without marking or once considering whether they haue put on this faith as a garment to walk in and as an armour to fight in that they may see themselves in it cloathed both as their garment and adorning them and as an armour defending them for its manyfest by the doctrine of Iames that many boast they haue faith who yet doe not walke in it nor use it as a shield against sin and sathan therefore wee are never to esteeme the ministry of the Gospell to bee the power of God to our salvation for any light or perswation it worketh in our hearts inwardly excepte likewise it make us put on that light to walke in it as the children of light and arme us with it to fight against the prince of darknes and all his works For scripture and experience teach us that manie haue the lighte of the knowledg and truth of God within them boasting of it in words who yet in their deeds deny it doing as the Apo. speaks of the gentils who held and detained the truth in unrighteousnes and supprest it in their hearts because when they knew God they glorified him not as God neither were thankfull Rom. 1. 18. 21. And thus much for the first point of the tryall we should now speake of the second but that the Apostle doth stay us with an argument preventing an objection before he specifieth the second point of tryall which is the mean to know the former for they might haue said how shall we be able to know these things which thou willest us to try either that which goeth before viz. Whether we be in the faith or that which followeth viz. whether Christ be in us The Apostle to take away this pretence of ignorance and so to enforce them to acknowledg by this tryall of themselvs the power of Christ in his ministry towards them doth use this argument You must eyther by tryall perceave these things in your-selvs being christians or then ye knowe not your selves but its absurd that you Christians should not know your selves therefore you may easily try these things in your selves Of argument wee haue no more set downe but the second part yet so as in the manner of speech he leadeth us to the collection and gathering of the rest the words being these know ye not your selves as if he would say this wherein I will you to examine your selves cannot be hid from you if ye know your selves which knowledge of themselves he inforceth upō them by this his interrogation which implyeth as much as that it was not only a shame to thē but also an impossible thing not to know themselvs so insinuateth the conclusiō to wit that therefore they behooved to know these things where in he willd them to try themselves In this forme of the Apostles proceeding wee haue first to learne what backwardnes and untowardnes lurks in our nature stil in that wee are loath to acknowledge any thing whereby wee ourselvs may be convinced except confession bee wrested from us by forcible and unresistable argument wee being still inclind to use all sort of pretences to excuse and amongst the rest ignorance rather then by simple acknowledgment of the known truth to condemne our selves in any thing This vice did evidently appeare in Cain when God inquired where his brother Abell was who although he knew perfectly he had kild him yet used a shifting answere to the Lord first pretending ignorance and then bringing in an argument to convince God of unrighteousnes in requiring such a-thing at his hand in that he said he was not his brothers keeper the like wee see also in Saul when he was accused by Samuell for sparing Agag the King of Ameleck in strongly affirming he had performed the will of the Lord notwithstanding that he knew that the preserving of Agag aliue and reserving of the best of the spoile was direct contrary to the direction of the Lord whereby he was commanded to smite Ameleck and to destroy all that pertained unto them but to stay both man and woman both infant and suckling both oxe and sheepe both Camell and asse 1. Samuel 15. The same also is cleerly to bee marked in Annanias and Saphira Acts. 5. And this same infirmity appeareth here in the Corinthians although not in the same manner nor measure of inquity In Cain Saul Ananias and Saphira it proceeded from profane and unsanctified hearts filled with malice pride and coveteousnes but in the Corinthians as in other Godly men it falleth through infirmity and negligence but never of obstinate malice or contempt yet still to bee acknowledged a great weakenes having always mixt with it some selfloue of our selvs which makes us rather to dissemble a knowne truth then to disgrace our selvs in any sort but leaving this wee come to thosethings which principally are to be marked in this argument of the Apostle which yealds us two things to our consideration the first is that a Christian who is caled out of darknes to the marvelous light of God hath amongst all others this great blessing that his eies are open to know himself which no man can doe till he be effectually called of God and haue receaved the spirit of truth whereby he is made able to discerne all things this knowledge of our selvs was known to bee a great vertue amongst the very heathen and was propounded to be followed as a singular vertue by the philosophers but never any of thēselves could ever attaine to it it being the speciall prerogative