Prophecies the darkest part of all yet are not without some degree of lustre they shine saith S. Peter though but as a candle in a dark place But then the light of the Gospel that is a most glorious light shining forth as the Sun when he is in his greatest strength at noon day in Summer 11. Hence also ariseth as one light commonly begetteth another a third light the light of grace and saving knowledge wrought in the hearts of men by the holy word of God set on by his holy Spirit withal accompanying it God who bringeth light out of darkness hath shined in your hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Iesus Christ. 2 Cor. 4. 12. And where the light of grace is there is another light also fourthly that alwayes attendeth thereupon the light of comfort For Grace and Comfort are Twins the blessed inseparable effects of one and the same blessed Spirit Lux orta est justo there is sprung up or as some translate it there is sowen a light for the righteous and joyful gladness for such as be true hearted Psal. 97. The true heart that is the light heart indeed Light in both significations light without darkness and light without sadness or heaviness 13. There is yet remaining a fifth light the light of Glory Darkness is an embleme of horrour We have not a fitter similitude whereby to express the miseries of the hell within us that of an evil conscience or of the hell without us that of eternal torments then by inner and outer darkness But light is a most glorious creature then which none fitter to express to our capacities either the infinite incomprehensible glory and majesty of God He clotheth himself with light as with a garment and dwelleth in the light that no man can approach unto or that endless glory and happiness which the holy Angels do now and all the Saints in their due time shall enjoy in heaven Who hath made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the Saints in light Col. 1. 14. In these respects he that hath the honour to be styled a Christian in any degree hath also a title so far forth to be styled a childe of light Whether it be by the outward profession of the Christian faith only or by the inward sanctification of the Spirit also Those are nomine tenùs Christiani Christians but in name and shew equivocal Christians these only are Christians indeed and in truth Of these is made up the Church of Gods elect otherwise called the invisible Church of Christ and not unfitly because the persons appertaining to that Church as members thereof are not distinguishable from others by any outward infallible character visible to us but by such secret inward impresses as come not within the cognisance of any creature nor can be known by any creature otherwise then conjecturally only without special revelation from God The foundation of God standeth firm having this seal Dominus novit The Lord knoweth who are his Should we take these here meant the opposition between the children of this world and the children of light would be most perfect Those who remain in the state of depraved nature and so under the dominion of Sin and Satan being the children of this world in the strictest notion and those whom God hath called out of darkness into his marvellous light that is brought out of the state of nature into the state of grace and translated into the kingdom of his Son Iesus Christ being the children of light in the stricter notion also 15. But forasmuch as we who cannot look beyond the outside are no competent judges of such matters it will best become us to make use of that judgment which alone God hath allowed us I mean that of Charity And then it will be no hard business for us to pronounce determinately applying the sentence even to particular persons who are to be esteemed the children of light Even all those that by outwardly professing the name and faith of Christ are within the pale of the visible Church of Christ. The holy Apostle so pronounceth of them all 1 Thess. 5. Ye are all the children of the light and of the day And Eph. 5. Ye were sometimes darkness but now are light in the Lord. our very baptism entitleth us hereunto which is the sacrament of our initiation whereby we put on Christ and are made members of Christ and children of God Whence it is that in the Greek Fathers Baptism is usually called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is an enlightning and persons newly baptised 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 an office in the Greek Church to whom it belonged to hear the confessions of the Catechumeni and after they were approved to present them to baptism with many other phrases and expressions borrowed from the same metaphor of light and applied in like manner to Baptism 16. Now to bring all this long and as I fear tedious discourse home to the Text the question here resolved seemeth in the right stating thereof to come to this issue whether natural and worldly men in the managery of their worldly affairs to the best temporal advantage or they that profess themselves Christians in the business of their souls and pursuit of everlasting salvation do proceed the more rationally and prudentially in their several wayes towards the attainment of their several ends How the question is resolved we shall consider by and by In the mean time from this very consideration alone that the children of light and the children of this world stand in mutual opposition one to the other we may learn something that may be of use to us We would all be thought what I hope most of us are not nomine tenùs only by outward profession and at large but in very deed and truth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 good Christians and children of light in the stricter and nobler notion Yet were it but the other only our very baptism and profession of Christianity would oblige us to a holy walking sutable to our holy calling and profession and to the solemn vow we took upon us at our baptism It were a base yea a very absurd thing for us to jumble and confound what we finde here not only distinguished from but even opposed against the one the other Children of God and of the Church by profession and yet children of Satan and of the world in our conversation Children of light and yet hold fellowship with and take delight in the unfruitful works of darkness Quae communio saith S. Paul It astonisht him that any man could think to bring things so contrary as Light and Darkness to any good accord or but tolerable compliance When we were the children of this world and such we were as soon as we were born into the world by taking Christendome upon us at our
from the most regular and concluding discourses that can be tendered to them if they discern any thing therein disagreeing from the dictates of Rome and so are perpetually shut up into a necessity of erring if that Church can erre unlesse they can be wrought off from the belief of that Principle which is not very easily to be done after they have once swallowed it and digested it without the great mercy of God and a huge measure of self-denial Even so have these our Anti-cerâ—monian Brethren framed to themselves a false Principle likewise which holdeth them in Errour and hardeneth them against all impressions or but Offers of Reason to the contrary 8. All Errours Sects and Heresies as they are mixed with some inferiour Truths to make them the more passable to others so do they usually owe their original to some eminent Truths either misunderstood or mis-applied whereby they become the lesse discernable to their own Teachers whence it is that such Teachers both deceive and are deceived To apply this then to the businesse in hand There is a most sound and eminent Truth justly maintained in our own and other Reformed Churches concerning the Perfection and Sufficiency of the holy Scriptures which is to be understood of the revelation of supernatural truths and the substantials of Gods worship and the advancing of moral and civil duties to a more sublime and spiritual height by directing them to a more noble end and exacting performance of them in a holy manner but without any purpose thereby to exclude the belief of what is otherwise reasonable or the practise of what is prudential This Orthodox Truth hath by an unhappy mis-understanding proved that great stone of offence whereat all our late Sectaries have stumbled Upon this foundation as they had layed it began our Anti-ceremonians first to raise their so often-renewed Models of Reformation but they had first trans-formed it into quite another thing by them perhaps mistaken for the same but really as distant from it as Falsehood from Truth to wit this That nothing might lawfully be done or used in the Churches of Christ unless there were either Command or Example for it in the Scriptures Whence they inferred that whatsoever had been otherwise done or used was to be cast out as Popish Antichristian and Superstitions This is that unsound corrupt Principle whereof I spake that root of bitternesse whose stem in processe of time hath brought forth all these numerous branches of Sects and Heresies wherewith this sinful Nation is now so much pestered 9. It is not my purpose nor is this a place for it to make any large discovery of the cause of the mistake the unsoundness of the Tenent it self and how pernicious it is in the Consequents Yet I cannot but humbly and earnestly intreat them for the love of God and the comfort of their own souls as they tender the peace of the Church and the honour of our Religion and in compassion to thousands of their Christian brethren who are otherwise in great danger to be either misled or scandalized that they would think it possible for themselves to be mistaken in their Principle as well as others and possible also for those Principles they rest upon to have some frailties and infirmities in them though not hitherto by them adverted because never suspected That therefore they would not hasten to