A Learned COMMENTARY OR EXPOSITION UPON The first CHAPTER of the Second Epistle of S. Paul to the CORINTHIANS BEING The Substance of many SERMONS formerly Preached at Grayes-Inne London By that Reverend and Judicious Divine RICHARD SIBBS D. D. Sometimes Master of Catherine-Hall in Cambridge and Preacher to that Honourable Society Published for the Publick Good and Benefit of the Church of CHRIST By Tho. Manton B. D. and Preacher of the Gospel at Stoake-Newington near London Vivit post funera virtus Psalm 112. 6. The Righteous shall be in everlasting remembrance 2 Pet. 1. 15. Moreover I will endeavour that you may be able after my decease to have these things alwayes in remembrance LONDON Printed by J. L. for N. B. and are to be sold by Tho. Parkhurst at his Shop over against the Great Conduit at the Lower end of Cheapside 1655. RIC SIBBS S THEOL D AVL KATHARINAE CANTAB MAG NEC NON HOSPITIO GRAI AS CONCIONIBVS Aetat Suae 58. The Portracture of the Late Reverend and Iudicious divine Richard Sibbs D D Mr. of Katharine Hall in Camb and sometimes Preacher to that honble Society of Grayes-Inn London Printed for Nich Bourne at the South entrance of the Royall Exchange 1655 To the Reader Good READER THere is no end of Books and yet we seem to need more every day there was such a darknesse brought in by the Fall as will not thoroughly be dispelled till we come to Heaven where the Sun shineth without either cloud or night for the present all should contribute their help according to the rate and measure of their abilities Some can onely hold up a Candle others a Torch but all are usefull The Presse is an excellent meanes to scatter Knowledge were it not so often abused all complain there is enough written and think that now there should be a stop indeed it were well if in this scribling age there were some restraint Uselesse Pamphlets are grown almost as great a mischief as the erroneous and prophane Yet 't is not good to shut the door upon industry and diligence there is yet room left to discover more above all that hath been said of the Wisdome of God and the riches of his grace in the Gospel yea more of the stratagems of Satan and the deceitfulnesse of mans heart meanes need to be encreased every day to weaken sin and strengthen trust and quicken us to holinesse Fundamentals are the same in all ages but the constant necessities of the Church and private Christians will continually enforce a further explication as the Arts and sleights of besieging and battering encrease so doth skill in fortification if we have no other benefit by the multitude of Books that are written we shall have this benefit an opportunity to Observe the various workings of the same Spirit about the same truths and indeed the speculation is neither Idle nor unfruitfull There is a diversity of gifts as there is of tempers and of tempers as there is of faces that in all this variety God may be the more glorified The Pen-men of Scripture that all wrote by the same Spirit and by an infallible Conduct do not write in the same stile In the Old Testament there is a plain difference between the lofty Courtly stile of Isaiah and the Priestly grave stile of Jeremiah In Amos there are some marks of his Calling in his Prophecie In the New Testament you will find John sublime and Seraphicall and Paul rational and argumentative 't is easie to track both by their peculiar phrases native elegancies and distinct manner of expression this variety and manifold grace still continueth the stones that lye in the building of Gods house are not all of a sort there are Saphires Carbuncles and Agates all which have their peculiar use and lustre some are doctrinall and good for information to clear up the truth and vindicate it from the Sophismes of wretched men othets have a great force and skill in application Some are more Evangelical their soules are melted out in sweetnesse others are sons of Thunder more rouzing and stirring gifted for a rougher strain which also hath its use in the art of winning soules to God 't was observed of the three Ministers of Geneva that none thundred more loudly than Farell none piped more sweetly than Virett none taught more learnedly and solidly than Calvin so variously doth the Lord dispense his gifts to shew the liberty of the Spirit and for the greater beauty and order of the Church for difference with proportion causeth beauty and to prevent Schisme every member having his distinct excellencie so that what is wanting in one may be supplyed by another and all have something to commend them to the Church that they may not be despised as in several Countreys they have several Commodities to maintain traffique between them all we are apt to abuse the diversity of gifts to divisions and partialities whereas God hath given them to maintain a communion in the Churches Vestment there is variety but no rent varietas sit scissur a non sit All this is the rather mentioned because of that excellent and peculiar gift which the Worthy and Reverend Authour had in unfolding and applying the great Mysteries of the Gospel in a sweet and mellifluous way and therefore was by his hearers usually termed The sweet dropper sweet and heavenly distillations usually dropping from him with such a native elegancie as is not easily to be imitated I would not set the gifts of God on quarrelling but of all Ministeries that which is most Evangelical seemeth most usefull the testimony of Jesus is the Spirit of Prophecie Rev. 19. 10. 't is spoken by the Angel to disswade the Apostle from worshipping him you that preach Jesus Christ and him crucified and risen from the dead have a like Dignity with us Angels that foretell things to come your message is the Spirit of Prophecie As if he had said This is the great and fundamental truth wherein runneth the life and the heart-blood of Religion The same Spirit is breathing in these discourses that are now put into thy hand wherein thou wilt find much of the Comforts of the Gospel of the sealing of the Spirit and the constant courses of Gods love to his people fruitfully and faithfully improved for thy edification Let it not stumble thee that the work is posthume and commeth out so long after the Authours death it were to be wished that those who excell in publick gifts would during life publish their own labours to prevent spurious obtrusions upon the world and to give them their last hand and pollishment as the Apostle Peter was carefull to write before his decease 2 Pet. 1. 12 13 14. But usually the Churches treasure is most encreased by Legacies as Elijah let fall his Mantle when he was taken up into heaven so Gods eminent servants when their persons could no longer remain in the World have left behind them some