of those who are taught by the truth of God revealed in his word to haue this grace to know themselves according to that saying of Iohn wee know that wee are of God this whole world lyeth in wickednesse Iohn 1 Epist 5 19. And therefore is it that the same Apostle sayth concerning the elect that the annointing which they haue receaved of the father dwelleth in them and that they need not that any man teach them but as the same annointing teacheth them of all things and it is true and not lying The 2. thing which hereby wee learne is this That the calling of God to the knowledg of his truth giues to men in the knowledg of themselves the sight and knowledge of all graces that are given them of God according to that saying of the Apostle speaking of the unsearchablenes of the things which God hath prepared for them that loue him but saith he God hath reveyled them unto us by his spirit for wee haue not receaud the spirit of the world but the spirit which is of God that wee might know the things that are given us of God 1 Corint 2 10 12. Therefore is it that Christ calles his disciples no more servaunts but friends because as he saith the servant knoweth not what his master doth but vnto them he had made known all things which he heard of his father Iohn 15 15. And in another place hee shewes the reason of
this knowledge in his disciples as also why the world is destitute of it speaking concerning the spirit saying whom the world cannot receaue because it sees him not neither knowes him but yee know him because he dwelleth with you and shal bee in you Iohn 14 17. This place being conferd with the former two teacheth us 3 speciall things touching the estate of a true Christian The 1 is that they are not ignorant of the things of God nor of any grace or blessing spirituall given them by God in Christ the 2 is That all this knowledge is taught thē by the spirit of God which is given them remaines within them The 3 that both the gift of this spirit and knowledge by him proceedes from this that God hath not left us in the world nor in the estate of servitude bondage but hath taken us out of the world and by reconcyling us to himself in Christ hath made us his friends as Abrahā was The use of this is to convince the doctrine of the papisticall church of falshood whereby they maintaine that a Christian truely called can haue no certaine knowledge whether he bee in the estate of grace or not for if the Apostle urge the Corinthians by this speciall knowledge of their owne being in the faith and of Christs being in them to bee witnesses of the power of Christ in his ministry toward them it must necessarily follow that both they and all others called as they were must haue vndoubted knowledge of themselves that they are in the faith and Christ in them otherwise Christs argument before alleadged could not bee true when he saith that his disciples did know the spirit of truth because he dwelt with them and should be in thē which argumēt teacheth us thus much that the saints cannot bee ignorant of any gift or grace of God which dwelleth with them and is in them so that wee may Iustly concluded that a Papist houlding the former position for a truth must bee both faythles and gracelesse seing if eyther faith or grace were in them they could not be ignorant of them neither can they haue anie evasion by their old argument of the necessitie of some speciall revelation from God For this which we haue said before compared with the words of Iohn doth fully answer them saying If we receive the witnes of men the witnesse of God is greater For this is the witnes of God which he testifieth of his sonne He that beleeveth in that sone of God hath witnes in himselfe By which words we are plainly taught that faith can never be without the testimonie both of those three which beare record in heaven to wit the Father the Word and the Holy-ghost nor of these three witnesses which beare record in earth viz. The spirit the water and the bloud and therefore that it must follow that everie true beleever hath a most undoubted revelation of his salvation and blessed estate in grace and on the contrarie that whosoever hath not this vndoubted warrant is faithles indeed seeing as saith the Apostle whosoever beleeveth in the sonne of God hath this witnes of the Father of the Word and of the Holy ghost which are in heaven of the spirit and of the water and of the blood which are in earth then which there can be no revelation of greater force to confirm the certaintie of ones salvation For if according to Gods owne law at the mouth of two or three witnesses every matter shal be established how much more must a true beleeving christian know the certaintie of his salvation who hath it witnessed vnto him and that within himself by those sixe witnesses before mentioned of which none can lye and this is so much the clearer by that which Iohn in the same place speaketh ver 13 saying these things haue I written unto you who beleeve in the name of the sonne of God that ye may knowe that ye haue eternall life Whereby he utterly annulleth that blind argument of the Papists seing it enforceth thē eyther to confesse that they know they haue eternal life or then plainely to confesse that they beleeue not in the sonne of God for faith and knowledge