Death that is the Devil and again Col. 2.15 And having spoiled Principalities and Powers Dicitur Diabolus duas habuisse manus unam attrahentem qua trahebat omnes ad infetos quae amputata est et ei quantum ad bonos per passionem Christi et manum flagellantem quae debilitata est quae vexat tamen bonos ad exercitium Altissiod Lib 3. Tract 1 cap. 8. he made a shew of them openly triumphing over them in it that is the Cross So that when Christ died on the Cross he did then break and rout the Forces of Satan insomuch as al the Forces that he can draw up together against the Seed of Christ are but some rallied Troops then was his Field-Army broken and Christ triumphed over them al upon the Cross Surely therefore this breaking of the Power and Force of Satan is another Fruit and immediate Effect of the Death of Christ Sixtly As Christ did break the power of Satan by the power of his Death so he did thereby also sanctifie al things to his Seed insomuch as when they should come of Age al things should be then clean unto them For as the First Adam by his Sin and Disobedience did defile al things insomuch as al things were to be unclean and accursed to his Posterity so the Second Adam did by his Death and Obedience sprinkle clense and sanctifie al things to his Seed for saith the Apostle Heb. 9.19 When Moses had spoken every Precept to the People he took the blood of Calves and Goats and sprinkled both the Book and all the People Moreover he sprinkled with blood both the Tabernacle and al the Vessels of the Ministry and almost al things are by the Law purged with blood but the Heavenly things themselves with better Sacrifices than these verse 21 23. that is with Christs own Blood And if you ask why the Law Non quod prophanum in se quicquam haberet faedus sed quod nihil taÌ„ sanctum est quod non homines sua immunditiâ— prophanent nisi Deus ipse facta omnium innovatione occurrent omnes cultus vitiosi sunt ac impuri nisi Christus sanguinis sui aspersione eoâ— mundet Ubi Christus cum sanguine non apparet nihil nobis esse cum Deo sic neque Doctrina ipsa nobis ac in nostrum usum efficaverit nisi sanguine dedicata Calvin Heb. 9.20 21. Tabernacle and the Vessels of the Ministry which were holy should be thus sprinkled with Blood Calvin gives Two Reasons namely Because though these things were in themselves holy yet being used by man in regard of that pollution that is in him they might be prophaned and though the Book and Word of the Lord be holy yet it wil not it cannot be efficacious and profitable to us Nisi Sanguine Christi dedicata unless it be sprinkled by the Blood of Christ Now this sprinkling of the Vessels Book and al things was performed when the Sacrifice was offered and when the Testament was dedicated but the new Testament was confirmed by the Death of Christ his Blood being the Blood of the New Testament and he was sacrificed on the Cross and therefore though his Seed are sanctified with inherent Holiness when they do beleeve yet there was a sprinkling of al things Ordinances Afflictions Dispensations and al Conditions to them by the Death of Christ so that this Sanctification or sprinkling of al things in reference to his Seed was another Fruit and immediate Effect of the Death of Christ Seventhly As Christ did sanctifie al things to his Seed so by his Death he did confirm the Covenant of Grace For as the first Adam did break the old Covenant by his Sin and Disobedience so the Second Adam by his Death and Obedience did confirm the new For saith the Apostle Heb. 9.16 Where a Testament is there must also of necessity be the Death of the Testator for a Testament is of force after men are dead otherwise it is of no strength at al whilst the Testator liveth verse 17. And again Gal. 3.15 Brethren I speak after the manner of men though it be but a mans Covenant yet if it be confirmed no man disanulleth or addeth thereto and this I say that the Covenant that was confirmed before of God in Christ c. ver 17. So that the Covenant of Grace was confirmed by Christ in his Death Quest Qui vero sanguis aut mors Christi nobis voluntatem Dei confirmavit Resp Duplici ratione primum quod nos manifeste de ingenti in nos Del charitate certus reddiderit idque adeo quod Deus volit nobis id donare quod in N. Foedere promittat unde sanguis novi Faederis est dictus et ipse Christus testis verus et fidelis Cateches Racoviae de Prophetico Christi munere cap. 8. Socinus de Christo servatore pars prima de justif Synops 2. Volkillius de vera Religione Lib. 3. Cap. 18. Crellius ad Librum Hug. Grot. respons ad cap. 1. partic 26. Only the Question is How this Covenant was confirmed by the death of Christ The Socinians say That Christs death did confirm the Covenant by way of Testimony or Declaration of the Truth of the Gospel the Lord say they