day of the Gospel when he came to work our salvation His second coming is to accomplish our salvation In his first day he came to be humbled and to be judged to be a sacrifice for us In his second he is to come gloriously to judge the quick and the dead In the first he came to gain a Church to himself by his second he shall come to accomplish the Marriage now is the contract There is the Sabbath after the six dayes of this life the day of the Lord shall appear the Sabbath day the day of Jubilee the solemnization of the marriage the solemn triumph over all enemies The first day was to save our soules especially from the thraldome of sin and Satan The second day this that we speak of here shall be to save our bodies from the rottennesse and corruption in which they have lien rotting in the grave till that day of Christ. As he raised his own body so at that day he shall raise our bodies and make them like his glorious body That is the main Day the Day of all daies for then he will come to accomplish all that day shall never have a night it shall be day for ever As the Cloud that went before the Israelites to Canaan that side toward the Egyptians was dark but the other side was lightsome toward the Israelites so this day it shall be a dark day it shall be both a day of vengeance and a day of glory Saint Paul saith here You shall be my rejoycing and I yours at that day but those that do not believe the Gospel and obey the Ministery of it it shall not be a day of rejoycing to them It shall be a glorious day when all other glory shall vanish all other glory in the world shall be eclipsed even as the Starres are not seen when the Sun appeares in the firmament All the glory at that day shall be the glory of Christ and of his Church To omit other things that may be spoken out of other places of Scripture the Point I will observe hence is this That The measure of a Christians rejoycing in this world in any thing it is the Consideration of what it will be at the great Day of Judgment I say the rule whereby a Christian judgeth things and that measure whereby a Christian measures things to be thus or thus in their excellency and worth it is as they will be esteemed at that day of the Lord Jesus Christ. Here S. Paul saith I am your rejoycing and you are ours at the day of the Lord Jesus What is this a vain glorying to commend him Oh he is a worthy learned Rabbi a great learned Apostle and then that they were such and such people No no They had grace wrought in them and S. Paul saw such evidences of grace in them that at that day they should look upon Christ with boldnesse because they were sincerely gained to the Gospel So then this must be the rule of the worth of any thing to esteem it as it will be then at that day which is a day when all our estates will be determined of for eternal happinesse or eternal misery To explain it a little We do not value things of short continuance because they are short as flowers that are fresh in the morning and cast away at night but we esteem things that will hold out so our rejoycing and glory and comfort we should consider of it how it will hold out Riches avail not in the day of wrath Things have that degree of goodnesse or evil in them they have that degree of vanity or seriousnesse as they will stand out at that day What are riches in the day of wrath even in this world what will riches be then at the day of the Lord Jesus Therefore a Christian values them not they are not the good of a Christian he esteems not the applause of men and pleasures are nothing they are momentany they avail not when conscience is awaked They leave a man and not onely so but they leave a sting behind them If all the good things in the world will stand us in no stead then then what will the sins do that thou hast made so much of what will the sins do that thou hast betrayed and damned thy soul for thy filthinesse and thy betraying of goodnesse what will that do How wilt thou look the Judge in the face when as nothing in the world that is excellent will hold out and avail at that day But what then will avail at that day when Christ shall come to judge both the quick and the dead Why this That thou hast submitted thy self to acknowledge Christ as thy King and thy Priest and thy Prophet and by means of the Ministery thou hast been wrought on and the work of the new creature is begun in thee true and sincere grace that thou darest look on Christ that thou art in the state of grace this will comfort thee in the day of Judgment By this you may discern who take the wisest course he that measures his life by a right measure and rule who judgeth aright of persons and things he judgeth aright of things that values and labours to interest himself in those things that will comfort him in this world and stand by him in the world to come he hath a right judgment and esteem of things What be those things Grace a holy humble gracious believing carriage and disposition when a man gives himself to Christ and renounceth the world and sees the vanity of all things but the estate of Christianity he hath those things in some little measure that shall be perfected at that day Who take the wisest course those that seek to please the humour of men those that seek to feed their own corruptions and the corruptions of others those that will have some present glory in the flesh I but what will they have at the day of the Lord Jesus Surely those that labour to approve themselves in sincerity and truth to Christ Jesus in all things and so that they may approve their hearts to him they care not what the world judgeth of them as Saint Paul saith I passe not what ye judge of me If there be a day of the Lord when he shall be Judge then those are the wisest and the best courses that will hold out at that Day And those that will not we shall be ashamed of them all And that is the reason that many men of excellent parts and endowments are comfortlesse in the time of temptation they did not think to do things with reference to Christ in sincerity to please him fot then they might old up their heads at that day There is a great deal of Atheisme in our hearts we frame our courses to present contentments by reason that we have little belief for the time to come I beseech you let us often have in our thoughts the second coming of
