it is but an infirmity what need a man bee so precise and scrupulous as to stand upon such small trifles all which is but to plead for Satan against our own safety He was afterwards an hungry In these words is set down the effect of Christs fast After he had fasted forty days and forty nights he began to be hungry all the while before he was not hungry neither did he want power to have fasted longer and by his Divine power upheld his human nature if hee pleased but now the miraculous fast being finished he begun to hunger Quest How could Christ be hungry seeing he was able to feed so many thousands with seven Leaves and two Fishes Besides Joh. 4.34 he saith My meat is to doe the will of him that sent me and to finish his work Or if he could be hungry why would he Ans Some have thought that Christ needed not to eat sleep c. as wee need when our bodily strength is exhaust by labour by fasting and watching And some of the Fathers as Ambrose and Theophylact upon Mar. 11.12 hold that Christ only by dispensation gave his body leave to be hungry when he pleased as though he neither was wont nor could nor ought to bee ordinarily hungry as other men nor necessarily forced to eat But wee must know that Christ took upon him a true human body and the form of a Servant in which he was obnoxious to all our infirmities only sin excepted And the infirmities which he undetook not are these What infirmities our Saviour took and took not in three propositions 1 He was not to take any which might hinder the perfection of his soul or body Of his soul as vices sins proneness to evil heaviness to goodness Christ took miserable infirmities in his soul as Augustine saith such as are natural negative ignorance as of the day of Judgement and the time of figges fructifying but not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as Damascene saith damnable and detestable Of his body because it was extraordinarily conceived and created of the Holy Ghost who being of infinite wisdome and power could not eâ—re or not bring his body to perfection Therefore he was not to bee blind lame deaf c. which are infirmities in many other men 2 Christ was not to take all infirmities in general Christ took not all infirmities of every particular man for three causes for 1 Some arise of particular causes which could not be in Christ as namely some hereditary infirmities and diseases as the Leprosie Falling-sickness Stone c. some from redundance of matter in generation have some monstrous or superfluous part some from defect want some part or have some part withered or scanted None of this can agree to Christs most perfect conception of the Holy Ghost 2 Some infirmities are acquisite as by Surfeits Feavers and Gouts by fulness These could not befall Christ who never exceeded the mean his whole life being a continual exercise of sobriety neither had hee ever any acquisite infirmity but voluntarily undertaken 3 Some defects and infirmities are the fruit of some special judgement of God as Uzziah his Leprosie was a special stroke of Gods hand for a special sin so some are born fools and simple Neither could these belong to Christ who had no sin nor cause of judgement in him 3 Christ was to take upon him all natural and indetractable infirmities as the School-men call them and only them Natural that is such as follow common nature infirmities common to all men And indetractable or inculpable which detract not from the perfection of his person nor of his grace nor of the work of our redemption Of this kinde are hunger thirst labour weariness sleep sorrow sweat and death it self all these are common to all men Now hunger being a common infirmity incident to all men yea to Adam in innocency who was hungry and did eat as Gen. 1.39 every tree bearing fruit shall be to you for meat and slept chap. 2. vers 21. a heavie sleep fell on the man yet without molestation therefore Christ did necessarily hunger as other men do not by an absolute necessity for 1 he needed not have taken our nature or been incarnate 2 As he was God he could have exempted himself from all the abasement and miseries that he suffered neither by a coacted necessity for he willingly submitted himself to this necessity But by a necessity ex hypothesi or conditionate having taken our nature to redeem it he was necessarily to take on him all our weaknesses sin only excepted for these reasons Reasons why Christ took on him our infirmities five Mans nature is known by defects Gods by perfection 1 He was not only to be like a man and in the shape of a man but also a very true man like unto his brethren in all things except sin therefore it is said Heb. 2.17 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to assure the truth of his incarnation against all Anthropomorphites and such like Hereticks 2 This was a part of his obedience and consequently of our redemption that he suffered the same thing as we do both in body and in mind Vere pertulit langâ—ores nostros he hath truly born our infirmities Isa 53.4 3 That he might sanctifie unto us these infirmities and take away the sting of them lest we should be wearied and faint in our mindes Heb. 12.3 and that we might have an example in suffering 1 Pet. 2.21 4 That he might be a compassionate High Priest Heb. 2.17 18. touched with infirmity yea cloathed with our frail nature that we should not doubt of his grace who vouchsafed to be so abased for us 5 Himself confirmeth the same in that he took not on him such a body of ours as Adam had before sin but such a one as he retained after his fall so far as it was obnoxious to all incriminal pains of sin namely such as was subject to weariness Joh. 4.6 to sorrow tears and weeping as over Jerusalem Luke 19.41 and at the raising of Lazarus Joh. 11.35.38 and in his Agony when he shed tears and used strong cries Heb. 5.7 to sweating water and bloud in the garden yea to death it self from all which Adams body was free before the fall And by these his body was by a true necessity overcome as ours are and this not for a short time or space at his pleasure but all the time of his life till he breathed out his holy spirit yea thirsting upon the cross it self John 19.28 Neither was this onely to confirm the truth of his humane nature but to fulfill all righteousnesse and carry away all the punishment of our sinnes and so work a perfect salvation for us Therefore Christ truely and necessarily was hungry as wee use to be Obj. Christs meat was to do the will of his father As for that place in Joh. 4.34 I answer 1 It must bee meant comparatively in that the execution of his
Hee gave himself to deliver us out of this present evil World Gal. 1.4 3 No man hath benefit by Christs death but hee that with the Apostle is crucified to the World and the World to him Gal. 6.14 4 The World as it hath no part of his death for hee dies not for the World so no part in his intercession John 17. I pray not for the World 5 In the entrance of our profession wee have not onely renounced the World but proclaimed and vowed war against it and therefore shall prove no better than runnagate Souldiers yea Apostates if we sight not against it The love of the World is a leaving of Christs colours 3 Consider what cause there is in the World to love it 1 In respect of God it is contrary to his nature Hee is Holy Pure Righteous the World lieth in unrighteousness It is contrary to all his Commandements Hee commands Holiness and Sanctification it incites to all uncleannesse in soul and body Hee commands Truth Sobriety c. It teacheth to Lye Swear Curse Slander and Circumvent Hee commands all fruits of the Spirit it injoyns all the works of the flesh Hee commands to give our goods to the Needy it wills us to get our Neighbours 2 In respect of it self it is changeable variable inconstant and wilt thou affect that which thou canst not hold or injoy 3 In respect of thy self is it not madness excessively to love that which doth thee so much harm pricks as thornes and pierceth with so many sorrows crosses losses persecutions which if thou beest good will fight against thee and pursue thee with mortal hatred and only slayeth those which resist it not 4 Consider wee what strangers and pilgrims wee are in the World and so bee moved to lay bridles upon our affections which is the Apostles argument 1 Pet. 2.11 Dearly beloved as pilgrims and strangers abstain from earthly lusts Let us estrange our affections from this World and deal as wise Travellerâ— that make the greatest Cities but thorow-fares to their own home Use 2. Let this Doctrin moderate our affections in seeking and having yea and not having the things of this life This is the common error that men look altogether upon the Beauty Glory and fair side of the World and wealth of it but never look upon the inconveniences of them and how strong they are to pull us away from God or how apt to make us a spoil to Satan which one consideration would somewhat abate our heat and affection towards them How ambitiously do many affect promotion and great places not considering in what slippery places their feet are set How eagerly doe they desire wealth as though it had no power to draw the heart from God and the wealth of Heaven How unsatiably doe they pursue pleasure not considering how the Devil insnares them and makes them lovers of pleasure more than lovers of God Surely were men acquainted with their own hearts they would not suffer them so to rove in these desires Oh saith one if I were a rich man how liberal would I be to the poor But alas he knows not what spirit he is of the Devil would make no doubt to change his mind it his state were changed and make of this liberal man either a Prodigal or an Usurer or an Oppressor and doe much more mischief than he can in his low estate Oh saith another were I in high place I would right wrongs and set things in order But so said Absalom and yet who did more wrong than he deflouring his fathers Concubines and deposing if he could his father himself And such right would many doe if they were in higher place All which is an argument how open we lye to Satan in such estates To conclude this point observe these few rules 1 Put on the Lord Jesus Christ and care not to fulfil the flesh 2 Vse the world as not using it Rom. 13.14 1 Cor. 7.31 3 Count all things dung for Christ as Paul did Phil. 3.8 whose bloud is set against and above all corrupt things 4 Pray that thy heart may be set upon Gods statutes and not enclined to covetousness Psalm 119.36 First seek the Kingdom of God and his righteousness c. 5 Whether thou hast the world or no shew not thy self a lover of it by encreasing thy wealth or bettering thy estate by swearing lying deceiving 1 rejoyce in no part of it which God reacheth not to thee by good means desire none but that on which thou mayest crave a blessing and for which thou mayest return praise hold none but with moderate affection and mind to forgoe when God calls for the whole or any part to good uses use none but with sobriety as not using it and that ever to Gods glory and the good of men Vers 9. All these will I give thee if thou wilt fall down and worship me NOw after the preparation standing in the choise of a fit place and presenting a glorious Vision we come to the dart or temptation it self in which there is 1 A profer All these will I give thee 2 A reason For they are mine and to whomsoever I will I give them 3 The condition If thou wilt fall down and worship me And first of the profer Before he had shewed his Wares now hee tells the price All these here is no pinching nor parting of the matter but 1 Christ shall be an absolute Monarch none shall share with him There is the extent of the profer he will part with all 2 The quality of it All these the glory beauty wealth and all that can be desired in the world all that he saw and nothing else he would give him unmixed and unblended glory and honour without sorrow trouble shame or vexation for he saw none of them 3 I will give thee but he will not barter or sell these so dear to Christ as he would to another but he will deal kindly with him he will as good as give them to him if he will but make a legge and thank him for them Doct. Note here the nature of all the Devils promises they seem to be liberal and very fair whereas indeed they are miserably foul and deceitful Who could expect more frank and plain dealing than is here pretended but look a little nearer we shall see it vanishing into nothing but deceit and mischief For 1. What is this great all that he makes profer of A great catch just nothing but shadows and representations of things in themselves nothing at all but the show he had made 2 As this great all was but a show so it was but for a moment for shadows cannot continue and what were Christ the better if he had been put in possession of the things themselves if they so suddenly vanish away before he can give a sight of them 3 His best and largest promises here are but in the transitory Kingdoms of this life which all pass away as a
as any chaff and as easily destroyed as any stubble that it is not consumed But 1 This fire is not kindled against the bush cut of the sparks of Gods wrath Heb. 12.29 Heb. 12.10 and indignation which is indeed a consuming fire but of his Fatherly affection and love not for the hurt of the bush but for the profit of it not to destroy the persons but the sin for the persons sake Wee have indeed kindled and blown up our selves a violent and devouring fire Heb. 10.27 which God might send into our bones Lam. 1.13 Psal 83.14 Lam. 3.22 to burn us up as fire burneth the forrest and as the flames set the mountains on fire But the mercy of God is as water to quench this fire for else would it burn to the bottome of Hell and instead of a Furnace of fury which melteth away his enemies Ezek. 22.22 he setteth up in Zion Isa 27.9 a furnace of favour only to melt the metal consume away the dross and refine his chosen ones to become vessels of honour 2 Because the fuel of the consuming fire of Gods wrath are slaves not sons those wicked brambles Ezek. 15.7 which if they escape one fire saith the Prophet they fall into another which shall consume them but not this bush which is only made brighter and better by the flame but not blacker not worser The chaff and stubble must feed the fire of wrath never to come forth more but the pure metal is cast into the furnace to come forth so much the purer as it hath been the longer tryed Exod. 3.2 3 Because the Angel of God is in the bush This Angel was Jesus Christ the Lord of the holy Angels and the great Angel of the Covenant For Moses saith expresly of this vision ver 4. The Lord appeared unto Moses and God called unto him out of the middest of the bush and S. Luke recording the same vision Act. 7.31 2. greeing with Exod. 3.6 after that hee had called him an Angel bringeth him in saying I am the Lord of Abraham c. This same presence of the Son of God was noted the cause why the three children in that furious furnace of Nebuchadnezzar Dan. 3.25 being cast in bound walked loose in the midst of the flames why not they but their bands were burnt and why not an hair of their cloaths vers 27. and much lesse of their heads were touched no nor smelt of the fire Isa 43.2 Behold the bush burned but not consumed because the King saw four men walking loose having cast in but three bound and they have no hurt for the form of the fourth is like the Son of God Because God is in the midst of it saith David of the Church it shall not bee moved Noâ— potentia urendi sublata ab igâ—e sed operatio tantum ut Dan. 3 for God shall help it very early How partly 1 by restraining the natural force of the fire 2 partly by obfirming and strengthening the bush against it 3 partly by watching it that it spread not too far for himself as it were sits by the fire to tend it 4 partly by slaking and cooling it when it groweth too hot lest the heat smite the bush as the worm did Jonas his gourd By these means Jonab 4.7 the bush in the flame becometh like the Gem Amiantus Amiantus gâ—â—â—a igâ—â— non absumitur sed lucidiâ—â— ac â—urior redditur Dub. Chytrâ—â—s Isa 53.3 which is not consumed by fire but becomes brighter and purer than before This most holy and comfortable truth is fully assured unto us in the person of our Lord and Head as well as in the body who in the daies of his flesh was 1 A bush most able to peirce and wound his enemies in himself most desplicable and base in all outward appearances and in this bush God dwelt not in any visible sign of his presence but as never in any before essentially and bodily 2 A bush in the fire partly of Gods wrath Col. 2.9 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Isa 53.10 Matth. 26.38 Mat. 27.46 Lam. 1.14 True first in the head and then in the members in inward passion and suffering in his soul the sorrows of the second death which made him cry My God my God why hast thou forsaken me into which flame had the bush of the Church been cast it had been utterly consumed Partly of mans wrath in outward passion and misery such as whereof hee complained that no sorrow was ever matchable to his And partly of Satans wrath in most fiery and furious temptation the which hellish fire was renewed and blown up against him in most violent sort three several times as in the Treatise following we shall by Gods grace discover 3 A bush in the fire not consumed but came forth of the hotest Furnace that ever was kindled more bright and glorious than the Sun in his strength For easy it was with him to convince his temporal adversaries by the mighty raising of himself from the dead through his own Divine power Rom. 1.4 when hee had overcome the wrath of God his Father and not difficult for him that had in his life overcome Satans Temptations and in the wilderness spoiled him of his power and weapons in part Col. 2.15 upon the cross by his death openly and perfectly to destroy his Forces and as on a glorious Chariot to triumph over him This bush burnt but not consumed As he is the end of all the Scriptures so also of the exposition of them in whom and for whose glory I have published this Exposition at the importunate request of some Friends Notwithstanding many discouragements that was on the one hand and sundry godly lights in our own tongue opening the same Scripture on the other Mr. Udal Mr. Perkins Mr. Dike 2 Sam. 23.13 The truth is magnified in the mouth of many witnesses and a poor man may give in as true an evidence as a rich If I may hold Benajahs place in the Church of God and stand for God among the thirties and the many of his Worthies it shall well content me although I attain not unto the first three What ever this labour is I have presumed to dedicate it unto you noble Sir as a testimony of my true and unfeigned affection and duty 1 Because God hath made you a worthy instrument in this place which as well by your authority and care as through your godly affection and countenance of good men and causes hath a long time enjoyed much comfort assistance and refreshing 2 Your sound love to the truth hath invited this truth to run under your patronage 3 As he which hath been once friendly bid welcome will boldly come again so your good entertainment of this doctrin in the delivery of it assures it you will now bid it as welcome to your eye as it was to your ears at the first offer of it
