Numb 16.37 38 39. Upon the offence of any of the vestals at Rome they had a most excellent way of execution In the Campus sceleratus or field of execution Plutarch in Numa there was made a vault under the earth with an hole left open above whereby one might go down and within it there was a little couch with a burning lampe and a few victuals whether the defiled votary was to be brought through the market-place in a litter so closed up with thick leather that her mournings might not be heard to the moving of pity She being thus brought to the place of execution was let down by a ladder into the hollow cave and the hole presently stopped And the reason why they suffered such a kind of death was because they thought it not fit that she should be burnt with fire which kept not the sacred fire with greater sanctity And it was thought unlawful to punish them by laying violent hands on them because they had in former times served in so holy a function Holiness hath honour Things are called holy Sacrum aliquid dicitur ex co quod ad diviâ—uvs cultum ordinatur Aquin. either by nature as God who is truly alway and only of himself holy Or by seperation or being set apart to an holy use or end Which Origen calleth Sancta Sanctificata by accession of external holinesse from without So Jerusalem is called the holy City because the City of God where he was worshipped And when we stand in our Churches saith Chrysostom we stand in a place of Angels and Archangels in the Kingdom of God and heaven it self which they that prophane think either by talking sleeping laughing playing or any thing else unbeseeming the service of God may justly fear to be whipt like dogs out of the heavenly Temple and City too For mine house shall be called an house of prayer for all people Isa 55.7 Yet let us not dote upon the Temple of the Lord but reverently adore the Lord of the Temple putting off our shoes from off our feet when we come to stand upon holy ground that is our sensuality and other sins for Quid pedes saith Erasmus nisi affectus quid pedes calceamentâ—rum onere liberi nisi animus nullis terrenis cupiditatibus oneratus Affections are the feet of the soul keep them unclogged Herods Temple at Jerusalem was set on fire by Titus his souldiers that it could not be quenched And at the same time Apollo's temple at Delphos was utterly overthrown by earth-quakes and thunder-bolts Antiq. and neither of them could ever since be repaired The concurrance of which two miracles saith Godwin evidently sheweth that the time was then come that God would put an end both to Jewish ceremonies and Heathenish Idolatry Beleeve me the hour cometh Ioh. 4.21 23. when ye shall neither in this mountain nor yet at Jerusalem worship the Father But the hour cometh and now is when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth for the Father seeketh such to worship him Sacriledge Aquinâ—s notes it may be committed Here lego doth signifie as much as adimo or aufero in which sensewe cal him sacrilegum qui legit i. e. qui adimit et aâ—â—ert sacra vel 1. In personam when an Ecclesiastical man is abused 2. In locum when the Church is abused or profaned 3. In rem when things dedicated to holy uses are otherwise imployed And this last kind may be committed three ways Quando 1. Sacrum de sacro aufertur as the consecrated Vessels out of the Temple 2. Non sacrum de sacro if a thief shall break open a Church to steal away private treasure hid therein 3. Sacrum de non sacro when the Church is robbed of her possessions and endowments If many would examine themselves according to this rule they would assuredly conclude they deserve the whip turning claustra into castra This Luther complained much of in his time Luth. in Gen. 47. Homil. in Jocl 3.5 Oâ—im Coenobi is â—aâ—itaâ—ant monstra Papistâ— Nuncin Coenâ—blis habitant et monstra Rapistâ— That even in the Reformed Churches Parishes and Schools were robbed of their due maintenance as if they meant to starve us all Spoliantur Parochiae Scholae non aliter acsi fame necare nos velint The like saith Gualther Non desunt Pseudo-evangelici There want not such False-Gospellers amongst us who restore not the Church her wealth pulled out of the Papists â—ingers But make good that saying of one Pâ—ssidâ—bant Papistae possident Rapistâ— Papists had Church-livings and now Rapists have gotten them A Priest in Jerusalem the City being besieged took all the Goblets and Vessels of silver not so much as sparing the little golden Pitchers which Augustus and his wife sent to the Temple and did distribute amongst the people and said Without â—eâ—r we may use these divine things seeing we fight for God and his Temple therefore he said it was safe for them to drink those things that were kept for the Priests sacrifices He also took the wine and oil and they anointed themselves without fear Non equidem recusabo dicere quae dolor jubet Ioseph de â—eâ— Iud. l. 6. c. 16 Puto si Romani contra noxios venire tardassent aâ—t â—iatu terrae devorandam fuisse civitatem aut diluvio perituram aut fulmina ac Sodomae incendia passuram Sexcenta millia mortuorum portis ejecta quorum sepulturae erant ex oppido ejectio Sacriledge is a very dangerous sin Cacus met with his match when he robb'd Hercules Mercury say the Poets had a mind to steal Jupiter's thunderbolts but durst not meddle lest he should speed as Prometheus had done for stealing fire The Eagle in the fable that stole a peece of flesh from the Altar and carried it together with a live-coal that stuck to it to his nest set his young and all on fire Dionysius that robb'd his God was cast out of his Kingdom though he was wont to boast that he had it bound to him with chains of Adamant And Belshazzar paid dear for drinking in the bowls of the Sanctuary In a word Such do but as the fish that swallows the hook it proving as unfortunate and fatal to them as the Gold of the Temple of Tholose did to Scipio's souldiers of which whoever carried any part away never prospered afterwards I might be large in giving instances this way Only consider what a sad end befell Cardinal Wolsey whilst he sought more to please the King than God as himself said And what a revenging hand of God pursued five of his Servants that were instrumental for him in a sacrilegious enterprise Whereupon Scultetus wisheth Annal. 3 32. Vtinam his similibus exemplis edocti discant homines res semel Deo consecratas timidè attrectare I would men would take heed by these and the like examples how they meddle with things once consecrated to God!
all can though full of shifts tell handsomely how to elude this Argument Here their unbloody sacrifice hath a deadly wound There can be no oblation of Christ without the suffering of Christ Dr. Thomas Taylor in his Caveat against offences affirms No Protestant ought to be present with his body at Popish Mass with pretence of keeping his heart to God nor can without scandal 1. For the Pretence 2. For the Presence it self For the Pretence No man can give his heart to God at that time he gives his body to an Idol For 1. Body and soul make but one man and one man can have but one faith one Lord and Master one God one Worship 2. God requires not the whole heart onely but the whole man and strength and he that created both body and soul requires them both to be glorified in 1 Cor. 6.20 3. She is no chast wife that gives any other man the use of her body with Protestation she keeps her heart to her husband 4. God will have no such heart reserved for him he will have no part of a divided man He is a Spirit and will be worshipped in spirit and truth not in spirit and falshood For the Presence A number of scandals are infolded 1. Here is a denial of Christ and of the faith which were it in the heart it would be confessed in the mouth Here 's a dastardly joyning with the enemy against Christ For he that is not with him is against him And what union between Christ and an Idol 2. A scandal in his own conscience allowing himself in that which he condemneth Rom. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 14.22 His bodie allowes what his heart condemnes He is a man damned in himself His body and soul are at fight one with another and both at fight with faith and truth 3. A scandal to others an occasion by such wicked example to draw others into the snare and so far as he can to destroy such as for whom Christ hath died Rom. 14.15 Let none object Naaman the Syrian craving leave to bow in the temple of Rimmon and the Prophet bade him go in peace 2 King 5. For among many answers The text shews 1. That Naaman confessed it a sin And how then can any hence prove it to be none 2. That he prayed twice against it And what thou prayest thou must do 3. He professeth he will never worship any now but the true God 4. He craves the Prophets prayers that he may never be drawn contrary to his purpose To which part the Prophet saith Go in peace not giving him leave to bow before Rimmon but promising his prayers he bids him farewel 5. Naaman might have pleaded a calling yet that would not serve nor satisfie his conscience How much less theirs that plead only for new-fangledness and a rash running out of their way so sinning without a cause Nor let any say Those were Heathen Idols the Mass is not so bad it hath some good things in it concerning God and Christ For the Mass is as gross Idolatry as ever the Heathens committed who never worshipped a baser thing than a piece of Bread And let them tell us a difference between bodily fornication of Heathens and Christians and we will conceive the same in the spiritual whoredom of Pagans and Papists But let him that hath an ear hear what the Spirit saith unto the Churches Come out from amongst them and touch no unclean thing I wish Travellers in forein Nations would observe this Experience shews how alluring the Antichristian Harlot is how many are daily won to her Idolatry Many that have frequented their Masses conceiving it no great harm to be present there if they can pretend to keep their heart to God proving Neutrals Samaritans and Cakes half-baked have had their hearts given up to horrible delusion infection and final destruction Have not they now kept their hearts well to God think we We are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ Heb. 10.10 once for all Acceptance Sincerity cannot fail of Divine acceptance where endeavours are vigorous The poor Widows mite was above the rich mens magnificence Willingness of mind contributes much to the worthiness of the work Hiparchian was graced as well as Musaeus though the best of his measures was but piping to the Muses God as the Philosopher said in his Apology accepts of our few ears Senâ—e Epist 29. ad Lucillum being scattered with a good mind into his Garner since we are not able to bring handfuls into his barn Sic minimo capitur thuris honore Deus For if there be first a willing mind it is accepted according to that a man hath 2 Cor. 8.12 and not according to that he hath not Tabernacle By it was signified the Body of Christ As the High-Priest came into the first Tabernacle and by it passed into the Holy place so the Deity of our Saviour Christ came into his sacred Humanity and by it entred into heaven It was a Type not only of Christ who dwelt among us full of graces and truth Joh. 1.14 but of the Church built by Christ 1 Cor. 3.9 and also of every true Christian Eph. 2.10 The Curtains were coupled with Loops so should Christians by Love Exod. 26. The Taches made them one Tabernacle so should we hold the Unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace It was Goats hair without and Gold within God hid his Son under the Carpenters son and the Kings daughter is all glorious within Rams-skins covered the Ark from the violence of wind and weather shadowing out Gods protection to his his people The Vail was made with Cherubims to note the special presence and attendance of the holy Angels in the Assemblies of the Saints And the Hanging for the door of the Tent shadowed him that said of himself I am the door It is observable that the Holy place in this Tabernacle hath an Epithite to abase it withall Heb. 9.1 The Apostle calls it a Worldly Sanctuary 1. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Because it was made after the manner of the world For as God stretched the Firmament as a vail and curtain to separate the things above from them beneath so the Sanctuary had a vail that made a separation between the first and second Tabernacle 2. Because it was made of worldly matter as of hair silk c. 3. Because it was not eternal as our Sanctuary of Heaven is there our High-Priest appeareth for us before God But a frail brittle and mortal Sanctuary as the world is Which was a figure for the time then present Heb. 9.9 c. Noah's Ark. By the description set down Gen. 6. the Ark in shape was like to a Coffin for a mans body six times so long as it was broad and ten times so long as it was high And so fit to figure out Christs death and burial and ours with him by mortification of the old man
in their affliction and to keep himself unspotted from the world Divine Worship The Serpents Grammar first taught Deum pluraliter declinare 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Eritis siâ—ut Dii Ye shall be as Gods And here is the first broaching of plurality of Gods which since this time hath multiplied to an innumerable rabble of false gods Of Divine powers adored by the heathens Hesiod reckons up thirty thousand that were in his time What an Army may we think there were of them in after ages It is said that in China are no fewer than an hundred thousand Idols See Mr. Fullers Pantheon But all religious service done to any but God is manifestly condemned as impious Be the gods of the Heathens good fellows the true God is a jealous God and will not share his glory with another Read 1 Cor. 8.5 6. Worship is either 1. Civil Or 2. Divine The former may be given to men and it is twofold 1. A civil worship of duty from inferiours to their Superiors as from children to their Parents from servants to their Masters from subjects to their Magistrates 2. A civil worship of curtesie which is from equals when one equal will bow to another or when a Superior bows down to his inferiour But the latter is Gods peculiar For nothing but God or that which we make a God is or can be worshipped Either he is a God whom we worship or as much as in us lies we make him one Whatever creature shares in this honour this honour ipso facto sets it up above and makes it more than a creature The very Heathens thought every thing below a God below worship Indeed Papists have worship for creatures and they have distinction for it but no Scripture for it They tell us of their Latria worship onely proper to God and Dulia which is for Saints and Huperdulia which is for the Virgin Mary and for the signe of the Crosse Thus they make vain distinctions which God and the Scripture make not They that invent a worship must invent a doctrine to maintain it by And indeed vain distinctions are good enough to maintain vain superstitions This divine worship of God is twofold 1. Internal and 2. External The former is to love God fear God and trust upon him These are acts of inward worship The latter is nothing else but the serving of the Lord according to his own institution Dâ—o serviendum ell non ex arbitrio sed ex imperio Tert. in those several wayes wherein God will be honoured and served by humble adoration supplication c. God requireth both and there is a necessity of joyning both together but internal worship is the chief External worship honours God most but internal worship pleases God most The external worship may be compleat in it self but is never pleasing to God without the internal Internal is compleat in it self and pleasing unto God without the external But in both we must be zealous The Lacedemonians though sore assailed by the Peâ—sians would not resist till their sacrifices to their gods were fully ended God is a Spirit John 4.24 and they that worship him must worship him in Spirit and in truth To these we oppose the profane person he hath no gods at all in matters of Religion his heart is a piece of dead flesh without feeling of love of fear of care or of paines from the deep strokes of a revenging conscience custom of sin hath wrought his senselesness which hath been so long entertained that it pleads habitation we are born sinful but have made our selves profane at the first he sinned and cares not now he sins and knows not appetite is his Lord and reason his servant when ought succeedeth to him he sacrificeth to his nets and thank either his fortune or his wit and will rather make a false god than acknowledge the true His conscience would fain speak with him but he will not hear it and when it cries aloud in his ear for audience he drowns it with good fellowship He never names God but in his oaths never thinks of him but in extremity The inevitable necessity of Gods decree makes him desperately carelesse so with good food he poysons himself his usuallest Theme is the boast of his young sins which he can still joy in though he cannot commit He cannot think of death without terrour which he fears worse than Hell because this he is sure of the other he but doubts of He comes to the Church as to the Theatre but not so willingly for company custome recreation perhaps for sleep He is hated of God as much as he hateth goodnesse and differs little from a Devil but that he hath a body The Law is made for the unholy and profane 1 Tim. 1.9 Look diligently lest there be any profane person as Esau Heb. 12.16 Servant of men There is a service due from man to man but comparatively to our service of God we must not be the servants of men We ought to serve men heartily but we must serve none but God with all our hearts He is a servant of men in the Apostles sense 1 Cor. 7.23 that subjects himself to their lusts either for hope or fear labouring to please men though it be with sinning against and provoking God That Rule holds good in Rhetorick but not in Divinity Cicero Non ad veritatem solùm sed etiam ad opinionem corum qui andiunt accommodanda est oratio This was a Principle held very fast by the Heathens Magis ob temperandum est Diis apud quos diutius manendum erit quà m hominibus Witnesse Antigoua in Sophacles quibuscum admodum brevi tempore vivendum est Better obey God with whom we must ever live than men with whom we have but a while to continue Men-pleasers that curry favour with all they lose a friend of God neither do they long hold in with those whom for present they do so much please Whether it be right in the sight of God Acts 4.19 to hearken unto men more than unto God judge ye Servant of sin Every man till regenerate is a servant to sin and overcome by it Quot vitis tot domiâ—i till the grace of regeneration do renue him and set him at liberty All unregenerate men have put their neck into sins yoke and are unwilling to have it taken off again Sin may have a twofold prevalency or dominion over a man 1. Either with a full and plenary consent 2. Or else unwillingly with reluctancy and contradiction As Josephus saith of Herod that he raigned over the Jews for many year by meer force they opposing and resisting of him but afterwards they willingly consented to him By this distinction Divines use to resolve that case of conscience whether a godly man may be said to be under a reigning sinne for as we understand the word reigning as aforesaid so it is true or false c.
