Luk. 11.21 22. When the strong man armed keeps his palace all things are at peace 4. To stand Object Why then are we exhorted to flee Yea Josuah instructs his army to flee Reason Why the whole armour c. The reason is from the proportion which must be between the malady and the remedy The Assailant and the Defender Satans wiles are many and so must our arms Doubt Why must we put on the whole armour of God that we may stand against the wiles of the Devil It seems wiles and deceits should be rather prevented by wisdom and wariness than by strength and arms the whole armour of God It is evident by the Text and Context what kind of armour is here meant no other than spiritual Wherefore because the wiles of Satan are strong therefore there is need of the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the whole armour of God to withstand them Now that the wiles of Satan are strong appears by divers Scriptures Prov. 7.21 with the flattering of her lips she forced him so 't is 2 Thess 2.11 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which we turn strong delusions Observ 2. We are able to withstand the wiles of the Devil How through the armour of God So Caleb endeavoured to still the people Numb 24. 2 Cor. 12.9 The Apostle complains of a thorn in the flesh The Minister of Satan which Calvin saith is omne genus tentationum whence it followeth that the power and grace of God is sufficient to conquer all these Observ 3. How powerful then are the weapons of God not carnal but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Gordion knot was not to be untwisted but cut in sunder Deny ungodliness and worldly lusts Consol Unto the young Soldiers of Jesus Christ 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 All his temptations are troublesome as a fly Beelzebub the Prince of the Devils is the god of flyes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Macrobius What though he cast his fiery darts Hath not the Lord armed thee with a shield of Faith What though he prevail so that he wound thee And so it is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Christ is the armour of light the Sun of righteousness with healing in his wings His word is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 healing doctrine His Spirit is the true unguentum hopliatricum the true weapon salve If thou hast none of Satans lusts in thee what needest thou fear his wiles They who entred the lists to wrestle anointed themselves So that their adversaries could not lay hold upon them The prince of the world cometh and hath nothing in me Exhort To put on the whole armour of God that we may be able to stand c. NOTES AND OBSERVATIONS UPON EPHESIANS VI. 12. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 For we wrestle not against flesh and blood but against principalities against powers against the rulers of the darkness of this world against spiritual wickedness in high places THe Apostle in vers 11. discovers the enemy and with him the great and imminent danger wherein we are Vers 12. He amplifieth the danger by the description of the enemies forces which he describes 1. Partly by the Antithesis or opposition to flesh and blood and not with flesh and blood 2. Partly by their power and malice herein are these truths 1. The Saints have a wrestling 2. The Saints wrestling is not with flesh and blood 3. Their wrestling is with principalities and powers with the rulers of the darkness of this world Flesh and blood is understood two ways 1. Hereby some understand mankind 2. Others understand sin and sinful lusts and hereupon they differ one from other I believe all may be here understood so well as a third way How all Certainly 1. Our contention ought not to be with men 2. Nor doth the Apostle speak now of carnal sins 3. Nor doth he speak of weak enemies Of the first two we understand the words comparatively of the other here oppositely For our better understanding of this there is something in Scripture that seems to be denied which is only compared as I will have mercy and not sacrifice Thy name shall not be called Jacob but Israel Moses gave you not that bread from heaven And so we may understand that seeming opposion here not so much with men not so much with the sin of flesh and blood as with principalites and powers For certain it is contention and wrestling there must be with flesh and blood with the sin of flesh and blood 1. We have a wrestling The word is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Hebrew 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 both used passively 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 To embrace as wrestlers do each other and either intends the other a fall 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 To be wreathed wryed wrenched this way and that way 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 vibro to move without violence Lucta and the V. L. colluctatio is from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to loose or put out of joynt a frequent effect of wrestling We borrow our English word of our Neighbours the High and Low Dutch This Exercise was very usual among the Greeks from whom our Apostle borroweth this Metaphor A violent and subtil wringing wrestling and wreathing one another to cause one the other to fall and so to get a victory one over the other and a price and reward of the victory 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 There were usual among the Greeks 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as they called them sacred wrestlings unto which more specially our Apostle alludes 1 Cor. 9.25 Every one that strives for mastery is temperate in all things that they may obtain a corruptible crown 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 saith Jul. Pollux Surely this wrestling which the Apostle speaks of is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 an holy wrestling As in all such wrestlings and contentions strength and power was necessary and the strength necessary to this wrestling is properly the strength of Faith and therefore the wrestling is called the wrestling of Faith 1 Tim. 6.12 fight the good fight of Faith The Original words are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Now we read of a twofold wrestling 1. With God so did Jacob Gen. 32. Hos 2. A wrestling with Satan as here and elsewhere How wrestle we with him 1. By Faith 2. by Patience 3. by Prayer How doth Satan wrestle with us 1. By imaginations and reasonings c. 2 Cor. 10.4 5 6. 2. By his lusts Joh. 8.44 3. By friendship of the world so Satan embraceth as a wrestler doth his adversary The same strife is understood by other words as fighting running contending and striving c. The Reason 1. from our selves we had voluntarily given our selves a fall from this there is no recovery without great labour facilis descensus averni Sed revocare gradus hic labor hoc opus est Fall we may alone but arise we cannot alone Salvation is gotten by this wrestling 2 Cor. 1.6 Margin Col. 1.24 God himself hath put enmity between the Seed
the Hebrew in Matthew signifieth as well to go on as to be happy and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Blessedness is not one dayes work saith Aristotle under this formality as a Believer as a Confessor and so persevering as such Blessed art thou Simon Bar-jona and the contrary thou art Satan thou art accursed But whence is this Faith Confession and Blessedness Aixom 2. Not from flesh and blood so much the next Divine Truth assures us flesh and blood hath not revealed it wherein we must enquire 1. What is the thing here said to be revealed 2. What is the revealing of it 3. What is meant by flesh and blood and 4. How it is true that flesh and blood revealed not this unto St. Peter 1. The thing here revealed in special which St. Peter believed and confessed I find not expressed either in the Original or in any other Translation except only in our English wherefore we may take it as it is left unto us in the Latitude and understand all Divine Truth concerning Christ 2. More specially the thing here revealed is contained in the words before the Text That Jesus is the Christ the Son of the Living God which will appear by comparing vers 20. with this where our Lord chargeth his Disciples that they should tell no man that he was Jesus the Christ. 2. The revealing of which is the removing and taking off the veils and coverings both off divine truth and off our minds and hearts 3. Which is said here not to be done by flesh and blood whereby sometimes we understand 1. Mans nature for all we wash anoint rub paint curle powder adorn pamper and what ever else necessity or curiosity hath found out or In cute curandâ plus aequo operata juventus it 's all but flesh and blood Nor is the best of us by Nature better than what Tiberius in scorn was said to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 earth and blood flesh and blood mixt and knod together 2. Sometimes we understand by it sin and corruption for so flesh is sin Gal. 5.17 and so is blood Esay 1.15 But if by flesh and blood sin only were meant Christ should not be partaker of it for he was like unto us in all things sin only excepted and he took part of flesh and blood Heb. 2. And if by flesh and blood mans Nature only were implyed it were not sometimes all one with sin as St. Paul intimates it is explaining one by the other 1 Cor. 15. as Theophilact and others expound it 4. But whether way soever we take the words whether for Nature or sinful Nature and that whether of St. Peter himself out of his own sagacity search and industry or out of the suggestion and information of others 'T is true that flesh and blood revealed not Christ unto him Reason 1. For if by flesh and blood we understand meer Nature the Natural man cannot reveal Divine Truth whether we respect the Divine Truth it self or 2. The means whereby it is revealed or 3. The blindness and ignorance of flesh and blood every one of these will afford a Reason 1. As concerning the Divine Truth it self it 's hid and hath a veil and covering upon it and that both 1. Outward and more gross as the Ceremonial Services of types and figures And 2. Inward more subtil and refined as that of riddles parables and numbers for as in the body of man the most tender and most precious part is covered by some soft one as a film and that by some harder and stronger part as the sight of the eye by the tunicles the brain by the pia mater that by the meninx or dura mater so have the most precious truths of God their next and outward coverings Thus the Ark of God importing God himself or the Divine Nature was covered with a veil that with a covering of Badgers skins that with a cloth of blew The Table of Shew-bread figuring out Christ unto us was covered with a cloth of blew that with a scarlet cloth and that with a covering of Badgers skins But Examples of this kind are infinite Omnia in figura contingebant illis so largely it was anciently read in the Vulg. Latin hence it was that the Jews understood them not for They had not the spirit of Revelation as the Apostle appeals unto the Judaizing Christians Gal. 3. Tell me received ye the spirit by the works of the Law or by the hearing of Faith The Natural man ploughs not with Gods heifer and therefore understands not the meaning of his riddle 3. And of himself he is blind He discerns not the things of the spirit of God saith St. Paul 1 Cor. 2. and therefore cannot reveal them The highest pitch the Natural Man can reach unto is Nature and but Nature as water ascends no higher than the fountain whence it comes That which is born of flesh is flesh He that is of the earth is earthly and speaketh of the earth saith St. John 2. But if by flesh and blood we understand Carnality the lusts of the flesh old Adam or man corrupted by them The disproportion is much greater the Nature qualities and actions of flesh and blood are all contrary to the Divine Nature attributes and actions for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness what communion hath light with darkness what concord hath Christ with Belial Yea 't is so far from revealing Christ unto us that it 's the chief veil that hides him from us it 's utter darkness darkness added to darkness a blinding of the blind for the Gospel is hid to them that perish in sin whose minds the God of this world hath blinded lest the light of the glorious Gospel of Christ should shine unto them 2 Cor. 4.3 4. Object But have not many wicked men false Prophets false Apostles and others as Balaam Caiaphas Judas flesh and blood in the worst sence preach'd and reveal'd Christ 'T is true but we must understand a difference of Revelations and men to whom they are revealed for Revelations being proportioned unto the divers receptivities and apprehensions of men whereof 1. some are fitted to sense 2. others to the understanding 3. others above the reach of both Men of ordinary capacity who busie not themselves much with Divine Truth may attain unto the first kind of which sort was Pharaohs Nebuchadnezzars dreams But 2. The second sort requires a more sublime and subtil understanding which also hath a genius of divining in it and into such understandings some Divine Truths may glide as a sound into the ear or a light into the eye without choosing either to see or hear And such were Balaams Visions and Revelations concerning Christ He heard the words of God and saw the Visions of the Almighty having his eyes open Numb 24.4 Both these may befall all men alike without difference of good and bad O since Revelation abstractly taken is terminated upon the apprehensive faculties and respects precisely the