hath promised in the Gospel that al those who repent and beleeve shal be justified and saved Now Christ preaching this Truth and dying in it hath confirmed this Truth and the Gospel and therefore say they Christ is called the true and the faithful Witness 1. But though Christ by his death did bear his Testimony to the Truth of the Gospel yet where do we find in Scripture that his death did confirm the Covenant by way of Testimony 2. Where doth it appear that the Covenant which he confirmed by his death was this If you repent and beleeve you shal be saved and justified The thing is true and a Gospel Truth but the Covenant which Christ confirmed ye read of in Heb. 8. where the Lord doth promise both Faith and Repentance also 3. If the death of Christ did confirm the Covenant by way of Testimony testifying the Truth of the Gospel then the death of the Martyrs should confirm the Covenant more than the death of Christ for the Socinians deny the Deity of Christ and if Christ were only Man then the death of thousands some dying more painful deaths than Christ did should give a greater Testimony to the Truth of the Gospel and so confirm the Covenant more than the death of Christ but where do we find in al the Scripture that the death of the Martyrs is said to confirm the New Covenant Vide Essenii Triumph Crucis pag. 353. Lib. 2. Sect. 1. Cap. 1. Sib. Lubbert de Jesu Christo servatore contra F. Socinum Lib. 1. Cap. 3. Nicol. Aâ—nold de morte Christi Cap. 8. The death of none but of the Testator can confirm the Testament but Christ only and not the Martyrs is the
as to beleeve But if you do beleeve be in Christ are godly and have made your Peace with God blessed are you of the Lord nothing shal offend you nothing shall discourage you But if not godly if not in Christ if not beleeving every thing shall offend thee and discourage thee and thou hast no reason to be encouraged whatever thy condition be Shall we not then my beloved all of us as in the presence of the Lord seriously look into our condition and consider whether we be in Christ I or not But suppose I be in Christ or I be not in Christ beleeve or not beleeve what then If yet you do not beleeve if yet you be not in Christ if yet you be not Godly this Doctrine doth here from the Lord hold forth an invitation to you to come unto Jesus Christ for if a man be in Christ and be Godly then he hath no reason to be discouraged whatever his condition be If a man be not Godly he hath no reason to be encouraged whatever his condition be On the one hand there lies al Encouragements On the other hand there lies all Discouragements Now therefore in the Name of the Lord do I here this morning lay before this Congregation Life and Death Encouragement on the one hand and Discouragement on the other hand and if there be an Adulterer a Swearer a Lying Child or a Stealing Servant if there be ever a poor Wanton a Sabbath-breaker an Opposer of God here I beseech you in the Lord come unto Jesus Christ by all these Encouragements that I have been speaking of by all the Mercies of the new Covenant and by the Salvation of thine own soul man or woman I beseech you come unto Jesus Christ O! that men and women would give no rest unto themselves til they have made their Peace with God and til they have gotten into Jesus Christ And in case that you be in Christ and that you do beleeve that you be godly and have made your Peace with God Then see that ye walk up unto all these Encouragements see that you walk in the Comforts of the Holy Ghost O! you that are Godly if these things be as you have heard Why hang you down your heads why are you cast down and disquieted why do you not walk in the comforts of this Truth declared and in the strength of these Encouragements You see what a venture we have run to speak comfort to you that want comfort You have heard in several Exercises That a godly man hath no reason for his Discouragements whatever his condition be Not in regard of sin Not in regard of Failings and successlessness in Duties Not in regard of want of Assurance Not in regard of Temptation Not in regard of Affliction Not in regard of Desertion And now not in regard of his Condition in it self considered Now after all this I appeal to you you that are without comfort Do you not think that there are some wicked men in this Congregation that have presumed when they have heard these things preached and have said These things belong to me and so have endangered their own souls by presumption comforting themselves when they should not be comforted I appeal to you Whether you do not think That there are some wicked men in the Congregation that have thus endangered their souls by mis-application of these Consolations And if so that there hath been this hazard run and all to comfort you then will you