spring before we die that we would but answer those invitations of mercy those desires of God that we should live with an inclination with a breath with a sigh toward Heaven Briefly If there be any strong violent boisterous Devil within us that keeps possession of our hearts against God if the lower sensual part of our Soul if an habit of sin i. e. a combination or legion of Devils will not be over-topped by reason or grace in our hearts if a major part of our carnal faculties be still canvasing for Hell if for all our endeavors and pains it may appear to us that this kind of evil spirit will not be cast out save only by Fasting and Prayer Then have we yet that remedy left First To fast and pine and keep him weak within by denying him all foreign fresh Provision all new occasions of sin and the like and so to block and in time starve him up And then secondly To pray that God will second and fortifie our endeavors that he will force and rend and ravish this carnal Devil out of us that he will subdue our wills to his will that he will prepare and make ready life for us and us for life that he will prevent us by his grace here and accomplish us with his glory hereafter Now to him c. SERMON VII JER V. 2 Though they say the Lord liveth surely they swear falsely NOT to waste any time or breath or which men in this delicate and effeminate Age are wont to be most sparing and thrifty of any part of your precious patience unprofitably but briefly to give you a guess whither our discourse is like to lead you we will severally lay down and sort to your view every word of the Text single and so we may gather them up again and apply them to their natural proper purposes First then the particle Though in the front and surely in the body of the Text are but bands and junctures to keep all together into one proposition Secondly the Pronoun They in each place is in the letter the Jews in application present Christians and being indefinite might seem to be of the same extent in both places did not the matter alter it and make it universal in the former and particular in the latter for Artists say that an indefinite sign where the matter is necessary is equivalent to an universal where but contingent to a particular Now to say the Lord liveth was and is necessary though not by any Logical yet by a Political necessity the Government and humane Laws under which then the Jews and now we Christians live require this profession necessarily at our hands but to swear falsly not to perform what before they profest is materia contingens a matter of no necessity but free will and choice that no humane Law can see into and therefore we must not interpret by the rules of Art or Charity that all were perjur'd but some only though 't is probable a major part and as we may guess by the first verse of this Chapter well nigh all of them Thirdly to say is openly to make profession and that very resolutely and boldly that none may dare to distrust it nay with an Oath to confirm it to jealous opinions as appears by the latter words They swear falsly while they do but say and Jer. iv 2 Thou shalt swear the Lord liveth c. Fourthly the Lord i. e. both in Christianity and Orthodox Judaism the whole Trinity Fifthly Liveth i. e. by way of Excellency hath a life of his own independent and eternal and in respect of us is the Fountain of all Life and Being that we have and not only of Life but Motion and Perfection and Happiness and Salvation and all that belongs to it In brief to say the Lord liveth is to acknowledge him in his Essence and all his Attributes contained together under that one Principle on that of life to believe whatever Moses and the Prophets then or now our Christian Faith hath made known to us of him Sixthly to falsifie and swerve from Truth becomes a farther aggravation especially in the present instance though they make mention of that God who is Yea and Amen and loves a plain veracious speech yet they swear though by loud and dreadful imprecations they bespeak him a Witness and a Judge unto the Criminal pray as devoutly for destruction for their Sin as the most sober Penitent can do for its Pardon yet are they perjur'd they swear falsly More than all this they openly renounce the Deity when they call upon him their hearts go not along with their words and professions though it be the surest truth in the World that they swear when they assert that the Lord liveth yet they are perjur'd in speaking of it though they make a fair shew of believing in the brain and from the teeth outward they never lay the truth that they are so violent for at all to their hearts or as the Original hath it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in vanum to no purpose 't is that they swear no man that sees how they live will give any heed to their words will imagin that they believe any such matter So now having paced over and as it were spell'd every word single there will be no difficulty for the rawest understanding to put it together and read it currently enough in this proposition Amongst the multitude of Professors of Christianity there is very little real piety very little true belief In the verse next before my Text there is an O Yes made a Proclamation nay a Hue and Cry and a hurrying about the streets if it were possible to find out but a man that were a sincere Believer and here in my Text is brought in a Non est inventus Though they say the Lord liveth a multitude of Professors indeed every where yet surely they swear falsly there is no credit to be given to their words infidelity and hypocrisie is in their hearts for all their fair believing professions they had an unfaithful rebellious heart V. 23. and the event manifested it they are departed and gone arrant Apostates in their lives by which they were to be tryed Neither say they in their hearts let us fear the Lord V. 24. whatsoever they flourished with their tongues Now for a more distinct survey of this horrible wretched truth this Heathenism of Christians and Infidelity of Believers the true ground of all false swearing and indeed of every other sin we will first examine wherein it consists secondly whence it springs the first will give you a view of its nature the second its root and growth that you may prevent it The first will serve for an ocular or Mathematical demonstration called by Artists 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that it is so the second a rational or Physical 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 how it comes about the first to convince of the truth of it the second
the double Infidelity of the brain and heart very appliable 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. There are two sorts of this senselessness and stupidity whereby men are hardned into stones the first of the Vnderstanding part the second of the Practical He that will not assent to things manifest his brain is frozen into a stone or mineral there is no more reasoning with him than with a pillar The Academicks 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 never to believe or comprehend any thing was a stupid Philosophy like to have no Disciples but Posts or Statues and therefore long ago taught out of the Schools as an art of being Brutes or Metamorphosis not to instruct but transform them he could not remain a man that was thus incredulous But the second Stupidity that of the Practical Not to abstain from things that art hurtful to imbrace that which would be their death the vice though not doctrine of the Epicures though this were an argument both in his and Scripture-phrase of a stony heart yet was it such an one as the lustiest sprightfullest men in the World carried about with them Nay 't was an evidence saith he of their strength and valour of a heart of metal and proof to have all modesty and fear of ill cold as a stone frozen and dead within it And thus holds it in Christianity as it did then in reason not to believe the truth of Scripture to deny that the Lord liveth would argue a brain as impenetrable as Marble and eyes as Crystal we sooner supect that he is not a man that he is out of his senses than such an Infidel Some affected Atheists I have heard of that hope to be admired for eminent wits by it but I doubt whether any ever thought of it in earnest and if I may so say conscientiously denied a Deity But to deny him in our lives to have a heart of Marble or Adamant 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 saith Arrian a dead stupefied Soul 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it is so frequent amongst us that it is not worth observing He is but a puny in the Devils camp that hath not a privy coat within him to secure his heart from any stroke that God or Scripture can threaten him with Thus you see wherein this Christian infidelity consists in the not rooting faith in the heart in indulgence to those practices which directly contradict his doctrine So that though every commission of sin be not incompatible with the habit of faith so far as to denominate him an infidel yet is it from the not exercising of faith actually that I ever sin and every man in the same degree that he is a sinner so far is he an unbeliever So that this conversible retrogradous Sorites may shut up all He that truly believes assents in his heart to the goodness as well as the truth of Scripture he that assents so in his heart approves it according to its real excellency above all rivals in the World he that thus approves when occasion comes makes an actual choice of God's Word before all other most precious delights he that actually makes the choice performs uniform obedience without any respect of sins or persons he that performs this obedience never indulges himself in sin and then è converso backward thus he that indulges himself in sin doth not uniformly obey the Word he that doth not so obey doth not actually make choice of it before all competitors he that makes not this choice approves it not according to its real excellency above all things in the world he that doth not so approve assents not to the absolute goodness of it in his heart he that so assents not doth not truly believe therefore every indulgent sinner is an infidel And then look about you and within you whosoever say the Lord liveth and yet remain in your ways of sin be you never so stout or proud-hearted my Prophet gives you the lie if you are incensed and swear that you are in the truth and stand upon your reputation his answer is mannerly but tart Surely you swear falsly every indulgent sinner is an infidel 1 John iii. 6 Whosoever sins hath not seen Christ neither known him but amongst Professors of the Gospel there be a multitude of habitual sinners ergo of infidels 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The thing which in the first place we undertook to demonstrate We now come to the next thing proposed The root or fountain of this hypocritical faith where we are to inquire how it comes about That they which are so forward to profess are so far from true belief And higher in our search we cannot go than Adam's fall for the spring head of all this infidelity as for God's absolute decree in rejecting mens persons and then suffering and leading them to an acknowledgment of the truth of the Gospel only that they may be unexcusable I will not be so vain or unseasonable to examine Adam had once the Tree of life to have eaten and have been immortal to have confirmed him and his posterity into an irreversible estate of happiness but since his disobedient heart preferred the Tree of Knowledge before that of Life the Tree of Life hath never thrived currantly with his progeny All our care and traffick and merchandise hath been for Knowledge never prizing or cheapning so poor a commodity as life 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. All sin is from the Tree of Knowledge and that hath rooted it so deep and given it so fair a growth within us As for the Tree of Life seeing then we would not feed on it we were never since suffered to come within reach the Cherubins and a flaming Sword have fenced it round about Gen. iii. 34 and that makes men grow so unproportionably into such monstrous shapes vast strong swoln heads and weak thin crazy bodies like Pharaoh's lean kine lank and very ill favoured men for the most part having Brains to understand and Eyes to see and Tongues to profess but neither Hearts to apply nor Hands to practise nor Feet to walk the ways of God's Commandments as one far spent in a Consumption who hath his senses perfectly enough when he is not able to go It is only the effectual Grace of God of which that other Tree was but an embleme which must give us life and strength to practise what we know And this amongst us is so little cared for finds such disesteem and slight observance when it appears meets with such resolute hardned stubborn hearts that it is a miracle if it ever be brought to submit it self to such course entertainment And this is the first and main ground of this Hypocritical faith our corrupt immoderate desires of knowledge and neglect of Grace The second ground more evidently discernable in us is The secret consent and agreement betwixt our carnal desires and divine knowledge and the antipathy and incompatibleness of the same with true Faith The first pair dwell
to instruct you in its causes And first of the first wherein this Infidelity and to speak more plainly Perjury of formal Believers consists Though they say c. Since that rather phancy than Divinity of the Romanists Schoolmen and Casuists generally defining Faith to be a bare assent to the truth of Gods word seated only in the understanding was by the Protestant Divines banished out of the Schools as a faith for a Chamaeleon to be nourished with which can feed on air as a direct piece of Sorcery and Conjuring which will help you to remove Mountains only by thinking you are able briefly as a Chimaera or phantastical nothing fit to be sent to Limbo for a Present since I say this Magical Divinity which still possesses the Romanist and also a sort of men who would be thought most distant from them hath been exorcised and silenced and cast out of our Schools would I could say out of our hearts by the Reformation the nature of Faith hath been most admirably explained yet the seat or subject of it never clearly set down some confining it to the understanding others to the Will till at last it pitched upon the whole Soul the intellective nature For the Soul of man should it be partitioned into faculties as the grounds of our ordinary Philosophy would perswade us it would not be stately enough for so Royal a guest either room would be too pent and narrow to entertain at once so many graces as attend it Faith therefore that it may be received in state that it may have more freedom to exercise its Soveraignty hath required all partitions to be taken down that sitting in the whole Soul it may command and order the whole man is not in the brain sometimes as its gallery to recreate and contemplate at another in the heart as its parlour to feed or a closet to dispatch business but if it be truly that Royal Personage which we take it for it is repletive in the whole house at once as in one room and that a stately Palace which would be much disgraced and lose of its splendor by being cut into offices and accordingly this Royal Grace is an intire absolute Prince of a whole Nation not as a Tetrarch of Galilee a sharer of a Saxon Heptarchy and described to us as one single act though of great command and defined to be an assent and adherence to the goodness of the object which object is the whole Word of God and specially the promises of the Gospel So then to believe is not to acknowledge the truth of the Scripture and Articles of the Creed as vulgarly we use knowledge but to be affected with the goodness and Excellency of them as the most precious objects which the whole world could present to our choice to embrace them as the only desirable thing upon the earth and to be resolutely and uniformly inclined to express this affection of ours in our practice whensoever there shall be any competition betwixt them and our dearest delights For the object of our Faith is not meerly speculative somewhat to be understood only and assented to as true but chiefly moral a truth to be prosecuted with my desires through my whole Conversation to be valued above my-life and set up in my heart as the only Shrines I worship So that he that is never so resolutely sworn to the Scriptures believes all the Commands Prohibitions and Promises never so firmly if he doth not adhere to them in his practice and by particular application of them as a rule to guide him in all his actions express that he sets a true value on them if he do not this he is yet an Infidel all his Religion is but like the Beads-mans who whines over his Creed and Commandments over a threshold so many times a Week only as his task to deserve his Quarterage or to keep correspondence with his Patron Unless I see his belief exprest by uniform obedience I shall never imagin that he minded what he said The sincerity of his faith is always proportionable to the integrity of his life and so far is he to be accounted a Christian as he performs the obligation of it the promise of his Baptism Will any man say that Eve believed God's inhibition when she eat the forbidden fruit If she did she was of a strange intrepid resolution to run into the jaws of Hell and never boggle 'T is plain by the story that she heard God but believed the Serpent as may appear by her obedience the only evidence and measure of her Faith Yet can it not be thought that she that was so lately a Work of God's Omnipotence should now so soon distrust it and believe that he could not make good his threatnings The truth is this she saw clearly enough in her brain but had not sunk it down into her heart or perhaps she assented to it in the general but not as appliable to her present case This assent was like a Bird fluttering in the Chamber not yet confined to a Cage ready to escape at the first opening of the door or window as soon as she opens either ears or eyes to hearken to the Serpent or behold the Apple her former assent to God is vanish'd and all her faith bestowed upon the Devil It will not be Pelagianism to proceed and observe how the condition of every sin since this time hath been an imitation of that The same method in sin hath ever since been taken first to revolt from God and then to disobey first to become Infidels and then Sinners Every murmuring of the Israelites was a defection from the Faith of Israel and turning back to Egypt in their hearts Infidelity as it is the fountain from whence all Rebellion springs Faith being an adherence and every departure from the living God arising from an evil heart of unbelief Heb. iii. 12 so it is also the channel where it runs not any beginning or progress in sin without a concomitant degree of either weakness or want of faith So that Heathens or Hereticks are not the main enemies of Christ as the question de oppositis fidei is stated by the Romanists but the Hypocrite and Libertine he is the Heathen in grain an Heretick of Lucifer's own sect one that the Devil is better pleased with than all the Catalogue in Epiphanius or the Romish Calendar For this is it that Satan drives at an engine by which he hath framed us most like himself not when we doubt of the Doctrine of Christ for himself believes it fully no man can be more firmly resolved of it but when we heed it not in our lives when we cleave not to it in our hearts when instead of living by Faith Heb. x. 38 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 we draw back and cowardly subduce our selves and forsake our Colours refusing to be martialled in his ranks or fight under his Banner Arian the Stoick Philosopher hath an excellent discourse concerning
