them So that their sufferings were not for the salvation but the destruction of many through the sinne and indiscretion of after ages It is true there is a lawfull and due honouring of God for his graces bestowed on those Worthies yet they were but the pens Gods Spirit was the ready writer they were but the vessels God poured that curious ointment in them It was not they so much as God in and by them for they were men like us subject to carnal and worldly fears they were reeds of themselves ready to be shaken by every wind but God established them So that it is our duty to blesse God who gave such power and grace to men yea and we are in a civil way to honour and love them to desire to imitate them to make them examples for us to follow If the Papists had gone no further we and they should have been at concord in this point but from imitation they fall to adoration And although they heap up as many distinctions as Samson did men by his slaughter Heap upon heap to clear themselves in this matter yet it is but vitreum acumen these glasses are quickly broken That the name of such who suffer for Christ should be like a precious ointment and an honourable esteem of them be had alwayes in the Church none can deny Therefore those moral respects vouchsafed to them in the primitive times are not to be blamed as the regarding of the judgement of a Martyr as much or more than any Bishop or Doctor As also when any had fallen by infirmity in times of persecution such repenting did first go to the Confessours in prisons that were Candidates or designed Martyrs intreating their favour and desiring liberty of admission into Church-communion from them which the Church received they making publick satisfaction in respect of scandal by serious humiliation but this afterwards began to be greatly abused and Cyprian complaineth of it therefore it was at last justly abrogated howsoever such respects as were meerly moral are to be allowed but for religious considerations to do any thing to them that is unjustifiable A learned man thinketh that the Prophecy spoken of by Peter 2 Tim. 4. 1. which tels of an Apostasie bringing in Doctrines of daimons as he explains it is the worshipping of these Saints departed and that this was the great Apostasie of the Church Whether that be the intent of the holy Ghost is not here to be disputed Certainly there was great Apostasie in the Church from primitive simplicity when they began to worship such who had been Martyrs yea their reliques they would in a religious manner preserve and adore praying also unto them and expecting both soul-mercies and body-mercies from them Here this wine did begin to turn into vinegar and contrary to Christ they turned wine into water that which was only for example and imitation they turned to Adoration and worship wherein they did not only derogate from the glory due to Christ but even those Confessors and glorious Martyrs themselves were they corporally present would with Paul and Barnabas rend their cloaths and refuse such worship Certainly if the Angel did forbid John from worshipping him saying He was his fellow-servant and therefore he must worship God How much more would the Martyrs who were subject to like passions as we are Though therefore the godly are afflicted and persecuted for our comfort and salvation yet take heed of superstitious excesse about them turning imitation into religious adoration Thirdly Those that suffer may be very usefull to encourage us but then we must be sure they be such who do indeed suffer for Christ. For no doubt all those who have suffered in any false way The Heretick for his heresies the Papist for his Idolatry and superstition have greatly confirmed those that were of that perswasion They did greatly comfort and animate others that did believe them to be the true Martyrs of Christ So that we may say of such contrary to that in the Text They are afflicted for the destruction and damnation of others Others are hardened in their Idolatries and Heresies by their sufferings Look we then that we do propound right paterns to our selves that we be not deceived as sometimes in Popery they have worshipped the bone of an Asse or an horse for a Saints relique for the Devil hath his Martyrs Heresie hath her Martyrs yea vain-glory hath had many Martyrs And Austin saith It is possible for a man who dieth for the truth yet to have no other motive but vain-glory The Apostle affirmeth it also 1 Cor. 13. when he supposeth a man may give his body to be burnt and yet for want of charity be a tinkling cymbal or it will profit him nothing This is so secret a sinne and we are so prone to it that the Heathens did charge it upon all the Christians though falsly and maliciously that they suffered only for vain-glory being the more induced to think so because the Christians did in such an excessive manner give honour and praise to them These things premised let us consider how the afflictions of others for Christs cause work to our comfort and salvation First We shall have the greater assurance and perswasion of those Divine Truths upon our souls that they are not the meer inventions of men or delusions of our own souls For how can it but greatly assure us that if this were not the truth of God they could never have that comfort that courage that evidence and demonstration upon their hearts the presence of God with them in those exquisite sufferings do demonstrate that the truths are of God as well as the power and comforts to be of him It is true indeed the meer suffering and that with some joy the most exquisite torments For a religious opinion doth not presently argue that it is a divine truth that it hath Gods superscription upon it For many heretical and deluded spirits have demonstrated much confidence and comfort yet on the other side there cannot be an external greater sign of our love to the truth and that it is of God then by patient suffering for it And therefore though Hereticks die though Papists die for their Religion as well as the true Martyr yet the frame of their spirits and concomitant dispositions are greatly different For as their minds are corrupted with error so also are their hearts and affections unsanctified and therefore discover not the sweet and gracious workings of Gods Spirit upon them as the true sufferer doth So that it was not meerly suffering it was not meerly torments but the patience faith and heavenly mindednesse their love even to their very enemies that did draw out others to love them So that when we see others can be imprisoned executed for such Doctrines and they be full of an heavenly mortified gracious heart at that time this must needs work in us a greater assurance of the truth especially this doth confirm the
behalf It is good to consider how earnestly Paul though so eminent and choice a man in holinesse doth desire the prayers of others and therefore when he had spoken of that confidence he had in God who as he had so also would for the future deliver him he addeth vers 11. You also helping together by prayer for us as if none of those great mercies Paul looked for could be brought forth but by the help of their prayers This then is that which maketh the godly desirous that others who fear God may know how it is with them what temptations they lie under what afflictions they grapple with that so they may have the effectual fervent prayers of a righteous man which availeth much Though the prophane deride and scoffe yet the prayer of any true godly man is greatly to be valued and much to be desired Secondly As such are thereby provoked to pray to God for them so when God shall mercifully deliver them and turn their afflictions for good then they will also be encouraged to blesse and praise God also in their behalf and thus more glory redoundeth still to God Thus also the Apostle vers 11. declareth That by the meanes of many persons thankes may be given to God on our behalf Thus you see no Christian is to live to himself but it is his duty to be praying to God for others and praising God in the behalf of others but how little are the people of God exercised in these communion duties How little zealous in prayer for others but farre more negligent in the praises of God for others When doest thou blesse God for the mercies deliverance vouchsafed to the afflicted Saints of God as if they were thy own This publick affection is greatly wanting in believers who do not consider they are of the body Thirdly By knowing the afflictions of others and their holy deportment under them thou mayest thereby learne patience zeal heavenly mindednesse and many other graces Afflictions are Gods schools and that whether on thy self or on others How much patience may we learn by the afflictions upon Job Thus James 5. 10 11. The Prophets who spake in the name of the Lord must be taken as an example of suffering affliction and of patience and ye have heard of the patience of Job How greatly did the waves of God passe over his head No Martyr as Chrysostome amplifieth it came near Job in all their sufferings and therefore the holy Ghost thought fit to have the History of Job recorded that all might know and learn by it Be not then a stranger to the sufferings of Gods people but inform thy self about them to imitate their graces to be encouraged to do the like when God shall call thee to fight his battels But you may say What use can be made from the preaching about such afflictions which Paul and the other primitive Christians suffered from Paganish and Heathenish enemies We have no Neroes or Diocletians neither are we called to prisons and Martyrdome To what purpose is it to preach of sufferings to those who live in all quietnesse and freedom What use or good improvement can we make of it Therefore it is necessary to answer this Objection And First By the same reason you may say To what purpose did the Spirit of God cause this Chapter to be written with many other passages of the like nature which treat of afflictions and that from Pagans Certainly though we be not for the present exercised as they are yet the record of this the Doctrine about this is of very great concernment Therefore Secondly Though thou art not called to be a Martyr or to suffer from such enemies yet there is none that will live godly but they shall meet with afflictions one way or other We read of no child of God without his tribulations None can come into Canaan but they must first go thorow a wildernesse They must first with Christ suffer and so enter into glory We told you that there are afflictions of divers sorts There are real and there are verbal afflictions Though thou doest not suffer in thy life and in thy liberty yet thou mayest in thy name and in thy outward comforts There is no man which liveth in a zealous lively manner for God and endeavouring to pull down the kingdom of Satan but the Devil and his instruments will raise opposition enough against him and therefore it is good to hear Sermons about sufferings for Christ For though thy troubles be not such great and bloody ones as the Martyrs have been yet thou art to drink part of this bitter cup The Lord he hath given thee a portion in these tribulations and truly there is not the least affliction befals us in the way of God but if God did not preserve us and keep us by his grace we should sinke under it The frowhe of a man the fear of a mock is enough to discourage us from our duty if God doth not corroborate us If therefore the world doth not hate us if that be not a professed enemy to us we may justly doubt whether we be the Womans seed or not rather the Serpents seed Seeing therefore thou hast thy tribulations more or lesse and that for righteousnesse thou mayest improve this truth for thy edification Secondly What though the Church of God meeteth not with persecutions and troubles from Pagans and Heathens yet those it suffereth from such who pretend to Christ and judge it special service of God so to afflict them have a sharper sting in them What miseries and bloudy cruelties have not many godly Protestants suffered from Papists who yet glory that they only are zealous for Christ that others are blasphemers and enemies to Christ and therefore ought to be punished with such severe censures Now may not such Martyrs and sufferers receive as much comfort as if they had been persecuted from Heathens Yea doubtless for in some respects their suffering is the greater and their constancy the more admirable When the holy Prophets were stoned to death by the people of the Jews that yet thought themselves to be the onely people of God this did not diminish but aggravate their glory The patience of Abel was more admirable in being slain by his brother Cain then if it had been by a stranger If therefore thy sufferings arise from such who highly pretend to the glory and truth of Christ Be not despondent for thy crown of glory will herein be greater than if it had been from open adversaries Hence it is observable how remarkably the Scripture speaketh of those who suffered by Antichrist Rev. 13. 10. Here is the patience and the faith of the Saints which is again mentioned Rev. 14. 12. A true Christian suffering from false Christians hath not the promises of God obscured or diminished hereby to him but rather enlarged for God considereth both from whom it is thou art troubled and the cause why and the
merits and dispositions in Paul At this very time Paul might have had a thunderbolt from Heaven fallen upon him which might have shaken him into Hell And behold a gracious arm stretched out to save him from thence And for this cause it is that none like Paul doth so amplifie the grace of God and is so frequently naming of Jesus Christ and therefore it's Paul's whole design in his Epistles to take off all from works and any thing in our selves and to give all to the grace of God And thus Austin a second Paul in some respect he in his former times had been a great sinner involved in unclean lusts and a cursed Maâ—…e but when converted what Ancient did so clearly fully and pregnantly maintain the true Doctrine of Grace as he did He had not only read Books but his own heart and experience to confirm this truth Therefore those opinions that Paul was predestinated because God fore-saw the good works he would do or that God by a Scientia media knew Paul would consent to Grace calling of him if put into such a condition and that thereupon God did ordain him to eternal happiness all these Doctrines and the like are meer Antipodes to Paul's discourse and expressions in his Epistles Thus you have the Reasons on Gods part now on mans part God may therefore take such rather than others Because hereby they may be alwayes kept humble in themselves Thus Paul findeth these old wounds now and then bleeding afresh he remembers what he hath been to his great sorrow and humiliation yea hereby a man is preserved from any dangerous fall afterward Peter and David after they had been converted unto God we read of their fals again breaking their bones and recovering with bitterness and much difficulty But concerning Paul after his conversion we never read of any scandal he fell into yea he saith He knew nothing by himself 1 Cor. 4. viz. in any gross miscarriage for the old bitterness would never out of his mind Lastly God may do this to provoke all Formalists and civil Justiciaries to an holy jealousie What shall such as lay wallowing in their mire that were like the impure Swine become Sheep to Christ shall get Crowns of Glory upon their heads and we who were never like any of such Publicans with our glistering goodness be thrown into hell SERM. II. Learning an excellent gift of God though through the corruption of man 't is often made an Engine to promote the Kingdome of the Devil yet by the Grace of God 't is very usefull in his Church 2 COR. 1. 1. Paul an Apostle c. VVE have considered Paul as a great sinner yet made an Apostle of dung made a pearl Let us now take notice of him as a learned man and so made use of by God for the Ministry of the Gospel That Paul was endowed with much learning was so evident to Festus that he told him Much learning had made him mad And the Lycaonians called him Mercury Acts 14. He was for a while educated at Tarsus where he was born and it is recorded by Strabo as Lapide citeth him That the Tarsenses were so wholly given to literature that they did excell Athens and Alexandria And that he had perused humane Authors appeareth in that three times he alledgeth Greek Poets Now besides this he went also to Jerusalem and there was brought up at Gamaliel's feet an eminent Doctor amongst the Jews And if there were nothing else but his Epistles he wrote this would abundantly declare the rare and admirable wisdome he was endowed with Insomuch that Chrysostom 3. Hom. upon 1 Corinth speaks of a Dispute between a Christian and a Grecian Whether Paul was not to be preferred before Plato though Chrysostom condemneth the Christians argument as ridiculous and absurd Indeed the Apostle speaketh 2 Cor. 11. 6. That though he was rude in speech yet not in knowledge Now it 's questioned by Interpreters In what sense Paul saith He was rude in speech Austin thought he said so only by concession and in the repute of the false Apostles who accounted him so But Chrysostom and others think Paul speaketh properly and that he was really so not but that he was full of learning only he did not use those affected wayes of humane eloquence as he speaks in another place He did not write as a Demosthenes whom Plato censured as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 an hunter of words and a curious Artificer therein yet he hath masculine and strong eloquence such as becomes the divine and admirable matter he propounds And certainly to paint a Jewel would take off the proper lustre of it The more naked and plain divine truths appear the more lovely they are and do more immediately insinuate into the heart And if he said of Tully's eloquence because it 's not so affected and fancifull That he had made great progresse in Rhetorick who could delight in his Latine We may more truly say he hath attained to some good sufficiency in Christs school who seeth more excellency in Paul's Epistles than in all humane Writers Paul therefore had true and solid wisdome and was also indowed with acquired abilities in humane learning So that whereas Christ chose fishermen that were unlearned here we see him making use of one that was skilfull and learned So that God can make use of all and as Austin said Qui dedit Petrum piscatorem dedit Cyprianum Rhetorem So that we may observe When men of great learning and parts are chosen by God and sanctified they become eminently usefull in their place To amplifie this Doctrine consider That though Christ at first did choose Fishermen and other illiterate persons yet that makes nothing at all to that Anabaptistical position That men abiding in their Trades and destitute of learning may take upon them to be publick Preachers of the Gospel For that instance doth rather make wholly against them For First Though our Saviour called them while illiterate yet after their call he took them into his fellowship So that they were like a Colledge living together whereof Christ was the Head and Master and thus he trained them up with himself for two years before he sent them abroad to preach And Secondly When he enlarged their Commission before they did execute it they are commanded to stay at Jerusalem where they received the holy Ghost in a wonderfull manner and were inabled to speak in all strange tongues and were also inabled to work miracles for the confirmation of their Doctrine Now let the Adversaries demonstrate such an extraordinary effusion of Gods Spirit on them and we shall not envy if all the Lords people can so prophesie And Lastly As soon as they were called at the very first they left their trades they gave themselves to attend upon their work they had undertaken whereas these plead for the retaining of their Calling still private Christians
God as the elder brother did the Prodigals conversion It is disputed by Casuists Whether a prophane ungodly Minister formerly though now truly converted is to be continued in his Ministry at least in that place where he hath lived so scandalously Some are rigid for the negative Yea the Novatians of old would not admit any Christian that had grossely sinned though repenting to Church-communion Others are more mollified and hold such Ministers truly manifesting their conversion and repentance ought to be received and that as Ministers again But the determination of this Case concerning a particular person would be difficult because circumstances may much alter the matter But in the general we see Christ appointing Peter to feed his sheep though he had apostatized in so dreadfull a manner Neither may we runne to that absurd and impious Position of some who said the Apostles delivered a more perfect way of Discipline than Christ did because say they Christ received Peter again and gave him Commission for his Apostleship through the whole world In the Old Testament David and Solomon are used as Pen-men of the holy Scripture though polluted once with sinne in a scandalous manner And here we see Paul though formerly a notorious sinner and adversary to the Gospel yet is appointed by God to be a chosen vessel to carry his name And certainly the receiving of such after their serious and publick satisfaction to the Church of God or to ministerial imploiment may be of great use For hereby he will be the more industrious and diligent to reduce other sinners especially such as he hath been an occasion to lead into sinne Thus David promiseth Psal 51. Then will I teach transgressors thy Law And Christ bids Peter When he is converted to confirm his Brethren Oh what zeal and holy revenge will seize upon such a mans heart to make all the world see that he would now set up the way of Christ as he did once the Devils way especially such as he hath been a means to seduce and harden in sin over those he will weep and mourn How greatly will this lie upon his heart such it may be will lie damned in Hell and I have been the cause of it It may be some are now in Hell cursing the day that ever I was a Minister or Pastor to them because I encouraged and made their hearts bold and glad in wickedness Oh then if such agonies and estuations be in their souls in what pain and travail will they be to snatch such out of the fire whom they have been a cause to thrust in Doth God sometimes call even great sinners and that to eminent honour in his Church Then here we see a notable encouragement even for the most prophane to hearken to these offers of grace Might not you justly have expected that God should have made your condition as hopeless as the Devil Though God would out of pity have converted some of mankind yet he might have barred out all such notorious and prophane sinners as thou art But oh the goodness of God that will not have thee to say My sins are greater than can be forgiven I am a viler person than grace ever can or will convert What May the Prodigal sonne not onely be received into favour but the Father will runne and meet him weep over him put honour upon him Why then doth not this kindle a fire in your bowels Why do you not cry even me even me Lord the chiefest sinner of many thousands do thou draw to thy own self From the second consideration of Paul be exhorted to pray to God that he would raise up many Pauls in his Church godly and learned Ministers that by godliness may subdue sinne and by learning may conquer heresies such as these are both burning and shining lights such as these are Stars indeed both for the light they give and the purity of their conversation Happy is the Church of God when such Stars shine in her If we have godly Ministers and not learned then the subtil Papist and Heretick will be ready to prevail If we have learned but not godly then all holy order will beneglected then prophaneness and impiety will lift up its head but both together make a blessed Church SERM. III. Paul's Name being prefixed to his Epistle shews it to be of Divine Authority though of it self not a sufficient Argument to prove it The Pen-men were only Instruments God the principal Author of the Scriptures and therefore we should rest satisfied with their style and method and not question their Authority How to arm our selves against the Devil and all Hereticks opposing the Divinity of the Scriptures 2 COR. 1. 1. Paul an Apostle of Jesus Christ c. HItherto we have considered Paul under a two-sold respect there remaineth one more observable thing from the mentioning of himself which is not to be omitted For it may be demanded Why he prefixeth his name in this Preface And the Answer is That as he expresseth his calling of Apostleship to bring Authority to his person so he also mentioneth his name to obtain credit to what he doth write that they may be assured this is his Epistle and not sent to them by any other For if the Corinthians were ignorant of the Authour of it or that he was not one who was guided by the Holy Ghost they would not have much regarded it So that from hence observe Inasmuch that Paul ' s name is set to this Epistle it is thereby of Canonical and Divine Authority and so ought to be received with all faith and obedience Paul's Epistles were never doubted of except that to the Hebrews which is attributed to him as the Epistle of James the 2d of Peter the two last Epistles of John and the Revelation have been but were alwayes received into the Canon Indeed there were the Elioniti called so say some from the Hebrew word because they were poor and simple in understanding These with such succeeding them in many opinions did reject all Paul's Epistles not but that they thought they were made by him only they rejected his Doctrine because they thought he was an adversary to the Law and contrary to Moses This truth about the Canonical Authority of this Book and the rest in the Bible is of very great concernment not only because of the weighty controversies and disputes both of old and alate herein but also because of a practical consideration For though men do generally profess themselves to be Christians and say They acknowledge the holy Bible as of Divine Authority yet where is the man almost that liveth as if he did believe it to be a true Book For doth any wicked man that goeth on in his impenitent wayes believe the Word of God to be true that condemneth him that forbids and threatens his wayes that tels him assuredly that if it be true and the Word of God without reformation he will be as assuredly damned
disparagement to it The Scripture is in a style full of Efficacy and Majesty sutable to God who speaks it and therefore the very Heathen could say That Moses wrote his History like one that was of God And for the Method also that some are Historical some Prophetical some Moral all this is from the Wisdome of God Therefore it 's prophane arguing on Bellarmin's part who saith That if God had intended the Bible to be Rule of Matters in Faith it would have been put into some other mould like a Catechisme or some Body of Divinity But what arrogancy is this to prescribe to the Spirit of God And this may satisfie us in that Question made by some Why Paul did write thus in an Epistolary way Why it was by way of Epistles that he wrote rather than in another manner For although some give Reasons as Because it was the way of the greatest and most learned to answer to questions propounded by others Hence we have the rescripta and responsa prudentium Or because it 's a more familiar way and apter to beget love Hence Gregory called the whole Bible An Epistle sent from the Omnipotent God to Mankind Though I say these Reasons be given yet it 's best to acquiesce in the Wisdome of God Fourthly Christians should not willingly enter into those Disputes which are apt to be raised about the Authority of the Bible and how we come to know they are the Books of God Austin spake fully to this when he acknowledged that God had taught him that such were not to be heard who would say Unde seis hos libros c. How do ye know these Books to be from the Holy Ghost and that the Authours thereof were guided by him For this is the first principle of Christianity We cease to be Christians if we deny the Authority of them So that as in all Arts there are the prima principia which are not to be questioned and are indemonstrable So is the Scipture to Christians They are like the Sunne that is visible by its own light And indeed it would be a vain attempt to undertake such a proof to a Christian seeing nothing can be apprehended of greater Authority with him than the Scripture it self Therefore the people of God should stop their ears against all such Disputes For it was the Devils way of old to make Eve question the truth of Gods Word Yet In the fifth place Because the importunity of Papists and Heretickes yea and sometimes the Devil himself who doth assault Gods own children In this very point it is good to consider these particulars First That we have as great a testimony to believe that the Books of the Scripture were written by those holy men to whom they are ascribed as we have to believe any works were made by humane Authours That Plato's works were made by Plato that Tully's works were made by Tully thus that Paul's Epistles were made by him Yea we have farre greater reason for there were miracles wrought by most of those who wrote those Books which could not but confirm their Authority in writing whereas Plato and Aristotle these never wrought any miracles Now then if there were no more this is something That there is not so much reason to doubt of these Books as made by such men then of any humane Authour that ever wrote And as thou hast no doubts there so neither may any be made here But In the second place We must go higher for this is but an Humane testimony and so only begets an Humane Faith They introduce Humanity in stead of Christianity who affirm We believe that there was such an one as Jesus of Nazareth upon no higher motives then that there was such an one as King Henry the Eighth Therefore this principle once granted as it must be then it will necessarily follow That we must receive the matter therein as the word of God and not of man For this being their Writings and they therein declaring that they are sent of God and that their Doctrine is of Heaven it must necessarily follow That the ultimate motive of our Faith is that Divine Revelation and Authority appearing therein So that if this be cleared in an humane way that such men there were once and they wrote those things as the malicious adversaries who wrote against them do confess then they therein declaring of whom they come and from whence inabled we do no longer receive their works as we do humane works but as the word of God Humane Faith may make way for a Divine Faith but this Divine Faith cannot be ultimately resolved into it And if to this In the next place you adde The wonderfull Doctrine informing us about God and the way of reconciliation of a sinner with him as also the purity and holiness of the promises the excellency of the reward promised and the terrible threatnings denounced as also the fulfilling of predictions spoken of many years before the miracles wrought to confirm it the Universal Consent of all Christians in those Books except some doubt for a while about a few which was afterwards quickly removed as also the patient Martyrdom of many millions to testifie this truth These and other things may abundantly quell all those Disputes and atheistical reasonings that may rise in thy heart But that these may perswade thee Thou art earnestly to pray for the Spirit of God which alone worketh a Divine Faith in us in and through the Word without which though all those Arguments be spread before us yet we remain Atheists or Scepticks Use Is this Epistle then of Divine Authority Is it not so much Paul as God by Paul Take heed then of rejecting any duty or truth contained therein Among other passages take notice of that 2 Cor. 4. 15. He that is in Christ is a new creature old things are passed away all things are become new If this be received as a Divine Truth then what will become of you who yet lie in your old lusts and sinnes Is this Gods Word Oh tremble then thou that hast thy old rags upon thee None is in Christ but a new creature Is not this place enough to convert the whole Congregation Do ye need any more to cast off all your former impieties But how long shall we complain Who believeth Gods word SERM. IV. What an Apostle was Christ in the building of his Church used extraordinary Officers but did not follow the Model of the Jewish Government What were the Properties and Qualifications of an Apostle 2 COR. 1. 1. Paul an Apostle of Jesus Christ c. THe next thing considerable is Paul's description from his Office and that is an Apostle He nameth his Office thereby to be received with Authority And that they might honour his Calling it being of great consequence for those who come in the Name of the Lord to be assured of their Calling The word Apostle is sometimes used more
against God when grace comes to convert them Therefore let the Use be of Exhortation to all such who have felt this lively power of God raising them out of the grave of sinne who have been taught of God inwardly as well as by the outward Ministry with all joy and thankfulness be astonished at the free and unsearchable riches of Gods grace to thee How many doth God passe by of better parts of greater abilities of higher conditions in the world that might have done him more service and pitch his love upon thee Oh do thou abhorre all those presumptuous and proud opinions of Free-will and power to make Gods grace effectual to thee Do not bid such as bring such Doctrines God speed What doth not thy own experience doth not the wonderfull power of God upon thee subduing and overcoming thy heart when thou wast full of carnal prejudices and sinfull reasonings abundantly convince thee of this Let thy own heart and experience confirm thee more than all their subtill distinctions can unfettle thee But I pass from this and come to a second Observation which Calvin on the place takes notice of He calls it a Church saith he though it were so greatly polluted though both for Doctrine and practice there were such great disorders yet for all that he doth not unchurch it he owneth them still for the people of God though they were greatly to be reformed as to the Church administrations neither are his exhortations to the godly to separate and leave the Church-communions though thus defiled he giveth no command to such a thing but rather exhorts them all in their places to amend and reform To purge out the old leaven that was amongst them Therefore to forsake polluted Assemblies and leave them hopeless seemeth to be a great neglect of our duty we are rather to stay that by our abode and presence we may rectifie things that are crooked The Doctrine is That a Church may be a true Church of God although it be defiled with many corruptions several wayes As a godly man may be truly godly and yet subject to many failings Thus a Church also may be truly Gods Church the Body of Christ yet many distempers and sad confusions amongst them This truth is worthy of all diligent prosecution because many men though otherwise good out of a tenderness and misguided zeal may separate from our Congregations deny them to be true Churches and all because they see many things amongst us that are matter of grief and a great stumbling block to them This I confess is and hath been a sad temptation but a particular Christian is is not to excommunicate and unchurch a Church till God hath given a Bill of Divorce to it and hath cast it quite off An impatiency to bear any evil or disorders in a Church is not presently to be commended and yielded to to the utmost A Christian must have wisdom and a sound mind as well as zeal and a tender conscience Even the Reformed Churches did not wilfully and voluntarily depart from the Church of Rome but did stay to cure and heal Babylon untill they drave them away with fire and sword So that our leaving the Roman Church was not a Schismatical separation but a forced discession or departure from them But of this it may be more afterwards Let us for the present take notice of what corruptions and disorders were here at Corinth which yet he calls the Church of God And First Whereas the Apostle comprehends all Religion in these things Tit. 2. 12. Righteously soberly and godly Righteously in respect of religious duties towards God We may see how the Corinthians were blame-worthy in all And 1. For their sinnes of unrighteousnesse The Apostle sharply reproveth them for their contentions and quarrellings even so farre that they went to Law with one another and that in the Heathen Judicatories which was a great and grievous reproach to the Christian Religion How would the Heathens deride and scoff to see those that were Christians and out of appearance from love to heavenly things forsaking the world and earthly advantages thus to implead one another about meum and tuum about money matters or other civil rights to sue one another before Heathens Judges What could this produce but to make the Heathens say They talk of leaving all and following a crucified Christ but they will not abate of their earthly rights to one another not in the least measure Which did so grieve the Apostle that he conjureth them What have ye never a wise man to be an arbitrator amongst you Why doe ye not rather suffer wrong Nay they were so farre from such meek self-denying spirits that they rather did wrong and defraud one another Now see how zealous the Apostle is in this 1 Cor. 6. 1 2 3. he saith Dare any of you having a matter against another goe to Law Dare any of you supposing the Gospel the meekness of Christ the self-denial and contempt of earthly things with the scandal redounding to Religion would sufficiently awe their consciences Again vers 4. he tells them that the things pertaining to this life 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for about them they quarrelled so much were so inconsiderable that they should appoint the least esteemed in the Church for to end such inferiour work Again vers 5. I speak it to your shame And vers 7. There is utterly a fault amongst you Thus you see that in matters of Justice between man and man there were great offences Only by the way let none gather from these expressions of Paul that it is unlawfull to go to Law or appeal to the Civil Magistrate to know his due right when that is detained from him For that is many times so farre from being a sinne that it 's a duty it would be a sinne not to pursue it as you see Paul pleaded his right and would not go out of prison when they had done it against Law till the Magistrates came to intreat him provided that there be those qualifications which Paul insinuateth 1. That this impleading be not before Heathens and Pagans who hate the Christian Religion 2. That we have such Meeknesse of spirit as willingly to suffer wrong did not the Gospel of Christ or the Law of the Land or the good of others require it of us And Lastly That we be willing to referre all our controversies to any just and wise arbitratours If these things be premised and yet unreasonable and absurd men will make a spoil and a scoff of men then both Religion and Justice calls them to defend themselves and it would be a sin to neglect it In the second place for Sobriety which is the expression of such graces as belong to our selves viz. Temperance and Chastity How grosly did the Corinthians offend here There were some that had repented of their fornication and uncleanness and for drunkenness some did presume to come to the Lords Table not
