THE CHRISTIANS Crovvn of Glory OR HOLINESS The Way to HAPPINESS Shewing the necessity of Sanctity or a Holy life from a serious consideration of the Life of the holy Jesus who is Christ our Sanctification Also a plain Discovery of the Formalist or Hyppocrite Together with the Doctrine of Justification Opened and Applied London Printed for Tho. Passinger at the Sign of the three Bibles on the middle of London-Bridge 1671. To all that are sanctified in Christ Jesus especially to my Christian Friends and Acquaintance in and near London The Authour wisheth all prosperity and true felicity the progress of Sanctification in this world with the perfection thereof in Glory Worthy and good Friends BY the wonderful over-ruling and sole-disposing hand of Providence which some call the Queen of the World I had the Providentia Dei Regina mundi â—â—nour and the happiness to be cast into your Acâ—uaintance with whom at a leastwise with â—any of you I have had for years through â—â—rcy comfortable and sweet sociey in the things God and from whom I have received so many 〈◊〉 and ample manifestations of cordial respect 〈◊〉 kindnesse for my support and succour in the â—â—â—s of my extremity For all which according â—y bounden duty in all humility and sincerity â—esire to blesse and Magnifie the Possessor of Heaâ—â—â—â— and Earth as also to thank you Begging Father of mercies to reward your labour of love hundred fold And to enrich you with the fulness of the Blessings of the Gospel of Christ 'T is I confess a duty incumbent on me To render Rom. 15. 29. ye a due acknowledgment of hearty thanks for your kindness to me not long since a perfect stranger to all your faces least otherwise I should contract Ingratum si dixeris omnia dixeris the stain and Odium of that monstrous and multiplied sin Ingratitude debating in my thoughts not how to make Compensation or requital for that as the case stands with me is impossible but how at most to make some small Testification of the unfeigned honour and love I bear you not onely for your Goodnesse to mee but primarily and principally for the spiritual worth and goodnesse the God of all Grace according to the riches of of his Grace hath I trust confer'd upon ye and infused into ye I knew no better expedient than the dedication of this ensuing Treatise which is not presented to ye or any mortals for Patronage or protection but for Acceptance and perusal at your most serious hours I never loved to dawb with untempered mortar nor to sew Pillows under mens elbows since I knew any thing of the mind of God in truth If this small piece doth not cannot speak for it self though in weaknesse I will not speak a word for it neither do I desire that any should 'T is an old and true Veritas non quaerit angulos Veritas stâ—t in aper to Campo Maxim Truth needs no Patronage and Errour I am sure desorves none What by the Word and rule of Truth ye finde consonant and consentaneous to the mind and will of God the prime Truth that call God's and Christ's and therefore prize and practice it But whatsoever you finde if errour obliquity and deflexion from the Rule that call mans and mine and carefully eschew it imputing to it humane frailty and weaknesse for humanum est errare I remember I have read of Artaxerxes a most Plutarth in the life of Artaxerxes noble and munificent King of Persia that such was the Princely condescension and sweetnesse of his disposition as not onely to give great Gifts unto his Friends and Favourites but also kindly to accept of mean Presents from mean persons so hoping with the like candour you will please to receive this small Tract I have presumed to dedicate and commend it to your Christian consideration I modestly confesse I have been sollicited to print some of my former Meditations though I know Apologies of this nature are little credited yet through sense of my own weaknesse I have forborn as judging none of my Grapes worth the Presse Besides the great numbers of profitable and practical Books of many famous men already extant But at length at the friendly desire of some sober Persons willing me to leave some Manifesto of my love or Legacies in their hands as they pleased to tearm it I have Adventured to make these Labours publick which I trust will not seem nauseous or unpleasant to a spirit truly sanctified I have long since thought that every faithfull labourer in the Lords Vineyard had principally a double work to do both tending unto and terminating themselves in holiness viz. 1. To convert Sinners 2. To confirm Saints 1. By the Spirit of Grace and word of Truth to beget holinesse in unholy souls to bring in them that are without who belong to the election of Grace Jam. 1. 18. 2. By the same effectual means the Word and Spirit to nourish and nurse up the new Man begotten to breed up those that are within I hope 1 Pet 2. 2. through grace this holy and blessed work hath been the white the mark I have aimed at in the series of my Employment and particularly in this undertaking of Sanctification here offered to your Judgments which is a Doctrine most Necessary most Excellent most Comfortable 1. 'T is a Doctrine most needfull for the sons of men to learn and practice 't is the one thing needfull 't is the principal thing there is no seeing the face of God without it for without holinesse Luke 10. 