like the saint pulse at the hour of death yet if they thereby by the Spirit make requests unto God it shall be heard of him and albeit those things which they sigh after be not alwayes manifestly and the Spirit moving thereunto distinctly seen of them yet God who is infinite in knowledge doth perceive their desires or rather the desires of the Spirit in them This mental crying is not common to all but proper to the children of the regeneration 1 Cor. 12.3 without which none can hardly call God Father as none can say that Jesus is the Lord but by the holy Ghost The next kind of crying is that which is only vocal consisting only of words Thus Hypocrites cry and pray for fashion not for conscience sake Vox praeteria nihil all voice no hearts they can cry loud enough in a Pharisaical pride Lord Lord and none shall stop their mouths but such heartlesse Christians shall not enter into the Kingdom of heaven These are they that draw near unto the Lord with their mouth and with their lips do honour him but have removed their heart far from him as he complains Isa 29.13 This is saith one Precationis inane simulachrum and in truth that prayer or cry which is only a lip-labour not proceeding from the heart is but as sounding brasse or a tinkling Cymbal it is like the Play called the Motions wherein though there is motion yet no life and although there be never so glorious and pompous observation of outward ceremonies and in that complemental manner only come before God and offer up their prayers unto him yet shall they have the repulse for their vain ostentation Thus Isaiah the first the Lord speaking of the hypocritial Jews that were curious in the external worship and service of God and would seem to pretermit nothing therefore professeth unto them because their services were not performed with the heart that when they made many prayers he would not hear them And the same Prophet Cap. 64.7 in effect calls such prayers no prayers when as be saith There is none that calleth upon the name of God he that cryes not to God with his whole heart cryes not at all to God for he that worships God must worship him in Spirit and in Truth not in bare formalities This kind of crying is but a vain beating of the aire is anothing available whereof the Spirit is no author and unless the Spirit cry in the heart there can be no true but a false crying Abba Father There remains yet a third kind of crying or praying viz. both mental and vocal wherein both the heart and the voice are directed to God the mind and the mouth both consonant both jump together here out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh And this is that pure language which the Lord speaking by the Prophet Zephany said that he would turn to the people that they might all call upon the name of the Lord. The Prophet Hosea advertiseth the Israelites Cap. 3.7 Cap. 14.2 Nec lecta neé neglecta Psal 77.1 to take to them words and to turn to the Lord that is such words as may make a true report unto God of their hearty conversion to him and lively saith in him Thus saith David I cryed unto God with my voice even unto God with my voice and he gave ear unto me Such a cry as is this is no false alarum but a true testimony of a sanctified soul of our confidence in him and is ever powerful with God The prayer of the faithful availeth much saith St. James for it is framed and composed by the admirable Art of the Spirit of God in their hearts ere it be uttered with the tongue The voice then reflecting on the heart the heart is made more zealous and then what is said of fame may be said of it Vires acquirit eundo it gathers strength in the uttering Let your voice therefore in prayer be conformed and correspond to the affections and wishes of your hearts that they may run together and let the affections and wishes of your hearts be guided by the Holy Ghost which if ye do it is without all contradiction a most certain Argument that God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts crying Abba Father From the act of crying I passe to the object Abba Father The Spirit saith the Apostle beareth witnesse with our spirits Rom. 8. that we are the sont of God This testification of the Spirit in our hearts who is an infallible informer of the things that are given us of God makes to cry Abba Father For we can never call God Father except we be first informed and perswaded by the Spirit that we are the sons of God The Hebrew or Syriack word Abba and the Greek word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 being in the Original here together gave occasion to some to observe that hereby is intimated the calling and union of Hebrews and Greeks of Jewes and Gentiles into one Church whereof Christ is the head But though this be true yet this Text is no sufficient warrant for this observation and therefore not to be insisted upon The gemination here Abba Father which is Father Father noteth the earnest affection and vehement zeal of Gods children in crying and praying unto the Father of Spirits their prayers are pressing and urgent cries and never satisfied until heard which ardency of theirs is grounded 1. Upon the sence of their wants necessity constrains them to use all earnestnesse in their own behalf they must knock hard they must seek hard they must cry hard Father Father ere they shall be heard or their suits obtained 2. Upon the knowledge of their own insufficiency and disability of furnishing themselves with corporal necessaries pertaining to the body or spiritual blessings and habiliments pertaining to the soul They know that the blessings of this life and the life to come must come from their Father which is in heaven 3. Upon Gods willingnesse and readinesse to do them all the good he can He is faithful in promising and as faithful in performing The word Abbah signifieth to be willing from whence God hath this Appellation a father is willing to protect his child from all dangers and to relieve him upon all occasions and although just cause of anger be offered him yet nature in time will work it out Even such is the tender affection of our heavenly Father known to his beloved sons that they are hereby the more emboldened to prosecute what they would have brought to passe They have his heart to be set upon them his eares alwayes to be open unto them his eyes continually watching over them his best wishes ever with them and all his blessings reserved for them These are encouragements for them to approach unto him who is more forward to give unto themall things than they themselves to demand any thing Hence it comes to passe that coming unto
This fire of the Spirit must be fetcht from heaven Lumen de lumine from the Father of lights who giveth his Spirit to them that ask it By water because of its clensing cooling 2. Ezek. 36.25 Joh. 3.5 refreshing and fructifying vertue and quality Indeed many are washed with the water of baptism that are not washed with this water Simon Magus of whom it is said Fonte quidem lotus sed non in pectore mundus Let us ever say with the woman of Samaria But with more sensibleness than she did Lord ever give us of this water then shall we be clean and fit for the holy Jerusalem He is said to proceed from the Father and the Son Joh. 15.26 to shew the Essence and Nature that he is of for as the spirit of man must needs be truly of mans nature and is the most formal and essential part of man So and much more it must be thought of the Spirit of God upon whom no composition falleth And this in effect is the Apostles Argument What man knoweth the things of a man 2 Cor. 2.11 save the spirit of man which is in him Even so the things of God knoweth no man but the Spirit of God That is none knoweth the things of God but the Spirit of God who is in him and of his own Essence and Nature That was a sweet promise I will pour out my Spirit upon all flesh Joel 2.28 The best thing upon the basest What can God do more for his people This is to give them all good things in one so many are the benefits we receive by the Spirit Eph. 5.9 Delicata res est Spiritus Dei therefore we must observe and obey his motions We should lay our selves as instruments open to the Spirits touch submitting to his discipline as Paul did who said I live yet not I but Christ liveth in me Gal. 2.20 and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God who loved me and gave himself for me Which requires a great deal of self-denial Serpents they say can do no hurt in water no more can that old Serpent where the holy Spirit dwells This is the Instructer which teacheth us the Spirit of life which quickens us the Advocate which speaks in us the Comforter which relieves us and the everlasting Fountain and Spirit of truth from whom all truth and celestial riches do flow unto us Your Father which is in heaven Mat. 7.11 Luke 11.13 Eph. 4 â—â— will give good things to them that ask him Your heavenly Father will give the Holy Spirit to them that ask him Grieve not the Holy Spirit of God whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption De Sacrâ Scripturâ I Will not stand to search how ancient Writing is Exod. 24. wherein some have lost time and labour I know that many do make God the first immediate Author of it and do affirm that the first Scripture that ever was was Gods writing of the Law in two Tables But because we find that Moses wrote all the Word of the Lord and Josephus doth report a tradition of the Hebrews for writing and graving before the flood I hold it probable that both Scripture and Sculpture are as ancient as the Old World However we see the care that God hath taken for the publishing of his Will to the Church which he hath done both sufficiently that we need no more knowledge for eternal life than what is contained in Scripture and so clearly that the Word giveth understanding to the simple Scripture is twofold 1. Inward called Scriptura Cordis 2. Outward called Scriptura Testimonij The inward Scripture of the heart is that which the Spirit of God immediately writeth in the fleshly tables of the hearts of all the Sons of God and by this all that are to be saved are taught of God Jer. 31.33 Hebr. 8.10 2 Cor. 3.3 The outward Scripture of the Testimony is that which was inspired by the Holy Ghost and committed to writing by the Prophets Apostles and Evangelists to preserve and transmit sound and saving doctrine by their pens to all Posterity Of this latter Moses was the first writer in the world as may be proved by the Evangelist Luke 24.27 Hence we conclude that our Religion grounded in these writings is the old Religion even as old as the day of mans creation and fall whereas all other Religions are but of yesterday nay the gods themselves worshipped by Heathens and Turks were long after the time of Abraham There is no Question more worthy satisfaction in Divinity Appâ—llatur ab Arminio Instrumentum Religio tis than that which enquireth into the Authority of Scripture 1. For all Religion depends upon it and wavering in this principle openeth a wide door to beastly Epicurism Devilish Atheism and all contempt of Religion and Justice 2. If the heart be not perswaded that the Scriptures be of God it will easily reject hearing reading practise and all the means of salvation 3. The doubting of this cutteth off all faith Rom. 14.23 and the comfort and strength of faith for a man must first believe Gods Word to be true Titubabit sides si Scripturarum vacillat authoritas Aug. before he can believe it to be true to him and what comfort in temptation without the Sword of the Spirit or what peace in terrour of Conscience without the Word which is the Well of salvation 4. The doubting of this cuts off all self-denial mortification and sound repentance for who will abandon his carnal delights and pleasures and undertake the strict course of godliness that doth doubt whether the Scriptures be the Word of God or not But it is clear that the Scriptures are the Word of God 1. The Lord professeth them to be his own words Isa 55.11 Mic. 2.7.2 The Prophets begin with the Word of the Lord and the Apostles 1 Cor. 11.23.3 The matter of the Scriptures they treat of the great works of the eternal God as Creation Providence justice and mercy both temporal and eternal c. Speaking of great mysteries above the reach of humane wisdom yea of things contrary to natural wisdom Searching the heart and discovering the thoughts Hebr. 4.12 And containing most ample and large promises of a blessed and eternal happiness by faith in the Messiah Amongst us Stephen Langton Arch-bishop of Canterbury first divided the Bible into Chapters in such sort as we now account them Robert Stephens into Verses Goodw. Catal. pag. 109. But not much commended by Scultetus who saith Imperitissimè plerunque dissecans which Covenant none could make or can make good but only God himself blessed for ever 4. Concerning the Instruments and pen-men of Scripture Their extraordinary calling infallible assistance 1 Pet. 1.11 unblameable conversation 2 Pet. 2.21 sincerity and uprightness in writing sparing neither others nor themselves their stile together with their joint-consent
and harmony shews they were guided by one and the same Spirit of God 5. The divine properties of the Scriptures viz. Antiquity admirable perfection Psal 19.2 Tim. 3.17 Certainty of the truth the strong and perpetual opposition of the Devil and the wicked world against them above all writings Jerem. 36.23 And Gods powerful and watchful preservation of them notwithstanding 2 Chron. 34.15 Jerem. 36.28 and in history at large in all which divine properties the Scriptures carry express foot-steps of God himself above all the writings in the world 6. The powerful effects of the Scriptures for by them men are led unto God Joh. 1.8 they do directly work upon the spirits and souls of men in all their faculties Act. 26.18 Heb. 4.12 2 Cor. 10.4 They carry a mighty power to convert and save Ps 19. Rom. 1.16 2 Tim. 1.10 And where it converteth not it is powerful to convince harden confound and secretly to slay not in it self but by accident 2 Cor. 2.15 16 c. Now whatsoever carrieth with it such a divine power and efficacy must needs be from God 7. The Scriptures have many strong Testimonies 1. The whole Church of God hath ever witnessed to them 2. Innumerable Martyrs have sealed the truth with their blood Rev. 12.11.3 Heathens and Gentiles have borrowed a number of Stories out of the Scriptures which argueth that they were in their consciences convinced of the truth and authority of them 4. The sensible experience of believers who have found the divine effects of the Word in themselves John 9.25 5. The testimony of Gods blessed Spirit without which all other perswasions are flat and fruitless confirming the truth which himself hath inspired in every believing heart Add unto all how every part of Scripture seâ—teth up and magnifieth the true God it is all from him and therefore it is all for him This serves therefore to the eviction of the Jew that asks for signs In sacrâ Scripturâ non solum bonitas est quod praecipitur faelicâ— tas quod promittitur sed etiam veritas est quod dicitur Hugo vanquishing of Dives that would send the dead condemning of Antichrist that requires miracles and quelling of the Anabaptist that expects revelations Dixit Julianus Apostata vidi legi contempsi cui Basilius vidisti legisti non intellexisti si intellexisses non contempsisses Authoritas oertitudo Scripturae consistit 1. In narrationis solius veracitatâ— ejusque enuntiatione de rebus praeteritis praesentibus futuris 2. In potestate mandatorum prohibitionum Hinc pendet a Deo Authore praecipuo tum quia verax citra falsitatis suspicionem quia potestatem habet irrefragabilem All the Scriptures teach nothing else saith Augustine but that we must love our Neighbour for God and God for himself Nihil praecipit nisi charitatem Aug. nec culpat nisi cupiditatem It forbids nothing but lust it enjoyns nothing but love for without love there is no faith and without faith all our righteousness is sin Scriptura nos obligat 1. Ad credendum 2. Ad obediendum Haec obligatio nullâ externâ authoritate auferri potest The Scriptures are verba vivenda purposely composed to promote piety in the world All Scripture is given by inspiration of God and is profitable for doctrine for reproof 2 Tim 3.16 Rom. 15.9 Mat. 22.29 Joh. 5.39 Act. 18.24 for correction for instruction in righteousness For whatsoever things were Written aforetime Were Written for our learning that we through patience and comfort of the Scriptures might have hope Ye do erre not knowing the Scriptures Search the Scriptures for in them ye think ye have eternal life and they are they which testifie of me Mighty in the Scriptures Of the old and new Testament Some Atheistical spirits would make the holy Bible a Bable but let such take heed it prove not to them a Babel their confusion Major fuit cura Caesari libellorum quà m Purpurae Julius Caesar being forced to swim for his life held his Commentaries in one hand above water and swam to land with the other How infinitely more are we to value this Book of books being the souls Promptuary The whole Bible is distributed into the old and new Testament In the old Testament we have the Gospel vailed under promises prophecies and Types But in the Books of the new Testament we have the Gospel revealed the Lord delineating to us the New Covenant of Grace in Christ unveiled and actually exhibited and performed Christ being the body and substance of all those ancient types and shadows Gods Covenant with man in Christ is represented to us in holy Scripture principally two ways As Promised fore-prophecied and typified in Christ to be manifested afterwards in the flesh Hence called the Covenant of promise Eph. 2.12 and covenants because of the several publications of the Covenant with more and more Augmentations in several points or Periods of time Thus the Covenant is made known in all the books of Scripture before Christs coming called the old Testament or Covenant Heb. 8.13.2 Cor. 3.14 As performed fulfilled and actually accomplished in Christ already come and manifested in our flesh in fulness of time And thus the Covenant is most clearly and fully unveiled to us in all the Books of Scripture written since Christs coming which are therefore stiled the new Covenant or the new Testament Heb. 8.8 Mat. 26.28 Heb. 9.15 The new Testament is better than the old not in regard of the substance the substance of both is one which is Christ Jesus but in respect of divers circumstances For 1. The Old Testament did but shadow out things to come the New Testament makes a gift and exhibition of them Col. 2.17 So that as the body is better than the shadow so is the New Testament than the Old 2. That was dark and obscure this plain and perspicuous 3. This hath sewer more lively and easie Sacraments 4. That was temporal and therefore not ratified with an Oath this is eternal and lasteth for ever for the which cause it was confirmed with an Oath 5. The Mediatour or Surety of that was Moses the Surety of this is Christ In comparison then with the state of the Old Testament how much more obliged are we to God who live in the times of the New in respect of the clear Revelation of Grace and Life untous The Prophets of the Old Testament they were as a sound John Baptist Christs immediate fore-runner was a voyce he is called so but it is Christ and he only who is the Word distinctly and fully signifying to us the Will of God concerning our salvation God spake with Moses at the door of the Tabernacle but now he leadeth his Spouse into the Presence-Chamber The Old Testament-Christians saw through a veil but now the Curtain is drawn with them it was the dawning of the day with us it is full Noon Oh that we would praise the Lord for his inestimable
