Casuists But then there is a Scandal given or scandalum Pusillorum when those who appear for Religion do such things as are indeed inconsistent with holinesse that can never be made good by the Scripture and of such it is that our Saviour saith Wo be to him by whom offences come Mat. 18.7 Whosoever shall offend one of these little ones it had been better a Millstone were hung about his neck and he thrown into the sea For although it be also a sinne in any man to be prejudiced and alienated from Godlinesse because of the sinnes of those that professe it neither will that be an excuse to them yet because such put a stumbling block in the way therefore is the transgression great Distinguish then between such as through their wilfull obstinacy will be offended and from such who are so through weaknesse and a reall occasion given 4. Such is the enmity of man to what is good that he is glad to have any occasion to blame the Truth with whenas indeed they should mourn and grieve to see any failings amongst those that are religious they rather rejoyce in the discovery of such and they think this is a good reason for their Impiety Why should they come out from the common waies of the world Do not many of those that are so forward do thus and thus And therefore they hope they shall do as well as any other The Apostle seeing this wicked disposition in the world speaks notably to the godly 1 Pet. 3.16 To walk with such a good Conscience that whereas the world will speak against them as evil doers they may be ashamed So 1 Pet. 2.12 These things premised Let us consider the unreasonablenesse and sinfullnesse of condemning Religion for some hypocrites therein For 1. Dost thou not as well see many are sincere and walk unblameably Doth not thy own heart tell thee that thou hast no just cause to speak against them Dost thou not sometimes wish thy Soul might do as well as theirs Dost thou not with Balaam wish thou mightst die the Death of such Righteous persons Shall not the Graces and holinesse of Eleven Apostles more confirm thee then the wickednesse of one Judas offend thee Consider then how unreasonable thou art that dost only minde the weak places of the Wall not â—he strong Thou speakest of many that for gain and secret lusts have fallen off from God but how many thousands of godly sincere men can we tell thee of who because they feared God were neither terrified by threats nor yet seduced by allurements to deny Christ Though a Judas did betray him yet â—here are Millions of Martyrs who have valiantly died in the Confession of him 2. We are not to live by Examples but by Precepts It 's an Old Rule We are to consider what the Scripture requires and commands If that enjoyn a life separated and singular to the wickednesse of the world If that bid thee run not into the same excesse of Riot with them such a strict way and profession thou art bound to follow Though all that go before thee be hypocrites and that go with thee Though all the Apostles had been like Judas yet Christs Truth had still been to be embraced Therefore not mens lives but the Scripture is to be ouâ— Rule If all men prove Hypocrites or Apostates yet we are bound to keep close to the Word Let God be true and every man a Lyar It 's true the life and conversation of others in sincerity and uprightnesse may be a great inducement to holiness therfore the Scripture often cals for a life of light and holinesse that others may be won thereby but yet every one ought to have such an inward assurance both of the Truth of God and his Grace upon his heart that what Peter said presumptuously they are to acknowledge as a duty Though all men should forsake Christ yet he would not It 's not upon men that we are to build either our faith or our godlinesse but though all men should prove devils and there were none in the world but one man that would own Christ thou wert to joyn with him 3. If we should condemn Religion for the falshood of some we were to condemn all the waies of Religion and all parties in the world and so to turn direct Athiests for look upon all the severall waies and parties that are in the world Are there not some that are a reproach to them that the wiser and more sober persons in that way will not own Wonder not then if the Apostle say of some that they are spots in their Feasts Jude 12. And Rom. 2. that they are such by whom the Name of God is blasphemed among the Gentiles This hath and will be It is impossible saith our Saviour but there will be offences viz considering the corruptions and sinfull inclinations of men but if you will own no Religion wherein an Hypocrite may come in you must do as Constantine bad the Novatian erect a Ladder and go himself only into heaven Even in heaven it self there were as we may say Judasses for what were those Apostate Angels that did not abide in the Truth but left their first habitation but betraiers of all that glory and honour that was due to God Know then that to throw away Religion