the things of God proceeding from the Father of Lights 1. Generally and largely in the first point Then 2. As they are contracted and gathered into his Image in the second point 1. Generally and largely we heard lately that Christ is a King hath a Kingdom and reigns for ever and ever and therefore it followeth by good reason that he have all honour obedience and service befitting a King the Lord himself reasons so Mal. 1.14 That which was torn and lame and sick the people brought for an offering unto their God whereas they ought to have brought that which was strong and sound and whole Wherefore he curseth the deceiver who hath in his flock a male and voweth and sacrificeth unto the Lord a corrupt thing why for I am a great King saith the Lord of Hosts and my Name is dreadful among the Heathen After the same manner our Saviour also reasons Mat. 22.21 Give unto God the things that are Gods In the words themselves we have these Two points 1. We have the things of God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 2. The things of God we ought to give unto God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Reason How come we by these things of God How otherwise then from the free Grace and bounty of God Job 2.5 Joh. 1.3 And these things of God must needs be in us for whereas man is ordained to an higher end than weak Nature can of it self reach unto even the Eternal Life and the Divine Nature whence he is estranged Such an excellent end cannot be advanced otherwise than by sutable means which are the things of God which cannot be known otherwise than by the Spirit of God 1 Cor. 2.11 Obser 5. We have something of God in us This is a ground for the judgement of Charity The Pharisees and Herodians to whom our Lord speaks in the words before the Text were the greatest enemies our Lord had in the dayes of his flesh yet he acknowledged they had something of God otherwise he had not bidden them give it unto God yea ungodly and unrighteous men against whose ungodliness and unrighteousness the wrath of God is reveiled from Heaven Rom. 1.18 even these have some truth of God in them which they hold in unrighteousness The wicked and slothful Servant had one Talent Mat. 25.16 though vers 19. he is said not to have it because he used it not but surely he had it otherwise it could not be taken away from him How much more may we say this of those who are believers Eph. 4.7 Vnto every one of us is given Grace according to the measure of the gift Christ Esay 9. Vnto us a Son is given c. The manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man to profit withal 1 Cor. 12.8 Obser 6. God is not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 without witness unto any since he testifieth inwardly unto them his Eternal Power and God-head Rom. 1.19 20. Repreh 1. Those who reject despise and censure others as empty of all Grace as having nothing of God in them of such as these our Lord speaks Mat. 5.22 He that saith to his Brother Racha shall be in danger of the Counsel but whosoever shall say Thou Fool shall be in danger of hell fire O that they would advisedly consider this who too sharply and severely censure others O Let us rather consider that though we have attained to some measure of the heavenly gifts though we have attained to some measure of the Divine Light yet have we darkness mixt with our light Repreh 2. Those who know and acknowledge themselves debtors unto God yet think that the meer reading or hearing of the Bond read is the payment of it What else mean we when we come to hear the word of God which testifieth our debts unto God that we owe him all our love service obedience What would ye think of your debtors if they should so deal with you Repreh 3. Those who give the things of God to the Devil little do men consider this how prone they are so to do when any thing happens that's strange whether in Natural things or Spiritual as men they reason presently that the Devil doth them or they are done by the Black Art or 't is some stratagem of Satan Thus men reason touching the Magnetical Cure and many other secrets in Nature which lie hid from most men that they are wrought by the Devil how then doth God work all in all 1 Cor. 12.9 10 11. He sent his Word and healed them Psal 107. And thy word O Lord healeth all things Wisd 16. But happily Satan may work the same effects also No Esay 44.24 I am the Lord that maketh all things that stretcheth forth the Heavens alone that spread abroad the Earth by my self Dan. 4. He doth what he will as well in the Virtues and Powers of Heaven as with the dwellers on the Earth This is proper to God himself and no less than Sacrilege to impute any such strong effect unto the Devil Psal 72.18 Blessed be the Lord God the God of Israel who only doth wondrous things and Psal 36.2 O give thanks to him who alone doth great wonders his mercy endureth for ever And as this is true in Natural things so likewise in Spiritual Mat. 12.22 Satan hath the power of death Hebr. 2. and death and destruction entred into the world by the malice of the Devil Wisd 2. Esay 54.10 I created the Smith to blow the coals c. 1 Pet. 5. Leo rugiens Repreh 4. Who give their own things unto God or rather to the Devil such as impute their sins which are properly their own unto God himself Confer Notes on Rom. 6.19 Exhort 1. Receive not the Grace of God in vain 2 Cor. 6.1 God himself is the worker of it in us Esay 26. 2 Cor. 12.6 Operatur omnia in omnibus Confer Notes on Hebr. 1. He makes his Angels Spirits And as God is the Author of all Natural being so of the Spiritual also He it is who works in us to will and to do the Author of Repentance and Faith and Hope and Love he who makes friends of God to do whatsoever he commands them Joh. 15.14 and Prophets such as may teach others Exhort 2. Know then and consider O man that what thou art and hast in thee is not thine own Thou art a Vessel and a Vessel is made to hold something in it Thou art a Temple Give to God the Glory of his Providence Render unto God the things that are Gods The things that are Gods may be considered according to the nature and kind of them or according to the degrees of them 1. According to their Nature so the whole Image of God all the Graces of the Spirit 2. According to the degrees of them so the Glory of them all is to be rendered unto God so 2 Cor. 3.17 18. NOTES AND OBSERVATIONS UPON MATTHEW XXII 37. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉
dry Land and I will move all Nations and the desire of all Nations shall come and I will fill this house with Glory saith the Lord of Hosts Thus Simeon waited for the Consolation of Israel Luk. 2.25 And behold there was a man in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon this man was just and feared God and waited for the Consolation of Israel and the Holy Ghost was upon him so Anna waited for him also vers 36. and many others vers 38. She being a Prophetess a Widow of great age above eighty years who had served God with fasting and prayers coming at the same instant unto them confessed likewise the Lord and spake of him to all them that waited for Redemption in Jerusalem upon which the Apostle in the second of the Hebr. 14. acknowledgeth also saying Forasmuch as the Children were partakers of flesh and blood he himself also or likewise took part with them that he might destroy through death him that had the power of death that is the devil 2. There is also a waiting upon his appearing and coming in the Spirit this is not proper only to these latter times of the Gospel but even thus also the holy Fathers of Old waited for the Lords appearing and coming unto them thus Jacob professeth Gen. 49.18 O Lord I have waited for thy Salvation So Job 14.14 If a man dye shall he live again All the dayes of mine appointed time will I wait till my change shall come so Psal 25.5 Lead me forth in thy Truth and teach me for thou art the God of my Salvation in thee do I trust all the day also Psal 101.2 I will do wisely in the perfect way till thou comest to me I will walk in the uprightness of mine heart in the midst of mine house and Mich. 7.7 I will look unto the Lord I will wait for God my Saviour So the Apostle Rom. 8.25 If we hope for that we see not we do with patience abide or wait for it and Hebr. 9.28 Christ was once offered to take away the sins of many and unto them that look or wait for him the second time shall he appear without sin unto salvation Yea this was one main duty which the Apostles in their preaching and writings exhorted men unto as may in many places appear especially in the 1 Thess 1.9 10. For they themselves shew of you what manner of entring we had unto you and how ye turned unto God from Idols to serve the living and true God and to look for his Son from heaven whom he raised from the dead even Jesus which delivereth us from the wrath to come 2. They all slumbred and slept Slumbring and sleeping is either natural or spiritual good or evil so the Psalmist in Psal 4.8 I will lay me down and also sleep in peace for thou O Lord only makest me dwell in peace and safety Natural Actions are commonly defined to be such as we read in the 1. of Gen. 28. God blessed them and said Bring forth and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it wherein are comprised many Natural actions as Eating Drinking Ruling Subduing Obeying Sleeping Waking Procreation and the like all good in their kind No man will think that these Virgins are blamed here for Natural slumbring or sleeping all what is Natural and only so may be good or evil Nor can we conceive how slumbering and sleeping can be understood of the Natural clearly though there are of the Ancients who understand it so but there is no such Conference after the natural Death between the wise and foolish all their thoughts perish And therefore of necessity we must enquire what is the Spiritual slumbering and sleeping for which they are rather here all blamed There are Spiritual Senses answerable unto those Natural three of them we have together in 1 Joh. 1.1 That which we have heard which we have seen with our eyes and our hands have handled of the word of life a fourth we have in the 34. Psalm vers the 4. O taste and see that the Lord is good and gracious to them that put their trust in Him the 5. in Cant. 1.3 Because of the savour of thy good ointments thy name is as an oyntment poured forth therefore the virgins love thee the savour of thine oyntments the Savour of life unto life making life 2 Cor. 2.16 To the one the savour of death unto death to the other the savour of life unto life When therefore the Objects of our Spiritual Senses are propounded to us yet by reason of the fumes and vapours of outward things the thoughts and affections towards them are damped and our heart blinded so that the Prophecy becomes often fulfilled which we read Matth. 13.14 15. of Esay's which saith By hearing ye shall hear and shall not understand and seeing ye shall see and not perceive for their heart is waxed gross their ears dull of hearing and their eyes have they closed lest at any time they should see with their eyes hear with their ears and understerstand with their heart and should be converted and I should heal them Saepè oblata ob oculos non videmus oftentimes those things before our eyes we see not saith Scal. Luk. 21.30 Take heed to your selves lest at any time your heart be overcharged with surfetting and drunkenness and the cares of this life for as a snare shall that day come be watchful therefore and pray The slumbering therefore is a kind of supineness and negligence the sleep security and carelesness which steals sometime upon the wise Virgins a forgetfulness of their duty towards God and also towards their neighbour Hence may arise a Doubt Some may say how can all these Virgins both wise and foolish be said to slumber and sleep May we read the words distinctly they all slumbered as the wise and slept as the foolish for so 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 otherwise a Copulative is sometime taken for a disjunctive as in the Story of Jephthah's Daughter I have shewn but this is against the common Consent of all Antiquity perhaps some may say for all read the words copulative as common to both wise and foolish So that the words may be understood as common to both wise and foolish Virgins that they all slumbred and slept they have all more or less been negligent careless drowsie carnal and secure Observ 1. Hence may be observed if both wise and foolish Virgins slumbred and slept it 's a sad thing to be a man for if all whoever they are who serve God slumber and sleep great is the infirmity of all Mankind which inclines even the wise themselves to folly How good a God have we who would not that any should perish 2 Pet. 3.9 1 Tim. 2.4 but that we should all awake to righteousness and sin not 1 Cor. 15. Hence may arise another Doubt But is there no difference betwixt the wise and foolish To which I answer it 's true in regard of sleep in death there
more properly understood by the word paenitentia Ye have most of these together Joel 2.12 13. Turn ye even to me c. This sorrow was figured by the sowre herbs which they must eat when they kept the passover at their coming out of Egypt i. e. In transitu à peccato ad justitiam In the passage from sin to righteousness A potentia Satanae ad Deum From the power of Sathan to God A Pharaone spirituali ad Jesum From spiritual Pharaoh to Jesus which is the true Pesac It is necessary we be then afflicted and mourn for the loss of our delights and pleasures we have parted withal for all our sins committed against our God For our parting with our dearest friends in the flesh as the milch-kine carrying the Ark lowed as they went toward Bethshemesh 1 Sam. 6.12 our last translation refers to this Text and that upon good grounds then this is fulfilled Zach. 12.10 11 12. Hadadrimmon is a loud out-cry and Megiddo is the Gospel When the Gospel is first preached and the only Son of God known to be slain by us it causeth Hadadrimmon in the valley of Megiddo Josiah is slain the Christ of God in the Spirit is slain among us Revel 1.7 There former sorrow was a sorrow to repentance and preceding it Godly sorrow causeth repentance 2 Cor. 7.10 The other sorrow is the Concomitant or attendant on repentance The Reason of this Duty is considerable either 1. In regard of God from whom we have deeply revolted Esay 31.6 who invites us again unto himself Jer. 4.1 2. In regard of us who have a double necessity lying upon us both 1. Of Duty which answers to that which is called necessitas praecepti 2. And of means which is called necessitas medii 't is a means so necessary to Salvation that without it its impossible to be obtained as he who is the Author and Dispenser of it forewarns his Disciples Matth. 18.3 Now whereas there is a dispute whether Faith or Repentance precede This I conceive may reconcile the difference that so much Faith is necessary as to believe that without Repentance we cannot be saved Numb 14. Heb. 3. Thus the Ninevites Repentance is famous but it 's said expresly that first they believed God We must know therefore that there is a kind of legal Faith which propounds the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of God unto us That God is Heb. 11.6 which belief must necessarily precede And therefore of the Gentiles that Faith is necessarily prerequired Thus of the Ninevites and of the Jaylor in the same condition with these in the Text Act. 16. yet him Paul bids believe and Peter bids repent He knew not God these did Act. 3. ult A Memoire worthy the transmitting to Posterity DR Jo. Wincop in a Sermon before the House of Commons at the Fast Jan. 29. 1664. being the Day before the Treaty atVxbridge began published by Order of that House the Text was Esay 22.12 printed by Robert Leyburn for Samuel Man in Paul's Church-yard at the Swan 1645. pag. 10. hath these words We all talk of Reformation But still where is it Shew me one lust thou hast mastered one passion thou hast conquered c. Talk not of Reformation only but shew it was there ever more lying cousening malice oppression than now Nay God be merciful to us I know not what kind of new cheat and hypocrisie the father of falshood hath taught some kind of men whereby to cloak all their fraud and villanies by a new way of pretending they are for the Cause Then they think all is well thereby discrediting a good Cause dishonouring a good God abusing your good intentions to work their own sinister ends by Let not men talk of Reformation only but shew it indeed and in truth NOTES AND OBSERVATIONS UPON ACTS II. 47. And the Lord added to the Church daily such as should be saved The Original Greek words are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Which word for word sound thus in our English But the Lord added to the Church daily those who were saved A Translation that differs very much from the other But it is the Wisemans counsel Blame not before thou hast examined the truth Ecclus. 11.7 which that we may the better do we look back to vers 14. from whence to the end of vers 40. we have either two Speeches of St. Peter to the Jews or one interrupted vers 37. In the former St. Peter after he had desired attention vers 14. he removes and confutes their slaunder who mock'd the Apostles and other Disciples and said They were full of new wine 2. He informs them in the truth 1. That the Apostles spake by the holy Ghost 2. That God had raised up Jesus from the dead whom they had crucified 3. That he was ascended into heaven and sate at the right hand of God 4. That he had poured forth his holy Spirit upon the Apostles 5. That God had made that same Jesus whom they had crucified both Lord and Christ And these or most of these the Apostle confirms by divine Testimony out of the Prophets The effect of this speech was compunction vers 37. sorrow and fear which fear because it is Consiliativus and puts men upon enquiry how they may escape the evil which they fear They desire Peters and the rest of the Apostles counsel what they should do Then follows Peters advice That they repent and be baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus for the remission of sins If this they should do they should receive the holy Ghost which promise belonged to them and to all a far off c. vers 38 39. And that they might perform those duties and receive the promised Spirit â—he concludes his speech with exhortation to be saved or as we render the words Save your selves from this untoward generation The effect of this exhortation in these new Converts is seen in a new conversation and that for the present vers 41. They who gladly received the word repented and were baptized and saved themselves from the untoward Generation and so were added to the Church daily vers 41 47. and for the future they who according to the Apostles counsel were saved or saved themselves from the untoward generation they accordingly obtained a like gracious act from the Lord to that which was vouchsafed unto others before vers 4. The Lord added to the Church daily such as were saved or saved themselves from the untoward Generation Thus the Syriack Interpreter and Martin Luther understood and turned the words The Lord added to the Congregation those who were saved and Piscator so the Low-Dutch Translation hath it thus the Old English Manuscript The Lord encreased them that were made safe each day And the truth of this appears Act. 5.14 Believers were more added to the Lord multitudes of men and women And Act. 11.21 And the hand of the Lord was with them and a great number believed and turned to the Lord. In the
as the Prophet David complains I am as a dead man out of mind Of such dead men as these the Wise Man speaks Wisd 3.2 In the sight of the unwise they seem to dye and their departure is taken for misery for though they be afflicted in the sight of men yet their hope is full of immortality These Righteous have hope in their death Prov. 14.31 They walk with God as Enoch and Noah did and are not they are in no account at all among men but God takes them to himself Psal 65.34 These these are the dead these blessed dead ones who dye in the Lord Revel 14.13 Exhort That they who live would dye An hard task it is to perswade one to dye no man need to be perswaded to live because life is one of the things which pro se appetuntur which are desired for themselves and therefore death one of those things quae pro se vitantur which are abhorred for themselves But beloved if this life be such as we ought not to live an assumed life then surely to this life we ought to dye but such is this life in sin it 's none of ours it hath no right at all unto us we have nothing to do with it nor it with us Rom. 8.12 Brethren we are debtors but not to the flesh to live after the flesh for if ye live after the flesh which would have a life in ye ye shall dye but if ye through the spirit shall mortifie the deeds of the body ye shall live This life cannot be lived but we must be estranged from the life of our God Ephes 4.18 19 20. for when the Law of this life comes lasciviousness and all uncleanness revives and appears in us which if we give our selves over unto we are estranged and alienated from the life of our God Yea when we live this life we dye unto and put to death the Author of Life Rom. 5.8 While we were yet sinners Christ died for us We cannot entertain such a guest but it will cost us so much When the Traveller came to the rich man he entertained him not with any of his own flocks and herds but with the poor mans Lamb. When we receive and entertain our lusts that are strangers to our nature the flocks and herds of Satan they die not no the innocent Lamb that that must die in us Besides there 's a double necessity lies on us both Precepti and Medii There 's a command lies upon us and that one of the first that ever was given by God to man Gen. 2. Where having set man in the Paradise He gives him a Command to eat of all the Trees in the Garden i. e. the trees of Righteousness and forbad them all unrighteousness as the Wise Man speaking of the same Argument saith The Lord said unto them beware of all unrighteousness But in case they sinned he provided a Remedy to die unto the sin for so the words may be understood so that he now begins to be obedient unto one of the first Precepts to die in his affections unto sin according to that Gen. 2.17 In the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt die the death For so I had rather read the words as a Command than as a commination or threatning for there 's much trouble to reconcile that speech of the Lord unto the Truth and to make it agree with that which follow In the day wherein thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die the death when yet Adam lived above eight hundred years after that day There is besides Necessitas Medii No man shall see me and live Means That they live not in us stop them at their entrance yield thy self to be killed by the Law and Prophets The Law is a killing letter The Prophets they hew us as Solomon's workmen hewed the stones before they were joyned unto the Temple Hos 6.5 I have bewed them by my Prophets slain them by the word of my mouth Arise Peter kill and eat It 's said to all the Ministers of God So understand that of the Prophet Him shall Elisha slay Sign He that is dead hath ceased from sin Corporis vitam ex motu dignoscimus Bern. Let us examine our motions our walkings if we walk in lusts we live in them it 's the argument Col. 3.7 having reckoned up certain fleshly lusts fornication uncleanness c. in which ye also walked sometimes while ye lived in them We do not walk when we are dead 2. Breathing Joshua put to death every thing that breathed the first motions unto sin 3. Try thy self by the objects of sin which when sin revives by the Law continually present themselves unto thee Thy neighbour thrives in the world or in the gifts and graces of the Spirit now envy offers it self Thou art vilified and despised wrath and fierceness offers it self to thee Thou hast done some notable exploit done some good service to God now pride comes and offers it self to thee These all these and many more arise up in the best of us Nunc specimen specitur nunc certamen cernitur Sisne necne ut esse oportet bonus malus cujusmodi Now is the tryal whether thou be dead or alive if thou consent and agree to the motion thou art alive they are thy life or rather the true death thou art one with them If thou be dead to them they move thee no more than if they were propounded to a dead man NOTES AND OBSERVATIONS UPON ROMANS VII 12. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Wherefore the Law is holy and the Commandment holy and just and good THese words are the conclusion of the Apostles Answer to the Doubt and Objection vers 7. Is the Law sin so it seemed from vers 5. for there he saith that there are passions and motions of sin by the Law which bring forth fruit unto death This Objection he answers 1. By shewing the proper effect or the effect per se of the Law it discovers and prohibits sin therefore it is not sin vers 7. 2. By shewing the events or effects by accident of the Law and they are the reviving of sin increase of all manner of concupiscence 3. Deceiving the man and killing him These are the events of the Law coming to the Man as the Apostle speaks warily not proper effects of it for the Law was by the Law-giver and according to the nature of the Law ordained to life ex fine agentis rei But whereas the Law comes to the Man and finds him living another life a life contrary to the Law it proves a death unto him convincing him of transgression and condemning him as guilty of death and so terrifies the man that it mortifies and kills his desires and affections unto sin Thus the Sun enlightens rejoyceth and enlivens as it were the sight of a sound man but it extreamly offends blear and blood-shot eyes Wine makes glad the heart of all healthful men but it 's deadly wine unto
and excellent new things are present in regard of time and therefore the LXX render the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Behold by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that signifieth now or at this present time For this is the day which the Lord hath made Psal 118.24 The new day of Grace when all things become new a Psalm proper for the New Day of Grace and proper for the entertainment of the New Man the new King when he came to Jerusalem in triumph and the people sung 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the next words to those I named in the Psalm Hosannah save us now O Lord whereby the Scribes and Pharisees knew the people ascribed to Jesus the honour of Christ the Messiah the New Man And so much for proof also of the third Point If we now enquire into the reason of all these truths Why the Lord shews these true these excellent these present new things unto us and bids us behold them It is not from any merit of ours but from his own love to the New Man in whom he is well pleased and from his free Grace Love and Mercy in Christ the New Man to his New People And into this reason the New Man resolves his Fathers Revelation of these new things unto his new People Matth. 11.25 26. I thank thee O Father Lord of heaven and earth because thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent and hast reveiled them unto babes Even so Father why for so it seemed good in thy sight And for the very same reason and for the performance of his own gracious promise in the new Man Christ and for the love he bears to those excellent new things and for his Love Grace and Mercy which he bears to his new people it pleaseth him and it seems good in his fight to make them partakers of these true excellent and present new things and to make all things new to them So saith the Wiseman Prov. 22.21 Have I not written to thee 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Tripliciter threefold So the LXX the Vulg. Lat. and Vatablus Have I not written to thee three ways in the Law Prophets and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which contain Job the Psalms and Solomons writings That Solomon may speak here in the person of God Have I not written to thee the secrets of the Trinity and as we turn it Have I not written to thee excellent things or rather according to the word thrice excellent things In counsels and knowledge that I might make thee know the Truth or certainty of the words of Truth I have written unto him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The great things the honourable and excellent things of my law Hos 8.12 confer Mich. 6.8 And thus ye have heard how 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Behold hath pointed us to the truth excellency and presence of these new things with the reason of them and so discovered unto us the aim of them 2. It points us also to our Duty which will appear in the special use and application of these three points of Doctrine unto our selves And first 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Behold These new things are certain faithful and true 'T is useful for Instruction and Reprehension 1. This discovers unto us one principal ground of the Christian Religion The divinity of Christ Esay 65.15 16 17. The Lord God shall call his servants by another name or new name as before i. e. by the name of Christians as Act. 11.26 That he who blesseth himself in the earth shall bless himself in the God of Truth and he that sweareth in the earth shall swear by the God of truth for behold I create new heavens and a new earth c. He who is called by this new name the Christian Man that blesseth himself shall bless himself 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the God of truth or the God Amen as Christ is called as elsewhere so Apoc. 3.14 Thus saith the Amen the Faithful the true Witness Thus when often in the Gospel we have theâ— words Verily verily I say unto you it is in the Greek 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I Truth of truth say unto you it may as well be understood to be the name of Christ as to be a firm asseveration as some conceive And I have heard of an old Latin Translation that hath it Veritas veritatis Truth of truth for as the Son of God is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Hebr. 1. The brightness of his Fathers Glory or as we have it in the Nicene Creed Light of light for so 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in an Helenistical notion signifieth Light so may the same Son of God be also as truly called Truth of truth or the God Amen the God of Truth or Christ himself who is the Truth Joh. 14.6 2. It points us to the principal object of our Faith these true and certain new things thus our Saviour argueth Joh. 8.46 If I tell ye truth why do ye not believe me Truth requires belief the firm foundation of our Faith Heaven and Earth shall pass away but my words shall not pass away Matth. 24.35 3. It discovers the great Grace and goodness of our God who reveils his Son the new Man in his new People Gal. 1.15 and all new things to them 2. As for Reprehension 1. It reproves those who believe not these certain new things or if they believe some of them yet not all but pick and chuse what they will believe Such are they who will believe nothing but the promises of God or only the dignity of these new things not the duty they require not considering that every word of God is true whether it be a Commandment oâ— a Prohibition or a Commination or Narration or a Testimony or what ever word of God it is 't is true and to be believed as well as the promises of God 2. It reproves those who are offended at such as shew them and cause them to behold these â—â—â—tain new things such were the Galatians ungrateful men Am I become your enemy because 〈◊〉 you the truth saith St. Paul Gal. 4.16 a most unreasonable thing because Truth in it self is most amiable but Veritas lucens amatur redarguens odio habetur Truth in the abstract in it self considered it 's most lovely but when it reproves us then we hate it and him that shews it to us As he that hath lain long in a deep dark dungeon though he truly say with the Wise Man surely the light is good and it is a pleasant thing to behold the Sun yet if after long continuance in that thick darkness one should shew him the light though but of a small candle he would be ready to put it out and fly in his face that brought it Thus the Athenians brought Paul unto Areopagus the highest Court in Athens to examine him what his New Doctrine was because he taught these true and certain new things Jesus the new Man and the resurrection from the dead Act.