Deut. 8.10 The fed hawk soon forgets her Master Therefore when thou shalt have eaten and be full then beware lest thou forget the Lord. Let us be careful we forget not Gods word neither let slip any one sermon without some profit There are several helps to memory Attention Men remember what they heed and regard Attend to my sayings saith wisdom keep them in the midst of thine heart that is in such a place where nothing can come to take them away Where there is attention there will be retention the memory is the chest and Ark of divine truths and a man should see them carefully locked up Affection That 's a great help to memory men remember what they care for Delight and love are ever reviving and renewing the object upon our thoughts Application and appropriation of truths We will remember that which concerneth our selves Hear this and know it for thy good This I must remember for my comfort Meditation This is a covering of the word that the fowles of the air do not snatch it from us As an apple which is tossed in the hand leaveth the odour and smell of it behind so often revolving the word upon the thoughts Mary kept Christs sayings and pondered them in her heart Conference with others The Disciples that travelled to Emmaus conferred together The Bereans that came from St. Paul his sermon took their Bibles and conferred together Many eyes see more than one that which one hath forgotten another may remember Repetition will be as a nail to fasten the things we have heard Prayer Our corporal meat will do us no good except God bless it no more can the food of our souls And beg the Spirit of God whose work it is to bring things to our remembrance And observe the accomplishment of truths such occasions observed will make old truths come to mind afresh Practise Christians can remember the circumstances of that sermon In sucoum sangâ—inem by which they get profit This is the digesting of our spiritual meat and the converting of it into our substance It is never our own truly and indeed till it be practised Therefore we ought to give the more earnest heed to the things which we have heard Heb. 2.1 Nè praeteâ—flâ—amus lest at any time we should let them slip Abstinence Nature is contented with a little Natura pauâ—is contenta For who perceiveth not that at all things are seasoned by the desires Darius in his flight when he drunk of the water that was dirty and polluted with dead Carkasses affirmed he never drank sweeter or more pleasant The reason is because he never abstained from drink untill he was thirsty Cicer. Quest. Tusâ— It is necessary that every one be so far forth continent as may destroy the vices not the flesh for oftentimes in the pursuit of the enemy Greg. therein we kill the Citizen whom we love And oftentime while we do as it were spare our fellow-Citizen we further the enemy in the skirmish Abstaine from all appearance of evil 1 Thes 5.22 Testimony Testimonium est fallibile in fide humanâ in fide divinâ infallibile The witnesse of the Holy Ghost is the work of faith the witnesse of our spirits the sense of faith wrought This is better felt by experience than expressed by words known altogether and onely to them that have it The state of Gods children is full of sweet certainty and assurance he that having a cause to be tried and hath two sufficient witnesses doubts not of the day Now Gods Children have two witnesses Omni exceptione majores 1. Their own spirit which is not to be condemned for if conscience a natural thing be a thousend witnesses much more the spirit which is a supernatural power given of God 2. The Holy Ghost which cannot deceive or be deceived witnesseth with our spirits Besides what an honour is this to the Saints that the Holy Ghost should bear witness at the bar of their consciences There are several wayes of bearing witnesse to Christ 1. By openly publishing the truth of Christ promulging of the Evangelical truths concerning the Messiah 2. By leading lives answerable to the Christian profession holinesse and uprightness of conversation doth attest and credit the Doctrine of Christ 3. By suffering especially death it self for Christs cause and the Gospels To such the name of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is eminently applied Under the law one witnesse was allowed sufficient in case of Religion Deut. 29.16 17. Malitia tua te adduxit ad mortem non nos Lyran. Vâ—erque Diabolum habet isle in linguâ ille in aâ—re Dav. Detractores Canini dentes Diaboli Paâ—isien But two were required in civil cases Cap. 19.15 Witnesses of old were wont to put their hand upon the head of the offendor and say It is thy own wickednesse which condemns thee and not we We may neither raise an evil report nor receive it neither be the tale-bearer nor tale-hearer The one carries the Devil in his tongue the other in his ear Not only those that make a lye but those that love it when it is made to their hands are shut out of heaven Rev. 22.15 Every man hath two great witnesses either for or against him 1. Conscience within him 2. God above him Other faculties may rest but no passage shall be able to scape the record of conscience Conscia mens ut cuique sua est Ovid. ita concipit intra Pectora pro facto spemque metúmque suo This is Gods deputy-judge holding court in the whole soul bearing witnesse of all a mans doings and desires and accordingly excusing or accusing absolving or condemning comforting or tormenting But yet the witness of God is the most desireable witness The witnesse we have on earth is nothing worth unless we have a witnesse in Heaven If we have not the inward witnesse of our own conscience it is little advantage though we have a thousand outward witnesses Conscience is more than a thousand witnesses but God is more than ten thousand consciences As the witnesse of good men is more desirable than the witnesse of all other men and the witnesse of a good conscience is more desirable than the witnesse of good men so the witnesse of God is more desirable than without which we cannot have it and with which we shall have it the witnesse of a good conscience Job 16.19 Behold my witnesse is in heaven and my record is on high Contemplation A contemplative life without practice is like unto Rachel Jacobs wife beautiful and bright-sighted but yet barren It is good therefore to have Rachels beautiful face to be seconded with Leah's fruitful womb If ye know these things happy are ye if ye do them John 13.17 Consideration Cras tibi respondebo said Melanchton to his adversary Eccius It is but little that can be learned in this life without due and deep consideration which is an
that he might the sooner be out of his pain but he half in choler replied that he would not lose the least step of his gate for all the whipping in Paris That which in Christians deserves greatest commendations is an unmoved patience in suffering adversities accompanied with a setled resolution of over-coming themâ— Bishop Hooper seeing a Pardon lying by him to be given him if he would recant Act. Mon. cried to them that stood by If you love my soul away with it His answer to Master Kingston advisinghim to save his life by recanting is worth noting Life indeed is sweet and death bitter But alas consider that the death to come is more bitter and the life to come more sweet Therefore for the desire and love I have to the one and the fear and terror I have of the other I do not so much regard this death nor esteeme this life but have setled my self through the strength of Gods Spirit patienly to passe through the torments and extremities of the fire now prepared for me rather than to deny Gods Word and Truth 'T was resolutely spoken of Bishop Ridley to Latimer at the stake Be of good comfort brother for God will either asswage the fury of the fire or else strengthen us to abide it Newes being brought to John Philpot of his burning the next day he answered undauntedly I am ready God grant me strength a joyful resurrection I might adde abundantly Who puts to Sea for a long Voyage and at a great charge must resolve to hold on his course against all winds and weather or accidents that may offer to stop him So we in Christianity must wrestle with all difficulties rather than quit the enterprise Being once embarqued on we must with a Caesarean confidence and a Spartan resolution to go on with the sword or fall on the sword I am ready not to be bound only Acts 21.13 but also to die at Jerusalem for the Name of the Lord Jesus Vox verè Christianorum Martyrdom We must expect persecutions here for how should God wipe away tears from our eyes in heaven if on earth we shed no tears How can Heaven be a place of rest if on earth we find it How could we desire to be at home if in our journey we did find no grief How could we so often call upon God and talk with him if our enemy did sleep all the day long How could we elsewhere be made like unto Christ in joy if in sorrow we sob'd not with him If we will have joy and felicity we must needs feel sorrow and misery If we will go to heaven we must sail by hell If we will embrace Christ in his robes we must not think scorn of him in his rags If we will siâ— at table with Christ in his Kingdom we must first abide with him in his temptations If we drink of his cup of glory forsake not his cup of ignominy Can the head-corner-stone be rejected and the other more base stones in Gods building be in this world set by We are of his living stones be content then to be hewen thereby to be fitted to be joyned to your fellows that suffer We are Gods corn fear not therefore the flail the fan miln-stone nor Oven We are all Christs lambs look to be fleeced and slain Ignatius qui Apostolorum temporibus proximus fuit Quid hoc mali est cujus reus gaudet cujus accusatio votum est cujus poena feli citas Tertul. cum ex Syriâ usque Romam ad bestias duceretur inter alia scribebat O salutares bestiae quae preparantur mihi quando venient quando emittentur quando eis frui licebit carnibus meis De eodem scribit Irenaeus Frumentum Christi sum dentius bestiaerum molor ut mundus Dei panis inveniar King Henry the fourth deposer of King Richard the second was the first of all English Kings that began the unmerciful burning of Christs Saints for standing against the Pope And William Sawtree was the first of all them in Wickliff's time that was burned he suffered Anno Dom. 1400. saith Fox Bishop Hooper in a Letter to Mistris Warcope Dear sister take heed you shall in your journey towards heaven meet with many a monstrous beast Paul fought with some at Ephesus If there be any way saith Bradford to heaven on horse-back 't is Persecution Should we look for fire to quench our thirst Even as soon shall Christs true servants find peace in Antichrists regiment It was likewise his saying At God sent for Elijah in a fiery chariot so sendeth he for me for by fire my dross must be purified that I may be fine gold in his sight Queen Anne wife to King Henry the 8. led to the Tower to be beheaded said The King was constant in his course of advancing her For from a Private Gentlewoman to a Marchioness then to a Queen and when he could no higher then to a Martyr Cansa non poena Martyrem facit ait Cyprian Nam ut dixit Gregor Cum Christo crucem periturus latro suscepit sed quum reatus proprius tenuit pro crucifixo non absolvit Aug. Diverso fine fato Bucholc It is one thing to suffer as a Martyr and another thing to suffer as a Malefactor Ibi erat Christus ubi latrones Similis poena dissimilis causa Sampson died with the Philistins by the fall of the same house but for another end and by a different destiny Martyrdom is the lowest subjection that can be to God but the highest honour It brings death in the one hand and life in the other for while it kills the body it crowns the soul When one said to a certain Martyr Take heed 't is a hard matter to burn Indeed said he it is for him that hath his soul linked to his body as a Thiefs foot is in a pair of fetters And they loved not their lives unto the death Revel 12.11 Spiritual Warfare Our life is compared to a warfare The chief Captain General on the one side is the Mighty Lion of the Tribe of Judah the Prince of Peace the Conqueror of death hell and sin The grand Captain on our enemies part is the great red Dragon the old crafty Serpent the Governor of Darkness The Lieutenants of the fields are Fleshly Sensuality against Spiritual Reason The Serjeants of the Band are the cursed children of Darkness against the faithful children of Light The common souldiers are the Law of our Members warring against the Law of our Mind the effects of the Flesh against the fruits of the Spirit Sathans souldiers handle such like arms as these The Breast-plate of Injury the Girdle of Falshood the Shoos of Discord the Shield of Insidelity the Helmet of Mistrust the piercing Darts of Cruelty the Canon-shot of spightful Reproachâ—s the Arrows of lying Slanders the Sword of the Flesh c. On the contrary Scripture shews us the
natural desire shrinks and pulls back the hand because Nature seeks the preservation of it self But the reasonable desire saith rather than the whole body shall be consumed he will command the Chyrurgeon to cut off the hand Here is no repugnancie betwixt the natural and reasonable desire but a subordination Again A Martyr is carried to the stake to be burnt the natural desire shrinks but yet it submits it self to the spiritual desire which cometh on and saith Rather than dishonor God go to the fire and be burnt The Schoolmen say Nam pereunte uno desiderio suceedit alterum that Desires are not actually infinite because Nature tends always to some finite thing for no man desireth infinite meat Yet his desires are infinite by succession because these bodily things which we desire are not permanent Thus one desire being gone another comes in place of it It is better to moderate Desire at the first than afterwards to prescribe it a measure Let Desire be conversant about right objects He that pants after the dust of the earth shall always be indigent crying continually with the two daughters of the Horse-leech Give give But he that truly desires after Righteousness shall be satisfied Whosoever shall drink of this water John 4.13 14. shall thirst again But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst Desertion It 's said of the Lioness that she seems to leave her young ones till they have almost killed themselves with roaring and howling but at last gasp she relieves them whereby they become the more couragious And Mothers use to leave their children or turn their backs upon them till they mourn and make moan after them Even so the Lord withdraws sometimes from his people and goes from them that with the Prodigal they may come to themselves and seems to forget them that they may remember themselves In Christs desertion there was not Divulsio unionis but Suspensio visionis He cried not out of Men or Devils why they did so and so unto him But My God my God why hast thou for saken me Oh! that came neer his heart In such a forlorne condition as this a poor Soul for regaining of his God can do no more than 1. Bewail the want of Gods gracious presence As Reuben for Joseph Heu quid agam I cannot find my God and I whither shall I go 2. Cry after him in fervent prayer As Elisha after Elijah My father my father Return O Lord how long and let it repent thee concerning thy servant 3. Wait his leisure if he please to hold off longer Sustaining himself with cordial places of Scripture Isa 50.10 cap. 64.4 cap. 30.18 In which estate should he be taken away by death his condition is like to be comfortable because the Spirit of Truth saith Blessed are all they that wait for him Epiphanius telleth of a bird Charadius But what joy at the breaking forth of the Sun after an Eclipse that being brought into the room where a man lieth sick if he look with a steady and fixed eye upon the sick man he recovereth Certainly in Gods favour is life but Aversio vultus Dei the turning away of Gods pleased countenance is the cause of all sorrow and sadness When he hideth his face Job 34.29 who then can behold him Thou didst hide thy face and I was troubled Psal 30.7 Calamity It was an easie thing said Bishop Hooper to hold with Christ Calamitaâ— virtutis occasio est whiles the Prince and the World held with him but now the World hateth him it is the true trial who be his Let us not then run away when it is most time to fight Remember none are crowned but they that fight manfully You must now turn all your cogitations from the peril you see and mark the felicity that followeth the peril either victory of your enemies in this world or else a surrender for ever of your right in the inheritance to come He calls the World the Miln and Kitchin Idem to grind and boil the flesh of Gods people in till they atchieve their perfection in the World to come The World saith one is not a Paradise but a Purgatory to the Saints It may be compared to the straits of Magellan which is said to be a place of that nature Heyl. Geogr. that which way soever a man bend his course he shall be sure to have the wind against him They may not here dream of a delicacy In the world ye shall have tribulation but be of good cheer Joh. 16.33 I have overcome the world Quatuor Novissima Mors. DEath Judgment Heaven and Hell are the Quatuor Novissima Discrimen inter beatos post resurrectionem primos parentes in statu innocentiae homines in statunaturae lapsae in quo nunc sumus est Quòd beati nunquam mori poterunt primi parentes poterant nunquam meri hemines in statu nature lapsae non possunt non mori The decree is out Fortâ—sse in omnibus si mè rebus bumanis sâ—d non in morte locum habet Bellarm. Resistitur ignibus undis serro resistitur regibus imperiâ—s venit una mâ—rs quis eiresistit Aug. Non torquate genus non te sacundia non te restituet pietas Horat. l. 4. Lex universa jubet nâ—sâ—i mori Senec. All must die Belshazzar's Emblem is upon every wall Mene mene tekel upharsin Yea this impress is upon all flesh Numeravit appendit divisit God hath numbred thy days he hath laid thee on the ballance and thou art found wanting thy Kingdom is divided Say Princes say Pesants say all Corruption thou art my father Worms ye are my sisters Grave thou are my bed Sheet thou art my shrine Earth thou art my cover Green grass thou art my carpet Death demand thy due and thou Gatheringhost-Dan come last and sweep all away Epictetus went forth one day and saw a woman weeping for her Pitcher of earth that was broken and went forth the next day and saw a woman weeping for her son that was dead and thereupon said Heri vidi fragilem frangi hodie vidi mortalem mori Life is but a sleep a shadow a bubble a vapour and as a tale that is told Aristotle spake these words at his death I rejoyce that I go out of the World which is compounded of contraries Because each of the four Elements is contrary to other therefore how can this Body compounded of them long endure Plato treating of the Souls of men could say The merciful Father made them soluble and mortal bands meaning indeed they should not always be held with the miseries of this life Death reigned from Adam to Moses And though Death shall not reign yet it shall live fight and prevail from Moses to the end of the world for then and not till then shall be brought to pass that saying that is written Death is swallowed