there is a God and God is unchangeably true there would be nothing true in the world for all truth is therefore true because it is answerable to that exemplar truth that is true in God answerable to Gods conceit and decree of things This I observe the rather because it is a fundamental thing it doth wondrously stablish our faith in Divine truths when we know it comes from God that is true If we would seek for evidences of our faith then we must go within us and see what love and what hope what combat between the flesh and spirit there is but if we look for any thing to stablish our faith go out of us consider the unchangeable truth of God whose truth it is God as God creating a reasonable creature he must give him some revealed truth he could not be worshipped else How must we know this revealed truth whereby he will be worshipped by the reasonable creature for no man will be served by his servant as he pleaseth how shll we know these certain truths because they come from his nature God is true and as God is true so our word to you was not you and way that is it was true There is the same ground of the certainty of Evangelicall truth as there is of God himself to be true To add a little further in the Point consider the truth of God every way the faithfulnesse of God as it signifies in the originall as God is faithful Consider what relations God hath put upon him in his divine truth how he will be thought on And then bring those relations to his nature for there we must pitch at last What is he to us and how hath he revealed himself to us Thus and thus What is he in his nature So and so and there we must rest For instance The Lord hath made many promises who is it that hath made them he that is true and unchangably true there the soul rests in the nature of God But what relations hath he put upon him he is a God and a Lord and a Judge and a Father c. Now as he is God he is true therefore he will do all things that a true God should doe he will uphold his creature while he will have his creature continue he will give it life and being and motion And as a Lord he will do with his own what he list and it is not for us to contend with him why he will do this or that why he makes one rich and another poore He is Lord of all and a true Lord therefore we must give authority to this true Lord. And then as he is a Judge he corrects men for sin and rewards them for the good they do As a Judge sometime he punisheth them inwardly in conscience sometimes outwardly All the good we have is from this that he is a faithful and true God therefore there we must rest He is a true Judge he rewards every man according to his works whether they be good or evill And so in the relation of a Father he is a true Father he corrects when time serves he rewards and encourageth when time serves he gives an inheritance to his Children and hath pity and compassion on his Children when time serves He is a true Father Other fathers do this and that out of passion not out of truth and goodnesse but he doth So when we consider God in his relations consider of the attribute of his truth All truth in his Word comes from this God is true This truth is sealed by this that our truth to you our word to you was not yea and nay uncertain Gods truth is not uncertain and variable There is no shadow of change in him and his Word is like himself We say usually in the word of an honest man and that is something In verbum Sâ—…rdotis in the word of a Priest it was accounted in former times a great matter it should be so indeed In the word of a King is a great matter But when God saith in the Word of a God The Word of the Lord hath spoken so It is not yea and nay it was not flexible and doubtful because it is the Word of him that hath the command of all that he saith it is his VVord that is Lord of Heaven and Earth Now when he that saith a thing is the Lord of Heaven and Earth he is Lord of his own Word therefore what he saith is not yea and nay uncertain for he can make good what he saith There is the same ground of Evangelicall truth as there is of God himself to be true I will speak no more in the unfolding of the Point it is plain that God is true Is this true that God is true that he is truth it self then many things issue from hence It is a ground of many other truths It was the ground of all the Uses that S. Paul makes of the Word of God it is profitable every way I will name some principall to avoid multiplicity in a plain Point God is true and his Word is true hereupon the threatenings of God must needs be true even as true as God himself If this be so then unlesse we will make another Scripture another Word this Word is yea That Word that threatens sin that Idolaters and covetous and wantons shall never enter into the Kingdome of heaven Be not deceived saith the Apostle that Word is yea it is true God is true this must follow therefore that whatsoever he saith is true therefore his threatenings are true It is a truth that hath influence into all other truths whatsoever that which is prefixed here by S. Paul not onely as an oath As Gad is true so his Word is not yea and nay but certain but I say it hath influence into all other truths whatsoever threatnings promises directions all are therefore true because God is true Therefore those that shuffle off the threatnings and think they shall do well and blesse themselves Gods wrath shall smoak against them for God must alter his nature and his Word must be altered or else his judgments must stick on them to death and damnation without repentance If God should not be avenged on ordinary swearers and blasphemers if adulterers should live in such sins and ever come to heaven they must have another God and another Word of God this hath said they shall not enter into heaven that live in these sins If it be true as God is true what horrible Atheisme is in the hearts of men to think that God will change his nature though they do not change their course and that the Word of God shall alter though they will not alter what hope can prophane blasphemous persons have that make but a trifle of swearing when God hath said they shall not go unpunished and those that live in a filthy course when God hath said Whor emongers and adulterers God will judge without horrible