their Conclusion before they are well assured of the Premises nor so freely bestow the name of Popish and Superstitious upon the opinions or actions of their Brethren as they have used to do before they have first and throughly examined the solidity of their own grounds finally and in order thereunto That they would not therefore despise the offer of these few things ensuing to their consideration because tendered by one that standeth better affected to their Persons then Opinions 10. And first I beseech them to consider how unluckily they have at once both straitned too much and yet too much widened that which they would have to be the adequate Rule of warrantable actions by leaving out Prudence and taking in Example Nor doth it sound well that the Examples of Men though never so godly should as to the effect of warranting our actions stand in so near equipage with the commands of God as they are here placed joyntly together without any character of difference so much as in degree But the superadding of Examples to Commands in such manner as in this Assertion is done either signifieth nothing or overthroweth all the rest which is so evident that I wonder how it could escape their own observation For that Example which is by them supposed sufficient for our warranty was it self either warranted by some command or former Example or it was not If it were then the adding of it clearly signifieth nothing for then that warrant we have by it proceedeth not from it but from that which warranted it If it were not then was it done meerly upon the dictates of Prudence and Reason and then if we be sufficiently warranted by that Example as is still by them supposed to act after it we are also sufficiently thereby warranted to act upon the meer dictates of Prudence Reason without the necessity of any other either Command or Example for so doing What is the proper use that ought to be made of Examples is touched upon a little in the Eighth Sermon Ad Aulam towards the later end but is very needful to be better understood then it is considering the ill use that hath been made of Scripture Examples both in former and much more in these our later times 11. Secondly I beseech them to consider whereof also I have given some touch more then once in the ensuing Sermons what scandal is given and what advantage to the Anabaptists Familists Quakers and the whole crew of our modern Sectaries by what other name or title soever they are called or distinguished When this gap was once opened What command have you in Scripture or what Example for this or that Unà Eurúsque Notúsque it was like the opening of Pandora's Box or the Trojane Horse As if all had been let loose swarms of Sectaries of all sorts broke in and as the Frogs and Locusts in Egypt overspread the face of the Land Not so only but as often it happeneth these yong Striplings soon out-stript their Leaders and that upon their own ground leaving those many Parasangs behinde them who had first shewed them the way and made entrance for them For as those said to others What Command or Example have you for kneeling at the Communion for wearing a Surplice c for Lord Bishops for a penned Liturgy for keeping Holy-dayes c. and there stopt So these to them Where are your Lay-Presbyters your Classis c. to be found in Scripture Where your Steeple-houses your National Church your Tithes and Mortuaries your Infant-sprinklings Nay where your Meeter-Psalms your two Sacraments your observing a weekly
is taken from other peculiar and just respects and not from the very condition of Brotherhood it self or any distinction made therein But here is that evil partiality we are to take heed of when we restrain the Brotherhood to some one party or society in the Church such as we think good of and exclude the rest as if they had no part nor fellowship in this Brotherhood nor consequently any right to that special affection wherewith we are to love the Brethren Which partiality hath indeed been the very bane of the Churches unity and peace and the chiefest cause both of the beginning and continuance of most of the schisms under which Christendom hath groaned from time to time 40 Not to speak of the Donatists and other Schismaticks of old who confined the Church to some little corner of the world for which they were soundly confuted by S. Augustine Optatus and other godly Fathers of their times First of all extremely partial in this kinde are the Romish party at this day Who contrary to all truth and reason make the Romane and the Catholick Church terms convertible exacting external Communion with them and subjection to their Bishop as a condition so essentially requisite for the qualifying of any person to be a member of that Church of Christ out of which there is no salvation as that they have inserted a clause to that purpose into the very definition of a Church So cutting off from this brotherhood in a manner wholy all the spacious Churches of Africk and Asia together with all those both Eastern and Western Churches of Europe also which dare not submit to so vast a power as the Bishops of Rome pretend to nor can think themselves obliged to receive all their dictates for undoubted articles of Faith 41. The like Partiality appeareth secondly in our brethren of the separation Marvel not that I call them brethren though they will by no means own us as such the more unjust and uncharitable they And in this uncharitableness such a coincidence there is sometimes of extremes the Separatists and the Romanists consequently to their otherwise most distant principles do fully agree like Samsons foxes tied together by the tailes to set all on fire although their faces look quite contrary wayes But we envie not either these or those their uncharitableness nor may we imitate them therein But as the Orthodox Fathers did the wayward Donatists then so we hold it our duty now to account these our uncharitable brethren as well of the one sort as the other our Brethren still whether they will thank us for it or no Velint nolint fratres sunt These our Brethren I say of the Separation are so violent and peremptory in Vnchurching all the world but themselves that they thrust and pen up the whole Flock of Christ in a far narrower pingle then ever the Donatists did concluding the Communion of Saints within the compass of a private parlour or two in Amsterdam 42. And it were much to be wished in the third place that some in our own Church who have not yet directly denied us to be their Brethren had not some of the leaven of this Partiality hidden in their brests They would hardly else be so much swelled up with an high opinion of themselves nor so much sowred in their affections towards their brethren as they bewray themselves to be by using the terms of Brotherhood of Profession of Christianity the Communion of Saints the Godly Party and the like as titles of distinction to difference some few in the Church a dis-affected party to the established Government and Ceremonies from the rest As if all but themselves were scarce to be owned either as Brethren or Professors or Christians or Saints or Godly men Who knoweth of what ill consequence the usage of such apropriating and distinctive titles that sound so like the Pharisees I am holier then thou and warpe so much towards a separation may prove and what evil effects they may produce in future But how ever it is not well done of any of us in the mean time to take up new formes and phrases and to accustome our selves to a garbe of speaking in Scripture-language but in a different notion from that wherein the Scriptures understand it I may not I cannot judge any mans heart but truly to me it seemeth scarce a possible thing for any man that appropriateth the name of Brethren or any of those other titles of the same extent to some part only of the Christian Church to fulfil our Apostles precept here of loving the brotherhood according to the true meaning thereof For whom he taketh not in he must needs leave out and then he can love them but as those that are without Perhaps wish them well pray for their conversion shew them civil respect c. which is no more then he might or would do to a very Iew Turk or Pagan 43. As for us beloved brethren let us in the name and feare of God beware of all rotten or corrupt partiality in the performance either of this or of any other Christian duty either to God or man And let us humbly beseech the God of all grace and peace to put into our hearts a spirit of Wisdom and Charity that we may duly both honour and love all men in such sort as becometh us to do but especially that we may love and honour him above all who hath already so loved and honoured us as to make us Christians and â—ath further engaged himself by his gracious promise to love honour and reward all those that seek his honour and glory To whom be all honour and glory ascribed c. AD AULAM. Sermon IV. BEVVOYR JULY 1636. Psalm 19.13 Keep back thy servant from presumptuous sins Let them not have dominion over me So shall I be upright and I shall be innocent from the great transgression 1. THis Psalm is one of Davids Meditations That it is Davids we have it from the Title in the beginning That it is a Meditation from the close in the end of it Now there are but two things especially whereon to employ our meditations with profit to the right knowledg whereof some have therefore reduced the whole body of Divinity God and our selves And the meditation is then most both compleat and fruitful when it taketh in both Which is to be done either viâ ascensus when we begin below and at our selves and so build upwards raising our thoughts higher to the contemplation of God or viâ decensus when we begin aloft and with him and so work downwards drawing our thoughts home upon our selves 2. This later is the method of this Psalm in the former part whereof David beginneth as high as at the most Highest and then descendeth as low as to himself in the later For the succouring of his Meditations there he maketh use of the two great Books that of Nature or of the Works