12. and from the guilt of original sin 2. They are confirmed in the joyful expectation of a perfect holinesse he that was so careful to have his natural body so exquisitely fitted will not certainly neglect his Mystical body the Church being bone of his bone and flesh of his flesh but will sanctifie and cleanse it that he may present it to himself a glorious Church not having spot or wricnkle or any such thing but that it should be holy and without blemish Ephes 5.26 27. Therefore to make us so such an High-Priest became us who is holy harmlesse As our High-Prie st was thus in his original innocent so was he in the whole course of his life undefiled Men and Devils did indeed conspire to bring him within their compasse but could not prevail their guilded Pills of corruption plausible to flesh and blood could not be swallowed down of him his unblemisht foul was of a purer condition than that it should be infected by those foul spirits The Master of Sentences gives a double reason for it Lomb. Sent l. 3. 1. Because it was hypostatically united to the eternal Son of God 2. Because the Spirit was given unto him sine mensura without measure he was full of grace and truth John 1.14 Now it is a rule delivered by Romes Angelical Doctor that Quanto aliquid receptivum propinquius est causae influenti tanto abundantius recipit Aquin. by how much any that receiveth is more near to the flowing cause by so much doth it the more plentifully receive Wherefore the holinesse of our gracious Mediatour is such as being God and man inseperably that he could not possibly be defiled by actual sin The Apostle saith directly that he knew no sin that is experimentally in his own person he is called a Lamb undefiled and without spot Pilate that gave him over into the hands of sinners to be crucified ingeniously confest he could find no fault in him at all that good thief as a father calls him that was crucified with Christ made a good confession when he said We receive a due reward of our deeds but this man hath done nothing amisse hence there is added to his sacred name the title of righteous Jesus Christ the righteous 1 John 2.1 for the end why he came into the world was to fulfil all righteousnesse thereby to save sinners Qui caeteros salvos faceret debuit ibse peccato vitio carere saith Augustine Wherefore August Daniel 9. he is said to be the most holy and to have everlasting righteousness So that he gave most compleat and perfect obedience to the Law of God in every point applauded by a voice from heaven This is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased This actual righteousness void of all tincture of evil was not only for himself but was efficacious for us for as many as believe in him to the end of the world for Christ is the end of the Law for righteousnesse to every one that believeth Rom. 10.4 For this cause did the Prophet Jeremy foreshew the name whereby he should be called and that is THE LORD OVR RIGHTEOVSNESSE Legis finis interficiens perficiens Aug. Jer. 23.6 This makes good that Apostolical assertion we read 2 Cor. 5.21 That he was made sinne for us that is a Sacrifice to expiate our sin who knew no finne that we might be made the righteousnesse of God in him So that we have as solid justification to life by his obedience as ever we were subject to death by Adams disobedience for as by one mans disobedience many were made sinners so by the obedience of one Rom. 5.19 shall many be made righteous From this Fountain of grace do flow those streams of peace like those in Paradise that make glad the City of our God Peace with God with our selves with men with all the creatures haven and earth are met together in a blessed league For in him it pleased the Father should all fulnesse of divine graces dwell and by him to reconcile all things to himself by him I say whether they be things in heaven or things in earth Col. 1.20 This serves also for another purpose to be a pattern for our imitation to be holy as he is holy to be undefiled members of that body whereof he is the head to walk before him and be upright with Abraham that believed in him The title of Christian which we all have by him should make us so to adhere to him in a conformity to his life Vt quia sine ipso nihil esse possumus per ipsum possimus esse quod dicimur that because without him we can be nothing by him we may be in truth what we are said to be the words are Bernards I must tell you what Saint Peter told them to whom he wrote his first Epistle Bern. 1 Pet. 2 9. Vilelatens viâ—tus quid â—â—m submeâ—sa tâ—vebris Proderit c. Claud. ye are a chosen generation a royal Priesthood a peculiar people that ye should shew forth the vertues or praises 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of him who hath called you out of darnesse into his marvellous light They are the words of Gregory the great in his Epistle to Theodorus Duke of Sardinia Justitiam quam mente geritis oportet coram heminibus luce operum demonstretis the integrity or righteousness ye bear in your mind ye ought besure to express and shew it before men by the light of works which doth justly accord with our Saviours mind Let your light so shine before men that they seeing your good works may glorifie your Father which is in heaven The greatest light in the firmament of the Church which is the heaven upon earth Hierom said that he did deligere Christum habitantem in Augustino is Christ himself the light of the lesser lights is but borrowed from him not to be concealed but to be seene to the eyes of the world after the example of the greatest light who hath lest us an example that we should follow his steps 1 Pet. 2.21 And believe me none are blessed but they alone that with our undefiled High-Priest are in some measure undefiled in the way who after him walk in the Law of the Lord. Ye shall hear how Saint Bernard on the Canticles Censures him that doth not frame his life to the obedience of the Gospel of Christ Dignus plane est morte Bern. in Cant. qui tibi Christe vecusat rivere he is without all doubt worthy of death who denies O Christ to live to thee Good reason then it is that we who are the redeemed of the Lord washed in his blood should in an honourable respect of our potent Redeemer conform our selves to the like strickt godly life he did and not to wallow in the sordid sins of the damned crue from which that we might be withdrawn according to the working of his mighty power Such an High-Priest
God David did run the pure path of Gods commandments and Christ did all things well We are to have respect to all the divine ordinances of the God of Truth that in none if it be possible we may be sound faulty Forsake evil and do good saith the Prophet and so the Lord shall crown our desires above what we are able to ask or think saith the Apostle Let your Covetousness be turned to Liberality that the Saints of God those of the houshold of faith may be the better for you Let your Ambition be turn'd to Humility that ye think not of your selves above that which is meet Let your Adulteries be turn'd to Chastity that your bodies may be fit temples for the Holy Ghost to dwell in Let your Idolatries and Superstitions be turn'd to the zealous and Primitive service of God that God may dwell in the midst of you Let your Wantonness in attires and habits be turn'd to Gravity whereby the Heavenly graces of the Eternal Spirit may be enlarged in you and manifested by you as becometh Saints Let your hideous Blasphemies and horrid Oaths be turn'd to a reverent naming of the Lord that his Name may be hallowed by you In conclusion let all the Intemperance Prophaneness and Corruptions of our lives be turned to Holiness whereby all our actions may favour of grace goodness and obedience This obedience in actions whereby we glorifie God must be 1. Speedy 2. Cordial 3. Ever augmenting 4. Resolutely constant It must be speedy To day if ye will hear his voice harden not your hearts Dilatory procrastinarions beget difficulties and augment our miseries Wherefore to keep a Field from overgrowing with weeds is to pluck them up in the Spring and to preserve ones Body from overcharging with diseases is to purge the bad humors betime Thus sin and disobedience must be nipped in the bud or else they bring forth much soure fruit of trouble and danger 'T is the Polititians observation That à parvis veniunt summa mala principiis The greatest evils have but small beginnings Our obedience must be cordial My son give me thy heart saith the Wise man saith the wiser God If obedience be wrung from us it is not acceptable A cheer 〈◊〉 giver obtains acceptation at Gods hands Abraham's obedience in offering to offen up his son Isaac upon Divine command was cordial So were Davids services being a man after Gods own heart Christs obedience was cordial both in fulfilling every tittle of the Law and suffering the punishment due to our sins So was Paul's when in his conversion he consulted not with flesh and blood but immediately obeyed the Heavenly vision Our obedience must be ever augmenting It is the genuine nature of true grace to be ever growing and of good Christians to grow in grace The perfection of obedience is not compassed in a moment which is but a point of time but by degrees and many previal dispositions Were it not that we are too much indulgent to our corrupt affections our obedience would never leave growing until by Divine assistance and pious endeavours we increase the quantity thereof I know the desire of enjoying the home-pleasures of this sinful life hath the more favorable audience and powerful perswasions in a mind captivated to his own passions and prevails more But where the heart is set at liberty from the bondage of sin there Piety beareth sway and obedience aboundeth Hence proceeds the Apostle's elegant Climax Add to your faith virtue and to virtue knowledge 2 Pet. 1.5 6 7. Acti agamus and to knowledge temperance and to temperance patience and to patience godliness and to godliness brotherly kindness and to brotherly kindness charity If these things be in yoâ— and abound they make you that ye shall neither be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ Our obedience must be resolutely constant With the Galatians to begin in the spirit and to end in the flesh is a deep apostacy from the truth of obedience and from obedience to the truth It is manifest cowardise in Souldiers to forsake their Colours when they are upon service Our whole life is no other than a continual warfare If our resolution be not fixt in our Christian enterprises if we fail after the military oath is solemnly taken by us in our Baptism in obeying the Captain of our salvation the Lord of Hosts we cannot avoid the bafest imputation of cowardâ—se nor be accounted other than dastardly fugitives We know Satan and the World lay strong siege to take us and to draw us by head and shoulders from our obedience But we may learn from Job this point of valour that though God should kill us much less then if Satan should yet we should not upon any terms forsake him For the crown of life and diadem of glory Rev. 2.10 shall be given unto them alone that are faithful to the death Thus much concerning the honour of Obedience which this Glory in the Text imports Now follows the other honour imported by it which is the honour of Divine worship or adoration whereof there are two degrees 1. Internal 2. External The first is the internal affection or serviceable submission which is as the soul or life The other is the external note or sign of such submission as bowing kneeling supplication these are the body or material parts of it Now this worship when divine and opposed unto civil is proper unto God and incommunicable to any creature For the glorious prerogative of our Creation and Redemption in these works he admits no instrumental service much less can brook a Partner in the glory redounding to them My glory will I not give unto another Psal 95.6 In consideration of the works of Creation the Princely Prophet invites all to adore God O come let us worship and bow down and kneel before the Lord our Maker In consideration of our Redemption God speaking of Christ saith Let all the Angels of God worship him much more men Besides the seeds of grace and true religion are sown immediately by Gods sole powerful hand and their native off spring acts of faith especially must be reserved entire and untouch'd for him Prayers intrinsecally religious or devotions truly sacred are oblations which may not which cannot without open sacriledge be consecrated to any others honour but only to his who infuseth the spirit of prayer and thanksgiving into mens heares Bowing the body and kneeling as used to express a religious and divine worship must not be directed to honour them which are no gods but the Only wise and Immortal King Never had any man juster occasion to worship an Angel than S. John or a Saint than Cornelius and his company had The reason why the Lord in wisdom would have as well their willingness to worship as the Angel's and S. Peter's unwillingness to accept their proffered submission so expresly registred was to imprint the true meaning of that Law in
are reconciled to God St. Chrys on those words in Colos Chrysost in Cap. 1. Epist ad Cosos it pleased the Father by him that is by Christ to reconcile all things unto himself whether they be things in earth or things in heaven understandeth by things in heaven the holy Angels of God who saith he became enemies to all men by reason of their universal rebellion against the Lord their God But now beare good will to us after we are reconciled to God by Christ and are of the houshold of faith Hereupon it is as our Saviour saith that the Angels in heaven rejoyce at the conversion of a sinner unto God Heb. 1 14. and the Apostle writing to the Hebrews saith they are all ministring spirits sent forth to minister for them who shall be heires of salvation They guard such as their proper charge saith devout Perkins that be in Gods favour and carry them as a nurse doth a child in her armes that they dash not their foot against a stone Perkins on Revel 1. Psal 91.11 Wherefore some Christian Philosophers out of Act. 12.15 where speech being made of St. Peter it is said it is not he it is his Angel collect that every elect man of God hath his good Angel to protect him to guide him in all his wayes and upon occasion when it seemes good to God many as Elijah had Thus we are at peace with good Angels as for the bad we must have no peace with them Origen onâ— Rom. 5. for then we shall have no peace with God Origen on the 5. of the Romanes tells us that Ipse supra omnes cateros pacem habet apuà Deum qui impugnatur à diabolo c. he above all others hath peace with God who is ever combating with Satan Warre against Satan procures peace with God Wherefore being he will do us no good the Lord so works as that he shall do us no hurt As for the other creatures all of them are in league with a good man their lesive facultie is restrained by the supreme power from doing violence to the Lords redeemed whereas the wicked are still exposed to the danger of their power The starres in their courses fought for Israel against Sisera Judg. 5.20 The fire did not hurt the three children in the fierie surnace The hungry lyon preyed not upon Daniel in the den Isa 11.6 8 9. lying at the mercy of that ravenous beast A little child saith the Prophet Isaiah shall lead the young lyon the sucking child shall play on the hole of the Aspe and the weaned child shall put his hand on the Cocokatrices den neither these nor any of the rest shall hurt or destroy in his holy mountaine in his holy Church It was a most comfortable promise which God made to Judah and Israel and in them to his peculiar people that he would make a covenant for them with all creatures Hos 2.18 the beasts of the field the fowles of the aire the creeping things of the ground heaven earth corn oyle and all Yea the child of God shall tread upon the lyon and the serpent and they shall not hurt him Thou shalt be in league saith Eliphaz the Temanite to Job with the stones of the field Psal 91.13 Job 5.23 and the beasts of the field shall be at peace with thee Thus Gods Children in Christ Jesus shall receive no detriment by any thing that God made but by his blessed providence they shall find assistance and comfort from all his creatures Now the God of peace that sent his Son with the Gospel of peace and his messengers with the glad tidings of good things grant that we may live in peace and depart in peace according to his word to leade an everlasting Sabboth of rest in the highest heavens Great mens births are commonly celebrated with the joyful acclamation of their dependants every one being in a readiness to noise abroad the newes that includes happinesse whereby others might be partakers of their joys and excited to do the like in imitation Thus the glorious and blessed Angels the inhabitants of heaven and the immediate attendants of the most high do the birth of the Son of God the King of Kings like wel-bred Courtiers in significant terms divulge the birth of so great a Prince and melodiously express what good what great benefits come by the birth of so good so great a person Which ought to be a forcible incentive unto us after their example to render due honour unto God and â—o worship that day-star which from on high hath visited us with everlasting comforts All the holy Angels of God are obliged to praise him but we much more he restored not them to any felicity for they lost none we lost the primitive goodness of our unblemished creation and yet restored he us He redeemed not them they needed it not nor the wicked Angels that needed it but wrought our redemption when we were enemies worthy condemnation O then let us praise the Lord for his peace and merce for both endure for ever What the Angels sung will serve our turn Glory be to God on high c. The parts of our discourse are 1. The glory we owe to God 2. The peace God sent on earth 3. Gods good will towards men Concerning the two first I have no more to say than what I have already but proceed unto that last and maine point whereupon depend all our future hopes of eternal blisse which is Gods good will and mercy I confesse that the very name of peace is a sweet word and sweeter the work but sweetest that of mercy which is the cause of it Being then that mercy must be the subject of my present meditations first I betake my self to thee O God of mercy and eternal Spirit of truth humbly beseeching thee to enable me by thy gracious illumination and to rectifie the retired cogitations of my soule that whilest I display thy mercy thy goodness thy salvation and when all is done there may be in mens hearts a deep impression of true joy and a perfect sense may be obtained of thy loving kindness and good-will toward them To behold God sitting in his throne of justice is to a sinner most full of dismal horrour but to view him seated in his throne of mercy is to a distressed soule most full of heavenly consolation If there be any that obstinately forget God and carelesly cast behind their backs his sacred ordinances let them expect to be torn in picees of him and none to deliver them let them look to be consumed of that God whose Jealousie burns like fire If there be any that are heartily submissive and sincerely penitent in the sight of our all-seeing God for their enormities let them joy up in abundance for in him there is mercy and plenty of redemption although all of us have highly offended him and multiplyed our transgressions above measure yet if we can
number the mercies of God to me in particular saith he were to number the drops of water which are in the Ocean the sands on the shore the stars in the sky Mirrour of Martyrs This one act of his good will his Sons mission exceeds the capacity of a whole world of men to give it a due value He would not destroy us being his enemies when he might in justice destroy us but to save us inglorious miscreants sent his Son from glory and did as Abraham would have done with Isaac his onely and beloved darling offer him up to death to redeem us from it As King Solomon said to Abiathar the Priest Thou art worthy of death but I will not at this time put thee to death So said the Soveraign of Soveraigns to us His Son is destined to what we deserved to make us partakers of his deserts Salvator noster natus est nobis crucifixus mortuus est pro nobis ut morte suâ mortem nostram destrueret Aug. Man cap. 27. saith an uncertain Author Our Saviour is born to us crucified and dead for us that by his death lie might destroy our death for ever Wherefore the Lord Jesus upon the Cross giving the foil to our malicious enemies Sin Satan and Death Sin Satan and Death have lost the day to our endless comfort and the glorious manifestation of Gods good-will towards men I may not smother in thankless silence the blessed consequences of my Saviours life and death tendred for our restauration how happily they took effect with the Father in our behalf and accorded in every point of his decree with the good pleasure of his will For first there followed the imputation of Christs righteousness for the remission of our sins And then the Sanctification of us by his Spirit sent into our hearts for the suppressing of the dominion of sin in us Both which shew as speaks the Apostle the exceeding riches of his grace in kindness to us Ephes 2.7 through Christ Jesus First it pleased the Father that the fulness of the Spirit should dwell in him and that of his fulness we should all receive His righteousness then is made over unto us by the goodness of a righteous God whose purity as it admits no mixture of imperfection so neither without Christs perfection any justification of a sinner For none are justified but such to whom God imputes no sin and such are they only to whom God imputeth righteousness without works Which righteousness Rom. 4.6 7. being without our works and imputed must proceed not from our selves full of the soul stains of ugly sins but from another even from him alone in whom dwell all perfections Jesus Christ the righteous Thus and thus alone is God in his Son the Author and finisher of our salvation not imputing our sins unto us but reconciling us unto himself by the imputed righteousness of his Son by whom we have access unto the Father and are no more counted strangers forreiners and exiles but are reimpatriated and made fellow-citizens with the Saints and of the houshold of God Whereupon it is that by the grace of God to use the Apostles speech we are what we are And if by the grace and good will of God then surely not of debt not of merit for grace excludeth both To him that worketh is the reward not reckoned of grace Rom. 4.4 Cap. 11.6 but of debt And here I could