because of the hypocrisie of some few is to run the broad way into Athiesm 5. It is not only sinful but very dangerous to thy own soul when thou art prejudiced or leavest the true way upon such grounds Thou dost not hurt them but thou wrongest thy own soul Those Disciples Joh. 6. that took offence at Christs Preaching they did not despise Christ so much as they damned their souls for saith Peter then whither shall we go for thou hast Eternal Life So then for thee to take up prejudices and objections against Christs way because of some mens miscarriages is to be a self-murderer wilt thou destroy thy own soul and throw thy self into one extremity because others may in another way undo themselves Oh know it is an heavy judgement upon thee when thou meetest with stumbling-blocks Those whom God loveth he giveth a better heart unto them Christ himself Luk. 1. 1 Pet. 2.7 To those that beleeve is indeed precious but a stone of stumbling and a Rock of offence unto those that do not beleeve Oh then be afraid lest this be the beginning of Gods judgement upon thee to be so prejudiced and offended by mis representations that thou shalt never have an heart to love God and his way Think not to do them a despight thou art the greatest Enemy to thy own soul 6. If any under the pretence of Religion do act their iniquities quarrell not at Religion it self for that condemneth such waies Neither do those that fear God own such for their members yea where Gods Order is put in practise they cast such from them as a dishonour to God and a reproach to that holy calling
Heb. 11. They that say such things declare they look for a better City Oh how apt are we to make the world our home To desire we might abide here alwaies To think of no other Happinesse or Blessednesse but what is in the Creatures but God by the Troubles therein doth convince us that there must be a better Condition then this We have no abiding place in this world we are here to day to morrow we may be gone and therefore we should be Diligent in Watching and Praying and preparing for our Masters Coming Oh what a Bridle would it be to our carnal Affections to remember we are but Sojourners and Strangers here To look upon thy Estate and Inheritance no otherwise then a Traveller doth upon the Goods in an Inne Reasons 3 Thirdly The Lord makes this world full of Enmity and Hatred against us That we might not symbolize with it or contract any of the guilt and pollution of it upon our Souls It is a Mercy that Wicked men are Scorpions and Serpents That they are Wolves and Lyons hereby thou art chased and affrighted from their Company and Society whereas if they were loving and pleasing thou wouldest be often with them and so sit in the Chair of the Scorner and come into the Assemblies of wicked men Is it not a Mercy to be kept from a Pest-house or a Place where Infectious Diseases are Thus God hath put such an Enmity and Contrariety between the Godly and the Wicked There is such a great Gulf and vast distance that Solomon saith The wicked is an abomination to the Righteous and the Righteous to the wicked Prov. 29.27 The Godly man can no more endure the wicked mans waies then the Wicked can abide a Godly mans waies Therefore blesse and praise God for this Enmity and opposition and make good and profitable use of it Reasons 4 Lastly The Lord doth it That Heaven and the Enjoyment of him to all Eternity may be more prized and better esteemed by us We must with Lot even be violently pulled out of this Sodom Oh our sinnefull and our unworthy Hearts that we should so delight to be tossed and hurried up and down in the Ocean and be afraid to come to the Haven That Death should be so unwelcome when it is the Passage to incomprehensible and immortall Glory What have not all thy Pains Afflictions and Grievances yet made thee long and thirst for Heaven Dost thou not think Here I am sighing crying diseased distressed when the Glorious Saints in Heaven are rejoycing Vse of Instruction To the people of God Not to be dejected but rather to be exceeding glad as our Saviour commands when the wicked world opposeth them for their Godlinesse and Uprightnesse For mark our Saviours Expression herein Matth. 5.20 It must be for Christs Sake and Righteousnesse Sake not for any wickednesse or ungodlinesse of thy own Doe not take the just reward of thy sinnes to be the glorious Consequents of holinesse But if it be because thou fearest God thou ownest God and his way thou standest up for his Truth and Godlinesse then leap and dance for Joy that God hath put so much honour upon thee Say with David I will be more vile still The Starres are never the lesse glorious though they have given them ugly Names of the Bear and the like So neither are the godly lesse Glorious though the world labours to besmear them with dirt a Jewell is a Jewell though soiled with dirt SERMON LIII The Exaltation of Christ improved for the joy of of all Beleevers JOH 17.11 And I come to thee THis is the Third