now refuse this comfort O! you that have refused comfort al this while receive it in the Lord and you that were never comforted before now comfort your selves and walk in the comforts of the Holy Ghost And you that have gone up and down fearing trembling doubting and much discouraged yet now at the last say Why art thou cast down O my soul and why art thou disquieted within me Hope in God wait on God trust in God for I shall yet praise him who is the health of my Countenance and my God How you should so hope and wait and trust in God as to bear up your hearts against all discouragements I shall yet speak to in the next Exercise So much for the Ninth and Last Instance THE CURE OF Discouragements BY FAITH IN Jesus Christ Sermon XIII PSALM 42.11 Why art thou cast down O my Soul Stepney June 25. 1648. and why art thou disquieted within me Hope in God or wait thou or trust thou in God YOU have heard of the Saints Discouragements and the unreasonableness of them there is no just cause or reason for their Discouragements Would you now hear of some means against them The Psalmist saith in these words Hope thou in God or trust thou in God or wait thou on God And so the Doctrine plainly is this Doct. Faith is the Help against all Discouragements Hoping Trusting Waiting on God is the special if not the only means appointed against all Discouragements I had verily fainted unless I had beleeved saith David to see the goodness of the Lord in the Land of the Living I had fainted unless I had beleeved Faith bears up the heart against all Discouragements For your more cleer understanding of this Truth and our better proceeding I shal labor First To shew you what it is to Hope Trust in God or to Wait on him Secondly That Faith doth quiet ones heart in the times of Discouragements Thirdly That it is the Duty of all the Saints and People of God when Discouragements do arise then and then especially to trust in God and to exercise their Faith Fourthly VVhat there is in Faith that can bear up the heart against all Discouragements and how Faith doth it Quest 1 First If ye ask VVhat it is to Hope in God to Trust in God and to VVait on him Answ I Answer That to Hope in God is to expect Help from God To Trust in God is to rely or rest upon God for Help And to wait on him is to continue and abide in this Expectation or Relyance Properly according to Scripture Phrase Trusting in God is the Recumbency or the Relyance of the soul upon God in Christ for some good thing that lies out of sight I say first it is the Recumbency or Relyance of the soul upon God the staying of the soul upon God so you read in Isa 26.3 Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on thee because he trusteth in thee So the Spouse in the Canticles is found leaning upon her Beloved and so we are commanded to trust not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 only but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 on him that raiseth Christ from the dead which notes a siducial repose Rom. 4. â—3 so that Trusting in God is to stay upon him And then I say it is the Relyance or the stayance of the soul upon God in Christ and so I take it to be meant here for the word here translated God Hope or Trust in God
in its own Bow and it wil do greater things than Gospel Gifts and Parts and common Grace Surely then true saving Faith wil do great things But then Thirdly You wil ask me How comes it to pass that true saving Faith can do such great things Answ 1 Faith goes forth in the might of Gods Power the Almighty power of God and therefore saith our Savior If thou canst beleeve al things are possible And if you look into the Scripture you shal find that the great Works of God of his Almighty Power are ascribed to Faith both in the old Testament aâ—d in the new In the old Testament the great Works of God were much exprest in Victories over Enemies and in the new Testament the great Works of God much in Cures of Diseases and both these are given to Faith the great Victories of the old Testament given to Faith and the great miraculous Cures of the New Testament given to Faith and wil you know the reason God wil ascribe much to that Grace that ascribes much to him and set the Crown upon the Head of that Grace that sets the Crown upon the Head of his Son Now the more that any man can wait upon God in the use of low and mean and poor and no means the more he doth ascribe unto God and to his Power It is said By Faith the Walls of Jericho fel down Did Faith pul down the wals of Jericho No but it was the Almighty power of God that pull'd down the wals of Jericho but this is said to be done by Faith why Because they did wait upon God in the use of Rams Horns and when a man can wait upon God in nhe use of Rams Horns then a man is said to live by Faith As Faith