wish with all my soul that this and other infallible Oracles of highest Truth could heat our adversaries from Humane Merits and bring them to the Divine Mercies from Free-will and Possibilities of Nature to the Grace and Good-will of God To merit Heaven by all we can do is a fetch beyond all power of Nature and to aver it a strain as of excessive pride so beyond all true Divinity Merits in us are no such props to our faith as Mercies in God The first grounded upon self-conceit and fond opinion the last upon the demonstration of the Spirit The first all of the Romish faction receive for Orthodoxal truth which we reject for false the last they reject for false which we embrace for truth That Italian-Priest who Achan-like troubles all Israel the festered Head of an infected Body hath so distempered the world with this plausible assertion as that all his Abettors from the most learned Dogmatist to the meanest Papist stand rather to their own strength for their Justification than fly to Gods mercy as having more confidence in their own abilities and pretended merits than in the alsufficiency of Christs Mediation and Redemption or at least as much Who whilst they stand thus affected what do they but detracting both from the Lord and from his Anointed ascribe the honour of the day and glory of our salvation as well to the Free-will of Man Saunders his Petition as Good-will of God But O my soul come not thou within their secrets neither be partaker of their defections Chuse rather than combine with them ever to pray with that zealous Martyr in this wise O my heavenly Father look upon me in the face of Christ or else I shall not be able to abide thy countenance such is my filthiness The best of us may confess with the leprous person We are unclean we are unclean and therefore without him no blessedness to be obtained by the best of us Joh. 14.6 No man cometh to the Father but by me saith Christ And no man cometh unto me saith Christ again except the Father draw him Thus betwixt the Father and the Son we are well provided for without whom who thinks to be saved Plaut Merca. doth take his mark amiss Vbicunque putant vivere runnt maximè as the Comedian speaks Where they think to live most happily they die most wretchedly Wherefore for us to repose any confidence in our own imperfect works or to seek a shelter under the Merits of Saints recorded in the Pope's Kalendar or wheresoever else is utterly to renounce the Merits of Christ and the good-will of God Neque enim qui habet virtutem amplius opus habet neque qui valet viribus Clem. Alex. eget instauratione saith Clement of Alexandria For he that is perfect needs not to be beholding to another neither needeth he any reparation his proper strength is already compleat They that are whole need not the Physician but they that are sick saith the Physician of souls Let then the swolne Pharisees of the Roman Court in humility of spirit learn here to check their insolent boasting of their natural goodness and meritorious actions referring all to the goodness of the Chiefest Good Let them march under Christs colours as the Captain of their salvation Let them set up their rest in him as the securest Sanctuary for distressed souls O worthy Elizeus how affectionate were thine Obsequies You may remember that he could neither be perswaded nor beguiled nor forced from Elijah when he
holds of Sat an erected in the hearts of sinful men disperseth all chaffy cogitations of wickedness and filleth every corner of the soul with heavenly inspiration with transporting thoughts and meditations of an higher than an earthly nature and as fire it inflames the heart with the love of God whence proceeds zeal of Gods glory that fire of heaven and a fixt resolution as in Martyrs to suffer fire and fuggot for the profession of his name By reason or the working thus of his mighty power the Scripture stiles him by the name of the power of the most high Eâ— operante creabatur homo eo operante recreatur As by his working power man was created by the same renewed and born again As by his power he gave life Luk. 1. so he gives newness of life by his power Spiritus est qui vivificat it is the Spirit that quickens us before dead in sins and trespasses He is called a spirit 3. Because he is breathed from the Father and the Son that is he is that person by whom the Father and the Son do immediately work heavenly motions and saving graces in the hearts of the elect Spiritus à spirando wherefore when Christ breathed on his Disciples he said unto them receive ye the Holy Ghost Job 20.22 These I conceive to be the reasons why the third person in Trinity is called a Spirit Now must I shew the reasons why he is called the Spirit of the Son they as I Imagine are these First because he proceeds from the Son by an eternal procession and intelligible emanation the essence of the Son is communicated to him hence coeternal coessential consubâ—antial with the Son he is called the Spirit of Christ Contra Arianos Rom. 8.9 not as one saith by way of allenation nor by way of multiplication of the divine essence which can be but one but by communcating the very same numericall essence wherein the Father and the Son subsist unto him in an incomprehensible manner whence he is term'd also the Spirit of the Father Galat. 3. for the essence of the Father is the essence of the Son and the essence of them both the essence of the Spirit he proceeds from both not simply as from two persons but in that they are one in essence not more principally from the Father lesse principally from the Son as Lombard and the schoolmen of this age affirm but from the person of the Father and the son in the unity of essence without any such distinction for upon the admission of this distinction we may justly infer an inequality of the persons of the Deity a thing without blasphemy not to be admitted the Spirit of holyness equally proceeds from both as from one beginning against the definition of the Greek Church but non voluntate sed natura seu necessitate naturae licet secundum voluntat is modum not by the act of the will but by the act of nature or by the necessity of nature according to the manner of the wills working which I cannot conceive in other terms than these that is God willing it He is called the Spirit of the Son 2. Because he is in the Son and the Son in him as the Son is in the Father and the Father in the Son to wit by their eternal essence And besides this the Spirit dwelt in him in the dayes of his flesh inriching his humane nature with all fulness of grace And at his baptisme the heavens opening Mat. 3.16 John saw the Spirit of God descending like a Dove and lighting upon him He is called the Spirit of the Son 3. Because the Son sends him to seal our adoption to us Joh. 15.26 When the Comforter is come whom I will send unto you from the Father even the Spirit of truth which proceedeth from the Father he shall testify of me He sends that which is his and gives it too Joh. 20.22 receive ye the Holy Ghost And not onely the Son but the Father also sends him but in the Sons name whom the Father will send in my name saith Christ Joh. 14.26 Which shall testify of me Royard in Joh. 14. saith he Joh. 18.26 the Father sends him in his Sons name that is saith Royard to the glory of his name in which respect he is term'd the Spirit of the Son He is called the Spirit of the Son 4. Because he receives the wisdom and knowledge of the Son who is the wisdom of the Father and reveals it unto us He guides us into all truth Joh. 16.13 for as it followeth he shall not speak of himself but whatsoever he shall hear that shall he speak and he shall shew you things to come Verse 4. He shall glorify me for he shall receive of mine and shall shew it unto you Verse 15. All things that the Father hath are mine therefore said I that he shall take of mine and shall shew it unto you All saving knowledge and divine graces coming from the Son in whom the hidden treasures of pure wisdom do rest are confer'd upon us the sons of God by adoption by the Spirit of the Son of God by eternal generation From which discourse may be deduced three conclusions 1. That this Spirit of the Son is a Person he proceeds from the Father and the Son not as an accident but as a Person It was the grosse conceit of some heretical mistaken spirits erroneous in their judgments that this Spirit of the Son is only a motion or quality wrought by God in the hearts of his children or some divine inspiration infused from above by divine grace into the soules of them whom God had chosen out of the world to be more eminent than others Those conceits may seem plausible to corrupted reason not discerning the things of God which are spiritually discerned yet they contradict that which by Infallible consequence may be deducted out of the sacred truths of Gods word and right reason Laying therefore these two Gods word and right reason as two sure foundations and uncontrolable Principles which may justly sway our judgments I will presse the truth of this conclusion against all opposites The Spirit of the Son is a person Because he appeared in a visible shape The Holy Ghost descended in a bodily shape like a Dove upon Christ and he appeared like cloven tongues of fire and sate upon each of the disciples and they were all filled with the Holy Ghost and began to speak with other tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance What motion what quality what inspiration can appear in such or any visible similitudes or bodily shapes or give utterance to men He is a person because called God When Peter taâ—t Ananiâ—s of his double dealing he told him he had lyed to the Holy Ghost and in lying to the Holy Ghost Act. 5. thou hast said he to him not lyed unto men but unto God The Essence of God is Tota in qualibet personâ Deitatis whole
in every one that is called God And forasmuch as the Essence and the Persons are inseparable whatsoever is properly called God is a Person What Motion what Quality what Inspiration can be called God He is a Person because we are baptized in his Name He is the Author of this institution He is the Director of the whole act by his authority by his command by his power the water is sanctified the baptized are renewed the whole work is happily accomplished For all is done in the Name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Ghost not in the name of a Motion of a Quality of an Inspiration He is a Person because the properties of a Person are attributed to him Luk. 11.12 Joh. 16. Joh. 14.1 Cor. 12.11 Act. 13.2.1 Joh. 5.7 Rom. 8. He is sud to teach us heavenly knowledge to lead us into all truth to comfort the afflicted members of Jesus Christ to distribute gifts and graces according to his good pleasure to call and send Apostles to bear witness in heaven with the Father and the Son to bear witness with our spirits that we are the sons of God to cry in our hearts Abba Father to make intercessions for us with groanings that cannot be uttered These are not effects proper to a Motion or a Quality or an Inspiration Lastly He is distinguished most manifestly from the Gifts of God Dona honoraria There are diversity of gifts but the same Spirit the same Spirit distributing these gifts so divers where it will Thus it is apparent that the Spirit of the Son is a Person And as he is a Person so is he 2. A distinct Person from the Father and the Son Non aliud sed alius Not essentially differing noted by the first word but hypostatically noted by the last And as he is a Person so is he 2. A distinct Person from the Father and the Son Non aliud sed alius Not essentially differing noted by the first word but hypostatically noted by the last And that because he is the Spirit of the Father and the Son He cannot be said to be his own Spirit as the Father cannot be said to be his own Father or the Son his own Son that is as absurd as this Again because he is said to be another from them both I will ask the Futher Joh. 14.16 and he shall send you another Comforter Christ whilst he was on earth was a Comfort unto his Disciples wherefore lest diffidence and despair by reason of the great persecutions they should suffer after his departure should break their hearts and sorrow ruine them he prays the Father to send them another Comforter and promiseth he will see it done for their assurance cap. 15.26 He will send him from the Father Furthermore He hath a relative property and characteristical note several from theirs putting a difference betwixt them and him He onely proceeds from the Father and the Son He onely appeared under the form of an innocent Dove and of fiery cloven tongues By his immediate operation Christ was conceived in the womb of the Virgin and by his immediate operation Gods children are throughly sanctified and furnished unto every good work Last of all The Father sends him that so sends him whence he is neither the Father nor the Son but one from them It is a marvellous impropriety of speech that a man should be said to send himself but proper it is to say he comes of his own accord Forasmuch therefore as the Spirit is said to be sent from the Father and the Son and as here God sent forth the Spirit of his Son He is a Person distinct from them both Which is the thing I intended to demonstrate As he is a Person so is he the third and last Person not last in time nor last in nature nor last in dignity but last in the order and manner of subsisting and of performing such works as are common to them all called works ab extra as Creation Redemption Preservation Justification Sanctification c. Having briefly gone over these two points I shall endeavour by Gods grace to do the like in the next which is this 3. That there are Three Persons in the Deity to whom the Divine Essence is communicated The Father the Son the Spirit For humane Reason fully to conceive so high a mystery is impossible What therefore we must learn hereof the Scripture teacheth Faith receives and Reason must not contradict Rather imbrace those depths of knowledge with admiration than by an over-curious inquisition to dive into it and return unsatisfied and sore troubled Yet because Ignorance needs information and Curiosity requires confirmation I will say somewhat though little of it The Platonists acknowledge in God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a Mind or Understanding a Word a Spirit By Understanding they understand the Father by the Word the Son who by S. Joh. 1.1 is expresly called the Word by Spirit the Third Person proceeding from the Father and the Son called The Love of God Hence Divines conceive the matter thus The Father is quasi Deus intelligens God understanding The Son who is the express Image of the Father is quasi Dens intellectus God understood callâ—d the Wisdom of the Father the Image of the Father the Word of God as a word is but the image of the understanding The Spirit breathed and proceeding from the Father and the Son is quasi Deus dilectus God is Love saith S. Lombard John hence by Lombard said to be that Love wherewith the Father loves the Son the Son the Father So the Text reckons up three the Father the Son the Spirit God sent forth the Spirit of his Son This is indeed a deep mystery Yet as abstruse as this Divine mystery of the Trinity is Nature can give us some insight by similitudes though imperfect of the possibility and truth of it We see that in the Sun there is an indesinent fountain of light a brightness and splendor springing out of it and a quickning and reviving heat proceeding from it yet none will be so foully mistaken as to conclude out of these three that there are three Suns there being still but one So though the Essence of the Godhead be but one yet we must know it is communicated unto three Persons and though communicated unto three Persons yet still the Essence is but one We see that in Man there are two diverse and far different natures a Body and a Soul yet these two make not two Men but one these reteining the unity of one Person If two diverse Natures met together make one Person why may not one Nature and Essence be communicated to Three and those Three having one and the same Essence still remain one God We see that in the Soul of Man there is a Will which is the immediate beginning ab intra of every act proceeding from our selves commanding this or that to be done sic volo
Faith and Repentance in his Church when by his powerful operation he converteth the souls of sinners from the errors of their way in an outward apparition then is he said to be sent visibly the Dove appearing at Christs Baptism did intimate the presence and the efficacy of the holy Ghost the cloven tongues like fire in the Primitive Church in the times of the Apostles were a demonstration of his presence and power The manifestation of his graces in Christ and his Apostles at those times discovered his presence But he is not sent thus alwayes but at appointed times and upon special occasions thus that Prophesie of Joel 2.28 was fulfilled He is sent invisibly when no signes are used to declare his presence in our hearts only he that hath him knows he is there Thus was he in the Prophets for he spake by them And every Christian that belongs to the election of grace hath the Spirit sent him thus invisibly he that hath not the Spirit of Christ is none of his Rom. 8.9 And cum gratia Spiritus sancti datur hominibus profecto mittitur Spiritus à Patre when the grace of the Spirit is confer'd on men of a truth the Spirit of grace is sent then of the Father Christ's Spirit comes not to us by a temporal motion but by the temporal motion of the creature is signified the spiritual and invisible sending of Christ's Spirit Again he is sent unto us by the Ministry of the Word the power of God to our salvation and by the administration of the Sacraments By the Word illuminating our understandings before darkned enabling us to judge of spiritual things our judgment before restrained to carnal working saith love hope peace patience temperance with a reformation of our lives and all other vertues in our hearts By administration of the Sacraments confirming our faith in the promises sealing unto us our adoption perfecting in us the assurance of our reconciliation with God and assuring us that we shall be made partakers with the Saints in glory of the full fruition of the presence of God and be put into the possession of that immortal and eternal inheritance in the highest heavens prepared for Gods children before the foundations of the world were laid This sending of the Spirit of the Son either visibly or invisibly by the Word or Sacraments is not a local motion a going from one place to another descending from heaven to earth but his operation and effectual working in the hearts of Gods Saints He is every where filling heaven and earth and therefore not movable from heaven to earth but ubi operatur ibi est where he works there he is and is said to be sent thither Let us now learn how to conceive of God and be assured of his love had he not loved us he had not sent his Spirit to us He sends his Spirit to us and gives us the best things we must not deny any thing unto him thanklesse creatures then we should be And grieve not the holy Spirit of God whereby we are sealed to the day of redemption And prepare we our hearts to entertain and receive him sweeping clean the secret chambers of our souls making our bodies also fit temples for the holy Ghost to dwell in The firm ground of all Christian comfort and stedfast foundation of all the heirs of eternal blisse is to be the sons of God Men of this world are ever ambitious of honorable titles and use all means to insinuate themselves into the favor of their Prince aiming hereby at a worldly happinesse Thus men of the world to come so I may term the faithful for they are not of this world are ever in action and the bent of their endeavours ever tending to obtain the honorable title of the sons of God What means God hath ordained for them to win his favour by as obedient children use aiming hereby at an eternal inheritance and at the crown of immortality that never fades away which that as sons they by the grace of God their heavenly Father may compasse they cry and pray without ceasing unto him who is willing to hear and able to fulfil their holy desires to the utmost even above what they ask And that they may be the better able to hold out unto the end and to profecute their earnest intentions in righteous things God because they are sons sends forth the Spirit of his Son into their hearts whereby they cry Abba Father There remains now these three Parts to be treated of The place whither the Spirit is sent the effect of the Spirit there and the reason of all this Now that you may receive with pure hearts and blamelesse affection the sincere truth of Gods holy word whil'st ye are reading these lines sequester your sences and your souls from all wandring and evil thoughts and cast away from you all misdeeming conceits as Elias did his Mantle to the earth when he ascended into heaven or as Moses took off his shoes when he trod on holy ground The next Subject of our Meditation is the place whither God sends forth the Spirit of his Son which is our hearts God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts The estate of every true Christian and child of God in this life is partly carnal partly spiritual they have flesh they have spirit the first state comes by nature call'd the state of nature the second by the free and undeserved grace of God Non habeo domine quodignoscâ—s Donatus call'd the state of grace Hence we may consider them two wayes conditioned 1. They are carnally minded 2. Spiritually minded Their purity is not totally and fully unblemisht he that saith he hath no sinne is a lydr and there is no truth in him 1 John 1.8 For they are subject to a twofold Law 1. To a Law in the members which none can put off until they put off their flesh and thus far they are unregenerate 2. To the Law of the mind which is the Law of God call'd the Law of the mind regenerate and illuminated converted unto God by the Spirit wherein the godly do delight Hence ariseth a mortal warre and an unsppeased enmity within man I see faith Paul another law in my members warring against the law of my mind the good that I would do I do not but the evil which I would not do that do I Rom. 7. The flesh lusteth against the spirit Gal. 5.17 and the spirit against the flesh and these are contrary the one to the other and draw like Sampsons Foxes contrary-wayes The Maxime grounded then upon these words to which my former discourse hath relation is that by nature we are destitute of the Spirit of God and by consequence prone to all evil Had there not been a reflection of Gods goodnesse and mercy upon us did he not by supâ—rlour causes and transcendent means work our regeneration and caused us by a second birth which