sinnes when repented of cannot barre off great consolations and indeed such need strong consolations for their great conflicts and agonies If Christ put not both armes under them they hardly keep from fainting away Mary Magdalen and Peter were in a special manner owned and comforted by Christ though they had deeply wounded their souls with sinne We see Paul though so notorious a wretch against Christ yet when converted God doth not upbraid him with former rebellions but in the number of those who have peace and joy he reckons himself and the truth is such are most humble tender and melting under comforts What Lord such a beast such a Devil as I have comfort What Lord I that might have been a Cain a Judas crying out My sins are greater than I can bear That like Dives might have begged for one drop of water to cool my scorching heat but have been denied Shall such an one have comfort and consolation SERM. XXXVIII How God will comfort his People in all both their spiritual and temporal Afflictions which all the Art of Philosophy can never do 2 COR. 1. 4. Who comforteth us in all our tribulation THe second particular in this Text hath been dispatched viz. the Subject whom God comforteth Us Apostles and believers in the general such onely have a right and interest comforts Why such onely have a right will be treated on more opportunely in the procedure of the verse We therefore go forward to the third part of the Text as it stands divided and that is the Object matter wherein this comfort is communicated to us and that is for the nature of it said to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Tribulation and for the extension of it all tribulation Tribulation The Greek word signifieth Such an affliction as doth even oppresse and squeeze a man as it were Hence it is translated sometimes persecution Act. 11. 19. The Churches afflictions are called persecutions to shew the voluntary malicious endeavours of her enemies who run up and down to seize on such as belong to Christ which implieth also that the godly did not rashly and sinfully put themselves into their enemies hands but that according to Christs command they did flee when their adversaries sought for them And this may be done in faith not in sinfull fear as appeareth Heb. 11. where some are said to hide themselves in caves and holes yet by faith But the word is commonly rendred tribulation having sometimes the epithete 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 added to it as Mat. 24. 21. And the Latine word tribulation answers the Greek well which say some comes from the flail of the thresher that bruiseth the corn Or as others from thistles that are sharp and vexing Well the word signifieth such a tribulation as is bruising pricking sadly molesting Yet as out of the same root cometh the sweet Rose as well as the sharp prickles so from the same condition shall arise joy as well as grief Observe That there is no tribulation or affliction Gods people can fall into but God will comfort them therein The Text saith all tribulation let it be what it will be Do not say Every tribulation but mine Take heed of thinking thy dungeon is so dark that no ray or beam of this Sunne can come unto thee For as Paul argueth in another case Heb. 2. 8. In that all things are put under subjection to Christ it is manifest he left nothing that is not put under him So in that God comforteth in all tribulation it is manifest that there is no tribulation exempted or left out Take heed of that prophane Question Is God the God of the hils as well as of the valleys Think not that God is limited so as if there were some kind of water that he cannot turn into wine some stones that he cannot convert into bread But let us explain this And First God doth comfort his people in all tribulations for the several kinds of them The tribulations that may fall upon the people of God are of such different sorts that it is very difficult to number them as it is the sand upon the Sea-shore yet we may divide them into these two sorts The soul-troubles in the general or spiritual ones and the external or temporal ones In both these God will not leave his people comfortless Their spiritual troubles they may empty themselves into several chanels As 1. There is a soul-trouble arising in the heart because of Gods displeasure for sinne This trouble David doth sadly groan under many times and this is the greatest evil that the godly can grapple with When God hideth his face from David it 's neither his Kingdom or success or any great prosperity he hath that can be so much as a drop of water to cool his thirsty scorched soul Job also was in this troubled condition when he complaineth That the arrows of the Almighty did stick in him What comfort or joy could Job find in any thing in the world while God was thus frowning on him So that the soul in this case is most remote from comfort Bring him riches honours you do but as they that gave vinegar and gall to Christ for to drink you increase sorrow more yet at last we find both David and Job were comforted God could and did of that chaos and dark confusion they felt within them work much light and joy And certainly if there be any of Gods children that live and die without comfort having no evidence or assurance of Gods favour this is not because God cannot comfort or because God is not gracious and pitifull to such but because God seeth it best not to give comfort to such Seeing therefore it 's God that breaketh the heart it 's he that makes the soul tremble it is he that convinceth of sin and humbleth the soul under it So it is the same God only that can command comforts when he speaketh the word all sorrow and tormenting fears shall flie away as dark mists before the glorious light of the Sun Oh then let such dejected and overwhelmed souls remember the Omnipotency of God in comforting as well as in other things Say O Lord my heart would break and break again if I had nothing but men or Angels to comfort but I have to do with thee who art the Father of spirits and so canst put into the soul gladnesse of heart as well as grace A second spiritual trouble is The want of that sanctifying and mortifying power they desire against their lusts They find the reliques of corruption too prevalent their hearts are not in their own power They complain and say I command my hands and they move as I would have them I stirre my feet and they obey presently but when I charge my soul to be heavenly believing to be chearfull patient it doth not at all yeeld to me Paul Rom. 7. did in a most pathetical manner complain of this conflict and agony with him The
own two waies First God hath promised that to him which hath that is which useth and exerciseth his talent more shall be given The more these breasts give suck the more will milk abound Thou maiest therefore look upon Gods promise and expect that while thou art warming others spiritual heat will be encreased in thy own self And Secondly The exercising of graces doth inwardly corroberate and strengthen the principle of grace The moro thou puttest forth thy graces to stirre up others the more delight and joy wilt thou find in using of them Therefore be as the Olive-tree and the Fig-tree of thy fatnesse and sweetnesse enlivening and cherishing of others who stand in need of thee These things promised let us consider some of the choice Particulars wherein we may not only bring good to our own souls but to others also First That spiritual humiliation and brokennesse of heart which thou hast found may be very powerfull to perswade others of the bitternesse of sinne Say with meltings of thy soul to them Oh if thou hadst known if thou hadst ever felt what God hath made me feel what wonderfull changes would be in thee immediately Those sinnes which are honey would presently be as gall Thus it was with David Psal 51. when he could recover from his broken bones when he could enjoy the face of God which was hid from him Then I will teach transgressors thy waies Then his heart could not hold any longer He that had sound how bitter a thing it was to provoke God by sinne would perswade others also of it Thus Christ he bids Peter when he was converted to confirm his Brother To use his own experience to help him So that you see even the very sorrow and grief God hath put thee into let it be a reall Sermon to others Our Saviour made it an aggravation of the Jews wickednesse that if one should rise from the dead they would not believe And certainly if others will not believe thee who art as it were come out of hell who hast been in the depths of Gods displeasure their hearts must needs be much hardned Oh then make use of what God hath made thee feel to be a furtherance to others As Paul Knowing the terrour of the Lord we perswade men 2 Cor. 5. 11. He knew the terrour of the Lord experimentally when he was stricken to the ground in a Vision and found the power of God so wonderfully upon him in making of him another man Secondly The knowledge and true faith which God hath given thee do thou make use of it to direct and preserve others This knowledge and sound mind in Religion is not indeed essentially accompanied with holinesse A man may be very Orthodox be sound in the Faith as Hymeneus and Philetus were a while yet afterwards made shipwrack of all But yet it is a special gift of Gods Spirit to be led into the truth and although to have a sound mind only be not enough to godlinesse yet godlinesse cannot be without a sound mind in some measure or other Every godly man is built upon the true foundation though there may be some hay and stubble which though it shall not damn him because not fundamental heresies yet shall make his salvation the more difficult He shall be saved so as by fire If then God hath preserved thee in the truth and that in times when many fall on thy righthand and on thy left hand having this soul plague and infection upon them let it be thy greater care to reduce such Let them have thy light thy helps and knowledge Put thy light upon the candlestick and not under a bushel Consider that place James 5. 19 20. If any do erre from the truth and one convert him let him know he shall save a soul from death So that you see the salvation or damnation of another is interested in thy improving of sounds knowledge to inform such Howsoever the Apostle Rom. 14. in a particular case about things indifferent adviseth saying Hast thou faith have it to thy self Yet take heed of doing so in fundamental and essential truths of God Do not there have faith to thy self but endeavour that all may be seasoned with the same sound knowledge Even a private Christian though he is not to usurpe the Office of a Teacher yet he hath his proper sphere wherein he may move to propagate the true knowledge of Christ This knowledge then is a talent and expect that God will have an account of the improving of it Say as of comfort in the text so of sound knowledge and truth The Spirit of God hath directed us into the truth that we may also be able to guide others Thirdly Those temptations and assaults which the children of God have are not only for themselves but for others also That they may be able to direct and guide others groaning under the like temptations It is true God worketh a great good for his own people by these fiery darts of Satan 2 Cor. 12. Paul had those buffettings of Satan that he might not be puffed up with those wonderfull revelations he enjoyed There is no such way to keep the gracious soul humble and lowly in its own self as these affrights from the devil Even as vizors and such horrid representations 〈◊〉 are children and make them runne home to their Parents so also do these buffettings of Satan and tumults raised by him drive us out of our selves make us highly to prize Christ and his righteousnesse Yea though these temptations be very irksome and into â—â—rable in themselves yet commonly none are such choice spiritual and eminent Christians as those who have been in these combates As dung though noisome in it self yet it maketh the field fruitfull and full of beauty thus do these temptations of Satan to a godly heart But yet this is not all By these the Lord intends them to be admirably usefull to others Alas how many poor afflicted souls especially new beginners new Converts have their trembling hearts suggest to them Who was ever tempted as thou art Can any be the Son of God and have such horrid and vile injections in his soul as thou hast What is this but the beginning of hell in thee Is not damnation already begun upon thee Now for a troubled soul in these whirlepooles to meet with such who are able to say They have been thus and thus these are no new temptations but what hath usually befallen the godly Is not such an one called out by God to pour oyl into such wounds Doth not God plainly speak Therefore hast thou been buffetted tempted and exercised that such bruised and wounded souls may receive comfort from thee Hence it is that Christ himself would be tempted that he might be able to succour those that are tempted Heb. 2. 18. Thus by our temptations we are not only to learn many things but also to teach others But of this more in the second Doctrine
And the Fontal Cause of all who is said to be God Of this later we have said enough already We shall therefore at this time dispatch the former That comfort by which the Apostles themselves were refreshed by that did they revive others even those that were farre inferiour to them both in gifts and graces So that as by the same Sunne both the rich and the poor do see one finds the sweetness of the light as well as the other Thus also by the same grounds of comfort that any godly man may be supported all may be Observe That those grounds of comfort which revive the heart of one godly man may also do another That which is wine to make glad the heart of Paul will also exhilarate the hearts of others who believe in Christ That which is honey to one cannot be gall to another This truth hath its great practical use And First Let us consider That there are general grounds of comfort for all the godly in all their tribulations and there are special particular ones The general grounds of comfort are such that all the godly may make use of at all times be they Jew or Gentile bond or free eye or foot in the body of Christ there is no difference no exemption this fountain is set open Neither is it like the pool of Bethesda wherein the first only that stept in could be healed for here all are invited to drink first and last and that abundantly There are Catholicon comforts that let our diseases be what they will be these are proper to cure us There are some promises so full of general comfort for every condition that they are made for the meridian of every godly man Let us give you some summary draught of them As 1. That all afflictions do come from the love of a Father to such as believe So that although they be grievous to flesh and bloud and have a bitter taste yet they come from a sweet root These thorns do grow upon a vine These bitter streams come from a sweet fountain Now this ground of comfort belongs to all that have an unfeigned love to God Canst thou make out thy evidence of being in Christ Is thy name to be found in the book of life Then this comfort thou mayest apply to thy self be thy condition or quality what it can be thou mayest boldly take this cordial and it is as proper for thee as a David or Paul any of those who are pillars in godliness Heb. 12. 6. For whom he loveth he chasteneth So that you see here is such an argument of comfort that every member of the body of Christ may use 2. Another general ground of comfort is The end and fruit of afflictions As they come from Gods love so they are to subdue sinne to bring us nearer to God Hence afflictions are compared to the fire that purgeth away the dross to winnowing that driveth away the chaff to pruning that cuts off the luxuriant branches and makes the other branches more fruitfull They are given by Christ the wise Physician of our souls as heavenly physick and admirable remedies to crucifie to sinne and to quicken to righteousnesse If God denieth thee such outward comforts thou desirest know that this very denial is for thy good and darest thou say Lord let me have them though they damn me Let me not be afflicted though it will do me good Quid â—…sit vâ—l prosit novit medicus non egrotus Thus the Apostle Rom. 8. All things shall work together for the good of those who love God The Apostle also speaketh notably of these afflictions in respect of the issue of them as well as of the original whence they flow Heb. 12. 9 10 11. where a three-fold advantage is said to come by them 1. By yeelding to the Father of Spirits chastising us we live Tribulations therefore are the way to make us live spiritually here and eternally hereafter If it were not for afflictions thou mightst die and be damned They have prevented much sinne They have been like a file to the iron to get off the rust They have been like the plowing and harrowing of the ground to fit thee to bring forth fruit And 2. God is said to chastise us for our profit which is expressed to be That we might be partakers of holinesse Tribulations then are very profitable and advantagious things though flesh and blood can hardly say so It may be thy afflictions have done thee more good than all the mercies thou ever hadst And therefore under every exercise examine What profit have I got Wherein am I made more holy And then 3. At the 11th verse after the grievous and burdensome way of them for the present afterwards they will yeeld a peaceable fruit of righteousnesse The chastening doth but seem grievous and that for the present but afterwards it makes more holy which is said to be the peaceable fruit of it The soul that raged and fretted finding the benefit begins then in a peaceable quiet manner to blesse and praise God for it This is a General comfort Every godly man may say this belongs to me in my afflictions as well as to any other 3. Not to be too large here The benefits and heavenly advantages which come from Christ being ours these also are comforts in common There is no fiery sword to keep out of this Paradise Rom. 8. Doth not the Apostle conclude those great priviledges of Justification of Perseverance in that state of conquest over all spiritual enemies and that from such general grounds as all the people of God may claim to it Because Christ died and because Christ is risen because he hath given us Christ and how then not with him all things else Is there any believer so weak so contemptible that Christ did not die for and rise for Is there any to whom the Father hath not given Christ If so you see that what comforted Paul may comfort you It is a vain Position of Papists that Paul speaketh so assuredly in that condition because of an extraordinary revelation that he had that Christ was his for he grounds his perswasion upon those general arguments which belong to every godly man Christ then and his presence with all his benefits is a cordial to every believer This Sunne of Righteousnesse ariseth with healing in his wings to the least believer as well as the greatest The The Dwarfe as well as the Gyant may hold this pearle in his hand But In the second place besides such general comforts which are as some say of Manna answering all dainties and was to every mans palate that which he most delighted in There are special and particular comforts for special and particular temptations So that as every disease needeth a peculiar remedy so every temptation a proper comfort And therefore that special comfort will not serve one in his temptation which doth another in a different one And hence
publick interest which belongs to all the godly then it followeth what comforts one may and should comfort another The Scripture which was spoken peculiarly to Joshua Paul applieth Heb. 13. to every true believer Christ is a Christ equally to one believer as well as another The godly cannot strive about Christ as those women before Solomon about a childe one said It was mine and the other It is mine one cannot say It is my Christ and not thine but Christ is every believers and yet not divided Let the Use be of Direction to the godly In their application of comforts not to observe personal considerations so much To say a Paul may take comfort a David may but shall such an one as I This is to impropriate where God hath made common SERM. XLV The true and unfeigned owning of Christ is alwaies accompanied with some sometimes with great Afflictions 2 COR. 1. 5. For as the sufferings of Christ abound in us so our consolation aboundeth by Christ THe Apostle doth still amplifie that necessary and special truth viz. of Gods comforting those who are in trouble For the troubles which do constantly follow the waies of Christ are a great stumbling block and offence to many If therefore this be received as a fundamental maxime Christs Consolations are more then our sufferings then we shall no longer be afraid but see that the Lyon is killed and we may find honey in him In the text therefore the Apostle is illustrating this precious Doctrine shewing that God doth not only comfort but he comforteth proportionably If great afflictions if overflowing afflictions then great comforts and overflowing comforts So that in the words we may observe two Propositions first absolutely considered and then secondly comparatively The first Proposition absolute is That the sufferings of Christ abound in us The second That our Consolation aboundeth by Christ Christ is the cause of our afflictions and Christ is the cause of our joy Thirdly The Comparison lyeth in the terms of similitude and proportion As our sufferings abound so our consolation also aboundeth Let us consider the first Proposition absolutely The sufferings of Christ abound in us The sufferings of Christ 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is sometimes used for the affections of sinne as Rom. 7. 5. Gal. 5. 24. And indeed these were 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to Paul in another sense for he suffered and groaned under them But here in the text and in many other places it 's applied to afflictions and sufferings This is of various acception for sometimes it may be taken subjectively for those sufferings which Christ himself indured For though he was without sinne yet being our Surety he suffered for that yea he suffered every way God and man so that his sufferings were more dreadfull then the sufferings of all men put together In these sufferings is contained the treasure of all our peace and joy of which the Scripture speaketh abundantly and fully But with this our text doth not meddle Therefore in the next place The sufferings of Christ may be understood indeed of those he is affected with but yet it is in his Members not in his own Person This is a very comfortable truth that the sufferings of a godly man for Christs Cause Christ accounts them as his sufferings he taketh it as done to himself Thus Christ though glorified in Heaven saith Saul Saul why persecutest thou me Act. 9. 4 5. Christ is imprisoned Christ is buffetted Christ is reproached and mocked in them As it is comfortable to the godly so it is as terrible to all those who trouble and revile the godly for Christs sake as too many do though they think with Pilate to wash their hands and say they are innocent I mean the carnal and prophane ones of the world whose rage if God did not restrain would be as that Haman to the whole Nation of the Jews not leave one alive But this is not chiefly meant here though this be not to be excluded 2. The sufferings of Christ may be understood exemplarily by way of conformity to Christ That we suffer as he suffered In which particular Rom. 8. we are said to be conforme unto his Image 1 Pet. 4. 13. we are commanded to rejoyce when we are partakers of Christs sufferings That is when we have a communion and fellowship with him For if we suffer with him we shall also be glorified with him This is part of the meaning But then 3. That which is the principal and chiefest meaning of the phrase is to understand it causally those sufferings we indure because of Christ For owning his way for continuance in his Discipleship For the way of Christ being contrary to the course of the world hence it is that they are stirred up as so many hornets They are the Serpents seed and are of their Father the devil who was a murderer from the beginning and therefore if the godly will cleave to Christ they must expect no mercy from the world The second thing in the Proposition is the attribute 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 abounds It is not only 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the plural number but also 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Chrysostome understands it comparatively to Christ as if the meaning were We suffer more then Christ Christ indeed said of his Disciples they should do greater works and miracles then he did but it is impossible they should suffer more then he did For his death was not only a Martyrdome but a Propitiation being a Sacrifice offered up for the sinnes of many The word then only sheweth That the Sons of God may not only suffer but their sufferings may abound may overflow so that both in number and weight they may greatly exceed Lastly In the Proposition it is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as in the reddition it followeth which may be thought emphatical although it is usuall so to change Prepositions and Cases 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The words thus explained Observe That a true and faithfull owning of Christ and his way is accompanied with sufferings yea sometimes overflowing and excessive sufferings The Apostle takes it here for granted supposeth it as a received truth that Christs way and sufferings are alwaies together As the Sun and shadow as the Rose and prickes So that what was said of Christ is true also of every Member It behoved him to suffer and so enter into glory Christianus is Crucianus said Luther of old I only adde in the Doctrine A true and unfeigned receiving of Christ For if so be we take only some truths and some parts of Christs way and leave those which most enrage and trouble the world if we take his Doctrine and not his Discipline his truth and not his godly order the world is lesse moved So if of his truths we take some that are more speculative and leave the
the reproach amongst men That which the carnal heart is so afraid of the Scripture makes matter of joy and of glorifying God for it Secondly It being therefore so glorious a thing it is good to inform you What it is to suffer for Christ For we may be the devils Martyrs suffer as offenders or as busybodies suffer for heresies and the works of the flesh yet perswade and flatter our selves that we suffer for Christ Now to clear this we must consider what is required ex parte objecti on the behalf of the matter we suffer for And 2. What is required ex parte subjecti what qualifications ought to be in him who doth suffer for Christ And for the Object matter the Scripture describeth it in these Particulars First That what a man suffereth for it must not be for any sinne that is justly punishable by the Law It must not be for our folly and busy medling in such things wherein we have no call The Apostle Peter 1 Pet. cap. 3. 15 16. speaketh notably to this for giving the people of God in that Chapter great encouragements to suffer he cometh in with a caution They must take heed for what they suffer which is laid down positively and then oppositly Positively as a Christian it must be for professing and doing such things as Christ requireth Let it not be strange fire but the fire from the Altar If thou wouldst have comfort it must be for doing that which as a Christian thou art bound to do And the opposite to this is to suffer as a murderer as a thief or which is more general as a busybody in other mens matters 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is one who busily spyeth into and medleth with those things that he hath no call to it 's not his Office to deal in Now this must not be understood as the world will judge a man a busybody If a Minister a Magistrate or any in Office be zealous against sin and see to the punishing of it the prophane ones of the world call this an an hot busy medling So if private Christians cannot bear the impieties they see committed in the places where they live but do faithfully and boldly admonish and reprove such offenders and if this doth no good then they will proceed further to the Magistrate and Officers to complain of such that sinne may be punished God honoured and publique judgments prevented If I say private Christians be thus stirring as they ought to be unlesse they will have other mens sins lie at their doors and they become thereby very guilty then what an out-cry is made these are factious troublesome disquieting follows So that to judge who is a busy-body and when a man is guilty of it you must have recourse to the Scripture and to sound casuistical Divinity applying the general rules of Scripture to particulars and not to the common voice and noise of people in the world That good zealous Prophet for God Elisah who because he burned with fire for God had a wonderfull reward thereof to be carried up in a fiery Charriot to Heaven yet because he would not endure the ungodlinesse of Ahab and Jezebell what is said to him Then art the troubler of Israel They condemn him for a busy-body whereas indeed Ahab by his wickednesse as the Prophet said was the troubler of the Land In suffering then for Christ we see much prudence as well as zeal is required yet so as not to regard the censure of the world For who ever suffered for Christ and their persecutors did not represent them so odiously as that they might seem to deserve it This is the first thing Secondly For the object matter The Scripture expresseth it another time for the Name of Christ Mat. 19. 29. Whosoever shall for sake houses lands c. for my Names sake Job 15. 21. All these things will they do to you for my Names sake What is Christs name not only the Person of Christ himself but as the Name of God is that whereby God is known so is the Name of Christ Yea under this is comprehended those Doctrines and that Faith which Christ had delivered to us The truths of Christ are to be dearer to us then ourlives Hence it was that Christianity hath amazed the world with those millions and millions of Martyrs that have been for the faith of Christ It was a wicked opinion of the Priscillianists of old That a man migh lye dissemble and forswear the truths of Christ bow to Idols and communicate with heathens in any bodily worship so as they kept the true faith in their hearts But this is directly opposite to Scripture Rom. 10. 16. With the heart man believeth and with the month confession is made to salvation To salvation So that a man cannot be saved though he doth in his heart believe if he do not when it is casus confessionis a case of confession confesse also with his mouth the same faith And Rom. 11. 4. The true worshippers of God in Eliahs time are described not only by their inward grace but externally also that they did not bow their knee to Baal It is true there is a difference between profession and confession strictly taken As Cyprian Maluit nos Dous confiteri fidem non profiteri To professe is to do it ultroneously of our own accord when we are not called to it as some of the Martyrs would do crying out Christianus sum I am a Christian for which they were put to death And this could not be excused in them unlesse we say an extraordinary heroical frame of spirit was at that time infused into them by the Holy Ghost This voluntary profession when danger is is not required Yea in lesser truths we are not to professe them so as to disturbe the faith of others So the Apostle Rom. 14. 22. Hast thou faith have it to thy self But then in case of confession when the glory of God the good of the Church and our own salvation requireth it then we are to confesse the truths of Christ though we loose all It is the great glory attributed by Paul to Christ that 1 Tim. 6. 13. before Pontius Pilate he witnessed a good confession To suffer then for Christ it is to loose all for his Truth for his Faith when he requireth Therefore though Heretiques may glory in their sufferings and they be canonized as Saints amongst their Disciples yet they will be sound to have lost their blood in vain and that they were not the Lord Christs but the devils Martyrs The Donatists of old yea those Circumcelliones that would kill themselves and like mad men would make others kill them did triumph in the name of Martyrs The Messaliani also because they were punished for their Idols called themselves Martyriani the Martyrians as if they only were the Martyrs How greatly are the Popish Calenders filled with their saints when yet some of them dyed of desperate and