goes forth in the might of Gods Power so in the might of Gods Promise the Promise is made to Faith the Promise of doing great things is made to Faith In John 14.12 Verily verily I say unto you he that beleeveth on me the works that I do shal he do also and greater woâ—ks than these shal he do because I go unto my Father So â—haâ— not only the Promise is made to Faith but the Promise of doing great things is made to Faith As Faith doth go forth in the strength or the Promise so Faith doth go forth in the strength of Gods Cal there is much might in Gods Cal Faith goes forth in the strength and might of Gods Call Read what the Lord said to Gideon in Judges 6.14 And the Lord looked upon him and said Go in this thy might and thou shalt save Israel from the hand of the Midianites what might was this Go in this thy Might have not I sent thee here is the Might Go in this thy Might what Might the Might of my Call Gods Cal is a Might and when a Man doth go forth in the Might of Gods Call he goes forth in a mighty strength Faith goes forth in the Might of Gods Call As Faith goes forth in the Might of Gods Cal so it doth go forth in the Sence of what God and Christ hath done for the Soul I know Faith and Sence and Feeling differ but I say Faith is very sensible of what the Father hath done and what Christ hath done for poor sinners and when a man is very sensible of what great things God hath done and Christ hath done then saith a man Shal God do such great things for me and shal Christ do such great things for me and shal not I do great things again for God and Christ Faith is very sensible of what God and Christ hath done for sinners And thus Faith makes a man do great things for God Faith goes forth in the Might of Gods Power Faith goes forth in the Might of Gods Promise Faith goes forth in the Might of Gods Cal and Faith goes forth in the Sence of what God and Christ hath done for the Soul And thus it comes to pass that Faith wil do very great things And thus now I have done with the Doctrinal Part I come to the Application Applic. 1 If this Doctrine be true True saving Faith wil do great things and very great things then we may here see the reason why men do no great things for God why men do no great things in their Generation and why there are no great things in their Generation and why there are no great things found in mens Conversation no great things for the most part It is because men do want this true saving Faith it is a working Grace an active Grace and therefore if I be not a worker for God it argues I have none of this Faith True saving Faith it wil do great things for God what shal we say to those that cannot do smal things It 's a smal thing to leave drunken Company a smal thing to leave a foolish Fashion a smal thing to leave an idle word Faith or Troth men cannot do smal things true saving Faith wil do great things and very great things O! What shal we say of those that are so far from doing greâ—t things that they cannot do smal things have they Faith Let not men be deceived I say agiin true saving Faith wil do very great things Was it not a very great matter for a yong man brought up in the Court to leave al the Court Preferment and to chuse Affliction wiâ—h the People of God rather than the Preferments of the Court this Moses did by Faith Was it not a great matter for a People to venture into the Sea meerly upon a Command thiâ— Faith made the People do By Faith Peter ventured on the waters of the Sea by Faith Israel entred into the Sea true saving Faith is a venturing Grace it wil venture far for God and far after God Was it not a great matter for Rahab the Harlot an Inn-keeper a Whore to become a Saint a Beleever for a Drunkard and for an Adulterer to become a Beleever is it not a great matter By Faith Rahab the Harlot beleeved Certainly where there is Faith in truth it wil make a man do great things there wil be somthing that is great found in his Life and Conversation Thus it was with these men Gideon and Barak It wil be said that their Faith was a Faith of Miracles and they wrought Miracles by it Indeed some did al did not for by Faith they wrought Righteousness the Text saith and that is not a Miracle this is one of the great things O! but their Faith was strong and ours weak But Gideons Faith was weak he was fain to have two or three signs to underprop his Faith and Baraks Faith was weak he would not go forth against the Enemy without the Woman Deborah O! but these men were busied about great Works and great Imployment Mistake not you may do great things by Faith in smal Imployment It was no great matter of imployment for the poor Woman to give two Mites