in us not for a time but for ever for the Word dwelling noteth a perpetuity and is opposed to sojourning And also that he hath the full disposition and absolute command of the heart as a man of that house whereof he is Lord. Which disposition consists in these six notable benefits which are sure evidences of the Spirits being and dwelling in our hearts every one whereof is worthy our serious speculation The first is the illumination of our understandings with a certain knowledge of our reconciliation to God in Christ Jesus This is obtained by the special information of the Spirit he shall teach you all things he shall guide you into all truth John 14.26 16.13 saith the Saviour of the world This knowledge is not of Generals but of particulars that God is our Father Christ our Redeemer the holy Ghost our Sanctifier the Spirit of God faith the Apostle Rom. 8.16 Beareth witnesse with our spirits that we are the sons of God Worketh in us a sure knowledge of the remission of our sinnes of our reconciliation and peace with God of our adoption into the liberty of the sons of God and faith the Apostle 1 Cor. 2.12 now have we received the Spirit which is of God that we might know the things that are given to us of God that is the righteousnesse of Christ assuredly It is not in man to know assuredly what great things God hath done for his soul without the special instruction of the Spirit called the Spirit of truth And the Spirit of wisdom and understanding Isa 11.2 the Spirit of knowledge The second benefit of the Spirit which discovers his being in our hearts is regeneration wherby our hearts are renewed by receiving newnesse of life and grace The coruptions of our nature are expell'd by the Spirits infusion of supernatural qualities into us whereby we are made new creatures and of the servants of sin and limbs of Satan are made the members of Christ and sons of God Hence he is called the Spirit of life Except a man be born again by water and the Spirit he cannot enter into the Kingdom of heaven saith our Saviour Ezek. 36.25 and Ezekiel doth Prophecy that God would sprinkle clean water upon them and they should be clean and from all their filthinesse would he cleanse them It is the Spirit that doth regenerate us who is here compared to clean water for these two causes 1. As water mollifies dry wood and puts sap into dry trees so doth the Spirit supple and mollifie our hard hearts and put sap of grace into them whereby we are made trees of righteousnesse and bring forth fruits of eternal life Christ saith John 7.38 39. that he that believeth in him as the Scripture saith out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water this saith the text spake he of the Spirit which they that believed on him should receive 2. As water doth purifie the body from all filth so doth the holy Ghost wash away our sins and our natural corruptions John 4.14 hence called a Well of living water springing up to everlasting life Again John the Baptist saith that Christ baptizeth with the holy Ghost and with fire where the Spirit is by consent of Interpreters compared to fire and that 1. As fire doth warm the body being benum'd with cold so doth the spirits our hearts frozen in sin and though dead in sins and trespasses yet by his reviving heat he quickens our hearts and brings us to life again 2. As fire doth purge and take out the dross from the good mettal so doth the holy Ghost separate and eat out the putrifying corruptions of sin out the canker'd and drossie heart of man And thus regeneration is wrought by the Spirit and therefore said to be born of God The third benefit of the Spirit in them to whom he is sent is an union or conjunction with Christ whereby we are made his members Hine baptismus dicitur 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 members of his body of his flesh and of his bones and partake of his benefits hereby his graces are in a plentiful manner and an abundant measure distill'd upon us which were in him above all measure hence it is compared to effusion Joel 2.1 John 3.24 I will pour out my Spirit hereby we know saith Saint John that we dwell in him and he in us because he hathi given us of his Spirit The Spirit is the bond of our conjunction descending from Christ the Head to all his members and begetting Faith that extraordinary vertue whereby Christ is apprehended and made our own by special application The fourth benefit whereby the Spirit is known to be sent of God into our hearts is the Spirits governing of our hearts For in whom he is be is Master ordering and disposing the understanding the will the memory the affections and all parts of the body according to his good pleasure for as many as are the sons of God Sam 8.14 Certum est nos facere quod sacimus sed illi 〈◊〉 ut faciamus are led by the Spirit The steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord Psal 37.23 in token whereof they that are of the Spirit do savor the things of the Spirit Rom. 8.5 that is they affect and prosecute those things that are good And this called spiritual regiment it consists in two things 1. In repressing all evil motions arising either from within as from evil concupiscence corruption of our nature or from without us by the inâ—icement of the world or suggestion of Satan 2. In stirring up good affections and holy motions upon every occasion hereto belong those excellent titles given to the holy Ghost the Spirit of the Lord Isa 11.2 the Spirit of wisdom and understanding the Spirit of counsel and of strength the Spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the Lord he hath these several attributes because he stirs up in the godly these good motions of wisdom of knowledge of strength of understanding of counsel and of fear of the Lord. In Galat. 5.22 the fruits of the Spirit are recorded there to to be love joy peace long-suffering gentlenesse goodnesse faith meeknesse temperance where oever these be the Author which is the holy Gost of necessity must be As for love whose object is God and man God for himself man for God it is a testimony of the Spirits presence in us and rule of us he is sent into our hearts saith Lombard when he is so in us as that he makes us to love God and our neighbour whereby we remain in God and God in us As for joy it is a main work of the Spirit making us to rejoyce for the good of others as for our selves whereas carnal men pine away and grieve expressively for others prosperity As for peace it is that concord which must be kept in an holy manner Immane verbum est ultio Senec. with all men
warfare and fight the combates of Jesus Christ all that maintain the profession of the truth in sincerity and uprightnesse of heart all that with hearty resolutions begin and prosecute the ruine of the Romish Synagogue the dissolution of their superstitious worships wheresoever within the limits of their jurisdiction Of this order are all those Christians that beholding their sins lay hold on Christs merits and Gods mercy by an unmovable faith for this hold is taken by the strength of Gods Spirit wherewith he doth endow us Of this order are all those who resist the temptations of Satan the provocations of the flesh the alluring vanities of this perishing world these are all vanquisht by the power of the most high that rules in our hearts Of this order are all those who are content to sacrifice their lives for the Name of Christ that so they may be found in him stout hearts have they and full of spirit that spurn at the present pleasures and commodities dignities of this world and are content to part with all hopes of these and all that he hath for the glorious hope of eternal life purchased unto them with the precious blood of the Son of God Such a spirit as this no worldling can be partaker of and such a spirit as this we read to have been in Martyrs even at the stake To conclude this point Of this order are all such as in their greatest necessities and most desperate extremities acknowledge and rely on the gracious protection and fatherly Providence of Almighty God who against all hope rest in hope which is as much as one saith as for a man to shake the whole earth and is as hard a work Hence by reason that the Spirit doth communicate this strength unto us he is called the Spirit of strength thus his strength is shewn in our weaknesse Isa 11.2 whereby great and difficult matters beyond expectation or the reach of our nature are brought to passe All these are sufficient restimonies whereby we may undoubedly and safely conclude that where they are to be found Gods Spirit it is to be found God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into their hearts Wherefore my dearly beloved into whose hearts the Spirit of God hath entred make it appear by his holy conversation that he is in your hearts if ye live in the Spirit Gal. 5.25 ye must walk in the Spirit if by the potent operation of the Spirit ye berdead unto sin and raised up unto newnesse of life you must expresse it by serving in holinesse and righteousnesse before him all they dayes of your life it cannot be said flatly there is any life in him in whom there is no expression of life so unlesse you forsake and abandon your wayes of wickednesse your adultery your pride your extortion your grinding of the faces of the poor by your oppression your cheating your bribery your riot your unjust dealing and whatsoever Gods pure eyes cannot endure to behold by hearty and unfained repentance and sincere obedience unto all that God commands it cannot be truly affirmed that the Spirit of God is in your hearts or that he hath as yet breathed upon you the breath of supernatural or spiritual life Vita animalis probat animam esse in corpore vita spiritualis spiritum in anima Your natural life is an infallible demonstration of the soul's presence in the body your spiritual life of the spirits presence in the soul As they that have no soul have no natural life so they have not spiritual life that have not the Spirit Let therefore your life be such as that all may take notice of what spirit ye are and that the Spirit is in your hearts that so you by your works and others by your example may glorifie your Father which is in heaven Again 1 Thes 4.4 7. if any of you be perswaded of the Spirits dwelling in your hearts let it be your principal care to possesse your vessels your hearts in sanctification unto the Lord for God hath not call'd you hereby unto uncleannesse but unto holinesse Christ could not endure in the Temple of God profane Merchants that defiled it Remember that ye are the temples of God and if any man desile the temple of God 1 Cor. 3.17 Justitiâ verccundia observantia legum communitum Contra Aristog him shall God destroy for the temple of God is holy which temple ye are Demosthenes could say That mans heart was Gods best temple Cleanse therefore your souls from all pollutions of sin that ye may be fit to receive and entertain the Lord of glory If an earthly Prince were to come and lodge in your houses what labour would you take to sweep them clean What provision would you make for him What care would you have of ordering all things decently that your houses may be answerable to his slate And shall your care and provision be lesse in entertaining the King of heaven Let it not be said of you but purifie your hearts and the King of glory shall come in and abide with you to the end of the world Cast off all the works of uncleanness that ye may be blameless in the sight of God Saint Paul biddeth us not to grieve the holy Spirit that is Delicata res est Spiritus Dei Ephes 4.30 seeing that he is pleased to tak up his habitation in us we ought not in any case by our sins to disquiet and vex him but with an awful reverence shew him all service and dutiful respect lest by abusing our selves we make him to depart from us and unclean spirits come in his roome The graces of the Spirit are likened to sparks of fire which a little water may soone quench take heed that ye quench not the Spirit in you by drinking up iniquity like water for hereby as ye deprive your selves of the Spirit so of all spiritual blessings and heavenly comforts which redound unto us by his comfortable fellowship by which as we are guided into all truth in this life so after this life go into the joyes of our Master which is in heaven When I do seriously consider with my selfe the great love of God extended without all desert unto the sinful sons of men I am carried away with a strong admiration thereof I see men plung'd in the depth of misery I see God viewing them in the height of mercy the extremity of our misery moving God to pity Our captivity unto Satan had been endless had not God of his infinite goodness sent forth his Son to bring us forth We were for ever sold under sin without redemption had not God sent forth his Son to redeem us to have bought us with his precious blood Sin and Satan had made us their servants their slaves eternally had not God in the fulness of time sent forth his Son that by him we might receive the Adoption of sons Thus of Captives of bondslaves of servants to our
pleasure of his will to the praise of the glory of his grace wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved in whom we have redemption through his blood the forgivenesse of sins according to the riches of his grace wherein he hath abounded toward us The benefit that redounds to us by this is this in general that hereby we are made the brethren of Jesus Christ which principally consists in our conformity with him in righteousnesse and true holinesse Hence it is that we are 〈◊〉 with the holy Spirit of promise which is the earnest of our inheritance called the Spirit of adoption and the Spirit of the Son because sons only are capable of it Talis Spiritus non datur servis sed solis filiis sons not servants are partakers of this Spirit sons not servants use to cry Abba Father There is a spirit of bondage which servants receive which Spirit ye have not received again to fear There is a Spirit of adoption assuring us of the liberty of sons by which we cry Abba Father Hence it is again that the righteousnesse of Christ is made ours Rom. 8.29 made ours by predestination by imputation on Gods part made ours by faith in apprehension in application on our parts for whom he did foreknow he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son that he might be the first-born among many beethren moreover whom he did predestinate them he also called and whom he called them he also justified and whom he justified them he also glorified And thus it comes about that we receive an inheritance in the heavens whereof albeit we are not as yet compleat possessors yet out title is good our interest firm in that the possession was purchased for us unto the praise of the glory of God and shall be given to us in the day of our full and our perfect redemption Stand fast therefore my beloved in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made you free children of the free-woman Citizens of the heavenly Jerusalem heirs of an eternal Kingdom Great is our dignity over that it was by nature ye were limbs of Satan servants to sin enemies to God sons of wrath but by the grace of adoption we are the members of Christ servants to righteousnesse friends nay more than friends the sons of God Be thankful therefore unto him honour him as sons let your obedience be joyned with all faithfulnesse unto the fulfilling of his will who hath in his infinite goodnesse made you his sons and taking from you the spirit of bondage hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts crying Abba Father Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think according to the power that worketh in us unto him be glory in the Church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages world without and. Amen SAINT PAUL'S Apology GALAT. 1.18 Then after three years I went up to Jerusalem to see Peter and abode with him fifteen dayes THere is no child to Gods Child no man to the man of God look what he saith what he doth he will make good maugre the hearts of his enemies Thus Moses resisted Corah Dathan and Abiram Numb 16. Thus Elijah opposed Ahabs and Jezabels bawsing Prophets of Baal 1 King 1.18 Thus Micajah withstood four hundred false Prophets 1 King 22. Thus our Saviour confounded the Scribes and Pharisees the Apostles the Jews and Paul here false Apostles and all by the same Spirit As there is a Spirit of truth so there is a spirit of lying God is said to put a lying spirit in the mouth of the false Prophets But here spirits of lying lye in the very hearts of some imaginary Apostles that blatter out they know not what against Paul but he graced and strengthened with the Spirit and grace of God would not be nonplust or put to silence with such facility he had spirit enough to oppose the false allegations of these deceitful brethren who endeavoured to pervert the Churches of Galatia to bring them from Christianity to Judaisme maintaining that circumcision and other ceremonies of the law were to be retained as necessary to salvation Alledging also that Pauls doctrine was no true doctrine in all points and what he had he had received from the Apostles at the second hand as well as they and therefore they teaching one thing and he another quite contrary to what they taught what reason had they to believe him more than them more in number But the Apostle in this chapter clears himself from the scandalous imputations of these insinuating Cavillers as we may see by taking a brief survey of the chapter which may guide us unto Paul's journey First he was an Apostle himself The people said of King Saul is Saul also among the Prophets So said the people of this Saul now Paul is not this he that persecuted the Church of God extreamly what is Paul also among the Apostles But now no more persecuting Paul but Paul an Apostle not of the Apostles making not of men neither by man why by whom then but by Jesus Christ and God the Father vers 1. First then he was an Apostle of Gods making As for his doctrine it was the Gospel he spake nothing but Gospel that which in time past he persecuted no other than that the Apostles preached and Christ taught the Apostles Hence he comes with a curse anathematizing them that offer to preach any other Gospel be he man or Angel vers 8 9. As for his teachers who they were that he answers in a word not man but God I received it by the Revelation of Jesus Christ vers 12. Again he shews how he was converted it was by Gods good pleasure calling him by grace vers 15. And to what end was he called that is briefly to reveale his Son in him that he might do the like unto others To reveale his Son in me that I might preach him among the Gentiles vers 16. When he was thus called he confer'd not with flesh and blood as too too weak to teach him he would not build on the sandy foundations of mans braine that shakes like a quagmire he would surer or none at all I confer'd not with flesh and blood I but some might except against that that he went up to Jerusalem and was conversant with the Apostles and so learned the Gospel by hear-say Nay that 's a lye neither went I up to Jerusalem to them which were Apostles before me but I went into Arabia and returned into Damascus He went not up to Jerusalem indeed so suddenly but three years after his conversion he went thither to see Peter and abode with him fifteen dayes In the first three years space of his conversion he saw not an Apostle but when three years were past which was the matter of five or sixe years after the Passion of our Saviour the last year of the reigne of Tiberius or the beginning of Caligula's he went