Let not them that are mine enemies wrongfully rejoyce over me neither let them wink with the eye that hate me without a cause Paraphrase 19. O let not mine unjust causeless enemies have matter of rejoycing and scoffing at me as they will if thou leavest me in my distress 20. For they speak not peace but they devise deceitful matters against them that are quiet in the land Paraphrase 2◠For instead of kindness and friendly usage which is due from them they design nothing but fraud and treachery against me who heartily desire to live most peaceably and quietly under Sauls Government 21. Yea they opened their mouth wide against me and said Aha Aha our eye hath seen it Paraphrase 21. And not only so but they have openly railed upon me as one that seeks his life and pretend to speak from their own fight and certain knowledge when they deliver that which is most far from truth 22. This thou hast seen O Lord keep not silence O Lord be not far from me Paraphrase 22. 'T is certain they have seen no such thing as they falsely pretend On the contrary thou O God who seest all things seest and knowest my innocency and the integrity of my heart Be thou pleased to testifie for me by delivering me from the evil which they designed against me 23. Stir up thy self and awake to my judgment even unto my cause my God and my Lord. 24. Judge me O Lord my God according to thy righteousness and let them not rejoyce over me Paraphrase 23 24. O thou that art my gracious God and powerful Lord be thou pleased at length to take part to defend and to vindicate my innocence to testifie thy approbation of my doings and seasonably to interpose thy hand for the relieving me and disappointing my enemies 25. Let them not say in their hearts Ah so would we have it let them not say We have swallowed him up Paraphrase 25. Preserve me out of their hands lest they applaud themselves in their actions their most wicked and bloody enterprises if they prove successful to them 26. Let them be ashamed and brought to confusion together that rejoyce at my hurt let them be cloathed with shame and dishonour that magnifie themselves against me Paraphrase 26. And thus I am confident thou wilt in thy due season disappoint and discomfit those that are most malitiously bent against me and most proudly triumph over me at this time 27. Let them shout for joy and be glad that favour my righteous cause Yea let them say continually Let the Lord be magnified which hath pleasure in the prosperity of his servant Paraphrase 27. And by so doing thou shalt give matter of joy and gladness to all that wish me well cause them to bless and magnifie thy goodness and fidelity of thy promises when they see me signally favoured by thee of whose sincerity and uprightness they have such assurance 28. My tongue shall speak of thy righteousness and of thy praise all the day long Paraphrase 28. As for me I shall by this thy mercy be obliged to promulgate and proclaim thy fidelity and the care thou hast of those that adhere to thee and for this to laud and bless thy name continually Annotations on Psalm XXXV V. 3. Stop It is uncertain what 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 here signifies The Chaldee reads 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 shut in the Imperative mood and the LXXII 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 shut up But if this be the right rendring and it be applyed to that which went before draw forth i. e. unsheath so the Chaldee read the lance or spear it must then be the direct contrary viz. shut it up again and to apply it to any thing else as our English applies it to the way and so supposes an ellipsis and then supplies it thus stop the way c. the context gives us no reason The Syriack reading for the lance the sword render unsheath and make it shine and that agrees well to it when it is drawn but hath no affinity to the notion of the Hebrew 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 occlusit coercuit The Arabick therefore reads repel them as from the notion of coercere to repress or repel But then they take no notice of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in occursum which follows and will not be reconciled with this rendring but without it read 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 repel them that persecute me In this uncertainty the learned Schindlers observation deserves to be heeded that the accent Tiphcha joyns 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 with 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 lance praecedent in the construction and then being a substantive it must be taken for a sort of weapons and so it appears to signifie a sort of sword called from hence 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and ordinarily spoken of by Herodotus and other Historians among the Persians of which saith Hesychius 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 't is a little axe with one edge and Suidas 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 an axe used saith he without s. in Xenophon joyning 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a Persian bow and quiver and sagari 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 such as the Amazons have adding that it signifies an instrument to open a vein 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 hand-weapons To these acceptions of the word Hesychius and Phavorinus add 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a plough that part which cuts the earth and is like to the Persian acinaces or short swords scimitars And so this is by much the most probable meaning of the word and rendring of the place draw forth the lance and short sword 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in occursum to meet my persecuters To this agrees Kimchi both in his Comment and in his Dictionary making it a sort of weapon and so Abu Walid before him V. 4. Let them That 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 erubuit is in the future tense there can be no doubt and then the most regular rendring will be not let them but they shall blush and so in the rest that follow 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 they shall be put to shame from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 pudore affecit And so the whole Psalm instead of so many forms of execration or imprecation against enemies shall be really no more than so many testimonies of his assured confidence that God that hath made him such sure promises will make them good to him in his preservation and that disappointment and discomfiture of his enemies And according to this measure all the other Psalms which seem to be filled with curses against his and Gods enemies ought to be understood and accordingly are explicated in the Paraphrase V. 7. Net in a pit 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is literally the pit of their snare 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 inclinavit signifying a pit very frequently though the LXXII here render
those that are in the greatest distresses be thou gratiously pleased to look upon me to be atoned and reconciled toward me 2. Wash me throughly from mine iniquity and cleanse me from my sin Paraphrase 2. O let not any the least of these crimes that I have been guilty of in this matter be permitted to appear in thy sight or rise up in judgment against me but seal me thy perfect pardon for every one of them 3. For I acknowledge my transgressions and my sin is ever before me Paraphrase 3. For I do most willingly confess that I have committed in the compassing of one carnal pleasure many horrid and odious sins These are a perpetual terror to my conscience an amazing prospect continually outfacing and tormenting me 4. Against thee only have I sinned and done this evil in thy sight that thou mightest be justified when thou speakest and be clear when thou judgest Paraphrase 4. And though the dignity and office wherein thou hast placed me over thy people leave me not liable to any humane process or judicature among men yet am I most sadly culpable and liable to vengeance from thee the pure God of heaven the transcendent Ruler over all the Kings of the earth Thou mayest most justly proceed against me as against the most criminous rebel indite me and arraign me of adultery drunkenness and murther also and whatever suit thou wagest against me thou art sure to cast me whatsoever vengeance thou exactest to be inflicted on me I must most deservedly and inevitably fall under it 5. Behold I was shapen in iniquity and in sin did my mother conceive me 6. Behold thou desirest truth in the inward parts and in the hidden part thou shalt make me to know wisdom Paraphrase 5 6. Lord I am a most polluted creature the corruption of my nature the bare inclinations of my will to any unlawful object ought in any reason to be strictly watched and industriously rejected by me and thy grace continually sollicited to inable me to overcome them and not in the least degree favoured or indulged or yielded to when I so well know that thou requirest purity of the heart and affections and forbiddest the very first thoughts of any unlawful injoyment and beside this revelation of thy will that I should thus keep my self pure art pleased to grant me thy grace to make me inwardly sensible of this part of my duty and this is a great inhauncing of my sin committed against all these obligations 7. Purge me with hyssop and I shall be clean wash me and I shall be whiter than snow Paraphrase 7. Lord be thou pleased to absolve me and solemnly to declare and seal to me thy reconciliation after the same manner as the priest is wont to do when upon the unclean thing he sprinkles water mixed with the ashes of an heifer and of cedar wood and of hyssop and of scarlet Lev. 14.6 7. Num. 19.6 the solemn ceremony for the purification of sin v. 9. and whereby the blood of the lamb of God the death of the Messias was praefigured and then I shall again be restored to that blessed state from which I have so sadly fallen by my outragious miscarriages 8. Make me to hear joy and gladness that the bones which thou hast broken may rejoyce Paraphrase 8. I am in a most sad and wretched condition thy just displeasure and wrath for my sins as long as it continues over me is the setting my soul upon the torture my own conscience being the executioner under thee O be thou pacified and reconciled toward me and it shall be the joyfullest news that ever came to any poor tortured suppliants ears when he is taken off from the rack and all his bones set and restored to ease again 9. Hide thy face from my sins and blot out all mine iniquities Paraphrase 9. Lord pardon my sins and return to thy wonted favour toward me 10. Create in me a clean heart O God and renew a right spirit within me Paraphrase 10. I have sadly fallen from my wonted purity and sincerity Lord by the good work of thy grace upon my heart restore me to it again and renew me inwardly and throughly my very thoughts as well as my actions that I never fall into the least beginning of any such pollution again 11. Cast me not away from thy presence and take not thy holy spirit from me Paraphrase 11. Lord it is just with thee to reject me from all spiritual commerce and communication with thee who have resisted thy spirit and wasted my soul by so many wilful commissions against thee just that thou shouldest withdraw thy grace to which I have done such despite O do not thou thus severely punish me by withdrawing that which now more than ever I stand in need of 12. Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation and uphold me with thy free spirit Paraphrase 12. Without thy help and aids I am utterly unable to get out of this broken condition the free and voluntary assistances of thy spirit are so perfectly necessary to me that I can never think a good thought make the least attempt toward recovering the purity from whence I am fallen without them O be thou pleased to restore them to me and thereby to support and establish me 13. Then will I teach transgressors thy ways and sinners shall be converted unto thee Paraphrase 13. And this thy exceeding mercy to a sinner so sadly laps'd may be a means to bring wicked livers home to repentance I shall be able to incourage them to return by proclaiming mine own success who have fallen as sadly as any of them can have done And being thus incouraged by my example and experience many I doubt not by the assistance of thy grace shall be brought home to thy service and the practice of the duties of new life 14. Deliver me from blood-guiltiness O God thou God of my salvation and my tongue shall sing aloud of thy righteousness Paraphrase 14. Oh that sin of murther is an horrid and crying sin of a black and deep dy and though mine own hands have not been polluted with it yet my conscience assures me the guilt of the murther of Uriah lies on me who projected and contrived it by others O thou blessed Lord from whom all my deliverance must come be thou pleased to deliver me from this one as from those other foul Commissions and it will be most joyful news to me and with the greatest exultation of heart shall I proclaim thy abundant mercies to me 15. O Lord open thou my lips and my mouth shall shew forth thy praise Paraphrase 15. This work of grace from thee shall set my lips wide open in praising and magnifying thee 16. For thou desirest not sacrifice else would I give it thou delightest not in burnt-offerings Paraphrase 16. 'T is not any the richest hecatombe or most chargable oblation for my sin that thou expectest
his 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 conception and birth his mother committed no sin in conceiving him so neither the child it self being conceived committed any fault Thirdly that neither doth any child of Adam by the bare pollution of birth fall into that accursed state wherein the Encratites thought Adam to be involved and all that were propagated from him by generation and thereupon profest to detest generation and marriage For this was one special part of the heresy of these Encratites that Adam was certainly damn'd 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 they resist Adams salvation saith Irenaeus l. 1. c. 30 31. and consequent to that that his sin being imputed as they had learnt from the Orthodox to all his posterity the same damnation devolved upon all and that all that were thus born had not only some sinful corruption born with them but were themselves 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in sin i. e. either guilty of some actual sin by being begotten as his question 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 imports or else were spread all over with nothing but sin in a sense somewhat proportionable to that of the Pharisees of him that was born blind Joh. 9.34 Thou wert altogether born in sins and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 themselves sin in the abstract and nothing but sin Now none of these would that learned Father allow to be conclusible from these texts but on the contrary he thinks it most ridiculous that either the child should be said to sin or that every child should be said to be thus wholly immerst in sin as to be himself sin and nothing else when yet he hath committed no sin or that the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the curse of Adam not in Origens sense Contra Cels. l.iv. where he saith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the curse of Adam is the common curse of all but in the notion of the Encratites as that was in their opinion certain damnation to Adam who commited it should fall on all that ever were born from him The falseness and ridiculousness of which in all the parts may well be granted and yet the doctrine of Original sin as it was believed by the Antients remain true and this text of this Psalm be one testimony of it viz. that though Adam sinned and thereby lost the image of God in which he was created deforming it into Satans image whose temptations he hearkened to and though this he did as a common Father and representative of all mankind and so in him all his posterity were concluded under the breach and penalty of the first Covenant and all being begotten after the Image of laps'd Adam were begotten in a corrupt polluted sinful state and had many sad effects of Adams fall connatural and born with them yet Christ was given for all and by that gift first Adam himself was redeemed from so much of the curse belonging to sin as concerned his eternal state and so also all others of his posterity that did not by their own actual and habitual sins and impenitence their redemption notwithstanding bring down that curse upon them That this doctrine of Original sin as it was maintained against Pelagius is very remote from the Doctrine of the Encratites is most certain and visible and cannot be doubted by any The Encratites thought generation could not be without sin that Adam was damned and all were born heirs apparent to that curse and so detested generation and marriage but the doctrine of Original sin supposes marriage to be honourable and that the conjugal bed may be kept pure and undefiled and that neither is sin committed by the parents in begetting nor by the child which is begotten and though the child be born in sin after 〈◊〉 the image of laps'd and sinful parents yet allows a medicine as universal as the disease and so acknowledges this corruption of our nature not only reconcileable with but useful and contributive to our eternal good And this Clemens in that place seems to acknowledge and to make another part of his answer to those Hereticks for having mentioned 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the first incitations which proceed from our natural corrupt state and those as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 impieties or aversions from God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in respect of which we are ignorant of God which shews him to be no enemy to the doctrine of Original sin he adds 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but if any man in this respect calls nativity ill let him in that other respect acknowledge it good because thereby we come to the knowledge of the truth In which words he seems to refer to the following verse in this Psalm Behold thou desirest truth in the inward parts and in the hidden part thou shalt make me to know wisdom which by the way as it is an aggravation of every wilful actual sin committed by any child of Adam because though it be committed in compliance with natural corruption yet 't is in opposition to grace and the both outward and inward directions of Gods Spirit which were given to mortifie our natural corruption and to beget us to a new spiritual life so it is full matter of conviction to the Encratites that generation and marriage is good and not evil because it brings forth children to the grace and mercies of Christ to Baptism that foederal rite of receiving every the tenderest Infant into the Covenant of grace whereby the original stain or corruption shall be disabled from bringing any eternal misery upon them that do not call it on themselves by those wilful acts of sin that might have been resisted by them if they had not been foully wanting to themselves Which consideration being so much more proper to the point which Clemens had in hand the refuting of the Encratites than the insisting on the doctrines and aggravations of original corruption we cannot reasonably wonder that he should there confine his discourse to that which was only pertinent and so he goes on to shew grounds of mercy and pardon from the very nature of our temptations 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and the way to contend and overcome in our Christian agonies by St. Paul's 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as he reads it and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 subduing and bringing under the flesh and not absteining wholly but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 temperately using those things which we judge fit for us and so atteining the incorruptible crown 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but so as not to be crowned without fighting and not inlarge to that which was more than granted by his adversaries with whom he had then to do even improved into dangerous heretical doctrine for so Tatianus having learnt from Scripture and the doctrine of the Church and of his teacher Justin Martyr that by Adam's fall all mankind were ingaged in sin and death he thinking the act of generation was the committing the same fault that lay so heavy on Adam and by not considering well the benefits of the Second Adam