of God for we shall be called to another reckoning 2 Cor. 5.10 Or 2. Whether the Metaphor be taken from fallacious reasoning in Logick Or 3. Whether indeed it be a Metaphor or no And not rather the most proper and truest fallacy as 't is a loss to be misreckoned so 't is a shame for a wise man to be deceived in their reasoning as sole hearers are For thus they commonly reason They that use the means and apply themselves to God's Ordinances they are God's people and shall be saved But they who hear Sermons and diligently receive the Sacrament they make use of the means and apply themselves to the Ordinances A plain fallacy à dicto secundum quid ad dictum simpliciter for these self-deceivers are willingly ignorant that not only the hearing of the word and receiving of the Sacrament which may be outwardly performed as well by an evil doer as a doer of the word are the Ordinances of God but the Commandments of God in Scripture are called God's Ordinances And so 't is true They that walk in my Statutes and keep mine Ordinances and do them they shal be my people and I will be their God saith the Lord Ezech. 11. 'T is true hearing the word and receiving the Sacrament are God's Ordinances but if we so hear and receive as to end our endeavours in hearing and receiving certainly we do no more than that which we object to the Papists only please our selves in opere operato For the end of hearing is doing and the end of the Sacrament is shewing forth the Lord's death till he come So that if we hear only and receive only we frustrate both Ordinances of the end for the end of these Ordinances are the Ordinances of God Such another fallacy is that as by much learning men become great Schollars Philosophers Physicians Lawyers and Judges so likewise good men and good Christians A fallacy non parium ut parium there is not the same reason a man may be a good Physician perhaps with hearing only though some doubt may be made of it but he will never be a good Patient by hearing only and therefore the Philosopher Ethic. 1. saith that they who are content with the knowledge of moral Philosophy without the practice are like those Patients who hear the Physicians prescripts attentively but do nothing of all they hear and as those for all their hearing are never a whit the more near the cure of their bodies so neither are those to the cure of their souls Judge in your selves Beloved should a Physician tell you of a most soveraign receipt were you ever a whit the nearer your health unless ye made use of his prescripts And what a foul shame is it for any man epecially for wise men for learned men for Schollars thus to deceive themselves thus to be over-reached in their own Profession Though they did but look into the glass of the word and away as men do and therefore our Apostle speaks not of a woman who stayes longer at the Glass but of a man yet if they discover their spots what a shame were it not to wipe them off How much more to be always hearing to be always learning yet like those foolish women the Apostle speaks of never come to the knowledge of the truth but to deceive themselves in the end to be always in speculation always beholding their natural face in the glass and like women Dum moliuntur dum comantur anni sunt To spend many years in the study of the Word and then go away from the consideration of themselves to outward things And straightway forget what manner of men they were For shame Beloved let not us who pretend learning and knowledge incurr the just imputation of folly suffer our selves so grosly to deceive our selves and that in a matter of so great consequence as this is wherein we err but once and that in the very foundation doing or not doing obedience or disobedience which tends either 1. To the everlasting Salvation Or. 2. Utter loss of our own souls An argument that for the weight and moment of it commonly goes alone as our Apostle useth it here in this Epistle Let not us suffer our selves to be deceived by the false Prophets of these latter days these Jannes and Jambres who withstand our going out of Egypt who teach rebellion against the Lord of Hosts and tell us that we cannot be doers of his Word these wizzards who bewitch us with their easie doctrine of hearing only and say we cannot obey the Truth Beloved we are men let not us be such cowards as to be discouraged by these false these lying spirits who tell us we are not able to go up against our spiritual enemies and that they are too strong for us who teach us that an idle credulity a dead a devilish faith as our Apostle calls it is enough to save us No no let us rather take St. Peters counsel add unto our faith though he saith they had faith equall to the Apostles themselves yet saith he add to your faith virtue that is prowess and courage as the Word there and elsewhere signifieth if we believe that the Word is possible add courage to our faith and be strong in it and we shall do it and add to virtue knowledge experimental and to knowledge temperance and to temperance patience That Word of the patience of Christ which enables us to endure the assaults of temptations unto evil and the discouragements from doing good and yield not to them That that of all the rest we have need of if we would abound in the work of the Lord if we would be fruitful in every good work for the most fruitful trees the trees of righteousness are most cudgelled and the most fruitful soil the best ground is most plowed and harrowed and therefore we have need of patience that having done the will of God we may inherit the promise and no doubt we shall for God who renders unto every man according to his works will render to us who by patient continuance in well doing seek for glory and honour and immortality eternal life And to all these add Prayer the Duty which names this day and week first occasioned they say by a plague and that deservedly by some who having lived soberly righteously and Godly the time of Lent and received the Sacrament at Easter then not remembring that they had bound themselves to the Lord of Heaven and Earth for ever afterward to lead a new life following the Commandments of God and walking from thenceforth in his holy wayes yea as if they had entred a Covenant with Hell and Death let loose the reins to all manner of licentiousness riot and excess I need not apply this story to our selves God avert this and the like jugements from us for I much fear we have well deserved them And let us learn of our Church to perform the duty of this day praying unto God
so continue dark obscure and unknown and then it may be asked why were they written if they should never be understood Or else 2. It must follow that the great Prophet the Lord Jesus Christ must appear in the Spirit of prophecy to take the vail of misunderstanding off all Nations Esay 25.7 and to be a light 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for the reveiling of the Gentiles Luk. 2.32 For the vindicating of his truth from false glosses and erroneous interpretations imposed up it by presumptuous men And therefore he promised to send Prophets and Wise men c. Matth. 23.34 These were not the Prophets sent before Christ came in the flesh nor the Apostles which were already sent but such as in after time even in the these last days he promised to send men in whom as in the old Prophets the Spirit should be Wise men endued with Wisdom from above Scribes learned in the letter of the Scripture and taught unto the kingdom of God And the Lord fore-faw great need there would be of such by reason of the old serpent that deceiveth all the world Revel 12.9 for surely if there must be an old deceiver there must be Prophets c. who might undeceive the world And if there must be another Jannes and Jambres who must withstand Moses there must be another Moses even he that was promised to come like unto Moses even the Lord Jesus Christ and many prophets wise men and scribes who must make the folly of Jannes and Jambres manifest unto all men like as theirs also was 2 Tim. 3.8.9 Whence it is that this last time is called by one Tempus Prophetarum even the time of such Prophets as our Lord promised to send And therefore when St. John had discovered the old Serpent and the beast that deceives those who dwell on the earth Revel 12.9 and 13.14 Rev. 14.6 He tells us of an Angel preaching who is a Preacher of Righteousness even Jesus Christ in the Spirit by the Ministers of the Spirit and Preachers of Righteousness to whom the Lord Jesus Christ imparts his testimony which is the Spirit of Prophecy Rev. 19.10 And therefore this present Generation is seriously to be admonished that we take good heed lest in these last days when the Lord Jesus Christ shall fulfil and make good his promise and send prophets wise men and scribes I say we are seriously to be admonished to take heed that we be not the men who shall fulfil the part of that prophecy that when the Lord sends such we do not kill and crucifie them c. O Beloved let us not be too soon resolved that we understand God's truth Let us judge nothing before the time until the Lord come in the spirit and preach righteousness unto us Hos 10.12 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 till he teach or preach righteousness unto you until he vouchsafe unto us his Spirit of Truth the eighth preacher of righteousness who may lead us into all truth Joh. 16.17 Observ 6. See how the preachers of Righteousness must be qualified they are the Preachers of the eighth day who have their commission from the eighth preacher of righteousness for so these heavens declare the glory of God Thus the Apostles understood Psal 19.4 1. They are compared to the heavens lifted up above the earth by contemplation of divine and heavenly things 2. Large and spread abroad by Faith working by Charity which the Apostle calls 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Col. 2.5 Vulg. Lat. firmamentum 3. Shining by their wisdom Dan. 12.3 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 They that make men wise unto salvation Marg. Teachers the wisdom of such men makes their face to shine Prov. yea turning many unto righteousness and so shining as the Stars for ever and ever Dan. 12. 4. Always calm and serene by tranquility of Spirit The peace of God rules in their hearts Col. 3.5 Moved of their intelligence by their obedience 6. Giving their influence by instruction in righteousness pluunt justum Esay 45 8. and Hos 10.12 7. Thundring by reproof and correction as the sons of Zebedee Boanerges sons of thunder Mar. 3.14 Such as shake the heavens and the earth and the sea and the dry land Hag. 2.7 which the Apostle explains of the eight days Preachers Heb. 12.26 8. Lightning by their good works which men may see and give glory to their father which is in heaven Giving all good unto the earth and receiving nothing from it 9. Most pure from the filth by integrity and holiness of life 10. The dwelling of the great King Anima justi sedes est sapientiae These are the preachers of righteousness the preachers of the eighth day or day of the Spirit even the preaching days as the Psalmist calls them Psal 19.2 Day unto day uttereth the word of wisdom even that word which in the beginning was with God and was God Joh. 1.1 Repreh 1. Those who hear not the eighth preacher of Righteousness they are such as in the days of Noah waited and expected the mercy and forbearance of God when the Lord required obedience they said the Lord is merciful Repreh 2. Those who hear but obey him not but prefer the service of iniquity before the service of Righteousness How often hath the true Noah called us out of the perishing world to come into the Ark of his Church yet we rather chuse to perish with the world than to come into the ark How often hath the true Moses invited us to come out of Egypt Repreh 3. This reproves the renewed old world and pretending new world of their false righteousness yea of their improved and extreamly encreased unrighteousness as the Lord promised the Spirit should do Joh. 16.8 9 10. The comforter shall reprove the world of sin of righteousness and judgement 1. Of sin because they believe not in Christ who takes away the sins of the world 2. Of righteousness because Christ goes to his father and we see him no more terras Astraea reliquit righteousness hath forsaken the earth because iniquity abounds 3. Of judgement because the prince of this world is judged for the wicked doth compass about the righteous therefore wrong judgement proceedeth Hab. 1.4 The true Righteousness of God hath been long time and yet is compassed about kept under and suppressed not only by open and manifest sin but also by false righteousness and counterfeit holiness For these are the two Thieves between whom the Righteousness of God is crucified the one of them is said to have been an Egyptian the other an Edomite Egypt was full of false gods Porrum cepe Foelices gentes quibus haec nascuntur in hortis Numina They worshipped not only stocks and stones as other Nations did but beasts as the Serpent and Crocodile and the Ox whence the Israelites borrowed their Calf-worship yea the Herbs in their Gardens Porrum 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifieth straits such is the chosen strictness the voluntary or will-worship which the
of bread not in Bethlehem Judah but in Bethlehem in the Tribe of Zebulon Jos 19.15 That is they seek him for their loaves in their own habitation so Zabulon signifieth As the Scribes who told the Wise-men that Christ should be born in Bethlehem They themselves went not out of their own Town to seek him And thus without doubt and question the greatest part of men seek Christ they will not go out of themselves to find him they would have him come to them they will not go to him This is the reason of so much sighing and groaning wherein many men place a great part of their Religion They would find Christ and not forsake their Covetousness their Envy their Hatred c. their Country No no 't is impossible All say we are in our Country But 't is hidden Manna Therefore Bethlehem signifieth the City of War as well as the City of bread and it is called the City of David the Warriour Luke 2. and it signifieth thus much to us that we cannot feed on the bread unless we fight for it It is said of the Inhabitants of the Isles called Baleares that their Children were so brought up that they must not eat except first they shoot down their meat He that will not labour shall not eat the bread of life Labour for the Meat that endures to everlasting life to them that thus labour and travel Christ whom we seek promiseth to manifest himself He that hath my Commandements and keepeth them I will manifest my self unto him John 14.21 To these he promiseth refreshment out of the true Bethlehem To him that overcometh saith he there 's Bethlehem the house of War To him I will give to eat of the hidden Manna there 's Bethlehem the house of bread Revel 2.17 Having thus found Christ in Bethlehem as the Lord instructed the Wise-men so let me advise and remember you By no means tell Herod tell not the Herodians a generation of murderers that crucifie the Lord of life in his Childhood and weakness 2 Cor. 13. Who as Pharaoh gave order that the Children of Israel if Males and likely to prove strong should be put to death Exod. 1. Such Pharaohs such Herods there are I mean Corrupters of Youth who put to death the young Israelites whatsoever good is like to prevail in themselves and others Like Pharaoh's Locusts who devour every green thing the righteousness of Children that they meet withall Exod. 10.15 So Christ the Righteousness calls himself the green tree Luke 23.31 Or if they seem more fitly so to be compared like the wild Asses as the Lord describes them Job 39.8 The rangers and ramblers who search after every green thing O take heed of such wild Asses such Locusts such Pharaohs such Herods Herod put his own Child to death with the rest that so he might be sure he thought of the death of Christ Vide Macrobius libr. 2. Satur. cap. 4. And to avoid them having found Christ return thou as the Wise-men did another way Thou camest perhaps by the way of Envy return by Charity Thou camest by the way of Anger return by Patience and Meekness Thou camest by the way of Covetousness return by the way of Liberality Thou camest by the high-way of Pride return by the lower-way of Humility So shalt thou return unto thy Rest and the Lord shall be with thee and prosper thy Journey To him alone be Glory and Honour for evermore The Ancient Church left out the Venite this Day to signifie their readiness to believe and obey the Gospel without invitation Durand de Festo Epiph. NOTES AND OBSERVATIONS UPON MATTHEW IV. 1. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Then was Jesus led of the Spirit into the Wilderness to be tempted of the Devil THe last day ye heard John Baptist The voyce of the Lord crying in the Wilderness Now our Evangelist tells us how the Lord himself being baptized of John is led by the Spirit into the Wilderness there to be tempted of the Devil And as this day ye heard a preparation to Battel So these words present us with a preparation to a Combate and that the most notable c. See Notes on Matth. 4.4 In the Words we have these divine Truths 1. Jesus was led by the Spirit into the Wilderness 2. He was led to be tempted of the Devil 3. He was then after his Baptism led Let us here enquire 1. What Wilderness this was 2. And what Spirit he was led by into this Wilderness 1. There were many Wildernesses in the Land of Israel that here mentioned is said to be that between Jerusalem and Jericho which was wont to be infested not only with wild beasts but also was infamous for theevery saith Eusebius whence the place was called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and in Greek 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from the frequent shedding of blood there where was a Garrison kept for defence of Travellers Of this place our Lord makes mention in that Parable or History either we may call it Luke 10.30 In this Wilderness our Lord was with the wilde beasts Mark 1.13 And it is more likely that this was the Wilderness for in it is that Mountain which is called Mons Diaboli as being that exceeding high Mountain whence the Devil shewed our Lord all the Kingdoms of the World and the glory of them 2. What Spirit was he led by into this Wilderness Answer Surely by the Holy Spirit for so the Syriack Interpreter saith expresly And St. Luke puts it out of question for having spoken of our Lords Baptism and the descent of the Holy Ghost upon him chap. 3.22 after his inserting of our Lords Genealogy chap. 4.1 he continues the History thus Jesus being full of the Holy Ghost returned from Jordan and was led by the Spirit into the Wilderness The end of this our Lord 's leading into the Wilderness we shall find in the following point of which hereafter Mean time we cannot but take notice of the correspondency between the Type and the Truth Israel is Gods Son his first-born Exod. 4.22 and the Scripture was fulfilled in Christ which saith of Israel Hos 11.1 Out of Egypt have I called my Son Matth. 2.15 And as the Lord brought his Son Israel out of Egypt into the Wilderness even so the Spirit here leads his Son the Lord Jesus into the Wilderness Ye know the Scape-Goat was sent into the Wilderness loaden with the sins of all the people Levit. 16.21 22. And the Lord hath laid upon him the iniquity of us all All Christs actions and passions are our instructions Since therefore the first rule our Lord gives us is self-denyal renouncing of our selves he figures out that first rule unto us in his first exercise going into the Wilderness whereby the Ancients understood self-denial and renouncing of the world for what better represents the emptying of our selves than a Wilderness where there is want of all things Such a Wilderness our Lord Jesus was led into by
for themselves in times of extremity though they have no express particular Promise yet know they how to descend à genere ad speciem if God will deliver in the day of trouble when we call upon him then in this day They have no particular experience that comes home to their case yet they know how to reason à pari so did they John 11.37 Could not this man who opened the eyes of the blind have caused that even this man should not have died So the Disciples here cannot he who did so many Miracles by Land do the like by Sea Thus Holy David reasons 1 Sam. 17.37 The Lord that delivered me out of the Paw of the Lion and out of the Paw of the Bear he will deliver me out of the hand of this Philistin Thus the Saints are wont to improve their grounds of Faith and Hope and so to gather in upon Christ and win more and more upon him God hath delivered us from so great a death and doth deliver in whom we trust that he will yet deliver us 2 Cor. 1.10 And thus the Disciples come to Christ by Faith and Hope they come also by obedience of Faith Thus the Prophet expounds it Esay 55.1 Ho! every one that thirsteth come ye to the waters come ye buy and eat vers 2.3 The Prophet renders Hearken diligently unto me incline your ear and come And our Saviour Mat. 11.28 Come unto me all ye that travail and are heavy laden vers 29. he expounds Take my yoke upon you Thus to be coming is to be plyable and yielding and they who thus come to Christ are only welcome Psal 40. I shall briefly name the Reason why they come unto him 't was his Example drove them into this imminent danger vers 25. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he entred into a ship and his Disciples followed him whence we pray take notice That 1. All storms and tempests are raised against the Disciples because they follow Christ's steps it is the voice of the Church we are hated of all men for thy sake and for thy sake we are killed all the day long But 2. The Disciples of Christ must not refuse to follow him because dangers may befall them because tempests may arise they must not follow him only by Land and forsake him when he goes to Sea they must not follow him in a calm and forsake him in a storm this is their comfort when storms approach they may approach to him And he who thus comes unto him he will in no wise cast out John 6.37 And such an one is the only fit man to awaken Christ in a tempest as Bildad instructs Job 8.6 If thou wert pure and upright surely God would now awake for thee which leads me to the second part of the Text The Disciples importunity and that in the first act of it They awakened him Herein we must consider 1. The state and condition wherein he now was He was asleep 2. The kind or manner of awakening him 1. As for the state and condition wherein he now was He was asleep The sleep of Christ is either 1. Natural or 2. Spiritual and Mystical 1. How Christ may be said naturally either to sleep or wake is not difficult only we may observe from hence the truth of Christ's humanity He had all natural infirmities incident unto the bodies of men one of the Fathers who urgeth an austere life affirms that our Saviour slept only this once but under his favour that may seem a dream for how could he then be like unto his Brethren in all things as he is said to be Heb. 2.17 2. Touching Christ's mystical sleep howsoever it be true that he that keeps Israel neither slumbers nor sleeps yet in respect of his Oeconomy and Government of his Church we may consider a two-fold sleep of Christ either That into which we cast him or That into which he falls himself 1. That sleep into which we cast him is a kind of dead sleep in us Non quòd Christus in somnum relaxetur sed quòd somno nostro consopiatur à nobis It is our sin that casts Christ and his Righteousness asleep in us for sleep being ligatio sensuum the binding of the senses and Christ being the head of all our spiritual life and senses and all the fresh springs of them and the spirit of life it self being in him He is said then to sleep when spiritually and experimentally we neither see nor hear nor have any other spiritual senses exercised to discern between good and evil 2. Another kind of sleep he seems to fall into himself and that either in regard Of the Godly or Of Ungodly men 1. In regard of the Godly His sleep is either Dilationis of delaying or Desertionis desertion 1. Dilationis when he suspends and delayes the accomplishment of his Promises made unto us till we be fit to receive them though he tarry tarry he will yet wait for it Hab. 2.3 God is not slack as some men account slackness 2 Pet. 3.9 Thus the Apostle tells the Hebrews That they had need of patience that having done the will of God they might receive the Promise for yet a little while and he that shall come will come and will not tarry Heb. 10.36 Out of this sleep we must not awaken Christ until he please Cant. 2.7 This sleep I call dilationis of delaying 2. Another kind of sleep in regard of Godly men is desertionis when he seems to neglect his Church and withdraws himself from it for a time as in the forlorn estate of which the Psalmist complains Psal 44.24 Thus we may understand that God sleeps when he is said to hide his face and to awaken out of sleep when he shews the light of his countenance upon us These kinds of sleep are in respect of the Saints At non sic omnibus dormuit 2. God sleeps not thus toward Ungodly men when he connives and seems to take no notice of their sins but mean time endures with much long suffering the vessels of wrath fitted for destruction whose judgement now a long time lingreth not and their damnation slumbereth not 2 Pet. 2.3 This kind of sleeping is God's Patience his awakening is to vengeance 2. Thus ye have the state or condition wherein Christ was when his Disciples came unto him He was asleep come we now to the Disciples manner of awakening him and that 's two-fold 1. Personal and inward when the Disciples and every one of them pro se quisque awakens Christ in himself for his own health and salvation 2. General and outward when all the Disciples joyntly and every one severally calls mightily upon God for common deliverances common safety common blessings as Peace and Truth to the whole Church That we may be able to awaken Christ for outward deliverances as Halcyon days Calmes Peace and Truth to the whole Church it 's necessary that Christ be first awakened in every one of our souls As the
study of the heavenly mysteries ex tempore and without more adoe repentè sic Theologi prodiere They suddainly start up Divines and presume themselves able Ministers and preach with as much facility and confidence as if they had studied Divinity but if they have gotten a smattering in the Original Tongues they have no patience till they be in the Pulpit and then less Nay may it not truly be spoken of their Seniors that they have as mean an opinion of God's Word when they think they have time enough to serve the world prog for their Childrens Children yet study Divinity Nay if they have Tongues and Arts and quote Scriptures and Fathers how learned Clarks soever otherwise they be turn them loose for profound and dissolute absolute Divines Alas they consider not that there are mysteries hidden mysteries of the Kingdom of God and that it 's given to the Disciples only to know the mysteries 2. This points us to the object or matter of all Controversies and Contentions in the Church viz. the Mysteries or hidden Truths of the Kingdom of God for men differ not in Opinion touching things openly and manifestly known for who but a mad man or stark blind would dispute whether 't were day or no when the Sun shines forth bright and clear at high noon Some Divine Truths there are as clear and evident as the Sun shines so that no question can be made of them they give testimony of themselves and need no other argument to prove them to be these prevent all controversies and strivings of men about them But other Divine Truths there are mystical and hidden and about these and these only men differ and hence proceed all Controversies which distract and divide the Church of Christ at this day which when we hear we may well conclude that the Truths where about they differ are not known for were they known there would be then no further difference about them We will not quarrel but pity a blind man if he saith 't is dark when the Sun shines Of such as these St. Paul speaks they are turned aside saith he unto vain janglings desiring to be Teachers of the Law yea and the Gospel too understanding neither what they say nor whereof they affirm 1 Tim. 1.7 and 6.20 he called Controversies 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the oppositions of Science or knowledge falsly so called For did they truly know the Truths where about they differ they would not strive and contend about them as they do and therefore when Controversies are started and hotly pursued in the Church 't is a good Rule not to be over-hasty in siding or adhering unto Spirits of contradiction but rather to do as I have heard the safest course is for a man that travels in a dark night and is in danger to be misled by the ignis fatuus or fools fire to set him down and wait upon the Heavens for light The Prophet Esay gives us the same counsel for avoiding the like â—ools fire of Contention kindled by undiscreet Zelots and carried about like a wisp to brawl and scold at Chap 50.10 11. Who is among you that feareth the Lord that obeyeth the voice of his Servant that walketh in darkness and hath no light Let him trust in the Name of the Lord and stay upon his God Behold all ye that kindle a fire that compass your selves about with sparks walk in the light of your fire and in the sparks which ye have kindled This shall ye have of my hand ye shall lye down in sorrow It 's given to the Disciples and who are they It 's a question like that of our Saviour Mar. 5. Who is that that toucheth my cloaths and may be answered as he was Thou seest the multitude thronging thee and sayest thou who toucheth me What a throng what a crowd of Disciples there are in the world and do we yet enquire who they are Alas beloved Multi Dominum comprimunt ac una tangit saith St. Gregory An innumerable multitude of Carnal men throng and crowd our Lord by an outward profession of Christianity yet few very few of that great crowd truly touch him and draw virtue from him and therefore when great multitudes followed him as now there do pretending to be his Disciples Luk. 14.25 He turned about and said unto them if any man come to me and hate not his Father and Mother and Wife and Children and Brethren and Sisters yea and his own life also he cannot be my Disciple and whosoever doth not hear his Cross and come after me cannot be my Disciple vers 33. Whosoever he be of you that forsaketh not all that he hath he cannot be my Disciple And how few alas how few are there such among the great throng of those who are called Christians but unto these and only these it is given to know the mysteries of the Kingdom of Heaven By Knowledge in the Text is to be understood not Historical which is by hear say and rather credulity than knowledge but approbative and experimental knowledge and according to this it is given to these and only these to know the mysteries of the Kingdom of Heaven And why to these O these are the only men in the world that are qualified for entrance into Christ's School of mysteries that 's the first reason and a second is this God the revealer of Mysteries vouchsafes to none but these the Revelation of them That this is the qualification of all those who can possibly be admitted to the knowledge of the heavenly mysteries 't is evident by the testimony of God himself They seek me daily saith he and would know my wayes as a Nation that did Righteousness and forsook not the Ordinance of their God Esay 58.2 it is a tanquam or quatenus specificativum as specifieth the qualification of him that the mysteries of God's wayes are to be revealed unto viz. an unlearning of our selves and ceasing to do evil and a learning of Christ to do good This the Prophet Jeremy defines by doing judgment and justice Did not thy Father do judgment and justice He judged the cause of the poor and needy and is not this to know me saith the Lord Jer. 22.16 Thus St. Paul requires that we walk worthy of God pleasing him in all things and being fruitful in every good work and then followeth encreasing in the knowledge of God Col. 1.10 and vers 26. of that Chapter The mystery of the Gospel saith he which hath been hid from Ages and from Generations is now revealed what to all without exception without qualification No no it is made manifest or revealed unto the Saints unto the Disciples for the secret of the Lord is with the Righteous Prov. 3.32 Unto them the great 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the great revealer of mysteries as he is called more than once in Dan. 2. he makes known the secrets of the Heavenly Kingdom So saith the wise man That God giveth unto the man that
preparation to receive some thing from God or 2. to give some thing to God or men 1. To receive some thing from God according to Gods Command Open thy mouth wide and I will fill it Psal 81.10 Psal 119.131 2. To give some thing unto God as praise Psal 51.15 which yet the man himself cannot do unless God open his lips O Lord open thou my lips and my mouth shall shew forth thy praise It 's a preparation also to the imparting of some thing unto men which we have recived of God as Divine Doctrine So Paul 2 Cor. 6.10 11. So the Lord Jesus Mat. 5.2 Reas Why the Prophet Asaph opened his mouth in parables See Notes on Heb. 1.1 1. Observe the dignity of God's Prophets See Notes as above 2. The constant course of Divine Providence ibidem 3. They who have the Law and a standing Priest-hood may yet need extraordinary Prophets ibidem 4. Hence it follows undoubtedly that that large Psalm 78. is parabolical and full of parables and hidden sayings The Prophet first tells us of the Law is that parabolical We know saith the Apostle that the Law is Spiritual which I have shewn heretofore until very many were weary of the Argument God's marvellous works in Aegypt are spiritualized by divers of the Ancient Fathers His delivering them out of Aegypt is delivering them out of the staits of sin Mich. 7. vers 15. compared with 19. St. Paul opens the mystery of Manna and Water out of the Rock and shews it no other than the Sacrament of Christ's body and blood 1 Cor. 10. in which Chapter as also in Heb. 9. and 10 and 11. he opens many other of these parables and shews that they are mystically to be understood because omnia in figura contingebant illis And they were written for our understanding upon whom the ends of the world are come Note hence That the whole History of the Jews from the giving of the Law until the Reign of David which contained above 400 years was not only Literal but also Spiritual Mystical Parabolical How doth that appear even by the words of the Text which are the Preface to prepare his Auditors for attention Hear my Law O my people I will open my mouth in parables Repreh The Prophet here saith he will open his mouth in parables yet if we read the whole Psalm we shall find nothing but what was before delivered in Exod. Numb Deut. Joshua Judges 1 Sam. 2 Sam. all which though to the literal understanding it seems nothing else but a bare History yet the Prophet here calls it all a Parable and being about to relate it he saith he will open his mouth in parables which may stop the mouths of ignorant men who when they hear any of those stories expounded and opened according to the mysteries contained in them they cry out that we turn the Scripture into Allegories as they said of Ezechiel Ezech. 20.49 But truly the ignorance of these men is to be pittied They are of the multitude and not yet in the house The Cynick when the Schollar committed a fault he stroke his Master because he taught him no better and indeed they very well deserve it who teach nothing but the dry Letter and outside the history of the Scripture and to keep their party entire to themselves They warn their credulous followers to take heed of hearing those who turn the Scriptures into Allegories and good reason they have for it for they fear lest they should by that means learn more than they are able to teach them Who sees not how these ignorant Zelotical men set their mouth against Heaven How dare they thus smite the Truth it self upon the mouth because he here opens his mouth in parables But what the Apostle saith of Jannes and Jambres 2 Tim. 3.8 9. may be very well applyed to them Mysticé Here we have a notable type of the Lord Jesus propounded unto us in Asaph whence Joseph the perfect one hath his Name he it is who speaks here as all ancient and modern Interpreters agree as in the main although in some circumstance they differ for who but the Lord can thus with Authority call for audience Hear my Law Who but he can call the Law his who can summon and call the people his my people but he whose they are the Lord himself Yea St. Matthew in the Text imparts as much when he saith That our Lord speaking all those things in parables fulfilled what was before spoken of him in the Psalm I will open my mouth in parables this is the Prophet Deut. 18. Act. 3. He opens his mouth in parables Reason Beside what formerly delivered The Lord Jesus the wisdom of God who knows our hearts and how best to move them he makes choice of this kind of argument of all others as that whereby they are most probably moved The argument à pari as we call it in our Art of Reasoning for so our God in dealing his judgments in the world inflicts punishments upon some one or few Vt poena ad paucos terror ad omnes veniat The reason is à pari what befalls one may befall all the rest This is Lex Talionis wherewith God is delighted as I have shewn largely In reproving of sin what is spoken in general mans Nature is apt to apply in special therefore Jer. 3.10 11. and 44.2 Ezec. 23.11 Dan. 5.22 The Lord reproves them because they had not made use of their reason and considered homo homini quid praestat Thus the Lord exercised his sinful people with arguments à pari All parables are such whether expressed in words or works as Ezec. 12.9 where the Prophet was commanded of God to remove his houshold stuff See Notes on Marc. 4.11 Obser 1. The word of God is parabolical and mystical See Notes on Mat. 13.11 Obser 2. The Scripture is not so plain and perspicuous as some men conceive it to be See as above Mat. 13.11 Obser 3. Note hence the ground of many differences heretofore and at this day in the Church of Christ ibidem Obser 4. Hence we learn what is primarily and principally intended in Moses and the Prophets in Christ's and his Apostles Doctrine what else but Spirit and Truth for so the Law as Joh. 1. was given by Moses and that is Spiritual Rom. 7. and Grace and Truth came by Jesus Christ Grace sufficient to resist all temptations Truth answering to types and figures And thus Christ is not only the Truth Joh. 14. and so understood Esay 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Amen amen dico vobis i. e. Veritas veritatis the Truth of truth the Son who is the Truth of the Father who is the God of Truth he speaketh Hence things are said in Scripture to be True and to be the truth not only which are opposite unto falshood and what is false but that which is opposite unto types and figures is said to be truth and true Dan. 11. Joh. 15.1 Hebr. 8.2