distinct Argument in this Verse which Christ useth in his Petition for his Disciples Some indeed take it Exegeticall or Declarative of what he meant by saying He was no more in this world But others take the Particle 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ratiocinatively as a Reason why he is no more to be in the world because he is going to the Father This Argument implieth then that Christ by going out of the world doth not cease to be but that he goeth to the Father and there will be a potent Favourite in the Court of heaven for them Christ then speaking here of his Locall Motion we may in this as in all such Motions Consider 1. The term from which that is the world which is not to be understood as if he did depose and lay down his humane Nature or that he was not still present in an efficacious invisible manner but in respect of a bodily presence This place confutes Popish Transubstantiation and the Lutheran Vbiquity of Christs Body 2. There is the term to which to thee 3. The Via per quam the way by which and that is implied by his Death and Sufferings In the Greek it is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in other places it is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and once that is used absolutely The Sonne of man goeth c. Mat. 26.24 That is he dieth here there is contained much comfort to his Disciples that neither Christs Enemies or Death did overcome him but by Death he goeth to his Father and that for the great benefit and advantage of all true Believers Obs That Christ by Death went to his Father Here is much practicall Divinity in this Point We see our Saviour again and again instructed his Disciples about his He knew how much his Sufferings and Death would amaze them and shake their Faith he knew what a false principle they were possessed with viz that he would erect a temporall Glorious Kingdome Therefore that they might not be undone by these thoughts he tels them often both of his death and whither by that he was to go Ioh. 14.3 Our Saviour comforts their troubled hearts with this that he was going to the Father and that not meerly for his own glory and honour but also for their good Even as Ioseph was advanced in Pharaohs Court as well for the good of his Father and his brethren as for his own glory and by the way observe that our Saviour tels them That they knew whither he went and the way yet Thomas in the name of the rest saith Lord we know not whither thou goest Now you may ask Either Christ who is Truth it self spake not right or Thomas The answer is Both spake right for the Disciples knew in the general and confusedly but not distinctly or particularly or they knew it habitually but in time of temptation they did not put this knowledge forth By this we see the Godly may have that grace and that faith in them which yet they think is not there To open this Doctrine let us consider the several particulars that are enclosed in it First That it was appointed by God that the way whereby Christ should from this state of humiliation come to glory with him should be the way of ignominy reproach and death It behoved the Son of man to suffer and so enter into glory Luk.
upon this will bring much Consolation Considering 1. Gods taking the more care of them 2. Their being quaiified as that come under Christs Fraier 3. And that God will ere long take them out of the world Quest Answ Observ How many wayes a godly man may be more sanctified 1. Inrensively 2. Extensively 3. In the deeper radication of grace in our hearts 4. Subjectively 5. Efficienter Growth in Sanctification illustrated by the contraries unto it which are these Reasons Vse Observ That the word of God is the instrument of our sanctification The explication of the point The necessity of learned officers in the Church The Word is Gods instrument and faith is mans The Word is not the principal or efficient but the instrumental cause The necessity of Gods efficiency Without Gods blessing men may by the Scriptures through interpretation be corrupted Instrumentall Causes are physical natural or moral One cause must not be opposed to other causes The Word is the ordinary means The word to some through their wickednes becomes an instrument of greater sinfullness Doct. The Word of God is Truth In how many particulars Gods Word is true I. In regard of the efficient Cause God II. It 's the Rule of all Truth III. It 's true materially IV. Qualitatively V. It 's true Instrumentally There is a threefold Truth we cannot attain to without the Scripture 1. True Doctrine 2. True Piety 3. True Consolation VI. The Scripture is true oppositely to all the Opinions Doctrines and Religions that men set up by their own fancy The excellent properties of the truth of Scripture 1. It 's the truth of God 2. It 's infallible 3. Eternal 4. Universal 5. Supernaturall 6. A holy truth 7. A precious truth 8. A bitter truth Doct. Truth and holinesse are requisite in Ministers of the Gospel Why it is