembred in his prayer and death even before they had a being Doct. Reasons Doct. That the faith which â—ustififieth and saveth us maketh us wholly to depend on Christ The several kinds of faith The object of faith It 's an act of the will as wel as the understanding The seat of faith These things are required to justifying faith I. Of faith under the notion of receiving Christ The receiving of Christ implyeth 1. That we have nothing of our own 2. That we are wholly passive in justification 3. That faith doth not justifie for any intrinsecal worth in it 4. Faith is excluded as it is a work 5. And why faith and no other grace doth justifie II. This receiving is not a bare receiving but an imbracing also III. In this act of faith there is a fiducial reposing of the soul upon Christ IV. An application of Christ V. This recumbent act of faith may not only thus receive Christ but we may be assured that Christ is ours Faith hath two acts a direct and a reflex Quest Observ God hath appointed a perpetual Ministry to the end of the world Quest Answ Doct. Consider That there is a two-fold Unity among the godly I. Invisible II. Visible III. 1. The excellency and necessity of unity among Christians appears by the vehement and affectionate praier for it 2. It s a means to bring the world to believe the truth 3. It s promised as a special part of the Covenant 4 Hereby a serviceable helping of one another in spirituaâ—l things is preserved 5. God suffers sad persecutions to befall them that thereby their discords may be removed 6. Unity strengthens 7. It is beautifull and comely 9. Divisions are the fruit of the flesh 10. Because all things
truth of Scripture Thus Christ John 8.40 told the Pharisees They thought to kill him because he told them the truth And Paul Gal. 4.16 Am I become your enemy because I tell you the truth The Ministers of this truth are compared to light that is offensive to sore eyes and salt that doth grieve and vex the wounded man Indeed truth if rightly considered is not grievous but to do otherwise then obey truth It 's not the threatning of hell and damnation that should be so grievous but the punishments themselves They cried out of our Saviour saying It was an hard speech of what he had spoken but it 's an harder thing to lie roaring in hell-flames to all eternity Vse Is the word of God thus Truth then be possessed and filled with it Let truth be in your mindes truth in your hearts truth in your lives Take heed of all errours and heresies they oppose the Doctrinal Truths of the Scripture Take heed of all prophaneness and impiety they oppose the practical Truths Oh remember if Gods word be truth then woe be to thee thou art in a lying way in a seduced and damnable way Only know it 's not enough to have a general knowledge of Scripture-Truths but endeavour after a particular practical discerning of them The Scripture cals it knowing the Truth as it is in Jesus Eph. 4.21 and the acknowledging of the truth after godlinesse Tit. 1.1 Tantum scimus quantum operamur We know no more in Gods account then we put in practice Take heed then of being in the number of those Rom. 1.18 who hold the Truth in unrighteousnesse Say as the Apostle in his Ministry 2 Cor. 13.18 So thou in thy whole particular conversation I can do nothing against the Truth but for it This would be a Preservative every way SERMON XCIV How requisite a sound minde and a holy life are to a Minister of the Gospel And of Christs peculiar love to and care of such JOH 17.18 As thou hast sent me into the world even so have I sent them into the world THis Verse begins a New Argument or Reason why the Apostles need Sanctification by the Truth It 's drawn not from the generall Consideration as they are Beleevers but from the particular Relation they were in commissionated with Office to preach the Truth of God Before I enter upon the words the Coherence of this Argument with the Petition doth deserve some Consideration though the particle of Connexion be not expressed yet it is to be supposed howsoever this followeth next in order upon that Petition and therefore there cannot be but Coherence of the matter I shall not trouble you with the Conjectures of Interpreters but pitch on that which is easily acknowledged to be very genuine and plain And first Whereas Sanctification by the Truth is desired for the Apostles because they were to be Officers in the Church and Ministers of the Gospel Whence Observe That Truth and Holinesse are requisite in the Ministers of the Gospel Sanctifie them by thy Truth Why because they are sent to preach the Gospel and they have thy Authority This is the reason why Christ though he called his Apostles immediatly from their worldly calling yet it was two years as Chemnitius in his Harmony computeth ere he sent them out to preach but kept them in his Family and under his Instruction that so they might attain both to true Doctrine and an holy Life This was represented