by which God tryeth the graces of his and manifesteth their infirmitie and out of which his grace giveth evasion and deliverance seem they never so dangerous as for example What a great temptation was that of Israel in the red Sea Yet God brought them out of it So for evil of sin What strong temptations were they that seised on Peter David Solomon wherein they seemed utterly lost Yet the Lord held under his hand and left them sufficient grace to raise them againe Gods faithfulness was such to David and Solomon and Christs prayer that Peters faith did not utterly fail Reasons 1 Wee are the Lords souldiers and servants and therefore hee will help us David thought this a good Argument Psalm 86.2 O thou my God save thy servant that trusteth in thee And this is Gods manner of dealing When hee hath a great work or Tryal for his children hee arms them with boldness constancy and courage as Sampson when hee was to encounter many Philistims what a measure of strength was hee indued withall when the Prophets were to bee sent to rebellious and stubborn people the Lord made their faces as brasen walls Jerem. 1.18 and as adamants Ezek. 3.9 The Apostles being called to the great function of calling in the whole world the Holy Ghost fell first upon them and furnished them with singular gifts fit for that calling How boldly Peter preached and professed Christ at Jerusalem to the beards of those that had put him to death even the Rulers and Elders appears in Act. 4.8 but the cause of this was that hee was full of the Holy Ghost The like wee may observe in Elias his reforming of Gods worship and in the restoring of Religion by Luther who was wonderfully gifted 1 With undaunted courage as appears in his burning the Popes decrees and his disputation at Worms 2 With fervent Prayer 3 With admirable and heavenly preaching So the faithful Witnesses and Martyrs that are called to a hot brunt are first armed with a singular spirit as that Prote-Martyr Steven Act. 6.8 10. who was full of the Holy Ghost full of Faith and power full of wisdome and grace that they were not able to resist the wisdome and spirit by which hee spake And was it not so in Q. Maries daies that poor Creatures were lifted up with such excellent spirits as that all the learning and wisdome of the Doctors or all the power of authority could not daunt them God should lose his honour if any of his servants should be utterly overcome but onely those unmerciful Arguments of fire and faggot could put them to silence 2 The battel and cause is Gods the question between Satan and us is Gods glory and our Salvation This was Moses his Argument why the Lord should spare his murmuring people see Numb 14.15 16. Now if the Devil prevail against us God shall lose his honour which is dear unto him But he will not suffer himself to bee so disgraced as to let us bee overcome by his enemy neither shall the salvation of his bee prejudiced for this were against the truth of God whom Satan accuseth to be a lyar 3 Hee hath armed us with his own armour and furnished us with his own strength and will not have his weapons bee thought so weak and insufficient as to bee foiled in it The Sword of the Spirit is not so blunt The shield of Faith is not so dull the breast-plate of righteousness is not so thin as to receive every bullet that comes to hurt us 4 Christ hath made us members of his own body and when the head can with patience suffer the members which it is able to defend to bee pulled off from the body then shall the sound members of Christ bee pulled away by temptation from him which they must needs bee if they were not conunually supported by his strength Object 2 Cor. 1.8 Wee were pressed out of measure passing strength insomuch that wee desparred even of life Answ 1 The Apostle speaks of humane strength which could never have passed through those tryals But the power and strength of God shewed them an issue 2 The Apostle speaks according to the sence of his flesh and what they were in their own feeling as it is plain in the reason of his deliverance in the next words That wee should not trust in our selves but in God that raiseth the dead 3 The very scope of the place is to shew not the unmeasureableness of affliction but a great measure of them thereby to amplify Gods mercy Vse Wee should not bee discouraged though our tryals bee very great for wee shall not want sufficient to strength to carry us through them Yea let us check our weakness while wee torment our selves with needless fears that God takes little or no knowledge of our Tryals or will with-draw his grace and absent himself for ever No hee tenders the weaknesse of his chosen on whom although the Spirit fall not so visibly as upon Christ yet by vertue hereof they have the secret distilling and sensible yea forcible working of the Spirit in their hearts such graces of faith hope patience and boldnesse in case they keep their watch as whereby they may as surely perswade themselves of victory as if they had received the Holy Ghost visibly as Christ did Add hereunto these considerations Strong â—â—â—tives to stand to â—tions 1 That it is impossible to bee exalted to Christs Kingdome if thou bee not assaulted first with temptation thou canst not bee victorious unless thou fight nor obtain the crown unless thou bee victorious Rev. 3.21 2 That if thou beest in great perplexity yet think not the Lord hath forsaken thee For 1 not to bee chastised of God is to bee hated of him 2 He hides his face but for a season from his children as the mother doth till the child get knocks and falls onely to let them see their weakness and more to depend upon him 3 That there is a time when God makes intimation to all his children of their election and salvation and commonly before this that they may bee fitted with hungring desire after grace and make much of it when they have it there goeth a trouble of mind and fear and disquiet so as a man thinks God is quite gone when hee is drawing gratiously unto him and that hee shall never hear more of him when hee is knocking by the Holy Spirit to have entrance into his heart Therefore wee may trust perfectly on this grace and wait Gods time for his full manifestation of it the just liveth by faith and maketh not haste Job if the Lord killed him would still trust Remember Mr. Robert Glover that blessed Martyr at Coventry crying to his friend Austen Hee is come He is come hee looked for the Holy Ghost two or three daies before and made great moan that hee came not yet hee continued waiting and hee came at length but not before he came to the sight of the
our own justification out of the deep with David yea out of the Whales belly with Jonah and in darkness with Job to see light 2 To see things invisible to make things absent present yea God absent present and to set him continually at the right hand Moses feared not the wrath of the King because he saw him that was invisible Heb. 11.17 Elisha being in Dothan feared nothing when his servant cryed out because his eyes were open to see the Angels as fiery Chariots protecting him 3 Faith is never so working as in perillous times because then there is most need most use of it then it sets it self a work and mingles it self with the promises of God by which it quickens and puts life unto a man when he is half dead as Psal 119.49 Remember thy promise wherein thou hast caused me to trust it is my comfort in trouble for thy promise hath quickned me Now it bestirres it self to make Gods faithfulness and truth his shield and buckler Notable is that example of the three Children Dan. 3.16 17. who were in present danger of their lives and cast into an hot Furnace In this danger now their faith bestirres it to provide for their safety not by any yeelding or blanching or buckling to the unjust command but by furnishing their mouthes with a resolute answer Be it known unto thee O King that wee will not worship this Image and by preparing their hearts through their confidence in God who was able to deliver them rather to yeeld themselves to the fire and raging flames than to any part of that commandement And were faith and Gods fear working in the heart it would destroy false fears and infidelity which Satan prevaileth in mightily causing men to seek help by unlawful means if the lawful bee never so little set out of sight Command these stones to be made bread Here is an inference upon the former words If thou be the Son of God upon a true ground Satan raiseth a dangerous consequence Christ was the Son of God true Must he therefore needs make stones bread Satan inferteth mischievous conclusions upon true premises Doct. It is an ordinary temptation of the Devil to inferre mischievous conclusions upon true premises God had no respect to Cains Sacrifice as to Abels Whereas now Cain should have offered of the best as Abel did and have brought faith with his offering by which Abel offered a better Sacrifice Heb. 11.4 Satan inferres upon it Therefore kill thy brother Saul received no answer of God that was true but that therefore he should goe to the Witch of Endor was Satans inference both against the Law of God and Sauls own law God is a merciful God a true premise and the scope of all the Scripture but that Jonah should therefore fly to Tarshish and not goe to preach the destruction of Ninivie was a Satanical inference A man must pity himself and doe what he can to repel evil from him and avoyd danger but that Christ should therefore not goe up to Jerusalem to suffer was a dangerous consequence of Satan in Peters mouth whom therefore Christ calleth Satan Reasons 1 Satan is cunning and seeketh by mingling good and evil truth and falshood to justifie that which is false and to draw it on with the truth If hee should never speak truth he could never deceive half so much therefore hee speaks many truthes to give credit to his lyes and the same hee hath taught all his agents Do we think that a false teacher or heretick could doe any great hurt if he should not lay his leaven in a lump of truth would not every man at first reject him if he should bring never a true doctrin but therefore that his heresie may spread like a gangrene he comes with a fair pretence of many truthes which cannot be denied Doe wee think that the Church of Rome should have so prevailed in the world or that Antichristian state should have been endured or could any Papist bee suffered in ours or any well-ordered Country if they did not colour all their abominations and false religion with some general truths if they should not in word and shew hold and recite the Articles of faith and principles of our religion concerning God in unity of essence and trinity of persons concerning Christ the Church c. were it possible that any Christian state could bear them while indeed and in truth they reverse the whole foundation of religion and are limbs of Antichrist No their deceit is a mystery and walks in darkness and the mask and vizards of truth with pretence of holiness hath held the Swords of Princes from them which else had long since been sanctified in their overthrow 2 Satan can doe no other who cannot speak truth for truths sake for being a Lyar from the beginning he loves not truth and therefore if hee speak truth it is to corrupt the truth or to stablish some lye Lying is the Devils mother tongue Joh. 8. 1 Sam. 28.17 18. Lying the Devils mother tongue Satan in the habit of Samuel spake many truths as that the Lord had rent the Kingdom from him and given it to David because he had so spoken hee would doe it and because Saul obeyed not the voyce of the Lord nor executed his fierce wrath against the Amalekites and that the Lord would deliver him and the Israelites into the hand of the Philistims the next day c. But all this was to feed Saul in his delusion and hold him in his sin as though he were Samuel as vers 17. the Lord hath done it even as he spake by mine hand and vers 19. to morrow shalt thou be with me c. So in the New Testament we have the Devils confessing Christ to be the Son of God the Holy One the sum of the Gospel and Paul and Silas to be the servants of the high God Act. 16. but both Christ and his servants put them to silence and would not have them to speak the truth because it was to deprave and slander the whole truth as though Christ and his servants had been in league and agreement with the Devils and so their doctrin had been not Divine but Diabolical Thus Satan like a Bargeman looks one way but â—owes another 3 Satan sees how our nature is easily carried away through a general shew of good or truth to take in with it error and falshood hand over head without trial or discerning For though our blessed Saviour would not confound stones and bread yet we easily take stones with bread and Serpents with Fishes The whole Masse-book is but an heap of Idolatrous prayers and Ceremonies but yet because there is some shew of good in it many Scriptures and some tolerable and good prayers with many devotions it is wholly received without trial of millions given over to delusion 4 Satan the Prince of darkness can transform himself into an Angel of light 2 Cor. 11.14 and