sense imagination and understanding according to none of which a man is said to be morally good or bad but according to the will and charity the best habit of it so that it cannot be denied but that the sense fancy and understanding of flesh and blood may ken and pry far and reveal much of Divine Truth yea see farther than some others who are spiritually minded Thus John 11.50 Caiphas saw it was necessary that Christ should dye which Mat. 16.22 St. Peter saw not Yet are these said not to know them nor reveal them because neither extensively according to the latitude of the object nor intensively according to the due and through perfection of the act 1. Not extensively because there is yet a veil and covering upon the object which they see So that albeit they see far into Divine matters yet not unto the end of the things they see saith the Apostle 2 Cor. 3.13 Col. 2.18 Their sight is bounded with a shadow so that seeing they see not somewhat they see that is true yet they see not the utmost truth of what they see for who more skilful in the Letter of Moses's Law than the Scribes and Pharisees yet they believed not in Moses's Law saith our Saviour and proves it because they believed not in him who is the end of the Law saith the Apostle understanding neither what they say nor whereof they affirm 1. Tim. 1.7 2. And as they fail in extent of the object so in the intensiveness of the act for there must be not only Vrim but Thummim also in the breast-plate not illumination only but integrity of life also in him who reveals Divine Truth and therefore knowledge in the Scripture notion is then thorow and perfect when it is terminated upon the heart and Revelation is then thorow and perfect when it proceeds from the heart according to that true Rule That the heart is the term of all actions from without and the fountain of all actions from within whether they be words or deeds Thus the true Knowledge and Wisdom which is the ground of Revelation is affective and experimental and effective whence it is that Knowledge and Wisdom and their contraries are ascribed unto the heart the seat of the affections The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom and men are said to be wise hearted or contrarily to have their foolish heart darkned and out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh According to this notion of Knowledge the Lord Jer. 22.16 speaks to Jehojachim Did not thy Father do judgment and justice and judge the cause of the poor and needy and then it was well with him And was not this to know me saith the Lord Such is not the Knowledge and Revelation of flesh and blood it 's not affective not experimental they have no part of what they know but as Cooks they dress meat for others palates or rather but as leaden pipes they convey or derive the water of Life through them to others but drink not of it So Posts and Carriers convey mysteries of State but are not privy to them Hence it is that though the Scribes were the most learned of the Jews yet when they rejected and disobeyed the word of the Lord and would not be taught to the Kingdom of God The pe◠of the Scribes was vain and there was no wisdom in them saith the Prophet Jeremiah ch 8 9. yea though what they said was true yet as they said it it was false not true for though they say the Lord liveth they swear falsly saith the same Prophet Chap. 5.1 2. and therefore our Saviour silenced the Devil when he revealed him And the reason is He that names the Lord Jesus Christ must depart from iniquity for no man can say That Jesus is the Lord but from the Holy Ghost Thus did St. John That which was from the beginning which we have heard which we have seen with our eyes which we have looked upon and our hands have handled of the word of Life That which we have seen and heard declare we unto you Seeing therefore the Revelations of flesh and blood extend not unto the true end nor proceed from the true beginning they are in Gods account as null Obser 1. This shews the reason why there are so few true Disciples of Christ Confer Notes in Mark 4.11 Obser 2. See the vain and fruitless labour of flesh and blood See Notes ut ante Mark 4.11 Repreh But O the boldness and presumption of flesh and blood how impudently dare many proud and foolish men who know nothing but dote about questions and strifes of words yet how impudently dare they 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 adventure to intrude into the things they have not seen vainly puft up by their fleshly mind yea out of the corrupt principles of carnal wisdom or a conceit of deep knowledge of the Scriptures either their own or hear-sayes and taken upon trust from others they presume to judge of spiritual things and out of darkness to declare the light and pronounce definitively of Gods truth which they mean time hold captive in iniquity Thus man would be wise though Adam be born like the wild Asses Colt Joh. 11.12 But happy were it for them and for the Church of God if their presumptuous folly proceeded no further but their prophane bablings encrease to more ungodliness and their word eats like a Gangrene and spreads it self to the perversion of unstable souls for whereas the Gospel of Christ is a Gospel of peace and unto Shilo the people ought to be gathered according to which St. Paul adjures the Thessalonians by our gathering together unto Christ 2 Thes 2.1 The partial wisdom of flesh and blood scatters and divides all into Sects and Schisms all differing among themselves and from the Truth which yet the Leaders of every Sect undertake to reveal to men every one adorning and admiring the Fathers of their several Factions as the Samaritanes honoured Simon Magus for the great Power of God because for a long time he had bewitched them with Sorceries And because they know that Christ is not divided every Sect monopolizeth and appropriates Christ intirely to it self Whence are those seditious voices Here is Christ and there is Christ He is in the desart say some nay say others He is in the secret Chamber nay others of late say He hath forsaken the known world Luk. 17.21 And according to Daniel's Prophesie of our times Dan. 12.4 Many run to and fro and knowledge is much encreased And every Sect must be the True Church and therefore every Sect to other must be a false Church and therefore every one is embittered against every one hateful one to other and hating one another and hence come wars and fightings among us Well therefore might the Wise Man say Quid nequius quam quod excogitavit caro sanguis There is nothing more wicked than what flesh and blood hath devised Beloved there
is not any one cause of all the mischiefs in the Christian world greater than this and I pray God that we one way or other be not guilty of it that the spawns and issues of opinionated flesh and blood are commended unto the credulous multitude as the Expositions and Revelations of Gods Truth and thundered out with such Authority bold earthly spirits as if they came from the third Heaven Alas they consider not that the carnal eye hath not seen nor the carnal ear heard these things nor have they entred into the heart of man or flesh and blood But God reveals them by his spirit 1 Cor. 2.9 Flesh and blood hath not revealed them but my Father which is in Heaven That 's the next point Our Father which is in Heaven he hath revealed Christ He it is that removes the veils propounds the object enlightens the eyes of our understandings and so manifests and reveals Christ unto us 1. He removes two kinds of veils both that which is upon Christ and that which is upon us 1. That which is upon Christ is the veil of types and figures and ceremonial shadows both in the Old Testament and in the New saith the ordinary Gloss Thus the New Moons Holy dayes and Sabbath dayes were shadows but the Body is Christ And therefore as the shadow vanisheth at the presence of the Body this veil of Ceremonies is done away in Christ saith St. Paul So 2. Is the veil upon us which is manifold but two principally whereof the one we draw upon our minds the other upon our hearts 1. That upon our minds is the veil of Knowledge falsly so called this veil was meant by Gog which signifieth a Covering and accordingly the Holy Ghost makes use of it Ezec. 38. where the Lord speaks thus to Gog Thou shalt be like a cloud to cover the Land a cloud a veil of false notions and misunderstandings of spiritual things saith St. Hierom which hath covered all the world And since there are many Anti-Christs this is one and a great one a veil upon the mind the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the ruling part that rules all the world a covering cast over all people and a veil which is spread over all Nations and this veil the Lord promiseth to remove in these last dayes Esay 25.7 2. Yea and that other veil Obstinacy and Unbelief upon the heart for when the heart shall turn unto the Lord the veil shall be taken away These veils removed God reveals his Son but where where else but within us Christ formed in you saith St. Paul There is one in you whom ye know not saith St. John and say not here or there for the Kingdom of Heaven is within you saith our Saviour Thus St. Paul assures the Galatians in the first of that Epistle that these two veils of Ceremonies and types in the Jews Religion and false Knowledge Obstinacy and Unbelief being removed vers 13 14. It pleased God saith he to reveal his Son in me vers 15 16. But to what purpose is either the removing of the veils or the propounding of this glorious object unless there be a light to illustrate it and eyes to see it therefore Christ himself is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The brightness of his Fathers Glory Heb. 1. 2. That light that enlightens the Gentiles the Nations as it is in Simeons nunc dimittis A light to those that sate in darkness and were covered with the veils so much the Greek words imply 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 A light for the Revelation or uncovering of the Gentiles Thus God illustrates the object and so he illuminates the eyes of our understandings for the seeing eye God hath made saith Solomon and that sight of the seeing eye which is Faith is Gods gift saith the Apostle Eph. 2. and this Faith God reveals Gal. 3.23 all which being done by God the Father He may be truly said to reveal Christ his Son and well he may for Reason The Reason is evident The Father of our Lord Jesus Christ is the Father of Lights whether they be sight imagination thought understanding or some faculty Light above them all as Plato numbers them And this Light is the Son of God that Light of Light as we confess in the Nicene Creed yet is not the Revelation of this Light unto men Natural as the Emanation or Generation of it is from the Father for St. James who calls him the Father of Lights saith That every good and perfect gift and therefore Christ the best and most perfect gift descends from him And our Saviour Joh. 4. calls himself Gods gift As Socrates said he was Gods gift unto the Athenians and every Holy Man is Gods gift unto those men among whom he lives And therefore since nothing is more free than gift the Father is a free and voluntary agent in the Revelation of his Son so saith the Son expresly No man knows the Son but the Father and he to whom the Father will reveal him Doubt Yet we cannot but hence take notice of a doubt how it can be true that the Father reveals the Son since the Son is said to reveal the Father Mat. 11.27 It 's a question moved by some of the Ancients who resolve it by mutual Relation but surely the mutual and interchangeable Revelation of the Father and the Son hath more difficulty in it than can be expedite by the knowledge of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which that ye may the better understand ye may he pleased to consider with me God the Fathers method and way of revealing his Son and God the Sons way of revealing the Father unto men which I suppose is not so usually observed and laid to heart as it neerly concerns us as it is frequently set down in the Old and New Testament but more specially and plainly in that common term of both Mal. 4. Where God the Father having promised to reveal Christ the Son of Righteousness vers 2. before he reveals him he requires That we remember the Law of Moses already revealed vers 4. and vers 5. he promiseth first to send Elijah Now by the Law is the knowledge of sin and Elijah which is John the Baptist saith our Saviour he baptizeth with the baptism of repentance for the remission of sins saying unto the people That they should believe in him who should come after him Christ Jesus Act. 19.4 and 20 21. whom he calls the Lamb of God that takes away the sins of the world and of them he requires amendment of life And this Forerunner having prepared the Lords way Then the glory of the Lord shall be revealed and all flesh shall see it together saith the Prophet Esay 40.5 and the Evangelist Luk. 3.6 and shews unto such the true Jesus Psal 50. last And thus we understand That no man comes unto the Son but whom the Father thus draws unto him and unto these the Son manifests and reveals himself Joh. 14.21 And unto these the
Moses to name only Moses and the Heathen Law-givers against whom the Prophet Isaiah denounceth a wo Chap. 10.1 Wo unto them that decree unrighteous decrees and write grievousness which they have prescribed And truly both these would follow were it so that the Law per se directly and properly were the cause of our passions and motions stirred up in us by the Law and of the fruits brought forth unto death The Apostle therefore wisely and timely distinguisheth between what the Law directly and properly doth and what sin doth by occasion of the Law 1. First he tells us what the Law directly and properly doth vers 7. What shall we say is the Law sin God forbid and he proves it For that which discovers sin to be sin is not it self sin But the Law discovers sin to be sin And therefore the Law it self is not sin Now that that which discovers sin to be sin is not it self sin appears from hence because no man on set purpose doth that which he knows to be sin but what he thinks good saith Dionysius Areop because either true or apparent good is that which all men naturally desire Seeing therefore the Law discovers sin to be sin yea forbids sin yea accuseth the sinner for sin it cannot be the cause of sin but rather indeed the cause why a man should not commit sin and therefore the Law is not sin no the Law is holy just and good vers 12. But how then comes it to pass that the motions of sin are stirred up by the Law This comes to pass by accident not causally but occasionally therefore 2. The Apostle shews what sin doth by occasion of the Law vers 8. Sin taking occasion by the Commandment it wrought in me saith he all manner of concupiscence and vers 11. sin taking occasion by the Commandment deceived me and vers 12. Sin by the Commandment became exceeding sinful For greater manifestation of this he transfers the business as to himself by a particular and personal instance which is the Text I was alive without the Law once wherein we have a two-fold estate of the man 1. Before the Law came 2. after the Law came 1. Before the Law came and herein for explication two things must be opened 1. Of whom the Apostle speaks this of himself or some other man when he saith I was alive without the Law 2. How he is to be understood when he saith he lived without the Law 1. Who is this I and of whom speaks the Apostle this Who this I in the Text is and of whom to be understood there hath been and yet is among some great disputation such a strife as was for Homer by the seven Cities My purpose is according to my profession and my engagement when I first entred upon this argument without taking part or siding with flesh and blood and without acrimony or bitterness which commonly attend on controversie to endeavour according to the irrefragable dictates of Gods everlasting truth to compose the differences among us concerning the Law And therefore I shall not name the Disputants lest I should revive their disputes They say Juvenal occasioned at least many to be lewd and vitious by too open and plain discovery of their vices Some of the Ancients that I say not also some of latter times who have presumed by their Authority to be Mallei haereticorum to beat down hereticks and their heresies have in the event proved Mallei haereticorum in a worse sence the forgers and contrivers of heresie And whereas they thought to beat down a few they have hammered out a many 1. There are who understand this man in his pure naturals But in what man can any one instance since the fall that was in his pure naturals that this Text may be understood of him 2. There are who understand this man to have been a rational man since the fall but was there ever any such rational man since the fall without a law to regulate his reason for surely he had either the written law or the law of nature born of him 3. Others conceived him to be a man under the Law but that he could not yet actually be as he saith himself I was without the law once and we now speak of him as such as without the Law for the avoiding therefore of further disputes we may understand That the man here mentioned is the earthly the natural man who although he have had some knowledge of the Law though the Law hath not hitherto wrought upon him it hath not yet made any discovery of his sin it hath not come home pressly to him like Nathan to David and said Thou art the man And if we understand the man in the Text thus It matters not much of what person definitly the Apostle speaks this of himself or of some other since he himself and all others have been in the very same condition But you 'l say he speaks of himself yea vers 25. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I my self what more plain Answer He doth so yet this may be docendi gratiâ as we speak as we are wont for instance sake to name our selves or some other Thus in the Civil Law Titius and Sempromus are the subjects of many Law Cases And we have persons also in our common Laws who are the subjects of many Cases But doth the Apostle use any such kind of Rhetorical Figure Answer You shall judge 1 Cor. 1. The Apostle reproving them for the contentions and divisions among them vers 11. It hath been declared unto me saith he that there are contentions among you Now this I say that every one of you saith I am of Paul and I am of Apollo and I of Cephas and I of Christ Were Paul and Apollo think you two of the persons whom the Corinthians strove for ye shall hear him speak for himself 1 Cor. 4.6 These things brethren I have in a figure transferred to my self and to Apollo for your sakes that ye may learn in us not to think of men above that which is written that no man be puffed up for one against another a sin too too usual among us and I fear more frequent than it was in Corinth However this may be true that the Apostle spake of himself in the Text or of another I contend not so we understand himself or some other to have been in this condition as most certain it is the Apostle and every man else hath been he lived without the law once But 2. How can this be understood that he lived once without the law What law is here to be understood Here is again a controversie what Law is here understood the Law Natural or the Law Moral It is not material whether Law we understand since the moral or written Law is founded in the Law of Nature But the question here is how the man could live without the Law since the Law followeth the sin close at the heels as Jacob did
Deity into our souls and the life of Christ shall appear in our mortal bodies And we beholding as in a Glass the glory of the Lord with his open face shall be translated into the same image from glory unto glory as by the Spirit of the Lord. To whom be glory and honour and praise for ever and ever Amen NOTES AND OBSERVATIONS UPON EPHESIANS VI. 10. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Be strong in the Lord in the power of his might THis is verbum Diei a seasonable Text whether 1. We look at the constitution of our Church so 't is the beginning of the Epistle appointed for this day Or 2. Whether we look upon the commotions of the world abroad so 't is the beginning of a Military Oration For our Apostle doth no otherwise than an experienced General in like case would do having set first all men in general then in special those three 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or combinations of persons which make up a compleat family Husband and Wife Father and Child Master and Servant every one in his own place and ranck he then arms them and us by them first with courage and then with weapons both defensive and offensive My Text is that part of his Oration whereby he arms us with fortitude under the help of God against the war of the Devil For so saith the interlineary Gloss Contra bellum Diaboli in auxilio Domini Yet notwithstanding so great a consent and seasonable agreement between the Text and time one thing there is wherein they mainly differ Abroad bella horrida bella we hear of wars and rumours of wars At home pacem colimus cum hominibus bellum gerimus tantum cum affectibus Such is our peace as we have no enemy to fight with but our lusts And blessed be the Author of Peace and Lover of Concord And blessed be our Peace-maker for so great a difference The words contain an express exhortation Be strong and an implicite demonstration of the means how to perform the duty exhorted unto in the Lord especially Christ so stiled in the New Testament In whom because all fulness dwells as well of Wisdom and Knowledge and Righteousness and all other vertues and graces as of power he points us to the special formale objecti unto that in Christ considerable wherein we may be strong and that is the might of his power I intend to handle the words only in one proposition That we ought to be strong in the Lord and in the power of his might To be strong here implys not any bodily strength but that robur fidei spei that strength of Faith and Hope or confidence in Gods power for his help and aid against our enemies and for the doing of his will Thus St. Chrysostom Theoplilact Oecumenius Aquinas an others expound the words This Virtue of fortitude according to the twofold use and employment of it is seen in sustinendo aggrediendo 1. In sustaining or bearing of the assaults of evil which we may call passive fortitude or patience And 2. In the setting upon or doing of good which we may call valour or active fortitude 1. The passive fortitude or patience is as it were the left hand of the inward man which bears off the blow 2. Valour or the active fortitude is like the right hand of it to act and strike 1. The former like the Triarii who kneeled in the reerward behind the Army and bare up the whole burden of it 2. The latter like the rorarii and velites fighting and provoking the enemy to fight So that the Christian patience is not only the well-bearing of losses and crosses or other outward evils as sickness poverty contempt or the like wherein some place all their patience and 't is well if they can go so far But the true Christian patience according to the holy Cassiodore is also the constant and unwearied bearing and suffering the assaults and attempts of our affections and lusts unto sin without yielding our consent thereunto The like also we may say of the Christian valour or active fortitude it is not seen only in the assailing of outward foes or dealing with them with outward weapons but both are inward and spiritual The words next following the Text make both plain for we wrestle not against flesh and blood that is not against man or mans power but against principalities and powers against the rulers of the darkness of the world against spiritual wickedness in heavenly things And that the weapons are no other than spiritual 't is evident The girdle of truth the breast-plate of righteousness the shooes the preparation of the Gospel of peace the shield of faith the helmet of salvation the sword of the Spirit which is the word of God And both these Vertues are here meant by the Apostle when he exhorts the Ephesians and us to be strong But what is it to be strong in the Lord What else but to repose the strength of our patience on the Lord who is the God of patience and to repose the strength of our valour and confidence on the Lord who is the strength of our confidence the strength of Israel whereby we are enabled to prevail against our spiritual enemies and to overcome the world 1 Joh. The same which our Apostle elsewhere exhorts unto That we be no more such children such weaklings that we should be carried about with every wind but to be strong to be valiant like men 1 Cor. 16.13 to be strong in the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ 2 Tim. 2.1 And great reason there is so we should whether we consider 1. The Lord our strength by whom we are to be strengthened Or 2. Our selves to be strengthened by him Or 3. Our enemies about whom we are to employ our strength And 4. The Lord himself in his Nature and in his Attributes 1. In his Nature he is a Spirit and therefore strong for so flesh and spirit are opposed as weak and strong Esay 31.3 2. This essential strength is yet further strengthened by his Attribute of Power if Power be an Attribute and not rather the Essence and Nature it self for the right hand of power in Matth. 26. is the right-hand of God Matth. 16. and in this sence Christ is the power of God 1 Cor. 1. Christ the power Psal 11. But whas's that to us potentia est in utrumlibet It may make as well against us as for us Add therefore hereunto he is omniscient the Wisdom of God knows all our needs 1 Cor. 1. But know he may all our needs and strong he may be and so able to supply them Yet better is a neighbour that is near than a brother afar off Prov. as Martha said unto him Joh. 11.21 Lord if thou hadst been here my brother had not dyed He may be a God not near but far off Jer. 23.23 And howsoever otherwise able yet so not able to supply them But there is no nation that hath God so
Whatever they find not in their great Master they cry down as Superstitious or Popish or Pelagianism or Arminianism or some sin or other which they understand not Nor do I speak this any way in favour of the present pretended Festival whatever reports I have gone thorough Sure I am since I have known God and his ways in some measure I never was a zealot for those or any such holy-days as they call them by Antiphrasis The Lord knows and some good men have also known that these Festivals especially have been my days of mourning Who so ignorant that he hath not known how this Feast of Christmas hath been that I say not how it is kept throughout this Nation What masking what mumming what carding what dicing what gluttony what drunkenness what chambering what wontonness what turning nights into days and days into nights This Feast was occasioned by those most licentious Saturnalians and they have indeed for many years become very like them only worse and that not only by connivance of Authority but I speak knowingly and experimently by the countenance and command of Authority So that it was held a greater crime to oppose than to commit these outrages All these things have been held lawful under the name of Christmas Whereas an indifferent man who knew any thing of God and Christ might rightly judge that the keeping of this Festival might seem to be the memorial not of Christ Incarnate but of the Devil incarnate What marvel then if that of the Prophet be fulfilled I will turn their feasts into mourning c. Amos 8.10 Yet what the Apostle speaks of the Sabbath there remaineth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the keeping of a Sabbath for the people of God So no doubt there remaineth a Christmas and a keeping of a Christmas for the Children of God Luk. 1.14 Many shall rejoyce at his birth i. e. John the Baptists who is the true Elijah Matt. 17.12 13. and when that shall be fulfilled Psal 22.27 That all the ends of the earth remember themselves they who have forgotten their God and now remember themselves of God that 's Zachariah and now turn to the Lord that 's Elijahs the Tishbites John the turners work Then when this John this grace of the Lord for conversion of sinners and turning them to the Lord is born in us When the grace of the Lord that bringeth salvation to all men appears in us and heals us c. Then will there be great joy at such a birth Therefore I told you that in the Eastern part of the holy Land where Elias appeared was the River Arnon a son of exultation joy and jubilation How much more joy shall be at the birth of Christ whose forerunner John is He who is the desire of all nations Hag. 2.7 How can he not be the joy of all Nations and people Luk. 2. when he cometh when the desire cometh it is a tree of life Prov. 13.11 19. joy unspeakable and full of glory 1 Pet. 1.8 what else mean those words Joh. 1. The word was made flesh and dwelt in us This is the opening of that great Mystery See Notes on Gal. 1.19 The joyful message 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the glad tydings of Christ come in the flesh So the word properly signifieth for what benefit is it unto me that Christ was partaker of others flesh so many hundred years ago if he take not part of my flesh also Whence St. John hath left it for a sign and token of a good Spirit which is of God to confess that Christ is come in the flesh 1 Joh. 4.2 An argument of great joy not such as runs over at the lips a joy of will asses No the joy is spiritual and they only who are spiritually-minded can truly so rejoyce Exhort As Christ is partaker of our flesh and blood so be we exhorted to be partakers of Christs flesh and blood to become members of his body of his flesh and of his bones Eph. 5.30 So great and precious promises are made unto us 2 Pet. 1. if we shall be partakers of the divine nature having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lusts that 's a principle means We are partakers of Christ if we hold the beginning of our confidence stedfast unto the end Heb. 3.14 The end is death not the death of the body unto which some ascribe more than to the death of Christ it is the death of the sinful wicked life He who continueth to the end shall be saved Matth. 24. Ye have heard what end the Lord gave Job Job 5.11 Job 19.26 Believed that he should see God in his flesh in his faith he persevered unto the death of the sinful life and he did see God in his flesh Job 42.5 But now mine eyes see thee Be followers of them who through faith and patience inherit the promises Heb. 6.12 and 10.36 Note hence the wonderful condescent of the Lord Jesus who though he were the I am Jehovah the Lord So he who in the old Testament is called Jehovah he is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Lord in the New Though he were in the form of God and thought it no robbery to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 equal things or equalities with God he humbled himself c. Phil. 2. A wonderful dignation such as astonished the Lycaonians Act. 14.11 12. though they were mistaken The Gods are come down to us in the likeness of men yea David one of Gods Seers or Prophets who had a a clearer sight of these things admired at so gracious a condescent Psal 83.4 5. The heavens the sun moon and stars those excellent works of God are wonderful What is man c. This the Apostle understands to be spoken of Christ Heb. 2.6 Observ 2. The great love of the Son of God c. See Notes on Joh. 1.12 Observ 3. Christ taking part of flesh and blood God is no accepter of persons Ibidem Tros Tyriusque mihi nullo discrimine habetur It is not said that he took part of Noble Royal Wise Learned Flesh and Blood but generally he took part of flesh and blood and to manifest the community of this participation he was born in a common Inn whence it is that we read of a common faith Tit. 1.4 and a common Salvation Jude Verse 3. Observ 4. Christ was true man so much the Holy Ghost expresseth where he is said to take part of flesh and blood Thus we understand the Apostle Phil. 2.8 when he saith Christ was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as notes the reality verity and truth of a thing when therefore he is said to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which we render as a man it 's meant he was truly a man Thus much is understood by those common effects and accidents of humane nature as when he is said to be hungry and thirsty to eat drink sleep to be weary to watch and other like because these befal all mankind but other