of salvation are two unseparable adjuncts and ever such knowledge as is not builded upon a doubtfull opinion or conjecture but which is buylt upon the unfallible testimony of the six witnesses mētioned before Wee conclude therefore this point with the confortable use thereof to all true beleeving Christians viz. that they rejoyce always I say againe with the Apostle that they rejoyce always seeing their salvation is sure and that it s given unto them to knowe that it is sure Thus much for the Apostles argument for remooving of all pretence of ignorance Now followes the 2 point of tryall which is whether Christ bee in them or not but it s propounded in another manner then the first for touching faith he willd them to try if they were in it but this last he propounds as a thing which he would haue them undoubtedly to acknowledge and no marveil for the effects are more easie to be known then their causes now Christ he dwells in our hearts by faith and therefore wee can never have a true evidence that we beleeue untill we find that Christ is assuredly within us for this cause wee said before that this 2 point of tryall was the meane to know the former Moreover the Apo. subjoins this point unto his former argument whereby he remooves all pretence of Ignorāce purposely to teach us both whē and wherein it is that a Christian comes to know himself to bee in the faith and so receaves experiēce of the power of Christ in the ministry of the Gospell to his salvation whereof before wee spake wee will first somewhat consider the order of the Apostles words Wee see that in the first place he puts them to the tryall of their faith as being the evidence of the power of Christ in his ministry toward them to their salvation 2. In this examination he brings them to the acknowledging of themselves as the proper effect of true faith in all true beleevers 3. He brings thē to the acknowledgment of Christs presence in their hearts as the onely true testimony of the first proper matter of the 2. For if any man thinks he beleeves not having Christ within him he is miserably deceaved and if any man think he knowes himself to bee the child of God except he find himself and Christ united by faith pittifully abuseth himself by his owne judgment This order therefore of the Apostles proceeding teacheth us this lesson what way and by what meanes it is that wee come to the knowledge of the mighty power and outstreched arme of God in the ministry of his word to our salvation in the which 3 things are principally to be marked Our faith our selvs and that in our selves which makes us know our selves by faith to bee
thē to proove examine his words are proove yourselues examine yourselvs The question being of the power of Christ in Pauls ministry he referreth the tryall thereof to his hearers in themselvs which he would never haue done if the question concerning this power in all mens preaching were not to be decided rather by that which is felt by experience in the hearers than by any thing whatsoever in the Teacher Divers singular uses we haue of this poynt First touching the true knowledge of the nature of all spirituall things It must be taken from the tryall and experience which we have of them in onr selvs which is the true limits and bounds as well as the ground foundatiō of all true knowledg of God and all things belonging to salvation For how excellent and superemminently good soever they be in themselvs our mindes can rise no higher in apprehending and knowing them then the experience and sence is which wee receive of theire force and effectuall working in and upon ourselvs And this is true not onely in the supernaturall knowledge of God heavenly things but also in so far as nature it self can apprehend of God this is manifest by the Apostles words to the Romans when he sayth that which might be known of God is manifest in men themselves For which cause he justly concludeth the Gentiles to haue beene vniust detayners of the truth of God and therefore most justly punisht from heaven because knowinug God they did not glorifie him as God neither were thankfull For it is most certaine that there can bee no true judgement of these things that are spirituall and so no way subject to the apprehension of earnall sences but onely from the sence and seeling of our soules according to the measure of working whereby it pleaseth God by his spirit to make our soules sensible of his nature and goodnes which wee never can rightly esteeme of vntill by his blessed gospell begetting us again to a liuely hope of an inheritance immortall vndefyled and that withereth not he powreth in by his spirit aboundantly in our harts his loue and peace that passeth all vnderstanding neither can wee ever acknowledge the blessed word of God to be the power of God vnto salvation vntill that by experience wee find it to bee that which the Apostle describes it to bee in us viz. a living word mighty in operation and sharper then any two edged sword and piercing into the devision of our soule and of our spirit the joynts the marrow and judging the verie thoughts and intents of our harte so that wee may justly conclude that no man hath any more true knowledge eyther of God the gospell or ministry thereof then so far as in himself he hath felt by proofe