the Church of Rome a thousand years after and even now the affirmatives that we hold Do not they believe the Scriptures to be the VVord of God Yes but they adde patcheries of their own the Apocrypha and their own traditions to be the VVord of God too Do not they believe that Christ is Mediatour Yes but he is the onely Mediatour for Redemption and not for Intercession they joyn others with him Saints and Angels We are saved by faith that is the affirmative and so say they but they adde of their own That we are saved by faith and works Then again we say there are two Sacraments Baptisme and the Lords Supper and so say they but they adde five of their own So I might run over all their opinions whatsoever we hold they hold Therefore in their own confessions our affirmatives have been ever since the Apostles times if they had any Church we had a Church because our foundations are included in their Religion All that we say they say but then again they say many things that we do not Therefore they account us hereticks because we make not that that they hold to be our yea too Again the negatives that they believe and we do not believe they are but novelties in experience they are not of the ancient Apostolical faith That the Apocrypha should be had in equal authority with the Word of God in Scripture alas such a conceit was not thought of for 600 yeares after the Apostles That the people should not read the Scriptures it was but since the other day Transubstantiation since the Councel of Laterane a thousand years since Christ. That the Pope should be Supream and depose Princes such a thing was not heard of a thousand years after Christ. That he should have authority to Canonize Saints it was but since the other day Equivocation but of late time and so their idle babling of Divine service in Latine and twenty other trumperies So the things that we deny that are grosse and abominable in the judgment of every man that knowes any thing they were but since the other day they were not yea in the Apostles times Then the Apostolicall Church being not built on them they must be devised after As indeed a thousand years after Christ the most of these were never heard of The most of the points of Popery wherein they differ from us nay not any of them were never established by a Councel till the Councel of Trent except Transubstantiation by the Councel of Laterane which was a thousand years after Christ. The affirmatives that we hold and they hold too we say they are constant from the Apostles time they have been in all ages maintained and affirmed Our positive Points that we ground out of S. Paul and out of the Scriptures We seek the old way and the best way as Jeremy adviseth us There was none of the Popish trash in Abraham's time in the Patriarch's time in Christs and his Apostles times or in many hundred years after they came in by little and little for their own advantage a meer policy to get money and to abuse people I say they hold all our positive truths but their errour is in addition Now this question may be made whether their additions may be dangerous or no because it may be supposed that some among them will say that heresie is not in addition but in contrariety to the faith and detracting but when one holds more then they should that is no heresie because there is somewhat superabounds now we hold the truth and more too I say it is grosse and false foe if additions did not overthrow the foundation there should never be any idolatry nor never any heresie in these times What was Idolatry especially in the Church of God Among the Jewes was there not the worshipping of the true God Yes but before an Image their additions their false manner overthrew the true There is none of them fundamental Points as we call them though they make them fundamental they make their Traditions of as much authority as the Word of God and their fooleries as the Articles of faith they overthrow the main foundation they are such additions as are destructive to joyn with the Word of God Traditions To worship God under another species and kind is to be an Idolater though they worship the true God if it be after a false manner it is prohibited St. Paul saith and with a commination Gal. 1. If I or an Angell from Heaven teach otherwise beside put case it be not plainly and directly contrary if he teach other things that are not necessary to be believed Let him be accursed VVe ought not to go from the Scriptures in any fundamentall point of faith under pain of a curse Therefore Poperie is a cursed Religion in respect of their very additions Doth not St. Paul tell the Galatians they were fallen from Christ if they added circumcision to Christ He doth not say if they did that which was directly contrary to faith no but in adding circumcision and works to Christ they were fallen from Christ whole Christ or no Christ. In some cases additions are heresies and overthrow the foundation If this be so we may answer another question easily The Apostolical doctrine you see is onely yea Whether then it be safer to be a Papist or a Protestant considering that whatsoever we hold they do hold I answer to be a Protestant it is safer in any mans judgement because all that we say themselves say it hath been Apostolical we can prove in all ages of the Church our affirmatives we have a Catalogue of witnesses in all ages of them that held what we say it was founded in the Apostles and then came down to all ages But what they say distinct and differing from us they have not the like testimony for for indeed they are so beaten that Bellarmine hath this The authority of all Councels and Fathers and all depends upon the authority of the present Church bring to them Councels and Fathers Tush tush all authority depends upon the present Church VVhat authority gives the present Church when 20. yeares after the Church varies What certainty is there when all authority of former times shall depend upon the present Church In those things wherein they differ from us and that we deny any understanding reasonable man may see that they are novelties and corruptions As for the Pope to depose Princes if a man have but his naturals he may see it abominable To pray in a strange tongue to debar the people of the wine when Christ saith Drink ye all of it who that hath ordinary discretion but will think it absurd There is nothing that we differ from them in but a man that hath but his naturals will condemne Therefore ours is safer a great deal by their own confession the learnedest of them that it is enough to believe as we do Do we
