provided it bee not out of flattery and for base ends we may upon just occasion not onely commend but inlarge and as it were Hyperbolize in the Commendations of them that are good Indeed to flourish with Rhetorical exaggerations in laying open the faults of others except of such crimes as are very open and hainous is uncharitable but to expatiate though it bee with Hyperboles in the praises of others for their vertues is very allowable as being that which this Holy Apostle giveth as a pattern of in this high Eâ—comium you need not that any man teach you 2 There is yet another way of giving the sense of this clause which to mee seemeth most genuine and that is by construing those words you need not that any man teach you with the following but as the sume Annointing teacheth you of all things which being put together doe onely deny any need that any man should teach them any other Doctrin than what this Annointing had taught them All things to wit necessary to Salvation this Unction had taught them and therefore no need of any man to teach them any thing besides these all things To this purpose is that glosse of Heinsius who conceiveth that the conjunction But is to be here taken in the same notion in which it is used by the Chaldee and Syriack Those words there is no God besides mee are read by the Chaldee There is no God but I. Thus in this place 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is as much as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 you need not that any man teach you but as that is except those things which the same Annointing teacheth you With this sense that gloss agreeth in effect which I finde among some Expositors who refer the man here mentioned to the Seducers before spoken of There is no need of any new Masters that any of those seducers concerning whom the Apostle had discoursed should teach them any new Doctrin Very Apposite to this purpose is that excellent saying of Tertu Nob is curiositate opus non est post Jesum Christum nec inquisitionâ— post Evangelium nil desideramus ultra credere hoc enim prius credimus nil esse quod ultra credere debemus Christ being now revealed in his Gospel it is curiosity to make further inquiry wee desire not to beleeve any thing more for this wee first beleeve that there is nothing more to be beleeved There is need indeed that the Orthodox teachers should inculcate upon the people what this Unction teacheth but as for any Doctrin besides there is no need of nor regard to bee had to it or him that bringeth it It is very probable that those Seducers did teach their new Doctrins as things necessary to bee known and beleeved in reference to whom our Apostle assureth them that whatever those Hereticks might pretend they were already sufficiently instructed in all things needful for them to know According to this notion this very Scripture which is made use of by Euthusiasts as a buckler to defend proveth a Sword to cut asunder their opinion for what other must their pretended Revelations bee but vain and foolish if there bee no need of any thing to bee taught us by any man but what this Unction teacheth to wit as it hath been already explained outwardly by the Word and inwardly by Grace The truth is wee need not that any man no nor yet any Angel should teach us and if any Angel from Heaven should come and teach any other doctrine than what this unction hath already taught the holy Apostles and by them us let him bee accursed nor is this more than what St. Paul hath given us warrant for and let this suffice to have been spoken of the sufficiency of this Schoolmaster Passe we on to the 3 Next Character which is his Fidelity as it is set down in those words and is truth and is no lye The first which is the affirmative expression according to the Greek is to be read in the Concrete and is true and the latter which is the negative in the abstract and is no lye our Translators finding the latter to be the abstract read the former so too though it may seem more rational to read the latter as if it were a Concrete finding the former to be so But as to the rendring it it is not much material whilest the sense is the same which is that this annoynting is true without the mixture of any falshood in his teaching The more fully to expresse this it is that our Apostle speaketh the same thing twice first by affirming and then by denying the contrary that look as when in the former Chapter he would set forth Gods purity to the full as being free from the least pollution he saith He is light and in him is no darknesse so here that he might expresse the veracity of the Spirits dictates as being without the least errour he saith it is truth and is no lye The Devils answers which he gave those who consulted him were so dubious that they could not tell which way to construe them and so were deluded by them but the Spirits dictates are certain and infallible The Devil is a lying Spirit the Father of Lyes and his suggestions are lyes and no truth but the Spirit of God is a Spirit of truth so our Saviour calls him once and again yea he is truth and no lye True it is Hereticks the Devils instruments doe sometimes speak truth but it is in order to the advancing of some lye yea it is usually mixed with lyes But the Spirits Pen-men deliver truth and nothing but the truth so that wee may venture our souls upon their writings Indeed it is not so with us who expound and preach upon their writings since we have not so full a measure of this unction as they had in which respect St. Hier ome saith Aliter habere Apostolos aliter reliquot tractatores illos semper vera dicere istos ut homines in quibusdam aberrare that there is a great deal of difference between the Apostles and other Preachers those alwayes write truth but these erre in many things but withall it is then when they are not led by the Spirit who being wisdome cannot be deceived and being truth cannot deceive Keep wee therefore close to the dictates of this unction and that as they are set down in the Word Since they are truth and no lye let us beleeve and not doubt trust and not waver left if we receive not the truth in the love of it God give us over to beleeve a lye it being just that they who will not bee taught by this unction which is truth and no lye should bee fooled by delusions which are lyes and no truth 4 There is only one clause of the verse to be dispatched in those words and even as it hath taught you you shall abide in him where the verb abide according to the different Greek
spake as moved by the Holy Ghost Indeed if you please to review three of the fore-mentioned Arguments to wit the matter the miracles and successe of this Doctrin you shall find them proving as well the Divinity as the verity of the Gospel 2 An Universal truth such as containeth in it all truth needful to bee known in order to salvation Indeed there are many natural truths which are below the Majesty and beside the Scope of the Gospel and therefore are not contained in it but all saving truths either formaliter or reductivè in expresse words or plain necessary consequences are revealed by the Gospel hence it is that this Doctrin is as it were a rule or standard by which all Doctrines must bee tryed so that If an Angel Preach any other Gospel he is acâ—ursed for which reason no doubt it is called a Canon by St. Paul where hee saith As many as walk according to this rule or Canon peace bee upon them and upon the Israel of God 3 Lastly An effectual truth the truth which of all others hath the most powerful operation indeed as it was first inspired by so the Preaching of it is still accompanied with the Holy Spirit whereby it hath a far greater efficacy than any other truth whatsoever for whereas other truths have onely an influence upon the understanding this together with the understanding hath an influence upon the Will and Affections other truths may make us wise but this will make us both wise and better Glorious things are spoken of thee oh thou coelestial truth The truth shall make you free sanctify them through thy truth they are Christs own words â—â— his own good will begat hee us by the word of truth So St. Peter all truth is Gods daughter but this is as it were his Spouse by which hee begets Sons and Daughters to himself In one Word it is this truth and this alone which doth so inlighten the minde as to incline the will regulate the passions comfort the conscience renew our nature and sanctify our whole man No wonder if our Apostle call it abstractively Truth and emphatically the Truth Having given you this Account of the Principal it will bee easy to infer the Collateral Character of the Gospel where it is said No lye is of the truth In the Greek it seemeth to bee a particular proposition Every lye is not of the truth but it is equivalent to an universal and therefore is fitly rendred no lye is of the truth To open the sense briefly There is a threefold Lye verbal practical Doctrinal verbal is an untrue narration when wee either affirm what is false or deny what is true Practical is an unsuitable conversation when wee unsay with our lives what wee say with our lips Doctrinal is an erroneous position concerning matters of faith or practice and though it bee true of all sort of lies yet no doubt it is the doctrinal lye which is here chiefly intended 2 Whereas it is possible upon false hypotheses to inferr true conclusions whence it is usual in Astronomy by supposing things that are not to demonstrate the truth of things that are it is impossible from true positions to infer a false conclusion Indeed too often wicked Hereticks fasten their lyes upon the Evangelical truth and for this reason probably St. John inserted this clause which at first may seem supervacaneous that whereas the Antichristian Teachers might pretend to boast of the Truth our Apostle assureth those to whom hee wrote that the truth did not could not father any such lyes The truth is when Hereticks indeavour to prove their Doctrines by Scripture they deal by it as Caligula did by the Image of Jupiter Olympiacus when hee took from it its own head which was of Gold and put upon it one of Brass they spoil Truth of its genuine sense to put upon it a corrupt glosse it being as possible for cold to come from heat or darknesse from light as any lye from the Truth 3 Nor yet is this all that this clause imports minus dicit plus volens intelligi saith Estius our Apostle intends more than hee speaketh for whereas he saith No lye is of the truth hee meaneth every lye is against the truth Indeed some Lies have a semblance of Truth and are so bold as to claim kindred to it but notwithstanding their seeming consonancy there is a real repugnancy and they are so far from being of that they are contrary to the truth To close up this first general since the Gospel is the truth and consequently no Lye is of it learn wee to embrace it with those two Armes of faith and love 1 Let us stedfastly beleeve it The Heathen had an high opinion of their Sybils as appeareth by that of the Poet Credite me folium vobis recitare Sybillae and shall not wee yield a firm credence to the Gospel St. Paul saith of the Thessalonians that the Gospel came not to them onely in Word but in Power and in the Holy Ghost and in much assurrnce intimating that they had not onely a conjectural opinion but a full perswasion of the truth of the Gospel let the same confidenee be in us It is the truth and therefore wee may infallibly venture our souls upon it Heaven and Earth shall pass away before the least jot of it shall be found false and lying 2 Let us affectionately love it so as not onely to yield obedience to but contend in the defence of it whensoever wee are called to it The Heathen in their sacrifices to Apollo cryed out 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 truth is sweet Let us say with David of this Truth Oh how sweet is it to my taste it is sweeter than the honey and the honey combe Veritas Christianorum incomparabiliter pulchrior Helenâ Graecorum saith St. Austin The Christians truth is incomparably fairer than the Hellen of Greece and if the Grecians so hotly strove for the one how zealously should wee contend for the other wee may venture our souls on it and we must be willing to venture ouâ— states and bodies for it and as he said though upon another account Amicus Plato Amicus Aristoteles sed magis amica veritas Plato and Aristotle are my friends but truth much more so let us in this my Liberty my Life is dear to mee but the truth of the Gospel is far dearer And that wee may thus beleeve and love let us bee careful to know it for which it is that our Apostle praiseth these Christians and so I am fallen on the Commendation Not because you know not the truth but because yee know it whence it will not bee amiss to observe 1 In General that this holy Apostle is not awanting in just praises of those to whom hee writeth very often in this Epistle hee calls them Little Children and in this hee dealeth with them as with Little Children who are best won upon by
Father accepteth it as if he had drawn it to the head and hâ— the mark It is said of Abraham by St. James that he offered his Son Isaac upon the Altar when yet not Isaac but the Ram was offered and good reason since on Abrahams part there was nothing wanting according to Gods command he rose up early in the morning sadled his Asse took Isaac his Son with him clave the wood went to the place built an Altar prepared the fire laid the wood on the Altar Isaac on the wood took the knife to slay him and had not an Angel from God prevented him he had actually slain him Where God denieth ability or oppâ—rtunity he alwayes accepts the will for the deed It is that which may more particularly bee taken notice of for the comfort of the Ministers of the Gospel who sincerely indeavouring the conversion of Sinners though they prove not successeful shall be looked upon by God as if they were A Pilot saith Quintilian cannot be denied his lawful plea though the ship miscarry whilest he holdeth the helm aright and sayleth by the Compass nor shall hee who carefully steereth the course of his Ministry by the compass of Gods Word bee found guilty though the ship whereof he is Pilot sink into perdition that promise in the Book of Daâ—iâ—l They that be wise shall shine as the brightnesse of the firmaâ—â—nt and they that turn many to righteousnesse as the stars for ever and ever is probably to be understood in the first clause of all the godly who are most truly wise and in the second of the Prophets of God who are said to turn many to righteousnesse even when perhaps they doe not turn any in respect of their cordial desires and earnest labours as here false Prophets and Teachers are charged to seduce them whom yet they did not seduce because of their design and indeavour 3 The last and chief thing considerable in this part of the text is the what the act in that word seduce indeed venerable Bede by these Seducers understands all those who by fair or foul means draw men to any evil and thereby hinder them from partaking the promise of eternal life mentioned in the former verse but I rather with the stream of Interpreters expound these Seducers to bee the Heretical Antichrists spoken of before though in the handling I shall reflect on all that seduce to any evil The Greek word here used most properly belongs to Travellers when they wander out of the way from thence it is applied in the first place to erring which is a wandring from the way of truth so in that of St. James Doe not erre my beloved brethren and in the next to seducers which is a causing others to erre so here and many other places indeed Aretius on the text taketh in both 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Id est qui errant alios in errorem trahunt them that seduce that is them who erre themselves and draw others into it That which would here bee observed is the evil temper of Hereticks who having espoused an error are very solicitous to be get children by causing others to erre for this cause they are compared by St. Jude to wandring starres by which we are not to understand the Planets in the Heaven which are so called because by reason of their various motions they seem in the eye of the vulgar to wander but the fiery Meteors in the air which are called Starres for that resemblance they have to Starres in outward appearance which being hurried up and down by the wind themselves doe oft-times misguide the unwary Traveller into Boggs and Fens thus having before borrowed a Metaphor from the Air resembling these false Teachers to Clouds without rain for their vain-glorious boasting from the Earth comparing them to withered Trees for their barren conversations from the Water resembling them to the raging waves of the Sea for their furious cruelty so taking in all the Elements he borroweth a Metaphor from the Fire comparing them to wandring starres or meteors because of their mischievous mis-leading for as these especially the Ignes fatui as they are called foolish Fires being carried up and down by the Wind have themselves an uncertain motion and mis-guide the Traveller into a wrong path so did those Hereticks having themselves forsaken the right way entice others to follow them in which respect St. Paul saith of these Seducers that they wax worse and worse deceiving and being deceived Nor is this lesse observable in other sorts of sinners Jeroboam having set up Calves at Dan and Bethel ingageth the people to worship them Absolom having a rebellious design against his King and Father David attempts to steal away the hearts of the People from him The Harlot resolving to prostitute herself goeth forth to inveagle the next young man shee meets to her wanton imbraces and those bloody miscreants call upon others saying Come let us lye in wait for blood Thus there is in wicked men a kinde of itching desire to make others as bad as themselves and perhaps this is the meaning of the phrase in the Prophet They draw iniquity to wit by drawing others to iniquity Indeed here in they follow the suggestion of that Prince of darkness for as it was Christs charge to Peter Being converted strengthen thy brethren so it is the Devils to his Agents Being perverted pervert thy Bâ—ethren nay hereby it is they do not only obey the Command but imitate that pattern of their Father the Devil who not standing in the truth with too happy or rather unhappy a successe endeavoured mans fall that as hee with his evil Angels were thrown out of Heaven so Adam with his Posterity might bee cast out of an earthly and kept out of â—n heavenly Paradise And now I would to God all Hercticks would consider how great an evill this is to bee a seducer It is bad to bee an actor of evil our selves but far worse to be an inticer It is bad to bee seduced by but much worse to bee a seducer of others wee seldome finde Jeroboam the Son of Nebat mentioned but with this mark That made Israel to sin no doubt for his greater infamy When Elimas indeavoureth to turn away the Deputy from the Faith St. Paul is inraged with an holy zeal and in him giveth every Seducer his due brand Thou full of all subtilty and mischief childe of the devil and enemy of â—ll righteousnesse Wee are not able to answer for our own sins wee had not need contract upon us the guilt of others wee cannot pay our own scores there is no reason for us to make others debts ours God knoweth we have sinnes enough as so many Sons of our own why should we adopt others yet so doth the Seducer whilest without timely repentance hee must give an account for all those souls which hee hath either in design or effect seduced