and experience their efficacy and working upon himself Moreover this teacheth us another lesson touching the true course of mens tryall in matters spirituall and specially of the vertue and power of any mans ministry it is apparent that the Corinthians did narrowly marke the Apostle himselfe in his outward estate and in his vtterance and eloquence in all which they externally found nothing in their carnal judgmēt but basenes weakenes and words of no valew but in the meane time they did not marke the mighty work of that weake mā by his seeming weake words in their owne harts inwardly which made them perverse and sinistrous Iudges of his ministry the vertue and power whereof is not to be discerned by ought that outwardly can bee perceaved eyther by the eye in behoulding the speaker or by the eare in hearing his eloquence but onely by the inward sence and feeling of their owne harts and spirits And this serves to correct two great vices in our judging first concerninge the persons and 2 concerning the matter Touching the persons its a common vice to bee busie in taking notice in judging of others but not of our selves whereas our mindes ought to bee still examining our selves not others for as sayth the Apostle who art thou that judgest another mans servant hee standeth or falleth to his owne Lord and not unto thee and the scriptures of God continually warne us to absteyn from judging of others and still to judge and tax our selvs least wee be judged and in judging others to begine first at our selves because thereby we shal be the more able to giue righteous judgment of others for as Christ sayth how can a man say to his brother let me cast out a mote out of thine eie behould there is a beame in his owne eie Mat. 74. For how shall a man see to cast out a mote out of his brothers eie unto the time that first he hath cast out the beame out of his owne eie For Christ himself shewes that with what judgment wee judge others wee shal be judged and with what measure wee meat unto others it shal be measured againe to us Besides that the judgment of others is not left unto us by the Lord but reserved unto himself and therefore the Apostle counteth it a very small matter to bee judged by the Corinthians or any mans judgment touching his fidelity in his ministry but this Apostle earnestly invites us to judge and examine our selvs and sheweth to the Corinthians that if wee judged our selves wee should not bee judged of the Lord with his temporall plagues as infirmities sicknes and temporall death by which the Lord did chastise the Corinthians for not judging and examining thēselvs before they did eat of the Lords bodie And this duety of not judging others but our selvs is the more carefully to bee observed by us because as we shall heare afterwards every faithfull Christian is able by the spirit of God given him to discerne of himself his spirituall estate aright but as concerning others although in the judgment of charity wee ought to esteeme well of all that professe Christ yea euen of those with whom wee refuse to converse for disobedience in them whom still according to the rule of the Apostle wee are not to esteeme as enemies but to admonish as brethren yet the infallible knowledge of their estate in Christ is only known to God who only knoweth who is his owne The 2. errour concerning the matter of our judgment is hereby likewise corrected wee see and perceaue this to bee a common folly in men to looke upon the person of the preacher upon his gifts and utterance and still to be censuring all men to bee eyther good or bad preachers according as they find them to satisfie or displease their judgment in their gifts of knowledge vtterance or eloquence and so often fall in a wofull errour in contemning the best applauding the worst whereas the matter of all true judgment of preaching consists not so much in the matter or utterance of the preacher as in the power of that which is spoken which power is
often wanting in the greatest both of knowledge and eloquence and oft yea most times accompanieth the most simple delivery of the truth in men having far lesse measure of the aforesaid gifts And this tryall taken from the power of the word heard must needs force every maÌ„ back to himself to examine himself if he will know how to judge aright of the preacher seeing his hart soul is the subject wherein the vertue efficacy of all preaching is to bee found For he is the most powerfull preacher who most stirrs and mooves the hart of the hearer unto faith and obedience so that a man needs not to go out of himself to looke to anie thing but that that 's in himself whereby to discern whether Christ speak or not in the preacher whom he heareth even as it s not so much colour or tast of the wine or matter of the cup whereout we drink as the felt virtue in our spirits refreshed thereby wherby the valour and vertue of wine is discerned both colour and tast though in a golden cup deceiving us As in matereall temples built of stone the more the windowes be painted the lesse is the light So in the true spirituall Temple of Christ those that are the lights thereof the more their preaching be painted with the intising words of humane wisdom and eloquence the lesse solid light of the knowledge of the glorie of God in