threaten persecution yet from and in Christ he can abundantly rejoyce And indeed this is the wine the carnal man never drinketh of the honey he never tasted of The world is a stranger to this joy in Christ They rejoyce in riches in honours in worldly advantages but they know not what it is to rejoyce in Christ as our Mediator and treasure of all fulnesse Phil. 3. 3. They are said to be the circumcision who rejoyce in Jesus Christ and have no confidence in the flesh As therefore in the day time we see the Sunne only and no Stars Thus the people of God in their sufferings behold Christ the Sunne of Righteousnesse and as for the Stars of the creatures they do not afford any light What made the Martyrs leap for joy Could they take any comfort from the world No that was an Aegypt to them a valley of tears so that it was in Christ only that they did rejoyce For want of the knowledge and experience of this it is that the unsound professor will deny Christ and his truth rather then suffer the losse of any thing because he feeleth more sweetnesse more pleasure in his goods in his pleasures in this world then he can do in Christ It is the gracious heart that can thus rejoyce in Christ In the next place Let us consider How many wayes Christ doth make our consolations in sufferings for his sake to abound And First Christ doth it by assuring and perswading of our hearts concerning those truths and righteous actions we do suffer for If comfort arise from suffering for Christ then the more assured we are that we do suffer for him the greater is our consolation If a man have great doubts in his heart whether he suffers for Christ or not Whether it be a truth or an errour that he is troubled for Whether he was a busie-body or not Whether he did keep within his calling and bounds or not If I say there be these hesitances and disceptations in his mind How can he have any comfort Therefore that our comfort may be full Christ giveth us the riches of assurance in our understanding Faith becomes the evidence and strong conviction Heb. 11. upon their souls insomuch that they know they are in the truth They know it's righteousnesse they suffer for Thus you may observe the Apostles in all the oppositions they met with from the world and all the malice of Satan yet never questioning or doubting whether they were deluded or no but were fully assured of those things they did preach Now this consideration is the more to be taken notice of because the sufferings for Christ in the latter age of the Church have differed wonderfully from the former For in the primitive persecutions their sufferings did arise from Heathens and Pagans it was for professing of Christ and opposing of Idolatry Now these things were plain here was no disputing But then in the after-ages of the Church when Hereticks got power especially when Antichrist was exalted and the Papacy lifted up with all strength then those that did persecute pretended Christ that what they did they did for the honour and glory of Christ and those who did suffer though indeed for Christ yet were reputed enemies to Christ And this is that which makes suffering for Christ to be a more difficult thing in these later dayes The Papists that have put to death so many Protestants defend themselves with these glorious Titles That they are onely the Church of Christ That Christ is onely amongst them That all who withdraw obedience from the Pope are out of the Ark out of hope of Salvation That it is service to Christ to root them out and therefore the Doctrines suffered for were not about the Trinity the Incarnation of Christ the Resurrection for which of old believers suffered from Pagans but about Transubstantiation the Universal Jurisdiction of the Pope the Infallibility of the Church the worshipping of Images and praying to Saints The Popish party pleading for these as allowed of by Christ The Protestant abhorring of them as Idolatry and also injurious to Christ Now on the Papists side was the whole Christien world almost all the learned men all the great men all the devout religious men they were zealous this way and the Martyrs they were but few comparatively many of them private men and women What a temptation was here to those that suffered How easily might they think what am I wiser than all Is it likely God would reveal that to me which he denieth to others more learned Besides they dispute they bring Scripture and Fathers May not I be deluded May not the Devil transforme himself into an Angel of light and so deceive me Truly such temptations would quickly have blown down the house had it been built onely upon sand but the Martyrs were established upon a Rock Christ gave them full assurance of those truths they lost all for and this made way for their great comfort This conviction then and assurance of faith wrought by the Spirit of God is that which is the root of our comfort whereas doubtings and fears would disquiet all It is true Luther speaketh of himself That he had many times such thoughts Tunè solus sapis Art thou onely wise What if thou art damned and drawest others to Hell with thee And when a grave Divine came to him complaining of this temptation That of the Evangelical Doctrine which he preached he could not find that Faith and Assurance upon his soul he desired which was a bitter trouble to him Luther upon the disclosing of this brake out saying I think God I have met with one tempted as I am tempted There were it may be some temptations and doubts sometimes upon the spirits of those who did suffer for there was flesh still remaining in them and the Devil was desirous to winnow them but yet the power of Faith and the evidence of Divine Authority in the truths they suffered for would at last like the Sunne break forth and dissipate those mists Therefore pray much for the guidance of Gods Spirit herein through the Word that thy comfort may be sure The Heretick that suffers because he hath a false and erroneous perswasion therefore he hath a false and a deceitfull comfort and therefore is but like one in a dream pleasing himself with great imaginations when he awakeneth poor and hungry but the true sufferer he hath joy and he knoweth his joy is good and upon â—ound grounds which never can be taken away Secondly Christ doth comfort by informing of us aforehand of all the troubles and sufferings which will necessarily accompany the true profession of faith in his Name Is not our Saviour often upon this subject Doth he not frequently fore-tell his Disciples what reproach and hatred they shall meet with Doth not the Scripture also in several places insist upon this point That all who will live godly must suffer many tribulations That the
the Gospel is though to some a savour of life yet to others a savour of death Thus afflictions and troubles to some do discover their hypocrisie and guile as winnowing doth the chaâ—â— but to others they are blessed either to conversion or to edification So that in all the sufferings of the Church we are by prayer to importune God that by these means greater glory may come to Christ and that these waters of persecution may be like those to the Ark which could not drown it but exalted it nearer to Heaven Hence Fourthly We may admire the wisdome power and goodnesse of God that wherein the enemies of Gods Church deal craftily and cruelly in that very thing he is above them working the contrary to that which they are intending For how many persecutors hath the Church had who like Haman resolved to root out the very name of Christianity and their persecutions have increased the number of Christians Thus it must needs be madness and torment to the Churches enemies to see that the wayes they take to demolish is indeed to build up the Church of God Even as it was with Pharaoh when he called a counsel to deal craftily with the Israelites to oppress and diminish them then they were the more multiplied Thus Act. 12. 24. when Herod set himself to kill the eminent servants of the Lord and thereby weaken the Church of God for when the shepherds were dissipated what would become of the flock it is said But the word of God grew and multiplied See how the contrary fell out to Herods design These things premised Let us consider What is the general good promoted by the Churches sufferings And 1. Hereby the glory of God and Christ is the more exalted amongst all that fear him For when the Churches of God shall see the wisdome and goodness of God thus to his people turning all the cruelty and craft of their adversaries to their own good that what they could never do their enemies do for them What glory and praise doth this cause in all Congregations How is the Church indeared hereby to God to trust in him to continue faithfull to him in all exercises God hath been good and will be good God hath turned the greatest evil of men to the greatest advantage and he will do it As Christs death is called a glorifying of him Thus also are the sufferings for Christ the believers glory and not only so but the glory of Christ also What saith Paul Phil. 1. 20. Christ shall be magnified in my body whether by life or death But 2. The great good overflowing to the Church by its sufferings are the propagation and enlargement of the Gospel thereby Phil. 1. 13. Paul there sheweth how his troubles fell out to the furtherance of the Gospel for his bonds were made manifest in Caesars palace and in all other places That of Tertullian is known The blood of Martyrs is the seed of the Church When men did behold their faith the râ—patience their constancy and courage it made them enquire into the cause of their sufferings what it was that could make them so constantly endure all kind of torments Insomuch that this was in stead of the working of miracles to bring men to faith So that as the shaking of a ripe flower maketh many seeds fall to the ground and in stead of that one flower many come up in the room of it or as when the Vine hath its branches cut off there come farre more in stead thereof Thus it hath also been by all the troubles on the Church of God by afflictions and by patience under them How numerous did the Church of God grow even like the stars in Heaven Let the Use be To consider those examples of all such worthies who have suffered for Christ whether recorded in Scripture or in Ecclesiastical History read them for thy comfort and thy salvation The word of God and the lives of Martyrs bearing witness to it may much prevail over a stony heart It hath been a good blessing of God that the Names and Histories of most Martyrs have been preserved and recorded for the good of the Church of God to come The lives and sufferings of our Martyrs here in England what influence may they not make upon thee What patience what heavenly mindedness what courage should this put into thee As Abel though dead speaketh Thus do all the godly Martyrs the Bradfords the Ridleys the Latimers they all speak still and God suffereth such persecutions to be as perpetual Sermons to teach us SERM. LI. The Afflictions which others suffer for Christ make much for our Comfort and Salvation 2 COR. 1. 6. And whether we be afflicted it is for your consolation and salvation THe second particular in this Text as it stands divided is the Consequent or Effect of this tribulation which is set down in a particular and special manner above any other fruit of it and that is two-fold Consolation and Salvation Of the word Consolation enough hath already been said For the other viz. Salvation we shall remit it to the end of the verse where it is again specified So that our work is immediately to proceed to the Observation which is That sufferings for Christ should be so farre from disheartning and offending others that a true and right consideration of them may much provoke our comfort and salvation This truth is of great use For the afflictions accompanying the wayes of Christ have been an offence and a stumbling block to many Now when a curb shall be made a spur when an hinderance a furtherance and we shall be encouraged from those particulars which should drive back this consideration must be very profitable Before we come to amplifie in what manner in what respects persecutions are made thus serviceable to others Let us take notice First That the sufferings of others do work good only occasionally or by way of example We must not conceive any merit or causality as was declared before in Martyrs They are Examples not Mediators Their light did shine that we might thereby glorifie God So that we must take heed that the sufferings of the godly do not obscure the sufferings of Christ that they should not be accounted the only treasure of Christ But as Luther was afraid lest his books should take men off from meditating on the Bible Or as Paul was afraid men should judge of him as if he by his own power had done that miracle and therefore told them It was onely by the Name of Christ. So also it was with all the true Martyrs of Christ they were humble looking upon themselves as unworthy of the name of a Martyr neither would they have their blood derogate from the blood of Christ Hence Secondly We may greatly deplore and bewail the Apostasie of the Church concerning those that were Martyrs and sufferers for Christ in what superstition and sinfull devotion were they plunged in about
imprison and destroy those that do yet truly fear God This ignorance upon them though it may excuse in some degree and make them lesse sinners then such who do wilfully oppose and do despite maliciously against the Spirit of grace yet it doth not totally free them nay they are persecutours for all that as you see Paul acknowledged concerning himself Now such enemies as these are acted by religious principles but in a false way they commonly are more zealous and implacable than any other Paul because it was not any carnal advantage or profit he sought after but a meer zeal for the Religion he had by tradition from his fathers therefore did he pursue the Christians in such a bloody furious manner Tantum Religio potuit c. said the Poet Oppositions against the wayes of God from such who are zealous and devout in their false wayes are constantly more dreadfull and terrible than any others So that we are again and again to try what spirit we are of to examine Whether it be the true Religion indeed that we give our selves up to the profession thereof For if it be not the greater zeal the greater forwardnesse therein is but the greater condemnation and like the Traveller out of the way the more thou runnest the further thou goest from the true way But The second sort of enemies to the truths of Christ which are farre the more numerous part is of such Who are addicted to such a way and perswasion in Religion not because of any Divine worke of Gods Spirit upon them but because it suiteth with their carnal interest it agreeth with their external profit and therefore they cry out Great is Diana when indeed in their heart they say Great is their wealth great is their gain this is the Diana We may justly charge this upon Popery What was it that made Luther and the other Reformers so odious to the Popish party What made the Pope with his adherents to breath nothing but fire and sword Was it not because they touched the Popes Crowne and the Monkes belly Hence Secondly The faithfull Ministers of the Gospel meet with opposition not from the Pagans only that are without but from the sonnes of the Church which are within from those who professe the same God the same faith the same Christ with them And the reason is because many that professe Christ do so for earthly and carnal respects and such titular and counterfeit Christians as these cannot but hate those that are genuine The Apostle in the large Catalogue of his manifold sufferings reckoneth this up amongst the rest Perils from false brethren 2 Cor. 11. 26. Thus in Abrahams family there will be an Ishmael to persecute Isaac because one is of the bond-woman and the other of the free Think not then that the Pagan or Jew will become enemies to the powerfull preaching of the Gospel for every false Christian will Every one that followeth Christ onely because of loaves or with Judas becometh a Disciple because of the bagge Doth not experience confirme this that the prophane Christian doth as bitterly rage at and oppose the holy wayes of Christ as any Heathen would doe Thus the godly Ministers have trouble as it were from their own flock their Sheep sometimes becomes Wolves and Beares to them and with Ezekiel They dwell among Scorpions Ezekiel 2. 6. Thirdly The carnal interest and earthy sinfull respects are of divers sorts even as the creeping things that are produced from the earth are innumerable As 1. He knoweth Religion onely for carnal ends though it be the true one that turns the grace of God into wantonnesse That cryes up Gospel truths onely to encourage themselves in a licentious way As many of the mixed multitude went out with the Israelites from Aegypt yet kept their old and corrupt natures still So in the first Reformation many came out of Rome with the blessed Reformers many gloried in the name of Evangelici that they had shaken off the yoke of Antichristianisme but at the same time they did not cast off the yoke of sinne The first Reformers sadly complained of such that looked upon the Gospel as the casting off not onely the Popes Laws but Gods Law also as if to renounce the Images and Masse had been enough though in the mean time they did securely sleep in all wickednesse Now from such as these the Ministers of the Gospel have found as much unkindnesse and malice as from their Popish adversaries So that both ot home and abroad the Prophets of the Lord have been greatly afflicted These spots in our feasts these lovers of pleasures more than God these are they that have in all places withstood the power and life of godlinesse the holy Order and Discipline Christ hath instituted as if the liberty Paul bids us stand fast in were a liberty to sinne without controll and an indulgence in all licentiousnesse Such as these when they come into the warme Sunne when they have Summer an opportunity in their hand will discover that they are Serpents and will sting Tertullian apologized of old That the Christian Religion had her greatest enemies in Ale-houses and Brothel-houses and thus still the powerfull way of godlinesse is opposed by those monsters in Christianity that have the head of a Christian but the heart and life of beasts Mulier formosa supernè desinit in piscem Like those Locusts Revel 9. 6. that had faces like men but teeth like Lions and tailes like Scorpions Thus how many have the face of Christians but in heart in lives are beasts all over From these the Ministers of God have received much opposition 2. They know Religion onely after carnal respects who intend to enrich and to advance themselves by it take up the profession of it for no other end but to gain thereby As this Demetrius made him shrines not so much out of devotion to Diana as to increase his wealth Our Saviour knowing such a self-seeking disposition was predominant in many who proffered to be his Disciples he therefore prevents their Hypocrisie and Apostasie by telling them The Foxes have holes but the Sonne of man hath not where to lay his head and requireth it as a fundamental qualification That he who would be his Disciple must loue Christ more than father and mother and life it self Yea must not venture to winne the whole world if thereby he should lose his soul Oh take heed of this Judas this treacherous disposition in thee to be of the mind with those Paul speaketh of who supposed That gain is Godlinesse 1 Tim. 6. 5. Yea such are worse than Judas for he sold Christ but once thou doest continually and he was grieved and troubled for what he had done but thou though thou preferrest earthy things all the day long before Christ yet art not grieved in heart Well such as these are will in case of profit and advantage make all opposition against the preaching of
the Gospel when they cannot have Christ and their Mammon any longer when their Dagon and Ark will consist no longer together then you shall see all that poison vomited at the mouth which before lay close up in the heart then they will desire no Ministry no Gospel rather than be deprived of their gain SERM. LX. A further Discovery of such who take up Religion meerly from carnal motives and worldly respects 2 COR. 1. 8. Of our trouble which came to us in Asia THe word of God purely preached with the faithfull Ministers thereof meet with no greater opposition in the world then from such who regard Religion no further than it maketh for their carnal interests This truth hath been in part opened and because every Christian unregenerated doth upon some false and carnal motive or other take up the profession of Christ whereby when he is put to the denial of that earthly respect he can then no longer hold but breaketh out in opposition to the pure wayes of Christ Therefore it is very usefull to give further Characters of such who regard Religion only upon inferiour and worldly respects And First Such are led with corrupt respects and in time of temptation will prove adversaries to the Ministers of the Gospel who are not of a ready and prepared spirit to take up the Crosse and to follow Christ in whatsoever condition he shall command such who are Christs Disciples onely in the Summer time while there are Halcyon dayes and times of plenty and encouragement to be a Christian These when they are urged to part with all to suffer and to be undone for Christ then they turn into any thing they will oppose and contradict that way which once they did imbrace and admire yea they will become persecutours of such instruments of Gods glory which once they did honour and all this ariseth from the earthly and carnal heart which made them at first look to Gods wayes Phil. 3. 18. Paul did with tears and even weeping speak of such Who were enemies to the crosse of Christ who minded earthly things So that by Pauls example we see it is a thing to be bitterly monrned about when we see men hopefully professing the true way of Christ and then when adversity and persecution doth arise they presently can change and turn their faith again They can withstand and contradict what once they pleaded for and all because they are resolved to save themselves They think Gain is godlinesse Such an one as this is an object greatly to be pitied and mourned over he loveth his ease his liberty his advantages more than Christ and so is no wayes fit to be his Disciple And for this reason it is our Saviour doth so oft-ten plainly and in Parables urge all to consider upon what termes they take up the profession of his name he foretelleth them of all the hardship and difficulties they must encounter with that so they may not prove enemies at last who in the beginning seem'd to be friends Wonder not then to see this fall out often in the Christian Church that those who were once friends and went with us unto the house of God afterwards to become like so many Hazaels to those who fear God Alas their earthly advantage and the present world hath made them change their opinions and affections They never at first did own Christ upon sincere and pure motives and therefore not being able to suffer for Christ they set against him and this alwayes falleth out that he who is an Apostate from the true profession of Christ doth become a cruel and bloudy enemy of that way he once walked in Omnis Apostata est osor sui ordinis All Apostate persons whether in Doctrine or Practice are implacable adversaries to truth and holinesse This hath been experimentally proved in all ages and one reason is because hereby they would be revenged upon those from whom they have departed for their guilty conscience telleth them they have justly incurred the censure of the godly They have lost their repute and esteem their good name is blasted and this maketh them study all opposition and malignity that may be Look then to thy motives at first to those termes thou didst professe Christ at the beginning if it was any humane or false motive if it was not such an entire and enduring principle that will not make thee stand upon a Rock immovable Let any winds or tempests arise as great a friend and as forward a well-wisher as now thou seemest to be for good things Had we a propheticall discerning we might with the Prophet look stedfastly upon thee as he did on Hazael and weep to think what enmity and mischief thou mayest create to such as fear God This man taketh up the old Rule Ama tanquam osurus He loveth this way of Christ so as thinking his outward advantages may sometimes or other make him hate it Secondly Such regard Religion only in a carnal way Who though they may acknowledge some principles of the Christian Religion yet at the same time maintain some damnable or heretical Doctrines that doe overthrow the very foundation Such as these take up Religion with carnal motives and so in time become cruel enemies to the faithfull Guides that are in Gods Church Wonder not that I make an Heretick to regard Religion after the flesh for Galat. 5. 20. Heresies are reckoned a fruit of the flesh Insomuch that Austin made it an ingredient into the definition of an Heretick that he either beget or propagate false opinions Alicujus temporalis commodi causâ for some temporal advantage And although we cannot say thus of all because God in just judgement doth deliver up some who receive not the truth in the love of it to efficacy of errour to strong delusions that they should believe a lie 1 Thess 2. 10 11. yet this very delusion upon their judgement this errour and blindness upon their mind is of the flesh For you must know that the flesh or to be carnal doth not in the Scripture signifie the pollution upon the sensitive and bodily part only but also upon the intellectual and rational It 's a fleshly mind as well as fleshly affections Thus all such who though they do retain some principles of the Christian faith doe yet believe other damnable Doctrines these are Religions only in a carnal respect and thereupon when occasion serveth do manifest the rancour and malice that is in their heart against the truths of Christ Ecclesiastical History informeth us of the bloody cruelty which the Arrians exercised against the Orthodox when they had power in their hands The Paganish persecutions were not much superiour to the Heretical Yea as it is said amongst brethren discord is the more vehement and flaming than any other So it is amongst those that pretend to be of the same Church of God So that we ought to walk humbly and to pray earnestly unto God to keep our hearts to
enlighten our minds to give us tenderness and lowliness of mind that we be not led aside with the errour of the wicked for errour and heresie will break out into enmity and make men think they do God good service while they destroy you Thirdly Then we regard Religion after a carnal manner When we make parties in it when we promote factions and divisions and such as do so are filled with much spite and malice against those that are contrary to them This is a sinne the members of the Church are prone to and nothing inclineth more to oppositions and contentions then such a frame upon mens spirits The Apostle speaketh very clearly to this 1 Cor. 3. 3. Whereas there is among you envying and strife one is for Paul another for Apollo are ye not carnal And vers 4. Again are ye not carnal So that this doth plainly discover men not to be led by divine and holy principles who are apt to foment differences who are ready to set up one Minister against another to admire the gifts and abilities of one to the contempt of others This was the great sinne of these Corinthians that as they discovered much pride and ambition in the names which they gave persons Capellus Histor A. M. 3168. sometimes delighting in words which signified power and principality as Hegemon c. Or such as denoted victory as Nicolaus c. Or such as declared glory as Polycletus c. Thus such a carnal ambition did still remain in them though made Christians setting up and admiring mens persons looking after gifts which brought applause more than grace and sanctification Now those that are thus carnally affected they do continually throw balls of fire into the Church and make it a Babylon in stead of a Jerusalem Jude speaketh vers 16. Of having mens persons in admiration because of advantage It is some carnal advantage or other that maketh them advance this and that man against others What the issue of such divisionsis appeareth Jam. 3. 14 15 16. viz. To bring in all confusion and every evil work As also he sheweth the nature and cause of this It is earthly sensual and devilish though men may judge it zeal and think they are active for Gods glory yet it 's sensual and cometh from the Devil and it is good to observe how largely the Apostle expatiateth about the sinfulnesse of the tongue That a world of evil is in it and from that exhortation Be not many Masters that is do not take upon you to be Teachers and so to reprove and censure others in a carnal and sinfull way It is this that maketh not only the tongue but the pen also to be full of gall and wormwood it maketh the pen to be an unruly evil that none can tame Take we heed then of minding Religion onely to make parties and different wayes therein for this will at last break into an open enmity against the truely godly Fourthly Then we look after Religion in a carnal way When we make use of the Doctrine thereof onely to shew our parts or learning when we earnestly contend about it as it is our opinion not as it is Gods truth For this reason the Apostle doth so frequently exhort Timothy To take heed of disputes and vain janglings 1 Tim. 1. 6. where the end of the preaching of the Gospel is said to be Charity out of a pure heart and a good conscience with faith unfeigned but from these some did swerve by turning aside unto vaine jangling Here you see that those who have not pure and unfeigned hearts in the things of God they fall into vain disputes and quarrels So 2 Tim. 6. 4. it is called Doting about questions and strifes of words whereof cometh envy railings and evil surmises And he addeth their character Supposing that gain is godlinesse Here you see that in all these disputes and controversies there is no pure heart no good conscience all is to advantage themselves by it yea if this be not discovered in any sordid or worldly manner yet if thy pride the loftiness of thy spirit be hereby advanced and thou doest not mind Religion to exercise thy self to godlinesse but to have men admire thy gifts and to wonder at thy abilities Thy heart is a corrupt heart and thou wilt manifest thy enmity against the wayes of Christ when opposed therein Thy wit thy parts thy applause thou mayest make thy great Diana and oppose all that would destroy this Goddesse Lastly That we may conclude all and leave nothing out Whosoever doth not own the Christian faith from divine principles and holy pure motives this man is but a titular and a false Christian and so cannot but when occasion serveth manifest his opposition to Christs wayes And therefore it is that as amongst the people of Israel there was an irreconcilable division between Israel and Judah and a great opposition between Davids house and Sauls though all pretending to the onely true God So it is in the Church of God though there may be an agreement in the same Doctrine in the same Profession of faith come to the same Ordinances together yet because one hath not a supernatural life of grace within hath no experimental feeling of the power of sanctification upon his soul hence it is that he hath a spirit of antipathy and contrariety to those who are indeed born of God and walk in wayes of mortification So that we may conclude Whosoever is not regenerated regardeth Religion no further than carnal and earthly respects let his pretences be never so high and plausible And therefore there is no unconverted man though he hath never so high an Office never so great repute in the Church of God but he serveth Christ for loaves some insincere and insufficient motive or other worketh upon him he hath his shrines that he liveth by And therefore as it was with that rich man who boasted He had kept all Gods Commandments from the youth when he was tryed in one instance where his heart was greatly affected viz. To part with all and follow Christ it is said He went away exceeding sorrowfull Thus when any such empty nominal Christians are put upon such duties and wayes which are contrary to their lusts they will go away not it may be exceedingly grieved but greatly enraged and disquieted This will be like the jealousie-water to discover the adulteresse To pull out their right eyes and to cut off their right hands will be like the pronouncing of Shibboleth to discover what they are And the ground of this whole truth is from the exceeding great purity and exactnesse that is in the word of God truly preached it cometh to new mould and change the whole man All old things must passe away This will not abide either a corrupt mind or a carnal heart and therefore one being contrary to the other as light to darknesse and fire to water No wonder if then the hypocrite be
Wilderness They grant he provided water for them even out of the Rock the streames overflowed But can he give bread can he give flesh also Oh blind and foolish unbelief Is it not as easie for God to provide bread as water in a dry Wilderness but they limited God to their own thoughts and wayes Now this sinne of limiting God to such humane helps and wayes as we propound to our selves doth insinuate very much into the hearts of those those that are godly What was that expression of David I shall one day perish by the hand of Saul but bitter fruite from that bitter root Oh how often do the people of God in their extremities say Can God furnish a Table in the Wilderness Those millions of thoughts which eat thee up in a dividing distrusting way how shall this difficulty be overcome how shall that want be supplyed what if God suffer such a thing to be then where am I Is not all this to say Cen God prepare bread in the Wilderness And this way Paul's desponding thought in this trouble The extremity is great death is at hand there is no way to escape it but that which deceiveth him is because he looketh only to sensible helps he considers the instruments not the hand in which they are This is a very secret insinuating sinne and therefore the godly are more diligently to watch and pray against it that it do not at any time overcome them Take heed of living by sense The Apostle disclaimeth such a life in the behalf of the godly 2 Cor. 5. 7. We walk by faith and not by sense Did faith make us overlooke instruments second causes and all Creatures how certain and constant would the hopes of the godly man be The Sun would alwayes go down upon a peaceable fixed serene frame of heat but when faith prevaileth and for that composeth the soul and maketh it like the Rock which though one wave after another fiercely assault yet that abideth in the same place still so though conditions alter though unheard causes and helps be mutable yet because God is the same and the promise is the same he therefore continueth the same Let then the Children of God examine and search their hearts more in this particular see if the cause of all thy disquietness of all thy troubles and feares do not arise from this that thou art deceived that thou passest false judgement upon thy self certainly the Devill is enemy enough to thy comfort he indeavours to seduce thee and deceive thee Do not thou joyn with him against thy own true and solid comfort But let us proceed to examine the grounds of this truth And The first is Because the godly are apt to be hasty and too quick in judgeing these things They do not consider and well weigh all things together They do not compare Gods promises and his providences together They do not set Gods word and his workes together Insipientis est aspicere ad pauca they cast their eyes only upon that which is discouraging They look upon the dead wombe and not on the power of God and this inconsiderateness makes them pass false judgement Psal 31. 22. I said in my haste I am cut off from before thy eyes and again Psal 116. 11. I said in my haste all men are liars You see what hasty and sudden thoughts and words may come from those that feare God Oh do not judge in thy rashness do not conclude this or that in thy haste but consider debate and compare all things together Moses though so meek a man and the faithfull Servant of God yet in a suddain haste spake unadvisedly with his lips Examine then whether most of those thoughts whereby thou hast wronged God and wronged thy self have not risen from unadvised hastiness Thou saist in thy haste God forsaketh thee thou saist in thy haste thou shalt be undone 2. Another reason why the godly are so apt to be deceived in Gods administrations is because they are apt to be passionately transported with anger and feare and these are like a misty foggy vapour to the Sun that doth obnubilate it and obscure the light When David doth conclude he is cast off and cut off he doth not only this in his haste but in his passions also It is anger maketh him say so it is grief maketh him say so his spirit is often troubled leavened and overwhelmed within so that as when the water is bemuddied we are not able to see those little stones in the bottome which when clear we might do Thus it is here when the heart is moved with fear and grief when it is in sad commotions then it is no wonder if it judge erroneously anima sedendo quiescendo sit sapiens Let reason and wisdome or faith rather meet thy passionate heart as Abigal did David and this may prevent many sad things which prove a trouble to thee afterwards let it therefore be thy wisdome when thou art ready to give this censure and pass that sentence about thy affaires or Gods dealings with thee to stay till the heat and commotions of thy soul be over fear and anger and grief these are ill counsellours erect such a Tribunall in thy self as they say that of the Areopagite was no man was to move the affections by any Rhetoricall indeavours least thereby the judgement might be perverted 3. Therefore the godly may misjudge and conclude contrary to what God intendeth because of the want of that spirituall skill and wisdome which is requisite when we are to inquire or determine about Gods proceedings Clouds and darkness saith the Psalmist Psal 29. 7. are round about his pavilion and as his essence is a light that none can draw nigh unto so also his administrations do far exceed our naturall capacity and therefore we are not able to comprehend his counsell and wayes Now although this be so yet as the Scripture is a Directory to us how we are to conceive of his nature so it doth also teach us how we are to understand his actions The Scripture is a Key that doth in some particulars even open the deep things of God and as Sampson out of love did disclose to Dalilah such secret things that none else did or could know so setting aside many imperfections in the comparison doth God out of his love to his Church reveale to them wherein his strength lyeth how she may prevaile with him which way if she take she is sure to have good acceptance with him but to receive this there is a Heavenly wisdome and skill required When the Apostle 1 Cor. 2. 14 15 16. made a distinction between a naturall man and a spirituall as to their judgement and discerning for by the naturall man cannot be meant a weake Christian as a late Writer would have it which is the greater wonder because those of his way I mean the Arminians think they strongly conclude Paul doth not speak Rom. 7. in
