of Christ was the time of his sufferings concerning which he often said My hour is not yet come and when it was come he most readily yeelded himself Now in this hour many things are observable as 1. That all the power and policy that his enemies did use were not able to prevail over him till his hour came Though he preached every day and went up and down doing good by all which his enemies were the more provoked against him yet they were not able to take an hair from him and how observable is that when some bid him depart for Herod would kill him Go saith he and tell that fox behold I do miracles to day and to morrow and the third day I shall be perfected Neverthelesse I must work to day and to morrow The meaning is that maugre all his malice and power yet he should do his work and be preserved till his hour did come so that all endeavours all counsels are frustrated which meet not with Gods appointed time only Christ knew when his hour was which God keepeth sometimes secret from his people Again 2. Observe the wisedom and prudence of Christ when danger was come because then it was not his hour Sometimes he departed secretly and went from place to place to avoid the malice of his enemies yea his father and mother fled with him while a childe to escape death This teacheth us That it is our duty to preserve our selves from ruine when we have not a call or obligation thereunto So the Prophets in Jezabels time were hid by many in a cave and those Noble Worthies recorded by the Apostle that fled and hid themselves in caves and mountains they are said to do it by faith It was not sinfull fear but faith so that we are diligently to consider when it is our call our duty when God requireth of us as the time and hour of our affliction that we must lose all for him and in this we must not consult with flesh and bloud for that saith as Peter to Christ Master save thy self who had that severe Rebuke Get theee behinde me Satan Then on the other side when the time of Christs sufferings did come every thing brought it about A Judas a Disciple of his own he betraieth him and all his adversaries do easily insult over him and then he doth not as before depart out of the way no but though be knew he was to suffer at Jerusalem yet he set his face to go thither and though he could have commanded Legions of Angels to have rescued him and we reade that those who come to surprise him fell down immediatly being stricken with his Majesty yet he will not deliver himself No though his enemies did with so much scorn bid him save himself which teacheth us that when the hour of our afflictions is come when God manifestly discovers it must be the time of our trouble that then we do with all patience and chearfulnesse resign our selves into his hands And thus much as it relates to Christ Now let us consider of it in the generall and we shall see how God hath hours and times either of anger or mercy in the world As 1. When the Church of God hath been greatly corrupted by all manner of vice and idolatry so that there hath been an unclean Leprosie over the whole body God oath appointed an hour a time for its Reformation and purity which shall certainly take effect though all the world oppose it Men can no more hinder it then the Sunne from breaking out of the Cloud and oh how happy is it when such a time comes how wonderfully are mâ—ns hearts prepared to forsake all their former Idolatry and prophanesse This you have notably Joh. 4.23 Our Saviour tels that ignorant superstitious woman The hour is coming and now is when the true worshipers shall worship the Father in spirit and truth This was in Christs time he came as Malachy cap. 3. prophesied to refine the Sons of Levi and to be like the Fullers Sope This was so terrible as that the Prophet crieth out Who may abide the day of his coming It was to the Pharisees and chief Priests as terrible as the day of Judgement Well though Christ goeth about to take away all that admired will-worship which was then exalted and this was so contrary to mens inclination and education yet the hour cometh that they shall worship him in spirit and in truth Thus it was at the first Reformation out of Popery when Luther though but one unarmed man and a despicable Monk by his profession set himself against the torrent of all that Idolatry and corruption which reigned in Popery Was it not as ridiculous as if a man had set his shoulder to some huge Mountain thinking to remove it It was so in all mens account and therefore when Luther opened his Councels to one great Doctor who did not approve of the Romish courses yet he bid him go into his Cell and say Lord have mercy upon us As if the case were desperate Now although it was thus unlikely yet we see how truth and purity did break forth to all mens amazement and which aggravateth this There had been many before Luthers time who witnessed against the practices and doctrines of the Church of Rome yet still they were vanquished till Luther came and then no water could quench this fire Now why was all this Gods power was as able to go along with Iohn Husse or Jerome of Prague as well as Luther but now was Gods hour now was his appointed time Thus till Gods time came for the removing of all the Jewish Rites they lay like that stone upon the Sepulchre that the woman could not remove yea neither men or Angels could remove and therefore it 's called the time of Reformation Heb. 9.10 2. God in his just judgement lets wicked men have their hour That is an opportunity of expressing all their wickednesse and impiety so that you would think God took no notice of the things done in the world and was as some Philosophers prophanely thought included within the circles of the heaven and had given the earth to the Sonnes of men to do what they would This our Saviour told his enemies who consulted and practised against him Luk. 22.53 This is your hour and power of darknesse Thus in the Revelation we see that Satan was let loose for many years and then he was bound up for many years which denoteth that God by his just permission did suffer Satan and his Instruments to prevail in the world And when this hour of darkness is all the praiers and all the tears of the godly shall not prevail till his time of deliverance come And this we may finde even from the beginning of the world since there was an Abel and a Cain that God lets some wicked men have their hour a power and season to act their impieties and yet Gods waies were alwaies just when