quotations with him But as there Christs 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Avoid Satan non-plust the Tempter beyond all the Reasons and Authorities that could be produced so the safest way for us to come off clear from him is to give him a flat deniall without further reason and let him take that for an answer if he will any Thus to be Wilful is a blessed Wilfulness a resolution well becoming the servant and childe of God and a strong preservative against wilfull Presumption The fort is as good as half lost having to treat with such a cunning enemy if you do but once admit of a Treaty therefore stand off 46. But when we have done all we must begin again When we have resolved and endeavoured what we can unless the Lord be pleased to set his Fiat unto it and to confirm it with his royall assent all our labour is but lost As he is the Alpha so is he to be the Omega too and therefore we must set him at both ends And as we were to begin with him so are we to conclude with him pray first pray last Pray before all that we may have grace to do our Endeavours Pray after all that he would give a blessing to our endeavours That so when Satan the World and our own Flesh shall all conspire against us to drive us forward to the works of sin we may by his grace and blessing be kept back therefrom and enabled to persevere in true faith and holiness all the dayes of our lives Which God our heavenly Father grant us for his mercies sake and for the merits of Iesus Christ his only son our Lord to both whom with the Holy Ghost c. AD AULAM. Sermon V. GREENWICH JULY 1637. Philip. 4.11 Not that I speak in respect of want for I have learned in whatsoever state I am therewith to be content 1. SAint Paul found much kinndesse from these Philippians and took much comfort in it And because it was more then ordinary and beyond the kindness of other Churches he doth therefore sometimes remember it with much thankfulness both to God and them Even in the beginning of the Gospel that is presently after his first preaching it among them the story whereof is laid down Acts 16. when having passed through Amphipolis and Apollonia he came and preached at Thessalonica which was another principal City of Macedonia these Philippians hearing belike that the Apostle had little other means for his maintenance there then what he got by his hand-labour wherein both for examples sake and because he would not be chargable to the Thessalonians he employed himself diligently both day and night they sent over and so did no other Church but they and that once and again to supply his necessities there 2. And as they began it seemeth they continued to shew forth the truth of their Faith and to adorn their Christian profession by their cheerfulness and liberality in contributing to the necessities of their brethren upon every good occasion For at Corinth also the year following where for the space of a year and half together he did for good considerations forbear as he had before done at Thessalonica to challenge that maintenance from the people which by Gods ordinance he had a right unto the supplies he had he acknowledgeth to have come from these brethren of Macedonia As if he had even robbed the Philippians it is his own word in taking wages of them for the service done to other Churches 3. Not to speak of their great bounty some three or foure years after that towards the relief of the poore brethren that dwelt in Iudea wherein they were willing of themselves without any great solicitation and liberall not only to the utmost of but even somewhat beyond their power Now also again after some three or foure years more S. Paul being in durance at Rome their former charitable care over him which had not of a good while shewen it self forth for lack of opportunity began to re-flourish and to put forth with a fresh verdure as a tree doth at the approach of Summer For they sent him a large benevolence to Rome by Epaphroditus of the receipt whereof he now certifieth them by the same Epaphroditus at his return expressing the great joy and comfort he took in those gracious evidences of their pious affections to the Gospel first and then to him He highly commendeth their Charity in it and he earnestly beseecheth God to reward them for it 4. Yet lest this just commendation of their beneficence should through any mans uncharitableness whereunto corrupt nature is too prone raise an unjust opinion of him as if he sought theirs more then them or being crafty had caught them with guile to make a prey or a gain of them so sinisterly interpreting his extolling of their charity for the time past as if it were but an artificiall kinde of begging for the time to come He thought it needfull for him by way of Prolepsis to prevent whatsoever might be surmised in that kinde which he beginneth to do in the words of the Text to this effect 5. True it is nor will I dissemble it when I received from Epaphroditus the things that were sent from you it was no small rejoycing to my heart to see your care of me after some years intermission to flourish again And I cannot but give an Euge to your charity for truly you have done well to communicate with my afflictions Yea I should derogate from the grace of God which he hath bestowed upon you and worketh in you if I should not both acknowledge your free benevolence towards me and approve it as an odour of a sweet smell a sacrifice acceptable and well-pleasing to God Which I speake not out of a greedy minde to make a gain of you nor for a cloak of covetousness God is my witness nor any other way so much in reference to my own private interest as for the glory of God and to the comfort of your consciences In as much as this fruit of your Faith thus working by Love doth redound to the honour of the â—ospel in the mean time and shall in the end abound to your account â—n the day of the Lord Iesus Otherwise as to my own particular altâ—ough my wants were supplyed and my bowels refreshed through your liberality which in the condition I was in was some comfort to me yet if that had been all I had looked after the want of the things you sent me could not have much afflicted me The Lord whom I serve is God All-sufficient and his grace had been sufficient for me though your supplies had never come He that enableth me howsoever of my self vnable to do any thing yet to do all things through Christ that strengtheneth me hath framed my heart by his holy spirit and trained me up hereunto in the school of Experience and Afflictions to rest
patient abiding of the meek shall not perish for ever Psal. 9. St Iames would have us set before our eyes the Prophets and Saints for a generall example of suffering affliction and of patience and he commendeth to us one particular example there as by way of instance namely that of Iob. You have heard saith he of the patience of Iob and have seen the end of the Lord that the Lord is pitiful and of tender mercy Iob held out in his patience under great trials unto the last and God out of pity and in his tender mercy towards him heaped comforts upon him at the last in great abundance It would be well worthy our most serious meditation to consider both what by Gods grace he did and how by Gods mercy he sped His example in the one would be a good pattern for us of Patience and his reward in the other a good encouragement for Consolation This we may bide upon as a most certain truth that if we do our part God will not faile on his Be we first sure that we have Patience we must look to that for that is our part though not solely for we cannot have it without him as was already said but I say be we first sure of that and then we may be confident we shall have comfort sooner or later in some kinde or other trust God with that for that is solely his part and he will take order for it without our further care 21. Lastly for the Order It may be demanded why the Apostle joyning both together The God of Patience and Consolation giveth patience the precedency of Patience first and then of Consolation Is not that also to teach us that as it is a vain and causeless feare if a man have patience to doubt whether he shall have comfort yea or no so on the contrary it is a vain and groundless hope if a man want patience to presume that yet he shall have comfort howsoever Certainly no Patience no Consolation It is the Devils method to set the fairer side forwards and to serve in the best wine first and then after that which is worse He will â—ot much put us upon the triall of our Patience at the first but rather till us on along with semblances and promises of I know not what comforts and contentments but when once he hath us fast then he turneth in woe and misery upon us to overwhelme us as a deluge But God in his dispensations commonly useth a quite contrary method and dealeth roughliest with us at the first We hear of little other from him then self-deniall hatred from the world taking up the Cross and suffering persecution exercise enough for all the patience we can get But then if we hold out stoutly to the end at last cometh joy and comfort flowing in upon us both seasonably and plentifully like a river You have need of patience saith the Apostle that after you have done the will of God you may receive the promise Patience first in doing ey and suffering too according to the will of God and then after that but not before the enjoying of the Promise Would you know then whether the Consolations of God belong unto you yea or no In short if you can have patience never doubt of it if you will not have patience never hope for it 22. Thus much concerning the formality of the Prayer in those former words of the verse Now the God of Patience and of Consolation grant you Proceed we now to the Matter thereof in the remainder of the verse To be like-minded one towards another according