the person of a regenerate man because he cals himself carnall and yet this Authour though of the same judgemen with them will by a naturall man understand a babe in Christ or a weak Christian The Apostle I say making this distinction between these two saith The naturall man receiveth not the things of God because they are spiritually discerned Now there must be alwayes some proportion between the faculty and the object The eye cannot see musick nor the eare heare colours nor doth a Beast understand reason but then the spirituall man having received the Spirit of God he judgeth all things and such have the mind of Christ There is then that Heavenly and holy wisedome which if we receive from above if we plow with this Heifer we are able more exactly and certainly to judge of Gods proceedings then otherwise we could do for as God giveth it to his people to understand the mysteries of the Gospell when they are hid from other mens eyes so to the godly it is impart given to understand the wayes and workes of the Lord that thereby they may prevent those delusions or deceits which otherwise they are lyable unto Whereupon it is that because in this particular as well as in other we know but in part we have heavenly wisedome but in part Therefore it is that we do so often miscarry As in all civill Governement there are arcana imperii secrets of state which only the wise favorite is admitted unto the single and credulous Subject he believeth the pretences and appearances of things Thus God also though in a wise and just manner hath his secrets in governing of his Church he proceedeth in such methods that to the judgement of flesh and blood do appeare very improbable and unlikely ever to produce any blessed end and hence it is that the carnall wise men of the world are so often taken in their own craft and wherein they deale not only proudly but wisely God is above them whereas if they had understood the method of Gods proceedings they would not have been found so foolishly to fight against God but the godly have Scripture wisedome and prudence and therefore are not wholely in the dark but while they follow them are kept from those bogs and pits which others are very ready to fall into we may instance in some of those Divine Maximes of state As 1. The understanding of this truth will prevent much false judgment viz. When we consider that God delights to carry on the great things of his Church in a contrary way to humane thoughts and expectations let us instance in that main foundation of all our comfort and duty Christ Crucified with the benefits and effects flowing from him Was not this the master piece of Gods wisedome and power and mercy yet how contrary and unsuitable to the judgement of flesh and blood for God to be made Man and Man not in a glorious externall way as the great Potentates of the world but in a most abject and ignominious way and then by such an accursed and reproachfull death to procure our pardon of sinne and acceptation with God it hath so much absurdity in it to flesh and bloud that to the Jewes it was a stumbling block and to the Gentiles foolishness Non pudet quia pudendum omnino credibile quia prorsus impossibile What the thoughts of men were about Christ while working out our redemption appeareth Isa 13. 2 3 4. There is no beauty that we should desire him he is despised and rejected of men we did esteem him smitten of God So that generally all the Nations of the Jewes were deceived about a Messiah yea the Disciples themselves were full of prejudices in this Point This then is Gods way to do the great things of his Church in a super-humane way So that even then when the things themselves are not super-naturall yet the manner of accomplishing them is wholely above nature What therefore God speaketh in one case to his people about the pardon of sinne Isa 55. 8 9. is true in all the rest of Gods administrations My thoughts are not as your thoughts For as the Heavens are higher then the Earth so are my wayes higher then yours By this it is plain that a Dwarfe is as able to reach to the Heavens as we are to comprehend Gods wayes so that whatsoever God doth for thee whether body or soul it is a mystery All will be wonderfull and marvelous in thy eyes As he said that was not worthy the name of eloquence which did not beget admiration in the Hearers So the Lord accounteth of nothing as beseeming his Majesty which may not put the soul in admiration possess thy soul with this principle and thou wilt not be often in thy complaints I looked for this and hoped for that but God hath taken away that I never dreamed off 2. Another Rule is That when God hath promised to do any thing for his people yet he doth for the most part seem to go contrary to it especially at first as when Abraham was promised a great Posterity David a Kingdome they met at first with nothing but what did make against these so that his providence did seem to gainsay his promise Now if this be not known how quickly will the godly be deceived The world was a great Chaos and confusion before it was made so glorious as now it is 3. This will prevent mistake also when we consider That God doth usually hide himselfe and deny help till every thing be desperate and then he cometh to help When the poore creple that lay so many years and could not be put into the Poole said I have no help then Christ healed him Christ did not provide Wine at the Marriage Feast till all was spent Moses cometh when the â—aske of brick is doubled in the Mount the Lord will be seen Would not this truth alone deliver thee from many conclusions as if God had forsaken thee and would be mercifull no more What if Christ do with thee as that Woman of Canaan to put thee off to call thee Dog Is it not to provoke thy faith and importunity more 4. The Heavenly Artist remembers this Rule also That God will sometimes alter his ordinary wayes do things because of his soveraignty and prerogative What Disputes and different thoughts had Job and his friends about Gods dealing with him in his particular wherein both Job and his friends were at a loss only Job spake more rightly then they Yet God discovereth his greatness and Najesty to Job thereby informing of him that he did not sufficiently consider his own weakenesse and Gods infinite greatness 5. And lastly God delights to put his people upon a life of faith and that in temporall and spirituall mercies The just shall live by his faith This faith doth exalt God and debase man now saith and sense they are opposite one flyeth up to Heaven the other crawleth on the ground and therefore
You may read how happily the Apostle conjoyneth them together Phil. 2. 12 13. Work out your own salvation with fear and trembling for it is God that worketh in you both to will and to do It is true the enemies of Gods grace who detract from it in whole or in part do gladly imbrace this truth and compel it to go two miles further than it would They force it so much that blood cometh out in stead of milk As Austin while he writeth against Manichees Pelagians did take some expressions of his commending them exceedingly as that all sinne must be voluntary else it could not be a sinne c. as if he had been on their party Then on the other side when he did valiantly write against the Pelagians they branded him for a Manichee So hard a matter is it to defend truth which lieth between two extreams but while we set against one we are thought to draw nigh to another And thus it is in the Doctrine now observed while we maintain the necessity of our duty as well as Gods grace we are thought to go into the Papists quarters Again while against them we set up the grace and power of God excluding though not the duties and means God hath appointed yet the merit and causality of them we are thought to joyn with the Antinomians whereas indeed we have no affinity with either Let us therefore labour after that spiritual skill and discerning whereby we may be able to know what God doth and what we are to do yet so as not to take off in the least manner from the glory of God First Therefore consider That all the great spiritual mercies which God doth vouchsafe in time to his people have many things concurrent before they be accomplished It is not the presence of one thing alone can effect that mercy unless all be present I say it is thus with these spiritual priviledges God vouchsafeth in time For as for predestination which is an immanent act and the purpose of God from eternity to prepare for glory There is nothing at all concurrent to that but the meer good pleasure of his will The Scripture alwayes resolveth it into that alone but it is otherwayes with justification and glorification For to justification many things are required there is the grace of God as the efficient cause the blood of Christ as the meritorious cause and faith as the instrument the hysop to sprinkle this blood upon the soul Now till all these meet together a man is not justified God indeed hath decreed to justifie thee from all eternity but the actual justification of thy person is in this order and method So for glorification the kingdom of glory is said to be prepared for the godly viz. from eternity they were before the foundations of the world were laid elected to this everlasting happiness but an holy life and a godly conversation is the way thereunto No unclean thing can enter there This being so Hence in the second place It hath alwayes bred much confusion and errour in Doctrine to oppose these requisites one against another To argue from the inclusion of some to the exclusion of others if duty then no Christ if Christ then no duty The Antinomian he argueth If Christ by his blood made atonement for our sinnes if our iniquities were laid upon him then we are justified from that time in the sight of God before we do believe or repent Now whence ariseth this errour Because they consider not that as Christ is required in a meritorious way so also faith in an instrumental way And though Christ do more principally concurre to our justification yet faith is required by necessity of precept and means also Christ without faith doth not justifie no more than faith without Christ Hence they are put together Rom. 3. 25. Whom God hath sit out to be a propitiation through faith in his blood The Papist on the other side though the Scripture mentioneth not the word merit and satisfaction yet by their forced consequences they would establish such a Doctrine Now in the sense they and others plead for works notwithstanding all their subtil distinctions The Apostle argueth infallibly Rom. 11. If of grace then not of works and if of works then grace is no longer grace Though therefore some do more grosly then others set up works against Christ yet they become guilty of dishonouring him who give him not the sole glory of our redemption But you will say If Gods grace and our duty must go together if we must look to Christ for salvation and yet to holiness to prayer and repentance as the means conducing thereunto How may we be directed so to live as that we shall give all to the glory of Gods grace and his power and yet to act in the duties God hath commanded without any negligence therein For seeing that Satan is very busie in his temptations on both sides either to be careless of prayer and other ordinances because we are to give all to Christ or because they are necessarily required to put our trust and confidence in the performance of them it is good to be informed wherein the way is clear for a believers avoiding all dangers To answer this which will indeed explicate the whole nature of the Doctrine consider these particulars First Then thou mayest relie on Christ and yet be diligent in the use of all Ordinances when thou doest acknowledge all the power thou hast both in whole or in part to the very beginning of godliness to come alone from him When whatsoever thou art able to do thou doest confess it is his gift thou hast received it from him so that it is not thou that doest it not thy power thy strength but the gift of God alone Thus Phil. 4. 12 13. when he had mentioned that excellent frame of heart That he knew how to abound and how to want yea that he could do all things he mollifieth this presently by adding Christ He could do all things through Christ that strengthned him Here Paul doth put forth the life of grace but the fountain of it is Christ So again 1 Cor. 15. 10. I laboured more abundantly then they all yet not I but the grace of God which was with me or in me exciting of me and giving me strength to do it The trumpet of grace is often in these acknowledgements 2 Cor. 3. 5. We are not sufficient of our selves to think any thing as of our selves He doth not say to do but not so much as to think And he doth not say great things or high things but any thing Not the least good thing in his ministerial way but our sufficiency is of God Therefore to curb the insolency of such proud thoughts as if we cou'd do any thing of our selves see with what authority he speaketh 1 Cor. 4. 7. Who maketh thee to differ from another And what hast thou that thou diast not receive
the understanding was first in the sense the more expedite they are the more vigorous is the understanding Secondly There is required A particular application of Christ and the promises to our selves by faith For herein lieth the efficacy of faith when with Thomas it saith My Lord my God Or with Paul Who loved me and gave himself for me For as the seeing of meat though never so excellent and wholsome doth not nourish but the eating of it So the beholding of Christ revealed in the Word as a Saviour in the general doth not justifie and pardon but the applying of him to be my Christ and my Saviour For this reason faith is called Iohn 6. The eating of Christs flesh and drinking of Christs blood And the Sacrament of the Lords Supper doth require this particular applying act of faith and this is the foundation for our future knowledge till Christ be ours we cannot know he is ours till Christ be received by faith to dwell in our hearts we cannot perceive that he doth dwell there Happily then the Apostle Peter exhorteth us 2 Pet. 1. 5. To adds to faith virtue By that is meant the efficacy and liveliness of faith in receiving of Christ And then to this we must adde knowledge Knowledge is to follow this efficacious application of Christ Now this is the greater work of our faith as to our justification This is that which the Papists do so declaim against and for which Estius calleth us Specialistas Specialists But certainly this is the acting of faith that maketh us rich that bringeth Christ the treasure into our soul and it is this which the Devil doth so oppose in all the godly Hence are all those fiery darts of Satan all those sad and black aggravations of sinne whereby the soul like that woman with the bloody flux is afraid and trembleth to come directly to Christ It is that applying act of faith that the Devil so diligently would keep thee off whereas if thou didst but taste of this honey as Ionathan or rather plentifully fill thy self with it thou wouldst with much spiritual fortitude pursue and conquer all thy spiritual enemies This was the blessed truth that our Reformers rescued out of Popery being enabled thereunto by the word of God as a Rule and the experimental work of grace upon their souls as a sure witnesse to confirm them therein But this is not all Therefore to obtain this knowledge there is required an Internal sense and feeling of the fit frame of our heart whereby we perceive that we are such who do believe and do love God who do repent of our sinnes upon firme and pure grounds For unlesse there be this inward discerning of what is in us how is it possible to arrive at any certainty Now it is this that the Popish adversaries do most batter supposing it to be the weakest part in the Wall It is true say they we believe the Scripture that speaketh generally Whosoever believeth and repenteth shall have his sins pardoned But when you come to the Assumption But I believe I repent here you are subject to many mistakes here you may be deceived And certainly all hypocrites are deluded in this respect They make false applications to themselves through self-love they deceive themselves thinking they have good hearts when they have them not But this doth not inferre that the truly godly are therefore deceived no more then because an Heretick hath great confidence that he is in the truth yet is deceived it followeth that therefore the orthodox man is also in an errour Because men in a dream are deluded doth it follow that men cannot tell when they be indeed awake We must know then That as we have a certain knowledge by the bodily senses we are certain we hear we see So the soul in her immaterial operations hath a sense and feeling of them We feel we know we understand we love we delight These internal motions of the soule are perceived as well as the things of sense and to say we may be decived here and no truth can be discovered is to turn all knowledge into Scepticisme and to hold Nihil scitur yea that that also is not knowne That nothing is knowne And besides it is directly against Scripture No man knoweth the things of a man save the spirit of a man 1 Cor. 2. 11. This then being laid as a foundation That a mans own spirit doth feel and percieve what are the motions thereof it followeth That when a man doth uprightly and sincerely love God and walk in his way he doth experimentally discern this he knoweth he believeth he knoweth he loveth God But that this may be done there is required First An humble broken heart and poverty of spirit whereby we are emptied of all our own righteousnesse renouncing every thing that is ours hungring and thirsting after Christ and his righteousnesse Every gracious heart that cometh to the knowledge of its sincerity hath this concomitant disposition there is an humble lowly broken spirit it feeleth it self undone and lost It feareth all that it hath done and therefore can rest no where but on Christ onely Now although many do deceive themselves many doe flatter and delude their owne soules yet where there is this frame of heart there will never be any miscarriage Secondly Besides this brokenness of heart there is required A regular and undistempered disposition in the soul For though the sense cannot be deceived about its proper object hence is that saying Non est disputandum de gustu We must not dispute about taste yet if the palate be diseased nothing is more ordinary than to judge that bitter which is sweet And this falleth out sometimes to the choisest people of God there are troublesome and disquieting temptations upon them they are in blackness and sadness Now in such a case we are no more able to know what we are than we can see our faces in troubled waters So that this due and prepared qualification of the soul must be alwayes present in the judging of our selves As in all faculties whether the intellective or visive if they have any impediment in their operation they cannot produce their convenient operations The understanding in a mad man and in a man fast asleep is wholly hindered in its workings So may the senses be either by some hurt upon the sensitive powers or by the indisposition of the medium or through the distance of the object Thus it is in the soul when sanctified there may be many distempers several impediments which may hinder it from passing a true judgement about its state and therefore the advise of Casuists in such cases is not to seeke for this assurance and evidence but to put forth acts of faith by meere dependance and recumbance on the promises of the Gospel Even as David and Job sometimes did For Job saith Though he kill me yet will I trust in him Job 13. 15. Thirdly This frame
and carnal interest not that all glory and honour may be given to Christ alone So that by this fleshly wisdome we are to understand all crafty false and deceitfull wayes yea and all that pride and swelling in humane learning and oratory which the false Apostles gloried in From whence observe That the Ministers of the Gospel are to carry on their work without any fleshly wisdome or sinfull policy Gods truth doth not need mans lie The Gospel doth not want for its propagation the craft and fraud of ungodly policy Howsoever Politicians take up many rules about worldly greatness as Qui nescit dissimulare nescit regnare c. And with Plato to say That a lie is as necessary in a Common-wealth as physick to a diseased body Yet as Christ himself so all the Ministers of Christ are to be without guile in their mouth The Gospel of Christ is preserved and propagated onely by such heavenly and holy meanes that God will own and give a blessing unto Christ compareth his Disciples to Sheep not to Foxes It is true there is a Serpentine wisdome commended by Christ And our Saviour commissionating his Disciples to preach the Gospel biddeth them To beware of men Mat. 10. 17. but an offensive or a deceitfull way of walking that is not beseeming the Ministers of Christ And therefore Paul doth frequently disclaime it especially 1 Thess 2. 3 4 5. There are two false wayes of propagating Religion as Gerhard observeth Cathol confess parte prim Media violentiae and Media fraudulentiae The means of violence may be either in external temporal punishments or in tyrannical unreasonable Church impositions which later the Apostle doth also renounce vers 24. Both which wayes the Antichristian party are notorious in And there are Media fraudulentiae wayes of hypocrisie and deceit using subtil and unjustifiable wayes to bring about their religious designs Now although it be the Gospel that we would extoll though the holy truths and pure worship of Christ yet we must not make use of fleshly wisdome herein but walk by Scripture-rules For it 's Gods grace not mans policy gives successe to the Gospel Of this latter we are to treat And we are the more to consider this point for three Reasons First Because it is the nature of all enemies to the truth and holinesse of Christ to charge the godly and innocent defenders thereof with hypocrisie and policy that they do onely seek themselves that they drive on politick designes under religious pretences That whereas it is the property of heretical persons to broach new opinions Alicujus temporalis commodi causâ as Austin putteth in the definition of an Heretick these judging of others by themselves do think that even the faithfull servants of God do only seek their own earthly greatnesse and advancement Hence we see even our Saviour himself so diligent to remove this charge from him I seek not my own glory but the glory of him who sent me John 8. 50. So John 7. 18. where our Saviour giveth the character of a false teacher of one that speaketh of himself that he seeketh his own glory Thus the Popish party charge lies and calumnies upon the Protestants as if they had used all politick and crafty wayes to disseminate their Doctrines Therefore Lessius the Jesuite among his reasons why the Protestant Religion is not to be imbraced maketh this one That Religion saith he which useth lies and falshoods to propagate it self cannot be of God which he applieth to the Protestant Churches But as for the Major we grant it as a sure truth True Religion is only advanced by truth and sincerity whereas errours being in themselves lies are increasing by the father of lies But then we say the Church of Rome is notoriously guilty in this way from them first came that expression of Piae fraudes applied by some to indulgences It is the Church of Rome that hath Revel 17. 5. upon her forehead written Mystery she is the harlot that like Solomons doth wipe her mouth and speak of vows pretending Religion when she hath been acting her leudnesse But by how much the more the enemies of Gods Church are apt to charge the guides therein with policy and deceitfulnesse the more are they to watch to their wayes and to walk with all sincerity For these accusations are believed by many And withall there is a generation of Atheistical politick men in the world that hereby are hardened in their impiety as if Religion were but a politick devise of men and therefore matter not any further than their advantages are served thereby Whose damnation sleepeth not if they do not awaken betimes Secondly The second Reason why this is to be attended is Because all pretenders to any Religion in the world they would all be thought to be sincere None will own and justifie hypocrisie and guile to be lawfull Indeed the Jesuites they go high this way when they defend mental reservations and make equivocation Prudens defensio rei as Valentia These are not onely deceitfull and use fleshly wisdome but also plead for it yet at other times would be thought very free from all such carnal policy and way of lying As Bellarmine in a Sermon of his Conc. 9. deâ—probitate doct Eccles inveigheth against Protestants whom he calleth Hereticks Although saith he their Doctrine were true yet ought they to confirme it with lies Nonne satius esset millies obmutescere quam semel mentiri Were it not better suffer to be a thousand times silent then once to lie What is the worke of the Devil if this be not Thus a great Champion of the Romish Church which you would think did all things in great candour and ingenuity And yet in that very Sermon reporteth forged lies against eminent men continuing the same bitterness in Conc. 10 11 12. as if his tongue were set on fire from hell But there are two famous places in the Scripture which may abundantly confirm us of the deceivable and false wayes in the Romane Church The first is 1 Tim. 4. 2. where they are said To speake lies in hypocrisie forbidding to marry c. who are therefore said To have seducing spirits yea and a conscience seared with an hot iron that is because they can so abominably dissemble both with God and man The second place is 2 Thes 2. 9. where the coming of that wicked one is said to be after the working of Satan with all power and signes and lying wonders in all deceiveablenesse of unrighteousnesse Here you see that fraud and impostures are as it were the true note of their false Church But though this be so yet they would wash their Blackmoor skin and charge that crime upon those Churches who departed from them Seeing then that this cousening deceiving way is charged mutually by all parties upon one another with what integrity and fidelity doth it behove those to walk who are indeed the faithfull Ministers of Christ But Thirdly
Ministers of the Gospel before we well consider what we do For thou who receivest a man to be the Pastor of thy soul thou must not look that he should come down to thee but thou to him I mean you must not expect that he should comply with you in your lusts in your sinnes in your superstitions But on the contrary that you will readily submit to whatsoever he shall from the word of God make known to you It is unreasonable to look that a Minister should go from his Commission he hath not a magisterial but ministerial Authority he cannot make virtue vice or vice virtue he cannot make the way to Heaven broader than it is he may not dispense Ordinances otherwise than according to the order of Christ and if so judge whether is more reasonable that you yeild your selves to Christs commands or we comply with your unlawfull wayes Certainly we cannot come off to your principles we shall be damned if we do If I please men viz. in sinfull things I should not be the servant of Christ Gal. 1. 10. said Paul And we must with Elihu profess Job 32. 21 22. We know not to give flattering titles in so doing God our maker would soon take us away If it be thus with us that we are bound up and you on the contrary are commanded to come out of all evil wayes and receive the good word of God from out hands then it ought not to be any offence or staggering unto you if you find us out of Gods word enjoyning those things which the corrupt nature of man is against But this many times maketh a great change in a people they expected that the Ministers of God should comply with their ends their lusts and then they would never alter their affections from them but when it proveth otherwise then they did never so much advance and exalt as they will afterwards condemn and vilifie This was plain in John's hearers his strict life and unusual conversation made them come into the wilderness to see him they rejoyced to see such a Prophet that was of their own and therefore they flocked after him John 5. 35. They did for a while rejoyce in his light but when they saw he gave testimony to Christ and would not be a Prophet to serve their ends then they railed on him and said He had a Devil 3. Curiosity and an itching affection after new things doth make us very changeable An ill stomack must have variety of sauces and what we are used to is apt to breed contempt It is a brand upon the Athenians Act. 17. 21. That they spent their time in nothing else but to tell or hear 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 some new thing This is a dangerous disease in a mans soul not to love and delight in sound and known truths but to affect things that were never heard of before some new Religion some new expression some new notion Oh pray to God against such a sinfull distemper 〈◊〉 it hath been the undoing of many souls Do you lik the Sunne the worse because every day it riseth upon you It is the same Sunne and yet you are not weary of it no more ought ye to be of divine and holy truths 4. Sometimes mistakes about the Doctrine they deliver maketh them change their affections Some speeches are hard speeches they take offence at some expressions and this hath altered many when the fault was in their understandings not in the Doctrine delivered Thus it was with Christ himself Joh. 6. 34 35. when he said My flesh is meat indeed and my blood is drink indeed Many of his Disciples said This was an hard saying who can bear it and from that time many went back from him and walked no more with him 5. A faithfull and conscionable discharge of their duties in reproving admonishing or setting up the pure wayes of Christ do many times cause men to flie off and from friends sometimes to become enemies and opposers This did in part so enrage the Galatians which made Paul say Am I become your enemy because I tell you the truth Gal. 4. 16. What made the Israelites of old oppose and persecute the holy Prophets of God Was it not because they reproved them for their sinnes and false worship and endeavoured the restoring of his Ordinances accorning to his own primitive and pure institution This maketh men acknowledge their Ministers but in part some things they will praise but other things as much dispraise and all is because we are unwilling the Officers of Christ should faithfully and sincerely discharge their duty Lastly Many times the members of Christs Church are alienated from their Pastors by the importunity of such men who lie in wait to deceive All the mischief that was done to Paul in this point it was by false teachers Nothing hindered so much the comfortable progress of his Ministry as the subtil stratagems of such wolves in sheeps cloathing they hod a more pleasing taking way with them they had their 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Rom. 16. 18. their sweet fair speeches their insinuating orations and by this means these glistering serpents crept into them Again they pretend much love and compassion to them it grieveth them to see how Paul seduceth them how self-seeking and severe he is as for them they have tender bowels towards them and thus by this loving pretence they catch them in their snares Thus Paul Gal. 4. 17. They zealously affect you but not well yea they would exclude us that ye might affect them Thus you see what their design was to take them off wholly from Paul to exclude him that so they might have all the love and honour Thus you see causes that may make people abate or decay in their affections to their spiritual guides Let the Use be 1. Of Instruction to the Ministers of God To expect such ingratitude in the world to look for such ebbings and flowings of mens affections in the faithfull discharge of their Ministry every man is a liar every man is a reed shaken with the wind if they be not throughly consolidated by grace Only do thou look thou givest no just occasion of such a change either by thy negligence in the Ministry or indiscreet rash actions and then if they will leave thee thou hast no more to say than Christ himself Will ye also go away John 6. 67. Use 2. Of Exhortation To you that are people Is there such a mutable disposition in your nature so much inconstancy curiosity and love to your selves as to make you hate what you once loved Then take heed to your selves watch against such a disposition It is an excellent sign to love and delight in old known truths and not to be weary of them yea the more thou hearest the longer thou livest under a Ministry the more thy heart is affected with it SERM. CII Of the mutuall rejoycing which ought to be betwixt Minister and