is let me obey him All knowledge that makes thee not more godly that brings thee not into nearer communion with God is to be suspected if it puff thee up if it make thee conceited then 1 Cor. 8. Paul saith Thou knowest nothing as thou oughtest to know Be not a Gnostick oh that it might be said Ye know God or rather are known of God Gal. 4.9 SERMON XVII Of the Knowledge and Worship of the One true God And the contrary thereto viz. Idolatry JOH 17.3 To Know thee the Onely true God and Jesus Christ whom thou hast sent WE have finished that duty which is said to be the Means to Eternall Life We come to the Object which is twofold 1. The true God and thus Heathens and Pagans are excluded 2. Christ Jesus and thus the Jews who though they know the true God yet because they deny Christ are out of the way to heaven and so some Heretiques also who deny Christ to be our Mediator Let us consider the first Object To know thee the only true God by this we see that Opinion which asserts the possibility of the Heathens salvation to fall to the ground because they are wholly ignorant of the true God It 's Christ that saith thus therefore our understandings must be captivated Obs That there is one true God only to be known and served by man Although to us Christians this may seem a needlesse point yet as the Scripture hath recorded this as most usefull to the Church so all Christians may finde much necessity in the opening of it and great practicall use Consider then these particulars 1. There are made and constituted many gods by mans vanity and there is one onely true God indeed The Apostle 1 Cor. 8.4 5. hath given us this distinction where having asserted that an Idol is nothing viz. formaliter though it be made of wood or stone and have rich ornaments yet the thing signified is nothing Though there are Sunne and Starres yet as made Gods so there is no such thing Though there were such men as Saturn and Jupiter yet relatively as Idols representing a God they were a non-entity He brings this verse in by way of accusation to answer the objection There are saith he 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 there are many that are called Gods The whole world is full of such they have their Celestes Acrii Terrestes Marini as many Gods as creatures almost but to us viz. Beleevers there is one only true God the Father So that you see there is one reall existent true God and there are many fictitious and constituted Gods made by man which the Scripture cals Idols and that by very significant names Sometimes by a word that signifieth nothing sometimes by a lye and vanity sometimes by dung and dirt that is rowled up and down sometimes by scar-crows or terricula muta and very often by abomination The beginning and progresse of this Idolatry is handled by Learned men and Learned Tractates are written de Diis Syris de Diis Romanorum and Germanorum in all which we may mourn over that horrible blindnesse and folly which doth seize upon all men by nature and we may blesse God for the Christian Religion which hath made us to cast off all those abominable Idolatries 2. We come to have knowledge of the only true God three waies 1. By the book of nature which is called implanted or ingrafted knowledge No man is or can be a naturall Atheist in affections he may be wishing there were no God but in judgement he cannot till by accumulated sinnes he hath given himself up to all stupidity 2. By the book of the creatures and this is called acquired knowledge The Apostle Rom. 1. mentioneth both these This later is obtained by the consideration of the world insomuch that the most Atheisticall men when they have considered the greater world and especially man in all his curious parts have been forced to acknowledge some wise and supream power the maker of these things as it 's said of Galen 3. There is the book of Gods Word and by this we have a revealed knowledge and this only doth direct in the true way to serve him acceptably Therefore all the world is said to lie in darknesse and light comes only by the Scripture This is the great mercy of God to manifest from heaven what he is and how he will be worshipped 3. Consider that our knowledge even at the highest is very imperfect it 's but apprehensive not comprehensive which made an ancient say De Deo etiam vera dicere periculosum est because we are subject to such ignorance and blindnesse God himself doth only comprehend himself we know him obscurely and therefore he is said to dwell in light inaccessible 1 Tim. 6.16 As the eye cannot penetrate into the glorious nature of the Sunne no more can we search into the deep things of God Therefore Divines say we have a twofold way of knowing God the one is affirmative and positive when those perfections we see in creatures we attribute to God in a supereminent manner Thus we say he is wise he is just he knoweth he willeth but after a more transcendent way of perfection then man doth The second way is by negation or removing imperfections from him and this indeed is commended as a better way then the former We can more easily describe God by saying what he is not then what he is he is not a body and when we say a Spirit then we runne to a negative again not a finite limited Spirit In this life every mans knowledge is imperfect we know but in part Paul said so that was wrapped up into the third heavens 1 Cor. 13. And although in heaven our knowledge shall be perfected described by that expression We shall see him face to face yet even then it cannot be comprehensive of the whole nature of God there being no proportion between a finite faculty and an infinite object In the fourth place take notice that this expression the true God may be taken in a twofold sense as truth is divided into veritas rei and veritas conceptus the truth of the thing and the truth of conceiving of it Now the Heathens when they worshipped Jupiter as the chiefest and highest God there was the truth of the thing there was a supream and a chief that they intended but there was no truth in their conceptions and apprehensions about him therefore they added many other gods to him Such a distinction as this the Apostle insinuates Acts 17.23 where reproving them for their Idolatry and telling them of an Altar with this inscription To the unknown God whom saith he you ignorantly worship we declare to you It was a true God they worshipped when they conceived of one supream above the rest but they had no true or right thoughts about him Hence what the Poet said of Jupiter the Apostle owneth as of the true God for