and the Majesty for all that is in the Heaven and in the Earth is thine thine is the Kingdom c. both Riches and Honour come of thee c. vers 14.16 O Lord our God all this store that we have prepared to build thee an house for thine Holy Name cometh of thine hands and is all thine own Obser 3. The bounty of God unto his Creature though they be the things of God yet he allows us the bestowing of them He doth as it were yield unto the man his own right and interest that he may perform his duty as if Caesar should lend his Subject money to pay himself tribute Of thine own do we give thee When we have fail'd he puts us in a way of paying our debts few Creditors do so and therefore 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is turn'd as well render unto God c. Obser 4. Gods Service is a free Service Donatio est liberalis datio give unto God God is free in giving his Graces unto us and he would have us free in giving him of his own God loves a chearful giver Obser 5. Gods service is a just service a reasonable service Rom. 12.1 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Render Obser 6. Hence we learn who are and ought to be accounted the truly Godly who but they who have and give or render unto God the things of God not they who only know the things of God for we know that we all have knowledge 1 Cor. 8. Nor they who have the things of God but detain them in unrighteousness Obser 7. How unjust then are they who render not unto God his own this very neglect unman'd Nebuchadnezzar he was not thought fit longer to be a man than he gave Glory unto God Dan. 5. And because Belshazzar his Son knew all this yet humbled not his heart he lost his Kingdom and Life vers 22 23. The like befell Herod the King who because he got credit by an Oration and gave not the Glory to God he was eaten up of worms and gave up the Ghost Act. 12.23 How dreadful then is the issue of abusing and mis-imploying the things of God if the very not-giving glory to God have such fearful events Such are the holding the truth of God in unrighteousness knowing what we should do yet doing what we should not Look I beseech you what a train of other sins this leads Rom. 1. from vers 18. to the end Holding the strength and power of God in pretence of weakness letting it lye idle by them Such are they who deny the power of Godliness which yet have a form of it Abusing the strength of God to wilful rebellion against God yea abusing that strength unto all ungodliness insomuch that there is no evil done in the City but Gods power and strength hath been abused to the doing of it Amos 3.6 Esay 45.7 'T is Gods strength which the drunkard abuseth to the bearing of strong drink against whom the Lord denounceth a woe because they abuse the strength of God to the lusts men Wo unto them that are mighty to drink wine and men of strength to mingle strong drink Isai 5.22 'T is Gods strength whereof the thief robs God when he layes wait for blood 'T is Gods beauty and comliness for so he calls it Ezech. 16.14 his ornaments they are and his Jewels his Gold and his Silver which are abused to wantonness and lasciviousness to whoredom and fornication to the invegling and entangling of young men void of understanding as is said of the whore Prov. 7.7 c. 'T is his love for all our love is his in this Mat. 22. which we prostitute unto things abominable Hos 9.10 'T is Gods hope for he is the God of hope Rom. 15.13 which we thrust away and place in vain things which will not profit us but shame us in the latter end 'T is Gods Faith for he is the Author of it Eph. 2.8 which we credit out to the believing of a lye 2 Thess 2. 'T is Gods fear for so he calls it Mal. 1.6 my fear which we give unto men and forget our Maker Esay 51.12 'T is Gods humility for to him 't is due Mich. 6. which is abused to the worshipping of Saints and Angels Col. 2. 'T is Gods worship i. e. his blessing his glory his wisdom his thanks his honour his power his might all which are Gods worship Rev. 7. which are abused unto the Creatures Rom. 1.25 'T is Gods precious time which we trifle away in satisfying our youthful lusts and not considering the day of our Visitation This is such a sacriledge such a robbing of God as most men are guilty of and I fear not very many fewer consider it These all these goods of God we have wasted and mispent his Truth Strength Beauty Love Hope Faith Fear Humility Worship â—â—d precious Time we have lain them out on Carnal things and things that will noâ— profit us in the latter end We are not debtors to the flesh yet we have laid out all these things on the flesh we have paid them in our own wrong they must be paid again Agree therefore with thine adversary and that quickly But whether is more injustice to give light unto darkness or darkness unto light the things of God to the Devil or the things of the Devil unto God For what shall we say unto those who give unto God their sins and say that he is the Author of them who say either 1. Directly that they are given up to commit abominations Jer. 7. or else 2. Obliquely denying that God gives them strength to pay their debt unto him Exhort To be just and upright in this point to give God his own 1. Remember I pray you the reasons before named 't is no more than equity we are exhorted unto to pay our debts unto God 2. God calls for them and challengeth them at our hands 3. We our selves have often promised and vowed to pay them 4. All which prove that it 's a great injustice to detain them for if it be a crying sin to detain our neighbours goods from him how loud doth that sin cry which is against God who is justice it self 5. Add hereunto the liberality of our Creditor the debt we owe him 't is but of his free love and mercy that he lends us all we have or are we have no greater plea when we require our debts than to say we lent the money freely out of our own purses 6. Who would run in continual debt and danger of Law and hang upon every bush and therefore our Saviours advice is to agree with our adversary quickly Mat. 5.25 7. Consider how freely they live who pay all their debts 8. That which in this case seems most of all to hinder our performance of this Duty 't is this we fear we shall be meer bankrupts and lead a tedious and irksom life But we are deceived there 's no loss in making such a deed of gift
self-love and a strong fancy enstates them in joy unspeakable Whence have they learned this doctrine whence but from their impostors and deceivers who come in the Name of Christ and deceive many our Lord warns us of them twice vers 11. and again vers 24. and then superadds a serious warning and we find great need of it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 vers 25. for look through the Word of God and see where the everlasting Joy and Kingdom of Glory can be obtained by other means than by suffering the Cross Rom. 8. 2 Tim. 2.11 1 Pet. 5.10 And in the Text the Lord promiseth to those who suffer with him and sorrow to repentance that they shall see the Son of Man coming in the clouds of heaven All the labour of the Impostors and Deceivers is to perswade men that they shall obtain everlasting joy without mourning that they shall enter into Life some other way Joh. 10.1 This is the principal scope the false Prophets and Deceivers aim at Consol To the Tribes and Families of the Earth especially to those who are of the Stock of Abraham Act. 13.26 that is Believers Rom. 4.12 16 24. Gal. 3.26 27 28 29. See Notes on Gen. 12.1 But must we be alwayes mourning Is there no hope of such a state wherein sorrow shall flee away There is indeed such a state but this Indolentia this joy without sorrow and mourning belongs not to the Tribes of the Earth who bear the Image of the Earthly none but to those who bear the Image of the Heavenly Heb. 12. But this belongs to another Tribe the Tribe of the heavenly even the Lords Tribe Psal 122.4 The Psalmist speaking of the true Jerusalem Thither the Tribes go up the Tribes of the Lord to give testimony to Israel These Tribes are called the Tribes of the Lord even the spiritual and heavenly minded ones who have known the Lord from the beginning who is indeed their beginning and they his off-spring his Children who grow out of him as branches from their stock and so his Tribes Thither the Tribes ascend the Psalmist tells us Psal 84.5 that there are ascensiones in corde they ascend to testifie to Israel even the true Israel of God that the Deity dwells among them Chald. Paraphrase when they come to praise his Name as when two or three are gathered together in his Name he is in the midst of them Mat. 18.20 yea to testifie against the rebellious and ungrateful Israel the manifold benefits they have received of Christ and their great unthankfulness who rejected him and crucified him so that the Tribes of the world the Gentiles enjoy the Promises which were made unto the Tribes of Israel these Tribes of the Lord testifie to the Tribes of Israel Crucianum Deum as St. Hilary calls the Lord Jesus the Crucified God These are the Tribes of the Lord who shall sit and judge the twelve Tribes of Israel Mat. 19.28 Exhort Let us now mourn lest we then mourn let us now sorrow to repentance lest we then sorrow to desperation Luk. 6.25 Wo to them who now laugh for they shall mourn This mourning is inferred from the appearing of the sign of the Son of Man in Heaven 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 then when they see that sign Then shall all the Tribes of the Earth mourn That we may be the more affected with this sign we must know it is luctus pro unico mourning for a Son an only Son Zach. 12. Murder is one of the greatest sins simply the greatest against our Neighbour all other leave a Being this takes away the Being it self Means To produce this mourning are the preaching of the word whence follows that mourning Zach. 12.11 As the mourning of Hadadrimmon in the valley of Megiddo where Josiah was slain 2 Chron. 35.22 When Gal. 3.1 before their eyes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Christ is described and crucified wherefore he saith Weep not for me but for your selves But alas we have not been conformable to his death we come short we have not run our race of Patience it hath not had its perfect work we are not yet redeemed from Earth not yet born the Image of the Heavenly not yet engrafted into the likeness of Christ's resurrection though we profess much Love yet we daily wound him wherefore he saith what are these wounds in thy hands he answers such as I have received in the house of my friends such as with their mouth make shews of love but within are full of envy Exhort See ye refuse not him that speaks from Heaven NOTES AND OBSERVATIONS UPON MATTHEW XXIV 37 38 39. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 But as the dayes of Noah were so shall also the coming of the Son of Man be For as in the dayes that were before the flood they were eating and drinking marrying and giving in marriage until the day that Noah entred into the ark And knew nothing untill the flood came and took them all away so shall also the coming of the Son of Man be I Have noted already many things concerning the sign of the Son of Man in Heaven vers 30. wherein we have signum signatum the sign of the Son of Man the Son of Man himself appearing which apparition and coming of the Son of Man is further described by the certainty of it and the time and manner of it secret and suddain The words contain a prophetical-parallel-comparison or similitude and that either contract and brief or explicate and opened more at large 1. Contract and brief vers 37. 2. Explicate and opened more at large in vers 38 39. 1. In the contract similitude we have these particulars 1. Noah and the Son of Man are parallel 2. Noah had his dayes 3. The Son of Man hath his coming 4. The dayes of Noah and the dayes before the coming of the Son of Man are also parallel 2. In the explicate similitude we have these Divine Truths 1. In the dayes before the flood they were eating and drinking 2. They were marrying and giving in marriage 3. Noah entred into the Ark. 4. They were eating c. until that Noah entred into the Ark. 5. The flood came 6. The flood took them all away 7. They were eating and drinking c. and knew not until the flood came and took them all away 8. The coming of the Son of Man shall be even so Noah and the Son of Man are parallel in their like Birth and Name Death and Life and Resurrection 1. In their Birth Lamech was a poor depressed humbled man See Notes on 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Gen. 5. and he was the Father of Noah And though the Lord Jesus came of the Seed Royal even according to the flesh yet were his Parents poor depressed and humbled so that he was born in an Inn and in the stable of the Inn. Nor did he improve the fortune of his mean Parentage for he had not where
the event of their preparation While the Bridegroom tarried they all slumbred and slept Whence these Divine Axioms are observable 1. The Bridegroom tarried 2. they all slumbred and slept 3. while the Bridegroom tarried they all slumbred and slept 1. The Bridegroom tarried The word here rendered tarried is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to stay a time which answers most what to the Hebr. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Gen. 32. Moses tarried in the Mount with God or stayed a time the word here Which stay or prolonging of time may be considered either in regard of him who stayes or prolongs his time for good reason as 't is observed Samuel did 1 Sam. 13.8 9 10. And Saul tarried seven dayes according to the time that Samuel had appointed and Samuel came not his people were scattered or in regard of him or them who wait or expect that time That we may the better understand this we must know what was the ancient custom of solemnizing marriage there were Three distinct times First 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or disponsalia wherein the Virgin was Espoused and Contracted unto the Bridegroom when stipulation and promise were wont to be made between them whence the names of sponsus and sponsa are a spondendo from their mutual promises one to another The second time was called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 when the Bridegroom going out of his own house was brought unto the house of the Virgins Father or Father to his Spouse which was to visit her Thirdly 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 when the Virgin Espoused was brought into the house of her Husband when the Marriage Feast was made which they called Repotia when the Marriage was consummated and perfected When the Bridegroom therefore here is said to tarry or stay this time is to be understood which was wont to be between the betrothing and the consummating or finishing the Marriage which was not only usual among the Romans and Lacedemonians and other Nations but among the Jews also that there was a set time after Espousing and Contracting before the parties so Contracted came to live together Deut. 20.7 What man is there that hath betrothed a Wife and hath not taken her let him go and return again unto his house lest he die in the battel and another man take her so 21.13 And she shall put off the Garment she was taken in and shall remain in thine house and bewail her Father and her Mother a month long and after that shalt thou go in unto her and marry her and she shall be thy Wife so Judg. 14.7 8. And Sampson went down and talked with the Woman which was beautiful in his eyes and within a few dayes he returned to take her to wife Thus we understand Mat. 1.18 When as Mary was betrothed to Joseph before they came together she was found to be with Child of the Holy Ghost According to this ancient custom of God's People we understand the 24th of Genesis where Abraham's Servant having travelled unto Mesopotamia with Authority from his Master to provide a Wife for his Son he obtains her consent and promise there which was Espousing by a Proxy afterward she being brought to Isaac Isaac took her and brought her into his Mother Sarahs Tent which discovers the gross mistake of many who from hence huddle these things into one as if there were no difference of time at all between Espousing and Marrying which it's evident were different actions and with great solemnity performed at divers times and was here the ground of the Bridegrooms tarrying Observ 1. That there are three certain special times observable in the Marriage between Christ and the believing Soul 1. Of Espousing and Contracting with the Lord such was the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 when the Lord and the believing Soul promise mutual Faithfulness Hos 2.19 I will betroth thee unto me for ever yea I will betroth thee unto me in Righteousness and in Judgment and in loving Kindness and in Mercies and vers 23. I will sow her unto me in the Earth and will have mercy upon her that had not obtained mercy 2. An interval and space of time after betrothing 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Hos 3.3 And I said unto her thou shalt abide for me many dayes thou shalt not play the harlot thou shalt not be for another man so will I also be for thee 3. A time of coming together and uniting with him cohabiting 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which we call Wedding from the Dutch word Wedden to promise and wed of Truth Faith Love and Obedience which promise the Bride makes to her Bridegroom at their cohabitation and coming together when reciprocally the Bridegroom promiseth to his Bride as Zach. 8.8 I will bring them and they shall dwell in the midst of Jerusalem and they shall be my People and I will be their God in Truth and in Righteousness Jesus said if a man love me he will keep my words Joh. 14.23 And my Father will love him and we will come unto him and make our abode with him 4. Hence every Soul may learn in what estate and condition it is toward God in Christ whether yet we stand out and are at a distance alienated from the Life of God while yet the Ambassadors of Christ wooe us and beseech us to be reconciled unto him 2 Cor. 5. Or whether we have contracted our Souls and given our consent I am content to do thy will O Lord c. Or whether our Lord refresh us with his gracious visitations and rain his Manna of Consolation upon our souls Whether He comfort us with his Spiritual Bread of his Living Word and with his Spiritual Drink the Wine of his Holy Spirit until He comes to be our Life 1 Cor. 11.26 As often as ye shall eat this bread and drink this cup shew ye forth the Lords death untill he come Or whether our Lord own and take us to himself and make his abode with us as before in the 14th of John 23. and 2 Cor. 13.11 Finally Brethren be ye perfect be of good comfort be of one mind live in peace and the God of Love and Peace shall be with you 5. Hence we learn what is the common profession of believers in Christ they are such as wait and expect his Coming they are such as stay themselves upon him while he yet tarries until he come unto them That although the time between the Espousing of the Soul to Christ and the consummating of the Marriage be long 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 tedious yet they wait watch and pray I say again watch Which waiting and expecting of him is either according to the flesh or according to the spirit 1. According to the flesh and thus while he tarried under the Law before He was manifested in the flesh He was called the desire of all Nations Hag. 2.7 For thus saith the Lord of Hosts yet a little while and I will shake the Heavens and the Earth and the Sea and the
2. A casting down of the proud and high-swoln thoughts Thus the way of the Lord is a plain and even way a way of equity we have a clew to guide us in that way Matth. 7.12 Whatsoever ye would that men should do unto you do ye the same Men are wont to esteem what injury is done to themselves to be very great what they do to other men little or none at all what 's the reason they go by the rule of self-love 2 Tim. 3.2 that leading sin lets in all the rest The guide of the Lords way is self-denial let him deny himself Severus the Emperour is reported to have had that sentence often in his mouth Quod tibi fieri non vis alteri ne feceris and for that reason he is supposed to have been a Christian But if that be a mark to know a Christian by Good God! where shall we find a Christian we esteem not Christians now by obedience to Christs Doctrine but by Opinions and taking parts though we live Antichristian lives as that Emperour had that speech often in his mouth yet persecuted the Christians That Emperour died in this Island and I would to God that Christian Principle were not dead with him But wouldst thou walk in this way of equity wherein all the Saints of God have walked before thee it is the Law and the Prophets Matth. 11.13 which prophesied until John Change the person and when thou wouldst do any thing to another examine thy self would I be defrauded slandered robbed killed c. Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thy self Omnia praecepta in hoc he that loves his neighbour hath fulfilled the whole Law Gal. 5. 3. The way of the Lord hath no stumbling-blocks in it The Wise Man tells his Son that if he follow Wisdom he shall walk in his way safely and his foot shall not stumble Prov. 3.23 and there is great reason for it for the steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord and he delighteth in his way Psal 37.23 and he gives his Angels charge over such a man to keep him in all his wayes Psal 90.11 such a man is in the day and if a man walk in the day he stumbles not Joh. 11.9 much less doth the righteous man fall seven times a day Which I beseech ye to take notice of because I well know many well-meaning Christians have drunk in this errour and conceive it to be a truth grounded upon nay extant in the Scripture in the Complaint of a Sinner which is set next before the singing Psalms ye have this in the beginning of the third staff The Scripture plain tells me The righteous man offendeth Seven times a day to thee Now beloved where doth the Scripture plain tell me this I doubt not but the Penman of that Complaint had reference to Prov. 24.16 where we read a just man falleth-seven times and riseth up so that in that part of the Complaint there is a double errour committed 1. There is an errour of adding to Gods Word an usual errour but a damnable one a day is not in the Text I have on purpose searched the Original Hebrew Chaldee LXX Latin Translations many Translations of the Scriptures into other Languages and those many yet a day is not extant among one of them except only in one Latin Translation which wanting the Original is of no Authority at all 2. Suppose it were a true reading That the just man falleth seven times a day which yet is no where extant in the Original yet it is not rightly there understood That the righteous man offendeth seven times a day that appears not for if ye please to look the words next before vers 15. Lay not wait O wicked man against the dwelling of the righteous spoil not his resting place for a just man falls seven times and the words following but the wicked shall fall into mischief it 's evident out of the Context that the fall of the righteous here meant is into affliction and tribulation Our last English Translators were certainly of this mind who put in the Margin Psal 34.19 Many are the afflictions of the righteous but the Lord delivers him out of all c. 37.24 Job 5.19 He shall deliver thee in six troubles yea in seven there shall no evil touch thee Thus also the Ancients understand this place Austin is not out of credit in this Age wherein commonly men give more credit to Children than Fathers Non de iniquitatibus sed de tribulationibus intelligi voluit others I could add both of the Greek and of the Latin Church but 't is enough that the very context and parallel Scriptures prove the place to be understood of affliction and tribulation Yet beloved I deny not but the Children of God may stumble yea and fall also while they are Children and that often which is signified by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and their falls 3. Prepare the way of the Lord i. e. straighten it This also is the meaning of the word as the Prophet Isaiah implyes Isa 40.4 this supposeth that our wayes are perverse and crooked opposite unto that rectitude and straightness which God requires the conformity to his will If we enquire into the reason of this it ariseth from the proness of our first birth unto evil of which David speaks Psal 51.5 Behold 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in iniquity was I brought forth which word signifieth a crookedness or perversness or as we turn it iniquity or wickedness which is of Wichen in the Low Dutch that signifieth as much from this crookedness of nature proceed all crooked wayes whereof the Prophet in the same Psalm Rectum est Index sui obliqui That we may therefore know what crookedness is and the crooked things which are mentioned Isa 40. we must first know what is straight That is right and straight which inclines to neither part as a straight line lies even between to terms a straight way inclines neither to the right hand not to the left as Moses travelling through the wilderness toward the Land of Canaan saith Numb 20.17 We will go by the Kings high way we will not turn aside to the right hand or to the left and Deut. 2.27 by the way will I go I will not turn aside to the right hand or to the left So in our passage through the wilderness toward the Holy Land or Land of holiness we must go straight on by the great Kings high way without any turning by the way by the way only by the way as Deut. 16.20 Righteousness righteousness shalt thou follow all manner of righteousness and only that and that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and that without turning any way to the right hand or to the left Deut. 5.32 Prov. 4.27 The rule of this right and straight way is the Word of God Psal 33.4 The Word of the Lord is right the Law of God the Statutes of the Lord are right Psal 19.8 That word is
evil as because a swine was an unclean beast The Jews told their Children it was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 anothing thing that is somewhat that they would not have them know 2. Notable for good and excellency in goodness Caleb had another spirit that is a new spirit Numb 14.24 They must now speak with new tongues they are new men new creatures and therefore they must have all things new Zeph. 3.9 See Esay in locum Axiom 3. They were first filled and then they spake This is a Prime a principal requisite of him who ever he is who speaks in the name of the Lord 1 Pet. 5.10 Observ 1. Here is then the very best eloquence that which is given and taught by the holy Spirit of God That 's the true Flexanima Suada That 's that Rethorick that winns upon the minds and hearts of men Of this the Apostle speaks 1 Cor. 2.1 When I came to you I came not with excellency of speech or of wisdom declaring unto you the testimony of God vers 4. My speech and my preaching was not with enticing words of mans wisdom but in demonstration of the Spirit and Power Observ 2. Note hence What ought to be the Measure and Rule of our speech and especially of theirs who are Gods Truch-men and Interpreters unto his People surely the dispensation of the Spirit For how can any man speak of God or the things of God without the direction and teaching of God The Divine Philosopher knew this when he said No man can speak any thing of God without an Oracle Observ 3. Hence we may know among the manifold pretences to the Spirit of God who hath that Spirit at least in good measure if not in the fulness of it viz. if they speak as the Spirit gives them to speak if they speak a pure language He that offends not in his tongue is a perfect man and is able to rule Every Nation hath its Character sermonis some certain character by which every one is known The Ephraimite hath his Shibboleth by which he is known to be an Ephraimite The Galilean hath his proper Dialect Thou art a Galilean and thy speech agreeth thereunto Howbeit this is to be understood so that the hands and the feet agree with the tongue that our actions and life our holy affections and obedient walking be suitable to our pure language otherwise if the voice be Jacobs and the hands be the hands of Esau If we look no farther than the History it is no better than deceit and supplanting but if a man be a Galilean and his speech agreeth thereunto as it was said to St. Peter then no doubt the speech is a character of the holy Spirit if a man be a Galilean that is a Convert one turned about from sin to righteousness from Satan unto God and his speech his holy communication agreeth thereunto no doubt there is the Spirit of God as it is said of these Apostles and Disciples in the Text that they were all Galileans all Converts all turn'd from Satan unto God The Disciples were commanded to go into Galilee and there they should see the Lord Jesus And our Lord wrought most of his great works in Galilee If we be converted and penitent and bring forth fruits worthy amendment of life if we bring forth the fruits of the Spirit in our life and actions Galat. 5.22 then we are true Ephraimites i. e. fruitful ones though but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Spica Observ 4. This discovers unto us the fountain of all errours and heresies which either in former Ages or especially in this latter Age have risen in the Church of God Men have not waited and expected until they have been filled with the Spirit of God until the Spirit hath given them to speak but they have heeded their own Spirit This St. Peter implyes is the reason of false prophesying and teaching in the Church 2 Pet. 1. ult cum 2. And hence it comes to pass that the woman speaks in the Church and usurps authority over the man Exhort To this holy ambition to be filled with the holy Ghost to speak with tongues as the Spirit gives to speak Surely this were vain and foolish presumption had not all the people of God the promise of the same Spirit even we that are afar off in regard of place in time in disposition and qualification Act. 2.39 The Promise is made to you Luk. 11.13 Your heavenly father shall give his holy Spirit to them that ask it The Lord gives his Spirit to those who obey him Act. 5.32 Means to attain this let us hear what Christ speaketh in us Psal 45. The Jews understood not Christ's speech Joh. 8.42 43. and he gives the reason vers 44. Ye are of your Father the Devil Observ 5. The Spirit must first speak to the Minister before the Minister can speak to the people Do ye seek a proof of Christ speaking in me c. And is there so great a filling so great a fulfilling of all things and are we empty Is the Spirit of God poured forth and shall we have no share of it Alas if we be filled with any thing else with any thing contrary to Gods Spirit how can we be filled with it the Spirit of Envy excludes the Spirit of Love if we be envious we cannot receive the Spirit of Love Christ's Spirit is a spirit of meekness humility truth Can we receive this Spirit while we have the spirit of pride wrath errour A brief defence of the Observation of Festivals and in particular that of Pentecost or Whitsunday from Ephes 4.10 THe only Wise God in all Ages hath preserved the memory of his wonderful Works by setting apart certain dayes Festival dayes and yearly Solemnities whereby all the People of God have been stirred up to a grateful remembrance of them and to the performance of such duties as the respective Solemn dayes and times required of them But Variè Diabolus aemulatus est veritatem affectavit illam aliquando defendendo concutere The Devil hath divers wayes envied the truth of God Sometimes he hath endeavoured to shake it by seeming to defend it saith Tertullian As in the business of Christian Festivals so on the other side under a pretence of Zeal for the truth of God he raised up Aerius the Heretick of old to deny the Solemn Feasts as Judaical and there have been of Aerius his Disciples and are at this day who oppose the dayes set apart for the memory of Christ's actions under the name of superstition Hence it is that the history and memory of Christ's birth death resurrection ascension and giving the Holy Ghost hath been obscured and their mysteries unknown and our duties required out of them wholly neglected and not performed So that they who have thus opposed the Christian Festivals as superstitious under a shew of greater piety and holiness they have done the Devil notable service as in special in regard of the present Festival The
words then we have these Divine Truths contained 1. Some were saved daily from the untoward generation 2. The Lord added to the Church daily such as were saved from the untoward generation In the former we have the flight of Sin and Vice In the latter we have the refuge of Grace and Vertue In the former we do dediscere unlearn and cease to do evil In the latter having ceased from evil we do discere learn to do well The former contains the first dispensation and the work of the Father The latter the dispensation of the Son and his work The Lord added to the Church such as were saved To which we may add a third from the note of diversity 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but the Lord which our Translators render by a copulative as very often they do 3. That though they repented were baptized continued in the Apostles Doctrine and saved themselves from the untoward generation yet this proceeded not from themselves or any power of their own but from the Grace of God Though they did all that was commanded them yet it was out of Grace and Mercy that the Lord added to the Church daily such as were saved or saved themselves from the untoward generation In the first of these we must enquire 1. What was this untoward generation 2. What is meant by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 who are said to be saved from the untoward generation The former is here necessarily to be supplied from the 40. vers to which it hath evident reference Nor can we understand how men can be saved from the untoward generation unless we know what they are The words are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Nor can we tell what perverse crooked and untoward is unless we know what is right and straight for privatives are known by their positives that whereby we shall know what is crooked is right and straight now Rectum est index sui obliqui See Notes on 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Joh. 1.23 The word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 saved answers principally either 1. to 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to save help preserve or keep 2. else to 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to escape or cause to escape some great and imminent danger Observ 1. Mankind by the Fall and continuance therein is in a perishing condition in imminent danger of utter destruction nay past danger danger is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the nearness of an evil but Mankind periit it 's lost the lost sheep the lost groat the lost the dead Son Luk. 15. Observ 2. They who are delivered from the crooked generation are men saved as from imminent peril as brands pluck'd out of the fire-hearth as men alive from the dead so the Syriack Interpreter here 3. This work is not wrought by Man alone but by the Father preventing Man by his Grace for it is very observable that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and therefore the word vers 40. however we turn it actively save your selves is in the form passive as is also the word in the Text which implies that we should Deum pati suffer the saving work of God upon our souls yield our selves unto him co-operate with him 1. As it answers to 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to save it 's very observable that that verb is never read in the Active Kal implying by that defect that man as he is purely man can never save himself by his own power but that we obtain all our power ability and sufficiency of God only 2 Cor. 3.5 according to that of Jerem. 17.14 Save me O Lord and I shall be saved for vain is the salvation of man Psal 60.13 2. It answers also to 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to escape or cause to escape and thus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the word we turn here saved may answer unto 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 evasores such as escape the great and imminent danger of the untoward generation such as are saved or have escaped the corruption that is in the world through lusts 2 Pet. 1.4 Whence is it that some are saved from the crooked generation Surely God the Father preserves them from it Psal 12.7 Thou wilt save them from this generation and what generation that is he tells us in the next words vers 8. The wicked walk round about a crooked generation For not only the Son but the Father also is called our Saviour and said to save us Tit. 3.4 5 6. And this he doth sometimes 1. immediately so he called Abraham out of Vr 2. mediately by the Ministry of Angels as Lot or by the Ministers of the Word who are therefore called Saviours Obad. vers 21. This they do by that grace of God that brings salvation unto all men Tit. 2. Thus we read that Paul separated the Disciples from the untoward generation Acts 19.9 Nor were they wanting to themselves and therefore we turn the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Save your selves from this untoward generation 2. The Lord added to the Church daily such as were saved Hitherto we have heard who these saved ones were and from what they were saved which is the work of the Father in the first dispensation My Father worketh hitherto saith the Son of him and I also work Joh. 5.17 Come we then to that second work the work of the Son in the second dispensation and so by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Lord is to be understood the Lord Christ who is here said to add unto the Church Here then we must enquire 1. What is the Church and 2. What it is to add unto the Church 1. The word is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 2. The Lord Jesus is said to add these saved ones unto the Church when he works that work in them which his Father gave him to do Joh. 17. when he further instructs them they now become his Disciples in self-denial taking up the Cross daily daily mortifying their earthly members Reason may be given in regard of 1. Him who makes this addition 2. The Church to which this addition was made 3. Those who were saved and added to the Church 1. In respect of the Lord who makes this addition He is the Head of the Church and hath all authority over it They also who are to be added unto the Church are his for it 's true of these also which he speaks of his Apostles Thine they were and thou gavest them unto me Joh. 17. 2. As for the Church it is the body of Christ which as yet had but few members One hundred and twenty Act. 1. besides what access it received vers 41. whereas the Promise made to Abraham was that his Seed should be as the stars in heaven for multitude and as the sand on the Sea shore 3. As for those who were saved it was the end why they were hewn fitted and prepared by the Law of the Father and his Prophets that they might be added as living stones unto the spiritual house as living members to the body of