to mortifie corruptions The Philosopher was said to overrule his nativity and stars and sure Davids divine Philosophy had thus inable him if he had not sinned against grace and strength And so to him that was thus inabled the consideration of his natural corruption could be no competent matter of extenuation The more turbulent his passions were the stronger his inclinations to sin the more he was obliged to devotion and watchfulness the one constantly and frequently to pray for grace which he stood so much in need of and the other to imploy his utmost industry not to betray but make the best use of those aids to secure him from so visible and imminent a ruine And to this sense some of the antients understand the next verse Behold thou desirest truth in the inward parts and as the LXXII read 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 thou hast manifested to me the secret and hidden things of thy wisdom Though by nature I am corrupt and unclean yet thou by thy special grace and revelation and communication of the secrets of thy wisdom thy Christ unto me hast elevated me above that low pitch of my natural corruption And thus 't is not extraordinary in Scripture for two things to be mentioned one after the other when the latter only is principally intended and to the purpose and the former only as it is preparative and introductory to the latter And if this be the meaning of the place then the account is clear that the former verse taken alone as it cannot be an extenuation so neither need it be lookt on as an ingredient in the aggravation of Davids present actual guilts but only as an introduction to the latter verse Gods divine revelations to him which were very proper to aggravate his sins as being committed against special grace and illumination and so neither of weakness nor ignorance But then Secondly though his natural inclination to sin were no ground for the aggravation of his actual sins yet being not as hath been shewed useful for the extenuation of them it may fitly come in to bear its part in a penitential Psalm eo ipso as it is a sin though but of our nature For he that is truly sensible and humbled for his grosser actual enormities will and ought to confess to God his lesser and inferior guilts even his sins of ignorance and infirmity and by no means to omit his natural corruptions and all the branches thereof First the darkness of his understanding Secondly the unruliness of his affections and Thirdly the crookedness of his will the bending down of that toward the carnal part and great proneness to gratifie it Which last as it differs very much from the complacency of the senses in their proper objects or the inclinableness of the flesh to that which is prohibited which were in our first parents in Paradise the beauty and sweetness of the apple were then grateful to two of their senses and fit to be desired by them and therefore no sins so is it a degree of aversion from God and so contrary to that degree of love with all the heart which is commanded us by the Law and consequently an 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or breach of Gods Law and a sin And being so and withall so connatural to the will since the fall that it is not perfectly rooted out of us in this life it may sure be very fit to be put into the Catalogue and fill up the number and increase the weight of those sins for which men are to humble themselves before God at all times but especially upon conviction of any one or more gross actual sins For then the more truly sensible we are the more wounding will every the least obliquity or but inclination of the will to evil appear to us the least weight adding to his pressure that is so much overladen already And so this is a second use of this reflexion on his natural corrupt state in the work of his repentance But S. Chrysostome hath another notion of this passage that it was used by David to introduce his prayer for that pardon which is promised sinners by Christ For this he makes the meaning of the next verse that God had revealed Christ unto him enabled him to praedict his birth passion resurrection and ascension and therefore as these were means of cure for the corruption of our nature and of obtaining pardon for the infirmities thereof so the Psalmist prays to God who desireth and loveth truth that knowing 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the weakness of our nature he will communicate his 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 medicines of pardon to them that beg them of him by prayer and again that he that had been taught this mystery of our redemption before-hand by the holy Spirit prayed that he might obtain his part in that grace which he praedicted to others and therefore cried out v. 8. Thou shalt purge me with hyssope And in this understanding of it as a part of a plea for pardon in Christ it will be perfectly fit also for a penitential Psalm though it tended not in the least to his humiliation Deprecation of punishment being as proper a part of such an office as aggravation of sin can be supposed to be But the former seems to me the more probable design of the Psalmist in this passage and that in either part is matter of aggravation of sin and to that I have confined the Paraphrase though the other being honoured with so great an Author was not wholly to be forgotten or omitted V. 6. Truth From 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to cover is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 kidneys or reins because they are covered over with fat So once more 't is used in Scripture Job 38.36 where as here our English renders it inward parts somewhat too generally The Chaldee expressing it more particularly by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the reins and these in the Scripture stile being frequently taken for the seat of the affections the purity whereof is most contrary to the natural corruption or inbred pollution in the preceding verse As for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 truth that ordinarily signifies sincerity uprightness and integrity and so truth in the reins is aequivalent to an hearty sincere obedience not only of the actions but of the very thoughts and affections to God and so in things of this nature wherein this Psalm is principally concerned denotes the purity of the heart the not admitting any unclean desire or thought the very first degree of indulgence to any lust And this God is said to will or desire or delight in so 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 voluit frequently signifies and so to command and require of us Then though 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 be in the future tense yet in reason that is to be rendred in the past or the present thou makest or hast made me know wisdom secretly by wisdom meaning the knowledge of his duty and by
or distress or suffering shall be for the remainder of time perpetual I call to mind thy former benefits to us and my hope is strengthened and despair ceaseth making this sadder part an introduction to the more chearful And so the Jewish Arab And when I say this is my dejection prostration and the space or duration of the plague or punishment of the most High I remember c. The Seventy Eighth PSALM MAschil of Asaph Paraphrase The seventy eighth Psalm is a reflexion on Gods various dealing his mixtures of mercies and punishments on the people of Israel from the time of their being in Egypt to Davids exaltation to the Kingdom It seems to have been composed by Asaph and set to the tune called Maschil See note on Psal 32. a. 1. Give ear O my people to my law incline your ears to the words of my mouth 2. I will open my mouth in a parable I will utter dark sayings of old Paraphrase 1 2. Let all the people of God give diligent attention to what I shall now deliver as to that which is designed for their special instruction and gathered out of the records of Gods providence toward his own people the Jews see note on Psal 49.6 that all that profess Godliness may be admonished thereby 3. Which we have heard and known and our Fathers have told us 4. We will not hide them from their children shewing to the generations to come the praises of the Lord and his strength and his wonderful works that he hath done Paraphrase 3 4. And the truth of the things being so undoubtedly certain as well as of weighty consideration either particularly known to us that now live or thought fit to be by tradition conveighed down to us by our ancestors I have all reason to communicate and propagate them to others to whom also our Fathers designed them as well as to us of this age that they might joyn with us in blessing and praising and magnifying the glorious attributes of God and the powerful and gracious acts that he hath wrought for us 5. For he established a testimony in Jacob and appointed a law in Israel which he commanded our fathers that they should make them known to their children Paraphrase 5. For thus indeed did God himself appoint when he first revealed his will and laws unto the Jews by Moses laying it as an obligation on the parents to be strictly careful to â—nstruct their children to all posterity in the knowledge of them see Deut. 4.9 and 6.7 6. That the generation to come might know them even the children that should be born who should arise and declare them to their children Paraphrase 6. That not themselves only but even all their posterity those that were not then born should first learn them themselves and then diffuse and instil them into all others 7. That they might set their hope in God and not forget the works of God but keep his commandments Paraphrase 7. And that in order to the preserving and cherishing all parts of piety in them a chearful relyance and dependance on him that had thus demonstrated his readiness to succour them thanksgiving and praising of him for his works of power and mercy and a careful performance of all holy uniform obedience to his commands as to him that had wrought redemption for them and so purchased them to be his servants 8. And might not be as their fathers a stubborn and rebellious generation a generation that set not their heart aright and whose spirit was not stedfast with God Paraphrase 8. And to restrain them from transcribing their fathers copies who when they were thus strangely obliged by God were yet guilty of most vile provoking obstinacies unbeliefs and rebellions murmurings and downright Apostasies from his law by Idolatry c. would either never set themselves heartily to the ways of God or if they did presently relapst into foul transgressions 9. The children of Ephraim being armed and carrying bows turned back in the day of battel Paraphrase 9. Delaying in their performances with God as they did sometimes in their warlike engagements when they were just ready to fight and wanted nothing toward the doing it successfully they fainted in the very point of the assault and fled out of the field Thus the Ephramites appear to have done and consequently were defeated and assaulted by the Philistims 1 Chron. 7.21 And just thus did many other of these when any service was really to be performed to God any danger to be combated with and virtue of patience or faith or courage to be exercised then were they sure to falter and fall off shamefully 10. They kept not the Covenant of God and refused to walk in his law 11. And forgat his works and wonders which he had shewed them Paraphrase 10 11. And seldom or never made they good any constancy of obedience to him were still apt to murmur and distrust his promised assistance though ascertained to their faith by never so many wonderful experiments of his power and providence toward them would not go on in the way that God directed them but through fear and distrust fell into mutinies and quarrels with Moses and refused to be ruled or conducted by him 12. Marvelous things did he in the sight of their fathers in the land of Egypt in the field of Zoan Paraphrase 12. And this was a most hainous aggravated infidelity much heightned by the many works of wonder that God had afforded their fathers so lately in bringing them out of Egypt by a mighty hand and fearful prodigious judgments upon Pharaoh and his people 13. He divided the sea and caused them to pass through and he made the waters to stand as an heap Paraphrase 13. The conclusion of which was that he made the very sea recede and depart before them and stand still like a wall Exod. 14.22 or like a heap Exod. 15.8 see note on Psal 33. b. to secure them from all danger of approach and so carried them through the chanel as on dry ground and conducted them safe out of Egypt 14. In the day time also he led them with a cloud and all the night with a light of fire Paraphrase 14. To this end he set a lightsome cloud over their heads at once to overshadow and inviron them see note on 1 Cor. 10. a. and this cloud so disposed that in the night-time it afforded light to the Israelites though not to the Egyptians that followed them but made a clear separation between them Exod. 14.20 and in the day-time when they needed not its light it was yet visible over them and about them by this means miraculously directing and conducting them in their journeys 15. He clave the rocks in the wilderness and gave them drink as out of the great depths Paraphrase 15. And in their journeying in the wilderness when they wanted water he commanded Moses to strike a rock with his rod and by so doing there came
glorifying thee 6. For who in the heaven can be compared unto the Lord who among the sons of the mighty can be likened unto the Lord Paraphrase 6. For though they be glorious creatures and instruments and ministers of God yet there is no least comparison between all the power and operations of all those and that which is performed by God in these his admirable dispensations toward his people which therefore are to be lookt on with amazement and highest degree of reverence and adoration by all those glorious creatures which attend him 7. God is greatly to be feared in the assembly of his saints and to be had in reverence of all them that are about him 8. O Lord God of hosts who is a strong Lord like unto thee or to thy faithfulness round about thee Paraphrase 8. Thou art the Lord and only supreme commander of all those Armies of Angels and as thou art armed with power above all those so art thou guarded with fidelity by the former thou canst and by the latter thou wilt certainly perform all that thou hast covenanted with us 9. Thou rulest the raging of the Sea when the waves thereof arise thou stillest them Paraphrase 9. Thy power is sufficient to bring down and tame the proudest and most tumultuous element the very Ocean it self when it is most boysterous is immediately quiet at thy command 10. Thou hast broken Rahab in pieces as one that is slain thou hast scattered thine enemies with thy strong arme Paraphrase 10. By this means as once thou gavest thy people the children of Israel a passage out of Aegypt through the channel of the Red Sea so didst thou return the Sea upon Pharaoh and the Aegyptians the tyrannizing enemies of thy people destroyedst him there as discernibly and illustriously as if thou hadst slain him with a Sword and together with him by thine own immediate interposition didst then overwhelme and drown the Aegyptians 11. The heavens are thine the earth also is thine as for the world and the fulness thereof thou hast founded them Paraphrase 11. Thou art the only creator of the whole world and all that therein is thou gavest it that stable firm being that it hath so that the sea though much higher than the rest of the Globe doth not yet drown the earth And as in the Creation all was ordered by thy command so hast thou still the only right of power and dominion over all in the administration of things 12. The North and the South thou hast created them Tabor and Hermon shall rejoyce in thy name Paraphrase 12. All the regions of all the quarters of the earth as the Northern and Southern so the Western and Eastern coasts are created by thy power and protected and supported by it and accordingly are obliged to bless thy providence for all the least good that they enjoy 13. Thou hast a mighty arme strong is thy hand and high is thy right hand Paraphrase 13. Thy power is far removed above all the oppositions and resistances in nature whatsoever thou wilt thou art perfectly able to do and thy providential power of mercy of delivering and obliging is above all the other works of it eminently observable 14. Justice and judgment are the habitation of thy throne mercy and truth shall go before thy face Paraphrase 14. Whatsoever thou doest thy mercy and pity is discernible in it and so is thy justice and fidelity also Thou makest promises of abundant mercy to thy servants and never fallest to perform them 15. Blessed is the people that know the joyful sound they shall walk O Lord in the light of thy countenance Paraphrase 15. And 't is no small degree of bliss to be thus honoured by God as the people of Israel is to receive such stupendious mercies from him and to be taught the way of praising and acknowledging his mercies so as will be acceptable to him such as they are secured of Gods continual favour if they be not stupidly wanting to themselves there being no more required of them than humbly to beg and qualifie themselves to receive his mercies and then thankfully to acknowledge and being secured of this they can want nothing to live most comfortably and pleasurably Psal 135.3 16. In thy name shall they rejoyce all the day and in thy righteousness shall they be exalted Paraphrase 16. Two soveraign benefits shall they enjoy hereby 1. a continual delight and joy that they are favoured by thee which they shall as delightfully express in singing continual praises to thee and this very communion with God a confidence of Gods kindness and a perpetual blessing him for it is of all others the most pleasurable way of living a paradise or antepast of heaven here 2. the natural consequent of Gods favour and mercy his raising them up out of the most low and dejected state see v. 17. to the greatest height of dignity 17. For thou art the glory of their strength and in thy favour shall our horn be exalted Paraphrase 17. For though such men have no solid strength of their own yet by additions they receive from thee they may confidently attempt any thing and depend on thee for the performance And that gives us thy servants by thy continued favour and kindness to us an humble assurance that thou wilt raise us out of our present dejection v. 38. c. to an high degree of power and dignity see Luk. 1. note n. 18. For the Lord is our defence and the holy one of Israel is our King Paraphrase 18 The ground of our assurance being only this that the supreme God of heaven and earth he that hath made and performed such wonderful promises to this people of Israel and by his own special providence appointed David to be King over us by this owning us peculiarly as his own Kingdom is he that undertakes to shield and secure us from all dangers 19. Then thou spakest in vision to thy holy one and saidst I have laid help upon one that is mighty I have exalted one chosen out of the people 20. I have found David my servant with my holy oyle have I anointed him Paraphrase 19 20. One special act of his goodness to us it was that appearing in vision to Samuel the good Prophet he told him who it was that he had chosen to be King in Saul's stead to rule and defend his people a person of eminent vertues and though mean in the eyes of men an approved faithful servant of his herein an eminent type of Christ the fountain of all good to mankind 21. With whom mine hand shall be established mine arme also shall strengthen him Paraphrase 21. To him God promised to be always present and ready at hand to assist and preserve and secure him in all his undertakings 22. The enemy shall not exact upon him nor the son of wickedness afflict him Paraphrase 22. To protect him from the stratagems