all in matter of Sanctification he comprehends all in love John 13.34 A new Commandment I give unto you that ye love one another A new Commandment not but that the duty was old onely envy and malice had so prevailed amongst the Jews that to love was a new thing as if it had not been a duty required before In John's Epistles it's called both new and old 1 John 2.8 And then again new because there are new motives and a new patern Love one another as I have loved you There was never such a Patern and President before so that it 's not every kinde of love and unity which will give content but that which is in the highest degree of unity it's added vers 35. By this shall all men know ye ' are my Disciples if ye love one another not if ye work miracles if ye cast out devils but if you cast out discord and variance and therefore there is not a greater scandal to Religion and holines then when those that do believe are as the Levites Concubine that was cut into many peeces Again Ch. 15.12 This is my Commandment that ye love one another as I have loved you This is Christs Commandment as if there were nothing else he required but this and as if this were not enough at verse 17. These things I command you that ye love one another as if he should have said If bare information will not do it if instruction will not do it I lay my command and charge upon you Secondly This Vnity and Love is a special means to bring the world to believe the truth and receive Christ So that what the preaching of the Word and Gifts yea miracles use to do that unity and agreement may do This is twice affirmed to be the consequent of unity vers 21. vers 23. That the world may believe thou hast sent me It 's a special way to convince all the enemies of the truth Thus Chap. 13.35 Men shall know ye are my Disciples if ye love one another and do we not see by experience That Papists Heretiques and all prophane men are confirmed in their wickednesse by nothing more then the differences and opinions of such who are godly Do they not by books and otherwise in derision say One Sect saith that hath the Spirit of God another saith that hath and yet both are contrary one to another Can the Spirit of God be contrary to it self Can it be a Spirit of truth in one and a Spirit of falshood in others Now although this be no good argument because the Spirit of God is communicated but in measure to the godly they know but in part and so they love but in part many errours and divisions we are prone unto yet this is a very great stumbling block and therefore woe be to that godly man who by his pride self-conceit or erroneous Doctrine shall bring such a scandal to Religion what if many perish in hell because of thy froward spirit It is true there ought to be zeal against errours and corruptions though in the godly You see when Peter did not walk right Paul resisted him to the face and would not give place to him or other false teachers no not for an hour Gal. 2.5 Mark that No not for an hour Some think let them alone they will recover themselves they will do no hurt truth needs not be afraid yet Paul was afraid that an hours forbearance might do hurt Therefore he addeth That the truth of the Gospel might continue amongst you as if an hours forbearance might hinder the continuance of truth so that we are to use Scripture-zeal and Scripture-means to convince even those that are godly when erring in Doctrine Therefore the Scripture doth not commend an unity and love so as to let all errours and prophanenesse alone but in that which is good unity in that which is truth and holinesse is that which Christ meaneth here in his prayer and where this is it 's very potent to winne all gain-sayers It 's admirable to mollifie the hearts of the opposers Hence it 's so often reported of the primitive Christians That they were daily with one accord together Therefore the Evangelist Luke records it at least five times so that if nothing else should make thee tender about causing any breaches in the Church of God this should thou dost as much as lieth in thee to hinder any man that knoweth thee ever to believe and to be converted Thirdly This Vnity is promised as a special part of the Covenant of Grace That very Covenant which promiseth to write the Law of God in our hearts and to put his fear in our inward parts that also promiseth unity at the same time Jer. 32.39 I will be their God and they shall be my people I will give them one heart and one way that they may fear me for ever Insomuch that it 's one main branch in the Covenant of Grace So Zech 14.9 In that day there shall be one Lord and his name one The meaning is They shall not worship many gods or serve in different wayes of worship but they shall be one To this purpose Ezekiel prophesieth Chap. 37.16 22. which is not to be limited to the Jews only but also to all the believing Gentiles Oh then in these times of differences and breaches amongst the godly What should we runne unto What should we plead in prayer but these promises O Lord to be thus divided to have Altar against Altar Church against Church Prophet against Prophet Is this to have one heart and one way But you may say If God hath thus promised it and Christ hath prayed for it who was heard of the Father in every thing How comes it about that the contrary appeareth This is to be answered in it's time Fourthly Vnity is necessary because hereby a serviceable and beneficiall helping of one another in spiritual things is preserved The people of God are compared to living stones built up together while the stones keep in the building they bear one another but if once removed it fals down They are compared to members in the body while they are joyned together There is a mutual ministration to each other but when divided from the body no part can receive any nourishment Thus it is here while the people of God are in union Oh the wonderfull help they are to one another they provoke one another they stirre up one anothers graces but take these coals from one another and then the fire goeth out And this may be the reason why our Saviour doth not mention the Sanctification and holinesse of believers but their unity because this is a special means to preserve and increase holinesse Two are better then one because of heat and of help saith the Wise-man Eccles 4.10 and so it 's in this work of Grace two are better then one to warm one another How may thy zeal help against anothers lukewarmnesse