the Jews reckoned the Fifth Commandment for this reason in the First Table Observ 7. This is a ground of brotherly love we are all of neer kin all Adam's Sons nay all the Sons of God all brethren where then is that brotherly love which is the natural tye of brethren those funiculi those cords of Adam whereby we are bound to love one another those cords of our God whence we are taught to love one another 1 Thess 4.9 Did not one God fashion us in the womb Job 31.15 Have we not all one father who is that presently it followeth hath not one God Created us O then followeth an unanswerable question Why do we deal treacherously every man against his brother by prophaning the Covenant of our Fathers Mal. 2.10 pudet haec opprobria nobis Et dici potuisse non potuisse refelli He hath made of one blood all Nations c. Act. 17.26 27. that they may seek God But we even because we seek God we think we may envy one another and hate one another O thou Son of God are these thy Fathers doings dost thou learn these things of thy Father Psal 58.2 There is a great deal of Religion among us but no love no mercy no patience no long-suffering no brotherly kindness doth not Religion consist in these things I wonder wherein the Religion of this present world consists it's a Religion without Religion That which Plutarch tells that the Grecians appealed to the Judicatories of other Nations because they had no Justice among them I may say of Mankind hateful and hating one another If we look for brotherly love we must seek it among the Beasts the Fowls fly by flocks the Fishes swim together by sholes the brute Beasts herd together and fold together yea Birds and Beasts of sundry kinds can endure the one the others noise only men nay which is more strange we who pretend Religion cannot allow another his thought that one should so much as think otherwise than we do except a Bird of Prey which sings not at all come among them then they are hush Repreh 1. This reproves those who look not at God as their Father but look at Adam at the next Father of their flesh as commonly men look at those by whom they get profit or credit He it is that teacheth thee to profit and to get wealth Deut. Exhort 1. To honour our God and Father of all He that honours him he will honour it 's a natural obligation He hath invited us to the marriage of his Son our elder brother and shall we come without our wedding garment It 's a feast of Charity As many as received him to them he gave power to be the Sons of God Joh. 1.12 Exhort 2. To be followers of God as dear Children Ephes 5.1 wherein walk in love As the first Adam was the Son of God so was the second Luk. 1.35 and 3.22 The second Adam may be said to be the Son of God either 1. As born by eternal Generation unto the Father or 2. As born in time unto us and in us Gal. 4. Isai 9. Vnto us a Child is born 1. According to his Eternal Generation so Prov. 8. See Hebr. 1. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 2. As he is the Son of God born in time and unto us we may consider him either 1. With reference to the Jews in the fulness of time or 2. With reference to the Jews and Gentiles in these last dayes 1. With reference to the Jews in the fulness of time and so God made choice of Abraham and singled him out of the world lying in the Evil One and made him a promise of Christ to be born of him accordingly when the fulness of time was come God sent forth his Son made of a Woman Gal. 4.4 Hence it is that Matth. 1.1 the Genealogy of Christ is carried up as far as Abraham and no farther to shew that this was the Heir promised to Abraham and afterward unto David Thus in Jury was God known his Name was great in Israel Operatus est salutem in medio terrae God wrought salvation in the midst of the earth Psal 74.12 Salvation is of the Jews Joh. 4.22 Accordingly Jerusalem was the place where men ought to worship vers 21. 2. If we consider the second Adam with reference unto the Jews and Gentiles in these last days The Church of God is much more large Joh. 4.21 Neither at Jerusalem nor in this mountain but the true worshippers shall worship the Father in Spirit and in Truth In every place men pray and lift up holy hands 1 Tim. 2.8 Hence it is That St. Luke carrieth the time of Christ's genealogie up as far as Adam as he that was born the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the common good the common salvation Jud. vers 2. Hence it is that as he is said to be born of the Virgin in fulness of time to the Jews to make good the promise unto them So he is said to be born of a Woman in these last days to Jews and Gentiles to make good the promise made to Adam Gen. 3.15 Yea and to Abraham that in thy seed all generations of the earth might be blessed And thus we read Revel 12.1 Of this our Lord is to be understood Joh. 16.16 17 24. A little while and ye shall not see me c. Observ 1. Behold Gods wonderful method in dispensing the means of Salvation unto all men Pointed at by the Poet Alter erit Typhys Atque iterum ad Trojam magnus mittetur Achilles Christ born in Philistia Tyre and Ethiopia Psal 87.4 5. Preached in Ephesus Eph. 2.17 Crucified in Sodom and Egypt in Galatia Gal. 3.1 Revel 11.8 The Jews become Gentiles and the Gentiles become Jews and Israelites Mich. 5.3 Castal whom he promiseth to bring out of Egypt Mich. 7.15 19. Hos 11.1 For the promise was made to the seed of Abraham that should be as the stars of heaven Rom. 9.24 28. This is the son of God the King of Israel The Israelites indeed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 are such in whom there is no guile Joh. 1.47 and of such an Israel the son of God is King vers 49. Thus the Jews typed by Judah made David King 2 Sam. 2.4 then the other tribes cap. 5.1 2 3. and in reducing David Chap. 19.41 42 43. Observ 2. Behold then here is the true Shilo come i. e. the son of God so Shilo signifieth his Son the true Isaac the son of the greater Father Abraham The true David born of Jesse i. e. He that is 1 Sam. 17.12 as Jesse signifieth it 's said of him that he went for an old man a type of the Ancient of days The true Josuah i. e. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Son of Nun who is that but the eternal God So Nun signifieth Exod. 33.11 But as the first Adam in his person is not only here considerable but in his nature also So likewise is here the second Adam
the Saints shall rule all the world and hereupon many flatter themselves into a conceit that all the world shall be their own that they shall rule over their enemies as their enemies have ruled over them that they shall enjoy all pleasures and delights c. which fancy is indeed no other than a kind of gross Turcism The same errour which St. Paul blames in the Galatians having begun in the Spirit they would end in the flesh For surely the true Christian freedom consists not in immunity or exemption from outward Governours as the Apostle testifieth where he saith That he who is called a servant is the Lords free-man 1 Cor. 7. besides it is the saying of the Lord our righteousness if the Son make ye free then are ye free indeed otherwise exemption from an outward servitude maketh no man truly free Lastly if all the people in the Golden Age shall be righteous Isai 60.21 and all be made Kings and Priests unto God Revel 1. and all reign upon the earth Revel 5.10 Who shall they bear rule over surely their true freedom is over their affections and lusts when all their members are servants unto righteousness Dehort From this servitude of uncleanness and iniquity to call it servitude it 's argument enough to disswade us from it it 's the basest condition of all nay no condition Servi neque caput est neque status saith the Lawyer he is in nullo numero he is nullius censûs and shall we yield our members subject to such a condition such as is no condition but if the Master were good the servitude were not ill as was shewn before Some Masters may be found were so good that servants would yield their ears to be boared and become their servants for ever but this is a servitude and slavery to uncleanness To be a servant to unclean swine and a swineherd it 's an honest imployment but this servitude it 's a slavery and servitude unto the unclean spirits Justa servitus a just servitude either commends or allays and qualifieth the burden but this slavery 't is to a most unjust master for 't is to injustice it self he will have brick made but he will allow no straw These are great aggravations but there is yet a greater we are free-men Christ hath made us free we are wont to stand fast in our liberties and plead for them as indeed we may and ought and say they were obtained with much blood And may we not ought we not to stand upon our Christian Liberty which cost the Son of God his most precious blood 1 Pet. 1.18 O then let us yield our selves servants unto him he hath wrought the purging of our sins Hebr. 1.3 he hath paid the price of our redemption even himself that he might redeem us from the slavery both of uncleanness and iniquity Tit. 2.14 He hath given himself for us that he might redeem us from all iniquity there 's redemption from one and the other followeth that he might purifie to himself a peculiar people zealous of good works His service is pure and holy and just and equal so saith Zachary in his time That we being redeemed out of the hands of our enemies might serve him without fear Remember ye are bought with a price wherefore 't is the Apostles inference and a just one Glorifie God in your bodies and in your spirits which are Gods Which is implyed in this particle 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a little word but as many other little words are of greater moment than parhaps at first sight we are aware of I am not ignorant that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 into and in are sometimes in the Original Greek as ב in the Hebrew used promiscuously one for the other yet some places there are where the proper use of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 into is most significant It will be worth our labour to take notice of a place or two Mat. 13.52 Every Scribe taught 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 unto the kingdom or into the kingdom of God the Syri 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 many a man hath hearsayes of God's kingdom but he is the learned Scribe indeed that hath so heard that he is taught into it and the words following prove this He brings forth of his treasury things new and old As the Lord promiseth his people under the Law Levit. 26.10 that they should eat the old store and bring forth the old because of the new and he maketh good his promise under Joshuah 5.11 They did eat of the old corn after the Passover and parched corn in the same day this promise is yet further fulfilled under the true Joshuah or Jesus The old and the new are the type and truth the letter and the spirit the figurative and the spiritual which whosoever brings forth out of his treasury must in reason have before in his treasury he must not bring it forth out of books only but out of the tables of his heart it must be in him he must enter into the kingdom of God and that in him Thus 1 Pet. 1.25 The word of the Lord abides for ever and this is the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is preached unto you he speaks not only of the audible word which passeth away but of that whereof the word we hear testifieth which is the eternal word the word which abides for ever and therefore St Paul calls the Gospel the testimony of God and Christ 1 Cor. 2.1 2. The Gospel then is preached to the purpose and we have heard to the purpose when the eternal word is preached 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 into us and hath a living form in us The like sence is of this 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the Text ye have yielded 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ye have incorporated your selves into iniquity and have been all one with it As the Apostle saith of the Ephesians Ye were sometimes not only dark or in darkness but darkness it self as we say of a notorious villain that he is scelus wickedness it self This appears also by the phrase in the Text opposite unto this 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Now but why now it requires our present and instant service of righteousness the time present is all the time we have for howsoever the Lord may vouchsafe unto his Church a longer time yet to every one of us he allows but this present time 1. De tempore non habemus nisi 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 All the time we have is but the present what ever time is past it is as dead to us and that 's it that may suffice us 1 Pet. 4.3 what ever is to come it hath yet no life all we can make our own and be sure of is the present But more specially 2. Now is the accepted time now is the day of salvation 2 Cor. 6.2 the Apostle there alludes to the Jubilee the blowing of the Trumpet the time of Christ and his Spirit when
spiritual age which is the wisdom saith the wise man Solomon Wisd 4. Such an one was Moses who received the Tables of the Law written on both their sides Exod. 32.15 the outward letter and inward spirit in unity such were the Elders of Israel Numb 11.16 where God saith this to Moses Gather to me seventy men of the Elders of Israel whom thou knowest that they are the Elders of of the peole It was no hard matter to know who was the eldest man and had lived longest in this outward world but that was not the age the Lord meant but saith such as thou knowest these take to the tent of the Congregation that they may stand there with thee with thee whence they gather they should be like Moses in wisdom fear of God piety meekness of such as these consisted the great Synagogue they were Priests Levites and the wisest and most pious Israelites unto these now apostatized and degenerate the Prophet speaks Mich. 3.1 Ye heads of Jacob is it not for you to know judgement such were the true Priests and Levites Mal. 2.6 7. the law of truth i. e. the spiritual law was in Levi's mouth the Priests lips should keep knowledge such was David and all the Prophets Ezech. 2.10 Liber scriptus intus foris intus per allegoriam foris per historiam Gregory The Apostles they knew that the Law is spiritual The reason may be conceived from the consideration of the father of spirits the father of lights from whom descends every good and perfect gift the lights are five c. See Notes on Matth. 16.17 By this light spiritual men are renewed in the spirit of their minds Ephes 4.23 for whereas the most noble and highest part of the man God hath imparted unto him when he breathed into his nostrils the breath of life was now depraved by the apostacy from his God it was necessary this should be repaired if the man should receive a spiritual Law from God for it was otherwise impossible of this the Apostle speaks 1 Cor. 2.12 Now we have received not the spirit of the world but the spirit of God that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God The Apostles and the Prophets before and all spiritual men were to Preach and Teach the law of the spirit of life being ministers of the spirit and therefore they must know that the law is spiritual Gal. 1.15 16. They must first receive the immortal seed before they sow it in the hearts of the people and when they have received it they propagate it by spiritual generation of others 1 Cor. 4.15 and 9.1 the work he wrought in them was in the Lord and from the Lord and before he wrought it he had seen the Lord it was necessary it should be so for the spiritual birth is not wrought by equivocal generation he that begets spiritual children must have received spiritual seed and therefore I will not dare to speak of any of those things which Christ hath not wrought by me to make the Gentiles obedient by word and deed Rom. 15.18 saith Paul Observ 1. If the Apostles and other spiritual men knew that the Law is spiritual this points us to the ground of the differences and strivings about the Law they proceed from ignorance for men differ not when they come to the knowledge of the Truth We dispute about idolatry and condemn the Papists for idolaters nor do I know how they can excuse themselves from the charge Mean time we know not and acknowledge not that there are idols in our own hearts we dispute about the Sabbath and condemn those who work in it in the interim we know not or consider not that we cease not from our own sins our own works which is the true keeping of the Sabbath See Notes on Matth. 13.11 As about the Letter of the Law so about the flesh of Christ great disputes Observ 2. The Law of our God is not so plain and easie as some conceive it to be thy testimonies saith the Psalmist Psal 119.129 they are wonderful now that is properly wonderful which is not known mirari veteres pro nescire and therefore we read him praying often Teach me thy Law O Lord thy judgements and statutes Mirari est interdum ignota causa Scalig. Observ 3. There is a spiritual sence of the Law This is that which our Saviour proves Mat. 5.6 where he goes about to free the Law from the false glosses of the Scribes and Pharisees This reproves those who limit their obedience within the outward letter of the Law these are Pharisaical men of whom I spake somewhat before a Disciple of the Pharisees ye read of Mar. 10.17 this young man thought he had kept all the Commandments because he had performed obedience unto the letter of them and therefore because he knew no better and performed that it 's said our Saviour loved him how far short come we young and old of that pharisaical young man who come short of the letter in our duty towards our neighbour He had observed all these Commandments from his youth had he not so done but had lied it would not have been added that our Saviour loved him for surely he loves no iniquity Psal 5. yet how far short came this young man of the true spiritual and inward Righteousness which must exceed the righteousness of the Scribes and Pharisees and therefore our Lord overthrows all he had said with one Precept he was not aware of Sell whatever thou hast and give to the poor c. For the Will and Commandment of our God is our Sanctification i. e. withdrawing all our will and affections heart soul and spirit from all the Creatures and applying our selves entirely withal we are or have obediently unto our God Now if we be otherwise minded and the heart and spirit run out after any creature we break all the Commandments of our God for when the heart is fixed upon any Creature without God there we have another God before him when we are covetous or proud we set up idols in our hearts though we worship no outward idol When we bear the Name of our God in profession yet walk unworthy of our God when we name the Lord Jesus Christ yet depart not from envy malice or any iniquity we take Gods Name in vain though we swear not at all These inward violations of the Spiritual Commandment are far worse than the outward as our Saviour speaks Matth. 12.43 44 45. Reproves Presumptuous men sensual men who have not the spirit of God yet judge of the Spiritual Law which is beyond their reach Levit. 10.9.10 11. after Nadab and Abihu offered strange fire the Lord gives a special Commandment drink not wine nor strong drink 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 animalis homo the natural man who is not yet spiritual receives not the things of the spirit of God c. They speak evil of things which they know not vainly
judged of the Lord O Beloved do we not know that for these things comes the wrath of God upon the children of disobedience Ephes 5. Do we not know for this cause many are sick and weak among us and many sleep 1 Cor. 11.30 Have all our afflictions think we come out of the dust or hath the Lords hand been so long stretched out against us in vain and without cause Have we not by this means now long time provoked him to plague us with divers diseases and sundry kinds of death All the Fathers ate the same spiritual meat yet with some of them God was not well pleased 2. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 There will not need any large explication of these words if we shall remember the opening of the former point for so it will appear that as by the Mannah the body and the flesh of Christ is meant his spiritual body that is his Word which is his flesh Joh. 1.14 Deut. 8. man lives not by bread only so by the water out of the Rock and the blood of Christ is to be understood his Spirit for so St. John speaks expresly 1 Joh. 5.8 Confer Notes in Joh. 6.55 56. This is the Reason why the spirit of Christ whereby we are sanctified and purged from our sins proceeding from the Father and the Son as blood from the body this is called the blood of God Act. 20.28 for in Christ dwells the fulness of the Godhead bodily Col. 2. And so out of him being smitten by our sins Isa 53.4 5. by our transgressions and the Curse of the Law for sins issues the blood and spirit of God This was evidently signified Exod. 17. by Moses smiting of the Rock in Horeb when the Law was given for therefore vers 6. The Lord saith behold I will stand 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 upon the Rock Hence it is that oftentimes in Scripture the blood is said to be the life Gen. 9.4 Levit. 17.11 for blood is the spiritual life and hence we are said to drink into one spirit 1 Cor. 12.13 whence the spirit of God is called the spirit of life Rom. 8.2 Rev. 11.11 Hence we understand those Scriptures which testifie the effects of Christs blood Rom. 5.9 10. 1. The blood of Jesus Christ cleanseth us from all our sins 1 Joh. 1.7 which is not understood only of the merit of Christ which yet is of inestimable value but also of the power and efficacy of his blood and spirit 2. Christ washeth us from our sins in his own blood Rev. 1.5 Hebr. 10.29 the blood by which we are sanctified 3. 1 Pet. 2.18 19. where the blood of Christ is compared with corruptible things as silver and gold of all bodily things the most durable and preferred before them as being incorruptible it cannot be understood only of that blood of Christ shed upon the Cross which was like ours for Hebr. 2.11 He took part of the same 7. and 4.15 It must therefore be understood of Christ's spiritual blood or his spirit and life as he speaks Joh. 6.63 and therefore Hebr. 9.14 How much more shall the blood of Christ who through the eternal spirit offered himself without spot to God purge your consciences from dead works to serve the living God Observ 1. This is the reason why Moses forbad the people blood but Christ commands to drink his blood Moses knew they were not fit while yet under the Law to partake of the life but our Lord requires that his self-deniers his mortified ones partake of his blood and life What is it to drink the spiritual drink What else but to believe in the Lord Jesus as the Scripture hath said Joh. 7.37 38. What saith the Scripture of Christ That he is the bread that came down from heaven Joh. 6. the light of the world Joh. 8. the door of the sheep Joh. 10. the resurrection and the life Joh. 11. the way the truth and the life Joh. 14. c. He who believes thus in Christ receives him drinks his blood and spirit drinks the living waters Observ 2. Hence it appears how foully they are mistaken who understand the body and blood of Christ the eating and drinking of them no otherwise than of his natural body and blood and we must follow the actions answerable thereunto how then are they called here spiritual meat and spiritual drink Observ 3. Who are the worthy Communicants Who else but they who contentedly abide in Christ in conformity to his death and life who dwell in him such only he invites such only ought to come to this spiritual feast such only are his Disciples Joh. 8.31 Observ 4. Behold the Centre the Rest of all the Children of God Exhort 1. To eat Christs flesh and drink his blood Exhort 2. To abide in Christ 1 Joh. 2.6 But alas how shall I eat the flesh of Christ c My Brother hath something against me Art thou angry with thy Brother c Matth. 5.22 None of all these what then Dost thou live in some great and heinous sin as of drunkenness whoredom or that which is hardly counted sin though a far greater dost thou live in envy pride covetousness None of all these what then Doth thy brother take offence at thee for well doing which he thinks evil doing In this case scandaliza fortitèr saith Martin Luther What then is it wherein thy Brother takes offence He differs from me in Judgement That divides all the world Peter and Paul Paul and Barnabas yet we read not any thing to the contrary but that they met to break bread the first day of the week Observ 5. Here we read of spiritual meat and spiritual drink and a spiritual Rock ye perceive the Holy Ghost useth such expressions as these are when it will signifie something which is the truth of that which is presented to the outward sense whereby such language is warranted as indeed is necessary in speaking of spiritual and heavenly things Observ 6. As hence appears the universality and commonness of the means of salvation so likewise the munificence bounty and goodness of the Author and Giver of it whence it is that it 's generally said of all the Fathers that they were all baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea no man was excepted yea they went all through the sea and were baptized old and young child and suckling There is express mention made of their little ones Exod. 12.37 Every male was circumcised without exception Gen. 17 11-14 As they were all baptized and circumcised so all did eat of the same spiritual meat they all fed upon Manna c. They all received the holy Sacrament Observ 7. May we not think that some of these were grown up to the spiritual old age there were those among them no doubt who were Elders indeed and such as Moses knew to be such Numb 11.16 17. yet we do not find that any of them pleaded that they were above Ordinances for they all were baptized and
one place 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in another it is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 nothing or unprofitable without the keeping of the Law 3. In regard of God who ordained the Ceremonial Law only for a time and for the ends forenamed and those obtained he shakes this Ceremonial Kingdom and makes all the Feast Dayes New Moons Sabbaths and all the Solemn Feasts to cease Hos 2.11 Hag. 2.6 7. And the Reason is he is a Spirit and therefore according to his nature requires a worship in Spirit and Truth not only in type and figure 1. Observe then what esteem the Spirit of God hath of a Ceremonial worship if rested in All such services though Gods own Institutions are old things And shall we think that Christian Ceremonies if rested in are better God calls his own Institutions old things when rested in And shall not all humane Institutions be as bad or worse if we rest in them without the Truth and foundation of them O Beloved take heed of resting in a perfunctory and outward performance of any Service any Ordinance 2. Observe the transitory nature of all outward Services they pass away Hebr. 8.13 that which decayeth and waxeth old is ready to vanish away An Argument to us to rest our Souls and to lay hold upon that which is durable and permanent the Apostle makes that use of it Hebr. 12.26 27 28. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 eternal life Hebr. 6.18 1 Tim. 6.12 Carnal Ordinances are of short continuance All flesh is grass but the Word of God that endureth for ever 1 Pet. 1.24 25. Wherefore Beloved let us be exhorted that as these old things are of a passing and transitory nature we would so suffer them to pass away from us This is St. Paul's document to the Corinthians when he observed that Church rent with Schisms and Contention going to Law one with another 1 Cor. 1 and 2 and 3 and 4 6. when he observed it polluted with toleration of Incest Chap. 5. and with Idolatry and Superstition and Pride in that the strong despised the weak and the weak judged the strong and neither could bear with the other Chap. 8.9 with calumny and detraction 2 Cor. 1.5 This was Paul's practice and is and ought to be the duty of every Minister to warn the people committed to his charge touching the nature of these old things that they are such that they are transitory and that they ought to pass away from such as are New Creatures The Observations before named may be here used as Motives and Arguments to perswade us 1. They are old things and of small value 2. They are of a transitory nature 3. They are utterly unlawful and unprofitable if rested in which will appear if we take a particular view of the outward cover of old things 1. Under the Law 1. As permitted by God under the Gospel 2. As commanded by him under the Gospel 1. As permitted so the Golden Calf in the Wilderness But every sin that is committed is permitted of God otherwise it could not be but this to be allowed afterward of God at least for a time for Eliah calls the Altars erected unto the Calves Gods Altars 1 King 19 10-14 And when the Altars were thrown down saith he was zealous for the Lord God of hosts as Jehu also was 2 King 16.29 because the makers of these Calves pretended the worship of the true God as appears Exod. 32.5 1 King 12.28 So the Athenians pretended worship to the true God under the name of the unknown God and therefore the times of that ignorance God winked at Act. 17.30 Wisd 11.23 But when that people rested themselves upon that superstitious service of God Then God calls their God and the worship of him by their true and proper names their God an Idol Act. 7.41 Devils Levit. 17.7 and the worship of them going a whoring ibid. see Vatabl. thus what Jehu calls the Lord 2 King 10.16 the Scripture more truly calls the sin of Jeroboam c. vers 29. and 2 Chron. 10.15 Devils 1 Cor. 10.20 Thus when they worshipped God by Jeroboam's Calves they feared the Lord 2 King 17. vers 32 33. yet vers 34. when they relied upon that worship unto this day they do after their former manners They fear not the Lord nor do they after their statutes Thus when the Pharisees and all the Jews kept the tradition of the Elders not eating except they washed often or up to the elbows as Theophilact turns it Mar. 7.3 The Ancient Fathers of the Jewish Church intending as we may charitably conjecture the inward washing from all pollution of Flesh and Spirit The Lord connived at their Will-worship till under a pretence of an outward cleansing they neglected the inward till under a colour of Mans Commandments they thrust out Gods Then he esteemed their worship as an old thing then in vain do they worship me teaching for doctrines the Commandments of men Mar. 7 7-13 As for Ceremonial Services commanded of God as the building of a Temple offering Sacrifice Solemn Feasts and Sabbaths they were all Gods Gommandments but when they doted on the Temple and trusted in it and cryed Templum Domini and mean time neglected the God of the Temple The Lord himself threatens to prophane his own Temple Jer. 7.9.14 as at length he did and he denies that he dwells in any such place Act. 7.48 49 50. Thus he commanded Sacrifices and gave direction how they should be offered as appears in Exodus throughout almost the whole Book of Leviticus but when they rested in opere operato God rejected all their Sacrifices c. Isai 1. And to shew that he was constant to himself and that it was a business of great moment worthy the taking notice of Isai 66.3 He that kills an Oxe is as if he slew a man He that sacrificeth a Lamb is as if he cut off a dogs neck He that offereth an Oblation as if he offered swines blood and he that burneth incense as if he blessed an Idol And though he commanded Moses to erect the Brazen Serpent yet when the people abused it to Idolatry Hezekiah by God's Commandment destroys it and called it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by a diminutive name and that contemptible from the matter whereof it was made not from the form according to which it was made not a Serpent but a piece of brass As when they abused the Sacrifices he calls them slain beasts Act. 7.42 And it is very observable that throughout that whole Chapter the scope whereof will not easily be understood the Protomartyr Stephen answers an Objection Chap. 6.13 14. and proves at large that neither Temple nor Offerings nor any Ceremonial Service though instituted of God pleased God per se by and in themselves considered but as they were serviceable patterns of heavenly things and therefore being rested in God rejects them all as contemptible old things And thus much of the Ceremonial old things permitted or commanded