better be rendred 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that we may bring an understanding heart so 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 an understanding spirit Exod. 28.3 and Isai 11.2 and in many other places and then by that will be signified that knowing the terribleness of Gods wrath the want of which was matter of complaint v. 11. And so this is a facile and obvious rendring of these two verses Yet it is not amiss to mention other descants The Jewish Arab seems not to take 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 v. 11. for wrath but according to an Arabick use of that word for consideration and so goes in his interpretation far different from others thus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. And who knows the power of thy wrath so as to consider thy fear As the number or according to the numbring of our age which is known that we might bring an heart of wisdome or wise heart Adding in a note that the meaning is that our days are numbred and known and if we did continually know or acknowledge the power of thy wrath and punishment as we acknowledge that our days and ages are fading we would come before thee with a wise heart and by repentance turn unto thee 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he seems to take not for the Imperative but for the preterperfect tense passive Abu Walid takes that in another sense and thus interprets it According to the measure of our age so discipline or chastise us exceed not measure in chastising us because our age is short c. and he compares it with Job 7.19 How long wilt thou not depart from me nor let me alone c. But this Kimchi in his Roots seems not to like of R. Moses mentioned by Aben Ezra thus makes the meaning He that knows the force of thy wrath and knows how to number our days the truth is known to him The Ninety First PSALM The ninety first Psalm is a meditation of the special security of the truly pious man who relies on God alone for it together with all other blessings of this world as the reward of his firm adherence to God 'T is affirmed by the Chaldee and LXXII and Latine to have been composed by David in reference perhaps to Gods being intreated for the land and removing the pestilence 2 Sam. 24.25 just as it was seizing on Jerusalem see note b. and hath its most eminent completion in the Messias 1. HE that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty Paraphrase 1. He that adheres to God that seeks and expects all his safety from his sole protection and accordingly qualifies himself for a capacity of that keeps in those ways to which God hath promised his safeguard shall be sure never to fail of receiving it His tenure cannot fail as being founded on so sure a title as is the promise of him that hath all power and dominion over all creatures in the world and can certainly and as undoubtedly will perform whatsoever he hath promised 2. I will say of the Lord he is my refuge and my fortress my God in him will I trust Paraphrase 2. This general never-failing axiom gives me confidence chearfully to repose my whole trust and affiance in God as the most sacred inviolable sanctuary the most strong provided impregnable fort the supreme and divine power that governs and over-rules the whole world and hath by his promise obliged himself never to destitute me that thus hang on him 3. Surely he will deliver thee from the snare of the fouler and from the noysome pestilence Paraphrase 3. In this safeguard I shall be secured from those dangers that are in the eye of man most unavoidable the most secret ambush that is most cunningly laid and the most killing poyson that propagates it self most insensibly 4. He shall cover thee with his feathers and under his wings shalt thou trust his truth shall be thy shield and buckler Paraphrase 4. For as an Eagle or other bird doth with her wings protect and secure her feeble young ones from all approaching dangers and to that safeguard they confidently resort without seeking or solliciting any other from whence and by analogy with which it is that in the Holy of holies the Cherubims with their wings overshadow the mercy-seat to signifie Gods gratious care and protection over all that there address themselves to him so shall God guard and defend me and in his protection will I repose all my hope and trust the power of the Almighty being abundantly sufficient and upon his promise given his fidelity ingaged to afford his continual defense to all that are thus qualified for it 5. Thou shalt not be afraid for the terror by night nor for the arrow that flieth by day 6. Nor for the pestilence that walketh in darkness nor for the destruction that wasteth at noon-day Paraphrase 5 6. To this it is consequent that I have no cause to apprehend with terrour either the most secret or the most open dangers the most unavoidable evils that can threaten destruction or mischief to me either by night or day 7. A thousand shall fall at thy side and ten thousand at thy right hand but it shall not come nigh thee Paraphrase 7 Those judgments which seise on multitudes of wicked men on every side of me shall like the plagues that swept away the Egyptians but past over the Israelites or the plague that slew seventy thousand from Dan to Beersheba but fell not on Jerusalem be forbidden to seise on me 8. Only with thine eyes shalt thou behold and see the reward of the wicked Paraphrase 8. All the sense of evil which I need fear is in its seising on others not on my self the beholding the untimely deaths of many others such as is by the law denounced to ungodly men but in time of epidemical diseases oft seises upon others as well as them 9. Because thou hast made the Lord which is my refuge even the most High thy habitation Paraphrase 9. I have placed all my affiance in the Lord and thereby secured my self of all the protection and safeguard that the Omnipotent Monarch of heaven and earth can bestow on me 10. There shall no evil befall thee neither shall any plague come nigh thy dwelling Paraphrase 10. By strength hereof no kind of mischief shall by any mishap befal or approach me 11. For he shall give his Angels charge over thee to keep thee in all thy ways Paraphrase 11. God having set a guard of his about me given charge to the holy Angels that always attend and execute his commands that as long as I cleave fast unto him they shall secure me from all manner of evil that his providence shall permit to approach me 12. They shall bear thee up in their hands lest thou dash thy foot against a stone Paraphrase 12. When any such approacheth those holy officers of his shall be ready with their aid
Chaldee 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the beginning and so the LXXII 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the beginning of my mirth And 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I will lift up or advance Jerusalem in the beginning of my mirth is to make that the prime or chief ingredient in their rejoycing the principal subject of their hymns V. 8. Art to be destroyed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to lay waste or destroy in Paül instead of Poel which is frequent may be rendred vastatrix destroyer So the Chaldee 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the waster or spoiler and so the Syriack in the same word Onely the LXXII reads 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which as it signifies miserable so it signifies vile and wicked also and so even the Hebrew if taken in the passive will be but answerable to 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 perditus wretched wicked and so fit to be destroyed The Jewish Arab reads O thou spoiled and so 't is agreeable to the custom of the Eastern people by way of omen or presage to put with the name of a city an Epithet of Preserved or guarded if they wish well to it and so 't is proportionable it should be in the contrary signification if they wish ill to it to speak of that as done which they wish to be done The Hundred and Thirty Eighth PSALM A Psalm of David The hundred Thirty eighth is a Psalm of Thanksgiving to God for his mercies his gracious audiences afforded to the prayers of his lowly servants his powerfull deliverances of them most admirable in the sight of their heathen enemies And being first composed by David is said by the LXXII to have been made use of by Haggee and Zachary at the re building of the Temple 1. I Will praise thee with my whole heart before the Gods will I sing praise unto thee 2. I will worship toward thy holy Temple and praise thy name for thy loving kindness and for thy truth for thou hast magnified thy word above all thy name Paraphrase 1 2. Blessed Lord thou hast been exceeding gracious to thy servants and never failed to answer them that rely on thee thy mercies and fidelity are much spoken of thou art known by this title of mercifull and gracious and one that never fails to perform his part of the Covenant with any But thou hast infinitely exceeded all that is or can be either said or believed of thee thou hast made us admirable divine promises that especially of giving us thy Son and in him all things and wilt certainâ—y perform them all to the utmost importance of them And now what return shall we make unto thee for all this having nothing else we must in all equity pay thee the humblest acknowledgments of our very souls and in thy publick assembly in the presence of the holy Angels the witnesses of our performances and assistants and partners of our praises bless and laud and magnifie thy glorious name for all thine abundant mercy toward us 3. In the day when I cried thou answeredst me and strengthenedst me with strength in my soul Paraphrase 3. Whensoever I have addrest by prayer to thee thou hast never failed to answer me and relieve me which together with thine own free promise gives me full confidence to beg and crave thy grace to strengthen and support my soul against whatsoever danger and to rest secure in thee that thou wilt grant it me 4. All the Kings of the earth shall praise thee O Lord when they hear the words of thy mouth 5. Yea they shall sing in the ways of the Lord for great is the glory of the Lord. Paraphrase 4 5. These magnificent promises of thine v. 2. shall be proclaimed and made known thy Gospel preached to all the world and thereby the greatest potentates on earth they and their kingdoms with them shall at length be brought in to worship and serve and glorifie thee and in so doing never give over singing and praising and magnifying thy great and gracious and glorious works of mercy those wonderfull dispensations of thine in the gift of thy Son and that gracious divine Law given us by him 6. Though the Lord be high yet hath he respect unto the lowly but the proud he knoweth afar off Paraphrase 6. The sum whereof is this that as the supreme God of heaven hath humbled himself to this earth and flesh of ours so he will favourably behold and deal with all lowly humbled penitent sinners but proceed most severely with all proud obdurate impenitents 7. Though I walk in the midst of trouble thou wilt revive me thou shalt stretch forth thine hand against the wrath of mine enemies and thy right hand shall save me 8. The Lord will perfect that which concerneth me thy mercy O Lord endureth for ever forsake not the works of thine own hands Paraphrase 7 8. And as for spiritual so for temporal mercies God will not fail to perform them also to his faithfull servants whatever their distresses be he will relieve or support them repel and subdue and repress their enemies and secure them by his immediate divine interposition if humane means do fail what they are not able and what indeed belongs not to them to doe for themselves he will most certainly perform in their stead having begun a work of mercy he will not leave it imperfect he will certainly go through with it Thus doth God abound in mercies of all sorts to all his humble faithfull servants Lord be thou thus graciously pleased to deal with me and with all thy poor helpless creatures which being made by thee have none other to fly to but they self Annotations on Psal CXXXVIII V. 1. Gods Of the notion of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 first for Angels then for Magistrates Judges Kings somewhat hath been said Note on Psal 82. b. Now to which of these it shall be applied in this place is not agreed among the ancient Interpreters The Chaldee reads 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Judges the Syriack 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Kings the Jewish Arab the Nobles but the LXXII and the Arabick and Aethiopick and Latin follow them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Angels And considering that in the next words v. 2. he mentions worshipping toward the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not temple if it were as the title directs composed by David but palace of holiness i. e. the Sanctuary where the Cherubims of glory representations of Angels shadowed the mercy-seat Heb. 9.5 and that in that house of God and house of prayer the Angels were present according to that of Saint Chrysostome 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 thou singest and chantest with the angels and on this place 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I will strive to sing with the Angels contending with them in this holy strife and emulation who shall praise him loudest joyning in quire with the supernal powers 't is not improbable that this should be
thy estate and enrich her own family with the spoils of thine 11. And thou mourn at the last when thy flesh and thy body are consumed 12. And say how have I hated instruction and my heart despised reproof 13. And have not obey'd the voice of my teachers nor enclined mine ear to them that instructed me 14. I was almost in all evil in the midst of the congregation and assembly Paraphrase 11 12 13 14. Thus is it evident before hand what cause of repentance and indignation at himself and his own folly this sin if indulged to is sure to bring upon any man when he hath exhausted and rotted his very flesh and brought himself to utter ruine he will too late to mend his temporal condition most sadly bewail and lament his madness wish every vein of his heart that he had taken the advice I now give him betimes that he had believed the serious and sad truth of such documents as these by despising of which and so adventuring on some beginnings and degrees of this sin he at last comes to be a most scandalous spectacle of misery and woe to all the people marked and pointed at for a wretched sottish creature that hath brought himself to the brink of endless ruine by his own imperswasible folly and obstinacy 15. Drink waters out of thine own cistern and running rivers out of thine own well Paraphrase 15. Having thus represented to thee the dangers and wasting miseries of incontinence the advice will be but seasonable and necessary that every man resolve to satisfie himself with his own wife and most strictly abstain from wandring lusts 16. Let thy fountains be dispersed abroad and rivers of waters in thy streets Paraphrase 16. This shall beside all other felicities yield thee the comforts of a numerous and flourishing offspring which as streams or rivers from a fountain shall flow from a chast conjugal bed 17. Let them be onely thine own and not strangers with thee Paraphrase 17. This shall give thee assurance that the children thou ownest are truly thine whereas those which come from the strange woman and call thee father 't is very uncertain whose they are she being no enclosure of thine but common to others also 18. Let thy fountain be blessed and rejoyce in the wife of thy youth Paraphrase 18. This shall secure God's blessing of fruitfulness to thy wife and that flourishing state to thy offspring which bastard slips cannot pretend to This shall yield thee a constant never fading pleasure in the love and embraces of her whose purity and loyalty thou hast so long been acquainted with and the longer thou art afforded this blessing the more pure unallayed satisfaction thou wilt find in it when wandring lusts end in satiety and misery and being thus furnished by her thou hast no temptation to aliene thy self from her and take any other into thine embraces 19. Let her be as the loving hind and pleasant roe let her breasts satisfie thee at all times and be thou ravisht always with her love Paraphrase 19. Thou mayst alwaies find matter of pleasure and kindness in her the same that the stag or rain-deer doth in his beloved mate which he hath long associated with and so perfectly confine thy love to her and never wish for the society of any other or be weary of hers 20. And why wilt thou my