consists 140 143 Love of the World see World Lust three-fold 338. that which was in us by Creation was not prone to irregularity 432. forbidden as well as the outward act 406. after worldly things many times disappointed and if fulfilled soone glutted 448 Lye threefold 23 580. Lyars the vilest of men 597 M. MAlice see Hatred Marriage may bee unlawfully used 348 Memory apt to forget Divine things 593. wee must not onely hear â—ut remember 640 Ministers how they and the people brethren 79 286. must have a futherly affection to the people 203 c. they are watch-men and shepheards 200. must be faithful and prudent 274. must preach particularly 220 220 387. seasonably suitably to their Auditors conditions capacities 275. make a distinction between hearers 593. warn the people of seducers 597 690. commend what is good in their people 134. must win upon them by expressing love 735. their endeavour shall bee accepted 677. no need of them in Heaven 716. they are instituted by Christ to continue in the Church to the end of the world 719. their teaching cannot avail without the Spirit 717. they must bee constant in the faith 644. their peoples constancy their honour at the last day 753. they must live their Sermons 120 121 Miracles by true ones the Gospel was confirmed 580. the shew of them made a prop of heresy 686 Multitude no note of a true Church 499 N. NAme its several acceptions 249. when changed in Scripture some spiritual gift conferd 615 the names of those whom wee reprove not to be mentioned 257 673 Necessity twofold 647 Neutrality and lukewarmness condemned 425 Novelty a badge of errour affecting it dangerous 91 to 94 100 101 O. OBedience cannot bee without knowledge 22. the way to increase knowledge 4 5. it is according to our knowledge 17. Negative not sufficient 11 474. must bee universal 14 15 464. cheerful 465. by it wee know our interest in Christ 71 72. it cannot be exact 16. a bare command should bee enough to oblige to it 429. it is the best tryal of our love to God 472 473. and perfects it 33 35 Old-men why called Fathers 208. to bee reverenced 209. they had need to bee good 212. not too old to learn 221. ignorance in them inexcusable 269. they must labour to know Christ 267 268 tOvercome in what sense wee are said to overcome the Devil now 285. wee are not compleat victors in this life 286. how it is to be done 283 284 P. PArdon of sin see Forgiveness Perfection twofold 33. perfect Christians compared to Fathers 204. b. Perseverance in adhering to Christ the Church the truth received 641 738. it must bee to the end 740. most commendable in Apostatizing times 635. it is not by our selves but Gods sustentation 529. the doctrine of it upon what grounds built 531 532. no true cause of security 535. an attendant of true grace 633 Play how unlawful 356 Polygamy a lust of the flesh 347 Prayse due to Virtue 134 259 578 Preacher see Minister Predictions the verity of those which are Divine 496. especially concerning Christ 603 604 Presumption of an interest in Christ 74 75. of our own abilities 394 Priviledges the enjoyment of them should not content us 526 Pride loveth to show it self 389. why called pride of life 390. its several kinds 390 to 394 a general sin 402. maketh a man like the Devil 404. it is attended with shame 405 Promises Divine are sometimes matter of precept 736. suitable to our necessities 648. most faithful 666. The promise is Eternal life 663. first promised and then given 665. to them that persevere 670. promised before Christ but not so clearly as by him 665. Humane oft-times larger than their performances 399 661 Protestants injustly charged by the Papists as Schismaticks 512 513 Q. QUakers how irrationally they decry the Ministry and blasphemously they wrest Scripture 721 722 R. REason of what use in Divine things 577 insufficient without an higher light 575. pretended to by Hereticks 686 Regeneration compared to light 131 Remission of sin see Forgiveness Repentance abstaineth from all sort of lusts 406 407. the delay of it dangerous 304 Repetition of one and the same thing frequently used in Holy Writ and why 131 to 135 Reproof ought to bee with expression of love 205. a. and yet sharp against notorious sinners 599. but yet without naming the persons 257 673 Resolution necessary in a Christian to his combat with the Devil 290 Riches when got and kept sinfully 376 to 381 S. SAcrament of the Lords Supper what gesture was used by Christ is not certain if it were wee are not bound to follow it 49 50 Saints their security dignity and felicity by reason of the Annointing 550 Schism the causes of it 508. a great sin 518. un ustly charged upon the Protestants by the Papists 512. justly by us upon the Sectaries 514 Scripture why God would have his Word written 216. man the Pen-man Gods Spirit the Author 219. to bee read by and to all 224 225. with reverence 220. quoted and wrested by the Devil 299. by Hereticks 589 722. a special weapon against seducers 689 Sectaries justly accused as Schismaticks 514 Security greatest when Judgement is neerest 490 Seducers they often prove such who should be Teachers 675. the several wayes of seducing 689. c. Sights wanton forbidden 363. as also such as curiosity prompts to 367 368 Signes three sorts of them 499 Sin God cannot bee the Author of it 433 434. men are apt to transfer it on God 436. it maketh us like the Devil 282 484. it ruineth Churches and Kingdoms 489. How many waies to bee considered 237 238 Sleep when a lust of the flesh 355 Soul no proportion between it and the world 454. hath its diseases as well as the Body 733 Son of God Christ was in such a way as proveth him higher than men nay Angels yea the high God 625 626. hee that denieth Christ denieth Gods Son 617. how much God is offended with it 624 625 Spirit of God compared to Oyl and why 514 c. given by Christ 557 701. the Author of Scripture 219. is not onely illuminating but confirming 731. his grace needful to overcome the Devil 91 his teaching extraordinary and ordinary internal and external 707 708. his inward teaching agreeeth with that in the word 709. it is faithful 727. effectual 729. how hee concurreth to assurance 73 74 Strength spiritual needful to our fight with the Devil 288. wherein it consists 290 strong Christians compared to young-men 210 211 Superfluity what measure of Riches is so 372 373 Superiours ought to bee exemplary 38 T. TEaching see Spirit Ministers Tempting God a great sin 367 Types fulfilled in Christ 579 Truth of the Gospel proved 580 581 V. VAin-glory a branch of pride 396 Victory see Overcome Unction of the sick in the primitive times for another end than that of the Papists 696. in Baptisme ancient but not Apostolical 695. Spiritual is
discussed That which next followeth in order is the Antithesis by which it is illustrated a Sentence equivalently the same with the former and as Ferus hath observed that we may see it did not fall from him rashly yea withall vehementiae gratia as Gualter notes that it might make the deeper impression on us he expresseth it again by its contrary In which words there are two things to be considered an implicite Accusation an explicite Aggravation The one in these words He that saith I know him and keepeth not his Commandements the other in these is a lyar and the truth is not in him According to which Zanchy laieth down two Positions the one That there were many in St Johns time yea alwaies would be in the Church who say they know Christ and keep not his Commandements and the other that all such do most impudently lye 1. These words He that saith I know him and keepeth not his Commandements plainly intimate that there are some who keep not Christs Commandements and yet say they know him Parallel to this is that of St Paul to Titus where he speaketh of some who profess they know God and in works deny him being abominable disobedient and to every Good work reprobate They whom both these Apostles may most probably be supposed to intend were the Gnosticks this phrase of knowing so fitly answering that name which out of an arrogant self-conceit they gave to themselves whilst they were men of flagitious lives and licentious Conversations calling themselves Gnosticks and accounting themselves the only knowing men in the matters of Religion Nor is it only true of these Hereticks but is likewise verified of all Hypocrites who whilst they indulge to their lusts and live in wilfull violation of the Precepts pretend to great measure of illumination with divine knowledg In which respect Aretius saith this is vera nota simulatorum filiorum Dei a true mark of bastard Children and false Saints The sins of the people of Israel were so great and their transgressions hainous that God bids his Prophet to lift up his voice like a Trumpet and cry aloud against them and yet they seek God daily and delight to know his way The same people are charged by God for transgressing his Covenant and trespassing against his laws and yet the Prophet saith of them presently after they cry to the Lord my God we know thee as if they were familiar with and had an especiall interest in him Our blessed Saviour in the Gospell speaketh not of a few but many who shall at the last day take acquaintance of him as if they had long known him for they shall say Lord Lord have not we prophesied in thy name and in thy name cast out Devils and done many wonderfull works whom yet he cals workers of iniquity Whence it appeareth that wicked men may not only say it to others by profession but within themselves by their opinion yea may not onely live but die in this self-delusion that they know Christ and so have an interest in him whilst yet they work iniquity It was the observation of Calvin in his time that many hypocrites men of loose lives did fidei titulo superbire pride u◠themselves in the title of believer and made large profession of Christianity nor is it less observable in the seeming Saints of this age on the one hand their actions are manifestly contrary to those commands of self-deniall and humility loyalty and equity meekness and patience mercy and charity in giving and forgiving which Christ hath imposed on all those that will come after him and yet on the other hand whilst their hands are leaden their tongues are guilded they say they know God yea they are intimate with him they talk much of the new birth the work of grace having an interest in Christ and the like 2. You see the truth of the charge now view the hainoufness of the fault He that saith this is a lyar and the truth is not in him Indeed both wayes it is an untruth and he that saith it deserveth to be branded for a liar To say we keep his Commandements when we do not know him is a lie since if the eye be blind it is impossible the foot should make strait steps God never turneth any from the power of Satan to himself whom he doth not first turne from darkness to light Knowledg is the souls rudder according to which its course is steered the Christian travellers Mercury pointing him the right way nor can we give up our selves in obedience to his precepts whom we know not as our Lord and of whose command we are ignorant And as it is true on the one so on the other hand To say we know him and not to keep his Commandements is a lie nor can there be truth in those who say it it was well spoken by the Philosopher 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 without virtue God is but an empty name and it is as true without Obedience all knowledg of God and Christ is but an empty notion a lying vanity For the further illustrating of this it will not be amiss to take notice of a threefold lye to wit verball doctrinall practicall told taught acted A verball lye is when we tell a false tale raise an untrue report and so become lying witnesses and our lips lying lips A doctrinall lye is when men assert that to be Gods Word which is their own fancy and vent their false opinions under the notion of sublime verities to believe these lies God threatens to give up those who receive not the truth in the love of it Finally a practicall lie is when a mans actions do not correspond to his profession in which respect he is justly called a liar whose actions are breaches of the Precepts and yet his pretences are large of knowing Christ since as Lorinus well noteth such an one Non praestat quod scit quod profitetur quod dicit quod promittit he performeth not according to what he knoweth professeth saith nay promiseth and so there is no truth not only of veracity but fidelity in him as that Author observeth whilst he fulfilleth not that which in his Baptism he promised and by his profession he is oblieged to the keeping the Commandements But it may be here objected that there are many who do know Christ and that not onely in a weake but great measure since they are able to discourse excellently of the mysteries of Salvation the things of God and Christ whose lives are yet dissonant to the rule of Christianity and if so surely when such say they know Christ they do not lye though they do not keep his Commandements The answer to which objection will be easily made by distinguishing of a double knowledg of Christ to wit informis and formata literall and spirituall notionall and practicall speculative and active Look as there is in a man caro spiritus
flesh and spirit a body and a soul in a tree cortex succus the rind or barke and the sap or juyce so is there in Christian knowledg He whose knowledg is onely litterall hath but the flesh the body the barke the rinde of knowledge only he whose knowledg is spirituall hath the spirit the soul the sap the juyce of knowledg These two knowledges though they agree in the Object whereabout they are conversant yet are they very much different 1. In their efficient For whereas a speculative knowledg of Christ may be in a great measure acquired by industry in reading and is at most but a fruit of common illumination the active knowledg is only obtained by Prayer and is a fruit of speciall Sanctification 2. In their Subject For whereas that is only seated in the understanding this hath an impression upon the will and is sapida scientia a knowledg with a savour and relish of the sweetness of Christ that only floateth in the brain but this sinketh down into the heart that spins fine Cobwebs in the head this maketh the heart beat with a true pulse towards Heaven Finally in their effect that puffeth up with self-conceit this abaseth a man in his own apprehension that only sits upon the lip but this is to be felt at the fingers end that indeed may be nay many times is alone but this is ever attended with obedience Now of this Knowledg it is that St John here speaketh and he that saith he thus knoweth Christ not keeping his commandements is a liar The truth is whereas this knowledg is licet vera tamen imperfecta though true yet defective that is nec vera nec perfecta not perfect nor yet true according to a Theologicall notion it is only 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as the Apostles expression is a forme of knowledg not the power a shadow not the substance and is not the true because not the good knowledg of God since as the Psalmist saith A good understanding have they that do his Commandements Indeed as works without knowledg are no good works so knowledg without works is no good knowledg He that saith he believeth in Christ and liveth not accordingly believe him not he sheweth his Hypocrisie not his Faith who maketh shew of Faith without Obedience And as it is vain glory to boast of our keeping the Commandements so it is in vain to boast of knowledg without keeping the Commandements In which respect that of St Gregory is very apposite when there is time and place and ability of doing good Tantum quis operatur quantum Deum noverit tantum se nosse Deum indicat quantum pro Deo bona operatur Look how much knowledg so much doing and so much as a man doth for so much he knoweth of God and no more This will yet the more fully appear if we observe the Scripture Language which as it were defineth that knowledg of God by Obedience and denieth it to them who though they be not ignorant are disobedient That expression which the Prophet Jeremy bringeth in God speaking to Shallum concerning his Father is very observable to this purpose He judged the poor and the needy was not this to know me saith the Lord and why is righteous judgment a knowing the Lord but because it was a fulfilling of his command Upon this account it is that these words of the same Prophet they shall not teach one another saying know the Lord are read by the Caldee saying feare the Lord which the wise man joyneth with keeping his Commandements and those of the Prophet Hosea there is no knowledg of God in