lusts of the flesh the lust of the eyes and the pride of life vers 16. These are all that are in the world and these are the summ of all Moral old things Besides if Gods Creatures which are made of nothing because made of nothing propend and incline to their old nothing again Surely our Creatures if so we may call our sins they are of nothing and must tend to nothing Isai 41 24-29 2. A second Reason is in regard of the New Creature for the New Creature works out of it self whatsoever is contrary to it self As the Fountain purgeth it self from all filthiness mud and dirt and sends it downward and all Unctions uncleanness and work it upward and the New Wine settles the lees downward and purgeth upward all oily filthiness contracted from the nastiness of those who tread the Grapes Even so the New Creature purgeth it self from all polution of flesh all earthly all fleshly uncleanness and spirit all spiritual wickedness that old leaven that sowres all our actions and makes us swell with spiritual pride And therefore the Apostle exhorts the Corinthians 1 Cor. 5.6 7 8. Purge out therefore the old leaven that ye may be a new lump as ye are unleavened for Christ our Passover is sacrificed for us therefore let us keep the feast not with old leaven neither with the leaven of malice and wickedness but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth 3. In regard of God the ancient of dayes who mainly opposeth himself against these Moral old things which oppose themselves against God all sensual and carnal lusts for God is the avenger of all such 1 Thes 4.6 All spiritual wickedness as that spirit of Antichrist which opposeth and exalteth it self above all that is called God and is worshipped whom the Lord shall destroy with the spirit of his mouth 2 Thess 2 4-8 Against all these Moral old things the Lord mainly opposeth himself His eyes are set against the kingdom of sin or sinful kingdom 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Amos. 9.8 He shall tread that old Serpent called the Devil and Satan under the Saints feet Rom. 16.20 And he commands us to put off concerning our former conversation the old man Ephes 4.22 and to mortifie our earthly members Col. 3.5 And that which he commands us to do that he promiseth us power and assistance to do Behold I give you power to tread upon Serpents and Scorpions and all the power of the enemy Luk. 10.19 The lofty City the City of the Old Man he layeth it low he layeth it low even to the ground he bringeth it even to the dust the feet shall tread it down even the feet of the poor and the steps of the needy Isai 26.6 Zach. 10.5 Whence it is most evident that it is not the will of God that any one of these old things should remain but that every one of them should perish and pass away indeed he permits them and of them some rather than other otherwise they could not be But for the better understanding of this we must know there are diverse degrees of permission as there are diverse kinds and degrees of sin Idolatry is one of the greatest sins and that which seems of all other to be most hated of God yet there are degrees of Idolatry for it is either 1. The worship of a false God against the first Commandment Or 2. The false worship of the true God against the second Commandment Acccording to these degrees of sin there are degrees of permission of sin in God for though God hate loath and abominate all sin and all and every degree of sin yet according to the diverse kinds and degrees of sin Gods hatred of sin and permission of sin is proportioned so that God hateth the greater sin more and permits it less and hates the less sin less and permits it more For Example The worship of Jeroboams Calves was a great and abominable sin the worship of Idols yea of Devils a sin which provoked Gods wrath exceedingly against his people wherewithal Jeroboams name is branded that he made Israel to sin Yet it is the Opinion and Assertion of some of the Jews grounded upon Exod. 32.34 In the day when I visit I will visit their sin upon them That God after the first making of the Golden Calf by Aaron never punish'd Israel but in the punishment there was ever a limb of the Calf Notwithstanding howsoever really and in truth it were a very great sin and they truly Idolaters yet because they pretended the worship of the true God amongst all the Idolaters who worshipped false Gods it was a less sin than the worship of Baal which was a false God And therefore God and Baal God's worship and Baals God's servants and the servants of Baal are often opposed as elsewhere so specially 1 King 18.21 For the clearing of all this See 1 King 16.30 33. Ahad did evil in the sight of the Lord above all that were before him for it came to pass as if it had been a light thing for him to walk in the sin of Jeroboam the son of Nebat that he took to wife Jezabel the daughter of Ethbaal king of the Zidonians and went and served Baal and worshipped him and he reared up an Altar for Baal and made a grove And Ahad did more to provoke the Lord God of Israel to anger than all the kings of Israel that were before him So that it 's manifest that the worship of the Calves was a less sin than the worship of Baal Yet when I say that God permitted that sin of the Calves or might seem to allow it or wink at it at least for a time I mean not that God did any way no not in the least degree approve or like of that gross palpable and abominable sin as if it were good or had any degree of goodness in it but only seemed a while to connive at it that he did not punish the Authors of it but patiently endured them suffered or bare or permitted the sin as a less evil than the worship of Baal or than no worship no acknowledgement of himself at all That we may the better understand this we must distinguish between the Church in the infancy and nonage of it and in the growth and more perfect age of it and the different providence of God in respect of both The Church of the Jews was but the child-hood and nonage of the Church So saith the Apostle Gal. 4. And therefore God led it as Jacob led his Flock Gen. 33.13 14. The children are tender and the flocks and herds with young are with me And if a man should over-drive them one day all the flock will dye I will lead on softly according as the Cattle that goeth before me and the children are able to endure It is in the original I will drive 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 foot by foot according to the foot of the cattle and according to the foot of
envy hatred malice and all uncharitableness such as the Apostle foretold should be in these latter dayes 2 Tim. 3.1 2. Self-loving Christians covetous Christians c. under pretence of sanctity and holiness to oppose Magistracy which the Ancient Christians ever abhorred to do but every soul was subject to the higher powers c. not only for fear but for conscience-sake If we thought it lawful to oppose Magistrates saith Tertullian We are Christians enough to beat all the Roman Legions But our present false Christians think it lawful Are these men in Christ or rather in Belial is Christ formed in them or rather Abaddon and Apollyon what have they to shew for their Christianity and being in Christ but an outward profession some outward Ordinance some form of Godliness without the Power a long conceived Prayer or a long common Prayer without the life required in either O thou who art called Jacob are these his doings O thou who art called and wouldest be thought a Christian is this the life of Christ He who saith he abideth in him ought himself so to walk as he walked 1 Joh. 2.6 More NOTES on II CORINTH V. 17. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Therefore if any man be in Christ he is a new Creature THese words admit a double Consideration for they may be either 1. Absolutely considered and in themselves Or 2. With reference to the precedent words 1. Absolutely and so the Text is a Christian document concerning faithful mens Union with Christ and their new birth in him This document howsoever it seems a conditional Proposition or connex Axiom yet it is no other than that which the Logicians call Affâ—ne Connexo for in pure Conditionals if the first part be true the latter is true also not otherwise But in those kinds of Propositions which in their form are like Conditionals there is a truth of parts If ye be circumcised Christ shall profit you nothing if ye by the Spirit shall mortifie the deeds of the flesh ye shall live Rom. 8. See Notes in locum Thus in Col. 3.1 compared with Col. 2.12 Phil. 2.1 and 4.8 Thus where the Greek hath it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Act. 26.23 we turn it rightly that Christ should suffer c. for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which we turn if doth not alwayes note a condition but sometimes a supposition and signifieth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 because Thus we may indifferently render the words If a man be in Christ he is a new Creature And because or seeing that a man is in Christ be is a new Creature Now because there is no Verb expressed we may understand the Text according to diverse Verbs understood diverse wayes Either 1. Because a man is in Christ he is a new Creature Or 2. If a man be in Christ let him be a new Creature Marg. So that in the words ye have these Three points of Doctrine 1. A faithful Man is in Christ 2. He is a new Creature 3. Because he is in Christ he is a new Creature Christ is not here to be understood according to the flesh the veil which is Christs flesh is removed Hebr. 2. To be in Christ is to be in Christs Kingdom To be in heavenly things Ephes 1. 1. To be partakers of Christ Hebr. 3.14 Thus Andronicus and Junia were in Christ Rom. 16.7 St. Paul calls himself a man in Christ 2 Cor. 12.2 But why stand we on particulars We read of whole Churches in Christ 1 Cor. 1.2 Gal. 1.22 Col. 1.2 1 Thes 1.1 2 Thes 1.1 All which howsoever it be true yet the Scripture seems to thwart this when it tells us That Christ is in the Faithful how then are the Faithful in Christ But this is so far from weakning this Truth and our assent thereto that it further establisheth it and shews that the Union between Christ and Believers is most firm and intimate Thus as St. Paul knew that he himself was in Christ 2 Cor. 12.2 so he saith That it pleased God to reveil his Son Christ in him Gal. 1.15 And as he saith of the Colossians they were in Christ Col. 1.2 So that Christ was in the Colossians Col. 1.27 1. We aee his house Hebr. 3.6 1 Tim. 3.15 and he ours Psal 90.1 2. He dwells in us and we in him Joh. 6.56 3. In him we live and move and have our being Act. 17.28 And he lives in us Gal. 2.20 4. Christ the word of the Father speaks in faithful men I will hear what God will speak in me Psal 85. If ye seek a proof of Christ speaking in me 2 Cor. 13.3 The Angel of the Covenant spake in Zacharie cap. 1.9 And they spake in Christ 2 Cor. 2.12 and 12.19 5. He works all our works in us Isa 26.12 and we all ours in him Joh. 3.21 Eccles 9.1 contra Isa 29.15 Amos 9.2 The Reason of this promiscuous and interchangeable use of the phrase of Believers being in Christ and Christ in Believers is That most thorough and most intimate Union of Christ with the Church and the Church with Christ So that as we may speak indifferently of natural things conspiring into a mutual union one with other that the water is in the wine and the wine in the water the fire in the iron and the iron in the fire though the qualities of these hinder a perfect Union and as the light is in the air and the air in the light even so nay much rather may we say of this spiritual Union of Christ with believers that Christ is in them and they in him Observ 1. Observe then the ground of that Wisdom which we see in Christian men They are in Christ and Christ is the Wisdom of God 1 Cor. 1.24 30. and vers 5. They have the mind of Christ 1 Cor. 2.16 And therefore surely they must be very wise so wise that all others observe and admire their Wisdom Deut. 4.6 7. And wherein consists that Wisdom but in keeping and doing Gods commandments 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 To whom God is so intimate or inward 1 Cor. 14.25 Observ 2. This is the ground of that upright and holy conversation observable among Christian men They are in Christ and he is the righteousness of God 1 Cor. 2.30 All their ways are in Christ 1 Cor. 4.17 They walk with God constantly and evenly not by starts and fits Georg. Ven. fol. 131. b. in him we are made the righteousness God 2 Cor. 5.21 Observ 3. This is the ground of that power which the Saints have against all their enemies of their Salvation They are in Christ 1 Cor. 1.24 and he is the power of God And this time of the Gospel is the day of Gods power Psal 100.3 i. e. of Christ Phil. 4.13 Observ 4. The ground of the Christian mans unspeakable happiness wherein soever men place it Whether 1. In contemplation In him are bid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge Col. 2.3 All truth is in Christ 2 Cor. 1.20 There
exhorted to let these old things pass away to put off these old rags that we may be new clad that all may become new in us The Motives to enforce this duty might be many I shall name only such as I conceive most forcible and they are these 1. Our Love to the New Christian life 2. Our desire of increase of knowledge 3. Our desire of assurance of Faith 4. Our hope of prosperous success in our affairs 1. Our Love to the new Christian life which if we truly love we will hate and part withall things contrary thereunto Cleombrotus having read in Plato that excellent state of the Soul separated from the body was impatient of any longer stay in the body but leaped into the Sea and drown'd himself that he might the sooner obtain that good he hoped for But Beloved we perswade not men to destroy no nor hurt themselves that they may attain unto the new the blessed life no let the Papists meagre and scourge themselves as they do in Lent But do thy self no harm saith Paul to the Jaylor that would have slain himself Act. 16. That we may obtain this new life we must not part with our natural but our old our sinful life 'T is like the casting out of the unclean Devil The Devil threw the man down that was possessed but hurt him not saith St. Luk 4. And so our Apostle we are cast down saith he but not destroyed as dying and bebold we live as parting with the old life and cloathed with the new for this love of Christ who is our life constraineth us that we thus judge that if one dyed for all then were all dead and that he dyed for all that they who live should not henceforth live unto themselves but unto him who dyed and rose again 2 Cor. 5.14 15. As therefore we love the new Life let us dye unto the old That 's the first 2. As we desire increase of knowledge for indeed there is no true understanding of Divine Truth unless first we suffer these old things to pass away So Daniel confesseth Dan. 4.13 We made not our prayer before the Lord our God that we might turn from our iniquities and understand thy truth confer Rom. 12.2 Psal 53.4 3. As we desire assurance of Faith For if we believe that we shall live with Christ we must first believe that we must dye with him Thus our Apostle Rom. 6.8 If we be dead with Christ we believe also that we shall live with him and Chap. 8. of that Epistle vers 13. If we by the Spirit do mortifie the deeds of the body we shall live And this is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a faithful saying or a saying of faith our precious Faith for so truly to believe will cost us our life our sinful life If we dye with him we shall also live with him we shall also reign with him 2 Tim. 2.11 12. 4. As we hope to perform any duty with Gods acceptance as we hope to obtain any new Grace and Mercy of God First go and be reconciled to thy brother first do away the old hatred as the Prophet calls it and then come and offer thy gift Matth. 5.24 First pluck out the beam out of thine own eye and then thou shalt see clearly to cast out the mote out of thy brothers eye Matth. 7.5 No hope of new Mercy otherwise First we must forgive them that trespass against us and then we may hope that God will forgive us our trespasses No hope otherwise of any blessing from God upon our designs When the Israelites were smitten before the men of Ai and Josuah enquired of the Lord what the reason might be The Lord answers him Jos 7.13 There is an accursed thing in the midst of thee Thou canst not stand before thine enemies until ye take away the accursed thing from among you The Lords answer is as true if applyed to any one of us When we would enquire of the Lord what the cause might be that we want good success in our affairs when God blesseth not our endeavours in any kind we need not look for a Reason without us There is an accursed old thing 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the midst of thee 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in you So LXX here 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in your hearts your minds your spirits your thoughts So the LXX often render that word 'Till that accursed old thing whatever it is and whatever that is every one of us best knows for every one knows the plague of his own heart saith Solomon 1 King 8.38 till that accursed old thing be taken away from the midst of thee hope not for any blessing upon any thine affairs or designs hope not for any mercy hope not that any thing will become new in thee But 2. When these old things shall be passed away then behold all things shall become new That 's the second Point which I shall soon finish and so end this Text. 1. When the Ceremonial old things shall pass away Behold all things shall become new This as befits the Word of God hath two edges and strikes at two extreams 1. It reproves those who please themselves extreamly that they have no Ceremonies and yet they have no new thing that 's better neither Spirit nor Truth nor Life they thank God that they are not superstitious when they dishonour God in that they are hypocritical or prophane I hope it is not the condition of any one of us 2. Others it reproves who dote upon the old Ceremonial shadows in the new clear day of the Gospel yea who esteem them above the Truth it self it is the fault not only of those who are popishly affected but of some in all Sects I shall tell you a plain and homely but a very fit similitude A Nut is cracked and the shells fly one piece one way another another every one pretends to look after the kernel and one leads his followers this way another that way one saith here it is another there it is one saith lo here is Christ another saith lo there one saith he is in this Congregation another saith no he is in that and why here and why there and why there and not here Oh because here one sits while another stands there there one kneels while another sits here O Beloved in the Lord what are these but meer shells and no better is there more self-denial here than there is there more meekness more gentleness more faith more virtue more knowledge more temperance is there more patience here than there Is there more godliness is there more brotherly kindness is there more charity is there more mercy is there more long-suffering is there more righteousness is there more holiness is there more obedience c These these and such as these are the new things these are the kernel and these lie still in the midst and are neglected and few regard them but run after the shells and husks
Christ enters into the holy souls according to the ages and our Apostle unto every one of us saith he is given grace according to the measure of the gift of Christ that is according to the measure of Christ who is that gift as the words import Ephes 4.7 1 Cor. 12.7 for so Christ calls himself the gift of God Joh. 4. as Socrates in Plato's Apologie for him calls himself the gift of God to the Athenians For as the visible Sun by few or many and often revolutions makes a like number of natural dayes and years in this outward and visible world after the same proportion in the invisible and spiritual world the Sun of Righteousness lifts up the light of his countenance on the souls of those that fear him upon whom only he ariseth Mal. 4.2 and accordingly makes some children of a few dayes others young men of more and others old men of perfect age For if in truth and in Gods computation they were old or young whom the world accounts as such who I beseech you should be fuller of dayes than Adam and Methuselah who yet are never in all the Scripture said to be old men or full of dayes but Abraham the Father of the faithful who had seen Christs day is said to die in good old age and Joshuah Job Jehojada with some others all Children in respect of these two are yet stiled old men and full of dayes when yet the eldest of them all if we regard their natural life in this outward world came short of Adam and Methuselah many hundred years But lest any one should refer this difference unto natural causes only and say that mans vitals are weaker now since the flood and his nourishment now less able to support him than before Ye may please to hear what the Wise Man saith in express terms That honourable age is not that which standeth in length of time nor that is measured by number of years but wisdom is the Grayhead unto men and an unspotted life is old age Sap. 4.8 9. and at vers 13. speaking of short lived Enoch the father of long-lived Methuselah he being made perfect in a short time fulfilled long time But lest any one should sleight this Testimony and call it Apochryphal as written by some unknown Author howsoever the Ancients who knew better than he judged it to be Solomons Ye have these three Ages of men in Christ as scattered here and there throughout the Scripture so sometimes altogether and that either more obscurely shadowed out in types and figures or plainly laid down in their proper signification These may be meant by the three Wells which Isaac digged Gen. 26. 1. Eseck Contention for the flesh faith the Apostle to these his Children Gal. 5. Resisteth against the Spirit and the Spirit against the Flesh 2. Sitnah that is Enmity of the Evil One or Satan whom the young man overcomes 1 Joh. 2. 3. Rehoboth that is the latitude largeness or freedom of the old man in Christ These also may be meant by Abraham's three dayes journey to Mount Moriah the Mount where God is seen Gen. 22. by the three branches of that Vine for so Christ is the true Vine and all in Christ are the branches Joh. 15. one branch budding figuring our Childhood another blossoming noting Youth in the flower the third bringing forth ripe grapes signifying mature and perfect age Gen. 40.10 The like we may conceive of Aarons Rod that budded blossomed brought forth ripe Almonds Num. 17. besides many such resemblances But ye shall find all these three Ages in their proper significations 1 Joh. 2.12 13. Now all these three are the very same and no other than those which the Schoolmen understand by Incipientes Proficientes and Perfecti though they differ about them among themselves and from the truth in the explication of them The first of these three Ages we have first to deal withal They are called in Scripture by diverse names as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and here 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 we may describe them thus they are such as God hath converted by his Word and Spirit from the hatred of Righteousness and love of iniquity to be of like mind and inclination with himself in the hatred of all known iniquity and the love of all known Righteousness and that both in some measure for themselves yet weak they are in their obedience in respect of both and unsetled in their hope to subdue their iniquity and to perform the Righteousness required by reason of their weakness This description as you may perceive consists of terms importing both a towardly disposition and a childish infirmity of these young believers both which will more plainly appear if hereto we apply some few Examples for the illustration of it Such a Child is he whom the Apostle speaks of Rom. 7. whether meaning himself or some other man it 's not material Him some affirm to be a perfect regenerate man others a man unregenerate but I suppose that he that shoots between both these extreams shall happily hit the Truth which commonly men loose by wrangling for it v. 15. This man doth the evil which he hates therefore he is not a perfect regenerate man yet in that he hates the evil which he doth he is not altogether an unregenerate man Vers 19. The good which he would do he doth not therefore he is not perfectly regenerate yet good he would do though he do it not therefore be is not altogether unregenerate Vers 20. He doth that evil which he would not do therefore he is not throughly regenerate yet he would not do that evil which he doth therefore he is not throughly unregenerate Of the same nonage were our Saviours Disciples Mar. 4.33 to whom therefore he spake the Word as they were able to bear Why did our Saviour speak with a low voice or were they deaf or far off that they could not hear neither so nor so 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in a Scripture notion as also 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and audire signifie not only to bear but to understand also and obey such Children our Lord speaks unto Joh. 16.12 I have many things to say unto you but ye cannot bear them now and why not now Gods Commandments were heavy and they weak wherefore as when we ease a man of his burden we either diminish the burden or encrease his strength that bears it because not one jot of this burden of the Law must pass till all be fulfilled therefore in the very next words he promiseth them more strength to bear this burden Ye are not able to bear them now saith he howbeit when the Spirit of Truth is come he will guide you into all truth and then his Commandments are not heavy 1 Joh. 5.3 but his burden is light Matth. 11. so light that David could bear it running Psal 119.32 but to these it was in the mean time heavy Take an homely similitude some one of you Fathers
vessel is filled full of something 4. We are all esteemed empty and void until we be filled by Jesus Christ for though we be filled or full of such fruits as we think good yet if we fail either in the Principle or in the end if we bring them not forth from the true Stock Jesus Christ and to the true end the glory of our God we are accounted empty of good fruits the Apostle speaks home to both Phil. 1.11 Being filled with the fruits of Righteousness which are by Jesus Christ to the glory and praise of God That emptiness and voidness which the Lord discovers Gen. 1.2 The earth was empty and void The same he plainly discovers in the very same words Jer. 4.23 In vain and empty men who have not the Spirit of God I beheld the earth and behold it was void without form c. and this he declares to be the cause of his peoples misery as questionless it is of ours vers 19-23 Thus Job 11. Vain and empty man would be wise though he be born like a wild Ass Colt As we are accounted empty for want of the true Principle so for want of the true end Hos 10.1 Israel is an empty Vine he brings forth fruit to himself he brings forth fruit yet he is empty yea and so must be reputed while he brings forth fruit to himself until he bring forth fruit unto God Rom. 7.4 5. The best kind of filling is with the Holy Spirit of Jesus Christ c. 6. Observe the truth of the Spirits filling us which by Divines is called Spiritus Inhabitans And the Apostle Rom. 8.11 If the Spirit of him who raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you he that raised up Jesus from the dead shall quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you which is the rather to be observed because some of the Ancients as Basil and others are wont to interpret filling and fulness of the Holy Spirit often mentioned in Scripture to be understood not of the Spirit apart but only of the Charismata the gifts and graces of the Spirit contrary to a most certain Rule Ens dependens for if the Spirit of the Lord fill the whole earth how much more the Divine Man contrary to the express testimonies of the Word The Word of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us Rom. 5.5 Tit. 3.5 6. God the Father according to his Mercy hath saved us by the washing of Regeneration and by the renewing of the Holy Ghost which he hath shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Saviour 7. Observe Gods faithfulness and truth in performing his great Promise Ephes 4.10 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that he might fulfill all things It is a good Rule which the Ancients followed in their Expositions of the holy Scripture that if the same word or phrase in the Original would admit of many or more than one signification and all were 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 according to Analogy of Faith agreeing with the rest of Gods Word all significations might have their use And the Reason is of weight for if some one signification were admitted and the rest excluded which are as well consonant unto the rest of Gods Word there might be danger by reason of our weak and corrupt understanding lest that very sence which the Holy Ghost principally intended might be neglected and another not so proper made choice of which errour lest we run into I shall remember ye of diverse significations which this word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 affords us which the Holy Ghost makes use of often in the New Testament 1. By it the Greek Interpreters turn 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to fill or fulfil 2. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to end or put an end unto 3. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to pacifie 4. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to satiate or satisfie 5. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to finish or make perfect Of the first I spake in part before Christ ascended that he might fill all things with his spirit Our Translators put another word in the Margin which is to fulfil There is a truth in this as well as the former as also in all the following sences so that all these are Divine Truths Christ ascended that he might 1. fulfil 2. put an end unto 3. pacifie 4. satiate or satisfie and 5. make perfect all things I shall through Gods assistance and your patience speak somewhat of every one of these 1. Of the first Doctrinally 2. Of the rest by way of Application 1. Christ ascended that he might fulfil all things i. e. Omnia quae de illo prophetantur saith Anselm but that is too strait a Gloss for this place The Scripture may be said to be fulfilled diverse wayes but more properly to our purpose 1. When that which was commanded in the Law is fulfilled 2. When that which was foretold by the Prophets is accomplished 3. when that which was promised is performed 4. When that which was typified and shadowed out in a figure is made good by the antitype and truth of it Now Christ ascended that he might fulfil all things all these wayes 1. He fulfilled the Law Matth. 5.17 He came not to destroy the Law but to fulfil it 2. He accomplished all the prophecies which went before of him it were too large a discourse to shew the accomplishment of all prophecies in Christ See our Lords testimony Luk. 24.44 All things must be fulfilled which were written in the Law of Moses and in the Prophets and in the Psalms concerning me 3 He fulfilled the Promises for all the Promises of God in him are Yea and in him Amen unto the glory of God by us 2 Cor. 1.20 4. He fulfilled all the types and figures Col. 2.16 17. Let no man condemn ye in meat or in drink or in respect of an holy day or of the new moon or of the Sabbath dayes which are a shadow of things to come but the body is of Christ for the Law was given by Moses but Grace and Truth came by Jesus Christ Grace for the fulfilling of the Moral Law and Truth for the fulfilling of the Ceremonial Law Joh. 1.17 The Reason why Christ fulfills all things is considerable 1. In regard of the things to be fulfilled And 2. In regard of the fulfillers of them And 3. In respect of those to whom they are fulfilled 1. The things to be fulfilled are the Holy Scriptures especially the Judgements Prophecies Promises and Types all which aim at their accomplishment which is their end and that is Christ 1 Cor. 15.24 for whereas one jot and one tittle must not pass from the Law till all be fulfilled Mat. 5.18 1. Therefore of the Law Christ is the end of the Law for Righteousness Rom. 10.4 2. In regard of the fulfilling and accomplishment of Prophecies Promises and Types 1. 'T is for the glory of Divine prescience and foreknowledge of God when
the least temporal blessing to come down from thee the Father of Lights we may thankfully be contented with it receiving it from thy hand as fittest for us as having deserved less as less then the least of all thy mercies Furnish us also with patience in regard of our greatest evils enable us we beseech thee with strength above our evil with wisdom above our strength give us a sensible approbation of thy love unto us by thy presence with us at our sufferings and by thy suffering with us Give us a desire and certain hope of a greater good than these are evils These Graces and whatever else thou knowest more needful for us we beg not for any merits of our own but for his merits who inwardly enables us Christ Jesus To whom with thee O Father and thy holy Spirit our Comforter be rendred all Praise Power Majesty and Dominion the rest of this day and for ever more Amen NOTES AND OBSERVATIONS UPON COLOSSIANS I. 6. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Which Gospel is come unto you as it is in all the world and bringeth forth fruit and encreaseth as it doth also in you since the day ye heard of it and knew the grace of God in truth WIth singular Wisdom the holy Fathers of old so disposed of the Epistles and Gospels that he that 's well skilled in the order of them may withall know the Beginning Progress and Consummation of the Christian Church and Gods wise and gracious disposing and ordering of the means of Salvation conducing thereunto All contained within the compass of a year which now drawing towards an end which they call Tempus peregrinationis it draws on with it the Consummation of the the Church which consists in the coming in of the fulness of the Gentiles and the conversion and salvation of the Jews Both which are foretold by St. Paul Rom. 11.25 26. That the fulness of the Gentiles shall come in and so all Israel shall be saved For the effecting of both The Gospel of the kingdom must be preached in all the world for a witness to all nations and then the end cometh according to our Saviours prediction Matth. 24.14 The present Epistle and Gospel together with that which goes before and that which next followeth concerneth the preaching of the Gospel to the Colossians in special and generally to all the world and the Fruit of the Gospel so preached in both The Gospel according to St. Hierom Rabanus St. Anselm and others concerneth the conversion of the Jews unto the Faith of Christ In the Epistle which reacheth from the third to the twelfth verse of the first Chapter our Apostle 1. Partly gives thanks unto God for the three Theological Virtues Faith Hope and Charity begun in the Colossians which he demonstrates from their causes from vers 3. to vers 9.2 Partly he prays unto God for their confirmation in these and other Graces from vers 9. to the end of the Epistle This Text is a member of the first part containing in it the cause of their Faith Hope and Love And they are of two sorts 1. The Gospel coming unto them and bringing forth fruits and encreasing in them as it came into the world and brought forth fruit in the world 2. The Colossians hearing and acknowledging the grace of God in truth And these two causes are the two parts of this Text. For our more orderly proceeding in the handling thereof we may resolve it into these several truths 1. The Gospel came to the Colossians as it came to all the world 2. It brought forth fruit and encreased in all the world as it did among the Colossians 3. Thus fruitful it was and thus it encreased from the day they first heard and knew the grace of God in truth 1. The Gospel came to the Colossians The Gospel in the Greek called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in prophane Authors signifieth Glad Tydings of good news and the Sacrifice they offered at the hearing of them and the reward given to him that brought good tydings In Scripture the Gospel is taken both 1. For the Subject of these Good Tydings namely that inward power and vertue of Christ in the flesh prevailing against the power of sin according to that of the Apostle Rom. 1. The Gospel is the power of God unto Salvation and 1 Thess 1. And 2. The publishing and declaring the Glad Tydings of this power The Prophets in the Old Testament used a very significant word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 being derived of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifying Flesh as often as they spake of the preaching of Grace by Christ A word comprehending not only the argument and matter of good news viz. Christ in the flesh but the publishing and declaring of it This double signification of the Gospel is manifest in that it 's called the Gospel of the Kingdom Mat. 24. Now the Kingdom of God is within us Luke 17.21 as the preaching testifying and declaring of it is without us Thus Grace and peace which are both inward are used for the Gospel John 1. The Law was given by Moses but Grace and peace came by Jesus Christ The testifying of that Grace it is without us I have received the Ministry of the Lord Jesus to testifie the Gospel of the Grace of God Acts 20.24 Thus there is the power of the Gospel and the word of the Gospel 1 Cor. 4.20 An hidden Mystery and secret of the Gospel and a divulging or making that Mystery or secret known Eph. 6.19 And in both those sences the Gospel may be said to come For the word here used 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifieth as well to be present as to come and that signification of being present is more proper unto spiritual things which are then said to come when they appear to be So God is said to have come unto Moses when he appeared unto him Exod. 19. And Christ is said to come in the flesh 1 John 4.2 when he appears in the flesh for the word may indifferently bear either sence And therefore S. Paul instead of what we turn coming saith expresly God is made manifest in the flesh 1 Tim. 3. ult Thus that we turn the coming of the Son of man and the coming of the Lord may be as well translated the presence of the Son of man or of the Lord Matth. 24. 2 Thess 2. besides other places And the reason is Spiritual things they have neither figure nor name nor motion nor any such like circumstance of their own and therefore if any such spiritual thing be revealed to us who can fancy nothing without such circumstances most necessary it is that they borrow such thereby to represent themselves unto us so that the power of God unto Salvation which we call the Gospel may be said to come unto a people when it appears and is present with them and in them because this term of coming being a kind of local motion which