son be ravisht with a strange woman and embrace the bosom of a stranger 21. For the ways of man are before the eyes of the Lord and he pondereth all his goings Paraphrase 20 21. If all this be not sufficient to engage thee to a constancy to thine own wife and an exact abstinence from all others if the true joy and delights resulting continually from the one ballanced with the consequent satieties and miseries of the other be not competent motives effectually to prevail with thee then sure this one determent may work on thee the consideration of the law of marriage made by God in Paradise that every man shall forsake all others and cleave to his own wife and the severe judgments threatned against the violaters of this obligation and the no possibility that be it never so close it should be kept secret from God's all-seeing eye which discerns and observes and will severely avenge all such enormous sins in all that are guilty of them 22. His own iniquities shall take the wicked himself and he shall be holden with the cords of his sins 23. He shall die without instruction and in the greatness of his folly he shall go astray Paraphrase 22 23. And an eminent act of his vengeance and providence it is that this sort of sinners seldom goes unpunished in this life His sin without any other aid constantly brings sore punishments upon him seises on him as the Hound or Vulture on its prey or as the Lictor and Serjeant on the malefactour lays him under the custody of some noisome disease His unnurtured unsavoury life his disobedience to the laws of marital chastity and continence is the exhausting his body and perhaps estate and good name and all that is valuable and brings him to a scandalous death he goes out unpittied and scorned as guilty of the highest folly and mistakes as well as injustice and such like enormous crimes against his wife and others and himself he thought he had pursued his pleasure and at least gratified his senses but in the end he finds it quite contrary he acquires nothing but loathsome maladies and untimely death and so appears cheated of all that he projected to gain by his sin beside the yet sadder losses and pains both of body and soul to all eternity Annotations on Chap. V. V. 6. Lest thou shouldest ponder That 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is here to be rendred not and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 applied to the strange woman whose feet and steps are mentioned v. 6. is agreed on by all ancient Interpreters and there is no cause of doubting it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 she goes not in the paths of life saith the Chaldee and so the Syriack in the same words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 she enters not on the ways of life say the LXXII and the Latin applying it to her feet precedent per semitam vitae non ambulant they walk not by the path of life Which agree also to give us the right notion of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 here for directing the steps i. e. walking or going which it is acknowledged to signifie as well as pondering and which properly belongs to it in this place the steps being mentioned in the former verse To this interpretation agrees that which follows her paths are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 wandring vagi saith the Latin 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 dangerous say the LXXII because they that wander run into danger but unstable saith the Chaldee 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 literally not to know i. e. either thou canst not know them non scies
he hath no pleasure in it no joy in those daily vomits were they not Physick against something else against that burthen of time that lies so unsupportable upon his hands against Melancholy against pangs and twinges of conscience like Cain's building of Cities and his Childrens inventing of Musick that the noise of the Hammers and the melody of the Instruments might out-sound the dinne within him or at least to take up quarter before Christ to help stop the ear from that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that still whispering trumpet in Appian fit for the secret invasion of the soul to keep him from the pain or perhaps the reproach of being too precise and most other sins are of the like making we flie to them as to our refuge to save us from Christ as the horns of our Altar to keep us from that Goel which we dread as the Revenger of blood our only enemy and persecutor in the world 'T is not any prime quality any special excellence we find in our carnal entertainments those not only vanities but vexations not only unsatisfying but wounding acquisitions those gainless torments those painted flies with barbed hooks under them that makes us so passionately dote upon them the Jews were not in love with Barabbas but only our prejudices to Christ our vehement dislikes to holiness our impatience of any thing that may do us good our league with perdition our covenant with death our zeal to Hell and absolute resolvedness to be miserable eternally Such malice hath every sinner to his own soul such hating to be reformed that the painful'st uneasiest sin the most prodigal expenceful lust a very Sodom of filth and burning not only the sins of Sodom but the fire and brimstone rain'd down and mixt with the sins gotten into their composition shall be abundant pleasure and Epicurism to him that hath found no other to stay his appetite I appeal to your consciences whether many of you have not suffer'd more hardship in Satans service than any man hath in Gods whether your very sins have not cost you dearer than every any Martyr paid to get to Heaven Tell me hath not your lusts had Martyrs of you many pass'd thorow the fire to Moloch hath not your ambition had Martyrs of you many a base submission a toilsome pluck a climbing or crawling up that hill of honour Believe it the Poet jeer'd you in that not truth but irony that sarcasm and bitter taunt against you Facilis descensus Averni the descent to Hell is an easie passage If he spake what he thought I am confident you can give him the lye produce your selves so many visible demonstrations of the contrary truth that you can shew him by your scars as 't were by the Half-moon in your Breasts what a tyrannical Turkish task-master Satan hath been to you 'T is an ordinary passage in the story of Julian that when he receiv'd his deaths wound he fell a railing at Christ but Philostorgius seems to rectifie the story tells us it was his own Gods i. e. Devils that he rail'd at that he took his blood in his hand out of his wound and cast it against the Sun his deified Idol with a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 be thou satisfied yea and call'd the rest of his many Gods saith he 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 so the Manuscript hath it evil and execrable persons 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 cursing and declaiming at his own Gods and not at Christ the application is plain the Devil he is the bloody Master his is the course service and sad wages not Christs none is so fit to be curst by his own Clients as that Prince of darkness 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Monarch ruler of this Age of ours I have reason to believe there are no fitter Judges to appeal to in this particular than my present Auditory 'T was a French Friars conceit that Courtiers were of all men the likeliest to bear him company to his Covent not only fittest but likeliest to forsake the world and turn Penitentiaries He judg'd it because such an one of all others had most reason to be displeas'd with the pleasures of the world he hath seen to the bottom of sensual delights found the emptiness and torments of those things which the distance and ignorance that other men are kept at makes them behold with reverence and appetite the Courtier hath made the experiment and sees how strangely the world is mistaken in its admired delights and with Solomon after a glut of vexatious nothings is now fit to turn Ecclesiastes or Preacher I wish you would be but at so much leasure as to think of the Friars meditation that you would try what mortifying Sermons you could make out of your own observations concerning the vanity of sensual miscalled pleasures I am confident you would be very eloquent able to outpreach all the Orators you ever heard from the Pulpit to write more pathetical descriptions of the madness of a carnal life than from any more innocent Speculator could be hoped for That you may begin that useful edifying lasting Sermon I shall close up mine having at length run thorow the particulars of my Text shew'd you your selves in the Jewish glass if it were possible to put you out of countenance to shake you out of all tolerable good opinion of your selves And now let every man go home with a tu es homo he is the very Jew I have preach'd of all this while O that he would think fit to hate that Jew humble him labour his conversion bring him down into the dust if so be there may yet be hope And that God that can bring from the dust of death again open this door to us a forlorn destitute people so shall we see and praise the power and seasonable bounty of our Deliverer and ascribe unto him as our only tribute the honour the glory the power the praise the might the majesty the dominion which through all Ages of the world have been given to him that sitteth on the Throne to the holy Spirit and to the Lamb for ever more Amen Saint PAVL's Sermon to FELIX THE EIGHTH Being a Lent SERMON at Oxford A. D. 1645. ACTS 24.25 And as he reasoned of righteousness and temperance and judgment to come Felix trembled THE Words are the Notes taken from a Sermon of St. Pauls And the success it met with among the Auditors the trembling of one heathen Officer that was at it is intirely the consideration that commended it to me at this time in hope it might help to perform that strange work beget a spiritual palsie or soul-quake in the Christian sinner that worâ—er kind of Heathen at the repetition There 's matter enough God knows of trembling abroad though there were never a judgment to come to put us all into Belshazzars paralytick posture the countenance changed the thoughts troubled the joints or the loins loosed and the knees smiting against one
perfect obedience that was the condition of the first covenant made in paradise when there was ability to perform it but a condition proportioned to our state sincerity in lieu of perfection repentance in exchange for innocence evangelical instead of legal righteousness believing in the heart i. e. cordial obedience to the whole Law of Christ impartial without hypocrisie or indulgence in any known sin persevering and constant without Apostasie or final defection and at last humble without boasting If you will come yet nearer to a full sight of it sometimes regeneration or new life is said to be the condition Except you be born again you can in no wise enter Neither circumcision nor uncircumcision but a new creature Sometimes holiness without which nemo Deum no man shall see the Lord Sometimes repentance in gross nay but except you repent sometimes in retail repentance divided into its parts he that confesseth and for saketh shall have mercy sometimes repentance alone but now commands all men every where to repent as if all duty were contained in that sometimes in conjunction with faith repent you and believe the Gospel sometimes faith sometimes love sometimes self-denial sometimes mercifulness sometimes hope but that an 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a this hope that sets us a purifying every one of these when you meet them single goes for the only necessary the adequate condition of the Gospel to teach you to take them up all as you find them leave never an one neglected or despised lest that be the betraying of all the rest but make up one jewel of these so many lesser gems one body of these so many limbs one recipe compounded of so many ingredients which you may superscribe 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Catholicon or the whole duty of man From this general proposition without the aid of any assumption we may conclude demonstratively enough promises of the Gospel are conditional promises therefore all confidence must take rise from duty Duty is the performance of that condition and to be confident without that is to conclude without promises and consequently to claim justification or pardon of sins before sanctification be begun in the heart to challenge right to heaven before repentance be rooted on earth to make faith the first grace and yet define that assurance of salvation to apply the merits of Christ to our selves the first thing we do and reckon of charity good works duty as fruits and effects to be produced at leisure when that faith comes to virility and strength of fructifying what is all or any of this but to charge God of perjury to tell him that impenitents have right to heaven which he swears have not or to forge a new lease of heaven and put it upon Christ the calmest style I can speak in is that it is the believing of a lie and so not faith but folly an easie cheatableness of heart and not confidence but presumption Hope a man may without actual performance of duty because he may amend hereafter though he do not now and so that possibility and that futurity may be ground of hope but then this hope must set us presently upon performance He that hath this hope purifies himself or else it is not that grace of hope but an 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a youthful daringness of soul a tumour a disease a tympany of hope and if it swell farther than it purge if it put on confidence before holiness this hope may be interpreted desperation an hope that maketh ashamed an utter destitution of that hope which must bestead a Christian O let us be sure then our confidence our claims to heaven improve not above their proportion that we preserve this symmetry of the parts of grace that our hope be but commensurate to our sincerity our daringness to our duty A double confidence there is pro statu and Absolute pro statu when upon survey of my present constitution of soul I claim right in Christs promises for the present and doubt not but I shall be bless'd if I be found so doing Absolute when at the end of life and shutting in of the day I am able to make up my reckonings with S. Paul I have fought a good fight I have finished my course I have kept the faith henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness a crown of felicity I have done what I had to do and now 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 there is nothing behind but to receive my pay I have been too long upon the general consideration of the connexion between confidence and duty if it were an extravagance I hope 't was a pardonable one I descend with speed to the hypothesis the connexion betwixt this confidence and this performance claiming of temporal plenty upon giving of alms my last particular And that I shall give you clearly in this one proposition That alms-giving or mercifulness was never the wasting or lessening of any mans estate to himself or his posterity but rather the increasing of it If I have delivered a new doctrine that will not presently be believed an unusquisque non potest capere such as every auditor will not consent to I doubt not but there be plain texts of Scripture more than one which will assure any Christian of the truth of it Consider them at your leisure Psal 41.1 2. Ps 112. all to this purpose Pro. 11.25 12.9 19.17 and 28.27 Add to these the words of Christ Mar. 10.30 which though more generally delivered of any kind of parting with possessions for Christs sake are applied by S. Hier. to the words of Solomon Pro. 11.24 There is that scattereth and yet increaseth quia centuplum accipient in hoc tempore because saith he they receive an hundred fold in this world And that no man may have any scruple to interpose 't is set in as large and comprehensive a style as the art or covetous scrupulous wit of man could contrive for his own security There is no man who shall not All which being put together must to my understanding make it as clear to any that acknowledges these for Scripture as if the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 daughter of voice were come back into the world again and God should call to a man out of heaven by name bid him relieve that poor man and he should never be the poorer for it 'T is not now to be expected of me in conscience having produced this kind of proof the express texts of Scripture to add any second to it I might else farther evidence it from examples not such as Moscus's 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 will furnish you with for I know not of what authority they are nor yet from S. Hieroms observation who is said to have turned over histories on purpose and never found any merciful man which met not with some signal blessing in this world as the reward of that vertue but even by appealing to your selves and challenging any man here