God as God hath said I will dwell in them and walk in them 2 Cor. 6.16 The Saints are the City of the living God the holy City Heb. 12.22 ye are his house and dwelling place Heb. 3.6 The beauty of this Tabernacle is holiness the tabernacle of God and his holy hill Psal 15.1 Holiness is the beauty of this temple the temple of God is holy which temple ye are 1 Cor. 3.17 Holiness is the beauty of this house Holiness becomes thy house for ever Psal 93.5 Yea this is the lasting beauty of God's house holiness becomes thine house for ever the figurative beauty of God's house was outward which the Jews doted on and since them the Christians What searching there is for the utensils of the Temple Luk. 21.5 which Vespasian carried away what anxious questions are moved what became of the curious wrought veil of the Vrim and Thummim whether Jeremy hid it in the well or in any puddle water How have the Christians of old quarrelled the Saracens and Turks for invading the holy Land How much blood hath been shed in that quarrel 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 To what purpose Luk. 21.16 all that beauty of the Ceremonial and outward Holiness was to pass and fade away and perish All that glory was figurative and significant of an inward and better will a man set his eyes upon that which is not and it self to be done away 2 Cor. 3. as the flower when the seeds are brought forth and ripe That which is signified by these is the only lasting beauty will a man dote upon a flower as flesh and blood all flesh is grass 1 Pet. 1. Mercy and truth endure from generation to generation and holiness becomes Gods house for ever Psal 100. In that mystical description of God's Temple to be accomplished in these last days This is the ground of all the true Christian valour and resolution Cum Sancto Sanctus eris with the holy thou wilt be holy Psal 18. What brave resolutions this works in the Saints of God The Lord is on my side I will not fear what any man can do unto me To him that addicts and applys himself to God God will addict and apply himself to him The Lord is with you while you are with him and if God be with us who can be against us Rom. 8. 'T is general the holiest man is always the most valiant man Holy David Josuah Caleb the most valiant Macchabeus Whether we take sanctuary for a refuge or for that part of the Temple 't is true of both This is the true Sanctuary Kadesh is not in vain reckoned among the Cities of refuge Jos 21.32 if a man had killed so hast thou thou hast killed the just One Jam. 5.6 He carries the people all the Saints are in thy hand Deut. 33.3 Surely they are safe the original Caleb signifieth to cover or put in the hand So he covers his Saints So Christ of his Sheep none shall take them out of my hand the bosom My Father who gave them is greater than they Here he hides them his Saints are his hidden ones Psal 83.3 He keeps the feet of the Saints 1 Sam. 2.9 Much more doth he preserve their Souls Psal 97.10 Wouldst thou then be safe in these dangerous times Whither canst thou flee to be safe but only ad secretum Jehovae He dwells in his temple and that 's in thee in his house and that 's in thee only prepare a room for him 1 Pet. 3.14 Being not afraid of their terrour but sanctifie the Lord God in your hearts Harbour nothing that is unclean the Lord of hosts is able to defend his own house How 't is not our well of water can defend us nor our own way nor our great forces neither our parts that can do it No Jerusalem and the holy City shall be inhabited as towns without walls for I saith the Lord will be a wall of fire round about her and the glory in the midst of her Zach. 2.5 This is a ground of the Saints prayer in time of affliction preserve me O Lord for I am holy Psal 86.2 O that we had as good reason to alledge for our selves This makes the Saints formidable and terrible to their enemies Jaddus to Alexander he saw God the holy One in the man This this prevails when all the outside pomp and ostentation of Religion shall be found nothing worth but like that Junto of Roman Senators when the Gauls had sack'd Rome The Name of the Lord is in his Saints and that 's holy and terrible Psal 111.9 Hence it is that the Church is described to be terribilis velut acies ordinata Cant. All these things laid together render God's Saints and holy ones the most excellent people in the whole world so Christ himself calls them Psal 16.3 Saints upon the earth excellent ones or Noble Glorious or wonderful it seems to be the speech of Christ if we compare vers 9 10. with Act. 2.25 31. applied by S. Peter and Act. 13.35 applied by S. Paul So that this argument and motive is made so much the stronger Christ testifieth of his Saints that they are excellent ones and adds to that testimony his singular approbation of them All my delight is in them yea the highest approbation that can be conceived the word is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 such as we read Esay 62.4 Thou shalt be called Hephzibah and thy land Beulah for the Lord delighteth in thee and thy land shall be married and as the Bridegroom rejoyceth over the Bride so shall thy God rejoyce over thee O Beloved I cannot but apply this to our Kingdom the Lord seems to say of it Hephzibah all my delight is in it witness our manifold deliverances from plots and projects against it ever since the Reformation so that what an holy man told Edward the Confessor seems to be made good to us England is God's Kingdom and he will take care of it 'T is Holiness makes our Church and Kingdom excellent 't is Holiness makes Christ himself enamoured of us and I doubt not but maugre all the Devils designs against it England will appear to be God's Kingdom though that of Zachary be first fulfilled upon it Zach. 13.8 9. This is the end of our election Eph. 1.4 He hath chosen us in Christ that we should be holy and unblameable before him in love If a man be chosen to be a Soldier and spend his time in tipling c. he acts not according to the end of his office this is a sign of our election Col. 3.12 Put on as the elect of God holy and beloved bowels of mercies à quatenus ad omne valet consequentia Thus 2 Tim. 2.4 Endure hardness as a good Soldier of Jesus Christ Suppose any one of us had a long journey to go and a short time to finish it and if we reached not to our journeys end within that time all our labour should be lost yea and our life too
which follow upon this Translation I shall shew them in the particular handling of these words Wherein we have these Three Divine Axioms or Points of Doctrine contained 1. Faith was once given to the Saints 2. St. Jude exhorts them who are sanctified by the Father and preserved in Jesus Christ and called to contend with the Faith that was once delivered St. Jude had need to write unto them to exhort them to contend with the Faith that was once given 1. Faith was once delivered to the Saints Wherein we must enquire 1. What Saints these were 2. What Faith this is 3. How this Faith was given 4. How once given to the Saints 1. Saints 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 are either 1. Largely understood and so St. Paul gives that name to whole Churches to whom he writes because they all made profession of sanctity and holiness although some in those Churches did not answer to that name Or 2. More strictly that word is to be understood as signifying those who really and truly were separated from the evil and wicked world and were Consecrated and Dedicated unto the great God according to that of Aquinas Sanctitas importat duo separationem ab aliquo dedicationem ad aliquid unto these Faith was given 2. By Faith many understand the Doctrine of Faith as 1 Tim. 4.1 The Spirit speaketh expresly that in the latter times many shall depart from the Faith i. e. from the Doctrine of Faith nor will I deny it but Faith may be so taken in both places yet nevertheless I believe that both here and in that other place also Faith may be understood as described by the Apostle Hebr. 11.1 Faith to be the ground or confidence of things hoped for the evidence of things not seen and more specially that operative and victorious Faith concrete with Hope and Patience and other Graces as shall be more demonstrated in the following point The Faith here understood is Faith in Christ 3. This Faith is given to the Saints namely by God the Father who both reveils the object to be believed and opens the understanding and heart of the believer as our Lord saith to Peter Flesh and blood hath not reveilded this unto thee but my Father c. Thus he opens the eyes of the understanding and He opens the heart and inclines it to receive the Truth reveiled as he opened the heart of Lydia Act. 16. 4. This is said to be once given to the Saints which they commonly understand irrevocably and immutably so that the Doctrine of Faith delivered cannot be changed but since by Faith here may be understood that Divine habit as I have shewed before happily the Apostle may hereby understand that solemn offering of Faith unto all by the resurrection of Christ from the dead Acts 17.31 He hath offered Faith unto all men in that he hath raised him from the dead so Rom. 14.9 For for this end Christ both died and rose and revived that he might be Lord both of dead and living therefore let us see what Reason may be given of this Doctrine The first Reason may be this since no salvation can be without Faith and that Faith is the gift of God whence can we have a full and satisfactory Reason why Faith is given but from the giver of it 2. Yet some Reason also may be added in regard of those Saints to whom Faith in Christ was given they were already such as were believers in the Father for since in the Gospel the Righteousness of God is reveiled from Faith to Faith they to whom the Apostle wrote being such as believed in the Father by that Faith they were disposed and fitted to belief in the Son and so to proceed from Faith to Faith to them who have more is given Which may answer a doubt that may here arise if Faith were given to the Saints were they Saints before that gift or after it I Answer they were Saints before being sanctified by God the Father vers the 2d for being begotten by him to a good will by that will they are sanctified Hebr. 10.10 and by the Holy Spirit they obtain a further measure of Faith even Faith in Christ which further sanctifies them and makes them Saints Act. 15.9 purifying their hearts by Faith so God he purifies their hearts Hence it appears that Faith is the gift of God Ephes 2.8 Thus Act. 10.43 Whosoever believeth in him must believe through his Name i. e. through his power 5. Faith was once given If we take Faith for the Doctrine of Faith it was so once given that no new Articles of Faith have been or ought to be superadded unto what the Apostles have written and therefore Saint Jude so agreed with Saint Peter in the second Chapter of his second Epistle that he may seem to have written most of his Epistle out of that 6. Note hence unsanctified men are no believers Faith was given to the Saints and therefore the Apostle requested the Thessalonians to pray for him That he might be delivered from unreasonable and wicked men for all men saith he have not faith whereby he forcibly implyes that had they Faith they would not be unreasonable and wicked as they are 1 Thessal 3.2 2. Saint Jude exhorts to contend with or by that faith which was once given to the Saints Contend with or by the Faith may seem to be an uncouth expression unless we know with whom we should contend Understand we therefore that the contention by or with the Faith is either 1. inward or 2. outward 1. inward when in with or by Faith we strive against the enemies of our souls and thus the Apostle exhorts 1 Tim. 6.12 To fight the good fight of Faith the object is not expressed there nor in that speech neither so often iterated He that overcometh shall have this or that reward 2. The contention is also outward and that either common to all as by the life and profession of the Faith may appear for so Prov. 28.4 They that keep the Law contend by that keeping of it with those who forsake the same Law of God as ye may read Wisd 2.12 13. Let us lie wait for the Righteous because he is not for our turn he is clean contrary to our doings he upbraids us with our offending the Law and objecteth to our infamy the transgressings of our education c. 2. The contention for the Doctrine of Faith is more specially belonging to the spiritual Governours of the Church as in that first controversie of the point touching Circumcision Acts 15.6 the business was debated by the Apostles and Elders No doubt the contention with the Faith is here to be understood in the former sence as Faith is that victorious and living Principle in Believers whereby they resist oppose and finally subdue all the enemies of the life in themselves whereby they live the life of God Gal. 2.20 The Reason of this may appear 1. In regard of the Christian Faith it self