discrepancy and distinction from the members 2. In a congruity or agreement with them The relation of a natural head to the members doth consist in a discrepancy which is four-fold 1. The natural head differs from the members in regard of eminence and dignity so Christ from the Church and every single member thereof for he is God over all blessed for ever 2. In regard of perfection so of Christs fulness do we all receive 3. Thirdly in regard of Government so Christ by his Spirit ruleth in the hearts of the faithful and they are at his service 4. In regard of influence so there are infused in the soules of the elect the divine and heavenly motions of grace from Christ through whom they are able to do all things It consisteth likewise in a congruity and agreement which is three-fold 1. The head hath a natural conformity with the members so Christ as man with every one of the Church we are of his body of his flesh and of his bones 2. The head and members do agree in ordination to the same end conspiring together for the preservation of the whole entire So Christ is now in glory and the Church presseth forward to that eternal blessedness which in the day of perfect redemption they shall with Christ be actual possessours of 3. The head and the members do agree in contiguity so there is a spiritual contiguity effected by the supernatural operation of Gods Spirit betwixt Christ and his mystical body whereby they are made one they that are joined unto Christ are one spirit 1 Cor. 6.17 And hence those supernal graces whose original is God are with the more facility more copiously diffused and the life of grace with heavenly inspirations the more amply distributed to each part the power of which diffusive distribution principally resideth in Christ the head from whom the prime act of all transcendent information doth proceed For further illustration of this first Christ is the head of the Church 1. In all places 2. At all times 3. In every state and condition considered 4. In all Authority He is the head of the Church in all places for he is every where the Deity cannot be excluded neither yet included All places are full of him and yet all places do not comprehend him he is free from the limits of local circumscription and yet every where present Go from his Spirit we cannot Nocte latent mendae sed non Deum Dco o scura clarent muta respondent silenâ—um conâ—â—itâ—tur faith an Ancient we cannot fly from his all-filling presence if we ascend into heaven he is there if we descend into hell be is there if we take the wings of the morning and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea even there shall his hand lead us and his right hand shall hold us darkness shall not cover us darkness shall not hide us the night shall be light about us for to him the night shineth as the day Psal 139. An uncontroulable demonstration of this ubiquity and special presence of Christ in Spirit is the universality of the Church which is not comprehended as heretofore within the narrow bounds of Jury or the circumference of one Kingdom but the uttermost parts of the earth are his possession his call hath been heard in all Lands and all Nations The sound of the Apostles Doctrine concerning the Kingdom of Christ Rom. 10.18 went into all the Kingdomes of the earth and their words into the ends of the world Vitra Garamantas Indos protulet imperium all sorts of people are in subjection to his dominion This was intimated to Peter in a vision as is by some wittily observed Act. 10. Where he saw heaven opened and a certain vessel descending unto him as it had been a great sheet knit at the four corners wherein were all manner of four-footed beasts of the earth and wild beasts and creeping things and fowles of the aire The vessel knit at the four corners did denotate the universality of the Church the four corners of the vessel answering the four corners of the world East West North South The several kind of creatures in it call'd by Peter unclean but by God cleans'd signifies the Church of God collected out of all Nations and conditions of men purified with the blood of Christ and sanctified by his Spirit Wherefore pious was that conclusion which Peter hence deducted that in every Nation he that feareth God and worketh righteousness without respect of persons is accepted with him We read Mat. 24.31 that at the end of the world Christ will send forth his Angels to gather together his Elect from the four winds from one end of heaven to the other which infallibly is a significant expression of the dispersion of Gods Church through all the quarters of the world We may yet ascend higher Christ is not head on earth alone but in heaven also every sainted and glorified man is a triumphant member of this body of Christ Thus Christ is the head of the Church in all places He is also the head of the Church at all times 1. Before the law for then the Patriarchs our forefathers enjoyed the benefit of the same glorious promises made in Christ Jesus that we now do only the circumstance altered they believing that Christ should be incarnate we that he was 2. Under the Law for all the ceremonies services and sacrifices at that time had reference unto him without whom they could do nothing It were through Christ they were vigorous and for his sake acceptable to God and the persons for whom the sacrifices were offered were not respected so much for those sacrifices as for the Principal intended by them Christ Jesus So that his Spirit was in the faithful then elevating their souls to more sublime objects than there presented to the outward view and guiding their actions to an higher end than there appearing 3. He is the Churches Head after the Law under the Gospel For by the Gospel the power of God unto salvation and by his holy Spirit leading us into all truth and filling us with all eminent graces and Celestial benedictions he governeth the Church Gods flock conducting them to that Kingdom which for them he hath purchased with his precious blood And having since his manifestation in the flesh confer'd upon his people a more ample proportion of gifts the assurance of these dayes in Christ and happy communion with him is more apparent than ever before By him we have accesse unto the throne of grace by him we are made partakers of the divine nature In brief he is the head of the Church by an unrevokable constitution from all eternity and so unto eternity shall last No Pontifical competitour can put him by it no proud Prelate of Rome can partake of this honour proper to himself and which he will not give unto another Thus he is the head of the Church at all times And he is the Churches
another end the supream which will be acquired Gods glory and their salvation The head and the members agree in continuity So man and wife single themselves out from all the world and by an indissoluble conjunction until death according to the Divine Ordinance of God the first instituter of this Order are made one one in body one in affection by a loving consent on both sides Ephes 5.3 They two shall be one flesh saith Saint Paul and he that hateth his wife hateth his own soul which in nature is most monstrous No earthly unity is comparable to this Where whom God doth thus joyn together let none attempt to put asunder it was never the intention of the prime efficient of this sacred Ordinance that who were lawfully knit together hand-fasted and heart-fasted should be ever parted or really dis-joyned but should continue one and the same unto their dying day Ephes 5.23 Sic equidem ab initio so I am sure it was from the beginning Thus the husband is the head of the wife as Christ is the head of the Church And thus much for the first point in what respects the man is the head of the woman The second part of my discourse shall be concerning the Offices mutually to be performed by man and wife I will begin with the wife it is the Apostles exhortation unto them Wives submit your selves to your own husbands as it is fit in the Lord. Colos 3.18 Ephes 5.24 And in another place as the Church is subject unto Christ so let wives be to their own husbands in every thing This submission this subjection doth import three things 1. An internal act of the heart conceiving and acknowledging their inferiority to their husbands albeit for nobility of birth and honourable descent for riches or vertue or prudence they may perhaps excel Hence doth proceed as from its proper fountain outward subjection which cannot be without the former but either forced or feigned This disposition of the heart discovered by outward expressions the Apostles speech seems to reflect upon And the wife see that she reverence her husband For wives to be in subjection to their own husbands Ephes 5. last was the fashion in the old world thus Sara obeyed Abraham calling him Lord 1 Pet. 3.6 Let it O let it ye that are the daughters of pious Sara as long as ye do well be the fashion now So shall not the resolute combination of your faithful hearts admit an interruption nor your hearty harmony the least jarring 2. This subjection of wives imports an endeavour of conforming themselves to their husbands humours in all lawful and different matters It is indeed a difficult task but so much the more laudable when the work consummated An ingenuous nature will quickly effect it Hence saith the Apostle She that is married careth for the things of the world how she may please her husband The principal way to attain present felicity and undisturb'd contentation in this life for a woman is 1 Cor. 7.34 to be industrious in framing her disposition and composing her affections in that manner as that her actions may be correspondent to her good mans desires When the rib whereof Eve was made was taken out of Adam Adam was in a deep sleep free from perturbation or pain intimating as one wittily observes that women must be neither troublesome nor painful unto their husbands but ever good and pleasing 3. This subjection hath this importance that the love wives ought to bare their husbands ought to be entire The care of their estates and children perpetual their bearing with their infirmities patient their application of comfort in every condition Sicut in ligno vermis ita perdit virwn suum uâ—or malefica Hierom. constant And if any husband be of dissolute behaviour it is the part of a pious Matron by prayer and sweet conversation to endeavour a reformation A woman thus vertuous is a crown unto her husband Prov. 12.4 Contrariwise she that maketh ashamed is as rottennesse in his bones Wherein the wise man expresseth the mischief of an evil wife by an apt similitude And that of Hierom is not much behind it As the worm eats into the heart of the tree and destroys it so doth a naughty wife her husband Now secondly ye men whom God hath blest with the happinesse of a wife and ye that intend this holy estate observe your duties also It is an Apostolical Edict dictated by the Spirit of Truth husbands love your wives and be not bitter against them A twofold Precept the one commanding love the other prohibiting bitternesse Your love must be pure and upright according to the example of our Saviour urged by the Apostle Ephes 5.25 Husbands love your wives as Christ also loved the Church and gave himself for it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 lov'd the Church there 's the affection of the heart 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and gave himself for it there 's the effect of that affection First then you must love and bestow your hearts upon them and because that the demonstration of your love doth consist in the exhibition of effects there must be secondly an expression of the inward affection in outward acts which may be reduced to these three A joyful and contented cohabitation with your Consorts your presence unlesse necessity force your absence is much desired Christ promised that He would be with his Church unto the end of the world Inter utrunque ardor amoris summus ut Opianus de cervis agens scribit Prov. 5.18 19. So be ye with your espoused wives until death shall work a seperation Rejoyce saith Solomon with the wife of thy youth let her be as the loving Hind and pleasant Roe let her breasts satisfie thee at all times and be thou ravisht with her love Velut extra sis rerum aliarum obliviscare saith Mercer An instruction of them in all things that tend either to the procuring of temporal felicity in this life or the compassing of eternal glory in the suture If they learn any thing let them ask their husbands at home 1 Cor. 14.35 You are their Tutors and Supervisors whose directions are not limitted to secular affairs wherein they are your co-partners but extend also to religious employments and the divine matters of a more glorious and everlasting Kingdom Vxoris vitium aut tollendo aut tollerando Varro whereof with you they are co-heirs Dwell with them saith Saint Peter according to knowledge giving honour unto the wife as unto the weaker vessel 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as being heirs together of the grace of life 1 Pet. 3.7 There is for further expression of love in man required a careful and sollicitous provision of all things necessary for their wives He that provides not for those of his houshold is worse than an infidel Our Saviour supplies his Church which is his Spouse with what conduceth to the happinesse thereof So do
ever about him and far most of all for a Church-man Subtile and powerful are they with whom he hath to do the gifts where with he ought to be furnished withall are not to be reputed vulgar yet so are they to be tempered as that they outstretch not the capacity of the vulgar upon occasion His work is not stinted to the Body the Soul is the subject he works upon The dignity therefore of the Soul far exceeds that of the Body And as the commodity arising from their spiritual industry redounds more to the Spirit of a man the finer metal than the Body the baser substance though indeed to both So in a Divine indeed must the Divine habiliments of the mind seasoned and moderated with the grace of Gods holy Spirit that they may work with the more agility and with the greater efficacie and far surpass the best endowments generally of the common sort He hath more precious things in hand than any wherefore his sufficiency must be correspondent to his charge and his care proportionable to his sufficiency Salvation is the end of his intentions and that that crowns his actions Wherefore look about you Tuke heed unto your selves In our selves we must take heed of two things 1. Of our Doctrine 2. Of our Life Take heed unto thy self saith Paul to Timothy and unto the doctrine continue in them 1 Tim. 4. uit for in doing this thou shalt both save thy self and them that hear thee As our life is not contemplative alone spent in the bare speculation of Divine oracles like Moses conferring with God but also practical spent in actions with men pertaining to holiness So we must behave our selves in both with that moderation and convenient wariness as that the one may be an help and furtherer to the other to remove all obstacles that may be prejudicial to the acquiring of the happiness of Eternity both in our selves and others The ornaments of the Priests robe in the old Law Lib. de sacr Altar myst c. 17. were significant intimations hereof as is observed by Pope Innocent It was sumptuously garnished with Onix stones Bells and Pomgranates By the Onix stones are intimated Truth and Sincerity by the brightness of their truth of Doctrine which must be as clear as the Sun by their solidity and integrity of Conversation both springing up out of sound Learning The Bells note our incessant sounding forth the praises of the Lord in his holy Temple by preaching in season and out of season Woe be to me saith Paul if I preach not the Gospel The Pomgranates are signs are symbols of good works The order gives occasion of a further observation There was a Bell and a Pomgranate a Bell and a Pomgranate and a Bell betwixt every Pomgranate figuring how that good works in the Ministerial order must be ever intermingled with good words the matter of these yields matter for amplifying this discourse They were made of pure gold pure metal abstracted from all dross to signifie the necessary concurrence and sweet harmony of an undefiled life and true doctrine both appearing exceeding good to the eye both sounding exceeding well to the ear If all of our Function excel in purity of life and foundness of doctrine then are we all spiritually true Bell-metal Hence it is said by the Evangelist that Christ began to do and to teach whose steps we must follow He did much but he did no sin to shew that our conversation should be blameless and in his mouth was found no guile to shew that we should speak nothing but the truth Take heed of your Doctrine First that it be found agreeable to the Scriptures If any teach otherwise let him be accursed The Word of God is the foundation of revealed Truth whereupon we must build Take heed of vain Philosophy whose precepts may seem specious but in them may be comprehended the doctrine of devils Many turbulent spirits delighting to be pragmatical and factious have obtruded into the Church for doctrine the commandments of men and for their own ends attempt to corrupt Religion and bring in Innovations and new-fangled devices causing an apostasie from the Truth and drawing disciples after them But I trust ye have learned otherwise not to be guided by the ostentation or umbratical shews of any plausible tongue but by the most perfect rule of Divine truth the Word of God Believe it Schismatical wits if not prevented breed an infection in the Church worse than the plague Let the Word of God then be the ground of our proceedings lest we wander out of the way and affirmatively conclude what God denies To this end by Canonical constitutions they are to be duly examined who plead for admittance into Holy Orders that so they may both satisfie themselves by experience and certifie others whether or no they be orthodoxally learned and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 apt to teach Pious therefore was that resolution of a most Reverend Father in God Never to admit any into this holy Function but such of whose Knowledge in Divinity he should receive some competent intelligence The part of a most wise and judicious Prelate The admission of illerate men into the Ministery hath been the bane of our Religion and the disgrace of our Profession as we all well know For where there is no Knowledge the people must perish Gods service and worship must be disregarded There are some are probably suspected of heterodoxal doctrine who upon examination or serious dispute or preaching care should be taken they may be hindred from propagating their inventions Others there are whose Insufficiency is so gross that to hear them speak to the purpose is as great a wonder as it was to hear Balaam's Ass The Church suffereth under both It is most convenient therefore that whoso desire to take this Vocation upon them should have solid Learning and be able to exhort to reprove to instruct the people of God and should solemnly protest to teach and maintain nothing contrary to what the Word of God shall warrant Let us therefore take heed unto our selves that our Doctrine be sound for The Priests lips preserve knowledge Secondly What we teach must be plain as well as found There is no goodness to be hoped no proficiency to be expected by teaching where what is taught is not understood Our speech must not outstretch the common apprehension Prudentibus vicis non placont phalerata sed fortia said Bishop Iewel Bonaventure's words in prenching were not inflantis sed inflammantia Not strong lines but a plain phrase tends to Edification the end of Preaching Many times in difficult Terms lies enwrapt a pestilent Heresie Hereticks at least Novelists coin such obscure sentences as that they may walk unseen as it were in a cloud of obscurity But this is not the way to gain souls to God the plainest manner is the best My speech and my preaching saith Paul was not with enticing words of mans wisdom but in demonstration