had at the first as Gods mending is ever for the better The state of grace and glory is better then ever the state of nature was spiritual is better then natural Therefore it is much for the glory of the wisdome of God that he can in Christ reconcile justice and mercy and shew more mercy then ever he did in making man out of the dust of the earth and all is to the glory of God These attributes especially are glorious in the promises in Christ. His Justice is glorious in punishing sin in Christ there sin is odious in the punishing of Christ God-man if we speak of justice there is justice If of Mercy to put it upon our surety for God to give his Son for us there is transcendent mercy and transcendent justice in the punishing of our sin how could it be punished greater And then the glory of his Wisdom to bring these together infinite mercy and infinite justice in Christ. Infinite Power for God to become man and without sin to be so farre abased a humble omnipotency to descend so low that God could be mortal and then to raise himself again And then the glory of his Truth that whatsoever was promised to Abraham to David to the Prophets all was performed in Christ all the Types here is glory by Christ of Mercy Justice Wisdome Truth for all are Yea and Amen in Christ. Therefore he may well say all this is To the glory of God Therefore consider how the glory of God shines in the face of Jesus Christ as the Apostle saith If you would see God see him shining in the face of Jesus Christ see his Mercy shining in Christ and his Justice in the punishing our sin in Christ see his Truth his Power his Wisdome shineing in Christ and shining more then in the Creation or in any thing in the world besides Can you honour God more then in believing the Gospel Can you dishonour him more then to call his truth into question that is Yea and Amen If you believe the Gospel you set to your seal that God is true 1 Joh. 3. What an honour is this that God will be honoured by you in setting to your seal that he is true you give him the glory of all his attributes In not believing what a dishonour do you do to God you deny his Mercy his Wisdome his Justice his Truth you deny all his attributes you make God a liar what a horrible sin is unbelief Therefore fortifie your faith The Devil layeth siege to our faith above all other things if he can shake that he shakes all for holy life goes when faith goes Who will love God or obey God when he knowes not whether he be his God or no Let faith flourish and it will quicken life in the heart Let the promises grow in the heart and the Word be graffed in the heart and all will flourish in a Christians life all will come off clearly and freely obedience will be chearful and free when we see God reconciled in Christ. Then love will be full of devices when I see Gods love to me what shall I do to shew love again to shew thanks to God where is there any that for Cods sake I may do good unto How shall I maintain the truth and resist all opposers of the truth Can I do too much for him that hath done so much for me Love quickens The Devil knowes if he can shake faith he shakes all Let us fortifie faith and we glorifie God more then by any thing else He is glorious in the Gospel and how shall he be so by us except we set our hearts to believe him Therefore let us seal Gods truth by our faith and set to our seales that God is true God vouchsafes to be honoured by weak sinful men believing of him and that faith that honours him he will be sure to honour By us By us Ministers How When the Gospel is preached God is carried in triumph as it were and his banner is set up and the Promises displayed and sinners called unto him and God is glorified by the discovery of these things and faith is wrought in people to whom they are discovered and they glorifie God when they believe they blesse God that ever they heard these tydings so every way God is glorified The Ministers they open as it were the box of sweet oyntment that the savour of it may be in the Church and spread far They lay open the tapestry the rich treasures of Gods mercies they dig deep and find out the treasure Therefore these Promises in Scripture being so made and performed in Christ they tend to Gods glory but by us by our Ministery God to knit man and man together will convey the good he means to convey by the despised Ministery The enemies therefore of the Ministery of the Gospel what are they here is a double prejudice against them they are enemies of the glory of God and of the comfort of Gods people for they glorifie God in the sense of his mercy when it is unfolded to them God gets glory and they comfort What do we think then of Popish spirits that feed the people only with dead and dull ceremonies but let them go I go on to the next Verse having dwelt somewhat long on this VERSE XXI Now he that stablisheth us with you in Christ is God who hath anointed us c. AS the riches of a Christian consisteth in the promises of God which as we have heard in Christ are all Yea and Amen so unlesse he be stablished and built upon this strength all is nothing What if a man stand on a rock if he be not built on it what if the foundation be never so strong if he be not stablished thereon It is not sufficient that the Promises be stablished but we must be stablished upon them The Promises of God are indeed Yea and Amen might the soul say but what is that to me Therefore the Apostle addeth He that gives the Promises will stablish us upon the promises Now he which stablisheth us with you in Christ is God The first thing that I will observe before we come to the particular handling of the words shall be onely this in the general from the connexion and knitting together of this Verse with the former viz. That there must be a double Amen There is an Amen in the Promises they are in themselves true there must be an Amen likewise in us we must say Amen to them that is we must be stablished upon them There must be an Echo in a Christians heart unto God that as God saith These and these things I promise and they are all Amen so the soul by faith must Echo again These things are for me I believe them For as we say in the Schooles to good purpose there is a double certainty a double firmnesse a certainty of the Object and a