to Christ Iesus Where the particulars are three First the thing it self or grace prayed for which is Vnity or Like-mindedness To be like-minded Secondly and Thirdly two Conditions or Qualifications thereof the one in respect of the Persons One towards another the other in respect of the maner According to Christ Iesus Of which in their order 23. The thing first To be like-minded 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the Greek A phrase of speech although to my remembrance not found elsewhere in holy Scripture yet often used by S. Paul in his Epistles to the Romans to the Corinthians and especially to the Philippians more then once or twise I spare the quotations for brevity sake S. Peters compound word cometh neerest it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Finally be ye all of one minde 1 Pet. 3. New these words both the noune 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the minde and the verb 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to minde this or that or to be thus or so minded although often used with speciall reference sometimes to the understanding or judgement sometimes to the inward disposition of the heart will and affections and sometimes to the manifesting of that inward disposition by the outward carriage and behaviour yet are they also not seldome taken at large for the whole soule and all the powers thereof together with all the motions and opperations of any or each of them whether in the apprehensive appetitive or executive part And I see nothing to the contrary but that it may very well be taken in that largest extent in this place And then the thing so earnestly begged at the hand of God is that he would so frame the hearts of these Romanes one towards another as that there might be an universal accord amongst them so far as was possible both in their opinions affections and conversations Now the God of patience and consolation grant you to be like-minded 24. Like-minded first in Opinion and judgement It is a thing much to be desired and by all good means to be endeavoured that according to our Churches prayer God would give to all Nations unity peace and concord but especially that all they that do confess his holy name may also agree in the truth of his holy word at least wise in the main and most substantial truths I beseech you brethren saith S. Paul by the name of our Lord Iesus Christ that ye all speak the same thing and that there be no divisions among you but that ye be perfectly joyned together in the same minde and in the same judgement That is the first Like-mindedness in judgement 25. Like-minded secondly in heart and affection Mens understandings are not all of one size and temper and even they that have the largest and the clearest understandings yet know but in part and are therefore subject to errors and mis-apprehensions And therefore it cannot be hoped there should be such a consonancy and uniformity of judgement amongst all men no not amongst wise and godly men but that in many things yea and those sometimes of great importance they may and will dissent one from another unto the worlds end But then good heed would be taken lest by the cunning of Satan who is very forward and expert to work upon such advantages difference in judgment should in process of
another another way one will have things done after this fashion another after that when one maketh and another marreth now one setteth up by and by cometh another and plucketh all down again how is it possible whilest things go thus that ever the building should be brought to any perfection or handsomness The Apostle well understood what he said when in the foregoing Chapter he joyned Peace and Edification together 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Let us follow after the things that make for peace and things wherewith we may edifie one another Where the hearts and tongues of the builders are divided the building will either come to nothing or prove but a Babel of confusion For where envying and strife is there is confusion and every evil work Strife you see maketh ill work it buildeth up nothing unless it be the walls of Babel It is peace and concord that buildeth up the walls of Ierusalem which as it hath its name from Peace so hath it its beauty also and perfection from Peace And then but not before shall Ierusalem be built as a City that is at unity in it self when they that build Ierusalem are at unity first among themselves 31. Consider fourthly what heartning is given and what advantage to the enemy abroad whilest there are fractions and distractions at home Per discordias civiles externi tollunt animos said the Historian once of old Rome And it was the complaint of our country man Gildas uttered long since with much grief concerning the state of this Island then embroyled in civil warrs fortis ad civilia bella infirma ad retundenda hostium tela That by how much more her valour and strength was spent upon her self in the managing of intestine and domestick broiles the more she laid her self open to the incursions and outrages of forreign enemies The common Enemies to the truth of Religion are chiefly Atheisme and Superstition Atheisme opposing it in the forefront and Superstition on both hands If either of which at any time get ground of us as whilest we wrangle God knoweth what they may do we may thanke our own contentions for it most We may cherish causeless jealousies and frame chimera's of other matters and causes out of our fancies or fears But the very truth is there is no such scandal to enemies of all sorts as are our home-differences and chiefly those which maketh it the sadder business that are about indifferent things Alas whereto serveth all this adoe about gestures and vestures and other outward rites and formalities that for such things as these are things in their own nature indifferent and never intended to be otherwise imposed then as matters of circumstance and order men should clamour against the times desert their ministerial functions and charges fly out of their own country as out of Babylon stand at open defiance against lawfull authority and sharpen their wits and tongues and pens with so much petulancy that I say not virulency as some have done to maintain their stiffeness and obstinacy therein I say whereto serveth all this but to give scandall to the Enemies of our Church and Religion 32. Scandal first to the Atheist Who till all men be of one Religion and agreed in every point thereof too which I doubt will never be whilest the world lasteth thinketh it the best wisdom to be of none and maketh it his best pastime to jeere at all Great scandal also secondly to the Romanist Who is not a little confirmed in his opinion of the Catholikeness of the Romane faith when he heareth so many of the things which have been and still are retained in the Church of England in common with the Church of Rome as they were transmitted both to them and us in a continued line of succession from our godly and Orthodox forefathers who lived in the ages next after Christ and his Apostles to be now inveighed against and decryed as Popish and Superstitious And when he seeth men pretending to piety purity and reformation more then others not contenting themselves with those just exceptions that had been formerly taken by the Church of England and her regular children against some erroneous Doctrines and formes of worship taught and practised in the Church of Rome and endeavoured to be unduly and by her sole authority imposed upon other Churches to be so far transported with a spirit of contradiction as that they care not so as they may but run farr enough from Rome whither or how farr they run although they should run themselves as too oft they do quite beyond the bounds of Truth Allegiance common reason and even common humanity too 33. But especially and thirdly great Scandal to those of the separation Who must needs think very jollily of themselves and their own singular way when they shall find those very grounds whereon they have raised their Schisme to be so stoutly pleaded for by some who are yet content to hold a kind of communion with us Truly I could wish it were sufficiently considered by those whom it so nearly concerneth for my own part I must confess I could nevet be able to comprehend it with what satisfaction to the conscience any man can hold those principles without the maintenance whereof there can be nothing colourably pretended for inconformity in point of Ceremony and Church-government and yet not admit of such conclusions naturally issuing thence as will necessarily enforce an utter separation Vae mundo saith our Saviour Wo unto the world because of offences It is one of the great trials wherewith it is the good pleasure of God to exercise the faith and patience of his servants whilest they live on the earth that there will be divisions and offences and they must abide it But vae homini though without repentance wo to the man by whom the occasion cometh Much have they to answer for the while that cannot keep themselves quiet when they ought and might but by restless provocations trouble both themselves and others to the great prejudice and grief of their brethren but advantage and rejoycing of the common Enemy 34. Thus much for the Thing it self Like-mindedness The conditions or Qualifications follow The former whereof concerneth the Persons 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 one toward another It noteth such an agreement as is both Universal and Mutual Universal first I doubt not but in the then Roman Church at the time when this Epistle was written the strong agreed well enough among themselves and were all a like-minded and so the weak among themselves all alike-minded too They all minded to despise these these all minded to judg them But that agreement was with those only of their own party and so a partial agreement which tended rather to the holding up of a faction then to the making up of an Union It was an universal agreement the Apostle desired and prayed for that the strong would be more compassionate to the Weak and the weak more