Such animosity such pride of Spirit brings the Curse with it Exhort To poverty in Spirit no man needs Exhortation to be happy c. Vide Not. in Psal 94.12 Such poor in Spirit are the Lord 's welcom Guests to his Spiritual Table These eat the blessed bread drink his Cup of blessing these he welcomes Eat O my Friends c. Vide Not. in Luke 12.4 5. 2. The Kingdom of Heaven is theirs who are poor in Spirit wherein we must enquire 1. What is the Kingdom of God 2. How it is said that the Kingdom of Heaven is theirs who are poor in Spirit 1. What is the Kingdom of Heavens 1. Sometimes it 's taken for God's Government of the World 2. The Church of the Kingdom of Heavens in this sence our Lord speaks Matth. 20. The Kingdom of Heavens shall be taken from you and given to a Nation bringing forth the fruit thereof And where St. Paul saith Col. 4. These only are my helpers in the Kingdom of God he seems thereby to understand the preaching the Gospel of the Kingdom 3. Sometime the Kingdom of Heaven is taken for all those inestimable good things held forth in the Word and Sacraments and this Kingdom is said to be in us to come to be in power c. And thus the Kingdom of Heavens is here understood And why the Kingdom of Heavens is theirs who are poor in Spirit The Reason of this will better appear in the following point 2. Hence it appears how the Kingdom of Heavens may be said to be theirs who are poor in Spirit for the Great King promiseth to dwell with them Esay 57.15 There he keeps his Court and manifests the Glory of his Kingdom and they reign with him Obs 1. The poor in Spirit are Kings so St. Peter calls them and Priests also 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1 Pet. 2. The Prince of the Kings of the Earth he made them such Revel 1. Obs 2. Behold here 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a most unexpected Paradox The poor humble God fearing Souls invested with the Kingdom of God The wise man brings in the wicked wondering at it Wisd 5.1 5.15 16. Poverty and a Kingdom are most opposite Eccles 4.14 Obs 3. If the Kingdom of Heaven be theirs only who are poor in Spirit how few then are there among us who shall inherit the Kingdom of Heavens How few are there that shall be saved How few are there of us who in this regard can be called blessed men or women Why How few are there who are pure in Spirit Who pursues not the Profits the Honours the Pleasures of this present evil World Who makes not these or some of these his ultimate end Who doth not appropriate unto himself all he hath which yet he hath received only as a Steward and whereof he must give an account It was a churlish speech of Nabal Shall I take my bread c. It was a proud vain-glorious Speech of Nabuchadnezzar Is not this great Babylon c. We can all well see this in them yet who does not appropriate unto himself his own wealth and his own honour How many walk in the way of Cain proprietaries of all they have so Cain signifieth and if there be an Abel a breathing towards God an emptiness of our selves a resignation of all we have all we are that God may be all in all in us Such an Abel such a breathing toward God how soon is it murdered by Cain the appropriation of all to our selves O Beloved Is this our looseness and freedom from the World Is this our poverty of Spirit Is this our Resignation of our selves of all we have of all we are Is this our Christianity Beloved Let me be bold among you and take not offence at what I say but examine it impartially by the word of God compared with our own lives Either this Doctrine touching poverty of Spirit it not the Christian Doctrine or we are not Christians 3. Blessed are the poor in Spirit for theirs is the Kingdom of Heavens The Reason will appear 1. Partly in regard of the poor in Spirit 2. Partly in regard of God and his Kingdom 1. The poor in Spirit are fitted and prepared by Faith Love and Humility and suffering together with Christ for the Kingdom of Heaven they are of the Lord 's little ones and therefore great They are rich in faith and love and therefore Heirs of the Kingdom James 2. And they are fitted hereunto by the Lord Jesus Revel 1.5 6. And by his example who of all other is most poor in Spirit Phil. 2. and of him and with him they have the like mind 2. In regard of God the Father the Kingdom is his Thine is the Kingdom and it is his pleasure to give his Kingdom unto his little flock who are thus fitted and prepared thereunto Obs 1. The Lord requires due qualifications and conditions in all those whom he advanceth unto his Kingdom and Glory The poor in Spirit blessed because theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven Rom. 2. To those who by patient continuance in well doing c. eternal life If we suffer with him we shall reign with him There is no absolute promise of God without a necessary condition annexed thereunto either expressed or understood Obs 2. Since the poor in Spirit are blessed because theirs is the Kingdom of God Hence it followeth that the Kingdom of God is the true bliss and happiness and whatever renders us truly blessed is somewhat of God's Kingdom Obs 3. Admission into the Kingdom of Heaven is not according to destiny and fatality but according to conditions and qualifications required of God in all those who shall inherit that Kingdom It is true He hath chosen us but in Christ before the foundation of the World and that we should be holy and without blame before him in love Eph. 1. He hath predestinated us but that we should be conformable unto the Image of his Son Rom. 8.29 Repreh 1. Who flatter themselves into an assurance of God's Kingdom and believe that Jesus Christ hath loved them and washed them from their sins in his own bloud and made them Kings and Priests unto God the Father when yet none of all this is wrought in them what evidence then have they for the Kingdom of Heaven A strong imagination which they call Faith without any word of truth to rest upon let such consider what St. Paul saith 1 Cor. 6.8 9 10 11. Yea but they are washed c If so 't is well They are not the men but such were some of you if yet they be such they may be well assured of the contrary that they shall not inherit the Kingdom of Gd Yea such are excluded by another testimony Gal. 5.19 20 21. Repreh 2. Too many of us who much mistake our own spiritual estates who conceive themselves Heirs of the Kingdom of Heaven without poverty of Spirit Our Lord tells us of such John 10.1 And St. John Revel 3.1.17
conformable unto God himself who is a God without iniquity just and right is he Deut. 32.4 In this rectitude and uprightness the upright God made and set man at the first Eccles 7.29 Hence we understand by the rule of Contraries what obliquity and crookedness is viz. a deflexion or aversion from that original rectitude uprightness and straightness And this crookedness is framed by a rule also which is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 lawlesness or irregularity for as rectitude and uprightness is compared unto a straight way so iniquity to by-wayes or crooked and erroneous wayes So 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is to sin signifieth properly to go astray or out of the way and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifieth sin notes properly a missing of ones way Now as rectitude or straightness and the rule of it is conformable unto God himself so crookedness and the rule of it which is irregularity is conformable unto the Devil who is the crooked Serpent Isa 27.1 And as the upright God made the man upright in his generation and according to his will so the Devil the crooked Serpent declined man and brought him to the bent of his will in the degeneration so that of Eccles 7.29 God made man upright but he found out many inventions Hence then came crookedness into mans nature and both 1. Original whereof David speaks Psal 51.5 Behold 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in iniquity or in obliquity or crookedness did my mother conceive me Our Mother Eve received Seed from the crooked Serpent according to which she brings forth her first birth alwayes crooked and perverse first that which is natural and then that which is spiritual according to this mystery ye find the first born in Scripture prone to evil and perverse as Cain Ishmael Esau c. Thus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that signifieth an Infant or Suckling comes from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that signifieth to be unjust 2. A man being born thus crooked cannot make himself straight but stands bent Eccles 1.15 That which is crooked cannot be made straight i. e. by himself which hath no Principle of rectitude or straightness at all in himself but hath rather a proneness to greater obliquity and crookedness Hence it is that David having spoken of his original obliquity adds thereunto his actual Psal 51.9 Hide thy face from my sins and blot out all mine iniquities or obliquities Observ 1. Observe Gods way is a right and straight way such is the way of his Commandments the statutes of the Lord are right Psal 19.8 his judgements are right Psal 119.75 Generally Hos 14.9 the wayes of the Lord are right This way is uniform and one as between two terms there can be drawn but one straight line so straight and uniform is the way of the Lord Thus we say Truth is but one yet are there divers stages and parts of that way and as in directions of wayes we say from such a place to such a place so in the directions of the Lords way I will teach you the good and right way only fear the Lord and serve him in truth with all your heart 1 Sam. 12.24 St. Peter directs the Jews Act. 2. Repent and be baptized The right way of the Lord is from repentance to faith righteousness peace Observ 2. Ungodly men are a crooked generation Prov. 2.12 15. The Wise Man describes the way of evil men who leave the paths of uprightness and walk in the wayes of of darkness who rejoyce to do evil and delight in the frowardness of the wicked whose wayes are crooked and they froward in their paths Isa 59.8 There is no judgement in their goings they have made them crooked paths The perversness and crookedness of this Generation is seen in compassing their ends by oblique and crooked wayes it 's a maxine among them Si possis rectè si non quocunque modo rem Ahab profered to Naboth money for his Vineyard or an exchange that could not compass his end Jezabel will get it another way suborn false wisnesses The Scribes and Pharisees tryed all wayes to circumvent our Lord sometime under colour of Religion Luk. 20.21 the holy Devil puts a Case of Conscience to him so they dealt with his followers Exhort To level the Lords way Motive 1. Otherwise God will not come unto us mark what hinders him Isa 59. what a many stumbling-blocks are Gods wayes encumbered withall 1. Iniquity of Actions vers 3. Your hands are defiled with blood your fingers with iniquity 2. Words ibid. vers 7. Your lips have spoken lies your tongues have uttered perverseness none calls for justice nor any pleads for truth 3. Thoughts they conceive mischief and bring forth iniquity they hatch the Cockatrice eggs they weave the spiders webb 4. Actions vers 6. The act of violence is in their hands their feet run to evil they make hast to shed blood wasting and destruction are in their wayes the effect of which follows in vers 8 12 13. In transgressing and lying against the Lord and departing away from our God speaking oppression and revolt conceiving and uttering from the heart words of falsehood These are the stumbling-blocks in Gods way of Equity then vers 14. judgement is turned away backward and justice stands afar off for truth is fallen in the street and equity cannot enter These stumbling blocks David removes out of Gods way that he may come unto him Psal 101. O saith he when wilt thou come unto me why David God will come unto thee when his way is levelled how doth he prepare it for him see his resolution I will behave my self wisely in a perfect way I will walk in my house with a perfect heart vers 4. A froward heart shall depart from me So he levels the Lords way in his heart I will set no wicked thing or word of Belial before mine eyes vers 3. He knew God and Belial could not walk together he 'l see that his Companions also shall remove stumbling blocks out of Gods way vers 3. I hate the works of them that turn aside I will not know a wicked person who so privily slanders his neighbour him will I cut off him that hath an high look and a proud heart these are mountains in Gods way these must melt at his presence I will not suffer him 2. Otherwise we cannot come to God for froward and perverse thoughts separate from God saith the Wise Man Wisd 1. Mich. 6.7 8. Our Lord hath shewn us how we shall approach to him with acceptance Except ye be converted and become as little children ye cannot enter The Child is lowly weak ignorant Nicodemus old and learned must become a child Amos 5.14 2 Cor. 13.11 be perfect Phil. 4.8 9. 1 Thess 5.23 1 Cor. 6.11 Many soar in their contemplations and see as through a glass the dawning of the Lords day which doubtless is drawing on and they hasten to the day of God 2 Pet. 3. yet they forget that which