1.18 The only begotten Son hath declared his Father Whether do we believe the Father testifying of the Son Joh. 20.31 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1. These are the last dayes 2. In these last dayes God spake unto us by his Son 1. A day in Scripture is either strictly taken and that for the time while the light shineth so are there not twelve hours in the day Joh. 11.9 and so light is taken for day See 1 Cor. 5.13 which we call an Artificial day Or 2. that which we call a Natural day consisting of day and night St. Paul calls it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 2 Cor. 11.25 we have both together Cen. 1.5 3. Sometime dayes in the Plural are taken for a year thus in the end of dayes i. e. the end of the year Gen. 4.3 When Cain and Abel sacrificed as it was afterward a custome among the Gentiles saith Aristotle Ethic. 8. so Levit. 25.29 And thus the revolution of the year Exod. 34.22 is the revolution of dayes 1 Sam. 1.20 Hence also it is that in the Prophets a day is taken for a year Ezec. 4.6 according to which Apoc. 11 2-11 and other places are to be understood but most usually by day and dayes we understand time and times thus the last dayes Gen. 49.1 and Isai 2.2 and elsewhere are the last times 1 Pet. 1.20 And so to be understood in the Text. Now that these are the last times you may understand that the whole tract of time from the beginning of the world to the end of it may be divided generally into two times or ages one of promise the other of performance or fulfilling of the promises and this latter at the time when Christ was sent into the flesh and therefore we find so often in Matthew ut impleretur This time is called the end of the world Hebr. 9.26 And certain it is that St. Peter calls those times wherein Christ began to accomplish the promise of the Father made Joel 2.28 29. the last times as indeed they are Act. 2. These last dayes are pointed at by the Prophets by these words in those dayes the dayes that are to come in the latter dayes and the like phrases we read here and there in the Prophets 1. The Reason why these are the last times may appear from the Divine Ordination both according to his first pattern in the Creation and according to his Providence in the government of the World the whole space and continuance of the World from the beginning until the consummation of all things was figured by the seven first days of the Creation whereof the five first are now spent and the sixth and seventh now in spending For howsoever the Apostle called those the last days wherein he wrote yet he speaks also of later days which were to come after his time 1 Tim. 4.1 2 3. and 2 Tim. 3 1-5 2. A second Reason may be taken from Gods Providence in governing the world for whereas God intended to bring a threefold judgement over the world The first by Water whereby he put an end to the first age and brought a floud upon the ungodly The second by the powerful preaching and sufferings of Christ whereby he overcame Sathans world who is the prince of the air and rules in the children of disobedience Joh. 12.31 Heb. 2.14 by which the second age of the world was at an end from whence the third and last age of the world was to begin as Joel 2.28 Act. 2.17 18. This age is to continue until the third and last judgement pass over the world 2 Pet. 3.10.11 So that the Apostle calls these the last days not only in regard of the ages before passed and gone but in respect of the future and the worlds end for after these days time shall be no more but endless eternity Apoc. 10.6 Observ 1. That the space and continuance of the world being described not by ages but by days is but a short space in the whole only the term of a few days in comparison of eternity à parte post or à parte ante And what is our life then a span long What is our life Jam. So Jacob said Gen. Few and evil c. every one of us hath a share of these few days and wherefore are they given not to spend in mirth nor in contention not in feasting and jollity but Ephes 4.21 22. as the truth is in Jesus O Beloved let us husband that time we have well Ab hoc momento dependet aeternitas Observ 2. If the Apostles call'd their times the last days how much more may we call ours the last and worst of days who are faln into the very lasts days of the world and the very dregs of time because the symptoms of the last times are upon us The vices and sins of the last times I beseech you see the Characters of the last days 1 Tim. 4.1 2 3. The spirit speaks expresly that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith Some that implys but a few Some 1 Cor. 10.8 Numb 25.9 Those that dyed in the plague were twenty four thousand Some 1 Cor. 10.9 Numb 21.6 Much people of Israel dyed 1 Cor. 10.10 Some Numb 14.29 All their carcases fell in the wilderness who were numbred from twenty years old and upward six hundred thousand men Object There is not a Church upon earth hath these Characters of the last times except only that of Rome 'T is happy then for us that we have none of these Characters of the last days upon us Prov. 23.20 Answ 'T were happy indeed if we had not but let any indifferent man judge whether we have or no 2 Tim. 3.1 1. Lovers of their own selves from this Fountain of self-love issueth covetousness where men desire all things for themselves and when they have what they would grow insolent boasters proud of their own supposed excellency c. to the end 2. 2 Tim. 4.3 The time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine 3. 2 Pet. 2.1 Denying the Lord that bought them in their works they deny him Tit. 1.16 How do we deny him He calls to us to be humble and meek Matth. 11. We are proud and insolent boasters He calls upon us not to deny him but to deny our selves take up our cross daily and follow him our selves What are our selves our affections and lusts Gal. 5.24 take up our cross What 's our Cross The patience of Jesus Apoc. 1.9 The suffering with him that we may be glorified with him In this especially we approve our selves Christ's Disciples and followers 1 Pet. 2.19 and 1 Pet. 4.1 As we are to follow him in his suffering so in his doing He went about doing good was subject to principalities and powers paid tribute was a servant of men Rom. 13. Even for conscience sake 1 Joh. 2.18 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 There are many Antichrists Our thoughts are carryed now as far as Rome but because there
3.29 Apoc. 21.7 What if thou be poor as having nothing yet possessing all things What if harbourless In thy fathers house there be many mansions Exhort If God hath appointed his Son heir or Lord of all things then kiss the Son It is the inference of the holy Ghost Psal 2. Where having said I have set my Son upon my holy hill of Sion vers 6. at vers 12. He infers this Exhortation kiss the Son i. e. Honour and obey the Son for so Samuel did having anointed Saul he kissed him 1 Sam. 10.1 Is it not faith he because the Lord hath anointed thee to be captain over his inheritance The eminency of Superiours also infers the due subjection of Inferiours Let every soul be subject unto the higher powers Give to every man their due honour to whom honour fear to whom fear belongs Mal. 1.6 A son honoureth his father and a servant his Lord and Master If I be a father where is mine honour and if I be a master where is my fear saith the Lord of Hosts Our Saviour speaks so of himself Ye call me Master and Lord and ye say well for so I am Joh. 13.13 Yea he challengeth all superiority as due unto himself Matth. 23.8.9 10. He who appointed his Son Lord of all things he asserts and challengeth this subjection and obedience as due and to be performed unto his Son Matth. 17.5 The father hath committed all judgement unto his Son that all men should honour the Son even as they honour the Father who hath sent him Joh. 5.22 23. And Phil. 2.9 He hath given him a name above every name that is named This was typified Gen. 41.40 41 43. Nor was this without direction of Divine Providence that Augustus Caesar in whose days our Lord was born haud passus sit se Dominum appellari He would not suffer himself to be called Lord saith the Historian as being guided by a secret instinct that the Lord of all the world was born Now because in these last and worst days the very dregs of time the most preten'd subjection and obedience unto the Son of God and under pretence of this shake off the yoke of subjection unto Governours just as Judas Galilaeus did Do ye not find the truth of this already in your Families ye may ere long It will not be amiss to enquire whether we be as we ought and pretend to be subject and obedient unto the Heir and Lord of all things whether we kiss the Son whether we bow the knee to him yea or no The observation of the outward Ceremonies is cryed down by all as superstitious Be it so yet it is a Scripture still That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow and accordingly it must have a sence still And what is that the inward bowing the bowing of the knees of the heart that 's there to be understood And certainly that 's the truest sence well then the heart the mind the soul the affections must bow and be subject unto Christ Let us then enquire Do we bow the knees of our hearts Do we perform such inward subjection unto Christ Let us try this in some particulars both precepts and examples Matth. 21.5 Behold thy king cometh unto thee meek and sitting upon an Ass the emblem of the innocency and simplicity of Christ Are we subject unto that innocency and simplicity of Christ Certainly if we wrong and defraud and circumvent one another I fear lest as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtilty so our minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ He commands us to love the Lord with all our heart and yet we think if we perform only a few outward services as praying and praising and singing of Psalms while mean time our thoughts are in our shops or in our counting houses we then kiss the Son Yes we draw near unto him with our lips but our hearts are far from him with our mouth we shew much love but our heart goeth after our covetousness Ezech. 33.31 The Lord commands that every one speak truth to his neighbour if now we flatter with our lips and dissemble with our double heart do we kiss the Son yes as Judas did kiss him and betray him Beloved let us not deceive our selves if we be subject unto Christ we bring under every action every word yea every thought unto the obedience of Christ 2 Cor. 10. They that are Christs have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts They walk even as he walked 1 Joh. 2.6 Our Lords Precept is Take heed and beware of covetousness Latin ab omni avaritia Luk. 12.15 and ye cannot serve God and Mammon Luk. 16.13 If we now profess that our aim is to get wealth and that we will be rich as the Apostles phrase is 1 Tim. 6.9 If we speak good of the covetous man whom God abhorreth Psal 10.3 Do we perform subjection unto Christ 'T is true we can be content to give Christ the hearing just as the people did in Ezechiels days Chap. 33.31 and as the Pharisees did in our Saviours days when he discoursed upon this very argument Luk. 16.13 14. No servant can serve two masters And the Pharisees who also were covetous heard all these things and derided him And are not we such covetous Pharisees whose heart goes after our covetousness who hear these things and deride them And do we then perform this inward subjection and obedience unto Christ Do we bow the knee unto him yes just as the Jews did Matth. 27.29 They platted a crown of thorns and put it upon his head 'T is his precept love your enemies bless them that curse you c. Matth. 5.44 If now we confine our love within the bounds of our Sect whatever that is and like Saul as yet unconverted full of bloody zeal we breath out threatnings and slaughter against the Disciples of the Lord against those whom we conceive of a contrary mind unto us If we be turbulenr seditious hateful and hating one another are we subject unto Christ Do we not rather deny the holy one and the just and desire a murderer to be granted unto us Do we not free Barabbas and reject Jesus qui mala agit in vita solutus est in corpore ejus Barrabbas Christus autem rejectus Origen in Matth. 27. He commands us to take up our cross and follow him that is to crucifie the flesh with the affections and lusts When without this Cross we contend for an outward cross or against it Do we obey Christ Do we not rather crucifie the Lord of life afresh as he was crucified between two thieves He when be was reviled reviled not again 1 Pet. 2.23 If we walk with a froward mouth and bark and bite every one that 's not for our honour But of this we shall have occasion to speak more on verse the last of this Chapter Therefore having handled the first ground of our Saviours right and
of Peace be there The woman that would not have the child divided was the true mother of it Quotquot spiritu Dei aguntur hi sunt filii Dei Rom. 8.14 15. Do good to them that hate you c. that ye may be the children of your Father He that overcometh shall inherit all things and I will be his God and he shall be my Son Revel 21.7 Whom should he overcome whom but the Old Enemy the World and the Flesh these lay continual siege unto the Soul If a man could overcome all the world if he overcome not these he shall not be Gods Son Some are overcome by wine some by flattery Alexander the Great is of all other in Story reported to be the greatest Conquerour and rather than all other the Conquerour of the world yet was he overcome by these two brutish and foolish lusts Drunkenness and Flattery When Jaddus the High Priest called him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Son as the Jews and Greeks called young men his Flatterers told him that the Priest had called him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 2 Cor. 6 14-18 We know how to separate one from another condemn and judge one another but the Apostle calls for separation from the iniquity Pray for the Spirit of Adoption 2. The 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 wherein is 1. God the Fathers Act 2. The time when or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the mark and evidence of the Fathers Generation This day have I begotten thee viz. because he is the same day light and splendor with the Father So that in the words are these Two Divine Truths 1. God the Father begat Jesus Christ from Eternity 2. God the Father hath begotten Christ the same day light splendor and brightness with himself 1. God the Father hath begotten the Son from Eternity The truth of this appears Prov. 8.22 The Lord hath possessed me the beginning of his way It is a most evident place to prove the coeternity of the Son of God The Chaldee read 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 hath Created me so the Syriack LXX Arabick what might be doubted hence that therefore the Son of God should be a Creature is easily prevented by shewing that the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which we turn to Create is of most large signification and is rendered by the LXX by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to beget to generate which is more proper here or if we read and understand the word possess it may be of good sence here as God the Father possessed his Son from all Eternity as an hidden treasure which he produced or made appear in the Creation of the world To this purpose the Son of God speaks Isa 49.2 In the shadow of his hand he hath hid me and made me a polished shaft in his quiver hath he hid me The beginning of his way Christ is so called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Joh. 8.25 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Gen. 1.1 as Behemoth Job 40.19 Isa 9.6 Mich. 3. Castellio There is no Reason à priori in regard of time since the Ancient of Dayes and his Son are both Coeternal Some Uses for our Contemplation some for Life and Action the Fathers and the Sons properties whereby they are distinguished in the Trinity the Fathers to beget the Sons to be begotten The gennetical act which makes God a Father and Christ his Son and the Relation between the Father and Son are Eternal This is the Idea of Procreation of Children whose counterpart is seen in the Creatures unto whom God hath imparted it This Eternal Generation also is the Idea and pattern of that power and faculty to procreate Spiritual Children unto God for so he who is a Spiritual Father he begets Spiritual Children unto God Gal. 1.16 He was pleased to reveil his Son in me that I might preach According to this he saith In Jesus Christ I have begotten you all 1 Cor. 4.15 through the Gospel and chap. 9.1 Gal. 4.19 Of whom I travel in pain c. whom I have begotten in my bonds Philem. 10. And this is a great difference between such as teach out of the Letter and are Ministers only of the Letter and such as Minister not only the Letter but the Spirit which distinction ye have 2 Cor. 3.6 for saith he though ye have ten thousand instructors in Christ yet ye have not many Fathers c. 1. As to the time some understand this spoken of Christ's Incarnation and Nativity because St. Peter cites the first words of the Psalm and applys them to what Herod and Pontius Pilate with the Jews had then done to Christ in the flesh Act. 4.25 28. 2. Others understood this of Christ's Resurrection because St. Paul Act. 13.33 cites these words where he mentions the Resurrection To the first I answer God did then beget his Son in the Flesh according to the promise yet Peter and the rest of the Apostles quote not the words in the Text. But that which they did to Christ in the flesh had been done to Christ long before in the Spirit Psal 22.1 My God my God why hast thou forsaken me c. Vers 22 Esay 49.7 Whom man despiseth whom the nation abhorreth Esay 53. Zach. 12.10 11. They shall look upon me whom they have pierced and they shall mourn for him They have pierced both the Father and the Son they have hated both me and my Father The words may be read as well in praeterito as in futuro 2. As for that other place Act. 13. It 's fitly alledged for by Christ's Resurrection God did mightily declare him to be his Son as Rom. 1.4 Though this Psalm did prophetically speak of things to come yet it spake of things both present in Davids days and past before his time And therefore Lyra and most of the Fathers do well and rightly understand this of an eternal day For eternity is always present nothing by-past or to come is properly to be found in it Of this St. Peter speaks 2 Pet. 3. last To him he glory for ever Graec. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to the day of eternity in diem aeternitatis So the Vulg. Lat. Christ was begotten of his Father from the days of eternity ut supra in the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Josuah is the son of Nun Numb 11.28 i. e. the Son of the eternal David the sons of Jesse i. e. the being and 1 Sam. 17.12 He went for an old man in the days of Saul the figure Antiqui Dierum The Fathers begetting of the Son is a perpetual act he begets him every day and hath done in and before all ages Mich. 5.2 He raiseth up his Son Numb 10.35 Let God arise c. So Psal 68.1 One Chald. Be thou reveiled O Lord Another Be thou reveiled O word of the Lord For the enemies of God are his Churches enemies Act. 9. Saul Saul Why persecutest thou me Zach. 2.8 He that toucheth you toucheth the apple of mine eye Esay 41.2 Who raised up righteousness from
the deep Then God said Let there be light and in making of every day the evening goes before the morning 2 Cor. 4.6 Wherefore despair not nor be discouraged but hope on the Light that shall shine unto thee 1 Pet. 1.12 13. The Prophet Esay speaks comfort to the Soul in this Estate Esay 50.10 Remember how long thou hast estranged thy self from the light or sinned against it Zach. 4.10 Who hath despised the day of small things The day riseth not all at once there is oftentimes the thickest darkness before the rising of the Sun Prov. 4.18 The path of the just is as the shining light which shineth more and more unto the perfect day Be content with what ye have for he hath said 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 be content with the Candle of the Lord his teaching Spirit in thee Prov. 20.27 Ungodly men shall be deprived of that The candle of the wicked shall be put out Prov. 24.20 He that hath begun a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Jesus Christ He is behind the cloud the cloud of our sins that removed he 'l appear and we shall see him as he is 1 Joh. 3.2 Consol 2. To the true Christians in these dismal days Christ is the day There is no day so dark in this outward world but the Sun of Righteousness may be seen in it as they say in Alexandria in Egypt the Sun may he seen every day Mal. 4. Vnto you that fear my name shall the Sun of righteousness arise Surely there is light in Goshen where men draw near unto God Psal 34. Vulg. Lat. aecedite ad eum illuminamini Exhort 1. Hasten the coming of the day of God Though Christ be always hodie yet not to thee Zach. 1.5 6. Exhort 2. If Christ be the day then let us who are Christians Walk honestly as in the day while it is called to day 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 It is the Apostles exhortation Rom. 13.13 To walk decently and honestly as becomes those who are of the day 2 Thess 5.5 6 7. Men of good behaviour walk not abroad in the day with night garments what they are the Apostle tells us vers 14. Surfeiting and drunkenness chambering and wantonness strife and envying No honest man will appear in the day in such ugly habiliments as these are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 were the after supper meetings of riotous persons which were the worshippers of Kemosh the Idol of the Moabites Seldom did they part without drunkenness therefore that 's next vina Venusque they commonly accompany one another chambering and wantonness and who hath wo who hath sorrow who hath contentions who hath bablings who hath wounds without cause They that tarry long at the wine and therefore there follows strife and envying When we have put off these night garments these deeds of darkness put on the armour of light or Christ himself who is the perfect day shine as lights in the world Reproves Those who pretend unto Christianity and that they are of the day yet take offence at the light when it shines unto them when it reproves them when it exhorts them 1. When it reproves them For whatsoever is reproved is made manifest by the light when it comes home to the man and discovers him to himself it 's entertained as Ahab entertained Eliah Hast thou found me O mine enemy the light is good who is there but can afford the Lord Jesus Christ all the attributes that may be but when the day appears to him and discovers the darkness wherein he lives 't is like a light brought to one who hath long been in a dungeon he hates it he 'll flie in his face that brings it 2. The like acceptance it finds with us when it exhorts us to a likeness of it self to become Light in the Lord 2 Tim. 1.10 Jesus Christ the day having abolished death hath brought light and immortality to light through the Gospel whose life is the light of men John 1.5 This light invites us to his humility where like a sparkling Diamond set in a dark ground he shines and hath most lustre Matth. 11. Learn of me for I am lowly c. With what scorn is the motion entertained He comes among his own and his own receive him not we are in this like the Jews who expect the Messiah in the pomp of a King Light is come into the world and men love darkness more than the light because their deeds are evil They who were addicted too much to the Letter lost the true meaning of the Spirit when therefore they conceived that only the literal Text was the truth they slighted all mystical sence of Gods word and so they presumed to bring the word of God to the rule of their narrow understanding But that an Allegory may be used for a proof of Divine Truth howsoever I might name divers Scriptures I shall for the present instance only in one Gal. 4.21 Where if any doubt whether it makes to our purpose or no let him consider whether the Apostle bring not that example as a proof against those who desired to be under the Law Verse 21. Then let them consider whether it were an Allegory or no if any man doubt he may be resolved Verse 24. where the Apostle saith expresly 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 There 's no Hypocrisie will long help us and make us appear children of the day Glow-worms and rotten wood can shine in the night but the day declares them if the day of God be risen in us 't will soon discover it self the light discovers it self and all things in it if the light be in us 't will appear Lo here lo there Matth. 24.27 Their seed shall be known among the Gentiles and their off-spring c. we may see day we say at a little hole 't will discover it self Means Hold not the light in darkness the truth in iniquity Give heed to the Prophetical word 2 Pet. 1.19 Light thy candle at it yea if thou pray unto him The Lord himself will light thy candle and make thy darkness to be light then the Lord himself will make the day appear unto thee Donec Dies luceat 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Sol oriatur in cordibus vestris Syr. 2. Testimony and proof of God the Sons Coeternity with the Father The first was Homologetical a Confession this is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a Promise it may be taken either out of Psalm 89.26 27. He shall cry unto me thou art my Father c. And so Christ is represented unto us under the type of David who was a lively figure of Christ Esay 55.3 4. I will make an everlasting covenant with you even the sure mercies of David which the Apostle understood of Christ Acts 13.34 Jerem. 30.9 They shall serve the Lord their God and David their King Hosea 3.5 After this shall the Children of Israel return and seek the Lord their God and David their King and
brotherhood with Christ yet neglect yea expose themselves to the temptations of Satan See Notes on Zeph. 2.1 2. 2. Christ hath been tempted wherein two things are to be enquired 1. What it is to be tempted 2. How Christ was tempted 1. The word here used is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 See on this word before 2. Christ was tempted in the days of his flesh and of his spirit and in both either 1. By him who is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Tempter Or 2. By his instuments 1. By the Tempter himself ye read of a notable duel or combat between our Lord and the Tempter Matth. 4. See Notes in locum And thus our Lord was tempted by the Tempter himself 2. Our Lord also was tempted by the great tempters instruments wicked men by the Pharisees and Sadduces Matth. 16.1 whereby they would try his power that if he did not according to their curiosity they might expose him to slander they would have him shew them a sign from heaven Matth. 19.3 The Pharisees tempted him to prove his skill in the Law Whether a man might put away his wife for every cause or no that they might either deride him if he knew not or make him odious to one or other Sex Matth. 22.18 The Pharisees and Herodians tryed his obedience unto Governours that if he should say tribute were to be paid he might incurr the hatred of the people if he should deny tribute to be paid they might bring him in peril of his life Matth. 22.35 36. They tempting him ask him what is the great commandment in the law to try his skill in the Law of God Joh. 8.6 The woman taken in adultery whether to be stoned or no That they might accuse him either to the Roman Power who had taken away all Authority of putting any to death from the Jews or to accuse him to the people as one who took away and was an enemy to their liberty These and the like temptations he had in the dayes of his flesh 2. He was and is tempted also in the dayes of his Spirit 1 Cor. 10.9 Let not us tempt Christ saith the Apostle as they tempted him Numb 21. doubting of the truth of his promises or his power to perform them The Reason in regard of God It 's much for his honour that Satan should be foiled at his own weapons c. See Notes on Mat. 4.1 It was unadvisedly spoken of the Stoick that Jupiter could see no sight on earth more delightful to him or more honourable than Cato killing of himself a cowardly act a foolish act he feared Caesar would kill him and he to prevent him killed himself stultum est ne moriare mori Cato timourously yielded to the temptation How much more delightfull how much more honourable was it unto the most high God to see Job on the dunghil grapling with manifold temptations from loss of goods loss of children false accusations of seeming friends suggestion to desperation from his Wife and whatever witty cruelty this Tempter could inflict on his body or mind Yet all this came short of the Lord Jesus whose whole life and death was as it were one continued temptation wherein he continued a conquerour Job 19.25 How honourable must that needs be to the most High God that Satan the tempter should meet with one whom neither lusts of the flesh Satan nor the world could overcome See Notes on Matth. 4.2 This was necessary in regard of Christ See ubi supra 3. It was necessary in regard of us ibid. Observ 1. It 's a pleasant and delightful thing c. ibid. Observ 2. Who can promise himself exemption from temptation the Son of God is tempted Observ 3. It 's no dishonour to be tempted the Son of God was tempted Observ 4. The Lord Jesus did not voluntarily expose himself unto temptations that appears in that he is said in the Text to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 tempted he was passive in his temptations he was led by the spirit into the wilderness to be tempted c. See ubi supra Much less ought we to expose our selves to temptation but rather to be led into them even necessity of Nature and the proper business of every mans calling wherein God hath set him do as it were lead him into temptations wherein he falls by reason of them The Apostle in that he speaks of evil concupiscence he implyes that there is some concupiscence that is not evil as that of eating and drinking and sleeping and other natural desires which no doubt are not sinful being implanted in us by God for maintenance of our being yet the Tempter way-layes us even in these as he tempted our Lord when he was hungry and not before and thus he tryes to make our Table a snare by eating or drinking too much and making the natural desire sinful Thus to the natural desire of sleep he adds yet a little sleep yet a little slumber yet a little folding of the hands to sleep A man is often led into temptation by the proper business of his calling Ecclus. 27.2 buying and selling are lawful actions of mens calling but as a nail stickes fast between stones so doth sin between buying and selling Gen. 39.11 12. Joseph went into the house to do his work Chald. Paraph. to look out the writings of his accounts and his Mistris caught him by the garment and tempted him to folly such temptations follow upon our natural desires and the proper business of our callings which we cannot truly be said to expose our selves unto What then should we forbear the natural desire or desist from the works of our Callings neither so nor so although temptation adhere unto these desires and actions yet sin doth not necessarily adhere or cleave unto the temptation Observ 5. To be tempted is no sin See Notes on Matth. 4. then the Midianites c. It is true no man can truly be said to sin but first he is tempted to sin so that temptation is the beginning of sin but it is as true that no man can be said to sin unless he yields his consent unto the temptation so that temptation is not alwayes the beginning of sin Exhort 1. Let not us tempt Christ as some of them also tempted distrust him not Exhort 2. Let not us yield to the temptation Observ Behold in the Lord Jesus a glorious pattern and example for our imitation He was tempted in all things without sin that we might know how to be tempted without sin this is the method and way wherein he walked 1 Pet. 2.21 He was baptized and then led by the spirit into the wilderness to be tempted All Christs actions and passions and temptations are our instructions See Notes on Matth. 4. when we are thus emptied of our selves we are then fit to be tempted of the Devil yea being strong in faith and fervent in love unto our God and his Righteousness we shall count it all joy when
Ecclus 24.21 He that drinks of this water shall thirst again Answer There is desiderium indigentiae and complacentiae we desire properly some good that 's wanting but because wisdom is infinite our desires even when we have that fountain in us are carried more and more into it desiderio complacentiae this is far different from the desire of earthly things 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 we have soon enough even to loathing of them as Amnon loathed Thamar But as for the spiritual waters we so have them that we yet desire and so desire them as if absent from us that we yet have them therefore our Lord told the woman John 4. He that drinketh of this water i. e. of Jacob's well which is a figure of the weak state of the Church as Israel of the strong By whom shall Jacob arise for he is small There is a figurative wisdom and righteousness which is in part and of that the wisdom speaketh and our Saviour He that drinks of this water shall thirst again of the complete wisdom saith the wise man When the good Lord will he shall be filled with the spirit Ecclus 39.6 Let them not enter into thy righteousness Observ 7. Strife gives the name of contention è contra Christ gives the name of peace See Notes on Gen. 26. Repreh Those who provoke the Lord by murmuring and contending for the spiritual waters with Moses It is true the Letter will not satisfie a thirsty soul the Prodigal would have been satisfied with husks but could not and he that drinks of the waters of the Law shall thirst again the holy Fathers Abraham Isaac and Jacob they are recorded to have digged their wells and if we be of their spiritual race we will be digging our wells also and with joy draw waters out of them that is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to search and dig as for deep waters It may be noted that these Fathers of the Hebrews complained and chode with Moses for want of water when they were at Rephidim Exod. 17.1 And what is Rephidim but reclinatiorium a bed or couch a place where a man may be lazy or remissae manus idle hands would God it were not true of some at this day which Pharaoh saith falsly to Israel Ye are idle ye are idle and therefore ye say let us go and serve the Lord. It is the labouring ox that treads out the corn that divides the grain from the husk the Spirit from the Letter and great increase is made by the labour of the Ox saith Solomon Exhort 1. Thirst after the living waters Christ invites thee Moses smites the Rock See Notes on 1 Cor. 10. Exhort 2. Contend not provoke not See Notes on Gen. 26. Consol To the thirsty soul Object I have forsaken the fountain of living waters See Notes on Gen. 26. Sparrows spoken of in the Law are said to cure all diseases I am leprous Lev. 14.6 Pray Luke 5.13 Lord if thou wilt thou canst make me clean I have an hard heart My word is an hammer c. Jerem. 23.29 Neh. 4.2 Revive the stones 1 Pet. 2.5 Ye may become as living stones God is able of these stones to raise up children to Abraham They drank of that Rock 2 Cor. 10. Dehort Contend not 2 Tim. 2. Nor strive Only from pride comes contention Prov. 13.10 2 King 5.6 7. At Riblah 2. The Fathers of the Hebrews hardened their hearts and tempted God in the day of temptation in the wilderness Quaere What is here meant by 1. Temptation 2. Day of temptation 3. How the Fathers of the Hebrews tempted God in the day of temptation in the wilderness 1. What temptation is 1. In the word 2. In the nature of the thing See Notes before on Heb. 2.18 2. The temptation is here set down appellatively which is recorded in the story as the proper name of a place Exod. 17. Howbeit because neither the Psalmist nor the Apostle here is to be understood only either of Meribah the provocation in Exod. 17. But of all other temptations we may understand the word generally of all the Fathers temptations in the wilderness but more especially of that temptation Numb 14.22 unto which both the Psalmist and the Apostle here no doubt have reference For the temptation there is a day by a day in Scripture is understood that time wherein good or evil befals us or may befal us and sometimes day or days are put for the evil of the days 2 Cor. 6.2 The day of Salvation Psalm 37.18 contrary to this we have the day of destruction Psal 27.13 He hath seen that his day is coming i. e. the day of calamity destined to his destruction so Chald. Paraph. the like we have 1 Sam. 26.10 Esay 21.25 29. Job 18.20 Jer. 50.27 So we read of the day of Midian Esay 9.4 of Jezreel Hos 1.11 The day of Jerusalem Psal 137.7 2. The days are taken for the evils of the days Psal 116.2 In my days I will call upon him Psal 119.84 How many are the days of thy Servant When wilt thou execute judgment on them that persecute me Now a day of temptation is either that day when God tempteth us Prov. 24.10 Gen. 22.1 Or that day wherein we tempt God Against that day wherein God tempts us we are to arm our selves Jam. 1.12 1 Pet. 1.6 7. This day of temptation is that wherein we tempt God and that wherein the Jews Fathers tempted him and thus God may be tempted many ways 1. In his wisdom Psal 73.11 How shall God know c 2. In his truth 2 King 7.2 If the Lord would make windows in Heaven 3. In his goodness or providence over us Matth. 4.6 7. If thou be the Son of God cast thy self down c. Thou shalt not tempt c. 4. In his power Numb 11.4 Who shall give us flesh to eat Psal 78.19 20. Can God furnish a table in the wilderness c 14.22 5. In his omnipresence which is here aimed at Exod. 17.7 He called the place Mossah because they tempted the Lord saying is the Lord among us or not As also the former so that although all the Fathers tempting may be here meant yet principally that in regard of his omnipresence and his power and first of the former That which was to them a reason for their tempting God in regard of his omnipresence or presence in the midst of them seems to be this and thus they might seem to reason They with whom God is present c. to them he is good and gives them all things needful for them But to us the Lord gives not all things needful for us with-holding water from us Therefore we may well doubt whether the Lord be with us or not For answer to this reason we must enquire what it is for God to be with a man or people and thereby we shall discover the following reasoning of these men whereby they thus deceived themselves and tempted God See Notes on Gen. 22.