conquered over all enemies whatsoever and his conquest is ours Well then we see the foundation of the Church and of every particular Christian Christ Jesus whence comes the stability and firmnesse of the Church that the gates of Hell shall not prevail against it It is built upon the rock upon Christ. So all the stablishing that a Christian hath it is from this rock his being built upon Jesus Christ If we were built upon man we could not stand if we were built upon Angels we could not stand if we were built upon any thing in the world we could not stand but being built upon Jesus Christ who is all in all to a soul that is stablished in him there must needs be an everlasting stablishing It is a fond Objection of some and unlearned against the principles of Divine truth that we may fall as well as Adam in Paradise as well as the Angels in heaven As if there were not a wide and broad difference between the state of grace and the state of nature A Christian hath more strength then the Angels in heaven or then Adam in Paradise ever had he hath a more firm consistence because he stands by grace By grace we stand as the Apostle saith A Christian hath promises of perseverance Adam and the Angels had none and therefore to fetch a reason of falling away from grace from the proportion we have to that condition is a meer Sophisme not rightly discerning the disparity It is not alike with the Angels and Adam and us for we stand by grace out of our selves being stablished in another We have not onely a promise of happinesse as the Angels and Adam had happinesse and a blessed estate but they had no promise to stand and be confirmed A poor weak Christian hath a promise to be stablished and confirmed Therefore those proud Sectaries that are between us and the Papists and joyn rather with them then us that trouble the Church so much they make an idle objection concerning falling away from grace to say Did not Adam fall away What is that to the purpose was Adam under the same Covenant as we are now in Christ Is there not a new promise made to us in Christ better then ever Adam could attain to Besides we are founded upon a better Adam upon the second Adam God-man we have not onely a better foundation but better promises that Adam and the Angels themselves wanted And therefore the Covenant of grace is said to be an everlasting Covenant I will marry thee to my self for ever Hos. 2. A Christian is not to be considered abstractively or alone for then indeed he is a weak creature as weak as other men are but consider him in his Rock on whom he is built consider him in his Husband to whom he is united and knit consider him in his head Christ look upon him as he is thus founded and stablished oh he is an excellent person See him in the difference betwixt him and others Those that are not stablished by a firm judgment and will and affection and so by faith in Jesus Christ what consistence what stability have they Those who have the firmnesse they have in the favour of men it is but vanity those that have the firmnesse they have in riches what are they how soon do they leave it all those that have the firmnesse they have in dependance upon any creature be it never so great alas they are nothing they are all vanity Both we our selves in depending and the things we depend upon are vanity therefore we are vanity because we fasten upon that which is vanity things have no more firmnesse then that hath upon which they lean those that have but a weak prop to support them when that falls they fall together with it Now those that are not founded upon Christ by knowledge and love and united to him by faith alas what standing have they when all things else besides God are vain For nothing hath a being but God and a Christian so far as he leans upon God Were not all things taken out of nothing and shall not they all turn to nothing must not this whole world be consumed with fire There must be a new world a new heaven and a new earth but this and all the excellencies in it as they were raised out of nothing so they shall come to nothing God he is I am that I am saith he and Christ he is yesterday to day to morrow and the same for ever A man cannot say of any creature in the world that it was yesterday and shall be to morrow and for ever We may say it of Christ he is Alpha and Omega the first and the last he was and is and is to come and therefore those that are founded upon him that have their happinesse in him they are firm as he is firm and those that build upon any other thing they vanish as the thing vanisheth There is nothing in the world hath such a Being but it is subject in time not to be it is onely a Christian that is in Christ who is as firm as Christ is and Christ can never be but that which he is for of necessity God must be alwayes like himself he is Jehovah I am I am at all times and Christ he is Jehovah A Christian therefore and none but a Christian hath a firm stablishing in Christ. Without this stablishing in Christ what are we what are wicked men Chaffe that the wind blowes away they are grasse c. things of nothing carried away with every blast but a Christian is a stone a rock built upon Christ Jesus But to come to the Person who it is that stablisheth He that stablisheth us in Christ is God Wherein we may consider these two Branches God must stablish God will stablish Can none stablish the soul upon Christ but God No For God is the onely maker of the Marriage between Christ and the Church The same God that brought Adam and Eve together in Paradise brings the Church and Christ together And as he gives Christ to the Church and hath sealed and appointed him to be wisdome righteousnesse sanctification and redemption being made of God unto us for that purpose as the Apostle saith so he works the consent of the Church a consent in heart and spirit to take and embrace Christ. Now it is God onely that can work the heart to Christ None can come unto me except God the Father draw him It is God that gives Christ to be the husband of the Church and that brings the Spouse the Church to Christ. For first it is God by his Spirit that discovers to the soul its hideous desperate and woful estate without Christ and by the Spirit in the Ministery of the Word layes open the riches and excellency that is in Christ and the firmnesse and stability that is to be had in him and so drawes us with the Cords of a man