the land are rendred by the Caldee there is none that walketh in the feare of the Lord. Hence it is that the Sons of Eli though Priests are said to be sons of Belial which know not the Lord God where the one phrase is expounded by the other because Sons of Belial that would not stoop to the yoke of Obedience therefore branded as guilty of ignorance Yet more clearly God saith by his Prophet Jeremy they that handle the Law know me not And this is annexed as the reason because they transgress his Law a strange expression Handling the Law supposeth knowing it and yet not keeping they are said not to know even the Law which they handle and in the same prophesie God complaining of his people of Israel saith my people are foolish they have not known me they have no understanding and why thus but because to do good they have no knowledg Some know that they may know this is curiosity some know that they may be known this is vain glory but some know that they may do this is piety And because the Jews had not knowledg to do good they are said to have no knowledg by all which it appeareth an undeniable truth that for them who break this Commandement to say they know God and Christ is an odious lye To winde up this David acknowledgeth I said in mine haste all men are lyars but St John was not guilty of any such rashness in saying all Hypocrites are liars and therefore Credamus cedamus veritati nosque fateamu◠esse mendaces in a sence of our Hypocrisie let us assent to this verity acknowledging our selves to be liars nor let us any longer believe a lye and so cheat our selves into Hell Do not think a few barren notions drie sapless opinions airy frothy speculations to be a saving knowledg let not saith St Austin thy foolish heart deceive thee by imagining thy self to know God whilst thy Faith is a dead Faith without works Who would fraught his ship with such drossie Oare or stay for that gale which cannot waft him to Heaven Nay knowest thou not oh man that all such knowledg will only serve to make thy mittimus to Hell and aggravate as thy sin so thy torment in that day when all naked empty Knowledg shall vanish away Where will be the Scribes Where the Disputers Where the Wise Shalt thou not then have cause to cry out with the Poet Cur aliquid vidi or with Job Quare misero lux data est Woe is me that ever I knew any thing of God or Christ Oh that I had been born a Pagan an Ideot and never so much as heard the sound of the Gospell for then would my Condemnation have been less In a word what shame will at that day sit upon thy face when thou shalt be found before God Angels and Men a liar and he whom thou saist thou knowest shall say to thee I know thee not Be wise therefore in time and learn what it is to know Christ take heed there be not a worm of disobedience in the tree of thy Knowledg let it not suffice thee to have a great but labour for a good understanding ever remember that knowledg is as the means and Obedience as the end and therefore all knowledg is vain which
〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Why he loved us there can no reason on our part be given of it And surely since his love was not deserved no nor so much as desired by us fit it is it should be acknowledged with admiration and retaliated with gratulation and followed by imitation This last our Apostle here aimeth at in which respect he fitly addeth and in you it being most rationall that what was true in the Head should be true also in the Members what was true in the Root should be true in the Branches that as Christ loved us so we Christians should love one another Before I proceed to this which is the next part I shall in a few words mind you of one reading of these words in which they have reference to this second part Grotius tels us that in one Manuscript it is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and St Hierom in his translation reads it nobis A thing which is true in him that is Chriâ—t and in us that is his Apostles who write and publish this Commandment to you The Originall Copy was drawn by Christ his Disciples transcribed it in their own practice and have commended it to all Christians to write after both him and them This Cup of Love was begun by Christ his Apostles pledged him and it must go round all Christians are to drink of it And here I cannot but take notice of that which I would to God were seriously laid to heart by all who succeed the Apostles in the work of the Ministry Namely that as St John in the behalf of himself and the other Apostles saith I write to you a Commandment concerning a thing which is true in us so we may be able to say that that which we enjoyn the people is verified in our selves This is according to Isidores phrase 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to joyn living with dead instruction when our life as well as our tongue preacheth this is according to Primasius his Exposition rightly to divide the word of truth when we confirme our Doctrine by our practice Finally This is according to Playfers allusion to lift up the voice like a Trumpet which must be held with the hand as well as blown with the mouth when we not only report the truth by a lively Preaching but support it by a Preaching life Indeed then only can Ministers publish commands with authority so as to gain belief with boldness so as not to be ashamed with efficacy so as to perswade when they joyn patterns to their Precepts 1. Men are very apt to question the truth of that Dectrine to which the Preachers practice giveth the lye the way to imprint an instruction upon the Hearers heart as well as ear is to speak by our works as well as words It is said of our blessed Saviour He spake as one having authority and St Gregories morall is Cum imperio docetur quod prius agitur quam docetur he only Preacheth with authority who doth what he teacheth 2. When a Ministers Conversation confuteth his instruction blushing may well sit upon his cheeks and his ears tingle to hear that of St Paul Thou that teachest another shall not steal dost thou steal The Leper in the Law was to cover his lips which one morally applyeth to Leprous Ministers who may well stop their mouths for shame 3. A speech not accompanied with action saith Isidore truely for the most part is liveless and ineffectuall if the Heavens that is the Preachers are as Brass only tinckling with sound of words no marvell if the Earth to wit the People are as Iron obdurate to all their counsels since Cujus vita despicitur restat ut ejus praecatio contemnatur his Preaching is usually despicable whose life is contemptible in which regard St Bernard saith truly of such an one Verendum ne non tam nutriat doctrinâ verbi quam sterili vitâ noceat It is to be feared his vitious life more infects then his pious Doctrine instructs That Preacher wi ll both find most comfort in himself and do most good to others who can say in the words of a devout Abbot Nâ—n aliquem docui quicquam quod ego prius ipse non fecerim I never taught any man any lesson which I did not first learn my self as here St John saith of this Commandment it is true in us And so much for this second commendatory Character of this grace of Love its conformity to the pattern of Christ and as you see by some readings his Apostles I now hasten to the 3. Last That conformity which this duty hath to the state of the Gospell and the truth of Christianity in these words And in you because the darkness is past and the true light now shineth In these words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in you is implyed a Substantive Verb which may be put either Indicatively or Imperatively is or let it be true in you according to a different construction of the following words Whilst some by darkness and light understand the Legall and Evangelicall administration so the Imperative rendering best suiteth Let this Love be true in you because the darkness of the Law is past and the light of the Gospell shineth And others by darkness understand the state of unregeneracy and by light the state of regeneracy and so the Indicative best fits this thing which is commanded the duty of Love is true in you because you are brought out of the darkness of nature into the light of grace Each of these constructions are consonant to the Analogy of Faith agree well with the scope of the Apostle want not the concurrence of judicious Expositors and therefore I shall neglect neither 1. In handling these words according to the first interpretation we shall loook upon them two waies as an Assertion and as an Argument 1. As an Assertion we have considerable in them A double Subject darkness and light A double predicate of the darkness that it is past of the true light that it now shineth 1. It would in the first place be here considred that the Gospell is set forth by light and the Law by darkness Suitable to this it is that St Paul as some expound those words The night is far spent the day is at hand compareth the one to the day and the other to the night and St Ambrose interprets these words of the Psalmist Day unto day uttereth speech and Night unto night sheweth knowledg the one of the Christian and the other of the Jew 1. That the Gospell is most fitly described by light is out of question and the Analogy may easily be demonstrated in severall parables The Fountain of light is the Sun and Christ the Son of righteousness is the Author of the Gospell in which respect it is called the word of Christ The nature of light is pure the Doctrine of the Gospell is holy in which regard it is called the mystery
here sâ—ken of came to deserve this title the answer to whiâ— I shall returne 1. Natively he was not so by creation The Devil if you looâ—â—pon him in his first original was Gods creature and therefore good yea in the highest form of creatures an Angel and therefore excellent Indeed the Angels are creatures whom God placeth near to himself they stand about his royal throne from whom he keepeth nothing but the regal diademe and their nature most fully resembleth the divine who is goodness it self Upon this account St Austin asserts and truly Ipsius diaboli natura in quantum natura est non est mala the nature of the Devil is still in it self good yea very good because angelical the Maniâ—hees and Prisâ—illianists very confidently affirm that the Devil was created by an evil God and so evil from the beginning but when our blessed Saviour saith non stetit it manifestly implyeth a fuit in veritate he did not stand that he was in the truth a state of goodness and integrity To this purpose Tostatus well observeth that the Devil is called the wicked one not as if he were simpliciter absolutè malus absolutely evil God indeed is called the Holy one because he is so essentially not so the Devil the wicked one and there fore 2. Affirmatively it is not by creation but defectiâ—â— and apostasie from that state wherein he was creatâ—â— That the Devil is become so evil he may thank himself for it God made him an Angel of light but â—e hath made himself an Angel of darkness It is tâ—â—e God made him mutably good inasmuch as he made his will free to choose or refuse but this freedome was only the occasion it was his own abuse of that liâ—erty was the cause of his wickedness Indeed to be by â—â—ture unchangeably good is an incommunicable propeâ—â—y of the Deity and the reason is plain because it â—â— only the will of God which is the adequate rule of goâ—dness so that there is nothing good but what he wiâ—â— and whatever he wills is good no wonder then if thâ— creature whose goodness consists in a conformity to tâ—e will of God be capable of a deflection from the rule but still inasmuch as by creation it is invested with a power of willing a conformity to the rule and walking according to it this actual defection is not to be ascribed to God but it self which abusing its innate liberty chose to swerve from the divine Law and so became abominably wicked And now by how much the more excellent a creature the Devil was at first by so much the more vile and evil he is become It is a known saying corruptio optimi pessima the best wine maketh the sowrest vinegar quanto gradus altior tanto casus grandior the higher the place the greater the fall and therefore the Devil being by creation the best must needs by transgression be the worst and so deserve the name of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the wicked one It would further be enquired wherein it appeareth that the Devil is so wicked The discovery whereof is manifest in these fâ—ve particulars 1. He is the wicked one because he is the first in wickedness and the ringleader of rebellion against God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. perditum illum scelestum malorum inventorem so Justinian the wicked one that is the desperate invenâ—â—r of all evil Observable to this purpose is it that our blessed Saviour calls him the father of lies he that is the first inventer of any thing is in the Hebrew phrase stiled the father of it Jubal who invented musick is called the father of all such as handle the Harp and the Organ so is the Devil the father of lies because he made the first lie indeed if you survey the pedegree not only of that but all sin you will find him to be the father of it our first parents were great sinners but yet they sinned by perswasion Eve by the Serpent Adam by Eves solicitation but the Devil had no tempter the Angels are said to leave their own habitation net keeping their first state to wit voluntarily of their own accord apostatizing from that state wherein God had created them and so rebelling against the divine Majesty Now look as it is a great honour to any one to have been the inventer of any thing that is excellent the first in finding out any rare secret so it is a great aggravation of the Devils wickedness that he was first in transgression 2. He is the wicked one because he is obstinately and immutably wicked so Tostatus Quia in malo firmatus and Brugensis Cujus voluntas immutabilis à malo ad bonum as he was the inventer of so he is a persister in wickedness By creation he was and as hath been already shewed must be mutable from good to evil By corruption he is become immutable from evil to good God justly denying him that grace which should change his will Indeed we read in St James his Epistle that the Devils tremble to wit in respect of the punishment to which they know themselves reserved but we read not of their repenting no not so much as relenting in respect of the sin they have committed though they cannot but know and be fully convinced what they have done and how repugnant it is to Gods Law and consequently to right reason 3. He is the wicked one because he is malitiae studiosissimus so Illyricus most industriously wicked 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is derived from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 what pains and labour doth the Dâ—vil take in wickedness Among other titles by which sin is called this is one that it is the work of the Devil sin being indeed the Devils work which he doth most unweariedly pursue Devil in our English language is quaâ—â— do evil indeed for this many thousand years it hath been his continual employment never resting day nor night to perpetrate and promote wickedness The most notorious wicked man is sometimes at rest and alloweth himself at least a sleeping time but the Devil is alwayes active in sin and as he is never well employed so he is never idle Christ went about doing good and he compasseth the earth doing evil In one word he is sins sworn servant drudge slave It is true sometimes this wicked one transformeth himself into an Angel of light maketh a show of holiness but it is as true that then he is then most wicked nor is the Devil more a Devil at any time then when he is wrapt in Samuells mantle hypocrisie being a duplicated iniquity 4. He is the wicked one because conatur malos efficere so Tostatus he is a tempter to wickedness 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 because 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he is not content to be bad himself but he draweth others to it being himself fallen into misery he envied mans felicity and therefore seduced him to