give unto man what Law he pleased which Liberty or Power of God say they was the next effect of Christs Death But this cannot be for then Christ died to redeem the Power of God out of the hand of his Justice for that which is delivered by the Death of Christ is redeemed but where do we find in Scripture that Christ is said to redeem God or any thing of Gods 2. This doth suppose that God was willing to shew mercy to man and to do that for man which he could not do but that cannot be with God man may be willing to do that which in Justice he cannot do because his wil may be unjust but Gods wil cannot be unjust and therefore he cannot wil that which he cannot do in Justice 3. This makes void the death of Christ Si potestas et jus salvandi in Deo consideretur absolute Deus si voluisset potuisset nos salvare citra satisfactionem Christi sed non voluit id facere Cornivus contra Molin p. 436. Deus potest de suo jure quantum vult dimittere instar Regis creditoris Matth. 18. nisi velimus Deo minus quam nobis licere Sorex Vorstianus pag. 4 5. according to the Maintainers of this Opinion for they say That God could pardon the sin of man without the death of Christ and therefore if Christ died to procure such a power and liberty to God then he died for nothing for according to themselves he had this power before 4. This Opinion doth suppose that there is a velleity and voluntas in God an half and a ful Wil and if Gods Wil may be imperfect and perfect then his Knowledg also may be Plena et Semiplena Perfect and Imperfect and so Imperfection wil be charged upon God 5. The Apostle Paul tels us Heb. 9. That Christ died as Mediator of the New Covenant therefore not to set God free to make what Covenant he pleased with the Children of Men. Mirabilis ille status in quem homines restitui dicunt per Christum neque est status gratiae Evangelicae quae non fluit ex faedere gratiae neque potest esse status legis neque ullus alius status in quo homines stare solent Ames Antisynodal de morte Christi Cap. 4. p. 149. 6. What state shal redeemed man be in presently upon this account not under the Gospel for God is left free by the Death of Christ they say to appoint what Covenant he pleases and not under the Law for he was by Christ redeemed from the Law 7. If the Confirmation of the New Covenant were the next Effect of Christs death as appears by Heb. 9.14 15. then Christ did not die to procure such a power and liberty to God that he might appoint what Covenant he pleased Surely therefore this power or liberty in God is not an effect of Christs Death much less the next effect of it Fourthly Some think that the next and immediate effect of the death of Christ Remonstrantes sic declaratio sent circa 2. Artic. Acta Synod 286. Sociniani sic Crellius contra Grotium p. 304. is the forgiveness of original sin unto al the World none say they are damned only for original sin this by the death of Christ was immediately forgiven to al the Children of Men. But this cannot be for then al the World should be actually reconciled unto God and justified for according to their own Opinion Justification and forgiveness of sin are one and the same thing but the Apostle tels us that whom God justifies them he also glorifies Rom. 8. 2. Then also there should not only be an impetration of Redemption and Grace for al but an application unto al which they deny 3. Then the Children of Heathens and Pagans should be in a better state and condition than the Godly who live under the Gospel for according to their Opinion the Godly living under the Gospel may fal away and be damned and so though they be Godly they have no assurance of their Salvation but if a Pagans Child die he is sure to go to Heaven because his sin is pardoned and he is justified 4. The Apostle Paul tels us 2 Cor. 7. That the Children of Beleevers are clean and holy and upon the account of the Parents Faith but if original Sin be pardoned to al the World then the Children of Infidels and Unbeleevers also are holy and if so why doth the Apostle tel us that our Children are holy upon the account of the Parents Faith 5. The Apostle Jude tels us That the Sodomites endured the Vengeance of Hel surely there were some Children in the Town and place The Wages of sin is Death saith the Apostle Paul and Death reigned from Adam to Moses even upon them that had not sinned after the similitude of Adams Transgression And if the Wrath of God do abide upon al til they do beleeve then surely original sin is not forgiven unto al the World by the Death of Christ Fiftly Others think that the obtainment of this Decree viz. Whoever beleeves shall be saved and whoever beleeveth not shal be damned is the next and great effect of the Death of Christ Answ But this cannot be the Effect of Christs Death For 1. We read of no such general Decree of God in the Scripture We read of this Gospel Truth Whoever beleeves shall be saved and whoever beleeves not shall be