have it in Psal. 1. As the chaffe that the wind driveth to and fro because it hath no consistence it is a light body or as the drosse Psal. 119. God shall destroy the wicked as drosse see how the Scripture compares men not onely for their wickednesse but for their misery that have no certain being but on earthly things though they be never so great and as they think deeply rooted when troubles come they are as drosse they are as chaffe that hath no firmnesse before the wind when the wind of Judgment comes they are as stubble presently wasted and brought to nothing I beseech you therefore without deceiving of our own hearts let us enter into our own soules and examine for our knowledge first and then for our boldnesse What doest thou know in Religion that thou wouldest die for or die in we are stablished in no more to purpose then we would dye for Are those truths thou knowest so firmly wrought in thee by the Spirit of God hast thou such experience of them such spiritual sense and taste of the goodnesse of them that thou wouldest be content to part with thy life rather then to part with them thou art stablished then by the Spirit of God in Christ. I do not speak of every little truth it needs not that a man should die for that but I speak for fundamental truths canst thou prove them so out of the Scripture and doest thou find the testimony of Jesus Christ witnessing to thy heart that they are true then thou art confirmed and stablished in these truths I beseech you let us often examine upon what grounds and how firmly we know what we know For have we not many that if the Adversaries should come would conform to Popery and joyn themselves to Rome because they cannot back their principles with Scriptures and because they have not a spiritual understanding and apprehension of Divine truths Now he that is stablished stands firm against temptations and against arguments he will not be won away from his faith but remains unmoveable Therefore I say let us often examine our selves in this particular I believe this and this against the Papists and others I but how shall I stand out for this If tryals should come am I able to prove this from the Scriptures so clear as if it were written as he saith with a Sun-beam The temptation and assaults of the Devil by mens subtile wits and arguments will shake our judgments will hurt more and if time should come try us better then fire and fagot Those Spies that brought an evil report upon the Land of Canaan we see that though the Land when it was won was fruitful enough and the conquest of it honourable c. and therein those Spies discovered their own weaknesse yet when they had made that shrewd Oration and brought subtile arguments to the eye of flesh and blood we see I say how the people were discouraged and how they staggeted So a man that is not stablished he may sometimes have shrewd men to deal withal perhaps Atheists Papists Jesuites and the Devil joyning with them to unsettle men and they will prevail if men be not well settled and stablished before And so for the course of our life and conversation amongst men we should examine how we are stablished in that for we are not onely to stand firm in cases of Religion but for causes of honesty John Baptist was as good as a Martyr though the cause he dyed for was not Religion but a bold telling of Herod when he thought he took an unlawful course in keeping his brothers Wife An honest man may dye and suffer much for civil matters Therefore examine your selves in this I have undertaken this cause upon what ground in what confidence how far would I willingly go in it could I be content to lose the favour of great ones to dye in the quarrel if need be So far as a man is stablished by Gods Spirit so far is he settled also in this You have had Heathen men that would stand out firmly even to the death against all disfavours against all losses and crosses for evidence of Civil truths as you have it storied of Papinian an excellent Lawyer that in the defence of right stood forth to the losse of his life and many other the like examples have been But much more doth the Spirit of God stablish men this I understand this cause is good this I will stand in come what will when I am called to it Let us oft call our selves to an account what we believe and upon what ground what we do and upon what ground we undertake it whether on grounds of conscience or out of spleen and passion When a man undertakes things on natural grounds in great temptations if God do not assist him he will sink Take the strongest courages that are if they have no more but nature though they may stand out sometimes to the shame of Christians yet in some cases they will shew themselves to be but meer natural men And therefore labour for the Spirit to stablish us It is not necessary that we should enjoy our wealth nor the favour of men nor our life it self but it is necessary that we should keep a good conscience it is necessary that we should be saved it is necessary that we should look upon our Judge with confidence at the day of Judgment It becomes Christians who besides the light of nature have the Spirit to stablish them to be settled in their courses to look that the conscience be good the cause good the aym good If such a one give over when the cause is clear and good it is a sign that his heart is not stablished by the Spirit of God in Christ he hath either corrupt aymes or else he is weak and understands not the grounds of Religion and the vanity of this life as he should do There are none that flinch and give over in a good quarrel but either it is from hypocrisie that he pretends to believe in Christ and life everlasting and yet he doth not or else it is from extream and wonderful weaknesse which if he belong to God he shall recover as Peter did and shall stand more strongly another time It is but a forced a false encouragement and stablishing when a man that hath not the Spirit of God shall set light by death though perhaps he die in a good quarrel and with some comfort For when a man shall know that after death there is a Judgment and that God hath many things to lay to his charge when his conscience shall tell him that he is guilty of a thousand deaths if he be not in Christ and his pardon sealed by the Spirit of God in the blood of Christ is it not madnesse to be couragious in that which he cannot conquer It is good for a man to be couragious in time of conquest It is a dastardly thing for