evening solemnly on our knees making confessions of sins and requests to God together with thanksgiving Psalm 55.17 Evening and morning and at noon will I pray and make a noise Daniel three times a day prayed and praised God in his house as hee was wont chap. 6. v. 10. The excellent use of which is the opening of the door of Gods treasury to the family by which it is inriched with the best blessings of God Besides the Lord shall hereby have some honour that is due to his mercy upon the family 5 In edifying the family with Psalms and melody to the Lord as it is Col. 3.16 In these daily duties doth the sanctification of a family consist Whereunto wee may bee perswaded by these motives 1 In that they are the practises of men fearing God such as Joshua and his house Cornelius and his houshold 2 In that by these exercises the family shall not only be sanctified but also blessed as Obed Edom and his house for the presence of the Ark. 3 What madness is it to reject and banish Gods word and worship out of doors and yet think God is there Nay where found grace comes there is the Spirit of Prayer and Supplication in every family apart Zach. 12.14 and where the worship of God is not set up in families there is nothing but a conspiracy of Atheists and a wicked brood bringing Gods judgements on themselves and the business passing through their hands Use 3. Jerusalem is called holy being once sanctified to the Lords use which teacheth us that wee should reverently both conceive and speak of all such things as are set apart to the Lords use 1 Some persons are consecrate to the Lord as the Tribe of Levi of whom the commandement was Thou shalt not forsake the Levite all thy daies And the Prophets Touch not mine annointed and do my Prophets no harm So in the New-Testament The Minister that rules well is worthy of double honour Yea if the widows which were set apart to inferiour offices about the poor must be honoured 1 Tim. 5.3 much more the Minister that standeth in Gods place and stead Heb. 13.17 Obey them that have the oversight of you Thus Cornelius reverenced Peter and the Eunuch Philip. Nay not onely the Minister but every beleever is separate to God and sanctified to carry the Covenant and hath the annointing of the Spirit which the Lord acknowledgeth on them and speaketh reverently and lovingly of them calling them his holy ones yea the apple of his eye They see not this who can persecute and revile them for hypocrites and count them as the Apostles whose doctrin they profess the scum of the world 2 Some places are for their use to bee accounted holy because God is there present in his worship as the places of our meetings not that any inherent holiness is annexed to the place or cleaveth to it out of the action of Gods worship but while God is present in his Worship wee must account it holy ground and the house of God When God appeared in Bethel to Jacob hee said How fearful is this place surely it is no other than the house of God Wee must therefore put off our shooes with Moses that is our base and vile our sinful and sensual affections yea our lawful if earthly thoughts when wee come to this holy place Look wee bring no thoughts with us unbeseeming the place where God is separated from other common places to holy uses Look that in this place wee use no gesture or behaviour unbeseeming a man that hath business with God being present To sit talking or sleeping or laughing or gazing sutes not with this place And further if God please to account the very places holy for the use and presence of God in this use what shall wee think of them that conceive so basely of them as they would love a Parish better in which is no Church Others prophane them with base practices and unconscionably suffer them to fall or decay and will bee at no charge to make or keep them handsome sweet and beautiful Styes were fit for such swine As their affection is so is their devotion 3 The holy Ordinances of God must not bee touched but with holy respect and reverence of which it is said It is not safe to play with holy things 1 The word must bee received read heard spoken as the holy word of God To make jests of Scripture is a wicked practice God looks graciously on him that trembles at his word Isa 66.2 as good Josiah whose heart melted hearing the words of the Law So the names and attributes of God are never to bee used in frivolous admirations but every knee must bow unto him Phil. 2.10 Neither ought wee to laugh at Gods judgements on others 2 An Oath is one of the holy Ordinances of God and to swear in common talk vainly is not to shew reverence to this holy Ordinance Swear not at all that is uncalled Mat. 5.34 35. neither being called but in truth justice and judgement for an Oath is appointed to decide controversies which other means cannot How few consider whether the matter bee worth an Oath or whether they bee called to it or whether it might not have been better passed by Yea or Nay or by a bare asseveration A wicked man is described by being a Swearer Eccl. 9.3 but a godly man not only not swears from which a man by education or civility may abstain but also fears an oath in what company soever hee is or what occasion soever hee hath 3 A Lot is another special Ordinance of God to decide a controversy from heaven by God himself when all means on earth fail Therefore Lots must not be used without great reverence and prayer because the disposition of them commeth immediately from the Lord Pro. 16.33 and not but in great matters not for recreation for it is said to cause contentious to cease among the mighty Prov. 18.18 neither do wee read that it was ever used but in very great things as the dividing of the land of Canaan the election of High Priests and Kings and the surrogation of Matthias into the place of Judas Hence it follows if dice and cards bee Lots as I think they bee that all play by them is unlawful 4 Some times are sanctified above other as the Sabbath day all which must bee passed holily with much reverence and respect both remembring it before it come yea rejoycing in the approach of it and when it is come to sanctify it 1 In our hearts for external observation of the Sabbath without inward holiness and affection to the duties of Gods service is hypocrisy 2 We must not meddle with any part of the duties of our ordinary calling for that is no holy thing 3 Much less travel to Markets or Fairs but every man must stay in his own place Exod. 16.29 Neb. 13.15 to 19. 4 Least of all must wee set any part of it apart
quench or repel the fiery and furious darts of Satan and his Instruments if he want the sheild of faith That man that puts on this armour of God shall overcome all difficulties and stand where many have fallen for he hath with him the victory that overcomes the world 2 In all places lay hold on all opportunities to doe good as Satan doth to doe evil He that hath goodness in him shall come in no place but he may finde some fitness to communicate it If in places of good resort men may and ought to make gain of that occasion Can good men meet and not bee better one for another whereas the wicked cannot meet but be worse Here a man may 1 Observe Gods graces in others to bee a pattern to himself 2 Draw out understanding of them by godly and fruitful questions or conference Prov. 20.5 3 Stirre up others to diligence in going forward and to greater love Heb. 3.13 and inoffensive walking Others may be ignorant and here is occasion for thee to pitty them and open thy lips with wisdom to feed them Prov. 10.20 Others may be dull and slow in Gods ways and these must bee provoked and encouraged Others by infirmity may bee going astray and thou perhaps mayest be a means to turn him and winne a soul Others may need an exhortation an admonition a loving and brotherly reproof or may need comfort A wise man may now watch occasion not only to prevent Satans baits who would keep Christians from doing the good they can but also to acquit himself in all places to the good of others and his own comfort 3 In places of bad resort or scorners if our calling lead us into them let us take with us the exhortation of the Apostle 2 Pet. 3.17 Take heed ye be not plucked away with the error of the wicked and fall from your own stedfastness And besides 1 Let us grieve that we are fallen into such company 2 Let us think of some good or special work of Gods mercy or judgement fresh in memory 3 If there bee apparent evil either give apparent token of dislike or in a wise and peaceable manner so speak as Gods honour be not by our silence trodden down 4 If there bee no opportunity or place for good depart with all speed Prov. 14. vers 7. and beware of falling into the like company again Took him up and set him on the pinacle The third circumstance in this preparation is the manner how Christ was conveyed to Jerusalem Then the Devil took him up into the holy City and set him on a pinacle of the Temple Some of great Learning and Piety hold that Christs presence in the holy City and on the Pinacle was only in Vision and not corporal Their reasons are these 1. Some of the Prophets thus are said in vision to goe from place to place as Jeremy must goe to the river Perath and back again chap. 13.4 and Ezek. 11.24 The Spirit of God took me up and brought me in a vision by the Spirit of God into Chaldea and 8.3 And took me by an hairy lock of my head and the Spirit lift me up between the earth and the heaven and brought me by a Divine vision to Jerusalem 2 Because the Evangelists say that the temptations were in the Wilderness and therefore could not be actually in the holy City or on a pinacle but in vision 3 Because Luke saith that the temptations being ended Christ returned into Galilee namely from the wilderness But it seems Christs being in Jerusalem and on the Pinacle of the Temple was not in vision but in deed and in truth and the reasons well considered are too weak to prove the contrary because 1 It overthrows the end of the temptation which was to cast himself down head-long for the Angels would keep him without hurt How could hee hurt himself by an imaginary fall or what needed he the Angels help Neither could hee cast himself down if he were still in the plain of the wilderness 2 It seems not to stand with the holiness of Christ seeing every vision which is a work of Satan intending by it to delude man is either a deceiving of the outward senses whereby he makes a man think he sees hears or feels something which indeed and truth he doth not as the Witch of Endor made Saul beleeve hee did hear and see Samuel when he did not 1 Sam. 28. And after the same manner if it were a vision supposing that Christ was awake he must not see the ground of the Wilderness where they say he was but upon that ground the City Jerusalem the Temple and Pinacle and himself standing on the top of it when indeed it was not there Or else a vision presented by Satan must bee an illusion of the mind whereby he makes a man think that of himself which is not true which can farre less agree with the holiness of Christ whose imagination could not be so farre abused as that he should think he was carried when he was not carried or to think himself to be there where he was not for this were contrary to that unmeasurable wisdom which was with him And if Satan had had such power over the superiour part of the mind of Christ he might likewise have perswaded him he had not fallen when hee did fall or he did not worship him if he had done so As for the Objection taken from the example of the Prophets I answer Great is the difference between the visions of God and visions from Satan They knew their visions to be Divine and not to delude or deceive them they knew the Spirit of God took them up in Divine visions but here it is said The Devil took up Christ and the text mentioneth that theirs were visions so it doth not here For that which is objected out of the Evangelists that the temptations were in the Wilderness and if it were not in vision only the first should be there I answer 1 The Evangelists say that Christ went into the Wilderness to be tempted but none of them say that all these three were in the wilderness 2 If they should have said that the temptations were in the wilderness it had been true for as we have heard Christ was tempted with other temptations than these in that place within the forty days Whereas it is further said that Christ returned after the temptations into Galilee and therefore the last temptation was in vision upon the Plain and not on the Mountain I answer 1 No one Evangelist saith he returned from the Wilderness 2 That the Evangelist hath reference to the last temptation which perhaps was finished in the Mountain either in that Wilderness or near it after Christ was led back from Jerusalem and there the temptations ended And now seeing that his presence in the holy City and upon the Pinacle was real and local not in vision and mental the next question is How the Devil took him up
in accusing thee but still it by casting out the core of sin that makes it so restless and painful 2 Quench not the motions of Gods Spirit for this grieves him and makes him goe away in displeasure and then all thy sound comfort is gone with him II. In temporal things sin not against the means He must eat that must live he must work that will eat sow to reap he that would avoyd a strange woman must love his own wife all the Souldiers and people in the Ship must come safe to land but then must they not cast them into the sea but abide in the ship Isa 37.33 the Prophet in the Lords name tells Hezekiah that Sennacherib shall not enter into the City but if hereupon Hezekiah should have bid them set the gates open would not the Prophet have told him he had betrayed the City For a rich man to be an Usurer or an oppressor is a greater sin than it is taken for because it is against the means yet who are Usurers else who oppressors else who grinde the faces of the poor who detain the wages of poor Servants but they For a man to break the Sabbath for gain is a great sin as appeareth in the poor man that went out to gather sticks but how great then is it in rich men who need not having much means beyond the present necessity and yet they or their Servants and Workmen must be gathering sticks to burn themselves withall in Hell Who sees not the malice of the Devil here who will have the Lords day worldly and wickedly spent wherein God hath set up the special means to draw men from it For it is written HAving spoken both of the ground of this assault and also of the scope and matter of it wee come to the third consideration in it namely The enforcing or urging of it by a testimony of Scripture Satan had perswaded the Son of God to a most foolish practice would any mad man or fool cast himself down from an high place and pash himself all to peeces at any mans perswasions and cannot now the Son of God the wisdome of his Father discern danger in this motion Satan is too black here and lales his snare in vain before the eye of that which hath wing But to hide his blacknesse hee draws a fair glove over a soul hand and assaies to make the case without all danger or absurdity Hee hath that to say which the Son of God cannot refuse Hee hath Scripture to perswade him for no reason is comparable to this to assure the Son of God who must hear the word of his Father that there is neither danger nor unreasonableness in this motion nay there is much good in it 1 Hee shall shew himself to bee the Son of God 2 Hee shall shew his affiance in his Fathers word which hath fully assured him of his Fathers protection as if hee should say Thou being the Son of God mayest without danger cast thy self down hence but do not take it on my word which perhaps thou mayest suspect but take it on thy Fathers word If that hath any truth in it there is no danger in my motion And because thou shalt not think that I speak without book It is written in thy Fathers Book If I had a Psalter here I could shew it thee that hee hath given his Angels charge over thee to keep thee that thou dash not thy foot against a stone and though thou cast thy self down they shall bear thee up and save thee harmless And if they should fail of their duty thou being the Sonne of God canst sustain thy self by thine own proper power and vertue Here consider two things 1 The general consideration of the allegation It is written 2 The special matter of it Hee will give his Angels charge over thee c. Doct. The Devil can and doth alleadge Scripture to further his wicked purposes as here In his tempting of Eve hee made the ground of his temptation Gods word Hath God indeed said yee shall not dye In the deluding of Saul be took the help of Samuels prophecy 1 Sam. 28.17 The Lord hath done even as hee spake by mine hand So his instruments the false Prophets pretend the word of the Lord as Hanani Jer. 28.2 Reasons The Reasons why Satan alledgeth Scripture are these 1 To hide his person and to transform himself into an Angel of Light here hee counterfeits Davids voice nay the voice of the Spirit of God speaking in the written word He would fain perswade Christ that hee is a lover of the Truth and under a testimony of Scripture would hide his horns Regula credâ—ndorum ageâ—dorum 2 As hereby himself dissembles holiness so hee would colour the matter to which hee tempts us to bee just and lawful for is not that lawful which the word allows seeing it is the rule of faith and manners 3 Hee frames himself according to the disposition of parties with whom hee is to deal Christ stood much upon Scripture and would do nothing without Scripture and if hee cannot draw him by Scripture hee shall prevail nothing and thus hee deals daily with tender consciences hee can bring them to any thing by a Scripture of his own mis-shaping 4 This comes to pass by reason of his malice 1 Against the Scripture which hee seeks to abuse to a contrary end seeing the Scriptures are written that wee might not sin 1 Joh 2.1 2 Against the godly to overcome them with no other than their own weapons Christ had made the written word his shield his sword hee will therefore assay with his own weapon to wound him and so he deals with his members 5 Here is not onely Gods permission but his over-ruling power for hereby the father of lies against his heart and nature giveth witnesse to the truth and strongly argues it to bee the strongest weapon that hath strongest power over the conscience Quest How doth Satan alledge Scripture Answ Hee is Gods Ape and as God alledgeth Scripture three waies 1 by his Spirit and inward motion as to Abimelech in a Dream Gen. 20.3 2 By his Ministers and Servants Angels or men 3 By his own lively voice as to Adam So can Satan 1 By suggestion 2 By his Ministers who transform themselves as if they were the Ministers and Apostles of Christ 2 Cor. 11.13 14 15. not onely delivering the word but also truely 3 By voice in some assumed body as undoubtedly hee did to the first Adam and here to the second Use 1. Seeing then this wicked Spirit can and doth alledge Scripture against us it behooves us to try the spirits whether they bee of God or no 1 John 4.1 not to beleeve every one that can alledge Scripture for so wee might beleeve the Devil himself 1 Thess 5.22 our commandement is to prove all things and hold only that which is good Our president is in Act. 17.11 the Bereans when they heard the Apostles