impiety as he was the first sinner so he was the cause of sin he tempts all persons at all times in all places and for no other end but either to hinder them from good as he did Paul who tells the Thessalonians he would have come once and again but Satan hindered him or else to allure them to evil as he stirred up David to number the people and put it into Judas his heart to betray Chsist Indeed the Devill is called in Scripture both a tempter and an accuser this being his method first to draw men to and then to accuse men for sin It was the brand set upon Jeroboam as denominating him a very bad man that he made Israel to sin how abominably wicked then is the Devil who maketh persons nations yea the whole world to sin 5. And yet lastly that we may take the heighth or rather fathome the depth of his wickedness he is the wicked one inasmuch as he vigorously pursueth and constantly persevereth in wickedness because it is wickedness not out of any pretended benefit which may accrue to himself but because it is dishonourable to God and injurious to man Indeed pleasure and profit and honour are the arguments by which he perswadeth and the baits by which he catcheth the sinner but none of these are any motives in regard of himself meerly the Antipathy he beareth to God and hatred he hath of goodness putteth him upon endeavours to promote sin in the world therefore he delights in evil because God abhorreth it therefore it is his joy because it is Gods dishonour Finally therefore it pleaseth his will because it defaceth Gods image To live in any sin though because of a seeming advantage is odious but to be wicked because it is wickedness is abominable no man ever came to such a state of wickedness but he committed the sin against the Holy Ghost How desperately wicked then must the Devil needs be who sinneth not only though but because he knoweth it to be sin To wind up this then we all pretend to hate the Devil oh then why do we love sin It is an argument which God himself useth to perswade to holiness because it is his Attribute Be you holy for I am holy surely it should be a prevalent disswasion from wickedness because it is the Devils property as we abhorre to be like the Devil let us abhorre to be wicked Indeed we all defie Satan as he is the pursuivant of divine justice but yet I fear we deiâ—e him as he is the God of this world and the Head of the carnal State Oh remember if we do his lusts we own him as our Father whilest yet we pretend to abhorre him as an enemy as therefore we would not be the Devils children let us cast away our sins And especially take we heed of those degrees of wickedness which denominate him the wicked one farre be it from us to make wickedness our trade our business by customary committing it as those do who are called workers of iniquity to make it not only the work of our hand but our brain by inventing it as they were whom the Apostle characterizeth to be inventers of evil things yea not only of our heads but our hearts by delighting in it as they of whom Solomon speaketh that rejoyce to do evil and which is yet worse to take the Devils office out of his hand by tempting others to sin as Elymas who stirred up Sergius Paulus against the truth whom therefore Saint Paul called the child of the Devil and an enemy of all righteousness In one word Let us be so farre from imitating the Devil as that we learn not to hearken to him but rather when he tempts to answer him in Christs language Get thee behind me Satan Be sure if the Devil perswade thee to any thing it is either in it self wickedness or for a wicked end whatever show of amity he may profess or promises of good he may make yet believe him not he is thine enemy and it is though an apparent good yet a reall evil to which he sollicites thee for he is the wicked one 2. Having given you a view of the enemy that which next cometh to be considered is the conquest which all true Christians have over this enemy You have overcome the wicked one To give you the full extent of this word consider it two wayes 1. As opposed to making peace it is not you have made a league with but you have overcome the wicked one since there is no way to deal with the Devil but by victory indeed in temporal wars the case is different Bellum geritur ut pax acquiratur a good peace is the end of every just war yea and a peace where it may be obtained is rather to be chosen then victory that the effusion of bloud may be prevented but in this spiritual war with Satan nothing less then a conquest must suffice The truth is every Christian souldier must either be victor or victus a conquerour over or else conquered by the wicked one The Devil will not make peace with us upon any terms but that he may be Lord over us all his fair promises are upon that condition he made with Christ If thou wilt fall down and worship me so that if wee make a league with wee are overcome by the Devil 2. As more then fighting indeed conquest supposeth a battel and victory is preceded with a fight if it be not so alwayes in temporal warres by reason of the cowardize of the enemy yet it is in spiritual since the Devil is too much a Lion to be overcome without a combate Quid aliud quotidiè in mundo quam pugna adversus diabolum geritur saith St Cyprian we must continually make account to be engaged in a war with Satan So that what is threatened to Asa may be justly said to new born Christians From henceforth thou shalt have war with the Prince of darkness and indeed this is that which maketh for the honour of Christian souldiers For as Maximus Tyrius saith of Hercules if you take from him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the savage beasts and cruel tyrants with whom he grappled you deprive him of the reputation of his valour so the graces of a Christian would not be so illustrious were it not for the Devils temptations Christians then are fighters and more then fighters for withall they are conquerours nay if you will believe St Paul they are conquerours and more then conquerours Indeed it may seem somewhat strange that our Apostle should speak of this victory as of a thing already accomplished when as they of whom he speaketh being young men the war was as it were but begun It is and justly accounted a presumption in other wars to sing a triumph before the victory and promise a victory before the fight like Lucullus who in the begining of his fight against Tygranes and Mithridates cryed out Vicimus and Caesar
word as the Farme and the Oxen kept them in the Gospell from coming to the Feast or if not so it keepeth us from loving and conforming to it as the thornes in the parable did choake the good seed Herods lust of voluptuousness Judas his lust of covetousness would not let the word take place in their hearts though it entred into their ears indeed it is impossible that the heart which is clogged with the weight of worldly Love should be lift up to Gods Commandments 2. Again If we will overcome the Devill we must not Love the world there being no stronger engine by which the Devill gets and keeps possession of our hearts When he would allure us to any sin what are his enchantments but the pleasures of the world when hee would affright us from any duty what are his weapons but the reproaches and persecutions of the world so that in order to this victory nothing is more needfull then the alienating of our affections from the world 2. Love the Brethren because you are strong and the word of God abideth in you and you have overcome the wicked one Where there is strength of grace there cannot but be fervent Love as to God so to the Brethren it is for weake and sickly persons to be froward none are more prone to contention and faction then those that are weak in grace and knowledge strong Christians are ever studiouâ— of amity and unity Indeed this is the way to increase our spirituall strength and therefore when St Paul adviseth to be strong he presently addeth Let all things be done in love and charity is called by him the bond of persection Again If the word of God abide in us we cannot but love one another Charity is one of the principall fruits which this seed produceth a lesson which this Schoole Master teacheth Excellent to this purpose is that saying of Lactantius Da mihi hominem iracundum uno verbo Dei reddam placidum ut ovem This word turns Leopards into Kids Lions into Lambes and sweetly cements hearts together in one Once more If we overcome the wicked one we cannot but love our Brethren the Devill is that envious one who soweth the Tares of dissention though he preserveth unity in his own Kingdome yet he endeavoureth to create and frame discord among men so that as we cannot more gratifie the Devill then by malice so neither can we better overcome him then by charity The truth is every envious and malicious person is the Devils slave but the charitable Christian is his conquerour 3. Having thus run through the reasons which our Apostle alledgeth why he wrote to Fathers and young Men it now remaineth that we give a brief dispatch to the last which is the reason why he wrote to little Children as it is expressed in the close of the thirteenth Verse in those words Because you have known the Father In the handling whereof I shall briefly consider three things The Quality specified to know the Father The Energy intimated knowing the Father is that which engageth not to love the world but to love the Brethren The Congruity to the persons mentioned little Children you have known the Father 1. Having had occasion already once and again to insist upon this grace of divine knowledg it will not be needfull to enlarge only know in brief that 1. It is no other then an Evangelicall knowledg of God which our Apostle here intends to know the Father is to know God to be the Father of Christ and in and through him a mercifull Father to all true Christians It is one thing to know God as a Creator or as a Law-giver and another to know him as a Father so only the Gospell revealeth him and accordingly we come to know him 2. It is less then an operative knowledg so to know the Father as to depend on him for Fatherly protection from all dangers and provision of all necessaries as to give him filiall love fear service subjection to all his Fatherly commands and submission to all his Fatherly chastisements They that know thy name saith the Psalmest will trust in thee and not only trust but serve and honour thee 3. It is not a graduall but initiall knowledg It is not unworthy our observation that the knowledg of God and Christ is a qualification attributhd both to the Father and the Children Indeed God is both the â— and the â— the first and last and therefore he must be known by us in our first and last age but yet these two knowledges differ in degrees old Christians have a deep draught whereas little Chidren have but a taste of this Heavenly nectar and therefore the expression is varied Fathers are said to know him that is from the begining as being well versed in the misteries of Christian Religion whereas little Children are only said to know the Father as having but some generall apprehensions of God reconciled in Christ 2. This knowledg of the Father among many others cannot but produce these two choice effects to wit contempt of the world and the love of the Brethren On the one hand as the twinkling stars are obscured by the light of the glorious Sun and therefore they disappear in the day time so the beames of this Heavenly knowledg darken all Creature excellencies in our apprehension and consequently our estimation of and affection towards them must needs be diminished on the other hand this fountain of celestiall knowledge cannot but send forth streams of love and that as chiefly towards the Father so secondarily to all who are the Children of this Father and so our Brethren 3. This Qualification of knowing the Father is very congruously attributed to the Children Infantibus pueris nihil magis necessarium quam ut patrem habeant cognoscant saith Ferus well nothing is more needfull for Infants and Children then that they should have and know the Father The weakness of little Children needs the conduct and government of another they cannot consult for their own safety and benefit and therefore their Parents undertake it for them By this means it is that the Childe first taketh notice of his Father and Mother according to that of the Poet Incipe parve puer risu cognsocere Matrem and hence those pretty Monosyllables by which Father and Mother are exprest are first taught and learnt by their Children so soon as they can speak And surely as it becometh little Ones so soon as they are capable to know and own their Parents so is it an amiable excellency in them to attaine some knowledge of God as their Father nothing more naturall to Children when once reason begins to act in them then to defire knowledge no knowledge to which a Childe sooner taketh then that of the Father but oh how joyfull and happy a thing is it when through instruction they begin to apprehend him who is the Father of us all and this is the
choice setting before us vanity and verity instability and premanency nay in effect perishing misery and abiding felicity And now to use St Austins Interogation Quid vis what wilt thou Whither wilt thou love the temporals and pass away with time or not love this world and live for ever with God The truth is as that same Father elegantly Talis est quisque qualis est dilectio every man is such as his love is if he loveth earth earthly if Heaven Heavenly if the perishing world thou shalt perish if the eternall God thou shalt live eternally Love is an uniting mingling affection and according to that with which it is mingled it is either pure or impure so that look as silver if mingled with lead is debased if with gold advanced so thy soul if by love mingled with the world must perish but if united to God for ever happy Oh therefore let it be the serious purpose of every one of us from henceforth to leave the world and cleave to God to abhore the lust of the one and do the will of the other that so in the end of this life we may have the inchoation and in the end of the world the consummation of that happiness which though it have a beginning shall know no ending And thus I have at length through divine assistance finished this golden period worthy to be engraven upon the Tables of Epicures the Chests of Mammonists and the Palaces of great Ones And though I have done with handling yet I trust you will not with reading remembring and pondering it yea I would to God that every Morning before you go about your worldly affairs you would revolve this Scripture in your minde with a Prayer to God to imprint it on your hearts Love not the world neither the things that are in the world if any man love the world the love of the Father is not in him For all that is in the world the lust of the flesh the lust of the eyes and the pride of life is not of the Father but is of the world And the world passeth away and the lusts thereof but he that doth the will of God abideth for ever THE FIRST EPISTLE OF St. JOHN CHAP. 2. 18 19. VERS Little children it is the last time and as yee have heard that Antichrist shall come even now are there many Antichrists whereby we know that it is the last time They went out from us but they were not of us for if they had been of us they would no doubt have continued with us but they went out that they might be made manifest that they were not all of us THis present World is not without just cause branded as one of the greatest enemies of our Salvation and that especially upon a double account in as much as the things of this World by alluring our wills lead us into vice and the men of this world by perverting our judgements draw us into errours Both of these are so dangerous that it is hard to determine which is the worst St. Pauls Epithites of lusts are foolish and hurtful St. Peters character of Here sie is damnable these as well as those drowning men in perdition and destruction no wonder if this holy Apostle caution those to whom he wrote of both these Rocks and as in the fore-going verses hee warneth them of being defiled with the mud of worldly lusts so in these he taketh care that they might not be infected with the venoâ—e of Antichristian doctrins Little children it is the last time c. The subsequent part of this Chapter from the eighteenth verse to the nine and twentieth hath a special reference to and dependance on the exhortation which is mentioned in verse the four and twentieth iterated verse the eight and twentieth and is in order the seventh step of that light some walk which our Apostles chief design is to delineate in this Epistle namely a stedfast perseverance in the Doctrin and faith of Christ in order to this it is that here are three things discussed 1 Periculum the great danger they were in of being with-drawn from the truth by reason of the many Antichrists which this being the last hour were now among them who taught abominable lyes denying both God and Christ and this is handled in the eighteenth nineteenth and again in the two and three and twentieth and again in the six and twentieth verse 2 Auxilium the chief help which God had afforded them against this danger that sacred unction which did inform them fully of the truth and thereby was able to preserve them from errour and this is in the twentieth and one and twentieth and again inculcated in the seven and twentieth verse 3 Motivum The strong inducements to perswade their constancy in the faith that hereby their fellowship with God and Christ might bee continued the promise of eternal life obtained and their confidence at the comming of Christ strengthened and this is enlarged in the four five and eight and twenty verses In these two verses which I have now read the scope of our Apostle is double namely To discover a danger that they might not be ensnared by To prevent a scandal that they might not he offended at those false teachers which were among them the former in the eighteenth and the latter in the nineteenth verse In handling the eighteenth verse which is the discovery of the danger that we may proceed according to the order of the words be pleased to observe these three parts An Appellation Little children An Affirmation It is the last time A Confirmation in the rest of the verse And as you have heard c. A word of the first the Appellation or Title here used Little children It is sometimes used as a word of imperfection whether in regard of age denoting such as are not come to maturity of years or in regard of grace such as are weak in faith and in this sence Beza here construeth it indeed this Caveat is very needful for such who being children are apt to bee tossed to and fro with every wind of doctrin but yet not only for such and when I finde the Apostle commending and that doubtlesse without flattery those to whom he writeth for their knowledge of the truth I cannot imagine that he intends the word Children in this notion Rather with Danaeus as I conceive Omnes cujuscunque atatis hic monet he speaketh to all of all ages in Christianity not only to children but young men and Fathers and so the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 here is of the same notion with 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the beginning of the Chapter Suitable whereunto it is that the Syriack useth the same word in both places and as Grotius well observeth it is blanda appellatio a word of affection by which our Apostle would let us see that Parents are not more desirous of their little childrens safety and studious of their