and to break the confederacies of the ungodly Destroy their tongues O Lord and divide them is holy Davids prayer Psal. 55. And S. Paul when he stood before the Sanhedrim at Ierusalem to take off his malicious accusers the better perceiving both the Iudges and by-standers to be of two different factions some Pharisees who beleeved a resurection and other-some Sadduces who denied it did very wisely to cast a bone among them When by proclaiming himself a Pharisee and professing his belief of the resurrection he raised such a dissension between the two factions that the whole multitude was divided insomuch as the chief Captain was fain to use force to get Paul from amid the uprore and to carry him away by which means all their intended proceedings against him were stopt for that time 40. But the Vnity that is to be prayed for and to be laboured for in the Christian Church is a Christian Vnity that is to say a happy concord in walking lovingly together in the same path of Truth and Godliness The word of Christ is the word of truth and the mystery of Christ the mystery of Godliness Whatsoever therefore is contrary to either of these Truth or Godliness cannot be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 according to Christ but rather altogether against him Here then we have our bounds set us our Ne plus ultra beyond which if we pass we transgress and are exorbitant Alas for us the while when ever our good desires may deceive us if they be inordinate and the love of so lovely a thing as Peace is mis-lead us The more need have we to look narrowly to our treadings lest the tempter should have laid a snare for us in a way wherein we suspected it not and so surprise us â—re we be aware Vsque ad aras The altar-stone that is the meer-stone All bonds of friendship all offices of neighbourhood must give way when the honour of God and his truth lye at the stake If peace will be had upon fair terms or indeed upon any terms salvis veritate pietate without impeachment of either of these it ought to be embraced But if it will not come but upon harder conditions better let it goe A man may buy gold too dear Follow peace with all men and holiness without which no man shall see the Lord. The gender of the article there sheweth the meaning not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 without which Peace but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 without which holiness no man shall see the Lord. Without peace some man may having faithfully endeavoured it though he cannot obtain it for that is not his fault but without holiness which if any man want it is through his own fault only no man shall see the Lord. Our like-mindedness then must be according to Christ Iesus in this first sense that is so far forth as may stand with Christian truth and godliness 41. But very many Expositors do rather understand the phrase in another sense According to Christ that is according to the example of Christ which seemeth to have been the judgement of our last Translators who have therefore so put it in the margent of your Bibles His Example the Apostle had reserved unto the last place as one of the weightiest and most effectual arguments in this business producing it a little before the Text and repeating it again a little after the Text. So as this Prayer may seem according to this interpretation to be an illustration of that argument which was drawn from Christs Example as if he had said Christ sought not himself but us He laid aside his own glory devested himself of Majesty and Excellency that he might condescend to our baseness and bear our infirmities he did not despise us but received us with all meekness and compassion Let not us therefore seek every man to please himself in going his own way and setting up his own will neither let us despise any mans weakness but rather treading in the steps of our blessed Lord Iesus let every one of us strive to please his neighbour for his good unto edification bearing with the infirmities of our weaker brethren and receiving one another in our inwardest bosomes and bowels even as Christ also received us to the glory of God 42. If the examples of the servants of Christ ought not to be lightly set by how much more ought the Example of the Master himself to sway with every good Christian In 1 Cor. 10. St Paul having delivered an exhortation in general the same in effect with that we are now in hand withall verse 24. Let no man seek his own but every man anothers wealth he doth after propose to their imitation in that point his own particular practise and example in the last verse of the Chapter Even as I please all men in all things saith he not seeking mine own profit but the profit of many that they may be saved But then lest he might be thought to cry up himself and that we might know how unsafe a thing it were to rest barely upon his or any other mans example in the very next following words the first words of the next Chapter he leadeth them higher and to a more perfect example even that of Christ Be ye followers of me saith he as I also am of Christ. As if he had said Although my example who am as nothing be little considerable in it self yet wherein my example is guided by the example of Christ you may not despise it The original record only is authentical and not the transcript yet may a transcript be creditable when it is signed and attested with a Concordat cum originali under the hand of a publick notary or other sworn officer I do not therefore lay mine own example upon you as a Rule I only set it before you as a help or Encouragement that you may the more cheerfully follow the Example of Christ when you shall see men subject to the same sinful infirmities with your selves by the grace of God to have done the same before you My example only sheweth the thing to be feisable it is Christs Example only that can render it warrantable Be ye therefore followers of me even as I also am of Christ. 43. Here just occasion is offered me but I may not take it because of the time first and more generally of a very profitable Enquiry in what things and how far forth we are astricted to follow the example of Christ. And then secondly and more particularly what especial directions to take from his example for the ordering of our carriage towards our brethren in order to the more ready attaining of this Christian unanimity and likemindedness one towards another of which we have hitherto spoken But I remit you over for both to what our Apostle hath written Phil. 2. in the whole fore-part of the Chapter The whole passage is very well worthy the pondering
and his discourse therein may serve as a Commentary upon a good part of this Text. I therefore commend it to your private meditation and you and what you have heard to the good blessing of Almighty God and that with St Pauls votive prayer or benediction here for I know not where to fetch a better Now the God of Patience and Consolation grant you to be like-minded one towards another according to Christ Iesus That you may with one minde and one mouth glorifie God even the Father of our Lord Iesus Christ. To whom c. AD AULAM. Sermon IX BARWICK JULY 1639. 1 Tim. 3.16 And without all Controversie great is the mystery of Godliness 1. THe Ordination of Bishops Priests and Deacons ' being one of the principal acts of the Episcopal power our Apostle therefore instructeth Timothy whom he had ordained Bishop of Ephesus the famous Metropolis of that part of Asia somewhat fully what he was to do in that so weighty an affaire What manner of persons and how qualified he should assume in partem curae to assist him in his pastoral charge for the service of Gods Church and the propagation of the Gospel Which having done at large from the beginning of the Chapter unto the end of verse 13. he rendereth a reason at verse 14. why he had insisted so long upon upon that argument even lest the Church of God in his absence should be destitute of sufficient help for the work of the Gospel At Ephesus the hand of God had opened a wide dore 1 Cor. 16. but withall Satan as his manner is had stirred up many adversaries and some of them very wilde ones more like savage beasts then men 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is the word for it 1 Cor. 15. It was at Ephesus that he fought with beasts in the shape of men Witness Demetrius the silver-smith and that Bellua multorum capitum the mad giddy multitude in a tumultuous assembly all in an uprore and no man well wist for what Act. 19. Here was work enough to be done The doore must be held open to let converts in but it must be well mann'd and maintaind too to keep adversaries out All this not to be done but with many hands The harvest being great the labourers had not need be few 2. The only thing that might perhaps make Timothy put off Ordination somewhat the longer might be the expectation of the Apostles coming to whom he might think fit to reserve that honour as to one able by reason of his Apostolick spirit to make choice of meet persons for the Churches service with better certainty then himself could do The Apostle therefore telleth him for that That true it is he had an earnest desire of a long time and still had a full purpose if God would to be with him ere long Yet because of the uncertainty of future events that was not a thing for him to rely upon so as in expectance thereof to delay the doing of any service needful for the Church of Christ. For who could tell how it might please God to dispose of him Or whether the necessities of other Churches might not require his personal presence and pains rather elsewhere He would not therefore he should stay for him but go in hand with it himself with all convenient care and speed All this appeareth in the 2 verses next