searched whether the things spoken were so We take no coin without due tryal Quest How shall I try the spirit that brings a sentence of Scripture Answ 1 By diligent study and reading of Scripture diligently searching out the truth for the determination of every truth must bee by scripture Dubiuâ—â— and though scripture seem to bee opposed to scripture wee must not with Papists draw determination of matters from scripture so saith the Apostle in Eph. 4.14 Let us not bee carried about as children with every wind of doctrin how should wee do other but follow the truth in love Examine the places circumstances antecedents and consequents confer with other scriptures to all which it must agree 2 Follow and frequent the Ministery as not content with the knowledge of the scriptures without the true understanding of them Non in legendo sed in intelligerdo Hieron for they consist not in the bare letters but in the pithy sense said the Father And this true understanding wil help us to lay it to the Analogy of faith wherunto it must bee agreeable and will make our senses exercised in the word 3 Adde hereunto prayer which procureth the spirit to lead us into all necessary truth David never ceased to Pray to bee taught as we may see through the whole 119. Psalm 4 Consider the end and scope of the scripture alledged If it lead thee into an action condemned by the law of nature or against other direct scriptures or principles of religion it is of the Devil the father of Lies for Gods Spirit never alledgeth scripture but to lead us into the knowledge and practice of some truth This is Moses his rule Deut. 13.1 If a false Prophet rise up see what hee aimeth at if it bee to draw thee from the Lord his worship or word take heed of him so if Satan by any instrument of his shall bring the word and pretend great zeal if the end bee to draw thee to superstition Idolatry or Popery beware of him his scope discovers him If a doctrin or scripture be alledged to nourish any fleshly delight or to hold men in sin though the words bee Gods the allegation is the Devils as At what time soever a sinner repenteth c. and the Theef was saved at the last hour and therefore if thou canst say two or three good words at thy death all shall bee well here is the Devil saying It is written for all scripture truely cited by Gods Spirit aims at mortification and the furtherance of Repentance If a Scripture bee alledged and urged to threaten and discourage such as fear God and shew forwardness in good waies or to animate the sinner promising him peace and life it is Satans allegation for if Gods Spirit alledge scripture that word is good and comfortable to him that walks uprightly and the threats of the law are fit provision for impenitent persons Vse 2. This teacheth us not to content our selves to know the Scripture and bee able to speak of it or to alledge it for the Devil knows the word and can alledge it readily yea hee is expert in it Many men deceive themselves in their estate and think themselves sure of salvation if they can get a lirtle knowledge of the scripture above others as though Satan could not alledge it or as though the wicked could not preach it as Judas did or ungodly men profess it who take the word into their mouth and hate to bee reformed Psal 50.16 17. Use 3. But let us take heed wee come not behind the Devil himself while wee thus highly conceit our selves for 1 Are there not a number of ignorant men almost as ignorant as if the scriptures had never been written and shall not the Devil condemn these who hath gained so much knowledge in the word which containeth not one word of comfort for him but judgement that makes him tremble Yet these whom they would make wise to salvation and to whom they offer the joyes and comfort of life eternal are utterly ignorant of them 2 Many read the Scripture but as Satan not to inform or reform themselves nor to make themselves better but both themselves and others far worse as not only Hereticks and learned Papists who bend all their knowledge to suppress and hide the truth but all such as by the scripture seâ—k to maintain their own errors and sins which they will not part with And these are no better than the Devil 3 Others will read Scripture and hear and know it but without all special application and grace in the heart wherein they should differ from the Devil and wicked men who know the word but affect it not do it not nay cannot abide the special application of it to do them good and this doth nothing but increase sin and judgement sin Jam. 4.17 to him that knoweth to do well and doth it not it is sin a great sin without excuse or cloak Joh. 15.22 judgement for such shall bee beaten with many stripes 4 Others brag of their knowledge they read the Bible at least Davids Psalmes and they know as much as any Preacher can tell them But stay the Devil reads the Psalter as well as thou and can quote Davids Psalms more readily than thou hee can read the Bible hee knows as much yea more than any Preacher can tell him what sayest thou more of thy self than the Devil can do of himself and more truely And what hast thou gained by all this challenge but thine own conviction of great sin without excuse but not without witnesse Is not thine own mouth thy judge who professeth so much knowledge and so little grace love practice To sin wilfully and presumptuously against the light is an extraordinary conformity with Satan Rules of reading and hearing the word religiously 1 Consider the excellency of the Word above all pretious things and how dangerous it is to take Gods name in vain which is then when the word is frustrate of his right end 2 They are called holy Scriptures not only in regard of that holy truth contained in them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but because they are instruments by which the Elect are sanctified and made holy John 17.17 and therefore are never to bee used without holy affection nor without indeavour to grow up in holiness 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 3 They are the Word of faith therefore wee must mingle the Word with faith and lay up the precepts and promises thereof to beleeve it 4 The Scriptures being the rule of life wee must submit our whole man to the obedience and practice of it with all sincerity and constancy Hereby we shall go beyond the knowledge of the Word in Devils and ungodly men NOw for the place it self wee must consider it two waies 1 As abused by Satan in his allegation 2 As wee find it holily set down by the Spirit of God In Satans abuse of this Scripture wee may see many particulars 1 Hee wrongs
over them but his Vicar neither love they the truth in the Canonical Scripture further than it will stand with their Popish Canon Law Or if a man come to read out of custom and coldly without fervency and love experience will tell him though thus he read much his profit shall bee but small 3 With repentance and faith and a good heart 2 Cor. 3.14 when the heart of Israel shall be converted to the Lord the veil shall be taken away this veil is natural ignorance and infidelity VVhere the former is no marvel if the word read and known be not understood as a blind man cannot see the Sun shining in his strength VVhere faith is absent and is not mingled with the word it must needs become unprofitable Impossible it is that the wisdom of God can dwell in a wicked heart no man puts precious liquor into a fusty cask This is the cause that men of great learning want sound understanding because they want sound conscience Hos 14.10 The ways of God are right but the wicked fall in them 4 With a purpose not only to know but to practise Joh. 7.17 If any man will doe my will he shall know whether my doctrine be from heaven The scope of the Scripture is not only to beleeve in the Son of God but to walk in the obedience of faith Now if men read over all the Bible an hundred times either for knowledge only or for vain-glory or to advance themselves into preferments or to oppose the truth as Hereticks and Papists doe no marvel if they never attain the true sense of them 5 With prayer for the Spirit to lead us into all truth because the Scriptures were inspired by Gods Spirit at first and the same Spirit is only able to acquaint us with his own meaning If any man want wisdom he must ask it of God Jam. 1.5 so did David Psal 119.18 Open mine eyes that I may see the wonderful things of thy law Is it any marvel that they who flie the judgement of Gods Spirit and stand to the Church Pope Councils and only swallow that sense which they give and never look after Gods Spirit should miss of the true meaning of the Holy Ghost and fall into and tumble in a number of errors and heresies To these might bee added meditation diligence keeping of order and time special application and the like These things let them be brought to the reading of Gods Word and no man shall lose his labour hee shall bee taught of God who hath promised to reveal his secret to them that fear him So much of the qualification of the person II. Now follow some rules which a person thus qualified must learn and keep by him to try when a Scripture is wrested or no. Rule 1 The first is that in our text conference of Scripture there the Spirit of God by plain places expoundeth those which are more difficult Thus Nehem. 8.8 Ezra opened the Scripture by comparing it with it self and so made the people to understand as Junius noteth out of the original So the Bereans having heard the doctrine of the Apostles searched the Scriptures that is compared their doctrine with the doctrine of the Old Testament Thus the Apostles themselves teaching Christs resurrection Acts 2.16 prove it out of the Old Testament viz. Psal 16.10 Thou wilt not suffer thine holy one to see corruption And to prove that those words cannot be meant of David himself he appeals to another testimony in 1 King 2. where it is said that David slept with his fathers and lay buried in his Sepulchre and so saw corruption This is a special way whereby the Scripture giveth wisdom to the simple Psal 19.7 And for this purpose the Lord hath in great wisdom tempered the Scripture with some hard places to exercise mens senses and try their diligence in comparing of Scripture whereof there were no need if there were no hard places How comes it that many pervert the Scripture to their own destruction but because they conferre not one part with another which would lead them into the right sense How come the Arrians when they hear Christ say The Father is greater than I and other such sayings to hold to the death that Christ is not true God co-essential and co-equal with his Father but that they doe not compare this with other places as Job 1.1 That word was God Philip. 2.6 He thought it no robbery to be equal with God Rom. 9. which is God blessed for ever And consequently that the former place speaks of his Human nature the latter of his Divine nature How could the Papists suffer shipwrack of faith and Heretically erre in the foundation of Religion teaching justification by the works of the Law out of Jam. 2.21 Was not Abraham our father justified by works but that they conferre not other places to help them into the right sense as Rom. 4.2 and 3.20 We are justified by faith without the works of the law and Tit. 3.5 Not by the works of righteousness which we had done but according to his grace he saved us Which places being compared shew that one speaks of justification before God as Paul the other of justification before men as James the former of justifying the person the latter of justifying the faith of the person When they read such places as these Awake thou that sleepest and Turn you turn you O house of Israel hence they conclude man hath free-will in his own conversion Whereas would they compare these with other places as Gen. 6.5 The whole imagination of mans heart is only evil continually and it is God that works both the will and the deed c. the reconciling of such places would force them to see that till God work us wee are meer patients and after that acts agimus being moved we move for his grace must not bee idle in us The lewd and disordered Libertine when he reads that wee are justified by faith without works casts off all care of his conversation What can his works doe what need they But he could not thus pervert the Scripture to his destruction if he compared it with such Scriptures as say that faith without works is dead and that faith works by love The reconciling whereof would teach them that although works be excluded from justification yet not from faith they must bee in the person justified though not in the justification of his person This conference of Scripture is either in places parallel and like or in such as seem to be opposed and unlike The conferring of like places bringeth great light to the reader As for example 1 Cor. 7.19 Circumcision is nothing and uncircumcision is nothing If we would understand what is meant by this nothing compare we it with Gal. 5.6 In Christ Jesus neither uncircumcision availeth any thing nor circumcision where nothing is to avail nothing and is not referred to Circumcision or uncircumcision it self but to the person it is
with grace than Eves in her innocency And yet when as Satan let upon her senses he sent in by them such poyson as wrought death unto all her posterity Rules for the ordering of our senses aright 1 Beware of the life of sense which is a brutish life 2 Pet. 2.12 the Apostle speaketh of men led by sensuality even as the brute beasts who follow sense and appetite without all restraint Thus did the Gentiles who were therefore given up to a reprobate sense Rom. 1.24 And the danger of this estate Salomon noteth Eccles 11.9 when hee bids the young man walk in the sight of his own eyes and after the lusts of his heart but withall Remember that for all this he must come to judgement Let such think hereon that think it is free to give up their senses to feed themselves upon every object themselves please 2 Consider that God made the senses to minister to a right ordered heart and not the heart to follow the senses and therefore the heart must be watched that it walk not after the eye which is to invert Gods order And what a deluge of sin over-floweth the soul when the understanding is buried in the senses and the heart drowned in sinful appetites David gives his eye leave to wander and look lustfully after Bathsheba and what wayes of misery one overtaking another did he bring into his soul And what marvel then if natural men neglecting their duty in taking off their eyes from unchaste objects never rest till they come to have eâ—es full of adultery 2 Pet. 2.14 not ceasing to sin according to our Saviours speech Matth. 