they made use of these signs partly in regard of the good that they being hereby admonished might bee the better fitted to undergoe the temporal calamity or if Godopen a way provide for their own safety as the Story tells us many of the godly Jewes did by flying to Pella before the City was sacked by the Romans And now my Brethren though we have not nor must expect particular Predictions or Signs given us of destructive Judgements yet a wise observer and comparer of Gods Word and works together may bee able to discern what is likely to come upon the place wherein he liveth it is Solomons general assertion The prudent man foreseeth the evil this being that which every Spiritually wise man may attain to in some measure and accordingly ought to endeavour after Now the best means of obtaining this fore-sight is to observe what have been the signs and fore-runners of Gods Judgements on other Nations especially those in Holy Writ as in particular concerning Jerusalem and if we finde the like to befall in our dayes we may thence if not undoubtedly yet rationally conclude our own destruction to bee at hand Among others there were two very observable signs of Jerusalems destruction the one great warrs and rumours of warres the other multitudes of false Christs and false Prophets and as we have for many years felt the one so who doth not see the other wee need not goe to Rome to find out Antichrist wee have swarms of Antichrists among our selves so that this Age and Land and City of ours is become a sink of filthy and loathsome Heresies yea which is the worst kind of Antichristianism Pseudochristianism is the brand of our Times whilst all these Antichrists pretend themselves to bee the only Christians yea some of them assert themselves to be Christified and Deified nay one of them is so sacrilegiously impudent as to stile himself the Christ What Christian heart bleeds not to hear of these Heresies Blasphemies and that as chiefly because of the dishonour done to Christ so secondarily of that sad presage which they give of the mournful down-fall of this once flourishing Church Kingdome and City But I would not bee a Prophet of misery to my Native Country yea I should be glad to prove a false Prophet and therefore instead of a doleful Prediction I shall close up with an earnest supplication that all these Antichrists may be either reclaimed or suppressed that the Orthodox Faith may be maintained the Church restored our warres ended our sins reformed and so our ruine prevented Amen THE FIRST EPISTLE OF St. JOHN CHAP. 2. VERS 19. They went out from us but they were not of us for if they had been of us they would no doubt have continued with us but they went out that they might be made manifest that they were not all of us THe Gospel had no sooner ascended the horizon of the Gentiles and dispelled that universal shade wherin they had been be nighted but the Prince of the Air raised the clouds or rather fogs and mists of heresy to obscure the lustre thereof No sooner had those Apostolical Merchants erected factories in several parts of the World for the advancement of Christian Religion but the Devil had his Emissaries in all places to interrupt the trade of truth This our Apostle well knew and therefore armeth those to whom hee wrote both against the peril and the scandal of Antichristian Teachers when the Market is full of Adulterous wares counterfeit coines specious falshoods there is great danger of being deceived and therefore it concerneth us to be so much the more careful what wares and commodities wee take what Doctrins wee receive as true when the brats of ugly errours are laid at the door of the Christian Church Satans design is to bring her in disgrace and men are too apt to fancy her the mother of such monsters great reason there is to take heed we be not offended yea through our â—incogitant precipitancy stumble and fall at this block The prevention of the former of these namely the danger is the design of our Apostle in the precedent verse and now in this verse hee goeth on to remove the scandal letting the Christians know That they went out from but they were not of them for if they had been c. In the words these two particulars are plainly considerable The occasion and the remotion of the scandal The occasion of offence set down in these words They went out from us The Remotion of this as being no just cause in the rest of the words But they were not of us c. Begin wee with that which first occurreth to wit the occasion of the offence They went out from us in which words there is something implyed and something expressed 1 That which these words imply as Calvin Danaeus with others observe is that those Antichristian Impostors had been in the bosome of the Church and imbraced the Christian profession Thus wee read of Simon Magus one of the chief Ring-leaders that hee beleeved and was baptized and Nicolaus was one of those seven Deacons upon whom the Apostles laid hands and Epiphanius affirmeth Cerinthus to have been very conversant with the Apostles and Elders at Jerusalem and S. Paul tells the Pastors of Ephesus that men speaking perverse things should arise of their own selves so that in this case that often falls out a mans enemies are those of his own houshold The Churches seeming members prove her worst enemies As a lilly among thorns so is my love among the Daughters saith Christ of his Spouse where it is observed by St. Austin that it is not said among strangers that were no great wonder but among her Daughters even they who profess the Church to bee their mother prove thornes to vex her not onely they who are without to wit the pale of the Church as having never received the Christian Faith such as were Jews and Pagans but many who are within become false brethren not only the wild Boar out of the forrest endeavours to lay waste Gods vineyard but there are foxes within to pluck off and spoil its grapes nay as St. Austin well observes multae foris oves multi intus lupi many without are sheep such as belong to and are at last brought into the fold whiles many within are wolves though in sheeps clothing whose aim is to deceive and destroy Even in Jerusalem that is the Church saith Origon are many Jebusites in Gods field there want not tares sown by the envious man The visible Church is as a net wherein are bad as well as good fish a garden wherein are weeds as well as flowers as Rebecca's wombe in which are two sorts of people strugling to wit as St. Austin moralizeth it spiritual and carnal In one word to use St. Pauls comparison in this house of the Church there are as golden and silver so earthen and
before If any man love the world the love of the Father is not in him it is as true the love of his Mother the Church is not in him Indeed in the Primitive times it so fell out that by reason of Persecution they could not cleave to the Church unless they were willing to leave the world and no wonder if the love of the world caused many of them to leave the Church 2 But more particularly 1 The lust of the flesh was a special cause of their Apostacy the Churches bounds were too narrow her Lawes too strict for those licentious Antichrists Indeed it is frequently observable that the great Rabbies against the Church are extraordinary Chaplaines to the Trencher St. Paul describing those false Teachers saith they were such as did serve their owne bellies nay more whose God is their belly St. Peter characterizeth them to bee such as did count it a pleasure to ryot in the day time having eyes full of adultery that cannot cease from sin such as did allure through the lust of the flesh through much wantonnesse in a word hee compareth them to Doggs and Swine and calls them the Servants of corruption Finally St. Jude affirmeth of those Separatists that they were sensual so great affinity hath Epicurisme with Antichristianisme and Sensuality with Heresie 2 The lust of the eyes and that in both notions is no less an incentive of this sinful departure For 1 Curiosity hath ever been a nurse of error Prurigo sciendi scabies ecclesiae the itch of knowing more than wee should proveth too often an Heretical scab when men are not content with truths revealed no wonder if they wander into by-paths and lose themselves in a maze of folly Melior est fidelis ignorantia quam temeraria scientia was a good saying of the Master of the Sentences a modest ignorance is better than a presumptuous knowledge as we must not be too credulous in receiving what is delivered so neither curious in prying into what is concealed it is not seldome seen that as Thales gazing on the Starres fell into a pit so men that meddle with Divine secrets fall into the pit of errour 2 But that which hath ever proved the most usual source of Apostacy is Avarice observe the Apostolical character of the Antichristian Teachers and you shall still finde this to be one they are destitute of the truth saith St. Paul to Timothy supposing that gain is godlinesse and again the love of money is the root of all evil which while some have coveted after they have erred from the faith They teach things which they ought not saith the same Apostle to Titus for filthy Lucres sake Through covetousnesse they with feigned words make Merchandize of you saith the Apostle Peter and again an heart they have exercised with covetous practices which have forsâ—â—k the right way and are gone astray following the way of Balaam the Son of Beor who loved the wages of unrighteousnesse Thus Ignatius St. Johns contemporary complained of some that they were 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 rather Merchants of Christ than Christians indeed carrying about the name of Christ fraudulently handling the Word of Christ deceitfully mingling with smooth words poysonous errours Thus St. Cyprian accused that Apostatizing Heretick Novatus of whom he saith that hee was avaritiae inexplebili rapacitate furibundus not only covetous but ravenous and insatiably greedy of gain And Isidorus observing that the Novatians stiled themselves the pure saith Mundams se potius quam mundos vocarent they should have called themselves not Puritans but Mammonists And however the Antichristian Apostates of our age have other pretences to wit of purity and godlinesse yet who so diveth into the bottome of their departure from the Church shall finde it to be the enriching themselves especially with the Sacrilegious spoyls of her Lands and Revenues It is a notable saying of Salust concerning avarice that it subverts fidelity and honesty it teacheth men to neglect God and make sale of every thing and what he found true in the Common-wealth we may in the Church that the love of gain causeth men to renounce the faith and they stick not to sell their Religion their Consciences their Souls for money 3 Adde to the two former that which must by no means in this case be left out as having a great hand in it namely The pride of life and that double 1 An arrogant self-conceit too often causeth men to depart from the Church one sort of the Hereticks in the Apostles time were the Gnosticks who were so called from their vain affectation and opinion of their owne knowledge no wonder if St. Pauls advise is not to think of our ownselves more highly than wee ought It is the observation of the Reverend and Learned Hooker that the chief cause of those Heresies which infected the Easterne Church was the restlesse wits of the Graecians ever more proud of their owne curious and subtile inventions which having once contrived they knew how plausibly to vent and Eusebius informeth us of that fore-mentioned Heretick Novatus that he was a man blown up with pride and self-conceit and Vincentius Lyrinensis of Nestorius that such was his scelerata presumptio daring boldnesse as to boast himself the first and only man Thus doe Hereticks and Schismaticks go out from because they account themselves above others above Fathers Councils Antiquitie Authority Church Scriptures all according to that proud speech of Abailardus Omnes alii sic ego autem non sic All others think thus but I think not so 2 An haughty desire of Honour and greatnesse which because they cannot obtain in the Church they seek after by going out of it That 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as Eusebius calls him ring-leader of Heresy Simon Magus would bee 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 some great one and therefore broached those hellish doctrines Diotrephes loved the preheminence and that opens his mouth in prating against S. John It were easy to instance in Donatus Arrius and others who aspiring after dignities and being discontented the one that Cecilian Bishop of Carthage the other that Alexander Bishop of Alexandria were preferred into those seats which they aimed at did thereupon desert the Catholick Church look as through ambition it was that the Devil himself stood not in the truth so hee still carrieth his instruments to this pinacle whence hee throweth them down into errours And thus I have given you a brief portraicture both of the crime and its causes of which these Antichrists are accused They went out from us This heinous charge is that which the Papists at this day draw up against us because wee have deserted them condemning us as Hereticks Schismaticks Apostates and such as have forsaken the communion of the Christian Catholick and Apostolick Church But how causless and unjust thâ—s accusation is hath been both of old and
time of discovering what metal they were made of and then their true-heartednesse to their master had an opportunity to show it self Had it not been for those Heretical and Schismatical Apostates of Old those Ancient Fathers both of the Greek and Latine Church had not been such illustrious stars in the firmament of the Church were it not for those of our latter daies and here among us our Church would not have had so much to glory of her Cranmer Latimer Ridley Jewel Whitaker Whitgift and the rest who were so famous in their Generation for their magnanimity in maintaining the truth against Apostatical opposers 2 The other of the false-hearted who by going out shew themselves in their colours This is that which divine Providence bringeth about for a double end 1 For the shame of themselves ut quod occultaverunt ingenium nudarent so Lorinus that their evil disposition which before lay hid may bee laid open to their disgrace whilest these men are in the Church as gilded postes painted sepulchers whited walls they seem beautiful but when they go out the gilt and paint and white are as it were washed off whereby their shameful rottenness appeareth and according to S. Pauls phrase Their folly is made manifest to all men This is that which must fully bee accomplished at the last day when the separation between the sheep and the goats the Orthodox and the Here tick godly and wicked shall be most perspicuous and shame shall cover the faces of all Apostates but sometimes it is that which divine providence ordereth to fall out in this World and that as for their greater ignominy So 2 For the safety of others ut à fidelibus vitari possint so Estius ne alios corrumpant so Daneus that being discovered they may bee avoided and their infection prevented whilest the wolf is covered with a sheep skin hee is not so easily discerned but when the skin is plucked over his ears the true sheep can far better beware him To winde up this learn wee hence 1 To adore admire and extol the Wisdome Mercy and Justice of our God in discovering Hypocrites by their Apostacy It is that wee have so much the more reason to take notice of because wee see it so much fulfilled in our daies The times wee live in have been times of Tryal God hath as it were by a fan winnowed us whereby the chaffe is discovered as by a winde shaken us so that the rotten boughs and fruit fall off How many who whilest the Church had the reigns of government in her hands embraced her doctrin reverenced her Clergy conformed to her discipline have now made manifest that though among they were not of us their factious schismatical spirits which fear then bridled having now had an opportunity show themselves openly Oh let us blesse that divine providence which hath suffered it thus to be as in justice to them for their detection so in mercy to the Church for her purgation 2 To beware how wee please our selves with hypocritical shows Nemo diu ingenium abscondit wee cannot long conceale our temper though the Ape bee dressed up in a mans habit it will upon any opportunity discover its apish nature cito ad naturam ficta redierunt what is feigned is forced and cannot bee lasting besides it is the just judgement of God on all Hypocrites sooner or later to discover them they may for a time couzen men but God cannot bee deceived whilest yet they remain in the Church they are known to him as Judas was to Christ and though hee wink at them for a time yet in due time hee will pluck off their mask and so order it that they shall be made manifest for so it fell out here with these Antichrists who saith the Apostle went away from us that it might be manifest they were not of us THE FIRST EPISTLE OF St. JOHN CHAP. 2. 20 21. VERS 20 But yee have an unction from the holy One and yee know all things 21 I have not written unto you because yee know not the truth but because ye know it and that no lye is of the truth IT is not unfitly observed that in those colder and frosty Countries of the East there are plenty of Beasts which afford furrs to keep mens bodies warm That in the beginning of the spring when Serpents peep out of their holes the ash puts forth which is a present remedy against their sting and teeth no lesse yea far more considerable is the care of God in reference to his Church who as hee permits Heresies and Schismes to disturb her so hee hath provided helps to perserve her For this end hee hath appointed her his written word as a sure canon a safe guide and an unerring rule for this cause hee hath given some Apostles and some Prophets and some Evangelists and some Pastors and Teachers to build her up in the Orthodox faith Finally to this end above all he hath given her his holy Spirit whose illuminating and sanctifying grace is sufficient for her of which it is our Apostle here mindeth the Christians But you have an unction from the holy One c. In these two verses we have two Generals A Remedy prescribed or rather described against the Antichristian poyson But you have an unction from the holy One and know all things An Apology annexed whereby an objection is prevented which otherwise might have been made I have not written unto you because yee know not the truth but because you know it and that no lye is of the truth Begin wee with the Remedy as it is set down in the twentieth verse concerning which wee may take notice of four particulars The Quality what it is an unction The Community whose it is you have an unction The Originality whence it is from the Holy One. The efficacy what it doth and you know all things If you please to reduce the four to three take notice of The Nature of the Antidote it is an unction The Author of it who is called the Holy One. The worth of it by it wee know all things Once more reduce the three to two and then here is observable Doni collatio A gift conferred You have an unction from the Holy One. Beneficii illatio A benefit inferred and you know all things In the handling of the former of these wee shall consider these three things The matter or thing given an unction The Recipients to whom it is given you have The Donor by whom it is given the Holy One. 1 The thing given as an Antidote or remedy against the poyson of Antichristian Doctrin is an Vnction A Metaphorical and allusive expression Annoynting most properly is with oyl or else with Oyntments in which usually oyl is the chief ingredient but metaphorically annoynting is with the Spirit which is as oyl and oyntment Thus wee finde the Prophet saying concerning himself literally and Christ mystically The Spirit of the