42. Pro. 4. 7. Heb. 12. 14. no man shall see the Lord. Consider the Decree of the Father the Mission of the Son the Office of the holy Spirit the publication of the Gospel the Jewels of the Covenant the nature of the great and precious Promises the Tendency of all Gods Dispensations Whether smiles or frownes mercies or afflictions do they not all respectively speak the same thing and mutually conspire yea meet and center in the same end viz. to make ye partakers of his Holiness nay they all tell ye in plain tearms ye must be Heb. 12. 10. holy God will not alter his Decree for you nor send another Saviour nor chalk out another new way to Heaven nor proclaim another Gospel for you nor for any Creatures breathing If Christ be not your sanctification as is held forth in this Treatise sin will be your condemnation you will perish and die eternally if there be a necessity of your salvation there is as absolute a necessity of your sanctification If the Lord hath revealed Christ to ye as the Lord your Righteousnesse he hath also revealed Christ to ye and in ye as the Principle and Prince of your Life as the High Priest your holinesse and ye must look up daily to Jesus Christ for both and receive of his fulnesse You see there is an indispensible John 1. 16. need of Holinesse and
for an Essay thereunto I think it neither unnecessary nor inexpedient before I come to the words themselves to preface the subsequent Discourse with these I think convenient Prolegomena THE PROLEGOMENA TO THE Ensuing Discourse ALl I have to say in the Proem to the Text I shall reduce to these Heads following I shall endeavour to shew 1. By whom this Epistle was written 2. To whom it was written 3. Vpon what occasion the Apostle wrote this Epistle 4. What is the Argument of this Epistle 5. At what time and where this Epistle was written 1. By whom this Epistle was written The Apostle Paul a * Act. 9. 15. chosen Vessel of God was the Author of this Epistle a man that was caught up to the third heaven where he heard 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which Montanus and the Vulgar translate arcana verba But Beza ineffabilia verba unspeakable words as our English Translators do well render such words †〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 id est quae fando explicari à quoquam homine non possint Beza which no man can explain by speaking A man inspired with the Spirit of God as he testifies of himself in this Epistle 1 Cor. 7. 40. Therefore by the inspiration of the Spirit of God he wrote this Epistle Paul and all other holy men of old that wrote the Canonical and Divine Scriptures were but Amanuenses Penmen or Secretaries to the Spirit the Spirit was the immediate Author Inditer and Composer of the Scriptures All Scripture is of Divine Inspiration * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 2 Tim. 3. 16. 1 Pet. 1. 21. For the Prophesie came not in old time or rather 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 aliquando at any time by the will of man but holy men of God spake as they were 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 acti inspirati acted or moved by the Holy Ghost †D. Owen expounding this Text in his Divine Original of the Scripture p. 25. One of our Worthies hath an excellent gloss upon this Text. When the Word came or rather was brought 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to the holy men that wrote the Scriptures it was not left to their understandings wisdomes minds memories to order dispose and give it out but they were born acted carried out by the Holy Ghost to speak deliver and write all that and nothing but that to every tittle that was so brought to them they invented not words themselves suited to the things they had learned but only expressed the words that they received And a little after he saith Not only the Doctrine they taught was the Word of Truth Truth its self Joh. 17. 17. but the words whereby they taught it were words of truth from God himself c. Thus this Epistle and other sacred Scriptures being of Divine Authority and thereupon of uncontroulable Soveraignty and of Eternal Verity ought to be received and entertained of us with holy respect and reverence to be heard and read as the Oracles of God 2. To whom this Epistle was written together with a Description of Corinth This Epistle was written to the men of Corinth but more specifically the Apostle himself tells ye 1 Cor. 1. 2. Unto the Church of God which is at Corinth to them that are sanctified in Christ Jesus called to be Saints with all that in every place call upon the Name of Jesus Christ our Lord both theirs and ours The Corinthians were Achaians Corinth Corinthii Achaici fuerunt was a famous and rich City of Achaia not only one of the chief but the Metropolitan or chiefest of that Region it was a City placed in an Isthmus or narrow streight going into Peloponnesus now called Morea and being scituate between * Both Poets and Geographers use to call her Corinthus Bi-maris Corinthus Achaiae Metropolis olim erat ob portuum commoditatem Emporium totius Asiae tum celeberrimum tum opulentissimum Marl. two Seas the Aegean and Ionian having fair Havens towards these two Seas a great concourse of people from many Countries resorted thither whereupon it was called