noble effect of the Preaching of the Word that it becomes spiritual seed to give men a new spirituall life as well to feed to nourish them therein James chap. 4. 18. Of his own will begat he us with the word of truth and John 17. Sanctifie them by thy word When therefore the Ministers of God do not onely become Instructers but Fathers as the Apostle saith he was to these Corinthians this is matter of great joy Though ye have ten thousand Instructors yet not many Fathers for in Christ Jesus I have begotten you through the Gospel 1 Corinth chap. 4. 15. This then is a foundation of much indearing comfort when a people can owne their Minister to be a Father to them and he them for his spiritual children when by his Ministry they are able to say I was enlightened I was converted I was sanctified Surely if Aristotle say We can never recompence the Gods nor our naturall Fathers neither are we able to requite our spiritual Fathers Although as in nature it is observed that love though it be fire yet it doth descend not ascend so it is in spirituall relations Such Ministers who have been instrumental to the conversion of any do far more rejoyce in such a people then they can in the Minister Hence the Apostle speaketh most affectionately in an overflowing manner 2 Cor. 6. 11 12 13. O ye Corinthians our mouth is open unto you our heart is inlarged ye are not streightened in us but in your own bowels now for a recompence in the same I speak as unto children be ye also enlarged Here you see Pauls heart was more inlarged to them than their 's to his This then is an unspeakable mercy when we shall be able to say with the prophet though in another sense Behold I and the children which thou hast given me Isa chap. 8. 18. Or as it is said of Christ after all his sufferings for us He shall see of the travail of his soul and be satisfied He shall see his seed and the pleasure of the Lord shall prosper in his hand Isa 53. 10 11. Fourthly Then are they rejoycing to a Minister when they are a ready and willing people in all Gospel Duties when they are his living Sermons his walking Sermons when they endeavour to adorn the Gospel by their conversation when there are no profane persons no bitter roots growing up amongst them but a Garden without weeds a floor of pure wheat without chaff a net of good fish onely a field of wheat without tares It is true there is no such people no such Church to be exspected in this life But the less weeds the fewer brambles the greater joy to the Husbandman What a glorious commendation doth the Apostle give this Church 2 Cor. 2 3. when he calleth them his Epistle to be read and known of all men Yea he saith They are manifestly declared to be the Epistle of Christ O what unspeakable gladness of heart would it be to a Minister to be able to make such an holy boast of his people That they are his Sermons to be read and known of all men we may know what he preacheth by the lives of his people The Apostle instanceth in one Duty viz. their Liberality to the poor Saints of God 2 Cor. 9. 13. For thereby they did glorifie God by their professed Subjection to the Gospel This is blessed when a people in all Gospel Duties will not cavil and be contentious but declare their professed subjection thereunto 5. When they are a people willing and ready to submit to the whole Order of Christ To reâ—orm all corruptions and abuses as also with much Repentance to manifest their sorrow for any negligence and remission herein These very Corinthians as they were matter of joy so also of much trouble of much trouble of much sorrow and Humiliation Hence he speaketh remarkeably 2 Cor. 12. 20. I fear least when I come I shall not finde you such as I would and that I shall not be found unto you such as ye would and least when I come again my God humble me among you and that I shall bewail many which have sinned already and have not repented of their uncleanness By this you see that though the Apostle had much rejoycing from them yet he had also much Humiliation Many did not repent and therefore put him to more severity than he would Now then that Paul may not contradict himself They could not be his rejoycing and mourning also Therefore we must either hereby gather that the Corinthians were unconstant sometimes hopfull and reforming and afterwards again relapsing or else this is spoken not in respect of all but some of them who did grosly fail in their duty For if we consult with 2 Cor. 17. there we shall see the Apostle wonderfully affected with the joy that he had by seeing the good effect of his former Epistle upon them for thereby they did set upon Church-order they purged out the old leaven they manifested much godly sorrow indignation and zeal and every way endeavoured to approve themselves unto Paul and this did so exceedingly rejoyce him that he saith Vers 4. Great is my glorying of you I am filled with comefort I am exceeding joyfull in all our tribulation In the midst of all his troubles this rejoyced his heart that they did themselves assist to the casting out of wicked persons and were exceeding sorrowfull for their former negligence herein Thus then when a people are ready to observe all the Orders and Instituions of Christ this is matter of great joy But because many Churches have received but half Christ as it were hence also their Ministers have received but half joy Some Protestant Churches received the Doctrine of Christ but not the Discipline Some were for Orthodoxy in judgment but not purity in lives Some were willing to cast of the Antichristian yoke but then would not submit to the rod of Christ And by this means many faithfull Pastors have gone to the grave with great grief of heart Oh it is a sad thing when people are so willfull as to necessitate a Minister to remove from them because they will not receive the whole Order of Christ so that he is limited in his Ministerial Administrations and cannot do all he desireth Thus these Corinthians failed also about holy Order in reference to the Lords Supper which maketh him begin his discourse about it after this manner Shall I praise you in this I praise you not 1 Cor. 11. 22. There are many other particulars which rejoyce a Faithfull Minister as when they continue from not falling off from the truth either by false Teachers or afflictions which is so great a matter that the Apostle saith 1 Thes 3. 8. We live if ye stand fast in the Lord likewise when they are a growing people and do not continue as babes but are carried unto perfection and do not stand still but walk in the truth 〈◊〉 I have
thy faith that doth not make thee watch and pray against this day Why doest thou not with Hierome thinke that every moment thou hearest that Trumpet sounding in thy eares Arise and come to judgement Oh be diligent in doing the Lord For blessed is that sarvant whom his Master shall finde him so doing Whereas if thou art doing the Devils worke he will at that day come and demand thee he is mine I challenge him for my owne though I never died for him though I was never crucified for him yet he obeyed me rather than Christ therefore I require my owne Call then to any of the creatures and thy friends and see if they can helpe thee when God shall say Depart ye cursed Will any say Lord he shall not goe I will deliver him I will rescue him I will make an atonement for him No but he must for ever perish and none can help him SERM. CVI. Of the Encouragements a Minister hath from the hopes of doing good to a people 2 COR. 1. 15. And in this confidence I was minded to come unto you before that you might have a second benefit AT this Verse the Apostle taketh an happy occasion for a transition to his Apology or defence against that crime charged upon him by the false Teachers Non saltat saith Cajetan he doth not leap falling upon this matter abruptly but the transition is very genuine Paul it seemeth had promised to come to those Corinthians but for weighty reasons he deferred his coming hitherto The false Teachers they waiting for all advantages to calumniate him did upon this accuse him with levity and inconstancy that with him was yea and nay that he did purpose according to carnal respects accommodating himself to time and outward advantages Now the Apostle is very zealous and vehement in vindicating of himself herein It is true Piscator doth begin this Apologetical Discourse at the 12th Ver. but it seemeth more genuine to make the beginning of it at this verse Estius doth well observe that while Paul was speaking in the commendation and praise of his Conversation he did use the plural number joyning others with him to avoid envy but when he cometh to this Apologetical part being charged with a heynous crime he useth the singular Number and speaketh of himself onely In the words we may take notice First Of Pauls Resolution 2. The Motive of it 3. The Time 4. The End And 5. The Manner how it was to be executed In the Verse following his Resolution is set down in these words I was minded to come unto you 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it signifieth such a Resolution and purpose that was made upon good advice and deliberation It was not a rash suddain or presumptuous Decree but made upon good grounds though afterwards he had cause to change his minde From this word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 some say the word Bulla is derived as being his wise decree and purpose but seldome is there either wisdome or righteousness therein 2. There is the motive in this confidence viz. which was mentioned before of their mutual rejoycing in one another whereby he was perswaded that he might do much good amongst them we have spoken of the word already This he speaketh to shew that the motive of his coming to them was wholly out of love and desire to do them good 3. The Time when and that is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 before some make it a trajection as if it did belong to his mind and purpose he had before determined others to his coming to him as if this coming should have been long before but there is no great matter in either construction though Beza and Grotius go the former way If you say Did the Apostle then change his mind did he alter his purpose if so would not this call in question all his Apostolical Doctrine To this we are to answer in the prosecution of his Apology at the 23d verse he there plainly telleth them what was the cause that made him forbear his comming not any levity or inconstancy in him but their sinfulness It was that he might not execute that Apostolicall severity amongst them as they deserved of which in its time Lastly There is the End of his coming which is wholly spiritual That you might have a second benefit It was for their good not his own Let us consider the Motive in this confidence of your kindness and love as also of my doing good to you I purposed to come to you Observe That where a Faithfull Minister hath good hopes and confidence of doing good to a people there is great encouragement of abiding with such Thus it was with these very Corinthians God in a Vision to Paul Act. 18. 10. commanded him to stay at Corinth and not be afraid which he did a year and half longer then usually he did any where and the reason is Because there was much people in that City to be gathered to God Oh how rejoycing is it to a Faithfull Minister when he seeeth God hath converting work edifying work for him to do amongst such a people Thus you have also Paul resolved upon his tarrying at Ephesus 1 Cor. 16. 9. and why so A great and effectual door is opened to me He did see a likelihood of much spiritual good to be done and this made him willing to abide there To affect our hearts with this truth consider First That all people both by nature and custome have a door fast bolted against the entrance of the Word So that it is as great a miracle for Christ by the preaching of the Gospel to enter into the hearts of Hearers as it was when he came in to his Disciples the doors being shut yea here is a door upon a door a bolt upon a bolt There is first their native corruption and by this they are dead in sin So that our Preaching is like hooting into the ear of a dead man should not the spirit of God change and prepare the hearts of Hearers This is the inward door and then there is an outward door which is Custome and Continuance in sinning and this also hardeneth against the Ministry Therefore people are to tremble under this contrariety to their own spiritual good Remember that as you have a door shut now against the Gospel so God will one day have a door shut against you in the Kingdome of Heaven so that although you shall cry Lord Lord open to us yet it cannot be granted you Luke 13 25. As much intreating as we make to you now to receive the Lord Christ so much will you one day use that Christ would receive you Now we knock and cry and importune that you open the doors of your heart and then you shall howl and cry to Christ to open the doors and gates of Heaven Secondly Because men are thus shut up against the Word hence it is that neither any tractableness or supposed probity in any people nor
immediately make them take up such Resolutions they must shew much Constancy and self-denial using all means to recover them For seeing it is God that giveth the encrease though we plant and water and his time is unknown to us it may fall out that a people who give no hope for the present may afterwards appear more curable and the seed that is now sown thou for the present it may seem buried yet afterwards it may grow up Therefore we are to imitate God himself who useth much Patience and Forbearance even to the vilest men thereby to allure them to Repentance This counsel also Pasl giveth Timothy as a Minister of the Gospel 2 Tim. 2. 25. In meekness instructing those that oppose if peradventure God will give them Repentance to the acknowledging of the truth Though then hopes of doing good to a people is a great Encouragement to co continue with them yet a people that appear incurable for the present are not to be immediately abandoned because the times of success are in Gods hand and sometimes Persecutors are at last made Lovers and imbracers of the truth Besides we see the Prophet quieting his heart with this though he had no success in his Ministry that he had his reward with God Isay 49. 5. Though Israel be not gathered yet shall I be glorious in the eyes of God Such as are despised and contemned in the eyes of men shall be glorious in the eyes of God 4. This confidence and hope of doing good must not depend upon a mans own apprehensions but must be guided by the word of God So deceitfull and corrupt is the heart of a man that many times it flattereth it self and when a man seeketh his own advantage yet he may perswade himself that it is confidence and hope of doing good Therefore to know when their is more hope of doing good in one place than in another must not be decided by selfish and private desires but by general Rules fetched out of Gods Word and indeed because all success of Ministerial Labours lyeth wholly upon the good Grace of God and the Word is blessed sometimes to one people not so likely and at another time not to a people more likely Therefore the will of God is very difficultly discovered in such cases which sheweth with how much sincerity and fervency God is to be sought unto at such times Now the Reasons are palpable Why Confidence in a Minister to do good to a people should be a matter not onely of continuance but of studying and diligent improving all his Ministerial Labours with the greater joy First Because the End of his Ministry is hereby accomplished When the Disciples had fished all the day and caught nothing they were disheartened but when Christ bid them throw the net in again and they brought up a multitude this made them rejoyce even to amazement If the Husbandman is at much cost and pains about his ground and that bring forth nothing but bryars and thornes Is not that a disheartening If a Physician see that no Potions no Medicines he giveth ever do any good will not that make him weary of his imployment How much more if a Minister labour in vain Preach in vain Admonish in vain and still people grow more ohdurate in their sinnes Doth not this teach them with Jonah even to run from their work Secondly There is great matter of rejoycing where this hope is because Success in the Ministry is above all Successes Herein the Souls of men are concerned In this is contained our everlasting Happiness Oh that men should be no more sollicitous in this than they are How few do examine what fruit the Word preached hath upon them whether it be a sustaining Word or an hardening Whether it be the savour of life or the savour of death That Ark which brought so much blessing to Obedmelech and his Family to the Philistines was cause of grievous Plagues And thus the same Sermons that are life to one may be darkness to others that are light to one may be darkness to another If then the Minister shall see his work like to prosper in the end it is sent for here is greater cause to rejoyce then in any outward blessing whatsoever for this is of everlasting consequence Let the Use be of Exhortation to you to be a people of good Confidence that our Ministeriall Labours shall not be in vain That we do not in vain preach to you or pray for you Can there be a greater grief to the Minister yea and provocation of God than to be like that ground the Scripture speaketh of Heb. 6. 8 Which drinking in rain often yet bringing forth nothing but bryars and thornes is rejected and whose end is to be burned And is not this the sad case of most of those trees that stand in the Lords Garden Do not many grow more ignorant more prophane more hardened Oh what hope can a Minister have about such a man May we not see sad symptomes of Gods wrath upon your soules many such desperate Patients have the spiritual Physicians of mens soules to deal with But take heed of shewing thy self an hopeless man to a faithfull Minister one to whom no admonition no reproof will ever do good For First Those sighs and troubles that thou put test such spiritual Guides unto are in a speciall manner taken notice of by God It is true we see Jeremiah so grieved and offended sometimes at the wicked carriage of the people he prophesied unto that he prayeth against his persecutors yea God commanded him saying Pray not for this people for their good Jerem. 14. 11. But we have not an extraordinary Spirit neither dare we pray against any hopeless people yet remember all their â—ighs all their grief will one day witness against thee Certainly if the ears of God be open to the Curses of an hired Man whose wages are kept from him how much more will God hear the sad complaints of those Ministers who are faithfull poured out because of a peoples rebellion and incurableness 2. Consider this That your discouraging them by your evil wayes maketh them the more unfit and heartless in their studies and Labours Why doth rain fall on the rock say they Why do we wash blackamoors and so some expound that place Heb. 13. 17. That they may give their account with joy and not with grief for that is unprofitable for you in this sense by grieving and disheartening of them they cannot be so active in their Ministry they will grow more heartless therein and that will be your damage Oh it s a terrible thing when this heaviness and dulness of a Minister ariseth from the discouragements he hath from the wicked lives of a people and therefore Calvin upon that place speaketh excellently That people should take notice of God punishing them for their ingratitude When their Ministers abate in zealous and lively watching over their soules we are apt many times to
because none believe enough none love enough none are heavenly enough Several wayes the best Hearers may grow First In the amplitude of their knowledg They may know more things in Christianity than they did for seing we know but in part 1 Cor. 13. this light in our mind may still encrease more and more not indeed in more necessaries and Fundamentalls for then none could be saved because still ignorant of some Fundamental or other but in the Additionalls and Superstructures which have also a special use and efficacy to carry on the work of Salvation Even a Godly man may live in many Errors in many sinnes and not know them to be so as we see in many Ages when clearer light hath discovered that to be Superstition and a dishonour to God which was accounted once the great onour due unto him When God dispelled the Egyptian darkness of Popery from of the face of the face of the Church their Image-Worship their Indulgences their vowed Obedience and poverty which were admired as such eminent acts of Religion were manifested to be contemptible as having no foundation upon the Scripture and also very injurious to the Offices of Christ and in how many things do the best of men still continue ignorant and therefore with David though he had more understadding than his teachers are to pray that God would open their eyes that they might understand the wonderfull things of Gods law Psal 119. 18 Davids eyes were opened yet they must be opened more all the scales are not fallen from his eyes and therefore the Apostle prayeth for those Ephesians whose understandings were already enlightened Ephes 1. 17. that their eyes might yet be more opened and that God would give unto them the spirit of wisdome and revelation in the knowledg of him 2. By the Ministry they are to grow in the efficacy and experimental power of their knowledg For these two differ exceedingly men may grow much in speculative knowledg understand controversies in Divinity and dispute much about the Doctrines of the times that are agitated but unless a man grow in the savoury power of it he is but a tinkling cymbal if he do notgrow in the love of the truth if that knowledg doth not make him more pure more sanctified more reformed this will turn to his greater condemnation Therefore Tit. 1. 1. It s called the acknowledging of the truth which is after godliness Savanarola Hom. 3. p. 29. bringeth a distruction of Divinity out of Aquinas to this purpose a man may know a thing saith he either per modum studii or per modum inclinationis men may know many things by way of study in Divinity and yet not have the least knowledg of them by way of inclination to love and delight in them May not a man have obtained much discoursive knowledg about Christ in respect of his Person and Offices as to be able to confute Arrians and Socinians yet be far from that heavenly inclination which Paul found in himself to know nothing but Christ crucified and to judg all things dung and dross in comparison of this knowledg That knowledg then which doth bring a savoury tast and experimental inclination to the good things we know that is to be imbraced that we are to grow in more every day He that knoweth a Country or a City by a Map cannot be so affected as he that hath really seen it 3. We may by the Ministry have a continued benefit in respect of the firmness and strength of our faith It is noted sometimes of the Disciples that upon some miracle that was wrought by our Sauiour that then they believed Not but that they did so before onely their Faith was then more strengthened and confirmed and truly this firmness of Faith this steadfastness of it is a precious Antidote against all fickle and sceptical Opinions Men do not grow in Faith but fancy and that maketh inconstancy in Religion How can a man be a Martyr for Christs truth now can he lose all he hath rather than deny it unless he have this quieting and satisfying work of Faith upon the soul Hence Faith is called Heb. 11. 1. The substance of things hoped for and the evidence of things not seen Those two words substance and evidence do denote the great power that Faith ought to have upon the soul Again this firmness of Faith is not onely seen in dogmatical Assent but in in fiducial Application of the Promises to our selves in which sense it is said twice or thrice The just shall live by his faith Such are the weak actings of our Faith so strong are our temptations so supernatural and mysterious is this way of believing that all have cause to cry out with the Apostles Lord increase our faith Lastly The best hearers need the Ministry for increase in Godliness to grow in grace more Thus the Apostle writeing to those whom he supposeth as converted already yet exhorteth to put off the old man and put on the new To be renewed in the spirit of their minde Epes 4. 23. 24. And our Saviour prayeth for the Apostles even in that Prayer wherein he acknowledgeth that they had believed and received the word of God That they were not of the world John 17. 17 That God would sanctifie them by his word which is to be understood of the progress therein There is no Doctrine so practically opposite to the Scripture as that of Perfection for every where the Godly are commanded to grow to be mortifying the body of sin to be perfecting holiness which were ridiculous Exhortations if we had already attained Perfection Hence we are compared to those who run in a race and therefore till death do not come to our prize Thus where the Minister may have little to do in respect of Conversion it may have very much to do in respect of Edification And the Godly are to Examine whether every Sabbath day the Minister doth not come with a new benefit a new advantage to them look for a new grace and favour in every new Sermon And so we proceed to the Use which is of Instruction What all people should look at under the Ministry Spiritual advantages spiritual light spiritual heat spiritual quickenings As where Christ went up and down he healed their diseased people so where the word of God is preached it should heal soul-diseases Thou art not to have the Pride the passions the worldly cares as thou usest to have but oh how rare are such Hearers who aimeth at this who prayeth for this in every Sermon he heareth Oh fear least some spiritual judgment upon thee deprive thee of this benefit If an Israelite had looked upon the Brazen serpent and yet not be healed If a diseased person had stepped first in order into the Pool of Bethesda and yet not have been recovered they would have been greatly troubled to see their hopes frustrated No less ought it to make thee grieve and tremble
go rather than peace and quietness of a good conscience A Second Principle of the flesh which maketh men inconstant is An inordinate desire of Greatness and Honour above others They that walk by this must be black and white now say and than deny according as those are affected from whom they exspect Advancement This secret Ambition is accompanyed with a vehement heat and drought of the soul making a man restless till their desires be accomplished Neither may we think the Heathens onely to be blamed for these proud affectations We see even the Apostles twice contending about Primacy and Superiority which is the greater wonder if we consider the meanness of their own condition they were in as also of Christ their Master and yet more wonder it is if we remember how frequently our Saviour did inform them of Persecutions and saddest Calamities for his sake We read likewise of Diotrephes 3 John 9. who loved to have the preheminence and would not own no not the Apostle John himself Now those that walk by such Principles of pride and ambition they must needs be like a materia prima ready to receive any form They flatter they dissemble they commend they dispraise and thus debased they are that afterwards they may be exalted Now nothing is more odious and abominable to a sincere man than such mutability and uncertainty Hence Christians of old were called the just and holdfast men It was not thus with John Baptist of whom saith our Saviour What went ye out to see a read shaken with the winde No he did faithfully and constantly discharge his duty without any fear of men But how many may we go out to see as reeds shaken with every winde And as the reed must grow in some mire so must such mutable persons have some carnal respect to encourage them Those that climbe up to high places are apt to have their heads grow giddy and to be unsteadfast so that when men lay this as a foundation I will have Preferment I will have Honor and greatness though it damn me this man walketh upon slippery ice and no wonder if he often fall 3. Another carnal Principle which maketh Inconstancy in all our wayes is Pleasing of men When a man maketh this his Rule he must change often and be as a shadow which moveth whoily according to the motion of the body stoopeth when that stoopeth and is upright when that is upright The Apostle doth notably disclaim such a sinfull distemper saying Galat. 1. 10. If I should please men I could not be the servant of Christ Man is a mutable creature subject to different apprehensions to different affections loving one thing one day and hating it at another Then must they also who would please men be prepared for all formes and postures insomuch that a man cannot live in greater bondage and slavery tan to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a peoples ape or to study the humouring of those we have to deal with If thou art guilty of this man-pleasing thou art never able to do thy duty thou canst not reprove and punish sin thou canst not be just and righteous in thy place Our Saviour said to his Disciples How can you belive which receive glory of one another John 5. 44. and do not seek the glory of God only Certainly till we study to please God alone in our lives and aim at his glory who is alwayes the same we must be unstable as water and be a lyar to every man We read of some who did believe in Christ yet dared not to make Profession thereof for fear of the Jews Here was a desire to please men rather than God But can the good word and favour of men deliver thee from the wrath of God in thy conscience and eternal torments hereafter When Judas pleased the Chief Priests in betraying of Christ could they comfort him in the Agonies of his conscience yea when he bewailed his sin They say What is that to us look thou to that Mat. 17. 4. Such miserable tormentors instead of comforters will all those men be whom thou hast pleased to displease God 5. Time-serving is a Principle which whosoever walketh by must be as a weather-Cock that is turned with every winde The people of Israel are remarkeable for this Inconstancy under wicked and Idolatrous Kings then they erected Altars they adorned Images and then immediately under Religious and Reforming Kings they would destroy the Idolls and deface the Images they had set up It is true all change and alteration in Religion is not to be blamed yea sometimes it is to be encouraged When Luther and Melancton gave over their former corrupt Doctrines and superstitious Practices the Papists condemned them for Turn-coats and Apostate persons when yet this change was necessary So that as they say in Philosophy there is alteratio corruptiva and perfectiva a destructive change and a perfective change thus it is also in Divinity and the Latter is absolutely commanded by God when Errors or Prophaneness have like a gangrene spread over the whole Church but of that in its time We are now speaking of that sinfull change whereby people accommodate themselves to the times they live in and therefore judg of truth judg of the holy things of God as Jeroboam did with subordination to State-Interests This is the great carnal Policy that the Wise-men of the world admire as if the true Doctrines of Christ were not alwayes the same as if a thing might be the worship of God one time and Idolatry at another as if the same thing might be the Doctrine of Christ at one time and Heresie at another as if that of Cusanus were true though otherwise not a very bad man That the Scripture is to be understood according to the present state and Affairs of the Church and therefore saith he We are not to wonder if at one time some Customes and Usages be exacted in a Church which at another time are to be decryed and refused But certainly the Scripture is a Rule of Faith and Manners in all Ages in all Changes and Revolutions Though Kingdomes and States may alter yet the Scriptures are the same still and what was once the Doctrine Worship and Order of Christ is still the same Lastly That all Particulars may be comprehended in one To live according to the Principles of the Flesh is To set up our selves as the Alpha and Omega to enjoy our selves and to use all things yea God himself in subordination thereunto Thus this love of a mans self even to the hatred of God is that which maketh us put on multiform shapes it is that which maketh us bend and bow and comply in all things For if we did love the Honour and glory of God more than our own selves as we ought to do then we should not attend to self-advantages but Gods glory and honor So that we may say This Self-love is the Beelzebub sin it
is like Pharaohs lean Kine that devoureth all it meeteth with Why doth a man pursue this thing one time and then oppose it again Why doth he build and then destroy it again It is only for Self No wonder then if our Saviour laying down a fundamental Qualification in his Disciples requireth that a man should deny himself Mat. 16. 24. and truly he that cannot deny himself he will certainly deny God and Christ he will deny the true Faith of Christ when he is plunged into extream temptations Self-denyal then is that which will make a man deservedly be called homo quadratus better than he in Aristotle for he is settled upon such a sure and immoveable Rock that he will abide the same under all stormes and tempests In the next place we are to shew What are those Principles and rules of grace we ought to walk by opposite to those of the flesh that some may alwayes be steadfast and immoveable in the work of the Lord. But for the present we may by Use of Instruction be informed what to exspect from any carnal man he will never be faithfull to God and man he will change and alter according to earthly respects and therefore every such man is a lyar both towards God and man Constantine did once by way of stratagem make as if he were turned Arrian and published That all who would not Arrianize should lose their Preferment and be deprived of his favour Hereupon their were very many began to change their Religion many did deny the Deity of Christ But when he had discovered them enough then those few who would not deny the truth and imbrace Arrianism though it was to their great loss he imbraced and incouraged and as for the other Apostates he threw them off saying That they who were not faithfull to God would never be so to him Now from all natural men who walk by no Scripture-Principles but the lusts of their own hearts you cannot exspect any better they never followed Christ but for the loaves and therefore when they fail they will also withdraw These are like the Mill that goeth no longer than the waters drive it No wonder then if godly wen finde them to love to day and to hate to morrow for they do thus even to God himself Take heed then of purposing the things of thy soul after the flesh for then all those present affections will presently dye and wither within thee Thou wilt not long hold in the same minde but we shall quickly see it changed and thee falling off Therefore as David prayed when he saw the people offer willingly 1 Chron. 29. 18. O Lord God keep this for ever in the hearts of thy people So we may pray for thee when at any times manifesting some desires some affections to what is good O Lord keep this for ever in their hearts SERM. CXIII Of Principles in general and a godly mans in particular 2 COR. 1. 17. Or the things that I purpose do I purpose according to the flesh HItherto we have been discovering what principles of flesh there are which natural men do walk by whereby they are made so mutable and inconstant We are now to shew the godly mans principles who purposeth things according to the Spirit and thereby he is alwayes the same because God and the Scripture is alwayes the same yea hereby as Nazianzen saith it may be said of him as of God though with infinite disproportion I am God and change not So the godly man having the Image of God stampt upon him he is godly and he changeth not But before we come to specifie the principles of the godly who purpose after the Spirit let us take notice of something in the general relating both to the spiritual and carnal man As First Herein are men differenced from bruit beasts that they are carried forth to operations by some principles within them where as the bruits are acted by a natural instinct The Schoolmen make a Question Whether the bruit beasts do worke for some end or no And they conclude negatively because they have no reason or understanding yet by God the first cause they are acted to an end which they do not understand according to that Rule Opera naturae sunt opera intelligentiae But now man he being a rational creature as he hath some end to which he referreth all his actions so he hath several principles guiding of him to that end These principles are like the wings to the Bird the oars to the ship legs to a man to bring him to his end So that principles having such powerfull influence into what a man doth it behoveth a man above all to look to them to have sanctified and spiritual principles to consult choose and act by Secondly These principles whereby all men do walke are either speculative or practical such as regard truth to be imbraced or good to be practised Indeed there are in all men some general and common principles but of those we speak not There are superadded to these acquired principles or infused and these are more proxim and particular than the former It is a general remote principle That good is to be imbraced evil to be avoided But alas come to the practical improvement of this and then you would think the clean contrary were true that evil only was to be loved and good to be eschewed and the reason is because the corrupt heart of man acquireth practical sinfull principles to walk by So that untill God infuse heavenly principles he doth no more incline to and delight in good than swine can in pleasant flowers Thirdly Such is the universal corruption of man by nature till regenerated that all the principles he walketh by are sinfull carnal and earthly And therefore Paul alledgeth out of the Psalms Rom. 3. That there is none understandeth none seeketh after God there is none that doth good no not one And is it any wonder For can men of corrupt principles do holy actions Every man is as his principles are they make him a good tree or a bad tree As a man is affected so he judgeth so he loveth so he hateth so he liveth and worketh in all things Hence with the Schoolmen we have often this assertion That what principles are to conclusions the same is the end in things to be done And therefore as from false principles a man can never gather true conclusions so neither from a corrupt end is a man ever able to perform a good action They have also another Ruâ—e That what the forme is in natural things giving being unto them the same is the end in moral things and that humane actions are specified from the end They are gold or drosse as the end intended is all which shew the necessity of a mans attending to his principles what they are that move him and carry his soul out to work For it is not so much a mans actions and wayes as his principles