requisite Ministers should be endowed with soundnesse of judgement Why Ministers must be holy Vse T Doct. 2. That Christ hath a peculiar love of those who are in Church-Office according to his rule and way In what particular Christs care is shewed to his Ministers Observ Christ was sent of the Father and did not of himself undertake that office he was imployed in while on the earth Of Christs Commission consider these things The necessity of Christs being sent Observ None may undertake the publike Office of the Ministry without a lawful Call thereunto Dist 1. There is a two-fold sending Mediate and Immediate Dist 2. The substance of the Ministerial Office is the same with that which every Minister hath Rules for private Christians exercising their Gifts Whether reading be preaching Heinsius Grotius Vocation to the Office of the Ministry consists in these things I. Inward qualifications II. Outward Distinct ult That there is a distinct Oâ—fice of the Ministry That none may enter into this Office without an authoritative mission Doct. That Christ set himself apart to be a Sacrifice for us In my Treatise of justification What Christs sanctifying himself implieth I. His purity and holinesse II His ready offering himself for us III. His fitnesse for the office of a Mediatour 1. The fitnesse of his Person 2. His fitnesse in regard of his Offices 1. Prophetical 2. Priestly 3. Kingly IV. He is prepared for this work Benefits of Christs sanctifying himself V. That he was wholly set apart for us VI. That if by faith we improve him not for those ends God appointed him we make him a Christ in vain VII It denotes him a sinner by imputation VIII That he was a Priest to make atonement for us Concerning Christs priestly-office Consider these things Wherein this prayer and his intercession in heaven differ The adâ—unct of his Priestly Office Observ That Christ was not only the Priest but the Sacrifice it self Propositions concerning Christs Priesthood I. That Christ was both Priest Sacrifice and Altar II. What things are necessary to a Sacrifice III. He offered himself to God IV. It was by way of Expiotion V. The necessity of it The properties of Christs Sacrifice I. It hath infinite worth in it II. Though Christ offered himself as a Sacrifiae yet the application must be as God hath appointed III. Christs bloud washeth away not only the guilt of sin but the filth of it IV. The vertue of his Sacrifice abides for ever V. It 's continually useful VI. It 's prevalent with God VII It 's that Christ presents to his Father VIII The purity of it IX The vertue of it Observ Christ died not only for our justification also Concerning this point consider I. How many wayes is the Christ is the cause of our Sanctification II. What is implied in our being sanctified by Christ III. What may be inferred from our being sanctified by Christs sanctifying himself IV. Wherein the truth of Sanctification lieth Doct. That Christ though God yet as man did pray unto the Father Upon what grounds Christ who was God as well as man did pray The difference between Christs praier and ours What advantage Beleevers have by Christ Doct. In what respects Christ did as much for one believer as another There is some difference between beleevers in respect of Christs Death Observ That such is Christs care and love to his remembred in his prayer and death even before they had a being Doct. Reasons Doct. That the faith which â—ustififieth and saveth us maketh us wholly to depend on Christ The several kinds of faith The object of faith It 's an act of the will as wel as the understanding The seat of faith These things are required to justifying faith I. Of faith under the notion of receiving Christ The receiving of Christ implyeth 1. That we have nothing of our own 2. That we are wholly passive in justification 3. That faith doth not justifie for any intrinsecal worth in it 4. Faith is excluded as it is a work 5. And why faith and no other grace doth justifie II. This receiving is not a bare receiving but an imbracing also III. In this act of faith there is a fiducial reposing of the soul upon Christ IV. An application of Christ V. This recumbent act of faith may not only thus receive Christ but we may be assured that Christ is ours Faith hath two acts a direct and a reflex Quest Observ God hath appointed a perpetual Ministry to the end of the world Quest Answ Doct. Consider That there is a two-fold Unity among the godly I. Invisible II. Visible III. 1. The excellency and necessity of unity among Christians appears by the vehement and affectionate praier for it 2. It s a means to bring the world to believe the truth 3. It s promised as a special part of the Covenant 4 Hereby a serviceable helping of one another in spirituaâ—l things is preserved 5. God suffers sad persecutions to befall them that thereby their discords may be removed 6. Unity strengthens 7. It is beautifull and comely 9. Divisions are the fruit of the flesh 10. Because all things