men who are truly Godly i. e. God-like who else but they who being tryed in their works are found like unto God He that doth righteousness is righteous as he is righteous 1 Joh. 3.7 This must needs be so because the Godly man works all his works in God Joh. 3.21 1 Joh. 5.20 Eccles 9.1 1 Cor. 16.14 And on the other side God works all the Godly mans works in him Isai 26.12 Repreh Who impute want of wisdom unto the only wise God as if he should make some men yea most men on purpose to destroy them Would any work-man make any work for such an end and shall we impute that to the only wise God But may not the potter do what he will with his clay 'T is true but what Potter makes a vessel to break it God hath a righteous power of vessels marred by their own default to make up some tractable ones to honour and others who will no longer be wrought upon to dishonour and that to the glory of his wisdom power justice and mercy for what if God be willing to shew his wrath and make his power known endured with much long-suffering c. Could it be called wrath or long-suffering if God made them vessels of wrath Repreh 2. Who impute unrighteousness unto the most Just God as if he should make some men yea the greatest part of mankind wicked so that they could be no other then wicked yet should condemn them to everlasting destruction because they are wicked Nero was held the most unjust and barbarous of all the Roman Emperours who attempted the chastity of a vestal Virgin to whom by the Law to be unchaste was a capital crime she refusing to answer or comply with his lusts he caused a rude Soldier to ravish her by violence which done he then condemned her for being unchaste Exhort Let every man prove his own work Gal. 6.4 Rom. 14.12 Ratio Why doth the Psalmist Psal 59. and the Apostle here mind the Hebrews of their Fathers and their hardening their heart c. He knew that naturally there is in all children a love towards their Parents a fear an honour toward them Mal. 1.6 an high estimation of them c. and therefore because those we love c. we easily are inclined to imitate and follow them therefore their Fathers having hardened their hearts tempted God c. the Psalmist and Apostle mind them that herein they follow not their Fathers 2. Children look at their Parents as the Authors of their being the Rock whence they are hewn and consider themselves as somewhat of their Fathers and therefore they conceive themselves as one with them so that what they did they themselves may lawfully do and therefore the command of God strikes in between due honour of Parents and following them in their sins Mean time although Children be inhibited to follow their Parents in their sins yet they have no authority to put them to death though for their sins It is an ill Gloss in the Quarto Bible on 2 Chron. 15.16 Observ 1. The Lord would that we should endear our Love unto him above our nearest Relations so the Apostle reasons Hebr. 12.9 We have had Fathers of our flesh who chastized us at their will Deut. 13.6 Thy brother the son of thy mother thy son thy daughter the wife of thy bosom thy friend which is as thine own soul Gen. 22.2 Take now thy Son thine only Son Isaac whom thou lovest and offer him up unto me for a burnt-offering The Reason is the love unto God is enjoyned in the first Commandment and to our neighbour or all inferiour to God in the second and the Lord requires all our Love and therefore what is given to Parents or any other is taken out of our Love to God Observ 2. Hence we learn that Children do not alwayes Patrizare they are not like unto their Parents the believing Hebrews to whom our Apostle wrote were the Children of rebellious and disobedient Parents Of Ahaz and Manassah the worst of the Kings of Judah were born Ezechiah and Josiah the best of Kings And it is true of the contrary that good Parents have oftentimes evil Children as Samuel had Joel and Abia Ezechiah had Amon Josiah had divers evil Sons The reason is Parents beget Children according to their natural condition not according to that acquired for after the natural birth there are other two births one good the other evil so that there are three natures in man one animal another foolish and wicked according to which ungodly men are of their Father the Devil Joh. 8. The third is the Divine Principle which enlightens every man coming into this world of all these every one strives which may live and prevail over the rest Their true posture is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Observ 3. The Lord casts not off the Children of wicked Parents for their Fathers sins They to whom David spake Psal 95. and they to whom our Apostle wrote were under Grace whence it was that the immediate issue of those rebels whose carcase fell in the wilderness were brought into the Land of Canaan Observ 4. There are no fitter examples to be set before us than our Ancestors whether they have good that we may follow them or whether they have been evil that we may decline and shun their evil course Ezech. 18.14 Observ 5. Domestick examples of those who have been punished should fright us from sin And for this end the Lord useth the examples of these fathers in the Text. Reproves the negligence and carelesness of Parents in regard of their children A bear takes more care of her whelps and an Ass of her Colt then many Parents of their Childrens education I deduced hence by way of corollary a reproof of those who impute unrighteousness and want of wisdom unto the only wise and most just God Against which some exception was taken as if what was spoken had been answered It is an easie matter to speak something though against the most manifest truth because nihil est tam ratione firmum quin vir ationis infirmari possit Especially when the authorities of men are alledged and that as the prime Reformers But could they be called the prime Reformers as lived if some of them live not at this day Reformation is of the life information is of the judgement they therefore in this point had been more properly said to inform than reform But our faith standeth not in the wisdom of man but in the power of God 1 Cor. 2.5 There is at this day a very learned work extant upon this very argument and whatever can be spoken against this truth clearly answered unto which I refer whoever object any thing against the truth delivered Repreh Who imitate their Parents and Predecessors in their rebellion and disobedience against the Lord Abijam walked in the sins of his father Rehoboam the foolishness of the people as the wise man calls him Ecclus. Thus men propagate
all this while these people continued in their Ceremonial Services all that time they offered Sacrifice even forty years Act. 7.42 and let it be enquired whether many of us have not continued in our sins perhaps forty fifty and sixty years and more yet mean time have covered our sins under fasting and prayer and hearing and receiving the Sacrament Beloved I blame not these good Ordinances of God but if they be empty of the inward form if men fast yet continue in their sins it 's abominable it 's no acceptable service unto God This will appear Zach. 7. The people fasted and mourned threescore and ten years and yet pleased not God nor fasted unto him Observ 4. Notwithstand they see what manner of God the Lord is in his works of power mercy justice faithfulness c. yet they consider it not nor lay it to heart but go on frowardly in their own ways and continue long in their sins Thus the mercy and goodness of God which should lead men to repentance Rom. 2.4 even that by accident hardens men as it did Pharaoh when he saw that the rain hail and thunder was ceased he sinned yet more and hardned his heart Exod. 9.34 O Beloved is it not so with us Psal 55.19 because they met with no changes therefore they fear not God Jer. 48.11 Moab hath not been emptied from vessel to vessel 't is a sad thing that that means which the Lord useth to mollifie melt and soften men should be abused to the hardening of them Observ 5. The Lord takes notice how long we continue in our sins so he does of these Fathers of the Hebrews Observ 6. The examples of others who have sinned and continued in sin should deter us from sin and continuance in it especially those whose punishment is recorded in the holy Seriptures We are wont in other things to take warning by our neighbours harms Proximus Vcalegon And so it ought to be with us when iniquity burns like a fire when his judgements are in the earth the inhabitants of the earth should learn righteousness Esay This the Lord aims at in his punishment of sin All Israel shall hear and fear and do no more wickedly Observ 7. Gods patience and long suffering is great towards sinful men to see if they will return and repent so patient he was toward the old world Gen. 6.3 Neh. 9.28 29 30. Jer. 36.23 4. The holy Ghost saith to day if ye will hear his voice harden not your hearts as in the provocation as in the day of temptation in the wilderness where your Fathers tempted me c. This fourth general Divine truth is contained in the dissimilitude and unlikeness which the Lord requires to be in the Hebrews and us in regard of that pattern and example of provocation and temptation of God Observ 1. Israel in their deliverance out of Egypt passage through the wilderness and entrance into the land of Canaan carried the type either of our conversion and inward progress toward salvation or else of our Apostacy and condemnation the Apostle notes them both 1 Cor. 10.1 2. For that state is called status inconsistens the inconsistent estate the unsettled condition of the childhood Cadesh Barnea Observ 2. The Fathers of the Hebrews or many of them who fell away had a spiritual work begun in them 1 Cor. 16.1 1. Heb. 4.1 2. Observ 3. Those things which are historically written are not bare Histories but written for our spiritual admonition Rom. 15.4 1 Cor. 10.6 Now these things were our examples to the intent we should not lust after evil things as they also lusted Observ 4. There are divers patterns of sin See Notes on Rom. 5. Of punishment ibidem Of Grace and life Adam S. Paul Repreh Who rather imitate the first Adam than the second Exhort Choose the good God's patience is great and his suffering long towards penitent men If they return not they must perish in their sin NOTES AND OBSERVATIONS UPON HEBREWS III. 10 11. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Wherefore I was grieved with that generation and said They do always erre in their hearts and they have not known my wayes So I sware in my wrath They shall not enter into my rest HItherto we have heard the Apostle's dehortation of the Hebrews from the evil of sin disswaded from vers 7 8 9. Come we now to the effects of the sin upon the Lord himself and from him redounding unto the sinners themselves wherein we have these truths 1. The Lord was grieved with that Generation 2. The Lord said They always err in their hearts 3. They have not known his ways 4. The Lord sware in his wrath that they should not enter into his rest 1. The Lord was grieved with that Generation Quaere 1. What Generation that was 2. What grief is and how the Lord was grieved with that Generation 1. The word here used is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which answers to the Hebrew 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 used Psal 95. it signifieth either 1. A time or age which is either seculum a generation the duration is from the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 2. Or the men of a Generation Esay 53. Who shall declare his Generation some understand it of Christ's miraculous nativity as such as cannot be uttered but the Prophet is rather to be understood to speak of the seed posterity and generation of the Son which should be innumerable so that hereby should be fulfilled the promise unto Abraham Gen. 15.5 So shall thy seed be so generation is used Gen. 7.1 Deut. 29.22 and 32.5 Judg. 2.10 2. By Generation may be understood a succession of evil men as Matth. 23.35 36. All these things shall come upon this generation what we have following 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that Demonstrative is not in Psal 95. in the Hebrew but is extant in the Septuagint out of whose Translation the Apostle had it and the same is extant in the Hebrew where the story is repeated Deut. 1.35 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 emphatically This generation this evil this evil generation 2. What is meant by God's grieving The word here used is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifieth to be dashed against as the waves dash against the banks of the Sea from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the bank or shore as the raging Sea the flood of ungodly men or men of Belial dash against the Lord who setteth bounds to the Sea or from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a burden as the Lord complained I am burdened by you as a cart laden with sheaves Amos 2.10 The word in the Psalm which we render to grieve or to bear with sadness grief tediousness and irksomeness Jerome turns the word displicuit mihi generatio illa that generation displeased me others turn it Litigavi or rixatus sum I strove or contended with them Others and of them Pagnine taedio pertuli generationem illam I bare that generation with irksomness and
David advanced to the Kingdom in Daniel delivered out of the Den and brought to honour Christ's ascension figured in Enoch whom God took unto him in Joseph triumphant whom Pharaoh called Zaphnathphania which Jerom turns the Saviour of the world In Elijah i. e. God the Lord carried up to heaven in a fiery chariot In David recovering all the spoils from the Amalekites Christ conquering Satan Hell Sin and Death and sending the spoil to his friends Thou hast ascended up on high thou hast led captivity captive and given gifts unto men even the gift of the holy spirit The first Religious men we read of were Christians Abel and Enoch and Noah and Abraham Isaac Jacob. If this speech be uncouth to call these Christians it may be excused as Eusebius doth libr. 1. of his Ecclesiastical History They were saith he 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for all those things which the name of a Christian contains in it as denial of themselves patience faith obedience love of God and their neighbour these were eminent in them They knew and acknowledged Christ the anointed of the Lod Abraham saw him saith our Lord himself Joh. 8. It was he who gave answer unto Isaac It was he who spake with Jacob and conversed familiarly with the Prophets and other holy men of God Whence it is evident that those holy ones of God were the same with these who afterward were called Christians all saved by the Common Saviour and partakers of the Common Salvation for there is Salvation in no other and anointed with the same unction of the Spirit according to which the Saints of God at this day are called Christians and accordingly the Prophet called those Nolite tangere unctos meos my Christians or Anointed ones Psal 105.15 Observ 3. Professors of Christian Religion have been of Old 1 Cor. 10 3 4. They all eat the same spiritual meat Moses suffered the reproach of Christ and esteemed it greater riches than all the treasures of Aegypt Hebr. 11.25 26. All these things were examples or types and were written for our admonition upon whom the ends of the world are come 1 Cor. 10.11 Whence it is evident that the same Religion which Abraham Isaac and Jacob professed and the same life which they lived the same true Christians at this day profess and live and that from the same Faith for Abraham believed God and it was accounted unto him for Righteousness and to the obtaining of the same blessing for as many as believe are blessed with faithful Abraham Observ 4. See the ground of that uniform life observable in the Patriarchs Prophets and other holy men of God in the Old Testament Jesus Christ the life of every holy one of God He is the same in all This justly reproves those who neglect the Old Testament as a Scripture not pertinent unto us being Christians or if it belong to us then it is but to reveil unto us what the Patriarchs of Old did and what befell them or some such like historical end whereas indeed the whole Christian Religion which we now profess is contained in the Old Testament If any man be otherwise minded let him consider how and in what manner the Gospel was preached at the first How often have we in the beginning of St. Matthews Gospel ut impleretur c. Our Lord refers to the Old Testament for the Doctrine of the New Luk. 24.44 All things must be fulfilled which were written in the Law of Moses and in the Prophets and in the Psalms concerning me and those Books comprehend all the Old Testament 1. In the Law of Moses Joh. 5.46 For had ye believed Moses ye would have believed me for he wrote of me yea there is such a necessity of believing Moses that otherwise we cannot have Faith in Jesus Christ Mark his next words But if ye believe not his writings how shall ye believe my words 2. They were written in the Prophets Rom. 1.2 Paul separated unto the Gospel of God by his Prophets c. 3. In the Psalms Hebr. 1.2 full of quotations out of them Yea which is worth the observing the Apostle professeth that when he preached the Gospel of Jesus Christ he said nothing else but what the Prophets and Moses foretold Act. 26.22 Having obtained help of God I continue untill this day witnessing both to small and great saying no other things than those which Moses and the Prophets did say should come that the Christ should suffer c. Though he who shall go about to declare this out of Moses and the Prophets shall be accounted of some prodigious Sect or other or said to be a man not in his right mind As while Paul was speaking these words Festus cryed with a loud voice Paul thou art beside thy self though as he answered he was not mad but spake forth the words of truth and soberness Yea they who neglect the Law and the Prophets and sever them from one another and the Gospel from both these rather are not in a right mind nor know what they say as the Evangelist speaks Mark 9.5 6. Confer Notes on Jam. 1.22 2. Jesus Christ is the same to day There is a double hodiè or to day 1. The one noting the present day 2. The other is a day of longer continuance Deut. we command thee this day yet larger as Christs incarnation and birth so some understand that in Psal 2. Thou art my Son this day have I begotten thee which therefore they restrain to his incarnation and birth because St. Peter cites the same words of the Psalm and applyeth them to what Herod and Pontius Pilate and the Jews had done unto Christ in the dayes of his flesh this is temporalis dispensatio Greg. The dayes wherein all things written and prefiguring Christ are to be fulfilled for all the Prophets from Samuel and those that follow after as many as have spoken have likewise foretold of these dayes Acts 3.24 2 Cor. 1.20 Joh. 1. Grace and Truth c. This is the time when the mystery must be reveiled which hath been hid from Ages and from Generations but now is made manifest to his Saints c. Col. 1.26 27. The Life was manifested and we have seen it 1 Joh. 1. Observ 1. See then how near how present our Lord Jesus Christ is with us the same 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Word which was from the beginning which was yesterday the same is to day The Word was made flesh 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it dwelt in us it is Emmanuel God with us as it was God with them as it was yesterday so it is to day as it was in the beginning so it is now Our Lord commanded the seventy Disciples to preach that the kingdom of God was come nigh unto them because he himself was then come Luk. 10. And John the Baptist Joh. 1.26 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And beloved happy we who have God so near unto us as in the midst of us When
in the City hubbubs and much prattle and talk He who finds this hidden treasure must yet hide it He lives not to the world to the world he is not as 't is said of Enoch that he walked with God and was not for God took him he sells all he hath and he buyes this field he parts with all he hath all his sins yea he prefers Jesus Christ before all things I preferred Wisdom before Scepters and Thrones and esteemed riches nothing in comparison of her Wisd 7.8 saith the Wise man and he is the true Wise man indeed who does so But wisdom that is hid and treasure that is hoarded up what profit is there in them both Ecclus 20.30 And therefore that wise Scribe who is instructed unto the kingdom of God is like a man that is an housholder who brings out of his treasure vetera nova things new and old Matth. 13.52 i. e. the letter and the spirit saith Basil Christ hidden in the figure and reveiled by the Spirit Christ yesterday under the Law and to day under the Gospel This is that which the Lord promised Lev. 26.10 ye shall eat old store and ye shall bring forth the old because of the new 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 vetus inveteratum that which is old and made and accounted old Such are the figurative Scriptures Jesus Christ yesterday which are brought forth for the soul to feed upon nothing must be left because of the new spiritual food Jesus Christ to day Thus Josuab 5.11 They did eat of the old corn of the land on the morrow after the passover unleavened cakes and parched corn the self same day They did eat of the old corn the same spiritual meat 1 Cor. 10. Jesus Christ yesterday and parched new corn the same spiriritual food Jesus Christ to day 1. He then that will be a Minister of Jesus Christ must be paterfamilias a father who out of love must be careful and provident for his children 2. He must be a storer one who hath a treasure a little store will not be sufficient it will be soon spent it must be a treasure 3. And that treasure must be his own it shall be in him a well of water springing up into the everlasting life Joh. 4.14 A Cistern will be soon empty and it will afford no more than is put into it It must be his own not borrowed not taken upon trust there is too much of that comodity now-a-days many fail by this kind of trading much of this stuff vented out of the memory not out of the heart Whereas the good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth good things the Spirit out of the letter the new out of the old Jesus Christ to day out of Christ yesterday Repreh 2. This may justly reprove us all that we are so supine and negligent not regarding the time Jesus Christ is to day even in these our days and in these our days all things that are written are to be fulfilled For all the Prophets from Samuel and those that follow after as many as have spoken have likewise foretold of these days Act. 3.24 They have emptied themselves into these times ut impleretur Joh. 1. Grace and truth Yet who of us Beloved regard the time who sadly thinks upon this hodie as he ought who considers that all the types and figures of Jesus Christ yesterday in the old Testament ought to be fulfilled in him hodiè under the New Testament We can take notice of all other times but these A Mart or a Fair or Exchange time c. pass not without our observance and for every thing there is a time times fit for such or such a comodity as will be for our advantage we are awake unto But how sharply yet how slowly doth our Lord reprove the Jews and many of us Ye hypocrites ye can discern the face of the skie and can ye not discern the signs of the time Matth. 16.3 How do we trifle away our precious hodiè our to day while as if we lived to an outward Christ not Christ Emmanuel with us or in us every man is a Novelant Act. 17.21 when we hear vers 31. we then commonly vers 32. O how justly may we fear that the Lord Jesus may truly say in this his day the same to us which he speaks to Jerusalem Luk. 19.42 O if thou hadst known c Exhort To take notice of the time and know our own day Christ is hodiè Among those who came to David to Hebron to make him King there are reckoned up the children of Issachar 1 Chron. 12.32 The Text saith of them That these were men who had understanding of the times to know what Israel ought to do And doubtless it 's a great point of prudency to know the times and what is fit for Israel to do in every time Jesus Christ the true David is hodiè to day it is his time and 't is our time The sons of Issachar knew well that was a fit time to make David King and to turn the Kingdom of Saul to him And therefore they went up to Hebron and there made him King And truly St. Paul had like understanding of these times and warned the Athenians of them times fit for a very like purpose to make the true David King over us and to turn the Kingdom from the house of Saul unto David Saul is a type of the Law reigning as David is a type of Christ in many places of the Prophets Paul therefore tells the Athenians Act. 17.30 That the times of their ignorance God winked at what then is fit to be done He now commands all men every where to repent Why so vers 31. Because he hath appointed a day in the which he will judge the world in righteousness by that man whom he hath ordained i. e. Christ Jesus David foretold of this long ago He cometh he cometh to judge the earth He shall judge the world with righteousness and the people with his truth Psal 96.13 For this reason God commands all men every where to repent It is the day wherein the true David is to be made King to judge the world in righteousness And why then go we not up to him to Hebron why are we not joyned unto him by Faith Hebron is Conjunction to anoint him King over us Other Lords have ruled over us too long as I shewed ye the other day out of Esay 26.13 Since by the law the true Saul hath long reigned in our mortal body Mark what reasons the Israelites use 2 Sam. 5.1 2. 1. We are say they thy bone and thy flesh so Paul saith of the true David Eph. 5.30 2. Even then when Saul was King then David led out and brought in Israel David was yesterday even when the Law reigned he led the true Israel out and in he was the Minister of Circumcision 3. The Lord hath decreed this that his Son should be Captain of our
Salvation to lead us out and in out of our selves and then in That he may reign and rule in us 3. Jesus Christ is the same 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for ever 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifieth a world or age and answers to 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 word for word he is the same for Ages or Generations for worlds to come So that as yesterday signifieth all time past and to day the present time so 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for ever signifieth all time to come and that is the day of eternity so the Scripture speaketh though we do not English it so 2 Pet. 3. ult 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which the Latin hath in diem aeternitatis for the day of eternity The truth of this appears evidently by manifold Scriptures which testifie this truth of Christ 1. Sometimes of himself 2. Sometimes of his offices in the Church 1. Of himself these and the like Scriptures witness which are spoken of Christ the mercies goodness righteousness truth of God c. His mercy is everlasting and his truth endureth to all generations Psal 100.5 Psal 119.42 Thy righteousness is everlasting i. e. thy Christ whose name is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Jerem. Psal 139.24 The everlasting way everlasting life 1 Joh. 5.20 Vulg. Lat. Pater futuri seculi Vatablus Pater aeternitatis 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Esay 9.6 One of the names is the everlasting Father who is the Son of God and that Son abideth for ever Joh. 8.35 Heb. 7.24 This man continues for ever and vers 25. He ever liveth to make intercession I am with you to the end of the world c. There is no reason for this a priori according to the Divine nature of Christ for so he is God immutable and eternal aeterno nihil est prius But as God-man there is reason 1. On God's part the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 his promise and oath Heb. 6.18 which oath is alledged as the ground of Christ's eternal Priesthood Hebr. 7.20 21. 2. On man's part the necessity of an eternal Saviour and Intercessour and of this the Apostle speaks Hebr. 7.25 Observ 1. Hence then it followeth that Christ is God it is a propriety of the Deity to be for ever Gen. 21.24 Abraham called upon the name of the Lord the everlasting God The words are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which may be rendred the God of the world as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the Text signifieth also the world but the LXX here render it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the eternal God and the Apostle Rom. 16.26 ascribes that attribute unto God According to the commandment of the everlasting God thus Esay 9.6 Christ is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the everlasting Father or Father of eternity And the Son of God abideth for ever Joh. 8.35 And in the Text is said To be the same for ever Observ 2. Christian Religion is of eternal duration and will last with the Subject and Author of it for ever contrary unto the assertion of some enemies of it in the primitive times fati fatui assertores as Marsil Ficinus calls them who durst foretel that it should last only three hundred sixty five years and then vanish The Reason of this appears from the duration of the object And the mercy of the Lord endureth for ever Psal 100.5 His truth is from generation to generation Psal 117.2 The truth of the Lord endureth for ever The Gospel is an everlasting Gospel Rev. 14.6 And that a plain and simple truth no falshood in it it is composition and mixture that makes things less durable and lasting Now 2 Cor. 1.19 The Son of God Jesus Christ is not yea and nay there is not affirming and denying no there is no contradiction in him or in his Gospel but a constant asseveration and affirmation of truth In him was yea There is no lye of the truth 1 Joh. 2.21 27. The anointing is truth and is no lye Observ 3. Then neither is there nor shall there ever be any other Religion than the Christian Religion which shall last for ever And the reason is evident because it is not man's work and therefore it cannot but last for ever Act. 5.38 Gamaliel tells the Jews touching the Gospel If this counsel or this work be of men it will come to nought as the Doctrine of Theudas and Judas did ver 36.37 Such is the vanity and short continuance of humane inventions of what kind soever many old Heresies have nothing left of them but a name Some Writers have lived to see their own errours or have been so ingenious and honest as to write their retractations and acknowledge their errours Others in love with their own brain-work Natura dum nascentur probant have transmitted them to posterity they are taken up upon trust for truth which because they have gotten some years to credit them they have gotten withal some authority with us as if they were the truth it self whereas indeed their Authors have been in the dark and left their writings behind them to posterity as Rats and Mice and other Vermin in the night leave their dung behind them which afterwards is discovered by the day and the day of the Lord will discover these excrements of brain-sick men their false opinions their made holiness when they shall be swept out as dung The Apostle highly esteemed of his Circumcision and legal righteousness and his zeal so fervent that he persecuted the Church till the day appeared and then he esteemed all but dung that he might win Christ Phil. 3.8 Yea what one age yea perhaps a few days men cry up for a truth another if not the same decryes as fast as an errour and a lye The best of them are but the inventions of men or if there be any thing of God in them man's work put to it spoils all and they are but fruits of the tree of knowledge of good and evil fair to the eye but bitter to the tast Plants that are not of our Heavenly Fathers planting none of them fruits of the tree of life that 's Christ and his truth which lasts for ever This is worth our consideration in these days when so many cry out Truth Truth when God knows they know not what the truth is for since they live in their sins and depart not from them as 't is evident they do it is impossible that they should understand the truth 2 Esdr 5.1 Dan. 9.13 Yet 't is strange to see how violent many are in prosecution of that which they call truth even to the persecuting of truth it self if it be in their power so to do The Apostle gives a true character of such Jud. vers 10. They speak evil of those things which they know not but what they know naturally as bruit beasts therein they corrupt themselves But the time shall come when the glory of the truth shall confound the persecutors of it so that they shall for shame cast away
who like their father Ishmael have their hand against every man and every mans hand against them And I would to God there were not too many such even of those who would be thought to be the only doers of the Word But that we all ought to be doers of the word and not hearers only may be proved undeniably from the parts of it For 1. As for the Evangelical Word no man I suppose makes question of it if any do our Saviour will resolve him Matth. 7. Where he taught his Auditors not to be hearers only but to do his sayings and in that general commission Matth. 28. he commands them to teach all nations to observe all things whatsoever he had commanded them 2. And as little doubt is there to be made of the Law For do we make void the law through the faith of the Gospel God forbid yea we establish the law Rom. 3.31 For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believeth Rom. 10.4 For verily I say unto you saith our Saviour till heaven and earth pass one jot or one title shall in no wise pass away from the law till all be fulfilled for it immediately followeth whosoever therefore shall break one of these least commandments and shall teach men so he shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven but whosoever shall do and teach them shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven Matth. 5.15 19. Now both legal and Evangelical word teacheth us To love the Lord our God with all our heart with all our soul with all our strength with all mind and our neighbour as our selves to be perfect as our heavenly Father is perfect to cleanse our selves from all pollution of flesh and Spirit and perfect holiness in the fear of God To depart from evil and to do all good To put of the old man or the old conversation according to the Syriach and put on the new To dye unto sin and live unto righteousness To keep the Sabbath i. e. to cease from our own works and to keep the Lords day or do the works of God The first is our conformity unto the death of Christ The second to his Resurrection So that the Gospel requires of us as much obedience as the Law for measure and degree if we consider these and the like places well Matth. 5.18 19 48. 2 Cor. 7.1 and 13.11 Col. 3.14 Tit. 2.12.13 Revel 22.14 compared with vers 18.19 And the reason may appear from mans just and due subordination to the Will of God which is reasonable and just because proceeding from a manifold right of Creation preservation redemption covenant and forfeiture And upon these the Throne of Gods Dominion is erected and into these as into the first principles and foundation of obedience the whole Word of God is finally resolved 1. He is the Lord our Maker our Creator and this is the end of our Creation we are Gods workmanship created in Christ Jesus unto good works which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them 2. This is the end of our predestination for we are predestin'd to be made conformable to the Son of God who went about doing good 3. The end of our election for we are chosen that we may bring forth fruits 4. This is the end of our Redemption for therefore Christ gave himself for us that he might redeem us from all iniquity and purifie unto himself a peculiar people zealous of good works This was figured in Ruth the type of the Gentile Church saith St. Jerom who being redeemed by Boaz a figure of Christ in whom is our strength brought forth Obed a servant or doer according to that in the Hymn that we being redeemed out of the hands of our enemies may serve him in holiness and righteousness all the days of our life All which howsoever most true yet is there no Divine Truth so much opposed as this and that by all sects of Christians Disputes are endless I 'l but briefly name and resolve some of the principal doubts But if Believers in the Word are saved what need we be doers of the Word If less will serve the turn what need we do more Why should we be prodigal of our obedience why is this wast 'T was the question of Judas who bare the bag and is the tenent of some whose gain I fear is their godliness who measure their Religion by the purse and make choice of that which is the easiest and best cheap But though Believers of the Word be saved yet not those who believe the word of promise only as ignorant men conceive For Faith is an assent to Divine Truth which is not only that of promise but as well that of precepts prohibitions and comminations And God is as well to be believed when he commands forbids and threatens as when he promiseth for as his promise and his oath to the obedient are two immutable things Heb. 6.18 So Heb. 3.18 are his threatning and his oaths to the disobedient But howsoever it be true that Faith alone justifieth yet that faith justifieth not which is alone as all agree But as the Bride-groom Cant. 6.8 9. saith his Spouse is one yet there are saith he sixty queens and eighty concubines and virgins without number Faith hath her Train and Retinue of other Graces attending on it inwardly joyned and united to it and inseparable which cannot be severed from it 2 Pet. 1.5 Add to your faith c. 8.11 For from the assent of the mind unto Divine Truth which we call Faith The soul advanceth it self and is carried out unto the thing believed in a double act of hope For God who is objectum beatificum and in God who is the Author actus fruitivi But these acts of Faith and Hope have an eye at a mans own proper good and look no further Indeed they go out of a man to purvey for that good yet so that they return home again and rest there as a man goeth forth to the Market to buy himself meat yet eats it not there but at his own house But thus a man should make himself his own end And therefore this Faith and Hope cannot be saving alone but must be acted unto Gods honour which cannot be done but out of Charity and thus by works is faith made perfect saith our Apostle By reason of this near conjunction and union of Faith with Love the holy Ghost in Scripture useth Faith and Obedience the one for the other neither circumcision availeth any thing nor uncircumcision but faith which worketh by love Gal. 5.6 ye have the same sentence Gal. 6.15 only Obedience put for Faith 1 Cor. 7.19 Circumcision is nothing and uncircumcision is nothing but keeping the Commandments of God And where the one of these is denyed there the other is denyed also Rom. 10.16 All have not obeyed the Gospel Why so For Esaiah said Lord who hath believed our report Deny the consequent