6.23 If the eye be evil all the body is dark yea and the soul too 3 Keep the parts of Christian armour upon thy senses that thou lye not open there A valiant Captain knowing that the enemy is easier kept out than beaten out of a City hath great care to plant his Garrison about the gates and walls there he sets his most â—aithful watch and ward there he plants his chief munition and ordnance Had David kept his armour on his eye he had not been so foyled by Bathsheba If on his ear he had not been so injurious to Mephibosheth by means of slandring Zaba 2 Sam. 16.3 4. Salomon wisheth us Not to look upon the colour of the wine in the cup that is with too much pleasure to stirre up desire He would have us keep our sence upon our ears not to give ear to a flatterer or whisperer but brow-beat him and drive him away with an angry countenance The Apostle Paul would have our ears shut against evil and corrupt words which corrupt good manners Daniel desires not to taste of the Kings dainties nor will pollute himself with them chap. 1. vers 8. And so we must fence our whole man as we may not touch any unclean thing and yeeld nothing to the course of waters 4 Feed thy senses with warrantable objects 1 God 2 His Word 3 The Creatures 4 Thy Brethren 5 Thy self First our eyes are made to see God himself here below as wee can in his back-parts hereafter as wee would face to face And therefore a base thing it were to fixe them upon the vain pleasures and profits of this life This is fitter for brute beasts that have no higher object Again what fairer or fitter object can we chuse for our senses than himself that made them with all their faculties and gives us so much comfort by them Prov. 20.12 The hearing ear and seeing eye God made them both and both of them as all things else he made for himself Further where can we better place ouâ— senses than upon him from whom all our help cometh How ought our eyes to be continually lifted up in holy and servent prayers and praises considering both our continual necessities and supplies So David I lift up mine eyes unto the hills from whence my salvation cometh Psal 121.1 and As the eye of the Hand-maid is lifted up to the hand of her Mistris so are our eyes unto thee Psal 123.1 Lastly how can we place our senses better than upon him who is the most pleasant and durable object To see God in Christ reconciled to hear and know him become our Father is so ravishing a sight as the Saints have runne through fire and water to apprehend it And for the continuance it will feed the senses everlastingly yea when the senses themselves decay and wax dull this object shall feed them and be never the less sweet And therefore as Salomon adviseth Eccles 12.1 while thou hast thy senses fix them upon this object Remember thy Creator in the dayes of thy youth before they be dark that look out at the windows c. If a man set his senses and feed them upon any outward object wealth honour pleasure buildings and the like wee may justly say to him as our Saviour to his Disciples when they gazed upon the beautiful workmanship of the Temple Are these the things your eyes gaze upon verily the time comes when one stone shall not bee left upon another undemolished The like may bee said of all earthly objects whatsoever Only this object shall grow more and more glorious and desirable Secondly God made our senses to be exercised in his holy Word which leads us to himself Heb. 5.14 the Apostle requires that Christians should have 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 senses exercised in the word Prov. 2.2 Let thine ear hear wisdom 1 Hence comes faith which is by hearing 2 Hence we draw the comforts of the Scriptures which are the consolations of God in our trouble 3 Hence are we admonished directed and wholsomly corrected Prov. 15.31 The ear that heareth the rebuke of life shall dwell among wise men 4 The danger of neglect is great 1 He that turns his car from hearing the law his prayer is abominable 2 Uncircumcised cars resist the Holy Ghost Acts 7.51 3 Itching ears that turn from the truth doe by Gods just judgement turn unto â—ables 2 Tim. 4.3 5 It is a sign of a man that hath given his heart unto God for he that gives his heart will give his senses too knowing that God requires both Prov. 23.26 My son give me thy heart and let thine eyes that is thy senses delight in my wayes And our Saviour saith He that hath an ear to hear let him hear Seeing therefore that this is so notable a means of guiding our senses let us more carefully give up and take up our eyes and ears with the sight and sound of Gods Word upon all occasions in the hearing and reading of the Scripture I would ask the most carnal man that is whether this in sound judgement bee not a better object for our senses than Bowls or Tables and fitter for all times especially for the Sabbath Thirdly God made our senses to profit our selves by his Creatures that by them we might glorifie him their Creator and not by them corrupt or insnare our selves
of his love so every promise of Satan is a token of his malice An example of the Devils faithfulness we have in our own Chronicles In the reign of Edward the first when the Welch-men rebelled their Captain resorted to a Conjurer for counsel whether he should goe on in the intended warre against the King or no yes said the Devil goe on in thy purpose for thou shalt ride through Cheap-side with a Crown on thy head and so he did indeed but it was cut off and he was carried in triumph as a prey to the King This may justly reprove and shame many professed Christians that will scarce give Gods promises of grace and life the hearing though they are founded in Christ in whom they are all yea and amen flowing from his love and tending to our eternal happiness with himself Many will not bee brought to hear them many hardly when they have nothing else to do and many hear them as things not concerning themselves for then would they take more delight in them But if Satan promise any earthly Kingdome or profit hee hath our ears our hearts at command all our speech runs upon the World our desires and hopes are for earth and earthly things and being thus earthly-minded how expose wee our selves to Satans assaults and offer our selves to bee won by his most treacherous promises Vse 2. This teacheth us what to think of that Doctrin and Religion that teacheth men to be Promise-breakers what may we think of it but to bee a treacherous unfaithful Diabolical Religion But such is the Romish Religion as wee may easily see in two or three instances 1 In that Article of the Council of Constance That Faith is not to bee kept with Hereticks that is Protestants and so brake promise with John Hus who had not the Emperours onely but the Popes safe-conduct Against the Examples of good Joshua who kept Promise though rashly made with the Gibeonites and with the Harlot of Jericho and of David who kept Truth and Promise with Shimei a seditious and cursing wretched Traytor 2 The Church of Rome teacheth by the Doctrin of Equivocation to break the Promise of a lawful Oath before a lawful Magistrate and teacheth the lawfulness thereof But the Scripture condemneth a double heart and the deceitful Tongue and proclaimeth woe against them that trust in lying words In lib de fide cum haretic is servanda Jer. 7.8 and that make falshood their refuge Yea Molanus a great and learned Papist concludes syncerè faedera juramenta sunt intelligenda all leagues and especially Oathes are sincerely to bee understood and condemns plainly such mockeries and dalliance with Promises and compacts by one or two instances as of him that made truce with his enemy for thirty daies and wasted his Enemies Countrey and Camps only in the night and of Aurelianus the Emperour who comming afore a Town Tijana and finding the Gates shut to animate his Souldiers with great anger said I will not leave a Dog in the Town they hoping for the spoil beestirred themselves to Ransack the Town but being won hee would not give them leave to spoil it but bad them leave never a Dog in it and let the goods alone This was but a dalliance condemned by the Papist himself and yet had more colour of truth than Popish Equivocation can have 3 The Romish Church teacheth men to break Promises and Oaths with lawful and Christian Princes exempting subjects from obedience and putting Swords Dags Daggers Powder and all deadly plots into their heads and hands against the Lords anointed A treacherous and Devillish Doctrin Vse 3. Wee see also what house treacherous and deceitful persons descend of such as care not how much they promise and how little they perform men most unlike unto God and resembling their Father the Devil who is most lavish and prodigal in his promises when hee knows hee hath neither power nor purpose to perform men of great tongues which swell as mountains but of little hands not performing mole-hills Of these Solomon speaks Prov. 25.14 Hee that glorieth of a false gift that is speaketh of great things that hee will do for his Neighbour but failes in the accomplishment is like a cloud and wind without rain A Cloud seems to offer and promise Rain but the winde takes it away and frustrates a mans expectations And the same is true of all windy Promises Which wee must carefully avoid and use these rules against slipperiness in promise 1 If a man would bee like God who cannot lye in his promises hee must strive against it But Satan is a Lyar from the beginning and the Father of Lyes and Lyars 2 Faithfulnesse in contracts is the sinew of humane society which Satan would have crackt that hee may bring all to confusion 3 The Heathens that were given up by God to a reprobate sense are branded with this mark they are truce-breakers Rom. 1.31 4 It is a mark of a man in the state of grace who hath obtained remission of sins that in his spirit is no guile Psal 32.2 5 A note of a man that shall dwell in Gods holy and heavenly mount is this hee speaks the truth from his heart Psal 15.2 and Revel 14.5 They onely shall stand on Mount Sion and sing before the Throne who have no guilt in their months Especially wee must bee careful of two promises whereof God and the Congregation have been witnesses as 1 That of Baptism which wee must have a special care to look unto for if wee fail in keeping touch with God no marvail if wee fail with men 2 That of Marriage which the Prophet calls the Covenant of God Mal. 2.14 THE second thing in this profer is the reason annexed Luk. 4.6 For it is delivered unto mee and to whomsoever I will I give it The Devil like a desperate man that is sure in this bout to kill or bee killed laies about him with all the skill and strength hee hath yea hee is put to his shifts so as no base or mischievous devise comes amiss by which hee may either in fair combat or cowardly attempts oppress his adversary and that which hee cannot do by strength and power hee will attempt by falshood and lies which hee heaps up here together most like himselfe the Father of lies that stood not in the truth And here he challengeth the power and glory of the World to bee his 1 In Possession 2 In disposition First Hee affirmeth it to bee his but not directly but indirectly by Gift It is delivered unto mee But this is a most notorious lye for the earth is the Lords and all that therein is the world and all that dwell therein Psal 24.1 and Deut. 10.14 Behold the Heaven of Heavens is the Lords thy God and the earth with all that therein is And where read wee that ever hee committed these into the hand of the Devil Object 1. Joh. 14.30 Hee is called the Prince of
which is not God and consequently a man may not be present at false worship to give it the least allowance no not in gesture Whence they are convicted of dealing false with God who present their body at the Mass with a conceit that they can keep their hearts to God well enough For 1 Might not our Lord for a whole world have found by all his wisdom such a present help for him and by such a policy have over-reached the Devil himself who required only external bowing keeping his heart still unto God No our Lord knew well 1 That body and soul make but one man who must have but one God one Lord one Faith one Worship 2 That our bodies are the Lords as well as our souls 1 Cor. 6.20 created for his service as well as they redeemed by Christs bloud as well as they 3 That he that requireth the whole heart requireth also the whole strength which is of the body 4 That the soul cannot be in Heaven if the body be in Hell neither can he bow the knee of his heart to God that bows the knee of his body to Satan 5 That there can be no agreement between Light and Darkness God and Belial the Ark and Dagon cannot stand in the same Temple and the heart cannot at the same time be the Temple of God and of Idols 2 This is the difference between the Church of God and the Synagogue of Satan that the one is a chaste wise and spouse of Christ and keeps her to her husband alone and doth not admit others to the use of her saith the other plays the harlot with many Lovers and keeps not her saith and confidence to God alone but permits others to be fellows with him at the same time Now no man can take her for a chaste and undefiled Spouse that will give the use of her body to a stranger though shee plead never so confidently that shee keeps her heart to her husband The case here is the very same 3 Here is a number of sins infolded in this one action 1 Here is a manifest appearance of evil which we should flie 1 Thess 5.22 2 An occasion of offence to others to draw them in by our example and so farre as wee may a destroying of him for whom Christ hath dyed Rom. 14.15 3 A fight against faith and an allowance of that which a man condemneth Rom. 14.22 Blessed is he that condemneth not himself in that he alloweth His body allows that which his heart condemnes 4 Here is a denial of Christ whose faith he ought to confess and profess with his mouth which he would doe if it were in soundness hid in the heart 5 Here is a dastardly joyning with his Lords enemy for he that is not with him is against him 6 Here is not only an approbation but a communication in Idolatry a touching of pitch and a defiling of a mans self a most present danger of infection and defection from God 7 Here is an hypocritical show of that which the heart abhorres a divided man and divided manner of worship which God hateth who requireth the whole man 8 Experience shews that such as give up their bodies to Idols God in justice for the most part gives up the heart to horrible delusions 4 If we must avoyd an Heretick then much more an Idolater Wee must not only hate the doctrine of the Nicolaitans but avoyd it Many say they hate the Mass but I say then they would avoyd it for we separate our bodies not only our hearts from the things we hate And the commandement is to get out of Babylon We read in the Ecclesiastical History how St. John fled from Corinthus the Heretick and Polycarp from Marcion And those whom we may not bid God-speed or whom we may not invite to our own tables may we joyn with them in polluting the Lords table 5 Such persons keep not their hearts to God that present their bodies at Idolatry neither present they their bodies only for the Soul governs the Body the Will leads the Action the Understanding the Will and the Affections attend the Understanding Now where there is understanding judgement will and affections given to the Idol-worship is not more than the body given even the chief and highest faculties of the soul Of which wee can reckon no better than plowing with an Oxe and an Asse or sowing the same field with divers seeds which the Lord in the Law forbiddeth and therein refuseth the mixture of warrantable and unwarrantable rites in his worship God is a Spirit and truth and will not be worshipped in spirit and falsehood A dissembled worship is a mark of a true neutral of a plain Laodicean neither hot nor cold a Cake half baked on the hearth Quest But is it not lawful on some occasion to be present at Mass Ans In some cases a man may be present and not sin as 1 When he is there by violent compulsion being bound and cast in as into a prison so as hee cannot resist this is not his sin but theirs and it may be said as of Lucretia Two in the sin but one adulterer she resisted and was forced so was he 2 If in travel a man be in a fit place to see and observe their folly so as hee shew no reverence at all or approbation by bending his knee uncovering his head or otherwise Thus the Apostle Paul went into the Idol-temple at Athens as he passed by not to approve but to take occasion to confute their Idolatry Acts 17.23 3 A man may be amongst Idolaters to reprove and reprehend them as 1 King 13.1 a Prophet came to the Altar where Jeroboam was to cry out against it And Elias stood by Baals Priests mocking them while they danced and launced themselves 1 King 18. And the three fellows of Daniel stood by Nebuchadnezzars Image Aderant sed â—on adorarunt Pet. Martyr to protest that they would never worship it Dan. 3.1 4 Some hold that in politick imployment a mans calling necessarily requiring it he may present his body at Idol-worship as a Protestant may carry a sword before a Prince into the Temple of an Idol with two caveats 1 That neither by word nor gesture hee give any approbation of the Idolatry 2 That publick protestation bee made by word or writing that he presents not himself for religions sake but civil obedience I will say nothing against this last case for my part I like a great deal better that practice of the Protestant Princes at Augusta who brought Charls the fifth their Emperour along as he was going to the Mass but lest him at the Church-door and every man by his departure shewed what hee thought of that service Also when Valentinian brought Julian to the Temple of his Idols he that kept the door sprinkled his gown with the Idols-water as the Heathens used whereat Valentinian gave him a box on the ear If wee should thus present our selves what tumults