Nobilissimum Emporium opibus abundans a most Noble Mart-Town overflowing with a confluence of wealth and worldly prosperity yea so famous and flourishing was this City that the Romans themselves began to suspect her greatness but the Corinthians were as insolent as the Romans were suspitious for they uncivilly abused the Roman Embassadors and cast Urine upon their heads as they passed through the †So Cicero relates it City Upon this disgrace the Romans sent Lucius Mummius then Consul who burnt the City and made it level with the ground In the burning of it so many rich and costly Images of sundry sorts of mettal were melted that thereof was found a very precious Brass called Aes Corinthium more esteemed than Silver among the Romans At last it was say some re-edified by Julius Caesar say others by Augustus Caesar because of the excellent fitness and scituation of the place it quickly encreased to its former wealth and splendour It was a place famous for the profession of Christianity but of late it fell into the hands of Turks and Infidels and by them it is at this day called Corinto Anno Ch. 1451. and Coranto To this City the Apostle Paul came from Athens where he converted to the Faith of Christ Act. 18. 1. Crispus and Sosthenes two chief Rulers of the Jewish Synagogue and many of the Corinthians Act. 18. 8. 17. hearing believed and were baptized for the Lord had by a Vision in the night told him he had much people in that City and withall for his encouragement to preach there uncessantly and to abide there patiently The Lord bids him be not afraid but speak Act. 18. 9. and hold not thy peace These words were Pillars of Support and Cordials of Comfort to his fainting heart Gods words are not empty or aâ—ery Dictates like * Vox praeterea nihil mans a voice and no more but creating corroborating comforting soul-renewing and soul-quickning and soul-restoring and reviving precepts where when and in whom he pleaseth for his word He upholdeth all things by the Word of his Power Heb. 1. 3. is the word of his power and therefore a word with power The words that I speak saith Christ they are spirit and they are life Joh. 6. 63. Again the Lord promiseth to be with Paul for I am with thee and no man shall Act. 18. 10 set on thee to hurt thee c. God did not only promise the assistance of his Spirit to his Ministry though that is rather implied than expressed but God also promiseth his Protecting Presence to his person that no man should set on him to hurt him How valiantly and chearfully may a soul fight after such a Leader and under such Ensigns under the promise of the faithful God and in the presence of the Mighty God He to whom God is a Sun of influence and a Shield of
Christ hath given the hand of Faith doth put it forth make application of the Merits and mediation of Jesus Christ for his Purification and doth in truth draw in vertue by that application 1 Joh. 3. 3. He that hath this hope doth purifie himself even as he is pure Faith exerts the office of all the senses and of all the members 't is the eye the hand the mouth the foot of the Soul c. as might be proved easily if I should exspatiate As Christ is all in all to the soul in the sanctification of it so Faith of all graces is all in all in the out-going of the soul to Christ and in the Incomes of grace from him 2. As Faith is the Instrumental so the Causa Administra Evangelium est medium ceu instrumentum quo Spiritus sanâ—tus efficaciam suam exerit sidem conversionem operatâ—r Syntag Polan Word is the ministring cause or medium of sanctification Psa 19. 7. The Law of the Lord is perfect converting the Soul the Law in all its Exhortations Commands Consolations Prohibitions Comminations and Promises is a perfect Law serving as a perfect means for conversion But the Promissory and Consolatory part thereof is principally more purifying Having these promises let us cleanse our selves c. 2 Cor. 7. 1. 2 Pet. 1. 4. The Goâ—pel or Law of Faith is vehiculum spiritus the Chariot in which the spirit rides to give your souls a gracious visit Gal. 3. 2. Received ye the spirit by the works of the Law or by the hearing of faith Fides quae creditur He that makes the Clouds his Chariots makes also his Word his Ordinances and his Ministers his Chariots wherein he â—ides down into these lower parts to give the world a meeting Mr. Allens Heaven Opened p. 172. i. e. by the hearing of the Gospel which is the doctrine of faith The sanctifying spirit accompanying the holy Word then the Word is sanctifying Joh. 17. 17. Sanctifie them by thy truth thy Word is truth When the Gospel is spoken and heard in the evidence and demonstration of the Spirit and of Power then is the Arm of the Lord revealed Isa 53. 1. then the Word of God works and grows mightily for sanctification and salvation then the blind eyes are opened then are the captives released then are the dead raised then are the lepers cleansed then are the devils dispossessed then are filthy souls washed unholy souls sanctified 7. Causa Exemplaris The Exemplar or Pattern to which our Sanctification in the two parts of it viz. our mortification and vivification is conformable is the Death and Resurrection of Jesus Christ by vertue of the force and energy whereof through the operation and application of the spirit of faith our sanctification is effected The Apostle Paul holds forth a clear Analogy or proportion between our dying to sin and Christs dying for sin and between our newness of life or vivification and Christs Resurrection Rom. 6. 