an effect of a general belief but this subject of temperance and judgment to come agreed not with Felix his course of life His wife Drusilla was held by usurpation he had to led her away from her husband the King of the Emiseni saith Josephus and therefore he could hear no more of it he shifts and complements it off till another time and never means to come in such danger again to be converted for fear of a divorce from his two treasures his Heathenism and his Whore Thus was Agrippa converted from the shoulders upward which he calls Almost a Christian or as the phrase may be rendred 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a little way Acts xxvi 28 convinced to the general truths in his brain but the lower half his heart and affections remained as Heathenish as ever And this is the third ground of practical unbelief that generalities can be cheaply believed without parting from any thing we prize The Doctrine of the Trinity can be received and thwart never a carnal affection as being an inoffensive truth Christ's sufferings and satisfaction for sin by the natural man may be heard with joy but particular application is very difficult That our obedience to every command of that Trinity must be sincere that we must forego all and hate our own flesh to adhere to so merciful a Saviour and express our love to the most contemptible Soul under Heaven as he hath loved us that we must at last expect him in majesty as a Judge whom we are content to hug and embrace in his humility as a Saviour This is a bloody word as Moses his wife counted the Circumcision too harsh and rough to be received into such pampered tender fleshy hearts The fourth ground is a general humor that is gotten in the World To take care of nothing but our reputations Nor God nor life nor soul nor any thing can weigh with it in the ballance Now it is a scandalous thing a soul blot to ones name to be counted an Atheist an arrant Infidel where all are Christians and therefore for fashions sake we will believe and yet sometime the Devil hath turned this humor quite the contrary way and made some men as ambitious of being counted Atheists as others of being Christians It will shortly grow into a gentile garb and part of courtship to disclaim all Religion in shew as well as deeds Thus are a world of men in the World either profest Atheists or Atheistical Professors upon the same grounds of vain-glory the one to get the other to save their reputation in the World Thus do many men stand up at the Creed upon the same terms as Gallants go into the field that have but small maw to be killed only to keep their honor that they might not be branded and mocked for cowards And yet certainly in the truth these are the veriest dastards under Heaven no worldly man so fearful of death or pious man of hell as these are of disgrace The last ground I shall mention and indeed the main of all is The subtlety and wiliness of the Devil He hath tried all his stratagems in the World and hath found none like this for the undermining and ruining of Souls to suffer them to advance a pretty way in Religion to get their heads full of knowledge that so they may think they have faith enough and walk to hell securely The Devil 's first policies were by Heresies to corrupt the Brain to invade and surprize Christianity by force but he soon saw this would not hold out long he was fain to come from batteries to mines and supplant those Forts that he could not vanquish The Fathers and amongst them chiefly Leo in all his writings within the first Five hundred years after Christ observe him at this ward Vt quos vincere ferro flammisque non poterat cupiditatibus irretiret sub falsâ Christiani nominis professione corrumperet He hoped to get more by lusts than heresies and to plunge men deepest in an high conceit of their holy Faith He had learned by experience from himself that all the bare knowledg in the World would never sanctifie it would perhaps give men content and make them confident and bold of their estate and by presuming on such grounds and prescribing merit to Heaven by their Lord Lord even seal them up to the day of damnation and therefore it is ordinary with Satan to give men the tether a great way lest they should grumble at his tyranny and prove Apostates from him upon hard usage Knowledg is pleasant and books are very good Company and therefore if the Devil should bind men to ignorance our Speculators and Brain-Epicures would never be his Disciples they would go away sadly as the young man from Christ who was well affected with his service but could not part with his riches Mat. xix 22 So then you shall have his leave to know and believe in God as much as you please so you will not obey him and be as great Scholars as Satan himself so you will be as prophane The heart of Man is the Devils Palace where he keeps his state and as long as he can strengthen himself there by a guard and band of lusts he can be content to afford the out-works to God divine speculation and never be disturbed or affrighted by any enemy at such a distance Thus have you the grounds also whereupon true Faith which is best defined a spiritual prudence an application of spiritual knowledg to holy practice should be so often wanting in men which are very knowing and the fairest Professors of Christianity Now lest this discourse also should reach no further than your ears lest that which hath been said should be only assented to in the general as true not applied home to your particular practices and so do you no more good than these general professions did here to the Jews only to prove you perjur'd Hypocrites swearing falsly whilst you say the Lord liveth we will endeavour to leave some impression upon your hearts by closing all with Application And that shall be in brief meekly to desire you and if that will not serve the turn by all the mercies of Heaven and horrors of Hell to adjure you to examine your selves on these two interrogatories which my Text will suggest to you First Whether you are as good as the Jews here Secondly Whether you are not the best of you altogether as bad For the first the Jews here said the Lord liveth were very forward to profess and 't were some though but a low measure of commendation for us to be no worse than Jews Let there go a severe inquisition out from the Royal Majesty over the whole Court or at least from every particular man upon himself and bring in an impartial Verdict whether there be not some amongst you that are not come thus far as to say The Lord liveth Some are so ingaged in a trade of
this conceiving well of his estate is the foulest misconceit For if he be such a complete righteous person so accomplish't in all holy graces why should he thus betray his soul by depriving it of this 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which the very Heathens could observe so absolutely necessary this humility and lowliness of mind this useful and most ingenuous vertue always to think vilely of himself not to acknowledge any excellence in himself though he were even put upon the rack The Philosophers that wrote against pride are censured to have spoil'd all by putting their names to their Books Modesty like Dina desiring never so little to be seen is ravished The sanctifying spirit that beautifies the soul is an humbling spirit also to make it unbeauteous in its own eyes And this is the first misconceit the first step of Pharisaical hypocrisie thinking well of ones self on what ground soever contrary to that virgin grace humility which is a vertue required not only of notorious infamous sinners for what thanks or commendation is it for him to be on the ground that hath faln and bruised himself in his race for him that is ready to starve to go a begging but chiefly and mainly of him that is most righteous when he that knows a great deal of good by himself 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a great deal of good success in the spirit yet 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is not advanced a whit at the fancy of all this The Pharisees second misconceit is a favourable overprizing of his own worth expecting a higher reward than it in proportion deserves When looking in the glass he sees all far more glorious in that reflect beam than it is in the direct all the deformities left in the glass and nothing but fair return'd to him a rough harsh unpleasing voice smoothed and softned and grown harmonious in the Echo there is no such cheating in the world as by reflexions A looking-glass by shewing some handsom persons their good faces and that truly hath often ruin'd them by that truth and betrayed that beauty to all the ugliness and rottenness in the world which had it not been known by them had been injoyed But then your false glasses what mischief and ruine have they been authors of how have they given authority to the deformed'st creatures to come confidently on the stage and befool'd them to that shame which a knowledge of their own wants had certainly prevented What difference their may be betwixt the direct species of a thing and the same reflected the original and the transcript the artificial famous Picture of Henry the Fourth of France will teach you where in a multitude of feign'd devices a heap of painted phantastical Chimaera's which being look'd on right resembled nothing being order'd to cast their species upon a pillar of polish't metal reflected to the spectators eye the most lively visage of that famous King He that hath not seen this piece of Art or hath not skill in Catoptricks enough to understand the demonstrable grounds and reasons of it may yet discern as much in nature by the appearance of a rainbow where you may see those colours reflected by the cloud which no Philosopher will assert to be existent there And all this brings more evidence to the Pharisees indictment and demonstrates his opinion of his own actions or meâ—its to be commonly deceiveable and false He sees another mans actions radio recto by a direct beam and if there be no humour in his eye if it be not glazed with contempt or envy or prejudice he may perhaps see them aright But his own he cannot see but by reflexion as a man comes not to see his own eyes but in the shadow and at the rebound whereupon Alcinous the Platonick calls this act of the soul 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a dialogue of the soul with it self and the knowledge that comes from thence 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a resemblance by shadowing The soul understands and wills its object this act of it by its species is cast upon the fansie and from thence as even now from the column of brass or Bell-metal 't is reflected to the understanding and then you may guess what a fair report he is likely to receive when a Pharisees phancy hath the returning of it He that with his own clearest eyes could take a gnat for a taller unwieldier creature than a Camel and rhereupon strains at it Mat. xxiii 24 what would he do if he should come to his multiplying glass he that when he sees a mote and that radio recto in others eyes can mistake it for a beam how can he think you improve the least atome of good when he is to look on it in himself how will his phancy and he the one a cheat from the beginning the other full greedy of the bait fatten and puffe up a sacrifice that he himself hath offer'd O how fair shall it appear and ready to devour all the seven fat ones though it be the thinnest of Pharaoh's lean kine lank and very ill favoured how shall the reflexion of his beggarliest rags return to his eye the picture of a King and the ordinariest vapour or cloud of his exhaling be deckt over with all the beauty and variety of the Rainbow what Aristotle said of the Sophistâ— that they did 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 though it be a puzling place for the Criticks this Censor or Aristarchus in my Text will interpret by his practice he blows up himself as theâ— were used to do their meat against a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a Tribunes or a Sheriffs feast that it may look the fairer and not deceive others only but himself forgets what he has done and now thinks 't is his natural complexion as the Carpenter in the thirteenth of Wisdom that piece of wood which himself had just now carved into an Idol he presently prays to and worships as a God or as lyars that by telling a tale often at last begin to believe themselves so hath he befool'd himself into a credulity the farthing Alms he hath given shall by a strange kind of usury yet not stranger perhaps than what he deals in daily be phansied into a mountain of gold and the bare calves of their lips become Hecatombs If he have abstained from flesh when the Market would yield none or forborn to eat a supper after a notorious feast he will call this fasting twice in the week verse 12. and avouch himself an obedient abstemious subject and Christian though good Friday be witness of his unchristian Epicurism If he afford the Minister the tenth of his house-rent and annual benevolence far below that that his dues would come to which by taking of a jolly Fine at first is for ever after pared into but a larger sort of quit-rents though his extortion bring in no revenue to any but the Devil and himself he will yet be confident with the Pharisee I pay
Cleonard proposed to most Courts of Christendom and to that end himself studied Arabick that Princes would join their strength and Scholars their Brains and all surprize them in their own land and language at once besiege the Turk and his Alcoran put him to the Sword and his Religion to the touchstone command him to Christianity with an high hand and then to shew him the reasonableness of our commands Thus also may we complain but not wonder that the Reformation gets ground so slow in Christendom because the Forces and potent Abettors of the Papacy secure them from being led captive to Christ as long as the Pope is riveted so fast in his Chair and as long as the Rulers take part with him there shall be no doubt of the truth of their Religion unless it please God to back our arguments with steel and to raise up Kings and Emperours to be our Champions we may question but never confute his supremacy Let us come with all the power and Rhetorick of Paul and Barnabas all the demonstrations of reason and spirit yet as long as they have such Topicks against us as the authority of the Rulers and Pharisees we may dispute out our hearts and preach out our Lungs and gain no Proselytes all that we shall get is but a scoffe and a Curse a Sarcasm and an Anathema in the words next after my Text This people which know not the law are cursed there is no heed to be taken to such poor contemptible Fellows To bring all home to the business of the Text Let Christ come with all the enforcement and violence and conviction of his Spirit sublimity of his Speech and Miracles all the power of Rhetorick and Rhetorick of his power so that all that see or hear bear witness that never man spake as this man yet all this shall be accounted but a delusion but an inchantment of some seduced Wretches unless the great men or deep Scholars will be pleased to Countenance them And 't is much to be feared they are otherwise possessed and rather than this shall not be followed Christ shall be left alone rather than they shall speak in vain the Word it self shall be put to silence and if they which were appointed to take and bring him to judgment shall be caught by him they came to apprehend and turn their accusations into reverence the Pharisees will not be without their reply they are Doctors in the Law and therefore for a need can be their own Advocates Then answered the Pharisees are ye also deceived have any of the Rulers or Pharisees believed on him Concerning the infidelity of the rulers in my Text as being not so directly appliable to my audience I shall forbear to speak My Discourse shall retire it self to the Pharisee as being a Professor of learning brought up at the Vniversity in Jerusalem and God grant his vices and infidelity be not also Academical The words we shall divide not into several parts but considerations and read them either as spoken by the Pharisee or recorded by the Evangelist In the first we have the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the rational force of them as they are part of an argument that they which believed in Christ were deceived sub hâc formâ he that would judge of the truth of his life is to look which way the greatest Scholars are affected and then though in that case it concluded fallaciously yet the argument was probable and the point worth our discussion that the judgment of learning and learned men is much to be heeded in matters of Religion In the second we have the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the rational sense of the words being resolved as affirmative interrogations are wont into a negative Proposition Have any c. The Pharisees did not believe on him i. e. the greatest Scholars are not always the best Christians And first of the first the authority of learning and learned men in matters of Religion noted from the logical force of the words Have any c. Amongst other acts of Gods Providence and wise Oeconomy of all things there is not one more observable than the succession of his Church and dispensation of his most precious gifts attending it you shall not in any age find the flourishing of learning sever'd from the profession of Religion and the proposition shall be granted without exception Gods people were always the learnedst part of the World Before the Flood we are not so confident as to define and set down the studies and proficiency in all kinds of knowledge amongst those long-liv'd ancients how far soever they went belongs little to us The Deluge made a great chasm betwixt us and 't would be hard for the liveliest Eyes to pierce at such distance through so much Water let those who fancy the two Pillars in which all learning was engraven the one of brick the other of marble to prevent the malice either of Fire or Water please themselves with the Fable and seem to have deduc'd all arts from Adam Thus far 't is agreed on that in those times every Father being both a Priest and a King in his own Family bestowed on his Son all knowledge both secular and sacred which himself had attained to Adam by tradition instructing Seth and Seth Enoch in all knowledge as well as righteousness For 't is Josephus his observation that whilest Cain and his Progeny employed themselves about wicked and illiberal inventions groveling upon the Earth Seth and his bore up their thoughts as well as Eyes towards Heaven and observed the course and discipline of the Stars wherein it was easy to be exquisite every mans age shewing him the several conjunctions and oppositions and other appearances of the luminaries and so needing no Successors to perfect his observations Hence Philo calls Abraham 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and says his knowledge in Astronomy led him to the notice of a Deity and that his sublime speculation gave him the name of Abram a high exalted Father before his Faith had given the better Compellation of Abraham Father of many Nations hence from him 1. Chaldaea 2. Aegypt 3. Greece came all to the skill they brag of so that Proclus made a good conjecture that the Wisdom of the Chaldaeans was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a gift of some of the gods it coming from Abraham who was both a Friend and in a manner an acquaintance of the true God and far ancienter and wiser than any of their false In summ all learning as well as religion was pure and classical only among the Hebrews as may appear by Moses in his 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the only true natural Philosophy that ever came into the World so that even Longinus which took the story of the Creation to be a Fable yet commends Moses his expression of it Let there be light and there was light for a Speech admirably suited to a God