when the Cedars are so weak Use of Exhortation To take heed of this sinne in a special manner as being so reproachfull to a man much more a Christian so opposite to the Attribute of God whose faithfulnesse and truth is so often celebrated that it is impossible for him to lie Yea it cometh so immediately from the Devil that there ought to be no communion with him in this thing Never call any lie profitable for it will not prove so at last What if by it thou escape danger here and be cast into Hell hereafter What if thou gaine the world here and lose thy soule hereafter Will not this be a dreadfull and dismall lie to thee Remember that place Prov. 12. 19. The lying tongue is but for a moment Hence Prov. 13. 5. A righteous man hateth lying For that lying tongue is but for a moment hereafter it will scorch in hell it will burne in those eternal flames SERM. CXV GOD is True 2 COR. 1. 18. But as God is true our word towards was not yea and nay IN this Verse the Apostle giveth a reason why he did not use Lightness or purpose things according to the flesh viz. Because the word he preached was not so much his word as that which came from God the Supream truth and therefore as no Falshood could fall on God so neither upon his Word that floweth from him Some indeed understand the Word Paul here speaketh of of his Promise to come to them as if he did thus solemny affirm That he was not unfaithfull in his Promise But the ensuing words do evidently declare That he meaneth his Preaching that his Doctrine was not mutable and changeable For the malevolent Adversaries that he had to do with they took occasion from the altering of his purposes or at least deferring of his Promise in that Particular about coming to them to charge his whole Doctrine with the same levity and inconstancy to bring all he Preached into Question because of that Whereupon the Apostle being far more solicitous for his Doctrine and his Office then his own credit or glory doth especially fortifie that and confirm the Truth of that so that by this we see the nature of evil men Whatsoever failings or weaknesses may be in a Minister they presently charge his doctrine with it and blame his Ministry whereas Gods truth is truth and thou art to receive it though the Minister may be false and unworthy but of this wore in its time The Apostles Argument in this Text to confirm the truth of the Doctrine he preached is from the truth of God the measure and Rule of all truth if his word be a lye then God must be said to lye which is heynous blasphemy to speak but God is true This Expression is taken by some to be only Enunciative and Affirmative barely asserting the truth of God as if the meaning were God is true from whom we have received our commission to preach the Gospel and therefore that also must be true Others and they speak more probably take it to be an oath that the Apostle doth here use a sacred oath for the confirming of what he saith and so it is the same with the Hebrews form of an oath The Lord liveth and Heinsius maketh those expressions 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1 Tim. 1. 15. 1 Tim. 4. 9. to be equivalent to this We take it there to be an oath but because we have Paul using an oath again at the 23d Verse I shall wave that respect at this time and consider it only enunciatively attending to that Attribute and Property which this oath is built upon and that is Gods truth God is true From whence Observe That God is true God hath many glorious Attributes There is his Omniscience his Omnipotency his Justice and his Mercy and there is also his property of Truth which is of great use and Influence in our comeforts and Duties This truth of God is often celebrated in the Scripture Yea he is not onely said to be true but truth itself Deut. 32. 4. he is so essentially truth it self that the Word saith It is impossible for him to lye Heb. 6. 18. For he being truth in the abstract no falshood or lye is compatible with him Abstractives admit of no mixture though Concretives may Light in it self or whiteness in it self admitteth not of any darkness but as it is in subjects so it doth Now God as he is said to be Light and that there is no darkness in him at all 1 John 1. 5. So God is truth and in him there is no falshood at all But let us discover this Doctrine in particulars And First There is a twofold Truth A Metaphysical Truth and a Morall or Ethicall truth A Metaphysical truth is the truth of Being and Entity and thus the Scripture doth often celebrate the truth of God making him only to be the Jehovah He is the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Am that I am For if that rule be true Ens verum convertuntur then where is the chiefest and Infinite Entity there is also the Supreamest Verity This true being of God is often opposed unto Idols and the Heathens Gods which have no true being at all And that God is true in this sense is the very fundamental Article of all Religion Heb. 11. 6. He that cometh to God must believe that he is This truth of Gods being is often to be remembred against that Atheisme which doth reign in most mens hearts How could they live in such excess of riot did they believe there was a God But secondly there is a moral or Ethical Truth and that is Two-fold either Verity or Veracity Verity is when we speak or barely affirm that which is true Veracity is in our Promises when we faithfully perform them Now this Twofold truth is eminently in God There is the truth of his assertion and that is revealed in his Word which is also called truth So that whatsoever is affirmed there can no more deceive us than God himself And then there is the truth of his Promises and the Truth of his Threatnings the truth also of Prophesies and Predictions in all which God will be found true When every man is a Lyar God is true then in what he saith in what is foretold in what he promiseth and in what he threateneth Never let the prophane and secure sinner flatter himself hoping it will prove otherwise than the Word speaketh There is no threatening of God will prove a lye 2. There 's a Division of truth into truth increated and created Increated truth is God himself and he is called truth because Gods understanding is the measure and rule of all other Truths Nothing in the world is true but as it is consonant to his knowledg It is otherwise with us Our understanding is not the measure of the truth of things but there truth is the measure and rule of our understandings then is
our knowledg true when it is conformable to the thing it self but then is the thing true when it is conformeable to the knowledg of God So that herein is the Infiniteness and excellency of Truth as it is in God manifested above that which is in man So that man may well respectively to God be called a lyar There is no truth in him Now because truth as it is in God is invisible and the same with his Essence and we are never able to cown to know Truth but by God Hence we have the Scriptures given to the Church as the rule of truth All truth is from God whether it be natural or supernatural When any of the Heathens have found out Truth it was from God even as all fashood is from the Devil so that when the Godly do lye 't is from the Devils temptation the Father of lyes Thus when wicked and ungodly men have uttered truth it hath been of God Now because Supernatural truth could not be discerned but by Divine Revelation and pacefaction Hence it pleased God to make known in his Word What is that truth which will lead us to Salvation So that seing we are not able to behold truth as it is in God we must look upon it as it is in his Word for God is the hidden Truth as it were the Word is the revealed truth Therefore whatsoever is Scripture we may conclude of it as sure and firm Truth coming from the supream truth If then ye ask as Pilate did another way What is truth I answer thee The Scripture is truth No men are true any further than guided by Scripture and led by the Spirit of God accordingly Oh that therefore you did more aw your hearts with the truth of Gods Word If that say sin will be bitter in the latter end though it may bring profit and pleasure for a while believe it against all the wicked men in the world and say I do more believe this Text this Place of Scripture than all which the wickedness of men may oppose against it 3. In that God is true Herein he differeth from man and is thereby opposite to the Prince of darkness He differeth from man Therefore it is said Numb 23. 19. God is not as man that he should lye or Repent To trust in man is to lean upon reads Yea hence it is that because God only is Truth no pastors or Officers in the Church are to be believed any further than they bring the Word of God It was Christ alone God and man that could say I am truth Neither Austin nor Luther nor Calvin can say I am truth Not that therefore the Ministers of God are therefore to be laid aside because they are not infallible For God hath commanded us to hear them and to submit to them only we are not ultimately to depend on them The Church is called the Pillar of truth because she doth declare and hold out the Truth but she is not the Author of it We are then to conclude of all men that of themselves they have no Truth they need the Spirit of God to guide them therein And then hereby is an Opposition in God to the Devil As God is true so the Devil is the Father of Liés John 8. 44. when he speaketh of his own he speaketh a lye Now then consider how inexcusable every wicked man will be For on the one side Christ who is Truth it self he speaketh to the sinner to repent to reforme promising Everlasting Happiness to him Christ saith Thy sinnes have no pleasure no profit in them thou wilt finde them prove a lye to thee On the other side The Devil he tempteth thee contrary to Christ he telleth thee sin is sweet it is good and profitable to sin he biddeth thee follow the lusts of thy soul thou shalt not be damned for all that and now thou believest this Devil this Father of lies rather than Christ Oh how unsufferable is this how great is the Patience of God towards thee What hearken to the Devil before God But even thus Eve did at first she believed the Serpent more than God and thereby brought ruine upon her self and Posterity Oh that we could convince you enough herein that you may see with what madness and folly your sinnes carry you away while you listen to the Father of Lies who is the Adversary of your soules rather than Christ who mourneth over you saying Oh that such a sinner did know the things that maketh for his peace 4. From this truth of God Hence it is that we are so much commanded in Scripture to believe on him to trust in him and to depend upon him which indeed is a quiet and blessed life For what is that maketh thy heart like a Sea What is it that causeth one wave to rise up after another in thy soul Is it not because thou dost not depend upon this truth of God Were thy soul more assured here in the frame of thy spirit would be more joyfull Two Temptations amongst others there are wherein the soul cryeth out as in a Whales belly not knowing what to do◠whereas the confidence of Gods truth would presently satisfie the soul The first is In matters to be believed about the Doctrine that is delivered there For because that is wholly supernatural above our humane reason though not contrary to it hence it is that we have many fluctuations of spirit and our understandings are with difficulty captivated unto the Word of God Though these temptations about the Truths of Christian Religion are not incident to all the Godly and it is a special mercy to be preserved from them yet upon some they have come like a violent storm and therefore there is no way to stand disputing and arguing but to say God is true the Word is true I believe when I cannot dispute as one Martyr said But then a Second temptation which is like a continual thorn in the sides of the Godly is their Diffidence and distrust about the Promises of God They do not live and walk as if they were true So that never did any Heretick more subtilly cavill against the Doctrine of the Scripture than they do argue against the Promises of the Scripture Whether they be such as belong to the Church or to themselves To the Church when they read the Scriptures they finde such glorious and excellent Promises that they exspect she should alwayes have Halcyon dayes that her enemies should alwayes be vanquished but alas they finde experimentally the contrary They cannot see how Gods Words and his Works how his Promises and Providences do concurre together But the reason of this is from themselves They do not take a right way to understand the truth of God in this particular for these three Causes which commonly make the sense to erre about the Object although to speak properly the sense doth not erre but the judgment of a man discerning according to sence for
sense would be more properly said to erre if under such impediments it did not represent as it doth First One impediment in the sense is the two long distance of the Object from the eye to instance in this senfe As we judg the Sun less than the earth because of the vaste distance from us so that till a man take Astronomical Instruments and correct Sense by Art he misjudgeth about the Suns magnitude thus is it here When we go to judg of Gods Promises to us or his Church we finde not the truth of them because the wayes of God are too remote from us his thoughts exceed ours as much as the Heavens do the earth Therefore we must necessarily erre till we go to the Scripture that is as it were the Artificial Instrumennt whereby we are able to behold that truth in Gods proceedings which otherwise we could not A Second Impediment is the medium indispositum when the means of seeing is Indisposed as when we look upon a stick in the waters or the Sun through a dark cloud Thus many times when we judg of Gods proceedings according to his Promises we look through False mediums we think according to the Principles that men would do in the world as Luther said We would think that God should destroy Pope and Turk immediately but all this is because we look through an indisposed glass in this particular Lastly The eye cannot judg right of its Object when the visive faculty is disturbed when that is infested with any evil humors Thus the spiritual eyes even of a Godly man are in some measure vitiated and therefore are not able to behold that glory of God in carrying on the Affairs of his Church and by those very wayes which we would think tend to the destruction of the things promised by them he doth fulfill them for the wayes of the Lord are wonderfull to us in making good his Promises and commonly they are fulfilled by those means which seem contrary to them even as he cured the blinde man by mingling spittle with clay which he laid upon his eyes And thus the Godly soul may finde how God is true in spiritual Promises to his soul for he obtaineth comfort through desertions the way to Heaven he findes through Hell yea in sanctifying Grace he cometh to higher Degrees in Grace even by his Failings So true is that of Suarez Aliquando substractio gratiae est ad finem gratiae The end of Grace is accomplished by the gradual substraction and suspension of Grace for a time But I must not inlarge herein Lastly This truth of God is the foundation of all Religion and Godliness For if there were no truth in the Scriptures which are Gods truth if there were no truth in the Promises or Threatnings into what a Chaos and Confusion of wickedness would all men fall There would be no difference between Hell and this World So that Gods Truth is a Foundation of all Piety in these three wayes First The truth of God in his Doctrine delivered to the Church is the foundation yea the Essence and soul of his Church In this it doth differ from Jews Turks and Pagans yea from all Heretical Societies That she hath the truth of God and others not So that as the soulâ— keepeth the body from rottenness and Putrefaction Thus also the truth of God keepeth the Church from being only a Carkase or to have the Name and Title of a Church without the thing it self Secondly The truth of God in his Promises is the great supporter of the hopes of all the Godly By them alone they are enabled to walk with Peter upon the water and sink not because they believe Gods Promises to be true they do therefore renounce all unlawfull Pleasures and Profits they will not leave the fatness and sweetness of them to go to those bryars Thirdly The truth of God in his threatnings That is like a fiery sword to keep them from all evil They know those threatnings are true and that the World and the Devil prove lyars to all those that serve them therefore they awe their hearts with a continuall fear of them And certainly if every wicked man would remember this That Gods threatnings are true they will be made good no wisdome no greatness no power can resist him For how can the stubble withstand the consuming fire this would make them utterly forsake their sinnes But whether thou wilt believe or no Gods Curses will fall upon thee For there is this difference between the Promises and Threatnings The Promises many of them are not made good unto them unless thou do believe believe and thy sinnes are forgiven thee but the threatnings will be made good to thee a prophane sinner whether thou wilt or not Gods Word will have its effect though thou dost desire it might be false SERM. CXVI The personal failings of Ministers are oft cast upon the Ministry it self 2 COR. 1. 18. But as God is true our word toward you was not yea and nay THe next particular considerable is the occasion of that Transition which the Apostle maketh from the word of his Promise in particular to come to them and the word of his Preaching in the general The occasion is from that evill and malevolent Disposition which was in his Adversaries who from any either real or but supposed Imperfections in other things would presently burden his Ministry with it and thereby as much as in them lieth make Paul wholly useless in the Church of God Now because this is the continual stratagem which the Devil useth to make the best Ministry ineffectual and because it is the constant inclination of wicked men to do so therefore I shall pursue this Observation That there is a propensity in wicked and evil minded men to cast all the imperfections of the Ministers of the Gospel upon their Ministry and Doctrine To bring the Truths they Preach either into doubt or disesteem because of some failings yea though they be not real but supposed in their own Imaginations Thus the Adversaries of Paul they did captiously lay hold upon his Promise and failing as they think in that thereby they would render all his Doctrine and Ministry odious that thereby their falshoods and corruptions may have the greater success Thus the wickedness of ungodly men doth constantly bend to this that they may be hardened in their hearts against the Word Preached that they may fortifie themselves with some damnable Principles of others that so the message of the Lord may be rejected Now to illustrate this consider these particulars First That when a Minister either preaches false Doctrine or liveth scandalously or is lazy and negligent in his place then it is lawfull for a people to have an holy and wise zeal against such persons that they may be quickened up to their duties Neither is this to be an enemy to the Office of the Ministry or to endeavour the publique Dishonour of it
saved come to a Nay There is sometimes a necessity of changing and that is when people and Ministers have been carried away with errours and false wayes Though such things may plead antiquity though you may urge prescription for many hundred years yet upon conviction and illumination we are to change from yea we are to bewail such errours as we once lived in Was it not thus with Paul Though Paul was not now Yea and Nay since he was an Apostle yet he was once so neither was that to his dispraise but his honour in the Church of God Did not Paul once violently persecute that way which afterwards he preached for Those traditions and pharisaical superstitions which once he maintained even to the killing of all the opposers thereof Doth not he in time with as much zeal renounce them as ever once he did plead for them This change of Paul was so wonderfull that Act. 9. 21. Many who heard him preach Christ were amazed saying Is not this he that destroyed them who called on this Name in Jerusalem You see then that there may be a just occasion to change our opinions our practices in Religion There is a just occasion for a Jew a Turke to leave his Religion and become a Christian There is a just occasion for Papists and Hereticks to forsake that way of worship they have followed with so much zeal and devotion Neither may they fear the shame and reproach of being accounted weather-cocks and turn-coats but rather they have cause to blesse God who hath opened their eyes and not suffered them to perish in the Aegypt and Sodome they were in It is true naturally it is accounted an hainous sinne to change that Religion which a man is born and bred up in Therefore we have an History of our King John Fuller Histor of the Church who being in great Stateextremities sent to the King of the Moors for aid and assistance promising him his Kingdom if he would and that the Nation should receive the Turkish Religion But the Morocco King refused the offer saying That he had lately read Paul ' s Epistles and did like the matter well so that he found no fault with Paul but because he changed the Religion he was born in I bring this instance to shew what a great influence that Religion hath let it be false or true upon a man in which he hath been educated Yet there is a necessity if men will be saved sometimes of forsaking that Religion our Fathers and Ancestours have lived in For seeing that is directly against Scripture that any man in any Religion may be saved and also that seeing there are so many contrary Religions in the world it followeth inevitably that there are some in such damnable wayes and that of Religion that without repentance and coming out of those former impieties they shall never escape the eternal flames of hell and such a change is not matter of reproach but it is the wonderfull conversion of Gods grace upon our hearts Hence the Apostle doth so often admire the riches of Gods grace to those Heathens who were delivered out of that ignorance and darknesse with the abominable impieties they once lived in As it is in Philosophy they distinguish of alteration or change it is either destructiva or perfectiva Thus when a man of a fool is made wise of a vicious person virtuous here is a perfective alteration so it is also in the matters of Religion we may change the best errour for truth darknesse for light It is not then enough to say Thou wilt not change thy principles thy way of Religion thou hast been born in them and thy Ancestours have lived in the same way for this every Jew every Turke may plead as well as thou The Heathens pleaded this against the Christian Religion Sequendi sunt patres qui foeliciter sunt suos sequuti contumeliosa est emendatio senectutis If this be true why art thou not a Papist still Why doest thou not call for the Masse and Church-duties to be done in Latine For this was the way thy Ancestours were brought up in Hence in the second place It is not simply the Yea and Nay that is to be blamed but when it is in the truth when we ought to be constant and immoveable therein As every party doth brand another with Heretick Schismatick Apostate so also with inconstancy but it is not the meer names but the reality that maketh such persons If then a man holds Gods truth he is no Heretick though the whole world should condemn him He that hath a Scripture-ground to depart from the Idolatries of the Church is no Schismatick though others charge him with it for Causa non separatio facit Schismaticum Thus if a man forsake his former errours his former superstitions if he leave his corrupt Doctrines this mans change is a duty he is not to be blamed for it but if a man leave the truth if he forsake the way of God then his Yea and Nay is to be reproved If then you see a man leaving one opinion after another one practice after another so that all this while it is a progresse in the truths of Christ this man is the more to be encouraged For such is the pertinacy of man and love to his owne credit and glory that it must be some great cause which shall make him retract and recant that which he did once zealously professe so that it is in Doctrinals as in morals if you see a man that hath for many years wallowed in his lusts that hath been glewed to them so that he appeared Non tam peccator quam ipsum peccatum if this man through the grace of God be converted do contrary to all that once he did shall this man be derided because he will not be the same prophane person that once he hath been No God rather is to be glorified who made the prodigal that was lost to be found that was dead to live again Thirdly Although thus to increase in knowledge and light whereby we leave off doing the things we once did be thus a duty yet even such a change supposeth an imperfection in a man For were our understandings fully illuminated we should be able to see the truths of God at the very first light would not come in successively upon us and by degrees dispelling darknesse as we see the Sunne doth in the morning but it would be in its vertical point immediately Even as Photius reporteth out of an Historian Agatharcides that there are a people to whom the Sunne doth not appear by degrees as to us but it cometh suddenly and perfectly upon them out of the depth of darknesse It is true therefore our weaknesse and imperfection not that we come to know things better than we did or that we are changed but because we needed such an alteration We know but in part saith the Apostle 1 Corinth 13. putting himself into the number Hence
this truth That inconstancy and contrariety in the Doctrine of Ministers is a very great reproach to them For the discovering whereof we have brought in some particulars and proceed upon the same account As First We must alwayes distinguish between constancy and pertinacy for these differ as much as light and darknesse though one may seem very like the other Insomuch that the rash wilfull pertinacy of some men in their wayes and opinions though never so false is gloried in by them as true constancy Never is sinne more ready to deceive us then when it cometh in truths mantle when the Devil appeareth like Samuel For then this lustre and glistering doth deceive us taking vice for vertue that we cannot be brought into any way of amendment But this we must resolve upon That constancy and pertinacy they differ as much as evil and good To be a constant man is a duty to be a pertinacious man is a sinne If you see a Papist or an Heretick that will endure the greatest torment ere he will be Yea and Nay as often it falleth out This man is not to be commended for constancy but condemned for his wilfulnesse and pertinacy So that among many other differences constancy and pertinacy are discriminated in their object for constancy hath alwayes that which is good and true for its object as the Apostle saith It is good to be zealously affected in a good thing Gal. 4. 18. so it is good to be constant and persevering in that which is a duty But then pertinacy is alwayes in that which is false and evil and therefore is commonly made to be a necessary concomitant of an heretical person Though he hold a grievous errour yet if he doth it not with pertinacy after frequent admonitions and convictions he is not judged an Heretick according to that known saying of Austins Errare possum Haereticus esse nolo The Apostle also supposeth wilfulnesse and refractorinesse in Tit. 3. 10. when he biddeth us Reject an heretick after the first and second admonition implying that thereby he hath fully discovered his pertinacy and so his incorrigibility If then in a sacred Oath wherein we solemnly call upon God as a witnesse when it is about a sinfull and ungodly thing it is our duty to break it It was Herod's sinne that he would fullfill his oath then how much more if thou art in an erroneous or in a sinfull and ungodly way to go on wilfully and wilt not change thy mind whatsoever cometh of it This pertinacy is also seen in wicked men who will not be reformed though the Ministry be never so potent and effectual though light penetrate never so secretly into their breasts yet like Balaam they go on desperately against the Angel of God with a sword in his hand and glory that they are no changelings whereas is to be of another mind were alwayes sinne their repentance would be a vice and not a virtue For what is that but to be of another mind to change our minds whether it be in doctrinal errours or practical impieties there must be a repentance a changing of our minds else we shall never enter into the Kingdome of Heaven Remember then this difference be a constant man not a pertinacious self-willed man The former's Yea yea and Nay nay in a good sense the later in a bad sense Solomon saith Bray a fool in a morter yet his foolishnesse will not depart from him Prov. 27. 22. What is he therefore to be commended because he will not be changed Yea this change from all evil of mind or life is so necessary that God hath appointed his Ministry for this end For this end he afflicteth and chastiseth that we should be men of other minds of other perswasions than we have been Arrianus's Epictetus hath a Chapter Lib. 2. cap. 15. against such who will contumaciously persist in what they have decreed and instanceth in a friend who had decreed to famish and starve himself and was hardly perswaded to the contrary meerly because he would be as good as his purpose whereas first we are to consider whether the thing decreed be good and right or no. Mad men have strength but they put it out in a furious way so erroneous and wicked men they will be the same they will not alter or change but this is in a sinfull and damnable way Oh that we could see many putting a Nay upon their former Yea To cry as he did Ego non sum ego for unlesse such do become changed they are sure to perish Secondly Then therefore is yea and nay so reproachfull when they are mutable from truth as well as errour as also from corrupt and light motives Some have an inconstancy and levity of mind they do not adhere long to any one thing These want solidity and weight and therefore are like feathers and straws that are blown up and down with every wind of Doctrine These are children wanting sound judgement and so are easily deluded Hence the Apostle exhorteth Ephes 4. 14. That we be not as children tossed up and down with every wind of Doctrine How many are there that do not adhere to the truths of God upon constant divine motives but light and corrupt whereby it cometh to passe that they have Annuam menstruam fidem They have a daily monethly and yearly faith and we may truly say of them what Maldonate by scorn deriding the division of faith given by Protestants Illis enim tot sunt fides quot sunt in lyrâ It is this unsetledness and inconstancy that maketh the Protestant Religion so reproached by Papists herein they boast by this they insinuate that you Protestants go from Religion to Religion from opinion to opinion and have no huc usque but change their perswasions as often as their fashions Now it must be granted that such giddinesse and inconstancy doth not consist with a sound faith and judgement Men may be very learned men and yet very unsetled in their judgement Who will not acknowledge that Grotius was to be honoured for his learning But his inconstancy was the dead flie in his box of ointment Hence Rivet relateth of him That when he was in prison some interceded with Prince Maurice for his liberty but the Prince denied and pointing to the weather-cock upon his house said En caput Grotii On the other side it was the commendation of John Baptist that he was not as a reed shaken with every wind When we have once tried all things and found out the truth then we are to hold it fast we are not to be alwayes enquiring and seeking this is perpetually to erre in the wildernesse and never come into Canaan Pray therefore to God against inconstancy and unsetlednesse in mind in matters of Religion such a temptation hath fallen so foully upon some that it hath even brought a distraction upon them It is a mercy to be setled upon the Rock to be rounded
Christ is Jesus a Saviour to his people 2 COR. 1. 19. For the Son of God Jesus Christ c. VVE have in a brief manner declared the former description of Christ in respect of his divine nature The Son of God whose Deity so much oppugned by blasphemous Heretiques is yet the Foundation of our Christianity Therefore those Socinians who would reckon the manner how he is God among the Accessories and not Fundamentals in Religion are justly to be exploded If we believe he is God say they it is enough to salvation but whether he be an essential God or made and constituted one that is not necessary Even as they instance prophanely concerning Alexander to some he was accounted a God to others a man but because both these though different in their Opinions did reverence and obey him as a King that was enough But oh prophane mouth The Lord rebuke such spirits and let not the Godly so much as bid God speed or receive into their houses such as bring this blasphemous Doctrine But let us proceed to the other descriptions of Christ which are partly in respect of his Humane Nature Jesus and partly in respect of his Office Christ. We have already said enough from the first Verse to clear the Grammatical Interpretation of these words as also what the judgments of Learned men are about those two Names So that I may not actum agere I shall insist upon New matter not then delivered and first we Observe That the Lord Christ is a Jesus and a Saviour to his people This Name containeth the glad Tydings of the Gospel If so be the news of a Physician that can cure all Diseases be so welcome to diseased Persons if the year of Jubilee was so acceptable to all those whose Lands were morgaged amongst the Jews and they perplexed in extream Debts how precious and dear should the name of a Saviour be to poor undone sinners who while they look upon themselves only and their own power see no way to escape Eternal wrath Did the Angels so much rejoyce when this Jesus came into the World who were not concerned so much in his Redemption and shall distressed and sinfull man not have his heart leap within him for joy hereat That we may be affected herein let us consider what is implyed in this Title He is a Saviour 2. Of whom he is a Saviour First In that Christ is thus called a Saviour their is necessarily implyed that all mankinde are lost that we are all in an undone and hopeless condition Thus our Saviour Mat 18. 11. For the son of man is come to save that which is lost What blessed words of comfort are here He is come to save it is of his own accord of his own good will he cometh there is no necessity he might have chosen whether he would or no but of his own meer will he is come and then he is come to save that implyeth this is the work he had no other thing to do if man had not been lost he had not come into the world If then it be Christs proper work and Office to save shall we think he will be frustrated therein and then it is to save in that it comprehended all things He came to convert to sanctifie to justifie to glorifie for Salvation includeth all these Hence the Scripture speaketh of the Godly as saved already though but in the way 2 Tim. 1. 9. who hath saved us and called us Lastly He came to save that which was lost actually lost not in danger to be lost not in probability to be lost but lost and then lost that doth imply our hopeless estate It s grace must finde us out it s Christ that must seek us out as the good Shepherd did his wandring sheep So that we see in what condition every man is though never so great wise and learned till he hath an Interest in Christ though a Great man a lost man though a Rich man yet a lost man and that to all Eternity for ever lost till this Saviour doth recover What then hast thou to do but to sit down and bewail thy loss to aggravate thy loss Oh wretched and undone man I have lost God I have lost his image I have lost Eternal glory Is it not a reproach to thee to see how thy heart can mourn and mert for outward losses I have lost my dear Relations I have lost all I am worth and to have it like a stone and a rock in this particular It is one thing to be lost and another thing to be sensible of this All men by nature are lost though they do not feel it though they rejoyce and are carnally jolly but then some few only whose hearts God doth soften by his Grace they feel and groan under this lost estate 2. We are to consider what kinde of Saviour he his and what kinde of Salvation it is And now that is plain he is not a temporal Saviour but a spiritual one so the Angel interpreteth it for he shall save his people from their sinnes Mat. 17. 21. In the Old Testament we read that God did raise up his people many temporal Saviours Thus Moses was a Saviour Joshua who hath the same name with Jesus he was a Saviour and the Apostle to the Hebrews maketh Joshua the son of Nun delivering the Israelites from their dangers and enemies so that at last he bringeth them into the Land of Rest to be a Type of Christ our spiritual Saviour who delivereth us from all our spiritual enemies sin and Satan not leaving us till he hath made us sit on Thrones of Glory Now this carnal Opinion that Christ would come as a temporal Saviour did almost infect the whole Nation of the Jews yea the Disciples were leavened with this sower leaven And because some places of Scripture did plainly speak of the lowliness and afflictions of the Messiah and other of his glory and greatness therefore some Jews fancyed two Messiahs one humble lowly and poor the other magnificent and glorious And certainly if Christ had come as a temporal Messias to vindicate his people from all external bondage and to bestow on them outward pomp and greatness this world would have suited with flesh and bloud but it is a spiritual Salvation he bringeth and though natural men do not think so yet this is the greatest Salvation this alone deserveth to be called Salvation To be saved from thy sinnes to be saved from hell to be saved from damnation This is that which alone makes happy The Romans they sacrificed to Jupiter as their Saviour and that was only for temporal Deliverances But with what praise and joy are we to acknowledg Christ our Saviour who doth thus vanquish our most potent and spiritual enemies But no hearer can relish this truth unless he be spiritual he must be like the man of Jericho wounded not in body but in soul crying out I am not a dead