puffed up by their fleshly mind their Opinions that they know puff them up 1 Cor. 8.1 2 3. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 This way of Gods Commandments is that way which the Vultures eye hath not seen Flesh and blood reasoned and disputed about the Sacrament Good God how are many minds divided about it what a deal of paper hath been blotted with that Controversie whether the body and blood of Christ be really or corporally under the Elements yea or no little heed is given to our Saviour when he speaks of that My words are spirit and truth the flesh profiteth nothing there 's flesh and blood disputes about the Law Do we keep the Law So much of the Law as we live so much of it we know and no more when we keep it in our spirits and become spiritually minded we are able to judge of it and not before 1 Cor. 2. This reproves those who understand well that the Law is spiritual and that there is a greater and higher measure of obedience required out of it than the outward letter of the Commandments seems to import and in this knowledge they please themselves yet live in disobedience to the outward letter for whereas there is a spiritual wickedness discovered by the spiritual Law Satan perswades men who have learned this that this spiritual wickedness is that only wickedness which is forbidden and that there is no other sin but this hence with freedom they commit outward sins Thus some flatter themselves The true thievery is the appropriating of that which is Gods unto ones self and therefore he makes bold with his neighbours goods The true Father is God and therefore they neglect their natural parents thus the Jews by their tradition corrupted the Commandment of God Mar. 7. it is Corban the true drunkenness is not with wine Isai 29.9 Jer. 51.27 but a drunkenness of opinion and self-conceit and thereupon they allow themselves in surfetting and drunkenness thereupon they make no scruple to be drunk with wine wherein is excess The true adultery is spiritual and thereupon they think they may be bold with the outward and corporal the pollutions of idols Act. 15.20 and 21 25. I have heard and am right heartily sorry to hear that there are and I have known some of this judgement but let such to their terrour hear the judgement of God 2 Pet. 2.20 God forbid there should be any such among us The Spouse of Christ must be holy in body and in spirit she must be cleansed from all pollution of flesh and spirit 1 Cor. 7.34 she must be sanctified throughout in spirit soul and body God is a jealous God See Exod. 20. Many serve not God but their own bellies Object But they are more zealous against Baal Ezech. 8. What husband would believe his wife who should say husband my heart is entirely yours when yet she prostitutes her body to another It was a false speech of Martial Lasciva est nobis pagina vita proba est Our lives are wanton but our life is honest And shall we think that the searcher of all our hearts will believe us that our hearts and spirits are his when we yield our members servants to uncleanness and iniquity Out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks the hand works the eye looks the foot walks The French Proverb is here true Nothing comes out of the sack but it was before in the sack A corrupt word comes from a corrupt heart a sinful outward life from a sinful inward life Corporal wickedness proceeds from spiritual wickedness if we break the outward Commandment we break the inward and spiritual also Exhort O that we also knew and were perswaded that the Law is spiritual Would we know this have we an earnest desire thereunto That will betray it self in our outward study and endeavour Lord how I love thy Law all the day long is my meditation on it There 's no understanding of God's riddle unless we plow with his heifer Judg. 14.18 The Law is full of riddles and spiritual understandings Psal 78. Preface Follow the guidance of thy teacher the holy spirit is the only true teacher And God gives his holy spirit 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Ministers are the Oxen who tread out the corn who separate the chaff from the wheat the husk of the letter from the grain of the spirit 1 Cor. 9. Shall we be alwayes learning If ye do the things that I command ye then ye shall know Joh. 7.17 By exercise men grow strong not by eating and drinking It 's a shrewd sign the Oxe is fatted for the slaughter that 's put into a fat pasture that snatcheth here a morsel and there a mouthful and treads the rest under feet like a Bore in a frank The like we may say of those who are all their life time mewed up in a study they will plod out the spiritual and mystical meanings of the Law and practise in another world when there is neither devise c. This is as if a man should drive a wedge against the grain these learned fools much befool themselves they begin at the wrong end they study first and then live they must first live and then study The Lord tryes thee with easie truths practise if thou be faithful in little he will trust thee with more Who of you would put your best liquor into a vessel that ye know not whether it will hold or no ye fill it first with water so doth our God Pray for the Lords Spirit beg of the Lord spiritual eyes that thou mayest see the wonderful things of his Law Lord that mine eyes might be opened Then follow Jesus in the way To what an high pitch of understanding in Gods Law did the Prophet David attain unto by the use of those means Psal 119.98 99 100. If ye know these things happy are ye if ye do them Further touching the Law from Hosea 8.12 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Vulg. Lat. Scribam ei multiplices leges meas quae velut alienae computatae sunt Vata Scripsi ei honorabilia legis meae Our Translation I have written to them the great things of my Law but they have accounted them as a strange thing That we may the more orderly proceed in these Meditations concerning the Law I shall remember you of our method hitherto Ye have heard the nature of the Law the Author and end of it the principal effects it hath in the man and those both proper and per se as correcting and instructing and per accidens as making sin to revive and increase Ye have heard also the principal adjuncts and epithets of it both such as concern the inward and outward life as that it is holy just and good and such as concern the inward as that it is spiritual Next in order follows the division of the Law and for this end I have made choice of this Text. In this Chapter containing one entire prophesie the
may we not then justly fear that God may take away our peace and plenty from us 3. As concerning other Nations whose iniquities were not yet full which were not of the Canaanites they were to proffer them peace Deut. 20.10 which if they accepted well if not they were to smite every Male with the edge of the sword And what hath the Lord done now these many years but by his long patience toward us offered us peace but we are so bold with him we will have it upon our own terms an ease and peace in the flesh a peace without Righteousness he offers only such a peace as is the effect of Righteousness Isai 32.17 such a peace as is a companion of holiness Hebr. 12.14 if we accept this peace well if not are we stronger than he as the Apostle speaks 1 Cor. 10. Our present estate is like that of the Jews Jer. 18. where the Lord sends the Prophet to the potters house the Potter was now working a work upon the wheels and a vessel that he made of clay was marred in the hand of the potter so he made it another vessel as seemed good to the potter to make it Then came the word of the Lord to the Prophet saying O house of Israel cannot I do with you as this potter saith the Lord as the clay is in the potters hand so are ye in my hand O house of Israel at what instant I shall speak concerning a nation and concerning a kingdom to pluck up and to pull down and to destroy it if that nation against whom I have pronounced turn from their evil I will repent of the evil that I thought to do unto them And as it followeth vers 11. the Lord now frames evil against us let us take the advise he gives them Behold saith he I frame evil against you and devise a device against you return ye now every one from his evil way and make your wayes and your doings good O let not us as they there wickedly resolve we will walk after our own devices and we will every one do the imagination of his evil heart Shall we so provoke the Lord Are we stronger than he Are we not in his hand as the clay in the potters Are we able with our ten thousands or so many as we boast of to meet him who comes against us with his holy ten thousand thousands Jude vers 14. the words are not well turned O no. By strength shall none prevail against the Lord of hosts Let us rather O let us take with us words and return to the Lord and say unto him Take away all iniquity and receive us graciously and let us desire his conditions of peace These conditions the Jews refused and their enemies and what then remained but the sword 4. Lastly for Answer to this doubt Under the Gospel all things become new And those things which befell the Jews in figures were written for our examples upon whom the ends of the world are come Christian men therefore have not any outward enemies so properly called as those inward and of our own houshold for we wrestle not against flesh and blood i. e. against men but against spiritual wickedness in heavenly things Ephes 6.12 in high places so we turn it we are altogether for places and persons and accordingly we esteem our enemies there 's nothing answers to places in the Original the words are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in heavenly things Ephes 6.12 against spiritual pride envy covetousness and temptations thereto the fiery darts of the devil Against our own strong holds our own imaginations our own vain thoughts and reasonings our own lusts and pleasures 2 Cor. 10. These are the enemies of our own houshold yet alas who almost doth not hugg these as his own dear and bosom friends who doth not exercise his anger his hatred his malice and enmity upon men as if they were indeed his true enemies Good God! how much Christian blood might have been spared yea might yet be spared were this Truth known and acknowledged by the ambitious revengeful and bloody minded Rulers of the world Now because some understandings want information touching this Duty others fall short of performance of it others perform it but with grief and difficulty and all of us I fear want quickning hereunto it 's useful for all by way of Instruction Reproof Consolation and Exhortation 1. Observe behold what a God we have to deal withall a God of Peace a God who commands the exercise of Peace towards all men if ever in his works he shew himself otherwise it 's our iniquity that makes him otherwise or his own mercy to his Saints and Servants and therefore where he falls out with us he discovers a great deal of unwillingness on his part How shall I give thee up O Ephraim how shall I deliver thee up O Israel how shall I make thee as Admah how shall I set thee as Zeboim Hos 11.8 When he had sent the Ten Tribes into Captivity he makes an Apologie for himself 2 King 17. and so for sending the Tribe of Judah and Benjamin c. 2 Chron. 36.14 when he brought the flood upon the Earth he first again and again tells us the cause of it Gen. 6.4 There were Giants in the earth in those dayes and vers 5. God saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually and vers 11. The earth was corrupt before God and the earth was filled with violence and vers 12. All flesh had corrupted his way and vers 13. The earth is filled with violence and then what remains but destruction I will destroy them from the earth And generally when he sends wars troubles and commotions in the world it is out of mercy to his Saints that they might not set up their rest in this unquiet world but seek their peace and rest in him In the world ye shall have tribulation in me ye shall have peace Joh. 16.33 As for his own genuine and proper act about War it is to end it with a blessed peace Psal 46.9 Come behold the work of the Lord it is his proper work what desolations what wonderous desolations he hath wrought in the earth what are they killing and butchering of men burning villages and towns No. See what desolations he works in the earth He maketh wars to cease unto the utmost end of the earth He breaks the bow and cutteth and knappeth the spear in sunder and burneth the charriots in the fire that 's his work to make wars to cease in all the world Every fool can raise Contention and strife but 't is a wise man only yea 't is the only wise God who can compose and end it It is the glory of a man to cease from strife but every fool will be medling The foolish and distempered Princes of the world in all Ages to satisfie their own
the Holy Ghost conditions if it be possible live peaceably with all men it supposeth that such times such places such persons may be that it will not be possible for the Saints of God to live peaceably in them and with them The Prophet Esay describes such an evil time Isa 59.2 15. Your iniquities have separated between you and your God and your sins have hid his face from you that he will not hear For your hands are defiled with blood and your fingers with iniquity your lips have spoken lies your tongue hath uttered perversness None calls for justice nor any pleadeth for truth they trust in vanity and speak lies they conceive mischief and bring forth iniquity vers 7. Their feet run to evil and they make hast to shed innocent blood their thoughts are thoughts of iniquity wasting and destruction are in their paths The way of peace they know not and there is no judgement in their goings they have made them crooked wayes whosoever goeth therein shall not have peace The Prophet David fell into such times Psal 35.20 They speak not peace but devise deceitful matters against those who are quiet and peaceable in the land and Psal 120. vers 5. Wo is me that I sojourn in Mesech and have my habitation in the Tents of Kedar My soul hath long dwelt with them that are enemies to peace When did David dwell in Mesech or Kedar They are in Arabia as appears Isai 21.13 17. and therefore the Chaldee Paraphrast here turns it the Arabians The Israelites among whom he lived were as unpeaceable as barbarous as implacable as the Arabians as Esay as Ezechiel calls them Sodom and Gomorrah so that they might seem not to be Israelites but rather Ismaelites as indeed the Kedarens were the posterity of Ismael Gen. 25.13 whose hand was against every man and every mans hand against him Gen. 16.12 And among these unpeaceable men David dwelt and so peaceably he lived among them that he was even peace it self unto them so he saith in the abstract I was even peace it self but when I spake unto them thereof they made them ready for battel That perillous time the Prophet tells of was under the Law and the like we find if not worse under the Gospel I shall not wrong our times if I say we live in them ye have them described 2 Tim. 3.1 O beloved let us look with a single and impartial eye upon our own times whether these tokens be not upon us The Apostle speaks not of those who were without for such were then and are without the pale of the Church but he speaks of such as are within such as pretend Christianity The Ambassadors of Peace what can they do in behalf of these the Lord sends not Peace unto such but a sword Matth. 