4. 5. 6 7 8. where ye may see at large the parallel between them And the Apostle Peter tells us We are begotten again unto a lively hope by the Resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead 8â—y and lastly The glory of Gods Grace in the Conservation and Salvation of a sinful creature is the supreme end or final cause of our Sanctification there is a mutual intimate coherence and relation of these three to oâ—e another 1. The glory of Gods Grace is the Supreme end as of our Election in Christ so of our Sanctification by him All the Acts of Gods love in Christ whether immanent or transient they are all for the praise of the glory of his grace both in this and in the other world Eph. 1. 4. 6. And specifically Sanctification hath a direct tendency unto and termination in the glory of God When we keep our bodies and spirits chaste and holy we are then said to glorifie God 1 Cor. 6. 20. Glorifie God in your bodies and in your spirits which are Gods 2. Consecration This is finis qui the end for which quoad nos we are sanctified and necessary necessitate medii to our Salvaâ—ion Jam. 1. 18. We are begotten by the Will of God â—hat we might be a kind of the first fruits of his creatures that is as Beza Polanus and others observe that we might be consecrated and devoted to the Lord separated from the common lump of mankind as an holy offering as the first fruits under the Law were presented to the Lord as an holy Offering as the Lords own portion 3. Salvation This is our ultimate end the Apostle Peter acquaints us 1 Pet. 1. 3. We are begotten again unto a lively hope by the Resurrection of Jesus Christ c. What is that lively hâ—pe we are begotten and born to in Regeneration he tells ye in ver 4. Even to an inheritance incorruptible undâ—filed that fadeth not away reserved in heaven for you This incomparable Inheritance dignified with all these transcendent Epithets See Dr. Owens Death of Death p. 119 120 121 122 c. is comprehended in one word Salvation 2 Thes 2. 13 14. God hath from the beginning chosen us to Salvation that is the end through sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the truth that is the way and means Thus having cleared our way now we come to the plain and full definition of Sanctification Sanctification in the sense of the Text and of this Tract is a new inward habitual frame of grace infused by the power of the Eternal Spirit into the heart of a justified person united to Christ whereby he is renewed after the Image of Christ in knowledge righteousness and true holiness and thereby enabled to die to sin and to live to God for the praise of Gods glorious grace in his Consecration and Salvation This definition is the sum of the former discourse every part and branch of this description hath been already proved in the aforegoing particulars therefore I shall not actum agere do over the same things again only give me leave to acquaint you our Sanctification Holiness is not any single grace alone but a Constellation â— conjunction of all graces together in the Soul or Inherent Holiness consists in these two things 1. In the infusing of holy principles divine qualities or supernatural graces into the soul such as the Apostle mentions in Gal. 5. 22 23. But the fruit of the spirit is love joy peace long-suffering gentleness goodness faith meekness temperance against such there is no Law These habits of grace which are severally distinguished by the names of faith love hope meekness patience temperance c. are nothing else but the new nature the new creature the new man which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness Ephes 4. 24. These seeds 1 Joh. 3. 9 2 Cor. 1. 21. 1 Joh. 2. 27. of holiness these habits of grace are those sweet oyntments where with all must be
cultrix manifostat Athan in his Ep. ad Solitar 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Epiphan punishments concludes of that Sect it evidently declares it self thereby to be neither pious nor to have any reverence of God Epiphanius gives this as the Character of the semi-Arrians they persecute them that teach the truth not confuting them with words but delivering them that believe aright to hatred wars and swords having now brought destruction not to one City or Countrey alone but to many Again The Councel of Sardis Ep. ad Alexand expresly affirms that they disswaded the Emperour from interposing his secular power Praecipit sancta Synodus Nemini deinceps vim inferâ—e Cui enim vult Deuâ— miseretur quem vult indu rat to compel them that dissented And the Councel at Toledo by one of their Canons condemned the ugly trade of persecution The holy Synod commandeth that none hereafter shall by force be compelled to the faith for God hath mercy on whom he will have mercy and whom he will he hardneth These instances among many more producible I have named whereby 't is evident that persecution was long since condemned as wicked both by Fathers and Councels Ye shall ever finde it the black mark of the Beast and false Prophet to persecute the Image of Jesus 2. As it is a wicked so it is a fruitlesse Practice The silly persecutor doth but beat the air plow the sand and kick against the pricks his work is senslesse and fruitlesse though he may bring others to the fire he doth but labour in the fire as the Prophet speaks his work will be burnt up and come to nothing as with the Children of Israel in the Land of Aegypt the more they were afflicted the more Exod. 1. 