spiritual and saving knowledge It is a known Axiome in Philosophy that there must be a due proportion between the faculty and the object and therefore as sense cannot apprehend the things of reason so neither can reason the things of the Spirit there being no proportion between natural Reason and spirtual verities Indeed Reason in it self is a thing spiritual as spiritual is opposite to material but not as it is opposed to natural and it must bee a spiritual that is a supernatural quality infused by the Spirit which can inable us to apprehend supernatural objects suitable hereunto is that distinction in the Schools of a three-fold light of Nature of Grace of Glory one whereof is far short of the other and as the light of Grace is not proportionable to those beatifical objects of Glory so neither is the light of nature to the spiritual objects of grace and therfore most justly is this affirmative You have an Unction and know all things construed as including the negative if you had not this Unction you could not know any thing To conclude then let the consideration hereof learn us a double lesson to wit of Humility and Prayer 1 Let it abase us in our own estimation notwithstanding our choicest natural or acquired abilities vain man saith Eliphaz would bee wise though hee bee born like a wilde Asses colt men would bee Masters not onely of natural but Divine Knowledge but they become vaine in their Imaginations In reason as corrupted there is a direct enmity against the Gospels simplicity yea the line of reason at the best is too short to fathome the depth of evangelical mysteries and therefore if any one would bee wise let him according to S. Pauls Counsel become a fool that hee may bee wise he only is in a fit capacity for divine knowledge who humbly acknowledgeth his own inability of himself to attain it 2 As wee desire to know all things needful to salvation pray wee for the Spirits Illumination it is strange and yet true to consider how simple Idiots are able more divinely to discourse of Gospel verities than some learned Clerks and whence this but from this special Unction of the renewing Spirit and when wee hear wicked Christians sometimes fluently uttering divine knowledge whence is it but from the common Unction of the illuminating Spirit There is no unfolding Samsons riddle unlesse wee plow with Samsons Heifer no understanding the things of the Spirit but by the grace of the Spirit and therefore I shall end my discourse with the beginning of that excellent Hymn Oh Holy Ghost into our wits send down thy heavenly light Kindle our hearts with servent love to serve God day and night Amen THE FIRST EPISTLE OF St. JOHN CHAP. 2. VERS 21. I have not written unto you because yee know not the truth but because yee know it and that no lye is of the truth THis Verse may well bee called a Religious Complement inserted by the Apostle no doubt for this end that hee might the better gain upon those to whom he wrote That piece of Oratory which teacheth captare benevelentiam to seek the good will of Auditors is of good use in Divinity They are too morâ—se and rigid who account all Civil Language in a Pulpit daâ—bing with untempered mortar St. Paul doubtlesse did not court Agrippa with a falshood when hee saith Beleevest thou the Prophets I know thou beleevest them nor did hee gild rotten posts when hee saith to those Hebrews I am perswaded better things of you though I thus speak far bee it from St. John who declaimeth against hars at the same time to bee guilty of flattery which is no better than lying To sooth up our hearers in their wickedness is abominable but to smooth them with oyly Language and silken words that they may bee more pliable to what is good is allowable whilest herein wee trace the footsteps of the penmen of holy writ particularly S. John and that in this verse which is as it were an insinuating parenthesis I have not written unto you because yee know not the truth c. In which words there are three General Observable I A Delineation of the Gospel by a double character 1 Principal and â—rect â—n that it is called the truth 2 Collâ—â—eral and Coâ—sequeâ—â—ial when it is said no lye is of the Truth II A Commendation of the Christians to whom the Apostle wrote by removing ignorance from them attributing knowledge to them in those words not because you know not the Truth but because ye know it c. III An Anticipation of an objection which might be made against his writing to them who were thus knowing in those words I have not written unto you c. Begin we with the Delineation and therein 1 The Principal Character which though comprized in that one word Truth carrieth in it a great deal of weight Not to trouble you with the Philosophical distinctions of Truth be pleased to know to our present purpose 1 As there is a double word so there is a double truth to wit personal and doctrinal our blessed Saviour saith of himself I am the truth and some Interpreters conceive that by truth here the Apostle meaneth Christ when our Saviour prayeth for his Disciples sanctify them through thy truth hee presently addeth Thy Word is truth and accordingly others expound Truth here to bee the Evangelical Doctrin To this latter interpretation I rather adhere because it is most probable that St. John understands the same by truth in this verse which he intends by all things in the former and those are all things revealed in the Gospel 2 Truth may bee construed in a double opposition either to that which is Typical or that which is false 1 Sometimes the truth is opposed to Types and Ceremonies thus when wee are required to worship the Father in Spirit and in Truth as the former is opposed to hypocritical so the latter most rationally to ceremonial worship and when it is said The Law came by Moses but grace and Truth came by Jesus Christ wee may probably conceive the sense to bee that whereas Moses onely delivered precepts to bee done Christ giveth by his Spirit grace to do them and whereas the Ceremonial Law consisted onely of Types and Shadows the Truth that is the impletion of all those is now performed by Christ Accordingly the Gospel is the truth because it revealeth the body of those shadows the mystery of those figures the substance of those Types and to this Zanchy conceiveth the Apostle Paul might have respect when hee calls it The word of truth 2 Sometimes the truth is opposed to falshood and lies for that is the most genuine signification of the Word and withall the most rational interpretation of it in this place where wee finde a lye expressely set in opposition to it upon this account no doubt it is that the Gospel is so
incouraging commendations It was one of St. Jeromes counsels to Laeta about the bringing up of her daughter Laudibus excitandum est ingenium that shee should excite her by praises When the School-master by commending his Scholar for doing well le ts him see that hee hath a good opinion of him it is a notable spur to put him upon preserving and increasing that good opinion by doing better what the blowing of the horn is to the hounds in their chase and the sounding of the Trumpet to the Horse in the battel that is praise to men in their prosecution of vertue and opposition against vice And therefore let all Ministers learn to take notice of and incourage the forwardnesse of their people and let them be no lesse careful to extoll their virtues than to reprove their vices when the people do what is commendable it is but just wee should commend what they do and if they finde matter let not us want words in giving them their deserved praises according to the pattern which here St. John sets us 2 In special take a view of the commendation here given which is first by way of remotion acquitting them from ignorance they were not like St. Pauls silly women which were ever learning and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth not like those Hebrews who whereas for the time they ought to have been Teachers they had need that one teach them again which bee the first Principles of the Oracles of God they were not such as did not know the truth And then by way of attribution asserting that they were such who did know the truth yea that they had a distinct knowledge of it whereby they were able to distinguish between truth and falshood for that you know is very fitly by interpreters supplyed in the last clause you know that no Lye is of the truth Our blessed Saviour speaking of his sheep saith they know his voice and that so as to distinguish it from the voice of strangers for so it followeth and a stranger will they not follow thus doth S. John here commend these Christians not only for a true but a clear knowledge whereby they were able to judge aright and discern between things that differ Indeed according to that known maxim rectum est index sui et obliqui that which is true discovers not only it self but that which is false and therefore he that knoweth the truth knows that no lye is of it That it may the better appear how high a commendation this is it will bee needful to discusse a little on the one hand the evil of ignorance and on the other the good of knowledge 1 Not to know the truth is a sin sadly to bee bemoaned and such as contracts not onely guilt but shame upon the person Indeed this is not true of all kinde of Ignorance There is an Ignorance which is commendable not to know what God hath kept secret because hee would not have us know it s no shame for a man not to know that which is not in his possibility and such are all those things which God hath not been pleased to reveal There is an Ignorance which is excusable to wit 1 when it is of such truths which are without our sphere and therefore have no need to know them 2 when it is of such truths as are polemical problematical which partly by reason of the difficulty of the matter and partly by reason of the imbecillity of our understanding wee cannot attain to a full knowledge of 3 when though it be of the Evangelical Truth yet it is either through a defect of Revelation which is the onely means whereby wee can know it as in Pagans who never heard of the Gospel and therefore shall not bee condemned for not knowing and beleeving it or through a natural incapacity as in infants and fools and mad-men who being not able to make use of their reason cannot attain to this knowledge But not to know in some measure the necessary truths of the Gospel notwithstanding the opportunities and means of knowledge afforded to us is an ignorance deservedly blameable Indeed it is negligentia non impotentia incuria non incapacitas not an impotent incapacity but a retchlesse negligence it is not an invincible but a vincible not a negative but a Privative not an involuntary but a wilfull ignorance not of one who would but cannot but of one who may but will not know the truth And now to bee thus ignorant is our sin our shame our ruine what a travellor is without his feet a workman without his hands a Painter without his eies that is a Christian without knowledge unable to do the will of God What danger a ship is in that wants a Rudder Ballasse Anchors Cables Sails the like is hee in who wants knowledge How easily is hee tossed up and down with every winde of Doctrin how unable is hee to stear a right course towards heaven how quickly is hee overturned into a gulf of errors and vices no wonder if God complain by the Prophet Hoseah My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge Our proverb saith The blinde man swalloweth many a flye and catcheth many a fall it is no lesse true of an Ignorant Christian hee swalloweth many an errour and falls into many a sin this jaw bone of an Asse I mean Ignorance hath slain its thousands laying heaps upon heaps In a word Almighty God is so far provoked with affected ignorance that hee threatneth by his Prophet It is a people of no understanding therefore hee that made them will not have mercy on them and hee that formed them will shew them no favour and by his Apostle that the Lord Jesus shall beerevealed from heaven in flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God 2 To know the Truth and that no Lye is of it is a virtue highly to bee commended Indeed there is an excellency in all kinde of knowledge it is a pearl despised of none but fools Knowledge having no enemy but the Ignorant Alexander was wont to say hee had rather excell in knowledge than bee great in Power Indeed what the eie is in the body that is knowledge in the minde that the choycest member of the one this the noblest ornament of the other but surely this knowledge whereof my Text speaks is far more excellent than all other knowledge whatsoever for wheras by knowledge it is that a man differeth from a beast by this knowledge it is that a Christian differeth from other men nullus omnino cibus suavior quam cognitio veritatis saith Lactantius no sweeter food to the minde than the knowledge of truth and especially of this truth What the foundation is to the building the root to the tree that is this knowledge to the Soul the beginning of all grace and goodnesse what the Sun is to the world that is this knowledge to the minde to
a little longer Quomodo agendum est ut semper vivatur How studious should they bee that they may live for ever Oh that wee would at length bee effectually convinced of the certain and infallible verity of this promise in it selfe and then there would bee little need to perswade our indeavours to make sure our own interest in it Cleombrotus reading of this future immortality though but darkely delineated in Platoes writings by casting himself into the Sea dispossessed himself of this life that hee might bee the sooner possessed of that Far bee his Practice from our imitation wee are taught to wait Gods leasure for the accomplishment of this Promise but surely the due consideration of an Eternal Life will teach us to make a preparation for that the main business of this life ever remembring that this moment is given us by God to bee the onely opportunity of gaining that eternity In special Memoria promissae mercedis perseverantem te faciat in opere since eternal life is promised by him to us let that which wee have heard from him abide in us True perseverance in the Faith is very difficult and sometimes proveth dangerous but it s as true Eternal Life is very Excellent and advantagious Videamus quid promisit saith St. Austin let us seriously view what it is hee hath promised not Gold or Silver Houses Lands or any earthly Possessions and yet what will not men indure for the gaining of these shall not Eternal Life have a stronger influence upon us Oh consider on the one hand what is it thou canst probably gain by forsaking the truth perhaps favour with great ones large revenues stately palaces Honourable titles But tell mee in good earnest can these countervail the loss of Eternal life undoubtedly they cannot On the other hand what is it thou canst possibly lose by retaining the truth perhaps thy estate thy liberty thy life I but what thinkest thou will not eternal life make amends for all these losses certainly it will As therefore the runners of old were wont to engrave the reward upon the palmes of their hands that when they began to faint the fight of that might revive them So let us incourage our selves to a patient abiding in the Doctrin which wee have heard notwithstanding all opposition by a serious remembrance of the Promised remuneration eternal life and so much the rather because it is promised upon this condition and is no otherwise to bee expected To end therefore Hast thou begun well by imbracing the Faith lose not the reward for want of adhering but hold it fast to the end that thou maiest receive in the end this Life which shall be without end THE FIRST EPISTLE OF St. JOHN CHAP. 2. VERS 26 27 28. These things have I written unto you concerning them that seduce you But the annointing which you have received of him abideth in you and yee need not that any man teach you but as the same annointing teacheth you of all things and is truth and is no lye and even as it hath taught you ye shall abide in him And now little children abide in him that when he shall appear yee may have confidence and not bee ashamed before him at his coming IF you compare these three with the eight foregoing verses you shall finde them to bee a summary repetition of what it there more largely delivered There are three hinges upon which the precedent discourse turneth namely the peril of Antichristian doctrin the benefit of the Spirits Unction the duty of perseverance in the Christian faith and these three are inculcated in these verses Indeed where the danger is very great the admonition cannot bee too frequent when the benefit is of singular advantage it would bee often considered and a duty which must bee performed cannot bee too much