some sort rest satisfied Had that Apostate Julian disburdened his soul of all praejudicate opinions had he pondered divine truths as was requisite had he look't into it as into the word of God he never had blasphemed it in saying Vidi legi contempsi I saw it read it contemned it to whom learned Basil modestly replied as Chamier that famous French-man reports out of history Vidisti legisti non intellexisti si intellexisses non contempsisses sawedst thou it readst thou it thou never understoodst it hadst thou understood it thou hadst never contemn'd it Of so great authority and so full of divine majesty are the Oracles of God as that in an understanding man they beget an awful reverence and mightily prevail for an obedient subscription with those that studiously look into it never man spake as Christ never man as God Now who those are that should diligently enquire after the will of God and look into the perfect Law of liberty is a point worthy our enquiring after None but such as exempt themselves from God exempt themselves from this task All are bound to it but who will observe it Minister and People as they combine to honour God so to know him and whom he hath sent Jesus Christ The Knowledge of whose will glides not into the soul of man by natural instinct or moral infusion but by the Spirit and the Word of truth the Spirit illuminating the Word informing our understanding In which word we that are Pastours of the flock of Christ above others must use assiduous scrutiny 't is our profession to know more than ordinary Act. 20.28 as appointed in an higher sphear to be Overseers of the Church of God Hence the Spirit terms the Prophets Seers because they saw the will of God which others also saw by them 1 Cor. 4.1 and the Apostles with their successours stewards of the mysteries of God and Embassadors for Christ to pray men in Christs stead to be reconciled to God 2 Cor. 5.20 En flexanimam suadae medullam whose knowledge by preaching must be diffused others must reap the benefit of our paines God makes us knowing men to make knowing men which many have taken on them to do but some neglect it some can but will not some will not because they cannot some cannot and yet presume As for them that can and will not I pity them they shall be beaten with many stripes as for them that will not because they cannot I slight them though richer than my selfe they are but dumb dogs as for them that cannot yet presume the world may jeere them they make the Pulpit undervalued But for Gods sake my brethren let us that can will and endeavor when we speak from the father of languages to deliver our embassage not in an ill one lest we expose our selves to a scornful censure nor in a too obscure and affected one labouring more for fine words than fit ones lest affecting the praise of humane eloquence we feed the people as Heliogabalus did his Parasites with painted dishes as those fed the eye not the body so the other tickle the eare but profit not the soul 'T is truth that one speakes there is a Magick in the tongue can charm the wild mans motions and though God hath chosen by weak things to confound the wise 1 Cor. 1.27 yet experience shews that in all times a washed language hath much prevailed The Scriptures are pen'd in a tongue of a deep expression in every word almost a Metaphor illustrating by some allusion How political is Moses how Philosophycal and Mathematical is Job how massy and sententious Solomon in his Proverbs how quaint and amorously affected in his Canticles how grave and solemn in his Ecclesiastes and how poetical and full of heavenly raptures is his father in his Psalmes Christs doctrine astonished the Jewes Paul pleaded at the barr in a transcendent straine of eloquence and in dispute was subtile In a word it suites not with the Majesty of so divine an Art as is that of winning soules to be presented in sordid rags but in a graceful trimme yet plain Confections that are cordial are not the worse but the better for being guilded Divinity as it must not lasciviate so being well ordered by significant words placed in a native decency angles the soul and lifts it up to heaven As Herod therefore bade the wise men diligently to search for the young child Jesus and when they had found him to bring him word that he might go and worship him also so I advise my brethren accurately to look into this perfect law of liberty and when they have found what there is hidden by constant preaching to divulge it By this means the perverse transgressor is called and converted and Gods pleasure before neglected is observed I repeat St Peters exhortation feed the flock of God which is among you taking the oversight thereof 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Tantâ—m ut nos pascat vâ—stiat not by constraint but willingly not for filthy lucre but of a ready mind 1 Pet. 5.2 that every one of you may say with the Apostle of the Gentiles As much as in me lieth I am ready to preach the Gospel unto you Rom. 1.15 Quicquid in me situm est Promptum est Which done in sincerity not having an eye to the airy applause of men nor wordly commodity but to the glory of God immortal in the salvation of the souls of the hearers when the chief shepheard shall appear 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ye shall receive a Crown of glory that fadeth not away 1 Pet. 5.4 As for silent Ministers not silent by authority but through insufficiency I should wish them well did I wish they never had that calling unto which I dare say they were never truly called but compel'd by necessity on whom avarice laid on the supposedly holy hands By which disorder of ordering broken tradesmen and such of the giddy-headed multitude untuter'd in the Word of God who never knew other Art than how to deceive this holy function is prophaned the Church scandalized the well-deserving kept in penury ignorance gets head impiety propagates and the sheep of Christ with these Wolves in sheep-skins are pitifully worried This tends to verifying Winifrids Apothegme changing one word In old time there were golden Pastors and wooden Chalices but now golden Chalices and wooden Pastors as of old the Jewes had a royal Temple but a rascal Priesthood To redress this abuse the remedy lies in the Imposers hands would the reverend Fathers of the Church hold in their hands from imposition and Patrons theirs from Donation until merit claimed it Clerus Angliae stupor mundi these unworthy vermine would never appear and Churchmen would gain their ancient reputation I make bold therefore to report what an honourable person once writ to his most excellent Majesty of famous memory learned King James They must rather leave the Ark to shake as it
of ignorance suggest unto us that the Scriptures are obscure and so unfit for the Vulgar to look into beleeve it not 't is a false alarum 't is a bold tale by Davids help ye may desâ—ry them Thy Word is a light unto my feet Psal 119.105 2 Pet. 1.19 and a lanthorn unto my paths faith the blessed King Saint Peter calls it a light that shineth in a dark place which if the darknesse comprehend not the aspersion is not to be cast upon the Word but upon us in whom the darknesse dwelleth The Sun is not a jot the more obscure that a blind man seeth it not no more is the Word of God that a natural man understands it not for it is impossible for him so considered 1. In regard of his natural corruption whereby he loves darknesse more than light 2. In regard of his natural dimnesse whereby saith Justin Martyn he is too weak to apprehend clearly the greater matters 3. In regard of the malice of our ancient enemy who labours to take that seed which is sowen out of our hearts and make it unprofitable Yet this word is to be lookt into of all to be heard received meditated and discourst of because by this means we may in time attain to the understanding of it But specially by the guidance of the unerring Spirit that teacheth us all things for which we must daily supplicate unto the Father of wisdom to make us wise unto salvation For if he be once confer'd upon us 1 Cor. 2.10 we are fitted then to search all things even the deep things of God Until which there remains a vail over the heart and scales of ignorance which must first fall loâ— as those did from Pauls eyes It is not every one that bringeth with him a rational soul that is capable of Divine Revelations 't is true 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. The mind seeth the mind heareth Epicharmus said it Epicharmus yet never is it fit to entertain sacred and supernatural objects until first rectified by the Spirit of truth For the Gentile that is the unregenerate walkers in the vanity of their minds until the power Divine actuate them anew until the holly Ghost who is the anointing eye-salve Joh. 14.26 open their eyes and teach them all things remain in that dark condition Velamen amove volumen evolve Hence proceeded Davids Petition Open thou mine eyes that I may behold wondrous things out of thy Laâ— Psal 119.18 If God open the heart of man as he did the heart of Lydiu What should 〈◊〉 from reading Gods mind in his written Word For this the Bereans won the reputation of being Noble which none but the ignoble brood of the lying Whore of Babylon oppose who were not their faces thatcht over with impudence as is their devotion laid over with ignorance might extremely be ashamed For which grand Sacriledge they pretend Apostolical authority derived from the Popes Chair under the disguise of holinesse wherein lyes a deep plot how to cheat mens souls of saving knowledge and thereby men of their souls The scope of which damned project is to keep the people in a servile awe at their back and make them submit to what they prescribe whereby poor souls they are hurried alougâ—ood winckt into an unavoidable destruction I would to God they were better advised A Chancellour in England advising a Judge told him it was his duty to open the Jurors eyes and not to lead them by the nose So I may say to the Popish Clergy it is their duty not to debarre any Lay-man for looking into the perfect law of liberty which is all the evidence they can shew for the Kingdom of heaven the land of the living but to let them use that granted liberty for their own satisfaction and better assurance Let them then say what they will the Scriptures are not for hardnesse like unto the Cities of the Anakims which were so strong and so walled that they made the Israelites quake to think of them Numb 6.13 neither are they for danger so perillous as they report to be medled with as the tree of knowledge of good and evil that brought death to them that tasted it but it is the power of God unto salvation and to them that keep it there is great reward I advise you therefore to fear nothing but in the strength of the Lord seek to know your Fathers will every way that you may be the better enabled to do it to your endlesse comfort and his endlesse glory who is God over all blessed for ever For what remains I contract my discourse The second step is Perseverance And continueth therein That is persevereth in the study of this holy doctrine and remaine thin the Knowledge belief and 〈…〉 Non quaruntuâ— in Christianis initis sed finis Hierom. 〈…〉 their glory when they lest their love to the truth It is the evening that crownes the day and the last act that commands the whole scene If ye continue in my word then are ye my disciples indeed Joh. 8.31 The third step is Remembrance He being not a forgetfull hearer There is an Hebraism in the words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 an hearer of oblivion a term answering the former similitude Wicked men are often expressed by their bad memories and the sins of Gods people are usually sins of forgetfulnesse and incogitancy Our souls saith one are like filthy ponds in which fish die soone frogs live long Prophane jests are remembred pious passages forgotten Our memories naturally are very false and there is a wilful forgetfulnesse of the best things Therefore we should use the best helps As Attention Prov. 4.21 Affection Psal 119.97 Application Job 5.27 Meditation Luke 2.19 And Practice Psal 119.49 All these are great friends to memory which is the Chest and Ark of Divine Truths Isa 42.23 in which we should see them carefully locked up We should lay up something for the time to come and learn that in Zion which may support us in Babylon The fourth step is Practice But a doer of the work That is laboureth to refer and bring all things to practice Non quid legerint sed quid eperint non quid dixerint sed quomode vixerint This is the end of all our reading and hearing that we may do it it is not knowing but practising that bringeth blessednesse At the last day Christ will demand not what have we read or said but what have we done One practical Christian brings more glory to God than a thousand notional formal professors Is Optimè legit Scripturas qui verba vertit in opera An evidence we are truly godly when the Word is written in the heart and held forth in the life Phil. 2.16 It is not talking of wine but drinking of it that comforts and chears the heart The Theory of Musick is delightfull but the practice is far more excellent and pleasant A real good man is
blessed consequences of Christ's Life and Death Pag. 41. Why Christ died Pag. 53 Of the Three Persons in the Deity largely Pag. 67 68 forward Inferences from the Spirits dwelling in our hearts Pag. 76 77 Christian society should be delightful Pag. 92 Songs of Degrees Pag. 113 Doctrine what must be preached Pag. 122 forward E. FRults of Christs Exaltation Pag. 15 16 The malignity of Envy Pag. 35 Ecclesiastical peace Pag. 36 Christ Exalted according to both Natures Pag. 57 forward Six Evidences of the Spirits dwelling in our hearts Pag. 73 74 No easie matter to be a Minister of the Gospel Pag. 92 An Emperors duty Pag. 121 F. WE may come confidently to God us to a Father Pag. 80 Not build Faith on a staggering foundation Pag. 92 The Soul naturally subjected to Fear Pag. 95 96 Several Fears Pag. 96 forward Benefis of holy Fear Pag. 98 forward Two causes of Fear Pag. 99 The uses Pag. 100 forward Foundation of the Church who Pag. 147 forward G. GOD the All-wise and gracious Moderator Pag. 5 Grace for grace how Pag. 10 11 Of Gods Glory at large Pag. 19 20 What Glory due to God from man imports Pag. 20 21 Gods Good-will how superabundant Pag. 43 44 In what particular acts expressed Pag. 45 forw Comfortable inferences thence deduced Pag. 46 The Spirits mission into our hearts a great gift Pag. 68 69 God and the Holy Spirit not unequal ibid. Heart governed by the Spirit Pag. 74 God is Christs Head how Pag. 111 God alone to be invocated Pag. 114 Grace inherent and actual Pag. 139 Concerning Grace at large Pag. 150 forward H. HOw Christ is Holy Pag. 11 12. How Harmless ibid. The benefits of Christ made higher than the Heavens Pag. 17 18 Honour to God wherein it consists Pag. 22 23 24 Heart the Metropolis of the Soul Pag. 34 Humiliation of Christ a work of power mercy justice Pag. 48 forward Wherein it consists Pag. 51 forward Holy Ghost called a Spirit why Pag. 63 64 Spirit of the Son why ibid. Heart principally desired in man Pag. 72 It 's the seat of the Spirit proved Pag. 72 73 Head of the Woman is Man in what respects Pag. 107 Hear the word how Pag. 133 134 I. JEsus a reverend Name Pag. 6 Indignities put upon Christ Pag. 7 8. His intercession Pag. 9. Not for all promiscuously ibid. Fruit of it Pag. 10 Justice and Mercy Pag. 21. Both to be admired Pag. 22 Justification Pag. 41 Illumination of the understanding Pag. 73 A Christian least reason to be idle why Pag. 84 forward Satan gets great advantage by it Pag. 85. Idleness reproved Pag. 87 Vse of it Pag. 88 Insufficient Ministery the evil of it Pag. 132 133 James unde Pag. 145 John what it signifies Pag. 146 K. KIngs their duty Pag. 113 116 117 Four Divinity-Lectures for them Pag. 115 Not exempted from afflictions Pag. 117. To be prayed for Pag. 118 L. LOve God how Pag. 23. Gods love to Mankind Pag. 63 64 Livelihood from the Spirit Pag. 75 76 What love should be betwixt Ministers Pag. 89 Ministers must take heed to their lives how Pag. 126 Gospel why called a Law Pag. 129 130 A perfect Law ibid. A Law of liberty Pag. 130 131 In what language Ministers should deliver their message Pag. 132 M. THe first Man was the first order'd Priest Pag. 3 Mans recovery is by a Mediator Pag. 4 Of Gods Mercy Pag. 39 The Mediator must be both God and Man Pag. 50. forward Mission of the Spirit Pag. 70 Plotters of Mischief Pag. 87 Man is the womans head Pag. 106 forward Ministers improvidence fatal to the Church Pag. 120. Ministery an hard task ibid. Must look to themselves how Pag. 121 Neither spare for love nor fear Pag. 123 124 How called and why Pag. 126 forward Merits confuted Pag. 41 42 N. TO Number our days what Pag. 86 O. THe Offence committed must be purged away by the Nature offending Pag. 5 God added an Oath to the Covenant of grace and peace why Pag. 6 7 Oblation of Christ in the Heavens Pag. 9 Obedience to God internal external largely Pag. 22 23. How qualified Pag. 24 25 Excellency of Order Pag. 103 Offices mutually to be performed by man and wife Pag. 109 forward P. DIgnity of Christ's Priesthood Pag. 7 A double comfort from the purity of our High-Priest Pag. 13 Christ a Pattern for our imitation Pag. 14 Peace fourfold wrought by Christ Jesus Pag. 26 27 How made Pag. 27 28. Peace of a good Conscience amply described Pag. 30 31 32. Peace pressed Pag. 33 34 The Spirit of the Son is a Person why Pag. 66 67 And distinct why ibid. And the third and last Person how ibid. Pilgrimage some kind lawful Pag. 8 Papists false Inferences refuted ibid. forward Apostles are Pillars Pag. 91 Perfection absolute not here Pag. 98 Promises strongest Arguments Pag. 116 Ten Persecutions Pag. 124 125 Perseverance Pag. 135 Practice Pag. 136 Saints estate perfect and imperfect how Pag. 140 forward Protestants whence Pag. 141 Peter the signification Pag. 146 Paul what imports Pag. 151 forward Q. OF Quenching the Spirit Pag. 77 R. ROme's Sacriledge Pag. 10 Righteousness of Christ efficacious to us Pag. 13 14 Resurrection of Christ Arguments proving it Pag. 59. Necessity of it Pag. 60 61. Ends of it Pag. 61 62. The Conclusion Pag. 62 63 Regeneration Pag. 73 Religious hearts in a continual awe of God Pag. 96 Reading and Meditation to be joyned Pag. 134 Remembrance Pag. 135 136 Our Religion how founded Pag. 149 S. THe Son of God must be made the Son of Man Pag. 5 Sufferings of Christ the reason Pag. 8 Christ separate from sinners how Pag. 14. Made sin for us how Pag. 21 22 Benefits by Christs sufferings Pag. 29 Sanctification Pag. 43 None by nature excepted from sins contagion Pag. 43 Sufferings of Christ were incessant Pag. 51 Some specialties Pag. 52. Necessity of them Pag. 53 forward And Effects Pag. 55 forward The Application Pag. 56 Sons of God what Pag. 81 Spirit of truth and of lying Pag. 83 States how guided Pag. 116 Religion the soul of them ibid. Scripture to be compared with Scripture Pag. 134 The Spirit to be supplicated for Pag. 135 Saints two sorts Pag. 138 forward Saul what signifies Pag. 151 T. MYstery of the Trinity Pag. 68 Time an account to be kept of Pag. 84 Precious ibid. Will not be stayed Pag. 85 How we must make account of it ibid. Time must be redeemed Pag. 86 V. CHrist undefiled in the whole course of his life and why Pag. 13 Vbiquity refuted Pag. 17 Vnion with Christ Pag. 73 Vniversality of the Church Pag. 105 Voice of God daunting Pag. 127 128 Vnion must be amongst Ministers Pag. 152 W. CHrist born of a Woman why Pag. 5 6 The Word made flesh how Pag. 13 Divine Worship Pag. 25 26. largely God to be worshipped every where Pag. 90 The merciful project of Gods Eternal Wisdom Pag. 47 Bitterness to Wives discovers it self how Pag. 110 forward Word to be looked into accurately Pag. 131 FINIS