practice of the Christian Church agrees viz. That such as are brought unto the laver of Regeneration to be admitted into the body of Christ his holy Congregation should first make a protestation that they do forsake the devil and all his works the pomps and vanites of this wicked world with all the sinful lusts of the flesh so that they will not follow nor be led by them then that they do believe Gods holy word and will obey his will and keep his commandments all the days of their lives For this is the method which every one must follow which do intend to serve the living God in sincerity and truth But by ungodliness Baalim and Ashteroth the powers of darkness and riches of spiritual pride were served Then by living soberly justly and holily in this present world serve the Lord with all your hearts that he alone may dwell and rule and be adored therein for ye are the temples of the living God And what agreement hath the Temple of God with Idols 2 Cor. 6. Therefore let not sin rule in your mortal body that you should obey it in the lusts thereof neither yield ye your members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin But yield your selves unto God as those which are alive from the dead and your members as instruments of righteousness unto God Rom. 6.12 For the lusts of the flesh the lusts of the eye and the pride of life are the strange Gods the dumb Idols which the people of uncircumcised hearts do serve but they whose Religion is pure and undefiled are turned from these to serve the true and living God 1 Thes 1.9 2. Secondly as pure and undefiled Religion is directed only to the God of truth so that Religion by which the God of truth is rightly served is undefiled and pure Both 1. Formally in it self And 2. Efficiently in regard of others For the Law of the Lord is perfect converting the soul the testimony of the Lord is sure making wise the simple the Statutes of the Lord are right rejoycing the heart the commandment of the Lord is pure enlightning the eyes Psal 19. Here the Psalmist doth describe the nature and effects of pure and undefiled Religion 1. First The Law of the Lord is perfect converting the soul that is The Law of the Lord is perfect in it self and maketh others perfect which by the assistance of the Holy Spirit fashion and conform their lives thereto 1. It 's perfect in it self because it is not wanting in necessaries nor yet abounding in things superfluous For love is the fulfilling of the Law Rom. 13. And Love is the bond of perfection Coloss 2. 2. It maketh others perfect which by the assistance of the Holy Spirit fashion and conform their lives thereto But who so looks into the perfect Law of Liberty and by patience in well-doing do continue therein may by the help of Grace subdue his carnal and corrupt affections and yield himself obedient unto his Heavenly Fathers will for in the sixth Chapter to the Romans S. Paul doth seem to intimate that the whole body of sin is crucified and put to death upon the Cross of patience therefore let patience have her perfect work saith S. James that ye may be perfect and entire wanting nothing Jam. 1.4 2. Secondly The testimony of the Lord is sure making wise the simple for his Doctrine which doth testifie unto us his will is faithful firm and sure and by keeping it the simple findeth wisdom and the ignorant getteth understanding for I have more understanding than all my teachers saith the Psalmist because thy testimonies are all my meditation I am wiser than the ancients because I keep thy precepts Psal 119.99 Therefore I will here commend the keeping of the Testimonies of the Lord to such as have not set an higher prize on that that 's falsly called wit than that that 's truely termed wisdom 3. Thirdly The Statutes of the Lord are right rejoycing the heart for they inhibit all things which are dishonest unjust unlawful and all things which are just and upright do they require for God hath made with man an everlasting covenant for he hath said Beware of all unrighteousness and hath given every man a commandment concerning his Neighbour viz. That he should love his neighbour as himself Ecclus 17.14 Therefore the Statutes of the Lord do not authorize venial sins though termed by some infirmities for they require that as he which hath called you is holy so ye also should be holy in all manner of conversation 1 Pet. 1.15 And although such as do delight in evil rejoyce not in the Statutes of the Lord yet unto such as make the Statutes of the Lord their study they are the very joy and rejoycing of their hearts Jer. 15.16 4. The commandment of the Lord is pure enlightning the eyes 1. It 's pure Because it is not mixed with falshood nor darkened with the clouds of errour for the commandment of the Lord is the way of holiness of which the Prophet spake Esay 35. And nothing but the turning to the right hand or the left nothing but the swerving from this way is errour therefore though learned Sentences Sums of Divinity Church Rites common Places and Institutions of Religion may have strong delusions superstitious practices dangerous errours and corrupt opinions yet the Law of the Lord is an undefiled Law The fear of the Lord is clear his service upright and his doctrine pure But though it be more bright than Moses's face until the veil be taken off our hearts we are not able to behold its Glory but when the heart shall be converted from its evil ways and turned to the Lord then the veil of errour shall be taken away And we with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord shall be changed into the same Image from glory to glory even by the Spirit of the Lord 2 Cor. 3. ult Secondly The commandment of the Lord illuminates the understanding it gives sight unto the eyes of the Spirit Mankind is like that blind man in the Gospel which was blind from his Mothers womb Joh. 9. But this blind man receives his sight when the eyes of his Spirit are anointed with the eye-salve of obedience unto the Law of God whose precepts do give sight unto the blind for as the Prince of darkness the God of this wicked world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not i. e. of the disobedient lest they should see the light of the Glorious Gospel of Christ So the Father of lights the God which commanded light to shine out of darkness hath shined in true Believers hearts i. e. in such as are obedient children to give the light of the knowledge of God in the face of Jesus Christ 2 Cor. 4. And both the outward and the inward service both the bodily and spiritual worship which they that are thus illuminated do exhibit unto God is undefiled and pure But
Pharisees impose upon themselves 2. The other was an Edomite as Herod an earthly sensual and voluptuous man such as the Sadduces were such as the Sodomites were therefore our Lord is said to be crucified in that City which spiritually is called Sodom and Egypt Revel 11.8 If we look well into this yea every age we shall find mostly but Pharisees and Sadduces in it and that most men in it are leavened either with the leaven of the Scribes and Pharisees or with the leaven of the Sadduces and Herodians Confer Notes in Hebr. 2.1 Shall we apply these to our present age The works of the flesh are so manifest among us I need not instance in any see a large and foul catalogue of them Gal. 5.19 when did these more abound This is the Reformation in these days this is the righteousness of the Sadduces of these times who have their names from Sadoc which signifieth righteous But if we enquire among the Pharisees shall we find our age exceed these in righteousness Are we any whit better than these We account our selves righteous when we fancy our sins covered and remember not that it is added in the Psalm and in whose spirit there is no guile Psal 32. We imagine our selves righteous by faith but consider not that Faith purifieth the heart Act. 15.9 whereby we declare our selves to be the Generation of which the wise man speaks That we are pure in our own eyes and yet are not washed from our filthiness Prov. 30.12 Eat swines flesh and broth of abominable things yet say stand by thy self come not near to me I am holier than thou Esay 65.4 5. We confess our sins and pray for remission and pardon of sin and say that God is faithfull and just to forgive us our sins but we desire not that God should cleanse us from all our unrighteousness though that be added 1 Joh. 1.9 We love that too well to part with it and say it is impossible to be cleansed from it We flatter and please our selves in the righteousness of Faith but mean time forget that universal righteousness of God testified by the Law and the Prophets accompanying the obedience of Faith Rom. 3.21 We magnifie exceedingly the righteousness of Christ and the Justice of God in Christ Vide Notes in Jerem. 23.5 and indeed who can sufficiently magnifie it But mean time we regard not common justice and equity between man and man we have so much Religion such as it is that it hath devoured all honesty truth justice faithfulness we have so much of the imagined righteousness of Christ that it pays our debts for us it feeds the hungry for us it cloaths the naked for us it relieves the oppressed visits the sick In a word we are so righteous by the imagined righteousness of Christ that we can neither live sober nor chast nor just nor honest nor merciful nor true nor faithful yet righteous all this while by the imputed righteousness of Christ We have so tenter'd the righteousness of Christ that it serves to hide all our unrighteousness our drunkenness our whoredom our lying our cheating our couzening our oppressing our unmercifulness in a word it is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 A mantle of Religion to cover all our knavery These are the old filthy garments wherewith Joshua is clad Zach. 3.3 So that we may truly say of this present age of the world as the Prophet speaks of the Church in his time Esay 64.6 All our righteousness is as filthy rags O Beloved is this our reformation of life we have covenanted for Is this the new man we have professed to put on created after God in righteousness and true holiness If this be our righteousness what is our unrighteousness If this be our Holiness what is our prophaneness And shall not the Lord visit for these things Shall not his Soul be avenged of such a nation as this Jer. Shall he not draw his sword and cut off the righteous and the wicked Ezech. 21.3 The open wicked and prophane and the pretending righteous God spared not the old unrighteous world and shall he spare this Repreh 4. Those who are embarqued in the common danger yet quarrel Exhort To hear the eighth preacher of righteousness O Beloved Let not us refuse him that speaketh Hebr. 12.25 Let not us be like the old world when the Lord call'd for Obedience and expected it Vulg. Lat. Expectabat Deus paenitentiam they said God is merciful and so delayed their repentance their returning from sin and turning unto God and so the flood came and took them all away O Beloved take heed that the overflowing scourge surprise not us the Lord is merciful but he is just also and severe against impenitent and unrighteous ones O Beloved let us not be like those Sons of Epimetheus and never fear destruction till it be upon us when it will be too late to fear Like the foolish Bird called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or Fulica whence some derive the English word Fool that is so improvident that it will take a bait out of the Fowlers hand and so is taken by him O let us now at the length when God's judgments are in the earth and now upon us let us now at the length while it is called to day even in this our day lean righteousness Esay 26. The best Verse in Virgil Discite justitiam This is the only means to obtain the most safe and best grounded and most lasting everlasting peace which is the effect of Righteousness Esay 32.17 First righteousness and then peace the cause must go before the effect Being justified or made righteous by faith we have peace with God c. And Melchisedech is first King of righteousness and then King of peace Hebr. 7.2 The old Poet in his 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 tells us that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 That peace is the Daughter of Righteousness And the best Poet the Psalmist tells us that in these last days Mercy and Truth shall meet together righteousness and peace shall kiss each other that truth shall flourish out of the earth and righteousness shall look down from Heaven Let us therefore hear the Apostle Phil. 4.8 What ever things c. and the God of peace be with you God saved Noah the eighth Preacher of righteousness Quaere What 's meant by saving What means he used to save him The word here used is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is used as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to keep to deliver to save to tender and have a care of this answers to 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Deut. 32.10 He lead him about he instructed him he kept him as the apple of ones eye whence 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a young tender plant that stands in need of keeping 2. To 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Gen. 28.15 To Jacob I am with thee and will keep thee in all places whither thou goest The word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 answers to 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉
48. What if thou thy self shalt confess thy self able to overcome the world There is the same Reason of overcoming all as one enemy so that if thou be able to overcome one surely by like Reason thou art able to overcome all Means To overcome the world the Apostle prescribes our Faith our confidence and to it all those heroical exploits are referred Hebr. 11. Non implicari negotiis seculi Christ overcame by the Word but this Word must have Faith mingled with it Christ overcame in his temptations Georg. Ven. 217. b. Means To increase that Faith it 's experience Psal 4. By this experience David encreased his Faith and Hope first a Lion overcome then a Bear so must we reason the Lion is the Devil who is overcome by resisting saith the Apostle the Bear is our flesh Goliah is the power and glory of the world so we shall lead Captivity captive so Goliah signifieth Consider I beseech ye the important necessity all the happiness of that life which is to come depends on the atchievement of this victory To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the Tree of Life Rev. 2.2 and he shall not taste of the second death and vers 17. To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the hidden Manna He that overcometh shall be cloathed in white rayment and I will not blot out his Name out of the Book of Life but I will confess his Name before my Father and before his Angels Rev. 3.5 Him that overcometh I will make a pillar in the Temple of my God and he shall go no more out and I will write upon him the Name of my God c. What stand we on particulars He that overcometh shall inherit all things and I will be his God and he shall be my Son Revel 21.7 I know no motive no reason more powerful than this is if we add hereto an example if we look unto Abraham the Father of the faithful who begat us Isai 51. and imitate his Faith True it is that while men look only on things which are seen they see nothing else but enemies and all in arms against them and therefore they cry out as the Prophets servant did 2 King 6.15 Alas Master what shall we do But Abraham's Faith is the substance of things hoped for the evidence of things not seen Hebr. 11.1 And St. Paul instructs us not to look on the things which are seen but the things which are not seen 2 Cor. 4.18 And Moses is said to have done all his mighty works as seeing him who is invisible By strength of this Faith Abraham left his Country not knowing whither he went he offered up his Son though the promise was made in him He marched against four Kings and obtained the victory Men and Brethren children of the stock of Abraham and whosoever among you feareth God unto you is the word of this salvation sent Arm ye your selves with the same mind with the same faith Remember the promises made to him that overcomes Remember the issue of Abrahams Faith was victory Remember the issue of his victory Melchizedeck the Priest of the most high God met him and brought forth bread and wine And if we behave our selves valiantly the true Melchizedeck the High Priest of the most High God will meet us and bring forth his bread and wine and serve us Luk. 12.37 even the true bread that strengthens mans heart and the true wine that makes it joyful the food of everlasting life prepared and ready on the Table for the faithful only for those who overcome the world Blessed be God who giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ to whom with the Father and the blessed Spirit be all Honour and Glory world without end Amen NOTES AND OBSERVATIONS UPON JUDE Verse 1. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Jude the servant of Jesus Christ and brother of James to them that are sanctified by God the Father and preserved in Jesus Christ and called THe great abuse of Saints by some hath been an occasion unto others of a contrary abuse forasmuch as they offend on the one hand by over-honouring the Saints these offend on the other by an utter neglect of them and allowing them no honour at all For what shall we call the erection of Statues unto Saints bending the knee unto them uncovering the head praying unto them depending on them as Mediators and Intercessors and tutelary Gods What shall we call this over-honouring of the Saints but a gross abuse which some apprehend so deeply and take in such disdain that they run into the other extreme and will not afford so much honour unto the Saints as to be called Saints though they are made perfect but it must be to choose John Peter Paul which title of Saints notwithstanding they can afford to many of their own though but yet in the way and far from that height of holiness which the blessed Saints enjoy And as for Holy Dayes in memory of them received from the Primitive times they are accounted so superstitious that more conscience is made of working such dayes than other when to hear prayers on such dayes except they fall as this doth on the Lords day 't is thought a greater interruption and neglect of their Calling than to ride many miles to hear some one whom they like preach on some other week-day and what shall I call this but a gross abuse on the other hand The extreme opposition of these two one against the other hath had the same effect which most Controversies have Veritas altercando amittitur it hath lost us the true use of Holy Dayes But withal we have an advantage by this their extreme departure the one from the other it hath left us a fair middle way to walk in and to find out the Truth which the Church hath chalked out unto us Viz. to recount with praise and thanksgiving the great goodness and mercy of our God who hath given us some Apostles and some Prophets and some Evangelists and some Pastors and Teachers for the perfecting of the Saints for the work of the Ministry for the edifying the body of Christ whose memory therefore we celebrate to the glory of our God who hath given such gifts unto men as also to praise the Lord who hath given us not only an holy Rule to walk by his Holy Word but his Saints also for examples of it so that they being men of like passions with us as they themselves confess it may appear to us that the rule of Life is not only possible but also feasible As also by commemorating these our Leaders who by their Doctrine and Life have shewed us the way of God to help to make good the promise of God unto his Saints who hath said that the Righteous shall be had in everlasting remembrance Psal And lastly to name no more to set before us as a clear mirrour their unblameable spotless and holy lives to copy them out
Observ 2. Christ is the Tree of Life and what is Life actus vivendi the act of living Life is either Natural or Supernatural Natural or Vegetative as in Plants Sensitive as Animals Rational and Intellectual as in Men and Angels Christ is the Tree of Life in all these respects and above them all in that he hath in him the Supernatural Life the Life of God so saith our Lord Joh. 14. I am the Way the Truth and the Life What some contend for touching the natural Virtues of that Tree I dispute not the most of what is said may be resolved into conjectures and subtilties of the Schoolmen who on Lumb libr. 2. distinct 19. affirm that it had many excellent Virtues in it but lost them by the Fall of Adam Certain it is that even natural things themselves made for the use of Man have contracted vanity by the sin of Man for hence it is that the Earth is accursed for Man's sake and the same our forefathers found in their dayes as ancient stories report we find now what 's the reason a fruitful Land makes he a barren wilderness for the wickedness of them that dwell therein But what Virtues they â—â—njecture were in the Natural and Symbolical Tree we may confidently say are in the true and Spirâ—â—ual Tree of Life and more than they for in this Tree of Life is the very life of God Formaliter Joh. 1.5.26 The Father hath Life and giveth to the Son to have Life in him also and so Effectivè also it gives life unto others who have it Eccles 7.12 Wisdom giveth life to them that have it and the eating of this Tree gives Life to the world Joh. 6.57 He that eateth me shall live by me it also prolongs life for Wisdom is the gray hair to men it not only gives Life but a greater degree of it Joh. 10.10 That they may have it more abundantly and strongly also To him that hath no might he increaseth strength Isai 40.29 30 31. He protects sub umbra illius Cant. 2.3 I sate down under his shadow with great delight He refresheth with his fruit Matt. 11. Observ 3. If Christ be the Tree of Life then are true Christians the Living and Fruitful branches of it fruitful Trees like unto him I am the Tree and ye are the branches Joh. 15.5 Now the Tree divides it self first into greater and stronger branches afterward more less and many the most full Virtue of it first diffused into a few Apostles afterward into all the Trees of Righteousness which are planted by the rivers of waters the out-flowing of his Spirit and Life Here is Consolation for the People of God the Trees of Righteousness who draw Vertue and Power by Faith from their Root and Stock though many winds blow thou art better rooted and grounded in him than to be tossed or carried with every wind of doctrine The Tree of Life is the more deeply rooted and so much the more spreads it self by how much the more it is shaken with storms What if thou suffer much opposition the most fruitful Trees are most cudgell'd thou art in 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and that notes the Cross Exod. 15.25 this Tree or Wood makes the bitter waters sweet This is the blessed wood by which comes Righteousness and Salvation Wisd 14.7 Alas says the disconsolate Soul I have no life no moisture I am like the drought in Summer Psal 32.4 Let not the Eunuch say I am a dry Tree Isai 56.3 True it is Moses drove out the Eunuches Deut. 23.1 out of the Temple of the Lord from all Offices in the Common-wealth so that it was a reproach to be barren But what Eunuches meant Moses such as had no will or power to propagate the Holy Seed nor raise up Seed not such Eunuches as made themselves such for the kingdom of God Matt. 19.12 Unto such our Lord saith Let not the Eunuch say I am a dry tree vers 4 5. Ezek. 17.24 Further God hath his Paradise and the Tree of Life is in the midst of Gods Paradise and Christ gives power to him that overcomes to eat of the Tree of Life There is a Paradise of God why said to be God's God hath planted it Gen. 2.8 9. the Trees are plants of Gods planting God delights in them And the Tree of Life is in the midst of the Paradise of my God saith the Son of Man What is Paradise and why the Paradise of God Paradise where we first read of it is Gen. 2.8 9. a garden inclosed from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to protect and defend Hortus Conclusus Cant. 4.12 a Garden inclosed is my sister Eccles 2.5 Neh. 2.8 This Paradise this Garden is said to be in Eden 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is either Appellative and so it signifies pleasure and delight or proper and so it signifies that most pleasant and delightful place in the East called by that Name Hence 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of this ye read 2 King 19.12 the Children of Eden and Ezek. 27.23 Eden is reckoned among other places of Babylon and Mesopotamia There is a dispute about it and great enquiry hath been made by Geographers and Chorographers The Jews by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 understand the happiness of the life to come 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 This day thou shalt be with me in Paradise Disputers whatever men think have very seldom brought forth Truth however this is not the Paradise we now enquire after the Paradise we now seek is as some call it Heaven others Coeli vestibulum suburbium the place or state of the blessed called Paradise or a Garden from such a resemblance or similitude as the most pleasant and delightful things on earth can make us of the heavenly I call it a place or rather a state a place or rather in a place it must be otherwise it cannot be for whatsoever is no where is not at all but I call it rather a state for Act. 22.17 St. Paul saith He was in a trance in the Temple at which time he saith he was caught up into Paradise and heard unspeakable words 2 Cor. 12.4 so Jacob Gen. 28.17 This is the House of God the Gate of Heaven Besides it was a known and received Truth among the Jews before our Lord appeared in the flesh that by Paradise was to be understood the state of Glory Ecclus. 40.17 So the fear of God is a blessed state We read of Enoch that he was translated Ecclus. 44.16 Translatus est in Paradisum He was translated into Paradise In which sence our Lord saith to the good Thief This day shalt thou be with me in Paradise As there are degrees of punishments and torments in Hell It shall be easier for c. so are there degrees of rewards in Heaven Nor is Paradise the highest degree of heavenly Glory for what as our Lord upon the Cross had said unto the good Thief This day c. Luk. 23.43 being risen from the
secular and worldly helps but in a sort constrained by the enforcement of positive and present enemies temptations from the evil beasts and evil spirits to desire it to hearken to the voice of God and he must needs go we say whom the devil drives 3. Thirdly such a desart and forlorn condition the Lord requires in all such as he receives to be his Disciples Luk. 14 25-33 Every one of your that forsakes not all that he hath cannot be my Disciple it is required of him who ever is fit to be a Disciple of Christ 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as the Philosopher Nor will you take an Apprentice but he shall be able to write and read they who will be Christs Disciples or Apprentices which is the same they must go into the wilderness unto John the Baptist and hear Gods voice of him before they can be received to be the Disciples of Christ for beloved it is not such an extempore business to be a Disciple of Christ as 't is conceived by some who out of pretence of magnifying Christ and his merit or out of favour of their own lusts or out of ignorance of the Scripture which truly is not so much heeded as the glosses and writings of men upon it and the received vulgar tenents which are taken for granted for one or more of these reasons they transgress and pass over the Law and leap over John Baptist's head and so at one step go out of Aegypt into the heavenly Canaan without passing through the wilderness they will be John's Disciples immediately whether he will or no without hearkening unto John the Baptist. 1. Observe then a common duty necessary for all those who would be Christ's Disciples and Christians indeed would they hear the Lords voice let them go into the wilderness for do we think our Lord would send his Minister to speak where there was not an ear to hear he speaks in the wilderness and thither must we go to hear him And therefore we read that when John preached Luk. 3.10 the common people went to him and he teacheth them then the Publicans vers 12 13. then the Soldiers vers 14. and John the Baptist preacheth there still the Lord cryes still in the wilderness of the heart if men would go out unto him out of Aegypt out of Jerusalem out of all worldly corruptions to hear him Thus David was in the wilderness Audiam quid in me loquatur Dominus Psal 85.9 11. for he shall speak peace unto his People and to his Saints yea and to those qui convertuntur ad cor 2. Observe the perverseness and untowardness of our nature a fat Land and plenty of all things ought to lead us unto our God but such is our perversness it makes us rebels against our God and drives us from him of this the Lord complains Jer. 2.31 Have I been a wilderness unto Israel a land of darkness q. d. No I have been 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 an all-sufficient God unto thee yet we will not hear him Deut. 32.15 Jesurun waxed fat and kicked like a fat bullock in a rank pasture kicks its own damm so Jesurun seems to signifie coming of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that signifieth a bullock Neh. 9.25 26. They took strong cities and a fat land and possessed houses full of all goods wells digged vineyards and olive-yards and fruit trees in abundance so they did eat and were filled and what then then they should take heed that they forget not the Lord their God this is Gods caveat unto his people Deut. 6.10 11 12. But they when they had eaten and were filled they became fat and delighted themselves in thy great goodness and they turn disobedient and rebelled against thee and cast thy Law behind their backs Rom. 2.4 Jerem. 22.21 I spake unto thee in thy prosperity and thou saidst I will not hear this hath been thy manner from thy youth that thou obeyedst not my voice Our case beloved The Lord seated us in a plentiful Land and afforded unto us the choicest of his temporal and spiritual blessings peace and truth such favour hath been shewn unto us yet we would not learn righteousness In the land of uprightness we have dealt unjustly The Lord spake unto us in our prosperity and we said we would not hear we have grown fat and kicked and this hath been our custome from our youth that we have not obeyed the voice of the Lord our God Reproves Those who will not go out of the crowd to hear the Lords voice mens worldly affairs make such a din and noise in their inward ears that they cannot they will not hear the Lords voice like those who live at the Catadupa or fall of Nilus they are deaf and can hear no other sound and therefore will not come out of Aegypt Intus existens prohibet alienum they have hearkened so long to the beasts and the devils voice that unless John speak according to that they cannot they will not hear him Prov. Nisi ea dixeris quae sunt in corde ipsius unless you speak such things as are in their heart they will not hear It 's a dreadful thing to consider what the Lord threatens his own people Deut. 28.47 48. the very same the Lord seems now to threaten unto us he spake unto us in the time of our prosperities that we would go into the wilderness forsake all and follow him and we said in our life the truest word we will not hear and therefore he now threatens to make us a wilderness to take away all those things which in our affection we would not forsake and so he will make us serve him in the want of all things this hath been Gods method and way of dealing with his own people Hos 2.6.14 We shall now know experimentally that there is no safety but in our God 2. Those who hear the beasts every beastly lust cryes in the motions of it either from others or from our own hearts the howling wilderness within us the wild beasts of the wilderness were with the wild beasts of the Island the Satyr cryes unto his fellow these are heard The Foxes craft and subtilty the Doggs envy detraction backbiting and slandering the Swines drunkenness and sensuality the Wolves Bears Lions and Tygres Cruelty and Rapine these cry and are heard Yea the devil cryes in the wilder'd heart of man Zym meets Jim the Satyr and the night waster cryes to his fellow and are heard blood-thirstiness and lying are sins proper to the devil In regard of the first he is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a destroyer whence the Jews at this day entertain the Christians with this name welcom shed And the devil is therefore called Abaddon 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Apoc. 9.11 such an evil spirit at this day possesseth the wilder'd heart of man such a blood-thirsty lying spirit speaks to them and is heard Joh. 8.44 Ye are of your father the devil and the lusts of your
father ye will do what are they He was a murderer from the beginning and abode not in the truth when he speaks a lye he speaks of his own for he is a lyar and the father of it O that bloody minded men and such as uphold their gain and credit with lies would at this day consider whose voice they hearken unto whose voice mean time they neglect and will not hear O would God they would seriously consider what the Lord threatens Prov. 1. But alas may some poor soul say I have left the flesh-pots of Aegypt and I have left Jerusalem the false righteousness and am come into the wilderness to hear the voice of my God and here I looked for some refreshing some joy some consolation when alas I met with nothing else but fears and cares and grief and molestations distracting thoughts and astonishments I am here alone like an Owl in the desart surely I have made an ill change 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is generally true O say not so poor soul thy condition for the present appears to thee somewhat irksome and disconsolate for no affliction for the present seems joyous but grievous Heb. 12. and where we read we count them happy that suffer Jam. 5.11 it is rather to be rendered who have suffered 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for neither they who suffer nor other accounts those happy who suffer while they suffer Lam. 3.15 thou art in Marah where the Lord fills thee with bitterness and makes thee drunken with wormwood and feeds thee with the bread of adversity and gives thee plenteousness of tears to drink Art thou too good to drink of the cup that thy Lord drank of he saith thou shalt drink of it Mar. 10.39 thou thoughtest because thou hast left the lusts of thine eyes and the lusts of thy flesh behind thee therefore thou must have thy desires presently satisfied with spiritual joyes and consolations But thou deceivest thy self remember how thou but lately drinkedst in iniquity like water and canst thou hope presently to be satisfied with the plenteousness of Gods house and that he should make thee drink of his pleasures as out of the river Psal 36.8 Now thou art come thy three dayes journey into the wilderness and thou art now in Marah Exod. 15.7 See thine own condition in the Israelites Exod. 15.22 They went three dayes journey into the wilderness and found no water and when they found it it was bitter they then murmur against Moses then Exod. 16.2 3. they came into the wilderness of Sin a bushy and thorny wilderness as the word signifieth which typifieth cares and sorrows Mat. 13. and now they expected at least as great pleasure and contentment as they had in Aegypt and here contrary to their expectation they had nothing to eat however think not of going into Aegypt Gen. 26.1 2 3. And this is thy condition but be not thou so unthankful as to murmur against thy God for this very story was written that thou mightest not murmur 1 Cor. 10.10 11. thou art not wholly comfortless thou hast Manna here Exod. 16. the Lord makes Marah for thee Gal. 3.13 1 Pet. 2.21 and 24. 2 Cor. 1.5 7 10. Rom. 5.3 thou hast water out of the rock thou hast the blessed Sacrament the spiritual meat and the spiritual drink 1 Cor. 10. and this Rock is Christ yea the Lord himself guides thee Christ is with thee thou thinkest some strange thing happens to thee 1 Pet. 4.12 thou thinkest thy self alone in this wilderness it is not so St. Peter writes to strangers 1 Pet. 1.1 such as thou art and surely it was their thought concerning their own condition but the Apostle corrects it 1 Pet. 5.9 Thus Eliah thought himself alone in the wilderness thus David Psal 102.6 7. the Lord called Abraham alone but this is for thy greater good thou thinkest not of the sins of thy fore-passed life true it is that upon thy coming out of Aegypt thou art forgiven thy sins yet art thou yet purged from them hast thou not yet a malignant party within thee as there was a mixt company came with the Israelites out of Aegypt into the wilderness Exod. 12.38 The Lord is now working out that mixt company Ezek. 20.35 36 37 38. thus Moses tells the Israelites Deut. 8.15 16. The Lord will make water-springs in a dry ground Isai 43.19 20. Exod. 44.3 Joh. 3.5 and 7.38 39. Beloved because men have not had the patience to pass through this forlorn estate this desolate wilderness they have either fall'n down in despair or turned back into Aegypt a licentious course of life the condition of thousands at this day Exhort To go into the wilderness to hear the Lords voice were this exhortation made unto us with respect to an outward wilderness and the hearing of the Lords voice there I doubt not but many to satisfie their curiosity would go very far our Saviour rebuketh the people who did so to hear John the Baptist what went ye out into the wilderness to see but this exhortation pointeth inwardly at the heart and our return thither as the Prophet speaks Isa 46.8 Reddite praevaricatores ad cor how few will listen to it how many more fewer obey it And the reason is it 's a reflex act and therefore more difficult than a direct and we are more hardly perswaded thereunto this is an act that every man can do yet men will hardly be perswaded hereunto Thus we can examine things without us judge other men prove other mens works but we are hardly brought off to the examination of our selves and the judging of our selves and proving of our own works The introversion and going into our own hearts In sese nemo tentat descendere nemo Yet in these acts consists the essence of our Christian life every man will hearken what the Lord speaks to the outward ear few consider what he speaks unto their heart But 1. There the Lord cryes there his word is to be heard Rom. 10.8 It is not far off from thee 't is in thy mouth and in thy heart Truly beloved I have heard of many and know some who have travelled far in the world in search of the true Religion that they might hear the Lord speak unto them who at length returned ashamed that they sought that far abroad which they might have found sooner at home 2. This was mystically understood by Moses when he so often and earnestly urged Pharaoh to let the people go into the wilderness that they might serve the Lord Pharaoh was content that Israel should offer sacrifice to the Lord in Aegypt Exod. 8. 25. But Moses tells him they knew not with what they should serve the Lord till they came into the wilderness Exod. 10.26 Now by Pharaoh the Ancients understood the Devil now the Devil is content Gods voice should be heard so his may be heard too so they will hear Gods voice in Aegypt so sin is typically signified Mich. 7. and Apoc. 11.8