to charge it upon all other Ministers as if they were all alike It was for this that Paul doth not only apologize for himself but his Associates also But how unreasonable is this grant that some were truly blame-worthy must all be so If in the Old Testament there were many false prophets that daubed with untempered mortar that cried peace peace to sinners when destruction was at hand shall we therefore condemn the good Prophets who reproved even the greatest and most mighty for their sins Because Judas was a thief and for filthy lucre sake betrayed Christ shall we condemn all the Apostles making them to be no better Must Sylvanus and Timotheus be accused Because they thought Paul was inconstant and light yet thus it falleth out continually and that from these Grounds First The policy and enmity of false teachers who like Haman think it a small matter to destroy one Mordecai unlesse they root out the whole race of the Jews Thus the false Apostles concluded Though Paul was disgraced and vilified yet if Sylvanus and Timotheus be in esteem and authority our Kingdom will fall to the ground It is therefore the adversaries design to cast dung in the faces of all the faithfull Ministers of Christ that so there might not one be left that should be usefull in their place A second Ground is From the injudiciousnesse and indiscretion of people who are credulous and apt to believe all rumours and reports How could it be that the Pharisees by their calumniating Christ as an Impostor and a Blasphemer should prevail with the greater part of the people to be on their side because they were blinde and led by the blinde they would not make use of their own judgement they would not examine and try whether things were so or no. And then the third Ground is From the natural enmity that is in all wicked men to the Office of the Ministry when faithfully discharged That is a burden to them they must needs say with Ahab to such faithfull Michaiahs We hate him because he alwayes prophesieth evil Alas godly Ministers cannot give any comfort cannot promise peace to such ungodly persons therefore they have hatred against them and are glad to receive any false report concerning them Ministers are compared to Light and to salt now the Light must needs be offensive to distempered eyes and Salt to soars Thus if the Ministery be powerfull to enlighten to convince to reprove no ungodly man can endure this Therefore it is that the office of the Ministery when faithfully managed is so great a trouble to wicked men They are thievs therefore cannot endure this light they cry out with Ahab hast thou found mee O my enemy Every Sermon that is powerfull is as bitter as gall and wormwood to them and therefore there being such an enmity and ill-will against them it is no wonder if they be quickly prejudiced and will not believe there is a godly or faithfull Minister in the whole Church of God But I hasten to the Last Observation and that is It is a most blessed and happy thing when all the Ministers of God agree with one consent to advance Christ As Luke calleth it chap. 1. The mouth of all the holy Prophets which have been since the beginning of the world It was but one mouth as it were They all agreed in the same Doctrine Paul and Sylvanus and Timotheus they all preach the same Christ they were not yea or nay This accord and agreement among the Ministers of the Gospel is of so great concernment that our Saviour in his valedictory prayer doth with much efficacy and vigor press this Petition That his Disciples may be one and one in the most near manner imaginable even as the father and son are one I shall not enlarge on this because heretofore much spoken off only I shall instance in some usefull Effects and consequences of this happy Agreement Only before I do that we have cause to take notice of the goodness of God and that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 manifold wisdome of God whereby he hath provided many Offices many Officers for his Church and those variously gifted and all for the spiritual benefit of our soules some are Barnabasses some are Boanergeses Thus as the Kings Daughter is said to be cloathed with needle work of divers colours so hath God richly adorned his Church with variety of abilities that if men be not converted the greater will be their condemnation For whereas Auditors are of divers appetites some are for doctrinal Preaching some for affectionate some are for legal terrible Sermons others for sweet Evangelical discourses if Christ send Embassadours thus qualified every way what can they look for who are not by these several baits allured and taken For this cause we have Christ himself upbraiding the Jews that no kinde of heavenly way would please no kinde of dressing the Word of life was acceptable to their palates Matth. 11. 18. John came neither eating nor drinking and they say he hath a devil The son of man came eating and drinking and they say Behold a friend of publicans and sinners Hereupon he compareth them to children playing in the markets saying we have piped to you and ye have not danced we have mourned unto you and ye have not lamented Thus nothing would do any good to them Admire then Gods goodness that hath thus abundantly provided for thee Do not simply and enviously compare one Ministers gifts above another but adore the mercy of God that useth all the different abilities of men for the Churches good This premised we may from the harmony and Agreement of Ministers in advancing Christs Kingdom see First The greater Confirmation of the truth If out of the mouth of two or three witnesses then how much more out of the mouth of many thousand witnesses is every truth abundantly confirmed How canst thou give way to any atheistical thoughts whether there be a God or a day of Judgment or an heaven or an hell when thou shalt hear so many thousands of Gods servants in all ages witness to this thing All the Prophets and Apostles men renouned for holiness for miracles they all preached the same Doctrines that we do to you And therefore consider with thy self what a cloud of witnesses thou gainsayest by thy unbelief 2. The greater consent and harmony the greater defence there is for the truth The old rule is vis unita fortior Our Saviour confirmeth it when he saith A Kingdome divided against it self cannot stand What advantages do the enemies of Gods Church make by the Divisions and different Judgments of men in the Reformed Church The Papist doth confidently conclude that all will turn to them at last for say they you have so many Sects amongst you and one saith he hath the spirit of God and another he hath but all contrary to one another Now although it were easie to recriminate yet this difference
when an adult person so did God with his Church But then if we come to the Doctrinals we shall finde that the same truths necessary to salvation were in the Old Testament as the New Abraham David and all the Godly were justified by faith in Christ as well as the Believers in the Gospel This indeed is that which the Socinians pertinaciously deny they think that the Godly in the Old Testament did not believe in Christ that this is a peculiar new duty required under the Gospel and never before viz. to believe in Christ But the Apostle in his Epistle to the Hebrews doth admirably open the mysterious signification of those Jewish ceremonies and sacrifices shewing that Christ was represented therein and that it was not the blood of Rams and goats but of Christ that did take away sin Hence Abraham is said to see Christs day and rejoyce 1 Cor. 10. they are said to drink of the spiritual rock which was Christ and Act. 15. 10 11. Peter and the Councel speaking of the yoke laid upon our fathers addeth But we believe that through the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ we shall be saved even as they The Doctrine then of Jesus Christ of the Trinity of eternal Life were in the old Testament as well as the New only more implicitely and obscurely the Old Testament being the New hidden and covered the New being the Old revealed and explained so that the Old and New Testament do not contain old and new Doctrine essentially but gradually as we say the old and new moon not meaning two moons but distinct discoveries of light therein 2. We are to distinguish between progress and growth in the same truth and the alteration or change of truth into errour And truly this is of great consideration for this very particular will obviate all the calumnies of the Papist Let it be granted that the first Reformers did not did not at first view see all the truths of the Christian Religion but that by degrees they had scales fall off from their eyes and some things that at first they thought true or tolerable afterwards they rejected as false and abominable And thus Calvin de scandalis answereth the Papists who calumniate us saying If you had the spirit of God why did ye not see all truth presently Why was it that some things did appear false to you afterwards which did not so at first This saith he is to envy us proficiency in the truth and to expect that the Sun in the morning should shine as gloriously as at noon day So that it is one thing addere aedificium fundamento as Austin calleth it and another thing to make a new Foundation Thus Lyrinensis when he made this Objection To what use are Doctors and Officers of the Church if so be they must only receive the Doctrine delivered and not excogitate new by their own wit He answereth There is profectus but not permutatio allowed a growth but not a change The work of the Ministers of the Gospel is not to finde out new real fundamental truths no more than a new Christ or a new Bible he that cannot see by one Sun would not by twenty and he that will not be convinced by one Bible would not if there were more Yet they are not useless for these Fundamentals they are dayly to confirm to explain to polish and affectionately to improve for Sanctification more and more so that as he saith they must not deliver nova yet they may nova not new things but in a new manner When a childe groweth up into a man he still retaineth his humane nature though there be an increase in his stature but if this childe should grow into a horse or a bear then this would be a change of his species and his naâ—uâ—e Thus the Church and her Officers they are to grow in more light in more knowledg in more faith but still in the same truth whereas if they degenerate into Errors and false Doctrines then the species is altered now it is not hony but gall it is not gold but dross not meat but poyson So that if we see eminent men growing out of those errors and those Superstitions they were once intangled in you must not call this yea and nay but a laudable duty for we see the spirit of God communicating it self by degrees Even as the Sun doth not presently arise to its vertical point so neither doth the spirit of God reveal all things at once It cometh in by degrees he could perfect our understandings even in this life as much as they shall be in heaven so that we shall no longer know in part but he is pleased to work gradually even as he did make the world not in an instant but successively Thus we see he did to the very Apostles they were under his Instruction and Government a good while and yet were ignorant in many particulars till at last he confirmed them from his spirit from above The Protestants then are not guilty of yea and nay though they did not at first dâ—scover all the abominations of Popery Neither may we charge any particular Minister for yea and nay if out of error he proceed to truth if from darkness he attaineth to more light For although many Heretical persons may shrowd themselves under the serious name of new light yet it is plain that both Pastors and people are to grow in new light gradually though not specifically Thus the Apostle Peter 1 Pet. 1. 19. commendeth the believers for attending unto the word of God as unto a light that shineth in a dark place untill the day dawn and the day-starre arise in their hearts not as if ever they could come to light enough that they need not to attend to Scripture any further that they may throw away the Bible as useless having light enough within them No but that donec that until is continual and alwayes as sometimes it is used 3. We are to distinguish between Yea and Nay indeed and a seeming yea and nay between 〈◊〉 constant new Doctrines indeed and those that are apparently so We grant that such corruptions such darkness may cover the face of the Church that the true Doctrines of Christ may seem new and be condemned for novelllsm and the Doctor who preached them be thought to come with his yea and nay And thus again Luther and Melancthon with many others are condemned for their inconstancy They were once ours say the Papists they did once believe as we believed worship as we worshipped but now they are a nay to their yea This calumny will easily vanish if you distinguish between new things indeed and new things appearingly so The Protestant Doctrine was not new indeed if you look to the Scripture and Christ it is old as they are but then we grant that if we consider the Chaos the Church was in at that time what superstitious abominations did then prevail we grant what the Reformers
did all was new their service new their Doctrine new but the iniquity and the corruption of the times made it appear to be so And indeed Popery is properly the great Novellisme for the Popish Doctrines the Popish Worship began to creep in when the Churches of Christ began to degenerate from their Primitive Institution The change then that is many times in the face of Religion which doth so offend many is not indeed so but in appearance Those truths of God were formerly professed in the Church only an Eclipse did arise which obscured the light of the Sun As then the Sun is not changed after an Eclipse we do not see a new Sun thus it is also with the truths of Christ the Reformers do not bring new truths only the darkness is dispelled and we see them which were long before It is with us as with men whose heads are distempered we think such and such things run round whereas indeed it is a distemper upon us and it is a signe that we have been corrupted when old truths seem new to us 4. We may therefore truly conclude that antiquity and consent are inseparable properties of a true Church That Church which retaineth Doctrines of the greatest Antiquity and which doth agree with the Primitive Apostolical Churches that must needs be a true Church for truth is alwayes alike That cannot be true Doctrine in one age which is not in another though men are apt to be changed by the times they live in yet Gods truth cannot be When therefore the Papists bring antiquity and consent as notes of a true Church we deny they can or are to be called notes because it is not Antiquity barely but antiqvity in the true Doctrine nor Consent meerly so but consent with the Primitive Churches Doctrine So that True Doctrine is properly the note of the Church only we add that Antiquity and Consent with the Primitive times do inseparably follow the true Doctrine Now the ground of this certainty and equality of the truths of Christ is because they are Gods truths Christs truths if they were the truths of mens making then they might alter and change as they please then it might be formed reformed and transformed into all the shapes that mens Interests could put them upon then truth might alter according to the climates customes and advantages of men then truth might be one thing at Rome and another thing at Constantinople then we might say such things were truth in one age and ye the contrary truth in another Popery was truth in Queen Maries dayes and Protestantisme in Queen Elizabeths And truly some men are so Atheistical or self-seeking that they account truth as the Apostle said some did godliness even outward gain and therefore when such an opinion is gainfull then it is truth but when not so then it is Heresie Use of Instruction How odious Instability and Inconstancy is in matter of Religion whether it be in private Christians or publick Officers It plainly discovereth that not the truth of Christ but some other uncertain motive prevaileth with thee either thy profit or thy applause or the times or customes or the Lawes of the Land or some other mutable respect doth work upon thee and if so then thou canst not but be a reed shaken with every winde of Doctrine Thou art then but as an Instrument of musick making no other sound nor no longer then thou art breathed into Profit will make thee a Papist profit will make thee a protestant profit will make thee an Heretick How contrary is such a fickle temper to the nature of Faith which is the substance of things hoped for and the evidence of things not seen Use 2d of Instruction How false that position is of some Papists That the Church may make Articles of Faith and that the Authority of the Church maketh the Authority of the Scripture at least towards us So that the Scriptures would have no more authority then Titus Livius or Aesops fables in respect of our duty to believe were it not for the Churches Authority No less blasphemous is that other comparison of another Papist resembling the Scripture to a nose of wax If so then no wonder if they make what truths and what religions they please then we may call it the Popes truth the Churches truth and not the truth of God It is a ridiculous passage of a Papist Ford against Taylor saying that it is probable the Church will make that Opinion about the immaculate Conception of the Virgin Mary to be an Article of Faith As if the Church could make that necessary to be believed if we would be saved that was not alwayes so Why may she not as well make a new Bible set up a new Christ as they establish a new Article of Faith SERM. CXXIV Of Gods Promises to man 2 COR. 1. 20. For all the Promises of God in him are yea and in him amen unto the glory of God by us THis Verse is a further confirmation of the constancy and immutability of the Lord Christ and so by consequence of Pauls doctrine For that Christ is unchangeable he proveth in that all the promises which God hath made they receive their fullnesse and complement in him and so are therefore true because fullfilled both in him and by him This is the Apostles sence in this assertion which Calvin doth well call memorabilis sententia c. a memorable sentence and one of the chiefest Articles of our Religion for herein is all our faith and confidence seated that in Christ God maketh his gracious promises to us by whose efficacy and impetration they be accomplished so that a promise is fullfilled not because of any worth or dignity in us but because of of the fulnesse and worth that is in Christ 1. The words may be taken as an entire Proposition wherein we have the subject and predicate with the amplification of it from the finall cause The subject is described from the nature of it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 promises 2. From the universality and extent 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 all promises as many as are made 3. From the efficient cause the promises of God 4. The predicate are yea and are amen in him Of which in their order Let us begin with the Subject 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the promises many times in the plurall number at other times in the singular for indeed the covenant of grace is but one large promise or an ocean emptying it self into many streams yet sometimes called promises because of the many things both spirituall and temporall that are particularly promised by God the summe whereof is contained in that great promise or Magna Charta of the Church I will be their God and they shall be my people or else it may be promises in the plurall number because of the frequent repetition and reiteration of the grand promise of Christ to the Church Now the word promise is sometimes used for the
applied to them yet they were not the seed of the promise in the sense the Apostle intendeth as Isaac was that is so as to have the true and real benefits of the promise and in this respect we say no ungodly man hath any promise of any priviledge made to him abiding in that condition No promise of pardon no promise of Gods favour no promise of any earthly comfort not a morsel of bread or droppe of drinke he cannot plead any promise in his prayers And therefore when we may enjoy many outward mercies these come not by vertue of a promise to him but onely through the providence of God God out of a general love doth bestow such comforts upon him it is not from any promise made to him And indeed seeing the Text saith The promises of God are confirmed in Christ unlesse a man be in Christ there is no promise can be effectual to him Oh the sad condition of all ungodly men For if thou hast no promise what hope canst thou have Are not the Devils therefore eternally wretched because they have no promise Hope in this is compared to an Anchor Heb. 6. 19. Now what shipwrack must that ship needs endure which under waves and tempests hath no Anchor for a defence Fourthly Gods promise for the accomplishing of it doth suppose faith on our part for the promise on Gods part and faith on our part are correlates We cannot put forth faith for any mercy where we have not Gods promise neither is Gods promise accomplished to any but the believer Thus the Apostle Rom. 4. 16. saith The promise is of faith that it might be not only by grace but also made sure to such who do believe So that it is with a godly man according to his faith Christ saith to thee Be thou justified according to thy faith receive pardon and comfort according to thy faith If thou complainest God hath made great and precious promises but I cannot taste of this honey I perish notwithstanding this fullnesse Then remember it is not because there is not enough in the promise but thy faith is weak thy vessel is narrow to receive As if the woman should have refused to borrow vessels when the Prophet multiplied her oyle For the oyl did not cease till her vessels ceased So neither will Gods promise cease working till thy faith cease to operate Indeed in Gods comminations and threatnings they are fulfilled whether man will or no Let him believe or not believe God will throw the ungodly into Hell but in the promises it is otherwise then they do good to us when by faith we imbrace them So that by this we see how dangerous and noxious it is not to put forth faith it both dishonours God and depriveth us of all good it dishonours God as if he were not true as if it were not impossible for him to lie as if he were no more than a man Therefore Abraham is said To give glory unto God by believing Rom. 4. 20. because he did not regard the dead womb or the improbability in second causes but rested upon the promise alone If it be so hainous a matter to accuse man of a lie who yet is by nature a lyar as the Scripture pronounceth of him how unsufferable is it to attribute it unto God And then it is a very destructive sinne for it evacuateth all promises as to us it maketh thy condition as hopelesse as if never any promises had been made This is to cut the Conduit-pipes of all comfort and consolation This is with the Philistims as it were to throw earth into all the Wells of water Therefore above all things look to thy faith for it maketh God no God Christ no Christ promises no promises as to thee Fifthly That our faith may be the more confirmed he is not onely pleased to make promises to his people but also to give signes for the confirmation thereof Therefore Sacraments are confirming signes of Gods promise they are visible promises so that our unbelief will still be the greater sinne if neither the promises nor the seales visibly annexed thereunto shall not establish us against all doubting and uncertainty It is true the Sacraments cannot make Gods word surer in it self but they do in respect of us God graciously condescending to our humane weaknesse By which mercifull provision of God that his people might live a life of faith in his promise ' we may gather as the necessity of faith so also the great pronenesse that is in us to unbeliefe that we rather live by sense than by saith Hence it is that when we have outward supports and comforts our hearts are kept up but when all these leave us are taken away then like Peter upon the water we are afraid and should even sinke did not the Lord support us Sixthly It is therefore a very great skill to make use of the promises of God by faith It is the Gospel-wisdome a mystery it is that even the Disciples of Christ are a long while ere they can learne it For though God doth promise to doe such and such wonderfull things yet he suffereth so many crosse providences to fall out that we would think God had wholly forgot his promise Hence the Church complaineth Doth his promises fail for ever Yea the Apostle Peter doth speak of some prophane scoffers that asked Where was the promise of his coming 2 Pet. 3. 4. because they saw all things continue as they did therefore they thought Gods promise was in vain It behoveth the people of God therefore to acquaint themselves with Gods Riddles to plough with the Scriptures Heifer for their unskilfullnesse herein is that which maketh them so full of dejections which doth so often perplex them not knowing what to think or say yea they are apt to question the truth and righteousnesse of God but take heed of this it is a very great sinne when God giveth thee a sufficient testimony of his grace and favour to thee by his promises and seals thereof still to question and doubt whether God will doe it or no. This is grievously to tempt God as the people of Israel did Exod. 17. 7. who though they had so many miraculous discoveries of Gods presence with them yet still they ask Is the Lord amongst us or not Oh take heed of saying Is the Lord mine Will he do good to me When he hath given proof enough both by his promises and seals of his favour Oh satisfie thy soul with this Lord I have thy promise before thou promisedst thou wast free whether thou wouldst do it or no but since thy mouth hath promised it how can thy hand but fulfill it Let thy temptations thy straits be never so great yet know the promise of God cannot be straitned Though thy friends die though thy goods are lost yet Gods promise cannot die neither can that perish And if thou sayest Oh but I am unworthy I am a poor wretch What
true but because it is the spirit that doth apply the promises to the soul and make us assured of them as he is called the holy spirit because he is the authour of holinesse But then Eph. 4. 30. there we are said to be sealed by the spirit denoting the spirit of God to be the efficient cause of it So that it is a blasphemous wresting of the Scripture by a Socinian when by the holy Ghost thus sealing unto us is saith he Smal. disp de promisso spiritus sancti meant no more than a sure hope of eternal life He denieth the holy Ghost to be God and a Person it is only saith he a sure hope within us but this is to confound this effect with the cause faith and love and hope are the effects of Gods Spirit they are not the spirit it self So that from hence viz. because the spirit of God doth seal us we may gather a sure argument that he is truly God for the spirit is said to confirm us and God is said to confirm us whereby it is implyed that to confirm our hearts is a divine operation as well as to sanctifie it It is true how the spirit of God is God and how it proceedeth from the Father and Sonne cannot be comprehended by reason It is enough that by faith we are to beleeve so for no wonder the doctrine of the Trinity is inexplicable seeing the nature of God is ineffable To this purpose Austin having discoursed about the Trinity concludeth that he perceived only he had spoken something of God Si autem dixi non est hoc quod dicere volui hoc unde scio nisi quia Deus ineffabilis est Quod autem a me dictum est si ineffabile esset non esset dictum ac per hoc ne ineffabilis quidem dicendus est Deus quia hoc cum dicitur aliquid dicitur fit nescio quae pugna verborum quoniam si illud est ineffabile quod dici non potest non est ineffabile quod velut ineffabile dici potest De Doctrinâ Christianâ lib. 1. But that by the way Lastly Here is the subject wherein and that is said to be in our hearts So that as God doth write his Law in our hearts Thus he doth also infuse his comfort and assurance which doth demonstrate the soveraign power of God over our hearts he can make them holy when he pleaseth he can comfort them when he pleaseth No Potentate in the world can do thus That heart of thine which is not in thy own power which no man can tame the grace of God can tame it that heart which thou desirest may be filled with holinesse and consolation God alone can do it The Observation is That grace wrought in the heart is a sure earnest of glory hereafter He that is holy here must needs be happy hereafter If thou canst finde grace in thy soul thou hast found the Pearl thou maist rejoyce not doubting but heaven will be thine hereafter The people of God are not only to look upon grace as grace but as it is an earnest of a greater happinesse yet how often do the children of God consider it without thiis respect what courage joy and holy boldnesse would it work in thee to think thou hast within thee that which assureth of eternal glory as if thou wert already in heaven This is a reviving truth that grace is an earnest of glory thou mindest grace as it subdueth thy corruptions as it maketh thy heart to be carried out more holily and delightsomely to God but then thou dost not attend to it as an earnest There is a great deal of difference between a shilling as a single peece of money and as an earnest it may be of twenty pound more to come Thus it is very much rejoycing to finde grace at all in thy soul as it is grace but it doth much more rejoyce as it is an earnest of more fulnesse Adam had grace the angels had grace but grace was not given them as part of an inheritance for they fell from it Let us consider two Texts of Scriptures where we have this earnest spoken of The first is by our Apostle in this Epistle cap. 5. 5. Now he that hath wrought us for the self same thing is God who also hath given unto us the earnest of his spirit What is that self same thing he speaketh of it is a groaning and an earnest desire after immortality we would gladly be out of this burden here and in heaven yea as we groan and desire so we are assured and know that when we shall dye we shall go to heaven But now because these are things far above the power of nature we naturally are afraid of death we are unwilling to be taken from our relations we have not such assurance of heaven Therefore saith the Apostle He that doth work us frame and polish us for this great thing it is God We could never do it without his supernatural assistance But then how doth God work this admirable frame of heart it is by the earnest of his spirit we have the beginnings of heaven already So that as the Israelites by the bunches of raisons had some foretast of Canaan so have beleevers some taste of heaven by what they feel already and as Moses from Mount Pisgah could behold Canaan though he did not enter into it thus thou hast a sight of heaven and an entrance into it by the grace begun in thee The other Text is Eph. 1. 14. where the Apostle having said That we were sealed by the spirit of promise he addeth which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession We are not yet brought into heaven into Canaan We are yet in the wildernesse we meet with many dangers and temptations threatning us that we shall never come there but only this earnest doth assure us and satisfie us So that as among the Israelites an inheritance was not to be alienated from the Tribe in the year of Jubilee it would return again to the true owner Thus this inheritance of heaven will never be taken from thee Thou maist be in some dangers and fears of losing of it by thy unwise carriage but shalt not be deprived of it Before we enlarge on this subject it is good to take notice of the dissimilitude as well as the similitude for though grace wrought in us be compared to an earnest in this respect as it doth assure us of future glory yet in other respects it greatly differeth from earnest among men As in the first place An earnest in bargains is to assure the buyer that giveth it as well as the seller they mutually hereby are confirmed so that the buyer cannot honestly fly off any more than the seller But now when the spirit of God worketh this earnest in us it is only for our good it is that we may be assured and