the face of Iesus is ministred by them to the harts of their hearers And thus much for the first point sett down by the Apostle Now followes the second vizt Touching those things wherein the Corinthians were to try and examine themselvs which are two First their faith 2. Christs being in them this last being the evidence of the first It is true that the words may be taken two manner of waies For these words If ye be in the faith may be either the condition required in those that shall try themselvs concerning the power of Christ in â—â—e ministry of those who teach â—â—em or then it may be takâ—n for the matter it self wherâ—â— they are to find out the evidence of Christs power in their â—â—achers In what sence soeâ—er we take it it servs for the â—postles purpose and yeelds â—â— great instruction In the â—â—â—st sence it teacheth us that â—hich is most true viz. That â—ntill a man beleeve hee can â—â—ue no right judgment of spiâ—â—tuall things it being faith â—â—â—ely that purifies the heart â—â—om all sinne and filthines â—esides that it remaines sure which the Apostle saith That â—he naturall man comprehends not â—â—e things of the spirit of God for â—â—ey are foolishnes unto him beâ—ause they are spiritually discerned â—ut the spirituall man discerneth all things Now no man can be a spirituall man but he that beleeveth Therefore justly doth the Apostle call faith the evidence of things that are not seen So that before a man can be able to perceave the spiritual power of Christ in anie manâ— preaching he must haue this faith else how can he perceavâ— or apprehend that which is invisible of which nature this power is Hereby we learne that it is no wonder that the Word of the crosse is foolishnes iâ— most part of men yea to all that perish as saith the Apostle For the arme of the Lord therein is not revealed unto them because they beleeve not the report of Gods messengers as saith the Prophet Esa For beleife and knowledg of the power of God in preaching are never seperate for which cause Christ himself giving the reason that â—is disciples loved him sayth â—hat they belieued that the was â—ome out from the father And â—gaine when in his prayer to the â—â—ther he hath set downe divers â—â—asons why he recommended â—hem to the father as that he â—â—d declared his name unto them â—ut they had kept his word that â—â—ey knew that all things which â—â— father had given him was â—â—m the father that he had given â—â—to them the words which the â—â—her had given him that they â—â—d receaved them and that they â—â—ely knew he was come out from â—â— father he subjoynd as the â—â—und and foundation of all â—s their knowledge that they â—â—eued that the father had sent â—â— The use hereof is first to â—â—ch us that faith is the only eie of the soule whereby its ablâ— truely to discerne the nature oâ— all spirituall heavenly things 2. It lets us see the miser able â—â— state condition of all infidels who are utterly deprived of aâ— ability to know or rightly tâ— perceaue the nature of God oâ— Christ of his gospell or hiâ— ministers yea also of themselves in any spirituall thing Lastâ—â— it teacheth us not to stumble â— the base account and contemâ—â— of the Gospell and ministeâ— thereof in the most part â—â— men in this age seeing pooâ— blind wretches being destituâ— of faith are not able to knoâ— these things nor to give aâ— right judgment of them or themselvs this either having or wanting of fayth in men the very cause of all differeâ— judgment of all things in religion and specially of things indifferent as may be perceaved by the Apostles words to the Romans Cap. 14 saying One man beleveth that he may eat al things and another which is weake eateth hearbs againe I know and am perswaded through the Lord Iesus that there is nothing uncleane of it self but to him that judgeth ought uncleane to him it is uncleane and againe hast thou faith haue it with thyself before God blessed is he that condemneth not himself in that which he alloweth but he that doubteth is condemned if he eate because he eateth not of faith and what soeuer is not of faith is sinne in all which words the Apostle attributeth knowledg and full perswasion of the indifferent use of all externall things as meat drink c. unto fayth and ignorance doubting to infidelity or weaknes of faith which giues us a cleare light to discern betwixt man and man in their judgment touching things indifferent in their use where it may be without scandall And abstinence from them where the use is scandalous for undoubtedly true faith where it is giues a man knowledg and full perswasion that ther is no difference betwixt one meate one garment or oneday and another c. in themselvs but where one day one meate one garmeÌ„t c. is esteemd above another or where ther is doubting of their indifferency and equall law fulnes in use as before there must needs be weaknes of faith which is a faith accompanied with much infidelity But leaving this sence of these words notwithstanding that it may be probably taken to be the Apostles meaning wee come to the other sence as being in most mens judgment the true meaning of the Apostle taking the words as a declaration of that wherein they shall try themselues viz. whether they be in the fayth or no according to which