rather than over-ruled by power it laies by all dialogue dispute murmuring and desire of dispensation 3 In the measure of doing it will indeavour in all the Commandements and all duties no man so wicked but hee can do many things as Herod but hee cannot yield to all 4 In continuance and conclusion of that hee doth it holdeth on in doing things purely for a good end for Gods glory and not by fits and starts but perseveres to the end and the crown of the work In all which a wicked man comes short for whatsoever is forced or feigned must bee heavily entered on and more heavily ended besides whatsoever is from such an one is joyned with reigning sin which hales and tugs him backward and toils him out before hee bee half way in any good work 3 How often doth the Lord reject the sacrifice of the wicked their oblations their fasts their prayers their temporary yea miraculous Faith their almes and charity yea their confessing and Preaching of Christ as in the last judgement all which had they been fruits of sound grace they had been acceptable But God looks not so much to the matter of the work as the person working the manner of working and the end of the action Vse 1. Well as Satan goes away when hee can stay no longer and so his obedience is forced so doth sin from most men when they can keep it no longer and so that which seemeth obedience in them it is no better than the Devils obedience in this place Vse 1. Many refrain many sins for fear of Hell and the curse of God they dare not hold their sin any longer whereas they are as much in love with it as before as Moses his Parents kept him so long as they durst before they exposed him to the waters so dearly love men the children of their own corruption What thank is it for a Robber or Felon to leave robbing and stealing for fear of hanging If there were no Law nor Magistrate hee would to his own calling again because hee is no changeling So what thank is it for a man to avoid sin because of damnation here is no fear of God but fear of evil no love of God but self-love And yet this is the restraint of most men whom Conscience no whit bridleth Why do men abstain from open wronging of men by Robbing Stealing Murthering they will say for Conscience But then the same Conscience would keep them from all secret deceit lying and cousenage and then the same conscience would keep them from all other sins also as swearing drinking dicing carding gaming pride wantonness and the rest A good conscience in one thing is a good conscience in all 2 The like is the obedience of many sinners that are still in league with their sins Many filthy unclean whoremongers and harlots have left their sin but it is because it hath lest them they have broken their strength and either age or diseases in their bodies hinder them oh now they will pretend Conscience But they can as filthily speak and as merrily remember their mad pranks as ever they acted them they want onely a body no minde will or affection to commit over the same things again Many Prodigals have left their sin because their wealth hath left them and poverty feeds upon them Many quarrellers and swaggerers have left off such furious courses why perhaps they have gotten some maim or mischief or perhaps they fear whether they can do so again safely or no and this is all the conscience that hath calmed and quieted them but what obedience is this Is that an obedience to God for a Dicer or Gamester to forbear play or rather as it is his theeving when he wants mony to stake 3 In Gods service what makes men come to Church to hear and Pray Every man saith Conscience Yea but good Conscience works powerfully upon the Will what then means the unwillingnesse of men and heavinesse who are so far from apprehending their week-occasions as if they ask their own hearts they must tell them that on the Sabbaths of God were it not for fear of law and shame of men both which are often forgotten they would not come at all Here is obedience much like the Devils because they are of the Devils teaching The like of many servants and Childrens obedience whose comming to Church to hear their duty is meerly forced by the compulsion of Masters and Parents and hath as little comfort in it as the Devils obedience 4 The like is to bee said of late Repentance at the time of death when the sinner hath held his sin so long as hee can then hee would bee rid of it Indeed his sin leaves him but not the curse of it but hee is so far from leaving it as were hee to live over his daies again hee would put as much life into his sin as ever before Late repentance is seldome true ever suspicious Why do many rich men never do good while they live but live as unprofitable and hurtful as swine till they come to the knife but then when death is binding them they will give somewhat to good uses to the Poor for a Sermon c. Why what moves them Conscience they say But it is an accusing Conscience crying out against their oppression usury wrong cruelty and deceit and now this wicked Conscience would stop its own mouth by offering to God some trifle of that hee hath robbed For were it a good conscience why doth hee not leave some part of his wealth for God before it wholly leave him Were it a free-will-offering why comes it so late why doth hee not good while hee hath time Gal. 6.10 Surely God likes a living Christian for any man will bee a Christian dying Neither is it thank-worthy to give that which a man cannot keep And commonly such gifts do more good to others than the giver himself Which is not spoken to hinder men from doing good at their deaths but to provoke them to do good before that time And yet better late than never Let us examine all our obedience by this ground and bee sure that it differ from the obedience of Devils and wicked men And that by these rules 1 God loves truth in the inward parts and refuseth all that obedience which follows not sanctification of the Spirit duties without must flow from graces within Examine now thy inward change wee are his new creatures created to good works joyn that in thy actions which the Devil divorced the inner man with the outward the subjection of the soul with the obedience of the body 2 Examine thy love in thy obedience that because the love of God constrains thee thou doest what hee commands and whether thou preferrest the Commandement of God which is ever-joyned with his glory above all the World and thy obedience above thy profit credit case pleasure mens favour or dis-favour whether thou canst obey God against all these This was
not a guard of men about him as the great Princes of the earth but a guard of Princes and not of Princes only but of principalities and powers rules thrones and dominations and therefore hee must deeds bee a mighty God advanced above all Creatures 2 The Angels are in Scripture every where spoken of as the excellency of the Creatures so as when the highest praise of any thing is to be given it is taken from the excellency of Angels Manna is called Angels food Psal 78.25 that is if Angels should need food they could not wish more excellent 1 Cor. 13.1 If I should speak with the tongues of Angels c. that is excellently Yea the most happy and glorious estate that our selves look for after the resurrection is hence extolled that we shall be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 like Angels Now all this advancement of them is not so much in respect of themselves with whom we have no commerce but for the advancement of Christ the Lord of the holy Angels and that in their glory we may behold the glory of Christ to whom they are servants 3 The truth hereof was shadowed in the Ceremonial Law Exod. 25.20 The Cherubims signifying the Angels must lift their wings on high as attending upon God and their faces must be to the Mercy-seat which lively resembled Christ on whom their eyes must bee still cast as the eye of the hand-maid to the hand of her Mistris And chap. 26.31 the vail of the Tabernacle which covered the most holy expresly signifying the flesh of Christ which hiding his Divinity made way for us to Heaven must bee made of broydered work with Cherubims not without Cherubims for these noted the multitude of Angels serving Christ even as man for being in his lowest estate and apprehended to the death he gives this as a reason to Peter to put up his sword because if he would he might pray to his Father and have twelve legions of Angels to rescue him Obj. But this seems not Christs priviledge to have the Angels his ministers seeing all the godly have them ministring spirits for their good Heb 1.14 as Abraham Lot Elias Daniel Ans True they had but this impeacheth not Christs honour because they serve not us after the same manner they serve him for 1 Their service is due to Christ as their Creator and Lord of duty to us as Creatures of charge 2 Their service to him is immediate as the Head of the Church to us mediate only as members of the Head 3 Their service is proper to him and invested in him as his own right to us given by vertue of our communion with him 4 To him as the author and preserver of all the gifts and graces they have and equal it is that whatsoever is excellent in any kind be wholly ascribed to the author and giver of it to us only so farre as the owner hath put them in trust to employ those gifts for our good Faith in Christ interests us in this Ministery of the Angels who love the members because of the head They are his Angels and so called by special propriety Matth. 16.27 when the Son of man shall come in the clouds and all his holy Angels with him because by special prerogative they doe him homage and service And our Angels by special commission and direction from him 5 They never ministred to man but for the honour of Christ Rev. 22.9 Worship God Vse 1. Let us imitate the Angels Doe they honour Christ by their ministery and shall we refuse his service especially seeing hee took our Nature and bound us straighter to him than the Angels They are most expedite and ready having wings to fly withall Let their wings speed us in his service They are unweariable in performing obedience and shall wee bee so heavie and shrinking as to account every thing too much that we do for him They are in all things ruled and moved by his Spirit Ezek. 1.20 Whither the Spirit led them they went Let us also give up our selves to the leading of his Spirit not running of our own heads in any business unsent without our warrant They rejoyce in all good things and in Christs victory the benefit of which redounds to us more than to them and that men by the same are set out of the Devils power And why do not we more rejoyce in this victory of Christ why do we rejoyce in evil which is the Devils sin in sinful courses and company Why do we hate and scorn those who most partake in this victory How unlike is this to the Angels Vse 2. If the Angels be servants unto Christ then we see herein both his love to us and our own honour who hath vouchsafed us his own special servants to attend us For he hath not only charged them with the safety of Abraham Jacob Lot Elias Daniel and other extraordinary holy men but their commission is general Psal 91.11 they shall keep thee in all thy ways that is not only Christ himself but every member of Christ for this honour have all the Saints And what a comfort is it that we so weak Creatures and so beset with spiritual and invisible enemies have appointed to us by the Lord so many spiritual invisible and more powerful ayders and assisters What a comfort is it that no temporal enemy can so soon wrong us in our persons estates or names but the Angels of God are ready to turn it off and keep off the peril and then return to God to complain of the wrong-doers What a care should we have not to forfeit our priviledge to keep us in our ways and walk warily because of the Angels not grieving them by sin nor driving them from about us whose protection under Gods is more safe than if we lay under shield and spear Psal 91.4 with 11. And if our Lord himself received comfort from them how great may be our comfort from them Vse 3. Hence we are to ascribe the glory of Power Majesty and Kingdome unto our Lord Jesus who if he be able to command all the Angels in Heaven much more all the Devils in Hell who are farre weaker than they All power is his in heaven and earth And now we are no longer to esteem of him according to his base estate in the Wilderness in the World but according to his surpassing power manifested through all this History in vanquishing the Devil and in receiving the Divine honour from the most glorious Angels To this great Michael who even without his Angels hath in pitcht battel overcome the great red Dragon and all his Angels be ascribed all power might victory and triumph of all men Saints and Angels in earth and in the highest Heavens for all eternity Amen Amen 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 AN Alphabetical Index OR TABLE Pointing To the Principal Points in this Exposition A IN Christs lowest Abasement sparkles of Divinity fly out sundry instances page 233 Actions brought forward
God having in Justice put them under his power Now although Christ did most powerfully spoyl Satan of his dominion which he had in the souls of men this being the of his power but possessed and disposed by him and ruled at his will and pleasure For First who would think him possessed that can fall down on his knees make a solemn profession and confession of Jesus Christ that he is the Son of God and the most high Mark 5.7 and make loud prayers unto him as acknowledging him to be the Lord of glory and yet all these are the speeches and behaviours of a man possessed not with one or two but with a Legion of Devils Luke 8.28 What doe the Devils honour Christ who fear nothing more than that he should be honoured and hate nothing so much as he No but all this confession and worship was by constraint partly because they knew him a Prince and a Judge whose power they could not resist and partly they flatter him to obtain more gentle entreaty at his hands than they deserved so many a man professeth Christ but you shall observe at least he may himself that many foul spirits breath in him for although hee know Christ as the Devils did yet he obeyeth him not he would fain resist him if he were strong enough to make his part good against him which because he cannot doe he will give him fair words and call him Lord and Master he will pray to him in sickness or distress but it is but to get out of his hands and keep his wonted hold still If the power of Christs word come near him he can begin to accuse Christ and Christian profession of unpeaceableness and tormenting him before the time for what time would please these that Christ should come unto them he can ask Christ and his Ministers what they have to doe with him and Christ shall be blamed because he cannot be at peace for him if he would let him alone all should be well and quiet but the Ministery and Discipline are intollerable let Christ preach and he will preach him too so it be such a Gospel as bringeth no repentance or amendment of life to himself but he may remain where he was even in the Graves already lodged with death When hee cannot doe the greater mischief that he would he would doe the lesser if hee can if he cannot hinder the Ministery he can deprave it wherein as in all the rest he shews himself at the command of that wicked spirit who when he could no longer torment the man would drown the swine Secondly although the Devil might be forced through the power of Christ to acknowledge him the holy one of God so as themselves might continue Devils still yet who would think him guided by any other than a good Spirit of God that should extol the servants of Christ their persons their Ministery their doctrin for would any conceive that the Father of Lyes would praise the truth and yet mark what a large testimony the Devil himself in the Maid gave of Paul and Silas These men are the servants of the most high God which shew unto us the way of salvation and this she did many days A t s 16.17 Why did not the Devil know that they were the greatest enemies he had upon earth Yes he did but he must sometimes transform himself into an Angel of Light he must colour all his Lyes with some truth which is undeniable hee can lay all his falshoods upon appearance of truth as his eldest Son Mahomet enlarged the praises of Christ and his Disciples to overthrow Christian religion withall he hath his fetch to make men beleeve there is an agreement between Christ and his Apostles and himself or that they needed his testimony who therefore put him to silence and would receive no commendation from him but for praises returned sharp rebukes Even so many men can praise good men and Ministers before their faces whom they know to bee deadly enemies to their vices not for love of their vertues but lest they should use them and can call them honest men to try if by that they can hinder them from doing the duty of honest men as the Devils called Paul and Silas the Servants of God lest they should shew themselves so by dispossessing them Besides they would seem herein to bee better than they are and therefore will honour the Gospel and bringers with their mouths whereas in their hearts they cannot abide that the doctrin of it should bee in sincerity either published or practised the name of Christianity and of the Gospel pleaseth them well enough so as the power and fruit of it come not neer them But as the Devil had no sooner praised the Servants of God but presently hee changed his coppy and never left persecuting them till hee had cast them into prison got them soundly beaten set fast in the stocks and after sent out of the City even so many who now commend the person and doctrin of the Servants of God presently shewing what spirit guideth them can accuse them to bee mutinous and seditious troublers of their City and State and raise up the whole City and stir up the wrath of the Magistrates against them that so under pretence of the Wâ—rd or Law or Peace or Order the true Ministers of God shall bee wrongfully condemned and cast out Thirdly Who would think that hee could be haunted with a wicked spirit that can see his sin 1 Sam. 24.17 18. confess it with tears and indignation against himself openly justify the righteousness of Gods children and yet in the example of Saul wee see that a soul possessed of Satan may do all this For as it is in bodily possession though the Devils desire is incessantly to hurt and vex the poor creatures yet by Gods over-ruling power hee is forced to give them some respite and though hardly yet sometimes departeth from them and not alwaies but sometimes casts them into the fire and sometimes into the water Luk. 9. So is it in spiritual possession the Lord for the common good bridleth often the rage of the Devil in his instruments that they cannot alwaies exercise it as they would but they have their fits sometimes that is some strong lusts which Satan watcheth and putteth himself into as Judas his Covetousness invited the Devil to enter into him and also sometimes again they have their good moods and seem to bee come to themselves but long stay they not here but in a moment are changed and cast into their fits again Thus in a good mood Saul could confess his wickedness and Davids innocency and lift up his voice and weep and David was now his good Son and who but hee but presently the good spirit went and the evil spirit came upon him and hee became more tyrannous and furious than ever before even so some there are who seem to have remorse of conscience for sin they will confess their