Church is for they come at length in the grand Point of all to meer traditions What is the present Church The Pope is the Church virtually How do they know that he cannot erre he is Peters Successour How do they know he is so the Scripture saith not so it is Tradition so that the foundation of their Religion is meer tradition a thing from hand to hand that is questionable and uncertain that is the foundation of all their Religion what a resolution of faith is this We stand upon this against the gates of hell and against all temptations and tryals whatsoever we believe and fasten our soules upon this truth why It is the Word of God How do we know it is the Word of God Indeed the Church first of all hath an inducing leading power perswading to read to hear the Word of God and to unfold the Word by the Ministery and that is all that the Church doth but when we hear this there is a Divine intrinsecal majestie in the Word it self by which I know the Word to be the Word How do I know light to be light from it self it gives evidence from it self so Divine light in the Scriptures gives light of it self to all those for whom the Scripture was penned For whom was the Scripture penned For Gods people To all that have gracious hearts the Word carries its own evidence with it as light carries its own evidence it discovers it self and all things else so doth the Scriptures You have a sure Word of the Prophets Our Saviour Christ himself founds what he teacheth upon the Word Shall not we therefore ground our faith upon the Word when he that was the Head of the Church brings all to the Word in his teaching Therefore we have a better resolution for our faith then they have For indeed to say the truth as we may say of their kind of prayers when they may to Saints c. They worship they know not what So we may say of their faith they believe they know not what they believe in a 〈◊〉 man for the present Pope is all their Church which is an ignorant man many times in the Scriptures perhaps he never read them and he must determine controversies and get into the Chair and judge that that shall judge him ere long he must judge the Scripture that must be his Judge and the Judge of all mankind I list not to be large in this point a 〈◊〉 discovery is enough I hasten to something more practical We see then that faith hath an establishing power to stand by faith Then hence we may see these truths which I will but touch First that faith is certain it is a certain thing and makes the soul certain it is not a weak apprehension Again in that it is said here By faith ye stand we see here the perseverance of faith But you will say That faith whereby we stand is changeable and therefore we may fall No S. Peter makes a Comment upon this place We are kept by faith to salvation and receiving the end of your faith the salvation of your soules We are kept through faith to salvation So God by his power keeps that faith that keeps us There is a divine power that keeps faith that faith may keep us so we stand by faith and that faith stands to salvation because it hath a firme bottom to stand on and because it is kept by God himself We are kept by the power of God through faith to salvation Mark how it runs along to salvation Salvation is not onely certain in it self but that faith that layes hold on salvation is sure By faith we stand not onely for the present but we continue by faith and stand even to the death Again in the third place which followes from the other faith is a certain thing in it self and we are assured of our continuance we are assured that we shall be saved he that believeth may be assured that he shall be saved First faith is a certain thing in it self laying hold upon a strong foundation the Word of God And it is sure to continue it builds upon the rock Therefore a man may believe and he may know that he shall be saved he may know that he shall continue in a sure faith There is a latitude a breadth in faith and sometimes there is doubting and sometimes faith but yet there is alwayes faith more or lesse There is a little and a great faith but there is alwayes faith By faith we stand These things need not further inlargement I onely shew how they spring from this Text. In a word hence we learn That it is by faith that we stand and withstand all opposition whatsoever for faith is our victory This is your victory even your faith 1 Joh. 5. 4. By faith we overcome the world by it we stand and stand against all opposition whatsoever To make it a little clear The reason is partly because faith doth present to the soul greater good then the world can therefore nothing on the right hand can shake the soul of a believing Christian. Shall pleasures and profits and the honours of the world draw a Christian from his faith when faith presents better honours better pleasures at the right hand of God plesures for evermore No they cannot for there is nothing in the world but there is better in Religion incomparably better There is no comparison of the pleasures of Religion and of the world between the honour of being a child of God and the honours that the world can give Therefore there is nothing on the right hand in the world that can overcome the faith of a Christian but he can stand against all though it be a Kingdome Moses refused to be called the son of Pharaoh's daughter why Faith presented him greater honours in the Church of God he accounted the very reproach the worst thing in the Church better then the best thing in the world the reproach of Christ better then the treasures of Egypt Let discouragements be offered to Faith by Satan and the world let them come with all the terrours and threatenings they can faith is victorious and triumphant against them all it stands against them all because it sets before the soul greater good then the ill that the world can inflict and sets before the soul greater ills if it apostatize then the world can inflict Saith the world If you do not thus and thus you shall be cast into prison or perhaps you shall lose your life O but saith the soul If I yield to the temptations of Satan and my own vile corruptions I shall be cast into hell is not that worse There can nothing be presented to the soul that is terrible but faith will present to it things more terrible therefore if there be faith in the soul it will stand against all those terrours whatsoever Fear not them that can kill the body when they have done