10.34 but division Luk. 12.51 And what can they then do but bewail their hardness and impenitency as Jeremiah doth Jer. 13.17 If ye will not hear it my soul shall weep in secret places for your pride and mine eyes shall weep sore and run down with tears What can he do but bewail his own infelicity he hath spent his strength in vain as Esau complains and Jer. 15.10 Wo is me my mother that thou hast born me a man of strife and a man of contention to the whole earth 2. Such times places and persons may be wherein it is not simply impossible to maintain peace with all men for were it simply impossible it could never be or if it should ever be it would involve a contradiction Thus the Scripture tells us that it is impossible for God to lye if therefore this should ever come to pass that God should lye it would involve a contradiction that God should be the essential truth so that let him be true and every man a lyar yet the essential truth should lye which is a contradiction and overthrows it self Thus if it were altogether impossible that Peace should be maintained with all men then such peace could never be or if ever it were it would involve a contradiction but the God of truth who cannot lye hath made us to hope that such times places and persons will be with whom we may maintain peace Isai 2.4 Such promises we find Isai 11.6 7 8 9. and 65.25 Besides another Reason there is why this common and universal Peace should not be altogether unpossible because the only wise God who is also the Righteousness it self hath commanded it which if simply impossible he would never have done for what father would command things altogether impossible unto his Children If we therefore being evil know how to command things possible and feasible to our Children how much more shall our heavenly Father command things only possible and feasible unto us It is an old Maxime among Divines Qui dicit deum praecipere aliquid impossibile Anathema esto He that shall say God commands any thing impossible let him be Anathema Repreh Those who are enemies unto peace and make it difficult and in a sort impossible and that they do two wayes either 1. by maintaining a false peace or 2. by opposing the true peace 1. Corrupt nature teacheth men to maintain a false peace amongst themselves for their mutual advantages and this false peace is to be found either 1. Generally among all men who live or have to do one with another or 2. More specially among certain orders of men 1. All men who live or have to do one with other these maintain a tacite Covenant among themselves which is not grounded upon Righteousness Truth and Love but indeed it is a kind of implicite conspiracy against it for whereas most men have as well a sting as honey in their mouths and almost every man is of Themistocles's mind he loves to hear himself well spoken of and of Saul's popularity he would be honoured before the people they therefore make a secret contract among themselves no way to disquiet or molest one another in their sins As if the pettish angry man should agree with the drunkard upbraid not me with mine anger peevishness I 'le not trouble thee with thy drunkenness Spare me saith the covetous wretch to the proud man and I 'le spare thee meddle not with my revengefulness saith the vindicative man and I 'le not trouble thee with thine unchastity Such Covenants as these seldom or never come above-board but are made by mutual tacite consent because most men extreamly love themselves and their credit in the world their ease and security in the flesh and while these contracts last all the devils goods are in peace his wrath his drunkenness his pride his covetousness his unchastity his revengefulness and all the rest And therefore this can be no true peace because not built on purity as St. James requires it should be Jam. 3. nor hath it holiness for it's companion as it ought to have Hebr. 12.14 nor hath it love for the ground of it for did this
propter se proximus propter Deum in Deo That kind of affection whereby we love God for himself and our neighbour for God or in God and both are here meant which he that hath not is said to be nothing How can that be nihil prodest it profits nothing So Rabanus and St. Anselme or rather nihil sum secundum esse gratiae saith Aquinas in regard of the Essence and being of Grace though withall these yet without Charity I am nothing And that though a man have all these and want Charity he is nothing Will appear if we take a short view of them again For 1. As for Prophecy 't is plain by many examples out of the Word of God As that of Balaam Numb 23. and 24. that of Caiaphas Joh. 11.50 And Sauls Messengers and even Saul himself among the Prophets all wicked men Saul and his Messengers hunting after the blood of David Caiaphas after the blood of Christ the true David and Balaam a mercenary prophesying for hire and running greedily for reward And all of them had the gift of prophecy as many others had Yea 2. Many knew the profound Mysteries of God's Truth as Judas did and preached them too as well as the other Apostles did Yea 3. Knew all knowledge as the Pharisees did they had the key of knowledge Luk. 11. Insomuch that our Saviour commends his own Disciples to them Matth. 23.1 2. He spake saith the Text to the multitude and to his disciples saying The Scribes and Pharisees sit in Moses chair Therefore whatever they say unto you keep and do Yea 4. Many of them had Faith in Christ also Many of the Rulers believed on him Joh. 12.42 and many wrought miracles in his name Matth. 7.22 But all this to no purpose at all Judas was a traytor and betrayed his Lord. And I know saith our Saviour to the Pharisees that the love of God is not in you And the chief Rulers howsoever they believed on him yet confessed him not lest they should be put out of the Synagogue for they loved the glory of men more than the glory of God Joh. 12.43 All their Prophecy their Knowledge of all Mysteries all their Knowledge all their Faith all their wonderful Works were nothing And the Reason is plain whether we consider 1. The Nature of all these Graces Or 2. The nature of Charity Or 3. The Nature of God And the Nature of all these Graces may be considered either 1. In their Object Or 2. In their Subject Or 3. In their End whereat they ought to aim 1. As for their Object or matter where about they are conversant it 's Divine Truth and that such as glides into us nobis non cogitantibus oftentimes when we think not of it For so we read 1 Sam. 19. That when the Messengers which were sent to take David saw the Company of the Prophets prophesying and Samul standing as appointed over them The Spirit of God was upon the messengers of Saul Both first and second and third yea when Saul himself went to Najoth and Ramath The Spirit of God was upon him also and he prophesied until he came to Najoth in Ramath and he stript off his cloaths and prophesied before Samuel in like manner and laid down naked all that day and all that night As Diodorus Siculus reports touching the first finding of the Delphick Oracle lib. 16. of his Bibliotheca When a Company of Goats which a Goat-heard kept there had descended into an hollow Cave where afterwards the Oracle was they coming out from thence uttered strange voices and skipp'd and danced up and down after a strange manner which the Goat-heard observing went into the same Cave himself and returning thence was compelled 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to dance up and down as the goats did and to prophesie of things to come Even so King Saul's Courtiers lascivi Capri and King Saul himself Balaam having his eyes open 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 They here prophesied when they neither expected nor thought of any such matter For Divine Truth is of the Nature of Light which a man may see though he do not purpose or chuse to see it but it slides into the understanding as Light into the eye not laboured for not expected That 's the subject of these Graces Now according to the understanding 't is true a man may be said to know to perceive to understand much to be wise wary prudent subtil crafty or any of that kind But according to his understanding he cannot be said to be good that 's according to the Will Now these and many the like are in Nature before the Will and therefore according to these a man cannot be said to be good and therefore nothing worth So Solomon saith Prov. 11.20 That the heart of the wicked is little worth or as the Latin pro nihilo 't is nothing or good for nothing There 's no goodness in it yea they are so much the more nothing if there can be degrees in nothing because they fall short of perfection they are incomplete and imperfect vers 8 9. of this Chapter attain not unto their end and that is the edifying of the Church Rom. 12.6 And that 's the work of Charity which is the second thing to be considered For howsoever it be most true that he that prophesieth edifieth the Church 1 Cor. 14.4 yet that he may prophesie and so edifie the Church he must follow after charity vers 1. of that Chapter For Charity is fundamentum caput Religionis saith St. Ambrose The head and foundation of Religion Upon which all the actions of a Christian man must be builded and whence they all proceed according to that of our Apostle 1 Cor. 16.14 Omnia vestra in charitate fiant let all your doings be done in charity or from or through or to it Ex dictamine imperio Charitatis by the command of Charity For sith Charity hath for the end of it the chief good of the Christian life Therefore it extends it self to all and every action of the Christian life per modum imperii by way of command saith Aquinas And that which is so done that it is not referred to Charity it is not so done as it ought to be done saith St. Austin So that all a Christian mans actions proceed from and end unto Charity 1 Tim. 1.5 As in the making of a Circle the moving Point of the Compass fetcheth a circuit about and returns unto the same Term and Point it left at first and where it first began Since therefore all the actions of the Christian life have Charity for both their beginning and end it necessarily followeth That those actions which proceed from other principles or tend unto other ends are not actions of the Christian life and in that respect null or worth nothing and their Author such though he have prophecy and knowledge of all Mysteries and all Knowledge and all Faith so that he
prophets even the righteousness of God which is by the faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all that believe Gal. 3.23 That hearing and obedience of faith gives the Spirit Gal. 3.2 3 5. and then that which is perfect is come 1 Cor. 13. This hath always been Gods method in bringing men unto Christ and his Spirit which will evidently appear if we consider who were Christs Disciples all of them were first Disciples of John the Baptist Peter was Bar-jona a Son or Disciple of John for so Disciples were called their Sons whose Disciples they were Thus Solomon every where speaks to his Disciples under the names of Sons and a greater than Solomon speaks so to his and S. Paul to the Corinthians and Galatians 4.19 Now all the Disciples of John the Baptist were brought up under the Disciples of the Law and Prophets for the Law and Prophets were until John for confirmation of this ye shall find the Law and Prophets preceding the Doctrine of Christ Mal. 4.2 5. Mark 6.12 Luke 10. Acts 13. after the reading of the Law Act. 2.38.39 Now I beseech you Brethren let us deal impartially with our own Souls we all hope that we believe and are in Christ and that we are all living stones built up a spiritual house 1 Pet. 2.5 The Metaphor is taken from Solomons Temple now Solomon when he built God an House appointed Hewers to hew and polish the stones and so made them fit if therefore we be living stones and part of that spiritual house Eph. 2.21 we must then be hewn and that 's the Prophets work Hos 6.5 Have the Prophets hewn us God killed men by his Prophets Hosea 6.5 Have the Prophets killed us That 's their work Arise Peter kill and eat it was Gods command to him when he was to admit the Gentiles into the Church Whether have the Prophets killed us or mortified us with the killing Letter of the Law That the old man is dead in us and the new man revived and quickened in us Whether are we pricked to the heart that the blood and life of sin may be shed and spilt upon the ground This was meant by that prohibition not to eat with the blood whether have we thus suffered unto Blood Add to these that sweet Harmony between the Old and New Testament Vide Notes in Matth. 16.17 The Prophecies are difficult 't is true see the truth of this and the reason of it Esay 29.10 to 14. Confer Apoc. 5. eum modo ratione intelligendi libri The darkness is in our selves lighten our darkness not in the Prophets they who take not this course to understand the Scriptures run into sundry Sects according to their different understandings and malign one another and kick even against the truth it self because it comes cross to their perceivings Prov. And because they meet not with such or such exposition as they have made in their few English Authors that they have read Sap. 2.21 Their own wickedness hath blinded them Observ 1. It was no new thing for God to speak to his people by the Prophets and Apostles he had dealt so with them now a long time many hundred years ago and it is his method still Moses must speak to Israel Deut. 5.28 and 18.16 Ananiah to Paul Acts 9.5 to 8. Philip to the Eunuch Acts 8.34 Peter to Cornelius Acts 10.4 5 6. And this method God will always observe to teach men by men till all be taught of God Esay 54.13 Jer. 31.34 Hosea 10.12 2 Pet. 1.19 2. The Lord spake of Christs incarnation many ages before Gen. 3. The Seed of the woman shall break the Serpents head This promise Eve conceived she should presently have received 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 This the Lord did that Christ might be the more earnestly expected and longed for Vti non subitò veniens enarretur sed auditus expectaretur Austin As the Prince which the Embassador tells of long before 3. Hence observe the Grace and goodness of God unto his people and their preheminence above all other nations for whereas God spake to us Heathen in those days only by the voice of the Creation Psalm 19.23 Rom. 1.19 20 21. And by the works of his providence Acts 14 16 17. And by the Book of the Law written in our hearts Rom. 2.14 15. Besides all these the Lord gave to them his lively Oracles and Statutes and over and above raised them up Prophets among them for which peculiar benefits they are stirred up to praise God Psalm 147.19.20 words i. e. the ten words Deut. 10.4 the Moral Law his Statutes i. e. Ceremonial Laws and his Judgments i. e. his Judicial Laws Amos 2.11 I raised up your Sons for Prophets and your young men for Nazarites Vide Notes on Mich. 6.4 I brought thee up out of the Land of Egypt and redeemed thee out of the house of Servants and set before thee Moses and Aaron and Myriam O how much are we bound unto God who hath admitted us Gentiles into this Citizenship and sharing of these benefits with Israel since the Apostles days Eph. 2.19 20. yea that we are surrogatus Irael the Israel of God Gal. 6.16 Jews Rom. 2. Abrahams Seed who do the works of Abraham The true Circumcision 2. If we take the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for long time together as it is used for a continued space of time Mark 15.44 Wherein we have these three points answerable to the former First God spake to us Secondly He spake to us by his Son Thirdly God spake to us by his Son in these last times We have hitherto handled the first part of this triple Collation In the second the persons answer to the persons and time to time The persons are either auditors to whom or the Ministers by whom his Son spake 1. Auditors to whom 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Sons of the same Fathers God spake to us i. e. to us Hebrews But were not they wicked and rebellious Answer yes as appears Psalm 95.9 Your Fathers tempted me proved me though they saw my works and the third Chapter of this Epistle alledged also out of Matth. 33.20 they say we would not have been partakers with them in the blood of the Prophets Acts 7.51 52. Whom have they not persecuted 1 Cor. 10.1 2 10. How came it then to pass that God sent his Son to such a people First for the performance of his truths sake Rom. 15.8 Luke 1.70 71. Secondly These had some worthy Ancestors as Abraham Isaac and Jacob for whose sakes they were remembred so God is prone to do 2 Kings 8.19 for David his Servants sake he would not destroy 2 Kings 20.6 confer Gen. 19.29 1. Observe Gods faithfulness God will perform what he hath promised even to the sending of his dearest Son to the children of unworthy Parents The promise is made to the obedient and performed to them let not men assume it to themselves in their disobedience such as will have