under some temptation surely when he wrote that Pelagian History for in that he hath this passage where speaking of some Ancients who from the metaphor of an anchor and earnest conclude the certainty of eternal life glosseth after this manner Histor Pelag. lib. 6. Thes 13. Certos nos dicunt quamdiu habemus arrhabonem spiritus sancti sed arrhabonem hunc siquis abjiciat hinc certitudinem simul salutis amittere We are certain of eternal life as long as we have this anchor this earnest but if we lose it we lose our certainty also of salvation How inexcusable is this though some learned men great friends to that excellent Authour say that he promised to review that History of Pelagian heresie in time For therefore is this earnest given us to take away our fears about the future Whereas in their sense we must needs be as uncertain as before and besides this earnest would need another earnest and so in infinitum The Scripture then by calling it an earnest would hereby inform us of Gods will that he who hath given us the first-fruits will in time also give us the lump or harvest it self he will so preserve us that not only any thing without as the devil and the world but also any thing within us our own hearts our own lusts shall not betray us and become our destruction and certanily that reason of Chrysostowe which is also grounded upon the Scripture is among others very remarkable If God of his free-grace did while enemies convert us and bestow his spirit as an earnest upon us will he not much rather do it for us since he hath received us into his friendship To this purpose the Apostle also argueth very strongly Rom. 5. 9 10. While we were yet sinners Christ dyed for us much more then being now justified by his bloud shall we be saved from wrath through him for if when we were enemies we were reconciled by death of his Sonne much more being reconciled we shall be saved by his lise If then God hath done the greater will he not do the lesse when we wallowed in our lusts when we tumbled in our filth even then the grace of God did speak unto us to live even then it did put comelinesse and beauty upon us and shall he not much more do it since he hath made us his own So that the same grace of God which received us though unworthy will preserve us though unworthy and as our rebellious heart did not finally withstand converting grace but was overcome by it so will the grace of perseverance watch over us that this earnest shall not be totally lost For this end we have many glorious promises to encourage us in this particular we must not then look upon our own dead womb but the power and promise of God concluding by this Lord I know thy will is that I shall be saved by this I am perswaded that nothing no not I my self shall separate my self from thy love for thy grace will alwaies prevent my will Secondly In that it is called an earnest there is implyed that grace here and glory hereafter are of the same nature that they differ only gradually Even as in an earnest amongst men that is part of the full payment and of the same nature with it Thus grace is nothing but glory begun and glory grace perfected for which cause it is called glory 2 Cor. 3. 18. We are changed into the same image from glory to glory that is from grace to grace till we come to inhabit glory For which cause also the Apostle compareth our state of grace here to the state of a childe and that of glory hereafter to a virile estate 1 Cor. 13. Now as a childe differeth from himself when made a man but gradually he is the same individuall person still Thus it is here thy grace will not be abolished thou hast here but perfected We do but think and understand in heavenly things as children only comparatively to what shall be done in heaven Even as these individual bodies shall put on immortality and incorruptibility They shall not be new bodies but changed bodies It is true there are some graces which suppose an imperfection in the subject while he is here in the way at least in their actings and so farre as there is imperfection it shall be abolished as 1 Cor 13. Thus saith as it justifieth as it is opposed to vision and hope as opposed to enjoying repentance likewise as it is sorrow for sin and patience which supposeth afflictions These things cannot be put forth in heaven but probably the habits of these graces may continue there as being an ornament and perfection of the soul it being extrinsecal only and by accident that the occasion of the exercise of those graces is removed Hence some say but not probably that the Spirit of God is a pledge in respect of faith and hope because they shall cease but an earnest in respect of charity which abideth for ever Salmeron in loc No wonder then if grace be an earnest of glory seeing they are the same thing in nature and differ only as perfect and imperfect yet when we say that grace is only glory begun that must be understood in a sound sense for some of the Papists make an inward condignity between grace and glory we are not then to think that grace of it self would in a naturall and necessary way spring up into glory as an Acorn would in a physicall manner breed up into an Oak being seminally and causally contained in it No but in a moral sense by the gracious appointment and order of God grace is glory begun otherwise such is the imperfection and drosse that is in our graces while in this life that when we have arrived to the highest pitch we might justly be deprived of glory Grace in the Apostate Angels formerly was not glory seminally and radically for then they had not missed it But if we do now regard the covenant of Gods grace he hath so appointed it that whosoever hath grace here that shall be preserved and kept so faithfully that it shall be perfected into glory hereafter And thus the earnest is of the same nature with the full payment it self Thirdly and lastly This similitude doth not only declare Gods purpose and effectuall will concerning us but it is also to assure and perswade us of heaven as if we were already in it and this is indeed one of the main ends of this similitude God will by this inform us of the transcendant excellency of the covenant of grace above that of works which he made with Adam Thus our Saviour saith Joh. 5. 24. He that beleeveth is passed from death to life he is already and therefore is sure of everlasting happinesse so that in this similitude there is not only the perseverance of the Saints denoted but also their assurance and certain perswasion of it And the truth is great is the
some by election also and that there are persevering sons and apostatizing wherein election maketh the difference which opinion some attribute to Austin is wholly inconsistent with Scripture and Austin himself in other places if that were his opinion The godly then are to look upon the grace of God wrought in them as the effect of Gods immutable and unchangeable love which will certainly obtain its end Secondly Their certainty of salvation and so of perseverance therein is built upon the many promises of God which are made to this very end as that famous one Jer. 32. 40. I will make an everlasting covenant with them that I will not turn away from them to do them good but will put my fear in their hearts that they shall not depart from me What can be more pregnant than this God covenants he will not turn from them and withall to put such fear in their hearts that they shall not turn from him So also Phil. 1. 6. being confident of this very thing that he who hath begun a good work in you will also finish it His confidence was not in them for alas we should prove the prodigals and lose all but it is in Gods grace and that because he had begun for none shall say of him he began to build and could not finish So that the wisedom mercy and glory of God is interested in our perseverance and indeed if our sinnes should hinder him from continuance of his grace why did they not from the beginning at first were we not then objects of his displeasure So that in our conversion the greatest work was done then we had as Chrysostome saith upon the place the beginning and root of what was to come Lastly The union that is between Christ and a beleever being indissoluble doth necessarily infer the certainty of his salvation a member of Christs body shall not be taken from him and thrown into hell for from this union as their bodies shall necessarily rise to glory so their souls also shall be prepared for the same SERM. CXL Of Swearing 2 COR. 1. 23. Moreover I call God to record upon my soul that to spare you I came not as yet to Corinth THe Apostle having made a short but happy and admirable digression occasioned from his discourse vers 17. about the calumny of levity and carnal reasonings and motives concerning his promise to come to them doth in this verse return to that matter again plainly informing of them that it was not any inconstancy or carnal respect in himself that made him delay his coming but the fault was wholly in themselves they were not yet prepared for his coming which for the greater confirmation and authority he doth attest with a solemn and sacred Oath It is true Chrysostome doth beginne the second Chapter at this Text and so the Syriack Yea Beza saith We ought to beginne the second Chapter here In which respect Calvin and Musculus comment upon it accordingly but the matter is not worth a contest In the words you may observe 1. An Oath And 2. The Matter of an Oath 1. The Oath is a very compleat and perfect one I call God to witnesse upon my soul Of the Oath first As for Pelagians and others who affirm an Oath to be unlawfull under the Gospel at least and that in these or the like expressions Paul doth not swear because he doth not use the Preposition per or by or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the Greek it 's an absurdity afterwards to be refelled The Oath in the Text is an Assertory Oath wherein God is expresly called upon as a witnesse and withall an Execration is added Upon my soul that is Let God damn my soul if it be not true he doth not mention his soul as part of the Oath as if that were a witnesse as well as God but he mentioneth it as a pawn or pledge and so it is lawfull to name some creatures that we love or are dear to us in an oath not that we may swear by them but as pledges So that this Oath is both Assertory and Execratory not that these make two distinct kindes of Oaths for one doth necessarily imply the other He that calleth upon God as a Witnesse doth thereby imply him a Judge and an Avenger if he swear falsly Onely I call it an Execratory Oath as well as an Assertory because the Execration is mentioned whereas for the most part in Oaths it is not expressed If you say What reason or urgent necessity was here for Paul thus to make such a deliberate and solemn Oath I answer Very great The adversaries of Paul did accuse him and traduce him for a vain and inconstant person which hereby did redound to the dishonour of the Ministry the hinderance of the Gospel the destruction of Christs Church therefore it was necessary for him to take this Oath That no carnal motive made him delay his promise but a wise and spiritual consideration of their good Thus at another time speaking of his earnest affections to his brethren after the flesh Rom. 9. 1. he sweareth after this manner I speake the truth in Christ I lie not my conscience also bearing witnesse in the Holy Ghost So in this Epistle again 2 Corinth 11. 20. As the truth of Christ is in me Rom. 1. 9. For God is my witnesse that I make mention of you alwayes in my prayers Gal. 1. 20. The things that I write unto you behold before God I lie not Thus you see by many instances the holy Apostle making use of an Oath but alwayes upon necessary occasions for Gods glory and the edification of others From whence observe That it is lawfull even under the Gospel to swear after a right and godly manner upon necessary and urgent occasions I say under the Gospel for some have granted it lawfull under the Old Testament as they say to circumcise to sacrifice was but under the Gospel they hold it absolutely forbidden So that the handling of this truth about swearing or a lawfull oath is of great importance both for doctrinal information against Pelagians Socinians some Anabaptists who hold it unlawfull under the Gospel As also of direction to know wherein an Oath doth consist and whether many formes used commonly by people are oaths or no. And then withall it is of great practical use if possible to remove that ungodly and wicked custome of ordinary swearing without any due consideration of the nature of an oath For how general and epidemical is this sinne Old and young yea little children can swear as soon as speake rich and poore yea men glory in their oaths and deride at the strictnesse of such who will be so precise as to abstaine from them They looke upon oathes as the glory of their speech and becoming a Gentleman But Solomon's description of a godly man will abide good when such prophane miscreants shall lie for ever roaring in hell
appeareth in that they took an oath of every member admitted into their society to walk according to their rules The Pelagians besides their doctrinall heresies had two practicall Positions which seemed to savour of much piety and religion The one was that a rich man abiding rich couldnot be saved whatsoever was above necessity he was bound to abdicate The other was that it is wholly unlawfull to swear upon any occasion and as for Pauls examples they denied them to be oaths and as for the instance taken from God himself that he did swear their answer was that though God the Master might swear yet it did not follow that servants might especially when their Master forbiddeth them The Papists some of them though they hold it lawfull to swear yet they judge abstinence from it a counsell belonging to perfect men and not a precept They usually likewise charge it upon the Waldenses as if they judged an Oath absolutely unlawfull The Socinians they indeed grant an Oath lawfull in necessary cases only their errour is That whereas rash and vain swearing was not forbidden in the Old Testament The Jews in their ordinary discourse might swear so only false swearing was prohibited Now Christ as a more perfect Law-giver doth not only forbid forswearing but that common rash swearing But this is built upon their false foundation That Christ persected the morall Law not by explication and declaration only against Pharisaicall glosses but by addition of new precepts Some Anabaptists in this latter age have positively condemned all Oaths and therefore refused to swear before Magistrates thinking that our Saviour Matthewâ— 5. did forbid it because he saith Swear not at all but let your yea be yea and nay nay c. Yea some of the Fathers as Tertullian Basil Chrysostome and others do seem as peremptorily to condemn all kinde of swearing as can be expressed some of them thinking it was allowed the Jews no otherwise than he Bill of Divorce was even for the hardnesse of their hearts There are indeed learned men as Sixtus Senensis and others who labour to excuse them but by their words nothing seemeth to be more plain yet Tertullian who said Qucmodo pejerare quibus ne jurare est licitum how shall Christians for swear to whom it is not lawful to swear acknowledgeth that though the Christians as Polycarpus wou'd dye rather than swear per genium imperatoris which they judged a devil yet they did per salutem imperatoris by the life or safety of the Emperour or rather God the cause of it But whatsoever the thoughts of men might be yet that in some urgent and necessary cases it is lawfull appeareth First From the examples of it in Scripture and that of God of Angels of godly and holy men yea of Chaist also say some That God did swear appeareth by many places in the Old Testament and the Apostle improveth it for the comfort of the godly Heb. 6. 13. only his Oath is peculiar as his Majesty is infinite for he sweareth by himself because he hath no greater to swear by Some Learned men indeed have thought that it is but an improper and metaphoricall expression when God is said to swear and that it is not truly an Oath but the Apostle doth expresly make his promise and his Oath two things Not that there is a need on Gods part to confirm his word but on our part who are subject to evil Therefore it is our evil that maketh God to swear In some of those Oaths there is an ellipsis or defect as Psal 95. 11. Unto whom I sware in my wrath if they shall enter into my rest If some make the supply of this Oath to be by execration then let me not be God but others more probably make it only for a more vehement attestation conceiving such an execration undecent to the Majesty of God as also because his infinite perfection is such as is not capable of any such execration That Angels did swear appeareth Revel 10. 6. where one is said to swear by him that liveth for ever The eternity of God is the attribute there mentioned because of the fitnesse of it to the matter in hand the Angel declaring what would befall the Church in future ages although it is not likely that Angels swear to one another for the confirmation of any thing for this was done to John for confirmation of the things foretold That Christ did swear some affirm in that expression Amen Amen but other Learned men judge not that to be an Oath but though he did not it must be granted that he might both because as man he was capable of swearing as well as praying to God and also hereby he might confirm the words that he said but his wonderfull miracles did abundantly establish that That holy men also have upon necessary occasions taken an oath appeareth by many examples of Paul So that if our Saviour had intended an absolute prohibition of all Oaths this Apostle would have often offended against that command It is true we told you that all Oaths suppose sinne therefore in the state of integrity there would have been no oath yet Suarez Disput de Juram thinketh there might have been in that condition though not so often because many contingent things might have been known to one which were not to another Therefore he would have an Oath not necessarily to suppose sinne but lesser perfection It is not worth the while to contend in this By these examples we see plainly the lawfulnesse of swearing upon urgent occasions The second Argument is from the commands in the Old Testament as Deut. 6. 13. Deut. 10. 20. The third Commandement in forbidding all irreverent use of Gods Name especially in swearing doth thereby command the lawfull and reverent use of his Name in Oaths yea there are promises of it under the Gospel-time not indeed that it is a duty commanded absolutely and for it self sake so it 's not commanded as prayer is but upon supposition where there is need Thus in some difficult cases in contracts between men for purgation of themselves or discovering the truth an oath is required Num. 30 Lev. 5. 4. Num. 5. 19 21. Lastly The Apostle is clear for this Heb. 6. 16. For men verily swear by the greater and an oath for confirmation is to them ahend of strife That doth not weaken the proof because he saith to men as if he meant only the men of the world they use such a custome but Christians do not for one kinde of men is not there opposed to another men of the world to beleevers but men to God Therefore you heard beleevers did swear as Paul upon many occasions Thus Athanasius did by an oath solemnly purge himself to Constantius the Emperour that he had not spoken any thing against him to his brother Constans Thus you have Scripture-ground for the lawfulnesse of it Neither doth any thing in reason or the nature of an oath make
What is implied in Gods being our Father 120 What in the expression Our Father 121 God is the Father of mercies 140 What is implyed in Gods being the Father of mercies 141 142 143 144 Fear of Death vid. Death Flesh Faith and Flesh passe different judgments upon afflictions 274 c. Of the phrase walking according to the Flesh 520 VValking by principles of Flesh makes men unconstant 521 VVhat are the principles of Flesh 521 522 523 Forme How the Forme of a thing may be a note or mark of it 61 G Glory of God 'T Is the duty of all Christians especially Ministers to lay out themselves for the Glory of God 500 501 Propositions clearing it 501 502 503 What is required to enable us to doe all things for Gods glory 504 Glorying vid. Rejoycing God Of the Names of God 117 God alone can give grace and peace to his people 118 119 God a Father especially to true believers 120 What it implies ib. He is a Father to the weakest as well as strongest believer 121 He is a true God 536 He is the Father of mercies V i de Father Godly Truly Godly though eminent yet humble 37 Godlinesse and a Godly life is very convincing and of great advantage 455 456 Why oft not convincing 456 457 Grace Four acceptions of the word Grace 66 Grace to be desired before all other things 100 Seven propositions discovering the nature of the Grace of God 100 101 102 What are the opposites of Grace 102 Who are fit subjects of the Grace of God 103 104 105 Many erre about the Grace of God and yet are extreamly opposite one to another 105 Four Scripture-characters of the Grace of God 106 107 What is requisite to a certain knowledge of our being in a state of Grace 395 396 What to an experimental discerning of our Graces 397 398 The godly ascribe all to Grace 433 Propositions clearing it 433 434 What is that Grace which the Apostle exalts above fleshly wisdome 434 435 436 What are the Graces which the Apostle acknowledgeth in his Ministay 434 435 436 437 c. Grace the earnest of glory Vid. Earnest Growing In what things believers are to be alwayes Growing 497 498 H Hope OF Paul's Hope concerning the Corinthians 245 Hope Divine and Moral 246 'T is great encouragement in a Minister to see good grounds of Hope in his people ibid. What things are they which made Paul have such an Hope of the Corinthians and other Ministers of their people 247 248 249 Humility Humility in the godly though eminent 37 Wherein it discovers it self 38 39 What are the grounds of it 39 40 I Jesus OF the name Jesus 24 How Christ is a Jesus a Saviour 25 565 What kind of Saviour he is 26 He is a Lord. 122 Four propositions clearing it 123 124 125 What is implyed in his being a Saviour 565 566 567 To whom he is a Saviour 567 568 Inconstancy Inconstancy a great sinne in all especially in Ministers 510 546 547 548 c. Of its sinfulnesse in civil respects 511 512 Its aggravations 513 514 Its sinfulesse in spiritual respects 515 516 Motives against it 517 518 The causes of it 553 Joy A two-fold Joy direct or reflex 175. 'T is either spiritual or corporeal 176 Judgement-day vid. Day K Knowledge CErtain Knowledge vid. Assurance L Learning LEarning an excellent qualification 7 Sometimes through the corruption of man 't is made use of for the promoting the Devils kingdom ibid. 'T is not from the nature of Learning 8 Learning not sufficient without the Spirit for the understanding of the Scriptures ib Lord. Christ our Lord vid. Christ Lying Lying not consistent with godlinesse 530 Propositions concerning the nature and kinds of Lying 531 532 533 Means against it 534 The causes of it 534 535 M Means MEans to be made use of notwithstanding our trusting in God 355 Two propositions clearing it 355 356 How we should make use of Means and yet rely wholly upon Christ 356 357 358 Meditation Meditation upon Gods mercies very usefull 133 Mercies Of the variety of Gods Mercies 144 145 146 The properties of Gods Mercies 146 Who are the fit object of Gods Mercies 147 'T is dangerous to conceive of Gods Mercies without Scripture-light 155 Mercies acknowledged by believers not only in general but with all their aggravations 330 331 VVherein they use to aggravate their Mercies 331 332 333 334 Mercies not only positive but privative and preventing to be accounted of 335 Propositions clearing it 335 336 c. Rules to affect our hearts concerning preventing Mercies 337 338 339 Mercies are not only bestowed but continued by God 340 Reasons of it 342 343 All Mercies come from God 369 God is the Father of Mercies vid. Father Minister It is a Ministers duty by all lawfull means to promote the Church he is related to 81 Ministers meet with much opposition from worldly professors 260 261 Mercies vouchsafed to Ministers are to be accounted as Church-mercies 378 Ministers ought not to use fleshly wisdome 423 Godlinesse in a Minister especially advantageous 454 455 456 'T is an happy thing for Minister and people to rejoyce in one another 468 Propositions clearing it 469 470 How a people ought to rejoyce in their Minister 470 471 VVherein a Minister hath cause to rejoyce over his people 473 474 475 c. VVhere a Minister hath hopes of doing good he is encouraged to abide 490 Propositions clearing it 490 491 492 A Ministers hope of doing good should be matter of joy to him 493 Ministers especially ought to lay out themselves for the glory of God 501 502 503 A Ministers changeablenesse makes his Ministry uselesse 546 Propositions clearing it 546 547 548 c. VVhere there is any fault in one Minister the people are apt to lay it upon all 572 'T is an happy thing when all Ministers agree to advance Christ 273 The effects of that agreement 573 574 The true Ministers of Gods truth always the same 575 Ministers have no dominion over their peoples faith 684 What is not implied in that truth 684 685 VVhat is 686 687 Ministers ought to comfort their people 689 Propositions clearing it 689 690 Reasons of it 691 'T is of great consequence that the young Ministers should have the guidance of the more experienced 49 Ministry What are the graces the Apostle acknowledged in his Ministry 435 436 437 438 c. Gods presence with the Ministry renders the people inexcusable 448 449 Propositions clearing it 450 451 Wherein the successe of a faithfull Ministry is seen 451 452 A constant Ministry necessary for every Church 495 For what ends 495 496 497 VVhere the Ministry hath wrought spiritually 't is esteemed highly 509 The failings of Ministers are oft cast upon the Ministry 541 Propositions illustrating it 541 542 543 VVhere the work of the Ministry is great the help of others is required 571 Ministerial power is to be managed with much prudence 678 The Ministerial
damned Jesus is the Christ the anointed of God Where Ministerial labours are great there needeth the more help from others Where there is any fault in one Minister the people are apt to charge it upon all The grounds of it 1. The policy and enmity of false Teachers 2. The indiscretion of the people 3. The natural enmity in man against the Ministry 'T is an happy thing when all the Ministers of God agree to advance Christ The effects of this Agreement 1. The greater confirmation of the truth 2. The greater defence of the truth 3. The greater conviction of the impenitent and unbelieving Gods truth and so the true Preachers of it are alwayes the same 1. We must distinguish between the external formes of Gods worship and doctrinals 2. Between the growth and the change of truth 3. Between a seeming and a real yea and nay 4. Antiquity and consent are properties of a true Church God hath made many promises in Christ to us 1. God might have dealt with man by absolute soveraignty 2. The promises of God are properly promises 3. Gods promises do not adde to his simple affirmation but only are to confirm our faith 4. The rise of all Gods promises is his free mercy 5. Therefore the fullfilling of his promises is only of grace 6. The promises of God are absolute or conditional 7. There may be reasons given why God made such promises As 1. To exercise our faith 2. To teach us humility 1. Of the several sorts of promises 1. The promises of God are either Legal or Evang elical 2. Promises are either spiritual or temporal 2. Gods promises are the executions of his Decrees 3. No wicked men have any promises belong to them 4. Gods promises to us suppose faith in us 5. God hath sealed his promises to us 6. 'T is great skill to make use of promises In Christ alone are all the promises of God confirmed and made good 1. By the promises of God here are meant only tis promises of grace 2. Promises are fulfilled either in Christ or by him 3. There could have been no promises without Christ 4. And therefore is the covenant of grace called a testament Ans 1. It is hard to sail between the Arminian and Antinomian rock * Saltmarsh 2. A Christian in making use of a promise must not oppose it to Christ nor Christ to it What a Christian ought to do in his doubtings of his interest in the promises 1. He is not to ascend into the high points of predestination and universal redemption 2. He should make Gods command and invitation his ground of drawing nigh to a promise The promises being â—ounded upon will never be altered or changed The promises of God are made and are to be beleeved to his glory Wherein the glory of God is manifested in his promises 1. Hereby his goodnesse is known 2. His love 3. The freenesse of his grace How faith in Gods promises gives glory to him 1. Hereby we acknowledge our dependance upon him 2 Hereby we manifest him to be the truth it self 3. Hereby we exalt Gods way of justification Our establishing in the faith of the promise is the gracious work of God alone 1. God may be said to establish us either in the grace it self or in our apprehension of it 2. We are not able of our selves to do any thing towards the work of grace 3. Wherein lieth the establishing work of Gods grace 1. In preparing the understanding to it How God prepares the understanding 1. By discovering our own infirmity 2. The acceptablenesse of the work of saith 3. The evangelicall way of Gods vouchsafing mercy to the soul 2. In setling the and removing the impediments 1. Presumption 2. Despair Wherein Gods confirmation of us upon the promises consisteth 1. In working principles of grace 1. Faith 2. Love 3. Heavenly courage and spiritual fortitude 4. Divine â—opâ— 5. Spiritual joy 2. By actual motions of his Spirit upon us Arguments that all our establishment is from God It appears 1. From that unevenness that is in the godly themselves 2. In that weak Christians have gone through great temptations when strong ones have failed 3. It appears from the prayers of Gods people The strongest Christians need Gods establishing grace as well as the weakest 1. It appears from the falls the strongest have had 2 From Gods dispensations towards them 3. From the Devils malice against them more than others 4. From Gods leaving them oft to themselves that they may see their strength to be only in him 5. From the nature of the grace within us In Christ alone we are established 1. By grace are Christians united to Christ 2. From this union followeth our establishment 3 Our establishment comes from Christ 1. By meritorious impetration 2. By effectual application All true believers have a spiritual anointing from God 1. Who is the fountain of this ointment even God and Christ 2. The comparison betwixt material and this spiritual oyl They are like 1. As oyl was used in the consecration of things to God 2. As it comforts the heart and beautifies the countenance 3. As it refreshed the weary 4. As it healeth wounds 5. In that it is delightsom to the nostrils 6. As it mollifies 7. As it strengthens and comforts the limbs The people of God are his sealed ones 1. There is an active and a passive sealing 2. Gods sealing of his people is either vifible or invifible What the sealing of tee godly implys 1. The great esteem with God 2. Their safety 3. Security 4. Their difference from others 6. Secrecy and privacy 7. Confirmation Scriptures equivalent to the text Rom. 8. 18. Gal. 4. 6. 1 Cor. 2. 12. 1 Joh 3. 24. 1 Ioh. 5. 8 9 10. The description of the sealing of Gods spirit The description of the sealing of Gods spirit 1. It is a supernatural and gracious work 2. Of Gods spirit Reasons why it is the spirit alone that thus sealeth 〈◊〉 This sealing of Gods spirit is in the hearts of the sanctified 4. It confirms and establisheth the heart Reasons why we cannot confirm our selves 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. The Spirit seals the promises of grace to a believer The division of faith as to the object it is 1. General 2. Special 3. Particular How the Spirit seals even by the means that God hath appointed Which means are either external as 1. The Sacraments 2. By the marks of such to whom the promises belong Or else internal The signes whereby we may know the spirit witnesses our interest in the promises 1. The sanctified improvement of afflictions 2. The experience of Gods gracious presence with us 3. The antecedent works of sanctification Of the end of the spirits sealing even that we might live godly and thankfully Whether all Gods people be his sealed ones 1. It belongs to all the godly 2. Primitive Christians did more partake of it then Christians do uow 3. It is not so necessary to
no greater joy than to see my children walk in the truth so 2 Epist Ver. 4. Lastly When they live in accord and Love when they think the same things and speak the same things Phil 2. 2. Fulfill ye my joy that ye be like minded and let nothing be done through strife and vain glory But these may suffice Use of Instruction How much it lieth a people upon so to live and so to walk that they may rejoyce the Ministers of God To take heed of that ignorance of that Impiety and wickedness which may grieve them and so they shall give an account with heaviness and not with joy at the great Day Though for the present these things are a fable or a scorne to thee yet remember all the Sermons and Admonitions thou hast had all the pains and studies taken for the Salvation of thy soul will one day witness against thee This will make us with sadness and trembling to think what account can we give of such persons at that great Day we that have prayed for you preached to you mourned for you must then be your Accusers we cannot help it The Lord will require your souls at our hands and then must we say O Lord such a sinner and such a sinner we have reproved him we have declared thy will to him but he would have his lusts though he were damned for them he regardeth his sinnes more than heaven and eternal life Let us conclude all with that sad and serious place and oh that it might never out of your heart but be with you sitting and walking rising and going to bed Heb. 13. 17. Obey them that rule over you and submit your selves c. In which Text is much excellent matter but I shall touch at it onely First There is the Sanction and establishment of a Ministry and Pastors over a people For they are commanded to obey such Where are they then that cry down a ministry think it needless at least no Institution of Christ Secondly Here is established the dignity of Ministers partly by their Titles 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 they are Guides Leaders such as are set over you and partly in the duty enjoyned the people which is to obey and submit The first signifieth obedience the other reverence and submission so that they are to yield to the wholesome Counsels of their Pastors and that with honor to them 3. Here is the office of a Pastor to watch for the peoples soules so that if the Honor tempt here is the Duty and danger which may deterr 4. There is the duty of the people as you heard to obey and submit 5. Here is a Reason of it They are to give an account of your soules we are Stewards and to see that one sheep be not lost So that the Ministers office is more dangerous because he must account for himself and many others also which made Chrysostome wonder if any Guide or Officer of a Church could be saved but that he speaketh saith Estius because of the many evil and negligent ones otherwise such as Chrysostome himself would be saved Neither is this Text to discourage good and Faithfull Pastors but rather to comefort them because God will in a special manner be with them and bless their Labours Now the Apostle sheweth that this is a special means to discourage them if by their wickedness people so walk as that they shall render their account with grief For certainly if the more they have converted the greater their accidental joy will be then the more are damned though not by their fault the greater will their grief be And that we might not think it a light matter thus to discourage and grieve a Minister either in his Pastoral labours for their soules as some relate the words or when at the day of Judgment he is to give an account as others he addeth this is not profitable to you that is you will finde the loss of this you will smart for it God will reward them for their Labours though ye be damned Thus God will be avenged for your ingratitude herein But what people think of these things SERM. CIV Of the great changes that will be in the Day of Christs coming 2 COR. 1. 14. In the day of the Lord Jesus VVE now come to consider the time when this mutual rejoycing of Paul and the Corinthians in one another will be most remarkable and that is said to be In the day of the Lord Jesus For although he speaketh in the present tense We are and you are our rejoycing yet that is chiefly to be referred to the last day It is true for the present he had much joy in them and they in him but this was as the gleaning in respect of the Harvest afterwards Beza because the Apostle saith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 we are and not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 we shall be doth render it not in die but ad diem as if the sense were You are kept to be our rejoycing against that day In what sense Paul is called the Corinthians joy or boast you have heard viz. instrumentally not principally Therefore Estius stretcheth too farre more than ordinarily he useth to do when from that expression used by Paul to the Thessalonians 1 Thess 2. 20. Ye are our glory and joy he would justifie their practice in Popery who in their prayers call the Virgin Mary their life and hope For notwithstonding all their subtil distinctions that is to derogate from the Mediatorship of Christ But to our purpose This rejoycing in one another is chiefly to be put forth at the day of Christ And if you ask How can we then rejoyce in any thing but God only Is not the blessednesse of Heaven described by this that we see God that we enjoy him So that to rejoyce in any thing else besides God seemeth to be like desiring a candle when we have the light of the Sunne How can a Minister for example rejoyce in the conversion of such and such persons when he hath an infinite object of joy even God himself to delight in Can any thing be added to that which is infinite To this it is answered that there is an essential and an accidental joy in Heaven The essential one lieth in beholding the face of God to all eternity and this cannot be increased or diminished But then there is an accidental joy which ariseth from particular occasions or motives and though Heaven and eternal happiness doth not consist in this yet it doth accidentally make us to rejoyce in more things Thus the Angels though they do see the face of God and thereby are compleatly happy yet they are said To rejoyce upon the conversion of a sinner And thus the faithfull Pastors of Gods Church the more have been converted by their spiritual labours the greater will their joy accidentally be Not that this degree of joy or glory is merited by any as some have thought for this also is of the