Exod. 28.30 by the Vrim and Thummim which were to be on the Breastplate Light and Perfection sound Doctrine and Integrity of Life Hence the Apostle in the Qualification of Ministers requireth doctrinall abilities that he be apt to teach and can divide the Word of God aright as also many practical Qualifications for holy and unblamable life 1 Tim. 3.2 The Scripture compareth the Ministers of God to Stars and that both for their light and purity differing as Philosophers say from the substance of sublunary things 1. Let us Consider the Grounds why they are to be endowed with Truth and to have a sound minde And first From the Quality of the Office Their Office is to preach the Truth They are appointed to declare the Word of God and that only not humane Inventions not the thoughts of their own heart for if Christ himself avoucheth this that his doctrine was not his own but his that sent him and doth still referre all to the Father that sent him how much more ought the Ministers of God to declare what they reade and what they have received of God by the Scriptures not their own conceits Thus the Prophets of old began their Sermons with Thus saith the Lord and the Apostles begin their Epistles with their call and office Apostles and Servants of God Seeing therefore they have such an Office and Trust that requireth in the very Essentials of it nothing but Truth they ought earnestly to pray for it They are called the Light and the Salt of the Earth Now if the Light be dark all the body is dark If Salt hath lost his Seasoning it 's good for nothing By their Office they are to be the Ministers of Truth as Paul said I can do nothing against the Truth but for it 2 Corinth 13.8 This is a Minister after Gods own Heart that is thus qualified Secondly Truth is necessary if you do respect the subordination of their Office Christ hath not sent them to be Masters and Lords over mens Faith to propound their own Dictates and to anathematize such as do not immediatly obey No They have a Ministeriall not a Magisteriall Office for though in respect of the people they are Guides and Overseers and Shepheards yet in respect of God they are Ministers and Servants They are under Christ the Head and so must not deliver any thing but what they have received They may not make Articles of Faith they cannot appoint the worship of God They cannot institute new Sacraments It 's spiritual Treason in them to do this They are like the skillfull Gemmary that doth not make the Jewell only by his skill doth discover which is true or like Solomon that did not make the true Childe but by his Wisedom did manifest it So the Ministers of the Gospel though never so Learned never so holy yet they of their own authority cannot make any new Truth or new Ordinance Therefore they are compared to Embassadors that are bound up by their Commission To Stewards not Masters in the House The Scripture is called Gods Testament or Will Now the Lawyer may not adde or take away from it though he hath never so much skill and knowledge it would be sinful forgery in him to do so Thus Beloved we Ministers are bound up to Gods Word as that last Will he hath appointed how he will have his Church governed how it must beleeve how it must worship and it must be high Sacriledge to adde or detract from it Therefore if Scripture-Truths
respect of the stability of their assent to divine truths when yet they had great temptations to assault them and we read sometimes of the Disciples that upon the working of some great miracles by our Saviour they are said then to believe not but that they beleived before only they did grow and encrease in this more Oh then in times of great disputes when learned and godly men differ in many things it behoveth the godly Christian to fly to this manifestation of Christ Oh say declare it Lord and still declare it to me more and more And certainly it appeareth by Mat. 24. That those who are false Prophets have so many fair pretences and deceivable wayes that if it were possible they would deceive the very elect so that it 's a very great mercy to be of a sound mind and established in the truth That as Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and to day and for ever so also believers are to be 3. We need Christs daily declaration in respect of the efficacy and practical operation of our knowledge So that although we know all mysteries yet if the power of Christ doth not make us to acknowledge these things in a godly manner We are but as tinkling cymbals you see Paul made knowledge a meer puff a nothing without charity 1 Cor. 13. and our Saviour puts happiness upon the doing not knowing of these things John 14.17 A Christian may grow two wayes in the extension of knowledge or in the efficacy of knowledge and this is greatly to be lamented many desire to know more opinions and more notions many are still propounding more questions after questions but the Apostle Ephes 4. tels us of