Nations and heapeth up to himself all people if they appear for us and are on our side then they are sanctified they are purged all 's well not that they are so but we account them so if they be once of our party of our opinion of our side I know a man of great note censured for his faults whom when he was justly blamed for his pride covetousness perjury c. some of his party excused him saying I deny not but he was a carnal man and all you say But he was one of us one of the right side and stood for the cause of God But truly Beloved if a man may be an unclean person it matters not of what Religion he is God hath no need of such to defend his cause he is unclean and so no Saint no purged one as Gods are Thus every Sect esteems its self clean purged and purified and all that belong and joyn themselves to it if they can make most voices for it if they be fewer than others are then they draw that speech of our Saviour to favour their party then they are a little flock I confess I know no ground of Scripture to warrant us to kill one another that we may more securely enjoy our opinions but to wave that business for the present certainly Beloved without the purging of our sins we cannot so much as know either truth or peace Let such know that peace and holiness are coupled together Heb. 12.14 Peace and righteousness Psal 85.10 they have kissed each other I confess there is a great deal of zeal for the Truth and I would to God there were more But a great deal of that zeal is without knowledge But for the satisfaction of such as profess themselves for peace and truth let them know that not only peace and truth are coupled together but also truth and meekness Psal 45.4 mercy and truth Psal 85.10 These graces keep from shedding of blood Motives To suffer our selves to be purged from our sins 1. No unclean thing can enter into the heavenly Jerusalem I appeal to thee Drunkard Lecher art thou in thine uncleanness yea or no Dost thou think that those are uncleannesses if thou doubt it 1 Cor. 6. If thou perish in this condition what becomes of thine unclean soul that sin is purged by the death of the body is confuted by Micha 6.7 2. That which I know will be a most woful estate without this purging there is no Salvation Here is a great contention not for peace and truth were it so 't were worth contending for but whether peace or truth What an unhappiness it is they should be divided There is reason we should know what we contend for Peace and Truth the one the greatest of all other temporal Blessings and of the two truth is the more amiable and I much commend their zeal who prefer truth before peace without it But that question which Pilate asked our Saviour we read not answered John 18.38 What is truth What 's the reason Pilate was an unclean person and not fit to know it so saith the Prophet Daniel 9.13 We have not faith he turned from our iniquities that we might understand thy truth Pearls must not be given to unclean Swine the malicious Sodomites could not find the door Lot is the hidden Deity The Prophet having recited a Catalogue of sins which truly Beloved are very rife among us at length concludes the way of peace they know not Esay 59 2-8 The reason ye find Verse 13. Their hands were filled with blood and their fingers with iniquity Mark what a Purgatory the Saints of God must pass before they can attain to the clear fight of God and his truth 2 Pet. 1.9 He that lacketh these things is blind The pure in heart shall see God Shall we quarrel for truth and peace before we know what it is If thou be not yet purged from thy sin thou knowest not yet what truth is Whether thou be purged or no we shall enquire Object Do not I know what the Reformed Church holds and is not that truth and do not I hold that truth what not know the truth Have I lived so long under the means and yet do I not know the truth Yes but dost not thou hold that truth in unrighteousness Rom. 1.18 The reason why Gods wrath is revealed from Heaven against us They spake evil of those things they knew not and what they know naturally as bruit Beasts in those things they corrupt themselves Jude Verse 10. And for that cause God gives men up to uncleanness And out of this uncleanness they will presume to judge of Gods truth and peace Rom. 1.24 Beloved suppose a company of men were fallen into a deep dungeon such an one as Jeremy was put into and they sunk in mire were it not a madness for these men to quarrel one with another and contend what was the best way to get out of this dungeon one saying this another that were it not a wiser course to procure some good Ebedmelech to help them out The case is just ours at this day we are sunk in the mire and filth of sin and we know not the way out and shall we contend one with another about the way how we should get out This is the way and that is the way Surely Beloved if we look impartially into our own hearts and discern our own pollutions and defilements there we shall bend our forces every one rather against himself than against another I dare be bold to say that he that is of another mind is a stranger at home This is Gods way of pacifying his peoples enemies A means prevalent for our Brethren in Ireland 2 Chron. 30.8 9. For our selves Esa 1.16 20. and 31.6 Jerem. 26.3 Ezech. 18.30 32. Joel 2.12 13. Jon. 3.8 9. Generally Where a mans ways please the Lord he makes his emies to be at peace with him Prov. 16.7 James 4.8 But I purged thee and thou wast not purged c. As if one should have been long purging of earthen vessels which were empty if after long purging they could not be cleansed he should dash them one against another We have a promise to be partakers of the Divine nature 2 Pet. 1. but having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust he that hath this hope in him purifieth himself Had you a great Guest to entertain how you would make ready for him having therefore these promises let us purifie our selves from all filthiness of flesh and Spirit No unclean person hath any inheritance in the Kingdom of God Eph. 5.5 Means Confess and forsake thy sins and then thou shalt find mercy that will purge and cleanse thee there was confession of Sin before Baptism pray to the Lord Wash me throughly from my wickedness and cleanse me from my sin Exhort To suffer our selves to be purged of ignorance Yes of that altogether when yet we know but in part c. It 's
every reproachful lying slandering c. and what ever else may be called evil speaking Thou hast matter enough all the world over parcere personis deinde vitiis The easiness of offending herein Quis non laesus est lingua sua ponitur in udo it 's loose at one end O how needful is it that the heart be fraught with the good Word of God that nothing but what is suitable unto that may proceed out of our mouth The Wise Man giveth us divine counsels and prescribes unto us an excellent method Prov. 4.20 21. My Son attend my words and incline thine ear unto my sayings when we have them in the heart vers 23. keep thy heart with all diligence c. Then the next Precept will not be difficult put away from thee a froward mouth and perverse lips put far from thee especially if we pray with David Set a watch O Lord before my mouth and keep the door of my lips Psal 141.3 More NOTES on 1 PETER II. 2. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 As new born babes desire the sincere milk of the word that ye may grow thereby THe Apostle began a general Exhortation in the former Chapter 2. He proceeds to exhort unto more special duties belonging to several orders of men As new born babes desire the sincere milk of the Word that ye may grow thereby The words contain an Exhortation enforced by a motive taken from the end of the duty whereunto the Exhortation is made The Exhortation hath in it these particulars 1. The object of it Milk amplified by the adjuncts of it 1. Inherent 2. Occupate which contains the duty 2. The subjects exhorted young Christians compared unto new born babes 3. The motive inducing to the duty is taken from the end that ye may grow thereby In the words we have these Axioms 1. Christ is the rational and sincere milk 2. Young Christians as new born babes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 3. They ought to desire the rational and sincere milk 4. This rational and sincere milk they ought to desire that they may grow thereby 1. Christ is that rational and sincere milk But why 1. Do we understand this of Christ and 2. In what respect may he be compared to milk 3. why to rational 4. why to sincere milk 1. I am bold to interpret Christ here to be understood by that rational and sincere milk because the Apostle no doubt hath reference unto him both before and after the Text. 1. Before Chap. 1.23 He is called the Word of God that liveth and abideth for ever which words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 although Erasmus and after him Grotius understand of God who is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 yet it is as true that Christ is also 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Hebr. 4.12 the living Word and here so understood otherwise it would not answer to the incorruptible Seed mentioned in the words before which it is here brought to prove and so Tremelius turns the Syriack vivum nor would that testimony brought vers 25. out of the Prophet Isai 40. be fitly applyed which being understood of the Living Word is pat and proper 2. Immediately after the Text the Apostle expresly adds his meaning in the Exhortation if saith he ye have tasted that the Lord is gracious These words are in the Greek Text thus laid down 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the sincere milk of the Word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is milk and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sincere but what answers to the word it's no supplement that were too bold nor is it of the Text unless we take 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is very harsh and uncouth which yet a late Translator hath rendered Lac illud sermonis sincerum But the old is better in these words rationabile sine dolo lac the milk that is reasonable and without deceit so our Translators turn the word Rom. 12.1 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 reasonable service As for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 milk it hath not here reference to the word which they call 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or outward but unto somewhat inward which indeed is no other then that of which St. John speaks 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 God was that Word Hereunto agree almost all Translations the Syriack Interpreter hath spiritual milk the Arabick the milk of understanding the French Bible the Spanish also call it the rational milk the Vulg. Lat. rationabile Vatablus according to Erasmus Lac non corporis sed animi so the Tygurine Bible Pagnine lac rationale so Castellio Martin Luther calls it spiritual milk Tindal milk not of the body but of the soul Coverdale reasonable milk yea and the Geneva Bible although it have in the Text the sincere milk of the word yet in the Margin it hath these words or the milk of understanding which words the French Geneva Bible hath in the Text. This milk is here commended to us by two Epithets and said to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. sine dolo so Vulg. Lat. without guile That negative may be explained by a positive that is true or truth Christ is called both the way the truth c. and he that is true 1 Joh. we are in him that is true 2. The milk is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. rationabile and that may be two wayes understood either 1. as opposite unto material corporeal and outward and so rational is all one with spiritual as the Syriack turns it 2. Or Rational is such milk as is according to reason and both may be here understood for the Lord is a Spirit and spiritual and the Lord is the true 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the essential inward word the summa Ratio the highest reason here called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Come we to the Analogies between Milk and the word of Wisdom 1. Milk is a white juice whereon living creatures feed which are not capable of more solid meat such is Christs word wisdom righteousness faith to his body Hebr. 5. 2. It is changed out of blood and the blood of Christ the Lamb is white that is innocent and maketh us such 3. It 's a sweet nourishment such is the influence of Divine Grace wherewithal the Saints are fed so Timothy is said to be nourished up with the words of truth But there is a dissimilitude also between them See Notes on 1 Cor. 11.26 Although Milk be the first nourishment and we are weaned from milk when we are capable of strong meat yet the spiritual nourishment signified by Milk is not to be rejected at any time Isa 66.11 12. the like 2 Pet. 1. add in your faith virtue c. There are docible words of mans wisdom and docible words of Gods wisdom And there is a reasoning proceeding from mans subtilty and a reasoning there is which proceeds from Gods wisdom and whereas there are certain intellectual habits as they