damned but every Gospel Truth is not a Decree of God Christ is the Son of God is a Gospel Truth The Lord wil write his Law in your hearts is a Gospel Truth and Promise but this is not called Gods Decree Electio est alicujus particularis cum rejectione alterius hoc sitâ—ante jacta mundi Fundamenta ergo datur aliquid plusquam Decretum generale Ames Antisin 2. Such a General Decree doth exclude and deny Election of particular Persons The Scripture tels us plainly of the Election of particular Persons Ephes 1. Who hath chosen us Rom. 8. Whom he hath predestinated them he hath also called the Foundation of God standeth sure he knoweth who are his but now if there were such a General Decree as this Whoever beleeves shal be saved and whoever beleeves not shal be damned there would need no Election of particular Persons but only an Execution of that general Decree Decreto isto generall Deus nihil magis velit uni quam alteri sed Rom. 9. magis vult uni quam alteri Ames Antisyn 3. By that general Decree God doth wil no more to one than to another but Rom. 9. God doth wil 〈◊〉 more to one than to another for Jacob beloved and Esau be hated 4. If there were such a general Decree Totum et integrum predestinationis decretum Act. Synod pag. 48. none else as some say then the wil of God should be undetermined as to the Salvation of this or that particular Man until he beleeved and so should
which Christ hath merited and if man do not perform the Condition he is not to give it out When a Man therefore doth perform the Condition then is Gods Wil determined But as God is the first Being the first Agent and the first Mover so he is the first Determiner and his Wil cannot be determined by any thing without himself for as himself is the most perfect Being than which nothing can be imagined to be more perfect so his Wil is the most perfect than which no wil can be imagined to be more perfect but it is a greater perfection to be determined by it self than by another and to determine mans wil is more perfect than to be determined by mâ—ns wil. Bradwardin observes wel A man a King Homo Râ—x vel alius publico Edicto promulgat quod qui fecerit tale quid bonum vel malum recipiet hoc vel illud maneâ—que ipse indifferens et indeterminatus in voluntate sua et per facta subditorum indifferentia ejus determinatur Non sic autem Deus ex se solo nihil à posterior bus mendicando semper aeque determinate vult et non vult qua cunque Bradward pag. 350. or another doth declâ—re by publick Edict That he which doth such a good or evil shal receive this or that and so he remains indifferent and indetermined in his wil until his indifferency be determined by some Fact of his Subjects Nâ—n sic autem Deus but it is not so with God who of himself only begging nothing of following things doth equally and determinately wil or not wil what he wils or not wils Fourthly If Christ did merit that the Blessings of the Covenant should thus be bestowed upon Condition then he did merit that we might merit at the hand of God at least ex congruo Si promissio non requirat ullam conditionem operis tunc quidem nullum inde orietur meritum ut si Rex egenti alicui promittat in singulos annos certum nummorum numerum sine ulla conditione debebuntur egenti illi pecuniae Regiae sed absque ullo merito ejus at si promissio contineat operis conditionem orietur inde meritum etiamsi opus illud alioqui non sit per se aequale mercedi vere enim qui opus illud fecerit convenire poterit promissorem ac dicere se meruisse praemium ab illo promissum for what is Merit Bellarmin is sufficiently able to tel us what Merit is and saith he Promises are of two sorts either Absolute or Conditional Absolute as suppose a Prince doth promise an hundred pound freely to a poor man upon no Condition if the Prince give it the poor man doth not merit at al But then there is another Promise that is Conditional as if a man do promise to give another an hundred pound for some work now saies he though the Condition be short in worth of the hundred pound yet if he give it upon that Condition here is truly merit for saies he he doth merit ex congruo cui debetur unto whom the reward is due out of Grace But no Protestant unless tainted with Popery wil say that Christ did merit for us that we might merit at the hand of God Fiftly When our Lord and Savior Christ died he laid down his Life as a Ransom 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Now where do we find in Scripture that where any Ransom money was paid there was any other condition of Deliverance or of the Redemption besides the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it self or the Ransom money When the Morgage Land was redeemed what was the condition of that Redemption but the paying of the Ransom money the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Numb 