pressed no wonder if St. John propose them in this gemination to our second thoughts And yet it is not a naked repetition neither but such as hath a variation and amplification in every particular The Duty is re-inforced at the eight and twentieth verse but in another phrase of abiding in Christ and with a new motive drawn from the second comming of Christ. The benefit is reiterated and much amplified in the seven and twentieth verse as to its excellency and energy Finally the danger is repeated but with another description of those by whom they were in danger whilest as before hee had called them Antichrists for their enmity against Christ So here for their malignity against Christians hee calleth them seducers These things have I written to you concerning them that seduce you c. By what you have already heard you see the scope of those verses which according to their number divide themselves into three generals A Caution These things have I written c. A Comfort But the annointing which you have received c. A Counsel And now little Children abide in him c. 1 Begin and at this time end wee with the Caution which is given in the six and twentieth verse These things have I written unto you concerning them that seduce you As it is in the World so is it also in the Church In the World all good and useful things have their contraries There are fruitful showres and there are harmful storms there are refreshing dews and infecting vapours there are wholesome herbs and there are noysome drugs There are tame living creatures and there are wild beasts Thus in the Church there are sound and there are rotten Professors true and false Prophets faithful and deceitful Apostles and if you look upon this verse you may find a brand set upon the one and a Character given of the other whiâ—eâ—t the two parts of the Text are The Mischievous design of the Antichrists which was to seduce Them that seduce you and the pious care of St. John which was to give warning These things have I written to you concerning them 1 In handling the former of these I shall take notice of these three things The Who them whom you wha seduce 1 If you inquire who these seducers were wee shall find two things not unworthy our observation 1 That their names are not mentioned It may perhaps bee asked since the Apostle doth not name them how should they know them and if they could not know them how should they avoid them But to this it is easily answered that Hee had sufficiently described them before by their Antichristian doctrin so that of whomsoever they heard such positions they might conclude them to bee the Persons and since in this respect there was no necessity of mentioning it is justly looked upon as an act of prudence his concealing their names Indeed wee finde this Apostle in one of his Epistles expresly naming Diotrephes and St. Paul naming Himeneus and Alexander Phygellus and Hermogenes in his Epistle to Timothy There may bee sometimes urgent reason of mentioning names But for the most part both these
either to errour of Doctrin or evil of manners and surely if they who turn many to righteousness shall shine as the Sun in Heaven they who turn many from it to errour and wickedness shall burn as coals in Hell But I fear seducing Hereticks whilest they have open mouths and nâ—mble tongues to the perverting of others have their ears heavy nay closed lest they should bee converted themselves and therefore though I shall not cease to pray for I shall forbear any longer to speak to them The Improvement that should be made of this doctrin by the godly and Orthodox is 1 That wee take heed of going amongst or conversing with Hereticks lest wee be seduced by them Indeed it were ground enough of abstaining their society lest wee should bee thought such but much more lest we should prove such This Holy Apostle would not stay in the bath with that Arch-heretick Cerinthus out of a just indignation against him we should not frequent the company of such out of a wise circumspection in reference to our selves The Orthodox hearers of Athanasius forsook the Church when Lucius the Arrian Bishop came to Preach both the private society and more publique meetings of Hereticks should bee avoided by us it is ill coming within the breath of such rotten persons There is not more danger of being burned by comming too neer the fire of being defiled by touching pitch or dirt and of being infected by comming neer one that is sick of the plague than of being seduced by hearkning to and having familiarity with Hereticks It is that indeed which may bee extended and I would to God were observed as a general rule in regard of all wicked company Come out from among her my people saith God concerning Babylon lest thou bee partaker of her sins Depart from me you evil doers saith David for I will keep the Commandements of my God Wicked men will strive to make us like themselves nor have wee any promise of assistance against their inticements if wee needlesly associate with them The Psalmist saith Blessed is the man that walketh not after the counsel of the ungodly nor standeth in the way of sinners Indeed he that would not walk in the wickeds counsel must not stand in his way lest if the wicked finde him in his way hee entice him to go along with him 2 That they obliquely imitate these seducers in striving to make others as sound in the faith and conscientious in their lives as themselves why should and yet how often is it so the Devils instruments be more forward than Christs Servants his messengers more active than Christs Ministers Did Heliogabalus take care to make his Son like himself luxurious and shall not religious Parents endeavour that their children may serve the Lord did the Pharisees compass Sea and Land to make a Proselite and shall not Christs Apostles do as much to make Christians Are the Wolves ranging up and down to worry and shall not the Shepheards bee watchful to preserve the sheep Are Hereticks industrious to seduce from and shall not the Orthodox be solicitous to reduce to the truth God forbid Oh let the heavenly stars as readily give forth their light to guide the people into the way of Truth and Peace as those fiery meteors are to lead them into the bogs and ditches of sin and errours Them that seduce you But this is not all that our Apostle intends by this expression The word here rendred seduce is elsewhere in this Epistle yea generally through the New Testament translated deceive and accordingly Planus which is derived from it is used by the Latine Poet to signify an Impostor now decipimur specie recti wee are deceived by specious pretences and accordingly such a kinde of seducing which is by making us beleeve wee are in the right when we are in the wrong way is that which is here meant It lets us see what is the cunning of Heretical seducers St. Paul saith of them that by good words and fair speeches they deceive the hearts of the simple like the Hyaena which when shee intends to devour feigneth a mans voice St. Austin observeth that the Devil seeing his Temples forsaken Altars demolished and Oracles silenced by Christs comming into the world to make a new supply of his Kingdome stirred up certain Hereticks of whom Christ himself foretold and whom no doubt our Apostle here meaneth qui sub vocabulo Christianae doctrinae resisterent Christianae who under the name of Christian doctrin should oppose Christianity like Pyrates who hang out their colours whom they mean to surprize Indeed it hath ever been the practice of false Teachers to lead into errour by a pretext of truth like those to use Irenaeus his comparison who give lime mixed with water instead of milk deceiving by the similitude of the colour herein as St. Paul observeth learning of their Master the Devil who though the Prince of Darkness oft times transformeth himself into an Angel of Light The truth is as the forementioned Father observeth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 errour loveth not to appear naked as being foul and ugly no wonder if she cover her self with borrowed robes that she may be the more amiable It will not I suppose bee a digression from the Text nor losse of time to inquire into the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to use St. Pauls language sleights and methods of errour whereby these Seducers lye in wait to deceive and these wee shall finde to bee of many sorts Hereticks Proteus like make use of several shapes under which they delude many In particular we my observe them seducing by the mixtur of some truths the Promise of much Liberty the Plea of long Tradition and the shew of glorious Miracles under the veil of an outside religion the vernish of humane reason the colour of divine Revelation the glosse of sacred Scripture the name of the true Church 1 A mixture of truth with errour is an usual trick of these impostours herein doing like those who put off lead or brass in Coines with the mingling of silver or who convey poyson in milk or some such wholesome food This St. Gregory took notice of when hee saith of Hereticks miscent recta perversis ut ostendendo bona auditores ad se pertrahant et exhibendo mala latenti peste corrumpant They joyn right Doctrines with perverse that by an open publication of the one they may secretly instil the other even these Antichrists did acknowledge some truth Preaching a Christ that came from heaven but withall denying Jesus to be the Christ 2 A Promise of Liberty is another cheat of these Jugglers as well knowing how suitable liberty is to mans corrupt nature Hereticks how rigid soever they may bee upon design in their personal Practice yet are commonly libertines in their doctrin indulging to their followers a lawlesse licentiousnesse This St. Peter
because it is careful to hide the Head wherein its Life lyeth with the whole body Christ is the Head of the Church and the Errours of these Seducers did strike at the Head no wonder if the Apostle wrote concerning them 3 That to bee seduced especially in such errours is dangerous and destructive It was the Prophet Isaiahs sad complaint The Leaders of this people cause them to erre and they that are lead of them are destroyed and St. Peters Epithite which hee giveth to these Hâ—resies is noâ—lesse than damnable or according to the Greek phrase heresies of perdition To this purpose tends that phrase of St. Paul when hee calleth Seducerâ— Spoilers where the Greek word alludeth to Theeves and Robbers or to Souldiers and Plunderers who take the Cattel of their enemy and carry it away as a Prey for such are false Teachers the Devils Agents to lead Captive poor souls that they may bee the Devils prey It is not unworthy our observation that the Apostle having in the verse before mentioned the Promise of eternal life hee presently addeth this caveat concerning these Seducers intimating that the flatteries of these Seducers if hearkened to would deprive them of the Promise of Eternal Life so that it was no lesse than their everlasting welfare which was endangered Good reason had the Apostle upon all these considerations to write concerning these Seducers to the Christians in respect of their safety 2 Besides this there was an Obligation in regard of himself that hee might perform his duty So Lorinus glosseth upon the Text Videtur fidem suam liberare ac suo se functum munere protestari by this writing hee dischargeth that Office to which hee was called and that trust which was reposed in him by his Lord and Master Indeed if the Minister of Christ warn the people of Seducers though they miscarry yet he shall be acquitted but à pastore exigitur quicquid per inertiam non custoditur saith St. Cyprian truely if the sheep wander through the negligence of the Shepheard it will bee exacted of him according to that of God himselfe I have made thee a watchman unto the house of Israel and therefore hear the word at my mouth and give them warning from mee when I say unto the wicked thou shalt surely dye and thou givest him not warning nor speakest to warn the wicked from his wickednesse to save his life the same wicked man shall dye in his iniquity but his blood will I require at thine hand yet if thou warn the wicked and if hee turn not from his wickednesse nor from his wicked way he shall dye in his iniquity but thou hast delivered thy soul To close up this with a threefold inference 1 See hence what is the reason why Diotrephes prated against this Apostle as himself tells us with malicious words and why it is that Seducers with their followers rail at the Ministers of the Gospel namely because they Preach and Write concerning them For this cause it is that in all Ages they have been and still are so solicitous to stop the mouths and pens to take away the livings and lives of the Orthodox as well knowing that else they cannot have the opportunity of sowing their tares at leastwise not with so good successe It was no sleight Policy of Philip to offer the Athenians peace upon condition of delivering up their Orators to him whom Demosthenes answered with an Apologue very suitable to this present matter The Wolves were willing to make an agreement with the sheep provided they would deliver up their Dogs The truth is Seducing Wolves are most afraid of and angry at the Ministers of the Gospel whom that great Shepheard of our souls hath appointed to watch his flock 2 Learn hence how unlike those Ministers are to this Apostle who are dumb dogs in the midst of ravening Wolves and thereby suffer the sheep of Christ to bee worried what a shame is it that the Heterodox should bee bold and the Orthodox cold the Seducers clamorous in conventicles and the Catholicks silent in Churches Oh let all the Ministers of the Gospel learn their duty especially in such times as these which is not only oves aggregare to gather together the sheep but Lupos abigere to drive away the Wolves wee must not onely bee as Mercuriuses to the Traveller which point out the right way but as Sea-Marks to the Mariner which warn him of Shelves Sands and Rocks we are called in scripture both guides and watchmen to teach us that as we ought to lead the people in the truth so to give them notice of Hereticks nor can wee bee faâ—thful and wise servants unlesse wee as well admonish the people of their danger as instruct them in their duty 3 Finally Let not the care of those Ministers who after St. Johns pattern Preach and Write concerning Seducers bee dis-regarded by but let their Caveats bee acceptable to the people Hee will easily open his ears to Seducers who shuts them against true Teachers Obey them therefore that have the rule over you and watch for your souls bee guided by their advice so shall you not be led aside of Hereticks by their devices But above all seek after and pray for that Unction which will arm you against errour whereof our Apostle treats in the next verse and shall God willing bee discussed the next time THE FIRST EPISTLE OF St. JOHN CHAP. 2. VERS 27. But the annointing which you have received of him abideth in you and yee need not that any man teach you but as the same annointing teacheth you of all things and is truth and is no lye and even as it hath taught you ye shall abide in him THe virulency of persecution and the subtilty of seduction are the Devils two great Engines by which hee hath still endeavoured to batter down the Church of Christ sometimes hee is a raging spirit in the hands of cruel Tyrants to destroy and sometimes a lying spirit in the mouths of false Teachers to deceive the Orthodox Professors of the Christian Religion By the latter of these it is that hee hath done more mischief than the former for whereas in the one hee acteth openly as an enemy in the other hee worketh closely as a seeming friend and whereas the blood of Martyrs though against the will of their persecutours hath been a means to propagate and increase the poyson of Hereticks hath too often prevailed to the infection and damage of the Church no wonder then if one of the designs of this Holy Apostle in this Epistle bee to write to the Christians concerning Seducers and to minde them of the great goodness of God in providing an Antidote against this poyson in those words But the Annointing which you have received of him abideth in you c. Having in the former discourse handled the Caution that which next occurreth to our discussion is the Comfort which is not onely