the dead 1 Pet. 1.3 and for this cause our Saviour was careful after his departure hence to send out his Spirit in more plentiful and abundant manner than before that hee might continually inspire his people with ardent desires after the beginnings of that life eternal unto which Christ himself is risen who then manifest themselves members of such an advanced head when this new life manifesteth it self in them Thirdly our perfect salvation is also hence fully assured us for if our Lord Jesus hath soyled all the powers of Hell Death and Darkness in himself when hee was yet dead how much more doth hee it for us his members being now alive if hee could drive back and disperse all spiritual enmitles even when hee was in Hell it self after a sort how much more now being ascended far above all moveable and aspectible Heavens Eph. 4.10 for wee must not behold the victory and triumph of Christ What or who shâ—ll separate us from the love of God seeing it is Christ that is dead or rather risen from the dead as performed onely in and for himself but as the ground and pledge of the victory and conquest of all the Beleevers in the World Look upon this Son of David prostrating the great Goliah of Hell for all the Israel of God casting out the strong man not only out of his but of our possessions that he might take us up for his own use spoyling him of his kingdome and weapons for us yea and in us And hence as out of a well of consolation wee shall draw this comfort to our selves that look as the gates of Hell could not prevail against him our head no more shall they ever be able to prevail against us his members although they never so fiercely and forcibly assayl us And it spiritual enmities shall not be able to cut us short of our Salvation much less shall temporal dangers for by vertue of this resurrection also even in the most troublesome deeps when the waves of sorrows overtake one another and go over our souls when with Jonas we are ready to say We are cast from the face of the Lord Jonah 2.4 even then we have hope to rise out of such evils and because out head is above in short time comfortably to swim out Adde hereunto that death itself nor the grave shall stand between us and home for this rising of Christ is both the cause and confirmation that we shall rise again If the head bee risen so shall also the members if Christ the first fruits of them that sleep be raised so shall also the whole bulk and body of beleevers if we beleeve that Christ is risen from the dead even so them which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him 1 Thess 4.14 and if the same spirit which raised Jesus from the dead dwell in us then he that raised Christ from the dead shall also quicken our mortal bodies Rom. 8.11 for Christ hath not redeemed the soul alone from death but the body also else had this second Adam been interiour to the first if not able to save by his rising all that which was lost by the fall of the former Oh how would this meditation well digested sweeten the remembrance of death and the grave when a Christian shall consider that look how it was with Christ when his soul and body were separated yet both of them were united to the Deity which brought them together again even so I am taught by the Scriptures that when my soul and body shall bee separated yet shall neither of them be sundred from Christ my head but he will reunite them like loving friends that they may participate in his own glory How would this meditation bring the soul not only to be content but to desire to bee dissolved and bee with Christ accounting that the best of all Phil. 1.23 III. The third benefit befalling us by the resurrection of Christ iâ— that because Christ is risen we know it shall not only goe well with us but with all the Church of God the prosperity of which so many as would prosper must rejoyce in for hence it is that Christ calleth a Church out of the world which after a sort riseth even out ot his own grave hence is it that being ascended on high he gave gifts to men for the gathering and preserving of his Church hence is it that the Church shall alwaies have the light of the Gospel Pastors Teachers and the Ministry till we all meet to a perfect man hence is it that this Church shall bee defended from Wolves and Tyrants seeing â—one is stronger than he nor able to pluck any ot his sheep out of his hands Let the Church be pressed it shall never be suppressed Let the Kings of the earth band themselves and forces against it the Lord hath set his Son upon his holy Mountain and he shall crush them like a Potters vessel Let Hereticks and Antichâ—ist send armies of Locusts Jesuites and seducing vagrants to waste the Church and bereave it of the truth and light leading to life they shall only seduce such as whose names are not written in the Book of life and of the Lamb for seeing Christ is risen so long as hee who can dye no more liveth he will preserve his darling he will send out the Stars that are in his right hand for her relief who like Davids Worhies shall break through the Hosts of the enemie and bring the pure waters of the Well of Life as we are for ever thankfully to acknowledge in those worthy restorers of our religion Lastly let flouds of persecution rise and swell so as this Dove of Christ cannot find rest fo the sole of her foot one means or other Christ will use for her help for he will either send her into the Wildernesse or the earth shall help the Woman and drink in the waters that they shall not hunt her or he will provide for her one of the chambers of his providence as he did for Joash against the rage of Athaliah wherein she shall be safe till the Storm bee blown over These are the principal benefits procured us by Christs resurrection which belong not unto all but only to such as are risen with him Quest How shall we know that we are risen with Christ How to know that we are risen with Christ that they mat assuredly belong unto us Ans The Apostle setteth himself to resolve this question Col. 3.1 where he maketh the seeking of things above where Christ is and infallible mark of our rising with him for as when Christ was risen he minded not things below any more but all his course was a preparation to his ascension to which all things tended so now if thou be risen with him Heaven will be in thine eye and thine affections are ascended thither where Christ is if Christ were on earth thou mightest fix thy soul and senses here on earth and yet be a Christian
any true wisdome had it from the Scriptures to which wee must still hold our selves both as the ground as also the judge of consent 4 If any Father or Fathers shall by a common error by word or writing condemn any point of our doctrin without the authority of the Scriptures we will willingly dissent neither do wee give credence to any Doctrin because the Fathers have taught it but because that which they teach is founded in the writings of the Prophets and Apostles 5 Wee cannot hold consent to bee a note of the true Church unless it be in the true doctrin and therefore wee justly blame sundry of the learned Papists who make unity a note of the Church but make no mention of verity at all for the strong man may hold all at peace and unity whilest Paul and Barnabas having the truth may bee at oddes between themselves On which conditions as wee are able to justify our whole Religion by antiquity and consent of the most ancient Churches and Fathers so also hath it been and may bee made as clear as the light that the Doctrin of the Church of Rome wherein they dissent from us is a stranger and novelty never known to the Prophets and Apostles nor the purest Churches after them neither had it ever that which they brag of the consent of the ancient Fathers neither do they consent in it among themselves The force of consent wherein it staâ—deth Secondly Note hence what is the force and work of consent of the Church in Doctrin it is not to work Faith for that is in the next words tyed to the word and witness of the Prophets and Apostles which is called the word of Faith because it is by Gods Ordinance a means to work that Faith by which it self is beleeved but to move the heart and prepare the way to Faith For it cannot bee that any spiritual grace such as faith is can bee wrought by any but super-natural means of which kind no outward â—estimony if it come backed with the voice of all the Churches in the world can bee for all this is but an humane witness simply and in it self considerâ—â— If they say the Churches testimony is a Divine testimony I answer so far as it carrieth with it the agreement of the Scriptures and Holy Ghost speaking therein it may bee said to witnesse a Divine truth And thus in no other respect can the voice of the Church bee called a divine testimony than the preaching and writing of some other teacher in the Church who delivereth nothing but what is agreeable to the Scriptures From this ground it followeth that the doctrin of the Church of Rome is wicked and derogatory to the Glory and Majesty of the Scriptures in that they stifly after conviction avouch and maintain that the authority of the Scriptures depend upon the testimony of the Church some of them blasphemously saying that they have no more credit than Esops Fables further than the Church giveth it unto them which is to say that God must not bee beleeved for himself and as if the Kings word should have no credit or command but from his guard In reading the prophets thou must be led still nearer unto Christ 3 Hence note That in our reading of the Prophets wee must still bee led further unto Christ for as all the Scriptures so the writings of the Prophets were reserved for this purpose and set apart by God to bee the ordinary outward stay and foundation of the faith of the Church And if our Lord Jesus himself whilest hee was yet in the flesh present with his Disciples did for the confirmation of their Faith in his Doctrin Life Death and Resurrection interpret unto them the writings of the Prophets how much more need have we now in his bodily absence to read with diligence these same writings to help us forward being so wavering and staggering in our faith and the attendent graces of it And hereunto answereth that commandement Joh. 5.39 Search the Scriptures namely Moses and the Prophets that is do not onely procure these writings to your selves nor onely read perfunctorily but diligently and studiously search to finde out the chief scope and matter contained therein which lyeth not in the crust or shell but within in the very bowels of them and this kernel himself in the next words sheweth to bee himself and life eternal through him And why must wee thus search the Scriptures of the Prophets himself rendereth the reason the very ground of our exhortation because they testify of mee This is the natural scope of them to bring men to the acknowledgement of the persons offices and benefits of Christ Thou losest all thy labour in searching the Scriptures if thou searchest any thing but Christ if thou hast not and holdest him not in thine eye if thou givest over searching before thou hast met with him and then thou hast met with him in the Scriptures not when thou Historically knowest something of him which thou didst not know before nor when thou art able to discourse or diâ—pute of deep points of Divinity but when thou commest unto him as the context sheweth when by the quickening of thy faith and repentance thou layest faster hold upon him for life everlasting Alas how few searchers of the Scriptures thus search them to say nothing of them who search them not at all but cast them aside as refuse waters of whom wee may renew the woful complaint of Christ against the Jews who when hee had exhotted them to search the Scriptures presently addeth But ye will not come to me that ye might have life Joh. 5.40 The second point is The scope of all the Prophets witnesse and this is to bring men to beleeve in the name of the Son of God which is by faith to receive Christ as hee hath described and propounded himself in the Word and Promises of the Gospel For although the Apostle might sooner have said that whosoever beleeve in him yet hee useth this phrase rather of beleeving in his Name thereby secretly to refer us unto the word of the Prophets and Apostles which testify of no other name to bee saved by but onely the name of the Lord Jesus For our better clearing of this point wee will consider 1 What this saith is 2 The benefit of it 3 The marks and signs of it 4 The use First What this Faith is It is a supernatural gift whereby every beleever apprehendeth and applyeth unto himself Christ and all his merits unto salvation Faith what it is I say it is a gift nay the Scripture saith that it is the gift of God Phil. 1.29 and it is given you to beleeve as also to suffer And that it is supernatural all the commandements wee have to beleeve plainly evince for were it natural we should need no commandement to do it Further it is such a gift Opera naturalia non indigent pâ—aecepto as whereby wee
Jezabel an arrant Strumpet and called The Mother of Fornication How much more unseemly was it in that Vicar of Christ Pope Paul the second as Platina writes 5 Our Saviour plainly tells us Matth. 5. That wee cannot make one hair white or black that is wee have not power of our hair to make it no not to colour it and yet these will make as many white and black as they list 6 If thou bee ashamed of that face which God hath made thee hee will on a day bee ashamed of that face thou hast made thy self And dare a Christian carry a face in his life time which neither God made at first nor hee dares appear withall in the Resurrection Object But I must please my Husband and hold his heart to mee Answ Will it not please him to behold the face that God made or canst thou please him in bringing a strange beauty to couzen him withall that hee knows is not thine own or if he take thee for beautiful when thou art deformed wouldest thou bee thus deceived in a Husband for a fair woman to marry a painted Husband Object but I may cover a deformity in my body Answ Yes but not by setting a new form upon thy face nor by dissembling Object Doth not the Apostle say 1 Cor. 12. Wee put covers on the members that are least honourable Answ 1. The Apostle speaks of not contemning the poorest Christian under that similitude 2 Wee cover uncomely parts but with what with cloaths to hide them not with painting stibium white lead purpurisse or cheek-varnish 3 If thy external form bee not so beautiful beautifie it with grace humility the fear of God and other Christian vertues The Churches beauty is within which God and his Angels and good men respect in the person that is most deformed and contemptible CHAP. XXVIII Rules for our carriage towards all men in general THE second sort of Rules concerning Man and the things of men respecteth our carriage towards other men and that 1 In general towards all In special towards good or bad General Rules to carry our selves towards all men 1 Respect not all alike The general Rules are these 1 Wisely to distinguish between men and not promiscuously respect all alike 1 This is a point of wisdome 1 Cor. 6.6 And 2 commanded us Jud. 22. Have compassion on some putting difference others save with fear Again 3 Many precepts can never bee observed without it As first in things respecting God Cast not holy things to Dogs Matth. 