most insolent tyrannizing passions which domineer over us which keep us in awe and never suffer us to stir or move or walk or do any thing that is good will yet give us leave to understand as much as we would wish they have only fettered our hands and feet have not blinded our Eyes as one shut up in the Tower from the conversation of men may be yet the greatest proficient in speculation The affections being more gross and corporeous from thence called the heels of the Soul and so easily chained and fettered but the understanding most pure and spiritual and therefore uncapable of shackles nay is many times most free and active when the will is most dead and sluggish And this may be the natural reason that even Aristotle may teach us why the greatest Scholars are not always the best Christians the Pharisees well read in the Prophets yet backwardest to believe because faith which constitutes a Christian is a spiritual prudence as 't is best defined and therefore is not appropriate to the understanding but if they be several faculties is rather seated in the Will the objects of Faith being not meerly speculative but always apprehended and assented to sub ratione boni as being the most unvaluable blessings which ever we desired of the Lord or can require The speculative part of divine wisdom may make us 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 intelligent spirits nay possibly do it in the worst notion render us Devils Real practical knowledge only prudence will make Angels ministring spirits unto God teach us to live and be better than we did So then in the first place learning doth neither make nor suppose men Christians Nay secondly it doth per accidens many times hinder put a rub in our way and keep us from being Christians Philoponus and Synesius Miracles of learning were therefore hardest to be converted they were so possest and engaged in Peripatetical Philosophy that however they might be perswaded to the Trinity they will not believe the Resurrection 'T was too plain a contradiction to philosophical reason ever to enter theirs Thus in the 1 Cor. i. 21 the World by wisdom knew not God they so relyed on their reason and trusted in it for all truths that they concluded every thing impossible that would not concur with their old Principles But this resistance which reason makes is not so strong but that it may easily be supprest and therefore Synesius was made a Bishop before he explicitly believed the resurrection because they were confident that he which had forsaken all other errors would not long continue perverse in this and so good a Christian in other things 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 could not choose but be illuminated in time in so necessary a point of Faith and indeed so it happened in them both But there are other more dangerous engins more insidious courses which learning uses to supplant or undermine belief other stratagems to keep us out of the way to anticipate all our desires or inclinations or thoughts that way-ward and these are spiritual pride and self-content Men are so elevated in height of contemplation so well pleased so fully satisfied in the pleasures and delights of it that the first sort scorn to submit or humble themselves to the poverty and disparagement of believing in Christ the second are never at leasure to think of it For the first spiritual pride 't is set down as a reason that the natural man receives not the things of the spirit 1 Cor. ii 14 receives them not i. e. will not take them will not accept of them though they are freely given him for they are foolishness unto him i. e. so his proud brain reputes them The pride of Worldly wisdom extremely scorns the foolishness of Christ and consequently is infinitely opposite to Faith which is wrought by special humility Secondly for self-content 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 saith Heraclitus in Hesych Wise men need no friends they are able to subsist by themselves without any help they will have an happiness of their own making and scorn to be beholding to Christ for a new Inheritance they are already so fully possest of all manner of contents Let any man whisper them of the joys of the new Jerusalem of the Intercessor that hath saved of the way thither and made it passable of all the priviledges and promises of our adoption they will hear them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as old wives fables they have the fortunate Islands too their exactest tranquillity and serenity of mind in a perpetual contemplation and all the golden Apples in Paradise shall not tempt or allarm them out of it 'T is strange to see when such a man is called what a do there is to get him out of his Dream to hale him out of his study to the Church how sleepy and drowsy and lethargical he is in matters of Religion how soon a little devotion hath tired him out that could have pored over a Book incessantly all his life long and never thought thus to have been interdicted the delights of humane learning thus to have been pluckt and torn from the embraces of his Athenian Idol His conversion is much unlike another mans that which calls others into compass seems to let him loose thrust him abroad into the World teaches him to look more like a man than ever he meant makes him a member of the Common-wealth that was formerly but an Anchoret and forces him to walk and run the way of Gods commandments that had once decreed himself to a Chair for ever In brief there is as little hopes of one that indulges himself and gives himself up to the pride and contents of any kind of learning of him that terminates knowledge either in it self or else in the ostentation of it as of any other that is captiv'd to any one single worldly or fleshly kind of voluptuousness This of the brain in spight of the Philosopher is an intemperance as well as that of the throat and palate and more dangerous because less suspected and seldomer declaimed against and from this Epicurism especially of the Soul good Lord deliver us Not to heap up reasons of this too manifest a truth would God it were not so undeniable take but this one more of the unsufficiency of learning never so well used to make a man a Christian Let all the knowledge in the World prophane and sacred all the force and reason that all Ages ever bragg'd of let it concur in one brain and swell the head as big as his was in the Poem that travell'd of Minerva let all Scriptures and Fathers join their power and efficacy and they shall never by their simple activity produce a saving faith in any one all the miracles they can work are only on the understanding the will distinctly taken is above their sphear or compass or if their faculties are not distinguisht and to will is present with me Rom. vii 18 as well as to
of his fellow Gentiles If the book 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 were his own legitimate work a man might guess that he saw something though he denyed the particular providence of the Deity and that he acknowledged his omnipotence though he would not be so bold with him as to let him be busied in the producing of every particular sublunary effect The man might seem somewhat tender of God as if being but newly come acquainted with him he were afraid to put him to too much pains as judging it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. neither comely nor befitting the Majesty of a God to interest himself in every action upon earth It might seem a reverence and awe which made him provide the same course for God which he saw used in the Courts of Susa and Echatana where the King saith he lived invisible in his Palace and yet by his Officers as through prospectives and Otacousticks saw and heard all that was done in his Dominions But this book being not of the same complexion with the rest of his Philosophy is shrewdly guest to be a spurious issue of latter times entitled to Aristotle and translated by Apuleius but not owned by its brethren the rest of his books of Philosophy for even in the Metaphysicks where he is at his wisest he censures Zenophanes for a Clown for looking up to Heaven and affirming that there was one God there the cause of all things and rather than he will credit him he commends Parmenides for a subtle fellow who said nothing at all or I am sure to no purpose Concerning his knowledge of the soul 't is Philoponus his observation of him that he perswades only the more understanding laborious judicious sort to be his Auditors in that subject 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. But dehorts men of meaner vulgar parts less intent to their study from medling at all with this science about the soul for he plainly tells them in his first de anima 't is too hard for any ordinary capacity and yet in the first of the Metaph. he defines the wise man to be one who besides his own accurate knowledge of hard things as the Causes of the soul c. is also able to teach any body else who hath such an habit of knowledge and such a command over it that he can make any Auditor understand the abstrusest mystery in it So then out of his own words he is convinced to have had no skill no wisdom in the business of the soul because he could not explain nor communicate this knowledge to any but choice Auditors The truth is these were but shifts of pride and ambitious pretences to cloak a palpable ignorance under the habit of mysterious deep speculation when alas poor man all that which he knew or wrote of the soul was scarce worth learning only enough to confute his fellow ignorant Philosophers to puzzle others to puffe himself but to profit instruct or edifie none In the third place concerning happiness he plainly bewrays himself to be a coward not daring to meddle with Divinity For 1 Eth. c. 9. being probably given to understand or rather indeed plainly convinced that if any thing in the world were then happiness must likely be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the gift of God bestowed on men yet he there staggers at it speaks sceptically and not so magisterially as he is wont dares not be so bold as to define it and at last does not profess his ignorance but takes a more honourable course and puts it off to some other place to be discust Where Andronicus Rhodius his Greek Paraphrase tells us he meant his Tract 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 about Providence but in all Laërtius his Catalogue of the multitude of his writings we find no such title and I much suspect by his other carriages that the man was not so valiant as to deal with any so unwieldy a subject as the Providence would have proved Sure I am he might if he had had a mind to it have quitted himself of his engagements and seasonably enough have defined the fountain of happiness there in Ethicks but in the 10. c. it appears that it was no pretermission but ignorance not a care of deferring it to a fitter place but a necessary silence where he was not able to speak For there mentioning happiness and miserableness after death where he might have shewed his skill if he had had any he plainly betrays himself an arrant naturalist in defining all the felicity and misery to be the good or ill proof of their friends and children left behind them which are to them being dead happiness or miseries 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of which they are not any way sensible But of what hath been spoken it is plain that the Heathen never looked after God of their own accord but as they were driven upon him by the necessity of their study which from the second causes necessarily lead them in a chain to some view of the first mover and then some of them either frighted with the light or despairing of their own abilities were terrified or discouraged from any farther search some few others sought after him but as Aristotle saith the Geometer doth after a right line only 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as a contemplator of truth but not as the knowledge of it is any way useful or conducible to the ordering or bettering of their lives they had an itching desire to know the Deity but neither to apply it as a rule to their actions nor to order their actions to his glory For generally whensoever any action drove them on any subject which intrenched on Divinity you shall find them more flat than ordinary not handling it according to any manner of accuracy or sharpness but only 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 only as much use or as little as their study in the search of things constrained them to and then for most part they fly off abruptly as if they were glad to be quit of so cumbersom a subject Whence Aristotle observes that the whole Tract de causis was obscurely and inartificially handled by the Ancients and if sometimes they spake to the purpose 't was as unskilful unexercised fencers 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 they lay on and sometimes strike a lucky blow or two but more by chance than skill sometimes letting fall from their pens those truths which never entred their understandings as Theophilus ad Auto. observes of Homer and Hesiod that being inspired by their Muses i. e. the devil spake according to that spirit lyes and fables and exact Atheism and yet sometimes would stumble upon a truth of Divinity as men possest with Devils did sometimes confess Christ and the evil spirits being adjured by his name came out and confest themselves to be devils Thus it is plain out of the Philosophers and Heathen discourses 1. Of God 2. The Soul 3 Happiness that they were also ignorant
that we again in the Gentilism of our Fathers were all deeply plunged in a double common damnation how are we to humble our selves infinitely above measure to stretch and rack and torture every power of our souls to its extent thereby to enlarge and aggravate the measure of this guilt against our selves which hitherto perhaps we have not taken notice of There is not a better 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the world no more powerful medicine for the softning of the soul and keeping it in a Christian tenderness than this lading it with all the burdens that its common or private condition can make it capable of this tiring of it out and bringing it down into the dust in the sense of its spiritual engagements For 't is impossible for him who hath fully valued the weight of his general guilts each of which hath lead enough to sink the most corky vain fluctuating proud stubborn heart in the world 't is impossible I say for him either wilfully to run into any actual sins or insolently to hold up his head in the pride of his integrity This very one meditation that we all hear might justly have been left in heathenism and that the sins of the Heathens shall be imputed to us their children if we do not repent is enough to loosen the toughest strongest spirit to melt the flintiest heart to humble the most elevated soul to habituate it with such a sense of its common miseries that it shall never have courage or confidence to venter on the danger of particular Rebellions 2. From the view of their ignorance or impiety which was of so hainous importance to examine our selves by their indictment 1. For our learning 2. For our lives 3. For the life of grace in us 1. For our learning Whether that be not mixed with a great deal of Atheistical ignorance with a delight and aquiescence and contentation in those lower Elements which have nothing of God in them whether we have not sacrificed the liveliest and spritefullest part of our age and souls in these Philological and Physical disquisitions which if they have not a perpetual aspect and aim at Divinity if they be not set upon in that respect and made use of to that purpose 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 saith Clement their best friend they are very hurtful and of dangerous issue Whether out of our circle of humane heathen learning whence the Fathers produced precious antidotes we have not suckt the poyson of unhallowed vanity and been fed either to a pride and ostentation of our secular or a satiety or loathing of our Theological learning as being too coarse and homely for our quainter palates Whether our studies have not been guilty of those faults which cursed the Heathen knowledge as trusting to our selves or wit and good parts like the Philosophers in Athenagoras 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. not vouchsafing to be taught by God even in matters of religion but every man consulting and believing and relying on his own reason Again in making our study an instrument only to satisfie our curiosity 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 only as speculators of some unknown truths not intending or desiring thereby either to promote vertue good works or the Kingdom of God in our selves or which is the ultimate end which only commends and blesses our study or knowledge the glory of God in others 2. In our lives to examine whether there are not also many relicks of heathenism altars erected to Baalim to Ceres to Venus and the like Whether there be not many amongst us whose God is their belly their back their lust their treasure or that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that earthly unknown God whom we have no one name for and therefore is called at large the God of the world Whether we do not with as much zeal and earnestness and cost serve and worship many earthy vanities which our own phansies deifie for us as ever the Heathen did their multitude and shole of gods And in brief whether we have not found in our selves the sins as well as the blood of the Gentiles and acted over some or all the abominations set down to judge our selves by Rom. i. from the 21 verse to the end Lastly for the life of grace in us Whether many of us are not as arrant heathens as mere strangers from spiritual illumination and so from the mystical Commonwealth of Israel as any of them Clem. Strom. 2. calls the life of your unregenerate man a Heathen life and the first life we have by which we live and move and grow and see but understand nothing and 't is our regeneration by which we raise our selves 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from being still mere Gentiles and Tatianus farther that without the spirit we differ from beasts only 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by the articulation of our voice So that in fine neither our reason nor Christian profession distinguisheth us either from beasts or Gentiles only the spirit in the formalis ratio by which we excel and differ from the Heathen sons of darkness Wherefore I say to conclude we must in the clearest calm and serenity of our souls make a most earnest search and inquest on our selves whether we are yet raised out of this heathenism this ignorance this unregeneracy of nature and elevated any degree in the estate of grace and if we find our selves still Gentiles and which is worse than that still senseless of that our condition we must strive and work and pray our selves out of it and not suffer the temptations of the flesh the temptations of our nature the temptations of the world nay the temptations of our secular proud learning lull us one minute longer in that carnal security lest after a careless unregenerate natural life we die the death of those bold not vigilant but stupid Philosophers And for those of us who are yet any way Heathenish either in our learning or lives which have nothing but the name of Christians to exempt us from the judgment of their ignorance O Lord make us in time sensible of this our condition and whensoever we shall humble our selves before thee and confess unto thee the sinfulness of our nature the ignorance of our Ancestors and every man the plague of his own heart and repent and turn and pray toward thy house then hear thou in Heaven thy dwelling place and when thou hearest forgive remember not our offences nor the offences of our Heathen Fathers neither take thou vengeance of our sins but spare us O Lord spare thy people whom thy Son hath redeemed and thy spirit shall sanctifie from the guilt and practice of their rebellions Now to God who hath elected us hath c. Pars Secunda SERMON XIII ACTS XVII 30 And the times of this ignorance God winked at but now commandeth all men every where to repent THey which come from either mean or dishonoured Progenitors will desire to make up their Fathers defect by