mentioned but inlarged upon in these words But the annointing c. The right understanding of this whole verse depends upon the genuine notion of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the annointing once and again here spoken of In order to which it will bee needful to inquire to what this annointing alludeth what it doth import and wherein the Analogy holdeth The Jesuits in their Comments would have us beleeve that St. John alludeth to the Annointing which is used in their Church at the Sacrament of Baptism before in the breast and between the shoulders and after on the top of the head But though I cannot deny that the use of Annointing in Baptism is very ancient as finding it mentioned not onely by St. Augustine but St. Cyprian and Tertullian yet sure I am it is no where spoken of in the New Testament as either instituted by Christ or Preached by the Apostles in which respect it cannot rationally bee conceived that St. John alludeth to it Indeed wee finde in St. James an annointing of the sick with Oil to bee then practiced though by the way that of a far different nature from the Popish extream Unction for wheareas the Papists annoint the sick in order to their better passage out the annointing then used was in order to their recovery and longer continuance in this World But as there is no reason to imagine that St. John had any eye to St. James his Unction so much lesse can hee bee supposed to allude to an Vnction which was not at all used in his time If therefore you would know from what this phrase is borrowed the Answer is that very probably the Apostle had an eye to that unction which was in use under the Law the ingredients and composition whereof you have set down at large by Moses and so much the rather because as that is called the Holy Oil so this annointing is said before to be from the Holy One. 2 The Socinians inquiring into the meaning of this Metaphor understand by it the Evangelical Doctrin construing 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the annointing in this by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 hat which you have heard at the four and twentieth verse and conceiving it to bee called the Unction because that by that wonderful effusion of the Holy Ghost the Apostles were inabled to publish it for which reason they suppose it is elsewhere called the Spirit and the ministration of the Spirit with this interpretation some of our late Orthodox writers accord though upon a far different reason For whereas the Socinians falsely denying any need of the Spirits illumination to bee conferred upon every Christian but onely of that Revelation which was at first vouchsafed to the Apostles and by them to the World endeavour to evade the argument which is brought against them from this Scripture by this Exposition The Orthodox justly denying any new Revelation or extraordinary inspiration now to bee expected answer the argument which Euthusiasts bring from this Scripture by this interpretation For my own part I am very unwilling without great cause to recede from the Generally received exposition of any scripture And as to this particular text 1 I finde the annointing by the far greatest part both of Ancient and Modern Protestant and Popish Commentators to be expounded the Holy Spirit suitable to which it is that the latter annoynting is read Spirit in the Aethiopick version his Spirit teacheth you of all things 2 There are several considerations which render the common exposition most rational in as much as 1 Usually where the Scripture speaketh of annoynting it is meant of the Spirit as appeareth in the former discourse upon the twentieth verse 2 It is not here said the annoynting which wee to wit Apostles have received of him for then it might most probably have referred to the visible descension of the Holy Ghost upon them nor yet is it said the annoynting which you have received of us for then it might justly have been construed as the same with 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that which you have heard this Evangelical Doctrine which was delivered by the inspired Apostles but in as much as it is the annoynting which you have received of him it is most rationally construed of that Spiritual illumination which every Christian receiveth in some measure from Christ. 3 Adde to this that our Apostle in this verse manifestly intends to mind the Christians what a singular help Christ had provided for them against seducers whereby they might be enabled to continue in that which they had heard and therefore it cannot rationally be looked upon as one and the same with that which they had heard but rather the enlightning grace of his Spirit is to bee understood than which there cannot be a stronger antidote against errour Finally as by this exposition this Scripture becometh a sharp sword against the Socinians so as shall appear in the handling it will not hereby become a buckler for the Anabaptists and therefore I shall acquiesce and adhere to it as most genuine 3 As to the last enquiry how fitly the Spirit of God is compared to and resembled by oyl and annoynting the answer hath been already returned in the discourse upon the former clause of the twentieth verse whither I referre the Reader nor shall I adde any thing further but only that as the holy Oyntment was made of several Spices mixed with the oyl whatsoever things or persons were annoynted therewith were legally sanctified by it so we are here to understand by this annoynting not the illumination of the Spirit which is oft-times found alone and is vouchsafed to the unregenerate but that which is as it were made up of the several graces of the Spirit whereby not only the minde is enlightned but the whole man is sanctified Having given you this account of the annoynting which is as it were the hinge upon which the whole verse turneth it now remaineth that I goe on to consider what is here affirmed concerning this Unction and because I have already traced the metaphor of oyl and our Apostle is pleased to insist upon another similitude of teaching I shall follow that and accordingly you may conceive the Spirit of God who is the annoynting to bee likewise here represented as a School-master whose excellency is set forth by four Characters namely his Residency Sufficiency Fidelity and Efficiency His 1 Residency permanent in those words The annoynting which you have received of him abideth in you 2 Sufficiency abundant in those words And you need not that any man teach you but as the same annoynting teacheth you of all things 3 Fidelity eminent in those words and is truth and is no lye 4 Efficiency evident in those words and as it hath taught you you shall abide in him Begin we with the Residency of this School-master as it is set forth in the beginning of the verse The annoynting which you have received of him abideth in you and
old the Law was literally written by Gods Finger in two Tables of Stone so it is spiritually written by Gods Spirit in two Tables of flesh the mind and the heart This annoynting then teacheth 1 Illuminando intellectum by enlightning the understanding to see and discover those things which are revealed in the Word the first work of the Spirit in conversion answereth that first word and work of God in the Creation Let there be light by this light it is that the darknesse of ignorance is expelled and the eyes of the minde are opened to apprehend Divine Writings in their own lustre and beauty It is observed of Paper that being oyled it is thereby made bright and so fitter to receive the beams of the Sun and conveigh the light into the room so is it with our minds which being annoynted with this oyl are thereby fitted to receive that heavenly light of Evangelical Doctrin and whereas the oyl which is put to the Lamp feeds it when it is kindled but cannot give light to it such is the excellency of this Unction that it giveth the light of saving knowledge to them who are altogether destitute of it Nor is this all but further 2 Inclinand◠voluntatem by inclining the will to embrace the goodnesse and taste the sweetnesse of those truths which are understood this oyl doth not only cherish the light of the Lamp but softens the hardnesse of the tumor remove the darknesse of the understanding but mollifie the perversnesse of the will As for the manner of the Spirits operation upon the will it is not to bee disputed many Controversies which trouble the Church would easily be reconciled were the Modus layed aside I suppose none will deny but he who made the will knoweth how to perswade it without coaction and incline it without compulsion and therefore we need not fear to affirm that the annoynting teacheth by inclining the will the truth is were it not that this teaching had an influence upon the will as well as the understanding it could not guard against Error and preserve from Apostacy nothing being more usual than for those who are taught outwardly and not inwardly to reject those truthes whereof they have been fully convinced for want of a kindly influence upon the will by which they should constantly adhere To summe up this point and there-with this Discourse See the excellency of the Spirits teaching beyond all others other School-masters set only truths before us but cannot put them into us they present them to our eyes or ears but cannot write them upon our hearts only this School-master can and doth not only by his Word speak to our ears but by his Grace to our souls oh therefore let us implore this sacred Unction that he would vouchsafe to become our Teacher let us begge of him that he would first give us flexible spirits and decible mindes whereby wee may bee willing to bee taught which is to take away the heart of stone and give an heart of flesh and then that he would make us to know and embrace Divine Truths which is to write his Law in our hearts And withall take we heed how we grieve this School-master by a carelesse neglect of his instructions If at any time hee bee pleased to put any good motions into our mindes let us cherish them and let us beseech him that to those motions hee would adde his powerful impressions and if wee be thus taught of him we are well taught so well that we need no other teacher which leads me to the other branch of the sufficiency of his instruction in the negative expression You need not that any man teach you But the time being expired denyeth any further progresse at present and therefore the discussion of that with the other parts of the verse must be referred to the next opportunity THE FIRST EPISTLE OF St. JOHN CHAP. 2. VERS 27. But the annointing which you have received of him abideth in you and yee need not that any man teach you but as the same annointing teacheth you of all things and is truth and is no lye and even as it hath taught you ye shall abide in him THis whole World may not unfitly bee resembled to a Book whereof the cover is the Heavens whose Gilded imbossements are the glittering stars letters are the elements words are the several creatures compounded of those elements sentences are the motions and actions of those creatures and periods are its various ages This is the Book which Almighty God hath given all mankind to read and there is in every man a natural reason which serveth as a Candle whereby wee may discern the characters engraven on it and as a Schoolmaster whereby wee are instructed in the lessons to bee learned from it But besides this School of the World in which the Creator hath appointed to train up all men there is another School of the Church which our Redeemer hath designed for the education of Christians in which respect one of the names by which they are frequently called is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Disciples or Scholars of Christ The Book wherein they are to learn is no other than the Holy Scriptures of the Old and more espeoially of the New Testament The Ushers or Inferiour Teachers are the Ministers whose lips are therefore said to preserve knowledge and at whose mouth wee must seek the Law And if you would know who is the Head-master in this School let St. John give you the answer in the words of the text it is no other than the Holy Spirit of God here called the Annointing But the Annointing which you have received of him c. The sufficiency of this unction in teaching Christians is that part of the Text I am now in handling and having discussed the Affirmative assertion in that it is said to teach all things I am now in order to proceed to the Negative amplification which is expressed in those words And you need not that any man teach you The Apostle Peter speaking of the unlearned and unstable telleth us that they did wrest as many things in St. Pauls Epistles so likewise in other Scriptures to their own perdition where the Greek word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as Gerard well observes is a metaphor borrowed from those who put men upon the Rack whereby they oft times force them to speak things against their knowledge and conscience for so do Hereticks impose upon the Scripture a sense contrary to what the Spirit of God intended An instance hereof wee have in this Text particularly in this clause which together with those parallel words of the Prophet Jeremy quoted by the Apostle Paul They shall not teach every man his Neighbour and every man his Brother saying Know the Lord is wrested by the Quakers and such like Sectavies among us as it was by the Enthusiasts heretofore to the undervaluing of the Ministry as needlesse in the Church yea of the
1 Upon the Antichrists which then abounded in which respect there was so much the more need at that time to take heed they were not with-drawn from Christ and therefore saith the Apostle now abide in him Here is the faith and patience of the Saints saith St. John of persecuting times Here is the faith and constancy of the Saints may wee say of Heretical times then to abide in when many goe from Christ cannot but be very acceptable to him for this he commended the Angel of the Church of Pergamus I know thy works and where thou dwellest where Satans seat is and thou holdest fast my name and hast not denied my faith it is a small matter to be faithful to Christ in those dayes and places where Christianity flourisheth but the trial of our faithfulnesse is when we are in the midst of Apostates and Seducers He is the loyal Subject who is true to his Prince in Rebellious times and hee is the sound Christian who abideth in Christ in antichristian times where Heresie and Tyranny prevail there is Satans seat or rather throne and to adhear to Christ as our King where Satan hath his throne is constancy indeed Surely what is said of Pergamus may too truly bee affirmed of England at this day it is the place where the Devil playeth Rex mis-leading by Heretical Seducers multitudes into damnable errours and now beloved to abide in Christ and cleave to the truth will be both his and our honour 2 Upon the Christians who had already embraced and hitherto adhered to him whom therefore the Apostle bespeaketh now abide in him that is still continue faithful and hold out to the end Hee had told them before it is the last hour and hee would not have them fail at last That Coat which Joseph had from his Father is called by St. Gregory Talaris tunica a Coat down to his heels such must the coat of perseverance bee not to the knees or legges only but to the very heels Hee that begins a race nay that runs three parts of the way will yet lose the prize if hee give over before hee come to the goal as St. James saith of patience so say I of perseverance let it have its perfect work Oh my brethren I fear it may bee said to too many amongst us in the language of St. Paul to the Galathians Have you suffered so many things in vain if it bee yet in vain Have you so long maugre all opposition adhered to the truth and will you now by a cowardly faintnesse lose the glory and reward of all your former services Know you not that the grace of the Theater is the last Scene and it is the evening that crowneth the day cast not away therefore your confidence but as you have hitherto so now abide in him and which would not be passed by it was not long that this time of trial should last it was but for an hour and since they had been faithful so long he would have them hold out a little longer Could you not watch with me one hour said Christ to his Disciples shall wee not abide in Christ one hour I have served my Jesus said Polycarpus these many years shall I now desert him it is but for a while a very little while as here in St. Johns phrase a moment in St. Pauls and therefore now abide in him To bring this Part of the Text to a period 1 That wee may bee enabled constantly to abide in Christ there is need especially of two graces namely a strong faith in and an ardent love to Christ Hee that is fully assured that Christ and Christ alone is the root of all graces the fountain of all happinesse the foundation of all good and that as St. Peter expresseth there is no salvation in any other will certainly abide in Christ whatever befall him Hee that hath an endeared affection to Christ whose soul cleavâ—th to him as the soul of Jonathan did to David will not leave him nor suffer himself either by fair or foul means to bee withdrawn from him Where there is a voluntary separation between man and wife wee may safely conclude there is want of affection to each other in both or either since love being a desire of union cannot admit of a dis-junction and therefore let our prayer indeavour be that our faith may be strengthened our love inflamed and thereby our perseverance lengthened 2 Of how great concernment it is that we should abide in Christ himself hath told us in that fore-mentioned place of the Gospel where hee fully sets before us the advantage on the one hand and the damage on the other If we abide in him he will abide in us if we abide in him we shall abide in his love if wee abide in him we shall be enabled to bring forth the fruit of good works to his Fathers glory and consequently our own foelicity But if wee do not abide in him wee shall bee barrâ—â— and unfruitful cast out and withered and our end at last will be to be burned But what need I go further than the Text wherein wee meet with a very strong and pressing motive which is the last part and cometh now to be handled as it is laid down in those words That when hee shall appear c. In which there is something Supposed namely the comming and appearance of Christ when hee shall appear and again at his comming Implyed namely our appearance at that day in that it is said Before him Expressed namely the confident appearing before Christ of those who abide in him that we may have confidence and not be ashamed before him at his comming 1 That which is here supposed by our Apostle is that There is another comming of Christ when hee shall appear That the Hee here spoken of is Christ is so evident that it needs no discussion and that you may know of what comming and appearance St. John speaketh take notice of a threefold comming of Christ Virtual Spiritual Personal of his Power of his Spirit of his Person 1 Whensoever our blessed Lord is pleased to make known his Power in the deliverance of his Church and vengeance on his enemies Hee is then said to come and appear and of this comming wee finde mention both in the Gospels and Epistles many places there are which may and some which must bee so understood Thus when Christ saith There are some here standing which shall not taste of death till they see the Son of man comming in his Kingdome and again concerning the beloved Disciple If I will that hee tarry till I come what is that to thee it cannot bee rationally construed of any other than his comming to destroy the Jews that crucified him and deliver the Christians that Worshipped him 2 Whensoever our blessed Jesus is pleased by his holy Spirit to manifest himself to the soul of a beleever inlightening the minde