before the Text These things wrote I unto thee hoping to come unto thee shortly But if I tarry long that yet thou mayest know how to behave thy self in the house of God which is the Church of the living God the pillar and ground of Truth 3. This seemeth to be the Scope and Contexture of the whole foregoing part of the Chapter and then immediately fall in the words of the Text And without all cantroversie great is the mystery of Godliness c. Which seem to have but a very slender dependance upon the foregoing discourse and indeed no more they have For the Apostle having in the end of the fifteenth verse and that but incidentally neither mentioned the word Truth he thereupon taketh occasion in this sixteenth verse a little and briefly to touch upon the Nature and Substance of that holy Truth The whole verse containeth Evangelij Encomium Compendium A brief description of the Nature in the former part and a brief summary of the Doctrine of the Gospel in some remarkable heads thereof in the later part of the verse 4. With that later I shall not now meddle In that former part we may observe Quid Quantum and Quale First Quid what is Christianity 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 It is a mystery But there are greater and there are lesser Mysteries Quantum therefore Of the bigger sort sure 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a Great Mystery 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by all confessions and without all contradiction or controversy Great But the greater the worse if it be not good as well as great Quale therefore What a kinde of Mystery is it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 It is a Mystery of Piety or Godliness CHRISTIANITY IS THE GREAT MYSTERY OF GODLINES◠That is the total Now to the Parts and first of the Quid The Gospel a Mystery But then first What is a Mystery for the Quid Nominis and then why the Gospel a Mystery for the Quid Rei The Word first then the Thing 5. For the Word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I finde sundry conceipts ready collected to my hand by learned man out of the writings of the Greek Fathers and out of the commentaries of Grammarians and Criticks both ancient and modern whereof I spare the recital because it would neither much conduce to my present purpose nor profit the present auditory The word is clearly of a Greek original from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to shut the eye or mouth Of all the mysterious rites used among the Heathen the Eleusinia sacra were the most ceremonious and mysterious in so much as that when in their writings the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is used by it self without any farther specification it is ordinarily conceived to be meant of those Eleusinian mysteries These none might be present at but they that were solemnly initiated thereunto who upon their first admission which yet was but to the outer and lesser mysteries were called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And if after a sufficient time of probation a twelvemoneth was the least they were adjudged meet to be admitted to the greater and more secret mysteries they were then called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Whereto there seemeth to be some allusion as there is frequently to sundry other customes and usages of the Heathens even in the holy scriptures themselves But whether they were admitted to their lesser or the greater mysteries strait order was evermore taken with them by Oaths Penalties and otherwise as strong as could be devised that they should by no means reveal
name otherwise he unworthily usurpeth to be just merciful temperate humble meek patient charitable to get the habits and to exercise the acts of these and all other holy graces and vertues Nay more the Gospel imposeth upon us some moral strictness which the Stoicks themselves or whoever else were the most rigid Masters of morality never so much as thought of Nay yet more it exalteth the Moral Law of God himself given by Moses to the people of Israel to a higher pitch then they at least as they commonly understood the Law took themselves thereby obliged unto That a man should forsake all his dearest friends yea and deny his own dearest self too for Christs sake and yet for Christs sake at the same time love his deadliest enemies That he should take up his Cross and if need were lay down his life not only for his great master but even for the meanest of his fellow-servants too That he should exult with joy and abound in hope in the midst of tribulations of persecutions of death it self Surely the Mystery that driveth at all this must needs be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the highest degree the great mystery of godliness That for the scope 27. Look now secondly at the parts and parcels the several pieces as it were whereof this mystery is made up those mentioned in this verse and the rest and you shall finde that from each of them severally but how much more then from them altogether joyntly may be deduced sundry strong motives and perswasives unto Godliness Take the material parts of this Mystery the Incarnation Nativity Circumcision Baptisme Temptation Preaching Life Death Buriall Resurrection Ascension Intercession and Second coming of Christ. Or take if I may so call them the formal parts thereof our eternal Election before the world was our Vocation by the preaching of the Gospel our Iustification by Faith in the merits of Christ our Sanctification by the Spirit of grace the stedfast promises we have and hopes of future Glory and the rest It would be too long to vouch texts for each particular but this I say of them all in general there is not one linke in either of those two golden chains which doth not straightly tye up our hands tongues and hearts from doing evil draw us up effectually unto God and Christ and strongly oblige us to shew forth the power of his grace upon our soules by expressing the power of Godliness in our lives and conversations That for the Parts 28. Thirdly Christian Religion may be called the mystery of Godliness in regard of its Conservation because Godliness is the best preserver of Christianity Rootes and Fruits and Herbs which let alone and left to themselves would soon corrupt and putrifie may being well condited with sugar by a skilful Confectioner be preserved to continue for many years and be serviceable all the while So the best and surest means to preserve Christianity in its proper integrity and power from corrupting into Atheisme or Heresie is to season it well with Grace as we do fresh meats with salt to keep them sweet and to be sure to keep the Conscience upright Holding the mysteries of Faith in a pure Conscience saith our Apostle a little after at ver 9. of this Chapter and in the first Chapter of this Epistle ver 19. Holding faith and a good Conscience which later some having put away concerning faith have made shipwrack Apostacy from the faith springeth most an end from Apostacy in manners And he that hath but a very little care how he liveth can have no very fast hold of what he beleeveth For when men grow once regardless of their Consciences good affections will soon languish and then will noysome lusts gather strength and cast up mud into the soule that the judgement cannot run clear Seldome is the head right where the heart is amiss A rotten heart will be ever and anon sending up evil thoughts into the minde as marish and fenny grounds do foggy mists into the aire that both darken and corrupt it As a mans tast when some malignant humour affecteth the organ savoureth nothing aright but deemeth sweet things bitter and sowre things pleasant So where avarice ambition malice voluptuousness vain-glory sedition or any other dominering lust hath made it self master of the heart it will so blinde and corrupt the judgement that it shall not be able to discern at any certainty good from evil or truth from falshood Wholsome therefore is S. Peters advice to add unto Faith Vertue Vertue will not only keep it in life but at such a height of vigour also that it shall not easily either degenerate into Heresie or languish into Atheisme 29. We see now 3. Reasons for which the doctrine of Christianity may be called The mystery of Godliness because it first exacteth Godliness and secondly exciteth unto Godliness and is thirdly best preserved by Godliness From these premises I shall desire for our neerer instruction to infer but two things only the one for the triall of Doctrines the other for the bettering of our lives For the first S. Iohn would not have us over forward to beleeve every spirit Every spirit doth he say Truly it is impossible we should unles we should beleeve flat contradictions Whilest one Spirit saith It is another spirit saith It is not can a man beleeve the one and not disbeleeve the other if he hear both Beleeve not every spirit then is as much in S. Iohns meaning as if he had said Be not too hasty to beleeve any spirit especially where there appeareth some just cause of suspicion but try it first whether it be a true spirit or a false Even as S. Paul biddeth us prove all things that having so done we may hold fast what upon triall proveth good and let the rest goe 30. Now holy Scripture is certainly that Lapis Lydius that Test whereby this trial is to be made Ad legem ad testimonium when we have wrangled as long as we can hitherto we must come at last But sith all Sectaries pretend to Scripture Papists Anabaptists Disciplinarians All yea the Divel himself can vouch Text to drive on a Temptation It were good therefore we knew how to make right application of Scripture for the Trial of Doctrines that we do not mistake a false one for a true one Many profitable Rules for this purpose our Apostle affordeth us in sundry places One very good one we may gather from the words immediately before the Text wherein the Church of God is said to be the pillar and ground of truth The collection thence is obvious that it would very much conduce to the guiding of our judgements aright in the examining of mens doctrines concerning either Faith or Manners wherein the letter of Scripture is obscure or the meaning doubtful to informe our selves as well as we can in credendis what the received sense and in agendis what the constant usage and