12. they multiplied So the more the Saints are persecuted the more they are augmented this is a strange yet a true Paradox the more they are depressed and oppressed the more Depressa resuâ—go they grow like Camomile the more they rise up like the Palm-tree 't is apparent by all stories in all Ages that the more precious blood hath been spilt the more precious seed Sanguis Maâ—tyrum semen Ecclesiae multiplying into an innumerable off-spring hath been sown All along the Blood of the Martyrs hath been the seed of the Church This not only the Pagan Emperours of old notwithstanding all the havock they made of the Lambs of Christ but also the mightiest Christian Emperour that ever sweyed the Western Scepter had experience of Charles the fifth son of Pepin King of France Emperour of Germany after all his Warrs Slaughters stirs and Bâ—zzles in the world to extirpate the Protestant faith at last was weary and left the matter much as he found it and betook himself to a private life And when in his retirement he came to dye he depâ—â—ted in the same faith as the renowned Historian Thaanus relates which in his life-time he had persecuted Casting himself with Se quidem indignum esse qui propâ—â—is meritis regnum coelorum obtineret sed dominum Deum suum qui illad duplici jure obtinuit Patris haereditate passionia merito altero contentum esse alterum sibi donare ex cujus dono illud sibi merito vindicet hâ—â—què â—â—duciá fretus minimè confundatur c. â—huan Hist lib. 21. his whole soul upon God he thus reasoned That for his part he was on the account of any merits of his own unworthy to obtain the Kingdome of Heaven but his Lord and God who had a double right unto it one by inheritance of his Father the other by the merit of his own Passion Contented himself with the one Granted the other unto him by whose Grant he rightly laid claim thereunto and resting in this faith or Confidence he was not confounded c. Another instance is out of Sulpitius Severus * Non expressa est haeâ—esis sed confiâ—mata latius propagata in the end of his second Book Ithacius with some other Bishops his Associates procured Maximus the Tyrant to put Priscillianâ—s a Grostick with some others to death and to banish some of their followers what follows †Inter nostâ—oâ— perpetuum discordiarum bellum exaâ—siâ— qâ—od jam per quindecim annos foedis dissentionibus agitatum nullo modo sopiri poterat Sulp. Severus thereon Hoc modo saith the Historian homines luce indignissimi pessimo exemplo necati aut exiliis mulctati On this manner were those most unworthy wretches either slain or punished by banishment by a very bad precedent and what was the success of this Fury He tels us the Heresie was so far from being expressed by it that it was the more confirmed and propogated And what ensued hereupon in the Church it self the Author tels us in the end of his Ecclesiastical story Amongst ours a lasting war of discord was kindled which after now it hath been carried on for fifteen yeares with shameful Contentions could by no means be allayed Those that have read the Germane French and Brittish Annals will set to their seals that this is true that persecution hath ever been a vain unprofitable Work a beggatly poor Trade none have thriven by it that have followed it yea a most destructive Trade How have Countreys and Kingdomes been inveloped in blood and war in confusion and distraction where this phrensie hath reigned and raged 3. Persecution of the Saints of God for Conscience-sake is not only a most wicked and fruitlesse but also a most dreadful practise and that for two Reasons to name no more 1. Christ espouses his Saints injuries he takes them as done unto himself Saul Saul why persecutest thou me said Christ to Saul As a Christian shares with Christ in all his dishonours Acts 9. 4. Psal 69. 9. He that toucheth you toucheth the Apple of mine eye Zech. 2. 8. The reproaches of them that reproach thee are faln upon me so Christ partakes with Christians in all their persecutions he accounts himself concern'd in all their injuries Now is it not dreadfull to be an enemy to Jesus Christ Is it not dreadfull to be found a fighter against God Is it not dreadful to war against Heaven to pull down Almighty and eternal Vengeance on a mans head 2. As the Persecutors ordain their Arrows against the Saints their cruel Laws Edicts Fines Pains Penalties as they have done in one part of the world or other in all Ages so God hath by way of requital ordained his Arrows against the persecutors if they turn not God hath prepared for them the instruments of Death the Scripture speaks expresly he ordaineth his Arrows against the Persecutors Psalm 7. 13. And those Arrows viz. divine judgments shall be sharp in the hearts of Christs Enemies 'T is confessed an ignorant persecutor may be pardoned upon great Videtur innuere Paulus nullum esse veniae locum nisi ubi suppetâ—t ignorantiae excusatio Calvin his verbis neque Paulus