that undertaking sort of people the peremptory expounders of depths and prophecies In the mean time we have places enough of plain prediction beyond the uncertainty of a guess which distinctly foretold this blessed Catholick Truth and though Peter had not markt or remembred them so exactly as to understand that by them the Gentiles were to be preach'd to and no longer to be accounted prophane and unclean Act. x. yet 't is more than probable that the devil a great contemplator and well seen in prophecies observ'd so much and therefore knowing Christs coming to be the season for fulfilling it about that time drooped and sensibly decayed lost much of his courage and was not so active amongst the Gentiles as he had been his oracles began to grow speechless and to slink away before hand lest tarrying still they should have been turned out with shame Which one thing the ceasing of Oracles though it be by Plutarch and some other of the Devils champions refer'd plausibly to the change of the soyl and failing of Enthusiastical vapours and exhalations yet was it an evident argument that at Christs coming Satan saw the Gentiles were no longer fit for his turn they were to be received into a more honourable service under the living God necessarily to be impatient of the weight and slavery of his superstitions and therefore it concern'd him to prevent violence with a voluntary flight lest otherwise he should with all his train of oracles have been forced out of their coasts for Lucifer was to vanish like lightning when the light to lighten the Gentiles did but begin to appear and his laws were out-dated when God would once be pleased to command Now that in a word we may more clearly see what calling what entring into covenant with the Gentiles is here meant by Gods commanding them we are to rank the commands of God into two sorts 1. common Catholick commands and these extend as far as the visible Church 2. peculiar commands inward operations of the spirit these are both priviledges and characters and properties of the invisible Church i. e. the Elect and in both these respects doth he vouchsafe his commands to the Gentiles In the first respect God hath his louder trumpets 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Matth. xxiv 31 which all acknowledge who are in the noise of it and that is the sound of the Gospel the hearing of which constitutes a visible Church And thus at the preaching of the Gospel 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 all the Heathens had knowledge of his Laws and so were offered the Covenant if they would accept the condition For however that place Acts i. 25 be by one of our writers of the Church wrested by changing that I say not by falsifying the punctuation to witness this truth I think we need not such shifts to prove that God took some course by the means of the Ministry and Apostleship to make known to all Nations under Heaven i. e. to some of all Nations both his Gospel and Commands the sound of it went through all the earth Rom. x. 18 cited out of the xix Psal verse 4 though with some change of a word their sound in the Romans for their line in the Psalmist caused by the Greek Translators who either read and rendred 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or else laid hold of the Arabick notion of the word the loud noise and clamour which hunters make in their pursuit and chase So Mark xiv 9 This Gospel shall be preached throughout the world So Mark xvi 15 To every creature Matth. xxiv 14 in all the world and many the like as belongs to our last particular to demonstrate Besides this God had in the second respect his vocem pedissequam which the Prophet mentions a voice attending us to tell us of our duty to shew us the way and accompany us therein And this I say sounds in the heart not in the ear and they only hear and understand the voice who are partakers as well of the effect as of the news of the Covenant Thus in these two respects doth he command by his word in the Ears of the Gentiles by giving every man every where knowledge of his laws and so in some Latine Authors mandare signifies to give notice to express ones will to declare or proclaim And thus secondly doth he command by his spirit in the spirits of the elect Gentiles by giving them the benefit of adoption and in both these respects he enters a Covenant with the Gentiles which was the thing to be demonstrated with the whole name of them at large with some choice vessels of them more nearly and peculiarly and this was the thing which by way of Doctrine we collected out of these words but now commands Now that we may not let such a precious truth pass by unrespected that such an important speculation may not float only in our brains we must by way of Application press it down to the heart and fill our spirits with the comfort of that Doctrine which hath matter for our practice as well as our contemplation For if we do but lay to our thoughts 1. the miracle of the Gentiles calling as hath been heretofore and now insisted on and 2. mark how nearly the receiving of them into Covenant concerns us their successors we shall find real motives to provoke us to a strain and key above ordinary thanksgiving For as Peter spake of Gods promise so it is in the like nature of Gods command which is also virtually a promise it belonged not to them only but it is to you and your children and to all that are afar off even as many as the Lord our God shall call Acts ii 39 From the first the miraracle of their calling our gratitude may take occasion much to enlarge it self 'T is storied of Brasidas in the fourth of Thucydides that imputing the Victory which was somewhat miraculous to some more than ordinary humane cause he went presently to the Temple loaded with Offerings and would not suffer the gods to bestow such an unexpected favour on him unrewarded and can we pass by such a mercy of our God without a spiritual Sacrifice without a daily Anthem of Magnificats and Hallelujah's Herodotus observes it is as a Proverb of Greece that if God would not send them rain they were to famish for they had said he no natural Fountains or any other help of Waters 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but what God from above sent So saith Thucydides in the fourth of his History there was but one Fountain within a great compass and that none of the biggest So also was Aegypt another part of the Heathen World to be watered only by Nilus and that being drawn by the Sun did often succour them and fatten the Land for which all the Neighbours fared the worse for when Nilus flowed the Neighbouring Rivers were left dry saith
and religion but that this is not the business of the Text but a praecognoscendum or passage to the clearing of it Briefly therefore to conclude this note Paul is the chief example mentioned in Scripture and there be not many though some more that were called from the height of impiety from the gall of bitterness to this mystical third Heaven or so high degree of Saint and Apostle The more ordinary course of Gods proceeding if we may possibly judge of the Decree by events and examples is to call such to the state of grace and so consequently of glory who have passed their unregeneracy most innocently and kept themselves least polluted from the stains of habituate wickedness that is have lived as much as natural men can do in the plainest honestest course of morality it being presupposed that among all other moral vertues they have purchased humility the best if there be any preparative for the receiving of grace Mean while we are not to be mistaken as if we thought Gods purposes tyed to mans good behaviour or mans moral goodness to woo and allure Gods spirit as that the Almighty is not equally able to sanctify the foulest Soul by his converting grace and the less polluted or that he requires mans preparation but our position is that in ordinary charitable reason we ought to judge more comfortably and hope more confidently of a meer moral man naturally more careful of his ways that he shall be both called and saved that God will with his spirit perfect and crown his morally good though imperfect endeavours than of another more debauch't Sinner utterly negligent of the commands of either God or nature Which position I have in brief proved though nothing so largely as I might in confutation of them who do utterly condemn unregenerate morality and deject it below the lowest degree of prophaneness as if they would teach a man his way to Heaven by boasting arrogantly what Paul converted confesses humbly I am the nearer to Christs Salvation because of all sinners I am the chief The Vse in brief of this Thesis shall be for those who not as yet find the power of the regenerating spirit in them for I am to fear many of my auditors may be in this case and I pray God they feel and work and pray themselves out of it the Use I say is for those who are not yet full possessors of the spirit to labour to keep their unregeneracy spotless from the greater offence that if they are not yet called to the preferment of Convâ—rts and Saints the second part of Heaven that Earthly City of God that yet they will live orderly in that lower Regiment wherein they yet remain and be subject to the law of nature till it shall please God to take them into a new Common-wealth under the law of grace to improve their natural abilities to the height and bind their hands and hearts from the practice and study of outragious sins by those ordinary restraints which nature will afford us such as are a good disposition education and the like not to leave and refer all to the miraculous working of God and to encrease our sins for the magnifying of the vertue in recalling us God requires not this glory at our hands that we should peremptorily over-damn our selves that he may be the more honoured in saving us His mercy is more known to the World than to need this woful foil to illustrate it God is not wont to rake Hell for Converts to gather Devils to make Saints of the Kingdom of Heaven would suffer great violence if only such should take it If Saul were infinitely sinful before he proved an Apostle though by the way we hear him profess he had lived in all good Conscience yet expect not thou the same Miracle nor think that the excess of sins is the cue that God ordinarily takes to convert us The Fathers in an obedience to the discipline and pedagogy of the old Law possest their Souls in patience expecting the prophesied approach of the new did not by a contempt of Moses precipitate and hasten the coming of the Messias Cornclius liv'd a long while devoutly and gave much alms till at last God call'd him and put him in a course to become a Christian and do thou if thou art not yet called wait the Lords leisure in a sober moral conversation and fright not him from thee with unnatural abominations God is not likely to be woed by those courses which nature loaths or to accept them whom the World is ashamed of In brief remember Saul and Cornelius Saul that he not many were called from a profest Blasphemer Cornelius that before he was called he prayed to God alway and do thou endeavour to deserve the like mercy and then in thy Prayer confess thine undeserving and petition grace as grace that is not as our merit but as his free-will favour not as the desert of our morality but a stream from the bounty of his mercy who we may hope will crown his common graces with the fulness of his spirit And now O powerful God on those of us which are yet unregenerate bestow thy restraining grace which may curb and stop our natural inordinacy and by a sober careful continent life prepare us to a better capability of thy sanctifying spirit wherewith in good time thou shalt establish and seal us up to the day of redemption And thus much concerning Saul unconverted how of all Sinners he was the chief not absolutely that he surpassed the whole World in rankness of sin but respectively to his later state that few or none are read to have been translated from such a pitch of sin to Saint-ship Now follows the second consideration of him being proceeded Paul i. e. converted and then the question is Whether and how Paul converted may be said the chief of all Sinners 'T were too speculative a depth for a popular Sermon to discuss the inherence and condition of sin in the regenerate the business will be brought home more profitably to our practice if we drive it to this issue That Paul in this place intending by his own example to direct others how to believe the truth and embrace and fasten on the efficacy of Christs Incarnation hath no better motive to incite himself and others toward it than a recognition of his sins that is a survey of the power of sin in him before and a sense of the relicks of sin in him since his Conversion Whence the note is That the greatness of ones sins makes the regenerate man apply himself more fiercely to Christ This faithful saying was therefore to Paul worthy of all acceptation because of all Sinners he was the chief S. Paul as every regenerate man is to be observed in a treble posture either casting his Eyes backward or calling them in upon himself or else looking forward and aloof and accordingly is to be conceived in a trebâ—e meditation either of
in the land famine c. Whatsoever plague whatsoever sickness what prayer or supplication soever be made by any man or by all thy people Israel which shall know every man the plague of his own heart and spread forth his hand to this house then hear thou in Heaven c. Where the condition of obtaining their requests from God is excellently set down if they shall know i. e. be sensible of be sorry for and confess to God every man the plague of his own heart that is in the bulk and heap of their sins shall pick the fairest loveliest sin in the pack the plague i. e. the pestilential reigning sweeping offence on which all the lower train of petty faults do wait and depend do minister and suppeditate matter to work If I say they shall take this Captain sin and anatomize and cut up and discover every branch of him without any fraud or concealment before the Lord and then Sacrifice that dear darling and with it their whole fleshy lust as an Holocaust or whole Burnt-offering before the Lord then will he hear from Heaven his dwelling place and when he heareth forgive even their other concealed sins because they have disclosed so entirely and parted so freely from that For there is in every of us one master sin that rules the rabble one fatling which is fed with the choicest of our provision one Captain of the Devils Troop one the plague in every mans heart This being sincerely confest and displaid and washed in a full stream of tears for the lower more ordinary sort for the heap or bulk we must use Davids penitential compendious art Psa xix 12 who overcome with the multitude of his sins to be repeated folds them all in this Prayer Who can tell how oft he offendeth c. And do thou O Lord work in us the sincere acknowledgment of and contrition for both them and the whole bundle of our unknown every days transgressions and having purged out of us those more forward known notorious enormities cleanse us also from our secret faults And thus much be spoken of this Proposition that and how every man is to aggravate the measure and number of his sins against himself The whole doctrine is and in our whole Discourse hath been handled for a store of uses for in setting down how you are to aggravate your sins especially your original sin against your selves I have spoken all the while to your affections and will therefore presume that you have already laid them up in your hearts to that purpose Only take one pertinent use for a close which hath not been touched in the former discourse If every one be to aggravate his own sins and to reckon himself of all sinners the chief then must no man usurp the priviledge to see or censure other mens sins through a multiplying glass i. e. double to what indeed they are as most men do now adayes What so frequent among those who are most negligent of their own wayes as to be most severe inquisitors of other mens and to spy and censure and damn a mote or atome in another mans Eye when their own is in danger to be put out by a Beam Hence is it that among lay-men the sins of clergy are weighed according to the measure of the Sanctuary which was provided for the paying of their Tithes Lev. xxvii 25 i. e. double the ordinary balance and their own if not under at most according to the common weight of the Congregation In a Minister every errour shall become an heresy every slip a crime and every crime a sacrilege whereas beloved he that means to take out St. Pauls Lesson must extenuate every mans sins but his own or else his heart will give his tongue the ly when it hears him say Of all c. And so much of this Doctrine of aggravating our sins to our selves which we are to perform in our daily audit betwixt us and our own Consciences There is another seasonable observation behind in a word to be handled this particle 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of whom hath a double relation either to Sinners simply and so it hath been handled already or to Sinners as they are here set down to wit those Sinners which Christ came into the World to save and so St. Paul here is changed from the chief of Sinners to the chief of Saints and then the Doctrine is become a Doctrine of comfort fit for a Conclusion that he who can follow Pauls Example and Precept can sufficiently humble himself for his sins accept that faithful saying and rightly lay hold on Christ may assure himself that he is become a chief Saint for so could Paul say Of all sinners I am the chief and therefore of all those Sinners that Christ came into the World to save 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I am the chief too I shall not discuss this point at large as being too wide to be comprehended in so poor a pittance of time but shew the condition of it briefly He that by Gods inward effectual working is come to a clear sight and accurate feeling of his sins that hath not spared any one minute of circumstance for the discovery of them not one point of aggravation for the humbling of himself he that being thus prepared for his journey to Christ with his burthen on his back shall then take his flight and keep upon the wing till he fix firmly on him may be as sure that he shall dy the Death and reign the Life of a Saint as he is resolved that God is faithful in his promises then may he live with this syllogism of confidence not presumption in his mouth 'T is a faithful saying that Christ came into the World to justify sanctify and save believing humbled sinners but I find my self an humble and believing and consequently a justified sanctified Sinner therefore 't is as certain a truth that I shall be saved And thus you see Pauls I am the chief interpreted by that assured perswasion Rom. viii 38 that neither death nor life nor any creature shall be able to separate him c. I will not discuss the nature of this assurance whether it be an act of faith or hope only thus much it seems to be derived or bestowed upon hope by Faith an expectation of the performances of the promises grounded upon a firm Faith in them and so to be either an eminent degree of Faith or a confirmed Hope The use of this point is not to be content with this bare assurance but to labour to confirm it to us by those effects which do ordinarily and naturally spring from it Such are first joy or glorying mentioned Heb. iii. 6 the confidence and rejoycing of your hope firm unto the end secondly a delight in God mentioned 1 Pet. i. 3.6 a lively hope c. wherein 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 you exult you greatly rejoice and are delighted thirdly a patient adhering