the knowing of the truth as it is in Jesus which makes a Christian put off the oldman and put on the new as also an acknowledgment of the truth after godliness Tit. 1. Oh therefore pray that Christ would declare his truths to thee so as they may not only be in thy head but sink down into thy heart and be there like fire inflaming thy bowels It 's not growing in knowledg at it is knowledge but growing in it as it is saving and operative which makes a man fitted for everlasting glory As it is not the knowing of what is excellent food that doth nourish a man but the eating of it and this only doth the Scripture vouchsafe to call knowledge indeed Oh then examine thy self Dost thou so know God as to live on him by faith to love and fear him Dost thou so know Christ as to make him a Mediatour to thee in an appropriated manner Doest thou so know the promises as to relie on them and to make them thy cordial in all temptations This is to know in the Scripture language So that the Christians knowledge is wholly in tendency to operation as all motion is for rest if it be barren it increaseth our condemnation and not further our consolation In the next place Let us consider what are the reasons why Christ must continually teach his people And 1. It is because all heavenly things are revealed from God only Even as it is said of the Creation John 1. All things were made by him and without him was nothing made that was made Thus all knowledge in a supernatural manner comes from him and without him we know nothing Now all those things which require a supernatural power for to give the first existence to them require such a power to continue them therein Hence as Christ made all things Heb. 1. he is still said to bear up all things by his power and thus likewise it is in regard of all saving knowledge that same Spirit of Christ which did at first teach us must in the whole progress of our lives teach us As a man cannot beleive of himself so neither increase in faith or know more firmly and evidently of himself All saving knowledge is part of that work of grace which God is the author of in the soul Now in all the course of grace and progress therein it 's plain we need the auxiliary power of God continually Thus the Apostle speaking even to those that did believe already yet he saith It 's God that worketh in us to will and do and as it 's God that beginneth so it is he that finisheth every good work Hence Christ is said to be the author and finisher of our Faith Heb. 12.2 As it is thus in grace if God did not keep every godly man he would fall into the dirt and all noisome lusts from which he was once converted So if God did not keep us firmly and constantly in his truth there is no damnable heresie or blasphemy that is fetched out of hel it self which a godly man would not fal into So that it 's the Covenant and promise of God which keepeth a man equally from erroneous opinions and sinfull practices 3. There is a necessity of Christs constant teaching his people because of the imperfection and weakness which is in their best knowledge That as he pray'd about his faith I believe help my unbelief so I know Lord help my ignorance and therefore it is that he will have a Ministry alwayes in the Church which as that is to grow constantly in knowledge so ought the people much more Oh then be affected with the true and right apprehensions of the sins of thy minde and thou wilt quickly see that unless Christ be thy teacher thou shalt die in thy ignorance 4. There is a necessity of Christs further teaching because of the great advantage in a grown knowledge As 1. A man is thereby more able to discern between things that differ he can separate the dross from the gold 2. He will be more evangelical in the frame of his Spirit Heb. 6. The babe is unskilfull in the word of righteousness Ignorance causeth many scruples and fears which do hinder those spiritual consolations that should abound in the heart of the godly 3 Hereby they may be guides to others The Apostle Rom 14. sheweth the many duties of a strong Christian in respect of a weak It 's a blessed thing to be a means of edification of others or the reducing of such as have gone astray for want of this growth many parents many husbands though godly for the main cannot do their duties Vse 1. Of humiliation to the best persons and the best Churches they still need more light It 's not enough Christ hath declared to them but he must still declare not indeed new substantials and essentials to salvation but in regard of the superstructures of holiness and truth That Doctrine in Popery The Church cannot erre makes her incurable and is also grosly arrogant In particular persons this would also breed self-emptiness an high esteem of the Ordinances it would prevent heresies and errours men being commonly confident of themselves therein as also any severe and uncharitable censuring of others knowing as it is said Phil. 3.15 God may in