18.15 16. ye read of the Redemption of the First-born and was there any Condition of that Redemption besides the payment of five Shekels five Shekels was the Ransom money the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and the payment of that alone was the Condition of that Redemption and the Priviledges of that Redemption were obtained upon the payment thereof Now if our Lord and Savior Christ did lay down his Life as a Ransom a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 then al the Priviledges of our Redemption are to be given out upon his payment of this Ransom money but to make another Condition of our Redemption besides the payment of the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or Ransom money is directly contrary unto al those Redemptions in the old Testament which were Types of this yea contrary to the Nature of al Redemptions whatever Sixtly If our Lord and Savior Christ did merit the Blessings of the Covenant to be given out Conditionally upon the Faith and Repentance of al those that he died for then if he died for al the particular men of the World Ex ore tuo c. medicus venditat se remedium habere adversus omnes aegritudines quod aegris etiam omnibus communicare vellet ut ejus beneficio sanentur interim vero nullo modo significat nisi paucissimis hujusmodi remedium ipsis paratum esse similiter potens aliquis Princeps pecuniam se parasse dicit redimendis omnibus captivis et liberationem eorum ex animo desiderare sed quamvis hoc prae se fert tamen certo apud se decrevit sinere ut nulli captivi paucis quibusdam exceptis certiores unquam fiant vel intentionis vel praeparationis hujus benignae An gloriatio hujusmodi medici vel Principis esset justa nihilo magis consistere potest quod Christus pro omnibus mortuus fuerit respectu voluntatis et intentionis divinae nisi omnibus nota fiat haec tam propensa voluntas Sic Remonstr Collat. Hag. art 2. arg 5. p. 175. Brand. Neque negatur simpliciter à Propheta Deum gentibus Verbum suum annunciasse sed Propheta loquitur comparative scil dicit non taliter Deum fecisse omni Nationi quam populo suo Israeli Corvinus contra Tilen pag. 99. Falsa omnia et citra modestiam concepta nam quod tribuitur Jacobo negatur gentibus et tribuitur Jacobo quod Deus annunciavit ipsi verbum suum ergo hoc negatur gentibus certe si dixisset non sic annunciasse verbum suum gentibus quemadmodum Jacobo recte collegisset Corvinus et spiritus sanctus hoc primuÌ„ triburens Jacobo quod scil verbum ipsis curaret annunciari mox subjicit non sic secisse gentibus quae nullum alium sensum induere possunt quam ut negent verbum gentibus annunciari Twiss in Corvini defens armin contra Tilen p. 66. this Truth should have been published to them that they shal have Salvation by Christ upon condition that they beleeve in him and that if they do not then they shal be damned but this Gospel or Truth was not alwaies published to al the particular men of the World for saies the Apostle concerning the Gospel Col. 1.26 Even the Mystery which hath been hid from
first Love Somthing our Savior doth commend in this Church and somthing he reproves them for He commends them for what was good and rebukes them for what was evil Some wil commend what is good in their Friends but wil not take notice of what is evil Some wil take notice of what is evil in others but wil not commend what is good This is not according unto Christs proceeding the commendation of Good is a good Introduction to the reprehension of what is evil Now our Saâ—ior Christ doth commend this Church both Officers and People for many things 1. For their Labor 2. For their Patience 3. For their Zeal I know thy Works saith he and thy Labor and thy Patience Labor and Patience go together Those that wil lâ—boâ— in the Work of God must be patient they shal surely meet with opposition and therefore Patience must accompany our Labors Yet this Patience don't exclude Zeal but saith Christ here I know thy Labor and thy Patience and thy Zeal thou canst not bear them that are evil Possibly then a man may be patient and yet cannot bear or endure those that are evil Now this Zeal and severe dealing with those that were evilâ— is deâ—cribed two waies First By the Perâ—ons which they did deal withal those were false Teachers ver 2. and 6. Secondly By the exercise of their Zeal and Severity which did consist in two things The discovery of those false Teachers and the hatred of their Deeds The hatred of their Deeds ye have at ver 6. This thou hast that thou hatest the deeds of the Nicolaitans The discovery of these false Teachers ye have in these words And thou hast tried them c. Doct. It 's strange that there should be false Apostles in those daies whilst some of the true Apostles were alive to confute and discover