7.6 that is such as are known to bee wilful repellers of the truth lest they prophane them and tear you Secondly In things of men Do good to all but especially to the houshold of faith Thirdly concerning our selves Hee that hateth will counterfeit though hee speak favourably beleeve him not c. Prov. 26.24 25. Therefore labour to discern one from another 4 There is great difference between an Israelite and an Egyptian between a Jew and a Samaritan And wee must observe the difference wherein the Lord goes before us who though hee bee patient and good unto all yet hee is specially good unto Israel even the upright of heart Object This is to anticipate Gods judgement and censure Answ No because our judg ment reacheth not to a mans final estate but to the present onely For wee may not judge beyond our eyes nor yet against them It is alike folly and wickedness to justifie the ungodly as to condemn the innocent Against this Rule fail those general men whom all fashions and companies please well enough no matter whether Protestants or Papists Religions or prophane Drunkards or sober swearers or fearers of an oath as the Jews they put no difference between Christ and the Theeves who were crucified with him but onely that Christ was the worst Others put difference between the godly and others such as between Jews and Samaritans they will not meddle with a man truly fearing God for a dish of water But a fearful sign it is when grace is not acknowledged 2 Although wee must make account to live amongst all 2 Must live by aâ—l but sâ—â—t with the bâ—st yet our care must bee to sort with the best that is wee must imbrace friendship with all so far as is possâ—ble Rom. 12.18 and so as wee war not with God but familiarity onely with good mâ—n who are but a few Lightness of familiarity is indiscretion Here the Rule holdeth well â—o try before wee trust yea a wise Christian must not commit himself to every one that seemeth good by the example of Christ Joh. 2.24 For 1 Much hypocrisie lyeth at the root of mens hearts 2 Satan hath taught many to transform themselves and make Religion and good words a cloak for their own ends 3 Never did the Devil more hurt to Christianity than by false Brethren who were sent in to spy their lâ—berty For even thy brethren and the house of thy Father even they have dealt unfaithfully with thee beleeve them not though they speak fair to thee Jer. 12.6 Hee that eateth bread with mee saith David and hee that dips his finger in the platteâ— with mee even hee lift up his heel against mee And Christ saith A mans enemies are they of his own houshold 4 Solomon saith An unfaithful man is as a broken tooth and a sliding foot Prov. 25.19 5 Christ would not commit himself to some that aâ— said to beleeve in his Name because hee knew what was in man Many friends are like deep ponds clear on the top and all muddy at thâ— bottome And therefore a Christian must be well advised before he inwardly converse with another Now if a man must be careful even in entertaining good company how careless are men of themselves when they thrust themselves into evil company which is more contagious than any sickness morâ— infectious than any pestilence no age so catching of any disease as every age is of deadly diseases of the minde in such poysoned air Let no Christian that will bee ruled by Gods wisdome presume to converse in any such company further than the limit of his particular Calling or other just occasion and dealing is offered 3 In our converse with all men wee must keep a determination In all câ—mpanies do good or take good either to do good unto others or receive good from others helping one another to life as occasion shall bee offered Heb. 10.24 Let us consider one another to provoâ—e to love and good works Jude 20. Edifie one another in your holy fa th Motives so to do 1 How profiâ—ablâ— should wee bee if our lips were ever feeding others Reas Prov. 10.20 And if our diligence were to draw understanding from others Prov. 2.5 How should wee abound in wisdome and make our whole life fruitful This would keep us in good trading and return of godliness 2 This is the right end and improvement of our gifts for the good of the whole
the words of God when hee urgeth them spoiled of the right sense of the holy Ghost 2 Hee perverteth the right order of Gods spirit in his allegation for whereas Gods Spirit first suggests the word and then frames the heart to obedience of it for the property of the sheep of Christ is first to hear the voice and then to follow Joh. 10.27 Satan first will have men to conceive opinions or attempt practices pleasing to him and themselves and then afterwards seek out some Scripture to justify them Thus Johanan and the Captaines were resolved to go into Egypt but sent for Jeremy to see if they might have the word of God to go with them Jer. 42.3 compared with vers 20. 3 Hee wrests the right end for whereas all Scripture is written that wee might not sin 1 Joh. 2.1 hee abuseth this part of it to draw Christ to sin and whereas all the precious Promises of God should hold us in the awe and fear of God this Promise must occasion Christ to presume upon an unlawful action 4 Hee willingly mistakes the persons for whereas that Psalm and the great Promises of it hold true in Christ our Head yet notwithstanding it was principally written for the godly members of Christ and the adopted Sons of God neither can every thing in that Psalm bee so fitly referred to Christ in himself as in his afflicted members Besides that the Angels minister otherwise to Christ himself than to his members Christ by his own power bears up himself and Angels and all things Heb. 1.3 5 Hee falsifies the text by adding partly to the words partly to the sense To the words hee addes lest at any time which addes no small strength to the temptation including even that time wherein hee should bee jumping between the Pinacle and the pavement To the sense thrusting his dart into the sense of the place as if that place said so much in effect to him Cast thy self down which Chrysostome hath well observed saying Cast thy self down Homil. 5. ex vaâ—â—â— in Matth. was not written but was the poyson of the Serpent cunningly mingled with the sweet comfort of the Scripture 6 Hee puts out and conceals that which most makes for Christ and against himself namely those words in all thy waies which most warreth against this headlong casting down of himself for it is not the way of a man to cast himself from such an height but to seek the stairs or the ordinary way And these words were not unawares omitted but maliciously and purposely for if Christ shall hear him speak of his waies and consider that this casting down of himself pertained not to his way one piece of his own argument had overthrown the whole 7 In this allegation hee commits the sallacy of division intending Christs overthrow by dis-joyning the things which God hath coupled together for whereas the words of that Text in the right sense consist of two parts namely 1 A promise of protection and preservation Satanaâ— promissionem objicit Christo conditionem vero abjleu Par. in locum 2 The condition of keeping a mans self in his waies without which condition no promise of God belongs unto us for godliness hath the promise of this life and the life to come Satan rejects the condition wholly and divorceth it from the promise This is Mr. Junius his observation 8 From every part and word of a most excellent Text hee can urge his most hellish temptation and make all fair weather when he intends nothing less as if hee should say If thou bee the Son of God cast down thy self I do assure thee nay the written Word assures thee of protection and safety for in such a Psalm namely the ninety first vers 11. thou hast the word of thy Fathers promise yea in one promise a number of promises for 1 If thou wilt know the parties that shal support thee they be Angels Creatures swift mighty and powerful 2 If thou doubtest of their will they must doe it they can neither will nor chuse it is their charge they are commanded so to doe 3 If thou ask the manner how they must bear thee up that if thou wouldst thou canst not fall 4 If thou doubtest of their cheerfulness or willingness or diligence there is no fear for they must doe it as Mothers or Nurses as the word signifies who out of their tender love bear and carry or lead the infant with great watch and circumspection that it fall not and so come to hurt 5 If thou thinkest there is any limitation of their Commission there is none for they must bear thee up at all times 6 To take away all suspition of fear from thee they must save thee not only from great danger as breaking thy bones or neck but from the least danger thy foote the lowest and basest part shall not stumble or be hurt much less thy head thy self Thus subtilly intending to hold with the Hound and run with the Hare Satan hath pickt out a place which seemeth forcible enough to perswade any reasonable man to his purpose Hence note that Doct. A principal wile of Satan is to assay if he can by no means else to overthrow men by the overthrow of Scriptures Gen. 3.1 Hath God indeed said yee shall not eat of every tree of the garden It were strange and marvellous hee should say so seeing hee knows it would better your estate In this his first temptation of all other he chuseth to make Gods Word a means of their and our overthrow thinking it not an easie thing to destroy Gods Image in the soul unless he could first destroy the word of God out of their heart 1 Sam. 28.15 when the Devil would delude Saul and hasten his death he lays the ground of it in Gods Word and taking on him the person of Samuel saith The Lord hath done even as he spake by my hand abusing and alleadging that Scripture in 1 Sam. 15.28 The Lord will rent the Kingdom from thee this day and hath given it to thy neighbour who is better than thou Mar. 1.23 the Devil comes to Christ and tells him he knows him well enough Thou art Jesus of Nazareth even that holy one of God that holy One that was promised figured and expected even that Redeemer and holy One of Israel Isa 41.14 Even that holy One fore-told by the Angel Luke 1.35 And all this was by Scripture to overthrow both Christ himself and the faith of beleevers as though there were some secret compact and familiarity between him and them and perhaps hence arose that speech By Beelzebub hee casteth out Devils Reasons 1 Satan knows that Scripture is the will of God revealed and hath sway in the conscience as being inspired by the Holy Ghost as the only rule of faith and life and if he can turkis the Scripture out of his right sense and shape he perverts judgement and holds the conscience in error and these errours are
dangerous and near of kin to obstinacy For till the truth of God come to his place again in the conscience it wil stiffen it self in error even to the death So as by this stratagem Satan usurps the conscience which is Gods right and so leads men at his pleasure 2 His malice sets him clean contrary to God in his proceedings God hath given his Scripture to save men by and therefore it is called a word of salvation now Satan would herein cross the Lord in perverting the word to mens condemnation The Scripture is in the Church as a Law to the Common-wealth to contain men in the compass of faith and godly life whence it is called Statutes and precepts and judgements But Satan seeks to enforce it as a Law to thrust men from faith and obedience The Scripture is a word of truth of holiness of wisdom every way resembling God the Author Satan therefore being the greatest enemy to Gods Image is the greatest enemy to the Scriptures and desireth to pervert them by establishing by them Errours Heresies false Doctrins wicked and foolish opinions and practices 3 His subtilty and policy is not inferiour to his malice for 1 He hath a special slight and trick of his own by pretending truth to impugn it and with Scripture to fight against Scripture which hee hath taught his special Factors Hereticks and Seducers for why else did Christ forbid the Devil to witness to him but that even that truth he speaks ever tends to destroy the truth And in the text why cites he the truth but to draw Christ into an error 2 He will gain to himself some credit by this practice for seeing speeches and testimonies depend much upon the credit of the speaker by his quoting of Scripture he would be taken as if the truth of Scripture depended upon or needed his witness 4 Satan must doe thus if hee will prevail against Christ or his Servants for Scripture in the true sense of it is no patron of sin nor ever stands on the Devils side Use Of all temptations beware most of them which come armed with Scripture for hardlier can wee espy the subtilty and danger of these than those which are directly against the Scripture And by temptations of this kind Satan mightily prevaileth in points both of doctrin and practice which it shall not be amiss to give some taste of and in both wee shall observe how Satan doth not so much use as abuse Scripture I. In matters of doctrin 1 For the establishing of the Head-ship of the Church in the Pope the ordinary Papists have found a Scripture in Joh. 21.16 where Christ saith Feed my sheep I answer First that place speaks not of any Head-ship or Spiritual government but of feeding by the Word and Sacraments which the Pope never doth Secondly it is a commandement not given to Peter alone but to all the Apostles who were equally Apostles with him but applied to Peter specially not to note any Primacy but secretly to check him for his three-fold denial whereby he made himself unworthy to be a Disciple Obj. But Peter saith he hath two swords and therefore the Pope hath both Spiritual and Temporal jurisdiction Sol. This is a place of Satans alleadging when that which is spoken literally is wrested into a figurative sense And where Peter is commanded Act. 10.13 to kill and eat the Pope may kill and slay and eat up whom he will or can Prince with people But this is a place literally to be taken and one part of the argument hangs with another as the dream of a sick man for the Pope if he be Peters Successor must feed the sheep nor feed on them But Bellarmine who would make the world beleeve his wit is thinner hath devised a farre more sufficient place 1 Pet. 2.6 Behold I put in Sion a chief corner stone elect and precious that is the Pope In his Preface to the Controversie De Rom. Pontif. and lib. 4. cap. 5. But what may wee think to reap from him that dares begin his Controversie with so high a blasphemy and lest wee should think it fell inconsiderately from him he takes it up again For doth not both Paul and Peter teach that this stone can be meant of none but of Christ doth not both of them adde He that beleeveth in him shall not bee ashamed must we now beleeve in the Pope And who is this living stone that gives life to all that are built upon him besides Christ himself None can arrogate it to himself or attribute it to another without high blasphemy Therefore I conclude this point boldly affirming that the Devil could not more impiously abuse this place than hath blasphemous Bellarmine 2 For the point of Justification by Works is alleadged that place of James 2.21 wherein they adde unto the text 1 A false gloss by works of the Law 2 A false distinction saying that they justify as causes whereas we grant that as effects they justify that is declare a man to bee justified So did Abrahams works declare him to be just and this is not the justification of the person which is onely by faith but of the faith of the person which is manifestly dead without them 3 In that great sacramentary controversy they alledge This is my body wherein Satan hath taught them to abuse Scripture in taking that literally which is figuratively spoken as often to writhe that into a figure which is spoken literally and whereas they exclaim against us for denying the words of Christ as Hereticks wee are far from denying Christs words but disclaim their false meaning which destroies the Scripture seeing Scripture stands not in words but in sense 4 To establish the false Doctrin of Free-will they furnish themselves with that place in Jer. 17.7 Blessed is the man that trusteth in the Lord and whose hope the Lord is But what do they else but imitate the Devil in cutting off that part of the Text which makes against them for in the next verse it followeth The heart of man is deceitful above all things who can know it shewing that man in himself is utterly destitute of all grace 5 For the Jesuitical trick of equivocation or mental reservation they have Scripture and Example Joh. 1.21 they asked John if hee were a Prophet hee said No whereas he was one for Zachary called him the Prophet of the Highest and Christ said that there was not a greater Prophet than John therefore John equivocated Answ Whatsoever was the true meaning of the Question that John answered plainly unto If they meant to ask him if hee were that singular Prophet whom they fancied to come together with their Messiah hee truely answered No. If hee were any of the ancient Prophets who were long before Christ hee truely answered in that sense No. If hee were a Prophet by his proper office hee truely answered no. For howsoever he was by grace and power a Prophet being sent of God to