they do edifie they are not onely lawful but expedient too and we may do them But when they edifie not but destroy though they be lawful still yet are they not expedient and we may not do them All things are lawful but all things edifie not 23. To this edification it appeareth S. Paul had a great respect in all his actions and affairs We do all things brethren for your edifying 2 Cor. 12. And he desireth that all other men would do so too Let every man please his neighbour for his good unto edification Rom. 15.2 and that in all the actions of their lives Let all things be done to edifying 1 Cor. 14. It is the very end for which God ordained the ministery of the Gospel the edifying of the body of Christ Ephes. 4. and for which he endowed his servants with power and with gifts to enable them for the work the power which God hath given us for edification 2 Cor. 13. Whatsoever our callings are whatsoever our power or guifts if we direct them not to Edification when we use them we abuse them 24. But then what is Edification for that we are yet to learn The word is metaphorical taken from material buildings but is often used by our Apostle in his Epistles with application ever to the Church of God and the spiritual building thereof The Church is the house of the living God All Christians members of this Church are as so many stones of the building whereof the house is made up The bringing in of unbeleevers into the Church by converting them to the Christian faith is as the fetching of more stones from the quarries to be layed in the building The building it selfe and that is Edification is the well and orderly joyning together of Christian men as living stones in truth and love that they may grow together as it were into one entire frame of building to make up the house strong and comely for the masters use and honour 25. I know not how it is come to pass in these later times that in the popular and common notion of this word in the mouths and apprehensions of most men generally Edification is in a manner confined wholy to the Understanding Which is an errour perhaps not of much consequence yet an errour tho and such as hath done some hurt too For thereon is grounded that Objection which some have stood much upon though there be little cause why against instrumental musick in the service of God and some other things used in the Church that they tend not to edification but rather hinder it because there cometh no instruction nor other fruit to the understanding thereby And therefore ought such things say they to be cast out of the Church as things unlawful A conclusion by the way which will by no means follow though all the premises should be granted for it is clear both from the words and drift of the Text that Edification is put as a meet 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 indeed of Expediency but not so of lawfulness And therefore from the unserviceableness of any thing to Edification we cannot reasonably infer the unlawfulness thereof but the Inexpediency only But to let go the inconsequence that which is supposed in the premises and laid as the ground of the objection viz. that where the understanding is not benefited there is no Edification is not true The objecters should consider that whatsoever thing any way advanceth the service of God or furthereth the grouth of his Church or conduceth to the increasing of any spiritual grace or enliving of any holy affection in us or serveth to the outward exercise or but expression of any such grace or affection as joy feare thankfulness cheerfulness reverence or any other doubtless every such thing so far forth serveth more or less unto Edification 26. The building up of the people in the right knowledge of God and of his most holy truth is I confess a necessary part of the worke and no man that wisheth well to the worke will either despise it in his heart or speak contemptibly of it with his mouth yet is it not the whole work tho no nor yet the chiefest part thereof Our Apostle expressly giveth charity the preheminence before it knowledge puffeth up but charity edifieth And for once he speaketh of Edification in his Epistles with reference to knowledge I dare say he speaketh of it thrice with reference to peace and brotherly Charity or condescension The truth is that Edification he so much urgeth is the promoting and furthering of our selves and others in truth godliness and peace or any grace accompanying salvation for the common good of the whole body S. Iude speaketh of building up our selves and S. Paul of edifying one another And this should be our daily and mutual study to build up our selves and others in the knowledge of the truth and in the practise of godliness but especially to the utmost of our powers within our several sphears and in those stations wherein God hath set us to advance the common good by preserving peace and love and unity in the Church 27. The instructions corrections or admonitions we bestow upon our private brethren the good examples we set before them our bearing with their infirmities our yielding and condescending from our own power and liberty to the desires even of private and particular men is as the chipping and hewing and squaring of the several stones to make them fitter for the building But when we do withall promote the publick good of the Church and do something towards the procuring and conserving the peace and unity thereof according to our measure that is as the laying of the stones together by making them cowch close one to another and binding them with sillings and cyment to make them hold Now whatsoever we shall finde according to the present state of the times places and persons with whom we have to do to conduce to the good either of the whole Church or of any greater or lesser portion thereof or but of any single member belonging thereunto so as no prejudice or wrong be thereby done to any other that we may be sure is expedient for that time 28. To enter into particulars when and how far forth we are bound to forbear the exercise of our lawful liberty in indifferent things for our brothers sake would be endless When all is said and written in this argument that can be thought of yet still as was said much must be left to mens Discretion and Charity Discretion first will tell us in the general that as the Circumstances alter so the expediency and inexpedieny of things may alter accordingly Quaedam quae licent tempore loco mutato non licent saith Seneca There is a time for every thing saith Solomon and a season for every purpose under heaven Hit that time right and what ever we do is beautiful but
and faintness of minde spoken of in the Text. 13. We now see the Malady both in the Nature and in the Cause both what it is and whence it groweth We are in the next place to consider the Part affected That the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 discovereth the Minde or the Soul That ye be not wearied and faint in your mindes or souls And this occasioneth another doubt how it should be possible that worldly tribulations which cannot reach beyond the outer-man in his possessions in his liberty in his good name in his bodily health or life should have such an operation upon his nobler part the soul as to cause a faintness there Our Apostle speaketh of resisting unto blood in the next verse as the highest suffering that can befal a man in this world And our Saviour telleth his friends Luke 12. that when their enemies have killed their bodies and from suffering so much his very best friends it seemeth are not exempted they have then done their worst they can proceed no farther they have no power at all over their souls 14. It is most true they have not And happy it is for us and one singular comfort to us that they have not Yet our own reason and every dayes experience can teach us that outward bodily afflictions and tribulations do by consequent and by way of sympathy and consent and by reason of union though not immediately and directly work even upon the soul also As we see the fancy quick and roaving when the blood is enflamed with choler the memory and apprehension dull in a Lethargy and other notable changes and effects in the faculties of the soul very easily discernable upon any sudden change or distemper in the body David often confesseth that the troubles he met withal went sometimes to the very heart and soul of him The sorrows of my heart are enlarged In the multitude of the troubles or sorrows that I have in my heart My heart is disquieted within me Why art thou so vexed O my soul and why art thou so disquieted within me c. Take but that one in Psal. 143. The enemy hath persecuted my soul c. Therefore is my spirit vexed within me and my heart within me is desolate 15. For the Soul then or Minde to be affected with such things as happen to the body is natural and such affections if not vitiated with excess or other inordinacy blameless and without sin But experience sheweth us farther too often God knoweth that persecutions afflictions and such other sad casualties as befall the body nay the very shadows thereof the bare fears of such things and apprehensions of their approach yea even many times when it is causeless may produce worse effects in the soul and be the causes of such vitious weariness and faintness of minde as the Apostle here forewarneth the Hebrews to beware of Not to speak of the Lapsi Traditores others that we read of in former times and of whom there is such frequent mention in the ancient Councels and in the writings of the Fathers of the