them But it seems that the discovery of these false Apostles was not a work only belonging to the true Apostles for this Church of Ephesus found them out and are commended for it by our Savior Christ And so the Doctrine from this part of the Verse is That it is a matter of great commendation in the eyes of Jesus Christ to try and discover false Teachers or false Apostles Christ doth not only commend this Church for their Zeal herein but hath left their Commendation upon Scriptural Record as a good Example for al the Churches of Christ And therefore I say the discovery of false Teachers and false Apostles is still a matter of great Commendation in the eyes of Christ It is that which we are all commanded to do 1 John 4.1 Beleeve not every Spirit but try the Spirits whether they are of God because many false Prophets are gone into the world But for the cleering of this Truth it wil appear if you consider Arg. 1 First What a dangerous and mischievous People false Teachers and false Apostles are They do deceive men in the matter of their Souls they are called Deceivers and Seducers John 2.7 Many Deceivers are entred into the world c. 2 Tim. 3.13 But evil men and Seducers shal wax worse and worse deceiving and being deceived And deceitful Workers 2. Cor. 11.13.6 For such are false Apostles deceitful Workers Now a man loves not to be deceived in any thing no not in a smal matter If I had spent or given away much more it would never have grieved me you say but I cannot endure to be cheated and deceived And if a man cannot endure to be deceived in lesser things what an evil thing is it then to be deceived in the matters of his Soul Such are the things that these false Teachers do deceive men in yea they wil and do subvert mens Faith and spoil them of the very Fundamentals of their Religion Therefore saith the Apostle Col. 2.8 Beware lest any man spoil or make a prey of you Is it not a sad thing for a man to lose his Faith for a Fable First they wil take away your Faith and then they wil lay a Fable in the room of the Faith For their highest Speculations and Notions are but Fables Ye may observe therefore that when the Apostle Paul doth dehort from their Doctrine he saith stil Take heed and beware of Fables Those are many and of divers sorts First there are old Wives Stories and Fables such are the Doctrines and Speculations of false Teachers therefore 1 Tim. 4.1 the Apostle having said That in the latter times some should depart from the Faith giving heed to seducing Spirits and speaking of the Doctrines of those Seducers in the following Verses he saith ver 7. But refuse thou prophane and old wives fables for such in the Eyes of God are the Doctrines of these Seducers Secondly There are Jewish Fables also whereof the Talmud is now ful and such are al those Doctrines Commandements of men which are beside the Scripture the Doctrines of false Teachers and therefore saith the Apostle 1 Tit. 14. having spoken of Seducers in the former verses whose mouths must be stopt Not giving heed to Jewish Fables and Commandements of men Thirdly There are also the Fables of Heathen Poets the Figments Devices of mens own Brains and such are the Doctrines and Speculations of al false Teachers and therefore saies the Apostle 2. Pet. 1.16 We have not followed cunning and devised Fables but we have a more sure word of Prophesie at verse 19. So that look what even Doctrine is not according to the Scripture is but a Fable in the Eyes of God Now is it not an evil thing to lose my Faith for a Fable Such Fables do these false Teachers bring they steal away your Faith and lay a Fable in the room thereof yea they wil and do beguile men of their Reward â—hey beguile them of their Faith they beguile them of their Souls and they beguile them of their Reward therefore saith the Apostle Paul Let no man beguile you of your Reward Col. 2.18 Yea they wil not only beguile you of your Reward but they wil bring you into pernicious waies which if you follow the way of Truth shal be evil spoken of 2 Pet. 2.1 2. in which Scripture the Apostle Peter tels us That as false Prophets did arise in the times of the old Testament so false Teachers should arise in the times of the new Testament 2. He tels us That the waies of these false Teachers are pernitious waies 3. That they shal infect many for he saith Many shall follow them 4. That by reason of them the waies of Truth shal be evil spoken of Surely then this sort of People are a very dangerous and mischievous People Induti speciem ovium id est â— mentientes ovinâ—m fraâ—disqueâ— nesciam simplicitatem vestimenta igitur ovium sunt eaâ— omnia quae sunt proprie ovium hujusmodi vestimenta sunt perpetua verbi Dei et Evangelii inclamatio denfissima Scripturarum â—â—citatio mansuetudo blandiloquium sanctimoniae species