first ages and the Histories of the Church How many have we seen even in our times who having seemed to stand fast in the profession of Truth and in the performance of the offices of Vertue and duties of Piety Allegiance and Iustice before tryal have yet when they have been hard put to it ey and sometimes not very hard neither falling away starting aside like a broken bow and by flinching at the last discovered themselves to have been but very weak Christians at the best if not rather very deep hypocrites 16. It will sufficiently answer the doubt to tell you That persecutions and all occurrences from without are not the chief causes nor indeed in true propriety of speech any causes at all but the occasions onely of the souls fainting under them Temptations they are I grant yet are they but temptations and it is not the temptation but the consenting to the temptation that induceth guilt If at any time any temptation either on the one hand or the other prevail against us S. Iames teacheth us where to lay the fault Not upon God by any means for God tempteth no man No nor upon the Devil neither let me adde that too it were a sin to bely the Devil in this for though he be a tempter and that a busie one 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Tempter yet that is the worst he can do he can but tempt us he cannot compel us When he hath plyed us with all his utmost strength and tried us with all the engines and artifices he can devise the will hath its natural liberty still and it is at our choise whether we will yield or no. But every man when he is tempted saith he tempted cum effectu that is his meaning so tempted as to be overcome by the temptation is tempted of his own lust 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 drawen away and entised Drawen away by injuries and affrightments from doing good or entised by delights and allurements to do evil It is with temptations on the left hand for such are those of which we now speak even as it is with those on the right yeeld not and good enough My son saith Solomen if sinners entise thee consent not Prov. 1. It may be said also proportionably and by the same reason My son if sinners affright thee comply not The common saying if in any other holdeth most true in the case of Temptations No man taketh harme but from himself 17. And verily in the particular we are now upon of fainting under the cross it is nothing but our own fears and the falseness of a mis-giving heart that betraieth us to the Tempter and undoeth us 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. as he said It is not any reality in the things themselves so much that troubleth the minde as our over-deep apprehensions of them All passions of the minde if immoderate are perturbations and may bring a snare but none more or sooner then fear The fear of man bringeth a snare saith Solomon And our Saviour Let not your hearts be troubled neither fear as if fear were the greatest troubler of the heart And truly so it is No passion not Love no nor yet Anger it self though great obstructers of Reason both being so irrational as Fear is It maketh us many times do things quite otherwise then our own reason telleth us we should do It is an excellent description that a wise man hath given of it Wisdom 17. Fear saith he is nothing else but the betraying of the succours which reason offereth He that letteth go his courage forfeiteth his reason withall and what good can you reasonably expect from an unreasonable man 18. Seest thou then a man faint-hearted Suspect him I had almost said Conclude him false-hearted too It is certainly a very hard thing if at all possible for a
10 III. Concerning the Style FIVE ENQUIRIES viz. 11 13 1 Why the God of Patience 14 16 2 Why of Consolation 17 19 3 Of the Choise of these two Attributes 20 4 Their Conjunction 21 5 and Order 22 In the matter of the Prayer three Particulars 23 I. THE THING prayed for viz. Like-mindedness 24 6 Opened 27 and Pressed upon those Considerations 28 1 That we are members of the same Body 29 2 and of the same Family 30 3 That it forwardeth the building up of Gods Church 31 33 4 but the want of it giveth Scandal to the Enemies thereof 34 35 II. The FORMER QUALIFICATION importing an agreement 1. Universal 36 38 2 Mutual 39 40 III. The LATER QUALIFICATION importing an agreement 1. according unto Truth and Godliness 41 42 2 after the Example of Christ. 43 The Conclusion Sermon IX Ad Aulam on I TIM III. XVI Sect. 1-4 THe Occasion Scope and Division of THE TEXT 5 6 Of the word Mysterie 7 I. POINT The Gospel A GREAT MYSTERY Because 8 9 1 it could not have been knowen 10 13 2 had it not been revealed and 14 15 3 being revealed cannot be perfectly comprehended 16 17 INFERENCES thence 1. Reason not to be the measure of Faith 18 19 II. Disquisition of Truth to be within the bounds of Sobriety 20 21 III. Offence not to be taken at the difference of Opinions among Christians 22 23 II. POINT Christianity a Mysterie of Godliness In regard 24 26 1 both of the general Scope thereof 27 2 and of the special Parts thereof 28 3 and the means of conserving it 29 31 INFERENCES thence 1. for the tryal of Doctrines 32 33 with application to the present Church of England 34 II. For the ordering of our Lives 35 The Conclusion Sermon X. Ad Aulam on PSAL. CXIX LXXV Sect. 1. THe Division of THE TEXT 2 6 What is meant by the Judgments of God 7 POINT I. The righteousness of Gods Judgments  1 as proceeding from him 8 9 2 as deserved by us 10 INFERENCES thence 1. Not to murmure against the wayes of Gods providence 11 2 but to submit our wills to his 12 14 Davids many troubles 15 17 and God the causer thereof 18 POINT II. That God causeth his servants to be troubled it is out of his faithfulness whether we respect 19 1 his Promises 20 22 2 or their Relations 23 The Inference thence To bear troubles cheerfully 24 25 POINT III. The faithfulness of God in sending troubles evidenced from 26 30 1 The End he aimeth at therein 31 34 2 The Proportion he holdeth therein 35 36 3 The Issues he giveth thereout Sermon XI Ad Aulam I. Ser. on I COR. X. XXIII Sect. 1-2 THe Scope and Division of THE TEXT 3 4 All things meant of Indifferent things only 5 What things are Indifferent 6 8 POINT I. The Liberty we have to Indifferent things 9 10 The Errour of those that overmuch restrain this Liberty 11 14 blamed as 1 unrighteous in it self 15 22 2 Dangerous in the Consequents 23 with some APPLICATION to this Church 24 The chief Causes of that Errour discovered 25 27 viz. 1 Ignorance 28 30 2 and Partiality 31 POINT II. All Christians have title to this Liberty 32 The Unregenerate as well as the Godly 33 35 And the Clergy as the Laity 36 The Conclusion Sermon XII Ad Aulam II. Ser. on I. COR. X. XXIII Sect. 1-2 THe Scope and Division of the Text. 3 5 OBSERV I. Expediency not considerable but in Lawful things only 6 Illustrated by the Contrary Examples of David  In the matter of Saul 7 and in the matter of Uriah 8 11 THE INFERENCE thence Not to doe any unlawful thing seem it never so expedient 12 OBSERV II. Things otherwise lawful to be forborne when they are inexpedient 13 16 what Expedience is 17 and how it differeth from lawfulness 18 THE INFERENCE Expediency to be examined in all our actions as well as Lawfulness 19 21 Two important Reasons thereof 22 23 OBSERV III. Edification the measure of Expediency 24 27 What is Edification 28 29 In the exercise of Liberty much left  to the Discretion of particular men 30 33 and to the Charity of particular men 34 35 A necessary Caution touching the Authority of Superiors in indifferent things 36 41 The Cases of Obedience compared and Scandal compared 42. c. Our whole Duty for Practise summoned up in Three Rules Sermon XIII Ad Aulam on ROM XV. VI Sect. 1-2 THe Scope and Division of the Text. 3 9 The words That ye may glorify God opened in Six Particulars 10 11 POINT I. The Glory of God to be intended as our chiefest End 12 Reas. 1 as being the chiefest Good 13 2 and that whereunto we are both in Duty 14 3 and Wisdome obliged unto 15 Inferences of Admonition That we doe not either  1 bestow upon any Creature any of that Glory which is due to God 16 2 or draw to our selves any of that Glory which is due to God 17 3 or accept if cast upon us by others any of that Glory which is due to God 18 19 4 nor entitle the glory of God to our own passions or interests 20 22 with some Application hereof 23 24 POINT II. God the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.  With the Reasons both of the Stile it self 25 26 And why it is here used 27 POINT III. God to be glorified of us first with the minde 28 And then with the mouth 29 POINT IIII. God is much glorified by Christian unity and Like-mindedness 30 31 Illustrated from the resemblance of Musick 32 33 and from the resemblance of Building 34 35 and that in regard both of Dispatch 36 37 and Strength 38 The Conclusion Sermon XIIII Ad Aulam Ser. on PSAL. XXVII X Sect. 1-2 THe Scope and Division of the Text. 3 The words in the former part of the Text opened 4 POINT I. A possibility of failing in all worldly helps 5 7 I. Either out of Choise Instanced  1 in Parents 8 9 2 and all other Friends 10 12 II. Or out of Necessity 13 15 The Inference Not to trust in any Creature 16 The words in the later part of the Text opened 17 POINT II. Gods help ready when all others fail 18 Proved 1. by instances 19 2 by Reasons taken partly from the Nature of God viz. 20 22 1 his Love 23 24 2 his Wisdome 25 3 his Power 26 4 his Eternity 27 28 Partly from his Promises 29 32 Inferences thence 33 The Conclusion Sermon XV. Ad Aulam on LUKE XVI VIII Sect. 1. THe Scope of the whole Parable 2 and of the Text in particular 3 The Division of the Text. 4 POINT I. The persons here compared and opposed 5 I. Who are meant by the children of the world 6 8 and why they are so called 9 13 II. What is meant by Light 14 15 and who by Children of Light 16 The Inference from their Opposition 17 18